Gypsy Gossip
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Rolan is not seen for long periods of time, remaining in the inner camp with his child. He gladly greets anyone who finds him but seems to tired to hold any conversation for more than a few minutes, usually wondering off with his son farther into the camp.
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A recent addition to the camp, Ricky is shown by Lilin to the King to report on something some of his friends and him had encountered in the woods. At first he keeps quiet, standing in the back, until Lilin urges him to speak up. Then he tells the following tale.
"We ahem that's Sam and Yu and me, we was out in them woods, hopin te kill some spiders and maybe even one of them drow… Well, we were there for a while, and when we went back, everything had went easy like that far. But when we went back, ye know how sometimes them spiders hide up in trees and try to fall right down on top of ye?"
After a moment of pause to regain breath he continues, not wanting to distract the king from his working. "Well, when we headed back, that happened, only.. tha spider that came down, it wasn't one of them well, there's so many there, I almost would call em regular spiders. They for sure they're not normal. Well, this spider wasn't normal, wasn't regular and certainly wasn't nice. It tried te bite and stab us, and we hit at it. Yu wit her fists, ye know how she always fights wit fists and feet? Normally she can kill wit those just fine. But this spider." He sighs. "We didn't leave a mark. And that was Sam, too, she used her morningstar, no wound was made. The flesh or whatever it is, it closed as soon as the blade left the flesh."
At that point, Lilin interupted him with a frown, and asked: "Was it impervious or regenerating?" As he just stared at her without comprehending, she clarified her question. "You could break the flesh?"
"Well," he replied. "the weapons struck, but we left no mark. I didn't have no oil wit me, and neither Sam nor Yu. But what's worst…" At this moment Sam made her appearance and Ricky sighs relieved and smiles to her. "Sam can tell ye what happened when we reached the gate."
Sam just gave him a quick and slight smile, and urged him: "Go on, Rick. You are doing fine."
"Oh, well, we reached the gate when we was chased by spiders. Ye know the kind that spit their web over great distances, tryin te catch ye so they have it easy?" For a moment he looks askance at the King, then just goes on. "One of those they chased us. And being a good gentleman I stayed behind a bit, so Sam and Yu, they went through the gate. And when I came te it, the gate closed and it was locked. I couldn't open it."
At the mention of Ricky staying behind, Sam frowns at him but holds her tounge. So Ricky just goes on: "At first I thought Sam and Yu had thought I was sneakin and already safely in. So I told them I wasn't and they should kindly remove the bolt… but they wasn't the one who had the gate locked. And tha's when that realy nasty spider crept up. Maybe ye seen them? It's the bigger ones that throw webs... when they catch ye with a bit, ye go all limp."
"Are your things still out there," asked Lilin. Sam only shook her head and added: "Rick did not fall before it."
"Nah, I'm not foolish enough te engage them," Ricky explained. "I huddled close te the wall, hopin the spider would just turn away and leave… and it did. There was another spider, though, that noticed me and tried te eat me, but it wasn't much of a problem, thanks te Sam here."
Slightly confused, Lilin asked: "I thought she was on the other side of the wall?"
"Yah, but she reached over and healed me," Ricky hurriedly clarified with a smile to Sam. "Spider would have killed me fer sure, if she hadn't."
Sam returns him slight smirk. "I doubt that. But you are welcome, Rick."
"Anyway, only after tha we checked the gate again, and it opened…"
Frowning, Lilin asked: "One of the big spiders from the Cove chased you?"
"Nah, didn't chase us." Ricky shook his head. "The ones that chased us where the big ones ye meet all over the woods. The one the crept past, maybe on some kind of patrol? That was a huge one."
Lilin kept her frown and told them: "The spiders aren't organized. If you are ever out there for a long time, the other spiders will attack the Silkstrand spiders."
"Sam already told Zere'win abou it. He probably has the gate bolted and locked." Finally he ends his tale and after listening to the King's answer, the three humans disperse. Ricky can be heart muttering: "Well.. ah.. I'll try and see if I can't find Dara.. she'd know what te do."
