Notes and communications by Raona Corbin of Tyr

[Dalvyn]

Friends, gather 'round that I may set before you what I know of a storm looming on the horizon: some significant turn of events, foretold by prophecy, vision, and ominous portent. Fate has seen to it that some of this tale has fallen unto my lap, whilst the rest I have sought out and collected here that all may know of it, think on it, and - with Tymora's blessing - that one wiser than myself may see the meaning of it all in time to move a group of us to act with the informed hand of decisive, collective action.


I emerged from the new Post just off the square in Waterdeep, not long ago, to the raised voices of those followers of Lliira known as the Joybringers, shouting out a prophecy to the city:
"The ever-travellers are kidnapped, put in jail, tortured, and sacrificed. Hidden below the murderous sun they await their fate. But they too, will soon know a time of celebration and a reason to rejoice!"
"Soon, what has been stored away will be recovered, and there will be much rejoicing! The black hand hidden in the sand raises to stop those who would help. But valor shall prevail, and soon it shall be time for celebration."


I spoke at length with some of the wisest residents of our fair city - Kladian, the Loremaster of Oghma, and Kilaad, Adventure Archivist, among them - of the possible meaning of these words. In the course of that discussion, a member of the guard mentioned that the Seeress of Selune, Keledirel, had had a vision not long before. Thinking it may have been related to this prophecy brought by the Joybringers, we sought it out. With the help of Sean Vallar of the Watch, and of Spaki the magician, I obtained the following account of that vision, translated here from the original Elven, and alas, with me unable to offer proper attribution to the original author, for I know not his or her name, nor was it recorded with said record of the events:


This is the vision of Keledriel, the Oracle of the Moon, as she told us of it:
'It started with someone holding out their hand. I could not see any face at first. Then I noticed that there were many other people doing the exact same thing...and I was doing it too. We all seemed to be getting closer, and it seemed then that we were all reaching toward one another. Our hands finally touched, but then I saw that it was myself...all around me, I was touching my own hand. There were visions of me everywhere...then everything went black. As I looked through the darkness, I saw that I was at the bottom of a staircase, and there was an opening. The opening was shaped like a horrible, grinning mouth. A mouth that looked sarcastic, like a carnival mask. A hand and a forearm reached out of the opening, reaching out for...something. I could not tell what. As I focused, though, I noticed it was made of black rotting flesh...and it was terribly evil. I could just tell...there was evil everywhere in that image. A creature came out from the opening...the creature to which the horrible forearm belonged. It was enormous and three-headed; the first head looked like a jackal; the second was horrendous and deformed, like a patched-together undead creature; and the third looked like a vulture. In turn, each head said to me, 'Can I help?' The last thing I remembered was a very faint sound...high-pitched, like a woman screaming.'


Anasil wast amongst those studying the portent of the Joybringers, and he recounted to me the tale of a priest of the Father who had ventured south to the site of a black monolith in the Calim desert, upon hearing of the prophecy. He described having found there a brass door with three lightning bolts and two cobras, though he could not get in. On the strength of Araukaer's knowledge of the myths of the realms, he and I accompanied Aughis to the Calim desert, and there, after much searching and at time feeling that the Lamias of the desert were conspiring to stop us, found this place mentioned by the preist of the Father. It is a stark black monolith rising from the desert sands, clearly a place of ritual sacrifice. The monolith itself be only a part of the whole of a structure, largely buried in the sand...as Araukaer so aptly put it, the fingertip of a (black) hand, rising from the desert. Further searching revealed that there was an entrance...but seeing the parallels to the prophecy, we did not explore further, nor find the brass door, there being only the three of us, our steeds weary and night decending upon us.


Some days later, Sean, Anasil, and I had just gathered to collect our thoughts on these matters when Selchoun, the proprietor of Selchoun's Sundries, cried out loudly for help. Sean arrived there first, and just in time to save Selchoun's life. Selchoun had been attacked by several creatures, without warning, one of them being a lamia born of a deer, who fell whilst the others fled the scene. It seems that the attackers took only a single item: a tome, the third volume in a series called "A Survey of the Outer Planes." (Selchoun was not having a fair day, his store having been burglarized earlier that very morn by a youth, who took his coin, but seemingly nothing else.) The aforementioned tome came into Selchoun's possession as part of a package of curious items, by way of Leon the Fighter, who in turn delivered the package to Waterdeep as a kindness for a tall man, with oddly blue skin, whose name he did not know. Leon encountered him on his way back from Zazzesspur, north of the Tethir Forest; Leon said he thought he saw some ruins near the camp of the strange, blue-skinned creature. My colleagues inform me that this sounds like it may be a place called "The Arcane."


This, at present, seems to be all the relevant facts at hand. If any be interested, I can provide a great deal more detail on most aspects, to any so inclined to hear. I do ask that any willing to work against these dark forces discuss these matters, and think on what it all might mean. I urge also that none take precipitous, solitary action, but rather that we make ourselves available to any exploratory or rescue effort, once plans for such materialize from a truer understanding of the situation. I would be eager to hear from anyone believing to understand what unfolds before us, that I might append such insight to this document.


In humble service to the Lords of Waterdeep and the cause of Justice,


Raona Corbin of Waterdeep

[Dalvyn]

Much has transpired since I last put quill to parchment, thus I pen this update concerning events transpiring in the Realms, that all may consider how best to act upon same.


In my last missive, I edited out some details that did not seem relevant at the time. Hindsight has proven some to be portents indeed, so let me begin with some amendments to my previous comments. First, one among the group that attacked Selchoun carried implements (specifically, an oversized shield that was left behind) that bore a symbol of a grey or black six-fingered hand. (As Sean observed: a hand, not a claw, and it was either intended to be grey, or it was black and its paint hadst faded.) Second, among the package of exotic items that Selchoun purchased from Leon there was some black leather armour with a green eye symbol upon it. Third, I have happened upon the second book in the series of which the third was taken from Selchoun's shop, and am now in a position to report that the volumes are "A Survey of the Outer Planes," by one Merudoc Steppingtoes. The second volume deals with the evil-aligned outer planes: Baator, Gehenna, Hades, Carceri, and the Abyss. This suggests that the third may deal in either the neutral or the good-aligned planes, and I would ask any coming upon the first volume in the series to let me know of its subject matter.


Further research into the black monolith in the Calim desert hast revealed it to be an ancient temple to the Stormlord, and one that has stood exposed from the sands for some time. It is not new, nor newly exposed, just little-known. I seek to assemble a group of varied skills to explore it completely, as our first exploration effort was turned back, incomplete. I also seek the wisdom of any who have ventured into, or actually spoken with, this place or creature known as The Arcane.


Let me now turn my pen to events that hast transpired 'ere last I wrote. I have nae been first-person witness to any of these, thus I report as best I can what I have gleaned from heresay. However, I have done my best to seek verification of what is here writ. First, there is a servant of the Stormlord known as Keinro - a tall human with steely eyes, dressed all in black, who I did have the experience of encountering in Ardeep. This man committed a murder in the city of Waterdeep, slaying a druid, for which a bounty of 200 platinum was placed upon his head. Keinro was duly captured: not for the bounty, but in the name of the forest, by a posse of its allies, including rangers and mages. Keinro was then tried and sentenced by the magistrates of Waterdeep, being banished from Waterdeep, his spell components confiscated. However, he was unchastened by this turn of events, and as I understand it, sought revenge, killing the White Mage Miriel and bringing the wrath of the people of the forest down upon him again.
Several fault him or involve him in the events that have since washed over Ardeep (described below), though all agree that that they could nae be his work alone.


