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

[Talir]

23rd of Tarsakh, 1377 Dale Reckoning

Atop the Ziggurat to a large attendance, Tobias Lockwood was executed for treason against the Dominion and Duke. It is said that the famous scholar Jawl Highwind was the one to bring the traitor to justice.

[BrittanyPanthas]

In the Dominion, citizens celebrate the elevation of Bartemis Vrintak to the peerage as he becomes Lord Vrintak.  The temple of the tyrant flourishes, and people flock to the new Lord for his favor.

The people of the Docks on the other hand hail the Laddermen as heroes, as it seems that not only did the Docksmen face a large expedition of Drow and live, but they also freed a half-dozen slaves from a life of harsh brutality.

[BrittanyPanthas]

In the early hours of the morning, two Stygian soldiers carried a large stone slab to the top of the Ziggurat, under the direction of Lord Vrintak.

After a speech was given, the Lord-Priest of the Dominion offered up a woman of the Conclave, an aberrant creature with skin like marble, as a willing sacrifice to the Black Hand.

As the woman's blood spread across the make-shift altar in rivulets, an enormous eye tyrant appeared and blessed the Dominion, proclaiming that Bane was pleased.

As the commoners quaked and fainted from fear of the creature, it granted some sort of boon to Lord Vrintak, before vanishing.

Many new faces filter into the Temple of Tyrants as a response amongst the common folk, but just as many, if not more give it a wide berth in disapproval over what is widely being proclaimed as 'human sacrifice' despite the woman's dubious origins.

[Nuclear Catastrophe]

A MURDER A NIGHT

In the docks districts, people are dying.

For the last three nights, three people have been murdered. The bodies of a merchant, a 'lady of the evening' and a gang member have been found in various darkened corners, their corpses half-eaten, the victims of vicious attacks.

Upon the latest corpse, a symbol of a jawless skull was carved, along with a stream of sunburst.

The usual rumors abound regarding the perpetrator or creature behind these murders, varying wildly, as things do.

All are in agreement though, that if the cause is not found soon, more bodies soon shall be...

[BrittanyPanthas]

Treason, is the word on every citizen of the Duchy's lips after a deadly duel at midnight held by Grimfael Corval and Alistair Harvix.  It is said that Alistair Harvix delivered some sort of demand to Pallid Mask, and it was refused.

In the skirmish that followed between forces of the Pallid Mask and the Duchy, Alistair Harvix fell from a gaping wound in his side, delivered by the famous Paladin's gleaming blade, only to be carried off the field by one of his retainers.

The Duke stormed off towards the Mausoleum shortly after, and it is said that while mercy was granted to the men of the Pallid Mask, that they have lost all favor with the Dominion's leadership.

What could this mean for the future of the Colony's Crusaders?

[Talir]

Those commonly frequenting the Dominion may note a large number of citizens being drafted into the militia at once. Weapons and armor are handed out to the newly tasked men who disappear into the Stygian Citadel for their tasks, emerging out a time afterwards tight-lipped and with determined expressions.

[Talir]

13th of Mirtul

Rumours spread quickly about the reclamation of the Inner Piers for the Dominion. Long being directly underneath the Docks and considered their territory, Infantryman Belalcazar is said to have lead the task force that finally annexed it back for the Duke; with the permission and approval of the Transcendant Conclave. It is said that the many transgressions, true or false, made by the Sons allowed such a bold move to happen. Citizenry within the Dominion cheer the victory and already more ships are said to head to Ymph from Old Port, bringing new prosperity and welcome trade...

No words have been made from the Sons. With the ease of access to the Inner Piers blocked and the occupation of the harbour, grim tides are likely upon the horizont as their fishing ships and other vessels face an uncertain time ahead...

[Letsplayforfun]

Strange lights have been seen in the stormy skies: flickering, colorful, fast moving lights.

Be it weather effects, strange fireflies, magical lighting, or whatever imagination can conjure, they have had more than one colonist look up fearfully.

