Journal (Campaign)

Cormyr: Land of the Purple Dragon Chapter 1: Escape from Sembia Sembia is a peaceful land of mercantile activity where the folk are relatively safe from the problems that plague many other realms in Faerûn. However, the land of Sembia is controlled by the Empire of Netheril, a once-lost civilization that returned to Toril over a century ago. The Netherese have a dark and  powerful history with strong ties to the Shadowfell. Their main goal is to unite the entire world under their rule. Netheril does whatever it can to preserve the peace and prosperity of Sembian cities, since Sembia is their primary trade link with the rest of the world. While most citizens of Sembia have grown  comfortable with this arrangement, there are a few determined cells of resistance. If a resistance cell is found by Netheril, it is swiftly crushed. As a result, those who resist Netherese rule are careful to hide their cells’ existence. They often employ unwitting accomplices to help achieve their aims. Session 1: An Exchange Gone Wrong Market (Saerb) The adventure begins with the PCs in the city of Saerloon , the party ran into an eladrin merchant who guaranteed them some gold coin for a delivery assignment. The merchant paid half up front and promised the other half when they reach the contact in Saerb , a town in Northern Sembia . The PCs were handed a vellum scroll sealed with a purple wax symbol of dragon rampant. The nameless merchant instructed you all to keep the seal intact, he mentions the scroll is enchanted to combust should it be opened in the wrong hands. The merchant instructed you all to deliver the scroll to Inius Olger , a cobbler who lives in Saerb. You are to wait in the tavern across the street from his place of work, waiting for him to exit his shop at dusk to light a torch. That's the signal to approach him and hand off the message and receive your final payment. Saerb City Watch At dusk a pasty bald man exits the the cobbler's shop and lights a torch outside. At the moment, the PCs hear an authoritative voice calls out to him, and see several city watch making their way up to the street toward the shop. The sharp eye of the Ranger (Corax) noticed that a man in a heavy black cloak is brandishing a dagger among the guards. The PCs decide to intercept the guards and keep them busy allowing Inius Olger to escape into the PCs custody. The PCs were forced to kill all of the City Watch of Saerb, unfortunately one of the watch managed to blow his whistle summoning others to the market. Inius tells the PCs to hold onto the scroll and deliver it to any Purple Dragon Knight  or War Wizard of Cormyr, get out of town as soon as possible, and find a safe haven (he suggest crossing the Vast Swamp or Thunderpeak Mountain to avoid capture). He also hands 25 gold pieces to each of the PCs and tells them the owner of the dagger must be a Netheril agent due to the blade having an etched symbol of a clenched fist crushing a dove. The Chase (Saerb) The trill of the whistle pierces the air. From down the street, the PCs see a large group of guards moving quickly their way. The path appears to be clear in the opposite direction and the decide to make a break for it before the guards get a good look at them. The PCs see an alley crowded with crates and boxes piled almost to the roofs. The buildings on either side of the alley appear to be warehouses. The PCs run through the alley, jumping on the boxes , and climbing up to the rooftops to make a swift escape and not be so easily tracked. The party then go to another section of the market and see merchants are packing up their carts and putting their wares away in nearby tents as evening approaches. The PCs dodge through the crowd and push over some carts to slow down the guards. The party finally decide to make the a sprint through a street with a number of carousing taverngoers, already well in their cups. The lights of several taverns glow warmly through open windows. The PCs push past drunk townsfolk and manage to evade the city watch and escape Saerb. The Ruins of the Weeping Rook After making it out of the town of Saerb , The PCs find themselves in the wilderness after dark. They decide to skirt the Thunder Peaks along the High Dale border, the Barbarian ( Gurral)  mentions he knows of relatively safe passage far south of the Bloodhorn that could get them to Thunderstone in Cormyr . The PCs were able to put some ground behind them and the pursuing guards. Darkness is settling in, and those guards gather others to hunt the party down. The party force march throughout the night away from roads and travel cross country to avoid patrols that are on the lookout for them. After traveling for several hours, the PCs find a small wood that looks like a good enough place to take a breather and discuss further plans. The moon is out and close to full. The Ranger ( Corax ) was able to make out a silhouette of a ruined tower and a small fire flickering at the tower base. The Wizard ( Eurim ) identifies the old ruins as the Weeping Rook (an old battlement used during the Goblin War of 1370 DR ). The party decide to approach stealthily and are close enough to hear talking in the harsh language of Goblin and see humanoid sized forms moving about. Hobgoblins The PCs don't speak Goblin but are sure they are conversing about raiding someone, so the party get the drop on the Hobgoblins by dousing their lights and sneaking toward them resulting in the Hobgoblins being ambushed. The PCs defeat the hobgoblins and take shelter in the ruined tower avoiding further encounters in the Sembian wilderness. LONG REST Soldiers of the Goblin War The PCs know that Sembia is not safe for them. It's obvious that whatever the contents of the scroll, they are being hunted by agents of Netheril . They need to get to the small town of Thunderstone in northeastern Cormyr . It lays along the southern bank of the Thunder River, close to the southern side of Hullack Forest, north of the Vast Swamp , and near to the western slopes of the Thunder Peaks . The Barbarian ( Gurral ) leads the party through the Thunder Peaks , a mountain range that separates Sembia from both Cormyr and the Dalelands . While the the main mountain passes are to well traveled, there is a trail known as the Bloodhorn where the final stand of Sembia, Dalelands and Cormyr soldiers delayed the advancement of the Goblin Army allowing King Azoun to win the Goblin War of 1371 DR. After traveling for many hours, the PCs reach the Thunder Peaks without incident. Navigating through some old trails in the foothills, the party reach a pass just as lightning streaks across the sky and thunder booms. The path ahead is littered with the remains of the dead, bones and rusted weapons scattered across the trail and near a sheer drop-off to their left. To the right of the trail, the terrain slopes steeply upward and then flattens out before ending at a cliff face that creates a natural wall. The trail and grass are stained a by a glowing reddish brown color. The Wizard ( Eurim ) identifies it as Blood Rock , a type of stone charged with necromantic energy that pulls at the life force of creatures standing on it. Its name comes from the streaks of blood-red mineral that run through it. The soldiers of the Bloodhorn rise from their remains to once again do battle. The PCs defeat the skeletons and are able to travel through the rest of the pass without incident. SHORT REST

Session 2: Almost there.... Darkling The PCs are now beyond the Thunder Peaks and are nearing the safe haven of Thunderstone (commonly used base of operations for expeditions into the neighboring Hullack Forest , used by adventurers, merchant groups, and Purple Dragons alike). Coming out of thick woods and rounding a bend , the party see a bridge across a fast running stream. On the bridge are two rough looking Cultist carrying scimitars. Behind thick brush just past the bridge stands a robed woman holding a staff weaving strange, arcane gestures with her free hand as she recites alien words. The caster’s eyes become glassy and distant as the spell nears completion, then the deafening sounds of strong winds are heard. Another creature watching from a gnarled tree-branch is perched upon as it chuckles menacingly; its sunken eyes are no more than pinpricks of yellow light in the gloom of the forest. A ragged patchwork cloak covers its head and shoulders, and sinewy limbs extend from a lithe body to dangle loosely in the air. Wickedly curved scimitars hang from the fraying belt around the creature’s waist, and catch sight of softly glowing tattoos covering what little skin you can see. The PCs were unaware they were identified by local folk and were shown a drawing of them (minor illusion) and Netheril agents were instructed to look out for them. The party decided to attack but were ambushed by a squat and broad, humanoid creature with skin that resembles stone: hard, rough, and gray in color. Like a dwarf, yet distinct, the creature appears completely hairless, and their strange, milky eyes evoke beasts of the deepest, darkest caverns. Armor, finely made but crude in appearance, protects the creature’s vital areas, with a wicked-looking warpick. The creature sneers, their teeth stark white against the slate gray of their skin, as it enlarges to double its size. The PCs manage to defeat their attackers but fail to capture anyone of importance The PCs captured a Cultist of Shar and he willingly reveals they were ordered by superiors to capture the PCs and take the Vellum Scroll in their possession. (he bites his tongue off to keep from speaking) The Darkling was accompanied by a Witch of Shar, a Duergar (Shadovar) and two Initiates of Shar . The Cleric/Rogue (Dusk) inspects the areas for clues and discovers the reek of brimstone upon cloven hoof tracks leading away from the ambush site and disappear a few feet away without cause (flight, teleportation, plane shifting?) Purple Knight of Cormyr The PCs finally make it to the safety of friendlier lands in Thunderstone (Cormyr) and begin to ask around to see if anyone can help them find a suitable recipient for the scroll. The PCs finally come across a Purple Knight with a greatsword garbed in full plate armor clearly disciplined from both rigorous training and plenty of real battle experience. The Purple Knight then bows slightly and takes possession of the Vellum Scroll. The PCs complete CHAPTER 1: Escape of Sembia and advance to level 3!  The PCs are immediately whisked away to Suzail the capital city of Cormyr for vetting and processing (10 days quarantine) and conscripted for a personal meeting with Lord Isaac Prio ( King Foril’s Regent of Special Affairs responsible for the policing of criminal activities and protecting the country lands, who was involved for imprisoning the entire city of Wheloon in a magical shell). 3 work weeks (30 days) of downtime passes before the next adventure, which will begin in Suzail. Cormyrean authorities diligently investigate your backgrounds using mundane and magical forms of questioning (level 5 spells and below) and pass judgement accorded various rights to let them go wherever they wished and question whomever they needed with no punitive consequences. The screening process is unforgiving and brutal Cormyr confiscates all foreign currency to prevent foreign coinage being introduced into the local economy and devaluing Cormyr's golden lion and others. (from this point on CGP: Cormyr Gold Pieces is a thing). An armed adventurer in peacetime must be peace-bonded. Peace-bonding involved cords called "peacestrings" tied about the hilts and scabbards of weapons to prevent them being drawn in a hurry. In practice, this was symbolic, and little stopped a veteran fighter from pulling them when forced. There were a variety of exceptions: nobles, Purple Dragons , War Wizards , on-duty militia members, weapons dealers, people training with weapons under their lord's supervision, people on a hunt with their lord's permission, attendees of a hunting lodge, mercenaries, chartered adventurers, and bearers of a crown writ for a temporary right to bear arms, which were usually granted to foreign dignitaries, their bodyguards, agents, and special messengers. They were permitted un-peacebonded weapons, but had to display their Purple dragon ring, Court token (a numbered brass plaque engraved with the Purple Dragon symbol), proof of employment, license, charter, or writ on request. Good records were kept of all these. A weapon was classed as any blade larger than a dining knife or any blunt instrument that wasn't a walking staff or worker's tool. All persons must submit to a search by Purple Dragons or militia when requested. The King's Decree of Rights Noble obligated commoners, to the cost of their lives, to aid nobles in times of need and danger. It's illegal to hunt on land privately owned by another without their permission. Offenders were, at a minimum, ostracized by the community until they made amends like holding a feast and opening their own lands. It's illegal to harm cats. This apparently extended to spaying and neutering, as it interfered with their reproductive capabilities. It's illegal for an individual to receive payment, in the form of money or valuables, to remove the effects of a spell they themselves had cast. It's illegal to cast or unleash any magic within city limits (2nd level or higher). Only War Wizards and officers of the Crown are exempt. an accused was not presumed to be innocent or guilty until proven otherwise. Rather, a suspect was charged with a crime, an accuser was required to "substantiate" the charge, and the accused was required to "respond" to the charge. However, an accused received no special facilities or resources; they were forced to argue for their own innocent to the judge. In turn, accusers were often the heads of local militias, who in a small town would also be the local lord, and therefore also the judge. Peace Bonds Persons legally bearing weapons must wear peacestrings about their sword hilts (to prevent quick unsheathing). These strings are colored and tasseled cords, and it is an art to tie them in ornate knots. You lock a weapon in place on its owner’s body, or within the weapon’s sheath or holster. Anyone who then tries to draw the weapon must spend an action to do so and provoking an attack of opportunity. Down Time (Conclusion of Chapter 1) Leon Starbreaker (Paladin of Vengeance) Leon's lifestyle 30 days (Modest):  0gp , due to his Knightly Regard while staying with the Harmonious Order . A group of Clerics and Paladins of Milil (God of song, poetry, eloquence, creativity and inspiration) who travel Faerun, committing great feats worthy of being shared by poets and storytellers. Religious Service (10 days): The Harmonious Order  allow you to stay in the Lord of Song's holy temple and support them in a quest to clear a Bloodsworn Lair thriving under the leadership of an undead goblin master, Goblin King Tharaktu - a winged vampire spawn - who has led the Bloodsworn for many generations near the Thunder Peaks mountains of Eastern Cormyr. The raid is successful and the Bloodsworn tribe's treasure is gathered in an ceremonious heap, but the Goblin King Tharaktu escaped swearing revenge against you and the Harmonious Order. You earn two  favors and a promise of future assistance from a representative of the temple. It can be expended to ask the temple for help in dealing with a specific problem, for general political or social support, or to reduce the cost of cleric spellcasting by 50 percent. You gain one hostile enemy (Goblin King Tharaktu). Cure wounds 5 gp, Identify 10 gp, Lesser restoration 20 gp, Prayer of healing 20 gp, Dispel magic 45 gp, Remove curse 50 gp, Speak with dead 45 gp, Divination 105 gp, Greater Restoration 225 gp, Raise dead* 500 gp, Resurrection* 1500 gp, True resurrection* 15000 gp. * Characters can instead receive these services by purchasing spell scrolls. Carousing  (5 Days):   10gp , you train the young knights of the Harmonious Order,  learning their stories and sharing in their experiences to enrich them and guide them along their future endeavors. You  fail to make any contacts due to the stigma of once being a member of the Companions of the One True Order of Helm responsible for the genocide of the native people of Maztica. Relaxation (5 Days):   0gp , Your prayers before you sleep seem to help with the nightmares, but one morning, after a short prayer to Helm, you went out for a short walk near the Lord Song's Temple. You were alone on a lonely path near a graveyard. You were thinking of the loss of your family when you heard a voice calling out to you from behind. The Hag that haunts your dreams You look back and see an old decrepit lady grinning at you. She had long white dirty hair. Her face was covered with blood and her nails were very long. She was wearing a red sari. You just stared at her, paralyzed in fear. You dared not move or try to run. You see her slowly floating towards you. You were too frightened to move. Her long hands then began to stretch out to choke you. Her maniacal laugh etched in your mind. It was a horrible sound and your body turned cold. Just before she could choke you, however, you attempt a desperate effort to run. But she was instantly behind you and almost caught you. You screamed loudly in fear, noticing a pyre in red and blue flames ahead of you in the shape of burning eye. (Helm perhaps?) As you scream, you awaken to find that you had only been dreaming. That creature's pyre was unsettling, you didn't see much in the flames, but one image was clear and burned into your mind. You're not  sure what it means, but it can't be good. Shadows in a Valley of the Dales You gain advantage on one Saving Throw for Constitution or Wisdom during Chapter 2, due to the dedication of prayer to Helm in the name of your family.

