- Eternity
- Turn 15
- Turn 14
- Turn 13
- Turn 12
- Turn 11
- Turn 10
- Turn 9
- Turn 8
- Turn 7
- Turn 6
- Turn 5
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- Turn 1
HORIZON IS OVER!
The webpage remains up as a permanent archive of game material, mainly for the benefit of nostalgic players - although if you'd like to run a Horizon-inspired game for your friends, that's wonderful too. Horizon will be succeeded by Legacyin Trinity term of 2006.If you like you can look at the (sketchy, incomplete) GM notes as well.
The News
Turn 14
This news covers events from the 1st of Autumn's Glory, 4022 HR, to the 25th of Autumn's Dusk - the day of the Riverview meeting and the Goodly Chamber election. In each section, stories are sorted in roughly chronological order, although in the case of the Grapevine it's hard to tell precisely when rumours begin, and it's rare that anything appearing in the Pamphlet Gallery is dated.In the Papers
[OOC: All Liberator articles this turn are printed using the old-fashioned presses they were forced to use after their Greywriters broke down.]Union Declares Strike at Central Steam: Management Vows to Stay Open
(The Horizon Tribune, 4th Autumn's Glory 4022 HR.) The Steam Union has declared a strike at Central Steam, causing an outcry from poor families who depend upon the service for heat in winter.The strike action comes after the collapse yesterday of talks between the Union and Central Steam management. Earlier in the day Treasury representatives refused to force the management to capitulate to the Union, stating that "any solution that does not meet the concerns of both management and workers will not be a stable solution, as the collapse of the prior agreement has shown." The Central Steam management appeared to take this as a sign of approval for a hardline approach, and was soon threatening to hire non-Union labour in order to "maintain this important city-wide service despite the bullying tactics of an overly-politicised Steam Union."
In response to the strike action, the Central Steam management have taken the controversial step of offering short-term contracts to out of work steam workers on the condition that they renounce their ties to the Steam Union, and is liasing with the Watchdogs to make sure that contracted staff can make it through the picket lines into the plant. This morning, the first day of the strike saw violent clashes between striking workers and Watchdogs as "scabs" made their way into work, and little suggests that the Union members will be any calmer tomorrow.
The HPP has come out in support of the Union, but has suffered a severe drop in the opinion polls due to the Union's action. Cornelius Dalcrow of Prosperity has accused the HPP and the Union of "conspiring, for the benefit of a minority of steamworkers, to cut off vital heat to the poorest citizens of Horizon - the citizens that they claim to support, but who their policies are designed to keep poor! There will be deaths of exposure this winter due to the Union's short-sighted greed!" The Democratic Party has also expressed its concern at the situation, and is making strong inroads into the Steam.
Virros Stands For Prosperity, Warns That Party Must Listen to Common Man
(The Horizon Times, 6th Autumn's Glory 4022 HR.) Virros has announced his intent to stand for Prosperity in the upcoming Goodly Chamber election in one of the seats the Docks. He expressed his support for the traditional values Prosperity and said that he believed that they would truly work towards a better Horizon. He did caution however that despite their ideals they should be careful not to ignore the common man in their efforts to improve the city overall. This has led to a groundswell of support for Prosperity in the lower echelons of the city where previous fears that the common man would be ignored were allayed. It is believed that having Virros, a man respected through much of the city for his openness and friendly attitude, stand for Prosperity has boosted their campaign immensely.A Mayor for Horizon: Wright's Madness Reversed
(The Horizon Times, 8th Autumn's Glory 4022 HR.) Every patriotic citizen of Horizon will be heaving a sigh of relief this evening, as courts have reversed the final disasterous decisions of David Wright. Following lawsuits from a variety of sources, it has been ruled that Mr. Wright's undeniable Sky shamanism had reached such an extent as to be clinicallly indistinguishable from insanity. In view of this, his abolition of the office of Mayor of Horizon is null and void. Since Mr. Wright has very clearly resigned his position, the Moot of Years will elect a new mayor on Horizon's Day, as is traditional.The current forerunner in the race for the elected chamber, the Democratic Party of Horizon, is divided over the ruling. While some - led by Michael d'Avenant - have taken the courageous stance that lunacy must be kept at bay and Horizon granted a proper government, others - mainly those who back Dracion - have continued to indulge the borderline Ricterism for which the DPH is known and have advocated rule purely by an elected chamber.
