Chapter Nine – Retrieving a Friend for Lord Morn

Tarsek 24-Myrtle 5, Myrtle 19-26, 1371 D.R.

            They say belonging to a group keeps you from becoming an outsider and outcast.  This adventure, even though longer than expected, gained us entrance into the Merrydale Delvers Guild.  The good news, no more taxes have to be paid if we are accepted and we have a very nice place to spend our down time.  The not-so-good news, as part of an organization we are much easier to track down, be found, be slandered, and be set up for danger.  Worth the risk, we’ll have to see as time goes on and the adventuring life continues.

            After a little time off to take care of our own personal business, Peraus Wands recalled us for another adventure.  He made arrangements to get our group into the Merrydale Delvers Guild, even though we weren’t members.  We met Peraus and he escorted us there past a different door guard.  We weren’t sure if it was Slash or Burn but no one was going to ask.  We were lead past him into this establishment and what a sight it was to behold.

            After spending most of my time in taverns and lounges, this place seemed like a mansion.  The wood was an ornately decorated dark wood.  The lingering smoke of cigars and the like mixed incredibly well with the smells of treated leather.  The place was moderately lit and even the help was dressed up a notch or two from what would normally be expected.  I could just imagine owning this room as the music from my Lute and stories of adventure played amongst the alcoves and hung in the air as the smoke hung – not obscuring, just enhancing.

            We were escorted into a back room where there was enough room for all of us twice over.  After we were all seated, Peraus started introducing us to the group we had joined in the room.  We were now in the presence of Randal Morn!  What an honor!  Sitting with Lord Morn was Feris, the moon elf who was usually the door guard at the Merrydale Delvers Guild.  He was also seated with three figures in black leather armor, two men and one woman.  These folks were Sharantir, Belkram, and Itharr better known as The Rangers Three.  Also seated in the room were two others.  An assimar paladin named Alheric and a necromancer dressed in black spiked leather armor with pale skin named Tiberius.  A large group was gathered indeed with some very important players.

            Lord Morn had gathered us in hopes that we would accept a mission from him to help Daggerdale and the Dalelands.  Where to begin for the group seemed confusing until Sharantir began and we all listened intently.  She began by explaining that her group was responsible for patrolling the area and they were running into more and more areas of problems.  She listed goblinoid movements in the Desertmouth Mountains, something happening in the Dagger Hills, and the constant threat from the Spiderhaunt Woods.

            Alheric spoke up next in a charismatic voice one would truly expect from a paladin describing how he and Tiberius had come to the Dales from across the planes and encountered a goblinoid army lead by creature of sizable power.  The creature leading the group was half Dragon and half ogre.  What a terrible combination, and ugly too I’ll bet.  The two of them had defeated the group and, in the process, discovered some information about an adventuring group that had disappeared Dales about the same time the group Potulous was looking for disappeared.  They tracked down and destroyed a mage who was using a skeleton of one of the heroes as an animated warrior. 

When they said the name of Troy, the Builder, I was even more in awe of this former group of heroes.  Not only did they have Lord Randal Morn as a friend, they had so many groups looking to help them in their time of need that they must have helped shape the Dales in some amazing way.  In fact, their adventuring days would be about the same time frame as when Daggerdale was finally freed from the Zhentarim control.  They must have played a key role.  I’ll have to look into this more with all the new information I have acquired.

Alheric continued saying Troy had been raised from the dead and left (it sounded more like he was pulled) to join his friends on a quest they were on, which was given to them by the Gods themselves.  Can you imagine a quest set before you by the Gods themselves?  To have their attention to that level they could only have been heroes!  This would also explain the difficulty Potulous was having tracking them down and finding out where they were.  Potulous had also left searching for them on another mission with some new information he had gained.  With time and luck, it is hoped they will return to the Dale but, until their task with the Gods was complete, no one knew when that would be.

Stepping in to retrieve us off the tangents we had gone down, Lord Morn attempted to refocus the group.  I also wondered if the direction of the conversation had struck a nerve and bothered him but I will never know.  He explained that those who were members of the Merrydale Delvers Guild were exempt from paying taxes because of the good deeds they do for the Dale.  Feris had gathered everyone here as he wished to sponsor us for membership.  Lord Morn was here to hear the petition and rationale.  Feris described our role surrounding the death of Korgul the Reaver and the others present supported his claims.  Lord Morn accepted Feris’ petition for our group.  Lord Morn went on to tell us that besides needing a sponsor, we would need to take on a quest for the guild and Lord Morn.