It seems that there was also a disturbing transaction, in which the woman Mariela was sold to a demon. (It is my understanding that Mariela had fallen asleep on the side of the road, and was thus captured by her sellers.) Unfortunately, events have continually interrupted my attempts to gather information on this matter, so I can offer few details. Mariela somehow escaped or was rescued, and took refuge in Waterdeep. The Gates of the Deep itself were attacked repeatedly by demonkin in an effort to take Mariela back to her demon "owner," but in vain. Mariela hast done her best to put this turn of events behind her, on focus on her upcoming wedding to Daylahn. The Mithrandir Gwain, Seargeant of the watch, assures me that the Deep does not recognize any form of slavery contract, and will offer asylum to individuals seeking shelter from claims of ownership that are not of the form of apprenticeships.


However, it seems the Demon fails to appreciate the (to my mind, sad) distance between the City and the Forest in the Deep, and it then turned its anger upon Ardeep. Four strange wooden statuettes of orangutan-like devils, with six fingers and toes, appeared at the four corners of the forest. From them sprang hordes of demons of the same description. An effort was made to rescue the forest, and to staunch the flow by burning the four statuettes. Alas, both failed, though many who fell in the battle were rescued by Jaenoic and others. As the battle raged, a powerful female voice screamed that punishment was being exacted for failing to hand over Mariela. Four sickly yellow glows, which we believe to be the nexi of the demon Gate, persist where the statuettes once stood. Ardeep remains overrun by demonkind, and all are warned to stay well clear of it until a solution is found.


In humble service to the cause of Justice and the Lords of Waterdeep,


Raona Corbin of Tyr

[Dalvyn]

Inhabitants of the Realms, and Fellow Allies of Ardeep -

I have fallen silent for a spell, but can remain so no longer. Attempts at secrecy have proven to work against the Forest, with most of its protectors unaware of goings on whilst the enemies of the Forest readily learn all.

The sun has precessed full circle since Ardeep was first infested with Demons, and still it languishes, its protectors growing tired and dispirited. The time has come for a change in approach, beginning with a full retelling of events to this point. Let any who have felt left out of the circle of those seeking to free the forest from its shackles here find an invitation to work in its behalf.

An effort at secrecy fell over this effort when it was learned that there existed a powerful relic of the Church of Duty, a mace known as Demonsbane. This mace was carried by a Paladin of Helm, who disappeared in a volcano near the Moonshaes. The mace held special properties, most notably the ability to banish outlanders, such as demons, to their home plane. Properly sacrificed in a cleansing ritual, it is purported to be capable of cleansing a place of demons.

This information was provided by an extraplanar creature known as the Arcane, who often visits Faerun and lingers about the Old School of Wonder. He is a merchant and arcanist, exceptionally knowledgeable on a wide variety of matters, but on the topic of demonology in particular. I mention this because it shall become important again later in this tale.

A large party set forth for this volcano to learn the fate of the fallen paladin, and to seek to retrieve the mace. It met there a race of fire dwarves known as the Azer, who, like their more familiar dwarven cousins, detest magic. Unfortunately, one amongst the large party did not fully appreciate this fact, or simply faltered, but at any rate he did cast a spell in their presence, at which they took great offense and ushered us brusquely from their domain.

Between competing ideas as to the use of the mace (some thought it should be used to cleanse the Old School of Wonder, rather than Ardeep; others thought that it might be used as a weapon rather than sacrificed), the demonstrated problems with an immense group setting about a delicate task, and a surmised intent on the part of evil beings to reach the mace first, the sharing of information about the effort was, at that point, quenched. A smaller group was organized, and made plans to seek the forgiveness and understanding of the Azer.

(This is what led to the poem written upon the obelisk in the new Oghman museum, located in the southeast portion of Waterdeep's Market Square. The tale is basically a retelling of events to that point, mirrored into the Azer’s eyes.)

This smaller group did eventually succeed in its quest, retrieving Demonsbane from the lair come tomb of an immense red dragon, which had perished at the hands of the aforementioned paladin. (Alas, the paladin had also succumbed to his wounds, and died in the dragon's lair.) With the relic in hand, the group sought further guidance from the Arcane, as to how the mace might be used to cleanse Ardeep. I was not present for this discussion, but it seems that unfortunately the information conveyed was somehow incomplete.

I will continue this tale shortly, in another installment.

In humble service to the cause of Justice and the Lords of Waterdeep,

Raona Corbin of Tyr

[Dalvyn]

Inhabitants of the Realms, and Fellow Allies of Ardeep -

Let me resume my account from where I last left it, with Demonsbane just recovered, but its use unclear. At this point some change took place in Ardeep, and the demons infesting it withdrew into the grove. (This may have been caused by some magic being applied to the former locations of the gates in Ardeep, from which the yellow glows emanated. Or it may be tied to their massing to form an army, as revealed below. I am uncertain.) Soon thereafter demons from within Ardeep began leaving the forest, rampaging across the countryside. Several such demons, alone or in pairs, were destroyed, though not before they wreaked havoc upon merchants, travelers, and towns.

In one such incident, it was clear that the demons were not acting alone...for as they killed merchants upon the roads, they were re-animated as undead warriors, fighting alongside the demons. When a group dispatched these demons, they caught sight of a deer-lamia priestess attacking yet another merchant caravan, and set upon her, wisely sparing her life. When she finally fell, she was bound and subjected to a charming enchantment. This led her to divulge that she was based in a secret temple, not far from Ardeep, whose location had to be kept secret from the "tan skinned people" of the desert. Griggs identified these as the Bedine, a clan of desert nomads found in most of Faerun's deserts. Just as the interrogation revealed a detail suggesting that the base was in the Anauroch, a bolt of lightning flew from the skies and ended the life of the captive lamia.

Thus, with the information at hand and a warning from The Glittering Jester himself that the Demons in Ardeep were massing to act as an army, a group quickly set forth for the Anauroch to search out the Bedine.
With the aid of Fennec, a native of the desert, the Bedine camp was found, though it seemed strangely deserted, and the children not nearly so mischievous as usual. The leader of the nomads told us of the persistent raids of the lamia, who would kill...and eat...the strong and take those unable to defend themselves - the old, the young - captive, never to be seen again. Where they were taken, he did not know, but a search of the desert around the camp revealed several sets of lamia tracks. Rangers tracked these in what was hoped to be the general direction of the secret camp, and then a search of the desert ensued.
Eventually, the secret lamia camp was found, buried in the Anauroch: much as the Lliran prophecy suggested, though this discovery revealed the prophecy did not refer to the buried temple in the Calim, as was originally thought.

The temple was well defended, and several in the rescue party fell at the hands of its lamia defenders, who used illusion to bolster their brute strength. The party pressed onward, only to encounter one disturbing sight after another. Black candles were found, clearly made of human tallow. Piles upon piles of acid-leached bones lay strewn across the floors, and several places of ritual sacrifice were in evidence. But one living survivor was found, the mother of a small child we had encountered in the nomad camp. She held a ward of some kind, and clung tightly to a female tiefling, who had promised to attempt to aid her escape. After much negotiation, the tiefling and the party worked together to return the survivor to the camp and her child, and the ward she carried was returned to the party. With the ward in hand, the rest of the temple could be investigated, and such investigation unveiled the High Priestess of this Lamia cult, Isha-Denarthun. She spoke boldly, with the same voice that demanded the return of Mariela in Ardeep, but when put to the hammer she fell easily - surprisingly so, offering less resistance than did most of her guards.

