The Chronicle

of the month of Galemir in the year 149

The lifting of the curfew has now been extended to the entire City. Making the announcement General Olvini told a cheering Witanmoot, “The people of Linrodeth have shown themselves to be honest, hard working and loyal. I see no reason to continue with the curfew which is no longer a necessary part of our plans to control the supporters of the old order”. The lifting of the curfew has been celebrated throughout the city with the greatest revelry occurring in Castle Bard. The rolling programme of lifting a few wards each day resulted in a fresh party in every night for a week with the few brave survivors claiming to have managed to visit every celebration. Citizens are reminded that the militarised zone is still out of bounds and that the City Gates remain closed during from sundown to dawn.

The route of the new wall has been confirmed by Lady Tasker's decree confiscating the required land. Warehouse owners have been told that they will receive reasonable recompense, although the form and timing of this will be at the discretion of the Treasury. Master Mason Gilbert de Clare told the Chronicle, “Councillor Bottler and I have worked day and night to bring this proposal to fruition. The proposed route has been agreed by the military and by the local wards. It is not a compromise. It is the best route for everyone”..

A desperate and daring attack by Linrodeth Freedom Fighters on the home of General Olvini has failed, leaving six members dead and three others in prison. The attack was well planned and executed by men who knew the building layout, however they were betrayed and fell into an ambush. The Polizei have since rounded up a number of other suspects and further arrests are expected. Concerns that the attack would result in a return of the curfew have been allayed by the General who described the incident as “the last desperate attempt of a collapsing opposition which is no longer worthy of attention”. Indeed the failure of the attack seems to have broken the Freedom Fighters and no further incidents have occurred this month. The Chronicle has been unable to make contact with the surviving members and it seems likely that the campaign against the Kerunian invaders has been seriously damaged. if not destroyed.

The realignment of the Witanmoot has continued this month with major announcements from all the key factions. Aldermen Barnet and Belcher have declared for Marcus Lambourne, Graeme Porter has joined Alan Monterey and Alderman Barbiter has declared for William Trueman. Jim Bottler is still struggling to keep up, although he does seem to have put down the Englefield challenge and is now forming a base within the construction guilds. However none of the groups seems yet ready to make a push for power and Lady Tasker's nomination as Lord has gone forward unchallenged. A source close to the Monterey ruling group told us ''We are still all working for the good of the City, I’m glad the others have recognised the need for stability''.

The newly emerging factions will face a tough test next month. Rumours persist that the original estimates for the construction of the wall were very low and that dramatic cuts in the recently expanded budgets will be required to pay for it. Even more worrying the Masons and Carpenters seem to be gearing up to complete the wall in one year a scale of undertaking which would require a devastating tax levy on the citizenry.

Following on from what appears to have been an embarrassing confusion between the Monterey and Lambourne factions last month, Jenny Davy has been assigned to the Law and Order committee by the decree of Lady Tasker with her vacated place as Chair of Trade being taken by Samuel Rucche. All the involved parties have been at pains to play the move down as something requested by Alderman Davy however a number of Councillors have raised severe misgivings. Cllr Joanna Russell described the event as "An outrageous imposition which totally undermines the democratic principles upon which this Witanmoot was founded".

The Chronicle

of the month of Skelern in the year 149

In the wake of last month’s election results a three way fight is emerging for control of the Witanmoot. Marcus Lambourne has laid down a clear challenge to the control of Alan Monterey by recruiting Aldermen Davy and Romanie; however the newly energetic Alderman Trueman may prove to be a greater threat, with powerful players such as Miranda Andrews joining Olivia Warin under the Trueman “New Order” banner. Alderman Monterey does not seem unduly perturbed, and will no doubt have gained some pleasure from the renewed support of Allison Shefford. Meanwhile, as the traditional leaders re-establish their control on the Witanmoot, pro-Selina groups such as Jim Bottler’s are increasingly being marginalized. An internal fight between Bottler and his running mate Eddie Englefield may be the root of the problem, although so far Bottler appears to have managed to prevent Englefield becoming politically active in his own right.

The saga of the new wall has continued this month. Rumours that stone warehouses were to be dismantled to provide foundations for the new wall caused outrage amongst the merchants and prompted several hurried meetings between Jim Bottler, Gilbert de Clare and several prominent Aldermen led by Olivia Warin. The upshot of the meeting was unsurprisingly that no one would admit to having come up with the idea, no one thought it was a good one and no one was going to stand up and defend it. Meanwhile Bottler has been quietly finalising his plans for the route of the wall, which is expected to be much closer to the river than the wooden one.

The lifting of the curfew will be extended to Avigon and Levestone from tenthday secondweek. General Olvini has pronounced himself pleased with the Welland test and expressed hope that the lifting could be extended to the entire city in the near future. A spokesman for the “Linrodeth Freedom Fighters” derided the announcement as a “reward for treachery” and she went on to describe the current lack of action as “a period of consolidation” and vowed that “Kerunian blood will flow through the streets before the end of the month”.

