Good Morning Nocturnis

 Good morning to you.

It is 5:00 AM in Nocturnis. The witching hour has officially passed, the streetlamps are flickering low, and the city is beginning its slow, cold shift from the nightwalkers to the day shift.

Here is the Channel 6 newsroom update for this frigid morning.

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[SOUND: Teletype chatter and a slightly gothic synth news theme intro]

ANCHOR (Voiceover - gravelly, professional): "From the icy peaks overlooking the Red River Valley, this is Nocturnis Channel 6 Morning News. Now, reporting live from the news desk, Silas Graves."

SILAS GRAVES (On Camera - sharp suit, slightly tired eyes): "Good morning, Nocturnis. It’s 5:00 AM, Tuesday, December 11th. If you’re just ending your shift, sleep well. If you’re just waking up, grab a hot mug of something strong; you’re going to need it.

"Our top story this morning: The spectacular, intensified aurora borealis that dominated the skyline overnight has finally begun to fade. While beautiful, the magical interference caused significant havoc for the Department of Arcane Public Works.

"We are receiving reports that the northern ward-shields over the Frosthaven district sustained stress fractures during the peak of the solar storm around 3:30 AM. While the breach is not total, authorities are advising residents in Frosthaven to keep their iron window grates secured and to avoid cellar entrances until ward-miges can reinforce the barrier later today.

[GRAPHIC CHANGES: 'CRIME BEAT - APOTHECARY HEIST']

"Turning to the crime beat: Nocturnis PD is asking for the public’s help regarding a smash-and-grab robbery in the Merchant Quarter just before 4:00 AM.

"Police say the suspect broke into 'The Gilded Beaker' apothecary and made off with a substantial quantity of high-grade Frost-Resistance potions and several uncut mana crystals. The suspect is described as nimble, possibly a Lynx-kin, last seen fleeing across the icy rooftops toward the river. Merchants are advised to double-check their physical and magical locks this morning.

[GRAPHIC CHANGES: 'WEATHER WATCH - VIKTOR FROST']

"Let’s head over to the weather center. Viktor, that river fog outside the studio window looks thick enough to chew."

VIKTOR FROST (At weather map showing swirling blues and purples): "It certainly is, Silas. It’s a deceptive morning. That brilliant starlight and aurora show gave way to a heavy, freezing fog filling the entire valley basin about an hour ago.

"Current temperature at the station is a brisk 28°F, but down by the river, it's hovering near 20°. That fog is freezing on contact with road surfaces. The sky above is a deep indigo and clear, but down here, visibility is less than fifty feet in some areas. We are looking at a slow warm-up today, maybe hitting 40° by noon, before another cold front pushes through tonight."

SILAS GRAVES: "Thanks, Viktor.

"And finally, a look at your morning commute. The underground steam-trains are running on schedule this morning. However, above ground, the main Causeway bridges over the Red River are incredibly slick due to that freezing fog Viktor mentioned. The Highway Patrol is reporting two jackknifed supply wagons already. If you are driving—or riding—into the city center, give yourself extra time.

"That’s the 5:00 AM update. We’ll have full reports on the ward-shield repairs and the upcoming winter festival schedule at the top of the hour. Stay warm, Nocturnis."

[SOUND: Outro music swells, fading into a commercial for "Grimjaw's Coffee - Wake the Dead"]