AT TH E M E RCY O F M E RC E NARI ES It seems the Sham Watch is outsourcing more and more of their jobs to contractors, also known as adventurers, also known as mercenaries, which is what these bloodsoaked hirelings are. While many of these second-rate thugs act like they have the absolute authority of the Sham Watch, know your rights! These sellswords can get away with atrocities, including murder, but only if such crimes are committed in the pursuit of their contracts. Should one of these ruffians steal from or harm you or your loved ones for no reason other than their barbaric attitudes, report them to the Watch and this publication immediately. The Sham Watch is bound by law to arrest these hooligans when they show their criminal natures.
A LI F E O F WATCH F U L S E RVI CE Brelon folk often forget that the Guardians of the Gate have a civilian branch that handles administrative issues and special customs investigations. Tethyn Olar has led that arm of the Sharn Watch for more than a decade. Many immigrants owe their safe and comfortable lives in our city to this man, but claims have surfaced recently charging him with corruption, saying that he took money from immigrants in exchange for a faster path into Sharn. Olar has refuted those claims with this statement: “Look at the lower wards to see the vast number of poor immigrants the Gate allows to enter in the city. Those with wealth tend to be more responsible and quicker to put their paperwork together, but none with worthy cause to be here are barred.”
ASSASSI NS O N TH E LOOS E ! It is common knowledge that those with aberrant marks can't be trusted. It's not their fault; they're touched by Khyber, and the Dragon Below twists their minds. All aberrants will eventually become killers. And though I can see the appeal in using these creatures as weapons against our enemies, how could we bring such vipers into our midst? According to a high-ranking source in the King's Citadel, this secret operation predictably ended in disaster. After a few missions, the strike force slew their handlers and deserted, disappearing into the criminal underworld. They could be anywhere. There can be no clearer sign that it's time to bring down the monarchy and institute a government that is chosen by and answerable to the common people!
M O NSTRO US D EC E PTI O N Monsters are infiltrating our city! Though the Sham Watch acts as though Daask is a problem only for Malleon's Gate, and not a threat to law-abiding citizens, there is clear cunning in the criminal cabal's actions. Their recent attacks have targeted properties throughout the lower wards, all owned by a certain halfling family, as if Daask were attempting a violent takeover of Sham's underworld. Once these monsters control the city's crime, what will they do next?
CATACLYSM I N CYR E ! A magical catastrophe of unknown origin engulfed the nation of Cyre yesterday, bringing a century of war to an explosive climax. Surely when the children of King Jarot began their squabbles over succession a hundred years ago, they could not have foreseen the horror that would engulf the home of Queen Mishann. Our reporters are still sifting through accounts of what has happened, but it is clear at this point that beautiful Cyre, the jewel of Galifar's vast holdings, has disappeared behind a churning cloud of dead-gray mist.
DO TH EY KNOW TH E WAR IS OVER? Against all logic and reason, people in Breland continue to argue that the warforged-creations of House Bombardier, lest we forget-are living people with souls, deserving of the same rights as the rest of us. And yet, while philosophical debates rage and street protests grow heated, warforged who inhabit the dead land of Cyre continue to fight as if the war had not ended, launching raids out of the “dead-gray mist” to the neighboring lands-including, of course, Thrane. Proclaiming allegiance to something called the “Lord of Blades,” these warforged don't seem to recognize the people of Thrane as living people with souls, so it's hard to appreciate why we should treat them that way.
BORAN EL CEDES WESTERN REACH ES In a shocking move, King Boranel has ordered that all Brelon citizens who live west of the Graywall Mountains must leave their homes and return to the eastern lands, or else forfeit their claim to the king's protection. In the face of a few withered hags and a ragtag “army” of filthy ogres and mangy gnolls, King Boranel's legendary courage has apparently faltered. We can only assume he means to yield to Cyre next.
DAWN OF DISEASE You'll hear warning bells toll tomorrow morning. You'll see packs of people with their faces hidden by plague masks or strips of cloth. Brunet healers will roam the streets offering free examinations and blessings. If you're new to Sharn, have no fear! This isn't the outbreak of disease it appears to be; it's how Sharn observes the Lady's Day, commemorating a tragic incident in our past. Today, aberrant dragonmarks are rare. But there was a time long ago when they were far more common. An army of aberrant heirs made their home here in the early days of Sharn, led by Halas Tarkanan-known as the Earthshaker-and the Lady of the Plague, who had power over vermin and disease. When the dragonmarked houses laid siege to the city and their defeat became inevitable, the two unleashed their full might. Tarkanan's power reduced the early towers to rubble, and the Lady of the Plague called forth a horde of disease-infested vermin. For centuries afterward, the region was shunned. When our modern city was built, the cursed ruins were sealed away. But one never knows when the darkness could rise up again. On the Lady's Day, we remember the tragedy that once befell Sharn, and we prepare for the possibility that it could happen again.
IS YOUR NEIGHBOR A CYRAN INVADER? In the wake of the Mourning, our king welcomed the survivors of that tragedy into our cities. In Sham, High Walls alone holds more Cyran refugees than Karrnath has allowed across its borders. If you read the Sham Inquisitive or the Korranberg Chronicle, you've heard the endless litany of how difficult life is, tales of overcrowding, starvation, and disease. Although we at the Voice of Breland sympathize with all who suffer, we refuse to ignore the deadly threat in our midst. The majority of Cyrans who survived the Mourning did so because they were beyond the borders of their nation. And why is that? Because they were soldiers. The Sham Inquisitive talks about starving children and ailing peasants, but it doesn't mention the Cyran special forces and elite war mages who now reside in High Walls. As Brelon, we all want to show compassion to the truly innocent, but let us never forget that these people were once our enemy and could be again. And let us also remember that the cause of the Mourning remains a mystery. Was it divine punishment for Cyran sins that have yet to be washed clean? Or could it have been a premature activation of an arcane weapon-and if so, could Cyran artificers already be working on an improved version in the heart of our greatest city? Remain alert, people of Breland! Don't let the current plight of these unfortunates blind you to the danger!
ENIG MA O F TH E D IAMOND VO I CE I challenge anyone to leave a performance of The Broken Sword with dry eyes. I believe that even a warforged would be moved to tears by this unflinching look at the spiritual cost of war. It's brutal, painful, and true-which is why it was all the more shocking when it first opened at the Diamond Theater. The Downstairs district of Lower Menthis is mainly known for its bawdy entertainment and base comedy, not cutting-edge political commentary. Thus, we critics assumed that this dramatic work was a singular event, until a new play titled Fallen Angels exceeded our every expectation. Month after month in recent times, the Diamond has struck us to the quick with emotional works about the Last War and the psychic wounds we're still struggling with. Who is the playwright of the Diamond Theater responsible for these stirring stories? Her name is Luca Syara, but beyond that, she's an enigma. There's no such person on the rolls of the bardic colleges of Breland, and House Phiarlan and House Thuranni claim to know nothing about her. Syara shuns the spotlight and refuses all interviews. While her works are being debated and celebrated in classrooms and taverns, the artist spends her days in the dingy back rooms of the Diamond Theater. This seclusion has led to a number of fanciful rumors. Some say Syara fought in the Last War and that she was in Metro! on the Day of Mourning. A wilder rumor maintains that she is an exile from the Faerie Court of Thelanis, an archfey bound to human form. While we wait for answers to this mystery, we encourage you to sample Syara's latest work. Five Lives is a gutwrenching tragedy that forces us to look at our darkest hours, and to consider the suffering of our enemies and the common threads that unite us all. If you're looking to forget your troubles, by all means, go see Facade or The Late Count. But if you want to take in a performance that might make you a better person, do whatever it takes to get tickets to Five Lives.
WHO OWNS S HARN? PO RTRAIT O F TH E I R'TAINS AND TH E 60 FAM I LI ES If you've read more than two issues of the Sham Inquisitive, you've seen at least two stories about the du Tain family. King Boranel might rule Breland, and the Lord Mayor might be our highest appointed official, but the du Tains are the true royalty of our city. What citizen of Sham doesn't have an opinion about the fate of Lord Dalian du Tain, lost at sea a decade ago? Many are sure that he's a prisoner of the sahuagin, which would explain why Lady Celyria has been funding expeditions into the sahuagin realms. Another camp maintains that Lord Dalian staged his death so he could embrace a swashbuckling life as a pirate king. If the truth ever comes out, you can be sure you'll read about it here! Matriarch Lady Celyria du Tain is the queen of high society in Sharn. Her activities and those of the du Tain children account for just as much newsprint as their father used to. Dalian's eldest son, Dalas du Tain, shocked society last week when he publicly denounced the Brelon monarchy. The dalliances of younger siblings Cyra and Dara! sell more issues of the Inquisitive whenever such are reported, and the wedding of middle sister Cariana du Tain and Mayne Jhaelian of Aerenal will surely be the biggest social event of 998 YK. C ENTRAL PLATEAU The power and wealth of Sham are concentrated in Central Plateau. Whether you're looking to deal with powerful merchants, city councilors, dragonmarked barons, or the ambassadors of other nations, Central Plateau is the place where big deals are made. UPPER C E NTRAL Gold and power flow down from Upper Central. The district of Highest Towers is the seat of government, where city hall and the municipal archives are located. The Korranath is the name of both the central financial district and the grand temple of Kol Korran that dominates it. This district also houses the Kundarak Bank of Sham and the Vaults, House Kundarak's ostensibly impenetrable storage facility. Some of Sham's wealthiest citizens live in the Mithra! Tower district, and Platinum Heights is the most expensive market district in Sham. It has fewer shops than the Bazaar of Dura, but if you're looking for top-quality goods or services, there's no finer-or more expensivesource to be found. If you maintain no better than a poor lifestyle, many people in Upper Central will assume you're a servant or vagrant; this could cause you to have disadvantage on Charisma checks involving residents. The du Tain fortune is tied to the City of Towers. Tain gold funded the construction of many of the towers of Sham, and the family owns vast sections of the city. You've likely heard of the Sixty Families of Sharn, considered the guiding lights of the city. Most assume that these luminaries are ancient and established, their status tied to a royal decree. In fact, when the Tains built their mansion on Skyway, they ordered the architects to design a banquet hall that would seat sixty families and their servants. The original Sixty Families were those that received standing invitations to the first Tain Gala. Though the list has remained generally stable through the years, just last year Celyria expelled the du Moros family and gave their place to Saiden Boromar-a surprising advancement for a family that began as Cliffside hooligans. Anyone who strives to rise in Sham society must earn the favor of the Sixty. Similarly, those who seek to explore and adventure in the wake of the Last War can surely find patrons among these elite. And from our desks, we will be watching to see which families will be next to rise and fall.
TH E RACE OF EIGHT WI N DS BEGINS! Banners are flying across Dura today, and the streets are full of color. Walk through Oldkeep wearing brown and red, and you'll be invited to raise a glass to the Griffon; if you're dressed in white and gold, the colors of the Hippogriff, you'd best be prepared to defend yourself. If you're new to Sharn, you might think our city's gone mad. And in some ways it has, but it's a madness that reaches its peak every summer with the Race of Eight Winds. Long ago, King Galifar used Dura as a proving ground for aerial calvary. What's more important, quickness or strength? Our modern race is a test of speed and skill through a course that weaves around and through the spires of Dura. There are eight competitors, and each of these brave jockeys rides a different flying creature- except for the gargoyle Carralag, who relies on his own wings! Speed is important, but merely surviving the race can be a challenge. The spilling of blood isn't prohibited, but the only weapon a rider can carry is a light sporting crossbow; the steeds can use their talons and beaks, which is what makes the Griffon such a fierce contender. Poison, magic, or anything else that would directly interfere with beast or rider is strictly forbidden-though over the years we've certainly seen imaginative attempts to stretch the rules! Dura is divided into eight regions for the race, each of which is represented by a different creature. If you're going to spend time in Dura, it's best that you know your mounts! The beasts of Upper Dura are the fastest in the race, and overall have the best record. The reigning champion is the Pegasus of Highwater, whose supporters wear white and silver. The Hippogriff is tied to Overlook and Daggerwatch in Upper Dura, and its colors are white and gold. Detractors often say that the Sharn Watch favors the Hippogriff and that House Létourneau helps the Pegasus, but the referees always insist that the race is fair. The beasts of Middle Dura are versatile. The Eagle represents Broken Arch and Stormhold in Middle Dura, and its supporters wear brown and gold. The clever Owl flies for Rattlestone and the Bazaar, and its colors are brown and gray. The Hawk represents Tumbledown and Underlook in Middle Dura, and wearing its blend of tan and brown can usually get you a good price at an inn. The beasts of Lower Dura are more infamous than reliable. The Griffon flies for Precarious and Oldkeep, and its colors are brown and red. It has never won the race, but there's gold to be made betting on which opponent it will bring down. The Aile-planante represents Gate of Gold and The Stores, and'its supporters wear green and gray; many believe that the Boromar Clan pays for the upkeep of the mount and its rider. Malleon's Gate used to be represented by the Bat, but twelve years ago they exchanged that mascot for the Gargoyle, whose colors are black and gray. The current Gargoyle is a stone-faced fellow named Carralag, and his supporters are quite passionate about their winged champion.
WATCH FO RFALLI NG D RU N KS Just this week a Brelon woman in Middle Central was squashed to death when a drunk Cyran man fell on her from the upper wards. He survived. A good Brelon woman, a veteran of the Last War, cushioned his fall! This incident isn't the first of its kind. Last month a clumsy warforged crushed two innocent halfling lovers. Before that, a shifter thief fell from a tower, injuring an unsuspecting griffon. I propose a new law: No traveling the middle or upper wards without a feather token. These affordable trinkets are all that stand between our safety and death caused by some rat who would rather spend gold on drink.
IT HAPPENED IN THE FOREST: TREE HUGGER TELL-ALL! The alliance of rebel farmers in western Aundair has declared an alliance with the Great Druid Oalian of the Forêt Imposante, asserting that the farmlands that border these woods are now part of the Confins d'Eldeen. The Great Druid is a figure of legend, a powerful mystic who serves as the spiritual leader of a diverse rangel of druids spread across the region. Another interesting fact about Oalian? He's a tree! Some say he's a child of Eberron hersElfe, while others assert that he's the spirit of an ancient druid trapped in tree form. Whatever the truth, the Great Druid Oalian appears as a massive greatpine in a grove called Coeurvert, deep in the Forêt Imposante.
THE KALASHTAR PROPHECY YOU CAN'T IGNORE ! Many of the people of Khorvaire have never met a kalashtar. Some say these people are in contact with celestial spirits; here at the Voice of Breland, we say they're a rare type of lunatic we've imported from Sarlona. So it was a special treat for tourists when one of the spiritual leaders of the kalashtar of Sharn made an unexpected appearance in the grand plaza of Sommet de l'Espoir. The enlightened Havakhad-that's what he calls himsElfe-issued a warning that “darkness was gathering” and that “a terrible time lies just ahead.” He beseeched the assembled crowds to show kindness to neighbor and stRanger alike, and not to let “fear cause strife in the hard days to come.” Apparently Havakhad hasn't heard the news that we're winning the war. But if the world does end tomorrow, you read it here first!
RAI D R EVEALS CU LT CHAOS The people of Beaurefuge were shocked by the revelation of bizarre cult activity in the center of one of that city's most trusted institutions. Acting on a tip from the Royal Eyes of Aundair, elite forces raided a Maison Létourneau facility and discovered a nightmare. Captain Allis says that her soldiers discovered a beating heart that filled an entire room, pumping blood through veins in the walls of the building. According to Allis, the staff claimed to be “creating the heart of Galifar,” apparently believing that if completed, this monstrosity could reunite the shattered kingdom. When pressed to comment, Patriarch Dalin de Létourneau denied any connections to this cult. “These are difficult times for all of us. I assure you that Maison Létourneau will conduct a full investigation of this incident and work to regain La Tutelle of the good people of Beaurefuge.”
CORPS E CLE R I C CONDE MNS CLAW Last month, the Griffe Émeraude took credit for the ghoul outbreak in Wroat. This terrorist organization has a new and unusual critic: Hask Malevanor, an “abactor” of the Le Sang Divin and high priest of the Monastère du Sang Pourpre, a temple in the city of Atur in Karrnath. Something else you should know about Abactor Malevanor: he's been dead for over fifty years! This putrid priest says that there's nothing unholy about his condition, swearing that his people revere all life. Despite the fact that the terrorists included priests from his church, Malevanor insists that his parishioners despise the Griffe Émeraude and harbor no hostility toward Breland. While we'd like to take the abactor at his word, our research shows that Malevanor was personally involved in the program that produced the infamous Karrnathi Mort-vivant soldiers. After decades of driving the Karrnathi war effort, this foul creature expects us to believe that he has nothing to do with the necromantic attacks on our people? Here at the Voice of Breland, we think something about this smells rotten, and it's not just the mummy.
NO FAITH IN SI LVE R FLAM E TOP TARE The nation of Thrane shocked the world in 993 AR when it appointed a six-year-old child as Keeper of the Silver Flame, the supreme leadership position of the Church. Now eleven years old, Jaela Daran continues to astound all who encounter her. She possesses poise and wisdom beyond her years, and she displays the blend of courage and compassion that is the cornerstone of the faith. As Gardien de la Flamme, she wields tremendous divine power; she has summoned angels to her side and resurrected Cardinal Halidor after his assassination. But some claim that these stories are fabrications and that Jaela is merely a figurehead for High Cardinal Krozen. The reclusive Krozen is a brillant strategist and ruthless leader. Many believe that Krozen was behind the death of Keeper Tagor in 992 AR, suggesting that he supported the child Keeper to solidify his own influence. Is Krozen the true power behind the Flame?
ARE YOU A S IX FANATI C? The Vassaux of the Légion Souveraine have long condemned the Sombres Six as forces of evil. Yet correspondents at the Voice of Thrane have uncovered a shocking phenomenon: long-standing cults that worship members of the Dark Six alongside the Légion Souveraine. Most of you know of the Restful Watch, the priests who tend Vassal cemeteries. What you may not know is that the priests of the Watch honor both Aureon and Le Geolier! They say that Le Geolier snatches the souls of heroes so they can be preserved from Dolurrh and returned when they are needed once more. Worse still is the Trois Visages de la Guerre, a cult that worships the Sovereigns of War-including Le Narquois, whom they call Doi Azur. Followers of this foul faith say that the battlefield holds a place for all of these gods, explicitly embracing a deity they acknowledge as the patron of treachery and terror! This cult apparently began in the Karrnathi military but spread across the Cinq Nations during La Dernière Guerre. So next time you're talking to a Brelon soldier, remember that they might be a devotee of Le Narquois!
NIG HTLI FE O F TH E WALKING D EAD The port city of Pylas Talaear is a place of wonders. Stand on the steps of the Grand Temple and look down upon the High Street and you'll see fountains of light casting Ombres across buildings that have stood for over ten thousand years. Brillant motes dance through the air-spectral messengers carrying words across the city. But the most remarkable feature of Pylas Talaear is the dead. If you know anything about Aérénal, you've surely heard of La Cour Éternelle, the Éternel cabinet that guides the nation. Only the grandest members of society win elevation to La Cour Éternelle, but there are many forms of preservation. Go to the Dalaen Forge and you'll see the ghost of Old Dalaen advising his descendants as they work wood and steel. Visit the Eidolon Tavern and you'll see poltergeists mixing drinks, and you can get advice from a spectral bartender with thousands of years of wisdom to share. Visit Maer Crossing at midnight and you'll see the spirit of Lady Jhaelian dance with a grace unmatched by any living Elfe. Wondrous as it is, as a Humain visitor, I found it more than a little unnerving. There's no escaping the past in Aérénal; it lingers all around you, whispering advice or warning you to avoid transgression. You never know when you'll feel the tingle of spectral fingers against your skin or hear the whisper of an Elfe who's older than Humain civilization. There are many wonders in Aérénal . . . just don't get buried in the past.
I WAS SCO RCH E D BY TH E S I LVE R F LA M E ! Growing up on the streets of the Callestan district in Sham, I learned not to put my fait h in anything I couldn't see or hold. I think that's why my editor sent me to Fort-de-la-Flamme to cover the Ascension; surely I'd see clearly, with eyes untouched by faith. I thought so, too. But then I found mysElfe in the Chambre of Tira's Sacrifice, a pillar of silver fire marking the spot where one woman gave her life to protect countless innocents. I saw people from all nations joined together in song, celebrating both that ancient sacrifice and the end of our current war. And looking into the innocent eyes of the child priestess, I truly heard the words of that song for the first time: a call for all of us to be better than we are, to protect those in need, to remember that we are all one people in the light of the Flamme d'Argent.
M RO R H O LDS: B I RTH PLACE O F ABO M I NATI O N ! It's been exactly seventy years since the Conseil de Fer declared the Bastions de la Nation' independence from Karrnath. King Kaius II was newly seated on the steel throne and lacked the resolve to bring the Nain lords to heel. Now we see the harvest we have sown, and it is horrifying. Without the firm hand of Karrnath to keep them on a righteous path, the Nains des Bastions have embraced foul powers. Witness Lord Malus Soldorak, seen in Korth this week for trade negotiations. His breastplate was forged from chitin and muscle, and it seemed to pulse with its own heartbeat. A guard present at the event said that Soldorak's axe moaned when the blade came close to him, as if the weapon hungered for Humain blood. This is what springs from our mercy and forbearance. Who knows what horrors the Nains are crafting-or breeding-in their mountain halls? We cannot stand by and let this vileness continue. For the good of our nation, we call on all true Karrns to demand that Regent Moranna unleash our full might on the Bastions de la Nation and cleanse this horror!
IN TH E TH RALL OF TH E VAM PI RE KING Kaius du Wynarn III emerged from L'Ombres like a villain in one of Kessler's plays. His guardians kept him hidden during his youth while his aunt Moranna served as the regent of Karrnath. So it was a surprise to many when he burst forth to claim his crown and his power, all the more so because of his uncanny resemblance to Kaius I, the ruler who plunged Karrnath into the La Dernière Guerre and instituted the brutal system of laws that bears his name. Given the circumstances of Kaius Ill's ascension, it's hardly surprising that the new king would face challenges from the proud warlords of Karrnath. Some questioned his lineage and his ability to command. But the most unusual challenge came from the warlord Drago Thul: was Kaius III actually alive? Kaius I had elevated the Le Sang Divin in Karrnath and instituted the use of Mort-vivant as weapons of war. Drago Thul asserted that Kaius III was actually Kaius I, a vampiric monster “seeking to drain the lifeblood of Karrnath itsElfe.” This was a serious accusation; the Mort-vivant have no rights under the Code of Galifar and cannot inherit titles or lands. Thul's challenge spread like wildfire, only to be crushed when Kaius III met the warlords under the midday sun and cut his palm to show his freely flowing blood. This should have been the end of it, but the tale of the Vampire King has proven surprisingly resilient. Some say that the king developed special enchantments to avoid the effects of sunlight; others say that he has relies on changelin impersonators to take his place in the daylight. As for Drago Thul, he refused to stand down when Kaius III pushed for peace and the Treaty of Fort-du-trône. He fled to the city of Cap-Tempête in Xen'drik with a small band of followers, and he continues to rally support against “the monster that sits on our throne.”
D ESCE NT I NTO DROAAM: MY TRAI L TO TERROR We're all going to die. That thought echoed through my mind as the wagon carried us toward the Grand Rocher. The diplomats around me intended to speak with the Filles De Sora Kell. All I could think about was the stories my grandmother used to tell me. Sora Maenya can crush a Géant with her bare hands. She can eat the whole creature and still be hungry. If you're bad, she'll come in the night and carry you away. She'll make a lantern of your skull and torment you until the end of time. And she's the least frightening member of the Filles De Sora Kell! When I could set aside my sheer terror, I was learning a great deal about this strangel nation. The Daughters invested power in warlords, each of whom rules a territory in their name. It's sort of like Karmath, except each of the warlords of Droaam is a horrifying monster. We were traveling through the territory of Le Prince des Os, an ancient troll said to be too evil to die. We'd already passed through the domain of Queen Sheska the Méduse, where even the trees are turning to stone. Harpies. Gargouilles. There's even a king of the kobolds. Our caravan was being protected by gnolls. Not protected from gnolls, protected by gnolls. I thought things couldn't get any stRanger. I couldn't have been more wrong . . . .
