You have been taken by the Mists

Author Topic: Le Lunaire - Quartier Ouvrier's Monthly Publication  (Read 933 times)

Half Moon

  • New to the Mists
  • *
  • Posts: 13
  • Troublemaker
Le Lunaire - Quartier Ouvrier's Monthly Publication
« on: May 30, 2020, 03:13:28 PM »




THE MAY ISSUE

It is hard to believe that May is about to end. Such a dramatic month it was! From the changes in the Young Company, through latest scandals surrounding the nobility of Port-à-Lucine, to the formation of an illegal militia, known as the Quartier Watch, May barely gave us a moment of respite. Anxious that you might have missed something? Worry no further! Le Lunaire is here to provide you with the latest news from and about our neighbourhood.

Thank you for picking up Le Lunaire, and hopefully we will see you again next month.

- Maxime Silvain, co-editor



Spoiler: THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN OF LÉON • show

THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN OF LÉON
by Maxime Silvain

The dangers of wandering the streets of Ouvrier at night are well known to us all. Gangs of common thugs and cutpurses rule the night unchallenged, and their bravado lures even more people into their ranks with the promises of excitement or simply a better life… and sadly, such promises appeal not only to the adults, but also children.

The number of orphans and street waifs involved with gangs is disturbingly high, yet at some point it became part of our everyday existence. Perhaps after seeing one too many the shock of it wore off, and now we simply don’t notice their small figures running through the darkness.

But that changed a few days ago.

A young girl tried to sneak into one of the illegal checkpoints of the “Quartier Watch”. She was small, nimble and cunning – a perfect fit for this job. Perhaps she would have succeeded in whatever task the gang told her to complete, if not for a wicked snare she stepped on.

There was nothing that could save her. Her name will fade into obscurity, as she becomes another faceless victim of the night, another drop of blood spilled in vain.

We need to face the unpleasant truth – our community failed this little girl. While her life might have been cut short by the vigilante’s trap, it truly ended the moment we decided that she is not important. Children are the silent victims of poverty. How many of them do we pass by on the streets, while they beg for food or money? How many of us spare them another thought in our day?

Yet I am not here to pass the judgment on us. Too many have done that already, and I am all too familiar with their thinking. Instead, I came here to ask for a favor.

I ask of you, dear readers, to protect the greatest treasure of Ouvrier – our children. There are ways of stopping them from joining the ranks of local gangs or picking up the life of crime to survive. If we break this vicious cycle of violence, perhaps we can have a generation of young men and women who can go on and become our nation’s brightest, and perhaps even change the course of the history itself. The same generation, which would otherwise die to bullets or blades.

The time of waiting for others to save us is over, ladies and gentlemen. Aren’t we more than capable of keeping our children safe?

Nothing can return this poor little girl to life. However, we can keep her memory alive by making sure that no other child follows her footsteps.


Spoiler: SUSPICIOUS DISAPPEARANCES • show

SUSPICIOUS DISAPPEARANCES
by Brigitte Mimieux

Over the last few weeks, young women have been disappearing in our streets. While there is not much known of what is transpiring, it seems agreed upon that these are most likely kidnappings, though the reason for why remains speculation for many.

Sadly, it does not seem like an official Gendarmerie investigation is taking place, and there is no advertisement requesting information leading to the arrest of those responsible. War-time or not, such neglect has plagued our community for decades.



Spoiler: SIGHTINGS OF MERCENARIES • show

SIGHTINGS OF MERCENARIES
by Brigitte Mimieux

While talk of this so-called “Quartier Watch” spreads like wildfire in the city, some ascribe to them virtues - such as taking it onto themselves to finally clear our streets of crime - and some (not including the legal press of the government in describing them as “enemies of the state”) demonize the group as “child murderers” regarding the incident of the girl falling victim to one of their snares.

