Shrouded Wings

These adventures takes place on the northern shore of the Moonsea in a city called Phlan.

The Main Characters

 * Confectus Tenabrae, Wandering Guardian: played by Bill Fehringer
 * Desmond Taragon: played by Jason Stapels
 * Gareth Ruguen, Treasure Hunter: played by Dan Moffitt
 * Hedjtep Kanut, Eveninglord of Selune: played by Ryan Neenan
 * Mot Knoxen, a Passing Zoologist: played by Rob Moffitt
 * Mozariq al'Soleth, Blue Wizard: played by Bwh

Supporting Players

 * Bill Fehringer, in the role of Percy Wickershins
 * Bwh, in the role of Lambert Burroughs
 * Dan Rogers, in the roles of Anly Starshin, Gildas Alexandre and Saiya Windfall
 * Jason Stapels, in the role of Tsume Nagoyaka
 * Ryan Neenan, in the role of Alara Stormbrook
 * Dan Moffitt, in the role of Hans Turbo

Main Non-Player Characters

 * Corrin, a wingless golden dragon with plans to thwart Tchazzar -- a red dragon and Chosen of Tiamat who leads Chessenta in its war against the southern nations.
 * Oryn Silverrain, a former Wandering Guardian turned bitter by jealousy and driven mad by the Behelits of Tiamat. He collaborated with Fenrich in several deeds, but went rogue during the Crimson Celebration.
 * Dhal Grishamel, a necromantic lich whose nefarious plans have been thwarted once before. He invaded the town of Whitehorn with a foul oozing beast and converted most of the population to zombies. His actions are aided by a Demon Lord with motives of his own.
 * Galthaxx, a Demon Lord who assaulted Phlan on numerous occasions as revenge for the actions of Denlorn and the Gengeku Clan.

Supporting Non-Player Cast
Phlan Residents
 * The Council of Three: the new ruling body of Phlan, comprised of Gildas Alexandre, Lambert Burroughs and Yulera Merafest. They replaced the original Council of Ten, who were all slaughtered at the time of the demon attack.
 * Former members: Kella Voskorn, High Councillor; Sharine Violet Nerain (Face of the Council), Wiseler Irurquit, Yulera Merafest, Lord William Polton, Lord Hugh Pratt, Dortal Shalecrusher, Randal Shadowstick. Previously: Lady Syltris Bourann (Commerce), Selthik Famner (Magic), Thren Gollen (Defense).
 * Denlorn, a powerful and reclusive wizard who lived in Phlan; he once attacked Galthaxx in his castle in the Abyss.
 * Lord Kendrick and Lady Lucretia Minwell, a noble family involved in a lot of trade.
 * Lacard Nerain, a blacksmith and sibling to Councillor Nerain. Originally a resident of Melvaunt, he was recovered by those who slew Fittor of Woe. He remains utterly dedicated to Fittor's former (and Grahm's current) cause, though, and is feigning a mental recovery while waiting for orders inside the Nerain homestead.
 * Mendor the Sage, long-time resident of Phlan and one of the wizards who stemmed the destruction of the Insect Plague. Owns a Library; is working closely with Mozariq to develop the Scholar's Square.
 * A Hex Dragon, name unknown, took up residence in the abandoned portions of Valljevo Castle before he was flushed out by Mendor's friends. Has plans in motion that involve Phlan.
 * Tesh Warnell, the owner of The Laughing Goblin Inn
 * Iss Kinli, the owner of the Happy Halfling Inn
 * and Testheron of the Bear Clan as himself.

Moonsea
 * Selfaril Uoumdolphin and Ahryn Firefinger, of the city of Mulmaster
 * Raylia Amanodel, a servant of the High Blade.
 * Eereth Leiyraghons and Halmuth Bruil, of the city of Melvaunt
 * Mordak Brelliar, of the city of Hillsfar

Other
 * The Children of Woe: most notably, Vinnrick of Phlan and Grahm Mandalax of Innarith.
 * Baron Mountana and Lodgekin, whose master Corrin has taken an interest in Eleena Ollis. They have other compatriots, yet unnamed; they claim that Fenrich is the force responsible behind the theft initiated by Yelen Drounodel.
 * Gareth Dragonsbane, Chosen of Ilmater, King of Damara, associate of Bahamut.
 * Oliend, a cleric of Torm at Tantras and leader of the city.
 * I, Miles Gloriosus!
 * Malcomm, Traim, Alhaanon and Michael Illent

The Story
''"There's just so much history in the making here in Phlan." -- Deckar the Simple Historian''

Session 1: Phlan, Its People, and Its Trouble (Alturiak 13th - 24th)
The Recompense of Hedjtep Kanut (Alturiak 13th): The thirteenth of Alturiak was a significant day for the people of Phlan. As our High Councilor promised years ago, the culprits responsible for the Insect Plague of 1375 would be brought to justice. While the wizard, Melfaren Bauduril is still at large, the Aasimar, Hedjtep Kanut, will atone for his misdeeds.

Apparently, Hedjtep had been staying at The Laughing Goblin Inn. Of course, after learning this, I had to speak with my good friend Tesh Warnell. To say the least, Tesh felt guilty. He was angry at himself for not realizing that one of the two most hated people in all of Phlan was staying at his inn. I consoled him as best I could. He had been very very busy lately, and, while High Councilor Voskorn did tell us that Hedjtep may wear something over his eyes, she wasn't clear as to what that "something" might be. Well, after beating himself up for a bit Tesh continued with his accounts of the historic day in his words.

Well, with the Garanold party leaving that meant a lot vacancies opened up at The Laughing Goblin which, of course, meant new customers. That blasted Hedjtep was one; a strange young woman, registered under the name of Anly Starshin was another. On the morning of the thirteenth there were lots of people eating breakfast at the inn. That's nothing new. Hedjtep was one of them. Anyway it was a quiet morning. There were lots of new faces, so there wasn't much talking going on. The peace and quiet ended when that woman I mentioned earlier shouted out "HEDJTEP!!" Of course, that got my attention. I should have left then and there, but I didn't want to cause panic. The people eating breakfast were mostly out-of-towners with that anti-social tiefling being the exception. The young woman seemed excited and even happy to see Hedjtep. I really couldn't hear what they were saying, though. I could really tell was that the woman was happy and that villain was uncomfortable. Eventually the girl left, but then things got even weirder. The tiefling then called Hedjtep over. They both wore serious expressions and eventually left together. This alarmed me quite a bit, and I left to find Sir Gildas to tell him my news. -- Tesh Warnell, owner and keeper of The Laughing Goblin Inn

Tesh was true to his word. Shortly after Hedjtep left with the tiefling, he had left tell Gildas Alexandre III what he had seen. The captain of Phlan's city guard was quick to work on this for two reasons: it was his job to do so, and capturing those responsible for the Insect Plague of 1375 was a matter of pride and honor for Sir Alexandre. His father, Gildas Alexandre II, was in charge of the city's defenses when the Insect Plague struck. While he was never blamed for allowing the destruction to occur, Gildas II would never again hold his head up high as he once did. He was disgraced. Gildas III was determined restore his father's lost pride. With the help of some eye witnesses, Hedjep was quickly tracked down to the home of a tiefling that I would later learn was none other than Confectus Tenabrae of the Wandering Guardians. The two, however, fled to the Bitter Blade before being apprehended. By this point the city was well aware of what was going on: Hedjtep was in the city, and he was on the run. My good friend Mozariq and I would assist Sir Gildas as the aasimar and tiefling duo were surrounded in the Bitter Blade.

Sir Gildas Alexandre III, with support from Mozariq al'Soleth and myself confronted Hedjtep in the Bitter Blade. He did not seem combative nor did he seem like he would attempt to flee again. However, please don't confuse this with a dignified resignation to atone for his crimes. Before giving himself up, he would try to lay full blame on his associate, the wizard Melfaren Bauduril, as well as dragging down anyone he could by means of association. Before Hedjtep would be taken away, though, a young woman appeared out of nowhere and pleaded on Hedjtep's behalf. Anly Starshin, the young woman's name, simply could not believe that Hedjtep was responsible for the Insect Plague, and was worried that Hedjtep would be treated unfairly. Clearly a monk of Ilmater, Miss Starshin genuinely seemed concerned for the wellbeing of her friend and did not seem to me that she would cause any harm. Sir Gildas, however, had a job and a personal mission on his hands. Anly Starshin was clearly in his way, and he was cross with her. Gildas and Mozariq assured the young woman that Hedjtep would be treated fairly and that justice would be served. Hedjtep was then stripped of his possessions shackled and publicly marched to the stockades. The city guard cheers. The people cheer. Hedjtep has been captured.

The days emotion reached its zenith when Hedjtep was found not guilty of the crimes he was charged with. Had I not been present during Hedjtep's questioning, I would share your outrage. However, please allow me to explain. Thanks to the powerful divining of Mozariq al'Soleth we were able to have a perfectly accurate and truthful account of the events of the Insect Plague. I will publish the findings once I have the Council's consent. What I can say, though, is that the Insect Plague was the result of a horrible accident. However, that accident does not excuse him of his actions afterwards. The two fled from the city as it was being attacked, and Hedjtep had made no effort to atone for the damages, however accidental they may be, that he was responsible for. He deserved to be punished, but he did not deserve to be executed. As punishment and as an assurance that Hedjtep will pay his debt to Phlan, Mozariq placed a Gaes, a spell that compels him to work toward a specified goal, on Hedjtep. He will work off the damages he's done to the city. Once he has paid his debt, he will be free to go. I understand that some may feel that Hedjtep has gotten off with way too light of a sentence. However, we must remember that he is not guilty of willfully trying to destroy our city, and he will pay for his crimes.

Justice was served. I hope that we, the great people of Phlan, can start putting some of this anger and hatred behind us. -- a passage by Mendor in Phlan's Story

The Ogres of Thar (Alturiak 19th - 21st): Before the recounting of this amazing tale, allow me to give a brief history lesson.

Tarsakh 1373 DR, the brutal Ogre Chieftain, Dagryg, had made a serious blunder. He had personally lead a raid against a caravan of the Cerrow, a wealthy merchant family of Melvaunt. The stolen cargo was especially valuable. The head of the family, Geshmon Cerrow, hired five separate groups of adventurers and charged them with two tasks. To retrieve the stolen cargo and to kill as many ogres as possible. The extermination squads of Cerrow were brutally efficient. Not only did they retrieve the cargo, but hundreds of ogres fell. The vicious retaliation caused a rebellion within the ogre dominated Thar. Dagryg was overthrown and a new ogre chieftain took his place. Chugoln Molonock, the new chieftain, quickly consolidated his power amongst the various ogre tribes, and he reached out to the human population around the Thar. Before reaching out, in an effort not to appear weak before the humans, the new chieftain led attacks that left three of the human extermination squads dead. In Kythorn 1373 DR Chieftain Molonock met with High Councilor Kella Voskorn of Phlan, Lord Envoy Dundeld of Nanther, and the watchlord of Thentia, Gelduth Blackturret. It was then that the Treaty of Thar was written and signed. The terms of the treaty were painfully simple. Thar and areas within five miles of the swamps borders belonged to the ogres of Thar. The ogres would cease their attacks on human caravans. Any that dared to do this would not be protected by the Ogres of Thar. The small mining town of Glister, however, would be allowed to stay. Molonock promised that the community would be left alone and that caravans traveling a set path from Melvaunt and Glister would not be attacked. However, within six months, the people of Glister felt that the risk was too great and abandoned the mines to the ogres.

The Treaty of Thar maintained peace, and all was well until Eleint 1374 DR. Of course, I am referring to the incident at the Citadel of the Raven. In addition to the obvious death and carnage, there were a few other consequences of the event. One was that town of Whitehorn had been completely cut off from the rest of the Moonsea. Within a year, a new road connecting Whitehorn to Ilinvur was established. This helped ease Whitehorn's pain, but the city had gotten a majority of its goods from the Moonsea, Zhentil Keep in particular, and was still in need. The merchant lords of Melvaunt decided a trade route to Whitehorn was more important than the Treaty of Thar. Mid 1376 DR, construction of a new caravan road was started. However, the road was built in the ogre's territory. Frequent ogre attacks made building the road extremely difficult. The merchant lords of Melvaunt would hire many adventures, some from Phlan, to ensure that the road be completed, which it finally was in Ches, 1377 DR. Construction and completion of this road was in clear violation of the Treaty of Thar.

