Journal (Campaign)

Ravens Bluff: The Living City Chapter 1: The Lamentation of Ravens Ravens Bluff has long been known as the City of Adventurers. In spite of the changes to the city wrought by the Spellplague , Ravens Bluff still offers untold  opportunities for adventurers hoping to make a name for themselves. A new group of heroes are about to get their chance, when dangers from the city's past collide with the intrigue, greed, and pride of the present. Session 1: Ravens Bluff, At Last! Lady Luck The adventure begins with the PCs on a ship named The Lady Luck , a three mast ship that transports cargo of precious metals, cloth, fine wines, perfumes, and messages across the sea. The ship sails a circuit from Ravens Bluff (Vesperin) to Yhaunn (Sembia), to Scarsdale (Sembia), to Tantris (Vesperin) and home to Ravens Bluff . Captain Sardis runs and is part owner of the Lady Luck . A gruff and tough dwarf, who loves the sea. He hates pirates and is a bit impulsive due to being a devout worshipper of Valkur (patron of sailors, ships, favorable winds, and naval combat) but is careful not to offend Umberlee (evil sea goddess, most often worshiped by sailors, out of fear of her destructive powers).  Captain Sardis Veperin is a young nation made from former independent city states, it's a nexus for trade rumormongering and skullduggery. Commerce and corruption rule this land more surely than government. The capital city, Tantris , is very wealthy and the worship of Torm (god of duty, loyalty, righteousness) remains strong, helping to provide stability to the population. To the north, another large city, Calaunt , has recently become more vigilant about pirates and raiders although the Merchant Dukes are bribable. Ravens Bluff is the largest of the three cities and the friendliest to adventurers. Most of Vesperin is rolling farmland with some woods. The region, once called the Vast, has seen an influx of immigrants, especially the city of Ravens Bluff . Many Sembian merchants relocated here in the face of Netheril’s occupation of their homeland. A couple of decades ago, Netheril outlawed all such immigration. Sembians who tried to leave wound up dead. Gold counts for more than blood here. Vesperin is a place for intrigue, double crossing, and conversing with those normally met as enemies on the battlefield. With Sembia under the thumb of Netherese, Vesperin has flourished. Here, neutrality is the rule Arvond the Navigator The ships first mate is Arvond , a navigator of renown that sailed the Sea of Falling Stars for over a decade with many stories to tell of his travels in open sea. He is a registered/official messenger for several of the noble houses of Ravens Bluff .  He is more steady and careful than Captain Sardis , but also more talkative due to the stink weed he smokes. He seems to have a wealth of information about  Vesperin and Sembia. Sharing  Vesperin was formed decades ago from independent city states and that merchants hold sway over policies and law causing a sorts of corruption. He states that Vesperin is neutral when it comes to foreign affairs and that Raven Bluff is very friendly to adventurers, because of the diversity of non-human races in the city. The tensions between Sembia, Cormyr and the Dalelands  concerning Netheril has improved trade between Sembia and Vesperin . He also mentions that Pirates are a major threat (particularly in the last few weeks due to the Blue Dragons  (Cormyr's Royal Navy) not patrolling the sea) with dozens of pirate clans in fjord like harbors of Pirate Isle to the south. Many shipwrecks have occurred in these waters due to Umberlee's temper and many tales of ruins and buried treasure exist. Shared to Crow only (player knowledge is different than character knowledge):  The hereditary nobles include the Blacktree , Longbottle , Taldavar , and Sinaran  families. Blacktree has the reputation of a history of adventuresome rogues and own a two thousand acre estate outside of the city and a townhouse in the city. Longbottle has the reputation of honorable service to the city either in government or in a Knightly order. They are less wealthy than most of the noble families. House Taldavar has the reputation of wise, humorless elders with extensive investments. They are rumored to have extensive holdings in Sembia . The Sinaran moon elf clan is the only nonhuman noble house. Lady Silva Sinaran is also unusual in that she serves as the editor of the Ravens Bluff Trumpeter  (Newspaper)   and keeps her finger on the pulse of the city. Merchant House Raphiel was once the wealthiest noble house in the city, but has fallen on hard times. The daughter is reputed to be very beautiful and rumored to have courted both Anton Blacktree and Reginald Longbottle . The Lady Luck anchors along the coast for the night as a squall passes and resumes its journey at false dawn in a light rain shower which reduces visibility When the ship emerges from the rain shower around dawn the lookout in the crows nest spot a pirate ship ( Sea Dagger ) that has attacked a merchant ship ( Leaping Dolphin ) and decide to sail to the rescue. The PCs fought and defeat the pirates (none of the pirates fought honorably) and rescue the tied prisoner ( Anton Blacktree ) from the mast of the pirate ship. A single pirate was captured and interrogated by Captain Sardis and discovers the pirates were hired to kidnap Anton Blacktree and deliver him to the person who hired them. They were allowed to keep any loot from the ship for additional profit, unfortunately only the pirate captain knew who hired them.  Anton Blacktree Anton is a likeable sort of fellow who is the heir to one of the most powerful noble families in Raven Bluff . Charismatic but impulsive, he admits he flew to the docks when word of a new pirate ship was spotted near Tantras  (Vesperin). An aspiring knight, he chose the path of adventure vs the path of politics to make his mark in the City of Ravens. His father is Lord Mikail Blacktree (grandson to Lord Charles Blacktree and Lady Katherine Moorland ) and his mother is Lady Charissa Blacktree . Anton was so grateful for the rescue he gifted his Cologne of Bewitching to Alanius (for risking his life against the pirate captain in melee combat) and offered a Heroes Feast at the Grand Griffon Inn . He was worried about his rapier (the moon touched blade with the Blacktree family crest) and finds it before sharing more information about his plight. The Leaping Dolphin was owned by his family but it was a merchant ship. He states his father will be angry with him for getting the crew killed and for the loss of the ship, considering it was his first command. Word has come to Raven Bluff that several pirate ships sailed from Pirate Isle to prey on Vesperin ships on the Dragon Reach (the northern end of the Sea of Fallen Stars ). Under the common law of the sea and the laws of Vesperin , all crew and passengers who aid are entitled to a share of bounty and prize money. The captain gets two shares. House Blacktree has lived in Raven Bluff for many years. The Moorlands , whose house merged with ours when my grandfather, Charles Blacktree , married the Lady Katherine Moorland , were one of the three original foundling families of Ravens Bluff . His father was is an explorer and pirate hunter. This was Anton's first solo outing as a pirate hunter. Anton has been away from Ravens Bluff for 2 weeks, but not at at sea the while time. He spent 3 days in Tantras around 8 days ago. His mother, Lady Charissa , minds the family business with the aid of a dwarven chamberlain named Kiira Stoneshield . He has three sisters, two that are married. He is a Golden Rooster Knight, but aspires to a higher order of at least Griffon Knight . His best friend is Ser Reginald Longbottle . He wanted his friend to join him in pirate hunting but Ser Reginald has been busy investigating smuggling activities in Raven Bluff . He admits that his friend is more reserved than he is and advanced to a Raven Knight (foremost defenders of Ravens Bluff ). There are five knightly orders in Ravens Bluff: Golden Rooster, Griffon, Dove, Hawk, and Raven from low to high in order of prestige. He loves to travel, to explore, and to have a good time.  Tymora (goddess of luck) is his patron deity. As the Lady Luck pulls into the busy harbor (Ravens Bluff) a small craft pulls alongside and members of the City Watch board the ship. Captain Sardis states that the harbormaster and a customs officer, not the City Watch, come out to the ships. A tall, massive minotaur in the uniform of a City Watch captain climbsed the rope ladder and presents an official warrant for the arrest of Ser Anton Blacktree for conspiracy, torture, and murder of Ser Reginald Longbottle. Captain Baroom only answers a few questions, but seems suggest to the PCs they come se him later in his office after he secures the prisoner. He seesm courteous, honest and diligent in his duties and openly admits Ser Blacktree could possibly be innocent but a formal trial determines that, not an officer of the City Watch. Captain Ivor Baroom Captain Ivor Baroom is nearly seven feet tall and as wide as a doorframe. With the head and hooves of a bull and the muscular frame of a giant, but much more polished, even elegant. Clothed only in fine clothing and a polished breastplate, the minotaur fashions his hair after those of a dwarf. Though the numerous scars lining his limbs and torso speak to a background of violence, you immediately sense a kindness in his eyes. According to several witnesses, Ser Anton Blacktree was seen going off with Ser Reginald Longbottle only a few days ago. Ser Reginald Longbottle has been raised from the dead (raise dead spell valued at 1250 gp) and he personally identified Ser Anton Blacktree as part of the gang who tortured and slew him. As a close friend and the victim, his testimony is grave. The charge is High Murder, given that Ser Reginald Longbottle is a noble. As he was raised from the dead, and Ser Anton Blacktree is also a noble, the punishment is likely to be a large fine (even for a foundling house of Ravens Bluff) and exile from Vesperin. Ser Anton Blacktree is being taken to the Nevin Street Compter, an old three-story prison, to be held in the Lord’s Ward . The Compter is located in Holyhouses neighborhood of Temple District. The Lord’s Ward is quite comfortable. He states that discussing further details of the case in public is inappropriate. He points out that the existence of teleportation rituals imply a long distance (even in open sea) is no alibis. Captain Baroom’s office is in Ravendark Castle , in Altarside neighborhood of Temple District. Ravendark Castle houses most of the civic offices and is sometimes called City Hall. Having witnessed the quality of the PCs in the skirmish with the pirates, Ser Anton Blacktree request the party aid in clearing his name, and find out who murdered his friend, Reginald Longbottle , and to bring them to justice in the name of Torm. Captain Baroom allows a brief conversation between the PCs and Ser Anton before he is hustled away in iron manacles. Anton knows nothing of the murder. He claims he has not been in Ravens Bluff for two weeks, but all the witnesses to that now lie at the bottom of the sea. House Longbottle has a manor in the Sixstar neighborhood of Uptown. Lady