The
Ashbury Times
January
– April 608
“All The News That Fits, We Print”
Vaccine for Lycanthropy Discovered
On a recent Friday night, Professor Rynell from the Greystone
Institute of Apothicarial Arts returned to Fairdale.
He and his colleagues had been working since his last visit to find some way to
prevent the citizens from turning into werewolves. He informed the adventurers
that not only would an alchemist be needed to brew the vaccine, but a smith
would be needed to make a special silver needle imbued with a stone called blue
kyanite, and a healer would be needed to administer
it properly, as it needed to be given via injection rather than drunk like a
potion.
The adventurers were successful in procuring
the blue kyanite, as well as the frost grapes and
fire seeds needed for the vaccines. Ikmoqs was able
to brew quite a bit of the vaccine, and Yet when the
adventurers were attacked by Kral and the rest of his
pack, battle went poorly and one citizen, the sarr
privateer Zehnyu was infected. Strangely nobody was
able to find the 25 vials of vaccine that had been made. Apparently there was
some confusion and Dame Glorianna had temporarily
left the area -- with the vaccines. Midnight came, and of course like those
infected previously, Zehnyu turned into a werewolf
and had to be subdued. Luckily Andros and some of the
other adventurers were able to collect a bit more of the glowing Wolfsbane plant and mix up an antidote for Zehnyu.
The following morning Glorianna
(and the vaccines) returned. Given that there were more people than vaccines,
those who would be returning to the edge of the contested lands were the ones
vaccinated. However Kral and the rest of his pack
loom on the edges of Fairdale, likely waiting for another opportunity to
strike.
Flame Elementals Attack Fairdale
Much grumbling was heard
among those who had items they wished to be identified Friday and early
Saturday about the absence of the Mage’s Guildmaster
Aloysius, (who was too ill to attend to his duties) and the lack of invested
guild members. But arriving Saturday
morning, as if she had heard the town’s words, Royal Guildmistress
Lizarra Trynn entered the
Black Stag and promptly walked into the guild circle with not much more than a
few words of introduction, and an eagerness to get down to business. The Royal Guildmistress
was quickly brought up to speed regarding the attacks by groups of flame
elementals rifting into the town and sent out the word that all active guild
members be summoned to deal with the threat at once. With the Guild being as new as it is and not
having many members yet, the most active members: Apprentices Ren and Wizard
Nathan, scoured the town for anyone with eldritch magic in memory or on scroll,
or those brave enough to assist the guild with this task. A team consisting of Ren, Nathan, Osrick, Telokh, Shya, and Garathon was sent on a
journey to track the elementals and find out why they are attacking Fairdale
and what can be done to satiate them.
The team tracked the
elementals deep into a forest about 20 minutes away from the town and
confronted them. A brief parlay was had
between the team and the elementals but little was learned from it other than
the Flame elementals were summoned to the town but they did not know by
whom. They were very angry and
suspicious of anyone who knew formal magic and could have potentially summoned
them here. Soon the parlay disintegrated
into insults and then flame, ice, and steel were the only conversation that
could be heard. The Guild team fought a
fierce battle with the elementals, vanquishing them again and again only to
have them rift back and join the fight refreshed. The team, feeling eminent defeat was near,
called for a retreat and fled the forest, still being pursued every step of the
way. Miraculously, the team managed to
fend off the elementals until they reach Fairdale and called for the
town’s aid in dispatching them.
At the end of this last encounter, while the
chaos of battle ensued, Ren seemed to find a small, flame-colored, glowing
crystal that fell off of one of the elementals.
When she picked it up and showed it to Nathan, they both seemed to feel
a celestial aura around it. Believing it
best if they return to the guild circle immediately to inform the Royal Guildmistress of the battle, and show her the crystal, Ren
and Nathan hurried back to the Black Stag.
As they approached the circle though, the two casters felt the
crystal’s pull towards the circle grow exponentially until it was humming
with Celestial power.
