The Chronicle

of the month of Skelern in the year 155

Residents of Temple ward are becoming increasingly angry at a spate of window smashing which has suddenly struck the ward. There appears to be no pattern to the victims of the crime nor has there been the expected attempt to extract protection money. The attacks always occur at night with stones, and on one occasion snowballs, being thrown through a number of windows before the assailants run off. The city watch has deployed a number of additional guards into the area, although the recent snowfalls are making patrolling difficult.

This month's committee nominations proved to be a surprisingly messy affair. There was no sign of the usual carefully prepared stitch up and even the deviously diligent Petro Cutario seemed ill prepared for the meeting. The word in the corridors of power is that Bottler, Cutario and Trueman had failed to agree at the pre-meeting and that Trueman and Cutario were therefore trying to put together their preferred list on the fly. Alan Monterey’s faction leapt on the confusion and as a result have left the Witanmoot with a real choice for the first times in many years. A bemused Peter Ryman commenting on his nomination said "We can do a good job after we've shaken things up a bit". The full nominations were as follows:

Treasury: Capel, Romanie, Spich.

Trade: Monterey, Bowden, Barbiter

Law and Order: Capel, Cripstead, Northropp, Ryman

Lands and Agriculture: de Clare, Cripstead, Barnett

Shipping: Osbert, Porter, Barbiter

Welfare and Education: Saunders, Trueman, Bergeren

Envoy to Kerun: Downe, Candever

Envoy to Orissa: Russell, Hyde

Envoy to Eresan: Howe, Benton

Envoy to Cascorach: Russell, Merewell, Rucche

Envoy to the Western Isles: Rucche, Flambourd

The newly elected Chair of Treasury will face an interesting task. Princess Selina is widely reported to have asked the city for an immediate payment of £10,000 to cover emergency war preparations to be followed by at £5000 increase in the city's annual payment to her. The scouring of budgets for potential savings is already underway. Apart from cutting the obviously ineffective Investigations agency and abandoning civic balls, candidates for reduction are proving elusive.

Heavy snowfalls and strong winds have been causing severe difficulties for people throughout the city. Last week has been announced by the Brynettes to be the coldest on record. The Wellhouse has opened its doors to all the beggars of the city in an attempt to prevent their wholesale death. With the recent abatement of the winds some normality has been restored and there is now talk of arranging a Frost Fair on the completely frozen river.

The reward for information regarding the robbery at the home of Olivia Warin has been increased to an unprecedented £100 amid rumours that the thieves have carried off the Warin business' entire reserve fund of some several thousand pounds.