Britannia Chronicle - First Edition (Ongoing)

[Corwyn]

Royal Council Meeting: Chaos, Carnage and Calamity

Papa Razzi, Reporting


The usual insanity of the Royal Council meetings was outmatched this past Saturday, when Governor Bling Crosby, during his bloviating about the state of Minoc, was cut short as Bling himself exploded and died on the spot. His bodyguards were of little help, nor were the King’s Guard. It is unclear how explosives made it into the council meeting. The body was covered and removed, and shockingly, the meeting continued. As of now, nothing is known as to who will replace Bling as governor.

D'Keth Dracsbane, Governor of Moonglow, got into a heated discussion about a renegade mage being hunted within the walls of his protected city. He was visibly displeased with how the attempted arrest of Caefa was attempted. King Blackthorn responded by stating he would do whatever it took to keep the realm safe, even if it meant the possible overreach of such aggressive actions. The attempt eventually failed, and Caefa escaped, leaving one to wonder how effective Blackthorne is at his position and how the Council of Mages may respond to Blackthorne’s overstepping their understanding of his authority. Tension is certainly building in that front.

The Governor of Skara Brae, now called Pip, said very little other than the fact he had food poisoning. He was pale and had to leave the meeting early, possibly due to recurring diarrhea.

There were a couple of governors not in attendance at the meeting. Robin Menzies, Governor of Jhelom was absent with some unexpected “pressing matter” that needed immediate attention according to sources. The governor of Britain, Naberal Gamma had also not appeared for the second time in as many meetings.

As is apparently customary, should any governor not show for two meetings during their term, they are to be replaced. Governor Justin Bennett of Trinsic nominated Corwyn of Britain, who just so happened to be in attendance as a spectator to fill the vacancy, and Governor Erik Northlander of New Magincia seconded the motion. The governors still in attendance (that were still alive) unanimously voted him in as the new governor. Corwyn gave a very short and humble speech. He has been a long-standing citizen of Britain and according to sources is a craftsman of some repute. It is somewhat puzzling why they would choose a craftsman for such an important role, but he couldn’t be much more chaotic than most of the other governors.

 

[Pawain]

Congrats Corwyn. Do they have any suspects for the bomb I placed in the now dead Minoc governers pocket?

 

[Corwyn]

Congrats Corwyn. Do they have any suspects for the bomb I placed in the now dead Minoc governers pocket?

I do not believe so. They did not appear to be too concerned with the who as much as the fact that explosives were in the room at all.

 

[Bling Crosby]

Congrats Corwyn. Do they have any suspects for the bomb I placed in the now dead Minoc governers pocket?

Your Expectation


The Reality

 

[Pawain]

Bling himself exploded and died on the spot.

Sounds like the Beta Carotene bomb worked just fine.

 

[Corwyn]

Blackthorne Just Horsing Around

Papa Razzi, Reporting


The usual monthly Governor’s Meeting that was to have taken place last month was cancelled due to “unforeseen circumstances” without further comment. It is now believed that His Eminence has an interest in G-Nome studies and has been overseeing mages and a necromancer named Frederick Krueger mutating nightmares to vary their appearances to a limited degree. Several various colors of nightmares have been reported, from deep black to red to reddish green to a bright purple hue. The nightmares have been dispersed throughout Sosaria in various out-of-the-way areas.

Tamers from all over have been spending hours every day attempting to tame these creatures and have resorted to buying “magical totems” to gain an advantage. Tamers have had a history of being easily manipulated to spend large sums of time and gold to obtain the rarer creatures to do their bidding, and this most recent hunt is no different. Rumor has it Blackthorne prefers the gaudy purple hue as it matches his pajamas and has been hoarding all of them he can find, leaving few behind and making them the rarest, thus making them the most prized.

This new craze hasn’t made things easy for the cities of Sosaria. The stables are all filled with nightmares, leaving the stablemasters and stable workers in a frenzy. Jacob, a stableboy at the Bucking Horse Stable in Britain was asked how this new craze is affecting his work.

“It’s dang crazy. I ain’t slept in a week. Those dang horses er bad ‘nuff by theyselves, but when ya got twenty of ‘em, they get real nuts. They scare the daylights outta every other critter in the place, and they set fire to the hay on the floor just cuz. Every now and again, they cast magic and I can’t move none. Then they just stand there laughin’. I’d quit, but pa would skin me alive. Pa ain’t none happy ‘bout them bein’ here neither, but the money’s good, ‘cept fer havin’ ta replace the hay and a few stable gates.”

