Fourth Passage of the Ice Moon

While most of today’s diseases have been grouped under the common term ‘plague’, and respond quite readily to modern magical cures, there are few diseases that continue to stand out. Lycanthropy, Phase, and Misha’s Disease all have been resistant, at least to some extent, to our current abilities to cure disease.

Now another disease might be added to the list. There have been only two cases, both in Faol, and the specifics of the disease are still mostly unknown.

In both cases the victims seemed to be afflicted with a type of madness – a madness that led them to doubt the reality of the world around them. Healers could find no disease or abnormality present in the victims, indicating that the disease had changed the victims at the level of their basic essence.

"From there," I was told by Iridaan, one of the healers present at both cases, "the victims began to demonstrate the ability to wield magic. Our thought is that the madness affects the victim’s view of reality in such a way that it mimics the mind-states sought after by magicians – the world around the victims began to alter as if they were randomly shaping magic."

The victims, by this time, had no control of the changes, and as the magical effects became too chaotic, a magician was called in to cast a negate spell and disrupt all the magic in the area.

"We played with using and then removing the negation magic, hoping that we could affect a cure, but the victims only grew worse."

There seemed little choice but to keep the negation in effect, and due to the unhealthy effects of dwelling in an area drained of the very essence of creation, the already-sick victims soon died.

Authorities in Faol are carefully watching for more episodes, and are hoping to catch any possible victims early, when they might be more receptive to healing. Until we know further, we’ll have to wait for word from Faol.

Lord Kieran

"It’s nearly the size of a horse!" shouted one bystander. It might have been a bit of an exaggeration, but the creature certainly was huge, with tusks that could easily impale a human.

"We rode it down about a league outside Aranor," said Tanner, the leader of the huntsmen who brought it back to the city. "By the tracks, it might have been fighting with one almost equal to its size earlier in the day."

Wild boar can grow large, but this one actually caused quite a bit of fear as the hunters road through the streets, towing its carcass on a cart.

"It’s merely part of what’s happening in the forests," said Tanner. "The fae are emerging from the shadows. There are more chimera and forest dragons. And why should it surprise us that animals might be growing larger?"

Aryn, another huntsman in the city, decries Tanner’s words as ‘ridiculous’.

"I’ve seen many a boar that size," he states. "The forests are just as they ever were, except people are getting more skittish because of all these stories."

The corpse doesn’t lie, however, and the huge carcass was enough to impress everyone who saw it.

"That’s the last of it," said one man. "No more walks in the woods for me. I’m keeping to the city parks."

Tirian

Have you ever wanted to travel to a distant province? Well, now all you have to do is get married.

Lover’s Sails, a unique business funded by an unnamed but wealthy merchant who recently lost his wife, grants holidays to Moraithe for a fraction of the cost that would normally be asked.

"Our patron," said Garet, the captain of one of the ships, "believes in love. This is his way of giving something back."

The caravels, fully stocked for a two-passage journey, come complete with servants and guards. For only three hundred silver, any couple who can prove they were recently married can book private passage to the tropical isle of Moraithe. The price includes a return trip after one passage lay-over in Moraithe.

"This is a unique opportunity," said Garet, "and we’ll only be able to offer it until winter comes. So if you’re getting married, come down and book passage. We’ll be happy to accommodate you!"

Tania

To the Oracle Main Page

To the Oracle Collection-- Fourth Year