News of the Mourning? [Archive] - Wizards Community

News of the Mourning? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Amaril
02-02-08, 01:21 PM Everyone remembers where they were or what they were doing on the Day of Mourning, but how did they hear of the event to begin with? There are those who were there and perished. There were those who saw it from a distance from outside of Cyre's borders. What about those who weren't near it. How would news have travelled and in what amount of time?

The reason I ask these questions is because I'm starting a new campaign that kicks off just before the Day of Mourning. At the end of the first adventure, the PCs, Cyran soldiers of the Last War, will learn of Cyre's destruction, and the campaign will fast forward to 998YK.

They will have been prisoners of war escaping and returning to Cyre. I'm trying to figure out whether they would hear about the Mourning before arriving at the Gray Mists, if they would discover it themselves, or if they would be able to see the Mourning occur from a distant hilltop as it happens.
Syltorian
02-02-08, 02:07 PM I would assume that the Korranberg Chronicle will have the news the next day on the front page. They might post their titles publicly, as with modern newspapers, and their sellers will yell out the news loudly. Even if nobody knows what just happened, the fact that all contact with Cyre has been lost cannot be hidden from something like the Chronicle. The major military campaigns going on in Cyre in Olarune 994 will have drawn a good number of reporters already (some of which might even still be alive).

Both Sivis and Orien are the most likely to notice the extent of the catastrophe. Sivis because they cannot reach their enclaves in Cyre, where they have always been able to. Sivis might hide their problems, but Orien cannot so easily do that. Metrol was one of their central hubs. Trains simply do not arrive in Karrnath, Breland or Thrane on schedule, and Orien's attempts to communicate with their Cyran stations, again via magic and Sivis, will become increasingly frantic. Trains into Cyre should be cancelled pretty quick.

Military communications on the Cyran border will also have reached their HQs within hours, again by magical communication and Sivis stones, and everyone involved in the big battle in Cyre will be moving their troops down just in case either an enemy won the battle, or the catastrophe (the extent of which might not be known yet) spreads. They'll also have to contain the flood of refuges - who can be another source of information.

So, the major cities (those with access to newspapers and lightning rail stations) will have the news quickly, as will anyone near a major military garrison within a few days forced march of Cyre, and anyone in an area which fugitives might have reached. If you are stuck in the Karrnathi countryside or the Eldeen Reaches, with little to know contact to the outside world to begin with, the matter is different. I could imagine that some people in the remotest villages and hamlets of the Reaches or the Shadow Marches have still not heard about the Mourning by 998 YK, if no traveller has come through recently.

For your players, I'd give them reports that something has happened to Cyre. By the time the PCs get to Cyre, they'll have heard a dozen different tales. Even if the governments wished to suppress the news, containing all the fugitives (Cyran and their own citizens from the border, many of which will most likely not have stayed behind to see if the mists happened to stop at the very border), independent newspapers, and gossip will be next to impossible. But the problem will be the confusion, speculation and contradictions about what has happened. People will talk, and add to the stories.
Rekko
02-05-08, 09:51 AM Moreover, since the dragonmarked houses siege in Korth within the Twelve, it is likely that all Houses know that the Mourning occured. And since the Houses have some business in remote regions and villages, the news would have traveled there eventually.

Moreover, with the end of the war, every village of each country on Khorvaire has been informed of the peace, and thus would be informed of the last missions and events of the war.

When Paris fell to Germany in WW2, I think that the south of France, Marseilles and the smaller villages, got hold of the news quite fast.

The Mourning haven't killed only Cyrans, but Brelish, Karrns and many other citizens of other countries. These soldiers had families and friends. The armies had to informed the families of how their sons died. Sure they might lie, but such a high number of death is very suspicious and the truth would be uncovered fast.

Imagine the gnomes in the Sivis stations receiving messages of their dying brothers and cousins who are trying to describe the confusion and the dying around them... I think such information wouldn't be kept secret, to honor the last moments of their loved-ones.

Rekko
OneWinged4ngel
02-05-08, 08:17 PM I would suspect that news of the Mourning would, in general, travel about as fast as messages move on Sivis stones. Note that that's only the speed of wind (established in the ECS under the entry for these items), and that can take a few days to reach some places. However, there are faster means of travel, and I'm sure there would be exceptions to this general case.
darkneolink
02-09-08, 12:41 AM You could start it with them seeing the explosion from far away.

Then the chronicles and House sivis stones (1-2 days of delay i would say... followed by weeks and weeks of "what to do with the survivors... if there were any" and "discusion for peace)
Amaril
02-15-08, 01:36 PM I'm actually tempted to let them discover it on their own. Just treat it as a thick fog ahead, let them get lost and encounter some mourners (Five Nations).