Silva Sinaran , editor of the Trumpeter , is well-informed on Ravens Bluff high society and might be able to help. She is a personal friend and mentor to the Blacktree family. While shocked and dismayed, Anton does not resist arrest nor attempt to flee. (trusting in the PCs to discover the truth) Captain Sardis refuses to get anymore involved than he already is and doesn't want his ship impounded and offers to meet the PCs at the Waterfront tavern known as the Reefed Sails later in the evening to buy the party a drink and ask where to send their share of the bounty. Arvond the Navigator suggest the PCs visit House Longbottle to speak to the victim and get first hand reports of his own murder. Shared to Crow only (player knowledge is different than character knowledge): Arvond suggests visiting House Taldavar for information. They are well respected in Ravens Bluff and provides Crow a token, that identifies you having been sent by him. Shared to Crow only (player knowledge is different than character knowledge):  Arvond admits he served as a courier for House Taldavar with "business interest" in Sembia. Arvond is cautious about admitting the "business interest" include contacts with the resistance in Sembia and exposure could result in his death or arrest. Arvond comments on Ser Anton's bad luck. First kidnapped, then arrested for murder. Did he offend Beshaba. (goddess of bad luck) Captain Sardis doubts the attempt to kidnap Ser Anton is a mere coincidence and wonders if the pirates were connected to the murder of Ser Reginald Longbottle . Captain Sardis  reveals he is a member of the Silent Sail a merchant guild operating in Cormyr the city of Marsember . The group took its name from the Marsemban slang word for a ship whose ownership could not be traced. Membership consisted of eleven aging Marsemban merchants who made their fortunes in the shipping trade. The guild is rumored to be active in smuggling/trafficking for several Sembian trading companies. House Raphiel (The Redstones) The PCs decided to visit the Redstones , the manor of House Raphiel, to determine if Enatta Raphie l  is implicated in the murder of Ser Reginald Longbottle. It is located in the Holyhouses Neighborhood of Temples District . The house has a distinctive cherry-red sandstone trimmed with white quartz blocks around its windows. The standstone is sealed in magical fused glass, but the glass is pitted and shabby. One side of the mansion butts up against other buildings, not as decorated. In addition to temples, this neighborhood also has residential buildings, merchant and guild houses. Besides the City Watch patrols, there are also guards around some of the temples. However, the PCs discover that current financial circumstances prevent House Raphiel  having personal house guards. Instead a footman is stationed near the front door (outside by day, inside by night).The PCs approached and asked to speak with  Enatta Raphiel  and are told the lady is not currently in residence and to leave a card so an appointment may be arranged when she is available. The PCs managed to convince the house staff they are officially investigating the murder of Ser Reginald Longbottle and search the house for evidence that Enatta Raphiel was involved with the plot to ambush Sir Reginald. The footman does not know exactly where Enatta Raphiel  is or when she is expected to return, but reveals that Lady Enatta is the only Raphiel living in Ravens Bluff . Beside the footman, the house staff consists of a butler, a cook, a cook’s helper, and three maids. Crow discovers Enatta's diary and find letters written in Chondathan (Chondathan language is spoken in Altumbel, Chondath, Cormyr, the Southern Dalelands, the Dragon Coast, the Great Dale, Hlondeth, the northern shore of the Vilhon Reach, the Pirate Isles of the Sea of Fallen Stars, Sembia, and Sespech) that she was trying to play both sides (Longbottle and Blacktree) and garnering favor with the Sembian organization known as the Silver Ravens .

Session 2: Looking for Thieves... Lady Silva Sinaran The PCs decide to visit Lady Silva Sinaran at the Trumpeter, the local Ravens Bluff Broadsheet . She is the editor of the Trumpeter and the youngest daughter of Lord Amaether and Lady Jhavasspeira (who left Ravens Bluff to the Feywild). She joined the staff of the Ravens Bluff Trumpeter as a society reporter about 140 years ago. Lady Silva is petite and wears a silver satin dress. A mithril necklace and expensive earrings that compliment her outfit. Lady Silva is polite, elegant and well-versed in the history of Ravens Bluff and its high society. She loves a good gossip but does not slander people. She is very fond of Ravens Bluff . Lady Silva suggests the PCs investigate several areas of interest in Ravens Bluff, but requests that the adventurers in turn share what they learn about the case. She admits Anton is her friend and that she offers the Blacktree family advice from time to time. She was under the impression that Ser Blacktree left Ravens Bluff roughly two tendays ago on the Leaping Dolphin . Anton was intrigued about hunting pirates. Although she did not see him personally, she only heard heard rumors that he was later seen in the city, at some taverns, craftsmen and such. Sometimes seen in company of Enatta Raphiel or Ser Longbottle . She doubts that Ser Blacktree murdered Ser Longbottle   although perhaps he was not in control of himself. Anton and Reginald were unlikely friends except for being of similar class. Anton is adventuresome and loves to travel, a gambler. The stereotype of a follower of Tymora (Goddess of Luck). Reginald lives for duty and service; that is why he achieved the honor of being made a Raven Knight. Always on the search for enemies of Ravens Bluff . Whereas a Raven Knight is the highest honor in Ravens Bluff, the Golden Rooster are just above squires who just won their spurs. The Golden Roosters are not taken very seriously. She has known for some time that both men have  wooed Enatta Raphiel,  encouraged by her. Enatta would love to see her family restored to noble status and a suitable marriage might help with that cause. She seems to be a social butterfly and is quite lovely, she might know more. She shares the Netheril Empire is thought to have spies in all  lands of Faerun. Closer to Vesperin , they seized Sembia in 1380 DR and have become  dependent upon the trade through Sembia . Many Sembians who did not want to live under Netherese rule left Sembia and immigrated to Ravens Bluff . Netheril tightened its grip about 20 years ago, outlawing emigration, and those who tried usually ended up dead or just vanished. Netheril certainly could be involved in this tale. The Sembian resistance could also be involved, seeking  some weapon or tool to fight Netheril rule and regain freedom for Sembia . The Sembia Embassy hosts extensive commerce and social activities which mostly occur in the embassy itself. House Taldavar has extensive investments in  Sembia and might have connections to either side. You might learn something from them. The Church of Bane has historically been a  frequent adversary of Ravens Bluff . Their goals are often mysterious. One should never discount the possibility that they could be involved. The Merchant Dukes of Calaunt might well be  instigating some convoluted plot to harm Ravens Bluff trade or noble houses. The Golden Lords of Tantras might fear some  discovery that would shake their powerful hold on Vesperin or be engaged in some dirty political fight. Lord Blacktree has long fought the pirates of the  Sea of Fallen Stars , as has the Longbottle family. Perhaps the pirates are to blame. Lady Charissa Blacktree is quite upset with the  arrest of her son. It's doubtful that she will receive any visitors. Lord and Lady Longbottle are much angered and  upset. Speaking with them or Reginald will be difficult. The Temple of Oghma  (God of Knowledge & Invention) has an extensive library  which you may use to research the history of the two founding families of Ravens Bluff (Blacktree & Longbottle). The Brotherhood is reputed to be the largest  thieves’ guild in Ravens Bluff . Rumor is they are based in the Crow’s End District. Temple of Mystra and the High House of Magic   (Wizards Guild) both imploded during the Spellplague . There is little left there but rubble. Ravens Bluff is built on the ruins of a dwarven  kingdom known as the Realm of Glimmering Swords . The city was known as Sarbreen (City of Hammer). Cracked Tankard The PC depart the Trumpeter and visit Captain Sardis & Arvond the Navigator at the Cracked Tankard in the less savory part of the city: The Anvil Neighborhood of Crow’s End District. The bar is quite old and dangerous. Captain Sardis states he still has his crew looking into pawning all the pirate salvage and assures the PCs that he will hold his end of the deal concerning their share. Arvond the Navigator is a patriot of Sembia and claims Netheril scum are currently in the city and word on the street is that they are holed up in one of the foreign embassies. Arvond mentions he doesn't much like those shadow people. They associate with the dead and the shadow scum have been pretending to be a trade delegation in the Sembia Embassy. Fortunately, the Sembia Embassy is not heavily guarded due to all the commerce and social activities which occur in the embassy. Almost anyone can figure out a way inside and sneaking into an embassy is much more serious crime than sneaking around a house, even that of a noble. If you try it, don’t get caught. <winks> Rumors are the Four Ravens (The Brotherhood) have hooked up with a doppelganger who can  change his face like he changes clothes. The doppelganger is more likely in the service of Netheril as a spy. Arvond claims he can set you up with someone who is good at  picking locks, for a fee, if you need to get into any places behind locked doors. Arvond task the PCs with ruining the reputation of the Silver Ravens (Sembia) by branding a man named Chaney , a lieutenant in the Four Ravens (The Brotherhood) responsible for a Cutpurse Operation in the Market in the Anvil Neighborhood . Market (Anvil Neighborhood) The PCs scout the market area and identify Chaney , a lieutenant in the Four Ravens (The Brotherhood) with other thieves involved. The PCs decide to take action against the cutpurse operation, but fail to take Chaney alive for questioning. The only thief captured was a low ranked enforcer. His appearance is that of a common laborer—big, slow-witted, likeable, and fond of drink. He smells of ale, going by the name of Taknob and does not want to die. He believes if imprisoned, he could get a light sentence in exchange for valuable information concerning the Four Ravens. He is not a believer in the cause of the Shades. A shadow cell is staying in the Sembia Embassy. He states the shadow cell is planning to attack the Blacktree estate outside of Ravens Bluff sometime tonight. The shadow cell are looking for some kind of magical cup. He  Doesn't know why. The Four Ravens have been contracted by the shadow cell to search the founding families homes looking for a magical cup. He knows the Brotherhood was involved in the murder of Reginald Longbottle but doesn't know details. He claims Enatta Raphiel is involved in some  deal with the Netherese .

