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- Archive Page Thirty One -

NEW BLOOD FOR MONSTER COMMISSION

Dateline: 26-7-516

The Regent has appointed three new members to the Crown Commission for the Protection of Monsters, the Crown-appointed committee that assesses and decides on cases of Adventuring monsters who have applied for Legal Protection within the Kingdom.

As recently confirmed by a hypothetical case put to the Royal Courts by the Regent, members of races considered to be monsters, or animals, enjoy no legal protection from the Royal Courts. These include such races as goblins, serpenti, demonic entities such as Spine Devils, and of course undead such as Vampires.

The new members are the Unicorn Brightmane, who has himself previously made a successful application to the Commission, Baron Marcus d’Alembert, leader of the Walkers on the Edge, and Baron Ephraim Stryker, the leader of the White Tower. Baron Stryker is currently absent from the Kingdom as Bereny’s ambassador in Kyr.

All the applicants have accepted the offer (although according to one Crown bureaucracy insider, Baron d’Alembert insisted on an increase in the Commission’s expense account).

They join Lord Ismay Shepherd, the Lord Crusader of Cambron and the Commission’s chairperson, the vampire Count Hellstromm, recently retired Lord Crusader of Shanna Lady Jasmine, and noted scholar Abbott Heri Sanberligne.

The office of the Regent has issued a reminder to Adventurers of the Monstrous races that they can apply to be granted the same legal protection under the law enjoyed by citizens, although they are required to present evidence to the Commission of their service and loyalty to the Kingdom of Bereny.

The expansion of the Commission has been accompanied by renewed controversy over the nature and origin of Vampires. The Regent has recently declined to give Royal approval and funding to a Vampire scholar, Cambion Winterfall, it conduct research into the origins of vampirism, citing conflict of interest issues in having such research conducted by one who is a vampire.

Even the popular notion that vampires are humans who have returned from the dead seems to be under question, with Abbott Heri Sanberligne dismissing reports that Countess Falkone was seen to do just that as ‘a contrived charade‘ (see our letters page).

However our reporter on the scene, Bob Woodward, confirms that this is what he observed, and his account is corroborated by soldiers from both sides and by local villagers. “After the Countess was killed, some of her own family retainers took her body to the chapel in Dun Eidyn and laid her on the alter there,” Falkone Estate farmer Blaise ab Madog told him. “Then, when night came, she upped and walked out. I think we are lucky that the Royal soldiers got her again as quickly as they did.” Our reporter witnessed this incident at close quarters and can confirm that the entity killed by the Royal troops was a vampire.

“The Countess’ side of the family has always been a bit notorious around here - have been for years,” said Blaise. “There’s been all sorts of talk about their dark dealings and evil ways, and everyone has always said it was pretty suspicious how Lord Uryen’s first wife suddenly died the way she did when Lady Rhea came on the scene.”

REGENT GRANTS ROYAL PROTECTION TO UNICORNS

Dateline: 27-7-516

The Regent has issued a Royal Edict making it illegal for a citizen of Bereny to kill a Unicorn. The Regent’s edict has come in response to a request from  the Unicorn stallion Brightmane that Unicorns be granted the rights of a subject of the Crown.

Brightmane, who has held an adventuring licence for the past ten years, has been associated with the Kingdom for longer than any other Unicorn, and has already been granted legal protection as an individual by the Royal Commission for the Protection of Monsters and is a member of the Centaur Council. As such, although he would appear to have no formal right to speak on behalf of his entire kind, he has naturally become their spokesperson, and has made his request in the wake of the recent Royal Courts’ ruling that it would legally be murder if a citizen killed another citizen while defending a creature with the legal status of a monster or an animal from attack.

“There have been many good unicorns that have recently made Bereny their home and anyone can kill them at any time without any legal consequences because they are considered to be just intelligent animals,” declared Brightmane in his petition. “Oaken men have been granted citizenship as a class - if intelligent plants can be considered worthy of citizenship, then I would plead that you grant my fellow good unicorns the protection of the law of the land and the rights of citizenship.”

In response the Regent issued an Royal Edict making it a crime punishable by Outlawing to kill an Unicorn other than in self-defence. However the Regent stopped short of granting them citizenship, giving as his reason that he felt that it would be unfair to impose the burdens and responsibilities of citizenship onto all Unicorns. “I am minded to simply recognise them for what they are: remarkable, magical, perhaps even miraculous creatures, and worthy of our protection for no other reason than that,” said the Regent in his proclamation.

Although Unicorn’s lack the mundane power of speech they are capable of expressing themselves through a magical voice, and Brightmane declared in response “I'm positive the unicorn "nation" will be quite as pleased as I am with this diplomatic solution that grants them what we all wanted most, recognition of our unique position and protection under the law.”

Not everyone was quite as pleased as Brightmane however. "The Crown protects a horse with a horn - shall we make it illegal to kill dragons next? They're pretty smart too, I'm told. It’s political correctness gone mad," one disgruntled Royal Clerk told us.


TIME FOR A NEW KING?

Dateline: 2-8-516

Calls have been made for the Regent, Duke Dirk Steadfast, to be crowned as King of Bereny. The main overt sign of this has been a statement from the Dei Eligere of the Dei Vigilare, Dese Sanberligne, calling for what she terms ‘the unanswered question’ to be resolved. Although the statement does not expressly call for the Regent to ascend to the throne, her call for the succession issue to be decided is linked to fulsome praise for the Regent for his leadership.

“Realize that we have been blessed with a leader, His Grace, The Lord Regent, to lead us through these troubled times to victory,” the DV’s statement declared. “It is time to be prepared for our future by placing ourselves once again on a secure basis.”

However the Bereny Bugle has learnt that this rather cryptic public statement reflects a fierce behind-the-scenes debate at Court and in the Council of Guilds over the succession, with the Dei Vigilare championing the cause of Duke Dirk.

Following the second death of King Mark III, a Royal Commission was established to look into the succession, but after nearly four years it has conspicuously failed to make any recommendations. It is commonly assumed that, as a cousin of King Mark and his closest surviving male descendent, Earl Dickon will succeed to the throne on his majority. From previous Royal precedent, this should be on his twelfth birthday. However the other two serious candidates are his mother Duchess Juliette Tredach, and his father Duke Dirk.

The selection of any of the above to wear the Crown of Bereny would result in the first ever Monarch who is not in the direct male line of descent from Lionel of Tredach, the founder of the Kingdom of Bereny, whose descendents have ruled Bereny for fourteen generations. There has also never before been a Queen Regent of Bereny, with the only instance when the possibility arose being resolved over a century ago when Princess Naomi renounced her claim to the throne in favour of her younger brother King Eustace II.

Among both scholars and common folk there is apprehension that the male Tredach line, which is linked in both lore and legend to the defence of Bereny from the threat of a recurrence of the Time of Thunder, should have come to an end. The Bugle understands that there has been at least one suggestion, emanating from the Council of Guilds, that a systematic search should be made to determine whether there are any illegitimate male offspring of either King Mark or his late brother Duke David who could accept the Crown, using the coronation of King Eustace I (illegitimate son of King Tobias) as a precedent.

There also remain concerns over the exact role of the Regent in the death of King Mark, around which many unanswered questions remain.

The Regent, who is himself a descendent of Lionel of Tredach, though through the female line, is not known to have made any response to the debate.











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