Relationships between Marcus Lambourne and William Trueman appear to have hit a new low following Trueman’s victorious election campaign. Marcus Lambourne is publicly playing down the extent of the fall out, and describing the situation simply as “healthy competition”. However sources close to the ex-Alderman describe him as privately fuming and deeply hurt by Trueman’s campaign tactics. A source close to the Faringdon Wardmoot described the atmosphere between the two as “icier than the Ishtan”.

Nominations for the Chairmanships of the various reformed committees have gone more smoothly than ever this year with only one slight glitch. Jenny Davy’s nomination for the post of Law and Order chair fails as her uncontested election to the Trade chairmanship takes precedence. Nominations for the Law & Order chairmanship therefore falls to Lady Tasker.

Envoy to Kerun	Maud Blessop
Envoy to Eresan	Marc Bergeren
Shipping	Graeme Porter
Welfare and Education	Melanie Romanie
Lands and Agriculture	Gemma Downe
Law and Order	(Jenny Davy)
Trade	Jenny Davy
Treasury	Olivia Warn

No nominations have been received for the unwelcome posts of envoy to Nyskilde, Salvoyn and Cascorach. Alan Monterey's nomination of someone for the post of Envoy to Kerun was described by one Witanmoot official as “brave assertion of the city’s independence” and has certainly caused a stir amongst those who thought that he was one of Selina’s henchmen.

The Chronicle

of the month of Kruthos in the year 148

Cllr Richard Saunders is radiating an unusual air of smugness following the council's decision to reconsider the budget. Guildmaster Bottler has presented plans to complete the wall with all due speed and has asked the council to fund the project in full. Whilst there is near unanimous support for his proposals, a number of conflicting views have emerged about how the significant money necessary will be raised. Bottler himself seems keen to raise taxes whilst other councillors have proposed various creative accounting schemes. William Trueman is even reported to have been brave enough to suggest that Selina should delay the collection of a significant proportion of her tribute till next year.

General Olvini is believed to be considering the establishment of a city guard which will have responsibility both for the defence of the City and for its law and order. The General's office refused to discuss the situation, however a member of the polizei told the Chronicle "The General must be aware that its the squads of polizei led by former members of the Witanmoot guard which are the most effective. He wants to broaden the involvement of citizens and normalise things, I think." However a pamphlet purporting to be from the 'Linrodeth Freedom Fighters' denounced the plans and said that only traitors would be willing to join the new force.

The Brynette Temple has been slow to make an official response to rumours that its holy flame failed on Ghostmoons Eve. The story, which has only just emerged from the confines of the temple walls, maintains that the senior priests' attempts to rekindle the flame on the high altar during the service failed, despite increasingly ingenious techniques which, perhaps fortunately, stopped short of sending for Talus Snapdragon. Junior acolytes deduced from the continued cold that these problems continued for a full day. So far the elders of the temple have remained tight lipped when questioned about the incident, but they appear to be making intense preparations ahead of the forthcoming Midwinter Festival.

The provisional lifting of the curfew in Welland appears to be going well with few reports of any incidents. The presence of polizei on the borders arresting anyone who steps out of the ward after curfew, plus the incredibly inflated prices of accommodation in the ward's hostelries, has limited the feared swamping by late night revellers. A source close to the Witanmoot leadership asked the Chronicle to, "urge all citizens to ensure that the provisional lifting is a success so that the unwarranted and oppressive curfew can be lifted across the city."

An expedition to rescue the trapped caravan from Cascorach has returned having failed to get through. Terrible weather conditions and conflicting reports of the location of the caravan were blamed. The continuing harsh weather is also claiming victims amongst the beggar population with anyone failing to find shelter overnight facing certain death.

Another pair of victims of the cold caused great interest earlier this month when two bodies were noticed trapped under the ice near the citadel. After much application of boiling water the corpses were extracted and taken off to the Torian Temple. Why two dead people should warrant the attention of a squad of polizei and several leading Witanmoot members was unclear at the time. However rumours are beginning to circulate that they were of a Babel and a Kinjuru on a secret mission from Aralan Derwent to get a message to the Citadel. Important papers are believed to have been recovered from one corpse.

An anonymous benefactor has founded a new hospice in Cripplegate for the shelter and aid of poor invalids and beggars. The hospice replaces a shack which existed on the road outside the gate for many years, and which was demolished for security reasons early on in the civil war. Alderman Hubold is reported to be livid.

A recent play at the Bards College has been receiving much critical acclaim. The performance is being staged by a group of senior students and centres around the story of Julia and Roland Perignon and their troubled romance. Attendance at the play could have been guaranteed by the subject. However the players are delighting the audiences and the crafting of the play is truly masterful. Evette Qualtor as the leading lady is outstanding, but the show is stolen by Harry Marsterson and his hilarious portrayal of the evil schemer Armundus Septer.

