Tavern Rumors of Peltarch
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_By now, few people could have missed the ongoing revelries at the Peltarch tourney grounds. Festive blue lights adorn the area and fast-paced music fills the air, mingling with the din of voices and the sweet scent of food both savoury and sweet. Lliiran dancers twirl and cavort, alongside a great many of the town's citizens, from dockside movers and shakers to the noblest of lords and ladies.
The star of this fabulous party, or so rumours say, is a heavy-set and jovial looking man with bright blue hair, going by the name "Big Alley"._
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The Cerulean cleric Shesarai Foutopolis returned to the Meremaid well after daybreak and was heard warning people that the road south is getting more dangerous. In addition to the usual rotting corpses and slow shambling zombies, which can be easily avoided if you run, she encountered a fully armed (and rather fast) gnoll warrior on the road southeast of the entrance to the Kuo Toa Cavern.
AubreyMaturin
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Rumors amidst the nobler and more blue-blooded crowds abound about new arrivals to the City of Peltarch. The currently conflicted houses of Whitedune and Finhund have apparently sent cousins to represent their family estates in Peltarch after the former heads of the family were hung for crimes against the city. Among the newcomers are Cecilia Whitedune, a blonde-haired, reclusive, suspicious woman, and Lianna Finhund, a brown haired woman whom few have seen much of since her arrival.
Additional newcomers to the city include:
[DM Xanatos Gambit]
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Inconsistent rumors flit between - and outwards from - the various watering holes throughout the city claiming that the renown ranger and Wolf, Rasuil, was taken forcefully into custody by officials on various charges of manslaughter. Surrounded and captured while brazenly lounging within the city's commons, the outlaw ranger put several armed and armored guards into critical condition before he could be subdued and dragged off to a waiting cell.
Other stories claim the commotion, which drew several columns of guards into action and temporarily sealed the city gates, was caused by a massive beast let loose within the city, which was ultimately brought down by.. an even larger bear.
Some of the more outlandish versions even claim that the two events were one in the same, that the ranger in question was in fact the beast that rampaged through the city streets before he could be brought down by a combined effort of arms and magic from guards and adventurers alike.
No matter which story is heard, it seems to hold little weight as the old Wolf could later be seen walking about the city, definitively -not- being held in a cell. Surely if half of the stories were true, the city wouldn't allow a murderous beast to roam their streets.. at least not without a heavily armed escort.. or a leash.
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Sergeant Danicen has informed the Legion is this conflict and encounter as well.
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Rumor around Peltarch is that a party of adventurers recently encountered a large drow force in the Underdark, past Kuo Toa territory. If rumors are to be believed, this drow force was attempting to command an army of tamed magic eaters. Whether or not this is true is up for debate, but other rumors indicate sightings of similarly out-of-place duergar war parties recently bringing arms and armor close to the surface near Norwick.
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The mysterious blue nimbus in the sky, familiar to the citizens of Peltarch and Narfell alike after many months presence, shone bright in the sky the other night - before it shot down like a comet, towards the western fields. Farmers living there may have noted a blue mist in the air, the nimbus' arrival soon followed by nosy adventurers and the din of raised voices. Strong winds whipped the fields as sounds of battle erupted, though when the mist cleared and the adventurers departed, no signs of the battle remained but for a few scorched patches in the dewy grass.
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With zombies shambling about to the south, vampires ever lurking and irate orcs assaulting the western walls, the Defenders are hard pressed. How fortunate then, that the adventurer population of Narfell can lend the city's defence a helping hand! Most recently, a disparate group including such famed names as Maria and Raryldor struck a hard blow against the orcish forces that had gathered, reportedly disposing of countless orcs and several pieces of siege equipment.
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Whispers abound that the last remnants from Talbot Anderson's half-machine half-man regiment have been captured and brought to the Gaol under the crime of robbery. They say that Peltarch's adventurers encountered a group of half-machine half-men that was not present during the final confrontations against the traitor. These individuals, so rumors have it, retain their plane-touched mechanical attributes and refuse any treatment to remove the metal and circuitry from their forms. They were led by "Prue Davovil" – those in the know of military matters recognize the name belonging to a former Defender spell-blade, turned half-mechanical during Anderson's treason.
More recently, an unnamed benefactor has paid Davovil's bail, and the woman once again walks free. She has not been seen since, however. Gossips wonder who paid her bail, and why?
[DM Xanatos Gambit]
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_Gossip from the King's Court starts to circulate. The latest petition hearings proved quite a spectacle. There's positive and hopeful signals regarding the Silver Valley refugees possibly finding shelter under Peltarch's wing, after Defender Anna Blake's plea alongside the Valley's representatives Theaon Thorn and Roslyn Underhill.
But there's also quite a few juicy controversies and scandals:
It is said that a female Cerulean Knight brought two suspects into open Court - vampire hunters Yulia van Dieman and Synara, accused of attempting to tear down an entire housing complex in the docks. The Cerulean not only argued for the pair's exoneration, but that the Cerulean Commander, Lycka Zomasdottir, be fired. Nate Wingates, one of the Ceruleans assigned to the vampire case, argued vehemently against this, with General Del'rosa and Guard General Velhar's firm backing. Though the plea was denied on both counts, it nevertheless generated quite a stir.
