ISSUEDATEPRICE

453

6 Copper

Ginterites Gather Farmers’ Festival Fills Fallow Fields with FurrowsLocal farmers are gearing up for a busy season of pre-paring and planting. Some early crops are already in the ground and other fields are being worked so more seed can be sown. A growing festival in recent years is the plowing competition where various farmers bring their best teams of horses, mules, oxen, and other beasts to see who can get the straightest lines or work the fastest.

The competition has horse and mule classes, an oxen class, and a new addition as of last year, the “open” class which has included all manner of beasts and even a plowing construct from the workshop of Artimus. In previous years there was a children’s class, but it quick-ly became apparent that most of the young ones were capable of competing on equal footing with the adults, so this year the competition is all ages.

Gunther Kraxberger, winner of last year’s competition is once again bringing his matched pair of Greypeaks mares whose steady feet and even temperament made them stand out in the muddy fields. He’ll be facing stiff

Ludwig Hoodenpyl

competition from young Sam Quiltin who is driving the team of Eltmurian Cream horses that nearly brought his mother victory two years ago. In that competition, Mrs. Quiltin had the bad luck to encounter a large stone that needed to be cleared to proceed and lost on time.

One entry that is still uncertain is The Baronettess, for-merly known as Artimus Prototype Construct 341, who made a strong showing last year. Paladins of Ginter are encouraging the newly aware construct to participate as he showed great promise, but the word is that she is enjoying ceramic painting and not very interested in re-turning to the fields. Entries for the Open class already include hippogryphs, a team of goats, a minotaur, and a long string of ducks.

The competition will take place this coming Tuesday, starting at 8 AM and running throughout the day. There will be a barbecue lunch for 12 pence with all proceeds going to the Future Farmers of Alivast educational fund. Also, there will be all manner of jams, jellies, preserves, and pies for sale.

This spring, while some tensions are high, many citizens have been seeking re-lief from the long, dreary days of winter and look-ing for an excuse to celebrate. In a show of in-ter-faith unity, a group of citizens has decided to take matters into their own hands and plan a festival that is uniquely Alivas-tian in flavor in order to cele-brate springtime and the hope for a better future.

“I was looking out the window of my workshop one afternoon,” stated Kerry Stonebridge, a mountain dwarf and local lute-maker, “and in the mist after the recent rain was a beautiful rainbow. That’s where I got the idea.” Stonebridge, who primarily venerates Livrosea and Groumuth saw a chance for bringing together members of several traditions in creating the festival. “Uspa provides the rain, Orun the light, and the color is from Livrosea’s palette. It is the perfect example of how interconnected the gods are.”

Stonebridge was not blind to the symbolic aspects of including Orun in the festival at a time when much of the city is concerned about a certain sect of worshipers. Their proposal was met hesitantly at first but gathered momentum when it was embraced by Wendy Raney, the priestess at an Uspa shrine near the docks.

“I saw this as a way to celebrate the variety of life-styles and people in the city. Uspa is always changing,

Colorful New Festival Promises to Brighten Streets

Hazel Rumplebottom

but she is not cha-otic. The storm is followed by calm, and the rainbow is its herald,” Raney said, “And besides, my wife loved the idea and really en-couraged me to participate.” Raney also mentions that she sees a variety of sailors coming through the docks and knows that the rainbow has special significance to them.

The inclusion of Hiram Metoxen, a lay-person associ-ated with an Orun temple in the lower district, rounded out the founding group. Metoxen admitted to hesitating due to many worshipers of the Sun God wishing to keep a low profile and not draw atten-tion to themselves.

“Many years ago, my family fled Paraton when the Unit-ed Clergy was first cracking down on worshipers they felt were lazy or ‘eclipsed’, in their parlance. We’ve tried to keep a low profile, but every morning Orun rises and shines, and perhaps it is time for us to proclaim our presence.”