S ession 3: Quote said the Raven... Greater Raven The PCs discover the Netherese agents are on the way to the Blacktree's estate which is called Blackwood Manor. The party decide to transport Taknob the enforcer of the Four Ravens ( The Brotherhood) to  Ravendark Castle , in Altarside neighborhood of Temple District . While the PCs were explaining the situation and placing their prisoner in his custody with the sergeant on duty of the Ravens Bluff Watch a greater raven perched near a building and speaks to them... "While it is bound, it chooses kings and peasants. When it is freed, it foretells war or woe. While it bound, it propels men's lusts and furies. When it is freed, it tumbles, falls, and fades. While it is bound, life will often thrive. When it is freed, death will often follow." The greater raven flies from tree to tree to perch with a good view and intently watches, keeping a curious eye on the party and says one more phrase before spitting a small white, and gleaming bone, then flying away.  " It can't be seen, can't be felt,  can't be heard and can't be smelt.  It lies behind stars and under hills,  and empty holes it fills.  It comes first and follows after,  ends life and kills laughter." These large glossy birds are locally renowned for their ability to speak and foretell the future. In Ravens Bluff , these birds can be found just about anywhere. Greater ravens love to single out and accompany an intelligent, active group, such as adventurers. Some beings so favored find the raven's presence irritating and toss a stone in the bird's general direction and this may drive the creature off; otherwise it decides the being is going to be truly interesting to watch and determine to stay, remaining for several weeks. The Ravens are said to be easily be killed but have the power to curse their slayers. Typical prophecies foretell the receiving of a grievous wound, being slain, or being tested in battle. Not surprisingly, these creatures tend to be shunned as bringers of bad luck, though they rarely harm anyone directly. Instead, greater ravens seem to derive some satisfaction from watching the trouble of others. Some delight in continually uttering sarcastic jokes comments, though they rarely make actual jokes; others enjoy hinting at secrets their host wants kept secret. Blackwood Manor (Blacktree Estate) The PCs rent horses and ride out to the Blacktree  estate moving fast, doing their best to to avoid low hanging limbs and steep slopes after the recent rain. The speed and jolting of the journey is taking its toll on the the party but they manage to arrive at the estate while the Netherese Shadow Cell are ransacking the estate ( Blackwood Manor ). As the the PCs approach the outer wall of the Blacktree estate they see 2 humanoid figures (Bandits) standing guard near the entrance of the manor. A 3rd figure that walked into the estate appeared to be human at first, but a shaft of moonlight reveals it's grey skin. The Ranger ( Owlbear ) noticed a a large humanoid creature with batlike wings fly over the estate before losing sight of it. House Guard (Blacktree) The PCs decide to immediately conduct a frontal assault of the manor, killing several bandits and going to the aid of the house guards of the estate. The clash at arms can be heard throughout the estate, intermixed with screamed battle cries and the moans of the dying. The potent scent of spilled blood wafts into their nostrils, overwhelming, as if one had spilled several barrels of undiluted claret within a crowded room. And yet still the struggle carries on, flights of arrows piercing the air to be concluded in the bodies of their targets, blades whistling in their bloody purpose, and bandits alike plummeting to earth in their last heaving breaths. It is impossible to tell whether the Netherese Shadow Cell or house guards on opposite sides of the conflict have descended furthest into mindless savagery, but it is surely a close competition. Kiira Stoneshield The PCs manage to reach Kiira Stoneshield with her remaining House Guards defending Lady Charissa Blacktree against the Netherese Shadow Cell , but the Shadar-Kai entrenched within the ranks of the Netherese Shadow Cell form an experienced team who fight smart. They fight aggressively and to the death, particularly focusing their rage on individuals with a holy symbol of Selune . The kir-lanan are known as black gargoyles that prefer to attack from the air, and would fight with their claws rather than their infernal weapons of choice, although they were sometimes known to enter battle with them. Since negative energy infused their bodies, a mere touch would allow them to administer deadly attacks, and some developed the power to project this negative energy with their words. The church of Shar began making overtures to the kir-lanan , proposing that they alone had the will and desire to make war upon all other faiths, not unlike the kir-lanan themselves. They succeeded in coaxing the kir-lanan into service, drawing them in with Shar's doctrine of "ultimate dissolution." Kir-Lanan Shadar-Kai The PCs defeat the Netherese and quickly check for the Cup of Truth and discover the family history from Lady Charissa.  The PCs failed to capture doppelganger, but defeated the Netherese Shadow Cell and gathered enough evidence to have Anton Blacktree cleared of the charge of murder and freed. The PCs complete CHAPTER 1: The Lamentation of Ravens and advance to level 3! The PCs are told the story of  Lord Charles Blacktree and Lord Calvin Longbottle finding the  Cup of Truth during an adventure. Charles insisted on keeping the artifact. But he wanted to discover how to command it so he took it to a the Temple of Mystara . Before they completed their test and returned it, the blue fire of the spellplagu e rolled over Ravens Bluff and the Temple of Mystara imploded. If the cup still exist, it lies under the ruins of the temple. House Blacktree are favorably impressed with you all. You gain one favor from the house. You may spend this favor to request that House Blacktree use its power and influence to intercede on your behalf in a single matter in Ravens Bluff . The DM decides exactly how the particular house intercedes. House Blacktree is aware that their family heirloom ( Cup of Truth ) is being sought after by those who might use it for evil reasons, the family wants it to be found and returned to them for safe keeping. The Netherese Empire's first plan might have been thwarted by the "Hammer of Shadows", does not mean they have lost interest in the Cup of Truth. Perhaps what they need are better employees (not pathetic sembian refugees) if they want the job done right. You have impressed Captain Ivor Baroom by your conduct while clearing the name of Ser Anton Blacktree . He is willing to provide one of the two recommendations you require to squire as a Knight of the Golden Rooster . Kiira Stoneshield shares with you all that she is the trusted chamberlain to House Blacktree . She has red hair and hazel eyes. She is a 90-year old daughter of one of the dwarves who traveled forward in time from the Realm of the Glimmering Swords . She gestures a lot as she talks and tugs at her ear, then wipes her forehead when she is thinking. She sculpts statuary as a hobby and is quite good at it. Besides Dwarven and Common, she speaks Chondathan, Damaran and Netherese. In 610 DR, dwarves established a surface kingdom of all the Vast known as the Realm of the Glimmering Swords . Part of that kingdom was the city of Sarbreen which was located where Ravens Bluff is currently. The Realm of the Glimmering Swords fell in 649 DR. Not widely known, a group of adventurers went back in time to the fall of the Realm of the Glimmering Swords and led many dwarves (mostly children) forward to Ravens Bluff where they were resettled. Roldilar , or the Realm of Glimmering Swords , was a shield dwarf kingdom that occupied the lands later known as the Vast , between Cormanthyr and Impiltur in north Faerûn, both below and above ground. It was founded in 610 DR and fell in 649 DR. 2 work weeks (20 days) of downtime passes before the next adventure, which will begin in Ravens Bluff.

