EFUA Gossip, Major Events, and Rumors (IC Knowledge)

[Letsplayforfun]

Today a thick mist rose on the burned farmland battlefields, and moments later, a host of undead orc tore it's way out of the eerie battlefield's dark earth.

Defenders stood their grounds, fighting at 10 versus 1, and many fell while never giving up an inch. At last no more undead rose from the ghastly field, and the Mist dissappeared.

Some say it was a vision of what is to come. Others that the Dead answered the challenge from barbaric warriors on the field. Some hope it will not happen again...

[Mort]

It is on the lips of all. On Marpenoth 22 of the 1377 before Dale Reckoning, the Stygian Armada with alongside a battalion of the most fearsome that the Colony had to offer walked upon the starwoods with the intention to return food and slaves for its starving population.

The natives, alongside their allies, proved to be too much for the invaders. It was only after a grueling battle where many stargazers and loyalists perished that the forest became silent, only filled with the noise of crows picking apart at the dead and the sound of whimpering widows.

The Stygian menace had been repelled, but at a cost. A cost that the stargazers wished the Duchy to pay in exchange for the bodies of its dead and the little pride that it had left. Tretarch Sevar negociated with the Elder of the Tiger tribe, Laoskius, in an heated debate that lasted a good while. The decided terms were as followed:

 - The Stygian Armada will return the captured slaves of the star people within their land, and offer to use their influence to help buy those still stuck in Old Port.

 - The loyalists and their warriors are never to walk upon the Starwoods nor any other sacred grounds of the star people.

 - The loyalists and their warrior will never lift a weapon against the people of the star for reasons of greed ever again.

 - The loyalists and their people will not seek reprisal against the allies of the star people for the aid they have given in winning this battle.

Battered, the group returned to the Duchy to announce the news of their defeat and the subsequent consequences. A bruised Saircrost could be seen heading inside to speak with Lord Stenton, one of the leading figures of the slave trade on Ymph. He was seen by commoners leaving in haste  as the Lord threw a bottle of wine and a goblet at him in a fit of rage...

[Mort]

A Freighter carrying a handful of prized gladiators arrived at the Colony during the night. Led by Gustavo, the gladiators were sold at an event held in the Warden's district where many patricians, nobles and commoners attended. Lord Stenton was seen purchasing the majority of the gladiators, while Veteran Kedrian of the Armada purchased a few and Qadima of the Conclave did so as well.

Unfortunately, a wild elf carrying a spear seemed too feral for the group and broke off running away north into the docks. Two guards were sent afterward but they never returned...

The rest of the event went without any more trouble. Lord Stenton then invited the crowd to join his nephew, Caspar Stenton, inside the Arena where a demonstration of the House Stenton Arena was shown. Many people were left in awe at the cruelty of the games that were displayed, and an opening fight was held where a brutal, fat gladiator by the name of Krash manage to bring down a similarly obese dwarf going by the name of Levoric, unfortunately, the dwarf bled out before the crowd were able to vote for mercy or not.

With the opening match ended, Caspar led the visitors out and promised that many more glorious battles between gladiators will be held, here, in the future...

[Letsplayforfun]

Discontent. Rumors. Angry muttering...

"They are spending THOUSANDS of gold on blurs and speed brews, and NOTHING for our food. The Duke should confiscate all their gold. Cursed adventurers".

"2500 coins today. For an armor. Not so much as a tip. And he kicked the orphan begging for 1 tiny bit of a coin. Cursed adventurers".

"One of them asked my husband for a mirror for a guildhall. And he didn't want it to cost most than 25 coins. 25. For an everlasting mirror, carved with the symbols of hs faith. If Ymph didn't starve us to death, they would. Cursed adventurers."

Something is brewing...

[Johannes]

The Floating Enclave of the Transcendent Conclave shuddered on its perch in the sky, and enormous slimy tentacles blossomed out, dangling from every hole. A massive, squid-like dome "eye" peered down upon the frightened populace with some indiscernible intelligence.

