#abheski

[janspar]

Trouble in the Brewery

Okarev,

We're down to our last sacks of grain, and I must ask you one last time to please allow us some supply from the next shipment the barges bring in. You have sway on the Supply Committee and I know you can help. Without a fresh stock, the brewery will shut down for the first time in generations, and there will be no more beer in the district.

Do not dismiss this as a trivial affair! The Pivan Brewery has produced ales for the city for a near-century, and our name and product both are well loved. Morale behind these barricades will not thrive in a population thirsting for beer. Our bellies are far from full, I know as truly as anyone, but we do not live on food alone. Without ale to share over a meal or to reward the labourer at the end of the shift, we would be so much poorer in spirit, a poverty we can ill afford to court in the present crisis.

The brandy liberated from the towers won't stretch forever, and the Erthani don't have the means to supply us. We have made several adaptations to our methods to cope with the current paucity of ingredients, and I can certainly do more, if I only have the supply to do so. My grandfather would beat me soundly if he tasted the current batches, adulterated with water as they are. I could stand proudly and tell him damn the dilution, I brew for the District and to keep the brewery running – if I but have my grains, Okarev!

As ever, I will happily turn over all produce to the Supply Committee to see that it is distributed fairly and equitably. I can perhaps even find uses for surplus supplies not fit for distribution – the larders of the wealthy hoarded many a peculiar ingredient that may not be palatable in a dish but can be turned to brewing.

Lastly, my boys did not steal the wheat from Halev's bakery, whatever that sour scoundrel may claim. You are welcome to come and do a full audit of my stock; all our grain is accounted for. It shall not take you more than a few minutes, bare as it lies.

Not just for myself, but for the health of the district, I look forward to hearing your reply.

Yours,

Myed Pivan

[madelinelovesick]

Sound Change of the Day - 2024 March 16

All vowels preceding /h/ are nasalised.

(Abheski, by Bill McGrath and Edgar Grunewald | Artifexian; development livestreams only available to Artifexian’s patrons)

[conlangery]

I talked to Artifexian about his work on Abheski and the new conlanging community on YouTube.

[janspar]

An Offer of Support

Baurin,

Allow me to summarise the current condition of the city.

The occupation of the Old Tower and surrounding district has lasted months now, and the Bailiffs' attempts to reclaim the region from the self-appointed Popular Executive have ground to a halt. The area of the city abandoned to the agitators is no smaller than on the day they struck with violence at Lansk's ancient heart. Not a street nor building was reclaimed without them elsewhere further expanding the reach of their barricades; every victory of the legitimate authorities was swiftly reversed or countered by an agitators' coup. Worse, the greatest reclamation of territory was not at the hands of the bailiffs, but by the actions of a mob. Desperate citizens, no doubt civil in normal circumstances but driven to violence by the occupation's affront to good Abheski sensibilities and business. In a single day they reclaimed a row of houses and compound of yards, more than all the Bailiffs' combined actions have achieved in all these months. This protracted siege has shown no signs of success, and as long as the Erthani are supplying them, and those within are content, this stalemate will continue.

Baurin, do not mistake this letter as an admonishment of your service. You have found yourself in an unenviable position. The popularity of the Bailiffs is at a nadir; even those without agitated sympathies are distrustful after these last few months. Those within the seized district are fed comfortably on Erthani supplies, while many of those without are starving and prevented from attending to their work. Despite the agitators' cynical empty promises of safe passage for the groundsfolk, surely they knew you would have to prevent such traffic, and be reckoned at fault for the ensuing misery of the destitute workers denied their fair wage.

We in the Companies are suffering from similar perceptions. After the regrettable riot whipped up by Yethara, and the demands of the agitators to remove the Companies from municipal affairs, your reluctance to engage us further is understandable; in other circumstances it would even be prudent. Your initial capitulation to the occupiers was necessary, that is undeniable, but the time has come to put an end to their reign of anarchy.

