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

[ShadowCharlatan]

On the bright morning of Nightal 6th, a great migration of Aberdenn Bannersmen was witnessed pouring into Mistlocke from the surrounding woods. They filled the Mist's End, laughing boisterously, and strangely did not mix among the people of the village.

Once the trickle of Bannersmen ceased, men loyal to Clan Aberdenn gathered in Aberdenn Hall. Here an assembly of curious villagers had begun to arrive, including Lord-Mayor Rodryk Sosay. Sosay alone was invited upstairs among the Aberdenn, and would not emerge for hours. Rumours soon spread that Clan Aberdenn had seized Rodryk Sosay, and intended to take the village by force â€" putting an end to Mistlocke's 'failed democratic government'.

Aberdenn Bannersmen secured the Last Keep, the Square, and the Market Hall, where any Caermyn encountered were beaten and thrown out into the mud. Mistlocke came to a standstill.

A gathering of Caermyn, Gilded Arrow Mercenaries and others suddenly emerged from the Caermyn Estate, and took the square back from the Aberdenn in a bloody struggle. The Numinous Order are said to have sided with the Caermyn for unknown reasons, and they littered the streets with the bodies of Aberdenn Bannersmen. It was then that the Muster came, bearing orders from Lord-Captain Volaunt for all to lay down arms and submit to Clan Aberdenn.

Arthur Aberdenn entered the square, to many dissenting voices, and trod grimly to the stage. He stood among the crowd and delivered an impassioned speech, flanked by his large retinue, decrying the failures of the democratic system, declaring himself Lord-Protector of Mistlocke, and calling for peace.

But abruptly, and with a cry of “THE CROW SEES!”, he was brutally struck down by a heavily enchanted man in Caermyn leathers. The Aberdenn Coup was ended, and the last word of Arthur Aberdenn is reputed to have been “Owain...” The Muster, who had briefly sided with the Aberdenn, deserted the square and a mob formed around Aberdenn Hall, demanding the release of the Lord-Mayor. Clan Aberdenn, obstinate, brooded in their hall.

When they came out, a line of Bannersmen stood outside of Aberdenn Hall, facing off against the  motley assortment of Caermyn, Gilded Arrows, and other people of Mistlocke which had gathered against them. The mob thirsted for the blood of Owain Aberdenn, the sickly young son of Arthur, and demanded Rodryk's unconditional release.

Rumours vary, but most agree that Wyrm Watchers were seen entering the Hall, and quickly spirited the young Owain Aberdenn away from the chaos of Mistlocke to Auld Wyrm's Hearth for protection, while the Aberdenn Bannersmen fought the mob amidst a village-encompassing chaos. Soon after, a message from Lord-Captain Volaunt came, and spoke that all fighting was to stop and  Rodryk Sosay was to be released, or the full force of the Caermyn and the Muster would bear down upon the Hall. The Aberdenn stubbornly stood their ground, but eventually yielded and begrudgingly gave up their captive.

At the end of the day's events, Mistlocke lay in complete shock. Arthur Aberdenn, Ealdorman of the Clan Aberdenn, lay dead. His son, Owain, fled. Aberdenn Hall stands abandoned, with most of the remaining Bannersmen departing into the forest. The people of Mistlocke mull over Nightal 6th solemnly, muttering that they would have voted for Arthur Aberdenn over Sosay, that Aberdenn's vision for the village had been inspiring, that the foreign influences in Mistlocke truly had made the village worse as Arthur claimed. Anxiety creeps over the people like an itchy blanket that the Aberdenn might never return, leaving the village in the hands of the Caermyn. Others wonder more quietly about the identity of the assassin who slew Arthur, and why Clan Aberdenn had chosen to stage a coup so suddenly. The Associates of Clan Caermyn can be seen throughout the village smiling smugly, and the sounds of laughter and muffled celebration can be heard from their Estate for many hours, deep into the night...

[Johannes]

Nightal 13th, 1381 DR

Even through the barred doors of the moaning edifice of Old Stones, the whispers of strange new visitors has carried from the forsaken darkness upon Mistlocke's notoriously pervasive channels of gossip. It is said that a door that seemed if it had not been opened for a generation began glowing with white light at some uncertain time, and from it issued a trickle of kindly men and women clothed in pristine whites - representatives of a "Sanitorium", they claim, bearing food and consolation for the desperate huddled masses of Old Stones.

