|
The Amian Recorder
"An Independent Press for an Independent People"
Front Page Story:
SCOUT DIVISION LIEUTENANT DESERTS POST
Shock, disappointment, and dismay consumed the Cordorian Guard earlier this week when Evetal Savannah, the lieutenant of the Cordorian Guard’s Scout Division, failed to report for a briefing in the Guard Watchhouse on Monday. Within hours of the briefing, it became clear to the Guard and to the city government that Savannah, along with two dozen members of the Scout Division, roughly half of those presently enlisted in the Guard’s scouting unit, had not only allegedly deserted their posts, but had also allegedly deserted Cordor.
Captain Saelier Zeyriel addressed the public at a press conference this morning, making reassurances that the Scout Division was still fully functional even when operating at half capacity, and that measures were already being taken to bolster the unit in Savannah’s unexpected absence. “Although Cordor is thankfully in a state of peace, it is important that we remain prepared in the event of future terrorist acts within the city. The safety and security of the commonwealth is not only our duty, but the Duke’s primary concern.”
When questioned about the disappearance and suspected desertion of Lieutenant Savannah, Zeyriel was not at liberty to comment.
The blow to the Scout Division of the Cordorian Guard comes on the heel of recent problems within the Guard itself. The Captain of the Adventuring Guard has been a revolving door with inconsistent leadership since the retirement of Phenwick LaMont; public unrest is high in the largely unguarded district of South Cordor, where citizens complain that criminal elements such as the Black Flag and suspected crime lord Boss Miller operate largely unchecked by the law; Mark Dorne, Captain of the heralded Law Knights, lost eight men in a raid of the Black Flag headquarters, housed beneath what used to be the Chamberpot bar in the southern district. Morale within the Cordorian Guard has been consistently on the decline.
“Things have not been the same since terrorism became a concern in Cordor,” Officer Goodman of the Cordor Guard said. “It has brought a lot of fear into the community, against criminals, against adventurers, even against those of us who have dedicated our careers to upholding the law and protecting the citizens. In the line of duty, it sometimes feels that the people cannot tell the three apart.”
When asked why Lieutenant Savannah may have deserted, most of those closest to her in the remaining Scout Division could only speculate. “A lot of things have happened to us, to her, over the years,” said Larissa Aramie, a senior in the Scout Division’s Delta Squad. “Its tough being a scout, logging all of those hours in stakeouts, watching criminals go about their business like they were just anybody else. It’s rare when you catch the real threats breaking the law, and when you do, its disheartening when you can’t make the charges stick. Lack of evidence. Circumstantial leads. Public defenders arguing criminal rights in the courts of law. I’m not saying our justice system is flawed. It works to protect the people. But it can be disappointing to see your blood, your sweat, your tears amount to nothing.”
She went on to say that if Lieutenant Savannah did desert the Scout Division, it would be hard to bring her back in to face charges of treason against the state. “But I would do it,” she added. “That’s the pledge I made. We live and die by the law.”
Hector L. Carlton, Cordorian Chief Justice and member of the Duke’s cabinet, agreed with Aramie. “It is important to see that justice is done, and that a sense of vigilantism and lawlessness do not become the status quo for a commonwealth that seeks first and foremost to govern itself righteously before men,” he spoke in an address during the recess of the emergency Joint Cabinet Meeting to discuss cross-department budget allocation. “To simply ignore the alleged desertion of a high-ranking officer in the Guard when it seems clearly motivated by a sense of stalled or inadequate justice is to invite others to equally take the law into their own hands.”
The Recorder attempted to reach retired Guard official Lieutenant Galverson for perspective on this story, but he could not be found for comment. Sources indicate that he has not been seen since Monday.
*******
Fresh off the boat and looking for honest work? Need some supplementary income for the full Cordor experience? Enjoy lots of travel?
Try SPEEDY'S MESSENGER SERVICE! Entry level courier positions open NOW! Start getting paid IMMEDIATELY on hire! No experience required! (But plenty gained)
See Frugo Till at Speedy's Delivery Service for more details
*******
EMERGENCY JOINT CABINET MEETING CALLED
Last week Duke Montgomery D’Cordor’s chief clerk announced an emergency cabinet meeting to be held in the Government Building this week to discuss cross-departmental budget allocations. The Duke’s cabinet members are meeting regularly throughout this week in closed-door sessions to discuss the city’s budget.
"We are approaching a turning point in the fiscal year,” Cabinet member and Finance Minister Joseph Maximillian said when asked about his reasons for calling the meeting. “This cabinet session will resolve most, if not all, of each of our department's solvency concerns. I am very optimistic about what the future will bring, not just this next quarter, but for the next generation."
Matters of the city’s budget are not an uncommon discussion amongst the Duke’s Cabinet, nor is the process of calling an emergency joint cabinet meeting. The last recorded instance of an emergency joint cabinet meeting was two months after Duke Montgomery’s banishment of Lolthlite drow from Cordor, when all governmental departments were called together to discuss the proclamation’s impact on the city’s revenue.
Some departments of the Cordor government have expressed concern over possible budget cuts. “You would be flabbergasted at the amount of paper and ink I have to go through every day just to keep the bureaucracy running,” Franton, the Duke’s chief clerk, commented. “The Records Department spends roughly 50,000 gold per annum on basic document supplies. Ever since my tenure started in the department I have done my part to cut corners on expenses in order to avoid a budget cut, but with Cordor being a hub of immigration, necessitating countless hours of scribing and folios of paperwork to nationalize citizens, as well as a merchant capital requiring hundreds of mercantile invoices a day, its not easy to pay anything less than premium.”
Gertrude Heinemann, a librarian at the Cordor Library in the eastern district, does not wish to see any downsizing in their department, despite the fact that many have speculated the library could suffer a lack of government funding due to the enormous libraries available at the Mystran Monolith and the Loremaster’s Guild in the Storyteller’s Triumvir. Both of those competing libraries are, logistically speaking, within a stone’s throw of Cordor. “A library within Cordor continues to remain important for the city’s local interests, and the contributions we make to local education and to the arts, I hope, will not be overlooked. We cannot compete with those other libraries without the necessary funding, and any scaling back of our budget is merely going to broaden that competitive gap and negatively impact schools, businesses, law offices, and even the merchantry.”
Other departments are rejoicing, believing this cabinet meeting to be a sign of good things to come. Renee Flowers, a spokesperson for Sympathy for South Cordor, has been petitioning the city government for considerations in the new budget every since their application to be recognized as a legitimate charity was recognized by the Duke. To her, the emergency cabinet meeting promises to bring good tidings. “We just received a sixty-page document outlining and detailing a fiscal plan to beautify South Cordor,” she said. “It was drafted by an archcouncillor at the Mystran Monolith, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed that this meeting means we’ll have the support of the city in promoting a renewed civic pride in the southern district.”
“Ultimately, there is little cause for concern,” said Marge Inavera, a statistical analyst working under Minister of Finance Joseph Maximillian. “Cordor is nowhere near bankruptcy, and any shifting of funds will be marginal. All it takes is one little change to have a huge impact on the city’s prosperity.”
*******
THE AMIAN TRADER'S AND CRAFTER'S FEDERATION is looking for customer service representatives in and around the city(ies) of Cordor, Kholingen, Wharftown, and Forrstakkr. Particularly interested in academically trained appraisers, artificers, and loremasters. Ambition is a must, and sales experience highly preferred. Please see an active Federation agent for an introduction to Director Hartman.
// Thread is open to any IC reactions and responses. No OOC, please.
|
FAQ
Search
Login
