Meet the Rulers (almost) Hanz and Franz of the House Flamboise

     The Troublesome Twins, it is an unusual thing that the king of a land having three sons could cause a crisis in the line of succession but the presence of Franz and Hanz de Flamboise has brought about just that situation. Truth be told Ferdinand had doubts about his two oldest sons from early in their lives. The constant lying and deception that they practiced, paired with their very unusual view of how the world works, caused poor Ferdinand many a sleepless night. At his wife's insistence he refrained from having their names tattooed onto to them to prevent their endless shenanigans. 

Hanz de Flamboise

 

Franz de Flamboise (I think)

      Hanz always displayed a casual disdain for the thoughts and feeling of others that seemed to have no limits, while Franz was slavishly deferential to the opinions and feelings of everyone about him. Hanz would break a glass to see it shatter and Franz would buy a set to replace it.


       Overlaying this dichotomy was a slyly cunning and conniving connection between the two of them. They were often seen practicing to match each others movements and speech finally perfecting this affectation so very well that even their mother was unable to divine who was who. In their less lucid moments they would demand that a courtier lay an egg for them, or attempt to light a fire from a pile of stones and collapse into tears when it didn't work.

      These bizarre developments continued to gain more control of their minds as they approached manhood. Ferdinand had discussed declaring them unfit before he had departed to Mindoro but had not taken any official action. After his unfortunate demise a decree was found amongst his papers giving exactly that order, disastrously it had not been signed. It is clear to everyone close to these troubled young men that neither one has any chance of faithfully discharging the office of Emperor. The situation is not improved by the strident adherence to the Small Plate heresy on the part of  Hanz and an equally unbending devotion to the Proper Meal School on Franz's part. This naturally throws them into the arms of foreign powers and further divides the already troubled Empire.