The
Ashbury Times
July 608
“All The News That Fits, We Print”
Merax Reformed; Elemental Planes Return to Balance
by Wizard
Nathan Westwind
For more than a year now, the
elemental planes have been tearing themselves apart. You may have only
noticed this recently since Icenia has been besieged
by rifts to the elemental planes opening themselves in random places releasing
various types of elemental beings into our plane, some claiming to have been
summoned by someone, some incapable of communication, most of them
hostile.
But the Mage’s Guild of
Fairdale has been on the front lines of this battle to return balance to the
elemental planes, having been recruited by The Elemental Knight Zephyl to travel to various places in Icenia
where the attacks by the elementals were significantly worse.
What we did not know, though
some suspected, was that this imbalance was directly linked to an elemental
being called the Merax which some Icenians
will recall was rampaging through the Vansir Reclaim
during last year’s Heroes Tournament and was later defeated by Walgar, Squire Ulthoc, Hagen, and
Parduc. The Stone Bull known to the Vansir in legend was actually the Elemental Avatar of
Stone, a fact learned by the people of Fairdale Friday night when The Merax’s counterpart, The Lady of Air (and elemental
avatar of air and lightning) visited Fairdale and spoke with Mage’s Guildmaster Aloysius, Baron Ivan Drake, Squire Ulthoc, Symerille, and myself.
According to the Lady of Air,
the imbalance in the elemental planes was first created by the summoning of the
Merax to fight the Vansir
and then the permanent destruction of the Merax as it
did not reform on the elemental plane of Stone. This imbalance eventually
spilled into our plane with rifts opening to the various planes and elementals
passing into our plane very confused and angry. The Lady of Air explained that
to return the planes to balance, we must recreate the Merax
on this plane, so that it can return to the elemental plane of stone where it
belongs. To do this, she instructed those present that we must collect a
piece of each of the elemental avatars as well as an ancient scroll known as
The Thread of the Elements. With these pieces and the scroll, she could
reform the Merax, and restore the balance. The
Lady of Air offered a piece of herself freely for this
purpose, and promised to return Saturday with the locations of the remaining
two elemental Avatars.
Before departing, however,
the Lady of Air, did give warning to those gathered that the Avatar of Ice
would be a bestial Worm who would not be able to communicate in the common
tongue, and that it may need to be subdued by force. And that the Avatar
of Flame took the form of an ancient
The Fairdale Mage’s
Guild also questioned the Lady of Air about the Elemental Knight and its
involvement in all of this, to which she replied that she was aware of the
Order of Elemental Knights and was not surprised that they were assisting the
people of Icenia, but that the two beings were not
coordinating their efforts currently.
It is important to note that
the Mage’s Guild did meet with Zephyl several
times over the course of those few days, assisting the Knight by visiting both Ashbury city and a series of underground caves to battle
ice and stone elementals as the boundary between the planes weakened and our
assistance was requested. We also questioned the Knight about the Lady of
Air and her plan. It was also not surprised that she had taken it upon
herself to get involved, and confirmed that the two were not working directly
together in their efforts to restore the balance. Most disturbing though
was the condition of the Elemental Knight as time progressed. In times
past, when meeting the Knight, it appeared to us as a being made up of all four
of the base elements (flame, stone, ice, and lightning) but was now a pale
swirling visage with only small bits of the elements remaining. It was
also later reported to me by Squire Raven that the Knight appeared to him in a
nearly senile state, acting child like, and looking worse than ever; a
testament to how badly the balance was beginning to affect the planes and those
tied to them.
As attacks by various types
of elementals continued, the Lady of Air did return as she promised on Saturday
afternoon with the location of the Ice Worm and new tactical data about its
forces. She was also able to locate the Thread of the Elements scroll
near the worm’s lair as well as a Vansir woman
encased in solid ice.
It was then decided by the
nobility and Ducal Army that Fairdale should split into two forces; one to
attack the worm to retrieve a piece of it for the Merax
reformation and one to collect the Thread of the Elements and rescue the Vansir woman.
Squire Ulthoc
was chosen to lead the forces to retrieve the Scroll and Vansir
woman, and took with him those who could battle the weaker elementals gathered
in that area of the caves, while the other group comprised of Fairdale's elite
warriors would face the Worm itself in order to retrieve a piece of it.
With the aid of the Lady of
Air rifting the town to the icy cave and back, both groups were totally
successful in their efforts and returned with the pieces of the worm, the
Thread of the Elements scroll, and the Vansir woman,
who turned out to be the Chieftess Tyrn of the Bear Tribe. The Lady of Air then departed with
the pieces and the scroll wishing to begin studying it immediately, promising
again to return when she learned of the location of the Avatar of Flame.