The Royal Guildmistress,
seeing the two members returned, recognized them into the circle, whereupon
entering, the crystal seemed to explode with Celestial magic and a booming male
voice was heard saying the following:
The
time has come when those who can harness the power of the elements will be
needed the most.
I
will call upon you through this crystal.
When I do, you must gather quickly for the time will be short.
After expelling its power and
delivering this message, the crystal lay dormant but somehow has been fused to
the circle and all attempts to remove it have failed. The Royal Guildmistress
asked that that all adventurers in Fairdale with the power to cast celestial
magic be informed of the crystal’s existence and
the message it delivered.
The Guild’s investigation into who
summoned the flame elementals, the origin of the crystal, and the mysterious
voice, are ongoing.
Dominion Presence in the Contested Lands
Recent
reports state that after an 8 day battle which took place on the 8th of the
Dragon, the Riedic Legion has pushed the Ducal forces completely out of Bretton.
This loss incurred many tragic deaths in the Ducal Armies, including the
permanent death of Lieutenant Jason Gimard of Dragon
Heart Company, Gryphon’s Ire. Those reporting back from the front spoke
of some high orcs that resembled the warriors of the
familiar Rock Fist Clan who once inhabited the Plains of Rage, but now seem to
be nothing more than slobbering berserkers who do the Dominion’s bidding.
Further reports also speak of numerous undead rising from the ground at the
beckoned call of one of the Riedic Legion’s
officers, who is also undead.
Strangely, the Riedic
legion was not without mercy; apparently reports are also coming in that the
Legion allowed for healers to pick up the wounded in the area after the battle
had ended, as well as to retrieve the corpses of their permanently fallen
comrades. There is no word, however, on if the Ducal Army will be trying to
recover Bretton, or rule it a lost cause.
Elementals Appearing Throughout Icenia
Over
the last few weeks, elementals have begun randomly appearing throughout Icenia. At times there are only small groups of them, but
occasionally large forces of stone, ice or even fire elementals have been
reported. It has been reported that small groups of ice elementals have been
rifting into dockside since the end of last month. In Peppercorn, air
elementals were thought to cause a large storm that caused damage to some local
villages, though no lives were reported to be lost. Most recently, large waves
of elementals have hit the bordertown of Fairdale on
the edge of the contested lands.
Some
scholars think that these attacks could somehow be linked to the large stone minotaur that had been attacking the Vansir.
Others theorize that perhaps there is a mage in the area summoning them. Still
a third theory suggested that changes in the weather have been causing
instability between the planes. As of yet a concrete cause has not been
discovered, but elementals continue to rift into areas randomly. Some have been
intelligent enough to speak, and claim that they are being summoned or pulled
here, but they are not coming of their own accord, or at least that is their
claim. Anyone with more information is encouraged to speak to the Mage’s
Guild.
Dwarves Dig Too Deep
A
group of dwarves mining in the area of Fairdale came across something that was
best left below the surface. Among the dark elves there have always been rumors
of primitive, uncivilized members of the species living in caverns beyond Tarzaterranzan. As the dwarves were mining they hit upon a
tunnel, but what they found was not riches. Instead, hundreds of these feral
dark elves, known as Kozkoku, spilled from the cavern
and descended upon the town of
The
dwarves decided wisely that the best thing to do would be to collapse the
tunnel they had dug and seal the Kozkoku back inside.
The adventurers went in, and at first the tunnel seemed quiet, but once their
presence was detected the Kozkoku arrived in swarms.
The battle was hard fought, and Baron Rorii and Ragnar both resurrected. Symerrille
Strongbow cast a circle of power and began working to
set the explosive traps which would collapse the tunnel. He held off as long as
he could, hoping that the town would be able to push the line back to where he
sat, with Rorii's body just outside his circle in
time to rescue the Baron, but he could not risk dropping the circle before the
traps were ready, or their one chance to seal these beings back underground
would be lost. When the body dissipated, he realized there was no hope of the
fallen adventurers, dropped the circle and set off the traps.
