Port Mahon Marginalia

Personals

The Personal column is a new feature of the Marginalia. It will appear whenever someone wishes to take out an advertisement in it. The content of the ad is the sole responsibility of the advertiser. I make no claims to accuracy.

Merchant Attacked

Victor, of the Guardians of Justice, and Bruno stormed into town late in the afternoon of the last Mad Moon and stabbed Azeel. The two assailants made no secret of the reason for their attack. They shouted, "You can have your swords back," and left them in Azeel's body. According to the two of them, a merchant in town sold weapons to a band of orcs and then told the orcs to kill humans. Azeel, of Azeel and Achmed's House of Wonders, was one of the two merchants in town, as Adam was visiting his contacts on the mainland.

Victor and Bruno had been out looking for monsters to fight when they found an orc patrol. Before they attacked, the orcs said that the merchant told them to kill "shiny hats", take the money from the bodies, and come back into town and buy more swords. Orcs are smart enough to lie, but they do not understand how to do so.

Orcs did enter Port Mahon last Mad Moon, but both Azeel and Achmed claim that they did not sell any swords to them. If there were any witnesses to the transaction, they have not spoken up. Azeel is calling the assault "cowardly", as he was not carrying any weapons.

Guard Officer Murdered

Last Mad Moon, Lieutenant Carus "Niger" Galerius, the Night Watch Commander, was found dead of multiple sword wounds. All attempts to revive him failed, possibly because he had been in poor health.

A note was found pinned to the body with a dagger. It read,

"Heed the words of Dariel the Spellbinder! Fort Rollins is a folly! The Emperor leads us to our doom! Only foods and idiots make treaties with the orcish races! Death to the Emperor and his lapdog, Captain Octavius!! Only when these fools are removed from power, will we be able to show our faces without shame! Long live the words and wisdom of the Marginalia and its enlightened editor, Dariel! She guides our hands and leads our hearts with her wisdom and spirit, if not in person!

The Hands of Wisdom offer no more warnings! Dissolve the treaties and disband Fort Rollins, or face our wrath again."

There was no known reason to murder Lt. Carus, he was recently assigned to Port Mahon, so did not have any local enemies. It is far more likely that the intended victim was Cpt. Octavius, but the murderer was unable to recognize him. This is probably the work of the smugglers, again.

Thief Identified

Pho T. On is the first person in Port Mahon to make use of the Philosophy of Light, Divination spell to track down a thief. Light-fingered residents are going to find that stealing is no longer the risk free occupation it has been.

The ability to find a thief does highlight that there is no official law to hold them accountable to, nor is there a standard punishment.

Margin Notes: an Editorial

An apparently unarmed man was stabbed twice here in town. The justification -- someone sold swords to orcs, and apparently told them to kill adventurers. Victor and Bruno obviously believe that even if their victim was not the actual seller, he was guilty by association.

That kind of thinking is not acceptable. Each person must be judged on their own actions, rather than the actions of apprentices, partners, or family members. In the older cities and settlements, where everyone has known one another since birth, it is still reasonable to expect someone to be aware of and control the deeds of the people around them.

Port Mahon is growing and changing too much to expect that. In a large city, if the worker is untrustworthy, the master does not accept them, or turns them out. Here in Port Mahon, rather than taking an apprentice who comes recommended or is already known, a senior crafter takes any apprentice with the needed skills. Partnerships and adventuring companies are formed based more on need than long term acquaintances and mutual goals. A person cannot be judged fairly based on the actions of a total stranger.

If Azeel is lying, and he did sell the swords to the orcs, or knew of it and did nothing to stop the sale, then he has no complaints, as Bruno and Victor showed remarkable restraint by not killing him. Azeel claims that while he did not sell to the orcs, there is nothing wrong with it, as it is not illegal.

Orcs are dangerous enough when they are armed only with clubs. Selling weaponry to them is unconscionable. Selling weaponry to orcs and then telling them to kill humans is murder. If it is not wrong to sell to the orcs solely because it is not illegal, then it is not wrong to attack the seller, because that also is not illegal.

Adventurers Captured by Orcs

Fekkesh and Olaf, both members of the Cuisinart Corps, were scouting when they were surprised and captured by a patrol of great orcs. The two were taken to a great orc village, where they were held for several hours while a ransom demand was sent into Port Mahon, and the necessary money gathered and brought to the village.

To deliver the ransom, Tertullian had to enter the village unarmed, twice, as the remaining members of the Cuisinart Corps could not raise the full amount immediately. Fortunately for him, the great orcs did not change their minds and kill him after he had delivered the ransom.

Both Fekkesh and Olaf were returned unharmed, minus all equipment except their armor, which the orcs could not wear. The Cuisinart Corps is planning on returning to that village to recover the stolen equipment.

Out of Game

S. Wisconsin welcomes the new gamers from Chicago and hopes they enjoy the Port Mahon campaign. We hope they will start a new Magic Horizon game in Chicago.

Summer game dates: July 19th, August 16th, September 20th, and October 18th.
All games are held at Camp Wowitan, check-in opens at 10:30am. The game starts at noon, and ends at 6:00pm.

DIRECTIONS TO YMCA CAMP WOWITAN: Take US 45 north from Milwaukee (or come down south from the north, whatever). Exit East Pleasant Valley Road (about 10 miles north of Milwaukee, 3 miles south of West Bend) and go east. At the stop sign (County Hwy P) turn left. Go one mile and turn right on County Highway NN (also known as Hwy 143). Go about 4 miles to Church road, then turn left on Church Road (going north) and stay on Church road until it dead ends. The building at the end of the road is Grede Lodge, where check-in is located.

Problems with the page? Email Ken Burnside.