For now though, nothing more than random sightings above the Ziggurat and the Docks have been reported, and folks hope they will not occur again.

[Iron Oligarch]

Kythorn 2:

Three days after the large brawl that broke out in the Docks' market square in a dispute over the ownership of Ladderman Hall (much to the enjoyment of many Docksmen, who relished the opportunity to chase a small contingent of the Pallid Mask out of the Docks and put a strange man claiming to be the "god of conquest" to a test of mettle), the district has once again been shaken, this time by a sortie of Grey Mist Raiders from the seas of the Archipelago.

It is said that the ferocious berserkers slew hapless innocents and set fires indiscriminately under cover of a thick bank of Mist that settled upon the Docks shortly before the raid, leading to the loss of several buildings in the westernmost portion of the district and badly damaging several others, including the home of Cyrus Doors' Freemen.

Their warleader demonstrated incredible skill in the square before the Sons' Headquarters itself, triumphing against nearly a dozen of the district's defenders and setting Caius Drayden, the renowned Champion of Targus, to flight before delivering an ultimatum: that the Docks is to deliver its orphans to the Raiders when they return seven days' hence, or else. What will be done when the time comes is unclear, but Docksmen cannot help but wonder how they can triumph against such men when but a handful fought a gathering of the district's stoutest defenders to a standstill.

While Stygians observing the fires from the summit of the Ziggurat laugh at the misfortune of the seditionists, rebels and traitors below, other citizens of the Dominion are less cheerful. Smoke on the horizon north across the Ymphian bay -- the direction of the Old Port -- has given rise to worries that the comital seat was likewise raided. The truth of the matter awaits with the arrival of the next merchantman from the Old Port, as soon as the Mist lifts.

[Iron Oligarch]

Kythorn 3:

The latest in a series of expeditions into the ruins beneath Nebedzzos mounted by the Pallid Mask in search of their leader, the Forgotten Templar Grimfael Corval, have yielded fruit: but unfortunately, it is fruit most bitter. Having entered the previous evening, a ragged party of adventurers led by Initiate Jacob Reiner emerged from the depths around midday bearing the mutilated body and shattered armor of the Forgotten Templar, swiftly bringing it to the Mausoleum where, it is said, a funeral for the fallen crusader will be held on the morrow.

Corval's passing is mourned by many colonists of the Dominion who remember the Templar's heroic efforts to destroy the Nightriser threat forever, but respect for the deceased is far from universal: those colonists who have spent all their time on Ymph safeguarded by the Conclave's shield regard the man and his order coolly for its reputation of disrespecting Duke Trenada's rule. House Harvix, whose patriarch was recently striken in a duel with the Forgotten Templar and lay near death for many days, has issued no public comment; many that frequent the ziggurat, however, noticed a delegation from the House enter the Stygian Citadel and remain sequestered there for some time before leaving as quietly as they came.

[Daemonic Daz]

Many also speak of Alistair Harvix's overtaking of a trial involving a halfling accused of murder and other various acts against The Duchy, although his body and state of health was far from what it was previous to his duel with The Forgotten Templar.

It is said that his temper was cut short and his mercy unseen as the halfling was sentenced to slavery after a mere 10 minutes, in a curious twist the hin begged for death and the Harvix Patriach was obliged to grant it.

As the prisioner was to be returned to the ziggurat for beheading, multiple breakout attempts were put down thanks to the efforts of The Stygian Armada and Duchy Loyalists. Alistair was said to even have a hand in this, magically holding one man dressed in purple with blond hair who spoke out against The Lords decision.

The tyranny of The Duchy swells, with many eyes and ears from the docks seeing these events and decrying them as outright evil.

[Iron Oligarch]

Kythorn 4:

Word quickly spreads through the Dominion of an altercation at the funeral of Grimfael Corval between Lord Alistair Harvix and High Templar Brynach of the Disciples of the Pallid Mask. Kept separated by soldiers of the Stygian Armada, Harvix read from a decree written by Duke Trenada declaring that because of the Forgotten Templar's misconduct before his death as well as the failure of the Disciples to uphold their gods-given mission to destroy the Nightrisers forever, they would be stripped of their title to the Mausoleum headquarters. In the Disciples' place, House Harvix would take on the responsibilities of administering to the colony's deceased. Deigning not to resist, the Pallid Mask accepted the Duke's decision and agreed to remove their possessions within a day's time.

