Rumors

This page is dedicated to rumors, tales, and folklore in Toivoa.

## The Gem of Saint Bolish

This fist sized blue gem is said to be able to contain a soul after it leaves the body of its owner. It is mentioned briefly in a historical book written by a Fluidan historian, stating:

> “…and with a pause, Bolish pulled out of his pocket a stone of the bluest color and accepted his fate. The spear then penetrated his heart and ended to life of the monk. With a flash and boom, Bolish’s body fell the floor never to rise again; however, three days later he was spotted again walking the market with the same blue gem suspended from his neck.”
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Not much is left of the original book besides that single passage. It is said that the gem was the personal possession of a monk and philanthropist of great power.

## Mandolinagon/Violinagon

A Mandolinagon is the rumored offspring of a fiend and a harengon, usually being a succubus or incubus depending on the sex of the harengon.  They are powerful enchanters that use music to lure subjects into their grasp with the goal of creating a powerful group of followers to do their bidding, often known as a harem.  They use this harem to pursue all types of different ventures both in and out of the Fey Wild.  Mandolinagons, or the rare female Violinagon, are also present in many Fey courts as musicians to the royalty.

Mandolinagons feed upon the lust and passion of their harem to sustain and empower themselves.  This creates a strong adiction within the victims that will eventually lead to the individual expiring and forcing to Mandolinagon to find more and more victims for their harem.  Their “prey” range from all races and sexes but they usually try to seek out skilled individuals that will help compliment the needs of the harem.

Once enthralled by the Mandolinagons, it is hard to break their grasp, but it is not impossible.  Mandolinagon are said to have a major aversion to “True Love”.  What that actually equates to is diverse and up for debate.  Most agree that a bonded pair are immune to the effects of the Mandolinagon’s song and will cause it pain if there were to make contact.  It is rumored that even the presence of a bonded pair that has a powerful love bond will cast an unseen force that can even dispel the grasp of the Mandolinagon has on its harem.  At other times people have seen objects that have been imbued with love work against the Mandolinagon.  Items such as love letters, wedding rings, or gifts of love have been spoken of being able to protect against the Mandolinagon’s evil influence.

While the Mandolinagon usually prefers to operate from the shadows and behind glamours, when seen they are easy to identify. They stand slightly taller than most harengon and are built slightly larger.  Their fur colors range from the regular colors to more fiendish blues and reds are usually are clad in flowing, semi-translucent globes of garish colors.  What makes them stand out is the multi-eyed masks they all wear, known as Masks of Murmering.  These masks provide some magical powers to the wearer, but more importantly they are worn to honor the evil harengon God, Merrityme.  The terrifying masks come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but all are full faced and have numerous eye holes in which a red fiendish light emanates from.  When singing or playing, these eyeholes leak magical energies that can be seen as a light pink mist that flows to entrap their victims.  The Mandolinagons also carry beautifully crafted mandolins or in the case of the female Violinagons, violins.  Rumors say that these instruments are imbued with great magical energies and are fueled by the souls of 100 virgins, but these rumors cannot be substantiated.

### The Harengon God of Lust

Merrityme is the harengon God of lust and is said to be the reason why men cheat, woman become adulators, kings copulate with laypeople and numerous other unscrupulous actions.  Merrityme uses his songs and infamous twin mandolins, Lust and Labor, to gently coax the normal person to act upon their baser instincts and to perform actions they normally would never consider.  His music can be heard playing inside taverns late at night when the hour grows late, or outside a brothel when the homesick traveler passes by alone and depressed looking for succor.  Many a person has cursed Merrityme’s name and used him as an excuse to try to defend their actions.  Only a small faction of beings worship Merrityme, almost all of them being Mandolinagons and Violinagons; however, Merrityme is still able to acquire power through the use of his mandolins and feeding on the deeds that his victims commit.  Because of Merrityme’s slightly unsteady powerbase he is also know to be actively trying to acquire more worshippers.  He does this by appearing to potential devotees or having them seek him out and sending them out on quests to further his ends.  He gives out different powers in payment for these quests, such as powerful songs and melodies, artifacts, and even in some cases the ability to tap into his powers and use him as a well for casting spells.  The history of Merrityme’s rise to godhood is vague and shrouded in secrecy, but most believe him to be a former Mandolinagon that was able to amass such a great harem that he was able to ascend to a stature of a god.  Merrityme appears much like his Mandolinagon followers, with some prominent differences.  The first being that Merrityme is missing half of his right ear and the other is laden with cold iron jewelry which should be anathema to a creature like himself.  The second visual difference is that he is…hard to look at, like viewing something through fogged glass or that he shimmers with heat.  Lastly, the every present twin mandolin Lust and Labor is a dead giveaway.