Leaflets Suggest Intriguing Conspiracy Theory
(The Underworld Intelligencer, 12th Autumn's Glory 4022 HR.) Here's a puzzle: where are the mysterious pamphlets coming from which have plastered the city recently, and do their originators really intend to accuse Gabriella Rostefan, UFS President, of being the Autumn Princess?Maybe, maybe not. The publications do seem to be entirely independent, the pamphlets apparently originating from three different locations within the city.
- The first says, simply, "Gabriella Rostefan, Head of the UFS is in fact the AUTUMN PRINCESS!!!"
- The second states "The long forgotten CONSORT of the EMPORER, is seeking to take over the LEGITAMATE Government of HORIZON by SORCEROUS MEANS so she make us work as SLAVES in order to free the EMPORER from the power of the OCEANS and return him to RULE OVER US!"
- The third alleges that "Gabriella Rostefan, Head of the UFS using cunning and guile to undermine the political committees of Government. She has infiltrated numerous committees and her `Valued input' is little more than a ruse to undermine the interest of Horizon to make way for a LASINIAN INVASION."
The third pamphlet lists the committees which Ms Rostefan has allegedly "infiltrated". Whilst she was, in fact, invited to sit in on them as a visitor to the city in order to see how our civil service operates, it is certainly unusual that she'd be invited to watch quite so many committees, and the Intelligencer's sources suggest that she was asked for her opinions more than once.
If one accepts the notion that the fairytale figure of the Autumn Princess, apprentice of the Emperor, is being alluded to in the second pamphlet, they add up to a startling conspiracy theory: that for years, perhaps since the UFS's very inception, the Autumn Princess has lurked there awaiting an opportunity for conquest, and has now set her sights on Horizon. We wait to see how things develop.
DPH to Choose Mayoral Candidate
(The Liberator, 14th Autumn's Glory 4022 HR.) No particular surprises that the DPH is compromising its already debatable principles and joining reactionary forces in endorsing the election of a new Mayor. Following the recent judicial rulings that allow for the appointment of a legally endorsed tyrant of Horizon, the DPH has resolved the short tussle with its own conscience. Within a few days of the next moon truce, the party expects to have concluded a poll for an "official DPH candidate" for the position of mayor. This candidate will then, we have every reason to believe, join every other candidate in begging the comprehensively oligarchical Moot of Years for their grace and favour. A sad move for a so-called "Democratic" party of Horizon...Disturbance In Noble District
(The Horizon Tribune, 16th Autumn's Glory 4022 HR.) Yesterday d'Avenant Manor in the Noble District became the victim of a break-in in broad daylight. The infiltrator was masked and bore a resemblance to the legendary Nightbeast; he (it?), when discovered in the master bedroom, assaulted its captors and leapt through the window and out into the estate. The dogs where released but no-one was found. Several guards where injured in this assault and those which are currently conscious where unable to give any sort of detailed description of their assailant. A search of the house has revealed that nothing was taken but the perpetrator had been in the midst of a thorough search when he was disturbed.PROSPERITY SCRYING INCIDENT EXPOSES AUTUMN PRINCESS
(The Horizon Post, 18th Autumn's Glory 4022 HR.) SHOCK today as it was revealed that the UFS president, Gabriella Rostefan, does indeed wield STRANGE SORCEROUS POWERS! Early allegations that she is none other than the AUTUMN PRINCESS were initially dismissed as "poppycock" by members of the Prosperity party who had nonetheless criticised the warm reception by Horizon officials of the leader of what they call a "nation of REBELS, TRAITORS and THIEVES". In a move to settle what Cornelious Dalcrow initially called "a far-fetched tale, which if left uncountered could hopelessly muddy the waters", a public scrying was organised by several key members of the Prosperity group. Jeremiah Cork - noted alchemist within the university - arranged a scrying pool at the base of an arena in view of several hundred people. Before the scrying began Lord Dalcrow explained the process to the gathered crowd. "We will ask the pool to show us the Autumn Princess," he said. "If she is dead, or if she has warded herself against scrying, it will show nothing; if she is alive, however, it will show us her. This will settle once and for all the question of whether Ms Rostefan is or is not the Autumn Princess."Mr Cork told us, "The scrying began as any other, at first blurry, and then it began focusing in on it's target. The image of Ms Rostefan crystallised on the screen, apparently proving that she is the Autumn Princess - then the most bizarre thing occurred. Ms Rostefan started and slowly lifted her head and looked at us. No I don't mean just looked in the general direction of our point of view. She looked AT us and it was as if she was staring straight through us. She scowled and then the image dissolved. I've never seen anything quite like it before in my life. I can only imagine she is a powerful sorcerer indeed to disrupt the scrying in such a way."
