Tavern Rumors of Peltarch
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_Aristos walks into the mermaid one late evening and sits at a table away from all the noise and drinking. He places a sheaf of parchment, two writing quills and two jars of ink onto the table. When approached by a barmaid he orders a pot of tea and two cups to be brought to the table…
"I'm expecting company and shall be here for several hours most evenings for weeks to come. If you would, please keep the tea pot full and hot and you shall have a good paying customer for quite some time..."
::He gives her a polite nod and starts to scribe Elven letters on the first piece of parchment...on occasion his eyes look up from his work to the door seemingly awaiting his company...::_
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Rumour spreads of an orcish warband attacking travellers at the south gate of Peltarch, in large numbers. Though one Black Sail, a huge half-orc, only barely escaped with his life, the remaining two are said to have retailiated the attack by wiping the orcish marauders out, aided by one of the city's far scouts.
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Is it imagination, or are there more hins lately within the city? The truth remains vague. What is noticeable to those who watch closely though is that Dietrick the hin currently staying within the city for reasons unknown, had been meeting up with a few other halflings who wear normal outfits within the city, and each time they seemed to go somewhere where no prying eyes have easy access to. Some wonder what the hin warrior could be up, the truth remains a mystery.
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Rumors have circulated recently of foul deeds taking place west of Peltarch with a group of adventurs returning to the city rather shaken. It is said that some sort of ritual has taken place in one of the near by caves west of Peltarch.
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Rumours are heard that a band of local adventurers have gone missing, having left some tendays back to seek treasures in the Giantspires, none have returned.
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- A member of the Black Sails is seen guiding an older familiar dwarf around the changed landscape of the city. They speak at length accompanied by sudden outbursts of laughter from the Sails' female companion.
The older dwarf has apparently lost a bit of his hearing lending to the confusion that insued.
A reference about the "Black Sails", gets misinterpreted for the human's "fancying black sailors" and comments about "needing a ferry" being mistaken for an inappropriate proposal about "hiring a fairy".
In the end the dwarf seems taken aback by the statements of the young man, wondering aloud that he understood what he had to do for money, but there is a limit to everything.
After finally reaching the ferry, the dwarf boarded quickly and waved to his guides. As they turned his eyes narrowed a bit at the lass who was afraid of the sun. *
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Flyers written in various hands go up all over the docks district seemingly overnight: on the walls of buildings, inside taverns, some that have blown down skittering across the streets. All proclaim proudly:
Premiere Gallant Gastrognome and Foremost Fashionable Fop Perriwig P. Doubleday does hereby challenge the Cyclopean Captain Fortescue
to a round of gentlemanly fisticuffs on the grounds of his general lack of manners and poor taste! Time and place to be decided upon when the good captain seeks out that tapestry wizard, Doubleday!
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Rumour has it that a trio of gnomes were assaulted by a woman in blue leathers at the marketplace, quite unprovoked. The mystery assailant launched several arrows from the walls at her would-be victims, then tried to make her escape through the guard tower, where she was caught without further bloodshed. As Defender Adelie lead the morose offender off to the Peltarch gaol, indignant commentary from the injured party could be overheard, including the term "Gnome Hunters".
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_It's been a turbulent couple of days in Peltarch, where first the southern gate was overrun with lizardmen, who then proceeded to attack the city walls themselves. Defenders and adventurers pushed the scalies back without any of the creatures entering the city proper, and eventually retook the gates. The fighting was reportedly heavy, the lizardmen numerous and fierce, their marksmen in particular being a force to reckon with as many defenders soon found out in a most painful fashion. Though only one adventurer lost his life in the battle for the south gate, all the Defenders posted there were slain and ripped apart by the ferocious lizards, rumour claiming the remains were either eaten, carried off, or both.
The second remarkable event was far more innocent in nature, even wonderous, as sweet, sugared apples began falling from a cloudy sky, causing both merriment and suspicioun amongst those gathered at the commons. In the midst of this apple rain, amazingly life-like doubles of everyone present appeared, Cerulean Knight Lycka declaring them skillful illusions. The cause of both these phenomena appeared soon thereafter, in a bright burst of sound and light - a giggling darkhaired woman by the name of Leanna. Though the showy entrance and exit means left several spectators stunned or deafened, Leanna showed no malice, unlike the creatures to appear soon afterwards.
The ground began to shake, and gruesome undead spilled forth through holes from below, eventually all dispatched by the gathered crowd. But it didn't end there - dark chanting could just be caught by the keenest ears, and the ground shook again, releasing terrible Vrocks, though these too met with a swift end at the hands of the able defenders. Peace once again settled over the commons, though for how long remains to be seen._
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Rumors of Mischief galor ! As a group of penquins were seen running amuck in Peltarch! The cause of such a gathering of birds of a feather is a mystery to some as is the objective of the feathered group!
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Rumors spread of foul creatures appeaing in the Peltarch commons. Whos origin is unknown.
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Rumors abound about this red and black haired woman Drelan has been seen escorting around Peltarch. Some say she is a hired escort to entertain the poor widow. Others say she is a vampire who has lured Drelan into submission.
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A moonie in her sky blue robe can be seen trying to guilt the able-bodied docks workers living in the tent city that there are plenty of places to rent and their presence is holding up the new temple and orphange project. She tries to get them to see reason for the children's sake and when that fails she reminds them with lizardfolk lurking about they are hardly safe there in a tent.
She also is seen enquiring about the sisterhood setting up a soup kitchen to help offset the poor's living costs.