LATE NEWS

The midwinter elections have signalled a clear return to traditional campaigning from our councillors. Elections were hard fought throughout the city. Clear factions and lobby groups have once again come into evidence. The greatest, and dirtiest, fight was in Faringdon were Marcus Lambourne and William Trueman went head to head for the Aldermanship. Marcus' campaign pivoted around his strong record of decision making and leadership. However this was undermined by William Trueman's victorious campaign which also called on people to judge Marcus on his record and the "unresolved questions" surrounding his trial in Menderal. Trueman's running mate Olivia Warin was also successful in Temple and an elated Trueman announced that the broad success of his team would enable a new era of "responsible leadership" which would "impose order on the current chaos". Elsewhere in Welland Jim Bottler and his pro-Selina faction gained overwhelming control of the wardmoot but a split vote between Eddie Englefield and Bottler enabled Gillian Howe to take the Aldermanship. Perhaps the most interesting result is from the occupied wards were a number of avowedly anti-Selina candidates were elected. However the expected purge by the electorate of Selinas' lackeys did not materialise. Alan Monterey was returned as Alderman for Levestone with a massive majority and in Avigon the Kerunian merchant Petro Cutario even gained a seat on the Witanmoot.

The Full Aldermanic election results are:

The Chronicle

of the month of Ternost in the year 148

Linrodeth has now been cut off from the rest of the country by the heaviest snows for many years. The river has already iced across and all the routes out of the city are blocked. The severity of the snowfall caught many travellers unawares and a major caravan of refugees from Cascorach is believed to have become trapped some three days to the south of the City. The likely harshness of the winter has renewed pressure on the City to resolve the impending grain crisis. With many harvested stores still not delivered to the City before the snows it is not clear if reserves will last should the snows remain longer than usual.

One ship which managed to beat the storms was that of Captain Eagleview, which returned to its home city a few days ago. The crew have confirmed that since the ship's dramatic departure from Linrodeth during the invasion, they had travelled north to Nyskilde and then all the way south to Salvoyn. Their stories, when added to those of the merchants from Salvoyn and the Chronicle's own investigations, finally provide a clear picture of the state of the Civil War.

Nyskilde and the lands to the north of the Weald are held by the Noord. Nyskilde itself has not been subjected to the same deprivations it suffered during the previous invasion and after the initial sacking the Noord appear to be digging in with the intention of holding the lands permanently.

Linrodeth and its the lands as far north as the Weald and as far east as the Great Fens are held by Princess Selina. However Linrodeth's Citadel is still held by troops apparently loyal to Prince Kieran, and the road to Eresan is blocked at Fenny Bridges by another pro-Kieran force under the command of Aralan Derwent. Salvoyn remains the base of operations for Prince Edward and is his declared Capital. It retains the army from the Gelt wars and a recently enlarged navy. Cascorach has finally fallen to Prince Edward after a long and protracted siege, although Princess Eleanor may still be in control of the Castle. The remains of her cavalry force have retreated across the mountains and are now effectively cut off in the City States.

Eresan, which was thought to be loyal to Edward, is now held by Kieran following the arrival of his forces from Nyskilde. Reports confirm that he was betrayed by the navy at Nyskilde and suffered serious losses before his retreat. The rangers took Eresan without opposition shortly before Kieran's arrival.

The Witanmoot has confirmed that elections will be held as normal at Midwinter. With rumours circulating that last year's elections were rigged, and with many key political figures missing or incapacitated, there are likely to be sweeping changes. Hard fought campaigns are expected in Faringdon, Welland, Avigon and Castle Bard. The Chronicle will observe with interest the progress of supporters of Princess Selina, such as Jim Bottler and Alan Monterey. It will also be interesting to see what effect Princess Selina's publication of the Guild accounts will have. Many citizens were unaware of the funds spent by some guilds to support political activities and this may cause problems for certain faction leaders. The Witanmoot spokesman refused to be drawn on how elections would be held for those wards under military occupation, however Princess Selina's office has confirmed that the properties have not yet been confiscated and hence are still owned by their original occupants. Lady Tasker has announced that the Emergency Committee will be disbanded at Midwinter and that after the elections, the city's administration will return to near normal.

Tensions between the mercenaries and the polizei have escalated significantly following an assault on Jim Bottler by a group of thugs. Councillor Bottler was left for dead by the mercenaries and has spent the entire month in the Torian infirmary recovering. Shortly afterwards the Polizei raided the Dancing Bear and other well known mercenary pubs. General Olvini is believed to be considering direct intervention by the military and it seems likely that all hope of having the curfew lifted have now been dashed. Elsewhere the polizei crackdown on crime has had a dramatic effect, although the reduction may have more to do with the criminal underworld's preoccupation with replacing the Toddman.

