::New rumours heard in the Mermaid::
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Bards all around the city are beginning to sing new tunes, many of the masterfully written. They make the word Kara mean many things, traitor, evil, malicious. They use in substitution for untrustworthy or dangerous.
"I wouldn't sail that ship in rough seas, it may go kara on you and you'll never see shore again."
"Damn forge Kara'd and blew out the side, lost half a weeks work"
Especially telling is the fact that when referring to her directly she is called The Baby Killer in honor of how her troops slew refugees leaving Jiyyd unarmed and how they laughed as they stabbed the pleading victims.
The change of the tunes is sudden and easily tracked back to the fact that all the bards involved are members of the college.
A few young children who were named after the former hero of the town are taunted and bullied until they agree to take other names, like Dunghair or Peebrain. Most think it a step up.
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_Tales spread all over the city of the destruction of one of the cities Sloops, the Nights Executioner was sunk by the Raiders on the lake, the Raiders Doom, another of the cities Sloops was so severely damaged that most of the sailors think it will be months before it's sailing again, even if it's salvageable at all.
In all, ten traders ships were taken, the last one making it back after finding one of the Raiders camps. A small group, mostly made up of Black Sails and a few green Marines, as well as the monk Yu Shei headed out on the last remaining Sloop the city has, the already damaged Captains Lust. The group apparently found the Raiders camp and killed all in it.
Although most people think the Black Sails only went for gold, a Sergeant who captained the ship and a Defender Captain himself are showing their gratitude for the Black Sails work, whether they be mercenaries or not, they answered the call and avenged the city and its people, striking a hard blow against the Raiders.
The laughter in taverns is overwhelming usually, but in a good way as people tend to be saying over and over in conversations.. "Who woulda thought them Sails folks would be heroes o' the farkin people, eh?" Often making toasts to the Sails and the Marines that accompanied them on their attack._
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_A redhead can be heard telling a weird story about a really, really mean trick the evil brother of the sphinx pulled on her and her valiant troupe of sidekicks, or hirelings. The tall and muscular woman retells a story of how they read out of the intricate dance of the bears that they would have to go underground and over a bridge, which is probably so she claims what the waterfall really is, and then they proceeded to defeat a veritable army of ogres, all armed with vicisous axes and burning hands reaching for them.
The really mean trick, though, was when servants of the evil brother of the sphinx turned up and lied to them, inviting them to Lord Gor's home. At this point she can be heard to explain that the name isn't really fitting, for while this self-proclaimed, rogue lordling is indeed evil and vile like his name suggests, he isn't gory at all, but instead just employs liars and tricksters.
She then elaborates how they were invited to the villain's home and she happily accepted to learn more about the waterfall and the sphinx but how they were really lied to and not invited to the false lord's excuse for an imaginary castle but instead were sent to face yet another army of ogres, casters calling lightning down from the sky. After they defeated that mean trap which they were thankfully warned off because the riddler saw right through the horrible mean disguise of the villains, they made their way back.
She also claims that the translator was wonderful and really useful, carrying lots of loot from the defeated armies and also healing and strengthening her when she needed it. She also claims that they only found one of the villainous traitors which they promptly spanked thoroughly for being such a liar and cheat and then returned home to Peltarch._
((Thanks to Caoimh, Sald and John… that was amazingly fun and crazy! I particularly also liked Eoden's answer to my silly question!))
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Whole caravans of wagons have been leaving the city of late, what exactly is in them is unknown, but all are escorted by Seafarer Guards and they head straight south to Norwick as quickly as possible.
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Rumor has it that Jim Lane, a mercenary captain with 200 men, has landed in Peltarch and is taking bids for his services.
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Raiders have sacked one of the farms on the Icelace’s shores on the eastern plains. News says that the raiders impaled the helpless farm hands and what they did not carry off they killed or burned. Whispers in the taverns say that one of the raiders was captured. Others say that it was the work of odd fishmen, and the folk of those lands always had a funny look about them.
Either way defender marines were seen hauling an unconscious figure to the cells. The blue and white armoured figure was bound and gagged, though whispers say he was of the Ice Maiden, the scourge of several trading ships.
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_Although the past tenday or so has been pretty much raider free in the pass, it seems the Icelace hasn't been so fortunate. Even with the word going around that the raiders are indeed men and not ghost ships and the ships in dock braving the waters more often, more missing ships have been reported.
The Seafarer vessel, Rage of the North has missed it's docking time, it's hold apparently filled with food for the city. Also the Coral Pride, a privately owned ship that brings in a assortment of items hasn't been heard from. The Peltarch Navy has had their three sloops out in the water trying to protect all the ships they can. The men looking ragged and tired as they dock for only short times to resupply, before heading back out onto the lake.
The cities one ship, The Captain's Lust was seen coming into dock damaged slightly, the men saying they encountered a ship with a Blue Star crossed by a cutlass on it's sail, managing to give them a bit of a fight before having to retreat. They even report being boarded and killing a few of the bandits, the bodies taken to the morgue with several Marines.
In the tavern's, Marines brag about how they managed to fight off the Raiders, buying each other a few drinks before their well deserved rest, telling stories of the the Five Point Buccaneers, or simply the Five Points by normal sailors now, they are known for their ruthless tactics. Some say that the five points of their star represents the fact they are fast enough with their blades to stab you five times when a normal man stabs you once, others say they hold five different bases upon the Icelace, always changing so as not to be caught.