Prosperity supporters seemed reluctant to comment after this event but some of the spectators were heard to express the feeling of something seeing right through them and into their very souls. "Her face... makes me shudder to think of it... it was so cold," said Millie Earnshaw who was present.
This newspaper can only spread the word that it is PROVEN that Gabriella Rostefan is more than she seems and is indeed THE AUTUMN PRINCESS. We must be VIGILANT to prevent THE EMPEROR'S PROTEGE gaining any more POWER over Horizon! There has been no word from the UFS on this matter.
Steam Funfair Allocated Site In Imperial Gardens
(The Horizon Times, 20th Autumn's Glory, 4022 HR.) Construction of the Steam Funfair has begun in earnest, with Bernard Hayes-Morton - who has, word has it, recently declared his support for the Prosperity party - reaching an agreement with the Trustees of the Imperial Gardens to allow construction of the fair in a disused area of the Gardens - with the stipulation that the exhausts of the various Steam engines must face away from the Gardens, towards the Lower City, so as not to pollute the air of the national park. The Funfair is well on course for opening on Horizon's Day of this year, and is a further example of the sterling efforts of this captain of free enterprise, the latest recruit to the cause of Prosperity... [OOC: From hereon in, the article becomes a puff piece for Bernard Hayes-Morton.]Samuel Burns Blames Terrorist Seductress
(The Horizon Tribune, 5th Autumn's Dusk 4022 HR.) The trial of the watchdog Samuel Burns (19), known as Sammy, today concluded with a verdict of not guilty to the charges of supplying weapons to seditionist movements, but he was found guilty of perjury and sentenced to 6 months in the Doghouse. In the trial he was cross-examined and flaws were found in his confession; half way through he broke down in tears and came out with a startling revelation, that he was in love the girl who most probably stole the weapons. He admitted to have been seeing regularly a whore known as Sophitia, who has been linked to dissident elements in the past. It is believed that she deliberately exploited the affections of this young man to gain knowledge and influence within the Horse Guards to be able to raid the quartermaster's supplies as she desired. In his desperation to defend the love of his life, Sammy tried to take the blame himself but all evidence pointed to someone else having done the deed. Witnesses say that the day after the robbery, in which several rifles and some explosives were stolen, Sammy was particularly groggy as if suffering from the effects of a sleeping draught. This terrorist seductress exploited this innocent young mans affections to gain access to the Watchdog's supplies and raid them, before callously leaving him to take the blame.Sophitia was later seen at the barracks with Sammy, who admitted that she had seemed nervous about the robbery and had urged Sammy to help cover it up, saying that she feared she would be blamed due to her past with the HPLF that she had now left behind but haunted her still.
The judge condemned the woman for her actions and reprimanded Sammy for his unprofessional conduct, but said that due to the insidious tactics of Sophitia and taking into account the innocence of youth on Sammy's part he would give a lenient sentence for perjury and dismiss the charges of aiding terrorists.
GHOULS DESTROY WHORE
(The Horizon Post, 7th Autumn's Dusk 4022 HR.) Last week BRAVE INDIVIDUALS from the Ghoul Hunters, backed up by the Arcanum Guard and Horse Guards, came face to face with that foul avatar of Lacrymosa, THE WHORE. SORCERORS used their powers to bind the brothel madam, who they believed to be the avatar in DISGUISE. Their fears were proved right and hoping to use the AVATAR to draw out and SLAY her mistress, repeating the EPIC ACT of the LEGENDARY BARON MONTAGUE from some twenty years earlier they were foiled. The WHORE, however, appeared to have a length of rope secreted upon her person, which she hung about her neck in a noose; with a tug on the rope she BROKE HER OWN NECK, and with a flash of light the illusion of her beauty was gone; all that was left behind was a well-preserved corpse, clearly the victim of some DECADES-OLD HANGING.The Horizon Post commends these heroic individuals for doing their part in humanity’s war on the gods.
