Water sickness

Table of Contents

Call to act against the imminent water catastrophe

To the Lords and Ladies of the City of the Hundred Fiefs

My fellow Lords and Ladies, the situation is critical. A contamination has been found in the river system under the city, and it is only a question of time before it spreads to affect us all. Therefore, I summon urgently the Council to gather at midday tomorrow. Despite our petty quarrels, I am sure you all understand what is at stake and the importance of finding the root cause of the problem and of coming to a solution together to purify the water and avoid this situation occurring again.

Lord Diviner

Water contamination

Watch out for warning signs!

Smell of sulfure coming from contaminated water

Red rash on hands, neck and back an hour after drinking

Tongue swelling and slurred speech a day after drinking

Immediately report signs to her Ladyship's representatives!
If left alone, you can die within 3 days!

Theories regarding the culprits

My lady, here is a summary of the letters we have receive in answer to the Lord Diviner's summon. There has been no consensus so far, but theories regarding the culprits can be divided into four irreconcilable categories. We can expect the topic to be highly debated by the Council and for the meeting to have a high level of attendance.
Note: Despite the wards around the Council's chambers, attempts at violence are more than likely to be made. Please be careful.

Type of answer 1: Fellow lords and ladies

... and I don't understand how the so-called Lord Diviner failed to divine that the problem lies with the sewer system! It's more than obvious that a lord once again failed in their very basic responsibility of maintaining their section of the sewers and the consequences of their stupidity is spreading to everyone else!
Therefore, I propose that we organise a full walk around the cave system under the city and immediately sanction every fiefs having failed in their duty! The most appropriate sanction obviously ought to be made of farm products, as...

Type of answer 2: A foreign plot

... and I fail to understand how the Lord Diviner didn't mention that Foreigners upstream from the city are poisoning us! They've been dreaming of conquering or further destroying the leftovers of the empire of Elante for centuries, and it's little surprise they're now resorting to this!
My fellow lords and ladies, I call upon your good sense and pragmatism: you all have to realise that we cannot let petty quarrels divide us anymore and that we need to form a united front and gather under the banner of the Lord Spinner, for he's the only one with a chance of leading us to victory against outsiders!

Type of answer 3: A plot by the would-be emperor

... I won't let this wanna-be emperor manipulate us like idiotic children into running in his arms in search of protection! There is no more foreign lords involved in this plot than the Lord Diviner can actually divine anything!
As for the solution, it's obvious: if the Lord Spinner has concocted this scheme to gain our allegiance, then he can perfectly well solve it himself!

Type of answer 4: Magic's revenge

...This can only be the signs of magic's revenge for anyone daring to use the name of the emperors of Elante!
The mechanism is obvious: this has been caused by the combination of two events:

First, a further destabilisation of the magic hotspot below the city has created a more dangerous type of magic flood.

Second, a direct sabotage by the magic manifestation that killed the last emperor and is still running free below the city and is suddenly feeling threatened at the idea of a new emperor rising.

Therefore the solution is obvious: let us offer the Lord Spinner as a sacrifice to appease magic!

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Related articles

The City of the Hundred Fiefs

Territories The City of the Hundred Fiefs · Geography (The world's strongest magic hotspot, The cave system under the city) · Fiefs (The Fief of Glass, The Diviner Fief) · Neutral areas (The Council's Palace) Politics Government system (Lords and Ladies of the Fiefs, The Council) · Conflict (The ongoing Elantian civil war, Lord Adélème's fanclub, The Resistance against the New Empire, Water sickness, Previous inhabitants of the Fief of Perfumes) · Lords & ladies (Lord Adélème of Spinner, Lady Olénie) Magic Dangers (Seasonal magic flood, Magical corrosion, Are the magic currents under the city expanding?, Basement kraken) · Technologies (Tower wards, Ward pins, Tasty Treat) · Magic system (Runes, Glass and Magic Lenses) Culture History (The Return of the Empire, Dragonic magic manifestations, The Last Emperor's Experimental Notes, The Ruins of the Ancient city of Elante, Anti-imperial sigil) · Travellers (Trading caravans, Travelling healers, Divination Sessions) · Others (Lord Adélème's Tower, Tower cats, The Worship of the Imperial Family, Election of a Tower Leader, Spying Devices)