Under a Thundering Sky (IC, OPEN, 1967 AD)

[Camelone]

OOC

July 7th 1967 AD, throughout Camelone gunfire and explosions rocked the country as a self proclaimed republican coup rips through the once peaceful northern kingdom. Already High King Liam and his family were gunned down by rebels and in other places loyalist military and police units are scrambling to determine who is friendly and who is an enemy. Some areas have already been secured by the sides, Cullyburgh quickly fell into rebel hands with only sporadic fighting, Baron Withergild has been able to hold his manor at the outskirts of the city where there is still some fighting among the rebels and the loyalists. In Cnoc na Teamhrach Prince Farthor was able to maintain hold of the city and rout the rebels while there is heavy fighting currently in Haroldhold as the nobles of House Ui-Krieger rally their forces against the rebels, Christhold swiftly acted and shut its borders down with many believing the old guard has maintained control, in Manafell the rebels were forced out of the city and are currently retreating southward in hopes of reinforcing Haroldhold. All is pretty much silent among the men of the North as the militias mobilize and prepare to defend their kin and hearth from any intruders. Many places throughout Camelone have seen the royal standard lowered and replaced with the rebel rosed tricolor yet for many people their lives go on as normal as they can be, trying to maintain an illusion of normalcy despite the massive amounts of changes that are happening.

Cullyburgh

Yesterday the entire city was placed on lockdown, schools held their students until they could be escorted home by the authorities who no longer wore the royal crest of the O'Devlin's but instead a crudely made red rose with very little being shared with the students. It was obvious to many of the older students that something had happened to the high king but they could not place it until later that night when a radio broadcast explained what happened. The appearance of the red rose soldiers said it all to many of the citizens of Cullyburgh though, that coupled with the sounds of sporadic fighting that is, and the day seemed to pass slowly with every crack of the rifle. Some whispered with fear, others with caution, and others with excitement as they heard the rumors of the coming republic.

With the rising of the sun the sounds of fighting had died down considerable, though if one looked out from the tops of their apartments they could catch the glimpses of explosions every so often as the baron was making a desperate retreat. Despite that many people rose early in the morning and went off to the docks, their offices, their factories, or wherever they worked because even though there had been fighting it was in isolated sections of the city generally around armories, a police precinct or two, and city hall. Many did not know how to feel about the proclamation of the Commonwealth of Camelone with loyalty to the old order and the monarchy still on their minds but they knew who held control of the city and they did not want to be among the loyal dead this day. Some brave souls spirited away the bodies of the High King himself and those of his family, and a circulation of 'relics' have already begun under the table among the people of Cullyburgh with some quietly talking about holy martyrdom. Beyond that as the sun rises so to does the city and life as it is, no matter how odd it may be, life always goes on.

Alasar

Not much happens in this sleepy city, true it is rather big considered to other settlements across the Fief of the North but for all intents and purposes this city is more in line with a large town. Being far removed from the going on's of most of the rest of the country has lent itself well to the people of Alasar, they are generally left to their own devices and allowed to live as they see fit. The one major downside is that there infrastructure and level of technology lags behind but for many of the men of the North they prefer their freedom and see it as their highest form of luxury. Though it is because of this that last night was disturbed by the cries of riders from the local radio station yelling about the killing of High King Liam and his family, as well as the subsequent fighting. Nearly everything shut down at the news, which was not surprising due to both the news itself and also that they received it late at night. Church bells soon joined the chorus of riders for a calling of a special Mass to be said for House O'Devlin and the nation, and the clan elders called the militia to mobilize.

When the morning light appeared the farmers, the fishermen, the dockworkers, and nearly every man went to their work but the streets were being patrolled by militiamen. Some small fortifications had been built and the sound of gunfire rippled through the air as the militia began to train as they mustered up, though there was still much confusion on what they could and should do. Beyond that many of the businessmen were trying to figure out how they were going to get some of the foreign tourists home and the elders were taking stock of the supplies as they did not expect much help from the rest of the country.

RADIO BROADCAST: 9:43 PM July 6th, 1967 AD

Good evening to you all dear countrymen. I do hope that when you hear this broadcast our actions have been revealed to be the righteous deeds that they truly are. For many years we have watched ideally by as many of our countrymen continue to groan under the oppressive yoke of the old order of king, nobles, and altar all transferring the wealth and resources of our fair land to their greedy hands. We couldn't watch anymore, the Witangamot was merely filled with the puppets of the old guard and would not move towards true justice only illusionary appeasement for controlled opposition. We say no more, and that the old High Kingdom will fall beneath the force of the folk of the future where no man is better than another based upon his birth, or his lineage, or his ability to take human life or preserve the old order. We will create a new order for Camelone, where the worker, the burgher, the yeomen, and all other people stand before each other in brotherly love, in a sacred brotherhood of divine honor. For the future is ours to create, the High Kingdom is no more, all hail the Commonwealth, all hail the Commonwealth of Camelone, all hail the working people, all hail our future of freedom! This is Ormar Kin Torth of the Provisional Government signing off.

[Lillorainen]

