TEXT: Khôm Divided!
  Politics
   
  In recent months, the Church of Efferd demonstrated 
  vividly how quickly a gentle breeze could turn into a full-
  fledged storm. Apparently, the Warden of the Circle is finally 
  fed up with the hostilities evident between the Horasian and 
  the Al’Anfan divisions of the Church.
  Magical Theory and Mechanics
   
  Sylphorico, an alchemist from the Red Salamander 
  Society, filed a report on his recent investigations. As the 
  object of his studies was a demon ark lying in the port of 
  Mendena, his research is truly unique.
  Regional News 
   
  With his Efferd-granted powers, only the local Blessed 
  One of Efferd was able to communicate with the man who 
  washed up on the shores of the Risso Archipelago.
  U
  nau/Keft. Astounding 
  things happen these 
  days in the Khôm 
  Desert and the other lands 
  of the Caliphate. It almost 
  seems as if faith in the desert 
  god Rastullah is nearing a 
  crossroads. It remains to be seen 
  if the aggressive raids of the 
  brave Novadic riders will soon 
  turn inward against their own 
  brothers and sisters.
   
  After the turmoil in 
  Almada, I followed the 
  alleged troublemakers in 
  order to get you, dear reader, 
  a picture of these preachers’ 
  statements. Apparently, the 
  trigger for these events was a 
  pilgrimage of a small group of 
  only eight persons who were 
  led by a Tulaydian religious 
  scholar known as a mawdli, 
  this according to a traveling 
  Tulamydian storyteller called a haimamud. 
  However, other witnesses stated that the 
  pilgrims had provoked the mawdlis in 
  Keft. Unfortunately, I was not able to find 
  out which of these statements was true. 
  Generally, it is difficult for an infidel like me 
  to speak with the Novadi, and I think that 
  this only becomes more difficult as one gets 
  nearer to Keft.
   
  In any case, most people here disagree 
  with the views of this small group, whose 
  members are viewed at best as confused, at 
  worst as evildoers and heretics. But why then 
  do they still enjoy such popularity, especially 
  in the fringe regions of the Khôm? The 
  domains of the Beni Schebt and the Beni 
  Erkin in particular seem to be strongholds 
  of this new (or, more specifically, changed) 
  faith.
  Sermon about a False God 
   
  In the oasis of Alam-Terekh, which lies 
  in the domain of the Beni Ankhara tribe, 
  I had the opportunity to listen to a stirring 
  and haunting speech given by Lulzim 
  ben Harkim. I tried to reproduce some of 
  his speech in the following article so that 
  you, dear reader, can get an idea of what it 
  sounded like to be there:
   
  “… And thus, it is certain that he will 
  finally awaken. After centuries, which are but 
  an instant to him, Rastullah will return and 
  renew his pact with the Novadi people!
  “As it once was in Keft, I have seen the blazing 
  tent, and it stood in water, moist and life-
  giving, not on desert sand. Now that he is 
  awakening, Rastullah will grant us fertile soil, 
  so that we need not live on stringy goats any 
  longer, but may let our proud steeds graze on 
  blooming meadows!
   
  “I have seen his wisdom, his power, his glory, 
  and I cannot express with words how perfect 
  it is. It was so wonderful, I feared almost that 
  I would lose my mind. Thus, I had to close 
  my eyes, and for the first time in my life I 
  understood why we can only imagine portions 
  of Rastullah—the mind of a mortal can grasp 
  no more! Yet he gave me a sign so that all of 
  you can see his glory! This is his tear, shed for 
  us! It is a promise that he will return to us, his 
  loyal followers, and shape our future! …”
   
  At this point, a commotion interrupted 
  his speech, as he had produced a gem which 
  I recognized as a transparent diamond with 
  a perfect octagonal cut. Indeed, something 
  was very strange about this stone. Although 
  Lulzim was speaking in the shadow of a 
  palm tree and no sun reached the stone, it 
  seemed to emit a pure, white light. Upon 
  seeing this, many Novadi rushed forward 
  to get a better look or even touch the stone. 
  Soon after that, some Novadi began calling 
  out, demanding to spill the blood of infidels 
  for Rastullah. At that point, I decided to 
  leave.
   
  It is said that a sharisad (one of the few 
  women permitted independent decisions, 
  for they are dancers, which is pleasing 
  unto Rastullah) at the Manesh Oasis in the 
  southern Khôm tells a similar story and 
  has a similar gem. Also, it is rumored that 
  there is a hermit who belongs to the group 
  of pilgrims. Since a few weeks ago, he can 
  be found north of the Wal-el-Khômra. 
  According to reports from neighboring tribes 
  of nomads, he spends his days digging in the 
  sand with a folding shovel. Unfortunately, 
  no one has been able to tell me what, exactly, 
  he hopes to find, and I did not have the 
  opportunity to meet him myself.
  Troubles in the Desert Sand
   
  Pilgrims and self-styled prophets are 
  well-respected in the Khôm’s fringe regions, 
  particularly among the common Novadi, 
  who embrace their teachings gratefully. 
  However, a majority of mawdlis, particularly 
  those of the orthodox School of Keft, label 
  their teachings dangerously evil and heretical 
  unto Rastullah. They rile up the loyal earls 
  (hairans, in the Lands of the Tulamydes) of 
  the central oases against the preachers and 
  their followers. It may be only a matter of 
  time until we see clashes between the various 
  followers and opponents of the preachers.
   
  Thus, we await a statement from the 
  Caliph or his chief mawdli with bated 
  breath. So far, however, no such statement 
  has been issued. However, rumors have 
  been circulating that Kasim ben Mustafa, 
  the younger son of Malkillah III, converted 
  to the new faith. Is it possible that, under 
  the influence of the new faith, he could set 
  himself up as a competing Caliph? Or even 
  break with the Caliphate entirely?
   
  It seems that the Novadi have difficult 
  and troubled times in store for them. One 
  cannot yet estimate the implications of 
  these internal conflicts for the neighboring 
  realms, especially since it remains to be seen 
  whether there war will erupt between the 
  different schools of faith, or whether the 
  Caliphate will be reunified. Currently, both 
  factions are trying to win over the important 
  and influential hairans. The Caliph and his 
  representatives so far remain silent, but you 
  can count on them to keep watching matters 
  closely.
   
