Jungle Drums/Issue 1

In this issue we write about: necromancy, the Queen's outsider tax, the palefaces' 'bank' plot, the Wicksicks' conflict on an island, Clurichaun's hunt-ma-doee, and we publish an interview with Armadox. Dalpok News Banks: Native Asset or Outsider Threat? By Eudaemon Before palefaces came to Shartak gold and gems were mostly used to make jewellery, since we had so much of it. Recently though, outsiders have opened two of their 'banks', where fat smoke monkeys are paid to lock it up and let other people borrow it. One of those 'bankers' (even though he didn't smoke) asked me to open one in Dalpok to assist my own business. What I learned from his garble is that each and every one of those hovel havens has one, even the pirates, but only Raktam and my village have banks, and they're franchised from outsiders. The banking business seemed normal enough, waiting around in a hut all day to collect the purses and belts of coins and note who deposited them, but I noticed the profits of my other business being leached by withdrawals from foreign accounts. I was earning enough to make a living and replace the branch coffers, but I was never seeing bank couriers for evening the net loss. I even did work for people who had paid these outsiders. I never saw a ha-penny, copperweight, or piece of eight in return for accepting their business from Dalpok. I sent a request for it to Duham by holiday singing parrot with the branch report. I have received no reply from Futility and am beginning to suspect that these banks may be a plot to funnel our wealth into Duham pockets. They don't even have a working government! Raktam News Queen serious about outsider tax By Chief cookpot The outsiders present in "Santa's hut" now know what happens when they don't pay their tax. The hut, which the queen claims is located in Raktam territory, was recently visited by many outsiders, all wanting to get a gift from "Santa", an inappropriately dressed outsider that gives away items and gold for free. When the queen noticed all these outsiders, she immediately ordered them to pay her the imposed tax for being an outsider on Raktam territory, although most of them were not willing to comply. As the queen did not get the money she demanded, she ordered mercenaries to take care of the outsiders who didn't pay, as she had warned she'd do. I had the luck of being present when it happened, and what I saw was amazing. Three outsiders, Jhonson, Klaus The Wretched and Oktavius, were all killed by one single royal mercenary, one after another, showing the true power of the court. Whether or not the outsiders who were left paid the tax is unclear, as the queen had to leave to attend other business. Although one thing is for sure: the next time the queen asks for tax, she won't be ignored. Wiksik News Necromancy in Wiksik By Wulla-mullung It has been a growing phenomenon across Shartak, particularly in Wiksik. It is commonly known as “xp farming” or necromancy, coined by a local group in Wiksik, the Necromancers Guild. Natives and outsiders alike will implore the use of spirits to wail at the occupants of a medical hut and in turn the healers will heal the injured for xp. Although both spirits and living gain from this odd relationship, there is still much controversy surrounding the issue. On one side are many of the healers and a group called the Necromancers Guild. They believe in a form of a symbolic relation between spirits and healers. On the other hand, many residents of native towns, particularly Shamans, feel appalled by such acts, some going as far as to call it outright blasphemy. A few shamans have been seen murdered by native members of the Necromancers Guild while others have fled Wiksik in a panic. Generally, visitors and natives of Wiksik have more or less accepted the new ways of the Guild and any resisters in the past are just avoiding the “spirit hut” altogether. Rumours have been spreading of the possibility of the Necromancers Guild expanding to other native towns. Whether this will come to pass or not and how they intend to do it is unconfirmed at the moment. Interviews Interview with Armadox Interviewer: A rat A rat: What made you become a mass murderer? Armadox: Ah, I remember my first victim. He was so innocent staring at me with big tear filled eyes as I skinned him with a sharpening stone. It took a while, so I had time to get to really know him, after his spirit shattered into hopeless depression of the inevitable horrible death he did in fact suffer, he was rather talkative. I am not a mass murderer, I simply hate people.. all people. They tell me the horror that is in the thoughts of man. Those that lay beyond have called to me, their wisdom warning me of man's involvement on the island, of the destruction of balance. My teachings as a shaman have opened my eyes to the deceit of mankind, killing all the animals.. chopping down the trees till the ground is barren, and now more men come.. strange demons of pale flesh whom coverting the gems, and combing the beaches of even the wood they find.. The pale flesh calls us Scavengers now, me and others like me whom have no town, no need for it. The other Scavengers are such for their own reasons, and some are simply nomads.. They generalize us under one name, but each Scavenger is his own entity, doing as they see fit. I don't mind.. they are my brethren in a sense, others who have felt the need to disown man for their own reasons, greed, distruction, hatred.. love.. I am saving man from themselves, killing them to end their suffering. The spirits have called for it, and I listened... A rat: Are there any plans for the Scavengers in the future? Armadox: My hopes for the Scavengers is to have my fellow members simply exsist. More Scavengers come and do as they feel, and that is all I can ask of them. To those whom have to heal, may they do