Volume 2, Issue 1 - Hammer 1376

[Velaryon]

Happy New Year from TMI
Story by Morris Melville

As Faerun rings in the Year of the Bent Blade, celebrations here in Tethyr are perhaps a bit more subdued than most. Temperatures continue to remain at levels expected at the height of summer. As of the 1st of Hammer, rain has not fallen anywhere the land of Tethyr in 245 days. Crops failed across the nation, causing farms to be abandoned, planters to abandon their farms and move to the city, and food to become scarce and expensive. Many of those who were able have left the country for greener, cooler pastures. Reports from up and down the Trade way indicate that even now, hundreds if not thousands of refugees are heading north into Amn and south into Calimport, seeking asylum in places that are not experiencing food shortages.

However, there is still cause for hope, for those who remain here. The government continues to import food from countries in the north and distribute rations at government centers in the major cities. The country's foremost adventurers and mages, from the Silver Shield Mercenary Guild to the druid circle at Mosstone to Queen Zaranda's own court mages are hard at work around the clock researching the cause and nature of the unprecedented and unnatural weather patterns affecting the land. A spokesperson from the Queen's palace in Darromar confirmed that the drought is believed to be magical in nature, and to affect Tethyr and only Tethyr. It is not known who or what may be responsible for this attack, but it now seems certain that this is indeed an attack.

At any rate, while Tethyr certainly faces significant challenges in the new year, there is certainly cause for hope in the days ahead. From the staff here at TMI, may you find safety and prosperity in the coming year.

[Velaryon]

TMI Extends Search for New Office Location
Story by Morris Melville

Greetings, readers! In last month's issue, we reported that TMI is seeking a new location for our central office, in order to accommodate the larger print runs as our circulation continues to increase. However, as TMI staff are constantly busy with chasing down the most important and interesting stories in the land, we cannot take the time to visit all prospective locations and seek out a new location ourselves.

It is this reporter's hope that interested landlords with office space available for rent can contact our central office with information including location, rental costs, and amenities. An office with modest living space attached would be ideal but is not required. Because of the nature of our business, our office must be located near a major city such as Zazesspur, Darromar, Myratma, or Riatavin.

Any interested parties can inquire by letter, courier, or in person at: 17B Darrom Lane, Market District, Zazesspur.

[Velaryon]

Triad Gangster Exiled From Tethyr
Story by Alanis Melville

Toshiro, a notorious lieutenant of the Red Lotus gang which had menaced the city of Myratma in recent years, was exiled from Tethyr after the conclusion of his brief trial on the 24th of last month. The list of crimes to which the Kara-Tur native pled guilty included numerous counts of theft, extortion of local businesses, threats of violence, unlawful assault, murder, and trespassing, among many others. The trial lasted no more than half an hour, as Toshiro immediately pled guilty to all charges after recently appointed Magistrate Lazlo Norden finished reading them.

Despite several among his crimes carrying sentences of execution, Toshiro was instead sentenced to exile from Tethyr. King Haedrak III Rhindaun, who was present at the trial, told TMI's Myratma correspondent that the gang lieutenant was granted a degree of clemency because of his cooperation with authorities and his assistance with the defeat of larger gangs such as the Eyes of Night. Interested readers may recall TMI's exclusive interview with Toshiro in Vol. 1, Issue 2 in Uktar of last year, which explained these events in greater detail.

Upon conclusion of the sentencing, Toshiro was placed under a geas spell to never return to Tethyr upon pain of death, and was teleported back to Kara-Tur.

[Velaryon]

Halaster Blackcloak Confirmed Dead
Story by Morris Melville

In the latest follow-up to the international story TMI has been following for months, it has been reportedly confirmed that Halaster Blackcloak, the "Mad Mage of Undermountain," perished in some sort of magical catastrophe on the final day of Eleint last year. Khelben Arunsun, Lord Mage of Waterdeep, announced in late Nightal that his investigation into the mysterious earthquake that struck Waterdeep on that day had concluded after confirmation that Blackcloak was killed in an explosion, presumably the result of some bizarre arcane experiment, the goal of which may never be known.