She had little to say, but we found notes of hers that spoke volumes where she did not.

These notes were given to Griggs to disseminate, so I can not speak in detail as to the whole of their contents. They did, however, implicate this Isha-Denarthun in a great many dark deeds that had recently taken place, and thus served to clear the names of both Algon and a gnome priestess accused of summoning demons to Berdusk. They also made it clear that this same Isha-Denarthun fashioned the statuettes that brought the demons to Ardeep, and then controlled them. Further, they made it clear that the effort of doing so had sapped away much of her strength, explaining how she was so easily overcome. More problematically, they made plain that she had learned how to craft and employ the statuettes from the same Arcane that told us of Demonsbane, and that she was not alone, but took counsel from another, a Shri-ra-chi or somesuch - a name later described as likely that of another lamia.
Thus, finding these notes raised new questions and concerns: was the Arcane using us as a tool in some larger plot of his own? Does a powerful lamia remain at large? On this latter question the newsman Griggs purports to have opinions, but he will nae share them with me.
Ye might ask him of it yerself, if ye see him about.

The party hoped that in Isha-Denarthun's end would come the end of the infestation of Ardeep, but alas, time has not borne out this hope. The Demons remain, though no longer controlled, and are likely to begin leaking out 'ere long. The Arcane seemed delighted by Isha-Denarthun's undoing, however, and came to speak with some of those involved shortly thereafter. A summary of that tense conversation shall be the subject of my subsequent report.

In humble service to the cause of Justice and the Lords of Waterdeep,
Raona Corbin of Tyr

[Dalvyn]

Inhabitants of the Realms, and Fellow Allies of Ardeep -


As I remarked at the conclusion of my last telling, with the downfall of the lamia high-priest Isha-Denarthun came a visit from the Arcane, a member of a planar race of traders and merchants who travel the planes in search of business. He seemed pleased with himself, but the questions from those dedicated to the liberation of Ardeep were immediate, and pointed. As I explained last time, notes left by the lamia priestess indicated that the Arcane himself had revealed to the lamias how to go about summoning the demons to Ardeep.


When pressed on this point, the Arcane calmly explained that his providing the information on the summoning ritual to Isha-Denarthun was motivated by the need to sap her power, that she might be defeated. The creation of the statuettes used in the summoning, and the process of maintaining control over the summoned demons, drained her of most of her strength, explaining why she had been readily defeated by the party. He refused to expound further on his motivations, save to say that she was a threat to his trading efforts, and he was glad to see Isha-Denarthun eliminated.


The conversation then turned to how the Demons might be removed from Ardeep: specifically, what sequence of steps could see the summoning ended, and then the demons banished to whence they came. As the Arcane was spelling out the specifics, however, a red-skinned tiefling appeared on the scene. The Warden of the Forests reacted decisively, demanding that the tiefling depart, and shoving him away from the gathering. The Arcane took this as a personal affront, explaining that he deals with devils regularly. He departed, with the words "If you are that barbaric that you cannot welcome those who look differently, this is not my place to remain here."


So ensued a heated debate amongst the would-be liberators of Ardeep concerning the importance of secrecy, the exclusion of certain races and individuals, and what could be none next. I will not divulge the details of this discussion, save to say that a single consensus on Ardeep was *not* reached, and in the end, two separate groups emerged, each opting to proceed in its own direction. I will only continue with the tale of one of these splinters, that of which I am part. That group set out to re-find the Arcane, and hopefully make amends with him. It took some time, for the Arcane had departed these planes, and only returned after a substantial delay. In the interim, members of our group sought out the elements they understood to be required for the ritual the Arcane had partially described.


When word finally came that the Arcane had returned to Toril, a party quickly traveled out to meet him. Alas, we found that the Arcane had only returned to Faerun with intent to pack his belongings and depart again, never to return. Attempts to persuade him to the contrary were met only with disappointment: it seemed that he would only reconsider upon the personal apology of the Warden, something that we were not in a position to offer. The Arcane explained that an essential element in any business dealing is mutual respect, and feeling that this had been sundered, he explained that he was not one to "come back into a deal that was broken. There are many ways to break a deal...one of them is to not keep one's promises; another is to insult the person with who you are dealing." He departed, with a tremendous lightning storm developing as a seeming consequence of his magical means of planar conveyance, just as the same red-skinned tiefling from the previous encounter arrived upon the scene.


Our party went so far as to apologize to the red-skinned tiefling for his earlier treatment, and inquired as to his interest in the matter. He explained that being descended from a Baatezu (devil), he shared with us a strong desire to see Tanar'ri (demons) removed from Faerun. Just as our discussion was turning to this common goal, and how it might be attained, word came from about Ardeep that events were there afoot. This tale I will tell in my next writing.


In humble service to the Holy Cause of Justice and the Lords of Waterdeep,
Raona Corbin of Tyr

[Dalvyn]

Inhabitants of the Realms, and Fellow Allies of Ardeep -


Having watched the Arcane depart, stating that he did not intend to return, our party had turned to possible subsequent courses of action.
However, word soon came that events were afoot in Ardeep, and thus we proceeded there with haste.
We were informed that a bronze-skinned man had been found not far outside the forest, covered with mud, roots, and claw marks. He was within an inch of his life. Not long before he was discovered, those standing in the Market Square of Waterdeep had observed the same storm as that we experienced at the, well, the former home of the Arcane. In one of the massive flashes of lightning, a bright copper object was seen tracing across the sky, and in the next, that same object was struck by one of the massive lightning bolts and fell from the sky.


Some went to investigate, discovering the bronze-skinned man and pulling him to safety. We learned that his name was Felgolos, and that he was a traveler and a practitioner of the arcane, most knowledgeable of history and sharing a strong feeling against racial prejudice with some in our group. It was concluded that the copper trace that fell from the sky was this very man, seen from a distance. He described himself as prone to misfortune, and surely that must have been the case this day, for the lightning bolt had struck him such that he fell square into the middle of the demon-infested grove of Ardeep. His hopes of being aided by the elves and rangers there evaporated as first two, then four more, and then dozen more bar-lguras (demons) set upon him. He fought them off at first, then assessed the situation and wisely opted for a strategic retreat. We later ascertained that he escaped by burrowing a tunnel that closed behind him as he dug - much as moles and shrews do - such that the demons could not follow him, and explaining the roots and mud that caked his body.


As it turns, Felgolos cares deeply for Ardeep, and was hurt to see it so violated. He asked of the history of the situation, listening with concern. He stated that having remained as long as they have, the demons are no longer "summoned," but rather taking up residence in Ardeep. Sadly, this means that even the ritual designed to reverse a summoning, which we had been investigating with the Arcane, would not suffice to displace them. More extreme measures will be required.
Felgolos helped us put our minds to possible approaches to rectifying the situation, and in short order we came up with a plan to at least pen in the demons, and prevent them from escaping to infect other regions of Faerun. This was to be the first step of several, buying us the time needed to actually find a means of removing the demons entirely.


