The IC News is usually posted every month or so. The news has been organized to events pertaining directly to RedMist Castle itself or to places throughout the wider world, such as Athallas' Far East or Tarislan, the Coin Kingdom.

Castle Events - Seinsday, Mayah 25th 1340

A soil covered fellow sitting in the tavern has RedMist Castle residents a bit spooked. Whether it's his bleeding sword or strange opinions, thoughts vary.
Some say he is the reincarnation of one of the four demons slain by the Dragonlord some years ago in the RedMist courtyard. A few even predict he is warrior from Ves, come to take revenge on some poor soul. Most believe he is just another bad omen among many others these days; a foreshadow of things yet to be seen. One night, he was found standing by the bar counter in The Sword and The Rose, uttering in an unknown dialect. Two words were spoken in common. Dark Lord. Most try to ignore this man who goes by the name Rulgorin. Others keep their distance. A few have grown used to him.

A disease has visited and passed over the castle in the past month, claiming the lives of ten garrison members and nearly twenty commoners before releasing RedMist from its grip. The cure, discovered by a newly arrived physician named Milo, came early enough to prevent any further deaths. Milo has since named the source of the cure, a rose that grows only under precise conditions, the Brennos Rose – a play on the queen’s own name.

Olus Glittering Rain, a true Tree Man in the service of Narah, came to the castle shortly after the disease began claming its first victims. He had hoped to research and produce a cure by either physical or magical means but was largely unsuccessful. His efforts produced new medicines, which helped prolong the lives of the infected, but did could eradicate the sickness within them. Olus was slain by the leader of ten horsemen in white masks who came to the castle in search of him and his staff, aiming to take the magical item for some underhanded purpose.

Mentioned above, these horsemen have been seen all across Csegre, seldom traveling in groups larger than three. Shrouded in pale hooded cloaks and porcelain masks, these men and women have yet to be accurately identified, though their deeds speak clearly enough of their intent. They have been seeking magical artifacts of all kinds, raiding tombs, ruined structures and vaults in hopes of finding some forgotten treasure. They are clearly an organized, effective group, though whom they ultimately serve is unknown. What appears to be their leader was responsible for the death of Olus Glittering Rain. With a wave of his hand, he lifted Olus from his feet and flung him from the wallwalk of RedMist Castle to the unforgiving ground below. The fall was fatal. After the castle garrison engaged him and his fellow horsemen, he vanished from sight, all without procuring Olus’ staff. As the staff and Olus’ body traveled north to Gildorall under heavy guard, however, the procession came under attack and was completely decimated. The staff is since missing.

Posters of a new kind of gladiator combat have been showing up around Csagradeus Citadel. They started in the tavern, but a few merchants have chosen to hand them out along with sold goods. At first, they were boasting wrestling combatants and safe rules. No punching. No kicking. Grappling on a large scale.
As of two nights ago, posters have changed. Now they boast of the violent brawling of two weaponless opponents inside a small circle. Large men have also been seen working out in the castle courtyard and running laps around it's circumference. Late into the night, some have seen these men clashing inside a tiny circle with barely room enough for themselves to fit. Rumors seem to point toward someone who calls himself Thaddaeus StormTalon. That and his name seems to be signed at the bottom of each of the posters.

Two suitors remain to vie for the hand of Rose Brennos, Queen of Csagrada. Edward Huntsman, Count of Stagsreach, has been the only suitor to remain in Csagrada throughout Rose’s recent, lengthy absence, while the other hopeful – Antonius Premysl – arrived shortly after her return. Now that she is back in Csegre, new suitors will surely arrive within the next few months, some already being stopped at the North Revival Line by stay-behinds of DePeile’s army. These men have been ordered to hold certain border choke-points on either side of the Cloudpiercers in case any Tarislanian forces tried to march south.

Tarislan in Turmoil - Solarday, Mayah 19th 1340

Baron Sinclair has done the unthinkable and appears to have turned the tide of the war between Tarislan and Kingsland. Since his reappointing by King Julian Colehart two months ago, Sinclair has been fighting Sirus Colehart's army ferociously, has reworked Kingsland's army, and has shoved forward 64 total miles, completely enveloping all of Tarislan's forward encampments. Csagradan analysts think this success may be limited, however, as in the last couple of
weeks Kingsland has advanced only 4 of those 64 miles. Sinclair himself blames this on a total annihilation by anonymous forces of a northern army-operated port and one of Sinclair's main supply bases, hindering Kingsland's supply lines greatly.

