Volume 1, Issue 2 - Uktar 1375

[Velaryon]

TMI is Back for Another Issue!
Story by Morris Melville

Greetings, readers! You hold in your hands the second issue of the Tethyrian Monthly Inquirer, Tethyr's premier and soon-to-be-famous monthly newspaper. Hold on to your copy, because someday this will be a collector's item!

This issue has a smaller print run than the first issue, because TMI is still building our subscriber base. Through continued effort to get the word out and through continued excellence in the field of reporting, this newspaper hopes to grow popular enough to print much larger print runs in the future. You, our beloved readers, can help us accomplish this goal by spreading the word to all your friends, family members, business associates, and neighbors. And don't forget to subscribe, for the great price of only 3 gp per month!

Sincerely,

The Tethyrian Monthly Inquirer Staff

[Velaryon]

Meet the Staff: Mr. Morris Melville
Story by Morris Melville

(Reprinted from Issue 1)


In this special featured article, TMI readers can get to know the people who work hard every day to deliver the finest news publication in all of Tethyr. This month's subject is Mr. Morris Melville, the Editor-in-Chief and Lead Reporter. As of Issue #1, Mr. Melville is in fact the sole employee of the paper, although he expects TMI to grow in size along with its readership.

Mr. Melville was born in 1354 right here in Darromar, known at the time as Ithmong. However, the Melville family emigrated when Morris was a small child, to escape the rapacious taxation and legalized bullying of the Gallowglass regime. As conditions were much the same in all of Tethyr's major cities at the time, to say nothing of the countryside, Mr. and Mrs. Melville elected to leave the country entirely, and raised their only son in the city of Athkatla, in the nation of Amn, our great neighbor to the north.

Morris developed a fascination with news at a young age, and pursued a career in journalism as soon as he was old enough to read and write. However, since his family lacked the business connections that are so important in Amn, he was not able to find employment with any news agency there. Instead, in 1370 he founded the Athkatla Regional Gazette, which ran for only four months before closing its doors due to lack of funds. It seems the people of Athkatla were not ready for a newspaper as forward-thinking and revolutionary as ARG.

Despite seeing his hard-earned money disappear and his labor of love go unappreciated by the people of Amn, Mr. Melville was not to be deterred. Through the kind and generous donations of family members and friends, Mr. Melville was able to rent an office in Zazesspur on Midsummer of this year, and thus the Tethyrian Monthly Inquirer was born. Since that time, he has worked tirelessly to bring the most up-to-date and accurate news to the people of Tethyr, who deserve nothing less than to know everything of import that happens in this great nation.

Mr. Melville encourages everyone to read TMI and to share it with all their family, friends, and business acquaintances. He would also like to remind readers that subscriptions are available for the low monthly price of 3 gold pieces.

[Velaryon]

Castle Tethyr Rechristened Heavenforth Manor
Story by Morris Melville

As reported in our last issue, the ruins of Castle Tethyr were purchased by Count Thallatos, who was recently raised to the rank by King Haedrak III and rules County Bardshyr on behalf of the King and Queen. Recently, TMI has learned that Tethyr's newest Count has renamed his new home Heavenforth Manor, and hired a team of workers to begin restoring the crumbling castle to habitable conditions.

TMI has not yet learned what plans Count Thallatos has for his new estate, or for County Bardshyr, but it is believed that he has already taken up residence, along with the adventuring company with which he travels. Keep an eye on this page in future issues, because our intrepid reporter is not done covering this story. Next month, we will attempt to explore Heavenforth Manor and bring you the inside scoop on this new old castle!

[Velaryon]

Five Injured in Darromar by Giant Cactus
Story by Morris Melville

Five people in Darromar were injured on the 19th of Marpenoth as a giant cactus fell out of the sky and crashed to the earth, scattering needle-like spines over a three-block radius, causing severe damage to a local mage's tower, and damaging several nearby buildings in the process. Although no one was killed, citizens have trodden the streets in fear for several days after the event. According to local authorities, people are afraid to walk outside for fear not only of stepping on stray needles (which have not all been removed yet), but also of the possibility that more desert flora might fall on their heads from out of nowhere.

