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It has been noticed that several devout worshippers of several minor gods seem to have gone missing recently. Further investigation has shown that several piles of dust have been found at said worshippers last known location. What is perhaps more worrying is that their Gods also seem to have disappeared. We are alarmed at what is happening the words of Lucy, a junior priest of the artist put it perfectly Please don’t kill us. We don’t mean to be bad, someone help us – I don’t want to be next!
an article from the Theological Times

Dr Jim has surprised us all again with his offer of a lifelong guarantee on his new medicine, which he has named Rotaway. Apparently it is the perfect cure for all those pesky problems that come with being newly resurrected. Is this the start of something big or will it just fall by the wayside?
Several customers however seem to believe that the medicine could be improved, missing a dose leads to horrible side effects, perhaps someone out there among our readers could improve it. Article from the medicine journal

Several of the streets in the Free Crescent have gotten lighter recently – it is much easier to find our way home and much safer too – no thugs are able to hide in shadows and rob us of our hard earned cash. Things are looking up.
article in the Free Crescent times

Samovar Thett used to satisfy our need for entertainment but after the closure of his Hero Pits where can the discerning patron of extreme sports go to watch the sports that they have grown up supporting? There have been numerous fighting rings that have sprung up after Thett's demise but these, as our correspondents have ascertained, they are no match for the real thing. We noted a number of former fighters in these rings but their focus has waned since the days of the Hero pits and you can see their hearts aren't in it as much as you'd hope, but what do you expect without the ever present threat of death? So where can you go to get your next fix? We at Sports Quarterly recommend a trip to the Maze as run by Anathama Device. The puzzles are fiendish, the death traps both imaginative and surprising, the range of potential routes is staggering and the cake delicious. With viewing platforms across the Maze it's easy to keep track of your favourite contender as they make their way through the maze facing new and exciting challenges every time! If you liked Thett, you'll love Device! Make the Maze your new regular destination to fulfill all your extreme sports viewing needs.
Excerpt from Sports Quarterly

Miranda Hawkins has launched a rival to Bron Zurre's Pigeon post releasing her own birds in a competing delivery network. Both masters of clockwork, each of the systems is elegant in its design however there are still some notable difference. The original network appears to specialise in speed of flight and has yet to lose a single letter. Miranda's birds however appear to be a bit more capable of carrying slightly larger packages however they lack the superlative speed of Bron Zurre's creations. Her new network has yet to be fully tested on its reliability and with the high bar set by Bron Zurre it's a hard act to follow but Ms Hawkins' creations have always shown talent and we at Factor are looking forward to seeing how the two pigeon post's perform!

Excerpt from Factor - a publication of the Glorious Equation

In a statement from the Bank today it has been announced that anyone in possession of counterfeit 'Black Rose' notes should hand them back into the bank and provide any information they can as to where they obtained them from. The 'Black Rose' tender will not be accepted as legal and the public are advised to refuse such notes for payment as their value cannot be guaranteed.

Excerpt from The City Times

The large chasm opened in the east side of the city a month ago has closed with much speculation as to who is responsible. Many groups have gone down there predominantly from the Glorious Equation and the Union but as yet no one appears to have been able to undertake any large scale repair. Witnesses to this latest development report seeing it 'repairing itself - building up stone by stone'. The latest group to have gone down there was thought to be comprised of Union members who descended around 24h prior to the event. Details are sparse however and the group was not seen emerging from the hole before it began sealing its-self up. The Union has yet to issue a statement regarding any expedition, and while residents are pleased to see the landscape repaired there are some reservations about whether the repaired land is safe to use or not.

From The Green Street Times.

Two rival aid agencies have been seen in the pantheon district helping with the rebuilding and aid efforts after its destruction by the Giant Mechanical Spider a few weeks ago. The Red Cross forces are well known as run by Raphael of the Union however the people of the White Cross are a new factor. The two forces have been seen clashing in recent days with many of the White Cross members declining access to the Red Cross and ensuring that the Red Cross cannot interfere with their efforts. These clashes have led to a worry amongst the public that the aid required isn't getting through to the right people while the aid workers squabble. This reporter calls upon the leaders of the two groups to resolve their differences to ensure the best care possible gets through to the people - in these troubled times this is more important than ever.

Article from the Green Street Times

Citizens are warned to be careful when traveling under open skies after a number of assaults by mechanical Hawks have lead to a number of serious injuries around the city. The mechanical hawks appear to be hunting the mechanical pigeons carrying messages around the city but have also taken to attacking members of the public, presumably mistaking unusual head-gear or unusual baldness as a target. Several people have been treated for serious lacerations to the head and arms as they attempted to defend themselves.

