Enemies of Haven

[Ug]

*Ug turns to look at who is talking, gives a start, jumps in his seat, bangs his knee on the table, slips in his footing, falls backwards out of his seat, and bangs his head on the hard floor.*

[cole45]

While I agree with you that those who defend the Haven and are True to Justice and honor need not worry about being listed as an enemy, I slightly disagree about us being suspicious. From your listings we have several body hoping evil doers that we can not always identify. We need to question sudden changes in behavior or attitude. We seem to have a recurring issue with Necro's that just won't stay dead and other creatures that can shift their form.
While it would be ideal to trust everyone in Haven, I think that's a little naïve. I'll stick to my old stand bye and suspect everyone. Especially necro's that don't die.

[Dallid]

Chargoth's words carry wisdom. The enemy within poses a far greater danger then the external foe. Suspicion is a necessary defense, but must be deployed judiciously.

[Nelkie]

I see *Arthos says*

Frostfell, what was the last word with them, friend, foe, netural? I don't see them marching on Haven, but I do not see us welcomed back there. So I say no as enemy of Haven, just a place you would not want to vacation at.

The wood wraiths, do they attack when we enter the woods? Have we ever been able to make contact and establish a friendly relationship? Do they attack first, or do we? Should they be consider netural enities who live in and around Haven who attack the town folk for reason we can not understand? I'm not sure, becasue I have not had much dealings with the wraiths.

A understanding has been established between Haven and the dark elves. If they do not attack us, we will not attack them.

[Farbarian]

I was just reading something. Yes I can read.
The eye thing could that be primuss' spirit? in the big contest with secondus he collected eyes as trouphies. Hmmm, Just an erend thought.

[Atrum Draconus]

The wood wraiths will most certainly attacked unprovoked, and whether they are "misunderstood" or not, one thing is for certain. They ambushed a trade route with the distinct purpose of capturing Havenites, some were killed and some were released. That puts them on the enemy list in my eyes, no question to it.

Understanding or no, that faction of dark elves should still be considered an enemy. You can bet that they consider us enemies. They got their asses handed to them by Havenites, of course they don't want us hunting them down and finishing off the threat entirely. They are licking their wounds now, but that won't last forever.
And if things like that are negotiated for all of Haven then there should be notice made to everyone. How is anyone supposed to know not to try and remove one of the long list of threats to Haven. One recon mission could have shattered the frail peace.

[cole45]

Adding to Arthos's comment. We have a loose pact now with those night faeries. Swell. Where does that leave us with the rebel ones? Do we help or would providing them succor be a violation? What if the rebels ask us for direct aid? Do we break an pact with a group that we know would like to corpsify us to help the good ones or do we become bound not to help these good ones because of a deal with the devil?

[Nelkie]

As for the dark elves, the latest report I heard, which has not been varified as of yet, is the rebel dark elves have taken control. If the rebels indeed have been sucessful on taking over, than a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Haven and the dark elves might be achieved.

I was not here for the dark elf battle and I do not know what people where told. But the battle was to bring a truce between haven and the dark elves. I believe it was susseful.

So as I said before,
A understanding has been established between Haven and the dark elves. If they do not attack us, we will not attack them.

I will let the town know more as soon as I find out. I'm still trying to sort everything out from my short absence from the town, and this high on my priority list.

[Dallid]

One of the Wood Wraiths had mentioned 'ransom' for their prisoners. This would signify ill intent. Yet if all they took were returned, the living and the dead, at no profit to themselves save the food they stole, then the action would appear more of a warning gesture once more.

Regardless, they can indeed speak common - a detail that I had not before been aware. Communication is possible.

[Corbyn]

The wood wraiths also escalated the conflict between the elven encampment and the dark elves. The deaths that night as well as the leader of the elven encampment and his wife being taken prisoner are their responsibility. Now that they have begun attacking our trade convoys, they must be considered enemies unless someone is able to find a way to communicate with them. We have tried for years now to determine their aims with no success, other than they seem to dislike all presences in the area. Ravinal, please visit the beastmen and lizardmen and inquire if they have been attacked by the wraiths, and if not, try to determine why.