The Rainbow Festival is planned to involve a parade through the streets and participants are welcome to craft all manner of flags, banners, or costumes that they feel represent them best. “The rainbow symbolizes not only the beauty and calm after the storm but the diver-sity of the people of Alivast,” Stonebridge said. “I want people to participate in whatever way they feel rep-resents them and who they really are and feel free to celebrate that. I’m coming out of my workshop to show the world who I am, and I encourage everyone else to have the same pride.”

(Sppep the baker shows his pride with a banner he has made for the festival)

Stricter Systems for a Safer AlivastThe Ticket system we have in place is by no means perfect, but it does its job as keeping peo-ple where they should and out of places where they are not allowed. While many people have is-sues with the system in place, it is the backbone that helped build this city up to what it is now. It’s hard to image what Alivast would have come to be without this system. However, a local group of “Moral Warriors” have awoken from their winter hibernation and are now in the process of trying to make a change.

Many are familiar with the crusades of one Mrs. Christywen Firderson, and her band of “warriors.” The group, largely consisting of human house-wives, have been quite vocal on issues that con-cern them, and their abilities to raise their chil-dren safely here in the city. These events tend to be loud protesting, boycotting and vocal shaming of citizens who partake in activities they view as immoral. While most of their antics have been easy to brush off or ignore, currently the group is looking to push an agenda to change the system to their desired goal.

“We need to make sure the system we have in place here is strong enough to keep our children safe.” Ms. Firderson said in a candid interview “There are places in the city where our chil-dren shouldn’t go near without a parental figure

Finnegan Eastaughffe

around. I’m talking about Districts. I’m talking about shops. I’m talking about businesses. Just the other day one of my closest friends, Ms. Run-dale, saw a shady birdman offer children outside of a tavern in the lower district some alcohol. What kind of deplorable man would do that? We need to make it harder for people like him to get closer to our kids.”

She continued going over her plans to push the council into upgrading the Alviast Ticket System. Add a method that the group is calling Facial Tickets. The group wants to mark tickets with images of the ticket holder, for facial recogni-tion, and list their know date of birth/hatch. The process of which would allow shopkeepers and guards to perform a proper identity check and to make sure no one underage is doing anything they shouldn’t be doing.

“Places like bars, the entertainment district, and the druidic district need to be banned for anyone younger than 20 to enter. I don’t want my boy going into the druidic district. I don’t know what kind of potions or do-da he could get his hands on. I heard that little Bimmy Tetherson bought a frog from there once. He needed it for his studies. Now he makes “abstract art.” That is not the life I want for my son”(Continued on page 8)

Svetlana’s Surrey Carts and Wagons. New, Used, and Repaired.

Letters to the Lady of Livrosea(Note: the Alivast Oracle newspaper is now legally obligated to inform readers that the contents of “Letters to the Lady of Livrosea” do not constitute, religious, financial, or legal advice.)

Dear Lady,

My brother and I come from a pretty hardscrabble place. We aren’t related, we just looked out for each other because we had a better chance to survive if we stuck together. He’s the person I most care about in this world. He taught me almost everything I know and I was the only person he could share his feelings with. But due to some circumstances beyond our control, we were separated when I was 15. Now almost a decade later we found each other and I found out he works for a rather decisive faction that while I am not in direct competition with, it could become very possible that we could be involved in deadly conflict. I could never join him and the thought of hurting him destroys me. Is there any-thing I can do to protect the one person I love in this damn plane?!

Signed, Struggling Sister

G’day Lady of Livrosea,

I hear you’re the sheila to ask for all this life and relationship advice. Recently I became a da and by recently I mean just the other day some girl left a baby on me doorstep with a note saying “she is your problem now a**hole”. Thing is, I’m not father material. Hell, I don’t even know who the mum is! I was gobsmacked when I found this wee angel on me step. Not gonna lie, but I’m a bit of a lad and I wanna change. She has already lit up me world and me cerberus pup Tito has taken a real shine to her. I have already started working harder at me restau-rant the Alivastain Outback Barbie to earn more moolah to support her. I’m still struggling to under-stand all this new baby shite and worried I won’t be able to change me ways and be a good da or earn enough to support her.