Excerpt from the City times

Amid the sea of chaos is an oasis of calm in the City. Centered upon Dr. Walter Howe's tower in the Glorious Equation there have been fewer reports of rioting, better reports of overall heath and astonishing reports of increased healing. As far as can be noted this appears to be due to an effect radiating from Dr. Howe's tower. I have mapped the area of effect, talking to many of the residence, and I have noted Dr. Howe's residence at the centre of this phenomenon. What is causing such an effect is unclear however residence have reported hearing a strange, calming low rumble in recent weeks. This sound is barely audible until you know to listen for it and, once pointed out, is hard to ignore. No one seemed to mind however and everyone I spoke to seemed to find the presence of the noise reassuring. During the course of my investigations even I started to notice a feeling of increased health and energy from my time spent in the region. I was unable to gain access to Dr. Howe's tower to see what might be causing such an effect but as I approached it was clear the the low rumble, almost like a purr, was coming from the top of the tower, just audible over sound of the watermill attached to the side of the tower. That there is a beneficial effect emanating from the tower is quite clear, what is causing it and what purpose Dr. Howe has for creating such a device is as yet unclear.

From a special report in Factor - publication of the Glorious Equation

As arranged by Madison of Mad's Men, a number of readings have been arranged across the city to provide areas of peace and calm where any my come to read aloud or listen to others reading a selection of excerpts on various themes. Many key figures will be reading at these events including Firstborn, Miranda Hawkins, Niobe, Thaddeus Winterdell and others. These readings have been remarkably safe from the chaos of the city with violent mobs not interrupting events, turning away before they reach it, and in one case, the creation of a glass dome over an open air reading to protect it from a rain of acid from the upper Pantheon district. Who provided such protection is unclear but many have benefited from the creation of these safe spaces and it has kept a beacon of hope shining brightly in these dark times.
Extract from the latest, and last edition, of Ember - a publication of the Glittering Quarter before the destruction of its publishing house.

A message played on loop from tannoy systems across the city:

“This city has only one true god of chaos, and that is me. Come out you coward, and be consumed like everything else.”

Announcements read out across the city:

“All citizens are advised to make their way as far from the Glittering District as possible. Do not attempt to take any personal property with you. Do not return to the district for pets or loved ones. Police and Union forces will restore order in due course. Panic is not productive, and may feed the Devourer.”

The Glittering District has been largely destroyed. Rains and vortexes of acid have dissolved most of the buildings, and killed perhaps half of the population. The acid appears to be coming from two sources - one ground based and another located in the upper Pantheon district. Accompanying this, frenzied cultists have attempted to boil out to devour any and all in their path. A number of temples to 'The Devourer' have popped up across the city although all those outside the Glittering Quarter have been taken down. On of Madison's readings in the area was apparently swallowed whole by the events with few survivors. Work by the police force and elite peacekeepers donated by Number 71, headed up by Liss and Raednagh just about barely manages to confine the carnage to the district, with Number 71 additionally organising some successful evacuations of survivors in a gargantuan, butterfly shaped airship. The carnage is only halted by a massive flood, which sweeps across the district and washes away the acid. Most of the refugees are now being sheltered in the great airship built by Astriam Dastolt, to the south of the City.

“Those of us in the academic community, many of whom have spent great parts of our lives studying the acid lake, take great umbrage at this apparent unilateral act of disruption to the very fabric of the world we all live in. How dare the members of the Circle, barely a degree or academic credential between them, propose to attempt something so obviously impossible and unreasonable as “fixing” the acid lake. While many have argued that the lake's new composition, that of crystal clear, drinkable water, is a boon of unprecedented magnitude to the city, we are confident that unforseen consequences of their outrageous behaviour may very well have doomed us all, in a fashion that I intend to fully elaborate in my next publication”.

The acid lake is no longer, well, acid. The water, to those who have dared to taste it, tastes refreshing and wholesome - much cleaner than the normal drinking stock of the city.

Over the past few weeks the pigeon post was greatly disrupted and several individuals were attacked by mechanical hawks. We at Hawkins Laboratories and our Head Mechanic Miranda Hawkins wish to apologies for any harm caused by these dangerous experiments and hope that we may be able to address any concerns the public has.

Astriam Dastolt has done it again, this time making a Bulletin Board System, which can be updated using his communicators from anywhere in the city. This device, dubbed the A-Net, is sure to aid in the spread of information across the city. Its first user was, of course, Mr Dastolt. In related news, Mr Dastolt was recently elected to the new city government. What lies in store for the city now this inspired young mind has a position of power?

The results of the first City Wide election are in and the votes have all be counted. People flocked in their thousands to the polling booths - a single machine in the centre of the city with many alcoves allowing many people to vote at any on time, created by Mr Jovic and Ms Mallard both of the Glorious Equation - the votes were counted and duplicate voting was prevented by the use of magical ink, marking those who had used the machine with a glowing stamp that faded after the day of the elections.