Chapter 2: The Dark Rider of Arabel Session 3: Shades of Black The Vellum Scroll from Sembia found its way to the King of Cormyr . The letter tells of an unlikely and terrible alliance that threatens to bring  Cormyr to its knees. Among other things, the letter warns of Netherese activities along the the northern border of Cormyr . This corresponds with recent reports of a Shadow Knight terrorizing the outskirts of Arabel , and the two together give those in power cause to order an investigation. Lord Prio's Study The PCs stood in Lord Prio's (Knight Exalted, King Foril's Regent of Special Affairs) study where he tasked the party to investigate and resolve reports of a dark rider terrorizing the outskirts of the city of Arabel . Palfrey horses with superior traveling equipment were supplied to you, along with the King's Writ (Leon) granting limited authority to execute the King's justice in the vicinity of Arabel as it pertains to your mission. King's Writ Eurim (History):  Normally such a message to the king would come from the governor or local burgomaster, but this one came anonymously by courier. Dusk (Religion):  A shadow knight preceded by a host of shadows creatures usually means a Shade is involved. Shades were once humanoids who had merged with the essence of Shar (Goddess of Shadow & Night). They grow more powerful in areas of darkness or shadows, including gaining the ability to leap from shadow to shadow, to create shadowy duplicates of themselves, and even to become entirely invisible. It's said they could also decrease the amount of light in an area and could see through darkness, even of the magical variety. Corax (Urban Bounty Hunter):  You have heard rumors from several contacts you have made while in the city of Suzail , that tell of a warrior with a charred skull for a head has been seen fleeing the scene of reported shadow/ netherese activity. After departing Suzail to Arabel , dusk approached as the party comes upon Ottro , a Sembian Travelling Merchant, on the road toward the Lower West Ward of Arabel. Ottro is trying to unsuccessfully to fix his carriage before nightfall. Ottro/Sembian Merchant As the PCs you move through the dim light, one of the shadows cast along the trees suddenly leaps off and directly at you all! Vaguely humanoid in shape, the shadow’s form lunges, seeking to envelop you within its life-draining aura of undeath. The party is ambushed by a wave of shadow hounds as you interact with Ottro . The Dark Rider makes a brief a appearance before retreating into the shadows in the distance. Shadow Mastiff Shadow The party was able to see the low walls of Arabel in the distance and rescued Ottro from certain death, where he introduced himself and offered to help the party find lodging in his establishment at the  Goblin's Grotto . Ottro gladly accepted help fixing his carriage and was too rattled by the recent encounter to provide any other useful information. A dark rider clad in black plate appeared astride a dusky warhorse at the edge of twilight. The Dark Rider of Arabel Dusk (Religion):  Shadow Mastiffs are summoned for service. Some faiths devoted to deities of gloom and night, such as Shar, perform unholy rites to summon shadow mastiffs from the Shadowfell and then put them to work as temple sentinels, bodyguards, and punishers of nonbelievers, heretics, and apostates. Corax (Insight):  From the darkness, the humanoid shadows reach out to feed on a living creatures’ vitality. They seem drawn to individuals untainted by evil. A creature that lives a life of goodness and piety consigns its basest impulses and strongest temptations to the darkness where the shadows hunger. Gurral (Nature):  The destruction of the shadow creatures had a negative affect on the environment, tainted with evil, the plant life affected resembled dead versions of their original nature. There is a theory among some tribal shamans that tainted blood on a sapling which grows into a tree, will birth corrupted blights. The party entered Arabel through the Lower West Quarte r which is a part of town run by the Burgomaster, who acts as an assistant mayor. Problems in in the Lower West don't go higher than the burgomaster unless he chooses to bring them to the Lords of Arabel . The Lower West Quarter operates like an isolated neighborhood. Most of the people who live here have only seen the rest of Arabel once perhaps twice. In spite of the shadow attack, the Lower West Quarter has a lively night life. Shops are open well past dark, and while people now travel in groups, the city is nonetheless vibrant and alive. Arabel/Lower West Quarter The pale moon glared balefully through a veil of clouds, casting long dark shadows from the old war pocked buildings of Arabel . Oppressive rain began to drizzle from the darkening sky as a dozen of townsfolk with torches and make shift weapons gathered on a grassy square around the base of a broken obelisk, arguing about the scourge of the Dark Rider and his shadow creatures. Nobody seems to be in charge, and citizens are shouting over each other to get a word in. Angry Citizens of the Lower West Quarter Dusk (Religion):  The stump of what was once a white golden marble obelisk sits in the middle of the square on a stone base. Numbers are carved into the base around the obelisk stump, in the manner of a sundial dedicated to Amaunator (was the Netherese solar deity of order, the sun, law, and time). He was viewed as a harsh but fair deity, revered by many rulers, soldiers, and powerful wizards in ancient Netheril and its breaking is a dark omen to the citizens of the Lower West Quarter. Obelisk of Amaunator The PCs decided to avoid the angry crowd and go directly to the Goblins Grotto . Ottro rewards the party by paying for their food and lodging for the entire time the PCs will be at Arabel, because he is willing to support anything that will end the occupation of the Netheril Empire .  (Long Rest) Goblin's Grotto

Session 4: A Brewing Dilemma The  Goblin's Grotto  is an old tavern where a serious looking man is busily serving up beers to a thirsty crowd of teamsters and porters.   Jarl/Tavernkeep The Tavernkeep Jarl introduces himself and mentions he is particularly fearful that shadow creatures may steal his newborn son from its crib, and he wants something done about the Darkrider. Making general conversation he says that the  Old Theater  has been undergoing renovations in the last few weeks and says his wife loves a good show and hopes they open soon to help alleviate the fears of its citizens. He goes on to speak about  the Brewery  and how Brewmaster Bruin (dwarf) has not shipped his "special rainy stout" in to him in weeks. The tavernkeeper ends the conversation speaking badly about Morten Burgomaster and how he is all hat and no cattle (An empty boaster; a man who is all talk and no action). The PCs decide to investigate  the Brewery  after eating breakfast due to Brewmaster Bruin hauling the obelisk away for repairs. The party makes it way through a maze of huge barrels and copper piping leading to a dwarven man in a green smock who is just tasting his latest brew. Looking up he smiles and introduces himself as Brewmaster Bruin stating he runs this centuries old brewery much as his father did and his father's father did before him. His demeanor is very easy going and insist his customers take it easy as well. Bruin/Dwarven Brewmaster When the party asked him about the shadow creatures, Bruin mentions many tales from the road (shadow attacks directed toward good people of Arabel). Bruin's name carries weight with the people of the  Lower West Quarter  and tells the PCs to be wary of proprietor of  the Pretentious Pot ; he is a shady foreigner from the Southlands who arrived a couple months ago when the Dark Rider was first making appearances in the outskirts of Arabel. Bruin states that Burgomaster Morten demanded him to haul the obelisk off when it broke about three months ago. Bruin has the obelisk in the cellar of his brewery, but is convinced the cellar is now haunted and that his hireling has not returned from going down a few days ago. He grumbles that his best reserves is stocked in the cellar:  Bruin's Special Rainy Stout . Bruin only lets the PCs into the cellar if they can drink a full pint of his old family stock brew called Quintuplebock . Quintuplebock/Dwarven Spirits After the majority of the party successfully drink  Quintuplebock , Brewmaster Bruin guides the PCs to his cellar entrance. The cellar is lined with kegs, and Bruin reminds you that they are filled with valuable (and highly flammable) reserve. The obelisk is in the far left end: a single clean break across the bottom, as if it was sheared from its stand. Haunted Cellar The party descend into the haunted cellar and  cringe at each creak on the old warped stairs, darkness swallowing all light the deeper they descend. The party catch lingering smell of death with a cold wave that sends a shiver throughout their bodies. Corax (Perception):  The ranger is able to pinpoint the general direction of undead dwarves with his keen senses. Eurim (Religion):  The wizard states that many curses and corruptions exist in Faerun, the worst of which pervert the sanctity of death. One such curse draws the corpses of the fallen to rise as zombies—resilient undead of  bloodlust. As well, some of the more heinous fiends that walk the scarred lands feed on the life force of the living, leaving these terrible undead in their wake. Unlike typical zombies, which are ponderous and lumbering stalkers, a plaguechanged zombie races quickly toward its prey, eager to tear flesh from bone. Each kill it makes drives it into a fighting frenzy, during which it howls with delight. It doesn’t feed on those it kills, but rather leaves the corpses to rot. Humanoids killed by a plaguechanged zombie become zombies themselves, rising quickly to join their slayer in merry carnage. Dwarven Plaguechanged Zombie The party defeat the dwarven plaguechanged zombies and discover that the obelisk has been tainted by the spellplague, causing it to warp and emanate a bluish sickening glow, causing the ancestor corpses of Brewmaster Bruin to rise as plaguechanged zombies. Shadowghast Bruin's hireling suffered such a terrible fate that his corpse was infused with a stronger dose of abyssal energy, making him into a shadowghast. Bruin loans the party a cart and some mortar so they can restore the obelisk to the  Lower West Market  and suggest they take the obelisk to Ms. Brainard due to her affiliation with the Order of the Blue Flame. Bruin goes on, stating that repairing the obelisk must happen as it reminds the citizens that Amaunator is their founding patron god and could bring the PCs favor with the local people of Arabel. For clearing his cellar and not causing  any damage to his kegs of beer,  Bruin gives each member of the party a full growler of  Bruins Special Rainy Stout , It's his way of saying "Thanks for respecting his brew". (Short Rest) Spell Plagued Obelisk/Amaunator The PCs depart the brewery and go directly to Brainard’s Books and Birds Emporium.  