182 AR - The Guldorand Herald

The Guldorand Herald | Cato Myrr

These editions of The Guldorand Herlad are copies. Cato Myrr left the Republic suddenly and I had to move quickly to secure these historic douments. When Cato did not return, I decided to make these copies as to preserve history of the Republic. Any errors in the copying of these documents is mine.

Aria Aspenleaf Quan
16-2-183 AR

The Guldorand Herald - Issue #1 - 5/2/182 AR

Hello! And welcome, new readers, to the first issue of The Guldorand Herald. As this is our first issue, I will give a brief introduction. The goal of this publication is to bring news of current events to the citizens of Guldorand, covering a wide variety of topics from governmental acts to current events, or even, gods forbid, threats towards our city.

Currently we will be covering Guldorand and The Free Port, with hopes to include news from the beautiful Myth Myon once this citizen and writer learns to read the fair tongue of our Elven friends without butchering the translation terribly (Can't have the famed Black Archers hunting us down).

W.C.W -

For those who missed the chaotic and captivating bloodsport of World Class Wrestling, this citizen is proud to announce THE MAULRUS as its current champion.

Held in the wrestling pits of The Lighthouse Tavern in Free Port, free drinks, betting, and fights between eclectic individuals entertained a diverse and enraptured audience for the evening.

The Maulrus, The Masked Monk, and Iron Tharchion battled in a number of rounds for supremacy in the ring, with bare fist and guile alone determining the victor.

For those not content with the battles in the pit, a brawl broke out during the early hours of the event that threatened to envelop the entire tavern, riveting in itself.

This citizen only has one suggestion for the runners: Fire the wrestling pit's ornery shot-caller, Stelluk Rhaen. His constant calling of matches early and stubborn dedication to rules, rather than the spectacle of its performers and fights, drew the ire of the crowd and distracted from the bloodsport itself.

Many thanks to Vulture for sponsoring this round's tickets, Invrathe for the supply of drinks, and many more thanks to Maxine Majesta for sponsoring the next (yet unannounced) round's ticket sales.

FOOL ME ONCE? -

A stage-magic production by the talented Maxine Majesta, held in the intimate quarters of The Mirage. The stage was set with four astounding displays of legerdemain and magic, with the conclusion of the show being an award of 250,000 coin for the audience member who could guess how each trick was accomplished!

The show began with a levitating desk, each item that tried to find purchase on its surface threatening to float off into the rafters.

Next, an audience member was chosen to lie within a box while Maxine's control over a floating Vorpal sword sliced through the box in a shocking display. After much showmanship the box was returned to its unified state, and the audience member emerged unscathed.

Not content to put her audience in danger, Maxine then had herself shackled and placed within the stockade of a very functioning guillotine. The blade was hoisted, and the rope released, a flash of darkness hid her miraculous escape from imminent death.

The final, and most daring, trick of the show had Maxine once again risk her life as she was placed within a sealed stone coffin and buried on the slopes overlooking the sea outside of The Free Port. During the very touching eulogy given by the audience Maxine appeared, muddy and tired, but very much free, and very much alive.

In the end Gabriel walked away with the prize, his studious note-taking during the show was certainly a credit to his victory!

This citizen recommends for any who desire a truly entertaining spectacle to attend one of Maxine Majesta's shows.

STATE OF THE TREASURY -

Many citizens became aware of the sudden depletion of a number of millions, in excess of nine million, from the city's coffers. Tax payers and citizens alike took to the boards to express their concern.

In a step to encourage the bolstering of lumber and food supplies of the city, members of the current Government set the buying price to nearly Three-Hundred times the normal rates.

In a statement from Vice-Sheriff Rikus Vahl, he stated that this was merely a mishap that allowed a small number of individuals to participate in "predatory business practices" and drain the coffers before he, and former-High Sheriff now-Minister of State, Brinja could act correct the mistake.

He goes on to encourage any concerned citizens to approach him, or any current members of the Government, with questions.

This Citizen is willing to give the new Government the benefit of the doubt, an honest mistake, but wonders why the official statement came from The Vice-Sheriff, who we commend for taking the duty onto himself, and not The Minister of Treasure, Chaesendra Barley, or even the High Sheriff, Lastar Bahdramot, himself. I know it would calm a lot of fears to hear from them!

We've been assured that The Government is doing everything in its power to refill the coffers, which currently stands at 12,277,857.

GOSSIP SECTION -

A Fey'ri has been spotted in Guldorand! These beings are the children of Sun Elves and Demons! Rumor is that The Coronal has taken a particular interest in this creature's presence in Guldorand. Look for the wings and horns!

Magic is going out of style! Not the practice, of course, but in fashion. The wild colors and swirls distract too much from a well put-together outfit. Anyone looking to stay up with the times should consider leaving off the magical protections in the name of style.

UPCOMING EVENTS IN GULDORAND -

Rogue's Gallery Music Night - A festive night of drinking and song in the name of Liberty put on by The Rogue's Gallery, Artist Collective, in Free Port's Mirage

A Night in Westgate - A daring show of mystery and intrigue put on by Guldorand's own Minister of Culture, Maxine Majesta, in the Magpie Theatre

Starting in our next issue, we will be taking submissions for Articles and The Gossip Section! Leave a note on our board currently located behind The Lighthouse Tavern (by the side entrance to the wrestling pits), or deliver them to Cato (look for the red hair and purple scarf around Guldorand). We'd also love to advertise your shows, plays, sermons or any cultural events!

Day 16, Month 2 (Alturiak), 183 AR
Anonymous

The Guldorand Herald - Issue #2 - 19/2/182 AR

Hello dear readers, and welcome to The Guldorand Herald's second issue!

Before we get to the meat of the news around our fair city, I'm inclined to mention a correction/update from our last issue:

Our Minister of State, Brinja, approached me about the article covering the State of The Treasury. To quote Brinja, "The Minister of Treasure has yet to define the position with Lastar, and has been busy with business elsewhere."

Currently Brinja is acting as interim Minister of Treasure with hopes to train a replacement.

If you're interested in a position with Guldorand's Government, and have experience with managing coin, you should speak with Brinja. Perhaps there's a career waiting for you!

FEY'RI -

In the wake of the gossip from our first issue, it seems that this rumor turned out to be true!

In a statement given by Vice-Sheriff Rikus Vahl, following a meeting with The Founder's Council, The Fey'ri's official status within the city is still being debated. In the meanwhile they cannot be barred from the city, but will be without the protection of the city and laws of The Republic.

In a spirited debate, a number of citizens weighed in on this topic. One citizen believes that these beings are little more than the demons with which they share (half) their parentage.

Another citizen claims that these creatures could even hide the signs of their demonic heritage, and that the common citizen wouldn't even be able to tell the difference if the Fey'ri was trying to hide! A terrifying thought.

Perhaps our elven friends of Myth Myon have more insight into this hotly debated topic. The Herald will continue to cover any updates as they arrive.

MOANDER CULT'S RETURN -

Our neighbors down the crags near Burrowhome and The Heartwood Grove have, once again, been battling an old menace, the vile corruption of Moander.

We spoke with Vice-Sheriff Rikus Vahl and Minister of State Brinja on the topic.

With the spread of Moander's cultists and influence around Bendir and The Crags, are you at all worried that their influence will threaten the city?

Rikus Vahl: We have been menaced by the cult of Moander before, but each time we have stood our ground and driven them back. Patrols regularly search for corrupted plans and destroy them before they can pose a serious threat. We have scouts and allies that give us regular updates, and I feel confident that we can handle them should they raise an eye towards Guldorand again.

And if any citizens believe they may have discovered a source of corruption, where might they bring their concerns?

Rikus Vahl: Any citizen is always free to come to me at any time. Otherwise a member of the constabulary or government. The emergency contact board outside the state building is a good resource.

Brinja: If I may add, It is public knowledge how to cure the curse. For any wanting that knowledge it is posted publicly in the barracks.

In the process of writing this article The Herald was made aware of the kidnapping of Guldorand's Constable, Velasco Durante, by the half-orc named Drakhnar, servant of The Darkbringer (another name for Moander, which I was informed is not a name to be said aloud). An opportunistic move that occurred within a Duergar Hold, near to the surface.

Velasco's wife, Ryana Durante, had this to say about the capture of her husband in a publicly posted letter to him: My heart chose you because you are strong. Our children are safe, and matters here have been attended to. I knew this day would come and I am ready. I promised you I would endure without you, and I will. Be brave, and be it in this life or the next, we will meet again.

When approached for a comment on the situation, Vice-Sheriff Rikus Vahl had this to say: Velaco's situation is tragic, and while I cannot comment in detail about it for security reasons, we're monitoring him closely.

We at The Herald hope that Velasco will be returned to the city, hale and hearty, in short order.

PERSECUTION OF KENKU -

Following the announcement by the Cordorian Jailer about an alleged prison break in that distant city by a group of unnamed Kenku, senseless vigilantism has struck our fair city.

In the hopes to get an interview, The Herald went to investigate a local hideout known to be the home of a band of Kenku, only to find the area controlled by a group of vicious bounty hunters. The horrific treatment of the Kenku in their once-home was shocking. Many were found tortured or starved to death, or burnt alive. Even this horrific scene doesn't include the many corpses of Kenku found left to rot around our city.

The High Sheriff, Vice-Sheriff, and Minister of state had an altercation with some of the bounty hunters responsible, posing as Writworkers, within the city targeting Kenku. Our Government has made it apparent that vigilantism against citizens who have not committed a crime against her will not be tolerated.

To those Kenku who fear harm, seek out Creak. As posted in Guldorand's public square, Creak states: Him and his kin would meet with them to correct the things being said and to protect the flock.

Another citizen, Eulcia Velayne, said: The Republic stands ready to defend its citizens with the utmost force. Any act of vigilantism against citizens or guests of The Republic shall be met with force.

We can only hope that our Government reaches a firm understanding with Cordor, that their hunters have no place here.

GOSSIP SECTION -

The fey of Guldorand square seem very interested in our resident jester's love life. Could this just be normal scamp behavior? Or have they set their sights on the man themselves?

One of the fey in question had this to say: Love is love.

In response to this gossip, our jester had this to say: Don't believe everything you hear or read and to come down to the Guldorand square today, to meet the world-famous jester. You can call him Wyatt Ever you want.

UPCOMING EVENTS IN GULDORAND -

We're sad to say that the previously announced event hosted by The Rogue's Gallery has been canceled!

The Winter's Rest has re-opened! If you're a literature enthusiast, feel free to drop in to visit their library.

A Night In Westgate! Maxine Majesta's latest performance, the night is sure to astound as we follow the tale of the famous spy, Fantine Fontaine. To be held in The Magpie Theatre.

A FINAL NOTE -

Going to break with my usual writing style here. I'm making this paper at a loss, and with the help of a few very generous donations I've been able to keep my head above water for the moment. If you enjoy this paper, and want to see it continue, please consider donating to The Guldorand Herald. Anything helps.

And, finally, Guldorand has seen a lot of hardships since my last issue, much of the news I've covered is grim and some I didn't have the space to cover this week. The Republic only stands as strong as its citizens, so whether you call Guldorand or The Free Port home, look out for your people, stick together, and stay safe.

As always, if you would like to include an article or piece of gossip for the next issue, feel free to leave a note on our board or office door, currently located on the upper floor of The Hogpen.

Thank you for reading.

Day 16, Month 2 (Alturiak), 183 AR
Anonymous

The Guldorand Herald - Issue #3 - 5/2/182 AR

INTRODUCTION -

An early issue? The Herald's original goal for the release of our publication will be (temporarily?) expedited! In truth some months the news may be sparse and quiet, and some may have us sprinting about trying to try and cover every story in our fair city.

Since our last issue, the city has been buzzing with events of note. So enjoy this early release of issue #3.

