Lirynn -
The Siril�Veren of Lirynn stood barefoot upon the wooden balcony, which overlooked the harbour of Na�el. Clad in midnight blue silk pyjamas, his blond-going-grey hair drawn back from his face with a simple twine tie, Nynel�shian did not currently look much the part of Monarch. A cool breeze blew in from the bay, carrying with it the scent of saltwater. The rustling of the leaves masked the light footsteps of the elfess approaching from behind. Her face showed the mark of age, her hair having gone silvery-white. Striking blue eyes and a strength about her face suggested the matron�s relation to Nynel�shian and the regal bearing with which she comported herself meant this could be no other than the former Telar� and current Yran�snea; Nynel�shian�s mother, Lyan�leal. She joined her son at the balcony railing, peering down through the leaves of the trees. Far below them, elves moved about on their morning business, oblivious to the watching eyes above.
�They still haven�t found her,� Lyan�leal asked with a tone that made it more statement than question.
�No.� The Monarch�s reply was to the point. He did not wonder how his mother knew the searchers had no luck finding the newly appointed Bael�lian of Na�el. What Lyan�leal knew, or could find out, was immense. Unfortunately for Nynel, this did not extend to the whereabouts of the mayor. The appointing ceremony would have taken place the night before last, but had been indefinitely postponed until they either found the elfess or replaced her. It was the latest incident in a string of disasters, all of which attempted to weaken Nynel�shian�s hold on the Throne. The most liberal Monarch in centuries, perhaps since the Warrior Twins, Nynel�shian had taken power following a popular revolt, an unusual occurrence itself in Lirynn. However, this meant he could be unseated almost as easily as his predecessor had been, and that was exactly what his enemies hoped for.
There was little Nynel�shian could do against them at the moment, not without reinstating the terror-filled days when the dictator Syrilianthan had ruled, and that was a sure path to inciting another revolt. He was certain that the great majority of those who wished to drive him back into exile were the Tel�arifae, the most conservative religious group in all Lirynn. Unfortunately for Nynel, they were also the largest group, although quickly fading in popularity amongst the increasingly younger population. This decrease in numbers however, would only prompt the Tel�arifae to act quickly, before it became too weak to block the liberal Siril�Veren. They were almost certainly the ones behind the rumours spreading of Nynel�shian�s unfitness for the Throne; his estrangement with his father, his subsequent exile from Lirynn, his handling of the Na�el crisis, and�in hushed whispers and dark corners, they murmured that Lirynn was being guided by a magic-user.
It was currently Na�el that provided the most troubling problems. Although quick action and the courage of the villagers had drastically reduced the number of lives lost, the death toll had still been shocking. The Monarch had hoped an innovative and exciting contest would ease the grief and refocus peoples� minds on the future, but the competition had had its own problems, and now the winner, the woman who was to guide Na�el to an even greater future, had gone missing. It was enough to make any man give up in disgust.
Still, Nynel�shian could thank the shade of his father that even without the Bael�lian to oversee the village, Na�el was bustling. The Siril�asta had outdone themselves in redesigning the layout, and it showed in increased trade with neighbouring kingdoms and a higher influx of people and goods in and out of the village. Soon, Na�el would be worthy of being called a city.
Briefly, the Monarch�s thoughts turned to the Village of Enth�ryni, far in the south. There were disturbing reports that not all was well with the village, and that a small fire had broken out down there as well. However, the larger scale of the disaster in Na�el had necessitated leaving the residents of Thornmist to their own devices. Considering the fierce nature of the frontier townspeople, they probably preferred it that way.