There is a harengon tavern song that exists about Merrityme and his attempts to corrupt the unweary youth, it is usually accompanied by many thumping feet and pounding paws.  Its lyrics are as followed:

> “Merrityme, Merrityme, Merrityme-tyme-tyme/
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> Why must you give us such a hard time-time-time/
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> We work the hoe, we work the plough, Merrityme-tyme-tyme/
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> We fish the shoal, we milk the cow, Merrityme-tyme-tyme/
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> We worked the field all day-day-day/
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> Now we only want to play-play-play/
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> But other ideas you have for us, but our minds you bind and truss-truss-truss/
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> You strum your ‘Lins and whisper to us-us-us
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> “They’ll never know, they’ll never know, so a-just go-go-go/
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> Put down your hammer,  put down your hoe-hoe-hoe/
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> A night of fun is in store you all-all-all/
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> Just give in to the my melodious call-call-call”/
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> But what do we say to Mr Lust-Lust-Lust?/
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> We say NO NO NO with hate and disgust-gust-gust/
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> We are the proud, we are Paragon-gon-gon/
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> We are the mighty mighty Haren-gon-gon-gon!/
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## The Sky City of Calanthia

There is rumored to be a city that exists in the clouds above the deepest part of the ocean. None have ever visited but sailors swear that they can see it in the distant clouds just before a thunderstorm hits on the open sea.

## The Last Stand of Thro'racken

There is a rumored lost kingdom of dwarves somewhere in Ostrea’s many hills.  Ages and ages ago there was a Great War between a family of dwarves lead by their king, Forrath Thro’racken, and a massive army of kobolds and their dark general only known as the Garotte.  It is believed that the war was brought on because of the great wealth the dwarves amassed, specifically the giant mains of platinum that the dwarves had been mining for centuries.  The Garrote and his kobold army wanted that platinum more they anything and were willing to commit everything to obtain it.  Many of the details and whys have been lost to time, but one story has been pasted down from bard to bard and storyteller to listeners for ages.  The story of the Last Stand of Thro’racken.  What follows is a copy of a fable presented by the bard Noreb Ampchino:

> “For 2 fortnight and a 4 did the dwarves of Thro’racken held the great hall.  All else was lost to kobold swarm, the library, the armory, the homes…all lost to the scaley masses.  They still held their beautiful hall in a last defense, consolidating Forrath’s forces there and giving time for the civilians to flee from their mountain home.  And the the forge, the women still kept that forges during hot.  Without those powerful, brave women of the forges this story’s end would have been of less consequence; however, because of those raging fires, the heroes of Thro’racken concocted a plan.  Through a combination of brilliant engineering and hard work, and not a small amount of courageousness, the dwarves laid a trap for those so in love with traps themselves.  The warriors of the deep arrayed themselves at the end of the hall near the throne as Forrath took it for a final time.  The dwarves stood alone in that legendary hall, the hall that was marvel…no pillars to hold the looming ceiling up, the hall that was so flat that not even a marble would move if left on any tile, the hall that had innovations still yet to be seen since its loss.  The stout men stood and waited for their doom, quiet at first, but slowly a tune started to emerge from the phalanx.  It was a quiet tune at first, but a tune all dwarves of Thro’racken knew.  A bawdy, dwarfish bar song about the founding of mountains.  Soon all the men took up the chant, taunting and daring the besiegers to come join their last stand in the great hall.  And join them the kobolds did.  Driven to a frenzy by the dwarves’ singing and by the whips of the Garrote, the whole force of kobolds were able to tear down the reinforced doors to the hall rush in to join the dwarves.  Soon the hall was full of bodies, the kobolds surrounding the dwarven defenders.   They held that way for a time, the dwarves taking a dreadful accounting of the kobolds, until the king spotted his true prey…the Garrote.  The creature towered over his minions.  A creature of dark and evil, bullying his way through the throng towards the throne.  Forrath welcomed him with a savage grin underneath sorrowful eyes.  As the creature neared the throne,  the King of Thro’racken raised his great hammer, Dark Smiter, high and brought it down with a deafening clang onto the floor of the hall.  That sound resonated through the entire hold of the dwarves.  To the corner of the markets.  To the wards and warehouses.  To the forge.  To the forge where the women waited, their hammers poised for their fated signal.  The woman in turn let their mallets swing, releasing the deluge they’ve been preparing since the plan was conceived.  You see the dwarves had a made a trap of the very thing that the villains coveted. They had taken every scrap and piece of platinum in the stronghold and melted it down into a river of shining death.  And they released this death into the hall.  The crafty dwarves had found a way to use the ventilation system of the great hall to create a sluice system for the liquid platinum.  They flooded the great hall with it.  It poured in as a torrent, washing over everything in the hall, friend and foe alike.  Everything was enveloped in a matter of moments by the gleaming flood.  The only thing left standing by the end was the king himself, encased in hardening platinum, his hammer held high standing upon his throne in defiance to death himself.  They say he laughed up until his end.  Thence is the story of the Last Stand of Thro’racken.  So if you seek wealth or adventure and find yourself in the Hills of Ostrea, but sure to keep a weary eye open for holes into the deep.  In one of these deep holes you might find a lost kingdom.  A kingdom encased in glittering metal and hall full of brave warriors and ancient enemies.  If you do, you’d have found the lost kingdom of Thro’racken and the treasures within.”
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## The Harengonlopes