But we do not hear much talk of the mercenaries that walk our streets and do much the same with broad blades. Foreigners and Dementlieuse citizens alike, the loss of life due to their reckless actions has become immeasurable.

One such sighting cites a blonde woman in tan pants and black riding boots, wearing a thick silver chestplate. Strapped to her arm was a great shield and in her other hand a longsword. It is said that she cut down three children, then left them to bleed their life out on the cobblestones. What is most chilling, is that according to witness testimony, the woman was decisively of Dementlieuse origins.

How far down have we fallen?



Spoiler: THE POETRY CORNER • show

THE POETRY CORNER

FAREWELL
Farewell,
To those who remember my voice.
There will be no more laugher,
No song, no time to rejoyce,
No happy ever after.

Farewell,
To those who remember my touch.
There will be no more hunger,
No pain, no wounds left to clutch,
We are not getting younger.

Farewell,
To those who remember my kiss.
There will be no more weeping,
No warmth, nobody left to miss,
We will all soon be sleeping.

Good riddance.

- Fredric, 18 years old.


DREAM OF A BROKEN HEART
“Where has your fire gone?”
I left it to guard a fawn,
as
No glance was ever cast.

“Where has your spirit gone?”
I left it by the dying swan,
and
It rose like a tall mast.

“Where has your love gone?”
I left it with you at dawn,
for
Our love will never last.

“Where has your heart gone?”
I left it back in my home,
with
Memories of the past.

- Marianne, 27 years old.



Spoiler: OUR READERS SAY... • show

OUR READERS SAY...

"What's with all the masked foreigners walking around the Ouvrier? Are they a part of some cult?"
- Jeanne, 54 years old.

Maxime: Perhaps they’re trying to start a new trend in Ouvrier? Soon we might see even beggars wearing horned masks!
Brigitte: Maybe they are members of a circus passing through, seeing the sights.

The Gendarmes care enough to outlaw vigilantes trying to protect us, but won't come here themselves - why is that, really? Some people say they're scared, but I don't buy that, has to be a real reason.
- Agnés, 30 years old.

Maxime: Let’s not be too harsh. Our brave Gendarmes are quite busy with the war effort, aren’t they? Perhaps there are simply no people to spare?
Brigitte: It is more than likely that they are just not allowed. Maybe in the past we could have hoped for some intervention with these scoundrels, but definitely not when Falkovnians are looming across the lakes.



Spoiler: ADVERTISEMENT • show

COME TO LA MUSE ENDIABLÈE

For the best drinks, company and music in Quartier Ouvrier!


Do you have an opinion to share? A question to ask? A poem to show or a business to advertise? Any and all inquiries are accepted. Send a letter addressed to Mlle. Brigitte Mimieux or M. Maxime Silvain, at Jacques Roussin's Tenements.

30.5.775
« Last Edit: May 31, 2020, 06:01:42 PM by Half Moon »

Half Moon

  • New to the Mists
  • *
  • Posts: 13
  • Troublemaker
Re: Le Lunaire - Quartier Ouvrier's Monthly Publication
« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2020, 05:22:32 AM »


SPECIAL ISSUE

We never knew the true Raymonde Tremblay. The only picture we had of her was that of a vapid noble, who perhaps had good intentions, but lacked both the knowledge and tact when it came to the matters of the common people. Her death, while certainly unfortunate, would have little impact on the life in Ouvrier and Marchand, and perhaps would have stayed nothing more than a brief curiosity that we could write about, if we had not received a curious letter.

The letter came in a thick parchment envelope, sturdy and carefully sealed with unmarked wax. Inscribed within, we found a series of serious allegations that, when taken into careful consideration with all of what is already known, shine a bright light on the noblewoman’s final days.

This issue is dedicated to the memory of Raymonde Tremblay, and to her spirit. 

