The following newspaper inexplicably appears overnight in both Qeynos and Freeport, and a little later in Kelethin, Gorowyn, and even Neriak. Its distribution in Freeport especially is more bold than ever, and all districts receive a very large number of copies. Shoved under doors, left in mailboxes, posted in taverns, and dropped onto porches, it's:
The Commoner
You Too Can Be President of Freeport In For a Penny, In For a Pound Greetings, Citizens. We know that your day has very likely not been pleasant OR profitable. It has been five days since the Citadel fell, or 5 Towerfall for those of you strange enough to find that this warrants a new Norrathian calendar, and the chaos in Freeport shows no sign of stopping. We here at the Commoner offer our strongest condolences to everyone who has lost family and friends to this disaster, as well as our condolences to the friends and family of one Brinn, Royal Librarian of Qeynos. We also apologize profusely to our readers who expected humor in this issue--we promise to provide twice as much in the next to make up for it. The situation in Freeport is as such: the western part of the city is being held by the now much decimated Freeport Militia, and those few Lucanic Knights that have remained after the disappearance of their leader. The northern part has been occupied by Thexian insurgents, purportedly at the hands of the same woman who would take control of the Militia, Tayil N'Velex, former right-hand of vanished former Overlord, Lucan D'Lere. South Freeport has been occupied by Dreadnaught forces, who declined rather forcefully to say who their leader currently is. While the majority of forces in East Freeport are also Thexian, both Dreadnaught and Militia have been spotted. The outer districts, while nominally still showing a scattering of Militia men to guard the way into the main city, have been mostly left to fend for themselves, and violence everywhere is rampant. There are strong rumors, however, that aid and relief stations have been set up both in Beggar's Court and the Scaleyard. It is also rumored that the Knights of Freeport have also set up an aid station within their headquarters in North Freeport, but only for those still loyal to the Overlord and their own authority. A recent pamphlet has been released by the Knights of Freeport to residents of North Freeport claiming, among other things, that adventurers have breached the now ruined Citadel and learned of Lucan D'Lere's continued survival. We here at the Commoner confirm this claim, but also confirmed by adventurers from all cities is that Lucan D'Lere is currently being held in captivity, location unknown. D'Lere himself is said to have revealed within earshot of these adventurers that it was Tayil N'Velex herself who betrayed him, and led not Thexian but Void forces in the destruction of the Citadel and the imprisonment of Freeport's former leader. Rumors also abound that Soulfire has been stolen, either by Tayil herself or Void soldiers. All residents of Freeport, loyalist or non-loyalist, should take note: it is confirmed by the word of the former Overlord himself that Tayil N'Velex is not only directly responsible for the destruction wrought on the city, but also that she is working with forces from the Void itself. It is very likely that Tayil N'Velex is Void-tainted, and we urge all forces, Thexian, Dreadnaught, and Militia alike, to look to their leaders. The likelihood that others in positions of power have been tainted as well is very, very high. It is clear that no one should follow the word of Tayil N'Velex, neither Militia nor Thexian. Other rumors are also running rampant through the war-torn city. The aforementioned revolutionary movement remains, with varying reports of both small but well-trained forces, as well as their possible leader. It is now known that the leader of these revolutionaries is being called Sir Haligan, and his name has been found scrawled on several walls either in full, or as a simple 'H', usually at the sites where these revolutionaries have been spotted. They are known to have hijacked at least one supply caravan belonging to still-prosperous merchants, although what is intended for the supplies is unknown. Efforts continue to contact Sir Haligan for an interview. Dear Freeport readership, we here at the Commoner urge you to protect yourselves, your livelihood, and your families. Whether this be through agreements made with occupying forces or outright force against anyone who should try to harm you, you should look first to your own welfare and that of your neighbors. Anyone who threatens the common people of Freeport in their greatest time of need is not a person or a force that can be trusted, be they Thexian, Dreadnaught, Militia, Outsider, or Knight of Freeport. Lucan D'Lere has not voluntarily left Freeport, nor can he voluntarily return, and it is now time for Freeport to stand on her own or perish. Remember what he has taught, that strength is found in unity. True unity is not found at the wrong end of the sword or the fist. True unity is not found with those who only wish to grab for power in the absence of the Overlord. Be well, dear readers, and expect a new issue shortly when we have more information to share. And if you feel our words are rubbish, at the very least they may keep you warm for a time! We here at the Commoner also believe in the value of recycling.
