Tavern Knowledge (II) - post your rumours and gossip here

[dergon darkhelm]

The Village of Rivermoot has seen some command changes.

Lieutenent Flinn Pomador is no longer in the village.His whereabouts are unknown.

Sergeant Praetor Baron has promoted to command of the Argent Legion forces in his absence.

Baron had an ealy test of his command when more than a score of goblins were said to have seized the crytps of Kelemvor. At least onelegionairre died in the skirmish to remove the filth.

[rorax]

Rumor has it that a strange pair - a half orc and a dwarf encountered a man called Smith just outside of Rivermoot gates during a cold, stormy night. After a short conversion, it is rumored that the man was seen frying a goblin that tried to circle the group. It is told that later on , when the man was asked about his powers, he disappeared in flames while shouting about a wizard he is coming to see.

The heavily burned pair had little to do beside running into the river and trying to ease their fire wounds. In hushed tones, some of the commoners add that the sergeant who was alarmed after the strange event looked shocked and incapable to control the situation.

[dergon darkhelm]

It was a low, gray sky that spit a light rain upon the soldiers, commonfolk and sellswords that gathered on a grassy patch of land not far from the Rivermoot bridge. It was only 3 Marpenoth, but the chill of winter felt to already be in the air.

The attendance of militiamen, legionaires, and commonfolk was not as great as Rathalan Whitsword would have hoped or expected. It was after all one of their own, young Kilin Masonir who had fallen in the goblin raid on the village crypts. At age of ten and seven he had no kin, he had not yet taken a bride, and both of his parents had died in the burning rot fever breakout of '73. Still, the priest would have hoped for a greater communal turnout for the memorial sevvice.

His armor and shield polished and waxed to bead the rain, and wearing a silver-lined fine blue vestement adorned with his all of his previous commendation, the Helmite priest begant the service.

"Outside many a country cottage over the land, and for many generations of men, families have gathered in this way to show the respect they give for those who have fallen in service to the realm. Whether the orchard branches hung with pink spray blossoms or icicles of sleet, whether the outside news was seedtime or harvest, rain or drouth, births or deaths, the gathering is much the same.

And they gather upon the patch of land where the fallen are commerated. We can not more greatly consecrate, we can not further hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who have struggled here in recent years and years beyond our momory, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract with our words and prayers. It is from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion.

When collected here to pause and reflect upon a life given in service to these Blessed Silver Marches, we can not help to give consideration to our own sense of service. The questions ring in our ears and burn inside our very souls. What do we live for? What will we die for, if given the chance? It may be that those we leave behind may linger in bitterness and sorrow. It may even be that some would plead with Helm, and bargain at the end, if offered, and trade their fate with some other poor soul.

But not young Kilin Masonir. He stood and gave the greatest sacrifice when the time came to him. And through seeing his example, and in knowing of his passing to Celestia to sit always and eternal with the Everwatcher, we ourselves hear the answer to the questions.

For there is an enemy abroad, a wolf, he circles the pallisades seeking the defenseless and those already defeated in their cravenness, or fear, or selfish disinterest as evil walks the world. We can pretend it is not there. We can wish a champion – someone else.... not us... against it. We can just try to get along with it, we can even seek out terms of surrender or accommodation. But someday, we will be caught abed. And wake, if we do, to the wolf not just at the door, but devouring our gentle ones.

We live to defend those that cannot defend themselves. We live to keep free and righteous these Marches so that men may live peacefully and take their bounty.

Will we die if called upon? ....We will. And we will know in that last extremis the greatest blessing of Helm. We will know that the Great Guardian indeed watches and cares for us and those that we leave behind.

We leave this hallowed place, consecrated with the blood spilled by Dutiful and righteous men, renwed in our Vigilance against the evil that walks. We are buoyed by the selfless actions of the fallen, and know that we have the strength within ourselves to act as Hilin Masonir acted, should the time come that we are called upon to act.

Go this day, all of you, and know the blessings of Helm, The Great Guardian, The Everwatcher."



Rathalan Whitsword remained at the site of the service for a long while after all others had departed. His gray hair was sodden and his cloak so soaked that it dragged on the ground, becoming muddied with his steps around the grounds. His face seemed more deeply lined, rings around his eyes openly showed his fatigue. The priest then offered is own personal prayer for strength....a prayer for the strength to carry his Duty forward in increasingly dark times.

[Riotnrrd]

It was a low, gray sky that spit a light rain upon the soldiers, commonfolk and sellswords that gathered on a grassy patch of land not far from the Rivermoot bridge

Very nice... copy to library, and keep it coming!

[Rotku]

An elf, fairly new to Rivermoot, was seen buying a large round of drinks for the patrons of the inn. And there was much rejoicing.

[johnlewismcleod]

The hamlet of Rivermoot is abuzz with chatter about the rescue of a Silverymoon noblewoman from the clutches of vile murderers. Many townsfolk have been flocking to the Anglers Inn to "accidentally" meet the noblewoman ensconced there by the heroes as she awaits escort back to The Gem.

Aeveshan has been seen to be in high spirits do to the sudden influx of patronage.

There seems to be a conficting accounts of just who the heroes were...Sir Rathalan's name seems to be most often mentioned, but Quohrin, Berendril, and Thorn are often mentioned as well.

There was a brief altercation when a local half-orc loudly insisted that Grull was a hero whose deeds exceeded any of the lauded elves or even Sir Rathalan, but the noblewoman, Lady Grafton by most accounts, dismissed the local half-orc's claim and he was drowned out and eventually ejected from the Angler Inn.

