Ludwig Affair

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The Ludwig Affair
Details
Participants: Baron Aurik Bishop of Ostervik, Viscount Gregorius Roa of Pavia, Duke August II Bishop of Arlestaire (Disputed) & Orion Adler (aka: Khnotos)
Location: Grand Kingdom of Urguan & Haense
Date: 1913-1916
Result:
  • Aurik Bishop Unknown
  • Gregorius Roa's citizenship Revoked & Dispossessed of Pavia in favor of his heir.
  • Orion Adler Unknown

The Ludwig Affair, or The Bishop Conspiracy, was a diplomatic crisis that unfolded within the Grand Kingdom of Urguan under the reign of Agnar Grandaxe, Grand King of Urguan between 1913 and 1916 IC. A Hanseti-Ruskan Baron, Aurik Bishop pressured a Vassal of the Grand Kingdom of Urguan, Viscount Gregorius Roa of Pavia, to attack a noble boy from the Kingdom of Aaun named Ludwig Barclay, Nephew of Lord Brandt of the House of Barclay in Minitz, hiring a darkspawn Khnotos, formerly Orion Adler of Minitz.

Prelude

Both Orion Adler and Gregorius Roa previous had served under Lord Leon Barclay in the Viscounty of Minitz, with Gregorius having served as Mayor and Orion Adlier having been a Lawspeaker. Following an incident where Orion Adiler plotted to attack Minitz and Gregorius Roa agreed to desert, Lord Brandt Barclay had Gregorius banished from Minitz and Orion Adler was executed. Orion was buried but returned as a darkspawn to haunt the land of Almaris. Lord Gregorius Roa eventually brought his family to Bakir Ireheart, Grand King of theGrand Kingdom of Urguan.

The House of Bishop, at this time a rising star within the Dual Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska under the leadership of Aurik Bishop, also showed went to Grand King Bakir Ireheart to petition for some land.

Bakir Ireheart granted the Duchy of Arlestaire to August II of the House of Bishop & the Viscounty of Pavia to Gregorius Roa. Aurik Bishop was made Baron of Ostervik in the Dual Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska, under Koeng Karl III. Baron Aurik Bishop was also made an Ambassador to the Grand Kingdom of Urguan, following the abdication of Bakir Ireheart in favour of his father, Agnar Grandaxe. However, Baron Aurik Bishop maintained a strong patriarchal dominance over his House and exerted influence over his cousin, the Duke of Arlestaire from his power base in Ostervik, thus meddling in the internal affairs of the Dwarven Kingdom. The House of Bishop, then an upcoming nobility within the Northern Kingdom came into conflict with the House of Barclay, which was serving in the Dual-King's Court, creating enmity. The House of Barclay was, at this time, split between the Kingdom of Aaun in Minitz & the Dual Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska, however it's own patriarchy was split on those lines to prevent oathbreaking.

During this time, Viscount Gregorius Roa married Ilaria Amador, a once noble woman whose House's nobility had been reclaimed by Koeng Karl III after the House of Amador fell to internal disorder, much to the benefit of the House of Bishop who claimed a portion of the Amador Holdings from Filip Hieromar Amador.

The Conspiracy

In 1912, the Marriage between the Viscount and the Viscount-Consort became strained, resulting in Ilaria Amador seeking an annulment of their marriage, citing the strange behavior of her husband, ranging from shunning, insulting her & her kin, allowing others to insult her & bouts of rage. Desperate, Ilaria Amador beseeched the Church of the Canon's Pontifical Secretariat to aid her.

In 1913, it is believed that Gregorius Roa & Aurik Bishop learnt that a scion of the House of Barclay, one Ludwig Barclay (the titular victim of this sordid affair), was passing through the Grand Kingdom of Urguan via several of the cavernous paths. Pressured by either coercion or persuasion, Baron Aurik Bishop wished to place the Viscount Gregorius Roa in a tight spot and have him attack Ludwig. Unwilling to bloody his own hands, Viscount Roa hired Orion Adler to do the job, resulting in Ludwig Barclay being attacked and maimed, losing his left hand. It is unknown what involvement Duke August II of Arlestaire had in this.

Had it ended here, it may have been claimed as an unprovoked bandit attack on an innocent boy, or some other discreditable tale. However, circumstances developed within the House of Roa, when Baron Aurik Bishop pressured the Viscount of Pavia to seek the House of Bishop's protection by placing the House of Roa under their own, limiting their liberty and heavy-handedly co-opting them into their sphere of influence. Informed of this by her husband, the Viscount-Consort Ilaria Amador given a copy of the secret contract by her husband to read in her own time, at which point she handed it off to the Government of the Dual Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska.