Lord Morn began by describing a series of bad dreams he had regarding a friend of his in Tilverton.  He said that his friend, named Artur Grossman, had his parents killed by Zhents but he had escaped from Zhentarim capture to Tilverton.  He had assisted in restoring Lord Morn to power in Dagger Falls and had kept the Zhents out of Tilverton.  We were told that he was the leader of the Tilverton Thieves’ Guild and was kind of a scoundrel but Lord Morn owed his life to him.  Lord Morn said that it was a certainty that an underground organization was going to form in Dagger Falls and he would rather have someone he could trust there than continually trying to fight the underground.  This meant he wanted us to travel to Tilverton and bring Artur Grossman safely back to Dagger Falls.  We accepted without thinking twice about it.

Lord Morn had told us his dreams involved an impending doom that made this mission a priority to complete.  We were told to show a special pendant, given to us by Lord Morn, at a tavern and inn called Grimwald’s Revenge.  This would gain us an audience with Artur Grossman.  We were also assigned to escort him back to Dagger Falls unless he turned us away from that duty.  Feris would also be going with us as the Merrydale Delver’s Guild’s observer to see if we preformed adequately.  Little did any of us know just how much he would get to observe us on this mission.

On Tarsek 25^th we departed Dagger Falls and went to Tethyamarside to purchase horses and stayed at the Billy Stout Inn.  I also learned of a great instrument shop here.  I will have to remember to come back here and possibly hire this shop to make me a special Lute for my adventurous music.  I’m thinking of one where I could sheath my Long Sword on the neck of the Lute to make traveling easier and my appearance less adventurer.  It would also be a lot easier to hide a weapon in plain sight.  I purchased a Light War Horse with gear for a very fair 167 gold.  We will stay the night then we are off to a halfling village to find a Riding Dog for Shane.

The next day we traveled south passing a couple of landmarks.  First was a floating tower.  I had heard about this floating tower.  It was the Tower of a mage called Mazarale.  He supposedly studied Orc Culture, Orcish Magic, and Orcish Languages.  There appeared no way into the tower – great for security, rotten for having guests.  I also recalled Beldin being a student of his and wondered if he too was looking for the heroes as well.  A little further south we passed the Serpent’s Bridge.  This stone bridge is carved with the appearance of snakes all over it.  Nobody knows who originally built this bridge or why.  The water below was fast moving and I recalled being told of a former hero’s brother drowning in the fast moving water below.  We then arrived at the halfling village where Shane picked out a fantastic Riding Dog.  We were allowed to stay the night and there was plenty of free food to go around.  I listened to their stories and songs, as I hadn’t really been submersed in halfling culture before today.

The next day we continued after thanking our hosts for their hospitality.  We came to the place where our path meets the North Trail and the beautiful shrine that was set up by several gods together (Chantea, Silvanus, Lathander, and Selûne) as a safe haven for travelers.  Unfortunately, it was not so beautiful, or safe, any more.  We came across a caravan that had been ambushed, attacked, and looted.  Everyone was killed, most items were burned, and the Shrine was defiled as well – it was no longer safe for anyone.  There were no tracks that Xan could find, no attacker’s bodies anywhere, and Cedar did see signs of powerful magics like fireballs and lightning bolts.  We also learned that the caravan was taken down a couple of days ago, as the site was a few days old.  The caravan had been looted as well.  We could not find out much more than that.  There was a carved in symbol of a spider with crossed sword and mace but we did not know whom that might be referring to at all or what group it might represent. 

Before we finished burying the folks, Primula also did some more investigating and cast a spell to be able to speak with dead.  She spoke with one of the fallen and found out they had been attacked by a group of deadly wicked blades shroud in darkness and shadows.  They were a group of merchant families and performers traveling from Arabel, in Cormyr, to Shadowdale.  They appeared to end up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

We continued along the North Trail as it passed b y the Spiderhaunt Woods, an eerie place if one was ever to be seen.  We saw a pack of five spider or spider like things that appeared to be hunting together.  They appear to be hitting the campsites along the trail looking for victims.  We camped a off the trail a ways and kept watch very closely.

