The First Land Herald/429-10-26

Article Number: 4

Dateline: 429-10-26

LOCAL WOMAN BEGINS MIDDENS CLEAN-UP At the most recent Zoluren Town Hall meeting, local Prydaen woman Viyalo spoke up on the conditions of the Middens. She expressed concern about the dilapidation of the buildings, the pools of fetid water and muck — which the children play in —, the lack of clean drinking water, the corpses left to rot in the open air, and the rubble that still remains from the destruction of Ulf'Hara Keep. I have visited the area myself, and I can confirm that each of these problems is both present and profound. I must add that the region is thick with refuse, and most structures are either ruined or entirely makeshift, built of cast-off materials, mud, and dung. The people there have turned predatory in their thieving and thugging as well. Viyalo proposed a three-prong plan, beginning with cleaning up the Keep's debris. She also called for charity, both in the form of platinums and donation of tools. Finally, she suggested rallying the local craftspeople for some repairs and rebuilding. Given that the Moon Mage guild recently donated to the Middens (see my article from 427-08-26), it may be possible to build on that step and enact true change in the area. Admirably, a few andaen later, Viyalo put out a gweth call that she would begin the clean-up herself, and she invited anyone who listened to come join her. I purchased a shovel and an empty trunk for a few silver and went along to help. Together, we began digging at the rubble nearest the Observatory, shoveling piles of glass and granite into our receptacles. I crafted a Sanctuary in order to keep violence at bay, aided by the charm the Empath Eruwyn directed at some of the locals. It was inspiring to watch those who attended attack the problem in different ways. Although Viyalo did not appreciate my use of a resonant frequency to shatter the larger pieces of glass, I saw that the utilization of the Shadow Servant to store debris was a particularly good idea. Altogether, I observed that Eruwyn, Sir Hebion, Rhatt, Zaer, Rhul, and Traim participated in this first attempt. The Demon-aider Lenaea, who recently admitted publicly to giving a powerful artifact to a demon worshipper (see my article from 429-04-22), also dared to show up. However, given that she was helping and remaining quiet on the subject of demons, the rest of the party was content to tolerate her presence — although intrepid Necromancers and supporters should know that I am not likely to make a habit of such tolerance in most arenas. Of some note, Viyalo continued to work for much of the event despite an obvious pain she bears in one leg, which made carrying on impossible for her after a certain point. Traim had the idea to take what remained of the Keep and deliver it to an artist who might reforge the pieces into a sculpture or other work of art, and the rest of us were amenable to this plan. What better use for these bits of detritus than to remake them into something that both memorializes what was lost and brings a small portion of joy and beauty into the world? Thus, when we had worked at the problem for a good while, we chose to store our containers of materials in the ruined warehouse nearby, until we can find a suitable artist. I note that it may require the assistance of an elementalist skilled in the reinforcement of matter, so that anything made of glass would remain resilient. Viyalo indicated that she would like to continue such clean-ups, so if you are interested in donating your time and labor to a worthy cause, listen for further such gweth announcements. Lenaea also spoke, surprisingly, of the shame that she felt on behalf of her guild, the Moon Mages. She told me she intends to speak to Guild Leader Kssarh and entreat the guild to play a stronger role in the restoration of the Middens. Despite Lenaea's crime, I will hesitantly throw my support behind such a petition, since it is likely to aid this noble endeavor. If it should surface, I encourage all to sign. With humility, Navesi Daerthon True Bard, Zoluren's Herald Editor in Chief of the First Land Herald

Real Date: Unknown Date

Subject(s): Kssarh Lenaea Middens Moon Mage Necromancer Sanctuary Shadow Servant Traim Ulf'Hara Keep Viyalo Zoluren

Author(s): Navesi