A freehold flat in Cullyburgh.
July 7, 1967. 7:30 AM.
For Bederich and Lovis Taastrup, the night had been a short one. Or much rather, the shortest one they had ever slept in their lives. In fact, the sleep they could get on a longer train ride typically lasted longer than what the minutes of sleep tonight had amounted to.
It had all started so nicely: getting a position at Storström Logistics Ltd., witnessing the rise of this enterprise due to the need of logistical expertise in countries requiring support after the last World War, rising in positions, taking but a short break after the birth of the child, working again, rising more, and eventually receiving the authorization to supervise the new branch in a faraway country offering a myriad of business opportunities. Living there as a happy family with a daughter to raise, to send to a renowned school for graduating, so she could be sent to some university afterwards. Going out every now and then, for some good music. A safe and convenient future, with no influence from whoever came up with new baloney to impose onto the still fragmented country and its tired populace back home.
So much for that.
Bederich and Lovis had traveled to the headquarters of Storström Camelone yesterday morning in order to attend an important meeting - only to learn, that said meeting wouldn't take place. Their colleagues had tried to call them at home, but they had already departed by that time. Both Bederich and Lovis had been a bit angry about having gone to work for nothing - but it hadn't lasted for long, when all of a sudden, a citywide lockdown had been announced, and their daughter had been brought home by uniformed men wearing a Red Rose where the Royal Crest of the House of O'Devlin would have belonged. They hadn't talked a lot, and when asking Mette, she couldn't really make a lot of sense of it.
After thta radio announcement, coming close to quarter to ten in the evening, Bederich and Lovis had began to worry, and when gunshots had been to hear from outside, lasting almost all night until sunrise, this had taken any sleep from them.
Only Mette had slept well - she had already gone to bed at nine o'clock, and there was little that could wake her up - not even gunshots. Truth be told, once she fell asleep, not even a bomb detonating nearby could wake her up.
As a consequence, she had made breakfast for herself and her parents, as the only one who was well-rested enough. But a good piece of bread with jam, as well as a pot of coffee could solve a lot.
It took her a while to let the information she had missed sink. While she had put the dishes away to the sink, Mette's dark-blonde, green-eyed mother, who, despite having seen 40 Summers, could have passed as her older sister, kept sitting on her chair, while the 43-year old family father with his short, dark hair had done what he always did when he had to think about any kind of problem very intensely - namely, sat down in his armchair and lit his pipe up. When Mette was done, she sat down, too.
"I'm still not sure as to what this could possibly mean for us" - Lovis said, "especially as far as the business is concerned. Odin alone knows what kind of plans this so-called Commonwealth might have when it comes to commercial relationships abroad."
Bederich made a dismissive hand gesture. "Pah!" - he said. "That will sort itself out in no time, Lovis. Give it a couple of days, and they will either find suitable successors, or another House will take over power. Ui-Krieger, maybe. Nobody knows. Don't believe, that this new state will last for long! Who knows, maybe it has already been dissolved and we haven't heard about it as of yet."
"Don't be so sure" - Lovis said. "In a situation like this - I mean, it's a regicide we're talking about -, everything might happen. Don't you think, that we should be prepared for the worst case?"
Bederich took another drag from his pipe. "And give up what we've achieved in here?" - he asked back. "The endless opportunities? Come on, Lovis - like this couldn't happen back home. Or anywhere else. The whole situation is tragic, I know, but I can't imagine, that these people proclaiming some new state get anywhere. For now, we should just continue what we're here for. As far as we know, we're expected for some emergency meeting anyway. The colleagues will certainly have a plan for what might happen in the near future - I do trust them that far."
Lovis shrugged. "Maybe they do" - she said, then got up, went towards the kitchen, and opened a certain drawer. She took three documents out, all of them in red with golden letters saying, Lillorainische Bundesrepublik, 'Lillorainian Federal Republic', and held them high. "In case everything goes south" - she said, "we can still leave the normal way."
Now, Bederich laughed. "Lovis, you should hear yourself! You're talking like we're close to Ragnarök! No, we're going to continue. I haven't heard any single gunshot in hours, so whatever the case may be, we should just go to work like nothing ever happened." He threw a glance to his 16-year old, blonde and green-eyed daughter. "Or to school, for that matter."
Mette shrugged and nodded. For her, it wasn't only a History test she expected to be returned today. The thought of going back to a place she only remembered from childhood was quite horrifying - to say the very least. Not only would this mean to leave all her friends, her teachers, her familiar environment behind - it would also mean, that she would have to go back into a country where she would be considered a full adult as a 16-year-old, and where she would need to look for a new school, and new opportunities in general. And while she spoke Low German with her parents, Standard German was something she only remembered from her first two years in primary school, and with the Summers having passed while here in Camelone, she remembered little to nothing of it, or any form of written German, for that matter, whereas she was fluent at Camelonean Gaelic. While she had spent the first eight years of her life over there, it would now not feel any less foreign than, say, Shikonjima.
And she wanted that test back, which she had studied hard for. The era commonly referred to as the Fractured Age, starting with the martyrdom of King Earnan Ui-Krieger, the rebellion of Arthminster, the fights between Protestants, Catholics, Apostolics, and even Christian Druids, the establishment of the Christhold Commonwealth - the first official republic on Camelonean soil -, the fights against the aristocracy, and ending with the Concordance, which, to her, seemed less like a unified Camelone and more like Städtebund-era Lillorainen.
And on the day she was supposed to get this test back, this happened. Boy, the irony ...
"So, let's go!" - Bederich said and got up. "Maybe we're going to see what's new, once we're out there."

