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Heard in Haven: June 2001Unfortunately, Aether suffered a database loss in the middle of June, and was forced to roll back to a previous version. We therefore lost all IC Rumor board posts from the first couple of weeks from June.
 Title: Lightning Strike Rumor spreads quickly throughout the city. An Empyrean was found before sunrise just a few mornings ago by the Hounds. The man had been rather badly beaten with injuries that included a broken wing, cracked ribs and numerous contusions and lacerations. He was discovered near the docks, barely conscious. To make matters worse, the man is an Aegian. The representative of his House to the formal governing body of his people. Many openly decry the ineptitude of Delphi and the Hounds that they allowed such an attack to occur. Of course, few mention the Schola guards that always accompany persons of such prestige...and where they might have been when the attack occurred.
Title: Which Craves as Desperate an Execution... Despite certain efforts to keep it quiet, one doesn't need to be Varati now to know the latest on the "Exodus," and the Rialto hums with a piece of potent gossip: versus scores of Varati running out of Delphi, one has actually run in. "Joined the Citadel? You've been at the nectar again, haven't you? -- Lissa, get that tarmac off the grapes or we won't be selling anything today! -- After the Estrel leavin' and their Atar outcastin' who don't follow suit... Impossible. Don't you know what kinda weight their kind sticks on caste? This kid would've gone from... from..." "Kshatri to kafir, highest to lower'n the lowest, and it don't stop there. Word is Imphada Zel came from a family of those killer priests -- Agni-Haidar -- and was a Lady-in-Whatever to Queen Thalia herself! The girl had it made." "Careful with those boxes! Bordertown might love it, but I ain't fixin' to fill the gutters with wine again! -- You're serious, ain'tcha? Why'n the name of Tyche would she wanna throw it all away? What else does your friend know?" "Mellus says she's gonna get married to another Varati in Delphi, some vaisya Cabeiri called Kashtaritu -- he's kafir now, too -- but funny thing is, he didn't notice no gobs of undyin' love between 'em. Said he'd seen business partners that looked cozier. When he was deliverin' the grapes to the kitchen, Mellus heard the servants talkin' about the ceremony, and get this -- they ain't havin' no Atarvani preaching their nuptials --" "Wouldn't wonder, if they're kaffe rank now." "Kafir, you twit; kaffe's what you drink! But this is where it gets good: it ain't gonna have nothin' to do with Atar, either. God-King himself, Lord High and Mighty, and he ain't gonna have one damn thing to do with that weddin'. Mellus says they're pulling out all the old rituals, all the stuff they did before Mister Atar came along." "Before Atar... didn't know there was such a thing."
Title: New Imperator Arrives "Well, we've got a new one." The dry remark comes from a Praetor loitering in the Rialto, idling away a few off-duty hours while talking to an Empyrean merchant who's usually a font of gossip, only this time the roles are reversed. "New what?" the merchant asks eagerly. "New Imperator. Saw him earlier today. Short guy, sorta balding. Doesn't look like much. I never even heard of him before." "Is that bad?" questions the merchant. The Praetor shrugs. "I like knowing a bit more about who I'm taking orders from. Probably he's just some lackey from one of the outer provinces, sent here to keep an eye on things. Maybe he won't make us do endless drills, at least." The merchant chuckles. "Well, here, have another sweet roll, in case he does. Might as well enjoy it while you can." And that's the extent of the conversation, although the merchant would have dutifully relayed the news that there's a new Imperator in town, to any who cared to listen.
