EFU:R Gossip, Major Events, and Rumors (IC Knowledge)

[Howlando]

:[ Tarsakh 29th : Year 163 : 1385 DR ]::

It began with a sending:

::[ Spellguard Broadcast : Attention. Attention. The Reformed Order of the Spellguard will be conducting a brief test. Do not be alarmed. The elderly and easily excitable are advised to find shelter in-doors. ]::

Citizens report that the reclusive and famously bad-tempered Animatron Dhimani, secret genius of the Spellguard's machinery operations, was seen to saunter out from the Serena Tower with a curious device held in his left-animatronic hand and with a large Animatron carrying an umbrella following him obediently.

After making several remarks near Freedom Square, the irascible Animator manipulated the device. With a great groan of rusty old pipes, water began to trickle down from pipes throughout the Sanctuary vault - a deluge of water raining down upon Upper and turning Lower's streets into a terrible muck of mud. Residents of the Canal Ward report that the Canal Waters frothed enormously during this time, to the point that it would have been highly dangerous for any ship to move in or out of the Canal.

After several minutes of downpour, it's said that Animator Dhimani used the device once more, the water stopped, and Sanctuary was left the same as before - just a little muddier.

[Howlando]

::[ First of Mirtul : Year 163 : 1385 DR ]::

Sanctuary above and below is filled with gossip regarding the events of yesterdark....

First there was a public and & controversial trial against Ordinant Dorissa Sennesse.

During the trial, it's said that a band of Ascencionists took advantage of the distraction to attack some Spellguard Outpost deep in the Machine. It's said that the assault was unsuccessful, although several of its defenders were slain and some damage done.

The Spellguard later retaliated by releasing their experimental blue "Crazy Gas" into Lower. Most of its inhabitants, warned first by a shrieking halfling scrapper and later by the Spellguard's own announcement, retreated indoors and sealed their windows and doors as best they could. Those who could not find shelter succumbed to the gas, temporarily driven into a sick, frothing, violent fit. Many of the residents of the Rat's Nest were particularly afflicted, with outbreaks of violence and mad stabbings....

Later, when the gas started to dissipate, a single Spellguard Auxiliary took it upon himself to prowl the streets and abduct those Lowersmen that he could find. After wild bloody battle in the streets, it's said that the Auxiliary was captured and later executed. Perhaps in retaliation, am Ascencionist Collared elf who had been taken captive was stoned to death in Upper Sanctuary.

Some in Lower speak approvingly of the actions of the Brotherhood in attacking the infrastructure of the hated Spellguard, however many are angry of the provocation that led to another gassing and remind others that the raid did not even succeed.

The power vacuum in Lower endures...
 

[Howlando]

::[ Mirtul 5th : Year 163 : 1385 DR ]::

The trial of Ordinant Dorissa Sannesse has concluded in a remarkable and unexpected way. After a lengthy exchange of evidence, the notoriously impatient Prefect Blaggit asked that the Ordinant swear on the name of her deity whether or not she had been involving herself and conspiring with the Cultists of the Brotherhood of the Ascension. After the Ordinant declared in the name of Helm that she had not, Prefect Blaggit decided - with some hesitation - to offer her a choice of either exile or an opportunity to prove her innocence with Trial by Combat.

She chose Trial by Combat, and it was decided that she would face the notoriously dangerous Auxiliary Ambrose Barsali. To the surprise of many, during the combat, the Ordinant managed to hold the Auxiliary in place with an enchantment and - after much labored striking - cut him down. As he lay bleeding at her feet, the Ordinant coldly brought up a device of searing ray and ended his life despite it having been made clear that the conditions of the duel were such that she did not need to kill him.

Enraged by what was seemingly an act of deliberate execution, the other Auxiliary present - led by the chainsword wielding halfling Engineer Rustbucket - attacked and made an effort to save Ambrose's life. In response, the Society surged together to defend their sister that the gods had deemed innocent. After a fracas in which the Society were largely defeated, at last Prefect Blaggit restored order and the two groups slunk off to their respective quarters.

What is clear is that a terrible chill has fallen between the Society of the Ordered Mind and the Reformed Order of the Spellguard. Many of Sanctuary's citizens are uneasy that such an extreme and public rift has widened between two of the three most important and powerful institutions.

[Canzah]

More fighting in the streets of Lower this dark. Starting out small as nothing more than what appeared as a series of duels between a lone Ooze Cultist and Dwellers from the Sacred Cave, matters quickly escalated and broke out into a larger brawl with more parties involved seeking to spill their share of blood.

