Albion Inkwell – issue 1
Published Early Spring 1126
Librarian’s note: A transcription is offered below to aid in indexing, but the formatting compromises mean the material is best viewed in its original form.
Thousand
Island Marketing
Emporium
Potions, Scrolls, Crafting & More…
Whispers from the Hearth…
Soon, a new voice will join our pages — one who
listens more than they speak, and sees more than
they should. If your burdens are heavy, your heart
tangled, or your past catching up like a shadow at
dusk… you may ask.
No names.
No judgement.
Just truth, inked in confidence.
Watch this space.
Residing in The Harts
Ask for Norin Blackwood of the
Kronos The Hollow Ledger
Editor’s Summary
To all those holding these ink-stained pages — thank you. Whether borrowed, bartered, or
brazenly lifted from a crate, you now possess the very first issue of The Albion Inkwell, printed in
Winchester, pressed with purpose, and sent out in service to the truth of Albion.
Within these pages lie whispers, warnings, and wonder — stories of battle, mystery, laughter, and
tea. But it is your stories we want next.
Speak with our roving quill-wielders. Share what you’ve seen. Or better yet — write to us. Send
word, parchment, or poetic rambling to The Inkwell Office, Winchester. We read every letter.
Some we even understand.
Until next issue — ink well, stay curious, and remember:
Strength Through Unity. Albion Prevails.
— P. Wilston Hollow
Editor-in-Quill, The Albion Inkwell
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Battle Report
Vortigern
Mists on the
Move
Chatting
With Dotty
The Gilded
Lotus
Your Story’s
AF 1125 Summer
Issue 1
Rhiannon of Albion: Bardic
Brilliance Burns Bright at the Fayre
By Dotty Quimble, Ink-Stained Halfling of the Truth
It is not often that the people of Albion rise as one to praise the stirring words of a bard. But this past Fortune Fayre, amid the
hum of traders and the clash of blades, a single voice stilled the crowd and stirred the soul.
Rhiannon — adventurer, storyteller, and Harts loyalist — graced the bardic competition with her retelling of Beowulf. But to
call it a mere retelling is to call the Pendragon a simple knight. It was not recitation; it was resurrection. Through her words, the
hall was transformed into a mead-hall of old, where the courage of one echoed in the hearts of all.
She placed second.
But to those who heard her, she came first in spirit.
There was something undeniable in her presence — not just in her voice, which lilted like the wind across Winchester’s meadows
— but in the quiet way she commanded the stage, unburdened by arrogance, elevated by passion. As the final note fell, a hush
clung to the air like mist over Avalon.
Many said she could be the next Master Bard of Albion. I say give it time — she may yet be more.
For in Rhiannon, we find the very soul of our people: brave, eloquent, and rooted in truth. Her tale of Beowulf was not just a
performance, but a call — a reminder that even as darkness presses in, there are still voices willing to sing light back into the
world.
Watch her closely. The Bard’s Guild may one day belong to her, not through ambition, but through inevitability.
Harts of Albion, take pride. Rhiannon sings for all of us.
1Mists on the Move: Albion Vanishes
One Pocket at a Time
By P Wilston Hollow, The Editor
Pockets of Mist seen all over Albion. Citizens told to be
weary of entering these pockets as they have been know to
relocate people, livestock and even buildings to other
parts of Albion. Official sources close to the Throne of
Albion have said that the main Mist bank at Caer Avalon
are impenetrable, the sources were unsure of why or what
is truly happening. Other have speculated its the result of
Vortigern and his black tower.
VORTIGERN: A KING IN THE MIST?
By Dotty Quimble, No Crown But Plenty of Questions
Some folk earn crowns. Others just announce them.
Vortigern — a name now echoing through the mists of
Albion — according to some within Albion he wants to
declare himself king. No court, no coronation, just a title and
a looming black tower to match.
Sources close to the Throne are tight-lipped. Others quietly
blame Vortigern, his odd demeanour, and his shadowy
fortress. Lilie, First Incantor, and Ser Asura called it a
concern. That’s polite talk for danger ahead .
Is he a king, a threat, or just another lunatic with delusions
and altitude?
One thing’s clear: Albion bows to no one just because they say
so.
