| 05-15-09
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| Confessions: The Tale Behind the Murder of Jon Paul
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| By, Alise Athins
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| We now know how Lord Jon Paul died. Lady Moria, Marchioness of Negev, explained in a letter to the realm, which we have copied in it's entirety;
Nobles of Fontan,
Today justice has been done. I urge you all to set aside the divisions of the recent past and remember the true virtues of Fontan: tolerance; duty; honour; the rule of law.
Many months ago, at the start of my last term as Supreme Justice, I was approached by the Chancellor on a very delicate matter. She had been given evidence by Lord Sulliven that there was a traitor deep within the highest echelons of our society, passing military secrets to Sirion. The evidence pointed to Duke Richard but was not sufficiently substantial to bring to trial, and Lady Katalynfae rightly insisted that it be investigated further through the most confidential of channels.
A warrant of execution was prepared and issued to a trusted agent, the identity of whom is known only to myself, and affixed with our state seals as authorised under the democratic mandate of the nobility of Fontan. Lord Sulliven added his seal to ensure that no door would remain barred and the trail was pursued wheresoever it might lead. But our quarry was a traitor of the blackest competence and managed on several occasions to confound our efforts to unmask his identity: the botched search of Marshal Ertugrul's manor was arranged to undermine the Chancellery; a spate of attacks attributed to Elven agents removed vital witnesses; dissension in the military academy and assembly paralysed the apparatus of the realm; and the attempted assassination of my own sister as she ferried humanitarian supplies to our friends in Ibladesh was calculated to implicate Duke Richard further.
As the web became ever more complex I came to believe this shadow menace would never be stopped, but the investigation continued and I dissembled. However as Lord Sulliven became increasingly fixated on Duke Richard's apparent role in the conspiracy I was unearthing, still I lacked the vital piece that would link all together and provide conclusive proof of his guilt or innocence. At that time I also imagined the Duke to be the hidden hand and attributed the actions of his apparently innocent apprentice to some greater scheme. I now know that to have been wrong and I publicly apologise to Duke Richard for having doubted his loyalty to Fontan.
The breakthrough in my understanding came unlooked for. An acquaintance in Ashforth with an interest in finance came into possession of an accounting book, detailing irregular financial transactions by a number of local merchants, suspected smugglers profiting from the war with Sirion. Some of their shipments of luxury goods were traced back to a consortium of merchants operating in An Najaf under a monopoly issued by Lord Jon Paul.
You may recall that when the case of the Democratic Congress -v- Lord Jon Paul came to trial I had the regional accounts of An Najaf audited as part of the investigation, and at that time I was suspicious of certain irregularities which gave the merest hint that the Count might be evading his tax liabilities. However as with much in this investigation the evidence lacked the substance required by a court of law. In this new set of accounts I recognised the same hand, capable of massaging figures with extraordinary care. The false trail to Duke Richard was now laid bare for what it was, as was the incalculable malice and lust for power with which it had been prepared, for I no longer had any doubt as to the identity of the traitor.
I considered warning the Duke, but with the increasing tensions regarding religious freedom I was concerned that he might accidentally arouse Lord Jon Paul's suspicions.
By this time Lord Sulliven had realised the grave mistake he had made in supporting Lord Jon Paul's ascendency as General and sought to rectify it, only to find himself outmanoeuvred. Had I acted at that time I should have saved Fontan much trouble and Lord Sulliven his life, but I still needed to know whether or not Lord Jon Paul was acting on his own account or as the hand of a greater power. I did however warn the Guild Master to double his guard and prayed to Darton for the best.
However I had gravely underestimated the speed with which matters would spiral out of control and with the assassination of Lord Sulliven and many of his closest advisors - for assassination I can now reveal it to have been - Fontan seemed close to collapse. I weighed the evidence and considered making it public, but the Count renewed his historic attack on the judiciary and it became clear as the assembly once more devolved into chaos that the man could not be tried successfuly in open court.
