DM Rumors of Baldur's Gate

[DMogorgon]

Unrest at the docks

In the fallout of the receding plague, among the grumbling bellies and blanket-less shoulders fighting off the cold of the thawing winter, amid rising tension, something snaps. As dawn breaks rioting starts among the meager stalls of the market in the impoverished Docks District of Baldur's Gate. Amid the destruction of public property, are cries of hunger and chants denouncing the Duke's for allowing the district to slip into such a sorry state.

The Flaming Fist are quickly dispatched and set up barricades at the district exits, assuring nobles they will have the matter quelled shortly.

[Ghost]

Two off-duty Flaming Fist soldiers is said to have been at the Blade and Stars earlier talking about some other Flaming Fist soldiers having found three known pickpockets and burglars stabbed to death in the Harbour District. They had seemed cheerful at this, as it meant less thieves to have to deal with.

[DMogorgon]

The Day of the Spider Came

Breaking the monotony of just another day at the docks, slowly, screams started bellowing from the alleys of the Baldur's Gate Harbor. Soon, people were seen running through the streets... followed by several giant spiders, wrecking havoc upon the harbor.

Rather quickly, several local adventurers and the stouter and surlier harbor workers started to band together, slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning the creatures to death with whatever was available. The smaller and less stout, various cats, chamber maids, wenches, and other less capable, would fall prey to the creatures. After a few hours, the Flaming Fist are sent through the streets in force to clean out remaining spiders and secure the streets. The Flaming Fist compound remains closed to any visitors for the remainder of the day.

Rumors quickly spread regarding the sudden infestation of Giant Spiders. Ranging from a remnant of the plague, to demonic worship, to some dark relic tampered with by nobles, to a punishment from the gods, to the work of foreigners...

Following the discovery of some spider nests in the cities interiors, The Flaming Fist quickly issue a bounty to local adventurers (low level parties encouraged to partake, setup till server reset (should be good until around 0:00 server time) Post your screens and stories in Elfsong... RP fights with spiders if someone cleaned them ahead of you), to scour the city and destroy any remaining spider presence.

[DM Gogo]

Whispers circulate the east district of Baldur's Gate. Another unexplained murder, it would seem. Some claim that the guilty party had already been found and taken away in irons, while a few others would murmur about hearing that a mysterious sedition group having been involved. Regardless of the truth of the matter, Flaming Fist patrols would be heavily increased throughout the district for the rest of the day.

[Ghost]

Soup Kitchen 1
Soup Kitchen 2

As rumours of a soup kitchen spreads among the commoners of the city, more and more needy people come to the soup kitchen whenever it is set up. Most are thankful towards the Everwatch who are providing the food. However, as with all crowds of some size, a conflict arrise here and there and there will always be those two or three troublemakers who just want to prey on the weak.

After request from the Everwatch, the Flaming Fist has assigned two soldiers and a sergeant to keep the peace at the soup kitchen. They keep mostly quiet and watchful unless there is trouble, and leave the food business to the Watchknights.

[DM Golem]

All over the city, Flaming Fist soldiers can be heard discussing a new development. It is said that a company of a hundred and fifty Hellriders led by the notorious Captain Raman will be camping near the city at the expense of their home city, Elturel.

Most of the Fist are pleased to welcome comrades in arms, given the disturbances to the north. Older veterans in fact tell tales of Captain Raman and his iron, and sometimes brutal, resolve to get the job done and see his men home. To these old soldiers this is a good thing.

[Ghost]

Screams can be heard in the palace district from the residence of Lord Bernard Duskwater in the morning hours as servants come in to work for the day. Soon after the house is surrounded by Fist soldiers. Several body bags are being carried out and a few Duskwater guards and servants with injuries are carried out and transported to an infirmary. The Fist soldiers remain at guard outside and shoo away anyone curious enough to approach.

[Ghost]

In the Harbour District, particularly in the Blushing Mermaid, murmurs occasionally can be heard from people who have been into the sewers that one particular gate of iron bars smells of a strange mix of decaying flesh and spilt ale along with the usual smell of sewage. The few who have ventured through the gate and into the sewers claim to have seen long-dead dwarven corpses lying on the disgusting ground. Some even claim that they have seen long-dead dwarven corpses walk down there, but they usually laughed at.

[Ghost]

At the Blushing Mermaid and the Elfsong Tavern, whispers can be overheard of rumours saying that several noble estates have recently been burglarised with very little clues as to how or by whom. No one can tell where these rumours originated, but if asked, the Flaming Fist will dismiss it with a handwave.

[DM Gogo]

There is an air of excitement in the eastern harbor over the next day. Word around the docks is that the same woman that had been running the soup kitchen had set up a healing tent the night before, and had healed some of the district's most impoverished citizens free of charge.

An old priestess of Chauntea tells stories of the kindness and generosity they had displayed to her despite her age. A baker complains fervently to her customers about the slow service. A dark-haired woman tells tales in the Blushing Mermaid of the kiss she had failed to steal.

No matter what version of events travelers might hear, it would be obvious that this act had lifted the spirits of the district's residents, giving them a reason to smile. Such reasons had been in short supply in Baldur's Gate as of late.

[Ghost]

Rumours say that three dwarves were arrested by the Flaming Fist for unspecified reasons, but that on their way to the Flaming Fist headquarters, the four attending Flaming Fist soldiers had been attacked by more dwarves and the arrested dwarves were freed. One of the Flaming Fist soldiers were killed, the other three were severely wounded. Or so the rumours go.

No rumours indicate what direction the dwarves took after the liberation.

Dockworkers and and other lower-class commoners can often be heard chatting about a seemingly organized group of dwarves that have been burglarising and pickpocketing people througout the city. There are even mentions of the detail that they carry cheaply jeweled daggers.

[DM Golem]

Rumours circulate that the Flaming Fist has begun a recruitment drive to meet the rising threat in the north: and, it is rumoured, the Virtuous Soil's intermittent insurrection.

The recruiters are being very selective, only taking the most physically fit volunteers, of suitable temperment. Rumour has it that Duke Eltan would recruit more if he could, but the funds are just not available to recruit more widely. Until more money becomes available, any wartime expansion of the Flaming Fist will be limited.

[DM Theophanies]

Rumors circulate of a charity masquerade ball being organized in the palace district by Lady Evelyn Bartholomew, a wealthy noblewoman of Baldur's Gate. Entrance is a donation of a yet to be determined amount where proceeds are going to those affected by the plague earlier in the year. The ball is to be held in three days.

///Sunday August 23, 18:00 GMT

[Ghost]

Anyone visiting the somewhat secret shrine of Mask recently, may have found it desecrated. The symbol of Mask taken down and crushed on the floor. A jeweled dagger taking its place.

[Nether]

Anyone visiting the somewhat secret shrine of Mask recently, may have found it desecrated. The symbol of Mask taken down and crushed on the floor. A jeweled dagger taking its place.

Shortly after, the place seems to be recently cleaned and a new symbol of Mask hangs where the previous had hung, a fire opal lies as offering beneath it.