::New rumours heard in the Mermaid::
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_The familiar sight of Mark Kelben, the crossbowman and sergeant in the Peltarch Defender Army, formerly known and still by some as a Black Sail, has changed somewhat.
The young man now wears the eagles of a Captain, he smiles more and has gained a light strut in his step.
Some might call his promotion undeserved, after all, in what war did he defend Peltarch? Even with the rise of the ghouls he had spent more time fighting to the south.
Still, others might realise he had been doing more than has been seen.
Either way, he's got it. Rumours abound of bribes, favouritism, treachery, though others of courage, skill, reliability and such as well.
In other news, the young captain has been putting out word that he seeks men and women, all sizes, races and ages capable with ranged and/or lightweaponry.
Stealth is optional though not requiered, anyone seeking more information may speak to him._
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_Once again Senator Mariston provided the city of Peltarch with another festival, this time celebrating the Highharvestide Festival. It seemed to run rather smoothly, aside from some bickering about rules, though the appearance of some drow and the dark enchantress are also mentioned.
The people who signed up for the competitions were split into three teams, acid-green led by the banned Rando, turquoise led by the Sail Yolande and pink led by legionair Kull. Arguably Acid was referred to as green, turquoise lovingly referred to as blue and pink insisted on being called purple.
After the rules were led out, team Acid chose the first competition, the fire fight. And the trounament was off for a sizzling start, Pink's Jerr dousing the flames by breathing fire and simply incinerating all fuel for the fire. Acid's Senria tried to have an air elemental fight the fires, but till she communicated that job, even Turquoise's William had managed to stomp out the small fires, securing a second place for his team in that event.
After that the teams selected three each for the chicken chase, Pink would have won that challenge as well, Kull, Horbag and Theaon being hot on the heels of the small chicken, despite Turqoise's Yolande keeping almost everyone down and out of the game. Acid's Keira who usually moves horribly fast, found herself knocked down by a magic hand and held in place, Acid's Elor and Khory did a much better job of getting to the chicken, but their many grabs just found thin air. Similiary Turqoise's Ting and Elridith had issues trying to grab the tiny chicken. The first one to get a grab on the chicken lovingly called Pojo was Kull. However, team Pink was later disqualified because one of their other team members had intervened during the frantic chase. Both of the other teams receiving points for a second place.
Then it went right on to a round of fighting with sickles and scyths, Acid's Rando and Tala beating first Pink's Briar and Alexi without a scratch, and later securing a victory by wounds over Turquoise's Milshot and Gonnar. Neighter team collecting the five-hundred gold which Senator Eowiel had offered for any who managed to beat up Rando. However team Acid only received one point, because their bard Elor was found guilty of cheating by inspiring his fellow team members. The last fight between team Turqoise and team Pink brought this rounds score of Turqoise another point.
For the keg collecting, the late appearance of the druid Wolf and his being assigned to team Pink made all the difference, despite Turquoise's Meredoc being the first to bring four of the five kegs scattered all over the area back, it was Wolf in bear form who came back carrying all five kegs at once, that took the victory by mere seconds from Turquoise. Acid's Thuggrim arriving several minutes too late to make a point for his team.
For a moment it even seemed as if the festival had found a sad turn, Ocean inadvertedly tossing a grenade into the collected kegs, causing a large explosion, nearly incinerating three of the people gathered for the last big event. Luckily, though, no one was hurt incurably.
It also seemed pretty difficult for team Turquoise to lose its head start of several points, but in the last man standing it was team Pink who managed to keep four his members standing, while team Acid was swiftly on the ground, team Turquoise's Gonnar keeping his distance from others long enough to secure his team another point, but team Turquoise still being half a point short to team Pink.
The prize gold was handed to Pink's Kull and a significanlty smaller prize to Turquoise's Yolande, before the people gathered for the fair slowly disappeared to where they came._
((Thanks again to everyone who showed up
Special thanks to Yith but also Andelas and all the other DMs that made an appearance Also kudos to Karnivorr (for invaluable help in coming up with crazy ideas) and Katebush (for barmaiding as Ocean), and Kull and Keira (for being the most vocal regulars) but also all the others regulars!))
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_Dentin, Alvah and Calvin, known by many of the city's people to be members of the rather mysterious group called the Sentinels, met in front of the inn one afternoon. They set off and left the western gates soon after in search of someone "from the Mulhorandi Chapter". Apparantly they did not know why this person was in the area, a fact that left them rather uncomfortable.
