# Forum > Play-by-Post Games > Ongoing Games (In-Character) >  Adventures in the Forgotten Realms [IC]

## Chambers

_Adventures in the Forgotten Realms_In Character | Out of Character | Recruitment









_We remember cities now in ruin and forests murdered,
yet still we sing to the stars and hope for renewal.
author unknown, attributed to the elves_



1371 DR, Mid-Autumn
*Stronghold of the Nine, High Forest*

Unlike the Neverwinter Wood, the High Forest has no geothermic shield to keep it warm during the winter months. Though first snowfall is yet months away the North wind is gaining strength. Soon it will roar over the Spine of the World like an invisible avalanche, air so heavy you can feel it weigh upon you even before the sky turns white. The snow will bring a false peace, the frozen calm of those who are trapped and know that only time will remove their bonds. The wind will bring the cold sleep from which some will never awaken. It will bring the snow that buries roads and turn neighbors into isolated prisons. The wind will lock the people to the land, the pressure from the heavy sky building and building until it's too much to even look up, until all they can do is wait with shallow and slow breath until the North wind tires of it's conquest and retreats back across the Spine to wait for next year.

It's mid-autumn in the High Forest and you can feel the first chill in the air as the North wind sends it's scouts south to spy on the enemy. It's been a week since the four from Longsaddle joined Kelveroth and Yzara at the Stronghold and the village should be safe for now, though absent a few more cows. Despite their reluctance to share their elven spell lore with Yazra the Council is welcoming to the group of humans that are visiting them. The ancient elven empires that the Council wish to emulate were not closed-minded and xenophobic; rather they helped build kingdoms that included both humans and dwarves. The prisoner's past revealed the daemonfey's camp in Elven Port and a secret ally in Silverymoon. Their goal appears to have something to do with another elven guarded ruin in the High Forest.

The daemonfey makes the Council nervous. The fiendish elves are like a twisted mockery of what the Council wants. Both have the goal of raising an elven empire of old yet both couldn't be further from the same. Whatever secrets the Council know about the daemonfey and the nameless dungeon they aren't sharing yet and the daemonfey aren't the only thing on the Councils mind. In the midst of dealing with dragons and daemonfey, the Councils main business at the moment is building a relief shipment for the besieged city of Everska. The Council is made up of elves from all regions of Toril, Everska included, so for many it is not simply an act of charity but rather vital aid for their family. The hope that many were waiting for never arrived when the Blackstaff and his agents failed to liberate the city, instead becoming stuck there. Theres talk back in Waterdeep of Laeral organizing another relief army to march during the winter to reach the elven enclave. The Council hopes to have its aid ready before then but is not sure how it can be delivered with the Zhentarim controlling the pass through the Graypeak Mountains.

Winter is preparing for its assault and there's only so much time left before the roads lock down under snow and ice. Uncertainties swirl around you, waiting to take on more solid forms as you decide your course of action. Take more lodestones from the dragon? Clear the mountain path for the elven relief? Find the daemonfeys ally in Silverymoon? Strike a blow against their base in Elven Port? 

---
Sunset in the high forest is a slow diffusion of light as it filters through the thick canopy. Though the majority of the Stronghold is underground, the elves take most of their meals above and outside when the weather permits. This evening for dinner the six of you were joined by Lady Morgwais and her apprentice-mage, a sylvan elf named Erendriel who is a descendant of the lost elven House Nyntynel.

Erendriel pauses before taking another sip of wine. *"Maybe we should have done it."* The thin elf brushes back some of their long hair and watches the sunset. *"The banishment might have killed him...but if it did not, then we would have a pliable mind to probe. Now it will be months perhaps, before we are able to separate host from their parasite. Tell me, is this how you handle traitors where you come from?"*

*Spoiler: 1371 Dale Recokoning*
Show




> The group was formed in spring of 1371 in Sundabar during the two year anniversary memorial for all who fought during the Hellgate War. Arae was getting ready to get out of Sundabar to evade the inquisitive justiciar while Yzara was there at the behest of House Thann, as part of the entertainment for the nobles at the memorial. The group of you stumble upon half-fiends living covertly in the city. The daemonfey of House Dlardrageth are elves that long ago turned toward demon worship and were released with the destruction of Hellgate Keep. A coven of them had infiltrated Sundabar in the wake of the Hellgate War and were consolidating their power when the group of you discovered them.


1371 Dale Reckoning (Spring)

*In the House of Dlardrageth*

Freed from their stasis prison, the sun elf daemonfey of House Dlardrageth set out to learn what had happened in hundreds of years of their imprisonment. The city of Sundabar was known to them as Citadel Sundbarr and they used their ancient knowledge of the old city to find secret ways into and out of the underlevels. The elf supremacists sought to steal the secrets of the volcanic Everfire forge and infiltrated the lives and minds of the smiths there.

Through their corrupt magic the daemonfey imprisoned the minds of dozens of smiths. When your group discovered their plans they used the innocent smiths as fodder to cover their escape.

Make a choice.

*Diplomacy: Save the mind-enslaved workers and let the daemonfey escape.*

Results: You showed mercy to those suffering under the fiendish compulsions and took them alive while the daemonfey escaped. The smiths, their families, and the Lord of Sundabar himself, Helm Dwarf-Friend, congratulate you on making the difficult choice to preserve life when a more bloody glory is tempting. The smiths are able to catalog the materials and plans that the daemonfey escaped with and provide you with a sample of similar ore to help with divinations in tracking the fiends. The Sundabar chapter of the Most Careful Order of Skilled Smiths & Metalforgers buy your group a three year adventuring company charter with Sundabar.



1371 Dale Reckoning (Summer)

*In the City of Splendor*

If there's something Cassandra Thann likes more than having an important role in social events it's for her own House to gain favor through glorious deeds and create more reasons to host parties for her to show off. Her retainer discovering a fiendish plot, thwarting it, and saving the lives of the innocent smiths is a story that she wants to hear in person and so she's invited the recently chartered company to the Thann estate in Waterdeep. Traveling on House Thanns coin means traveling in style and safety and for once you are the pilgrims being guarded on the road.

Once in Waterdeep, Cassandra does not have that many demands on your time. Those who enjoy fancy dinner parties enjoy them while the rest suffer through the whims of nobility. She encourages you to pursue your own business while in the city for the summer and offers her villa free of charge with the caveat that you do no evil and keep her abreast of any juicy rumors and gossip.

How do you spend your Summer at House Thann?

Choice one or make your own plan.
Investigate the elemental lodestones from the Sundabar forge. Understand their properties and theorize what the daemonfey want with them.Research the House of Dlardrageth and where they came from and what their motives might be.Spend time getting to know the social circuit of Waterdeep nobility. Are you trying to make new friends or just digging for rumors?Get lost in the City of Splendors. Pick a craft or profession and live like a local for the month.Look for more work. Now that youve a bona fide adventuring company charter you can attract both more lucrative contracts and hire your own sellswords to fill out your numbers.

The Summer of Splendor is profitable for each of you as you spend your time wisely. Both Yzara and Orlando find suitable contracts for the years remaining adventuring season from their new friends in the High and Low parts of town. Arae and Tamsin settle down for a few weeks and take a breather from the stress of the road while Kelveroth and Odryn team up to find out what their fiendish foes were up to.

Ordyn gains Lore: Magic Item Crafting (2 ranks)
Yzara gains Lore: Waterdeep Nobility (2 ranks)
Arae gains Lore: Waterdeep Clergy (2 ranks)
Tamsin gains Lore: Waterdeep Castle District (2 ranks)
Orlando gains Lore: Waterdeep Dock Ward (2 ranks)
Kelveroth gains Lore: House Dlardrageth (2 ranks)

A thousand years before elves first taught magic to the humanfolk of Netheril, the sun elf House Dlardrageth turned to demon worship and in turn corrupted many other houses of elven nobility. Their deceit was eventually discovered and caused the Seven Citadels War which ended with them either destroyed or imprisoned beneath the earth in stasis fields; their leaders in one prison that would become Hellgate Keep, their main armies in another dungeon whose name and location would be lost to time. 

Their corruption was so great and widespread that the elves of Myth Adofhar, in their shame at the actions of their cousins, placed the entire city and its mythal in a stasis field outside the time frame of Toril effectively shunting the entire city to some point in the future. It has yet to reappear.

The elemental lodestones taken from the volcano underneath Sundabar are mostly used for infusing living elementals into metal weapons and armor. These particular lodestones are useful for imprisoning the spirits of earth and fire elementals, attracting them and then binding them. Experimenting with the lodestones shows that they could be used in reverse to repel and disband certain kinds of energies. The effect is weak with the limited amount of lodestones available, but in theory a large enough supply could create a constant dispelling effect over a large field.

---
Lady Cassandra Thann wishes you a fond farewell at the end of your summer and tells Yzara to come back with more exciting stories to tell. 

Where do you decide to go?



