(Player News) News and Rumors of Sosaria by Greta Gossip

[Greta Gossip]

Welcome and Hello to Greta Gossip's "News and Rumors of Sosaria Column"

Unlike rags like the "Trinsic Beacon" or Yews "How to burn a witch this week" I bring you the news unfiltered and raw, sometimes with amusing commentary.


Blackthorn and the Golden Man

Local news from Britain tell about the appearance of a "Golden Man". Get your minds out of the gutter, the inhuman Brute was clothed in golden armor and somehow convinced Lord Blackthorn to gather adventurers and guards to kill some stuff that crawled out of a golden cave. Yewish Militia, Trinsic Guards and the local Britain Militia met at the Britain counselor hall to lend their aid at the cave located near the dungeon "Wrong".





Reports say that some golden demons and dragons crawled out of the cave and attacked the awaiting adventurers, but were all slain in a matter of minutes. The fight was brutal and lots of our brave heroes were knocked down, but in the end sheer numbers and the promise of decent loot prevailed.





After killing all monsters and ransacking the vicinity of all valuables our brave heroes returned to Britain where rumor has it some pranced around in some golden armor they had looted.

Verdict from Lord Blackthorn on how well the adventurers did is expected to be announced at the next meeting.




Yewish guards back at taxing travelers and intimidating the locals

No rumors just a fact that our most disliked guards are back, guarding and taxing local yewish townfolks and all travelers passing through Yew. Beloved leader of these highwaymen is still Gotrek who with the help of his posse will make travelling through Yew an expensive adventure again. Bring some money or expect to be beaten, imprisoned and maybe beaten a bit again for good measure.

At the last council meeting Yew and Vesper threatened each other again with war again, but Lord Blackthorn suggested a duel to decide which side is right. I am not sure if his Lordship realizes that none of the two factions will accept his verdict anyway, as his power seems to be very limited.



Lady Aryala is Governor of Trinsic again

It seems like Lady Aryala of Trinsic had not enough money to bribe her citizens to vote for her in the last Governor elections. She was said to be locked up in her tower experimenting and doing other weird stuff, reportedly once blowing up part of her tower at one point as one scared guardsman told me.

She did not enter the local elections and lost her title as Governor of Trinsic, though none dared to take up the title in fear for their life.


At the last council meeting she convinced, bribed or threatened Lord Blackthorn to make her Governor of Trinsic again. Which one of her wiles she used to get Governor again is a point of dispute among witnesses.

I wonder what happened with the duke who has been very quiet since Lady Aryala took over the business of governing Trinsic. I hope his ducky is well and is snuggled somewhere pleasantly and warm. I miss you my ducky!




Vesper is building a Lighthouse near the cliffs in hope of easier loot

Vesper is at it again! It seems that pirating the Vesper shipping lines is too much effort for them and those lazy bums want to make profit with less effort. There is talk that they are building a lighthouse near the cliffs to lure in unwary ships and wreck them.

So all captains take notice, beware the lighthouse lights near Vesper's shore, they might lead you to your doom.





This is it for now.


Drop me some news or gossip and I will be happy to report it.


Greta Gossip

 

[Greta Gossip]

Guardsman lost for duty in wrong town

It seems that a very drunk Trinsic guardsman managed to get lost on his way home from having a few drinks too many at the Vesper tavern. Reports claim that he fell asleep in one of the huts near Minoc and later reported for duty in Minoc believing to be home. It took a very baffled Minoc guard captain about half an hour to set the Trinsic guard straight and on his way home.

from what I hear the guardsman is an experienced drinker but Vesper drinks seemed to be too strong for him to keep his wits.


Undeads haunt Vesper

It is not uncommon that undeads roam the Vesperian cemetary, clashing with grave robbers and other adventurers. But now we get reports that Undeads following the "Guardian" have made their way to Vesper, killing people indiscriminately. Guards claim that a family was slaughtered by the undead and more than the normal amount of people have gone missing from Vesper. Is a new Necromancer at work here or is it like a drunkard in a tavern claimed that the undead want to possess bodies to walk among us?

So be careful when travelling to Vesper as not only the living will try to relieve you of money the undead want your life too.


Vesper Market Day

Do you have wares to sell or old stuff to get rid of?
Then try your luck on Vesper Market Day!
Soon coming to Vesper!


Orcs preparing for war at Yew again

Townsfolk in Yew are reporting of more sightings of Orcs in the vicinity of Yew again. While it is not uncommon to see Orcs there, it seems that the warbands are getting bigger and more aggressive.

Is the militia able to keep their townsfolk safe? The guards claim to be vigilant and plan a preemptive strike before the Orcs dare a big attack on the town.


Time for a Change?

