The Chronicle

of the month of Kruthos in the year 151

The famous poet and playwright Cornelius Marlowe has been killed in a tavern brawl. The Bards College, Playhouses and Literati of the city are all in deep mourning following this tragic incident. The fight broke out in the Anchor & Hope tavern in Drayford, a notorious den of sailors, dockers and other unsavoury types. Eyewitnesses say that Marlowe heroically tried to prevent a young naval officer from stealing goods. The officer immediately murdered the unarmed playwright, whereupon a general melee broke out in the main taproom. The brawl was quickly broken up by the arrival of a military squad, but not before the young naval officer had also been killed. The Admiralty at Kingsport then conducted a cursory investigation, at the end of which both deaths were labelled as "accidental", an insulting conclusion to such a noble and brilliant life. Marlowe's true epitaph will be found in his works, especially 'Il Dottore', 'The Opalite of Orissa' and the much imitated 'Tambourine'. The Rosamund Players are understood to have retrieved the final chapters of his last play from the clutches of the Admiralty. They will be performing this play in the coming season as a tribute to Marlowe's genius. It is entitled 'The Castaways'.

The most distracted election campaigner this month was Alan Monterey, for whom recent fatherhood, an odd fascination with obscure issues and diligent pursuit of Petro Cutario seem to have been a priority. Alderman Cutario appears to have decided to turn the Hearing into an opportunity and built his election campaign around the slogan "dare to underspend". Alderman Monterey clearly seems to have decided that he was just helping Cutario and switched his line of attack to the fact that "Alderman Cutario recklessly and needlessly endangered the fabric of this city". A line that was going well until a Bottler-inspired rebuff from the construction guilds declared that the roads and bridge were in good order. By the time the matter came before Lady Andrews she was able to dismiss it without debate. Linrodeth has been locked in the grip of a particularly cold winter, with the river Ishtan freezing early and now iced solid down to the Erith bend. An attempt earlier this month to revive the pre-war Frost Fairs on the river was abandoned when the first of the blizzards set in. Snow storms have been freezing the city for over a week, and the Dalethian Temple warns that this will continue at least through to Midwinter before the city can hope to see more usual snowfall.

The new consortium ships being built by the city are now beginning to take shape, but what shape that is exactly is unclear. A recent flurry of security around all the shipyards concerned has meant that all views into those yards have been screened off, and hardy skaters along the river are being sharply discouraged from sightseeing. It is understood that the new design is controversial, and has caused much bitter argument within the closed chambers of the Shipwrights' Hall. The first ship of this design is due to be launched from Kingsport in early spring. It promises to be a memorable occasion.

Election campaigning has been pursued this month in the teeth of bitter weather and even more bitter opposition. The gulf between those in power and those not appears to be widening, despite a thawing in public attitudes to Salvoynian sympathisers. Bottler and Cutario were both early campaigners, but a loosely co-ordinated assault by Lambourne and Monterey has begun to attack both Cutario's and Trueman's candidates. As ever, opposition tactics are sharply critical of this year's events, while Cutario and Bottler launched "manifestos" heralding innovative trade and new shipping initiatives.

Uproar has broken out in Faringdon over the sudden arrest of one Brendan Hall, and all his family and business associates, on the capital charge of Treason. Possible membership of the LFF has been mentioned, along with a link to Cllr Lambourne's continued problems. Rumour and counter-rumour are running wild along the corridors of the Witanmoot, and there appears not to be a chamber large enough to accommodate all the people who wish to be present at Hall's interrogation. A clearly harassed Colonel Aldridge would only state that, "investigations are proceeding, and any conclusions at this point would be exceedingly premature."

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The verdict of the electorate this year shows a shift way from the concentration on the Civil War and the beginnings of a recovery for those people whose support for King Edward had made them unpopular. Similarly those closely associated with the Great Victory, have done well, in particular William Trueman made strong gains across the City. Marcus Lambourne's recent problems have clearly done him damage with a noticeable decline in support for him adding to his reduced ability to mount a cross city campaign. Popular opinion seems unhappy with the return to combative politics with independent candidates doing particularly well, especially when standing against the Lambourne and Monterey candidates. The Bottler and Cutario faction both made small gains. The Monterey faction faired erratically with their leader obviously distracted from the campaign, presumably as a result of his recent fatherhood.

There was a shock result in Shambles where Bert Belcher lost his seat by 6 votes to Marie Cripstead. Sam Kutler suffered a crushing defeat in Marshgate where Maureen Quiller overturned the decision of the Council to make him their Alderman. The hardest fought campaign was that of Graham Porter in Dowgate. His recent move to the Bottler faction clearly paid off with the entire faction and a lavishly funded campaign descending upon the previously uncontested ward to deliver him an easy victory. Indeed so strong was Porter's vote that several established Dowgate councillors lost their seats as voters switched from them to Porter. Elsewhere there was a close call for Alice Barbiter who fought off a strong challenge from Estelle Wynstanly. At one point Bartholomew Hyde's challenge to Eva Capel looked threatening and perhaps most surprisingly of all Irvine Grendle made a good challenge to the previously safe seat of Bernard Hubold. Gemma Downe majority was also reduced. A victorious Alderman Trueman was clearly pleased with the night's results, not least with the electors' response to Lambourne. "He is entitled to his personal viewpoint, I am delighted that he now represents fewer people with it," was William Trueman's verdict.

The final Aldermanic results were:

Arpent Judi Spich, Avigon Petro Cutario, Bassishaw Gemma Downe, Berewic Mary Hastings, Bridge Richard Saunders, Cadene Melanie Romanie, Cartage Alice Barbiter, Castle Bard Alison Shefford, Cripplegate Bernard Hubold, Dowgate Graeme Porter, Dracas Thomas Osbert, Faringdon William Trueman, Ishtan Eva Capel, Kingsgate Adam Povre, Levestone Alan Monterey, Marshgate Maureen Quiller, Oldgate Duncan Barnett, Portsoken Nicholas Worton, Shambles Marie Cripstead, Temple Olivia Warin, Welland Jim Bottler.