The Chronicle

of the month of Arvinoth in the year 151

Linrodeth's army made a triumphant return to the city this month. Bar a few regiments which remain to defend the southern approach, all forces returned to the city for the official celebration. General Olvini rode at the head of a procession which eventually stretched from the Citadel gates all the way back across the city to Oldgate. Along the route the Royal Treasury had paid for elaborate banners and floral arches to decorate their progress. Free beer and welcoming confetti were in plentiful supply, and numerous street entertainers were quick to join in the event. Citizens gave the unscathed army a rousing return, perhaps unsure of the extent of the political victory, but with undoubted relief that a bloody invasion had been avoided. Private celebration continued long into the night. Princess Selina made only a brief appearance at the victory banquet in the Citadel, General Olvini heading the tables and being the guest of honour at the subsequent services of thanksgiving and official receptions by the Goldsmiths and Mercers guilds. Official sources maintain that the Princess, "has no wish to detract from the General's momentous triumph". Sources familiar with city states' intrigue are beginning to speculate on a shift of power within the Citadel, and whether a military coup has taken place.

The Wellkeeper at the Dalethian Temple has reported that a "good" harvest is in progress with crop yields sufficient for the forthcoming year. Her terse summary, which in other years might be the cause for alarm, may well be explained by the care and attention which all the religious leaders have given to the battlefield dead. In a remarkable display of co-operation, the priests of all the Temples have held a number of services for the thousands who died in the armies of King Kieran and King Edward. A special vigil of remembrance was held for the souls of King Edward and the infamous bodyguards of King Kieran, who are said to have perished in an off-battlefield encounter that night. Strangely, no bodies were available for burial.

Cadene ward was disturbed by a fire in Pewter Street last week. A row of four shops had to be pulled down before the fire could be contained. Prompt action by local residents prevented the blaze from becoming a major emergency. Everyone is believed to have escaped from the burned households, and only minor burns and cuts have been reported to the Torian Temple.

Docks along the north bank have been exceptionally busy this month laying keels for the new fleet of merchant warships which have been commissioned by both official and private patrons. A lively renewal of interest in Linrodeth's naval expertise has been further excited by news that the Citadel is offering Letters of Marque for sale. £50 will buy merchant adventurers the right to harass and pursue Her Highness' enemies on the high seas, so long as the booty is bought back to the home port of Linrodeth for trade.

The Witanmoot has been blessedly quiet this month as factions within the council re-organise themselves in the wake of General Olvini's triumph. A notable exception being Cllr Marcus Lambourne who created a storm by going against the trend of congratulating Lady Andrews and the Sheriffs on the successful outcome of the battle. Whilst Aldermen Jim Bottler and William Trueman were praising the army, Cllr Lambourne launched into a direct attack on the conduct of the battle "Lady Andrews last month showed callous disregard for the way our taxes are spent and we have all seen the outcome. But a short time ago Ravensgrim and his band of cut-throats wreaked havoc in many of our wards, raping our womenfolk and murdering innocent children in cold blood. And Lady Andrews is now ultimately responsible for paying him for that privilege, with our hard earned money. If she had one ounce of compassion for the families of those affected by this creature's depredations she would resign her office forthwith. And, if this were not sufficient, she presumably condones the decision to let the remainder of the heretic Reshite murderers skulk away from the field of battle." Lady Andrews described Cllr Lambourne's comments as "disgraceful and deeply offensive". Sheriff Bowden went further and has accused Cllr Lambourne of Misconduct and has instructed that a Hearing take place next month into Cllr Lambourne's behaviour.

Alderman Monterey has been loudly scathing about the complete and utter absence of any committee budgets this month. Alderman Cutario and other members of his faction who are due to submit these, are clearly suffering from over-partying. Not much is expected of an entire faction which is currently wincing at bright lights and loud noises. Speculation that the Chairs have only escaped the attentions of the Citadel's team of crack auditors because of generous donations of vintage wine has been officially denied by a Citadel spokeswoman. Albeit groggily.

Alderman Jim Bottler has stunned the Witanmoot with the audacious proposal that "The Court of Common Council calls upon the Lord of the city, and requests of Princess Selina, to lift the exile on all those who were exiled for their loyalty to High King Kieran." The motion will be voted upon next month. Later, the first signs of a new agenda appeared with Alan Monterey's suggestion that trade envoys be sent to Eresan and Cascorach. There were also rumours about also sending an envoy to Linrodeth's most important trade neighbour, Salvoyn, now the cities are officially at peace.

Fallout continues from last month's debate of Sheriff Bowden's loyalty motion. Cllr Lambourne is clearly determined to draw attention to his Alderman's comment that described the preservation of the city as more important than the preservation of democracy. Speaking in the Witanmoot Cllr Lambourne commented, "We should be grateful to Trueman for nailing his colours to the mast well in advance of the next election. His concern for the preservation of the city is laudable, but his remarks constitute the thin end of the wedge and clearly set the tone for the remainder of Lady Andrew's tenure as Lord. Let us hope that that tenure is short-lived. Alderman Trueman does not believe in democracy and thus forfeits any right he may have had to the people's trust. Last month a narrow victory for democracy was won in this house. Let the defeat of Sheriff Bowden's motion stand as a shining testimonial to all those brave souls who believe that the people of this city have the right to determine their own individual destinies". The Chroniclers note with interest that the good councillor continues to concentrate attacks on his own ward Alderman, despite the far more extreme position taken by Alderman Cutario and his followers in the debate.

