Tavern Tales and Rumours

[shad0wfax]

Rumors are spreading about another murder in Baldur's Gate as well. This one has the attention of some of the higher class citizens, and there is not much talk of it in the lower quarters of the city.

Last night a well-armored, but unarmed man was found dead face-down in a flower planter a few blocks from The Three Old Kegs tavern in the northern quarter of Baldur's Gate. His body had been dragged several feet and his armor and shield covered by his dark cloak. Neighbors say that the dead man man was hired by a newly arrived merchant to guard the merchant's home while the merchant was gathering the last of his valuables and collecting his family to start a life in Baldur's Gate. Both neighbors were home at the time of the murder, but they heard and saw nothing.

Moderate sized footprints were found in all of the flower planters under each window of the home as well as in the small garden patch at the back of the home. A single window on the side of the home where the body was found, was found open, and dirt from the flower planter was tracked into the home, a distance of a few feet, then tracked back out toward the window. A small table inside the home was broken, but nothing is known to be stolen. The neighbors who discovered it don't think that anything was stolen, but believe the guard died valiantly protecting the house from a desperate thief.

The City Watch has posted a guard outside the home 'round the clock until the merchant comes home to verify whether anything was indeed stolen.

[shad0wfax]

Rumor has it that another Lamp Boy was nearly abducted by a brutish looking man wielding a club. The man was reportedly caught in the act by a guard, who nearly died trying to arrest the man. Folks are saying that the man was attacked by a shadowy figure and then ran off trying to escape him or her, only to run into a pair of guards. Witnesses say that the man charged the pair of guards, shouting something along the lines of "You'll never take me alive!" Others claim that the man said, "Death comes for all!" Yet other reports say that the man was shouting, "The Black Hand will triumph!"

What everyone in the docks does agree on, however, is that the (or at least a) would-be kidnapper is now dead, thanks to the guards. A small handful of folks mention the help of a shadowy figure, but no one knows more than that.

In other rumors, in the Market District, the widower Potter who never had a son or daughter of his own has taken on an apprentice for the first time, a young lad by the name of Jake. Folks in the lower district near the docks make mention of a Lamp Boy named Jake who managed to get out of the slums and find himself respectable work. A pink-dressed halfling woman some are calling "The Pink Heroine" is credited with Jake's turn of fortune.

[shad0wfax]

The slums of Baldur's Gate, especially the eastern harbor district are abuzz with the latest news. A halfling man in blue, a human wearing grey, and a strange tawny skinned and hooded man, along with some of the City Watch, have managed to disrupt the operations of the kidnapping ring. The tawny skinned man, if rumors are to be believed, is a were-mouse!

Those who pay the rumors any attention are told that the trio, along with the help of some of the city watch, managed to rescue a young girl by the name of Violet. The hooded man, who said little, was apparently very generous and donated a healthy sum of gold to the City Watch Captain to be used to put Violet and her cat, Mister Scratch, in a safe home or orphanage if one is to be found. Some folks can't speak highly enough of the hooded were-mouse's generosity in helping the girl. However, the shadier element of the slums seem to slyly suggest that if the hooded man can spend that much on a street urchin, just imagine how much he must have stashed away somewhere.


---

The nobility and the wealthy merchants in the Helm and Cloak are quietly discussing among themselves, and gossiping to anyone of means and wealth that will listen, that there was yet another break-in. This time, Jaxyl, the young, handsome, and unfaithful husband of a wealthy merchant woman known only as Velka Silk, or Velka Sour -- but never to her face -- was found dead in his own house. Velka Silk is a merchant who deals in exotic fabrics and objets d'art, and was out of town on regular business this past ten-day.

As the rumors go, an hysteric young lady, who isn't being named, came down from the second floor bedroom to find what she thought was her lover Jaxyl and another woman both dead in one another's arms, with multiple stab wounds near the servant's sleeping quarters. The neighbors all insist that every time Jaxyl's wife would leave town, there was a quiet procession of young women being shuffled in and out of the house at night, facilitated by a truly repulsive half-orc doorman, Grog, who is rumored to have had instructions to "let the pretties in for the boss."

Although the City Watch isn't confirming any details of either break-in, word has spread fast that the culprit of the previous break-in and murder of the guard has to be the woman who met her mutual demise with Jaxyl.

The nobles, the Merchants Consortium, and the Iron Throne are all a bit more relaxed about the break-ins now, although there is some quiet speculation about Grog being involved, as he seems to have skipped town.