True to her word, the Lady of
Air returned later Saturday night and presented herself to Squire Ulthoc asking him to assemble a small group to accompany
her to the location of the Flame Avatar, but warned that the only those totally
dedicated to the cause of restoring the balance to the elemental planes should
go. Six adventurers agreed to this task: Squire Ulthoc,
Gwendara, myself, Symerille, Khorwyn, and Garathon. We were then rifted to what could have
either been the elemental plane of flame, or the heart of a volcano; perhaps
both. It was dark, and our only light was emanating from a pool glowing hot lava that the
The beast spoke in a quiet
raspy voice, and seemed perhaps disgusted by our presence proclaiming that it
knew of beings such as us and that we were known for taking things without
right or merely to possess them and we were unworthy of the his Aid in
restoring the balance.
Symerille requested
to approach the Phoenix to better parley with him, and once permission was
given, he asked the Avatar what it was that we six could do to prove to it that
we were only hear for the good of all creatures and to return the balance to
the planes. The Avatar seemed to think on this for a moment, but replied
that we must demonstrate what it is that we would be willing to sacrifice for
his aid.
With that, Symerille stood, unfastened his belt, and walked into the
lava and died. After a brief moment of shock, the five remaining
adventurers looked at one another and understood what needed to be done.
We began undoing our belts and laying down our weapons. After
parting words with Ulthoc, Gwendara
walked into the lava next and died. Ulthoc
stared at the rest of us nodded and entered the lava as well. I looked
back as I set down my spell book at my friends Garathon
and Khorwyn who shook hands and followed me into the
lava.
What happened next is
difficult to explain. From what I can gather after recalling the events
immediately following our deaths, I can only surmise that the Avatar was
pleased by our sacrifice, and having taken the form of a phoenix, an ancient
one, died itself, in order to return the six of us to life and gift us with a
piece of himself to aid in our quest.
I can tell you for certain that
we all awoke in different areas around the pool of lava, seemingly having been
flung out of it somehow, with a glowing light touching each of our chests which
emanated from a phoenix egg which now sat in the center of the lava pool and
eventually sunk into it. Ulthoc then rose and
began gathering the ashes of the phoenix which now coated the surrounding area,
and we gathered our possession quickly and returned to the Lady of Air who
rifted us back to town.
Having all four pieces of the
avatars, the Lady of Air left to continue to study the Thread of the Elements
scroll in order to reform the Merax and restore the
balance.
At this point it is unclear
to me as to exactly what happened next as the encounter with the Flame Avatar
left me feeling drained and dazed, and I retired for the evening. I am
told that many Jotun attacked during the night at the
behest of the Vansir known as Hagen who was revealed
to be a Varg and had perhaps been responsible for the
original summoning of the Merax in the first place.
I have heard that the Lady of Air may have even been somehow kidnapped at
one point in the battle by
When Sunday came,
After fighting wave after
wave of elemental creatures as they rifted in, Telokh
Amdo was able to prison
Many people had a hand in
returning the balance to the planes; many who were not present during that
gathering that have been fighting along side the Mage’s Guild and the Vansir as events have unfolded in the past year, and far
more than I have listed in this very abridged version of events. Many
thanks to you all, for without your efforts, I can assure you, none of us would
be here today.
As of the date of this
publication, the Crystal of Celestial Energy that fused itself to the
Mage’s Guild circle is still there, and still
fused, and no word has yet been heard from The Elemental Knight.
Editor’s
note: Some other adventurers had claimed seeing a piece of an air elemental who had come to help during the rescue of the Lady of Air.
Once having rifted everyone and rescued her, the Air Elemental shard was
absorbed by the Lady of Air; undoubtedly as one of her servants.
Duke Frost Makes Sacrifice to Settle
Honor Debt
Unbeknownst to many within
the Duchy, a longstanding feud stood between the Vansir
People and the Barony of Blythedale ... specifically,
the Baron himself. No, not Baron Ivan, but with the longstanding hero of Blythedale, Baron Mangar Grimsy!
Apparently the Vansir Account of the Defense of the Two Towers Garrison
varies almost completely from the version accepted as truth everywhere else in
the Duchy. For readers unfamiliar with the history, the Evendarrian account states that Mangar
Grimsby, then an Evendarrian knight, rallied a
stunning defense of the Two Towers Garrison against the warpact
lead by the Vansir Cheiftain
Hrothgar of the Sandtiger
Tribe. After the three-day siege, the Vansir
were beaten back, and the Warpact never truly
recovered. According to the Vansir account, Mangar tricked the Vansir into an
ambush, slaughtering their honor guards and fighting in a fall-back move to the
garrison after the worst of the fighting had already occurred.