Rumour has it that a member of each Cult was eventually dragged off to an uncertain fate. Tension in Lower Sanctuary remains high...

[ShadowCharlatan]

::[ Mirtul 17th : Year 163 : 1385 DR ]::

Although held in relative secrecy, rumours begin to spread of the trial of Prefect Yorrick Vanderbleu... over some alleged treasonous dealings with Mutulakt or Fortress Mur. Though the Prefect seems no worse off for the experience, and must have been innocent or spared if the rumours are true.

Other tales tell of the distribution soon beginning of Director Szul Thrazaluun's "Charles' Revenge Mark II" device... a machine for adventurers used to launch explosive projectiles. To get one, it is said an adventurer's license must be presented to a Clerk at the House of Trade. The Black Guild claims a rare victory, through the negotiations performed by Thrazaluun. Though some in the guild remark bitterly that the devices will probably be used in yet more brainless attacks on Ysinode.

[Howlando]

::[ Mirtul 25th : Year 163 : 1385 DR ]::

It began, as so often it does, with an earthquake.

Shortly after the trembles ceased, panicked sendings and rumors spread of some massive, many-hued giant of pure baublium that emerged from the choppy waves of the Dark Lake. Wherever the Baublium Giant went, wild magic and devastation followed. After rampaging through the Underdark... it chased a group of adventurers back to the Barbican of Dunwarren itself, there smashing one mighty defensive animatron to pieces and slaying several Watchers.

After the Barbican, it descended and rampaged about the In Between, before descending into the Illusion.

It rampaged about in the Illusion. Until at last... with a terrible crackle-fizzle, the Illusion faded and was broken, and the Giant rampaged in Upper Sanctuary itself, destroying yet more Animatrons and defenders.

To the horror of many, it rampaged into Starag's Rest, focused on the unchanging form of Grigor Starag, and smashed the venerable stone of the Old Councilor to dust. Swatting away the panicked adventurers that chipped away at it, it rushed back out and headed towards the Street of the Gods. There it found the young priest of Grumbar, Kathaz Myzaram, and pulverized him.

At this point.... Society Ritualist Rallick Dess began shouting out words of praise to Grumbar, which seemed to enrage the Baublium Giant even further and led it to chase him through the streets. The other Ordinants, joining in these words of Grumbarite praise, led the Giant into their very own Chapterhouse.

Although what happened next is somewhat unclear, it is known that there was massive fighting within between representatives of the Spellguard and Ordinants of the Society. In the end, those not of the Society found themselves somehow ejected by some unknown force... and huge, seemingly impenetrable crystalline growths grew to cover the exterior of the Chapterhouse. The wild magic ceased and it's whispered that the huge mass of Baublium was somehow absorbed by some secret Crystal that the Society had long hidden from all others not of their order.

As a great mass of adventurers and Sanctuary defenders stood staring at the now Crystal-covered Chapterhouse, several emerged from within and declared that they would have no part in what was done. Commander Markem stated that the Society had fractured and those within now served an entity of some unknown origin. He and others stated that they would depart Sanctuary and continue to pursue their Crusade in their own way.

Spellguard Animatrons and Auxiliaries have taken up position in a siege surrounding the Chapterhouse, and it's now widely considered that a state of open war exists between the two organizations.

Time will tell which group proves to be triumphant.

[Divine Intervention]

::[ Mirtul 26th : Year 163 : 1385 DR ]::

Strange events abound once more this dark. As many fishermen and traders upon the Dark Lake went about their business, they report suddenly seeing a huge beam of golden light burst forth from the Shore near the Blue Mushroom and plunged into the Lake itself, standing as a column of brightness in the murk. Many fearful and superstitious crews steered well clear of this oddity, but it is rumoured some in Sanctuary went to investigate. What transpired is not widely known, but they reportedly found the smouldering corpse of the enigmatic Magistrar Klementin Alvinciz by the shore...

Later that same dark a harried man by the name of Isar D'Qur made his way into Upper Sanctuary, and relayed messages from the supposedly deceased Knights of the Golden Chalice. He told a wild tale of the rise of a mad and terrible "God" beneath the waters, the former leader of the Knights said to have conducted a black rite and emerged as an undead monstrosity. Confusion and disbelieve swirls around the rumour mill of Upper Sanctuary, but the Priory of the Golden Chalice stands all but deserted, save for two Knights and their ward, the "Prince" Chesley...