WINTE R PALACE UND E R S I EG E Although untouched by a century of war, the Winter Palace suffered an attack from an unexpected quarter: the people of Breland. The so-called Épées de la Liberté have taken credit for a daring raid that left the east wing of the palace in flames. No members of the Brelon royal family were in attendance during the attack. The Épées de la Liberté call for the violent overthrow of the Wynarn monarchy, demanding that all power be invested in the Brelon parliament. Their manifesto draws on the speeches of Lord Ruken du Clarn, but Lord Ruken has condemned their action. “No victory is possible when Brelon fight Brelon,” he said in Wroat. “But I hope King Boranel can see that the time for changel is upon us and help us navigate a peaceful transition of power before any more innocents are hurt.”
WIZARD WAR B R EWING AT ARCANIX? Before the war, the Congrès Ésotérique served all Galifar. The most promising students from across Khorvaire came to study at Arcanix, and students from Khorvaire, Cyre, and Aundair worked together to win honor in the Trials of the Ninefold Path. Known to students simply as the Nine, this contest pits students of the eight traditions against one another in a series of arcane challenges, along with a ninth bracket for those who have yet to select a tradition. Teamwork, independence, memorization, innovation-the Nine challenges competitors on many levels, and the finest wizards of Galifar were invariably champions of the Nine. Thanks to the Treaty of Fort-du-trône, students of all nations once again study side by side in the towers of Arcanix. But no treaty or ritual can easily dispel the tensions of a century of war. Over the last year we've reported on a number of hate crimes in the towers fueled by nationalist passions. Optimistic teachers hope that the Nine will showcase the diversity that has evolved over the course of the past century-highlighting Karrnathi advances in necromancy and evocation, Cyran illusions, and more. But privately, professors fear that the competitive aspect of the Nine will inflame nationalist tension. Some even believe that the lives of foreign students could be endangelred should they defeat Aundairian champions. Only time will tell if the Nine can bring us together as it once did, or if it will drive us further apart.
PRO F ITS TRU M P PRO M ISES AT B LACK MARKET U N IVE RS ITY In response to last week's exclusive report detailing a scheme to remove precious antiquities from storage at Université Morgrave and sell them on the black market, Master Larrian du Morgrave has issued a statement full of the usual platitudes and empty promises we have grown accustomed to hearing from the Office of the University Master. In it, du Morgrave vows to put an end to the criminal activities occurring within the university and bolster the school's academic reputation. As regular readers of this paper know, he makes such promises frequently, but we have yet to see him take any substantive action to back up his promises.
Voice of Thrane S I LVE R F LAM E'S CRISIS O F. FAITH ! The Templars of the Flamme d'Argent are supposed to represent the Church and the nation in pursuit of the highest ideals of the faith, as they crusade against the forces of evil across Khorvaire. But are they fulfilling that high calling? Or are they just as mired in politics as the Brelon bureaucracy? High Cardinal Baerdren du Davik, who also holds the rank of grand master of the templars, appears to be an exemplary templar, utterly dedicated to the mission of the order. Yet it is widely known that he chafes at the political and bureaucratic responsibilities that his position on the Council of Cardinals demands of him. This reporter has learned that Sir Baerdren would readily surrender his position, were it not for his distrust of his seneschal, Ofejjaia of Korth. Lady Ofejjaia, it seems, has other issues on her personal agenda besides advancing the cause of the knights templar, and one wonders if those issues are tied to her Karrnathi origin. Though her wisdom and sound judgment are not in dispute, it seems that Sir Baerdren fears that she would drive the order into obsolescence or even banishment if she were in charge. Does Lady Ofejjaia hold her lofty position because of her loyalty, her piety, and her qualifications? Or is she there simply so that Sir Baerdren can keep his eye on her and ensure that she doesn't sabotage the templars from within?
KO R RAN B E RG CH RO N I CLE EXPOS E D ! Who really pulls the strings behind the ostensibly unbiased news coverage of the Chronique de Korranberg? The Chronicle's publisher, a wily Zil gnome named Cassia Lorridan Claddik, is the most public face of its leadership, and her connection to Korranberg's ruling Council of Nine is well known. But she is not the ultimate authority determining what gets printed and what does not. No, that honor goes to L'Ombrey board of the Chronicle's owners. Voice reporters have uncovered the names and positions of several members of this board, and the results are nothing less than shocking. La Tutelle-L'Ombrey secret police who maintain order in Zilargo-is well represented on this board, raising questions about the extent to which the Chronicle is a propaganda engine for Zilargo. Worse still, several of the wealthiest and most influential members of the board are associated with the Aurum, a Ombrey cabal whose primary interest seems to be increasing its members' wealth and influence. Whose interest, then, does the Chronicle serve? All the more reason, loyal readers, to rely on the Voice of Brelandefor unbiased news you can use.
Nouveau-trône ledger TH I RTE E N D EAD I N B LACKSCALE S LAU G HTE R ! Venturing unusually far from their accustomed territory in the eastern jungles, a band of enormous Homme-lézardsdescribed by local experts as members of the Blackscale Tribe-broke through the fortifications at Port de la Vipère and killed thirteen residents before retreating back into the jungles. Khalar de Tharashk has announced a plan to track the perpetrators and exact retribution under the sponsorship of King Se bastes.
G E N I US I N QU IS ITIVE S E RVES CO LD J USTI C E In yet another embarrassing blow to the Beaurefuge Watch, renowned détective “Feather” Fallester has apparently solved yet another case she randomly pulled from the watch's files of unsolved mysteries. The case-the theft of a bejeweled statuette on display in the University of Wynarn Museum of Antiquities-baffled watch officers seven years ago, but in a matter of five days, Fallester managed to pin the crime on a changelin thief called Spaut, who has confessed.
E LD E E N F RACAS FU LFI LLS PRO P H ECY “In the darkest night of the Dragon d'En-dessous, storm and dragon are reunited, and they break together upon the legions of the Blasphemer.” According to Thausil Kennar, a noted scholar at the Bibliothèque de Korranberg, these words, translated from an ancient prophecy, foretell the course of recent events in the Confins d'Eldeen, where an upstart warlord led a barbarian army from the Demon Wastes on a mission of plunder. For all your news needs, be they ageless riddles or breaking modern developments, keep reading the Chronique de Korranberg!
BrelandeLedger LI ES O N TRIAL! KAR R N. S PY FACES J USTI CE In a courthouse surrounded by agents of the King's Citadel and thronged by reporters, judge Haliss du Cronn took her seat for the first session in what some are calling the “trial of the century.” Barath Drinn, a Karrn who has been living in Wroat since the end of La Dernière Guerre, stands accused of stealing state secrets, sabotage, and one count of murderthough an anonymous source suggests that he is guilty of many more killings. A spokesperson for the King's Citadel vehemently denied reports that Drinn is employed by the Citadel.
THE KORRANBERG <C M ON <C ll F E U D WITH I N TH E TWE LVE? Reports emerged this week of bitter disputes within the Twelve, the arcane institution that supposedly embodies the spirit of cooperation among the houses. According to a source that wished to remain anonymous, a special meeting of the Committee of Twelve was called last week to address accusations that researchers connected to Maison Kundarak had been diverting funds from the institute's budget to fund their own private projects, then concealing the results of those projects from their colleagues. Kundarak's representative, according to our source, denied the accusations, saying that the researchers are operating within their allotted budget and keeping their results secret only temporarily, as a matter of house security. This matter is far from resolved, as the council meeting devolved into shouted arguments before disbanding. Representatives of Maison Médani and Maison Tharashk were particularly vocal in denouncing Kundarak, leaving this reporter to wonder whether a schism within the Council of Twelve might be imminent-and what that might mean for peaceful relations among the Marqué par le Dragon houses themselves.
PAU P E R P R I N CE PLOTS BAN D IT BARO NY Prince Oargev, the exiled Cyran royal who governs the town of Nouvelle Cyre by the sufferance of Roi Boranel, is planning a brazen act of secession, hoping to transform all of eastern Brelandeinto a new Cyran realm, sources say. According to a group of adventurers recently employed by Oargev, the prince sent them into the Les Terres des Lamentations to recover weapons of war so they could be wielded against the Brelon military during the secession. How will Roi Boranel respond to this treachery? Will the nations come to the defense of the displaced prince? Will Oargev's scheming result in all of eastern Brelandebeing swathed in the same gray mist that consumed Cyre?
VOice OF l ' lAN lO BLOOD AD DICTS' D RAG O N D RU G Imagine it: a long-lasting state of euphoria, a feeling of power and energy, a measurable impact on certain magical powers, and the risk of addiction and deadly overdose with every use. That's the thrill of the drug called dragon's blood, which currently enjoys skyrocketing popularity in Sham. Every day the death toll from this mysterious substance rises among “blood addicts.” And no wonder, as it's produced in Droaam and sold in drams or “veins” by the monstrous thugs of Daask, who surely seek nothing less than to destroy the prosperity of Sham but targeting its most precious resource: its sober, hardworking people. Remember friends, “Stay on the wagon. Say NO to dragon! ”
THE – SMAW WQU Sl\f( SAVAG E RY I N STYLE AT TAI N GALA The annual Tain Gala, as everyone knows, brings the wealthiest and most prominent citizens of Sham together in a grand display of opulence and power. But last night, it also provided a shocking display of violence, as Saidan Saputo-head of the Saputo family, which is allegedly tied to all manner of criminal activities throughout the city-was confronted by a would-be assassin (whose name will not be made public until her next of kin have been identified and notified) . Saputo and his wife, Mala Saputo de Brunet, escaped unharmed thanks to the timely intervention of their bodyguard, a recent immigrant from the Plaines de Talenta whose fascinating culture and fierce demeanor were both in plain view last night. A Saputo spokesperson identified the bodyguard as Halak Saputo, head of the Longues-griffess-the Saputo family's personal guard, named for the Dinosaurees ridden by hobbits in the Plaines de Talenta.
VOice OF S ( LAlM WATCH COM MAN D E R O R C R I M E LO R D? Watch Commander Lian Halamar, in charge of the large and prestigious Garde-dague Garnison in Sham's Dura quarter, has long been suspected of ties to the infamous Clan Saputo. Though these suspicions are often dismissed as simple prejudice in the assumption that any hobbit in Sharn must be associated with the crime syndicate, the Voice of Breland, in cooperation with civic-minded members of the La Falaise Adventurers' Guid, have uncovered stunning evidence confirming this connection. La Guilde de la Falaise denies claims that these accusations embody the latest fracas in the long-running tensions between the Garde-dague Garnison and the city's various groups of heroes for hire.
Tower Collapse Was Sabotage, Watch Says
News for Far, Zarantyr 6th, 998
SHARN – Authorities suspect magic sabotage in the collapse on Wir of Providence Tower in the Arche de Cuivre district.
As of Zor morning, the death toll in the catastrophe stands at 19, with another 42 injured. Most of the bodies still lie within the rubble, and Watch Commander Kurna Dalgoria said recovery efforts would take several days.
“Divinations have confirmed that no victims remain trapped in the rubble, and Maison Brunet is taking care of the remaining injured. Today our focus has shifted to investigation and the recovery of remains.” Dalgoria said.
Dalgoria said the investigation, a combined effort among the Sharn Watch, the King's Citadel, and Maison Garda's Garde Maréchaux, has turned up evidence that the tower's noonday collapse was no accident.
“Wherever these saboteurs are hiding, the Watch will find them. No matter how far they run, we'll be right behind them,” she said.
Sentinel Marshal Rorick Thyrish arrived on the scene with the first emergency aid healers. He said he detected dim, lingering magic auras at the base of the tower.
“The evocation aura I detected was probably the spell that damaged the tower foundation,” Thryrish said. “And the conjuration aura would be consistent with a teleport spell the culprit used to escape the collapse.”
Thyrish said a third aura was present: a necromantic residue fainter than the other two. He referred further questions about the investigation to Dalgoria's office.
Dalgoria refused to speculate on the motives of the saboteurs. The tower has several expensive residences, an arcane research group's library, a small but well-appointed inn, and the offices of Guerrier de Fer Rights Now!, an advocacy group for Guerrier de Fer created during La Dernière Guerre. Dalgoria said any of the tower's inhabitants could have been the saboteur's target.
Crown Names du Saldivar to Dark Lantern Post
News for Far, Zarantyr 6th, 998
WROAT – Former Sharn Watch commander Mathurin du Saldivar will be appointed by the crown to head the King's Lanternes Sourdes, the Sharn détective has learned.
Roi Boranel has scheduled a ceremony in Brokenblade Castle's West Gallery next Wir. After naming du Saldivar to lead the intelligence-gathering branch of the King's Citadel, the king will present du Saldivar with the ceremonial lanthorn of fearsome truths.
Members of the du Saldivar family and ministers in the BrelandeParliament, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Mathurin will accept the appointment. Crown representatives declined to comment on Roi Boranel's schedule or any upcoming appointments.
Brelon Parliament Lord Ruken du Clarn said he had “grave concerns” about du Saldivar leading the Lanternes Sourdes. Since the end of La Dernière Guerre, the Parliament has sought an oversight role in crown appointments – a role Roi Boranel resists.
“There's a lot about du Saldivar we just don't know. Rumors of a connection between du Saldivar and the Saputo syndicate in Sharn, for example,” du Clarn said.
Some of du Saldivar's connections to the Clan Saputo are more than rumors. As head of the Sharn Watch, du Saldivar put a record number of Clan Saputo members behind bars. However, critics accused his office of relying too heavily on undercover agents that committed crimes to maintain their cover identities.
du Clarn said that the issue of parliamentary oversight goes beyond this appointment.
“I don't think the crown sees the potential benefit that parliamentary approval would bring,” he said. “Once appointees for high office get approval from Parliament, they will know that all of Brelandestands behind them. It's more than the confidence of the king – it's the confidence of the whole nation.”
When named to the post, du Saldivar will replace Daal Chorek, who resigned the post in Aryth in the wake of the Tattered Flag scandal. Members of Parliament accused Chorek of harboring war criminals from La Dernière Guerre, granting them new identities as manor lords in rural Breland. Chorek was acquitted in a subsequent crown trial.
Researchers Crack Code of Vvaraak
News for Far, Zarantyr 6th, 998
SHARN – A Université Morgrave team led by Antiquities Professor Casimir du Tannan announced on Wir that they've decoded the Code of Vvaraak, a puzzle that has fascinated cryptographers, linguists, and historians for decades.
The Code, created more than five thousand years ago by a dragon named Vvaraak, is found on inscriptions in ruins across Khorvaire.
“The characters and symbols in the code correspond to no known ancient language,” du Tannan said. “But we thought we recognized some patterns in the syntax – the order in which the symbols were strung together.”
The key to cracking the code, du Tannan said, was accumulating Khorvaire's largest collection of Vvaraak antiquities. Université Morgrave used its own researchers, expeditions from the Wayfarer Fondation, and independent explorers to copy or acquire examples of Vvaraak's inscriptions.
“If you're going to decrypt something, it's important to get the largest sample you can,” du Tannan said.
Vvaraak's inscriptions can be found on ruins across Khorvaire, du Tannan said. The Perdu City of Harad-Nui off the Qbarran coast, the ruined Mines of Blazegold in the Bastions de la Nation, and the Seals of Aal'drash in the Frontières de l'Ombre have extensive examples of the Code of Vvaraak.
One remaining puzzle: Why the Code of Vvaraak resisted divination magic.
“We employed all sorts of divinations, but even efforts to commune or contact other plane didn't get us anywhere,” du Tannan said. “In the end, it came down to a lot of brute-force cryptography and the extraordinary ingenuity of my team.”
The team's findings, along with a complete lexicon for the Code of Vvaraak, will be published over the next several months, du Tannan said.
“Just as we're standing on the shoulders of great historians who came before us, I hope that our discoveries inspire the next generation of students,” du Tannan said.
But reaction from the academic community was mixed. Athuran Happlestep, history professor emeritus at the University of Korranberg, called the effort to decrypt the Code of Vvaraak “typical Morgave irresponsibility.”
“We know so little of Vvaraak, but we do know this: It trapped or killed a lot of strangel monsters from far-off dimensions,” he said. “Now that anyone can read Vvaraak's inscriptions, what's to keep tomb robbers from opening a bunch of mystic seals and unleashing horrors that the world hasn't seen for thousands of years?”
Lyrandar Investigates Mysterious Lights
News for Far, Zarantyr 6th, 998
SHARN – Maison Lyrandar agents questioned several residents of the Tour Mithril district on Mol after mysterious lights approached Aéronefs departing from Lyrandar Tower.
A cluster of the translucent, glowing lights approached the Virtue's Price from Tour Mithril and floated around the hull before streaking back to the towers of Sharn.
Mol's encounter marks the third time this week that an Aéronef crew has reported seeing the strangel lights. Most eyewitnesses say the lights are spherical or ovoid, but some say they take a bipedal form when they cluster together.
“I didn't really see features, but it looked a bit like a glowing woman with arms outstretched,” said Tinar Blugostra, a passenger that disembarked from the Virtue's Price just before it departed Sharn.
Blugostra said she watched the glowing lights flit across the deck and hull of the rising Virtue's Price. It floated near the observation dome on the lowest deck of the Aéronef, she said – “almost like it was peering through the windows at the passengers.”
Maison Lyrandar spokesman Korvik de Lyrandar emphasized that passengers and cargo were unharmed by the light display. Most found it amusing, he said.
“What we're seeing is probably a natural magical phenomenon or the activity of a few arcane pranksters,” he said. “Aéronef travel remains the safest, most luxurious way to travel across Khorvaire. All that happened is that our passengers got a free light show as they departed Sharn.”
The House is reviewing its security procedures and will augment the magical and mundane protections around its ships, de Lyrandar said.
Maison Lyrandar representatives, accompanied by Sharn Watch détectives, questioned “about a dozen” residents of Tour Mithril about the lights, chief détective Yari Talanak said. None were considered suspects and no arrests were made, he said.
Moira Harnatri, arcane studies professor of Université Morgrave, noted that illusion magic could create the glowing lights but surmised that the mysterious lights weren't merely a manifestation of dancing lights or another Commun spell.
“If eyewitness accounts are to be believed, the lights were too bright, too big, and too fast to be a simple evocation,” she said. “And the lights persisted after the Aéronefs were more than a thousand feet above the skyline – beyond the rangel of a wizard on the ground.”
Search for Missing Royal Aide Continues
News for Sul, Olarune 8th, 998
SHARN – On Sar, family members of royal aide Shauranna Rokesko expressed hope that she might still be found, despite two days of fruitless searching throughout the breadth and height of Sharn.
“Shauranna must know that we're out there looking for her. If we have to search every room in every tower, we'll find her and bring her home,” said her father, Kal Rokesko.
This morning, La Sureté commanders reported that they were doubling the number of searchers across the city and assigning the case to détectives in every precinct. Commander Banath Hururik said anyone with information about the Rokesko case should contact the nearest La Sureté official immediately.
Rokesko, an aide to Royal Minister Yarik Freul, disappeared from her room at the Tours Souveraines Inn on Far evening. Watch captains told the Sharn détective that the room showed fire damage and signs of a struggle, although Watch commanders refuse to discuss the investigative details of the case.
Freul, a crown liaison to the Légion Souveraine, came to Sharn with his staff for an annual meeting with Onatar priests. He returned to Wroat on Sar to petition that the crown assign the case to the King's Citadel.
“I have every confidence in Sharn's La Sureté,” Freul said in a scribed statement on Sar. “But because I and my staff deal with sensitive matters of state, it seems prudent to involve those with expertise in such matters. Shauranna is no ordinary girl, and this is no ordinary disappearance.”
The reward for Shauranna's safe return now stands at more than 1,000 gold coins. Maison Kundarak officials responsible for administration of the fund said that concerned citizens are still donating, so the reward is likely to grow.
Livestock Deaths Puzzle Ranchers
News for Sul, Olarune 8th, 998
Beaurefuge – Baffled ranchers in western Aundair expressed their frustration on Zol after finding dozens more dead sheep and cattle in remote grasslands.
Predation on livestock is nothing new to the ranchers, but these cattle and sheep have apparently been strangled or crushed, then bled dry. Each corpse bears a series of circular wounds the size of dinner plates.
Vaun Manakuli, a shepherd on the Eldeen border, reported that he had Perdu five sheep to the mysterious menace. “I'd heard the rumors, so I'd been staying awake at night to protect my flock,” he said. “It was almost morning when I heard this low, groaning sound coming from over the hill. I ran as fast as I could, but by the time I reached the top of the hillock, I'd Perdu five sheep.”
Whatever killed his sheep did so in seconds, Manakuli claimed, because he was less than 100 feet away when he heard the groaning sound.
Renowned hunter and naturalist Carsenni Rhun described the wounds as perplexing. He vowed to be the first to bring in the beast responsible – dead or alive. “I've hunted across Khorvaire, from the Frontières de l'Ombre to the jungles of Q'Barra. No one's ever bagged anything like this, so I guess I'll be first,” he said.
Rhun speculated that an octopuslike tentacle could have caused the wounds. “When I was diving in Baie d'Eldeen shortly after the war, sometimes I'd see a whale with a circular scar. Such marks are from the incredibly powerful suckers on the tentacles of certain sea-beasts,” he said. “But the scars on the whales weren't much bigger than my hand,” he continued. “What behemoth could leave a tentacle mark as big as these?”
Gaps Exist in Muraille-Grise Defenses
News for Sul, Olarune 8th, 998
WROAT – On Zor, retired General Tauma Hilliard issued a report criticizing Breland's postwar western defenses. The report stated that “critical gaps in the Muraille-Grise fortifications endangelr the entire realm.”
Hilliard's report, delivered to the crown at Roi Boranel's request, said that bandits, marauders, and monsters from Droaam continue to slip through the Muraille-Grise Mountain passes and menace western Breland, even though the Muraille-Grise region is one of the most heavily fortified locations in Khorvaire.
Hilliard's report cited four breaches of the realm's defenses in Zarantyr alone. Furthermore, when the snow that renders many Muraille-Grise routes impassible melts, incursions from Droaam are likely to increase.
“While the Muraille-Grise fortresses themselves remain secure, the Brelandemilitary cannot project force across the entire border,” the report continued. “For every monster or bandit gang the army defeats, another one slips between the patrols.”
Among the incursions last month were the following incidents.
- In a series of raids on the mountain villages of Skerritburg and Olinton, gnolls killed 39, wounded scores more, and caused extensive property damage.
- A Méduse attack on Watchpost 15 left fourteen petrified.
- A band of trolls sacked the mining town of Harrack. The creatures used a previously undiscovered tunnel to enter the mines directly and elude Brelon patrols.
- A Minotaure/orc horde clashed with elements of the Brelon 11th Battalion at Jasper Pass. Some Minotaures and orcs managed to escape east into Brelandebefore Brelon reinforcements arrived.
Hilliard's report recommended a 20 percent increase in troop levels across the Muraille-Grise border. It further advised that troops stationed there would require extensive magical support and training in long-rangel reconnaissance.
Shipwrecks May Mark Pirate Escalation
News for Sul, Olarune 8th, 998
Port-de-Trolan – The Lucky Larkspur washed ashore on the Zilargo coast last week. The bodies of its crew had been mutilated almost beyond recognition, and its cargo was missing. The Lucky Larkspur is the third ship to suffer such a fate in the last two months, and port officials speculate that a new band of pirates may be responsible.
“Pirates revel in the fear they cause, but this sort of ritualistic murder goes far beyond the pale. These pirates, whoever they may be, are by far the most bloodthirsty madmen I've ever come across,” said Parlo Garrelspan, the Port-de-Trolan harbor administrator. Garrelspan asserted that most of the merchant ships plying the Sea of Storms are hiring extra marines to guard their vessels against the pirates. Thus far, the marauders have left no survivors, and no calling card other than the dismembered bodies of the crew.
“While this new band of pirates is bloodier than others, they represent only a new incident in a worrisome trend,” said Garrelspan. “We've seen a real influx of pirates on the Sea of Storms recently. The conclusion of La Dernière Guerre left too many war-trained sailors and not enough peacetime ships for them to crew. Unfortunately, a lot of them turned to piracy.”
Thus far, all the stricken ships have been owned by smaller merchant companies, but Maison Lyrandar and the navies of both Brelandeand Zilargo are taking the matter quite seriously. A Maison Lyrandar captain, however, speculated that pirates might not be to blame. “The sahuagin dwelling in the Les Dents de Shargon have some appalling sacrificial rites,” Captain Derenver de Lyrandar said. “If a sahuagin tribe has migrated into a shipping lane, its members could easily produce this sort of damage.”
