ديسمبر Saba' al Khair

 News

• The lunar new year has come and passed, and the current year is now Urodas-Bayzadis 2. Iqtadar Sesel has not been elected to any particular office, but may well be called up by the Souffets for extraordinary service, especially with the threat of the Red Cloud still hanging over the city
• Pursuant to Pako's election as censor of Fort Stormbreak, Pako has also been granted citizenship by the Souffets
• The Sakkra merchant Glarh arrived, heralding the renewal of merchants periodically appearing with wares for adventurers in the city, every few months or so. As for Glarh, he will be debarking from the city during the next week, so his remaining wares are only available until 6 January, after which Glarh will have departed for further shores
• Durham at the Ringing Anvil was commissioned to create a new enchanted item, a magical khopesh for Fa Mei, first mate of Najm ibn Marwan; this khopesh was forged of chromium, and it was deemed prudent by the Ringing Anvil to spread information about that metal for anyone else interested in seeing it enchanted
• Tales of the sunken city of Babilar were noised in the city after a seaborne adventure some months since. Najm was excited to seek this place out, as a maiden voyage for his new ship, the Rihha. He and a number of adventurers took ship on 28 December to go seek out the strange place, and still have yet to return from their venture.

Rumors

• There has been some kind of uproar at the Souffets' Court of the Moon. No details have filtered out of the palace, but some new report seems to have caused the furor. Perhaps more information will be available soon
• The Long Wake, a time of fasting and mourning in memory of those lost in the many Man-Kzin Wars, will begin next month; at the end of the month, the Coreguyi Games will be held in the arena at the culmination of the Long Wake (because of the intercalary period, the months of the lunar year have been pushed back approximately one month in comparison to our own calendar--I forgot to do this in the last year)
• There are reports that the Beyg of Ittiyqa has raised a private army of mercenaries with the intent to personally send them against the Red Cloud, in despite of the Souffets' apparent inaction
• Iqtadar Sesel is known to have appealed to the Attine Klackons in the Great Spire on behalf of the Mnor Klackons of his iqta'. There is no doubt something in the works regarding this action, which may merely be an opportunity for a festival, or perhaps moreover a chance for action ...

Items of Interest

• The Confraternity of 'Issa the Baptist is offering a bounty of 1000 dinars per shanu'u egg, or 3000 dinars per shanu'u fledgling on behalf of the Alkari of the coast (from Kir Sabaha). Shanu'u (gryphons) are known to roost in the high hills and mountainous territory over the Turma River to the southwest of Gadeed, especially over the Cataracts.
• Dindins are still plaguing the waters between Ittiyqa and Cothon and attacking fishermen and sponge/pearl divers there (see here for a former effort at hunting them). A more formal bounty has been placed upon them, claimable in any of three harbors, Ittiyqa, Cothon, or Baldashmun: 250 dinars per 3 dozen stone weight [don't be scared--this means 250 dinars per hit die, but we wanted to provide a diegetic number ~the Scribes]
• Per the inflammation of the Red Cloud's aggressions, a new bounty is being instated in Cothon: any detached head of a Kzin can earn one 200 dinars, while any live Kzin captive can earn one 500 dinars. Kzin lieutenants or captains would be worth at minimum twice such a bounty, but possibly far greater, depending on the importance of their position