Signed, Desperate Da

Dear Lady of Livrosea,

The more I hear about the Orun types who are threatening Alivast, the more I worry about the peo-ple who worship Orun here in town. I’m not sure how much I can trust them. I am really concerned because I hear rumblings from some of my neigh-bors and friends who have very good reasons to fear the clergy. Some of them came from Paraton or other countries in that region and suffered greatly at the hands of the sun worshipers. Why shouldn’t we turn out all the Orun worshipers and put them on a boat back where they came from? I know not all of them are bad, but it might be best for their own safety because not everyone is as understanding as I am.

Signed, Sun Shy Citizen

Dear Struggling Sister,

I love you! I am so glad you found filial love with your brother, and I mourn with you over his safety. In our lives, our loves often con-flict. Our love of family may be at odds with our love for community or our love for cer-tain ideals. I encourage you to weigh what is heaviest in your heart and discern the love that needs to prevail the most. It sounds like your love for your brother is dearest to you and if that is the case, I encourage you to seek him out and express your concerns any way you can - in person, by letter, by magic. If you do end up on opposite sides of a conflict, keep room for reconciliation in your heart. The most tragic loss would be the loss of your love.

Dear, Desperate Da,

I love you! Raising a child is something not to be taken lightly. There will be times when the joy seems distant and it becomes real work. Opening up your home with love for this girl is truly a sacrifice, no two ways about it. I en-courage you to seek out others for advice and support. Having a community help in raising a child is always better than going it alone. If you have friends or family that have children or raised children, they may be able to help. Elders especially often have the time and inclination to help watch a baby during times you are working or are feeling overwhelmed. Raising children is best not done by just one parent, or two, but requires a loving communi-ty.

Dear Sun Shy,

I love you! I urge you to consider your neigh-bors and people in the community that ven-erate Orun and remember that they are not the same temperament as the ones who are threatening our city. There are many won-derful citizens who help us with the light and warmth of their deity and provide great ser-vices to our community. We all need the sun, and Orun is an integral part of our world. The light of Orun and the rain of Uspa combine to form rainbows that are blessed by Livrosea for their beauty. The warmth of Orun brings Ginter’s seeds from the earth and provides us food to eat. The Livrosean Poetess-Saint Catherine wrote:

The sun hears the fields talking about effort,And the sun smiles, and whispers to me,“Why don’t the fields just rest,For I will do everything to help them grow?”Rest, my dears, in prayer.

Mezzo Finds: Art!

IT HAS COME TO MEZZO’S ATTENTION THAT MEZZO HAS AD-MIRES FROM LAST NOTICE. MEZZO HAS STOLEN FROM OTH-ER GOBLIN HOARD, ONE PAINTING OF NAKED LADY DWARF ADDRESSED TO HAMMERGNAR. IF YOU WANTS TRADE, FIND ME IN BULIDING WITH THE DRAGON ON IT.

Mezzo

In the spring months, fashion has changed from the heavy down coats and woolen clothes to something much different.

I talked with local tailor Josiah, a tiefling who owns Sparkle, about the newest fashions for the season.

“Well, Poppy most of this seasons fashion is pulled from all this talk of those dreadful Bladefoot pirates and other nautical things. So light linen tops, high

waisted pants and my favorite-”

At that point, he pulled out a lovely looking coat that matched the style of a navelman’s coat. It was then when he modeled off the outfit which looked quite fetching on him.

“My lovely competition, Nine, would say that the coat looks tacky and that she could make something 30 times better. But what would she know about fash-ion? She wears the same outfit all the time.” He remarked when I brought up his fellow tailor.

Though, there you have it Alivast, the style for the season is nautical. I, for one, am not going to be caught dead without one of those lovely captain’s coats.