Though most of what little is known of the man called Halaster Blackcloak is guarded closely by some of the elite few, the most powerful people in Faerun, TMI was able to uncover a few details. The first recorded instance of his appearance was well over 1,200 years ago in the Year of Scattered Stars, 168 DR, when he arrived in Waterdeep with a group of apprentice mages. Together, they summoned a cadre of fiends and forced them to construct a tower known as Halaster's Holdfast, where Blackcloak made his home for a few centuries before retreating into the infamous Undermountain, where he lived for another thousand years or so. The exact source of his longevity is not known, though it is presumed to be magical in nature. Though Blackcloak was known to be a dangerous wizard who could threaten any but the most very powerful in the world, it seems that he largely kept to himself, preferring to conduct his experiments in the privacy of his massive, fortified dungeon.

Lord Mage Arunsun has cautioned any would-be dungeon-delvers to exercise caution in exploring Undermountain. While Blackcloak himself is known to have perished, it is not presently known what other dangers may yet lurk in this dark, eldritch underground citadel.

[Velaryon]

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[Velaryon]

Meet the Staff: Mrs. Alanis Melville
Story by Morris Melville

TMI is pleased to announce the hiring of an additional reporter, Mrs. Alanis Melville. Mrs. Melville will be the paper's Myratma Correspondent, tasked with keeping the interested readers of Tethyr informed of the important goings-on of their southern port city. Mrs. Melville, along with all the TMI staff, would like to thank our loyal readers for making this move both possible and necessary due to their voracious readership and thirst for knowledge.

Mrs. Melville has extensive secondhand journalism experience, having lived with a reporter for several years. In addition, she has an equal amount of experience as a copyeditor and assistant printer, having volunteered much of her time not only with the printing of early editions of the Tethyrian Monthly Inquirer, but the Athkatla Regional Gazette before that as well.

Now that TMI's staff has grown to two people, Mrs. Melville vows to keep readers well apprised of the goings-on in her news beat.

[Velaryon]

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[Velaryon]

Calmer Times Ahead in Myratma?
Story by Alanis Melville

There may soon be a return to a more peaceful routine in Myratma, according to one source that TMI spoke to. While the city has been under martial law for several months, our source has reason to believe that occupation may be ended as recently as next month.

One thing is certain - a return to "normal" will certainly not be a return to "business as usual." Since occupying the city in Eleint of 1375, King Haedrak has dismissed 13 magistrates and at least 40 members of the city guard, many of whom have also been brought up on charges of corruption. Of the numerous criminal gangs that were known to have plagued the city's underworld, it is believed that at least three have been effectively destroyed, another is believed to have fled the city if not Tethyr entirely, and a fifth remains unaccounted-for but has caused no known disruption in several months.

Many of those vacant legal positions have already been filled, as the King has named worthy replacements to many of the judiciary positions and several dozen former Silver Shield mercenaries have been hired to join the city guard. A spokeswoman for the guard said that these new hires were required to resign their membership in the Silver Shields as well as swear an oath of fealty to the city and the crown.

Though some positions remain to be filled, including the head of the city guard, sources say that the King's direct rule of the city could be ended in just a few more weeks as he returns to Darromar to rejoin the Queen in seeking a solution to the nation's troubles. However, a spokesperson for the King declined to comment officially on this possibility.

[Velaryon]

Gossip Corner: Affairs of State?
Story by Morris Melville

In this column, we relax this publication's strict standards of accurate and verified truths to bring you the latest in gossip regarding Tethyr's rich and famous. This month's column centers on the most eligible bachelorette in Tethyr, Duchess Marilyn Haresdown!

Duchess Haresdown, ruler of the Purple Marches and the nation's top diplomat, is most famous for her courage, fighting prowess, and fierce dedication to her duty and Tethyr. However, she is almost as famous for her apparent lack of interest in settling down or producing heirs for her duchy. Duchess Haresdown is known to have declined more than sixty marriage proposals over the last six years, with suitors ranging from Counts and sons of other Dukes to powerful Amnian merchants and Calishite pashas, and according to rumor, even one of the masked Lords of Waterdeep!

