The Weekly Parchment

[Jennalaia]

The Weekly Parchment
Newspaper

The Weekly Parchment is the local newspaper, delivered to the school every Sunday, that chronicles important current events.

Archives

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August 3rd 2014
August 10th 2014
September 9th 2014

 

[Jennalaia]

BLOOD PACT UNIT LOST NEAR NIMUE'S FOREST

Authorities received a tip that a Blood Pact unit was going to be on the move near Nimue's Forest. It turned out that this tip was true, as they intercepted a group of six in Blood Pact uniforms on the move. Authorities gave chase, but in the end the unit got away. Officers have been combing the trail, but so far have come up with nothing.

"It's like they were there, and then the were gone," said Chief Inspector Luke Nethercrest. "Our boys were after 'em, and they thought they got one of 'em - but then, they said one of the unit members turned around and touched the ground, and made the ground crumble under their feet."

Authorities have investigated as far as they are able to, as the forest's protector, Carrmin Okiri, refused to let them investigate past his sphere of influence. Okiri refused to comment, except to mention that he will not assist in the investigation and will not allow investigators into his sphere of influence.

The Blood Pact is a terrorist organization that has made itself known in the last few years. Its purpose is mostly unknown, but it seems they wish to bring dark magic back into daily practice of the world. If you see a Blood Pact unit, contact your local Trimagick Order branch immediately.

FAIRY RIGHTS PROTEST IN IRONHAVEN

Last week a group of fairy rights activists, comprised mostly of elves, held a protest in front of the local library. The protest occurred because, after the library's recent reorganization, books on the fairy folk had been shelved under the creatures section. With their slogan "FAIRIES ARE PEOPLE TOO", the protesters stood outside the library for most of the afternoon until they were cleared out by local police.

"We won't stop until our voice is heard," organizer Dasyra Windwillow said. "We won't stop until this discrimination against fairies ends. It simply isn't right for them to be considered creatures, they have their own language and societal structure just like humans, elves, dwarves, centaurs, vampires, take your pick."

"Next week we're going to picket the Trimagick Order Ironhaven Branch," said one protestor who wishes to remain anonymous. "I'd rather cut off the tips of my ears than see the fairies denied their rights."

Fairy rights activists advocate for fairies to no longer be considered magick creatures, but rather magick humanoids.

ACADEMY OF MERLIN OPENS FOR EARLY ADMISSON

The well-known Academy of Merlin opened their doors earlier this week. Students have already started pouring into the school's campus, though classes do not begin for another month.

"We open early every year, of course," Headmaster Louis Soulstone said. "Our campus is large, so we want to give new students the chance to get familiar with the grounds before classes begin. And, of course, we want to give returning students a chance to relax and get familiar with the school's environment again."

When asked about the possible threat of a Blood Pact unit camping nearby his school, Soulstone said, "Oh, I wouldn't worry. Carrmin Okiri, the forest elf, and I have an agreement that keeps the students safe. So long as they don't venture outside his sphere of influence, they won't be in any danger from the unit, if the rumors are true anyway."

"Them? I wouldn't worry a bit," Healing Professor Galan Runesteam had to say. "The school's walls are enchanted six ways to Sunday. It'd take a miracle for them to get in. Hey, kid what are you doing in my classroom? Hey, get your hands off Vanni!"

Professor Runesteam then said several phrases that we are unable to print.

"Oh, we will be fine. Louis said so," said Meditation Professor Kura Morioka. Professor Morioka then fell asleep.

Will the Blood Pact unit surface again? And, more importantly, is it the infamous Unit Thirteen? We'll have more information next week.

August 3rd 2014

 

[Jennalaia]

FALSE ALARM CAUSED BY DRAGONS NEAR ACADEMY OF MERLIN

A panicked traveler called in the authorities yesterday upon sighting two dragons a few miles away from the Academy of Merlin. Upon arrival, authorities were met with Headmaster Louis Soulstone, who ensured them that the dragons were harmless.

"They would never attack the students," Soulstone said. "The white dragon is too busy guarding the tower from the red dragon, and the red dragon is too busy trying to kill the white dragon."

