Duke Bryan was slain somewhere in the swamps of Jhivantane in a vain attempt to aid his citizens trying to escape from Jhivantane. Rumors persist that he has been permanently killed and his spirit devoured by a being from that nation.
According to the Duke's will, his son, Mykel Victor Nordenn, becomes the new Duke. However, Mykel is less than a year old, so this leaves the question of sucession open.
Legally, Dame Mara, as the Duke's wife, could once again claim the throne and rule Ashbury, but indications are that she has no interest in returning to courtly life. She has been working actively with Royal authorities as well as those of the Principality to declare a regeant who will serve until the child comes of a majority to rule some 16 years hence.
Duke Bryan's will is rumored to state such a process should be put in place for his son's eventual decision, and that the decision of his replacement be left to the choice of his King and Princess upon the consultation of his wife.
Security within the Ducal fortress of Dover, where Dame Mara resides with the child, has reached an all time high. The normal heavy guard has been tripled and many healers have been called in from Ducal Estates to aid in the defense of Dover in case of an enormous undead assualt. Duchess Mara has not been seen leaving the estate unless she is travelling to Yegril assumingly conducting arrangements for her child's regency.
Meanwhile there is a certain amount of forboding to the eastern and western border as patrols have increased to assure that no annexing of Ashbury lands occurs as the result of the apparent vacancy in the Ducal seat. Nimani diplomats sent to speak with Dame Mara "suggesting" potential Nimani noblemen have been sent away, much to the disdain of Nimani noblemen. It is rumored that talk in the court of Baltaria has indicated that Baroness Anoria Cabot may recommend one of the "healers" associated with her court be allowed to serve as Ducal Regent.
It is clear that the Princess and His Highness will need to move quickly before power is simply seized from within or instituted from without, potentially causing a civil war.
With the departure of Baron Tristan Greycloak, the White River Treaty system has also broken down and communication among the Baronies has been sparse. So far things politically seem to have taken a pause, as individuals seem to be holding their breath in anticipation of the appointment of a new Duke or Duchess.
Dame Mara is taking no risks, that is very clear. . .and it is a comfort to many knowing that she has taken such precautions with the heir of the Duchy as well as organizing the military in this time of crisis.
Bryan's Farewell
Bryan the valiant, Bryan the brave,
Ashbury's liege and lord,
offered his life his people to save,
death was his last reward.
Sworn to his code and true to the test,
fallen in Jhivantane,
Bryan the Duke has gone to his rest,
never to wake again.
Fearless protector, swift to defend,
unto your dying breath,
Bryan the faithful, Bryan my friend,
who would not mourn your death?
Shielding me well from slander and scorn,
danger and deadly threat,
loyal and kind and never forsworn,
never will I forget.
Bryan the strong, Bryan the proud,
you did not die in vain.
Die as you lived, by evil unbowed,
honour without a stain.
Let the grief grow, let the tears flow,
sorrow for him who fell.
Bryan the brave, well do I know,
this is my last farewell.
Daphne Green
Friday the 13th of June turned out to be as unlucky as could be for Ashbury when a student at the Bardic College trapped the central city into a series of stories of epic proportions.
Scholars are still trying to understand exactly what happened, but apparently the student had tapped into a story that was not supposed to be told - a cursed story in some way - and the resulting chaos managed to transport the central area of the city into other lands where the stories took place.
Reports of huge "Black Maws" that had appeared and are continuing to appear all over the duchy had many residents worried and upset even before the Storyteller began his tale, especially after the Maws had destroyed Medicia's Bridge and had killed hundreds.
So when the Storyteller began his tale in front of a group of small children by saying "Once Upon a Time," and a Black Maw opened up as the tale began, many citizens knew there would be major trouble.
Sure enough, the town soon found itself in the dreaded necromantic country of Jhivantane. To make matters worse, His Grace Duke Bryan himself died permanently in that land, leaving the duchy practically leaderless for the rest of the journey.
The Storyteller continued to appear and tell his story, each time transferring Ashbury to another place on the globe, but people noticed that each time, there were less children listening to his tale.
Besides Jhivantane, Ashbury was transported to unoccupied spaces in Houppelande, Myrr, Giatia, and other lands that had previously been unknown such as Thessi, Mishtok, and an apparently unnamed barbarian land.
It was noted that at each place, there was a major conflict about to happen, as if the adventurers of Ashbury were being sucked into the climax of an ongoing story in each land.
Throughout the week, other adventurers noted that the children who were listening to the Storyteller's tale and who had "disappeared" from later tellings of the tale were appearing in spectral form, and their intentions were always benign.
The first of these happened when a young boy ran into town, looking for people to play the game "hide-and-seek." The child then announced he needed some help.
Those whom he chose were Epson, a visitor from Badira; Hagen and Kelsea, and Baron Kelial, Elin Blackbirch, and Kit Waterwise of Blythedale. The group found themselves rifted out of town through a tunnel that seemed to be made of various multicolored threads. At the other end of this peculiar "rift," they found themselves in a cave. Before them, on a low seat, sat a young girl who looked at the adventurers mournfully.
When Hagen asked the little girl if they could help her, she told them the story of Little Miss Muffet.
"Oh, no," said Elin, in a flash of prescience; "I hate spiders!" Miss Muffet vanished, and the group stood in silence for a moment, until Hagen decided to sit on Miss Muffet's "tuffet," and disappeared. The other adventurers followed quickly. The trip was dizzying, and when the darkness faded, they found themselves arrayed throughout a cave - full of enormous spiders, who attacked right away, spitting venom. The six attacked back, Baron Kelial leading the charge. When the spiders were vanquished, the tuffet reappeared. The group looked around the cave, realizing there was no exit.
"Here goes," said Hagen, and sat upon the tuffet, with the same results. The Baron followed immediately, the rest on his heels. They experienced the same dizzying fall, and the same darkness, but when they recovered, they were facing an entirely different band of spiders. Again there was a ferocious battle, and much healing was required, but the Ashban group prevailed.
They repeated the process again, this time facing "Little Miss Muffet" along with her spiders, but eventually overcame these assailants too. Then they realized that while they were still trapped in a room without a way out, they lacked the tuffet. After the adventurers puzzled over this puzzle for a while, reciting the nursery rhyme, trying to write a second verse, pulling on the "story threads," and various other methods. Nothing seemed to work. Finally, Hagen threw his arms up in exasperation and cried, "And they all lived happily ever after!"
Suddenly, the group found itself back on the outskirts of Ashbury, with their spectral child guide, who handed them a piece of paper and scampered away. This paper turned out to be the first "chapter" of the amusing play which would eventually send the Ashbans home.
Throughout the week, other children led other adventurers through other children's stories with similar results, including one very confusing story where the Three Bears intruded upon Rumplestilskin and tried to "fix" the story by killing off all the unnecessary characters (such as the adventurers).
Finally, by Thursday, it appeared that all of the pieces of the play were in place. Kit organized a group to act out the play, and when the Storyteller appeared and said "Once upon a time", she began the story.
Unfortunately, her way was made more difficult by visitors from Badirra who attempted to destroy the play and prevent Ashbury from succeeding, aided and supported by their friend Sir Hanson. Eventually though the play was completed, and Ashbury returned to "normal."
However, the Black Maws continue to haunt the duchy and cause more pain and suffering, and it is yet unknown as to their connection.
Friday, June 13th certainly proved unlucky for the people of Ashbury and their Duke.
