Ibutho celebrate Azawiith's blessingJanuary 3599Ibutho women welcoming the news of Azawiith's promise of protectionEverybody in the Ibutho Nation, from the Chief down to the lowest slave, is breathing a heavy sigh of relief. Following widespread speculation and whispers about ominous signs from the heavens concerning the impending doom of our civilisation, yesterday saw a dramatic event that laid all of our worst fears to rest.
Sanele the sangomaSanele, one of Chief Mlungisi's most revered sangomas (OOC: witch doctors), fell into a trance during a royal audience and uttered a sacred prophecy:
I, Azawiith, the mighty God of Forbidden Knowledge, pledge to the Ibutho that so long as they worship me as their god, I will always protect them and guarantee they will live and prosper in this land until the end of time.
Upon hearing this, Chief Mlungisi promoted Azawiith to the position of most senior god in the Ibutho pantheon, displacing
Unkulunkulu, who previously enjoyed that honour. All Ibutho are now obliged to honour Azawiith at all important social and religious occasions. Ibutho leaders hope these religious reforms will help secure the stability of their regime.
Ibutho shrine to Azawiith, due to be consecrated by Chief Mlungisi tomorrowChief Mlungisi jilts Queen KristenQueen Kristen being bundled off back to DundorfIn a move which is likely to be highly damaging and embarrassing in diplomatic terms, Chief Mlungisi has called off his plans to marry Queen Kristen of Dundorf. When she first arrived in Ibutho, the Chief was reportedly very pleased with her and loved showing her off to fellow tribal leaders, but his mood soured once he read the small-print clauses the Dundorfians had inserted into the marriage contract. He became unhappy after discovering his bride-to-be would be stripped of her throne upon marrying him, and was also irritated to learn she was not capable of having children. In an angry, public dressing-down of the Dundorfian Ambassador, he raged:
You Dundorfians are not to be trusted! Do you think you can double-cross the great Chief Mlungisi of the Ibutho? You fools! This woman you have given me is barren and is not even a Queen. What sort of bride is this? She pleases me not! I don't want her. You can have her back.
Queen Kristen has been ignominiously returned to Dundorf on the back of a rusty old truck. Foreign Minister Dumisani Shabangu said he "is genuinely sorry for the lack of comfort provided for Her Majesty in the transport arrangements" but Chief Mlungisi contradicted this, barking that "the Dundorfians are lucky I did not send her back to them in 4 different pieces".
Elephant being towed back to IbuthoThe incensed Chief has also dispatched his henchmen to Dundorf to retrieve the elephant he earlier sent to Queen Kristen as a gift. Animal welfare activists have expressed concern about the welfare of the elephant, with Artanian Animal Aid issuing a statement complaining:
The international community needs to tell Chief Mlungisi very, very firmly that elephants are not playthings and must not be moved about from one country to another in this completely inappropriate and utterly unacceptable manner.