May 7th 2021 - Hak Update 2_25a - Open Test
May 2nd, 2021 - Persistent Rental Guidelines
April 15th, 2021 - Server updated to version 2.25f
Recent Posts
The Deferment of Guy Maurice
On the 8th of May a revolutionary darling and popular figure among the working classes of the Quartier Ouvrier, Guy Maurice was taken to the Palais Dirigeant to face execution for Libel, Sedition, and Insurrection. His crimes were deemed to be a capital offense by the Gendarme Nationale and he was escorted there with a large force of Gendarmes under the direction of Lieutenant le Vicomte Ambrose Descartes. Guy Maurice was brought before Madame Guillotine to face justice. A large crowd soon formed including a group of protesters that called for the execution to be halted. His innocence was proclaimed by his supporters.
As a group of gendarmes began to arrest an activist known as Simon Brosse at the order of Caporal Jacques Boucher, Councilor Dominic D’Honaire arrived after Brosse shouted if the council could hear him. The councilor exited and stepped toward the guillotine where M. Maurice was being held. He soon declared that Maurice’s sentence would be commuted to fifteen years at the prison island of Pierre du Mort. Soon, the crowd began to disperse as gendarmes escorted M. Maurice to the docks. However, a heavy bank of mist appeared in which a fishing vessel soon crashed into the prison ship, sinking it to the bottom of the docks.
As all the gendarmes and sailors on the vessel swam to safety, gendarmes began to take fire from an unidentified assailant as sailors began to clamor for attending to the wreckage during the chaos of battle on the streets. M. Maurice was then escorted back to the Gendarmerie as sailors and dockworkers began to pick at the newfound wreckage in the harbor to continue their work. Several gendarmes were injured during the street fighting as the streets emptied, leaving an uncertain air on the streets of the Quartier Marchand.
Creighton Norville
Kidnapping at the Bazaar!
A brazen kidnapping has occurred outside of the Grand Bazaar on the 10th of May. The body of a Lecuyer bodyguard was discovered with there bullet wounds on his person which led to a frantic search as a witness overheard a woman screaming to be let go by an unknown assailant that shot her bodyguard dead. A frantic search began for the missing noblewoman of the illustrious Lecuyer line. Immediately accusations from bystanders insinuate revolutionary agitators and malcontents with ties to the Quartier Watch including the infamous Felix Toure who has found local fame and support in many corners in the Quartier Ouvrier. At this time further information is unavailable pending a gendarme investigation into the murder of a Lecuyer retainer and the kidnapping of a noble lady from the Duchy of Chantres.
Creighton Norville
End the Cultural Drought
“Uncultured”. The word cuts like a knife to those who prize art, propriety, and societal achievement. Culture defies the lesser standards by which the legacy of Lords, Sefeasas, Dames, and Lady-Governors are measured. An enlightened society values the stroke of a brush as much as it values the stroke of a sword, because an enlightened society is aware that expression of the mortal condition has worth that cannot be weighed with gold or spices. A country without values beyond the material is just a despotism awaiting ruin.
For decades, citizens of all the Four Towers Treaty nations have looked to Dementlieu for culture and stability. For years now, however, the Three Towers have instead watched in horror as the Fourth has crumbled under its own weight.
The city and its elections have become a nest of violence that rivals the most boring clichés about Borcan society. Dementlieu has descended into bloodshed and anarchy: open warfare in the streets, numerous noble coups, and the deafening silence following the circumspect narrowing of the political field for Culture Advisor. And every day, Dementlieu relies more and more upon foreigners to produce art, music, and even scientific innovation. This is not culture.
This humble writer makes no suggestion as the suitability of Sieur Regnier Chaboteaux, Chevalier of Tannegarde for the office he aspires to. What is obvious to all onlookers, however, is that free elections should never have come to this.
The law of Dementlieu says that the Lady-Governor selects her Culture Advisor, and may call elections if they so choose. I beg the Lady-Governor to post-pone elections, either to select a man with proper experience herself, or to allow the field to properly widen. Mordent, Richemulot, and Borca are watching. The Core is watching. You cannot water a tree with blood and lies, and expect it to bear anything but poisoned fruit.
Henri Deschamps
The Spotlight - Sieur Regnier Chaboteaux
This issue our spotlight is cast upon Regnier Chaboteaux, Chevalier de Tannegarde who is a candidate running for the Council of Brilliance. At the time of this issue he is the only candidate running for the open seat for Councilor of Culture.
Sieur Regnier you belong to the noble House Chaboteaux. Can you tell us about your upbringing?
My father was stern but fair. He had high expectations of me, of everyone in my family, but I rose to meet those expectations and exceed them. He was a military man and so it was only natural that I would follow in his footsteps. My life as a child was regimented; I was constantly kept busy and the man who sits before you is the result. The indolent and lazy in the commons complain about such a life in the workhouses, but it makes for a well-rounded and hard-working man. The habits you have in your youth stay with you when you are old.
