Trinsic, Trammel, Chesapeake (PaxLair Times) – February 17, 2014 – by Ashlynn – The council chamber grew rather heated at the most recent Royal Council meeting as Governor Phoenix and Governor Ivy clashed over the apparent plague of dogs deluging the City of Trinsic.
Governor Phoenix has long complained of the enormous stray dog population and despite her best efforts to cull the animals – much to Governor Ivy’s protests – they continue to increase in number.
Things finally came to a head this past saturday when Governor Phoenix openly accused her counterpart in Vesper of being behind the canine problem – even suggesting that she was acting in league with the rogue necromancer known as Jane. In response Lady Ivy claimed she only wished to help the creatures and even suggested that Trinsic’s so-called dog problem didn’t really exist.
The back-and-forth continued for some time before the King grew irritated enough to put an end to the bickering and soon moved on to business from the other governors. But the scowls on the faces of two women suggested this was far from over.
Does Trinsic Truly Have a Dog Problem?
Having a personal duty to investigate the truth of the matter I soon headed to Trinsic to see for myself and was rather shocked by what I found. A large dog population in the city is not unknown and the city has had need to call in specially trained dog catchers in the past but I had truly underestimated the scale of the problem.
Stray dogs in their hundreds along with the mess they had left behind menaced the eastern side of the city, particularly around the docks area and it was clear that some of them were of quite a violent nature. I myself had to fend off a few of the more rabid fiends through the use of my magic.
From some of the dockworkers I learned that an unofficial cull was already in progress out of sheer necessity, and I was even able to speak to Blaine, one of the neighbourhood butchers involved:
“We do our bes’ ter keep ’em under control but we got more o’ the damn things than we got rats. I give the local folks a few pieces fer every one they bring an’ sell the meat ter them merchants from across the sea. Gotta do what we can ter make some money out o’ it.”
Indeed, the butcher was busy carving up a few dog carcasses as we spoke and had many more ready for slaughter in the next room. An economically savvy approach to the problem but it would seem the city would need many more dog butchers before it could be considered a real solution.
The Vesper Element
Governor Ivy’s protests and her own projects to prolong the life of the beasts is said to have exacerbated the problem – at least in the eyes of Governor Phoenix. It is certainly true that the recent dog rescue resulted in the capture of hundreds of the animals although where they are currently being kept is anyone’s guess. While some dogs do wander the streets of Vesper it is not in the same volume they were recovered that night.
Perhaps there is some truth behind Lady Phoenix’s accusations?
In response the most recent public disagreement, Lady Ivy has announced a shelter will be set up to neuter as many of the animals as possible. The governor has also called for volunteers to aid her with intensive efforts in this area on the 27th of this month.
Will the efforts of both cities satisfy all parties involved? I cannot really say but I do feel that the conflicting philosophies involved mean we may well hear more on the matter in the months to come.