Sirus Colehart, possibly panicked by the utterly massive loss, has dropped his usual rhetoric consisting of statements that Kingsland will be crushed soon and has admitted, with Sinclair back in his father's fold, the war may drag on longer than expected. He wasted no breath in swearing that no expense or effort will be spared in halting Sinclair's bloody advance and turning him back. He also publicly warned that if Sinclair and his father did not submit within the next month, he would not be above hiring professional assassins paid straight from the treasury to deal with them both as well as their top commanders.

Amid the turmoil and difficulty in holding off Tarislan, King Julian Colehart has now formally withdrawn all forces en route to engage Csagrada, signaling an end to official war with the country. General Harbreck remains at large in the Blight, however, and may be at this time squaring off against the monstrous Blightman rabble attacking Gillenview.

The Kingdom of Csagrada - Seinsday, Mayah 25th 1340 (updated)

Narah’s Rise is in full bloom, with fresh colors and warm winds returning to the Csegrean Peninsula. Unlike previous years, however, the people’s unease has put a damper on many festivals and celebrations. It is the queen’s hope that a grand event sponsored by the capital and held on its grounds will help to alleviate the populace’s fears and worries. The queen is also moving to make Planting Day a set date throughout the kingdom, rather than having each town or village choose when its farmers will start their crops. Also, the Church holiday of Blessed Rest falls on Mayah 21st and calls for all Athlassians, including Csagradans, to take a day of simple relaxation and enjoy Narah’s bounty.

The kidnappings of Csagradan officials seem to have ceased, with Marcus Marius and Lady Carroway being the final victims. The kidnappers themselves have still not made themselves known, though it is known that Marcus' son Gaius, now in command of the 1st Legion and Marius Manor, is mounting a massive investigative effort, and has announced that he has discovered evidence that may link them to the kidnappers. He further states that that the kidnappings of Marius and Carroway may have occurred simultaneously, and thus they are investigating both kidnappings under the assumption that each ties in directly with the other. The rest of Csagrada can only hope their efforts bear more fruit than anyone else's. Anything at all would top preceding efforts however, as every investigation thus far has met with dismal failure.

Relations with the ‘re-educated’ Aa’shren, remnants of Spartan Havoc’s army, have come to a standstill as Csagrada faces new problems. The two sides of the Aa’shren peoplpe continue to war amongst themselves while the barbarians’ attacks on innocent Csegreans have ceased for the time being. Warlord Jek, something of a self-appointed leader of the savages, has been gathering many Aa’shren to his palisade fortress in Csegre’s eastern lower forest, not far from McClellan Keep, in hopes of crafting a more efficient, allied force to ensure the survival of his people through this event and future happenings.

The lohranar cult recently camped near the castle has vanished from Csegre altogether. It is believed they traveled across the Csegrean Sea to the Iqvan Islands, though for what purpose is not known. After the theft of Hasardar, a massive Tarislanian transport ship stolen by Poisonbrook’s own shipping guild, four murders and much destruction in the port by their kind, all boats to the Islands have been stopped, severing the supply lines to high-elven commandant Tyri’s expedition there. A band of travelers and a boatload of Draekaverists were the last to leave Poisonbrook for the Islands before the ban was enacted.

Word of a small group of Taelans in the town of Haddins has upset not only the local populace but also the people of Veriten, a town just south of Haddins across Titan’s Bridge. The Taelans temporarily occupied Haddins when their numbers in Csegre were greater, but Haddins was thought to be liberated from their threat since their final fall at RedMist Castle. Currently, the Taelans are holed up inside a large warehouse used to store goods that would normally be shipped north during the winter. Now, the building is surely the home of a number of Taelan iron golems just waiting to be unleashed on the countryside.

