Dale News - 2015-02

Date	Location	Title
04	ESGAROTH	Can't pay, won't pay!
09	ESGAROTH	What was that?
13	ESGAROTH	Baskets and Blushes
24	ESGAROTH	Story meeting
24	ESGAROTH	Dark Shadows
24	ESGAROTH	Strange bedfellows?

Post Title:	Can't pay, won't pay!
Author:	Brev
Date posted:	4 February 2015
You'll never guess who I saw in the Fishtale the other afternoon: Lady ORIANA Karath! Aye, she didn't even have the grace to look embarrassed, she was smiling as she talked with the old fellow tending the bar. Oh, and there was someone else too, though it took me a while to recognize her: that ragamuffin LOUSE turned up like the proverbial bad penny. Funny, she looks different somehow (did /you/ know her hair was blonde under all that dirt? Nope, me neither). Her manners haven't changed, though, judging by the way she demanded a drink. A fellow in a grey cloak (DAEGAL), said something to her as he left and I do hope it was a reprimand! Anyway, Lady Oriana had the bartender bring out some woman who was pregnant, and far along too by the looks of it. I was worried she was about to drop! The woman seemed to be expecting a handout from Karath, said something about giving 'mah babeh its rightful due' and 'payin' up'. Maybe she's the one the rumour-mill said was carrying Lord Bernar's child? But Oriana gave her the brush-off, cool as a cucumber, informed her that House Karath would not be party to extortion and then swept out of the place without passing on so much as a penny. Louse didn't hand over any pennies either - complained that the bartender had spilled half her drink (if you ask me, fear of House Karath made his hand shake worse than usual!) and announced he could keep it, as she wasn't paying up. Instead she stormed off. I suppose she must have passed Lady Oriana somewhere along the Wharf, but I wasn't wasting time on following them.

Post Title:	What was that?
Author:	Thorald
Date posted:	9 February 2015
Most of the people of Esgaroth living near the docks were blissfully unaware of an event happening right at their doorstep in the early hours of a particularly chilly winter's day. Those who witnessed it, claim that a group of Esgaroth Watchmen along with a couple of soldiers from the Order of the Black Arrow and several Royal Wardens, walked down to that hut that was on fire a couple of years ago? You know, the Old Bugger's former house? Well, nobody knew there were people living there! But I guess the guard did since they went right over and that fellow from the House Karath that has been gone for a while - THORALD, I think his name was - went and knocked on the door! We didn't expect him to get an answer but some fool opened anyway and then all hell broke loose! There were half-dressed men, fully armored and all of them were armed to the teeth! Albeit some of them had less than ideal weapons and shields - a stool for a shield? Really, now... But yes, the Watch under the command of Sergeant LOREN(played by Isobel), handled it quite well. The Steward of House Karath, ORIANA, was there, too. She was staying back until some unfortunate bugger ran straight by her and she took him out with a fierce left-hook. Wouldn't want to be him when he wakes up. Did you know LOUSE(played by Brev) is a Warden now? Well, she showed up in their armor and everything and kicked some wiry fellow's behind - or his bells, more like, ahem! - and made us all proud, what with being one of us and everything. The leader of this violent gang living in that house was someone called ROB(temped by Cer) and he almost got away, too, if it weren't for the Royal Wardens by the dock in a boat. That new High Warden gives me creeps, with his weird eyes and odd smile. Pfft, southerners... Anyway, the sun was coming up when they were cleaning up the mess and taking the survivors in. I went over and asked officer LOREN about what this was all about and he rather grumpily told me to mind my own business! How rude! Said:"If you were supposed to know, you would have been told." Well, I never! But yes. In the end, a couple of the fiends were cut down for violently resisting their arrest, the Karath fellow was stabbed in the back and Loren fe--- OW! Oh... I err... mean, he was so great we all should be thankful we have him protecting our city! Yes, sir! The prisoners were taken to the stockades and the wounded were swooped up by the healers. Speaking of which. Hey, pretty lady. I got this nasty bump in the midst of all the fierce fighting... Ow!