Spring StylePoppy Lamor

Young Wizard Killed by GoateeToday in the Oracle I’ll delve into one of the more tragic events that has happened as of the past few days. In a well-known magic shop a man named Dramock Burn-side, a young upcoming dwarven wizard, was attacked by one of his longtime rivals, an elvish wizard who goes by Mortino Gou’ti, after the two had engaged into a bitter argument over which facial hair could be better utilized as a weapon in the heat of battle. As a demon-stration, the elf froze his own goatee and stabbed the defenseless dwarf, mortally wounding him. After killing the man, he made a mad dash out of the shop and into the bustling crowds of the middle districts. He was caught 3 miles from the shop attempting to feed the body to one of his pseudodragons. While he put up

Chungle Fungual

quite a fight, he was eventually restrained by Alivastian guards and brought in to custody for questioning. When interrogated, the wizard had told the guards “That cretin thought that he could use his head as an axe with those his sideburns, so I needed to teach him a lesson. I never meant for the attack to be fatal, so I panicked and ran out of the shop. It was all just sup-posed to be a joke, but he just had to shift his head. I never meant to stab him through the eye”. Mortino’s case will be handled on an unspecified date, but the se-verity of his charge is still up for debate. No one knows how this debate ever started, but it all goes to show that goatees can be deadly under the right hands.

Many travelers have been spotting Moon Rays of the coast of Alivast during night time voyages under the light of the full moon. Though the recent trou-bles with vessels going missing have continued to plague our city and its people, many adventurous souls have decided to take passengers out on the calm waters to get glimpses of these nocturnal beauties. Those who have been taking passengers out on the sea have also taken the liberty of hiring mercenaries to provide security for against any would be ambushers, United Orun Clergy or otherwise. There have been some concerns that with the increased attention on the Moon Rays, some people will attempt night time hunts on these creatures. Clergy members who devote themselves to Illunay have been spearheading this concern, some Paladins of the faith even have taken it upon themselves to aid the touring vessels to police and protect these harmless creatures of the night. The presence of the clergy has reassured Ray Watchers that they will be safe and guided by the Goddess of Night and that she will protect them from the United Orun Clergy.

Bright Beasts of the SeaSylran Thoruil

Odds and EndsThe Alivast guard was called to a children’s playground in the druidic district to assist in extricating a small, blue draconic creature who had become entangled in the bucket seat of a swing, the type usually reserved for toddlers. At the scene, they were met with a slightly panicked young woman who spoke very little common but communicated that she was the creature’s minder. The creature had evidently crawled into the swing and became stuck due to his rather portly build and the seat not accommodating his tail. Shortly after the incident, the groundskeepers of the park received an anony-mous gift of AC accompanied by a note written in dra-conic asking that the funds be used to construct equip-ment suitable for young Alivastians with tails.

REWARDAny seafarers with information on the where-abouts of the captain and crew of the Celestial Voyager, a merchantman out of Buldur, please

contact the Alivast Harbormaster’s office.

Crabbers Needed!

Contact Alivast Fishermans’ Guild at the

docks. Look for the sign with the

salmon.

Spring BeautyHello Folks!

Kilyn here and today, I have a piece of beauty advice straight from a druid from the North-landers.Greta imparted a tidbit of wisdom on me when she visited and that wisdom I’ll share with you. (Just don’t tell Gregor!)

Since spring is here and Uspa has blessed us with warmer weath-er, a good salt scrub is needed for soft skin.

For the scrub, you’ll need:

1 cup of salt

1/2 cup of oil

1/4 cup of freshly chopped flowers or herbs for a nice smell. ( I recommend lavender)

All you need to do is combine the ingredients until thoroughly mixed and store in a small container you could take with you to the bath.

For best results, use a copper sized amount each time you bathe to keep your skin smooth.

Kilyn Valen

The Roots of a Valithean Family Meal

My grandmother Carmella learned from her mother and grandmother the family pasta sauce recipe changed it to make it easier and cheaper.

