Emperor of Galanthia Offers an Armistice; Captives Returned to Ashbury
In the dark hour following the foul deed of Gonnirkan Mithrauko and the theft of the Vessel of Vapors, the Galanthians chose to appear to Ashbury to offer a potential armistice in the fighting between Ashbury and their empire.
Emperor Galanthys the 4th, attended by four High Prophets and three Imperial Swords of Lore, rifted into the center of town as Duke Aramis Llyrr had a house-to-house search being conducted for the stolen artifact of the Lady of the Mists. With perhaps the worst possible timing, the Emperor offered his armistice with His Grace in a black and foul mood.
The Emperor’s High Prophet of Zisix, calling himself Loxis Lowtid, introduced the Emperor and select members of his court. Loxis, himself a rat scavenger, was introduced as the Prophet of Zisix, and master of the Navy. Mossis the Heartseeker of the Devorra was introduced and quietly stood behind the emperor sternly and without expression.
Then the scavenger introduced Xex of Cradle of the Domin Descry, High Prophet responsible for Population Management — a petite but dour woman. The slaver prophet was followed by Restus Namul, servant to the Inquisitor (also known at the Voice of the Radiance). Ystys Namul then was introduced as a member of something called the Sabin Descry and a direct servant to the Inquisitor.
Under a flag of truce, Ashbans stood ready to strike down the Galanthians at the first sight of treachery, and the oily words of the Emperor did little to breed trust between himself and no-nonsense Aramis Llyrr.
It is clear that a reduction on the Galanthian fight would enable us to concentrate on problems with the Konredhil and the Blackbourne Compact. The Duke’s demands were simple — return our people and withdraw from our borders. His fury at the Galanthians and dedication to his people was breathtaking, and proved that perhaps some negotiations need be conducted with General’s sword!
The Duke struck out verbally at the Galathians insisting that they were untrustworthy and the aggressors as if they were on the battlefield. The Emperor explained that they mistook Ashbury for their ancient enemies Icenia and were willing to make amends.
The Duke struck again and again, verbally demanding that terms be spoken plainly and not with any sort of “sleazy salesmen” techniques. Prophet Loxid Lowtid demanded respect be shown for the Emperor, and seemed poised to attack as he shouted at His Grace. Duke Aramis demanded to speak with a statesmen, and Mossis of the Devorra stepped forward with courtesy and deep bowing to His Grace to meet his demand.
The reparations offered by the Galanthians were expressed. The emperor spoke the following aspect of the armistice: Hostilities immediately cease between the empire of Galanthia and Duchy of Ashbury. All territories held by Galanthia will be held for a period of no longer then five years as a protectorate, as a buffer zone of safety against possible aggression. After five years or sooner, all lands will be returned to Ashbury depending on the state of relations in the time preceding the five years.
The Duke responded with an unyielding demand: if Galanthia’s overture were to be trusted, then all troops must be removed from Ashbury soil. The scavenger Lowtid responded with angry retort, asking what assurances Galanthia had that Ashbury would not retaliate? He pointed to the rumored alliance with Icenia as proof of future aggression.
Loxis made the next offer: Galanthia offered trade via shipping and an alliance against the foul Vacaran Corsairs. He explained that Galanthia is always looking for increased shipments of food in exchange for luxury goods. Also Galanthia has several shipyards available for ship building in exchange for lumber from Ashbury.
The Duke responded that nothing would be agreed to until his lands and people were returned.
Next Xex of Cradle spoke: “Galanthia law indicates that slaves can only be taken from those who are taken in war or upon the committing of a crime and after being judged by Glantri. Galanthia offers to return all 8,000 refugees currently within the lands Galanthia occupies. If the two great nations are not at war, there is no right for them to be taken as slaves.”
The Duke several times argued against the unjust practices of slavery, and nearly broke off negotiations several times, claiming he would not negotiate with a slave state. Mossis interceded at such times, explaining that disputes of cultural practices that have existed for hundreds of years should have no bearing on the conduct at the war.
Loxid threatened very harshly that if they were to remain at war they would be taken as slaves. At this point in the argument, the scavenger exploded in verbal fury, screaming of the indignities thrown upon the Emperor and that Ashbury should be crushed. He at one point withdrew his support and those prophets allied with him because of the words spoken against the Galanthians.
Distraught to near apoplexy, the Emperor said “I foresaw this happening, but I did not believe it could have occurred.” While Loxid demanded negotiations be broken off immediately, Mossis the Heartseeker interceded to allow the negotiations to continue, bringing civilized conversation back between the Duke and the Rat.
Restus Namul then stated “Galanthia officially declares its alliance with the foul Requin Drager and the Sunless Empire of the Trolls at an end. While it does not declare war against them, continued support to them will end and a possible alliance with Ashbury against them is possible in the future.”
While the Duke demanded the immediate return of the Ashbans held prisoner, the Galanthians did not feel that it would be possible to return all of them immediately because of the logistics involved. The Duke promised nothing to them until they could prove anything they claimed or said.
Within three days it was decided that five hundred of the Ashbans taken in this unlawful aggression by Galanthia would be transported to the capital in good health in order for negotiations to continue. Within two days, a full day before the time limit, nearly 800 citizens had been transported by large merchant ships to the piers of Dockside. This added population to the city has already caused minor problems as many of the citizens came without any possessions other than the clothes on their backs. People are helping throughout the city to house these individuals, knowing full well that more refugees may be on their way.
Over seven thousand citizens still seem to be awaiting in the estate of Roderick’s Rest for transport, and messengers have been sent to request further negotiations to begin preparations for return the rest of the captives.
Most Ashbans trust the Duke to move cautiously in these negotiations, as the return of our people and families is of great concern across the Duchy but is potentially dangerous. Up to this point, the Galanthians have seemed to be following their part of the bargain.
As for the theft of the Vessel of Vapors, although it seems somewhat inconceivable that an Ashban would do such a suicidal thing, clues seem to indicate that it was done by a fellow citizen.
Chessmaster Forces Ashbans to Play Game
The demented character known only as “The Chessmaster” made an appearance in Ashbury during the weekend of the Tournament, rifting in with some new friends and placing a task upon the Ashbans.
“I have a wonderful game you can play!” said the dragon mage, dressed in top hat and checkerboard shirt, his face painted with black and white squares. “You will love it!” he said, although some were unsure whether this was a guarantee or an order.
He asked for Duke Bryan or Duchess Mara, unaware of the recent changes in Ashbury nobility. Upon being introduced to Duke Aramis, the Chessmaster showed no respect to His Grace and treated all present with an obvious patronizing attitude that did not win him any friends.
