Yesterday, almost three quarters of Rotan City was plunged into chilling, icy darkness for four hours. The incident has been blamed on the Gnomish Laboratories, and the King has issued an immediate ban on gnomish research not directly authorised by the crown. A gnomish device commissioned by the Rotan Merchants' Alliance is rumoured to be responsible for both the black-out and the earlier layer of warm porridge which coated much of the north east portion of the city.

The Gnomish Inventors' Guild, which owns the Laboratories issued an apology early this morning, and intends to "co-operate fully with the King's temporary research ban". 

The device was eventually deactivated by two of the famous Lords of Rotan, Quithas and Draco. An investigation lead by Freca Narall has not yet determined the exact cause of the accident, although the Rotan News has learned that several large crystal fragments were recovered from the remains of the Gnomish Laboratories.

[See also our special eye-witness report "Porridge Rained from the Heavens" on page 14]

A fearsome Beholder ravaged the southern portion of the city yesterday, damaging buildings and killing seven people, including visiting Governor Orik of Lerantu.

The creature seems to have escaped during a warehouse fire, under the cover of the mysterious darkness. Governor Orik formed part of a bucket chain which was attempting to put out the blaze when the creature first attacked. A witness claims to have seen the Governor turned instantly to dust by the creature's magical powers.

Euvgeni Maryamitrevnavich, the Ambassador of Outreach, lead a group of Rotan's Lords in pursuit of the creature. "That Barbarian Lord chased the evil creature, he saved our lives," whimpered Jori Missle, a junior clergyman who was part of the bucket chain.

Lord Euvgeni's group was able to corner the creature in a building, where it was killed in battle. According to reports from Pirs, the Lords have previous experience hunting beholders. Beholders are intelligent carnivores rumoured to inhabit the lands south of Pirs.

According to a Palace spokesman, King Anwell dispatched a herald to Lerantu with the sad news and a formal apology from the City immediately upon hearing the news. Orik was elected as Governor of neighbouring Lerantu just three months ago.

The cause of the warehouse fire is not yet known. The warehouse was being used by two elven traders, both of whom were victims of the beholder's savagery.

[See also "Memorial Service to be Held" on page 8, "Governor's Bravery Saluted" on page 9 and special coverage of the battle on page 11]

All citizens of Rotan have been instructed to be alert after the famed Elven Lord Flash returned from lengthy seclusion to bring a dire warning to the city and to the whole of Ivrea. Lord Flash has confirmed the persistant rumours that Rotan could be attacked by savage magic-wielding trolls in the near future.

Although some skeptics have denounced these reports as a secret elven plot, the Palace has ordered citizens of Rotan to make sure that they have at least three weeks worth of food and water stock-piled and has also requested that people co-operate with defense efforts co-ordinated by the Rotan City Guard. The arrival of a contingent of wizards from the University of Craft and Thought has also been linked to this warning... [continued on page 4]

The Rotan sewer system has been closed and guard have been placed at major entrances to the underground cavern system. This follows the discovery of dangerous spiders beneath the city. A gnomish tour guide working in the sewers says "we were attacked by enormous insects, then there was a bright flash and something knocked me on the head".

In a possibly related incident, Martha Gull, a street cleaner near the Church of Artafor, reports that the ground opened up in front of her and a procession carrying an unconscious gnome walked right out. "I've not seen a thing like it since two people fell out of the sky onto my brother's fish stall in the market years ago," said a visibly shaken Marta. She went on to describe the procession as... [continued on page 5]

From the foreign office of the Rotan News comes word of a strange phenomenon sighted at New Ivrea yesterday. Apparently following an emergency meeting of the Lower Council, an extraordinary meeting took place in the Wellinghall. Leaders of many of the faiths represented at New Ivrea were seen to enter the hall and half an hour later a stream of luminescent butterflies erupted from the windows. These sparkling creatures dispersed into the night-sky with amazing swiftness. Since the phenomenon, rumours have been circulating in New Ivrea calling the lights "messengers of the gods". Some Ivreans say that they carry word to the farthest reaches of Ivrea warning all of the faithful to prepare for war.

In a brief ceremony this morning, the King of Rotan awarded the deed to a newly constructed house to Runnok Delgrav. Delgrav's house was destroyed when the city's Lords battled an escaped Beholder yesterday. During the ceremony, the King hailed Delgrav's bravery in the face of extreme danger as an example for all of Rotan citizens. He was also heard to mutter "I'll have to speak to the old maid about this sort of thing", but a Palace spokesman was unable to clarify this comment.

Delgrav tells an amazing tale of the Lords fight and his own role directing their efforts from outside the house. "My assistance was very useful to Lord Euvgeni's group" he explained, "I helped the Lords figure out where in my house the creature was hiding. Then it blasted a hole in the wall, and I was knocked unconscious by some falling masonary. Fortunately, the Lords were able to finish without me." Despite Delgrav's claims of a possible Lordship, the Palace... [continued on page 13]