On the streets of Alasar.
July 7, 1967. 8:45 AM.
Even though at this point, the entire nation was alarmed, only few up here in Alasar were as alarmed as Hassan Ghannouchi. Not only because yesterday's coup, announced by riders on the street, who had known it from the radio tower in town, had ended 178 years of rule of the House O'Devlin, thus a major era in Camelonean history, but also because Hassan was unsure as to what this would mean for him. And judging by his own experience and knowledge, this could barely mean anything too good.
Until six years ago, he had been a History Teacher in a highschool in Adirnabul, the largest city of Shamsiyya. One shouldn't have assumed, that there was any problem with this - until one realized, that some of his colleagues, several schools inspectors, as well as the headmaster weren't only formally members of the Socialist Party, but also strong supporters of whatever the bureaucrats in Junaira proposed, even if it was utter nonsense. Hassan himself, who would never forget how he was a nine-year-old, back in 1942, and his Dad had explained to him, that Shamsiyya was no longer a Sultanate, so there was no need to include any Sultan into his prayers. He had failed to make any sense of that change, but over the years, he had found a few points about this new regime, founded by General Amaru Faisali and now headed by General Talib Saaduliha Nouri, which he had a few objections against. Trying to encourage critical thinking in his classes, therefore, was something his colleages hadn't exactly been very fond of, and due to possible connections to the Mukhabarat, Hassan had decided, that he couldn't trust anyone any longer.
Thus, he had entered the next ship he could have found, and after several months, he had ended up in a place he considered safe - Alasar, Fief of the North, High Kingdom of Camelone. A sleepy town at the North Shore, so far away, that this would be the last place anyone would search for him in. Whereas he couldn't work as a History Teacher in here anymore, he had found a job in a restaurant. Everything seemed fine.
And now, six years later, this happened.
'Commonwealth of Camelone' - this could mean anything. A confederation of associated states, another republic, maybe a democratic one, or ...
"We will create a new order for Camelone, where the worker, the burgher, the yeomen, and all other people stand before each other in brotherly love ..." - it had been said yesterday evening. And this sounded a lot like General Faisali's public speeches Hassan remembered from his childhood and youth. "... all transferring the wealth and resources of our fair land to their greedy hands ..." - did sound familiar? Yes, it did - after Bouthaina-Sultana's death in 1929, her sons had started fighting for the succession. The Shamsiyyan Succession War, while only with regional outbreaks, had led to the takeover of the Socialists, whose rhetorics weren't too dissimilar from what Ormar Kin Torth had said yesterday.
By Ra, Osiris, Isis, Sekhmet, Anubis ... was history repeating itself ...? And what if so? What if Camelone became socialist, thus a valuable ally for other socialist states, like Shamsiyya? Hassan was known as a dissident back home. Would he end up sent back? Into a country where we would be persecuted, maybe jailed, or maybe even put up against the wall?
There was only one opportunity to avoid this - look for another place to stay in. In the event of everything going south, he could easily go to the harbor and jump onto the next tub he could find. Like he had six years back. Who knew where he could stay safe. Maybe Shikonjima? The Shogunate would be more than interested in giving dissidents from the rivaling regime a new home. Influential officials like General Yoshifuni Khorulas Khaad Ichigawa, Minister of War Heihachirou Chikudate, and even His Imperial Majesty Yoshita-Shogun himself had openly announced to do anything possible to cause damage to the socialist regimes around the planet, not only Shamsiyya. And the way the Imperial Shikonjimanese Army had dealt with the socialist uprisings in the Colony of East Semporna had shown, that they were serious.
But Shikonjima was so far away ... maybe the Free Lands of the Selkie? At least, Hassan had grown accustomed to living in a small town where moving on horseback was still normal and gas lanterns were still a thing, and he also had gotten used to northern climates. Launceston, Cramae, Inis, or Wadebridge suddenly seemed like solid options, especially since the Free Lands were neutral. But they weren't exactly just around the corner, either ...
Kyrenaia could have been another option, especially since there were fewer language barriers ... but same problem as above. Astares Amauricanum? The Empire wasn't exactly siding with socialists, either, and rural areas like Oklahoma, Nebraska, Wyoming, or Idaho provided lots of space to live in without ever risking being bothered by the Mukhabarat ... Lillorainen, perhaps? Nah, it was fragmented and divided, and no one could be sure, if similar things like in Camelone couldn't happen any day ...
But all these considerations aside, there was a factor one couldn't underestimate, and this factor had a name: Symania Nur'Elijah. She was 29 years old and had grown up here in Alasar. Daughter of a local fisherman. As usual among the Cessair, her parents had arranged a number of dates and dances when she had turned 18, until she had married a local boy named Elrin. When she had been 22, Elrin had mysteriously disappeared, on his boat at sea, and never come back - leaving Symania as a widow with their children. Now, she lived in her family's hold, and despite the support from the local community (which was already unusual enough), she could use every single Sceat; as a result, she worked as a teacher at the local church school - and as a waitress in the same restaurant as Hassan did, where they had also gotten to know each other. Technically, they were colleagues and close friends. But if it were up to Hassan ...
One thing was for sure - in the event of him having to hit the road, he couldn't possibly ask her to come along. This was her home, she had her family and her children in here, and she wasn't too unhappy with her work in the church school. Maybe in like ten years, when her children were young adults, or something ... but this wasn't a situation where he could plan this far an advance.
He kept thinking about all this, until he arrived at the restaurant.

[Camelone]

Cullyburgh
The streets of Cullyburgh outside the Taastrup flat appeared at first glance to be just as any morning, people going back and forth starting their days as well or running errands for others. The differences though were quickly revealed especially when looking at where the old High Kingdom flags used to fly now being vacant or replaced with a simple Red Rose flag with a white backdrop, a stronger military presence who also bore the red rose insignia, and a loud argument happening further down the street between a neighbor and two of the soldiers.

"Get the hell off me ya damn idiots. You have no right to touch me." The neighbor hollered at the soldiers who were trying to do something to him with their rifles slung over their backs. The neighbor was a middle aged man who was dressed in a plain three piece suit while the soldiers wore their normal fatigues.

"Sir due to the lockdown and implementation of the marshals law we do have the right to search anyone who we deem suspici-" The younger of the two soldiers was trying to explain before he was cut off.

"Were you about to say suspicious lad?" The man hollered as he turned his full attention to him. "Give me a good God damned reason why you think a man going about his business is suspicious!" The young soldier took a step back with his hands up sheepishly.

"Look sir, we heard from the loc-" But again before he could finish he was interrupted, this time though by his older partner.

"Ah to hell with this." Clocking the middle aged man in the face swiftly and sending him to the ground before jumping on top to hold him down. "Idhelm search him." He ordered the other soldier who looked shocked for second before nodding with a "Right" and began searching. After a few seconds he got up with something that glinted in the sunlight.

"Well you were right Nothar, he's a Royal Detective. Alright get up off to jail with ya Detective Kin Osfrid." The one named Idhelm said as he roughly picked the man up and pushed him against one of the garden walls as Nothar tied his hands up and began walking him down the street past the Taastrup family.

Beyond that the streets were decently normally and there was nothing obstructing their way to work or school respectively.

