The Oracle
Fourth Passage of the Plowing Moon
Queen Lillian Gains Criticism for Baronies
Last autumn, Queen Lillian officially announced the establishment of a system of baronial land ownership. In a province that saw the Queen strip all nobles of their title and land, this new institution is gathering some opponents.
"The whole problem, under Goddard’s reign, was that land was owned. Princes and Barons held huge tracts of land, and the people under them suffered. Power does that." This from Emaelia, a political sage at the Library of Aranor. Storm, Regent of Aranor, has a different opinion.
"I know it may see wrong to some people, but we’re doing this not only because it is necessary, but because our system will not be prone to the problems encountered with historical baronial systems."
Necessary?
"There is more land travel in the Old World than there has ever been before. Not only are the roadways failing, but the dangers of the wilderness, such as Sereg, are becoming bolder, perhaps because of the increased traffic. We’re talking about immense lengths of road during which a traveler might not see another traveler for a day or more. We simply don’t have the resources to upkeep the roads and protect those who would use them."
The establishment of baronies would put the responsibility for maintaining roadways and keeping the lands safe onto barons, who would own the land along major thoroughfares.
Queen Lillian’s baronies are also gaining criticism from nobles in Faol, Masalla, and even Moraithe.
"Queen Lillian is reducing the title of ‘noble’ into a thing that can be bought. That’s not what nobility is." This from a noble of Faol who asked not to have his name disclosed.
"Under the old system," Storm says, "nobility was a matter of blood. And a lot of people had the title of nobility and did much to abuse it or bring it shame. In fact, most noble families are riddled with examples of such behavior. Under Queen Lillian’s reign, nobility is a matter of merit."
Still, the common class, having long seen the Queen as their champion, is watching with not a little apprehension.
A business owner on a small back street of Aranor told me this. "We love the Queen dearly. But once power begins to filter back into the hands of the wealthy – well, if you look at history, it doesn’t go too goodly for our kind after that."
Lord Kieran
Moraithian Spider Captured
Last passage we told of an escaped Moraithian spider in Selarum. Well, news has filtered back that instead of being killed, as had been planned, the spider was actually captured.
"A young mage was over from Lysandra," I was told by a man visiting from Selarum. "The spider emerged one evening and began to make its way across the street. As you can imagine, panic ensued. But the mage ran forward, shouted some words, and cast some sort of spell upon the beast that caused it to lock up, just as if it had been frozen in ice. By the time the guard arrived, armed with bows, he was up there examining it quite closely, much to the horror of many present."
Apparently the young mage felt some sort of bond with the creature, so far from its home, for when the authorities of Selarum ordered the former owner of the spider to either kill the spider or send it back to Moraithe, the mage volunteered to accompany the creature back to Moraithe in order to ensure its safe arrival. Or rather, to ensure the safety of the sailors who will have to be on the ship with the thing.
Tirian
Alayan Wine Re-introduced
Out of the musty depths of an old, abandoned manor home in Masalla, the recipe scroll was pulled. Careful translation from Old Masallan of the weathered, brittle fragments pieced together an ancient recipe for a wine which hasn’t been tasted for over eight hundred years.
We spoke to Anjaad, the historian/sage/explorer who found the recipe and is now, two years later, marketing the wine.
"Alayan was a specialty wine in its day, not often seen and quite expensive. It’s golden in color, with a peppery, spicy taste hidden under aromas of pear and apple. It has perhaps twice the spirits of other wines, and owes much of its potency to the methods of fermentation rather than relying on only the ingredients used."
First tastes are usually marked by wide-eyed surprise due to the sharp, clear spice of the wine. It is now available in Masalla, but will likely be shipped to the Old World within the next year.
Tania
