News - Turn 8

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Editorial in the Font of Illumination

“Never has our city seen darker times. Rioters rule the streets. Crazed gods and scientists kill thousands with not a moment's hesitation. The law abiding majority who care about our future's voice is unheard among the screams and flames. One man has the vision to save us from this. One man foresaw this, and has the answer. Sylvios Brant cares about our city, and through his newly proposed government, he will restore our city to its glory, so recently squandered by fools and madmen. Many of you fear tyrants - he is no tyrant, for he promises a free and fair vote to establish the new regime. He promises peace, prosperity and safety, and all right thinking citizens should support him”

The city has been flooded with pamphlets advertising the new constitution and laws proposed for the city, and recruiting for the new police force. Common opinion is heavily behind the proposals, as are the leaderships of the Contrite, Renaissant and remains of the ground-level Pantheon. The Union and Equation have not commented either way. Elections for the new leadership are scheduled for a week after the next convention.

…and the coverings have finally come off the building recently bought by Madison of Mad's Men and kept shrouded in secrecy for so long. A Library of staggering proportions and design has been unveiled with unprecedented custom from the day it opened. The array of books is phenomenal the outside design was truly undertaken by an artist. At initial inspection there appears to be plants made from living paper growing up the outside of the building - each leaf covered in writing and each new flower bud appears to be similar - we at 'Ember' cannot wait to see what each bloom holds!

From the pages of Ember - a magasine popular in the Glittering Quarter

An interview with Frederick Branden, a mage from the Circle:

“It was just a few days ago. A bunch of us had been trying to see what was up with the changes in the Fettered District - you know they'd all merged into some horrible mass a few weeks back? So anyway, we're trying to get samples from the buildings when the whole thing shudders and writhes, like a squid's tentacles when you first catch it. Suddenly it, kinda, explodes - little chunks of it fly off, but where they landed they flowed away like water on a duck's back. Then the whole mass of buildings kinda sagged and sunk down into the ground. That whole area's smooth as glass now, and I don't think anyone's been brave enough to walk across it. Still, all the chains are gone here, though I hear they've been appearing in pockets across the City.”

Unreliable Messengers? Trouble in the streets? Unable to conduct business and ensure your loved ones are not in a burnt out wreck?
Use Air Mail! The new delivery system devised by Bron Zurre allows you to send safe and secure messages to your friends, family and business partners with swiftness and directness.
Just ask for his new Clockwork Birds and you need never worry about a message not getting through again!

From an advert in Factor

“Sometimes you wonder what it's all for. I've been across twenty odd worlds in my time before I ended up here. A lot of them, I got into some scraps. Sometimes people were having at me. Sometimes I was maybe engaging in a bit of pillaging and the locals objected. One day could be fireballs, the latest some natty crossbow the local tech-wizz has put together. Always seemed fair though. Few of them after you and yer mates. Sometimes people died, sometimes they didn't. That's how fighting was meant to be. Not like it was this time.

Masked men in black uniforms, weapons spitting out death for dozens wherever they pointed them. Barely any war cries, just cold methodical extermination, killing everything that moves, that godforsaken wrong ways up pyramid-eye thing staring out from their clothes at you, and behing them all, that unstoppable metal monstrosity, towering over buildings, instruments of death botled on every surface, and that blood soaked thing sitting atop it, laughing as death rained down around it. And what's worse, we all know where the weapons came from, them that was killing us. Everyone in the city recognises Winterdell's weapons, but I stake what's left of my poor life that no one does anything about it, not even that high and mighty Sylvios Brant, and you know why? Because they're all cowards, and Winterdell and whatever that thing he's allied with was are the biggest bullies of the lot.”

”…large numbers of an unknown force levelled large areas of Glorious Equation territory today, the destruction spread from the central area to the Street of Old Bones. Hundreds killed, and several important individuals including the reclusive Ozarc of Thren missing presumed dead. How will the City recover from the carnage of the last two weeks?”

Last week a great storm cloud formed above the city, where it remained for several days, as large balls of hail rained down from the sky, the greatest of which being the size of footballs. There is an estimate of about a hundred injuries and fortunately no fatalities, however there has been a large amount of property damage. The appearance of this unusually large storm has disconcerted many in the city, leading to suspicion directed towards the Pantheon, who deny having anything to do with the hail. Despite this it appears that a small group has formed in response to these events. Calling themselves the “Servants of the ever-approaching-icy-one” this small cult views the storm as a harbinger of an approaching god of cold, but so far there has been no substantial evidence as to the cause.

Sermon from the Matra, Guardian of the Grove

“Woe is among the city, for truly times are dark when the forest herself burns with rage at what has become of her neighbor. For our sins we are judged unfit to wander within the calm glades, we are spurned and cast out. There is only one way to calm her rage - those responsible must be purified in her holy fires!”

Smoke is clearly visible on the eastern horizon, and a cursory examination reveals that a considerable portion of the forest is on fire

An article from Outreview, a noted critical pamphlet

“While some degree of underhanded competition is part of our fair district's long tradition of artistic feuds, we find this recent trend towards more extreme measures deplorable. The lead actor suddenly finding himself possessed of several additional and uncooperative appendages mid show is one thing, but the same lead having his throat torn out by a shadowy nightmare is simply beyond the pale. What is more, it has ever been considered bad form for such disruptions to impact upon the audience, but whoever is responsible for these latest transgressions appears to have no such qualms. Attending the theatre has become a vastly more nerve-wracking duty of late. Connections to the murder of a young philanthrophic couple and the 16 year old daughter of a wealthy merchant are unclear but they did seem to suffer a similarly bloody, if somewhat less public, fate.”