We’re watching you, Vortigern. Try not to vanish in the fog.
Chatting With Dotty
“Diplomats Strangling Trade”
Claims Theo
While visiting the nobles I got an opportunity to interview
Theo whom I have heard of but never had the opportunity to
meet before. While at the bards competition in the bar I asked
him to bestow some wisdom to me and this is where he
informed me the Diplomats are strangling trade. What we
need is a war to stimulate the economy. However, Albion is
strong. I will let you the reader determine your thoughts
upon this.
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The Gilded Lotus – A Brew Fit for
Nobles and Ne’er-do-wells Alike
By Dotty Quimble, Ink-slinger and Occasional Tea
Enthusiast
I wandered into The Gilded Lotus expecting a warm drink
and maybe a seat. What I found was a pocket of peace in
the middle of our usually chaotic camps.
The lighting was gentle, the air smelled like comfort, and
the welcome was warm enough to melt even a Frost Elf’s
frown. I was handed a cup of something hot, fragrant, and
mysterious — and after a few sips, I remembered what it
felt like to breathe without tension.
The hosts don’t just pour tea; they serve serenity.
Conversations hushed to whispers, shoulders dropped, and
I swear even my thoughts stopped pacing for once.
No fanfare. No sharp edges. Just quiet excellence.
Five stars.
If you need a moment to remember who you are — or who
you were before all the shouting — the Lotus is waiting.
Battle Report: The Dark Lady
Strikes — And Is Struck Back
Filed by Dotty Quimble, still cleaning blood from her
boots
From the north, under veils of unnatural beings, the Dark
Lady’s forces descended upon our camp. Their ranks
were twisted — not undead, not living, but something
else. Ancestral, some whispered. Alien, said others.
Whatever they were, they hit hard and without warning.
Jaegar took a brutal blow to the face — described as
“horrid” by medics and “well-earned” by Jaegar himself.
He remained standing.
The Harts formed a solid line and pushed back, forcing
the enemy into a narrow tunnel. There, with steel, spell,
and sheer stubbornness, we routed them. Or so we
thought.
More came.
Wave upon wave, slower but no less relentless. Thorin
stepped forward into the line, blade raised — until, after a
cry, he briefly vanished from the front. Some said he
stepped back. Others say he stepped through. He
returned, mud-streaked and bloodied.
Maru was seen cleaving through the enemy with calm,
deadly precision. One scout simply wrote: “Fearsome.”
I did not witness The Dark Lady appear in person. Her
presence, however, was unmistakable. Cold. Thick.
Watchful.
When the dust cleared, the field was ours — but not
without cost. Injuries were many.
Victory was earned. But something tells me… this was
only the beginning.
Knife Crime Down, Wand Crime Up
The Mayor of Londinium assures citizens this is
technically progress. Stay alert — and maybe keep your
wand holsters locked.
Sinclair family now announces they
are House Sinclair “Are the Vipers or Harts kings more
Murderous?”
Just a thought of Dotty while Exploring Viper lands
“I hope this newspaper sends a message of hope to the
people. I will be watching.”
– Weathereye
Spotted Off the Coast: A Ship with 120
Cannons
Filed under “Definitely Not Normal”
Folk near Londinium and Cornwall report sightings of
a vast black ship lingering — silent, still, and armed
with over 120 visible cannons.
Strength Through Unity… The Empire
Prevails???
From the transport circle he arrived — not summoned,
not expected. Reginald Ector Ursus, 6th Tribune of
the 9th Imperial, named himself a Protector of the
Empire, though not one from any current map. He
claimed to serve an Albion for an empire that never
fell. if the Empire still stands… What are their plans?
Chatting With Dotty
Fake Ser Robert???
While talking to nobles I met someone who claimed “Thorin
could have tried harder at school” however I know what Ser
Robert looks like, Someone as notable as the Kight
Commander. The Fool I spoke with all I can say is they wore
a helmet and a red leather plate with a white tower signal.
The cheek of them, surely Ser Robert will want to deal with
them.
The Black Vines are spreading.
Neither natural nor known to Guild or Grove, they twist
through soil and stone with quiet intent. Ser Kiaya and Avery
call them dangerous — others say they’re not growing, but
reaching.
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