VAMPIRIC THREAT IN THE FREE PORT -

It seems the hunt for the vampire known as Laberia has caused some conflict in The Free Port. Citizens of The Free Port who, by charter, are largely protected from the ministrations of The Constabulary were faced with an Inquisitor on their doorstep.

The involvement of an outside investigator, with writ granted by the government, was halted in his work by concerned residents of The Free Port, who felt this was a breach of their freedoms. Too often many of them had seen similar 'beaters' brought in to rough up a population otherwise (relatively) free from Constable presence and interference. Tensions ran high, but were eventually reduced to a simmer after a conversation was held between these residents, Inquisitor Caratacus, our Minister of Culture, Maxine Majesta, and Vice-Sheriff, Rikus Vahl.

In an interview following this altercation, Rikus Vahl spoke on his feelings on Laberia: I mourn the loss of the idea of Laberia. The idea that someone would stand up for the downtrodden, it is always something I have identified strongly with. I went into public service here because I did not see anyone standing up for the people in the street. Not that there were abuses, but that nobody listened. Nobody was in the streets to just be there. There was nobody anyone could point to and say 'talk to so and so if you have a problem.'

We at The Herald hope that our Vice-Sheriff and the residents of our Free Port continue these conversations, and that our government continues to hold the ideal of listening to all its citizens and residents no matter the discomfort that may arise from them.

A community meeting was held amongst many Free Port residents to discuss safety and protection for The Free Port. Methods of protection include silvered mirrors which have been proven to cause discomfort, perhaps just long enough to escape, and holy water. Whether or not the common bulb of garlic is as effective in warding off a vampiric attacker is still up for debate, but better safe and sorry.

During the meeting, Inquisitor Caratacus, a member of The Radiant Heart, was invited to come speak with the collected residents. For some, to assuage fears that his methods would not be heavy-handed and invasive of the residents of Free Port, many of whom are grieving for the friend they thought they had.

On this subject Inquisitor Caratacus had this to say: Would that a hundred vampires walked free, than a single innocent judged falsely.

The meeting progressed, and while it was requested of me to not spill any of the Inquisitor's secrets on hunting vampires, this citizen will say that his knowledge and passion in not only the hunt, but the protection of those affected by these creatures, only added to the dedication and strength of the Free Port residents in attendance.

While we at The Herald cannot possibly imagine the turmoil of feelings for those who knew Laberia as a proponent of freedom for the downtrodden, outcast, and ignored, we can hope that our city comes together in healing and progress in the wake of losing one of its influential public leaders.

VELASCO DURANTE FREE -

We at The Herald are very happy to announce the return of former Constable Velasco Durante to Guldorand.

Velasco's wife, Ryana, wishes to express her thanks to all those who made this possible, a sentiment that many in the city echo.

The Herald has arranged for an interview with Velasco on his experiences. Look for that in our next issue! We at The Herald hope that Velasco has a well-deserved comfortable retirement from The Constabulary with his wife and children.

THE TEMPEST SENDS DREADNOUGHT FLEEING -

In response to a call from aid from The Silent Surveyor, who was currently in combat with the dreaded flagship of Andunor, The Flagship of Guldorand's navy made way towards the southern tip of The Arelithian Archipelago under the command of Captain Helkaros with The High Sheriff, Lastar Bahdramot, at the helm. The ships traded blows, and as the Dreadnought was sent reeling by the efforts of The Tempest, the crew of the Dreadnought was forced to rely on magical efforts to escape their sure destruction.

Helkaros: It is the effort of the crew that makes it possible. We did not actually sink them. Hells, we have to try harder

Helkaros went on to give credit to Captain Claire and the brave sailors of Guldorand, for it's under their leadership that Guldorand's Navy flourishes.

RITUALIST ENDEAVORS-

We at The Herald were pleased to be able to take part in a magical ritual led by Guldorand's own Vulture. While this citizen has about as much magical talent (or understanding, for that matter) as a Seagull, it was truly an incredible experience and The Herald's own inexperience was offset by those leading the warding.

It had danger, excitement, emotion, and most profoundly, a true sense of accomplishment. Magic of that caliber is neither easy nor cheap to accomplish, dear readers. It takes a combination of preparation, willpower, dedication, and teamwork far beyond the normal day-to-day adventures many of our readers are sure to be familiar with.

Between just four of us, we provided a service to Guldorand that, while might not be immediately obvious, has the possibility to offer safety and protection for a great number of its citizens.

For those aspiring ritualists or mages looking to take that next step in their practice, we at The Herald can truly recommend seeking out Vulture for an insight into these highly specialized gatherings.

GOSSIP SECTION -

Raksha sighted in Guldorand! These vile near-mythic creatures are known for their shape-shifting prowess. One citizen states that one of these beings, sans-disguises, wandered into our fair city. Constables were quickly called and arrived on the scene to deal with the situation. Eyes out citizens!

Two citizens, who wish to be kept anonymous, have brought up questions about the activities of our High Sheriff. Aware that most public announcements come from other members of our government, the citizens who brought up these concerns questions whether our High Sheriff has taken on any work besides his efforts with Guldorand's Navy or changing warehouse prices?

Elections have been called in Myon! Some heat seems to be picking up between the current Coronal Elinde and the challenger Silith. We would report more, but this citizen still can't read elven!

CULTURAL EVENTS -

Escape from the Beggar's Gate! An act of daring escape to be conducted by Maxine Majesta at the city's own Beggar's Gate.

A Night in Westgate! A performance by Maxine Majesta, the night is sure to astound as we follow the tale of the famous spy, Fantine Fontaine. To be held in The Magpie Theatre.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS -

The Guldorand Constabulary is recruiting!

The recruitment process is simple: Request an interview with Domila, Rikus, Lastar, or Brinja. A first day salary is offered and opportunities for aid in equipment procurement come with service! Help keep Guldorand's streets safe!

To those workers for the Trackless Sea Registry, The Robber's Nest writ is no longer viable. With the recent conflict between Bounty Hunters and the usual Kenku residents, writworkers will find that they are unable to complete this job for the registry!

FINAL NOTE -

As always we are accepting submissions of gossip or articles on the Herald's board or office door, located on the upper floor of The Hogpen.

The Herald is undertaking a rather large project (with little chance of success, just how we like it)! To any interested investors or those who would otherwise support The Guldorand Herald, please find me, Cato Myrr, in person around our fair city!

Day 16, Month 2 (Alturiak), 183 AR
Anonymous

The Guldorand Herald - Issue #4- 18/3/182 AR

INTERVIEW WITH VELASCO DURANTE -

The Herald was lucky enough to be able to conduct an interview with Velasco Durante on his recent captivity.

Cato: "So, when last we spoke you said that you had some tales from your time. I'm hoping this article can offer some insight and expectation for those who may, unfortunately, experience something similar to what you did. Does anything spring to memory with that in mind?"

Velasco: "I'll be honest. I only survived because my strategy was 'be feared'. That's a double edged blade, as if you become -TOO- feared they will gang up on you, it's a balancing act.

At first they thought I was a whimp, easily ordered around. One duergar, Azrak, kept ordering me around. I just ignored his orders. He got angry in The Hub (For those readers who aren't aware, The Hub seems to be the central district of Andunor, the nearest major trade city of The Underdark) and attacked me. I put him down."

Velasco went on to describe this first fight, with a number denizens of Andurnor, mainly a Fey'ri and a human, coming in to try and interfere. Eventually the fight was broken up.

Velasco: "What aura or message did I leave behind? If you aren't my 'owner', don't try being stupid."

This strategy of being the toughest guy around seemed to work well for Velasco, even so much as getting him a duel with the Tyrant of The Sharps, Argon. This was in part because his captor, Dhraknar, cared little for the violence that surrounded him. In fact, Velasco went on to describe that Dhraknar's desired purpose for Velasco was to use him as a weapon, largely against a vampire named Laverne.

Velasco: "Would the strategy I use work for others? Likely not. I was both good at fighting and had a captor that frankly didn't give a pike about what I did. Eventually, it came back to bit me on the hide. I got too cocky. This Rakshasa clown had annoyed me too much. I prepared a blessed bolt (Another note, a Blessed Bolt is particularly effective against Rakshasa. Even said to banish them from this plane, according to Velasco himself) to put him down. Sadly, six of his friends jumped me."

I hoped to glean some insight on how others may find their freedom, as Velasco has, but the information is kept very secret for a reason. If even one copy of The Herald, with the information available, made it to Andunor? It would likely put many more at risk.

Velasco's stories ranged from the sadistic flirtations of warlocks, to the odd kindness of certain drow. What we at The Herald found most heartening, though, was Velasco's parting wisdom for any who might find themselves stuck in chains in the dark, "There is one wisdom I have from it, I genuinely think that resilience beats iron. You don't have to be what I was down there. You likely shouldn't. But your tenacity is what'll get that chain broken."

We at The Herald will say that any who find themselves in these most dire circumstances: There are people who care, people who will help you. Take heart in that, stay strong, and do not lose hope.

ESCAPE FROM BEGGAR'S GATE -

The show began under The Beggar's Gate, on the west end of The Free Port to a collected crowd. Before the main event Maxine's faithful and sassy companion, the rabbit Sam, offered the crowd a card trick using his skills as a 'Mentalist' (the common term for a stage-magician who uses tricks of the mind to confound and trick an audience).

Gabriel volunteered for this trick, and after some magical math and careful guesswork, Gabriel's dastardly card choice of the joker was revealed! A trick move on Gabriel's part and good work to the magical rabbit for figuring it out in the end.

The main act began. With the supreme weight of the gate hanging over her head, and, in the words of Maxine herself, nine 'spikey bits' at the bottom, Maxine would have roughly two seconds to escape. Not being content with just that danger, her ankles and wrists were shackled below the gate. Two volunteers were called to assist in ensuring that the shackles were not trick sets, and in securing them tightly. As the crowd counted down from ten (and managed to do so, in a rather surprising effort) the two assistants prepared to pull down the portcullis.

As the count reached one, darkness enveloped the gate and lifted to reveal that, once again, the master escape-artist had vanished.

With Maxine's reappearance, heckling her own show, the crowd erupted in applause.

Though a shorter show, teasing for her show A Night in Westgate, it was as gripping and exciting an experience as her longer shows.

A NIGHT IN WESTGATE -

We at The Herald were unable to attend this show, much to our disappointment. Luckily we were able to get some testimonials from some of those who were in attendance!

"It was surely something else and I've seen many exciting performances like that. Miss Majesta is quite famous for her escape tricks and there was a scene where she escaped bindings before being tortured. It all looked pretty damn real. And it surely was standing out when the 'villain' set her on fire."

"The play was amazing."

Escapes and fire, how exciting! It sounds like, living up to her past performances, A Night in Westgate was a night to remember. We applaud Maxine Majesta on her strong run of highly successful shows, and look forward to the next!

DISASTER AT THE WEATHERSTONE -

We at The Herald have tried to cover this since the beginning, but ongoing a matter as it is, and with so many pieces to cover, there is no hope in covering the entirety of all that has occurred in one article.

Furthermore, as there have been actions taken by those who would see this disaster on our lands continue, certain key facts will be withheld from this article until the danger has passed.

The Beginning:

The tampering of the stone was done by The Unseelie Court of Fey, and those pacted to them. In an agreement pacted between servant and Queen, the stone was used to dry rising waters across the island, but in doing so resulted in the fact that whomever next communed with The Weatherstone would break it worse than whatever malady had affected it prior.

This unfortunate role fell upon Samantha Goodman. It is clear that it was not Samantha's actions alone that resulted in the breaking of this artifact, and the blame levied solely against her was misplaced.

The Guldorand Herald must state that /no one/ should be tampering with any powerful magical artifacts that control the weather, no matter your depth of knowledge or good intentions.

The Shattering:

What we have come to understand as an initial disturbance to the element of fire within The Weatherstone, lava and flame erupted in the surrounding area as some tried to reverse the damage done, to no avail.