The city's committee budgets have finally been passed by the Witanmoot in a session reminiscent of the old days. Those councillors who had thought they were in for an easy session were surprised by a well orchestrated attack by Richard Saunders on the entire budget. Cllr Saunders expressed his outrage at plans to fund pet schemes such as the sweetwater project and other "profligate spending" such as the Avery memorial. Denouncing his fellow councillors for being out of touch with the needs of the City he went on "Some people are obviously unaware there is a War on. we should be reducing taxes to help people through these difficult times and concentrating our spending upon the defence of the City". Princess Selina is also reported to be unhappy with plans to build a memorial to Adam Avery who was killed during her invasion and no one has yet been brave enough to take on the contract to build it.

The wedding of Lady Ann Tasker to Alderman Alan Monterey was one of the most lavish witnessed in recent years. The main ceremony took place at the Temple of Hahn and was officiated by the Archimandrite himself. Within the vast and sumptuous displays Anne's simple and elegant dress stood out as the centre of attention. Afterwards a magnificent feast was presented at Princess Selina's mansion. The many guests, which unexpectedly included Beatrice Perignon, enjoyed Lady Tasker's marvellously entertaining and touching account of her courtship by Alderman Monterey and Alan's moving speech praising the politicians of Linrodeth for their service to our great City. Celebrations the night before were unfortunately somewhat subdued by the curfew, however Lady Tasker's party which occupied the Green Grove for the entire night is reported to have been highly successful. Even Alison Shefford is reported to have enjoyed it.

The problems over the construction of the Portwall seem to have sorted themselves out, following Lady Tasker's decree that the wood must be returned to the Shipwrights Guild. Several senior Stonemasons have visited Jim Bottler at the Torian temple and work has begun on the section next to the bridge. However some concern has been expressed over funding of the project. The city budget included a sum of £8,000 which is clearly inadequate.

The reform of the legal system is now well underway and the Hahnites have been making strenuous efforts to explain the changes. Those criminals who will be unfortunate enough to be the first to be tried under the new rules, may face long and protracted sessions as the involved Hahnites try to decide on the detail and its implications of the changes. A sudden flurry of minor civil actions seem to have started in an attempt to seek redress before the Midwinter changes. Gax has made a number of speeches on the subject the most interesting element of which was his recognition of Edward de Belleme as the rightful Archimandrite.

The Chronicle

of the month of Kryll in the year 148

The city of Salvoyn is preparing to celebrate the official coronation of Prince Edward during the Midwinter festivities. The prince has summoned the leaders of all the major religions to his declared capital city for the event. Rumours are circulating that he may depart from tradition and announce an 'official' religion at the coronation. The most recent ships into port have brought a number of invitations to worthies across the city, but it is not believed that the Linrodeth Archimandrite is included on the guest list. It seems that the Eresan Archimandrite, Ingulfos, is to officiate in Salvoyn. This selection makes it all the more interesting that rumours have started of Prince Kieran's survival and residence in Eresan. Unreliable sightings of the younger prince do not seem very likely in light of Eresan's loyalty to Prince Edward.

As an alternative, Linrodeth's joyous winter event may well be the marriage of Lady Ann Tasker to her long time partner, Alderman Alan Monterey. Although the Chronicle has been informed of this event many times in the past, it seems likely that the match will now finally go ahead. A significant change is that Lady Tasker has at last found time to be fitted for a wedding dress. Alderman Monterey has already inspected several wine cellars, and has audibly regretted the loss of the Perignon reserves. The wedding will take place at the Hahnite Temple, with the Archimandrite himself presiding. Princess Selina has generously offered the Lansdowne mansion for the reception afterwards.

Tensions in Welland got out of hand last week when an attempt to enforce the law caused rioting across the Wellhouse green. A number of ward councillors remonstrated with customers from the Dancing Bear for openly carrying arms in the streets. The argument rapidly escalated to the point where the weapons had to be confiscated, with predictable results. Fortunately the fight remained at the level of fisticuffs and the Polizei, who quickly arrived on the scene, were extremely efficient in their arrests. General Olvini and the Polizei Chief, Lt Antonio Secchi, will be reviewing the ordnances on mercenaries in the city.

Keen Hahnite worshippers will have noticed a familiar piece of regalia at recent ceremonies in the Temple. The Holy Ring of Ascalon, which has been absent for many months now, has begun to be worn by the new Archimandrite for the first time during a sermon in which he exhorted Ingulfos to "give up his vile ways and return unto the Grace of Hahn". Speculation surrounds both its absence and its reappearance, and the ability of Ingulfos to crown anyone without this ring. An official Hahnite statement confirmed that it is the genuine ring, and that its presence on the High Priest's hand was "the Will of the God." This does not appear to have deterred Gax the Heretic, who has also reappeared for the first time since the invasion and has begun to denounce the forthcoming changes in the Justice System. The Chroniclers are beginning to wonder if these events are related?