When asked about this tower he mentioned, Soulstone coughed, cleaned his glasses, and began to comment on the fine weather.

"I wouldn't worry too much about the dragons," Potions Professor Amara Ambercutter told us. "They rarely bother the students. They certainly aren't the biggest danger around here." Professor Ambercutter then offered us a taste of the potion she was currently brewing. This reporter reports that it tasted like feet.

Fortunately, this time around the dragons in the air were not related to the dragon the traveler was truly worried about. "What, that one?" Professor Alexander Brighton said with a sneer. "You were worried about that dragon? It's got so many enchantments and hexes on the opening to its lair that we'll probably never see it in this lifetime."

The Academy of Merlin is due to open in a few weeks, with students already arriving.

UNICORN ESCAPES IVYMEADOW FORESTDWELLER RESERVE

A unicorn ran past a ranger at Ivymeadow Forestdweller Reserve on Friday and was loosed on the countryside. The local rangers are hoping the glamour spell set on the unicorn will last long enough for them to catch it and return it to the Reserve before a local mundane spots it.

"It'd be troublesome, of course," said one ranger. "We can't have a unicorn running around mundane territory for obvious reasons. Luckily, the gates are set to mark any animal that runs across with a glamour spell, so hopefully its horn won't be visible. We don't know how long it'll last, though."

If anyone sees a black Andalusian unicorn running around their area, please call Ivymeadow Forestdweller Reserve immediately and lure it in with carrots and sugar water, as those are reported to be the unicorn's favorite foods.

BLOOD PACT UNIT INVESTIGATION GOING NOWHERE

It seems that the investigation, headed by Luke Nethercrest, has made very little ground in the past week. There is naught a trace of the Pact unit anywhere in Nimue's Forest. Nethercrest has once again requested that Carrmin Okiri allow them to enter his sphere of influence. Okiri once again refused and muttered several curses in Elven upon Nethercrest turning his back.

Nethercrest believes that the key lies deeper in the forest. He plans to investigate as much of the forest as he can without intruding on Okiri's territory.

"In the meantime, we're gonna put out an APB on the unit," Nethercrest said. "We don't know for sure what they look like, but according to the boys that chased 'em, well, we can draw up some profiles."

The unit that authorities chased earlier in the summer is believed to be a group of five to six persons - two females and three to four males. They are all in their early 20s. One of them, possibly one of the females, is darker-skinned and may be an elf. Justus residents are asked to keep their eyes open for any group fitting this description.

 

[Jennalaia]

ACADEMY OF MERLIN OPENS ITS DOORS

The magick world's most famous educational institution has finally started classes. As with every year, the classes are incredibly diverse with some of the magick world's finest professors ready to teach every child.

Notable this year is the new Creatures professor, Professor Qamar Amadi. Amadi is Soulstone's most recent find on his trips across the Middle East over the summer and is reportedly pleased to be at the Academy.

According to a Justus reporter, it seemed that the students of Merlin got themselves into some hot water, as our reporter apparently sighted a student dyed blue buying supplies at Silver Mountain Apothecary. Since, however, there have been no reports of any blue students whatsoever. One can only wonder what the students at Merlin get up to in their free time, as there have been reports from a porcupine infestation to large moles rampaging about the forest to a small but ferocious demon smelling malicious, wet, and cinnamon-y lurking on campus.

"Blue children? I haven't seen any blue children," Headmaster Louis Soulstone chuckled nervously when asked about the subject. "All of our students here at Merlin are very diverse and, as you can see, none of them are blue." Headmaster Soulstone then pointed to a nonexistent object out in the hall and locked this reporter out of his office.

The Academy reportedly had its opening ceremony over the weekend, in which the Headmaster warned the students about the Blood Pact unit that has been rumored to be lurking in Nimue's Forest. No sign of said unit has been found.

MYSTERIOUS ENTITY SPOTTED IN NIMUE'S FOREST

While investigating the scene for the Pact unit, one investigator, Kit Collias, spotted a a mysterious figure traveling through the forest. Upon apprehending this mysterious figure, Collias claims that the figure morphed into a dragon and knocked him out.