1371 Dale Reckoning (Fall)

*House Dlardrageth Investigation + Resupply and Reacquisition*

The Council would like to borrow your sample of the lodestone for further tests. They offer to teleport the group from Waterdeep to the Stronghold to drop off the lodestone and then take folks to Longsaddle. The leader of the Council of the Wood, the wood elf Lady Morgwais Nightmeadow, suspects it will take a few weeks to work with the sample and align the sympathetic resonances with the vein somewhere in the Star Mounts. They are not familiar with whats going on with the mercenary companies but are hesitant to fully believe the Bloodaxes claims about Blue Sigil. She advises that though ogres are generally nasty and hostile, they have the right to exist like everyone else and the fact that they have banded together for mutual aid and protection is worth investigating.

*Longsaddle* (Tamsin, Orlando, Arae, Ordyn)

Longsaddle is a trading post village notable for two things: beef and mad wizards. Farms and ranches surround Longsaddle for miles around and the village of little more than 100 folk will swell to nearly four times that number of people and thousands of cattle during the trading season. The village is the private demesne of a family of powerful wizards named the Harpells who live in a massive mansion protected by a dome of magical force. The Harpells control the wardings that surround the village and blast any hostile force that gets too close.

The doors of Ivy Mansion have been closed for months and no one has seen any of the Harpells for the same time. Its no mystery why they are gone; the family leader Malchor took his entire family off-plane for a vacation. The Harpells hired the Bloodaxe mercenary company to keep the peace while they were gone but they forgot to mention when they would return. Velkor Minairr is the field commander of the Bloodaxes and hes done a good job of keeping the village safe from rustlers and other petty criminals, but now the village is in the full swing of cattle trading season and regional scavengers are taking advantage of the wizard's absence. Cattle thefts have become more common and better organized led by the Blue Sigil ogre company. So far there have been two deaths because of the ogre raids, two ranch hands that tried to fight them off instead of fleeing.

Velkor knows the full strength of the Blue Sigil is far above his own companies and is not certain of the outcome were they to take to the field in numbers. He wants to avoid a pitched battle unless hes convinced they will win and needs help finding a way to get the ogres to stop their raids.

*Make a choice.*

_Warfare._

The Bloodaxe Mercenary Company is chartered out of Sundabar and is actually owned by the current Lord of Sundabar himself, Helm Dwarf-Friend. Due to this connection the field commander Velkor is able to draw on reserves of credit to hire extra swordhands from the ranchers and local toughs, enough to pay for a militia 150 strong. Their strength added to the Bloodaxes current roster of 70 would leave your side outnumbered by only 2 to 1 against the ogres in a stand up fight or even better odds if youre able to whittle the ogres down through skirmishes and ambushes before committing to pitched battle.

The risks are high as casualties on your side are all but guaranteed; a rancher with sword in hand and a season or two on the road is no match for a hulking ogre. The rewards are commensurate with the risk as youd effectively demolish the entire Blue Sigil clan, taking whatever loot theyve stolen for yourselves.

The Bloodaxe company fields 20 mounted knights supported by 40 Infantry and a squad of 10 Archers.

_Diplomacy._

The Blue Sigil is an unknown in a land where the strange and unknown are dangers to be feared. Theyve been a successful mercenary company for 15 years now and maintain their home in a half-ruined castle now named Mogs Keep, named so after the current leader of the Blue Sigil. Mogs Keep is a half days ride away from Longsaddle in the western foothills. Only the truly desperate, depraved, or those with secret motives would hire an orge for anything, let alone a whole company of them to act in force. Blue Sigil is eager for battle and their rudimentary organization has done nothing to blunt their bloodlust and fearsome practices.

Mog is smart enough to know that the mages who live in Longsaddle would destroy his entire company if they bothered them but somehow the ogres have learned the wizards are gone. Negotiating with ogres is actually quite simple; either they agree to your terms or they try to eat you. Some of the local ranchers want to simply give the ogres some cattle as tribute until the Harpells get back. With any other group of ogres its an even chance they just eat you instead but Mog is cunning and can recognize a deal when he sees it. Free food for doing nothing is practically the dream of most ogres.

_Skullduggery_.

The Harpells were the sword hanging over the heads of the ogres that prevented them from raiding the town. One bartender suggests that the simplest solution is to convince the ogres that the Harpells are back. There are a few other mages in town that could help with a Harpell impersonation, though they all lack the earthshaking Art of that family. The locals know the habits and peculiarities of the family well enough to attempt the trick but the problem with deceiving an ogre is that youve got to get close enough to talk to them and thats within grabbing and eating range. If you can figure out a way to keep the impersonators out of harm's way then the local talent will agree to the con.

Another bartender disagrees and says that the real simplest solution is to hire the Blue Sigil to go somewhere else. Theyre a mercenary company, give them a job that sends them away. Unfortunately this bartender doesnt also have the coin on hand to pay the ogres wages but says they charge about 500gp a week.

*Stronghold of the Nine* (Yzara, Kelveroth)

The High Forest is the largest and greatest forest on Toril. When folk speak of the Savage Frontier, the High Forest makes up about 20% of it. While even greater thousands of years ago, its size today is due to the seemingly divine protection the forest enjoys along with the guardianship of the sylvan elves. The gods Eldath and Mielikki are known to personally intervene when loggers start setting fires and falling trees and the elves drive back orcs, drow, humans, and all others who would bring harm to the forest. Remnants and secrets of ancient elven civilizations lay hidden within the forest and the guardians seek to keep them that way.

5,000 years ago the Stronghold of the Nine was a fortress redoubt of the dwarven realm Besilmer. That realm is now all but forgotten with only the Stone Bridge to serve as a memorial. It was made a home again by Laeral Silverhand and her companions who restored the underground Stronghold and rebuilt the aboveground outbuildings. They lived there in peace for years until Laeral returned with an artifact that drove everyone there mad with jealousy. The companions fought tooth and nail against each other until the Blackstaff solved the problem.

The hold lay empty again for some time before being claimed again, this time by a group of sylvan elves that call themselves the Council of the Wood. While some may think it odd that sylvan elves would live underground in an old dwarfhold, experts in the history of North know that the ancient kingdoms of dwarves, elves, and even humans lived together in peace more than once in both recorded and oral history. Since its humble beginnings 4 years ago the Council has gathered together the wisest elven minds in the region and they are a lamplight to the glories of the elven past and hopefully their future.

Lady Morgwais welcomes Yzara and Kelveroth to the Stronghold and give each a room in one of the underground guesthouses. The caverns are unlike any either has seen before as they were cleary formed by dwarven architecture but show the living touch of the elves. Bioluminescent moss crawls along the cavern walls to light the evenings and during the waking hours soft daylight filters through spellforged mist on the ceilings. As both of you are experts in the Art the Council invites you to help with the research.

At the end of the first week Lady Morgwais thinks that significant progress has been made. Being from Sundabar, the elemental lodestones were aligned with the Sundabar volcano and its energies but youve managed to break that connection and realign them with the local elemental spirits. They now lean strongly towards a series of deep caverns at the foot of the Star Mounts. Known as the Endless Caverns there are tunnels that the elve believe travel under the whole of the High Forest and down into the underdark. The Council has not explored these tunnels because the cavern is home to an old green dragon named Grimnoshtasdrano or the Riddling Dragon as the elves call him.

While you are deciding how to deal with the dragon a messenger and prisoner arrives from Turlang the Deeproot. Treants captured a daemonfey that was attempting to cross the Old Road into an old dungeon complex thats under the guard of elves from both Evermeet and Everska. The guardians of the Nameless Dungeon wanted to execute the feyri but Turlang convinced them to transport the prisoner to the Council, as he knew of your companys work and action against the daemonfey in Sundabar. The daemonfey has resisted the interrogation attempts so far but Lady Morgwais knows old rituals that will slowly strip the feyri of his magical protections and make him move vulnerable to divinations. The only problem with the rituals is that they are slow and take months to work making any information gained thereafter likely months old and too late to act on.


*Make a choice.*

_Diplomacy._

Though a terror on the wing Grimnoshtasdrano loves riddles and clever creatures. The moss-covered dragon bones of the previous occupant of his lair are the first things visitors see. Its a joke in poor taste but Grimnosh appreciates his preys reactions. The dragon has been known to make deals with lesser mortals if he finds their proposal entertaining. Yzara recalls a story she heard this summer of Grimnosh being allowed to bypass the dragonwards of Waterdeep 6 years ago to exact revenge on a former Harper who had wronged him. Given that the Dragon Mage of Waterdeep has allowed Grimnosh to enter once and parted on good terms, he might be persuaded to allow the green dragon to enter in disguise again to attend a social season as a guest of Lady Cassandra Thann. In return Grimnosh would allow the Council to take the lodestones they need, so long as they dont disturb his hoard.