[shad0wfax]

Those who frequent Nashkel are sure to hear the latest rumor. A woman's headless body was found behind the Northern Lights Inn. Locals say that the scene wasn't bloody, so the body had to have been moved.

The head was found a day later next to the body of an Amnian guard, who was missing his head. The man's head has yet to be found.


The urchins of the docks are pleased to see the moon waxing, saying that the next kidnappings are sure to be another half month away, whereas others insist that the kidnappers are all caught.


An old, but exceedingly polite knight from distant Unther and his dutiful Squire have arrived in Beregost. They're quite happy to tell anyone who asks that they're following the vision of Our Lady of Silver, and will arrive at Ruqel, the Silver Spires, with the next full moon.

[shad0wfax]

Rumors from south along the Tradeway include reports of solitary gnolls and occasionally gnolls in pairs being spotted in the hills nearby. Although no one believes that the gnolls have invaded again, it seems that with the spring, the predatory humanoids have been venturing farther afield.

(( Gnoll exteriors are completed and populated automatically now. ))

[shad0wfax]

The foaling season last year produced a healthy new generation of horses suitable not only for caravans and riding, but even some warhorses as well. Rumor has it that many of the caravaneers have spare mounts for sale, already broken. For the right coin, they might even throw in enough tack for a would-be equestrian.

Thanks to the vigilance of some local heroes and the soldiers of Amn, the Tradeway is now open for caravan travel between Nashkel and Baldur's Gate.


(( horses can now be purchased without DM assistance ))

[shad0wfax]

Three heroes of Nashkel have put the murderer of Nashkel to rest. The murderer responsible for nearly thirty deaths turned out to be a Vampire, or a Vampire Spawn, depending on whom is asked, and a woman named Zova along with another named Irena, as well as a very pale woman with white hair, wearing gleaming full plate turned the vampire to ash in the crypt of Nashkel.

Tales of some monstrous vermin were reported and found to be true. The Nashkel guard has investigated, found the Vampire's coffin and its grave dirt, and has swept the crypts with no evidence of further monstrous vermin or vampires to be found.

The murders in Nashkel have indeed stopped and the people are feeling safe once more outside of their homes.

[shad0wfax]

Two frantic merchants arrived in Beregost a night ago and lamented the total loss of their caravan as well as two caravan guards who were slain fighting off a gnoll hunting party that ambushed the merchants as they traveled north on the Tradeway.

When riders were dispatched to verify the account of the lost goods, the bodies of both guards, as well as four gnolls and a hyena were found. The merchandise that the caravan was carrying was mostly ruined, although a single crate of fine linens was recovered undamaged.

[shad0wfax]

Several rumors have cropped up on the Sword Coast recently.

For those in the south, following the tale of the heroes of Nashkel, rumors that some Amnian merchants crossing the Cloudpeaks were spared the predation of a giant, by two of the three women who cleared the vermin and the vampire out of the Nashkel crypts.

However, that same night, a wealthy Amnian noble, connected with the iron mine of Nashkel, had her room broken into and several valuable gems were stolen. Additionally, two horses were stolen from the stables and the horse thieves managed to get out of town before the guards were alerted to the theft.

The town of Beregost is also buzzing. A woman was found wandering the streets witless with a large bruise on her forehead. Her hair had been crudely shorn and her fine clothing was tattered. She has no recollection of what happened to her, but her home showed obvious signs of forced entry and her husband, a struggling leatherworker has gone missing, his tools still hanging from a peg and his food half-eaten at the table.

Rumors also slowly trickle out of Beregost that the people of Ruqel, also called the Silver Spires, have been up to something big, as travelers tell of a very large force of Selunites moving heavy cargo about. Word seems to have spread like wildfire that a huge dragon was slain and there is wild speculation about the fate of the dragon's horde.

A rash of burglaries has struck Baldur's Gate. No less than four merchant homes have been broken into. In one case, a guard was found dead, his throat slit from ear to ear, and the blood soaking into the luxurious hardwood floor. In another case, two guards were found tied to one another, wearing only their small-clothes. Both guards have a completely different description of the person who tied them up, one being a fair skinned and light haired man, the other being a dark haired halfling woman. The third theft was a burglary in the Roderschmidt jewelers business and several sapphires and pearls were stolen. Lastly, a merchant of the Iron Throne's home was ransacked. The place was such a mess that he's not even sure if anything was stolen.

