Week 4 News

A fire in the Northern Empire's food stores lead to an explosion when the flour ignited, scattering burning grains across a wide swath of the Northern Camp, and requiring a great effort to quell the flames. Even those from other camps could see and hear the explosion, and the fire, and some helped with the bucket line to keep the fire from spreading to other areas.

The cause of the initial fire has yet to be determined, but rumours say the North believes it may have been a case of deliberate arson. Allegedly, some goods of great value were coincidentally stolen from the tent of Harol the Black himself, while the Northern expeditions leader was coordinating efforts to fight the spreading blaze.

Rumours of a cowardly and brutal attack on the Southern Empire's camp are spreading like wildfire.

It seems a lone individual, dressed in dark clothes, snuck into the camp with intent to steal from the Southern Empire, and escaped with a stolen relic, leaving several Southern soldiers brutally killed.

Rumours say the killer and thief somehow created a cloud of darkness which snuffed out all light, and when the darkness receded it revealed the corpses of those slain in the dark.

The South offers a reward to anyone who offers information leading to the capture of this foul villain.

The Land of Endless Sky has decided to ally itself with the Collective.

It has become clear to us that the people of the Collective have experienced Za-Rin, and understand the importance of protecting the environment. This is why we have allied ourselves with them, so that we can work together to protect the environment.

The Land of Endless Sky vows to protect the Collective and their lands. This is why we have set up checkpoints at the entrance to the Wetland in the Labyrinth as well as around its teleportation circle. We will ensure that no one enters the Collective's lands with ill intent or plans to damage the ecosystem. We will prevent wayward duchesses from doing harm to an irreplaceable place, and instead make sure that all who walk through the Wetland treat it with reverence and respect.

— a speech from Second Daughter Princess Tai-An Aolin given near the entrance of the Labyrinth

Grand Duchess Amalina Kalliani recently announced a second outpost established by the Southern Empire, within the Shifting Sands and the ruins of the formerly sealed ecosystem. Between this new major outpost — with a mighty crane to lift supplies and men up and down from the maze above — and the Land of Endless Sky's outpost in the wetlands, Amalina's grip over the Labyrinth seems to grow ever tighter. Still, though use of the South's crane-lift requires payment for non-Southerners, the Grand Duchess has yet to use this infrastructure to substantially restrict access — though Northern officials note she is now quite capable of doing so, should she so decide.

– Ey, Gerar! You hear what Constantia is saying? She's just been down with the corn shipments. Northern Empire banners flying alongside the Legion's at all their outposts in the Labyrinth. Been put up overnight and Northern knights standing guard alongside the Legion!
– 'S no surprise. Was over at the Northern Empire camp this morning. Legion banners flying up there too and saw a few of that black-armoured lot hanging about as guards. Seems to me they're working together, or let's be honest, the Legion will be working for the Northern Empire, ain't it so?
– Could be, could be, but Constantia was saying that Fort Primus was unchanged. If there is a leash, it seems like it's long, but I suppose time will tell.
– Aye, price 'o corn stays the same, don't it?

— Overheard at the Gilded Bucket in Anneia a few days ago.

“Did you hear, they found the body sat in their chair, with a book on their lap, and their head lying on the open pages…. who could do something like that?”

“Whoever it was, they're a professional… the Investigators' Guild found no signs of a break-in… they've got nothing”

— Gossip overheard in Ulane

People on Kythara are warned to watch out for red moss that has started growing abundantly across the island. While it may look pretty, it burns and may explode when it encounters force. Please make sure you are watching where you step.

The Community Garden will be closed for the foreseeable future as it has been completely overrun by the moss, which appears to have killed most of the other plants that were growing there.

The moss has never before been seen on Kythara.

If anyone has any information about its appearance, please inform the Word-Keepers.

— a notice from the Word-Keepers

Bouts of unexplained sickness, dysentery, and fevers spreading through the Northern camp this month may at last have found an explanation. By carefully tracking the movements and location within the camps of the affected individuals, Northern officials have linked the sickness to a number of wells in the camp. It appears that spoiled meat has been found in those wells, leading to the water becoming toxic, leading to several deaths and dozens made severely ill.

Northern authorities say they suspect this to be another deliberate act of sabotage, and offer handsome rewards to anyone who can provide information regarding this incident.

It is quite apparent to even casual observers that a small part of the Northern Camp is cordoned off and watched by soldiers wearing the livery of the Senior Northern Empress Callistian following a visible confrontation outside the camp. Rumours abound that the smaller sub-camp belongs to some far-off Duchess from a remote part of the Northern Empire, and even wilder rumours suggest plague, insurrection and more as reasons for the cordon. Cooler heads put it all down to mere rivalry typical of the Northern Empire.

“It's your job to maintain the damned equipment! So you tell me how three dozen swords, and ten chain shirts are completely rusted out on your watch!”

“Captain, I don't know what to tell you, I swear, I personally oiled these weapons not two days ago, as I do every week… I don't understand how-”

“You expect me to believe that? LOOK at this equipment, you've CLEARLY been shirking your duties! Do you have ANY IDEA how much this will cost to replace?”

— A Northern Quartermaster, being loudly disciplined, overheard by many

Forge Chief Cordelis Aranyx has been vaporised in a forging accident at the Mithrax Ether Forge.

Forgemaster Agathon Mithrax was overheard opining that the accident was caused by the negligence of the late Forge Chief. “It is a miracle that their casual disregard for safety only cost their own life. I can assure you that my Forge is perfectly safe, when opperated with the correct respect.”

A replacement for their role has been found, and production quotas are not expected to be affected.

The village of Bigha has been fully evacuated due to unexpected attacks on the populace as a whole. Heads of the community are calling for the Word-Keeprs to investigate the source of these attacks. Though the order is stretched by the Labyrinth Expeditions, a small detachment has been sent to investigate.