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Cera sits long hours after the attack through the night by Katya's side. Watching her long time mentor rest, she also plays with a bottle of glittery orange dust, absently admiring the way it sparkles in the dim light inside the Tree.
"Mojo,," she wonders aloud and ttoh erself, "Itisn't right what the Gnollses do to our Camp and to tmost of all what it causes the Kind Lady. We know she can deal mostly like we we do but…still why do those doggie beasties 'cause us so much over this pretty, pretty shiny orange dust? True is is Shiny but...Ih's not THAT Shiny...not that Shiny to 'cause all this that they have."
The rest of the night she sets there singing softly to the bottle and Katya and Jeni of little teapots short and stout. Her ponderous thoughts not forgotten though.
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_The gnolls attacks increase in frequency and size. Last night, they appeared by the bonfires in the Gypsy Pass. It took efforts of many brave adventureres to stem the tide of gnolls before their portal disappeared. There were some deaths, even among the adventurers.
Tero was seen cutting his way through many swarms of gnolls, cursing them as he killed.
After the battle he was seen carrying the body of the woman Yolande to Baba Katya's tree, his expression one of cold fury._
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Belade asks around about this Bobo guy, and tries to form a group to go look for him.
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The recently arrived colorfully dressed trader named Bobo is missing, his people say. Bobo was supposed to have returned to the Camp with a new shipment of wares and orders some days ago.
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_A young elven woman visiting the Camp was tragically slain last night. She was traveling with Nico Black and Meril, as Nico was seen giving the young woman a friendly tour of the Camp.
Some hours later, a very bloody and battered Nico and Meril were seen carrying the body of the young elf out of the abandoned mines, saying they were ambushed by gnolls while inside.
The young elven woman, named Alli, was not revivable and is being prepared for burial unless someone steps forward with other instructions._
For a few weeks following Alli's death, a hawk cries sadly from high in the trees hoping for her return.
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Alvar adds to this rumor… "If you see a hole... and the ground begins to shake... don't let Sy'wyn fall down the hole." After a brief moment of thought he adds: "If Sy'wyn does fall down the hole, don't follow."
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Sy'wyn is seen limping into camp accompanied by his brother, Alvar, and cousin Pyavain. There was a brief talk before the others left out to head south, leaving Sy'wyn wrapped in his cloak, extremely pale leaning back against his tree, his right leg extended out in front of him. When asked what is wrong…. he mutters something about holes, and not being near them when the ground is shaking.
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Rumor travels through the camp quickly that Swordmaster Tero nearly killed the merchant Nico Black in a viscious duel. Some say that the Swordmaster was unwilling to back off from the assault even after the merchant had fallen in a pool of his own blood and was no longer conscious. Nico hasn't been seen too much following the viscious beating.
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_Further contradicting rumours claim that it was Varimathras, in actuality, who was wronged. After voicing his brutally honest and truthful opinion of the daft witch Baba Katya (one which many gali and romani alike reluctantly agree to be accurate, and in fact are said to praise his courage for voicing such a contentious opinion), he was viciously berrated and victimized by several over, and blindly zealous advocates of the "mad matriarch" (whom in all likelihood were simply and selfishly attempting to curry favour from the influential individual it seems).
After reporting to Baba Katya, in the company of these abrasive and sycophantic flatterers out of amused curosity as to her prognosis regarding anomalous weather, he was most maliciously ambushed in an event of barbaric ritual humiliation and abuse. Accounts of this include him being cruelly dunked and thrashed about in a vat of icy, stagnant water, tortured and mercilessly harassed by Ty Fortuna, Melanie Stern and "Elf", with the blessing and direction of the so-called "sane" elder Baba Katya.
