Intermission - News in Flint! Report

General Summary

Macbannin Guilty! In the aftermath of his suicide minutes before he was due to appear in court, Mayor Reed Macbannin was found guilty of multiple counts of Misappropriation of Royal Assets and Conspiracy to Defraud the King. Until the investigation into Macbannin is complete, Governor Roland Stanfield has noted that "...the role of the Mayor's experiments into Cauldron Hill and the subsequent corrupt nature of his magic cannot be downplayed. Until further notice, magical experiments on Cauldron Hill are forbidden and visitation to the hill will be limited until a full accounting of Mayor Macbannin's actions is complete."   Skyseer Funeral. Renowned Skyseer Nevard Sechim passed away on the 18th day of Summer. A state funeral, attended by Governor Stanfield and the King's Principal Minister Harkover Lee was held in Kaybeau Park in the Central District. No official number was given for attendees, but estimates number into the thousands of grieving Flint citizens present.   War and Peace. The Kaybeau Armament and Technology Exposition dominates the main festival grounds of Flint this month, but the city is already preparing for the peace summit between Risur and Danor. Scheduled for early next Spring, the summit will see the rulers of the two nations meet and discuss a long-lasting peace. The famed minotaur arbiter from Ber, Brakken of Heffanita, will moderate the negotiations. Security is expected to be high.   Weird Illness. Goodson’s Estuarial Reformatory has become home to a growing population of unstable people, now numbering nearly thirty. All of them suffer from a condition doctors are calling Distant Madness. Suspected to be a magical affliction, perhaps fallout from the events on Cauldron Hill in the summer, the condition causes victims to feel physically displaced and unable to tell how far away things are. The afflicted men and women hail mostly from Parity Lake. A few cases were reported in North Shore, but the wealthier victims have the resources to afford magical alleviation.   What Horror! Police are investigating a new bizarre serial killer in Central District, who first struck in the middle of summer. The authorities are unsure of a connection between the five victims, save that all of them had suffered massive head trauma.   Wicket Gates Coming. Enthusiasm in the city is mixed concerning the burgeoning subrail tunnel system. While the well-to-do are willing to put up with the hassles of large construction projects, poorer Flinters worry that they won’t be able to afford this new travel system. Proposed fees at the toll booths—called wicket gates—will just be 3 copper per juncture.   Worsening Corruption? In the wake of Reed Macbannin’s downfall, more people are claiming politicians, nobles, and even police officers are part of a culture of corruption. Flint City Governor Roland Stanfield commented to say, “Corruption is a constant in any large city. What has changed is the growing voice of the people who support our great modern nation. We must listen to those voices, because opportunities to truly improve society are rare."   Wunderbahn. A bill in Parliament is being considered to levy a salary tax on the entire nation to fund construction of a wider railroad network. The city governor of Shale, Catherine Romana, has proposed a counter bill that would fund what she calls the Dream Road, “a roadway more in keeping with Risur’s wonderful traditions.” Rather than paved roads or rails, Romana’s road would require the creation of hundreds of magical portals connecting every village, town, and city. However, the magical reagents required to activate the portal would cost over 100 gold shields to transport just a handful of people. Romana’s opponents in Parliament call the idea preposterous.