It was close to midnight when the Storyteller and his audience of children first appeared. As the people of Ashbury gathered around and listened to his tale, he spun a story which took place in the foul bogs of dark Jhivantane. As he spoke, a odorous miasma rolled in over the gathered people and in the distance the Ash Forest began to fade out and a dark swamp seemed to fade in. When the beginning of the tale finished the Storyteller and his children disappeared and the center of Ashbury City now stood in the darkest depths of Jhivantane.
Within moments, Duke Bryan was heard screaming for aid as he was seen running into town being chased by Death Knights. As the town came to his aid he gathered the people to him and into the tavern. His first actions were to name confirm Agnar as the new Baron of the Ash Forest and two new Barons, Sir Radric, the Military Governor of Trellheim was named as Baron, and Squire Olin was raised to the peerage and in an unheard of action was immediately raised to Baron as well, replacing Baron Kirath of Nordenn.
This last appointment caused a bit of confusion and arguing, as Baron Kirath, who decided to retire for reasons known only to him but who led a heroic but brief tenure, had named Dame Sonya as his successor. The Duke, however, did not wish to have Dame Sonya as Baroness over his home lands, and was overheard saying "I don't want her son becoming Baron some day!" (Dame Sonya's son's father is ex-Baron Morgan Blackbourne).
After this announcement, His Grace gathered his nobles and began to plan for how to deal with this sudden change of locale.
He had little time to plan as hordes of undead began to march into town and attack the citizenry.
At the head of this horde was a black figure whose features were never seen. He announced himself as Jamar, son of Prince Jomor ruler of this district and demanded to be brought face to face with the leader of this invading force. Duke Bryan slowly came to the front and told Jamar that the people of Ashbury were not invaders but displaced in an unknown manner from their true home. Jamar had little concern as he called his forces to attack and he personally sought to slay Duke Bryan.
He pursued Bryan with a vengeance as the rest of Ashbury fought his hordes. The Duke was in and out of his grasp as he threw off nearly all attacks upon his and simply paralyzed any who got in his way. The Duke was repeatedly saved by Sir Konrad, Sir Algar, and Baron Kelial who lifed him repeatedly and prevented Jamar from finishing a circle of power around the body. They got the body away from Jamar and lifed him bringing him into Konrad's circle of power in the center of town for protection.
Jamar stood outside the circle and told Bryan that so long as he did not come out of the circle his troops would continue to attack the town and kill his people. The invasion, he said, would be stopped and punished by the death of the enemy's leader and that if he were the coward he thought and hid behind a circle of power then perhaps he was no real leader. With that, he spirit walked away and the attacks continued.
He reappeared later with fresh forces ready to continue the attacks on the Duke. Duke Bryan thought that he would spare his people by challenging Jamar to hunt him. Jamar accepted and the Duke went off into the woods and the undead army withdrew though random sporadic attacks kept up.
That was the last that was seen of Duke Bryan. He died permanently, consumed by Jamar. This was revealed by the Registrar as he came into town seeking Lord Morlox.
The town mourned the loss of their Duke but persevered through the night. Some adventurers attempted to search the woods for him but were turned back by the undead. Dame Sonya, perhaps trying to prove her bravery after her disappointment over being denied the barony of Nordenn, valiently fought the undead but was killed - and died permanently.
In the morning a different scene was visible, even though the sun was covered by a perpetual pall the undead were not to be seen, until a small group walked through the town seeking out specific people. The group was familiar, it consisted of two wraith lords, two greater undead named Jarl and Vargas, and a death elemental wielding a skull topped staff named Angelica. Angelica did not appear in her normal form however, she appeared as a black skinned, horned, monster, much as her servant Aravir has in the past. She sought out those she considered her friends in town, Lord Hanson and Baron Agnar, the slayers of Strykna. She found them eventually and spoke to them, all of the citizenry being careful not to attack her knowing her power and the power of her minions.
She and her minions complained about how the Prince had made death difficult for the other Elder Lords but they assumed when they heard part of Ashbury had appeared in Jhivantane that their friends had to be their and came looking for them. During this Talen offended them, for the second time according to them. He ran and escaped their pursuit but they announced that they wanted him dead permanently for the multiple offenses.
They also made a startling announcement - they told that the game with Fate was now over and that Angelica had won. Fate and the Gypsies had lost and that she didn't care much about them anymore since Strykna was gone. She also gave back Petra now living once more, apparently at the behest of the Registrar. This was a surprise as Petra was not even killed by Angelica but by the Harvest Moon's undead last October.
She brought the now living Petra to the Healer's Guild where she found Natasha to be insulting since she felt safe behind her circle. This only lasted until she pulled out a set of destroy earth components and the ritual scroll. Then Natasha apologized and Angelica left.
About noon that day Ashbury again found itself being host to the Storyteller and then shifted to Houppelande and the city of Crookhaven on The Bay (see accompanying story). That evening the Storyteller returned again and once more the town shifted back to Jhivantane.
This time the undead were less organized but more prevalent. New undead called Hysterians were found everywhere. These creatures seemed related to the Cackling Corpses.
As the onslaught continued, a human named Ibli was first encountered. He claimed to be a representative of a group of living beings in Jhivantane dedicated to overthrowing the undead governing body, calling themselves the Cabal. Ibli organized people to act against the undead and gathered all the heroes of the town to attack the "Guardians of Jhivantane," incredibly powerful greater undead who normally guard the entranceways to Jhivantane. These undead were called in to defend against the invaders from Ashbury. Ibli had found out about them and sent the heroes out into the woods to try and stop them in small groups before they could concentrate their numbers and attack the town in mass.
While the heroes were out of town many lesser undead attacked the town proper and were repelled for a while but in the end they were forced to retreat to retreat before the undead. The nobles returned from their encounters in the woods and defended the town saving all the townsfolk who had fallen to the undead.
Hours later Ibli returned and told of the final challenge to the Ashbans. The artificers of Jhivanane had gathered and constructed a necromantic device in a S.O.L.D. nearby. This crystal could apparently turn all of the Ashbans into undead if left unchecked. Ibli led the town to the S.O.L.D. to counter this.
As the town entered the S.O.L.D. they saw large numbers of undead guarding a crystal placed just outside a circle of power. Inside the circle were several large non-corporeal figures. As the Ashbans moved in to attack, Ibli turned non-corporeal revealing himself to be a vampire with a reversed metabolism. The Cabal turned out to be a group of vampires who had gone underground at the end of the vampire wars and still pursued a guerilla war against the rulers of Jhivantane. The forces of Ashbury were duped into working for them, even though it was good cause.
A battle progressed and into the fight came the four Artificers: Greygaunt , who Ashbury had dealt with before; Hehovan, the Jester who is the creator of the Cackling Corpse and the Hysterian; Marag the Assessor; and Xyvel the Builder. They were incredibly difficult to fight and only two of them were killed as several Ashbans were slain and Sir Algar and Dame Kittery were taken within the circle. Dame Kittery was freed but Algar was kept and fierce negotiations for his life were undertaken. In the end Morlox and Hanson managed to save his life, giving up components from Trellheim's treasury and items taken in the fight, personal possessions of the slain artificers. Algar was freed but all his items taken.
As the Ashbans left and the S.O.L.D. sank into the ground all of the Ashbans turned and attacked the giant undead mole. Lord Morlox began the fight and struck it for every mighty blow he was capable of, others followed suit and the S.O.L.D. exploded in a huge burst. Algar's and the artificers' items were recovered and all remained peaceful for the rest of the evening.
In the end, much damage was inflicted on Jhivantane while Ashbury was there; however just as much damage was done to Ashbury. If Jhivantane hadn't established itself as the enemy of Ashbury before, it certainly has done so now. It is not certain what the future will hold for both.