“I know what the gnomes think,” de Lyrandar continued, “but pirates are too smart to just butcher everyone. They want their victims scared enough to surrender, not so certain of their impending doom that they're willing to fight to the death.”
Mysterious Monoliths under Construction
News for Sul, Therendor 1st, 998
SHARN – On Zol, Université Morgrave anthropologist Guthra Maranech displayed astonishing drawings depicting thousand-foot-tall ovoid structures under construction deep in the Sarlonan wilderness.
Maranech told a packed lecture hall that while he was uncertain as to the monoliths' purpose, the “psionic” energy that provides the Inspiré with their mental powers seemed to fluctuate wildly in the area around these structures. “When we discuss purpose, we enter the realm of conjecture,” Maranech said. “But based on the energy readings, I would have to speculate that these monoliths are some sort of psionic batteries or amplifiers.”
Throughout his two-hour lecture, Maranech noted that his depictions of the monoliths, which he observed during a covert visit to the Riedran Empire, are nearly a year old. The anthropologist was detained by Inspiré security shortly after entering the Valley of the Monoliths.
Maranech ended his lecture with yet another astonishing revelation. “Some of the details I observed suggest that the monoliths may have quasibiological motility,” he stated. “Consequently, they might not even be in the valley anymore.”
Maranech's return to Sharn marks the conclusion of nearly four months of negotiations between Brelon and Inspiré ambassadors. The anthropologist said the Inspiré had treated him well during his detention and even granted him access to Riedran texts for study.
Thahad Vulreath, Second Prefect for the Adar government-in-exile, called for the Riedran Empire to make public the purpose of the stone objects and allow neutral observers to monitor events in the Valley of the Monoliths. “Given the Riedrans' oppressive policies toward the Kalashtar minority remaining in Sarlona and elsewhere, we cannot help but wonder what new horror these monoliths represent,” he said.
Diplomats at the Riedran Embassy in Sharn were unavailable for comment at press time.
Droaam Hordes Press Muraille-Grise Defenders
News for Sul, Therendor 1st, 998
ARDEV – A horde of Minotaures, ogres, gnolls and other monsters from Droaam clashed on Mol with BrelandeArmy units guarding the Muraille-Grise passes. More than 2,000 Droaam warriors, with gnolls and ogres dominating the raiding parties, attacked at dusk in a series of incursions covering some two-thirds of the Muraille-Grise theater.
Early situation reports indicate that the hordes are directed by the Filles De Sora Kell, who seized power in the region after Brelon forces withdrew in 987. The current assault represents the most significant push this year by that organization.
Junior officers retreating from advance posts in the Murailles Grises reported the capture of at least three mountain citadels: Mt. Anglio, Virtue Soars, and Blackwood Cleft. The disposition of those citadels and others in the Murailles Grises could not be confirmed with the BrelandeArmy high command. These three fortifications were among the thirteen built in 990 after passage of the controversial Muraille-Grise Levy.
Retreating soldiers reported typical tactics on the part of the Droaam hordes, whose members gave no quarter and took few prisoners. Several retreating squads were turned to stone by Méduses in the Daughters' pay, then smashed into rubble by the ogres and trolls in the advancing hordes.
Breland's 7th Army, still in winter quarters in Galethspyre, immediately began preparations for a forced march to bolster the Muraille-Grise defenders, Brelon Army officials said on Zol. Rumors that Borumel's War Council would redeploy the Argonth floating fortress to the Droaam border could not be confirmed at press time. Argonth last appeared in the Murailles Grises in 991 to stem a rising tide of gnoll incursions.
Critics of the crown's Droaam policy decried the Muraille-Grise defense plans even as they expressed support for the Brelon soldiers holding the remaining citadels against the monstrous assault. “When the king withdrew from western Brelandeeleven years ago, we all worried that a situation such as this one might be the consequence,” said Baroness Avarulao, one of the Brelon citizens resettled in 987, now serving as Adjunct Minister for the Dispossessed of Western Breland. “What was once our beautiful homeland is now a breeding ground for endless waves of horrible monsters.”
In a strongly worded speech before Parliament, Avarulao advocated the launching of a “cleansing crusade” to wipe out the Filles De Sora Kell and reclaim western Breland. Provisions of the Unity Act of 988 prevent the BrelandeLedger from reprinting her statement in detail.
Prince Halix Enrolls at Rekkenmark Academy
News for Sul, Therendor 1st, 998
REKKENMARK, KARRNATH – Prince Halix du Wynarn, youngest of King Borumel's sons, enrolled on Wir at Karrnath's prestigious Rekkenmark Military Academy. Halix, who has resided in the Karrnath capital of Korth since 997, will take a historical course on the military campaigns of Karrn the Conquérant (-2049 to -1992). The reason for the prince's choice is clear – Rekkenmark possesses one of only four surviving originals of Karrn's Les Analectes, considered by most military commanders to be the seminal text on military strategy.
By virtue of his noble title, Halix also holds the rank of colonel in the Army of Breland. He is thus the highest-ranking Brelon officer to attend Rekkenmark since the start of La Dernière Guerre.
The prince's course of study was announced on Sul by Syra du Tarrn, Karrnath's ambassador in Sharn. “We're delighted to have someone so capable at Rekkenmark,” du Tarrn said. “But beyond that, Prince Halix's decision to study at the academy shows how far we've come since the Treaty of Fort-du-trône. Just a few years ago, a Brelon prince studying war at a Karrnathi academy would have been unthinkable.”
Brelandemilitary commanders, speaking on condition of anonymity, had mixed views on the prince's decision.
“Make no mistake, I'd lay down my life for the crown,” said one high-ranking general. “But it's a shame that our prince can't learn Brelon tactics from Brelon veterans, rather than seeking some kind of Karrnathi pedigree. Those Rekkenmark blades killed a lot of fine Brelon soldiers.”
Another army general, however, was more sanguine about the situation. “As long as he brings back some understanding of Karrnathi integrated polearm tactics, I'm in favor of his decision. That sort of knowledge might become quite useful someday, if you take my meaning,” she said.
POW Protests Rock Sharn Towers
News for Sul, Therendor 1st, 998
SHARN – An estimated 1,000 protesters marched through Sharn's Bazaar and Folie d'Hareth districts on Mol, blocking key intersections and clashing with city guards throughout the late afternoon and evening. La Sureté troopers were dispatched from the Garde-dague Garnison at 6 p.m. to deal with the disturbances. By 10 p.m., nearby precincts surveyed by the BrelandeLedger reported more than 150 arrests.
Blood of the Disappeared, a group founded by the parents and spouses of missing Brelon soldiers, organized the rally to protest what they called “foot-dragging” on the part of Breland's War Ministry and diplomatic corps. “We've been at peace for two years now, everyone says. But for us, there is no peace,” said Blood Councilor Maruena Tokaunt in a speech to a crowd at Markenny Plaza. “Our government, from the crown on down, needs to take responsibility for negotiating an exchange of soldier remains and any living prisoners. Furthermore, the national armies must open their records so we can find out what happened to the thousands of missing and captured troops.”
Most of the arrests were for disturbing order or property destruction, according to Watch Captain Zell Garrithall. Property damage was limited to street signs, some storefronts, and several tavern interiors.
Assistant War Minister Arneth du Challis said that while the crown welcomes “open discussion about the fate of those who gave their all for Breland,” negotiating such agreements is a time-consuming, difficult process. Older missing-in-action cases tend to be delayed because of a simple lack of information, du Challis explained. “After nearly a century of war and upheaval, detailed records on every military engagement just don't exist anymore,” he affirmed. “Sadly, we'll never know exactly where and under what circumstances each hero of Brelandefell.”
Adding to the frustration of investigators is the fact that more recent cases are sometimes cloaked by the demands of military secrecy. “When we inquire about missing and captured soldiers from the last year or two of the war, we get stonewalled,” du Challis said. “Other nations don't want to divulge the details of recent battles because doing so means giving away intelligence.”
du Challis also emphasized that to the War Ministry's knowledge, Brelandeis holding no living prisoners from La Dernière Guerre. He called on other governments to make the same pledge.
Tokaunt echoed that call. “The war is over – doesn't everyone realize that? What possible reason could a nation have for continued imprisonment of enemy soldiers?”
Korranberg Library Shares Records
News for Sul, Eyre 15th, 998
Korranberg Library Shares Genealogical Records with Karrnathi Cult
KORRANBERG – On Wir, Bibliothèque de Korranberg loremasters announced their intention to share genealogical tomes with the Le Sang Divin, a controversial cult native to Karrnath. Twelve Le Sang Divin priests will have open-stack privileges at the Korranberg Library, and a dozen Korranberg researchers will gain similar privileges at the Le Sang Divin's Monastère du Sang Pourpre, which is located in the Karrnathi city of Atur.
Loremaster Hurian Zarrek emphasized that despite the Le Sang Divin's macabre beliefs, the information in the cult's genealogical records rivals the combined lore of Korranberg itsElfe. “So many family histories were destroyed or Perdu in La Dernière Guerre,” Zarrek said. “Our records of the noble families living in northern Khorvaire are spotty, but the Le Sang Divin has records going back for centuries. This historic opportunity was simply too good to pass up.”
Le Sang Divin worship is legal in Karrnath but forbidden elsewhere – including in Zilargo – because of cult members' tendencies to dabble in necromancy and other unsavory practices. Zarrek stated that for this reason, the priests from Karrnath would be strictly enjoined from conducting public religious ceremonies or advocating their cult while in Korranberg.
Zarrek further affirmed that this agreement marks a significant coup for the Bibliothèque de Korranberg. “Never before has the Le Sang Divin offered up any of its lore for the scrutiny of others,” he said. “This arrangelment could easily result in a doubling of our genealogical information.”
The priests from Karrnath are due to arrive in approximately one month. The Korranberg researchers should depart next week.
Les Terres des Lamentations Incursion Devastates Village
News for Sul, Eyre 15th, 998
VATHIROND – A horde of ghouls attacked the village of Janwell and killed scores of villagers. Augmenting the marauders' strength were numerous magical conflagrations known as Sort Vivants.
The attack began at dusk and continued throughout the night. By morning, the village had fallen, and most of its people lay dead. At first light, however, the marauders slipped back into the Dead-Gray Mists on the border of the Les Terres des Lamentations.
Among the slain were local lord Orina du Ghalaro and the staff of a chapel devoted to the Église de la Flamme d'Argent. Most of the survivors were villagers who had taken shelter in a forest to the west at the first sign of trouble.
The marauders included a massive construct known as a Ramasseur de Cadavres. The name seems to be something of a misnomer, however, since the construct doesn't limit its harvest to corpses.
Rhennek du Tallon, the region's representative to Breland's Parliament, offered condolences to the families of the slain and promised that their deaths would be avenged. “I visited Janwell just last year for the apple harvest festival,” du Tallon said, “and never have I seen a more pleasant hamlet. All our hearts go out to the families of those who Perdu their lives in this senseless attack.”
But du Tallon did not stop with mere sympathy. He indicated that within the week he would bring a plan before Parliament to put more soldiers on Breland's border with the Les Terres des Lamentations.
Periodic incursions from the Les Terres des Lamentations are a fact of life in far eastern Breland, but survivors indicated that this attack was another matter entirely. “Once or twice a month, some nasty beast comes out of the mists – a Crab Carcassier or some other horrible creature,” said guard captain Aorolo Roklins. “But this attack was far beyond the norm. The marauders were organized and completely ruthless. However, they didn't loot any valuables, and property damage was minor.”
Red Gauntlet Regiment Reunites in Sharn
News for Sul, Eyre 15th, 998
SHARN – The surviving members of the Red Gauntlet Regiment have gathered in Sharn this week to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Battle of Kennrun.
The regiment, composed of mercenaries who fought for Brelandethroughout the latter years of La Dernière Guerre, was instrumental in Breland's victory at Kennrun. During that battle, elements of the Red Gauntlet Regiment prevented three heavy brigades from reinforcing the Cyran lines, enabling the Brelon 21st Cavalry to break through and liberate eastern Breland. The Red Gauntlet Regiment also served with distinction in the Muraille-Grise citadels during the late 980s, and during the “Great Thrust” battles of 992, when Brelandepushed Cyran forces back to the original Breland/Cyre border.
Fewer than one hundred veterans of the regiment are alive today because its members were engaged with Cyran forces on the Jour du Deuil. The regiment's standard is among those hanging at Athalus's Tomb in Wroat, dedicated to the Brelon victims of the Jour du Deuil.
To commemorate the reunion, King Borumel issued a royal proclamation declaring the gauntleteers honorary members of the Army of Breland. This action is highly significant because the regiment's relationship with the regular army was often difficult.
Maison Garda, a minority owner in the regiment's contracts throughout La Dernière Guerre, also plans a ceremonial color guard ceremony in honor of the Red Gauntlet Regiment next Sul. On that day, Garda soldiers across Brelandewill wear red gloves in honor of these brave veterans.
“The ceremonies and proclamations are appreciated,” said Red Gauntlet Sergeant Darius Pike. “But the reunion is more about remembering the gauntleteers who never returned from Cyre in 994. I survived only because I was assigned recruiting duty in the winter of 993 – an assignment I didn't particularly want.
“I used to know the thirty guys in my platoon better than their own families did,” Pike said. “And my whole company was like family to me. Only three of those guys are still around. So we'll hoist a tankard for the other one hundred forty-odd brothers who are out there in the mist somewhere.”
Gladiator Fight Legalization
News for Sul, Eyre 15th, 998
DATELINE – Sava Kharisa, Sharn Conseil de Ville member for the Lower Central Ward, said the city should rescind laws forbidding gladiator matches within the city limits. “Today a Ombrey network sponsoring pit-fights and other gladiator matches is forced to play hide-and-seek with the city guards,” she said. “Certainly our guards have more useful things to do than arrest citizens seeking an evening's leisure. As long as the gladiator matches are safe and the participants are willing, we should give the people of Sharn what they clearly want,” she insisted.
Gladiator matches are forbidden by a variety of anti-gambling, anti-dueling, and anti-bloodsport statutes. Therefore, participants must changel the locations of their matches frequently to avoid the La Sureté. Rescinding the statutes, however, would take the agreement of the full Conseil de Ville, and such consent may not be forthcoming.
Savia Potellas, who represents the Allume-feu district where the famous Burning Ring matches usually take place, accused Kharisa of meddling in the affairs of other wards. “It's a known fact that the Daask gang runs L'Arène Ardente and a lot of other pit-fighting spectacles. Lower Menthis has enough problems without the crime that these monster-created bloodsports spawn,” she said.
Kharisa countered that Sharn already supports several other rough sports and diversions, including hrazhak and Joutes aériennes events. Therefore, bringing the gladiators out into the open ought to reduce crime, not increase it. “Crime thrives in the darkness,” she pointed out. “If we make gladiator matches legal, we shine the light on them. The only reason that organized crime has been so prevalent among the gladiators thus far is that we've forced them to operate outside the law.”
Other council members, however, questioned Kharisa's motives. “Sava Kharisa wants to make bloodsports legal. Her attitude is hardly surprising, given that her cousin was arrested for attending L'Arène Ardente just last week,” said Thurik Davandi, city council member for Upper Menthis. “I'm just glad he wasn't arrested for robbery, or we'd have to sit through a speech about why purse-snatching should be legal.”
Berceau de l'Orage District Quarantined
News for Sul, Dravago 22nd, 998
Berceau de l'Orage District Quarantined after “Redscale” Outbreak Wreaks Havoc
SHARN – On Wir, the La Sureté closed off access to the Berceau de l'Orage District to keep the mysterious plague known as redscale from spreading to the rest of the city. Watch officers said they didn't know when they'd reopen the district, but that paladins and special agents with magical immunity to the disease were conducting limited surveys of the situation in Berceau de l'Orage.
More than a thousand Berceau de l'Orage residents are now confined behind the barriers that the La Sureté has erected at all known access points to the district. Magical observation of Berceau de l'Orage this morning revealed mostly deserted streets and evidence of sporadic looting.
The redscale plague causes victims to develop scaly growths on their faces and hands, and to engage in violent, unpredictable behavior. Before the closure, the La Sureté attributed seventeen homicides and more than a hundred arrests to the disease.
Sages of Maison Brunet are studying redscale victims in an effort to explain the virulence of the plague. “In the last two weeks, we've made some progress. Traditional anti-disease magic is effective at least some of the time, and we're researching some specific spells that should be completely effective,” said Kustobel de Brunet. “But since we aren't yet sure how the plague is spread, we have to be very careful when studying the victims.”
de Brunet further stated that the plague is definitely magical in origin, and that it resists Commun healing spells. Furthermore, she indicated that the sages had found some evidence that the disease places a magical compulsion on its victims. “One of the most puzzling aspects of redscale is how the victims behave,” she said. “They seem to experience a lot of violent urges that cause them to attack others – even their friends and families. Curiously, however, redscale victims never attack each other – the victims of their violent acts are always uninfected people. Thus, if you're infected but haven't developed the scales yet, the other plague victims won't attack you.”
Bounty on Train Fulgurant Raiders
News for Sul, Dravago 22nd, 998
Orléans Offers Bounty on Train Fulgurant Raiders
VULYAR, KARNNATH – Maison Orléans has announced a bounty of 5,000 gold coins on a gang that has been sabotaging Train Fulgurant service between the Karnnathi cities of Vulyar and Ferville. The gang, known by the “Three Fingers” moniker, has robbed the Train Fulgurant three times in the last six months, eluding Maison Orléans guards each time.
Three weeks ago, Maison Orléans blamed the Three Fingers gang for the temporary suspension of rail traffic between Vulyar and Ferville. The shutdown lasted for three days, then additional delays extended it for two days beyond that.
Citing security concerns, the leaders of Maison Orléans refused to discuss the exact reason for the shutdown. But a villager in Yellow Pass, a hamlet near the rail route, stated that a Train Fulgurant carrying ingots from the Bastions de la Nation derailed after dozens of conductor stones were removed from its path. “The officials grabbed every horse and every able-bodied worker in Yellow Pass to help with the cleanup,” said the villager, who asked that his name not be used. “Several rail cars were tipped over, and some of them were still on fire, but no ingots remained as far as I could tell.”
The villager refused to speculate on how the ingots might have been removed. “If it took dozens of horses and a second Train Fulgurant to haul off the wreck,” he said, “I don't know how the Three Fingers could have gotten items as heavy as ingots away from the wreckage.”
The bounty should substantially improve the chances of bringing the perpetrators to justice. If would-be bounty hunters don't capture the gang, one of the national armies or Maisons Marquées Du Dragon still might. Karnnath has dispatched extra patrols, including the Company of the Skull, into the area to search for the raiders.
In addition, several Nain clans within the Bastions de la Nation are negotiating with Korth to provide pursuit parties. “That Train Fulgurant line is our primary connection to the rest of Khorvaire, and we take threats against it as threats against the holds themselves,” said Baron Juri Deepspring of Morin.
Meanwhile, Maison Garda has offered the services of its Garde Maréchaux to protect the rail line. Maison Orléans officials have assured the public that the Train Fulgurants running the Vulyar-Ferville route now have “unparalleled security.”
Murders Tied to Pamphlets
News for Sul, Dravago 22nd, 998
Sharn Watch Ties Murders to Key of Saranach Pamphlets
SHARN – On Far, a La Sureté official revealed that the murder of Lady Kria du Tandrika, which occurred in her Chambres on Zol, is related to the mysterious pamphlet known as the Key of Saranach. du Tandrika's death is the seventh in the last two months that has been linked to the rare manuscript, which is said to be cursed with ill fortune.
Garde-dague Garnison Commander Lian Halamar said he would be doubling the number of détectives working on the case by the end of the day. Thus far, the investigation has focused on several “citizens of interest,” but no suspects have been identified as yet.
Halamar issued two writs of detention on Zol. Though the writs don't accuse the named individuals of crimes, they do give the La Sureté the authority to detain those persons for questioning regarding the pamphlet.
The first writ names the author of the Key of Saranach – a man called Valtreaux the Sage. The La Sureté has no description of Valtreaux, nor are his recent whereabouts known.
The second writ names a woman known only as Providence, a frequent speaker in the Communs at Université Morgrave. The writ states that Providence was handing out Key of Saranach pamphlets several weeks ago, though she hasn't been seen since. According to Halamar, at least some of the murder victims received the pamphlet from Providence.
A public appeal to turn in copies of the Key of Saranach pamphlet to the La Sureté has thus far achieved no results. du Tandrika's copy – the first acquired so far – has been turned over to the Blackened Book, the magical investigation unit of the La Sureté. Halamar revealed that the pamphlet purports to be a sElfe-guided study of esoteric mystical techniques.
“It's likely that the connection between the pamphlet and the murders is completely mundane – the rumors of a curse are probably hyperbole,” Halamar said. “We don't know how many of these Providence handed out, however, and we'd like to have them all accounted for.”
Eldeen Wolves Seize Expedition
News for Sul, Dravago 22nd, 998
Eldeen Wolves Seize Expedition; Aundair Refuses Talks
WYR, AUNDAIR – Dozens of archeologists, porters, and laborers from L'Université de Wynarn have been captured by the Eldeen Wolves, a guerrilla group operating in western Aundair and the eastern Confins d'Eldeen.
A missive delivered to Aundadu s Otharaunt Fortress demanded that Aundair pull out of the Rivière Wynarn Valley in exchange for the safe return of the expedition. (Since the Confins d'Eldeen attained independence, the western banks of the Rivière Wynarn have traditionally been considered the region's border.) A palace official connected to Queen Aurala's diplomatic corps dismissed the missive as “a ranting screed from radicals whose time has passed” and said the crown will never negotiate with kidnappers and guerrillas.
Garde Maréchaux from Maison Garda and agents of Les Yeux Royaux d'Aundair are searching for the missing expedition. However, neither Maison Garda nor the Aundair crown would provide details of the search, citing the safety of agents in the field as the reason for this secrecy.
The Eldeen Wolves have stepped up their kidnapping, sabotage, and murder operations along Aundadu s western border during the past year. Led by a charismatic, mysterious figure known only as Rhunadask, the group operates from bases deep within the wilderness of the Confins d'Eldeen and clashes frequently with the Aundairian army.
Despite the most recent kidnappings, residents of western Aundair remain resolute in their opposition to Rhunadask and the Eldeen Wolves. “Pulling out of the valley completely would result in the loss of many prosperous farms and vineyards,” said Lord Hauron du Trellek, whose family manor sits on the eastern bank of the Wynarn. “But a fundamental principle is at stake here: That land is Aundair soil, and I've already given five sons to make sure that it stays Aundair soil.”
Court-Martial Convicts Tardalis
News for Sul, Dravago 22nd, 998
Court-Martial Convicts Tardalis on Twenty-Four Counts
WROAT – Colonel Reyva Tardalis drew a sentence of forty years in Fort-Terreur after a military jury returned convictions on twenty-four of the twenty-six charges levied against him by the crown. The jury found Tardalis guilty of dereliction of duty, inHumaine treatment of subordinates, and conduct unbecoming an officer. The jury deadlocked on the two treason charges, either of which would have resulted in public execution of the prisoner.
Tardalis, brought in shackles before Magistrate du Aungré on Mol, was calm before the sentence was delivered. But when du Aungré instructed the bailiffs to prepare the prisoner for Fort-Terreur, Tardalis rushed the bench and had to be restrained, first by guards and then with enchantment magic.
Tardalis commanded a Brelanderegiment on the western front in the mid-980s. But when Roi Boranel pulled the army back east of the Murailles Grises, Tardalis refused to retreat. Instead, he constructed a fortress in the Harrkall Valley of what is now Droaam.
Tardalis offered the regiment's protection to settlers who likewise refused to retreat, and his soldiers managed to hold the Harrkall Valley against the hordes of Droaam for almost eight years. The presence of “Tardalis's Regiment” deep within Droaam was a source of pride for the noble families displaced by Breland's retreat, many of whom had been advocating a massive reconquest of the west.
When the Treaty of Fort-du-trône negotiations began in 995, Brelon commandos stormed the Harrkall Valley and took Tardalis and his officer corps into custody. This action ended the ongoing embarrassment of a Brelon military unit that openly refused orders. Some diplomats, however, contend that the raid was also part of a diplomatic effort to bring the Filles De Sora Kell to the negotiating table at Fort-du-trône – a conjecture repudiated by the crown.
