OVERVIEW
In Midwinter of 2011, Sirius Revlis returned to his place of birth in Nova Scotia, heading to Anathema where Naniko D'Angelo (the woman who raised him) lived. Sirius settled into the pack uneasily, meeting a strange woman who claimed distant relation to himself - Eris Eternity. Over the next few months, Sirius educated Eris at her behest in a great number of topics, and all the while they grew closer.

It was Sirius who first suggested they might form a pack of their own. Eris was hasty to agree, finding herself likewise connected with only a choice few members of Anathema. Thus the idea of a new pack began to bubble and brew in their minds.

Throughout late Winter/early Spring, they conspired secretly in the long cold nights, whispering of this place where they would seize much-desired power and all other fantastical conjectures made by would-be monarchs. They began to quietly recruit some short time later - these members they sought were predominantly Anathemans, Infernians and Loners suggested by Eris, who found herself with at least enough social connections to form the basis and foundation of what would become a great civilization. In the first week of true Spring, the assorted and eclectic group hand-chosen by the new rulers made their way to the westernmost corner of Drifter Bay, where they settled among the thistle and ruins of humanity and raised Salsola from the black loam of the coast.

EVENTS

• Event: Sequoia Plot
  • Summary: The Sequoia Alliance was a group of loosely-affiliated luperci, an assortment of characters from multiple packs with like-minded interests. Initially, they were founded to bring wrongdoers to justice, but this proved to be a much more heady task. Though they had many individual ambitions, the group was devastated and eventually scattered when their attempt to raid Salsola and free its slaves was overthrown by Salsolan forces.
• Event: Ichika-Salsola conflict - 1, 2, 3, 4
  • Summary: Intent on expanding their reach and reputation, Salsola looks toward its neighbor Ichika no Ho-en. After investigating their defenses, three Salsolans slip into Ichika's borders unnoticed and begin to raid the livestock. Taken are two llamas, but not without cost: the raiders are interrupted by a startled horse, and one of them - Magnolia Takekuro - is captured by the Ichikans. High ranking Salsolan and Ichika no Ho-en members meet to discuss the recent raid and its implications, and they strike a deal - an exchange of hostages takes place.

NOTABLE THREADS

OVERVIEW
Sirius was an enigmatic, charismatic, and volatile ruler. Able to sway new recruits and useful allies with the ease of his infamous silver tongue, the small settlement steadily grew and prospered. However, a poison lived within the mind of the new Boss, driving him to increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior. Surprisingly early into Salsola's fruitful existence, Sirius suddenly and inexplicably abdicated his throne and disappeared with his small family - Coincidentally, Inferni's then-Aquila Ezekiel de le Poer, long rumored to be the Mad King's lover, disappeared at the same time.

Freshly born, Salsola was plunged into its first political uncertainty.

EVENTS

• Event: Boreas Conflict - 1, 2
  • Summary: The Boreas Conflict entails a series of attacks carried out by the Boreas wolves of Zion on coyote-clan Inferni and (at the time) a coyote-run Salsola. Their decision to attack both packs simultaneously proved to be a fatal mistake – the two packs allied together to crush the Boreas foe. Only a few enemy stragglers survived the final massacre and made it out alive, and it took them many months to return to Zion, spreading stories of “northern barbarian heathens”.

NOTABLE THREADS

OVERVIEW
Salvia assumes control of Salsola in late August. The first challenge to the pack arises when southern neighbors bring trouble to the borders.

EVENTS

• Event: Casa Versus Salsola
  • Additional Info: Casa learned that Salsola enslaved Luperci and declares Salsola guilty of the crime of slavery. Salsola did not recognize their authority, however, and shows no sign of changing their ways. The plot came to a head when Sebastian Auditore infiltrated Salsola to learn more and, while trying to escape, attacked a puppy and freed two Salsolan slaves with the help of members of the pack New Dawn (to whom they fled).

