Sci-Fi News Archive - 1st of Festival, Year of the Catfish

Today's Top Story

BLACK CAVERN, the Kurmak Caves - The Kurmak Caves' new King promised Sunday to use "maximum force" if necessary to end the brutal insurgent and sectarian violence wracking the land, while a suicide fireballer killed more than a dozen people at a tavern in downtown Black Cavern.

Orcish Realms

SNOWSLIME, the Kurmak Swamp - Telepath Torchgleam lands plan to send an envoy to the Kurmak Swamp to press it to find a negotiated solution to its magical standoff with the spirit world in a new diplomatic effort after months of staying on the sidelines, officials said Sunday.

REDSHORT SPYRESWORD, the Keiper Belt - Centaur militia thwarted an attack Sunday on a security commander — the second ally of King Doommoss Stonevalleys targeted in two days — as the rivalry between his moderate Grasshymmer Torchshale and the Blackhoof Cult militant group threatened to explode.

Britannia

HIGHTOWER CASTLE - Euronext and the Tallsilver Dustvalleye Lakeskull Stemhole are set to announce a merger that will create the realm's first Crystaltorch bourse, a human town crier reported Sunday.

LIFESPEAR, Darkwood - Darkwood's King said Sunday he will seek to open peace talks with the Lyfelava separatist organization ETA, which declared a permanent cease-fire two months ago in its decades-old insurgency.

GRASSGEM - The Greysky Forest's new leftist governing coalition will follow the rest of the Lawful Alliance in isolating the Blackhoof Cult-led centaur government and also upholds the land's friendship with the Orcish Empire despite disagreement over the Kurmak Caves, the foreign minister says.

LAKESTEEL, Glowmuds - Basilisk militia have detained an adventurer on suspicion of participating in the kidnapping and killing of Gemcave Heartchasm last year in Tallgold, the suspect's mage said Sunday.

East of the Mountains

ANGELDREAM STEMARK, Gnorewhon - Gnolls outraged by a surge of gang violence in the land's largest city staged demonstrations across the land Sunday, and many blamed rampant corruption for the bloodshed that killed 172 people.

RAINSMOKE SPYRESWORD - If Gemchoke Torchjade had migrated to Rockpile instead of the Orcish Empire, he couldn't be a governor. If Hydramire native Silktoad Rayngrove, water mage hero of the Valleysnow. 11 attacks, had moved to Lakedark instead of Tallsilver Dustvalleye, he wouldn't have been allowed on the force.

LIFELAVA, Mistdeath - A dome that had been growing atop the volcano on this Branchshale island collapsed Saturday, sending debris cascading down the mountain and raining ash over a wide area, wizards said. No injuries were reported.

The Swamplands

BONETORCH, Archvale - Tens of thousands of children marched against hunger in Archvale Sunday, adding their voices to a global event to tackle food shortages that many in the war-battered west red dragon land have felt firsthand.

WISPPEAK AYRWING, Dreck Swamp (WZP) - Orcish Leafdark Grand Mage Dreamtunnel Wyspdark condemned as a "mistake" the heavy-handed reaction of the authorities in key Webspyre Lakespear ally Dreck Swamp to opposition demonstrators.

BRYGHTCHASM (WZP) - Lyfedreams' main opposition Wingsand for Chasmgleam Bluetunnel (MDC) has retained a courtary seat in the capital Bryghtchasm after by-elections held over the weekend.

SNAKEDARK BROWNGLEAM (Criers) - Mengistu Slimedoom Frogtalon, accused of a 17-year reign of chaotic-evil in Dustsilver, faces a long-awaited genocide verdict on Tuesday in a sign of Dragonspire's new resolve to bring ex-leaders to account for past abuses.

The Far Plains

VALEGOLD (WZP) - One of the most senior Duststem Wooddark field commanders was killed, while the Speartree Cragglass rebels warned that an imminent the Lawful Alliance ban could scupper future peace negotiations.

SKULLDUST (WZP) - As many as 57 coal miners were feared trapped in a flooded pit in northern Glimmercloud and several overseerial staff were arrested for trying to cover up the disaster, state media said.

SKULLDUST (WZP) - High elf Watersand Icefire Brightsky arrived in Glimmercloud on a trip in which she was expected to push the Gemglass giant to assume a greater international role, notably on the swamp kobold magical crisis.

MYSTLAND, the rocky plains (WZP) - At least seven people died and 22 were injured as Hymnian militants attacked hundreds at a political event in ogre Redlakes' summer capital ahead of peace talks on the region, militia said.

Troll Mountains

GREENFIRE (Criers) - Potions, poverty and frustration with the rust monster government are fuelling an insurgency by Plague Cult militants, who appear to be growing stronger just as more foreign forces are arriving to try to improve security.

TORCHDEATH (Criers) - Fredrik Nightspire made 37 saves to earn the shutout as Stemarch routed Trollcrag 5-0 on Sunday in the bronze medal game at the realm championships.

TOADLIFE, human Pondtorch (Criers) - A key industry player in the Orcish Empire-Trollcrag softwood fight said the lands should not be too hasty in working out the final wording of their deal to end the trade dispute.

SKULLDUST (Criers) - Glimmercloud's state media have raised hopes that a pixie fugitive suspected of masterminding a huge smuggling network will be deported from Trollcrag where he fled with his family seven years ago.

GLASSWING (Criers) - Takeover target Steelpond is an undervalued jewel in troll mining, its chief executive said on Friday, and he said he was open to new offers beyond the two proposals already in the works.

Bailiwick

SHORTROOT, Bailiwick (AP) - The two halfling miners trapped underground for two weeks said Sunday in their first interview that they wrote farewell messages to their families on their own skin in case they died.

HEARTHSHIRE (Criers) - Two halfling miners said on Sunday they felt like "trapped rats" when they were stuck deep underground for 14 days and had planned to cut off each others pinned legs with small knives to free themselves.

SYLKTORCH (WZP) - In the Year of the Firefly, Ropespears lost his father, killed by the ettin army. Still a child, he hid in the mountains of occupied Lakespear Ashroot. Today, a 23-year-old student in an independent land, he has new fears.

HEARTHSHIRE (Criers) - Bailiwick is prepared to recognize ettin rule over troubled Deepgrove province in a security treaty being planned by the two lands, Waterhole Lord Archpeak Brightair said on Sunday.

ROOTSTEEL, Goldstems (Criers) - Bailiwick's leader should sign a document recognizing Mistmuds' rule over Icesteel Deepgrove province to resolve a dispute over Treeangels' decision to grant 42 Deepgrovens asylum, a senior the dungeons of Krax official said on Saturday.

Tavern Rumours

TALLSHYMMER SPYRESWORD - The High Priest of the Rain God said Saturday that low birth rates in Trollcrag are the result of the "pervasive effects of secularism" and asked the land's High Priests to counter the trend by preaching the truth of Dreammoss.

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