Though many have taken to the charitable advances of the Sanitorium, others have found them "creepy" or have taken issue with their fervent Ilmaterite overtones. Precisely what the Sanitorium is and what they do, or even how they seemingly arrived in Old Stones so quickly has been the subject of a lot of wild speculation.

Speculation has been less than reliable. Few of Old Stones' tormented occupants have been able to summon the spirit to give into their curiosities and see what lies behind that luminescent door...

[Talir]

26th of Nightal, 1381 DR

Lord-Captain Edygaer Volaunt can be seen less and less outside the Muster barracks. Where he once was seen drilling recruits at the field and sharing encouraging words with the other Mustermen now remain only tight-knot groups of recruits trying to make do on their own. The more experienced Mustermen keep to themselves and make unhappy comments about a recent petition, a lot of barbed satire coming off from one stationed by the bridge.

The villagers remain divided upon the issue presented by a "Free Man of Mistlocke". Aberdenn supporters remain silent in the recent loss of both their cherished Ealdorman and the unsuccessful coup. Caermyn men and supporters cheerfully make good of the issue and accusations at heart. Most of the refugees worry where this dismay will lead and are none-too-happy that an entity apart from the Clan feud is losing ground. Recent disasters have lead to a broken feeling of sanctity.

Threatened, Mistlocke must look to the new Lord-Mayor to set things right... or continue the spiral down to chaos.

[ShadowCharlatan]

Nightal 28th began a cold and gloomy day. The sun's rays did not penetrate through the thickening shroud over Mistlocke as dawn came. Nervous villagers scurried between buildings, and it was to a packed Last Keep and lonely streets that a sending was made telling the village that the sixth Lord Mayor was soon to be announced. As General Secretary Nettlehatch recited the results, the Mist gathered. Only a scant few individuals, and the two frontrunning candidates themselves, were there to hear.

With an election turn-out unprecedented since the days of Ordio Althus Quilby, and the solid support of Clan Caermyn and the Numinous Order for the winning candidate, confidence in the government of Mistlocke has at last begun to return after a string of neglectful, controversial and corrupt leaders. John Rossart's narrow win over Davan Redthorn was hailed by his supporters as a victory of substance over sycophancy. Redthorn's sullen lot mourn the loss of the support of Clan Caermyn and the Numinous Order, which with certainty would have delivered them victory. Blame goes around for the numerous humiliating incidents that derailed Redthorn's campaign, but  save for supporters and sympathisers of the Wyrm Watchers and Clan Aberdenn, the village is enthusiastic about and accepting of the overall result of the election.

John Rossart -- 93
Davan Redthorn -- 85
Rovan Meyer -- 13
Donovan Sariin -- 12
Alfonzo Harcourt -- 9
Richard Foley -- 8
Penn Dragen -- 2
Edmund Fitzwilliam -- 1

During Rossart's victory speech, Agneodaniach Zeth'ym emerged through the gates of Mistlocke flanked by burning skeletons to demand an audience. The crowd, composed of adventurers and several Mustermen, at last brought down and took into custody the man whose creatures had broken and abducted a long list of villagers. At the news of Agneodaniach's subsequent execution, a feeling of release and elation can be sensed among the people. The fear of the Transcendent Conclave has subsided considerably with the election of Lord-Mayor John Rossart.

But the first day of John Rossart's mayoral term was not over. The Mist continued to thicken, and anxiety among the villagers increased. It was as they expected. A Lottery was soon announced by a John Rossart looking somewhat out of his depth. A quarrel began in the village square, culminating in a brawl between those holding that a Champion must be chosen, and a minority in passionate opposition to the practice.

The result of the Lottery, and Champion of Mistlocke, was Rannie Marrinson, one among those opposed. But continued fighting and a hysterical Rannie provoked a volunteer, Zerudaxos - a Wyrm Watcher - to take her place with the consent of the Lord-Mayor. Zerudaxos has not been seen since, and Rannie has gone into hiding. Yet the fickle Mist's call has not subsided. The shroud has not lifted any. A quiet panic has taken Mistlocke, and a hunt has begun for the true Champion. Many suspect the Wyrm Watchers may be sheltering her, but this is denied by their members.