NOTABLE THREADS

OVERVIEW
The iron-fisted rule of the current Boss, Salvia Eternity, continues to guide Salsola into further wealth. There has been some quiet trouble brewing in the upper ranks, with mischievous collaborations between the Crone, Siv Helsi, and the Ambassador, Isabella Heiwa, who hope to garner more power for themselves by pulling out a more 'gentle' and 'maternal' side to their warrior queen.

New enemies rose from neighboring settlements, leading Salsola to send its spies out to various packs. Most of these incidents went undetected, though Salsola certainly reinforced it's response to Casa di Cavalieri's own infiltration in more violent manners. The return of the son of the Family's previous king has heralded some increasing drama in the pack, along with plenty of new and old faces coming home to the land of thorns.

Although continuing its love of secrecy, Salsola has openly expanded its borders northward, making the territory stretch closer to the shadow of the great Halcyon range.

EVENTS

• Event: Description goes here
  • Additional Info: Salsola's territory claim expanded northward.

NOTABLE THREADS

OVERVIEW
Like the Pictou river that flows down from Halcyon, the secretive kin of Salsola proved their adaptability, constancy, and coldness again in 2014. The year started off under the stony reign of Salvia, the Thistle Kingdom's formidable and iron-willed Queen. Tensions rose beneath the pack's icy surface as ambitious heir, Lokr Revlis, vied for a position of favor and forged a greater foe in the likes of the scheming Sotto Capo witches, Siv Helsi and Isabella Heiwa. Early in the year, the form of a catalyst came as Basilaris Eternity, long-lost brother of the Queen, returned with a stranger from across the oceans. It was soon after their return that Salvia took the stranger, now known to be Stannis de le Poer and son of Inferni's previous Aquila, as her mate.

The unexpected mateship caused chaos in Salsola's upper ranks, with Lokr humiliating himself at the pack's corresponding Last Supper, and the Sotto Capo plotting to get their Queen with pups so as to distract her ever-keen attentions. Meanwhile, the pack suffered the sudden and heartbreaking loss of father and mate Imhotep Aabt, who passed away in his sleep due to a failure of his heart. His mate, Odessa D'Angelo, and sons Ankh and Sol, were left in mourning.

Further trouble came from a cruel jackal attacking Itachi Lykoi's daughter, Violeta, and severely wounding her. A manhunt was set for the attacker, and the incident reminded all Salsolans of the need to be suspicious and careful when dealing with those not of the Family. This poor news and the loss of Imhotep were amended only by the new lives brought into Salsola in 2014 - During the year, 6 new litters were born!

In an attempt to redeem himself from his earlier shame, Lokr Revlis began making active trades for the pack, corresponding closely with trading partners in Freetown. After discussing a clever idea with the Queen, Salvia agreed to Lokr's suggestion that Salsola found the first pack-owned trading outpost. A location was found near the mouth of Rockport Cove, a mere 8 miles from the central Freetown Docks. Salvia sent her trusted Henchman Aedan de Valence to settle the new trade point, and Aedan took his mate Wisteria and daughter Claire, leaving behind her more independent sister, Delphinium D'Angelo. Odessa also chose to accompany the troupe, using it as a way to escape her grief and nostalgia. The pack experienced a further boon with the Drifter Bay roundup, increasing the wealth and value of the horseflesh belonging to the Family and strengthening bonds with neighboring pack and ally, Inferni.

With the oncoming of Winter, change once more took a hold of the pack. After proving his loyalty and ferocity, Lokr was promoted to Lord Commander of the pack, serving as the right hand of the Queen. This announcement was made at the pack's end-of-Autumn Last Supper, where the new ranks that Lokr and Salvia had been working on were also revealed. Ambitious Salsolans have been quick to leap up the ladder towards the Sotto Capo - But who will take their place among the ruling elite in the year to come?

EVENTS

• Event: Description goes here
  • Additional Info: Something goes here

NOTABLE THREADS

OVERVIEW
Salsola continues its stalwart prosperity, growing strong as prickly vines from strength to strength. The pack has seen a momentous boom in membership this year, swelling in numbers to become the largest settlement in all Nova Scotia. Attracted by the whispers of power and promises of fortune, many newcomers have added themselves to the strict ranks of the kingdom - Some few have already made a name for themselves. In particular, the old royal house of D'Angelo has begun to congregate en-mass at Salsola, leaving some fearing a second birth of the dreaded laws of Khalif.