It's a  tall windowed atrium lined with wood shelves  stacked with books. The squawking of birds fills the air,  and evidence of their habitation is heaped upon the  unfortunate tomes. Adding to the plight of the books is  the steady drizzle of rain pouring in through a broken  window pane in the ceiling overhead. A slight old  woman hobbles among the decomposing literature. Ms. Brainard (Emerald Enclave) Ms. Brainard  is a pleasant old widow. She freely admits  that birds and books don’t go well together, but that it  seemed a good idea at the time. After spending some time speaking to the eccentric   Ms. Brainard , she asks the PCs to help her fix the glass  pane in the ceiling in exchange for help with purging the spellplague from the obelisk. Some of the PCs climb the attached ladders to the roof and discover a beautiful pane glassed roof with several tall flightless birds with strong legs and a heavy, wedge-shaped beak in locked cages. Axe Beak's are known to have a nasty disposition and tends to attack any unfamiliar creature that wanders too close to it. Axe Beak The cracked glass is easy to repair due to Dusk's (Cleric/Rogue) mending spell but a lock on a cage begins to mysteriously open and fall on the ground. The two PCs decide to retreat down the ladder to coordinate a strategic attack with the other members of the party, unfortunately something seems to rile up the axe beak's enough to force them to jump off the ledge of the building, plummeting 50' to the ground (killing all but 1 of 4 of the axe beaks valued over 1000gp each). Ms. Brainard is so traumatized and angry at the party for not preserving her favorite exotic birds, she asked them to leave with their "cursed" rock and to never return. Fortunately Corax (Ranger) discovered some hidden documents belonging to Burgomaster Morten in her office (while looking for the grimoire for the cleansing ritual). The letters are reports much like the one that made it to King Foril's Royal Court assigning the PCs to this quest. Only a few reports put the Dark Rider of Arabel at the scene, and none of them prove his involvement with Netheril. A few reports even suggest that the attacks actually began before the Dark Rider's arrival. Some letters even report cult like activity in the Lower West Quarter of the city, but they are vague. Before Ms. Brainard asked the party to leave she had explained a cleansing ritual is necessary to purge the spellplague from the Obelisk of Amaunator. She claimed she had the rare material components for the ritual and that she learned the technique from a member of the Order of Blue Flame and that everyone must participate and share the burden of purging the Obelisk due to her elderly age. The PCS failed to purge the Obelisk of Amaunator and convince Ms. Brainard to restore the Obelisk with the help of Bruin the Brewmaster to restore and lift the morale of the Lower West Quarter at their earliest convenience. The PCs then decide to have a little conversation with the Burgomaster at his estate and make haste with the realization that Ms. Brainard will denounce them and speak ill of them to the Emerald Enclave.

Session 5: Imperfect Justice The PCs arrive at the Burgomaster's estate and discover several Sembian refugees clamoring for food and shelter. The City Watch assigned to protect the Burgomaster's estate doing their best to quell the mob of Sembian refugees. Sembian Refugees The PC's spend time and resources (rations, water, and several 1st level spells) helping the refugees. Leon (Paladin) attempts to speak to the city watch at the gate entrance to let him and his friends in, but fails to do so with conventional means, forcing him to reveal he is the privileged in service of the Purple Crown. The city watch buckle in fear of his authority and escort him and his companions to the Burgomaster's house.  A glassy-eyed servant answers the door of this decrepit manor. He walks down a corridor of scowling portraits and into a bizarre drawing room. This macabre chamber is furnished with couches depicting demonic scenes, and the walls are lined with mounted heads of domestic animals. Several strange items and décor fill the room: snuff box filled with teeth and jars of warm bodily fluids and several rare books focused on human anatomy. Burgomaster Foyer An overweight figure swathed in autumn neutral velour entered the room and introduces himself as Burgomaster Morten. The PCs confront Burgomaster Morten with the physical evidence gathered from Ms. Brainard desk and he begins to beg the party for forgiveness, claiming he will do whatever they ask of him, if they don't report him to the royal court. Burgomaster Morten Its obvious the burgomaster is woefully underqualified for his position, and hoped the shadow creature problem would just go away. He admits to undermining the request for help, hiding reports of shadow creatures and that there might be some evil work in town, perhaps a cult, and that he was hoping it would pass. In desperation Burgomaster Morten claims that Tavernkeep Jarl is secretly supporting the  Silver Ravens  and hiding them in his tavern. Lt. Efran of House Taldavar The PCs are approached by an officer of the City Watch assigned to protect the Burgomaster named  Efran Taldavar , who is a family member of House Taldava (located in the nation of Vesperin: Ravenbluff), a well-known family that can provide links to some of the notable citizens of Sembia due to their extensive holdings in Sembia. He is also a Knight of the Golden Rooster in Ravenbluff, the lowest initiate order of the city’s knighthoods, these knights are the most numerous in the city. Their oath is to defend Ravens Bluff from all enemies, to bolster morale and pride among the citizens, to behave honorably and bravely, to refrain from lying and cheating, to act generously, and to deal fairly with all persons they meet. This order plays an important role in the city culture, encouraging citizens by example to rise above self interest. Sembian Rebels Shortly after discussing what to do about the Burgomaster the surrounding property of the estate becomes oddly silent, strangely deserted. Few refugees come and go, most opting to stay inside their makeshift tents to wait out. The eastern wall protecting the perimeter of the estate lies in ruin from an explosion — several armed sembian rebels (10) charge the estate with short swords and flask of alchemist fire. Beyond the walls, the sembian refugees arm themselves with makeshift weaponry and patchworked leather armor and begin ransacking the local area. Wererat (member of the Brotherhood) The PCs defend the Burgomaster and his estate against the rebels with the help of Lt. Efran and the City Watch of Cormyr. The party discover that two of the Sembian Rebels have a musky, dank scent that fills the air and the soft click of claws on stone can be heard as they walk. The two unique rebels are roughly humanoid in size and shape, their backs harshly arched, and tufts of greasy fur escape the corners of its grimy, torn robes. Long bony fingers end in sharp hooked claws that twitch violently. Their neck is thick and bulging with taut muscles and prominent veins. A long narrow jaw extends into a snout. It stoops to the ground, sniffing as its head darts from side to side, its beady eyes a whirl of movement. Large oblong ears that end in soft points jerk from side to side, pointing at any sound in the vicinity. A slimy tongue drenched in drool protrudes from its mouth, revealing two oversized incisors flanked by rows of pointed teeth. After the PCs successfully defeat the Sembian r ebels they decide to denounce Burgomaster Morten and strip him of all his rank, titles, lands and holdings. The party order the city watch of Cormyr to convert the Burgomaster's estate to a shelter for the Sembian Refugees and all the macabre items decorating the home be sold to support the poor and destitute of the Lower West Quarter. Marcus Typhon (Netheril Noble) The wererats willingly reveal they are member of the Brotherhood and state the Brotherhood were commissioned by a noble from Netheril named Marcus Typhon and the Brotherhood assigned them to incite the sembian refugees to riot in the Lower West Quarter . The two wererats also claim they have extensive knowledge of the inner workings of the Four Ravens cutpurse operations in the city of Arabel and would happily trade that information to not end up on the gallows. The wererats claim they don't support the ideals of the Mistress of the Night (Shar) and finish their involvement with the party by saying they overheard a conversation weeks ago with Marcus Typhon and a Pirate from the North Isle of the Dragon Coast concerning the capture of a merchant ship called the Leaping Dolphin . The wererats were questioned about the Old Theatre in the Lower West Quarter and they stated that it was off limits to them (they suspect the Bards Guild restoring the building are paying for protection to the Brotherhood). The wererats were asked if they knew anything about the damage to the Obelisk of Amaunator and they revealed they don't know anything about that. The wererats also claim they are not involved with the DARK RIDER of ARABEL and hopes you all do something about it because it makes it harder to rob merchants with the increased security they hire fearing the Dark Rider. The wererats mention that the Goblins Grotto is neutral territory and that "guild" business may not take place their fearing reprisal from all the guild that agreed it be neutral territory. (Four Ravens, Fire Knives, and the Brotherhood) Lt. Efran Taldavar is shocked to hear the words spoken by the wererats and reveals the Leaping Dolphin was a merchant ship owned by House Blacktree (1 of 3 founding families of the city of Ravens Bluff) that was sunk in the Dragon Coast and almost resulted in the capture of Ser Anton Blacktree . He goes on talking about a group of adventurers that happen to come across the sinking ship and rescued Anton from the clutches of the pirates. He has trouble remembering the name of the adventurers responsible, but has the Trumpeteer broadsheet sent to him by his mother so he can stay updated with the news of Ravensbluff , while fulfilling his year of knightly service in Cormyr. The PCs decide to rest for the night and go to the Goblin's Grotto first thing in the morning to investigate the statement of Jarl the tavernkeep of supporting and housing Silver Ravens in his establishment.  (Long Rest).

