To the Casino Imperiale!

& "Creatures on the Street"

Author

Amoenus Franco
February 25, 2026

Wednesday’s greetings, mortals—this Friday, we head to the CASINO IMPERIALE! Once a storied gaming parlor where princes became paupers, the casino fell on hard times after the Shattering—but now ‘tis the GRAND RE-OPENING! Bring a robust bankroll, & join us with PADDY O’LEFTY at the CASINO IMPERIALE, Friday 8PT!

Below, find another “CREATURES ON THE STREET”—but before that! I found out, on Monday afternoon, that the grasping greedy mortals who disseminate these dispatches on their overpriced “platform,” bungled Monday’s so badly that the IMAGE WERE INVISIBLE to all who received it by electronic mail.

All who read it on the “web,” by contrast, perceived the horror perfectly well—so if ye missed the scintillating imagery, ye may re-read my encounter with the A.I. Menagerie right here, WITH the intended spectacle. Here too, ‘tis on its own:

FOUR HEADS, NO BRAINS

CREATURES ON THE STREET
Perspectives on Earth, from beings who ne’er have been there

I spoke to some locals in the Shattered Empire, loitering outside of the Casino, & read them some selections from the “State of the Union.”

  • “What is a ‘Trump Account,’ & what use have they to an infant?” — Lady Alys, midwife

  • “What is a ‘trillion,’ & what use are they for war?” — Garth al-Gar, Casino ward

  • “What is a ‘Democrat,’ & what use are they?” — Wayne Wainright, wainright

  • “Ye sound a madman, sirrah. Read nae more, & I pray ye find peace.” — Eightmallow the Soft, business-dwarrow

  • “Aye, wise & lovely words, those. Like honey to mine ears!” — Bongo the Mad, insane halfling

  • “Why does he brag of jobs? Is it not a sorrow, that so many must toil? What king be proud of so weary a realm?” — Sir Pikko the Retired

  • “WHY NOT, EAT KING?” — Ugruzh, half-ogre farmer

  • “These Democrats, they are his foes? & they watched him assail them, generally with politeness—& when he called for war with this ‘Iran,’ they STOOD? Write better tales, little mage. Too pathetic to believe.” — Harl Burl-Wessg, half-ice, half-giant

  • “Are ye looking to party?” — Lady Melys, non-wife

  • “If ye asked me—not that anyone does, mind—I would say, that such an event, this ‘Stadoyunion’ or what have ye—clearly once meant somethin’, but has since ossified into a grim public ritual. Before ye could send news & notices round the world quick as a bird, havin’ a speech o’that sort, well, ‘t served a practical purpose! Now, sounds to me, like a big cult meetin’! One which these ‘opposition’ types engage with, just as much as the zealots! If they really believed in somethin’ different, they would’nae attend, nor give any credence ‘t all. But nobody e’er asks me, no, sirrah.” — Cort the Brief

  • [chomping cheerfully on an apple] “We revolted over less.” — Nyala Brightbranch, Moon-Elf Ranger (ret.)

  • “ ‘Tis true, they revolted o’er far less.” — the preserved head of Duke Swarn Shington, last of his line

Thank ye for reading, mortals—& thank ye to those generous mortals who support our works here with coin!

I hope ye shall join us on Friday at the CASINO IMPERIALE! ‘Til then—be safe, be well, & may ye pay kingly speeches no more mind than it took to write them.

Cheers,
Amœnus Franco
Wizard, Writer, Shuffles Chips with his Right Hand

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