Sieur, you are a military man. Can you tell us about your military career?
I’ve served twice. Once during the Executioner’s Campaign as a petty officer when I was much younger and again when they [Falkovnia] invaded six years prior. Honestly, I did not see much action then. There was a fear the Falkovnians might traverse through Lamordia and smash into Port-a-Lucine. Of course, we later learned they’d take a more direct approach, but such were our worries at the time.
During the Executioner’s Campaign, I managed to kill five Falkovnian talons. They gave me a run for my money, but as ferocious and fearsome as they fought, they couldn’t compete with a man fighting for his homeland.
Is it through military valor you became knighted?
Correct, monsieur. The Council of Brilliance saw me personally recognized for my courage and bravery and, should I be chosen to join their number, I will see others who demonstrate courage and bravery justly recognized as well. For example, I imagine several acted with distinction at the Battle of Plessis Forest against the perfidious and opportunistic House Vennier and their dangerous, radical allies here in this very city.
Can you tell us your thoughts on the recent turmoil surrounding the election and the assassination of Jacques Varteur and the ensuing chaos on the streets?
I did not agree with Varteur’s politics in the least and yet you can be certain that I saw the man’s death as a tragedy. At the very least, he seemed to largely agree that violence is the language spoken by barbarians and brutes and that it has no place in our country’s political discourse. I worry that those who claim to be champions of his pet causes will be less devoted to peaceful means. After Plessis Forest, things seem to have fallen into an uneasy peace, but I do not know how long that might last, especially given the madness that unfolded in the days leading up to it. People need to go back to work. Normalcy must be restored in the Quartier Ouvrier and lawbreakers and vigilantes need to be brought to justice.
Some in the city speculate that because of the exceptional happenings around the city that the election is unfair and therefore should be postponed. What are your thoughts on those sentiments?
I would urge them to look back to a couple of years ago when the so-called Provisional Government tried to hold elections. Of course, we know now that they had no intention of actually doing so, and the ‘postponement’ was a cynical delaying tactic. Of course, I would not dare to assert that the rightful Lady-Governor and Council of Brilliance would do such a thing. They understand the importance of keeping things on track. I mean only to draw contrast and to highlight differences between our current government and the illegitimate one that ruled over this country for so long a time.
Given the climate of the city of late, how can the gentry reassure that they can make life better for the common people?
Fewer hours, more days off – that’s nonsense. It seems people do not recognize the value to be had in a hard day’s work, but here’s the truth of things. The most destitute Dementlieuse man or woman lives far better than any man or woman anywhere else, especially where our next-door neighbors are concerned. The word ‘slavery’ is bandied about by the rabble-rousers, but they have not any idea as to what that means. I do. It’s a common tactic by the Falkovnians to use those whom they see as chattel as human shields, or for screening and causing confusion among the enemy. So, I know a thing or two about what ‘slavery’ looks like. In Falkovnia nothing belongs to the individual. It all belongs to the state. They take their wheat to feed their armies, and they are entitled to take even more should they deem it necessary. By contrast, our taxes go to feed those who do not provide for themselves. The gentry routinely gives to charities and contributes to the common good. What I am trying to say, monsieur is that most people fail to realize just how good they have it. That is, of course, not to say that there are not challenges to be met. Every man and woman in Dementlieu ought to be well-fed, and there ought to be no empty bellies in the Quartier Ouvrier or anywhere else in our country.
What can be done better to improve the quality of life of those who work full weeks, yet remain destitute?
I believe the Council of Brilliance’s stance toward debt bondage is something that could be applied to other reforms. Those who offer higher wages to their employees can receive subsidies and financial incentives to offset the cost of labor. In this case, the carrot is a far better mechanism to utilize than the stick. Everyone knows about our rich culture, but Dementlieu also should be lauded for its industry and those who lead us into greater discoveries and innovations. We ought to not alienate those with a mind and acumen for business, else we may lose that advantage.
Do you believe there is room for reform in the Republic’s agriculture given the reliance on foreign foodstuffs?
Certainly, but most of Dementlieu’s arable land is to the east. We ought to spread out. I believe we ought to see the savage and barbarous Valachani pacified. We’ve yet to have them fully answer for the vile raids against your former countrymen in Mordent. I would make them answer for that, I would work to see a colony established in Valachan; the land is mostly untamed forests that we can see cut for lumber, and the land, or so I am told, is well suited for all manner of products. But more generally, we have a limited amount of land to work with and it will prove difficult to get the noble families to change from profitable and luxury goods and what has low margins and yet everyone wants. Thus, the only real option is to expand out and widen our circle of influence. We as a society have only fought wars of defense, which while commendable, has constantly meant we are on the back foot.
That is a bold proposal to be certain. Do you believe Dementlieu has the means and political will for this proposal?
Dementlieu almost certainly has the means. The will? Well, I believe we could. What happened six years ago should have been a loud enough alarm. Why what happened less than a year ago should have been loud enough an alarm. Some people remain asleep even now.