Greetings, Citizens. We know that your day has very likely not been pleasant OR profitable. It has been five days since the Citadel fell, or 5 Towerfall for those of you strange enough to find that this warrants a new Norrathian calendar, and the chaos in Freeport shows no sign of stopping. We here at the Commoner offer our strongest condolences to everyone who has lost family and friends to this disaster, as well as our condolences to the friends and family of one Brinn, Royal Librarian of Qeynos. We also apologize profusely to our readers who expected humor in this issue--we promise to provide twice as much in the next to make up for it.
The situation in Freeport is as such: the western part of the city is being held by the now much decimated Freeport Militia, and those few Lucanic Knights that have remained after the disappearance of their leader. The northern part has been occupied by Thexian insurgents, purportedly at the hands of the same woman who would take control of the Militia, Tayil N'Velex, former right-hand of vanished former Overlord, Lucan D'Lere. South Freeport has been occupied by Dreadnaught forces, who declined rather forcefully to say who their leader currently is. While the majority of forces in East Freeport are also Thexian, both Dreadnaught and Militia have been spotted. The outer districts, while nominally still showing a scattering of Militia men to guard the way into the main city, have been mostly left to fend for themselves, and violence everywhere is rampant. There are strong rumors, however, that aid and relief stations have been set up both in Beggar's Court and the Scaleyard. It is also rumored that the Knights of Freeport have also set up an aid station within their headquarters in North Freeport, but only for those still loyal to the Overlord and their own authority.
A recent pamphlet has been released by the Knights of Freeport to residents of North Freeport claiming, among other things, that adventurers have breached the now ruined Citadel and learned of Lucan D'Lere's continued survival. We here at the Commoner confirm this claim, but also confirmed by adventurers from all cities is that Lucan D'Lere is currently being held in captivity, location unknown. D'Lere himself is said to have revealed within earshot of these adventurers that it was Tayil N'Velex herself who betrayed him, and led not Thexian but Void forces in the destruction of the Citadel and the imprisonment of Freeport's former leader. Rumors also abound that Soulfire has been stolen, either by Tayil herself or Void soldiers. All residents of Freeport, loyalist or non-loyalist, should take note: it is confirmed by the word of the former Overlord himself that Tayil N'Velex is not only directly responsible for the destruction wrought on the city, but also that she is working with forces from the Void itself. It is very likely that Tayil N'Velex is Void-tainted, and we urge all forces, Thexian, Dreadnaught, and Militia alike, to look to their leaders. The likelihood that others in positions of power have been tainted as well is very, very high. It is clear that no one should follow the word of Tayil N'Velex, neither Militia nor Thexian.
Other rumors are also running rampant through the war-torn city. The aforementioned revolutionary movement remains, with varying reports of both small but well-trained forces, as well as their possible leader. It is now known that the leader of these revolutionaries is being called Sir Haligan, and his name has been found scrawled on several walls either in full, or as a simple 'H', usually at the sites where these revolutionaries have been spotted. They are known to have hijacked at least one supply caravan belonging to still-prosperous merchants, although what is intended for the supplies is unknown. Efforts continue to contact Sir Haligan for an interview.