Accompanied by a strange clown construct named Checkers who provided the rifting of the visitors, the Chessmaster introduced his friends who were there to bet on the Tournament:
• Don Guido, a shady character who apparently is an interplanar head of a large crime syndicate;
• Hrin Merik, a biata who would not discuss much about her past or her purpose (although many noted that the biata town of Hrin Merik had been named for its founder hundreds of years ago; it was unclear whether this was the same Hrin Merik).
• Shak-Tir, The king of one of the Sarr kingdoms to our south, who was accompanied by his primary wife. Apparently, the Chessmaster has discovered him in these lands and appreciated the King’s love of strange and crazy games.
• Arcadia Exeter, a dragon mage who calls herself the “Mistress of Dungeons” and who had visited Ashbury almost five years ago (see The Ashbury Times, September 594).
The Chessmaster then announced that both black and white chess pieces had been scattered around Ashbury city and it was up to the citizens to gather them and thus be able to play in a big chess game he would be holding in two days. “Each one is spirit linked and has great powers,” he said, “since I know that you Ashbans are mostly greedy bastards who won’t do anything except for a reward.”
His patronizing attitude riled His Grace who demanded to know why the Ashbans should play his silly game. “Because I have a reward for you if you win!” the Chessmsater said. “The Prophecy of Galantri!”
The prophecy of Galantri contains clues as to how to defeat the Ashbury enemies, and this information intrigued the Duke. He asked for details about the game.
The Chessmaster explained that he would play the Duke in a battle chess game. Each would have to make decisions based not only on traditional chess strategy but also taking into account the powers and skills of the people playing the chess pieces. Further, it would not be decided until just before the game began who would play white and who would play black. This was to make sure that the citizens of Ashbury did not try to stack the teams to make sure the Duke won.
During the course of the Tournament weekend, people found the chess pieces in many ways:
The Chessmaster apparently sent in some of his constructs who, upon shaking hands or otherwise touching a person, would transfer the spirit linked piece to them since constructs have no spirits to which to connect. Many people obtained pieces unknowingly simply by shaking hands with newcomers in town.
Ironically, both Kings were obtained by newcomers to Ashbury. The White King was obtained by Lazarus when he touched a cow that had wandered into the haunted woods, and the other by the gypsy Kheritana who obtained hers by playing the part of a King in an impromptu play being put on by some alleged members of the Bardic College.
One piece — the Black Queen — had apparently been discovered by a goblin who then proclaimed herself the most powerful goblin and would come to town and demand that the citiznes bow before her. She was killed many times before finally dying permanently, thus allowing Lady Azrael to obtain the piece.
Some pieces were distributed by Checkers who threw them at people, forcing them ton accept the pieces when they spirit linked. Among those caught by this action were a very angry Squire Talin, Dominic, and Terendil. Kintar actually asked for a piece in order, he said, to help His Grace obtain the Prophecy.
Other pieces were obtained in other ways, some of which the recipients of did not disclose.
On Sunday night, the pieces all gathered on a giant chess board. Some pieces had not been discovered so the Chessmaster asked for volunteers and handed out the pieces by random chance until the board was filled. Lazarus had injured himself and had not been able to get healing in time and so had to heal naturally and asked to name a replacement; the Chessmaster agreed and allowed Gage to be the King, which may have been a big mistake as Gage later turned out to be the King on the Duke’s team.
The Duke chose his side by randomly picking a chess piece that was hidden in a hand, causing many observers to groan because it appeared by the pick that the Chessmaster had the best team with the most talented fighters. The Duke himself also looked a bit concerned and confided in some that he was not a great chess player.
And in fact, the match went very poorly for His Grace as the talented Chessmaster pushed his way past His Grace’s defensives. The Duke had the advantage of better knowing the skills of the pieces on the board, but the Chessmaster constantly was seen talking to his own pieces, asking about the skills of their opponents.
At one point, The Chessmaster sent his Queen, Lady Azrael, after the Duke’s King Gage and it appeared that the game was lost until Azrael stumbled, allowing Gage to hold off the game a bit longer.
This may have led to the Chessmaster’s overconfidence as he apparently did not notice that His Grace had been moving up his rook Baron Agnar into position to take out The Chessmaster’s King, and when that battle happened, even Kheritana’s gypsy curse could not stop her taking by the powerful Baron.
The Chessmaster was upset at his defeat but accepted it gracefully, providing His Grace with the promised prophecy. He then had Checkers provide the winning team with magic items as promised, and he apologized to his own team who had obviously wanted and tried very hard to win.
Lizardman King Frees Soldiers, Seeks Ashban Aid
On the 14th night of the Hawk, 599, a spirit form entered the Dragon’s Flagons seeking out Guildmistress Natasha, Shya Corak and nobles of Ashbury. He spoke quietly and wore a hooded cloak, but identified himself as Mishrak, the leader of the lizardmen.
Once he obtained the audience he sought, he offered to release eighty soldiers of Trellheim that had been captured and spirit stored for well over a year. In exchange, he sought the Ashbans’ help in two things.
The first was the protection of lizardman eggs in the Amaranth Swamp. The second was the liberation of a lizardman female that had been captured by Vaccaran Corsairs. The Ashbans agreed to this, and it seemed a peaceful negotiation had been completed.
Two lizardmen then entered the tavern, claiming they had been chased by Mishrak’s undead minions and that Mishrak was trying to kill all the lizardmen that did not follow him. They said he was evil and a necromancer and that his minions waited outside. Mishrak headed outside, followed closely behind by the Ashbans.
Outside the tavern waited a large reptilon death knight and a horde of undead. The death knight proclaimed that he was there to slay the Ashbans at Mishrak’s order. Mishrak said some arcane words of power and his spirit form shifted and he became solid. He quickly began to throw healing spells at the death knight and a battle ensued, with Mishrak aiding the Ashbans fighting against the undead horde. The death knight and his brood were all dispatched. Mishrak identified the death knight as Vanrakithis of the Vaegris, a renegade group of lizardmen necromancer which is hunted by Mishrak and his followers.
Later that night, several of the missing soldiers came to town and told of being released by Mishrak and his lizardmen. The other soldiers were released as well, but returned to their homes.
The next day, Mishrak arrived in town with his impressive throne of bones. The evil entity known as Malfolio no longer possessed any control over it, and Mishrak assured the town that it was entirely under his control. The throne was used to transport the Ashbans quickly to the Amaranth Swamp.