This flush of Outsiders and old names has brought with it crucial information of neighboring packs. A relative newcomer, the kingdom of Sapient, proved themselves worthy of interest - their Ambassador, a blonde woman named Akantha, secured many trades with the wealthy kin of Salsola, and slowly an understanding of mutual gain began to develop between the two packs. This marked the second ever pack to gain a Trade Alliance with the suspicious Salsolans; And although some hiccups have been had in the business-like relationship, such as blame of a murder being placed on the Salsolan Lord Commander at a parlay event hosted by the Sapiens, the connection between the two packs remains relatively stable.

This lies in contrast with another new pack, founded near enough to Salsolan territory to make them of interest; Krokar was a relatively unheard of name, until a wild love-affair between the Lord Commander and an Onuban woman, Semini, drew the furious attentions of the Boss. Tensions remain embedded in the soil between the two realms, though there have been no outright declarations of animosity.

To curb the growing number of jobless individuals within Salsolan soil, Salvia and Lokr formulated a plan to send a large convoy of able-bodied members to aid their brethren at the Salsolan Trading Outpost, a trade point situated between Salsola and the bustling ports of Freetown. Among those who joined the small migration were the Black Witch Eris, an infamous figurehead of Salsolan society, and the pale daughter Delphinium D'Angelo, who dutifully swapped places with her canny sister Claire.

Scheming in the upper echelons of Salsola's ranks finally came to a great catalyst, when at the Last Supper the Queen announced a betrothal between her daughter (and blood-heir) Osrath Eternity, and the Lord Commander Lokr Revlis. Although both parties were horrified by the announcement, neither dared disavow Salvia's decree. This eventually led to an unsteady truce between the two foes, which unexpectedly resulted in a dangerous alliance and the good word of royal-blooded puppies on the way!

With numbers of members in the Associate rank continuing to swell, it became necessary for the territory to expand. Salsola arched its claim northward, to the foot of the Halycon range and the edge of the sprawling city-ruins of Amherst. Within the new territory, a number of landmarks were noted: In particular, a dark stretch of dense forest on the coastline, ominously given the calling "the Blackwoods", became a common site of rumors and visions of all manner of spooky hauntings. Salsolan members have been warned to be at their utmost care when traversing its ghostly depths.

The year ends on a solemn note; A serial killer has been leaving gruesome 'gifts' at Salsolan borders, unsettling many civilians. EVENTS

• Event: Description goes here
  • Additional Info: Salsola expands its territory claim again.

NOTABLE THREADS

OVERVIEW
The year started with heady drama in the form of a number of murders being committed, the unfortunate female victims left strategically at our borders. Whilst the pack rallied and began to cast suspicious eyes at enemies and allies alike, the true villains - a cunning crew of gang members from far Toronto named the Five - continued their harassment in pursuit of Salsola's own Hyacinth Silevue, to whom the leader had once been betrothed. Of course, it wasn't long before Salvia truly tired of the antics of this terrible group. A skilled tactical entourage of Salsolan spies, scouts and warriors made quick work of the foe. The leader, a charming yet cruel man who went by the calling 'Hans Voclain', was publicly beheaded at the behest of Hyacinth, who he had greatly tormented in his mad hunt to return her to his side. The Five's only surviving victim, a young girl named Idrieus, joined the pack under the mentorship of Artemisia Eternity.

In spite of this resolution the pack's string of misfortune was set to continue, albeit on a much grander scale. All of Nova Scotia was devastated by the fall of the Red Star. The meteor, which plummeted to earth and smashed in the ocean far off the southern coastline, created immense flooding and fear in its wake. Due to its northern terrain, most of the Thistle Kingdom remained repairable after the blow - Though the frigid waters of the Pictou river burst its banks as the ocean rose in a mammoth king tide, flooding marshy Tantramar and making a true bog of the Pine Barrens. The heaviest loss came from Salsola's upper echelon; The kingdom's first Crone, Siv Helsi, was tragically presumably killed in a fire started by the aftershocks of the Red Star. Dismayed and furious with her elite witches of the Coven for not foreseeing the terrible event, in her wrath queen Salvia also dismissed then-Ambassador Isabella Heiwa from the Sotto Capo, and she was left to gracefully retire back into the noble ranks.