Dear Freeport readership, we here at the Commoner urge you to protect yourselves, your livelihood, and your families. Whether this be through agreements made with occupying forces or outright force against anyone who should try to harm you, you should look first to your own welfare and that of your neighbors. Anyone who threatens the common people of Freeport in their greatest time of need is not a person or a force that can be trusted, be they Thexian, Dreadnaught, Militia, Outsider, or Knight of Freeport. Lucan D'Lere has not voluntarily left Freeport, nor can he voluntarily return, and it is now time for Freeport to stand on her own or perish. Remember what he has taught, that strength is found in unity. True unity is not found at the wrong end of the sword or the fist. True unity is not found with those who only wish to grab for power in the absence of the Overlord.
Be well, dear readers, and expect a new issue shortly when we have more information to share. And if you feel our words are rubbish, at the very least they may keep you warm for a time! We here at the Commoner also believe in the value of recycling.
The following newspaper inexplicably appears overnight in both Qeynos and Freeport, and a little later in Kelethin, Gorowyn, and even Neriak. Shoved under doors, left in mailboxes, posted in taverns, and dropped onto porches, it's:
Resistances, Rebellions, and Insurrections, Oh My! Finish your Frostfell Shopping early! Greetings, Citizens! We hope that your day has been both pleasant and profitable. Have you taken insurrection and rebellion into account when planning for your holiday activities this year? Do you know someone who would enjoy a regime change for Frostfell? Or maybe you simply think that the removal of certain rival parties would make an excellent turn-of-the-year gift! Well, if you are in Freeport, you may be in luck, valued readers. Rumors are flying wild about some kind of resistance formenting beneath the streets of Lucan D'Lere's city. Several of our sources have confirmed such rumors, stating that the resistance is so far quite small, but being well trained. When asked about the leader of said unruly group of discontents, our sources were understandably reluctant. However, the rumors that have reached our ears hint that the rebel leader may be some sort of charismatic knight, possibly even a paladin. Alas, our attempts at contacting him for an exclusive interview have been unsuccessful, but never fear! The Commoner does not give up so easily. Naturally, our Freeport subscribers would be wise to be skeptical of any such rumors of heinous underground dealings, especially with well armored holy men wielding flaming weaponry. After all, rebellion in Freeport is a crime, and we all know that the crime-rate in Freeport is outstandingly low, especially with her protectors and law enforcers so often half-way across the world, doing their duty to Freeport's citizenry by killing and tormenting people that we have never met, or spending their hard earned bribes and tax money in foreign taverns and vacation spots. Surely, any such actual insurrection would be found and put down quickly by these noble officers of Lucan. After all, Freeport has never had, and will never have to deal with such terrible offenses to the law as Thulian uprisings, foreign spies, homegrown traitors, or illegal newspapers. As a final note, we here at the Commoner would like to urge our readers to finish their Frostfell shopping early this year. We hear that freshly sharpened weapons and materials for barricades are quite popular purchases, and it would be a shame for such gifts to run out before our readers can obtain them! You never can tell, someone you know may find them useful very soon.
Greetings, Citizens! We hope that your day has been both pleasant and profitable. Have you taken insurrection and rebellion into account when planning for your holiday activities this year? Do you know someone who would enjoy a regime change for Frostfell? Or maybe you simply think that the removal of certain rival parties would make an excellent turn-of-the-year gift!
Well, if you are in Freeport, you may be in luck, valued readers. Rumors are flying wild about some kind of resistance formenting beneath the streets of Lucan D'Lere's city. Several of our sources have confirmed such rumors, stating that the resistance is so far quite small, but being well trained. When asked about the leader of said unruly group of discontents, our sources were understandably reluctant. However, the rumors that have reached our ears hint that the rebel leader may be some sort of charismatic knight, possibly even a paladin. Alas, our attempts at contacting him for an exclusive interview have been unsuccessful, but never fear! The Commoner does not give up so easily.
Naturally, our Freeport subscribers would be wise to be skeptical of any such rumors of heinous underground dealings, especially with well armored holy men wielding flaming weaponry. After all, rebellion in Freeport is a crime, and we all know that the crime-rate in Freeport is outstandingly low, especially with her protectors and law enforcers so often half-way across the world, doing their duty to Freeport's citizenry by killing and tormenting people that we have never met, or spending their hard earned bribes and tax money in foreign taverns and vacation spots. Surely, any such actual insurrection would be found and put down quickly by these noble officers of Lucan. After all, Freeport has never had, and will never have to deal with such terrible offenses to the law as Thulian uprisings, foreign spies, homegrown traitors, or illegal newspapers.
