NEWS
NO BEAR, NO FOUL: CITY OFFICIALS DISMISS “MOCKING BEAR” RUMORS
In recent days, whispers have rippled through the market squares and taverns of Orr: a “Mocking Bear”—a creature of legend known for its ability to mimic humanoid speech and behavior—has allegedly been spotted inside the city walls. Several reports, all unconfirmed, describe a hulking figure seen skulking near the Coppergate district late at night. Witnesses claimed the creature was “shuffling on two legs” and “mumbling insults in a suspiciously baritone voice.” One baker’s apprentice insisted the beast made a rude gesture and then vanished into a storm drain. City officials, however, urge calm. “There is absolutely no evidence of any such creature within city limits,” said Commander Elsric Vorn of the Watch. “We’ve found no tracks, no claw marks, and no sarcastic growling—just one overturned cabbage cart and a lot of overactive imaginations.” Scholars at the College Arcanum agree that the so-called Mocking Bear is likely a misidentified drifter or a case of collective overindulgence in Blackbeak’s Bitter during last week’s Moon Festival. “Mocking Bears are creatures of remote woodland myth, not urban reality,” said Professor Malven Ict, cryptozoologist. “More likely someone saw a hairy man with a sore throat.” Still, businesses in the affected areas report an uptick in torch sales, and several enterprising youths are charging a copper apiece for “genuine bear-spotting tours” through the alleyways of South Bollard Street. In response to growing speculation, the City Watch has increased patrols in the lower boroughs and advised citizens to “keep their wits about them, and not to feed strange animals, no matter how articulate.” When asked if the alleged creature poses a threat, Commander Vorn chuckled. “The only thing mocking the people of Orr is their own imagination.” We at The Orr Observer will continue to monitor the situation—though we suggest our readers save the bear-traps for their country estates.
Have you seen something suspicious? Write to us at The Orr Observer offices, or drop a sealed note in one of our blue courier pigeons. No hoaxes, please—we still haven’t forgotten the “Invisible Hydra Incident” of last spring.
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PRICELESS GEM VANISHES FROM ORR MUSEUM IN DARING NIGHTTIME THEFT
By Pellinra Dask, Senior Correspondent In an audacious crime that has left city officials rattled and museum curators speechless, the Star of Noreldrin, a priceless sapphire the size of a goose egg, was stolen last night from the Grand Hall of the Orr Museum of Curiosities and Antiquities. According to museum staff, the gem was discovered missing just after dawn, when Curator Velbrin Salt, arriving for his morning rounds, found the reinforced glass case shattered and the protective wards inexplicably inert. 
“This was no common burglary,” Salt stated grimly. “The Star was sealed beneath three layers of arcane security and an enchanted lock blessed by a high priest of Arra.” He declined to speculate publicly on how these defenses were bypassed, though he admitted off the record that the museum’s contract with the warding company, HexSecure, expired last month and “may have been in renegotiation.” The Star of Noreldrin, famed for its deep blue hue and internal swirl of what appears to be starlight, was recovered from the ruins of an elven sky-vault nearly 200 years ago. Scholars still debate whether the gem is merely decorative or a sliver of planar matter condensed into crystalline form. Either way, its value—both monetary and magical—is immeasurable. Witnesses near the museum reported seeing “a cloaked figure leaping across rooftops” shortly before the Watch’s night bell rang at midnight. One street-sweeper, who asked not to be named, claimed the thief “vanished in a puff of mist and left behind the smell of lavender and burnt iron.” Commander Elsric Vorn of the City Watch has vowed swift justice. “We are investigating all possible leads, including members of the Silent Web, the Twilight Chalice, and a newly emerged group calling themselves The Gemeral Assembly.” He added that scrying attempts have thus far been “intermittent and unreliable, possibly due to interference from the gem itself.” The museum remains closed until further notice, and citizens are encouraged to report any suspicious magical activity, black-market gemstone dealings, or sudden appearances of starlight in unusual places.
DID YOU SEE SOMETHING? Report anonymous tips to the Orr Watch or send letters addressed to The Orr Observer, care of the Crime Desk. A generous reward is being offered by the museum for information leading to the return of the gem—or the capture of the thief.