The aberrant sat there serenely for the span of several hours, before suddenly it drifted to the north and crashed into the sea. The Floating Enclave arose again soon after, still as majestic as ever but now covered in a fine dusting of sand and sticky mucus.

What was the creature that commandeered the Enclave? Where did it come from? To the casual observer, it seems as if the monstrosity still lurks somewhere under the sea - perhaps to emerge again some day to ply some sinister agenda.

[Nuclear Catastrophe]

A great pyre was set up in the docks by the Sons of Sabuth dedicated to burning a winged woman who had been proclaimed a heretic by the famous preacher of Ilmater there.

As Father Michael lit the flames, and the sons dispersed, not wishing to watch a person suffer as it was cleansed by fire, rumor has it darkness engulfed the flames, and moments later she disappeared.

A thing appeared out of the darkness, the rumors vary as to what it was, and some say it split into many parts as it fought a crowd including Ordermen and Free men of the Docks, but it escaped.

The charred remains of the pyre are gone now, but a calm around the area belies a palpable tension.

[DangerousDan]

- Rumours from the Numinous Order
and the noble House of Blackhearth -

Yestereve, a vessel bearing the personal style of Lord Agravain Blackhearth departed from the Old City and moored a mile off Nebedzzos. Some hours later, Lord Agravain was seen slowly making his way across the waters to the clipper, and departed for Old Port with a small party anon. The vessel was gone for the evening, and returned in the dawning light of the morning bearing a cargo of men; bearded, emaciated looking men with arms reddened with sores and marked with the tattoo of a prisoner condemned of treason.

The men departed shortly after, and the Ordersmen continued further west to parts unknown. The crowd appear to largely be veterans of a political conflict that preceeded the ascension of the Count; partisans for the defunct  Council of Four who have been imprisoned since the Rubies imposed the rule of their Master upon Old Port. They say that Lord Agravain freed them at the cost of his own coinpurse, and instructed them to take up the worship of the Three and reaffirm their oaths at Castle Blackhearth if they trusted in the leadership and judgement of his House.

While many of the freed have contended themselves to citizenry under Trenada's rule, a growing number of converts have begun departing the City to swear themselves to Blackhearth and his Numinous Order, on account of his stipend of grain, fame gained during Red Eleint or remembering old oaths sworn to his family. However, the Order's numbers remain precariously few, having suffered heavy casualties both in Blackhearth's feudal struggle with Trenada and the bloody assault upon the Heart of Rot.

Whether Lord Agravain's attempt to revitalise the numbers of his ailing Order will succeed remains to be seen.  

[Howlando]

Rumors spread of a curious performance held atop the Ziggurat by the conjuring-pupeteer "Marionette." The veiled halfling has become increasingly well known due to her wondrous abilities to control a wide variety of illusory-puppets. In her most recent and widely attended performance, in which great quantities of food were freely given, many say that the production was nothing more than an elaborate accusation of murder of a recently inducted Caliphar of the Transcendent Conclave.

Soon enough, however, gossip about the event fades as most common folk return to their mundanely desperate days of hardship and uncertainty.

[Howlando]

Rumor speaks of an expedition led by Iodemus Anatoli to go forth and slay the ancient and decrepit drake Shevorth of the Corals.

In the middle of the night during the course of a long storm, it is said that the wyrm itself winged back to Ymph to drop the sole and solitary surviving member of the group, so that the story of its victory could be told.

[Iron Oligarch]

Uktar 26:

In the Tangled Wood, laborers in the employ of the Numinous Order resume work at clearing trees, this time in the vicinity of the Exile's Camp. Instead of girdling the trees and using controlled fires to clear farmland, however, the lumberjacks are setting aside the timber in orderly rows, presumably for a specific purpose.