Even this will not to be easy. It will require the preparation of four large metallic vessels, each bearing magical runes and filled with holy water. Felgolos suggested forming the vessels from an alloy of five metals, harking back to the alliances between halflings, elves, humans, gnomes, and dwarves that had protected the forest in the past. He also seemed to feel that the contributions of these metals should not come from only the dwarves themselves, but rather all these races, and others as well; the unity of purpose itself serving as a powerful symbolic force in opposition to the chaotic and self-serving ways of demons. Observing that it takes a long time to earn the trust of a dwarf, and that much metal would be needed, Felgolos told of another possible means of learning of the mining trade. He told a tale of a lost band of gnomes, which went as follows:
"The dwarves might help, for sure... but they tend not to share their skills with other races much. It takes a long time to gain a dwarf's trust... but there are others, who might share the secrets... When Phalorm fell, the alliance broke and those who had escaped the slaughter spread out. Amongst those was a community of gnome miners, who found refuge farther south, in the Troll Mountains. They... still live to this day. Or un-live, to be precise. As refugees from Ardeep, perhaps they would agree with sharing some of their skills with you. I have not visited them recently. They were attacked by kobolds... and their spirits remain, unable to find peace. That is why they are still there. If you do not wish to remain idle, perhaps you could learn some skills from them and help in the construction of the foci. Though... I must warn you... kobolds are not much in size, but they more than make up for it with their trapmaking skills. Do not venture there on your own."


A great deal of metal shall be required, for the intended result is four identical large metal cones, each formed from the same alloy of five metals. They are to be each filled with two aliquots of holy water, blessed by a follower of law and order, and inscribed with runes by one Basil the Verbeeg. They will be forged with covers in the shape of shields, and planted with their points in the ground where the foci of the original summoning were located and a sickly yellow glow still lingers. They will form a powerful barrier to contain the demons, and once it is in place, work can begin in earnest on the actual liberation of the forest.


In humble service to the cause of Justice and the Lords of Waterdeep,
Raona Corbin of Tyr

[Dalvyn]

I would like to inform all friends of Shabanna, known to me as the wife of Algon, of a strange experience and the likely need on her part of your further aid. I was catching up on matters, much as you are now, by reading the notices in the Font of Knowledge, when I heard a soft padding of feet into the room. I made a gruff remark about discomfort at having people sneak about me, and shortly thereafter, in an uncharacteristically timid manner, Shabanna emerged from the shadows and apologized. I, having just read of her capture and the ransom sought for her return, was overjoyed to see her safe and with us again, but she did not seem to recognize me. Indeed, upon further investigation, I found that she did not remember many of her dear friends, nor her way about Waterdeep. However, she did remember her profession, as a belly dancer; enough to convince me that it was truly Shabanna I was speaking with, and not some doppelganger. She looked her normal self, and healthy, save a lock of hair that had been clipped from her curls with no concern for the effect on her appearance.


Shabanna seemed most disoriented, and related to me the following:
She told me that she recalled being married to a man with an eyepatch, one named Michael, of whom she did not seem to have fond memories, as she frowned as she said his name. Gwain told me that this man is a priest in the service of the harsh Matron of the Seas, and that Shabanna did indeed have a romantic time with him, but that it was long ago, before she left him for Rozor (and then he, in turn, for Algon). She heard voices, telling her that it was so and that the child she carries in her womb is Michael's. These same voices told her that Algon killed Michael, and took Shabanna as his wife...and added that everyone would deny it.


I am at a loss to understand it all...I know Shabanna only as the happy bride of Algon. But those who have played an important part in Shabanna's life might be better able to assess what has happened...a revealing of the truth, or the development of a lie, with some sinister purpose. I am moved to wonder if there be some dark magic that clouds the mind and involves use of a lock of one's hair. I had to depart, and left Shabanna in the care of Rozor, a man who has played an important role in her past. I do not know what further he may have learned.


Shabanna seems resigned to her fate, parting with the words "I have my life to determine who I am," but she seems not herself, nor fully well.
She seemed sickly and uncertain, most changed from the Shabanna I once knew. What the Syl Pasha, the high Sultan of Calimport, did to her while she was his captive concerns me greatly. I urge all good friends of Shabanna, particularly those who grew up with her, and know her past, to offer her what aid they might in recovering her memories and uncovering the truth behind the thoughts that were put into her mind.


Raona Corbin, humble Servant of Justice and the City of Waterdeep

[Dalvyn]

Dear Citizens of the Realms -

Many moons ago I made mention of a schism in the group struggling to remove the demons from Ardeep:

So ensued a heated debate amongst the would-be liberators of Ardeep concerning the importance of secrecy, the exclusion of certain races and individual, and what could be none next. I will not divulge the details of this discussion, save to say that a single consensus on Ardeep was *not* reached, and in the end, two separate groups emerged, each opting to proceed in its own direction.

I can now tell you what became of that other group... though I expect I will be but the first to do so. For their names will become the stuff of legend, and many a bard will retell their story: this group traveled to the planes themselves, and through great effort and at immense personal risk, freed the Goddess of Trade, Waukeen, from the clutches of the sinister, six-fingered, most devilish of the Demon Lords, one called Graz'zt. There is reason to believe that Graz'zt ultimately underlies the demonic invasion of Ardeep, and that such was a feint on his part - an effort to distract we mortals from an effort undertaken by the Church of Waukeen, and her Holycoin, to mount an expedition for her release. This distraction failed - in fact, I've reason to hope that it actually backfired, his dedication to it actually distracting Graz'zt from the threat at his own doorstep, as this group of brave adventurers made their way into his realm. What resources and attention he expended on Ardeep, he did not have at his discretion in the Abyss, possibly easing, ever so slightly, the path of Waukeen's rescuers.

This group has now safely returned, and their tale can be told. With the freedom of Waukeen, coins rained from the heavens in the City of Waterdeep, and all the merchants of the realms rejoiced. A flourishing of trade has quickly followed her return to her rightful throne, with the establishment of new merchant guild facilities in Tantras and Berdusk, and many other new developments. I can now report that the lamias that brought the demons unto Ardeep were followers of this Graz'zt, and that they made clear, in the diary we found in their desert temple, that distracting Faerun from any attempt at a rescue of Waukeen was their true objective. I would also be remiss if I did not speak further on truths brought to light by those same writings. Unfortunately, the original evidence devolved with the wretched newscreature Griggs, but enough folk saw it that I feel I can reiterate what we there read with confidence: namely, that the two known as Red and Blue were as much pawns in the lamia's false portrayals as were any others, and they did not, in fact, approach a demon with an offer to sell Mariela. Rather, the demon approached them with such a suggestion, following the orders of the Lamia priestess Isha-Denarthun. (It remains unclear to me how, exactly, they responded to the offer, however.)

The rescuers of Waukeen have not returned to true safety, however. No doubt the Demon Lord is positively incensed at the loss of his deistic prize, and tales have it that he is exceedingly retributive. Our returned friends may well react with otherwise inexplicable caution in some matters, and I pray ye consider their situation 'ere ye judge them. Without question the Demon Lord's hand extends to our own plane, through the demons in Ardeep if by no other channel I should also relate that the Planeswalker's path back to Faerun required the aid of a devil, who charged them with the delivery of an odd, small purple orb. Afore they arrived back in the Prime, it up and floated away from them, and wast later seen hovering over several cities of the Realms. Its significance, and current whereabouts, remain unknown.

