Session 132
Characters: Julian, Balin, Grim, Anthony, Randal, Tulgar.
NPCs: Alusair Obarskyr: Regent of Cormyr, Caladnei: Royal Magician of Cormyr, Unseen Servants of the Library of Suzail, Keiran Stormspear: Captain of the Guard (Arabel), 100 Caravan Guardsman, 500 Orc raiders of Obold Manyarrows, Ratharg the Werewolf: Cheiftan of the Greywolf tribe, 50 Greywolf Uthgart barbarians, Obold's Eyerippers, Glendon: Dragoneye Dealing Coster caravan manager, Nichole la Normande: Truesheild Trading Triakos caravan manager, Aymel: Apprentice of Wellstar, Wellstar: Herald of Arabel, First Reader Norillmir of Oghma: the Keeper of the Tomes (Candlekeep), Lionar Daklbel: Warwizard of the Cleansing Flame,
L 11 Mirtul 1374 - E 13 Mirtul 1374
6075 XP
In the royal Gardens of Suzail the party quickly discussed their options as to what they would investigate next. Julian volunteered to return to Alaphondar's tower above the Library of Suzail. Perhaps the High Sage had left other clues in his tower during his hasty exit? The rest of the party made their way to the Obarskyr Castle to inform Alusair on what they had found and to determine what should be done next.
Julian made his way back to the Library of Suzail and Spiderclimbed up its shadowy stone walls, the bright moonlight striking its opposite side. He reached the same window as before and after a careful inspection saw that both the window and room were exactly as he had left them 24 hours ago. An inspection of Alaphondar's personal study revealed no more information and so Julian made his way out and into a dimly lit, but luxuriously furnished hallway. After passing a parlor, and four moderately sized bedrooms for Alaphondar's arcane apprentices, Julian made his way into a much larger study room. The walls were lined with books stretching nearly to the top of its vaulted ceiling. The texts seemed of no help and Julian searched for secret chambers. He found a number small magical vaults created by Alaphondar's apprentices but their contents were benign. Julian returned to the hallway in time to avoid an unseen servant's ghostly visage pass him by. His skills of hiding were quite sharp even when caught by surprise.
Meanwhile, the rest of the party appeared before the ivy covered gates of Obarskyr Castle. The Royal Guard immediately recognized the valorous heroes and opened the gates. Without even the slightest hesitation to check the party's weapons and armor the Royal Guards respectfully sent messengers to Alusair and Caladnei and led the party to the royal receiving chamber. Quite unlike the standard princess, Alusair appeared after not much time, alert, and disheveled. Tulgar started off with a bold account of the party's adventures in the Storm Horn Mountains that they had not had time to recall during their previous brief meeting 3 days prior on the 8th of Mirtul. Tulgar spoke of the parliamentarian Castle Crag, their battle with mighty mountain giants, his takeover of the Black Raven tribe as its new chieftain, and the outstretched dragon amulets they recovered from the tribe's Giant leaders. Alusair stood in amazement, thanking Tulgar and the party profusely for their bravery and intelligence.
At the end of the hall Julian found a great magical door which he passed through with the help of his Universal Key. Up a set of winding stairs Julian was now in the highest level of Alaphondar's tower, the personal chamber of the High Sage himself. Its opulent furnishings caught Julian's eyes nearly everywhere he looked, yet he maintained his determination on investigating the mysterious sage. In a hidden floor compartment, locked with an elaborate Arcane Lock, Julian discovered what he only hoped he had not found. Vials of poison, dragon fang daggers, and a number of amulets depicting a great dragon with outstretched wings. Could Alaphondar have been the source of these all along? Lastly, Julian examined the Sage's desk and found a book which had originally been wrapped in a red ribbon and sealed in wax. This old history book was titled The Year of the Screeching Vole. In the trash set aside the desk Julian read a message written on a small tag "My good friend, I hope that you and the library find this as enjoyable as I did. -Wellstar" Julian covered his tracks quickly, blinked out of the tower's wall, and ran as fast as he could to Obarskyr Castle.
