Jiyyd Rumors
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Howls echo in the vicinity of Jiyyd, though the sounds seem to switch direction at random intervals, as though from a huge pack, spread all across the ruins and the plains beyond. Though the scattered sounds might have another explanation as Old Lem swears he saw a small pack of blink dogs gathering near Heroes Bluff, yipping and yapping at a pack of adventurers…
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A red bearded dwarf in steel fullplate has been walking from the fortress at Sam's Hole down the Long Road and ferrying to ruined Jiyyd after speaking briefly with Old Lem about the old Dwarven temple there. Besides his usual adventuring gear, he brings several other tools used for measuring and excavating stone with him. His scarred face darkens the closer he gets to the cursed land, his instincts telling him to shun the unnatural evil he approaches. He doesn't stay long, but he returns covered in dirt and sweat.
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_*Anyone travelling through the region would encounter two very large craters at the hills near Jiyyd's west gate, with clear signs of battle. One of the craters completely bites off one of the hills' ridges, the other seems more like a large meteor impact at the base of that same hill. It's not quite certain what could have caused those explosions on a first examination, though there is a strong and foul smell of charred flesh in the air. One with a keen eye could notice blood splattered all over the place, some chunks of flesh, and a few large fragments of horns too large and creepy for any known animal to wear.
Even more grotesque is the scene past the two craters, what seems to be the corpse of a colossal spider-like creature, some of its legs chopped and scattered all over the place, its main body made into a pin cushion for arrows.
Once inside Jiyyd, the signs of heavy battle seem to accentuate, this time in the form of numerous vulture-like humanoid creatures and about the same number of voluptuous, winged and horned women. A score of these corpses lay scattered near the Temple of Helm, where the main body of the battle seemed to take place.
Those that have the courage to still keep pushing eastwards would find that Fort Ormpur has been taken by a Helmite regiment. To anyone friendly enough, they may mention that they are preparing to fight the corruption in Jiyyd, and that a company of adventurers came from that same direction a few nights ago, composed by three sturdy dwarves, a human woman in black and red armor, a human crafter in leathers, and a Lathanderite priestess. They helped fight off some undead, stayed the night, and left northwards with the first lights of the dawn.*_
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*Adventurers traveling just east of old Jiyyd may notice a huge balor, to the south, banging on an invisible barrier.
Every so often, the barrier seems to light up as it is being struck.
The barrier is beginning to fail…*
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_::Rumour spreads about something that still now can be witnessed in Jiyyd. It appears that about a dozen of evil outsiders were slain with care not to cause fatally visible wounds or disfiguration. After dying they were coupled, each quasit with a female fiendish summoner, hugging each other. The fiends had been dressed with a suggestive pink dress, while the quasits had a bunch of forget-me-nots in in their hands.
It appears however, that there were more dead quasit than fiends, so to keep the pattern some of the quasit had to be gay, and accordingly dressed in pink, hugging their gallant man as they held the forget-me-nots in the lovely scene.
But that was not all. When looking from atop Helm's Temple hill, one can see easily how all the bodies form a colorful happy face towards the east, as if welcoming the sunrise. Some speak that during the night, the loving outsider smiley can be seen glowing pink::_
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A group of five Legionaires lead by General Theaon Thorn entered Jiyyd and stayed in there for an entire day. Sounds of small battles could be heard from outside Jiyyd. When they finally came out, a few of them looked sick, including General Theaon. However, they also looked rather accomplished.
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*Z is spotted riding towards the old Jiyyd ruins.
It's been several weeks, and he hasn't returned to Norwick.*
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Eluriel appears to be making a concerted effort to find something in the woods north of the Long Road between the crossroads and the old sisterhood.
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_A small group of adventurers were seen riding hurriedly toward Jiyyd. They included: Ronan, Vash't, Jenavee, Hannibal, and Crayce.
Soon after they crossed the river, there were bright lights and magical explosions, shared by cries of demons and apparently bugbears. The group returned sometime later, looking tired, but alive._
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The ferrymen and Lem would recall seeing a familiar Jerrick and a woman with long hair crossing over, and the sounds of terrific battle coming from Jiyyd, followed by nearly a day of silence and the usual screeching of foul things.
Then a day later again, the two were seen running full tilt at the ferry, and getting across is as quickly as possible, laughing once they got to the other side.
Funny, both seemed in good health and high spirits… but smelled horrible. Huh.
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The curious and observant traveler that still travels to or by Jiyyd can spy new signs of life near the chasm. On the safe bank, near to where once was the forest glade, home of Eluriel and gathering place of the Shesae, there are signs of regular camping in what is now left of the forest. Tracks of a lone humanoid seem to walk in circles around the remains of a single campfire, and there are the telltale signs of a small tent having been pitched near it.
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In the old battlefield where bodies still turn up now and then, and bandits roam amongst gigantic bugs, there is the remains of a tower. The tower is a beacon of life amidst a great deal of ruins and the barren stench of death long lingering, where new life seems to have sprung.