[Howlando]

::[ Second of Kythorn : Year 163 : 1385 DR ]::

Rumors spread in Sanctuary that a large group of children were observed being hurriedly escorted from the Sanctuary above to some waiting vessel in the Canal Ward. According to report, the vessel - crewed with duergar - departed swiftly as soon as all the children were on board....

 

[Howlando]

::[ Second of Kythorn : Year 163 : 1385 DR ]::

Sanctuary is a state of tense near-panic after reports of recent events.

It's said that the Directorate offered a temporary truce with the Society of the Ordered Mind and authorized their strike against the Dread Fleet in Traensyr.

Although there is a degree of confusion about what happened exactly, it is generally believed:

That the assault was largely a failure.

That Clerk Wolfgang Kreutzhof was revealed as a thrall of the Dread Empire, and was intimately involved in ensuring that the strike was a failure.

That Rhiannon Kingsley herself was taken by the Dread.

That Traensyr nonetheless experienced a number of powerful explosive blasts, and that the old Temple of Jultar itself may have collapsed on the Lower Traensyrian Quarters. That four ships of the Traensyrian Navy was destroyed, leaving many more.

That although many adventurers and Ordinants died, a core group survived by virtue of the strange and uncertain powers of the Society's Crystal.

[Howlando]

::[ Kythorn 9th : Year 163 : 1385 DR ]::

The people of Sanctuary nervously whisper of the now formalized declaration of war upon the Spellguard from the Society of the Ordered Mind.

Shortly after the proclamation first appeared, it's said that a Spellguard Outpost deep in the Machine was attacked and largely destroyed. Indeed, the high water pressure and purity of water that Sanctuary's citizens have as of late enjoyed is now gone.

The Spellguard continue to blast at the crystalline formations that surround the old Society Chapterhouse, yet - thus far - it shows little sign of being broken....

[ShadowCharlatan]

::[ Kythorn 13th : Year 163 : 1385 DR ]::

It began with a note of nostalgia for the darks when Lower Sanctuary was emptier and prey to the skulking Chosen...

Citizens are warned of increased Chosen activity within the deeper bounds of the Dunwarren Metropolis. A perfunctory test of the Dunwarren ventilation systems will thus commence shortly. Thank you for your consideration, and remember, the Spellguard cares.

As Lower Sanctuary filled with gas, the people fled indoors, taking shelter with the Brotherhood in their Cathedral, the Dwellers in their Sacred Cave, the ale supplies in the Crone, or their own little havens. Soon the streets were empty and silent, but for the stray cries of the robbed, the beaten, and the mad.

It was then that the Dwellers in Darkness took the crisis as an opportunity to strike against the Cathedral of the Ascension. A motley band stalked through the gases, led by Isabel Talia one of the Fades that inspired the wretches of the cave. A battle within the Cathedral ensued, leaving the corpses of innocents and Ascensionists alike strewn around the altar to Frederick Bresley.

In the aftermath, neither of the feuding Cults are left unbloodied, but the Ascensionists have suffered the more grievous blow. The Cult of the Ascension are seen to pile and bury their dead... meanwhile stringing up the corpses of their fallen enemies to blasphemously bathe them in the light of the Ascended One. But their number have taken dramatic losses, their Cathedral was desecrated, and a mood of impotent anger and disbelief pervades.

The Ibrandulin step more boldly in Lower Sanctuary, but their once benevolent veneer as the saviours of Lower Sanctuary has been stripped away by the deaths of innocent Lowersmen taking shelter from the gas in the Cathedral, and some of their strongest and most devoted Dwellers are not to be seen. The familiar faces of Abbaoro, Amber, Isabel, and Onyche all met their ends in the Cathedral... along with a number of others said to be Goretusk mercenaries - including Gurnkey Goretusk himself.

It is told that the Man in the Mask himself appeared at the Cathedral, and aided no small amount in the deciding battle... alongside the winged elf Talaspir, a great warrior freed by the Ascensionists some time ago from the clutches of a blood slave caravan en-route to the Mound. But the last known (if self-appointed) Seeker, a young man by the name of Niel Dannon was slain. And Gorzhel Beedle, the friendly face of the Cathedral... was also laid low.

By the dark's end, when the streets of Lower clear and begin to show signs of life again, the accusing words of the Masked Man rise above the quiet tension of a new chapter in the war among the cults.

