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Alivast’s Citizen of the YearCelebrating Service to the Community

Alivast is a city filled with brave adventuring souls who forge into the unknown and return with knowl-edge, riches, strange magics, or sometimes never return at all. These intrepid adventurers are often celebrated with a great deal of pomp and circum-stance when they return with their haul of gold, magical items, or forgotten knowledge. Another group of notable citizens are the residents of the high districts, members of high temples and noble personages such as members of the council, or captains of the guard, military, or gryphon corps.

The Alivast Oracle set out to find the unsung heroes of the city. Not necessarily strong of arm, or wealthy in gold or arcane knowledge, but the ordinary folks who make the city function. And not just any func-tionary or bureaucrat, but people who go above and beyond to help their fellow citizens beyond the nor-mal scope of their occupation.

Without further ado, our editorial staff would like to commemorate the winners of Alivast’s Citizen of the Year contest.

Honorable MentionsWe could only choose one winner, but there were several our judges wanted to mention. First is Jason Trithal, a young student who has spent many hours after school sharing what he learns each day with children in Tent Town who can’t attend a school in the city. Unfortunately, Jason was not old enough to be considered for the top spot, but we hope some-one nominates him in a few years!

Next is a construct named “Mittens” who takes care of stray animals in the druidic district. While there was universal agreement that “Mittens” serves a function that many citizens valued our editorial staff wasn’t able to come to an agreement if they were eligible due to the awkward legal status of con-structs in the city. Until that question is settled, we sadly had to pass over Mittens for recognition.

Lastly, we would like to mention Mitzi Schkana, a tire-less civil servant who goes the extra mile to help reg-ular citizens navigate the city’s sometimes opaque bureaucracy. We were informed by Ms. Schkana’s su-perior that she was not eligible for the award, and he declined on her behalf, saying that her continued em-ployment with the government would be enough reward for her.

Alivast’s Citizen of the YearSnowflake ButterhopperMrs. Butterhopper is a (mostly) retired paladin of Illunay who hails from Tracadia. She possesses unique color-ation for a tabaxi and because of that she faced quite a bit of difficulty in her homeland as her looks were often associated with bad luck or a curse. A couple of years ago, she picked up and moved her family to Alivast and works at Constellation’s Temptations bakery. When she’s not spending time with her husband of more than 20 years and her litter of three kittens, Moon-pie, Crescent, and Ursa, she’s taking time out of her day to do extra baking to help feed the less fortunate.

Hazel Rumplebottom

In a version of the “teach a man to fish” saying, she is also teaching the art of baking to others so that they can better feed themselves and their families as well as learn a marketable trade that could earn someone a spot in Alivast proper. When we asked why she would supplement her second career with so much extra community work, she had this to say:

“Well, shucks, I wanted to give back to the commu-nity that gave so much to me! Ever since I moved to this ever so lovely city, everyone has accepted me as their own! No discrimination, no judgement, no nuth-in’! I felt... clarity. Relief of this... lifelong tension I’ve had for oh so long. I guess.... me being accepted inta this joyous community gave me the inspiration and joy I needed to give back to my new home, and my new people. So bless y’all’s hearts, I found my new home, and I wanna give back to my home. Illunay blessed me, so I take my blessings and pass them along. Everyone deserves a full stomach and a roof over their head, so that is what I aim to achieve, thanks to what Illunay and my blessed people gave me.”

Pigeon problem persists, Politicians Puzzled by Persistence

The only normal thing about the Pigeons in Alivast is that they’re universally weird. Pigeons that can fly but should not, Pigeons that look like they can but don’t, upsettingly muscular pigeons who do nothing but flex involuntarily in front of two carts...Don’t lie, you know it, you’ve seen it, and it’s just part of the charm of living in the city. Eventually, you just stop noticing them.