_Warfare._

The daemonfey of House Dlardrageth have been a stain on the honor of the elves for thousands of years. Some among the Council have no compunction with accelerating the unbinding rituals. What would be a slow filtering of the fiendish essence would instead be a rapid banishment of the demonic soul. The ritual normally heals as it untangles the corruption, purging the fiendish and leaving only the elf, but when accelerated it simply rips out any forgeign influence like a spiritual amputation. The trauma to body and spirit is intense and leaves the elf broken and vulnerable once again without any supernatural resistances.


_Arcana_

The wisdom of the elves is to find a path forward where none existed before. When one conflict seems intractable, retreat and reexamine the situation. Approach from a different axis of understanding and see what was hiding in plain sight. Lady Morgwais suggests a trip through the recent past to jump back to the daemonfay's present.

At one point the daemonfey held your elemental lodestone in his hands, back in Sundabar. Follow the lodestone back in time to your fight against him. Transfer your reference point from yourself to him, then rewind in reverse to spy upon what he did after leaving Sundabar. The mages of the Council are surprisingly well-versed in Time travel magic and feel confident they can manage the ritual for you with a low, acceptable chance of temporal deportation.

*Longsaddle* (Diplomacy)

After some uncomfortable meetings with Vilkor and his lieutenants, you convince them that doing what the ranchers want to do is the best option here. The decision earns you few friends among the Bloodaxes who now go out of their way to avoid you, except for Tamsin. Many of the mercenaries shared his same sentiment and are still friendly with him. Getting Mog to agree to parlay was surprisingly easy. You waved a white flag at the next set of ogre raiders and they stopped their pillaging and returned to the Keep. A day later Mog arrived with two full squads of his best battle-ready ogres, ready for negotiations.

Much like a psychopath who has crafted a mask of civility to wear so as to not frighten the people around them, Mog has learned the rules of behavior that civilized people expect from each other. He agrees to the ranchers' tribute of two cows a week until the season ends, and if the wizards haven't returned by then, down to one cow a week. Mog also agrees to Ordyn's suggestion to try and raise their own cattle but you're not entirely sure how well that got translated.

Vilkor made one last ditch effort to provoke the ogres and demanded a weregild for the deaths of the two ranchers. Again Mog surprises you all with his readiness to negotiate. It seems he understands well the value of a person though he kept referring to people as hostages. In any case he agreed to give the families some man-sized loot they have at the keep as weregild for the dead. What use a rancher's widow has for a full set of platemail, shield, and sword is anyone's guess, but the debt is paid and the ogre problem has been dealt with for now.

*Stronghold of the Nine* (Arcana)

Some elves on the Council dont wish to share their knowledge about temporal manipulation with Yzara but given the nature of the daemonfey threat they agree to lead both her and Kelveroth through their rituals. They ask her to keep the details of the magical working to herself as a professional courtesy and then explain how Mystra has banned almost all uses of time travel magic with very few exceptions. They are deliberately vague about which applications are still allowed and how far back or forward one may go.

The ritual they perform with you sends a scrying sensor back into the recent past. You all follow in silence as it scrys upon the elemental lodestone still in your possession; your journey to the High Forest, your summer in Waterdeep, and your fight in the deep forges of Sundabar all happen in reverse. Everything freezes at a moment during the fight and the perspective shifts towards the daemonfey. In the vision he is grabbing lodestones and shoving them into a bag; in the present he is bound within a circle of protection in the Stronghold. Lady Morgwais resumes the travel of time and the scrying sensor follows the feyri in their flight from Sundabar.

You see a dozen feyri flight through the night, eastward at breakneck speed. They approach the ruins of Hellgate Keep but are battered by the awakened trees and forced down and out of the sky. Unable to go forward, they retreat and fly further south and east until theyre over the High Forest and take refuge in an abandoned city Kelveroth recognizes as the Elven Port. The feyri argue among themselves, though you can hear nothing. Your prisoner eventually takes orders from the one who appears to be their leader, a female feyri with gold hair that demonstrates her Art when she blasts one of her underlings with lightning. The sensor follows the feyri as he takes flight and heads north, traveling at night until he reaches the Everlund Pass near Silverymoon. He waits there until a hooded traveler makes their way from the city and meets the feyri. The traveler shows great respect to the daemonfey, bowing and kneeling before them and gives the feyri a gift, a silver globe. The feyri embraces the traveler who you now see is a female dwarf and afterwards flies back to the Elven Port with the trinket.

Youre not sure exactly what the globe is but the feyri leader uses it in some kind of divination ritual along with the elemental lodestones and gets results that shes evidently happy about. The next few weeks pass in Elven Port with the feyri crafting and upgrading their weapons and armor and reinforcing their positions within the elven ruins. You see them capture elves, centaurs, and humans and then interrogate, torture, and eat them. At some point their leader decides to make their next move and they fly low over the forest heading west, following the Old Road. Pitched battle soon follows as the feyri are ambushed by elven guardians and the leader retreats, leaving your prisoner behind.

The villagers appreciate you handling the situation without more violence. The Bloodaxes are less than happy but given your status as Veterans of the Hellgate War they keep their grumbling to themselves and abide by your decision. Future battlefields await Velkor and the Ogres.

The Company gains favor with Longsaddle and the Lord's Alliance while Tamsin gains a friend in Velkor Minairr and the Bloodaxes.

Grimnoshtasdrano sends a whispering wind after he hears you've declined his offer. He's disappointed and won't extend the same again. The message ends with the sound of long claws dragging on stone. Lady Morgwais does not seem surprised about the daemonfey's residence in Elven Port but the divining globe they used intriques her. With the business in Longsaddle concluded for now, a Council mage brings the rest of the crew to the Stronghold to decide their future.

Yazra gains favor with the Council of the Wood.

----------


## Taelas

Tamsin is busy scratching Rex between the ears while the great bear is eating from a large bowl placed in front of him. Talon is off hunting on his own, preferring live game to prepared food.

The ranger looks over at the elf, still scratching the bear. "*Wouldn't say that,*" he comments. "*I wasn't here, mind you. But this way, it sounds as if you got sure intel, rather than the possibility for it. There's no use in regret; what's done is done. Rather than worry over what may've been, act on what is.*"

Tamsin takes a swallow of his own wine, the only thing he's consumed thus far. At the absence of his scratching fingers, Rex raises his head from the bowl for a moment to glance over the company, before returning to his food. "*Besides,*" he adds, "*sounds as if you dislike these particular demon worshipers. Living people can be prosecuted and punished for their actions. Dead ones, well, they're left to the gods. Not much personal satisfaction from that.*"

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## Xanyo

*"The wizards usually just teleport the offender out of the country and past the Walls, leaving them to be another land's problem."* Yzara carefully folds her napkins as she speaks. *"Once they're past the borders, they aren't concerned with what becomes of them. I've been working on that technique myself - it can quite handy to be able to put one's foe far from oneself."*

_Not that such a solution actually resolves the issue, but it does create a comfortable amount of breathing room._

*"The daemonfey are active. We don't want to leave them be for long, lest they accomplish whatever it is they seek to do with the lodestones. I would guess they have some sort of ritual planned, which would undoubtedly require many components besides the lodestones themselves. Considering there are few that would supply them, we could try cutting off their supply by finding their contact. Or we could try to deprive them of the stones themselves. A riskier prospect, but not so risky as facing them in battle.

The use of the lodestones suggest a geographically associated ritual. If we can identify or infer the likely landmark, we could preempt their movements and cut them off from reaching it. Suppose we consider the significant landmarks that the Old Road could take them too. What could be their target?"*

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## Athaleon

> Erendriel pauses before taking another sip of wine. *"Maybe we should have done it."* The thin elf brushes back some of their long hair and watches the sunset. *"The banishment might have killed him...but if it did not, then we would have a pliable mind to probe. Now it will be months perhaps, before we are able to separate host from their parasite. Tell me, is this how you handle traitors where you come from?"*


Kel tried not to bristle visibly at the jibe. *"Where I am 'from', traitors are beaten to death. There might be some crude torture beforehand, maybe even as part of some savage public spectacle, depending on who was offended. In any case it's an ugly affair, something not to be emulated."*




> The use of the lodestones suggest a geographically associated ritual. If we can identify or infer the likely landmark, we could preempt their movements and cut them off from reaching it. Suppose we consider the significant landmarks that the Old Road could take them too. What could be their target?"[/B][/COLOR]


*"Their contact may have useful information herself. Though I doubt she could be convinced to help us willingly, surveilling her may lead to the lodestones' source, perhaps even uncover a wider conspiracy if some other organization is knowingly supplying them. It may even be possible to ambush their next meeting and obtain a lodestone, potential prisoners for questioning, and thin their numbers a bit."*

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## Chromascope3D

_Where one rat lurks, there always lurks a hive, love!_

Arae takes a bite of apple tart as she considers this intrusive thought, and nods, "I agree, it would be unwise to leave the daemonfey alone to their devices for long, but I also would hesitate to assault them directly without foreknowledge. Finding this informant might grant us the information we need to formulate a plan of attack, but finding and surveilling this fellow may also take more time than we currently have the luxury of. Not to mention that if there is a larger network in place, it could be helpful to root them out, lest our quarry use them to scatter like spores to the wind again. What a bind we find ourselves in..."