Lucky to have been spared the full brute force of this natural disaster, Salsola was quicker than most to regain solid footing in the aftermath of the meteor. New life is always a sign of true resilience, and the pack welcomed the births of 6 new Bambinos with relief; Four to newly-mated Cleric Bane D'Angelo and Paladin Basilaris Eternity, and two to esteemed ladder-climbers Till Van Ulrich-Lykoi and Elody Lykoi. Unfortunately, one of the Lykoi children did not have long to live alongside his brother, apparently being killed in a suspiciously vicious bobcat attack.

For a time the pack was able to settle, repairing its defenses and growing ever stronger. It wasn't until autumn that the pack was once more stirred by strange happenings beyond the borders - odd, heretical symbols began appearing, hewn out of long bound branches or slashed out of the rolling grasslands around the bay. These mysterious spirals and figures gave great anxiety to members of Salsola, who feared another aggressor baiting their scouts and hunters. However, these bizarre, seemingly otherworldly events were not at all malignant, and ended up being only the deluded machinations of a kindly soul named Nickodemus, who believed that the fall of the red star was a herald from beings that lived far beyond the night sky. Bemused by his ramblings and vigor, the leadership allowed Nick to join Salsolan ranks in a rare show of benevolence.

With heavy winter now beginning to set in, a final escort of Salsolans was sent to bolster the number of loyal merchants who trade on the pack's behalf at Portland - The new major trade center, as Freetown was destroyed by the meteor. The group had safe travels, though thick snowfall has prevented further contact aside from the crows that are occasionally sent to report.

EVENTS

• Event: The Five, Operation Meteor
  • Additional Info: Salsola establishes it's Portland outpost at Fort Preble.

NOTABLE THREADS

OVERVIEW
The year began with what seemed like an end to a blight as a familiar foe, the Boreas wolves had tried and failed against our might once before, and this time proved to be no different. Alongside Inferni the pack vanquished this old enemy. War-weary Salsolans held their heads high and attempted to resume the normalcy of peacetimes -- a peace that would, unfortunately, be short lived. Perhaps feeling an ill premonition of this, Apprentice Idrieus Eternity led the construction of Salsola's first ever formal training Arena, which has had much use since. Many families welcomed new additions over the year, and the pack has swelled to great numbers once again.

In spring the land itself revolted and a wicked sickness came from water and beast. It infected the vulnerable and weakened even the strong, indiscriminate against all living kin. The mysterious coven used all their prowess of the Craft to ease the suffering of their neighbors and the good pious folk who allowed faith into their hearts. Perhaps it was their potions and portents that eased the sickness, for it soon passed over, taking few victims with it to a fiery grave. Khirot and Tarat, two of Salsola's eldest communal slaves, did not survive the harshness of the plague.

For a sweet summer there was a lapse in terror, and a mild season allowed Salsolans to regroup and regather their losses. Behind this veneer of tranquility, a new storm was brewing.

Tensions began to rise with the coyote clan, Inferni. What started as a few short-tempered disagreements was quick to grow, flames to a pyre that burned a profitable trade alliance to ashes. War found its way to the Thistle Kingdom once again, though this conflict was quite unlike any other; The Infernians knew more about Salsola than any other foe, and their tactics were savage and effective, warranting their infamy as brutal guerrilla fighters. Following a massive battle on the Bay, the war was brought to an end when Salsola burned down the Infernian stronghold.

The war, as with all things, came at a price. After four years of loyal servitude as the right hand of the queen, Lord Commander Lokr Revlis was exposed as a heinous traitor, and made Pentiti (exile) by his own daughter. His banishment has left a great political rift in the kingdom, with many loyalists speculative and suspicious of the truth. After delivering this fell blow, his leadership position was usurped by his daughter, the witch Elphaba Revlis, who joins her grandmother in the esteemed ranks of the Mafiosi as the Hierophant. A pious and devoted member of the coven, her bold and tumultuous rise is likely to bring with it strife and glory in the new year to come.

