This autumn marked the start of the annual Oak Hill Festival in the Barony of East Blackwood.  With this year's festival came dark tidings.  The Black Dynasty had crossed into East Blackwood territory and Syconians were also coming to "punish" people for the previous year's attacks against them.  In spite of the troubles and battles that would be fought, the Oak Hill Festival persevered and its guests enjoyed good drink, tavern games, events, music and the Außenfüß Dance Academy of Askalon headed by Alan of Askalon.

The Oak Hill Festival opened with East Blackwood Court (East Blackwood Hofnacht).  As East Blackwood gathered to hold court in one room of the Salty Stick Tavern, the other opened up for business serving drinks and food.  A few hours later after most of the guests had arrived, Baron Dagger Arkenstone of East Blackwood gathered East Blackwood and their guests to welcome everyone and to announce the official start of this year's Oak Hill Festival.

Attack on Sinaya Sonnenherz of the Münzquell

As the Baron's Speech Concluded, a north-man attacked and attempted to kill Sinaya Sonnenherz. He was stopped and beaten into submission. Upon further analysis it was determined that the warrior was under the control of an artifact. Rumor has it this attack has something to do with Sinaya's family but for more information one should talk directly to Sinaya as there is also the possibility that the matter has something happening in Münzquell directly.

Brotherhood of the Crescent Assassination and Poisonings

Wulf von Pfundenstein, Consul of the Wayfahrers, was stabbed on his way to the Oak Hill Festival.  Evidence collected from the body of the attacker confirmed that the attacker belonged to, or was hired by, the Brotherhood of the Crescent. 

The authorities at Benedikt's Landing and Sinaya of the Münzquell did what they could to save Wulf's life but he was later reported dead by the Wayfahrers.   A funeral was then held in the river bay of Glutbucht in the Barony of Zweiwasser, south of East Blackwood. 

During the Oak Hill Festival, four people were poisoned sometime between Friday evening and Saturday morning.  Saturday day a letter was found explaining what had been done.  The letter was sealed by the Brotherhood of the Crescent.  In spite of an active investigation, the poisoner was not found but the targets were healed.   Those poisoned were Sinaya of the Münzquell, Nethanial from the Märkischer Bund and Solin from the Thoringaard as well as Broyan from East Blackwood.  The poisoner was never found but was suspected to have been among the guests.

The existing theory is that these five attacks are related to the 9 Syconians that lost their lives through attacks and or murder within or next to East Blackwood in the past year.  Baron Dagger Arkenstone of East Blackwood believed that the attack on the Syconian vanguard camp must have been carried out by an ally of East Blackwood and Valdiar but he was unsure of who.   So, the baron contacted theses allies during the Summer Campaign to discuss the matter.  Later, a person from each of the contacted parties was attacked or poisoned suggesting a relation between events.

The Salty Stick Tavern and The Start of Dance Courses

In spite of the the looming threat on the morrow and the attack on Sinaya of the Münzquell, the tavern doors remained opened.  Festival attendees enjoyed a fully staffed tavern with a substantial stock of drink.  Games, gambling and trade took place all about the main structure of the town of Oak Hill.  Outside, fires raged offering the warmth of Ignis to those who preferred the fresh air of the forest rather than that of the inside of a building.  Some guests cooked over fires while others ordered food from the tavern and everywhere you listened music was heard.

At the same time, the Außenfuß Dance Academy offered the first of their "Basics in Dance and Etiquette" courses.  These courses would prove to be among the most popular events of the festival, a testament to the quality of the instructor, Alan of Askalon.

Syconian Vanguard Camp Murdered

The initial scouting investigation performed by Corporal Annabel of the Embassy Guard (East Blackwood) held firm that the attack on the camp was done by magic means but no more could be determined. Syconian orders were found in the camp which stated that the soldiers were not to attack East Blackwood, Validar or their allies. 

Talwyn of East Blackwood, Corporal Annabel and a group of Embassy Guard soldiers traveled to the site to investigate the location further after the Oak Hill Festival. Their findings have yet to be reported.

Tamgorod, a county of Syconia, Attacks East Blackwood and the Oak Hill Festival!

Syconia is a land outside of Mythodea where Lady Anna-Katharina von Rabenau and Blackwood and Lurius of the East Blackwood Company come from. Lady Anna fled Syconia with her friends and retinue 5 years ago in search of help and support for her noble family and the people of Rabenau within Syconia.

Viscount Garvrill Verontova of Tamgorod, Syconia has attempted to coarse Lady Anna-Katharina von Rabenau to marry him for the past few years.  It is believed that three years ago Viscount Garvrill's soldiers decapitated Lady Anna's brother Valentine von Rabenau who was the heir to the Barony of Rabenau. Since then the Viscount has asked for Anna's hand in marriage and has threatened anyone who stood between him and that goal. 

 Last year at Oak Hill in East Blackwood, the Viscount sent soldiers to escort Lady Anna-Katharina back to Syconia after receiving a letter from Anna.  Anna had expected him to come himself but he did not and instead sent Sir Zardon and some soldiers.  While at last year's festival Sir Osmunt of Sagara murdered one of these soldiers.  Sir Osmunt claimed to have been threatened previously by the Viscount and thus felt justified in the act.  Others disagreed as Guest Rite had been offered to the soldiers upon their peaceful arrival at the festival.