I feel that the government is the next step our great city should take, to help us grow and become as powerful as those around us. No-longer petty squabbles have to be solved by a knife in the back on some dark night, you can now take the offender to court for breaking the law. I believe that the law should help prevent the riots that filled the streets this past turn, for there is now someone for the common person to turn to, the government, receive justice as all are equably accountable under the eyes of the law
address by Elluvia to the city

With the sudden disappearance of the Darkness, many citizens of the city are rejoicing at their new found freedom to traverse and area previously fraught with danger. The river and canal are now safe to travel along while large stretches of prime retail have become available. In a stroke of prescience, a number of investors from the Glittering Quarter have already stepped in to begin refurbishment and restoration of the region in the name of the Renaissant. William Derse has been lauded in the past as leading efforts against the Darkness and it seems that his efforts have been worthwhile!

Extract from the City Times.

Let it be known that the restoration of the river is due to the power and the benevolence of the great Goddess of the River, Yun Her Fei. In her weeping for the state of the river she has restored it to it's glory. Through her actions we all might sail free once more!
From a pamphlet released on the floating market

The River has indeed been restored after a sudden rush of water that is assumed to come from the centre of the city. The rumour is that a goddess restored it and that she was somehow linked to the floating market. However where she is now is unclear but there is a large up-swelling of support for her due to the newly free flowing river.

Many have commented recently on the two most prominent advertising campaigns released by Mad's Men over the past two weeks and we at the Green Street Times feel need to comment. There has been a lot of positive feeling put forward for the God architect in recent days - pointing out all he has done for the people of the City and how he has put others before himself in all he does, how he has encouraged the blossoming of new arts and sciences and supported those unable to afford the things they need to achieve greatness in this life. Then there has been a campaign of defiance against Architect - an up-welling of feeling surrounding the questions 'well, just what has he done for us recently?' and 'What's so special about him then? It's not like he's unique'. This Campaign has pointed out that he can't even keep his own temple safe, with its recent altercation with Illusio's famous Black Rose. Both Campaigns have employed the new Airship Adverts and this has led to a number of dog-fights in the skies over the city by the rival groups. However both campaigns are expertly led by the same Person. Madison of Mad's Men.

Just what is she up to? Both campaigns are well executed and as ever she operates a high level of professionalism but it seems to add to a zero sum for Architect so just what was he paying for in the first place? It's not clear who is behind funding for the 'anti-architect' campaign but whoever it is, it's clear they're not exactly getting their money's worth either. Even the airship dog fights appear to be no more than a large theatrical stage production. Certainly many business owners are asking themselves if working with Mad's Men is really worth it if a certain amount of processional discretion cannot be guaranteed.

Editorial at the Green Street Times

From the pages of “City Tech weekly”
….and Astriam Dastolt appears to be taking yet another step to revolutionise city life. Not content with being the largest supplier of airships in the city, this captain-turned-inventor has created a device for long range communication. Being no larger than a moderately-sized backpack, the Astriam Dastolt Personal Communicator allows a user to talk to another with the device from anywhere in the city by punching in a code. This works due to an ingenious usage of a series of relay systems installed in airships above the city. With all these technological innovations grabbing public attention it seems everyone is asking just what will the creator of the city-ship make next?

When the clouds are parted above you, the sunlight beaming down feels noticeably warmer and more pleasant.

• Overheard in the Quarter of Iron Bells. “You know how to get quick treatment right? Tell the nurse something interesting about what you've seen in the city and the Doctor will see you quicker than anyone else. Yes I have had a bang to the head, what of it?”
• “Have you seen Boris recently? He was last seen sneaking onto the floating market, said he was going to see whether he could get any easy pickings while it was stranded in the Circle District… yes I know it was a stupid idea but he left yesterday and he's not come back yet.”
• “You heard what they found right? In an abandoned temple in the Iron Bells Quarter? Several piles of dust and a couple of skeletons - as if a service had been going on and then suddenly… *poof* everyone dead. Just like that”
• “I'm sorry, but there's no one left to come to temple to day. They're all dead. I tried to get more but… there's just no one. Everyone is claimed already Sir, or dead, it's only me here now.” - Barnabus Ritz (aged 10) - newly appointed high priest of Gringus - God of the Thread.
• “Has anyone seen a shrubbery go past here?”, ”…You what?”

• In its darkest hour a new hero will step up to defend the City. With the skill of a master thief and the powers of a god of the city, only one can save us now. Their name: Elluvio.
• Vote Ferino! Oh go on.
• Gods taste delicious.
• The end is coming.
• Fight the system now that it exists.
• Fools! I am no mere god!
• They're all dead! Everybody's dead! There is no one left to mourn.
• Anti-Architect will feed your souls to his unstoppable clockwork spider.
• Come to the peace garden. It has all the peace that's left.
• Ok, I am not responsible for all of this.