[Donovan Thynedar]

*Stepping out of his office with a tome under his arm, Donovan grabs a drink from the bar and joins the conversation. Opening the book he begins to read.*

“Just to clarify, this is not exactly a list of Haven's enemies. It is a list of threats to the Haven - which includes both specific enemies and non-specific magic, ancient, and questionable powers that have opposed us in the past or are seemingly aligned against our interest.”

Florin - Fleshcrafter, former healer, split into two forms on at least one occaision. Killed on at least three occasions. Must presume he is being raised by internal or external magics. Has at least two known disciples.

Narnian - Necromancer, sent undead against the Haven during the first time flux. May or may not be the spirit encountered by Incarious, Robin, Arthos, and Don Mayo in the Pit of Creation. May or may not have possessed Incarious for a time and may or may not be the spirit influencing Robin's unborn child. The Dutchess has been exhibiting unexplained magical abilities as late, lending further credence to the theory of involvement by some external power.

Dragons - Ancient beings of (supposedly?) near limitless power, two have been confirmed to exist. A male who bargained with the Guild of Light and returned to speak about the prophecy and a female that supposedly wrote the original prophecy to seal away the powers of yet another dragon. This third dragon (gender unknown) supposedly was not content with just being a dragon (which all other dragons apparently are) and used ambition to amass even more power. According to the female dragon, this was the reason for the artifacts and the seven parts of the prophecy - to create a series of events so improbable it would never come to pass. The current speculation is that the end of what we knew as the prophecy was written by the imprisoned dragon in order to tempt people into creating the circumstances that would release it. This did come to pass, and the power of the dragon should be fully restored in a few months. There is no way for anyone - even the other dragons - to find the third dragon before it wishes to be found, leaving only one hope of victory (see Perfect Being).

Dark Elves – Several encounters have established at least two distinct groups of Dark Elves in the Haven, which will be referred to as the Slavers and the Rebels. The Slavers are antagonistic, hostile, and actively working against the Haven’s interests. They use a form of portal magic to travel back and forth between several networks of caves in the Haven and may have an additional staging area deep underground or away from Haven proper. The Rebels are a more cooperative band of dark elves led by Laggy. His goal was reportedly to usurp control of the Slavers and bring them into a truce with the Haven.

Dwarves – A band of Dwarves may or may not still hold the Haven in disregard following an incident concerning Arthos and a quicksilver chalice. Their leader challenged Arthos and was defeated, but further encounters should be approached delicately.

Pentag – Evildoer and murderer, also known as Kale or Kaletheri. Lived among the Havenites for a time until his real identity was known. Was responsible for the murder of the Lady Elus along with Connor Mcleod, Don Mayo (under suggestion), and a fourth accomplice (name unknown). Roland and Atrum captured Don Mayo, but Connor and Pentag were able to escape. The fate of the fourth man is unknown. Pentag continued to stalk the Haven. Nuk (who had associated with Kaletheri before his real identity was known) and Roland attempted to track and defeat him, but Nuk fell under his suggestion. Drake, who at that time had been reincarnated into a Dark Elf and was known as Vir, was also under some form of control. Following the events in Frostfell, it is known that Pentag was reincarnated into another unknown form and that Nuk has been resurrected free of his influence.

Frostfell – Currently ruled by the tyrant Gaul Zander, the people of Frostfell can be considered generally unfriendly. Any encounter with them in Haven would mean significant travel on their part and should be approached with utmost caution. The rightful ruler of Frostfell, Annika, petitioned Haven for assistance in guarding her wedding/coronation ceremony. She feared that Zander, a rogue Bear Rider who had already slaughtered most of her people, would interfere. Events unfolded that gave Frostfell to Zander and left Annika in a state of exile. An attack by several of the Havenites, specifically Curufin and Donovan, escalated tensions between Frostfell and the Haven.