The Harengonlopes are bedtime stories told to young Harengons to convince them to go to sleep at night. The stories range from family to family and from area to area but the general tenets stay the same. The main story is of a terrifying Harengon-like creature that uses various methods to lure children out of their beds when they are supposed to be sleeping. Once removed from their beds, the Harengonlopes then devour the child whole, clothing and all. The stories range from the Harengonlopes luring children through tantalizing songs and music to offering delicious candies to promises of freedom from their parents. Regardless of the process, it always ends in the consumption of the child from the Harengonlope.

The Harengonlopes are said to look like an abomination of a true Harengonlopes. They develop a larger frame and muscle mass, a more hunched appearance, and coarser fur covers their body. The jaws look like they are more extended a hold more prominent, sinister teeth. The most striking change from Harengon to Harengonlope are the antlers. All Harengonlopes have antler like horns that look as if they burst from the skull to gracefully hover over the head like an ominous crown of madness and evil. They are incredibly stealthy and prefer the latest and darkest parts of night. According to Fey folklore they best way to spot a Harengonlope is to put it between you and the moon and look for its corrupt silhouette across Onwa's beautiful face. Some Harengonlopes will even remove their antlers by breaking or cutting off the horns in hopes to fit better into normal Harengon society. This only lasts until the next full moon when the horns aggressively regrow causing the Harengonlope to enter another frenzied state.

It is hard to say if Harengonlopes are real or just a fantasy created to scare little bunnies, but one source has reported their origins as the following:

> "...They're created when a male or female harengon's mate is stolen by another harengon. Feeling not good enough and spiteful they rage at the full moon until antler like horns grow from their skulls and they get a ravenous taste for their lost loves blood. So they target them and their children first before terrorizing the rest of the community or, if not delt with quickly, other communities."
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There is also a song or lullaby pertaining to the Harengonlope

> Sleep little one, Sleep little one/
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> The night tis for sleeping, not for fun/
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> If you stay awake in your bed/
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> The night for you is full of dread/
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> Heed your Dam, heed your Sire/
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> And quickly give in to tire/
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> But if you don't, and fuss and mope/
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> You invite in the Harengonlope.../
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## Breagan's Ringmail

While appearing to be a simple suit of ringmail, Breagan's Ringmail is much much more. First off, it floats as opposed to normal ringmail that will sink strait to the bottom. It is also more durable and protective then it seems like it should be. It has a pocked installed on the front, right breast as well. This pocket, not much larger then a full hand, is said to be "endless". Whatever is placed inside disappears completely and can be brought back out by reaching in and thinking of the object desired. The Ringmail is said to have been the lifelong project of a craftman by the name of Breagan Monte'chelli. He spent his entire life creating this single suit of armor and died before he was able to see it in action. Where it rests now is unknown, but stories of it surfacing pop up every decade or so. Oh, and if you get close enough, you'd notice it smells faintly of chocolate rather then steal.

## The Gladiator of Stupors

A tale of warning is told to young people in Wresten when they are getting deep into their cups to avoid the Gladiator of Stupors. It is told that if a person is unlucky, when they pass out from overindulgence they may pass briefly into the realm of the Gladiator of Stupors. There they must fight the maiden gladiator for their freedom. If they succeed and pass her tests they are free to return to their realm. If they fail, then they die. Every bar, tavern, and saloon has an old, drunken patron that can tell you about a friend of a friend that battle the maiden to a stalemate and returned with a scar from her kiss.

## The Gauntlets of Clinching

The famed Gauntlets of Clinching are a rumored magic item. They are said to be an ancient knight’s gauntlets that lets the wearer hold anything without the possibility of escape unless willed by the owner.

## Weird Owl Yankovic

Weird Owl Yankovic is a traveling bard that is loved for his parody songs, limericks, poems and other works based on other bards.

## Razorroot

Razorroot is a root vegetable found in most wooded areas in central Toivoa.  Traditionally used as a bland filler for stews or kept in cold storage for the leaner parts of the year.  The processing of the root is time consuming and tedious with the removal of the small, sharp protrusions that cover the entire root and a long boiling process to remove the bitter enzymes within it.  Botanists believe that these are defensive adaptations that have evolved over time to detour animals from consuming the root.  If eaten raw, the root will cause nausea and cramps in the stomach.