  In any case, traveling through the 
  Khôm will probably become more and 
  more dangerous for infidels and Novadi, 
  and many a caravan could do worse than 
  circumnavigate the desert or cross it with a 
  powerful, armed escort.
  Cordovan Munter
  (Anni Dürr, with thanks to David Lukaßen)
  Aventurian Herald 173
  Ron Owen (order #9400483)
  
  Aventurian Herald 173
  Aventurian Herald, Peraine 1038 FB
  B
  rabak.  Lately this group of islands 
  clustered between the continents has 
  been an oft-mentioned subject in the 
  royal city on the cape. Very recently, several 
  important Brabakan dignitaries traveled to the 
  Risso Archipelago, ancient homeland of the 
  Risso lizardfolk. Prince Peleiston made the 
  voyage with Perval de Sylphur-Hardebrand, 
  chief justice of the Manorial Court in the 
  royal city and son of Chancellor Guelmo de 
  Sylphur-Hardebrand. Perval was given the 
  honor of accompanying the future king to 
  check on the administration of justice in the 
  Risso Archipelago, even if hecklers in the 
  streets of Brabak wondered loudly what there 
  was to check. It is said that Perval de Sylphur-
  Hardebrand also offered some explanation 
  concerning the royal presents (copies of the 
  Codex Mizirion). It should be mentioned 
  here that, on the day Perval’s elderly father 
  retires or finally meets Lord Boron, Perval is 
  considered the most likely to succeed him in 
  the Royal Brabakan Chancellery. Perval’s trip 
  to the archipelago at the Crown Prince’s side 
  should serve to lend credence to this idea.
   
  According to sources pleasing unto 
  Phex, Bosjev Larinov himself, an important 
  Bornlander and branch manager of the 
  Festumian Draft and Deposit Hall in 
  Brabak, will soon travel to the Archipelago 
  on board a ship of the Brabacian 
  Amalgamated Occidental Company. It is 
  said that he intends to meet with Wilbur 
  Zenkauskas. However, neither Larinov nor 
  Dario Zeforika from the BAOC offered 
  to comment on this trip or any rumors. 
  Informed sources nevertheless claim to 
  know that Larinov is toying with the idea of 
  opening a branch in Porto Korisande on the 
  island of New Ranak, in order to participate 
  in the growing commerce with the southern 
  continent of Uthuria. It should be mentioned 
  that several merchants question the wisdom 
  of operating a branch in Uthuria. They are 
  of the opinion that sailors’ wages are too low 
  to justify the expense of operating such a 
  branch, and at any rate, they feel that most 
  sailors would waste their pay either on drinks 
  or the brothel of Inarés du Berilis in Porto 
  Korisande. Similarly, free traders operating 
  in the area reinvest their profits immediately 
  in other goods and thus don’t have much 
  cash on hand to deposit.
   
  Reeve-Vicar Orelio Kalanduez is of a 
  different mind. He sees the plan as pleasing 
  unto Phex and as a way to strengthen 
  the kingdom of Brabak’s importance and 
  role as a commercial and financial center. 
  Kalanduez argued that Brabak would 
  become a fixture of commerce with the 
  southern continent as well as with the 
  whole Aventurian south. It is said that 
  Lessandero the Younger, the Horasian 
  envoy at the Royal Court who comes from 
  the banking and mercantile family ya 
  Strozza, has labelled Larinov’s business 
  acumen “astute and, indeed, forward-
  looking.” However, when asked why his 
  cousin’s family, which already owns a 
  counting house in Nagra, did not secure 
  land for the Northland Bank, he remained 
  silent.
  Muliro Larekos (Christian Bender)
  A
  s reported previously, the barony 
  of Lizardmoss played host to the 
  Derial Symposium Regarding 
  Contemporary Theoretical and Applied 
  Magic and Related Sciences. Abstracts of its 
  working groups will soon follow; once again, 
  we distance ourselves from their contents.
   
  Sylphorico, an alchemist from the Red 
  Salamander Society, filed a report on his 
  recent investigations. As the object of his 
  studies was a demon ark that sank in the port 
  of Mendena, his research is truly unique.
   
  At the behest of Haffax, and in 
  collaboration with the Heptagon Academy 
  and the Narthex of Victory, he experimented 
  with the ship’s wood for over two years. At 
  the symposium, he presented his insights 
  into its properties and peculiarities:
   
  In general, it has the essence of an entity 
  of the Seventh Sphere and thus takes on its 
  properties, but it is also an anti-element 
  anchored in our Sphere. Protracted experiments 
  were necessary in order to fit it into the 
  paramanthic system of elements.
   
  As expected, exposing the wood to Ore, 
  Ice, and Air resulted in a slight reciprocal 
  influence.
   
  However, things became very interesting 
  while examining the wood under conditions 
  of exposure to elements that have known 
  interactions with Charyptoroth’s domain. 
  As a side-note, it should be mentioned that 
  the influence of Agrimoth’s domain is also 
  measurable, but less so on the alchemical 
  side. Treatment with Fire showed evidence 
  of resistance, albeit side effects of demonic 
  interactio elementorum occurred: creaking 
  sounds issued from within the wood, and the 
  flames assumed a black color and a sulphurous 
  smell. Cauterization with vitriol verified 
  classification as fire-resistant wood.
   
  Affinity to Water was examined by 
  submerging the wood in various fluids, such 
  as pure and polluted water, alcohol, and Unau 
  brine. This series of tests showed how strongly 
  the wood perverts the liquid element. All fluids 
  transformed into a poisonous frothy sludge, 
  although alcohol and pure water resisted this 
  effect the longest. For its part, the brine attacked 
  the wood and extracted mhaglibanum, or 
  ark resin, from its fibers. The wood sample 
  undergoing submersion tests coincidentally 
  was obtained from a horn of the ark (the only 
  known source of the resin), which proved 
  significant in subsequent tests.
   
  The most exciting test results stemmed 
  from exposing the wood to Humus. From an 
  alchemical perspective, Charyptoroth is not 
  ascribed any affinity, whereas wood has a 
  special affinity to Humus. Even when bathed 
  in earth pitch—which displays only weak 
  Humus properties—the wood melted and 
  exhibited none of the regenerative abilities 
  bestowed upon it by the ark. When buried 
  in soil from untainted forests, it decayed to a 
  stinking, amorphous mass.
   
  Conclusion: When processing this wood, 
  it is of primary concern that, when separated 
  from the actual ark, it suffers tremendous 
  damage when exposed to that most ubiquitous 
  of elements, Humus. However, resin obtained 
  from the ark horns by means of Unau brine can 
  lessen this vulnerability.
   
  Sylphorico announced proudly that, 
  based on his research, he succeeded in the 
  creation of the prototype of a new class of 
  golem in the workshops of Yol-Ghurmak. 
  He added that it is crucial to treat the outer 
  shell with mhaglibanum in combination with 
  a stabilizing and potent crystal geode which 
  mends the elemental imbalance.
   