Now back to the story, as told by Councilor Nerain -- Mendor

It is a pleasure and a privilege to once again contribute to Mendor's mangum opus, Phan's Story. I, Sharine Violet Nerain, will recount an exciting story that leads up to momentous event, the signing of the Second Treaty of Thar. I do hope that you will enjoy the story and be enlightened by it.

On the afternoon of the eighteenth Councilor Gollen called High Councilor Voskorn and myself to meet with him. The matter was urgent. When I arrived at the meeting, I saw Lord Minwell in tears. At that point, I had almost guessed what happened. A Minwell trade caravan was attacked on its way from Phlan to Whitehorn. However, unlike normal raids, more than just goods were taken. Two of the five Minwell children were part of this caravan and were taken hostage. I couldn't even imagine the pain that Lord Minwell must have been experiencing. He doted heavily on his children, and his grief almost moved me to tears. Something had to be done. Councilor Gollen had suggested that we wait for Sir Alexandre to return from his visit to his homeland and send a force into Thar to take back the hostages. However, both the High Councilor and I felt that this would cause tensions to escalate. Sir Alexandre had taken his family to his homeland to tell his father the news of Hedjtep's capture in person, and he would, most likely, not be back for several days. Having dealt with the Chieftain Molonock before, the High Councilor believed this to be a ploy on the ogre's part to get attention and to show the strength of his position. She did not believe that the Minwell children were in immediate danger, and also suggested waiting for Sir Alexandre to return. Lord Kendrick Minwell was not willing to accept this course of action and vowed to do what was necessary to bring his children home soon and safe. I told Lord Minwell that I would help him and his children, but urged him not to do anything rash. He agreed and left the meeting. I wanted to help Lord Minwell. I wanted to speak with Chieftain Molonock, and I didn't want to wait. Peace had to be restored. We, the people of Phlan and Melvaunt, were responsible for this situation. High Councilor Voskorn agreed with me but told me to wait for Sir Alexandre. Having been to Thar before herself, she warned me of the dangers. I deferred to her judgment and promised that I would not put myself, Lord Minwell, or his children in jeopardy.

After the meeting was done, I decided to arrive at the Minwell Manor and see if I could help in anyway. He was already at work. He was having his staff work on fliers. It was clear that we was trying to round up anyone he could to rescue his children. I had told him that I would accompany any group he hired, and that the focus of the mission would be one of goodwill and reconciliation. While Lord Minwell was very much against the idea of my going, he agreed that the peaceful approach would work better than his plan of a forced rescue. Lord Minwell's staff worked late into the night posting the fliers and getting the news out as quickly as possible.

When I returned the next morning to the Minwell Manor I was surprised to see a large group already outside asking about the mission. When I entered, poor Kendrick was besides himself. It was a strange mix of fear and optimism. He really hoped that his children could be saved, but he was horribly fearful of what could happen. I tried to alleviate his fears as best as I could. Eventually, we would meet the people accepted to take on the task. Of course, I recognized Master Diviner Mozariq al'Soleth. I was also surprised to see Hedjtep Kanut, but it made sense. This would be a great chance for him to make amends. The others, I was not familiar with, including Confectus Tenabrae of the Wandering Guardians, a young woman named Anly Starshin, a historian named Deckar, a zoologist named Mot, and a man named Desmond Taragon. I will cover them in greater detail later.

A bit to my surprise this group was immediately ready to leave. We stopped at Sir Alexandre's Stables and acquired some horses for the group. Our first day's travel was largely uneventful. I did get to know the people I was traveling with a little, and, despite the cold, it was an enjoyable trip. The next day, however, would prove to be much more exciting. We started riding again early on the morning of the twentieth. Before long, the mighty swamplands of Thar were in sight. As we get closer to the swamps we see a group of large boars being chased by a pack of dire wolves. The animals' paths crossed ours. At this point, the boars decided to face their pursuers. In a frightful display of strength, one boar used its razor-sharp tusks to decapitate one of the dire wolves. Realizing that their prey was more than they could handle, the wolves retreated. However, the fiercely territorial boars then turned their sights on us. Lord Minwell's staff did an excellent job in selecting this group. They fought amazingly and proved themselves all to be extraordinary people. While I did try to contribute as best I could, I was lucky to be with them. The battle against the boars did not last very long. There were few injuries, but, sadly, we did lose some of the horses. After the battle, we healed, regrouped and continued.

Now would be a good time to describe the people I traveled with. Spending time with them and observing them in battle, I was getting impressions. Mozariq al'Soleth does not need much of an introduction. I haven't spent very much time with him, but I can see that his is a kind person that cares about his friends and about the people of Phlan. He seemed to know the young monk of Ilmater, Anly Starshin very well. Miss Starshin is an interesting person. When I first saw her at the Minwell Manor I couldn't believe that she was an adventurer. She had a very innocent and disarming feel about her, and her infatuation with Nassim seemed to further the perception I had. That perception, though, was shattered when I saw her fight with incredible skill. Of course, Anly spoke an awful lot to Confectus Tenabrae due to his connection with Nassim. I have to admit that being around Confectus was, at times, difficult. He wasn't very friendly, and I constantly felt this feeling of uneasiness while around him. His skill with the bow, however, was nothing short of legendary. The songs of the Wandering Guardians' exploits do not do Confectus justice. Interestingly enough, the person that Confectus, a tiefling, seemed to know best was the aasimar cleric, Hedjtep Kanut. I am having a very hard time giving an unbiased description of Hedjtep. He is a very capable warrior and seems very confident in his ablities. Though, I feel that he resents the position he finds himself in. Then there's the historian, Deckar. He's interested in Phlan for the new book he's writing. The building of the Temple of Three Truths drew him to Phlan. He found this encounter with the ogres the perfect chance to see history in the making. He's a very curious person. Just as curious is the zoologist Mot. He says that he joined the group in hopes of studying the wildlife in Thar. I would think there are better ways of doing this, but I suppose that traveling with a group of powerful adventurers would be one of the safer ways to carry out his work. Finally, there's Desmond Taragon. I'm not sure what to make of him. He fights with a feral intensity, clawing at his opponents. It was quite visceral. However, he does this in a cold, calculating manner. Outside of combat, though, he is almost chivalrous. He clearly has seen battle many times and has the air of a military commander about him. They are all remarkable people. Now it's time to get back to our adventure.

Fully recovered from our encounter with the boars we headed toward and eventually into the marshes of Thar. Without much difficulty we were able to find a path that lead into the swamps. Despite the path, however, traveling was not very easy. Thar is a desolate gray swamp. In the summer months, I imagine that it is quite the site, but winter months make the swamp almost completely devoid of vegetation. Most of the still water is frozen, with some pockets of murky water existing in various places. Other than hearing the occasional wolf, there didn't seem to be much animal life either, which must have disappointed Mot. I'm guessing that most were hibernating or seeking refuge from the bitter cold. Several hours into the swamp, out of nowhere, we started hearing strange noises. It was the dark and terrifying language of demons. Under the cloak of invisibility, the creatures surrounded us repeating the same the same phrase over and over again. Not allowing the demons to strike first, Deckar and Mot rushed to attack the invisible foes. Although the two took considerable damage from the monsters, they fought quite well for a historian and zoologist. I was impressed. Thankfully, though, before the demons could attack, Hedjtep Kanut unleashed his powerful divine magics and sent the demons back into the Abyss. The battle ended before it could even begin. Deckar and Mot hand their wounds attended to, and, once again, we continued on our way. Why did they attack us? Even now, we don't know what they were after.

After healing Deckar and Mot we continued into the swamp. Night was approaching, and I would be lying if I said that I wasn't getting scared. We had already encountered vicious beasts and even demons. Who knew what the night would hold? I did take comfort that I was in very capable hands with this group, but I was still nervous. Eventually dusk would turn into night, it was around this time when we saw lights in the distance. We were sure what they were. Confectus Tenabrae decided to scout ahead to see what the source of these lights was. He would soon run back to us waving his arms, as if trying to fight off some unseen foe. Cleric Hedjtep Kanut would reveal the invisible attackers with his divine magic. We were under attack by a group Will-O'-Wisps. The creatures showed incredible intelligence, and fled outside the range of Hedjtep's magic. They waited outside the range and blinked periodically at us, as if to let us know that they weren't going to leave. They did this to stir fear and to feed off that fear. We tried out several plans to fool the Will-O'-Wisps into a disadvantageous attack for them. These plans ranged from gaining resistance from their electrical attack to pretending to sleep in order to lure them to attack. Unfortunately, none of our plans would work. To make matters worse there seemed to be a wolf closing in on our location. Anly and Desmond left to investigate the wolf. Moments later, we'd Anly would fly back to us shouting that we were under attack. Once again, I could not see the attackers. But I would later learn that they were ogres, some afflicted with lycanthropy. While I could not see the attackers, I could hear them and see the damage they were doing. Hedjtep used his clerical powers to make one of the ogre werewolves flee. However, shortly after he fell with his body covered in grievous wounds. Anly, who took a more defensive posture, was impaled by a large harpoon. Even Diviner Mozariq al'Soleth took massive damage. Once again, I was unable to contribute and was resenting my weakness. I was encircled by the group for protection. One of our enemies took advantage of this clumping and cast a powerful spell at us. I honestly thought that my life was over. I could see the flames rising from beneath our feet. I don't know what happened, but we were saved by Desmond. His eyes flashed colors and a bright flash of light emanated from him, and the large pillar of flame did minimal damage to us. The battle was fierce. Eventually, though, only one ogre was left standing, this one apparently not a lycan. He revealed himself to the rest of us and even protected us from the Will-O'-Wisps that were still circling us for the duration of the battle. He offered to lead us to Chieftain Molonock's stronghold. We followed.

The ogre, whose name I'd later learn to be Fothix Bolgnin, led us to a large ogre village with a large fortress at its heart. Bolgnin would eventually take us to his home, a large impressive hut, and allow us to spend the night there. I was a little apprehensive, but we did have a good and peaceful sleep that night. Early the next morning Bolgnin took us to meet with the ogre chieftain, Chugoln Molonock. We were brought to a throne room that seem to also serve as a large dining or meeting hall. The room was nicely decorated and lined with the chieftain's guards. Chieftain Chugoln Molonock had a powerful presence in his hall. He was larger and more muscular than the other ogres. He held a large hammer and wore a simple crown. He wore little else, and his body was covered in numerous scars. A sign and testament, no doubt, to his strength and endurance. We were treated to a feast before the talks began. Just as High Councilor Voskorn and I had assessed, this aggression on the Ogre's part was in response to building of the road to Whitehorn. The cunning Molonock was clearly aware of the strength of his position. His people were in the right, he held hostages, and had a captive audience. He was very calm and appeared quite regal before us. As in the last treaty he initiated, the terms he demanded were simple. He demanded that the road be turned over to the ogres. Humans would still be allowed to use the road, but they would be subject to a toll for such usage. The second was a bit unexpected. Molonock wanted the ogre mage werewolf, Miekrog, to be viewed as an enemy of the entire region and for him to be hunted down and brought before the ogre chieftain. I saw no other option but to accept. Chieftain Molonock asked for me to join him in another room to officially draw up the treaty. Desmond Taragon joined me. Writing up the treaty took little time, however, I wanted to make sure it was acceptable for all involved parties. With the help of some Sending Stones, I explained the situation as best I could to High Councilor Voskorn and the watchlord of Thentia, Gelduth Blackturret. Melvaunt is still without a Lord Envoy, so I could not reasonably include Melvaunt in this discussion with the time I had. Thankfully, both of them agreed to the terms and expressed great lament over the breaking of the treaty. This greatly pleased Chieftain Molonock, and the Second Treaty of Thar was signed on Alturiak 21st, 1378 DR.

