::New rumours heard in the Mermaid::
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Some commoners speak of a coversation between a man and one of the knights of the Order of the Divine Shield being held in Peltarch. A few merchants speak of an argument between a guard and a man dressed in dark clothes. A caretaker is certain he saw a woman wearing full plate escorting a man dressed in dark clothes and with a hood to the temple of Tyr.
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Shadows from Zara… or another source?
People talk of more shadows in the commons... whole areas of darkness filling up the centre of town. Two of the Cerulean Knights appeared to be on guard... against something unknown. Darkness came and engulfed one of the men... screams were heard... the other ran to his aid and was engulfed in shadows also...
More rumours speak of a shadowy figure walking through the commons towards the Bardic College with a man in blue.
Details are scetchy as people are too frightened to hang around when the darkness comes...
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"Did ye hear aboot that racket in tha commons last night?"
"Nay, wha' happened?"
"Well, seems that foreign muckity muck priest Micah whats-is-name was ripping into that Briar fellow about his memory coming and going…"
Why'd he do a daft thing like that, and in tha commons too?"
"I dinnae, but he said a lot' o things that seemed awful personal about Briar, an' he got quite upset too."
"Well, wha' did Briar say?"
"Tha's tha funny thing... he dinnae say nuthin. He jus' stood thar with his hands in his pockets, shrugging.. an' that Micah fella, he said something eery to him, almost prophetic like..."
"Wha was it?"
"He said...
At midday, there are no shadows to hide in Briar.
Your midday approaches.
Where will you stand then?"
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The recent rumours of shadows that look back at you and a wicked witch responsible for them which have had citizens in the Commerce district keeping to their homes seem to have died down. It seems whatever the cause was for them, the alleys of the city are now (relatively) safe once again, the night no longer quite as troubling as it had been the past few tendays.
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For those that keep an eye to the more social gossip, Keira has been seen attending a weekly regular appoinment within the temple of Sune. She arrives wearing a dress or a robe rather than the things she's usually seen fighting in and emerges an hour or two later.
She's also been heard to make enquiries of the Amethyst Festhall regarding a potential future booking. Maybe the Sisterhood will be hosting another fancy dinner?
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Word spreads the stalwart Senator Thel, faced down each and every shadow that he saw, even slaying a doom knight that was summoned to slow his works. Charging down the woman known as Zara before she disappeared into the ether
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Of all the places in the city, Taria can be seen prowling about the orphanage near the docks. Wearing her armor and cloak with her hood up as usual, she nonetheless spare a few giggles for the orphans. From time to time she gives them a few coins or little tin soldiers she's crafted.
Those that take the time to watch her would notice she is weary, possibly stressed. the giggles don't come as free as usual, seeming a bit forced even. She keeps a wary eye on any adults approaching the orphanage, and tenses whenever she hears the word party.
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Caling will happily recount (for the price of a decent elven wine) the brief tale of how this Woman of Dark Intent and Grim Demeanour called upon the darkness itself to lay the Gondar low. It was only her forbearance that allowed him to rise and heal himself after the smothering and insidious ravages of Dark Energies had crackled over his form.
Later embellishments feature the Gondar's lack of eloquence in challenging Zara followed by much whimpering and crying after the experience, and a (slightly inconsistent if carefully compared) description of Caling's vantage point as unconnected observer.
Zara the Dark also froze the hapless minor adventurer (maybe a man called Ludo? Shudo? Something like that) in his tracks, when he attempted an ill-advised solo assault upon her person on the ramparts.
She will conclude this frightful tale with an uplifting observation that Selune's light will banish all darkness, as it did at the Creation, and we shouldn't be too concerned for jumping at Shadows.
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_Shadows once more appeared in the city, creeping out of every dark corner of the commons. It began in the dead of night with noted Black Sail Sabre Seesaw stumbling into the Mermaid, spreading wild stories of the ghastly creatures popping out of thin air outside. The wild-eyed sailor lass found few to take her seriously until priestess Daisy showed up. After a private chat with the Tyrran, Sabre left the inn looking in a dreadful state, face pale and worn and her step heavy.