In general, public response to the formation of a council has been positive with many getting involved in the candidate debates and taking a great interest in various publicity campaigns that the candidates have put forward. A small but notable faction have boycotted the elections all together and a number of Gods, including Firstborn and Architect have declared their complete independence from the process. Overall turnout however was high and 14 candidates were elected to form a council to oversee the safe running of the city. Voting security was overseen by Krod and Locke who reported no indication of vote tampering in evidence.

The elected candidates are as follows with details of whether they have a specific seat or an area specific seat:

Astraim - General
Sylvios Brant - Canopy
Elluvia - General
Fentiman - General
Ferino Elect - General
Gaius - Circle
Roland Jovic- Equation
Lord Lo - General
Lord Montgomery - General
Niobe - Rennaisant
Number 71 - Union
Raednagh - For the Contrite
Raphael - Pantheon
Miles Reynolds - General

The first meeting of the council is hoped to convene within the next week.

…Evelyn Wrought, under-secretary to the Glorious Equation council was found dead after being caught in the violence as she was returning home…
…Simon Brand, personal assistant to Miles Reynolds was found dead in his apartments after apparently confronting an intruder…
…Lisa Tregonnan, junior copier in Mads Men, was found dead after she failed to turned up for work…
…Betty Norman, employee of the Red Cross, was killed as she was out on the streets of the pantheon district, helping in the relief effort.
…Skyward Arrow, trader from the floating market, was found dead in the river caught between two barges. He had been stabbed in an apparent mugging…
…Rory Goldette, well loved and respected quartermaster for the Glorious Equation was murdered by criminals unknown as he stood guard in front of the Equation's supplies warehouse to defend it from looters.

An article from Blood and Ink, one of the more sensationalist literary magazines.

For many months, a vicious uprising has been brewing in our City. Offended by the ease with which modern publishers can print their publications, a large group of luddites and thugs have roamed through the City, smashing printing presses and lynching engineers. This situation came to a head two weeks ago, during the riots that swept the City, when four seperate typesetters were dreadfully injured in street brawls. Thankfully, this menace has pbeen put to rest by the actions of an unexpected saviour - Alima the Puzzlemaster. Your correspondent is unsure what motivated her to take action, but in a single blow she has removed the leaders of this rebellion and cut it off at the root. The leaders, one Helveticus the Barbarian and the Unnamed Hero in Gold, are presumed dead in the wake of Alima's assault, and now the thugs and luddites are fading back into the shadows from whence they came. Hurrah for Alima!

• ”…And then I walked into the alley, and the shadows were all gone. Whole place lit up like the daylight I remember from home. Weird thing was there was no one their save for this rat. Must have had more than I thought, cause I swear its eyes were on fire.”
• ”…no, I think it's an upcoming collector's edition note or something - got it from my cousin who works at the bank. Can't be worth anything though - see the black rose where the magical doo-dad normally is?”
• ”…Turned his back so I hear! Architect is no longer in Mr. Brant's good books and where Brant leads who knows how many will follow…”
• “I'm telling you man, chicks dig scars! Just look at Ferino! He's got an amazing dueling scar. I'm thinking of copying it…”
• “What have we done to deserve all this eh? All we ever did was live and worship here. Just because them bigwigs in the sky pantheon think they're so clever… doesn't mean they can rain acid down on us whenever they like! I tell you I won't stand for it.”
• “Look, I'm telling you - don't try and go back. You can't. Winterdel has his men crawling all over that section of the Divine Quarter and they won't let anyone in or out. I have no idea what they're trying but I heard bad things happened to the last lot who tried to sneak in to find out whats happened to their homes…”
• “You remember that rain the other day? No not the wet one, no, not the burning one either… the other one that seemed to be being dropped from the passing airship. Right… yes, that one. So I was with Ashely and you know how he's been covered with chains for years, right? Well not any more - that last rain (no, not the burning one) washed them clear off. They writhed and if I didn't know better I'd almost say they looked panicked. Then his flesh did this strange thing where it bulged for a while in a fighting manner but then it was gone and so were the chains. Ashely seems ok though, shaken but ok. It looked like the airships were flying across half the city dropping stuff - I wonder how much they got in the end? Hard to hide from the rain.
• “Can you hear that?” “What?” “Its just recently in the Equation District I think I can hear some kind of faint rumbling sound.” “Yeah, right.”

• Mads and Rolly sitting in a tree…
• While I support the organisation of a political system, in the interest of maintaining neutrality I hereby abstain from this and all subsequent elections
• What did we ever do to you? Death from the sky! It burns us!
• Try the cake!