Skip to main content

The Krankenstadt Tageblat -- Society Page

News Release:

10. May 1768

Krankenstadt Palace

Krankenstadt, The Grand Duchy of Stollen

Yesterday, Irwin-Amadeus II had an important appointment to keep in the lowest floor of the eastern wing of Krankenstdat Palace – with Herr Doctor von Ötker, his personal physician and dentist! The Grand Duke has recently been troubled by a crown that keeps coming loose. So, another visit to Herr Doctor von Ötker was in order.

Eyewitnesses on the scene report that the doctor was pleased to see the Grand Duke and rubbed his hands together eagerly when Irwin-Amadeus, together with his small entourage, entered the outer office yesterday afternoon at precisely 12:55. The Grand Duke looked terribly nervous as he handed his coat, hat, and walking stick to his personal assistant Johannes P. Flickenhoffer and walked slowly with Herr Doctor von Ötker toward the inner office, The doctor’s nurse, the redoubtable Sister Diesel, took charge of the situation in the outer office, preventing anyone else from accompanying the Grand Duke into the doctor’s surgery.

Now, it hasn’t been confirmed, but reliable sources suggest that the doctor keeps a string quartet in his employ specifically for the purpose of playing whenever a patient occupies his dentist’s chair. The music is, of course, intended to drown out the blood curdling screams of his patients. Once Irwin-Amadeus disappeared behind Herr Doctor von Ötker’s door yesterday, the string quartet indeed tuned up and played a Bach composition extra loudly for the duration of their consultation.

Irwin-Amadeus II emerged an hour later, looking much the worse for wear and listing to one side as he walked unsteadily toward Herr Flickenhoffer for his belongings. Herr Doctor von Ötker, on the other hand, was invigorated and invited the Grand Duke back for another visit soon. He assured Irwin Amadeus, whose head was bandaged with a knotted handkerchief, wound beneath his chin and knotted at the crown of his head, that is was his most profound pleasure to service the royal mouth. Irwin-Amadeus groaned softly in reply.

With a discernable grin, the good doctor added that it was his sincerest hope to continue his exploration and repair of the Grand Duke’s dentition in a few weeks’ time. Irwin-Amadeus moaned in agreement, nodded, and left for his chambers, where he reportedly took a glass of tonic and smelling salts later in the day.

Stay up to date on further royal developments right here with later editions of the Krankenstadt Tageblat.

-- Katrina-Bettina von Heffelfinger

Comments

Snickering Corpses said…
Our best wishes for a less painful than most recovery to the Grand Duke.
12:18 PM
Bluebear Jeff said…
Is this the same Doctor von Ötker who is from Stagonia?

If so, the Grand Duke should be aware of the low repute in which Stagonian medical schools are held.


-- Jeff of Saxe-Bearstein
1:09 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

It's Early Days Yet. . .

M aking some early progress with Batch A of the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment over the last several days/evenings.  Nothing terribly exciting just yet, but the basic black, brown, and flesh areas are done as are the green bases, and gray undercoat.   The latter two areas needed some careful retouching early in the week.  Next up, the neck stocks.   I might just do these in red for the enlisted men although some of my source material suggest they were black, but I always look for an excuse to shake things up a bit.  Any errant splotches of red (or black) can be covered with another application of light gray before I move onto the next step.   "Giddy up!" as one Cosmo Kramer might have said. -- Stokes
2 comments
Read more

And We're Off!!!

  Arrrgh!  Gotta go back into camera settings on my iPhone to bring all of the frame into focus.  Blast! Painting is underway on the 60 or so Minden Austrians, which are slated to become my version of the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment of AWI renown.  More or less indistinguishable from Austrians of the era really, right down to the red facings and turnbacks, but the eventual flags (already in my files) will set them apart.   I went ahead and based-coated all of them over a couple of days lthe last week of August, using a mix of light gray and white acrylic gesso, before next applying my usual basic alkyd oil flesh tone to the faces and hands.  In a day or two, I'll hit that with Army Painter Flesh Wash to tone things down a bit and bring some definition to the faces and hands.   As usual, the plan is to focus on about 20 figures at a time, splitting the regiment roughly into thirds along with the color party and regimental staff.  Depending on ...
5 comments
Read more

The Eventual Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment. . .

  The Anhalt-Zerbst regiment musters in the drill square to sort themselves into platoons and companies during the coming weeks  Fall maneuvers if you will. A large dose of real life the last few days with the start of classes next Monday, various preparatory meetings, and finishing up a few other things this week.  But, I managed to sort out 60 or so Minden Austrian infantry from the pile and get 'em stuck to temporary painting bases.  Must carefully drill out the hands of several NCOs for flagpoles and pole arms this weekend before the usual basecoat.   I'm thinking of mixing the usual white gesso with the usual light gray to kill two birds with one stone so to speak.  Applying both base- and undercoat in one fell swoop as my grandmother used to say. In the meantime, the recently finished squadron of Saxon cuirassiers has been placed carefully in one of the clear acrylic boxes on my shelves until I have the suitable flag to affix.   -- Sto...
1 comment
Read more