Twice-Blessed on Trial
Scandal gripped the Temple district as one of its most famous champions was arrested and put on trial for theft and making false statements to the guad. Also arraigned was a sorcerer recently of the Continent named Ezra, and a shifty looking character that managed to slip away before properly identifying himself.
Arbiter Ryll fined the trio a portion of their ill-gotten gains and sentenced them to hard labor. Gasps were heard throughout the courtroom when Arbiter Ryll described the labor which was required of them, and several onlookers fainted when the trio was told that they were to investigate the cause of the undead that had recently made their way into the Shrine of Unre.
Though one gentleman was met with nods when he whispered, “but that’s a death sentence!”, the trio and a hired tabaxi guard plunged fearlessly into the unmapped tunnels under the city. Little is known about what transpired there, but shrine acolytes have confirmed that the undead threat has been ended.
The Twice-Blessed, who was in the process of teaching orphans about the glories of the four, had this to say about the trial, “Misunderstandings happen, it’s important that we take responsibility for our actions and work to put things right.”
Blacksmith Burglaries Solved by Sewer Explorers!
Rat Plague Averted!
The break-ins reported earlier this month have been apparently solved by a trio of intrepid heroes.
Redwina Bittersteel, of Redwina’s Gold and Glittering Trinkets, described a horrible scene as she arrived home on the night of the 1st: a horde of rats swarming across every inch of her workshop. Just seven days later, Elric Sweets discovered an intruder in his shop, one who appeared to be a rodent of unusual size. Both of them found that they were missing various metalworking tools and supplies shortly after the intrusion. It was nearly too strange to be believed!
Enter: a musically-gifted tabaxi, a blade-wielding tiefling, and a human with a very strange arm. Using their combined investigative skills, and with the aid of Brightshore’s very own ratcatcher, Thomas Noordin, and his precious pup Lucky, they followed the trail of the burglars into the sewers which run right beneath our feet. According to Thomas’ first-hand account, the group braved strange glowing poisonous plants, a veritable flood of vermin, and discovered to their horror a magically mutated giant rat, which was commanding an army of its own brethren and performing some sort of perverse arcane ritual in the hope of gaining further power in order to overtake the surface.
After a harrowing battle, during which the group’s tiefling member flirted dangerously with death itself, they emerged victorious.
Yeoman Selene, when asked to comment, had this to say: “There are plans in the future to map the sewers to take stock of the threats therein and improve their function, but no date has been chosen as of yet.”
Happily, the stolen tools have now been returned to their owners, and the adventurers have a spectacular tale to tell. Indeed, the Noordin family has profited greatly from the operation, with Thomas having claimed the highest number of rat kills in a day in the whole of his career.
Rumors still abound, however, about what other dangers lurk deeper in the sewers. What strange and terrifying beasts still lair there? How long until they detect our presence above them? We can only wait and wonder.
Malcolm Bradford Safely Returned
Well known philanthropist and businessman Malcolm Bradford was reportedly rescued from the clutches of evil fiends by a stalwart adventuring party.
Devil cult activity has been on the rise around the outlying farmsteads, and Bradford had set out with a contingent of armed guards to put and end to the threat when he was said to have been captured. Bradford later said, “I’m eternally grateful to those that saved me from the clutches of those vile creatures, I’m quite positive I would not be standing here today were it not for their bravery.”
In related news, disappearances from the outlying areas have continued sporadically. Rumors blame the devil cult, but at least some loss of life was reportedly due to an evil woodland spirit that was luring loggers to their doom. A band of adventurers is said to have slain the creature, but it is as yet unknown if the woods to the west are truly safe now or if it was just one of many hidden threats that exist in the wilds beyond the city walls.
Construct Crashes Through River District!
The late afternoon quiet was shattered two days ago when a house sized metal construct emerged from the river and began a rampage that left houses destroyed and dozens of injured. Citizens scurried from the scene as its huge metal feet reduced structures to rubble, but a few brave souls quickly rushed to the scene. A halfling was seen chiding the guard for their inaction, though she vanished from sight when the construct kicked her through a wall.
The well-known champion of Ava, Ixi, launched into a flurry of action, and appeared to be trying to wrest the head of the beast off while somehow managing to remain precariously balanced atop the metal monster.
Fire broke out when the construct stomped through Jorpot’s magic shop, presumably igniting potions within. Fire quickly spread as the town guard remained paralyzed by inaction, and Jorpot himself was seen safely fleeing the scene with a fleet-footed human.
For unknown reasons, the construct abruptly headed back towards the river before it finally deactivated in the water, where its heavy armor plating fell off bit by bit until the entire construct had disintegrated beneath the bridge to the western ruins.
Enkeh Bronze Hair led the fire brigade, and quickly contained the blaze before it could cause more damage.
Abigail Farnsworth, a resident of one of the dwellings that was smashed to rubble, had this to say, “I always knew something like that was going to happen. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that the guard and the council were so useless, it was most likely one of their experiments gone wrong anyway.” Though others were reluctant to echo the conspiracy theory, there has been a measurable positive upswing in the populaces’ view of adventurers and a corresponding decrease of opinion of the guard and the Council.