Put goblin foes in shallow graves,
This day our work is just begun,
In the mines where silver rivers run
Beneath the stone the metal gleams,
Torches shine on sliver streams,
Beyond the eyes of the spying sun,
In the mines where silver rivers run
The hammers chime on Mithral pure,
As dwarven mines in days of yore,
A craftsman's work is never done,
In the mines where silver rivers run
To dwarven gods we sing our praise,
Put another orc in a shallow grave,
We know our work has just begun,
In the land where silver rivers run.
- Dwarven Caravan.jpg (138.57 KiB) Viewed 3569 times
1362 (The Year of the Helm) - When Bruenor Battlehammer abdicated his throne, granting it to the original first King of Mithral Hall, Gandalug, there was a period of restlessness among the Dwarven clans who had arrived from near and far to support Bruenor's reign. His reign had been one of prosperity and relative peace. Now, it was time for something new. So, during the Midwinter festival (known as The Rooting among the faithful of Marthammor Duin) and then a few days later on the ninth of Alturiak (known as The Rebirth), a vision of a silvery hammer came to Barin Rockfist as he prayed and meditated for guidance. This silvery hammer led his mind to a distant tor, several leagues to the south, where the Vault of the Lost Wayfarer had been established by Marthammor's faithful Immar Mistwalker, High Old One of Marthammor, son of Gadlyn, blood of Dorn several years prior. The next day found Barin on the trail, along with his friend Thurm, and several other Dwarves, who had similar visions of the southern tor.
The ages old song above, a favorite of Dwarven miners and cave explorers, was really beginning to feel ages old to Barin and Thurm, seeing as they had been singing it since leaving Mithral Hall nearly a month ago. Paralleling the mighty Surbrin River, the caravan meandered southwest, stopping off in Nesme, skirting the Evermoors after encountering a small band of trolls and losing three mules and two men, through the Surbrin Hills and finally to Yartar. There, the Waterbaron greeted them with suspicion, for who wouldn't regard a caravan of nearly two score Dwarves with anything but, and then on to Triboar, where Lord Blackhammer set out a feast for them, welcoming them warmly to his city.
They did not linger long, however, as promises of an early snow saw them packing and heading for Berun's Hill, and a reunion with Immar Mistwalker. The reunion was one of merriment and a great deal of celebration, seeing old faces and renewing acquaintances. For nearly two weeks, the Dwarves explored the tors around Berun's Hill, prayed in the temples, and hunted game in the rocky crags.
The merriment, as with all things good, was short-lived, when a message came from a small port town along the Trackless Sea. Haljal Throndor, a stonemason and devoted follower of Marthammor Duin, sent word of dire things happening in the town of Port Llast. Something evil had befallen First Captain Haeromos Dothwintyl, himself a retired stonemason and now town leader. He has disappeared and worse, the quarry has become 'tainted' by some diabolical force. Winter is coming and assistance is needed before the first deep snows.
Wasting no time, The High Old One called for a group to travel to Port Llast > Barin and Thurm volunteered to go, and with another 10 Dwarves, they set out following the Triboar Trail, skirting the Neverwinter Woods, and finally arriving in Neverwinter, the City of Skilled Hands. They restocked their supplies and was ready to depart when a wintry storm descended from the North, shutting down travel along the road and even travel into the ports. With nothing else to do but hunker down and make the best of it, they began to meet others of similar mind and soon made a few friends among the Neverwintan locals. One evening, they visited the Fallen Tower, the most popular tavern in town. Made of fieldstone, the Dwarves of Mithral Hall felt somewhat at home and happened to sit near a table of adventurers who seemed to be down on their luck. After a few tankards, the groups begin talking.
