The Chronicle

of the month of Jasmarill in the year 141

This year's Springtide celebrations were dampened but not disrupted by the persistent downpour of rain which had the river Ishtar swelling dangerously close to the top of the banks. Although the religious ceremonies were well attended, the re-election of Lord Paston Courtney was a sparsely attended event. No doubt most of the Aldermen assumed that the result was a forgone conclusion, and avoided an unnecessary journey through the torrential rain. In his acceptance speech Lord Courtney warned that the city coffers were still in a poor state, and that despite the rebate from the Citadel this years budget would be very tight. He warned that some of the more ambitious welfare projects may have to be suspended, and would not rule out the possibility of an increase in taxation.

Guimar Perignon's funeral was held late last month, and was a private ceremony attended by family and close friends. The burial was at a small family willow grove to the west of the city. Beatrice Perignon, always a rather remote figure, has since withdrawn even more from public life. She is now in seclusion in the Torian Temple where young Antoine Lansdowne is making a slow but steady recovery from his wound.

Olnorth Dexter's love life seems to have developed complications with the sudden appearance of one Nigel Wimsloe, an old flame of Miranda Andrews. Despite Dexter's reputation as a nifty duellist (almost as dangerous as the Dixons), Craftsman Wimsloe appeared totally undaunted. When the pair met the following day on Wellhouse Green, it was apparent that the two were very evenly matched. A stylish and rapid series of exchanges set the standard for the rest of the duel, and the crowd were kept entertained for all but a period towards the end, when both duellists appeared to be getting their second wind. Eventually an almost imperceptible error from Dexter gave Wimsloe the opening, and a slash along the arm ended Dexter's activities for the day.

Alderman Malcolm Mowbray seems to have suspended his corruption investigations whilst he invests all his time trying to stop his fellow councillors in Levestone from killing each other. Cllr John Madigan of Oldgate commented, " Its about time. The Chairman for Law and Order should put his own Ward in order before nosing into the affairs of others. Levestone is disgrace, the irresponsible councillors of that ward have been running the city for far too long."

Finally, a query for the Astrologer Royal. Since he has been in Cascorach since last year, perhaps one of the Temples would like to verify and/or reply to this missive?

Dear Sir, It has come to my attenshun thro divers divinations that the Astrologer Royale, one Goodgulf by name, has the intenshun of rashionalizing the Calender. How can he change the Way of Things as is Ritten in the stars without changing the Heavunly bodies? Do he intend to work some devillish Majick to re-arrange the Order of Things of Wot the Gods intended? I think we should be be told!

Yours Respecfully, Mab Mugwort (Ms)

P.S. 'Ware the comming of the empty one for he brings tidings of terror to the Red Man. The short shall be long and the shallow suffishunt deep for his undoing!

Well, at least that last part seems to be a clear warning to the Hahnites.

The Chronicle

of the month of Pipetal in the year 141

With the thaw comes news from the Cascorach. Her Highness the Princess Eleanor has announced the formation of the Guilds of Merchant Adventurers, Provisioners and Craftsmen. These guilds replace those disbanded by the Princess last year. Chairman for Trade, Miranda Andrews, welcomed the news, saying that it vindicated her stance against the call for sanctions made by Salvoyn envoy Elrissa Sandelli. Other interesting news concerns the Duke's intention to keep the streets patrolled by the army, rather than permitting a return to a civic watch. He has announced the formation of the First Cascorach Infantry Regiment, which will be drawn from the City to carry out this task. A statement on this significant development has not been forthcoming from the Citadel, which has been at pains not to comment of the Princess’ management of the Cascorach Dukedom. However a reporter for the Chronicle has managed to discover that the King is keen to see the militarisation of Cascorach, in order to fend off the anticipated Gelt aggression. It has also been suggested that His Majesty has not been too impressed with Prince Edwards management of the Gelt campaign, and that his permission for the Princess to raise her own regiment is being seen by some as potentially very significant.

Other interesting news from the Citadel concerns Prince Edwin who, it has been announced, is to attend the Bards College. The Chronicle is interested to note that following the announcement a number of young ladies have also been enrolled at the College by their forward-thinking families.

