LithiumSedai

"Look, Mother, I am a governor again," spoke the aforementioned Bishop to the paper, his eyes darting upwards. Whether a pious expression of thanks to the Lord, and appreciation of his deceased parent, or a gesture of utter irony and disdain, none could tell.

 

Father Jean admired his likeness in the paper, though, truthfully, there was little to admire. As an afterthought, he murmured a hasty prayer for Their Royal Majesties.



 

Sir Daris Verethi and his compatriots kept the courier detained at the Salvian legation in Whitespire, suspecting a plot or conspiracy of some sort. However, when his motives and authenticity were proven, Daris penned a reply and released the courier so it might be returned to the tribesman.

@Norgeth
 

TO MUNDOBERHT OF TUHROSWEYK, MESSENGER OF THE OWYNHAR ALLIANCE,

Three blessings to you and Saint Ottomar's eternal grace and protection. I am overjoyed to know that this outlander Venerable of yours has not been forgotten here, and I assure you that his remains are safeguarded by our Syndicate and treated with utmost piety and respect that a brother of the Faith deserves. However, if your wish as his next of kin is to have them returned to the Outlands, to the custody of the Mother Church, I shall respect that wish and see to it that Ven. Fr. Wert's relics are shipped back to Aevos. Long has it been since the days of a Church infested with trickery and betrayal, and His Holiness is a Waldenian ally trusted by the Syndicate and a proven enemy of the Deceiver. Within a Saint's Week, our honor guard will have the body returned.


WEALTH BEYOND MEASURE,



 

"Let the enemies of Man once more shatter their blades upon this Covenant like teeth," prayed Jean Bishop St. Godwin, a veteran of the War in the Midlands. Imperial politics concerned him little, yet still the unity of mankind upon Aevos in contrast to the disparate realms of his homeland appealed to his faith.

 

I'll pay you 20

A  C A L L  T O  T H E  M I N I S T R Y  O F  S A I N T  G O D W I N

☨

G O D ‘ S  P E A C E  A N D  B L E S S I N G S  U P O N  Y O U !

All PRIESTS stationed in the Diocese of SAINT GODWIN are hereby invited to the Royal City of WHITESPIRE for a meeting hosted by the BISHOP SAINT GODWIN. For the purpose of betterment of our apostolic mission in all lands held by the AAUNIC CROWN and the easternmost, unincorporated parishes, ASSIGNMENTS and AFFIRMATIONS of parochial appointments, as well as a discussion of matters administrative and spiritual shall be arranged at this meeting.

☨

J U D I T E  P R A Y E R  F O R  T H E  P R I E S T S :

Grant unto Thy servants, O LORD, forgiveness of their sins, consolation in life, and continual guidance: that serving Thee, they may always deserve to attain to Thy mercy.

A M E N .

☨

Y O U R  A T T E N D A N C E  S H A L L  B E  W E L C O M E D  A N D  E X P E C T E D  A T :

The CATHEDRAL of OUR LADY of PARADISUS in WHITESPIRE, on the TENTH of GODFREY’S TRIUMPH, 1968

All attendants are hereby urged to CONFIRM their arrival by letter, denoting their NAME and CURRENT appointment, or a suggestion of their DESIRED appointment in advance.

☨

C O N C L U D E D  A N D  G I V E N  A T  W H I T E S P I R E  B Y

BISHOP SAINT GODWIN

ON the EIGHTH of SIGISMUND’S END, 1967


 

"I love Aegisian bureaucracy," said Father Jean, duly scribbling in his details in the form provided. He gave thanks to the Lord that the Church seemed to be willing to take his self-reported data for granted, and that he did not have to procure identity documents and his birth certificate from across the sea - or provide his criminal history.

 

"Salvation is within reach - you know where to find us," Sir Daris Verethi scribbled upon one of the public missives, pinning a familiar poster beside it.


 

Father Jean lamented the loss of his cooking supplies until the gravity of his actions saving an innocent life dawned upon him. To his friend and benefactor, King John, he remarked:

"If half my yearly allowance saved a life, I would rather be penniless and save two."

@Ramon

 

Father Jean wrote to his fellow cleric from the Diocese of Saint Godwin, pledging any support he could muster to the dealings of the Tribunal.

 

Father Jean raised his censer over the Merryweather basilisk, Corwin's Hammer, and with an echoing chant blessed both the Black Band of Alstreim and the Aaunic Knights of Godwin, assembled as a mixed mass of artillerymen, cavalrymen, and infantrymen - all set upon a single knee before him.

"O Lord, King of Kings, grant your faithful host victory."

 

"The good Duke of Adria snapped his fingers, and every child murderer in the Midlands turned into a poor, innocent Adrian - and everyone lived happily ever after," Father Jean narrated to his ward, Prince Charles of Aaun, the evening before the forces of the righteous were to depart for the front.

"...But even you are too old for these fairytales."

@Olox_

F O U R T H  P R O C L A M A T I O N  O F  T H E  G O V E R N O R  -  G E N E R A L

☨

LET IT BE KNOWN that the efforts of the Office of the GOVERNOR-GENERAL to restore unimpeded traffic between the lands of the AAUNIC CROWN and her faithful allies have borne fruit. The regional road linking the Marchlands Region with the cities of PORTOREGNE and VALLAGNE, dug up by the terrorist STASSIE STATE and turned into a vast ditch in a meaningless attempt to stall the forces of the COVENANT of EIGHT has duly been repaired.