Recently it is rumored that razorroot is becoming a very popular and dangerous drug throughout both the cities and countryside.  It has been found that when razorroot is mixed with a larvae paste of a fly that feeds on the root, razorroot will excrete an extremely concentrated enzyme from its sharp spines.  When introduced directly to the blood stream a person gets a feeling of euphoria and heightened perception.  Scholars think that the enzymes affect the visual anatomy of a humanoid, causing the nerves and processes to perform at heightened levels.  Besides the feeling of euphoria, users are said to be able to see further and clearer than they can normally.  Because of both of these reactions the drug is becoming increasingly common and addictive.  However, razorroot does have a draw back.  Besides possibly making the user feel drained and exhausted after use, some unlucky users have been stricken blind for a time.  To use the drug, a person coats their palms in crushed larvae and places a raw razorroot between their palms.  They then rubs their palms together vigorously rolling the root between their hands.  This motion will cause the small spines on the root to pierce the users’ hands and release the now incredibly potent enzyme into their blood.  The reaction is nearly instant.  A razorroot user, or a ‘Pinker’, can be spotted by the telltale pink stained palms and/or a wild, unblinking look in their eyes.

## The Central Wall Rumor

It is rumored that the Central Wall is secretly on the verge implosion. Over the years, only the worst of the worst have been sent to man the wall. It is mostly run by criminals and brigands now. Eventually it is feared that it will fall and casting both Wresten and Ostrea into chaos.

## Arrows in the Dark

There are rumors of an amazing live show being performed in Nousha by a group of mummers from the Shau called Arrows in the Dark. Its a Kabuki styled stage show about the attempted coup of a royal member of a Shau household by her bodyguard and paramour. Its full of seduction, betrayal, and action. The performers wear masks and all the performance is physical with no speaking. Nobody knows who they are, where they came from, or when and where they will perform next.

## The Artifact

There are rumors of an incredibly powerful and primordial artifact existing somewhere south of Nousha. Even though multiple adventures have claimed that they’ve encountered this artifact the stories of what it is and how it operates vary wildly. Some have claimed it to have the powers of creation itself while others call is a focus of Wild Magics and others a trap left by an evil wizard from ages passed. The only commonality shared between the stories is that it resembles a heart, leading to one dwarven adventurer calling it the Heart of Toivoa.

## Necromantic Evils

People tell tales of a necromancer that lives on the southern coast of Wresten. The necromancer supposedly has a hidden fortress buried deep in the forest. They protect and surround their lair with hundreds of undead things. Many an undead found around Wresten and Korlan is blamed on this unnamed necromancer. The are rumored to be a survivor of a secret war where they were able to achieve lichdom.

## The Fate of the ship Unsinkabull

The fine and fierce ship, The Unsinkabull, was a pirate ship. It bore a minatour figurehead, and broad 'horns" for ramming. And, true to the crew's loyalty to a theme: rather than a feline ratter, a guard dog, or pet parrot, the Unsinkabull carried a massive mechanical bull.

Unfortunately, as the saying goes, nothing causes as much damage as a bull on a pirate ship. The Unsinkabull sunk to the bottom of the sea on its maiden voyage, and not a single soul was saved.

## Daemons of the Shau

There are rumors abound about an invasion of daemons from the nine hells invading the lands of Shau. People fear that the daemonic forces have taken over all the powerful figures in Shau. It is feared that all matriarchal figures from high ranking politicians, royal leaders, to generals have been replaced by counterparts from the nine hells. The only way to tell if a daemon, or oni, has taken over somebody is to "put them to the test". The test consists of taking the suspected person and forcing them to perform the ritual of the Sun and the Moon. The ritual of the Sun and Moon is a dance done between two partners and a pair of lanterns. If the accused cannot perform the dance, then they are assumed to be a daemon from the nine hells.

## Dragons of Toivoa

There are numerous rumors of ancient dragons still residing in the lands of Toivoa. The most common are:

* A Blue or Black dragon sleeps in one of the broken peaks in the of the Highpeak Mountains
* A White dragon sleeps in a deep cavern located in the middle of a mountain range located in Shau
* An orc tribe protects and worships an Ivory dragon located somewhere in the open steppe of Korlan
* A Gold dragon reigns peacefully over a tribe of elves on a secret island near Uthurg
* A Bronze dragon slumbers in the foothills on the island of Yvrix
* There is an island in the South Sea that isn’t an island at all. It is a dragon couple covered in vegetation that have been frozen mid-coitus
* The current king of Wresten is a dragon in human guise

## The Game of Fates

There is said to be a game that exists out there in Toivoa that can change the fate of its players dramatically. The result may be splendid or terrible depending on the luck of the player. Will the result be riches or will the result be destitution. Will the player achieve their deepest desires or be hunted by a demon of Ikmael’s realm. The actual game type is unknown but the pictures of the 4 sisters of fate are always involved.