Randal continued the tale, explaining the results of their recent investigation of Lord Filfar Woodbrand's death in Waymoot. He stated truly their findings in Woodbrand's home, that his corpse was found to be nothing more than a magically transformed troll, and that the dragon bone lodged behind his throat had led them to a terrible cave lair in the Storm Horn mountains filled with dracoliches. There Randal said, they had found Woodbrand's true corpse and magical sword. He explained their investigation of the sword, Endarthar's tower, and how the ghost of Orthaneus had helped them unlock the sword's scroll. Randal's speech slowed as he stated that the scroll had led them to the Knight's Refuge, an ancient tomb of the Knight's Draconis.
Grim told Alusair many of the details concerning the Knights Draconis they had learned. Finally, Grim stated that he had discovered a surprising fact; that every High Mage in Cormyr's history had been a member of the Knight's Draconis Outer Sanctum. Caladnei entered the room weary asking how it was possibly for her to fulfill her duties if she was woken at all hours of the night. The awkward silence was broke by Julian bursting through chamber doors shouting Alaphondar! He threw an open box of trinkets, an old history book and a red ribbon upon the table and gasped for air. Grim returned to the issue of the Knights Draconis asking that Julian regain his composure before stating anything else. When Caladnei finally realized what she was being accused of he outwardly denied, laughing that they would take her to be such a great wizard. The party would not relent and pressured Alusair herself to examine Caladnei for the tattoo of an encircled dragon, the moonlight was still strong. After these proceedings Alusair returned stating that Caladnei was free of any such mark.
The party discussed the Knights Draconis more and agreed that if both the legends and evidence found in the tomb were true that it would not be wise to flush out the current members. They now turned to Julian whom told of Alaphondar, his tower, and the symbols which he had found. Grim was familiar with the history of the book and described it as an account of when The Crown of Winter was last reportedly used on Faerûn in 163 DR. The resulting effect was that a village and a Cormyrean lord's estates were destroyed in massive ice storm during high summer. While interesting it seemed in itself irrelevant to their investigation. The book itself however, Grim and Caladnei hypothesized may be a massive cipher used by the two academics for some secret correspondence.
While most of the party succumbed to the luxurious furnishings and odd hour, Julian, Grim, and Caladnei continued to furiously analyze the text and other reference sources. After hours of searching Caladnei found hidden numbers written in ink only visible under the illumination of Fairy Fire, scattered across the book's many pages. The team now set to arrange the numbers into a long sequence. Another couple of hours were spent toiling at this long code, when finally they realized the numbers were arranged to reference a chapter, paragraph, word, and letter. They arranged this second code and discovered Wellstar's message to the High Sage Alaphondar. "The 17th of Mirtul 5:23 am". The exhausted three woke the rest of the party in their excitement and agreed to pay a visit to the Herald of Arabel, Wellstar. The morning sun rose through a clear sky as Grim Teleported the party just inside Arabel's northern gate.
The party heard the unexpected yet not surprising sounds of men mustering and battle joined from outside the trade city's walls. They ran to the guard posts and announced their purpose, showing their Purple Dragon Rings as proof. Captain of the Guard Keiran Stormspear allowed them entrance to the tower, briefing the party as they rose to its observation deck. Captain Keiran explained that all day caravans from the Dragoneye Dealing Coster and the Trueshield Trading Triakos (a Sembian based company), had been leaving the city. The Trueshields had clogged the eastern gate and thus some of the remainder of the company chose to leave via the northern gate against the Captain's advice. Orcs had been seen moving in an organized fashion in the northwestern areas near Arabel. The Dragoneye Dealing Coster had been ordered to exclusively leave the city and head toward the Parliamentarian capital of Marsember. When both caravans left from the northern gate they had been set upon by a small horde of 500 orcs bearing the marks of Obold Manyarrows. In addition, the Truesheild caravan which had left just prior was being assaulted to the north east by a smaller band of tribal barbarians adorned in greywolf pelts and riding Dire Wolf mounts.