- Maxime Silvain and Brigitte Mimieux, co-editors


Spoiler: THE GREAT TRAGEDY OF RAYMONDE TREMBLAY • show

THE GREAT TRAGEDY OF RAYMONDE TREMBLAY
by Maxime Silvain

We were all aware of Mademoiselle Tremblay’s marriage to one Jacinth de la Rochenoire, currently the commander of the Young Company and Warden at Sainte Mere-des-Larmes. Considering his insistence at addressing his wife as “Madame de la Rochenoire-Tremblay”, and the rumors that his interests laid not in their marital bed, but in another member of the Church, it was easy to assume that this union was nothing more than a political arrangement of two noble houses. But the truth is more complicated than that.

When Mademoiselle Tremblay’s nephew was abducted, his kidnappers gave her family an ultimatum – pay the ransom of three and a half million Solars or never see their child again. Three and a half million Solars is an immense sum, even for a noble family.

And that is when de la Rochenoire presented the Tremblay’s with a deal.

The family itself is well-known for their charity work, and surely at least some of us are familiar with it. This situation was not that much different. Seeing the tragedy that befell the Tremblay’s, de la Rochenoire offered the following –  two-million and a quarter thousand Solars, which would go towards the ransom, in exchange for Mademoiselle Raymonde’s hand in marriage and one-fifth of the family’s sugar plantations back in Souragne. A generous offer which would not only strengthen both houses, but also save the life of an innocent child. However, there was a problem.

You see, both parties of the arranged marriage were already sworn to or in love with someone else. We all read the letter written by the Baron of Duchbourg, and are familiar with the transgressions on behalf of Mademoiselle Tremblay – her attempt at blackmail that was supposed to ensure titles for her and her husband, the heathen marriage with the disgraced Alix Martineau. But are we aware of the transgressions on her husband’s side?

First, how do you marry your son, a Warden of Ezra, to a heathen? The solution to this question is less savoury than some would hazard. According to the letter, de la Rochenoire offered the Bastion a generous sum, in order to convince them to allow the marriage. At the time the Church was apparently aware of Jacinth de la Rochenoire’s alleged affair with another member of the congregation, but the money was enough to convince their authority to give permission for this union.

Now that the two of them were married, the money promised for House Tremblay would be transferred, and the life of their heir would have been saved by the charity of de la Rochenoire.

The child was, instead, saved thanks to the intervention of our local Red Vardo Traders branch, according to our anonymous source within the organization, not the generosity of de la Rochenoire. In fact, the promised sum of  two-million and a quarter thousand Solars was never paid, spent on the numerous gifts the family made to the Church of Ezra.

With the child safely in his mother and father’s arms, there would be no need for the money, one would argue. And you would be right, if not for one small problem. De la Rochenoire still had their eyes on the promised sugar plantations, and how would they get them if that part of the deal was not kept? Legal recourse and our sources point at the answer; an annulment of their union.

Mademoiselle Tremblay made this part of their plan much easier with her indiscretions. Jacinth de la Rochenoire schemed to use it to undermine her position in the Young Company, and have a messy divorce, which would be easily faulted on Mademoiselle Tremblay. After all, de la Rochenoire reputation suffered tremendously because of that (and not their hiring of twists and foreigners as retainers, or other scandalous antics they are often accused of), so they would surely be awarded the promised plantations as damages, and harm any chances mademoiselle Tremblay would have at receiving a title. Then, Jacinth de la Rochenoire will be free to marry his lover and perhaps even move away from the hustle and bustle of Port-à-Lucine to Souragne.

While this itself would be a considerable weight to have on one’s shoulders, Mademoiselle Tremblay suffered not only in her private life, but her professional life as well.

