Vienda, Loshis 20th, 2712.

A grim emotion has befallen the city, and subsequently the nation. Dulled to a dim pallor in the constant rain, grey faces on the street reflect the general mood of Vienda; the city is quiet without the visiting wick tribes, and even Kingsway Market is less bustling than usual.

With the prison breakout causing chaos within the ranks of law enforcement, the Seventen have begun to rally together, now convinced that the resistance threat is real and looming on the horizon. Any perceived resistance activity is quashed immediately; already this week, there have been arrests, including a local manufacturer of artevium gas (thought to be in league with the escapees from the Law District Gaol) and several bystanders who had witnessed the events of Bethas 26th.

The Cadre, once whispered about behind closed doors, is no longer lurking in the shadows. Although public knowledge of this organization is still limited, the Seventen have made several press conference announcements about "concerted efforts to weed out the domestic terrorists who threaten the safety and livelihood of our fine nation and its citizens". The physically intimidating Hanz Morde continues to be the figurehead of the Seventen, but the word on the grapevine is that he has been demoted. The general public is largely oblivious to the significance of this development; however, the resistance is covertly aware that Julian Megiro's secret meeting with the Queen resulted in her giving him carte blanche to arrest anyone with suspected resistance affiliation.

Perhaps this undermining has taken its toll on Hanz Morde; certainly, within the past two weeks, he has bee more vicious and determined than ever to win back the favor of the Queen. His pursuit of criminals could only be described using words usually associated with wolves.

Whispers of chaos continue to boil beneath the surface. Two young wick boys were captured and sent out of the city, only to be found weeks later washed up on the shore, bloated and drowned, victims of the Arova's flash floods. A prominent Seventen named Alstair Murdoh was murdered in his home, where he had been held under house arrest after causing widespread destruction. Three more raids were carried out in the Soot District, resulting in a few deaths and the arson of a textile factory that had been employing and abusing children. And the press has been silent about it all, as government censors continued to scrap every bit of meaningful information from the papers.

It was sometime around last week that the Kingsway Press was shut down. Ephilius Flint had finally succeeded in getting the paper canceled on charges of heresy and an intent to disturb the peace, and had moved his eye to the Vienda Weekly instead. But to the dismay of the Office of Information, somehow papers are still being produced; copies of the Kingsway Post are being circulated hand to hand. It is smaller now, and less filled with jokes and gossip; many of its articles are political in nature, though some focus on local announcements, which are doing wonders in keeping the morale of the human population high. The paper has become the only reliable source of information in the city, and the Seventen are hard at work trying to find its center of operation.

In yesterday's edition, the news that the Queen had become bedridden was published, and the city is now abuzz discussing the ramifications of this. If the Queen dies, will Ophelia Servalis choose a new Queen? Will the government let her, given her clear political standing? The tension in the air is palpable.