In the wake of this, extreme weather events have spread across the island. The constant rain and snow has been witnessed by all, causing flooding in Cordor, Bendir, The Crow's nest, and elsewhere. The list of damages could be an article in itself, and our sympathies go out to all those who have been displaced by this catastrophe.

Searching for Solutions:

In a show of camaraderie and singular purpose, many from across the isle have come together in defense of The Weatherstone, and are searching for solutions to bring The Weatherstone back into a place of balance. Great strides have been made towards this, and we at The Herald offer our heartfelt thanks to all those who have put their lives on the line in these efforts.

The Consulate's Consort:

High Wizard Thaldrin Bloodshroud withheld information necessary to fixing the disaster unless a brave cohort expressed his feelings of adoration for The Consulate of Evermeet (To which the High Wizard stated clearly was more about the chase, than the goal itself). The negotiations on this matter were arduous, but in the end certain individuals were able to fulfill their side of the bargain, without the use of the Wizard's suggestion of using exotic dancers, or mimes.

Notes on The Weatherstone area:

The mound, on which a small stone edifice rests, that stands before The Weatherstone itself is the grave of a former keeper of the area, to keep his spirit appeased please do not stand upon or tamper with his grave.

The area directly surrounding The Weatherstone is still highly unstable, please keep your distance! Not just because of the danger this instability may inflict upon trespassers, but those defenders around The Weatherstone will not take kindly to those who stray too close.

More information to come as the news comes in!

POTENTIAL FLOODING IN GULDORAND -

Should the worst occur and Guldorand suffers catastrophic flooding as has been seen across the isle, those citizens who might need to evacuate have been directed towards The WInter's Rest, Eagle Tavern, or Almshouse. The new Guldorand Herald building, just off the main square in Guldorand, will also accept any in need of a warm, dry place to stay as best we are able.

Should a city-wide evacuation become necessary, Westcliff and Jotunhold can accept refugees or, if the flooding around Minmir abates, the keep of The Radiant Heart.

ELECTION IN GULDORAND -

With the departure of High-Sheriff Lastar, election season has returned to Guldorand. We at The Herald would like to apologize to our readers, we had intended to host a public debate between the candidates, but with only a few trines left in the election we certainly ran out of time for that!

We will say this: The Guldorand Herald will continue to act as an independent source of information, removed from the influence of our Government, no matter which candidate the citizens of our fair city elect to hold office. We will take no donations on behalf of Guldorand's Government. We hope that our new High-Sheriff, and their chosen cabinet of advisors, will support this.

We at The Herald wish each candidate luck, and look forwar

Day 16, Month 2 (Alturiak), 183 AR
Anonymous

The Guldorand Herald - Issue #5 - 1/4/182 AR

THE WEATHERSTONE WAR -

As in the last issue, we have been asked to withhold key information in the name of safety!

We at The Guldorand Herald were originally hesitant to call this disaster a war, but as the list of belligerents continues to grow, there is little else to call it.

Forces from around the island have stood in defense, time and time again, against those who would use the chaos of these dire times to make pushes for power and conquest.

Morghun's forces have pushed closer into the lands of Bendir, The Doomsayers who's cult resides deep below Guldorand have pushed from their cavernous abode, Malarites, The Sharps district of Andunor led by Drahknar, the list goes on.

Fey have also begun to try and sneak in under disguise and illusion. Due to this security around the stone has been increased. All travelers will be held at checkpoints until their identities can be confirmed.

To those many goodly folks who have yet joined the fight, the defenders of The Weatherstone have asked that those yet unknown to them to /please/ don't just 'show up'. Those who wish to join or aid in any capacity (whether it be warriors, scholars, cooks, or scouts) to send word to Juniper directly. This request comes during a time of concern for the continued security of The Weatherstone, and unannounced arrivals may be met with scrutiny.

We've been informed that the end may be in sight, with many of the pieces of the puzzle required to return balance to the artifact within the grasp of the defenders. We at The Herald, for once, hope that we are delayed in reporting the news. That this catastrophe could be nearing its end by the time of our publication would be a welcome sight.

Once again we at The Guldorand Herald give our thanks to all who have put their lives on the line to combat this disaster. Each and every one of you deserves quieter days, and a round of drinks.

UNDEAD ASSAULT ON GULDORAND -

With the rise of the unnatural fog across the island, caused by a thinning of the barrier between The Plane of Shadow and our own, undead and shades have become common and unwelcome sights on the road.

We were informed of an attack on our gates, a tide of undeath pouring in from the west. The city is lucky to have those who were on-guard and prepared for such an event, quickly repulsing the attack before the undead could breach the walls.

Scrivener Grady and Doomguide Christian were called in to lead sanctifying rituals. With the aid of many of those who had been defending our city three such rituals were performed: Along the western roads, the city square, and The Free Port.

These rituals should offer some defense against further undead incursions, but will need to be renewed as long as the fog holds.

While these rituals and city patrols are stemming the tide of undead that threaten the roads around Guldorand, there have still been reports of packs of these creatures from travelers. If you find it necessary to travel, be prepared and stay wary!

In the process of writing this article, we were informed that a second attack had just been repulsed. It seems the danger ebbs with the dawn, and returns stronger with its absence. To add to our previous warning to travelers, avoid traveling at night when at all possible.

A brief conversation with some of those involved in the Sanctifying rituals has led to the belief that these rituals failed, perhaps due to the machinations of the undead Earl of northern Minmir. It was reported that this second undead assault highly resembled those who are commanded by The Earl, and the forces of this second assault may have made the long push from Minimir on foot.

GULDORAND ELECTIONS -

We at The Herald would like to offer our congratulations to Brinja on her election to High Sheriff.

The Guldorand Herald will soon be sitting down with The High Sheriff to discuss her planned changes, and vision for her time in office.

So far we have this to report:

Welcome to our new Minister of State, Elucia Velayne! We look forward to seeing your work for the city.

A second welcome to our new Magistrate, Lora Thendry!

As promised during the election, a City Council is being formed.

Of the publicly listed roles, the following stand empty:

Office of the Chief Bailif and The Arcane College of Guldorand.

Perhaps our new High Sheriff has individuals in mind for these roles, but we encourage any citizen who thinks they may be a good fit to contact a member of Government!

We at The Herald will usually try to keep our political opinions off the press, but in this case we do hope that The High Sheriff has approached those candidates that stood for election for positions within the Government.If they were dedicated enough to The Republic to stand for its leadership, they must certainly have to dedication and knowledge to support it in other ways.

A STUDY OF SELF -

Are you seeking to improve yourself? The Soulhaven Monastery is always accepting students who wish to pursue a study of the self. Even if you do not desire to pursue a monastic life, the minds and disciplined practice of those who study within its halls are always willing to offer guidance to those in need.

We at The Herald have found ourselves drawn to the monastery's library and gardens during our visits, there is no better place for calm and centered writing that we?ve yet found.

GOSSIP -

New cult in Guldorand? Look for their matching raven hats, said to be undertaking highly illegal activities in the greater Guldorand area.

Doomguide Gabriel, beneath that gloomy and serious visage, is actually rather cuddly.

CULTURAL EVENTS -

Pan, local tailor of The Free Port, is hosting a fashion show! To be held at Pan's Tailory. Watch the city for promotions and announcements. Pan is also looking for a male model, and musical act for the show. Interested parties should leave word at Pan's Tailory.

FINAL NOTE-

Many have questioned why the papers are sold for a mere gold piece, saying that it would be a much more profitable venture should that price go up. I?m saying now, an oath if you will, that I will never sell an issue of The Guldorand Herald for more than a single gold. This paper is made for all, from the richest noble to the commoner just barely scraping by. I'm able to do this through the donations of citizens and readers, whom I thank for their continued aid. So, please, if you enjoy The Guldorand Herald, consider donating. Anything helps.

I will still not be accepting any donation on behalf of any Government. We are independant, and will remain as such. /No one/ can tell me what I can and cannot publish.

And remember! If you have an article you wish to submit, any comments, or a question for the Advice Corner you can bring those to The Guldorand Herald Building in Guldorand's main square.

Thank you for reading.

Day 16, Month 2 (Alturiak), 183 AR
Anonymous

The Guldorand Herald - Issue #6 - 18/4/182 AR

END OF THE WEATHERSTONE WAR -

We at The Guldorand Herald can't express our appreciation to all those who brought about the end of the crisis, and the Primordial who dwelled beneath The Weatherstone itself, enough. There are many lists around that name those who put their lives aside to ensure the island was saved, and even those don't cover all who aided.

We won't cover the final weeks of the conflict as we've had conversations with many who will be covering the events, the stones, and the history in much more detail through their own writings and lectures.

Again, Thank you. Each and every person who aided in bringing about this crisis deserves to rest and be proud of what they have achieved.

GULDORAND'S RECOVERY -

Many efforts are being undertaken to rebuild the city after the disastrous floods and assaults by undead. The city's coffers and lumber stores have taken a large hit, while our food stores and stores of stone remain in good supply.

We at The Guldorand Herald would like to bring attention to two recovery efforts in particular:

The Guldorand Recovery Project. A collection of citizens, artisans, and adventurers dedicated to rebuilding in the wake of the disaster. This project's goals and outline can be found on the board next to our public wall of flyers and announcements. Anyone who wishes to offer aid should leave word for Gabriel, who is heading up this effort, or by leaving a note on the aforementioned board.

The Ministry of Culture's Lumber Hunters. This contest, led by The Minister of Culture Maxine Majesta, is for those enterprising lumberers who will help gather the supplies needed for the reconstruction of our fair city. Those who donate lumber should save their receipts from the city and deliver them to Maxine Majesta. Rewards for top donations include increasing rewards of coin, and a few very valuable bonuses! Look for the office notices for the full list.

THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE FREE PORT -

The formation of The City Council, a promised act during The High Sheriff's election campaign, is a welcome sight. It takes an army to run a city, and we at The Guldorand Herald are happy to see the opinions of our citizenship taken into account as our Government sets the stage of how the city will be run under their stewardship.

As was brought to the attention of The Guldorand Herald by a citizen, the one issue is the representation of The Free Port. As outlined in The Charter, The Free Port will have no representation in Guldorand's Government, as part of The Port's freedom.

The High Sheriff has appointed Sil'avesi D'aoinedur, a forerunner in the election, as the Councilor for the Eastern Fortress and The Port.

While we are happy to see Sil'avesi being given a role within The Government, despite the support of many from The Free Port during the election cycle, this appointment does not fall in line with The Charter.

We hope that this will be clarified by The High Sheriff and The City Council, so that The Charter surrounding The Free Port may be upheld.

It is a difficult balance, to have a population of residents and citizens with no representation within The Government, but such is the will of The Charter. We at The Guldorand Herald would hope that since The Council meetings will be held publicly, any residents of The Free Port who have issues will bring them up during said meetings.

BATTLING THE UNDEAD -

In the wake of the recent undead incursions into Guldorand we decided that, rather than covering the incident itself, we should interview an expert and well-known champion of combating these abominations. We were lucky enough to interview Scrivener Ciaran Grady, of The Lord and The Seneschal of The Crystal Spire, within the quiet halls of Guldorand's Scrivener's Keep.

What is your role in your faith?

"Scriveners keep records; not just of the dead, but also the living. Births, taxes, biographies, wills, testimonies, and death. However, in absence of those of the Gray Judge, we may also fulfill the roles of a Doomguide - administering last rites, preparing bodies for burial, and performing funerals."

You mentioned your studies into becoming a Doomscribe. Could you elaborate on that?

"Certainly. To become a Doomscribe, one must study necrology - knowledge of the undead. This pertains to individual types, their habits, weaknesses, and strengths, and even what sustains them. Many Doomscribes also study Infernal or Abyssal creatures as well. This is to ensure they are able to effectively kill what they study. I'll be studying undead, as is mandatory, as well as creatures that originate from the Shadow Plane. Though my primary faith has been known to make exception for animation, I do not. My views align stringently with that of The Great Guide in that regard; that the undead are abominable, as are the people who would enable such - such as pale masters."