The Chronicle

of the month of Setheran in the year 151

Linrodeth is safe from invasion and suffered no losses in the great battle fought on the last day of Setheran. King Edward is dead, King Kieran has withdrawn and both King Kieran and the new "Council of Regency for King Edmund II" have recognised Princess Selina's right to rule the Independent Principality of Linrodeth. The great armies of Linrodeth, King Kieran and King Edward met on Denley Moor, where the high road linking Linrodeth to Salvoyn meets the eastern drovers' road. Eyewitnesses report that King Edward's army consisted of over 4000 infantry, 1000 archers and 300 cavalry. Facing him was King Kieran's force of 2000 infantry, 1500 archers and 300 cavalry. As night fell both sides encamped to await reinforcements. In particular King Kieran hoped to be joined by the Clan Host of Eresan and a force of cavalry from Cascorach. However during the night it would appear that the two Kings met along with their bodyguards, and that King Edward was slain during a personal fight between the brothers. The following morning the vengeful forces of King Edward launched an all out assault on King Kieran's well fortified lines. The two great armies fought for most of the day. By nightfall the once massive Salvoynian army had broken itself against King Kieran's lines which buckled in several places but never quite gave way. By the following morning Linrodeth's forces, which had hitherto held off to one side, had advanced to a position where they could engage King Kieran's remaining force which had at last been reinforced by the Clan Host. A tense negotiation ensued. Princess Selina has recognised Kieran as High King of Athion and in return King Kieran agreed to recognise the Independent Principality of Linrodeth and withdraw his army from its lands. Significantly, the agreement allows Princess Selina to control taxes and levies raised by Linrodeth, and recognises the new lands held by the city since holding off the Noordic invaders. The decimated army of the Regency withdrew during the course of the negotiations, and is now being pursued by King Kieran's forces. The bulk of Linrodeth's army remains in the field for the time being.

Linrodeth has been celebrating almost continuously since the news arrived. Even supporters of King Edward, whilst shocked by his death, have welcomed the safe return of the unscathed army. Early responses from the Witanmoot have been ebullient. William Trueman described it as "about as good as a battle can be. Now we can look ahead to the future instead of worrying if we have one." The one person failing to make a verbal statement has been Alderman Petro Cutario, who has been too drunk in celebration to put together a coherent statement for the last three days. There have however been some questions over Princess Selina's use of the Witanmoot's £5000. This appears to have been spent on Noordic mercenaries, led by one Captain Ravensgrim, whose troops were responsible for the sack of a number of wards during the invasion of Linrodeth.

The debate of Sheriff Bowden's loyalty motion was as fractious and ill tempered as expected. Marcus Lambourne and Alan Monterey lead the attack. Cllr Lambourne proclaimed his outrage at the motion and pointed out that those who had chosen not to take the Oath had just as much interest in not seeing the city razed to the ground as anyone else. Backing him up Alderman Monterey suggested that the Witanmoot was unlikely to survive the election of a Sheriff who was almost as undemocratic as Lady Andrews. He berated his fellow councillors for even considering throwing out those they disagreed with and suggested that if the motion was passed then the Witanmoot should give up the pretence of being a democracy and simply hand over control to Lady Andrews. The motion was supported by Petro Cutario who described it as entirely reasonable in time of war to restrict debate. William Trueman, who later abstained, described the preservation of the city as more important that the preservation of democracy. Sheriff Bowden himself made an eloquent closing speech. "My intention is not to exclude these people from our democracy. But the oath they have not taken to take is a simple one. By their refusal they decree that they place their fealty to some other Cities, States or Kingdoms over their loyalty to Linrodeth. Those of us who have taken the Oath form the vast majority of this Council and of the Citizens of Linrodeth. Make no mistake, the true threat to our democracy comes not from this motion but from people who wish to see Linrodeth ruled by other interests." In the end the motion was narrowly defeated, with a large proportion of abstentions and little adherence to political groups both being prominent factors.

The Chronicle

of the month of Menderal in the year 151

King Edward's army has halted its advance on Linrodeth in response to what appears to be a major mobilisation by Princess Eleanor and King Kieran. Reports suggest that a large force of Cascorach troops has set forth and that cavalry are attempting to break out from Cascorach to engage King Edward's main force. King Kieran's forces are already reported to have descended the escarpment and are advancing cautiously towards Linrodeth. General Olvini has ordered a full mobilisation and forces have already been deployed outside the city to hold key approach routes. Lady Andrews has assured the city that she has no intention of permitting Linrodeth to become a battleground and the enemy will be faced before they reach the walls. As yet no call up of the full city muster has been planned, however, volunteers wishing to join the defence of the city are asked to report to the Citadel.

Within the Witanmoot debate has raged over what the city should do, with every debate overshadowed by the threat to the city. Lady Andrew's decision to decree the budget resulted in a heated debate, with many councillors complaining bitterly at the decision. All made the point that whilst the decision to fund the military was clearly a good idea given recent events, there was no need to issue a decree as the Witanmoot would of course have reconsidered the budget when it became necessary. In an impassioned speech Alan Monterey described Lady Andrews decree as wanton vandalism. In contrast Jim Bottler, whilst clearly angry, controlled any outburst and put across a reasoned argument against the use of decrees. Cllr Lambourne's motion that "Lady Andrew publish full accounts of the moneys appropriated for the defence of the city at the earliest opportunity", received a surprise response when Lady Andrews declared that she had that morning transferred all the money to General Olvini and what he did with it was up to him.

The Sheriffs elections resulted in a clear win for Bowden and Davy with Bowden actually gaining more votes than Jenny Davy. Both Sheriffs immediately declared their intention to defend the city against all invaders. Sheriff Bowden then stunned the Witanmoot by proposing that all members of the Witanmoot who had not taken the Oath of Loyalty be excluded from any discussions relating to the security of the city. "It is plain to me that certain people in this chamber are not loyal to the city and would happily see it overrun by the marauding armies of the Princes. The budget debate was a disgraceful example of this, with old chestnuts like sweetwater being funded whilst our defence was ignored. We cannot allow these people to imperil our future in this way. It is time for those of us who put the city first to take control of it."

