Update 0 -- Auronas Stirs
The North
In the cold expanses far north of Copperhead, the events of the previous months were slow to have effect. The lords in their icy castles upon the whole chose to wait and see, rather than act quickly and decisively. That is not to say, of course, that no action was taken--indeed, the north saw two lords declare themselves king. In the snowy plains and forests around the Sami river, the recently crowned Queen Raya and her consort rule their newly independent Kingdom of Zakijaya. Immediately to the south, King Erwin, undoubtedly inspired by their northern neighbors, has proclaimed his holding on the north shore of Terrin bay to be independent as well, and has also laid plans for two new fortresses, bulwarks in the east and west.
Farther north, the Rallusians called a grand council, summoning all northern lords to theurcourt. However, the roads are dangerous and the northern lords still cautious, and only the Bangor Holds, the Salt Kingdom and the Rasks attend. While the Rasks use it as a show of power, their king attending in person and bringing a delegation of warriors with him, the Bangor Holds and the Salt Kingdom both send a lone envoy accompanied by few guards. Talks stall after none are able to agree on future plans, and the council is forced to hastily adjourn after the Bangorian delegate is found in bed with a young second cousin of King Amaros.
Fishermen and merchants in the Salt Kingdom, the Langro Islands and the Bangor Holds all complained of piracy, and many fingers were pointed, but in the end no single culprit was discovered and the attacks were attributed to simple opportunism. Meanwhile, several minstrels in the kingdoms of Chairt and Rallus went missing, their bodies found later washed up on shore, apparently having been drowned after being abducted from the road.
The Middle-Lands
In the Middle-lands, the lands between, little occurred as well. One man, Deargwin II of Arthendal, declared himself independent and thusly inspired defensive measures in his fellows. The rulers of both Lango and Aelrich summoned a small portion of their banners to their capital, to discourage attempts on their land, and the Langroans moreover gathered their fleet lest any try to reach the island.
Later in the year, the king of Tareen followed Deargwin’s suit and proclaimed himself king of Tareen, declaring himself independent. With two of the lords closest the capital independent and kings now themselves, all hope seemed lost for a quick recovery from the assassination, and all agreed the Arots--if indeed they were at fault--had accomplished their goals well.
The South
In the south, more occurred. The Storm Islanders, realizing their past fault in becoming over-reliant on Copperhead for their metal, scrambled to find a replacement now that trade was all but shut down. Some in the outer islands, especially on Far Island, took to raiding the coast, performing lightning attacks on Tareenan and Tridian coasts and retreating before forces could be mobilized. The raids were few and far between, but Tareenan lords reacted with outrage and urged their king to retaliate, or at the least protect them.
Meanwhile, the United Republics of Tridia engaged in naval actions of their own, sending ships to secure immensely lopsided Dresuli trade pacts while the Lord Vis still reeled from the event in Copperhead. Similarly, the lords in Bogatstvo made it clear that they had swords and steeds to sell, and many minor lords in nearby Arlen, Malair and Ciaden bought their wares.
In Copperhead, the situation continued to deteriorate. The spread of rumors that the Arots were not actually responsible and merely a scapegoat hastened when the guardsmen who initially accused the cult was found dead with a crossbow bolt in his stomach. Increasing paranoia led to a flurry of accusations, worsening the already present strife in the city. The Langoans had left a small detachment of lords in the city, to observe and watch, and before the year was out they had been taken prisoner by three different factions in the city as power plays and struggles for influence turned desperate, and many peasants fled into the surrounding countryside. Simultaneously, an old feud between two major lords, would-be kings themselves, turned to bloodshed in the countryside surrounding the city, and hundreds died in the fighting. The commoners are calling the conflict between the two houses--Arden and Hart--the Twilight War, as the sigils of the two houses are that of the sun and moon, respectively. As the year closed, the city was in tatters and the men and women in it powerless to stop the fall.