Alderman Mowbray has announced that his investigations into the Baldwin Underwood affair are unable to continue until he has an opportunity to interview Councillor Gus O'Leary, who has not been forthcoming. Any citizens knowing the whereabouts of Cllr O'Leary are requested to contact the Witanmoot guard. Malcolm Mowbray refused to comment on the guards recent raiding of Cllr O'Leary's house, and refused to rule out the rumoured Floating Market connection. He did, however, dismiss the persistent rumours of Cllr Perignon's involvement.

The Temples of Torus and Brynette have made a joint announcement of a project to bring freshwater to the city. Atharvan Gareck told the Chronicle, "Following the plague last year, the Temple of Torus approached us regarding a means of providing freshwater throughout the city. We would now like to identify all the potential sources of freshwater within and near the city, and would like to hear from anyone offering generous funding for a pilot scheme."

The feud between the Perignon and Dixon families has exploded into violence. In a fight outside the walls of the Perignon household Roland Dixon has killed Guimar Perignon and seriously wounded Ferdinand Lansdowne's brother Antoine. According to a number of witnesses, an apparently chance meeting between Roland Dixon and a group of young men including Guimar and Antoine led to a duel between Roland and Antoine. After a short fight, Roland disarmed Antoine, and attempted to leave, however Guimar prevented him and continued the duel. Things turned ugly when Antoine recovered his sword and joined in the attack. When two others in the group also drew their rapiers Roland switched from the defence and, in a manoeuvre which one witness described as "bloody amazing", felled both Antoine and Guimar. Lord Paston Courtney was quickly called to the scene and took a severe view of the escalating violence between the two factions. All families involved in the incident have been fined £5, and Roland Dixon has been exiled from the City of Linrodeth and all its lands. Master Dixon has not been seen since and is believed to have already fled the city.

The Chronicle

of the month of Galemir in the year 141

Bleak winds off the icy marshes made the civic funeral for Baldwin Underwood an uncomfortable occasion, but nonetheless a large crowd gathered to pay respects to the late alderman. After Lord Courtney's address several other colleagues were moved to speak, including Sheriff Cox, who had worked closely with Baldwin Underwood during the Castlemaine incident, and the new Alderman Mary Clifford, who was at pains to emphasis that Underwood was in good mental, physical and fiscal health at the time of his death. The pyre was lit by his widow Molly.

Immediately after the cremation the new chair for Law & Order, Malcolm Mowbray, announced an official wide-ranging investigation into the affairs of the aldermen and the Aldermanic Court, although he maintains that this is not a direct result of Underwood's mysterious death. Several other leading councillors have also begun investigations into each others affairs. The most interesting of these is Olnorth Dexter's investigation of the Perignon family, which is fuelling the dockside rumours that Cllr Beatrice was seen with Underwood shortly before his death.

The Chroniclers are pleased to announce the following election results:

Trade: Miranda Andrews, 19 votes Ann Tasker 4 votes

Shipping: Olivia Warin, 16 votes Gibian Horl 7 votes

Law/Order: Malcolm Mowbray 20 votes, Ariane Pencric 3 votes

Eresan: Bert Belcher 20 votes, Olivia Warin 3 votes

So again the Justice League achieves a clean sweep. Shortly after the elections, the Wardmoot of Dowgate announced that Mary Clifford had become the new alderman for the ward in an uncontested election.

In a short announcement, Lord Courtney made the unexpected appointment of Cllr Matthew Dixon as the envoy to Nyskilde, a post more usually filled by aldermen. Initial speculation that this was a ploy by the Justice League to remove opposition has been denied by Cllr Dixon himself, who insisted that he was pleased and honoured to be the envoy, and was looking forward to the posting. Punters have now decided that the appointment is in the nature of a subtle insult to the Gemot of Nyskilde, and are looking forward to a new trade war.

Aside from low-life rumours and Olnorth's persistent curiosity, Beatrice Perignon has had a busy month arranging candlelit dinners for young Julia and Ferdinand Lansdowne, while avoiding the stalking spectre of Cllr Dixon. Inevitably, Matthew Dixon eventually cornered her in the Witanmoot and issued a flamboyant challenge to duel, citing her criticism of his musical skills at Septer's banquet as his main grudge. Which only goes to show that in these times of sudden suicides and guild charter reviews, there are still people willing to die for their artistic opinions. Fortunately for music critics everywhere, the duel has been unexpectedly and indefinitely postponed by the appointment of Cllr Dixon to Nyskilde. Shortly thereafter he was escorted to the dock where he boarded the Leviathon, commanded by one Captain Eagleview, to convey an urgent communication to Nyskilde. The ship duly headed out of port into the biting winds, and hopefully we will be hearing of 'Mad Dog' Eagleview later in the year.