Within the swamp, there were many egg clutches that the Ashbans broke up into groups to defend. Soon, undead and renegade lizardmen swarmed through the swamp, trying to destroy the eggs. The Ashbans fought valiantly, but in the end were overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Only one egg was saved. Mishrak thanked the Ashbans for their efforts, but it was obvious he was saddened by the loss of the eggs. That evening, Vanrakithis again attacked with more undead and lizardmen. Again the death knight and his horde was beaten back by the Ashbans.
On Sunday afternoon Mishrak arrived in town with the captain of the HMS Raker. The Ashbans made their way to the docks and piled aboard the ship, headed for a Vaccaran outpost where the lizardwoman was being held captive.
The ship dropped anchor at the outpost, which consisted of a wooden platform in the middle of the Bay of Vaccara. Two other ships were anchored there, both with the ritual “Domain of the Damned” upon them, keeping any living beings from entering. The Ashbans gathered their forces and began their assault.
Great undead resistance met the Ashbans at the main gate to the outpost. Fierce fighting ensued with the Ashbans finally pushing into the outpost. There were several buildings within which were explored by the Ashbans. One of them contained many traps, and the rogues of Ashbury worked hard to get past them. The rest of the Ashbans repelled attacks from a seemingly unending horde of undead that poured forth from the two ships.
Finally, the traps were all cleared and the lizardman female was freed when Guildmistress Kismet shattered the shackles that held her.
The Ashbans then commenced a fighting retreat back to the HMS Raker. Aboard the Raker, Mishrak turned the lizardman female to spirit form, thanked the Ashbans, and left.
Curse of Glantri or Unrelated Happenings?
Three particularly strange events occurred in Ashbury recently that may indicate the Curse of Glantri is now reappearing. This would cause Ashbury to suffer the same fate as ancient Icenia.
A woman appeared on Saturday morning of the Tournament with a strange red sigil on her face, wearing the tattered garments of ancient Icenia. To add to the mystery, she wore the bloody symbols of the Freejyn Horde as well. With powerful strides she ignored the hails of several individuals and suddenly was drawn to the manor house of the Ash Forest. Walking past several members of the Court, she placed her hand upon the ward protective and began to destroy it. Immediately moving into action, Baron Agnar, Calis, and Lady Azrael attacked and distracted her so she could not complete her action. They subdued her despite her obvious prowess in battle and removed her from the manor house.
As they prepared her for interrogation, the sigil upon her face glowed brightly and she immediately stood and began once again to destroy the ward. Once again, the Ashbans were forced to incapacitate her.
This continued until biata Storm went into her mind. It is not known what he discovered there. Binding her, they found the sigil glowed again and she spirit recalled away.
This woman was later seen in Oldtown where she killed several guards after destroying a ward and three wizard locks on the garrison building there. Rumors have placed her in Blythedale and Nordenn as well.
Following the woman’s appearance, a man appeared with a similar sigil. Desiccated as if he was drained of all water, he hobbled through town with a wracking noise from his throat and bulging eyes, and all within his sight suddenly found themselves deathly thirsty. It was hardly possible to describe him as a man, and one commoner said it was as if a large mosquito had sucked all the blood out of him. Citizens attempting to help the poor man gave him gallons of water which he consumed without slaking his apparent endless thirst. Then he apparently turned to Ashbans for his source of moisture. Touching no less than 40 people, the man knocked them unconscious, draining fluids from their body with a mere touch.
While Ashbans still attempted to aid him, they often fell prey to his inability to control himself from touching them to relieve his tortured need for water. The man was knocked unconscious and knocked down several times, but the sigil glowed brightly a few moments later and renewed him to hobble about once again.
Getting up with tortured pain he rose to continue to demand water and drain townsfolk. Those drained were restored easily with healing, but many fell victim to his tricks to touch him. Several discovered that even attempting to utilize the arts of healing caused them to fall unconscious.
After several attempts to communicate with him, Guildmistress Natasha attempted several treatments, and managed to cure the man by utilizing several potions at once — one of each type. The man restored and the sigil faded.
Questioning revealed that he is an Icenian banker who has been trapped in this form for nearly three hundred years. The Ashbury Times has been unable to attain an interview with this man, but it is rumored he is staying with the Guildmistress in Safehaven. How someone could remain sane after 300 years in such a state is unknown.
Late in the same afternoon, strange fiery sigils appeared on a wall in the center of town. The sigil glowed a fiery red and dim forms moved a distance away from the sigil. Lady Azrael, Gage, Tithraq, and Mathias were absorbed into the symbol which later disappeared. They later appeared with sigils on their face, and began to hunt townspeople. They hurled bolts of pure fire and attempted to kill anyone they could.
After they were incapacitated and after receiving Life spells, the beings seemed to be cured. While they hunted, the sigil on the wall moved about to different locations and any passing between the form and the sigil was struck by a powerful elemental flame that shot from the sigil itself. Several unwary travelers stumbled into this apparent hazard and required healing. Many citizens quickly struck the sigil with ice spells when it appeared a third time, and the sigil vanished.
It is not known what is causing these strange things to happen, and it is not obvious if there is a connection to these things and the Curse of Glantri. They seem very different, but the symbol of Glantri appears prominently in each circumstance.
Sylvan Guard Wins 599 Tournament
A group of adventurers calling themselves the Sylvan Guard won the 599 Annual Tournament by a fairly large margin, placing first in three of the nine competitions. The team, consisting of Squires Derek and Brynn, Tithraq, Rasq, Inaque and Mattias (a/k/a “Rockboy”), beat four other talented groups.
In second place was a group that jokingly called itself the “Law Abiding Citizens” which included Squire Sparktet, Calis, Luigi, Gilwing, Gage, and Drakonis.
The Black Unicorns, consisting of Cormack, Kiren, Sparticus, Saja, Trife, and Ragnar were third.
The Court of Blythedale, consisting of Baron Jonathan, Sir Daniel, Squire Lupiticus, Shya, Pippin, and Nihilus, placed fourth.
A group of commoners calling themselves “Final Options” came in last. They were led by Gadlen and included Lazarus, Rathic, Skywolf, Dominic, Merrik, and Tarquin. This thrown-together-at-the-last-minute group were plainly in it just for the fun of it, as evidenced by their cheer whenever in a competition they came in other than last: “We’re Not the Worst!”
Also in attendance were the Chessmaster’s gambling friends. The rifting gamblers apparently each took a team to bet on although it was not clear to the casual observer who was betting on which team. However, these strangers appeared at every competition to observe and perhaps adjust their wagers.
