Citizens all over Aylor are beginning to wonder if their mighty Lord Ivar is really still watching over their fair city or if he has secretly gone fishing somewhere and left behind a body double to sit on the mithril throne in his place. With a casual eavesdrop here or a focused listen there, one hears these rumors whispering themselves in every corner.

 

To investigate, I brought together three pillars of Aylorian society to ask them about these rumors and to see if they could provide some context.

 

"I've been vondering for a vile, now," says Baron Vankovich, one of the city's founding members. "I vas playing chess in the park vith a tax goblin on top of Ghaan's lifeless corpse, vhen it struck me. I couldn't remember the last time I actually saw him _doing_ anything. It used to be that he did things all the time, he mingled, he joked, and the city vas always changing too. Remember vhen he made the guild halls start teaching all those new lessons? But now-"

 

"It was before my time, but they say that he let civilians fight him for prizes," cuts in the deep voice of Commander Barcett, Aylor's resident champion of war. "Now, I'm not saying that a guy needs to punch heads to be real, but it would definitely be a sign of some...I don't know...vitality? Before, he made himself a presence. Before, he worked to improve the city. Now I couldn't remember the last time I actually saw him doing anything.what does he do? He sits. And what does the city do? It sits. I'm not a poet, but I think that's a metaphor."

 

"Well, I am a poet, and there's definitely some kind of word meaning thingy there," master bard Taliesin concurs. "I've been here almost since the beginning of time. Before the Big Andolorian Dig, I was here. Before the world ended, I was here. Before the great gold market crash, I was here. And I tell you that, whoever it is currently sitting on the mithril throne, it isn't Ivar. Lord Ivar wouldn't sit so idly on his throne speaking of nothing but taxes. I think he went away somewhere and what we have now is just a paid actor. To be perfectly honest, we don't even know if this mimic has a butt, permanently affixed as it is to that metal chair. And you should trust my intuition on this. As master bard, I am an expert in both actors and butts."

 

So what do you think? If these rumors continue to grow, will it hurt the city? If Ivar really is gone, what do you think will happen? If he isn't gone, why do you think he's been so quiet? If he said "I'm me, honest!" would you believe him? Let us know what you think in the comments below, and be sure to hit the like and subscribe buttons. The hundred thousandth subscriber will win a pile of trivia tokens individually signed and personalized by all of us here on the Gaardian staff.