Larian would undoubtedly have been one of the most famous people in the Known Lands. Not only is he young and handsome, but he was on the verge of becoming known as one of the great explorers of our time. Now, alas, he has made himself the object of humor.

When he wheeled into Aranor a cart laden with an immense skull, crowds assaulted him. "It is," he boldly asserted, "the skull of a Great Wyrm." Playing upon the newly-popularized theories being spread through the streets, he also informed the crowds that this skull was from the very Wyrm that had ‘created’ the Old World.

He settled himself in the middle of the road in the Merchant District, set up a small fence, and charged people a gold coin for the opportunity to touch the skull.

His drama became a farce when two simultaneous events laid his scheme bare.

Young Ned decided that he wanted a piece of the skull for himself. He darted in and, using the butt of a dagger, chipped a piece free. At the same time, a sage named Karn saw the true nature of the skull and declared over the din of the crowd that the skull was ‘inconsistent with what we know about dragon-kind’. As Karn and Larian hotly debated the lay of the skull’s teeth and the structure of the thin bones in the nose cavity, Ned approached Karn and showed him the unusual bit of bone that he possessed. It was clearly made of clay, and adulterated clay at that – the boy had found bits of straw encased within.

It was enough to turn the crowd, who, angry at being deceived, chased Larian from the city. The skull has been donated to the Merchant District, and will be auctioned off next An Ilé.

Tirian

Talloak Bridge, one of the longest and most famous bridges in Aranor, was destroyed last An Tir during a magic battle between two rogue mages.

Kaeris, also called ‘the Wolf’, and Adrian of the Forests, (both mages who were famous during Antaran times), pompously declared Aranor as the dueling ground where a long-standing feud would be decided. In blatant disregard for the ethics of Aranor, the two powerful mages staged a formal duel. Part of the ‘clearing’ of their dueling grounds involved the incapacitation of six Aranorian guards who attempted to break up the altercation.

In a flashy display, the two Elemental magicians attacked each other viciously.

"The purpose of these sorts of duels," said Amelia, a sage who studies the history and development of magical practice, "is not just to kill or injure each other, but to do so in the most elaborate and public manner possible. This is a matter of reputation, you see."

Kaeris was standing upon Talloak Bridge when Adrian reduced it to mud. Kaeris would no doubt have been buried alive if he hadn’t been pulled out, half-conscious, by the intervening Elite Guard. Adrian was also subdued, and both were placed in the dungeons which have been specially enchanted by Lord Cowan Faol. Both are likely to be made into city slaves for the space of two years, during which they will labor to earn enough gold to pay for the repair of all the property damaged, including Talloak Bridge. The bridge is scheduled to be repaired in the space of a moon.

Tania

The Casaran authorities have officially announced that they have ‘eradicated’ the Sereg threat. Experts in Aranor say that that means the Sereg have ceased the small raids they were aiming at southern Casaran towns and villages.

After the successful Sereg raid on Vellun, the Sereg returned to the mountains with their slaves and loot.

"This has made the situation in Casara all the more tenuous," I was told by Lady Emily, the famous sage of Illumination. "Those Sereg have better arms and armor than any Sereg in the history of our lands. Essentially the Casaran military is severely depleted, while the Sereg are twenty times stronger than before. Casara has some trouble to deal with, I’m afraid."

The Casaran military has chosen not to pursue the Sereg into the mountains, even though it is estimated that over 120 Casaran women and 40 Casaran men have been taken as captives. In the words of one unnamed Casaran official, "most of those people were criminals, anyway". He is referring to Vellun’s reputation as a home for people who have made trouble in other lands or cities.

In truth, the Casaran military would find themselves severely disadvantaged if they attempted to attack the Sereg within their mountain homes.

For now, then, it seems like the situation has stabilized. The Sereg appear to have withdrawn, and the Casaran authorities are busy attempting to re-build Vellun.

Lord Kieran