Last evening, a thunderous explosion tore through the Canadian Royal Palace, just as the whole royal family was celebrating the 96th birthday of the retired King, Vaclav the Foreigner. The whole Western wing of the palace was levelled, killing many serfs and nobles alike, amongst them almost the whole royal family, including the old King. Queen Aurora the 2nd, who miraculously survived only with minor injuries, immediately ordered martial law, and our sources say that Canadian military forces are preparing to close the southern border. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police disclosed that the likely cause of the explosion was a plasma bomb, but flatly refused the Traders Guild's generous offer of assistance in catching the yet-unknown perpetrators.