On the 29^th, we made it through the Shadow Gap and to the Shadow Gap Inn.  Finally we were at a warm place to stay with a bed, bath, and walls for safety.  They even had a fairly good meal and I had a place to play a bit of music and pick up some lore from the Shadow Gap. 

We even ran into a Red Wizard of Thay here.  His name was Welcar and he was unlike the other Red Wizards we have come across.  He was on his way to Dagger Falls to set up a magic shop.  Kind of a neat idea if you ask me as, other than the Tooka’s, there wasn’t one in town.  He even offered to sell us some of the stuff he had already made to sell in the shop.  We looked and one or two bought but most of us weren’t very trusting of his magic.

Cedar became incredibly judgmental towards Welcar.  Most of us were rather hesitant and on-guard but not outwardly so.  I know Red Wizards are evil by organization and purchasing from them supports their causes.  However, if a couple of my coins to a pleasant mannered individual aids me in achieving a greater good for the Dales, far be it from me not to explore the possibility.  Cedar seemed a little more judgmental towards them than he was towards.  Then, again, I know he considers me too open-minded but I’d rather be wrong about a person’s guilt than wrong about their innocence.  For now, I’ll just help him keep opening his eyes slowly, little by little.

The next day we continued our trek down the South Trail leading to Tilverton.  About dinnertime we ran across a woodsman named Andalara who was dressed in deer hides.  He was obviously a ranger and told us he was in Tilverton’s service to patrol this area and keep the road safe.  He and his friends, we saw no one else, had killed some owlbears along our route but he felt our trail should be safe all the way to Tilverton.  We exchanged our information regarding the Shrine, caravan, and Spiderhaunt Woods.  He told us the caravan sounded like on that had passed him a few days ago called Six Coffers Praikos.  The rain was starting to move in and Andalara gave us some suggestions on camping locations and places that might be dryer than others.  We parted ways and continued on to one of the campsites he mentioned.

We had hoped the rain would end by morning but Tymora gave us the other side of the coin.  My companions were not in good spirits when we realized we’d be traveling in the rain so it was time for some music to change how they were feeling.  I played all the way to Tilverton trying to incorporate a song for everyone and some fun ones to boot.  It kept our spirits up and got us through the mud and the rain.  We traveled most of the day before arriving at the walls of Tilverton.

Instead of having a town guard at the gates of Tilverton, the Cormyrian Purple Dragons were there.  I had always thought Tilverton as the border between Cormyr and the Dalelands – assisted by both but part of neither.  We were given no trouble on our way in at all and actually received directions to Grimwald’s Revenge, which was in the run down portion of town.  On our way Cedar spotted a Cormyrian War Wizard on a side street.  He excused himself, to our surprise, and walked directly up to the War Wizard.  After waiting for the War Wizard to have time to talk to him, he was making the request to register with the War Wizard as a spell caster.  I thought he was crazy until the reply came back that Tilverton was only receiving protection from Cormyr and that it was not required for him to register here.  This must be some sort of Cormyrian thing.  The War Wizard’s name was Oriseus and seemed like a decent fellow.

We continued on to Grimwald’s Revenge.  We were cautious and, after stabling our mounts and securing a room, we sat down for a dinner.  Primula was gracious enough to bless our meal and cast a purify food and drink on it.  It made all of us feel better about eating it.  We set out the pendant that Lord Morn had given us inconspicuously on the table so our server would notice it.  Our server’s name was Blethany and she seemed very attentive, as we were some of the few customers in the place at this time of night.  Oskar did scan those customers in attendance and would point out the evil ones to us so we could stay alert.

After we had finished dinner and were sipping on our drinks, the cook came out from the kitchen, sat down at our table, and took the pendant.  One of the guys Oskar had pointed out, a weasely guy by the bar, cleared everyone else out of the bar.  Once that was done only a few remained.  There was Blethany, the weasely guy, another unnamed guy, someone called Blood Shoulder, and our supposed cook – Cutthroat McGill.  We began our talking and Cutthroat informed us that attacks were occurring to the Purple Dragons.  The Purple Dragons believed it was Cutthroat’s men executing these attacks but he assured us it was not.