She frowns as she thinks to herself, awaiting additional input from the others.

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## rypt

*"Hmph,"* Ordyn grumbles.  *"As much as I'd like to learn about what they're up to, I worry that the more we poke around their operation, the more likely they are to fortify their foothold in the forest and the harder it will be to ultimately drive them from the Port.  If we were to look into their agent in Silverymoon, it'd have to be real quiet-like.  Only problem is,"* he leans back in a chair that is far too small for him, causing the wooden frame to audibly creak, *"I'm not very good at quiet."*

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## MontCestMoi

Orlando has been absently swirling the wine in his glass, the rhythmic, circling oscillation of the red wine not quite reaching the rim as memories of another pass, and another clutch of foul Zhents, plays itself out in the theatre of his mind.  When at last he rejoins the actual flow of the conversation, he catches up through the simple expedient of talking about how they should go smash some of the servants of the Black Network.

" Though the _daemonfey_," Orlando pronounces the unfamiliar word the same way that a tourist approaches the word for a fancy confection, with great enthusiasm if not great practice,".. are certainly up to no good, and must not be allowed to achieve whatever nefandous ends they pursue, there is uncertainty as to when they will achieve these ends, and to what extent they are ruinous.  The situation Everska finds itself in is, I understand, less ambiguous.  Everska must not be allowed to fall, as horrible a notion as that even is to entertain.  That we might assist in providing succor to the siege they suffer must not be overlooked.  And all we need do is sweep some trifling trouble-makers from a mountain pass."

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## Taelas

Tamsin shrugs, somewhat dismissively. "*The Evereska situation isn't that dire, is it? Waterdeep's gonna march an army there with relief eventually. They'll be fine even without our aid, I'm sure. They'd be grateful for faster help, sure, but do they really need us?*"

He looks at Ordyn. "*I'm sure Kel, Yzara and I could do the quiet parts, if we need to. Stalking the informant might be the better path.*"

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## Chromascope3D

"'Eventually' might not come soon enough before winter takes hold," Arae posits, "Should the entrenched Zhentarim delay them too long, it is possible that the mountain roads could become too treacherous to pass, either forcing the relief back, or worse, entrapping the army upon the mountain. In either case, it is likely that Everska would not be able to hold out until next season."

_Y'know, Miss Arae, I'm sure they would be more than willing to help if you asked!_

Arae grimaced, her mouth being the only source of expression beneath her dark blindfold. The priestess hadn't reached out to them since that unpleasantness, and she wasn't eager to reopen that connection. But, she knew that Vera was, and she couldn't deny that they would be better suited for the task than she, leaving the group able to focus on the crisis in the mountains. Arae spoke up, offering, "I have some associates among the Harpers, perhaps I could reach out and ask them to look into the Silverymoon issue. I doubt they would be too opposed to helping, and they could be well suited to the task?"

----------


## Chambers

*"Exile is at least less final than execution."* Erendriel says. *"The corrupted ones are active, yes - they have also found opposition at every branch."* The apprentice cuts a glance over to his teacher when Yzara asks about the Old Road but Lady Morgwais doesn't react. Instead she smoothes out a crease in her dress. 

*"There are many ruins in the forest that might be of interest to one who was alive when they were not ruins."* She says. *"Some of these are sacred to us, some we leave alone for the forest to care for, and others hold secrets that we are not yet ready to share."*

She pauses to watch a ray of sunset appear and fade as the canopy above moves with the breeze. Some internal debate happens within the span of a few moments, her quiet demeanor betrayed by her nervous energy. *"Some secrets would not remain as such if they were to gain their victory..."* She says to either herself or her apprentice. *"...and what allies we have now we should not shun to keep the favor of ghosts."* She says and looks up and back to the group. *"Along the Old Road is a guarded fortress whose name is lost even to us. This...nameless dungeon, such as it is, is a prison from the time of Aryvandaar. We guard it, with the help of some friends, and make sure no one is able to awaken the fey'ri bound within."*

*"It is under constant guard and according to the memories of our prisoner they only learned of it's location before rushing off to attack, knowing nothing of its defenses. Well, now at least they know it's guarded."* She says with a smile. *"I can't say when or if they will find a way past the guards and wards, but I trust to my ancestors wisdom over the folly of these demons. Please, help us reach Everska. The Old Road is already guarded and we've passed word to Turlang about the Port to warn travellers away."*

----------


## Xanyo

Yzara taps her fingers rhythmically as she contemplates their course of action. The relief shipment does sound like a priority concern for the Council, and it would reflect well on House Thrann to be able to take credit for getting it past the Zhentarim. On the other hand, dealing with the daemonfey should not be delayed. She could be useful for the shipment or in locating the contact. Which would she be better for?

*"How much weight are we talking, for the relief shipment?"* She inquires as an idea occurs to her. *"If I turn my focus to it, I may be able to store a good amount in the folds between space. I have a ring of invisibility, I could possibly make multiple trips through the pass right under the Zhentarim's noses. It may be easier than trying to uproot them, and even more satisfying if we beat them at their challenge without stooping to their level. There are flaws to this plan though, namely the bottleneck of the maximum capacity I can manage and the speed at which I can make trips with the supplies. I would probably be dedicated to that endeavor for a while, leaving the rest of our crew to hunt down the daemonfey's contact."*

_If they have the means to do so, that is. My talents are probably the best-suited there, out of all of us._

*"Alternatively, I could trace down the contact while the crew scouts out the Zhentarim's positions and strikes their key figures and encampments. Find ways to cut off their routes from their camps to possible ambush points, wear their numbers down, plant caltrops to slow down their response time. Figure something out to prevent their approach by air. Counterambush them when they try to move in to attack. Just give them trouble until they give up, perhaps. Orlando, you're familiar with their tactics, are you not? How much would it take for them to decide to cut their losses and concede?"*

----------


## MontCestMoi

" Most of them are just out for profit, and are as cowardly and prone to panic as any sellsword or merchant; if this detachment is filled with that sort, we'd only need to give them a credible threat, even that they'd have a credible excuse to provide their superiors to avoid punishment.  Some members of the Black Network, however, belong not out of material greed but a darker blemish on their soul, a genuine belief that the forces of darkness, death and deceit are worthy of their devotion.  Fanatics can't be broken, or driven off, only ended.  But that can be used against them, too; fanatics sometimes make decisions based on their beliefs, and their hopes, rather the the truth of the matter.  Much would depend on who exactly is leading this particular force of Zhentish rabble."  The knight finishes answering Xanyo's question, and smoothes out one side of his mustache, drawing it between thumb and forefinger of his right hand, ensuring that it hasn't grown too ruffled from the meal.  After a few more beats of thought, he adds.

"I am in contact with some good people who are of one mind with me on the topic of the servants of darkness.  I could see whether they have any information on what forces are arrayed there in the fastness of the mountain passes, and even whether they have any designs of their own."

----------


## Athaleon

*"Until we have more to work with regarding countering the demonfey, I agree that we should focus on the relief of Evereska,"* Kel put in with a frown. *"Tracking down their contact would best be done by a smaller and less conspicuous group. I also agree that attacking them directly at this point would be foolhardy."*




> "Most of them are just out for profit, and are as cowardly and prone to panic as any sellsword or merchant; if this detachment is filled with that sort, we'd only need to give them a credible threat, even that they'd have a credible excuse to provide their superiors to avoid punishment."


*"Mercenaries - the good ones at least - must consider their reputations, and the wrath of their employers. And they have their pride. I would not dismiss them out of hand. The only 'credible threat' to compel them to withdraw may be inflicting severe casualties."*

----------


## Chambers

*"Three tons of ore from Sundabar have been floated down the Delimbyr to Loudwater. That is where our relief operation is gathering the supplies before leaving for Everska."* Erendriel says. 

*"They arrived within the past week and joined 50 bolts of fabric, 3,000 bushels of preserved produce, 2,000 arrows, a hundred suits of repaired leather armor, another hundred casks of ale from Mirabar, and four dozen beds of unique herbs held in stasis and ready to be planted and cultivated."* He says. *"The herbs are our own contribution."*

*"The problem is not the weight Yzara."* Morgwais says. *"We could handle the transport ourselves if that were the only consideration, though we thank you for the offer. Everska is under careful watch during even the most peaceful times. Now, with this siege, they have called for the protection of the Seldarine and have been answered. All teleportation to the city is blocked and the area around it is wildly unpredictable. You may arrive in the hills of Graycloak, or you may arrive in Thay, or in Chult, or simply disappear forever."* She sighs and rubs the bridge of her nose. *"The astral path is closed to us - except for the Chosen such as the Blackstaff; Mystra chooses which rules they must follow and which they may flout. Lesser mortals such as us must walk."* She says and offers a tired smile that vanishes at the mention of the Harpers.

