The times of Cascorach

for the festival of Midwinter in the Year 139

Duke Alexander led the remembrance ceremony for the Duchess Angela de Cranbourne of Cascorach, who died last year in Childbirth. The child was to have been the Duke and Duchess’s first child. The Duke firmly denies that there was any sinister aspect to her death, as several courtiers have found out in duels with the Duke.

Duke Alexander renewed the invitations of attendance to the emissaries of the Salvoyn, the City State of Adaqua and the City State of Laurea during the festival.

The Gelt have continued to attack outlying villages and stores. The main cause of the attacks appear to be a lack of food. These include the generally bad harvest throughout Athion, their loss of Cair Taned last year, and consequently its grain stores, and a supposed lack of support from their allies in the City States.

The worst affected area is the Barony of Radford, and Baroness Vivian de Huengenaunt has asked for (and received) the help of the Caradache garrison.

Eorliane Cynthia Fitzholme and Baron Edvard announced that they will be helping Baroness Vivian de Huengenaunt. Their honeymoon will be delayed until the spring.

Duke Alexander has warned that if grain stocks fall low and the Guild of Cornmongers indulges in profit-taking he will be forced to impose a special tax on the Cornmongers.

Both the Carpenter’s Guild and the Mason’s Guild have started work on the new Guildhall for the Thatchers. This followed an announcement by Duke Alexander that he was granting a temporary Guild Charter (renewable annually) for the formation of a Guild of Thatchers. It is suspected that the main reason for the commencement of work is the persistent rumours of an imminent investigation into the reasons why the backlog on the Cascorach City Walls was reported to be three years behind schedule. The Guild of Masons has issued the following statement: “The state of repair of the City Walls can be summed up in one word: ‘Excellent’. Any attempt to say otherwise will be met appropriate action”.

The Temple of Daleth has made representations to the Duke following the discovery that the fines for non-attendance of the weekly archery practice were being used to finance the extra city watches ordered by the Duke. The Temple is concerned that the fines are being imposed without regard to the situations caused by the recent heavy falls of snow in the city. Several cases have been reported of the fines being imposed after the archery practice was abandoned after three feet of snow fell overnight.

News from Linrodeth

All overland routes to Linrodeth have now been cut off, following the bad weather during Kruthos. Salvoyn reports that sea travel to the capital will be resumed in the spring.

News from Salvoyn

The river route to Salvoyn is now blocked with ice, but some contact with the city of Salvoyn is possible using skaters. The expectation is the current emissary from Salvoyn to Cascorach will remain as Karen Anderson, and Emissary Anderson did not return to Salvoyn.