I wish Lansk restored to peace and prosperity, and I urge you to use all means at your disposal to see this feat completed. To this end I would place myself and the assets of the Temar company at your disposal once more. Having consulted with the Eastern Office, I can confirm I am able to offer you the assistance of any power the Bailiffs require. The fee will be merely nominal – the restoration of order to the city and the resumption of trade is more valuable to us than simple currency. We have the troops to occupy reclaimed streets, the supplies and arms for your own Bailiffs, and agents placed in the surrounding districts to provide intelligence. We are equipped to deal with the batteries in the occupied area, and we have means to disrupt the Erthani vessels that supply them.

As a friend, Baurin – if I may be granted the presumption of considering myself your friend – I urge you to heed this advice and accept this offer. I consider you a confidant, Baurin, as trustworthy an acquaintance as I have in this city, and I will not mislead you. From one Mirsvri to another, your position as Chief Bailiff will no longer be tenable should this agitation continue. Lansk can ill afford it; indeed, the Spires as a whole shall be shaken and cast down if this affront is allowed to continue unpunished.

Allow me to place myself at your disposal, for all of our sakes.

I await your reply.

Your ally, Dazhag te Shansha, Commander, Temar Company Lansk Depot

[janspar]

Anarchy in Otvev

It is our sad duty to inform the public of yet further agitationist violence, the latest in the wave of destructive radicalism that afflicts Abheski society.

Following the massacres in Mirsvr, the insurrection in Lansk, and many other grievous acts besides, their limited scope rendering them no less shocking in their violence and social importance, agitationists have seized control of part of the ancient city of Otvev. Aided by diverse agents, whose identites are not yet fully known, these strikers have taken occupation of a large factory district.

The following facts are known at this time:

The agitation began as a strike in a Valdjin company foundry.

The Valdjini leadership failed to supress the strike swiftly, and were indeed seeking to reach accomodation with the agitationists.

What began as a strike turned to violence; several Valdjini officers, a number of bailiffs and Valdjini marines, as well as unknown local workers and citizens, have been killed by the agitationists.

A traitorous cadre of Temari aviators and marines uninvolved in the dispute were convinced to join the anarchy, and in doing so murdered their Captain, Sakhila Pofyan. Their seized vessel was turned over to the control of the agitationists.

It is clear that agitation cannot be met with diplomacy. Neither accomodation nor debate will satisfy the aims of those who slay factory-owners and -workers alike, and claim to seek justice in doing so. In submitting to the demands of strikers, the Valdjini leadership in Otvev submitted to their own execution, and sentenced Captain Pofyan among other innocents to the same fate. This cowardly surrender to tyranny is the ultimate aim of agitation.

Lest the agitationists fashion the noble city of Otvev into another shattered Lansk, it is imperative that action be taken immediately to crush this occupation. In the name of decency and prosperity, in the memory of the martyred Captain Pofyan, the Cities must quell this movement. Those Companies capable of resisting the agitation must act against all strikers and anarchist agents.

Anonymous broadsheet posted in several Abheski cities.

[janspar]

Request for Relief

Commander Patseva,

Please send a vessel and a detachment of troops with greatest haste; the situation here is dire.

The weavers and the potters have cast down their tools and joined together in defiance of all authority. They proclaim solidarity with the agitation in your cities. Thus our production has ground to a halt. Need I remind you the prosperity these products bring to you and the Company? My textiles are highly-sought in Zhikav; I attended a gala in Otvev where I was served soup in my own dishes. Is this partnership to be repaid now in treachery?

I have facilitated your Abheski practices in this land. When my father balked at adopting your methods of business, I replaced him and in doing so our mutual prosperity has increased manyfold.

Now your Abheski business has brought your Abheski troubles to my operation. By my native customs, this cannot be borne. By your customs I have adopted, this cannot be borne! As an esteemed partner in commerce, as a shareholder, I insist upon your aid. The contribution of my efforts to the company's fortunes are no lesser than those of many a Spires-born merchant or business agent. I demand the treatment due to me in protecting my interests and those of the Company.