In Veriten, Colonel Hephaestus has stepped down as mayor after only one month. In a departure from the normal structuring of power in Csagradan townships, Colonel Hephaestus has appointed a replacement mayor to handle more menial tasks while he marshals the town guard to eliminate the Taelans in and around the town. He has made it clear that the mayor will be his subordinate though, and this is further bothering citizens worried about Colonel Hephaestus' apparent power-grabbing in central Csagrada. Because of his successes in rooting out Taelans, resulting in nearly three or four hangings a week of Taelan infiltrators, the crown has largely turned a blind eye to him as his efficient removal of Taelans is needed greatly. Hephaestus has repeatedly suggested and requested he also be given command of the town militia and military forces in Haddins. The people of Haddins have strongly opposed this, but again Hephaestus swears he can clean up the Taelan problem and his record would seem to back him up. His proposition is undergoing review.

After an absence following his dastardly plot to charm the queen of Csagrada and rule the kingdom in her stead, Cardinal Cocteau has returned to Csegre. Though Csagrada is still out for his blood, Cocteau has come on an official mandate from the Triad Church and claims he is here to once and for all destroy the followers of false gods and reinstate the true deities – Eylin, Narah, and Terinus – to their rightful place amongst the worshiping populace. Cocteau has come with a massive force of over three hundred Trinity Knights, most already spread throughout the land in search of such heathens as the Spiritweilders, Draekaverists, Serpent Orderites, and the recent White Masks whom Cocteau believes is yet another religious cult. Cocteau was also accompanied by a number of Cathardisian legionnaires summoned by the Church, but soldiers all have been recalled to the empire to protect its eastern border.

Bram Drummond, a Forbidden trader and slaveholder recently escaped from RedMist Castle, has made haste to completely remove both himself and his family from Csagrada. The Drummond Family will likely lie low for a while and concentrate on trading in Cathardis and Shinsu before even attempting to smuggle their goods into Csegre again. Plus, with Forbidden imports and production at an all time low, the Drummonds will have to charge more than double their original prices to make any form of profit. It is rumored that the Drummonds may be researching new stimulants to enhance the strength and rage of a person, bringing them to something of a Fury-like state, and Bram may look to sell this drug to various Athlassian militaries in preparation for the coming dark times.

A major battle broke out in the forests east of Tarislan Castle, the former southern Tarislanian capital, on Mayah 13th, between unknown factions. Local militias investigating reports of heavy battling in the wooded areas investigated, but arrived well after the event had ended. They found upwards of 50 bodies, all riddled with what appeared to be multiple stab wounds. Each of the dead was stripped of all weapons and nearly all clothing, there were multiple destroyed wooden structures, and numerous trees had been knocked down and even burned in the fighting. Since the battle, the local farming communities and towns have been on alert and watching for evidence of the forces that clashed there late in the evening. Some are speculating the Ravager may be resurfacing once again after a dormant period, but this has been cast down as highly unlikely in view of more recent news from the south.

Several small villages of fur traders, trappers, and fishermen in the northern Darkmire Marsh have been found decimated with almost no survivors. After losing contact for weeks, segments of the newly reformed Csagradan 2nd Legion, currently based in Poisonbrook, moved out to investigate. They found the villages completely razed and burned to the ground. A scant 3 survivors were located. The three trappers were out collecting their game when the attacks on their village came, and they reported seeing none other than the Ravager and his stealthy horde rampaging through the area slaughtering men and animals alike. Obviously this is disturbing news, as much of southern Csagrada breathed a sigh of relief when the Ravager's course took him further and further north, but this signals he has once again returned to this area some unknown reason.

Caleb Threnory’s conscripted Valanian soldiers have arrived at McClellan Keep to bolster its defenses. For the first time since the keep’s construction, McClellan is fully staffed by trained soldiers rather than men taken from the surrounding villages. An official representative of Brilale is scheduled to arrive at the keep to arrange for the release of the airship crew Caleb captured earlier this year, but Threnory feels the ambassador will instead be an assassin or other form of infiltrator meant to kill him and open McClellan for a Brilale takeover. Other Csagradan officials will be on hand to receive the ambassador and ensure no wrongdoing occurs.