Hopefully, this craze is short-lived and things can go back to relative normalcy. But given Blackthorne and how things have been for some time, normalcy is most likely a dream and everyone continues living in a nightmare.

 

[Corwyn]

Digging Up Trouble

Papa Razzi, Reporting


One would think that the nightmare nightmare would be enough of a crisis to make the population of Sosaria at the very least nervous. However, those that make a living seeking out buried treasure from old maps apparently say, “hold my ale.”

According to several sources, treasure chests filled with all sort of mystical relics are being dug up at a rate to boggle the mind. Old spell ingredient jars, urns, runic symbols and other conjuror materials are mingling with the usual treasure goodies… gold, gems, gems and weaponry imbued with magical enhancements. Buc’s Den Barb, a long-time gold-digger, reported that these items never before seen have a dark aura about them, adding to their allure.

“When you touch them, you can feel the power imbedded in them, and it is a cold power. I find it rather alluring, so I’ve been taking them to my home for further inspection and appraisal.”

Barb apparently isn’t the only one that finds these items fascinating. Treasure hunters from all over Sosaria are out in full force, digging up treasure and leaving holes everywhere. Apparently, dark magical items are in vogue this season because these are now becoming a commodity, with sales going up daily. Prices into the hundreds of millions of gold have been recorded on certain items that appear to be more rare than others, and they all apparently sell.

And what about this dark power these items appear to have? Well, the treasure hunters have been stirring up what appears to be a demon called “Manifestation of Evil.” It is a very powerful being that is quite difficult to destroy. It’s main power apart from its strength is the ability to create gates that bring forth Shadow Reavers to aid it in the fray. Once destroyed, the Manifestation of Evil goes back from whence it came and awaits summoning once again by the magical relics being continually found and removed from chests. One would think this would make the treasure hunters cease and desist until such time as they figure out a way to send the demon home permanently, but one would be very wrong. Instead, the greed and insanity has them all digging until it appears, calling in reinforcements, banishing it and continuing to plunder away.

Where is Blackthorne during all of this? Several attempts have been made to catch him at his castle, but he is nowhere to be found. He apparently has decided to sit back and allow the greed to take hold of the lands. Lord British would never have allowed such things to continue. But alas, Lord British is no longer here, and we are forced to have to deal with calamity after calamity. Let us all hope that there are no more disasters coming anytime soon.

 

[Pawain]

Evil is in the eye of the beholder.

Cold is the new warn and snuggly.

 

[Corwyn]

The Upcoming “Fair and Impartial” Trial of Caefa

Papa Razzi, Reporting


During the last Royal Council Meeting, the finishing decisions were made regarding the trial of Caefa, a mage that has been accused of Conspiracy to Supplant the Council of Mages, Inciting Violence, Human Sacrifice and Treason Against the Crown. The date has been set, the judges for the trial have been chosen, and the defense and prosecution has been declared. Due to the treason charge, the death penalty will be probable if Caefa is found guilty.

It is all but certain the defendant will be found guilty. Lord Blackthorne has personally handpicked the judges, the prosecutor and the defense. It is no surprise that he is relying on the governors to fill the roles, as they all constantly seek his favor.

The judges will be Loralei of Moonglow, Justin Bennett of Trinsic and Erik Northlander of New Magincia. Loralei was no doubt chosen because Moonglow is a city that caters to mages and will want to be sure her constituents are appeased. Justin Bennett runs Trinsic, a city known for having a very strict code of law and order. Since Blackthorne is the law of the land and wants Caefa executed, there is little chance Justin Bennett would render a verdict of anything other than “guilty on all charges.” Finally, there is Erik Northlander. This is a governor who has demonstrated a lack of intellect and a fondness for alcohol, so he will most likely sit back and allow the other two to decide for him.

The prosecution is being led by Clutch of Vesper. Clutch has demonstrated some intelligence in the past and is loyal to the king. He should be more than capable of entering enough evidence and an adequate spin of facts to garner a guaranteed guilty verdict.

Leave it to Blackthorne to be sure to leave no chance of being denied his pound of flesh from Caefa. While the other positions were basically voluntary, his defense was very much handpicked. Corwyn of Britain was “voluntold” that he would be acting as the defense in this trial. He has no known education credentials, and while he is decent as a businessman, he is woefully unqualified to handle a trial that will be as consequential as this. He is sure to be unprepared for such an undertaking, and his role should put the final nail in Caefa’s coffin.