The Chronicle

of the month of Skelern in the year 141

It is with deep regret that the Chronicle announces the death of Baldwin Underwood. The alderman's body was discovered this morning hanging from one of the supports of Linrodeth Bridge, by members of the local watch. Councillors from Bridge Wardmoot say that they have not yet ruled out the possibility of suicide. Alderman Underwood was a well-liked resident of Dowgate, and a tireless campaigner against the depredations of the nearby river scum. He will be best remembered for his strong leadership during times of crisis, such as when the floating market caught fire. Alderman Gibian Horl would like to hear from anyone who was travelling along the river last night, or from anyone who may have seen Baldwin Underwood after Four of the clock yesterday.

News from the Witanmoot. The following Aldermen have been returned to offices unopposed: George Rimon remains Chair of the Treasury, Alison Shefford remains Chair of Welfare and Education, Suzan Faithside remains Chair of Lands and Agriculture, and Alan Griffiths remains Envoy to Salvoyn

The following nominations have been received for the other offices:

Trade: Miranda Andrews (E, OD) Ann Tasker (AS)

Shipping: Gibian Horl (E) Olivia Warin (MM)

Law/Order: Malcolm Mowbray (OD) Ariane Pencric (AS)

Eresan: Bert Belcher (AD) Olivia Warin (E)

The office of envoy to Nyskilde has sadly become vacant, and will now be the direct appointment of Lord Courtney.

Armundus Septer continues his rebirth on the social scene with a major ball to celebrate his amazing recovery and, as he himself puts it, "to get back into the swing of things." The only problems seem to have come from the seating plan; which resulted in arch rivals Beatrice Perignon and Matthew Dixon sitting at the same table. Not perhaps the atmosphere young Ferdinand Lansdowne was hoping for when he escorted Julia to the ball. Perhaps it was Beatrice's cutting description of Matthew’s musical presentation, or Matthew's insistence on discussing the declining ethics of councillors that really set things going, but by the middle of the evening both respected councillors were losing their dignity. Only the audacious action of Roland Dixon prevented an ugly scene; his persistent choice of Julia Perignon as a dancing partner kept diverting Ma Beatrice's attention.

Elsewhere at the ball, Alderman Miranda Andrews was getting impatience at the tardy arrival of her partner, Olnorth Dexter. His eventual arrival and opening words "Abject apologies, I only just noticed what the time was" did nothing to improve her temper, and the relationship looks rather icy at the moment. A rather happier escort appeared to be Sir Henry Longbridge, who was accompanying Cllr Aralan Derwent.

In response to the call for sanctions by the Envoy from Salvoyn, the Justice League have made the following announcement:

"In the light of the current level of public concern about the status of the Guild Charters in Cascorach, we feel that a few comments would not go amiss. Last autumn the Guilds of Cascorach were found by Her Highness, the Princess Eleanor, to be corrupt. Consequently she took corrective action, namely their revocation. This situation has no direct bearing on the Guilds of Linrodeth. While it is true that the trade situation with Cascorach at the beginning of winter was unclear, we do not share the Envoy of Salvoyn's lack of confidence in Her Highness, and are confident that the thaw will bring with it news of a satisfactory resolution to the situation. We would therefore like to reassure the citizens that there is no cause for concern."

Alderman Miranda Andrews (outgoing Chair for Trade)

It has been brought to the Chroniclers attention that in our issue of Kryll 140 we published an article which could be read to imply that the Chronicle believes the rumours that the Astrologer Royal has indulged in necromantic practices. We would like to make it unequivocally clear that the Chronicle has never given any credence to these rumours.

The Chronicle

of the month of Kruthos in the year 140

The Honourable Elrissa Sandelli, envoy from the city of Salvoyn, has called on the guilds of Linrodeth to protect their democracy and hard-won guild charters by joining Salvoyn in a boycott of trade with Cascorach. This unexpected and dramatic call was made at a civic banquet during Kruthos Firstweek, and has increased fears that Cascorach's abolition of guild privileges is the start of a much wider attack on free citizens across the country. Sandelli's after-dinner speech seems to have caught a complacent establishment by surprise, and as yet no official reply has been made by Lord Courtney's offices. Further enquiries by the Chronicle have revealed that the city of Salvoyn has already implemented this scheme, and has been restricting trade to Cascorach from the port for the past half year. While appreciating that the democratic government of a city should be stoutly defended, the chroniclers are wondering why such measures were taken before the Princess' marriage and subsequent reforms?

