The Oracle
First Passage of the Dry Moon
Night Market Opens in Aranor
No one is quite sure who spurred the night market into being, but it is quickly becoming one of Aranor’s most popular attractions.
It began on Oko Street in the Jeddan District, just next to the River District. A few shoppes stayed open past dark, lit the streets, brought some of their displays out into the road, and hired a few musicians and an acrobat to attract crowds. Soon other shoppes were following their lead.
Last passage, the night market grew out to encompass eight streets, spanning the edge of the River, Merchant, and Jeddan Districts. A smaller night market has also sprung up in the nicer part of the Thieves’ District.
“The idea is simple,” said Mata, who sells crab-filled dumplings on a street corner. “Entertainers come here to make themselves known – there is music and dancing and drumming and all manner of fabulous things. The shoppes stay open and bring goods out into the streets, as customers seem loathe to enter buildings. Then all sorts of street vendors, like myself, come to the scene, because it’s a great time to make gold. The effect is a whole lot of people having fun and lots of gold being tossed about.”
She went on to say that theft is high, due to the chaos on the streets, but that the extremely high sales have more than made up for losses to thieves. A walk down the night market streets makes it clear – more than half of the businesses are staying open after dark.
I’ve gone three times now, and have never once been disappointed. Go see it for yourself!
Tania
Lethal Swordfight
“It was the most spectacular swordfight I’ve ever seen!” crowed Matthew, a commoner who witnessed the battle.
Last An Tir, Lord Caeus Matarre and Lord Jonathon Durant had a dispute on the main street of the Merchant District. Their shouting attracted the city guard, who came to the scene just as the two men drew rapiers and daggers.
“We train in swordfighting every day, and since we have healers and can train in actual full-force attacks, we consider ourselves some of the best swordfighters in history,” said Jaina, one of the first guards on the scene. “We simply underestimated the mastery of these two.”
As the two lords crossed blades, Jaina ordered them to drop their weapons. When the men ignored the command, three guards intervened. All three were swiftly injured as the lords protected their right to do battle.
As other guards ran to the scene, a quick decision was made to let them work it out between themselves before they were dragged down to the guardhouse for the crime of attacking guards. A large crowd formed as the two swords-masters, attacking with blinding speed, worked back and forth across the cobblestone.
Both suffered more than ten wounds from the other before Captain Marus of the city guard, arriving on the scene, ordered them shot in the thighs. Crossbows were raised, and both men gave a desperate lunge for the death-stroke, both impaling themselves through the chest. The crossbow shots struck true, but neither man felt the strikes as they toppled to the street.
“Each pierced the heart of the other,” said Jaina. “It was like in a storybook. But still, what a waste.”
It was, however, a spectacle of the highest quality, and a crowd of over a hundred people had a chance to see a truly masterful sword-battle.
Tirian
Lakiratai Temple to Open Near Aranor
Baron Erik Bracken, who had his barony approved last year by Queen Lillian, owns lands about a quarter-day’s travel from Aranor. His lifelong interest in the Jeddan religion of Lakiratai has prompted him to construct a Lakiratai temple, the first of its kind, on Old World soil.
“We followed Jeddan construction techniques,” he says. “The temple is completely authentic.”
Baron Bracken has a reputation of being eccentric and even a little crazy, according to some of his friends. But he realizes the benefits of a traditional approach to religion, and will have monks from Jedda leading the teachings at the temple.
“This temple will be open to everyone, from anywhere,” he says. “Serious students can live the monastic life and discover the real meaning of fun,” he explained with a smile.
While Lakiratai is often viewed as a strict discipline, its adherents are after no goal other than realizing the ‘unseriousness’ of life.
His temple will open next moon, and will begin taking students in the autumn.
Lord Kieran
To the Oracle Collection-- Fifth Year