The Last Will and Testament of Columban V

The Last Will and Testament of

Mellar Lankester Servus, Archbishop Columban V,

Primate of the Church of the Holy Light Servant of the Servants of the Light Bishop, Priest, and True Believer

I, Mellar Lankester Servus, Archbishop Columban V, being of sound mind and body, declare this to be my last will and testament, revoking and invalidating all wills and testaments previously established to this effect.

I appoint as executor of this will Caspius Edmondus Eustasius Greenleaf, Lord Chancellor of the Church, who shall administer this will and its contents, to serve without court supervision and without posting bond. If the said individual is unwilling or unable, through death or incapacity, to serve, then I appoint Johannes Moorwhelp to serve as my executor, under the same conditions aforementioned.

In my chest, the following items shall be found, and are to be dispensed with as indicated below:

I aver that the Scrolls of the Lament of Karabor should be given to Prior Niklos Adamant and, moreover, that the content of the same should be included in the Codex of Scripture, as they constitute documents indispensible to our holy faith;

I leave my crozier and mitre to the Holy See, to be kept in the Cathedral of the Holy Light, with the purpose that they should be taken up by the next Archbishop as his own, to use in like wise, and I direct that my ring should be smashed, returned to its base components, and forged anew in the ring of office for my successor, as he shall direct;

I divest myself of my library of books, tomes, scrolls, and other writings, unto the Abbey at Northshire, seat of the Holy See, for the improvement of the Library there, and I direct that the care of these tomes should be undertaken in especial by Prior Niklos Adamant, saving only my copy of the Codex of Scripture and my hymnal;

I leave my copy of the Codex of Scripture to Everen Corelas, with the hope that he shall receive the said gift in a spirit of approbation;

I leave my personal hymnal to Bishop Tarso Val'Cari that he may delight in the melodies therein; and,

I leave behind sundry letters for Lord Chancellor Eustasius Greenleaf, Vicar-General Johannes Moorwhelp, and Bishop Melchiz Tzedeck, which I direct to be delivered to them in a manner both secure and expedient.

Of all of my residual possessions, such as they are, I devise, bequeath, and otherwise give them to my only adopted son and heir, Caspius Edmondus Eustasius Greenleaf, executor of this will, to dispense with as he sees fit.

Should any beneficiary not survive me by thirty days, I grant the executor the right to administer that share as he sees fit.

I declare that I have given the instructions in the above testament, and that I give it immediate effect with my signature below:

[Signed] Columban V.

LUX VULT.

The instrument, consisting of this and three scribed pages was signed and acknowledged by Testator as his Last Will and Testament in our presence, and we, at his request, and in his presence, and in the presence of each other, have subscribed our names as witnesses.

Under penalties for perjury, we, the undersigned Testator and witnesses declare:

1. That the Testator executed this instrument as his Will;

2. That in the presence of witnesses, the Testator signed or acknowledged his signature already made, or directed another to sign for him in his presence;

3. That the Testator executed the Will as his free and voluntary act for the purposes expressed in it;

4. That each of the witnesses, in the presence of the Testator and of each other, signed the Will as witness;

5. That the Testator was of sound mind; and

6. That, to the best of his knowledge, the Testator was at the time in the majority of his age.

All of which is attested to this twenty-ninth day of December, 623 K.C.

[Signed] Columban V

[Signed] C. E. Eustasius Greenleaf

[Signed] Niklos Adamant