Yorban Times

News coming from the jungle world is both confusing and troubling. By Imperial decree House Poritrin has been ordered to surrender the planet to the former owners, the once Arch Dukes of Ecaz. These once disgraced cousines of the Corrino's have of late turned around their fortunes and seem to be on the road back to respectability and full co-operation in the interstellar community.

The Empire wide economic crises in CHOAM took on ever more ominous tones this week as auditors discovered underhanded dealings by one of our own directors. In an announcement to House Alman, later made public before the Landsraad, it was made known that CHOAM auditors had discovered that records had been falsified to try and frame the Almans for spice hoarding. They further revealed that the source of these falsified records was none other then House Poritrin.

In recent months the public clamor has been steadily increasing over the seeming inability, or unwillingness, for the CHOAM Board of Directors to actually manage the Empires markets. It comes as no surprise given growing number and variety of economic criseses which have rocked the greater and lesser Houses. What started as minor economic discomfort has now grown to possible recession and a feared collapse of our entire financial system.

Once again the Empire faces a shortage of important goods. On top of the recently noted shortage of slave labor due to the fall of Geidi Prime, we must now contend with an even more serious lack of munitions making it to market. While some might see this as a good thing, i.e. a lack of ability for the various houses to engage in wastefull wars, most of the greater and lesser Houses are quite alarmed by this turn of events.

In a sudden reversal to their recent fortunes, Duke Alman and his kin have recently enjoyed a nigh unto unprcedented improvement to their status. Readers might recall that it has been the Almans who have for ages been preaching solidarity among the ranks of the minor houses with only limited success. Within a period of less then a month though they have left those ranks behind and find themselves on the cusp of greatness.

In a stunning announcment from the Guild directors, the nobility and great schools of the Empire learned of significant increases in the prices for the coming years shipping fees. Accross the board rate increases have been put into effect which raises the prices that everyone wishing to do business in the Empire must bear. In some cases these increases can amount to more then a 300% hike that leaves many of the smaller houses wondering how they will manage to keep doing business.

After several months of insurrection on Eridanos, the man regarded by many as having pushed the fief to the brink of civil war has been found dead. Count Markov Alexin has died of an apparent accident within his family residence. This leaves his young son, na-Count Klaus Alexin to apparently inherit a world in turmoil.

The upcoming wedding between our beloved Princess Irulan Corrino and Ilario Poritrini, the na-Doge of House Poritrin, recalls to mind similar plans from a few years ago. At that time, it was another Poritrin noble who was due to be wed to the Princess Josefa. This was announced in September of 10,184 to much fanfare and celebration. Who could have known at the time though the horror which awaited the Empire in the coming months?

In a move that was as surprising as it was sudden, it was announced today that the Emperor had decided to award the newly christened Baronetchy of Gangishree to House Ecaz. This after the Ecazi had boldly requested said fief in a petition to His Majesty. Many thought that such a brazen request from a family so recently returned from disgrace would be doomed to fail.