Skip to main content

Enemy Communique Intercepted

Newsflash! Earlier this morning, Stollenian dragoons stationed along the frontier apprehended a messenger from Zichenau as he crossed the Lesser Zwischen Rover. He was discovered to be carrying a communiqué to agents widely thought to be established somewhere within the borders of the Grand Duchy. Repeated tickling of the soles of his feet with a cock’s tail feather has failed to produce the names of these agents.

In the meantime, a courier was immediately dispatched to Krankenstadt, carrying the intercepted message, which was presented to Stollenian authorities mid-afternoon today. It reads:


Strike while the iron is hot! With an obviously half-witted Grand Duke and a terminally befuddled gaggle of ministers and advisors, now is the time to overturn Stollen and annex its territories to the Electorate of Zichenau. Set our plan in motion, so that everything is in order for Prince Ruprecht’s return to the throne. Don’t lose another second!

Herr Stefan Julius von Paternosterwitz, Minister of the Exterior for the Electorate of Zichenau


Whether this outrageous message is genuine or another elaborate hoax remains to be seen. Representatives of Zicheau in Krankenstadt claim ignorance. Nevertheless, security at entry points along the frontier between Stollen and Zichenau has been strengthened. Strangely, Grand Duke Irwin-Amadeus II seems untroubled by these developments, taking the fresh air and one of several strolls around the palace grounds this afternoon, dressed in a handsomely laced toga, resembling those worn by ancient Roman senators. The situation is most perplexing!

-- Katrina Bettina von Heffelfinger, Der Krankenstadt Tageblat

Comments

Bluebear Jeff said…
curiouser and curiouser. We shall await further developments.
abdul666 said…
Suggestion for a tentative cure to the odd mood of His Mighty Highness.
- Primus: the removal of the lobster costume, necessary as it was, was a real trauma for the patient. Given his apparent taste for the marvels of Mother Nature in general and anything arthropod in particular, his current behavior may belong to the 'butterfly from chrysalys'class of psychotic reaction. That is, the patient tries to overcome the suffering of the forced moulting by interpreting it as a gratifyng metamorphosis. An already fragile mind could even feel it as an apotheosis.
- Secundus: such reaction is predicative of a worsening of the ill. The patient has to be pulled back to reality, but very progressively and taking benefit from his very own symptoms. Given that all started -or became obvious, at least- with the lobster costume, one suggests to having the subject dressed in 3/4 'lobster' armour. Obsolete maybe, but a firm part of our sane reality, while in the same time directly enough connected to the patient's lobstermania to elicit, hopefully, more than a passing interest. Remind him that characters such as Louis XV and de Saxe *love* to be portaited in such lobster armour.

In the hope one can help to a bettering of the Hrand Duke & thus of the future of his charming Grand Duchy...

Popular posts from this blog

Presenting the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere!!!

Here they are, with the rearmost nine figures still drying, three squadrons of the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere, now in the service of the Grand Duchy of Stollen. And now, it's onto that artillery!

Taking Stock Part II: The (As Yet) Unpainted but Planned OOB. . .

  Two companies of Reichsarmee grenadiers painted back in 2017 or 2018.  Minden Austrians of course. A lovely early autumn day here in the grand duchy.  Bright sunshine and a light breeze with cool temperatures will make for some very pleasant late afternoon lawn mowing in a little while.  But first a bit more discussion of painting plans for the future. Last time, I looked back at the various and sundry units, support troops, and civilians that I've managed to paint in the last 17 years as the Grand Duchy of Stollen project has developed.  So today, let's look into the seemingly bottomless Drawer 'o' Lead to my left for a clue to the new direction.  Be forewarned, it's not going to be a quick job getting everything painted and based, but there we are. The following plans are based on the pile of unpainted figures already here.  Any future purchases will be limited to small things that might be needed to fill out the envisioned units (the odd few officers mounted o

Having a "No Day". . .

  F or the almost 20 years that she lived in Mexico, one of my late mother's Irish friends frequently mentioned having a "No Day."  A day with no social obligations, chores, tasks, or other work that interfered with whatever personal interests took one's fancy on the day in question. Since today -- a gray and chilly Saturday -- is Mom's birthday, the Grand Duchess is out with friends, and the Young Master is ensconced on the sofa in the TV room with a cold, yours truly is taking his own such No Day.  I think Mom would approve of my decision to make the world go away, as the old Eddie Arnold song intoned, even if only for a little while. So, I will spend Saturday afternoon focused on that first squadron and small regimental staff of Eureka Saxon cuirassiers.  These have stood waiting  untouched over on the painting table for almost three weeks while we skied and otherwise gadded about with snowy, winter outdoor activities. I hope to share a painting update Sunday a