Attempting to use my own forces to quell this agitation nearly triggered a mutiny. Desertion has since reduced the numbers of my force to a scant handful. We are rendered unable to impose order upon the workers. Our factories yet stand but my stockhouses, left unprotected, have been looted and burned. Let not this outrage go unpunished!

A detachment of Marines and the batteries of a vessel shall be sufficient to crush this uprising. Our commerce can resume with greatest haste once we have excised the agitationist elements from the population.

Reproduction of letter found pinned to remains of Mae Den Aawjen by crew of patrol vessel Cloud Ice. Company Assets under Mae Den's stewardship have not yet been recovered.

[janspar]

Abheski Cultural Primer

In entering the service of the Company, any Abheski possessed of the virtues we exalt above others – these being leadership, initiative, clarity of thought, and financial acumen – may become successful and the very envy of their fellows. Further, with proper training and discipline these virtues may be cultivated and promoted; so that in the training of cadets, the Companies do their utmost for the benefit of these young officers, and thereby the benefit of the Abheski nation.

To truly benefit the nation, we must first understand who we Abheski are; a nation of diverse parts, no doubt, but possessed of a common history.

We came to these lands from abroad – it is not known where exactly from. Some believe that one of the distant lands of Ycairn is the place of our origin, but most agree that we came from another world. Traditional belief across much of the continent holds that we came from the Sun itself, but others believe our origin is from Fasaath, or Kombyeny, or another point within the night sky.

We Abheski are an industrious, creative, and innovative people. Having tamed patches of the wild expanse of the lands, building towns and farms and trading posts, the most successful and prosperous of our ancestors founded the five great cities – Zhikav, Vilv, Otvev, Mirsvr, and Lansk.

Though we live alongside other peoples, we hold ourselves apart. The Abheski have distinguished ourselves twice by mastery over the skies – first, in building the mighty towers that soar over our cities. Some of these towers are centuries old, and stand strong to this day, the least of them stretching higher than fifty people. In the last few generations, our supremacy over the air was proven again in being the first nation to recreate the science of powered flight; our ships, lifted by mighty dvint, broke us free from the shackles of the land.

Trade is the blood of the Abheski culture. Spread across this harsh and hostile continent, ever taming the ancient forests and defending against the great beasts, our trade is what makes the Abheski prosper above all other people; and the Companies are the pinnacle of Abheski trade. Not restricted to one province, we can deal in goods from across the known world. Not bound to the paths of the rivers and coastlines, we can go anywhere our airships can carry us. Abheski goods are prized from the tents of the Anshessi to the outposts of Hoitan, and if an Ebwari baron wants to exchange letters or goods with a Nalmyan chief, it is most probable that an Abheski vessel will carry their intercourse.

There are other practices that mark us as a peculiar peoples among our neighbours. All nations have their own calendar of celebrations and holidays, and the most important of ours is The Yearsrise festival. Though we differ on which precise day this takes places, Abheski always celebrate the end and beginning of the year around the time of winter solstice. Other peoples reckon the year differently: the Erthani begin at the spring equinox, and the Ebwari count from the height of summer. Other nations practice more curious calendars yet.

Our other important festivals are the First Feast, which in ancestral times celebrated the first hunt after each winter; and the late summer Meetday, where the harvest traditionally begins and the year's differences and disagreements are put aside.

Each city and town observe their Founding Dates. These may variously remember the day the first settlers began to build their new homes, or the day the first Spire was finally completed, but always are celebrated with great revels and public entertainments.

