It's that time of year again. The Weinsedorf Bonfire Society is about to host its Terra-famous "Bonfire Night", featuring lots of traditional costumes, dancing, music, fireworks, a bonfire and...and of course the great event at the culmination of the evening, where somebody who is not particularly popular finds himself or herself chucked on the bonfire and incinerated. In effigy, of course.
Former Dorvish leader Adler Drumpf being burned in effigy on a previous bonfire night
According to tradition, Weinsedorf Bonfire Night began as a pagan ritual which gave local people an opportunity to human sacrifice village elders perceived to be abusing their authority. However, most serious historians dismiss this as just a legend, since the historical record includes no references to the event before the mid-1700s.
Nevertheless, even if usually nobody gets murdered, Weinsedorf Bonfire Night does have a reputation for being a rowdy affair. So much so that the event has not been held for the last 6 years, because the last time it took place, it ended in a lot of trouble, with fighting, rioting, property being damaged and a lot of general drunken behaviour.
Getting permission for the event to go ahead again took a lot of work. Hagen Kleid, Secretary of the Weinsedorf Bonfire Society, explains:
We were absolutely determined that the relaunched Bonfire Night would be a success, with none of the problems we have had before. We have worked closely with the city council and with the police, and I really want to thank both of them for the co-operation they've given us - they've been tremendous. The Bonfire Society will be providing stewards on the night, and there will also be a strong police presence as well, to keep everything under control. We have agreed that the Bonfire Society will pay a fee to the police, for the cost of policing the event. This will be paid out of the money we make from entry fees and other sources. We are very confident this is going to be a really good night for everybody involved, and I hope as many people as possible will come.
There is always controversy and debate on the subject of which public figure should be chosen to be burned in effigy. The decision is made by a vote at a meeting of the Bonfire Society's paid-up members, which is traditionally held at the Great Weinsedorf City Inn, about a week before Bonfire Night takes place.
So far, the nominated candidates include:
- Arch-Patriarch Angelicus, head of the Aurorian Patriarchal Church.
- Hans Gluck, recently-deceased former leader of the semi-fascist National Party, who also served as Defence Minister and Foreign Minister. The Bonfire Society's chairman tried to exclude Gluck's name from the list of candidates, given how recent his death is, but he was outvoted by the others on the organising committee.
- Andre Gramlich, CEO of the car manufacturer Synergie, who sacked 323 striking workers.
- Sally Gretchen, who is now serving her second term as President of Dorvik.
- Nishat Al-Hasim, former "Comrade Chairman" of the Communist Construction Worker's Co-operatiive Union, now wanted by police on a series of charges relating to his organisation's criminal bungling of the infamous Hauzenwald housing estate project.
- Heiko Herzfeld, Governor of Kordusia, widely believed to have seriously mismanaged the affairs of the provincial administration, to the extent it was unable to afford to pay its bills and faced a general strike by its own employees.
- Jakob Neuberger, CEO of Herman Heinz, who closed a food processing plant in Dorvik and relocated it to Kirlawa, at the cost of over 1200 Dorvish jobs.
- Leopold Nimitz, brutal and bloodthirsty Hulstrian dictator.
- Friedrich Pfeiffer, the controversial and outspoken Deputy General Secretary of the Dorvish Communist Party.
- Salvadore Puddu, the Istalian Ambassador to the World Congress, who outraged Dorvik's populist right-wing press by appearing to support some of the Dorvish Communist Party's criticisms of the Dorvish government.
- Psy Scott, President, CEO, and Sole Proprietor of the Hyperion Corporation, who has earned a notorious reputation for his alleged "Corporate Takeover" of the nation of Dalibor.
- Jan-Henrik Schwartz, leader of the sinister and shadowy Children of the Spirit cult group.
- Malgus Thaller, the former Kalopian dictator who dramatically escaped from jail in Dorvik.
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OOC: Please feel free to use this thread to discuss (either OOCly or ICly) which in-game character should be burned in effigy. But bear in mind the Weinsedorf Bonfire Society members are Dorvish citizens, so non-Dorvish candidates would be unlikely to receive many votes unless they are particularly well-known and notorious. I'm planning to RP the election etc. on RL Bonfire Night (ie. RL time November 5th).