The
Ashbury Times
June/July/August
607
“All The News That Fits, We Print”
Bjorngrin captures Tyrn Ironmaw; Obliteration
thwarted by Ashbans!
By Thanos Greytongue
It seems that tournaments of recent years attract
visitors from other planes. The first ducal tournament to take place in the Vansir Reclaim was no exception. Saturday afternoon the
adventurers had a strange competitor on the tournament field; Bjorngrin, accompanied by two large Vansir
pantherghasts taunted the Ashbans, while in a circle
of power behind him sat another vansir, and a huge
stone minotaur paced, snorting and pawing at the
ground. Squire Ulthoc in particular was enraged to
see Bjorngrin, but despite his fighting skills was
unable to injure the being that was trying to return his people to slavery.
When the ritual completed, a large battleaxe
appeared, which the caster handed to the Minotaur before letting him loose on
the assembled Ashbans. At the same time, Bjorngrin
opened up a rift, through which hordes of Jotuns
seemed to appear, wreaking havoc on the battlefield. The creature rifted
seemingly at will, as each time the adventurers seemed to have the upper hand
the minotaur would vanish into thin air. Finally the Jotuns were defeated, and Bjorngrin
and the minotaur had disappeared, but it would not be
the last that was seen of them.
Early evening of the 12th Day of the Hawk,
607, a major army rifted into the Reclaim. It held a managerie
of elementals and Jotuns, seemably lead by Bjorngrin. This traitorous spirit taunted all the Vansir who were readily in earshot, labelling
them cowards for hiding in the woods. In return for his calling, Bjorngrin was faced with a flurry of blows and a line of
Ashbans and Reclaim Vansir, including Warrior Caste Tyrn Ironmaw and Kelda of the Bear Tribe. As they came to the front
line, Tyrn was incased in a prison spell, and quickly
brought to Bjorgrin, who then henceforth rifted out
with the warrior. Bjorgrin was heard to say,
“We have what we came for!”
As the fighting continued, Bjorngrin was merciless in his taunting, rifting himself
and the prisoned warrior back in to gloat, while the
minotaur rifted in and out, attacking and killing Vansir
at will.
The next morning, Kelda
found a group of Ashbans including Zatarina, Sgt. Ignatious,
More Jotuns poured
through the rift, and once again the minotaur
appeared, the stolen oath ring dangling from its snout. This time thanks to
quick tactics from Lord Jonothan and Joshua, the creature
was defeated, leaving naught behind but shattered rock, and the iron ring
stolen from the Vansir. It will be returned to its
rightful place with the skalds.
Lochaber Encountered in Reclaim
During the recent Ducal Tournament in the Vansir Reclaim the vampire known as General Matros Lochaber of Galanthia was encountered.
His appearance was preceded by an attack by a very large group of the
depraved vampires plaguing our lands.
This pack of
the wretched creatures is estimated to have numbered well over
one hundred, the largest group yet encountered.
Lochaber was seen staking these
creatures with a stake of woe and destroying them. Sergeant Ignatious
of the Untiring Phalanx of the Ducal Army shadowed the enemy of Icenia, making sure the elder vampire did not attack any of
the living. The adventurers, most
prominently Ithica, began calling for Lochaber and the stake as they took down the creatures and
it seems an uneasy truce was observed.
At one point the vampire did stake the adventurer Kit Waterwise, seemingly by accident. However, he quickly called for a life spell
and made sure she got one before moving on.
He was heard to apologize for this.
Lochaber staked and destroyed as many of the
creatures as he could, but some managed to dissipate before he could get to
them. Once the dust settled, Lochaber declared that there were no more of the creatures
in the area and left peacefully. There
have been no further reports of his presence in Ashbury or Icenia
since.
It has been reported that several nobles,
ducal army members and adventurers felt some anguish over the help they
received from Lochaber. It is known that Lochaber
is extremely powerful and has caused the ressurections
of many Ashbans in the past. It is also
rumored that the method for permanently destroying him is a mystery. Perhaps many lives were spared by not
accosting him that night.
Dominion Strikes
Deathwatch; Adventurers Move to Fairdale
In the month of May, while the adventurers were
participating in the tournament in the Vansir
Reclaim, the Dominion led its heaviest assault yet upon the town of
The army has since extended their garrison to
encompass deathwatch, and the remaining buildings there are now being used for
the military installation. The Duke requests that anyone who owned a lab or
workshop in Deathwatch which is now being used by the army to bring their deed
to Fairdale. You will be given a new lab at that location.
The town of
Vampire Attacks on the Rise
Over the past year there have been sporadic
reports of people being attacked by packs of savage undead. The undead were at first thought to be
ghouls, as they attacked in packs and would feast upon anyone and anything they
managed to overcome. They have also
shown a complete lack of intelligence, but do display a keen
animilistic cunning.
It has since been determined that these creatures area actually some
kind of primitive vampire.
These attacks have been increasing at an
alarming rate. Reports of small bands of
two or three creatures have been coming in from all across the duchy and all of
Icenia. Larger
bands have also been reported less frequently.