It reads as follows: ''The First Treaty of Thar, signed on the 18th day of Kythorn in the year 1373 DR will be honored. The unlawful road built on the Ogres' homeland of Thar will be relinquished to the Ogres of Thar. The Ogres of Thar recognize the importance of the roads to the people of the Moonsea and will allow its use for a small fee upon entering the territory of the Ogres of Thar. This fee is a modest Two Copper Pieces per head and Two Silver Pieces per wagon/carriage of goods. In addition the Ogre Mage Lycan, Miekrog, will be recognized as a criminal and efforts will be made to bring the criminal to justice.''

While the language of the treaty isn't without questions or holes, the ogres will feverishly defend the spirit of the treaty. We would all do well to remember this in the future.

After the Second Treaty of Thar was signed, Chieftain Molonock returned the frightened, but unharmed, hostages. Before we would leave, Desmond would request for a document allowing him passage through the Thar while hunting down Miekrog. Chieftain Molonock agreed and Desmond was given the document he wanted. Anxious to return the hostages home and not wanting to overstay our welcome we would teleport back to Phlan with the help of Mozariq and Hedjtep. Once back in Phlan we were thanked by the people we rescued. I was very happy. It was then that we went our separate ways. I did see a very grateful Lord Minwell. Once again he was in tears, but this time they were tears of joy. He embraced me and gave me his deepest thanks.

It was truly an amazing adventure, and I am glad I was able to participate. I met many extraordinary people, and helped make peace between our people and the Ogres of Thar. I also learned a bit about myself, and realized that I too need to be stronger to better serve Phlan. I consider this opportunity to serve Phlan both an honor and a privilege. I am so happy that it turned out for the best and am grateful to the people that helped make it so. -- a passage by Councilor Sharine Violet Nerain in Phlan's Story

Session 2: Evil Makes Its Move (Alturiak 25th - 30th)
The Trouble of Castle Valljevo (Alturiak 25th): I was just opening shop when Selthik Famner came to my door, his face flushed from exertion. There was trouble, and he did not know to whom else he could turn. Our dear friend Mendor the Sage had gone into the Castle to replenish the Valljevo Barrier … and had not come out. Something had gone awry.

Quickly, I had him gather that same troupe which had wandered into Thar a few days earlier – stout adventurers all, and all friends of Mendor. We assembled outside the gates of Valljevo quickly: Anly Starshin, Confectus Tenabrae, Deckar the Historian, Desmond Taragon, Hedjtep Kanut, Mot the simple Zoologist, and me (Mozariq al'Soleth of Phlan). Some wished to gather more resources, but we knew that time was of the essence – Mendor could be injured or in great peril.

We entered into a great antechamber and our skills were immediately put to the test as ghosts and dreadwraiths swooped down upon us, with a touch that chilled the body and siphoned away our constitution of spirit. Many of my own spells passed right through the creatures, but Deckar and Mot had simple-seeming daggers that caused them great pain. Ultimately, it was Hedjtep, bound and locked into the service of Phlan, who drove them away with his piety.

The tracks Mendor had left stopped in this room, but they were replaced immediately by a smaller set which was obviously dragging something (so said Anly and Hedjtep, who knew of such things). We followed these tracks through several winding passages into the great throne room of Valljevo, long stripped bare of its historical riches by thieves and brigands. We entered a secret passage and began to climb downward.

A note, simple reader: when wearing full plate, exercise caution when stepping on a ladder of old and rotting wood. Desmond sent us tumbling down with his first step. Thankfully, not a one of us was hurt.

We follows a long corridor which spiraled down, down, down into the bowels of the world, far below our great city. Anly, who was scouting ahead, triggered a trap and caused an enormous boulder to fall atop of Hedjtep, who shrugged off a blow which would have killed a lesser man. The boulder now bisected the passageway, dividing our troupe; Desmond and I worked from opposing sides to meet in the middle of the boulder.

We then entered a nasty labyrinth filled with teleportation intersections, lightning-based traps and more dreadwraiths and other demons that could kill with a glance. In the latter battle, I thought perhaps to use a mirror to aim behind me at the creatures. Confectus, in his Wandering Guardian spirit, used the same mirror to fire his arrows backwards and into throng, striking them hard and true. The mirror was scant protection, though, for their gazes caught him and struck him dead instantly. Hedjtep quickly revived him.

Through great trial and error, as we lost the path several times, we came to a dead end with a teleportation panel. This sent us even further below the city, into yet another gods-rotting labyrinth. In this case, the walls were more hewn stone, rather than masonry, and the air was rank with the stink of chemicals. The warmth was soon explained when Hedjtep fell into a pit of magma, searing the flesh from his body. He was quickly recovered and healed … but we all knew to exercise caution as we proceded.

We were all worn from our exertions. Anly looked as weak as a starting adventurer; Deckar and Confectus looked similarly pallid and drained. Everyone, especially Hedjtep, was mentally exhausted as well – the cleric, our primary weapon against the wraiths, was wearing out and faltering in his decisive actions. Desmond’s tactics came well into play as he barked his orders, forcing the priest into the proper course.

At long last, we came to a great cavern, with stalactites and stalagmites forming a great maw before us. Confectus halted us immediately, though, with a single breathed word: “Drow!” Dark elves lay in wait for us. The troupe, glad to be fighting a foe of flesh and blood, surged forward and sprang the trap. Hedjtep illuminated the underworld with light. Deckar and Mot whirled their daggers and ripped their flanked foes to pieces. Confectus’s arrows rang sharp and true; and I slew their whip-wielding leader with a single Orb of Cold through the head. Desmond charged and smote his foes, rending them apart. The last of them, a hiding assassin, hit me with a crossbow bolt; he was soon destroyed. Desmond tried to keep us from killing them all, so we could interrogate, but they were dead too quickly; the last died as I tried to probe her thoughts.

One obvious choice of tunnel remained. We passed through a Symbol of Pain which weakened us even more. Our hopes were already asunder, and the greatest challenge yet remained.

A vast room opened before us, filled with dreadwraiths and drow … the latter of whom were enamored of a great pool of sworling energy. Never have I seen such a thing. It completely entranced Confectus and Deckar, who unwittlingly walked forward. Two drow sat upon makeshift thrones at the far end of the room … beside them was the unconscious form of Mendor! I quickly ascertained that the room was blocking teleportation spells … and, further, that these were not drow, but dragons.

The leader, a hex dragon, began to taunt us. Desmond and I parlayed with it for a bit – Mendor, it claimed, had been trespassing by entering the castle, but only now did it feel that the time was right for it to make its move. The ominous implications would not be explained, however, as it refused to monologue its purpose to us. (Those who have adventured long and hard know that the monologue is almost irresistible to those of evil intent.)

The battle was joined; the dragons immediately sent a powerful suggestion to flee the room, and Mot and Confectus, horribly weakened by our adventurer, fell prey to it. They ran from the room, through no fault of their own ... and now there were five. Deckar, Desmond and Anly assaulted the drow, and Hedjtep used the last of his holy power to destroy the wraiths. This left two mighty dragons to face five weakened warriors.

I put a force cage around the hex dragon; the other, a deep dragon, flew upward and began to spout its breath upon us. Desmond was laid low by the beast. Anly was transformed into a pink bunny rabbit ... and Deckar, though invisible, was able to rescue both Anly and Mendor from the side of the imprisoned hex dragon. This hex dragon broke free ... but it was too late. Hedjtep revived Mendor who, though groggy, had come to this place ready for a fight. The deep dragon took significant damage from Desmond and Hedjtep; Mendor then fired a disintegrate at the dragon ... which, though it did not do full damage, still hurt it enough.

When I had put the hex dragon in its force cage, the deep dragon immediately targeted me with its breath and its magic. I was close to death as I cast my final spell: the last Orb of Cold in my repertoire. This was enough to slay the beast, and it came crashing down with an agonized roar. The hex dragon, realizing that its chances of success were no longer guaranteed, fled through the walls of the place and was gone.

It is here that I conclude my telling of the tale, letting the story fall once more into the hands of our recovered comrade and friend, Mendor the Sage. – a passage by Mozariq al’Soleth in Phlan's Story.

Temple, Thief and Legend (Alturiak 30th): Justice, Sacrifice, and Duty: These are the Three Truths that give the new temple to the Triad its name. Despite its speedy construction, the wait for the temple seemed long and painful. Phlan saw a massive influx of pilgrims. This made things difficult for all parties involved, however, Illmater would have been proud. The pilgrims persevered, and the Temple of Three Truths celebrated its grand opening on the 30th of Alturiak.

Before explaining the events of the day, I would like to describe the temple first. Of course, the temple grounds lie in the Blood Marshes. When that name comes up, visions of a horrible swamp teaming with the undead spring to mind. This view of the Blood Marshes contrasts so completely with the temple, that it is hard to believe that the temple is there at all. There is a large hedge wall surrounding most of the grounds so that the marsh is hardly viewable from temple at all. More striking, than the view, however, is the feeling. While the feeling itself is hard to explain, it can best be described as one of holiness and order, an immense good and peaceful calm.

To gain entry to the temple, one has to obtain a teleport from one of several points around the Blood Marshes. Once there the first things visitors are greeted to are this feeling of calm and several grand statues. There are ones for each of the member gods of the Triad and a much smaller one for Nassim. In front of each of these statues are small shrines. Going further in is a large area for the pilgrims to congregate. Many tents, large and small, fill this area. Some of the more enterprising pilgrims have set up small stands peddling off their wares: religious trinkets, mostly. After this area for pilgrims to stay was a small hamlet. There was an inn, and a very nice one at that. There were some other buildings there as well: a shop or two, and some houses. Around the temple itself were several buildings. These were barracks for the troops protecting the grounds as well as some administrative buildings. Past those was the temple itself. It was easily the largest temple I had seen in a very long time. The inside of the temple is pearly white. Yes, the color white permeated through everything and the floor was a very fine marble. The churches of the Triad spared no expense for this temple. Calling it a temple to the Triad, though, is slightly misleading. There are three separate temples within this larger one, each for the member deities of the Triad. There is one large common room, though, before the temple separates into its three components. This area is a memorial for Nassim and those that fell at the Citadel of the Raven.

Back to the opening celebration, and it was a grand celebration indeed. There was food, music, and dancing. A short procession led the masses to the temple doors where Ahmen Nithrolis, the cleric overseeing the temple as a whole, gave a speech. The speech was dediticated and centered largely on the legendary Nassim Molrin, Lord of Light. Nassim served as a uniting figure for the followers of the Triad. Never before, since the inception of the trio of deities, have the three churches worked so closely together. The people that followed Nassim were as much followers of the Triad as they were followers of their individual deities. It is this feeling of unity, of brotherhood that Nithrolis wants to achieve with this temple. After the speech, the doors to the temple were finally opened to the public. Of particular note was the completed memorial. It housed Nassim's tomb as well as his possessions: his restored armor and the pieces of the fabled Sword of the Triad. There was also a mausoleum, which housed the remains of many of the Triad's fallen. While there were only remains of one hundred or so people, the effort was just staggering. Imagine the work and personal risk involved in retrieving the bodies of the fallen.

The Temple of Three Truths and its grounds are beautiful and awe inspiring. Even if you aren't a follower of the Triad, the beauty and history that the site holds warrants a trip. -- a passage by Mendor from Phlan's Story

The Thief: Building a large temple in the Blood Marshes is a bold statement, and Nassim is as hated by the forces as evil as he is loved by those who are good. We were well aware that there would be those who may want to disrupt the opening of the temple. As precautions, powerful wards were placed in various locations. In addtion to this, a large number of guards were hired. While preparations were made, there was still no credible threat to the temple. There were only fears and suspicions.