Baron Ivan Drake was made
aware of both versions of history a little over a year ago, and in that time he
and Squire Ulthoc had worked closely with His Grace,
the paladins, and the skalds (the judges and historians of the Vansir) to find a way to accommodate this nearly
hundred-year-old grudge. Squire Ulthoc, acting
in the joint capacity as Squire of Nordenn and Warchief of the Vansir,
apparently had spoken on behalf of Baron Ivan’s honor and character to
the Council of Skalds, and His Excellency Himself made an appearance to speak
before the skalds.
Many considerations as to the
extent of the honor price (the Vansir tradition of
settling a debt) were discussed. In the end, the skalds declared they
would decide the matter behind closed doors, and travel to Fairdale to reach
Baron Ivan with their decision.
This declaration was brought
to the Noble’s Meeting in June. Cheiftain
Hagen of Bear Tribe delivered the word of the Council to the assembly of nobles
present in Ashbury: That in recognition of His
Excellency’s willingness to settle a debt that he himself did not cause,
the honor price for the loss of four thousand Vansir
lives would be a single resurrection on his part.
While Baron Ivan was more
than willing to accept this settlement, many gathered (including His Grace)
disagreed. When all gathered outside to witness the event, Duke Frost
asked about an ancient Vansir tradition of Rite of
Combat.
Baron Ivan agreed, at which
time Duke Frost made a declaration of terms of his own. As he is the son
of Theodorik Vardik,
recognized by the Vansir as the last Cheiftan of Gryphon Tribe and the only ever “King of
all Tribes,” and as he is Duke and Baron Ivan’s Leige,
he declared that regardless of the winner of the duel, he would himself suffer
the resurrection intended for the loser. As he was the “Big Cheiftain of all Cheiftains,”
he would accept no compromise on this. After some further discussion,
both parties agreed.
Baron Ivan and Cheiftain Hagen squared off, reigning down many blows upon
one another. After several minutes, the large Vansir
Cheiftain seemed to be giving ground to His
Excellency, being buffeted backwards by a series of powerful blows. In
the end, Cheiftain Hagen did fall, and was quickly
administered aid.
He congratulated Baron Ivan
on his fighting skill, then took a respectful place
while Duke Frost sat down in a position of relative comfort. Lt. Ithaca
was tasked with the duty of delivering the fatal blow, and with some difficulty
ran His Grace through.
Few words were spoken for the
next five minutes. When the body dissipated, a sobbing Squire Man-At-Arms
Aven collected Duke Frost’s belongings, and a
somber assembly headed towards the Healer’s Guild to await the return of
His Grace.
After his successful
resurrection, Duke Frost was overhead saying that Baron Ivan’s offer was
deeply honorable and that he should not have to suffer a death for an event
that happened almost 100 years ago. When asked about the incident, Baron
Ivan would only say, “Once again, Duke Frost has demonstrated his good
heart and steadfast leadership. I hope that our Vansir
brothers will accept the hand of friendship offered by Blythedale.”
It was soon learned that
Squire Man-At-Arms Aven had suggested that the Barony of Blythedale
will (probably in the early fall) host a banquet in honor of this momentous
occasion, inviting all Vansir to travel to Blythedale, feast, and allow the bonds of friendship to
foster again.
Labyrinth of Rooms Discovered Beneath
Keep
As many of know, the Black
Stag Tavern sits atop a large, ancient dwarven
fortress. Over a month ago, tavern co-owner Stoney Deepjug found a hidden chamber below his wine cellar. (see last month’s Ashbury Times for details.) Continuing his promised interviews on the
subject, he had this to say:
“I gathered a bunch of
adventurers who wished to explore down there. Raven, Aubry,
Parduc, Khadi, Ikmoqs, Eldarion, and Khorwyn all heeded the summons. We went down, I
opened the portal, and they found skeletons trying to dig away at the
walls. These idiot skeletons were trying to dig through the hardest substance
I’ve ever seen, but with no success. Anyway, the brave adventurers
dispatched a few rooms of undead and then came across an extraordinary
discovery. They found some kind of ancient dwarven
contraption that some have dubbed “the machine.” There were many
levers, doors to place things in or take something out, and there were
glowing lights and ancient dwarven letters
across the top. It was fascinating, but we couldn’t figure out what its
intended purpose was. More importantly, where’d those undead come
from?”