Just then, without warning, the front door was burst in by four Purple Dragon guards.  The set down a bloodied man on the ground and said they were looking for Cutthroat McGill as the perpetrator.  We did not want to get involved but they were looking for a fight.  We decided to act and try to save the Purple Dragons’ lives.  Cedar put three of the four asleep with a very effective spell.  Oskar and Shane knocked the last one out before they even got to attack.  No blood but victorious.  Entering the door at this point was Oriseus, the War Wizard, and another Purple Dragon.  They had come to stop the guards from taking revenge for their friend’s battering.

Money, the weasely guy, and Cutthroat had both disappeared after grabbing something from one of the toads hopping around the place.  It must have been some sort of invisibility dust or potion.  Suddenly, Oriseus stiffened up as if someone had him in a precarious situation.  It appears one of the invisible men had a dagger to his throat.  After a brief wait for any further guests, we were quickly escorted out the back of the bar and through a maze of alleys and buildings.  Eventually we entered the sewers through a basement access after lifting some gates.  We still had Oriseus and the other Purple Dragon in tow.

We traveled through the sewers until we emerged into what appeared to be a room where a man was seated.  The room was ornately decorated and had treasures all about.  We had found Artur Grossman, head of the Rogues of Tilverton.  Artur and Oriseus began talking back and forth ignoring the rest of us.  Each was trying to blame the other for stabbings, muggings, and other trouble in Tilverton happening against their men.  Oriseus said he could no longer control his troops any more and Artur shot back that he was missing 15 members in the past three months.  Oriseus finally said that he would need proof that it wasn’t Artur’s men in order to appease his troops.

Blethany now joined the group now dressed in rogue instead of the barmaid’s clothes.  She reported more violence against both Artur’s men and the Purple Dragons.  The men continued going back and forth with Oriseus wanting proof it wasn’t Artur and Artur wanting the Purple Dragons out of Tilverton.  That was when we spoke up and offered a third alternative.  We offered Artur to leave Tilverton with us and resettle elsewhere, leaving Oriseus the unencumbered ability to get to the bottom of things.

During this discussion, Blethany removed her disguise and revealed she was actually a male and, to make it worse, she was allied with the Fire Knives.  He now leapt at Artur Grossman and several more of Artur’s men removed their disguises to reveal they were Fire Knife Assassins as well.  We began to fight as a wall slammed down to protect Artur leaving us to fight the Fire Knives.  Bleth, of the Bleth family exiled from Cormyr, lead the attack.  Oriseus only supplied Magic Missiles from a wand and Feris was only observing.  We were doing well in the battle when we started to hear and see lamp oil coming from the ceiling.  Oskar hit Bleth with a blow so mighty his ergosh let out a crack of thunder killing the assassin.  We exited the room through a secret door and, as the door shut behind Oskar, we heard the roar of flames envelope the room.

We found Artur in another room with another big chair.  There was a lot of commotion from Artur’s men yet behind the walls.  Oriseus and Artur thought that what we had just witnessed was a very good explanation for what had been going on in Tilverton.  The bustling was Artur’s men collecting all the molten metal as it flowed from floor draining tubes and being cast into bricks.  He was truly amazing to think that far ahead.  Artur was now ready to seriously consider the move to Dagger Falls now that he had some answers in Tilverton.

We left Artur’s domain and started our way out of the sewers.  After traveling a short while we encountered another group of four Fire Knives.  We engaged and Cedar was going to keep them from retreating with a Flaming Sphere.  Unfortunately, the flaming sphere ignited the sewer gases causing a big explosion and collapsing the tunnel.  While it finished off the Fire Knives, it also caused a collapse in the direction we had needed to travel.  Artur knew of a way around but it would be more dangerous than this route.  He was absolutely correct.

We began heading the new course when, out of a side tunnel, we were attacked by a giant crocodile.  It targeted Oskar and was trying to pull him away.  We had a limited attack front due to the sewer opening.  We battled the best we could and finally dropped the huge beast.  It had really beaten Oskar up but he recovered quickly thanks to Corellon’s power channeled through Primula.  As we were gathering ourselves together, the next challenge attacked.