What are your immediate goals when you are elected as councilor?
My first act would involve publishing a list of that which I would see censored. That way, those who would pen vulgar, licentious works that are not fit for the stage cannot tell me they were not forewarned well in advance.
Are there any recent performances that seem particularly troubling in your eyes?
I cannot say I was fond of “Arachnea” especially since my money went towards its production. I’ve yet to attend to anything held inside the Jalabert playhouse since it came under new management, but needless to say that when I am elected to the seat, I will be keeping a close eye on what is performed on its stage. My detractors will not be able to accuse me of being unfair; I will make what is allowed and what is not aware to them.
Both the Opera and the Theatre de la Cathedrale utilize many foreign actors and actresses, particularly from Borca. In the debate, you mention concern over many foreigners taking jobs from Dementlieuse citizens. Do the origins of foreign performers concern your stewardship of culture?
I have an appreciation for Borcan opera, but I think I would like to see Dementlieuse stories being told preferably by Dementlieuse actors and actresses. I haven’t a problem with foreign actors and actresses, provided they respect our customs and traditions. Sometimes that isn’t readily apparent. I also don’t think hiring foreigners whilst Dementlieuse citizens with talent in the Quartier Ouvrier go overlooked and ignored is a trend we ought to encourage.
Last question: How do you incentivize Dementlieuse talent and increase the accessibility of Dementlieuse productions as M. Varteur raised concerns about?
I would happily support subsidies being given to theatres and opera houses that favor hiring the Dementlieuse over foreigners. We need not look beyond our borders for great performers necessarily, they could be in this very city, we just don’t think to check. I would likewise be in favor of financial incentives directed toward some of the workhouses perhaps working with these institutions and offering a half-day to workers, so they can attend a show. It’s something I would be more than happy to offset the cost for.
A taste of culture: A review in vintage
Dear citizens, guests, and enthusiasts of Port-à-Lucine
I wish to address a topic that takes an important place in the hearts of us all: The matter of wines.
This season has brought to us a variety of excellent selections and it is my intention to make light of their individual strengths and relative shortcomings.
Today we shall have a taste of the explosively popular Sang de Leon, a Damas wine harvested in the year 768. Rather, I should say we will have a look at it because its light blue hue and sparkling bubbles immediately draw the attention of every connoisseur; but how well does the showy wine hold up against the competition?
The Sang de Leon's true strength is the distinct and flowery aroma, backed by the more faint note of the cedar barrels it matured in. A glass of Sang de Leon easily pleases the senses even when it is held at a moderate distance and imbues every sip with the same, strong aroma; however, it fails to leave an impression in the aftertaste, making it a fleeting joy that is never quite sated.
I conclude that the Sang de Leon is a pleasant distraction; a flamboyant but innocent flirt without commitment – perfectly suited as company to a snack buffet or as a conversation piece for a glamorous reception. For these reasons, it is a worthy addition to the prestigious Artois lineup, but it falls short of its siblings once the sparkling presentation has gone and fizzled away.
F. Engels
As always, L'Observateur is always looking for new contributors both full and part-time. Send us submissions at the Presses or seek out M. Norville for more information.
I took warding gesture (undead) on a lvl 7 sorcerer cleric 1 (total lvl 8 ) character, and it does not seem to be working. According the feat description, with my boosted +7 CHA modifier, I should be able to fear undead that fail a DC 21 will save. I tested this feat 9 times on groups of skeleton knights in the crypts; so far it has not worked.
Since it doesnt seem likely that all these skeleton knights passed a DC 21 will save consecutively, I think that this ability may not currently be working.
ATTENTION
The banishment of the Christians from the Municipality is hereby LIFTED. They are once again granted the privileges of entering the Municipality, of enlisting new members and of leasing property.
May it be known that this decision was not made lightly. Those responsible for their misdeeds have been punished, and those that remain have worked tirelessly to restore their reputation and to amend their past mistakes. Any who would flout our rigid standards will promptly discover that they have overstayed their welcome within our fine city.Lance Corporal Cosmin Onciul⚖️ VALLAKI BOUNTY AND COMMISSIONS OFFICE ⚖️
[/quote]⚜ ATTENTION! ⚜
The individual known as ALUSAND FERSQUING, sentenced to banishment from the lands of Dementlieu for past crimes, has returned to the city of Port-a-Lucine as designated ENVOY OF BLAUSTEIN.
In consideration to her newly-appointed diplomatic status, Mlle. Fersquing will be offered safe passage within the country as her duties necessitate.
Let it be known that this withholding of judgement does not constitute a pardon; her sentence stands and her banishment will resume upon the conclusion of her duties as envoy.
Pour la République,
⚜ THE GENDARMERIE NATIONALE DE DEMENTLIEU ⚜
Grand Library in Port-a-Lucine. If you go up on the left side on the first floor you come out on the right side on the second floor and vice versa.