Days before the temple opening, however, the head of the Temple Guard, Traim was presented by such a threat. The Wandering Guardian Confectus and some companion came to warn us about something called silverwing flies. Anly Starshin the sister of Arteus Starshin seemed to believe that this information, which originated in a dream, was indeed credible. When Traim foolishly told the adventurers that Nassim's remains and possessions would be on display, they felt compelled to have themselves guard the precious artifacts. While I wanted to refuse them, Traim decided to allow it. Having such powerful warriors guard the treasures did seem somewhat reassuring. It is a shame they failed.

During the course of day of the opening, the adventurers, Confectus, Hedjtep, Desmond, Deckar and Mot guarded the site where the treasuers were kept. The day was uneventful. There were no disruptions of any kind. There were no riots, no attacks, and no thefts. I had hoped that threat had passed, unfortunately, I was wrong. The advanturers had set up watch during the night. The theft occurred during Confectus's and Hedjtep's watch. According to Hedjtep, the thief was an elf with long dark hair. He cast a powerful spell which left Confectus completely oblivious to his surroundings. He then, with the aid of some item stole Nassim's remains and possession. After stealing the items the elf left. Unsure what to do, Hedjtep ran up to the elf in hopes of stopping him. Unfortunately, all he succeeded in doing was becoming the victim of an insanity spell. The elf flew into the night revealing his silver wings. From what I understand an hour or two passed until Confectus, still unaware of his surrounding woke up Desmond. Not being under the influence of the spell that Confectus was, Desmond gave out the general alert.

I arrived on the scene shortly after and freed Hedjtep from the spell. While obtaining Hedjtep's statement, there was some commotion nearby one of the barracks. One of the guards, Fuardar Iltkina, was acting suspiciously, and was caught trying to flee fromt he temple grounds. He held a strange glass figurine in the shape of an elf. The guard was stubborn and would not give us much information. The diviner from Phlan, Mozariq was brought to interrogate the suspect. Through use of his magic we were able to gleam that he was an accomplice of the thief, whose name as Yelnin Duraulnodel. Fuardar stole documents from my office which outlined the wards placed in and around the temple to the elf and returned them before I noticed that they were missing. That glass figurine he held was a key in returning to the elf. If the figurine was broken, it would teleport the person who broke it to a specified location. We also learned that the elf had been staying at an inn in Phlan, The Golden Crown.

Then Confectus and the others that failed in protecting the artifacts decided to return to Phlan to follow that lead. I will see what I can learn and do from here in the mean time. -- taken from Malcomm Doprigth's, High Cleric of Ilmater, debriefing of Ahmen Nithrolis

The Legend: Approximately 0300 Ches 1st: Hedjtep Kanut, Desmond Taragon, Confectus Tenabrae, Deckar, and Mot teleport into Phlan and head proceed directly to the Golden Crown. After being barred entry by the owner Niles Bourann, Desmond forces his way into the inn. He is ordered to direct the five towards the room that Yelnin Duraulnodel was staying in. Fearing for his safety, he does as told. The five are taken to the room and search it. They find a bag loaded with gold and a small slip of paper with the name Eleena Ollis written on it. The five leave immediately after finding the paper. Niles Bourann reports the incident minutes later.

0325 Ches 1st: Captain Gildas is approached by Desmond and company and is asked about Eleena Ollis. Captain Gildas knows the girl personally and informs the five that she is the daugher of Ernst Ollis, the supplier of feed for his stables. They tell the captain that they believe the girl to be in danger. The now accompanied by the captain, the group immediately leaves.

0340 Ches 1st: Captain Gildas and company arrive at Ernst's Livery Stables and speak with Ernst Ollis. Mr. Ollis leads them to his young daughter, age 5, Eleena. With some questioning Elleen tells the group that the elf, whom she calls Owen, has spoken to her on several occasions. The elf seemed sad and would tell her stories. The girl makes reference to a fable often told to her titled The Silver Finch and the Raven. After reciting the fable she is attacked. The unseen attacker kills the girl and Hedjtep with crossbow fire. Deckar, Mot, and Confectus rush outside and search for the assailant. Desmond revives Hedjtep who, in turn, revives the girl. Captain Gildas protects the Ollis family with Hedjtep while Desmond joins the battle outside. It soon becomes clear that the six are no match for the assassin. Hedjtep takes Captain Gildas, Ernst and Eleena Ollis to safety. The others also retreat.

The Ollis family is currently under watch and guard. The identity of the attacker is still unknown. -- Garan Cymonde on his summary of the events presented by Captain Gildas Alexadre III

Session 3: Choosing An Adventure (Ches 1st - 22nd)
The Aftermath (Ches 1): The only thing worth recalling from this time period is an argument on whether or not a Dragon Slayer could exist if in fact Dragons do NOT exist themselves. -- Anecdote by Mot Knoxen

The Hunt (Ches 11th): I apologize for the excitement, and even small amounts of panic I caused on the morning of the eleventh. As we all know, there are many peoples and city-states in the Moonsea Region. Phlan is but a smaller one. There's our ally to the east, Melvaunt. There's the mighty Mulmaster to the south, and to the west there's Hillsfar. As the face of Phlan's Council of Ten, I thought it wise to arrange a meeting of good will between our nations. This was set into plan weeks in advance; and, once again, apologize to the people of Phlan for not letting them know sooner.

The Moonsea has gone through many changes these last few years. Everything changed after the Battle of the Citadel of the Raven. There were disputes and battles over new trade routes with Hillsfar. We still aren't on the most friendly of terms with them. More recently, I myself, have strained our relationship with Melvaunt by not including them in the discussions with Molonock. Mulmaster is still reeling over its encounter with the Cult of the Dragon. I discussed this with the High Councilor and the other council members. They agreed that this meeting was the right thing to do.

Dawn on the eleventh was brisk. The emissaries from the various city-states made their way into Phlan and to the High Councilor's estate. From Melvaunt we had Eerleth Leiyraghons, the second son of the esteemed Leiyraghons family. There was also Halmuth Bruil, head of the Bruil family as well as Melvaunt's defenses. From Hillsfar there was Mordak Brelliar. He is the apprentice of Maalthir, the First Lord of Hillsfar. Mulmaster came with many people. Among them included the High Blade of Mulmaster, Selfaril Uoumdolphin. With him was the head of the Red Wizard Enclave of Mulmaster, Ahryn Firefinger. Finally, there was a cloaked elven woman with them. She rarely spoke, and was referred to by the High Blade as Raylia. Of course, with them were large numbers of guards.

This meeting day was supposed to be sometime spent at the High Councilor's home followed by a grand hunt. Despite the ill feelings and distrust that many present felt for each other, the time at the High Councilor's went well. The morning was a means to embrace our similarities and promote goodwill, not exasperate any differences amongst us, and it succeeded. After the niceties at the Kella Voskorn's estate, we prepared for the hunt. Representing Phlan was the High Councilor, Councilor Shadowstick and myself. Unfortunately, Councilor Shadowstick had pressing matters and sent the historian Deckar in his stead. Deckar took with him Mot Knox as his guest. Sir Alexandre accompanied us as well for protection. We also had Mozariq and Desmond as guests present during the hunt. Upon learning that the Wandering Guardian Confectus Tenabrae lived in Phlan, the High Blade of Mulmaster presonally requested that he be allowed to come. Confectus seemed resolute in having his friend Hedjtep join in the hunt. While there was some protest, the High Blade took charge of the situation and decided that there would be no harm in allowing him to come. ... Forthcoming

Fittor and Those Other Guys(Ches 20th): So, the brother of some Phlanian council member disappears. Lots of people have been disappearing from Melvaunt these days. Many, if not most of them, have been joining up with Fittor, the guy who ended up with my sword. Anyway, it seems that getting Lacard Nerain, the brother of this Phlanian, has gotten Fittor some unwanted attention. A small group of people from Phlan decided to search for the guy. That was awful nice of them, I suppose. Maybe not it wasn't the smartest move, but it was nice. Anyway, they eventually find where Fittor and Lacard are staying, some small dump of a house.

Before they entered, though, I decided that I wanted to meet them. After all, they did intend to interfere with Fittor. I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing at the time, and, honestly, I'm still not positive. Anyway, there were six of them. Sure, they had the advantage in numbers, but they were totally ignorant of the situation. I guess I can't blame them, but that doesn't mean that they weren't clueless. I didn't feel like watching them die, so I warned them that going into Fittor's house was a bad idea. Haha, they were surprised and confused to see me. Of course they had all sorts of questions, and, I probably told them more than I should have. Oh well. I told them that we were both Children of Woe. Let's see... what did I tell them again? I told them that there were twelve of us. I also mentioned that two were already killed. Glenneth was killed by that one-armed guy, and another was killed by Oliend in Tantras. I think I told them how some of there others were scattered across Faerun. Oh yes, I also told them about my sword. It stinks that Fittor has it. Well, since I know everything about the Children of Woe, I knew that Fittor was on his way out to see what the commotion was outside his door. That was the time to make my exit. I warned them he was coming, heh.

The real fun, though, happened after I left. Seconds after I left, Fittor opens the door to the house he's staying at. Watching them talk to Fittor was as funny as it was painful. Understandably, Fittor wanted to know what was going on. Stupidly, in my opinion, they tell him the truth. They wanted to know Lacard's condition. Fittor, like the nice guy he is, let them see Lacard. The guy was fine. Now Fittor asked them some questions. I thought that seemed reasonable. Here are some people uninvited at his house and making demands of him. Fittor was gracious enough to show them a safe Lacard. First, Fittor asked a simple question. He wanted their names. Some of them looked uneasy, but they answered. Eventually, Fittor wanted to know where he could find them, if he ever wanted to visit. I wonder what that could mean, haha! This was priceless. They danced around the truth. Lying would have been much easier. I'm not sure which was funnier, though. Watching them squirm or watching Fittor get angrier and angrier. Eventually, that woman with them told Fittor that the assimar and wizard lived in Phlan. Fittor seemed content and asked the intruders to leave. As if the group didn't try his patience enough today, the assimar had the gall to cast a detect evil spell in his presence. Not too bright... After that insult to Fittor I guess they felt that they had done enough and left, back to Phlan, I assume. -- Vinnrick

The Wisps of Autumn (Ches 21th): I was thoroughly disappointed with the music portrayed by the Wisps of Autumn and the fact that they weren't accompanied by the one and only Derrek Hanson Turbo. After torturing the townsfolk with their... 'music' they revealed themselves to be demon spawn and began destroying the common folk of Phlan. They were led by The Abaddon who made random anonymous threats to the crowd which can only be construed as drunken banter or homoerotic advances... Shortly thereafter, the great Mot Kayarr Knoxen one-shotted that mean old Abaddon and became an instant hero to all the young women of the town except for Saiya who was too afraid at the time to witness my triumph. -- As recounted by Mot Kayarr Knoxen, Abaddon Slayer

The Death of History (Ches 21th): During the aftermath of the attack lead by the Abaddon, Gareth Ruguen, known formerly to the companionship as Deckar - the simple historian from faraway Barackshire, began to publicly spread the rumor of the demise of Deckar. Gareth, opening up to his companions, in the wake of the tragedy, due to their vocal suspicions of everything and everyone, announced to them that he was a treasure hunter, and that the Abaddon had made an effort to try to recover an artifact of unknown power that Gareth had stolen from the Abaddon's master. Under the guise of Deckar, the Historian, Gareth had felt that he had managed to slip out from under the watchful gaze of the one who hunts for their lost artifact. Now that this disguise was blown, Gareth understands that the name and identity of Deckar is no longer safe.

Session 4: The Unwelcome Answers (Ches 24th - 27th)
Freeing Valjevo Castle, Part 1 (Ches 24th): "I was having dinner with an acquaintance when I was approached at the Happy Halfling by one Confectus, who's known to some. Amidst other chatter, he revealed that some of his companions had plans to clear Valjevo Castle of all of its undead.  A brave and worthy goal, I thought to myself, and offered to assist in my own small way.