A few hours later, the three returned. Dentin was carrying a dark-skinned man wearing very similar armor to himself, carrying the deceased man to the morgue. Some time later Dentin was seen in the docks, putting the armor, weapons and more equipment in a strong crate, before paying a merchant captain bound for Mulhorand to carry the crate southwards._
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A short, dark-haired sailor girl makes a few apologies to Selula in the baths, regarding her companion who left in such a hurry and with such a shortage of clothes on.
"Don' mind me friend Selula hun, he's from ah…outta town. An' he's kinda...on tha eccentric side. Ye know how these inbred country nobles cin be..."
Sauntering outside, the young woman glances to the guards before lifting her eyes to the skies, an amused smile curling her lips.
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Peltarch denizens just get more and more daft as a rather short looking.. bipedal humanish thing.. busted out of the baths streaking the civic district not seeming to notice much of anyone in teh process. Some drunks behind the crafters hall said they saw this thing turn into a bird and fly into the darkening clouds above.
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Further rumours circulate about no official ban being forth coming from Norwick, is this only temporary and an official is forth coming or is he actually not banned, gossip mongers aren't sure but fish seems to be going for cheap at the markets lately, only 10gp a pound
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@e79c22edab=Sethan:
Gonnar, however, was banned from Norwick on pain of death.
anyone who bothers to check the banned and wanted list in norwick would see that gonnar's name is not on the list
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_Rumor has it that after exchanging insults for much of the day at the High Harvesttide Festival, Rando finally had enough, after the festival was over, and attacked Gonnar. Gonnar responded by trying to run away.
For this offense, despite Peltarch Defenders having ejected one of the Festival assistants earlier in the day, no action was taken against Rando.
Gonnar, however, was banned from Norwick on pain of death.
Norwick Justice strikes again._
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Again posters turn up all around the city, this time advertising a
@d5fc3dbe21=[size=18:d5fc3dbe21:
Highharvestide Festival"] ((Click here for full sized poster.))
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A group of hearty adventures recently went out to investigate the magical activity on the beach to the west of Peltarch. They appeared a bit later, out of thin air, even their heavily armored fighters looking worse for wear. They speak of a huge amount of the small, but mean birds out on the beach, which were apparently on a kind of wandering and seemed to consider the group a threat. It's also mentioned that this might have to do with their choice in priests, as they brought along the notorious priestess of Beshaba. Apparently though, despite them ending up in such an unfortunate encounter, none of the group fell to the birds which might also be attributed to their choice of priests.
((Well done! Good upping in challenge out there by the DM! Just right, imho. ^^))
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Garbled reports of livestock and other wild animal deaths in the farms and plains northeast of the city. Something big, livestock half-eaten. Farmer's dog ripped apart.
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The common rumor mills…be it the back alleys of the docks, the gossiping hens of the noble district, or the adventurer's in the commerce...have been questioning the wear abouts of a certain Blue Bard recently. The last report had him arriving home with a large group from the Giantspires some tendays ago, but has not been seen anywhere since. While not as prominent within the city as the past, his disappearance during such times has seemed rather out of the ordinary.
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Kitty kitty bye-byes…
Seems Peltarchs kitten population has been biting off more than it can chew of late. Possibly forming a formation swimming team, or a diving squad, the unfortunate kitties seem to have hit the drink, a score of their sodden wee bodies washing up on the shores of the Icelake. No doubt prospecting sailors might nab a corpse or twain, and craft them into a charming hat or kitty-scarf for an appropriately weather-beaten fishwife.
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A very small group of black sails recruited even fewer adventurers for a rescue mission, apparently following up a rumor of some lost caravan. They didn't return to Peltarch for many days, though.
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talks of a ruffed up man can be heard as he is drug up to the peltarch temple with a slight chuckle on his lips
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_Made possible by Senator Mariston and sponsored by the high priestess Lacey, the Greengrass Festival brought many different kinds of people to Peltarch. The main attraction were obviously the very scantily clad dancers from the Sunite temple as well as the flowers and bikinis donated through Lacey.
The festival was opened by a flower tossing, many of the flowers tossed on a field in the traditional manner to drive winter out of the ground and to summon summer. The farthest throw went to Kull who uncerimoniously tossed his flower far beyond the field even. What he might have lacked in style, he made up by sheer distance thrown. Leaving the more gracefully thrown flowers of such pretty ladies as Penny or Lily far behind.