Right up until they became a problem. Now, it seems like the only thing the town’s talking about is pigeons. The pigeons in Alivast appear to have become unusually aggressive, defensive, and all-around vicious. They’ve made the usually easily streets of the lower and middle districts veritable minefields, and have effectively begun re-routing foot traffic around the lower districts for fear of beak, claw, and other unmentionable means of biological warfare being used against the cities’ population. Reports of them making targeted pes-terings of town guardsmen and High District politi-cians have flooded the Druidic district, who appear to be mum on the matter of the pigeonic incursion, and have opted to leave the birds be:

“Pigeons are unusual birds because at one point in the distant past, they were as tame as parrots, bird-eating spiders, or pseudodragons.” said Dru-idic official Biddy Batlingbread. “Because of the inherent magic here in the city, we can only as-sume that the same kind of fluctuations that hap-pen every year with magic across the world have come to roost here in Alivast in its most populous resident. If anything, we should be thankful it did not come in the form of something sinister, like bears that know your worst secrets and loudly yell them at strangers and especially at your crushes. The bears happened in Chelstonia, it was moni-

Naraed Connarsdottir

tor lizards who spewed fire and lightning out both ends in Tatalohn, and it’s aggressive Pigeons in Alivast. The best we can do is whether the storm, and count our blessings.”

Sobering lesson in perspective aside, it has begun to affect local politics. Middle and Lower city guard who could easily have attended and even swayed municipal meetings regarding these flighted furies have opted not to attend, and in fact were com-pletely unavailable for comment, citing a need to return to a more stringent schedule. And while they have done so with frightening efficiency in the lower districts, the reality of what faces your aver-age Alivastian still persists.

“Ah didn’t mind these things when they were more eye than pigeon, or more leg than pigeon, or even more beak than pigeon. I just figured it was som-mat in the air, aye? But I couldn’t walk down a nor-mal street I live near without those things wardin’ me off an’ peckin’ at me bleedin’ dome!” said Tor-vag BaerdMcAleShielded, a dwarf with several ob-vious lumps where the pigeons had made a drum on his balding dome. “Ah’d love it if these damned muckled Druids an’ their fancy dirt magics would make these rats w’ wings be on their way, but if tha guard ent gonna do nothin’, an’ them dirt ma-gicians ent gonna do nothin’, then ah might havta come down here wit a bleedin’ Croosbow ta get ta work!”

Until the pigeons decide to return to their normal state, citizens are advised to keep a lookout on rooftops and avoid alleyways and “shortcuts” be-tween buildings, as they have been noticed to congregate in those places. Citizens are instead suggested to use main roadways and streets.

Snowflake Butterhopper,

White Guardian of

the Olympian Valleys. She also makes

muffins!

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 of Livrosea,

There’s this girl I like and she likes me. We really get along and have a lot in common. It seems like everything is going great! I regular-ly read your column and have been taking your advice to heart. We talk a lot and have gotten really good at sharing what we want and ex-pect out of the relationship. There have been some rough times when we haven’t communi-cated, but we were able to move past those. The problem is that even though we mutual-ly decided to start a physical relationship, the experience has been disappointing for both of us. We have talked about what we expect, but it appears that we’re incompatible in that re-gard - not for a lack of trying! What’s a good next step?

Signed, Unfortunate Intimate

Dear Lady of Livrosea,

I have been having problems maintaining rela-tionships. I get involved with someone and love them dearly, but over time, I start to feel a bit restless and find myself growing increasingly disinterested. I don’t quite understand it, but it feels like I fall out of love just as quickly as I fall into it. Each time this happens, the more cyn-ical and hopeless I become that I won’t ever find someone who I can stick with. I feel like I’m a loving person, and I want to share that with someone, but it is becoming harder and harder to stay positive. What should I do?