Since undead have been an increasing threat to Guldorand over the last few weeks, do you have any recommendation for citizens or travelers against the types of those abominations we've faced of late?

"Limit travel, and travel in groups if you must. In light of the increase of undead, I have been trying to provide cheap and accessible means of killing them. If you need to protect yourself, healing spells or holy water will do in a pinch."

If there are those who would want to further aid in combating the rising threat, how would they go about that?

"I have been trying to get the attention of The Temple and The Crypt Knights. Having more people petition their aid may help. Additionally, sanctifying rituals. If they need to be done, I can be contacted to perform them - though, lately they have not been working as well as I had hoped."

For those in need of aid, or have found themselves facing these undead and their necromantic corruption, The Scrivener had this to offer:

"If you need aid, enlist the help of local Doomguides. The ones I know of are Doomguide Christian and Doomguide Blackwood. Derristan Barley is also known to give reverence to The Great Guide. If you find desecrated remains, corpses, or necromantic objects I, or others of the faith, can see them properly buried or disposed of."

We at The Guldorand Herald have seen the work The Scrivener and The Doomguides have done for our city. With the rise in these incursions by the undead we hope that our Government will take The Scrivener's work to heart, and will aid in the petition to The Temple and The Crypt Knights in offering more defenses against these abominations that threaten our home.

CULTURAL EVENTS -

A Night of Intrigue! A mystery masquerade hosted by Maxine Majesta with costumes and intrigue. A game of spies, diplomacy, and schemes to be hosted in Guldorand's State Building.

Luxury: A Fashion Showcase. The previously announced fashion show by Free Port?s tailor, Pan, finally has a date set! Check the public flyers for more details.

FINAL NOTES -

We usually take this time to ask for donations for The Guldorand Herald, but with the publication of this issue we ask instead that those donations go towards the rebuilding of our city. The Guldorand Herald can survive a while longer on our savings, and the city needs the help more than us at this time.

Thank you for reading!

Day 16, Month 2 (Alturiak), 183 AR
Anonymous

The Guldorand Herald - Issue #7 - 27/4/182 AR

INTRODUCTION -

This is a long one. Due to our publishing limits, this issue will be our second two-parter. Make sure you pick up the second part for the full recount of recent news around our fair city!

CITY COUNCIL MEETING -

Prior to our arrival at the meeting, the subject of the attack upon Councilor Sil'avesi at The Weatherstone by Gabriel Blackwood and Rosette de Leon was brought up. As The Guldorand Herald was not present for these discussions, a series of short interviews was held with Councilor Sil'avesi and Magistrate Lora Thendry about the event.

The Councilor stated, "Diplomacy is a complicated matter and the status of the tension up at the Weatherstone was mentioned as a reason. But there is an ongoing investigation. As it is, I prefer to keep my head out of it as much as possible, being the victim of this aggression."

Do you believe action will be taken? And what would you hope to see happen?

"I am unsure. There might be some punishments handed out, pariah? Exile? That is my guess. I would like to see some punishment. Supposedly these two have been rather arrogant about it all. I believe there needs to be better communication in the upper echelon of all societies. Diplomacy is important, but part of diplomacy is punishing rogue actions and elements."

The Councilor ended her thoughts with a plea to the good hearts of our Republic that while we may argue, we should not fight. Peace and alliances are ever-important as the threat from the dark rises.

Magistrate Lora Thendry had this to say, "I've investigated both sides of the story. It's a complicated case. In terms of my power of the magistrate, and the city guard, we cannot pursue legal means outside our borders. So, the call to pursue high crimes falls to the High Sheriff and Vice Sheriff at that point. The law stipulates that 'The person and high crime must be considered to be a danger to Guldorand and its people' Given it was a military encampment, with a clear leader that Sil'avesi was not heeding, I don't think it meets that criteria."

The High Sheriff and Vice Sheriff could not be found for comment at the time of publishing.

Next to speak was Gustav, Druid of The Raven, from The Heartwood. He brought up the issue of deforestation during reconstruction causing damage to the balance, citing the writings of the Druid Corbin on the conflict between Guldorand's early logging camp and the Skull Crags Circle of Sky Druids. The Council stated that once the shortage of lumber has been rectified, the city will offer aid and assistance in planting more trees and in druidic rituals to see the forests flourish. It was also stated that the majority of wood has been imported by sea from Port Azoun.

With the rise in attacks by undead attempts have been made towards getting in contact with The Temple's Doomguide and Crypt Knights, but there have not yet been any responses. By the Doomguide, Scrivener, and High Sheriff. A citizen expressed some concern that Doomguide Klara Send would spend more time personally investigating certain devices contained at The Winter's Rest, rather than considering the petitions of members of her church and the citizens of The Republic towards the defense of the city.

The Guldorand Herald, of course, had to broach the subject of our continued efforts towards the construction of an official press building with The Council. While petitions have been made to the Founder's Council about previous project requests, not a single one has garnered a response.

The question was raised of The Lord Marshal Aleksander Hornraven's involvement with this Government. The High Sheriff has stated that the issue is still up for discussion, having fallen to the wayside given the recent crisis in the city. This line of inquiry left the meeting in a spot of chaos, with questions being raised of attempted contact between The Lord Marshal and The Government, revoked access to Governmental buildings, and descriptions of duties.

While the initial discussion was brought forward by the blunt words of The Scrivener, this line of inquiry was met by almost blatant hostility on the part of The new Chief Bailiff, despite the request of The Council's Chairwoman.

Emotions ran hot for a time but all parties involved came to the consensus that a meeting between The Government and The Lord Marshal would be arranged with due haste, to amend these bureaucratic mistakes and ensure that this issue would be soon resolved.

MAGNIFICENT MAJESTA -

An interview with the Magician Maxine Majesta could, of course, not be held without the master of the stage performing a trick during said interview! Maxine had herself laced tightly into a straight-jacket with her ankles bound, and hung upside-down for the duration. It should be noted that the average individual is only able to last ten minutes upside-down before losing consciousness.

Maxine you are, of course, known for your dedication to the stage. How did that begin for you?

"Well, I used to sneak into shows that were performed in Athkatla?s finest playhouse, the Crown Aflame. I say 'sneak', because, well, I wasn't able to pay my way in. It got me interested in the stage, but I'd say it was my mentor, an older man named Caliminus, who got me interested in legerdemain and illusion both. He would put me to shame with his skill in both."

And how did you meet your mentor?

"Through the five-finger discount, of course! I tried to pick his purse. He actually saw me, the wily coot! Said I was 'too slow'. He was right. It was an odd way to meet someone, but those first few moments on Waukeen's Promenade led to a fast friendship."

At this point in the interview Maxine began to work the buckles on the straight-jacket with her teeth, though seemingly in no rush to escape from her predicament.

Did you begin with street shows? Was Athkatla where you first performed on a stage?

"Caliminus did all sorts of simpler forms of magic on the street and I'd be there as his assistant. We occasionally got a taste of smaller stages. Nothing quite so glamorous as what I enjoy now. You would not be too off the mark in calling us charlatans or con-men, because there was a fair bit of that sort of thing from us. I remember at least ONE of Athkatla's best-known gambling dens keeping illustrations of us on the wall, because of how much we raked in through use of controlled throws. Regrettably, we were forced apart. You see, neither of us were licensed mages and so soon we both ran afoul of the Cowled Wizards. I escaped. He was not so lucky. Of course, I hold faith that he's gotten out of Spellhold by now. After all, he taught me. No cell could hold him."

Even though a mere few questions had been asled, Maxine once again showed her utter skill as the escape arts and was free of her bindings and shimmying back to safety by the time the next question had been prepared.

So, where to from Athkatla? Where was the next destination after your escape from The Cowled Wizards?

"Well, I stowed myself aboard a ship as a stowaway bound for.. What I thought was Helmsport, in Maztica. It ended up bringing me here, though. More specifically, to Guldorand. I had my first show in the Magpie maybe a month or two after I had arrived.. The closer involved me escaping from a vat full of man-eating fish, a trick I've become quite known for by now. Less well-known is the billet reading my stage partner Sam put on."

For those unfamiliar, Sam is Maxine's rabbit and stage partner who she saved from being eaten at a tavern in The River District. She had convinced the staff there that he could talk, and when Sam spoke they released the now-famed stage assistant to Maxine on the spot. Sam has proved a valuable ally and skilled mentalist as part of Maxine"s shows from that day on.

When were you appointed as Minister of Culture?

"I was appointed as Minister of Culture during Brinja's first term as High Sheriff. The post was left empty for some time, with Brinja trying to juggle the responsibilities of that office with the role she used to occupy in the erstwhile High Sheriff Salah Al-Layth's cabinet. As the Minister of Culture. I guess she admired the work she did so much that she didn't want to let it go and to her credit, one of my fondest memories from when I first arrived was going as the Simbul in the masquerade she hosted.I think, in me, she finally found someone who was as passionate about the republic and its creative spirit as she was."

What do you hope to see in Guldorand, Maxine? Besides your continued success on the stage, what's your vision for the city as its Minister of Culture and Chairwoman of The City Council?

"When I was first made Minister of Culture, I made it clear that I was not a censor nor would I ever be one. Creative expression and the right of all to speak their minds would never be abrogated for as long as I am occupying this post. I should like to believe I have kept my word in that regard, and Guldorand's community of artists and musicians, or poets and periodical-writers has flourished as a result. In that same vein, I as Chairwoman would never seek to silence or squelch dissent but to see dialogue shared freely, provided it is done with respect."

The Guldorand Herald would be remiss not to help Maxine advertise her Month of Magic! We hope that our readers find the time to attend at least one of these shows, as they are certainly to impress and astound.

CONSTABULARY V. SADIE CHANDLER -

When Chief Bailiff Kyelet had suspicions of now Former-Constable Sadie Chandler being a thrall to a vampire, he ordered Constables Domila and Aria to test her with holy water and remove the keys to The Constabulary from her. Instead of asking if Sadie consented to this test, the Constables threw vials of holy water at her (as a note, holy water will not reveal a vampire's thrall). This resulted in Sadie casting a cloud-like spell

Day 16, Month 2 (Alturiak), 183 AR
Anonymous

The Guldorand Herald - Issue #8 - 8/5/182 AR

Hello readers, and thank you for picking up the eighth issue of The Guldorand Herald!

INTERROGATION OF LICIT -

Licit, the Shadowvari woman and former constable, was briefly captured during an altercation that took place at The Winter's Rest, outside of Guldorand's walls.

Velasco Durante and Ryana managed to capture Licit to be led into the street for questioning in shackles. It's believed that Licit was attempting to locate where Velasco lived, with fears of theft or assassination attempts against Velasco himself.

It seems Velasco has also recently been the target of a group calling themselves The Nine-Tails Syndicate, who stole a helmet with demands for ransom.

Under the pressure of some truth-telling magic (or device, we at The Guldorand Herald to not profess ourselves experts in such matters) Licit was compelled to list some suspected members of this syndicate. As we can not confirm any of the names mentioned they will not be listed here, but Licit claimed to have no ties with the syndicate at large.

Ryana questioned Licit about any connections with Laberia at length but, not trusting in Velasco's compelling magic, did not believe the answers she was given.

What we at The Guldorand Herald noticed was that Licit seemed to tell truthful answers, but did so very cleverly to avoid any information she did not want to give up.

Eventually, when she was unwilling and unable to answer further questions, the manacles were unshackled and a lens provided for her departure.

RESPONSE TO ARTICLE 'DARK RUTE PERFORMED IN CITY' -

In response to the article published in our previous issue, Ryana wrote in to make her opinions heard on the article concerning the ritual conducted in Guldorand's main square. The letter that was delivered to The Guldorand Herald will be published in its entirety.