Back in Nynel�shian�s home of Sianthyl�sari, the golden-coloured leaves of the Palace of Morning were as vibrant as ever, despite the recent chill in the forest air. From outside the city, there is no sign of activity on the streets above, though even at this early hour, there was certain to be plenty of nobles, diplomats, and palace staff dashing madly to and fro. The Palace would remain as busy as ever, despite his long absence. Just the night before, Nynel�shian had received a pile of dispatches demanding his urgent attention, the most important of which dealt with a secret that few in Lirynn knew: the Cult of Winter was awakening. Long presumed destroyed, Nynel�shian could only pray that the Cult had been inadvertently exposed, rather than considering itself strong enough to reveal its presence in Lirynn once more. Meanwhile, he stood on the balcony of Na�el�s finest hotel, with no choice but to wait. His mother rested her slender hand on his arm and said softly, �Such is the duty of the Monarch.�
Silverdawn is constantly abuzz with activity, as it is the seat of the Kingdom of Lirynn, and a place that many travellers, who pass through the Glimmerwood forest, choose to stop in. Many elves, as well as humans and even minotaur, have been seen to visit this fair city, which has turned into a city of commerce instead of separatism, with the latest ruling by our Siril�veren, Nynel�shian that the borders should be open to all who wish to enter. Even so, the guards still question all that deign to enter this fair city, and for good reason, as not all who enter is seeking mere enlightenment at the hands of the elves. Myself, always having one ear open for information, am pleased to be able to tell you a little about it.
Lately, rumours have been flying about a certain Lady Taerlya, a noble woman of Silverdawn and known contributor to the Church. It seems she has been going through quite a few suitors recently, although with the open borders, it seems that no elven noble should ever be short of new ones! There are some that believe it is very odd how she takes them in, parades them about the city, and then they disappear and are never spoken of again. Even while this seems very strange, it is common knowledge that the nobles of Silverdawn like to keep to themselves, and some of them are believed to have other dwellings in Thornmist or Na�el, so it is possible that perhaps her suitors found new homes, when their uses had been expended. A bard named Cyril and a girl that only calls herself �Asa� have been spreading recent rumours, however, around the inns and taverns of Silverdawn, that some of her activities may be related to the worship of Grytl, and not necessarily in a good way. If one relies on the elves and their paranoid personalities, more information may be unearthed in the future on this topic.
As well, the entrance of a minotaur into Silverdawn, while not uncommon, is a source of concern to the Church, as she has been asking around about a human herbalist that is selling bad herbs. Kerrigern is her name and she comes from Na�el, where her friend was kidnapped after ingesting an herb that turned out to be a powerful sleep inducer! Apparently there is information that this man, calling himself �Kell�, may be either residing around or has visited Silverdawn, and possibly had stopped at the Healers� Hall for herbal information. Of course, everyone in Silverdawn knows that you can�t always trust a human, so herb buyers, beware! It appears, from some reports, that this human may also be tied in with some goblins. . . well that should definitely be investigated! Although the Church does not deign itself to have to do so, and since the minotaur herself has taken it upon herself to go look. . . well that�s just peachy with them!
Speaking of goblins; it seems that goblins have been sighted roaming around the forest between Silverdawn and Na�el! A young student at Silverdawn University had seen some on a travel he had taken through there, and it seemed the goblins were only interested in the pretty young elfess at his side. This student, being a strong and noble elf, did scare them off of course, but the fact remains that these goblins should not be just simply wandering about in Lirynn�s forests, with who knows what on their agenda! The guards will be on the look out for any suspicious looking goblins, and since that�s near all of them, life might be quite difficult for any goblin that even approaches Silverdawn for a while!
There are always more rumours that can be found and one concerns the sudden occurrence of large amounts of spiders in the city. Gray spiders, known as �Grytl�s Messengers�, have been coming into Silverdawn and seen wandering about the city, often in large groups. They do not seem to have a real pattern of movement, but it is well known among those that are experts in insectology (or simply the bard that has some mere knowledge of these rare spiders) that these spiders rarely come near cities, preferring to stay in the forest. Now, Silverdawn IS a forest-city, but these spiders, known to dwell in the Glimmerwood and Spiritwood, have never been seen wandering the city before! The rumours concern the fact that someone else might be controlling them to do so. . . but to what end?
Along with that news comes that of the disappearance of one of the Silverdawn University instructors. Two young elves are investigating this, one a student of his, a studious elf named Taplar, and the other whom appears to be simply a randomly concerned student from the University whom calls himself Terrel. Of course, they are both working alone, and I think that if the two would pair up it would be more efficient, but what�s the likelihood of that in the elven community? Well, we shall see how this situation turns out. The very incident of an instructor disappearing does not bode well for the University and hints that there is something quite a bit larger going on there.