As a final note, we here at the Commoner would like to urge our readers to finish their Frostfell shopping early this year. We hear that freshly sharpened weapons and materials for barricades are quite popular purchases, and it would be a shame for such gifts to run out before our readers can obtain them! You never can tell, someone you know may find them useful very soon.
Make Your Own Patriotic Souljar! Patriotic Vampires, Take Note! Greetings, Citizens! We hope your day has been pleasant and profitable. Haven't you always wanted to be an undead abomination? If you've been hesitant about turning yourself into an immortal corpse, there is no better time to seize the opportunity than RIGHT NOW. Yes, we now have official word that the lich, that ultimate accomplishment of necromancy and self-determining mobile dead things, is considered to be, in the words of our esteemed competitor, "a patriotic being WITHOUT EXCEPTION". Have you ever worried about the quality of your patriotism? Would you like to prevent even the slimmest risk of having your door broken down in the middle of the night by soldiers looking for evidence of wrong-doing? Tired of fines for made-up-on-the-spot offenses? Did you choose the wrong undead career in vampirism? In light of the newest Freeport proclamations, and in the spirit of the holiday (pun entirely intended, good readers) we here at the Commoner present to you the Do It Yourself Out of Ordinary Household Items Undead Abomination Lich Kit. It's fun! It's festive! It's patriotic! It's cheap and easy! It negates the need to have hot burning metal applied to your skin and pay the Knights of Freeport for the opportunity! Yes, you too can be the most patriotic creature to grace the surface of Norrath. Just follow these quick and easy steps: Step 1: Choose your Souljar As everyone knows, the object that separates a lich from any ordinary undead being is the phylactery, which is quite literally something you store your soul in. While a phylactery can actually be any object at all, the traditional object is a jar or a box, and to be a truly AUTHENTIC lich beyond question, you too should try to locate just such an object. Any container may suffice for your souljar. Do you have any spare jars lying around in your kitchen? Wooden boxes holding nothing but junk in your basement? A match or cigar box will do just fine if you have no better materials. Or if you want a souljar that can travel with you anywhere, even an ordinary everyday pocket can be turned into your personal lich approved souljar. Step 2 (optional): Clean out your Souljar If you think that your souljar should probably be at least moderately tidy, or at least free of pocket lint, you should probably clean it out. It helps with certain future steps. If you don't really care about that, skip ahead to: Step 3: Create your Souljar Those highly skilled in the necromantic arts or knowledgable about magical theory will tell you that the process of becoming a lich is a highly involved, dangerous, lengthy process which may or may not involve blood sacrifice, binding promises to evil gods, or at least some magical skill. This is nonsense. The truth is that the process is actually quite simple, and it is made to sound so difficult and complicated because the current crop of liches enjoy being exclusive. Creating your souljar is a simple process with lots of room for creativity. The easiest way is to simply proclaim your souljar as a souljar. Your soul will then take up habitation, and you will be a lich, the most patriotic of patriotic beings. But perhaps you like a bit more ceremony, or you want to make certain that your status of a lich is undeniable and irrefutable. In that case, find some ink, paint, or in a pinch, charcoal (warning, charcoal will likely need to be reapplied regularly. Think of it as reasserting your patriotism), and write the words 'This is my souljar' on the outside. You can also write them on the inside if you like, or add or change words as it suits you. Artistic decorations of skulls or flowers are optional, but as long as you're going all out, you can also draw the Freeport crest or write 'I love Lucan' on your souljar as well (true patriots of other cities can substitute their city's rulers and crests as appropriate). The extremely dedicated may also write 'this is my soul' on a scrap of paper and put it inside, just to be thorough. And that's all there is to it! Congratulations on becoming a lich! The best part is, since your actual soul takes up no physical space, you can store anything else you like in your souljar, such as flour, clothing, or pocketchange, if you feel like using your space efficiently. You may now present your souljar as authentic proof of your lichdom to anyone who would question your loyalty, patriotism, or level of festive spirit. Happy Nights of the Dead, dear readers!
