Wesley von Dookington
Wesley von Dookington | |
|---|---|
 Benerian Minister of Internal Affairs | |
| Assumed office 17 November 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Office Established |
| Field Marshal of the Armed Forces of the Republic of the Benereich | |
| Assumed office 3 August 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Bendolf Rikler |
 Former Arstotzkan Statesman | |
| Vice President of the Arstotzkan Union | |
| In office 11 June 2023 - 18 January 2024 | |
| Second President of the Arstotzkan Union | |
| In office 18 January 2024 - 2 August 2024 | |
| General Secretary of the Arstotzkan State Central Bank | |
| In office 11 June 2023 - 2 August 2024 | |
| Director of the Arstotzkan Bureau of Finance | |
| In office 11 June 2023 - 2 August 2024 | |
| Personal details | |
| Citizenship |  New Zealand Republic of the Benereich |
| Residence | Das Echo-Jagdschloss |
| Signature |  |
Wesley von Dookington is a New Zealand-born Minister in The Republic of the Benereich, serving as the head of its Ministry for Internal Affairs. He also serves as a Field Marshal within The Republic’s Armed Forces, being the current commander of its ground forces. Since taking his first office as Field Marshal on the 3rd of October, 2022, von Dookington has proven to be both a diligent worker and fanatical loyalist towards the cause he has found himself a part of. He has participated in every major event in the Benereich’s history, save for the Benerian Invasion of Rat Island, single-handedly caused a constitutional crisis within the Arstotzkan Union (which, at the time, he was tasked with destabilizing), and is responsible for the infamous ‘Disneyland Wing’ of the Benerian interrogation chambers. Many theories exist as to why he displays this level of zealotry towards the Benereich, although the most plausible ones are that if he were not a Benerian citizen, he would have been arrested at least three times (one sentence of which would have involved life imprisonment) and that he simply took his oath of office incredibly seriously.
Prior Life to Micronational Involvement
Prior to his involvement within the micronational community, Wesley von Dookington was a corporate lawyer, with specialities in finance and contracts. Due to (unsubstantiated) allegations of harassment and intimidation, von Dookington’s legal career was cut short on the 12th of September, 2017 when he was disbarred. Despite being prevented from practicing law, von Dookington was not to be dissuaded. Illegally practicing as a solicitor, von Dookington eventually found himself facing fines he would be unable to pay. Having slipped from the graces of high society, von Dookington at last turned to organized crime as a means of making ends meet. For a period of time, he was involved with a dubiously legal organisation whose name remains barred from public record. This tenure was riddled with many accusations, of which abduction and ‘advanced interrogation’ are prominent features. Due to a sudden and totally unexpected string of disappearances and suicides following these events, state prosecutors were forced to drop all charges against von Dookington. Given the current lack of support for the aforementioned claims, both von Dookington and the Republic of the Benereich deny any and all charges against the Minister’s character. After an acetylene torch was left burning, von Dookington was once again left unemployed following a minor* gas explosion in an Otumoetai compound belonging to the aforementioned group. The event, despite holding large local publicity at the time, was unable to find its way into the public record, with anyone stating their intentions to do so being overwhelmed with suicidal thoughts and disappearing shortly afterwards. Given his background in finance, and law, von Dookington saw an opportunity within the realm of politics. Coincidentally, there was a burgeoning political faction looking for individuals with an aptitude for paperwork and stomach for violence. This faction would come to be known as The Empire of - and eventually The Republic of - the Benereich. Von Dookington was headhunted for, and accepted, a role as a negotiator and officer within the group.
Von Dookington’s Oath of Office was totally unprompted, and is as follows —
“I, Wesley von Dookington, do solemnly swear that I will place all my life and being into the hands of the Benereich. I will follow my orders with utmost obedience, and will sacrifice whatever is demanded in the name of it. In Gajin I trust.”
To many, von Dookington, who had by this point lost not only his career, but home and possessions to debt, was in the process of suffering a nervous breakdown.
Involvement within the Benereich
During the early years of the Benereich, von Dookington’s experience in negotiations and contracts was utilized, with the new recruit being sent to persuade the various territories that would later go on to form the Benereich that unification was the optimal choice for all parties. Unfortunately, the Benereich had failed to consider his alternative employment experience. Von Dookington's 'unique' negotiation techniques inadvertently caused the same locales he was trying to befriend to band together and form an Anarchist Realm.
Involvement in the Night of Short Swords
As a member of the Benerian loyalists during the tumultuous conflict, Wesley von Dookington was part of the forces sent to capture and dispatch the leaders of the rebelling forces in an event known as The Night of Short Swords. At 9:05 am, Wesley von Dookington breached party leader James Paprzik's roof, and a brief conflict ensued. Using a table leg, von Dookington bludgeoned Paprzik repeatedly in the back of the head before doing indescribable things to the anarchist leader with a pair of safety scissors.
At 12:59 pm local time, von Dookington was also a member of the forces sent to capture Police Chief Sydnee Vern, and proved invaluable by rendering the enemy unconscious. At 1:00 pm Vern was escorted to a pickup truck for transportation to an undisclosed facility.