The second team of
adventurers consisted of Darkan, Andros,
In a related incident, later
that evening, a spider was seen emerging from Khadi’s
wand and attacking people in the tavern.
If you’re brave enough
to explore more of Stoney’s lost catacombs
beneath Darnuthak Keep, contact Stoney
Deepjug in the Black Stag Tavern.
Hadley Moonstream
Still at Large
In recent weeks, the
adventurers and soldiers of Dara’s Grace have
been unwittingly helping the deranged necromancer and former Lord of Home
Hadley Moonstream cut the wheat from the chaff of his
Necromancer “recruits.”
There have been numerous
reports in the past month of people being approached by what appear to be
commoners in need, only to be led into deadly ambushes. Survivors tell that the
person who led them to wherever the danger was happening suddenly turned on
them and fought with the undead against the heroes who were led into the
killing zone. Most of these traps resulted in the deaths of those who were led
into the trap, But a group led by Ignatius Vex managed to defeat the forces
arrayed against them and were confronted by the Lord Necromancer himself.
Believing himself safe within his Wizard Locked cabin,
Hadley traded insults with the adventurers, even thanking them for removing an
unsuitable applicant to the Shadow Ring’s “Elite” before
being forced to Spirit Recall away when the Wizard Lock was dispelled.
Hadley has been apparently
creating undead without regard for the cost in ritual components.
Home’s Ambassador to Ashbury Roldo Rounders
reveals that young Lord Hadley was well known for his thrift and miserliness.
“Add to this the fact that he seems willing now to openly sacrifice
minions as part of his ‘tests,’ and one begins to wonder what the
unknown factor is,” he said. “Has he found an endless supply of
reagents and scrolls, or is there a more sinister explanation? The Shadow Ring
was once the “Gentleman’s Club’ of the monsters Loscarnos De Morganna and Tavish Capulus, both reported to
be Shadow Mages. Has Hadley found the key to their power, or are one (or both)
of these Arch-Necromancers still alive and pulling the strings?
Unless the Shadow Ring is
stopped, the answers to these questions will be answered in time, and to our
sorrow.
Dominion “Scouting Parties”
Seen Near Fairdale
Mid-afternoon in Fairdale was
brought to a chaotic halt recently as a lone high orc
entered the tavern, demanding that the adventurers ready their arms to face the
army of his master. When the adventurers accompanied the orc
to the field , they found themselves staring face to
face with a small battalion of the Reidic Legion,
including Eisenverfecter Tagas
Reidic and his second in command, a woman known as Feldherr Orlantha Rotewut.
The pair moved to parlay with
Both Baron Ivan and Squire Sergeant Ignatius. The terms of war were reminded,
before the Dominon Officers moved to their battalion,
summoning the small troops to arms. Orlantha and Tagas did not engage however, and were seen in the corner
of the battlefield, observing the adventurers.
Many feel that this was
nothing more than a scouting party; perhaps a way for the Dominion to test what
they call the “Mercenary Army of Icenia.”
To this date, nothing has been recovered as to why the Dominion brought such a
small force, but when approached, both Orlantha and Tagas spirit recalled away, leaving only Tagas’ officer hat in their wake, which was strange,
as most things usually remain behind when one spirit calls.
To the recent date, there
have been continued movement from the Dominion out of Bretton,
and groups of both monster and citizen race refugees have been seen heading out
of the area, and closer to Fairdale.
Ducal Tournament to be Held
The 15th (now) Bi-Annual Ashbury
Tournament will be held soon and looks to be an exciting event. The competition
is open to all, noble and commoner alike, in groups of six.
A team will receive one silver
per player for each point they receive in the Tournament. A first place win in
one category, worth five points, is thus worth three gold. There are nine
competitions, so a team could conceivably earn 27 gold nobles. Even a team
coming in 5th place in every event can still earn four and a half gold pieces
without having to exert itself. And
since battle is just a small part of the competition, even a beginning team can
win.
In addition, the teams may also win a pouch full of
supplies, as well as possible suits of armor, weapons, or magical items. In
previous years, magical swords have even be provided
as prizes.
Duke Frost Vardik will, as
usual, judge the competition, and the entire duchy is hoping that nothing in
his schedule will prevent this.
As usual, Sir Eros will be overseeing the Tournament,
accompanied by Squire Trevor, who is in charge of the Hunt and the Trivia
competition.
Rules for the Tournament are available in a treatise
written by former Ashbury Times editor
Eric Woolcott. The article is publicly available in
most learned libraries as part of the
There are nine competitions in total which seek to
test all sorts of skills, including teamwork. Since the scores are generated
per each competition, it is entirely possible to win the Tournament without
ever winning any of the individual contests. The Tournament was designed this
way in order to encourage teamwork and cooperation. A well rounded team will
always do much better than one that excels in only one or two areas.
