::New rumours heard in the Mermaid::
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A caravan loaded down with a number of crates and bits of luggage arrives in town, blocking the various roads for some time as men work to unload it with haste. While onlookers theorize about what may be inside the crates, the woman who arrives shortly thereafter, dressed in rich black fabrics and bronze metals, lead some to believe that it's likely to be nothing more than piles of clothing and other useless items that any other overindulged woman would travel with.
However, as others spot the woman, taking note of her vivid red hair and amber eyes, recognition strikes… and only one thought pops into their minds.
It's time to flame proof the town again.
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An elven woman clad in black and blue plate is seen around the stores in Peltarch, looking to buy large quantities of lead sheeting.
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A dark clad hin has been asking inn patrons if their "lookings to hire?"
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Rumors are that despite the constant troubles to get food into the city, the nobles still engage in debauchery and waste valuable resources in their orgies. Of course, rumor would also make you believe that the Divine Shield admitted treason.
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_Almost the complete Sails company, now also sporting Mark Kelben in their company, could be seen hurrying out of the mountains towards Pelt, as though chased by the devils themselves, then hopping onto the first available boat to Oscura.
Gods only know what had been after them._
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General Grag of the legion has been seen around peltarch much more often of late. GOing into the defenders head quarters behind closed doors… He has also been seen acting very upset stomping in and out of the peltarch Jail demanding Laidy Diasy' release...
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In the past hours, Dentin has been bringing boxes and crates out of his house and loading them up on a cart, helped by his wife and his son. The family carries a grim but determined demeanor, and are soon after joined by a few other individuals, who seem to have brought their own belongings with them. Before too long, the small group heads towards the south gates…
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A once familiar citizen, a Druid by the name of Jerrick, obvious in Golden Runed armor showed up, walked around town, said hi to a few people, and retured to the mermaid, obviously unconcerned about what people may thing of his relationship with the leader of N'jasts troops.
He came from outside the area by the Kobolds, muttering something about stones and blessings to a knight in blue.
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Rumours start that pixies have moved into the woods outside Peltarch as more frequently one is seen about the City.
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_A new spate of rumours emerge from City Hall and the Civic District, as General Lavindo and General Ash seem to be meeting every second day for lengthy private discussions. The matter of the meetings is what is causing the rumours, with multiple theories springing up depending on where you happen to be doing your drinking and gossiping.
Those in the docks don't find anything unusual about the meetings, except perhaps how many of them there are, assuming it is merely both Generals discussing their defense plans for the City, to better co-ordinate the Guard and the Defenders.
Those in the Commerce District seem to think the Generals are surely meeting primarily to discuss the food shortage and the ever increasing selling prices the merchants are forced to deal with, though a few whisper that they may be discussing matters much more delicate than that…and when pressed on what, they just drink up and leave.
The Civic District residents are largely convinced the Generals are meeting about the closure of the Temple of Tyr, with General Lavindo attempting to get General Ash to back up his demands that the arrests be rescinded and the Temple reopened as soon as possible...
The gossipers are liable to admit it is probably some combination of factors, but they all agree the Generals are certainly meeting awfully frequently..._
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Only a couple of hours later, the red coated Waterdhavian merchant is seen galloping south and across the bridge, not being seen again.
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The city's Hin gardener was seen running for her life outside the walls of Peltarch, fleeing from an undead knight. The archers on the wall tried to take the creature down, but their arrows were merely deflected by its armour and bony form. The gardener attacked the knight with her sling, but it continued to bear down on her.
The Hin eventually fled south down into the Nars pass, disappearing into the darkness with the undead knight in close pursuit.
Folks who saw the hin flee would be amazed that such short legs could carry someone so fast!
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White daisys have been arranged in the gardens at the southern gate of the commerce district to spell the words:
@4a4906b132:
DEEDS NOT BLOOD
((lore DC:5 - This is an old Narfell saying. Means that what you do is more important than who you are.))
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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.
j
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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._