Session 6: Out of the Shadows The PCs discuss what they should do after breakfast and decide to make amends with  Ms. Brainard , realizing she is their best chance to cleanse the Obelisk of the  Spellplague , due to her experience dealing with such things while her time spent as a member of the  Order of the Blue Flame  (an order dedicated to the study of the Spellplague). Leon  (paladin) approaches  Ms. Brainard  at her establishment, claiming full responsibility for the damage the Agents of the Purple Crown committed and promises to do right by her anyway possible within the confines of his oath to  Helm . (God of guardians, protection, and protectors).  Dusk  (Cleric/Rogue) hearing such a heartfelt promise from the paladin (who was not even present during the time) fills him with such guilt that he steps forward giving  Ms. Brainard  every gold coin in his possession at the time (over 150gp) and promises her, he will help pay for all damages understanding they were more than pets to her and that no value of gold will compare to the loss of her "children" (Axebeaks) and ask what he must do to be forgiven. Glassteel Dusk  then states he will finish what he started and begins to repair her beautiful elven  glassteel  roof (a material strong as steel and as transparent as glass discovered by the sun elves of  Evermeet ).  Ms. Brainard  is so moved by the apology and hearing of the party's decision to strip the corrupt  Burgomaster  of his power, she decides to help (Persuasion DC 16) the PCs purge the  Spellplague  from the  Obelisk of Amaunator,  explaining a cleansing ritual is necessary to purge the  Spellplague  from the  Obelisk.  She gathers the rare material components for the ritual and explains she learned the technique when she was a member of the  Order of Blue Flame  and that everyone must participate and share the burden of purging the Obelisk due to her elderly age (Skill Challenge), but manage to successfully purge the  Obelisk of Amaunator. Purged Obelisk of Amaunator Ms. Brainard takes notice of  Eurim's  (Wizard)  Spellscar  and his ability to easily harness the power of the  Spellplague  and shares to everyone that he might be a  Chosen of Mystra , and with proper tutelage from the  Order of the Blue Flame  could one day wield  Spellfire , she goes on to explain that  Spellfire  is a raw energy of the Weave and a very rare magical power. It highly coveted by many in  Faerûn , as it allows the user to absorb spells cast at them, internally convert it to raw magical energy, and then use it in myriad ways. For a long time, the ability to control spellfire was believed to be unique to a single person each generation, but that was a fallacy: most wielders simply choose to hide their ability in order to avoid getting noticed by powerful organizations wishing to possess such power. After an exhaustive ritual that took over an hour the PCs decide to return the Obelisk to its rightful place in the market square, lifting the morale of the citizens, as word spreads like a wildfire in the Lower West Quarter that  Agents of the Purple Crown  are responsible for the restoration of the Obelisk of Amaunator . “Help! The Dark Rider is after me!” The PCs hear a boy scream nearby, yelling as loudly as possible while running towards  Gurral  (Barbarian) and shouting his name.  Gurral  recognizes the boy as one of the children from the Burgomaster's estate that took a liking to him for being half man/beast, claiming  Gurral  reminded him of the stories his father would tell him of the gladiators who fought in the arena located in Thay. Thayan Gladiator The boy explains through heavy panting that he wandered into a grove outside of town where the trees were painted white and human skeletons hung from the trees. The PCs decide to investigate immediately and spot the Dark Rider on his warhorse crashing through the foliage ahead. Light is fading fast the deeper the PCs go chasing the Dark Rider into the woods, and the tall pines overhead grant meager passage to the druid's grove, darkness almost settles in, hiding dangers like jutting rocks and low-hanging trees.  The Dark Rider of Arabel The party hear the awful scream of a dying horse, and they come upon the Dark Rider’s dead warhorse on the path ahead. The moan of escaping shadow creatures can be heard in the distance as the PCs enters a foreboding grove where they face the Dark Rider . The sun reflects a baleful white glow due to the white-painted trees. Strings of bones hang from the branches, and the bones jingle in the wind. Just then a creature in blackened plate mail and a burnt skull for a helmet steps out from the shadows only a slight distance away. He speaks,  “So, the King’s hounds are at my doorstep. Well, you’ll not cut me down like some pitiless thief. Lay on!” The trees in the camp are painted white to ward-off evil spirits (Religion DC 12), and the bones hanging from the trees are animal bones (Medicine DC 12) used to alert the Dark Rider of trespassers. The Dark Rider combats the party using the Sacred Grotto Guards and Wards (6th level spell) to help him defeat the party. Wards of the Grove While battling the party the dark rider realizes the majority of the PCs are Harpers and pleads for their to surrender so he may continue to serve Cormyr.   Dusk  (Cleric/Rogue) with his mastery of linguistics and spending an absorbent amount of downtime researching local lore discovers the  Dark Rider  has a native cormyrean accent from the city of  Arabel  ( Turmic with bastardized words from the origins of the ancient alphabet of Thorass ).  Dusk  attempts to reach out to the  Dark Rider , trying to remind him of his past by reciting the oath repeated by the  Purple Knights of Cormyr  (History DC 16). "The Knight swears to uphold the virtues of Valor and to remember his strength of purpose, even in times most dark. They swear to bear and protect their knight’s sword as a symbol of their pledge to Cormyr. The Knight swears to maintain the highest caliber of reliability and excellence, such that he may fulfill any duty that Cormyr asks of them. The Knight swears to be forthright and honest at all times, swearing to offer truth in all things in the name of Cormyr." This stirs the Dark Rider to remember what he once stood for and allows him to gathers enough of his humanity to speak as the man he once was. "I have been defending the countryside against the shadows of Shar, you fools! I was and no longer, Ser Severin, Knight of the King’s Court of Cormyr". Dusk  (History DC 14) and  Leon  (History DC 14) remembers hearing a royal scandal taking place a few months ago in  Suzail  (Capital City of Cormyr) with a knight named  Ser Severin . The scandal concerned  Ser Severin  and  Lord Erzoured  (Nephew to the King).  Lord Erzoured  accused  Ser Severin  in royal court that he was assaulted with intent to kill him due to his unwarranted love for  Lady Redfern . The Royal Court meant to investigate the matter, but the knight fled automatically being an admittance of guilt. Lord Erzoured Obarskyr (Royal House of Cormyr) Leon  take a leap of faith and to convinces the party to stop attacking the  Dark Rider  and to listen to what he has to say. A crimson haze takes  Gurral's  (Barbarian) mind, his vision—only sees blood. But this battle fog is also a fire. It burns away distractions and fear, leaving behind the brutal clarity of the fight.  Gurral  (Barbarian) lifts the Dark Rider by his neck choking him against the Weir tree of the Grove determined to kill the Dark Rider with his bare hands. “We no need to talk; no need to think, what is right or wrong. You kill them all, rip them all, and leave for others to find. Only way you win against Metal Men, like this.” The PCs attempt to stop Gurral (Barbarian) with words and fail, forcing the party to take a more physical approach without seriously hurting him and fail. Gurral is moments away from killing the Dark Rider, when he notices the Dark Rider drop the Hellfire Greatsword from his grasp. Suddenly multiple sensations hits Gurral all at once, a confounding sense of déjà vu that stops him dead in his tracks, forcing him to catch his breath and release the Dark Rider . The uncanny familiarity is so sudden and swift that he almost forgets where he is and who he is—he remembers a weapon like this before, but not in this life. Memories blossom in his mind like morning glories at dawn, and he begins to drift among them, lost and wayward, grasping desperately for something, somewhere, anywhere. Memory of a name lost and defining word begins to take shape... GOROTH ... (the word frightens him, snapping him out his mindless rage) Hellfire Greatsword After recovering from the injuries inflicted by the Barbarian , Ser Severin  realizes the PCs can grant him a full pardon by the power of the King’s Writ. He states this vindication is far from assured, but he is willing to take the chance if its given to him by  Leon (Privileged of the Writ).  Ser Severin  is willing to repent and refuses to slowly waste away to the curse of  Shar . Leon  (Paladin/Privileged of the Writ) conducts a ceremony (1st level ritual) to atone  Ser Severin  allowing him to remove the helmet lifting the curse. When he removes his mask it reveals his true face: attractive features with blue eyes and shoulder-length blond hair.  He willingly joins the party (if they will have him), and will help the PCs to take down his father and the  Cult of Shar  operating in the  Lower West Quarter  of the city. Ser Severin After the  Dark Rider  is redeemed  Ser Severin  explains that  Lord Erzoured  (Nephew to the King) were competing for the attention of  Lady Redfern  (High Nobility) at the time. He claims that  Lord Erzoured  accused him of treason to get rid of his competition. He goes on to say he was falsely accused by  Lord Erzoured  and that he lied under under oath about about being assaulted by him with intent to kill and was forced to flee the Royal Court fearing he would not be given a fair chance for justice because of  Lord Erzoured's  blood ties to  King Foril of Cormyr . King Foril Obarskyr Ser Severin  goes on to mention he had nowhere to go but to his boyhood home in  Arabel  and hoped that his father,  Jarl  (proprietor of The  Goblin’s Grotto ) would hide him. Instead his father cursed him to  Shar  and sent him on his way (for dishonoring and bringing shame to his family). This is not the the loving father that Ser Severin remembered, and suspected something was wrong and followed his father ( Jarl ) one late night heading to The  Old Theater  in the Lower West Quarter and found him petitioning the Goddess  Shar  privately. Unable to do ill to his own father,  Ser Severin  fled to the woods. Finding himself in the sacred grove where he had taken his vow as a knight and he cursed his goddess  Selune , for allowing this to happen to his family he loved so much. Shar  answered his call, drawn by his anger and hate bestowing dark powers upon him, filling him with a blind rage and bloodlust, killing the Druid of the Grove, corrupting the sacred grounds in the name of  Shar  (this was the event that damaged the  Obelisk of Amaunator ).  Ser Severin  states his   bizarre appearance was due to the skeletal helmet that he was wearing (a soul mask). He was unable to remove the helmet due to his curse and could not return to Arabel to find his mother and his newborn brother. (A soulmask reflects the wearer’s soul in its visage. Severin’s soul, spurned by country, king and father, has been burnt, twisted and blackened.) Severin doesn’t know how it works, but he’s been using it's dark powers to battle the shadows of  Shar , but the curse had given him over to dark dreams and hopelessness. Nightcloak of Shar Ser Severin  claims his father (Jarl/Proprietor of the Goblin's Grotto) must be a  Nightcloak  due to his cunning and ability to fool everyone in the city. He says they are elite Clerics and Rangers who worship and dedicate their lives completely to  Shar  (Mistress of the Night). They serve  Shar  in a variety of capacities, such as helping the goddess hide knowledge, searching for her enemies, and using the Shadow Weave to increase her power. All  Nightcloaks  possesses great charisma and intelligence, a powerful combination to manipulate ignorant nobles and commoners alike. Using their wit, they are able to bring about events in accordance with Shar's vision:  the end of all existence.  It's rumored  Nightcloaks  are able to send silent messages to other like minded worshipers of  Shar  great distances away. Legends say that  Nightcloaks  are able to modify another person's memories and manipulate what they remember and capable of controlling shadows at will, due to their connection to the Shadowfell. (*) King Foril I was a member of the Obarskyrs, the ruling family of Cormyr. He was born in the Year of True Omens, 1409 DR to King Azoun V and Nalara Marliir and named after his great-grandfather's only son Foril who perished at the hands of a Fire Knives assassin at the age of two. He married Jemra Rhindaun, niece to Queen Sybille of Tethyr, in the Year of the Stalking Horses, 1430 DR and she gave birth to Irvel Obarskyr in the Year of the Lashing Tail, 1431 DR. Foril Obarskyr was coronated in the Year of the Godly Invitation, 1449 DR after the death of his father.