Simultaneously in the Kingdom of Aaun, a rumour of Viscount Roa's involvement became spread about Minitz, heard by Thalgrim Goldhand, Dwarven Clanfather of the Goldhands, a famous merchantile clan. Thalgrim Goldhand informed the High Steward of Urguan via letter.

Not long after, Viscount Roa was attacked and seriously wounded outside the settlement of Pavia. A relative of his house, Carmilla Amador, placed the injured body of the Viscount upon her steed and rode for Kal'Darakaan and it's dwarven Hospital. Rumours now began to spread that Viscount Roa was killed by Minitz Bannermen, that he was now dead, or maybe even undead.

However, he did survive, thus prompting the Government of Agnar Grandaxe to begin an investigation of the matter after two attacked happened in their lands. Garedyn the Green, High Steward of the Grand Kingdom of Urguan & in charge of the internal affairs of the realm tasked Dagmir Grandaxe, Grand Ambassador of the Grand Kingdom of Urguan to aid the investigation externally. After compiling the testimonies of all the parties involved, Dagmir Grandaxe compiled an evidence dossier to what he believed was a Wider Conspiracy to Commit Assault upon Ludwig Barclay & Harboured a Darkspawn in Urguani Lands to do so.

Gregorius Roa was arrested on those charges and jailed for a trial in the Grand Courts of the Kal'Darakaan Palace, and a Bounty of 700 mina was placed on Orion Adler. The Darkspawn was captured by two bounty-hunters named Galadin & Cain, collecting the bounty from Garedyn the Green whilst Dagmir Grandaxe organized his extradition to the Kingdom of Aaun, which they refused to do. Despondent, Dagmir Grandaxe requested the Paladins to execute Khnotos. However, he escaped some days before his execution could take place.

Soon thereafter, Dagmir Grandaxe, having to collect the testimony of Ilaria Amador, received evidence of the secret contract from Koeng Georg I of the Dual Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska during the testimonial meeting. With this new evidence in hand, both nations agreed to deal with the conspirators they held in their custody.

With the revelations unfolding, Koeng Georg I of the Dual Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska appointed the Duke of Vidaus, Lord Aleksandr var Ruthern to investigate the matter on the Haenseni side, whilst Dagmir Grandaxe continued his work in the Grand Kingdom of Urguan. Only a couple of days later, Lord Aurik Bishop was hauled in front of Koeng Georg I to answer for his crimes of treason, to which the Baron replied that he would have the authority to dissolve the Urguani lands that were under the Bishop's possession. With this in done, Koeng Georg I went to deliberate what course of action to take, but sent the Duke of Vidaus to inform the Grand Kingdom of Urguan for good measure.

The meeting with Aleksandr var Ruthern, his bodyguard & the Grand Court's representatives in Urguan discussed these developments with the Grand King Agnar Grandaxe present. Subsequently, both parties agreed that a conspiracy was in action and decided to take matters down a legal route.

Aftermath

A Trial was held in the Grand Court of Urguan, situated in the Palace of Kal'Darakaan with High Justicar Thromdrick Irongut residing, alongside Magistrates Ulfric Frostbeard & Axel Ireheart. Dagmir Grandaxe acted as Prosecution, whilst Viscount Roa chose a companion with metal legs to act as his legal defense.

After a lengthy court trial, with Lord Brandt Barclay, Ludwig Barclay & Jared Mullen providing witness testimony, alongside piles of evidence, the Grand Court of Urguan came to the following Verdict:

Grand Court Case: The Grand Kingdom of Urguan vs. Viscount Gregorius Roa of Pavia

Charge Verdict
Conspiracy to Commit Assault in the third degree, by hiring an assassin to attempt the murder of a one, Ludwig Barclay Guilty
Heathenism in the second degree for his harboring of the suspected darkspawn Orion Adler Guilty

On account of the Viscount Roa's co-operating with the Grand Kingdom Authorities, the same Viscount Roa had his Citizenship in the Grand Kingdom of Urguan revoked, thus dispossessing him of his title & lands, which were handed off to his heir.

The fate of Baron Aurik Bishop is currently unknown.

To date, this remains one of the largest scale joint-investigations between two Sovereign Nations, resulting in closer ties between the Grand Kingdom of Urguan & the Dual Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska.