The Chronicle

of the month of Menderal in the year 146

Alison Shefford's efforts on this year's budgets have been very successful, with only minor amendments to the Welfare & Education budget to accommodate at the committee stages. In the event, both the Trueman amendments and the separate committee budgets were passed nem com. This left the agenda clear to discuss the topic closest to Lord Dixon's heart; the upcoming muster of the Marching Watch, which continues to overshadow the Midsummer feast and indeed has resulted in mainly foreign merchants booking the few stands allowed to remain on the Tourney Field close by the city wall. Less dear to Lord Dixon's heart will be the motion, passed overwhelmingly by full council, that a full standing watch remains in the ward during the muster. He also looked less than pleased at the news that Lady Perignon and her entourage are organising seating and refreshments for Citadel residents atop the walls. At least Eorlaine Cox has been diplomatic enough to retire to the country while the City ties itself in knots.

More detailed news has reached us from Nyskilde and its lands, and it seems that the occupation took a deadly toll of the more senior and distinguished names, with many merchant families having suffered the execution of the head of their houses. The Chroniclers are saddened to have to break the news that Envoy Alan Carter was amongst the elders executed by the Noord in their traditional manner. Evan Carter, who now inherits the business with two minor siblings, has already begun a compensation claim from the Witanmoot, citing inadequate security at the Envoys' halls as a major factor in his father's capture and execution. Of the city itself, most of the warehouses around the port have been destroyed, as have large sections of the city wall. Fortunately heavy snow prevented the Noord from reaching far into the surrounding countryside, and the lands and castles there have remained untouched. His Majesty the King has already ordered large portions of the country grain stores to be transported to the city, and has sent word to grain traders in his other cities to ship food to Nyskilde as speedily as possible.

Investigations into the continued disappearance of Alderman Derwent continue, with her household claiming that she took ship for Nyskilde suddenly last month. This appears to contradict several independent reports of her presence in Orissa, and the discovery of a headless body wearing Aralan's distinctive black and white leathers which was uncovered at a building site in Faringdon last week. Her entire household has been taken into custody and it appears that a number of allegedly stolen goods have been retrieved from concealed sites around her house.

Cllr Avery has called for a full investigation into the mysterious disappearance during a night of thick river fog of the entire watch crew posted on the Sestiga from Kerun. The alarm was raised by a returning crew member in the early morning of eightday firstweek, and anyone who noticed anything unusual that night is asked to get in touch with Alderman Worton.

Speculation over the private life of Alan Monterey continues this month after yet another episode in the prolonged and extremely public wooing of Alderman Ann Tasker. Diners at Maud Blessop's eatery were once again fascinated by the charm and wit brought to play on one of this year's sheriff nominees. Alderman Monterey does not of course have to account to spouse or family for his actions, but his courtship does not seem to be going down too well with Alderman Shefford, another nominee and a very longstanding stalwart of the Monterey faction. Bets are already being placed on the repercussions should either or both fail to achieve their ambitions this year. The Chroniclers suspect this will be as nothing to Lord Dixon's problems should both of them take charge of the Witanmoot Guard.

Alderman Shefford has been having a bad day all round with renewed disputes between her ward and the students of the College over the current location of the ward's boundary stone. The 'Demon's Turd', which normally rests outside the house of Widow Kele, was removed by a large group of revellers last Thirdnight, and is rumoured to have become a central piece in the students' end of term art display. Provosts of the college have been sympathetic but none too helpful, and have refused the ward watch permission to enter the college to retrieve the stone or to conduct investigations within its walls. Alderman Shefford is now reduced to undignified negotiations for the stone's return, in the hope that it will not be too badly altered to put on public view.

LATE NEWS! LATE NEWS! LATE NEWS!

The Midsummer festival this year took place without much of the traditional fair, as many of Linrodeth's citizen's prepared for the full muster on the Tourney Fields. Minor celebrations were still carried out around the temples, and on the fields where Gax's orphanage set up their traditional refreshment tent among the foreign traders. By late morning most of the ward squads had formed up and had begun the long march, well queue really, towards the mustering point. Berewic was somewhat delayed by the absence of their alderman, until matters were firmly taken in hand by Lilith Lansdowne. Levestone watch was also in considerable shambles, partly due to Elizabeth Dixon who decided to assume command of one squad, but mostly due to Brandy Bejar whose minimalist leather hunting outfit proved more disruptive than a Noordic longship. Cripplegate and then Kingsgate were the first wards to assemble on the field, but all wards had managed to turn out by lunchtime whereupon Lord Dixon gave in to widespread calls for a picnic lunch.

Interested observers at this point were able to see the numerous 'special units' that also traditionally respond to the calling of a marching watch; specifically the cavalry of the Knights Templars and Knights Hospitallers, and the armoury unit from the Brynette Temple. The college Provosts also led groups of about a dozen students, but since all of these were unarmed it is difficult to see what their purpose could be. The Witanmoot Guard, on this occasion, was dispersed among the ward watches. An extra unit, apparently composed of ragged warriors from different parts of the Floating Market, formed an uneasy group off near the fringes of the marsh. Sightings of this unit by the members of Dowgate provoked the first incident of the day, which looked set to become a pitched battle until Lord Dixon sent in the Knights Hospitallers to keep them apart.

Several more incidents occurred during the form-up just after lunch, when rival factions amongst the wards, mostly on the east side of the city, looked set to degenerate into a wider melee. Ruthless interventions by the Witanmoot Guard eventually restored order, but not before another hour had passed by. Fortunately these incidents provided both the time and the incentive to clear the children back to the sidelines, and the squads formed up enough for Lord Dixon to risk some elementary manoeuvres across the flat land. Here, sadly, coordination went badly wrong, much to the delight of the Citadel watchers. After Cadene, Cartage and Dracas disentangled, Lord Dixon called a halt and conducted an inspection instead. Drinks for the most complete turn-out were awarded to the small Castle Bard watch, while Arpent won praise for being the best turned out. At this point a dark column of smoke was seen rising from within the city, and Lord Dixon gave permission for the Marshgate and Avigon wards to disperse and investigate (it turned out to be from a large garden bonfire), before calling out phased dismissal for the rest of the citizens.

Fortunately the late summer evening meant that all aldermen still had an opportunity to vote in the sheriffs' election, even after the muster stood down. An extremely tired and unusually quiet Aldermanic Court convened to hear the result announced at sunset:

du Bolay	NW, AF, DdB, LT
Derwent	EA, SB, BB, GD, JI, LT
Griffiths	AG, MA, BH, OW
Shefford	EA, AG, MA, BH, OW, AT, GH, GR, AM, AS, MR, AP, EM
Tasker	AT, GH, GR, AM, AS, SB, BB, GD, JI, MR, AP, EM

Alison Shefford and Ann Tasker are therefore elected to serve as Sheriffs of Linrodeth for the coming year. Nominations for the posts of Aldermen in the wards of Castle Bards and Kingsgate are now open. The validity of nominations for Berewic ward will be ruled on when Lord Dixon recovers, say in about a week.