[johnlewismcleod]

In Silverymoon there have been many disturbances on the docks of late. Those that frequent the docks might be heard to remark that the sudden absence of Jacko and his cadre of "coin lassies" seems to be at the root of the disturbances.

*************

In Rivermoot some few commoners remarked that Sir Arclight of the Tyrian temple seemed quite saddened when his efforts to sustain the badly burned human maiden some knew as Cassima ended in failure. When he called for the Marshall to have guards carry the body to Sir Amon Ra, he was rumoured to have commented that "the pain of recovery seemed to have exceeded her will to endure".

[Vaelahr]

In Rivermoot...

"A dwarf was seen dragging the body of a human down from the hills on a crude litter and into the crypt."

[Wynna]

A glow was seen in the skies north of Quaervarr, as of clouds reflecting a fire. In the morning, a pall of smoke hung heavy over the cleared fields, giving the sun a sickly red light and choking lumberjacks with the greasy smell of cooked meat. Locals whisper of a battle between Legion soldiers and men with flaming red eyes ... and moan that the Legion left too soon, thinking itself the victor. The Legion was wrong. Creatures made of molten lava dance among the embers of a burnt out barn and bodies lie freshly slain among the tree trunks....

[Wynna]

Two off-duty Knights in Silver were heard in the Satyr discussing the body they found on the Silverwood Trail and brought in for identification to Silverguard Fort. Although the body was that of a black skinned, white haired male of elven or half-elven descent, it is well known that none of the evil, subterranean monsters known as Drow may pass Silverymoon's wards...which this man must have done in life as he carried the papers showing he had died during a patrol of the Silverwood. A sigil on his sword hilt was identified as belonging to the Master of Transmutation at the Lady's College, and a messenger had apparently been despatched there to see if Master Aurroneous could identify the bearer of the very finely forged elven blade.

[Riotnrrd]

A disturbance was heard in Rivermoot this morning. Garlus and Marcus came into town at the break of dawn, accompanied by another dwarf known to some as Kalin. They bore reports of two score lizardmen raiders seen in the area, but were unable to secure assistance from the acting commander of the Argent Legion in Rivermoot, one Praetor Baron. With some obvious frustration and a brief conversation at the gates in Dwarven, the trio headed east.

They returned a short time later, with a tale of a dozen dismembered bodies, some sort of sacrificial ritual, and a request for identification of the dead, as well as a local elf tracker in tow. Failing even this, they once again departed.

A bit later, a large ball of fire was seen to erupt from the area of the former Therin Orphanage, now called by some as the Wands Estate, and a large cloud of thick, foul smelling oily smoke drifted west to the complaints of more delicate sensibilities. Others of course noticed nothing, possessing quite enough smell of their own.

Visitors to the Wands Estate will now only see faint traces of blood, some matted grass, and a huge blackened circle as evidence of some sort of incineration.

[dergon darkhelm]

Returning from the Rivermoot crypts only a few hours after the above event, Rathalan Whitsword told of finding a badly wounded man in the near hills. He wore armor all crafted of some lizard hide and his teeth were filed to mimic fangs.

The man died before inquiry could be undertaken and was laid in repose in the care of Priest Ra.

[Wynna]

There can be absolutely no disputing some of the witnesses. Rumor pours in from all ranks and races, from civilization and countryside. A dragon was seen over the Moonwood...and a dragon's battle rage was heard neath the moon. Cowering huntsman creep out of the woods into Winter's Edge, babbling of the bugling of the giant winged reptile, and the crashing of trees ripped from their roots and mountainsides battered down. Guardsmen in the logging hamlet of Quaervarr raised the alarm of a giant winged form flying against the moon, winging south and east. The High Priest of the Lady of Strategies of High Hold's temple saw the creature himself, winging swift and high, blotting out the stars...and he said it held some struggling creature in it's talon, by the silhouette it made against the backlit clouds. This same priest says he heard the screaming of the prey, too, alternating with hysterical laughter...and the voice was human. No more reports are heard east of High Hold, but it is is impossible to deny.

A dragon hunts the Marches.

The strangest thing, some whisper, is that the lords in their palaces and the knights in their silver fortress do not seem concerned, and the city of Silverymoon remains eerily, quietly, inexplicably unconcerned.....

[Wynna]

Silverymoon University: News runs like lightning through the college: The Dean's Quest is back on! The Divination Proctor, Imogene Glasswright, tells an Abjuration student that Master Clarvue was busy at the palace all last night and returned at dawn with Magus Miresk, heading straight for the Dean's Office. Soon after, Registrar Serapheena was seen bustling out of the Dean's Office with the magi's voices following her with orders to see to reopening the quests and summoning the scholars back to the University if they left. Spellguard have kept the teleportation platform on the third floor busy all day since then, say multiple students. Proctor Alastrarra claims to have been briefed directly by the palace on something of great import...but she won't say what, unless that's what she whispers to the other elves on staff.

[oldgrayrogue]

The tavern in Rivermoot is abuzz with talk of a violent brawl, with blades drawn, in the common room some days past. A drunken dwarf accused a lady of cutting his purse and threatened her with axe bared. The well known adventurer, Corio D'Sarte, was said to look up from his brandy at the bar and have an exchange with the drunken dwarven, whereupon the dwarf went berserk shouting "Orc Lover!!!" and attacked Master D'Sarte with his axe in full sight of all assembled. D'Sarte then drew his own blade and cut the dwarf down, where he was saved from an ignoble death by the healing skills of his companions. Master D'Sarte promptly reported the incident to the Legion who expelled the dwarf and his companions from the tavern, and warned them against further transgressions.