Signed, Disinterested Date

Dear Lady,

There’s this guy at work, and I heard that he has a thing for me. It’s kind of weird because while we haven’t exactly been at odds, we ha-ven’t really been the best of friends either. It’s one of those he does his thing and I do mine kind of work relationships. But now I heard through the grapevine he’s interested, and I’m not sure what to do about it. I mean, I’ve never considered him in that way. He’s also not my usual type. He bathes as frequently as once a month or so, which seems a little obsessive, but whatever. He’s also dumb, oh so dumb, but cunning. That’s kind of cool, I guess. I don’t know what to do, it’s so out of nowhere! If anything I considered his friend as a potential hookup, but that’s about it.

Signed, Worried WaitressDear Unfortunate,

I love you! I am sorry that you haven’t been able to work out physical intimacy in a satis-fying way. That’s ok. Not everyone is compat-ible with what they want or need in a physical relationship, just like we aren’t all compatible in emotional relationships. You are at a cross-roads; you can choose to continue your close emotional relationship or if the physical as-pect is important enough, you may want to go your separate ways. It sounds like you have good lines of communication. Don’t be too hasty, you may need some time to figure out what works for both of you, but don’t force anything on each other as an ultimatum. You can still have a rewarding relationship even without a physical component, but you both need to be in agreement over this.

Dear Disinterested,

I love you! A short letter only tells me so much, so this may not quite fit your needs, but I’ll certainly try. Your disinterest, as you call it, may actually be fear. It could be fear that you are entering a stage in a relationship that re-quires some commitment and you might be defeating yourself by not confronting that fear. Another thing to consider is to ask your-self if you know how to take the next steps in a relationship. Some of us really struggle with maintaining healthy relationships because we did not have them modeled for us when we were growing up. That’s a lot to get into in this format, though. I hope you’ll seek out additional counsel that can spend more time working with you on this important issue.

Dear Worried,

I love you! You are the best judge of you, but I always encourage people to keep an open mind. It might be worth exploring because sometimes we can be surprised. On the other hand, don’t force yourself into anything just because it is there. You may also want to keep in mind some things I wrote previously about workplace relationships and unequal power dynamics. Just because he may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer doesn’t give you justification to mistreat him in the context of a relationship. When talking to him, take care to express things in simple terms that he can easily interpret.

Oh, Clockwork Goddess of Time, would you mind cutting me some slack I mean, seriously. I’ve had to write like three poems for Hoketh’s Har-rowing back to backNot that I mind, but still, why is the calendar such a mess?But, anyway I must digress. There is a place not under our feet, nor far far away from this city’s shore It is a tribute to those who lived here in Alivast long beforeIt’s name is Hellmouth’s GraveThe people there were slaughtered by a once great king made into nothing more than a mindless slaveBut, before that, there was another clashBetween the brave inhabitants and warriors of GnashThey fought well in their last standEven though they were quite outmannedSadly, as one might expect, their suffering did not end in deathIndeed they waited patiently to be put to restBut, it was by no means a simple taskAnd it took many many years before it was finally within their graspDuring that time, the only ones who came were but simple thieves Who took even their ancient and quite rusted greaves This continued year after yearAnd all they could do at times was instill a little fearHowever, there were still some moments that made them smile Such as when the king turned slave was finally taken to trialHowever, somewhat to their displeasure, he was able to narrowly escape hell’s fire By clinging onto his ireAnd then there was that time when a thief finally found the helmUpon donning it, he found his mind, body, and soul quickly over-whelmed Now though, it seems that they are truly at peaceWith their souls finally having found releaseWell, it’s nearly daySo sadly, I cannot stay

Farewell to all of you, and have a Happy Hoketh’s Harrowing and remember to pray to whatever god or gods you believe in, that what happened at Hellmouth’s Grave does not happen here.

Eripmav A. Ton-Yllatot

Poetry CornerTouch the Heart

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Tribute to Hellmouth’s Grave

Early in the day Alivast citizens going about their business in the lower and middle districts got a treat as a royal procession of visiting dignitaries wound through the streets on its way to the high district

“It is not uncommon for dignitaries and diplomats from other countries to come to the city,” said Horus, a gate guard who is typically posted at the city entrance. “The procession must have entered the city at one of the other gates or when I wasn’t on duty, but I was around when notables from Gnomeria came to town. Quite a sight that was.”

