Second Passage of the Ice Moon

Reports have been coming in for well over a moon – reports of strange encounters with a ‘man-beast’ who was haunting the Thieves’ District. A typical incident involved the creature cornering a victim and demanding, in a broken voice, any gold or jewelry they were wearing. The Thieves’ District guard has been pursuing the elusive ‘beast’ since nearly the first report, and have at last captured the man responsible.

"We’re not really sure what we’re dealing with here," said Jasu, a guard who was working the case. "He claims to be a lycanthrope, but the healers insist that he is free of diseases. His mind also seems healthy to the healers, but he is obviously convinced of a different reality from the one we know."

The man was captured wearing a pieced-together costume made up of furs from various animals. He apparently hadn’t changed out of the outfit for ‘passages’, and his scent was nearly unbearable.

"He wants to go to Saravai," said Jasu, "but we don’t think we’d curse even the lycanthropes with this man. He’s more animal than human."

Since executions are not allowed under Queen Lillian’s rule, he will likely be exiled.

Tania

There have been two raids upon caravans in the last passage, both about a day’s ride from Liramelle. But these are no bandits doing the pillaging.

"Both caravans were halted by a company of humans and immense wolves. And both also reported a huge, black cat-like creature in the area," said Captain Tarvus, who leads an elite unit of the Liramelle guard. "These are definitely dire wolves, probably twelve or so working together, and it appears that at least one of the missing Japuran tigers has joined them."

Both dire wolves and Japuran tigers are said to be able to assume, under certain conditions, convincing human forms. But a group this large, however, coupled with the cooperation of the Japuran tigers, makes this an unusual event.

Goods and captives were taken in both raids – two young men and a young woman were lost.

Hunters are scouring the area in an attempt to locate and kill the creatures, but they’ve had little luck. Both types of animals are said to be capable of fading in and out of the faerie realm at will.

While occasional attacks by dire wolves are reported each year, attacks of this nature could make overland travel impossible. Already Liramelle has reported a shortage of goods as merchants refuse to risk the trip.

We’ll keep you updated as events unfold.

Tirian

Over twenty pirate ships surrounded the small Jeddan port of Sen late last passage, carrying off a superbly coordinated attack. By arranging a perimeter, they blocked off about half the ships in the port’s bay, and were able to use heavy weaponry to ward off defenders attempting to paddle out from land. The pirates captured six vessels, all of which were waiting to unload their goods in port.

It was an immense loss, and over thirty people were killed in the attack – most of these drowned attempting to swim to shore.

The Irutokan navy was doing regular patrols around the island, but somehow the pirates slipped through the patrols and managed to attack without warning. They also managed to escape to the north.

The Irutokan navy quickly assembled to pursue the pirates, but thus far no reports have returned regarding their success. Many feel that the pirate Jaradin is responsible.

This is the latest in pirate attacks against Irutokan vessels, and it now seems likely that the Jeddans will pursue a ‘cleansing’ of pirates. The immense Irutokan navy, perhaps second only to Maelmuire’s, is more than equipped to find and destroy the many ‘pirate cities’ scattered throughout the seas.

Piracy has been a steadily growing threat in recent years. One in thirty ships that ports in Aranor reports being approached by a ship flying a red flag – the pirate’s warning to lay down weapons and surrender. Most of these encounters are dealt with either by fleeing or turning to repel the pirates – in which case most pirates flee themselves. But of every hundred or so ships that port in Aranor, at least one reports an actual encounter with pirates resulting in some damage to ship or persons.

Lord Kieran

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