Whispers at the Fire
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_The guards on the gates at Sam's Hill watch with bemusement as an odd party passes below.
Two dwarves, a male and a female, and a human woman with a massive sword…. lugging a dead gnoll. The gnoll, tongue lolling from its mouth, seems to be wearing a set of fluffy white angel wings.
As the guards stare, the female dwarf sings a Damaran children's lullaby to the dead angelic gnoll. Which starts to snore, until the human woman whaps it and the other two make shushing motions.
As they watch, the odd band ambles down the long road towards Jiyyd.
"There's somethin' ye don't see every day."
"Nah... I see dwarves all the time."
"..."_
-Lagermane
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_Rumours abound in Norwick that the Advisor to the Chancellor, Calendel, was led into town from the North by another Cleric (apparently a follower of Tempus) claiming that he had captured a doppelganger and was taking this doppelganger claiming to be Calendel to see the Chancellor himself to either capture this creature or determine it to indeed be Calendel!
Hours later this same Cleric of Tempus was seen being dragged out of the Great Hall with his weapons confiscated and his hands bound and was quickly led into the local Jail.
Most rumours think this Cleric may have flipped his lid! Some say he had come from Oscura and could very well be under the effects of the evil darkness that surrounds everyone when visiting… Little is known as to what transpired other than those that accompanied this Cleric and his prisoner into the Chancellor's office that night although many have seen Calendel resuming his work around town as though nothing of great consequence had occured._
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During the night word of war machines gets out. Soon after a hin in leather and an elven female in plate are seen leaving the town talking about going to play while another elf goes out apparently to watch… are they serious?
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_As the sun drops and night falls over Norwick the citizens take up a now long practiced routine of leaving their homes and heading to the great hall with animals and children in tow. Braziers are brought out to chase the cold away inside while the townfolk hunker down for another long night. The town healers take shifts checking to make sure that everyone is accounted for and of good health. Some sleep a restless dozing while others stay awake watching the doors to the great hall with weapons or children clenched tightly wondering how long the doors will hold. For the most part the hall is quiet except for the occasional calling of an animal as the night gets enveloped in fog. A few stragglers come in now and again, usually adventurers caught outside, and are quickly checked out by the healers. As dawn comes and the fog recedes the townfolk eagerly leave the hall in a smelly mess which is then cleaned up by recruits or hired hands. The townfolk have gotten used to the dead grass now being turning to dust, the leafless trees and prevaisive stench of rot that seems to linger constantly. Probably the most disheartening is the fact that the fog seems to only descend on the immediate area and not more then a 30 min walk away the land is alive and well with the sounds of wildlife.
Even the shrine to Lathander doesn't go untouched as the death and decay seems to have gone several inches into the consecrated area.
"Cursed and damned" they say._
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Others might remember that this wouldn't be the first time that Grag took the law into his own hands on Norwick ground.
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Dwin inquires with the guards in the area about this event, and whether it is true that Grag man-handled a Norwick Militia Officer. "Not even Grag would be that dumb," he was overheard saying…
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Rumor has it General Grag was talking a bit too much to Zanetar and One known as Loc stepped in to "stop the judging" That was the last people saw of Loc as it is rumored grag turned to him and he went flying over the south gates…
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_Rumor has it that three members of the Norwick militia swooped down on the Banite Zanetar, cut off his head, and played a ball game with it for hours around southgate.
Of course, the fact that Zanetar can be seen walking around town, head attached, makes some people doubt the accuracy of the tale… but hey, something had to have started it, right?_
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Rilia wanders into the great hall and up into the chancellor's office. A short while after climbing the stairs a loud shriek is heard. It seems all her lovely frilly elven plants died as if watered with salt water and her bag of seeds appears to have been turned into writhing wormy bug larvae and mold. A distraught and teary Rilia is seen leaving Norwick long before dark. She pauses only to note the location of the tart Belinda on her way towards the gates.
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When Cyrian learns that Perennia has returned, he promptly goes off to find her.
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_Selene, the Romani Merchant in town, seems to be staying chipper even as the town around her seems more and more rotten. However, her shop still closes promptly at sun-down and she often pays a few gold to make sure everything is stored quickly and promptly.
Lilin is seen coming into town everday with some sense of frustration at having to repaint the signs around Selene everyday as the paint peels in the night. She does seem quite pleased though at the success of their business, and it is widely told that a great deal of the profit the store is making is being donated back into the town of Norwick, though the fog's problems seem to be making the effects of this charity less than noticable.
In unrelated news, there was a small spat between the Chancellor Lucid and the elf Eresse about a certain painting in the Lord's office. Though the issue seem to have been diffused by Lilin, the Chancellor stormed back inside, and Lilin and Eresse were seen standing outside the gates chatting for quite sometime.