When the Storyteller said the Ashbans would be proceeding to the land called Mishtok, no one knew what to expect. It was a place that had never appeared before on any map, nor did anyone know anything about it.
It was obvious that there was something different about this place when a group of half ogres and half orcs, along with some goblins, trolls, and other similar creatures came into town, looking estatic.
"King Kraat!" they said, walking up to Marr. "You've returned!"
As Marr looked on in obvious amusement, the creatures continued.
"We didn't think you could do it! When you left us to go get help, we never thought you would return with so many people, and magical buildings that appear out of nowhere!" They seemed slightly confused and upset that their King had enlisted the aid of humans, but they trusted his judgement.
When Marr didn't recognize some of Kraat's people, the Mishtoks looked upset. "What have they done to you?" asked a half ogre named Crusher who was identified as the King's General-in-Command. Marr played along.
When asked what his first orders were, he smiled and said "Let's kill all the goblins!" The Mishtoks were astounded by this and backed away from him. "You must have been brainwashed by the humans!"
After some convincing ("If you alienate the goblins, we will lose the war for certain!"), Marr relented but not before the goblins who had been there managed to sneak off unharmed.
Through questioning, Marr and the Ashbans gathered learned that the Mishtoks were fighting against a gang of ruthless humans who were trying to take their lands away. Generally, the humans, whose leader was named Lazarus, had been kept back in line by the Mishtok's superior numbers, but scouts had learned that the humans had discovered a number of new spells that would make them more formidable; the scouts also learned that the humans planned a major attack on Sunday afternoon.
The humans, according to Crusher, were violent, cruel, and used foul necromantic magic. (The Mishtok society, being run by half ogres, obviously prohibited the earth-unfriendly magic). This use of necromancy also helped the humans win battles, as they would create undead to attack the half ogres.
Crusher also spoke of how their scouts had discovered where the King's wife was being held prisoner by the humans.
Marr continued to pretend to be King Kraat and said he wanted to gather a group to go and rescue "his wife" but was distracted when he learned that another half ogre there was named Churg.
The half ogres told the Ashbans that Churg had appeared about a year ago as a traveler and decided to stay with the Mishtoks and had fought his way to the top. Churg obviously wanted to become King someday but he had never been able to defeat the King.
Apparently, Churg had been traveling quite a bit and had originally come from Marr's tribe where he had killed Marr's father in an honor combat but had cheated in some way.
When Marr discovered and recognized Churg, he dropped all pretense of being the King. He immediately challenged Chrug to a battle.
The Mishtoks were confused and tried to talk their King out of it, but Marr denied he was the King and turned to Churg. He then pulled a piece of fruit out of his pocket, said that he had always kept fruit there in preparation for this day, took a bite, and then prepared himself for battle.
As all looked on, Marr and Churg fought. It was an interesting battle, but Churg knocked Marr down and began to give a killing blow but was prevented. This proved his lack of honor in many eyes, and when Marr was revived with a curing spell, he renewed the battle, and eventually Churg was defeated.
Meanwhile, Crusher was watching and taking it all in. After Churg was defeated, he confronted Marr and called him honorless. "You speak of honor, yet you lie to your own people!" spat Crusher. "You and your humans now have two enemies, for Lazarus will want this land, and we will not help you."
Marr tried to make amends at that point, and as is traditional in half ogre society, the two agreed upon an honor combat to make things right. In this combat, Crusher used his skill to deliver a slaying blow, and Marr claimed that this was cheating. He eventually beat Crusher who was allowed to be healed. Crusher, saying that Marr's rules were apparently rules from a different tribe and did not apply to all half ogres, was not pleased and he gathered his men and stormed off.
Soon after, some of Lazarus' men came to town to discover what was going on. They greeted Marr as King Kraat and tried to discover where and how he had been able to produce the town and the people. Marr denied that he was Kraat but it was obvious that the humans did not believe him. They bantered a bit and then one of them threw spells at Marr, killing him instantly. Fortunately, a Life spell was handy and the humans were easily defeated.
Most of them resurrected so it was certain that they would bring valuable information about the strength and weaknesses of the Ashbans back to Lazarus.
A troll who had been with Crusher then came back to town and tried to make peace, pointing out that their chances against Lazarus were better if they worked together instead of against one another. The Ashbans to which he spoke agreed, and an unsteady truce prevailed from that point on.
The situation was grim for the war. The Mishtoks were badly outnumbered. There were only about 50 left, and the humans certainly had hundreds coming. In the past, the Mishtoks held off the humans because of their superior skills, but the humans just brought in more humans from the east and used undead as well. Soon they would own the Mishtok's land.
As strategy was being planned, many undead were attacking, trying to weaken the Ashbans. The Mishtoks, who were encamped a short distance away, also were under constant undead attack. In addition, a number of assassins from Lazarus made attempts at the lives of some of Ashbury's leaders. A rescue mission to retrieve the King's wife was successful, and other spying missions gave the Ashbans more information that was useful.
A messenger came into town the next morning and announced that the human army was near. He said that they were coming from two directions and he described the banners of each of the armies. Crusher said that the Mishtoks would fight in the canyon since they know it backwards and forwards, and that the Ashbans should stay and protect this area.
The humans attacked with their necromancers and undead and after a long fought battle, the Mishtoks and Ashbans were successful.
Marr, who impressed the Mishtoks with his character, stayed back with the Mishtoks to replace their missing king.
The Storyteller's second story took Ashbury to distant Crookhaven-on-the-Bay, the home of the hoblings. As they appeared, they were greeted by the view of the great Belltower for which the Bay takes its name, but floating there in the Bay was a fleet of ships bearing a flag with a black gauntlet snapping two swords.
In the lead of the fleet was a ship seeming to be made completely of bones, the flagship of the dread pirate Black Freddie Mac. As the Ashbans gathered their wits after another shift, hobling multitudes came into the city, each demanding a tax, or licensing something - each with their own scam. It quickly became obvious as to why the place was called Crookhaven.
As the day progressed, Ashbury found itself more and more repelling Black Freddie Mac's Beastmen and strange Borlu and Shadowcats. Baron Agnar led a group from his Barony including Azreal, Marr, Derek, Grakk, Rasq, and others to the Belltower to investigate. They repelled an attack on the tower but didn't find anything to help the situation.
Another group including Dame Kittery, Sir Algar, Baron Kelial, Tarabelle, and Xavier investigated a library to try and find more information about the problems in Houppelande - unfortunately it was under attack from the Beastmen and nothing was found.
Another group of newcomers to town learned of a strange hobling sport called "surfing" as they tried to ride boards into the Bay, but they were attacked by sharks. Instead they built a large raft and twenty novice adventurers and some experienced ones from Badira poled out to attack the Ship of Bone itself. Among them were Ahlana the wild elf and Janus the Sarr. They made it all the way to the Ship of Bone and were repelled by Beastmen and Borlu and even briefly fought Black Freddie Mac himself. They were forced to abandon the raft and try to swim for safety. Three of them, including Janus, were forced to resurrect.
Shortly after this the forces of Black Freddie Mac attacked in force and the pirate himself accompanied them. The battle was fierce but in the end they were slain and Ashbury had saved the hoblings.
Black Freddie Mac was a powerful creature and killed many of the Ashbans. He escaped in the end, Spirit Recalling away from the battle to save himself.
On Monday evening, the town of Ashbury found itself transported once again, this time coming to rest on what had obviously been the site of many battles. The earth was torn and rutted. There was no one in sight. One adventurer joked that the town had "returned to Jhivantane again, since it's such a fun place."