Title: Scandal at House Zagreus A few Empyrean Houses pay for news and gossip from Haven. One enterprising young clerk has started up a small side business selling such tidbits to various families in the Empyre. His clients like gossip, the juicier the better and so he may be prone to exaggerate a bit. Below is an extract of one of his latest missives: House Zagreus After having made a tentative appearance last year for the Empyreal election, we were perhaps lulled into thinking that this once decadent house had really changed its ways. The mild-mannered Artem Zagreus had us all believing she was merely a bookish scholar who would rather be locked away with her scrolls and pens. Unfortunately for the house's reputation, recent events show that if this Domina is the spokesperson for the family, they are eccentric at best, utterly scandalously corrupt is more likely. First, the Domina Zagreus took into her household, on some pretence of hiring an "assistant", a young street-rat named Sebastienne. The girl was given a room not in the servants quarters but in the family quarters. Tongues started wagging at once, of course. But the story got even more interesting when the street-rat was acknowledged as Domina Sebastienne Acesian. You probably read about that startling announcement in the House Acesius section. In any case, even though the girl is now acknowledged nobility, she still spends several nights a week in the fold of Zagreus. Suspicious is it not? Rumors that the two young women are more than mere friends may well seem to be founded. But yet on the other hand, the Domina Zagreus has been seen around Haven with dozens of men in the past few weeks. Dining, dancing, having intimate discussions in low voices in darkened corners. Who knows what other events have been happening? And such a wide range of men too, elderly Aegians, dangerous darklings, a handful of good, honest men. I bribed a few of her servants and it seems that the nocturnal activities are not limited to the out of doors, but there has been a stream of visitors to the familial abode as well. Everyone from street rats to the Emperor himself has been spotted in her company, not to mention quite a few well known members of the underground. Is this a decadent nature manifesting? Is she luring moral men to her lair to have her lurid ways with them? Or is this all a front for shameful intimacies with Domina Acesius? The last tidbit on this House, and to close this month's report, happened just today. It seems that Artem Zagreus purchased a handsome, well-built young mongrel slave from a merchant company that was selling off their surplus slaves. Paid a fortune for him surely, I've never seen a mongrel so tall or so powerfully built. But what happened next you will not believe, I had to bribe well to get the news from the servants of Zagreus. After he arrived in the house and was cleaned up, this mongrel scum named Valin was escorted into the Domina's private study, which apparently links onto her bed chamber. After a mere fifteen minutes he left -- with his freedom! Yes, that's right, she bought him, toyed with him for a few moments, and then set him free. If the brothels only knew how much money they could get from her, I'm sure she'd never need to spend so much for so little pleasure again. Alas, my dear <he inserts the name of the individual client here on each copy>, your humble servant must bid you fair skies. Until next month. Alindraus
Title: New Construction Anyone who has traveled through the Empyrean quarter in the past day or two might be surprised to see that a wooden fence has been put up around a rather large parcel of land that had been grassy areas filled with small gardens, unused land that had provided the wealthy of the quarter a beautiful view. But not now. The grass and gardens are gone, leaving only a field of dirt which is being leveled by crews of mongrels led by Empyrean foremen. Some people have said they have seen Dea Selene Acesian and Dominus Octavian Jove at the site as well, talking with one of the Empyrean workers with the Jovian carrying a few scrolls. A librarian at the Scriptorium has commented that the Dea and Dominus have been seen there as well, going over many of their scrolls pertaining to Empyrean architecture. Those curious enough to approach one of the foremen to inquire into the project are only met with a shrug and an answer of "Don't know, we're only here to level the land. Must be building something though, something big." Documents are also produced, when asked, showing the sale of the property from the city of Haven, but the purchaser has so far remained anonymous. With its proximity to the Palladium some have speculated that the Empyre is enlarging its embassy while others whisper that its going to be a fortress against the problems with Delphi and the Varati. Perhaps it will be new apartments for Empyrean citizens, but as of yet, no one is certain.
Title: ...And Lightning From His... A bit of excitement yesterday afternoon, just outside the entrance to the Palladium. Domina Corael Augustin, wife of the Aegian, Gabriel Augustin, was attacked by a small group of Mongrels. Three of them managed to hold off her two Schola Guards long enough for a fourth to break her wing. It is quite likely that the attacker would have done the same to her head had not the Emperor himself chanced to happen by. Lightning flashing in the clouds behind him, the Deus Maximus directed a blast of wind at the attacker. In fact, the wind was strong enough to snap the neck of the mongrel when it threw him against a nearby wall. The Emperor himself then landed, lifted the injured Domina and took her inside the Palladium to be treated by a Healer.
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