Chapter 2: Ravens under the Sun Session 4: The Temple of Mystara With the discovery that agents of Netheril were behind a nefarious plot to obtain an artifact known as the Cup of Truth , it was decided by the Blacktree family to retrieve it from the Mystran temple ruins where it has been since the Spellplague . Anton Blacktree , who was caught up in the plot, approaches you with a request to enter the ruins and return with the artifact before Netheril or anyone else finds it. For your assistance in the matter, he promises an appropriate monetary reward. You along with a trusted Blacktree family retainer, Rauric Rauricson , who will be sent along to guide you, and help make your way through the ruins to the magical vault’s entrance where the artifact lies. Netheril agents, Sembian resistance and the Ravens Bluff government seek to obtain the artifact called the Cup of Truth . It is said anyone who drinks from it is force to speak the truth. Rauric Rauricson Rauric Raauricson (50 year old human male) and shares the following: Rauric is a scholar who's field of specialty is Raven Bluff history. He is NOT  a competent fighter, but he will not shirk from combat. Before the research on the Cup of Truth was completed, the Spellplague rolled over Ravens Bluff and the temple imploded on itself; it now lies in ruins. No one goes there because there are still bits of the Spellplague roiling around inside it. The Blacktree family wants the artifact recovered before the Netherese agents, the Sembian rebels or the Ravens Bluff government does so. The artifact is in the lower levels of the temple of Mystra in an elaborately protected vault. He has knowledge of how the Mystran temple was laid out before it fell into ruins. He is entrusted with a Mystran token that was given to the Blacktree family and he is using this to unlock the entrance to the vault. If the PCs strongly do not want Rauric to accompany them and wish instead to be trusted with the token he carries instead, a PC can use a favor with House Blacktree (story award) to take ownership of the token and leave Rauric behind. The PCs are commissioned by House Blacktree and Lady Charissa Blacktree tells the party to visit her stables as the Master of the Horse is expecting them and wishes you all safe travels in recovering the artifact for her family. Upon arrival to the stable you are greeted by the Master of the Horse and each of you are issued Palfrey riding horses that are bred for stamina and intended for warfare but for long riding journeys. You are also issued master crafted leather saddles packs with an extensive amount of valuable gear for travelling. Pavilion Tent: A huge open-air canopy, plus stakes, poles, and ropes. A pavilion holds 10 creatures and takes 40 minutes to assemble. Pavilion tents are large enough to accommodate a small fire in the center. 5 Palfrey Riding Horses: A typical horse can cover 20 miles in a single day. A Palfrey Horse can cover 25 miles in a single day. 5 Bearskin Bedroll 3 Mess Kits Tinderbox 10 Torches 5 days of Elven Trail Rations: Soft trail bread made of oats mixed with other grains, berries, and nuts and sweetened with honey. They supplement this trail bread with dried fruits and nuts. If you subsists on nothing but these rations for at least 1 week, you receive Advantage on CONSTITUTION checks and saves. This benefit lasts until you eat a meal other than the rations or go for a full day without eating a day's worth. 5 Tin Canteens 50 feet of Silk Rope with a Grappling Hook 2 Climbers Kits: A climber’s kit includes Special pitons, boot tips, gloves, and a harness. You can use the climber’s kit as an action to anchor yourself; when you do, you can’t fall more than 25 feet from the point where you anchored yourself, and you can’t climb more than 25 feet away from that point without undoing the anchor. Collapsible Bathtub: After 10 minutes of assembly, this collection of wooden slats provides support for a cylindrical watertight canvas cloth. It can hold enough water to allow 1 Medium creature to bathe in comfort without any of the risks that might come from entering lakes, rivers, or other bodies of water. 2 Fishing Tackles: More than a mere fishhook, this set includes birch poles, silk line, sinkers, hooks, lures, and tackle box. It grants ADVANTAGE on Survival checks when gathering food around bodies of water that contain fish. Map (Blacktree property): A geographically relevant map grants a user Advantage on Survival checks made to navigate in the wilderness. Compass: An ordinary compass that points to the magnetic north pole grants you Advantage on Survival checks made to avoid becoming lost. The PCs approach the outskirts of the temple and stop before coming to the once thriving village of stalls, pens, modest houses that once surrounded the Temple of Mystara, but those places are gone, most of the structures are hacked apart and burned down to the foundation. Anything that was not destroyed was gathered and thrown into ruins of the village square and burned once more, heaps of ash carried far by the carefree wind. Of the villagers themselves, there are no easily spotted signs. Crow (Rogue/Monk) investigates one of the buildings and thinks someone was living there recently (within a day or two) and it only causes her sadness, only made worse by the  place being empty. Over a mound of moldy straw, cloth sacking is tied precariously through holes to the three walls of an old coop. The property on which this sits, once a serviceable house , is also abandoned. Perhaps the squatter's attempt to last long enough to make claim on the property led to better prospect. Perhaps it only led to a final one. Isilir (warlock) approaches the knee high basin that encircles a four-sided statue is continually refilled from urns held by different creatures: a medusa, demurely veiled; a basilisk, upright with many legs; and a cockatrice, somehow holding an urn in its wings. The carving of a winged gargoyle is not pouring water. Jiltrix (Druid) keen senses prevented the party from being ambushed by several creatures that appear to be humanoid, but wildly varied in appearance. The height of every creature varied between 5‒7 ft. between 125‒230 lb. Their skin tones varied from pale to dark, and their hair ranged from smooth to rough, and from black to brown. Their eyes could seem black in the dark, and yet pale in the light and their ears were slightly wide and long, with broad noses and heavy jaws. All of these traits however were highly variable, and could just as easily be replaced with those of other races. They contained pieces from many others species, including dwarves, elves, and humans, goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears, as well as orcs and ogres. Even stranger some included creatures like bullywugs, crabmen, lizardfolk, gnolls, minotaurs, and even satyrs. Mongrelfolk The PCs manage to defeat the mongrelfolk affected by the prolonged exposure to the spellplague and decide to conduct a short rest while investigating the razed village surrounding the Tempe of Mystara. Crow (Rogue/Monk) realizes that a hidden area is fashioned by the hands, digging claws, and crude tools of the mongrelfolk that call it home, the area has been built within a collapsed building, hallowed out and hauled into a semi circular shape with several bails of hay to absorb sound. Carefully placed stones indicate the pathways separating the crude but effective structure. Each little dwelling features a rudimentary attempt at agriculture in the form of a small garden, with primitive irrigation providing just enough food for the meager starving children living there. The smell of sickness and hunger permeates the air. Kaylee (Mongrelfolk) A grimy grey mouse bounds into view and chased by a bare foot girl dressed in a raggedy dress and a blue covered cloak. The young girl's eyes roam wildly about, taking in her surroundings as she clutches a wooden sword confronting the party. “Have you not taken enough? You killed our champions, but I warn you—I will scream and cry and when those that CLICK and CLACK in the night come, you will be dead, just like everyone else, and you'll fail to survive just like everyone else too." The PCs discover that mongrelfolk could come into existence in many ways. The first method was for humanoids to be transformed via a magical process which could be reversed using supernatural means. Those who underwent the transformation were not true mongrelfolk as they were not born this way. Secondly, they could descend from an aberrant infiltrator. Those born from this method could not be reverted and contained the genetic code of everything the aberrant infiltrator had digested. The third method was to be born from other mongrelfolk. This was often an extremely random process and it was hard to predict what combination of traits the offspring would possess, although breeding with a non-mongrel had a one-in-a-hundred chance to produce a normal member of the other race. They had a high rate of infant death, especially when enslaved, making the birth of a healthy child a cause for celebration. (Kaylee is 1 of 12 children who is completely human). The PCs manage to gain just enough of the mongrelfolk trust by sharing there resources (rations, water, goodberrys, etc...) and promising they will enter the Temple of Mystara and deal with the creatures that go CLICK AND CLACK in the night. Kaylee believes the party and gives Owlbear (Ranger) her ragged blue cloak saying it has kept her safe and it will do the same for them. Hesitating to take possession of Kaylee's cloak, Owlbear realizes it has magical properties and must be attuned to its wearer. Cloak of Protection The mongrel shaman approaches you all garbed in hide and bone and missing his left eye, steps forward—the children fall deathly silent. The shaman produces a humanoid skull and an ornate spear, raises the skull and spear aloft for all to reckon, then sets the skull upon a flat stone before you all. With a mighty overhead swing, the shaman shatters the skull, immediately drop to one knee to sift through the fragments, searching for answers and says... "I hurt the most when lost, yet also when not had at all. I'm sometimes the hardest to express, but the easiest to ignore. I can be given to many, or just one." Tuning Fork of Resonance The mongrel shaman then hands a crystalline tuning fork to Jiltrix and says, "to scare those that CLICK AND CLACK in the night" and gives you a quick period of instruction on how to use the item. He then starts to draw shapes on the ground with different colored pigments and says, "The answer to your first key is here...." Runestones symbols & their meaning The PCs decide to venture forward and taken to a massive, iron grate entrance to the expansive sewer system—or at least, it’s supposed to. The rusted bars curl inward, bent and broken, almost as if blasted open with some combustive magic. Thick, foul-smelling liquid drains from the outlet, trickling into the hole and with only several sounds that go CLICK AND CLACK echoing from the stone pipe, you wonder what waits within…