  The lecture inspired animated discussions 
  concerning the ark wood’s suitability for 
  use in individual artifacts of the various 
  Traditions of magic. Interested magicians 
  clustered around Magister Alrik and Sienaya, 
  the Daughter of Satuaria, the academy’s 
  two self-appointed experts on the analysis 
  of magical weapons, seeking their insights. 
  Magister Alrik reported on examinations 
  conducted with some colleagues concerning 
  the use of wood from the demon ark in the 
  creation of mage’s staves. The Magister 
  stressed that, due to a significantly increased 
  risk of occupatio, the use of this wood is 
  only advisable for experienced magicians. 
  On the other hand, a wand created from 
  this special wood served as an 
  extraordinary tool for mages 
  who associate with demons—
  whether for summoning or 
  banishing them. Additionally, 
  a staff enchantment with the 
  property focus of demonic 
  was not only much easier 
  to cast on the wand, it 
  also shows more potent 
  effects than those seen with 
  wands made from other 
  kinds of wood. Likewise, 
  demonological spells stored 
  in the wand need less power 
  than usual.
   
  Dame Sienaya 
  corroborated Alrik’s 
  observations with her own 
  concerning the demon 
  wood’s use for witch’s 
  brooms. According to her 
  experiments, prolonged 
  contact with such a broom 
  renders spells containing a 
  demonic component easier 
  to cast. Additionally, the 
  wood can focus the emotions 
  of a Daughter of Satuaria 
  Aventurian Herald, Peraine 1038 FB
  News from the Symposium at 
  Lizardmoss
  Considerations about the Possible Uses of the  
  Ark Wood lignum daimonicum
  Aventurian Herald, Phex 1038 FB
  Warden of the Circle Tries to 
  Calm the Waters
  B
  ethana/Vinsalt/Al’Anfa. In recent 
  months, the Church of Efferd 
  demonstrated vividly how quickly 
  a gentle breeze can turn into a full-fledged 
  storm. Apparently, the Warden of the Circle 
  is finally fed up with the hostilities evident 
  between the Horasian and the Al’Anfan 
  divisions of the Church.
   
  Well-informed parish sources told the 
  Aventurian Herald that the patriarch of 
  the sea god’s Church community vented 
  his displeasure concerning the goings-
  on—even if he did so only to a few 
  confidants. Once again, the Church of 
  Efferd was unavailable for comment, but 
  it did not go unnoticed that the Church 
  messengers rode from Bethana to Vinsalt 
  and Al’Anfa. 
   
  No one knows the details of the 
  message they carried, but some 
  information was announced publicly: 
  Efferdan ui Bennain decrees that all 
  quarrels between the two temples are 
  to cease immediately. Additionally, 
  their public vilification of Blessed Ones 
  must cease so as not to risk schism in 
  the Church of Efferd. If these quarrels 
  do not end, the Warden of the Circle 
  will intervene personally. However, 
  considering the history between the 
  temples in the Horasian Empire and 
  Al’Anfa, one can only wonder if the 
  Church Patriarch’s letter will really be 
  able to defuse the tension.
  Muliro Larekos
  (Martin Schmidt)
  Politics / Magical Theory and Mechanics
  much stronger when said Daughter tries 
  to intensify the spell’s effect. However, 
  when queried further by confrontational 
  mages of the Gray Guild, Dame Sienaya 
  was unwilling to elaborate. In the end, 
  she had to admit that such a flying broom 
  would be severely limited, as if the wood 
  itself were trying to avoid contact with the 
  air. Obligingly, the witch presented a test 
  item she had crafted out of wood from a 
  Mendenian shipyard.
  (Dominic Hladek & Rafael Knop)
  Northland Bank Branch to Open 
  in the Risso Archipelago
  Ron Owen (order #9400483)
  
  Arivor in Ruins!
  V
  insalt, Horasian EmpirE—In a 
  recent special edition, our readers 
  were informed of a mysterious 
  disaster that had struck Arivor. Now, 
  more details are available. It is with sad 
  certainty that we report the destruction 
  of the city of Arivor, stronghold of 
  Rondrianic traditions and home of the 
  famous Bosparan vinyards.
  The Disaster
   
  23rd Rahja, 1039 FB, noon. The annual joust 
  is in full swing and all of Arivor buzzes with 
  excitement. No one suspects the dark fate that 
  approaches. Knights in dazzling armor compete 
  in the joust, families take their midday meals, 
  pilgrims and peddlers of devotional objects 
  haggle over prices, crafters take orders for 
  new commissions, and a play of epic 
  proportion is staged in the renowned 
  Theater of Arivor.
  Suddenly, a vast, deep rumble 
  and tremor makes the stomach 
  lurch as if one is listening to a 
  dwarven kettledrum concert. 
  Then, all the Netherhells break 
  loose, and the very ground 
  upon which Arivor stands begins 
  collapsing!
   
  Towers, temples, and fortified 
  townhouses collapse like houses 
  of cards and tumble into the 
  depths! Crevices of enormous 
  width and depth form in the 
  streets. Sumu’s body is bursting 
  and cracking, as it did when Los 
  wounded her in battle. The noise 
  is deafening, and soon, thick dust 
  fills the air. Through a veil of haze, 
  one sees the silhouette of Hotel 
  Sevenstrike as it tumbles roof-first 
  into a precipice. The Kuslik Gate 
  stands enthroned on a lonely spire 
  of rock above a crater of rubble. The 
  shattered towers of the Ardarites’ 
  Castle and the outline of the Golden 
  Helmet jut out of the dust like the hand 
  of a dead man reaching out from a pile of 
  rubble.
   
  “Fissures in the ground appeared 
  everywhere, swallowing entire houses. I saw 
  buildings crack in half and watched as people fell 
  a hundred paces into the deep. I’ll never forget 
  what I’ve seen. May the gods have mercy upon 
  us! Arivor will never recover,” says Bascanai 
  Loriano, a miller from Arivor. She hears 
  the cries of the wounded and sees bodies 
  everywhere—buried under rubble, 
  smashed by rocks, lying in what is 
  left of their homes. The boroughs of 
  Old Arivor and Morgunora are no 
  more, and the Field of Swords is now a 
  deep pit. Even outlying districts like Saladania 
  and Kingsland didn’t escape the destruction. 
  The Golden Helmet, now merely an island of 
  rubble, juts out of the chaos.
   
  Thus went the survivors’ accounts of the 
  catastrophe, Arivor’s last and longest day. 
   
  Desperate scenes of survival play out long 
  into the night. Aftershocks cause further 
  damage, bringing down homes that somehow 
  withstood the first quake. Refugees try to 
  flee the coty while looters have a field day. 
  Those who remained within the city after 
  nightfall tell tales of ghostly apparitions that 
  replay gruesome death scenes over and over, 
  or of strange creatures that issued from their 
  burrows to crawl forth in the dark of night.
   