The Witanmoot has announced a Midsummer Civic Ball in celebration of the birth of Prince Sikander, a move which has not been welcomed by the Lambourne Faction. Richard Saunders has called for a boycott of the civic ball, describing it as insensitive junket. Cllr Saunders proclaimed "The money saved from the absent councillors should be diverted to the Welfare and Education Budget". Marcus Lambourne himself has maintained a steady stream of criticism of Lady Andrews decree of the budget, describing Lady Andrews as "silencing the Witanmoot on a whim because she was not getting her own way". His faction has taken to the streets to campaign on the issue. The boycott campaign is clearly desperate not to offend Princess Selina and has issued a public letter congratulating the Princess on the birth of her son.

Unrest has broken out throughout the city as supporters of the various dissenting factions argue for the city to side with Kings Kieran or Edward. The response of the City Guard has been swift and merciless with all those involved being dragged off to prison. Those failing to reassure the Guard of their loyalty to the city have been incarcerated indefinitely. Cllrs Phillip Candever, Maureen Quiller and Estelle Wynstanly are included in those arrested. Colonel Aldridge has emphatically denied the rumours that mass executions of traitors are planned.

The imprisonment of Cllr Quiller gave extra intensity to the debate on the Motion that "Worshippers of Resh be prohibited from attempting to enter or reside in the City and Duchy of Linrodeth." After a technical amendment by the ever diligent Alderman Monterey, the full debate was opened by Lady Andrews who described in detail the foul practices of the Reshites and the need to keep them from the city. She was strongly supported by Jim Bottler and Alison Shefford who both spoke of the need to protect the city from its evil influence. Cllr Irvine Grendle then spoke up in support of the Reshites which he claimed were a unifying force for good. He claimed that the reports of Reshite Evil were a construct of Prince Kieran's and pointed out the dire consequence of offending King Edward. The debate was long and finally concluded over a discussion of the wisdom of outlawing Religions. A point which was soundly won by Olivia Warin who pointed out that the Cult of Azial has been outlawed by King Edmund. Despite a large number of abstentions the motion was carried by a good margin.

The extra month accorded to Alderman Petro Cutario to explain his ideas for the trade budget does not appear to have helped his cause much. Although several councillors did stand up to explain that they now understood the concept and could see that it might have merit, the motion to prevent him from placing the work out to tender was clearly passed. The proposal being most eloquently argued by a clearly outraged and appalled Alderman Monterey. Alderman Petro Cutario clearly expects that his Shipping plans will suffer a similar fate. Judging by the number of happy Shipwrights in the city and, the feverish work now underway across the river, he would appear to have already spent the entire Shipping budget. Hard working Alan Monterey continues to hold the city together making sure the budgets are sorted out, meetings happen etc. Nobody seems willing to tell him his faction no longer controls the city. However his attempts to submit a Sheriffs budget were frustrated by Lady Andrews, who is clearly not in a mood to have her authority challenged.

Late News! Late News! Late News!

Despite a small protest in the street outside, and an apparently impromptu move to the Citadel to see the young Prince, the Civic Ball was clearly a great success. Amongst the many things which happened William Trueman announced his marriage to Lady Terasio, an event which took place immediately much to the delight of the assembled councillors. Alderman Trueman later told the Chronicle "I'm in love with her and wanted to marry on Midsummer. She's wonderful and I couldn't wait a whole year. Anyway I suspect we will all be busy in the near future." Alderman Trueman's pre-battle marriage appears to have sparked a trend with many young lovers deciding to marry immediately. Several Temples have begun a booking system for the service.

The Chronicle

of the month of Heliora in the year 151

The Citadel has announced the birth of Prince Sikander Edmund Caralingas, born at sunset on Tenthday Firstweek. The son of Princess Selina and Prince Edwin is believed to be healthy and the Princess is also reported to be well. There has been general rejoicing throughout the city and major celebrations are planned for the three day festival which has been created by the Princess' declaration that the day each side of Midsummer will be public holidays this year.

The army has returned from the Northern Campaign having destroyed the Noordic army and driven the invaders back to the gates of Nyskilde. General Olvini, after paying his respects to the Princess at the Citadel, rode his horse onto the wellhouse green and described to the growing and jubilant crowd how the marauders, unable to stand against their cavalry, were defeated at every battle and pushed back completely from the Weald. The enemy were clearly surprised by the early move of city forces and proved unable to bring their forces together. Many small war bands were totally destroyed. In the one major battle fought most of the Noordic lords were killed and the remnants of the Noordic forces have retreated totally defeated. Linrodeth's losses have been comparatively light.

Lady Miranda Andrews has announced that a debate will be held next month on the motion "The Cult of Resh and its adherents have no place in this City. All Worshippers of Resh are prohibited from attempting to enter or residing in the City and Duchy of Linrodeth. The penalty for such shall be imprisonment, forfeiture of all goods and further punishments befitting their evil crimes". Lady Andrews is believed to have secured Princess Selina's backing for the move and, given the sentiment in the Witanmoot, the motion looks likely to be passed. Cllr Maureen Quiller has voiced her opposition the motion describing it as a vile piece of political positioning which would rob the city of its salvation and lead to unavoidable war with King Edward.

The debate over Alderman Cutario's 'force first' motion turned into a long and very heated affair. Alderman Cutario opened the debate by explaining that he felt the city could have only one priority this year and that was its survival. He realised that some felt the expenditure was unnecessary, and if, in a year's time, that turned out to be the case he would unreservedly apologise. However he would much rather be able to make an apology than be dead. The main opposition to the motion came from Marcus Lambourne's faction which saw the proposed decrease in the Welfare and Education budget as callous and unnecessary. Attacking both Cutario and Lady Andrews, they dismissed as impractical and excessive the proposals to "put a uniform on the back of spotty teenagers who don't know which end of a sword is which" and attacked Alderman Cutario for being "disinterested in the people of Linrodeth" because he was not one of them. Bartholomew Hyde then intervened to describe Cllr Lambourne as "a traitor who just wanted to prepare the city to be taken over by Prince Kieran". As the chamber broke into uproar Alderman Monterey attempted to calm things down by proposing an alternative solution. He finally gained enough attention to make his point that whilst raising this level of funding would theoretically be a good idea it was impractical and excessive. He proposed that proposed budgets be slightly modified to enable £300 to be spent on the raising of two regiments of light archers and that £3000 be placed in the Sheriff's budget to fund the support of these units. This proposal gained widespread support, both from those who had clearly been pre warned about it and from those seeking to prevent a split within the Witanmoot, this did not include an increasingly irate Lady Andrews. Alderman Cutario described the amendment as "a typical half hearted fudge which compromises the safety of the city and its people". However the mood of the Witanmoot was set and the Monterey amendment was supported by everyone except apart from Cutario's faction and a number of notable others including Samuel Rucche, Bernard Hubold, Judi Spich, Brunstan Blackbeard, Alison Shefford, Melanie Romanie, David Northropp, Maud Blessop, Jenny Davy and Bever Edge.