*"It's your choice who you invite into your business, of course. No doubt those who Harp are skilled at being where they are not supposed to be and hearing what they are not supposed to hear."* She says. "*I've no doubt your associates can root out who this spy is. My concern lies in what they will do with the information afterwards. It seems wasteful to hope for the best in spite of history that shows otherwise."* She says and shakes her head. *"I feel my preferences in this situation matter little given the threat the fey'ri pose. We cannot afford to turn down any aid offered, despite personal conflict."*

----------


## Chromascope3D

Arae smiles weakly at this, admitting, "I do understand your concerns, for I share many of them myself. Our association has been brief, and I have done my best to keep them at arm's length since. Still, I cannot deny their zeal, and I will ensure to only include their involvement for the purposes of intelligence and intelligence alone. I do not relish the idea of potentially directing a vigilante mob upon a potentially innocent man."

She frowns upon overhearing Orlando and Kelveroth's conversation, tilting her head slightly skyward, her white hair falling away from her face, and shuddering, "I also do not relish the thought of having to personally put so many to the sword, but if their souls are truly as black as tales of their deeds precede them to be, then I suppose it is better now to steel my resolve, so I should not stay my hand when the time comes..."

----------


## Xanyo

*"Sounds like we need to prioritize driving the Zhentarim out, then. I can help rout the weaker willed, unless my compatriots think I would be more useful searching for the informant while they handle that? If I help clear the pass, perhaps I could fill the role of bait, or scout. Draw them out, make them rout. The soldiers are probably not resolute enough to resist, the greater concern would be a skymage. We'll want to find out how many we'll be facing before we engage."*

----------


## MontCestMoi

> *"Mercenaries - the good ones at least - must consider their reputations, and the wrath of their employers. And they have their pride. I would not dismiss them out of hand. The only 'credible threat' to compel them to withdraw may be inflicting severe casualties."*


" Less mercenaries in the traditional sense, and more motivated by the same drives.  The Black Network arose from a collaboration between servants of Dark Gods, wizards thirsting for power, and merchants seeking what merchants seek; and so there will be Zheeks that care only about achieving a goal for dogmatic reasons, and there will be Zheeks that consider what profit any course of action will produce, which requires them to reckon the costs, as well.  Though this depends entirely _who_ they have in that pass."

" I will," Orlando says, as he pulls a sheet of cream colored paper from the small satchel that rests next to his seat, and a marking stick as well, and he begins to draft a letter to one of his contacts in the *Knights of the North*," ... make inquiries."

----------


## rypt

*"Oh hells..."* Ordyn mutters as a few drops of a dark sauce splash over the side of his plate and onto the leg of his pants.   *"I know the Zhentarim by reputation,"* he says with a sigh he dabs at the stains with his napkin, *"but I don't believe I've crossed paths with them myself.  If it is the wishes of our hosts that they be driven from the pass, I see no reason not to do just that."*  He starts to scrub more vigorously.  *"I have to say that the straightforwardness of the endeavor has a certain appeal to it."*

----------


## Taelas

Tamsin shrugs as he returns his attention to Rex, who's been nudging him in the ribs with his nose to try and get him to return to his scratching, and he says, "*If that's the decision of the group, I'm fine with it. Though I do think the other route is wiser.*"

----------


## Chromascope3D

Arae's weak smile broadens into a full grin, "Then I suppose we are all in agreement? I could certainly use some help drafting my own letter then!"

----------


## Athaleon

> Arae's weak smile broadens into a full grin, "Then I suppose we are all in agreement? I could certainly use some help drafting my own letter then!"


*"I am in agreement that we should relieve Evereska, provided that agents we trust will continue the investigation of the demonfey and their contact in the meantime. If indeed we are all settled on this course, we should get to work on gathering information so we can begin to plan properly. Assuming we know all we can discover from here, we will have to gather that information in the field."*

----------


## Chambers

Lady Morgwais sighs and smiles. *"Thank you, friends. Though the task still lays ahead it eases the burden on my heart to know you are to set your will upon it. Finish your letters this evening and Akh'Faern Erendriel will send them to where they need to go."* Erendriel nods while the Lady continues. *"If you require a response from your messages before entering the Greypeaks I suggest waiting in Loudwater with the relief. It's the last place nearest to the pass you'll find that's free of the Zhentarim. The Chosen of Mielikki do well to keep the Black Road from encroaching further west but their protection is limited to the Vale."*

She stands and reaches into one of the deep folds of her dress and pulls out a small leather pouch. *"The protection of the People goes much further, however."* She opens the pouch and shakes out six polished gemstones that each of you recognize as the elemental lodestones taken from Sundabar. *These are the stones that we used during our ritual.* She says, nodding to Yzara and Kelveroth. *The passage through time has altered them in some unique ways. One effect is that they seem unable to be attuned to other lodestones without destroying them, which means these cant be used to find other sources of what they feyri seek. A shame, but there are other ways to find them.* She says with one raised eyebrow and without elaboration. 

*These lodestones have been attuned with each other not only physically, but also temporally. Theres more theory I could explain, but in brief, whoever holds these lodestones shares a temporal attunement with the other bearers. We haven't decided on a name for-*

*I call them temporal wardstones.* Erendriel says with a grin. *Timewards.*

Lady Morgwais makes a face of resignation familiar to any who have raised children or apprentices. *Yes, while we are not sure of the full effect of thesetimewardsI feel that youll have ample opportunity to investigate, and hopefully share your results.* She claps her hands softly and servants come forward to clear the table. *Travel from Loudwater to the pass should take about half a tenday, less if you acquire mounts. If you would accept this last night of our hospitality before your travels, Akh'Faern Erendriel will take you to Loudwater in the morning.*

*Spoiler*
Show

Each of you receives a temporal wardstone.  Please note it on your character sheets. The stones have a strong aura of Divination and Time and have no known function otherwise.

The party also has a letter of credit drawn from Sundabar lenders worth 7,500gp as payment for their services in Longsaddle.

----------


## Chambers

With missives written and sent, Lady Morgwais bid you good night and good luck on your mission. The unbinding ritual requires regular maintenance and she spent the night in trance with the prisoner. Most nights are quiet in the Stronghold and this one was no different until the North winds picked up and flew through the trees in the small hours, howling unformed words in some primal language. An unheard but felt response is the deep vibration of the Stronghold walls, an underground echo of the wind. Dreams are haunted by an unseen wild hunt. Who is the prey and who is the hunter?

Erendiel meets you before dawn. *Better to hide your comings if you arrive before the light. Loudwater is friendly to our cause but not all in town are friends. Ill take you to a secluded camp on the northbank of the Delimbiyr not far from town. Choose your own locomotion from there as you see fit. Id leave you inside the town but the new High Lord does not take kindly to those who bypass the gates.*

Vera informs Arae of the lone Harper she knew of in the town, a dwarf smith named Warrdh who can be found working the bellows at the provisioners shop. Orlando knows that the Knights of the North secretly maintain a full squad of battle-ready soldiers within the town who work at various guard jobs on the warehouse and dock, both to secure coin for themselves and to get closer to possible Zhentarim spies. 

Its an open secret that goods from the Zhentarim caravans are passing through town with tacit approval from the High Lord. All caravans from the east are inspected and stripped of contraband. No merchants from the east walk into town wearing the colors of the Black Network and the city guard keep a close watch on the handoff of goods and packages that are headed further west. The towns merchants have profited by the increased collection of tariffs and theres not a Zhentil uniform to be seenunless one leaves Loudwater and travels east to the ill-fated village of Llork, currently protected by a Zhentilar garrison and who knows what else. There hasnt been a reliable word from east of Loudwater in quite a few months.

*Everybody ready?* Erendiel says before reaching out to grasp hands. He waits a moment to make sure everyone is connected before he begins singing. His Art is no bards bawdy tale but an ancient elven spell lore. He sings of the paths and ways of the hidden world and begs for leave to travel the old roads. As the last note of the final stanza hangs in the air there is a moment of complete stillness where the world seems to freeze. The moment passes and when you breath again you are somewhere else; a small glade surrounded by light trees and heavy foliage. The roaring waters of the running Delimbiyr is near to the south and somewhere beneath you. *Our relief is at the docks on two ships under constant guard. Tell the gate warden that youre with the Stronghold relief effort and* Erendiel trails off as he realizes that you are not alone in the hidden camp.

He freezes and points to the sleeping figures sprawled around a burned out campfire. Its still an hour before first light and the weak moonlight barely illuminates the ground but you can all see at least four humanoid figures wrapped in heavy furs. Traveling packs, weapons, and heavy armor are scattered around the glade. Those with superior vision see two figures standing outside the glade, a dozen trees between you and them. They have their attention focused away from you, looking down at the Delimbiyr and don't appear to have noticed you.