Session 7: The Shadows Breathe The Upper Lower Quarter of Arabel The PCs decide help Ser Severin discover the status of his mother and newborn brother at his father's warehouse located in the Upper Lower West Quarter (Commercial District) and are confronted by a large number of zealot followers of Shar determined to prevent the PCs from leaving the area with their lives. Cultist of Shar swear allegiance to the Mistress of Night concealing their loyalties to avoid being ostracized, imprisoned, or executed for their beliefs. Unlike other evil acolytes,  Cultist of Shar  show signs of obsessed devotion in their belief and practices. Shar Cultist The  Fanatics of Shar  are the leadership, using their charisma and dogma to influence and prey on those of weak will. Most are interested in personal power above all else and trade in secrets, offering them in return for a creature's soul, typically trading secrets to fiends in return for other information. They hatch conspiracies aimed at toppling and replacing governments or religious orders. Power is gained and used in secret, influence, exerted via blackmail, control of people and organizations through knowledge of their weaknesses and shames. Shar Fanatic The Cult Enforcers of Shar  deals with those who seek brute strength. Any warlike humanoid can be lured into Shar's Cult Enforcers , proving their strength by defeating others in battle and taking what they want as loot through physical prowess, domination of others through strength, and the destruction of all opposition. Shar Enforcer The PCs defeated the Followers of Shar in a grueling battle that almost pushed the party's resources over the edge of their physical limits, only to discover the  Nightcloak  is no where to be found. The PCs investigate and discover the exsanguinated corpse of the tavernkeeper's wife and a mummified individual submerged in filth and sewage, barely recognizable as Jarl the tavernkeeper of the Goblin's Grotto.   Jarl the Tavernkeeper Dusk (Cleric/Rogue) determine the  Nightcloak  must have used a vile necromantic ritual on the tavernkeeper by transforming himself ( Nightcloak ) to a perfect replica, perhaps even absorbing some memories and personality of the prey. The prey would then disintegrate once the duplication process was completed, which is an excruciatingly painful process for the prey, that takes several weeks. (Religion DC15) Eurim (Wizard) discovers a 10' diameter red circle on the ground inscribed with unidentifiable sigils. He studies it and is only able to ascertain it has faint but still lingering power from the school of conjuration. A strong odor of Brimstone emanates from the sigil. (Arcana DC12) 10' Magical Circle Corax (Ranger) also discover several storage units of rare exotic spices and spell components used to fund the Cult of Shar operations in Arabel. (Investigation DC 12) Lt. Efran Taldavar  arrives on scene with two of his remaining guards and explains the High Warden of Arabel has ordered the warehouse be destroyed and cleansed by fire immediately. That no information about Netheril activity be shared with the anyone not vetted by the Knights of the Purple Dragons, who serve to regulate the collective activities of the citizens of Cormyr. (Short Rest) Old Theater of the Lower West Quarter Corax (Ranger) was able to acquire the floorplans of the theatre from his less than savory contacts in the city (Urban Bounty Hunter Background). The short rest, searching the warehouse, and waiting for the City Watch of Cormyr took several hours. The sun sets sooner than the party expected and a supernatural darkness covers the Lower West Quarter of Arabel as the last sliver of the sun disappears. There is no sound but the still-steady drizzle of rain. The drone of chanting can be heard as the PCs approach the old theatre. The PCs commit to a 3 prong assault and move into the theatre to discover almost a dozen black-robed cultists congregating in the seats. The theatre is draped in black silks, and the black circle, the symbol of Shar, goddess of darkness, is everywhere. A figure emerges from behind a black velvet curtain on the stage to stand behind a stone altar between two large hanging braziers. It's a Dark One of Shar , holding a crying baby in his hands. (Although humanoid in form, dark ones were stunted in build, being small and slight. Unusually, they had unguligrade legs (similar to a goat's), ending in small black hooves in place of feet. These hooves were soft, making no sound on stone. A dark creeper's skin was pallid, and it had a large nose, feral- or sinister-looking beady eyes, and bushy eyebrows. They only ever wore black, shrouding themselves all over in cloaks, wraps and turbans or hoods.) Dark One (Shadovar) 3rd level Cleric of Shar The Dark One addresses the congregation. “Brethren, we have all made sacrifices to Mother Dark. And in reward she has spared many from her shadows. I now offer this sacrifice to prove my devotion to you, my people, and forever dedicate you and yours as Shar’s chosen: "This innocent newborn!” The Dark One lays the infant on the altar and raises a wicked ceremonial dagger (hellfire dagger) high above his head. A couple of the cultists raise their hands in praise. Just as the Dark One is about to make his sacrifice, Eurim (Wizard) lets loose a Shatter Spell at the rear double latched door of the Theatre, causing the entire stage to shake giving the PCs a chance to push forward and strike against the Cultist of Shar during the confusion. Eurim cast "Shatter" to create his own entrance into the Theatre The newly recruited cultists turn and stare at the party and you all quickly realize the congregation is made entirely of townsfolk. Some look away, embarrassed, while others sidle towards the exit. “ Stop, friends!” The Dark One  cries out, desperately. “The moon is black, shadows walk the streets, and the sky is filled with blood! These are the signs. Shar’s dark night is upon us.” The people pause, nervous, and the Dark One glares at you all. “Who are you, to doom us all?” Dusk (Cleric/Rogue) reveals that the signs of which the Dark One speaks are a result of Shar’s growing influence in town, not any coming doomsday. (Religion 16 DC) The eclipse and consequent red sky are symbols of Shar’s anticipation of the sacrifice, and the shadow creatures only exist where Shar is feared or revered. The Dark One smirks, “You are all weak. Did you really think you could stop Shar? No-one, not adventurer, nor king, nor god can stop the Cult of Shar on her Lady’s night! Do you hear me my disciples? Kill them, kill them all!”  The Dark One , stands defiant as a shadow creature races across the stage toward the party, Shar Fanatics position themselves to defend the Dark One , and the Shar Enforcers reinforce all the entrances to prevent further advancement into the theatre. Summoned Shadow Dusk (Cleric/Rogue) sprinted to the infant on the alter attempting to rescue him from the clutches of the Dark One , but is intercepted by the summoned shadow. Dusk is able to defeat the creature quickly due to his moon touched shortsword , but delayed long enough for the Shar Fanatics to react and prevent him from stopping the ritual of Shar. He is almost killed (reduced to zero HP) by the concentrated magical attacks (Toll the Dead) from all four Shar Fanatics in the theatre. Shar Fanatic (3rd level Clerics of Shar) Leon (Paladin) transforms to a hybrid werewolf when his keen sense of smell discovers an invisible opponent (enlarged Duergar ) attempting to ambush him with a Shar Enforcer blocking the way, preventing Leon from getting closer to the center of the stage. Duergar Corax (Ranger) had snuck into the western entrance of the theatre unnoticed to snipe and kill the Dark One before he completed the ritual and with the aid of Hoar  (a vengeful deity of retribution invoked by those who sought to repay an eye for an eye) fueling his spell (Zephyr Strike) rescues the infant and administers aid to Dusk , before taking refuge behind the curtain stage.  Infant (Ser Severin's newborn brother) Gurral (Barbarian) and Ser Severin (NPC) combat two Shar Enforcers  and four  Shar Fanatics, due to a frontal assault, successfully drawing attention away from the stage, allowing the other members of the party to move unhindered and give a window of opportunity rescue the  infant newborn. Ser Severin (NPC) panics seeing his newborn brother almost fall below to the lower part of the stage and rushes to him with no regard to his life and is killed by a Shar Fanatic (Inflict Wounds). Shar Enforcer The battle is long and fierce, but the PCs are recognize they are victorious when a sudden beam of light pierces the darkness and breaks upon the obelisk of Amaunator , lighting the entire Lower West Square . Rolling thunder shakes the ground, and the braziers on the theater stage break loose, dousing the curtained walls with flaming oil, engulfing the theater in flames.  Dusk (Cleric/Rogue) determines that Amaunator (Netherese solar deity of order, sun, law, and time) has been dormant long enough and that they could be witnessing the deity's awakening (Religion DC 15). Obelisk of Amaunator lighting the Lower West Quarter of Arabel The PCs grab Ser Severin and his newborn brother escaping the rapidly spreading flames in the theatre. Fire erupts from the windows of the theatre while thick smoke rises from the thatched roof. The building suddenly explodes, reverberating throughout the street, staggering everyone nearby. Everyone ears are ringing as you all struggle to regain your balance, and open your eyes to a scene of smoke and confusion. Through the shattered remains of the theatre you all see bodies strewn about the charred street, people twisted together in tangled, smoldering heaps. The heat of the blast lingers as you all gape at the horrific scene. The wind kicks up ash and wafts the scent of singed hair toward you all. The PCs shadows reaching out from the Shadowfell As you all stand up, the bright light of the flames cast your shadows along a nearby wall, your own shadows begin to quickly warp vaguely forming a humanoid shape, attempting to reach out from the Shadowfell . Witnessing this, you all realize the Nightcloak , has not been revealed, and a sense of dread enters all your minds for a moment, as the ringing in your ears subsides, it's replaced with a muddled whisper from all your shadow in a collective synchronized voice. "The gaze of the Dark Lady is upon you.  Shar's will shall be done. As sure as night will fall." Dusk (Cleric/Rogue) immediately drops to his knees reaching for Ser Severin praying for divine intervention to resurrect their fallen comrade who fought so valiantly against an eternal enemy of Mystra . (The two powerful deities despise and hate each other). Dusk  (Cleric/Rogue) reaches for his amulet (Shard of Mystra) and prays over the dead, squeezing the shard in his palm so tight, it draws blood. He lets the drop of blood fall from his hand and it hovers over the body of Ser Severin , creating a red, shimmering veil. Seven wisp of white magical energy (seven clustered stars in flames is the symbol of Mystra) descend and disappear upon contact with the corpse, melting like snowflakes into nothing. It takes a moment… but you see Ser Severin chest begin to slowly rise and fall, and his hands and feet begin to twitch with life. Epilogue: The Dark Rider of Arabel When you arrive in  Suzail. Lord Prio, Knight Exalted, King Foril’s Regent of Special Affairs , thanks you for your service to the king. You have unmasked a Nightcloak's operation, saved The Lower West Quarter , and possibly all of Arabel , from the infiltration of a Cult of Shar . Be proud, for you’ve done Cormyr a great service. Lord Prio (Knight Exalted, King Foril’s Regent of Special Affairs) For your display of wisdom and chivalry, Lord Prio awards you all the Badge of Temperance . This mark identifies you as someone who can be trusted with power and responsibility in Cormyr . Bearers of such awards often go on to become knights and members of the King’s Royal Court. Badge of  Temperance Worship of Shar carries a severe penalty in Cormyr and the Purple Knights root out conspirators swiftly and efficiently. The cultists they uncover in Arabel are hung over the wall of the city entrance for display, to discourage others citizens from committing treason against the Purple Crown . It was your closed testimony that sent them to this justice. On your honor and witness, the King’s Court grants your request of appeal for  Ser Severin , for the crime of treason in the assault of a greater lord. Ser Severin will remain under house arrest in Arabel while an investigation is arranged. For good or ill, your deeds are the talk of the Royal Court, and your future actions will be watched closely. The PCs complete  CHAPTER 2: The Dark Rider Of Arabel and advance to level 4!   21 days of downtime passes before the next adventure,  which will begin in Marsember (also known as the City of Spices, it's a metropolis and the busiest port in the entire kingdom of Cormyr). The focused PC background story will be  Gurral  (Barbarian).  This requires 4 days of downtime,  if you wish to participate with your character.