The Tournament began with the Colors competition in which the teams present themselves to His Grace and announce their members. The Sylvan Guard were the obvious first choice winners here, as they not only had matching finery, but presented themselves with much composure and dignity and, upon returning to their starting position, remained standing and solemn while the other teams sat down, moved around and joked among themselves.
This competition was immediately followed by the Battle portion in which three members from each team fight with padded weapons against one other team in a round robin elimination. The Law Abiding Citizens and Blythedale were each tied until it was time for the two of them to face each other, and the Citizens were able to prevail.
The Hunt list was handed out at this time, and the teams immediately began searching for items such as “An Hourglass,” “Paradise”, “A Match Made in Safehaven”, “A Rat’s Ass” and other mysterious things.
The Riddles Competition was held that night in the Dragon’s Flagon, and was quite exciting. Dim the Jester read the riddles without any problems until he tried reading one that seemed quite sexually suggestive. He turned to Magistrate Eros at one point in joking anger at the Mystic Wood Elf’s choice of riddles, but eventually continued on. The proper answer to the riddle about the stiff item with a hole in one end that a man carries under his tunic to bring out in order to insert into a hole was of course “a key.”
The Riddles Competition was eventually narrowed down between the Sylvan Guard and the Black Unicorns, and for a few rounds they went back and forth, each answering correctly, without breaking the tie. Finally, to the frustration of the Black Unicorns, they received an unusually difficult one where the Sylvan Guard got a very easy one. The Unicorns were very good sports about it, aware that the order of the riddles is predetermined and luck can play a hand in what riddles one gets.
The Archery contest was the next day, and no one would be surprised to learn that the elven archer Squire Derek easily bested his competitors.
Later, the Spellcaster’s Battle, in which one caster from each team meet on Gwendolyn’s Field and are allowed to throw almost any nondamage spells at each other was won by the Black Unicorns, with Blythedale a close second.
The Race, which calls for four team members to run a relay, caused some arguments. Gage, who was originally supposed to run with The Law Abiding Citizens, had been ill and was still sick in bed, and therefore could not compete. Luigi, who was also on the team, had a bad leg injury and the sixth member Calis was not present. Sir Eros, whose distrust and antagonism towards the convicted criminals is well known, wanted to have someone go into town to retrieve Calis or otherwise have the team forfeit, but Gilwing offered to run twice instead, and the other teams, anxious to get started, agreed to let him. Gilwing, perhaps the fastest dwarf in history, brought the Law Abiding Citizens to first place in this competition.
The Entertainment competition was scheduled for that evening but began late because Sir Eros, who was responsible for organizing the Tournament, was killed on the way to the event. His resurrection in the Healer’s Guild put the event behind schedule, and the fact that his clipboard with all his notes was missing made many wonder if the killing was related to the Tournament. The Lord Magistrate’s cloak and clipboard were found in the woods a few days later, and although his notes were still present, the “Hunt” list which included the current scores and which was on the clipboard was missing.
The Entertainment competition was perhaps the best Ashbury has ever seen, with all groups putting a major effort into their presentations. The Black Unicorn’s puppet show, which told the story of “Duke Harimus and Princess Spillith” was the highlight of the Tournament for many. Final Option performed a bawdy song that had His Grace laughing for quite a time afterwards, and the Sylvan Guard did a hilarious recitation of the Code of Chivalry, complete with acted out examples of each tenet. The Law Abiding Citizens sang a song and Blythedale read a poem.
The Hero’s Battle the next morning was won by Gage of the Law Abiding Citizens.
Finally, the results of the Hunt were announced and the Law Abiding Citizens had the most Hunt items, with a total score of 61 to the Sylvan Guard’s second place showing of 57.
Some of the Hunt items this year proved to be particularly difficult. “A Lost Knoble Adventurer” was an obvious anagram given the misspelling of the word “noble” and this translated out to “Look under the tavern table” where a picture of Duke Bryan was found. “A Red Sunset” was the name of a drink whose recipe would be turned over only if you provided a local bartender with something new he had never tried before. “The Order of the Occupations” was based on rumors heard in the tavern, and “The Cone of Silences” could be discovered only by realizing that the nonsense letters being posted around town, when properly arranged and read from top to bottom instead of from right to left, gave the answer.
Many adventurers scoured the woods looking for small pieces of paper with the word “pecker” on them to gain “The Most Wood Peckers” and no one discovered “The Song of the Sparrow” which was hidden in the letters not used in a word search puzzle that gave the answer to “The Missing Elixir.”
The best Top Ten Lists of each team were humorous, although His Grace was notably upset with the Law Abiding Citizen’s list which jokingly spoke of how to get on their apparent list of people to assassinate.
Werewolves Cured!
A long standing conflict that divided Ashbury and almost lead to a civil war among adventurers and nobles has finally been resolved.
Over a year ago, several townspeople were infected with lycanthropy, a disease that turns its victim into a ravenous werewolf that will attack all on sight, save other werewolves. They were infected by a werewolf named Kinnekonkwa. On occasion, the victims would turn into their counterparts and go on a rampage. Some of them thought they could contain its power and eventually be able to control it and learn more of its dark secrets. However, there was a price to pay, for one time when they changed, three adventurers died at the hands of these citizens gone awry.
One night, a child of the moon not allied to Kinnekonkwa’s werewolves entered town and caused Nihilius and Inaque to “wolf out” and steal and murder for its gain. They did so against their will and caused much havoc and chaos into the early morning hours. Lady Azrael of the Ash Forest was quite upset when she learned that the Baron of Blythedale would rather sleep than clean up after his squires’ and companion’s destruction. She was heard by many to have said, “If I have to stop them again, they are going to resurrect!”
At that juncture in time, Sir Daniel Star came out in his nightclothes and weapons to apprehend and imprison his members who were on the loose. The night calmed down as the wolves were caught and confined to wards.
The magistrate’s trial left a sour taste in most everyone’s mouth and hostilities were on the rise. Some thought the werewolves should pay with their lives and others thought the magistrate was too harsh; instead they were heavily fined and removed of all titles.
A few weeks later, Kinnekonkwa, also a child of the moon, showed up in the tavern to talk with Sir Eros about the trial. Imagine his surprise when Luigi showed up and began throwing death gasses at him. Unbeknownst to Luigi, Baron Jonathan had just placed Kinnekonkwa under his protection and the result was a downed Luigi via the Baron’s blade. This made matters worse when on the field the town rallied against Kinnekonkwa and Blythedale who were protecting him. Luigi cried out, “50 gold piece reward for the head of Kinnekonkwa!” Many swords were heard to unsheathe at this remark.