 

[Corwyn]

Tragic Trial In Truth

Papa Razzi, Reporting


If there was ever a thought that the trial of “Caefa the Mad” was going to be fair and impartial, those thoughts were erased mere minutes into the proceedings. It was obvious throughout the evening that Caefa was doomed from the start, from the choice of the prosecutor, the politics of the judges and the seeming ineptitude of the defense. While there were surprises from this trial, it was obvious the verdict was in before the doors were even opened at the Court of Truth.

The first witness for the prosecution, Ava, was obviously a planted witness. She claimed to be a reagent gatherer that frequently sold her wares to the shops in Wind. According to her testimony, she was out during a full moon in the middle of the night and happened upon several robed and hooded men performing a ritual around a bonfire. She said she saw a man tied up while another man came up to him, lowered his hood, retrieved a dagger from his belt and stabbed the bound man. She claimed she could see the man’s face clearly and said it was Caefa, who she knew from seeing him several times in Yew.

During the cross-examination of Ava, Governor Corwyn, acting as defense, asked her for more details about the moon, the bonfire and where the main parties were located with respect to the light sources. Ava apparently hadn’t expected to be asked a question like this, most likely due to very poor preparation work on the part of the prosecution, Governor Clutch. She could not answer that question even after being asked several variances of the question by Corwyn and even the judges. After a while, the defense moved on with his questioning, asking Ava if she was a mage. At this, she giggled and said she was definitely not. Corwyn then asked her how she could be selling reagents in Wind when non-mages cannot enter Wind. She struggled to give any sort of a believable answer, and Corwyn, satisfied with the results, had no more questions for her.

The second witness for the prosecution, Zarina, is where this trial really went off the rails. Caefa, who had already made a few outbursts, decided to attempt to intimidate the witness with spellcasting-like hand gestures and stares. He was admonished for it by the judges, and Corwyn asked Caefa to stop the theatrics as well so he could continue. Zarina was a strong witness and did not appear rattled. She gave her testimony, stating she was in Dungeon Shame when she came across a ritual similar to the one Ava had witnessed. She had seen Caefa lower his hood and stab a man that had been tied up. He had remained hidden behind a pillar and eventually quietly climbed into the rafters for a better view.

Caefa’s actions, along with Corwyn’s handling of the first witness, apparently rattled Governor Clutch considerably. Every time Corwyn tried to ask Zarina any question at all, Clutch shouted “Objection!” and would not allow Corwyn to continue. This went on for several minutes with the judges initially siding with Clutch. Corwyn, however, continued on as best he could until even the judges knew it was going to far and told Clutch to stop. By that time, Corwyn apparently decided to move along and said he had no further questions. According to sources afterwards, this probably actually worked as well as it could for Corwyn since the prosecution started looking desperate at that point and made the testimony rather suspect for that reason alone.

The third and final witness for the prosecution was Sgt. Tally of the Royal Guard. His testimony was that during the Royal Guard’s invasion of Wind to apprehend Caefa, he and another guard named Hans Cook had found Caefa in the tunnels of Wind and told him to halt. He stated that Caefa had turned and cast a spell, killing Hans Cook with a single spell, and then continued running.

When it was time for Corwyn to cross-examine this witness, at the beginning of his questioning, objections had begun almost immediately. However, again, Corwyn did not relent and eventually got his question through. All he was asking was whether or not the Royal Guardsmen had their weapons drawn, which seemed to be a relatively innocuous question by itself. It was difficult to determine why the objections were brought. When Sgt. Tally stated they did have their weapons drawn, Corwyn explained that the Council of Mages had not been notified of the infiltration of Wind until after it had occurred. Caefa could very well have figured an attempted assassination was occurring. According to sources, Caefa, after the invasion, had told a couple of mages in Wind that he couldn’t be certain the two guards were even Royal Guardsmen.

During the prosecution portion of the trial, a book entitled “The Edicts of Arcane Power” written by Caefa was entered into evidence. This book was apparently to show how crazed Caefa was and make it appear as though he wanted the Council of Mages all dead so mages could be “unrestrained” in their pursuit of magical power. As part of the defense, Corwyn called his one and only witness Caefa to the stand. Once seated, Corwyn recited the contents of this book in its entirety for all to hear. In the entire tome, violence against the Council of Mages was never once mentioned. Caefa’s writing talked about the Council of Mages keeping a stranglehold of magic in their quest to retain power. Not a single council member was elected. Yet, they are allowed to make decisions as to what is acceptable and what is not. It is unclear what power they hold over all of Sosaria, as they keep these magicks guarded.

