Tavern knowledge - post your rumours and gossip here

[Ithildur]

Marcus Wands was overheard to say that while the desire to exercise and practice the Art are quite admirable, the Spellguard Practice Room within the University should be perfectly sufficient for any martial use of the Lady's facilities, and that perhaps some students might be inconvenienced by losing a study area to a sweaty exhibitionist.

Rumors would seem to confirm that the room was, in fact, officially reassigned to one Arathil Eskalas by the College within the past two tendays. Regardless, the considerate as well as practical Arathil apparently has overheard the remarks, and has made at least a token inquiry about the Spellguard Practice room's availability.

[dergon darkhelm]

Some of SIlverymoon's merchants having been bringing in a good deal of coin of late as representatives of The House Invincible purchase a variety of weapons, ammunition, and underground expeditioning equipment in addition to a fair amount of healing and restorative elixers and magical parchments.

Two merchants in adjacent stalls at the Silverymoon market were overheard in conversation after completing a transaction with Watchknight Rathalan Whitsword--------

Merchant 1: "Aye. Seven of 'em at 50 crown each, Borlan."

Merchant 2: "Well he spent 500 crown just at my place 'ere an' I heard another hunderd or two over at the Feathered Ash."

Merchant 1 : "Them Helmites may have arseholes puckered tight as corked wine, but at least they got loose purses!"

Merchant 2: " Aye. Duty and vigilance and deep coffers! *laughing as he raises a jug of cheap ale in mock toast*

[danielmn]

If one travels through the Silverwood in the days to come, one might come upon a grizzly scene...a body of a human male lying just off the road. To any trained eye, the death can be attributed to wolves, as huge chunks of flesh are missing from approximate wolfbites (or something of similar size). Curiously, both arms and head have been severed from the body, one would guess at a much later time than death occured. The head and arms are a bit away from the body.

Also on the body itself is pinned a parchment which reads :

Dangar! Beewar of tha dead wolking!

[Brother Humphrey]

Visitors to Fourthpeak Fort these days are greeted by a rather garish sight. Three severed ogre heads, one of them extremely large and even more hideous than it's companions', grace the tops of a trio of pikes just outside the fort entrance. Similarly, three winter wolf hides, 2 of them very large, with heads and paws intact are being stretched and scraped in obvious preparation for turning into rugs or sleeping furs, despite several scorch marks and some visible signs of hasty needle and gut-thread work stitching on some gashes here and there.

If anyone asks Hrafen, she will inform them that this was in response to her requesting aid from a pair of well known Helmite officers in dealing with reports from her scouts that several of them had been the target of thrown boulders up on the Frost Hills Glacier during their patrols. The reports mentioned sightings of a frost giant accompanied by ogres, though the pair of stout warriors from House Invincible were unable to corroborate the giant sightings.

[kiyoti]

Before dawn of the next morning the winterwolf pelts in Forth Peak had disappeared. The still wet pelts didn’t even have time to cure. Not a track was left nor twig broken to give evidence as to who or what happened to them.

[Riotnrrd]

Observant passers-by may notice smoke once again emits from the Therin Orphanage chimneys.

Closer inspection will reveal the untended fields, having become overrun with weeds and trash, are once again being cultivated and cleaned. A few broken windows have new glass, fallen roof tiles are slowly replaced or mended, and the fence-rows once again made straight and sturdy.

The orphanage, once filled with the laughter of children, remains eerily silent... but a tall, thin man can be seen from time to time, toiling in the fields and maintaining the property by day, and writing late into the night by fire or candlelight.

[dergon darkhelm]

Rathalan Whitsword returned to Rivermoot near midday. On a normal day he would greet the militia guards with a supportive prayer for vigilance and valor, then speak with Lt. Pomador and Sergeant Longarm for an immediate report regarding troubles affecting the village. On a normal day he would spend an hour or two on the tower in fellowship with the guards, intently watching the road and hills for approaching orcs or naer-do-wells.....

But this was no normal day.

The priest seemed shaken, distracted and pale as he silently passed the gatesfailing to return the salutes of the men. He declined his traditional evening with a dismissive wave of his hand as he staggerred up the steps at he inn to his room, even allowing his shield to clang off the wall. Come dawn the next morn, Rathalan Whitsword had not emerged from his room. The door was locked and the shades drawn.

[Riotnrrd]

*posted at the common areas of the Rivermoot, High Hold, and Rauvenwatch Keep gates*

Help Wanted:

Seeking individuals with a passion for farming and care-taking. Duties to include: cultivation and harvest of grain and vegetable crops, general animal husbandry (including but not limited to cows, dogs, goats, chickens, ducks, and other possibly exotic or arcane specimens), fishery and hatchery maintenance, and handyman duties including carpentry, framing, and stone-masonry.

Military training is a plus, weapons and armor to be provided as needed.

Regular tenday wages to be paid based on experience and performance, as well as other benefits including significant discounts on magical arcana and permanent magics, all manner of lore, and friendship with a generous graduate of the Lady's College of Magic.

Interested parties please leave word here, or seek out Marcus Wands at the former Therin orphanage.

Marcus Wands
Graduate of the Lady's College of Silverymoon
Secretary to the Lieutenant Pomodor
Argent Legion Militia
Magical Retainer to Garlus Ironbeard

[Riotnrrd]

Gossip spreads through the students of the Lady's College of Silverymoon that a quarantine has been established of the Spellguard Practice Area within the college. Spellguard are continuously posted around the stairs, and a shimmering wall of force can be seen to protect the doors leading into the room, thus preventing all passage.