Investigators trawling the taverns and dens of Dowgate have been startled to hear that the Toddman is said to have died. A number of known criminal establishments have begun to shut down, and several pawnbrokers have 'closed for stocktaking'. The Polizei claim that this is a direct result of their improved operations, and predict that the crime rate will drop still further. Alderman Bernard Hubold has been quick to praise the work of the Polizei, pointing out that "this is just precisely the type of professional force which the city has needed, and which I have been lobbying for, for many years." Alderman Tilly Falgar also congratulated the force on their results, while adding that the work of the master criminal may take many years to unravel.

Despite assurances of a good harvest, citizens have been interested to note that Cllr Trueman has invoked the old emergency committee procedures for the gathering of the rosehip crop in the hedgerows. A number of working parties have already been sent out and report a good haul. Readers might be interested to remember the old wives tale which suggests that the forthcoming winter will be a cold and hard one. It appears that the weather has already taken a turn for the worse, and it looks likely that Linrodeth will be experiencing its first snowfall before Ghostmoons. This will at least mean that the city is safe from attack for another season. The last ships are preparing to leave port.

The Chronicle

of the month of Lorinfall in the year 148

News has arrived from Salvoyn of advances by Prince Edward in his campaign for the southlands. Since turning attention away from Linrodeth last year, Edward's army has been kept busy trying to oppose Princess Eleanor's cavalry forces. After a succession of manoeuvres and skirmishes throughout the summer, his army claims to have forced the 'rebellious knights' into retreat across the mountains, and is now poised to attack Cascorach itself. Salvoynian merchants are hoping for a speedy conclusion to the rebellion, and have confirmed that the port has recently given shelter to the Kings Fleet. The naval forces disclosed that they had retreated from a major engagement with Noordic longships. It seems that the city of Nyskilde has once again been conquered by the Noord clans. Prince Kieran's ranger regiments were heavily defeated in their attempt to defend the city, and Prince Kieran is widely reported to have died in the fighting.

Closer to home, Dalethian Wellkeepers have reported an average harvest. With minor exceptions, the harvesting in Baronies subject to Linrodeth has not been unduly disrupted. Reports that large quantities of the grain have been concealed by lords and peasants alike have already reached the Witanmoot and the situation is being monitored by Princess Selina's office. The Cornmongers guild has pledged to hold bread prices steady for at least a month, while the situation is investigated. Citizens are requested not to demand huge increases on their usual orders. Cllr Gemma Downe has pointed out that the most recent batch of Citadel grain will be available to cover immediate demand.

Work on a stone replacement for the Portwall has officially started now that a full complement of construction guilds has been assembled. The teams ran into an immediate snag when the ownership of the demolished wood was disputed. The carpenters have commandeered the use of the wood, claiming that this is part of their negotiated contract Witanmoot representatives have lodged an injunction to prevent its reuse, claiming that it is the city's to resell or reuse. A further complication is the claim of the Shipwrights Guild that the wood was 'on loan' from them to the city for its defences, and that it should be returned if it is no longer needed. At this rate, the case could well become one of the first items to be heard under the Archimandrite's new justice system.

The Witanmoot is scrambling to recount its assets after it emerged that none of the treasury clerks had filed a copy of Trueman's carefully revised Budget papers. An unseemly rush to draw up a new version was much helped by Cllr Trueman's personal notes of his budget. It is believed that Lady Tasker has been seriously embarrassed in her efforts to promote democratic rule to the Princess' office. The Princess' auditors have refrained from comment.

A diplomatic incident was narrowly averted last week over a huge explosion at the Citadel. The centre of the blast appears to be the small astrologer's tower perched on the uppermost roofs of the Citadel. It appears that neither the Kerunian army nor the Citadel defences were responsible for event which cause minor damage to the tower and several injuries from falling masonry. Observers have since concluded that the watchman may have attempted to alleviate his boredom by exploring the tower's contents. The citadel has confirmed that their watchman did not survive his curiosity.

The ward of Dowgate has been thrown into turmoil following the disappearance of their Alderman, Alice Fytton, along with the treasury of the Fruiterers guild. Her supporters have objected to the obvious conclusion, and are launching their own ward enquiries. Speculation that the more criminal elements of the ward may have taken revenge is circulating the local taverns. Any witnesses to the movements of Alice Fytton on Thirday, Firstweek last month are requested to contact the Fruiterers Guild, or Cllr Syd Reed at the 'Frozen Ferret'.

Cllr Jim Bottler is also launching enquiries from the 'Mooning Barrel' in Welland. Concern for the safety of officers patronising the pub is a source of some worry to the ward. A number of citizens have complained about the increasing belligerence of mercenaries from the 'Dancing Bear' on the other side of the ward, and it is believed that the intrepid councillor's investigation may start there.