Corwyn next read a few pages from a book called “A Welcome,” written by Lord Blackthorn. This book had a very similar tone to the one Caefa had written. In it, it described oppression that Lord British and the Virtues created in their very existence. It also mentions that even though Lord British is no more, those that guard the lands in his name still pass judgement, looking upon the commoners with suspicion. This book discusses open rebellion against Lord British and the Virtues.

Finally, Corwyn read from yet another book by Lord Blackthorn titled, “A Politic Call to Anarchy.” This book was written well before “A Welcome” and talks about the friendship that Lord Blackthorn and Lord British had, though their opinions on the subject of the Virtues varied widely. It was Lord Blackthorn that created the Chaos Shrine in an attempt to keep balance with the Virtues, even before Blackthorn was introduced to Exodus.

Corwyn rested at this point, allowing his words to hang in the air for all to ponder. It certainly didn’t take long for Governor Clutch, wild-eyed and crazed to scream that Caefa should be found guilty and executed for his crimes. Corwyn sat there quietly and allowed Clutch to continue to show his obvious hatred.

Corwyn was allowed to give a closing speech. He stood stiffly and said in front of the entire crowd that he was basically forced to take on the defense of this trial, having no education apart from primary school. He is a simple carpenter and never followed politics or the legal process. He then stated that he still believed he did enough to get an innocent verdict, but he thought that at the very least, he did enough to have avoided the death penalty. He then sat.

Governor Justin Bennett stood then and gave a very flowery speech about the proceedings, spending a lot of time and breath and saying little. He then called for a short deliberation so the judges could render their verdict. The deliberation was perhaps a minute and not much longer, and Governor Bennett, again in a very flowery and overlong manner, pronounced Caefa guilty of human sacrifice, punishable by execution.

To put an exclamation point on how chaotic and unprofessional this trial was, Caefa stood up and started ranting about his name being a part of history forever and that the movement was just beginning. Then, he pulled a potion out of his robe and drank it. He vanished in a fiery blaze. How he was never checked for contraband is a complete mystery, given his abilities. It makes one wonder exactly how safe everyone in that building truly was.

After things began to settle and the people began to leave, Corwyn got up from his chair, took off his surcoat and threw it on the ground. He then told the three judges that he would not be running for re-election of Governor of Britain and walked out of the courthouse.

Lord Blackthorn was not in attendance during the trial. Nobody has explained why he was absent, but there are speculations that he did not want to appear to be controlling the trial in any manner. It was an intelligent maneuver on his part. He already had four pawns controlling things from within. It is a small consolation that he assumed he had five pawns, though one was actually a pawn willing to be sacrificed for the other side.

 

[Corwyn]

A Sit-Down With The Governor of Britain

Papa Razzi, Reporting


The day after the disastrous and embarrassing trial of Caefa, I decided to attempt to go and speak with Corwyn, who was the defense for the trial. At the end of the trial, he stated that he would not be running for re-election. I thought it would be good for him to explain why he made the decision he made and why he chose that particular time and location to make the announcement.

I went to his place of business and residence on Ice Island, opened the door and entered the store, which is the first floor of his keep. Upon entering, I hear the sound of a hammer on an anvil and turned to see Governor Corwyn hammering away at a large, red hot piece of iron, slowly and meticulously manipulating the piece towards whatever he was creating.

Apparently sensing my presence, he put down his hammer, grabbed a cloth from his back pocket and wiped his face and hands with it in an attempt to remove grime and sweat as best he could. He introduced himself, which I found amusing, since he is the Governor of Britain and obviously needs no introduction. I responded in kind, explaining that I run the Britannia Chronicle and would like to sit down with him for an interview should he be so inclined. He seemed surprised, which I also found amusing. He did, however, agree to do so, as long as I would give him a short time to freshen up. Instead of going upstairs, he walked out the front door, which I thought odd but said nothing.

After a few minutes, Corwyn re-entered the shop and escorted me up to the second floor. I have to admit I expected a rather simple décor, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. There was a large tapestry hanging in the stairway. At the top was a large, open area with a grandfather clock in the corner, a well maintained harpsichord sitting on a large carpet with a few other musical instruments on stands. There were three sofas also on the rug surrounding a large, low table in the center with a stained-glass lamp in the center. To the north, there was what looked like a bar area cut into a wall. The entire room was a pleasant surprise. Corwyn asked me to have a seat and asked if I’d like a drink, to which I declined. He then sat down directly across from me and asked me to begin.

