The Chronicle

of the month of Pipetal in the year 157

The long awaited thaw has arrived slowly during the past month, thankfully limiting the feared flooding to the usual inconsequential areas of Northshore. Ships newly arrived in port bring news from Salvoyn of a harsh winter with much depravation amongst the marines due to the inadequate land base. Luckily, the evil fevers that plagued the army in previous years have been little in evidence and the siege has been tightly maintained. The Linrodeth fleet continues its highly effective blockade and Royal troops have used the winter to secure the lands to the south of Salvoyn, preventing a reopening of land trade with the city states. Preparations are now underway to tighten the stranglehold upon the city.

Witanmoot budget proposals this year yet again include increases in taxes and an increase in funding for the Law and Order committee in order to enable it to reopen the gaols. Surprisingly, given the defeat of the Salvoynian Navy and the absurd overcrowding of Linrodeth's docks, funding for the Consortium ship building programme has been continued. Cllr Tilly Falgar has decided to make an issue of this, complaining vociferously at the budget proposal meeting, that once again merchants are lining their own pockets to subsidise the importing of foreign goods whilst the honest craftsmen of Linrodeth struggle to get by.

Her Highness Princess Selina has underlined her concern for prisoner welfare by conducting a surprise inspection of Marshgate and Kingsgate gatehouses. The warden of Kingsgate took the opportunity to show her around some of the refurbished gentlemen's cells on the upper floor. She seemed very impressed, he commented afterwards, I don't think she'd even been in a prison cell before.

Citizens of Castle Bard have been treated to yet another example of public art. Locals were amused to note recent modifications to Gilbert de Clare's house. A gargoyle bearing a striking resemblance to Cllr Jessamine Scathlocke has taken pride of place adorning Guild Master de Clare's new garderobes. Although there has been some artistic criticism that the mouth is somewhat large, apparently Master Gilbert claims that anything smaller would have been prone to blockages.

Overland news from the court of High King Kieran is still awaited, as is the return of the many adventurers which set out weeks ago in the race to tell Alan Monterey about this year's elections. Meanwhile Princess Selina has decreed Alan Monterey to be her ambassador to the Court of the High King. The appointment has caused consternation in the Witanmoot as has Lord Monterey's elevation to the rank of Baron. Some questions have been raised in the Witanmoot as to the validity of someone being both a citizen envoy and baronial ambassador, however the general mood is one of celebration. Perhaps the greatest debate has been over the shear scope of the empowerment, which effectively gives Cllr Monterey the ability to express opinions as if they were those of Princess Selina herself. Commenting on the appointment, Lady Davy described her delight that Her Highness has once again reaffirmed her trust in the people of the city and shown that she sees the city and the principality as having completely shared objectives.

The number of corpses floating downriver (and returning again at high tide) is causing problems for the city's port and unfavourable comment amongst foreign shippers. Citizens are reminded to do their duty and dispose of frozen beggars tidily out in the marshes and not clutter up the River Ishtan.

Cpl Jack Tucker of the City Guard is being hailed as a hero by locals in Bassishaw. Cpl Tucker was attempting to rescue the Wortley family whose house was ablaze, but had to be pulled from the debris when the shop collapsed. Neighbours quickly contained the fire with the loss of only a handful of nearby shops, but the corporal was taken to the Torian temple with severe injuries, along with several colleagues suffering from the smoke.

Grossers from a number of towns upriver have been complaining about the state of Newbridge on the main Eresan road. The double span stone bridge has been unrepaired for nearly a decade, and the latest floods off of the Great Fens have left it looking decidedly worn. Petitions to the Citadel and to Countess Derwent have gone unanswered. Traders are hoping that an appeal to the Witanmoot might produce more action.

Count Cutario is looking decidedly put out this month after it emerged that Alan Monterey has been granted large tracts of land in Northshore as part of his title of Baron Denmarsh. Also annoyed are civic-minded denizens of the slums themselves, who had hoped to organise local families into self-governing manors along the lines of the old style ward watches. Despite this sudden outbreak of democracy amongst the voteless, and the more hazardous humour of the owner of Ye Oval, Monterey's dubious holdings are entirely feudal. Wags at court have even begun to refer to the absent landlord as Baron de Tosher.

Officials from the Citadel have asked the Brynette temple to remove a large metallic structure from the horizon to the south of the city. The construction, described as a warding glyph by its enthusiastic builder Artificer Langerick, is apparently intended to fend off evil influences aimed at Linrodeth by the witches of Salvoyn. The outspoken artificer convinced a good number of concerned citizens to assist him in its erection out at Botmoor after the temple itself declined to provide funding. A spokesperson for |Her Highnesses court described the structure as deeply worrying for ordinary citizens, highly unsafe for passing merchants, and drawing undue attention to the group of burial mounds on the moors.

City Guardsmen are investigating a burglary at the home of Jestin Snedcroft in Dracas. Lord Jester is a flamboyant and well known bookie, in great demand at sporting occasions all around the city. The burglar is understood to have made off with most of the gentleman's takings for the past month. Guardsman are asking for any witnesses to events last Feastnight to come forward and assist the enquiry.