The Mist's End, busier than ever with the thick shroud and strange occurrences outside, is full of chatter on topics ranging from potential replacements for Lord-Captain Volaunt, to where Clan Aberdenn are hiding (and if they will ever return). Some wonder what Redthorn will do next, others compare rumours of the circumstances of Zeth'ym's execution. The village, rocked by recent events, waits for John Rossart and his to-be-appointed Council of Three to set things right.

[Halfbrood]

Hammer 2nd, 1382 DR

Moonlight shone brightly over Mistlocke in the wake of the Mist's receding. Glimmering, silver light dancing off the arcane and mysterious contours of the Last Keep. All was quiet, a brief sense of solace descending over the populace, many emerged from the Mist's End, and the Last Keep to apparently bask in the moonlight; the Physician Isaac Solomon, Argenti tribesmen (who some say were in the midst of some mysterious, inbred ritual), villagers, women and children, affluent citizens from the Old Colony. The streets were alive...

A sending echoed about the village, not soon afterward, the familiar voice of Captain Midah Resher speaking words of dissatisfaction and unrest amongst the people; of the petition that has emerge of late, crying for the resignation and removal of Lord-Captain Volaunt, much was spoken.

Apparently entirely unrelated, it was said that two Mustermen, Gorrov and the infamous Big Earl, were seen to be involved in some manner of back and forth with a group of Argenti gypsies. Soon enough a tussle broke out amongst them, which, with the arrival of Lord-Mayor John Rossart, soon turned into a brawl. The Mayor demanded the Mustermen stand down, however the Mustermen refused, saying that their orders were from the Lord-Captain and continued to rile up the Argenti, knocking two down and arresting them before being threatened by a growing crowd of mayoral loyalists and opportunists. The Mustermen at last stood down, and soon the gathered villagers began to call for the resignation of Volaunt, demanding he be removed for his flagrant disregard for the Lord-Mayor's office...

The crowd disappeared into the Last Keep, and remained within for some time. What went on, few but those who were present know, but soon afterward the Lord-Captain, alongside a band of Muster Veterans emerged with travelling supplies and weaponry in tow. With a stiff nod to those remaining Mustermen, Volaunt led his loyal band into the woods; most deciding that the call of the Aberdenn rang true in Volaunt's ears.

Lord-Mayor Rossart's reign thus far, it seems, has been testing and never without incident. Where many agree that the Lord-Captain is good to have gone, others worry that what has occurred is just one further step toward a Caermyn end, while the rest simply worry that with the diminished Muster as it is, crime will be rife and danger from the threats outside of Mistlocke prove all the greater...

[Jayde Moon]

Hammer 5th, 1382 DR

It was in the evening when yet another sending issued forth from Muskroot's Tower announcing the triumphant return of the Gilded Arrows Mercenary Company.  Scant attention was paid to the words, most dismissing the sending as yet more adventurers boasting of petty deeds performed where no eyes could verify such claims.

Moments later, however, Mistlocke took notice when Midah Resher, the Captain of the Gilded Arrows entered the square with no less than the head of the White Dragon known as Apipoplethiraxos, who had previously sent fearsome Heralds into Mistlocke to stir up 'tribute'.

Along with Midah came the proud members of his company that had taken part in the battle.  The warrior Adanna Pravsitt, Elven priestess Maeri Lueladin, and the wizard Maurice Kross all lay a shared claim in the victory.  They carried with them a large portion of the Dragon's Horde, even giving a few trinkets over to the delighted crowd that had gathered, cheering them on.

Off to the side, but not entirely unnoticed, was the Caermyn Agent Harriet Thistlespike, said to be in Menaster Caermyn's favor, and highly regarded amongst her peers.  While the brunt of accolades went to the Gilded Arrows, those with more savvy do not doubt that the quiet Agent played a vital role in their victory.

Nevertheless, the center of attention was Midah and his Gilded Arrows, the successful Captain adding this impressive feat to his list of accomplishments.  Some in the village whisper, and many agree, that perhaps he is a man that could replace the disgraced Captain Volaunt.

[ShadowCharlatan]

At the beginning of Hammer 11th, John Rossart was the Lord-Mayor of Mistlocke, elected and respected by the people. By the end, he would be a lowly footman of the Numinous Order.