The new mayor of Glennwood has revealed himself to the populace, though he refuses to speak of his name or his new location, stating that it may endanger Glennwood. Why, he won't say. Another elf, he promises harsher rules and enforcement than Elspeth D'Nara had before, and also put forth unopposed motions to have any and all Shadow Elven tunnels within a 5 mile radius located, cleansed, and collapsed. A stoic, determined man of force, he has perhaps become the first elf to truly gain the mutual respect of the humans in the area, particularly the militias and the nearby Army encampments. He is reforming the lax policies of the Elven Guard and the Glennwood Archeress' Guild, and promises Glennwood will never be attacked directly by Shadow Elves again, ever. Finally, he is coordinating the Elven Guard's activities with the nearby village militias to help protect a broader area and keep his citizens safer.

The town of Blacksands is prospering greatly and may be admitted as a new Csagradan City, upgraded from Township. Much of Blacksands' prosperity has been due to Sir Felix Hawke, the Csagradan multi-millionaire, relocating his headquarters to the town and also building himself a new mansion there. His old mansion is Poisonbrook is now up for sale at a staggering but fair price of 16000 gold. Blacksands itself has seen an eruption of merchant activity, and the population has exploded from 800 to 12,000 in four months.

Kaysbay is another center of Hawke's latest activities, and he is pouring funds into the city to help it dredge out a better harbor and improve dock facilities. In addition, to protect his investment he is lending great financial assistance to the Kaysbay Defense Project. The KDP was initiated by the new mayor and captain of the guard, however due to severely limited funds it has barely gotten past setting up a single 5-foot north wall. Now it is expected Kaysbay's defenses could be in tip top condition within 4 or 5 months with the influx of Hawke's gold. Smelling promise of banking on the expansion in Kaysbay, the Csagradan Trade Union has set up a secondary meeting hall in Kaysbay to augment their central location in Cordoban.

At the Csagradan Trade Union's monthly meeting, Duke Roberto Castillo announced that nationwide trade increases bode well for the Csagradan economy, and that still increasing trade with Kyatan is producing huge amounts of profit. In addition, the new road system under construction as a joint venture between Hawke and the Marius Shipping & Trade Company is reviving internal Csagradan trading. Also brought up and unanimously approved at the CTU meeting were efforts to begin sea trade in force with Cathardis. Csagradan-Cathardisian trade has been nearly non-existent since Tarislan shut down the overland trade routes in 1338. The CTU has proposed construction of a joint-stock company funded trading fleet operating primarily out of Poisonbrook, with secondary routes to and from Glennwood. The new operations are awaiting royal approval.

A Brilale airship on patrol over the Csegrean Sea caught fire sometime in the early morning of Mayah 2nd, forcing the vessel to set down on the abandoned island of Voldresil’s Retreat. Witnesses on the shore of Poisonbrook saw the airship and a stream of smoke trailing behind it as it sped away from the Iqvan Islands. Poisonbrook officials are debating on sending a group to investigate the downed ship and to check for survivors. This comes at a time of increased activity at Somerton Harbor, a Brilale base near the cape of Gilkhidar and almost constant airship patrols over the jungles of the Untamed Lands.

Csagrada's Ongoing War - Solarday, Mayah 19th 1340

Csagrada this month is filled with cheers and celebrating as victory in the north is announced. After decades of mourning the loss, Csagrada's ancestral lands are once again in its possession. General Harbreck's Commander Elite Frank Calon and his officers, facing certain defeat, approached the 1st Legion with offers of huge amounts of Tarislanian military intelligence in return for amnesty and
permission to defect to Csagrada. The offer was accepted and the current whereabouts of Calon and his men are unknown. Those who refused to defect were killed at Two Rivers and the town is now in Csagradan hands.

Further north the border has been solidified at the great scar. Watch outposts have been set up all along the area to warn of any enemy encroachment, and the Eastern Armies have withdrawn from the Blight. Half of them are returning home, but the other half will be staying near the Blight to ensure that no army from Kingsland or Tarislan gets any ideas about retaking their land.

At Kelson Castle, Western Garrison under General Maelkran is having decidedly less luck. Maelkran's opponent, Lt. General Brom, is making good on his promises to fight tooth and nail to hold out at Kelson Castle. Though Brom is only fair in offense, he is downright diabolical when on the defensive. Maelkran's siege continues and Brom's forces are locked in, but it is proving to be a barbed steel cage which they have shut themselves inside. All attempts to overrun the walls have been beaten back ferociously, and scouts from towers report Brom's men are resting by day and building further inner fortifications in the castle by night. Each morning another section of inner wall has been built or another set of anti-siege weaponry set up. Maelkran's brilliance thus far has completely toppled his opponents, but Brom may prove to be his match.