Session 5: The things that go click and clack... The Crystal Caves of Mystara The dark, dank tunnels wind their way through the oppressive stone, slick with moisture. A light residue of resin, spans the tunnels, coating the floor, ceiling, and walls, draping like ghastly curtains. The darkness would be absolute were it not for the soft bluish glow emanating from myriad crystal deposits riddling the floors, wall, and ceiling of the cavernous space. Kruthik As the PCs delve deeper into the tunnels, they find scattered bones and emaciated corpses—beasts and humanoids alike—drained of life. The hairs rise on the back of the party's neck as you detect chittering and movement deeper in the cave. The thing that go Click and Clack, dart amongst the residue of saliva and seem larger than you had imagined in the dark. Something massive moves beyond—you catch a glimpse of something vaguely resembling a canine covered in plates of thick, silvery chitin. It had six limbs composed of bone, chitin, and steely scales; the front and rear appendages ended in long scythes that could most likely cut through stone. The PCs defeat the 1st wave of Young Kruthik by working together in a coordinated attack with Alanius (Psi Warrior) using the Fork of Resonance given to them by the shaman of the Mongrelfolk. Entrance to the Temple of Mystara The PCs continue deeper into the tunnels until they come across an archway with a reinforced stone door, its shadow obscuring the entrance just enough that one must approach on foot to see whether the entrance is safe or not. This temple stone door shimmers, saturated with magical wards as it is, and two gargoyles the size of black bears squat on either side of the stone entry door. As the party approach, the gargoyles activate and block the door, awaiting the production of some sort of spell to prove worthiness to be admitted. Isilir (Warlock) creates a minor magical effect within the mouth of the guardian, which quickly animate the gargoyles to step aside as if approving the display of magic. The party delve into the temple ruins searching for the vault's entrance. With the help of Raruric , they make their way further in the temple and discover the walls and ceiling are fused and melted stone that occasionally flickers with a blue flame (spellplague). Lying on the ground are the shattered remains of a Stone Golem that once guarded the entrance in the sublevel. (Isilir's expertise in alchemy identifies the fluid of the stone golem as a rare ingredient for magical item creation and collects a vials worth). Three corridors leave the room, all of them turning after a few feet and preventing the party from seeing where they lead. Plaguechanged Kruthik Queen The PCs reach an antechamber and find slabs of crumbling stone ascending a warped wall to the top, making a natural stairway up to what might be a ledge or another tunnel. It’s hard to say. The steep steps look useful, but the broken skeleton of some humanoid at their feet gives the party pause. This moment of hesitation allows ravenous Adult Kruthiks and a Plaguechanged Kruthik Queen to attack the party. The PCs are able to defeat the Kruthik swarm but suffer serious injuries forcing them to take a short rest before moving on. ( Isilir and Owlbear are afflicted with a lesser form of the spellplague called a spellscar during the attack). Library of Mystara (History  & Lore) The PCs follow the path recommended by Rauric  and come to a library with wood-paneled reading rooms with long rows of shelves holding scrolls and tomes and grimoires. But the maze of shelves surrounds a melded/warped chambers from other areas of the temple due to the prolonged exposure of spellplague. The multichambered room has velvet chairs, beautiful carpet, and desk with lit candles, and in the room’s center, are two dead individuals. The bodies lie face down in a pool of blood, gore spilling from where something tore open both men's sides. There head leaning sickly aside of its right position atop the neck, and their tight fists clearly have broken fingers, with a gout of dark bluish fluid from between their broken lips. Crow (Monk/Rogue) finds a small journal in the possession of one of the dead men and discovers they were operatives employed by the Silver Ravens to search the Mystran temple ruins and retrieve the Cup of Truth. The journal reveals that they found several vaults and managed to open one of them them filled with Plaguechanged Ghouls. They avoided this room but the creatures escaped hunting their party one by one. The journal mentions they did not discover the Cup of Truth, but instead found themselves trapped in a maze for a long time, hunted and tormented by the plaguechanged ghouls. The journal states he and his comrade managed to escape the maze and found themselves locked in the library. Many of the traps in the maze are described, though what the writer seems to describe seems to change from time to time, suggesting that the contents of the rooms in the maze magically vary due to the spellplague. (Anyone spending at least a short rest studying the intricate details of the journal and succeeding an Arcana DC 13 check gains advantage to all challenges if they find themselves in the maze).  The writer knows there is another party of Netherese agents looking for the Cup of Truth, but has no pertinent information about them. The last entry of the journal is a rushed script scrawled across the page, so messy that most of the entry is illegible. The beginning of the passage is the most clear, and it reads: “I can barely press letters upon the page, I have become so weak. I am wretched with this sickening hunger. I beg Loviatar (goddess of agony and pain) to end my torment caused by this insatiable appetite. It thrums in my dying heart and my mind. This hunger—” The Rune  Puzzle The PCs search the library and find a grand set of metal double doors blocking the way forward. The craftsmanship is impeccable—there is no hint of what lies on the other side visible in the seam between the doors. Intricate designs are carved into the surrounding frame, with some detailing on the faces of the doors themselves as well. The door has no lock to pick  and the symbol on the door seem charged, reeking of arcane power. The party trace the glyph to a lever with runes cut into the weathered rock near it, their rough appearance cannot disguise the peculiar power the rune stones emanate. (The PCs easily solve the puzzle which opens the metal door and the party continues on to find the vault that holds the Cup of Truth...)

Session 6: The Vault The Passages of Confusion Beyond the iron door from the book filled chamber, lies a series of convoluted corridors. The PCs travel through them and find they are filled with hidden doors, passages that seem to open and close at random, illusions and a myriad of other tricks. Finding their way through this maze will require teamwork. Worse still, a wave of bluish mist filled with white-blue orb fills the chamber. Their voices, their careful footfalls, even their labored breaths reverberate off the slime-coated stone walls of the maze-like complex. A channel of putrid, brackish water runs through this chamber, imperceptibly shallow, occasionally lapping up onto its narrow, stone banks or flowing through inlets and outlets. A stench, unlike anything they have experienced prior, is ever-present, burning their eyes and nostrils, tightening their throats. All the while, strange sounds reach their ears from an unknowable direction, echoing like notes through a wind instrument. The PCs continue onward and see a wretched thing that was once human, but hunger replaced it's humanity. Its withered body seems composed of little more than bruised skin stretched over sinew and bone, but its bulbous belly juts out and sloshes from side to side as it moves. Filth and gore stain its claw-like hands and wizened face. And eyes as black as pitch weep a tarry substance, and a long black tongue slithers from its fanged mouth to lick the tears from its cracked lips. Ghoul The PCs defeat the ghouls and after a few minutes Rauric (NPC) recognizes the chamber from his youth, when he was an Acolyte of Mystra stating an elevator shaft was located nearby that went down to the Vault floor. The PCs decide to make haste fearing the long term effect of the Spellplague in the temple and manage to locate the elevator. Rauric places his oddly shaped key into  mechanical port and this "elevator" a box of mechanical levitation that lowers in place and an audible "Ding" is heard,  The "Elevator Box" has a series of gears, levers and signals, it transforms the challenge of getting down the dark shaft to ease. Rauric goes on to say... "Let others toil up and down unforgiving steps. We have the use of Mystra's invention, and on it we rise and descend." Elevator in the Temple of Mystra The elevator the PCs discovered at the maze’s exit lowers them down into a large chamber/Vault with a floor covered in metal plates that have a hand width size gap between them. The gaps between the ice crevasses glow bright blue and waves of cold emanate from them. A stone statue depicting a wizard holding a closed book in one hand and candelabra in their other hand is in each corner of the chamber. In the center of the chamber lies four large enclosed wooden chest with no keyhole. The chest is decorated with glowing blue sigils of power. Chest with a Glyph of Warding The party watch as three of the four statues’ candelabras flicker to life, burning for several heartbeats, before cold flames erupt from the gaps in the floor covering three quadrants of the room before dying down. The quadrant you are in is free of the flames and the candelabrum of the statue in your quadrant was unlit. Three candelabras flicker to life again, with the unlit candelabrum in the neighboring quadrant and the one you are in lit. The Frozen Vault The PCs get closer to the four chest to investigate and t he flames erupt, chilling fiercely, and as they die a sinuous serpentine figure composed of blue fire appears hovering in mid-air, apparently summoned by the closed chest, which is now ablaze with arcane runes. With hostile intent, the serpent slithers through the air towards the party with the space around them getting colder as the creature approaches. Plaguechanged Frost Drake The PCs conduct a quick examination of the book being held by the statues and determine there are a series of hidden catches. Adjusting the catches correctly opens the book. The party manages to solve the complex locking mechanisms for all the statues and open it them to discover an oddly shaped metal key