"It was a beautiful thing, too," says Collias. "That guy, he just smiled at me, and then his smile grew wider 'n wider, and his teeth got really pointy and his skin all scaly, and then suddenly a small dragon was in front of me, fifteen feet high! That's the last thing I remember."

Upon examination, the healer on the scene determined that Collias must have been hallucinating due to dehydration.

However, three more men turned up the same way, with the same story. Is there more to this urban legend than meets the eye?

MERCHANT BACK ON THE SCENE

Now that the school year has started up once again, the infamous Merchant has been spotted parking his cart on the edge of Justus out of police eye to lure in unwary students.

The Merchant is a well-known lurker in Justus, frequenting the area during the school year. It is unknown what his real name is or how he gets his products, but he often has something for everyone... provided they have the right amount of money. One Justus resident sighted the Merchant speaking to a group of students, but the outcome of this meeting is unknown.

Justus residents are asked to report the Merchant if they see him, as Justus Police have been trying to capture him for the last few years.

 

[Jennalaia]

SEVERAL ARRESTS MADE IN JUSTUS

Five separate arrests were made in Justus over the past week, for various misconducts. Though the police refuse to release names, witnesses say the arrests were all of young men and women, consisting of a brunette woman, a dark-skinned woman (later found to be an elf), a black-haired man with a scar, a blond man, and a brown-haired man with an x-shaped scar on his face. All those arrested resisted police, but after a short period of struggling ceased their fighting and were led away in peace.

"They seem like hoodlums to me," one employee at the Murky Trout said, who wishes to remain anonymous. "That blonde guy, he just started a fight outta nowhere! Plus he had a really obvious fake ID, y'know? It was weird."

"The man with the scar punched out an old lady," a mother of three claimed. "He just punched her out, and then he started punching others. It's a relief he was arrested so quickly."

The arrested persons are currently being held in Justus Police Center with bail.

BLOOD PACT INVESTIGATION CLOSED

After several fruitless weeks in Nimue's Forest, Luke Nethercrest is finally ready to call it quits.

"We haven't found a bloody thing," says Nethercrest. "It's like they just vanished into dust! The only thing we've found is a trail of trees and stuff withering from taint, but the trail ends in an empty clearing. My team believes this to be a red herring to throw us off the trail."

The decision to close the investigation is a controversial one, as the Academy of Merlin is close by, but the Council has decided to stop wasting resources on a unit that likely got away and instead focus on intercepting Blood Pact messages about future missions.

RISE IN LEMON CANDY SALES PERPLEXES SHOPKEEPERS

Shopkeepers in Justus today were confused by the strange rise in candy sales recently, specifically in lemon candy. According to the records, all lemon candies bought in the last week have been by cash, but employee testimonies confirms it all seems to be the same girl with stark white hair.

According to the employees, the girl is short and wears a hat and a blue dress. She does not speak, instead she points to the candy she desires and often leaves with two bags full.

One wonders what this candy thief is amassing all this candy for. Is it in preparation for Halloween, which is right around the corner?

October 24th 2014

 

[Jennalaia]

MASS JAILBREAK AT JUSTUS POLICE STATION

The five persons arrested last week disappeared over the weekend at Justus Police Station. Curiously enough, there are no signs of the locks being picked or even the door being opened. Police are baffled how five people in individual cells simply disappeared and are looking into it.

"They just disappeared outta nowhere!" exclaims the chief of police. "We checked the tapes too. They didn't walk out the front door. One second they were there, the next, they were gone! Officers on duty reported a sorta grinding sound last night though..."

Locals are encouraged to keep an eye out for the escaped persons.

LOCAL MAN REALLY FEELING IT

...feeling, that is, his profits rise. The Merchant has been making more and more frequent appearances, and the effects of his stay are clear on the youth of Justus. Police have been busting more and more sessions of drug use, as well as magick police finding cases of magic drug abuse as well. There have also been several arrests of those in possession of illegal contraband.

