The Captain Chas Dunhilling Scandal

The Vigilant is a subversive and dangerous countercultural movement that can be found in many cities across Kredashmi. While its leadership is highly protected, it is believed that membership is almost exclusively drawn from Varsii immigrants.
In 248 SGC, a series of ballads were distrubed, which contained subversive lyrics that mocked the Kredasene monarch, König Thaddeus Schwannralen. The name signed under them was "Captain Chas Dunhilling." This ficticious name sent shock-waves through Kredasene society, and both the royal and imperial courts. This name was a clear bastardisation of that belonging to a intelligent and charismatic young man, Chazley Dunheuvlin; son of Ludwig Dunheuvelin and the König's sister, Faustine Anaїs. It did little to help the young man's case that he was known to be a keen musician and collector of popular folk ballads.
Then, during the festival celebrating the König's Coronation Day, a sophisticated, synchronised series of arson attacks were launched against the pageant wagons. This resulted in one of the actors playing young-Thaddeus suffering hideous burns, and tragically dying a few days later in hospital.
The morning after the sorrowful news was announced, a new pamphlet appeared in the city squares across the Kredasene capital of Rykfontein. In it, the Vigilants declared responsibility for the death of the young actor, and claimed that there was a nobleman who they would make König in Thaddeus's stead if he continued to thwart the efforts of the Vigilant in their mission.

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The 'Coronation Day' Letter

To His Gracious Majesty, the Lord König of Kredashmi,

We greet thee heartily, as Saeric-born kin, and though I send thee commiseratyons as to the sudden, horrible murder of your faithful subject, I must declare - as is known in the heart of all men - that in acting as your Majestie, he played the part of the Greatest Trayetoure to the Commons this countrie hath ever crowned.

He holds no majestie, a König that callid the pore men knaves. You call us savages and murderers - we who keep the peace against Versarna's edritch spirits on your shores - and in vengeance and in rage, hath late put to death one Anaoc Rowse, a valiant soldyer in oure fyght. We declayr unto you that you dyd not use your lawys lyke a true prense, for it shulde not be unlawfull to kyll any man or womyn that invytes the fae King's peoples into your land.

Our messuage last Coronation Day was a warning: do not attack our soldyers that fyght a warre for you that you cannot fathom. Do not kyll men and send their wyves and children begging onto the streets. Do not mock our fyght agaynst the evylls of a countrie you cannot scarce dream of. If you move agaynst us, we wyll no longer be bounden or obliged to kepe the lawes of a König such as you, for they will be as naught.

Let us also declare that there is one amongest your court, of noble stock, who standes with us, and yet whose goode heart moved hym to help pull men from the fyre. He that is beloved of the starres and Sayntes and of the commons and of the König's own cownsell. If you move agaynst us, he shall leave no gentylman alyve that shall not stande with hym.

In hys name we sign ourselves,

Captain Chas Sword-Sworn-Sire

Note: The surname of this captain is supposed to have been an adapation of the false-Captain "Gerard Sword-Sworn", who was based on the historical character of Gerard Dunheuvelin, the rebel who slew the Saint-König Miron at the Battle of Alahnis. This was, crucially, also the ancestor of both Ludwig and Chazley Dunheuvelin. The forename is unmistakable.
Believing this letter to be a certain death-sentence for his son, Ludwig had Chazley smuggled out of Kredashmi and sent into exile in the Imperial Court of Raskvaeric.

Dissent!

The main ways in which the Vigilant express their dissent is through looting and/or arson attacks against Varsii-owned shops, or those that employ Varsii workers; leaving subversive news pamphlets or lyrics to popular ballads in public squares or drinking houses; and, occasionally, murdering individuals believed to have mocked, or fratenised with, the eldritch creatures that supposedly inhabit Versarna.

Type

Text, Letter

Vigilant Captains

At the site of every crime, the Vigilant leave a calling-card, signed by one of their many 'Captains'. These individuals are considered by Kredasene law enforcement to be ficticious characters. The most popular Captains are:

• Captain Angus Hyed

• Captain Hate-Evil, and

• Captain Forsake-Not-Thy-Ancestors

König Thaddeus by Brinsmead

Chazley Dunheuvelin by Brinsmead