After some top-notch investigative journalism, TMI has learned that the incident occurred as a result of an arcane experiment gone awry. The mage responsible, one Egbert Mourgram of Darromar, was not available for comment. However, a representative for the wizard known only as Wilfred gave a brief statement to our reporter, reprinted here in its entirety.

"Master Egbert deeply regrets the fear and confusion caused by the incident with the cactus. He is relieved to learn that no one was killed as a result of the unfortunate occurrence, and has offered to pay all healing expenses for those hurt by the experiment. Master Egbert hopes to ease any prickly demeanors over this incident with a show of good faith, and promises that the next experiment will be more on point."

According to witnesses, Wizard Mourgram was attempting to create the gargantuan cactus as a means of storing water and keeping it safe from evaporation. This reporter wonders if such experiments with nature might be better left to the druids.

[Velaryon]

Advertisement: Verdant Spiral Grand Re-Opening!

The Verdant Spiral tavern is pleased to announce our grand re-opening on the 15th of Uktar! All fire damage has been repaired, and the entire tavern, both the living and nonliving parts, has been carefully treated to prevent further incidents. The tavern's signature twisted willow tree has been fully revitalized, and once again provides the serene and naturalistic atmosphere for which the Verdant Spiral was famous before the unfortunate fire.

Come in, spend your food ration coupons on our all-new menu of cocktails and nutritious meals, including rare elven delicacies obtained from our northern neighbors in the Wealdath! Get a rare taste of the forest in these hot, dry times!

[Velaryon]

Advertisement: Champions Vigilant Recruitment Event

Calling all devout followers of Helm! The Champions Vigilant, Tethyr's oldest order of knights and paladins, is ringing in the Year of the Bent Blade with a special recruitment event! Currently our sacred order boasts more than 2,000 brave champions who protect and defend the innocent and all of Tethyr. We are looking to increase that number to 3,000 next year. All interested candidates should come to one of our special recruitment events, to be held on the first of Hammer, 1376 DR. Recruitment events will be held in the following locations:

Darromar - Garden of Rhinda, east courtyard, Palace of Faerntarn
Zazesspur - Firehawk Inn, Hill Road, Karlaggar District
Velen - The Home of the Stalwarts, Captain's Cliff
Saradush - The Western Watch, west end

All chosen candidates must be prepared to travel immediately to the order's headquarters at Chevangard to commence training.

Compensation includes: two meals per day for the chosen recruit, room and board, training in arms, clerical magic, or other duties necessary to the order's functioning as determined by the candidate's aptitude, and wages beginning at 2 gp per day. Family members will not be allowed to live in Chevangard, but may travel with the recruits to Survale Ford and procure lodgings nearby.

This is an excellent opportunity to serve Helm as well as Tethyr, and to improve your life in the process. Please stop by our recruitment events on the first of the year. And as always, remain Ever Watchful!

[Velaryon]

Crime Down in Myratma as King Roots Out Corruption
Story by Morris Melville

As details continue to emerge about the subterranean skirmish in Myratma two months ago (see article on page 3 and exclusive interview on pages 6-7), TMI has confirmed that crime rates in the port city continue to fall. Recently appointed chief of the Myratma city guard Will Scarlet released a statement on the 21st of Marpenoth that confirms this trend. According to Scarlet, violent crime has dropped by 73 percent since King Haedrak imposed martial law on the city, and incidents of reported theft have dropped by 68 percent as well. Furthermore, the trend is expected to continue as His Majesty continues to root out the last traces of the many thieves' guilds that have plagued the city.

According to Chief Scarlet, four formerly prominent thieves' guilds have been smashed this year, and a rumored fifth guild has gone into hiding. Sources in the criminal underworld (who of course remain anonymous) report that the Shadow Thieves, once the most powerful thieves' guild on the Sword Coast, have fled Tethyr entirely. Of the many guilds that rose to take their place, TMI has learned that guilds called the Eyes of Night, the Red Lotus, and the Bone Claws were crippled during the fighting on the 12th and 13th of Eleint. Another organization is alleged to have survived the fighting, but if so they are laying low, Scarlet says.

As always, TMI will continue to report on the state of Myratma whenever new information comes to light.

