New Whispers at the Fire
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_After a long while of being neither here nor there, it appears the little halfling Atel Vai'sini is done with all this 'going into hiding' business, and has been asking around Norwick for any who are magically inclined to speak with her as she is beginning a research project to undo her unnatural youth.
After speaking with some, she heads north to the city._
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Roslyn Underhill was seen paying a visit to the Grapevine Inn's newest resident/employee Marie, as well as her daughter. It seems the small hin was simply making a visit to see how they were settling in.
Afterwards, however, she was seen talking to the proprietors of the inn, rumor has it that she was offering gold to cover the accommodations of the two newcomers.
((Flom, find me IG sometime and I'll drop the requisite amount of gold))
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Near the lake, a storm brewed briefly, or something like it.
Screaming hobgoblins, portals opening, lightning crashing, and a Nefnalshnee (or whatever they're called) coming forth, followed later by a Shroud of Orcusgate, were present, with only the headless body of the bigger demon, and an ash outline of the shroud, left behind as evidence of what transpired.
That, and a lot of scorch marks and blood…
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_As unnatural darkness continued to lay over the fields and Rawlingswood, a tall, shrouded figure chased the dwarf paladin Silver from the south and into South Gate, where it was engaged by a Kelemvore paladin on guard there, and by the cleric Shesarai. Although easily hit by the three, they could do little damage to it. Eventually they wore it down and killed it. The cleric said it was a Shroud of Orcus and definitely evil, though extremely magic resistant. A little later, now rested and renewed, the dwarf and the red-haired cleric were seen exiting South Gate because there supposedly were two more of these shrouded figures near the Goblin Lake.
AubreyMaturin
Characters: Romulus Grey, bard the bowman
Trotter, spooky halfling ranger
Shesarai Foutopolis, red-haired cleric of Mystra_
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_Rumours start circulating about the downfall of the goblin king Gorbok, at the hands of a group of adventurers including well known protectors of the Rawlins such as Rasuil Delagim and Leena Lynn Rayfe, but also more unexpected names like Abigail, blackguard of Orcus.
The downfall of Gorbok - along with the destruction of his immense and almost completed warmachine (the "swirly whirly cutty wutty thing") and his loyal second Pliko, rebuilt into a zombie of colossal strength - was made possible through the treachery of one of their own. Dafna, the new Queen of the Rawlins, might find her rule rather disputed if the rumours of vampires and growing unrest from demonic realms continues…
...and that's not to mention the adventurers who immediately tried to assassinate her. It seems the Rawlins are in for a turbulent time, even by the standards of this ever troubled area._
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The red-haired cleric Shesarai was seen running into South Gate, closing all the gates and rushing up the hill. She addressed the Norwick Militia guards there, telling them that she had seen and fought a fiendish spell-casting witch and a summoned flying demon on the north edge of the old Norwick Ruins. She also announced that necromantic magic had been detected in the Rawlingswood, and that it's power was growing and expanding. She warned the town to keep its gates shut and be on alert.
AubreyMaturin
Characters: Romulus Grey, bard the bowman
Trotter, spooky halfling ranger
Shesarai Foutopolis, red-haired cleric of Mystra
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The local rumor mill is buzzing lately with word that the local druid circle - for so long merely part of the background of events in the Rawlinswood and Narfell as a whole - has suddenly felt a devastating blow. Though the exact number is somewhat hazy, it seems that several of the circle's elders were recently killed.
Exact numbers are scarce, with some saying only two to three elders fell, while other more dramatic rumors state that the entire elder council was wiped out. The truth, most likely, is somewhere in the middle.
What is certain, though, is that the circle just endured a sucker punch the likes of which it's not seen since the Defiler War.
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*Anyone entering the Crafters Union hall will notice a massive golem lying on the floor near the blacksmithing station.
It is damaged and appears to be inactive. Nevertheless, its wrists and feet have been tied with stout ropes - just in case.*
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Dark rumours speak of a nest of powerful vampires taking up residence somewhere in the Rawlins. Connected to these whispers is the account of a tense conversation turned hostile at the inner gates of Norwick itself, between a group of adventurers and a pale, darkhaired woman in red and black plate. The woman, some say, was a vampire walking brazenly through town before being confronted! Others yet claim her but a mortal thrall, though a powerful necromancer at that. Regardless of which, it would appear the pale woman made her escape as the situation came to blows.
