We Will Not Fail Geocoin

"I do not know what strength
is in my blood, but I swear to you
I will not let the White City fall,
nor our people fail."

~ Aragorn (Lord of the Rings) ~

The Narrative

"Midnight Blaze", I said those words to myself as I lay in bed and thought about what they meant, were they good words or sickening words? Many soldiers now called me their captain, which I guess is an honor, but I didn't like much else about it. War had fallen upon us with all of the sorrow and loss that could be expected.
It was not surprising that Duncan was counted as one of our leaders. Everyone liked him and he always seemed to know what needed to be done. He told me several times that he did not want to be in charge of people's lives and that there were many other things that he would much rather be doing, such as taking his boat out on the lake. I asked him why he agreed to do it and he said because too many people in his position loved power and privilege and not enough really understood the responsibility.
The war had brought with it so much hardship and shortages of every kind. Being that it was winter, the nights were too long, and everyone was too hungry. Duncan said that the people needed something to lift their spirits so he started the midnight blaze. Once a week a huge fire was lit in the center of the city and a generous dinner was provided to all that attended. There was music, dancing, lots of laughter, and a renewed sense that life could be good even with all of this darkness around us.
It was only last night that I awoke and saw the white walls of the city lit by firelight. l thought that I was missing the Midnight Blaze until I realized that the shouting I was hearing was not celebration but alarm. I sat up in bed to get a better look and I could see that a number of buildings throughout the city were on fire. I ran to the nearest, which was the library. lts white exterior walls were made of limestone, but its skeleton was made of wood and its heart was made of paper; both seemed to burn easily. I ran to the library's great oak doors, now charred, to see the damage. Groups of people were attending to the injured and the dead. One largish group made its way to me carrying a single body. They put Duncan at my feet as though they expected me to do something; what did they want me to do? Restore his life? All I could think about was mourning my friend, but they expected something from me. A man said to me "Sir, you are giving the orders now". I must have looked confused, because a woman from the city council added, "Duncan named you as his replacement; he said that no one was as qualified as you". Shocked, I asked myseif, what did I have to offer? So many other people were stronger, smarter, or came from better families than me. I could see in my mind why each of them was more suited than me for every imaginable job. At that moment, I heard Duncan's voice say clearly, even though he was dead, "yes, they are better than you for most of the jobs that must be filled, but there is one role that you will serve best, who will take my place and not be in love with the power?"
With war comes darkness and fire, yet fire burns two ways. A midnight blaze sometimes brings despair and sometimes It provides hope.


The Facts

This 1.75 inch coin was produced in 2012 and was offered as a mystery edition. Only fifty people received the Midnight Blaze edition of the We Will Not Fail geocoin and it will never be reminted. It features black and white glass enamel (cloisonné) on the rune side. The metal is solid copper.

Brand: Gregson Vaux Artifacts