LASINIAN FORCES GO TOO FAR
(The Horizon Illuminator, 11th Autumn's Dusk 4022 HR.) It was discovered last week that the Lasinian "military advisors" within Horizon seem to have OTHER OPERATIONS than keeping the peace. In fact, it has been discovered that they have been meddling in Horizon politics by the DISCREET FUNDING of the Horizon People's Party, whose political views are not wholly disimilar to the RED SOVIETS'. Such actions could be viewed by some of incitement of RICHTERIST REVOLUTION within Horizon. Given also that the war against Vegdarbarra has now most certainly ended and peace has returned to the Slums, more and more people are asking why are Lasinian forces still in Horizon?Meanwhile, SHOCK in the Treasury as Bernard Hayes-Morton testifies to WIDESPREAD LASINIAN INFILTRATION of the Treasury, with the lead infiltrator being Deputy Treasurer Peter Young. Backed up not only by PAINSTAKINGLY COLLECTED DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE but a WAX CYLINDER of clockwork phonograph recordings in which the TRAITOROUS CUR Young proposes a toast to the LASINIAN POLITBURO, Hayes-Morton's testimony has been enough to secure a CONVICTION for TREASON against the TREASURY MOLE.
With the latest polls showing the HPP's support COLLAPSING in the wake of the revelations of this TREASONOUS COLLABORATION WITH THE SOVIET TYRANTS, it would appear that the LASINIAN PLOT has backfired on its SOCIALIST PUPPETMASTERS...
STOP PRESS! Our sources in the government tell us that the Lasinians have been asked to LEAVE HORIZON IMMEDIATELY and that the embassies of Irgar and Jurica have promised to FORCEFULLY BACK Horizon should the Soviets prove RELUCTANT TO LEAVE. Our correspondants in the Ruins have sighted signs that the Lasinian troops are indeed FILING OUT as we go to press. GOOD RIDDANCE TO SOCIALIST RUBBISH!!!
Letter From the UFS
(The Liberator, 15th Autumn's Dusk 4022 HR.)(From a column in the Liberator detailing the anonymous writer's life in the UFS.)
I'm sitting in a cafe in the UFS. In front of me is a cup of black coffee, a sheaf of paper, and a cigarette. I'm sitting here, watching as the United Freedom State turns against everything it's ever stood for. I'm front row centre to watch the death throes of the UFS.
You might recall in some of my other columns I told you about the indominitable spirit of the Statesians. How these people'd fight and fight and fight, and not give up until they were dead.
I was wrong.
A nation that's prided itself on the freedom of its citizens has pissed away its liberty, and all it took was for everyone to look the other way.
There's a young boy across the room. He's being picked up by large men and escorted out, and they're keeping the pamphlets he was handing out for evidence. They didn't show him any badge. They didn't need to, because as soon as they came in the whole room went silent and everybody shied away from him. Folks kept their heads down. They kept their heads down because the men were Specials. That's a nice way of saying they're secret policemen. And that's a nice way of saying that they're slippery rat bastards who get their jollies out of throwing their weight around.
People in the UFS aren't afraid any more. Nor are they angry, confused, happy, or sad. They're not anything. They don't care. They don't care that justice is what the Specials say it is, they don't care that nobody goes out at night any more, they don't care that Rostefan's sucked all the life out of a nation which used to be the craziest damn place in the world.
I'm going home.
- the Jurican Cobra.