Upon taking control of the fortress, the commandos found not the orderly encampment depicted in pro-reconquest leaflets, but a community held captive by Tardalis and his soldiers. Detailed reports of the conditions in the Harrkall Valley fortress remain under crown seal, but testimony offered during the court-martial trial alluded to slavery, sadistic punishments, and “unwholesome magical practices.”
Security Planned for Barrakas Summit
News for Sul, Nymm 15th, 998
“Unparalleled” Security Planned for Barrakas Summit
Fort-du-trône – Kaskell de Garda stated on Zol that Maison Garda plans to establish a 5-mile “exclusion zone” around the island of Fort-du-trône for the duration of the international summit scheduled there during the first week of Barrakas. As a result of these precautions, maritime traffic throughout Passage de la côte will be delayed.
“For the duration of the summit, we plan to cover Fort-du-trône by land, sea, and air,” said de Garda. “We plan to counter every possible kind of security breach – from magical surveillance to extraplanar intrusion – so that Khorvaire's national leaders can focus on negotiations.”
Known in diplomatic circles as the Barrakas Summit, this historic meeting is officially called the First Summit of Peace and Reconciliation. Its beginning will mark the first time that Khorvaire's national leaders have gathered in one place since the Treaty of Fort-du-trône was signed two years ago.
But as of now, with less than two months until the summit is scheduled to begin, only King Kaius du Wynarn III of Karrnath and Queen Aurala du Wynarn of Aundair have committed to attending. Though Breland's Roi Boranel du Wynarn has expressed support for the Barrakas Summit, he has made his attendance contingent on the continued progress of technical negotiations prior to the meeting.
“Negotiations are ongoing with other Khorvaire nations and with the Elfes of Aundair,” said Special Ambassador Hjeltia Petilom of Aundair. “The diplomatic corps of Aundair and Karrnath are handling the day-to-day organization of the summit.
“This meeting represents an unparalleled opportunity for Khorvaire's leaders to come together and chart a course for the future,” Petilom continued. “We're confident that the generations to come will look back at the Barrakas Summit and say, 'This is when Khorvaire put its bloody past behind it once and for all.'”
“Mad Mapmaker” on Exhibit at Morgrave
News for Sul, Nymm 15th, 998
“Mad Mapmaker” on Exhibit at Morgrave
SHARN – Was Valtreaux the Mad a lunatic prospector or visionary arcanist? Visitors to Université Morgrave will have the chance to answer that question for themselves when his maps go on display next week in the Dezina Museum of Antiquities.
Valtreaux is the nom de plume of a Nain wizard and prospector who traveled the length and breadth of Khorvaire in search of Fragments de Dragon some five hundred years ago. His maps are marvels of the mapmaker's art, but their painstaking detail is often obscured by coded references and magical obfuscations.
Several oddities are Commun to all of Valtreaux's maps. For example, north and south are always reversed, and tiny script around each map compass reads, “Every needle points south as well.” In addition, many of his maps include seemingly unnecessary details, such as astronomical charts superimposed on maps of underground caverns.
But these maps are more than just oddities – they have artistic value as well. Unlike most of his contemporaries, Valtreaux used rare pigments to color his maps, and those hues remain vibrant five centuries later.
Aurak Janirra, Cartography Professor Emeritus at the university, has offered several maps from his private collection for the showing next week. The professor freely admits to a long-standing interest in these maps and their maker.
According to Janirra, Valtreaux earned his “Mad” appellation long after he created his maps. “When Valtreaux retired from prospecting,” the professor explained, “he arrangeld to have his journals published. Because readers found them difficult to comprehend, they began calling him Valtreaux the Mad.”
Valtreaux's journals are full of cryptic historical references, allegorical tales, and numerical ciphers. Readers report that the most striking quality of his journals is the simplicity of their language – in fact, many claim that Valtreaux's writing resembles poems and rhymes written for children.
“Compilations of Journeys of Valtreaux the Mad are still popular among rare book collectors,” Janirra said. “The fact that some volumes have been Perdu to history makes the narrative even more difficult to follow.
“Calling Valtreaux mad is a bit cruel, really,” continued Janirra. “Just because we don't fully understand his writings is no reason to assume that his mind was not in full working order. As I have often told my students, it might be more accurate to call us dullards for not understanding his wonderful writing and cartography.”
Girallons Rage Through Cour de Pierre
News for Sul, Nymm 15th, 998
Girallons Rage Through Cour de Pierre
SHARN – On Far, several packs of girallons raged through the Cour de Pierre district of Lower Northedge, leaving thirteen dead or missing and scores of others wounded. La Sureté officials reported that more than two dozen of the creatures had been captured or killed in an effort to restore peace to the neighborhood.
As of today, squads of soldiers are still conducting door-by-door searches of the entire district in an effort to round up the remaining girallons. “The origin of these creatures remains under investigation,” said Watch Captain Handor Vassineck.
Eyewitnesses reported that the girallons descended from ledges and other high perches shortly after noon on Far. They attacked shoppers at a farmers' market on Green Coin Street, then spread out through the entire district.
“They snapped the neck of Thallia the grocer like a twig, then dragged her off,” said Thomo Ghalann, a resident of the district. “They were loping through the city streets, bellowing as they went. Even my nightmares have never been as horrible as what I saw today.”
Several Cour de Pierre residents cited the bravery of a druid known as Teln, who healed many of the wounded and used magic to drive off numerous girallons. At present, however, Teln is among the missing.
“Girallons are four-armed white gorillas known for their carnivorous diet, aggressive territoriality, and feral cunning,” said Rhannock Plathekker, Professor of Cryptozoology at Université Morgrave. “Even leaving aside the question of what jungle-dwellers were doing in the middle of a city, the girallons' behavior is puzzling,” Plathekker said. “In the wild, their social structure doesn't extend beyond a pack of six or so. Furthermore, they generally consume their prey on the spot, rather than dragging it off.”
Lhazaar Volcano Erupts
News for Sul, Lharvion 8th, 998
Lhazaar Volcano Erupts; Scores Feared Perdu
Port Royal – Mount Cathanikau erupted on Mol, producing a fountain of glowing lava and an ash plume that could be seen from mainland Khorvaire. Tremors from the eruption caused high surf throughout the Principautés de Lhazaar, and many low-lying settlements suffered minor structural damage.
A constant rain of embers and ejecta from the eruption has prevented ships from reaching Cathanikau Island, which lies some 500 miles northeast of Port de la Verge. The island has an indigenous population and is also home to an enclave of kalashtar refugees and a shrine to Onatar.
Maison Lyrandar and the Megalodons fleet anchored at Port de la Verge have assembled a joint relief convoy that remains at sea, awaiting the chance to move ashore and search for survivors. But glowing lava flows have already reached the sea on the northwest quarter of the island, and the eruption shows no sign of abating.
In Port Royal, Hierophant Druid Tybalt Orenn said he was seeking magical assistance to end the eruption. “An eruption such as this one could last for weeks, but anyone still alive on Cathanikau Island won't survive that long,” he said. “I'm communing with my fellow druids, seeking the power to calm the mountain. At the very least, we need to get the relief convoy onto Cathanikau Island and rescue any survivors.”
This eruption marks the first significant volcanic activity in or near eastern Khorvaire since the 881 eruption of Jaurakhti Mountain in what is now the Bastions de la Nation.
Cathanikau Island is frequently cited as a possible resting place for the famed Hoard of the Twin Drakes, a pirate treasure that was Perdu when both Drake brothers perished in 945. However, multiple expeditions in the 950s and 960s uncovered no evidence that the Drakes had ever been there.
Anti-Dismantlement Bill Stalls in Parliament
News for Sul, Nymm 15th, 998
Anti-Dismantlement Bill Stalls in Parliament
WROAT – Supporters of a bill condemning Guerrier de Fer dismantlement acknowledged on Wir that they don't have the votes to pass the measure as a parliamentary decree. “I have the utmost respect for my fellow members,” said Hannval du Tenko, a member of parliament from the Old Bandras region, “but I'm disappointed that they're turning a blind eye to a great injustice that is taking place within the borders of this nation.”
Dismantlement – the practice of taking apart criminal Guerrier de Fer – is no longer practiced in Breland's major cities. However, this form of punishment is still meted out in more rural jurisdictions.
Supporters of du Tenko's decree say that imposing what amounts to a death penalty on a Guerrier de Fer who commits a crime is fundamentally unfair – especially when the sentence for the same crime would be much lighter for a Humain criminal. Tales abound of Guerrier de Fer who have been dismantled in vigilante fashion because townsfolk suspected them of crimes.
Other members of Parliament hold differing opinions on this issue. “The dismantlement issue is a complex one that shouldn't be simplified into a right-or-wrong debate,” said Tannis du Yamberra, a member of parliament from Three Rivers. “What we really need to look at is a more fundamental question – to what degree do we want Guerrier de Fer mixing with the living races? That issue touches on every aspect of Brelon society, so we need to go slowly and respect the traditions that made this land great.
“The Guerrier de Fer did indeed make great contributions to Brelandeduring La Dernière Guerre,” du Yamberra continued. “And no one would dispute their value as soldiers. But you don't use a plowshare to trim your beard. Not every tool can adapt to every purpose, and these creatures were clearly designed for war, not peace. Anyone who thinks that Guerrier de Fer fit seamlessly into the Brelon way of life has his head in the sand.
“The crown's Office of Guerrier de Fer Affairs has been inundated with reports of Guerrier de Fer reverting to wartime behavior and attacking Humains without provocation or warning,” du Yamberra said.
According to du Tenko, the decree will be reintroduced in the autumn. At that time, the BrelandeParliament is expected to include a number of new faces.
Special Report
News for Sul, Lharvion 8th, 998
Special Report: Black Aéronef Sighted over Eastern Breland
STARILASKUR – Last Mol, dozens of people in the eastern BrelanDiablelage of Atherton witnessed a midair battle between a Maison Lyrandar Aéronef and a mysterious black-hulled Aéronef. Reports from the various witnesses were in substantial agreement about the details.
Villagers reported that the Lyrandar Aéronef chased the black-hulled ship, which then came about and rammed its pursuer. A series of lights flashed between the two ships for several minutes, then the black-hulled Aéronef reversed away and headed east. The Lyrandar Aéronef remained motionless for about 20 minutes before heading north.
Why the two Aéronefs were in that vicinity remains a mystery, since no scheduled Aéronef service passes over Atherton. Ranking members of Maison Lyrandar in Sharn have refused comment on the altercation. They likewise refuse to discuss the disposition of Maison Lyrandar's Aéronef fleet. But a Sharn détective correspondent in Le Refuge, a Lyrandar enclave off the northern coast of Aundair, reported that the Aéronef Aasterinian Rise arrived there on Far and has been under repair ever since. The four-day transit time would be consistent with its participation in the altercation over eastern Brelandeon Mol.
Reports of the black-hulled Aéronef are sure to reignite speculation that Maison Lyrandar's dominance over Aéronef travel may be less complete than it appears. Ever since the waning days of La Dernière Guerre, sporadic reports of unusual Aéronef behavior have fueled this speculation.
“It's patently obvious that Maison Lyrandar has many more Aéronefs in its fleet than it uses for its commercial ventures,” said Denko du Fallon, a member of Parliament who has often been critical of Maison Lyrandar. “The unanswered question is why.
“The most likely explanation for this incident is that the black-hulled Aéronef belongs to some rogue element within Maison Lyrandar,” du Fallon said. “Its owner could just be a privateer who's spent too much time where the air is thin, if you know what I mean. However, this ship's appearance could represent a more serious schism among the Lyrandars,” du Fallon continued. “At the end of the day, Maison Lyrandar is a family, and if it's like most families, its members spend a fair amount of time at each other's throats.”
du Fallon also noted that the black-hulled Aéronef could be unconnected with Maison Lyrandar. “We take it as a given that only someone with the right Marque Du Dragon can pilot an Aéronef, but I question that assumption. The gnomes of Zilargo who build the Aéronefs for Lyrandar may retain some ships of their own, as may some nations who developed them in secret near the end of La Dernière Guerre,” he said. “And given that Atherton is less than a dozen miles from the borders of the Les Terres des Lamentations, you can't discount the possibility of some strangelness emerging from that area,” he said.
du Fallon stated that he plans to introduce a bill in Parliament to direct crown funds to the construction of Aéronefs that would fly under the Brelon flag.
Crown Affirms Explorer Rights
News for Sul, Lharvion 8th, 998
Crown Affirms Explorer Rights in Perdu Caravan Case
WROAT – In a brief statement handed down on Sul, the BrelandeCrown has decreed that anyone finding the Perdu Karpeshia Caravan is fully entitled to any Fragments de Dragon or other wealth found with it. This decree from Roi Boranel clears the way for rival prospectors, explorers, and teams from the Maisons Marquées Du Dragon to search for the Karpeshia Caravan, which disappeared last year in the Frontières de l'Ombre. Because the crown was a silent partner in Antos Karpeshia's prospecting venture, some would-be recovery teams worried that any valuables they found would be declared “property of Breland.”
Freelance teams, unconcerned with the legal status of the caravan's contents, have searched for the Perdu expedition, but none have reported success. “The parents, spouses, and children of the Karpeshias have long awaited word of the caravan's fate,” the decree in the king's hand read. “A squabble over the expedition's Fragments de Dragon would be an insult to the memory of such brave prospectors. The BrelandeCrown hopes that the promise of profit may motivate searchers where altruism has not yet succeeded.”
It was Antos Karpeshia, an accomplished wizard who had taken training at Arcanix in Aundair, who originally launched this massive expedition into the Frontières de l'Ombre. Communicating magically with his family in Sharn, he reported a staggering yield of Fragments de Dragon, including several rare and precious varieties.
But on Aryth 19th, a missive from Karpeshia indicated that his dragonshard-laden caravan had been beset by bandits, and that he planned to flee into the Haroon Denn Thal burial mounds in the northeastern Frontières de l'Ombre.
An Aryth 23rd communication from Karpeshia consisted of two words: winged horrors. The caravan was neither seen nor heard from thereafter.
Mykiro Harudden Collapses Onstage
News for Sul, Lharvion 8th, 998
Mykiro Harudden Collapses Onstage, Then Returns for Encore
SHARN – Fans of Mykiro Harudden were shocked when the famed singer collapsed on stage last night in the middle of her signature song, “Ravens at Twilight.” Harudden had been performing at Kavarrah Concert Hall in the Quartier Universitaire in front of a record crowd.
Bodyguards immediately whisked Harudden backstage. Nevertheless, six concertgoers suffered minor injuries when the turbulent crowd rushed the stage.
Approximately 20 minutes later, Harudden returned to complete her song. She also performed a new song, “Crescent Moon,” to a diminished but enthusiastic crowd.
The concert marked a return to public life after a six-month absence for Harudden, the emancipated daughter of Duke Kenrou du Tallask and one of Sharn's best-known entertainers. Harudden specializes in the balladeer style that has been popular since the end of La Dernière Guerre.
The public romance between Harudden and Janich de Phiarlan captivated high society last summer, when the couple made joint musical appearances and performed elaborate dances at Upper Central balls. But de Phiarlan announced last Vult that “our hearts cannot allow us to perform together anymore,” and Harudden has remained in seclusion ever since. Maison Phiarlan members said that Janich de Phiarlan is performing in Karrnath this summer and has had no recent contact with Harudden.
Upon returning to the stage, Harudden offered no explanation for either her collapse or her rapid recovery. Neither Harudden nor her manager, Kuirish Otokan, could be reached for comment before press time.
BrelandeCalls for Crackdown
News for Sul, Barrakas 15th, 998
BrelandeCalls for Crackdown on Path of the Howl
WROAT – Brelandeurged Aundair to crack down on criminals who use a secret network known as the Path of the Howl to escape into the Confins d'Eldeen. “The Path of the Howl acts in contravention of justice and law, yet Aundair upholds justice and law as incorruptible virtues,” the decree stated. “Brelandetherefore will offer what assistance it can in ending this stain on Aundadu s otherwise laudable rule of law.”
The palace decree was issued in response to the recent escapes of several high-profile Brelandecriminals, who remain at large despite the efforts of the King's Citadel to apprehend them. Jessen Theel, reputed member of a Sharn crime syndicate, escaped from the Citadel's prison on the Central Plateau four weeks ago and hasn't been seen since. A wizard known only as Fathom the Necromancer fled his tower on the southern coast last month before magistrates could question him about some mysterious disappearances in nearby villages. And Elenna du Vorshach, scheduled to testify under duress in the parliamentary “Thandrak Scandal,” disappeared from custody last week while under house arrest in Galethspyre.
The decree mentions no specific fugitives who have used the Path of the Howl. However, it does state that the Citadel has “substantive and recent” evidence that the path remains active within Aundadu s borders.
The Path of the Howl was established in the mid-800s as a safe and secret means of taking lycanthropes and other Métamorphes beyond the reach of a Église de la Flamme d'Argent inquisition. Those fleeing the inquisition reportedly traveled via a network of safehouses and unobtrusive paths from central Galifar northwest to what is now the Confins d'Eldeen. Most of the network runs through postwar Aundair.
The Église de la Flamme d'Argent's campaign ended in the late 800s. But shortly thereafter, when La Dernière Guerre began, the Path of the Howl became an escape route for political enemies of the five new sovereigns who succeeded Jarot, and eventually for deserters and war protesters.
A palace decree indicates the intent of the Brelon government, but it doesn't carry as much diplomatic weight as a crown decree personally drafted by the sovereign. However, palace insiders say that the Path of the Howl might be on the agenda for an upcoming Beaurefuge Summit between Roi Boranel and Queen Aurala, and that the king may address the matter personally at that time.
Horacht Sighted at Rekkenmark Graduation
News for Sul, Barrakas 15th, 998
Horacht Sighted at Rekkenmark Graduation
KORTH – Breyse Horacht, the Karrnathi general lauded for his daring and condemned for his brutality during La Dernière Guerre, was sighted on Wir attending a Rekkenmark Academy graduation for naval helmsmen. Academy officials could not confirm Horacht's attendance at the ceremony, which was open to the public.
Horacht faces multiple war crimes charges in Thrane and has already been convicted in absentia by magistrates appointed by Oargev du Wynarn, last prince of Cyre. Horacht's whereabouts haven't been publicly known since his retirement from active duty in 995.
“He looked gaunt and walked with a limp, but you don't forget that goatee,” said Sigor Lassinus, who briefly served under Horacht as an oarsman in the early 990s. Lassinus, one of the graduates honored that day, said Horacht departed shortly before the ceremony's conclusion and didn't speak with anyone while inside the Academy's Hall of Waves.
Horacht reached prominence in the late 950s after attaining the rank of general. He commanded a combined force of Karnnathi naval vessels and ground troops that raided Cyran, Aundairian, and Thrane coastal cities. In his most daring raid, Horacht took his troops from Cyre across the Brey River and marched them north to capture the Thrane city of Shadukar in a surprise attack.
In 961, Horacht ordered Shadukar put to the torch by Karrnathi troops when a Thrane army attempted to liberate it. The ensuing conflagration killed an estimated 7,000 Thrane civilians. Thrane reprisals during the subsequent “Red Sails for Revenge” campaign included a naval bombardment of Korth.
During the negotiations that led to the Treaty of Fort-du-trône, Thrane demanded that Horacht be turned over for trial. The general went into seclusion shortly thereafter, and the final treaty included no extradition mechanisms for those accused of war crimes.
In the wake of Horacht's reappearance, Thrane is expected to renew calls for his arrest. In the past, Thrane's leaders have variously accused the Karnnathi military, the Security ministry, and the Karnnathi crown itsElfe of harboring Horacht.
du Kalain Urges Q'Barran Emigration
News for Sul, Barrakas 15th, 998
du Kalain Urges Q'Barran Emigration for “True Children of Galifar”
SHARN – In response to the BrelandeParliament's recent Galifaran Heritage resolution, Q'Barran native Joseth du Kalain said on Far that his nation, not Breland, is home to those he called the true children of Galifar. “Where else but Néo-Galifar is the flag still flying?” du Kalain asked. “Not in Breland, although the members of your Parliament seem intent on wrapping themselves in a flag that's no longer theirs.”
The Galifaran Heritage resolution, sent to the crown on an advisory basis, is an effort to rewrite history, du Kalain asserted. “The very existence of the Parliament shows that Brelandewould rather make its own way in the world than return to the splendors of Galifar,” he said. “In my nation, we still adhere to the Code of Galifar. There's no parliament, no warmongering, and no need to pass a bill telling people what their heritage is.
“Those who truly admire Galifaran ideals should pack up and head east,” du Kalain continued. “While life can be hard in Q'Barra, those who emigrate there will be living among honorable neighbors who respect tradition and law.
“Néo-Galifar always has a place for those with honorable hearts – for those who put their loyalty to Galifar above their own petty desires,” du Kalain maintained. “Emigration has a practical aspect as well, since recent dragonshard discoveries have poised the region for a prosperous future.”
Member of Parliament Sorcièreni du Octacles, a sponsor of the Galifaran Heritage resolution, insisted that du Kalain defines Galifaran heritage too narrowly. “Nulle Part in the resolution do we claim to be the sole heirs of Galifar. To do so would be absurd,” she stated. “But it's just as absurd for du Kalain to claim that you can't represent Galifar's heritage without falling into lockstep with every article of the Code of Galifar. Galifar was more than its Code, and I want Brelandeto be a place where we revere the ideals behind the code, not the code itsElfe,” she said.
Wyverns Menace Northern Zilargo
News for Sul, Barrakas 15th, 998
Wyverns Menace Northern Zilargo
OSKILOR – Nightly wyvern attacks on towns and villages from Revan to Perchedragon have local lords clamoring for intervention from the Triumvirat. “Our militia is simply overmatched – we've never seen assaults like this,” said Gallina Intriak of Reven. “More and more of the creatures seem to come every night, and they're getting bolder.”
The gnomes are taking the attacks seriously. “Although no one ventures outside after dark,” said Intriak, “the wyverns are prying the roofs off buildings and digging into gnome burrows by force. The creatures attack sporadically throughout the night, then fly north before dawn.”
Residents of other settlements in northern Zilargo report similar situations. Most Zil believe that the wyverns are roosting somewhere in the Pics Hurlants. If the reports gathered from villages along the foothills are accurate, dozens if not hundreds of wyverns may now be calling the Pics Hurlants home.
“Wyverns have long nested in the Pics Hurlants, though not in great numbers,” said Mackar Hrundiak, a hunter and guide familiar with the region. “You see one from time to time, but usually at a great distance. They're so aggressive that they don't usually share territory with one another. Once a wyvern attacked my horse, then flew back into the air to fight a second wyvern rather than finish what it had started.”
However, Hrundiak did have one theory on why the wyverns might now be gathering in one area. “Maybe it's a mating situation,” he said. “A whole lot of species throw out the rules when it comes to mating.”
Ambassador Protests Warhorse Sales
News for Sul, Barrakas 15th, 998
Valénar Ambassador Protests Warhorse Sales
SHARN – A recent auction of Valénar warsteeds amounts to “wholesale theft of our heritage as a warrior people,” Valénar ambassador Daera Sorandal said on Mol. Speaking from the great hall of the Caerlyn's Blade stronghold in Middle Dura, Sorandal insisted that city leaders should enact laws to prevent future sales of the special warhorses that are held in high regard by the seminomadic Elfes of southeast Khorvaire.
“A nation that takes such pains to portray itsElfe as a beacon of justice should know better,” she said. “Allowing the sale of our warsteeds is tantamount to selling the very spirit of our people.”
Sorandal went on to announce a price on the head of Syrrak Nayairt, the renegade Valénar Elfe who shipped the warhorses to Sharn by sea, then auctioned them off last month. She further stated that Valénar intended to reacquire the horses sold at auction as soon as the buyers could be tracked down. She said that financial reimbursements would be made where possible.
“We take great pride in our horses, and it's understandable that others would want them as breeding stock. But the ancient blood that flows through the veins of our warsteeds should not be lightly mingled with that of more mundane animals,” Sorandal stated.
In answer to questions, Sorandal said that periodic auctions of Valénar riding horses were “distasteful,” but represented an important source of income for some of the forty-five warclans that make up the Valaes Tairn. “The sale of warhorses, on the other hand, is anathema among all clans,” she maintained.