  Even amid these tales of woe, hope still 
  lives: Horasian legionnaires and mercenaries 
  of the Bandiera Bianca help pull survivors 
  from the crater’s edge, and it turns out that 
  many children survive only because the 
  Temple of Tsa relocated to an outlying district 
  just before the disaster struck.
  On the Road to Arivor
   
  28. Rahja. Arivor had a population of 
  about 12,000, but due to the tourney holidays, 
  pilgrims and visitors had doubled that number. 
  So far on the road to the city I have met a few 
  hundred refugees, and I thank the Twelve for 
  each soul that escaped this sad fate. Many seem 
  to be leaving for Kuslik, Pertakis, Silas, and 
  Sibur as the Arivorians scatter in all directions. 
  Some say that only a few thousand survived, 
  but it is too early to speculate. The evacuees 
  seek shelter before the beginning 
  of the Nameless Days, 
  their numbers swelling constantly as they are 
  joined by residents from neighboring villages 
  who fear that the same disaster will strike their 
  homes.
   
  Mondino Chababieni, a vintner hailing 
  from Taresello in the hills east of Arivor, said, 
  “On the eve of the disaster (and I swear it by all 
  Twelve, Rahja be my witness), a thundering echo 
  sounded and the horizon was lit by fire. Then a 
  crack burst open in the ground. It started at old 
  Balliguri’s house and cut a swath through the 
  village square, straight through the temple!” This 
  reminded me of something I had overheard 
  earlier in Vinsalt. Kusmina Pirras, a den 
  mother from Castarosa, said, “A shooting star 
  destroyed the city. It fell from the heavens with a 
  blazing tail.”
  On the Causes
   All of this leads to the question of what 
  caused the disaster. There is a chaotic mix 
  of hypotheses, beliefs, and 
  (seemingly) authoritative 
  conclusions drawn by the 
  residents of Arivor.
   
  However, all agree that 
  the catastrophe involved some kind 
  of tremor, but one that caused the 
  ground to collapse in on itself. Cracks 
  and sinkholes appeared as if the city 
  had lost its foundations. Contrary to 
  some reports, no star fell on Arivor, 
  but several people seemd to confirm 
  Signor Chababieni’s observation. 
  On the eve of the disaster, they say, 
  the spectacle of a shooting star was 
  followed immediately by a loud bang 
  to the east of Arivor that could be heard 
  for miles. Rumors even say that a hamlet 
  named Aquiliano was destroyed by the 
  impact of this falling star. Several times 
  in the history of Aventuria, shooting stars 
  have been viewed as instruments of divine 
  punishment. Was this the case in Arivor, too?
   We must not forget that the night sky has 
  been undergoing profound changes. Already, 
  the star that marked the tip of the blade in the 
  Sword Constellation can no longer be seen. 
  Given these signs, is it any wonder that sad 
  rumors begin to make the rounds? The worst 
  says that Nepolemo ya Torese, the archruler of 
  Arivor and Grand Master of the Ardarites, is 
  dead, having inspired his subjects to the last.
  In Arivor
   
  I am greatly disappointed that, in the end, I 
  was not allowed to reach Arivor. The Horasian 
  Legion had cordoned off the area, “on orders 
  of the Comto Marshal,” as they said. I learned 
  that no one had been observed leaving the city 
  for days. The Legion is discouraging looters and 
  curious onlookers from entering the ruins, and I 
  had no other choice than to turn back.
  Arela Whiteleaf (Dominic Hladek)
  Special Edition
  Aventurian Herald 173
  This section contains 
  spoilers concerning 
  the adventure Arivor’s 
  Doom.
  Aventurian Herald 173
  Ron Owen (order #9400483)
  
  t
  o provide the inquiring reader with 
  more background concerning the 
  disaster, this article looks briefly at 
  the theories of Dottora Fulminia Meissini, 
  with many thanks to Vitus Bresefinck, a 
  scholar from Vinsalt. He stated that for years, 
  his colleague “has been teaching about the 
  sumutonically porous rocks found below 
  Arivor. It was only a matter of time before 
  a purely natural event would plunge the 
  city into the vast caverns that lay beneath 
  the ground. No act of the gods, just applied 
  Derology.” In my opinion, this answer is 
  much too simplistic and leaves open the 
  question as to whether Arivor’s downfall was 
  caused by the gods or by other, more sinister 
  powers. But getting back to that theory….
  Background
   
  As I mentioned, Meissini has been 
  researching the peculiar derological features 
  of the Gerondrata for years. In her writings, 
  she says that it is essential to know that Arivor 
  is situated on a sumutonic vent (a volcano) 
  that last erupted eons ago. The hills to the 
  east of the city, in the direction of Sibur, 
  also consist of volcanic rock (which is very 
  beneficial for agriculture, as I can attest first-
  hand). Thus, in essence, the rock between 
  Sibur and Arivor is very porous.
   
  Among other things, Meissini’s theory 
  extrapolates from the small to the large and 
  calls this conclusion the “Maraskan effect.” 
  According to her theory, Arivor and its 
  surrounding area stand mainly on ancient 
  magma chambers. Thus, she suspects that 
  vast lacunae lie under the surface, becoming 
  bigger, more spacious, and more numerous 
  in the Arivor valley. She states that the 
  arrangement of these caverns is due to the 
  fact that the Golden Helmet, Arivor’s local 
  mountain, is itself a former volcano. In 
  Meissini’s opinion, these roughly disc-shaped 
  caverns are former magma chambers that 
  spread across several miles.
  Principles 
   
  Of course, the principles supporting 
  Meissini’s theory are considerably more 
  complex. Apart from the Maraskan effect, 
  they build not only on the body of derological 
  knowledge accumulated by the Duke Eolan 
  University, but also on dwarven sources. 
  Angroshim petrology differentiates between at 
  least 4,603 types of Aventurian rocks, of which 
  more than 800 occur within the Horasian 
  Empire. These are broken down into further 
  subdivisions and schematizations, and the rock 
  groups murbrom, magambrom, and bromsom 
  play a particularly important role. Angroshim 
  scriptures always mention these rocks in the 
  context of volcanic mountains of a certain Age, 
  during which the dwarves discovered both 
  active and inactive magma chambers while 
  constructing their tunnels. The former are 
  precious but dangerous sources of heat, whereas 
  the latter are often large enough to be excavated, 
  and thus form some of the greatest halls of the 
  dwarven people. However, time and again the 
  scriptures mention previous inhabitants of such 
  caverns whose names are not known to surface 
  dwellers. Chambers of this kind can be found in 
  the Gerondrata, as well.
  Nonsense or Truth? —
  The Lacuna Theory
  of Yagomil Montazzo
   
  At this point, please allow me a digression to 
  the lacuna theory of Yagomil Montazzo. This 
  popular (albeit belittled by experts) ethnologist 
  and scholar of sagas, who holds no Aventurian 
  university degree, builds his theory upon 
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  Which ancient power hides in the hollow 
  world? Does it control and manipulate us? Are 
  the people of the depths trying to make contact 
  with us? Does a sophisticated civilization exist 
  mere yards beneath our feet?
  Concerned about the stability of your house, 
  or even your town?
  Stunned by Arivor’s fate?
  You have good reason! But there is help.
  Consult the Pogolosh Brothers!
  Hire the best Angroshim prospectors and 
  master builders from Silas-Simiamada!
   
