Whispers at the Fire
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_A somewhat strange sight was the Defender officer who, despite recent words in Peltarch, was fervently aiding in the defense of the south gate.
He seemed to bear no ill will to either town, citizens or militia, risking his neck several times to get a shot at the bugbear arcers which were far more than a nuisance, being responsible for 3 defender deaths.
Rumours speak that at one point, he even sacrificed bolts that had the power of lightning enchanted on them, saying "I too have my tricks" as he fired._
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*Rando is seen with other Militia members standing in amongst the dead Bugbears sword in hand, armour and sword covered in blood, but with a smile on his face.
He was seen laughing at one stage when contry to the orders given to hold the gates, the priest Dentin ran out of the gates only to run back shorty later near dead after encountering a bugbear.
After the battle Rando pats a few of the brave defender on the back with words of thanks for their efforts.*
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_The last goblin and bugbear attack was not like the others. They came in larger numbers, swarmed over the walls in some places, and left several of the heroic defenders dead.
It is also said that the force that traveled out into the east woods to investigate found goblins fighting each other. Clearly something is going on in the Rawlins._
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After rumours of a woman's murder in the Rawlinswood, and terrible screams, spread, a large group of adventurers headed out into the forest to investigate, only to be assailed by massive amounts of goblins. Details seem rather vague, though at one point the main portion of the group returned to Norwick, to arrive just in time for a large-scale attack on the town by bugbears and goblins. Some say that the goblins were fleeing something, rather than attacking. Other whisper of drow, and yet others speak of an incident involving Rando and an undead.
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Over the next few tenday, William and Lucidious spend a few hours each morning sitting on benches in the town square studying together. William at first seems a bit lost, simply reviewing text and listening as Lucidious attempts to explain basic semantics of elvish. After a tenday of lecture they begin to walk around Norwick each morning rather than sitting in study. As they walk, Lucidious motions to things they happen to pass … people, buildings, animals and the like, then speaks a phrase about them first in common, then in elvish. He has William repeat, then uses the example to explain a rule of semantics in the elvish language. In time, the two can be seen strolling about Norwick having conversations solely in elvish, with Lucidious correcting him less and less each day.
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During the recent town attack, the two helping Banites seemed to be as much of a nuisance as a help.
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_Zoma is often seen dropping by the Shrine of Dawn in a burnt out, exhausted state and remain inside for days.
One he leaves the place, he is usually found in a better looking shape but still exhausted nonetheless.
He is also often asking around for Rith's availability whenever he resides there._
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_Recently the Advisor came to the aid of a traveling merchant under attack by goblins just inside the walls of the south gate. The gates had been left wide open and the guards missing from their posts, allowing the goblins to wander into town unchecked. On seeing this, the advisor changed himself into a troll expecting to find a goblin army massing for an attack. Instead he and the merchant found only found a few small goblins who had strayed too close to the gate. Seems the advisor in his monstrous form had at them anyway with an almost childlike glee, leaving little more than a pile of goblin parts behind.
With the gate shut and the area safe, he shifted back to elf form only to be instantly stricken with a fit of coughing and then … uncontrollable drooling. Seems the elf could only calm himself by dunking his head in the nearby stream, dowsing himself with cold water. Afterward the elf seemed quite shaken and a still a bit ill as the two made their way to town hall to finish discussing business over a few drinks._
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A recent attack by bugbears ended on a somewhat strange note. After the adventurers had fought back a final wave of the beasts, a lone bugbear approached them. Adressing "the great pumpkin", apparantly a man known as Arandor, the bugbear offered peace to the town in exchange for Arandor agreeing to marry the chieftains daughter. Dismayed at the polite decline of said offer, the furry critter then stalked off to inform his boss of the answer. Any consequences of the refusal remain to be seen.
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_Once upon a night an elven bard was telling a story about the defeat of the Eastlanders and just when he began describing Atol a horde of undead corpses staggered through the southern gate of Norwick. Some of the present adventurers, apparently had taken the time of storytelling for a quick nap, while everyone else was listening curiously to the story and not paying them any attention. But a few were ready to grab their weapons and beat up the zombies.
After the initial small force, more and more corpses rose and attacked, falling to swords and hammers and arrows of the heroic adventurers. The battle raged for a long while through the night, a servant of a human god taking down bigger and bigger corpses, aided by an elf and a halfling, while a small group of two humans and two elves valiantly fought off the marching armies of smaller corpses. In the end, it was only an elf who fell, even before an extraplanar creature appeared, taking the form of a small girl, taunting those present and throwing powerful magic around. It wasn't until sunrise, that she or rather it disappeared again, leaving the tired heroes behind, wondering what it was or what it wanted.
The elven bard and his human friend shared little more information than that it was an outsider. Displaying their generosity they also brought back the fallen elf and then they disappeared._
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_It's the talk of the day. Many people bow their head in new respect to the guard standing quietly, and dutifully at the southern gate. Where others have failed, he persevered. After a half-hearted attempt of goblins to storm Norwick which was thwarted by a group of quick thinking adventurers, among them once more the lady knight and squire of the divine shield. But soon after the ladder had been destroyed, a drow snuck into Norwick. And where other guards would have fallen, this guard lived. And fought back. Aided by some adventurers he helped chase down that drow, even delivering the final blow that killed the vile beast.
Later the corpse of the drow was found burning to ashes near the small lake. Further drow activity is reported from the western woods, apparently a small force of goblins were brutally massacred while they huddled around a stone which had been enchanted to provide magical light._
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_It all began with goblins sneaking around in Norwick, one had gotten as far as the Adventurer's Life and Fine's barn. With the help of a few brave adventurers and the guard present it was eventually chased down and killed. Even while the adventurer's giving chase were standing next to the barracks a second goblin tried to stab a blond - golden haired? - elf. Quickly the group headed south, only to find one guard at the gate slain.