Alasar
As Hassan entered the restaurant one of the chefs turned down the music player back in the kitchen after he saw who it was and gave a small greeting. Elijah Nur'Benjamin was generally a quiet young man who kept to himself outside of the customary and polite pleasantries, he shifted his hat to cover up his black hair again after he moved it to greet Hassan returning to preparing for the day. Oddly though Elijah did not turn the music player all the way back up after he ducked back down to do what he was doing last, his voice did ring out as he made conversation.

"Are you okay nin'Hassan? Your ghost is showing." He asked using the Cessair idiom to convey that someone is very visibly disturbed about something.

After he asked that the door opened again, causing Elijah to pop up again to see Symania who stopped by at the restaurant on her way to the school.

"Oh Hassan I'm glad I ran into you, I was wondering if..." She paused as her sea green eyes met his eyes and she noticed something was wrong "Has something upset your ghost?"

[Lillorainen]

Cullyburgh
The streets of Cullyburgh outside the Taastrup flat appeared at first glance to be just as any morning, people going back and forth starting their days as well or running errands for others. The differences though were quickly revealed especially when looking at where the old High Kingdom flags used to fly now being vacant or replaced with a simple Red Rose flag with a white backdrop, a stronger military presence who also bore the red rose insignia, and a loud argument happening further down the street between a neighbor and two of the soldiers.

"Get the hell off me ya damn idiots. You have no right to touch me." The neighbor hollered at the soldiers who were trying to do something to him with their rifles slung over their backs. The neighbor was a middle aged man who was dressed in a plain three piece suit while the soldiers wore their normal fatigues.

"Sir due to the lockdown and implementation of the marshals law we do have the right to search anyone who we deem suspici-" The younger of the two soldiers was trying to explain before he was cut off.

"Were you about to say suspicious lad?" The man hollered as he turned his full attention to him. "Give me a good God damned reason why you think a man going about his business is suspicious!" The young soldier took a step back with his hands up sheepishly.

"Look sir, we heard from the loc-" But again before he could finish he was interrupted, this time though by his older partner.

"Ah to hell with this." Clocking the middle aged man in the face swiftly and sending him to the ground before jumping on top to hold him down. "Idhelm search him." He ordered the other soldier who looked shocked for second before nodding with a "Right" and began searching. After a few seconds he got up with something that glinted in the sunlight.

"Well you were right Nothar, he's a Royal Detective. Alright get up off to jail with ya Detective Kin Osfrid." The one named Idhelm said as he roughly picked the man up and pushed him against one of the garden walls as Nothar tied his hands up and began walking him down the street past the Taastrup family.

Beyond that the streets were decently normally and there was nothing obstructing their way to work or school respectively.

Alasar
As Hassan entered the restaurant one of the chefs turned down the music player back in the kitchen after he saw who it was and gave a small greeting. Elijah Nur'Benjamin was generally a quiet young man who kept to himself outside of the customary and polite pleasantries, he shifted his hat to cover up his black hair again after he moved it to greet Hassan returning to preparing for the day. Oddly though Elijah did not turn the music player all the way back up after he ducked back down to do what he was doing last, his voice did ring out as he made conversation.

"Are you okay nin'Hassan? Your ghost is showing." He asked using the Cessair idiom to convey that someone is very visibly disturbed about something.

After he asked that the door opened again, causing Elijah to pop up again to see Symania who stopped by at the restaurant on her way to the school.

"Oh Hassan I'm glad I ran into you, I was wondering if..." She paused as her sea green eyes met his eyes and she noticed something was wrong "Has something upset your ghost?"

Cullyburgh.
The streetscape looked mostly the same as it looked every ordinary morning, with the difference, that the High Kingdom's flags suddenly showed a Red Rose or had been removed altogether. The insignia the soldiers, whom there were a few more of present than usually, had been replaced as well. Other than that, people were heading for work or school or whever they went like nothing had happened.
A loud argument was to hear, a neighbor, whom the soldiers seemed to deem suspicious, getting searched and, a few moments later, arrested, in front of the eyes of everyone who happened to pass by, including the Taastrup family.
Detective Kin Osfrid ... Bederich remembered, that he had seen the man in the pub a couple of times. It felt awkward to see him arrested like a criminal, considering how he had been an unblemished, law-abiding, and dutiful citizen until just yesterday (aside from occasionally cheating when playing skat, but this could hardly pass as a crime).
You only know afterwards, if you've been on the right side all along or not - an old proverb said ...
The Taastrup family went on. Of course, they were carrying their ID cards around, in case they would get stopped. They moved on to the next intersection, where they would part company.
"Stay safe, Mette!" - Lovis told her daughter. "If anything happens in school, no matter what, call us immediately, you hear? You got the number of our office. Do you have enough coins around?"
Mette took her wallet out and opened the coin pocket, which contained around ten to twenty Sceat coins. "I think, I have enough" - she said. Luckily, there was a telephone cell right next to the school building.
Bederich nodded. "Na denn man to!" - he said, Well, then go ahead!
With this said, they did part company, with Bederich and Lovis heading for the Storström Camelone HQ, and Mette for her school.

Alasar.
When Hassan entered, one of the chefs turned the music player down - Elijah Nur'Benjamin, his name was, a young man who usually didn't talk more than necessary at work. Another indicator, that this was anything else but a normal day - he asked, if Hassan were okay.
The door opened again, and Symania entered, most likely on her way to school and just passing by. Whatever she wanted to ask Hassan, she didn't get to it for now, as she immediately noticed, that something 'upset his ghost'. Hassan had long since grown accustomed to the use of language common among Cessair; six years were more than enough time even for a teasa to integrate himself into these parts. And six years were more than enough time for Symania to read Hassan's face, or even eyes.
He shrugged. "I'm just a tiny bit worried about what's been going on down south yesterday" - he said and pointed into the direction he assumed Southern to be in with his head. Of course, Elijah and Symania knew what he meant by this - the cries of the riders and the church bells had been impossible for anybody with a functional hearing to miss.
That he wasn't only a tiny bit worried, he decided not to mention at this point, just like how he decided not to mention, that he had already checked his imaginary world map for a new spot, should further developments require him to do so. At least Symania knew how he had gotten here, and why, and he certainly wasn't keen on permanently being on the run all his life.
Maybe this wouldn't be necessary - inshaliha (a Shamsiyyan word he occasionally used when hoping for something, meaning something along the lines of, "Unless the Gods have any strong objections I might be unaware of as of now.").
"But all we can do is see what happens, I guess" - he added. He looked at Symania. "What were you going to say?"