Plans to pacify the Blightmen in the area have also fallen through following Harbreck's engagement with the force near Gillenview and a rethinking of plans which involve placing watch towers along and flanking the scar to warn of Tarislanian attack. Furthermore, following Calon's surrender and defection and the disappearance of their Legatus, the 1st Legion has been subsequently recalled to their base at Marius Manor, leaving the Eastern Armies to handle the negligible resistance that remains.

The Far East - Solarday, Mayah 19th 1340

In the Shinsu, the civil war continues to rage. The forces of Ding Feng have been all but defeated and have been bottled up by Cao Zhang's army in the northeast along the border with Fayne. After having his multi-million man army erect a palisade wall from Fayne's border to the northeast coast, literally walling Ding Feng in, Cao has been content so far to leave them to their fate on these frigid plains, and has turned his fury to Liu Zhen in the south.

Interestingly enough, the Dwarven Kingdom of Fayne began coming forward with offers to accept some of Ding Feng's refugees. The dwarves first scoffed at Cao Zhang's threats to attack if they allowed any refugees across the border, but changed their stance and dropped the offer when the immense specter of Cao's army began amassing along their borders. Fayne has since been very quiet on the international front.

Liu Zhen, who broke off the attack on Ding Feng to prepare his forces for an inevitable attack by Cao Zhang, has been fully prepared for Cao's offensive, and has five times rebuffed Cao's attacks at what were considered "weak" points along their constantly shifting borders. Liu Zhen wisely followed the advance of his brilliant chief strategist, Zhuge Jin, and took the lull in the fighting to seize nearly all the land in the southern mountain ranges and has fortified the passes through them, resulting the construction of a nearly impregnable natural fortress around his key farmlands and towns.

On the diplomatic front, Liu Zhen and his army, less than half the size of Cao's, have been making great strides toward friendly relations with Shinsuan neighbors. Despite Cao cutting off his western land routes, Liu has taken to the sea and established a trade relationship with Guiron. In return for some of their finer metalworking, Liu Zhen will sell Guiron his kingdom's excess crops. Since Liu possesses the majority of Shinsu's fertile farmlands, this could mean huge exports. In addition, he has repeated his calls for aid from Cathardis and sworn an alliance with them if they help him defeat Cao. And, finally, he reportedly has sent emissaries to Csagrada, though they have yet to arrive.

Kyatan has once again entered Shinsuan affairs, much to the dismay of Shae'daam. The new Sho-Lao, Hakido Shinobu, has interestingly placed his people's general enmity for Shinsu solely on Cao Zhang's shoulders and portrayed Liu Zhen as someone upholding "Kyatanese" ideals in Shinsu. Though Liu has been rather cool to relations with Kyatan, he has agreed to purchase Linu Island from them, captured last year by Kyatan in their quasi-war with Shinsu before the civil war erupted, and has also agreed to a tentative meeting with the Shogun.

Kyatan has also breached Shae'daam's borders to send troops to harass Cao Zhang. Claiming a right to fight their ancestral enemy, Kyatan asked for passage through Shae'daam's lands. When permission was refused by King Ran Halzec, and refused "forever", Kyatan ignored the refusal and pushed its way through their borders. The Border Guard Hasiri contingents fought the Kyatanese briefly, but eventually fled. To keep from having to call out the Sandraiders and attempt to repel Kyatan at a time when the kingdom is not at its greatest military strength, Shae'daam has granted permission to pass along the eastern shores, but only for a large sum of gold. Kyatan agreed, and thus conflict has been averted for now, but few countries are reacting favorably to Kyatan's unneighborly move. Shae'daam is also suffering the consequences of bowing to Kyatan's wishes, its current weakness now showing as being more than just skin deep.

Archived IC News .doc

This news has been archived from February 29th (the creation of this column) to the date of the current IC News posting. IC News before February 29th, 2000 can be found in Captain Haraman's journal archives.