Chapter 3: Escape from Wheloon Session 1: In the Light of the Lady A cloaked Knights of the Purple Dragon intercepts the party when they arrive in the city of Marsember and demands you follow him to an old abandoned warehouse in an area of the city that is under construction. The party is surprised to meet up with Lord Prio wearing standard indistinguishable armor and a long black cloak trying to remain incognito. Lord Prio tells the party (because you have all proven your loyalty) that he suspects a traitor among the royal hierarchy. Lord Prio goes on a limb, trusting his instincts about you all and mentions that he heavily suspects the King's nephew (Erzoured Obarskyr) of plotting against the king. Lord Prio (King Foril’s Regent of Special Affairs) Lord Prio reveals that the king's nephew (Erzoured Obarskyr) is spending a considerable amount of resources keeping tabs on you all, everything from background checks, prior relationships, and contacts you have established in your lives. Lord Prio states that an alliance between Erzoured, The Overmaster of Sembia and the Golden Lords of Vesperin, could divide the political nation of Cormyr, and cut the Dales Council’ travel and supply routes between them and Cormyr. Lord Prio begs the party to trust him and that the right thing must be done in the name of the Purple Crown. That Cormyr must be defended and protected, no matter the cost. Erzoured Obarskyr (The Merchant Prince) Lord Prio mentions that he will personally lead the investigation into Erzoured and if something tangible is discovered that he will personally deliver justice to the full extent of the law to any responsible of betrayal. Lord Prio listens to your reports of the activity you have all gathered about the Shadovar and request you all to lay low in the city for a few days allowing him time to come up with a long-term plan. Lord Prio states he learned of an assassination attempt that is going to be executed in a few days on Erzoured by the Sembian Resistance and you must prevent this from happening. In fact, Lord Prio goes on to ask of you all (not command/order) to willingly commit a crime by executing the assassins without the Purple Crown's Authority (Vigilantism is a capital offense). Lord Prio claims time is of the essence, but he would like for you all to infiltrate the prison city of Wheloon and extract Navish Brightfoot, a Crown Agent who's been undercover for over 2 years. While Navish has information on how to escape, that he hasn't done so already implies he has fallen afoul of trouble. He goes on to mention the mission is unsanctioned and you will be "outlaws" to Cormyr. He needs your sentencing to Wheloon to be believable and swears by his name that you will be pardoned and greatly rewarded if you succeed on extracting Navish Brightfoot. Lord Prio gives you the code phrase to identify Navish, "While in the Light of the Lady" the proper response is, "There is no way home". You get Navish's description and according to the plan, Navish has left further instructions at the statue of Mystra  in the center of town. It is not uncommon for prisoners sent to Wheloon to possess weapons and armor, especially if they have the right political connections. Incarceration in Wheloon is meant to be a life sentence, not a death sentence. Navish is a halfling. In his current guise, he sports a mane of snow-white hair.  Navish has the way out, but he is the only one who knows it. If you don't rescue him, you are all stuck in Wheloon. Wheloon’s prison shield is permeable going in but impenetrable otherwise. Fire Knife Assassin The PCs prepare to stop the assassins and discover that the Sembian Resistance hired two  Fire Knives , who refer to themselves as the Redeemer's Guild, a band of assassins that operated out of the city of Westgate, under the approval of the thieves guild known as the Night Masks. They are particularly dangerous because of their ability to blend in with high society along with their eagerness to accept almost any job if only to hone their skills. The assassins of the Fire Knives tend to coat their weapons in the poison of giant wasps prior to executing a target. They are not above poisoning food. Members of the guild wore small enchanted silver disks engraved with the sigil of the organization. These small Fire Knife medallions were worn hidden underneath the assassins' clothes and only revealed to fellow guild members as a method of identification. Fire Knives Sigil The PCs defeat the Fire Knives Assassins and execute them in public claiming justice served for the offense to the Royal Family of Cormyr. The citizens rejoice to the swift sentence of death to the Assassins and are clearly tired of the  excessive bureaucracy or adherence to rules and formalities. The Security detail of Erzoured arrest the party (who willingly surrender without a fight) and Erzoured approaches the PCs recognizing they are up to something and uses his political influence to have them sentenced to Wheloon immediately (Erzoured figures he should take advantage of this stupid action the PCs have done, hoping to be rid of them once in for all). Wheloon After being put over the wall into Wheloon, the PCs arrive at the center of town in short order. The streets they walk seem empty and deserted.  An empty-eyed statue of a beautiful woman sheds  brilliant light into the central square of Wheloon,  revealing a scene of massacre. Bodies lay everywhere,  strewn about like broken dolls.  Undead Minotaur A disfigured undead minotaur and a cloaked tiefling necromancer stand by the statue.  “The Lady’s Marauders  welcome you to Wheloon. You’ll make a wonderful  addition to my gang.”  The tiefling necromancer touches the statue, and walls of crackling blue energy spring up round the square, blocking the exits. The tiefling doesn't wait for a response and attacks immediately. Zombies The reek of the street could kill almost as easily as the horrible crowd marching it. Among the broken carriages and wagons, corpses shamble—half a dozen of them. They pack between the buildings, bumping into one another as they lurch forward, groaning and hissing. Some reach out, or try. Some drop limps, chunks of rotten flesh hanging from strips of clothing. Their eyes are watery, red, and angry. They hunger, always. Statue of Mystra Upon defeating the Necromancer of the Lady’s Marauders by the statue, the enemies energy fields vanish, and a man in outdated noble clothing emerges froma side street and appraches with open hands . "Hail, lords, if we may speak? I am Jerrick Valwater, and I offer my services as an advisor to the Prison City of Wheloon". Leon (Paladin) History DC18: Remembered a noble Valwater family, a Greater House in Eastern Cormyr. The family fell on hard times in recent years and blamed the King's Writ (granting legal rights to commoners) for his family's misfortune, and Jerrick Valwater attempted to poison Ezoured at a banquet several years ago. While House Valwater had enough friends in Royal Court to allay a summary execution, he was nevertheless put over the wall into Wheloon, and was presumed dead. Jerrick Valwater: Co-founder of the gang, the Lady’s Marauders, Jerrick has counseled all of the past leaders. He truthfully answers any questions and offers conservative advice if prompted. He is very careful, however, never to contradict the leadership nor appear ambitious or desirous of control in any way. Jerrick is as self-effacing as the most professional butler. Jerrick is above all a survivor, and he knows that his fortunes are tied to those of the gang. He serves the gang, and though its face may change from day to day, as long as the gang survives, he endures. He knows nothing of a white haired halfling. He goes on saying that the Lady's Mauraders are in a bad way. They have lost too much territory and too many people. That you all should lead a surprise attack on one of the nearby gangs or offer an alliance. Common Information about Wheloon:  The prison shield blocks the sun’s light. It is dark at night and dim during the day. The prison shield is one way. Once you’re in, you don’t get out. A number of gangs rule the city. The most powerful gang is Mother Night (Shadovar). The Wyvernflow River cuts through town. It brings fresh water and fish. The Purple Crown also delivers periodic shipments of food. Not everyone in Wheloon is a criminal. A number of children have been born since the prison shield went up several years ago. Lady's Mauraders:  The gang has recently suffered from a series of failed assaults against rival gangs, and many of their members are either wounded or captured. The gang’s core territory remains secure due to the power of the statue of Mystra. Gang morale is at an all-time low after the previous leader began turning dead members into undead. Though the Marauders have been aggressive in the past, new leadership means that other gangs might be open to parlay or possibly an alliance. Mother Night:  They’re made up exclusively of Shadovar agents and worshippers of Shar. They control the old temple of Mystra on the hill overlooking the Wyvernflow (see map above). Unlike most of the gangs of Wheloon, Mother Night rarely takes prisoners. When they do, the prisoners are invariably sacrificed to Shar at midnight of the following new moon. The leader of Mother Night is a witch known as Mother Night Denoa . She has recently ascended to the leadership of the gang and is extremely crueler than her predecessors. Many members of the gang braid their hair or shave their heads in elaborate ways, and pierce their skin in numerous and painful ways. Worship of Shar has turned their skin as pale as the moon, and their eyes as black as night. Normal shadar-kai society is meritocratic. Personal achievement defines shadar-kai more than family, wealth, or holdings. Shadar-kai can gain a lot of power and prestige by murdering rivals, slaying powerful beasts in the name of Shar, or wreaking havoc and reaping souls in the natural world. There are 4 gangs whose territory abuts that of the Marauders: the Woodsingers, the Mountain, Kelgar’s Crushers, and the Quickblades. The Woodsingers: Led by an eladrin, Ilian Wildfinder. They are intelligent thieves who survive by being devout worshippers of Oghma. They run a brisk business at the City Library of Oghma dealing in rare materials from beyond the shield. They hold no love for the Shadovar. In an alliance, their aid would be easiest to secure, but of the least consequence. The Mountains: As steady and sure as the dwarf, Dolman Hammerstrike, who leads them. Masters of defensive strategy, the Marauders have unsuccessfully attacked their territory many times. They have the rare reputation for honor and integrity in Wheloon, and their presence would lend weight to negotiations. Kelgar's Crushers: Led by a powerful and volatile white scaled dragonborn, Kelgar Whitespike. The Crushers are always ready for a fight. They’re known for their ferocity as opposed to their patience. They’ve been constructing siege machines for the Mother Night. Quickblades: Led by a halfling, Patters. A group of assassins and information brokers. They control much of the river traffic along the Wyvernflow. Rumor has it they’ve been waging an underground war against the Shadovar for control of Wheloon’s shadows. The PCs study the statue of Mystra and discover carved writing at the base of the statue "In the Light of the Lady" . Dusk (Cleric/Rogue) recites the proper response "There is no way home" , which triggers a secret compartment to open revealing a magical DRIFTGLOBE (the size of a baseball). Driftglobe The PCs decide to not rest and attempt an alliance with the Woodsingers before spreads of the misfortunes of the Lady's Mauraders and begin to make their way to the Library of Oghma. They arrive and discover several eladrin and elves, are scattered about the librarie's entrance. Crows caw and flap away at your approach, carrying aloft whatever grisly bit they could wrest from the many corpses strewn about the ground. Besides the crows, the bloody scene is eerily quiet. If there were wounded, they must have been carried away… or silenced by their foes. Hidden in the dappled shadows of the library, a female elf's leather bandolier jingles softly.  Leather armor dyed to match its surroundings, the nearly invisible archer removes a vial from the bandolier, quickly attaching it to an arrow.  The well-kept bow does not creak as the bowstring is drawn. "I’ve skinned and gutted just about everything on four legs and a few things on two. You’d be amazed what can be brought down with the right knowledge and proper placement of an elven arrow". Saria, Arcane Archer The PCs are able to convince her they mean no threat to the Woodsingers and are willing to help end the assault on the library by Kelgar's Crushers to prove they want an alliance with them. The PC's enter the library stealthily and begin exploring the floor.  Bookshelves and scroll cases line every wall, and stand in ordered rows throughout this high-vaulted nave and in the apses on both ends. Smokeless white flames flicker coldly on iron chandeliers, illuminating the library. An elf could spend several years studying under their light and never read the same page twice. Library of Ohgma The party infiltrate the library without being noticed with the help of Saria and reach Ilian Wildfinder, the eladrin leader of the Woodsingers, as his remaining elven guards attempt to hold back several dragonborn from killing them, and usurping control the their gang. Illian Wildfire The PCs defeat the the Dragonborn Warlord and his remaining forces, which brings the party much favor in a proposed alliance with the Woodsingers. They ally with the Lady's Mauraders for a share of some territory and concessions for both gangs. The PCs paint pictures of the greatness that two gangs can accomplish together, perhaps even rivaling Mother Night for control of Wheloon. Saria rewards Corax (Ranger) with a few arcane arrows and Ilian rewards the PCs with several spell scrolls and potions.