Blythedale began to leave town with the werewolf leader as the town watched from a distance. Not much is known what happened from there, but the town was in turmoil and Sir Pelicarus had his hands full trying to crush a civil war. Plans were being made and recipes were being researched as to how to cure the lycanthropes and stop this madness.
Later, a werewolf hunter entered town and offered Baron Jonathan the cure but the Baron’s treasury had not yet arrived so was unable to make a purchase. Luckily Calis caught the man before he left for parts unknown and bought the required recipe. It was somehow distributed through the people and goodwoman Shya mixed up the ingredients to cure all the victims.
It was done just as the tournament was ending and left a foul odor seeping through the ranks of onlookers. All the werewolves were lined up and ready for the cure. As each one received it, he was forced into wolf form and summarily beaten down and force-fed the antidote. They all returned to normal. However, known werewolf Chieftain Ator was seen leaving town before being administered the cure.
All things considered, let’s hope the town can lick its wounds from this one.
Baron Olin Leads Force to Retake Shadowkeep
Baron Olin successfully led a strike force against the inner bailey of Shadowkeep, wresting its power from the shadowy claws of the being known as the Geist.
Working in conjuction with Baron Jonathan’s newest regiment of undead killers, a feint attack was made against the Node rumored to be in Crystal Falls in an attempt to draw forces away from Shadowkeep. Members of the Bondbreakers reported the ruse had worked as the Geist dispatched Douglas Nordenn, a powerful death knight, to strike at the forces in Crystal Falls.
Using the power of his land bond, Baron Olin then transported the entire force of battle hardened adventurers to strike with nearly complete surprise against the undead forces within the Castle.
Duke Aramis Llyrr supervised many of the newer adventurers as they kept lesser undead from attacking the rear and flanks of the elite force as it pushed its way, led by Baron Olin into the inner keep.
While the elite force pushed forwards, it encountered several powerful undead death knights as well as some strange yet to be recorded undead. One such undead apparently moaned with an icy chill that caused adventurers to drop their weapons while its razor sharp claws ripped through armor. Another non corporeal undead caused the muscles of the throat to grow rigid, making it impossible to scream for help or cast spells. Locals are calling such undead the Night Shade and the other a Haunt.
Crystavia Nordenn appeared from the central tower during the middle of the combat and was forced to spirit recall before she too fell before the blades of Ashbury. With her departure, the remaining undead were swept from the field and the Baron moved forward and, with his symbol of bonding, purified the Node itself.
The symbol of bonding joined with the node, turning it from a fiery blue sphere to a glowing white sphere, and the symbol it self took the white color and exhibited the affect of a damage aura! With magic weapon in hand, Baron Olin strode into the node itself and recovered many of the items taken during the defeat last January at the Shadowkeep military academy.
Handing a triumphant defeat to the Geist has many wondering what the foul being’s next move will be. Surely, observers say, there may already be something being devised by the Geist and his foul allies to turn this defeat into victory. The Node of Shadowkeep is however difficult to protect, as the deadly barrier still glows upon the gates of this ancient structure; apparently that part of the Geist’s magic still endures despite the loss of the Node.
Mystic Wood Elf Obliterated
Late in the evening of the 29th Day of the Hawk, the now all too familiar figure of the Kanoredhil, Mithrauko, was seen approaching the tavern. As he got closer, it could be seen that he carried an unconscious figure with him. He then said something which was not clearly heard, killing blowed the figure and went gaseous.
The gaseous form then travelled down a pathway that led a bit into the woods. He entered a circle of power, solidified and life the form he had been carrying. By now, the town was assembling around the circle. The from turned out to be Lygea, a popular and frequent visitor to Ashbury. She is one of the native mystic wood elves, who call themselves the Children of Camulous. The unarmed Lygea proceeded to attack Mithrauko who only smirked as he webbed her. He then lit two torches within the circle, took out a ritual scroll and components, and began a ritual. The components were soon identified by Shya Corak as the components to the obliteration ritual.
The town was enraged, and tried everything they could think of to stop the ritual. Many of the local gypsies cursed the Kanoredhil, giving him the beak of a chicken, causing him to stutter, flap his arms, and cover his eyes. None of this distracted him overmuch from his ritual though. The poor Lygea screamed in pain and screamed for help throughout the ritual until the fiend eventually cut her tongue out. The Duke himself offered himself to be obliterated in Lygea's place, but the smug Mithrauko again just smirked and answered "But I've already started."
Many townspeople vowed revenge on the powerful vampire elf, but he remained as smug and unflappable as ever, even telling Squire Azura that he had a set of components for her as well. The townsfolk were only able to look on and watch as the ritual was carried to completion and Lygea dissipated.
Mithrauko then vanished in a flash of blue energy. Lygea's body has not reformed in the circle, nor has she been heard from since.
Adventurers Thwart Robbery Ring
On a recent Saturday night, a man calling himself Tim came into the central city asking for aid in finding his brother who was late coming home from the mill.
Several townsfolk, led by Naketnya, agreed to help him and they set off to the mill. When they arrived, Tim pointed ahead to the mill, but it was completely dark and there appeared to be no one in the area. He asked the adventurers to go ahead, but as they did, there was a loud crack and a gas trap went off.
Although the adventurers were not killed, they were robbed of their belongings, including their weapons, potions and money. Upon awakening, they snuck back to town, and discovered that the men who perpetrated the crime had been seen walking around the area.
At this point, it was very late in the night, and very few people were awake, but Cormack, Sparticus and Ragnar, who had seen the thieves walking around town, agreed to help find them.
Almost immediately the group ran into the thieves, as they were returning from the tavern, drunk. There was a brief parlay, and then the adventurers charged forward and apprehended them.
Upon investigating and questioning the criminals, the adventurers learned that a fourth person was involved and that he had gone to Dockside, presumably to sell the stolen weapons.
In the morning, they gathered a few others, including Gilwing, Candelese, and Jester the jester, and headed to Dockside to make the connections they had learned of the previous night. The weapons were in the process of being sold to some local goblins. At first the adventurers tried to bid for the weapons, but finally were forced to attack. Even though the group had almost no healing, they fought bravely and they were ultimately victorious. All of the stolen goods were returned to their rightful owners.
Powerful New Goblins Confront Adventurers
On Saturday the 15th of May, a man named Atu entered town in the early morning while many citizens were still awakening or foraging for breakfast. Atu made his way to the tavern where he found a few adventurers drinking tea and nibbling on cookies.
Atu explained that the slavery fighting group known as the Raven had paid for the building of a new orphanage to help accommodate the orphans from Trellheim, but before they could move anyone in a group of Goblins moved in and refused to leave.