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Then visit Wallace and Lisa the hairstylists at Mystic Treasures in Skara Brae.

For a meager amount of money we dye your hair the color you wish. We can get you then most fashionable hairstyles to make you the center of every party. We arrange your hair so that it looks full and healthy.

Come visit us and enjoy your life to the fullest.

 

[Greta Gossip]

Cove asking to be a full Member of the town Council

Last council meeting at the castle was a weird one with no Governor attending.
Governor of Vesper was recovering from a drinking bout or pirating, opinions differ, so he could not attend. Governor of Trinsic was said to be conducting a critical experiment, though rumors say she was seen at a hairdresser at that time. The other governors I did not hear any rumors about, though Yew probably was busy taxing anyone travelling their streets.
Most interesting at the meeting was Cove wanting a seat on the council. They insulted King Blackthorn who beat some sense into them and then claimed he would look into it.




Last Hunt for the golden Man

The golden man appeared in the councilor hall challenging adventurers to follow him into a dungeon.
Many brave men and women took up the challenge and followed into a dungeon slaying the monsters in the end and getting special rewards.





Vesperian Drow Love Triangle

I just got told a hot rumor about rejected love between tow Vesper men and a drow. Things seem to be quite heated with the drow vowing to have one of them men's balls. No further details are known but I will keep at it and report if anything happens.

That is all for now.
Your Greta

 

[Greta Gossip]

Recruiting Drive of Cove in Haven
We just got news that Cove set up a recruiting station at Haven bank to fill up their ranks. They set up a station with their flags and a covial makeshift tavern out of furs and old boards. They held a parade in front of the bank and people said that they looked like a well trained army. We have no reports on how many people joined their ranks, but the lands could do with some more soldiers that know how to fight.








Interesting Developments at the Trinsic Town Hall Meeting
I guess all of us expected the news of the Trinsic Town Hall meeting to be that the Duke stubbed his toe and could not attaned , or that the price of wine had risen too much and urgent action should be taken.
The meeting was boring and uneventful moderated by Lady Aryala until Cove and Vesper barged in.



Baron Octiovus of Cove and Head of Vesper Escaflowne with their guards barged into the meeting, shifting it from boring to crazy. Octiovus who had unsuccessfully demanded a seat at the council from the king, first asked for support from Trinsic officials and when they denied threatened with war. When some envoys of the guardsmen of Yew arrived he demanded the same of Yew.





Things cooled down a bit later, but relations between Trinsic and Cove and maybe Vesper too seem to be strenous from these days on. From what witnesses say Baron Octiovus seemed to have lost his composure and after being rejected assistance from Trinsic stormed out of the meeting room. Escaflowne of Vesper seemed to be more reasonable and discussed diplomacy with Lady Aryala of Trinsic.

After this first surprise a second followed when Guardsmen of Yew appeared in force and joined the meeting. Yew seems to support cove, though rumors say they are not that happy about the influence Vesper has on Cove. It seems Yew is not taking any sides yet, but they claim to be vigilantand will watch further developments carefully.



Trinsic wants to hold a market in their town and invited Yew to join and maybe start regular trading between the two towns. Remember to save up for the market, I am sure there will be interesting stuff offered again.
I am not sure why the magic mirror I bought at the last festival shows me unwashed hairy shirtless men, when shirtless cute princes were promised, but maybe I can either take it back or sell it there.

The two high ranking officers negotiating with Trinsic were Phil Lynx and Radek Wilkes and it seems that Yew will accept the offer for the festival and maybe even regular trade.




The talks between Trinsic and Yew then shifted to the new governor elections and Yew seemed to be unsure whom to support to be their representative before the king. They discussed possible strategies on how to approach the king with the situation in Cove and possible szenarios that could unfold.
Lady Aryala a stern advocate of of the kingdom lamented the weakness and apathy of the king in matters of the kingdowm and voiced her concerns to Yew.




It seems that interesting times are ahead !

Your lovingly rumor mongering

Greta Gossip

 

[Greta Gossip]

Yew and Cove ally against Vesper
A little bird told me that a few weeks ago the leadership of Cove and Vesper allied and then stomed off to burn some document in Vesper.
As far as is known no one was hurt except that piece of paper and nothing else has happened except that the Yew and Cove taverns have seen increase visits from both sides now.

Theater in Cove
Today Cove featured some entertainment in the form of a play.
The stage was a field with some benches and a troupe of enthusiastic but hopeless actors.



The story was bloodthirsty and the militia won, so the people loved it, especially as drinks were promised afterwards



They said something about goung on tour with their act, but I hope it was just drunken fervor.


I got sent a letter with a critique of the play in Cove which I will print here. The author for health reasons wishes to remain anonymous.