[Velaryon]

Ilmater Declares Fast For All Faithful
Story by Morris Melville

Priests of the Crying God are instructed to fast until the famine in Tethyr is over, according to an announcement by Father Donatus, abbot of the House of Tears temple in Zazesspur and de facto leader of Ilmater's clergy in Tethyr. Clerics are to eat and drink the bare minimum, so that they may relieve the greater suffering of others in this time of great need. Furthermore, no Plea of Rest will be granted to a priest of the Ilmatari faith before the end of the year.

"In this time of great suffering, our duty to help all who hurt, to take on the suffering of others, and to suffer in Ilmater's name is more important than ever. We must continue to relieve the suffering of the people of Tethyr, not only of body, but also of mind and spirit. We can take no more nourishment than our bodies require to remain alive and able, so that those whose need exceeds our own, whose suffering exceeds our own, can know relief. We will continue to provide aid to all who require it, refuge to all who seek it, and guidance to all who desire it," Donatus said to the crowd of several hundred assembled.

After the speech, laymen for the church passed around donation plates to the crowd, soliciting funds to finance the importation of more food from allied countries to the north. Our reporter inquired of them the amount they raised, and found that donations equaled approximately 47 gold.

[Velaryon]

Gang Lieutenant Speaks Out in Exclusive Interview
Story by Morris Melville

Thanks to the generosity of King Haedrak, TMI obtained permission for an exclusive interview to shed some light on the momentous events that rocked the streets of Myratma in mid-Eleint. On the 15th of Marpenoth, TMI senior reporter Morris Melville sat down with Toshiro, a lieutenant of the Red Lotus gang.

Toshiro's pale skin, braided topknot, and exotic features mark him as a foreigner to the land of Tethyr, of a race unknown to these lands. His heavily scarred skin and grim, quiet bearing speak of a rough, violent life. During this interview, Toshiro was shackled hand and foot, and guarded by three of the King's soldiers. His bearing is quiet and composed, as if he has resigned himself to whatever fate awaits him.

TMI: Thank you for agreeing to this interview. I’m sure our reader base is dying to get to the bottom of this story.

Toshiro: “…”

TMI: Your features mark you as a foreigner to this land. From where do you hail?

Toshiro: “Kara-Tur.”

TMI: And where is Kara-Tur?

Toshiro: “East of Faerun.”

TMI: Are you human?

Toshiro: No. My people are called spirit folk. We’re descended from both humans and mountain spirits.

TMI: Right. Well, you’re a member of a group known as the Red Lotus, correct? Does that name have any special significance?

Toshiro: “The lotus is a flower that grows in my home country. It’s a symbol of life, purity, prosperity, or fertility. It comes in different colors, but the most common is white. A red lotus is a white lotus stained in blood. It’s a symbol of its own – a symbol of death, the ruin of all those things. To find a lotus stained with blood is to know that death will soon find you.”

TMI: I see. So is the name a threat to your enemies, to kill anyone who stands in your way?

Toshiro: “Exactly.”

TMI: And how did you come to live in Tethyr?

Toshiro: “Harunobu-sama wanted to extend the triad’s influence to foreign lands, seeking new opportunities for power and influence. Tethyr was chosen as a gateway both to western Faerun and to the land you know as Maztica.”

TMI: Who is Harunobu-sama?

Toshiro: “The daimyo the Red Lotus serves. You might consider him equivalent to one of your dukes.”

TMI: And what kind of influence did the Red Lotus have in Myratma?

Toshiro: “We set up here because it was less militarized than Zazesspur. There’s also fewer mages in Myratma, even by Tethyrian standards. That, and traffic to Maztica goes through Myratma. We knew there would be other groups with influence here, some more entrenched. We didn’t have their numbers, their knowledge of the area, or their connections. Even so, we carved out our own territory, and we were on the rise.”

TMI: Who were your rivals? Who were your allies?

Toshiro: “All of them were rivals. The Shadow Thieves, Bone Claws, Whisperknives… all of them. The Eyes of Night were the strongest, the one everyone wanted to take down, at least after the Shadow Thieves were taken down. As for allies, we had each other. That’s all we needed.”

TMI: And how did you get involved in the battle underneath the Efreetium?