Therefore with a heavy heart I gave my agent the go-ahead to execute the warrant. This morning Lord Jon Paul attended a private meeting at the Lions Guildhouse in An Najaf where he expected to meet with the Senior members of that worthy guild to offer them his peace. I can reveal that the Count not only intended to assassinate these nobles, but to claim that they had themselves sought to assassinate him. To this end he had a message apparently from the Guild delivered to his manor and travelled to their foundation apparently without bodyguards.
What he didn't realise was that the messengers he sent to Lord Elberan and his confederates were intercepted and under duress agreed to falsify the responses. By the time he reached the Guildhouse his carefully placed assassins had been neutralised, and execution of the warrant proceeded without incident. He died as he lived: a traitor to all he professed to hold dear. A traitor to Fontan. A traitor to his Wife. A traitor to the Church of Ibladesh.
Lady Moira, Marchioness of Negev
Supreme Justice Duncan has opened an investigation into the matter.
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| 05-14-09
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| The Lion's Disbanded
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| By, Alise Athins
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| With the emmigration of Chancellor Katalynfae, the sponsorship of the Lions and the Democratic Guard (who were formerly sponsored by Lord Jon Paul) have passed to me. With a sad heart, I disbanded the Lions so that Fontan could move on from the mountains of turmoil that had plagued her the last month. The Democrat would like to honor all of the fallen hero's of the Lions who gave their lives for Fontan as well as those Lion's still alive, who have served Fontan with zeal and pride. May the name of the Lion's always live on through the memory of their deeds
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| 05-14-09
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| Jon Paul Dead and a New Chancellor
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| By, Alise Athins
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| Lord Jon Paul, Count of An Najaf, was found dead near the Lion's guild house in An Najaf. Many believe he was murdered. Upon hearing of the death of her husband Chancellor Katalynfae left Fontan. Her brother Zadek was elected as the new Chancellor. The new Chancellor has told us that the Lady Katalynfae has traveled to Beluaterra to inform Lord Jon Paul's brother's of his death.
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| 05-14-09
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| Turmoil Over the Lions
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| By, Alise Athins
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| Earlier this week the Lion elders met, and voted to disband the Lions army. This caused quite an uproar. The Lions have long served as the backbone of Fontan's military. There has not been an enemy of Fontan that has not feared the Lions ~=K.D.F=~ banner. Recently it was also reveled by a former Sirion noble who had turned Fontanese that Sirion even plans their military movements on the movement of the Lions.
After the loss of their Grand Master, Lord Sulliven, and quite a few of their knights, the Lions were a shadow of their former selves. Financing troubles also added to the burden. The Elders decided that they would not disgrace the Lions name, and wished for the army to be disbanded. Chancellor Katalynfae, who had become the Lion's Sponsor after the mysterious disappearance of Lady Kira, refused to disband the army, reasoning that it was too valuable to Fontan. Quite a few nobles protested her decision.
Also during this time, the feud between Lord Jon Paul, and Supreme Justice Duncan became ugly. Lord Jon Paul accused The Supreme Justice of treason. The Supreme Justice fined Lord Jon Paul citing that he did not provide any evidence to back his accusation. Lord Jon Paul spoke out again, and was fined again. Two motions were then started in the assembly, on for the impeachment of the Supreme Justice, and the other for the banishment of Lord Jon Paul
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| 05-14-09
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| New Duke of Karbala
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| By, Alise Athins
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| Through the chaos of recent events, it seems we forgot to report on the final results of the election in Karbala. The people of Fontan have decided that Lord Requiem, former Lord of Oberndorf and Sordidus, as well as former Marshal of the Fontan Strike Regiment, is the new Duke of Karbala. The Democrat congratulated Duke Requiem on his new position.
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| 05-01-09
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| The Infamous Guy Caught
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| By, Alise Athins
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| Guy Revan, notorious Sirion infiltrator responsible for assassinating many prominent Fontanese such as Chancellor Katalynfae, Duke Richard and Count Jon Paul was caught today by Lord Armstrong's guards. May Supreme Justice Duncan give him what he deserves.
