Sharn Inquisitive: Issue #9719

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6 Zarantyr, 1000 YK

FAME, FAVOR, AND THE SHADOW OVER SHARN’S DARLINGS

Few households in Breland remain unfamiliar with the name of the Crypt Crew. Ashpin, the gallant paladin. Bagan, the rowdy barbarian. Dooturr, the crafty rogue. Frisian, the devoted cleric. N'nchyk, the eccentric druid. Viribus, the commanding warlock. Children in schoolyards and skycoach queues trade their names like those of storybook champions. Taverns and winehouses alike echo with chatter of their deeds. Yet fame, just like Sharn's towers, casts long shadows. Dark whispers of the Crew drift through the streets of Dura, the homes of Northedge, and the theaters of Menthis Plateau. Is there more to the Crew than meets the eye? With information that has been slowly trickling to light, this certainly seems to be the case. And given that the Crew first saw their rise to fame in Sharn, it seems only fitting that the Inquisitive should be the one to report on these developments.

Some of the claims are better substantiated than others, but the Inquisitive will not report on mere rumor. Each matter reported below has been corroborated by records, witnesses, or sources this paper deems credible.

Most recently, public sentiment has cooled in some respects after the Crypt Crew departed for the Mror Holds while Breland entered one of its most precarious hours in recent memory. Breland stands near a chaotic precipice: King Boranel excommunicated, Dragonmarked Houses disbanded, and war with Droaam in the west.  Many thought if any could right the path and quell the chaos, smoothing it into peace, it was the Crypt Crew - but such actions are not possible when they are on the opposite side of the continent. Similar questions followed the collapse of the Clifftop Adventurer’s Guild, the very institution that first received the Crew upon their arrival in Sharn. As records suggest, CAG has collapsed into disarray and disuse, and the Crew was not around to help.

Questions of character have also begun to attach themselves to individual members of the Crew. Dooturr, long treated by admirers as a lovable miscreant, appears to be involved in matters darker than tavern mischief. Multiple sources place him in close association with the so-called Skeleton Crime Syndicate. The exact activity of this organization is not known, but reports state there have been past conflicts with the Boromar Clan. Sharn Watch officials suggest the two groups’ interests may have overlapped in Sharn’s lower wards, bleeding even into the Cogs.

A perplexing report has arisen that the Crypt Crew is at constant odds with the peacekeeping organization known as the Harbingers of Aegis. A fringe religion originating from the Shadow Marches region, the Harbingers have been instrumental in several key historical conflicts. This paper found few serious historical objections to the order beyond the familiar prejudice often directed at unfamiliar faiths. (The Harbingers worship a pantheon of their own, but their primary tenet is peace.) It is therefore unclear why the Crypt Crew would hold animosity towards this group.

The Crew has also been implicated in an attempted theft of a powerful magical artifact from a respected member of the Aurum. They were unsuccessful, but a now-defunct Sharn factory was severely damaged in the process. The Aurum member, when contacted for comment, merely stated, "I respect the Crypt Crew, and do not wish to further damage their reputation, which my words assuredly will do. We must simply let their actions speak for themselves."

Among the Crew’s earliest and most celebrated exploits was the defense of Sharn during the Tragedy of Lower Northedge, when Droaamic forces brought terror to the city’s lower towers. They used the fame this earned them well, choosing to garner public support for the struggling Phoenix Orphan Home in Lower Dura. However, this generosity has turned sour, as in recent times, children began to disappear from the home. The orphanage has now closed down, due to a combination of these disappearances and a lack of funding. The Inquisitive was unable to confirm whether the Crew continued its financial support after the initial event.

Most shocking of all, the Inquisitive has received information from a trusted source who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. Too often is it the case that the spotlight of fame sheds light on an unfavorable past. Such may now be the case for the triton druid N'nchyk: The Inquisitive has learned that N’nchyk is allegedly wanted in connection with the murder of a Thranish cleric in 992 YK. There have been calls made to the highest levels of the Brelish government, calling for the extradition of N'nchyk to the courts of Flamekeep. This has put the new King Cornelius in a difficult position, and an interesting early decision for the young king: to respect the deeds of N'nchyk and the Crew, seemingly national and international heroes, or to accede to the demands of a neighboring nation in a time of national tumult.

The Inquisitive does not deny the deeds that first raised the bright Crypt Crew to prominence. But all lanterns cast shadows. Uncomfortable questions remain as to whether the Crew is wholly what the public has been invited to believe. In calmer days, such questions might be left to taverns, street whispers, and time. But these are not calmer days. Breland stands in peril, and in such an hour, the people must be certain they can trust those who claim to stand between them and the dark.

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NATIONAL UNREST GROWS

Breland’s instability continues to worsen. The disbanding of the Dragonmarked Houses has left trade, transport, and essential services strained, with merchants reporting delays, shortages, and rising costs across the kingdom. Smaller organizations have moved in to fill the gaps, but it will surely take years for markets to stabilize, if they ever return to a semblance of normal at all.

Public anger over the alleged Brelish role in the Mourning has not faded. King Boranel remains absent after his flight from public life, while King Cornelius faces mounting pressure to prove that his reign can restore confidence. The Brelish people wait to see whether the son will answer for the sins attributed to the father, or whether a wounded nation will be asked simply to move on. Protests led by Maximus Marius, a former soldier and outspoken critic of the government, have grown in size and frequency, drawing veterans, workers, and grieving families into the streets.

The war with Droaam has also brought little comfort. Reports from the western front suggest a costly and uneven campaign, with casualties rising and confidence in a swift victory diminishing. A brief bright spot, an operation in Graywall that was thought to result in a swift victory, was called off. Colonel Dane Rellard, the commanding officer of the operation, claimed the Brelish force was walking into a trap set by the Daughters of Sora Kell, though he refused to cite a source. He has since been dishonorably discharged.

Several priests and diviners have further unsettled the public by reporting dark omens ahead. Priests of the Silver Flame speak cautiously of prayers answered by silence and of altar flames burning low without wind. Diviners of the Sovereign Host speak of red skies and unknown armies. Such omens are often disputed, and officials urge the public not to mistake religious interpretation for fact. Still, in a nation already shaken by war, scandal, and unrest, these accounts have spread quickly.

For now, Breland waits: economically strained, politically divided, and increasingly uncertain of what comes next.