The Office of the GOVERNOR-GENERAL hereby conveys its heartfelt thanks to our brothers in faith of the monastic Order of SAINT JOHANNES from FAUSTEN and their humanitarian mission in Aevos, and for the patronage of HIS HIGHNESS THE LORD of ALBA. Due to the Order’s expertise in engineering and public works, and a generous donation of MARCHLANDS RATION STAMPS by HIS HIGHNESS THE LORD of ALBA for the purpose of enlisting a number of local laborers, this undertaking was swiftly completed in a single SAINT’S DAY.

However, let it also be known that the Office of the GOVERNOR-GENERAL has been informed of an unnerving revelation. Sworn brothers of the Order have reported to us the recovery of nearly TWO HUNDRED BODIES from upon the stakes which lined the STASSIE ditch, unaccounted for by the military rolls of the COVENANT of EIGHT and those seized from the illegitimate STASSIE STATE. Although they remain unidentified, no evidence suggests that these poor souls had belonged to any military formation, or had been anything other than unarmed and innocent civilians. Let this grim revelation serve as a reminder of the inherent barbarism of our enemies. We shall pray for the souls of these victims and their eternal rest.

Issued immediately, a decree instating a

P E R I O D  O F  M O U R N I N G

Shall be in effect in the Marchlands Region. All remaining citizens of the Marchlands Region are urged to spend their day in prayer and reflection.

☨

J U D I T E  P R A Y E R  F O R  R E P O S E  O F  T H E  D E A D :

Do Thou, O LORD, have mercy on our dearly departed, for the sake of us sinners all who greatly hope and trust in Thee. For Thy mercy can turn bittering weeping to joyous fanfare, for Thou alone judgeth the living and the dead.

A M E N .

☨

I T  I S  T H U S  D E C R E E D :

That the remains of the innocent VICTIMS of VELETZER and STASSIE terrorists discovered in the Marchlands Region shall be interred in the Marchlands, within an OSSUARY constructed by our brothers in faith from FAUSTEN;

That the day of the publication of this Proclamation, the EIGHTH of HOREN’S CALLING, shall be a DAY of MOURNING in the Marchlands Region, and that all flags of the AAUNIC CROWN shall be flown at half-mast;

That all remaining citizens of the Marchlands Region previously sworn in fealty to the illegitimate STASSIE STATE are OBLIGATED to pay their respects to the victims of that regime at the OSSUARY within the next SAINT’S DAY;

That these citizens are then OBLIGATED to report to the Office of the GOVERNOR-GENERAL for questioning;

That any who are deemed in violation of this Proclamation shall be judged as traitors and

H A N G E D  B Y  T H E  N E C K  U N T I L  D E A D .

☨

I S S U E D  I N  T H E  N A M E  O F  H I S  M A J E S T Y  T H E  K I N G  O F  A A U N  B Y

HIS EXCELLENCY, FATHER JEAN de RENNES, GOVERNOR-GENERAL of the MARCHLANDS

ON the EIGHTH of HOREN’S CALLING, 1961

"Boon and Bane are so real for this," said Fr. Jean, their greatest fan. He hoped he could attend their next performance in Whitespire.

 

"Yet religious balance and the secular peace in this case hinge upon the same condition," said Father Jean in response to the papal missive. He had been preparing a response to the Adrian declaration, which was an effort now largely unnecessary. To his brother Tristan @Caranthir_, he clarified:

"Justice."

 

Saint Calliope smiles upon the Reinmaren.

 

22 minutes ago, Norgeth said:

@LithiumSedai [!] Bor of Hazûm read over the missive after much effort and trial, figuring out its general meaning, soon the giant-like figure went about scribbling a short and concise letter to the Governor-General, it arriving, quickly and with haste by way of trained and rather fat pigeon.

---

I, Bor of Hazûm, leader of the Mugmar’s Circle Band, would like to offer a total of thirty-five mina for every single Stassiemark ever minted if found to be cast of the mentioned tin, even if of inferior quality. My intentions are to melt these defunct pieces of currency down to be used in the production of bronze, both for arms and armour, aswell as statuettes, decor-ware, and good luck charms. - May your monuments stand good governor.

Signed, Bor of Hazûm, Voice of Mugmar

---

[!] A curt reply was returned to the sender along with his pigeon.

 

Sir Bor of Hazûm,

GOD's blessings upon you and your kin. Your terms are generally agreeable. Once the requisition deadline has passed, you may visit my office and assess, then acquire the surrendered Stassiemarks for the price of twenty mina, and claim every subsequently confiscated Stassiemark for free, provided that your Band arranges for the logistics of such an endeavor.
 

Fr. Jean traveled back to the Marchlands to pin the edict on the noticeboard by his Governorate's office, amidst the ruins of Freddieburg. He hadn't seen the decorations placed by his underlings, and thus couldn't have known that suspicious street urchins wandering about were defacing them. He still smacked one atop the head with his cane for good measure, and ordered ten Stassie civilians hanged for some perceived offense, presumably loitering or existing.

 

"What a time it was," said Fr. Jean, the newly-appointed Governor-General of Stassieland. He prayed to the protector of Aaun, Saint Godwin, for strength in the coming days to do the right thing.

 

"If you hang, no tears we'll shed

Run to save your Stassie head..."

Thus hummed Father Jean as he watched the Stassies do just that - they shambled aimlessly among the burning ruins and found themselves trampled under Yachtmen's horses, dying frequently and most brutally in defiance of their own supposed creed.

There would be a time for God's mercy and humility. But not now - this red day was a day of righteous retribution.

 

Father Jean whistled Stassie, Go Home! while he prepared for his posting as a parish priest, knowing that his lyrics will be proven prophetic - and hoping that this lifeboat, too, will sink rather than sully the shores of Aeldin with Stassies.