The Chronicle

of the month of Heliora in the year 157

Free soup and lively oration have drawn large crowds to Bever Edge's "Citizenship Classes" in North Bridge. The debates were originally held at the Wainers' Rest Inn, but gatherings quickly became too large for an indoor venue and have recently moved to the fields around Pedlars Lane, lately vacated by the Tinker Camp. The popular topics are the nature of "commons" and whether the marshes north of the river by tradition and use qualify as "city commons". Amongst the quotable sentences from the more educated debaters:

"He who is permitted by law to have no property of his own can only with difficulty conceive that property is founded in anything but force."

"Nothing is ours, which another may deprive us of."

"The commons tell a story of co-operation in human society and with the land (and of the gradual imposition of private interests), as fragments of the old economy in a present beset by totalitarian market forces and where the majority are outsiders in their own city."

"Let them not take in their commons, neither make parks nor pastures nor pools, for the gods gave this land for free men to inhabit."

Comments by the majority of the population present are much less quotable, but convey a certain sense of restlessness which combines ill with the annual discussions over garbage disposal in the immediate area.

Her Royal Highness Princess Selina, having professed to enjoy the prison visits so much, found time this week to inspect the famous orphanage founded by Gax. Accompanied by her son and young daughter Her Highness found time to tour the orphanage property, view a play put on by the youngsters, and sit in on a class to test the erudition of the city's wardlings. The orphan children themselves were finely turned out in feast day best, and showed great interest in their august visitors. A mischievous attempt to quote Reg Marc as part of their legal history lesson was firmly suppressed by the governors present.

Representatives from the town of Newbridge along the Eresan road have expressed outrage that the Witanmoot propose to divide their township by a toll bridge on the King's road. The local mayor described the proposals as" an outrageous and extravagant solution to simple repair problem. This investment, which is such a minor matter for a great city, would undoubtedly benefit the city's own trade directly."

Mandatiens and acolytes at the Hahnite temple were roused in the early hours of Firstday morning to help put out a fire burning dangerously high in the vicinity of the library of the law school. The fire is thought to have been started by vandals and the Knights Templar are keen to question anyone seen in the area that night.