Though we are all Abheski, we may have slight differences in our speech. The rapid speech of a city-dweller may sound different to the calmer pace of a settler from the deep forest; the clipped vowels of Otvev are readily distinguished from the rounder syllables of Zhikav; the plain words of the groundsfolk contrast with the florid oratory of the wealthy classes. All these however are still Abheski, and can readily talk to one another; just try to understand the harsh Hoitani or the singing cadences of the Ebwari to hear how truly different language can sound.

Extract from A Child's Primer and History of the Abheski, published by the Temar Company Press

[madelinelovesick]

Sound Change of the Day - 2024 February 28

/h/ shifts to /ç/ if palatalised, or /x/ if velarised; i.e.:

/hʲ/ ⇒ /ç/

/hˠ/ ⇒ /x/

(Abheski, by Bill McGrath and Edgar Grunewald | Artifexian; development livestreams only available to Artifexian’s patrons)

[madelinelovesick]

Sound Change of the Day - 2024 February 23

All short vowels become lax, e.g.:

/kʲe/ ⇒ /kʲɛ/

/kʲo/ ⇒ /kʲɔ/

(Abheski, by Bill McGrath and Edgar Grunewald | Artifexian; development livestreams only available to Artifexian’s patrons)

[madelinelovesick]

Sound Change of the Day - 2024 January 27

Voiceless aspirated stops become fricativised, e.g.:

/pʰ/ ⇒ /f/

/tʰ/ ⇒ /θ/

/kʰ/ ⇒ /x/

(Abheski, by Bill McGrath and Edgar Grunewald | Artifexian; development livestreams only available to Artifexian's patrons)

[janspar]

Business Innovation

Dazhag,

The new initiative you have heard rumours of has been approved, and the same vessel carrying this letter should have aboard it a young Licence-Prospector by the name of Regana tsi Ovnen. This initiative is of her design, and she is to be extended all reasonable assistance in establishing her practice here. The Finance Board and the Eastern Office have placed great hope as well as significant resources in the success of this venture.

I do not believe you have been previously introduced, and her reputation may well not precede her, so allow me to give her a brief introduction that you may understand your new associate's work. She is a native of Vilv, and of a respectable if not exemplary family. She has experienced considerable success working in the Anshess and Ebwar, dealing primarily with the potentates and established wealth of those lands, and has by this work elevated her own position . Her recommendation from the Anshess Office could not be higher; they were loath to have her return to the Spires and lose one of their most capable and profitable agents.

As to the new initiative; Regana is being sent to Lansk to assist in the renewal of the district damaged by the insurrection. Her experience as a Licence-Prospector abroad is being turned towards the raising of capital, the streamlining of existing industries, and the establishment of new business in Lansk itself. The principle of applying these business practices to Abheksi affairs has long been suggested and decried in turn; Regana's proposal represents the first complete and well-reasoned attempt to specifically applying these ideas in actual domestic usage. This undertaking was not without some initial resistance in the Finance Board. However, it has been seen that the good of the Company and the good of Lansk are one and the same, more often than otherwise. Further integrating ourselves in the mercantile and industrial makeup of the city can only be to our mutual benefit – a strong tailwind carries all vessels, as is said.

Your role in working with Regana is to assist her in liaising with the Municipal Hall and the new Chief Bailiff – I assume one has finally been selected, though the news has not yet reached me. She is to be considered your subordinate, but you are expected to give her great liberty in how she conducts her business. As this is a new and untested venture, there may be unprecedented complications of rank and etiquette; we ask you both to approach your working relationship in honest faith and with the good of the Company – and thus, the city! – always as your shared goal.

We have but two restrictions to place on her, owing to the differing circumstances of working in Abheski cities instead of the Anshess. Having become used to cheap labour, she must not be allowed to expect access to the work of those citizens housed in the Depot; this would be poor for the population's morale, and could easily be misrepresented by agitating elements still lurking within the City. Similarly, the use of Company arms will not be permitted as liberally as she may have grown accustomed to. I hardly expect that you need to be instructed in these matters, and do not take this caution for a lack of belief in your judgement, but I have been directed to make these caveats explicit.