Afterwards, Lilin glances back at the already peeling paint on her sign and goes inside to talk to Lucid._
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_Returned Waukeenar faithful Perennia Colfax was spotted entering Norwick's Great Hall not long ago, in the company of Chancellor Lucidious Corvance and the stalwart Locrian Danister. Over the course of the following two days, she was seen coming and going to and from the hall as if she had taken up temporary residence there.
If asked, she simply explains that she has been very well-treated by many people since arriving back in town, and that she intends to reciprocate by helping to return economic prosperity to the region._
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Krig and Maythor are seen looking over the cliff faces for some time before setting up a work table and going over plans with some of the dwarven miners. It would seem there planing on mineing into the cliff face north of town a bit off to the eastern side of the vally.
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Jeremy simply laughs at hearing the Guradians being ambushed by goblons.
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_Guardians Melanie, Ragnhild, Wog and Yarchum, accompanied by such noted adventurers as Kara, Theaon and Scutum recently set out on a small trip out into the easterns Rawlins. Rumour suggests that the initial intent of the group was to travel to the Underdark, but that those plans were thwarted by an unusually well organized ambush by goblin forces. Further investigation took the adventurers to Skara's old lair, where more trouble was encountered… in the form of a warmachine!
Ragnhild can be overheard talking about the event quite excitedly on her way back home:_
"We hear rumblings in cave and go below to look, find several dozen dead gobbalins and -huge- warmachine on loose vhen open door to a room vith small huts. Machine started move towards us, but not attack right avay. Something seem to be wrong vith it, but of course we did end up smack it to bits. Then we corner lone surviving gobbalin vho say they found in large hole and had taken home to salvage for parts vhen it started to uhm, activate.
After talking to gobbalin, we go back to check and find that it be repairing self! Soon stand again, but make odd zapping noise and be valking into rock wall as if steering be off. We all get redi fajt again, but machine vander off aimlessli, and end up trapping itself in near room vhen it smack into wall so that ceiling cave in. It still there, iff some brave crafter be look for source of iron to melt, huh. Be varned though, it be still activated and hostile, and cave be sort unstable."
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Rumors abound of hordes of goblins attacking Norwick and Demons abounding through portals in the graveyard! Some reports even seem to point that the deeds of Sergeant Locrian, Quelcoth, and another mysterious individual took down many evil gnomes, the beasts they summoned through the portal, and even a Hezrou!
On another note, holes have been popping up with a rank stench of decay around Norwick. Only to be quickly and efficiently filled in by the hard working Quel. He works with his sleeves rolled up, taking a break for a sip of wine now and again, and humming or even singing a light hearted aire.
//DMs: Spent a good amount of time IG pushing about carts of dirt, shovelling, etc. Ronan, Locrian, Lucid, and Thorn can all vouch for my doing so. Namely it was for the four holes near the entrance.
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Rilia hand delivers some plants to the Chancellors office. Asking one of the guard to carry up a bag of seed and place it in the corner. What on earth is she doing upstairs of the town hall? Rumor has it these plants were very frilly in an elven sort of way for green things. What the heck does that mean? what a useless rumor.
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_Early one morning, Dwin, Lucid, and Calendel set out from the Great Hall. None were wearing their typical garb. In fact, all were dressed lightly as they began their hike northwards. It appeared that Calendel might have even purchased some new leather boots from the hike, as his stride was a bit off and the "squeak squeak" of the unbroken leather seemed to bother even the field mice as they pass by.
After surveying several areas, the trio stops on one particularly flat area in an area north of town where the land plateaus. Calendel gets out a few measuring ropes, and the three begin to pace off in different directions.
After some further discussion, Dwin removes four small stakes from his satchel and pounds them into the ground in a large square shape. Calendel appears to be sketching the area on a fresh piece of parchment as well. Dwin smiles and mumbles the word "vallahir" as he taps in the last stake.
Once they are done with their surveys, the unlikely threesome heads further north and pays a visit to Z's new home before eventually returning back to the rotting structures of Norwick late in the afternoon._
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@35564503ba=Speedy_Z_:
*After years of hard work, Z's efforts finally pay off.
As the sun begins to set, Z stands back, wipes the sweat off his brow, and proudly looks at his completed farmhouse.
A wide smile creeps across his face, as he whispers a silent prayer to give thanks for all his blessings, his family, and his friends.
With that, he wipes his face, picks up a hammer, and begins building the barn with renewed vigor.*
No rest for the weary, he chuckles. But I kin see the light at the end of the tunnel and it won't be long now…
((Looks like Z's farm is finally getting IG. Thanks to everyone who helped build it, RPed helping me, etc. I appreciate it.))
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_A lovely blond woman, a vision of sapphire and gold, has been seen around Norwick lately, engaged in lively discussion with a variety of merchant types. She carries a worn ledger wherever she travels, furiously jotting notes about seemingly everything in sight.
She seems a friendly sort overall, although there is a cunning glint in her eyes that betrays an entrepreneur at heart._