An elven wizardess discovered a ladder the provided access to the town for the goblins. A decisive attack force went straight for the ladder, taking it down and removing the access to town. Apparently, though, during this attack more goblins snuck in and tried to kill the one elf remaining just inside the walls. He's said to have later recovered a note from one of the goblins.
The active goblin threat gone, umberhulks began appearing at the gates. It was under the leadership of a lady-knight that the adventurers present went straight east, discovering a shrine of sorts and some kobolds. Umberhulks were spawned and a long battle began. The umberhulks only stopped appearing after the knight had smitten all the evil tools in the area. She and an elf later insisted on one particular goblin being buried, staying behind, while others took a sacrifical victim to Norwick.
Tristina tended to the man, who lived in Norwick before he became a captive of drow. There's a lot of speculation going on just where he used to be. It seems a group of people might be about to investigate caves somewhere in the eastern Rawlinswood in connection with this._
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Rumors spread of regular Legion patrols fom Jyiid to Pelt and back. These patrols happend at least once per day and are mostly lead by Major Kull of the Legion, other ranked legionares and the new recruits.
When asked for the price for the escort till pelt and vice versa, Kul can be heard saying:dee escort iz free. We charge nae shineez couse it be our duty da make sure da pass is free o gobbers fer travelers and merchants travel safely
KULL (Half Orc Barbarian, Training Officer and Major in the Legion)
“To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!”
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Two men recognisable as Zoma and Friar were seen running out of Norwick's graveyard and into town screaming hysterically in fear about white dragon and ran straight into the town's general goods store.
Hours later, the confused Praeth was complaining to his neighbours that two grown man ran into his store in a weeping and trembling state hiding under his desk, chasing away his customers as a result for the entire day.
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Battle-weary adventurers Dwin, Juster, and Ginger returned from a scouting trip in one of the caves in the woods far to the east of Norwick. Ginger recounts stories of drow in the caves. She examines an unusual quarterstaff, and tells how the drow spellcaster's magic seemed to go wild, and that it not working as the drow intended probably saved their lives. She continues the story, telling of a strange half-drow, half-spider creature, and how Dwin felled the beast while she and Juster fought off a drow backstabber, and how the cave was filled with many locked doors.
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_While everyone of importance had gone to some meeting, the town of Norwick was left unguarded. Apparently the goblins knew and all this is lending new fuel to the rumors about a betrayal from inside.
It was only through a group of no more than four brave adventurers, namely the elven ranger Bel, a skittish elven wizard called Mebrien, the lady knight Elenwyd ap Arcalinte and the elven linguist Nym. Despite their best efforts, the goblins breached the town wall, climbing a cliff to invade the town. One of the first buildings to be targeted was the militia barracks, pinning the militia there. Elenwyd heroically rallied the few elves at her disposal and thus managed to secure at least a good part of town, keeping the goblins close to the wall. Bel kept shooting goblins down until he ran out of arrows and Mebrien sent independent daggers after the goblins, together holding them at bay.
It wasn't until the arrival of Lucidious, though, that the battle turned for good. And only after the goblins had been driven out of the town again, did the militia arrive at the scene of the battle._
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Another day, another death. An Uthgardt barbarian and an elven language expert were chased from the woods by a bugbear. They defended the gaping hole that used to be a gate, until a pair of milita men turned up. After some bickering between the two, eventually one of them gave chase to anything. When he did not return, the other guard sent a small group of travellers after his companion. They returned a while later, bearing two corpses into the town. Both were murdered cruelly, the dead guard even gutted, by bugbears. Accodring to the adventurers two of the bugbears were defeated, and none of the adventurers died, though one was carried back into town, barely alive.
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Before the trolls was fought outside it was seen being chased all the way through town from north to south by a ticked off Juster yelling "bad troll" and shooting arrows that seemed to have had very little effect.
It appeared he followed the troll north a short ways, however, it was hard to tell what was going on being he seemed to be followeing nothing..just talking to air asking it who it was.
Apparently it didn't want to answer and a troll popped out of nowhere just inside the north gates and tried to beat him up. That is when he ran south a short ways where Drelan came to his aid and sent the troll running. That is when its made it to the south gate where it was taken down.
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Two trolls were seen recently after a goblin attack on the south gates. The few defenders who remained to guard the gates just watched as the first troll came from town, walked past them without incident, then stomped its way into the west wood. The second troll came shortly after, again from town, being chased by Drelan and Juster. The three stopped just outside the gate where a battle broke out, the troll attacking those nearby with spells and fists. The defenders at the gate eventually came to Drelan's aid and were able to kill the troll…but not before Drelan went berserk attacking the defenders. The sail gouged a human standing guard over the gate and then turned to brutally beat the Advisor of Norwick into unconsciousness. After being revived by Aelthas, The advisor seemed to have no idea who attacked him and simply limped his way to the inn for long rest.
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_There seems to be no end to the talk about goblins besieging Norwick. One time they even attacked through the graveyard. Another time an elemental spirit of air appeared to aid the defenders, apparently obeying (and haunting) an elven language expert who was able to talk to it. While luckiy few casualties are sustained, In that very attack, though, a brave knight fell to goblins that had been scaling the wall.
Not long after the defending adventurers had dispersed, those few remaining in Norwick heard screams of drow attacking people in the woods. A group of four went to investigate the scene of the attack, but returned at mid-day without reporting success. Later, a group of three led by a brave knight ventured into the woods at night and met drow alright. They returned not much later, carrying their elven wizard. The only good news they bear is that the drow and goblins don't seem to get along._