We look forward to hearing from you both, and to great success in this new endeavour, for Lansk and for the Temar Company,

Yours,

Alett, Finance Board Eastern Office Representativ

[janspar]

Early Edition

READERS; you will by now have heard the joyous news that the insurrection in Lansk has been quelled. With order restored against the current of anarchy and agitation, all honest Abheski will doubtless celebrate this victory. However it is our unfortunate duty to advise your joy be tempered, as solemn news and shocking details of the affair become known to the world outside the rebels' barricades.

The action to liberate the occupied district was undertaken at night, to minimise the harm inflicted upon the innocent citizenry imprisoned beneath the cruel yoke of the agitators' violence. A joined force of Municipal Bailiffs and Marines detached from the Temar and Eltjin companies struck at several points on the district's perimeter. Upon gaining this foothold, they quickly sought out the ringleaders of the self-styled Lansk Popular Executive, based on intelligence given by loyal and lawful citizens within the barricades, who at great personal risk passed this information to the outside world.

Some among the agitators were quick to flee at the first sign of trouble, retreating to vessels docked on the river and casting off under the aegis of Erthani ensigns. Those who remained behind did not give up their gains easily – in fierce fighting along the riverside docks, Chief Bailiff Baurin te Eintov was slain alongside several of his most loyal men. Seeing their tyranny crumble before them, many agitators burned large parts of the district, caring not for the cruelty it would inflict on the population. Several streets of apartments and workshops were reduced to rubble and ash, killing many unfortunate citizens and leaving others without home or workplace. Even the batteries held by the rebels were turned against the district, inflicting particularly grave damage to the historic Old Tower.

Fleeing citizens, finally able to escape the barricades, were welcomed by Bailiffs and municipal aid in the surrounding districts. Many of these souls have been directed to new temporary lodgings in the Temar Company Depot, where the resources of that enterprise have been generously set aside for their care.

The disturbing details of life within the district are now coming to light as these sorry refugees can freely tell of the horrors that agitation inflicts. The alleged aid provided by the Erthani was seized at once by the cabal of anarchists leading the rebellion, while the common citizen starved. Children forced to pick for morsels among refuse-piles, which gathered at every corner and spilled out of every gutter. One mother told us how, lacking any other means to feed her family, she caught and cooked rats, who, emboldened by the deplorable filth of the district, would elsewise have preyed upon her infants. Violent gangs enforcing no law other than their own petty caprice and venal urges not only ruled the night, but made a terror of the daytime. Failure to obey the dictates of the Popular Executive resulted in reprisals, including public executions of horrific brutality, that decency will not permit us to reprint in these sheets.

Though we rejoice that the misrule of the agitators has come to an end, it is nonetheless a sad end to a sad tale. The true extent of the damage inflicted upon the people of Lansk can not yet be accounted. Those agitators who escaped justice shall be sure to strike again, and all lawful Abheski must ever be watchful for the storm front of anarchy.

Mirsvr Pump Broadsheet – pre-print manuscript prepared ahead of the operation to crush the LPE insurrection.

[janspar]

Hostile Takeover

Aptsem,

Further to your letter of last night, we have approved an extension of credit and authority to stop the Valdjin foundry from reaching an accommodation with the striking workers. Such an outcome would be disastrous both strategically for Company interests, and socially for the overall health of Abheski society.

The vote to agree to the workers' demands must be defeated. To this end, you must purchase as many shares in the foundry as is possible, or otherwise secure the votes of those who hold significant control, using whatever incentives and persuasion you deem necessary. Orders to this effect have been delivered to Captain Pofyan, instructing her to liaise with you. Consider all requests for credit approved and underwritten by the Eastern Office.

Defeating the vote is of primary importance; should you fail to secure sufficient control, the vote must be prevented. In this event, Captain Pofyan will assume authority in this affair.