The run up to the midwinter elections has seen the media machine of the Justice League roll smoothly into action, offering a list of 'approved candidates' for voters from one side of the city to another. Surprisingly perhaps neither Cllr Dixon nor Ms Perignon, those long-standing faction leaders, have offered any alternatives. Ms Perignon refused to comment to the Chronicle and Cllr Dixon has taken to hiring bodyguards. It is a sad reflection on the state of politics today. Perhaps the new year will bring a healthy opposition party to the city, but don't hold your breath.

Aside from the usual bright young things, eager to party their way into the new year, the most persistent socialite this month has been none other than Armundus Septer. Master Septer has been afflicted by illness since the spring, and this month he seems to be determined to emphasise that he is still alive and doing business.

Rumours still surround the erratic relationship between Cllr Olnorth Dexter and Alderman Miranda Andrews. The latest snippet to reach our ears suggests that Miranda is examining the Dexter accounts; but as no announcement has been forthcoming we can only assume that Linrodeth's 'most eligible' bachelor isn't balanced enough for Guildmaster Andrews. (But maybe some asset stripping will come later?)

Late News

The midwinter elections saw a large turnout of citizens still upset by the plague and the rumours of an impending guild charter crisis. Apart from Welland and Cadene, most places saw a large swing of opinion away from the current office holders. Fortunately for them, opinions on alternative candidates remained deeply divided and most aldermen retained their posts with sharply reduced majorities. The only upset was Helen Kreft who, perhaps unsurprisingly, lost her recent appointment and is replaced by a local lass, Melanie Romanie. Elsewhere the ever-popular James Isenbard managed to increase his majority, which perhaps reflects the loss of his old rival Reg Marc from the political scene.

Other newcomers which the Chronicle welcomes to the gladiators arena of the Witanmoot are Cllrs Janice Travers, Neville Vincent, John Madigan, Sue Quinn, Tony Walker, Mary Hastings, Neil Cracknel and Jenny Davy.

The Chronicle

of the month of Ternost in the year 140

The main news this month comes from Cascorach, where it has been confirmed that the guild charters were not recalled for review, as previously believed, but have in fact been formally revoked by the Princess. Following the announcement of this shocking news in the Witanmoot, Lord Courtney was forced to close the council session as councillors rushed to discuss the implications with fellow guildmembers. Most guilds have expressed grave concern to the Citadel, however their requests for a statement from His Majesty have been ignored, and fear is now spreading that similar action may take place in Linrodeth. George Rimon, the most outspoken of the Alderman, is reported to have said, "If this act of lunacy is repeated here, then all hell will break out, A free for all would do terrible damage to the standards we have all come to expect from the guilds, and would completely remove the essential training which our apprentice system provides."

The confusion and uncertainty caused by the Charter Crisis has added a new dimension to the political reshuffling which normally takes place in the run-up to an election. As guild officials jitter over the possible overnight removal of their power, many citizens are turning to the council as the only certain place where they will be able to exert influence on the city. And it would seem that this years elections could be some of the most hard fought for some time. The existing political groupings are already beginning to break up under the pressure and numerous faction changes are being rumoured. The most dramatic so far being the defection of Mary Clifford from Beatrice Perignon to her arch-rival Matthew Dixon. Meanwhile Armundus Septer's grouping continues to disintegrate as the old man's condition fails to improve, and Carl Marc seems to be struggling to hold together the powerful grouping built up by his father. In an attempt to maintain its political hold on the city, the Justice League seems to be spending most of its time in fruitless discussions with other factions; although their leading light Olnorth Dexter may have other things on his mind. There are persistent rumours that Cllr Dexter has proposed to Alderman Miranda Andrews. However it would appear that she is yet to be convinced that he has forsaken his playboy lifestyle, and no engagement announcement has been made.