Under a dark sky and pounding rain, John Rossart announced that he was to swear himself to the gods of the Numinous Order: the Three and One. At this, a scuffle broke out between the Caermyn Retainer Harriet Thistlespike and the men of the Order Numinous. The retainer was dragged off in chains, while Rossart swore his oath before Nethzerim the Awakened.

The response from many villagers was a mixture of bewilderment and incandescent rage. Groups of adventurers were heard to whisper plans to take the Mayor down, Dasydenia Floggs and other worshippers of the orthodox gods decried him as a lost cause under the sway of mist heretics, and Major Nicholas Hood looked on in dismay from the balcony of the Mist's End. Mistlocke was awash with feelings of bitterness and betrayal at Rossart withholding his faith from them during the election. With a Castellan of the Numinous Order already on his Council of Three, Rossart's conversion was denounced as an act of handing the village to the apocalypse cult without the knowledge or consent of its people.

As Master Merchant Davan Redthorn appeared in the crowd, voices cried for him to unseat Rossart, himself having only lost the election on a slim margin. In response, Redthorn resigned from his position as Master Merchant under Rossart, claiming he could no longer serve.

It was Clan Caermyn, the seeming ally of the Numinous Order, who struck back hardest at Rossart's actions. Quietly threatening to cut off the Numinous Order's grain supplies if the Lord-Mayor did not abdicate, a tempestuous Rossart fell right into the Caermyn web as he publically raged against the Clan's betrayal and gathered his loyal men. A storm of chaos and bickering formed over Mistlocke, and angry voices could be heard in the square for hours.

The day dragged on amidst uncertainty and unrest. Rossart is said to have had meetings with the four remaining Elders of Mistlocke, and even left into the forest for assistance. Some say he went to the Mists, others to the Clan Aberdenn, the Watchers, or Edygaer Volaunt. Little is certain, but just the same - little seems to have come of it for now.

The growing public furore brought the Elders' attentions firmly on Rossart's leadership of the village. Considering matters and appeals both public and private, the Elders at last decreed that Rossart was to be removed from the seat of Lord-Mayor, and Davan Redthorn would take his place for the remainder of the term.

In the square, Rossart made his last speech, and Redthorn made a clumsy appeal to villagers while the Clan Caermyn cheered him. He discarded his membership of Clan Caermyn and invited the Clan Aberdenn to return to Mistlocke, in what is widely seen as a cynical gesture. Rumours swell about Davan's penchant for dealings in the dark, and what agreements he has struck behind closed doors to see himself in the Mayoral seat.

[ShadowCharlatan]

Hammer 15th, 1382 DR

The rains of Hammer were soft and merciful today, as the hated Summerset Act was repealed by Lord-Mayor Davan Redthorn. Redthorn personally unlocked the doors to the tower of Old Stones to broad approval, after announcing both the end of the act, and a new Lord-Captain of the Muster: Captain Midah Resher of the Gilded Arrows.

It was said that the mercenaries of the Gilded Arrows would supplement the ailing numbers of the Muster, though there is some uneasiness over the Arrows - long entwined with Clan Caermyn - entering the Muster without giving up their company and colours. What the drunkard Resher will do with the Mistlocke Guard, no one can guess. Yet Mistlocke rests easier, clean of conscience and better protected than the night before.

A scarce few people of Old Stones emerge from the darkness of the tower, rubbing their eyes and wandering tentatively back amongst the villagers. Many more remain inside, huddling around their fires in the dark and whispering plots. The ilmateri of the Old Stones Sanitorium range out into the village, smiling, and offering treatments to the villagers beyond the tower.

But on all lips is the return of the Clan Aberdenn, invited back by the Lord-Mayor in his first address to the people. Hunters and loggers, when returning to Mistlocke, sometimes claim to have met Wyrm Watchers and Aberdenn Bannersmen travelling together. Some citizens blame the ever increasing number of invasions of Mistlocke on the Aberdenn stirring trouble in the woods, while others say it is their absence that has let the monsters roam and settle unchecked. Yet the returning tradesmen claim the Aberdenn are driving the monsters out to clear a path. Indeed, they say the young Lord Owain Aberdenn, ex-Captain Edygaer Volaunt, the notorious Gadyw One-Eye, and the Wyrm Watchers are preparing for a momentous and imminent march on the village.

With this and the Maiden's Sabbath approaching, anxiety has blackened the minds of Mistlocke. Accursed Hammer 23rd, the anniversary of H'bala's release, promises nothing but ill.

