The Chronicle

of the month of Pipetal in the year 143

Alderman Shefford's first budget as Chairman of the Treasury is the most controversial for many years, although undoubtedly popular as a 3d tax cut is proposed for citizens. Because of this many long established committee funds have been slashed and traditional areas of spending are called into question. Particularly hard hit is the Shipping budget, which funds the elite Wharf Guards who are trained to fight both on land and water. Alderman Shefford commented, "The Wharf Guard has long been an excuse for members of the wards of Portsoken and Ishtan to have a well paid retirement. I was shocked to discover that they cost over twice as much as the Witanmoot Guard and am proposing that they be disbanded immediately and their duties subsumed into an appropriately expanded Witanmoot Guard. It is my belief that this will provide the docks with greater security as well as saving the city over £200 a year. The existing increases to the Witanmoot Guard remain in place, and Lady Cox continues to take a personal interest in its restructuring.

The Citadel has officially confirmed that the King will be holding court in Linrodeth for the Dragonfeast. Lady Samantha Cox and other senior members of the Witanmoot are busy meeting Guildmasters to thrash out arrangements for the holiday and, hopefully, to prevent a subsequent increase in plague victims. As part of the budget, an entirely new fund has been created for this year's Dragonfeast. Alderman Shefford explained, "I believe that the citizens of Linrodeth will be honoured to assist in repaying His Majesty's confidence by making this one of the best Dragonfeast festivals ever held".

The Skinners & Leathersellers Guild is still in uproar after learning that Oakley Goodwin's caravan was ambushed by bandits barely two dozen miles from Linrodeth's city walls. The caravan contained furs and skins from Nyskilde, and was one of the first due in after the winter. The goods were vandalised but not taken by the outlaws. The Chronicle understands that the Guildmaster has already demanded compensation of £67 from the city coffers for damages to the company's assets.

The Hahnite Temple is in an extreme state of tension due to the continued illness of the Archimandrite. Extra services and prayers for his recovery are being held in the main temple, although the priests refuse to comment upon the state of their esteemed and very elderly leader, the absolute head of the Hahnite order throughout Athion. The Archimandrite receiving regular weekly visits from the King, and extra guard have been positioned along Wheat Hill and Temple Hill for the duration. Perhaps the best indicator of the seriousness of the illness are rumours of the impending arrival of some of the nearer Plenipotentiaries.

The melting of the river has started the annual sinking of part of the Floating market. At one stage it was looking to be particularly effective as most of the upstream part of the market began to break up. This turned out to be unduly optimistic, however, as the swarming boats proceeded to re-form a completely new set of island and rafts over the next two days. Despite the fears of the onlooking citizens, the whole event settled down without more than the usual number of deaths and injuries over disputed territory. More worrying are the reports that the Witanmoot Guard have been seen supplying food to the Toddman section of the market.

LATE NEWS! LATE NEWS! LATE NEWS!

The results of the Lordship elections are as follows:

Samantha Cox	12	(Anderson, Barnett, Carter, Cox, Downe, Faithside, Griffiths, Isenbard, Romanie, Shefford, Tasker, Warin)
Beatrice Perignon	9	(du Bolay, Bowden, Dixon, Horl, Lambourne. Lansdowne, Perignon, Portman, Worton)
Alan Griffiths	3	(Andrews, Belcher, Fytton)

The Chroniclers would like to congratulate Samantha Cox on her re-election to this august post.