The main tournament event this greengrass was a fight against various bad circumstance, first the participants had to struggle for their footing, fighting off their opponent. Many slipped and lost due to that fact and one mage even used impressive magics to become a powerful fighting machine, leaving quite a few awed from his powers. For the second round the remaining participants were teamed up into random pairs and had to fight blindfolded. The human men both times losing, Drelan and Z getting badly beaten by the team of Ginger and Keira, and Alexi and Ezachiel being downed by the two halflings Gonnar and Peroigo.
After that it was first a decision in the teams while they struggled in a web, then Ginger beat Peroigo in a swift and clear fight, securing the place as second runner-up. Then Keira and Gonnar fought the final, which seemed to take forever, the two dodging each other's blows, tiring each other out. Eventually it was Keira who prove to be that little bit more enduring, winning the grand greengrass prize.
The archery tournament prove to be full of surprises, King Bee making it into the final, defeating midsummer's almost champion Ginger in the first round, Lucid beating the elven archer Sinu and so on. The final dominated by human men, the excellent shot who defeated two of the melee's semi-finalists in the first round of archery, and Call being invited back to shoot instead of the King Bee who seemed to have become beezy elsewhere. In the end it was Aghila, a late appearance who earned the first prize, never missing bull's eyes throught the competion.
Having been betrayed of a first prize in either the melee or the archery, the halflings made a great come-back by simply dominating the election of the Greengrass Queen. It was Gonnar who put the garland of flowers on Ginger's head. The flowers are rumored to have been specially prepared by high priestess Lacey, and visitors claim they could feel the magic emanating from them. Some even blame the heavy perfume that must have been in those flower for distracting Ginger's sense. Others just say she was too tired from pecking and kissing all the pretty halfling boys on the festival.
Most people wonder, though, who Aghilla's mystery lover is that granted him such luck. In the end the whole place was covered in flowers and petals and just about everyone left the festival with a flower in their pockets, some of them rumored to still carry some of the magic in them that was used to grow them even in the cold days of the past winter. Gossip has it that the two hosts Sabre and Pavel stayed behind, their arms around each other and both trying to lean on the other. Sometimes they supposedly even forgot that the fair was over, just standing there not reacting to people leaving and carrying all the things from the festival away._
((Thanks to all who were there! Sorry but I just can't mention all of you, even though you deserved it! Big, big thanks to Nilla and LD (who DMed) and Karnivorr (who helped organize it)! Great fun again :)Also special thanks for participating in the competitions in order of signing up: Gonnar, Besk, Laerlily, Aelthas, Kull, Penny, Keira, Ginger, Alexi, Peppy, Drelan, Z, William, Peroigo, Ezachiel, Celdor, Lilin, Elradriendir, Lucid, Sinu'serlia, Senria, Gurt, Call, Sywyn, Daeran, Juster and Aghila!))
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A few bards may have known it ahead of time, but now the citizens of Peltarch see the proof on actual posters. Advertisements for:
@9050f654de=[size=18:9050f654de:
((Again, contact me (IG: Pavel) if there's fees to be paid for the posters.))
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A pale priestess lifts a thin eyebrow hearing this and begins to make inquiries into the whole matter, apparently with the goal to track down one of the survivors.
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A Tormish priest wandering by hears the circulating rumors regarding the saurial attack and simply shakes his head.
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_Rumors run rampant throughout the city as a large group of adventurers returned from the foothill, some carry the bodies of fallen adventurers.
The story goes that a smaller party went forth into the sea hag cave and were met with some resistance from Sauriels in the cave alongside the kobolds, upon leaving the cave they were met by a Cleric of Torm whom they informed of their findings.
On there way back in to Peltarch they were met be a larger groupd of Adventurers and then suddenly suprised by a Yuan-ti.
Few words were spoke and eventually the Yuan Ti fled, leading the two parties into an Ambush of Sauriels, Thuggrim the Crimson ran right into the ambush to delay them so that his party could escape safely. Some are calling him a hero, while others perhaps think him a fool.
A Gondorian Sentinal also fell in battle to the sauriel ambush, although it was unclear how, as was the same for the Ranger William Morrison, most likely these two also fell protecting those they called friend.
The masked girl Hope also fell in a irrational attempt to recover Thuggrims body while many Sauriels still roamed the hills, many in the foothills that day its said were rather irrational running around and shooting or swinging at anything that moved._
