The Chronicle

of the month of Kruthos in the year 155

An early and prolonged spell of freezing weather has turned the river solid. Traders have already set up a Frost Fair on the ice and are offering the usual delights of skating, sledding, hot snacks and steaming drinks. Some of the students from the Bards College hauled a block of clean ice down to the fair and overnight carved it into a crystal mermaid. Within days the buxom lass had been joined by a menagerie of sea creatures, some very beautiful and a few clearly the products of a deranged imagination. The ice sculptures have added an artistic atmosphere to the usual gaiety of the Frost Fair, and are immensely popular with all but the smallest revellers. The craze looks set to sweep the Citadel with new pieces being commissioned for Her Highness' Yuletide celebrations at the end of the year. These festivities mark the end of a year where the threat of invasion was removed, are set to be the most splendid yet. The traditional masque will recreate the pirate raid on Salvoyn which ended in the firestorm in its naval dockyard. We trust the audience will remain unsinged during the finale.

Campaigning for the election has been fierce and unforgiving this year. With new contenders such as Jessamine Scathlocke and Dominic Horner disrupting the old order, the cosy agreements of the past appear to be breaking down and wards which have not seen activity for years are being hotly fought. The new challengers, whilst short of people do appear to be particularly well funded. The Horner faction in particular has been massively inflating the cost of a vote in the wards it is contesting. As ever with new contenders innovative campaign practices are emerging in particular the huge paintings which have been appearing on the sides of Scathlocke supporters houses.

Rumours that several theatrical companies have been bidding for the rights to the play "The Demon of Berwick" have unsettled the Witanmoot this week. Aldermen Monterey in particular has viewed the enterprising activities of the Witanmoot Investigation Agency with disapproval. Other patrons of the theatres clearly hope that commercial success of this title will allow further sequels to be written; "The Bandit Bitch of Botmoor" has already been suggested.

The city guard on duty at the magistrates' courts were forced to call on the Knights Templar for reinforcement after a brawl threatened to get out of control. A number of youths called before different judges for minor offences took rather greater offence at being in each other's vicinity outside the courtroom. A fistfight quickly escalated into serious trouble as knives were drawn, and the general melee left two dead before the situation was brought under control. It is understood that five witnesses, one Mandatien and three guardsmen have been taken to the Torian infirmary.

While the rest of the Mercers and Grosser guild fret about the fall-off of international trade, Alderman Cutario has decided to fling caution to the wind and enclose Ye Oval in tiered seating for its audiences. Clearly this will cost no small amount of money and suggests either great confidence in Linrodeth's future prosperity or great confidence in the number of punters willing to pay for sheltered entertainment. As this month's programme appears to feature a prolonged football tournament, which local Kerunians have described as "endurance mud wrestling", the likely payback would seem to be measured in decades.