Greetings, Citizens! We hope your day has been pleasant and profitable. Haven't you always wanted to be an undead abomination? If you've been hesitant about turning yourself into an immortal corpse, there is no better time to seize the opportunity than RIGHT NOW. Yes, we now have official word that the lich, that ultimate accomplishment of necromancy and self-determining mobile dead things, is considered to be, in the words of our esteemed competitor, "a patriotic being WITHOUT EXCEPTION".
Have you ever worried about the quality of your patriotism? Would you like to prevent even the slimmest risk of having your door broken down in the middle of the night by soldiers looking for evidence of wrong-doing? Tired of fines for made-up-on-the-spot offenses? Did you choose the wrong undead career in vampirism? In light of the newest Freeport proclamations, and in the spirit of the holiday (pun entirely intended, good readers) we here at the Commoner present to you the Do It Yourself Out of Ordinary Household Items Undead Abomination Lich Kit. It's fun! It's festive! It's patriotic! It's cheap and easy! It negates the need to have hot burning metal applied to your skin and pay the Knights of Freeport for the opportunity! Yes, you too can be the most patriotic creature to grace the surface of Norrath. Just follow these quick and easy steps:
Step 1: Choose your Souljar
As everyone knows, the object that separates a lich from any ordinary undead being is the phylactery, which is quite literally something you store your soul in. While a phylactery can actually be any object at all, the traditional object is a jar or a box, and to be a truly AUTHENTIC lich beyond question, you too should try to locate just such an object. Any container may suffice for your souljar. Do you have any spare jars lying around in your kitchen? Wooden boxes holding nothing but junk in your basement? A match or cigar box will do just fine if you have no better materials. Or if you want a souljar that can travel with you anywhere, even an ordinary everyday pocket can be turned into your personal lich approved souljar.
Step 2 (optional): Clean out your Souljar
If you think that your souljar should probably be at least moderately tidy, or at least free of pocket lint, you should probably clean it out. It helps with certain future steps. If you don't really care about that, skip ahead to:
Step 3: Create your Souljar
Those highly skilled in the necromantic arts or knowledgable about magical theory will tell you that the process of becoming a lich is a highly involved, dangerous, lengthy process which may or may not involve blood sacrifice, binding promises to evil gods, or at least some magical skill. This is nonsense. The truth is that the process is actually quite simple, and it is made to sound so difficult and complicated because the current crop of liches enjoy being exclusive.
Creating your souljar is a simple process with lots of room for creativity. The easiest way is to simply proclaim your souljar as a souljar. Your soul will then take up habitation, and you will be a lich, the most patriotic of patriotic beings. But perhaps you like a bit more ceremony, or you want to make certain that your status of a lich is undeniable and irrefutable. In that case, find some ink, paint, or in a pinch, charcoal (warning, charcoal will likely need to be reapplied regularly. Think of it as reasserting your patriotism), and write the words 'This is my souljar' on the outside. You can also write them on the inside if you like, or add or change words as it suits you. Artistic decorations of skulls or flowers are optional, but as long as you're going all out, you can also draw the Freeport crest or write 'I love Lucan' on your souljar as well (true patriots of other cities can substitute their city's rulers and crests as appropriate). The extremely dedicated may also write 'this is my soul' on a scrap of paper and put it inside, just to be thorough.
And that's all there is to it! Congratulations on becoming a lich! The best part is, since your actual soul takes up no physical space, you can store anything else you like in your souljar, such as flour, clothing, or pocketchange, if you feel like using your space efficiently. You may now present your souljar as authentic proof of your lichdom to anyone who would question your loyalty, patriotism, or level of festive spirit. Happy Nights of the Dead, dear readers!