## A New Korlan-Wresten War

People are starting to talk about a new war starting between Korlan and Wresten. They whisper that the border is starting to dissolve and forces from both sides are moving across to the each others' side. People say that centaurs and orcs have been seen deep into Wresten and that there have been terrorist attacks within the lands of Korlan. There have been rumors that outside forces interested in the fall of both nations have been working to stir up trouble. Some say its the dwarves rising up from the center of the earth to take of the lands of Toivoa, some say that its creatures from the moon, while others blame demons from hell. Governments from both sides insist that nothing is happening between the two nations.

## The Seer of Change

There is a rumor of a seer that resides out in the swamps of Korlan or Fluidan that can change your future if given the appropriate gift. People that claim to have dealt with her say she looks like a woman, but can’t place what her face looks like at all. If given an appropriate gift, she will change your fate into something that you more desire. Changes she is rumored to make are ones like taking a physical strength and making it an into a mental one, changing a trained skill in one art and transferring it into a different art, transmuting you from one race into another, sex changes and other changes like those. Gifts she accepts have to be related to the change desired. For example, if one would like to reverse age they may have to offer a young calf or are blacksmith may have to offer their tools of a trade like their anvil and hammer.

## Pirates of the Mist

Somewhere in the middle of the South Sea there is a rumored armada of secretive pirates. Known as the Pirates of the Mist because their appearance is always preceded by an obscuring mist that appears out of nowhere. They are a ruthless group of pirates that attack any and all ships that stay into their territory. They use all different types of arcane tools to accost ships and travelers with lightning being their favored weapon. It is told that they leave no survivors, which is strange since there are stories of them all along the coasts.

## Sewers of Riport

Under the streets and luxurious buildings of Riport it is reported that and underground warren exists. This warren houses an entire civilization of Kobolds. They use the sewer system under Riport to transport and trade with other “under folk” and even with some topsiders. The warrens under the city is neigh impossible to travel without a guide and is dangerous to travel without the knowledge because of the amount of traps laid by the industrious Kobolds that live there. The Kobolds are said to be ruled by one massive Kobold that has been in charge there for over 100 years. It is rumored that he/she is part dragon and is waiting for its time to rise to the surface and take over Riport.

## The Border Hero

People tell tales of a young hero that is located near the border between Korlan and Wresten. She is reportedly a young woman that saves lost children in the woods. Some people say she is a forest elf, others a child raised by wolves, but all agree that she is a heroic spirit that protects youth that need help in the forests. Tales say she looks like a beautiful and young woman with fire for hair and muscles made of steel.

## The Savage Blacksmith

The Savage Blacksmith is a legendary smith located somewhere in Korlan. Her exact location is unknown and she is rumored to be constantly on the move to avoid too much attention. This Bugbear's legend as a blacksmith stems from her ability to repair any craft, regardless of the damage, with very little resources. She is also able to break down most tools into their base components. For example, there is a story of her taking an ancient sword of a long buried king and breaking it down into its original parts. She separated the metals from each other, even separating the alloys into their original form. She also removed the leathers and gems without causing any damage. More remarkably, the Savage Blacksmith was able to isolate, remove, and store the enchantments that were placed on the blade. After the breakdown, she then recycled the components and turned them into a spear that is whispered to be given to an assassin that went on to kill more usurpers than any weapon in history. The Savage Blacksmith does not work for money or trade. She creates for the joy of creation and to fulfill the prophecy of the weapon that she can divine. To find her, you must listen for the faint \*Clank....Klink..Klink\* that will ring out at the darkest hours of the evening. Follow that sound to its genesis and you'll find what is possibly the greatest smith of any age, the Savage Blacksmith.

## The Cave Paintings of Az-quautal

There are cave paintings located in the middle of Wresten that depict a group of centaurs and dragon. The paintings are not rumored, for they do exist and can be observed, but what they mean are the rumored aspect. Many scholars have tried to determine what the paintings depict and when they were painted. Most agree that the are 10s of thousands of years old; however, they do not agree on much else. The top rumors of these paintings are as follows:

* Centaurs are the original habitants of Wresten and were forced off their land by other races that used dragons as weapons.
* There was an ancient war between the centaurs and dragons
* Dragons were once the pets of centaurs. They used them to hunt and kill for them
* Centaurs used to perceive dragons as gods
* Dragons used to treat centaurs as chattel. They would use them like farmers use cattle currently

## Disappearing Rabbits

There has been a rumor floating around recently that the Fey race of Harengon are starting to become extinct. Less and less of them are seen outside the Fey courts and the courts themselves are becoming smaller. Nobody knows if this is due to a conscious choice by more powerful beings or a flaw due to large amounts of inbreeding or something else entirely. It is incredibly rare to see more then a single Harengon at a time and when you do they are almost *always* trying to breed to create more young Harengon.

