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

[Talir]

18th of Ches, 1381 DR

The residents of Mislocke grow anxious as reports of missing villagers increase in numbers, the loss feared to be villagers responding to the twisted calls of Malar. The tragedy that befell the village tendays ago is burnt into memory: the maimed adolescents returning to the village only to change shape into terrible beasts bringing death to everyone around them. The events of yesterday only reinforces the fear that someone inside the village carry the disease of lycantrophy - and it is spreading.

[Iron Oligarch]

Ches 21st, 1381 DR

Gossip surrounding the selection of Order Footman Aidan O'Connell as Warlord of Mistlocke continues to fly around the village days after the conclusion of the War-Moot. While O'Connell was chosen by a clear majority of Mistlocke's factions, the vote was not without contention: Wyrm Watchers everywhere loudly accuse the Order of using Sergeant Blake of the Muster as a straw man to further their own candidate's chances, while disgruntled men of the Muster grouse about having preferred one of their own as a leader. The Footmen of the Order have taken this in stride; barmaids at the Mist's End have even confided in a surreptitious party held by the most boistrous of the Brethren Votarient.

Familiar tensions erupt between the retainers of the Clans, meanwhile, as the Aberdenn gloat over Clan Caermyn's failure to install Scarlet Goldwin, but in truth more citizens are concerned about the days to come. It is said that O'Connell was highly regarded at the Moot, but it remains to be seen what this man shall accomplish against the Viceroy's Host -- which, in addition to its fell reputation, is also rumored to have disappeared somewhere in the wilderness, lost to the sight of scouts and trackers.

[Sternhund]

Tarsakh 2nd, 1381 DR

Blood has been spilled all around Mistlocke. Words in the tavern claim that many of Mistlocke's recently most powerful figures have fallen. Among the names are Sergeant Randen Blake, the honorable Musterman who was kidnapped and slain by the criminals of Old Stones. His death has had a significant impact on the morale of the Muster and many of the villagers. He is missed by many.

Contrarily, there has been a brief celebration over the death of the universally hated Giuseppe Mastro. Neerix Valashar, a notorious murderer and self-proclaimed Augur of the Mist has claimed to have murdered Giuseppe Mastro as a sacrifice to the Mist.

Despite the loss of Giuseppe Mastro, the criminals of Old Stones remain strong. Clan Caermyn mourns over the recent loss of Scarlet Goldwin. She was kidnapped openly in the Market Hall by Clyde Bekowski, a well-known associate of Giuseppe Mastro. In response to the attacks, Volkmar Plowman has heightened the alertness of the Muster.

Yet perhaps most importantly among the losses is Aidan O'Connell. Rumors buzz about claiming that the Warlord of Mistlocke has disappeared, with many villagers having not seen the Warlord for many days. Others discount them as merely that - rumors.

[Sternhund]

Tarsakh 3rd, 1381 DR

Early in the morning on Tarsakh 3rd, Neerix Valashar was announced dead by Clyde Bekowski. The village nervously watches within itself and outward in response to the many recent high-profile deaths. Some of the drunken villagers in Mist's End have even started taking bets on which high-profile figure is bound to die next.

In other news, Clan Aberdenn has announced a small victory against the Comitals, having discovered a supply camp in the woods that was later shut down.

[Iron Oligarch]

Tarsakh 5th, 1381 DR

Despite the recent news of an Aberdenn victory in the Webbed Wood, the populace of Mistlocke has remained nervous at the Comital host's continued disappearance over the past two days. Nervous claims that the army is lurking somewhere in the Mists, ready to strike at the woefully unprepared village battlements, are discussed alongside hopeful theories that the host has been destroyed, perhaps consumed by the Maiden's familiars.

More and more, however, far-ranging huntsmen and wildwalkers out of the Prophet's Peaks begin to claim that the host has continued its march east, up the mountains and towards the encampment of Gaeseric the Unyielding. These hard men and women claim that the mighty barbarian chieftain is far from worried -- after all, he has kept the dead at bay for years, why not a motley collection of lickspittle conscripts? -- but many villagers weigh these words dubiously. As the location of the Ruby army becomes harder to doubt, however, all eyes are upon the west, and a possible salvation from a comital occupation.