EVENTS

• Event: The Second Boreas Conflict, Spring Sickness, Inferni-SalsolaWar
  • Additional Info: ---

NOTABLE THREADS

OVERVIEW
The arrival of a new year heralded momentous change for the lands and subjects of the Thistle Kingdom. After the previous year's tumultuous finale, it seemed as though the brutal war with Inferni had set a blaze of unrest that not even Salvia's iron rule could entirely stamp out. The rifts turned inward, becoming political and rife with ambition, as fresh blood rivaled against old pillars to determine the future hierarchy of the pack.

In late winter, Krios Heiwa discovered the truth behind his missing father, and revealed himself as one of the Pentiti Lokr Revlis' heirs. Threatened by the arrival of another royal-blooded noble, Elphaba - only recently promoted to Mafiosi under the guidance of the Boss - used her high status to bully him into a controlling betrothal with lowborn scout Kamari Kaiser. It marked only the second ever betrothal in Salsolan history to be enforced by the Law, and was a highly criticized move by the young Hierophant's enemies in court.

As it turned out, this display of power was a warning of greater developments to come. As a mellow but fleeting spring softened the icy grey waters of the loch, it hardened the motives of two treasonous co-conspirators. Buoyed by the bureaucratic and physical backing of her cousin, the Hierophant acted on their relentless ambition and unexpectedly challenged Salvia to the throne. Even more shockingly, the Golden Tigress rescinded her power without complaint, in a move that both fortified Elphaba's claim and unsettled the entirety of the kingdom.

And so it was that Elphaba Revlis became Boss, with O'Riley Eternity serving as the sword in her hand, her Erilaz.

EVENTS

• Event: ---
  • Additional Info: ---

NOTABLE THREADS

OVERVIEW
Latent political unrest became deep trenches of upheaval as the pack's alliance splintered on two sides of the gulf - those who stood for the new queen, and those who did not trust her fledgling reign. Determined to show strength in the wake of her sudden triumph, Elphaba's first decree was a bold one: Salsola was abolishing the use of slavery. In its place they would take up the use of debt as a more disguised manner of establishing a serfdom class, introducing the new ranks of Indentured Servant and Mendicant.

In spite of the contentious political climate within the kingdom proper, Salsola continued to outwardly prosper. The new queen reinforced her position by promoting a number of loyal subjects into the enviable Faction Tiers. Over the course of a few moons, Brocade Valentine, Kamari Kaiser, Krios Revlis and Helena Troy Lykoi would find positions of power within their respective Factions. Brocade would go on to become the kingdom's first officiated Director, leading the Shield Tier into a new age of strength and cohesiveness.

While Salsola wrestled with internal fractures, the outside world suffered losses of its own. The fall of a number of packs were noted by Salsolans in-the-know, with Sapient's disbandment, Inferni's dissolution and Krokar's devastation being of particular concern.

However, the woes of Outsiders seemed trivial in comparison to sudden devastation within the ranks of the nobles. Docile though the verdant heat of summer began, Ondine Heiwa's murder struck Salsola like an arrow out of the blue. Her death marked a grim pattern of grief within the Sanctus Tier, shaking up the bedrock of coven strength upon which the new queen had partially built the pillars of her control. Desperate to turn public favor to her benefit, the Boss arranged swiftly for a royal wedding to take place, calling in the betrothal of her mourning half-brother and the now esteemed Kaiser daughter.

The royal wedding was among the first of its kind, cementing a new celebration format within Salsola's ever-shifting culture.

The year ends much as it began, with a building unease within the hierarchy of the kingdom held viciously at bay by the young queen's avarice and arrogance. What waits in store for the thriving populace of Salsola remains to be seen.

