AMIA ARCHIVE • View topic - Johnathin Leohnard, Minister of Public Welfare, Dead at 33

Johnathin Leohnard, the Minister of Health and Public Welfare for the Commonwealth of Cordor, died today. The Commonwealth Guard discovered his body behind the Commonwealth Center, purportedly the victim of a mugging gone horribly wrong, one that turned brutal and violent. Many spectators, citizens and adventurers alike, report having seen the evidence of the heinous crime in the form of a deadly wound across his abdomen, belly to neck.

The entire Ministry of Health and Public Welfare was given the option, by the Speaker of the Council Joseph Maximillian, to take two days of mourning for the head of their ministry. In a surprise response, the clerks of the Ministry of Health and Public Welfare waived the offer to take the paid work leave.

"Johnathin Leohnard was an incredible inspiration in the field of community service. Not only did he bring great things to the Commonwealth, but he always had a way of making people smile and feel good about themselves," a clerk in his department states publically for the Amian Recorder. "He was a hard worker, too. To honor his memory, we're prepared to help every citizen of the Commonwealth through this trying time - their need for government assistance does not go away, even though Johnathin, gods rest his soul, has."

Others say that the opportunity to work will help keep their minds off the incredible loss felt all across the Commonwealth. The bright-faced Councilman was the youngest of the bureaucrats to take public office after Duke Montgomery's abdication of rule. He was born in Cordor, raised in the Cordor Orphanage, and served the city of Cordor as a field medical officer in the Merchant Militia for six years, through the Second Horde War.

Warrick definitely refuses the paid leave, instead focusing on his duties as a clerk within the Ministry. He does however send a letter querying to whom he will be required to report in his new duties.

Weston forgets whatever task played upon in his mind upon hearing the death of another council member. He strolls Cordor for a time to better grasp the rumors for a clearer picture of just what is said to have occured.

After a few hours of walking around to easedrop, he leaves the City of Tolerance.

*Some trees could be heard falling up and around the Skull Crags in and around vicinity of Guldorand, some may claim they were being cut down by one of the loggers with unnecessary forceful swings, while swearing vividly to herself.*

Rosalinde sighs sadly as the rumors continue to circulate of the man's death. She was one of those who had found the poor man's body after his murder. How ironic was it that this had to occur the very same day that she had been taken into the Triadic Knights and be allowed to summon the Holy Avenger.

I could not protect him. After all I had said of justice... but I will find you justice even after your death. I do not care how long it takes. That is my duty as the sword of Tyr.

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Annette is rather indifferent to the loss. She understands that it will likely cause an uproar, and that it already has to a degree. However, as long as it doesn't affect her chase for knowledge, the Council could all burn in her eyes.

Such foolishness. One of the peasants could be found and nobody would care, but a man little more then a peasent is found killed and everyone goes into an uproar. Hmph. As long as they don't stop me from visiting the library, it matters little to me.

Candles and flowers are left on the steps of the Council Hall by shocked and grieving citizens in a touching display of support and reverence for Minister Leohnard.

Xaviera, one of the first on the scene of the Councillor's murder, instead leaves a single candle burning at the southwest corner of the building, the spot where his body was discovered.

She then heads to south Cordor to comfort a shaken friend, but is refused admittance. She resolves to return again the next day.

After long days and longer nights, Samantha was feeling worse and worse with every hour. Still recovering from a long bout of lycanthropy and current events putting more stress on top of that, she was lucky if she got even a few hours of sleep any given night. When Leohnard's death came, she felt like she had no choice but to follow Torin wherever. It seemed like doing Something might help make her feel better.

She and Torin both had an even more horrible day than the ones before, as nothing went as planned, but Samantha clung onto her hope. She prayed that she had Actually done something good and noone could contest that for once. However, the nightmares now came even more and she didn't get any sleep, let alone a few hours. It came every night: The Yellow teeth, the feel of a dirty hand on her breasts...

She held it together for the most part, until she was betrayed. Betrayal had been a common theme in Samantha's life for the previous six months, but it seemed despite everything else horrible in her life, at least she could start to trust people again. That is, until she turned around to blow out the candles in the upper room of the Nomad.

She slammed against the door, pounded on it with her fists... and then portaled herself out. Running out of the inn and into the streets, Samantha ran and ran throughout Cordor. First North, then West, then South... she screamed and sobbed and swore so many things she couldn't remember them all when she finally fell asleep.

But even though she was exhausted, depressed, and thinking thoughts she never wanted to think again... like every other night, she woke up about an hour later...

...and so she sat in the Long and Shorts's dirty room and sobbed some more.

Xaviera spots Renee Flowers walking with a group of the Sympathetics through Cordor square and jumps up from where she is sitting with Riala. Together, they walk out the north gate, arm in arm, and Renee pauses to take a deep breath of fresh air in front of the Temple of Sharess, then turns to Xaviera.

"Xavi....why him?"

Xaviera sighs before answering. "There are a lot of answers to a question like that, Renee. It happens that, for whatever reason, things come together in just that particular way... whether the gods ordain it, or the fates decree it, or chance decides it, eventually it happens to all of us. The rest of us have to deal with the loss and move on as best we can while remembering all the good things that our loved one left behind, so that they live on in our memory at least."

Renee shakes her head, frowning. "Death happens, yes, but...but...murder?"

Meursault, one of the Sympathetics, puts out a hand to their leader. "Renee, please don't dwell on that...."

Xavi smiles sadly to Meursault, then to Renee. "I've said before, dear, this island is a violent place, and people like you - and Johnathin - who try to make it better sometimes suffer for it. But every little bit we do, every little bit of happiness we give to someone else, makes the world a better place. You have your friends here to help you bear the burden of his loss and to continue what he left unfinished."

Renee nods slowly, her voice small and hesitant. "I know it sounds... so terribly selfish, Xavi, but I feel like we've given so many little things, like you say, and now we've had something so big taken from us. I've had... something... big taken...."

Xaviera pauses for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "I know. His passing has left a hole in more lives than you know, I think. I'll tell you... what he was doing was important. For himself, for Cordor, for its citizens. He was a good man." She reaches out to take Renee's hands in hers. "May I talk with you in private for a moment, Renee? I mean no disrespect to your friends, of course." She smiles warmly at the small group of Sympathetics.

"Yes. Yes," replies Renee, looking Xaviera in the eyes, and then past her, thoughtfully. Though still mourning, her grief is well-managed, but her eyes remain misty.

"Take all the time you need, Renee," says one of her companions, and the others nod agreement. Xaviera nods back to them in thanks and leads Renee into the Temple.

Awakening from his place in the Shrine, Warrick quietly readied himself for the new day's dawning with a brief prayer before cleansing himself, putting on his clothes and getting his nescessary papers in order.

~Johnathin... it may not come quickly, especially with the need of Xaviera's temple coming, but it will come. Your dream of a new South Cordor will be reality, I promise this. ~ he thought to himself, as he made a brief breakfast and slipped out before disrupting any of the others.

A halfing sorceress dressed in black, and green can be seen looking around the scene, as if examining. sometimes muttering odd words, and rubbing her chin in thought.

Johnathin Leohnard, Minister of Public Welfare, Dead at 33

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