MZA A Hero Remembered

A Hero Remembered

Somber citizens gathered at the Northern Britain Counselor's Hall awaiting the arrival of Tomas Savos, the Captain of the Royal Guard. I joined the party attending from the High Council, Chancellor DaKaren, Minister Malag-aste, Dot Warner, and Setatabon.

When Lord Savos arrived, he opened a gate to the throne room of Castle British and bade us enter. Minutes later he informed us that Lord Casca would arrive shortly. As if on cue, Lord Casca appeared from behind the curtains to the left of the throne and strode to the center of the dais to address the mourners.

Noding solemnly to the crowd, he began to speak:

"My fellow citizens of Britannia, these last few days have been filled with sadness. Clainin, one of our greatest minds, has been killed, taken from us by murderous hands. Know that those responsible will be brought to justice, but we are not gathered here to remember the end of Clainin's life. We are gathered here to remember his great works and great acts. As we walk through memory and accolade, we must keep our minds open. We must see how in his life, Clainin tried to teach and inspire through his actions. His greatness teaches all of us Humility. Yet despite all his arcane knowledge and ability, Clainin himself knew Humility. Clainin was the apprentice of Nystul, also a great wizard. When Clainin took over for Nystul, there were those who doubted him. Clainin, rather than hiding in a bruised ego, proved his worth through action. Clainin always worked harder to improve himself. We must share this philosophy of Humility in these tough times, and know that we can do more, be more. His actions remind us of the warmth of Compassion. During his lifetime, he brought relief to those harmed by magic. He worked with the Meer to cure both the plagues of Yew. His hands once cured the Commander of the Royal Guard of a dread poison. His Valor will never be forgotten. Working with Nystul, he built a machine that helped stop the threat of Exodus. Working with Dupre and Dawn, he defended Britannia in the absence of Lord British. With his work forging an alliance with the Meer, we were not conquered by the Juka. We must not forget that the road to victory requires all of us to stand and fight together. He has the respect of so many of our greatest heroes and scholars. He faced down and helped defeat some of our greatest enemies. We will never forget how many times he saved all of us. With his passing, we must all work that much harder for the greater good. Let us have a moment of silence to remember Clainin."

The gathered crowd lowered their heads in silent respect for the fallen Royal Thaumaturgist. Eventually, Lord Casca asked if there were any who wished to speak. Strangely, the Chancellor remained silent eliciting a few quizzical glances from his companions.

One citizen did ask when 'revenge' would be sought for the murder; however, the question was ignored by the King Pro-tempore in favor of continuing the service.

Stepping down into the crowd, Lord Casca began to speak again. "To make this harder, we do not have a body to lay to rest, but we have set up a small memorial for him in these castle walls. Let us walk there now to show our respect." He led the assemblage through the orchard to a quiet spot just east of the castle smithy where a small cenotaph had been erected.

Placing a spellbook on the ground, Lord Casca invited others to place flowers or messages around the monument. He then commented that he wished to see the machine built by Nystul and Clainin, and led the group to the opposite side of the castle grounds.

At the machine, he commented on the works of great minds and lamented their loss. By this time, the mood of the crowd had changed slightly and people openly questioned the King Pro-tempore on the subject of Clainin's murder.

I felt the need to question why the Royal Thaumaturgist had been sent to Felucca so soon after his revival. The response was not what I had expected. According to Lord Casca, "That decision was made by a minor official and is being looked into. The information was kept very secret to avoid just this problem. However it seems that we have possible breaches in our security, maybe even traitors. I can't talk more since it concerns an active investigation."

This information immediately set the crowd against Lord Casca, the most outspoken in the crowd being Dot Warner the merchant, adoptive daughter of Chancellor DaKaren. "How could your administration fob off such an important figure to such an obviously deficient subordinate? Are you that lazy, or just expect us to be incredibly daft?" She then likened the King to a weasel and called the active investigation 'active stupidity'. The crowed seemed to agree with her, except for the unusually pale Chancellor who wished she would be more diplomatic.

Lord Savos tried to calm the crowd, informing them that it was not wise to verbally accost the King in front of the Captain of the Royal Guard. Taken aback, Lord Casca quickly retreated into an abruptly cast moongate.

Lord Grey arrived shortly thereafter and led those who remained at the castle to the Cat's Lair Tavern for a wake. There the drinks flowed freely and people talked long into the night. A fine memorial indeed, but we are still left with the same niggling question... Why?

Martyna Z'muir, Library of Sosaria

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