Foolegation

Foolegation is the act of delivering a message via a court jester. Though not exclusively, it is almost always carried out during a war in which two sovereigns are present on the field of battle, or at least marching with their army.

Execution

Traditionally the jester is given a donkey or a mule on which they ride towards the enemy camp with a sidesaddle, demonstrating their innocence, and some form of making themselves as conspicuous as possible e.g. an inverted banner, multicolored clothing, a musical instrument and so on, demonstrating them carrying no military duty.
In one documented case during the Oternfel Civil War of 1201 a foolegation was carried out while the jester was herding a drove of pigs^[1].

Participants

In Ernfelian society, court jesters serve as their sovereign's confidant and know how to handle royal outbursts without losing their head in the most literal sense. This status combined with their field of expertise allow for both messages of great importance and of substandard insults to be carried by the jester; the secrets they hold are of no strategic importance; killing them will only anger their monarch, and they are easily replaced; they have no qualms entertaining enemy soldiers; and they can wiggle their way out of nasty situations.

Current Date: 2^nd of Latsum, 1572

Primary Related Location

Ostig Plateau

Related Ethnicities

• Ostian

[1] In which, Shvat Kracon the 3rd wrote a proposal of marriage to Veronica Dislerf on behalf of the drove's largest pig, citing that "...There's no doubt in my heart that you are the most worthy to rule together with me over the entire sty, your swininess, queen of pigs". The letter was signed with a pig's snout as a stamp.