[Camelone]

Cullyburgh
St. Seward of the Forest Common School
The entrance of the school was built in a style that emphasized the columns that held up the roof of the open entrance with each column telling a unique story with the carvings, ranging from the settling of Camelone, to the wars of legend, and even some of the more modern history of country. The two largest columns in the center though told the story of St. Seward of the Forest, the namesake of the school itself, about his the tragedy of his young life which left him orphaned and the diligence that he threw himself into as he studied Scripture as he became one of the wisest of the monks that Camelone has ever produced. A fitting patron for a seat of learning, especially a saint which had such an integral connection with the city itself. Yet many of the students have been at this school long enough that this was all in the background and normal accustomed setting, what was not normal though was yet again the absence of the Royal Eagle and its replacement of the Red Rose as well as the presence of a few soldiers. Unlike on the streets though these soldiers did not have any firearms on them and they were politely speaking to and greeting the students, a few of them were actually pretty familiar as some of the local deputies.

One of the girls who were walking into school noticed the approaching Mette and quickly walked over to her, she was a pretty small and delicate looking girl with very pale skin and light brown hair tied into a conservative bun. Like many of the other girls at school she wore a conservative styled long skirt and she seemed like she was both relieved and worried. The closer she got the easier she was to recognize, Edith Kin Oslafa one her old classmates.

"Mette, Mette, Mette!" Edith said as she got closer and nearly talked her "I'm so glad you're okay. I couldn't find Alward anywhere and I know he lives close to you and thought that there must have been shooting or fighting near you. Have you seen him at all?" She asked worriedly but still happy to she that she was okay.

Alward Kin Morcar was a fellow classmate to the two girls as well as a senior officer in the schools Order of the Young Eagle, the royalist patriotic youth organization. While kind he was generally over the top and bombastic but generally wanted to help out even if he was a bit of an awkward fellow.

Storström Camelone HQ
The Storström HQ in Cullyburgh was in the district which had been the most developed, electrified trolley's carried people to and fro and the streets were built wide enough to accommodate the trucks coming and going from the docks, there even was a direct railroad track that connected to the docks itself. Beyond the advanced infrastructure there was also a good choice of cafes and restaurants around which catered to the offices that surrounded the place, the quality and standing of such would gradually decrease the closer one got to the docks. Well off apartments sat atop the restaurants and it was an odd combination of working and management all pressed together in a single district and a large basilica which almost always had a Mass being said every hour and a cadre of priests, and other clergy ministering to the local area.

Today though the hustle and bustle was quieter as the district showed signs of the fighting, a blown out car was sitting in front of a burnt out cafe as well as a husk of a tank. A good chunk of the buildings had windows missing with the remnants of those windows littering the ground and some smoke still rose, a few firefighters were gathering their things as they seemed to have finally put out the last of the fires. Beyond that there was no evidence of the human element of the fighting as the bodies were absent.

The Storström HQ itself though was in a small corner of the district which itself was not touched by the fighting and one could see people inside moving about.

Alasar
"Aye, understandable nin'Hassan. It is truly a tragedy what happened down there but we are safe here." Elijah said as he showed a piece of paper "My brother gave me the radio report from the rest of the fief. We threw out any and all of the devilish king killers from the fief, our men are stronger and loyaler than the southern folk." He said proudly before he folded the paper up once more and ducked his hand behind the counter as he didn't reveal himself at all except for his hand holding the hand.

After that small outburst from Elijah it took Symania a few seconds to recover and respond "Uh well yes that has happened." She said thoughtlessly before turning back to Hassan "Oh right! I was going to ask you if you would please escort me to Mass after work tonight? My father and the other men of the house are either out to sea right now or they are serving in the militia tonight." As she was saying that she reached into her bag and pulled out her clans brooch "If you can and wish to this is just to say you are operating under my fathers approval and everything..." Leaving that in the air as she held out the brooch with what seemed to be a nervous smile.

[Lillorainen]

Cullyburgh
St. Seward of the Forest Common School
The entrance of the school was built in a style that emphasized the columns that held up the roof of the open entrance with each column telling a unique story with the carvings, ranging from the settling of Camelone, to the wars of legend, and even some of the more modern history of country. The two largest columns in the center though told the story of St. Seward of the Forest, the namesake of the school itself, about his the tragedy of his young life which left him orphaned and the diligence that he threw himself into as he studied Scripture as he became one of the wisest of the monks that Camelone has ever produced. A fitting patron for a seat of learning, especially a saint which had such an integral connection with the city itself. Yet many of the students have been at this school long enough that this was all in the background and normal accustomed setting, what was not normal though was yet again the absence of the Royal Eagle and its replacement of the Red Rose as well as the presence of a few soldiers. Unlike on the streets though these soldiers did not have any firearms on them and they were politely speaking to and greeting the students, a few of them were actually pretty familiar as some of the local deputies.

One of the girls who were walking into school noticed the approaching Mette and quickly walked over to her, she was a pretty small and delicate looking girl with very pale skin and light brown hair tied into a conservative bun. Like many of the other girls at school she wore a conservative styled long skirt and she seemed like she was both relieved and worried. The closer she got the easier she was to recognize, Edith Kin Oslafa one her old classmates.

"Mette, Mette, Mette!" Edith said as she got closer and nearly talked her "I'm so glad you're okay. I couldn't find Alward anywhere and I know he lives close to you and thought that there must have been shooting or fighting near you. Have you seen him at all?" She asked worriedly but still happy to she that she was okay.

Alward Kin Morcar was a fellow classmate to the two girls as well as a senior officer in the schools Order of the Young Eagle, the royalist patriotic youth organization. While kind he was generally over the top and bombastic but generally wanted to help out even if he was a bit of an awkward fellow.