## The Cult of Phrix

The Cult of Phrix is supposedly a group of nobles, politicians, and wealthy and influential individuals that secretly run the entire main continent of Toivoa. They secretly run all major governments and powerful corporations through secret dealings and illicit activities. They are supposedly the reason for almost all the major wars and conflicts throughout the world and wish to see the whole thing burn. The name Phrix is supposed to come from the name of an ancient god of annihilation. Phrix’s job was to bring about the end of days and its follows want to help that come to pass.

## The Cornucopia of Consuming

The Cornucopia of Consuming is rumored to be a magic item that can summon any type of food or drink endlessly. Only speak the command word and think of your desire and the cornucopia will supply it until the command word to end it is spoken.

## The Wandering Poet

An adventuring poet walked all over Toivoa on a lifelong pilgrimage. Their work was hidden across the land- carved into stone walls and living trees, tucked onto the shelves of pawn shops and great libraries, posted on message boards, enclosed in letters, sealed in tombs and tossed into the sea. There is a wealthy man in Korlan who will award unimaginable riches to anyone who can bring a verified original work of the Wandering Poet.

## The Wormgates

The Wormgates are rumored to be a magical portals created by the follows of Myani. They are an uncountable number of holes that are all interconnected and span the entire world of Toivoa. They are said to exist to sew chaos and mischief around the world. If one were to fall into these inconspicuous holes they’d randomly pop out of another somewhere else around the world. These Wormgates are said to also come and go without warning or reason.

## The Bonded Pair

A prophecy was foretold nearly 2 decades ago by a seer of Nodinihu. The prophecy was spoken when a caravan of traveling mummers was being hosted by a wealthy merchant couple. During the fortune teller's performance the pregnant housemaid of the merchant's wife went into an early labor and gave birth to a pair of twins, one boy and one girl. At the moment of birth the fortune teller and seer spoke these words:

> *"The two side of one coin that are now birthed into our world will be that catalyst of a change unknown to the history of creation. An apocalypse. A Miracle. Annihilation. Creation. If these two sides ever meet and join then a change will come to Toivoa. Aware all must be to not allow this junction to happen, but heed the warning to keep them safe unless the miracle is needed and unable to be found. The Bonded Pair, The Twins, The First or The Last. Hope and Despair for all."*
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The twins were separated immediately, never to have made physical contact as to the warning of the prophecy. The decision was made to honor the advice from the Gods and the twins were separated and kept safe. One was to stay with the merchants to grow up safely within walls and surrounded by guards. The other left with the caravan, to travel and be raised safely by an entire group of performers and family. It has been nearly two decades since the telling of the prophecy and the twins are now into adulthood, ready to make their own ways if they choose or to seek out their own path and to answer the questions they never new they had.

## Gnomes Gonna Gnome

In the foothills of the Highpeak Mountians, located just under the surface of the hills, adventurers talk about a donsy of rock gnomes that have created a very unique system of communication. It is some kind of a system of tubes used to transport information at great speeds throughout the underground gnomish city. Questions, requests, orders, and all types of information is sent back and forth through these tubes at all hours of the day and night. Visitors are amazed at the amazing maze of marvelous mechanical mass communicative marvel that is the tube system.

## Creation of the Grindavik Sinkhole

While its obvious that the port of Grindavik is located in an enormous sinkhole, how that sinkhole was created is up for debate. It is widely rumored to be created by a battle between two great dragons, one red and one silver. The hole was created after an impact from the two dragons crashing from the sky at tremendous speeds. People still troll the beaches and the waters in the sinkhole with the hope of finding remnants of the fallen dragons.

## The Great Beast

Rumors tell of a great leviathan that lives under the crust of world of Toivoa. It’s territory ranges from the far East of Wresten to the west coast of Korlan. It is often blamed for many unexplained events, like missing people and caravans, lost civilizations, moving boulders, unexplained barrows, and other mysterious occurrences. The leviathan is said to look like a giant, scaly lizard, weighing hundreds of tons. It has a enormous, cavernous mouth able to eat nearly anything whole.

## The Mystery of the Dragonborn

The origins of the Dragonborn is a greatly contested subject. Are they the most ancient race in all of Toivoa. Are they result of the breeding between humans and dragons. Are they a crazy wizard's experiment. A new idea that has been moving through the scholastic circles is that they are smaller fragments of larger dragons. In times before history was better preserved, something happened to the great and powerful dragons causing them to separate in to smaller pieces and creating the race of Dragonborn. How something like this could happen is beyond our current understanding, but one young scientist believes it may have been caused by an artifact from a different plane that has taken root in our material plane.