Just then, a woman appeared by the inn. She had naturally golden lips, and her long, pale blonde hair hung loose past her shoulders. She wore chain mail, a green tabard with a symbol on the left shoulder, a braided blue-and-green headband, and carried two weapons. She was accompanied by three men, all of whom had long hair and none of whom bore weapons. The group stopped and stared at Ashbury and the Ashbans.
Then the woman screamed, "Gaiatia!" and ran into battle. It became obvious that the town was on the southern island of Gaiatia, a society where women rule and men are slaves. Deciding this woman might have information they could use, the adventurers quickly defeated the lone warrior and took her weapons. Once she understood her life was not in danger, she agreed to answer questions.
Since she ignored any queries men directed toward her, Dame Alyx Attleborough quickly became the chief questioner. Since the woman, who introduced herself as Iphegenia Zenobian, Arms-master of Gaiatia, was not aggressive, the Ashbans were able to question her extensively, along with her three companions.
One, a farmer-slave named Delphos, spoke bitterly of his hatred for slavery and his desire to join the "Free Male Rebellion," the headquarters of which were situated nearby, in a town the women of Gaiatia called "The Port of Hyster" but which the men had renamed "Free Town." The other two, a farmer-slave named Melanos and a concubine named Daffodil expressed content with their lives, claiming Iphegenia was a kind mistress and that they had everything they needed. Daffodil further claimed that he was in love with Iphegenia, and repeatedly begged the Ashbans not to hurt her. The Ashbans allowed Delphos to seek out the headquarters of the Free Males, to Iphegenia's mild annoyance.
From Iphegenia, the men further gathered that there was a full-scale rebellion going on in Gaiatia. Led by two men, Odysseus and Hektor, the men of Gaiatia were trying to overthrow the society that enslaved and abused them. Needless to say, most Ashbans were pleased to hear this and wanted to help the men in any way possible. Once Iphegenia had answered all the questions Dame Alyx had, she was allowed to go.
Not too long after, random attacks began. Some adventurers surmised that the monsters were so plentiful because so many battles were waged on this field, which Iphegenia had called "No-woman's Land."
The next person the Ashbans saw was another Gaiatian woman. This woman, a storyteller, came to Ashbury with her twelve-year-old daughter. The storyteller, Adelphe Coronian, was a Gaiatian commoner, and she made it clear that she and other commoners do not hate men as the royalty of Gaiatia do. "It's the way we're brought up," she explained. However, she also felt men were better off in the society as it was, because men were "weaker and less intelligent" than women.
She then told the tale of a Reason Elemental named Gaia who, after growing up in a brutal society where men ruled and women held slave status, learned to hate men. It was she who was the progenitor of the Gaiatian race, through her gifts of golden lips and the women's ability of Arcane Charm, which every Gaiatian woman can use once a day. The story also contained talk of another Reason Elemental named Kalypso, who had given the men of Gaiatia Arcane Resist Charm once a day and tried to help establish an equal society on Gaiatia by locking Gaia away in a cavern.
Adelphe also related the legend which stated that to release Gaia, the Gaiatians needed five foreign women, the assistance of men, and five pendants, one for each element: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Void. Both Adelphe and her daughter Zenna believed in these old legends, and Adelphe offered to take the Ashbans to "Pendant Rock," which supposedly had one of the 5 pendants needed to release Gaia in it.
Silas the Sarr began to chop at the rock right away, causing almost no damage to the stone. Adelphe was visibly upset, however, exclaiming that this rock was her favorite place to come up with stories, and that chopping it up would deprive her of her livelihood. Silas, who had already made it clear that he hated all Gaiatians, did not seem to care, only renewing his frenzied attack. "You'll destroy the pendant," Adelphe warned him, which made him stop.
Adelphe was opposed to anything that would damage "her" rock, but finally struck a deal. Each of the men who had followed her to the rock must tell her his best "Adventure Story." If the stories were good enough, she would allow the men to Shatter the rock, since that spell was the only thing Adelphe knew of that would destroy the rock while leaving the pendant intact.
Ezil of Badira began with his wild tale. Other adventurers who told stories included Blaze the Raccoon Scavenger, Silas, and several other Badirans. It took a long time to tell all the stories, but Adelphe was finally satisfied, and allowed the adventurers to Shatter the rock. When the dust cleared, a triangular, silvery pendant lay where the rock had been.
"The Pendant of Void!" exclaimed Adelphe. "I am vindicated! The stories are true!" The man holding the pendant found that it hurt his fingers, and so did the other men, finally storing it in a pouch for safekeeping. They then escorted Adelphe back to town so she could pick up her daughter, since it was "past Zenna's bedtime."
Later that evening, the leaders of the Free Male Rebellion came into Ashbury. The older man identified himself as "Odysseus the Brave." He spoke of equality between the genders, and a society at peace. His companion, a younger man named "Hektor the Wild," disagreed with Odysseus' peaceful views, espousing instead a society where men ruled over women. "Let them see what it's like!" he snarled when challenged. It seemed that although the men were working together for now, there was a clear split in the ideology of the rebel forces. The attitude in general seemed to be, "Win Gaiatia first; decide what to do second."
One Ashban man asked about the Rebellion's headquarters, referring to the town as The Port of Hyster. While Odysseus gently corrected the man's mistake, reminding him the town was now called Free Town, Hektor growled fiercely and continued to glare at the offender all evening.
The two men praised the valiant efforts of a royal-turned-rebel named Ariadne. She had given up her privileged life in the Crown's palace (the Gaiatians call their ruler "Crown Hyppolita") to help the men fight their female oppressors. There were other women who helped the men as well, but Ariadne was by far the most visible.
The two men told the story of Gaia as well, but in their version Gaia, as a Reason Elemental, wished to help the men, and was trapped by another Elemental who did not want the men to obtain freedom or equality. When questioned about the other tale, the men scoffed, explaining that the story had been made up by women to keep the men away from the "Forbidden Cavern" where Gaia was held. "Ariadne has a brilliant plan," they said. "She has told us much about it, but is waiting for the proper moment to reveal it to everyone."
For example, the rebels needed five foreign women, which they did not have&emdash;until the arrival of the Ashbans! The Ashban men and women present eagerly promised help. As the night turned into early morning, Hektor and Odysseus returned to Free Town, promising to send Ariadne in as their representative the following day.
Various monster attacks continued until 4:30 in the morning, when it began to rain. The rain continued until 12 noon the following day, and monsters, adventurers, and Gaiatian natives all stayed in bed until that hour.
However, when things cleared up, a young man came to the various buildings in Ashbury, selling copies of The Rebellious Times, a newspaper printed and distributed by the rebels. It profiled Hektor, Odysseus, and Ariadne, and had various articles, including "A Declaration of Male Independence." As adventurers emerged, they found that the woods nearby was still full of monsters, and that various citizens of Gaiatia were eager for their help.
Ariadne spent the day in town, talking with Ashbans and making friends. She was an impressive woman with very dark hair, and was obviously very skilled as an Earth caster. She explained that she could cast a ritual that would release Gaia, so that the Elemental would help the men to overcome the women. Ariadne, like Odysseus, wanted a society of equals, and did not believe men to be her inferiors either physically or intellectually, and at one point held an extended conversation with Lord Hanson about the ways of Gaiatia and the secrets of the ritual that would release Gaia.
She laid emphasis on the need to find the five pendants, and was pleased to find that the Ashbans had already recovered the Pendant of Void. Ariadne recommended that women carry the pendants, as they could become irritating to men.