EVENTS

• Event: Strange Flora
  • Additional Info: Something goes here

NOTABLE THREADS

OVERVIEW
A new and terrible dawn rose upon Salsola in the second year of Elphaba's reign. Still wounded by the previous year's horrible losses, the fragile internal peace is shattered by a devastating discovery. The grotesque body of Crone Loki Helsi is found by his own daughter; Burnt at a pyre in the neutral lands beyond the safety of the Law. Hysteria threatens the stability of the queen's tumultuous rule as Salsola reels from the shock of this savage crime. Furious in her own right, and obsessively driven to find the culprit, Elphaba sets in place a royal decree that will decide Salsola's path for the year to come.

All members of her esteemed Faction Tiers are given new roles and new titles as Inquisitors for the crown. The Salsolan Inquisition begins.

While intrigue and scandal plague the Inquisitor's duty, not all in the kingdom is doom and gloom. A precious litter of puppies are born - Pontifex Troy Lykoi, Rufus Lykoi, Eusebia Lykoi, and Raito Ulrich-Lykoi. Beneath the new regime, life and work must continue. As spring arrives, two major projects are undertaken: The War Room and the Library Restoration.

Just as the world seems to have settled into order, madness grips us again. A sudden and seemingly-unprovoked attempt to poison Inquisitor Kamari Kaiser leaves the master spy clinging to life - just as she began to figure out the identity of the murderer! Pressure mounts as this fresh lead gives the Inquisitors a trail to follow, and just before the increasingly erratic Delfina Heiwa - a notorious witch - is able to finish her foul deed, she is apprehended. Though she puts up a fight, Delfina is eventually restrained and imprisoned.

A trial is held to determine the truth behind Ondine's murder the prior year, and Loki's death. Found guilty of all crimes, Delfina cracks and admits to sororicide, traumatizing the surviving members of House Heiwa. She is sentenced to death, but before her nephew Krios Revlis can carry out the execution, she denies involvement in the murder of the Crone. Her body is sent over the great falls, where her spirit will never rest.

The kingdom is shrouded by a false sense of peace. The conspiracy of Loki's death remains close in everyone's minds.

While the Inquisition, led by an increasingly frustrated O'Riley, continue their hunt for answers, an unusual development occurs. Andrew Winthrop - an ex-Infernian indebted due to his participation in the war - pays off his debt, and makes history by going on to join the ranks of the Family. Having been thoroughly indoctrinated into Salsolan culture by his previous Mistress, his star begins to rise.

Midway through the year, the tomes record that Salsola turned eight years old.

Activity stirs in the heart of the Ruins. Two couples - Andrew & Narcissa and Brocade & Morgana - are betrothed before the eyes of the kingdom. Two more - Kaeli & Shaamah and Idrieus & Grievous - willingly announce their intents to be wed. The season is ripe for romance, and in spite of its unsolved mysterious, Salsola continues to prosper. The use of the term 'House' to identify a prominent bloodline becomes a common phrase in Salsolan culture, further separating identities between the highborns - those with noble blood - from the lowborns - those without.

Nazar and Mithra are born to House Blacksun. Shortly after, their father disappears.

A harvest moon rises late in the season. Prompted by her cousin, the witch Morgana, Elphaba calls for the coven to undertake a blessing rite to ensure Salsola's bounty; As well as to manifest a hex upon the bringer of the Sanctum curse. It is a powerful ritual, and one that brings many practitioners of all different creeds to attendance.

The fortunes of the Kingdom shine. Sebastien Stone rises out of Serfdom to become a member of the family. Julius Valentine and Till Van Ulrich Lykoi are promoted into the Faction Tiers. There they are joined by none other than Andrew, whose loyalty and cunning appears to have made him a true Salsolan at heart after all, eventually leading him to the esteemed position of Proctor. The Sotto Capo accepts Helena Troy Lykoi as mistress of the Merchant Tier, the Ambassador.

And finally, after a whole year of searching, the Inquisition finds what it needs to condemn the bringer of the Sanctum Curse. Scouts identify suspicious activity on the eastern border. Salsola leads raids against the two loner groups found there, seeking the proof of culpability that they require to finally lay the Cursebringer to rest. What they find changes everything.

