On the eve of September the twenty fourth, as leaves fluttered to the ground in the dim evening light, a tall Anglian man clad in respectable attire could be seen nailing a rather plain paper onto the noticeboard. The paper itself was free from decorations and was actually rather Spartan in its appearance. Lines of black ink in rather simplistic handwriting were scribbled across the piece. At the bottom laid a Tyrian purple wax seal which bore the House Ruyter crest, clearly marking it as an official document from the desk of Reddulf Ruyter himself. The words themselves read:
Greetings from the Ruyter Estate. I'm aware that I've not used the noticeboard for my own purposes before, nor have I made any public statements about anything, so I believe it's in order that I introduce myself and my intents here at the beginning. I am the Imperial Knight Reddulf Ruyter of Rulfaerdamme, former Amtsrichter and State Minister of this Empire, and Paladin of the Viridian Order. This thesis is meant to be a commentary or guide for the common man on the current events, as I can very well see how twisted and estranged the tales have become through the inevitable rumor mongering. Let us not tarry longer, but delve right into the subject matter.
I. On the Screamings of Icarus Albatross
Pay this Jacobinist no heed. This creature has been displaying poems of outright heretical content purposed only to destabilize the citizenry and turn them against the state. With his fifth poem, he has marked himself as an obvious Elven spy and a non-Unionist just to hit the nail on the head. Why this man has not been pursued or even investigated by the guard, I've no clear idea. His fourth expresses discontent with Die Schildtheorie and skepticism on the rule of His Imperial Holiness. I don't believe it's necessary for me to go on further about this subject; any loyal Unionist can clearly see this horrible treachery for himself.
II. Regarding the Plague
Do you fear being impaled by the outstretched talons of this sickness? If you do, you don't need to. I firmly believe that the Imperial Spirit will protect us from this illness- us Unionists, that is- just as it protected us from the Bone Horror Crisis. The power of the Spirit is almighty and omnipotent as evidenced time and time again, yet I still see some which I would consider good Unionists donning those ugly masks. Have they no faith that the Spirit will protect them? Believe me, the masks are mere ploys by the clinics to steal regals from right under your nose.
III. The Devout Few and the Attack on the Assembly
I am most displeased by this particular happenstance, and it is the main purpose of my penning this document. As many of you know- in fact, I would expect all of you to know unless you live in an Ithanian brothel- the cult that calls itself the Devout Few recently attacked the Noble Assembly this past Saturday. In the assault, Duke Emerich Ravenstad was brutally murdered and Baroness Sigurna Wodenstaff was kidnapped. My first reaction, once my secretary brought it to my attention, was one of complete astonishment and unbelief. Are you out of your bloody mind? I asked my secretary. But unfortunately the tale was true, and I am lead to make a few conclusions about the notion as a result.
While I am sure the Guard Commander has his reasons and I wish not to put him on the spot, I must ask why there was such a small amount of guards attending. A collection of the peerage must be guarded to an absolute degree, even if it seems overkill. A very respected Duke lost his life, and a Consul was snatched from her seat; this is outrageous. The peerage has a degree of control over the happenings of the archipelago, and as a result must be able to expect a degree of protection from the common law enforcement. I personally call the Bluesteel Order to oversee each assembly and largely increase the amount of guards they normally have standing by.
The ransom itself is perhaps more disgraceful than the lack of protection which was issued. Don't read my words falsely; I agree that the ransom should have been paid in full. However, I disagree with how it was executed. Why did House Typhonus need to pay the dues of House Wodenstaff? Have the Wodenstaff coffers suddenly run thin? Perhaps therein lay the reason they refused to pay tax surplus during Montagaard's tenure as Undercrown. But I think there exists a more likely reason. House Wodenstaff's funds are perfectly fine and are in reality rather vast, but their bankers are stingy. They revel in decadence and luxury, and as such are reluctant to spend their hoarded coins, even to save the life of their matriarch!
IV. Final Thoughts
Jacobinism runs rampant in our city, common criminals are murdering and disgracing esteemed nobility, and we are standing idle while the Elves dine on the corpses of the Imperial Standard army! What happened? Did our pride and resolve drop off of Aloria? Guards must be more zealous and active in their workings. We must be more vigilant and less greedy with our funds. Finally, we need to do something about those damned Knife-Ears while we still can. If we wait too long, there's a distinct possibility that we'll face a resurgent Elven Empire, and I don't believe any of us want that. To the generals, mobilize your troops and serve the Spirit with a might that neither this Empire nor the Elves have ever seen.