Not long after the first incident, shadows once more filled the nooks and crannys around the Peltarch commons, this time witnessed by several townsfolk, including Sabre, Mercy, Dentin Strauss and a male adventurer of lesser renown. The shadowy creatures did not appear openly hostile, yet filled many with dread and repulsion. Attempts made by the Gondar priest to banish the shadows proved futile, and after some time a large shadow distinguished itself from the rest. Pointing to Sabre, it beckoned her. She followed, the group trailing after her until they reached the city's outer wall. Here the shadow vanished and angry words were exchanged with a mysterious woman in black standing ontop of the ramparts, before a compact darkness fell and powerful magic crackled. When the darkness lifted, Dentin lay on the ground near lifeless and the mystery woman was nowhere to be seen. Cursing loudly at the Gondar, Sabre and Mercy left the scene, joined by the elf Caling._
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A spectacle was made in the commons when a loud old half-orc refused to present documentation of his citizenship to a Magistrate during a transaction upon a routine check in the Commerce District. The rather loud interaction continued for some time and after a near-arrest made by a guard, the half-orc finally presented the papers, however was still fined for the mispronunciation of Peltarch whilst making his case. The argument continued for some time after.
Rumor also circulates that the half-orc was wearing Divine Shield regalia.
Some time afterwards, guards come to the commons with a wheelbarrow and haul of a huge sum of gold apparently left by the half-orc. Instructions then follow that the half-orc can reclaim said gold by stopping by the guard house.
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_Rumor on the docks is that a ship drifted to shore near the city, running around and ripping open its hull. Those who investigated found the pale, twisted bodies of the crew strewn about the deck… but before they could find more, they were startled into flight by a black-armored vampire that appeared from belowdecks. They ran for their lives, and shortly afterwards flame consumed the ship.
Supposedly the undead fiend is now stalking the land, seeking to lure away travelers to some lonely spot in order to feed on them._
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The purple hin is seen every so often hanging around the taverns and inns casually asking for information on the recent murders. He seems curious though all questions are asked in a friendly manner, rather than that of an interogation.
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Shadows and a masked woman in black have been spotted in the commons and the Civic District. At least one guard as been killed during the disturbances. The Knights of the Cerulean Star have been called into protect the Jewel from this new threat. While little is known about the woman by the general populace - "Shar" is not too far from the lips of the tavern-goers telling of the incident.
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MURDER IN PELTARCH!
Rumors - hushed and shouted alike - are bandied about in the taverns. Four lives have been taken in all, and each that of a Bloodspider. Three were found dead in the docks; one killed in plain view in the marketplace. But what's this? The proported killer seems to wear their colors as well. Guards can be seen walking with hurried gait from the docks to the jail and back as investigations are directed by magistrate.
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Jeremy has been seen struting around town in a very exquisite and expensive looking suit of full plate. Any veteran travellers to the east would recognise it as Thayan Full Plate, a very well designed and made one at that.
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It's unsubstantiated as yet, but apparently the Headmaster of the Bardic College has added once again to his distinguished career by slaying a dragon!
Obviously it's not as impressive a dragon as the Rass the Magnificent. However, stories of how Sharn the Wily has bothered the less impressive urbanizations of the south Nars pass with an accumulation of goblin and giant warbands have been filtering north for a while.
((Thanks to Nilla, Andelas, Scutum and Coann for DMing and the many many players that slogged through the mammoth and rather tense expedition))
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Rumour spreads that Mecizq has been looking into the Libraries for information on Dragon Hordes. Regardless of the Truth of the rumour or not, Mecizq certainly has been seen about the city in any library open to the public investigating something.
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_The foreign priest known as Micah Shilon has been spotted recently in the docks district. It seems he was reading a notice outside the Morticians, and afterwards headed into the building, not emerging for some time.
Those in the area say that when he did eventually leave, he was muttering excitedly to himself in that strange garbled tongue of his, and then headed off to the Civic district for gods knows what purpose._
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*Guards at the western gates are informed that a creature that looked like a giant floating eye, a beholder, was spotted northwest of Peltarch.
It is reported that it was headed in the direction of the Menhir, but the witnesses didn't stick around long enough to find out what it was doing…*
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People talk of kobolds attacking the town for the first time in years. The assault, however, was met by several patrol groups of Military personel and it's said that the kobolds were fought off without any losses. People also mention a huge kobold, as tall as a giant making demands on the city and then walking off in a huff with the word destruction on his lips.
