Funeral of Kaiser Ayreon IV

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The funeral of Kaiser Ayreon IV occurred on the 40th anniversary of the day of his birth, 8.III.1685, at the Valley of Mors outside Shirekeep. The funeral was attended by large parts of the upper echelons of Shirerithian and international society.

After his assassination on 12.VIII.1671 during the Kalirion Fracture, Kaiser Ayreon IV's body had been cryo-stored in the lower floors of The Keep for fourteen years.

The funeral has been planned to be held at several times in the period since his death, but always postponed due to political instability or controversy. In the year of the Ruby Jubilee, as the Kaiseress Salome, eldest child of the late kaiser, had called the year 1685, large-scale events have been planned with security for them secured. As such, finally there will be a funeral for the poor kaiser.

Controversy over Vanic attendance

News broke out soon after the announcement of the service that the Franco-Batavian Empire intended to send a delegation composed of their Emperor, Arkadius IV, his wife, Esther and their Prime Minister. Immediately, the governments of Alduria, Ransenar, and the Wechua Nation decided to humbly decline to attend the funeral, expressing their condolences and intention to hold sacred religious services and memorials at home to honor the late Kaiser. Princess Helena Strand of Elwynn and the Natopian Chancellor Ernesto de la Cruz followed suit, saying they would hold special services and memorials in their respective capitals to honor the late Kaiser as well. Sanama also informed Shirekeep in private that it would downgrade its delegation to only an assistant under-secretary. Soon after those high profile declines, more began to decline their invitations in protest of the "Vanic filth that Franco-Batavian representation always brings", as stated by the Princess of Elwynn.

Upon confirmation by the Raspur Pact that Franco-Batavian dignitaries were neither invited nor allowed to cross into its territories or airspace to attend the funeral in Shirekeep, all the declined invitations were recanted. A Vanic-free competing memorial service in Eliria was soon canceled in favor of the original event. An order by the Vigiles Arcani to supply attendees with isolation suits, to avoid contamination, was cancelled.

In the end, the Shirerithian side decided to invite Johan Anderion Avon-El, commissioner of foreign affairs of the Franco-Batavian Empire, and the Batavian prime minister, Benjamin Cambernon, at a last-ditch attempt to save whatever hope there was for relationship between the the two empires. Johan Anderion duly landed in Shirekeep on 6.III.1685, the day before the ceremonies, in a clandestine manner. He had left from Brandenburg on the 4th, landed in Mina Durtarui, Snæland, later the same day. He spent a night there, leaving early in the morning on the fifth to fly to Ytre Kjerringvik on a Loftleiðir domestic flight, where he switched to a plane of the same airline that took him to Svorgas, Senya. He spent a night there, and then took an Air Senya flight from Svorgas to Shirekeep.

Less than two months later, the Franco-Batavian Empire collapsed, its emperor and empress entered coma and woke up later with a religious reawakening. At the same time as the collapse of the Franco-Batavian Empire, Stormark, too, collapsed. Religious scholars in Shireroth decided that these events precipitated by the funeral of Kaiser Ayreon IV.

Attending

The following attended:

Imperial Family

Representatives of the Imperial Government and its Territories

  • Chrysostom Wythe, Viscount Holly-Wythe, Steward of the Imperial Republic, with Violet Claire Northhampton, Viscountess Holly-Wythe
  • The Lady Evgeniya Sotnikova, Viscountess of Hope, Imperial Minister of State, with Lord Eduard Maksimilianov
  • Lord Aloys Serratus, Imperial Minister of the Exterior, with Lady Serrata
  • Naïs Szodarvs, Commissioner for the Fiscus
  • Lady Liese Aethonia, Commissioner for Defence
  • Heinz Łatþig-Sur, of Good Repute, Commissioner for Rites and Citizenship
  • Derok Aezjor, of Good Repute, Commissioner for Public Works
  • Lord Kai bi-Folłur-Tuifals, Commissioner for International Trade
  • Aes Bonna, Commissioner for the Raspur Pact
  • Awaz Rahimdokht, Commissioner for International Cooperation
  • Sintsza Aneï, Seniormost Adept, Master of Pages
  • Mari Eiskar, Senior Adept, Master of Endowments
  • Alejian Kaukainen, Dean of the Dirâsat-an-Nûr
  • Qadesh Marozzi, Commissioner for the Crypteia

The Legislature and Judicature

The Territories

Dignitaries from Other Countries

Notable non-attendees

The following individuals were known to have wanted to attend the funeral but were denied:


Events

7.III. The preceding day

  • Afternoon. Arrival of some foreign dignitaries to Raynor's Keep – those who wished to stay the night there were allowed to do so. Kaiseress provides afternoon tea followed by dinner in the evening (though she would not be present for the dinner).
  • Throughout the day. Raynor's Keep. Guests, members of the diplomatic corps, and members of the nobility, may visit the body of the kaiser, lying in state, in Raynor's Keep.
  • Nightfall. A private ceremony is held at the Bovic cathedral in Shirekeep for the Kaiser Ayreon IV. In attendance are the late kaiser's immediate family and the Natopian delegation.
  • Midnight. A procession, lit by torches, carry the body of the late kaiser on an open bier back to the Keep.

8.III. The main day

9.III. The day after