Herald’s Quarterly 9169, 2nd Quarter

Posted on June 10, 2024

Hear-Ye! Hear-Ye! Read all about it! The Herald’s Quarterly. A semi-regular quasi-quarterly journal of events in The Steel Realms published by the World Watchers.
Herald’s Quarterly 9169, 2nd Quarter CY 9169 Month 4 – 6

Heartlands Spark > Set in Duchy of Dunstrand of the [Fantasy] Steel Realms, as a Living World storyline.

STATUS: PUBLISHED (in Oerdney)!

SOUL SCOURGE PROGRESS

In all directions, dark storm clouds emanate from the Vale Evander area. It is June and there is unexpected rainfall all over the Noble East of the Steel Realms – the entire heartlands.

Weariness and sickness sweep across the lands. The oldest and new born fall victim to the creeping death of malaise. Roughly another 1-2% of the population is affected, with the same populations that seemed resistant before remaining resilient.

A few in the realms have terrible dreams. Nightmares and waking visions of terrifying vistas of decaying corpses. Some fall prey to madness. Marks begin to show on them, and they are driven from settlements. Scholars think this may be some affliction of the Lich Lords seeking new mortals to make their Cold Bargain with.

The The Shielders of Pomata begin to gather their forces as the “War of the Soul Scourge” gathers steam.

The Long Summer of Elancil Ends – The Evil of the Orrish Returns

The relative peace of The Long Summer of Elancil is officially acknowledged as having ended.

Storm’s Harbinger: One night there is a storm over Dwindor Swamp. Black clouds and torrential rains fall, and a cold wind blows in from Scar Flow for a full day and night. Dwindor Swamp and the edges of Scar Flow become strange with odd lights and sounds for a week – hunters and fisherman along its boundaries are afraid. Drums are heard, Orrish drums. There are the sounds of a low dirge-like hum coming at different hours of day and night. After several days, those fiefs along the black shore of Richfield and Bar-Innis are forced to send soldiers in – whatever is happening is affecting the livelihood of many. There are several encounters with Orrish and the normally meek goblins are now prone to fight back. Something is agitating them. Just when a major expedition is to be mounted, the tension dies down and things return to normal – though there persists a call to finally eradicate the Orrish of Dwindor. Some believe a precipitous event among the Orrish has taken place and the call for this gathers support.

A haze and a fugue are spreading outwards from the Hawktail Hills in the Riverdan of Pelmon and out the basin plain of the Blue Willow Valley and confusion is sitting in all around Pelmon and radiating outwards into Cerran’s Grant and Monaides and Tufflum and Bondue. A great battle (Battle of the Light’s Embers) has happened in the Riverdans of Dunstrand and the World watchers seek to gather more information.

It is like a growing sickness and a wave of pressure that is pushing and pushing and will soon explode. Outwards, causing Neplanta keep to fall and it to become a fortress of darkness and evil. Areas in the heartlands are feeling the spreading chaos and confusion of The Deeping.

The Orrish’s Quest of Black Tears is in full swing again.

The Peace Process in Dunstrand Continues

The Peace Talks between Imperial Gwinn and the High King (through his agent the Duke of Dunstrand) continue, though several events seem aimed at agitating the participants have slowed it down. There is a greater crackdown on the Earldom of Bar-Innis, and movement is restricted. Many refugees are attempting to leave Tarmysia, but the Gwinnish insist on turning them back with military vessels.

Storm’s Clash: With the peace talks as the backdrop, and waters off the coast of southern Dunstrand turn turbulent. Storms of red-black clouds with fire in them, more like an ash-plume cloud, come out of Scar Flow. They clash with the dark storm clouds coming from the shores of Loamwold and the Pranin Moorswood. The great bats of Dwindor fly over the lands along The Black Shore of Bar-Innis, known to be the eyes and ears of the Witch of Dwindor. Something has stirred the anger of factions that call Scar Flow and Dwindor Swamp home. The druids of Pranin, the Witch of Dwindor, the Orrish of Dwindor… perhaps even the storm queen patron of the Gwinnish. The folk of Dunstrand are growing tired of it and there are calls for the Duke to eradicate these threats once and for all. Sea trade comes to a halt during this time.

The Evil of Mendollin is Purged

The Raiding Larks (with support from a local band named the Pin Feathers and a couple mercenaries) under the auspices of the Duke of Dunstrand are organized to hunt down and eradicate the evil warlock Mendollin and his strange familiar. A great deal of expense and power is exerted to accomplish this. They had recently ramped up their kidnaping and murdering of locals to enact what was believed a ritual to summon some fell being of evil power. Western Dunstrand had seen this escalate over the last couple years, and the World Watchers believed it was coming to a culmination if he was not stopped. The realm could ill afford yet another distraction in the many existing problems the High King is tending to. Those involved were rewarded, and the remaining Raiding Larks retired for good this time.

Storm’s Landfall: Amidst all of this, there are more and more sightings of Orrish in southern Dunstrand. Raids are getting more frequent. Land trade begins to slow, and become more expensive. The wave of rainfall rippling out from the Soul scourge battles is added to the storm clouds over western Dunstrand.

Old Enemies, New Allies

Troglodytes are now one of the main creatures seen as allies to the Orrish in many places. They are found all over – bogs, fens, marshes and the Underlands of the Steel Realms. They are being hunted now regularly be they allies or not. This is making The druids very angry because it is indiscriminate. Also on the rise are accusations of darklings and betrayals and promises of power for men who would betray their own kind. But the druids don’t judge all humans for that… but this is likely to bring trouble.

The {first?} “War of the Soul Scourge” is imminent in the south…