Drithendaar 11th, 4377
Negotiations continue apace before the Thalian fortress-city of Dimmersdel. Many look with hopeful eyes as signs of good will on both sides connect, if temporarily, the two warring parties. Duchess Veris and Duke Melfir agreed to a prisoner exchange, reuniting families with great joy. Many arm-chair generals have noted that the duchess' reliance on young, nubile women with copper-locks (surely the prisoners being transferred are representative of the army at large!) may indicate the shallowness of her reserves. Contrasted with the grizzled veterans of Melfir's legions, they may have a point…
The banishment of the recent heroes of Alestia seems to have had minimal impact on the murderous rampages of the Gatekeepers of Enma. Only today have the depths of their infiltration been revealed as a prominent elector fell victim to a life long friend. Though the murderer professed his sorrow, innocence and confusion as he bled to death in the streets, slain by the city guard, conspiracy theorists warn that any government official could be next.
Finally, the nation of Sturmgaard has begun to mobilize its forces to conduct military exercises along the Thalian frontier. While the priests of Hathandar claim the mobilization is to defend against a re-militarizated Thalian state, others hope they have more ambitious goals.