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A pair of giggling female gnomes return from the swamps, scratched and muddied, yet practically beaming with pride over what they refer to as "the GGLLAA:s most splendouriffic gem rescue ever!". Anyone not immediately put off by the highly excited non-stop chattering of the two might catch the odd sentence here and there, like "a ruby the size of a tallie's HEAD!" or (in smug tones) "scaly convention now AJOURNED!" and (in reverant tones) "Garl's holy shield of trickery". The two tallies of the glorious group also seem rather content as various recovered trinkets are divided or sold at the market, though the giggle factor is considerably less acute.
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Word around the city is that several lizardmen attacked the docks, swimming out of the Icelace. One civilian and one marine was said to be killed, along with one of the adventurers fighting them back. The guards presence in the docks has been increased, extra patrols being sent out to watch the water.
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Rumour spreads that some most foul murders have taken place, and that there was some ruckus at the market. A group of people including a gnome cleric of Garl were seen taking several decapitated bodies to the city morgue while making warding signs and muttering about "The madness…"
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@615560421e=lairilwa:
They continue to clutter up the damned commons with offerings of milk and wine to the moon too.
Not everyone is unhappy about this as both the wine and milk tends to go missing when a certine rogue is in town.
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Rumours of undead continue to circulate in various shapes and forms. While a white-haired bard proudly tells the tale of a lich in a faraway land defeated, a group of battered Sails return from the foothills to lick their wounds and relate a story of a creepy necromancer and his undead lackeys running them out of the ogre cave. Mention might also be made of vampires infesting other caves in the near area, most recently in the swamps.
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_Though it has taken some five years, Peltarch is beginning to show a return to its former status of "a nice place to live", after the devastation of the N'Jast war and the terrible flood that followed it. More and more people are managing to finally piece their former lives back together, with more and more people returning to their old homes, now repaired and rebuilt, or settling into new buildings and apartments.
The Docks District is the main beneficiary of the return to form, having been prioritised by the new Senate for reconstruction financing, and the City's Guilds are almost all trading at a profit once again, the only exceptions being some of the merchants in the Commerce District continuing to struggle, as that district retains some significant damage and its once acclaimed marketplace still has plenty of empty spaces where stalls and traders used to be.
The average men and women on the streets are in more boyant spirits than they have been in a long time, reflecting the reconstruction's effects in bringing the living standard back up out of the gutters the War had plunged it into. Most are pleased with the way the new Senate has handled the ominous task of salvaging the City after the War, with Senators Thel, Hardin and Fisher being the most recognised as having played a key role.
Not everything is entirely rosey, however, as the Cityfolk still have plenty on their minds to worry about. There is a growing dissatisfaction among the merchants of the Commerce district with the perceived overlooking of their part of the city in the reconstruction process by the Senate. Meanwhile in the docks, the "tent-city" and its inhabitants remain nigh-beligerent to any authorities, still refusing to leave despite the now reasonable availability of apartments in the Docks.
Also a bone of contention across the City is the ongoing scandal of Lord Harry Filtan, who currently awaits prosecution in the Gaol, for his self-serving use of his Guild's monopoly on the grain trade to garner incredible profits for himself at the potential expense of starving the average citizens.
The League of Guilds has also undergone dramatic changes, with two new member guilds being approved in the last year, the Courtesan's Guild and the First Bank of Narfell. The League, previously shunned by merchants who were not members of the Seafarers Guild, has under the chairmanship of Lord Chadwick Whyte been instrumental in implementing the reconstruction work laid out by the Senate and City Hall, demonstrating an unprecedented coming together of previously bitterly rivaling Guilds in order to get trade flowing in the City once again.
As for the Senators themselves, Senator Lavindo remains popular, though his track record at Senate meetings has been blustery and he has alienated some groups as a result of his relatively uncompromising stances on a number of issues. Senator Thel's standing is similarly divided, very popular among those who agree with the decisions and stances he has taken, quite unpopular by those who do not, though he is particularily popular amongst the commonfolk in the Docks for his consistent attention to their quality of life. Senator Hardin is also unsurprisingly popular in the Docks, being the only Docks-born Senator, while Senator Fisher's paternal populist appeal remains strong in most areas, as his mantra of "results, results, results" seems to be bearing fruit in many people's eyes.
Senator Redralen's popularity has grown more slowly, though he is seen as hard-working at Senate meetings and holds the natural respect (and in many cases fear) accorded to prominent spellcasters. Senator Petrarch's support remains strong in noble circles. Senator Calen Ashwynd, whose election campaign was supported by the Harvest Union and Lord Filtan, has grown in unpopularity as a byproduct of this satisfaction, coupled with his reputedly poor attendance at Senate meetings. Senator Leaffall has not cultivated strong support after the initial popularity of her election campaign, for a number of reasons, including her continuing to live in a tent in the Docks (which most citizens are somewhat embarassed about) and her perceived committment to other organisations which frequently finds her out of the City more often than the average citizen likes. That said, most people will qualify any of these misgivings with the admission that her work inside City Hall has been consistent and tireless.
Finally, the popularity of the Elder Senator, Rath Ashald remains somewhat divided, but nonetheless in most circles quite high. Still the darling of Peltarch's elite social circles in the nobility, and seen as a much more benign, generous and personable figure than his father, the now exiled Vaster Ashald.
Most people will agree, the Ashald Senate has weathered its first turbulent period well, but it still faces significant challenges ahead._
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The moonies were bothering people in the commons. Again.
This time they were saying that Selune watches over the city and loves the people.
And it gets better… that some servant of hers called a 'Sliver' or 'Shard' or whatever came down from the heavens and stopped some forces in the Underdark from bringing war to Peltarch.
They did such a brilliant job the commons itself was attacked by the Underdark just a few days later. Where was Selune then?
They continue to clutter up the damned commons with offerings of milk and wine to the moon too.