Session 2: A Dungeon and Dragon... The PCs not wanting to lose momentum and not allow Mother Night a chance to react to the Lady's Marauders decide to make an alliance with Dolman Hammerstrike, leader of the Mountain. Along the city wall of this prison city, is the entrance of a mountain dwarf fort, several heavily armored dwarves guard the passage into the fort of the stout people. Despite the intimidating look of the dwarves, they greet the PCs with kind words “Welcome to the Mountain... State your business quickly or begone." Corax (Ranger) being very familiar with dwarven culture due to his time in the Underdark, responds in dwarven about wanting to ally with the Mountain and need to speak to Dolman Hammerstrike. The dwarves respond, "First, it’s cold, then hot, then light, then dark. It gets all wet without any warning. I’ll take the reliability of a nice, dark cavern any day” and open the gates to the Dwarfhold. The dwarves living in Spartan tunnels is almost laughable as the stout buildings within, squat by human standards but roomy by the standards of the people themselves, are all but invulnerable against standard attack. And yet, the natural bent toward excess would inspire an enterprising thief: with gorgeous sculptures dotting the avenues here and there, and mosaics of semiprecious stones looming alongside the inner walls; though heavily guarded, this dwarfhold would make for quite a boon. The dwarfhold sings with ringing anvils and keening steel. The smooth stone walls radiate heat and light, deepening the runes carved across every surface. Domed dwellings carved from the stone of the city span the space between floor and ceiling like stalagmites, and dwarves bustle about. A dozen smithies work their forges here, but all stand in the shadow of the dwarfhold’s central forge, looming like a fire pit. The heat and light radiating from the fire forge is enough to warm the entire dwarfhold spanning outward from it. Dolman Hammerstrike Dolman Hammerstrike snaps his fingers and platters of food are placed on the stone table. He tears into a leg of mutton and wipes the grease from his beard. "Eat, drink" , he says, taking a deep draught of beer, "Then negotiations can begin". The PCs welcome the food and the short rest , while discussing an alliance with the Mountain. Dolman realizes fear is the best policy and if the the gangs don't come together for mutual advantage, then they're an obstacle to be removed. Dolman is willing to commit all his forces to help the PCs but demands they must first destroy Kelgar's Crushers as they have been a thorn on his side since he was trapped in this prison city. Dolman Hammerstrike is a devout worshipper of Clanggedin Silverbeard, the dwarf deity of battle and demands an offering from the PCs to receive his deity's blessing. "I call forth my Battle Rager, Ufet Boulderjaw!"  The pronounced muscles of this broad shouldered dwarf ripple with the simple action of brushing a whetstone along the armblade attached to his arm. He wears spiked armor, a practice that has resulted in many scars from what must have been dozens of battles. He lifts his head from his task, turning it slightly to reveal a horned helmet and heavy brow. The Battle Rager knows you’re looking. Ufet Boulderjaw (Battle Rager) The Battle Rager moves to an intense fire in a forge that is crackling and popping with flames eager to roast meat. The scent of its smoke reminds you of countless cozy moments spent staring into flames, always a warm and welcome companion on a cold night when he suddenly thrust his right forearm into the fire, attempting to display no sign of pain as flesh sears off his forearm. Dolman Hammerstrike then begins to recite the following words in Dwarven...  "It was the fourth time we were fighting over that mountain peak. The dwarven lord thought it’d be a good idea to try it in winter. I was young, didn’t question the orders, or who they came from. The day of the battle this blizzard rolled in, straight from the icy heart of some forgotten hell. We did our best to fight, but it was only a matter of time before everyone was scrambling for shelter. Ended up in a small cave with my enemy, huddled around a fire just like this one, thawing out our blackened fingers. We didn’t speak the same language but we understood each other’s pain just fine. I don’t kill for kings no more, only for myself, and only when I have to.” Forge of Pain Gurral (Barbarian) recognizes a ritual of pain when he sees one and doesn't hesitate to place his left forearm into the fire. Wild-eyed, he glares at the battlerager. He bites his lip, and rolls his shoulders, growling and gnashing. His joints pop as he swells with might—flesh rippling as it begins to sear off his forearm. The fury overtakes him as he releases a great roar. Corax (ranger) begins to speak in Dwarven, "Have you heard of the city of endless war? It began with a small family feud, but each bystander struck caused a new family to join the fray until the whole city held a grudge. Stores began selling makeshift weapons instead of bread, and all communication was lost with the outside world. Yet, the conflict flamed on, becoming bloodier with each passing day. Some say they’re still at war, the wrongs stacked so high that no one remembers why they’re fighting. Several pockets of dwarves sit on long benches of stone around equally long tables sodden with the spilled ales of many a night’s celebration. Though the ceilings are quite low by human standards, once a seat is taken, it is not so noticeable—especially when a frothing, overfull mug of brown dwarven ale is pushed into everyone hands without request or hesitation. They cheer. Dolan Hammerstrike responds to the PCs, "Clanggedin Silverbeard is pleased with the battle heart of your warrior, lets prepare for battle and erase the Dragonborn scum from the city of Wheloon".  Some warriors and beasts of this force run toward war, as if eager to greet its bloodshed and death. These units course around a marching mass of more steady dwarven troops, the steel spine of this gang. Dwarven banners and totems rise out of the mass, denoting all dwarven clans uniting so they can be marshalled in the coming battle. Short Rest The PCs are ready to take a rival gang by storm first thing in the morning (Kelgar's Crushers) with the help of the Woodsingers, the Mountain and the Lady's Mauraders. The PC's fight their way through the defenses of the enemy gang to accomplish their objective. The fight runs through broken streets and abandoned buildings, with every gang contributing in their own special way, allowing the PCs to penetrate the fortified castle housing Kelgar's Crushers. The gang leader turns wildly , the few exits to this ruined corner of Wheloon blocked by the gleeful members of all the gangs. "Though I lose myself" he crushes a small charm in his hands, "I'll take you all down with me!" The gang leader screams as his forearms ripples and tears, and there there's a blast of cold air and he gone. In his place stands a large, angry white dragon. The gang leader transforms himself into a white dragon to destroy the PCs at the cost of his identity. Dragon, White (Adult) The PCs manage to barely defeat the White Dragon and the Mountain (gang) suffered several losses from their ranks in the name of glory, but victory is achieved over Kelgar's Crushers, leaving the Mother Night to defend themselves. The PCs convince all the other gangs to assault the Temple of Mystra (Lair of the Mother Night) after a long rest (attacking in the late hours using complete darkness to their advantage). Long Rest Eurim (Wizard) had secretly sent a message to the Leader of the Quickblades using a ritual called illusory script convinced the leader must be Navish Brightfoot. He ensures this by writing the code phrase and verifies his identity by receiving a proper response that also stated his plan to infiltrate Mother Night two weeks ago was successful, because he needed to find out where all the the Shadar-Kai are coming from. Navish's letter also describes a dark ritual to summon a Shadow Dragon powerful enough of collapsing the shield surrounding Wheloon and they mean to implement this plan during the peak hour of the new moon (about 2 hours after the long rest). Navish's letter states the Shadar-Kai learned the sapphire gems of Mystra have latent magical energy and they belong to some larger magical force. Dusk (Cleric/Rogue) reveals that the statue of Mystra in Wheloon was particularly prized for its piercing blue eyes. Many high priest believed they were a conduit to Mystra herself. He also states that a Gate Stone is located in the Temple of Mystra, but is inert since Mystra destruction. Eurim (Wizard) Reasons the Gate Stone located in the Temple of Mystra could be be powered with the Twin Sapphires of Mystra and goes onto  explain that a gate stone is a large fixed magical structure that facilitates travel between distant locations, allowing a large number of personnel to travel to the location of its twin gate stone as long as they are on the same plane of existence. Gatestone Leon (Paladin) realizes that if the Wheloon forcefield collapses, it would allow a significant military force from Netheril to take the capital city of Cormyr (Suzail). This would force Cormy to fight two fronts that could be disastrous and allow Netheril to take the Purple Crown. Corax (Ranger)  does one final check of his gear then looks around the courtyard at his companions. One by one he calls to them, asking if they would meet him by the statue. Corax looks each member in the face then says, “My friends, there is something I must share with you”. Corax looks down at his hands, “When I was about 13, we freed a group of slaves destined for Gracklstugh”. Among those slaves was a human girl close to my age named Anna”. “She was blind and was a gifted healer”. “The Gnomes of Blingdenstone accepted her, and she worked in one of the Gnomish temples”. "We spent as much time together as we could, and we were inseparable”. “A few years later my group and I were away from Blingdenstone, and Anna and a large group set out to Mantor-Derith to trade and buy goods”.  Corax looks away and wipes tears from his eyes. “It was days before word reached us that the caravan was attacked”. “When we finally made it to what was left of the caravan…. there were none left alive”. “Those that were never slaves were taken to be sold or used as slaves”. “If you had once been a slave, you were impaled and left as an example to other slaves who might think of freedom” . Corax wipes away the tears running down his face, “We were able to find a few survivors that had managed to escape and hide”. “They all said the same thing, a huge Duergar named Galron Onyxfist impaled every former slave”. Corax looks up to the dark sky, “That night I prayed to the gods for vengeance”. Corax stops abruptly and says, “Galron Onyxfist must die” . “He has killed and enslaved countless thousands of men, women, and children”.  " I know our mission is to get Navish, but I just need you all to know I will not leave this prison city till Onyxfist breaths no more my heart, soul, and Hoar demand it”. Corax wipes the rest of the tears from his eyes, looks at Leon and says, “Im ready to go when you are boss”. The Shadovar opened a GATE STONE to the shadowfell with the Blue Sapphires of Mystra, and they are bringing Shadar-Kai dedicated to Shar. Their intent, is to summon a shadow dragon and hoping to break the prison forcefield after enough Shadar-Kai warlocks had come through. Navish plans to sabotage the portal so it cant be used again, by stealing the Sapphires of Mystra. The way out of the Prison City is to place the Sapphires of Mystra back on the statue of Mystra in the central square.