Should the agitators resist the transfer of the foundry into Temari ownership, Captain Pofyan will assume authority in this affair. Under the Captain's command, you are to provide whatever logistical or material support she requires.

It is imperative that we prevent this capitulation to the agitators' tyranny.

Yours, Alett, Finance Board Eastern Office Representative

Letter to Aptsem tsi Yekhesh, Commercial Director, Temar Company Otvev Bureau

[janspar]

A Colonial Mutiny

Benvin,

Last night, a mutiny took place in the Hoitan colony town, fomented by agitationist elements in the civilian population and aided by traitors within Company forces. I will assure you firstly that the mutineers have been suppressed, and the situation is once again under complete Company control. Though proper authority has been reestablished, these events signal to us a grave lack of security in the Colony project and reveals the extent to which the agitationist sickness has spread through Abheski society.

About half-way between curfew and midnight, a band of colonists armed with tools stolen from the workshops exited through the gate of the colony town and proceeded towards the Depot. The soldiers on the colony gate were confederates of the rebellion, and allowed them to pass unhindered. The gate of the Depot was guarded by some loyal soldiers and some mutineers, and upon the colonists' arrival there was a brief skirmish in the gatehouse, during which the gate was opened and the colonists entered. The commotion had raised a general alarm inside the Depot, and so the rebels did not proceed far in their aims, as a stout resistance from the night watch halted them in their attempt to take the command building. Being thus frustrated, the colonists then began to wreck and smash in the general vicinity, a destruction that carried on for several minutes until a relief force of Marines roused from the barracks came upon their rear and subdued the mob. A small band led by a mutinous soldier managed to slip away and made for the ships, but were prevented from boarding their chosen prize by the vessel's crew, and were killed in the action when the pursuing marines once more came upon them from behind. Thus order was reestablished.

The ringleaders of the mutiny have been identified through interrogation of the prisoners. Our investigations are ongoing and we seek to determine whether this was a singular event or part of a greater campaign of action, and whether further agitationists remain among the two populations. The full extent of military discipline will be applied to the all prisoners, whether Company or civilian, as an example.

I accept no responsibility in this affair. The fault lies entirely with the failure to properly screen candidates from Lansk to remove those with insurrectionist sympathies. I draw to your attention a previous letter in which the difficulty of keeping a disciplined separation between the two populations was highlighted – no further consideration was given to these concerns by the office nor the Military Commission. The Company forces, seeking discourse with their fellow citizens, were naturally drawn to meet with the civilian colonists. The colonists, for their part, were placed in an unfamiliar land and were naturally drawn to the safety found in the fellowship of Company troops. In such a situation it was nigh-impossible to prevent the mixing of the two populations, and to do so would have required a level of brute discipline that could only have had a destructive effect upon general morale. In this circumstance, and allowing for the insidious propaganda of agitationists to become disseminated in secret, mutiny was inevitable.

I await the Commission and Office's rapid response, and will update you as more information becomes uncovered.

Survit te Ovnjen, Depot-Commander, Hoitan

[janspar]

The Crimes of Yethara

An Account of the Orator Yethara Her Falsehoods and her Crimes

The Orator known as Yethara has preaches across the Abhesk, from Zhikav to her alleged home city of Vilv. In her wake, agitation and strife has bubbled forth to disrupt the peace and prosperity of these great cities. But who is this agitator?

Yethara claims to be from Vilv, yet the authors, possessed of no small familiarity with that great city, have not found any there who knew of her, neither in her youth nor as fellow workers.

She preaches of justice and freedom for the workers and groundsfolk, but what does she know of labour, and working conditions? In all her speeches she never tells what her trade was before she set out to crash Abheski society.

The authors of this pamphlet can reveal that Yethara, far from being a humble Vilvan worker questing for justice for her fellow groundsfolk, is in fact a hypocrite, a subtle infiltrator fomenting agitation to disrupt the trade of the Cities and the great Companies that have made the Abheski a prosperous nation.