## The Atrocious Alchemist

This Alchemist travels the lands of Wresten peddling their wears to unsuspecting people. From first observance they are just a normal traveling vendor pushing their cart through town. Their cart comes rolling into the village behind a giant lizard to the clink and clank of glass bottles banging together. The scent of spice and perfumes proceed them as they set up shop to display their wears. The Alchemist themselves are jovial and friendly, more then happy to answer questions and help the customer. All this is normal, if not a little too accommodating, until they leave after selling off their wears. Once left, they problems arrive. They potions the Atrocious Alchemist sold start to change. Some are extra potent. Some far less. But worse, most do they exact opposite of what their intent was supposed to be. A potion of healing makes the injury worse. A potion of fire resistance causes the consumer to burst into flames. Potion of Growth? Nope, you small now. The vendor is impossible to find and even harder to describe. The only commonality the rumors have is the name Chris or Christine. Their is a rhyme that exists in Wresten about the Atrocious Alchemist.

> “Clink and clank, their perfume it stank
>
>
> We wish we would have stayed home.
>
>
> Their cart it showed, we watched it go
>
>
>
> Now all must dig a deep hole”
>
>

## Veins of Power

Many an old scholar will talk about the effect of a specific location on the power of magical effects. They say that if you are able to observe the Veins of Power that run invisibly through the lands of Toivoa, you will be able to cast more powerful and potent spells then you would normally. It is never known why or how you can access these Veins, but there are always stories of people who have accessed them or the effect of the Veins on an area. Lots of supernatural phenomenon are attributed to the proximity of the Veins of Power. Like hauntings, ancient temples, or natural wonders.

## Experiment RQ-872

Missing livestock, break-ins, and a skulking shadow in the outskirts of Nousha have lead people to blame a certain individual, Experiment RQ-872. 872 is said to be an escaped experiment from a Noushan wizard's laboratory. Rumors say that this hunched, red-skinned humanoid was created by a local wizard experimenting in forcing magic into and non-arcane blessed individual. These experiments seemed to succeed, but at the possible costs of the mentality of RQ-872. The experiment apparently escaped its imprisonment and has been surviving by doing what it must in the slums and outskirts of the city of Nousha. A Noushan local recounted his encounter with RQ-872 as follows:

> "Froze the whole room hes did! Me and my dear wife was just sleeping in the bedroom when we done heard a ruckus coming form the kitchen. We thoughts at first it was just those damn feral cats again, but we got up anywho to check it out to be sure. And by Myani it sure wasn't no feral cat. It was that damned wizard creature just a' croutchin' on our table tryna' steal one of our butcher knives. We must have given it quite the spook too, cause when we walked in it hissed in a bizarre language that kinda done hurt my ears and poofed away in a stinking sulfur cloud. A few moments after that I done smelled something akin to a summer storm and the room started to feel real close. Then BOOM! The whole room burst into snow and ice and all that winter scat. Everything frozen, like everything! Even the stew! Never seen nothin' like it. If you asks me, I think that purple cloaked Renaldos guy needs to catch this villain before he hurts someone."
>
>

From this anecdote, it seems that RQ-872 has been able to absorb the arcane energies but may not have full control of them.

## Local Gossip (By Location)

### Albani Institute of Magic

* The president of the Beta Alpha Delta sorority ran off with a goliath instead of completing school. Given how aggressively the school has worked to cover up her time as a student, it's possible she was having a scandalous affair with a board member (or a board member's son?) before disappearing with a new lover. She is probably living in a castle in South Korlan now.

### Briar Glen

* The dragonborn Therault has a secret crush on the harengon Caraway, while Caraway has a crush on a harengon with a name starting with R
* Caraway is an escaped wizard experiment. Her family are true rabbits who live in a warren nearby.
* Caraway hunted a unicorn in Fanrath Woods, but didn't catch it.
* Thomas McCain was appointed the new druid of Briar Glen as the result of some punishment he earned in the city.
* Thomas is too young to be a druid. He is actually a spy from Korlan.
* Moritas talks to invisible ghosts. One of them might be his deceased wife.
* If you ever see a rainbow in Therault's shadow you should make a wish, because it will come true.
* Therault has a bunch of treasure in his forge. However you can never get it as he can smell thieves. Even if you could be invisible, it would not help.
* Bob Barkfeather wasn't as powerful a druid as he should have been. His connection to the forest was weak, the animals didn't like him, and he couldn't get to the secret druid glen in Fanrath Woods.
* The children of Briar Glen believe that if you bring Moritas Moritas a token of a beloved pet, he can lay them to rest in a special pet cemetery. That way even if the creature was butchered and eaten, they can be at peace.
* Ketlin was once pregnant. She disappeared for several months to give birth and deliver the baby to a temple.
* If you try to find Ketlin in the woods (instead of meeting her in town), you will find that she is guarded by a jet black cougar. The creature will eat you before you step within 1000ft of Ketlin's den.