As
the tunnel began to collapse, the Kozkoku retreated
deeper into the tunnels, and the town was able to rush inside, led by Lord Find’rth, to save who they could, though it was too
late for some. Within seconds the cave filled with rubble, and the Kozkoku were sealed safely inside. Gilwing
used the Ring of Palin to smooth out the entrance,
and ensure that nothing would be able to dig its way out.
Merax Slain, Vansir
Celebrate
On
the 15th day of the
Dolphin, Walgar of the Wolf Tribe, Ulthoc of the Sheep Tribe, Hagen of the Bear Tribe and the Shen-sa Gorbe Parduc
returned to the Bear tribe victorious in having permanently slain the Merax, a Stone Bull from the legends of the Vansir people.
Tracking
it during a cold winter’s eve, the group came upon the creature in an
open field, heading for the Wolf tribe’s range. Immediately the warriors
surrounded the creature, and began the attack.
Using
the stone that had been given to him, Ulthoc uttered
the words of prophecy, and in turn the Bull howled in pain, its massive stone
body cracking in a hundred places. Soon, the creature seemed to be subdued, and
upon the final stroke, exploded, emitting numerous pieces of stone over the
open field. Rumor has it that some of the warriors have returned with a piece
of the creature; notably, one of its horns. Once the group return, both Bear
and Wolf tribe joined together for a full week of drinking and celebration; as
it was said that the giant stone bull had been summoned in order to eradicate
the Vansir altogether.
Kobold Steals Baron’s Crown …
Again!
Baron Ivan Drake of Blythedale once again fell victim
to attacks by roving kobolds, one of whom managed to take his baronial crown
and escape into the woods. Although the
kobold was hotly pursued by Squire Raven, the thief evaded capture. This is the second time in the last few
months that Baron Ivan has lost his crown to a kobold and it seems now that the
little creatures have made a game of it.
The kobold triumphantly returned to Fairdale some time later sporting
the baronial crown on his own head. It
was quickly retrieved and returned to the grateful baron, but it is well-known
that Duke Frost was not pleased with Baron Ivan’s inability to protect
his crown the last time this occurred, so it will be interesting to see the
Duke’s response to this latest incident.
Icenia Enters Negotiations With
Bugbears
In a surprising turn of
events, Barons Rorii and Ivan Drake have opened the
doors to negotiation with the Bugbear Tribe of the Broken Spear.
A few weeks ago a Bugbear,
introducing himself as “Rackmaster General Les’Grahk of the Broken Spear” brazenly walked
into Fairdale and demanded to speak with any nobles present. His stated intent
was “To speak of war, and the means by which we might prevent it.”
Baron Ivan was hastily
summoned and, to the surprise of many, invited the creature into the Black Stag
for drinks while they talked. As they entered the tavern, several of the local
adventurers followed, curious to see exactly when the bloodshed would begin.
Prominent among them was Joaquin of the
None of those present were
available to be interviewed about what was discussed, but the word
“necromancy” was heard several times by curious onlookers,
accompanied by looks of disgust on the “General’s” face.
Whatever was said seemed to be sufficient for the nobles present, and after a
half hour or so of conversation Baron Rorii stood up
and announced that formal negotiations had begun with the Broken Spear, and
that any bugbears wearing a red armband with an arrow-like sigil upon it were
not to be attacked except in self defense.
Rumor has it that some of the
local adventurers have also agreed to go into the territory the Broken Spear
controls as guests, to foster a fuller understanding of the differences and
similarities between our two cultures.
Can these creatures be
trusted? And what exactly are we in negotiations for? Details are scant at this
point.
Spider, Pantherghast
Attacks on the Rise
This spring the settlers of Dara’s Grace have had to deal with increased attacks
by giant, hitherto unknown species of spiders and, more disturbingly, pantherghasts of various types. As of this time it is not
clear where they are coming from but settlers are encouraged to not attempt to
drive these creatures off of their lands on their own, due to the extreme
strength of the spiders and the inherent danger represented by any pantherghast.