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| 05-01-09
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| Duke of Karbala
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| By, Alise Athins
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| With the mysterious death of Duke Lionheart, the Dukeship of Karbala is open, quite a few candidates have put themselves forward. Here are their names, and reasons they believe they should fill the position:
Drake
I am running to get more involved. I am sick of not knowing what is going on in this government. I have been a knight of Karabla since the fall of Bruck with the war with Perdan. Although I am new to this I will do my best for Fontan. Please put your trust in to me.
Jon Paul
I am running for the Dukeship of Karbala as it is a very important city. The income will allow me to better sponsor the DG and of to send gold to the Lions. They are our elite army and will need the support. I will also distribute gold each tax to each of our marshals/armies determined by their need. I will do all in my power to strengthen Fontan and promote Democracy. The Democratic Congress I revived will assist in my plans for the duchy as well as my Hopes for Fontan. My family Motto is Honor in Service, Serve with Honor. Though most of those that have recently died, have done all they could to tarnish my name, They are dead. May the Gods of what ever faith they professed, bless them and keep them, and may they find the paradise they have each earned by their own merits. For Fontan!
Kacher
I wish to continue the good of Duke LionHeart since his untimely passing,Karabla is a very importamt city,it being the closest to Avamare and Fontan,making it a valuable rally point,a chance to attack Sirion.I also wish to Sponsor an Army which was disbanded after the fall of Avamre when Sirion took it during the 4v1 war the 'Dark Angles'which was used to defend Fontan's boarders against Sirion.I could also give gold to those willing and send out food to cities in need.
Luke
I am a long serving and loyal member of this realm, who has previously administered Greatbridge, giving up my Lordship there in exchange for peace with Westmoor. I know what it means to sacrifice for this realm, and I have proven my dedication. I wish to move into this area of realm administration, and I hope that you will honour me with your vote.
Requiem
May 2nd will mark the two year anniversary of my arrival in Fontan. It has been a long journey where I have witnessed onced cherished Dukes go mad and do the unthinkable. Fontan needs a loyal, levelheaded and experienced noble to be Karbala's next Duke. One that can keep his cool during the most heated debates and puts Fontan's interests before his own, so history does not repeat itself. I have previously spoken about my credentials and goals and do not wish to further take your time, but I want every noble in Fontan to know that your concerns will not fall on deaf ears.
Tal
I have served the realm for 600 days as Marshal of two of our armies, Lord of Troyes, and Chancellor. As Lady Katalynfae said, it is time for Fontan to unite. We need to come together to heal the wounds in Fontan before we can hope to defeat Sirion. As Lord of Karbala I would do my best to foster good will between our nobles as well as support the war effort. I do not believe another army is needed at this time but perhaps I could take over the sponsoring of one of our current armies. Therefore I would be honored to receive your vote should you find me worthy of this duty.
Theros
My first and foremost focus will be on aiding Fontan's military. I will be looking to optimize Karbala's recruitment centers, paraphernalia, and aiding the armies of Fontan with excess gold. I will not be creating any new armies, all excess gold will go straight into funding armies already in existance. Much as Lord Tal has said, I too wish to help mend the social wounds of Fontan. The first thing I will do in this objective will be to announce Karbala to be a city of open preaching. I believe this is very important if we are to come together as a realm, and as I am not affiliated with either religon, it will be easier to be an unbiased mediator. Under my rule, Karbala will prosper into a city of concious and freedom, a rally point for our hope, and for our dependance on one another. I have seen a unified Fontan accomplish the impossible, always snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. I wish to see those days once again, and hear Fontan roar in victory!
Thorius Furion
I come from a family with close ties to Fontan, my father was a Chancellor, my brother, died valiantly in a duel with Cartor Curs, the Caligus judge while we were at war. But no, I'm not asking for your support by family connections. Currently, I'm a former region lord, and member of the FA. At this very moment, new facilities is not the priority in Karbala. Our priority is to get our gold into the hand of our nobles, and ensuring Karbala is running smoothly, so that we can place as many nobles in the front. I may be strongheaded at times, but I truly believe all my choices, are for what's best for Fontan. There are times we can negotiate, and times we must stand firm.