[core]

As the Maiden's Sabbath creeps ever closer, another rupture has appeared in the fabric which binds Mistlocke together.

Former Lord-Mayor John Rossart was seen to gather a militia composed of disgruntled Mustermen, some few Wyrm Watchers and a good number of others. They descended into the Mist's End basement on the night of Lord-Mayor Davan Redthorn's Grand Tourney.  It is said that he declared himself the rightful Lord-Mayor, a claim which Redthorn ferociously opposed. A melee took place, steel on steel on flesh, blood covering the sands.

Emerging from the press, a group of Caermyn footmen dragging a wounded Rossart upstairs. He was brought to the square to be judged, whereupon an envoy from the Muster still loyal to Volaunt came to declare that the Muster would remain true to Volaunt's will at the Council of Elders, making Rossart their Lord-Mayor.

Mayor Redthorn judged Rossart guilty of High Treason against the Office of Mayor and thus the people of Mistlocke, sentencing him to death. His head was hacked off before a throng of villagers, to a mixed response.

Mistlocke reels from the uproar, many looking to the newly named Lord-Captain Resher to impose order and a not inconsiderable amount of others seeking for Volaunt to be returned to the position.

[ShadowCharlatan]

In the swirling Mists of Hammer the 18th, a fiery beacon appeared atop a tower in the Forgotten Forest. And then another. Hordes of panicked monsters swarmed through the forests, and torches swayed in the fog. Battlecries echoed through the boughs, and a cold wind blew the smell of death toward the village.

Wave after wave of goblins, kobolds, orcs threw themselves upon Mistlocke in terror. And behind them, strode a great band of Aberdenn Bannersmen and Wyrm Watchers. Some claim the monsters were driven in intentionally to weaken Mistlocke. Though most dispute this, pointing to the oft moralistic voices of the Wyrm Watchers and the honour of the Aberdenn.

Others point out the various occasions Caermyn supplies had been found upon monsters invading Mistlocke. But the Caermyn dismiss any wrongdoing, asserting that caravans are occasionally robbed by bands of monsters in the woods.

The party of Watchers and Aberdenn parted to clear the way for a pale teenager. Owain Aberdenn strode in, between lines of torchbearers, and addressed the villagers of Mistlocke who had come forth. When Lord-Mayor Davan Redthorn greeted the boy, he was spurned as a "puppet with snake eyes", and the Former Lord-Mayor John Rossart was called forth to receive Owain Aberdenn.

Owain then spoke. He said that his father, Arthur, had been vindicated - as Former Lord-Mayor Rodryk Sosay had been uncovered to be a Comital Spy with aims to undermine the village of Mistlocke. Nods, and whispers of dawning realisation filtered through the crowd.

And an awed silence came over them as Owain spake thus, revealing the true reason for his father's coup:

"Through the blood of Donyarth the Bastard, son of King Agramant - known commonly as the Mad King - I, Owain Aberdenn, am the true heir to the legendary Fifth House of Old Port."

Claiming that his Bannersmen and the Wyrm Watchers had travelled to the city of Old Port and retrieved proof to the effect, Owain declared himself the True Heir to the Crown of the Isles.

It was said that the notorious Gadyw One-Eye was to act in Owain's stead in the village of Mistlocke, while Owain remained under the care and protection of Auld Wyrm's Hearth.

He then named John Rossart the true Lord-Mayor of Mistlocke for the remainder of his term. And elections would proceed, until the Wyrm Watchers found his Crown. But Davan Redthorn resisted. And what ensued was a dark day of instability and infighting that saw the village upon the brink of civil war. Brother fought brother, betrayal begat betrayal, but John Rossart's campaign was in vain.

The image of Rossart's mutilated corpse as it was handed over - in pieces - to a band of Ordersmen for interment in the Lake of Mist, haunts the minds of many. His head and heart were torn from his body in the office of the Lord-Mayor for reasons unknown. Villagers eye Davan Redthorn with disgust, at the dishonour shown to Rossart. A man Davan had intended to name his "Knight-Protector of Mistlocke" was executed by Jacques de Villiers for Rossart's condition.

The village remains in deep unrest.