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  task!
   
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  craftsmanship with more than 520 years of 
  combined professional experience!
  Everyone in Arivor knows why he did it. The 
  weapon manufactories of Saladania shun the 
  blessing of the Heavenly Blacksmith. They 
  produce shoddy products only with quick profits 
  in mind. If I had to lose my smith in order for 
  Ingerimm to kill them off with his earthquake, 
  then so be it.”
  —Alricio Menderath, blacksmith from Arivor
   
  “One must counter the rumors of falling stars 
  and divine punishments with rationality pleasing 
  unto Nandus. I refer to my venerable colleague, 
  Dottora Meissini, who for years has been teaching 
  about the sumutonically porous rocks found 
  below Arivor. It was only a matter of time before 
  a purely natural event would plunge the city into 
  the vast caverns that lay beneath the ground. No 
  Dottora Meissini’s theory. Montazzo attracted 
  previous attention by publishing ancient 
  writings about hidden enemies from bygone 
  Ages—writings which are disputed in scholarly 
  circles. In his lacuna theory, Montazzo 
  claims that the magma chambers beneath 
  the Gerondrata are inhabited by monsters of 
  all kinds. In this he sees a connection with 
  Geron’s heroic feats, which, according to 
  Montazzo, took place in the Gerondrata for 
  a reason. Those monsters, he says, originated 
  in the depths. Creatures such as Ranafan the 
  water lizard (which rose from a subterranean 
  lake), the Chimerical Ogre, and the so-called 
  siburinxes (according to legend, Geron slew 
  seven times seven of these beasts at Sibur).
  The Effect of Various Theories
  on the Populace
   
  While Montazzo has a large audience 
  for his popular and legendary (some 
  would say sensational) books and lectures, 
  Meissini’s theory generally elicits no more 
  than a shrug, for it is difficult to prove and 
  hardly spectacular. Because of this, the 
  scholar’s ideas meet with disinterest and 
  skepticism, particularly when she described 
  the inconvenient truth of the potential for 
  collapses. The disaster of Arivor surely has 
  changed opinions. Recently the Dottora left 
  for the Siburian uplands, which are said to be 
  suffering an unusual drought. This drought 
  had fueled Meissini’s concerns about possible 
  cavern collapses since, in her opinion, Sumu’s 
  earth could become even more unstable 
  due to the lack of water. The Dottora was 
  last seen in Taresello, a small village east of 
  Arivor, accompanied by a few swords for hire. 
  Unverified sources claim that she was present 
  in Arivor on the day of the disaster. She is now 
  considered missing.
   
  “The dwarves of Silas delved too far and too 
  greedily. They are behind Arivor’s collapse. The 
  dwarves will undermine us all!”
  —Tizzo Cordayo, farmer from the village of 
  Heroicum
   
  “A shooting star destroyed the city. It fell from 
  the heavens with a blazing tail. In Arivor, only 
  ashes remain. The temple school taught us that 
  Phex once threw a star at Selem, a cesspool of 
  vice. I wonder if he wanted to punish Arivor, too, 
  for the honest pilgrims that were deceived and 
  robbed there...”
  —Kusmina Pirras, den mother from Castarosa
   
  “It was an earthquake, and who, apart from 
  Ingerimm, has the power to rend the earth? 
  K
  usliK. Watch for a rare stellar 
  phenomenon during Rahja.
   
  As every astronomically 
  inclined reader of the Hesinde Mirror should 
  know, a special spectacle will appear in the 
  nighttime sky at the end of Rahja. Already, 
  one can see that some of the wandering stars 
  (Horas, Simia, and Aves in particular) are on 
  the verge of forming a linear constellation. 
  It is too soon to predict whether the other 
  wandering stars will follow suit. Nandus 
  appears to be coming into line, but the 
  others—as astute readers should know—
  move in extremely erratic orbits, and even 
  act of the gods, just applied Derology.”
  —Vitus Bresefinck, lecturer at the Efferd School 
  of the Duke Eolan University in Methumis
   
  ‘This is the beginning of the wars of the gods! 
  The unity of the Twelve is at an end! The other 
  gods of war—yes, you heard right!—knock 
  Rondra off her perch and carve out their place 
  in Alveran. And with blood and insect legions, 
  at that. I myself saw the insect warriors crawling 
  from the earth! They tore an Ardarite apart and 
  devoured him! Shinxir vult! SHINXIR VULT! 
  KOR DRINKS YOUR BLOOD!’
  —Confused man from Arivor, as he was being led 
  off by temple guards
  Rohal the Wise and Niobara of Anchopal 
  could predict their movements in the night 
  sky for only 58 days in a row. The latter’s 
  famous works about the night sky tell us 
  that such an alignment of wandering stars 
  is extremely rare. Regretfully, we could not 
  obtain comments from the astronomers of 
  the Golden Peaks Observatory before the 
  editorial deadline. We advise you to keep 
  your eyes on the nighttime sky over the next 
  few days, for the sensational views they will 
  offer. And don’t forget that a falling star was 
  observed recently near Havena.
  Surina ter Brook
  Aventurian Herald, Ingerimm 1038 FB
  The Stars Stand Favorably
  Aventurian Herald, Peraine 1038 FB
  Silence in Keshal Rohal
  A
  nchopal, at the edge of the gor 
  desert. Two years after two Grand 
  Masters of the ODL died in a cave-
  in at Keshal Rondra, the matter has been 
  put to rest. Even though some Gray Guards 
  recently descended into the depths, the 
  investigation now seems to be over and the 
  cave has been filled in.
   