Teams may register at the very last minute but must
contain exactly six members.
The competitions will be held in this order:
Colors: This is the opening ceremony in which the teams present themselves
to the Duke, introduce each team member, and show off their bearing, their
finest clothing, their banners, and other displays. Gifts may be presented to
His Grace but they will not be a part of his decision-making. This will take
place at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday on the as-yet-unnamed field in Fairdale.
Combat: In this, each team presents three fighters who compete
against another team. It will be held immediately after Colors.
Hunt: The Hunt list will be handed out immediately after the Combat
competition is over, and will conclude at the very end of the entire Tournament
on Sunday afternoon.
Spellcaster’s
Entertainment: Here, the team has approximately five minutes to tell a
story, perform a skit, sing a song, or otherwise entertain the audience. This
will be held right after the Spellcaster’s
Trivia: This tests the team’s knowledge of Ashbury,
and all six members should participate. This will be held immediately after
Entertainment. The exact details of how
this new team competition will work will be presented at the competition
itself. All answers to this contest will
come from already published materials available in the “Amora Fortannis” book and
in past issues of the Ashbury Times.
Archery: In this competition, one team member competes to get the bulls-eye
more than his or her competitors. This will be held Sunday morning at 11 a.m.
Race: This is an exciting relay race in which four of the team
members compete against the other teams at the same time. This will be held
immediately after the Archery competition.
Hero’s
This
will be immediately followed by the submission of the Hunt list superlatives
and the announcing of the winners.
Crafters Competition to be Held During Tournament
Marshal Tallbrow Shadyfoot
will once again be hosting crafters competitions at this year’s Ducal
Tournament. While it is important to note that these events will not earn
points for tournament teams, please know that there will be prizes for the
winners in each category! Competitors may enter multiple competitions, though
you may only enter one category in each. For example, John can submit a sword
to the Weaponsmith’s competition, armor to the Armorsmith’s competition and a stew to the Cooking compeition, but he cannot enter a stew and a pie to the
cooking competition.
The competitions are as follows:
Weaponsmithing: Entrants may submit a newly made weapon to be
judged. Categories: Small Weapons, Blades, Blunts, Two-handers
(blunt, polearm and sword). Rules: Blades and Blunts must be at least
short-length. Thrown weapons are not eligible for this
competition.
Armorsmithing: Entrants may submit a crafted piece
of armor to be judged. Categories: Leather, Chain, Plate. Rules:
Each entry will be judged based on the appearance, strength and attention to
detail
Cooking: Entrants
may submit a dish to be judged. Entries are donated to the dinner for the ducal
ball. Requirements for entry: All entries must be accompanied by a
complete list of ingredients, and must be home made. Categories: Drinks, Dinners, Desserts. Rules:
All entries will be judged on presentation (appearance), complexity and of
course taste.
Fine
Arts: Creative works. Rules:
All entries in this category must be original works. Copies of known
masterpieces will be disqualified. Categories: Painting, Sculpture, Poetry,
Song. Poetry and Song entrants must be performed by the artist at a time
to be announced by the judges.
All competition times will be announced at the beginning of tournament
weekend.
Recent Troop Movements Concern All of Icenia
It has been observed that
both Brittington and Evorra
have been mobilizing their armies in recent weeks. Reserves are being
called in, conscription has been put in place, weapons and machines of war are
being built, and supplies are being stockpiled. Both armies have been
rumored to be drilling and training much more than usual.
It has also been reported that
many Royal Troops have been recalled back to Cil Cilurion and that supplies are flowing into the royal
castle.
What this bodes for Ashbury and all of Icenia remains to be seen.
Young Adventurers Defeat Goblin Chieftan
A group of young adventurers
recently gathered in Riverstone, a small village in
the estate of Tolman Head in Blythedale,
in an attempt to bring a local goblin chieftain to justice. The
self-proclaimed “Goblin King” had taken several local residents
prisoner and the brave adventurers responded to Baron Ivan Drake’s plea
for assistance.
The group included Winter
Nevermore, son of Squire Raven Nevermore; Inar of the
Wolf Tribe; Alathios, a promising young warrior who
might make a good squire one day; Twinkle Emeraldstar
the mystic wood elf; Rocky and Spoon, two tough young adventurers; Carth Bastila, a Kiergani elf; well-known adventurer Ashrik’s
daughters, Rainne and Iris; an Amani elf named Ahailla
Whispersword; Tamarra Fergasun; two mysterious brothers named Sneaky and Darkeye; and twins named Thane Drake and Tabitha
Drake.