The winter balls have got off to an early start, as people attempt to lift the air of mourning that has hung over the city since the plague. Amongst the many revellers two people have been outstandingly noticeable; Cllr Carl Marcs and the eminently eligible Julia Perignon have both been breaking hearts throughout the city. A number of young bloods have been vying to escort young Julia, but it is said that only Ferdinand Lansdowne has managed to win Ma Beatrice's approval.

Cllr Arianne Pencric of Marshgate has suffered a serious financial blow at the hands of bandits who continue to cause problems to travellers on the Great Road. Cllr Pencric lost four wagons to the bandits, in what she describes as an act of shear vandalism. Apparently after murdering the guards the outlaws stole some small items and destroyed the rest of the goods. Cllr Pencric has denied rumours that the loss will force her to withdraw from her offices in order to concentrate of rebuilding her business.

Finally, a quote from Beatrice Perignon, who it seems is still having trouble shaking off her criminal image "I'm not saying anything; it will incriminate me and appear in the Chronicle".

The Chronicle

of the month of Kryll in the year 140

On Kryll Firstday the Knight Marshall, Sir Salverian, announced the following appointments to the vacant Alderman posts;

Ishtan	Elliot Anderson
Cadene	Helen Kreft
Cripplegate	Alan Carter
Oldgate	Duncan Barnett

Some factions within the Witanmoot have expressed concern over this pre-emption of democracy. However, commenting on the appointments, Lord Courtney pointed out, "During martial law Sir Salverian can do whatever he likes, and personally I do feel that he was right to restore direct civic control of the watch in these wards at the earliest opportunity. We should perhaps consider granting this power to the Court of Aldermen in future. When asked about objections to her appointment as Alderman of Cadene, Helen Kreft replied, "The Knight Marshall only appointed me to hold the Aldermanship until the midwinter elections. It is an honour I take very seriously, and to show my commitment to the ward I intend to buy property here and to contest the seat at the midwinter election. The householders of Cadene will have the final say."

The Knight Marshall formally handed back control of the city to the Witanmoot on Kryll Ninthday, and the Interdiction was lifted. Since then supplies have been streaming into the city, and it would appear that the threat of starvation has been averted. In an interesting development, Lord Courtney has requested a rebate on the city's taxes to the King for this year, in order to enable it to recover from the depletions of the plague and (although he isn't saving this in so many words), on the grounds that the city has been run by the Knight Marshal for well over a month.

The sadly depleted Witanmoot reconvened on Tenthday, to resume the business of government. The first session was opened by Cllr Matthew Dixon, who proposed a vote of thanks to the Torian Temple for their work. This received widespread approval and a number of other councillors spoke to record their thanks. Afterwards Malcolm Mowbray proposed thanks and an increased civic grant to the Brynettes, to assist their efforts to provide a supply of sweet water to all of the city. This was passed by a surprisingly small majority.

News from the Princess' new home in Cascorach is that the Princess is having a noticeable influence. The Duke's interest in auditing and accounts has increased dramatically, with the result that many long-standing household members have lost their posts. Of immediate interest to merchants is the fact that the guild charters of Cascorach city have been "recalled for review". Rumours of a subsequent trading free-for-all have reached Linrodeth, but unfortunately news of further developments may well have to wait until the thaw.

Several people claim to have seen Armundus Septer tottering around the town these past few weeks. This has come as a surprise to most who had assumed that the old man had finally died even before the plague struck. Other rumours, that a mysterious wooden box had been sent from the Septer household down to Cascorach, where the Necromancer Royal is staying, are unconfirmed and unlikely to be true.

Beatrice Perignon and her family made a conspicuous return to the city of Linrodeth, looking fit and well after, as Beatrice put it, "an invigorating sojourn in the countryside." Ms Perignon's forced exile ended after Lord Courtney's had issued an amnesty in celebration of the Princess' marriage. Her daughter Julia, much in demand on the social circuit, has immediately set about ordering a new wardrobe suggesting that the country sojourn was not to her taste at least. Son Guimar has disappeared back to his gambling clubs, which may be the reason why old Beatrice herself has started called on her friends to do a little debt collecting. Arch-rival Cllr Matthew Dixon has been taking her return to Linrodeth fairly calmly, commenting "I like to give opponents the first move."

More gossip of romance in Olnorth Dexter's faction, this time Cllr Alan Griffiths, the duelling dyer of Dracas, is turning his attentions and not inconsiderable charm on fellow councillor Poppy Soboll. Never mind the Justice League, is someone starting a breakaway Seduction League?