  The Order remains silent about the 
  reasons for these actions. Are they hiding 
  something? Unfortunately, we could not 
  induce Grand Master Faredeon ibn Aylanora 
  to grant us an interview.
  Raminja saba Telbaresh
  Aventurian Herald, Tsa 1038 FB
  Construction at the Academy
  W
  agenhalt. In our previous edition, 
  we reported on the planned 
  construction of an academic 
  branch of House Stoerrebrandt. Our further 
  inquiries revealed that a delegation arrived 
  in Wagonhold from Gareth and has already 
  begun the groundwork. A tent city for the 
  crafters and workers has already been erected. 
  Only time will tell how this news will be 
  received by the guilds.
  Firunjan Ismountain
  Aventurian Herald, Phex 1038 FB
  Brabak Reaches for the Stars
  B
  rabaK. Our beautiful Brabak has 
  always been a stronghold of free 
  science, of which our friends of the 
  Red Salamander and the Academy (where 
  people are not afraid to cast a glance at the 
  beyond) are proof. Now, with funding by 
  the Brabakan Amalgamated Occidental 
  Company, their attention shifts to the Sixth 
  Sphere. From near and far, scholars come to 
  Brabak to unlock the secrets of the night sky, 
  so that our ships can find new colonies and 
  return safely to their home ports.
  Aldario Salmoranes
  Special Edition
  Underlying Causes of  
  the Catastrophe 
  The Theory of Sumutonic Porosity!
  Aventurian Herald 173
  Ron Owen (order #9400483)
  
  Aventurian Herald 173
  Aventurian Herald, Phex 1038 FB
  K
  osch. Whether it is the time of year 
  for sowing, for fruit trees to bloom, 
  or for driving cattle to the pastures, 
  you can almost always enjoy a feast in the 
  uplands of Kosh. The area’s hill dwarves miss 
  no opportunity to celebrate, and naturally they 
  are very fond of the art of cooking.
   
  Thus, they hold cooking competitions in 
  honor of Travia throughout the year. The 
  largest and most esteemed competition is 
  held by Nirwulf son of Niromon, the hill 
  dwarves’ chief justice himself. The most 
  recent competition was hosted by Mutola 
  daughter of Rabaga, a feisty Angroshna and 
  renowned cook who lives on an alp that 
  overlooks Angbar Lake. Rumors hinted that 
  she planned to select a husband and make the 
  announcement at the competition.
   
  However, events turned out quite 
  differently.
   
  Among the guests present at the 
  competition were numerous Angroshim and 
  humans, which, as readers know, coexist 
  peacefully in the Kosh. A second Angroshna, 
  Garasha Applehut, accompanied the hostess 
  and occupied center stage. She was heavy 
  with child, but had insisted on taking part in 
  the competition.
   
  Much to our regret, we would not be 
  treated to her famous beer soup. Instead, 
  everyone was stunned silent when Garasha 
  went into labor.
   
  Concern for the well-being of the mother-
  to-be was immediate and sincere. However, 
  she quickly withdrew to a private room. 
  Attendees took the chance to try some of the 
  excellent food on hand and talk about their 
  children and those of friends and relations.
   
  Three hours later, the father announced 
  that all was well. The crowd gave him three 
  cheers and drank a toast to his family’s 
  health, downing copious amounts of beer in 
  the process.
   
  Few noticed that nothing was said about 
  the children, even though dwarves are ever 
  so proud when someone is born to carry on 
  the name of the clan. The new father dodged 
  all questions concerning the children and 
  would say nothing further.
   
  Your Aventurian Herald, however, is 
  committed to the truth, which is pleasing 
  unto Praios. And the truth had to be learned! 
  It took three days—the duration of the 
  cooking competition, great amounts of good 
  food and drink, and all of our powers of 
  persuasion—to learn what had happened.
   
  Garasha had given birth to twin girls!
   
  The new reader may view this as a rare 
  occurrence, since twin births are uncommon 
  among humans, too. Anyone who knows 
  about dwarves, however, will realize that this 
  news is exceptional because dwarven boys 
  are always born as twins, whereas dwarven 
  girls—at least according to what human 
  scholars have heretofore presumed—are never 
  born as twins.
   
  Apparently, the Angroshim have always 
  been able to keep this a secret. However, 
  readers of the Aventurian Herald need not 
  puzzle their heads over the reasons for this. 
  A few days after the cooking competition, 
  we were able to interview Nirwulf son of 
  Regional News
  Aventurian Herald, Boron 1038 FB
  It’s a Good Life 
  Wherever Beer is 
  Brewed 
  P
  rem. What is the first thing that 
  comes to mind when one hears the 
  name of this Thorwalian city located 
  on Dragon Bay? That’s right, Prem Fire—
  the turnip schnapps that is known across 
  the whole of Aventuria and recognized by 
  connoisseurs for its salmon-red flame (only 
  “true Fire” burns with such a glow). However, 
  even the Thorwalers do not limit themselves 
  to distilled drinks, nor do they want to drink 
  barrels of Waskir spelt beer or the swill 
  drunk by Middelrealmish sailors and city-
  dwelling Vinsalters. It took some time, but the 
  ottajaskos and clans in Prem finally have their 
  own beer, though it is not solely a Thorwalian 
  product (it was Prem’s community of 
  dwarves, resident now for several years, who 
  arranged to build the new brewery). 
   
  Last Travia, the first barrel of “Prem 
  Lager” was tapped in celebration of the birth 
  of the offspring of hetwoman Thora. Borgosh, 
  the hill dwarf master brewer, passed the first 
  mug of beer to the hetwoman, who by that 
  time had recovered from giving birth. To the 
  accompaniment of deafening cheers, she took 
  a hearty swig. Additional barrels were tapped 
  and served to the residents. The author of 
  these lines was lucky enough to taste one of 
  the first mugs of this rich barley beer, and he 
  is clearly taken by it. This bottom-fermented 
  dwarven-Thorwalian beer is related to the 
  widely known Ferdok Ale but has a bit of 
  a rough character—quite fitting with the 
  residents of Prem.
   
  Of course, the Angroshim did not 
  build the new brewery for charity’s sake. 
  “Baroshem, we achieved a delicious thing, 
  didn’t we? But of course, to be perfectly 
  honest, it’s also about the money,” the 
  dwarven community’s speaker, Brand 
  son of Bugul, made clear. “Our cousins 
  in Ferdok have become more and more 
  shameless with their price demands, so 
  we had to do something on site. After all, 
  a good life far from home is only possible 
  with enough brew!”
   
  Barley for the brewing process comes 
  from nearby Skjal. Under the supervision 
  of master brewer Borgosh, Prem Lager 
  will henceforth be brewed for personal 
  use only. Except for the brewery and a few 
  drinking houses in Prem, this beer will not 
  be available anywhere. To get a taste, the 
  common Middenrealmish beer connoisseur 
  will have to undertake a daring journey to 
  the city of traders and pirates!
  Thalf Thorgilson
  (Henning Mützlitz)
  Niromon directly about the matter. The 
  170 year old hill dwarf contemplated our 
  questions while he quietly finished his pipe.
   
  “Little child,” he said (and a man like the 
  Chancellor of the Kosh is gladly forgiven for 
  using this form of address), “little child, that 
  is right, we do not like to talk about it. This 
  is a particularly generous gift from Angrosh 
  and his wife Travia, and they do not like us 
  bragging about something that is not our 
  achievement. It is not good to discuss such 
  great fortune. No Angroshim in his right 
  mind wants to risk the chance of such a 
  wonder happening again. However, if you 
  biglings now know about it, perhaps the time 
  for it has come.”
   