A broad, tall man introduced himself as Moan and his wolfhound companion, Cu, made itself comfortable under the table, hoping for scraps and sniffing every Dwarven crotch he could. The man's Elven companion had a simple name too, Mag, although everyone knows the names of Elves are much longer indeed. Moan related an interesting tale about he and his friends doing some mine exploration in Red Larch, where their numbered was whittled down considerably:
"After the disappointment and despair of events in Red Larch, we wandered a bit as the summer passed swiftly by, finding odd jobs here and there as we wound our way south toward Waterdeep. Recruited as guardsmen, we found passage on a ship bound for Neverwinter, sailing north as the leaves began to turn and flecks of snow peppered the air. Except for some rough winds along the way, our ship made it safely to the City of Skilled Hands.
"Neverwinter was warm and welcoming, but it wasn't too long before we were running low on coin and getting restless to boot. Rumors swirled about the taverns like flies over a carcass:
Trolls are running everywhere, fleeing the Evermoors, which has been turned upside down by giants and possibly a black dragon! Travelers along the Long Road fought these hellish beasts all summer and into fall, as did several small inland towns.
"Wyverns attacked a small caravan out of Neverwinter about two weeks ago, leaving the wagons in tatters and killing everything - livestock and people. Some hunters out of Thundertree hid in terror as the wyverns flee north clutching their cargo, which included several large barrels. The hunters reported seeing riders on two of the wyverns, whose flock numbered almost a dozen!
Ice is already forming along the northern coastal areas and is hampering trade. Old timers believe it to be a bad omen, and sailors are superstitious by nature anyway, thinking the gods are angry with them at some offense they have yet to atone for. Sailors whisper that Luskan is up to something big. No one knows what just yet, but it could involve implanted agents all along the Savage Coast, the islands in the Trackless Sea and even the Underdark! That's when one of our number, Raz, booked a ship to Luskan to see what the fuss was all about. He's a restless one; I hope he doesn't end up in bad shape. So, now we're here...riding the storm out, and waiting for the weather to break. Heard some news from Port Llast, about some troubles they was having. Figured on heading up that way."
The Dwarves were grateful for the company, and when the storm petered out two days later, they were ready to depart. A very cold wind blew off the Trackless Sea as the caravan pulled out of Neverwinter, heading north along the High Road toward the sleepy little town of Port Llast.
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- Luskan docks.jpg (449.81 KiB) Viewed 3569 times
Several miles north, a similar caravan, if a group of six can be called such, leaves the City of Sails as representatives of the Red Dragon Trading Post; they are bound for Neverwinter. How three of them met...well, that is long story; so here is the short version:
Arriving from Neverwinter, Raz Tinkerboot was on his way to finding a whole mess of trouble...although he didn't know it yet. For a week or so, he knocked about the City, trying to stay out of the way of the dour Luskanites who seemed to always be in a hurry and angry as well. And no wonder! They lived under the rule of Five Captains who are themselves ruled by the malicious Host Tower of the Arcane. Which intrigued Raz to the point of pilfering about and finding himself involved with one of the apprentices from the Tower.
Seems not everyone is open to discussing the making of things, but as a patron of Gond, the need to tinker and find out things is a part of Raz's pysche. So as he ate his meager breakfast one more in the Seven Sails Inn where he was lodging, he overheard one of the maids say, "There's a shark in the shallows."
What did that mean? Surely there are no sharks in the shallows here, because most of the harbors are frozen over or sludgy at best. So, he asked. And the maid's face went pale, knowing she had been overheard when she had not meant to be overheard.
She grabbed Raz by the arm and hissed in his ear, "Not a word about what I just said. They will kill me if they find out."
While Raz was mulling this over, a young man descended the stairs to the common room, his red hair mussed up from sleep, and his clothes and belongings very disheveled. His face was similar to the maid's > pale and frightful, as if he had just awoken from a nightmare. He was mumbling to himself but Raz couldn't hear what he was saying. Seeing the Gnome sitting by himself, the young man approached and sat down rather quickly at his table.
He explained he was late for his appointment at the Red Dragon Trading Post; that they were hiring for a caravan to head south to Neverwinter before the roads were covered with snow. He just had to be in that caravan. The young man introduced himself as Keaton, and asked Raz to walk with him to the trading post. Keaton continually looked over his shoulder and around the place, his bright eyes seeking any sign of danger.
