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Six Perish in Fire at Calendar Shop
SHARN—Six apprentices died on Zur when a fire swept through the Merciful Street calendar shop where they worked.
The fire destroyed the Rarrick’s Woodcuts building at the corner of Merciful Street and the Grandview Footbridge in the Redstone District of Upper Dura. The press specialized in expensive calendars and other wall hangings believed to bring good luck to their owners. Each calendar is assembled with a combination of wood-block printing, hand calligraphy, and precise paper folds.
Some of Rarrick’s more elaborate calendar designs feature intricate paper doors that open to a miniature portrait or pastoral view for each day of the year.
Master Engraver Chazzi Rarrick said his entire inventory was destroyed in the blaze. Several thousand commemorative calendars for the year 1000 YK were among the lost inventory.
“We were stockpiling them in anticipation of the summer festival season,” Rarrik said, noting that the calendars are labor intensive to produce. “Many people would purchase them early to be assured of a lucky year. Ironic that such an unlucky fate befell them.”
The Daggerwatch Garrison of the City Watch said the cause of the blaze remains under investigation. Arson has not been definitively been ruled out but is unlikely, Watch sergeant Darlu Zozarik said. Several of the apprentices had a proclivity for minor magic, and authorities are investigating whether a spell gone awry could have ignited the paper stocks within the building.
About the Author
David Noonan is a designer/developer for Wizards of the Coast. Before coming to Wizards, he was a daily newspaper reporter in Washington state. Apparently the city hall beat is good practice for an Eberron campaign.
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