DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

In-Character News, Laws, Announcements, Rumors, and Stories Relating to the Sword Coast

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Ghost
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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The Black Scourge


It was a quiet dawn at the bridge over the River Reaching, just west of Hill's Edge, as the sun rose over the mountains to the east. The guards there were ever alert of attacks from the air, since the attack of Zhentarim Skymages on the bridge and whatever had laid waste to the lumbercamp near the Reaching Woods. But today was a calm morning, and they were all quite relaxed. Indeed, everything had felt almost as if they weren't at war at all. The only reminder was the supply wagons currently crossing the bridge.

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But then, a dark doom exploded out of the river beneath the bridge, catching everyone unaware. The bridge was obliterated and the three wagons, their horses and drivers flung high into the air. Soon after, bridge debris, horses and wagons landed all around, crushing many of the soldiers present. Those still alive now saw a terrifying black dragon crawl up out of the river, onto what remained of the ruined bridge. And then the panic set in, men and women running in every direction. But harsh draconic words of power echoed across the field, in the many-layered voice of the dragon. Soon, the area was filled with a strange black and green mist and those still within it were all left as fragile statues - petrified, but with cracks all over.

Only one young soldier had managed to escape far enough not to be touched by the magic. Terrified for her life, she had run all the way to Hill's Edge, glancing back only once to see the dragon staring in her direction, but making no motion to chase her down. Rumour says she fainted from exhaustion and terror once she had reported this to the first officer she had found. And that she has yet to awake.
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DM Honk
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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The Tears of a Father
Bridgefort is reoccupied
The night falls around Bridgefort as the joined forces of the Blackrose and the Black Abbey advance along the bridge to reoccupy the outpost.

Meeting no resistance, apart from arcane wards, they are swiftly able to reclaim the fort and deploy more soldiers to defend it.

After the fort is seized, the night is shaken by the desperate cry of a mourning father. Sir Amos Thistle finds the burned bodies of his son and daughter among those of the soldiers that lost their lives in battle.

The Vigilator of the Black Abbey, Barristan Schultze, attempts to bring them back to life but the resurrection fails.

Once again, Bridgefort is under the collective forces of the so called Northern Barony, but only anger and pain remain in the heart of a man that lost his son and daughter to the fires of war.
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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Spare No One
Miles of farmlands between Berdusk and Iriaebor are laid to waste.
It was a cloudy afternoon like any other among the farming communities between Berdusk and Iriaebor, violence and death didn't reach these peaceful lands.

Until this day.

Word is spread that a vile ritual was performed, causing the weather to become so violent and foul, to destroy and decay miles and miles of fertile land.

The Earth Mother cries as the farmlands are destroyed and the innocents killed.

As if it wasn't enough, bewitched peasants had to be killed while they were setting granaries on fire and poisoning wells. Small groups of undead fought back by the soldiers called to contain the situation.

No mercy shown, no one spared, almost like if someone wanted to send a message to the Cities of the Lords Alliance.
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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Glory to The Spider Queen
The farming areas around Triel are raided by Drow.
Farming areas are targeted again, this time by a Drow raiding party.

A small group of highly specialised Drow attacked the farms around Triel, managing to escape before a real response from the Lords Alliance arrived.

Many farms have been set on fire, some of the guarding soldiers killed, a supply cavaran that was meant to reach Corm Orp... destroyed.

Now that the fire of war has reached this far, the people now question if they can feel safe or if they are safe at all. Even when living so far from Darkhold.
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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Hope of Rebirth
Nature will heal, but how long will it take?
A small group of elves ventures in the wasteland left by the foul weather ritual, between Berdusk and Iriaebor.

After their return, druids and clerics of the Deities of Nature gather around the wasteland to begin a slow process of healing.

Mend what was destroyed, offer relief to a suffering land.

It is unknown how long it will take for the land to recover, but it will... one day.

Among them, the clergy of Chauntea seems to be the most present and prominent.
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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A Sour Adventure


Rumours spread in the Western Hearthlands that the famed adventurer party from Silverymoon known as the Children of Silver have been almost entirely decimated. After their latest adventure, only the half-elven sorceress Meyra Greenstar survived, and is said to be severely injured, and unconscious. Witnesses say she had stumbled into Scornubel, having arrived along the river from the Reaching Wood, her skin and clothing burned, and much of her equipment smelted stuck to what was left of her clothing.

Some murmur the band had been seeking the the black dragon that has been plaguing the Lord's Alliance forces. Many fear that the dragon now lurks in the River Reaching, just waiting to strike at anyone who comes too close.

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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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Wanton death


Rumour say an enormous black dragon had wandered up to the southern gates of Soubar this day and then transformed into a human man in dark armour. The man had then allegedly had some private conversation with Mag, and upon leaving her tavern, transformed back into his true dragon form again, trampling and killing about a dozen of the residents in Soubar as he pummeled through tents and small-folk and took to the sky, flying off.
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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Desecration


As chaos spreads throughout the realms, a black dragon is seen flying above Scornubel and then the Reaching Woods. Along its path in the forest, the wyrm spits its acid breath seemingly at random most of the time, but also deliberately destroying several of the many shrines of Eldath in the forest, desecrating them and corrupting the earth around them.
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Death is found then around many of these places. Humans, hobgoblins, gnolls - the few corpses that weren't entirely dissolved by the vitriolic spit of the dragon rise as zombies, ghouls, wights and even death knights. And the souls of those dead who no longer have any body, return as vengeful undead spirits - shadows and wraiths.

