Fourth Passage of the Snow Moon

New violence has erupted in the Jeddan District of Aranor – it seems to have emerged as a result of the general confusion surrounding the recent loss of Jeddan trading ships.

As shortages of Jeddan goods are felt throughout the city, restaurants have had to curtail their offerings and numerous shoppes have temporarily closed.

"Queen Lillian is causing untold suffering," said one angry shoppe owner. "If she’d lift the sanctions on the Emperor, all would be well again!"

The sanctions were imposed this year when the Emperor attacked the Empress. Aranorian authorities feel sure that the former Emperor’s agents are responsible for the lost ships.

The Emperor remains missing, along with a number of high Jeddan personages who were reputed to be his friends and loyal subjects.

Lord Kieran

The selling of Luren – plants which specialize in imitating human forms, is illegal in most provinces. Here in the Old World, we’d hope that the matter would be one of common sense.

Nevertheless, Tiven Olan, a free-trade merchant who often visits the city, was offering one for sale. Until, that is, it escaped.

The Aranorian guardforce is warning citizens to immediately report sightings of a ‘dark-fleshed man with eyes of pure black’. The plant’s usual state is that of a spread-out lichen-like mass, all of dark green with hundreds of arm-tall ‘mushrooms’ growing upward. It can, however, retract its plant-like appendages into its body to assume a very convincing human appearance.

"This creature was being sold as a novelty, and we don’t know anything of its capabilities," said Kaitlen, one of the guards in charge of finding the thing. She assures us that the guardforce is searching the city diligently, but that the creature may prove elusive.

"Please avoid approaching this thing," she said.

Tirian

A swordsmith from The Cutting Edge, one of Aranor’s premier sword shoppes, has been awarded the prestigious Saravus award by the All-Provincial Swordmaker’s Guild. The award, named after a famous swordmaker of five centuries past, is awarded to swordmakers who refrain from using magic in the construction of their blades. Over thirty swords were submitted to the guild from numerous provinces, and each was judged on strength, resilience, handling, balance, workmanship, and cutting power.

The award is given once per year, and includes an erthynsilver sculpture and thirty thousand silver for the swordmaker’s continued research and training.

Howen, the recipient of the award, said that "I am proud to represent Aranor’s commitment to exquisite quality and workmanship. All I can say is that I did my best."

And his best has paid off. Recipients of the Saravus award inevitably experience a great influx of requests for their work – indeed, there are numerous collectors who travel across the oceans each year to purchase a sword from the award recipient.

Tania

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