Juicier still, at least in sheer gossip potential, was an unnamed dock worker's ardent plea for harsh measures taken against Guard Captain Gerard Fortesque, for "plowin' the missus". The upset man accused Fortesque of fornication with half the womenfolk of the docks, and allegedly begged the King to at least "chop off his meat 'n potatoes".
Amused commentators claim that Fortesque himself was silent on the matter, but that the irate accuser lost his cool and charged at the guardsman - only to run nose-first into Fortesque's famous iron fist._
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"What's that in the sky? Is it a bird? Is it a dragon? Is it…
...a flying ~orc~?!"
Yes, wild rumour currently has it that orcs can fly - surely a sign that the end of days is nigh! More or less accurate eye witness accounts speak of battles on the western gates of the city and beyond, and an orcish snatch-and-grab of a terrified bovine.
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In other news, it seems the former Cerulean Knight turned traitor, Tristyn Sartori, has been granted the King's pardon after a last minute appeal before his hanging. Tristyn, the leader of a nightmarish cult responsible for both kidnappings and murder, is now a free man. Curiously, rumour has it he was seen leaving the Gaol in the company of the very same people who brought him into custody in the first place: Roslyn Underhill and Isolde Garibaldi.
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_Amidst talk of a contentious Cerulean effort to stop vampires, druids and cocatrices alike in the Bottleneck Alley Apartments, word spreads that the King himself is convening a special session of the Royal Council, to consider tough new measures to thwart these insidious enemies of Peltarch.
Rumour has it a former Lord of Waterdeep, turned vampire hunter, will be heard before the Council and that she has been meeting with Councillors ahead of the session. She is clearly lobbying for support, but for what?_
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Murder! Murder on the open streets of the Residential District, cries the gossip mill, while voices of reason insist the elderly man found dead but a stone's throw from the bath house perished from natural causes, no matter what know-it-all nosy adventurers might claim. Others yet may well attribute the incident, by most accounts occurring shortly before dawn, to vampire activity. Cerulean Knight Sheserai Foutopolis - known to be working the vampire case - is said to have been present at the scene, amidst a veritable throng of guards and assorted busy-body adventurers.
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_Rumours circulate about monsterous medusas being sighted in and around Peltarch! Gossip amongst the adventurer community claims the medusas were a trio and a small, intrepid group attempted to hunt them down. Some say the threat was neutralized, but others insist the wily creatures got away, riding on the backs of giant frogs!
Whether the common man believes these wild claims or not is uncertain. Perhaps those loud-mouth adventurers should just ease up on the bottle…_
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The rumor mill spins with a story about how Guard Captain Oscar Halbrook unlawfully released known terrorist and criminal Janice Putre without Magisterial or Guard General approval. Whispering gossips claim that Halbrook and Putre served together in the Far Scouts, and while the former joined the guard, the latter became a known criminal and affiliate of n'er-do-wells and thugs in the docks district. Janice Putre is known to have a love of traps, fire, and explosions, and has been dubbed a "pyromaniac" and "extremely dangerous" by the authorities.
Guard Captain Fortescue and Guard General Velhar admonish the alleged release and are not pleased. An investigation is being conducted to ascertain the truth of the allegations, and Halbrook is under increased scrutiny and suspicion. It would seem that this rumor is the watershed moment breaking past an alleged "mere veneer" of Halbrook's compliance with overall Guard regulations - including further allegations of a loose practice of issuing warrants, circumventing ordinary procedure and protocol, and the use of non-guards to investigate confidential guard matters.
[DM Xanatos Gambit]
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_Peltarch news are abuzz with rumours about the death of Suzaili ballerina starlet Debbie Jonsburg, slashed bloodied in the fields west of the city. While many may chalk the pretty dancer's death up to orcish brutality, others speculate about a gruesome serial killer on the loose, targetting red-headed women.
Whether related to these speculations or not, there has been a stir of guard activity in both the Docks and the Residential district recently, suggesting something is most definitely afoot._
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_After a long while of being neither here, nor there, the halfling bardess Atel Vai'sini is seen entering the city, apparently having had quite enough of this 'going into hiding' business. She then heads to Inn and immediately goes about asking for those who are magically inclined, especially wizards, to get in touch with her as she is starting a research project and could use the help in curing her unnatural youth.
She is also seen taking down one of the Bigby wanted posters sometime later, smiling mischievously to herself, and folding the paper before shoving it in her pack._
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The mage Rhona Laer was seen entering Peltarch recently accompanied by the halfling Atel Vai'sini, and an unknown male claiming to be a merchant. Those nearby them at the time would report hearing talk of the man being accosted by highwaymen and left for dead somewhere near the old romani camp.
After patching up his wounds, the group retreated to the Dancing Mermaid Inn for a well deserved meal and rest.
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Following reports of a strange blue glow being seen in the night skies above Peltarch, local golemancer and all-around academic Rhona Laer has taken to studying the strange phenomenon accompanied by her golem associate, Oliver. If asked about her interest in it, she generally replies in her typically verbose fashion, but with the gist of her answer always being that it is simply unusual and therefore interesting to her.