The Rage of Raaz
To go to Cove for a theatre play is much alike to eating a meat pie in Vesper – you can do it, but you have none but yourself to blame for what happens next. Worse, unlike with the meat pie you do not get a short period of enjoyment before running towards the nearest loo, but instead you will face instant – and deepest - regret.
With the author of the play, a certain ‘Hoagie’ proclaiming as much disdain for the audience as he does for the arts we faced a performance which was as subtle as its main characters. With the heavy quill of propaganda dipped into the blood inkwell of dubious morality the play displayed a woman called Raaz slaughtering a group of orcs. In a vague attack of supposed romanticism, the audience was given a cheesy background to the massacre, formed by a ranting person seeking friendship with the orcs and, of course, dying by their hands. The rest of the absurdity was formed by ‘actors’ disguised as orcs, lots of running and sprouted absurdities before ‘Raaz’ finally delivered the last stab and thereby relieved both the orcs and the audience from their suffering.
While it must be lauded that an attempt is made to stage something close to art and education in a backwater village such as Cove, it should nevertheless be noted that the threadbare story is not even the worst of the spectacle. Mixed with jokes about Vesper and Orcs and the supposed lack of differences amongst the two we faced a blatant stab at current politics and quarrels in the north.
What remains is the sour aftertaste of grandma’s worst fairy-tale mixed with the glorified remnants of grandpa’s war memories: a blatant, bland display with a single-minded purpose to raise the blood of peasants against the orcs. Why this was staged in town where the nearest orcs is never further than a few rocks away remains as much a mystery as to why the orc-actors came out way ahead of the other figures in terms of acting quality and believability.

That is all for now.

Greta Gossip

 

[Greta Gossip]

Trinsic Market

It was nice to see Trinsic being lively again.
People from all over the lands dropped by to visit the market, though not as many merchants came to sell their wares as expected.
Trinsic needs to do more to attract merchants, maybe by lowering their taxes on goods.
Still from foods to potions, furniture and even animals were sold and bartered from people all over he lands.



There was even a chicken fight with bets placed on it.



The fight was quite short and left one of the contestants dead.


Before the market could come to a cuessful close there an attack on a woman by another woman of unknown origins.
A woman from Yew was attacked and hurt badly, but was transported back to Yew to be cared by the local healers.



The attacker almost managed to escape, but was knocked down close to the Trinsic moongate and as Yew claimed it was one of theirs that had been attacked, the criminal was dragged back to Yew to face their justice.
No comment was given from Trinsic why they did not manage to prevent the attack or why the criminal was not put under Trinsician justice.

Good to see Trinsic lively again but it seems that the guards are not fully capable of upholding the peace.




Dangerous Habits

We got called to assist Wilford a student at the magicians guild in Britain to help him with some drug induced magical problems. It seems he conducted some experiments while under the influence of whatever it is those magicians smoke and let some monsters lose near Umbra. To solve his mess he had asked the local adventure guild for help who seemed to be eager to help.



He then opened a portal to Umbra where various nightmarish dreaminduced deamons, trees and mushrooms attacked the brave adventurers.



Though lots of people were hurt the drug created nightmares were defeated in the end and the fee to the brave warriors was handed out and they returned to Britain to celebrate their victory.

I hope that Wilford will get punished for his crazy experiments and that the magicians take more care what kinds of experiments they conduct. Though I am not overly optimistic that it will ever happen and that sorcerors will see reason and behave consciously.


Mad Love

This report is a bit late as it just reached me a few days ago.
The ghosts of Beatrice and John were haunting the abbey of Yew.
A priest was called to help them but the ghost of Beatrice was already claimed by a demon who had taken her soul and imprisoned her in another dimension.



The priest called in brave warriors to help him fight these demons and together they went to this other dimension trying to free her soul. A fierce fight ensued but in the end they could not get the soul of the woman back and had to retreat back to Yew.



They agreed though to look further into the matter and find a way to rescue her soul from the demon.
So I hope that when another attempt to free a soul of a demon's grasp more brave warriors will come to save that poor woman.


This is it for this edition

Your Greta Gossip

 

[Greta Gossip]

Council Meeting wihth King Blackthorn

It seems that the heat of this month has driven most town governors to their summer homes.
So it happened that the latest Council meeting was very quiet with only Vesper and Trinsic showing up to talk to King Blackthorn.

Anna Goodward from Vesper filed a complaint with the King that pyromanic Yew with the help of Cove had burned their library down. It seems that Cove had asked Yew to help them with this deed and the King agreed to look into it.
Lady Aryala of Trinsic asked the King if Cove could have a seat at the Council, as their Baron Octiovus tries to blackmail fellow Council members to get him a seat on the table.
The King said he would look into it but it sounded more like an empty promise.



