Third Passage of the Frost Moon

Lady Yalayna, who recently purchased the Arielle estate in the Merchant District, has been delivering some surprises in Aranor. Claiming to be the mistress of the Archmage Cowan Faol, she has been causing a stir by making extravagant purchases, creating problems for the city guards, and reportedly being quite loose with her affections.

Her latest? A masquerade ball to which everyone in the city is invited.

Although personal invitations are being delivered, we have been asked to announce the ball in the Oracle, and have happily obliged.

The ball will be held three passages hence, on the night of An Aran. Attendees must come with mask and appropriate dress – the doormen will deny access to anyone attempting to get in without some effort being applied to appearance. Otherwise, everyone is invited.

Though no building in Aranor could possibly hold the invited crowd, the lady has promised that Lord Faol will attend to the problem, and that food, drink, and space will all be in ‘perfect abundance’.

Again, all citizens of Aranor, as well as visitors to the city, are invited to attend.

It should be an interesting event, indeed.

Tania

A party of huntsfolk, searching the surrounds of the city for the legendary Kirjaan, which recently attacked a band of gypsies, discovered and slew a chimera.

"We picked up its trail near the gypsy attack site," said Mirabelle, one of the huntresses. "Which led us to believe that it was the chimera, and not the Kirjaan, that actually assaulted the gypsies. It wasn’t too difficult after that. We tracked the creature south for about a league before we caught up to it denning in a cave. It didn’t die easily, but we’re proud to say that in both the gypsy encounter and its battle with us, no humans died."

Chimeras, creatures of fae origin, are not easily identified, as the title is used to describe numerous creatures that originate in the Fae Realm. Huntsfolk usually call a creature a ‘chimera’ if it resists identification by other means. Mirabelle told us that "the creature did not fit the descriptions of the Kirjaan, and it also passed the ‘taste test’." Chimera meat is known as perhaps the most tender, juicy, and flavourful meat that can be had.

With an innumerable stone-weight of meat to use, the huntsfolk are getting good prices at such restaurants as the Aurora, Terick’s Lodge, and the Garnet.

And best of all, the authorities of Aranor have relaxed their warnings on overland travel.

"Barring the usual threats, the woods should be safe again," said Mika, of the Aranorian city guard. "Get out your picnic stuff!"

Tirian

"All we can say is that the dragon came and took it back," said King Avorine.

By methods most magical, the reported hundreds of millions of silver obtained by Masalla, by which they thought to dominate the world’s trade, has been lost.

"This has been sobering," said Queen Anabelle Avorine, in an official statement to the people of Masalla and the world. "We thought to change the world by our wealth – now we must do it by example. It is time for Masalla to re-examine our most basic methods of doing things – how we relate to the common people of our province, how we relate to the world of fae, which is swiftly growing in strength, and how we relate to the other peoples of the world."

Although many aspirations have been dashed, the experience seems to have provoked Masalla to make some real changes, beginning with an official declaration that Masallan law will henceforth apply equally to all citizens, regardless of social status.

Such claims will be difficult to upkeep, especially in a culture famous for unequal treatment of citizens based on class distinctions.

We will simply have to watch and see if Masalla holds to this new route.

Lord Kieran

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