We met at the castle gates: Confectus, the infamous Hedjtep, a pair of rogueish fellows named Gareth and Mot, and a fascinating man named Desmond Taragon. The red-haired Desmond immediately took charge, and we moved past the rusty gates and into the former hallowed halls. I hadn't been in Phlan very long, but its history is impressive, judging from the construction of its haunted bastion.

It was immediately clear that my comrades had been here before; Hedjtep and Desmond compared maps as we moved from room to room. The icy fingers of dreadwraiths were no match for the our little fist of adventurers, but we ran into some problems with the golems patrolling the halls ... a few of them cursed their luck; apparently their pet wizard was elsewhere. In any case, the floors were destroyed beneath their feet, though, rendering them fixed to one spot, though certainly still dangerous.

We roved through what they called the first level, and we destroyed what undead we encountered; I did my best to heal the wounds of my compatriots as we went. Eventually, though, we discovered a necklace which controlled the spirits, which eased our exploration considerably. Still, it took us a while beyond that to solve the riddle of problems what troubled the spirits beneath the castle.

I have to say, it's the first real workout I've had since the Saerloon Incident of 1376 ..." --taken from correspondence from Lambert Burroughs to the Temple of Lathander at Shadowdale

Fittor's Dead, and I Still Don't Have the Sword (Ches 25th): I guess Hedjtep, Hemakakotep, or whatever and his friends decided to come up with a plan to kill Fittor. Some of his friends wanted to get rid of him, some were more concerned about that lost cause, Nerain. Well, the bunch of them sneaked up on Fittor's house. The plan was to get him angry enough to fight. First that Desmond guy who tried to take my sword, acted all tough, as if he were a member of the city guard or something. Threatening to arrest Fittor and nonsense like that on charges of kidnapping and such. Once again, they ask to see Lacard Nerain, and, once again, Fittor lets them see him. Of course, they soon realize the truth. He wants to stay with Fittor. He wants to serve Fittor. Well, seeing that Desmond couldn't get him on kidnapping he took the better way to anger Fittor. He accused Fittor of stealing my sword. Oh boy... that got him mad. The sword came to him. That idiot thought that my sword chose him. He thought it was his birth rite. He felt so special and superior about it, bah! No point to go on about that, though, he's dead, haha!

So, anyway, that's when the fighting begins. They quickly learn about Fittor's gift as they would call it. His shield. It provided Fittor with great protection, and made the battle last far longer than it would have. It was clear to me from the beginning, though. Fittor had no chance. He didn't even understand how to use the sword. That said, even with Fittor's handicap he put up quite a fight, considering it was six on one. He nearly vaporized that diviner, Mozariq. Other than that, though, Fittor was ineffectual. That's why he lost, struck down by a lousy arrow. That was my cue to see if I could have my sword back. Desmond seemed to have a similar idea, though, and tried to take my sword for himself. My sword did not accept him and left to find a new wielder. Sadly, it wasn't me, but at least it wasn't him.

After licking their wounds and dealing with some crazy fire that was burning in Fittor's house, they decided to take Fittor's corpse and ask it some questions. They learned a little bit about him. How and when he kidnapped people and took them into the Blood Marshes. Why Fittor felt that he was Cyric, etc. I think they're starting to get a grasp on the Children of Woe. Well, we'll see, anyway. -- Vinnrick

Miekrog and the Black Behelit (Ches 27th): So it was on the 27th of Ches that my companions and I were caught between a choice of two evils. It has been said, by one more wise than I, that should you have such a choice, you must remember that even the lesser of the two is still an evil.

Yet, the choice of our next action became clear to my companions and I as we saw the scene in Thar, divined by the mage Mozariq. Had it just been the evil Miekrog there, we might have chosen to investigate the growing menace of the Necromancer Dhal in Whitehorn. However, my eyes fell upon the young female elf next to Miekrog, and the sickening image of the twisted dragon around her neck told me that there was more to this than an evil lycanthrope. The necklace was indeed identical to the one worn by the thief of Nassim's remains, although black instead of red. The decision was made - Miekrog must be taken care of, and this mysterious elf investigated.

It wasn't long before the whole group stood before me, a plan in mind to confront the lycan. The Thar materialized in front of us shortly later, a cloak of invisibility veiling our presence. It was to no one's surprise that the elf immediately saw through our magic, and proceeded to show her innate sense of superiority by humorously taunting Miekrog. I was also not surprised when Selune revealed the elf to be a black dragon in disguise.

I was less than 50 ft away from the lycan - the menacing aura radiating from his body was more than I could take. I acted first, before I should have, but was able to contain Miekrog's lycan abilities with Selune's help. A full blown battle started rather quickly thereafter, the dragon holding her attack for a few moments to see how the fighting unfolded. There was a brief time where I fell - I thought I was dead for sure - but I arose and joined the battle anew. It was not easy - Miekrog's minions were strong and fearsome - truly the rage of nature drove and powered their swords. Gareth, Mot, and Desmond proved very effective in their own skills, however, and the Guardian's bow rang out from the sky, true with nearly every knock.

The battle was turning, and it was then that the elf showed her true form, realizing that Miekrog would soon meet his end. Shortly thereafter I fell one more time, awaking moments later, Mozariq holding a wand over my tired and beaten body. Miekrog had been slain, as had all of his men. Only the black dragon survived - she soared above us all, smartly keeping out of the range of the swords of Gareth and Mot and the claws of Desmond. This stalemate did not last very long, however. The dragon roared with fury, and flew at Mozariq, Confectus, and I. It was then something rather unexpected happened - fire flew from the black dragon's mouth, something I knew to be wrong. Confectus and Mozariq fell beside me, quite dead - my waning magic protected me from the same fate, barely holding my soul from the Gates of Selune's Hall.

For the third time in less than a minute, I arose a short time later from the brink of death - this time, to quite an unwelcome surprise: Lodgekin, the troublesome cleric of An-hur, stood over me, obviously the source of my resuscitation. I had never felt such a mix of feelings before. I stood and took in the situation - Lodgekin was not alone. Baron, the rather moronic man I had met before, was also there. Along with them was a female elven archer, whose arrows had felled the dragon, a half elven warrior, and a man in golden robes. Remembering the words of Traim, I quickly said hello to Corrin, who Selune showed me to be a wingless, elongated golden dragon. The assassin Fenrich was no where to be seen. As Lodgekin tended to the other fallen, I noticed that Gareth had taken the black dragon's necklace. Both Corrin, and later Lodgekin, expressed concern that one such as Gareth held the necklace, which they called the Behelit. Yet, curiously, the golden one made no move to claim the necklace, only warning Gareth to be extremely careful, revealing that the Red Necklace was responsible for Bron, the leader of the city of Iriaebor, going quite mad.

Seeing an opportunity, I queried Corrin as best as I could about what was happening, and why he had appeared here. He told us of a bold plan - he was to stop the murderous Tchazzar. I could not hide my excitement, and hope, as to what he had said. When I asked him why he had chosen the methods he had, and kept the company he kept, he revealed that his plan was not endorsed by the gold dragons. Fenrich, he continued, was meant as a distraction, and he claimed ignorance to the reasons that Fenrich had to steal Nassim's remains. When I revealed Dhal Grishamel to be alive, Baron was outraged, but Corrin was unmoved, even admitting he owned the evil artifact the Crown of Horns. It was with this that Corrin decided it was time to leave, with a ominous promise of a future visit. Lodgekin followed shortly, after reviving my companions, assuring me that he would not be following Corrin if his motives and his purpose were not both true and good.

As I write this account, however, I cannot say that this assurance has cleared the doubt that has clouded my mind. Fate is not satisfied with inflicting one calamity. By Selune's light, I am certain Corrin and his followers will cross my path again, and I can only hope that this meeting does not end in blood... or worse. -- Taken from the The Second Volume of the Journal of the Eveninglord Hemakakotep

Session 5: The Wages of Sin (Ches 27th - 30th)
Know Your Enemy; or, Hedjtep Is An Idiot (Ches 29th): "Revered Lords, I was asked this morn to accompany two esteemed clerics, Hemakakotep of Selune and Oliend of Torm, into the Cyricist city of Innarith. The Children of Woe (cf. attached report) are widely varied in their strength, and it was in their minds to consult with one Grahm Mandalax in order to exchange information.

"We soon came to the realization that the leader of Innarith is one of these beings ... and with powers far beyond those of mortal folk. I diffused tension as best I could, but Hedjtep seemed interested in baiting the fellow into destroying him ... revealing our thoughts and pestering him for information. (Note: do the Archives mention a Mordeth or Usurper?)

"One could see the wildness in Grahm's eyes as Hedjtep asked his blunt array of questions. I needed to recite the Morning Lord's Benediction five times before offering advice to him later. Naturally, it bounced right off of him.  The greatest threat to discovery is not ignorance, after all - it is the illusion of knowledge. Hedjtep, utterly convinced in the rightness of his actions, nearly brought about our destruction. As it is, I worry that the fireball of fate incoming may hit me as well.  We shall see.

"The Council has agreed to meet with me on the 1st of Tarsakh. If my Revered Lords would please send the funds they promised for the establishment of a Morninglord presence in Phlan, its construction and execution would go a lot more smoothly ..." -- taken from correspondence from Lambert Burroughs to the Temple of Lathander at Shadowdale

Corpses and Other Sudden Revelations (Ches 29th): "I was peremptorily summoned back from shopping in Silverymoon to discover that another one of our charming group therapy sessions had begun. This one included two clerics named Oliend and Lambert, in addition to Master Mendor.  After securing the room, Hedjtep began his tale.

"Hedjtep, as usual, put his mouth so far through his mouth that it's come out his backside. Not only did he anger Vinnrick, but he's upset someone named Grahm, who is the frightening version of Fittor. The three of them traveled to Innarith to insult him, I'm not precisely sure why.

"As usual, Desmond went on his head-in-the-sand rampage: 'They're not breaking any laws in Phlan.' While I don't agree with his logic, the Children of Woe have their own concerns, and it's not our job to police the world, no matter what Hedjtep might think. So long as they stay out the way, things will be fine.

"However, as Desmond stormed out in a huff, he nearly tripped over a dead body -- another Child, and presumably the one who had The Sword. Grahm himself was walking away, having thoughtfully deposited there. After a few bouts of magic and psionics, we discovered that Grahm is well-acquainted with Councillor Shadowstick ... and has earned the immediate allegiance of Lacard Nerain.

"The body contained a few useful messages, though, so the situation is not as dire as it might have been ..." --from the journal of Mozariq al'Soleth of Phlan

Daybreak Over Whitehorn (Ches 30th): "A cluster of us struck deep into the heart of Whitehorn this morning, where a foul lich and its pet monster had wreaked their terrible magic. The monster was enormous, and terrifying to behold: its very nature warped the fabric of the world around it. The lich went down quickly, but the monster (and a nearby demon) would prove much tougher.  Indeed, the monster destroyed the demon before turning on us.  We would have been forced to retreat, had the magical darkness covering Whitehorn suddenly fled; the sunlight drove the monster to flee.  Whitehorn remains a horrifying mess, but the most terrible of its foes have been driven off." -- an overheard snippet of conversation between the wizard Mozariq and Councilman Selthik Famner

Session 6: The Politics Of The Day (Ches 30th - Tarsakh 17th)
Breaking New Ground: "After what seems like a century to me, the council of Phlan has finally decided to approve my plans to build Taragon Keep. Words cannot describe the joy I feel as I now have the means to finally protect the citizens of Phlan from the dangers that seem to be pressing themselves upon the city. Taragon keep will not only be a means of protection, but I also plan to use it to hire and train a private group of guardsmen that shall be known as the Taragon Guard. It my dream that these protectors will be able to pick up the large amount of slack left behind from the city's own soldiers. Anyone interested in being hired should be inquire with Desmond Taragon at the grounds of the new keep." -- Desmond Taragon

Mulhorand and Thay (Tarsakh 3): "...the Tiefling - in appearance only, anyway - called upon me in the early evening. He asked me a simple favor - to contact the dragon Corrin on his behalf.  While a simple task, I found the notion fruitless - Corrin had told us everything there was to know about the theft of Nassim's remains and gear.  Still, the Guardian pressed on, and I eventually agreed.  The first message did not go so well - perhaps my lack of will in the project seeped through the message.  When I told Confectus of Corrin's rejection of a meeting, the Tiefling surprised me - yet again - with the information he planned on telling the Dragon: Szass Tam knew of Yelnin's plans, and asked Confectus to help stop it.