Another group of Fire Knives attacked with missile weapons and a fireball.  The fireball was devastating as it caused another explosion and tunnel collapse and cave-in.  The Purple Dragon escorting Oriseus was killed in the rubble as we could only find his boots.  Artur’s men were either buried as well or escaped above.  The rest of us found ourselves in a cave with no apparent way out through the weakened floor.

As we were getting our bearings, three cloakers attacked with lightning speed.  One even managed to get Shane entrapped and started carrying him a way.  Shane, not intending to be a meal for anyone, killed the cloaker from the inside out.  He is definitely an amazing little man.  The others of us dropped the other two without problem.  In their lair we even found a suit of half-plate, which was small enough to fit our dwarven comrade.  Now he would be an armored bit size morsel.  We must one of the few adventuring groups who’s front line averages below 3’6” tall but can dish it out as well as troops three times their size.  We were definitely a group of growing power and were starting to act like an adventuring group should – inquisitive to learn, deadly when needed.

When we finally returned to Tilverton on the surface, Oriseus and Artur joined forces against Bleth and the Fire Knives.  In what I can only imagine was a very bloody evening, the Bleth family and Fire Knives were either in chains or dead.  Artur was relieved that it was over.  Artur was now ready to return with us to Dagger Falls, as a storm that had been haunting his dreams was still unsolved.  We left for Dagger Falls on the 20^th with Oriseus’ thanks.  He offered to help us gain an adventuring charter if we ever wished to adventure in Cormyr.

On the return trip through Shadow Gap Inn, we found Welcar, the Red Wizard, again.  It appeared that he had been turned away at Dagger Falls.  I think the fact we had neglected to tell him about the recent happenings in Dagger Falls.  Cedar asked him if he knew Arnulf, the Red Wizard jailed in Excelsior.  Welcar didn’t know him from what he decided to tell us.  We parted ways and continued back to Dagger Falls.  Nothing along our path had changed – the Spiderhaunt Woods were still active and nerve racking, the shrine was still desecrated, and the path was still clear of any big trouble.

We arrived back at the Merrydale Delvers Guild on the 26^th.  Feris arranged a huge homecoming and was rather good at his storytelling abilities – I was impressed.  He went on telling the non-secretive information about our trip in a flowing, wonderful tale of heroics and heroism.  Primula and I helped add to the story as my experience as a bard in this job line would entail.  I saw he was attempting to live us up as heroes to help slant what the guild thought of us for their upcoming vote.  It was successful as were voted in unanimously into the guild.  Cedar seemed to have a problem with the slight exaggerations and selective storytelling we were doing.  He must not have recognized the purpose behind it at all. 

The serving gal, Marilee, noticed Cedar was back and noticed his new ring, even though Cedar tried to point out we all had them.  He made the mistake of allowing me to re-tell the story and, attempting to help him out with Marilee, we brought his actions to the surface and made his role as the key role in our success.  A spin on the truth, maybe it was.  However, without all of us doing our parts, none of us would have returned.  Marilee seemed to soak it all in. 

Does he realize she likes him?  While going about my gathering of rumors and information I kept an eye on Marilee.  She was spending much more time at Cedar’s table and, preferably, Cedar’s side than anyone else in the guild.  I will have to find some tactful way of filling him in so that he knows.  I did find out the following information about Miraun’s Challenge.

·        It is called Rappan Athuk – The Dungeon of Graves

·        There is a corridor of solid white stone that is cursed.  Anyone who walks its length is lost forever.

·        The Temple to Orcus no longer exists.  It is a lie to keep others away.

·        A powerful priest is entombed behind a door with seven seals.  If he is released, the powers of good will be aided greatly.

·        Beware of Purple Worms.

We also got word that Potulous was planning to ship out again in 40 days and in need of crew if we were available.  Sharantir left word that the Rangers Three were going to check out the Spiderhaunt Woods and we should stay clear for a while until we heard back from them.  Slash and Burn also achieved a new record reaching level seven in Miraun’s Challenge.  What an accomplishment – I hope we just survive it.

The Songs and Stories of My Life,

Kerith of the Dalelands