It is said that the quarantine may be related to ongoing experiments involving the good Dr. Augustine as well as Mistress Ostelle of the college of Necromancy, but others suspect a terrible accident involving undergraduate students and spells gone awry.

[AsteroidX]

Anyone investigating the Hollows or cave within witnesses the following:

As you step into the hollows there is naught but cut up greenskins and blood spattered all over. Even the walls have not been spared the blood lust that occurred. If you venture within the cave itself a trail of hacked and mutilated greenskins leads to the far end of the tunnel. The carnage total and complete some appear to have been tortured before having there throats slit. A large group of chieftans one holding a broken violin are found at the back of the cave. All in a semi frozen state from the cold. Large axe wounds can be observed on the corpses. The walls again spattered with blood the like most have not seen. Several sets of footsteps can be seen leading a bloody path towards the mountains outside the cave.

[Regas]

In Rivermoot over drinks one night this week, a traveling merchant out of Neverwinter hears the rumors of Winterwolf pelts being hung out to dry. The fat old man was flustered at the news, insisting that it was a bad omen especially so close to winter.

"Killin them things is unlucky even when you got to, Easy way to catch a gods wrath... killing sacred animals and leaving out their skins. Same thing happened back home, had the worst winter in forty years. Lotta lives and business lost, terrible thing to disturb them vengeful nature gods."

[Brother Humphrey]

A pair of heavilly armored, muddy, bloody, battered and bruised warriors return to Rivermoot from the direction of the Frost Hills, looking much the worse for wear. One heads off to make a rough camp over by the graveyard bridge while the other, sporting Helmite regalia and a noticable limp makes his way from one military official after another on his path from the coffinsbridge, finally entering the Angler's and spreading the news of the fate of the merchant caravan to Fourthpeak and Settlestone.

It was not difficult to overhear the Helmite describing the destruction wrought by the groundshake's resultant landslides upon the men, women and wagon train crushed under tons of rock and dirt and forced over the ledge of the narrow trail to the riverbank over a hundred feet below. He explained that though the trail was cleared of enough of the rubble for safe passage, due to the extent of the destruction and their own wounds gained either while fighting raiders or clearing the path and recovering bodies, the dead were burried in a cairn to await a better equipped expedition in order to dig out the rest of the crew and guardsmen and bring them all back for proper funerals. Descritptions of two members recovered from the rubble were given in order to allow word to reach the next of kin.

Mention of the remains being picked over by a sizable force of rather unusally tough goblins that either attempted to slay the would-be rescue party or scattered into the hills with whatever they could carry off in a hurry. The blond man spoke briefly with Myrtle and inquired into the advisability of an expedition to track down the remaining goblins with the intent to recover any valuables they may have made off with, but no answer had been tendered at the time.

[Regas]

Mention once again of the skinned winterwolves is heard, this time in the city at 'Sorlars Smiling Saytr'. A finely dressed noble lady with a Waterdhavian accent was seen being courted by some of the local artists after a show at the nearby Fochulan.

"I don't care if they are defenders of the realm, thats ghastly! Such beautiful creatures, and holy too. Its a wonder you backwater marches folk havent brought down a cruel winter on you yet. We have the plinth back home so our city can exist in the good graces of all the gods. This place could do with more temples and a lot less savages!"

The wealthy redheaded Waterdhavian made a terrible drunken fuss of herself over the topic and would tolerate no dissent from her overly romantic opinions about nature. The scene was saved by one young poet who impressed her with a few sonnets about the majesty of nature, and the drunk noble girl was placated.

The same poet was seen leaving with the girl later that night, arm-in-arm.

[Regas]

Thanks to the successful questioning of a band of smugglers recently caught by the South Shore Constabulary, a wide network of thugs and thieves has been exposed. Of the smugglers recently caught, it's rumored none would give up any information willingly, save a single thug that was turned by the Knights of Silver and an unnamed Spell Guard. Though there was no formal announcement, seven figures were seen hanging from gallows near the Palace, a fate usually reserved for serious crimes such as treason and murder.

Concurrent with the hangings, a rapid sweep of several establishments including the Bright Blade Brandished, and several warehouses is said to have yielded no results; with as many as a dozen warrants issued for likely criminals, the Knights and law men of Silverymoon can find not a trace of them.

The alleged ring leader, also at large, is said to be known only as Corron, a wealthy merchant with rumored ties to the Zhents.

The Knights are claiming a major victory against organized crime in the city and surrounding areas; indeed, the number of burglaries, muggings and suspicious deaths and disappearances has dropped to nearly nothing. A few speculate that the Shadow Swords have been dealt a fatal blow; others are skeptical that any real progress has been made.

Anyone with further information is encouraged to report to the Knights of Silver or the Constabulary for a reward in exchange for useful information.

[Regas]

Many reports are heard of unusual movements of Orcs in the Nether and Rauvine Mountains and hills. Best guesses are that at least two tribes are warring with one another, but others speculate that the recent appearance of undead in these areas is to blame. Witnesses report that orcs and other humanoids seem to be encroaching on the regular routs in these areas with troubling frequency. Travelers are warned to take care when traveling the roads. The Argent Legion has increased patrols in the areas and is looking for further information into these troubling trends.