Beaurefuge Plagued by Serial Arsonist
News for Sul, Rhaan 15th, 998
Beaurefuge Plagued by Serial Arsonist
Beaurefuge – A fourth major conflagration this month has left residents of Beaurefuge anxious. City guards are determined to find the arsonist responsible before more such incidents occur.
Krilauntha and Sons Tannery on Craver Street caught fire shortly after midnight on Mol. Witnesses reported hearing a rush of air and then a low rumble before fire engulfed the building. The flames rapidly spread to three warehouses nearby, turning the area into an inferno. But because of the late hour, the buildings were deserted when the fire started, so no one was hurt.
Fire crews battled the blaze until late morning. A guard captain investigating the scene said the tannery fire bears “significant similarities” to three previous fires in Beaurefuge, including:
- A residential fire on Rhaan 3rd that scorched two city blocks in the Laurelbough District, killing fourteen people.
- A fire at an under-construction Légion Souveraine hospice on Rhaan 6th that spread to a row of nearby inns, leaving four dead and seven badly burned.
- A blaze at Hooper's Ear Tavern on Rhaan 8th in which 38 people perished. City guard officials confirmed that the tavern doors had been locked or barred from the outside, preventing escape.
Tannery owner Vadnir Krilauntha has offered a reward of 3,000 gold coins for information leading to the perpetrator's arrest. This amount, says Krilauntha, represents “just about all the family has left.”
Sabotage Suspected at Bridge Collapses
News for Sul, Rhaan 15th, 998
Sabotage Suspected in Recent Bridge Collapses
Bord-du-Lac, KARRNATH – The recent collapse of Fairregard Bridge over the iceflow River has disrupted Maison Orléans caravans as well as normal traffic. This bridge is the third to be put out of commission this autumn.
Following a series of groundquakes variously described as “rumbling” or “thumping” by witnesses, the stone center supports of the bridge crumbled and were swept away by the river shortly after noon on Rhaan 10th. The bridge surface then collapsed into the iceflow and was carried several miles downstream.
Benneth Trogholm, a teamster who narrowly avoided losing his train to the collapse, described his harrowing experience. “I was already pushing my team as fast as I could across the bridge. The ground was shaking, and I wanted no part of that,” he said. “But when I was halfway across, I heard the bridge creak and groan as though it were alive! At that point, I just gave the horses their heads. Considering the speed of the collapse, I was really lucky to make it all the way across.”
Helshea d'Orléans, a caravan master who handles Maison Orléans trade with the settler communities in the iceflow River delta, said the collapse of Fairregard Bridge seemed suspicious. Two other bridges across the iceflow have also collapsed in the past month, although no witnesses have emerged to describe the circumstances. “These are war-era bridges, but they didn't sustain a lot of battle damage,” she said. “And the iceflow isn't running high right now, so it's not like they're getting flooded out. Someone is deliberately taking out these bridges, one by one.”
Maison Orléans's leaders plan to hire guards for the two remaining bridges over the iceflow River. “As it is,” said d'Orléans in explanation of this decision, “the loss of three bridges has added a week to Temps de voyage between the Bord-du-Lac and the delta settlers. And the remaining bridges are too small to support heavy caravan traffic.”
Anticipation Builds for New Roll of Honor
News for Sul, Rhaan 15th, 998
Anticipation Builds for New Roll of Honor
WROAT – Guildmasters, war heroes, and other prominent citizens of Brelandeare awaiting the autumn Roll of Honor with great interest. This document, issued by the crown every quarter, grants noble titles to those who have served Brelandewith distinction. Aides to Roi Boranel confirmed that the list of newly minted nobles is nearly complete and should be released by general proclamation within the next two weeks.
Boranel's spring and summer Rolls of Honor included many successful merchants and guildmasters. The elevation of such citizens to the nobility is believed to be a conscious effort on the crown's part to tie Breland's mercantile power to its political power.
Prior to this year, the seasonal Rolls of Honor included many army officers and war heroes. But while this season's list will undoubtedly have a military component, the officer corps is no longer likely to dominate it. “If you earned a noble title in the war, you probably have it by now,” said Estellan du Napenthe, a heraldic scholar and expert on noble affairs.
According to du Napenthe, the number of names on the list will also bear close watching. Previous lists have given noble titles – and accompanying land deeds – to hundreds of people. But most of the estates made vacant by war have now been reallocated.
“Only about two dozen worthy estates remain – mostly manors that wound up in crown hands after succession disputes, or simply because the war claimed all possible heirs,” du Napenthe said. “If Roi Boranel wants to grant land beyond those estates, he'll have to tap into crown holdings. Thus, it's likely that many of the new lords created by the autumn Roll of Honor will receive noble titles but no land.”
Tower 312 is Missing
News for Sul, Rhaan 15th, 998
Tower 312 is Missing
SHARN – Architects, magicians, and La Sureté officers were baffled on Far when Tower 312, a twisting spire in the Porte de Dava district, disappeared completely overnight.
Tower 312 included four upscale residences, a private library, a cartography shop, and a private bathhouse. City records indicate that it had eleven permanent residents, although the Sharn Watch hasn't yet been able to confirm which of them were present at the time of the disappearance. However, Nirram Unslaguel, owner of Meridian Cartography, is definitely among the missing. He did not reside in Tower 312, but family members said he was working late in his shop when the tower disappeared.
Tower 312 was built on balconies and buttresses from Jenzherr Tower. But while Jenzherr Tower continues up into the Tour Mithril district, Tower 312 never supported anything skyward. The buttresses connecting Tower 312 to Jenzherr Tower are gone, and the walls of the latter structure are smooth, as if the buttresses had never been present at all. The support beams and walkways connecting Tower 312 to Calsin Tower have likewise disappeared, leaving no evidence of their existence.
The Blackened Book branch of the Sharn Watch is leading the investigation into this incident. Lady Warden Maira du Talan said preliminary investigations indicated the use of powerful abjuration and conjuration magic. “The authorities are treating the disappearance of the tower as a missing persons case, possibly involving misuse of magic,” she said.
Dragonshard Prices Skyrocket
News for Sul, Sypheros 22nd, 998
Dragonshard Prices Skyrocket
SHARN – Prices for raw Fragments de Dragon have almost doubled in recent weeks, leaving shard brokers with scant supplies but hefty profits. Though Fragments de Dragon are not available in public markets, they are Commun in the exclusive, private auction houses in the Korranath district.
Jessen Urtannek, owner of Silverpick Prospecting, said that his company has recently had production difficulties in both the Frontières de l'Ombre and Q'Barra. Thus, bidders are competing for a smaller supply of Fragments de Dragon, and prices are rising.
“We're happy with the output from our Frontières de l'Ombre operations, but we've Perdu two returning caravans somewhere in Droaam,” he said. “Banditry there is fierce, and even caravan masters who pay local warlords for protection are suffering losses. Even though getting cargo through Droaam is expensive, we can easily recoup these costs at the auction house. What's frustrating for me as a business owner, though, is paying out protection money and not getting the protection.
“For future shipments, Silverpick Prospecting will examine other shipping options, including sea or air transport through Maison Lyrandar,” Urtannek continued. “Increasing the guard escort for the caravans is also a possibility, though a risky one.”
In Q'Barra, the supply problem is simpler – Homme-lézards are attacking prospecting operations directly. “They wait for us to do the hard work, then they come out of the jungle, kill everyone working on the site, and abscond with whatever isn't nailed down,” Urtannek said.
Dragonshard broker Pavlika Grihl said that supply disruptions are only exacerbating a surge in demand for the Fragments de Dragon, which have a variety of magical applications. “A number of arcanists and their representatives from the Maisons Marquées Du Dragon are always in the market for most dragonshard grades. But new buyers also seem to be coming out of the woodwork. They have money to spend, and they're indiscriminate about what Fragments de Dragon they're buying,” she said.
Grihl speculated that the newcomers to the dragonshard auction houses are probably commodity speculators. “Outside of powerful magicians and the houses, no one can really use Fragments de Dragon,” she said. “So I've got to believe that we're going to see all these Fragments de Dragon return to the market once the speculators get nervous and think the price bubble is going to burst.”
Rampaging Dragon Menaces Countryside
News for Sul, Sypheros 22nd, 998
Rampaging Dragon Menaces Karrnathi Countryside
KORTH – The village of Haupberg Crossing was razed by an ivory-colored dragon as large as a covered wagon, survivors said on Far. “It came screaming from the sky at dawn to begin its destruction. Over and over again it bellowed, then breathed frost at anyone who came near and smashed whatever building was nearby,” said Jool Hatresh, a tanner who fled on foot.
Karrnathi army units sealed off Haupberg Crossing after the dragon had departed. Survivors have not yet been allowed to cross the cordon and retrieve belongings from the wreckage of the town. Guards on cordon duty could not provide an estimate for when residents might be able to return to the village.
The dragon attack on Haupberg represents the third such incident this autumn involving small settlements near the western Karrn Bay coastline. On Rhaan 3rd, the town of Crystal Tide was attacked by a white dragon matching the description of the one that destroyed Haupberg Crossing. Sometime between Rhaan 16th and Rhaan 18th, the hamlet of Carver's Point was also destroyed by a large monster. None survived that attack, although subsequent magical investigation implicated a dragon.
“Indiscriminate raiding by dragons is unheard of in the region,” said Karrnathi Army Colonel Thauk Rutellenach, who is responsible for coastal defense in the region. “We have our share of marauding monsters, but not dragons,” he continued. “I remember working with a dragon briefly during La Dernière Guerre, and I got the sense that most dragons were incredibly wise, patient beings.”
Rutellenach said that patrols are being stepped up in the region, and that anyone sighting the dragon should contact the nearest army garrison. “To end this menace, we need to figure out where it's coming from,” he said. “We're used to monsters coming out of the La Forêt de Karrn, but dragons have enough rangel that it could even be coming from somewhere in the open ocean to the north.”
Maison Lyrandar Mulls New Aéronef Routes
News for Sul, Sypheros 22nd, 998
Maison Lyrandar Mulls New Aéronef Routes
Le Refuge – Aéronef travelers may soon be able to reach such varied destinations as Starilaskur, Étoile-polaire, Port de la Vipère, Keth, and Cap-Tempête on the Xen'drik coast if Maison Lyrandar leaders approve an ambitious program of docking tower construction. Yarrick de Lyrandar, an influential scion of the house, has been negotiating with local leaders for Aéronef towers in those areas, said sources familiar with the negotiations.
Refusing to discuss expansion of the Aéronef routes, Lyrandar officials referred to Yarrick de Lyrandar's negotiations as “internal house business.” Yarrick de Lyrandar has been traveling aboard the Lyrandar River of Stars Aéronef, which is due to depart Sharn tomorrow.
Lyrandar Aéronefs currently connect most of Khorvaire's capital cities and metropolises. Other destinations are available only to those who can afford extraordinary chartering fees, and Aéronef captains flying charters generally have to make do with whatever moorings they can improvise. Chartered Aéronefs to Cap-Tempête often tie up at the lighthouse south of the city, for example.
One question that remains unanswered is whether the expansion would entail the commissioning of new Lyrandar Aéronefs, including some long-rumored behemoth Aéronefs that Nain the existing 300-foot standard. Aéronef architects in Zilargo have been experimenting since the latter years of La Dernière Guerre with Élémentaire binding techniques that would provide sufficient lift to launch such vessels.
Duke du Askranno Sentenced to Fort-Terreur
News for Sul, Sypheros 22nd, 998
Duke du Askranno Sentenced to Fort-Terreur After Rambling Confession
Duke du Askranno Sentenced to Fort-Terreur after Rambling Confession SHARN – Before his sentence was handed down, convicted murderer Duke Rellen du Askranno blamed his killing spree last month on mind control by the Cult of the Twin Suns. Speaking before magistrate Carkell Anathamn, du Askranno wept, shouted, and tore up documents held by his barrister while delivering a 20-minute rambling speech.
“It was all the Twin Suns!” du Askranno cried. “I loved my family, and I would never have done anything to hurt them. But they got in my head, and they made me – oh, gods, I can't believe it! The Twin Suns are everywhere – probably in this courtroom. I know they're working among Les Soixante Families, trying make us do – well, terrible things! Terrible!” The duke's statement surprised court watchers, who had grown accustomed to du Askranno's stony silence during court proceedings.
Crown barrister Bhalla Quenthir dismissed du Askranno's claim as the ravings of a derangeld mind. “Frankly, these ramblings aren't worth repeating,” she said. “If some pernicious cult did have its fingers in every aspect of Sharn society, our investigation would have uncovered at least a hint of it.”
Investigators from the Sharn Watch's Blackened Book unit used extensive divination magic on du Askranno after his arrest at the scene. Spellcasters found no evidence of enchantment magic, nor did their investigation indicate that any others had been present.
“And I would like to point out that we still don't know where the body of du Askranno's daughter is,” Quenthir continued. “If he were truly contrite, he could at least tell us what happened to her.”
After delivering his unusual statement, the duke was sentenced to life in the island prison of Fort-Terreur.
Karrnathi Necro-Arsenals Remain Hidden
News for Sul, Aryth 8th, 998
Karrnathi Necro-Arsenals Remain Hidden
WROAT – Members of Breland's Parliament are clamoring for the public release of a War Council report contending that Karrnath maintains “necro-arsenals” beyond its postwar borders, and that at least one of these lies in northern Breland. According to sources within Parliament, a copy of this report has been circulating among the members for several days.
One person who has read the report told Sharn détective that a band of Brelandearmy veterans uncovered a necro-arsenal last month in northern Brelandewhile chasing down rumors of buried war gold. These veterans, whose names had been redacted from the report, evidently found a secret entrance to an underground fortress full of Karrnathi zombie soldiers and weapons. This hidden emplacement also included a functional smithy and several other Chambres apparently used for unspecified necromantic purposes.
Most of the soldiers within the fortress were not animated, but the veterans did clash with the necro-arsenal's few active guardians. The band took heavy casualties in the fight, but a few survivors managed to flee. After tending to their wounds, they reported their discovery at the BrelandeArmy's outpost at Fort De l'Épée. Papers they took from the necro-arsenal's map room hint at the existence of similar hidden fortresses at other points along the path of the Karnnathi army's advances during La Dernière Guerre – most of which now lie within Aundair, Thrane, and the Les Terres des Lamentations.
If necro-arsenals remain beyond Karrnath's borders, their existence would violate the Treaty of Fort-du-trône. The strategic purpose of such emplacements remains unknown, although Karrnathi military doctrine has traditionally emphasized keeping large forces in tactical reserve.
Representatives of the BrelandeCrown and the Karrnathi diplomatic mission were unavailable to comment on the necro-arsenal report. Karrnath's ambassador to the BrelandeCrown was reputedly recalled to Korth last week for “routine consultations.”
“Charger” Chaussinar Dies at 57
News for Sul, Aryth 8th, 998
“Charger” Chaussinar Dies at 57
GHALT – Eriell “Charger” Chaussinar, famed general of Aundadu s 4th Cavalry Brigade, died at his manor west of Ghalt last week at the age of 57. A proclamation from Queen Aurala praising Chaussinar for his service to Aundair is expected tomorrow.
The general's eldest daughter, Karria du Brochem, said the general had been ill for weeks and had spent most of his last days sleeping peacefully, surrounded by friends, family, and comrades from La Dernière Guerre. Shortly before midnight on Zol, however, Chaussinar reportedly roused briefly and asked, “Kervann, is that you?” Then he raved for a bit, whispered, “March on, Aundair,” and passed away. du Brochem explained that Kervann Andrihl had been Chaussinar's chief of staff until his disappearance and presumed death in the Battle of Mournsedge in 994.
The general's storied military career began in the unlikeliest of places – the Poetics Department at L'Université de Wynarn, where Chaussinar was the youngest tenured professor in the school's history. By the time he had reached his mid-twenties, he had already earned fame in literary circles for his annual Ode to Spring collections, which were distributed each year on Eyre 21st.
But in 970 AR, in the aftermath of the Raven Incursion into central Aundair, his Ode to Spring consisted of a single poem called The Horseshoe's Lure. On the day of its publication, Chaussinar resigned his position at the university and enlisted in the Aundairian cavalry.
Chaussinar quickly rose through the officer corps, where he became known as the “Red Professor” because of his former career and reddish hair. But at the Battle of Jarrek's Hill in 978, he earned the nickname “The Charger,” which his troops would use throughout the rest of his career. Encircled atop the hill, Col. Chaussinar's regiment executed a charge that spiraled down the slope, striking three different Thrane regiments in a matter of hours. This bold move allowed Chaussinar's regiment not only to escape the encirclement, but also to leave the Thrane units in disarray and unable to pursue.
Jarrek's Hill was only the beginning for Chaussinar. He participated with distinction in the Scion's Sound Landings of 982 and rode to the rescue of the Aundairian 18th in the Battle of the Fire Pillar in 984. The following year, he was promoted to general and placed in direct command of the 4th Cavalry Brigade. Eventually, he was given operational command of Aundadu s southern front.
After the war, Chaussinar briefly took an interest in national politics, advocating an aggressive stance toward Thrane. But his time in Beaurefuge ended with the famous altercation in which he stormed out of Beaufort after shouting at the queen's advisors, “Are we going to talk, or are we going to get Thaliost back?” Chaussinar then mounted his warhorse, Zandraur, and rode back to his manor, where he remained in seclusion until his death last week.
Next Sar at noon, the general's funeral procession will begin at the Centre du Calice Gare, then proceed past L'Université de Wynarn. As it passes, the University choir will perform Lay of the Faucon-dragon, March of Tensin, and a new work entitled The Charger Spurs Us Onward. The procession is scheduled to arrive in the Sovereign Ward's Hall of the Assembled Host at 2 p.m. for Dol Arrah's Ceremony for the Departed. Then Chaussinar's body will lie in state for three days in Beaufort Palace's Vermillion Pavilion. Viewing hours there will extend from sunrise to sunset.
Early Snows Close Muraille-Grise Passes
News for Sul, Aryth 8th, 998
Early Snows Close Muraille-Grise Passes
ARDEV – An unseasonable snowstorm has dropped nearly 4 feet of snow on the Muraille-Grise passes, rendering land travel west from Brelandeimpossible. Col. Kincaid Relaustra, speaking from Château d'Arakhain, reported on the conditions. “Magical communications from snowbound citadels in the Murailles Grises indicate that all passes between western Brelandeand Droaam are impassible to wagon traffic,” he said. “Some of the northern passes may be manageable on foot, although the avalanche risk would make such a journey perilous.”
According to Relaustra, the volume of snow will likely keep the passes closed for at least two weeks. But if this unseasonably frigid weather persists, the passes could remain closed all winter.
Winter weather hasn't completely closed the Muraille-Grise passes since 988 AR. Many western Brelanders maintain that Maison Lyrandar was paid to augment the snowstorms this year by the Brelon Crown, which wanted a respite from attacks by marauders from Droaam. But both the Brelon Crown and House representatives dismiss such speculation as “typical wartime rumors.”
Incursions from Droaam, while more sporadic than they were in the later years of La Dernière Guerre, have been a thorn in the side of the BrelandeArmy's Western Command recently. Now, just as in 988, the snowstorms are expected to prevent orc and ogre raiders from reaching western Breland.
Relaustra acknowledged the reduced dangelr from Droaam but noted that the snows present a security concern as well. “Many of the Brelon border citadels can't be reinforced until the snows recede,” he pointed out. “A lot of the towers are already snowed in. The soldiers should have plenty of food and firewood, but they can't march out, and I can't march more troops in.”
“Lilygatherer” Corruption Trial Opens
News for Sul, Vult 8th, 998
“Lilygatherer” Corruption Trial Opens
SHARN – On Wir, five city council staffers, including the chief of staff to Councillor Borian Haldorak, went on trial for corruption, bribery, and narcotic trafficking. Central to the case is the charge that the staffers used their political influence to run a dreamlily smuggling and distribution network that stretched into some of Sharn's toniest neighborhoods.
“Over the coming weeks, we'll be presenting incontrovertible evidence that these officials used their positions to bribe members of the La Sureté, forge customs manifests, and cover up their own involvement in a massive dreamlily ring,” Crown Barrister Ulrich Thomossak promised. “And based on the testimony delivered, we may uncover other conspirators as well. If we do, I can guarantee additional arrests, trials, and convictions.”
Three of the five staffers currently report to Borian Haldorak of Upper Dura. Since the investigation became public two weeks ago, Haldorak has steadfastly maintained that he had no knowledge of any illegal activities performed by his subordinates. “With two hundred years of practice under my belt, I accounted mysElfe a good judge of character,” Haldorak said. “That's why I grieve to learn of the charges against some of the colleagues I trusted to handle the affairs of this great city.”
Haldorak refused to speculate on the guilt or innocence of his staffers. “I will continue to cooperate with the Thomossak investigation in any way I can throughout the trial,” he said. “I would caution everyone involved, however, to let the wheel of justice turn as it may, and not to assign guilt or innocence until the trial's conclusion.”
Countess ir’Hilyark Flees Wedding
News for Sul, Vult 15th, 998
Countess ir’Hilyark Flees Wedding; Whereabouts Unknown
Beaurefuge—The Hilyark family is searching for Countess Kehrlique ir’Hilyark, who disappeared from the family compound in Beaurefuge on Zol, the eve of her wedding.
The bride’s father, Jarran ir’Hilyark, pleaded for information about his daughter’s whereabouts.
“I know everyone thinks this is a case of ‘cold feet,’ but my daughter has been looking forward to this day for years,” he said. “Tongues are wagging about this, but I ask you to remember that this girl has a mother worried sick about her. She has a six-year-old brother who wants to search every house in Beaurefuge, tears in his eyes.”
“Please, if you know where my daughter is, tell us. We only want to know that she’s safe,” he said.
Because Kehrlique attended Université Morgrave in Sharn and has many friends in the city, she may have traveled to Breland, Jarran ir’Hilyark said.
Vandrich d’Orléans, ir’Hilyark’s fiancé, has promised Maison Orléans’s assistance in making sure his bride is found safe.
Maison Orléans agents are interviewing everyone involved with the wedding but keeping a low profile, guests said.
“It’s a bit awkward to have the groom’s family hunting for the bride,” one prominent wedding guest said on condition of anonymity. “On the one hand, of course they should help. On the other hand, maybe the bride doesn’t want to be found by the groom.”
The postponed wedding marks another blow to the fortunes of the Hilyark family. Last month, the Hilyarks Perdu a land dispute covering thousands of acres of prime vineyards between Passage and Vignebleue. Kehrlique ir’Hilyark’s maternal uncle, Corso ir’Hilyark, was among the passengers on the Blue Malia, sunk this summer in Passage de la côte. And a Hilyark-financed bridge over the Rivière Aundair northeast of Beaurefuge, intended as a gift to the crown, has had work halted several times due to cost overruns.
Also missing from the Hilyark compound are Nendra Bachain, a Hilyark family servant, and Macham Turrisaud, Kerlique ir’Hilyark’s bodyguard.
Prince Slams Pace of Rebuilding
News for Sul, Vult 15th, 998
Prince Oargev Slams Slow Pace of Cyran Rebuilding
Nouvelle Cyre—The Brelon Parliament is dragging its heels on better roads and other improvements that would make life easier for thousands of Cyran refugees in eastern Breland, said Prince Oargev ir’Wynarn, last heir to the fallen nation.
“Each day, Cyre’s children come home to Nouvelle Cyre, and we greet them with muddy, nigh-impassible roads. Monsters from the Les Terres des Lamentations continue to menace our settlements. But some do-nothings in Parliament won’t loosen the purse-strings and give a generous welcome to those set adrift by war,” he said.
The population of Nouvelle Cyre and environs has swelled from a few dozen farmers to a teeming community of nearly five thousand since the end of La Dernière Guerre. Most residents are former Cyrans who were beyond the nation’s borders on the Jour du Deuil.
The population influx has strained eastern Breland’s resources, ir’Wynarn said. Specifically, the roads are in poor condition and border patrols are spread too thin to keep the refugees safe.
“These are brave people who Perdu everything in La Dernière Guerre, and they just want a chance to raise their families and build a new future,” he said. “But we literally can’t get lumber wagons down the roads so they can build new homes for themselves and their children. Bandits are roaming the countryside preying on those who have little enough to begin with.”
A levy of additional soldiers for the Eastern Command languishes in committee, ir’Wynarn said. Road improvements slated for this past summer were delayed by minister’s order and won’t be reconsidered until spring.