Gorban Prophecy Weapon Reclaimed?
The reactionary gorban group known as the Zdefolwa
(“Defenders of the
In other news, credible sources
claim that a party of gorbe have
recovered a lost piece of the fabled Prophecy Weapon which seemed to play such
a large part in the altered fey timeline.
Apparently a foreign sarr was aware of a
possible location for the weapon, and a force of gorbe
and a serpentine monster race traveled to recover the device --
a hand axe which forms the backblade of the polearm when the
Prophecy Weapon is restored. While a
female cougar gorbe was allegedly seen with a magic
weapon during the collapse of the tunnel that the Kozkoku
were sprouting from, there has been no verification that this was in fact the
same weapon; one sarr was overheard saying that “it
was just spellcrafted.” At this time one can only hope that it was
not the Zdefolwa who recovered the weapon.
Gnolls Attacked
The tribe of Gnolls within the Contested
Lands attempting citizenship received yet another setback it seems. Apparently a sympathizer with their cause had
hoped to win them some support by bringing a number of adventurers out to meet
with a delegation from the Bloodfang pack. Unfortunately it seems the discussion did not
go well, as all the gnolls resurrected and the
sympathizer awoke a short time later with his memory of the incident
removed.
The Corner of Chivalry: The Magic of the Code
by Baron Ivan Drake
During a recent discussion
of the Code of Chivalry, I noted that one of the tenets seems to be worded
slightly different than I remember and a thorough study of my old notes and
documents seems to support my claim.
When I came to Ashbury in the early 590’s, the seventh tenet read,
“Thou shalt be generous and thou shalt give freely to everyone.” Today that same tenet reads, “Though shalt be generous and thou shalt
give freely to others.” I wonder if such a change is organic and
perhaps even magical. Could the Code
itself be a living force, adapting as the world changes, evolving and improving
itself? Or is this a simple scribe
error? Although I secretly wish for the
former, it is my duty as a student of the Code to attempt to ascertain the
source behind this alteration.
After reviewing every copy
of the Code I can find, whether written by professional scribe or simply jotted
down by a student, it seems that this wording change has happened universally;
from Blythedale to the Contested Lands; in both
academic libraries and private compilations.
If the change is a scribe error, then it stands to reason that those
copies that used the erroneous text would reflect the error while those copies
that were sourced by the original words would remain true to the original. If that were the case, then there would be a
mixture of tenets, some reading “everyone” and the rest reading
“others.” Instead, all the
texts that I found are consistent. They
all say “others.”
It is well known that I am
not a scholar with great intellect, therefore I
welcome those of studious minds to research this further. But given what I have seen, the only
conclusion I can reach is that the Code of Chivalry is more than just words.
News From Around the Duchy
Connor: After several recent stampedes,
cattle prices have increased significantly which could have an affect on food
prices throughout the duchy.
Dragonhart: Guildmaster
Ternis Kave, a rising star
in local politics, recently hosted a banquet honoring local farmers. Apparently, his popularity with the people of
that estate is unmatched.
Ector: A task force of the Blythedale baronial court led by Squire Man-at-Arms Aven spearheaded an investigation of a thief who has
successfully evaded authorities in this estate for months. There is no word on the results of their
investigation, but one local official was quoted as saying, “The
burglaries on local businesses have now ceased.”
Eldor: The economy of this estate
has risen dramatically following an investment into rebuilding several destroyed
warehouses. Baron Roriiathanderhil
Colaenlothrodarhil personally supervised the
construction, encouraging several local merchants to expand their businesses.
Elindil: An investigation into the
disappearance of local girl Tresha Klindarin revealed that she was killed by a wandering
monster. However, there are reports that
her family refuses to accept this explanation.
Hillcroft: Disgraced seneschal Havrim Markold, who is wanted by
authorities for fraudulent embezzlement, is said to have escaped to the
Contested Lands.