It has been rumored that these creatures are plaguing other nations and
areas of Amora Fortannis as
well. They are believed to be highly
infectious and should be avoided.
The Ducal Army has been put on alert and it is
said that ranger units are actively hunting out these creatures. There has been some success in finding the
dens of these creatures during daylight hours.
The creatures found have then been dragged out into the sun and
destroyed. Recent reports have also
confirmed that a stake of woe will destroy them permanently as well, but these
weapons of eradication are unfortunately very rare.
Unfortunately, many of these creatures used to
be the good citizens of Ashbury and Icenia. More and more people have lost loved ones to
this plague.
Zymm wins First Hero’s Tournament
The gypsy known as Zymm
obtained the most points in the first biennial Hero’s Tournament, in
which individuals competed in up to five competitions each and received points
based on their ranking. The final results
follow:
HUNT
1. Aven
2. Abbas
3. Ignatius
COMBAT
1. Koshi
2. Lokegon
3. Ignatius
ARCHERY
1. Cuar
2. Corwin
3. Joquin
TRAPS
1. Zymm
2. Cuar
3.
SPELLCASTERS
1. Zymm
2. Nathan
3. Jonothan
ENTERTAINMENT
1. Casmir
2. Nathan
3. Haldorr
TRIVIA
1. Zymm
2. Jonothan
3. Theromosis
ALCHEMY
1. Theromosis
2.
RACE
1. Theromosis
2. Ithica
3. Zinda
OVERALL
1. Zymm
2. Theromosis
3. Cuar
Corner of Chivalry: Champions
By Baron Ivan
Drake
The last tenet of the Code of Chivalry
(“Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion
of the right and the good against injustice and evil.”) is sometimes
referred to as the “catch-all” tenet. Many of those who study
the Code consider it to be purposefully vague so as to cover all of the issues
that might slip through the cracks. In fact, Sir Eros Clearbrook
himself states in his excellent treatise that “It is the most basic
guideline and encompasses all of the other provisions as well as those that may
be unstated.” But there is one word in this tenet that stands out to me
and makes it more powerful than just a “catch-all.”
The eighth provision demands
that those who follow the Code of Chivalry be a “champion” of
righteousness. A champion is one who takes action and leads the
charge. A champion does not blend into the crowd or shirk responsibility,
but rather takes a verbal, visible stand for his/her cause. It is one
thing to believe in righteousness, but quite another to step forward and accept
responsibility. So as we go about our daily lives, remember to be a champion
of righteousness, not a by-stander.
My View on the Code of Chivalry
by Garak Maut-Sipir
Thou
shalt respect the weak and thou shalt
constitute thyself the defender of them.
Thou
shalt love the country to which thou hast sworn
fealty.
Thou
shalt not recoil before thine
enemy.
Thou
shalt make war against evil without cessation, and
without mercy.
Thou
shalt perform scrupulously thy duties, if they be not
contrary to the laws of the land.
Thou
shalt never lie, and thou shalt
remain faithful to thy word.
Thou
shalt be generous, and give freelt
to others.
Thou
shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the
Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil.
What
an utterly noble concept, right? What does this have to do with being a
commoner? It has everything to do with being a commoner. What the nobles have
for generations called “the code of chilvary”
is at once both completely noble and inherently “common.”
As
a person, each action you make, including speaking,
holds a great prize in the balance. Your reputation, your life, your very being
is at stake with every word or deed. Perhaps the aforementioned code
could be expanded thus: Act wisely or do not act at all. The foremost wisdom is
that of honor, therefore a further extension: Act honorably or do not act at
all. Is this different from the basic moral of the code?
Each
of us must find our own honor in this life. From the time we are small until
the end of this existence we are surrounded by honor and the possible
consequences of dishonor. Whether we, as do the nobles, call it the “code
of chivalry” or not, the message is the same. It is the law that we live
by, lest we debase ourselves to the level of the very beasts upon our table.
Filthy and unknowing, we would lose all, even our culture, without which we are
nothing.
A Little Birdie Told Me
By Sue D’Onym
Duke Frost
spent little time at the tournament he sponsored this year. He was seen the Friday of the tournament, but
was not seen at any of the actual events.
The official word from the ducal manor house is that he was very busy
visiting the various tribes, chieftains and skalds of the Reclaim.
Reports are coming in that Baron Rorii had some
kind of spiritual, elfy, forest experience while in
the Reclaim. He also seems to have come
back with a very shiny, new sword with elven runes
upon it. I wonder what it might say?
Kit Waterwise got staked and killed by the vampire Lochaber while
her friends were supposed to be guarding her.
I had always heard the wild elves were much more alert than that.
Baron Ivan
was only seen briefly in the Reclaim.
Perhaps he couldn’t handle all the fur clad women or perhaps he
was researching whether Zymm’s
limerick constituted mockery of a noble title.
Repent!
Cuar was seen making advances on the biata Gwendara. Hasn’t he
been trying for years to get his elders to allow Aria Devonshire a race change because of his undying love for
her? She was even in town while it happened!