so to all they meet. To those whom have greed choose their morals, may they find riches in their wake. But to those whom have to cause distruction, to them I hope to work close to preform isolated hits on towns. The war dogs of the Scavengers. One day I hope that we may work together, and join hands as one.. around a burning village devoid of all human life. A rat: Whatever happened to Valtek, the summoner? Armadox: He's taken a vow of enlightenment outside of town. (The player went, and joined the Marines, the bastard. He'll be back..) A rat: Who is your greatest rival/enemy? Do they pose much of a threat? Armadox: The closest thing I can say I have to a rival would be Azguz, though he's long since been a problem. When the Raktamites where at the height of power they tended to cause me trouble. Lately there's been so much talk, but no one stops me.. I've completely slaughtered every person in the med hut one at a time without problem. The court of Raktam is a joke, and Blue Hummingbird forgot her Scavenger ways if she's even trying to stop me. I suspect much of the little bird.. A rat: Your thoughts on Blue Hummingbird, supposed Queen of Raktam? Armadox: Blue Hummingbird is simply fulfilling what I have done long before. The Scavengers still controll Raktam, as Blue was one of our numbers. Blue Hummingbird is still a Scavenger. She will always know the feel of that, and it will haunt her untill she gives into the wanderlust she felt before. She calls for the heads of outsiders, and have the charisma to draw those stupid enough to follow her to killing others acrossed the island in large wars. The Scavengers are destroying Raktam from the inside, and they will not notice it untill they are driven from their homes in fear. A rat: Have you ever thought of.....being nice for a day? I think if you went around Raktam giving praise to people it would cause more fear than your random murders. Everyboby would be so unexpecting of it! Armadox: Tried Nycunga Day, got killed... Not worth it.. A rat: Ever think about just leaving Raktam, and leading a life elsewhere? Maybe Unity Island? Armadox: I'm in Raktam because I feel like being in Raktam. Scavengers have no town, and I kill what I want when I want. on my 200th Raktam slain, I will start on another town. Maybe before, maybe later.. A rat: Finally, could you tell me your favorite quote? Armadox: I don't waste ap to talk.. The dead have no need for witty monologue... The interviewer was found outside the village of Raktam. His skin flayed, and his bloody corpse strung into the trees where it looks to have been eaten by the wildlife. A bloody sharpening stone lays at his feet with the symbol of the Scavenegrs carved into it. The native's skin was rolled up like a scroll in his hand. On the skin had been written the interview, Armadox skinned him, and forced the native to continue with his job as he died.... Don't come looking again.... Stories Island conflict 'Battle of Midway' or 'Rude Disturbance of Sacred Ritual on Babakiueria'? YOU DECIDE! By Foo Fighter Some months ago, a strange thing happened on the south coast of Shartak: A loud rumbling is heard throughout the island of Shartak and is accompanied by strong shaking of trees, huts and everything else! General indications are that the epicentre was to the south-east of the island. The residents of Wiksik and Derby claim it was strong enough to send things falling to the ground although mostly the settlements seemed to have survived. Apparently, this mysterious Earthquake brought forth a new island that was subsequently discovered by native forces. Here a video of what happened: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcPp5iqx798 After this memorable event, the call was going out to the Wicksick Headhunters to meet up on this strange new place and hold a memorable ritual. While outsiders were allowed to watch the preliminaries of the holy actions, they were forbidden access to the island when the real business started. Many curious Derbian heads, whose owners had set it upon themselves to try to reach the island, were collected and piled up in the middle of Babakiueria. What happened there was thought to remain secret sacred native knowledge, but what happened then forces us to step forward and present a different view of things. The treacherous Derbians were embittered by their watery deaths and contacted the Yorkian owl rubbers for help! Carrying their dubious idol before them, they set out from their war-torn home village and attacked the ritually engaged natives in one big massacre. This, they call the ‘Battle of Midway’ in their announcements and newspapers – the public is to believe a heroic battle took place there. But what happened really there? To make clear what this was all about, the WickSick Secret Sacred Commission on Secret Sacred Things (WSSCOSST) decided to make the ritual business visible to the public. See and decide for yourself if this outsider attack was a heroic battle or a rude disturbance of holy business. Click here to view the entire log. Guides We have one new guide for this issue! Clurichaun's hunt-ma-doee Greetings to all of ye! As a celebration of Jungle Drums’ first article, I’ve created me very first treasure hunt! To find ye treasure, know that eastward be always true. Ye’ll find it very near a mucky place, and close to remains of a mighty Kraken. Find the sign that be the place and ye’ll have yer loot. Know that I’ve buried me loot in more than one ‘ole. Ye’ll find enough booze to last ye fer a long time and gold an’ trinkets and a backpack to carry it all in.

Contents International No international news Dalpok News Banks: Native Asset or Outsider Threat? Raktam News Queen serious about outsider tax Wiksik News Necromancy in Wiksik Interviews Interview with Armadox Stories Island conflict Propaganda No propaganda Guides Clurichaun's hunt-ma-doee