1 ½ quarts tomato sauce and a like amount of water½ cup tomato paste One palm full of dry oregano.A pinch of dry basil (crushed), marjoramabout 1 tsp garlic and onion powder¼ to ½ cup of shredded hard, dry Valithean cheese

Stir everything well and add the meatballs and Valithean sausage. Let it simmer with the lid askew for 3 to 4 hours until it is the thickness you like. Taste it once in a while and adjust spices if you want.

Optional:½ tsp fennel seeds (if you are using Valithean sausage in the sauce, use less)a pinch of allspice,ground clove,salt and parsley flakes crushedif the sauce is bitter then add a pinch of sugar.“Always start with less spice then add more to taste.”

If you can’t find Valithean sausage, you can easily substitute pigs feet

Janus Brambila

GREGOR’S FISHING NOTES

It has been too long, Dear Readers! Sorry for long ab-sence from Oracle, GREGOR was ambushed by return of cowardly pneumonia while trying to sleep in snow igloo over end of winter. Had neglected to put hearth in igloo, see.

Now, reader may be questioning, “GREGOR, why sleep in igloo and go second round with sickness when spring hunting is around corner?” Well, GREGOR wished to do good on Winter Resolution and try hand at

ICE FISHING

Ice Fishing is popular in Homelands and other snowy locales, though GREGOR never took to it when young in favor of tracking and sick gains. What fun was there in sitting upon barrel in front of hole, waiting for fish to come?

Then GREGOR realized that barrel fisherman sat on was filled with honey mead and came to understand, making way for frozen pond that had appeared a days travel from Alivast.

There are many different kinds of ice fishing to pur-sue, used for different kinds of fish: the popular fishing rod for most small fishes, spear fishing in dark rooms (GREGOR’s favorite) for large sturgeons, using club to anesthetize fish through ice for burbots. All require usage of hole in ice sheet, made by auger for equal size or even by hand axe (important: weapons such as TROLL CUTTER are not good for job, as GREGOR took dip in freezing pond water after chopping was too large). After hole has been made, set up shelter around to ensure warmth is kept as one fishes and drinks deli-cious honey mead.

Sadly, pneumonia overtook GREGOR before the big catch could be made, decision to use mead in place of proper hearth being undoing. Sickness, in victory, produced image of what would had been big catch and mockingly thanked GREGOR for making hole in ice for moon to hit water. Last thing GREGOR remembers is waking up on outskirts of city, and for some reason GREGOR couldn’t stop thinking of toes.

GREGOR THE NORTHLANDER

INTELLIGENCE CHECK!

Thank You For Reading

Ar t by Schmoogin

Touch the Red magic rune to subscribe to recieve your weekly edition of the Alivast Oracle

Credits for the Alivast Oracle

Touch the Blue magic rune for Back Issues, Information and more from the Alivast Oracle

@ShitpostNow - Twitter, Discord: Iuzzy as Chungle Fungual - writer

@fscrivy - Twitter, Discord: fscrivy as Janus Brambila - writer

@alcoholoch - Twitter, Discord: Alcoholoch as Gregor the Northlander - writer

@Knighthunter66 - Twitter, Discord: Knighthunter66 as Sylran Thorull - writer

@rhyllberg - Twitter, Discord: Rhylberg- Puzzle Artist

@AkiraKeoro - Twitter, Discord: AkiraKeoro - Artist

@froggies_mom - Twitter, Discord: Chehalem as Hazel Rumblebottom, Ludwig Hoodenpyl, Lady of Livrosea - writer, puzzle maker

@Kiararhyne1 - Twitter, Discord: RWAHHH as Kilyn Valen, Poppy Lamor, Mezzo - writer

@ MayorOfMagicant-Twitter, Discord: Kenji64- Cartoonist: Tha Spectables

@Jimtherabidcow - Twitter,Discord: Jimtherabidcow as Finnegan Eastaughffe - layout artist, ad design, puzzlemaker, writer