EVENTS

• Event: Curse of the Sanctum
  • Additional Info: Something goes here

NOTABLE THREADS

OVERVIEW
The third year in the reign of the fearsome queen, Boss Elphaba Revlis (first of her name), rose grimly through fire and brimstone and ash. The dreaded Curse of the Sanctum that had brought so much suffering and strife upon Salsola's rich fields found its scapegoat in the form of a stray group of wanderers. Tethered to the narrative by the wily interventions of the pack's very own Erilaz, the Larue clan spent their last hours upon this earth hostage to the great wroth of Salsola. One among them, framed to fill the role the most hated curse-bringer villain, was fed to the flames in a final act of cleansing. With this sacrifice made and vengeance wrought, the Thistle Kingdom found itself at last free of the cold grip of the Curse of the Sanctum.

In the aftermath of this great justice came an age of peace, marked at once by celebration. The pack's great Saturnalia festival, postponed through season's end, was ushered in to return much-needed mirth to the still reeling kingdom populace. Though the pack's stores and cellars had suffered with a marked lack of prosperity through the late harvest, luckily, this dearth was offset with plentiful wines, ales, and brews to lighten the mood. The mute servant, Silas del Morte, was bestowed the great honor of acting as The Lord of Discord for the celebration - much to the wry amusement of many.

In peacetimes, Salsola's strength was lent to the noble pursuit of securing a political alliance with newcomers to the mainland, New Caledonia. This fledgling civilization showed enough promise that Salsola's queen, in her notable 'benevolence', saw fit to endow them with gifts a-plenty - securing a lasting debt that would tie their loyalty and prosperity firmly to our own.

The hardships of the year were hardly finished with the breaking of the curse, however, for now it was nature's turn to remind Luperci of her omnipotence in all things. Whilst Salsola might lay claim to control over the minds of many men, it is only a god who might declare power over the chaos of the land itself. First, nature scorned all with a frigid blizzard, and then the ground bucked beneath her hand. The earthquakes lay waste to many of the old dilapidated structures in the pack's claim of southern Amherst, and even a number of sturdier buildings were damaged by the shaking and rumbling deep beneath the soil. Luckily, Salsolans are used to the cruelty of the elements, and weathered these blows with resilience and a mind on how to turn them in Salsola's favor - so, too, with the peculiar unearthly plague flowers, and the plague doctors who came first to herald them.

In the aftermath of nature's wreckage, business as usual reigned on high. The kingdom constructed a notice board for ease of passage for goods and services throughout the realm, as well as a root cellar for better storage in preparation of any further famines. An economically-minded neutral trading market, deemed the Marketplace, was established in the territory's northern reach. To guard the mountain pass that allowed access to it, the Queensgate Garrison was formed, and manned at all times by guards selected from Director Valentine's finest soldiers. So too with this prosperity came the boon of children, with litters born in spring and early summer.

Like a blossom in springtime, trade once more began to flourish, guided by the canny hands of a young Partisan, Clementine Salcedo. Outpost Expeditions were established with some regularity to broaden the reach of prosperity in Portland and beyond. The notable deaths and disappearances within Salsola itself are kept quiet. While one murder remains unsolved, the culprit of another -- Symre Rask -- is exiled and named a Pentiti. Danger, it seems, lingers close indeed.

As the year draws to a close, Salsola turns its eyes greedily upon the future. What boons await, ripe for the plucking? Will this fragile peacetime last, given The Thistle Kingdom's clouded history of war and ruin?

EVENTS

• Event: Blizzard, Strange Flora, Plague Doctors, 2020 Earthquakes
  • Additional Info: A trade caravan heads to Portland in September. This is the first year that the Yuletide Yak makes an appearance.

NOTABLE THREADS

OVERVIEW
Year IV of Queen Elphaba’s tumultuous reign began with heady mischief, and a night full of wanton revelry. With no bloody Wars to finish or menacing Curses to lift, the Kingdom was free to celebrate traditional Saturnalia with an unexpected choice: another servant taking up the thorny crown of the Lord of Discord, Odalis! Though some believed the choice to be a mockery of our rigid hierarchy, it set the tone for other strange events yet to come... And many small, insignificant troubles saw their beginnings with Winter’s end.