At about the same time, an organized horde of demons attacked the village of Markana the Ranger, slaughtering many of the villagers and leading Markana to close off the village entirely in its defense. Reports suggests that the demons moved with purpose, and took, or attempted to take something, from the village. Any having more detail to offer on this matter, I plead with you, let me, or better still, all the realms, know of it. The organized nature of the demons' movements, in this attack and in several instances subsequent to it, is most sinister indeed - not at all like demons acting of their own accord...what concerns me is the seeming indication that the demons are once again under the control of some organizing force.

With this dark thought I must leave you for the time, but I shall soon pen again.

In humble service to the Holy Cause of Justice and the Lords of Waterdeep,

Raona Corbin of Tyr

[Dalvyn]

Fellow Friends and Allies of Ardeep -

Thanks to the heroic effort and dedication of many, from many races and creeds, yesterday we finally amassed metals in such amounts that we could act upon the recommendations of the bronze-skinned traveler Felgolos to form the four foci needed to contain the demon horde in Ardeep. Though this endeavour took longer than any involved would have hoped, the timing was fortuitous, for reasons I explained in my previous posting. The distraction of the Demon Lord no longer a boon to any cause, it is doubly high time to end it, and with it his foul infestation of the lands we call home. Moreover, the threat posed by the demon infestation grows: but a fortnight past, corrupted guardians of the forest began to be seen.

A pack of these corrupted warders attacked the South Gate of the Deep and made short work of the guards there stationed. A single uncorrupted warder attempted to stop them, but was overcome. The warders resemble elves, but up close one can see them to be a bramble of moving wood and thorn, the corrupted ones possessed of a red sheen and having mud, bones, and other filth embedded in them, with a dark red glow where their eyes would reside. It is my understanding that they grow weaker as they lose contact with the free earth, such as when they trod on cobblestones...we are lucky that they were not assaulting the River Gate. The corruption of the Warders, and perhaps of the forest itself, add to the suggestion that an organizing influence is at work in the forest, something distinct from the unreasoning chaos of most demons.

At any rate, let me return to the matter of the construction of the foci. Through dedicated effort, the Rangers Ninde Aelorothi and her husband Penryn obtained a runic symbol needed for the crafting, from Basil the Verbeeg. The many contributors to the some four-hundred-weight of metal employed included the above-mentioned Aelorothi family, Tolin Blackaxe, Gralin Boulderbeard, Longstrider, Red (yes, THAT Red), Daylahn, Ryldaen, Japcil, Sindri, Goz, Quoven, Frankkin, and myself. Between us, substantial quantities of tin, lead, copper, steel, and silver were collected, representative of the five races (halflings, elves, humans, gnomes, and dwarves) that united to free Ardeep in the past. (Note that in this case, still more races, including a half-drow and a tiefling, contributed to this effort: such unity of purpose over so diverse a group will serve as a powerful symbolism in opposition to the individualistic, chaotic nature of the demons the foci will work against.)

The metal and runes prepared, a large group gathered outside of Daggerford to plan an expedition to visit the Dwarves of Settlestone, capable craftsmen we hoped to commission to construct the foci. As fate would have it, the traveler Felgolos also there appeared, offering some parting wisdom and to take up the patrol of the Rangers amongst us, keeping escaping demons from harming the innocent, whilst we set forth. We extracted the metal from the City Vault, loaded it unto our steeds, and set forth, carrying with us some tokens of thanks and trade. Somehow the demons knew our plans, for they lunged at us as we traveled; but together, we fought them off. Longstrider led us to Settlestone, where we found evil was there too, afoot. The village was being attacked by still more demons, and though the Dwarves were mounting a valiant defense, many fell. We fought our way into the village, saving who we could, and were confronted by the surviving defenders of Settlestone, a wall of angry dwarves. They thought it the fault of the peoples of Ardeep that the demons had now turned their attention to their home. With tactful diplomacy, the Ranger Caelnai Solemarahel managed to have them realize them that our objectives aligned with their own, and we were led to Ovip Ironmover, Moradin's High Priestess in Settlestone. Thankfully, Longstriders' own father-in-law, Tanduil Jamoerfist, was at her side, he being the High Forgesmith of Moradin. Thus Longstrider took up the explanation of our cause and purpose, which he presented most capably, and the dwarves were convinced we were worthy of their aid. As we explained the details of what we needed done, however, and they saw the complexity of the runes provided by Basil, they informed us that no mortal forge would do: We would have to travel to Moradin's home plane of Solania and seek the master craftsmen of his Great Forge. They sent word by prayer there, telling them to expect us, and accepted as our thanks a selection of gifts sagely chosen by Spaki and Caelnai. As we prepared to depart, none other than the planeswalking veteran dwarf Balek Oredelver arrived, to join us in the adventure about to be undertaken.

The mage Miriel magically conveyed us all to the location of a portal to the Celestial Staircase, where we were again met by Felgolos. He managed to pry open the portal, and begged us to make haste, as he was uncertain as to how long he might keep it open. Led by the Warden of the Rangers, Janon, the party explored the majesty and darkness of the Staircase, at one point falling down a snowy mountainside which was a right challenge to scale again. [Refusing to be subjected to magic yet again, Balek had to be pushed up the mountain, thus inaugurating the now timeless game, "Shove the Dwarf up the Snowy Slope"] Eventually, we found our way to a portion of the staircase that clearly led to Lolth's domain in the Abyss, marked, as it was, with Drow runes. I was of no mind to venture further down that path, and pleaded thusly with Janon, but thankfully, his determination to confront the Drow won out on this occasion (as I think it has on every other). This turned out to be fortuitous because, as we ventured deeper into the spider caverns, we spotted a brightly lit mine, and a dwarf there hard at work.

Approaching him, we learned that we had, indeed, managed to bumble our way into Solania, and with Balek's reassurance he ushered us in to see Clyrr, High Priest and First Proxy of Moradin himself. Thanks to Ovip's prayer, Clyrr was expecting us and knew our purpose. We handed the metal and runes over to him, and he set the forgemasters to work crafting the four foci whilst he and his fellow dwarves taught us their tongue and ways, and engaged us in some trade. Incredibly, the great Moradin himself appeared, though his foremost intent was to warn Spaki - in no uncertain terms - not to bring forth magic whilst in his domain. He also blessed the three dwarves in his presence: Balek, Tanduil, and Gralin (who was brought into our presence by Moradin's own grace, Gralin having mined extensively for Ardeep but having been unable to deliver his quarry 'ere the party did depart Waterdeep).

We departed Solania still in awe and wonder, but carrying four perfectly crafted foci, and returned to Faerun just as Felgolos' strength was giving out. As we emerged from the portal, he collapsed it shut, exhausted. He was delighted to learn of our success, tiny wisps of smoke emanating from his nostrils at the news (perhaps a result of the magical effort required to keep open the portal for so long). He charged us with planning for the ritual in which the foci will be placed, the details of which we now hold in our possession.