Post Title:	Baskets and Blushes
Author:	Oriana
Date posted:	13 February 2015
"Well now," Says an old woman who is sitting in the market knitting away. There is another old woman who is wrinkled and dusty looking sitting beside her. "I saw that Lord GERIK wondering here yesterday, with that healer ISLEEN (played by Oriana). Whatever would a noble be doing with a commoner?!" The dusty old woman laughs. "Taking pity on her I bet! But the lass is a pretty thing, though by far to shy if you ask me!" The first not so old but old woman shrugs and knits. "Saw him give her a basket of food and some toys. Do you think? Maybe she is -" The dusty looking old woman gasps. "Say no such thing! She may be a commoner but he is a noble man" They both burst into laughter suddenly. "I suppose that says it all! Why else would he be hanging about her hrm? Can't be because they get along.. could it?" The first older woman waves a hand as if to dismiss it. "Maybe we should keep our noses out of others business.." Again, there is a burst of laughter. They both know that is a lie..

Post Title:	Story meeting
Author:	Oriana
Date posted:	24 February 2015
Well, I can't tell you MUCH about it, I heard a little - of course, I -was- listening in. It's not every day that a Karath gets an invite to the Arathmor home. Lady ORIANA did show, and was polite as could be. It was that lord VARIC I saw her talking with in the study. Did I hear them talk about marriage? Well we all know how cunning -that- Arathmor can be, and I swear I saw him parading this man before the Steward! Is he playing match maker now? He can't truly be invested in her happiness? If you ask me.. something is afoot here, for their gain. And maybe it's through marriage.

Post Title:	Dark Shadows
Author:	Oriana
Date posted:	24 February 2015
Two gurads walk down the streets of town talking - but none if it is assuring. "I was on duty, guarding the doors, Lady ORIANA came through them with two guards. I know they went out for a ride to see something at the hillside. Whtever it was --" The first guard trails off with a shake of his head. "Oh come on! You're always a worry wort, I bet it's nothing. But, finish!" Says the second. Stopping the first guard looks to his companion with serious eyes and a tight jaw. "The Steward and the guards returned looking like death had spilled over them. Paler than pale. Lady Oriana went to her office and refused visitors. -Refused-. The guards were sent away. Something happened out there. Something out there made them -run-." There is no hiding the fear in his voice. "If they had to flee, how bad whatever is out there? I've never seen anything like it before.." The other guard stands there, realizing the depth of this and then turns to look to the land. "You mean to say, something out there sent some of our strongest fighters running, with pure terror on their heels?" The first guard nods and looks the same way. "Something is out there, hiding.."

Post Title:	Strange bedfellows?
Author:	Varic
Date posted:	24 February 2015
Val and Morgan huddle together outside the tavern, whispering gossip to pass the time while they wait for the rain to let up... "What was Lady Oriana doing at Arathmor House again, the second time in a fortnight? She brought a handmaiden with her, this time... was she afraid to go into that serpent's nest alone? I would be!" "Lord Varic had an Arathmor man of his own at hand when last they met... some minor noble of the house, I can't even remember his name. He left the city early this morning, isn't that odd? And he'd arrived by road, but he left over the lake..." "Come to think, all the Arathmor cargo headed west has been diverted off the roads since Lady Oriana's second meeting with Lord Varic, and they're shipping with boats over the lake instead. They would have been using boats to begin with if that was the cheapest option, so what in the world did she tell him that made him switch to the watercraft?" "It must have to do with whatever they're saying the Lady Steward saw on the hillside some nights past... Arathmor might be at odds with the Warriors most days, but even those spiders know to scurry away from whatever can scare a pack of Karaths into flight." "How at odds are they really though, if Lord Varic keeps inviting Lady Oriana to call, and she keeps accepting it? You can't explain that! Did you know that my friend's aunt's neighbor knows some serving girls at Arathmor? Those girls are whispering that Lord Varic is trying to woo a Karath bride..." "Not Lady Oriana! She wouldn't deal with those vipers!" "She would if she had to finance a war against whatever's lurking out there in the dark, wouldn't she? If I was Girion or Taurdain, I wouldn't like to see a union like that coming up, no ma'am... Good thing Karath and Arathmor won't ever get along, because an alliance doesn't bear thinking about!"