The Chronicle

of the month of Arvinoth in the year 148

Relations between the City and Citadel have dramatically improved this month following a series of high level meetings. Representatives from the offices of Princess Selina and Lady Tasker have described talks with the Citadel leaders as "extensive and productive". Significantly, grain stores from the Citadel are being moved down to the city, and in return the city is to give top priority to improving its defences against the Noord. The crucial breakthrough seems to have been made by Alderman Monterey, who clearly retains credibility with his former mentor Lady Perignon. The grain will form an important reserve for the citizens should longships appear along the coast or the exiles' disrupt tithing. Lady Tasker has yet to release an official statement, but it seems likely that the grain will be held in civic stores rather than released to the Cornmongers guild. The Princess' office is understood to be proposing a regular schedule of meetings with the Citadel to discuss civic matters and coordinate the defence of the river valley.

News continues to trickle in from the few refugees to have escaped Noordic attacks. The longships have been sighted landing from Mausdyke northwards, with major fleets invading at Glasgain and Ulthwaite. The lack of survivors seems to show that the invaders achieved almost complete surprise, and may have reached further inland than has ever been seen in this lifetime. The Chroniclers continue to search for news from Nyskilde, but without success, and it may be that Prince Kieran's bid for the Kingdom was doomed to be short-lived. Unconfirmed rumours that he died early in the invasion have begun to circulate within Linrodeth.

Polizei investigating the murders of Kerunian officers have made a number of arrests in Berewic of junior journeymen in the Fruiterers guild. Chief Antonio Secchi has confirmed that the four are so far only charged with 'obstructing enquiries' and that further charges are still pending the results of interrogation. Witnesses to the arrests spoke of a general brawl which caused widespread damage to properties in the street.

The Archimandrite in Linrodeth has announced sweeping reforms to the criminal justice system in a key sermon from the pulpit. The announcements clearly have the endorsement of the Kerunian administration, and signal the Hahnite leader's clear intention of becoming a major player in the future of Athion. Described as "a move towards more traditional Hahnite values", the reforms include a complete removal of Witanmoot members from the bench, and the installation of Hahnite priests as judges and magistrates. From Midwinter the Criminal Courts will use something called a "jury system" of citizen landowners (excluding Witanmoot members) combined with Pendentites as the judges. For the Civic Courts there will be a panel of four ward citizens led by a Mandatien. Secular clerks will deal with the paperwork for the first time. The congregation included many Aldermen who were clearly taken aback by the announcement and had difficulty concentrating on the remainder of the service after this pronouncement. Frequent outbreaks of whispered consultation had to be sternly suppressed by the officiating Mandatiens.

The Princess' crack team of auditors have once again gone on standby alert. A senior aide discovered that the phrase "several outstanding committee budgets" in the Witanmoot report was not the compliment which the translators originally took it for. Instead it appears that, although the Trade budget is currently before council and the Law & Order one due in very shortly, all other detailed budgets remain overdue amid huge confusion over who is responsible. The Shipping committee may have good reason for keeping quiet, but Welfare & Education are proposing a number of new initiatives which require a careful examination of available moneys. Chief among these is a search for a new orphanage site within the city, which has focused on utilising guard rooms in the closed prisons. These have the benefit of being nearly habitable already, although their use if the City should come under attack is not yet clear. Some grumbles have been made about the lack of space; perhaps this could be remedied by persuading the Portwall builders to construct a hollow wall?

Despite all the bustle seen around the Witanmoot this month, several faction leaders are clearly not about to risk being labelled as "active". Maud Blessop and Jenny Davy were the only nominations for the envoys to Cascorach and Kerun respectively and were duly appointed as such. They intend to depart as soon as their new allowances are approved.

The Chronicle

of the month of Setheran in the year 148

Linrodeth has been disturbed by increased military activity this week as several troops of cavalry returned from the north. The forces appeared to be extremely battered but cheerful and have clearly been in a major engagement of some kind. A slower convoy of injured later arrived at the Torian infirmary. General Orvini confirmed that the battle took place against the Noord who now hold lands north of the Weald. The General declared, "Linrodeth's northern approaches have been secured for now, but the road to Nyskilde is closed and the city is likely to face a major assault before Ghostmoons or after Springtide." Rumours from civilians at Kingsport say that a naval engagement has also taken place, just outside the estuary, and that the passing ships may not have been Noordic longboats. The Princess' office is refusing to comment.

Hope that the city curfew would be lifted after the success of midsummer have been dashed by further killings of Kerunian officers. The two junior officers may have become lost while returning from an early evening visit to the Theatre Royale. Their bodies were discovered in a back alley of Arpent the following morning, Thirday, Secondweek. Polezei are investigating the incident and will be conducting door to door enquiries over the next week. They also wish to speak to anybody who attended the performance at the theatre that night.