Later that afternoon, a small force of women with the golden lips of Gaiatians and the tabards of Gaiatian royalty came to town. Like the other Gaiatians the Ashbans had seen, these women were small, but very loud. A particularly loud one shouted, "Make way for Second Heir Lysomache Hyppolitan!" Second Heir Lysomache is the second daughter of Crown Hyppolita; "princess" was a word the Gaiatians did not recognize. Lysomache was distinguished from her guards only by a golden circlet and the fact that she did most of the talking. She wished to know why the Ashbans were in the middle of No-woman's Land, and whether they intended to interfere with the troubles of Gaiatia.
Lord Hanson represented the Ashbans in this, which seemed to baffle and anger Lysomache no end. She asked several times to be allowed to speak to the Ashbans' leader, and only agreed to listen to Lord Hanson when he reminded her that her older sister had visited Ashbury once before, and discovered that men and women are equal. "You are the exception," Lord Hanson told the Second Heir. "In most of Tyrra, men rule." For this statement, he was roundly booed by Ashban women as well as the Gaiatians.
Lysomache and Ariadne faced off, Ariadne taunting Lysomache with the fact that the Ashbans were going to help release Gaia. In obvious fear, Lysomache denied Gaia's existence. Ariadne laughed and turned her back on her former monarch. Lysomache and her entourage left, disgusted by the ways of the Ashbans, and with Lord Hanson's assurances that the Ashbans were not there to interfere. Clearly, Lysomache did not believe him; "He is, after all, only a man, and they have no honor," she said to the woman on her right, who only laughed.
Throughout the day, various groups or people arrived in town to encourage the Ashbans. Serendipitously, these people often knew clues to finding a pendant, or who to talk to in order to recover these. The first of these people was a Rotarian scholar named Halloran Quigley. She had studied Gaiatian history, and discovered the legend of Gaia was, in fact, true. She held with the version of the story that Gaia would help the men of Gaiatia, and would not listen to "drivel," as she dubbed the other version of the legend.
Later that day, Halloran gathered a group of fighters, including Lady Azrael, and sent them to attack the lair of Procrustes, a bandit leader. He sent both giant carrion crows and feral War Dogs to attack the brave Ashbans, but they successfully defeated all the animals. Finally, Lady Azreal struck Procrustes from behind, and he too fell. Around his neck, he wore a brown triangle, which Ariadne identified later as the Pendant of Earth.
WIFE, Women In Favor of Equality, is an association of women who work from within society to change Gaiatia's inequalities. A member of WIFE, (wife is another word the Gaiatians did not know, although marriage exists only between women), told the Ashban adventurers of a semi-senile old woman who had a strange affinity for the woods. Apparently, this "Woods-woman" thought she owned the woods, and exacted a toll from to any she found wandering through it. A traveler could either answer a riddle or give her a gold. "It's best to do one or the other," advised the member of WIFE. "Terrible accidents are known to happen to those who ignore her."
Several adventurers set off to find this strange woman. They were walking down a small track when a bizarre apparition leapt at them from the shadows, brandishing a stick. It was the Woods-woman, her face streaked with mud and grime, ferns braided into her wild hair, her clothing tattered and dirty. "Not so fast," she shrieked, her voice piercing. "These are my woods and you can pay a toll or get out!"
The Ashbans agreed to answer her riddle, but nearly lost their chances on the first riddle, when Alexander Vladmir answered "man" to the famous riddle, "What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the afternoon?" Had he been dealing with the Puzzlemaster, the answer would have sufficed, but the Woods-woman cackled and danced about, chanting "Wrong, wrong, wrong!" On the sexist island of Gaiatia, the answer is of course "woman."
However, the Ashbans answered the rest of the six riddles correctly, and so impressed the Woods-woman that she decided she owed them a toll, and gave them her necklace. It was a dark red triangle, and thus the Ashbans gained the Pendant of Fire.
The Pendant of Air was the easiest to obtain. A man named Stephanos the Timid, a Free Male, simply walked into town and auctioned it off.
Members of the MLM, the Male Liberation Movement, another association which works for equality from within society, led a group of adventurers to an old hermit in the woods. The hermit seemed well-disposed towards the men of the MLM, if a bit gruff, and allowed the Ashbans to take a series of handwritten clues. Once translated into Common from Gaiatian, which is spoken like Common but written in a different alphabet, these clues eventually led Sir Algar, Squire Xavier Kimball, Squire Lupiticus, and other members of the White Eagles to the edge of the Bay of Hyster, near Free Town. The tide was coming in as they arrived in the evening, and they saw the head of a marble statue swallowed by the tide. Squire Lupiticus swam out to the statue and removed a triangular, blue pendant, which Ariadne identified as the Pendant of Water.
That evening, as the sky darkened, many Ashbans followed Ariadne to the Forbidden Cavern, Inside was a huge five-pointed star drawn on the floor. Five women, including Shayloree the Sarr, Michiko (Alex) the Dark Elf, Elin the Mystic Wood Elf, and Lady Azreal, each took a pendant and stood at a point in the star. Ariadne put up a circle of power, and read the strange call-and-response ritual with the "pendant-bearers." When the five triangles were joined to a keystone Ariadne held, they formed another five- pointed star. When Ariadne scattered the pieces again, the cavern began to shake. When the shaking stopped, another woman stood beside Ariadne. She had the same face as the marble statue in the Bay of Hyster. It was obvious that this was Gaia!
"My children, I hear you; my children, I come," she murmured, then turned to Ariadne and said slowly, "Jocasta?" Jocasta was the second of Gaia's daughters, one of the founders of Gaiatia.
"Her descendant," said Ariadne. "Quickly, now; we must help the men!"
Gaia cried, "Is that still going on? I tried to stop that centuries ago!" She led the way out of the Forbidden Cavern, saying to Ariadne, "I'll have to make battle plans, and train armies . . ." and obviously planning war.
It seemed the Ashbans had struck the deciding blow in favor of the Rebellion.
But outside the cavern was a surprise. A Gaiaitan woman dressed in white smiled at Gaia and said, "I welcome you in the name of the Royal Family of Gaiatia." She then created a small circle of power around herself, Gaia, and Ariadne. The Ashbans stared until Baron Kelial demanded, "What is this?"
"You blew it," said Gaia cheerfully. "Help the men? Ha! I hate men! Women rule this island and women always will!" Ariadne smiled at this; it became obvious she was a double agent, working for the women all the time.
"We'll take care of that in an hour, when your circle goes down," threatened Lord Hanson, but Gaia just laughed. "You can't do that; I'm a Reason Elemental!" she exclaimed. It was obvious that Gaia, instead of being on the logical end of Reason, was on the mad end.
Suddenly, there came a gust of wind, and with it a woman dressed in purple and black. "Hello, Gaia, dear," she said cynically.
"Kalypso!" Gaia hissed. It was indeed Gaia's old rival, Kalypso. However, rather than dropping the circle or confronting Gaia, Kalypso turned on the Ashbans, delivering a lecture on the stupidity of releasing Gaia.
"Just when things were getting balanced," she fumed, "you all had to come along and ruin it!" The Ashbans present promised to fix it "in about 58 minutes," but Kalypso was not amused. "What will I do with you?" she asked rhetorically. To everyone's surprise, Gaia spoke up.
"Let's just send them away," she suggested.
"That may be the only thing we ever agree on," Kalypso said. Both Elementals raised their arms. Baron Kelial attempted to force Kalypso's arms down, but slowly a dark mist surrounded the Ashbans.