Razzi: So how long have you been a craftsman? Is it a family thing, or did you decide to take it up on your own?

Corwyn: I’ve been crafting in some fashion since I can remember, really. My father was a carpenter, and I was fascinated at a very young age at what he could build with just some boards and a few nails. He was good at his craft and made items that were durable and would last for years. He showed me how to use the tools, how to stay safe, how to measure and cut and how to smooth out the wood and remove splinters. There is something very therapeutic about working with your hands. It’s very calming, and I’m glad I have been as successful as I am doing what I love to do.

Razzi: Do you have much time building things now that you are governor, or did your passion have to take a backseat for the position.

Corwyn: I have very little time to work on projects. Being a governor is more than a full-time job. I spend the majority talking with the citizens and merchants of Britain, and when I’m not listening to them, I’m in the governor office working on the endless pile of administrative paperwork. He chuckles. In all my years, my hands have never hurt more than after working on paperwork for four hours.

Razzi: But certainly, being governor has its upside, right?

Corwyn: It does. It’s nice to know I’m helping others. I’ve always taken time to help people in need whenever possible. The governor position has allowed me to try and help in very different ways. For the most part, it has been a good experience to be able to lend a much larger hand than my own.

Razzi: I was at Caefa’s trial the other day. I have to apologize for what I said in an article I wrote prior to the trial. Since I knew some of your background and I knew that you weren’t educated beyond primary education, I figured you were chosen for that role as just a body. However, you surprised me a great deal. Truth be told, I think you shocked practically everyone present.

Corwyn: You needn’t apologize. I don’t read your paper, so I never felt offended. He laughs. It is correct that I never went to any sort of college or academy. However, my brother Trinstan and I are both avid readers, and we have a library on the next floor up with several books.

Razzi: Well… it certainly showed.

Corwyn: I appreciate that. I did quite a bit of research prior to the trial. I had the weight of someone’s life on my shoulders and I couldn’t take that lightly. Life is precious… all life.

Razzi: You did everything you could. You should be proud of yourself.

Corwyn: Proud? Not at all. I lost. Losing is fine if you’re playing a game or competing in a sports. It’s going to happen to someone, and at the end of the day, you can get over the loss and move forward. But this loss… this one is difficult because the stakes were so high.

Razzi: Is this why you announced that you would not be running for governor again? You feel guilty for the loss?

Corwyn: Guilty? No… it’s not guilt. I don’t really feel like I failed per se. To be honest, there was so much evidence against Caefa that I was fairly confident the verdict would be exactly what it was.

Razzi: Then what is your reason for stepping away from politics?

Corwyn: It’s simple, really. I’m not cut out for politics. I’ve come to realize that you have to be able to compromise your beliefs for a common good. I’m not made that way. My brother says I’m naïve, and maybe I am. I want to help everyone. Being asked to be the defense for this trial gave me two options, neither of which I can really accept. Option one: I defend this obvious villain as best I can, twisting facts to suit the case to try and get an innocent verdict, even going as far as to bring up things that our king has said in the past which are better left forgotten. Option two: Sit back and do nothing, knowing that I would be complicit in the death of another human being when I am flatly against the taking of any human, elf or gargoyle life. I chose option one because I believe everyone deserves a fair trial. This one event will haunt me for the rest of my days. I will not be a part of anything like this again.

Razzi: So, what will you do now? Immerse yourself in your trade?

Corwyn: I’ll go back to what I do best. I’ll build thing. I’ll make table and chairs. I’ll make swords and shields. I’ll chisel statues. And I’ll spend time in Britain, our great capital, and help the merchants keep their shelves stocked. I’ll go back to crafting armor and weapons for the guards and army at cost, since there is no reason a soldier shouldn’t have high quality protection while they’re protecting the citizens. I’m also going to campaign for my brother Trinstan to take over as Governor of Britain. He’s much more intelligent than I am. He’s got a good head on his shoulders. He’s good at compromise and he is an eternal pragmatist. I think he’d be the perfect replacement.

Razzi: Well, thank you, Governor Corwyn, for allowing me into your home and into your mind a bit as well. I also want to thank you for your service as governor. I hope you remain successful in every endeavor.

Corwyn: Thank you. It’s been a pleasure speaking with you. I hope your paper does well. I might even buy one.

This is my first actual interview. I hope you as my reader enjoyed it. I will strive to do this more in the future. Until then, be well.