Despite all this, surprisingly, the Merchant has been making himself less public. Rumors of there being a dealer are sweeping through Justus, and police are on the move looking for him. A police sketch reveals the likeliest suspect being in his late thirties, about six feet tall, with dark hair and stubble. Stakeouts in dark alleys so far have proved unsuccessful. More on this story as it develops.

October 28th 2014

 

[Jennalaia]

MYSTERIOUS FOUNTAIN EXPLOSION UNSOLVED

The fountain in Justus Square was recently bombed, and city officials are still busy trying to clean up the mess. Is this a bold new act of terrorism from the Blood Pact? Or just a few kids screwing around with a new, dangerous product that's hitting the streets? This reporter aims to get to the bottom of this mystery.

PANICKED CALL ABOUT SCREAM IN NIMUE'S FOREST REVEALS NOTHING...?

A concerned magick called the Justus Police Department's magick division after she heard a scream from Nimue's Forest late last night. Authorities rushed to the scene only to find an empty clearing. Upon further investigation, however, traces of taint were detected in the air. Luke Nethercrest has been called back to investigate and determine whether this has anything to do with the Blood Pact investigation that was closed months before.

No word of the investigation has yet reached us. "You, reporter, get out of here," Luke Nethercrest, head of the former investigation team said before pushing me into a ditch.

ROBBERY AT THE INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM OF MAGICK IN ENGLAND

The International Museum of Magick reported a robbery last night. Apparently a very old shell was stolen out from under a security guard's nose.

"Oh I hope nobody heaaaaard me when I got pepper sprayed!" the guard bemoaned when asked to comment.

The shell in question was not on display, leading detectives to wonder if it was an inside job. The investigation is ongoing. More details to come.

WOULD-BE RAPISTS FOUND DEFEATED IN AN ALLEY

Three burly men were found behind Flare the night of New Year's. One of them murmured something about catching the two little girls who did this to them. Upon interrogation, it has been discovered that these two little girls may be students of the school. The three men confessed to attempted rape and have been imprisoned in Justus Police Station.

CANDY STORE SAVED FROM BANKRUPTCY

The overwhelming sales of the lemon candies have made a mark; the candy store, set to close in March, has canceled their clearance sales and has stated they are staying.

"It's a miracle," candy store owner Bob Marley told this reporter. "It's all thanks to that cute little girl that bought so many lemon candies over the last few months. We were so close to declaring ourselves bankrupt, but now we can continue on as one of the stores in this wonderful town."

In thanks to this mysterious little white-haired girl, the candy store is buying a surplus of lemon candies.

NEW JOB POSITIONS IN LOCAL STORES

Stores all over Justus are currently adjusting their hiring qualifications due to the soaring crime rate in Justus over the last few months. Many shops will now take those with drug use, illegal contraband, and assault on their criminal records as employees. If you have been turned down by a shop before due to these marks on your record, think about stopping by in some of the stores to see if their policy has since changed.

LOCAL STUDENT CAUSES SCUFFLE AT NEW YEAR'S

A student of the Academy of Merlin caused a small scuffle New Year's eve, when someone reportedly spilled a drink on her dress. The details of what occurred next are very fuzzy.

"She screamed her head off for a good five minutes," one witness said.

"She beat that poor boy's head in!" said another.

"She yelled at him and shoved him into the moat before stomping off," said a third.

Though details are unclear, the witnesses agree on one thing: the girl certainly frightened the boy who spilled a drink on her, yelling over him as he apologized profusely, and then may or may not have punched him in the gut and shoved him into the moat. More details, if any, as this story develops.

FOUND: INCREDIBLY GREASY COMB

Will the owner of the disturbingly greasy comb please pick it up from the diner. None of the staff want to touch it and it's still lying on the counter, roped off. -- concerned kitchen staff

FOUND: CELLPHONE

A perfectly good cellphone was rescued from the garbage. I could sell it but it's sort of useless unless I guess your password. Please come pick it up, it's in the lost and found at Flare.