The past is an awful thing when it rears its ugly head in your current business. Despite my apprehension at the knowledge of this new "relationship" between Tam and the Guardian, I again asked Corrin for a meeting. This time he agreed - he would meet him outside the Mulhorondi city of Gheldaneth. After securing a mode of disguise, we left for my homeland an hour later. There, Confectus left with Corrin and Lodgekin, while I walked toward the city walls themselves.

It is with great sadness I write these words, because this trip made me realize the time I had been wasting fighting mere lycans and undead. The real enemy - the evil of Tchazzar - had spread faster than I realized. My realization of this neglect drove me to be discovered at the gate in disguise, something the guard did not care for. Though this meeting brought about the information I dreaded hearing - Tchazzar was coming for Mulhorand, and his Chhessentan forces were joined by their new allies from Unther, led by Tiamat herself.

Not wishing to bring on more issues to the city, I made a quick exit back to Phlan. I tried desperately to contact Ningal and Jeardra, and my heart began to ache when no response came back from either of them. The next few hours are now a blur - a consultation with my Goddess brought about some meaning to what I had seen and what I must do next - yes Jeardra and Ningal were still alive, but Unther - and our temple in Messemprar - were gone. Any hope of stopping Tchazzar now seems lost - my people will fight, but even the avatars of An-hur will have a hard time holding off the forces marching toward my homeland. It is clear to me now that nothing else really matters except stopping the Red Dragon and his Goddess. If that means helping Corrin and Lodgekin in anyway I can, so be it.

At the end of the day, Confectus returned to me, and told me what Corrin had said to him, much of which I already knew. However, the fact that Corrin had lost track of Fenrich, and indeed wanted to keep things from him, worried be much. Though misguided, Lodegkin seems like a decent soul - but why would Corrin associate with Fenrich, and furthermore, trust him?

The next morning, the Tiefling and I met again - I tell you, these meetings with him are getting more trying, as I learn more and more of his past. Convinced that he should contact Tam, he tells me that he was sent to the City of Shade by the Zulkir, and that he was "changed" somehow. Indeed, I realized this myself when Confectus lay quite dead on the ground, and proceeded to not explode. While I was rather happy at the situation, it did raise questions; questions that, however, were placed at the bottom of a very long queue.

Despite my reluctance, the opportunity of finding more about the Behelits and Yelnin was too enticing. After a brief conversation, Tam agreed to meet Confectus in Thaymount, and we traveled there shortly thereafter. I waited the entire day in an establishment I thought I would never see again - The Crystal Ball - but Confectus never returned. Selune opened by eyes once again, however, and told me Confectus was alive, although whether he was a prisoner was rather unclear.

I returned to Phlan, concerned about Confectus, but wary to involve others until necessary. I eventually shared the location of Confectus with the others, and knowing that storming Thaymount was no real option, we waited for some time. Confectus did eventually come back, five days later, and those who knew him saw something different in the Guardian - something a little more wrong with him, that is..." -- Excerpt from the Second Volume of the Journal of the Eveninglord Hemakakotep.

The Thirst For Knowledge (Tarsakh 6): "Whether or not destroying the book was the right course of action, I still want to know how Gareth knew to appear out of nowhere, finding us in the middle of a Private Sanctum and grab the book. There's preternatural sixth senses and there's divine providence -- but I've gotten answers from divinities before, they're never that specific. It's worrisome enough that he's amassing this collection of dark artifacts and knowledge -- and no, the weapon of the enemy is not a gift, one does not simply walk into Thay; but that he can sidestep any magical precautions I can take either means that he's a divine entity or I need to give up magic altogether." -- from a private conversation between Mozariq al'Soleth and Mendor the Sage.

The Halls of Justice (Tarsakh 7): (Talons of Justice) ... Forthcoming

The Inevitable Lava-Trap (Tarsakh 12): (Silverymoon Part 1)... Forthcoming

No Such Thing As Friendly Fire (Tarsakh 12): "Hedjtep had made contact with Traim; a meeting was arranged outside of Silverymoon. Hedjtep insisted that Traim wanted as few people there as possible; given the lava trap through which we'd just waded, I would have been in favor of gathering a small army.  Desmond willingly ceded the chance to go - surprising; Gareth and Mot simply wandered off - not so surprising.

"The three remaining went to meet Traim. To our surprise, though, the mysterious Fenrich finally appeared, courtesy of Vinnrick.  I'm not sure precisely what Hedjtep did to Vinnrick to upset him so much, but Vinnrick's 'help' is beginning to be a hindrance.  Fenrich mocked our involvement (who hasn't?) and offered to kill Traim again.  Rather than let Traim die, we three engaged this master assassin in battle.  Between the sunlight, the arrows and the dispels, Fenrich felt his advantage slip away, so he turned and ran like the coward he is.

"Feeling that this had gone far beyond the simple search Anly's troupe had begun, Traim offered to have us all meet. In retrospect, waiting a day -- or, at least, meeting in Silverymoon -- would have been smarter. Quite frankly, though, I wasn't sure I could guarantee Desmond's involvement if we tore him away from his keep for too long; more and more he seems far more willing to abandon any sort of causes for the sake of his ... well, whatever it is he's building.

"And meet we did, in The Arcane Spire. Malcomm, Anly, Alhaanon and a paladin whose name I didn't quite catch joined Traim; Hedjtep, Confectus and I were joined by Desmond. No sign of Gareth or Mot.  Hedjtep began sharing what we knew.  To our surprise, Malcomm turned furious when Oryn was mentioned -- something I didn't know about; Hedjtep apparently keeps secrets from everyone, not just Desmond -- and then we were attacked.  The entire other group, with the exception of Traim, fell under Malcomm's spell ... and an angel from I can't even guess which heaven was gated in to assist.

"At first, I casted defensively, putting up prismatic walls and force cages as the others focused on taking down Malcomm -- the obvious culprit. The angel, though, started blowing holes in my tower, so I started using more offensive spells.  Desmond dropped Anly -- the two had been spoiling for a fight for ages -- and I took out Malcomm.  Then the world went dark.

"I'm told later that the angel killed me instantly with but a word. (I didn't think angels could do that.)  Hedjtep's spells kept me upright, but as I was on the border between death and life, Desmond -- that master tactician who always manages to get me killed -- took control of the situation and chose some choice epithets for the angel.  The result was an earthquake which leveled not only my tower, but a good portion of the Textiles District as well.

"The angel, after spiriting away Malcomm, returned and used a miracle to repair all the damage done. Malcomm apparently had his reasons for attacking, but he won't tell us what they are.  I know we're not the most law-abiding citizens, and the dragons took particular displeasure at the sight of Desmond, but if we're trying to do the right thing, isn't knowledge going to help us make the appropriate decisions?

"Are we trying to do the right thing? I'm not so sure anymore. There are a thousand sides to this game, and beyond stopping Tchazzar, no one seems to agree on the right approach. (Truth be told, I don't know that everyone living in Phlan at present is in agreement that stopping Tchazzar is the right move.)  It's hard enough to push a boulder up a mountain without your friends and enemies kidney-punching you every five minutes." -- from the notes of Mozariq al'Soleth of Phlan.

The Politics of the Day (Tarsakh 13-17th): ''Reports from Guard Watson report a low-flying dragon passed over the city. It is believed to have been slain by one Desmond Taragon.'' -- report from Patrol Activity Log.

Session 7: The Crimson Celebration (Tarsakh 18th - Mirtul 2nd)
Votes of No Confidence: ''Minutes of the Council of Ten, Meeting Mirtul 2nd, 1378 by the Dale Reckoning. Noted by Yulera Merafest, Councillor.''

Let it be known that Lady Syltris Bourann, Selthik Famner and Dortal Shalecrusher have been removed from their positions on the Council of Ten. Let it be known that their services have been noted for posterity, but the population of Phlan has spoken, and spoken firmly.

Let it be known that applicants for the position must be landowners in Phlan, and must be sponsored by two of the current Councillors. The vote is scheduled hereby for the 15th day of Mirtul.

Finally, let it be known that applicants may campaign in whatever way the local population will consider acceptable, so long as they don't violate Phlanian Council By-Laws, Paragraphs 2b-2d, Subheadings 1-25 ... -- from the Phlanian Council of Ten Minutes Log.

Shrouded Talons: (Talons of Justice vs. Corrin's plans) ... Forthcoming Ryan should fill this in, I think.

The Greengrass Tournament (Greengrass): It had come to my attention that Starmantle was having a champion of champions tournament, and what better way to prove my battle prowess to the people Phlan than to go and win it. It was my esteemed hope that if I were to win this tournament, it would be a quantifiable way to prove to the people of Phlan that I can defend them from just about anything that may come our way (which seems to be quite a lot of things as of late).

I left for Starmantle along with Gareth Ruguen, Mot Knoxen, Confectus Tenabrae, and the nefarious cleric Hedgtep Kanut. Since none of us had ever been to Starmantle before we had to teleport to [???] and then take a sea vessel from there. Once we arrived we quickly made our way to the colosseum so that myself, Mot, and Gareth could sign-up for the tournament. It was also there that we ran into the large barbarian that tends to hang out at the Laughing Goblin Inn which I later learned to be Testheron of the Bear Clan. Meanwhile, Hedjtep setup a booth to offer life-insurance for various people that didn't want a permanent death should they lose to their opponents.

Anyways, for those not familiar, the tournament allowed for 64 combatants and consisted of 5 rounds of melee combat. The first round you are randomly paired with seven other people and you fight it out until only one is left standing. The following three rounds were to whittle those remaining down to one person who would go on to fight the existing champion, Sejanus Bauduril.

Round 1 -- In the first round I found myself surrounded by the typical rogues and fighter types. However there was one particular person who stood out among the others, his name was Zorn Kalinov and it was clear to me that he was the only real threat. This was evident not only by his battle prowess, but by his weapon which was easily one of the most ornate and powerful that I have ever seen. We both knew that the real fight would be between the two of us and we quickly dispatched of everyone else in mere moments. When it finally came down to us to confront one another, I was fortunate to have the first attack. I pounced upon him and sunk both my claws deep within his chest and then ripped them back out with flesh flying. The life fled from his eyes and he fell to the ground in a heap.

Round 2 -- The second round left me facing a Goliath by the name of Lonehunter. He looked very intimidating as his very body appeared to made out of stone. We both charged one-another and met in the middle of the ring. My blows landed only an instant before his, which if they hadn't the outcome may have been altered greatly. But, as it was, he too fell immediately under the immense power of my attack and dropped conscienceless.

Round 3 -- This round proved to be much more challenging. I was to go against Testheron himself, who was quickly becoming a legend of his own thanks to a powerful technique called "Supersmash". He had survived his first round against Mot, but just barely. It was so close in fact that he passed out from his wounds only seconds after winning. However, rather than fight me head on he instead bull rushed me and sent me flying off of the platform into a pool of acid below. When I regained my stance I teleported my way back up to the platform and then charged into Tes. Probably due to his earlier injuries, he could not handle the sheer onslaught of my claws and fell to the floor battered and beaten.

Round 4 -- In this round I was surprised to find myself facing off against a mind warrior. I had expected to be fighting Gareth as rumors were already circulating about how he won his first round completely unscathed and had beaten the infamous "Lacerator" by walking through a pit of acid and sent him staggering. However, it turned out that he never showed up for his third round of combat and thusly, my own opponent was now fresh to fight me. This half-undead looking warrior apparently was thinking along the same lines as Tes though because the first thing he did was bull rush me off the ledge and into the lava. I followed the same tactics as I did before by teleporting up onto the ledge and then pouncing upon my foe with claws flying. At this point he had already grown to colossal size which made it fairly easy to hit him. However, unlike all my previous opponents, he did not fall so easily. After taking all my hits he attempted a grapple upon me but was unable to keep his grip. This proved to be his downfall though as I was then able to bring him down with another barrage of claw swipes.