As the 23rd of Hammer grows nearer, a handful of villagers head to Auld Wyrm's Hearth to join the Watchers, or enlist with the Clan Aberdenn - at last, in the gloom of the forest, filled with hope.

[ShadowCharlatan]

Lord-Mayor Davan Redthorn, flanked by Councillor Ventor Zarovich, and an obese Caliphar of the Conclave - Albert Reed, together announced an end to the village's ban on the Transcendent Conclave on Hammer 26th. The Caliphar quickly fled as a ruckus grew, and the Lord-Mayor and his Councillor were pelted with fruit as they hurried back toward the Last Keep amid an angry and incredulous crowd. It is said even his own Muster booed Redthorn for his act.

Rumours have arisen in the days since of the Lord-Mayor receiving some manner of bribe from the Conclave, or that he shrewdly sought peace to ward off the advance of the Aberdenn, led by the murderer, Gadyw One-Eye. But unrest in the village has only grown since the announcement, and those of the Conclave - while permitted in the village - are far from truly welcome. Talk of their many crimes fills the Mist's End.

Many villagers are disgruntled and openly resentful of seeing Nebezzduon- the Conclave's captive mages -walking amongst them, with their collars visible. Many express the opinion that with this, as well as Redthorn's revisions on slavery policy, that they are on a slippery slope, and only one step away from the open slavery of fellow men. Along with the announcement that Davan Redthorn was seeking to hire mercenaries from Old Port, some villagers have grown absolutely livid: cursing, and even assaulting Redthorn in the streets, vandalising the village, and burning plump effigies.

The Muster too are a divided and disgruntled lot despite new uniforms, talk of pay, and a string of recent successes. There is said to be a power struggle of sorts, going on between the drunkard Lord-Captain Midah Resher, Lieutenant Harriet Thistlespike, and Sergeant Echaron Quinn. All the while it is wondered if, when, and how Former Lord-Captain Edygaer Volaunt will show his face again.

The village looks to a Lord-Mayor increasingly distant from the wishes of the people, who half way through his term faces the prospect of a bitter civil war. Despite claims to the contrary, neither his Council - made up of a Caermyn thug, Alfred Thenson, and a loan-shark Ventor Zarovich - nor his Muster can shake their associations with the Caermyn.

The list of mistakes, unpopular decisions, and foul rumours grows longer... and the mist grows thicker.

[ShadowCharlatan]

With little fanfare, it is said the Lord-Mayor and a number of Caermyn Associates and Retainers left Mistlocke some days past. Some reports speak of a pack ox laden with gold and jewels, while others speak that they left hurriedly without any cargo. Rumours persist of profound cooperation between the Lord-Mayor and the Clan Caermyn. And talk of mercenaries being brought to the village of Mistlocke from Old Port - simmering through the village for the past few weeks - reaches boiling point. The Imperator is said to have departed that night and later returned to the port of Sis Liman laden with men, women and children...

Caravans, under the heavy guard of men in black mail, and the purple livery of Clan Caermyn, also begin to flow - their destination said to be the Numinous Order's last bastion in the Withered Lands: Castle Blackhearth.

[ShadowCharlatan]

Alturiak 5th, 1382 DR

Sergeants Echaron Quinn and Vall Fynolds of the Mayor's Muster today entered the office of the Lord-Mayor. What occurred within is the subject of much speculation and wild rumour, but they emerged to declare that Davan Redthorn was to be arrested on suspicion of Treason and Infernalism, and that the village would be placed under Martial Law until the Elders declared a new election.

Redthorn, meanwhile, is said to have hid in the Caermyn Estate and gathered his allies there to strike back at the rogue Sergeants. A befuddled crowd of adventurers stood idly by while the events played out, and the Sergeants were beaten down by one of Redthorn's thug Councilors, and numerous other Caermyn aligned individuals. Rumour tells that Quinn was executed and Fynolds slew himself upon the stage after claiming their call for new elections was supported by Lord-Captain Midah Resher and Lieutenant Harriet Thistlespike.

Meanwhile, motley crowds of refugees began to arrive from Sis Liman, said to have come from Old Port for shelter on the coin and benevolence of the Lord-Mayor. Speculation is rife about Comital loyalists hidden in their midst. And it said that a small group, known as the Broken Shield Mercenaries, was among the crowd. Though for the most part, the rumours of a mercenary take-over have been broadly dispelled...