Atu told the adventurers that he didn’t have any money, but that they would be allowed to keep any treasure that was found. The adventurers gathered a few people and a group consisting of Ragnar, Trife and Merrek the Dark Elves, Tarquin, Isstvan the Gypsy and Duren Axlund and they followed Atu to the Orphanage.
Inside they found several goblins who refused to vacate, identifying themselves as members of the Broken Kneecaps and claiming that this was their house now and that the adventurers were the trespassers. The heroes engaged them in battle.
The goblins were led by a very powerful goblin wielding a silver sword. Duren and Ragnar were able to combine their efforts to bring it down while the rest of the group focused on the other goblins.
Atu was very grateful and thanked the heroes, but was dismayed at the smell the goblins had left behind.
Tarquin mentioned that he had encountered a goblin who was equally powerful and also wielding a silver sword a few months earlier. It is yet unknown as to how the local goblins have become so powerful.
Magistrate's Report
Perhaps because of my Mystic Wood elf nature, the possibility of punishing slavers always interests me. In fact, some of you may be aware that a few years ago, then-Sir Aramis and I were assigned to the Duchy of Niman where our refusal to “properly enforce” the laws of Niman concerning slavery had us removed and given a new assignment. It is my firm belief, and I believe the belief of His Grace, that unjust laws should not be enforced.
While in Niman I became aware of a group known as The Raven who spent their efforts freeing slaves. This group was once an illegal organization, since their actions were technically treason against the King’s law, but now that we are no longer part of that kingdom, their actions, so long as they do not attempt to dispense justice or break any other law, are encouraged. (They are to be distinguished from the White Rose, a group that breaks our own laws constantly while trying to free slaves.)
Based on information from the Raven, a group of adventurers recently attempted to bring some suspected slavers to justice before me. As much as I wanted to find them guilty, no evidence was presented to me other than the fact that the suspects were lying about where they were heading. I cannot find people guilty of slavery without evidence, and these people were set free.
To make matters worse, Gadlen had himself and his companions arrested as well; apparently he was hoping that by doing so, he could encourage the slavers to slip and say something to him. They did not, and his plan, which had Kheritana the gypsy pretending to be a slaver, was ludicrous (A gypsy slaver is as impossible as a Mystic Wood Elf slaver).
I was upset that my time was wasted on this; and wish to announce that in the future, I will not allow such games to be played in my court. I run a Court of Justice and a Court of Justice’s purpose is to seek the truth! Technically, Gadlen and his compatriots could have been found guilty of perjury for lying, or at least misrepresenting themselves to the court. Further, I will not find someone guilty merely because of hearsay evidence with no collaboration.
I wish to catch slavers more than anyone, but I will not destroy Justice in the process.
Sir Eros Clearbrook
Mage's Guild Report
Greetings to you from the Celestial Mages Guild.
On a recent Saturday evening, the Guild was visited by a troll claiming to be from another celestial guild formerly on Tyrra. The area he was from was apparently affected by the same maw that swept us up and dropped us off here. I will be spending the next few weeks, most likely at the Sage’s Guild, researching some of the information he gave me. If anyone has any information on this or on any other reports of celestial guilds claiming to be from Tyrra, I ask that you bring this to my attention immediately.
Guildmembers: I would like to announce the following promotions within the guild: Sa’Ja of the Black Unicorns is now Guildsman and Mattias McCleod is now Guildsman.
Please welcome Nihilius back to the guild. He will retain his position. Welcome back Nihilius.
Just a reminder or two: If you have a report outstanding, it is probably in your best interest to turn it in. Failure to do so will minimize your chances of being promoted in the guild. I ask that the reports be addressed to me and delivered to me in person at the guild.
Guild members are also required to serve guild duty if you are in town and one of the four of us (Tabitha, Nikias, Tiraflorn or I) are present. Failure to do so will result in demotion and/or immediate removal from the guild.
My apologies to those of you who were to assist me on a recent Sunday evening. I thank you for volunteering to help, but other, more pressing matters come up.
Travel safely. May the stars keep you safe and the Moon guide you home.
Guildmistress Kismet
Letters
People of Ashbury,
Most of us witnessed a most gruesome tragedy recently — the obliteration of Lygea, one of the Children of Camulus and a trusted friend of mine. I wish to humbly thank all those who tried to help and all those who stayed with her so she wouldn’t be alone in what may have been her last hour with us. I know many of you blamed yourselves for not saving her. Please don’t. There was nothing anyone could have done. Remember this tragedy and remember her name.
Lupiticus and I will never stop fighting Mithrako and his clowns and I hope that we have your aid as well. I was once afraid of him but no longer. His actions have made me stronger and I will never rest until justice is served.
Squire Azura Barony of Nordenn
Attention all citizens of Ashbury:
I am looking for citizens interested in the protection of Ashbury in the capacity of town guard. I will be leading this new team myself in the pursuit of protection, escorts, intelligence, and defense of the city. You will be paid in silver, protective spells, supplies, and a warded barracks to rest when time allows it.
Sir Morgasander
Duke Aramis Lyrr,
On a recent visit to your lands, two of my emissaries were assured that as long as we came in peace, we would be treated with respect and not attacked. You were taken at your word and trusted.
Recently, some of my people entered your lands on a peaceful journey. Though at first treated cordially, one of your citizens, who at first professed friendship, later attacked and killed my people. He called himself Calis and was accompanied by several others.
Is this how we are to be treated? We do not wish to be enemies, but if this act goes unpunished, we surely shall be.
Grand Vizier to Her Royal Majesty Shartrizz Darkscale
Citizens of Ashbury,
I wish to extend my deepest thanks to the members of the Black Unicorns and the Barony of the Ash Forest who were kind enough to help my people in their time of greatest need. Your bravery and fighting skill has rid us of the Twilight Cats, and your cunning has allowed the plot of their supporters to be exposed.
The twelve of you, whom I would like to thank by name but in my haste I failed to get this complete information, have effected a turning point in our history. As you know, we turned to necromancy and the creation of undead in a time of desperation to protect ourselves from these cats. The undead seemed to be our only deterrent, as we had made the error of giving up our fighting skills generations ago, believing we were safe in our isolated home. Many of our citizens became accustomed to having our undead scarecrows to protect them from the cats.
In my concern for this terrible acclimatization to necromancy, I sought out citizens of Ashbury to help me remove the threat of these cats, as I had read of your dislike of necromancy and your desire to exterminate it. I was sorry to see that your Guildmistress Natasha was unwilling to help us, being unable to see beyond the present and assist me in creating a new future for my people. Though I suppose it was also difficult for her to believe that I, as a liche, would be sincere in my desire to eradicate necromancy from my lands.