Meadowbrook: The source of the strange
glowing lights that have been randomly appearing in this estate have yet to
explained despite investigation by both local and baronial authorities.
Nymphwood: After much bickering over price
increases, a conference hosted by Dame Darlassia Fairseer resulted in a fair-trade agreement between farmers
in this estate.
Tolman Head: Though usually receiving
hearty applause during their Blythedale-wide tour
this past winter, a popular group of entertainers led by Landiara
the juggler and Master Pippin the bard did not fare as well in this
conservative estate. Their bawdy humor
was greeted with uncomfortable stares by the patrons of the local tavern and it
is reported that they left early the next morning with little coin to show for
their work.
Tower Hills
Citadel:
Troll attacks continue in this estate, but so far the duchy’s border
troops have been successful in repelling the assaults.
The Vansir Reclaim: Having completed a tour of the entire barony of Blythedale, Baron Ivan Drake is said to have met with the
chieftains of several Vansir tribes. There are rumors that the baron plans to
personally accept judgment from the chieftains for alleged acts of violence
committed against the Vansir by Blythedalian
soldiers more than 500 years ago!
Obituary
Lieutenant Jason Gimard, Gryphon’s Ire Legion, The Hidden Phalanx, Dragon Heart Company: A dedicated career serviceman in the
Ducal Army, Lt. Gimard was permanently killed when
the Dominion overran positions in Bretton. Lt. Gimard was
slain while defending a breach before the final retreat was called. He held the line to give the Company healers
time to remove the wounded safely, and lost his life in the manner of a true
Defender of the Realm. He is survived by
his wife Talia and their four children, Derrik, Azelle, Richard, and
Lucian who is himself a Man-at-Arms of the Ducal Forces. Talia Gimard has asked all wellwishers
to make their donations to the Soldier’s Survivors Fund overseen by the
Ducal Command. For information regarding
his Spirit Farewell, please contact the Healer's Guild of the estate of Bellebois.
A Little Birdie
Told Me
by Sue D’Onym
Hello drearies! It’s me again, with the News They Don’t Want You To Know.
Walgar was seen leading the discussion of the Code of
Chivalry at the Squire’s Meeting this past Gathering and Baron Ivan seemed to think he was doing a
good job! I’m not sure if the
Baron heard Walgar’s boasts of burning down a
Mage’s Guild in the
Barbarian nobles?! What’s
next…. necromancers in the Healer’s Guild? Oh wait, that could happen too! Guildmistress Zatarina was
seen talking to Veil about possibly
applying for membership! And, if
that’s not enough – my little birdies have told me that Ivan is
taking Veil to the Ducal Ball!
(Don’t tell Glorianna, who says she will never forgive Veil, and
therefore doesn’t believe in “repenting.”)
And what’s this I hear about someone named “Sunn”
joining a dark necromancer’s group in some land through the mists?
It would seem that the Morfangs have either
abandoned their promise, or have been slain. There has been no sign of the
family since last fall, where Lizelle had run in explaining that they had been attacked by
something, and that she had been sent away from the attack to fulfill their
pact with the Duke. Upon shifting the
stricken adventurers back to their normal selves, Lizelle
took off again for the woods to find her family. None of the Morfangs have been seen since.
Gilwing was paralyzed recently and no one could find an
antidote, so his “friends” in the
Find’rth and the dark elves may find even less help from the
local adventurers next time they appear; many were heard to ask “Do I
legally have to heal them if they are down?”
Ulthoc and Gwendara were seen taking an extended “walk”
down the river in the contested lands. Neither one informed their fellow
adventurers of where they were going or what they were doing thus putting half
the town in panic looking for them!
Maybe there is something going on there that they don’t want
anyone to know?
Brendan the gryphon hunter was seen in the area recently
helping the locals in exchange for “information.” What is he up to
now?
Well, that’s all for this issue.
Not a lot, I know, but that’s your fault! If you don’t send me the gossip, how
can I fill my column?
So until next time, remember – If you can’t say something
nice about someone, come sit by me.