But Laruna ir’Panalric, who represents the Passage de Brey region in Parliament, said that Nouvelle Cyre’s growing pains are competing with other priorities for Parliament, including a general postwar rebuilding effort and continuing efforts to secure the Breland’s western border. She accused Oargev ir’Wynarn of exploiting sympathy for the plight of the refugees for political gain.
“The Jour du Deuil was a tragedy for all of Khorvaire, and I’m proud of how Brelandehas opened its arms to former citizens of Cyre. I wish other nations shared Breland’s generous spirit,” she said.
“But Brelandeis trying to make its way in a new world—a peaceful one with an empty Galifaran throne. Oargev can’t expect us to reconstitute Cyre within our own borders. This is Breland, and it always will be,” she said.
Laruna ir’Panalric is a sponsor of proposed legislation that would limit the number of Cyrans living in eastern Breland. Told of her comments, Oargev ir’Wynarn said that Eastern Brelandewas being ill-served by some of its parliament members.
“Sadly, there are a few, in Parliament and elsewhere, who can’t accept that La Dernière Guerre is over and still want to do battle with Cyre. To them I say: Do your worst—we survived the Jour du Deuil, and we’ll survive your petty prejudice.”
Watch Promises Extra Patrols
News for Sul, Vult 15th, 998
Watch Promises Extra Patrols for Long Ombres
SHARN – The city will be well protected against criminals during the upcoming nights of the Long Ombres (Vult 26th through 28th), according to Lord Commander Iyan du Talan. “The Sharn Watch remains vigilant throughout the year, and Long Ombres is no exception,” asserted du Talan on Sar. “City residents can take comfort in knowing that they're safe in their homes with the Watch on guard.”
Commander du Talan said patrols would be increased by one-quarter during Long Ombres nights. Furthermore, the Garde-dague Garnison plans to augment patrols in the Dura quarter by one-half.
“I'd like to commend my watch commanders for the success of last year's Ombres at Bay operation, during which the Watch arrested more than a thousand criminals during Long Ombres,” du Talan said. “And I can promise an even safer city this year.”
But Councillor Sava Kharisa maintains that the high number of arrests during Long Ombres last year is evidence of failure, not success. “In the Lower Central district, armed gangs ran wild and took over the streets at night,” she said. “Where was the Watch? Locked behind the doors of the garrisons. For every arrest the Watch officers made, two other criminals ran through the streets of Sharn unimpeded.”
Kharisa also pointed out that some of the high-profile crimes from last year's Long Ombres – including the ritual murders at Bluebrick Spire – still remain unsolved a year later.
Commander du Talan said that while agents of the Blackened Book would doubtless be active throughout Long Ombres, few arrests have historically been made for crimes involving the supernatural. “Long Ombres carries with it a lot of superstition, and events such as the Bluebrick Spire case feed on that kind of hysteria,” he said. “But garden-variety criminals are using Long Ombres as an excuse for their own nefarious activities – it's not a case of monsters running amok.”
The Sharn détective plans a special report on Long Ombres unrest in a later issue.
Arranash Execution Set for Midnight
News for Sul, Zarantyr 15th, 998
Arranash Execution Set for Midnight
SHARN – Sesko Arranash, who was convicted of treason last month for attempting to sell information about Argonth's magical defenses, will be executed by hanging tonight at midnight. “Arranash will pay the ultimate price for his traitorous scheme,” said Knight-Marshal Banarak Tithon. “And the nation of Brelandewill sleep better tonight knowing that no one can escape its justice.”
Scaffolding for the Arranash execution is being erected today in front of Andith Tower in the Tours des Ambassadeurs district. The public is invited to witness the execution. Knights of the King's Citadel said that because Arranash is a powerful spellcaster, he will be bound, gagged, and blindfolded prior to the hanging.
Arranash's hanging marks the first execution in Sharn for a crime committed after the end of La Dernière Guerre. According to testimony presented before a special crown magistrate, Arranash used divination magic to breach magical security around Argonth, Breland's floating city-fortress. He then attempted to contact numerous foreign governments to set up an auction in which he could sell the information he had gained to the highest bidder.
Arranash allegedly knew how to enter Argonth undetected and how to force it to the ground, according to court testimony. But agents of the King's Citadel intercepted plans for the auction and apprehended Arranash in his tower northeast of Sharn.
“As midnight passes,” said Tithon, “all Brelandeshould remember the names of Arrak Slocurr, Kendrick de Garda, and a Guerrier de Fer known as Pym, all of whom died during the battle at Arranash's tower. Those three brave souls perished bringing Arranash to justice, and his death tonight will validate their sacrifice.”
“Reconstruction Decree” Licenses
News for Sul, Zarantyr 1st, 998
“Reconstruction Decree” Business Licenses Available Today
WROAT – The start of a new year means a fresh set of licensing fees for new businesses in Breland. The Crown hopes that the new fee structure will restore Breland's economy to its prewar strength.
Starting today, the license fees for new businesses in eastern Brelandewithin 40 miles of the border are 25% to 75% lower than last year, depending on the type of business. Similar “reconstruction licenses” are available to businesses in a number of communities near Cragwar and Fort De l'Épée, as well as along the Brey River. Minister of the Exchequer Hithor du Naamaran said the lower license fees would help the beleaguered communities in the northern and western portions of Breland. “Too many of our citizens have to travel to central Brelandeto sell their wares, buy needed supplies, and engage in the sort of commerce that so many of us take for granted,” he said. “By making it easier to start a business in the outlying areas, the Crown is lending a helping hand to those who sacrificed so much while their communities were on the front lines of La Dernière Guerre.”
The royal decree that establishes these “reconstruction licenses” also slashes licensing fees for specific business types – most notably overland and maritime shipping concerns. But not all of these changels have come easily. An across-the-board 25% cut in shipping business licenses was controversial enough to delay pronouncement of the final decree until three weeks ago because Houses Orléans and Lyrandar lobbied the Crown to maintain shipping license fees at their current levels. As extranational entities, the Maisons Marquées Du Dragon don't purchase business licenses for themselves, but when they invest in smaller ventures, they purchase business licenses as a matter of course.
A longtime merchant welcomed the lower license fees but said the Crown might be overly optimistic about its ability to stimulate the shipping sector. “The hardest part about moving goods isn't the Brelandebusiness license – it's the competition,” said Jarrah Duvax, co-owner of Blackhorse Caravans. “With a little luck, we've been able to eke out a living. But I sure wouldn't recommend this line of work to anyone else. If you're trying to decide what kind of business to invest in, here's a tip: Don't attempt to compete with a Maison Marquée du Dragon.”
Shipwreck Survivors Launched Distress Call
News for Sul, Zarantyr 1st, 998
Mer Amère Shipwreck Survivors Launched Distress Call
REKKENMARK – Thrane's ambassador to Karrnath has informed the Crown that a magic distress signal has been received from the Perfect Chicane – now three weeks overdue from a whaling expedition in the Mer Amère. According to Ambassador Tellek du Uther, a Flamme d'Argent templar stationed in southern Thrane received a sending spell from his estrangeld brother, who had left home last year to seek his fortune at sea.
The message allegedly went as follows: “Brother, aid me. We struck iceberg northwest of Gurrney's Point. Ship and most crew are Perdu. We cling to iceberg. So huge… so cold. Help…”
This report lifts the hopes of the sailors' families and focuses the rescue efforts of the Karrnath Navy and Maison Lyrandar, which volunteered several wind galleons for the search.
Admiral Vurth Harranacht said the message from the Perfect Chicane's crew was good fortune indeed. “Even as I speak,” he said, “ships are sailing from Gurrney's Point, and we're making every effort to get spellcasters aboard those ships to aid in the search. The fact that the whole sea is fogged in right now makes the search a lot more difficult – not to mention dangelrous for the searchers.
But Harranacht cautioned against unrealistic expectations as well. “Two things still worry me,” he said. “The first is the weather. It's foggy and cold out there, and we don't have any idea what kind of condition the survivors were in when they sent the message.
“The second issue is the timing,” he continued. “That distress call is almost 48 hours old, and it'll take time to move our ships closer to Gurrney's Point. A major eastward current runs out there too, and an iceberg caught in it could be leagues away by now.”
Vent-de-feu Issues Annual Riddle
News for Sul, Zarantyr 1st, 998
Vent-de-feu Issues Annual Riddle of the Three Stars
SHARN – For the third year in a row, the Université Morgrave gynosphinx known as Vent-de-feu plans to tell her “riddle of the three stars” to anyone with 50 gold coins. The gynosphinx will begin granting private audiences at noon tomorrow to deliver the riddle. As this issue of Sharn détective went to press, dozens of people were already in line in front of Lareth Hall, awaiting their turn to hear the puzzle.
Vent-de-feu's riddles are generally multipart puzzles that take treasure-seekers throughout Sharn in search of a chest full of coins and gems that she's hidden somewhere in the city. Two years ago, her riddle sent the city into an uproar for three weeks while Sharn residents pored over the clues and scoured every nook and cranny of the city for the treasure. The inaugural winner, a mendicant monk named Guptra One-Eye, parleyed her fortune into a glittering spire in Tour Mithril and marriage into the du Callandu family.
Last year, a group of Université Morgrave students solved Vent-de-feu's riddle in only six days, amid persistent rumors that they had used magical divinations to bypass many of the riddle's challenges. But good luck didn't follow their sudden fortune – in fact, three of the winners died within the last year. One of the two surviving winners, Talia Churchend, is presently incarcerated in the Citadel for her part in an unsuccessful murder-for-hire scheme against the other survivor, singer Nulio Anachram.
In brief remarks to Sharn détective, Vent-de-feu refused to discuss the tactics of past winners directly but expressed confidence in the “active countermeasures” she's deployed against those who try to skip steps in the trail of riddles. Vent-de-feu further stated that she didn't object to contestants sharing the initial riddle with others, but only those who have paid the entrance fee and heard the initial riddle are eligible for the riches to which it leads.
Karrnath Decries New Elfe Fortress in Talenta
News for Sul, Olarune 1st, 998
Karrnath Decries New Elfe Fortress in Plaines de Talenta
VULYAR – Countess Xeria du Borutau called on the Elfes of Valénar to cease construction of a fortress southeast of Vulyar immediately, calling the structure “a provocation that mighty Karrnath cannot ignore.” Speaking during a general court audience on Zor, the countess said she was planning to petition Korth for an immediate military response to the fortress.
“No Elfe community exists within a two-day ride of the fort they're building, so they can't trot out the tired old sElfe-defense claim they're so fond of,” she pointed out. “This fort, if completed, will be a dagger pointed directly at the heart of eastern Karrnath.”
Vulyar's city militia is moving to a war footing at du Boratau's direction. The countess further stated that she's considering a supplemental levy to fund a mercenary cadre. “We can muster quite a bit of support locally right away, and I expect all of Karrnath to be behind us once word gets out,” she said. “The Valénars have made a grave error, and the sooner they realize it, the better.”
Warchief Shulach Miritarn in Taer Valaestas said that du Borutau was engaged in what he called provincial saber-rattling. “The Valaes Tairn have no designs on Karrnath,” he said. “But we will defend our heritage to the death. And I hope this Karrnathi countess never has to learn the lesson inherent in those words.”
Miritarn further stated that the fortress in question isn't being built so much as restored from its ruined state. “These forts – we call them taers – were guarding these lands long before Humains ever conceived of Khorvaire, let alone Karrnath. The Karrnathis are the interlopers, not the Valeas Tairn,” he asserted.
“The Humains and hobbits of eastern Karrnath and the Plaines de Talenta can go about their peaceful business with no interference from the Elfes,” continued Miritarn. “But if the Karrnathis threaten the reconstruction of this taer, we'll paint the plains red with their blood.”
Flamme d'Argent Protests at Université Morgrave
News for Sul, Olarune 1st, 998
Flamme d'Argent Protests at Université Morgrave Enter Fourth Day
SHARN – The ongoing religious protest against Provost Dannad Mourain entered its fourth day on Far. Angry worshipers of the Flamme d'Argent called on Université Morgrave to fire the controversial historian.
Several hundred protesters crammed into the Communs atop BrelandeSpire, alternating between hymns to the Flamme d'Argent and a series of oratories that castigated Mourain for his views on the origin of the Église de la Flamme d'Argent. The crowds are growing larger each day, displacing more and more of the students who use the open-air court to eat and study.
Mourain has drawn the ire of the Église de la Flamme d'Argent for his authorship of an academic paper contending that the church is a theological descendant of a Xen'drik serpent cult. Mourain said that an exhaustive retranslation of the Serpentes Fragments reveals an ancient religion that mirrors the modern-day Église de la Flamme d'Argent to “a degree that boggles the imagination.”
High priest Yurik Rendrich, one of yesterday's protest speakers, called Mourain's paper heresy, incitement to hatred, and appallingly bad scholarship. “One way or another, the Flamme d'Argent will burn away dross like Dannad Mourain,” he told the cheering crowd. “This church isn't ascended from snakes – it is the living embodiment of creation's primal spark. All those whose souls have been touched by the Flamme d'Argent know an everlasting truth that Mourain can't poison with his words.”
With a full slate of orators scheduled for tomorrow, the protests at Université Morgrave aren't likely to end anytime soon. The protestors have been peaceful for the most part, though scattered reports of fistfights between Flamme d'Argent worshipers and university students have surfaced.
Each of the various sects and groups that make up the Église de la Flamme d'Argent is vying with all the others to take a more prominent role in the Université Morgrave protests. But the church leadership sounded a more cautious note on Far. Archierophant Ythana Morr said that the Church wasn't organizing the protests directly but would continue to monitor events at Université Morgrave. She praised the faith and conviction of the protestors in a written statement yesterday. She didn't mention Mourain directly, referring only to only to “those beneath contempt, casting about in darkness and constricted by lies.”
University chancellors refused comment on the protests or on Mourain's status with the university. Most classes are continuing as scheduled, but those taught by Mourain have been cancelled until further notice.
Mourain hasn't been seen in public since his paper was released last week. One of his research assistants, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Mourain had gone into seclusion because he was worried about a backlash from extremist elements of the Église de la Flamme d'Argent.
Valley of Obelisks Girds for Gathering
News for Sul, Olarune 1st, 998
Valley of Obelisks Girds for Sunthaw Gathering
XANDRAR—Hundreds of pilgrims are expected to descend on the river town of Sumberton next week, awaiting the thaw of Lake Daggerchill with song, dance, and joyous celebration.
Le Voyageurs, members of the “Benevolent Order of the Southern Sun,” make the trek annually to the banks of the Daggerchill River. The gathering sometimes lasts for weeks if a cold snap prevents the lake’s annual fall.
“Many of us bring our families [to Sunthaw]—it’s great for children to step away from their chores for a few weeks and remember what’s truly important: the joyous turning of winter into spring,” said Jurri Sensanack, Lodge Master for the Benevolent Order’s Xandrar chapter.
While in Sumberton, members of the Benevolent Order will arise before dawn to “Sing the Sun Awake,” an elaborate choral performance involving hundreds of singers from all over southern Khorvaire.
Many will also visit the crumbling obelisks that dot the farmland in the Daggerchill River valley—the structures that give the region its name.
“I obviously have an interest in ancient history, or I wouldn’t be a member of the Benevolent Order,” Sensanack said. “The obelisks are a tangible reminder that whatever our day-to-day problems are, we’re all part of something much greater. Something much older.”
The Benevolent Order of the Southern Sun takes great pride in its heritage. Members can trace their ancestry to ancient forebears from the mysterious continent of Sarlona who settled Khorvaire thousands of years ago.
“The Sunthaw festival is a touchstone to that rich heritage. It’s as accurate a recreation of an ancient Sarlonan festival as we can create,” Sensanack said.
‘Lucky Sabletufts’ Stolen from Art Patron
News for Sul, Olarune 1st, 998
‘Lucky Sabletufts’ Stolen from Pont de Crystal Art Patron
SHARN—Two jade statuettes depicting sabletuft housecats were taken on Zul from Kant Manor in the Pont de Crystal district.
Owner Haras Kant said he planned to offer a reward for the statuettes’ return that “would stagger the imagination.” He further warned the thieves that the statuettes would be impossible to sell due to their notoriety among art collectors.
“Everyone art dealer from here to Korth knows that I’m the rightful owner. Whoever took my cats will find that they’ve taken something that will bring them only trouble,” Kant said.
The statues, known to art patrons as the “Lucky Sabletufts,” are made of a peculiar dark-green jade. They have large rubies for their eyes and diamond-studded claws.
The “lucky” appellation for the statuettes is at least 300 years old. In prewar Sharn, Hansa d’Orléans frequently brought the statuettes with her to various casinos, claiming they brought her good fortune at the gaming tables.
The statuettes remained in Maison Orléans hands until they were purchased by Tybalt ir’Rhannock in a private auction shortly after the start of La Dernière Guerre. When Brelandecommissioned ir’Rhannock as a naval officer, he brought the Lucky Sabletufts with him to sea. His war galley, the Providential Order, went down with all hands during the Battle of Mannasher’s Point in 985. But ir’Rhannock’s footlocker containing the statuettes was recovered amid the flotsam after the battle.
The Lucky Sabletufts were thus the property of the BrelandeNavy until a war surplus auction last year. Kant purchased them and has prominently displayed them in private but well-attended art exhibits throughout the fall and winter.
Belen Yorgan, commander of the La Sureté’s Pointe de l'Épée garrison, said that a thorough investigation of the theft was under way.
“I have every confidence that we’ll quickly apprehend the thieves and return the sabletufts to their rightful owner,” he said.
Arson Suspected in String of Shop Fires
News for Sul, Therendor 1st, 998
Arson Suspected in String of Alchemist Shop Fires
SHARN–Five alchemist shops in the Pont Cassan district have burned to the foundation in the last three weeks, and with high winds expected this week, district residents are worried that further blazes might spread.
Four of the five shops were owned by recent immigrants from the Frontières de l'Ombre, raising the specter of the anti-immigrant violence that flared up two years ago. But the fifth shop, Elixirs of Causewary, has been doing business on Wary Street for almost a century.
Because alchemists use open flame and caustic reagents in their mixtures, uncontrolled fires are not unCommun. Investigations into the specific origins of each fire are underway by the Sharn Watch, but no conclusions are available yet.
But the frequency of the fires leaves little doubt in the minds of Pont Cassan residents that arson is to blame.
“I’ve had bucket brigades outside my window twice in the past two weeks,” district resident Unnao Thruan said. “You can’t tell me it’s just a coincidence.”
Watch Commander Silaena Cazal said shopkeepers in the district can do their part by cooperating with the La Sureté during their investigations.
“Whenever the public safety is threatened, we all have to make sacrifices. I hope that all of Pont Cassan can pull together and end this unfortunate string of fires as soon as possible,” she said.
Revival of Wyvern Hunt Takes 12 Wyverns
News for Sul, Therendor 1st, 998
Revival of Q’barran Wyvern Hunt Takes 12 Wyverns
Nouveau-trône—For the first time since the start of La Dernière Guerre, aristocrats from across Khorvaire traveled to Q’Barra this month to hunt the reclusive, deadly silver wyverns.
The wyverns, possessed of unCommun cunning and a virulent poison, claimed 16 lives among the forty teams of hunters assembled at the invitation of King Sebastes ir’Kesslan.
But with a record 12 wyverns taken during the hunt, ir’Kesslan declared the hunt a “resounding success.”
In a decree from the under-construction royal manor at Port de la Vipère, ir’Kesslan singled out three teams in particular for their hunting prowess.
A group led by Aundair’s Thonan ir’Barandeau claimed the largest wyvern—one with a wingspan measuring 28 feet.
Maison Garda’s team, led by Ruhillia d’Garda, presented the king with the first wyvern-head, acquired after only six hours of hunting.
And a hunter from the Confins d'Eldeen known only as “Thousand” presented the king with a silver wyvern that he said he hunted without the aid of a team. His claim was obviously unverifiable, but King ir’Kesslan lavished praise on him in the decree.
Royal courtiers said the king was sufficiently pleased with the wyvern hunt that he planned on making it an annual event, as it was in the days of old Galifar. Persistent rumors further indicate that the king may don hunting garb and join the other hunters in the field next year.
Guildhouse Robber Standoff Continues
News for Sul, Therendor 1st, 998
Guildhouse Robber Standoff Continues; Fate of Captives Uncertain
SHARN—The standoff between a band of thieves and the Sharn Watch at Dragon Tower’s Jeweler Guildhouse reached a second day, but the fate of approximately two dozen captives within the guildhouse remains unknown.
Sharn Watch Commander Belew Yorgan refused questions at the scene. The Sharn Watch has closed Martelluk Bridge, Jarrniki’s Span, Crush Street and four blocks of Warren Street, and more than fifty members of the watch maintain a close vigil on the guildhouse.
A Watch sergeant, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that talks between the Sharn Watch and the thieves barricaded in the guildhouse are ongoing but sporadic.
The Watch believes that more than a dozen thieves remain within the guildhouse, including some wounded in the initial clash with guildhouse guards. Their identity remains unknown, although unconfirmed rumors throughout Tours du Dragon say the thieves are members of the notorious “Bloodshot Crew.”
The Jeweler’s Guild crisis began in the early hours of Sar, when a heavily armed band of thieves infiltrated the guildhouse, intent on plundering its wealth. A battle with guild guards ensued, spilling out into Crush Street and drawing the attention of the Sharn Watch. The thieves returned to the guildhouse and barricaded themselves inside, taking several guild guards and apprentice jewelers captive.
Complicating any rescue attempts are the guildhouse’s many defenses, including traps and magically warded doors. Guild masters say they are coordinating their efforts with the La Sureté, but that the thieves apparently turned some of the traps against the guild guards during the initial break-in.
Quarantine Lifted for Tours Fumantes
News for Sul, Therendor 1st, 998
‘Silent Plague’ Quarantine Lifted for Tours Fumantes
SHARN—The Sharn Watch lifted the quarantine for the Tours Fumantes district at dawn today, saying the baffling “Silent Plague” is not contagious.
The Watch’s Blackened Book investigators still seek the source of the mysterious affliction, which leaves its victims pale and unable to speak.
“Our magical investigations have confirmed that the name ‘Silent Plague’ is actually a misnomer. It’s a curse, not a disease,” said Kareyn Allandidor, senior détective for the Blackened Book.
So far forty-two residents of the district suffer from the Silent Plague. Among the victims are Mardan Kluhir, Jordren d’Phiarlan, “Needles” Norrick, Gransha Fleetfinger, and several other noted singers.
But the Silent Plague isn’t limited to the entertainers. Unndro Bhalask, special assistant to Councillor Caskar Halavik, has the affliction.
Most of the Silent Plague’s victims remain in seclusion. The Sharn détective will continue its efforts to find and interview (in writing) one or more of the plague victims.
The lifting of the quarantine means that the Children’s Charity Parade scheduled for Zul can keep to its traditional route through the district. Parade organizer Thanim Lariendas said a high turnout is expected despite lingering fears about the Silent Plague.
“I appreciate the Watch being careful with our health—no one wants the plague,” he said. “The Watch says that Tours Fumantes is perfectly safe, and the children have been looking forward to this parade all year.”
Carnival of the Sublime Opens Next Week
News for Sul, Eyre 8th, 998
Carnival of the Sublime Opens Next Week
Beaurefuge—Maison Thuranni’s “Carnival of the Sublime” returns next week for its annual visit to Beaurefuge, with Carnival organizers promising “more music, more magic, more fun.”
This year a massive tent city southwest of the city will host the carnival, as Maison Thuranni hopes to avoid the heavy crowds that greeted last year’s carnival at Wharfwall Park in the Whiteroof Ward.
“Last year was the first time we’ve done the carnival since La Dernière Guerre ended,” said Hanshastra d’Thuranni. “We were pleased at the enthusiastic response from the citizens of Aundair, but a little overwhelmed as well. This year, we know what to expect.”
The new carnival grounds can accommodate more than a thousand fairgoers, d’Thurrani said.
Posters and handbills advertising the carnival have been seen throughout Beaurefuge. They promise nightly performances from Myurdan Phoenixfire, master of illusion, a lute-and-flute quartet led by Obranna d’Thurrani, and games of skill and chance.
Handbills also promise “wondrous beasts from across Khorvaire and the deadly jungles of Xen’drik.” Hanshastra d’Thurrani said her House is still negotiating with the crown to permit the importation for display of specific creatures.
“Unfortunately, we’re still working some issues out with the authorities. Carnivalgoers will have to come see for themselves what wonders we’ll display,” she said.