Session 3: Hostile Takeover The PCs along with all the other gangs have decided to end the reign of the Mother Night once and for all. A small sparrow comes to Eurim (Wizard) in the middle of the night, eager to take the food from his hand. It eyes you suspiciously, then comes forward to snatch the morsel. You carress its head, and with a flourish, it speak aloud the words of a spell. A wind rolls by, loamy and chill. The animal finishes its meal and looks to you attentively, almost subserviently. It serves you now, at least for a time. Animal Messenger (2nd level spell) "It's I Navish Brightfoot. I can meet you to unlock the chapel gate to the Temple of Mystra at midnight, allowing you breach into the ritual room with a small silent group (the players of course) that Mother Night Denoa is using to summon the Shadow Dragon. They are using the Gate Stone to transport small squads of Shadar-Kai to not garner the attention of the War Wizards of Cormyr. Please be carful and may you all shine in the Light of the Lady." The PCs coordinate an attack where the main effort will assault the Mother Night while they infiltrate the Temple of Mystra to end the battle quickly by cutting the head of the snake. The old temple looms on the hill above the town. While crumbling from years of attacks and inadequate repair, it remains a formidable fortress. Towers thrust up like the spears of an invading army, the high walls their crossed shields, and the many bastions and keeps behind them their brooding heads, crowned with battlements. Breach one gate or pierce one wall, and you enter a vast labyrinth of fortifications. Somewhere within, Mother Night Denoa hopes to summon a Shadow Dragon that could have the power to destroy the magical forcefield that surrounds Wheloon. The Battle for Wheloon Acrid smoke hangs heavy on the air, carrying with it the mingled stench of mud and viscera. The screams reach you next—barked orders, blaring horns, and the clamor of steel. Cresting the hill, you see the full tempest of the battle sprawling to the very edge of the horizon, a cyclone of flame and steel, and waves of iron-clad combatants slamming against one another like the sea upon the shore. On one side, the army wears silver-and-black raiment; on the other, a mesh of colors belonging to the gangs of Wheloon. The Mountain spearhead a flanking maneuver, attempting to crush the enemy’s western lines beneath warhammer and shield. A volley of arrows rains down on the rear lines, hundreds of arrowheads finding their mark between plates of armor and the ribs of would-be followers of Shar. A great cry goes up as the Shadar-Kai regroups, locking their ranks against one another, and trudging forward through the mud to meet the charge of gangs. The PCs arrive at the chapel gates undetected and are happy to finally meet Navish Brightfoot, as he unlocks the gates and whispers to them to remain silent as the cross the courtyard. A thick fog blankets the chapel courtyard, a roiling moonlit sea flowing between broken pillars and moss-covered statues. The cold air nips at everyone's exposed skin and a mournful bell chimes above you, echoing ominously into the night. An ancient fountain stands in the courtyard—a broken holy symbol cast in weather-beaten iron at its center—perhaps a meeting place for acolytes and priests of Mystra in happier days. The Courtyard of Mystra's Temple The PCs cross the courtyard with an eerie silence due to the PASS WITHOUT TRACE spell from Corax (Ranger). Navish steps close to Gurral (barbarian) to whisper a few words into his ear when he suddenly stabs him with a poisoned dagger.  The spindly halfling stands taller than most, and its erratic movements unsettles everyone watching it shape change. Its skin, almost translucent, appears mottled and ever-changing, shifting with each movement. It turns, and you see that its face is devoid of features—hollow pits for eyes, a slight bump for a nose, and a thin, lipless mouth. The visage chills your blood. The features shift, to faces both familiar and strange; then, as quickly as it appeared, the creature assumes a new form. Doppelganger Suddenly several blood-chilling screeches fills your ears and impenetrable darkness descends on the courtyard, clouding the party's sense of direction. You all briefly catch sight of a dozen s mall creatures surrounding you with sickening blue skin and large yellow eyes, wearing simple cloth doublets, preferring greens and blues. Some have dark patches of hair, often receding. F resh blood smeared around their mouths as their lips curl into a wicked smile. Xvart The last foe falls, and in time, the din of battle recedes. Your body aches, your injuries becoming evident as your awareness returns—and yet you live. Blood drips from the weapon in your hands. You take in great lungful of air, sweat shining on your face as you find your allies standing around you, all breathing just as hard. You nod to one another, thankful to be alive, thankful to see your foes at your feet. The battle was hard fought—hard won. But now you each stand, victorious. The Summoning Chamber The PCs enter a high-ceilinged room with pillars and multiple entrances, all but the one by which you entered is painted with a mural. They present strange dreamlike landscapes filled with what must be allegorical places, figures, and objects; runes in a black circle od darkness border each mural. Lightning leaps and sparks, crackling along cords in the walls and floors, and buzzing between the sharp tines of an arcane machine. The room hums with power. It vibrates your teeth and sets your hair on end. Whatever the purpose of this chamber, it seems to go against nature, for it feels as if the air itself rebels against the contraption’s control.  Scorches mark the high ceiling of this chamber. The air feels heavy with magic, as if you wade through latent spells. The floor under the scorches bears an etching of a hexagon in which candles have melted. Other lines of some white powder trace a complex shape around the hexagon, but one of the outer lines has clearly been scuffed and broken. Mother Night Denoa A pale skinned woman with black eyes and a many facial piercings walks smoothly at the other side of the chamber. " “Ooooh, look at you. What a succulent morsel for Shar. I’ll rise a rung higher by presenting your head in her name, garnished and on a silver charger. Know t hat in darkness, I dreamt of many things—of rot, of life, of decay, of an age of worms. And now that dream can be free, to leak to every corner of this world. Your kind will return to the embrace of entropy." Chain Fighter Trazel Alongside Mother Denoa is a  pale skinned man standing a head taller than most humans, with a broad and muscular frame draped in black dark breastplate. A long chain dangles from the Shadar-Kai’s arm, ending in wicked hooks. A pair of white eyes gleam from within the mass of shadow and darkness. “You will all be dragged, shrieking, into the abyss of all that is Shar. The twisted fire that burns within you be sated... You are not worthy, you are not heroes, you are just individuals awaiting a pain so great it will echo across the world.” Inquisitor Galron Onyxfist A dwarvish man stalks forward. The merry jingle of keys on his ring mixes with the dull clink of irons, as a yank of the chain forces the enslaved halfling (Navish Brightfoot) to stumble forward. His wrists are bound, his gait made irregular by a short chain connecting two bands around his ankles. This Duergar is dressed in a somber colored robe under a black gambeson, this sturdy duergar has blue-gray skin and pale eyes. He wears boots constructed of elven flesh and bracers of dark, scaly leather with rune-etched steel trimmings. His white hair, which darkens near the ends, hangs in elaborate braids over his shoulders to the middle of her back and is adorned with steel hair cuffs and loops, all runed. From his belt, also of scaly leather, hangs a rectangular satchel: the spine of a thick tome, bound in leather and steel, peeks from its front compartment. In his left hand, the duergar grips a wand of twisted black iron that tapers to a point, the tip glowing red-hot. His gaze is intense and calculating. "You think yourself fearsome, wreathed in your armor and surrounded by fools. But I’ve looked into the Abyss and bent it to my will. Today, you will all die." He stares recognizing Corax's garb (that of a gloomstalker of the underdark). “You dare look upon me with mockery? You pitiful, stupid creature. I am the devourer of all things, after what I did to the last slaves of the Underdark that dared threatened me, I was sure no amount of gold or glory could convince someone like you to face me. I suppose slaves like you have short memories. But after they find what remains of you, I should have at least a few moments of pleasure with you, Ranger." Fossilized Warrior Skeleton It’s heard first: a sound like sticks clacking together. The form’s magical strings—barely holding the bones together under the weight of its garb—lift the legs one at a time, body swaying with skill and balance. Hollow eye sockets of pure white bone stare forward and the jaw jitters as if the dead are speaking with no words. The solid skull of the shaking horror slowly turns, shifting its attention toward you all. With seemingly new life it rushes at you, raising a battle axe and morningstar in each hand, ready to strike. Wild Magic radiating from the Orb of Summoning The PCs defeat the Shadar-Kai, with an assortment of tactics and ingenuity. Dusk (cleric/rogue) and Eurim (wizard) focused their attention on the summoning orb causing wildmagic to leap about the chamber, dancing over jagged stones and broken pillars. As the wildmagic writhes in cycles about the room, it changes color and intensity, blasting everything with lurid hues causing significant harm to friends and foes alike. Corax (ranger) moved with a feline grace getting to his prey. At the ideal spot he drops silently, his eyes shining in the candle-light, a dagger in one hand, wanting to stare into the Inquisitor's eyes before his life is snatched away by the Gloomstalker. Before the target can react, his poisoned dagger is drawn and stabs the Inquisitor's chest. The poison does quick, grisly work. His vision swims, narrowing to a pinpoint as all sound becomes muffled around him. His knees buckle as every ounce of strength leaves him in an instant and his mouth tastes foul, acrid, bitter—nausea coils at the back of his throat. His heartbeat slows to a crawl as it begins to struggle at pumping blood through his body, until he dies a slow painful death. Mother Denoa refusing to fail in her task assigned to her by Shar sacrifices her own life to summon the Shadow Dragon, by thrusting herself into the Orb of Wildmagic. This causes the floor of the chamber to be covered in tendrils of bruised purple shadow that reach up a few inches and then angle toward her dragging her into a black void. The tendrils pull color from the walls, even from the night itself, so that everything but their shadow light seems pale, anemic, clothed in gray. Everyone's mind fogs with boredom and loss as the Shadow Dragon is born, and your first footfall on the writhing purplish floor sends a chill through you, as if you are suddenly less alive. Mother Night Denoa forfeits her life for a greater cause You all suddenly hear an explosion that sends a shockwave through all of Wheloon, and a cloud of dark fire and ash rises from Mother Denoa's body. As the final lines are drawn in the blood of the party's slain enemies, space itself seems to bend and fracture. Three-dimensional cracks, like in a damaged crystal, form before the orb. With a thunderous boom a section shatters, and you find yourself staring into an unfathomable blackness that shakes you all to your primal core. As you rise to your feet, you see a shadowy creature that defies belief, even as you look upon its leviathan form with your own eyes. This dragon dwarfs others of its kind, with inky flesh stretched taut over sharp, angular bones that emerge as blade-like protrusions at the joints and along the spine. Shadows enshroud its form, wisping from it in smoke-like tendrils, and despite its immense mass, it moves with an otherworldly speed and grace. The membranous wings, folded tight against its frame, would likely span a hundred feet. With a sneering hiss that sends caustic saliva to boil upon nearby surfaces, the draconic creature looks upon you with jet-black eyes that seem to blaze with dark flame and flies directly into the forcefield of Wheloon, escaping to return to it's masters in Netheril. Navish Brightfoot Navish stumbles forward removing the manacles around his wrist and says, "That's it then, We'd best be going". Navish quickly heads toward the summoning circle retrieving the Sapphires of Mystra and looks to you all. Jerrick Valwater Jerrick Valwater appears and clears his throat. "our lookout report a large force of Shadar-Kai warriors headed this way." His eyes take in the destruction of the chamber and the incoming waves of Shadar-Kai.  "Interesting, prior to this, I might have thought we had a chance at survival." The PCs quickly depart and head toward the central square. Once at the central square, Navish places the sapphires in the eye sockets of the statue of Mystra and looks to the PCs. “This is it, folks,” Navish says, “our ticket home. Trouble is, the ritual takes a few minutes, and I get the impression we’re about to have a hole lot of unwelcome company. Keep ‘em off me, eh?” Navish turns to the statue and begins chanting. The statue’s light pulses briefly and then winks out, the only light coming from its sapphire-blue eyes. The gang leaders all appear as soon as Navish starts the ritual. (Doleman, Ilian, Jerrick, and Saria) "You've found a way out, haven't you? The gang leaders standing at the edge of the square, blood dripping from their weapons. "may we all come with you? May we? They all look toward more approaching enemies. "It's death to stay." Navish has no opinion. He’s been here two years and knows that not all the prisoners necessarily deserve their fate. Any who are getting out need simply step onto the dais by the statue. Dolman Hammerstrike also asks that he and his people be allowed to escape. He won’t leave without his people. The PCs decide to take all the gang leaders telling them they will report them to the authorities the first chance they get. Navish finishes chanting, and the statue of Mystra stretches its arms to the sky. "All right everybody, all aboard!"  The Shadar-Kai pause in their assault , confused, as the dais fill with people. Mystra’s hands come together over her head, and the dais is circled with white light that shoots into the sky, piercing the prison shield. Then the dais is rising through the light up, up, and out of Wheloon. The PCs fly through the sky, the bloated purple wart of Wheloon’s prison shield rapidly receding from sight. Finally, they land gently in distant field. The statue of Mystra smiles at you, the light fading from her eyes, and the statue crumbles to dust. Jerrick hopes to leave Cormyr for a time and make up for the mistakes of his youth in some distant land. He gives Leon (paladin) his family signet ring, and ask the party to let his family know he is still alive. Dolman Hammerstrike thanks the PCs and says he will be returning home to his highborn clan near Silverymoon. He offers a bag full of Mithral Ore to Leon (paladin). Saria thanks the party for her rescue and says she will return to the Dalelands and join the Wood Elves of Cormanthor Forest. She offers the remaining arcane arrows in her quiver to Corax (ranger). Ilian thanks the PCs and says he will take the job offered by Eurim (wizard) as a professors assistant in Candlekeep. He offers his spellbook that contains every ritaul he knows to Eurim (wizard). The PCs make no effort to restrain anyone and everyone else brought out of Wheloon scatter to the four winds. "True heroes for saving me and preventing the collapse of the shield of Wheloon, thats what you are" Navish pronounces. "Now come on, I wager we've a long walk back to Marsember, and the reward your rightfully deserve. The PCs realize that Dusk (cleric/rogue) is missing. The PCs cant help but think the sheer devotion and love Dusk had for the Lady of Light (Mystra), the Goddess must have greater plans for such a devout follower. A sudden whisper is heard by all in Dusk's voice... “When I came to you all, I was filled with thoughts of grand adventure. Innocents locked in towers, fiery dragons, cackling witches. And while the journeys we’ve had together have been… different, to say the least, they have meant more to me than any fairy tale. Yet, when I think about what my life could’ve been as a cleric of Mystra, I tremble. I love you all, but I have made a mistake, and I’ve been lying to myself for too long. I’m leaving for a new kind of adventure. I don’t know if I’ll find what I’m looking for, but I hope, between all your escapades, I will get to see you again.” The PCs complete  CHAPTER 3: Escape from Wheloon and advance to level 5!   14 days of downtime passes before the next adventure,  which will begin in Marsember (also known as the City of Spices, it's a metropolis and the busiest port in the entire kingdom of Cormyr).