After Baron Ivan informed the adventurers that the Goblin King was
protected by an unusual ritual and that his lair was well hidden, the group set
off. They fought many raiding parties of goblins and even a powerful
troll, resulting in the discovery of several clues. The brave youngsters
quickly learned that the goblin chieftain’s magical protection could be
broken by the juice of a particular wild berry, but they still couldn’t
find the goblin’s lair.
The next morning, Squire Raven and Askrik were
missing, presumably taken by the goblins, so the adventurers re-doubled their
efforts. They befriended a goblin named Greasy who agreed to lead the
group to the Goblin King’s secret lair. Greasy also managed to
convince the Goblin King to drink a potion created from the juice of the
berries the group had gathered which removed his powerful protective
spells. Knowing that the Goblin King was now weakened, the adventurers
attacked and defeated the goblin chieftain and his elite guards, freeing Squire
Raven and Askrik in the process.
The evil Goblin King was placed in the stockade and some fruit was
promptly thrown at him as punishment for his crimes. Afterwards, he was
taken away to the local jail, but not before issuing a cry of
retribution. “You can’t keep me locked up!” the Goblin
King warned. “I will escape!”
The Corner of Chivalry
By
Baron Ivan Drake
Several people have recently
spoken to me about the state of the nobility in Ashbury.
Some are concerned that the nobles of our lands are not receiving the respect
that they deserve. Fewer and fewer adventurers show respect upon the
presence of a noble; the bending of one knee. I have always been of the
mind-set that respect is earned, not given. So let us discuss if respect
for our nobility has been earned.
As for me, I was raised to
the peerage in 596 and have had the pleasure to serve under
four different dukes of Ashbury (Duchess Mara Tirane, Duke Bryan Nordenn, Duke Aramis Llyrr, and Duke Frost Vardik) as well as several worthy barons. I was
honored to serve as a Paladin and I faithfully executed even the most difficult
of Paladin duties: standing in judgment of fellow nobles which resulted in
removing the titles of both a duchess and a baron.
I have come to know Baron Roriianthanderhil Colaenlothrodarhil,
Dame Darlassia Fairseer,
and Lady Knight Glorianna Wyndancer.
I have known Sir Daniel Grimsby since we were served together under Baron
Thomas Grey in the 590’s. They are each good-hearted, honorable, respectful,
generous and dedicated.
Like many of you, they have
all stood unwaveringly against our enemies; too numerous to count. They
have each endeavored to serve this la nd and its
people faithfully and to the best of their abilities. That is not to say
that any of us is perfect. We have all made mistakes. But I do not
believe that any of us has made mistakes due to malice or greed or
evil-heartedness.
I truly believe that the
nobles of Ashbury have earned your respect.
Showing your support of our efforts is greatly appreciated. If you
disagree, I welcome your thoughts and would be willing to speak with you
privately.
News from Around the Duchy
The Barony of the
Aldin
Mirk: A local tanner
accused of necromancy is now claiming that he has been tortured by local
officials who are holding him the local jail.
Zinfelendin:
A hermit who says he is the rightful ruler of the
The Barony
of Blythedale
Dragonhart: The disappearance of Guildmaster Ternis Kave continues to baffle authorities.
Greystone:
The baronial capital
has completed the renovation of its antiquated sewer system and there are
rumors that an ancient dungeon was discovered during construction.
Tolman
Head: Voting for a local ordinance to ban bawdry or
obscene entertainment has ended. The new law was rejected by local
residents.
The Barony
of Nordenn
The Ducal
Fiefs
Connor: A large herd of cattle has been
reported stolen. Authorities are attempting to track the thieves and are
said to have found several clues.
Morien:
Two people were apparently murdered in their homes on the same
night. Officials have launched an investigation.
Healer’s Guild Report
For this month’s Healers Guilds report I
have several things to cover. Let’s see, where to start…
Hopefully Darken will be invested before
Sunday if his book is sufficient enough. Yes, that is a direct hint to
you-know-who.
What this is in reference to is the fact that
I have instated with the Guild that to be invested, a person must accomplish
the following: (1) Have a minimum of two
life spells; (2) That at least half of
your spells go to keeping the town up;
(3) find your own invest scroll as well as components; (4) Be available
for set guild hours (not being out of sight of the circle, especially in times of
attack, with the possibly in the circle should the emergency arrive.) Then they must pass my unknown tests as well
was the Guild’s test. Then after a vote of passing and my approval as
well, I will do the ritual.