Once again, undead wander in the Reaching Woods.
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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Battle of Wyrms


The moon shines brightly this night above the city of Scornubel. No clouds and only the lightest breeze is in the air. Despite all the trouble with the gods walking the world, magic acting up and the ongoing war to the north-east, the people of Scornubel feel almost at peace this evening.

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But then, just a couple of miles north of the city, magic whines and crackles in the air. Magic both amplified and failing shatters all peace as in the sky four dragons are seen: One - a mighty black dragon - is surrounded by magical energies and spitting acid at the three others, all of them silver dragons, though individually each clearly inferior to the black dragon.

One spell from the black dragon rebounds and injures it, but another is amplified, ripping the wings off of one of the silver dragons, who comes crashing down to the ground, its body entirely broken. Even so, the two remaining silver dragons overcome the might of the great black dragon and after almost an hour of battle, it too crashes into the ground, somewhere in the Reaching Woods.

Soon after, rumours spread that the dreaded Vuthairmalsvirjhank was the black dragon destroyed this night.
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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Black Network Coup


In the dark of night, hundreds of the clergy of the now dead god Bane are murdered in Zhentarim controlled areas. Those who are not taken by surprise cause a bit of a spectacle in a short, but ultimately futile fightm, as they are assaulted with magic, sometimes leaving strange, wild effects. A few manage to escape, fleeing far away. In Zhentil Keep, it is said Fzoul Chembryl himself has fled, but no one knows where.

In the morning, a large group of Blackcloaks are lead by a man in a strange, dark mask and voluminous, dark robes. The man makes a grand proclamation, his voice amplified by expert control of magic:

"I have liberated Zhentil Keep and all its holdings from the coward Fzoul Chembryl and his zealots! Today marks the end of the war with Cormyr and soon peace shall be found upon all Zhent lands. Today, you put your faith in me. Today, you give your allegiance to Manshoon!"

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To the west, in Darkhold, blackcloaks bearing Manshoon's seal capture and shackle Imperceptor Vyshasa before placing him in the dungeon. They also proclaim the Zhentarim's liberation from Bane by Lord Manshoon, noting that he is expected to arrive in only a few days. None are to touch the Imperceptor before he arrives.
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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DM Ghost wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 6:05 pm A rumour spreads from the now settled Rockrun that it is to henceforth be known as Blue Lantern Keep. With the rumours come also a calling from its leader, General Morex Ulharaurix, that they are looking to hire legal experts to help them formulate the local laws. Prospects for this are asked to write an application for the job.
These rumours are also spread on the surface, particularly to Kraak Helzak and merchants who come by there.
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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Credit: Matheus Graef
In the early hours of 16 Tarsakh, 1359, a contingent of elves from Doron Amar escort a haughty sun-elf wizard from the ancient House of Dlardrassil to the Misty Forest. There, they are joined by a patrol from En Dharasha Everae. The wizard takes them through secret passageways previously-unknown; it is not until they emerge that the Dlardrassil mage reveals he is actually seeking his family's ancient Moonblade.

Upon attempting to retrieve the artifact, however, a massive elfshadow attacked the mage and his escorts. The mage refused to believe that the elfshadow's hostility might be a sign to his unworthiness - instead, the subsequent battles saw the destruction of the mechanism that was to reveal the sword. Furious, the Dlardrassil mage acted recklessly and was subsequently subdued by his fellow elves, his unconscious form brought back to face an uncertain fate back in the Glimmerwood.
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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Another day in Soubar



The outpost which grows in size to a small tent town in summer has a new rumour quickly spreading, as all small hamlets tend to have. A group of four, mostly regarded as "outsiders, " walked around Soubar and met with some of the more prominent community members. Some say they were given an audience with the Glomveq family head- a wererat criminal organisation. Others mention coming in and out of the tend in which, a well-known by all, vampire resides.

The most glaring deed, however, was the death of the local Vintner that sold "spiced" wines. Xilsys, as she was known, was an elf. She is well known to have been exiled for many rumoured crimes against her people, and then against the citizens of Waterdeep. It did not save her from the grizzly fate of becoming a sacrifice to Malar at the Fanged Pit.

Tongues are wagging that, ever since the coming of Malarites in Soubar in an organised form, they are trying to take over the entire settlement for themselves. Most, however, don't. Most dwellers, outcasts themselves, remark that this is Soubar. If you cannot protect yourself, you deserve your death.


And just like that, the rumours die out eventually. It was, after all, business as usual.
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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Bridgefort No More?

Some Soubaran locals, that maintain contact with merchants at the Boareskyr Bridge camp, say that the Tower over the spot known as Bridgefort one day just collapsed, killing all squatters inside.

Supposedly, that was caused by some people that identify themselves as "Crimson Watch", though thoughts are divided on that- the tower was well known to be in a horrible condition before their trek there.

Of note, however, is the fact that the Boareskyr Bridge camp's inhabitants seem to be clearing the rubble and collecting what stone seems to be of use. Perhaps they aim to rebuild the bridge?
~All Their Days are Numbered~
~Campaign Coordinator for 1353DR, 1354DR and 1355DR Metaplot~
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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SHADOWS IN THE NIGHT

A contingent of Masquerade Court Knights was found slain, south of Soubar. Rumors suggest they were pursuing an as-yet unidentified target when they were waylaid by unknown assailants. Some chalk the encounter up to nothing more than common banditry but those who know the Masquerade Court's reputation know better.
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