The ritual is complex, and shall require the involvement of many. It is laid out in a document written by Felgolos, and attached below. (See http://users.skynet.be/fa627469/ArdeepRitual.pdf) As you can see, a significant number of material components are called for, including 12 vials of holy water, blessed by a follower of law and order, three to be poured into each focal cone. The ritual will also require a variety of talents, though Felgolos has offered to tutor those participating in any spells with which they are unfamiliar; or, if they be of the wrong school, to provide them with the necessary scrolls. In addition to those explicitly described in his document, many ready to fight in the defense of the ritual's participants will be needed, for it is clear that the demons appreciate our intent, and have already shown their willingness to go to great lengths to stop us. Moreover, it seems likely that many enemies of Ardeep, never mind allies of demonkind, will have motivation - and, alas, opportunity - to work against us. Thusly I do now call upon all able friends and allies of Ardeep to step forward to aid in the first step of its liberation. We will gather on the plain just north of Daggerford, at the dawn of the first day in the Drawing Down.

[OOC: This time is actually just an arbitrary IC descriptor. The ritual will actually take place starting at http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/f ... ec=0&p1=48 PLEASE do talk with other players IC beforehand, to coordinate obtaining the needed components, and to plan who should be included in each group!]

In humble service to the Holy Cause of Justice and the Lords of Waterdeep, and in steadfast alliance with the protectors of Ardeep,

Raona Corbin of Tyr

[Dalvyn]

Residents of the Realms -

Perhaps word has already reached ye, or ye may have seen the result with thine own eyes - but I write to inform ye all of progress made in the effort to contain the demon threat that wast growing out of Ardeep forest. A short time ago a great many allies of Ardeep and enemies of demons alike united to enact the ritual so long prepared for and described in my earlier writings. After some effort of organization, this large group was broken into four smaller ones, and each of these dispatched to the locations of the original foci around Ardeep. There, under the direction of Felgolos, an elaborate ritual was performed, in which a warding was placed on the forest, one powered by law, order, and a unity of purpose. Dazzling beams of light danced above the forest and came together to form a warding shield around the grove at the center of Ardeep, which the demons have corrupted into a twisted forest home for themselves. We have reason to hope that this ward will contain therein not only the demons themselves, but the various aberrations of nature, including the corrupted warders, that have recently begun to emerge from the stricken woods.

This warding is but a stop-gap measure, of course: for we've no intention of abandoning Ardeep to the demons indefinitely, as has become the fate of the Old School of Magic. Felgolos sees a possibility for emancipating the forest, though the dangers involved in pursuing it would be immense - at least to those involved. 'Twould involve an expedition into the demon-infested grove itself, to seek out one called Embrae Aloevan, of whom one of the fair folk would be far better positioned to tell ye more. How such might be managed, without becoming a demon-feast...well, that is a question for further reflection. I shall do my best to keep ye all abreast of these matters, and I am thankful, on behalf of the forest and its protectors, for all the aid and effort that so many of ye have already put forth in her defense.

In humble service to the Holy Cause of Justice and the Lords of Waterdeep, and in steadfast alliance with the protectors of Ardeep,

Raona Corbin of Tyr

[Dalvyn]

Fellow Friends and Allies of Ardeep -

Rather odd things have been afoot throughout the realms, some of which I now have reason to believe tie into the situation in Ardeep. Thus it is with hope, yet a heavy quill, that I set to this page what I know and what I believe to be true concerning how the demon plague might be lifted from Ardeep - and what forces may conspire to work against such an effort.

First, several residents of Zhentil Keep have enquired of myself and several of ye regarding the small purple orb that returned with the Planeswalkers following their successful mission to rescue Waukeen from the clutches of the demon king Graz'zt. Its portage was imposed upon the group by a general in Bel's army, as a condition of their passage through Avernus en route to the Abyss; he purported it to be a gift for someone, but when asked who, he replied that it did not matter. At any rate, it seems that this very orb, after having been spotted above several cities of Faerun and then disappearing for a time, has taken up residence in the market square of the Keep, and what's more, has not lain completely dormant. Several reports have reached my ears that some...creature...emerged from the orb, and that this creature then took wing and flew west. I shudder to consider its likely destination. I will, however, observe that those from the Keep asking after it seemed keen to know how the orb might be destroyed - what that implies is well beyond me.

Second, there have been repeated sightings of the ghost of an ancient Dwarf, whom we now know to have carried the name Torghatar, about the south gate of Waterdeep. I am told these sightings coincided with a number of other odd events, including encampments of trolls, orcs, elementals, and duergar, or mirages thereof, being spotted upon the plains south of the City, then an attack upon the south gate itself, carried out by a massive earth elemental bearing the symbol of the duergar deity Laduguer, and finally the empathic invasion of the minds of a great many residents of the city, whereupon those effected experienced the very sensations and emotions suffered by Torghatar himself as he was lured into some sort of trap, away from his kin, who were ambushed by dark dwarves, and slaughtered, helpless. Torghatar himself was also killed, stabbed in the back, and the duergar have since taken up residence in the ancestral halls of his old clan, desecrating their holy places and the fallen bodies of Torghatar and his dead comrades. Only upon the righting of these many wrongs may he find rest - and for more than a millennium has he sought a way to see to this, but to this day it hast eluded him. This we learned through Tanduil Hammersmith, who spake with Torghatar's ghost using a pendant obtained by Larethiel, Saria, and some others, from Sagitoron, the scribe of the Abbey of the Tombstone in the Fields of the Dead, where they were directed by the Deathlord, Gwain Rambash. Torghatar's ghost then led us to Torstultok, the ancient halls of his clan, the outskirts of which we observed to have been overrun by orcs, trolls, and wyverns. Torghatar warned us that other restless spirits have also taken up residence in the halls, in addition, of course, to the duergar.

Finally, I should inform ye that a great many friends and allies of Ardeep met with Felgolos in Waterdeep's Market Square not long ago, and there Felgolos explained the details of his plan to rid Ardeep of the demons that infest it. He began with a brief history of Ardeep, observing that it was once an elven realm, and that in that time relations between humans and elves were tense, typified by mutual distrust and disdain. The elves of Ardeep were ruled by kings and queens titled Laranlors and Laranlars. Among these was Laranlar Embrae Aloevan, who was remarkable in that she was Chosen by both the human goddess Mystra and elven goddess Sehanine Moonbow, in an effort on their part to improve relations between the two races. Little did the gods realize what impact their simultaneous inhabitation of Aloevan could have upon her. Consumed by their entwined fires, Aloevan's mind lapsed into insanity, and her body grew ever weaker, mutating. The only way her priests thought to save her was to usher her into a protected demi-plane - and there her once-elven husk remains to this day, still infused with the power of both goddesses, keeping her alive, still holding at best a thin thread of a grasp upon reality, still protected by her most loyal priests. If she were willing - if she could even be asked - it is possible that the silver and magical fires that burn within her still could be channeled into the artifact called Demonbane, and the demons thus banished back to their home plane. He also explained that in the era of Aloevan, the elves and dwarves living near Ardeep realized that in order to survive, they would need to ally together against the orcs, trolls, and giants that invaded their homelands. As a token of this new alliance, the Dwarves built a small fort - named the House of Stone, or sometimes Stoneturn - at the entrance of Ardeep. It eventually came to be used as a meeting place for the allied races, when, long after Aloevan, the alliance grew to include the humans, gnomes, and halflings. In that era, portals were created connecting the homes of these ancient groups to the House of Stone.

He then presented us with the following map of Ardeep [OOC: See http://users.skynet.be/fa627469/Felgolardeep.jpg] and explained it thusly:

1) Direct access, by portal, to the House of Stone might be gained through the ancient home of one of the allied races. (Indeed, we asked Torghatar of this, and he confirmed that hidden in his throne room there is a secret portal to Stoneturn, which requires a key; he said it would be given unto those that rid Torstultok of the Duergar and set his spirit to rest.)