in each of them. Mystra Key The PCs are able to determine the chest are puzzles linked to the locking mechanism—to open the chest and the keys are not required. The party opens the first chest and hear a slip of metal and a click from deep in the mechanism. The cylinder turns until the latch pulls back, and that fine line between the lid and the chest widens pleasingly open revealing a piece of the cup of truth. The unfortunate realization is that for every chest that is unlocked another Plaguechanged Frost Drake spawns into existence to prevent the PCs from leaving the Vault of Mystra alive. Owlbear dominating the mind of the creature The PCs discover an individual in possession of a piece belonging to the Cup of Truth are not being attacked by the Frost Drake that was spawned by that particular chest the piece was in. Owlbear (Ranger) takes a chance exposing herself to a critical strike from the Frost Drake and attempts to command the creature. She lock eyes with the creature and begin the incantation to dominate its mind with the force of her inexorable will. She  reaches out with an open hand toward it, while reaching out with magic and empathy, hoping both find purchase in the creature’s mind. Her hearts beat in simpatico, and it seems as though her attempt worked. The PCs attempt to command the other creatures with the other pieces from the Cup of Truth, but the long-term exposure to the spellplague has altered the creature's mind to become rabid and savage, making control difficult and unpredictable. Owlbear (Ranger) suggest they have the creatures attack each other hoping their savage rage keeps them distracted enough to allow the party to escape back to the elevator. The plan works and the party escapes not having a chance to search the remaining contents in the Vault of Mystra. The elevator ascends to a door carved with seven stars in a flame, the elevator locks in place and the door opens automatically. Some more opulent alcoves within have stonework carved with intricate magical patterns. Across the temple floor of this grand chamber is a fireplace, and the entirety of the east wall is a sickly glow of the spellplague radiating brightly. At the west wall, two phantasms of clergy members trapped forever in time work to refill the reservoir that feeds a non functioning flowing waterfall. Clear diagrams label the floor and Rauric recognizes one, written in the the ancient language of Thorass and yells... "EXIT! This way quickly... exposure to this much Spellplague at this proximity will be the doom of us all." The PCs run following the verbal directions given to them from Rauric and as several of the columns that were holding the ceiling up begin to shift and wobble, their collapse happening before the party's eyes. A thunderous crack rings out, and the temple begins to split at the midpoint. The internal structure no longer being able to hold, chunks of the ceiling begin to start to fall. As the integrity weakens, more and more pieces plummet downward in a storm of debris. The PCs manage to escape the Temple of Mystra without further injury. The PCs decide to assemble the Cup of Truth and Owlbear decides to attune to the Cup of Truth to determine its true power. Cup of Truth THE CUP OF TRUTH Wonderous item, Artifact (requires attunement from a humanoid) This seemingly ordinary wooden goblet holds the secrets to the rites of truth and justice. Light blue marks stain the interior of the cup and hushed celestial sounds can be heard emanating from it at all times. Any creature that possesses the Cup of Truth must succeed a DC 18 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save the creature cant knowingly speak a lie for the next hour, as if under the effects of a ZONE OF TRUTH spell. If a creature knowingly lies while in possession of the Cup of Truth, the first instance results in being wracked with incredible pain (Stunned and Prone condition DC 15 ends) on the second instance means the same thing happens, but the Cup of Truth also teleports itself away from the lying creature to a random creature nearby. (This does not require attunement) A humanoid that attunes to this magical goblet learns the full potential of the CUP of TRUTH. Your proficiency bonus to  ARCANA  and  HISTORY  checks is doubled, while in possession of the cup. You cant be blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, or petrified, while in possession of the cup. A humanoid that is attuned and drink from the Cup of Truth while holding it receives the ENHANCE ABILITY spell. Once this property is used, it cant be used again until the next dawn. A humanoid that is attuned and drinks from the Cup of Truth while holding it receives  ADVANTAGE  on  INSIGHT  checks to determine whether someone is lying to you for 1 hour. Once this property is used, it cant be used again until the next dawn. A humanoid that is attuned and drinks from the Cup of Truth while holding it gains the effect  of the  DETECT THOUGHTS  spell (DC 18). Once this property is used , it cant be used again until the next dawn. A humanoid that is attuned and drinks from the Cup of Truth while holding it removes any  EXHAUSTION  they are suffering and cures any disease or poison affect. For the next 12 hours, you regain the maximum number of hit points for any Hit Dice you spend. Once this property is used, it cant be used again until the next dawn. The PCs return to village of the  Mongrelfolk  deciding how to best help them to become self sufficient and discover the tunnels below the village contains small amounts of a substance called  Residuum  which is a magical substance that is left behind whenever a magic item is disenchanted,  Isilir  (warlock) states it's concentrated magic that could be used as a generic material component substitute for any ritual. Residuum Owlbear  (Ranger) returns the Cloak of Protection to  Kaylee  and the PCs tell the Mongrelfolk thety no longer need to fear the Kruthik and that life may continue as normal as one can expect for this area. The Mongrelfolk are slow to accept this claim, but test the theory by making some noise, nothing happens, then they make more noise, nothing happens, then they all begin to scream and yell, being a fresh of breath air the realization the Kruthink will no longer hunt them brings the tribe of Mongrelfolk to celebration. A boar is brought to be roasted over a fire in the open, happy mongrelfolk sitting, standing, and dancing around the square. The party dont know the music being played by the pipers. The song doesn’t seem to have words, but the revelers appear to know the accompanying dance and the party join the festivities.  (Long Rest). Ser Anton Blacktree Returning to the  Blacktree  family estate the party is quickly ushered into a sitting room where a distressed  Ser Anton Blacktree  paces. On seeing you, he says... "My mother is missing and I fear the worse."  he pauses for a moment,  "The artifact, Do you have it?" The PCs indicate they have the artifact but request details before handing it over.  Ser Anton  says... "She left early this morning with her carriage and her coachmen Korben. She said she was off to purchase material for a new gown. She was suppose to be back hours ago, but has not returned. Given the problems of late, I am understandably concerned." "She mentioned before she thought she was being followed lately and I suspect it was more of the same men who tried to frame me for Longbottle's murder. Perhaps they now seek revenge and have taken it out upon her. As I said , I fear the worse. I was about to go to the Watch when you arrived. You have already proven yourself quite competent and trustworthy, please help me find my mother and bring her back to me safely." Kiira Stoneshield Kiira Stoneshield  interrupts the conversation when she hears the mention of Watch being involved and says... "I can confirm Lady Blacktree went shopping for a new gown, because I was with her. I  was distracted and  separated  by her in the market by what I now  believe  was a  coordinated  effort by the individuals responsible for her missing." Ser Anton  goes into a rage screaming at Kira  Stoneshield  about her responsibility to protect his mother at all cost, blaming her for his mother missing. Ser Anton get so upset he storms out of the sitting room, to gather his thoughts for a moment. Kiira Stoneshield  take the opportunity to say something to the PCs... "Do not speak to Master Blacktree about this, but Lady Blacktree went to meet with Ser Reginald Longbottle concerning the Cup of Truth. I  believe  she hoped to strike an accord with him and the Raven Knights to protect the artifact once it had been recovered by you all. She also met with Lady Silva Sinaran, but I don't know what they discussed over tea. She also had me take her to Castle Ravendark to speak with Captain Ivor Baroom about having a magical object that would require protection from those who would misuse it, she was vague not wanting to reveal what the object was to him." "I say this to you secretly because Lady Blacktree  doesn't  want Ser Anton involved with any  decisions concerning the artifact, because she considers him  unable to make decisions of this importance in the name of the House." A ruckus is heard outside and the screaming of a familiar voice is heard in the distance. Arvond the Navigator is escorted in by personal guards and Ser Anton. It's clear he has been assaulted and is distress and says... "I was waiting with Lady Blacktree and her coachman. We were attacked by men in black cloaks, pale skin and tattoos, I'm sure they were Netherese agents. Her coachmen and I tried our best and attempted to stop them, but they easily overpowered us. They told us to tell Ser Anton Blacktree if he wanted to see his mother alive again, he should hand over the artifact. When I asked about the details, the leader laughed and knocked both of us unconscious." "I have been in service to Lady Blacktree as a retainer of sorts, to gather information she requested from time to time that requires a certain touch only a man accepted by the people of the Crow's District can provide. She had requested a meeting with a contact I had that is a supporter of the Sembian Resistance. When I awoke had a note pinned to my shirt". A distraught Anton grabs the note to read it and looks to you all, and says... "I have no choice in this matter. You MUST deliver the Cup of Truth to the kidnappers for the safe return of Lady Charissa Blacktree." Anton drops the recently delivered ransom note on a low table and collapses on a nearby chair, burying his face that is full of tears into his hands. "Take this note and go now, Please save my mother, no matter the cost to this House." The PCs complete  CHAPTER 2: Ravens Under the Sun and advance to level 4! 3 days of downtime passes before the next adventure, which will begin at the Blacktree Estate.