----------


## Taelas

Tamsin frowns as Rex and Talon both note the presence of the standing figures. Resting one hand on Rex, he closes his eyes as he uses his empathic link with the grizzly bear to see what it sees.

His eyes open again as he looks back at the others and he raises two fingers, then points in the direction of the two. He then sends Talon up into the air, so it can scout from above.

Tamsin places one hand on his quiver, ready to draw arrows, but he looks to Orlando, indicating his willingness to follow the paladin's lead.

----------


## Chromascope3D

Arae holds her breath as Erendiel pauses. Her hand steadily clasps the pommel of her sword, but makes no further move. What was going on? By their host's reaction this was clearly unexpected, so how should she react? How would the others react? She glanced around the group for some confirmation.

----------


## Xanyo

Ah. Unexpected. But is this a cause for concern or a mere coincidence? Yzara puts a finger to her lips and crouches down to get a closer look at the group they had landed among. She scans their equipment for emblems, faces for possible identifying features. Any symbolism of clue that could indicate who these strangers are. She's not as practiced with teleportation magic as kind Erandiel, but she could whisk them out of this situation if needed. She just needs to focus to do so, remember the steps. Not yet though. As she examines the present denizens of this locale, she turns a silver ring on her finger, shimmering out of the visible spectrum.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Perception check: (1d20+11)[*13*]

Activate my Ring of Invisibility

----------


## Athaleon

Kelveroth moved to put a tree between himself and the alert guards, and slowly drew his sword from its scabbard, but waited for Yzara to look around before acting further. He knew casting a spell would make noise, so he made no other preparations for now.

----------


## Chambers

Whether the sound of rushing waters is your own blood pumping loudly in the tense moments after arrival or the nearby river is hard to tell. Judging that wait and see is the better course of action you all make as little movement as you can. A few moments pass and the sleepers on the ground are sleeping still while something else seems to have caught the attention of the scouts outside the camp. Though they are speaking in hushed voices they are close enough to make out their words.

*Im tellin ya, its not supposed to get here till fourth bell. Aint light out enough for that.* One of them says, standing and pointing westward while the other squats. *Somethins comin for sure but its not our caravel. Ken you make out its colors? I cant hardly see nothing in this gloom.* The accent places him from the Sword Coast islands, his words make him a sailor of some kind.

The figure squatting reaches out a hand to the earth to steady themselves before intoning a draconic ritual chant. *Yes, I can see their flag.* She says after a few moments. *They are not our charge but that which we were hired to defend against.* She says and sighs.* The ship is Baldurs Beard but the flags are Luskan pirates. Colors of Ship Taerl. Theyll pass us soon.*

*May the bitch queen swallow them whole!* The sailor says and spits into the river below. *Goddamn it. When did they take the ship?* He says and shakes his head. *Better go wake up his highness and tell him the news.* The old sailor grunts and turns to head back to the glade but only gets a few paces when he stops in place and crouches down. *UhSage, we got some company.* He says in a low voice on the off chance you havent seen or heard him.

*What?!* Sage says and whips around as she stands. Its too dark to make out her expression but she takes a step back when she sees the group of you standing around her sleeping comrades. She raises her arm, making a fist and then flexing her fingers open. *Sleepers and strangers, be blind to all dangers.* She says with a quick rhyme incantation and the glade is suddenly filled with thick trees that block your sight and undergrowth that hides the ground from you. You cant see more than five feet away from you and moving through the brush is difficult.

*Spoiler: DC 20 Spellcraft check; open if successful*
Show

You identify the spell as an Illusionary Terrain effect.

*Spoiler: DC 20 Will Save; open if successful*
Show

You recognize the trees and undergrowth as illusions and they do not interfere with your sight or movement.

----------


## Taelas

*Spoiler: Will saves*
Show

Tamsin: (1d20+4)[*14*]
Rex: (1d20+4)[*8*]
Talon: (1d20+3)[*7*]
Not sure the falcon is affected by this, but better to have the roll and not need it than need it and not have it.


When she begins casting her magic, Tamsin curses, fumbling the draw as he nocks an arrow. When the foliage appears to grow up spontaneously around them, he frowns, tapping into Talon's sight to see the scene from the falcon's point of view.

----------


## rypt

Ordyn loudly _harumphs_ as the dense vegetation springs up around him.  *"Is this really necessary?"* he calls out.  *"For what it's worth, we didn't expect to find you here either.  And if you're here to guard against the Luskans, well, you can't be all that bad..."*

After a brief moment of silence, he adds, *"Name's Ordyn, by the way."*

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Diplomacy: (d20+15)[*17*]

----------


## Xanyo

Assessments of the situation are made quickly before Yzara's vision is obstructed by the imagery of overgrowth. Even knowing the Sage woman had cast it as an illusion does not make it any easier to see or find footing through. She studies the ground at her feet to make sure she has room to step as she considers the scenario.

Sage is a caster who reaches first for illusion. Either offensive magic is not a strong point of hers, or she does not feel the need to resort to it immediately. The sailor is unlikely to exhibit any significant magical talent. The sleepers are unequipped within the midst of the team, and thus mostly mitigated as potential threats.

Closing her eyes to focus, Yzara takes a few steps without straying from where she had landed, raising her arms in smooth motions and feeling the rhythm deep within. A spell, but not a complex or hostile one. She projects her thoughts directly to Sage, inaudible to any other.

*"Apologies for the intrusion, miss Sage. We did not expect this waypoint to be occupied when we chose it as beacon to guide our teleport."*

*Spoiler: Actions*
Show

Casting Project Thoughts targeting Sage

----------


## Chambers

*"Careful Kip, they have a wizard."* Sage says. The sailor nods and rubs his palms together. When he pulls them apart each hand holds a dagger. "*A cheeky one that likes to poke into people's minds."* She holds her arm and fingers extended, concentrating on her Art. *"So you're simply mislaid travelers? Don't try to lie to me, little wizard, I'm the master of tricks here."* She says and looks back over her shoulder for a moment at the river.

*"Fine."* She says. *"If that's true then you've no problem with standing back while Kip wakes them up."* Kip palms both daggers in one hand and reaches into one of the pockets on his vest and pulls out a small bell that he taps with a dagger. The tone is muted and dull to each of you but the figures laying down each awaken with a shout, their hands covering their ears. *"Godsdamnit Kip you know I hate that hell-spawned bell what did I tell you -"* One of the recently asleep yells out before being cut off. *"Shut it, your lordship! We've uninvited guests for breakfast and Ship Taerl has taken the Beard. Make no sudden moves, prince."*

The man sits up on his mat, rubbing his ears in pain and trying to see through the thick trees that weren't there when he lay to sleep. *"Just what in the nine hells is going on here? Are we under attack?"* The other figures come to their wits quicker and quieter and seem to have no problem perceiving the group of you, though they are still half-prone on the ground in their nightclothes.

----------


## Taelas

After one of them is called _prince_, Tamsin casually nocks an arrow and points the bow in the direction of the man, though he does not draw the arrow back. "*A prince, huh?*" he remarks, his tone cold. "*Sounds like an important man. Good to know.*" Next to him, the large bear moves forward slowly, a deep rumble starting in its chest that does not quite reach a growl. 
"*Now, I'm a simple man and all. I'm happy to be peaceful with good folk. But Rex here, he doesn't appreciate when people start slingin' spells around. See, he doesn't know when something like that's harmless or hurtful before it's done. So maybe don't bloody do that unless you want a few hundred pounds of angry bear charging at your face. Okay?*" The ranger spits on the ground. "*You're lucky I wasn't ready, or I'd have filled you with arrows before you finished that bloody spell.*"

----------


## Chromascope3D

*"Now Tamsin,"* Arae chides, *"We are strangers intruding upon their camp. I am sure that they were no less startled than we were, and I'm certain any of us would do the same as she to protect our liege."*

For her part, she had been caught well off-guard by the explosion of greenery before her vision, but under Moira's tutelage, had been well trained to discern the real from the surreal, and she had well pushed past the vision. She had further been planning to gauge their auras for dark intent, but since it seemed that Ordyn already had their measure, and thus with tensions cooling, the ranger was correct that weaving even a harmless spell could likely only reignite them. She steps back, as requested, and answers, *"No sir, I think likely not. My name is Arae, Sister of the Lord Kelemvor. I beg your apologies for our intrusion."*

----------


## Athaleon

Kel stepped out as the others introduced themselves, his sword held casually over his shoulder. *"I am Kelveroth,"* he introduced himself simply, before someone asked anyway. He'd let the others negotiate while he sized up the opposition. One had already admitted she was a mage, which in his mind made her one to watchbut not the only one.

*Spoiler*
Show


Perception: (1d20+10)[*18*] to watch out for anyone trying to ready a weapon or spell.