To add insult to injury, the witch allegedly stripped him of his oath, an authority many claim she was not justified in exercising (defending oneself from the poisonous words of others, or speaking truthfully of her is hardly a crime as defined by the simple oath. In truth, no violation actually occured) leaving him a homeless nomad. Varimathras is said to be very distraught over the matter, seeking a denied justice that may never be his._
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"If silly little gnome man things cannot be nice and polite and fun and not smelly to have aroud and talk to then elf says having them be a long way away is the best thing and Varimathras is definitely in need of more baths before his silly mouth is clean enough to be allowed neare Baba Katya again"
Elf nods emphatically to counterpoint her words, spraying the area in flowers from her hair, then giggling happily she and kitten run off to find a new place to see….or possibly someone to have sex with, who can tell.
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_In the wake of a flash snowstorm in the camp, it circulates amongst the Gali and Romani alike (thanks to the gossiping of the resident gambler) that the "arrogant, black-skinned little gnome sorcerer, Varimathras Maleficence, and his mephit, Malice, too" are not welcome in the Camp, by decree of Baba Katya. If seen in camp, the Gypsy Witch is to be told.
Prior to and during the snowstorm, some say, the gambler, his lover, the self-proclaimed Elf, and a few others were having heated words (pun intended) around the fire, with Varimathras. Tyche, with a slight frown, is heard to comment about the gnome's inability to be respectful or polite._
"The Gali and Romani are a family, and, as such, we respect each other, even in the face of vastly contradicting opinions . . . " Ty comments, smirking. "To propose that Baba Katya, our beloved and venerated elder, is a 'daft fool'"—He raises his hands and makes quote marks at the words—"at the Fires is askin' to be tossed out."
"I don't think the bath was sufficient enough to cleanse the filth off that mouthy gnome," Ty chuckles and then remarks, in Romani: "May his Road be safe and damn far from ourn."
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The Gali gambler, Tyche, is one of the few who dared consume the accursed chicken . . . For a wager, of course. It is heard, though, through the laughter of the Romani, that he only later was told that the chickens had mysteriously cooked themselves. If inquiries are made to him, he responds with his trademark smirk and a snort.
"If I grow feathers, or start eating seed, or die in my sleep, I'm gonna blame Oy Roy."
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A group of adventurers, including the paladin and gali Belade, headed by a bard known as Elor, headed out into the spider pass in search of a mysterious golden egg. They returned some time later, apparantly without the egg. After this, Elor had a brief conversation with Arandor about Golden Egg of the Tichocontreas. Apparantly a long-lost artifact, the Golden Egg was all that remained of a half-demon chicken that once walked the land. Referred to by Elor as "the nastiest, most foul-tempered piece of poultry ever", the Tichocontreas was defeated by an army of brave men. However, there is mention of the Night of the Flaming Chicken, and how it would herald the return of the Chick from the Abyss…
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tala stealthily takes the dead chickens from the fires and leaves them near the gnolls lands across the bridge
eat that dog face I hope there is a curse on those chickens
then looking around nervously she tosses her clothes in the fire and washes in the stream near heads waterfall
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_A strange occurance at the camp… leaving many of the Gali and Rom baffled. A group of chickens running wild about the camp, arranging themselves before one of the camp fires, and jumping in, cooking to their deaths...
Mallan was heard to mention some cryptic words... 'The night of the Flaming chicken' and '... Many people are going to die.'
It is unclear what he was talking about, nonetheless, few people dared touch the cooked chicken meat... For fear of some curse_
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Sierra can be seen roaming around the camp in an attempt to talk to many of the Gali (if that's the right term) in an attempt to learn some of the traditional stories and songs and lore of the gypsies who live there, with little progress.
However, she continues with determination to try to make headway in her project, awakening each day, trying her best to learn what she can.
((OOC: If I could arrange it with one of the GC DMs maybe to gather some of these stories, songs or lore through forum PMs, or maybe IG, that would be cool, or if one of you could inform me of how to go about that- if you have the time! Thank you!))
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Lilin Rodger became violently ill and stumbled over to communal tree locking herself in one of the bedrooms inside, refusing to leave and only letting a few people enter the room, forcing herself to rest in the best interest of her child.
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tala seems rather pleased to have the duo in the camp and in between fights with the gnolls merriment is heard with much boasting and bragging as well as threats to the mutton chops of one man.