Just what that purpose might be is kept inside the Order's ranks, but the denizens of the Exile's Camp think none too highly of it. The weary souls who braved the wilderness to escape the politics of Nebezzdos bemoan what seems to be the beginning of another colony, right in their midst, but suffer in quiet. The grim men clad in black, who visit the place often in order to attend to the fields they have sown nearby, are given nothing more harmful than hostile glares and muttered curses ... at least for now.

[Howlando]

Rumors spread of the defeat of the ancient wyrm Shevorth of the Corals, supposedly accomplished at great cost of life by a group of wildsmen and sellswords from Ymph.

[Wern8]

Much has changed in the Exile's Camp, the men of the Numinous Order have literally taken over and an imposing Calishite Templar has been posted there to watch over the camp. Its name has been changed too, it is now called Vortgyn's Rest.

In the meantime, several of the Wildfolk who once lived in the camp were seen along with their fierce Guardian leaving for the Mountains, for Gaeseric's Camp. No doubt to escape whatever the Order has planned for their former home. The majority of these inhabitants and the elders who watch over the World Tree choose however to remain.

A small number of Colonists were seen traveling to Vortgyn's Rest as well, migrating from the Colony in hopes of finding a better life. Back in the Dominion though, many of those loyal to Duke Trenada speaks of their actions harshly, going as far as calling them traitors. But such an opinion is hardly shared by the commoners who yet suffer due to the food crisis.

[Wern8]

Since the Feast of the Moon that took place between the thirtieth of Uktar and the first of Nightal.. the Ymphian Wilderness have grown more treacherous. It is said that a fearsome and monstrous Werewolf has been roaming the lands and attacking certain bands of adventurers.

Its work can be seen all about the lands, especially within the Tangled Woods, the Foothills, Wyldwater and even Elfwood. Trails of dried blood and the carcasses of dead animals that were feasted on is to be found by all who travels the wilds. Even the savage Wild Orcs appear to be its prey, although they hunt it as well. During the night, fierce howls made by a wolf-like creature are heard by the people in the Colony, the Wilderness and Vortgyn's Rest.

[Letsplayforfun]

Rumors of dwarven expeditions to the mountains spread slowly through the dominion. It is said dwarves and their hired hands are moving equipement to the Undermount, but to what end remains mostly unknown.

Most commoners hardly care for these rumors. Others hope the dwarves will move and never be heard of again. Some fear the loss of stout defenders of the colony. Most believe the dwarves to be beginning mining the mountain ore for trade.

[Talir]

Life in the Docks has taken a turn for the worse. In the wake of the Sons' unperceived presence upon the streets, the major gangs have begun making moves towards filling the hole left behind. A noticeable tension has risen within the Longshoremen, the polar opposites of Jim Dowd and Seamus Tane becoming increasingly more evident as its members take - for the first time in long - obvious sides. Bereft with rumours of Dowd's incapacity as a leader and an embarrassing confrontation with Tane, blood has been drawn in a conflict quickly intensifying.

Henri Princely, despised throughout the Docks, have recently began making public displays in less than savoury manners. He has proclaimed that the Merchant Guild is dying while underneath the rule of Hortense Higgins, not too subtly indicating that a change of leadership may not only be desirable but on the way. Higgins has so far made no comments towards this obvious ploy but has been known to seek merchants of the Docks for a quiet discussion. Darker rumours by far has begun circulating, most coming from -

Johnny Lazare, ruler of the Fishmongers, who has begun calling upon his most prominent killers for protection. The tension between the Merchant's Guild and the Fishmongers is peaking after months of solitary events where they were at each other's throat. Many speculate that after Higgins and the foul-mouthed Drogus Munt's attempt on his life, Lazare is finally preparing to repay the favour in full. Captain Harrison of the Smokin' Swordfish has been seen in his company and known to have done a specific task that the two have been strangely quiet about.

As more and more are drawn into this smouldering situation, bared steel and threatening promises have become more than a daily occurrence in a Docks that seem closer and closer towards collapsing upon itself in violence and strife.