The Chronicle

of the month of Galemir in the year 155

The highly successful Frost Fair has shown that Linrodeth's people are still capable of enjoying life even under the threat of invasion. William Trueman can take much of the credit for the events success having spent much of the month planning, organising and finally running the event. The best exhibit competition was won by Emma Chireton whose innovative "swan carved from ice" may well have started a new tradition. The ice added a new aspect to the welcome return of the pig wrestling and enabled some newcomers to shine as the old hands failed to get to grips with the unusual surface. People are now looking foreword to the forthcoming Dragonfeast in the hope that it will be a festival rather than a signal for battle.

The city's budget crisis rumbles on with none of the faction leaders wishing to be the person responsible for proposing the necessary cuts. Jim Bottler is continuing to focus his attention upon the goldsmith's guild, and some have even suggested that he is stalling in the hope that some other faction will take over the Treasury before the decision has to be made. William Trueman, however, is reported to be highly reluctant to grasp this particular nettle. Some observers have rather ungenerously suggested that Alderman Trueman wants this particular debacle to be unambiguously Bottler's. Lady Davy is clearly becoming less and less tolerant of the game playing although she also appears reluctant to react. Alan Monterey is rather wisely keeping a low profile.

Marcus Stenmoor appears to be wasting no time in establishing a faction to challenge the stagnation of the existing order. He has teamed up with newcomer Jessamine Scathlocke, hired a political assistant and made his first, highly amusing, Witanmoot speech.

The sudden rains which washed through Linrodeth last week have all but cleared the snow. The rapid dismantling of the remains of the frost fair was only just in time as the flood waters washed clear all of the ice from the river.

William Trueman has narrowly missed taking almost full control of the key committees. It required the casting vote of the Lord to prevent Eva Capel from unseating Melanie Romanie as chairman for the Treasury and, with the backing of Petro Cutario, Marie Cripstead easily took the Lands and Agriculture post from Gilbert de Clare. Thomas Osbert and Richard Saunders both retained their seats. Fortunately for Alan Monterey, neither Cutario nor Trueman was willing to back Bottler's attempt to take the Trade post and therefore both of the minor factions have managed to maintain one committee post each. The importance of the rapidly-fading Monterey faction was further lessened by the loss of the envoys to Kerun and Cascorach with Gemma Downe and Joanna Russell taking the posts with clear majorities. Bartholomew Hyde, Gillian Howe and Samuel Rucche were all unanimously elected.

Lady Davy is having second thoughts about her decision to leave Bottler in control of the Witanmoot finances and has proposed a motion inviting the Officers of the Goldsmiths Guild to "assay and audit" the city exchequers for reserves prior to the end of the year. She has also invited the Trade committee to formally propose an alternative budget to the general Treasury proposals.

The people responsible for the robbery of Olivia Warin's household have been brought to justice by the investigations agency. A raid by a large City Guard force resulted in the deaths of the mercenaries responsible and the recovery of most of the stolen items.

LATE NEWS

The Linrodeth merchantman Warin's Cormorant has brought news of the destruction of the Salvoynian Invasion fleet at anchor in Salvoyn. Captain Redmond described the massive fleet which had assembled and the shock raid by a dozen pirate ships. The Cormorant like many other Linrodeth ships had been held in port by "customs difficulties”. They used the confusion to break free and were able to obtain a good view of the battle before making the difficult over winter trip north. The Salvoynian fleet was neatly lined up in rows and completely unprepared. Three or four large pirate ships broke through the screening force opening up the way for an attack by fire ships. The Cormorant crew described the incredible bravery of the attackers who navigated their already burning and obviously oil laden ships into the midst of the Salvoynian forces. At least half the Salvoynian fleet including the flagship Grace Dieu are believed to have been destroyed. It seams incredible that pirates would stage such a daring raid and carry it through with such ferocity. Whilst the crew of the Cormorant admit that at least one of the attackers was a Linrodeth built warship, they say that it was flying a pirate flag and many others of the raiders were known pirate ships including the infamous Fury and Siren both known to be based at Port Felix. Our Navy has been fast to respond to the news, and a heavy force has sailed south. This initial squadron will provide reconnaissance for a rapidly assembling counter strike aimed at destroying the remnants of the Salvoynian fleet and establishing a blockade of the port.