Today a dagger was thrust by the shadow of a tyrant into the heart of this free Sanctuary. On that coward dagger was engraved the name "Duke Barkely". It is strange... so strange... Even as the Order of the Spellguard grows weaker, more desperate, and more fearful with every passing hour- the love you hold for your chains and your masters has intensified as much. They are all that you know.

I have a question for you, Sanctuary. Your fathers, brothers, and sons among the workers have been crushed and discarded... The Society of the Ordered Mind has thrown off Red and donned Blue, and now their Chapterhouse is under siege - their crime? - refusing to heel for their true Commander.

The very children of Sanctuary have been sold to slavers... [A long pause] I have a question for you, Sanctuary.

What will it take?

Meanwhile, a deeper darkness comes over Lower Sanctuary, as Frederick's torchbearers dwindle.

[Caster13]

::[ Kythorn 19th : Year 163 : 1385 DR ]::

This dark, the quiet streets of Lower Sanctuary was broken by the curious whispers of onlookers gawking at the arrival of a group of twenty freed slaves. Escorted by a number of Society of the Ordered Mind Ordinants and a handful of Lowerfolk, the freed slaves were guided to the New Beacon where Winston gave them what warm food he could muster and relatively comfortable beds.

Much louder, however, was the angry and rage-filled arrival of a duergar in the centre of Freedom Square in Upper Sanctuary. Claiming himself to be Ambassador Durmakt Grindnose of Mutulakt and flanked by two guards wearing the dark red and black steel of the duergar island fort, the duergar went into a rage calling for representatives of Sanctuary to show themselves.

Stepping out from the House of Governance, Prefects Isar D'Qur and Celia Riovane greeted the ambassador and quickly found themselves assaulted by the duergar's bellowing voice. In a constant, ear-deafening voice, the ambassador claimed that twenty slaves bound for Mutulakt were stolen by people of Sanctuary. While it was explained to the angry ambassador that those who freed the slaves were likely Ordinants and enemies of Sanctuary themselves, the ambassador countered by referring to the public confession of one Tristan of the Silvered Lord who, in a sending made just minutes prior to his arrival, admitted to aiding the Ordinants.

Accepting none of the response from the Prefects, the the ambassador continued to rant about Mutulakt's lost slaves before finally saying, in a quieter voice, that the duergar city would get its slaves. One way or another, the ambassador added, making an ominous reference to the honoured guests that Mutulakt was currently hosting, Mutulakt would get its twenty slaves.

After the still fuming ambassador finally departed, a number of people in Freedom Square began lamenting and arguing over the arrangement made with the duergar city. The anxiety quickly spread into the common populace. One could easily tell, just by seeing the look of regret and worry on their face, which parent had their children safely at home, and which parent did not.

[Letsplayforfun]

This very dark, Auxiliary Hector Thorn lead a company of men to reclaim an old gemstone mine in the vicinity of the Windy Canyon caves. Is is said aberrants had nested within the mine's lodgings, and that stranger things had been made to come alive within the gemstones themselves. Although the company was successful in claiming many raw gems to be processed at the Workmill, those present claim the mine finally collapsed as they slew a drow jewel enchanter. Though undeniable feats of battle were claimed this day, the asset that such ressources might have proved is now lost forever...

[ShadowCharlatan]

::[ Kythorn 21st : Year 163 : 1385 DR ]::

Todark ended enthrallment testing procedures following the betrayal of the Society's attack on Traensyr, with some now calling for immediate action to crush Traensyr with the full military force of Sanctuary, and others calling for the return of Sanctuary's children from Mutulakt.

The rumours of Upper Sanctuary have dwelt long on the matters of the children and the siege against the crystal barrier protecting what remains of the Society of the Ordered Mind. But little news has come from Mutulakt, nurturing a plethora of wild claims about what the duergar have done. And the Chapterhouse remains unconquered despite increasingly ardent and sophisticated efforts by the Spellguard. The mysterious Society Crystal, some say, seems to be responding... thwarting... even predicting the Spellguard's tactics. Others say it is only a matter of time before the Spellguard resolve to end the siege and defeat the Society overcomes all concerns and constraints.

Those with long memories, and most members of the Black Political Guild, compare the troubles with Mutulakt to Sanctuary's previous dealings with duergar, in which many from Sanctuary-that-was were robbed of their banked savings. Much more is now at stake, and the Red Guild's calls for a greater Sanctuary now hang in the balance.