Though the Duchess is infamously close-mouthed about the details of her personal life, she has always been dogged by speculation of the reason why she might choose not to settle down and start a family. Popular theories have ranged from the plausibly romantic (she still grieves for a lost love) to the scandalous (she maintains an affair with an unknown individual at court) to the patently absurd (she is not human at all, but perhaps some kind of undead or construct in the guise of a woman). While we certainly don't claim to have discovered the truth, we have another juicy rumor to add to the conversation.

An anonymous source in Krennasar, the Duchess's keep and seat of power, whispers that she may in fact already be secretly married! This anonymous gossip claims that the wedding may have happened in secret as long ago as 1373, and that the Duchess has withheld the news for political and/or personal reasons. The source suggests that appearing to be unwed gives Lady Haresdown an advantage in diplomatic negotiation that she is reluctant to give up until necessary. The source also claims that the secret union has thus far been unable to produce a child, another possible reason for her to keep it a secret.

TMI does not claim this rumor as truth, nor vouch for the credibility of those who repeat the rumor. We simply offer it to you, the people of Tethyr, for your consideration and speculation.

[Velaryon]

Profiles in Nobility: Duchess Vajra Valmeyjar
Story by Morris Melville

In this new featured column, we will profile a member of Tethyr's nobility every month. Here you'll learn the history, personality, and all the exciting stories about the people that govern our nation. This month's profile is on Vajra Valmeyjar, Duchess of Ankaram in southwestern Tethyr. Ankaram encompasses the counties of Calimmon and Monteshi, as well as a large swath of disputed territory claimed by both Tethyr and Calimshan. Though the area is devoid of major cities, Ankaram contains several important military garrisons, a large portion of the nation's border with Calimshan, and the northwestern edge of the Forest of Mir.

Before she was a Duchess and the Royal Warlord of Tethyr, Vajra Valmeyjar was many things: a slave, a gladiator, a mercenary, an adventurer, and one of King Haedrak's earliest and most steadfast allies. Her checkered past notwithstanding, Duchess Vajra has grown to become one of the most admired and respected members of Tethyr's nobility, beloved by nearly all. Though of no more than average height for a human woman, her athletic figure, deeply tanned skin, and short shock of black hair bespeak a no-nonsense attitude and a sense of constant readiness for any threat, physical or otherwise. She is rarely seen unarmored, and almost never without her famous magical sword Moonblaze, which is said to have been enchanted by the goddess Selûne herself. Despite being free more than a dozen years, Duchess Valmeyjar still wears her slave manacles, marking her as a Warrior of Blood from the fighting pits of Manshaka in Calimshan. The manacles serve as a constant reminder to Vajra herself, as well as those who meet her, of the hardships she has bested to reach her current station in life.

Though blessed by the goddess of the moon, Vajra is actually a follower of a more recent deity named Jandar, to whose worship she converted while enslaved as a gladiator. Jandar is a patron of the enslaved and all who fight for freedom, ideals very close to the Duchess's own heart.

After winning her freedom from the pits, Vajra spent many more years as a mercenary, which brought her travels up and down western Faerun. Her mercenary company returned to Waterdeep in 1368, just as a young man named Haedrak came to town, proclaiming himself the rightful heir to the throne of Tethyr and seeking allies to help him claim his birthright. She became one of the first to pledge her sword to the future King's cause, learning only afterward that she would also be riding to the aid of her old friend Zaranda Star. Vajra proved to be instrumental in the siege of Myratma in 1368-9, and in the process won the trust of the King and Queen and her high station as their Royal Warlord and Duchess of perhaps the most delicate and dangerous part of the country.

Though she has few apparent allies among the nobility, Vajra is beloved by many of the people of Tethyr. In the years since her appointment at the head of Tethyr's military, the army has seen recruitment rise dramatically. Some of that, no doubt, is due to young men hoping to catch the eye and favor of one of Tethyr's most highly-ranked unwed women (Vajra is perhaps second only to Marilyn Haresdown in terms of eligible bachelorettes in Tethyr). However, the Duchess has shown no evident interest in any of the many men who have presented themselves as potential suitors.

Though she makes regular tours of inspection at the many forts and garrisons in her lands, Duchess Valmeyjar's primary residence is actually in Darromar. She entrusts most of the day-to-day management of her lands to hired officials and the two Counts who report to her.

[Velaryon]

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