Yethara was born indeed to a Vilvan mother, but by an Erthani father. She was raised on a stinking vessel of that nomadic nation, learning from the cradle not of industry and toil and honest trade, but of treachery, mendacious dealings, and jealousy. Having spent the greater portion of her years aboard barges, she donned the guise of an Abheski only well into adulthood, and then only to pursue a plan of sabotage and dissent.

In her tour of preaching her agitations to the groundsfolk, she travels not by airship. The sky, beloved of all Abheski, is not her path. All true Abheski, undeceived by the glamour of dissent, recognise her beliefs as dangerous; understanding this, she sticks to the ground and the waterways, knowing she will not be challenged but instead receive aid from the disaffected and the hostile nations who share in her jealousy. Upon the sovereign decks of Erthani vessels, she is shielded from the bailiffs and constables and marines. In the deep forests, she is hidden from the sight of those vessels that protect our communities .

We wrote of the strife to be found in the wake of this orator. When she spoke in Lansk, she provoked a riot against the bailiffs, wherein dozens were killed. In Mirsvr, a mob stormed the Lesyan Tower and slaughtered another score of innocents. In Otvev, a fire claimed a Company Depot, though the docks and the Erthani fields were spared any such disaster.

It is clear to all that Yethara is not a mere orator, preaching a creed of justice. The inescapable conclusion is that Yethara is a vile conspirator. Whether she is among the leaders of the agitators attempting to bring our nation to ruin, it cannot be said, but she is certainly the most visible figure and the most dangerous.

Don't let this Agitator destroy us!

Protect your family, protect your prosperity: If you know of agitation or conspiracy, tell your bailiffs, and tell your bosses.

Pamphlet anonymously distributed ahead of a labour rally in Mirsvr.

[janspar]

Declaration on the Barricades

Hereby, according to our rights ancient and perfect, and as legitimate prizes of conquest, we declare control of the Lansk Old Tower and surrounding environs. The following is a list of statements and demands of the Lansk Popular Executive.

The Old Tower is rightfully seized property and will not be returned to control of municipal nor Company authorities. All area within the barricades is considered under the protection of the Lansk Popular Executive and will not be ceded.

The vessels docked here and at the waterfront are similarly seized as prizes. The batteries of these vessels are crewed by experienced personnel, and are well supplied.

The deaths of those slain in the seizure of these properties, while regrettable, as are all deaths, were casualties of war. Their remains shall be afforded full dignity and provisions will be made to return them to their communities where necessary.

All prisoners taken are prisoners of war, and will be afforded full protection and dignity.

Where possible, all industry within the barricades shall continue. Groundsfolk and workers may enter and leave as necessary for the continuation of their labour. The proceeds of this labour shall be put towards the protection and maintenance of the Old Tower and environs, and the benefit of the population herein.

No Company personnel shall approach within fifteen lengths of the barricades. Attempts to do so will be considered hostile.

No Company vessels shall dock at the Tower. Attempts to approach shall be considered hostile.

For the purpose of negotiation and parley, bailiffs and municipal personnel shall be permitted to approach the barricades under flags and forms of truce, in groups of no more than five. Any attempt to approach otherwise, or any breach of the forms of truce, will be considered hostile.

We call for the immediate resignation of Chief Bailiff Baurin te Eintov, on the grounds of corruption, abuse of power, and unsuitability for office.

We reject the imposed authority of the Companies; we call for the cessation of municipal contracts with the Temar, Valdjin, and Eltjin Companies.

Our struggle is the struggle of all groundsfolk in Abhesk and all workers in all nations. Though desiring peace, we recognise our existence in a state of war, and as such will not seek violence but will engage in violence where necessary to protect our liberties.

Printed pamphlet affixed to a barricade in Lansk. Handwritten slogans in the margins read: “Solidarity with the Nomadeers!”, “The Spires are ours”, “AGITATE!”, &c.