This time the dignitaries in question were apparently Prince Hassrad of Quetzelqueen, a small, but wealthy band from the Tatalohn Jungle. The Prince was accompanied by an entourage of seven attendants, bodyguards, what one creature that most onlookers described as a 3 headed pet of some kind. All possessed of a variety of serpentine features, some more than others.

“Lots of interesting folks in Alivast these days,” said Hexi Zagzik, a dragonborn formerly of Tristella court. “It was fascinating that the city’s reputation has even reached the darkest jungles and far-off lands. I don’t know much about Yuan-Ti, but to see so many types and colors, it was really an experience!”

The royal personage of Prince Hassrad was quite a sight to behold. According to onlookers he was practically dripping with gold, jewels, and bangles. Many who witnessed the group were quite impressed with the wealth on display and expressed how wise it was for the prince to travel with such a heavy guard due to the wealth on display.

The crowds attracted in the lower district were stopped at the middle gate, of course, but the royal procession was allowed through with hardly any delay.

“The prince’s presence was announced and I could see the guard just go pale in shock and what I can only imagine was surprise at the royal visit,” Zagzik said. “I never saw one of those guards move so quickly to process an entry. Even when Azra Sahar first came to town it took her longer to get through the middle gate and that was when Brorc Bronzefang himself was greasing the wheels.”

In the less populous middle district, residents were only slightly less impressed by the royal march. Eyewitnesses report that the royal troupe was quite a treat and made what would otherwise be a rather dreary Tuesday morning a bit brighter. Not to waste an opportunity, bakers at “Pies of Tracadia” are busy with plans to make special snake-based

Dignitaries Visit High DistrictHazel Rumplebottom

sweets and offer them over the next few days such as rolled and glazed snake-shaped crullers and special snakey pretzel twists.

Capitalizing on what he hopes turns into a snake craze, Ben McJensenson has already renamed his snack stall. Mr. McJensenson has taken down the sign that said “Ben’s Ice Creamery and Hamburger Sandwiches” and put up a new one declaring the new name “Snake and Shake”.

The Royal party did apparently encounter some confusion when they tried to enter the high district, but apparently it was cleared up without any issue. It was difficult to see what was going on at the time due to a sudden influx of pigeons that sent the small crowd of onlookers diving under cover. That’s life in Alivast!

The Sibilant Sultan, Prince Hassrad

INTELLIGENCE CHECK!EASTERN ISLES NUMBER PUZZLE

This reporter wishes to apologize to our readers for failing to get the full story. Our previous report on the Isville Lous’s House of Memory. seemed to have missed the huge amount of illegal ac-tivities at the establishment.

For those who are not practiced in the arcane arts or haven’t read far enough in their student manual of Enchantment, Modify Memory is a spell that can remove and change the memory of an individual permanently. The memory can only take up to ten minutes and they wipe that exact time from their mind. In the world of adventuring this both a powerful and dangerous spell. This spell has been banned by the Council along with many other mind alternating spells in the school of enchantment. How-ever, Mr. Lous has chosen to ignore the law.

This reporter interviewed a middle district guard who was sent to arrest Mr Lous for his numerous crimes of magical mischief. A Mr. Peterbarrel Smegmar a tuxedo colored Tabaxi had this to say. “First day on the job and I get to make my first arrest. I went over to and spoke to Mr Lous about how he must come with me. He explained he had permission from the Council to run his establishment. I then remembered that we were given orders to leave Mr. Lous alone. I don’t know how it slipped my mind. Well the next day, I was given strict orders to arrest him which coun-teracted what I was told to do before. It’s really confusing.”