Deceit and lies are woven. A terror lurks thirsts for vengeance in the bitter cold. Enemies of the Crown meet in secret.

Salsola found itself once more graciously invited to attend another Call to Court in the Sun-and-Moon Kingdom of the north. Our regal delegation was welcomed, fed, entertained, and thanked for their barter and gifts, and the blossoming trade relationship with New Caledonia grew deeper roots fed by the flow of wealth from one palm to another.

Spring heralded a seasonal Last Supper, in which a surprise betrothal united the pregnant serpent, Aani, with the pristine rose, Eden. Their union, brought about by underhanded manipulation, was nevertheless fruitful in the birth of three heirs. Seeking to build on the pack's seemingly steady prosperity, our Erilaz guided the construction of a new landmark in the northern reaches of our territory - the Firehouse. This structure, built with a mind to house important merchant delegations and other key 'Outsider' dignitaries, was immediately put to use by an envoy from New Caledonia. In the first of its kind on our hostile soil, Salsola hosted a trade event, welcoming our allies to conduct business in the Thistle Kingdom's private Marketplace.

While this hesitant allowance boded a significant change for the most secretive of packs, it certainly did not soften our suspicious demeanor overnight. When an invitation to attend our long-time rival Casa di Cavalieri's new Olympic Games arrived at the border, it was summarily dismissed, with Salsola having no inclination to reveal so much of its strengths or weaknesses before the eyes of many.

Mid spring marked a very auspicious event: Salsola's decennial birthday! Ten fantastical years of secrets, snakes, sins and sorcery since the foundation of our infamous kingdom! The pack enjoyed a week-long celebration in honor of our ancestors and storied history, culminating in a grand feast to be remembered in our annals for all time. Familia Fortis Elegit!

For some Salsolans, however, the fun and good-feelings from the celebration were short-lived. During an outing far beyond the Kingdom's protective borders, Cleric Eden and her mate, Aani, tragically lost their daughter, Catalina de le Ulrich, who was — reportedly — lost in an accidental drowning. Further beyond, Emissary Kamari found herself entangled in a complicated web built on revenge for past wrongs of another. Though eventually rescued, the ordeal saw the unfortunate deaths of both Velimir Voronin and Larunda Mellon. The losses were mourned, and many secrets were kept.

Mid-summer saw the pack's subleader, O'Riley Eternity, bring justice to an enemy of the kingdom, though not without personal cost. The end of late summer brought with it a strange opportunity. Distant neighbor, Del Cenere, made public the news that they would be holding a stockshow, and invited all manner of Outsiders to attend. Underlying tensions between the coyote-led (and Inferni-remembering) Gang made open attendance by the Thistle Kingdom too risky. Nevertheless, some clever Salsolans did participate under guise of alias and anonymity, and reported back their findings to the crown.

As the leaves turned gold and autumn crept in, the change of seasons mirrored a change within the very structure of our society. A new Faction Tier — the Lore Faction — was introduced to better distribute responsibilities among the highly respected upper echelons of Salsolan culture. The addition of new ranks and jobs, and the removal of redundant ones, were made in the name of progress and improvement. But not all was so bright and tidy during the harvest season; strange gifts and spooky offerings found around the kingdom borders made for an eerie atmosphere toward fall's end. The Autumnal Last Supper finally revealed the Outsider behind these uncanny happenings - a foreigner from strange lands, with the backing of the noble Helsi House no less!

The year draws to an end, and the chill of winter has settled deep into the quiet, secret places of the Ruins proper. The cold leeches deep into wood, stone, and bone alike.

EVENTS

• Event: New Caledonia Trade Event, Salsola's Decennial (10th) Birthday!
  • Additional Info: Salsola attends another Call to Court. Many personal plots made up the majority of Salsola's events this year!

NOTABLE THREADS

OVERVIEW
coming soon

EVENTS

• Event: A Tear In The Tapestry, Floods, A Seismic Shift
  • Additional Info: Something goes here

NOTABLE THREADS