Lastly, I have recently heard of a most disturbing occurrence! A rash young elf has decided to try and get entrance into Silverdawn by threatening a guard! The guards do not take that lightly, and now one Thelwitt Hunter has been taken in for questioning about why he felt it necessary to harass a guard of Silverdawn! What is this city coming to when elves feel it necessary to do things such as that, even if only for a joke? I suppose he�ll find out now that it is not good to mess with the elevator guards.
Well, that is all that I have to report for this issue! Now, to go catch up on that cat-nap. . .
The Mystical Cat of Silverdawn
ATTENTION ALL HEROES! The New Bael'lian of Nael has been kidnaped! Pack your bags and head out immediately, her chances of survival depend on YOU. Her whereabouts are unknown and the kidnappers are dangerous.
It was reported that the New Bael'lian, Tarlania and her cat were on their way to learn to govern the new village when tragedy struck and their keeper was harmed in order for her to be taken. He remembers nothing and therefore should not be bothered by the championing heroes vying for the position to save the mayor.
In other news of Na'el, it seems that the mayor has not been the only one to be kidnaped. In fact it seems to be a growing trend that the people of Nael fail to show up and considered missing! The lack of dependability of people in Nael perhaps should lead us to believe that the new city will fail just as much as the old? Not only are people being kidnaped but framing seems to be happening as well. It seems that people are disappearing (another possibility of kidnaping perhaps?) and others are being put to blame for their leave?
On a final note, we'd like to send out a hearty congratulations to Kestrel Tkari and Yanas, who are expecting their first child and are soon to be married. CONGRATULATIONS KESTREL AND YANAS!!!!
As my animals, my companion and I made our way to Na�el before setting sail for Kel and I also heard a few things about the Village of Thornmist. It would seem that one particular elfess is in heaps of trouble. She�s betrayed, or so it�s said, a person by the name of Githkin. Her options were to leave her lover and be banished from Lirynn or to tie herself to this Githkin. I suppose she really loves her man because she remained in Lirynn. I wonder if it was worth it.
I sit here, trying to recall if anything else was said; any more rumors that I heard on my hasty journey. Ah yes, there was another elf. In fact, this is worrisome to anyone who happens to be traveling within the forests. This new deputy into the Enth�ryni militia has found his first assignment to be, well, quite repulsive, I would think. He began a search for a group of scouts and found them. However, the group had been the victim of some terrifying beast which left the group dead, only the marks from viscous teeth left to tell the story. That is, until the deputy found quite a treasure within one of the scout�s saddle bags. For the safety of those who inhabit the Spiritwood forest, I hope the deputy unravels this mystery quickly.
Recently, I was hustled from Sianthylhsari to Kel and heard the most amazing stories while travelling through the Lirynn Wilderness.
There is this human there. How he made it into the wilderness, I�ll never know. I hear that his adventure has been made quite difficult, however, by the presence of a violent water monster. This beast can not only swim into the depths of the sea, but also was heard by this hearty human upon the land! A group of sailors attempted to rescue the human, however, the occupants of the Fortune had the misfortune of being the monster�s target. The Xebec sunk, taking with it the human�s belongings as well as the sailors - except for one elf. His last conscious act was to save the human who was swimming to safety. His deed did not go unnoticed, and he was pulled from the murky depths, and now lies unconscious on the dangerous shore. I can only hope that these two are able to make it to safety before the evil beast returns for them.
In another part of the wilderness I heard of a small family; the couple regaining their strength and enjoying time with their daughter in the Palace. Sounds very lovely and peaceful, right? Well, that assumption would be very wrong. That is, if the rumours I heard are true. This dark elf has faced many horrible things that I do find myself wondering if it was all merely the ranting of a mad woman, but in case its all true, I�ll share the story with you.
The couple has seen their share of horror through cultists separately and now, I hear, together. There is a strange, hairless cult called the Cult of Winter. Our hero in this little family seems to have a personal vendetta against this Cult and is currently preparing to wage another war against what he has been shown to be a possible future. A future much too terrible for me to repeat here. Will he prevail? Let�s all hope so. But first, this mage has some dealings in the spirit world to contend with, �lest he never have the chance�. Somehow, throughout all of this turmoil he is still able to spend time with his Lady and his adopted daughter. One can only hope and pray to the gods that the two return from this next mission in better condition than they returned from the last.
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