The death of the Black Director Szul Thrazaluun has been unwelcome news to the Reds, who viewed him and his Machine Age agenda as complementary to the Red vision. Without Szul, the word from the House of Governance tells that the reticence (some say cowardice) of Director Austanias Glademore, and the sluggish pace of developing new military options seems likely to delay decisions on the Directorate's most pressing crisis for now. Worse for the Reds, Szul's death also demands the election of a new Director - an election the Reds are in a poor position to fight. The Black Guild, by contrast, seems more energised than most have ever seen it. Red Guild Members hopeful for a bolder Sanctuary lament the sorry situation they've landed in.

As Upper Sanctuary wrestles demons of its own creation, Lower Sanctuary has begun to silently submit to the Dwellers in Darkness. After the raid on the Cathedral of the Ascension, three new sects of Dwellers have emerged...

• The sect of the Darkmen, wrapping themselves from head to toe in dark rags, linger in empty streets preaching oblivion... and are whispered to be a source of a recent spate of murders and disappearances.
  
• The sect of the Feasters, having tasted the hearty food and drink they plundered from homes and holes once protected by the Ascension Cult, now eschew the measly "Shadowstuff" the Ibrandulin weave from the Sacred Caves. And they speak of "the Last Meal", a final feast in which everything will be devoured by the darkness.
  
• The sect of the Black King's Bastards are only a little more than bandits, opportunistically coattailing the Dwellers in Darkness for blood, fun, and coin. They have laid claim to a few chambers of the Fortress of Lower Sanctuary, in the name of some heretical "Black King"... but they mostly seem bored with the success of the Dwellers, and rumours tell of decadent and depraved events going on within the Fortress.
  

/*OOC: Players who want to get involved in the Cult War of Lower Sanctuary can get in contact with me to discuss creating a character originating from one of these Sects. After a quick introduction you will be automatically placed in the Dwellers in Darkness association with some suitable gear.*/

Despite the power they now timidly wield in Lower Sanctuary, the Dwellers of the Sacred Cave do not seem totally comfortable with the new sects under their sway. Division and difference is already testing the Dwellers' tolerance, and pulling apart the blanket of darkness poised to snuff out the Cult of the Ascension.

Meanwhile, in the sewers far below, rumours tell of very worrying developments. The slime has risen...

[ShadowCharlatan]

::[ Kythorn 23rd : Year 163 : 1385 DR ]::

The past two darks have changed the ongoing Spellguard siege of the Society Chapterhouse, into a grander siege of the Shield by the Society and its Crystal.

It began with the Spellguard's latest attempt at penetration of the Chapterhouse using an array of beam cannons fuelled with large quantities of baublium. The Society of the Ordered Mind entered Upper Sanctuary in response and destroyed the cannons before slipping away.

The cannons, however, had broken through the barrier... and a team led by Phaele Gedreghost took to the Chapterhouse. However, rumours from the survivors tell of the demise of high calibre Spellguard assets Nelly Rustbucket and Phaele Gedreghost... adding to the erosion of confidence in the Spellguard.

Since that incident, the Spellguard have created a perimeter around the Chapterhouse, and many in Sanctuary await their next movements.

Todark, it was the Society that made a move, conquering the illusion with a fragile crystalline army and erecting crystalline spires which hum and vibrate - churning the illusion around them. They spoke to Sanctuary...

I greet you... people of Sanctuary, with a message of peace. I am the Speaker for the Crystal. The bearer of the Truth. The Crystal has long been nurtured for this dark... that which will be remembered as the beginning of the downfall of the Dread Empire.

In some darks' time, the Shield will fall... and the Society of the Ordered Mind will displace the machinery of the Spellguard with a new Order- an order of Truth... an order Blessed by the Great Crystal. All the lies, all the illusions, will be gone.

Do you wish to know the abuses you have been dealt? Do you wish to know that which has been concealed from you? You have but to join us... Gather baublium to our mighty Crystal... remove your rings... and join us in dismantling the false world.

Now Upper Sanctuary itself is under siege. All within are beckoned by the two warring forces. An ascendent Society and the mysterious Crystal they worship, who promise the downfall of the Dread. Or the Reformed Order of the Spellguard, the guardians of the City of Sanctuary for over one hundred and sixty years, who tout that the promise of Final Sanctuary is near at hand.

Both call for the Baublium of citizens to be delivered to them, and both begin to make honeyed words, evocations of fear, assertions of their authority, and charitable gestures to secure support. Only the people of Sanctuary can now decide the true victor of the war...

The people of Lower Sanctuary look on in numb surprise, as the fate of the 'Spelltyrants' and of Sanctuary hangs in the balance.