Lady Andrews then stunned the Witanmoot by calling a halt to proceedings and decreeing the budget as follows:

Lord's Household	£ 800 0s 0d
Sheriffs' Offices	£ 3,500 0s 0d
Treasury	£ 2,000 0s 0d
Law and Order	£ 2,650 0s 0d
Shipping	£ 1,250 0s 0d
Welfare and Education	£ 2,200 0s 0d
Lands and Agriculture	£ 4,100 0s 0d
Trade	£ 500 0s 0d
Total	£ 17,000 0s 0d
Establishment of two Regiments of City Bow	£ 300 0s 0d
Donation to Princess Selina's Army	£ 5,000 0s 0d
City Reserves	£ 1,247 0s 0d

A clearly furious Lady Andrews declared that "I have not been elected to oversee the death of the city due to the timidity of its councillors. I stood on a platform of defending this city and if the Witanmoot doesn't feel competent to spend the money I will give it to someone who can. The meeting descended into chaos with an apoplectic Richard Saunders having to be escorted at sword point from the chamber.

Alderman Cutario's proposals on the Trade Budget have caused, if possible, even more stress that his 'force first' proposal. Marcus Lambourne described them as a "recipe for corruption" that would create an unacceptable threat to the Guild price controls. Alderman Bottler described them as a "flight of fantasy, wholly without merit". Summing up Alderman Monterey described them as appalling and horrifying and proposed a motion that "no service provided by or on behalf of the Witanmoot shall be bid for or subcontracted in any way, without the explicit permission of the court of common council". A surprised Cutario maintained that the proposals were in no way intended to undermine Guild charters, if anything the opposite. He requested a deferral of the motion by a month in order to explain the principles in more detail. In all this noise the strong support which Cutario's Merchant Navy idea has gained seemed somewhat lost.

The nominations for the Sheriffs have turned out predictably to be Alison Shefford, Jenny Davy and Nicholas Bowden. Sheriff Davy seems secured of her place however the contest between Aldermen Bowden and Shefford appears to be very close. Rumours are circulating within the Witanmoot that one of Linrodeth's most eligible bachelors, the rich and powerful Alderman William Trueman, is seriously involved with Lady Maria Terasio; one of Princess Selina's Ladies-in-Waiting. Lady Terasio is believed to have a military background or perhaps to be from a military family. The couple have been seen at a number of events and are frequent visitors to each other's abodes. Information is surprisingly difficult to obtain with the normally talkative Trueman faction, which is clearly pleased to see their leader so happy, maintaining a smug silence.

News has just reached the city that King Edward has mustered his army and is marching north to Linrodeth. The ship, Paladio's Pride, sailing up from the south reports that a massive force has departed from Salvoyn and started its way up the coast road, being well supplied from the sea. The force is allegedly huge, suggesting that many of the men at arms and nobles from the southern lands have been called upon. Travellers from Eresan and Cascorach also report major preparations in order and it would seem that armies may be converging on Linrodeth from all directions except the recently secured North.

The Chronicle

of the month of Jasmarill in the year 151

Princess Selina is due to give birth within the month. A stunned City has greeted the news with surprise and amazement that the secret has been kept so long. Supporters of the Princess are elated and pronounce the pregnancy to be a strong sign of the Princess' commitment to the City. The news explains the Princess' absence from public events over the last few months.

Sheriff Jenny Davy has proposed an emergency motion that "In the light of the ongoing emergency it is against the interests of the City of Linrodeth to have a single Sheriff until the traditional Midsummer election. The Witanmoot instructs that these elections be brought forward, with Nominations closing at the end of Secondweek Heliora and elections taking place of Firstday, Firstweek Menderal". The motion achieved strong support across the Witanmoot and was passed unanimously. Sheriff Davy's choice of Alison Shefford as the person to second her motion has caused much debate and some anger in the Witanmoot. It certainly upset Nicholas Bowden who appears to be the Bottler/ Trueman candidate for the post.

The City's recovering finances are causing more dissension in the Witanmoot than the previous year's cuts. Richard Saunders is clearly very proud of his proposed improvements to the Welfare and Education Budget, which include increased spending in nearly all areas with funding restored to pre crisis levels, the introduction of a fostering scheme for orphans and even funding for that old chestnut the Sweetwater Project. Petro Cutario has launched a strong attack on these proposals suggesting instead that it would be wiser to spend the money defending the City rather than preparing to fund the consequences of loosing the war. He has suggested that the W&E budget be increased by only 10% with the rest of the funds going to the military via General Olvini. When the full import of this suggestion with its implications for all the budgets sank in their was uproar in the Witanmoot, however Lady Andrews stifled the arguments. She announced that she felt that the idea of creating Linrodeth regiments had significant merit. She pointed out that the £10,000 would create and support half a dozen regiments of Linrodeth regulars. Lady Andrews accepted Alderman Cutario's proposal and stated that a motion that "All budgets be held at last years levels, except for Welfare and Education which will be increased to £2100. All surplus fund being used for the defence of the City" would be voted on next month before the main budget debate.