The party saw the vast damage and carnage that had already been done to the wagons and their guardsman whom had barely made it out of the gate before being swarmed by orcs and barbarians. Grim cast an intricately shaped Meteorswarm which weaved in and out of the battle, sparing the wounded guardsman. Julian cast a clever Horrid Wilting spell which showed little mercy for the orcish force. Randal and Constal Manton made their way efficiently to the ground and began to dispatch the remaining orcs.
Meanwhile, Balin had transformed himself into a great green and white Pegasus. Tulgar leapt onto his back and rode through the morning sky. Leaping off the great beast, Tulgar drew his bitter chain and challenged their leader Ratharg to an Uthgart duel of honor. Ratharg was well versed in these practices and accepted with a mighty howl drawing his great axe and charging forward. Tulgar's initial blow was weak and Ratharg returned with many more. However, through Tulgar's prowess in battle these were only glancing blows. Tulgar summoned the might from within his ancestral chain and wracked the Werewolf Chieftain with a series of incredible slashes. Ratharg's tough hide, fiery passion, and regenerative bloodline were not enough to sustain him for but one more round if by chance Tulgar were to strike again. Ratharg called for mercy and collapsed to the ground once more. Tulgar brought the Greywolf chieftain up from the ground not as an enemy, but re-born a brother, Ratharg's blood dripped into Tulgar's wounds as he relinquished his command over the tribe. Tulgar called for them to halt their attack, return to the woods to the west, and said that he would meet them later in the night for mead and feasting. The Greywolves rode back as fast as they had come leaving only the slaughtered caravan as a sign they had been present.
Later, Balin, Anthony, and Randal would tend to their wounded and bring the remaining wagon pieces and survivors back within Arabel's walls. Julian noticed at the edge of his vision 4 black orcs standing on a hill watching. Just before he could call out they backed down and were gone. The Eyerippers had seen it all, but why had they not acted? Captain Keiran quickly thanked the party for their incredible actions, then stormed away and unleashed a barrage of curses upon the surviving caravan manager. Afterwards, Julian spoke with the Dragoneye caravan manager Glendon whom stated that he had been ordered directly by the company’s owner Lord Illance to move the caravan south to Marsember. Glendon honestly could not be sure as to why a staunch royalist such as Lord Illance would want to move his company to the red city of Marsember. Nichole la Normande, manager of the Trueshield company, graciously thanked Julian for saving his life and offered to arrange a new trading alliance between Sembia and Porta Elvasious in return. Of course, Julian agreed.
Captain Keiran asked why the party had come to Arabel to begin with and they explained their desire to speak with Herald Wellstar. Captain Keiran sent two horsemen to lead the heroes directly to Wellstar's tower on the western wall of Arabel. Herald Wellstar's tower looked of old traditional wizardly design. However it was adorned on the outside by many strange and delicate mechanical contraptions, which moved with every blow of the wind. Its roof was a great metal dome open to one end, and looked to be of recent and continuing construction. Answering the door was Wellstar's apprentice Aymer, soaking wet. After some brief, rude dialogue, Aymer reluctantly agreed to contact the absent Wellstar and arrange for a meeting and tour of the tower. not more than 5 minutes later Aymer returned to the door in dry clothes and said that Wellstar had returned.
The party met Wellstar in the foyer, whose old and dusty decor implied he was a quite busy man, and not particularly fond of the arts. Wellstar, although only 30 years old, appeared far older. The party told Wellstar why they had come and Wellstar agreed to give them a tour and assist them in their investigation in any manner he could. On the second level Julian noticed Wellstar's chamber was greatly cluttered with papers. His initial quick attempts to find something which would link Wellstar official to the book were fruitless. Moreover, Wellstar's quick and detail filled testimonies were occupying most of everyone's attention. The third level contained many laboratories, careful experiments currently being done, mathematics and mechanics were all around them. Grim and Balin realized Wellstar was quite the astronomer and were impressed by his knowledge. The 4th and final level was Wellstar's observatory. Balin and Julian noted he had been tracking a particular constellation in the night sky the past weeks. Wellstar described it as the "Loke" elven for dragon. The party learned that on the date written in the Alaphondar's book the Loke would be at its highest point in the night sky, a time that the old elves of Cormynthor often referred to as the "Faenloke" or awakened dragon.