2) Underground passages are said to connect the House of Stone to the Crypts of the Deepening Moon, where magical guardians may still stand in defense of the entombed Laranlors and Laranlars.

3) The Crypts of the Deepening Moon offer the shortest overland route to the lake of Aloevan's Tears, which is said to be guarded by a dragon, and hides the portal to the demiplane wherein Aloevan resides, the Silver Court. The overland travel will be a challenge, for the demons see through illusions such as invisibility.

4) Once the Silver Court is reached, very delicate diplomacy may convey to Aloevan the situation, and extend to her a request for her aid.

5) If Aloevan agrees to offer herself for the sake of Ardeep, a means of conveying her soul from the Silver Court to the center of Ardeep will be required. Felgolos explained that objects of great value were often used for such purposes - for example, an expensive diamond might well serve as a vessel for a mortal soul - but that for a soul infused with the power of two gods, such as Aloevan's, something far more significant would be needed.

6) Once in the center of the forest, the power in Aloevan would be unleashed into Demonbane, both being destroyed in the process. This would, Felgolos hopes, banish every last demon from the forest.

Felgolos observed that a small group, including those familiar with the forest and Torghatar, would have the greatest chance of success, and suggested that Spaki, Rennick, Larethiel, Longstrider, Tandual, Sindri, Noreak, Aveline, and myself undertake the effort. We hope to venture first to Torstultok, to ease Torghatar's spirit, though we must give thought to what vessel might convey Aloevan, as well. Perhaps the answer to this question lies in Torstultok, or within Ardeep. Friends, I ask for your prayers...and your vigilance, as I do not trust that the foci about Ardeep will remain undisturbed. Understand that many of those who have been protecting the foci, and patrolling Ardeep, will be distracted in this venture. I ask that others stand in their stead whilst they be away, that the shield about Ardeep doth not unravel in their absence.

[OOC details concerning this RP may be found at http://www.gallwey.com/fk/board/viewtopic.php?t=6335]

In humble service to the Holy Cause of Justice and the Lords of Waterdeep, and in steadfast alliance with the protectors of Ardeep,

Raona Corbin of Tyr

[Dalvyn]

Fellow Friends and Allies of Ardeep -

At long last, I am able to report that our determined and collective efforts have come to fruition: Ardeep is free!

I've an epic tale to write, to tell the whole of how this came to pass, but for the moment it falls upon me to be brief, informing ye all of what ye need know with immediacy.

Foremost be that as the dragon Felgolos had foreseen, it came to be: Through the collective effort of five races (yea, even more), the sacrifice of Laranla Embrae Aloevan, and the Helmite relic Demonbane, the demons that have infested Ardeep for these far too many years have been sent back whence they came. The forest breathes again, and already begins its regrowth from the trampling scourge of the demon infestation. I dared not explore the forest extensively on my own - I encountered dire boars and wolves even afore I reached the deeps of the glade, where the demons were centered - but I surveyed enough of it to reassure myself that demons no longer crowd it with their number, should any remain there at all.

All who would return to Ardeep stand forewarned: though the demons are gone, the whole of their scourge is not. Their foul influence corrupted a great many of the forest's guardians: sentient arbors known as warders and treants. Many of these corrupted creatures still trouble the heart of the forest, likely driven to near madness by the horrible, corrupting changes they have endured. Whilst the eastern portion of Ardeep seems safe enough, travelers are warned to stay clear of the western portion unless traveling in a well-prepared and well-armed group. The corrupted warders alone damaged the gates of the Deep on several occasions, and there is little doubt that a full treant could do far worse. I trust that given time, the Ranger protectors of Ardeep will put to rest those warders and treants that be beyond rehabilitation, but until such comes to pass, the west of Ardeep remains a most dangerous place.

I can not speak with authority as to the fate of Embrae Aloevan, or the mace Demonbane. I fear that both were destroyed in the incredible magic unleashed as they united, but I was not present to witness such with certainty - indeed, had I been, I would likely be with Kelemvor, presently, rather than relating to ye this tale. Our group stood ready to defend them to the moment, but most remarkably, through Yondalla's blessing, it didnae come to that. So it came to pass that Moradin, Garl Glittergold, Mystra, Sehanine Moonbow, and Yondalla all played a part in the remarkable saga that saw to Ardeep's resurrection; the gods of five races, each playing their part; a recurring theme in Ardeep's past, and, I pray, a portent of its bright future.

For the first time in a great many moons, I slept soundly this eve. Yea, many troubles still lie over Faerun, threats to my home of Waterdeep within and without: but the demons, foremost in my mind and haunting my every dream, at least they seem to be gone - from Ardeep as well as my nightmares.

In humble service to the Holy Cause of Justice and the Lords of Waterdeep, and in steadfast alliance with the protectors of Ardeep,

Raona Corbin of Tyr

[Dalvyn]

I wast in the middle of a conversation with Rani yesterday when a half-mad cackle boomed through the skies over Waterdeep, interrupting our conversation. The voice was irate, impugning the actions of someone or something as boring. Oddly, I recognized in the voice an impression that old Forster, one of my teachers in the Font, used to use when telling us stories - the ones about Undermountain that would keep us awake at night. Either Forster was off the mark, or this was none other than the mad mage Halaster, the creator and mastermind of the Undermount, speaking to some visitors to his domain that hadst displeased him. His words were followed by the sounds of a massive rockslide, and a plume of dust rising from near the griffon stable atop Mt. Waterdeep.
Concerned, Rani and I made our way there, only to find a group of adventurers engaged in conversation with a rock. Or, more precisely, with a likeness of one who could only have been Halaster, carved into the rock. He was continuing to chide them for their lack of entertainment value, having advanced through the Undermountain mutely, killing things from time to time without a word of thought about the nature of the place he had laid out for them. He described them as less entertaining than cockroaches, in fact. It was obvious he had been watching the group, as he does so many others that dare to enter his domain. It seems that in his ire, he had not only kicked them out, but sealed the entrance to the Undermount.

Rani had the presence of mind to ask if he might be so kind as to release any still trapped inside, and to my surprise, moments thereafter, another adventurer, one called Laerith, crawled forth from a pile of the fallen rock and debris. Shocked but seemingly uninjured, he joined the others in a belated attempt to "entertain" the mad mage, alas without a clear understanding of what Halaster considers entertaining. The attempts of some of their number at jokes, song, dance, and humor only seemed to anger Halaster further. Indeed, his visage began to regurgitate massive cockroaches onto the ground, ironically intoning "Let us all watch them scurry around. Oh, what fun it will be!" The cockroaches scuttled off: with Rani and I in pursuit, but not quick enough to catch them all. (At this point, I called in the City guard to surround Mt Waterdeep and attempt to intercept the roaches, before they infested the city.)