Greetings from the Ruyter Estate. I'm aware that I've not used the noticeboard for my own purposes before, nor have I made any public statements about anything, so I believe it's in order that I introduce myself and my intents here at the beginning. I am the Imperial Knight Reddulf Ruyter of Rulfaerdamme, former Amtsrichter and State Minister of this Empire, and Paladin of the Viridian Order. This thesis is meant to be a commentary or guide for the common man on the current events, as I can very well see how twisted and estranged the tales have become through the inevitable rumor mongering. Let us not tarry longer, but delve right into the subject matter.
I. On the Screamings of Icarus Albatross
Pay this Jacobinist no heed. This creature has been displaying poems of outright heretical content purposed only to destabilize the citizenry and turn them against the state. With his fifth poem, he has marked himself as an obvious Elven spy and a non-Unionist just to hit the nail on the head. Why this man has not been pursued or even investigated by the guard, I've no clear idea. His fourth expresses discontent with Die Schildtheorie and skepticism on the rule of His Imperial Holiness. I don't believe it's necessary for me to go on further about this subject; any loyal Unionist can clearly see this horrible treachery for himself.
II. Regarding the Plague
Do you fear being impaled by the outstretched talons of this sickness? If you do, you don't need to. I firmly believe that the Imperial Spirit will protect us from this illness- us Unionists, that is- just as it protected us from the Bone Horror Crisis. The power of the Spirit is almighty and omnipotent as evidenced time and time again, yet I still see some which I would consider good Unionists donning those ugly masks. Have they no faith that the Spirit will protect them? Believe me, the masks are mere ploys by the clinics to steal regals from right under your nose.
III. The Devout Few and the Attack on the Assembly
I am most displeased by this particular happenstance, and it is the main purpose of my penning this document. As many of you know- in fact, I would expect all of you to know unless you live in an Ithanian brothel- the cult that calls itself the Devout Few recently attacked the Noble Assembly this past Saturday. In the assault, Duke Emerich Ravenstad was brutally murdered and Baroness Sigurna Wodenstaff was kidnapped. My first reaction, once my secretary brought it to my attention, was one of complete astonishment and unbelief. Are you out of your bloody mind? I asked my secretary. But unfortunately the tale was true, and I am lead to make a few conclusions about the notion as a result.
While I am sure the Guard Commander has his reasons and I wish not to put him on the spot, I must ask why there was such a small amount of guards attending. A collection of the peerage must be guarded to an absolute degree, even if it seems overkill. A very respected Duke lost his life, and a Consul was snatched from her seat; this is outrageous. The peerage has a degree of control over the happenings of the archipelago, and as a result must be able to expect a degree of protection from the common law enforcement. I personally call the Bluesteel Order to oversee each assembly and largely increase the amount of guards they normally have standing by.
The ransom itself is perhaps more disgraceful than the lack of protection which was issued. Don't read my words falsely; I agree that the ransom should have been paid in full. However, I disagree with how it was executed. Why did House Typhonus need to pay the dues of House Wodenstaff? Have the Wodenstaff coffers suddenly run thin? Perhaps therein lay the reason they refused to pay tax surplus during Montagaard's tenure as Undercrown. But I think there exists a more likely reason. House Wodenstaff's funds are perfectly fine and are in reality rather vast, but their bankers are stingy. They revel in decadence and luxury, and as such are reluctant to spend their hoarded coins, even to save the life of their matriarch!
IV. Final Thoughts
Jacobinism runs rampant in our city, common criminals are murdering and disgracing esteemed nobility, and we are standing idle while the Elves dine on the corpses of the Imperial Standard army! What happened? Did our pride and resolve drop off of Aloria? Guards must be more zealous and active in their workings. We must be more vigilant and less greedy with our funds. Finally, we need to do something about those damned Knife-Ears while we still can. If we wait too long, there's a distinct possibility that we'll face a resurgent Elven Empire, and I don't believe any of us want that. To the generals, mobilize your troops and serve the Spirit with a might that neither this Empire nor the Elves have ever seen.