Round 5 -- I had made it... the final round. I knew nothing about this Sejanus guy before I came to Starmantle other than that he was the existing champion and rumors said he was related to the evil Melfaren that had killed so many people of Phlan. He wasted now time in charging across the arena and dealt me a might blow. But alas it was not mighty enough to fell me and I quickly retaliated. Like the other before him, he fell quickly before I could even activate my Belt of Battle.

So it was that I became the new Champion of Greengrass and the celebration that followed mirrored my own excitement. I won a large prize purse which will help me to buid up our wonderful city of Phlan and I now posses the very powerful Ring of Three Wishes which I can use to protect Phlan. I feel I have now proven my worth to the world. ~ Desmond Taragon (aka "Terror"agon)

The Crimson Celebration (Greengrass): The great parade throughout Silverymoon had just ended. Rlothor and I had returned to the palace. Despite recent months, the people were in high spirits, and I was glad. After the parade, Rlothor and I entertained guests in the High Palace. In the early afternoon, a surprise guest arrived, Oryn Silverrain. It had been a very long time since I had seen the former Wandering Guardian and was honored to meet with him. Rlothor, who normally was very hard to read, seemed distressed at meeting with Oryn. I never had the opportunity to ask him why.

Oryn was accompanied two men I had never met, one seemed anxious while the other was confused. The reunion with the Wandering Guardian was not what I had expected. Rlothor and Oryn started speaking with each other in draconic. The speech, while not overtly hostile, was confrontational on both sides. The two men accompanying Oryn seemed as bewildered as I was. At one point during the conversation, Oryn grabbed a strange amulet and dropped it on the floor. It was a strange gesture that I did not understand at the time. Shortly after, a member of the Spell Guard interrupted and alerted us that the city was under attack. I immediately left to see what was the matter and was greeted by an awful site. The sky was filled with fire. Fiendish red dragons and hellfire wyrms soared through the sky attacking Silverymoon. I immediately contacted Laeral to ask for her and Khelben's help, and then went to confront the beasts myself. Thankfully the wards of Silverymoon hampered the dragons to some extent. The anointed and prevailing magics of the ward slowed the beasts down and denied them the use of some of their magics. Even so, the sheer number of dragons was too much for me to handle by myself. In moments, though, my sister and Khelben arrived. Despite our combined efforts along with those of the Spell Guard, we were out-numbered. Though we made progress against the dragons, that progress was made too slowly. Luckily for us, though, dragons bearing the crest of the Talons of Justice soared over Silverymoon.

"Thank you, Auntyrlothor."

Believing that Rlothor called the Talons of Justice to protect us, we fought with renewed hope and fervor. Though the battle was difficult, and the number of casualties was high; we were able to drive the dragons away. Khelben, Laeral and I then started to help out the city by putting healing the injured and putting out fires. It was then that I realized that I hadn't seen Rlothor once during the attack. I quickly went back to the palace hoping to see him there. When I reached the palace I found Jorus speaking with a member of the Talons of Justice. Then I learned the horrible truth. Auntyrlothor was dead. His body was found in the throne room with horrible burns and wounds. He was clearly attacked by several dragons. The Talons of Justice took Auntyrlothor's body along with Oryn's amulet. Before I had time to find out exactly what had happened, I received an urgent message from Evermeet. Myth Drannor along with other friendly sites in Cormanthor were under attack. Elminster himself was already on the scene to protect the powerful and dangerous Myth Drannor. I left Silverymoon in Jorus Azuremantle's capable hands while my sister, Khelben, and I went to Cormanthor. The destruction was far reaching. Not only Myth Drannor was attacked, but the elven town of Tangled Trees was brutally attacked as well. The attack was much the same. Red dragons and hellfire wyrms ravaged sections of the ancient forest. In the end, though, the wyrms were driven away. However, I believe that the powerful magics put in place by the elves thousands of years ago did far more to save Cormanthor than we did. We were all on edge at this point. None of us knew when or where the next attack would be. I had hoped that the attacks were over. The loss of life was bearing down heavily on my heart, but the worst was yet to come.

The four of us, Elminster, Khelben, Laeral, and I were summoned back to Shadowdale. Shadowdale itself was relatively unharmed. The destruction was nowhere near as widespread. Shadowdale was not the target, though. The beasts went after Ethena Astroma. They killed her. They killed Storm, my sister. Storm was laid to rest. I wanted to stay longer. She is the second sister I've lost. I did not want to leave, but I knew that Silverymoon needed me. I grieved as long as I could before returning to Silverymoon. Upon my return to the palace, I was told that the diviner, Mozariq al'Soleth, had been waiting in the palace to speak with me for several hours. Earlier in the day, he had contacted me, and told me that he had information on the attack.

What he told me was hard to believe, though, somehow I know it to be true. The Wandering Guardian, Oryn Silverrain, was responsible for all of this. According to Mozariq, Oryn had grown frustrated at his inability to make a difference. This turned to jealousy and resentment towards his former companions. Companions that he felt had not done as much good as he had. Companion that he believed were more highly lauded. This attack was an attack on the Wandering Guardians and other important people in Oryn's life. Besides Silverymoon, Cormanthor, and Shadowdale, Starmantle was also attacked. At least one of the Wandering Guardians was in the city at that time. Still many questions are left unanswered, though. Mozariq mentioned an object which he referred to as a behelit. This behelit was the amulet that Oryn wore when he spoke with Rlothor. Mozariq told me that the Talons of Justice highly sought after these items, and that they may have transformed Oryn into a Chosen of Tiamat. It now made sense to me why the Talons of Justice took the amulet along with Rlothor's body.

I feel like such a fool. Rlothtor hid so much from me. The Talons of Justice hid information from, and, as a result of my ignorance, so many people died. My sister died. Angry, though, I maybe with myself, I must remember who is really responsible, Oryn Silverrain. Has the former hero truly embraced Tiamat as his master? Frustration and jealousy are a far cry from the mass devastation he caused. Can Oryn be saved? -- from the journal of The Lady Alustriel Silverhand

Session 8: Gods And Demons (Mirtul 2nd - Mirtul 8th)
The Interrogation and Trial of Mozariq al'Soleth (Mirtul 2nd - Mirtul 5th): The note was verified as true. Mendor was not Mendor. With magic, it was something I could see with my own eyes, but the creature hid it well. I'd been deceived ... and more importantly, it was being covered up. Someone in power in Phlan was willing to negotiate with the monster ... to sacrifice lives for his own safety and the safety of others.

It would not stand.

This could not be handled directly. Everyone loves -- loved -- Mendor and trusted him implicitly. For a monster, it is the perfect hiding place. Were I to accuse Mendor directly, I would be run right out of Phlan by the very people I meant to save. I would need to be very, very indirect. This would require breaking some eggs ... and, given the monster's power, there was no guarantee I'd come out alive. Odds were against me, at least.

I started with Lyle Dunworth. The man had been beguiled by friends of a certain Councillor -- the Apostate, if you will -- to write the note to Hedjtep that started it all. I needed more details; beyond that, though, I needed to commit a crime. I took the easy route and did both simultaneously, by scanning his mind with magic. This is not something I do often, save in the service of the Council. I justified it to myself that the Council would approve, later.

Lyle's mind told me what I needed to know. However, I'd used Confectus as a go-between, to distract him while I probed from a distance ... and Confectus pretended to be Saer Desmond Taragon. That the City Guard believed Confectus's lie stunned me. I quickly knew that I could turn this to my advantage, though: Desmond is a singularly obtuse and humorless person, a sort who cares more for rules and legal order than the spirit of justice or any sort of compassion, and these people are always easy to manipulate.

On 2 Mirtul, I made my move. I requested a luncheon with both Confectus and Desmond, ostensibly to share some information. As predicted, Desmond blew up when he realized Confectus's lie ... and, naturally, he considered me the root of all injustice. I took a moment to give him a piece of my mind and stormed out ... to arrange for the City Guard to stop by, as well as the False Mendor.

A riot ensued. I'm not sure what Desmond said in there, but it clearly wasn't working. I secured the False Mendor's legal services for my upcoming trial, used magic to halt the bubbling riot in its place, and turned myself over to Gildas. Everything was going according to plan ... and now a certain alchemist of mine had instructions on how to proceed while I was in prison.

Gildas interrogated me personally -- and it quickly became apparent that he was woefully uninformed by the Council about the activities of the little adventuring troupe in Phlan (hereafter The Magnificent Bastards). The Council tells him nothing, and yet expects him to defend Phlan from unknown terrors? Clearly, this was not going to work. I informed him of everything I knew ... except for what I was planning and why I'd instigated the riot. I waived the hearing in favor of a full trial, knowing that public spectacle would be needed.

The day of the trial came, and I was escorted to my seat. Near me sat the False Mendor, as I'd requested. I knew that several people in the audience -- Hedjtep, Desmond, Alara -- could see the creature for what she was, but they alone would not vindicate me. I needed the Council to know in full, without the lies of the Apostate to cloud the issue. Alara was too quickly viewed as a collaborator, though, and Desmond -- dull, unimaginative, rule-oriented Desmond -- would never admit in public that I was correct.

It looked as though I might need to take even more blatant steps, as they began to accuse me of being unfit to stand trial. I couldn't let it end like this -- once the False Mendor knew of this, my life was forfeit.

I was saved inadvertantly when a second monster -- from which the False Mendor had been hiding -- appeared to slaughter. The illusion was dropped, the truth revealed ... and the battle ensued. They wielded strange and terrible magics; Phlan is fortunate that it took so little structural damage throughout. The False Mendor used death magic to slay many Phlanian citizens; I dispelled and magically attacked where I could, but Gildas had taken away my spellbooks and components, so I was restricted in my actions. Hedjtep ran away; Desmond stood in the back, waiting to see what would happen.

It was Confectus, though, who saved the day. With mighty rains of arrows, he destroyed the more powerful of the creatures, who had all but slain the False Mendor. Were it not through his actions, many hundreds more would have died. He is truly the hero of the hour.

I admit, I wanted to be the one who slew the False Mendor. Our beloved sage had been my friend for years, and it hurt me deeply to know he'd been killed. Desmond finally recovered his wits enough to strike, though, and toppled the beast. As furious as I was with him, I let it slide; he did technically stop the threat, and I had used him rather poorly to enact all of this. I grabbed a sword instead, and chopped off its head ... partly to be sure the job was done, and partly to make a point.

I was abruptly struck unconscious. I have my suspicions on this matter, but I know for certain that it wasn't the monster's body. Hedjtep revived me not a moment later. He had been doing damage control outside the Town Hall and saw me topple through the hole in the wall. I picked up where I left off, taking the head and dropping it at the feet of the cowering Council ... including the Apostate. I hope they learned their lesson about bartering with such evil creatures.

Kella demanded an explanation, and I explained everything in at least as much detail as I have set down here, on this paper. I don't think she was happy with the answers I gave her. I don't know that anyone would be. But Mendor's sacrifice demanded that something be done, and I could not in good conscience sit idly by while an Imposter claimed to be my friend and had itself elected to the Council of Ten.

I hope that time will vindicate my actions, and that I can find a way to atone for the fifty-five bystanders killed in the Town Hall that day ... --from the journal of Mozariq al'Soleth of Phlan

A Meeting with the Talons (Mirtul 4th) ... Forthcoming explaining the set-up, the bartering, the interrogation and the meeting.

