Don’t worry dear reader, I don’t use the word treason lightly. In fact, there are many cogs that must turn at the right time for any kingdom to find itself in the hands of a new leader. I have had the pleasure of speaking with the self-proclaimed “King” Raziel of Arkadia, who currently resides as one of three Dukes in the land who wish to take Arkadia back from the tyranny that has ruled the lands.
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official statement of zygethia
Greetings people of Elyria!
Today I bring to you news as we sweat at our forges and sharpen our blades. Zygethia will no longer stand for the covert actions taken against us in our times of peace. We are picking up our arms, training our troops for what is to be a glorious battle.
Our close friend Arkadia has committed hidden atrocities towards us and other kingdoms. Trying to sway citizens with dark whispers of gold and land. So we heat our forges and we bring forth our steel, for today we prepare for war. As our bannermen rally their soldiers and call to arms the willing, the houses of Zygethia prepares for the long march. We do not stand alone in this. The great kingdom of Nirath has had similar dark whispers spread throughout their kingdom. They open their armories and prepare their men, the flames of Nirath cannot be quenched, for it hungers for the swift end of its opposers.
The Kingdoms Zygethia and Nirath will ride together against this mutual enemy, for in this war, we are brothers-in-arms. So we raise our banners and outfit our soldiers. As our trisons haul boulders and trebuchets alike. Our commanders sharpen their minds and lower their gaze upon the kingdom of Arkadia, for it is there we will abolish the whispers that have been sent to our lands.
-King Zultra of Zygethia
I never would have imagined that working at the Herald would result in bagging big scoops so soon, but I heard a great story in the office today! I was tidying up Master Wilshire’s grammar when I heard the news, and since I’ve only recently begun working here as an editor, perhaps you can imagine my surprise when the man himself told me I could try my hand at tackling the tale.
Of course, as he said it, he was juggling scribbled notes, had a quill poking out of the corner of his mouth, and was covered in dust from the road. Honestly, I don’t know how he gets around so much without falling over!
I have been seeking to interview someone from the Laughing Coffin for quite some time now. This guild is rumored to harbor the most brutal and unpredictable people of each Kingdom. Some say they operate outside the law, others think they are purely a menace to society. Nevertheless, there are always two sides to a story, and I set out to hear directly from the leader of the Laughing Coffin, Lo-Taren.
Often I find myself pondering the simple things as I journey through the Kingdoms. Today the road is dusty, and the sun is hot on my neck. My mother always nagged me to keep a wet scarf around my neck when working in the fields as a child. How I wished I had one now. At least my stop earlier was enough to get me through the rest of today. Don’t worry, dear reader, this isn’t a weather report, I write you to share a hidden gem within Elyria.
Dear Elyrians, and more importantly those of you from Dol Aderyn, I have reached the end of my search for King Miles. I have found myself in strange establishments, welcoming havens, and distant lands only to find the King of Dol Aderyn covered in mud in his very castle. All those days searching and wondering what the future of Dol Aderyn holds were quickly forgotten after such an intriguing encounter with the King. My ink is almost dry, and I may need a new quill after this riveting encounter.
official kingdom statement from Rowena, Queen of Black Hearts:
Our Kingdom has been visited by a man known as Unmuted. It is my decree that poison such as this is to be banned from our lands. We are a land who respects our people, we are a people who respect our land. We do not have to give him a reason for our decision, as we owe him nothing, but we want you, whom we deeply respect and love, to know this reason. There is a difference between freedom of speech and frank idiocy…and Unmuted is afflicted by the latter…We will not allow a man to besmirch our name, or that of our allies, or even that of our enemies, with lies and quotes of words that were never pronounced…We are a land of truth, of honesty, of unity and love, and we will stand for these ideals against filth such as the words that come out of this snakes’ mouth.From this day on, Unmuted is banned from our lands, upon penalty of imprisonment in Ironheart, Darkholm Duchy’s royal prison.The Kingdom of Blackheart will not allow these things. All these, will be plucked from the garden, and without a garden, they cannot prevail…
OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM ZULTRA ON BEHALF OF THE ZYGETHIAN KINGDOM
Good evening,
First off I’d like to say that we indeed have a scribe noting our discussions and ideas that were brought up. This way we can keep track of all the ideas that were brainstormed during the session and not forget any of them. However, unfortunately, the document has been misunderstood by those deciphering it.
Sometimes, there is a misunderstanding, a slip-up, even an oversight within kingdoms. Then there are acts of treason and treachery. It’s common for trust to come at a high price these days, and I fear tomorrow, we may not trust anyone. Nevertheless, my dear readers, you can be confident in The Elyria Herald to be transparent, objective, and willing to listen to anyone, even if just over a cup of tea. (No, not blood tea Rowena, however, I have missed our walks.) Today we share a document that was presented to us by an un-named citizen.