First Passage of the Summer Moon

When walking by the western gates of Aranor, you might see a small group of children lazing about on the benches. But they’re not your typical do-nothings. They are there for a reason.

"We watch the caravans come in," explained Gryphon, a young man of the age of eight. "Then we try to think of what happened to them!"

He refers to the growing number of caravans that roll into the city and report that they have suffered encounters in the wilderness – sometimes these are merely storms, washouts, or animals – but more and more often, they are encounters with fae.

"We’re feeling the effects more strongly than ever this year," said Nathaniel, one of the guards who keeps watch over the western gate. "Overland travel is simply getting dangerous." He went on to explain that Sereg attacks have been increasing, and there have been numerous reports of goblins. Other overland travellers have reported strange, dark, humanoid shapes sneaking into their camps at night – thought to be some variety of nightfae. But the greatest problem this summer are the harpies.

"They seem to have gone through a breeding frenzy," Nathaniel said. "Every day we seem to have a caravan that has been attacked – and it’s more than a single harpy tribe doing the attacking, since at least twenty of the beasts have been killed in the last moon."

No one has been able to sufficiently explain the rise in faerie influences, but some groups, notably the Last of the True Nobles, are blaming Queen Lillian and her lack of strict protections for travellers.

"If Goddard still reigned," said an anonymous member of the group, "he’d have hunting parties out there killing every harpy and Sereg they could find."

Tirian

"It’s one of the best growing seasons ever," said Mara, who runs a fruit importation business in Jalpa. "Moraithian fruits will be in abundance – the overflow is bringing the prices down for everyone, so if you’ve never been able to afford some of the exotic Moraithian offerings, this is the year to enjoy."

Ships are already arriving in our ports with a huge variety of offerings, most being sold for the best prices in history. And they will only get cheaper.

Moraithian harvests are affected by a wide variety of factors, including rainfall, heat, and pests. And conditions for one fruit are often not the optimal conditions for another. But conditions throughout the province are ‘just right’ this year, and the result will be . . . delicious.

Lord Kieran

Talen is lying, naked, in a shallow pool of mud. All I can make out as human are his two blinking eyes.

"This is going to make me into a stallion," he informed me.

He is paying two hundred silver for the right to soak in miutsya, a mud imported from Jedda Felsuin.

"What we are seeing is a trend in Jeddan beauty ‘secrets’, especially secrets which find their origin among the native Jeddan jungle tribes," says Alaken Rové, a sage with the Library of Aranor. "Miutsya is a red mud found in certain regions of Jedda, and long used by the tribal men to purify their bodies. These men also happen to be extremely physical, and are famous for their physiques. Thus a parallel is being drawn between the mud and the men’s musculature. In Aranor you can purchase a soak in some of the mud, and the claim is that you’ll notice more musculature in your physique. But the truth is that the tribal men are simply very active and strongly built. That’s not to say that the mud won’t help you, however. You see, the mud dyes the skin – only subtly, but enough that you may very well notice a ‘tan’ to your skin – a tan which will emphasize your physique. But don’t go expecting the mud to turn you into a warrior."

Despite Alaken’s words, men throughout the city are paying for the treatment. "It definitely works," says Matthew, one frequent soaker. "You have to be diligent, but I’m noticing a huge difference – not just in how I look, but in my strength, as well. It’s astounding."

If nothing else, it is benefiting the numerous bathhouses in the city, which are making a good profit out of having men soak in tubs of red mud.

Tania

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