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

THESK THESK Thesk sits on the northeast shore of the Sea of Fallen Stars. Nicknamed the Gateway to the East, Thesk is where the fabled Golden Way trade road begins. From Telflamm to Mulsantir , this road is filled with caravans carrying all sorts of goods and people from Kara-Tur (Shou ethnicity). Theskians are tolerant and imperturbable people. Exotic persons and diverse customs are normal where east meets west. In light of the Rashemi (similar to Turks/Vikings) suspicion of foreigners, Thesk seems a welcoming place to settle. It even boasts a few civilized orcs, remnants of war against the Tuigan Horde. About eighty years ago, a Shou (similar to Asian or Tian ethnicity) hero named Tai Shing arose in Phsant . He battled the criminal gangs that dominated the city, driving them underground. Tai Shing became First Council Lord of Phsant and went on to be elected the first Suzerain of Thesk . Since Tai Shing’s death in 1453 DR, Thesk has been a patchwork of feuding nobles, powerful merchants, secret societies, and hidden gangs. The current suzerain, a female orc named Vunmal Murn, is a weak compromise candidate who stays out of everyone’s business while fomenting a rivalry with Aglarond over Tannath Gap. About half of Thesk’s human population is made up of Shou humans from Kara-Tur. The other half is people of mixed Damaran (similar to German, with slavic influence) and Rashemi (similar to Turks/Vikings) blood. Many nonhumans also settle in Thesk to seek their fortune, such as elves from the Forest of Lethyr, gnomes from the Dragonjaw Mountains, and goliaths from the Thesk Mountains. Thesk is a land rich in opportunity. Money is the only true authority here. Each settlement has a council of oligarchs to rule it, and the most prominent of these rulers form the Council of Thesk . Within Thesk , those who have the ambition and ability can rise to power through guile or heroics without the need for blue blood. Powerful criminal gangs and clans are deeply entrenched in Theskian cities and commerce, offering another sort of challenge or opportunity. (Calishite, Chondathan, Damaran, Illuskan, Mulan, Rashemi, Tethyrian) Phsant City (Phent); Population 30,000 (64% humans, 22% orcs, 8% half-orcs, 6% other) The armies of the western alliance put down the Tuigan Horde, Phsant is the cultural center of Thesk and a layover point for most who travel east or west. Its diversity is astounding, even for Thesk . Thesk supports a large population of civilized orcs and half-orcs, and Phsant has the largest population of orc-blooded citizens in the nation. Shou-Town: Phsant is also home to the biggest population of Shou people in Thesk . Like every Theskian settlement, it has a city ward dedicated to Shou culture, but Phsant’s Shou-Town is the largest in Thesk . Anyone seeking an aspect of eastern culture can find it here. One such societal element is the criminal one—the yakuza came to Thesk along with their more honest kin. Yakuza disdain outright theft, preferring other illicit activities and violent work, such as assassination and intimidation. Nonetheless, they clash with the Shadowmasters (religious thieves guild that operates throughout the eastern lands of Faerun) in Phsant and elsewhere. Bonedark Hills The Spellplague significantly altered Thesk’s eastern reaches when the rising of Thay created a broad area of steep, broken terrain. Theskians call this expanse of badlands the Bonedark Hills , since the Thaymount’s eruptions often blot out the sun and cover the ground here with gray ash. Thayan soldiers, both undead and living, patrol this bleak landscape, especially near their forts in Nethjet , Nethentir , and Surcross . The Tuigan They were a tribe of humans from Taan, also known as the Endless Wastes, the vast steppes that stretched between Faerun and Kara-Tur. The name would later be applied (mostly by westerners) to all fifteen of the tribes of the 'Hordelands' after a brief alliance of the tribes invaded eastern Faerûn. Horselord Phsant History (Currently in 1484 DR YEAR OF THE AWAKENED SLEEPERS) In the Year of the Turret, 1360 DR, the advancing Tuigan Horde laid siege to Phsant and swiftly conquered it on Kythorn and the Tuigan sacked Phsant . Finally, in a valley a few miles west of Phsant , the Tuigan Horde and the Army of the Alliance (later became the Lord's Alliance) fought the First Battle of the Golden Way on Flamerule and in the Second Battle of the Golden Way on Flamerule, the Lord's Alliance was victorious. In the immediate aftermath, nearly 1000 Zhentish orc soldiers—part of the Army of the Alliance under Commander Vrakk—remained behind in Thesk, ostensibly under orders from Zhentil Keep to establish an outpost. Before King Azoun IV (Cormyr) informed Theskian authorities, he warned Vrakk the orcs would be treated as trespassers, but Vrakk teased they'd survive by raiding and thieving. But the outcome would be very different. At first the Theskians were unhappy and fearful, with some even seeing the orcs as demons having not known them for centuries. However, some Tuigan had also remained behind and turned to banditry, even occupying Tammar in the Year of Maidens, 1361 DR and extorting and harassing merchants on the Golden Way for months and attracting more bandits wanting in on the action. In the Year of the Helm, 1362 DR, Phsant's Merchants' Council sought out and hired 100 of the most capable orc warriors and sent them to Tammar, where they soundly defeated the bandits and hunted them down and wiped them out. The returning people of Tammar celebrated them as heroes and they worked together to rebuild. Ultimately, the orcs went back to Phsant and settled there without issue in the Year of the Wyvern, 1363 DR, while others stayed on in Tammar and several hundred went to Phsant . In time, the locals accepted them, setting aside their suspicions and remembering their role in defeating the Tuigan that had once conquered their cities and how hard and bravely the orcs had fought. While the Theskian oligarchs worried whether the orcs' still had loyalties to Zhentil Keep, and if the Zhents might reactivate agents among them, the majority of the former Zhentish soldiers had been treated well enough to think twice about any orders from the Keep. The orc soldiers who'd settled in and around Phsant adjusted surprisingly well, learning to curb their more violent habits, and they became accepted members of the populace. Thesk was one of the places most welcoming of orcs in the Realms. Nevertheless, some distrust and fears remained around Thesk . Some local human women married immigrant orcs, but there was still a sizeable remainder of orc men in search of wives. This high population of orc bachelors attracted half-orc women who sought sturdy husbands with a more civilized mentality than normally available in a traditional orc tribe. Since the first settlement, hundreds of orcs and half-orcs came to Thesk . By 1372 DR, orcs in Phsant had taken a variety of jobs, not just as soldiers, guards and mercenaries, but also as laborers, miners, and farmworkers, and some had even bought their own small farms in the area. The many orc miners went south to the Thesk Mountains to work the small iron mines, but regularly returned to their tribemates in Phsant to relax when they'd earned enough coin and time.

Jilltrix Backstory: The Radiant Vessel Rumors of a great item, touched by divinity, have traveled across Faerun. Those with an interest in possessing the item and benefiting from its power have sent agents to find it, but no one seems to know what or where it is. The adventure begins in Impiltur (New Sarshel) with a fox marred with a disfiguring growth on her forehead limps up to Jiltrix (Druid), collapses onto the ground, and delivers her last message, before expiring: “The woods are encroaching, the farms devastated, their livestock killed - please, the Golden Way need help!” Jilltrix (Druid) Insight: Realizes the female voice of the fox sounds very familiar, but she cannot place the voice to a name.  Crow (Rogue/Monk) Medicine: Determines the condition inflicted upon the fox is a fatal disease that can be contracted by coming into close contact with it or if the blood of another infected creature, or by the attack and death throes of a plague fiend. Rex (Eldritch Knight) Arcana: Realizes the symptoms of the disease are divine in nature, similar to Ghoul fever and will have victims grow dark red crystalline sores that appear to be laced with silver and flecks of gold. These sores spread across the body, causing the victim to become even more contagious, but they also become more resilient and willful. Infected victims gain both unnatural strength and desire to destroy all living things. Eventually, the victim will die and their corpse would explode, creating a fully formed plague fiend. The PCs decided to freeze the plague ridden fox and take it to the Temple of Illmater, hoping Father Sollus knows more about this infected animal. The sincerity of the temple of Illmater can be found in its simple yet sturdy workmanship. Two rooms, one large, one small, are crafted from strong materials built against the weather. The church is without ornamentation beyond the holy symbol above the door and an altar carved with inscriptions to the divine. The PCs arrive just at the end of Father Sollus sermon... “— and now we have been asked by the crying god to stand against these vile creatures, whose every step defiles the bodies of our loved ones. But do not fear, for their corruption will be burnt away by our righteous light. After the bloody deed is done, these wandering abominations will finally know peace.” He greets all his new parishioners that have been easily recruited due to the popularity of the "Hammer of Shadows". Father Sollus has a predatory gleam behind his eyes despite his simple woolen robes and humble demeanor. Pallid skin seems stretched too tightly across his gaunt features and black circles ring his eyes like moats of pitch. He smiles—revealing yellowed, rotting teeth—and beckons you to his quarters located just above the main chapel. Father Sollus (Illmater) The PCs explain all that's happened since they encountered the infected fox and allow him to examine the remains. Father Solluss is taken aback for a moment and goes on explaining a dream he had last night. "I heard the howl on the frozen wind. Now, on a white ridgeline scattered with deep green pines and whirls of powder, a giant black wolf stood with his head lowered, red piercing eyes staring over the ravine. It's thick fur of onyx bristling in the wind. I was able to smell the stink of brimstone. Its growl, guttural and deep, speaks of a great, barrel-chested, broad-shouldered beast prowling down on a fragile fox much like this one. The fox spoke in a celestial female voice and said one word, Shae..." Jiltrix (Druid): Gets a moment of clarity when she hears the name of her sister (Shae). The voice was of Lurue (Queen of Talking Beasts, who is worshiped as a goddess of intelligent and talking beasts). She comes to interpret the Black Wolf as Malar (The Beastlord, lesser deity of the hunt, evil lycanthropes, bestial savagery and bloodlust) and the Fox as Lurue. She repeats what the fox had privately told her about the Golden Way to everyone present. Father Sollus explains the Golden Way was a road starting in Telflamm which connected the nation of Thesk all the way to the empire of Shou Lung. It was a major trade route between the lands of Faerun and the distant lands of Kara-Tur. Father Sollus leaps to his feet and begins searching through his vast collection of religious texts. Within a few minutes he brings about a religious tome called the Radiant Vessel of Thesk. He shuffles through the religious tome and stops at a page and begins to read it aloud... "On an otherwise normal day in the Year of Blue Fire, a woman named Shae gave birth to a daughter. At that exact moment, the Spellplague ripped through Phsant.  