Also uncertain is whether the controversial “seer of the future” Valreyka d’Thurrani will be part of this year’s Carnival. Last year she gave readings to long lines of carnival goers, many of whom found her predictions uncannily accurate. But in the last six months, she’s been deported from both Thrane and Karrnath. In Thrane, her deportation proceedings remain under seal but were handled by inquisitors specializing in heresies against the Flamme d'Argent. Karnnath simply escorted her to the border, with no official reason given.
Hanshastra d’Thurrani refused to discuss Valreyka’s presence or absence at the upcoming fair, saying only that “those seeking to peer into their own futures will not walk away disappointed.”
Last Heir Seeks Conseil de Fer Audience
News for Sul, Eyre 8th, 998
‘Last Heir of the Noldruns’ Seeks Conseil de Fer Audience
Le Pic—Torlan Morinanon announced on Zor that he would forward a Speaker’s Petition to the full Conseil de Fer on behalf of the controversial figure Hrun Noldrun, the sElfe-described “last heir of the Noldruns.”
The council will consider the petition when it reconvenes in two weeks’ time. If approved, then Hrun would be summoned to speak before the Conseil de Fer.
Since Hrun’s arrival in Le Pic last month, he’s sought official recognition of his clan heritage and settlement of his birthright: the Noldrunhold and the ruined fortress-town of Noldrunethrone.
But the circumstances of his arrival—badly burned, wearing battered armor, and raving about unseen enemies—leave significant doubt over whether he’s truly a member of Clan Noldrun, eradicated by unknown assailants more than four centuries ago.
Facing questions before an ad-hoc collection of clan chiefs last week, Hrun correctly recited several of the Noldrun lineages, but claimed amnesia when asked how he got to Le Pic and where his wounds came from.
Claimants to the vacant Noldrunhold are not unCommun, with one causing a stir every decade or so. Many were confidence artists seeking rights to the mineral wealth of the Korran’s Maw mines, despite the fact that the mines and Noldrunhold as a whole are infested with dangelrous monsters. Others made claims based on novel interpretations of genealogical records—interpretations the Conseil de Fer ultimately rejected.
Some clan chiefs oppose Noldrun claimants on principle, saying that granting them an audience before the Conseil de Fer will only bring more pretenders to Noldrunhold out of the stonework.
But other clans, including the influential Clan Morinanon, support Hrun’s right to address the Conseil de Fer and make a formal claim.
The petition, penned in Torlan Morinanon’s own hand, doesn’t directly state that the Morinanons support Hrun’s claim. It refers to the claim as “worthy of consideration by this august body.”
Council watchers say that the Morinanons may be impressed enough by Hrun’s claims that they’re trying to broker a compromise. Rather than accepting or rejecting Hrun’s claim of Noldrun heritage, the Conseil de Fer could grant provisional acceptance of Hrun’s claim, contingent on him reclaiming Noldrunhold for the Nains and restarting mining operations at Korran’s Maw.
Such provisional acceptance might mollify those clan chiefs opposed to Noldrun claimants.
“What better way to deal with a fake Noldrun than to simply say: ‘You want Noldrunhold? Then claim it with your axe!’” said clan chief Garrek Soldorak. “If the end result is that we’re feeding a bunch of pretenders to the monsters there, so be it.”
BrelandeCommissions New Warships
News for Sul, Eyre 8th, 998
BrelandeCommissions New Warships to Combat Southern Pirates
WROAT—Roi Boranel announced on Zor that he planned to commission more than a dozen new warships to ply the Mer du Tonnerre on antipiracy patrols.
“Let my voice carry to the south on winds of justice: Any ship flying the bear is under the protection of the great nation of Breland. Crawl back into your holes, villains, or face the wrath of our new warships,” said the crown decree.
Construction of the warships will begin in Sharn within the month. Negotiations described as “routine” are under way with Zilargo to obtain that nation’s expertise in naval architecture.
The ships will likely be christened by autumn, perhaps by Boranel or another member of the royal family.
The announcement of the warship construction set off a flurry of court activity when Admiral Telley ir’Nellish noted that the ships would be named after “Breland’s bravest soldiers from La Dernière Guerre.” Nobles and retired military officers scrambled to put together petitions touting their valor during La Dernière Guerre in hopes of having a ship named after them.
An attaché to ir’Nellish said on condition of anonymity that the new warships may wait on the docks for trained crew. The naval officer corps, depleted during the western naval battles near the war’s end, still hasn’t recovered, the attaché said.
“I never thought we’d wind up with more ships than captains,” the attaché said. “But you can build a warship in less than a year, and it takes a lot longer than that to build an officer.”
Dozens Claim to Have Seen Lantern-Bearer
News for Sul, Eyre 8th, 998
Dozens Claim to Have Seen Lantern-Bearer of Keshaware
SHARN—The mysterious—and some say folkloric—figure known as the Lantern-Bearer of Keshaware has been seen in Sharn this week at least four times, eyewitnesses said.
“He had these dirty white robes, a long gray beard, and tousled hair,” said Maretha Ducain, a cobbler from the Négligé district. “The lantern was covered in jewels—so much so that the jewels themselves seemed to be glowing. And just like in the woodcarvings, he has the lantern on the end of a staff, and he walks all bent over.”
Tales of the Lantern-Bearer of Keshaware are at least centuries old, said Charral Meers, a professor of history at Université Morgrave.
“It’s said that the original Lantern-Bearer was Keshaware, Lhazaar’s navigator some three thousand years ago. When Lhazaar discovered Khorvaire, she wanted to establish a settlement right away. But Keshaware wanted to explore the whole continent,” he said.
“The folklore gets a little unclear at this point, but somehow Keshaware gets his wish—or he’s cursed. He won’t die until the light of his lantern has shined on every part of Khorvaire,” he said.
Meers noted that about two centuries ago, Keshaware became a popular subject for painters and other artists, probably because he can be depicted amid any landscape, and he brings his own light source with him.
That’s when the name got twisted around, from Keshaware, the bearer of the lantern, to the Bearer of the Lantern of Keshaware, to the Lantern-Bearer of Keshaware, Meers said.
Meers noted that about fifty years ago, Karrnath had a spate of Keshaware sightings—but the lantern-bearer was a young female.
“This Karrnath sightings were probably a hoax of some sort, but there’s another possible explanation,” Meers said.
“It might be that the lantern itsElfe holds the power, or the curse, or what have you. Maybe the lantern-bearer can pass on Keshaware’s legacy by giving the lantern to someone else, who then walks around Khorvaire, unable to die,” he said.
Drystone Pulls Out of Competition
News for Sul, Dravago 22nd, 998
Drystone Pulls Out of Korranberg Statuary Competition
KORRANBERG—Declaring that the collapse of its massive clockwork horse was the work of saboteurs, engineers from the Korranberg Library’s Drystone college announced on Wir that they wouldn’t attempt to rebuild the statue.
Before its collapse last Mol night, the metal skeleton of the horse, dubbed “Fleet Providence,” stood nearly 40 feet tall, and the grinding of its gears could be heard across the city.
“If the doyens can’t keep the other colleges from wrecking our work, then there’s no point in rebuilding Fleet Providence,” said Drystone senior researcher Tendro ir’Hushaan. “Although we’re withdrawing, I want my team to take pride in a statue so great that the other colleges knew their only hope was to cheat.”
High councilor Alina Alrene ir’Korran said that so far, Library officials have found no evidence that the collapse had any external cause.
“Drystone’s decision is disappointing, and their forfeit reflects poorly on the whole college, I’m afraid. What happened to the spirit of experimentation?” she asked.
In the end, Drystone’s refusal to rebuild their statue will leave a gaping hole along Warren Street. Each of the other colleges is building a statue to decorate the newly widened road. A jury will select the best statue, which will earn points for the college that built it. The Library’s eight colleges compete fiercely in a number of academic, arcane, and athletic competitions throughout the academic year.
Drystone’s decision to withdraw from the statuary competition means that another college will almost certainly wrest first place in the overall standings from them. Currently the Blackdragon college of Alchemy and the Morridan college of Mathematics are tied behind Drystone, with the Balinor’s Horn college of natural sciences running fourth.
Rampaging Élémentaires Blamed for Wildfires
News for Sul, Dravago 22nd, 998
Rampaging Élémentaires Blamed for Thrane Wildfires
Fort-de-la-Flamme—More than 10,000 acres of the Fields of Arolan continue to burn in central Thrane, the result of devastating wildfires started by marauding fire Élémentaires.
Evacuation preparations are under way in the towns of Athandra and Avaroth, and the village of Tellyn has already been cleared of inhabitants.
The Lord of Castle Crête-du-Matin has refused a Flame decree to abandon his keep, although he’s released all but immediate family members for evacuation.
Settlements near the wildfires are employing both mundane firefighting techniques (such as cutting firebreaks across the fields) and magical responses (such as weather control and various water-based summonings). But because some fire Élémentaires are believed to be amid the flames, the wildfire’s path isn’t predictable.
Thrane authorities and representatives of the Flamme d'Argent promised an investigation into the cause of the blaze as soon as it’s contained. Some fringe sects of the Flamme d'Argent regard fire Élémentaires to be sacred beings that cleanse only the unworthy, a notion that Flamme d'Argent orthodoxy regards as “a miserable, wrongheaded attempt to justify arson.” Rumors among the evacuees routinely place blame among such fringe sects.
Low Tides May Reveal Wreckage
News for Sul, Dravago 22nd, 998
Low Tides May Reveal Wreckage of Karrn ‘Tribute Fleet’
REKKENMARK—Unusually low tides next month might expose the sunken ships that once carried Khorvaire’s greatest treasures to Karrn the Conquérant, an academy scholar said on Zor.
Jarragan ir’Krannau, a “historical astronomer” affiliated with Rekkenmark Academy’s Karrn Studies program, said the northern shore of Karrnath could briefly experience minus tides of 10 feet to 20 feet. And along the eastern shore of Karrn Bay, known for its tidal surges, the waters might recede even further.
The minus tide might reveal more than a dozen galleys that sunk in a sudden storm in –980 AR. The ships were part of the “Tribute Fleet” that brought gold, jewels and Fragments de Dragon from various regional warlords to Karrn the Conquérant, ir’Krannau said.
The minus tide may attract some fortune hunters, ir’Krannau said, but the remote, dangelrous terrain near the wreckage site would make a treasure-seeking expedition difficult.
“There’s also no guarantee—someone may have already plundered the ships,” he said. “And the records from the time aren’t clear on whether the fleet was inbound or outbound when it sank.”
Regardless of what’s in the hold, careful study of the tribute fleet represents a treasure-trove of historical lore for scholars, ir’Krannau said. Shipwrecks in northern waters tend to be well-preserved, so scholars will get a glimpse at life aboard Karrn’s navy two millennia ago.
“At the academy, we glory in every detail about Karrn’s land campaigns, but his naval efforts have always been in the background,” he said.
A team of Rekkenmark Academy scholars leaves next week for the Karrn Bay coastline, ir’Krannau said. When the tidal outflow reveals the ships, the scholars will learn as much as they can before the waters reclaim the tribute fleet.
Repairs Interrupt Train Fulgurant
News for Sul, Dravago 22nd, 998
Repairs Interrupt Starilaskur-Porte Arrière Train Fulgurant
STARILASKUR—Maison Orléans said on Wir that avalanche-clearing operations north of Porte Arrière would prevent Train Fulgurants from traveling south into Zilargo for at least another week.
Station master Laara d’Orléans said that the House had teams of excavators working around the clock to clear rockfalls that buried the Train Fulgurant path at several points in the foothills of the northern Montagnes de la Digue.
“We expect some rail maintenance delays every spring, but the extent of the avalanches is unprecedented,” she said. “The Starilaskur-Korranberg route is important to us, and we want to restore service as soon as possible.”
The House is compensating ticket holders unable to travel as planned, she said. And Maison Orléans is using the opportunity to unveil a new service: “Splendor Caravans.” The caravans feature comfortable horse-drawn passenger coaches and many of the amenities that Train Fulgurant passengers expect.
“The roads along the Montagnes de la Digue are in fine shape, and we know that for a lot of our passengers, the journey is as important as the destination. The Splendor Caravans are slower than the Train Fulgurant, true, but they’re a luxurious experience,” d’Orléans said.
The Splendor Caravans run between Starilaskur and Porte Arrière, where Train Fulgurant cars trapped on the far side of the avalanches take passengers to Zolanberg and Korranberg. The journey takes 10 days.
Maison Orléans may eventually add scheduled Spendor Caravans to other routes that don’t currently get Train Fulgurant service, d’Orléans said.
The cause of the avalanches is unknown and remains under investigation, d’Orléans said.
Fugitives at Large After Prison Break
News for Sul, Dravago 22nd, 998
Dozens of Fugitives at Large After Harrowgard Prison BreakÉtoile-polaire—A violent escape attempt from Harrowgard Prison on Zor left 18 guards dead and scores of criminals dead or fleeing into the wilds of southern Thrane.
Thrane army units from nearby Harrowgard Fortress have cordoned off the prison and are investigating the circumstances of the prison break, the first escape since the prison’s construction in the mid 940s.
Cardinal Yannick, expected to visit the site on Zol two days, issued a public prayer that commended the sacrifice of the slain guards and condemned the criminals for their “cowardice in the face of a justly applied sentence.”
“We have no doubt that none can escape the Flamme d'Argent’s ultimate justice, no matter how far they may flee,” she said. “The wise prisoner has an attitude of penance, hoping to have a soul forged anew in flames of silver. But the craven fugitive is a creature of instinct, willing to do evil to satisfy a base urge for freedom.”
Yannick also urged residents of southern Thrane to be vigilant and report any suspicious travelers.
“Let those who would flee proper judgment know that justice is more than a knight’s lance. Justice is also the eyes of the innkeeper, the ears of the woodcutter in the forest, and the stout heart of every Thrane that names a criminal on the run,” she said.
Details on the prison break remain sketchy. Sometime after midnight, a fire broke out along the prison ramparts. A confused battle broke out between rioting prisoners, guards, and possibly mercenaries or bandits attacking the prison from outside its walls. By dawn, one wing of the prison’s main building had collapsed—hours after most prisoners escaped or died in the clashes with guards.
Most of Harrowgard Prison’s inmates were sentenced to long terms during La Dernière Guerre, often by courts martial for crimes including desertion and gross insubordination. Starting last year, the Église de la Flamme d'Argent has taken a more active role in the rehabilitation of prisoners there, offering guidance in religious matters and apprentice-level instruction in several trades.
Brelon Army commanders along Breland’s border with Thrane have stepped up patrols in response to the Harrowgard prison break.
“I figure that if you just broke out of prison, the most natural thing in the world is to try to get across a border,” said Major Ganndo Annatail, “And even a fugitive isn’t going to head into the Les Terres des Lamentations—although some of these guys might have been imprisoned so long that they think it’s still Cyre.”
Any fugitives from Harrowgard caught in Brelandewill be remanded back to Thrane’s custody, Annatail said.
Dragonslayer Sniper Claims Sixth Victim
News for Nymm 8th, 998
'Dragonslayer' Sniper Claims Sixth Victim
SHARN—The mysterious crossbow sniper known to the La Sureté as the “Dragonslayer” shot and killed a high-ranking member of Maison Kundarak on Far night, then posted handbills taunting the inability of the authorities to stop the sniper attacks.
The attack, made at dusk as the victim left a restaurant on Bruneau Street in Korranath, bore the hallmarks of previous attacks: a single magic crossbow bolt shot from a great distance and a corona of fire around the victim that scorches the ground, leaving a black outline around the corpse.
The name of the victim, an elderly male Nain, was unavailable at press time.
Watch Commander Belew Yorgan expressed confidence that the Dragonslayer would soon be brought to justice, either by the La Sureté or by Maison Garda’s Garde Maréchaux.
“It’s easy to get caught up in the sensational details of these crimes and miss the important point: That this guy is a cold-blooded murderer too cowardly to face his victims,” he said. “We have a number of promising leads, and I think the next handbill you read will be the one announcing his execution date.”
The Dragonslayer has been touting his prowess with handbills and pamphlets that appear after each murder. Last night was no exception; handbills scattered across the Foire Commerciale district criticized Maison Kundarak lending practices and taunted authorities.
“I am around every corner and atop every roof,” said one handbill acquired by the Sharn détective. “Neither the jackboot stooges of Sharn’s corpulent councilors nor the brutes-for-coin in the pay of the incestuous dragontainted houses will ever catch me.”
Harrina Thandalask, a sergeant in the watch’s Blackened Book division, said that the handbills are being posted along crowded thoroughfares by someone using an unseen servant spell. Such magic makes it difficult to apprehend whomever’s distributing the handbills, she said.
“People don’t notice the handbills going up right away, and when someone gets curious, the so-called Dragonslayer or a confederate just drops the spell and slips away,” she said.
The Dragonslayer’s victims have been spread across the city. They include:
- Ilya d’Bombardier, killed Nymm 2 in Noircendre.
- Endari d’Tharashk, killed Dravago 20 in the La Falaise district.
- Lasca d’Normandin, killed Dravago 17 in the Marché Nord district.
- Chenni d’Brunet, killed Dravago 11 in Septième Tour.
- Torlak d’Siri, killed Dravago 4 in the Callestan district. While the crime scene bore many similarities to subsequent Dragonslayer attacks, no handbills have ever appeared claiming responsibility for the attack.
Rivals Join Forces for Attainder Bill
News for Nymm 8th, 998
Rivals ir’Tannak and ir’Lann Join Forces for Attainder Bill
WROAT—An unlikely alliance between bitter political foes Kurlo ir’Tannak and Hansa ir’Lann means that the Lac Argenté Attainder Decree is likely to pass Parliament by month’s end.
“Never let it be said that the Tannak family will put personality before what’s good for Breland,” ir’Tannak said. “The merits of this decree are beyond question, and I’ll be proud to cast my vote for it.
“Let the past stay where it is,” said ir’Lann in a rare speech before Parliament. “Bury the past with all the honor that you bury the bravest soldier, but then march onward and carry the day for Breland.”
While their speeches on Wir sounded Commun themes, the pair have oratorical styles as opposite as their previous positions. Kurlo ir’Tannak’s speech alternated between fiery rhetoric against “enemies of Breland, foreign and domestic” and folksy appeals for support from his “lords and brothers.” Hansa ir’Lann’s quavering voice could barely be heard in the upper galleries—a reason why most of his legislative work is done behind the scenes.
If ir’Tannak and ir’Lann both vote in favor of the attainder decree, it will mark the first time they’ve ever cast their votes together, excepting strictly ceremonial decrees. As recently as last year, ir’Tannak accused ir’Lann of treason and ir’Lann called ir’Tannak “an unrepentant drunkard” in the wake of the controversial High Seas Accords.
Their rivalry predates their postwar service in Parliament. It’s widely believed that ir’Tannak and ir’Lann engaged in fisticuffs in the middle of the Battle of Red Creek in 979, when both were colonels under legendary General Bollandar, separately sent to seize a key bridge. Records of the incident remain sealed, and given the folkloric quality of the tale, its veracity remains unknown.
If passed by Parliament and signed by Roi Boranel, the attainder decree would mandate the forfeiture of property belonging to 14 family estates along the southern shore of Lac Argenté. Those families, citing Thrane advances along the northern front, refused to send manor guards to break a Droaamite siege of Six Kings in 988.
Ownership of the estates would pass to the crown.
Last Starwind Sailor Dies at 184
News for Nymm 8th, 998
Last Starwind Sailor Dies at 184
Le Refuge—Corvin d’Lyrandar, the last surviving member of the famed Starwind Aéronef voyage, died on Zor surrounded by family at his residence in Le Refuge. He was 184.
One of the fourteen crew members that returned with the battered Aéronef in 814 AR, d’Lyrandar later served his house throughout La Dernière Guerre, eventually captaining the Countess Karlia, an Frégate Élémentaire that plied the Mer Amère. He retired from the seas when La Dernière Guerre ended, family members said.
But his fame was set when the badly listing Starwind reappeared over the skies of Sharn in 841. The Starwind was believed Perdu at sea after a hurricane struck the western coast of Khorvaire in 839.
But Captain Tessian d’Lyrandar told a wondrous tale of his Aéronef being sucked into a vortex leading to strangel lands beyond Eberron. Fictionalized versions of Tessian’s logbook started turning up shortly after the Starwind’s return, becoming something of a literary genre unto themselves in the mid-850s.
The actual logbooks remain under lock and key with Maison Lyrandar, but public statements from Tessian indicate that the Starwind visited multiple lands of “surpassing strangelness” and also visited each of Eberron’s known continents, if only briefly.
Captain Tessian d’Lyrandar died in battle with pirates in 880. His will included extensive provisions for splitting the “recovered booty of the Starwind voyage.” Responding to hundreds of inquiries from treasure-seekers, Maison Lyrandar elders said that the Starwind’s hold was empty when it returned. Furthermore, the Aéronef’s logs gave no indication of a discovered treasure.
Asked about Tessian’s will last year, Corvin d’Lyrandar dismissed it as “Just a joke. There’s no ‘treasure of Starwind,’ that’s for sure. We saw a lot of strangel things, but nothing that would make us rich. In any case, the House would get the treasure, not us.”
With no direct descendants, Corvin d’Lyrandar’s estate will be auctioned within the House next month.
Key Advisor to Crown Retires
News for Nymm 8th, 998
Key Advisor to Crown Retires
WROAT—Count Narvian ir’Turlendess, a trusted advisor to Roi Boranel on diplomatic and military matters, has retired to his family estate in southern Breland, the court announced on Zul.
Narvian was among the Brelandecourt’s strongest inclusionist voices, arguing that even Breland’s enemies should be signatories to the Treaty of Fort-du-trône and various side agreements.
Inclusionists often quote his “Marra Won’t Come Home” speech before the BrelandeParliament in 995. Throughout the speech, ir’Turlendess spoke movingly of his daughter Marra, captured and executed by Sora Kell forces in 987. But despite his loss, ir’Turlendess said, Droaam should be included in Fort-du-trône negotiations. Barring negotiations with other nations, “no matter how repulsive,” would be counterproductive and won’t bring his daughter back. Though his arguments failed to persuade the crown, ir’Turlendess remained an influential figure at court throughout the Fort-du-trône negotiations.
“Narvian’s voice was always clear and wise, and his eyes were always focused on what was best for Breland,” said Roi Boranel in a crown decree that accompanied the announcement. “It is with great sadness that I watch him depart Wroat, and I’ll miss his honest, well-reasoned advice.”
Narvian ir’Turlendess learned statecraft as a regional representative to the Ministry of the Exchequer in 960, charged with advocating for southwest Breland’s landowners on taxation issues. In 971 he received his first major appointment within the ministry and spent most of the 980s as the crown’s chief advisor on military funding issues. His role expanded to include diplomatic responsibilities near La Dernière Guerre’s end; he was Breland’s representative to the Fort-du-trône working group tasked with gradually drawing down the armies of the signatory nations.
Since the end of La Dernière Guerre, ir’Turlendess acted as an unofficial ambassador to parts of Khorvaire that the Treaty of Fort-du-trône didn’t grant nation-state status to, such as Droaam and the Cyran refugees.
The crown is widely expected to confer a significant honorary title upon Narvian ir’Turlendess during its month-end proclamation.
War Widow Land Grant Lottery Set
News for Lharvion 22nd, 998
“War Widow” Land Grant Lottery Set for 28th of Barrakas
Beaurefuge—Queen Aurala has set a date for the long-anticipated land-grant lottery: the 28th of Barrakas.
A court decree on Far set a date and drawing procedure for the lottery, set to take place at noon in Beaufort’s Vermillion Pavilion. But the decree noted that some eligibility requirements for specific land parcels are still under review, leaving unclear who’ll be able to place lots for some of the more sought-after properties.
Although it’s widely referred to as the “war widow” lottery, only some parcels are designated specifically for widows of soldiers who fell in Aundair’s service during La Dernière Guerre. Preliminary drafts of the lottery parcel list have shown a wide array of eligibility requirements. Many parcels will be given to those with relatives Perdu in La Dernière Guerre, while others are set aside for Aundair’s veterans. Most of the prime parcels have additional requirements of noble title, sometimes of specific families living nearby.