While a minority of citizens are outraged that such stalwart defenders of the colony would be treated in this fashion, more are ambivalent to the Pallid Mask but uneasy at the prospect of their bodies being interred under the supervision of what is commonly held to be a noble house of practicing necromancers. The Docks too are far from supportive of the Disciples; the Order of the Pallid Mask is spoken of nearly as often as the Stygians are, serving in the capacity as enforcers and thugs to support Duke Trenada's rule. Dark times indeed seem to be on the horizon for the Disciples of the Pallid Mask, who have made no public comment but keeps to their Mausoleum, busily packing before House Harvix's deadline arrives.

[Letsplayforfun]

More light sightings. But these reports are more alarming. Tales of burning lights, of strange magic weaving occurences, of people falling under unearthly spells...

Yet no one seems to know where these things come from, or what it is they are doing in and out of the Colony. But this unknown alone is enough to breed fear into the hearts of many, for it does feel like the quiet before the storm...

[Iron Oligarch]

Kythorn 7:

The circumstances surrounding the appearance of a small company of Brethren of the Numinous Order at the gates of Nebedzzos are as hazy as the Mist said to have surrounded them, but all too clear were the announcements made by the Stygian Armada later that evening -- Roderick de Velen, once the Lord Commander of the Numinous Order before he was striken by a curse in the chaos of Red Eleint, has revealed himself to be Agravain Blackhearth, heir to (long thought extinct) House Blackhearth of Old Port, and declared himself the lord of a domain independent from the Dominion of Duke Trenada.

In response, the Dominion has declared war on Lord Blackhearth and his followers, naming all members of the Numinous Order traitors to the lawful government of his Grace the Duke. The colonial militia has been called up to augment the ranks of the Duke's Stygian men-at-arms as the Conclave and Docks look on; the eyes of the island are upon this new shift of power, and alert to the changes it might bring.

* * *

The first trader out of the Old Port to anchor in the Inner Pier, meanwhile, has delivered similarly dire news. The comital seat has suffered greatly at the hands of the same Grey Mist Raiders that struck the Docks district some five days previous, with a sizable portion of the Merchant's District going up in flame before a detachment of guardsmen led by a phalanx of Rubies broke the raiders' ranks and drove them back into the misty waters they appeared from. What men and women hold loyalty to Count Senuspur speak darkly about the twin threats of an antagonistic militarized order and a fleet of bloodthirsty barbarian pirates, and make ominous predictions of the days to follow.[/I]

[BrittanyPanthas]

Kythorn 9, 1377

The Mist thickened terribly in the Docks today, portending the return of the Grey Mist Raiders.   Upon the arrival of their galleys, Father Michael paraded out six children, whom the Raiders immediately swept up into their arms.  While the Docksfolk were generally appalled by giving up their children as slaves to the Raiders, none of them acted given that the children all stated they were doing this out of their free will to ease the suffering of the Docks.

The Grey Mist Raiders wasted no time in casually dumping the children off a cliff, much to the shock of onlookers.  As the children were dashed against the rocks; the raiders only laughed at their misfortune while stating that the Mist must feed.  The First Mate of the galley and his crew battled his way to the beaches, strangely leaving all he bested alive and breathing before jumping onto his longboat and rowing off with his men, who jeered at the stunned people of the Docks.  

In the aftermath, a few angry onlookers attacked Father Michael for his role in this tragedy, despite the man's contrition, leading to only a few bruises and hurt egos in the fist fight that followed.

With the Mist continuing to shroud the Docks, there can be no pursuit by the Sons.  With any chance of vengeance denied to them, the hardy Docksfolk are all subdued, as they sullenly mourn the loss of the six children.