 When Baron Dagger returned to the festival, the baron judged Sir Osmunt guilty after reviewing the information from the investigation and after speaking with Osmunt himself. The sentence was satisfaction to the second blood of which Sir Zardon appeared satisfied.  The Baron promptly revoked guest rite for the Syconians and ordered them to leave East Blackwood which they did.  The Viscount however, was not satisfied and sent more soldiers the following year with orders NOT to attack East Blackwood, Validar or its Allies. 

Soldiers of Tamgorod were however killed by magical means yet no one seems to know who did it. The Viscount and some of his men have used this as a pretense to attack East Blackwood, its allies and its guests. During the Festival and in the week leading up to it, three battles occurred. The final was an attack on Oak Hill itself after Sir Bodvar Tock and Lady Lovis Arkenstone, Dagger's Daughter, could not give Sir Zardon Baron Dagger, Lady Anna or Lurius. Lovis was captured by the Syconians but after the arrival of the Black Dynasty caused confusion among all parties involved, Lady Lovis was recovered by Oron and the Pheonix Reich. 

Sir Zardon and his lieutenant Carnar left with a warning and a threat, "We will be back with more soldiers. There will be a wedding or there will be blood next year."

Mage's Test Site and the Wound in Mythodea Part 1

During scouting missions organized by East Blackwood's Corporal Annabel and Sir Logaan of Arven, the scouts came upon a site in the forest near Oak Hill where a magic has been used. The location was filled with dead birds. Through analysis it was revealed that Mythodea in that location had been gravely wounded by whatever magic had been attempted there. The magic was also said to have been fire based but not of Ignis which suggested it was not someone local to Mythodea. 

Lady Mako Tock was also among the scouting party that found the wound site. Something about the site must have caused her to act strangely. No further report has been delivered so far concerning this matter.

Black Dynasty

Baron Dagger reported the presence of several firsts of the Black Dynasty during his speech to the Oak Hill Festival. He asked that those willing to volunteer for scouting missions register with Corporal Annabel and Sir Logaan of Arven. 

When the missions began a large force of guests went with the scouts and found a fist of Black Dynasty near Oak Hill. The Black Dynasty Meister demanded that the shields of the scouting force be handed over. Sir Logaan of Arven and the Embassy Guard of East Blackwood denied them and a fight ensued. The Black Dynasty was defeated but the scouting force was bloodied with several wounded. 

Further scouting missions were sent out into the forest surrounding Oak Hill and, much like the first, more went with the scouts than desired creating a shortage of able warriors within the town itself. The Black Dynasty exploited this and were able to march into the town an take several shields including one of the Baron's shields. 

The Black Dynasty engaged the town twice more with the final attack coming at sundown where they fought both those at the festival and the Syconians taking more shields with them. 

Razash'Dai and a Red Crystal

During the second day of the festival, a glowing red crystal appeared in the rocks of a rock ledge near the center of town. Once investigated the crystal was found to have formed on top of a plate of slate with a dragonfly mounted to it. When people tried to touch the plate they realized they could not move it so they tried to move the crystal. The crystal burned them. 

With an Ice Witch from outside of Mythodea present as a guest of the festival, the guests and East Blackwood enlisted her aid to cool the crystal and they were able to remove it from the slate and then the slate from the rocks. What they found beneath it was a letter from a Razash'Dai. The letter described a person or a being wielding a magical shield of sorts. The details of the letter are with the one who holds the letter currently. 

Once the crystal had been disrupted it began to flash various colors and send out violent waves of energy. The energy was contained and a plan was hastily put into motion to use the power of the crystal to patch up the wound in Mythodea in the forest to the north. 

Mage's Test Site and the Wound in Mythodea Part 2

East Blackwood and their guests from all over Mythodea took the crystal to the site of the wound and performed a ritual to merge the crystal with Mythodea. The ritual was dangerous and at least two people where hurt in the process but all involved were able to make a full recovery. The wound is not completely healed but it is at least bandaged for now.

Music, Games, Drink and Dancing Long Into the Night!

Baron Dagger Arkenstone of East Blackwood and his soldiers returned from their mission deep into the barony in time for the rest of the festivities.  The tavern was alive with activity with further gambling events taking place including worm wrestling and arm wrestling.  Marik Fulgrimson's hired bards, "Beauty and the Bard," arrived to add their music styling to those of the guests and the drink flowed.  The dance courses of Außenfuß continued as well with its final course starting at the tenth hour and not ending until after the third the next day.

It can be said that in spite of the troubles of the days before, the Oak Hill Festival managed to put smiles on faces and satisfy many.

Rumors

Moistresses

Rumor hast it that there is a new order within the Moisterers, which is the Inquisitive Sisterhood of the Moistresses. They have the holy duty to make sure members are properly moistened, whether they want it or not.

Not the Father?!

Rumor has it that Sir Bødvar Tock may not be the father of his child?!  If this is true then who is?  Could it be a demon?!

Sir Maron 5

Rumor has it Sir Maron is strong enough to lift an entire wagon full of bricks, but if he ever tried he'd sink into the ground and be lost forever.