The first stirrings of political activity have been made in the Witanmoot this month when the amended city budget was approved nem com. This is the budget originally proposed by Cllr Truman, on behalf of Olivia Warin, which the emergency committee has been working to for the past few months. Nonetheless, it seems that Alan Monterey was particularly keen that the Witanmoot was once more seen to be functioning, and put it before the Court of Common Council for approval. The Chroniclers are pleased to see the resilience of our city's favourite institution, and hopes that this will persuade a few more councillors to resume public life. Alan Monterey also reminded the Witanmoot that nominations for the envoys to Kerun and Cascorach. If none are received, both become the appointment of Lady Tasker. Mark Bergeron has already been dispatched to Eresan.

The recent naval skirmish has accelerated work on the Portwall. The budget had not yet been formally approved when workmen arrived at Bridgegate to tear down the first section of wooden walling and begin foundations for its stone replacement. Negotiations for the new placement of gates have restarted, although it seems unlikely that anyone would dare to block up the Portsoken gateways which the late Cllr Avery insisted on. The Chroniclers will be interested to note the progress of the wall through the militarised section, and cannot help wondering what the Citadel inhabitants will make of it all. The fortress has so far refrained from bombarding the city, but the construction of new fortifications may be too great a provocation.

Amid the building work, the dockside trade has been good. Several merchants have dodged fleets and other hazards to make port at Linrodeth. The Mercers are said to be especially pleased that an influx of new ships from the city states has made up for the loss of regular shippers from Salvoyn. The Princess' office is making a special point of inviting each captain to dine with Princess Selina, and customs difficulties are being sorted out with unusual efficiency.

The summer heat has ensured a good market for the influx of southern silk, and it seems that a taste for Kerunian foods has also taken Linrodeth. Unfortunately, a bout of summer sickness has also swept the city, with many citizens discovering that the grilled flatbreads taste much worse coming up than going down. The Torians have categorically denied that the imported foods have been deliberately poisoned in an attempt to reduce the native population. They do suggest, however, that citizens might do well to stick to traditional liquids such as locally-brewed ales.

The Chronicle

of the month of Menderal in the year 148

The continued interrogation of the Little Sisters of Sedition produced a full confession and revealed that these Salvoynian-sponsored saboteurs were behind many crimes. Their actions ranged from multiple assassination attempts on leading citizens, debasing the coinage, strategic arson, introduction of addictive drugs, subversion of Citadel servants, leading the Free Trade rebellion, forming the seditious Retribution cult to criminal religious practices. In light of this extensive treachery, Princess Selina decreed that the prisoners be publicly hanged, drawn and quartered. The sentence was carried out on Firstday, Firstweek, and their remains are displayed above the city gates as a warning to other perpetrators.

The trial of Marcus Lambourne, chair of the Law & Order committee, dominated the actions of the Witanmoot this month. After weeks of speculation and gossip, the event itself became a tale of two parts. First came the case for the prosecution, offering a meticulously detailed account of his failures and omission during the course of the investigation into the activities of the Little Sisters. Lambourne's failure to properly oversee the case and order the arrest of the assassins was clearly shown to have endangered the lives of Jim Bottler and his team. So damning did the trail of confusion and woe become that by the end it seemed entirely possible that Lambourne himself was in the pay of the Little Sisters of Sedition. After the recess an entirely different picture was drawn by the Defence. Witness after witness was called forward to attest to Marcus Lambourne's good intentions and fine, upstanding character. Speakers ranged from the authoritative voice of Alderman Monterey to the generosity of Jim Bottler himself, who suggested that the new 'situation' caused problems of communication. In the end it was this argument which won the day for Cllr Lambourne. Lady Ann Tasker ruled him 'not guilty', blaming the incident entirely on "cultural misunderstandings". This reversal seemed to come as a surprise to a few, but Orvini remained impassive, describing the verdict merely as "interesting". Lambourne has declared his intention of remaining as chair of Law & Order.

Cllr William Truman has assisted Olivia Warin in drawing up a revised city budget for the new regime. The loss in tax base has been more than offset by the reduced levy required by Princess Selina, leaving the Witanmoot with a healthy balance to spend. The Chronicle notes with approval the restoration of Linrodeth's much-delayed replacement orphanage and a sweet water supply. New items include a Kerunian embassy and improved fortifications in stone for the city docks.

The Witanmoot may prefer to hold the extra monies in reserve given the newly perilous state of Linrodeth's overland trade. Reports from merchants arriving on the North road recently suggest that a major raid has been staged by the Noord. Whether this is a full invasion is unclear but large areas of land have been devastated and citizens are strongly advised to postpone plans to travel until the situation clears. The large force of cavalry assembled by General Orvini last week, which many believed would be sent to attack Aralan Derwent's force, was instead sent North to secure the Linrodeth approaches. However Aralan may be about to make herself a target after merchants arriving from the East announced that she had fortified Fenny Bridges and raised the levy in that area. Derwent is also blocking the shipment of food into the city and taxing any merchants she does let through at double rate. An official statement from Princess Selina's office commented that "After the last civil war Linrodeth suffered from a number of robber barons. It is a great pity that one of its former citizens has chosen to resort to this."