Even though the Five Point vessel got away, the Marines seem in higher moral as at least they managed to do something to these bandits for once. Many of the commoners cheer on the Marines as they set sail everyday, saying a prayer or two as well for them as they go out to meet these Raiders and keep the city safe._
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A Seafarer woman and a contingent of guards were seen chatting in the commons and preparing to make a trip to Norwick. They were escorted south by Ronan and returned later that day and headed straight back to the Seafarer Hall.
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The red coated Waterdhavian merchant known as Tancred is seen throughout the city more often than usual, frequenting various inns and taverns. Rumour follows that he was recently involved as a diplomat for the city, speaking personally to the Queen of N'jast. He is also seen inspecting the raiders armour at one stage
"N'jast hm? Wrong colours." he mutters to himself on inspection.
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_Eight men, following after the slowly growing more prominent young noble Johnathon Von Ulgath, were lead to the south gate of Peltarch and were seen heading south without their lord but along with members of the Black Sails Shipping Company.
The men were garbed in fine white and gold and bore the Stag crest of the Von Ulgath's, a sigil previously rarely seen out and about but has appeared more in the city recently since the passing of the reclusive elder Mikhail.
Rumor has they were sent down by the noble in hopes of showing his good will to the southern towns and offering aid from his own private guard. However whispers state that the elf Aramuil of Norwick and the hin Theaon of Jiyyd spurred the aid and the eight were later seen returning, agitated and grumbling.
Upon leaving Peltarch the talk was of heading south to help those that truly needed the help; upon return the talk was more in line with the typical words spoken of the southern towns.
A few commoners laugh, stating that the naive young noble learned the hard way what the other nobles knew previously…that the southern cities aren't worth the time it takes to reach them._
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Aramuil is seen examining the armor for a long time, taking notes.
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_It seems with the recent attack on a Seafarer caravan, a few of the Raiders that have been plaguing the pass have been killed, something that hasn't yet been done by anyone else. Although the lives of five Seafarer soldiers and three merchants were the cost, three of the Raiders were killed as well.
The guard is informing people to beware of any people they see in the blue armor that was on the Raiders, the armor being hung outside the Commerce gates with a couple guards standing by it to make sure no one stole it for the past couple days, so everyone can take a look._
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Hearing of these rumours, Magistrate Barrim is seen speaking to guards and cerulean knights, concerned by these sketchy reports..
http://www.narfell.us/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=387388#387388
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_On top of these times of peril, reports of dead kobolds turning up with eyes missing would go by unnoticed, except for one severed head turning up with its eyes missing, and not one but a few bodies turning up floating in the harbors, also missing their eyes. "snot like its the bodies of anyone who would be missed, mostly the plight of a few homeless who have called the Tent Cities or the Docks home at some point.
Stories of spider…things...float among the poor and less fortunate and a Defender or two..if pressed may admit glimpsing such a creature..a spider...but not. Those same Defenders would deny ever seeing or saying they saw anything. There's more concrete dangers to focus on these days than the latest urban legend from the underclasses._
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Word from the Civic District has it that Peltarch has been convinced to send a small, but well equipped force south to Norwick to aid the town in its plight against an army of bugbears and other nasty monsters.
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A party of Black Sails can be overheard at the campfire, commenting on the peculiar sight of the sea hag being led off in chains by the Peltarch Defender Marines. Sabre speculates idly on the risks of this incident causing the hag's ardent ogre admirer/s to take drastic action against the city. A betting pool is soon started, including anything from a full-scale ogre attack to a lone lovestruck ogre reciting poetry in the foothills.
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Four bloodied Black Sails return from a trip to the so called skull cave in the foothills, lair to the flail-swinging kobold leader. Despite their beat-up states, at least three of the group have big grins on their faces, bragging about having defeated not only the scalesinger and his cronies, but also the "-biggest- friggen kobold ye e'er did see, bigger 'n Urgh an' twice as dumb, frothin' at tha mouth an' all", along with a multitude of extra guards. Aside from the customary loot and a few additional nick-nacks recovered, Sabre can be observed wearing a rolled-up coil of sturdy rope hanging from her belt, as she merrily menaces her crewmen with a badly chewed and mangled little toy, retelling the tale at the fire.
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Those who know the Elf Demeana will note a drastic change in personality, she's no longer as timid or nerves as she was, and has been seen wearing clothes that suit her now more out going and free personality.
Also she's been seen taking pottery lessons.
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After a few disturbances in the city since the rumors started about Lavindo and Ashald, the General himself made an appearance, accompanied by several Defenders, in the commons to put the peoples fears to rest about his untimely demise. He assures the people that Rath Ashald is safe at home at the moment as well and the incident by the Watchtower is being looked into.
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_Rumors run rampant around the city of a caravan being attacked by Bloodspider ghosts from the sewers right beside the watch tower almost, only one survivor was reported that was ushered off to the jail for questioning.
It also seems that General Lavindo was assassinated in his bed at the exact same moment and Senator Rath Ashald has disappeared, no trace being found of him, half the people say he must be dead, the other half that he is in league with the Bloodspider ghosts.
Either way, peasant tongues are wagging with all the stories of the night, the only certain thing so far is that the guards are staying near a ruined caravan by the bridge near the Watchtower._