"I am a recently joined member of the Cordor Arcanum, which I joined in order to further my studies of magic, both arcane and shadow, in a bid to combat enemies that may use either.

The ritual I will not dispute was shadow weave, but not necessarily Sharran. The intent was to shield the city from the effects of the adverse weather and save lives.

I also do not take umbrage with those who prevented it taking place, but I feel saving lives was more important than the source of the magic. As people are dying, we were not in a position to be picky. I have seen the same spell performed elsewhere, and though it darkened the sky, it did as advertised.

Furthermore, a missive has been written demanding reparations, signed by Lady Myst, who leads the Cordor Arcanum - however it is a fake, and the wrong sigil was used along with the signature. The fake is being repeatedly unpinned and re-attached to the noticeboard, placing it above Lady Myst's testimony.

I would encourage the Herald to reach out to Lady Myst for a full account, as I was not present.

As a Lathandrian and practitioner of the arcane, I am not the biggest fan of the shadow weave. But I do believe one must know and understand the enemy and threats they face.

But I place the sanctity of life over and above any personal morality. It was not an easy choice to make, but I would rather have saved lives. We can deal with the "Sharrans" later. Death is not always reversible.

-Ryana"

While we at The Guldorand Herald have not yet reached out to Myst for comment, we welcome any statement they wish to give. Our submissions, as always, remain open to all.

INTERVIEW WITH THE HIGH SHERIFF -

To begin, we have a small correction pertaining to what was written in the last issue regarding the Lord Marshal. We at The Guldorand Herald noted that it was brought up at the City Council meeting that the Lord Marshal Aleksander Hornraven did not have access to The State Building. This would have been incorrect, landed nobles such as The Lord Marshal have free access. After the promised meeting between Governmental officials and The Lord Marshal any bureaucratic mistakes surrounding this situation were corrected.

We were also informed that following this meeting The Lord Marshal will continue to serve in his position in the city. We offer our congratulations to The Lord Marshal, and our heartfelt thanks in his continued service to the city.

We at The Guldorand Herald were lucky enough to catch The High Sheriff with some time for a short interview:

I realize that this answer may have changed, given that since your election you've had to lead the city through a bit of a crisis. What goals have you set for your time as High Sheriff? Are there more changes to be expected within the city?

"The most delicate of the platform revolved around the reshaping of the government, standing on the new necessities of a city that has grown very fast during my first tenure. The goals are, for the moment, to end the tasks that began under my first mandate, as written on my public candidacy paper. A retouch on the All Faith Temple to meet the true situation of the city that emerged through the census, the ongoing reformation of the Constabulary, reinvigorating the bond with Westcliff, and to draw alliances and agreements that will strengthen relations for a unified and overwhelming defense in case of external attack. However, everything will be announced on the governmental bulletins that we write periodically to let the citizens know of our work."

Let's circle back to something you mentioned when discussing The Lord Marshal. Landed nobles. This may be common knowledge to some, but what duties do they perform for the city? How are they chosen? What role would you have them play in our Republic?

"Nobility in Guldorand is handled differently than other places on the island. Here nobility works more as an honorific title to award the efforts given by the subjects to the Republic. They have no specific duty, but they are honorable and reliable members of the society and individuals we know we can rely on in case of need."

What are the immediate projects you and your cabinet are working on?

"Well, I'll be honest. I am not used to anticipating things before seeing them done with certainty, I would find it extremely unprofessional, to promise something that could never see the light.

Although to leave you not entirely with a dry mouth, security has always been a chief duty for me, from before even thinking of running for High Sheriff the first time. We'll keep that line, to build a stable and secure city. Also, as a short-term goal, there will be the rearrangement of the All-Faith Temple during which time Lora will remain as interim custodian, until an appropriate heir is found.

And to give you something that has already happened, but that we would have published today, the city has reached an agreement with the Tuskian Warband for mutual aid and defense, you'll read of this on the boards soon."

GULDORAND RESTORATION PROJECT -

We at The Guldorand Herald are happy to publish the second submitted article by Gabriel, who led the Guldorand Restoration Project, and the clean-up efforts.

No doubt people have noticed the city smells a lot better than it did in days prior. A crew of dedicated people worked to clean out the debris and sludge left behind by recent flooding. The people present were:

Gabriel
Maxine Majesta
Brinja
Rikus Vahl
Ivrathe Kazraat
Yuanjun Lai
Whistle
Bryan Rook
Nymilya
Lyll

Varthekt-Huy Drext was not able to be present, but donated a golem which performed heavy lifting of large debris.

The crew uncovered several surprises and dangers during cleaning. A putrefied shark was found under a mound of kelp in the corner of the main square. The brave kenku Whistle cut it open before the corpse exploded from bloat. Whistle, Yuanjun, and Nym quickly disposed of the remains, bringing the entire square relief.

Later, Nym discovered a body buried in kelp near the Beggar's Gate. The corpse began to move and groan as the kelp was brushed aside, revealing the body to be a zombie. Rikus dealt swift blows to it and delivered the remains to the Crypt Knights to purify and bury. Ivrathe cast burning hands on the remaining kelp to ensure no undead corruption remained, and the rest of the crew cleaned up the ashes.

On the docks a flock of seagulls began to swoop at the crew as they cleaned. Gabriel held up a cinnamon bun and shouted at them to get their attention, and ran uphill to pull the seagulls away from the cleaning crew. Whistle followed, leaving food for the seagulls as well to keep them distracted.

After the majority of the cleaning was done, the crew dispersed. Gabriel and Whistle stayed behind to handle a mound of kelp hidden behind a barricade, and Yuanjun cleaned up debris near the Elven Quarter. Unknown to Gabriel and Whistle, the mound of kelp hid a mimic that leapt out to try and devour them. Both managed to subdue the threat with minimal injuries.

GOSSIP -

An ogre calling itself Kraagrok, a creature with ties to the Shadowclaw Kobolds, was located in the nearby forests felling trees. It claimed to be doing so on behalf of Jotunhold. Could be this was just a lie to try and save its skin from a very angry naturewalker.

CULTURAL EVENTS -

Maxine Majesta's Month of Magic is about to begin! Check the Cultural Events board for more details. Hope to see many of you there.

The Lumber Hunter results are in! Thank you to everyone who helped bring in a staggering amount of lumber for the city, and congratulations to Renatus Thea, Donnacha Amastan, and Atticus Stratlace for your victory in the competition.

FINAL NOTES -

The Guldorand Herald is hiring! We are looking for an investigator/writer to expand on the gossip section of our paper. Pick a single rumor or piece of gossip in our fair city and follow the threads, conduct inte

Day 16, Month 2 (Alturiak), 183 AR
Anonymous

The Guldorand Herald - Issue #9 - 14/5/182 AR

INTRODUCTION -

This is our longest issue yet! While we are attempting to limit how many two-part issues we need to release, this simply could not be avoided for this issue. Make sure you pick up both parts to get the full news.

A VISIT TO THE PALACE -

We at The Guldorand Herald were given a very rare opportunity, to tour The Royal Palace and interview His Majesty Edward Cordor prior to The Heir Commemoration Celebrations to be held soon in Cordor. We must begin by thanking Vice Sheriff Rikus Vahl and Lady Ginny Rivorndir for their help in making this possible.

We met with Archmages Thoramind and Natasha, the creator and current leader of The Arcane Tower, amidst a discussion on how thankful Archmage Natasha was of my appointment in cutting her meeting short. Archmage Natasha was asked to help design the Arena Event for the celebrations, and found that the extra responsibilities were displeasing to her, but her friendship with Archmage Thoramind convinced her to take them on.

Next were the advisors to The King Lord Terrance of House Cremont, a stalwart patron of the arts, and his 'rival' advisor Lord Merian of House Dundarrow, a man after this writer's own heart with a love of history and writing.

It was then that His Highness Edward Cordor made his introduction. As we at The Guldorand Herald were perhaps the first citizen of Guldorand he'd agreed to meet alone, we were offered a tour of The Palace.

The Library, curated by Lady Lady Elissa Dundarrow and Consultant Rebecca Bookbinder, was an awe-inspiring sight. The Palace Barracks, with drills led by Lord Lionus of House Jarlson, ws equally as impressive. The Throne Room was beautiful and the Kitchens smelled divine, but it was in the Banquet Hall that our interview was held.

How does the city fair now that the Weatherstone is remedied, how have repairs gone to your Royal Palace?

"After our commerce advisors worked with Gerald, we determined there was enough funds and resources to handle the majority of the city's recovery for its damages.

We were only short a few ten thousand units of wood. We prioritized places of the city holding security functions, area holding government functions, area holding pot functions, area holding trade functions, the palace, and then areas holding residence functions. Due to the order of priority, only the slums was delayed in repairs. With the efforts of the city however, particularly Thomas Castemont, I am informed this will be quickly resolved, and is deserving of thanks.

The palace itself suffered very little damage. Our elevation prevented flood damage, and our court wizards were on hand to mitigate other potential harm to the structure."

There have been a lot of changes in Cordor recently, with the formation of the Council of Noble Houses. What do you make of this approach? How have they fared so far in your eyes?

"My philosophy has always been to trust my advisors, trust the officials, and only dip a controlling hand whenever necessary. It is still early days, so difficult to say how they will play out. I think every Chancellor should not be afraid to experiment a little, and Ginny has proven herself capable. I encourage the next chancellor to do something similar, keeping what they like, reverting what they dislike, while not being afraid to experiment. Government cannot improve if it remains unchanged in structure.

As for the current Chancellor, she and her romantic partner, Castemont I believe, I trust to see their experiment become a success, and changed where they see fault in it."

With this new era for Cordor, have you a mind for further expansion?

"I think this topic is a good way to talk about the slums. They have taken the brunt of Weatherstone damage. With the guard disbanded, they have little security there. Were it not for the efforts of Abdel's charity and her donators, the dead there would be many. My wife has pushed for improvements for their way of life, which include a House of Work, ensuring they have work which can have them paid, so they do not starve.

Other expansions you may have seen recently, the working portal in the outskirts, a combined effort between my court mages and Arcane Tower consultants.

I would reveal more, but I do prefer some things remain a pleasant surprise. Cordor is a growing city, a proud city, and we will expand as needed to accommodate our population."

Lastly, before we move on to the Commemoration, I'd like to dispel some of the persistent and idle rumors of your health. To me you look hearty and hale, Your Majesty. Would you wish to comment on this? Finally put the rumors to rest?

"I will make no secret for those that knew me before I ruled Cordor that I was imprisoned, and the conditions have made me prone to being sickly and ill.

However, I have ruled for many decades now, and many more thanks to elven in my ancestry. It will take more than what has befallen me to threaten my well-being.

Although I am quite glad to be able to expect an heir. The idea has all of my officials in relief. Now, they fuss over my little occasional coughs a little less now."

There are a great many events in the coming trines, grand celebrations. Do you have one that has caught your attention most keenly?

"Our mid-way event is the arena event. It's actually inspired by your city, with performing duelists with costumes and names to match their performance.

I am looking forward to it the most. The secret to winning isn't defeating your opponent, but working with them to produce compelling entertainment. And the prize I think will be satisfying for the winning city: Half a million units of a resource of their choice to their city's stockpiles.

I presume Cordor shall come out on top. But, we shall see if there are warriors in other settlements that can put on a good show. The secret to winning my pick of arena champion is not winning the battle after all, but making it a spectacle."

The competition of artistry has also caused quite a stir, especially in my home city of Guldorand. Perhaps you would like to give my readers a bit of a hint. What sort of artwork do you find most appealing? Is there a medium you can envision most strongly in The Palace?

"I enjoy art that depicts the outdoors, horses, or horse-riding. I have rarely ridden since I took an arrow in the siege of Wharftown while atop one. And the security that is needed to even leave the city is heavy and costly. To see what I rarely see in the wilds of nature, that is what I enjoy.