[Iron Oligarch]

Tarsakh 7th, 1381 DR

Locked away in the shrouded boughs of the Veiled Forest, Mistlocke rings with the desperate energy of a community in the shadow of death. Volley after volley is launched from the roof of the Last Keep by the ragged crossbow militia recruited out of the refugees hunkering in the castle's bowels, led in drill by the Mayor's Muster. The Crown's smithy swelters with the roaring heat of its forge, but this is drowned out by the sounds of Aberdenn bannermen sparring around the runed plinth in Mistlocke's common and the lowing of a caravan of pack oxen being prepared for travel by Menaster Caermyn himself. Meanwhile, a trickle of bedraggled and hungover mercenaries across the square file out of the Mist's End, still flush from their raucous celebration the night before, as the morning chambermaids clean up the taproom these fighters left a mess.

On the outskirts of town, the Numinous Order's mist-shrouded priory resonates with the fervent chanting of its membership. The familiar meeting place of Muskroot's tower plays host to a knot of Wyrm Watchers who speak quietly among themselves as here and there a member of the Transcendent Conclave issues forth from the forest on one errand or another.

Asked of their thoughts on the violence of the coming day, the emotions of Mistlocke's heterogeneous defenders waver between roaring bravado, timid nervousness, and everything in between. The most confident, inevitably, are the adventurers -- but the joviality of these brave men and women masks a grim suspicion that many of them shall not live the day, for even in its assault against the camp of the Unyielding the Ruby army is said to be mighty by its sheer weight of numbers. As these soldiers, zealots, wanderers, fortune-seekers, wildlings, camp followers and other individuals of every description depart Mistlocke and disappear into the forest, those they leave behind wonder how they shall return. If, indeed, fate deems they should return at all.

[Iron Oligarch]

Tarsakh 8th, 1381 DR

The Pass of the Unyielding is taken.

Survivors of the battle have trickled into Mistlocke through the night with tales of butchery on their lips. Stories abound of mighty Gaeseric single-handedly fighting off the first comital assault until succumbing to poison after killing a mighty Chultan chieftain with his bare hands, and the furious vengeance of his companion Gundahar, who silently hurled himself into the comital spear wall in pursuit of Gaeseric as he was dragged into the Ruby camp. Well-known, too, is the battlecry "We will not yield", roared by the pass' defenders as they fought the second comital assault to a standstill until, heralded by three blasts from the Ruby lines, a horde of withered desert raiders boiled up from the caves at the back of the canyon and outflanked the remaining fighters. A rally at the tents of Gaeseric's camp was first checked, and then repulsed by the frenzied marauders (who, it is said, fell upon the vanguard of the comital host as well as the ranks of the defenders), and what remained of Mistlocke's warband along with a scattering of savage defenders fought its way through the tunnels to escape.

Veterans lament the defeat, and mourn the fallen whose cries for mercy and quarter were answered with cruel spear-thrusts. The wildlings have fled the destruction, and the hunters of the Forgotten Forest report that they have taken refuge in a temporary camp north of the Stonehand Scars. To see the pass now is to find the Viceroy's army in complete possession of the camp, the soldiery enjoying the fruits of conquest that their labor has bought. But the stiffening corpses that still lie at the creek bridge give mute testimony to the cost of victory -- and the arms of Old Port must still pass through the desert ...

[Halfbrood]

There are worried rumours spreading amongst the Argenti tribe who make their home on the outskirts of Mistlocke. They speak of their children disappearing into the forests dark corridors, supposedly swallowed by the Mist. Similarly, farmers, trappers and hunters speak of brothers and companions disappearing from the trail, never to be seen again. None know for certain what to make of these rumours, but many agree that something stirs. This, alongside the looming Comital host, threatens dark days for the village in the future.

[Iron Oligarch]

Tarsakh 20th, 1381 DR

The days since the fall of Gaeseric's pass have been a time of frustration and grief for Mistlocke's population. The failure of Mistlocke's elder council to produce a viable Warlord and the ignominious engagement at Sis Liman that resulted in a clear Ruby victory have caused widespread disillusionment as the war effort has largely ground to a halt, with many villagers dreading the Viceroy's inevitable advance and preparing for the worst.