News from the North is slight, however it appears that the army has fought a number of minor battles and is advancing, virtually unopposed, deep into Noordic territory. Petro Cutario has made radical proposals for the formation of a Merchant Navy. His suggestion is that the City fund the creation of a fleet of armed ships which would be rented to merchants in times of peace and deployed to defend the city should it be attacked. The proposal has gained strong support from the Mercers Guild, the Carpenters and many prominent citizens as well as the Esprayennans. Indeed the Esprayennans have agreed to use their £500 donation from the City for this scheme as well as making contributions of staff across the shipping budget. However Bert Belcher described it as "yet another stupid and overcomplicated Kerunian scheme backed up by a bunch of ship mad fanatics".

Marcus Lambourne has established himself as a serious thorn in the side of the new Lord Miranda Andrews. His whole faction appears to be concentrating on tracking and harrying the new Lord, whom Cllr Lambourne clearly intends to have a short tenure in office. He has been particularly persistent over the issue of the Reshites, demanding on a number of occasions to know what action Lady Andrews intends to take regarding them.

Not content with throwing the budget debate and Shipping committee into chaos, Petro Cutario has further baffled the council with proposals for the trade committee which suggest that he intends people to bid for the jobs. This might seem sensible for the bridge repairs but Alderman Cutario has caused much consternation with his suggestion that people should pay for the right to scavenge the streets and the Market Provost is said to be furious at having to put together a bid to do his own job.

The Chronicle

of the month of Pipetal in the year 151

The mild weather has lead to a very early arrival of shipping into the port this year, Reports from these ships and overland merchants arriving from the south have confirmed a muster of the Salvoynian Levy. Although the scale of the call up is not known, it would appear that King Edward is committing to a major military campaign at the cost of the planting and harvest. Whether he will move this massive army together or break it up into a number of forces; and what his intentions are is as yet unclear. Early news from Eresan is also of a major military build up although details are even less clear.

Generals Olvini's decision to close the port for five days last week has caused outrage amongst the merchants and traders. The closure followed a northern deployment of the City Army and was made in order to prevent news of this move being communicated. The City Guard has been commended by Richard Saunders for the sensitive way with which they dealt with the near rioting merchants however others have been rather less complimentary. A number of merchants have demanded compensation for the losses which are likely to be incurred by the stranded ships. A spokesman for the Citadel told the Chronicle that while the Citadel need not justify its actions; the move had been deliberately left until most of the early run shipping had departed and that individual cases of hardship from later ships were being considered.

The departure into the northern hills of a huge force of cavalry and several regiments of Infantry lead personally by General Olvini has caused much speculation. This is clearly a major invasion of the Nordic lands and a very high risk strategy for the Princess to take. That Princess Selina is prepared to leave the City so lightly defended has been interpreted by some to mean that the negotiations which took place between Princess Selina and Prince Kieran last year lead to an agreement of some sort and it may even be that Kieran is intending to repeat his overland march on Nyskilde.

Speculation and manoeuvring around the Lordship elections has all but paralysed the Witanmoot this month. The defection of Mary Hastings to the Lambourne camp, apparently as a result of concerns over Miranda Andrews support for King Edward seems to have sealed the result in favour of Jenny Davy. This has however not prevented much to-ing and fro-ing between the various factions and a huge increase in rumours.

An official deputation from King Edward has been received at the Citadel. The Chronicle has discovered that their ship was one of the first to arrive, but was kept waiting at Kingsport for several days before being allowed to approach the City the day after the generals departure. the delegates were then further frustrated by Princess Selina being unable to meet them due to her being ill. The deputation finally met with Prince Edwin and is now in residence at the Citadel. It is not quite clear if the Princess’ illness was an excuse or if she is genuinely ill. Citadel watchers have however commented that she has been seen a lot less in public recently.

The Citadel’s celebration of the pre-Springtide “Feast of Fools” was apparently slightly more subdued this year, perhaps due to the Princess’ lack of involvement. However as many citizens will be aware the festival has spread to the city with many Kerunian residents and merchants confusing their neighbours and customers with wild and baffling festivities.

Leaks emanating from the Witanmoot suggest that the Cities finances may have undergone a dramatic revival. Initial estimates of Guild and Ward taxes suggest a major increase in the heath of the cities economy.

Late News

In a shock result Miranda Andrews has become Lord of the City, wining the election by the vote of one Alderman. All the pre-election speculation was proved to be completely wrong as Lambourne and, of all people, Alan Monterey made the case for Jenny Davy and Trueman, Bottler and Cutario lined up for Miranda Andrews. The election appears to have been a watershed in relations within the Witanmoot with Lambourne and Monterey apparently putting their differences behind them to support the candidacy of Jenny Davy. However it may be that this is simply the result of the strong relationship between outgoing Lady Tasker and Sheriff Davy. Even more surprising was the change in Jim Bottler's position, with slippery Jim once again changing sides at the decisive moment. However it was the last minute defection of Duncan Barnet to the rapidly growing Cutario camp which secured a result which would otherwise have gone to Jenny Davy on the Lords casting vote. Alderman Barnett has been stressing since the vote that his move was not prompted by the Lordship elections but rather by a desire to join a faction more interested in "creating wealth rather than spending it'. However it would appear that the Lambourne group has no intention of falling for this smoke screen. They have pointed out that if this was the case he could have declared his change of group before the Lordship vote rather than engaging in what Richard Sunders described as a “Cynical betrayal of trust”.

The Voting was:

Andrews: Andrews, Barbiter, Barnett, Bottler, Bowden, Capel, Cutario, Downe, Osbert, Povre, Romanie, Trueman, Warin.

Davy: Belcher, Davy, Hastings, Hubold, Monterey, Saunders, Shefford, Spich, Tasker, Wirstan, Worton.