Storström Camelone HQ
The Storström HQ in Cullyburgh was in the district which had been the most developed, electrified trolley's carried people to and fro and the streets were built wide enough to accommodate the trucks coming and going from the docks, there even was a direct railroad track that connected to the docks itself. Beyond the advanced infrastructure there was also a good choice of cafes and restaurants around which catered to the offices that surrounded the place, the quality and standing of such would gradually decrease the closer one got to the docks. Well off apartments sat atop the restaurants and it was an odd combination of working and management all pressed together in a single district and a large basilica which almost always had a Mass being said every hour and a cadre of priests, and other clergy ministering to the local area.

Today though the hustle and bustle was quieter as the district showed signs of the fighting, a blown out car was sitting in front of a burnt out cafe as well as a husk of a tank. A good chunk of the buildings had windows missing with the remnants of those windows littering the ground and some smoke still rose, a few firefighters were gathering their things as they seemed to have finally put out the last of the fires. Beyond that there was no evidence of the human element of the fighting as the bodies were absent.

The Storström HQ itself though was in a small corner of the district which itself was not touched by the fighting and one could see people inside moving about.

Alasar
"Aye, understandable nin'Hassan. It is truly a tragedy what happened down there but we are safe here." Elijah said as he showed a piece of paper "My brother gave me the radio report from the rest of the fief. We threw out any and all of the devilish king killers from the fief, our men are stronger and loyaler than the southern folk." He said proudly before he folded the paper up once more and ducked his hand behind the counter as he didn't reveal himself at all except for his hand holding the hand.

After that small outburst from Elijah it took Symania a few seconds to recover and respond "Uh well yes that has happened." She said thoughtlessly before turning back to Hassan "Oh right! I was going to ask you if you would please escort me to Mass after work tonight? My father and the other men of the house are either out to sea right now or they are serving in the militia tonight." As she was saying that she reached into her bag and pulled out her clans brooch "If you can and wish to this is just to say you are operating under my fathers approval and everything..." Leaving that in the air as she held out the brooch with what seemed to be a nervous smile.

St. Seward of the Forest Common School, Cullyburgh.
Of course, the absence of the Royal Eagle and its replacement of the Red Rose immediately occured to Mette, as she entered the school building, which, other than that, looked pretty exactly it was supposed to look like, with each of the columns in front telling another story from Camelone's long and rich history, which St. Seward of the Forest, the wise monk and scholar this school was named after, was an essential part of himself. A few soldiers were present as well, greeting the students; since some of them were local deputies, they were not exactly strangers to Mette. It was a bit relieving, actually, as these familiar faces were still present, and not dragged off the street and accused of being Royalists. A little piece of normalcy left, on this strange morning.
Mette was immediately approached by Edith Kin Oslafa, an old classmate of hers, whom she recognized at once, even though Edith was pretty small, especially next to Mette, who would almost seem like a Nordic Giantess compared to Edith. As she approached her, the lass in a conservative skirt (Mette's summer dress was visibly shorter and she wore her hair open, but it was still well within the modesty etiquette prevailing in here) looked relieved and worried at the same time.
She asked about Alward. Alward Kin Morcar, a classmate living in Mette's neighborhood, who was known for his activities in the Order of the Young Eagle. Royalist and patriotic from his hair tips to his fifth toe and back. Should there be a class reunion in about ten years, he would certainly still be teased about how he had written Long live His Royal Majesty High King Liam O'Devlin! God bless Camelone! on the board during Recess a while ago.
Should there be a reunion ...
"Edith! Glad to see you're okay, too" - Mette said. "I've slept like a log, but my parents told me what happened this morning ... I haven't seen Alward, either, I'm afraid." For a moment, she thought about whether she should tell Edith about how she witnessed Detective Kin Osfrid's arrest, but that would probably disturb her even more. She bowed down a bit, closed to Edith's ear, and almost whispered, "But to be frank, I don't have a good feeling about this ..."

Storström Camelone HQ, Cullyburgh.
While walking down the wide street, which provided enough space for trucks and electrified trolleys alike and offered a variety of cafés and restaurants in addition (which never ceased to remind Bederich and Lovis of the Lange Hannelsstraat in Lysköping), the quality increasing, the more distant one was from the Docks. This district combined business, catering, and, for those who could afford it, housing. It wasn't too dissimilar from business districts back home, at least in those parts with lax zoning laws.
Today, it was different. The fights of the previous night had left their traces in here as well, with a burnt out car in front of a burnt out café, remnants of windows littering the street, the smoke still rising. At least, the dead bodies had apparently been removed already ...
"Klei mi an'n Mors!" - Lovis swore in Low German.
"And this is probably not the worst looking part" - Bederich said and put his arm around her shoulder. "Come on, we need to go. I hope, that the headquarters hasn't been struck too hard - luckily, it's in a small corner."
"Mhm." Lovis hummed in agreement. "And I bet, Miss Holmkvist has already tried to call us a few times."
With his free hand, Bederich took his pocket watch out and checked the time, then calculated what time it must now have been in Lillorainen - yes, there were certainly a few people alarmed. Among them, Merle Holmkvist, Arnulf Storström's secretary and substitute during his absence. The owner of the company was currently on a meeting in Saskilde, Visholm.
"We should hurry, in order to call back" - he agreed.
Bederich turned out to be right - as they arrived at the HQ, they saw, that the building indeed hadn't been touched, and one could see their colleagues inside moving around like nothing had happened.