The midsummer fair was a widely varied, often strange and frequently chaotic event which seems to have been thoroughly enjoyed by the entire city. Despite the constraints imposed by the need to stay within the city walls nearly all the traditional events took place. In addition many wards arranged special activities ranging from pig wrestling to poetry. The focus of events was on in Welland where Princess Selina chose to make her main speech of the day and where the Wellhouse Green became the centre of the main religious festival. Princess Selina used her first major public gathering as an opportunity to praise the actions of Jim Bottler, Benedict Plover, Eddie Englefield, Valindar, Wat Gurney and Bruce Harris in defeating the Little Sisters of Sedition. She went on to present them all with the Order of Merit. She finished her speech by denouncing the tax level demanded by the King and, to the obvious delight of the crowd, proclaimed that she intended to reduce it by a third. The removal of the curfew for the evening was also extremely popular, and the fact that the night passed without serious incident bodes well for a permanent lifting.

The Chronicle

of the month of Heliora in the year 148

The Chronicle is delighted to announce the capture and destruction of the Little Sisters of Sedition. This group of assassins plagued the City for many years, and is responsible for many outrages during this time. The Little Sisters were tracked down to a hide-out in Cripplegate by Cllr Jim Bottler who was looking for Elizabeth Dixon. Jim Bottler led a brave attack which prevented the criminals escaping until a large force of polizei, led by Alderman Alan Monterey, could arrive. The polizei were just in time to save Bottler and his allies from their highly-trained opponents. Speaking afterwards, General Olvini commended the actions of Bottler and his friends. "They are an example to us all, their courage has led to the defeat of a terrible threat to this City. It is from the fortitude and resolve of such citizens that we will build our new Principality." Olvini particularly singled out for praise Benedict Plover, the well-known actor, who saved the life of Elizabeth Dixon by throwing himself between her and an assassin's sword. In Aralan's absence the City has, for the first time, succeeded in capturing a group of assassins alive and their interrogation is already underway.

One surprise outcome from this affair has been the committal for Treason of Chairman for Law and Order, Marcus Lambourne, who will stand trial next month. The charge against Lambourne is believed to be the obstruction of the investigation. Both Bottler and Monterey will be called as witnesses against him. There is concern that this will be a show trial with the only real 'crime' committed by Lambourne being a failure to co-operate with the new regime. However, General Olvini has surprised the Witanmoot and confounded this accusation by returning the courts to civic hearings and having the trial put before Lady Tasker. Of course some people now consider Lady Tasker and "her little poppet Monterey" as part of the problem.

Edward de Belleme has taken full control of the Temple of Hahn and declared himself Archimandrite. This move seals the schism between the Eresan orthodoxy led by Archimandrite Ingulfus. and the Linrodeth traditionalists led by De Belleme. It would seem to the Chronicle that the Hahnites, who did so much during the last civil war to maintain order, intend to spend this one fighting each other. The city's new Archimandrite has already met with Princess Selina. She has formally asked him to investigate and recommend on something called "separating the judiciary from the legislative structure". Perhaps she should have had a meeting with Gax – who at least might have been able to understand her.

Princess Selina has denounced Aralan Derwent's decision to threaten the City. "Derwent left the City as an exile and stated her intention to join Prince Kieran. Instead she has raised a baronial levy and has obstructed the Eresan road. She is gravely disrupting trade and harming the prosperity of this city."

Because of the threat from Aralan Derwent's Exiles army, Lady Tasker has decreed that the Midsummer Festival will be held inside the City Walls at the various market squares. With the curfew still in place the festival will be a somewhat subdued affair, although the free wine which will be provided from the captured Perignon cellars will undoubtedly cheer many.

Hopes of an early raising of the curfew have been dashed following the killing of three Kerunian officers in Welland. They were returning to their rooms after an evening of drinking when they were set upon by a small mob of assailants and bludgeoned to death. Polizei patrols have now been increased and citizens are warned that a 'shoot first and ask questions later' policy will be used during curfew.

In a surprise development Princess Selina has received official envoys from Prince Kieran. The secrecy surrounding the discussions has defeated even the Chroniclers investigators. The knights rode out of Linrodeth the following day and headed towards Fenny Bridges.

The new Government has started to re-mint the city coinage to a higher standard. The improvements have much distressed the Guilds, who have had their ceremonial plate commandeered to assist with the process. The acquisitions have been made by a team of auditors attached to Princess Selina's office acting on the advice of the Witanmoot. Particularly hard hit are the Mercers, Vintners, Cornmongers and Goldsmiths who the 'commando accountants' describe as "excessively exploiting their monopoly". However they have faired far better than the Grossers, Glaziers, Broiderers, Apothecaries and Carpenters who have all had Guild licences suspended following the discovery of "substantial irregularities" in their accounts.