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| 05-01-09
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| We're Back!
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| By, Alise Athins
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| After much due consideration I have decided to reopen the Democrat. Quite a bit has happened in Fontan since are last publication, and recently quite a bit of turmoil has hit. I will try and briefly recap what has happened since our last publication.
After the loss of Avamar we kept the war in a stalemate for some time, before it turned south. We eventually signed a peace with Perdan, Caligus, and Westmoor. The contents of the treaty can be found here. Sirion and Old Rancagua were left out of the treaty after Sirion went behind their allies backs, and offered us a separate peace in which we would ally against Perdan, Caligus, and Westmoor. We continued the war in the north versus Sirion and Old Rancagua with our allies the Sultanate of Asena. After some time, we signed into an alliance with Westmoor, and they joined in the war. Old Rancagua was destroyed, the Sultanate took over their capital and last city of Oroya. We continue to make marginal aginst against Sirion.
Durring this time, Lady Katalynfae replaced Lord Mikhail as Chancellor, and Lord Mikhail has since disappeared. Katalynfae's brother Zadek replaced her as Chancellor for a time, after she was struck by lightning. I replaced Lord Malfurion as Minister of Defense, then was replaced by Lord Jon Paul. After some controversy, and an assassination attempt on his person that left him seriously wounded, Lord Luke replaced Lord Jon Paul briefly. In the ensuing election, which occurred this morning, I replaced Lord Luke. Minister of Finance Elberan, and Supreme Justice Duncan both still maintain their positions.
Now on to more recent events. In the past few weeks, Fontan has been thrust into turmoil. It started when Lord Jon Paul, then Minister of Defense, called out Lord Sulliven and the Lions. He was upset over the Lions retreating from battle in Sermbar, when he had asked them to stay. After awhile this calmed down, and it was voted that the Lion's maintained tactical freedom.
Before the debate over the Lions had ended though, more controversy struck. Lord Jon Paul, who had recently become a member of The Church of Ibladesh, declared that the Flow of the Balance was no longer allowed to preach in his region of An Najaf. This turned into a heated debated with insults flying between the two factions, mainly between Lord Sulliven who supported the Flow, and Duke Richard who supported the CoI. The Flow declared the CoI evil, and began a religious war, which is still bring harm to Fontan's regions. It was eventually voted that the Flow was to have preaching right in every region in Fontan, while other religions would need the lord's permission to preach in a region.
In the midst of both these controversies, there were calls questioning General Jon Paul and Supreme Justice Duncan, though both were quelled.
After the controversies, quite a few nobles mysteriously died, including Lord Sulliven and Duke LionHeart.
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| 05-08-09
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| Tournament in Isadril
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| By, Alise Athins
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| doombringer Menethil, King of Caligus has announced a tournament of Joust and Swordfight to be held in Isadril 7 days from now.
There will be a charge of 15 gold for every participant. The winner will be rewarded with 1000 gold in addition to the honour and prestige that his victory will earn him. There will also be a reward of 400 gold for the second best.
All nobles of the continent are welcome on the tournament grounds on the day of this event.
The Democrat wishes luck to all the participants.
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| 05-01-09
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| World Recap
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| By, Alise Athins
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| After signing a peace treaty with us, Perdan went to war with Tuchanon V and Caligus went to war with Ibladesh. After some time, Caligus offered Ibladesh a peace treaty, Ibladesh accepted, but Itorunt refused it. Caligus droped out of the war, and Itorunt and Ibladesh still fight. The Tuchanons repelled Perdan and Itorunt off the walls of their last region and city of Isadril quite a few times. Perdan refused to let Caligus aid them in taking the city, even though the city was supposed to got Caligus. The Tuchanon leadership eventually agree to a peaceful integration into Caligus.
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