The Chronicle

of the month of Galemir in the year 151

The fall out from last month's oath debate continues to disrupt the old faction loyalties. Marcus Lambourne has used the nominations for the Lordship to make a further attack on Lady Tasker and has accused Alan Monterey of deliberately attempting to create dissent within the Witanmoot. An accusation which may have some foundation given that Tilly Falgar, who has been a long standing member of the Lambourne faction, has defected to Alan Monterey. However celebrations in the Monterey camp were muted by the loss of senior member Randolf Flambourd. Cllr Flambourd, whilst reiterating his respect for the excellent way the city has been run, told the Chronicle that he could no longer tolerate Monterey's "failure to support the rightful leadership of King Kieran".

Richard Saunders and Duncan Barnet have taken the Oath of Loyalty. Both sought to keep the matter a low key affair. However as no formal arrangements had been made for taking the oath after Midwinter, they were required by Lady Tasker to take the oath in front of the Witanmoot before the committee chair vote. Marcus Lambourne once again used the occasion to attack Lady Tasker and to describe the taking of the oaths as a sacrifice made under duress.

General Olvini has expressed his growing satisfaction with the performance of the city's armed forces. The General told a private gathering of leading Bowyers and Fletchers that he was becoming increasingly impressed with the city's practice of archery and suggested that next year would see much opportunity for its use to be demonstrated. The General's interest is rumoured to stem from his growing frustration at weapons supply problems related to the Brynettes activities. Several prominent Brynettes remain under arrest, although no hearing or trial has been held.

The most interesting shift in the Witanmoot this month is the emergence of a new faction. Alderman Petro Cutario has gathered together with fellow aldermen Thomas Osbert and Adam Povre to form a powerful group which is already lobbying hard on a pro-trade, pro-Selina agenda. Alderman Povre told the Chronicle "I have spent the last month considering taking the Oath and trying to decide what would be best for the City. We face a difficult year which we will only survive as a city if we pull together. Having thought long and hard and witnessed last week's divisive debate. I have decided to throw my whole hearted and unequivocal support behind Princess Selina. I hope many of my fellow councillors will stop sitting on the fence and do the same." Several Witanmoot watchers have expressed themselves daunted by the idea of a group which has split off from Alan Monterey because he wasn't pro-Selina enough.

This months weather has been surprisingly mild and it looks as though an early end to the winter is likely. Several outlying towns have already re-established contact with the City and a few ships are being prepared to make early runs south. The city navy is already active and is currently celebrating a successful raid on an overwintering group of pirates. The returning marines described how "the last remaining pirate group" was surprised with their ship still hauled up onto the beach and "overwhelmed in minutes". The prisoners are currently being interrogated in at the Citadel and a mass hanging has been scheduled for next week. In a rare show of unity the Council passed Jim Bottler's proposal on trade envoys without debate. Alderman Bottler expressed his delight at the "sensible and positive move".

Late News

This month's committee elections have dealt a devastating blow to the hopes of Alan Monterey who has been excluded from all the leading roles and who must now expect his wife to also lose the lordship election. Petro Cutario's faction has gained control of the powerful combination of Trade and Shipping; a victory which appears to owe much to the forthcoming fight between Miranda Andrews and Jenny Davy. Judy Spitch suffered the indignity of receiving no votes. Whilst Jim Bottler's decision not vote for himself caught William Trueman by surprise. It is clear that Bottler and Lambourne have made some form of deal and that they may have gained the support of Cutario. Jenny Davy therefore looks set to become Lord of the City.

Full election results:

Treasury	Alison Shefford	Andrews, Barbiter, Capel, Downe, Monterey, Shefford, Tasker, Trueman, Warin
	Melanie Romanie	Barnett, Belcher, Bottler, Bowden, Cutario, Davy, Hastings, Hubold, Osbert, Povre, Romanie, Saunders, Spich, Wirstan, Worton
Trade	Petro Cutario	Barnett, Belcher, Bottler, Bowden, Cutario, Davy, Hubold, Monterey, Osbert, Povre, Romanie, Saunders, Shefford, Spich, Tasker, Wirstan, Worton
	Jim Bottler	Andrews, Barbiter, Capel, Downe, Hastings, Trueman, Warin
Law and Order	Duncan Barnett	Barnett, Belcher, Bottler, Bowden, Cutario, Davy, Hubold, Osbert, Povre, Romanie, Saunders, Spich, Wirstan, Worton
	Eva Capel	Andrews, Barbiter, Capel, Downe, Hastings, Monterey, Shefford, Tasker, Trueman, Warin
Shipping	Thomas Osbert	Barnett, Belcher, Bottler, Bowden, Cutario, Davy, Hubold, Osbert, Povre, Romanie, Saunders, Spich, Wirstan, Worton
	Olivia Warin	Andrews, Barbiter, Capel, Downe, Hastings, Monterey, Shefford, Tasker, Trueman, Warin
Welfare and Education	Richard Saunders	Andrews, Barbiter, Barnett, Belcher, Bottler, Bowden, Capel, Cutario, Davy, Downe, Hastings, Hubold, Monterey, Osbert, Povre, Romanie, Saunders, Shefford, Spich, Tasker, Trueman, Wirstan, Worton, Warin

The Chronicle

of the month of Skelern in the year 151

The anniversary of last year's anti-Resh riots has been marked by further violence. The Atharvan of Brynette used the date to once more call for all true believers to "root out this evil and prevent the corruption by cleansing with the Holy Fire of Brynette". In what was clearly a pre-planned event, a hundred Brynette worshippers forced open the homes of known Reshites. Several people were killed and Cllr Maureen Quiller's house was destroyed, although the City Guard arrived in time to save her life. In the aftermath of the attacks a number of prominent Brynettes have been arrested. The Atharvan herself has been summoned to appear before Princess Selina to explain her actions. Tensions are running high and Colonel Aldridge has threatened to impose martial law.

