Letter Home – Avarice

The winds of the desert reached an unearthly din.  They howled outside our tents, taunting us to venture out into the night.  We dared not heed their call.  For without ropes to guide us from tent to tent, we would surely be lost in the unforgiving sands.  Four days passed before the storm abated.  When it did, we were eager to continue our journey westward. 

Our sojourn was unremarkable until on the night of the 28^th, we saw flashes of light to the northwest.  This strange phenomenon reappeared the next evening.  Uncertain of what was causing the pyrotechnic display; our companions doubled their evening watches and it soon paid off. 

The Zhents captured three Bedine spies watching us from over a sand dune.  They were dressed a little differently then the Bedine that we have previously know and had tattoos on their chests of a lion’s paw.  Xan sent Mina up to look for more and quickly found their horses.  We added them to the caravan and secured the prisoners to one of the wagons.

Later that same day, Kerith was knocked off of his mount by a giant lion.  It had been hiding in the sands waiting for some unfortunate soul to pass.  While we rushed to Kerith's aid, it knocked over one of the wagons and spilled its contents onto the sands.   Vestille and Evendur signaled their troops not to attack, hoping it would pass without any loss of life.  Kerith was somehow able to communicate with it and it left without a fight.  Later, Kerith told us that the lion told him that his destiny would soon be at hand.  Ominous words indeed.

I volunteered to help clean up the articled strewn about the sand form the overturned wagon.  It was then that I learned the purpose of the Zhent caravan.  At my feet I found shackles, swords and potions of “agreeability & pain enhancement.”  Our fell hosts were accomplishes in the abomination that is slavery!  I secretly made my way back to our three Bedine captives and, using the Bedine tongue, whispered to them to be strong and that their time would soon come.

Soon the desert gave way to a bowl shaped valley that cradled a vast city.  Vestille and Evendur were sure that the city was not on the map and therefore recently revealed.  Ceder speculated that perhaps the sandstorm uncovered it.  That being the case, we all wondered if the city before us was uncovered deliberately, and if so, who could posses such power?  It appeared to be an ancient Netherese city. 

Evender and Vestille told us to go ahead and investigate the city and meet us on the other side.  Vestille requested 10% of anything we found and that she would take one percent off of the tariff for each slave we brought back.  I am looking forward to the day we rid ourselves of these Zhents for good!

The city was uninhabited, but not empty.  No sooner than we entered the city, I was knocked off of my mount by an unseen assailant.  We continued towards a large temple in the center of the city.  When we arrived, we found another adventuring party on the steps of the temple; a spacious plaza between us.  Not knowing if they were hostile or not, we held off our attack, waiting for them to make the first move.  They reciprocated with a volley of arrows towards me.  Xan and Ceder immediately became invisible.  Shane, Oskar and I charged forwards to engage our enemies.  I was unable to keep up with their charge and so I stopped and delivered a good smiting upon our fell hosts.  This blinded their mage, but not before he loosed a fireball upon Kerith, Shane, Oskar and I.  Then the archers targeted me.  Had it not been for Kerith’s quick action, I surely would have had the opportunity to visit with Corellen in person!

Our skirmish with the host upon the temple steps attracted the designs of the city to our location.  After struggling with a few, we quickly retreated to the relative safety of the temple vestibule.  Ceder cast a “rope trick” and we hurriedly stepped inside.  Xan was the last to enter and none too soon.  For when he was at the opening of the rope trick, a large rolling Netherese tower came into the temple plaza.  Crushing all within its path, it “sensed” us and shot forth a cage of force to entrap Xan.  Praise Corellen for his deft reaction, for had he tarried, he would surely now be a prisoner or worse.

We now must decide what to do next.  I don’t much like being in a Netherese city.  They were not satisfied with accepting the good graces of the gods and choose to challenge them.  In their arrogance, one of them attempted to become a god himself and doomed his world in the process.  Such is the fate of many humans.  They are like a short, bright candle.  They burn brightly, but not for long.  They never seem to think of the consequences of their actions and thus may be the doom of us all.  The secrets that this city holds should stay that way, for the good of all Farun.

Yours truly,

Primula Easterling