Dale News - 2015-01

Date	Location	Title
09	ESGAROTH	An Avaricious Arathmor Arrives
13	ESGAROTH	Of handsome hoods
13	ESGAROTH	I will cut you, boy!
14	ESGAROTH	Sick Servants
21	ESGAROTH	Hell Hath No Fury
23	ESGAROTH	Librarian Knows

Post Title:	An Avaricious Arathmor Arrives
Author:	Varic
Date posted:	9 January 2015
Short version: VARIC Arathmor arrives in town, abuses his debtors, and is instructed in the righteous path of kindness by ORIANA Karath, at whom he scoffs. THORALD Karath skulks about in a hood sort-of-shopping and later is glimpsed by ORIANA, who is surprised at the fleeting sight. Elvish is spoken; Livestock phenomena is discussed. Gossipy version: "I was in the market today," Imulda remarks to her neighbor Lotte, who is unimpressed. "When are you not? You're always spending money you haven't got." Unimpressed and critical. Imulda is undeterred. "And you wouldn't believe what I saw there, would you? There's a new Arathmor arrived in town, the young Lord VARIC Arathmor of Dale." Lotte mulls it over. "A new Arathmor? I did think I'd misplaced some coins yesterday, but probably they ended up in his pockets, somehow." Imulda goes on. "He was having it out with some poor merchant who was fool enough to borrow money from Arathmor from a venture that went bad. All the cargo lost, and now Lord Varic is calling in the debt, that that poor man's got nothin' to show for it, all that money borrowed. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes, to be sure! But they happened along the Lady ORIANA Karath, and there's a noble with a kind heart. She is the sweetest thing, isn't she? And so talented, she was even speaking the elf language today! Why isn't she married yet? Hm! Well she tried to tell the Arathmor that kindness and charity is a better way, but she should have known better, bless her, those types will never listen. Some man in a hood was hanging around the edges of their conversation, or maybe it was just coincidence... he stepped right through the pair of them, anyhow, and Lady Oriana looked like she'd seen a ghost." (Cameo appearance by the redoubtable THORALD). "I wonder who it could have been?" Lotte wonders. "I don't know," Imulda admits. "Probably someone wondering why any decent girl would take so long talking to them as have never got anything nice to say." Lotte admits to having heard some gossip already, "Is it true that he called her a two-headed sheep?" Imulda cackles. "He might have done. Who knows what goes on in those addled minds?"

Post Title:	Of handsome hoods
Author:	Thorald
Date posted:	13 January 2015
"You know that story Ines... errr... Ermessinde? Imelda? Zelda? Well, anyway, the one she spun about the Arathmor and that manly Steward of Karath?" "Come now, Piggy, she's not really that manly. When she wears a dress, I can see the...," "Shut up and look busy, boss is coming!" ... "So yes, I know who that hooded person was that stalked the... err... girly Steward of Karath." "Reaaallly? How would you possibly know?" "I was making deliveries on the square and heard it clearly! She said it was her brother!" "That's very unlikely..." "Don't hail on my march!" "You mean, rain on your parade?" "What parade? What are you talking about?!" "It is the say--- ugh, nevermind. Did the stranger look like... what did they call him? Bear? Moose? Something like that." "I don't know but they must be close because when we came back to the docks, I saw them chatting by the railing, all close and such. Hrm.. so if not her brother, it must be her man!" "Why would Lord Gerik hide himself like that?" "Pfft! Please, he's not her man, he's too soft!" "He's in the army, he can't be soft, Piggy. When you're hip-deep in orcs, you gotta be tough." "Yes well, that's what I've heard. Shh! He's coming this way again! Grab the net!" ... "It's Imulda, by the way. She's my wife." "... crap."

Post Title:	I will cut you, boy!
Author:	Varic
Date posted:	13 January 2015
Short version: Lord VARIC Arathmor, in poor temper, is accosted in the Great Hall by Lady AILITH of Girion (played by THORALD) regarding an injury to his head. Varic refuses treatment; Ailith warns him against the consequences of festering wounds, stupidity, and the lethal mingling thereof. Varic persists in the latter (if not yet the former), until the Lady's guards have had enough of his attitude. Lady ISOBEL arrives to greet her friend, and is summarily insulted by the Arathmor regarding the station of her House. It is nothing she has not heard before. Gossipy version: "So what is it like," Elin asks her grown daughter Barra, "Cleaning house and emptying chamber pots for the Arathmor Suites now? Is it true when they take a dump, they dump gold?" Barra laughs. "Turns out they dump the same as everybody else," she declares. "Nicer chamber pot, maybe. But they have problems normal people wouldn't have... just two nights ago, one of the ladies knocked into a high shelf and knocked off a box. Just the box alone must be worth more than my year's pay, the wood all gilded and inlaid with jewels! Sure enough, it clocked Lord VARIC straight in the head, cut him open and blood and whatnot all over the gold and pearls inside. If you've got so much money you come to injury on it... well there's a moral to that story somewhere, I'm certain of it." "So that's how it happened!" Elin exclaims. "I saw him in the Great Hall and he got some funny looks for that, to be sure, but I notice he didn't speak up none about what manner of harm befell him. Me, I thought someone else must cut him, he's that obnoxious to everyone. That Girion healer, Lady AILITH, is a tough one though, she didn't take ought from him that she didn't give right back, and maybe some more besides. I can't help but think she ought to watch that tongue in front of her innocent daughter, though, I'm just saying! Lady ISOBEL Taurdain arrived and didn't seem over delighted with any of the goings on, she's a classy one." Elin seems disappointed by that, and moves back to the provider of juicier gossip, "Lady Ailith said she'd cut all sorts of words I won't repeat into Lord Varic's head if he was fool enough to let the wound fester and then come crawling to her for help." "Is it wrong to hope the young lord's wound takes to fever, then?" Barra contemplates. "Not at all, child," Elin reassures. "Not at all. He's got his sources of entertainment, and we've got ours!"