If You Are Reading This Sentence, You Are Already Guilty! Stop In And Read a Bit More In That Case Greetings, Citizens! We hope your day has been pleasant and profitable. Today we'd like to talk about a terrible crime known as reading. It has long been known that so much as reading our publication is grounds for swift and immediate execution, but in light of the recent released reminder of such, we here at the Commoner would like to better inform you, our valued reader, as to just how guilty you are. Just reading the headline was enough to get you killed, for instance, so you're already in for a penny, in for a pound. Are you holding this paper? That could be considered possession, which is equally punishable by unpleasant doom. If you're reading it out loud to someone else, well! We're not entirely sure what sentence such a horrible crime warrants, but given the recent trend, we would also guess death. It's just a hunch. The recent missive encourages that all loyal, patriotic, free Citizens report such publications to the proper authorities, and assure you that your efforts will be rewarded. Rewarded indeed! Remember that by reading this sentence RIGHT NOW, you are committing a crime! Your proper reward is the execution pit. Did you glimpse the title as your neighbor hid the paper from you? That's death! Did you spy a word out of the corner of your eye? Death! Are you arresting someone for possessing this paper? Arrest yourself, lawbreaker! Or read on, you're already guilty! In truth, dearest readers, there is only one way to be sure that you will never be guilty of committing this heinous crime. Never read a single thing again. Well, and you could also pluck out your eyes. We hear that's a very fashionable thing amongst Feerrott Thulians. You could be considered daring and exotic! But we really don't recommend that. But Commoner, you might be asking, if you have read this far and are therefore already doomed. What can we do if we are reading this right now? Well, dear readers, shame on you. Shame, shame. The proper thing to do of course is to jump into the execution pit. But as we'd be very sad to lose our valued readership, the only other thing to do is to never speak a word of this to anyone. It's not very patriotic, we admit, but it may save your life. Remember, if you read enough to know this is an illegal publication, you're guilty of seditious acts, and reporting such to the proper authorities, as is proper, is also turning yourself in. Of course, we would never advocate such disloyal behavior! That said, we would like to offer a welcoming shout out to our newest criminals, especially any and all members of the Freeport Militia and the Knights of Freeport! Hello! Please, enjoy your new status and have a pleasant and profitable day. Or jump in the execution pit as duty requires.
Greetings, Citizens! We hope your day has been pleasant and profitable. Today we'd like to talk about a terrible crime known as reading. It has long been known that so much as reading our publication is grounds for swift and immediate execution, but in light of the recent released reminder of such, we here at the Commoner would like to better inform you, our valued reader, as to just how guilty you are.
Just reading the headline was enough to get you killed, for instance, so you're already in for a penny, in for a pound. Are you holding this paper? That could be considered possession, which is equally punishable by unpleasant doom. If you're reading it out loud to someone else, well! We're not entirely sure what sentence such a horrible crime warrants, but given the recent trend, we would also guess death. It's just a hunch.
The recent missive encourages that all loyal, patriotic, free Citizens report such publications to the proper authorities, and assure you that your efforts will be rewarded. Rewarded indeed! Remember that by reading this sentence RIGHT NOW, you are committing a crime! Your proper reward is the execution pit. Did you glimpse the title as your neighbor hid the paper from you? That's death! Did you spy a word out of the corner of your eye? Death! Are you arresting someone for possessing this paper? Arrest yourself, lawbreaker! Or read on, you're already guilty!
In truth, dearest readers, there is only one way to be sure that you will never be guilty of committing this heinous crime. Never read a single thing again. Well, and you could also pluck out your eyes. We hear that's a very fashionable thing amongst Feerrott Thulians. You could be considered daring and exotic! But we really don't recommend that.