A group of adventurers apparently trekked far across the lands, from well into the Norwick ruins and graveyards, to the tower near Jiyyd, to fulfill some sort of quest from a spirit.
They must have succeeded, since there is greenery atop that hill now, and the fresh atringesnt scent of vervain.
When inquiries about this fly around, there are those that say these adventures started with a rose…
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Z is spotted riding, at a full gallop, towards the Jiyyd ruins.
Several days later, he is seen returning to Norwick. He looks tired and worried.
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_He tips his head and replies.
"Remembering what occured here. I spent hours sitting here, listening to the conversations of others, as did hundreds of people. I felt like returning… a case of nostalgia, if you will. Assuming anyone who comes by has a story of Jiyyd they are willing to share, I thought perhaps I would chronicle them. Tell me... is this a worthless endeavor?"_
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Telli stops by to have a bowl of stew and ask the Herald what he's up to.
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People passing through what was once Jiyyd see a man in red and black armor in the old commons, sitting on a log and writing in a book as some sort of stew boils in a battered cookpot that rests over an open fire. A blade rests across his lap, under the book he is constantly writing in, and whenever the denizens of the lower planes get too close, he beats them back with it. Any that acknowledge his presence are greeted with a polite nod and offered a seat and bowl of stew.
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Those watching the old road to Jiyyd would have seen a large group depart for Mintas Rhelgor. Several hours after their departure, sounds of battle could be heard on the Windy Plains, as well as screams from an otherworldly creature.
Those who dared to venture close enough to see were confronted by a demonic spider of some sort, larger than a house and determined to kill the group, driven by a blood fury.
In the end, the travellers were triumphant, but not without cost. One of their own dead, the price paid for the defeat of the demon.
Sadly they marched back to Norwick, and took her remains into the apothecary.
The next morning, the formerly deceased lady was back amongst the living, although still quite weak from her ordeal.
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A Pale Man in what seems to be Eastlander attire can be seen making frequent trips to what was once Ormpur.
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There have been a few skirmishes out towards the ruins of Jiyyd… not the least of which involved hordes of pissed off demons, and adventurers running back to the ferry like naughty kids who got caught with cookies, looking haggard, but triumphant.
There have been at least two trips out what way where strange things happened, including the glow of an active Menhir out towards the plains a week ago. Weren't those shut off?
Each time, old Lem is heard to talk about that weird Druid guy, and how he thinks Jiyyd is officially a lousy place to take a pretty redhead, and that the Druid fella should know better, even if he DOES have that big dog with him all the time.
Said Druid also seems to spend a lot of time now.... looking out over the water. Simply sitting, sometimes talking to himself or writing, but often times simply sitting there, looking out at something that may or may not actually BE there.
The latest thing old Lem talked of was an old fella approaching Jerrick, then an elf woman, then three trees glowing and the three dissappearing, only to reappear hours later, just as they were.
Strange.
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*The fallback from the redoubtable Thorn's Eastern Outpost leaves Jiyyd's forces occupying Jiyyd itself for the first time in the conflict.
Many bodies of friends fallen are laid out, and the odd man known as Solais, whom the Legion seem to treat as some sort of mighty and honored friend, solemnly performs a ceremony, and disappears bringing the fallen back to life. His great sacrifice much improves the towns number of defenders, and soldiers and adventurers alike retire for baths and food while they may, as a significant portion of Jiyyd's fields, lying east of the once thriving village burn dully beyond her walls.
At dawn, General Lyte is found penning small notes at a desk she has had moved out to the western gate. On the desk sits two score of purple ribbons which anyone visiting Jiyyd would have noted tied in her hair before the start of the battle for the village.
When each note is neatly completed, she ties it to a ribbon.
When the tidy notes are all done, she quietly hands the colorfully festooned notes, which flutter down like little maple seed helicopters when dropped from a distance, to her good friend the druid Belia, who turns into a hawk, and flies them away to the east, towards the main camp of the enemy, to be dropped not at the command center, but to the mainline camp regulars, from a height beyond archery range.
Any caring to peek over her shoulder, as she wrote, would observe the following, written in a rather cheerful, neat, elvish hand, seemingly more suitable for birthday wishes, than enemy bound hands.
**_"Soldiers of N'Jast,
Jiyyd's defenders grow weary of slaughtering the unordered and so easily killed trolls, orcs, peasant militia and untrained horsemen we have fought thus far.
We ask you to spare these unschooled throw-away troops, and actually begin to send forward your more skilled formations.
I look forward to the beginnings of the actual clash of real battalions soon, and feel pity towards these slaves you have had us ground to ashes below your feet.
Think of these pitiable remains, as you march through them tasting their choking dust, to our waiting blades and spells.
We await you, refreshed and eager for an actual battle, at Jiyyd's main defenses.
Cordially,
Lyte Bry'Gaede, Operations General
acting under
Major General Grag
Royal Troff Legion
Jiyyd"_**