Toshiro: “I came into contact with someone. An elf, actually. He was seeking information on a common enemy who had allied with the Eyes of Night. I brought him to our leader here in Faerun, and they made an alliance. We honored our end and led the elf into the maze, met his allies, and joined the battle.”

TMI: Allies? You refer to Count Thallatos, do you not?

Toshiro: “I believe he was one of those involved, yes.”

TMI: If you fought on the King’s side, why were you arrested after the battle?

Toshiro: “Your king’s doing. Even if we were temporary allies, the Red Lotus are a triad, what you would call a thieves’ guild or a gang. We ignore your country’s laws in pursuit of our own power and profit. The king could not let us leave freely – he would lose too much face. I understood that. So I agreed to come peacefully in exchange for clemency for my subordinates.”

TMI: Count Thallatos has been seen with a pair of young women apparently from Kara-Tur. Did that clemency include them?

Toshiro: “Yes. They were sold into the Red Lotus to cover their father’s debts, a common practice in my homeland. I took charge of them, turned them into fighters before someone else could turn them into street-walkers, and sheltered them when I could. I made their release a condition of my cooperation, and placed them into the care of the brave men who won that battle for the king.”

TMI: A noble gesture, no doubt. And now what happens to you?

Toshiro: “A trial. I’m told someone will advocate on my behalf, because that’s what your nation’s idea of justice calls for. And then I will be punished. In the king’s eyes, the public’s eyes, I am the face of the Red Lotus. I will bear the punishment my failure and my shame have brought upon me.”

TMI: And the Red Lotus?

Toshiro: “When you trim the petals, does the flower die?”

[Velaryon]

International News: Waterdeep Earthquake Blamed on Mad Mage
Story by Morris Melville

In a follow-up to last month's news from the City of Splendors, TMI has learned that the earthquake that wracked Waterdeep on the last day of Eleint was most likely caused by Halaster Blackcloak, known locally as the "Mad Mage of Undermountain."

As the aftereffects of the quake were measured, dozens of people came forth to report that they were struck with a vision during the tremors. Each of them reported the same thing - visions of a screaming, bearded man whose description matches the infamous Blackcloak. Furthermore, people with arcane magic at their disposal received a more detailed vision, one which showed scenes of destruction and devastation in a vast underground maze.

In a statement released on the 10th of Marpenoth, Khelben Arunsun, Lord Mage of Waterdeep, theorized that Halaster Blackcloak attempted some sort of difficult arcane ritual which may have backfired. The cost to Blackcloak, if this theory is correct, is unknown. Arunsun announced his intention to investigate the matter further, in the interest of protecting the people of Waterdeep.

TMI will continue to report on any new developments in this story.

[Velaryon]

Frigate Black Medusa Seized by Pirates
Story by Morris Melville

Five months ago, the frigate Black Medusa made headlines when it was launched from Tethyr's own Manticore Shipyards in Velen, under the command of legendary explorer Hondo the Black. In this exclusive breaking story, TMI regretfully reports that the ship was seized by pirates.

Black Medusa is a frigate, a warship built for speed and maneuverability on the high seas, and was the first of a new class of ship. According to Torvald Windamier, senior shipwright at Manticore, the Black Medusa sports a sleeker hull design and innovative keel that make it unmatched in speed and maneuverability among ships on the Sword Coast. Unfortunately, due to the mysterious disappearance of the ship's construction plans and the sudden death of Windamier's predecessor who designed them, the Medusa is likely to remain one-of-a-kind for the foreseeable future.

Command of the ship had been awarded to Hondo upon his return from his latest expedition to the faraway land known as Katashaka. In a ceremony attended by Queen Zaranda Star-Rhindaun, the ship was christened on the 16th of Kythorn and began its maiden voyage back to the unexplored lands. The ship was not expected to return for at least six to eight months, so it came as quite a surprise when the ship was sighted less than 20 miles off the coast of Zazesspur on the 13th of Marpenoth. Unfortunately, it was flying pirate colors (TMI has not yet been able to get a description of the pirates' colors or otherwise identify them), and has been reported to sack at least three incoming ships since then.

The fate of Captain Hondo or his crew is at present unknown. In a prepared statement released on the 29th of Marpenoth, a spokesman for Queen Zaranda expressed the monarch's fervent hope that Hondo is unharmed.