Shae died in childbirth, but the daughter was healthy and strong, and was given the name Shae, some say named after her mother. From the first, it was apparent that the girl was special. She never caught any of the childhood illnesses most infants must endure and some succumb to. Some who were deemed fatally ill of terrible diseases were healed in her presence." "It's written one evening, a wraith from Thay came to the area to wreak havoc ahead of yet another undead incursion. The creature terrorized the residents of the outskirts of Phsant, where Shae was born, until it came into her presence, when it exploded in a flash of white light. For the first 22 years of the girl’s life, the villagers treated her with great respect and awe, along with the understandable feeling of fear at her strange powers. Then Shae became pregnant, although no one ever knew who the father was, and Shae never told." "Like her own mother, Shae gave birth to a healthy baby girl, but she too died in childbirth. The baby, named Shae and taken in by relatives, showed the same powers exhibited by her mother—and the people adopted her as their guardian and good-luck charm. After protecting the town and occasionally healing the sick as her mother had on several occasions, this Shae too became unexpectedly pregnant by an unknown partner, but then died giving birth to a daughter who herself possessed the radiant power." "And so the cycle continued, one generation after another of Shaes being born fatherless, raised by relatives, and accepted as a force of good and light by the families of her neighborhood outside of Phsant. With Szass Tam hoping to expand his undead empire into Thesk and other neighboring nations, he had sent scores of scouts to find any notable strongholds of power or areas of weakness. That child was taken to the Elven Woods in the Dales for her protection and never seen again." Father Sollus claims the vision he received is message from Sehanine Moonbow (elven goddess of dreams and transcendence) and the task is clear, the Hammer of Shadows are to go and find the Radiant Vessel of Thesk. He states that a renown halfling who worships Savras (God of Divination) has been building an ark for years near Phsant, named Jonster Yate. He warns the PCs that he is quite eccentric, but will help those he deems worthy to be saved from a great flood he expects to come to fruition. The PCs decide to leave immediately and charter a transport ship to Telfflamm, the biggest and most important port city in Thesk; however, Telflamm was actually an independent city-state with subject-cities of Nyth under its control. Telflamm wielded so much power and influence over the country of Thesk that it might as well have been the capital. Telflamm maintained friendly relationship with its neighboring Impiltur. Despite historic hostilities and trade rivalry, Thesk remained on good terms and jointly guarded the prosperous Golden Way. The PCs avoid gathering any attention with the help of Rex (Knightly Regard) in the port city of Telflamm and make haste to Phsant as soon as possible. To the surprise of the PCs they easily find the halfling matching the description along the road near the city of Phsant. When Father Soluss told you about Jonster Yate, he did mention the halfling was a little eccentric. It seems Father Sollus may have understated things a bit. The halfling sits, legs folded, on a wooden raft—although there is no water within several miles. “The flood is coming,” says the halfling as an introduction. “The signs are all there, and I am prepared. However, I have learned of a radiant vessel in the land of Thesk. It is said to not only float, but also to have healing powers. And smite your enemies. And mend pottery. I want you to go to the Bonedark Hills and get it for me.” Jonster looks up from his seat on the raft expectantly. "Except it may not be an actual seafaring vessel. It might be a cup—a wonderful gold and silver chalice. Also, one who I talked to claimed that it was a boot. But that is just crazy talk." The halfling claims he speaks to Savras daily and has heard about this “radiant vessel” based on the rumors spread by travelers who have passed through Thesk. The radiant vessel, according to all of them, is something of great power, but the rumors have been sketchy on the details because the rumors have grown wild and speculative. Recent travelers to Phsant, have witnessed an increase of undead and the Bonedark Orcs have recently repelled an undead attack on the town. Jonster has never actually talked to anyone who has seen this “vessel” themselves. He has only talked to people who have heard rumors. None of these people are currently in the area. Jonster has been able to figure out that this radiant vessel is located in a small community on the southern outskirts of the Bonedark Hills. Jonster refuses to travel or help in any meaningful way until the radiant vessel is located due to some silly and irrational superstition he has about the great flood that is coming. The PCs decide to travel to the Bonedark Hills and reach a nameless hamlet in the southern outskirts of the Bonedark Hills and it contains a mix of people, consisting of hired laborers, and less lucrative operations, with ramshackle houses. Most of the people of this community are low end craftspeople or farmers south of Phsant, containing many races. However, the inhabitants of this hamlet are mostly human and orcs. Most of the citizens are friendly and helpful to strangers. Crow (Monk/Rogue) Insight: Realizes the citizens of this hamlet are on edge when Shae's name is mentioned. (not the Radiant Vessel) Jiltrix (Druid): Decides to cast a charm spell on the most out going villager and begins to ask questions about the Radiant Vessel, Shae and recent events of interest. Reveals the respected leader (Gruylk} of the orc community (Bonedarks) died of natural causes. The initial inquires about the "Radiant Vessel" are met with blank stares, for people of the hamlet don't think of Shae in those terms. The funeral of Gruylk Hohner (Bonedark Leader) is in the evening, at the outskirts of the Bonedark Forest with those who were closest to him. Mentions a nameless human male dressed in blue robes with a flaming eye embroidered on the back of his robe, came into the hamlet a week or two before the orc mercenaries arrived, asking about the Bonedark Orcs in the hills. The PCs decide to travel on foot to the Bonedark Forest (due to its proximity and threat of their mounts being killed) and locate the funeral. The PCs approaching cautiously but without harmful intent, as a cool breeze blows through carrying with it the rank scent of decomposing plants. Deep pockets of water line the ground, ranging from puddles to pools. The water is black, almost entirely still, and putrid. Tall bare trees creak as the wind coaxes them from their stillness. Wherever there is not water, moss and other plant life, including dense barbed vines and leafy foliage, hide deep pits of glowing green mud. Bonedark Orc Standing and morning in unison are a band of Bonedark Orcs surrounding a baroque coffin with a pale fleshed orc with his long, clawed hands crossed over his chest, eyes closed in serene sleep. A human female milkmaid cries reaching for a torch and lights the coffin on fire that begins as a sparse, sputtering flame licking at the boughs and splintered timbers stacked against one another in a pyramidal shape. Totems dangle from the pyre, strands of bark braided with bones and feathers. Soon the stacked wood catches, lighting in a blinding flash, and the flames take on an otherworldly red hue, casting an eerie light in all directions. As the wood burns, charring and splintering, a hissing scream issues forth. Rex (Eldritch Knight) History: Is aware these orcs are drawn to areas where magic is frequently used or locations marred by magical pollution. Scholars believe the orcs’ ancestral home was ravaged by magic, cursing them and driving them deep beneath the surface. They believe this History fuels within the orcs a deep Hatred for magic, especially magic that defiles the natural world. For their part, the orcs have neither confirmed nor denied this speculation, though few scholars have been brave enough to approach them about it. Whatever the case, these orcs grow violent around magic and seek to snuff it out wherever they find it. Alanius (Psi warrior) History: Has heard they are adept at surviving in a dark and quiet world below the ground, these orcs instinctively know how to move, hunt, and kill without making the slightest sound. When they hunt, they paint their pale skin with swirls of a mushroom based black resin. They often form the resin into runes or Symbols of their gods as a way of honoring the gods and asking for success on the hunt. They a rumored to move and act as one, their Training leading their Actions to be so synchronized that they appear to think as one. The Bonedark Orc (Morgut) adjacent to the Milkmaid approaches Jilltrix and claws against the ground near her, sniffing the air around her, tensing as it concentrates. Jiltrix holds her breath, hoping that the thunderous rhythm of her heart will not give her away. Morgut speaks... "Gruylk Hohner was soft, wanted only peace, his blood fought in the war against the Horde (Tuigan). Like our kin, he was an equal to the humans. Gruylk lived to heal, to learn from plants, wise and smart he was. Did him no good, the Tribe of He Who Watches too strong. They came with steel and foul magic. Hunting, seeking great power for the Cursed One. Gruylk no listen, killed him they did. Poison, to fool the stupid humans. The Tribe of He Who Watches silence him, forever..." Bhral The other Bonedark Orcs at the funeral talk about how the Tribe of He Who Watches came to the area a few weeks ago. They note how strange it was they came, got Gruylk's help in finding jobs and homes, but then suddenly disappeared around the time Gruylk died. The orcs mention an orc named Bhral from the Tribe of He Who Watches had established a relationship with a young human milkmaid named Fontin. Shae (the Bonedark Orcs refer to her as the vessel) disappeared about the same time that the orcs left. The Bonedark Orc reveal that she had special healing and protective powers against creatures of shadow and living death. The Bonedark Orc identifies the goggles that Crow is wearing are the same type the human male dressed in blue robes was wearing. Crow realizes this was an item that was part of her training her father had instilled in her to help protect her vison from sudden light sources (i.e the flashbangs she uses). Fontin Fontin the Milkmaid states the orcs who arrived in the hamlet weeks ago are mercenaries and an orc named Bhral wooed her in hopes that maybe she would reveal the communities secret and point them in the direction of the person who wielded such great power. The trick worked, as Fontin came to love the attentions of such an exotic stranger. However, Bhral came to have feelings for her as well, so before the orcs fled the community with the captive Shea, Bhral told her where he was going, and he even presented her with a map and some coin to find him when their mission was over. Fontin the Milkmaid tells the entire story: Shae is a person who wields power versus undead creatures, she is from a long line of similar women, the orcs took her away after being hired to do so (doesn't no who). She also reveals that Shae was pregnant when she was taken. Fontin Begs the PCs to not hurt Bhral if they find him, she claims he is not a bad person, but he just fell in with a bad crowd of mercenaries. She offers her life savings (5 GP) to the PCs if they promise to return Bhral to her alive.