First Passage of the Frost Moon

The prayers to Maya must have been effective, because the fires that threatened Jalpa were turned back upon themselves by winds out of the east, and the fire was officially declared dead last An Tir, when heavy rains put out the last remnants. There has been much celebrating in Jalpa – especially in outlying estates which would surely have been destroyed. But the fire will still have lasting effects. The greatest difficulty now faced is for the huntsfolk. The eastern edge of the mountain that burned was considered one of the best hunting lands in the area. Now those looking for game will have to travel much further.

Overall, however, disaster was averted, and people everywhere can rest assured that the fire claimed no lives.

Tirian

Aranor’s temple of Sebastian will stage the largest demonstration of magic that the city has yet allowed. Practitioners from the school north of Aranor will aid in putting on a show highlighting all the major schools of magic, as well as to let people know what the future holds.

"We want to educate people," says Mared, a priest at the temple. "Magic has been terribly misunderstood since the fall of Antara, and people are completely uneducated as to what magic is, and what it’s capable of. We have people that fear magic, thinking that it is the province of those who wish harm. We have those who believe that magic makes people into gods, and grossly overstate the powers of people such as Cowan Faol. And we have those who don’t understand that it takes work to learn magic – those who practice magic study diligently, for years, to earn their powers."

While the day-long demonstration is meant to teach us what magic really is, it promises to be spectacular entertainment as well, since members of each school of magic will be required to show, visually, what makes their school different from others.

The demonstration will cost thirty silver for a day-long pass.

Tania

The first official rumors are on the wind – after a meeting with Lord Niall the Casaran council is in an uproar, and people are suggesting that Casara might break ties with Lord Niall. Lord Niall is officially the ruler of the entire New World except for Maelmuire – including Auralay, Cuan, Nirha, Casara, and Faol. But his rule is only in name – he does not collect taxes or provide protection for anywhere but Rilhaven and its environs. The recent troubles in Rilhaven, however, have left Lord Niall almost powerless.

Still, a breakaway by Casara would cause political strife – it would complicate trade relations and force Lord Niall  to declare his dominance, possibly even by force.

Casara is also plagued by recent troubles, including Sereg attacks last year and the new possibility of a revolt emerging from the Tanjaat District in Maejen Lor.

Sages suggest that a breakaway by Casara would create one of two outcomes-- an alliance with Faol, or a coup by Faol’s authorities, who control all trade routes to Casara. This could create further difficulties, since the treaties now in place under Lord Niall strictly dictate the relationships between New World cities.

Lord Kieran