No rituals are allowed in the circle with out
my approval. Also investing anyone without my permission has serious
consequences beyond even my anger.
Now here is my plea … Citizens please,
please, come and help us in investing our guild members. Unfortunately we do
not have a lot of money, so we can only pay the going rate or barter. We need scrolls and components. This is not for some grand power play but
will be used to better the duchy.
As a reminder, pre-interviews to join the Guild
are on Friday night, or if you have a problem and just need a neutral opinion I
will do my best.
On a fun note, I have contracted Kerrigwen and Parduc to make
their fudge/chocolate specialties as a way to raise funds. They will be
available in the Guild for a small price. The money goes to help those unable
to pay for resurrections and food.
The Stormblades will
soon be having their frozen dacquari drinks for sale
in conjunction with the Healer’s Guild. I also have contracted Darkin to supply his mead in the guild for “private
time” as well as “social time.” Please note the tavern will
now be selling many of his meads. If you have not tried them you should; they
are great.
Starting this Tournament weekend I will be
discussing and guiding those interested in helping resurrections. Due to the
difficulty it has been causing, I just cannot keep waiting to find the specific
right person to console and guide someone through. For those who do not know,
the wait has caused several spirits to almost be lost. It is my personal
feeling the quicker a spirit is pulled in the better their chances are. I am
sorry if this upsets anyone but it tears me up to have a spirit wait feeling
lost and alone and scared. I can not help it; I am a total softie where life is
concerned.
For the Tournament, I have purchased some
healing potions. If His Grace is still
having fighters do damage to each other, please donate potions to keep them
from dying. We ran out several times last year. Watching people I know slicing
each other for sport makes me emotionally ill. So I don’t mean to upset
any one for my weakness. I will be in the Guild and out of the sun, probably
resting my arm.
I am announcing a contest of the “worst
dessert/candy ever.” These must be real foods that can be purchased
somewhere, not something you made yourself trying to make food. It must be able
to be left in a box for months until the contest is over. The contest test will
be on October gathering, on Saturday night. The judges are secret until the event time self. You can count on some of the judges not
being those who like every thing in the candy game. If you are wishing to be
one of the judge slots not yet filled you must have played the candy game at
some point in time. The prizes will be (1) Kerrigwen
chocolate balls; (2)
one of my homemade cheese cakes and (3) a bottle of mead. Hopefully everyone
will have fun with this.
For those who are inexperienced, new to town
or are just traveling alone, I make Cure Light elixirs every Friday night to
keep you from bleeding out. If I miss giving them to you in person, please come
by and ask for them. Every life is equal to us. Well, unless you are an enemy
of the Duke and his nobles, then forget it! None for you.
Ok now, last of all, since this is the
Tournament weekend the next time everyone comes to Fairdale, we will not be
having a Guild meeting. However, I do expect each member to check in with the
Guild for updates or any important news each day, beginning with Friday night.
Who knows; I may have hunt clues for you. May my best friends win! You know who
you are.
Zatarina
Mage’s Guild Report
The Guild has been very busy
as of late due to the recent Elemental activity, restructuring of the guilds
hierarchy, and addition of new members. We would like to extend a special
thank you to the Celestial Mages who were present in Fairdale to aid us in our
time of need against the elemental forces, both members and non members alike.
Member
News: The Guild would like to officially congratulate
Wizards Nathan Westwind and Symerille
on their ascension to the rank of Guildsman and their continued support of the
Guild. Wizard Nathan was also finally successfully invested into the
Guild circle and has been eagerly accepting guild duty, identifying items for
townsfolk, as he works to better organize the guild from within. The
Guild also welcomes our new Apprentice Eldarion Avari, and Initiate Squire Raven (who we remind that in
order to advance you to Apprentice level in the Guild we must receive your
written application to the guild). An official Guild roster is being
created as are clearly defined methods of advancement and guild benefits for
the various ranks within the guild and will be available soon.
Guild
Commerce: A Reminder to all of Fairdale that the Mage’s
Guild buys Celestial and General Aspect Ritual Scrolls; offers Spellcrafting services and rents ritual scrolls for Spellcrafting, buys used and active magic items, buys and
sells battle magic scrolls, and identifies items, along with a host of other
scholarly tasks such as research, scribing, and more. See the Guild for
current pricing.