Post Title:	Sick Servants
Author:	Varic
Date posted:	14 January 2015
Short version: At the craftsmen's guild, Lady ORIANA Karath overhears Lord VARIC and his cousin Lady Lianna Arathmor (NPC) arguing over what to do about a sick Arathmor servant. Lady ISOBEL joins in to greet Oriana; the Karath and Taurdain women recommend the healing services of BREV or AILITH. Smack is talked about Arathmor healers, about Arathmor, and about justice; Oriana buys a gown; Isobel puts baby in a corner; Varic has no soul and his head wound disappointingly fails to fester. Gossipy version: "Barra," says Imelda, bouncing her baby on her hip, "I was in the craft hall today and you won't guess what I overheard. What's taken Sirya so ill that it's got two Arathmors arguing about it over a tray of gems? Wasn't she just fine when she came in from Dale?" "She's grievous ill," Barra confirms. "Just took to it sudden-like and she gets worse and worse. Lady Lianna's fit to be tied to have her maid sick that way, wants to throw her right out, but Lord VARIC isn't having it none. He wanted Sirya to come down from Dale with the rest of them in the first place. Told Lianna she'd never find better down in the dumps of Esgaroth." Imelda is baffled. "Why isn't it the both of them pitching her out? Not that they should, poor soul, but they're not known for kindness, are they? I overheard the ladies ISOBEL and ORIANA in the craft hall too, good ladies both -- I do wish that Oriana would find a husband, it's unseemly. Oh, maybe she was buying a new gown there at the hall to impress a new suitor? It did look to have a low neckline, that will turn heads to be sure. It better not turn MY husband's though, I'm just saying. And she almost forgot to pay for it, so perhaps her head is in the clouds, thinking of some husband to be? Hmm! Oh... where was I..." "Lady Isobel and Oriana said something to the Arathmor?" Barra prompts. "Oh yes, they said that lord Varic take the girl to BREV or Lady AILITH for healing," Imelda continues. "That Brev is probably too busy minding his Lady's child... but I sure would like to see the Arathmor pup deal with either one of them, to be sure. They would take him down a few notches and no mistake! Lady Isobel said Varic would have to wear a fool's hat, after AIlith got done carving words into his head for payment! But isn't that something? For a lord of Arathmor to farm out someone from under his roof to other healers, threatening to dump the Arathmor healers in the lake for failing, even coming to a Girion of all people! What makes a servant, even a pretty one like Sirya, worth that to a lord?" Barra rolls her eyes. "Oh, Imelda. Yes, a lord is so interested in his cousin's welfare that he's got an opinion on which maid she brings, and is then so caring of the maid herself that he's willing to bring her to his enemies' doorstep that she might be cured of her ills. And it's an Arathmor, no less, who's suddenly taken with all this care. Yes, why indeed? Think about it for a while, it'll come to you."

Post Title:	Hell Hath No Fury
Author:	Oriana
Date posted:	21 January 2015
Did you see, that VARIC fellow, that Arathmor, was about looking for money. Isn't that just their way! And he scurried off quick I'm betting he got a good deal elsewhere and had to go get it. Gold in his eyes, and steel in his heart. Pity he couldn't buy himself some looks! What really got my attention was the lady ORIANA, she was talking to BREV. I only got close enough to hear a little bit, and if you ask me, what I heard was interesting, and what I saw too! Seems the Steward was in such a fury her eyes could burn down a town - not this one, don't need that again! And Brev was trying to calm her down. I think I heard them talking about someone being pregnant, and her brother. Now I reckon her brother isn't the one pregnant, but maybe he got some girl knocked up! They kept looking at the Fishtale and we all know what sort of seedy people linger there. At the end of it though they both walked away, both on a cooler note. But Brev went to the underdecks, I wonder -why-. Ah well, I guess we'll need to keep our ears open. Maybe there will be a new Karath heir!

Post Title:	Librarian Knows
Author:	Thorald
Date posted:	23 January 2015
"Oy, Bran. Sorry about the other time... I didnae know she was your wife!" "Hrmph." "Come on, now. Lets be friends now. I never forget now! Imulda, yes?" "Alright, Piggy.." "I heard another news. I mean, I wasn't quite there but we can trust Wilbur, right? He tells the truth! Most of the time!" "How do you know this was the time then?" "He said it wasn't Lord Bernar I saw with the Karath woman, ORIANA. That I was being stupid." "Well... if he's right, he's right." "Heeey! It was that other Karath Lordling. That... ugh, whatshisname. The one nobody knows because he's not done anything, right?" "Most Karath have done something, y'know." "It's the one in the Watch! The tall one!" "Piggy... They're all tall and many Karaths are in the Esgaroth Watch." "Aha! But not all are Lords! Well, either way, it was him because he saw the fellow come out of the town hall. And a wee bit later, the Lady Oriana followed, all red eyes and wet cheeks. Like she'd been crying! I'm tellin' ye, something's going on!" "Right. With the Karath you don't know the name of(THORALD btw)." "Yeah! Err... Well. I think there's something there and it'll be juicy!" "A steak is juicy. A fruit is juicy. Gossip is just that. Gossip." "Hmph. Aren't you the ray of sunshine today..." "Just shut up and pick the net." "The librarian knows. But she isn't telling!" "Piggy!" "Right, right... Back to work..."