----------


## Chambers

Two of the figures start giggling and snorting at the courtly titles. *Will you two cut it out?* The prince says. *Fine, if were not going to start stabbing each other Id like to get some pants on and deal with those pirates. Sage, the trees? And a little light, please?*

Sage smirks and bows her head. *Certainly, my lord.* She makes a fist with her hand and the extra foliage and trees vanish, then with a snap of her fingers the dead embers of the campfire start glowing. The light is low enough so as to not be seen past the glade but bright enough to make out the features and faces of those nearby. Getting a good luck at your surprised campers, you can finally make them out. Kip is the oldest of the group with mostly grey in his hair and beard and a brace of daggers strung across a sealskin leather vest. The prince manages to grab his trousers nearby and wiggle them on underneath the blankets before standing. He looks to be in his mid 30s, strong and in good shape. He glances over each of you in turn while you do the same.

The two laughing figures turn out to be identical twins, a boy and girl, both of them barely out of their teenage years. Slight of build, they share the same green eyes and bright red hair. They whisper to each other in some nonsense language and laugh while Sage rolls her eyes. *Youll have to forgive the twins, they simply have no manners.* The mistress of magic seems the same age as the prince but carries herself with the weight of experience that belies her years. *I am Sage, as you heard. The twins are Yumbrol and Handl.*

*Im Yumbrol. Hes Yumbrol.* The twins say at the same time. *Shes Handl. Im Handl.* They both bow and curtsy and then promptly ignore everyone as they squat down and start digging through a heavy backpack, pulling out potion after potion and arguing between themselves in their private language. 

The last person up is a tall, thin, and bald man with bronzed skin who says nothing but makes a series of quick hand motions to Sage. *This is Yassarn.* She says. Yassarn raises an eyebrow at her and she sighs. *Sorry. This is Yassarn, former Sergeant of the Caliphs Guard, bearer of the oathsword Dreams of Jade.* He gives Sage a brief nod before turning to the group and performing a formal salute, a crystal green blade materializing in this hand during it. He slowly returns the blade to guard position and it vanishes. *Yassarn speaks only with his hands, so I say words for him.* Sage says, keeping an eye on Arae. *"No more head games, wizard."*

*And my name is Jonlen Hembreon and you can drop the formalities. Yes, Im a prince. Technically.* He says, strapping on a well-dented breastplate. *A title that only matters if you care for Tethryian politics, which I dont.* He secures his sword belt around him and checks that the blade is loose in the scabbard. *Id love to stay and chat and hear all about why you appeared in our campsite but weve got a ship to rescue from some Luskan pirates. Kip, how long till the Beard gets here?* He looks down at the twins still arguing about the potions. *Just take all of them, gods above. Its what you always do anyway.*

He sighs as the twins smile and start stashing potions all over their clothes and belts. He looks to Tamsin. *You look like a man that could work out some aggression. Feel like breaking some pirates heads?*

Erendiel coughs slightly and all heads turn towards the elf. *Pardon me. Erendiel, of the elves.* He says with a slight bow before turning towards your group. *It seems theres no other need for me, so Ill be off if you dont mind.*

*Spoiler: Knowledge (Nobility) DC 15 or Yzara*
Show

The name Hembreon is an important noble house in Tethyr politics. The House is currently supporting Zaranda Star in the Tethyr civil war and was recruiting in Waterdeep this summer for soldiers and to raise funds for the war. Yzara actually met Jonlen at one of Lady Cassandra's mixers. He gave the impression of a young noble who would rather be on the battlefield swinging a sword than exchanging banter with dowagers; he has not a favorite on the summer social circuit and quickly left for other adventure.

*Spoiler: Knowledge/Lore (Calimshan) 15 or Knowledge (Local or Nobility) 20*
Show

The Oathswords of the Caliph are fantastic warriors of exceptional skill that are bound for life to a single mystical blade. Each has an unique taboo that they must adhere to. It's exceedingly rare to find them away from their duty as the bodyguards of the Caliph.

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## Xanyo

_Thank you, Ordyn, for deescalating and thank you, Arae, for looking like a mage._

Yzara steps back to a respectful distance before announcing herself. 

*Heads up, I am here.*

She removes her ring of invisibility, hands in front of her to make the source of the ending illusion obvious. 

*Sorry for the abrupt awakening and unannounced visit. You are hunting pirates? It seems our objectives may align or at least rhyme.*

She addresses Erendiel briefly before introducing herself.

*Thank you for your services Erendiel, well manage from here.

I am Yzara Yzelle. Were on our way to evict some Zenth hooligans from the pass, but it sounds like theres a more immediate concern here.*

She turns towards the water, both to assess the situation and give a little privacy for those that have yet to get dressed.  

*Have you worked out an approach to reach your foes, or are you planning to obstruct their path instead?*

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## Chromascope3D

Arae found the accusation of wizard to be puzzling, but did not push back. Now was clearly not a time to squabble over little things such as that, with an apparent pirate raid imminent. 

_Indeed, you should be proud of the comparison, girl, it means my tutoring is finally sticking!_ Daincanta interjects.

Shaking off the intrusive thought from the gnome, she nods off Erendiel, and turns to the matter at hand, questioning, *"Indeed, Sir, how did you come to be in pursuit of these pirates?"*

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## Taelas

Tamsin snorts. "*It'll have to do, I suppose,*" he mutters as he returns the arrow to his quiver.

He gives Erendiel an upwards nod in farewell, then turns to look out over the water. He sends Talon down to inspect the ship closer, though cautions the falcon not to get too close.

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## Chambers

Sage scowls as Yzara removes the veil, chafing at not having noticed the illusion herself. Jonlen nods to Yzara and goes back to securing his gear before stopping with a double take to look at her again. *"I know you. You're with House Thanna well connected mage from Halruaa."* The last seems to be directed more towards Sage than anyone else. *"Kip, will you fill them in? I need a few moments."* He nods to everyone and takes a knee, closing his eyes and silently speaking some ritual.

Erendiel bows, walks backwards three steps, then vanishes as he turns around.

*"We're on the job, chartered and all that. We been keeping an eye out for these rats for weeks now.They don't usually come this far down the coast but heard rumors saying otherwise"* He says and trails off as he listens to the sounds of the river. He looks confused when Yzara mentions the pass but his eyes become clear and hard when she mentions the Zhents. *"You're hunting Zhents?"* He says and then takes another look at all of you and nods.* "Well, maybe it's good I didn't stick you after all. The rats we weren't sure would be here, maybe they don't show up, you know. So it was a gamble. But sounds like they took the bait. As for the how, it's not hard. They don't know these waters and Sage here can make it look like however we want."*

*"I'll veil the river so they think it's straight, here."* Sage says, pointing to the bushes near the outcropping where you first saw them. *"They'll run head on into the rock wall and then we board them. Numbers?"* Sage asks.

*"Oh.reckon 'bout twenty or so. That's the lowest size they can get and still have their ratking. You ever fought the Dead Rats before?"*

The voices fade out for Tamsin as he shifts his focus into the bird. Skimming the top of the canopy and flying swift, it doesn't take long to find the ship, a mere 600 yards west and a few bends away. Dozens of small figures scurry over the ship in constant motion attending to a sailors duties. As the bird gets closer Tamsin can see that the figures are not human, halfling, or even goblin but lycanthropic rats in hybrid form. The hunters mind notices an odd grace to the wererat behavior, all of them working on different tasks but moving in unison in step and rhythm. Almost like a swarm rather than a group.

*"One or a few of 'em together, no different than any other oversized rat."* Kip says as he takes out a whetstone and starts sharpening his knives. *"Get more than say, six though, and then you're dealing with the ratking too. It's rat hoodoo, makes them stronger and tougher and gives them powers."*

Sage shakes her head. *"It's an external personality construct forged through the subconscious mental framework of many similar minds linked together."* She says. *"A hivemind without a leader. There's no one rat in charge, some people just call it the ratking."* She says, glancing over at Kip. *"There's no real trick to dealing with it, other than expecting it. Kill enough rats and the rest will flee."*

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## Chromascope3D

*"Hmm,"* Arae notes, *"That sounds... vile..."*

She wouldn't admit that she hadn't quite understood many of the big words that Sage had spoken, but from the sound of it, they did not seem to be undead as their title would have them seem. She gazes out to where the others are looking, but is met only with a wall of silver grey at the edge of her sight, all things beyond obscured to her. Perhaps it was best to allow Moira to handle things from here. There is little sign of change, so it comes as a surprise to those who are not already familiar with her ways, that when the young priestess continues, she stands taller, prouder, and speaks more imperiously, *"That is indeed a clever strategy, and even beyond her end, I am glad to see the Mother of Mysteries bounty continued to be used to such noble ends."*

Arae curtsies, and continues, *"I must reintroduce myself. I am the Lady Moira of the forest Cormathor, companion of the young Arae and adherent to our fallen lady Mystra. It would be a cruel act to abandon you in this hour of need, and so young Arae has charged me with your aid. I must apologize, but how far away are they now, and when can we expect landfall?"*

*Spoiler: Plan*
Show

Her precombat plan is to cast Align Object (Good) on whoever plans on using their weapons the most during combat. Using Echoing Word, she can affect 5 weapons at once for 10 minutes, at the cost of three spell points.

