Vol. 13 Number 9

Habitae Diem Gravis

October, 900

Mourning a Lost Land

I arrived at the tavern in Ravenholt proper an hour or so before midnight at the start of the last gathering, as did so many of us. It was a pleasant enough night, but cold. So cold. As is often the case, the nobles were out and about, being introduced to all present. Of a sudden, our world seemed to shift. I'm not sure if I blacked out for a moment, but there was a sensation of some sort of, well, wave, of energy passing through me, or me through it. It was much like traveling through a Gate, but somehow...more.

When things had settled, and the darkness and fog before my eyes cleared, I saw numerous unusual beings amidst those I recognized, such as I had rarely seen. They seemed near as surprised to see us as we them. Some rushed outside to see what had changed - I later found out that almost nothing had, yet everything had. I stayed to hear the tale of those we met. They were, or claimed to be, and I had no reason to doubt, Icons of the Elements. None such as any in Ravenholt knew, as we have many who visit with Icons aplenty. But nonetheless, the tale they told made some odd sense. More so after the Icon they called Dream rushed in.

It seems we had been drawn, somehow, by a ritual of Dream's gone awry, to this place (perhaps time, would be better) called Cruishank. It was a time line near its end, and the Icons, in coming to terms with their seemingly inevitable demise, were each handling the impending doom in unique ways. Dream chose to fight, and in his attempts to remove himself and his fellows from the dying time line, instead managed to draw us, members of a "sister" time line, if you will, forth into his own.

In the course of things, we discovered we had more in common with these folk than we knew. Although it could be nothing more than tales, or perhaps the desperate attempt of those doomed to die to cling to last straws of life, there is rumor that our own vile Necropolis once despoiled this land, this Cruishank, and was sent forth from it. If so, there may be hope that we, too, can purge it from our midst, which brings me to the moral quandary, wondering what peaceful land we might rend assunder by passing it along to another place ourselves.

The end of a time line is, from my experience, a hauntingly beautiful, yet desolate scene. When I had opportunity to move from the tavern, I discovered that the structures nearly mirrored our own city's in layout and form. But where in Ravenholt we find lands to travel that go beyond our own, in Cruishank, there was nothing. Not that there were lands with no trees or grass, but no thing. As if an artist had failed to paint to the ends of the page. One thing had me amazed - never had I seen so many stars! That night it appeared as if all the stars in the universe converged upon Cruishank. Familiar constellations were crowded out by ones unknown to me. They all lit the night as if to shine brightest near their deaths.

I'm here to tell this tale, so it's obvous that we of Ravenholt succeeded in discovering a ritual to counteract that which Dream had wrought. However, as others can attest, as we fought to keep the minions of darkness and chaos from interrupting while our casters did their work, on the lands which grew ever smaller around us near the end, we knew not whether we would return hale and hearty or walking as row upon row of spirits to the Guild in Ravenholt.

We did indeed return, and with little, or no loss of life...from our lands. But of the others, we grew to know and care for some of those poor doomed souls. Some may have made their escape with us, but others fought along side and, eyes wide open, moved bravely toward their destiny. I can only hope I, too, shall come to my final death with such great dignity: To those lost, and to the noble, hard-fought land of Cruishank itself, I bow to you.

Ducal Astrologers See Dark Times Ahead

Astrologers throughout the duchy have been reporting ominous visions and general unease about the realm of late. It has been determined that several who reported a sense of loss and emptiness now understand they were receiving premonitions of the journey many took to the alternate time line known as Cruishank, however, not all such feelings of desolation have gone away with the travelers' return.

The Duke's own astrologers report that upcoming weeks may prove difficult for travelers. It is highly recommended that those abroad come to roost in the relative safety of one town or another. One report suggested that parents keep close watch on children, especially the very young

The next gathering at Ravenholt may prove highly eventful, as it is known that in the dark of a nearly new moon, this time of year often sees heightened activity from both the Graveyard of the Four Winds and the Heroes' Graveyard. While some may benefit from the potential for ancestral visits, astrologers warn that others may not find it to be a good and fortunate time. So warns one of His Majesty's most trusted: "Hold close your purses, prepare your incants and gas globes, and grip tightly your swords. As darkness falls, walk not alone!"

Hightown Rag

So, umm... call me stupid, but where did everyone go? I'd love to gossip about them, but they disappeared on me. So I'll just have to gossip about the gossip I heard. Dame Quin, a well-known necromancer, apparently lost her title while in the strange dimension that the townsfolk went to. She was reportedly quoted as saying that people shouldn't call her by her title... Was she finally caught?

Eastwyck showed up and delivered the high prices and... ahem, quality, everyone has come to know and love. Bribing your way onto adventures? I'll call it a noble tithe. Sounds nicer. But on a good note, they didn't spit on anything Ducal. Then again.. nothing was around to be spat upon. On the plus side, I hear they were quite helpful in the fight to bring people back!

Westmarch was THERE! Dangit, Ravenholt seems to be shaping itself a lovely Baronial team... If only they could keep track of their stone elf. They're supposedly pretty efficient too, and very nimble. And their numbers are increasing by the day!

Where once there was Capulus, there is now only tumbleweeds. We can only hope they come back. I hate to think what would happen if they were captured by minions of evil-we get that enough around here. Cumberland seems to be coming into it's own, even if there are rumors of werewolves on the team. The impeccable Knight and Squire team of Oberon and Valamar are ever fashionable -- but why does Oberon have fangs? And how did Valamar bring someone back from the dead? <ahem Consorting? ahem>

Lowdown on Lowtown

So here's what I heard: Apparently, the Guilds got transported to the alternate time line, too, only their circles weren't theirs. So everyone had to deal with Kestrel's spirit in the circle _ or was it Kestrel? So how did they identify people? What taints and other assorted diseases have they brought home? And who the heck is Solstice, and why did he have a third eye? It's so hard to gossip when everyone visits another plane of existence.

What's this about taxation without representation? We hear that usually-more-sensible barbarian Voltreg may have given those time shifting critters the tip-off.

And now I'm hearing about a dwarf, who apparently was charmed by a bat and spirit linked to a suit of armor. And he and these other guys are all linked up to a crown that Nomad wears. From Commoner to King?! Rumor has it that as a secret Paladin of the Rose, Nomad plans to use the super powers of the crown to overthrow Duke Vorden of Niman and declare that country a `fashion district.'

And I also heard that all of Equinox has thrown down their tabards over the bat charming incident, although why they'd get so angry about a monster charming someone I don't know. Was Dugan tempting the bat? And since when can bats charm people? On another note, the Empty Mug seems to have been making a name for themselves _ mostly because their leader got some wimpy little sword. "Bane?" Sounds serious. I heard Xerina Monesque sneezed on it once, before the former Duke had it. Maybe she'll come back as some strange spirit creature and possess LeeOrik. Who knows?