  One cannot assume that all dwarves 
  share this opinion, since the hill dwarves 
  are considered very amenable and tolerant. 
  But we thank Lady Hesinde in her infinite 
  wisdom for this new insight into our 
  neighbors.
   
  For those readers who are wondering 
  about the winner of the cooking competition 
  and the decision of the hostess, we will say 
  only that a dwarf named Lanrix Smallwide, 
  himself barely an adult, won first place. And 
  Mutola daughter of Rabaga announced that 
  she has no plans to marry and will continue 
  living on her alp and honing her cooking 
  skill. She welcomed her five suitors, who 
  courted her in dwarven-style for decades, to 
  continue on as friends and aides. Naturally, 
  all five accepted her offer.
  Itsadora Alrikshuber 
  (Marie Mönkemeyer)
  Aventurian Herald, Peraine 1038 FB
  Mountain Spirit Frees  
  Bear from Aldercastle
  W
  enge holm. This past winter was 
  especially harsh in Kosh. Until the 
  end of Phex, the snow in the valleys 
  was two spans deep. Food became scarce 
  for both man and beast, and in some places, 
  hunger drove wolves into the villages. Things 
  were not so bleak, though, for the residents of 
  a village called Eaglewalk who discovered two 
  starving and whimpering elderbears in the 
  village square early one Phex morning. 
   
  These cute bears stand approximately 
  as tall as a child and eat only plants, their 
  favorite being the elderberry for which they 
  are named. Villagers lured the animals into 
  a barn and locked them in. Then they sent 
  a messenger to Aldercastle, the home of 
  Hereditary Prince Anshold of Boarstock, 
  who collects all kinds of animals in his 
  menagerie. When the snow had melted 
  enough to drive a cart with a cage to 
  Eaglewalk, Anshold sent for the bears and 
  gave the villagers a barrel of Ferdok Ale in 
  return. 
   
  By the middle of Peraine, when spring 
  finally found its way to Eaglewalk, the 
  villagers had almost forgotten about the 
  bears (and also almost emptied their barrel of 
  Ferdok). They were just finishing their round 
  of mugs in the tavern when the tavern door 
  flew into the common room with a loud crash. 
  A huge, shaggy face appeared in the doorway. 
  “Troll!” a few men cried, but it was not a troll 
  that shouted ‘My little ones!’ in an angry 
  voice. The Eaglewalkers had never heard of a 
  troll who could become smaller, but that was 
  exactly what the shaggy fellow did. He shrank 
  until he could squeeze into the common 
  room.
   
  “Where are my lovely little ones?” he 
  asked with wild eyes, his head pushing 
  against the ceiling. It was the Ruckusman, the 
  legendary mountain spirit who had played 
  many a prank on the residents! But what 
  did he want in Eaglewalk? Then it came to 
  the innkeeper Ulwide Buckbeard’s attention 
  that elderberry sap was dripping from the 
  spirit’s belt pouch. The little ones it sought 
  were in fact the elderbear cubs! “Pardon us, 
  great Ruckusman,” she cried, “your little ones 
  are no longer here. They were so pitifully 
  frozen and starving that we sent them to the 
  valley where it is warmer! Hereditary Prince 
  Anshold, at Aldercastle, is now taking good 
  care of them!”
   
  Without a further word, the Ruckusman 
  resumed his natural height and climbed out of 
  the now-demolished tavern through the roof. 
  At first the Eaglewalkers consoled themselves 
  with their last drops of Ferdok, and slowly it 
  dawned on them that the Hereditary Prince 
  could be in danger. They sent a messenger to 
  Aldercastle with the urgent recommendation 
  to set the elderbears free in the woods 
  immediately. 
   
  Late that same night, the castle 
  residents were woken up by a great crash 
  accompanied by cawing, grunting, and 
  bleating. The startled guards came upon a 
  scene of destruction in the menagerie: all 
  the cages were broken open, and animals 
  ran or fluttered to and fro. Huge footprints 
  led to a breach in the curtain wall, beyond 
  which the guards saw the figure of a shaggy 
  giant in the moonlight. He was marching 
  with a spring in his step in the direction of 
  the mountains, and on each of his shoulders 
  was a happy little bear. The guards then 
  recognized with whom they dealt, and they 
  abandoned their pursuit. 
   
  Most of the animals in the menagerie 
  were harmless and were easily captured. 
  Only a few birds of prey, a venomous basalt 
  salamander, and two saber-toothed rabbits 
  are still on the loose. According to sources at 
  the royal court, Hereditary Prince Anshold 
  reacted to the news with admirable calm. His 
  six years old son Erlan, who was exceedingly 
  fond of the saber-toothed rabbits, did not 
  take the news very well. Every day he voices 
  his demands for their return. It is rumored 
  that some of the kingdom’s knights have 
  mounted a search for the missing rabbits
  Stordian Mönchlinger (Stefano Monachesi)
  Sensational Birth  
  Among the Dwarves
  Ron Owen (order #9400483)
  
  Aventurian Herald 173
  Regional News
  Aventurian Herald, Phex 1038 FB
  Fisher War Flares Up Again
  V
  arnheim. A few days ago, 
  disconcerting news reached us from 
  the coastal region between Thorwal 
  and Prem. Apparently, blood was shed there 
  on the first days of spring. After the ice in 
  the Gulf of Prem had broken up and the 
  settlement’s fishers began making their boats 
  seaworthy again, a great mob of attackers 
  attacked them by night. About two dozen 
  burly, masked figures came to the shore to 
  ravage. Panic-stricken at first, the Varnheim 
  men and women soon rallied, took up their 
  axes, and fought back against the attackers. 
  A few older residents feared that orcs had 
  dared to cross the Hjaldor Mountains and 
  had come to Varnheim to ravage the town. 
  However, the attackers did not stay to fight 
  the residents, and in fact fled as soon as they 
  saw the furious Varnheimers organizing 
  themselves.
   
  Still, the orcs managed to inflict a lot of 
  damage. In a matter of moments, many of the 
  fishers’ boats took on water and sank to the 
  bottom of the shallow bay. The attackers had 
  cut holes in the hulls! Desperate and helpless, 
  the fishers could only watch as their means of 
  support sank into the water.
   
  No one in Varnheim had to think 
  hard to identify the perpetrators of these 
  disgraceful deeds. First it spread by whisper, 
  but soon people cried it aloud with hate, 
  ‘Ottarjare! Swafnir-cursed scoundrels!’ For 
  centuries, Varnheim argued with Ottarjare, 
  its neighboring town, over access to the best 
  fishing grounds in the Gulf, but the past few 
  years have remained mostly calm—apart 
  from the occasional brawl in the markets 
  of Prem or Thorwal. Until Varnheim can 
  rebuild its fishing fleet, Ottarje has unfettered 
  access to the big bass used in the famous 
  “Varnheim Woodfish” dish.
   