Alasar.
Before Hassan could have responded, Elijah proudly showed him a piece of paper, a radio report from his brother with the latest news from the rest of the fief - apparently, civil militias had expelled any supporter of the new government from the feudal territory of the North. It was understandable, that Elijah was proud of this - the one loyal bastion up north, resisting against the people down south who had committed this shameful regicide.
"Reminds me of the Furushima Rebellion ..." - Hassan murmured. "At least some good news from here!" He referred to a rebellion in Shikonjima in 1906, in the City of Furushima, which was close to the capital, Nashinya, but already belonged to the County of Akebono. Back then, a few hundred folks had started rebelling against the absolute rule of Princess Yamura no Sachiko on the one hand, and the Count of Akebono, Tamori no Eijirou, on the other. The most radical ones of these folks even demanded the removal of the monarchy, some already started proclaiming a republic. But the people of Furushima, most of whom wanted to retain the Shogunate in its shape and form, had grabbed everything that was either plumbiferous, or sharp and pointy, and stormed the city square in masses, successfully chasing the rebels out of the city. A rebellion against a rebellion, one could say. This was one of these examples that showed, that most Shikonjimanese were at readiness to defend their proud old monarchy, including the feudal lords and ladies, come hell or high water.
Hassan hadn't thought about whether or not Elijah and Symania knew about this, but everyone was always free to ask.
Once a History Teacher, always a History Teacher.
But that was left for later.
Symania recovered after a few seconds, then asked Hassan, if he were able and willing to escort her to Mass after work, for her entire family was busy somewhere out there. Of course, she was aware, that Hassan normally kept his worship at home, in private, like most pagans did, if they were abroad in a place where no Temples dedicated to their Gods existed (he remembered how he had caused a round of laughter, when he had given a jump like a jolted rabbit when he had heard church bells for the first time) - but of course, this Mass would be a special one, and Hassan had always had a deep respect for the Camelonean Royalty. Plus, he would go there with Symania, on behalf of her currently absent family. Therefore, he took the brooch without hesitance.
"It will be a pleasure for me!" - he said, nodding. "Should anyone inquire as to why I am escorting you, I'll probably just state, that I'm representing your family's members in absence, and call it a day."

[Camelone]

Cullyburgh
St. Seward of the Forest Common School
Edith's pale skin seemed to have gotten even paler "I was afraid you were going to say that. I heard that Ronald and a lot of the other officers of the Young Eagles snuck off to join the Baron and other loyalist pockets... Do you think they will question us?" She whispered back as she grabbed onto Mette for some sort of comfort as the fear was becoming ever more present in her voice and person.

A number of the other students around also had that air of nervousness around them even with the soldiers attempting to be amiable to everyone, they knew the situation better than most. One of the soldiers looking over the mingling mass of students glanced over quickly to his commanding officer and got the nod of approval, to which he stepped up on the side of the steps to get a bit higher so he could be easily seen.

"Good morning lads and lassies!" The soldier bellowed out in a cheerful tone with a kind smile "I would like to request of all of you to go to the theater first thing this morning and Headmaster Kin Theabul will explain everything that will be happening going further. We are doing our best to return everything to a sense of normalcy so that your studies are not effected. If you have any questions please ask us and we will be happy to answer. I am Corporal Ui-Artair, my friends here are Sergeant O'Connell, Private Ui-Diarmad, and Private Kin Brychan. I pray that we shall get to know each other well soon enough. Now up and attum I'm not having your teachers scold me for making you late." He concluded with a cheerful chuckle.

With that the students began to make their way inside the building and to the theater.

Storström Camelone HQ
As the couple approached their building one of the local workers noticed them from the window and moved down to the entrance to greet them, Tunfrith Kin Stigand was always a skiddish young man with red wispy hair that never seemed to sit still but knew how to get things done on the docks. Some of his coworkers whispered about Bata connections helping to make everything easier but he argued it was his majoring in both commercial law and psychology in Christhold. Regardless of that he didn't seem all that nervous or distressed when he met the Teestrup couple, instead he seemed calm but melancholic at the same time.

"I-I-I'm glad to see you are well." Tunfrith began speaking with his normal beginning stutter as he smoothed out his pants and fixed his jacket showing very blatantly the red rose clipped into his jacket and the pistol on his hip. "I did not know if the... excitement, yes that is an apt word to use...... right. Well I must alert you of my resignation, I have been called by the Commonwealth to serve in the new governments machinery, a pleasant reward for my service. If you need any help in the future please contact me, I shall repay your kindness in kind." His voice leveled and controlled the whole time, as if there was no means for him to raise his tone. After saying that though he stood there a bit awkwardly not knowing how to leave the social situation, a consistent quirk of his with the noticeable gears turning in his mind.

Alasar
Elijah had decided to not respond as he felt like he spoke his fill today, well at the moment anyways, and he knew that whatever Hassan would talk about was going to be lost on him. Symania on the other hand had her face light up in joy as she heard Hassan agree to taking her to Mass "Thank you Hassan, you have no idea how much this means to me, and how much my father will appreciate it as well!" she said with a giant smile.

In the distance the church bells were beginning to ring which snapped Symania out of her thought process, or would one call it a fantasy, and caused her to glance over at the clock. Noticing the time she hollered out to Elijah "Elijah Nur'Benjamin your outburst cost me time!" To which an uncaring "Sure." was hollered back.

Turning back to Hassan she said "I'm sorry but I have to leave now Hassan. Thank you again, thank you so much and I shall see you after classes!" Symania finished excited as she swiftly turned and left the restaurant at a hurried pace leaving the restaurant devoid of life except for Elijah and Hassan, Elijah humming away to the tune that had previously been playing as he went about his work.

[Lillorainen]

Cullyburgh
St. Seward of the Forest Common School
Edith's pale skin seemed to have gotten even paler "I was afraid you were going to say that. I heard that Ronald and a lot of the other officers of the Young Eagles snuck off to join the Baron and other loyalist pockets... Do you think they will question us?" She whispered back as she grabbed onto Mette for some sort of comfort as the fear was becoming ever more present in her voice and person.

A number of the other students around also had that air of nervousness around them even with the soldiers attempting to be amiable to everyone, they knew the situation better than most. One of the soldiers looking over the mingling mass of students glanced over quickly to his commanding officer and got the nod of approval, to which he stepped up on the side of the steps to get a bit higher so he could be easily seen.