Wood Wraiths – A group of creatures inhabiting the forests around and in Haven, until recently they were believed to be a early race of elves awakened by the cataclysm. They have attacked both Havenites and villagers unprovoked, do not communicate, and use witchwood arrows for maximum effect. Recent speculation suggests that they are not a race of proto-elves but are a band of conscripts working together and using some advanced form of magic to accomplish their goals. They are in some form of conflict with a group of Orcs, and seem to want the people of Haven to fight for them. They attacked a trade caravan, took prisoners, and killed any Havenite who did not agree to attack the Orcs for them. This drastic change in behavior suggests that this new band may not be the Wood Wraiths at all, but may be using the mythos of the Wood Wraiths to manipulate the Haven.

The Strong Man – An individual who believed in his own strength through overcoming pain, he attempted to bring the prophecy to fruition. Believed to have switched bodies with a man known as Latham, he deceived the Haven and fulfilled the prophecy. It is presumed that he either was working for the third dragon or that he was simply attempting to gain power (strength?) by gaining the divinity promised at the end of the prophecy. The body of the Strong Man (which then contained the soul of Latham, a townsman from the Fishing Village) was disenchanted, potentially ending the soul-switching spell. Later Latham’s body was found after being reanimated by Florin into a golem and sent, with a note of thanks, against the Haven. The fate of the Strong Man’s soul is unknown.

Woodhold – A nearby kingdom ruled by a man named Rodrick, Woodhold currently exists in a state of peace with the Haven. Sadly, this is because King Rodrick believes the Haven is part of his kingdom and that Duke Corbyn is his vassal. Should the interests of the Haven and those of Woodhold come into conflict, one can expect that King Rodrick would learn that Haven is not, in fact, his territory – and that he may seek to reclaim “his” land by force.

Elves – The Nation of Elves has been restored to power since the cataclysm. The reunification of magic into a single force (from the elemental forces it had been divided into after the first cataclysm c. 1000+ years ago) has not only reawakened creatures that thrive on magic, but also reactivated devices that used magic as a power source. Many of these formerly decorative relics are now once again weapons and objects of extreme power. The Elves have set out on a campaign to reclaim the world en masse, and the Haven is, of course, part of the world. The fact that Duke Corbyn is an Elf has had some positive effect, and they have agreed to leave the Haven alone for the time being. However, his marriage to a Human is has not been well received, and should word of our tentative truce with Laggy reach them, much – if not all – of the goodwill between us may disappear. They have recently been observed moving troops into the area via sending and receiving circles – something that they agreed not to do. The events of last moon concerning their emissary, the Wood Wraiths, and the Dark Elves will certainly strain relations even further.

The Perfect Being – Under the instruction of the male and female dragons, the people of Haven have begun assembling pieces of a Perfect Being to combat the third dragon. This being supposedly predated the Dragons themselves and has existed in fragments since that time. Reunification of the being is believed to be the only way to stop the third dragon one it has fully recovered its power. The fragments of the perfect being, or “shards” are divided into four opposing pairs: Creation & Destruction, Order & Chaos, Peace & Aggression, and Thought & Action. These shards inhabit living hosts and cause that person to behave excessively in the nature of their attribute. Once unified, the person whom they are unified in must convince the now-finally-united Perfect Being to destroy itself (thus destroying the person as well) to defeat the dragon. Recent revelations indicate that this may only weaken the Dragon enough to allow the possibility of its destruction, and not destroy it outright as was originally thought. The shards themselves are a threat to Haven due to their ability to modify behavior and their intrinsic value. The loss of even one shard (to an enemy or by failing to recover it in time) will doom the Haven. It can be presumed that the Havenites are not the only ones with this information, and that others may be attempting to collect the shards for their own purposes (blackmail, personal benefit, etc.).

Ulzahuk the Fallen – A Mage and Necromancer from the land of Eldesta, he once led an army of enchanted creatures against the Phoenix Guard at Harrison’s Pass. Believed dead, the influence of his power was recently rediscovered. It was also learned that the events leading up to the cataclysm were not entirely of Phanterran origin. Ulzahuk’s magic is now believed to be a significant contributor to the cataclysm itself, though the details of how such a confluence of energies came to be are unknown. Should Ulzahuk himself discover how to cross from Eldesta to Haven (an act now believed possible) he would stand among Haven’s most significant threats.