Those twelve of you who were brave enough to take that risk have made a great stride towards that goal. As you know, there were citizens here who wished to maintain the presence of the undead for their own benefit. These traitors included three whom I had personally transformed into greater undead so that the zombies we created could be adequately controlled and pose no threat to any citizen. I regret ever having done so.
These three greater undead, including my Assistant Guildmaster, and their living coconspirators involved in perpetuating the threat these cats posed to us have been utterly destroyed. We believe at this time that the remainder of the animals have been found and killed.
There is much rebuilding to do in our lands. The lesser undead are being systematically freed from their necromantic bonds and their physical remains given proper burial. It is a time consuming process, but I anticipate it will be complete within a few months.
Without the assistance of the members of the Barony of the Ash Forest and the Black Unicorns, this progress would never have been possible. We have already begun to teach our children ways to better defend themselves so that we need not even consider necromancy as a means of defense in the future.
I hope to return to your lands as soon as I able to thank you again personally.
Guildmaster Valerian
I have never seen such greed in one man’s eyes as I have seen during the weekend of the Tournament.
Up until night of the 30th day, of the 5th month, of the year 599, I had the upmost respect for Gage and the entire court of Ash Forest. I could not believe my eyes when I saw the way Gage and his Baron had handled the simple situation over the magic sword that Sparticus had found in the Shadowkeep battle.
The way I look at it, Gage was the one who had lost the sword and therefore gave up the rights of ownership; and Sparticus had found the magic sword and from that moment on had the right of ownership. Had I been in the situation that Sparticus had been in I would have handled it a little bit different (he wouldn’t have walked away with the sword, or walked away alive).
I hope this letter allows Gage realize that he was in the wrong and that his Baron should have realized himself that Gage was no longer the rightful owner the sword and that from the moment Sparticus had found the sword he became the rightful owner. Do not get me wrong — if I had lost a magic sword and someone else found it I be pretty upset, but I would not make the person return it. If he or she had wanted to I would not have said no, and I would have rewarded them handsomely.
I only hope this letter brings peace to Sparticus in knowing that there is someone out there that would not have blown the situation out of hand.
I hope that Gage realizes that the actions he took where out of pure greed, not of common sense. And as a note to all of you — greed will catch up with you some day, and it might not be in the most pleasant of ways!
Name Withheld by Request
Dear Ashbans,
I am writing to tell you about Squire Sparktet, a man I am proud to call a friend. At the first gathering in May, I underwent a spirit forge ritual. This might have been impossible without the aid of Squire Sparktet, since I realized that I needed another rare ritual component for the ritual. I didn’t ask Squire Sparktet, because I knew that he also wanted to undergo a spirit forge, and was collecting ritual components for it. He heard me asking others for a rare component, however, and he offered me one of his!
I understand that as a squire, he is expected to be generous, but this seemed too good to be true! When the Code of Chivalry says to be generous, I don’t think it means that you have to give away rare ritual components and postpone your plans to have rituals casted on you. That’s what Squire Sparktet did, however, and he never even asked for compensation!
That’s not even the only reason Sparky is such a good squire. In an effort to win the tournament, Sparky stayed up most of every night in order to search for hunt items and prepare for the entertainment. Also, when gold needed to be spent in order to procure an item for the team, Sparky was willing to spend it.
I save the biggest act of generosity I have ever seen for the end of my letter. Sparky gave up every hope of one of his ambitions, becoming control spirit stored, when he allowed me to use a permanence primary he had found so that I could get some stuff done for me. That act of friendship still seems unbelievable to me. Sparky is a great squire and an even better friend.
Luigie
Astrological Forecast
by Solemn Judgment
The sixth month of the zodiacal calendar centers on the sign of the Serpent, and is further influenced by the first of the year’s heavenly bodies, which is fittingly the closest: the Moon. The Serpent is a rare (and some would say mythical) creature, a snake which is both poisonous and constrictor, at ease upon the Water but molting into a winged form later in life, at which time it is capable of traversing the known world in but a single day. This is appropriate to the advent of summer and the quickening of the season. But the Serpent is also thought to be a deceiver, a keeper of secrets who yields knowledge only for its own purposes. The Serpent can bring the sudden adversity and surprise of war, for armies campaign when spring rains have cleared and crops are planted. The Moon, too, increases this sense of climaxing Chaos, as it is the most changeable of celestial orbs, often showing less than it is, and at its peak causing significant changes here on earth.
Serpent is the month of Chaos, and while it cannot be doubted that this time is harmful to many, it would be too hasty -- sooth, e’en chaotic!-- to equate this with evil. Chaos brings opportunity, as the pundits say, and the time of greatest change is also a time of great growth, appropriate to early summer.
A Little Birdie Told Me
by Sue D’Onym
So let’s see. . .what’s the latest gossip in the capital city?
I hear that Gilwing is trying to court Princess Kelanor. He thinks she has a nice beard and is quite attractive. He was seen recently heading off on some adventure with her father King Kelanor and Loremaster Smith, and they all seemed to be getting along just fine, so apparently the King of the dwarves has no problem with the fellow.
“Sometimes I am not sure who’s apprenticed to whom” said Saja of the Black Unicorns, referring to Guildmistress’ Kismet’s reliance on her fellow sarr for advice. He has been a busy feline lately, and was last seen chatting it up with a motley bunch of sarr pirates in the Flagon who apparently had a grievance with another pirate named Ba’Gel. (These new pirates insisted on calling her “Bagel.”)
I hear Calis is proclaiming himself as the new “Night of Darkness” around Ashbury according to the chess piece he got in the Chessmaster’s game. Too bad the Chessmaster lost or he would have been able to keep it. Oh well, just another name to add to The List — although perhaps Sparky should be the one added since it was his poor advice to the Chessmaster that caused the loss!
It appears that Rockboy, er, Rockman, is fitting in well with the Ash Forest. On a recent Saturday night, after having a verbal altercation with a group of adventurers who were trying to make a deal with a man for his Ritual Scroll, he stormed off quite angry. Later that night he broke into the Inn and stole the scroll while the adventurers were out. Or so I am told. . .
Kiren Tobith entered her Chocolate Pudding surprise for a recent cooking contest — with the surprise being a gold piece on the bottom of the dish! Hey, if you bit into it, it would cover the costs for the dental work. Cormack, meanwhile, entered his “Biata Burgers” into the cooking contest (mind you, they were not made of real biata). He said he named them that because they were full of celestial seasoning.
