Editing Journey of the Strange (section)

==Rumors and Speculations==

There have been three claimed sightings of gigantic ships in the Bay of Suns...none of which have led to any meeting. Indeed, the ships have all retreated at great speed.

The Heral Imperiate landed a massive fleet last year on an unclaimed Island chain. While they seem more intent on developng farms and orchards than exploring, there are several fast cutters in their newly developing harbour and an excess of troops.

A little known fact is that there are several small seasonal villages on the edge of the sea of fog. They are generally brave captains of the Kirklands Realms, who fish the rich banks off the fogs for whales and Oilfish.

The Mari Imperium has no direct vested interest in the new world. Several of its princes and princesses have sponsored exploration vessels and certain mercantile ventures along the southern coastal isles, mainly for rare fruits and woods. There are rumors, however, of landings to the South, and a hidden city that the Mari are rebuilding...
===The curious case of the Viscount Harper===
Eight years ago (some say twelve, versions differ), the young Viscount Harper arrived, an adventurer with a charter in hand, giving him rights to a huge area, confusingly delimited, of the mountains far far inland. The man arrived on an oak and metal ship crafted by dwarves and with a retinue of some hundred or hundred and fifty men and dwarves, as well as women. The men were, by all appearances, adventurers like the Viscount, while the dwarves were miners, sages and soldiers. There were a few agriculturalists among the men and these were, curiously, the finest dressed of all, along with the count himself. Accompanied by a huge train of mules, horses, donkeys, goats and pigs, this group cut a trail, still discernible in the forest, striking inland. A trio of dwarves remained behind, with a single man, living on the boat which to this day is moored in the harbour. No-one has seen the dwarves leave their craft since, but they can be seen exercising on deck and looking after the craft. It is rumoured that they have a vast store of food within the hold, encased in chests and warded from rotting by magics, which they use to survive. The man is known as Robert de la Mer and he is very frequently seen in town. It is not clear exactly where he is from, nor what he is doing here. Rumours abound, that the Viscount is setting up production in the highlands of Reeka, so he can bring the seeds back to the Old World for sale and undercut the competition, or that Harper's Mission is amassing a mountain of gold, silver and emeralds and will, any day, descend from the mountains with a laden mule train the likes of which has never been seen before. Rather than confirm or deny any of these rumours, de la Mer simply agrees with all of them and expands, a little, on each of them as he does so.