Evil Rumors

No, despite certain rumors being spread about the Red Cloud and his threat to Cothon-Gadeed and the Ten Cities' League, this report has nothing to do with such developments.

Rather, it concerns Durham of the Ringing Anvil and his continued association with renyu, and the opinions of certain people in regard to such associations.

To wit:

A gathering crowd within Cothon have begun to gather day after day in protest outside the Ringing Anvil--a crowd known to contain a number of supporters of the Souffet Fadhlan as well as certain supporters of the Barcidae. They tell all who will listen that Durham and his Ringing Anvil are involved with foreign elements--non-human renyu in particular, who are supposed to have been involved with pirates and rogue-alchemists in the Ocean's Throat sea-caves--and that these non-humans and their sympathizers will no doubt be happy to see the Red Cloud successful in war against Cothon-Gadeed! Not a few people point out Durham's continued association with the foreign Hanse of the Kantor Kabljauhof, further calling into question his right to do business in the precincts of Cothon.

Though the crowd seemed largely ineffectual when first they gathered, they have continued to grow in number, especially as rumor of the Red Cloud and his evils grow ... as of this week (ending 30 April), the crowd has grown large enough to dissuade most people from approaching the Ringing Anvil for any work whatsoever, other than those who know Durham as a friend / know the value of the work done at the Anvil (regardless of political bullshit).

Durham will lose 500 dinars this week, and each week subsequently that the issue is not dealt with, in order to support his employees at the Anvil through this shortage of work. If he can weather these costs up to 2500 dinars (five weeks), the furor may well blow over. If he wishes to meet the challenge Durham will have to come up with some means of demonstrating the harmlessness of his associations / or his loyalty to Cothon / or just his own innocence ... perhaps he could approach some citizen to sue his enemies on his behalf in the Courts of the Moon?