The Chronicle

of the month of Lorinfall in the year 140

The plague has loosened its grip on the city, leaving many families mourning their dead. Among the dead are Aldermen Rosalinde Preston, Elliot Sparman and Philip Little, and Councillors Philip Portman and Richard Nixon. The Knight-Marshal is still keeping the roads closed, but has announced that the Moot will be permitted to re-convene next month.

Food supplies in Linrodeth are beginning to run low, due to the interdiction of traders and goods going to the city. Sir Salverian, the Knight Marshal, has assured us that the harvest outside the river valley is going well, and that an emergency shipment of grain is being organised. He is confident that the outbreak of plague has been effectively confined to the region surrounding the city,

The bridge has once more been re-opened, and Master Mason James St-George, has assured the Lord that it is once again safe for use. In a worrying development James St-George has ascribed the bridge's poor condition to deliberate sabotage. He told the Chronicle, "The construction of the bridge was sound, however I found numerous examples of deliberate damage, and removal of stone blocks. I would seriously advise that guards are set until a full investigation can be made."

The Chronicle

of the month of Arvinoth in the year 140

Lord Paston Courtney is pleased to announce a general amnesty in celebration of the marriage of Her Highness the Princess Eleanor to Duke Alexander Calverin of Cascorach. The chroniclers note that the most important beneficiary of this amnesty is one Beatrice Perignon (it came a little late for Ellis Devon), who was exiled last Menderal for misuse of funds. One of the first people to welcome the announcement was Cllr Mary Clifford, who praised Lord Courtney's generosity and announced her intention to support Ms Perignon's faction in the Witanmoot.

The old man of the moot, Armundus Septer, has been rushed to the Torian infirmary after suffering a dramatic seizure during a debate in the court of common council. Reports from the temple indicate that the venerable scrivener is very ill. Reports from Portsoken ward indicate that the sweating fever has been contained in that area. However, two new outbreaks have been reported in the Faringdon and Cripplegate wards. In an effort to speed up the exodus of visitors from the city, Gibian Horl, the Chair of Shipping, has arranged for extra passenger ships to ferry people down the coast, two of these have been loaned from the royal fleet.

The Welland by-election has been won by Carl Marcs, although by a much smaller margin than had been expected. It would appear that the residents of 'south Welland' turned out en mass to support Cllr Howe. Only feverish late afternoon campaigning by Carl's supporters seems to have saved him (and Alderman Isenbard) from an embarrassing defeat. Cllr Marcs' celebrations have been somewhat dampened by the intervention of young Roland Dixon, who took the opportunity of Cllr Marcs swearing-in to point out that he had been avoiding a duel for some time. The next morning the two met and, despite a valiant and skilled display from Cllr Marc, young Roland soundly defeated him. Many observers are now describing him as one of the most stylish duellists they have seen for some time, and it would seem that his uncle may have some serious competition.

More outbreaks of the sweating fever have been reported in Levestone, Cadene and Bassishaw. Lord Courtney has cancelled the debate on the economy and has been holding emergency meetings with the Knight-Marshall and the Torians.

It would appear that Olnorth Dexter's personal relationships have undergone yet another reversal. Lady Elspeth has become enamoured of a young courtier and has left the city to travel to Cascorach with the Princess' entourage, taking her lover with her. Cllr Dexter has returned his attentions to Alderman Andrews, who appears to be much happier nowadays.

LATE NEWS!

The sweating plague has broken out across the city and the Knight Marshall has dissolved the Witanmoot and declared martial law. The Torians are no longer answering calls for help and have just closed the Temple precincts to the public. Troops out on the highways are preventing any further people from leaving the city. Citizens are instructed to stay indoors and to despite any dead onto the road at dusk. Anyone breaking curfew will be shot.

The Chronicle

of the month of Setheran in the year 140

Midsummer day was, thank the Gods, bright and sunny, with not even a breeze to disturb the masses of flowers and the dripping marsh plants that someone had managed to weave into the canopy. These last were hurriedly cleared away before trumpets announced the first of the important guests in a long procession from the Citadel. The settling of the invited guests into the stands took most of the morning, although the Tourney Fields themselves had been packed since before dawn. Finally the bridegroom appeared and, to a curious mixture of cheers and whistles from the crowd, took his place on the platform.