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## Xanyo

Some quick eye contact is enough to confirm to Yzara that the others are down to lend aid. She squints at the horizon and judges the distance, formulating her own plans in mind. 

*"Less than a minute off, Moira. That illusion should probably be put up now, before they can spot the discrepancy. Enhancing magics too, so get to it. Tamsin, take the high ground and guard the backliners. The other veterans can join in the boarding, try to tie up their warriors. Moira and I will hang back and provide support. This one of Arae's channelings is good for that. I'll avoid attention and challenge their wills, see if I can break their spirits and disrupt their organization. Sage, will you be with us? Should we expect much magic from the rats, cause to spread out those of us that are more vulnerable?"*

As she doles out instructions Yzara is visualizing movement, working out the right motions to tug on heartstrings. Her feet and arms move as she thinks, graceful motions with only a sporadic energy to them.

*"If you'll allow, I'll instill boldness in everyone I can."*

With that she bursts into dance, swooping motions and changing levels to a tune only she can hear. Assuming no one tries to resist, they fill themselves filled with determination.

*Spoiler: Actions*
Show

Assuming I have at least 2 turns of actions before the fight.

TURN 1: Fullround action to spend 1 arcane reservoir point to switch my flex talent to the mind sphere talent Courage.

TURN 2: Standard action to cast a greater Courage mass charm. Costs me 2 spell points, gives 7 targets (everyone but me - twins count as 1 and the bear has share spells so I don't need to target Rex) a *+3 morale bonus to attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks (including initiative), and skill checks for 12 minutes*.
Take 10 on my Perform check for skilled casting to pass the DC 27 with a 28.

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## Athaleon

*"Removing this blockage from the river is a worthy enough cause, I reckon.* Kel had drawn his sword and begun a complex dance to enchant his blade and himself in preparation for the coming battle.

*Spoiler*
Show


Casting buffs on himself in order:
- Haste on himself (maintain with Concentration, spend the extra SP for Temporal Haste and Augmented Healing)
- Enhance Equipment on his sword, armor, and gauntlet
- Mystic Shell on himself

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## Chambers

Everyone but the twins does a double take when Arae switches voices. Sage glares at Jonlen as hes about to open his mouth. *We dont have time for more questions. Hush now, Im crafting the veil.* She walks up the hill and stands at the edge at the top with Kip and Yassarn following. She reaches out with both hands and closes her eyes, her hands making random movements as if shes trying to catch something she cant see. Jonlen motions for Orlando and Odryn to join him between two sets of tall trees. *Were the line, understand? Teach these rats that Daggerford isnt for sale.* He looks back over his shoulder and nods at the twins as they crouch down, their potions bag between them.

The dim light from the campfires embers doesnt spread out far enough to be seen from your positions and in the darkness comes the quiet before battle. Mists begin to rise from the surface of the water as Sage appears to have gained a hold of some energy with her Art. The mist becomes a second river of water that she seems to be gently lifting up and redirecting over the hill. The double vision is strange; you see Kip, Sage, and Yassarn standing on the hill while you also see the river Delimbyr surging over and around them. Kip crouches and tosses a knife back and forth between his hands while Yassarn stands near Sage, his green blade nowhere to be seen.

The quiet is broken by the creaking of a ship and voices in the wind as the Baldurs Beard comes into view. Illuminated by torchlight you see dozens of wererats hard at work at the business of sailing the ship. As you see the wererats you also feel the intensity of their voices, the chaotic din it creates in the air. Its an unpleasant sensation that crawls at the back of your skull but before it can take root the ground is rocked as the ship runs full steam into the side of the rock wall. Almost everyone on the ship is knocked over, some rats being flung into the river. Your allies all manage to stay standing except for Yassarn who loses his footing and drops to one knee.

The low pressure of the hive mind becomes a high pitched scream as the wererats shriek in fright and rage. The force of their will is almost a physical thing that beats against you as they scramble to their feet and draw weapons.

*Spoiler*
Show

Combat, Round 1. Giving your side the initiative here because of the ambush. Everyone needs to make a DC 18 Reflex save or fall prone from the ship running into the ground.

There are lights on the ship that provide enough bright light on the ship and dim light beyond that.

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## Xanyo

Yzara is in the middle of a quickstep when the impact occurs, knocking her off her feet. She turns the fall into a tumble-twist and quickly gets her feet back under her. This is it. Time to act. She's positioned near the back, and doesn't look like a combatant. As long as she doesn't do anything blatant, they probably won't pay much attention to her. 

Closing her eyes to focus she hears a slow, rising chord within herself. Moving to its rhythm she slowly raises her arms, _stomps_ as she brings them down, and repeats the action in time. Rise, _fall_, rise, _fall_. She feels for the echoes of their minds, woven together and doubled up in the hivemind, and with her movements drags her metaphysical fingernails against them.

*Spoiler: Actions*
Show

Move action: stand up
Standard action: Cast a Mind sphere powerful Fear charm, mass. Costs 3 spell points. 
Skilled Casting check (DC 27): (1d20+18)[*21*] (if the roll is low my CL goes down and I'll edit accordingly)
7 5 of the rats (I'll go with the ones standing on the front of the ship) have to make a DC 24 22 will save or be panicked for 12 9 rounds. Those that succeed are still shaken for the duration and must make another save or not realize they were the target of an attempted mental intrusion.

EDIT: low roll reduces CL by 3, which reduces the save DC to 22, the number of targets to 5, and the duration to 9

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## Athaleon

Kel had kept his footing, and in an instant he'd disappeared from his perch on the rocks and reappeared before the nearest wererat that had been thrown from the crashed ship. His sword was a blur as it darted out again and again, his strikes woven with movement like an intricate dance, and the blade crackled with lightning as it moved through the air.

*Spoiler*
Show


Swift Action: Teleport in front of Kip, activating Jump Scare
(1d20+28)[*33*] (using Dance in place of Intimidate) to Demoralize the rat in front of Kip with a -4 to the relevant checks in place of the usual -2.

Full Round Action: Full Attack the rat in front of Kip, and Spell Combat/Spellstrike with an Electric Blast.

Spellstrike: (1d20+16)[*30*]
Damage: (1d6+10)[*12*] + (7d6+7)[*27*] Electric

Haste Attack: (1d20+16)[*31*]
Damage: (1d6+10)[*11*] Slashing 

1st Iterative: (1d20+16)[*18*]
Damage: (1d6+10)[*13*] Slashing 

2nd Iterative: (1d20+11)[*19*]
Damage: (1d6+10)[*15*] Slashing 

Extra Move Action via Temporal Haste: Maintain concentration on Haste.

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## Chromascope3D

*"The battle is joined..."* Arae notes to herself. She raises her blade, a longsword whose crossguard has been fashioned into a pair of scales, and declares, *"We have the momentum! Waste it not, but charge forth, and let Lady Mystra's hands guide your swords to strike true! Let your body be enshrouded by the Weave, and no harm shall come in your righteous crusade!"*

*Spoiler*
Show

Standard: Going to spend a spell point and cast *Undo Harm* (30 ft centered on Arae, allies regain 15HP at the beginning of the group's turn so long as the healing doesn't exceed their HP at the start of the prior round or at the moment of casting) 

Move: *Aggressive Flanking* from the Warleader Sphere (55 ft centered on the square 10 ft south of Orlando, allowing anyone who has line of sight and who can hear Arae to flank any enemy that they and another ally are threatening, regardless of positioning.) 

I don't believe she has any swift actions available right so I'll skip that for now. :p

She should have 15 spell points remaining.

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## Taelas

Tamsin and Rex keep their feet with no trouble, the bear apparently barely noticing the impact from the way it charges over towards the wererats. When it reaches one, it stands on its hindlegs and swipes at it with a huge claw.

Tamsin fires three arrows at a wererat he can see.

*Spoiler: Actions*
Show

Rex moves to the closest wererat and attacks once with a claw. If the attack hits, the bear initiates a grapple.
Claw: (1d20+14)[*32*]; damage: (1d6+8)[*10*]; if crit threat: (1d20+14)[*18*]; crit damage: (1d6+8)[*12*]
Grapple: (1d20+19)[*36*]

Tamsin uses rapid shot to fire three arrows at a wererat.
Attack 1: (1d20+19)[*38*]; damage: (1d8+9)[*10*]; if crit threat: (1d20+19)[*27*]; crit damage: (2d8+18)[*30*]
Attack 2: (1d20+19)[*23*]; damage: (1d8+9)[*14*]; if crit threat: (1d20+19)[*37*]; crit damage: (2d8+18)[*24*]
Attack 3: (1d20+14)[*26*]; damage: (1d8+9)[*10*]; if crit threat: (1d20+14)[*27*]; crit damage: (2d8+18)[*24*]

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