I've closed my second account, giving away
Ye Olde Poste Office to Adammair and Alraune (glad to see its in such excellent and caring hands!). As part of this rationalisation, Smaed and Jern have combined resources to built a bigger cottage in Silverleaf Village so that Agnes and Jern can also live there. In a way, the wheel has come full circle since they left Yew for Trinsic when Jern was only 10. Now in his 35th year, all three are back in Yew and together again.
This doesn't mean Jern will disappear, he will continue to be a regular at
The Trinsic Rose 7-8 pm Mondays and Fridays and also serving in Free Repairs Hour, Wednesdays 7-8 pm.
Some of the older members of DoT may remember that when Jern was a teenager he sought the protection of the Duchy as a Serf. During his late teens and through his 20s he worked up his blacksmith skill, and did charitable work by setting himself up as a
rag-and-bone man and going round Trinsic with his packhorse shouting his trade. When he turned 30 he asked the Duke if he could purchase his freedom and become a freeman and citizen of DoT. Irvyn would not take any paid manumission but generously granted his request and so he swore a new oath as freeman.
Now Jern's life takes another turn with moving to Silverleaf, which he visited several times before. His most important mentor and teacher has been the elf Aegnor, a craftsman of great renown, so Jern's smithing skills have an elvish influence. And of course, the fate of the Frettings has been closely bound up with this old and enduring village, Smaed's natural father being the Silverleaf elven ranger Thalandor.
Jern would like to be accepted by the village as a full citizen so he can give back some of the invaluable benefits he gained from his mentor. But he has not forgotten the generosity of the Duke in manumitting his serfdom and would not want to just walk away without materially expressing his gratitude in a way that endures.
It so happens that Jern still has the proceeds from his rag and bone trade, kept in a bag and complete with a book in which he noted the names of the main donors. The sum is not insignificant, being over 50,000 golden ducats.
He proposes to use this to set up a Charitable Trust Fund to provide a modest sum to all who are in need and who have sworn loyalty to the Duchy (DoT and Srf), especially those young and newly arrived. Application to Jern will result in an interview held in
The Trinsic Rose where applicants can explain their need and provide the name of a Duchy-sworn person who can vouch for its veracity. Jern will then consult before making a decision.
I will be making this in-game knowledge by publishing it in
Ye Morning Poste. Before I do that, I want to check with both DoT and Srf that this is something that would be acceptable and not cause problems that I have not foreseen. Also, for ideas as to what the fund might be appropriately called. And to take this opportunity to thank everyone in DoT and Srf for giving Jern a home. And a special thanks to VanQa and her worthy successor Gwen Irima. It was a conversation with Gwen at
The Trinsic Rose that gave Jern the idea to take some initiative in this matter.