By far the most contentious debate in the Witanmoot this month was caused by Cllr Marcus Lambourne's proposal that "The Witanmoot no longer requires officers of the Witanmoot, and those wishing to stand for office, to take the Oath of Fealty". Describing the motion as an emergency one which must be debated immediately, Cllr Lambourne explained that "a third of the Aldermanic court has chosen not to take the oath as a matter of conscience. Given their record of service to the people of Linrodeth I challenge anyone to question where their loyalty lies". He went on to praise Aldermen Barnett and Saunders and to suggest that not all Aldermen were suitably qualified or experienced, and that it was vital that the pool of candidates be as wide as possible". With Jim Bottler sitting out of the debate and William Trueman declaring that he was "fed up with the whole issue" and that the City had "more important things to do than continually debate this motion" it was left to the Monterey faction to provide opposition. Alderman Alison Shefford agreed with Alderman Trueman and reminded the council that the debate had gone on for over a year. Speaking with her usual authority, she expressed surprise that the council was still debating the matter a year later and accused Marcus Lambourne of deliberately prolonging the debate in order to cause confusion and 'ill considered' decisions'. She described Cllr Lambourne as "a puppet of Prince Kieran who would sell-out the City given half a chance" and reminded councillors that the purpose of the motion is to ensure that "people who wish to shelter under the protection of the City are loyal to it". She also eloquently reminded council of the clear rejection by the electorate of those candidates supporting the princes, and called upon councillors to show the loyalty which the citizens demanded. Alderman Petro Cutario added, "The Princess is doing a superlative job of defending the city and maintaining its trade during this difficult civil war. It behoves us all to give her our full support and anyone who does not simply cannot be trusted with an official post." But finally, the most devastating attack came from Lady Tasker herself. Breaking her normal habit of not entering in the debates, she spoke for nearly two hours to describe her loyalty and love of the city of Linrodeth. Her closing words sealed the debate; "how can anyone who is not prepared to take this oath be trusted? Cllr Lambourne has missed the point. His argument is that you cannot legislate for loyalty. He is right. But the oath is not about legislating for loyalty, it is about keeping traitors like him out of our government and away from control of our money, our lands and the welfare of our children".

The loyalty vote, when it was finally taken, was one of the closest the Witanmoot has yet seen with many people choosing to abstain rather that take sides in what has clearly become a pro- or anti-Selina debate. Faction discipline broke down completely. The first count showed a tied vote at 91 all. However before Lady Tasker could use her casting vote, Bert Belcher forced a recount, by the calling out of names. On this vote many who had previously abstained decided to participate and the recount showed the motion defeated by 102 votes to 98, with 76 abstentions.

Following the defeat of Cllr Lambourne's motion the nominations for the Committee chairs descended into chaos with many unexpected and cross fractional nominations. The situation was not helped by Jim Bottler's proposal, "That the Council recognises the inflexibility of the standard set of trade envoys in time of civil war and authorises the Trade Committee to create envoy ships as and when it deems fit, within the budget allocated to it, and subject to the envoy being selected by the Aldermanic Court from the body of councillors of the Witanmoot".

In the end the validly record nominations were:

Treasury: Alison Shefford, Melanie Romanie

Trade: Petro Cutario, Jim Bottler

Law and Order: Eva Capel, Duncan Barnett, Judy Spitch

Shipping: Thomas Osbert, Olivia Warin, Alan Monterey, Petro Cutario.

Welfare and Education: Richard Saunders, Judy Spitch, Eva Capel

Lands and Agriculture: Gemma Downe,

Aldermen Barnett and Saunders will only be considered valid nominations should they take the oath before the election vote. Saunders is rumoured to be thinking of doing just that and it is clear that the Lambourne faction is in trouble, with several members reported to be furious with Tilly Falgar and Sheila Herman for voting against the faction, and with David Northrop for abstaining. But perhaps the greatest shock was Sheriff Davy who in voting against her own faction declared that "whilst she deeply respected the faction for its service to the city, she could not as Sheriff support a motion which would remove the need for the all officers of the city to take the Oath."

The Chronicle

of the month of Kruthos in the year 150

The Oath of Fealty motion is still causing chaos in the Witanmoot. Alderman Monterey has pointed out that officers are still required to take the oath and that in his opinion councillor was an office of the Witanmoot. After much further acrimonious debate the Hahnites were called in to resolve the matter and stated that in their opinion councillors could not be considered an office of the council, however a committee chair could. The council must now consider how to deal with the fact that Chairman for Shipping, Graham Porter, has declared his intention not to take the oath. Marcus Lambourne's "Decree or Democracy" campaign, which seemed to be setting the early election agenda, has now faltered following a concerted counter-attack by the Monterey faction which pointed out that Lady Tasker has issued fewer decrees than any of the predecessors. A Monterey spokesman described the Lambourne campaign as "dead" and he went on to describe Cllr Lambourne as a "lying troublemaker, interested only in his own power". It looks as though the two factions will fight each other to an acrimonious standstill. Certainly most voters see the debate as pointless and damaging to both of them. In contrast William Trueman's supporters, already benefiting from his marvellous work during the plague, are building upon their 'Working for the People' campaign to rise above this debate and it is likely that they will gain from both Monterey and Lambourne.

As the election day nears the campaigning is becoming characterised not by fractional politics but by the civil war. Throughout the city, people's views on the war are governing whether factions are gaining or losing votes. Whilst the 'Oath of Fealty' debate has brought the matter to people's attention, it was the surprise intervention by all the leaders of the Temples that has made this the central point of the campaign. In what was clearly a planned and co-ordinated move, every service this week has denounced the worship of Resh and called upon people to "stand against this evil, King Edward and all who support it". The effect upon pro-Edward politicians has been devastating. Several prominent supporters of King Edward look likely to lose their Aldermanship and some could be knocked out of the council completely. Supporters of King Kieran are also suffering from citizens' distrust of his recent actions near the city. Supporters of Princess Selina are clearly elated by this and, whilst they cannot claim to be winning, it is they and the more neutral councillors who will gain from this shift in emphasis. Some local campaigning is still managing to distinguish individuals from the great trends. In Castle Bard the popular Gilbert de Clare is fighting a strong campaign to retain his seat, with many prominent figures from all wards and factions coming to his aid to praise his work on the wall. However Castle Bard has always been Alison Shefford's ward and given her incredible popularity she still looks set for an unequivocal victory. Elsewhere Gemma Downe's campaign in Bassishaw appears particularly noteworthy and a close result is expected.