Shortly before Midday the approaching deafening cheer marked the progress of the Royal family through the crowd. The King and the Princess joined Duke Alexander on the platform where everyone could admire the Princess' elegant dress of silver silk, and its long, long train which took attendants at least five minutes to pack onto the platform. This at least gave the noise a chance to die down before the King started to speak. His formal announcement of the marriage was slightly marred by the sounds of a continuing party at the edge of the crowd. Surprisingly, full silence was achieved when the King asked for any objections to the marriage, although he was resting his hand lightly on his sword hilt at the time.

The lull continued as the bride and groom spoke their vows, and the King pronounced the ancient binding:

"This bond I draw between you; that though you are parted in mind or in body, there will be a call in the core of you, one to another, that nothing, no one else will answer to. By the secrets of earth and water, this bond is woven, unbreakable, irrevocable; by the law that created fire and wind this call is set in you, in life and beyond life."

"Now," said the King. "Give your names to each other."

"Alexander."

"Eleanor."

The crowd erupted into cheers once again while the young couple shared the ceremonial cup of wine, and the recognised High Priests stepped up to add their blessings. The end of the blessing was the general signal for most of the assembled throng to start a party and to unwrap numerous picnic bundles. The official guests had a far hungrier and more restless time as the bride and groom were now posed for the official portrait. An hour later the Duke finally extracted himself from his wife's train and led the Royal party back to the Citadel for the banquet. The by now ravenous official guests followed with more haste than dignity, and left the site to the souvenir hunters. Much later that afternoon well-wishers lined Wheat Hill, Moot Way and Temple Hill for the Princess and Duke's departure through the city. Her Highness wore an elaborate gown, beautifully embroidered with summer flowers. Her husband, by contrast, had opted for simple peasants garb. The wisdom of this became clear around Dowgate where, in addition to the showers of rose petals, two ripe tomatoes hit him squarely in the back. With this tasteless reminder, the couple rode out of the city and on to the King's hunting lodge some miles upriver, where they and their escort of 100 heavy cavalry spent the night.

The cost of cleaning up the city after the recent celebrations is causing some concern to George Rimon, the Chair of the Treasury. It seems that the city's coffers have not yet recovered from the King's earlier tax, and the loss of the summer fair has also been noticeable. The Chroniclers trust that any further taxes will be as light as possible, and that Lord Courtney will make significant personal donations to alleviate this problem.

The first contested sheriff elections for many years turned out to be hard-fought. The votes eventually split almost evenly, with only a few votes separating the candidates. The final results were;

Samantha Cox 8 votes Kennet Maxil 7 votes Alan Griffiths 6 votes

Sheriffs Cox and Maxil were then sworn in, and nominations are now open for the Aldermanship of Oldgate. Over in Welland, the co-option of Carl Marc onto the Wardmoot has been prevented by Cllr Gillian How of Shambles. Councillor How wishes to contest this post and a by-election has been called for the end of the month.

As many citizens will already be aware, Linrodeth's bridge has been closed this month for emergency repairs. The Guild of Watermen are confident that they can cope with the increase in custom caused by this and by the influx of visitors for the wedding. As Guildmaster Spittle told the Chroniclers "Queues for our boats are waiting no more than five minutes longer than usual, so I urge citizens to have a modicum of patience and not to recklessly trust themselves to these unskilled, amateur boatmen who have neither guild training nor our many years of experience." Fortunately for the city, the recent wave of crime on the river seems to have died down. No more than the usual number of missing people have been reported this month.

An outbreak of nausea and sweating in the ward of Portsoken is being investigated by the Torian Temple, despite Alderman Worton's claim that it was only caused "by all the excitement of the occasion." Physickian Maelenun Cassida criticised Nicholas Worton's comment saying that it showed "a disturbing lack of understanding of the problem". Worryingly, old Armundus Septer has recently been looking far more frail than usual, and has cancelled several engagements due to 'ill-health'. Readers will remember that Reg Marc resigned last month for similar reasons. Fears that the illness may be spreading throughout the city have encouraged many citizens to depart to the countryside for the remainder of the summer.

Although Olnorth Dexter's faction suffered an unexpected defeat in the Midsummer elections, the man himself seems to be happy with the wealthy Lady Elspeth consoling him. The two have been painting the town red in recent weeks, and Alderman Andrews has become a rather less frequent visitor to the Dexter mansion.