When it cleared, they still stood on the fields of No-Woman's Land, but no one was to be seen. It is unclear whether this was an effect of Baron Kelial's attempt to disturb the Elementals or whether The Narrator was allowing the Ashbans a break before their next change.
In Thessi, Ashbans Fight Against Gryphons and Biata
The final place visited by the Ashbans was the island of Thessi. The land of Thessi was founded many years ago from the first migration of (mostly) biata from Sessuar.
Almost as soon as they arrived, there was a scream - followed by the sight of a woman being burned at the stake. The adventurers of Ashbury went to the lakefront where this was taking place, but were stopped by a Mystic Wood elf, who warned the gypsies and Mystic Wood elves to stay away. "They will kill you on sight!" he said.
The adventurers who continued towards the waterfront discovered a group of biata burning a gypsy, who was very dead by the time they arrived. Not surprisingly, the biata there would only speak to other biata. Baron Kelial asked what was going on, and was told that they were executing a criminal and that it was none of the business of the Ashbans.
The biata noticed the buildings and questioned the Ashbans as to what they are doing there, but will otherwise provide no information or help, and ordered the Ashbans to stay within their area near their buildings.
A battle almost ensued with Baron Kelial tried to Life the gypsy. the gypsy was immediately killed again by the biata, and Kelial was warned that he did not want to anger those present. The biata did not notice however when Caleb managed to grab a bit of what was left of the unfortunate gypsy and have her Lifed outside of the biata's presence.
The Lifed gypsy confirmed what the Mystic Wood elf was telling those who listened: The Thessi were slavers who especially hated gypsies and Mystic Wood elves because they were "harder to control" and led rebellions against them.
The land of Thessi was run by various families, each in charge of different parts of Thessi society. An Emperor ruled over all the families. It was even rumored that gryphons in biata form were sercretly in control of the island.
It was then learned that a few of the Thessi had gathered at this remote section of their island in search of a golden gryphon.
This sparked he Ashbury biata's interests greatly.
All of the Thessi families are aware of the prophecies about a golden gryphon being born in Thessi. This is very rare, and is a highly sought after thing, for golden gryphons are the most powerful and can be used to further many families.
According to the Mystic Wood elf, golden gryphons are considered the purest and would certainly fight against slavery, so each family wanted to either get it and neutralize it, "change it," or kill it.
The families had all discovered that the gryphon was somewhere in a certain part of the island known as "Bone Hills," so named for the undead in the area.
Members of each of the families entered town soon after the encounter with the burning gypsy and tried to convince the Ashbans to help them in their quest to either get or kill the golden gryphon. They offered rewards of various kinds, but most Ashbans felt that they were lying. The families represented were Thrommel, Borik, Norvick, Merdick, and Thardik.
During the stay in Thessi, pantherghasts of various levels came to town after the certain races. Apparently, these were created over the years by the biata in order to hunt undesirable races from their island.
There was also an encounter with the local liche, a fellow calling himself Lord Morbid, who approached the town with his minions. He didn't care about the politics of the gryphons, as he was searching for an item that was stolen from him ages ago by a white gryphon. He sent in his minions to ask about it, but these undead were (not surprisingly) destroyed. This apparently upset Morbid, so he arrived that evening to confront the town.
He did not get too far though before Baron Keilal ran towards him and destroyed himself in a huge acid trap. This destroyed not only the liche and those undead who were in his area, but also Kelial (who was fortunately healed in time). Morbid undoubtedly reformed elsewhere and continued to send in his undead followers all night, although he himself had apparently decided that he did not want to deal with the adventurers of Ashbury directly.
Meanwhile, the Thessi gypsies used their fortunetelling skills to let them know where the gryphon was, but they had done all they could and said they needed the help of the Ashbans. They said that there was something magical about the gold gryphon that somehow obscures its location, but they were sure that with gypsy talent, they could discover its true location!
A reading was done that gave clues that led to an abandoned campsite. Among those traveling there were Hagan, Robert, Storm, Kainon, Elin, and Kit. They had to travel into the woods, past the boundaries set by the Thessi, in order to find the spot.
The night was clouded with fog which made travel difficult and heightened the danger. When they arrived at the site, they discovered an abandoned encampment where they found some Mystic Wood elf bones. Before they could discover much more, some trolls were seen hiding in the trees. The trolls admitted that they had earlier attacked some Mystic Wood elves who were camped here a few days ago and yes, they had a large lion bird thing with them that looked like it would have been delicious&emdash;but the Mystic Wood elves were more powerful than the trolls thought and most of them managed to escape with the lion bird. Eventually, as is usual with trolls, a battle broke out which was quite deadly. The brave adventurers were able however to overcome their adversaries.
Before they could leave though, members of the Norvick family showed up, congratulated the Ashbans on a job well done, and took the Mystic Wood elf skull, finding a golden feather within. Hagan demanded the feather but of course the Norvicks would not give it back. Despite a huge amount of negotiating and debating, it was obvious that the Thessi would not give in, and eventually another battle broke out. The Norvicks were all killed and the feather taken.
Meanwhile, some of the Thessi gypsies announced that they had discovered where some of the local gypsies had been captured. They asked for volunteers who could sneak in to the building and rescue their fellows.
Among those who went to help were Robert Oakwood and Storm. They got past the guards at the bottom of the stairs by having Storm (a biata) lead Robert in as a prisoner who then dropped his bonds and Paralyzed the guards.
Upstairs, the entire group fought their way past some guards. To reach a further room, Storm had to pick three locks set in the wall in the pouring rain.
After much searching and finding nothing, the adventurers were set to leave when finally someone discovered a secret door which led to the gypsy prisoner who, upon being told that he was being rescued, jumped up and ran out with the adventurers.
The next morning, after he had recovered, he gathered some of the locals together into the Fortuneteller's room in the Commoner's Guild, where the gypsy used the feather to try and locate the golden gryphon. The gypsy was noticeably scared when the first card turned over was The Emperor, and after the reading commented that the presence of so many cups must mean something. When Voltreg suggested a tavern, the gypsy said "Yes! There is an abandoned tavern near here! Quick, we must gather everyone and go there immediately, for the fortunetelling was for the present not the future!"
The town gathered and headed to the site where they discovered a small partially destroyed building with a lot of biata surrounding it. The biata were apparently trying to get the Mystic Wood elf within to lower the Ward, as he apparently had the baby golden gryphon!
A battle broke out and it became apparent that there were many gryphons present given the defenses they had and the attacks they threw. Eventually, the Thessi were defeated and the Mystic Wood elf was convinced to give up the golden gryphon to the Ashbans, who promised to take it "far away from Thessi" where the families could not get it.
Over the past few months, strange phenomena have plagued the duchy.
Witnesses have described them as "spheres of utter darkness, crackling with emerald flames, varying from a few feet in length to a mile" and one scholar has called them "Black Maws."
The first appeared in early May, beneath Medicia's Bridge in Trellheim, causing the famous landmark to collapse. Apparently, the "Black Maw" materialized within the framework of the bridge, instantly disintegrating the wood and causing the structure to collapse into the river. Six travelers were injured and one woman drowned before rescuers could save her.
The next two spheres appeared simultaneously, materializing in Nymphwood, within the Ash Forest, utterly consuming stands of trees, transforming them into blackened, horrible creatures that attacked anything within their sight. An estimated one hundred elves were killed before all of the monsters were found and subdued.