But now that has changed. A running skirmish under the boughs of the Forgotten Forest between the defenders of Mistlocke and the mercenary cadre of prominent Ruby Captain Boris Vednyev saw Mistlocke victorious, and new Warlord Morn Greycastle the Wyrm Watcher elected after the fray. Those present remark upon Arthur Aberdenn's execution of two Rubies captured in the fight, and his passionate plea for action -- and even more remarkably, Menaster Caermyn's decision to support Greycastle along with the Aberdenn. Villagers pray fervently for this Wyrm Watcher Warlord to deliver them from Ruby arms, but none know what the future may bring ...

... although those who travel through the desert may guess. Sis Liman's old tower is home to a firmly entrenched Ruby garrison, and three ships can be seen anchored in the harbor from the lip of the basin above the settlement. Wagons are being prepared there for the Ruby Army's eventual push into the Veil, but rumors of other camps elsewhere in the Dead Wastes persist. Whatever else the Rubies might plan, it is clear that the comital campaign will reach a climax in a matter of days.

[Talir]

23rd of Tarsakh, 1381 DR

A massive brawl breaks out in the Mistlocke square, pitting the men of both clans and other villagers together in strife. It ends with a few on all sides lying dead in the dust, the Muster marching in force to prevent further bloodshed and those responsible being brought to the Muster barracks. Soon later, a man is flogged publically for instigating the riot. But the core of the matter has its root deep in the clan feud.

Apparently, not so long before the warfare in the square began, Abigail is rumoured to have struck at master merchant Hasheir Pashan with her fists, a fight soon ended by Bloody Mary Bite Coin. As the Muster and Aberdenn supporters gather in the Market Hall to find an end to this breach of the law, the mercenary Morcant of clan Caermyn joined them. Distressed, Pashan is said to have put an accusing finger at Abigail who was quickly thereafter brought low by the mercenary's axe, Morcant himself struck down by those in attendance. Even the fine issued both clans could do little to stop the bloodshed to be, as one headstrong Aberdenn by the name of Jane Belleville insulted the mercenary and provoked a prolonged conflict that ended in a duel to the death -- where she was slain.

In outcry at her demise, the warrior Zalrathan Radivaar charged the mercenary and the ensuing battle brought all spectators into a heated struggle. When the dust settled and the bodies could be counted, only confusion and accusations remain to tell who struck the final blow on anyone, as Caermyn men-at-arms and Aberdenn bannersmen are joined in the truce-bringing embrace of death.

In the not so distant desert, the Comital Host is drawing ever nearer the forest border...

[Iron Oligarch]

Tarsakh 28th, 1381 DR

A long procession of celebrations for new heroes and memorials given for fallen comrades has followed the days since the Watcher-Lord Morn Greycastle led Mistlocke's ramshackle militia to victory at the battle on the River Tear, where the dreaded comital advance over the bridge at Stonehand Scars was driven back in blood while a flanking force of mercenaries under the command of Captain Boris Vednyev was soundly defeated by a number of Mistlocke's most prominent adventurers.

But this triumph has not come without cost. For every new hero born on the field, there are two newly buried in a shallow grave, including brave Daryd Brann, Spear-Champion of the Aberdenn clan, and veteran Musterman Mathal. The Wyrm Watchers too have lost men along with the doubly-wounded Aberdenns manning the line against Captain Vednyev's sortie in the Veil, and point accusatory fingers at the Caermyn and the Numinous Order, whose contingents, they charge, were far smaller.

Indeed, rumours of dishonourable conduct are rife about town: it is said that a mercenary company called the Eagle's Claw served in Vednyev's vanguard despite promising to fight for Mistlocke, and that the Red Dragon mercenaries under the command of former Caermyn bravo named Ez'kus hunkered behind the front line, safely out of danger while others fought and died on their behalf -- and more recent stories of the Red Dragons' involvement with necromancers and subsequent banishment from Mistlocke have done little to aid their tarnished reputation.

Others, meanwhile, disdain all this talk as premature, for many self-proclaimed scouts taking on supplies in Mistlocke grimly report that the Ruby army has not been destroyed: Sis Liman is still occupied, and Ruby-guarded caravans yet cut across the dunes of the Dead Plains on unknown missions. With so few left to defend them, new flickers of doubt have entered the minds of Mistlocke's citizenry as they await further words of guidance and leadership from their doughty Watcher-Lord, and what he shall do in the days to come.