As an aside, I'm thinking of starting them off imprisoned in the hobgoblin lair presented in the 3.5 Monster Manual Web Enhancement (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20030725a). I figured their company might have been ambushed and captured by the goblinoids while marching toward Breland, and the PCs would be among the captured survivors to be made into slaves. The first adventure would be them trying to escape from the prison cells, finding their equipment, and fighting their way out.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Amaril 02-02-08, 01:21 PM	Everyone remembers where they were or what they were doing on the Day of Mourning, but how did they hear of the event to begin with? There are those who were there and perished. There were those who saw it from a distance from outside of Cyre's borders. What about those who weren't near it. How would news have travelled and in what amount of time? The reason I ask these questions is because I'm starting a new campaign that kicks off just before the Day of Mourning. At the end of the first adventure, the PCs, Cyran soldiers of the Last War, will learn of Cyre's destruction, and the campaign will fast forward to 998YK. They will have been prisoners of war escaping and returning to Cyre. I'm trying to figure out whether they would hear about the Mourning before arriving at the Gray Mists, if they would discover it themselves, or if they would be able to see the Mourning occur from a distant hilltop as it happens.
Syltorian 02-02-08, 02:07 PM	I would assume that the Korranberg Chronicle will have the news the next day on the front page. They might post their titles publicly, as with modern newspapers, and their sellers will yell out the news loudly. Even if nobody knows what just happened, the fact that all contact with Cyre has been lost cannot be hidden from something like the Chronicle. The major military campaigns going on in Cyre in Olarune 994 will have drawn a good number of reporters already (some of which might even still be alive). Both Sivis and Orien are the most likely to notice the extent of the catastrophe. Sivis because they cannot reach their enclaves in Cyre, where they have always been able to. Sivis might hide their problems, but Orien cannot so easily do that. Metrol was one of their central hubs. Trains simply do not arrive in Karrnath, Breland or Thrane on schedule, and Orien's attempts to communicate with their Cyran stations, again via magic and Sivis, will become increasingly frantic. Trains into Cyre should be cancelled pretty quick. Military communications on the Cyran border will also have reached their HQs within hours, again by magical communication and Sivis stones, and everyone involved in the big battle in Cyre will be moving their troops down just in case either an enemy won the battle, or the catastrophe (the extent of which might not be known yet) spreads. They'll also have to contain the flood of refuges - who can be another source of information. So, the major cities (those with access to newspapers and lightning rail stations) will have the news quickly, as will anyone near a major military garrison within a few days forced march of Cyre, and anyone in an area which fugitives might have reached. If you are stuck in the Karrnathi countryside or the Eldeen Reaches, with little to know contact to the outside world to begin with, the matter is different. I could imagine that some people in the remotest villages and hamlets of the Reaches or the Shadow Marches have still not heard about the Mourning by 998 YK, if no traveller has come through recently. For your players, I'd give them reports that something has happened to Cyre. By the time the PCs get to Cyre, they'll have heard a dozen different tales. Even if the governments wished to suppress the news, containing all the fugitives (Cyran and their own citizens from the border, many of which will most likely not have stayed behind to see if the mists happened to stop at the very border), independent newspapers, and gossip will be next to impossible. But the problem will be the confusion, speculation and contradictions about what has happened. People will talk, and add to the stories.
Rekko 02-05-08, 09:51 AM	Moreover, since the dragonmarked houses siege in Korth within the Twelve, it is likely that all Houses know that the Mourning occured. And since the Houses have some business in remote regions and villages, the news would have traveled there eventually. Moreover, with the end of the war, every village of each country on Khorvaire has been informed of the peace, and thus would be informed of the last missions and events of the war. When Paris fell to Germany in WW2, I think that the south of France, Marseilles and the smaller villages, got hold of the news quite fast. The Mourning haven't killed only Cyrans, but Brelish, Karrns and many other citizens of other countries. These soldiers had families and friends. The armies had to informed the families of how their sons died. Sure they might lie, but such a high number of death is very suspicious and the truth would be uncovered fast. Imagine the gnomes in the Sivis stations receiving messages of their dying brothers and cousins who are trying to describe the confusion and the dying around them... I think such information wouldn't be kept secret, to honor the last moments of their loved-ones. Rekko
OneWinged4ngel 02-05-08, 08:17 PM	I would suspect that news of the Mourning would, in general, travel about as fast as messages move on Sivis stones. Note that that's only the speed of wind (established in the ECS under the entry for these items), and that can take a few days to reach some places. However, there are faster means of travel, and I'm sure there would be exceptions to this general case.
darkneolink 02-09-08, 12:41 AM	You could start it with them seeing the explosion from far away. Then the chronicles and House sivis stones (1-2 days of delay i would say... followed by weeks and weeks of "what to do with the survivors... if there were any" and "discusion for peace)
Amaril 02-15-08, 01:36 PM	I'm actually tempted to let them discover it on their own. Just treat it as a thick fog ahead, let them get lost and encounter some mourners (Five Nations). As an aside, I'm thinking of starting them off imprisoned in the hobgoblin lair presented in the 3.5 Monster Manual Web Enhancement (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20030725a). I figured their company might have been ambushed and captured by the goblinoids while marching toward Breland, and the PCs would be among the captured survivors to be made into slaves. The first adventure would be them trying to escape from the prison cells, finding their equipment, and fighting their way out.