The Maw that showed up in Blythdale, in the middle of May, was the largest seen yet, stretching a mile wide, originating in the estate of Two Towers. From the huge void of darkness and green fire, which lay flat upon the earth, rose newly formed mountains causing devastating amounts of property damage and panic among the citizens of the estate. One man was actually standing on the very ground that the Black Maw appeared upon and was lifted into the air, riding atop one of the newly forming mountains. The man later told the Ashbury Times of his ordeal: "One minute I was standing, contemplating what I need to cook for dinner, when there comes this popping sound, like a huge champagne bottle being uncorked and next thing I know I was looking down. . .way down. . ."
The worst of the voids' harm occurred more recently. Soldiers from the Baronial army of Nordenn cordoned off the town of Crystal Falls as a Black Maw, half a mile in width, opened in the air just above the town.
A large number of the townspeople apparently had been cast into a state of advanced aging. Those already considered elderly or approaching old age withered away in moments, dying a horrible death. The remaining, affected townsfolk have been dying of extreme old age, each day.
All of the Black Maws that have appeared across the duchy still remain and show no sign of disappearing.
No official word has been heard from courts of the afflicted baronies as of yet, but word is expected soon.
Lizardmen Attack
A rash of lizardman attacks in Trellheim and around the city of Ashbury have prompted many concerns from local citizens.
Most citizens blame members of the court of Trellheim for capturing the lizardmen and spirit storing themselves into their bodies, although it is uncertain as to whether this is the cause of the recent attacks. Some state that the lizardmen see this as a violation of the treaty signed between the citizens of Ashbury and the lizardmen last December, when the citizens helped the creatures regain the Everburning Torch of Ghoss.
The largest attack so far has been in the city of Blackbourne, although it is uncertain whether this has any importance to the lizardmen. Much of the city was burned, and many survivors have found themselves homeless.
Reports seem to indicate that the lizardmen have a new leader who is agitating them into battle, but nothing more is known.
Healer's Guild Report
The Healer's Guild did some moving about in the last month - unfortunately I did not go along for the entire ride as it made its way around Tyrra. Fortunately enough, though, the Earth circle (and Ashbury proper) has returned to its place. I have limited Guild activities until there has been time to clean it up from its travels. The Guild will be once again in full operation by the time you read this.
A great happiness for the return of Petra Varados to the living world! May this be seen as a deserved victory over Death. The Registrar has seen fit to correct the situation.
A great sadness at the passing of Duke Bryan Islevarr Nordenn, who suffered his Permanent Death in Jhivantane while risking his life to keep the citizens of his beloved Duchy safe. May his sacrifice be an example to us all.
The Ashbury Healer's Guild would like to give credit to two of its members: Initiate Orion Denmarsh of The Barony of the Ash Forest and Clement Chip of ForestWatch (with assistance by Clement Ivanna of ForestWatch) each led missions which allowed for the spell Poison Shield to be recreated for use by all. The spell Poison Shield is available in the Guild for whomever would like to update their spellbooks.
The Ashbury Healer's Guild would like to announce its newest members: Initiate Stefan Lorik and Initiate Petra Varados of ForestWatch.
The primary components for the Earth Rituals Destroy Magic and Mark/Unmark are being sought by the Guild. Please bring them to the Guild during normal business hours for an offer. Necromantic Ritual scrolls, potions, and components are bought by the Guild for proper disposal.
There will be a seminar offered on Sunday, 31 August 597 at 4pm in the Guild Circle titled Effects of Chaos Magics on Tyrra, followed by a Q&A roundtable discussion. Attendance is mandatory for Guild members, and any other interested parties are welcome. Refreshments will be served.
The Guild is seeking information on resurrection for all of the races of Tyrra. Please feel free to stop by the Guild to offer your knowledge on preferences, etc., as well as noting your own personal resurrection instructions. Register with the Guild! Resurrection insurance is always encouraged.
Anyone interested in joining the Guild is welcome to apply. Contact the Guild to schedule an interview. Services of the Guild include: Resurrection, Ritual Casting, Ritual Component identification, Ritual Component sales/trades, Potion sales/trades, Healing services, Earth Magic/Formal training, Spell Book sales, Resurrection registration/insurance.
Travel safely, and may Mother Tyrra soften your step.
Guildmistress Natasha Ioki
Royal Healer's Guild of Ashbury City, Ashbury, Evendarr
Corner of Chivalry
The final death of His Grace, Duke Bryan Nordenn is a difficult thing to reconcile. His leadership brought Ashbury through tumultuous and deadly times. In the end, the evil that he strove to protect the citizens of Ashbury from took his life. He will not be forgotten.
As the son of Duke Bryan Nordenn not yet of age, a successor will be chosen by the Princess of Evendarr to rule until such time as he comes of age. Until such a decision is finalized, it is the duty of the nobility of Ashbury to maintain the law of the land, and to reassure the citizens of the Duchy that they are provided for and protected. Let no man or woman of Ashbury lose faith in us in this trying time. The law still holds, and the lands are still guarded.
Two worthy individuals have been recognized as new barons: Baron Agnar Anti-tiburon of the Ash Forest, and Baron Olin Redbeard of Nordenn. Every respect and honor shall be granted them as befits their stations. They come to their duties at a difficult time, but, as always, the needs of the Duchy continue. As such, I ask that all Barons, and any other landed nobles, send me a list of sworn squires. Each Baron should indicate two squires for testing.
It is important that we all stand together. Let the interests of the land be our guiding posts, and no matter what may come, Ashbury will prevail.
Sir Jaret Delair
Paladin of Ashbury
A Little Birdie Told Me
by Sue D'Onym
The big story all over Ashbury is who will become the new Duke and/or Duchess?
The most obvious answer is that Dame Mara will once again assume the throne, but my sources say she has had it with the drama of court life and is enjoying her retirement. She seems to be adjusting to being a widow again and except for the fact that she refuses to set her new son down at all and insists on all her guards eating garlic with every meal and having a mirror in every room, seems quite normal.
Since she doesn't want it, that leaves Princess Lillian of Rotaria to name the replacement.
The biggest speculation has to do with Alaric Dragonhart. The necromantic ex-Duke has been wanting to regain "his" throne for a few years now, and he has wormed his way into the Princess' entourage even though technically he's no longer a noble. I will say one thing for the guy&emdash;he was quite efficient at raising troops, particularly during a battle.
There are others in the Princess' circle of pals since it is certain that our new Grace will be a loyal toadie of Her Highness. She's had her eye on Ashbury ever since her late husband was Duke of Rotaria. Rotaria has apparently never forgotten that Blythedale was once part of their duchy. Don't expect any of the current barons or nobles in Ashbury to be elevated to the spot. A few possibilities:
Baron Galen Warwyck of Nevis has been touted as the top choice. He has been a thorn in the side of the Princess ever since he went underground fighting against her corrupt husband, so his appointment to Ashbury may get him our of her hair. He is a quiet man who expects no disagreement with his decisions, and is an able fighter. If his appointment goes as expected, nobles in Ashbury had better practice their bows.
Dame Gwynnith Falconer of Baltaria has been a loyal follower of the Princess for quite a few years, and it is said that Lillian has wanted to reward her for some time now. She is known as an excellent fighter as well as being a ritual healer, and the joke going around Rotaria is that she has so many rituals cast on herself that there's nothing left underneath it all. She is a Quentari elf who is known for her love of archery competitions.
Sir Percival Grimwood of Niman has also been mentioned. He has been a loyal vassal of Her Highness for over four years, and supposedly quite the ladies' man at that. Don't let this deceive you however, as he is more than a mere lover - he is quite the fighter! He does not suffer fools gladly and is an ardent follower of the Code of Chivalry, quoting it often. He is known to dislike the practice of slavery but at the same time uphold the laws in his duchy.