Tsarbane and Kheritana are creating a new gypsy clan which almost all gypsies can enter. So far the only thing (other than being outright evil) that can keep a gypsy from joining will be if they have cursed or removed a curse from another gypsy in the last year. “This clan will be more about fun than war and infighting will not be tolerated,” said Tsarbane. I have heard through the grapevine that the so-called Gypsy King Vlad has already contacted them and told them it wasn’t necessary to start a new clan because he had already done so. Uh-oh, infighting already!
One person who will not work with gypsies in the future will be the infamous “ghost” Darius, who calls himself “The Greatest Thief in Ashbury.” He was overheard touting Isstvan and his companion as the worst rogues in all of Ashbury. Apparently having an ulterior motive when accepting the challenge, Isstvan and his companion only recovered two of the Darius’s mysterious tokens.
I have also heard that Salvatore and ten or so other gypsies recently resurrected in various earth guilds. They all told the same story of abduction, being enslaved, being forced to remove gypsy curses from a large, intimidating elf, and then being killed.
I hate to end on that sad note, but I’m all out of room! Keep those cards and letters coming and remember — If you can’t say something nice about someone, come sit by me!
THANKS TO Ator, Ragnar and Draugr for a learning experience: Even Vansir can talk their way out of things. Thanks to Duke Aramis and others for the moral support after the chess game. – Gypsy “king” with balls of steel
REWARD FOR INFORMATION. Help put criminals where they belong. All sources kept confidential. See Sheriff Larson or Lord Magistrate Eros. As nobles, we swear to never reveal our sources. Reward relative to worth of information.
DEAR CORMACK: Happy Birthday. Hope you enjoyed your party and the cow scavenger! – The Order of the Black Unicorns
MARREK: Thank you for a lovely afternoon. It had been too long since I had last seen you. I hope to see you again soon. – Kazz'd Karr
LOOKING FOR the tail end of a comet. It is a Primary for Celestial Regeneration ritual. I have a Earth Regen Primary to trade for it, or other things such as gold or other components. Please see me as soon as possible. – Luigie
TO FINDARTH: I have your order ready in full. I am awaiting your answer on our deal. Please let me know as soon as possible. – Luigie
THANK YOU to everyone that helped in the Curing of Lycanthropcy. I am glad to be rid of this curse, and I owe a lot to Calis for finding and buying the Cure recipe. All the werewolves are in his department and he should be honored for providing it to us. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are a good friend, even though you charged me 7 gold for it!! Hahaha – Luigie
GUILDMISTRESS KISMET: Thank you for your assistance. Your efforts are greatly appreciated. – The Order of the Black Unicorns
FAKE ELF: You’ve only made me stronger. Prepare for a most frightening death. – Azura
TO THE TWO SNAKE CREATURES who came into town hunting dark elves: Beware, Merrek and Trife are both traveling compainions of mine and if you want them you have to go through me. – Duren Axlund
TO THE GIANT: Next time you should be careful about who you are controlling, because I know who controls you Myrin! The bigger they are, the harder they fall, and making someone take a death in my book sets you up for a pretty hard fall.
BRYNN: Sorry about the death, but we really needed the money. Hope you like the clothes. – The “clothing merchants”
LUIGI: I still regret the Bishop incident. I am shamed by my greed and I will do my best to be available to you if you ever have need of a repentant Gypsy – Tsarbane
TO THE ONES WHO DID NOT RETURN my pawn tabards: When I said “Put your tabards on the table,” I was not making a request. I have a new game that I am sure you will enjoy, but even before it has begun you have made a classic wrong move, and now you you are in a sudden death situation.
TO THE DUKE: I have a beef with you. It is not okay to eat my people. Please stop it. – Bessy
I AM WRITING A BOOK entitled “Who’s Who in Ashbury.” If you would like to be a part of this please fill out this form. You may send it to the Bardic College addressed to Professor Bernadette Snippet.: Name; Where do you live now; Place of Birth; Marital Status; Are you associated with a Barony/Team; If so which; Why did you become a noble/squire/merchant/adventurer/farmer; Something you’ve achieved or are proud of; Something you’d like to accomplish; Anything else you’d like people to know about yourself
REWARD: 100 GOLD CROWNS for the capture of the hobling bandit known as Luvo Piper. – Ashbury Merchants Conglomorate
JOIN F.O.I.L.! (Free Our contamInated Land). AElves of Ashbury, band together to rid society of the menace of the savage Wild Elves! Join the society of freethinking, civilized beings who will work to effect a better culture. Send your names, requests for membership cards, contributions and letters to: Teril Belayson, Belayson’s Honey Farm, Elindil, Ash Forest.
DUKE ARAMIS, Princess Lillith, Magistrate Eros, and Baron Jonathan: Thank you for being good sports during our top ten lists and our puppet show. We appreciate your kindness in not obliterating us. – The Order of the Black Unicorns
TO DOMINIC: You were wonderful darling, they really liked my joke eh? Oh, your new name is Nikolai. – Love Kheri
WANTED: Stalwart adventures unafraid of death and dismemberment in the pursuit of glory and profit. Fighters, Mages, Healers and those of ye nimble of finger and mind are required for a dangerous and bloody job to take place before the fall equinox. If ye be interested send a list of your talents and a history of what ye have done in the past to Squire William Trafalgar at the Ash Forest Manor House
THE D. GADLEN CHIMERAN Handy-Dandy Quick Reference Guide to the Stars is now available! Based on well founded research and discussions had with the renowned Professor Flairtongue, Solemn Judgement and D. Gadlen J. Chimeran bring to you, in a concise format, a pocket guide to the constellations, planets and Astrological Influences of Amora Fortannis!
CALIS: We know what you have done. Prepare for justice.
GUILDMISTRESS NATASHA: I will be out of Ashbury for the summer with Cormack, traveling to Stormwood to visit my family, and to learn the skills we talked about. I will find you when I return, and teach you what I have to share. Thank you for all your efforts in my quest, and I hope I can return the favor to you. – Kiren Tobith, The Order of the Black Unicorns
TO THE BARONY OF THE ASH FOREST especially Luigi, Calus, Gilwing, Draconius, and Sparky: We would like to publicly thank you for all of your help this past year both on the battlefield and off. We have enjoyed your company, and have come to respect you as mighty warriors who, contrary to public belief, do believe in the greater good. We look forward to fighting alongside you in the future. Till our swords are victorious again. – The Order of the Black Unicorns
SQUIRE MEANIE PANTS: I miss you. I'm sure you miss me too. Don't worry, I'll be back soon. – Citizen Checkers T. Clown.