 

[Jennalaia]

ELFSLAYER STRIKES AGAIN; INVESTIGATION GOING NOWHERE
By A. Doyle

Another body was discovered in the alleys, and, as usual, the police are not very forthcoming with the details.

"It's the same M.O.," chief detective, Luke Nethercrest, had to say. "An elf in an empty alley with a single wound and the essence sucked out of 'em. I'd have more to say if my case weren't being jacked by those Organization morons."

Nethercrest then shooed the reporters out of the crime scene. Another officer went on the record, saying the curfew for elves will be more strictly enforced to prevent another death. The Elfslayer's motives, whereabouts, and description are currently unknown.

NUMBER OF DAYS BREAKS VIEWERSHIP RECORDS
By F. Goil

Everyone's heard of it. Everyone's watched it. The drama known for its two famous leads has recently clocked in enough viewership that it's set for yet ANOTHER season! While some critics say it's time to 'stop counting', people are getting more invested than ever before in the lives of ordinary Grace (Thetis Myrmidons) and James Mathers (Priam Tros). The Number of Days has grabbed a solid and loyal viewership that some debate come from the seasoned lead actors' separate fan bases (loyal viewers of A#OD also tend to be big fans of Tros' sons, an idol duo) rather than the show's writing. Whatever the reason, nobody can deny that the show has grabbed wild success.

The Number of Days airs every weekend, with replays constantly on Channel M for those of you who want to catch up!

CRIMINAL RATES SPIKE UP AGAIN AFTER A YEAR OF PEACE
By Official Joe

A warning to all citizens: It has once more become unsafe to go out at at night. Justus as passerbys know it is a sleepy welcoming town of friendly individuals, with a rather large alleyway system thanks to the growing amount of businesses and limited land. However locals and regular visitors will notice that while the amount of bizarre incidents have been the same as usual, crime has once again spiked up after what could be considered a safe year for Justus. Citizens are advised to stay in inside after 7 until local police get a handle on the situation.

WHOOPIE CUSHIONS FOUND EVERYWHERE IN TOWN
By Angry Victim

Over the weekend, something strange has began to happen. Placed in public places such as the library or Flare, whoopie cushions have began to appear out of seemingly nowhere. They are red and blue, with an unusually loud frequency. Upon investigating the inside of the cushion no sort of device for amplifying audio was found. Who is doing this? For what reason are they doing this? Is there some mysterious whoopie cushion plot afoot in Justus? Stay alert, citizens!

DELIVERIES NOW AVAILABLE
By Gertrude Sullivan

Having trouble getting down to the world famous Manly Bakery? (It seems that a lot of people do.) Then worry no more! The bakery is now opening a delivery service. Just call up and you can get your magical, manly baked goods right to your door! (It might take a while because I don't exactly have a car or scooter at the moment but I can run.) This service is just another reason to come buy all of your baked goods (that could possibly turn you into an eldritch abomination) at Gert's Manly Bakery!

LOCAL MAN TO UNEXPECTEDLY ATTEND MEDICAL SCHOOL
By P. Sherman

Local Justus resident, Joe Wallace, left town today to attend a medical school in England. Reports indicate this has something to do with the freak incident at the town well, as Wallace was reported to have been in an argument with his mother, exclaiming that he would "become a doctor when that well freezes over". The well has indeed frozen over, and Wallace is staying true to his word.

We wish Wallace luck in his studies and paying the costs of medical school. The frozen well incident is currently being investigated.

MAN SEEN SCREAMING AT VICIOUS PLANTS
By A. Fowl

A curious scene greeted residents of Wisdom Crest Apartments today. Apparently, a slew of plants spontaneously erupted in one hallway, barring entry to a single apartment. Some witnesses report seeing an Asian man in glasses fleeing the seen an hour before, but other than the man himself the stories do not match up. Immediately after the eruption, a very tall, stylish man was seen just outside the apartment, covered in leaves and screaming obscenities that are unprintable.

Police have investigated and currently believe it was a prank of sorts, as nothing in the apartment itself is damaged or missing, according to the owner. Police are also investigating ties between the apartment owner and the greenhouse across town, but have so far found nothing.