Spoiler: THE SCANDAL AT THE THÉÂTRE DE LA CATHÉDRALE • show

THE SCANDAL AT THE THÉÂTRE DE LA CATHÉDRALE
by Brigitte Mimieux

As a great lover of arts, Mademoiselle Tremblay put a considerable amount of work into Théâtre de la Cathédrale. In recent time the Théâtre was buzzing with various activities, from auctions to poetry nights, yet many noticed that one thing was missing from it – actual plays. Although recently they have been advertising their new production “I Want To Be Your Songbird”, it is not an original scenario that the general public hoped for, but one of the works of late Maîtresse Verinne van Haute. What could be the reason for that? Lack of creativity? Surely not, with the variety of events offered. Not enough actors? But the City of Lights is full of them, just waiting for the chance to shine. The answer, according to our source, is the management.

Our anonymous confidant claims that Madame Francette Vaillant, current manager of the Théâtre uses this institution solely for generating revenue. Gouging collaborators up to forty percent of their earnings and pocketing a majority if not all profits. Even worse, she is adamant at occupying the spotlight, and reacts with aggression if anyone comes close to threatening it. When one of the performers hired by the Théâtre decided to argue, she ordered her retainer to throw all their work out, in an act of punishment. She even went as far as to reject a complete script written by Mademoiselle Tremblay, unwilling to have anyone but her have any creative input in the Théâtre’s success. Even getting the tickets for “I Want To Be Your Songbird” requires a steep payment that ranges from from 500 to 5000 Solars, effectively barring the less affluent citizens of Port-à-Lucine from enjoying Verinne van Haute’s last work. It’s worth reminding that the late Maîtresse kept the doors of the Théâtre open for everyone, requiring no fee to watch her ingenious plays. Théâtre de la Cathédrale used to be the place where people of all backgrounds could find a sense of camaraderie in appreciating the high arts our wonderful city has to offer.  Now this respectable institution is nothing more than a sweatshop, with its employees slaving away to fill the purse of Francette Vaillant.


Spoiler: THE POETRY CORNER • show

THE POETRY CORNER

INK HEART
Voices of dark nature,
Swirling inside my mind,
They tell me to seek my answers
Of questions of which I’m blind.

I see the world with black eyes,
Unveiling the truth of things covered by veils,
Golden men dressed in silver, adorned with expensive lies.
And where I hear laughs, I hear wails.

I dream of horrible secrets, whispered by unknown lips.
My body trembles, but nonetheless I need to wake,
I weep of dread and things I don’t understand,
My floor is blackened by the tears I drip,
But nonetheless I have to wake up.

The colors I bring are nothing, but a charade,
Because my heart is made of ink,
And I see nothing but shades.

- Unknown


Spoiler: ADVERTISEMENT • show

COME TO LA MUSE ENDIABLÈE

For the best drinks, company and music in Quartier Ouvrier!



Spoiler: EPILOGUE • show

EPILOGUE
by Brigitte Mimieux and Maxime Silvain

With all the provided information, the suicide of Raymonde Tremblay takes on another, more sinister note. Was she tired of the social backlash she was facing? Were it manipulations of Jacinth de la Rochenoire that pushed her towards it? Was being stifled creatively another factor? Or perhaps it was her last, brave effort at making sure that her family’s holdings will remain secured from the very people who abused her so cruelly, while pretending to be her friends and family? Sadly, we will never know. This, like many other things, Mademoiselle Tremblay took with her to the grave, yet even there she was not allowed to rest. Her funeral was disrupted by a group of Gendarmes who came in looking for Alix Martineau, showing little regard for the grieving family. Francette Vaillant, on the other hand, tried to hijack the ceremony, just like she’s done with the Théâtre; by stealing the spotlight from the deceased. Jacinth de la Rochenoire’s attempts at pretending to be a grieving husband only added insult to the injury. We offer our condolences to the family and true friends of Mademoiselle Raymonde Tremblay, and hope that her memory will not be forgotten.


Do you have an opinion to share? A question to ask? A poem to show or a business to advertise? Any and all inquiries are accepted. Send a letter addressed to Mlle. Brigitte Mimieux or M. Maxime Silvain, at Jacques Roussin's Tenements.

06.15.775
« Last Edit: June 17, 2020, 04:13:47 AM by Half Moon »