This reporter interviewed other guards who seemed to have had the same situation. Finally the guard brought in assistance from Mrs. Barenette Flubumbton, a graduate of the School for Forbid-den Arts. She explained. “I warned the Council repeatedly This is dangerous magic they were allowing. Do you hear me! Dan-gerous. You magically change a person’s mind. You are putting memories that weren’t there’s to begin with. That can change a person’s whole personality. I could grow to define who they are. This should be shut down. Someone needs to burn that building to the ground. So I did.”

Currently Mr.Lous is on the Alivast wanted list and the House Memory is closed along with being burned to the ground. Is this the end of the House of Memory? Who knows? Probably. I’m Jacobite Dare signing off.

Jacobite Dare

House of Memory Closed

An explosion was heard throughout the city at approximately 9:30 this morning. The source has not been identified yet, but rumors state that it was members of the Upper Arcana District.

“Those Nerasmun Clergymen are always experimenting with magic,” Salem Docmor, a tabaxi merchant stated. “What about that time when they nearly shook the entire city apart with their experiment on a Her-ring that could saw through solid wood when you said ‘Ni!’ three months past? They have got to curb their enthusiasm when it comes to this kind of work.”

Several other complaints have come from various sections of the city, including a few Tent Town residents. The Nerasmun Collective has de-nied claims of responsibility, stating that they too were curious about the source of the commotion.

“This event we recorded when no active experiments were being worked on as we were holding our mandatory weekly safety briefing,” a representative from the Nerasmun Collective stated. “Our current rookie experimenter has noted that it actually could have been an overpow-ered Shatter spell, or at least, that’s what I could gather from this weird Triton Sorcerer.”

Even as the sound of the explosion dissipated, guardsmen started rush-ing to the Upper Clerical District. When asked what was going on, an unnamed guard stated that it was none of our business, and attempts to access the district were denied, even to a few who worked inside.

“I am uncertain as to why the guard would rush towards the Clerical District, as the temples there have guards of their own faction for pro-tection,” a bystander who wished to remain anonymous stated. “What is even more curious is that some guards are determined to get at what caused the commotion, while others were seemingly reluctantly follow-ing. Makes one wonder what is going on.”

“That the guard is accessing the Upper Districts and restricting those who would otherwise be in danger is a wise choice,” states Mike “Mac-adamia” Jones, a nut salesman in the Lower General District. “Perhaps the guards reaction may be a little over the top, but to keep the city safe, I believe it was necessary. Of course, mixed emotions when inves-tigating seem perfectly normal. At least, that’s what they say in Arrow In The Knee, Murder In The Alley. It’s my favorite suspense novel.”

Whether you believe the guard is being secretive or overly cautious, either way, fear not, for they will investigate. We will inform the people of the cause as soon as it becomes available.

Murder In The Alley is by noted author Boris Flagg, and is available in book stores and libraries around the city.

Concerns Follow Late Night Explosions

Valandil Lightfoot

Thank You For Reading

Ar t by AugustCristofer

Credits for the Alivast Oracle

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Want to help with the Alivast Orcale? Reach out the staff to find out how!

@SkyonAir_ as Naraed Connarsdottir - WriterDreamoftheEndless as Eripmav A. Ton-Yllatot - Garlic Adverse LyricistDocHoliday45 as Jacobite Dare - Writer@froggies_mom as Hazel Rumplebottom and The Lady of Livrosea - Writer, puzzlemaker, layout artist@Fenrir_Lives - Ghostly Geisha Graphic Artist@Jimtherabidcow - Ad Artist, Dad (any day now)@AugustCristofer - Portraitist of Poisonous Potentates@wxchuck as Valandil Lightfoot - WriterAnd a special congratulations to @ZuelTheCat for submitting the winning entry for the Citizen of the Year contest and@CaitlinC37 for illustrating Snowflake ButterhopperRunners up: FrostBurn326, cheese2108642, (and ThatArtJack who was disqualified)