Wellstar outwardly denied being involved in the Knights Draconis and stated he had never written the code they described in the book. Facts that Anthony and Randal could not detect a lie within. However, he did admit that he had sent the book to Alaphondar, for its references to Cormyrian history, weather, and arcana. Three things the two academics shared closely. Randal and Anthony pushed Wellstar to confess something he may have been hiding but Wellstar refused. On their way down the winding stairs Randal again pressured Wellstar, and during his distraction Julian slipped back into Wellstar's chamber and discovered a couple small books of poetry amongst the chaotic papers. Perhaps Wellstar was an appreciator of the arts after all? Within one of the books was an intricate poem written in Alaphondar's own handwriting, Julian quickly copied it down and returned to the party. They left and Wellstar promised to help them more at a later point if he thought of anything more.
Julian showed the poem to the party and before discussing it any further they decided to return to the Gardens of Suzail, a more familiar place if not safer. The poem read.
Glory Undo
With Aleron’s Ivy
Sees bold bet
Myth bore a Lance
I heed, turn, went very raw in
Last Cry!
The wrong,
What was the intention of the writer? Did Alaphondar actually write it or was it copied by him from another source? Furthermore, what did the first King of Cormyr, ivy, myth, a lance, and betrayal have to do with one another? The party knew they could not go back to the Library of Suzail for the background information concerning these references. It had already been picked over and censored so carefully by Alaphondar. Julian, Balin, and Grim offered to travel to Candlekeep, the greatest and most unbiased source of knowledge and history on Ferun. They knew however, that entrance to the keep and service from the monks of Ogmha would come at a high and rare cost. The rest of the party decided to return to Calantar Keep and see if battle had broken out yet between the Royalists and Parliamentarians.
Grim once again Teleported Julian and Balin to the windswept dirt path in front of Candlekeep. The fortress was built along high crags overlooking the Sword Coast and despite its great tactical location it still communicated a purpose of peace and knowledge. Along the battlements were two monks clothed in simple brown robes, the party asked that they gain entrance and speak with the Abbot about helping them with a great riddle and poem. They entered the castle and met with. First Reader Norillmir of Oghma, the Keeper of the Tomes Ulraunt was busy and proud. After explaining their desire to learn all about Cormyr's history the poem referenced and a possible solution to the riddle, Balin offered copies of his detailed ecological field notes that he had collected over his years of adventuring as payment. Norillmir agreed that they would have it done in two days given that the party stay and help and also that Balin return every 50 years for the rest of his life to update these impressive catalogues of nature. A deal was struck, and without one second further First Reader Norillmir had every monk and book in Candlekeep flying about searching for answers.
Meanwhile, Calantar Keep was in further trouble as Constal Manton was briefed by Lionar Daklbel that the Parliamentarians had grown in size yet again and that they were currently stripping the woods and riverside of logs, constructing light fortifications and rallying for battle. It seemed as though the great purple flag of Cormyr was finally stretched too thin.
Tulgar signaled for a Great Black Raven and hours later, the Purple Dragon Guard of Calantar Keep saw the black silhouette of a Great Raven flying in from the north, behind it the setting sun of a long and tiring day. Tulgar was not done yet however. He flew into the northern wild woods and found the campsite of the Greywolf tribe. Ratharg and the tribe greeted him heartily, offering their new Cheiftan bloodmead and the last of the Cormyrian stag meat they had left. Tulgar spoke to the tribe from his heart, challenging their fears of starvation and offering them instead a mission of great honor. To hunt down Obold's rapid black tribes and destroy them with the cunning tactics and bravery that only the great grey wolves possessed. With the ever watchful eyes of their Uthgart allies the Black Ravens flying high in the skies, the Greywolves would always know the weakest point in Obold's support lines to attack. Drunk and bloodthirsty the Greywolves celebrated, the night air was filled with the cheers and howls of re-born wolf warriors.