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_Troff Legion Captain Romulus and his red-haired younger sister Shesarai met for dinner in the Grapevine, as they often do. Nearby regulars leaned in a little to hear their conversation. Romulus usually does most of the talking, but tonight it was Shesarai who told the tales.
Not everything could be overheard, but the gist of the story seemed to be that a new goblin king from the Lost City is building up a huge force of fiendish goblins in the Rawlings. Also mentioned was a large and powerful mining golem with incredible magical resistance encountered in the Goblin coal mine. Finally, there was an incredible tale of the adventurers being trapped by the goblin king's army when they tried to exit the Goblin Hold, only to be saved by the intervention of the Elven mage Elvadriel, who made a deal with the Goblin King. To seal the deal, however, the adventurer's champion Nica had to defeat the Goblin King's chief lieutenant in individual combat, which she did.
AubreyMaturin_
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As the Rawlinswood erupts in a light show during the night, the angry screams of dying bugbears can be heard. A terrible wolf howl intermingles with it, and daylight seemingly bursts from between the trees, more than once.
Girlish laughter is less loud, but present nonetheless some time after… And closer to town.
Spooky? Or happy tidings?
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Some days past, a large party set out from the (mysteriously destroyed) south gate, in search of materials that could be used to repair it.
While it seems they did not find any of those, they did return some days later, having found an ungodly amount of treasure. Often mentioned in the same breath as this is that they first were turned back by unexpectedly strong resistance from a force of bugbears. Resistance or no, it seems that was not enough to stop the adventurers from retrieving their hoard of treasure.
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A terrible storm ravages the area directly above the old Norwick crypts, before abruptly clearing. A feeling of foreboding accompanies the event, and townsfolk, especially those living on the outskirts complain of feeling like they are occasionally being watched - especially at night.
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Late at night, the sounds of combat can be heard coming from over by the Misty Pond, followed by several bursts of lightning and loud cracks of thunder. Anyone passing through the area would see signs of a pitched battle having been fought along the northern treeline, far more intense than the usual skirmishes that happen on a daily basis there.
Judging by the high volume of goblin corpses and the utter lack of any others, it must have been either a fight between rival tribes, or complete domination by a non-goblin war party.
Either way, it appears something serious went down!
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Rumors of a vampire in the Rawlinswood slowly filter into Norwick, with some talking about her attacking a party of adventurers returning from, of all places, the Lost City.
One can only hope that the party did not open some doors best left shut!
Not long after, rumors circulate about some powerful and dangerous Wight in the woods, and about a small party taking on a veritable army of bugbears, eventually killing a powerful demonologist.
Whether or not there actually is a connection between these events is evidently up for debate.
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Davos enters the town center to make an announcement.
"The Great Hall and the realm of Norwick now recognizes Rasuil as the towns first official Beastmaster. As such, there will be no further rewards for bringing in animals of any natural kind to fight in the pit, dire or not. Rewards for unnatural creatures and monsters are still available."
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Legion Captain Romulus and his red-haired sister were seen coming into town from the south (on foot) wearing backpacks and travel cloaks. They checked into the Grapevine for the night and spent an hour or so listening to all the local happenings. They didn't say where they had been, but were very interested to hear about Hen's trial and the return of Dwin.
"That's good!" Romulus was heard to say.
AubreyMaturin
Characters: Romulus Grey, bard the bowman
Trotter, spooky halfling ranger
Shesarai Foutopolis, red-haired cleric of Mystra
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_Early in the morning, Painbearer Lunia Touve and Inquisitor Nuwairah Zarah'kifa leave the Warrior's Soul Crafting Hall towards the ferry, carrying a travel bag each. Instead of taking the usual ferry north, they take the trip downriver, towards the Sea of the Fallen Stars.
It's difficult to tell, but doesn't look like they're returning for a while._
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Rumour has it a troop of barbarians from Norwick got to close to the bugbears crash site and ended up being made an example of.
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Goodness the weather is weird in Norwick. Good thing we were inside drinking!
A cheery voice can be heard as a female figure exits the gates, and heads into the woods.