It seems that Trinsic also intends to claim Serpents Hold for themselves and the King gave his blessing for them to try.
It all ended with the King hoping that more town council members would attend the next time.

Until next time

Greta Gossip

 

[Greta Gossip]

Trial of Nadia Smith - A love story

Today Nadia Smith who attacked Arias Harper a visitor from Yew at the Trinsic market was brought to trial at the Yew Court. A large crowd had gathered to watch the trial and learn the reasons for the attack. Surprisingly we learned that both women are from the Yew Militia and were visiting the market.



It seems it was a quarrel about some love which Nadia disagreed upon and took action. Unsurprisingly the Yew guards have some strange rules about dating outsiders which might explain their often crazy behaviour and rituals due to inbreeding.

Nadia Smith pleaded guilty to the attack on Aries Harper and was was questioned for her motives for quite a while with no big success..
Due to her longstanding service in the militia she was offered a rather lenient sentence. Either dishonerly discharge or demotion to an untrusted trainee.
I wonder how much money or favors were pulled to get such a lenient verdict.
Nadia Smith chose dishonerly discharge as it seems she felt betrayed by Yew for doing what she thought proper.
Aries Harper and Raiden Morana a Covian and Aries seemingly love interest were then officially allowed to marry without being put on a pyre.
So Yew lost a guard and gained a husband . so all is well that ends well.

If you also attended the trial and had to use a handkerchief to dry your tears then come and read this column next week when Baron Octiovus confesses his love to his horse!

Greta Gossip

 

[Greta Gossip]

Vesper at war with Cove and their allies

This sunday saw a meeting of the leaders of Vesper Esca Flowne, the leader of Yew Radek Wilkes and the leader of Cove Octiovus on the northern part of Trinsic.
Vesper had called a meeting of the leaders in neutral Trinsic to discuss some problems.

Vesper arrived first by ship and Esca Flowne and a guard settled in the meeting room while the rest of Vespers guard stayed on the ship.



Next to arrive were Radek Wilkes from Yew and a trusted advisor.


Lasty half of Cove with Baron Octiovus dropped by on foot claiming to have been given bad directions and so to be late.



They all settled into the mess hall where Yew and cove huddled at one side while Vesper sat opposite of them.
Lady Aryala of Trinsic spoke some words of introduction and gave Esca Flowne of Vesper the chance to speak his mind.
Esca Flowne said that he had hoped to work together with Cove but that time and time again Cove had provoked and attacked vesper and that it was enough. Vesper declared war on Cove and all parties that would help them, also including Yew.

The speech was along these lines
"Cove has proceeded to carry out hostile intentions and aggressive actions upon the Republic of Vesper
We have tried to sue for peace over and over.
But this is hereby a declaration of war upon Cove from the Republic of Vesper.
Cove and their allies are not welcome in Vesper anymore.
Any offensive actions against Vesper will be returned with the full might of the Republic."



The Vesperians quickly left the meeting and headed out of town by boat before Cove and Yew could react.
Baron Octiovus and his men left soon after and Yew followed suit to prepare for the oncomming war.
Rumor has it that Cove has launched an attack on Vesper later on with heavy casualties on both sides.

I received a report from Cove stating that they had won the skirmish but I would not trust their accounts fully.
Issue 11: WAR! WAR! WAAAAAAAAAR!

Trinsic in all this mess declared themselves neutrals and promised to accept refugees and send aid to any sufferings.

So becarefuly if you travel into the vincinty of Cove or Vesper to not get drawn into the fighting.

I am curious as what the king has to say about this and hope we can get a clear statment of him.
I doubt though that Cove can get a seat at the council as Vesper will surely be against it.

This is all for now.
Be safe and take care of yourselves

Greta Gossip

 

[Greta Gossip]

Brawling at the Cove Market
This month a market at Cove was held where people could combine drinking eggnog and getting their armor repaired. Miss Kelly Sanderson greeted all the guests warmly and made them feel welcome. There were good deals to be had if you were interested in armor or fancy clothing and if that was not to your liking there was a wonderful eggnog stand handing out the best drinks. Among the stalls there was also a soothsayer, though from listening in on his predictions it seems he just saw doom and gloom and should maybe be avoided. No market can happen with the inevitable brawl. Sir Eason from Cove was knocked down by a Kaldorian over some nonsense I assume and was in critical condition when the market closed

.



Funeral of Serj Eason in Cove
As reported there was a brawl at the last market in Cove and I am sad to report that Serj Eason died due to his injuries. The funeral was held in Cove and his body burned in attendance of his closest friends. Farewell Serj Eason, may the virtues guide you in the afterlife as they guided you with us.






That is all the news I gathered for now
I hope my next edition will be sooner with more juicy details.

Enjoy the winter solstice with your loved ones!

Greta Gossip