The Chronicle

of the month of Arvinoth in the year 148

Relations between the City and Citadel have dramatically improved this month following a series of high level meetings. Representatives from the offices of Princess Selina and Lady Tasker have described talks with the Citadel leaders as "extensive and productive". Significantly, grain stores from the Citadel are being moved down to the city, and in return the city is to give top priority to improving its defences against the Noord. The crucial breakthrough seems to have been made by Alderman Monterey, who clearly retains credibility with his former mentor Lady Perignon. The grain will form an important reserve for the citizens should longships appear along the coast or the exiles' disrupt tithing. Lady Tasker has yet to release an official statement, but it seems likely that the grain will be held in civic stores rather than released to the Cornmongers guild. The Princess' office is understood to be proposing a regular schedule of meetings with the Citadel to discuss civic matters and coordinate the defence of the river valley.

News continues to trickle in from the few refugees to have escaped Noordic attacks. The longships have been sighted landing from Mausdyke northwards, with major fleets invading at Glasgain and Ulthwaite. The lack of survivors seems to show that the invaders achieved almost complete surprise, and may have reached further inland than has ever been seen in this lifetime. The Chroniclers continue to search for news from Nyskilde, but without success, and it may be that Prince Kieran's bid for the Kingdom was doomed to be short-lived. Unconfirmed rumours that he died early in the invasion have begun to circulate within Linrodeth.

Polizei investigating the murders of Kerunian officers have made a number of arrests in Berewic of junior journeymen in the Fruiterers guild. Chief Antonio Secchi has confirmed that the four are so far only charged with 'obstructing enquiries' and that further charges are still pending the results of interrogation. Witnesses to the arrests spoke of a general brawl which caused widespread damage to properties in the street.

The Archimandrite in Linrodeth has announced sweeping reforms to the criminal justice system in a key sermon from the pulpit. The announcements clearly have the endorsement of the Kerunian administration, and signal the Hahnite leader's clear intention of becoming a major player in the future of Athion. Described as "a move towards more traditional Hahnite values", the reforms include a complete removal of Witanmoot members from the bench, and the installation of Hahnite priests as judges and magistrates. From Midwinter the Criminal Courts will use something called a "jury system" of citizen landowners (excluding Witanmoot members) combined with Pendentites as the judges. For the Civic Courts there will be a panel of four ward citizens led by a Mandatien. Secular clerks will deal with the paperwork for the first time. The congregation included many Aldermen who were clearly taken aback by the announcement and had difficulty concentrating on the remainder of the service after this pronouncement. Frequent outbreaks of whispered consultation had to be sternly suppressed by the officiating Mandatiens.

The Princess' crack team of auditors have once again gone on standby alert. A senior aide discovered that the phrase "several outstanding committee budgets" in the Witanmoot report was not the compliment which the translators originally took it for. Instead it appears that, although the Trade budget is currently before council and the Law & Order one due in very shortly, all other detailed budgets remain overdue amid huge confusion over who is responsible. The Shipping committee may have good reason for keeping quiet, but Welfare & Education are proposing a number of new initiatives which require a careful examination of available moneys. Chief among these is a search for a new orphanage site within the city, which has focused on utilising guard rooms in the closed prisons. These have the benefit of being nearly habitable already, although their use if the City should come under attack is not yet clear. Some grumbles have been made about the lack of space; perhaps this could be remedied by persuading the Portwall builders to construct a hollow wall?

Despite all the bustle seen around the Witanmoot this month, several faction leaders are clearly not about to risk being labelled as "active". Maud Blessop and Jenny Davy were the only nominations for the envoys to Cascorach and Kerun respectively and were duly appointed as such. They intend to depart as soon as their new allowances are approved.