While the crown decree takes pains to point out the Queen’s generosity in giving away large tracts of land, the land-grant lottery is expected to fill Aundair’s coffers in the long-term. Many of the parcels in the lottery are crumbling, vacant castles with significant upkeep costs and no arable land nearby. Once removed from the crown’s rolls, the land parcels become taxable property once again. Thus the crown is both spared upkeep and may garner revenue from the land-grant lottery.
The land-grant lottery was originally scheduled for last month, but has been twice delayed as Aundairian courts adjudicated claims from distant relatives and other parties seeking to keep specific parcels out of the lottery. In many cases, ownership of a parcel fell to the crown when its owner died in the war and no inheritor was available. But once a parcel appears on the list for the lottery, “second cousins, secret wives, and every con artist in Aundair have come out of the woodwork” to make an ownership claim, said one magistrate speaking on condition of anonymity.
Midnight Battery Was Politically Motivated
News for Lharvion 22nd, 998
Council Aspirant Says Midnight Battery Was ‘No Doubt’ Politically Motivated
SHARN—Gandrall Nurri, campaigning to replace Thurik Davandi as the Upper Menthis represenative on the Sharn Council, said on Sar that there was “no doubt” that his severe beating in front of an upscale Menthis restaurant last week was politically.
“Sharn politics is what it is, and I’ve been around long enough to not be surprised that my political enemies would resort to thuggery,” he said from the balcony of his Platiné home. “But I also know that you only use violence when you’re losing the battle of ideas. And that’s what I’m waging: a campaign of ideas.”
Nurri hopes to be named councilor for Upper Menthis on the 9th of Rhaan, and he’s been speaking publicly in the district nearly every day for the last month. Crowd reaction to his “Clean Up Sharn” platform has been mixed.
Three dark-garbed assailants attacked Nurri last Zor as he was departing Galdin’s Garden, a popular restaurant in the Septième Tour district of Upper Menthis. Nurri was thrown from a nearby bridge, but managed to cling to a buttress until passersby rescued him. Nurri’s attackers are still at large.
Davandi denied any connection with the attack on Nurri.
“Ultimately, it’s for Upper Menthis to decide whether I’m an effective voice for their interests,” he said. “I think if you look at what we’ve done lately—new bridges in Den’iyas, stronger La Sureté patrols in Platiné and Septième Tour, and steady funding for Université Morgrave—I think it’s clear that Upper Menthis is in good hands.”
Karrnathi Laborers Make Grisly Find
News for Lharvion 22nd, 998
Karrnathi Laborers Make Grisly Find
KORTH—Laborers regrading the cliffs south of Vurgenslye have unearthed more than one hundred Humainoïde skeletons—all bearing the same injury.
Each skull found over the course of the last two weeks has had a three-inch circular hole carved in the center of the forehead. The rest of the skeletons had no unusual markings.
Nearly one-third of the 400 laborers have walked off the job, said foreman Jerrit Alpach.
“It’s a bit better now that we’re working further north, but for a while last week you would find one of these skeletons every ten minutes or so,” he said. You’d turn over a spadeful of earth, and there’d be a three-eyed skull staring up at you.”
Preliminary divination magic performed on the site indicated that the skulls were buried there shortly before the start of La Dernière Guerre. Priests of the Le Sang Divin have taken custody of the skulls for further study.
Nearby residents recall no unusual disappearances or murders during the time when the skulls would have been buried.
The cliffs south of Vurgenslye have long been locally known for their frequent, treacherous mudslides. The regrade effort is a massive undertaking to turn the cliffs into a gentle, farmable slope leading down to Passage de la côte.
Thrane Promises Return of Minnarek Friezes
News for Lharvion 22nd, 998
Thrane Promises Return of Minnarek Friezes
SHARN—The Minnarek Friezes, taken by Thrane soldiers during La Dernière Guerre, will be returned to Brelandeby year’s end, said Anador ir’Laisha, speaking on behalf of the Gardien de la Flamme.
Les Douzes friezes, which depict in bas-relief torch-bearing men on horseback, are considered some of the best examples of pre-Galifaran sculpture. Nearly 2,000 years old, they were originally created by the blind sculptor Minnarek as a tribute to Karrn the Conquerer and decorated a shrine in Hatheril that commemorated Karrn’s victory in the Battle of Brey.
In 959, Thrane soldiers removed the friezes from the Hatheril shrine because their subject matter included torch flames. The friezes were taken to Fort-de-la-Flamme, where they remained on display until the signing of the Treaty of Fort-du-trône two years ago.
“All of Thrane hopes that the restoration of these friezes can mark a new stage in our relations with Breland,” ir’Laisha said. “Now that the war is over, a lot of these artistic treasures, swept up in the winds of war, can be returned to their rightful owners.”
Thrane is eager to establish a commission with artists and historians from all of the Fort-du-trône signatories to establish procedures for the return of national treasures, she said.
“We’ve made our views on artistic heritage well known, and now that Khorvaire is at peace, we’ll push more strongly for all nations to return objects of artistic and cultural relevance. Karrnath’s continued custody of the Gorith Handmaiden Tryptych, for example, continues to sadden the hearts of art lovers everywhere,” she said.
Tornadoes Emerge From Les Terres des Lamentations
News for Lharvion 22nd, 998
Tornadoes Emerge From Les Terres des Lamentations
STARILASKUR—Strangely persistent tornadoes have emerged from the Les Terres des Lamentations this week, destroying barns and farmhouses in their wake.
The tornadoes appeared during sunny, cloudless weather, heading west toward Porte Arrière and through the hills south of Nouvelle Cyre. Unlike weather-related tornadoes, these Les Terres des Lamentations tornadoes often remain stationary for hours at a time, then lurch forward without warning. They move only during the daytime.
Thus far, they’ve only menaced some farms and small thorps. But all of Eastern Brelandeworries that the tornadoes will continue to move east and threaten more heavily populated areas.
“We’re used to all sorts of strangel things coming out of the Les Terres des Lamentations,” said Porte Arrière-area farmer Nezberro Lallick. “But we’ve never seen anything like this. I’ve got riders that watch the borders for monsters and the like, but these cyclones aren’t like zombies or whatever crawls out of the Les Terres des Lamentations.”
“How can you fight off a tornado? It turned my barn into kindling,” he said.
A proclamation from Prince Oargev ir’Wynarn reported the dispatch of New Cyran cavalry to the vicinity of the cyclones. Sages are being consulted for further countermeasures, the proclamation said.
Aundair Army Captures Rebel Leader
News for Barrakas 8th, 998
Aundair Army Captures Rebel Leader
WYR—Aundair has captured the druid known as Amleerin the Fox, a proclamation from the army’s headquarters in Wyr announced on Zor.
Amleerin, a member of the mysterious Peuple du Frêne sect, has been wanted by Aundair’s border patrols for eight months following a series of raids across the Rivière Wynarn northeast of Lac Galifar.
Throughout the spring and summer, villages have been reduced to smoldering ruins with a distinctive glowing sigil inscribed in the trunk of a nearby tree.
The attacks reached their apex in Nymm, when the village of Jarran in the hills south of La Comté du Vent was burned to the ground, killing more than 200 residents. Authorities were unable to determine why none of the residents fled from the flames. All were found in their residences, as if they succumbed in their sleep.
Amleerin was captured after a pitched battle on the banks of the Rivière Wynarn. An Aundair border patrol unit cordoned off the area after independent scouts working for the Aundair military reported contact with Amleerin and a small band of marauders.
“These brave soldiers slowly drew the cordon closer, fighting back escape efforts from the arsonists and murderers,” an army staff proclamation read. “In the end, Amleerin had no choice but to stand on the banks of the River Wynarn and surrender to the justice of Aundair.”
Unconfirmed reports from the Confins d'Eldeen suggest that the Protecteurs des Bois were also hunting down Amleerin for attacks on hamlets on the western side of the Rivière Wynarn.
Amleerin will transported under heavy guard to Beaurefuge, where he’ll be tried for multiple counts of arson, murder, and related crimes.
Feathered Serpents Seen Above Sharn
News for Barrakas 8th, 998
Feathered Serpents Seen Writhing Above Sharn
SHARN—Two feathered serpent-creatures known as couatls put on an extensive aerial display over Sharn’s La Falaise district, sometimes intertwining as they dove under bridges and around city towers on Zor.
Eyewitnesses saw the creatures shortly afternoon in the vicinity of Zellek’s Spire, the long-abandoned home of a former court wizard who entered the Les Terres des Lamentations shortly after the Jour du Deuil in search of his daughter. Neither has been seen since.
With their brillant wing plumage, the two couatls quickly attracted a crowd. Over the course of the next three hours, they flew above the La Falaise streets, sometimes too fast for the eye to follow, sometimes hovering in midair.
“It made me wish I had wings,” said Looran Prallovek, a fruit cart vendor on Kuresh Street. “I just couldn’t take my eyes off them—it was if the air was solid like the ground.”
Université Morgrave professor of xenoanthropology Guriam Jenn said that the couatls were likely undertaking the Ritual of Gav-Hauranazh, a complex social ritual that confers elder status on a particularly noteworthy couatl. While Jenn was not a witness to the display on Zol, he saw a Ritual of Gav-Hauranazh performed in Qbarra that matches eyewitness descriptions.
But noted Xen’drik explorer Mallan Yorna, a witness to the couatls, offered a different explanation. “A social ritual? Maybe,” he said. “But what I saw had a recreational component to it, if you catch my drift.”
Forward Sora Kell Petition to Fort-du-trône
News for Barrakas 8th, 998
Forward Sora Kell Petition to Fort-du-trône, Karrnathi Ambassador Says
KORTH—Recent overtures from the Filles De Sora Kell deserve consideration from the Treaty of Fort-du-trône nations, said ambassador Jurneya ir’Hauptroch in advance of a diplomatic mission to Breland, Droaam, and Zarash’ak in the Frontières de l'Ombre.
“With each passing year, conditions improve in Droaam,” she said. “While the nation of Karrnath continues to have important differences with the Filles De Sora Kell, it’s increasingly apparent that they have de facto control of the region.”
Within the last month, capitals across Khorvaire have received missives bearing the seal of Sora Katra, one of the trio of Sorcières that rules Droaam.
The exact contents of each letter aren’t known, but those received by Brelandeand Aundair sought advantageous trade terms and a dramatic reduction in standing armies in western Khorvaire.
The Karrnathi crown also received a communiqué from the Sora Katra, ir’Hauptroch said. Its contents are still under consideration and remain under royal seal.
But based on the Brelandeand Aundair letters, court watchers believe that Droaam is asking for terms that would functionally make it a Treaty of Fort-du-trône nation, subject to all the treaty’s rights and strictures.
In 993, the Filles De Sora Kell unsuccessfully petitioned to be part of the talks that eventually led to the Treaty of Fort-du-trône. At the time, Karrnath objected that the Sorcières weren’t truly ruling a nation-state. Other nations had their own reasons for denying the Sora Kell petitions; Brelon soldiers were fighting Droaam’s gnoll and Géant armies at the time, so Brelandenever even acknowledged the Sorcières’ diplomatic effort.
Droaam’s current efforts are being viewed more favorably, although ir’Hauptroch was clear to point out that the Karrnathi crown hasn’t advanced an opinion on closer relations with Droaam—merely that the recent missives deserve careful consideration. The diplomatic corps in Thrane and Brelandeare said to remain suspicious of Droaam’s overtures.
Actually adding Droaam to the Treaty of Fort-du-trône would require the presence of existing signatories’ ambassadors on the island of Fort-du-trône. No such summit has been scheduled, ir’Hauptroch said.
Hannuri d’Tharashk, a dragonshard prospector whose livelihood often takes him to southern Droaam, said there may be another reason for the diplomatic overtures: famine.
“A lot of the population relies on livestock as a food source, but this spring a lot of animals were born weakened and lame,” he said. “The gnolls call it urrakhnoon—the purple spots. The animals develop these bruises that make it too painful to stand.”
With its livestock herds thus depleted, Droaam may be seeking imports from the breadbaskets of Brelandeand Aundair, he said.
Dream Serpent Hides Become Fashion
News for Rhaan 22nd, 998
Dream Serpent Hides Become Fashion for Caravan Dancers
KORRANBERG—Aficionados of the dance known as the caravan have turned to Xen’drik for their newest fashion: capes fashioned from the hides of dream serpents.
The green and silver capes have swept across masquerade balls and formal dances across southern Khorvaire, with some exclusive events barring entry to dancers garbed in mere silk, satin or starweave.
“There’s just something about the way the silver flashes during a double-swirl—it makes the entire dance more elegant,” said Lahana ir’Yeshri, a noted caravan dancer. “And during the more vigorous parts of the dance, the green scales on the cape take on a luminous quality.”
The dream serpent capes first became popular when explorers returning from Xen’drik sold a large quantity of hides to Chandri Thomm, a Korranberg seamstress.
Acquiring more dream serpent hides has proven difficult, however, because the poisonous creatures are exceedingly dangelrous and because the drow Elfes native to Xen’drik regard explorers from Khorvaire as poachers. Existing Thomm-labeled capes have fetched soaring prices as they’re passed from noble to noble.
Several Zilargan clothiers plan expeditions to Xen’drik in the coming weeks to capture enough dream serpents to bring back to Khorvaire for breeding.
Lift Operators Warned to Return to Work
News for Rhaan 22nd, 998
Cliffside Lift Operators Warned to Return to Work
SHARN—Flotgris chief stevedore Blau Koonrick warned lift and crane operators in the Cliffside ward to return to their posts immediately in a statement he termed a “final warning.”
“If you don’t get back to work tomorrow, you’ll learn a painful lesson about your own sElfeishness,” Koonrick said on Sar afternoon. “We will not have Sharn’s sea commerce held captive by agitators who aren’t satisfied with an honest wage for hard work.”
Koonrick’s comments follow a march and Démontration on Far by hundreds of lift and crane operators through the Flotgris and northern Ship’s Towers districts.
The operators are demanding higher wages from their employers. Many of the lift operators are city workers, while the operators of the massive cranes are employed by a cartel of stevedore companies with links to Houses Orléans and Lyrandar.
Lower Dura councilor Ilyra Saputo said he’d hear grievances from the lift operators but said returning to work was a necessary precondition for talks. Koonrick struck a more strident tone, saying the stevedore cartels would take “whatever actions are necessary” to get the cranes running again.
“Let’s not kid oursElfes: People are going to start going hungry in Sharn because these fools won’t unload ships full of food,” he said. “With their greed and sElfeishness, the crane operators are going to turn the whole city against them.”
The crane and lift operators vowed another march tomorrow and said lift operators across the city will walk off the job in solidarity.
“What kind of ham-handed threat is this?” said crane operator Breen Wallak. “The city is behind us—we’ve been under the thumb of the profiteers for too long.”
The cheering crowds during Far’s march are proof that “the ordinary working citizen of Sharn stands behind us,” he said.
While Flotgris’s cranes have remained still for two days, ships are still being loaded and unloaded in southern Ship’s Towers. Most of Maison Lyrandar’s Frégate Élémentaires have been docking there for the last month, a shift one Lyrandar captain said was unrelated to the current dispute.
Invitations Sent for Conquérant Tourney
News for Sypheros 15th, 998
Invitations Sent for Conquérant Tourney
KORTH—Noted Conquérant aficionado Baron ir’Kantarros has sent out nearly a hundred invitations to players of the board game, inviting them to a first-ever continent-wide tournament.
The tournament, called Challenge for New Khorvaire, offers the ultimate victor a land grant in southwest Karrnath. Other top players will earn gold coins, jewelry, and other prizes, ir’Kantarros said.
“After a century of war, there’s no better way to usher in a new era than to have the world’s finest strategic minds moving pieces on a Conquérant board, not armies on a battlefield,” he said.
Famous Conquérant players like Jurra Nellan, Col. Taruth of Cyre, and “Immense” Herrat Mensetain have already indicated their intention to compete, ir’Kantarros said.
“We’ll also be inviting some of Khorvaire’s acclaimed military leaders,” ir’Kantarros said. “And noted minds from other fields as well—the invitation list is as inclusive as possible.”
Those invited should receive their invitations within the next two weeks. Included with the invitation is round-trip Train Fulgurant passage to Korth, ir’Kantarros said.
Also competing in the challenge will be ir’Kantarros’ nephew, Varro ir’Hatarr. Varro won last year’s Karrnath Conquérant competition, although the final rounds were marred by the unauthorized use of divination magic by some contestants. Tourney rules strictly forbid such assistance, ir’Kantarros said.
Wizardry Attack on City Hall
News for Sypheros 15th, 998
Guards Thwart Wizardry Attack on City Hall
SHARN—An attack on Sun Tower on Sar halted debates on tower petitions all afternoon and disrupted city business until the demise of the lone assailant.
The wizard, a middle-aged female Humain, strode through the tower’s West Hall shortly after noon and began summoning various deadly creatures and creating other magic effects.
Nearby Council Guards evacuated City Hall visitors and cordoned off the West Hall.
“We called for assistance from reserves elsewhere in the council hall, and we approached with a fair amount of caution—you can’t be too careful with the council at stake,” said guard captain Lyshan Aurria. “But it turned out that a lot of the intruder’s magic was just cunning illusions.”
Aurria said the woman ignored all attempts at communication. When guards moved to arrest her, she attacked with potent fire magic.
The resultant battle left five council guards badly wounded. The assailant attempted to flee to the northwest, then leapt off Opellar’s Span, landing on Cursive Street several hundred feet below.
The assailant died on impact with the street. Authorities are attempting to establish her identity.
By sundown council guards had returned to their posts throughout Sun Tower, and normal business resumed.
Speaking on the main steps that evening, Lord Mayor Cathan ir’Demell praised the quick thinking of the council guards on duty in the West Hall.
“We may never know what motivated this crazed magician to attack the foundation of Sharn’s government,” ir’Demell said. “But we do know that the bravery and grace under pressure Démontrated by our guards today exemplifies what service to Sharn is all about.”
Old Soldiers’ Home Massacre
News for Sypheros 15th, 998
Dozens Slain in Old Soldiers’ Home Massacre
MOONWATCH—More than thirty elderly veterans of La Dernière Guerre are dead following a mysterious attack on the Vermillion Woods Convalescent Home on the southwest Brelandecoast.
“It was carnage,” said facility director Gurya Earlyfell. “They kicked in the front door, split into groups, and just killed everyone they could find,” he said. “I was in the Healing Corps during the war, and I never saw such a vicious slaughter.”
Vermillion Woods, a manor set on cliffs Belvédèreing the Mer Aride, is home to sixty pensioners, mostly retired BrelandeArmy officers in their seventies or eighties. While the residents may be infirm, their military training served them well, Earlyfell said.
“Many were able to barricade themselves in their rooms or muster a Commun defense in the dining hall or medical ward,” Earlyfell said.
More than a dozen survived by hastily making a false “Quarantine Ward” sign and hanging it over a parlor room. Others used ceremonial weapons granted when they mustered out of the service against their assailants.
With assistance from able-bodied family members visiting Vermillion Woods, Earlyfell said he was able to evacuate almost half of the pensioners. The attackers fled into nearby jungle shortly before sheriffs from the nearby village of Patalien arrived.
The motive for the attack is unclear. Some survivors said the attackers had a sketch of a bearded man that they were comparing residents against.
“They woke me up out of bed and held a parchment up next to my face,” said Uldar Harnan, an admiral in Breland’s navy until his retirement in 869. “Then they shot me with a crossbow, and I don’t remember anything after that.”
Courtiers of Duke Tyror ir’Banath said the duke would offer a reward of several thousand gold coins for the capture of those responsible for the Vermillion Woods massacre. Given the number of decorated army veterans among the dead, it’s likely that the Brelon crown will also contribute to a reward fund.
Mysterious Red Box Packages
News for Sypheros 15th, 998
Mysterious ‘Red Box’ Packages Found Across Sharn
SHARN—At least a dozen small red crates have been delivered to residences and businesses across the city this week, but the boxes’ seemingly random contents have mystified their recipients.
Noted Pierre Rouge district seamstress Sheeran Veel reported the first red box last Zol—a box containing fourteen platinum coins and a broken compass. Since then, the boxes have shown up across the breadth and height of the city.
Children playing in a Délabré district alley found a red box with four broken-tipped daggers, a La Sureté sergeant said. The office of Councillor Caskar Halavik received a red box with a live black cat in it. And a Callestan district dream parlor known as Silvermist received a red box with a case of fine Aundairan wine.
Thus far, no one has seen how the boxes are delivered, and they bear no seal, insignia, or other markings. Most are discovered in the early morning—an average of one per day.
The offices of the Sharn détective received a red box last Zol, but it had only blank parchment in it.
A few of the boxes have had grisly contents. One found in Parc du Bord de Ciel near the statue of General Beneretto contained a severed Humain hand, and a box received on Far by Université Morgrave’s historian and musician-in-residence Allorius Derethe contained a black, foul-smelling substance.
Lt. Illara Drendo of the Sharn Watch’s Blackened Book branch, which investigates magical threats against the city, said anyone coming into contact with a red box should bring it to the Blackened Book headquarters in Warden Towers. Do not open the box, she said.
Poisoned Cider Intended for Soldiers
News for Aryth 22nd, 998
Thrane Archbishop: Poisoned Cider Intended for Soldiers
THALIOST—Archbishop of Thaliost Solar Dariznu said on Wir that the casks of poisoned cider that killed twelve and sickened more than thirty last week were originally intended for knights at the city’s main garrison.
“Cowardly poisoning is crime enough, but to intend such perfidy against knights of the Flame will draw the sternest possible punishment—from both the law and the Flamme d'Argent itsElfe,” he said.
Dariznu said inquisitors were working around the clock to apprehend those responsible for the poisoning. He urged anyone with information about cider shipments or “subversive forces” to inform a church inquisitor or knight of Thrane.
Investigators have so far traced the poisoning to a shipment of apple cider that arrived last week by wagon. It was stored in a southern warehouse attached to the Thrane barracks. A supply sergeant noticed the extra casks, marked them surplus, and sold them in the Vintner’s Bazaar on Kelwian Street.
“It’s clear that the forces of evil wanted to strike at the very heart of Thaliost—those brave knights willing to die for the good-hearted citizens of Thrane,” Dariznu said.
Victims of the poisoned cider began falling ill a week ago, complaining of listlessness and headache. Many died in their sleep or linger there, unable to awaken.
As word of the poisonings spread through Thaliost, knights had to restore order following panic at several marketplaces. Several hundred fled the city following rumors that other foodstuffs were likewise tainted, but the next morning the city’s gates were closed “to entrap the perpetrators of this vile crime,” according to the posted order.
Dariznu said the Église de la Flamme d'Argent was using magic to ensure that the city’s food supply was safe—a process that should be complete in two or three days.
In the meantime, no one can enter or leave the city without a writ from the Church. Writs are available at the North Chapel, the Embershrine of Saviors, and the central Cathedral, a church official said.
Rumored Forge Créatrice a Hoax
News for Aryth 22nd, 998
Rumored Forge Créatrice a Hoax
SHARN—Université Morgrave Professor Casterran Juliax apologized to fellow scholars and the district of Porte des Rouages for the chaos that ensued on Far when he led a fact-finding expedition to reveal a working Forge Créatrice for Guerrier de Fer—a forge that didn’t exist.
Accompanied by several researchers, a detachment of La Sureté, and several dozen curious district residents, Juliax entered an abandoned vault along Chimney Street. A reporter from the Sharn détective was among those in attendance.
Shortly after entering the building, the clash of arms rang out. When initial reports from the Watch indicated the presence of Guerrier de Fer in the vault, hope spread like wildfire among the researchers that an intact Forge Créatrice had been found. Rumors resounded throughout the district, and a crowd of several hundred gathered, blocking traffic along Chimney Street and the Galluron Bridge.
But a shamefaced Juliax appeared at the doors of the vault about a half-hour later and told the crowd that the vault was empty and the Guerrier de Fer inside were merely squatters. Several Guerrier de Fer were placed under arrest, wanted by the Watch for a variety of petty crimes. The La Sureté intervened after an angry confrontation between Juliax and several members of his team, then dispersed the crowd.
Rumors of a Forge Créatrice somewhere in the lower districts of Sharn have emerged periodically for years, taking on greater urgency since the end of La Dernière Guerre.
Merrix d’Bombardier, a prominent leader within Maison Bombardier, pointed out that the Forges Créatrices were all shut down permanently as part of the Treaty of Fort-du-trône. Bombardier remains a strong supporter of the treaty and has shifted its research to other areas, he said.