Sir Eros
was thrilled with the Hunt this year, mostly because he didn’t have to do
it! Squire Trevor came up with some
very interesting and hard puzzles which kept everyone entertained, allowing
Eros to goof off and play guitar at the Healer’s Guild.
That’s all for this edition. I would have loved to have reported more, but
the fact is that if you folks don’t let me know what is going on, I can’t
report it! So until next time, remember:
If you can’t say something nice about someone, come sit by me.
Letters
I wish to thank you all, my friends, for visiting
the home of my people. I wish to thank you for helping us against a
powerful enemy, who would stop at nothing to see my race enslaved for another
thousand generations. Most of all, I wish to thank you for respecting the
traditions and laws of my people.
Above all, I wish to thank the Star Galdr mages who came to visit. You placed
yourself in personal risk (which I did my best to limit, but will admit was
still there), and you limited yourselves to maintain and uphold the Law, and
the traditions of my people. Days such as these go well to show my people
that it is possible for someone not of Vansir blood
to study the Sky Galdr magic, and yet keep some sense
of Honor in themselves.
As I have spoken many times, the world is far
different now than it was on Tyrra. Icenia is not just “another Evendarr”
- it is a Kingdom of good men and women, who uphold the ideals they
speak. A Kingdom where the common man does not need to
fear attacks from the Crown or Nobility just because they are seen as different.
Your actions, my friends, have helped to show this. They have helped to
strengthen the bond between my people, and the Kingdom our lands sit in.
I know the ways of my people sometimes seem as
strange to you as the ways of your magic seems to us. It is my hope that
this time together has helped to, in some small way, make our ways easier to
understand - That in living with my people, even for such a short time, you
have seen and can understand something of our culture and beliefs, and not just
that we are “simply Barbarians.” Some of you were even lucky
enough to feel for yourselves what it is to be Vansir...
my wish would be you speak of this to your people, spread the stories of our
deeds over these few days, and let the goodwill that began at this tournament
spread to be told in stories around campfires throughout the Duchy and Kingdom,
from now until our grandchildren’s days.
Squire Ulthoc of
Nordenn
Warrior of Sheep Tribe
To the Citizens of Ashbury who journeyed to
the Reclaim,
First, I would like to give you my humblest
thanks in making the long trek to our country. It is a long way from most
homes, and I feel that it made the walk worth it to all. I would also like
to thank those that stood honorably by our customs in not casting Star Galdr on our lands. As you follow our custom in the
Reclaim, so shall the Bear tribe always follow the laws of Icenia
and Ashbury should we ever journey so far ourselves.
Secondly, I would like to thank any and all of
those who had come with Kelda to save me from
Obliteration. Had it not been for your strength and wit, my spirit would be
weakened tremendously. In the rite of my chieftainship, I wish
to thank you all for helping save our lands and return the Oathring
to its rightful place among the Netherheim once
more. The Bear Tribe will always honor those who came and risk their
lives for the Vansir.
Let the call of the Auturkin
Bears bid you welcome to the Reclaim whenever you step upon the land of
the Vansir! Hail Friend, and well met!
Tyrn IronMaw
Chieftess of the Bear Tribe
On behalf of the people of Forlindelin,
I need to make an acknowledgement. In the last issue of the Ashbury Times the
Ash Forest baronial court was credited with curing the disease there. The
report failed to mention Aislynn Ravenshire,
who spent many months this winter with me in Forlindelin,
working there to find the cure. I want to thank her for her hard work, and for
her company. Doille, Aislynn.
Ezri Telnasse
Obituaries
Lunirya Endenaril: Professor of Elemental
Studies at the Universtiy of Arcane Theory.
While many details remain unclear, she apparently immolated herself while
attempting to research new ritual applications. She is survived by her
life-mated husband Sindori. For details regarding
the Spirit Farewell, wellwishers should contact Nanerille Eandur of the Eldor Healers Guild.
Aeromatheus Kar'ik: Adventurer and
Biata. During his career, he traveled with both the Stormblades
and with No Code, the personal adventuring troupe of Lord Malachi of Odenis in the
Lieutenant
Daniel Lidanant: Lieutenant Daniel Lidanant
of Legion B of the Ducal Army, in the Phalanx of the Lance.
Originally from
Public Notices
SCROLLS AND CATALYSTS WANTED. We are looking for the
following Ritual Scrolls: Race Change, Channel, Enchant, Expanded Enchant, Race
Reaver, Monster Slayer, Spell Store, Protection Aura,
Copy Formal Ritual, Preserve Duration, Permanent Duration, Regeneration,
Elemental Blast, Elemental Aura, Damage Aura, Earth Aura, Spirit Store and
Controlled Spirit Store. We are also looking for the Catalysts for Permanent
Duration, Race Change, Controlled Spirit Store, and Copy Formal Ritual as well
as any reagents. We are willing to buy or trade, please contact Squire Sparticous, Paythin or Lira.