The Chronicle

of the month of Jasmarill in the year 153

In a shock move at the Witanmoot the Trueman faction stalwart, Olivia Warin, has defected to Alan Monterey’s opposition. The announcement comes in the wake of Trueman’s recruitment of known Reshite Maureen Quiller and opens up what would otherwise have been a bland Sheriffs election. Chair of Trade Olivia Warin has long been seen by many as a credible Sheriff candidate who has been increasingly frustrated by the constraints imposed on her by the Trueman factions holding of the Lordship. Whether Alderman Monterey will be able to field sufficient allies to pull off an election win is open for debate. The consequences for the Trade, Shipping, Construction grouping of Trueman, Cutario and Bottler will also prove interesting.

Alderman Jim Bottler (OM) has finally moved into his lavish new mansion with a massive and entirely excessive party. Almost everyone of any importance in the city attended along with many ordinary workers who had helped build the ‘’Palace on the Green’. With substantial Athionic food by Maud Blessop and fine Kerunian wines from the newly recovered Wealden horde, things were bound to go well. An excess of libellous gossip throughout the evening was perhaps the result of the aged and extra-strong wines. A surprise visit was made early in the evening by Her Highness Princess Selina, still in mourning and now looking distinctly rotund. She formally opened the celebrations and wished that everyone would enjoy sharing with Jim Bottler the fruits of his hard work. Fortunately she departed before Lady Portinari, Alderman Cutario and a number of other senior Kerunians decided to strip off and make use of the massive marble baths. This development inspired Marcus Lambourne’s acerbic wit to reach new heights; of all the guests he seemed most distressed at the excess and wondering where all the money had come from. Perhaps Alderman Warin should have bought along the “Your Shipping Budget at Work” sign to remind him?

Alderman Alan Monterey has been voicing his support for the increase in spending upon Shipping and Trade in the current budget proposals, as well he might following the recent defection of Olivia Warin. Several older members of the Witanmoot looked like they might die of shock when they heard the normally acerbic Monterey proclaim “In the last year Linrodeth's Merchant Navy has more than proved its worth, and it is clear to me that we need to build more ships to support both our military and mercantile goals. We all want a safe and prosperous city, and these proposals will give us that. I therefore have no hesitation in commending the proposed budget to the Witanmoot." His support was warmly welcomed by Alderman Cutario. With no amendments proposed the budget passed uncontested, although an abstention by Marcus Lambourne signalled his disquiet with the increase in taxes.

Alderman William Trueman has stirred things up for next month’s Committee Budgets by proposing that the city fund its own investigators to look into unsolved crimes. Although it is clear that Alderman Trueman was not courting such a confrontation, the proposals have outraged the City Guard who see it as a direct insult to them. Colonel Aldridge is said to be privately furious that the implication that the Guard are just there to “bash heads”. Questions have also been raised as to the legality of the city raising such a force now that Princess Selina has taken direct control of the guard. Continuing the theme of confusing boundaries in the Witanmoot, Cllr Marcus Lambourne voiced his unequivocal support for the proposal although he couldn’t bring himself to even indirectly support Alderman Trueman as a result. “Trueman and his team have finally taken their fingers out of their ears and decided to listen to me. I can only hope that this becomes a regular occurrence." He proclaimed.

Less controversially Alderman Trueman has proposed that the Trade Committee establish a war compensation scheme which would underwrite merchants who lost their goods due to the war. He appears to have worked though most of the obvious pitfalls and a number of the guilds are supporting the imitative. However Alderman Warin did not see fit to budget for it in the Trade figures, asserting instead that the under-funded Emissaries would be a much better investment. The increasingly important Consortium Board has said only that it would take it under advisement.

Alderman Cutario appears to have got away with his sponsorship of a football match. Certainly Lady Andrews has not seen fit to call him to account. Spurred on by this apparent approval, several football matches have been held through the city this month. The most interesting was the contest between the Students and the Watermen’s apprentices which resulted in an unusual amount of foot injuries.

Another person conspicuously not being pursued by Lady Andrews is Reshite Maureen Quiller, who continues to enjoy her newfound position as a leading member of the Trueman Faction. However this dereliction of duty by Lady Andrews has not gone unnoticed and Marcus Lambourne in particular has been increasingly distressed about the matter. In a surprise move he has called upon all citizens of Linrodeth to boycott Reshite-owned businesses. "If Lady Andrews isn't prepared to uphold the motion passed the Witanmoot, outlawing the worship of Resh within the city, then it is up to the true, faithful people of Linrodeth to set her an example by this peaceful protest. The initiative has been fully supported by both the Hahnite and Brynette temples, which have taken up the theme of not supporting or associating with evil in their sermons.

The Torian Temple is increasingly worried about the fate of one of its senior priests who has disappeared while on an expedition to the Ollerton Temple on the north road. Physickian Geoffrey de Pontville was travelling with an armed escort and is described as a very experienced traveller. Rumours that he was diverted to the Martonford Marshes to investigate a disturbance there have not been confirmed.

The Vintners Guild is pleased to announce an auction of fine wines at its guildhall on the Tenthday next month. Although nominally a routine sale of the wines shipped in from the city states, it is widely rumoured that Alderman Monterey may choose to put some of the Wealden horde up for auction. If the drunken revels of our Witanmoot representatives are anything to go by, these lots will be a fine addition to any forthcoming celebrations.

The Chroniclers wish to repeat their earlier apology for any disruption to their services as the negotiations to buy larger and more derelict premises are proceeding with increasing dereliction.

Late News! Late News! Late News!

A military courier ship has arrived from the Noordic Isles with the unexpected news that the Princes of the Noord and the massed Noordic clans have been defeated by a Linrodeth-sponsored army. The fleet, which left Linrodeth last month, apparently sailed south to rendezvous with the mercenary army of General Ravensgrim. The navy shipped the entire army to the Noordic Isles, where the Althing had convened and a contest to claim the Noordic crown was underway. The highly skilled elements of Linrodeth’s Marines, Archers and Cavalry which sailed with the force made the decisive difference, and the Noordic Isles fell to the surprise attack by our allies. The mercenary general then demanded and got the fealty of the surviving Althing. King Ravensgrim Tryggvarsson now rules in the city of Höfn. Princess Selina declared, “Let this be a signal to all who challenge us and this great city of Linrodeth. We are a power to be reckoned with: threaten us and you will lose everything.” Her Highness has officially come out of mourning and ordered a public holiday in celebration of the victory.