[wcsherry]

Tarsakh 30th : Year 159 : 1381 DR

Rumors fly of a violent conflict that erupted within Mistlocke. Recruiter Belisarius is said to have drawn steel on the prominent holy man Mororn for reasons unknown. A mob later erupted and blood spilled over the cobbles of Mistlocke, drenching the gloom of the day in a sanguine aura of despair.

As the dust settled, the Muster was said to have made a late appearance, only to see yet another mob descend upon the Order Priory just outside of town.

It is said by many that a man of the Numinous Order was slain, and that Mororn was the chief architect of his doom by some in the taverns.

Others insist the Wyrm Watchers orchestrated the death of a high ranking Numinous Order Historian, stealing his treasures in the process.

No one is exactly sure what passed, but tensions are mounting, and steely gazes are exchanged between many prominent men about town.

[Sternhund]

First of Mirtul : Year 159 : 1381 DR

Warlord Morn Greycastle announced a War Tax to fund all war efforts. This tax was extremely unpopular with many villagers. Those who opposed the tax gathered in the village square and began a large bonfire to grab attention. They refused to extinguish the fire until the tax had been removed. Those who supported the tax threw water in the fire while those who were against the tax threw in more fuel.

Eventually, the fire broke out of the circle. How this happened is uncertain. The popular opinion is that a henchman of House Caermyn did this purposefully to discredit the rioters. As many villagers fought off the large bonfire, others threw torches at the Caermyn Estate. While the fires blazed, a group of people which included mercenaries, Mustermen, and Father Mororn fought at each other.

At the end of the day both fires were extinguished and Haseir Pashan announced that he overrules Warlord Morn Greycastle in his decision to enact the War Tax. The War Tax is no more.

[Iron Oligarch]

Mirtul 16th, 1381 DR

On the eve of the Watcher Lord's announced march on Viceroy d'Arthido's camp somewhere in the Dead Plains, a Mistlocke battered by Ruby raids, a skirmish with Father Micheal's mad followers, and recent civil unrest holds its breath. Listless bravos spar behind Aberdenn Hall while the Caermyn Estate's stockyard is abuzz preparing the Watcher Lord's baggage train for the morrow's hostilities. Footmen of the Numinous Order and bonded pairs of the Transcendent Conclave can be seen among the village warband, but it is the rovers and skalds of the Wyrm Watchers that make up its heart and soul, all of them willing to follow their warlord into the fury that the morning shall bring.

Not one soul counts the apportioned task to be easy, for the wily Viceroy has surely not spent the reprieve Mistlocke has given him idly, and he has the advantage of defense. Meanwhile, a few far-roaming scouts report that a line of lights can be seen descending the dark peaks of the Prophets ...

[Iron Oligarch]

Mirtul 17th, 1381 DR

The seventeenth day of Mirtul has been one of blood and sorrow, but for the village of Mistlocke it is also a day of triumph and victory. Their differences put aside in the face of the comital onslaught, Mistlocke's factions marched into the Dead Plains this morning with the Watcher Lord Morn Greycastle at their head, intent on defeating the Viceroy at his camp on the Field of Agramant. The fighting was fierce, but after several rallies the warband fought its way to the Ruby camp -- only to learn from a frantic member of the Muster that the Viceroy and his bodyguard had outmaneuvered them and seized the Last Keep. Wily d'Arthido had stolen the march on them.

The warband's frantic forced-march did not end until well after nightfall, finding Old Port's red tower emblem flying atop the Last Keep and a siege line manned by the remnants of the Muster. With the aid of Gaeseric the Unyielding, who wished to avenge his capture and imprisonment at the Rubies' hands, Mistlocke's defenders breached the tower's gates in a bloody assault. By midnight, a handful emerged alongside an injured Arthur Aberdenn and a silent Menaster Caermyn with Viceroy Ignacio d'Arthido's severed head, and a bittersweet victory.

Many have died for Mistlocke's freedom this day, foremost among them Mororn Glaemril, the prominent priest of Ilmater. More disturbing, however, are the reports that members of the Transcendent Conclave were found among the Viceroy's cadre -- and few among Mistlocke's citizenry are willing to take the chance that this was the work of isolated individuals. And yet, no one wishes another war. With Old Port's ambitions stymied, now is a time for rebuilding.