Nonetheless, older villagers can be seen grouching, muttering, and glaring at the newcomers. Some Mustermen begin to refuse orders from their superiors, and go about self-appointed duties in the Mist's End and otherwise. Villagers are stricken by the recent events, and Mistlocke - were it not for the new faces - would be a quiet and mournful sight.

The Elders are widely thought to have convened to speak on recent events and the continued leadership of the Lord-Mayor, but they have made nothing known, or have come to no conclusion in their talks. The legitimacy of the Aberdenn vote, and that of Edygaer Volaunt, are said to be a point of contention. Davan Redthorn sits on in the Mayoral Seat at the end of the day, while his Muster reel, and strangers walk amongst his people.

[ShadowCharlatan]

Alturiak 17th, 1382 D.R.

The last tenday has been an eventful one for Mistlocke. Following the abduction of the former Lord-Mayor Davan Redthorn by Shylael Winters of Clan Aberdenn, Alfred Thenson of Clan Caermyn announced that Redthorn had committed treason, his allegience lying with the Count of Old Port. Soon, Redthorn himself was brought by Gadyw Aberdenn and Edygaer Volaunt to the town square, where he- flanked by the two men -announced there would be an election before he was executed and thrown upon a pyre of the Numinous Order for his alleged crimes. The refugees of Old Port were confused and angered by the entire spectacle, while the villagers mourn Redthorn little, some going so far as to stage minor celebrations.

In the days since, the village has been in a state of paralysis and unease.  The refugees mill about Mistlocke, their tents and lean-tos blemishing the vale. The return of the honourable Clan Aberdenn has been tarnished by the indifferent new Elder and accused murderer, Gadyw Aberdenn. Aberdenn Bannersmen pointedly ignore the refugees from Old Port as they begin to bring game back from the forest again, and can be heard to speak of "true villagers" and "rigged elections" as the days go by.

The Caermyn are seen to share some blame for Redthorn's many mistakes, and even Gareth Caermyn - the best loved of the Clan - is witnessed from time to time being heckled through the village. The Order maintains some private deal for supplies with the Clan, moving on - if uneasily - from the tumultuous beginnings of the deal. Word from Castle Blackhearth is good news for once. The men are well fed, and H'bala's forces make no progress against the bastion in the West.

The Old Stones have been sealed once again, by the order of Lord-Captain Midah Resher and the Elder Council. Villagers seem wearied by the subject, but grateful for the cessation of attacks from the grues of Old Stones. Resher himself has grown less popular in recent times. If well loved and respected among adventurers and mercenaries, his competence, judgement, and suitability for the role of Lord-Captain have been called into question after a violent dispute with the Argenti Gypsies, and an incandescent confrontation with the Clan Aberdenn following their return.

Midwinter is long past now, and the next election is here at last, bringing some hope and distance from cold and chaotic days. Come Ches, spring will be upon the village, and with it new beginnings for Mistlocke...

[ShadowCharlatan]

With voting open, the village of Mistlocke aches in wait for strong leadership to return.

Some say the food stores of the village are being fast exhausted by the additional mouths of Redthorn's refugees, and that if something isn't done about the refugees soon, famine will be upon Mistlocke. Traditionalists and natives, and other supporters of the Aberdenn reject expansionist hunting and farming solutions. They say that the few homesteads around Mistlocke, and the forest game simply can't sustain Mistlocke's greater population. The growing presence of the wildlings in the Cave of Scars promises added resistance.

The common people look worried over their mugs in the Mist's End. Odd jobs are harder to come by. Though the merchants and tradesmen of Mistlocke and even some of the Old Stones seem contented with increased progress with their projects and profits.

The Caermyn, meanwhile, face increasing accusations that the refugees brought by they and Redthorn are to be used to change the result of the election and increase the village's dependence on foreign powers. A backlash is growing, as villagers recall how Redthorn and the Caermyn manipulated events to do away with Lord-Mayor John Rossart by first threatening to cut off grain to the Numinous Order. The great fear seizing many villagers is that the Caermyn might do the same again, but instead of the Order - hold the very village hostage to their ends.

Some men can be seen mock pulling their hearts from their chests, in remembrance of how the Sixth Lord-Mayor's corpse was mutilated, and whispering intensely:

"That could be us."

As tensions between the village and the refugees simmer, the voting continues...