Interval 2
Coronation
4 Jul - 31 Jul, 2021
Introduction
Read the Prelude below
High above the Citadel, an ethereal light flashes through the sky. For a second after it everything dims as if the world itself were blinking, and then it is gone - but a feeling remains among all who witnessed it that something has changed forever. The gods Aurea and Atros have been shattered.
The sight reaches as far as Koben, where those who know of the Emperor's special expedition wait anxiously for his return. Was this his doing? Did he succeed then, and to what cost? Soon enough, word arrives that one of their ships has docked in Linhythe. The news is grim - of all the ships that went, there were only enough survivors to man one. Prince Sigmund is unexpectedly with them, Empress Adele is alive but will not wake, and Emperor Artur perished at the Citadel.
At a time when Alva is so wrought with danger beyond mortal power, the Empire has lost its head - and one of the few who seemed to have any kind of plan for it.
What will happen now that the royal family of Koben is in disarray?
Empty Throne
Part 1
If tradition were to be followed, Prince Sigmund would immediately ascend to the throne. But as soon as the transition begins it grinds to a stop - because the Prince refuses to acknowledge that his father is dead. A stream of advisors, friends, officials with any kind of clout implore him to be crowned, and every one of them is rebuffed. Whatever anyone says, the Prince insists that Emperor Artur is alive out there, somewhere, somehow, so he cannot take the crown.
Distress and frustration ripple through the palace. It's understandable that he would be distraught, and it's one thing if he were actively participating in decisions - but he's snappish and avoids the responsibility, or all contact really. At the very least though, he has managed to do the one most important task - appointing a new High Council to replace the members who fell at the Citadel. Of them, he chooses Renata Kaspar to be Council Chair for reasons he doesn't explain. Now they run the Empire until the business of coronation is settled.
The court scrambles to pick up power in the vacuum left behind. Prince Sigmund has long been seen as more of a puppet than a ready ruler, and his actions have only bolstered that impression. The question now is - who, then, will control the Empire and the part it plays in Alva's uncertain future?
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Scandalous! Game
Thank you for playing the Scandalous! roleplay game on Discord!
Ceremonials
Part 2
After the flurry of political turns following the Koben Derby, things seem to go quiet. The effective dissolution of the Schiltenbrandt faction sends its members scurrying to find their place in the Royal and Kaspar factions, mostly via private negotations. Prince Sigmund stays true to his resolution and begins to make more of an appearance in official gatherings - though he still tends to be quiet and there is palpable tension in the air after the Derby fallout.
Then, as suddenly as his mood always changes, he disappears again - this time physically as well. The word is that his health suddenly declined and thus retreated to a holiday home in the countryside to recover in solitude. He is attended by the royal physician, Earl Guntram Von Oldig. The Council Chair is left in charge of all affairs, as well as all contact with the Prince.
And very soon afterwards, the Council Chair gathers all members of the court for an important announcement. At the same time, she releases the same statement to the public: The Emperor is dead, the Prince has taken his own life, and by consensus of the High Council, she - Renata Kaspar - will dedicate herself to the nation as its new Empress.
In one week, a combined funeral for both Emperor Artur and Prince Sigmund will be held. And a week after that, a grand coronation will induct Renata Kaspar as the Empress of Koben.
❖ Koben Funerals & Coronations ❖
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Scandalous!: The Sequel
Thank you for playing Scandalous!: The Sequel on Discord!
Story
Activities
Interval Activity
Scandalous! Game
A gossip roleplay game, where you play nobles schmoozing with other nobles (my mod NPCs). Many of the mod NPCs have skeletons in the closet to uncover. The aim of the game is to gain social power by befriending, seducing, bullying, blackmailing or otherwise making a splash on the social scene.
Instructions and gameplay in the Discord server!
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The game is now finished, thank you for playing!
Interval Activity
Prompt Art
Art submissions related to the funeral, coronation, games and/or other happenings of the interval will earn a bonus 10EXP.
The prompt bonus is available for submissions made before the end of August.
Conclusion
Despite discovering that Prince Sigmund's death was a ruse, it's far too late for the new Empress-to-be to abandon her ambitions now. Instead, this information is keep tightly under wraps within only the Empress' closest circle. Their path is clear - they need to make the lie into truth before the prince exposes it.
The coronation proceeds and it is glorious. As the rumours promised, Renata enters the city adorned with the fabled regalia of Droste - the Horn of the Herald by her side, the Helm of the Hunter in her hands, and the Mantle of the Sovereign on her back. The audience brims with excitement - the idea that she is a chosen one, returned to set everything right in troubled times, is deeply attractive and gains momentum as her ascension becomes reality. When she emerges into the public eye after the gifting ceremony, she assures the gathered people of just that. She promises that she will return the stability they need in the midst of the world's turbulence, that she will revive a lost connection to Koben's glorious past, and that she will see to the Empire's shimmering future.
In the days that follow, it becomes clear what that means in practice. 'Old nobles' who suffered after the fall of the Schiltenbrandts gain renewed relevance thanks to Renata's eagerness to make allies. Funding for the Wissen Fellowship trickles to a standstill - almost all of the money diverted to the military, especially the army. The Empress embarks on a grand tour of the Empire, in a concerted effort to reach and win over all corners of her new domain. Very noticeably, however, she does not reach out to East Miras beyond the bare minimum. She is polite, but the signals say that the alliance - one that still rankles against many Koben elites and traditionalists - is not one she values. Instead, she turns her attention to Estraude - and to Tusa. For many this is welcome news. For one, the old ties to Tusa have much deeper roots and the trade was sorely missed. Nothing official has eventuated yet, but the grey market between them is enlivened at the hint that it may soon become properly sanctioned. For another, Estraude promises its own way of dealing with the impending apocalypse. With doubts about Artur's methods and sacrifices on the rise, the idea of delegating it all away to the capable and in-control Estran Consul is enticing.
Meanwhile Sigmund is adrift in a wide world he's been long sheltered from. And as Renata's people move to make his death real, the path to survival becomes only more precarious.