Picking Up The Pieces (Mirtul 5th - Mirtul 8th): Following the trial of Mozariq and the revelations of Mendor, the town fell into a somber mood. Mendor's death had happened who knows when -- perhaps Mozariq knows for sure -- and the city was only now able to grieve him. They don't know who or what killed Mendor, nor what attacked the Town Hall that morning. Perhaps it is best that they do not. I studied Gildas's wounds extensively before calling his soul back from beyond the Veil;

Slowly, though, people pick up the pieces. Farming is done. Trade is transacted. The hospital has seen a few patients come and go, though we never had so large a crowd as the pack of visitors who looked in upon Confectus. Campaigning for the Council positions has all but stopped -- an oddity, because Masters Desmond, Gareth and now even Mozariq are all running for the vacated spots. We may all be so appointed; Randal Shadowstick has disappeared. Rumor has it that it's related to Mozariq's denouncement at his own trial.

Truth be told, I haven't seen any of that lot of late. Given the plan with which I was approached the other day, I can only assume they are off on a wild adventure fraught with peril. I'll have some diamonds ready, just in case. --from the journal of Lambert Burroughs.

The Galthaxx Gambit (Mirtul 7th - Mirtul 8th): ... Forthcoming the meeting, the planning, the mining town, Hedjtep's friendly fire, and Duergar Shrine battle.

To Be Continued ...

Session 9: Demon Lord and Devastation (Mirtul 9th - Kythorn 16th)
Portal, Town and Castle Walls (Mirtul 10th): Galthaxx's mortal form had fled back into the Abyss, but the explosions of the Balors had all but destroyed us. (That Gareth still complains that I'm the source of friendly fire boggles the mind; Hedjtep has struck me down on several occasions by trying to help.) Because the Demon Lord's castle was shielded from scrying, and none of us knew the thereabouts well enough to teleport directly there (to say nothing of the problematic nature of teleporting into a presumed army of demons), we spent the evening regrouping in a Magnificent Mansion ... then used the portal.

Confectus was the first through. By the time the rest of us arrived, we found him mid-conversation with a tall and dusky demon with a massive blade. He called himself Thil'keyn, Fourth Son and High Chamberlain of the Dark Prince Graz'zt, and he had slain a welcoming committee Galthaxx left for us. Working under the adage that the enemy of our enemy is our friend, we came to an uneasy understanding: we kill Galthaxx, then Graz'zt's armies move in to take over ... assuming that the Demogorgon did not appear to contest this. Both Graz'zt and the Demogorgon are known entities, to me; that they planned on moving in was a frightening thought. --that they were biding their time only spoke to the difficulty of our coming task.

There was a faint path, which we managed to follow without too much difficulty (though Confectus boldly charged back through the gate first). And soon we came to ... a town.

Towns are not a usual thing, in the Abyss. But it happens: the dead souls of demon-worshippers migrate together and form small structures. A small collective of Jovocs watched us from within the boundary of the town; it wasn't long before a grizzled Balor confronted us and demanded to know our purpose. Naturally, Confectus implicated we were en route to destroy Galthaxx ... and the town began to revel. The Balor opened a mighty chest with items for trade; and while I would have loved to put my hands on one of those staves, I had nothing on-hand I wasn't using. The group acquired a lot of wands and potions which would come in handy in the very near future, however.

We plotted our course; Gareth, Mot and Confectus had picked up a Jovoc caddy named Akashats and renamed him (it?) Wembley; the little bastard didn't seem enthused. Fortunately, Confectus recovered his bow before the thing ran away entirely ... for before us spread an army of roughly a thousand demons. Everything from Jovocs to Balors surrounded a mighty keep, and two particularly nasty illithidemons sat astride spider-like entities.

The castle was surrounded by a Prismatic Wall. I could take it down, but I would have to be very close, and it wouldn't give us much room for maneuvering. Further, crystals mounted on the spires were generating a Dimensional Lock around the entirety of the structure and some distance outside. This seemed our best bet. Gareth devised a particularly ingenious plan: Confectus and I would fly toward one of the crystals and knock it out, then we would all teleport inside.

Of course, the plan had some flaws - for starters, the archers along the walls, and the crystal's hardness. Ironically, Confectus's first shot attracted enough attention, coupled with his sudden visibility, that when he started flying break-neck in the other direction, the enemy focused upon him. And a sudden palpable darkness overwhelmed the sky, which made me invisible to Darkvision. After Confectus's mighty arrowstorm, I rained sonic spells upon the crystal, shattering it utterly.

We then dimension-doored inside; after making quick work of the foes in front of us, we made a run at the drawbridge of the Inner Keep, which had mysteriously lowered. At once, it became apparent that the threshold was a portal; and more alarmingly, my neck began to feel a sudden stabbing pain ... --from the journal of Mozariq al'Soleth of Phlan

Galthaxx's Castle (Mirtul 10th - Kythorn 16th): ... Forthcoming

The Day After (Kythorn 16th): One day. We were gone for one day, and a month has passed us by. One day: two attacks, slaughtering the people of Phlan. One day, one Demon Lord dead ... partially by us, and the remnants cleared by High Prince Graz'zt. One day, and suddenly elections are not only over, but trivial.

We were in the Abyss for several hours; weeks passed on the Prime Material Plane. We are still catching up on the details. What we do know: Galthaxx retaliated roughly as we crossed the threshold into his castle. Demons seeking Denlorn began butchering Phlanians. He drew them away, but not before many were killed. His tower no longer graces the city skyline.

Elections were held. Lambert Burroughs, Gildas Alexandre and Yulera Merafest are the Council of Three. All of the other Councilors -- all of them! -- are dead. I don't for a moment believe it was through the demon attack.

Dragons assaulted Phlan much as they did Starmantle, Shadowdale, Silverymoon not so long ago. And they came looking for us. We are slowly eliminating the threats to the city, but the enmities we earn do the city no favors. The problem of Oryn and Corrin and Tchazzar looms ever larger ... --from the journal of Mozariq al'Soleth of Phlan

Session 10: The Lines Are Drawn (Kythorn 17th - Kythorn 24th)
Kythorn 23rd, On Another Plane: So far as I can tell, the thought of a peaceful solution has dissipated, and we have Hedjtep to thank for this.

We each of us arrived from the Abyss a little worse for wear, and our subsequent meeting at The Arcane Spire and the new Council chambers quickly disintegrated into a shouting match with Desmond Taragon. Ironically, I accused the psion of nothing; it was the possibility of Gareth's corruption which had be worried. In any case, we went our separate ways, to restore order to our lives ... and to find out what had truly transpired in our absence.

A few days later, we enacted a bold plan: we would contact Fenrich and use his greed to lure Corrin into a trap. We first met with Gareth, and then with Azhaq ... to whom the black behelit was turned over. I felt good, at this, as though Gareth was going to set aside the darkness on his back and turn toward good. More the fool, I.

The meeting Desmond and Fenrich went as expected, and we would wait for Fenrich's signal to strike at Corrin's home.

In the meantime, though, we were left with a dilemna. Seven black dragons assaulted Phlan, but were slaughtered easily. Gareth no longer held the behelit. How was this possible? And how did it tie into the theft of the black globe artifact Desmond had hidden from us for so long?

Conversation with Maledd indicated that the red dragon attacks on Keldoc continued, though, despite Azhaq's assurances that the behelits were untouched. Possibilities: they would be programmed to continue attacking a target until dead. Or, more disturbing, that once a behelit Chose you for Tiamat, you were hers regardless.

Finally, the call came in to strike at Corrin. Fenrich didn't want "the mage" there, so I was held in reserve with a vampire-psion friend of Desmond's ... someone who apparently wanted Fenrich badly. So we waited the alloted time before teleporting in.

Apparently, discussion was about to happen. I did not realize this, though, and immediately struck down Lodgekin with a series of delayed-blast sonic explosions. Then, all hell broke loose.

Hedjtep immediately became the threat against stopping Corrin, as he switched sides (yet again) to help the golden dragon ... but only after conjuring a slaad to break Loril's bow. Confectus killed Fenrich, leaving Desmond's friend in a useless rage. Gareth and Mot took extreme damage, and when Hedjtep made it plain that he had no intention of helping them (though one could argue that he's never made a habit of that), Gareth called for back-up.

Imagine the surprise when Oryn Silverrain and a particular white dragon appeared.

The two Chosen of Tiamat made it clear that they intended to slay Corrin most specifically -- which didn't bother me much, except that he seemed to be the one with Information. That they would slay Hedjtep also didn't bother me, because Hedjtep's loyalties had finally disintegrated completely. With Confectus dead, Lodgekin unconscious, Corrin injured and most of us trapped inside a dimensional lock of my own conjuring, I had to do my best to stop Oryn.

The bastard's spells were too strong, though. So when Corrin pulled everyone together to teleport out (under Hedjtep's power), I took the road out of battle, knowing full well that the alternative was death at the hands of Tiamat's servants.

I write what may be the final entry of my journal from the safety of another plane of existence. Hedjtep, Corrin and I have all sent communication to the Prime Material Plane; for now, everyone is resting. A plan seems to be in order, but the details need yet to be worked out. Several things have become clear, though:


 * Oryn and Gareth have given themselves to Tiamat, either willingly or unwillingly.
 * Selune believes this grip can be broken, albeit through staggering means.
 * Mot and Desmond are siding with Gareth, either out of loyalty, fear or greed.
 * Hedjtep has gone utterly insane: a frothing zealot lunatic.
 * Confectus's body no longer belongs to him.
 * And, for all my observations about the others ... that I'm seriously considering the benefit of a new dracorage mythal must mean that I'm about as sane as anyone else on this plane. More frightening is the very real possibility that I may be the only one left of recreating it ... and thus be responsible for both the salvation of Faerun and the eventual deaths of thousands.

On an eternal evening such as this, I wish I'd followed Ilera out of Nesme', rather than returning to Silverymoon. Either way, I sense that my Path is drawing to a close ... --final entry of the Journal of Mozariq al'Soleth, Blue Wizard of Phlan

Themes

 * TBD

Criticisms

 * Jason says: Jorge, if you can continue to write up our adventures with this level of detail, I'll be amazed. So far you've done an awesome job, just don't burn yourself out. :)
 * Jorge says: Thanks! Basically, I'm writing the summaries as passages as they would appear in Mendor's Phlan's Story. These write ups aren't just for us, but they are also for the people of Phlan. They will share in your adventures, and your characters will probably gain more fame and prestige as a result. It is tough for me, haha. I'll try not to burn myself out.
 * Bill says: Will you let that 'simple historian' contribute a chapter? I'd be interested in reading that!
 * Jorge says: Actually, I encourage it.


 * User:bwh says: I know we're awesome and all, but if these weren't "Nearly impossible" and "Utterly Unwinnable" battles, maybe they wouldn't take six hours to complete. :-) Not that we can't handle them, of course.
 * Jorge says: Heh, that fight was only about four hours. Actually, I really had to downgrade the battle, because I quickly realized that you guys wouldn't get the point and would get wiped out (think Werewolf Lord of the Weldath), haha. Next time I won't be so kind.


 * Jason says: Yeah... I'm sooo entirely lost in the plot I've all but given up. Luckily Brian notes help out but having not been part of the Wandering Guardian's campaign, or any of PA campaign... it's all just a little too much to follow right now.
 * User:bwh says: Agreed ... if we played once a week, this would be intensely complicated; at once a month, it hurts the mind. That flow chart shouldn't have to exist. :-)
 * User:Neenan replies:You guys are both wusses, come on this is an epic campaign! Jason, seriously, you don't need to know anything about the wandering Guardians other than they were a group of heroes that saved the world.  I mean, what else is there that really matters?  Also, read the damn PA campaign wikis =)''
 * User:bwh retorts: Noo, it's not Epic, it's a high-level campaign. I've read the wiki entries, but I shouldn't *have* to. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad this storyline hasn't fallen prey to Pretty Line Syndrome, but most of the players (and probably almost all of the characters) have no idea how to resolve something this open-ended. If you and/or Hedjtep have ideas, feel free to share. ;-)
 * Jason says: This response turned out to be really long so instead I created a thread about it.

Miscellany

 * Known Links to Other Campaigns
 * Know Thy Enemy

Unanswered Questions

 * How do all these fragments of plot fit together? Is there a set of end-conditions to the plot, or is Jorge just going to run this until we're all slaughtered by Tchazzar?  Can you make the correct beach call?