According to Mactharus Tenstone of the Solanthus Builders Guild the city of Solanthus has drawn up plans to become the first domed city of Ansalon. According to Tenstone the city has had a long history of being defeated by outside threats. This is a huge source of embarrassment for the citizens of the supposed "Capital of Solamnia" (not to mention the largest Solamnic output on the mainland).
"See, Solanthus started as a Fort Town out on the border of Ergoth thousands of years before the Cataclysm," Tenstone explains. "Even then it was getting its butt kicked on a regular basis. Then as it began to grow over the centuries they erected some nominal defenses and an outer wall, but it was nearly razed to the ground during the Dragon Wars. Then after that wall was trampled and they were invaded they built a moat around the city. Well then the damn place was invaded again during the War of the Lance. So the Solamnic Knights built a bigger and better wall around the moat. They called the place impenetrable. They claimed our fair city was now one of the most fortified cities in all of Ansalon. And look what happens now! We've been invaded again! The Dark Knights have taken over the whole damn town. The next logical step has got to be a dome!" It seems that the city residents agree. In a recent local vote 83% of the citizens believe it's time to beef up defenses once again. "One day we'll get it right!" exclaimed Tenstone.
When asked what would happen if a Dragon Overlord simply sat on the dome crushing it beneath it's weight and crushing the city alive in tons of rock, Tenstone had no comment.
An investigation of the vacant fishing villages along the northern shore of Nordmaar has turned up some very interesting findings for Hukdon Foniks, a gnomish Aesthetic from the Great Library of Palanthas. It seems while exploring the villages that had been over-run by shadow-wights during the Chaos War, Hukdon came across a library of personal diaries and love poems.
"The diaries were penned by one Melphit A Frump," clarifies Hukdon who is now in possession of the rare find. "I asked everyone within miles if they have ever heard of Frump and no one has any memory that Frump ever existed. This can only lead me to the conclusion that Frump is unknown. And if this is true, it is the most amazing find of the century! I have discovered the Unknown author! We have thousands of her books in the Great Library, each and every one of them penned by the Unknown author!" Hukdon is now on his way back to the Great Library to start adding the name "Melphit A Frump" to all of her previously un-credited works.
The dwarven construction company of Smolder and Boulder is looking for a few good dwarves. The company responsible for such structures as Pax Tharkas, The Library of The Ages, the University of Palanthas, the Citadel of Light and the Tower of the Stars in Qualinesti is looking to expand its operation. "Business is booming!" exclaims Dent Tankard, president and CDO (Chief Dwarven Operator) of S&B Construction. "Every time we have a good war business goes up. The First Cataclysm, The Chaos War, the War of the Lance and now the War of the Souls, we just can't keep up anymore." A majority of the dwarves in the millennia old company are from the original members hired on just after the Fall of Istar. They are experts in their field but Dent is having a hard time keeping them around. "Just last week I had two of my best smiths keel over and die at the forge. At least they had the presence of mind to finish what they were workin' on before they did," explains Dent. Now with rumors of an army of Minotaurs on the mainland Dent is worried that his aging crew may not be enough to handle the up and coming demand for business. If you have any skills in carpentry, metal smithing, stone masonry or are able to work with other raw materials you can contact Dent and his crew at the Citadel of Light on the Isle of the Schallsea, where they are presently restoring crystal domes destroyed by the attack of the Green Dragon Overlord.