Lord Malcolm – A man who owned the lodge that merged with the Inn when the land shifted, information on him has led some to believe that the land shifting has less to do with place than it does with time. Lord Malcolm (according to his recently discovered journal) was in love with the Lady Rose, who was in turn in love with a man named Lord Clover. Both Val and Quen (Recent additions to the Haven) have some connection to these people. Val mentioned looking for the wedding of Lady Rose and Lord Clover, and Quen claims to serve Lord Malcolm, and Havenites encountered two different versions of Quen that appeared to be either future incarnations or possibilities. In his journal, Lord Malcolm describes killing both Clover and later Rose when Rose refused his advances. The journal is written as if from an old man’s perspective and does not seem to coincide with the faceless man whom a party of Havenites encountered claiming to be Lord Malcolm. Additional details concerning this time/place shift are sketchy, but a prophecy written in the back of Lord Malcom’s journal mentions events that have recently taken place. These events may or may not be connected to the Rosenblood ghosts witnessed several moons ago.

Doom Worm – A huge creature encountered in a cavern near the Haven, it quickly dispatched several Havenites and ate (but later regurgitated) at least one member of Haven. Killing one is apparently only possible if a special knife is used, a knife that can only be made from part of a dead Doom Worm. Supposedly the male and female dragons relocated the Doom Worm at the request of the Haven, but this is as yet unconfirmed.

Poison Creatures – Encountered by the Haven two moons ago, these creatures spit poison and explode when killed. This poison is possibly linked to the reduced fertility witnessed in the fields around Haven. A plan to restore the fields involving giant worms (not Doom Worms) and a magic flute was discussed, but if these creatures are responsible additional action may be necessary.

Internal Conflicts – Potentially the most dangerous threats to Haven, there are several internal conflicts that could potentially weaken Haven’s ability to defend itself against any one or more of the other threats listed. Known conflicts are too numerous to mention in detail but primarily concern authority figures, the system of laws, and the mistrust of certain Havenies.

“I’m certain there are omissions, but this is the list I’m working with currently. Of course, this doesn’t take into account people like the Master or the Warlord whom we haven’t seen in a while and don’t really know much about. Anyone else who has something to add, let me know.”

*Donovan looks at the list again, closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath. He sits quietly for a moment, then opens his eyes and drains his tankard. *

[Ug]

*Ug regains consciousness from his fall at some point during the reading of the list and states...*

Wut about de guy hoo's invisuble tree furt me claamed as gildhall den wuz burned down? Me tink he wuz a dragun due to mennie diffurunt reezuns.

*Ug rubs his chin.*

Youse know, he trik'd uz but gud. Wut if de udder too draguns are trikun uz? Wut if dis perfukt beeun iz de dragun dat iz dis anchunt evol dat we are so wurried aboot?

*Ug turns his head from Donovan and looks at Nuk, his eyes popping out of his head.*

NUUUUUK!!!!!!

*He tackles the dark elf and hugs her, squeezing....squeezing....only as an Orc could squeeze...*

{{{{{ INSERT UNINTENTIONAL PRESS }}}}}

[Onyksi Rin'oviryn]

::: And Nuk, being just a little dark elf... passes out.:::

[Audry]

*Audry steps up from near the dukes office door*
Pardon me, did I hear you say"The Dutchess has been exhibiting unexplained magical abilities as late?"

Will you please give me an example of these time? I've been near her and have not witnessed any of these "magical abilities" you speak of?

[Atrum Draconus]

*Atrum cracks a smile after Donovan rattles off his list*
Can I get a copy of that please? There's atleast 1 thing that I've never heard. That last one, that one has plagued us for 3 years, *glances at Arthos* hopefully atleast some of it has been cleared up.

*After Ug tackles Nuk Atrum whispers something in Ug's ear and laughs*