As a result of these actions, Wesley von Dookington was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal within the (then) Empire of the Benereich on the 3rd of October, 2022. There continue to be allegations against the statesman, but such claims are unsubstantiated as they appear only from interrogated POWs, held at von Dookington's private facility, Das Echo-Jagdschloss. Von Dookington is known to be entirely non-pragmatic in combat, preferring to ‘give them a sporting chance’. He is similarly accused of other (currently classified) actions against prisoners he captures, seemingly for amusement. Many of the Benereich’s adversaries specifically request that, if they surrender, they are not to be left in an unmonitored facility with von Dookington.
Tenure as Benerian Statesman
Due to his experience in oration, the written word, and his extensive military prestige, Wesley von Dookington was well-equipped to become a Senator in the Benerian political sphere. During his tenure he implemented new ways of improving productivity, mostly centralized around reducing Benerian unemployment. Von Dookington has on record stated that he personally employs 212 ‘testers’ at his Research and Development facility, although they did not appear on the Benerian Census. This Research and Development plant, of which he is the head, is the official Benerian Military’s R&D Department Headquarters. Among other achievements, it is responsible for both the Beatty I-IV and Elizabeth I experimental weapons.
Throughout the 2022-2023 period, von Dookington assumed more and more of a legislative role within the Benereich, becoming the de facto Minister of Internal Affairs on the 17th of November, 2022. Much to his own personal horror, von Dookington was unable to attend the first major intermicronational conflict of the Benereich, having contracted pneumonia shortly before Operation: Mousetrap. Von Dookington was also heavily involved as a pro-independance party during the Morrinstan Independence Movement, actively participating in a friendly and cordial negotiation with Laika Gorman during the crisis.
Operation Cuckoo
Between the 31st of May, 2023 and the 1st of August 2024, von Dookington was involved in a long-term espionage mission against the Arstotzkan Union, an enemy of the Benereich at the time. Pretending to be disenfranchised within his position in The Republic, Wesley von Dookington allowed himself to be ‘turned’ to the Arstotzkan Union. Renouncing his Benerian citizenship in favor of being granted citizenship by the First President of the Arstotzkan Union, on the 1st of June, 2023, he was sworn in as the Vice President of the Arstotzkan Union. In accordance with his military background, von Dookington was also assigned the rank of Lieutenant General in the Arstotzkan Military, and was placed in command of the 12th and 13th Battalions of the Arstotzkan Union Reserve Force. To further provide plausibility to von Dookington’s act, the Benereich framed kidnapping attempts on the 11th, 16th, and 23rd of June, which resulted in (at the time) King Bendolf Rikler being taken to the Arstotzkan Courts. In early 2024, following the retirement announcement of former Arstotzkan Second President Peter Gedye, von Dookington was promoted to the office of the Second President. During this time, von Dookington established influence within the Arstotzkan finance sector, actively contributing to the development of the Arstotzkan Union’s centralized currency; the Arstotzkan Credit. As a result, he was granted further positions, which included being titled the General Secretary of the Arstotzkan State Central Bank and Director of the Bureau of Finance.
Discovery of 'The Con'
While browsing the microwiki on the 19th of September, 2023, Wesley von Dookington uncovered Wilhelm Stern’s personal microwiki user profile. It stated that Stern had completely fabricated the existence of a micronation, right down to making up a population of non-existent members and imaginary territory. By doing so, Wilhelm was able to negotiate with The Benereich in exchange for his fake country being signed over as a dominion of The Empire.Despite not being an official member of The Benereich at this point due to his espionage mission, von Dookington took personal offense to the slight, as he was the one who represented the Empire in these negotiations. Due to the nature of the contract Stern signed, The Benereich considered Wilhelm personally liable for his actions. Stern currently is attempting to remain out of Benerian reach by seeking amnesty in the UDROR. The entire incident has been dubbed “The Con”, and has yet to be resolved.
Conclusion of Operation Cuckoo
On the 2nd of August, 2024, having gathered vital state secrets, von Dookington resigned his positions from the Arstotzkan Union and announced his intentions during his tenure as Second President. As he had such a massive portfolio at this point, von Dookington threw the Arstotzkan Union into martial law, national emergency, and constitutional crisis. For this, he was awarded the Medal of the Golden Eagle. The Arstotzkan Union then declared him an enemy of the state for treason and crimes against the state.
Involvement with the Benerian Reformation
On the 8th of August, 2024, King Bendolf Rikler was formally deposed by the Benerian state and public, having been an apathetic ruler who made numerous concerning statements regarding race, gender, and - most importantly - the liberty of the people. Von Dookington required extensive convincing that he was not in fact breaking his oath by aiding in this act, as it was to the benefit of the Benereich for Rikler to be removed from power. Agreeing to this logic, von Dookington relinquished his long-held position as a Magistrate (an ‘executive’ variation of the traditional Benerian Senator) during the Benerian Reformation, where this position was abolished.
On the 11th of November, 2024, von Dookington fully restructured the Benerian Archives. This has provided a much greater depth to what the public is allowed to see and learn about the micronation. Many of these changes have yet to be approved by the state.
Personal Life
Wesley von Dookington’s personal life is relatively classified. All instances of individuals attempting a private interview with von Dookington have led to the disappearance of the reporter. Despite agencies refusing to send any further to interview him, he continues to request more, stating they're "Vital to [his] mental health".
Von Dookington enjoys hunting as a recreational outlet for stress, believes interior design peaked with midcentury modernism, and has over half an hour of his playlist dedicated to the late Elvis Presley.