The Chronicle

of the month of Menderal in the year 154

The state visit of King Ravensgrim to Linrodeth has proved to be a success so far. There has been absolutely no trouble or protests at the King's visit and it would appear that, with the death of Marcus Lambourne, all vocal resentment about the events of the invasion has subsided. The King, with his substantial entourage, has spent the majority of time at the Citadel but has made a brief visit to the Witanmoot, along with a memorable and unscheduled diversion to the Dancing Bear tavern in Welland. One further official engagement, a tour of the more respectable aisles of the Midsummer Fair, is scheduled.

Lady Jenny Davy appears determined to revive all the mercantile traditions of the past. Along with her drive to re-establish the Midsummer Fair as a major event, she has held a grand Civic Ball in honour of King Ravensgrim's visit. The ball itself was a lavish affair with Lady Davy drawing upon the much underused hospitality funds with apparent relish. Lady Davy's speech welcoming the King and looking forward to new trading links with his nation during the growth of a new, vigorous and enthusiastic Linrodeth will be seen as a landmark event for the city. So far however the Noordic efforts to establish new trading deals have not been entirely successful. The Noordic merchants, with the financial backing of their King, appear to be taking the lead in most of most of the deals with Linrodeth merchants reluctant to take risks themselves. Alderman Cutario's cronies appeared to be the only guildsmen prepared to invest in the various proposals mooted over the banquet.

Very little has been reported of King Ravensgrim’s discussions at the Citadel other than a comment from General Olvini that he hoped the King would be able to stay longer than originally planned. In the absence of official comment, the rumour mill is buzzing with suggestions that the Noordic King is spending the majority up of his time courting Princess Selina; much to the distress of King Kieran's ambassador.

Work was started this month on what is apparently going to be known as Ye Oval. This land, as would be expected from its name, is a large oval and often boggy space which is being marked out on the far side of the river for the playing of public games. The start of the works coincided with the anniversary of the lifting of the ban on football by Princess Selina and resulted in a minor celebration of the event. It is hoped that the pitch will be in a good enough condition to for the staging of the annual football competition which will be held at Harvestide.

Observers at the bridge have been intrigued to notice a reduction in activity around the city's shipyards this year. The cordon of tight security has been pulled back to Kingsport down the estuary, and the local yards are busy on a flotilla of smaller mercantile vessels for a change. Notwithstanding, the navy continues to pursue a vigorous recruitment policy which has made the dockside a hazardous place for lone youths at night time. Midsummer weddings are proving to be very popular this season as citizens experience an unusual and hopefully continued return to prosperity. Whether this is a brief lull in the war, or a sign of things to come, many couples have decided to tie the knot during this bountiful summer. A number of aristocratic ceremonies at the Hahnite Temple, all vying for the title of Society Wedding of the season, have been eclipsed by a lavish and spectacular naming ceremony at the Torian Temple, during which largess was distributed like chaff. The centre of all this celebration was of course young master Marcos Fitz-Ailwyn, the new son of Jacqueline Fitz-Ailwyn and Lord Robert Cornaro.

Due to popular demand, the Bards College is to revive its production of Roland and Julia (a comedy of errors) for an autumn season. It is understood that more patrons are being sought in order to encourage a new generation of playwrights. The Chroniclers hope that any new talent will be spared the depredations of the Linrodeth Navy.

Late News! Late News! Late News!

The Midsummer Fair has been a resounding success reminiscent of the great fairs which were held before the civil war. Lady Davy has expressed delight at the large number of people from outside the city who attended and also at the very positive impact that the fair had upon Linrodeth's economy. All of the guilds got behind Lady Davy's schemes and a number of significant competitions were held. The most enjoyable of these was that organized by the construction guilds, whose teams formed with the intent of seeing who could build the best house in a day. The contest was closely called between the "Welland Wonders" led by Eddie Englefield and the "Blue Boar Bodges". In the end the higher quality construction of the Blue Boar team won out. It seems likely that this construction competition will become an annual event with teams training and bets being placed long in advance. The pig-wrestling competition also went ahead, despite the untimely escape of some Tamworths who briefly threatened the glasswork display of some guildsmen. A contingent of Celidon rangers provided a dazzling display of archery and may even inspire some Linrodeth citizens to resume their practice. The large Nordic trading delegation reserved a major area of turf at the Midsummer Fair and provided a tempting display of golden amber, fine silverwork and exotic furs. A couple of competing fortune tellers proved to be rather more exciting than many customers had anticipated. Linrodeth's official Temple's also made an unexpectedly strong showing during the afternoon with each of the temples major orators putting forth the view of that particular god and encouraging people to attend worship more regularly.

The Sheriffs' election was rather more hotly contested than expected. Mary Hastings looked secure to take one of the posts. Her efforts in the setting up the Witanmoot Investigation Organization have built on the Law & Order ticket and plays well to the council's paranoia in the wake of traitor Marcus Lambourne's gory demise. However, a closely fought contest developed between Nicholas Bowden and Olivia Warin and ended in a tie. Lady Davy, after brief consideration, cast her decisive vote for Olivia Warin.