We Move On

[Allot]

Albert was writing the official address to declare the Duke's death. Gerhart Manderville was filing everything on the Duke's desk, so as to be ready for the new duke.

"How are you going to do it?" asked Gerhart.
"Oh, you know, duchy saddened, great loss, that sort of thing," said Albert.
"Oh."
There was silence.
"It's hard to believe he's gone," said Gerhart.
"I don't think he's really gone," said Albert. "Not really. He would've told me about something like that. Has someone been to alert Nathan?"
"I sent someone," said Gerhart.
"Good. Now...whatever happened to that William?"

[Leo Fenrir]

"Good. Now...whatever happened to that William?"

He went crazy.

[Nathan of Natopia]

Nathan was sitting in the royal palace in Doza, making a decree to tax the residents of Athlon on butter so that he may create a new butter sculpture to be possessed by the Butter Spirit when the phone rang. The facilities of the island were lacking and Nathan was at the same time amused and annoyed that the phone on his desk was a rotary phone. He picked it up. The line cracked and went quiet... this was an overseas call for sure. He immediately picked up the caller's Elwynnese accent but did not recognize the voice. "Your grace, I am ---" Nathan interrupted him. "Good sir, such an honorific is not fitting a baron, or even the Praetor. How did you get this number. I'm not even sure I know this number..." The man on the other end cleared his throat, "Duke Allot has died. The line of succession places you as the heir. You are the duke of Elwynn your Grace." Nathan held the phone in his hand... uttered a barely audible "thank you" and hung up the phone. Duke Allot had been a reformer, revitalizing the duchy and bringing it into the modern age. Now, he himself had received a vision from the Butter Spirit that would revitalize the Dozan Bovic Church. Was it fate that within the same afternoon he would be made duke of Elwynn?

He got up from the dusty, barely used desk of the king of Athlon. He called for the handsome Athlonian magistrate who administered the secular affairs of the kingdom while he was away. "Nikolas, I must leave again. Urgent business in Shireroth you know. Continue to collect my butter tax. Ship the butter up to the temple in Glenfiddich, I will work on the sculpture there in my free time." Nikolas bowed and embraced Nathan in the typical Athlonian farewell. Within the hour he was back on his jet heading to the ducal city of Eliria.

---------

One transoceanic flight later Nathan was on the ground and heading by limo to the ducal palace in Eliria. As soon as he touched ground he was on his phone making arrangements and calling the staff of the ducal office. All the funerary and ritual arrangements had been made and completed according to the staff. He would make a brief public statement of condolence and officially assume the throne.

A few hours later, Nathan was in the palace. A small crowd had gathered outside in the square. He walked outside to the steps that lead to the square where a modest podium had been set up. "My dear Elwynnese... we are all here today to see what I have to say. To see if I will be as good a leader as my predecessor. I am here to tell you I don't know. Anyone following the great reforms and energy of Duke Allot has a tough act to follow. I will do my best to protect this great land of ours. I want to be less a duke and more of a friend to you. So please, come by my office with any petition or suggestion. Thank you." As Nathan left and disappeared into the palace to a modest level of applause, an aide in a black suit and dark sunglasses walked up to the podium and said quickly "All visitors to the duke's office must make an appointment at least 3 months in advance and submit to a background check and must be under constant supervision during any audience with his Grace," and disappeared as soon as he appeared.

[Aurangzeb Khan]

"Good day your Grace. Permit me to be one of the first to congratulate you on the occasion of your accession. There was a gentlemen in a black suit and wearing dark sunglasses who was trying to tell me that I needed to book an appointment, but for some reason he then had to jump out of the window... a bit of a silly thing to do from the third floor. You may be pleased to w that I have your security arrangements in hand.

Now, to business. The Elwynnbrigaden has grown to become one of the most powerful Ducal Militia in the Empire. At least on paper. Elements that have been upfunded by SCIRA are more modest, but these have been formed into a rapid reaction force that is more than adequate for our needs at the present time. However should you wish to contribute to the upfunding of more Elwwehr units onto the Rapid Reaction Force please do not hesitate to give generously.

The Barony of Nordland houses approximately 80.9% of all current security concerns facing the Duchy. The County of Agnesia is home to a dangerous alien species known as the Ohl'tar, the most lawless elements of whom have spurned negotiation and have indeed attacked the city of Vijayanagara, where an evacuation has been ordered. Threats have also been made against the Cimmerian Isles by the Ohl'tar and accordingly the R4/B3/Fk1 Fältkompani of the R4/B3 Wolfravenbataljon has been upfunded and placed on alert to mount a defence. The Elwynnbrigaden shall in due course mount a counter-offensive against the rebels with a view to pacifying the County.

There have also been reports of skirmishes in Northern Wintergleam between obscure families n the lower gentry.

The events that led ultimately to your predecessor's demise point towards the need to develop counter-magical or paranormal phenomena suppressant technology based defences for the Duchy.

Elsewhere, two persons of interest to the security services are on the move, last sighted at Sirris Airfield, Hyperborea.

& I, of course, have the honour to remain your obedient servant."

[Nathan of Natopia]

Thank you very much my good Baron. I fully support the defenses against the Ohl'tar incursion. Our citizens must be protected at all costs.

My personal security I shall entrust to you. Any measures to prevent the horrible events that ended my predecessor's life I will take under serious consideration.

[Syr William]

"Good. Now...whatever happened to that William?"

He went crazy.

Not totally...

[Allot]

Not you, fool.