Elemental
Wardens Named: During the elemental chaos that has been occurring in Icenia for the past year, it is well known that the
Fairdale Mage’s Guild has been working with the Elemental Knight known as
Zephyl to aid in restoring the balance to the
elemental planes. Guild members and other celestial casters in Fairdale have
been recovering essences of various elementals they have been fighting in order
to create a badge of office for those deemed worthy by the Elemental Knight to
serve as Elemental Wardens. This past gathering, two of
our guild members achieved this honor and were rifted to the mysterious
place known as the Elemental Forge where they created their badges from the
essence of each of the elements. Congratulations to Elemental Wardens:
Guildsman Wizard Nathan Westwind, and Guildsman
Wizard Symerille Foxfire; and many thanks to
Apprentice Eldarion Avari
and Initiate Squire Raven for their assistance in the elemental battles this
past month. From what we know, there are still two badges waiting to be
forged and the Celestial shard the Knight uses to communicate with us is still
fused to the circle, so continued vigilance is necessary and those who still
seek to hold this office may have their chance to be named by the Knight in the
coming months.
Sage’s Guild Report
We are still currently taking interviews for membership with the Sage’s Guild of Icenia. All those who wish interview please contact Guildmistress Aria Devonshire either in Fairdale or through private messenger.
We are also looking to buy potions, scrolls, alchemy, weapons, armor, Vision Ritual Scrolls and components. Please see any member of the Sage’s Guild for further information.
Aria
Letters
Citizens, Adventurers and
Soldiers of Dara’s Grace,
I write this letter to inform
you that a large contingent of Broken Spear Bugbears will be moving through the
Contested Lands towards the
Normally I would come alone
or with a small group of scouts, but in this instance I come at your
Duke’s invitation for formal talks regarding territory and peace between
our two nations. Formal occasions require formal usages, and thus I will be
traveling with my Rackmaster Honor Guard.
I wish to assure all who will
be present that we do not come with hostile intent, but rather to find a way
for our peoples to live in peace and in mutual respect of each other’s
cultures.
May your life be filled with
pain, and may you learn well the lessons it teaches.
Rackmaster
General Les’Grahk of the Broken Spear
A Little Birdie
Told Me
by Sue D’Onym
Hello, drearies. Here is the latest News They
Don’t Want You To Know!
Several inexperienced adventurers were
overheard recently discussing Baron Ivan’s
court. It seems that Aven
was using webbed healers for cover during a battle and that another member of the
court was greedily searching others’ kills, and this has angered some.
Apparently Sparktet is no longer excited about having
Baron Ivan teach classes in his school for adventurer training.
Apparently there is quite a bit of grumbling
about the nobility right now, but then again, maybe that’s normal.
Biata Elder Xapano visited recently,
speaking to the local biata about the strange
prophecy dream they have had, apparently.
He was seen in the tavern doing something to Gwendara’s head, but she
didn’t seem to mind. He at Zatarina
left together to head back to Bloodstone for secret meetings. No one tells me anything.
Sun is in trouble with the healers of Fairdale. It seems she has offended the mystic wood
elves in some way…
Many adventurers are also quite upset with the vansir.
Not surprisingly, the loudest of these complainers is Aloysius. “They were
given an estate to compensate them for wrongs done, but that wasn’t
enough for them,” he groused.
“No, they had to demand that Duke Frost die for them as well.
How many times are we going to have to apologize for things done long
ago by a country that no longer exists?
When are they going to apologize for what they have done in
return?” That wizard is a brave
one in his own way. I expect him to be
making a visit to the Healers’ Guild soon if you catch my drift.
A
very drunk Khorwyn Brey was
seen stumbling around the tavern. It’s no surprise then to hear that he
apparently “lost” valuable components for his up coming project.
That boy should watch what, and how much he drinks.
Why is this column so short? Because hardly anyone sent
me any gossip. I can’t just make stuff up, you know. If you like a nice big gossip column, you
have to contribute, and if you
don’t, then don’t complain.
So until next time, remember – If you can’t say something
nice about someone, come sit by me.
Public Notices
THE
SPIRIT FAREWELL for Lord Knight Commander Ragnar will
take place at the gathering for the Ducal Ball. We, his family and crew, felt that
this was the best place to offer a gathering for such an important and well
loved man. We welcome his friends and family to join us in this ceremony.
Please, if you were close to Ragnar, consider coming
even if you would not usually attend such an event. If you should have
questions or need to discuss anything, either speak to me in dream or send a
missive to Khaadijah Ragnarnichte.
I will be handling the details. Thank
you.
I AM LOOKING FOR the following components: Penna, Feyander, Jetsam, Wand, Nightshade. If anyone is willing to sell, I will pay well
for said components. Seek me out as I need them by the Tournament
gathering. Greyesmere
LOOKING TO TRADE: Blacksmith
in need of a purify potion. Don’t have much money, but willing to
trade arrows for it. Interested
parties contact Abigail Fair.