"Good morning lads and lassies!" The soldier bellowed out in a cheerful tone with a kind smile "I would like to request of all of you to go to the theater first thing this morning and Headmaster Kin Theabul will explain everything that will be happening going further. We are doing our best to return everything to a sense of normalcy so that your studies are not effected. If you have any questions please ask us and we will be happy to answer. I am Corporal Ui-Artair, my friends here are Sergeant O'Connell, Private Ui-Diarmad, and Private Kin Brychan. I pray that we shall get to know each other well soon enough. Now up and attum I'm not having your teachers scold me for making you late." He concluded with a cheerful chuckle.

With that the students began to make their way inside the building and to the theater.

Storström Camelone HQ
As the couple approached their building one of the local workers noticed them from the window and moved down to the entrance to greet them, Tunfrith Kin Stigand was always a skiddish young man with red wispy hair that never seemed to sit still but knew how to get things done on the docks. Some of his coworkers whispered about Bata connections helping to make everything easier but he argued it was his majoring in both commercial law and psychology in Christhold. Regardless of that he didn't seem all that nervous or distressed when he met the Teestrup couple, instead he seemed calm but melancholic at the same time.

"I-I-I'm glad to see you are well." Tunfrith began speaking with his normal beginning stutter as he smoothed out his pants and fixed his jacket showing very blatantly the red rose clipped into his jacket and the pistol on his hip. "I did not know if the... excitement, yes that is an apt word to use...... right. Well I must alert you of my resignation, I have been called by the Commonwealth to serve in the new governments machinery, a pleasant reward for my service. If you need any help in the future please contact me, I shall repay your kindness in kind." His voice leveled and controlled the whole time, as if there was no means for him to raise his tone. After saying that though he stood there a bit awkwardly not knowing how to leave the social situation, a consistent quirk of his with the noticeable gears turning in his mind.

Alasar
Elijah had decided to not respond as he felt like he spoke his fill today, well at the moment anyways, and he knew that whatever Hassan would talk about was going to be lost on him. Symania on the other hand had her face light up in joy as she heard Hassan agree to taking her to Mass "Thank you Hassan, you have no idea how much this means to me, and how much my father will appreciate it as well!" she said with a giant smile.

In the distance the church bells were beginning to ring which snapped Symania out of her thought process, or would one call it a fantasy, and caused her to glance over at the clock. Noticing the time she hollered out to Elijah "Elijah Nur'Benjamin your outburst cost me time!" To which an uncaring "Sure." was hollered back.

Turning back to Hassan she said "I'm sorry but I have to leave now Hassan. Thank you again, thank you so much and I shall see you after classes!" Symania finished excited as she swiftly turned and left the restaurant at a hurried pace leaving the restaurant devoid of life except for Elijah and Hassan, Elijah humming away to the tune that had previously been playing as he went about his work.

St. Seward of the Forest Common School, Cullyburgh.
Edith, whose pale skin was now white as snow, grabbed onto Mette, seeking more comfort, which Mette didn't exactly mind. On the contrary, she put her arm around Edith's shoulder. Apparently, Edith had already heard, that some of their fellow students, in particular those known for their activities among the Young Eagles had snuck off to join the loyalist factions, and Mette wouldn't be surprised to hear, that Alward had been among them. Nobody was sure, though.
Edith wondered whether they might be questioned later on as well. In her imagination, Mette already saw herself in the Headmaster's office, interrogated by a few soldiers, asked about how well she knew Alward, Ronald, and the others, who her friends and family were and whether they were in contact with known loyalists, and of course, Anything you say may and will be used against you, yadda yadda yadda ...
She shrugged. In this moment, one of the soldiers greeted the students again, introduced himself and his friends, and asked them all to make their way to the theater first, where Headmaster Kin Theabul would explain what would happen in the future. Corporal Ui-Artair spoke in a cheerful tone. Mette wasn't sure, if he was genuinely joyful about the situation at hand, or just did it to comfort them all a bit.
"We'll probably know in a few" - she told Edith, trying to speak in a calm tone.

Storström Camelone HQ, Cullyburgh.
The Taastrup couple immediately recognized Tunfrith Kin Stigand. A skiddish lad with red hair he always failed to control, but enough knowledge to know how things at the Docks were done. He was majoring in Psychology and Commercial Law. There were rumors, that he had connections to the Bata, organized crime, but there was nothing confirmed so far.
When Bederich and Lovis entered, he greeted them immediately. He had clipped the Red Rose into his jacket blatantly enough for a blind person to notice, and he had a pistol fixed at his hip. Bederich and Lovis didn't have any time to wonder about this, as he immediately announced his resignation. Apparently, duty was calling, and with him referring to this duty as 'a pleasant reward for his service', it was obvious where he had been last night. At least, most certainly not in his bed.
Bederich raised his eyebrows. "It's a pity to see you quitting, Tunfrith!" - he said. "But of course, we understand, that you have duties to fulfil now, so we can't hold you in here."
Lovis nodded. "May you do well, Tunfrith!" - she said. "Of course, you will receive your paycheck for the last seven days of work as soon as possible. I presume, that we just send it to your usual address?"
Inwardly, she hoped, that there wouldn't be a quitting wave right now - this would be a discomforting message to tell Miss Holmkvist ...

Alasar.
Indeed, Hassan had no idea how much this meant to her and her father, even though he was aware of how much of a big deal male company for ladies at such occasions was around these parts, but Symania's smile did tell a lot about that. He smiled back.
"You're very welcome!" - he said. While speaking Camelonean Gaelic wasn't an issue for him anymore, after such a long time living in here, his Shamsiyyan accent remained and was kind of iconic by now.
Then, one could hear the church bells ringing outside, and whatever fantasies Symania had been about getting lost in, the bells made her snap back to reality immediately. She told Elijah, that his outburst had made her lose time, which Elijah responded to in a tone that virtually screamed, Close your eyes and you'll see how many damns I give!
"See you after classes! And stay safe!" - Hassan told Symania. Then, she was gone.
Hassan knew, that Elijah's need to talk was probably sated for today, so he didn't try to drag his colleague into chatter. Instead, he joined him in humming along to the tune playing while starting to work.