### Nousha

* Reynoldus Basil apparently has a lover within the nobility of Nousha. Basil doesn’t speak of her because she is ashamed to have a relationship with such a lowborn man. The noble woman is also said to be married to a great warrior and duelist and this is why Reynoldus Basil spends so much time at the docks. You see, the husband is out of town and is said to be returning home at any time and when he does arrive Basil is in a lot of trouble if he is caught.

### Riport

* A bounty has been placed on a suspected fiend named Safira for various crimes related to piracy. A sum of 20,000 gold pieces will be awarded to anyone who can capture her and return her to Riport. This bounty has been authorized by Aaron McCain.

## McCain Brothers

* They are the leaders of Bounty Hunters Guild of Toivoa.
* The Brothers move like shadows, look like twins but not, appear out no were, Ability fly like clouds, descend like thunder bolts.
* They also have close ties with the assassin’s guild in Yvrix.

## Artemis Grove

* Artemis stole the Blue Dragon Mask.
* Artemis is being hunted all over Toivoa by a Very Ancient Blue Dragon who wants the Blue Dragon Mask back as it has tremendous powers.
* One of the power of the mask is to Dominate any Blue Dragon.
* Radien Odinson is a love interest of Artemis Grove.

## **Theory on Time**

It is under established and verified knowledge from reliable sources that the god of Time was the first to emerge in this world. This however in turn raises a question. Though I most first relay the understanding premise of the beings’ called gods and their birth. It is the personal belief of some, that gods are constantly being formed.

This is through the power of belief and creation of their dogma. With finally a name must be given. As long as one follower remains the god can exist. It is important to note that no god has ever been killed. As no temple to them has have disappeared from the halls.

Leading to the question did people exist before time? If so, why would they care for creating time? It is from this that it is my personal belief that the god of time was created in the future to fulfill the needs of the past. A break in causality that corrected itself had to occur at some point. At all points though, I believe the god of time is both alive and dead. With those lost in time being responsible for its formation.

The real issue is the unknow side effect of breaking causality, and what happens after it fully corrects itself. Does everything repeat or begin anew? How many times has either option occurred? Can the firmanment be collapsed? What if you named yourself a god before time appeared?

-G

## Theory on Memories and the Use in Training

I was shown a vision of a place I have never been. I found myself frustrated by my inability to describe what I saw and lack of ability's to depict it. An idea formed in my head if they could shape and change memories. Then could it not be given to others?

* For the sake of this we will say they can in fact be transferred or duplicated to another. What would this mean for not only showing others my vision, but for training. Could I not take their archery training, Dunks arcane knowledge, his understanding of the nature world and chemistry, their knowledge of wildlife and survival and inject them into others infinitely. Could I not take knowledge from others this way to strive closer to perfection in battle?
* How fast could I train an army of a hundred farmers being threated by adversaries and protected by a useless lord. Could it prevent that tragedy from happening again? I spent years with the Iron Talons learning my trade, what if it could only be minutes instead. How many could it have saved? Should I take the best, to make the perfection?

* Issues of the Body
	+ Knowledge is no replacement for body conditioning. I would still need months to train their bodies to fight at the pace their knowledge told them they could. I would need to condition the bodies to not only keep up with movement but understand when to move.

* Issues of the mind
	+ My past has left me broken to some, in a mental state of constant paranoia of the worst case. Was this a result of my memories or the emotions I felt during their formation? If the latter is true then I can not separate emotion from memory. If the former is true than I can and should. If my emotions and memories made me who I am then it could cause conflict wrapping multiple experiences from multiple people. Creating a more broken solider is not ideal.
* Issues of the Soul
	+ Is the soul a collection of memories or is the soul given shape by them. If I inject to many memories from the best into someone. Will they cease to be themselves? Will they become another personality? Perhaps a monster that needs shackled?
* The most be emotionless in memory for this to work. Adding emotions I believe is to big of a risk in the transfer. I have found in blind rage and found strength while forsaking of reason. But should a being who feels nothing exist on the battlefield? Is this in line with Suporos teaching of perfection? Is this a shortcut better left forgotten?
* The soul reavers have magic of the soul and they have magic of the memory, I believe. Perhaps both can be combined to create what I seek. They had shards in Silver Spar that could trap souls. What if I could use that to contain and protect the soul from emotions. Then Store the memories elsewhere?
* Can the body exist without a soul? No the body would die as the soul shards kill the person in question. But could I give the fallen a chance to fight to become better? Those that couldn't be saved my normal means? Could I store the soul in a vessel and separate it from the memories.

-G