My wife enjoys the lake, sea and ocean, art of sculptures that remind of the sight of water. As of late, she has an amusing fascination for candied eel, and our chefs have been preparing some for her almost weekly.

Our theme in contrast to our personal tastes is about Cordor, the palace, or ourselves. How one would take that into our desires, I admit, would be a challenge."

I would be remiss if I did not ask about your Heir, Your Majesty. What do you hope for their future? In your mind, how do you see their life here?

"Their early years I admit will see them well taken care of as they grow. Once they are of an age where they can learn, either the best teachers will be brought here, or they will be sent to them.

As promised, the sermon selectant will see some of their faith taught to the heir when they reach a certain age to understand it.

When they have reached adulthood, we will ensure they are ready to take the throne when it is time. I hope it is with a spouse alongside before then. It is good to get that sort of business before one rules. Easier to enjoy time with them with less responsibility."

And finally, do you have any parting words of wisdom for Arelith? Anything you would like to say for the entire island?

"Delegate. Kingdoms thrive when they are like a stable moving process of stone guiding water flowing in a river. If one stone has too many tasks, it blocks the flow of water. Balance and delegate, and trust in those around you. Therein lies success and safety for the greater nations. And I hope to see as many people as can come to the Heir Commemoration events. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

We at The Guldorand Herald found His Majesty to be a calm and engaged conversationalist (With a strong thread of fire tied to his fate, for you aspiring diviners). This opinion is /not at all/ influenced by his glowing review of The Guldorand Herald.

We thank The Palace for the gracious hospitality, and look forward to covering as many of the Commemoration Celebrations as we are able!

ELECTIONS IN MYON -

Myon has once again entered into elections for Coronal. We managed to get separate interviews with both candidates: Lalaith, The Voice of Myon and the Former Reagent Harwae'vyll 'Wavey' Ossndar. We've included both interviews here for our readers.

LALAITH -

On your own time, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the election. Myon had another recently, did it not?

"Indeed, Elinde was reconfirmed very shortly before their murder. The previous election was begun by an individual who felt slighted by the then-Coronal, though they removed their name and pressured another to stand up as competitor. Silith has chosen to not put his name for this time, to re-earn the people's trust. And I cannot blame him; he was threatened with death for putting forth his name in the previous election, though not by Elinde's order. The two candidates presently - if there is a third, I am unaware - are the former regent, known as Wavey, and myself."

What are your thoughts on the election as a whole? What are your goals for Myon?

"On the whole, I am proud of our community for handling another period of turmoil with grace. We are, and intend to remain, united in our desire to see the City Fair prosper, though obviously there are some differences in how we feel we should best achieve that overarching aim.

Day 16, Month 2 (Alturiak), 183 AR
Anonymous

The Guldorand Herald - Issue #10 - 26/5/182 AR

Correction:

In the interview with His Majesty Edward Cordor it was suggested that Lady Ginny Rivorndir is romantically involved with Lord Thomas Castemont. This was an untrue statement. Lady Ginny Rivorndir has stated quite clearly that there is no romantic involvement between herself and Lord Castemont, a sentiment echoed by The Lord himself.

MONTH OF MAGIC -

The Month of Magic by Maxine Majesta has drawn to a close. For any of those who were unable to attend one of these fantastic shows, The Guldorand Herald will be covering some of what you missed!

Maxine's efforts to catch a slug shot from a gonne between her teeth were foiled by a rogue duplicate! All part of the show, of course. In the next grand act, Maxine proved her druidic talents by growing a blueberry bush from an empty pot and offering the audience the berries, much to their delight.

The next show involved a floating bed with an appearance by Maxine's stalwart companion and expert mentalist, Sam. Maxine also proved her quick hands by playing an old bandits game where a knife is stabbed between the splayed fingers of a hand as quickly as possible. This already impressive trick was repeated blindfolded, and then blindfolded on the hand of a member of the audience!

The penultimate show of the month had Maxine battling the Sharran Lady Mystery to stop her from casting an evil spell over the whole of Guldorand. The display was a very entertaining and lighthearted bit of performative theater by Maxine and Ivrathe Karzaat, who played Lady Mystery. Immediately following this Maxine was 'caught' trying to pickpocket a Constable's coin purse, and was thrown in Guldorand's highest security cell within The Constabulary. Shut behind closed and locked doors, the audience could only watch in wonder as it took Maxine a mere few moments to escape.

The final show of the month was heralded to 'Go out with a bang' and Maxine certainly followed through! The grass hills that overlook the ocean outside of The Free Port had been turned into a field of explosive barrels, with an iron post fixed with restraints at its center. Maxine was bound to the post and blindfolded as the audience were handed various explosives of their own.

After a countdown, the audience lobbed their explosives into the field, erupting in a fiery explosion as the various barrels caught from the hurled incendiary devices.

As the smoke cleared Maxine emerged unscathed, with the iron post she had been restrained to mere moments prior a melted heap of slag.

We at The Guldorand Herald look forward to Maxine's future performances, and recommend them to any who wish an evening of entertainment!

SADIE'S GUESTHOUSE VANDALISED-

Lord Castemont and Lord Belfor visited Guldorand after the discovery of the vandalism of Sadie Chandler's guesthouse (a mass destruction of furniture) in Cordor, for a meeting with members of the Government. Due to the recent altercation between Sadie, Aria, and Domila the latter two are listed as prime suspects in the crime.

While we at The Guldorand Herald have been informed of little hard evidence that would lead towards a conviction, this investigation has only solidified the conflict between the aforementioned parties.

In the case of the now former constable Domila, Vice Sheriff Rikus Vahl had this to say on her removal from her post with the Constabulary, "She made some excellent contributions, but also had many missteps and showed an unwillingness to accept feedback."

In response to these recent events Domila publicly expressed her feelings of betrayal towards Guldorand's Governmental officials, stating that she feels that her loyalty has not been returned in kind. While Domila was not in the headspace to be approached for a comment, we believe her feelings could be summed up by this statement she made in Guldorand's public square, "Now I understand why Roffin doesn't want to come back."

The Guldorand Herald will continue to report on this developing situation as the investigation progresses.

RESTRUCTURING THE 'ALL-FAITHS' TEMPLE -

The Guldorand Herald was approached by a number of citizens and residents in response to the news of the reforms on The All-Faith's Temple, which will be undergoing some renovation following Magistrate Lora's census of faith within the city, and her passing of the custodianship to another.

These citizens, who asked that they remain unnamed, brought fears that these efforts were merely a veiled move by The Government to remove those altars considered 'darker' faiths, in response to pressure by foreign governments.

One resident had this to say, "That was something that set Guldorand apart. Lora gave me a place here, and for that I am grateful."

The Guldorand Herald conducted an interview with Vice Sheriff Rikus Vahl surrounding some of the more prominent accusations. Namely those that Magistrate Lora was threatened with exile by Myon during her custodianship of The Temple, and that Cordor had threatened Guldorand with trade sanctions over the presence of these 'darker' altars.

"I recall some trouble some time ago, during Coronal Elinde's reign. I had many conversations with them about that during those days. I explained our position on religious freedom, and that affiliation with a religion - even one we could consider, let us call a spade a spade, evil - is not a crime in itself. They did not like it, but in the end this is Guldorand and not Myon. Nor is it Cordor, Bendir, or Brogendenstein.

As for Cordor threatening sanctions? That is baseless."

So, am I correct in hearing that you deny any accusation that this decision has been influenced by a foreign power?

"Categorically."

Are there any thoughts on a secondary location where the removed shrines could be moved to?

"I had a thought on that. A section of the temple where the less used altars can rotate in and out on a monthly, seasonally, or some other length of time basis.

I will not pretend I have no bias. I fully acknowledge it. As an individual, my moral compass, my own religion, and my experience predisposes me to some faiths and against others. But I will not allow that into any decision making process I undergo for this republic. And I will always try to play the devil's advocate in situations where there seems to be too much assent. Contrary opinions are essential to sound decision making."

As a final note to this developing situation, The Founder's Charter has two very specific sections surrounding faith and the freedom to practice it within our Republic. We recommend our readers familiarize themselves with them, and to those citizens who feel slighted by these changes make your voices heard!

The Guldorand Herald will continue to report on the changes to The All-Faiths Temple as they proceed.

INTERVIEW WITH VITTORIA VELENO -

The Guldorand Herald became aware of the recent detainment of Vittoria Veleno by Guldorand's Constabulary. We managed to get an interview with Vittoria following the event, to shed some light on the investigation.

On your own time, what happened?

"The Kellies, I dunno their names, one of them goes by the Scrivener I guess, wanted to confirm whether or not I was still under vampiric enthrallment. Old news, that- that's like a year back at least by now. But anyway. There was a lot of fun in the street, see.. Some fighting back and forth between Ryana and the Kellie.

I was just trying to make sure they knew I would submit to whatever tests they wanted to do. I understood they were just doing their job, right? But Ryana? She bit into them like...well, like she was trying to defend herself, almost. Defend me too, I suppose, but it was a little strange how she said it. She was like... there could be a real thrall among you, or something.

The guv stepped in, Brinja and Rikus, and they basically dispelled the argument. Atticus was summoned, and it was decided that I would have to spend a little time in a cell to prove my case, because after a few days I'd be craving the blood again.

So, I spent a few nights in a cell, and of course it was all good faith, because everyone knew I could just break out if I wanted to. Velasco watched over me on the first few days. No one was cruel or anything. Even enjoyed the conversations I had. I was well-fed and hydrated, had access to coffee, although the amenities were /terrible/. My bed was a stack of hay. Slept in worse places, though."

Her parting wisdom to The Guldorand Herald was short, but a statement that may be useful by many, "A coin and a smile will take you a mile."

It was confirmed that Miss Veleno is no vampiric thrall, so rest easy!

REOPENING OF THE ROGUE'S GALLERY -

The grand re-opening of The Rogue's Gallery heralded an evening of fine food and even finer art. Many came through to view the host of arts held within, and even try their hand at painting themselves. Depictions of cities, people, and even nightmares were hung on the walls of the gallery for the night in celebration of the local artists community.

The food selection ranged from seafood to pastries, all provided by local cooks. Many thanks to Gabriel and Scrivener Grady for taking charge of the evening's offerings.

The gallery's curator, Ivrate Kazraat, had this to say about the gallery's re-opening, "I feel happy. I always enjoyed the evenings where we all did communal painting and sharing of art. It was a fine way to gather everyone and encourage the spirit of community, in my opinion."

Citizens and visitors to The Republic should keep an eye out for openings of The Rogue's Gallery for further artistic evenings!

FINAL NOTES -

I had truly wished to do something special to celebrate our tenth issue, but unfortunately the pursuit of journalism never rests.

The Guldorand Herald is also in discussions with The Cordor Press for a mutual foreign affairs section to keep our readers app

Day 16, Month 2 (Alturiak), 183 AR
Anonymous

The Guldorand Herald - Issue #11 - 12/6/182 AR

INTRODUCTION:

Our readers may notice that this issue is a bit light on the news! Please read the final notes for a brief explanation as to why!

DOOMGUIDE INVESTIGATION OF WINTER'S REST -

It was mentioned in a previous article that The Winter's Rest had been visited by Doomguide Klara Send of Guldorand as part of an investigation into some of the devices held within.

We are able to offer more information at this time. The device in question is a study into cloning. When a concerned citizen brought this to the city, The Doomguide was sent to investigate whether or not this project broke the statutes in The Founder's Charter relating to necromantic studies.

We received a tip from another concerned citizen that after this investigation The Doomguide has ordered the devices destroyed.

As no action, as far as The Guldorand Herald is aware, has been made, we hope that The Government and The Winter's Rest, a long-standing institution within Guldorand, can come to an agreement to see the will of The Council and The Charter upheld.

At the time of publishing this issue, we have not been able to approach either The Government or The Winter's Rest for comment. We hope to have updates in our next issue!

