The Pressed Flower
Part of the Regional Newspapers
Area: Kingdom of Enchantment
Distribution: The Green Fairy
Ownership: Unknown.
Language: Common, unless indicated otherwise by article.
OOC editor: Hmail News.
Current Issue
July 2023
A Tumultuous Era
It is no secret that our lovely Kingdom of Enchantment is still healing from the past ten years of unrest. Our beautiful market square now stands grander than ever, with perfectly chiseled Larketian stones turned into elegant cobblestone that seamlessly blends with Southern Sage’s beauty. Our neighbors in Kelay remain nothing short of hospitable and amenable, as seen by the way the next generations of elves and fae learn of the world as partners instead of competitors. The once everburning fires caused by short-sighted greed were quelled with the finest mana-imbued Cenrili sand, transforming parts of our Kingdom to develop new flora that we could have never imagined during the march of the drow. The gold and silver Xalious Tree leaves bestowed upon us by our allies in Xalious during the Archmosian invasion still cast beautiful reflections along the ground when the sun is out, and cast blue light on the forest floor for us to traverse when Valaane and Ahr’Nuk have gone to sleep. The Green Fairy has saved enough to expand its treetop tavern to include a beautiful veranda for visitors to look out over the forest on, and is now stocked with the finest Rynvalian and Vhysian spirits. Our siblings in Craughmoyle bestow upon us the most beautiful gemstones to work with in exchange for fresh timber, never taking more than we can replenish due to a mutual respect we carry between our nations. This mutual respect that granted us an era of peace is now being threatened by recent developments.
With the recent exodus of fae from Vailkrin’s Dark Forest to accommodate drow refugees, our kingdom is finding itself in an unprecedented stage of rapid growth. While many are expanding to the human-dominated melting pot cities, most feel at home here among their own kind, where magic can be felt in every flower petal and in every drop of the Mystical Stream’s life-giving water. The dryad district has parted the wild overgrowth of the forest made to keep it safe during times of invasion, opening more opportunities for our winged and unwinged siblings alike. Despite this progress, growing dissent among locals have been rising from the sorting of emigrants based on the ancient classification of Seelie and Unseelie heritage not enforced since the fae relinquished the monarchy to the pixies.
“I was never part of a court, does that make me Unseelie now? The wording of it just implies that I’m lesser than whoever these Seelie folk are.” The identity, including race, of the person giving this quote will stay anonymous by request. “As far as I’m concerned, that’s all ancient history, and the fact that the Queen asked for this is a sign that she’s not as right in the head as she used to be. We’re all good-natured citizens of the Kingdom, isn’t that enough? Where in the hollows are the ones they say have Unseelie lineage ending up, anyways?”
The sentiment worrying about Queen Lunalesca’s ability to oversee the kingdom is not an isolated one.
Since the abdication of the throne by our shortest-reigning monarchs in history, several people have been wondering if the election process implemented by the Magical Oversight Committee Board was the right one. Queen Lunalesca’s first public appearance since the disappearance of former monarchs Lanara and Tiber was to attend the Vailkrin World Leader Summit, which is now being called the worst public event since Larket’s last public execution. The Queen’s advanced age and sharp tongue towards her equals before departing was a sight that left a bitter taste on many tongues. Common complaints of the system is that it is a glorified popularity contest that does not take true issues into account. Though it may work for more densely populated cities like Cenril or Schezerade, the poll posted in The Green Fairy is a stark reminder. As of the time of this writing, 198 tally marks were recorded, with most of them indicating that their trust has eroded completely. The question remains, though, with no other members of the original fae monarchy, nor the millenia reigning pixie monarchy, and without an election system, how is anyone supposed to have trust in leadership again? Members of the Magical Oversight Committee did not respond to our requests for comments.
Strange Happenings Around Enchantment
Since the crystal dragon putting the town to sleep has been slain, more oddities have been spotted around the woodlands. Reports state that exiled fae Quintessa Blackwell has been seen in Enchantment and in the neighboring Burrows with an unusual creature searching for an object. Specifics are not known at this time, but it appears to be an object of magical value.
Closer to the castle, dangerous fungi usually contained to the moors have been appearing around ground-level shops, requiring specialists to come out daily for removal. “My girls walk this pathway every day for their studies, and they’re still young enough that they’ll graze on things they think are fallen fruit. It only takes two seconds for tragedy to strike. Worse, what if they track these spores back to our corner of the woods?” Concerned centaurian parent and archery tutor Heatherine of the Windrun clan said in a statement. Some locals believe this to be the intentional work of vandals, but these allegations have yet to be substantiated.