  Shortly after dawn, two drake ships 
  were made ready to sail, and brimmed with 
  furious Varnheimers (young Varnheimers 
  who had already returned from their first 
  Ottajara and were anxious to seek revenge 
  on the cowardly bastards). They returned 
  that afternoon, and people could hear the 
  sailors’ triumphant shouts from a great 
  distance. “We captured three of their damned 
  cockleshells at sea,” laughed hetman Skarl 
  “Orc-hammer” Korjason. “They soiled 
  themselves like little children. You should 
  have seen their faces as we sank their bug-
  ridden tubs.” When asked what happened 
  to the Ottarje fishers from the cockleshells, 
  Skarl answered, “They’ll just have to swim.”
  A blood feud that was long thought settled 
  is now flaring up again—and no one knows 
  how it will end.
  Thalf Thorgilson 
  (Henning Mützlitz)
  Efferd’s Presence in 
  Brabak?
  Credits
   
  Publisher: Ulisses Spiele GmbH, 
  Industriestr. 11 65529 Waldems 
  Steinfischbach
   
  Editor: Carolina Möbis
   
  Contributors to this Edition: Christian 
  Bender, Claudia Dill, Anni Dürr, Björn 
  Hinrichs, Dominic Hladek, Niko Hoch, 
  Rafael Knop, Marie Mönkemeyer, Stefano 
  Monachesi, Tjorven Müller, Henning 
  Mützlitz, Philipp Neitzel, Martin Schmidt
   
  Illustrations: Katharina Niko, Janina 
  Robben, Nadine Schäkel, Karin Wittig
   
  Composition and Layout: Thomas 
  Michalski
  English Version
   
  Translator: Daniel Mayer
   
  Editor: Kevin MacGregor
   
  Layout: Emma Beltran
   
  The Aventurian Herald appears 
  bimonthly. All material copyright © 2015 
  by Ulisses Spiele GmbH. THE DARK 
  EYE, AVENTURIA, DERE, MYRANOR, 
  RIESLAND, THARUN, and UTHURIA 
  are trademarks of Ulisses Spiele. All rights 
  reserved.
   
  This publication is protected under 
  the copyright laws of the United States of 
  America. No part of this publication may be 
  reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or 
  transmitted, in any form or by any means, 
  whether electronic, mechanical, photocopy, 
  recording, or otherwise, without prior 
  written consent by Ulisses Spiele GmbH, 
  Waldems. 
  Lyria’s Recipe Corner
  B
  rabaK. Efferd’s religious community 
  is in turmoil. Only now is it 
  becoming known that the Temple 
  of Efferd recently gained a new resident. 
  By itself, this is nothing unusual, but the 
  newcomer’s origin is what’s important to 
  believers. It seems he washed up in the Risso 
  Archipelago during a hurricane, and only 
  the local Blessed One of Efferd was able to 
  communicate with him, using Efferd-granted 
  powers.
   
  The man was brought to Brabak, and it is 
  said that even Southernsea, the experienced 
  Master of the Surf, was at first completely 
  mystified. Some believers reported that 
  the foreigner lowered himself into the sea, 
  transformed partly into a fish, and then 
  breathed comfortably underwater. It remains 
  to be seen whether these reports are true. 
  Since this rumor came to light, attendance at 
  Temple services has increased greatly.
  Muliro Larekos 
  (Martin Schmidt)
  D
  ear friends of cuisine that is 
  pleasing unto Travia, Some years 
  ago, I began to record and collect 
  recipes from my home in Albernia and many 
  other regions. My collection grew into an 
  impressive yet largely unappreciated pile of 
  notes. After the publication of the Culinaria 
  Aventurica, one of my favorite cookbooks, 
  I turned to the Aventurian Herald to offer 
  recipes from my collection and to surprise 
  you regularly with terrific recipes of my own.
   
  I’ll start with delicious throwing discs, as 
  they are called in Havena. As an added bonus, 
  I’m including a brief anecdote explaining how 
  this dish got its name.
  Yours sincerely, Lyria
  Albernian Throwing Discs
  250  scrupulums flourl
  4  eggs
  3/8  mass milk
  1/4  teaspoon salt
  60  
  scrupulums clarified butter or butter 
  for baking
   
  Mix flour with eggs, milk, and salt to 
  produce smooth dough and let it sit for half 
  an hour. In an omelet pan, heat some clarified 
  butter and cover the bottom of the pan thinly 
  with dough. Toss the pan a bit so that the 
  dough spreads out evenly. Cook one side for a 
  short time until the edges look cooked and the 
  downward side turns golden yellow. Flip the 
  pancake and cook the other side until done. 
  Do not overcook. 
  Skill Comes with Practice
   
  Firunwin Maybell, son of the warrior 
  Afangar Maybell, was all thumbs from the 
  start. His mother accepted her son as he 
  was, clumsy and always with one foot in his 
  mouth, but his father turned a blind eye to 
  his son’s shortcomings. He wanted his son to 
  learn the art of war.
   
  Thus, he sent Firunwin to study at 
  Ruada’s Honor, the warrior academy in 
  Havena. On his first day of saber practice, 
  the boy stabbed his master’s posterior instead 
  of the straw target. Later, he stumbled and 
  nearly injured a fellow pupil. Hardly a day 
  went by without a mishap. Soon Afangar 
  withdrew Firuwin from the warrior academy 
  and decided to train him personally.
   
  During the Maraskan Campaign, 
  Afangar Maybell became particularly famous 
  for throwing flat metal discs with sharp, 
  jagged edges—a weapon first used by the 
  Maraskans, who call it a discus. However, 
  after Firunwin had killed three chickens and 
  wounded his own mother while practicing 
  with those discs, even Afangar could no 
  longer turn a blind eye to his son’s lack of 
  ability. How was he to teach fighting to 
  Firunwin without risking injury to half of 
  the royal court? In desperation, Afangar 
  asked his old friend Aewyn for advice. 
  Aewyn comforted him and asked that he be 
  allowed to think on the problem until the 
  following morning. The warrior agreed, but 
  that night he could not sleep, and instead 
  paced up and down in the yard. 
   
  When the sun had risen, his old friend 
  came out of his door, followed by the cook, 
  who carried a plate full of pancakes. “Now,” 
  Aewyn said, “you can practice with your 
  son.” Aewyn had found the solution. Father 
  and son were able to practice several times 
  with the soft discs, and nobody was injured. 
   
  Firunwin proved very skillful in creating 
  these discs, and while it is said that he never 
  became a warrior, he did become a great cook. 
  This story is still often told in the taverns of 
  Havena.
  Lyria
  (Claudia Dill)
  Ron Owen (order #9400483)
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dark Eye, The [multi]/Misc/Aventurian Herald/Aventurian Herald #173.pdf