Raz went to get his things, and when he returned, Keaton was not in the common room. He asked about and the same maid who had pleaded with him a few minutes before said Keaton had left in a hurry, mumbling something about "how my boss if going to kill me!" So naturally, Raz set out to find him.
Meanwhile, Arilynne was excited about a new opportunity to perform before one of the High Captains and perhaps even a few members of the Host Tower! After wandering the around for a few years, trying to earn a living with her craft, this could be her big break! So, she slept in, because why not? And then gathered her belongings and headed downstairs for breakfast. Say what you want about the Seven Sails Inn - like literal skeletons found in closets, and tales of treasure hidden in the walls - they served up some delicious grub! Ari splurged today on pancakes with honey and butter, fried sausage, and a cup of something called kafe, which was not bad after a load of sugar and cream. She wasn't worried about the cost, since tonight would likely garner her enough to for the coming winter! She was thinking about what she would play while watching a fancy looking Gnome talk with a wide-eyed teenager...and then the Gnome leaving and the teenager bolting for the door. Intrigued, she watched the Gnome return, speak with the barmaid, and then leave.
She paid her tab and carried her kafe out into the street. Spying the Gnome, the said, "The kid you're looking for went that way." She pointed in the direction the young man had fled (for she saw him running past the windows of the inn), and asked, "Anything wrong?"
An hour later, she and Raz were walking toward the Red Dragon Trading Post. The place looked like a small business, but there was a back room with stables and wagons and supplies. Several armed guards patrolled the area, and they saw the young man, Keaton, speaking with who could have been the owner of the place by his outfit of thick leather jerkin, woolen coat, and fur cap. Keaton was gesturing wildly and pointing toward a couple of wagons that were definitely getting ready to leave.
Looking around, Keaton spied Raz and Ari and said aloud, "My friends have come to sign on too! I told you I was good for it!"
Here, dear readers, is where we skip past the cursing and begging and pleading, the angry disappointment, to threats revealed by Keaton, and promises made to assuage Ari who was missing what could be the performance of a lifetime. All of that was expedited by the arrival of a ranking apprentice of the Host Tower and three armed guards. The caravan of two wagons and four guards was pulling out, while Keaton grabbed Raz and Ari and begged them to listen:
He explained how a fellow aspiring apprentice had been targeted by the Host Tower. Seems this apprentice had 'come into the possession of' a certain item. The Host Tower went looking for the thief, found him, and mortally wounded him. He ran and although gravely wounded, made it Keaton's room...where upon he handed the young mage the item, and then died on his bed. Knowing the Host Tower would come looking, Keaton fled the inn, after an encounter with Raz, and made it here. He showed the pair the "stolen" item > it was a small marble statue, carved into the likeness of a man dressed in furs, standing with his hands on his hips; the statue is heavy and is approximately 6" tall.
Appealing to their good natures, Keaton convinced Raz and Ari to join him, and the three quickly took their places among the guards of the caravan, as it pulled out of the City of Sails, southbound for Neverwinter.
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Two weeks out of Luskan, and one week out of Neverwinter, finds the two groups about a mile or so from Port Llast. The going has been cold and tough, but nevertheless they have persevered. And all in all, it hasn't been a bad trip. At about the same time, the two groups spot each other > one coming over a rise from the north, the other coming around a bend from the south. They watch each other, ready for any sign of trouble, as they approach. At the little side road leading to Port Llast they stop, as the respective captains of the caravans hail one another and step forward to meet and talk. While they are talking, the two groups size each other up; the Dwarves, grim and determined, the Luskanites seeming the same.
Suddenly, the pack horses begin to whinny and stamp, and someone shouts, "Dragons!" pointing toward the sky to the north.
All eyes turn northward and hearts drop to see four winged creatures descending upon the caravans! They are diving to attack! And two of them have riders!
- Wyvern.png (172.11 KiB) Viewed 3569 times