Lastly, for anyone venturing to the backwater town of Ulgoth's Beard, two farmboys, both rumored to have developed sorcerous powers have gone missing, leaving a distraught single mother mourning the fate of her "magical boys."

[shad0wfax]

The Watch Captain of Nashkel has learned that a nearby cave is now home to a small tribe of bugbears. A bounty of two hundred fifty gold has been placed on them, for whomever carries it out. Furthermore a bounty of ten gold per pair of gnoll ears is offered, as gnolls have been preying upon the caravans along the Tradeway north of Nashkel.

[StephenUmpf]

The old soldier rides into Nashkel. He chuckles under his breath at the sight of the big dark skinned barbarian, the plated dwarf, and the barefooted diviner with his trailing tusked beast. He nods his head toward them. The sight of them proves that the rumor of work in Nashkel must be true.

Dori the Dwarf gives him a grin and calls back "So, what bringin you to Naskell, General"

Blacke grumbles back "Work, I am too old to travel for much else."

The groups sets about to work on the gnoll infestation in a nearby mine. They come back with quite a few ears. After reporting in, they get word that a bigger horde has set up camp a little ways to the north. The guard captain when questioned on gnolls force replies "They are thick in those woods, be careful."

If anyone is interested, Blacke will be going into "THICK" around 10 PM (EST) tonight.

[shad0wfax]

In other Gnollish News, word spread through Baldur's Gate that the Iron Throne had a shipment go missing on the Tradeway. Two survivors limped their way to Baldur's Gate sans merchandise, with a tale of woe to share about Gnoll banditry.

Nashkel, still shaken up by the string of murders there, had few soldiers available to send north, and so the Iron Throne promised a reward for anyone willing to deal with the issue.

A strong looking warrior woman with dusky skin, brown hair, and wearing a nearly matching dyed dress claims to have dealt a serious blow to the Gnoll population. Given her broken tooth, bloodied cuts, and the pile of nearly two hundred pounds of weapons she hauled into the Iron Throne's very own seat in Baldur's Gate, her story has a great deal of credibility.

Scouts in the area report recent Gnoll tracks however, one of the sets of footprints far heavier than the others, leading many to believe that perhaps not all of the Gnolls were wiped out.

[shad0wfax]

Travelers are once more walking the Tradeway and with the improvements in the weather and reduced numbers of gnolls, caravans are once more active between Nashkel and Baldur's Gate on the Coast Way and Tradeway.

[shad0wfax]

Rumors in the south suggest that two wealthy traveling merchants were robbed, one in the Northern Lights Inn of Nashkel, and another on the Coast Way south of Beregost. Neither were aware of the theft until they arrived to sell their goods in Baldur's Gate and came up short.

In Baldur's Gate the Iron Throne itself was robbed a night ago, losing a few small items rumored to be magical and of considerable value. A few hours later, while the guard was busy looking into the robbery of the Iron Throne, the House of Gond was also robbed. The Waterclock, rumored to be the first working example ever made, which is toured around the realms proudly, is missing. How someone could steal such a large device, and such a unique device, from a heavily guarded temple is unknown.

On a more positive note, rumors in Baldur's Gate have spread that the cultists behind the kidnappings are dead, most of the children have been found, and the good people of Ruqel have taken them in, including a young girl named Alicia, rumored to have dark powers.

Word from Ruqel and Candlekeep suggests that Lady Teresa is considering in investing in a paved road from the Tradeway to the Spires, and that the scholars of Candlekeep have expressed an interest in having the road extend to their magnificent library as well.

[Analogkid]

Over the course of several days, these posters begin to show up outside of various establishments throughout the gate. Each poster has a drawing of what appears to be a book with the word "Knowledge" on the upper right hand corner, along with a crudely drawn drawing of what could either be a man in a wizards hat or a goblin wearing a garden gnomes hat (its hard to tell) on the upper left hand side.

"Master educator and tutor for Hire"

Do you seek to improve yourself?

Do you wish to dazzle others with new found lore?

Do you wish educate your children so that they may have a brighter future?

"If you answer yes to any of these, then I, Toby Menzer can be of service"

"I am available to teach numbers, letters, history and even the secrets of the mystic arts"

"Fees are reasonable and negotiable"

"Please leave inquiries in writing with the establishment's proprietor"