FOREIGN AFFAIRS: COMMEMORATION CELEBRATIONS -

We at The Guldorand Herald have been covering the ongoing Commemoration Celebrations for the twins born to Cordor's Royal Family, Catherine and Sebastian.

The first event we attended was the art presentation and auction, held outside of Cordor's meeting hall. While the statue presented by The Guldorand Herald was not selected, we applaud the creation of the aquarium by Lord Belford and the poetry by Lady Lysrithien of House Starym for their victory!

The art auction itself had a number of pieces go for staggering amounts. The Palace?s Wine Press, a model of Cordor's Flagship, two rugs, and a mostly-stable Astral Prism went for over nine million gold in total.

In the following days the arena event was held, promising theatrical bloodsport for the enjoyment of the crowd and Her Majesty, The Queen.

While we at The Herald don't particularly enjoy bloodsport, much of the crowd thoroughly seemed to enjoy the various fighters and their unique personalities as they took to the sands.

Obviously the most enjoyment to be held during this event, perhaps even more so than the fights themselves, were the explosive Arcane Eggs provided to the crowd and the near-unanimous decision to hurl them at the fight's announcer, the Mage Bloodshroud.

We must take a moment in this article to thank Lady Lysrithien of House Starym for inviting The Guldorand Herald to accompany her to the private blessing of the heirs and the accompanying feast.

The blessing and feast took place in The Palace's feasthall, where a mixed crowd from across the isle enjoyed two sermons.

While His Majesty was not in attendance, Her Majesty The Queen welcomed Catores Poolux, Priestess of Tyr, Adimien Crane, Righteous Flame of Kossuth, and Kara'gos Rivorndir, Eternal Flame of Kossuth, to lead the blessings.

The blessing for Princess Catherine was first, led by Poolux. It was a lengthy sermon about the weight and duty of leadership, marked by an ancient tale of Tyr and The Procession of Justice. Her Majesty had moments of concern during the sermon, but was largely invested (and at times amused) by the words spoken.

The blessing was briefly interrupted by Guldorand?s own Maxine Majesta, with a request for the 'Vice-Chancellor' of Cordor, Lord Castemont (As a note, there is no role of Vice-Chancellor in Cordor as far as we are aware). A brief moment of levity that we were very thankful for!

The blessing of Kossuth for Prince Sebastian spoke of passion, ambition, hope, and dedication with a blessing of strength by The Eternal Flame. The Kossuthians also presented the heirs with a number of gifts: A diadem and blade for the Prince, and a diadem for The Princess.

It seems that neither sermon would be complete without an interruption, this time by Joanathan Rigsby with a lightly barbed advertisement for his shop in The Plane of Shadow.

Following the sermons came some light conversation about The Gods, with little of note aside from the excellent food.

The evening ended with a small argument following the departure of the Queen between Lady Jarlson and Lord Sabel surrounding the acceptance of a few Idols of Bane.

FINAL NOTES AND CONTEST -

I had hoped to make the tenth issue a celebration of the support The Guldorand Herald has had since our first issue, but as noted in that issue I wasn?t able to do so.

I'm limited in the length of the issues I can publish due to the lack of an actual printing press designed for the production of a publication such as mine.

So, in this eleventh issue I'm taking the space to offer the celebration I had hoped to have in the last with a contest!

All of our readers have until my next publication to pick a piece of gossip, hobby, event, diatribe, manifesto, or whatever you feel like writing about, to write an article. Keep length in mind while doing so, keep it simple. Stick to the facts.

Once you have your article, leave it on the door to my office inside The Guldorand Herald building.

The article that I select will be published in the twelfth issue of The Guldorand Herald, and the author will be given a prize of /Fifty Thousand gold/!

Good luck, and I look forward to reading your articles!

As always, thank you for reading.

Day 16, Month 2 (Alturiak), 183 AR
Aria Aspenleaf Quan

The Guldorand Herald - Issue #12 - 28/6/182 AR

GULDORAND ELECTIONS -

Election season has returned to Guldorand. With Brinja stepping down from the position of High-Sheriff, the current race is between current Vice-Sheriff Rikus Vahl and Chief Executarch of The Trackless Traders League, Varthekt-Huy Drext.

The Guldorand Herald will be holding a public debate between the candidates in the days to come, watch for the official announcement!

BLUE AUCTION

The Blue Auction, to be hosted in Guldorand's Free Port has had gossip and rumors surrounding it since its inception. Many concerned citizens brought forth concerns about Governmental interference or attempts to halt the auction through exploiting legal loopholes.

This all came to a head when Magistrate Lora Thendry informed Tribunia, of the Minmir Banite congregation, of a sarcophagus being sold at the auction that once belonged to Kathryn Eldryn.

When questioned about the validity of this claim Lora confirmed it saying that she, and The Governmental body as a whole, were concerned over the sanctity of selling remains.

Vulture, who is leading the auction, was called to a meeting with Tribunia and had this to say about the meeting, "I met in her Dis, she asked to move to the Ruzalitum (a place warded against Seers), I declined. She then lowered her voice and said 'I'll keep it short then. Guldorand officials want our help to stop the action from happening'. Followed by a pause and 'Because of the Sarcophagus'. She then went on a brief tirade about how the coffin was empty and wanting the name of the thief, I declined to give it for this is a breach of the Code of Auctions. Her departing statements were 'I see, Well then you leave us no choice'." and some language that I will not be printing here.

When Tribunia arrived in Guldorand and these claims about Governmental interference reached the ears of our Government, a talk was held between Vice-Sheriff Rikus and the leaders of the auction.

Rikus stated, "Let me make this clear. Minmir has no authority here, and they have the choice to come in peace or to come in violence. We will answer them in whatever language they choose to speak."

The Government denies any attempt to stop the auction and Constables will be present, in addition to the auction's hired guards, to ensure that the peace is upheld.

On the sarcophagus. It is locked and has not been opened so as to not disturb any remains that may be inside, nor can it be said with any clarity if the sarcophagus still contains the remains of Kathryn Eldryn.

For the safety of the auctioneers and those attending: Vulture does not currently possess the sarcophagus and it will not be present for the auction. Upon the conclusion of the auction, it will be delivered quietly to the buyer.

CABINET MEETING -

While much of the cabinet meeting's details have been covered in Minister of State Elucia Velayne's report on Guldorand's flier wall, The Guldorand Herald held a short interview with High-Sheriff Brinja concerning her feelings on the meeting.

"It has been a degree of time since the Government had met all in one place. We had many matters to discuss and, though it progressed into the small hours, it was fruitful. The All-Faith's Temple held a dedicated part of the assembly, but most of the discussion was to give all the divisions a chance to share with others a perspective on their work, past and future, critical points to face together to jointly find solutions, and allowing me to clearly speak what they would need to do to improve their job to best serve the community."

On the matter of The All-Faith's Temple and the delay in making any specific changes, Brinja stated, "We do not have any deadline pressing us, and we only wish to have considered all the aspects of the matter in order to offer a fairer solution on the matter."

One issue not covered in The Minister of States report was the resolution of the cloning vats in The Winter's Rest, reported on previously by The Guldorand Herald.

Brinja assured, "The matter has been resolved. The vat has been dismantled, with the Government having been shown the remains. They will remain to be checked by anyone wishing by asking Lady Angela Amana."

Brinja ended the interview by expressing her appreciation to her cabinet, "I can surely say that I was pleased by the good spirit of each of those present in working together for a better city, and handling disagreements in a very professional way."

We thank Brinja for her service to Guldorand, and hope that she enjoys a peaceful retirement.

GULDORAND/CORDOR TENSIONS -

Tensions around Guldorand concerning Cordor have been rising, of late. Some issues still linger from The Weatherstone Crisis, and some have arisen more recently.

From Cordor's actions in the final days of The Weatherstone Crisis, to the pressure by certain members of their Nobility pertaining to members of Guldorand's Constabulary, we at The Guldorand Herald hope to pull on these threads and report on them as we are able.

LUNKER KING -

A new sailing outfit led by Aiobahn Moonsinger and Jacques Chandagnac has arrived at Guldorand's shores! They are offering steady payment above writwork wages, training, and equipment at no additional cost.

The Guldorand Herald had the fortune to embark on a trip with The Lunker King. They were very knowledgeable and aided this writer, a novice in all things seafaring, in some of the finer points of navigating the Arelithian waters.

We can say that it was a very pleasant experience, and we can highly recommend this crew to any aspiring sailors! We certainly will be taking the next chance we get to sail under their flag.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS - BOMBING OF CORDORIAN ALMSHOUSE

A group of elves suspected of being Eldreth Veluuthra (The Victorious Blades of The People) were responsible for the bombing of the Almshouse. The group responsible tried to extort Albet Lianlen, a sun elf, for 500,000 to disarm the bomb, and release the Sisters of The Almshouse who they had captured. This group took offense to an elf helping fund a charitable effort in a human city, and particularly took offense to Albet's plans to marry a human.

Albet left, under the guise of going to the bank for the coin, but instead called for Lady Rivorndir and Lord Castemont. The Almshouse doors were locked, but were able to be bashed down by the responding forces.

Despite the brave efforts to dispose of the bombs, it was too late and they exploded, killing the Almshouse's Sisters.

A memorial service will follow. Any who wish to aid in this are asked to please get in contact with Albet Lianlen.

The Guldorand Herald held a short interview with The Almshouse's caretaker, Albet Lianlen, "Since then there was a raid that saw a good few of the attacker's group dead. We know that the one who set the bombs within the almshouse was a member of the Starym family. Not one known to the branch that recently moved to Myon. They are a large family that has roots in old Cormanthor. They have long stood as a house a bit too proud of their blood."

Thoughts on the future of The Almshouse?

"It is a bit hard for us to be around lately. Seeing the Sisters gone is painful. The children are distraught. Miss Abigail and I are thinking of trying to adopt them, but we need to plan that out a bit more. We certainly have the resources to keep going strong, and we intend to. After the terrorists are vanquished we plan to hold a memorial service for the Sisters. I set a stone within the graveyard a couple of days ago."

The Guldorand Herald will continue to monitor any updates surrounding this attack in the following weeks.

We also managed to get a statement from Juniper on the event, and while we can't actually publish anything she said the message was clear: Cordor will not stand idly by in the wake of this attack.

FINAL NOTES -

Our announced competition in the eleventh issue has not received a single submission! In response to this we will extend the duration for one more publication cycle.

For details on the competition, please refer to The Guldorand Herald - Issue #11.

As always, thank you for reading.

Day 16, Month 2 (Alturiak), 183 AR
Anonymous

The Guldorand Herald - Issue #13 - 17/7/182 AR

THE BLUE AUCTION -

While the Guldorand Herald was unable to attend the auction in person, we have been informed of its great success. The suggested Banite interference amounted to little but pleading to Her Majesty in Cordor to intervene, which did not come to pass, Cordor unwilling to create a diplomatic incident over the auction. We applaud their wisdom, and are thankful to them for it.

Many were in attendance including the eight paid guards, who were paid handsomely for their time, and four Constables.

There were refreshments provided by one of Guldorand's premier cooks, Gabriel. We were told that the 'Coffin Cakes' were a particular favorite of the crowd.

While the full list of buyers can be seen on Vulture's public announcement, we will announce the winner of the controversial sarcophagus was House Blackshield of Cordor. We hope that they will provide a safe and respectful final resting place for it.

Ivrathe Kazraat, who aided with security and the displaying of the prominent items, had this to say about the auction, "I would like to thank my associates Vulture and Siltrin Salaal for being able to host such an auspicious event within The Freeport. As always, The Freeport is the pinnacle of culture for the city. I would also like to thank all in attendance who guaranteed the safety of guests and bidders alike."

Vulture has already announced his section auction! View the announcements for more details, but with the success of the first we have continued high-hopes for the second!