LATE NEWS!

The Midwinter elections resulted in the return of the following citizens as Aldermen for the Wards of the City of Linrodeth. Arpent: Judi Spich. Avigon: Petro Cutario. Bassishaw: Gemma Downe. Berewic: Mary Hastings. Bridge: Richard Saunders. Cadene: Melanie Romanie. Cartage: Alice Barbiter. Castle Bard: Alison Shefford. Cripplegate: Bernard Hubold. Dowgate: Audrey Wirstan. Dracas: Thomas Osbert. Faringdon: William Trueman. Ishtan: Eva Capel. Kingsgate: Adam Povre. Levestone: Alan Monterey. Marshgate: Nicholas Bowden. Oldgate: Duncan Barnett. Portsoken: Nicholas Worton. Shambles: Bert Belcher. Temple: Olivia Warin. Welland: Jim Bottler. The forthcoming nominations for Committee Chairs will likely be disrupted by a number of aldermen failing to make the Oath of Loyalty. These include aldermen Bert Belcher, Nicholas Worton, Adam Povre, Duncan Barnett and Richard Saunders.

The Chronicle

of the month of Ternost in the year 150

The debate over the Oath of Fealty motion has been resolved with a clear victory for the opponents of the motion. Maureen Quiller's motion that, "This Council no longer requires existing citizens to take the Oath of Fealty" was passed by a majority of 164 votes to 105. As expected the powerful Lambourne faction backed the motion, as did William Trueman's group. As a result of the vote the subsequent motions proposed by Alderman Monterey were not tabled. The debate was at all stages acrimonious and has set the stage for a vicious Midwinter election campaign. In an interesting move Alderman Trueman urged citizens to voluntarily take the Oath of Loyalty before they vote. Commenting that he believed, "it is impossible to legislate for loyalty and any loyalty which is not freely given is worthless". Several prominent citizens, including Petro Cutario, Melanie Romanie, Nicholas Bowden, Alison Shefford and Godwin Green, have strongly supported this move. Alison Shefford commented, "Whilst the political elite are obsessed with the rights and wrong of Prince Kieran and Prince Edward, we believe that the vast majority of people in Linrodeth are loyal to and want the best for the City. Alderman Trueman has set an excellent example for us and I think that many ordinary citizens will wish to follow his lead."

The Noordic ambassadors have now left the City and returned to the north. Despite protests from many people with relatives in Nyskilde, the ambassadors have managed to maintain a high profile and clearly wished to establish a new and peaceful relationship with Linrodeth. However their overtures appear to have been rebuffed and a spokesman for Princess Selina has made it clear that she sees the re-conquest of the north as an important part of her future policy. Whilst this move seems to clearly position her as a contender in the civil war, the spokesman was at pains to make clear that the action is simply a practical response in the face of an untrustworthy and aggressive neighbour; "Princess Selina has no intention becoming involved in the contest for the remainder of Athion." Chronicle investigations have confirmed that the Princess has had a number of significant military victories to the North. The Noordic move seems to be a genuine attempt to make peace and to establish a stable border in the face of increasing pressure from Linrodeth's forces.

The split between Cllr Lambourne and Alderman Monterey has been further widened by the debate of Estelle Wynstanly motion that "This City prohibits the worship of Resh and the promotion of his worship on pain of imprisonment". Lady Tasker ruled the motion out of order and in support of this Alderman Monterey made a long speech about the role and legal remit of the Council. He commented that he had consulted widely and he was clearly surprised when Cllr Lambourne launched a scathing attack on Lady Tasker's decision. In what was apparently the opening engagement of a battle for the Lordship, Cllr Lambourne described the decision as "yet another assault on the Witanmoot's democracy from an increasingly authoritarian ruler". He went on to express fears that Lady Tasker intend to decree next year's budget and that the Witanmoot would not be allowed to take any important decisions. Under the banner "Decree or Democracy" he launched his campaign for the Midwinter elections as a referendum on the current lordship and called upon everyone to consider how people would vote in the Lordship elections should they become Aldermen.

Cllr Bartholomew Hyde has been arrested by the city guard and is being held in the Witanmoot prison, apparently in response to last month's outburst in Council. Gax the Heretic has come forward to demand that his Alderman Eva Capel confirm what charges he is being held on, and has offered his services to defend Cllr Hyde at the hearing. A number of people has suggested that the delay is a cynical move by Alderman Capel, who very nearly lost to Cllr Hyde last Midwinter, however there appears to be genuine confusion at the Witanmoot as to why and on whose authority he was arrested.

Security surrounding information on last month's battle continues to be tight, however the Chronicle has managed to confirm that the battle was against forces lead by Lady Beatrice Perignon which used to hold the Citadel. These forces were apparently attempting to link up with King Kieran's troops and were marching through Linrodeth's territory. The route they took appears to imply a plan to trap the city forces operating to the south in a pincer movement. However a major re-deployment of the city army and the commitment of the cavalry stopped them in their tracks. It would appear that the invaders were offered the opportunity to surrender and, when they refused, were given no quarter. Our informant described the resulting battle as a massacre in which the city cavalry routed the opposition and pressed them without mercy. It is not clear whether Lady Beatrice Perignon escaped the slaughter. A number of people, particularly supporters of King Kieran, have expressed outrage at the use of Linrodeth's army in this way, and it seams that the engagement will further strengthen the belief held in some camps that Princess Selina is close to committing to King Edward. General Olvini has refused to discuss the battle other than to state that "all invasions of the city's lands will be met with a vigorous and uncompromising response".