Central Steam Explosion Sounds Death Knell for Nationalisation, Steam Union Found Responsible
(The Horizon Times, 21st Autumn's Dusk 4022 HR.) The Central Steam Service has been destroyed, following a massive explosion from which it is unlikely to recover. The source of last night’s disaster has been put down to negligence on the part of workers: it is reported that earlier in the evening a number of safety officers had left their posts to join the picket line, leaving crucial parts of the machine unsupervised.Keith Becker, one of the managers of Central Steam, told the Times that "as far as we're aware, nobody was actually hurt by the accident - through a freak set of circumstances, the main force of the blast was directed away from the occupied parts of the factory, although that did mean that a large amount of damage occurred to neighbouring factories. All the evidence sugggests that the safety officers should have been able to prevent this if they had been at their posts, and we have eyewitnesses willing to testify that they left their posts at the urging of Steam Union provocateurs - indeed, some of the safety officers have proved willing to testify to the effect. We are going to the Watchdogs to secure criminal charges against the Union members and safety officers responsible for this, mark my words."
In addition, surrounding factories damaged by the accident and the Treasury have launched a million-guilder civil lawsuit against the Steam Union for damages and lost revenue. The Union leadership has refused to comment on this, the largest lawsuit the city has ever witnessed, but speculation is rampant that if even a tenth of the damages are awarded to the plaintiffs the Union may become bankrupt.
Our sources within the Treasury suggest that this incident, combined with several unfavourable reports on the status of other nationalised industries, could end up discrediting the idea of nationalisation in government circles. Cold comfort, perhaps, on those who were hoping to depend on Central Steam this winter...
A Nation Divided: Revolution and Invasion In Vegdarbarra, Irgar and Lasinia Challenge von Jäger Hegemony
(The Horiozn Tribune, 23rd Autumn's Dusk 4022 HR.) It seems difficult to believe, reading the reports from our Vegdarbarran correspondent, that the recent upheavals in that country began just a few weeks ago with a routine (by Vegdarbarran standards) police action against peasants opposed to the rule of Milan Gapon, the erstwhile dictator. As out readers will recall, the assassination of Baron Yuri von Liktinstein during the late war led to a power struggle from which military supremo Milan Gapon emerged triumphant as dictator of Vegdarbarra, following which peace was established with Horizon and Lasinia. Mr. Gapon's hold over his nation was, however, never complete, and in he indulged in a number of the "police actions" for which Vegdarbarran rulers have long been famous: the decimation of a community known to resist his rule. It was following one such act of misrule that protests broke out, seemingly spontaneously, across the whole country. Such protests very rapidly turned to armed rebellion against the rule of Milan Gapon, seemingly aided by a wide distribution of modern clockwork weapons among the Vegdarbarran peasantry. An army supposedly loyal to Gapon did little to quell these risings, with action by a few units being defeated by the overwhelming numbers of the peasant forces. Within two weeks of the first risings, the supposedly spontaneous peasant protest movements had forged themselves into a unified force that was marching upon Mr. Gapon's capital at Urtovsk.As Mr. Gapon's hold over the rest of Vegdarbarra collapsed, Lasinian forces moved over the border to support what they called the "people's revolt", allegedly a Richterist revolutionary movement distinct from the peasant uprising; indeed, the Lasinians and their Vegdarbarran allies appear to have had little to do with the rest of the peasant's revolt, but the Lasinians have nonetheless occupied a wide tract of Vegdarbarra, which is referring to itself as the "Soviet Vegdarbarran Republic". Meanwhile, in the wake of a massive airstrike by forces associated with the Grey Order on Urtovsk, Irgarim troops have moved into other parts of the country and declared a "Tribal League of Vegdarbarra" which, we understand, consists of a number of Vegdarbarran tribes wishing to swear fealty to the King of Irgar.
The airstrikes on Urtovsk, in which Milan Gapon was apparently killed, combined with a massive outbreak from a prison facility to allow the "peasant's army" to destroy what remained of Mr. Grapon's government, and demand the immediate appointment of an individual from the von Jäger family to take control of the country, citing the vastly improved humanity and competence to be expected from von Jäger rule. As our readers will be all too aware, the von Jägers are Heptarchs of the city of Horizon, but maintain substantial holdings in Vegdarbarra. Though expressing surprise at the demand, the head of the family Grafin Marie von Jäger has accepted the title of Queen of Vegdarbarra, contested only by the nominal rulers of the Lasinian and Irgarim client states.
The best intelligence so far obtained suggests that the Jägerine Kingdom of Vegdarbarra, controlled by Grafin Marie, is the largest civilised region of the country, with a vast area of no-man's land not securely held by any of the three polities currently struggling for a hold...