WERERAT SIGHTINGS -

The rat-man lycanthropes, often found in Guldorand's Cargo Warehouse, have been sighted outside of their usual lair of late. Be wary when traveling and endeavor to carry a supply of belladonna. Scratches and bites may result in an infection, be certain that you make yourself aware of where to find wolfsbane.

Any sightings of these creatures should be reported to a Constable as soon as possible.

Be safe citizens!

PIRATE THREAT -

It seems that Lilah Siegers, in her failure to achieve victory on the seas over Guldorand, has turned towards more backhanded tactics. The pirate and her associates have been chartering the Iron Throne's ships, abandoning them at sea, and then sinking them.

Discussions of retaliation for these apparent desperate and cowardly tactics are already in discussion. Until The Government outlines a plan, all citizens should remain vigilant on Guldorand's docks to ensure that these blatant acts of aggression and vandalism do not continue.

On this matter the High-Sheriff Rikus Vahl wished to express, "If she or her crew read this, I would ask them to think more carefully about if they really want to do this."

GULDORAND ELECTIONS -

The elections have come to a close. We at The Guldorand Herald would like to show our appreciation to the candidates and citizens of The Republic. So often these elections can turn a city against itself, but this election season has been nothing but cordial and professional.

Congratulations to our new High-Sheriff, Rikus Vahl. We look forward to seeing what changes you make to continue improving this city that we love.

Varthekt-Huy Drext wished to offer this as the final results came in, "As I have told many and sundry before, I know that no matter which way this election went Rikus and I would part it as friends and allies."

The Guldorand Herald had the chance to shadow Rikus on his first day in the office. While much of it was bureaucracy required in the shift of powers and the writing of letters of thanks to those who supported him in the election, we got some time to ask after his initial views on what his term in office will look like.

Rikus had this to say, "I intend to be active without being overbearing. And I would never ask someone to do something I would not do myself.

We must take what we learned in the election. Doing the same things again and again will never yield different results. We must be willing to change, the attempt is what matters most. And we must redefine our relationship with those among our countrymen who feel marginalized."

The Minister of State, Elucia Velayne, added onto this statement by affirming her view, "Transparency is essential in that which we find ourselves part of."

We have already seen a few minor changes as certain roles have been removed from the public listings, including Vice-Sheriff. The Guldorand Herald spoke with The High-Sheriff and Minister of State about this.

"My understanding is that the restructure is not finalized."

"The offices are vacant for now as an effort to trim what I saw as unnecessary positions currently. With my plans to make my cabinet into more of a holistic governing body to help me create, as well as enact, policy. All of them may not be needed, as most were added within the last few administrations and did not add any real value as I see it."

TUMULTUOUS TIMES! MORE WILL COME BUT WORRY NOT -

The Guldorand Herald would like to thank Sil'avesi Daoine'Dur for their submission, and announce that they are the winner of our submission contest!

As we breach the seventh month of the year. We can look back upon a chaotic year as we come out on the other side after half of it. Like ebb and flow the water came and went, leaving our beloved city flooded and partially destroyed. But it has been quickly funded, the rebuilding of our home.

These tumultuous times bring out the sturdy, hardy Guldorandi spirit in a lot of people! Working hard and decisively to support the city and the Republic. But the ebb and flow are not only coming and going with water, but with the people of the Republic.

As one of the citizens who has been here the longest by now, I implore you all to take your time in Guldorand to heart, aim to always do better, make it better and greet your neighbors with a smile. Together we are stronger, together our differences and unique backgrounds come together, as one and we form not the most cohesive formation or the most organized army about, but we form a diverse and strong plethora of ideas and experiences that is the spear tip of our settlement.

Unified in chaos, unique in peace.

There will be more chaotic times, but together we shall endure.

CULTURAL EVENTS -

A Night of Weaving and Wonder! Another performance by Maxine Majesta! To take place in The Mirage Nightclub in merely a few tendays!

The Second Blue Auction. As mentioned in the article above, a second auction will be held soon! Prospective sellers should contact Vulture to discuss, and potential buyers should prepare for another day of fine goods.

FINAL NOTES -

I must break with my usual writing style to offer a very special thanks to Creak and The Flock of Guldorand. Their support for The Guldorand Herald can never be repaid, and their donations to the publication will keep us afloat for many months to come. From the bottom of my heart: Thank you.

I burn the candle at both ends to ensure this publication is the best it can be, Guldorand, and I can't be everywhere at once. I intend to continue this publication as long as I am able, but I could use some help! As our previous hiring attempts were met with little success (partially my fault), I will be offering an alternative. Anyone can submit an article to The Guldorand Herald by leaving it on the door to our offices. If your article is chosen for publication, we will pay between fifteen and twenty thousand coin to the author. There will be a limit of one published article from an author per issue. These articles can be about anything, though priority will be given to those that relate to The Republic.

As always, thank you for reading!

Day 16, Month 2 (Alturiak), 183 AR
Anonymous

The Guldorand Herald - Issue #14 - 20/8/182 AR

THE CAPTURE OF ARTHAG MONOLITH-

By Jacques Chandagnac

In the early morning hours of the first day of the eighth month, 182AR, the Ironhelm, the flagship of Brogendenstein, was out at sea, captained by Adrian Graves. The brigantine named Eternal Winter (originally the Liberator) was seen on anchor close to the Red Dragon Island. At some point, the ship was observed to have set out, crewed by five people. Its crew was established to have been Artharg Monolith (attempting to impersonate Velasco Durante), Licit, Helayna (a druid previously involved in an attack in Guldorand); an undisclosed fey and a man named December.

The Ironhelm opened fire and, after a quick exchange, crippled the pirate vessel. It was boarded shortly after. The pirate crew members, with the exception of Helayna and Artharg, have escaped. The former refused captivity and was killed. The latter has complied with the Ironhelm captain?s orders, was chained and brought back to Brogendenstein. After a short interrogation (mostly regarding known pirate activities) the custody of Monolith was transferred to Velasco Durante, who then escorted him to Guldorand. No resistance was put up by him at any point.

Moreover, Monolith has clearly stated his intention of killing Guldorand citizens. The names he mentioned were Vulture and Ciaran.

ALL-FAITH'S TEMPLE -

Despite the many attempts to find a 'solution' to The All-Faith's Temple discourse, it seems that the controversial temple will be closing its doors. The space is slated to become a less secular space in the coming months with a library.

In a public posting The Minister of Culture, Maxine Majesta, had this to say about the space, "I feel like previous notices have mis-represented what I hope to do with the location. It will not be simply a library and lecture hall, but a secular continuation of the vision the All-Faiths Chapel was founded upon, built around the principle that a marketplace of ideas where there is no proscription surrounding what is traded makes us all richer."

Already The Constabulary is investigating a number of missing or destroyed altars. While we at The Guldorand Herald would never encourage theft, we hope that those caretakers of the shrines held within are able to recover them before they are gutted from the building.

Additionally, the previous caretaker of The Temple, Lora Thendry, had used the space as an orphanage for those children in need for The Republic. With the disbanding of The Temple Thendry was said to have taken those under her care to the orphanage in Cordor. While we commend Thendry for wishing to see her charges well cared for, removing them from Guldorand is unacceptable in the eyes of many concerned citizens. Especially while any threat against Cordor's Almshouse is still at large.

Should this be more than mere rumor, we hope that Guldorand's Government will take swift action to remedy this well-intentioned mistake.

As for The All-Faith's itself. We have heard your complaints, your fears, your requests. So we must ask Guldorand this question: Why is it that the two places built and designed for the freedom to worship, a cornerstone in The Founder's Charter, are not being used for such?

ALLEGED ASSAULT BY TUSKIAN WARBAND -

Guldorandi citizen Zvilg Igaz'zt was assaulted near their shop in The Crow's Nest by two half-orcs. Due to the proximity of the Tuskian's Encampment, it?s not a stretch to believe that the attackers had ties to the warband currently under contract with our city. A belief expressed by Igaz'zt.

As one of the attackers was referred to as 'Chieftain' this would be a particularly worrying development, should a leader among The Tuskians be involved in this senseless act of violence.

We at The Guldorand Herald hope that our Government can get to the bottom of this issue, pursue the truth, and see justice done against any who threaten our citizenry.

FREE PORT COMMUNITY MEETING -

A community meeting was held in The Free Port to discuss the current state of affairs between Guldorand and The Free Port. While The Guldorand Herald arrived late, we managed to catch a few issues of note.

Some continued debate over the Free Port?s representative to The City Council. With some believing any representative should have been picked by The Free Port community, and some others believing that any appointed representative goes against The Founder's Charter.

A community watch initiative has been suggested for The Free Port, to possibly replace The Constabulary's presence past The Beggar's Gate. Much of the discussion we witnessed went into the proposed details, which we won't be publishing until these efforts are set in stone.

ALLOWANCES MADE FOR UNDEAD ABOMINATION -

In a statement by Khara'gos Rivorndir, Eternal Flame of Kossuth, and Inquisitor Barbatus there has been a request for 'allowances' to be made for the vampire Mairibeta Bethirae.

This vampire claims to only feed off livestock and the blood of bandits encountered during writwork. That she would step onto the pyre should The Inquisitor request it, swore an oath to Illmater on it, even.

We in Guldorand know the dangers of vampires, how manipulative they can be. The Free Port still feels the betrayal and hurt of Laberia.

Despite the request by these individuals to not strike this creature down, we at The Guldorand Herald cannot impress enough the danger of letting this creature continue in its vile mimicry of life.

Battlelady of Tempus, Ashari Vahl, has described the creature as a pale human woman with light orange-red hair. She possesses deep green eyes, angular features, and a calm demeanor. She carries with her a satchel bearing the symbol of Illmater. This creature is known to use blood magic, or hemomancy, when threatened.

We hope that this creature will be given its final rest.

Be vigilant, and be careful.

THE FLOCK -

Guldorand, unlike many other settlements, hosts a strong community of the birdlike Kenku. We at The Guldorand Herald were lucky enough to get an interview with one of the local Kenku, Creak.

Since my arrival in Guldorand Kenku seem to be an ever-present community in the city, not seen often in other settlements across the isle. Why do you think this is?

"For Creak, and think for other kin, we are finding that the freedoms of Guldorand are greater than in other parts. Here we are welcomed first and people are curious of us, not judging at first glancing. Other places, this has not been true. First time Creak was in Cordor he was stopped and arrested, taken for interrogation just for walking past a noble manor. Accused of being thief. This has not been case in Guldorand."

You?ve spoken often of 'The Flock'. Could you explain what that phrase or ideal means to you?

"Well, The Flock is like family, but more, those that you are choosing to fly with. To take your great journey together with. Creak sees many doing this as well, not just his kin. Small flocks coming and going from Guldorand together. Something changing but always flocks. These are your chosen, the ones that you trust and belong with. Creak has many he would call this, closest of them all is Whistle. Others too and changing over many months. All Kenky are part of Creak's flock in his eyes, but asking other kind maybe is different answer. To him, Whistle, You, Pan, Tengu, Twang, Tic, Toc, and all others are part of his flock. Even those he has not met, like Shanty and Click."

What are your hopes for your Flock in Guldorand?

"Main hope is that the Flock will be safe here, not judged for things we have not done. One hope is that the Flock in the sewer will be safe, that the agency will stop sending writ workers to hunt them. At end of day, Creak wishes to see his kin, his blood, safe and happy. Maybe in time the Kenku of Guldorand will be given voice, on council or something like this. Creak is no leader but wishes to have voice."

CULTURAL EVENTS -

Maxine Majesta presents: Known Associate!

A play promising a fun and fantastical farce, with many incredible escapes! To be held in The Magpie Theatre in The Freeport in a few months time.

FINAL NOTES:

The Guldorand Herald is paying for articles! The author of any article chosen for publication in the paper will be given between Fifteen and Twenty Thousand coin. Leave any submissions on the door to my office.

As always, thank you for reading!

Day 16, Month 2 (Alturiak), 183 AR
Anonymous