But Commoner, you might be asking, if you have read this far and are therefore already doomed. What can we do if we are reading this right now? Well, dear readers, shame on you. Shame, shame. The proper thing to do of course is to jump into the execution pit. But as we'd be very sad to lose our valued readership, the only other thing to do is to never speak a word of this to anyone. It's not very patriotic, we admit, but it may save your life. Remember, if you read enough to know this is an illegal publication, you're guilty of seditious acts, and reporting such to the proper authorities, as is proper, is also turning yourself in. Of course, we would never advocate such disloyal behavior!
That said, we would like to offer a welcoming shout out to our newest criminals, especially any and all members of the Freeport Militia and the Knights of Freeport! Hello! Please, enjoy your new status and have a pleasant and profitable day. Or jump in the execution pit as duty requires.
The following newspaper inexplicably appears overnight in both Qeynos and Freeport, and a little later in Kelethin, Gorowyn, and even Neriak. Copies are also, curiously, found in both Windstalker Village and Thundermist Village. Shoved under doors, left in mailboxes, posted in taverns, and dropped onto porches, it's:
War News - War News? Hey, What About That War Thing Anyway?
Greetings, citizens!
While our illustrious competitor, the Freeport Observer, is busy bringing you the many, many reasons why Freeporters should hate Qeynosians (and while our other illustrious competitor, the Qeynosian Tribune, remains silent on the matter), some of you may be wondering just what happened to that whole war everyone was so enthusiastic about. In our continuing desire to serve you, we bring you news from the front, still light on adjectives for your reading pleasure.
Gnomeland Security was retaken by the combined Kelethin and Qeynosian forces known as the Kelethin Defense Alliance a little more than a week ago, but not without cost. There are reports that the Freeport and Neriak forces, the Darklight Pact, were already in the process of withdrawing prior to the attack. The Darklight Pact set fire to Gnomeland Security as they left, leaving many of the gnomish residents dead or badly injured. Reports of Gnomeland residents suffering torture, being subjected to mind control, being used as cannonballs, living shields, and living bombs under the duration of their protection by the Darklight Pact are rampant. Qeynosian authorities have asked residents of their city to help provide a list of names of those that were known to have been staying in Gnomeland at the time of the Darklight Pact's arrival, so that they can better identify the dead.
Reports of an attempt by an agent of the Kelethin Defense Alliance to poison the food and water supplies of the occupying Gnomeland forces the night before the attack to retake the mesa are also true. An inside source has informed us that the plan was to drug the supplies--not poison them--with the hope of making the Darklight Pact defenders sluggish and less able to fight effectively. The fate and identity of this agent, as reported by our illustrious competitor, is unconfirmed.
And now, back to our adjectives!
Our illustrious competitor will, of course, deny that such events have occurred. They will tell you that the withdrawal from Gnomeland was a strategically wise decision, or that the losses suffered by the gnomes of Gnomeland were the result of Kelethin and Qeynosian barbarism. They will tell you that the gnomes who suffered and died under the direction of Freeportian and Neriak forces were agents of Qeynos, or Kelethin, or both, and deserved their fates. They will urge you to continue to support this war, to continue to send your money, your food, and your children to fight for the right of unprovoked invasion forces everywhere. Naturally, victory is right around the corner, even though no Darklight Pact or Freeportian force currently occupies any part of Karan or Faydwer. And we should all pray for a long and bloody war.
Instead of urging you to any side, we here at the Commoner wish to humbly point out to our beloved readers that Gnomeland Security was a small outlying settlement, unaffiliated with either side, with very few defenses beyond location. The Nursery in Greater Faydark was a small, outlying settlement with very few defenses beyond location, that contained the children and future children of Kelethin. We note also, that Thundermist Village and Windstalker Village are both small outlying settlements, mostly unaffiliated with either side, with very few defenses even if you count location. And their locations, dear readers, roughly correspond in distance to the city of Qeynos as that of Gnomeland and the Nursery to the city of Kelethin. Perhaps, like Gnomeland and the Nursery, the valiant forces of Freeport and Neriak will attempt to grant these two villages protection from the ravages of Qeynos next.
And we can all pray for a long and bloody war.