In the news: places/Kingdom of Squiyles, npcs/King Stroth, places/Howling Gulf, Paengju, Zakmed, Gorthak, places/Kingdom of Hawkthorne
SHOTS FIRED, WAR COMMENCES
Riots in the streets
CIVIL WAR?
Thousands upon thousands of citizens pour into the streets all over the kingdom. Protests to end the war with Binneth and come to a land agreement with Gorthak are happening all over. In fact while I am writing this very article I can see and hear them right outside the Rugby building here in Conopimalis.
Reports of droves of Squiylian citizens seeking asylum north of the border in Hawkthorne only to be turned away at the border. Families with nothing left are camping out in horrible conditions.
The nation is seeing a small uprising gain traction, one that is pushing toward forming a union of self governing countries. fully separated from King Stroth’s rule.
Many leading figures of the uprising are being arrested for treason. Which is only spreading Stroths reputation for tyranny further and faster.
What does this mean for the future of the kingdom?
Caption: Illustration of a troll destroying a villagers house on it’s way down the mountains
FARMERS SLAIN
Trolls destroying everything in their path
The rural regions of squiyles normally dotted with beautiful cottages and wonderful farms is now a path of wreckage. As trolls hurl chunks of stone villas into everything that gets in their way.
What was a curious movement has quickly become a fearsome attack. and based on movement patterns many believe some sort of deal has been struck between the Orcs and the Trolls to dominate and share the lands that are currently contested.
The strain on the kingdom is greater than ever, panic has spread through the minds and hearts of those nearest the attacks. City officials are attempting to maintain civility and calm citizens, however looting has begun as cities fight the civil unrest that is beginning to plague them.
FIRE LANCES
Binneth’s secret weapon lights up the night
The standoff turned into a bloodbath last night. No one knows who shot first, but everyone knows who shot last.
After cannon fire echoed through the gulf and soldiers sprang to life to fight for flag and country. One thing is certain, no one saw binneth’s secret weapon coming.
Equipped with ‘fire breathing’ ships the fleets performed head on attack maneuvers to evade cannon fire from many of the squiylian ships equipped with side firing guns. The first skirmish lasted all night but nearly half of squiyles ships were burnt to the seafloor.
Caption: Illustration of the fire breathing ships of Binneths navy
BEWARE
Mysterious plant mind controlling those who encounter it
News from the botanical world!
We interviewed our rarely brought into service, in house botanist, Gerome Kudzu Wünderberry for this piece.
In the forests of the massive rainforest island of Paengju there lies many undiscovered species of plants, insects, fungi, animals, and magical beasts.
But this story focuses on what we believe to be a psychic plant that is parasitic in nature. an invasive species that propagates and continues it’s invasion through the hands of psychically enslaved hosts.
We’ve only heard word of this from one who was able to escape from the psionic bonds.
“I toiled in the rainforest caring for this horrid plant for 12 years, It was only during a lightning storm when the plant was struck by lightning that I escaped”
Expeditions are being planned to research this strange plant.
DISAPPEARING ACT
Binneth authorities baffled as to how he disappeared
The Royal guard released a statement two days ago warning the public to be on alert. Zakmed, the captured orc that sparked demands from the Orcish leader Gorthak, has gone missing.
He is considered very dangerous, and we don’t know where he is. Be careful while wandering the streets.
ORC PRISONER MISSING
Earlier in the week it was discovered through the use of the confiscated sending stones that Zakmed is the son of Gorthak.
Zakmeds imprisonment as a Binneth war criminal was an excellent bargaining chip now lost for the Kingdom of Binneth. If you have any information regarding his whereabouts there is a hefty reward being offered by the King to anyone who provides information leading to his re-arrest.
Contact the Royal Guard or City Watch for details
Ad: BOUNTY
Contact the church of St. Cuthbert for reward
₲ 10,000 DEAD OR ALIVE
Canon facts
- The Kingdom of Squiyles is at war with Binneth; the kingdom’s capital/seat referenced here is Conopimalis, Erepec, Squiyles (masthead publication line).
- King Stroth rules Squiyles; a growing uprising seeks to form a union of self-governing countries separate from his rule, and leading uprising figures are being arrested for treason.
- Squiylian refugees are fleeing north to Hawkthorne and being turned away at the border.
- Rumour: trolls are rampaging through Squiyles’ rural regions, destroying farms and villas; movement patterns suggest (rumour) a deal between Orcs and Trolls to dominate and share contested lands.
- Binneth’s navy possesses “fire breathing” ships, used in a night battle in “the gulf” against Squiylian cannon-armed ships with side-firing guns; nearly half of Squiyles’ ships were destroyed.
- The island of Paengju contains a massive rainforest with undiscovered flora, insects, fungi, animals, and magical beasts.
- Rumour (single secondhand source): a psychic, parasitic plant on Paengju enslaves hosts psychically to propagate; an escaped caretaker said they tended it for 12 years before a lightning strike on the plant freed them. Research expeditions are being planned.
- Zakmed, an orc war criminal held by Binneth, is the son of the Orcish leader Gorthak; this was confirmed via confiscated sending stones.
- Zakmed has gone missing/escaped from Binneth custody; the Royal Guard warns he is dangerous and is offering a reward for information leading to his re-arrest.
- The Church of St. Cuthbert is offering a bounty of ₲10,000, dead or alive, for an unnamed target (see ad).