A surprising possibility is either of the two sisters Aurora or Gilcori Blakeny. Both had served under Duke Basil Ravenhurst years ago. Aurora (whose real biata name was Narcori) was exiled as a traitor but she has been hiding in Ashbury since, and the Princess apparently always liked her. Aurora's sister Gilcori, who has a Viscountess title due to marriage, is a definite hardliner who is known for throwing Death spells in groups of three: "One for Shield Magic, two for the Dodge, one for the trip to the old Earth lodge."
Sir Neville Hagarath of the noted Hagarath merchant family in Ashbury would bring much financial benefit to the duchy. He runs his family business as well as he runs his estates, with an eye for the bottom line. Disagreements with his decisions are dealt with quickly and harshly. It is said that he uses his great fortunetelling skills, as well as his celestial ritual casting abilities, to aid him in his decision making processes.
Sir Jasper Silveredge, a dwarf, has served as a knight in Niman for a few years now. His skill with the axe is almost as good as his skill around the negotiating table. It is said that his reign would certainly be full of battle, as he refuses to deal with trolls and often leads the fight against them.
Sir Hieronymous Stone is a long shot, but his name has been circulated among those in the know. After his ordeal in feyland, this honorable man spent a lot of time speaking with the court healers in Evendarr trying to, er, "correct" his memory lapses and other problems. Supposedly he's fine now. His appointment would sit better with the other nobles of Ashbury than the others mentioned here.
Of course, we could all be surprised and it could be none of these!
Hey, I have an idea! Let's hold the Nobles' Tournament like it was scheduled: whoever wins gets to be Duke! At last&emdash;the nobles will actively compete!
Kit Waterwise resigned her squirehood about a month ago, officially leaving the court of Trellheim, claiming she was tired of being "left at home while the men go off on adventures!" She has been seen wearing a Blythedale tabard, and numerous people have told her that her new colors suit her much better. Karina the Mystic Wood Elf has been telling everyone who can hear that Kit is in love, but she's not saying with whom. (All right, who slipped the girl a Love 9?) Kit may be considering the fulfillment of a childhood dream by race-changing to biata - or is that a childhood nightmare?
Baron Kelial is also considering a race change&emdash;to Mystic Wood Elf! He'd better do something to placate the other biata. His new symbol is a dragon. Funny, I thought the earth-friendly gryphons hated the celestial dragons.
The Amani Council has been meeting quite frequently over the appointment of Sir Agnar as Baron. It might have something to do with the fact that the Baron is the only elf in his entire entourage - and he's a Kiergani at that! His wife Lady Azrael has reportedly been called "some sort of parakeet scavenger" by one irate member of the Council but apparently the Council is mollified a bit by the realization that Agnar cannot name her as Baroness until she passes the Paladin's tests of Chivalry. I say we rush her through just to piss them off.
On a more somber note, noted Kiergani hater Teril Belayson has been holding many rallies in the Ash Forest and although no fights have broken out yet, tensions have been high.
I've heard it said that those Trellheim guys who spirit forged themselves into Saurian bodies are undergoing serious personality changes. They are said to be cold and reptilian, speaking in a hissing whisper, and refusing to discuss anything except ways of killing enemies. Friends of Morlox Nightshade deny that there is any problem. "He's the same old Morlox," they say. "Cold and reptilian, speaking in a hissing whisper, and refusing to discuss anything except ways of killing enemies."
Caleb meanwhile is having second thoughts about this whole saurian deal, especially when groups of lovely Mystic Wood elf women surround him and talk about how much they loved the "old" Caleb.
The attacks by lizardmen against commoners all over the duchy does not seem to have bothered these two a bit. The lizardmen, who are angered by the capture of their fellow saurians and see this as a violation of the treaty signed by them less than a year ago, are said to be strengthened by some new resolve. Wonder what it is?
Commoners also have a lot to worry about with these Black Maws opening up everywhere causing all sorts of strange magical problems, not the least of which is the destruction of Medicia's Bridge, which has caused a huge problem for trade. One Black Maw opened up in the Bardic College last June and a copy of Dame Alyx's Beastiary came to life as monsters roamed the campus, causing untold destruction. When asked how this could happen, the 164 Arch Wizard, who attributes her long life to drinking lots of Voltan ale and eating red meat and rich desserts, replied "Don't call me Dame Alyx, I resigned my title when the Duke of Volta wouldn't let me travel to Avendale. Just because he's a Duke he thinks he has the right to tell me what to do! Too old for the trip, am I? Well, I made it there and back, that should show him."
Hey, legal scholars out there! Did you know that it is now perfectly legal to kill Guild members in Ashbury? When Lady Eleanor Tuttle of Evendarr was killed by Silas during a resurrection, the nobles of Ashbury told her she could decide on his punishment. When she rightly pointed out that the Healer's Guild takes no position on these matters and that she would do her business and the nobles of Ashbury should do theirs, Sir Hanson and Baron Kelial shrugged and did nothing. Later, when Mages' Guild member Ilrick threw a Silence spell at a particularly obnoxious fellow from Badirra, he was killed by the Badirrans. Sir Hanson immediately jumped up, ran to Ilrick's side, and taking matters into hand, stole his Ward key. Hey, last I checked, the penalty for Assault was a fine, not death, and certainly not death from someone who can't dispense justice. And the nobles of Ashbury wonder why the commoners don't respect them!
The Commoner's Guild has a traitor among its members; one of them let the robbers in! Among the items stolen were some potions and elixirs in some unique looking vials. Coincidentally, some of the travelers from Badira was reported to have some vials exactly like the ones stolen! What an amazing coincidence!
The local Sand Tiger barbarians have been calling Voltreg their "King." After a major debate and trial held in the barbarian lands where Ator was accused of all manner of crimes, including "traveling with skymages," they've apparently decided on a new leader. Voltreg then appointed Kelsea and Hagan his "Duke and Duchess" and told them to seek out other barbarian leaders for him to defeat, thus pushing his way towards being King of all the barbarians. Watch out, Voltreg&emdash;Evendarr has already had one war against your people, and I think you lost.
A sad goodbye is given to Dame Sonya Dawntreader who died valiantly in Jhivantane. With a life that was full of twists and turns, we will not see her like again.
Finally, the big news I couldn't keep in: Sorceress Shalizar has married Lord Justice! Can you believe it? Yes, she will finally have a real dad for her two half orc kids! I'm sure they will both sit outside at night saying "The stars! The stars!"
That's it for this issue. Be sure to send your News They Don't Want You To Know to me, and until next time, remember - If you can't say something nice about someone, come sit by me.
Public Notices
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT: A daughter, Valeria, was born to Mason and Kinya Sharebrook on June 14, 597. Congratulations!
ASHBURY HEALERS GUILD MEMBERS: There will be a general meeting at the Guildhall on Saturday, 30 August 597 at 6:30pm. All members are required to attend. Meet your fellow Guild brothers and sisters, and get organized for upcoming tasks. Guild symbols will be distributed and a cookout follows directly after. Please contact the Guild with your meal preference, being meat or plant.
KELIAL AND KELSEA: Thank you for saving the child. - Vasalia
SQUIRE CALEB: Superior form!?! Don't forget that there is something a-miss-ing! But you are a magical you, aren't you!?! All our love, Your Favorite Humans
ASHBURY REGISTRY OF TEACHERS. Referrals for a wide range of skills. Discretion assured. Teachers: get students without spending all your time recruiting. See Prof. Turlough Kuranes.
ELBON: Despite what they say, you already have someone watching your back for you. - G