These notices are found scattered throughout the Montezzi domain, though some inevitably make their war into the Upper City too

To those who read this,

As we all know, our city is rife with the frenzied murmuring of gossip mongers who speak of all manner of sinister and dark things that the Prince and his men of Montezzi get up to in their time. I need not recount them here.

Yet what I will do is challenge each and every one of you to think for a moment instead of blindly accepting what is whispered in your ear, even by those you trust the most. I ask that you consider not only the context of the rumours, but their true origins as well.

I will serve none of you any elaborate propaganda in a contrived attempt to diffuse the rumours you hear. What I shall do is relate to you the events of Alturiak 17 Year 153 as I saw them through my eyes, clear and simple. On my honour I will not infer anything or subtly manipulate my language to convince you of anything in interest of myself or my companions. Here are the events of today as I saw them, unsullied by deception or crafty rhetoric:

I rose early and took to the streets, as is my duty. I walked amongst the streets of every district, and listened. I heard first of the great 'exodus' of people from the Canal Ward, which would be handed over to House Montezzi in a few hours time. Yet oddly I then heard for the first time of scarcity of sources of clean drinking water in the district. I then heard for the first time too of a great sea beast attacking vessels plying the Dark Lake. I wondered at this on my way back down to the fortress.

As I finished recounting these rumours to the Prince, a Spellguard Agent inquired upon us. He was ushered in with the utmost courtesy. We handed over the Order's equipment we had obtained after one of their faileded Spellguard assassination attempts on the Prince. The Agent then asked us if we had an answer to the Spellguard's offer to install their wards in our fortress free of charge. In light of mysterious events in which a great many of our workers in the fortress were incinerated only a day before the Spellguard asked us insistently for the second time about these wards, we respectfully declined.

More rumours then reached us of the massive exodus from the Canal Ward, people having been prompted to do so by the Spellguard. In an effort to allay their concerns, the Prince wished to make a public speech. I was sent up to make a sending. Upon arrival, a Spellguard Agent greeted me in the Herald's stead. He informed me that the sending system was currently broken, and that I could not send any message over it. It was functional after the speech, which had to be made public by scattering fliers about the city hurriedly.

Later, I departed the fortress with the Prince and thence into his newly-acquired domain. We visited first the halfling diviner Linda Knowing, who was halfway through packing when we arrived. Upon introducing himself politely, the halfing shook with fear and asked of the Prince for him not to suck her blood or slay her. Visibly aggrieved that anybody would think he would do that for pleasure or by custom, he asked softly why she thought he would do so. She answered in reply that that was what everybody was saying. The Prince then asked her to stay, and gently allayed her concerns. Her chief concern was that she would miss out on a Spellguard payout of 4000 coins for her property if she was amongst the 'first wave' of those leaving the district. A larger amount was offered for her to stay by the Prince which she agreed to. He bid her farewell, and departed.

The time of the speech arrived. The Prince outlined his plans and defended his character when it was called into question, answering all queries with the truth despite knowing full well it may upset some people. Specifically, he told people of his Lady; she was said to be very unique, and was indeed known to drink the blood of Rinaldo's sworn enemies, yet only after they were first defeated fairly and thence offered mercy. Yet those gathered became bewildered and outraged at this honest answer from the Prince. The speech finished when it became clear some wished to cause a scene, and the Prince and his retinue bid everyone good eve and walked away.

Out of the shadows then came a man garbed in the sordid filth of the Sewers. Strapped to his chest was a vest of explosive powder, and with an unmistakably alien frenzy and fanatical fervour did he rush at the Prince and his men. Before we could react, the area exploded into a consuming inferno. My memory then draws to a close, and next I find myself gasping for air on the cold stone of the Cave Lord's temple, my body a broken and seared mess of burnt flesh. The blast had apparently claimed me and Guardsman Bert, and so too nearly three others, with a few children nearby badly burned as well. Without hesitation, a silent and stern Prince paid for our return to the living with coins won during daring raids on drow and orog slavers. On our way to the fortress to debrief, cackling men in the shadows threw old fruit at the Prince, yet he would not be brooked to violence over such a thing, even before we later found those men to have been paid by the Spellguard to throw the fruit.

Dismayed and wracked with painful burns, I retreated to my quarters. A welcome closure to a momentous day.

Once again, I only ask that the next time you hear a rumour -perhaps one about Montezzi men strapping explosives to citizens and ordering them to explode themselves in the streets for their amusement- that you think carefully about whether or not it may have sprung from fact, or from the machinations of an interested party.

Pyotr Ignatiev