By the time we returned to the adventurers and the stone face, Halaster had about completed his chiding, and the face on the stone lost some of its relief and became flush with the face once again. All was quiet, save our nervous conversation over what had just transpired. A few of the adventurers left, and the rest of us were preparing to seek out what cockroaches may have escaped into the Halls of the Fellowship when the ground began to rumble again, first spitting out a hideous bag formed of the skins of many races, then further sounds of rumbling and motion, as if things were being re-arranged and re-organized. At this point, to my awe, Rani began to speak to the rock with Halaster's face upon it, first thanking him for the "gift" of the bag and then attempting to reason with him that sealing off the entrance to his domain wast not in his own best interest. I was shocked to see her rewarded with another item being burped up from the ground, and eventually, re-animation of Halaster's stone face.
Accompanied by the scent of a pipe being smoked, the face and Rani engaged in a debate of sorts, with Halaster eventually relenting on the condition that Rani prepare a publication to entertain him - something mocking the four that had so bored him. He concluded the conversation abruptly, giving her little choice to decline, saying "Make sure you keep your promise then... or else ..." With that, the face returned to normal, and all was silent. I was dumbfounded. Clearly old Forster had exaggerated (or misunderstood) the extent of Halaster's madness, for it was clear that Rani had managed to reason with him, after a sort.

Rani, Larethiel, Florian, and I then went about the City, planning to mop up any remaining cockroaches. Happily, there were none to be found, the guard seeming to have acted both quickly and efficiently in rounding them up. However, citizens are warned that some may have escaped and still lurk about the City, and that where one can be seen, there are likely others about. If any are spotted, please report their location to the Watch immediately, even if you take care of them yourselves.

Let me close with a word of warning about the Undermountain and Halaster, for many new faces grace the streets of the Deep of late, and I would not see their numbers diminished: There be a great many folk in the City who will ask ye to enter into the Undermountain in order to aid them. Do not mistake their asking for indication that ye be ready to do so! It is a most dangerous place, one from which there be no ready escape. Ye will certainly need be strong enough to travel the roads, yea, even the hills, with abandon before daring to enter there. Anyone of *any* strength who dares to venture below the surface level of the Undermount alone is likely to perish, for as this event makes clear, the Undermount be actually the sandbox of the half-mad archmage Halaster. Since one person can not carry on a meaningful conversation alone, they have no chance of entertaining him, save by dying at the hands of wave after wave of his minions. Those wise enough to travel in groups are encouraged to carry on an active conversation, ideally about the nature and tricks of domain in which they find themselves, as Halaster is known to find such of some amusement, and oft becomes engaged enough that he does not find it necessary to entertain himself by sending his creatures to trouble the party instead.

In humble service to the Holy Cause of Justice and the Lords of Waterdeep,

Raona Corbin of Tyr

[Raona]

For the past several fortnights I have been immersed in my studies of Law, preparing for the culmination of my formal, introductory training. It is a failing of mine that over this time I have rarely ventured outside the Halls of Justice, my nose buried in thick tomes and a few new writings of my own.

So it came as a heady shock, when I finally did venture out last night, to find a world gone half-mad. While many of my friends were readily found, they related troubling tales - of vengeance sought by the six-fingered ravager of Ardeep and former captor of the Goddess of Trade, of rumblings of the return of a god thought, hoped; yea, surely, truly, long long dead: whispers of a Godson and foul conspiracies coming to fruition.

Busy as I was, these thoughts quickly interrupted my concentration on other matters; I met with the Mithrandir Gwain Rambash, protectors of the forest Aldren Fellmane and Telnier, and Sergeant Jaenoic of Ilmater outside Ardeep, where we discussed several matters related to these recent turns of events. Even this attempt to put reason to such matters was not to last, however, for Jaenoic received word from within the Deep that the merchants Jonathan and Willy had been murdered, and worse still brought back to animacy as foul, undead abominations.

We raced to the city to deal with this matter, arriving upon a scene of carnage in the market square: already another well-known resident of the city, the merchant Bradigan, hadst met his end, only to be reanimated as a zombie and let loose on the populace. As we arrived, their battered, undead corpses fell from the very sky into the center of the market square, followed shortly thereafter by that of the tailor, painting a path of whatever ill force was at work, it having traveled north up Warrior's Way and then west toward the Font of Knowledge. Melgard was the next to fall, only identifying his assailant as "someone" before he wast silent. This pointed to the south gate, where Aldren and Telnier raced whilst I called for the guards to seal off the city gates.

Alas, no sooner had I done so than the undead corpses of Leon the Fighter and a priest of Ilmater fell from the skies above us into a crumpled heap. The pattern of travel was now indecipherable, and not surprisingly, Aldren and Telnier returned without word of what was causing such carnage, but the body of another victim, a priest who was so mangled that I could not identify him. It was all happening too fast, and I, at least, perhaps none of us, had any idea what to do. A banker and a soldier cried out, I could not even ascertain from what direction, but Ashcroft arrived from the west with their battered reanimated corpses, reporting that the assailing force was invisible. I urged those present, by this point a large crowd, to fan out through the city in search of the cause of such blasphemy. I urged they not approach it, but rather report any sightings immediately.

Groups were turning to depart, and Aldren had just called out that Warrior's Way wast clear, when a massive tower of flame descended upon the market square, burning all those present. Instinctively, some of us struck out at the apex of the flame, connecting with something, and still we could not see it. Aldren and Telnier returned, with the animated corpse of Annah, the Magical Post attendant, only to find themselves engulfed in the next surge of flame. Fire continued to descend, wave after wave of it, and Jaenoic urged us all depart, thinking that the force, whatever it was, sought her: she had yelled out "Ye want me, Jaenoic of the travelers of th'Abyss? Show yerself to me!" Even this did not unmask our assailant, however, and against the continuing onslaught we scattered from the square, half aflame.

At Aldren's suggestion we regrouped at the Lucky Drunk, hoping that a roof over our heads might, at least, prevent further fire from raining down upon us. We put together that whatever we faced, it was not susceptible to magic attack, and its own might struck through magical defenses as if they were not there, but it was vulnerable to physical attacks, if strong. We were trying to come up with how we might possibly see, and thus confront, whatever this force was, when a gaunt male frame entered our midst and began casting spells of silence upon our number. Some referred to this thing as "Malakar," as it sneered in contempt and cast a magical hold spell upon a young man who hadst raised his weapon against it. A melee ensued, in which I tried to capture the creature, but it was for naught. The creature escaped, leaving us to guess after what had transpired, and why.

My fellow citizens, I be told that such madness as this be occurring with increasing frequency in the Deep - these are powers beyond my own comprehension, let alone ability to properly protect the populace. I ask the collective help of all, and warn all unarmed citizens to lock their doors and remain inside at any sign of a disturbance. These be truly dark times in which we live. For what it be worth, know that we in the Watch are redoubling our efforts to confront this force or forces, or at least hold them at bay against our fair City. While the situation may seem hopeless, I shall not surrender hope, and I ask the same of ye. I feel it in my gut that fear and animosity fuel this fire that rages against us - we shall only prevail against it with calm but certain conviction that our cause is right, just, and attainable.

In humble service to the Holy Cause of Justice and the Lords of Waterdeep,

Raona Corbin of Tyr

[Raona]

Let me first apologize for what will be my terse tone below. Recent events have been trying, I have had little sleep, and this matter is not one for flowery oratory. I will attempt to be both brief, and blunt, though this be not my usual tone.

This morn I and many of my fellow adventurers were summoned before Lord Piergieron. The subject was the escalating cycle of threats upon our City, and how to respond to them. Lord Piergieron instructed me to expand the ranks of the Watch, and to undertake an aggressive information gathering effort. He urged me to seek the aid of my fellow citizens, but not to rely on it alone: for a time, the Watch must be proactive, and I have been given leave to expand its normal activities and purview whilst this threat looms. I am also considering means for expanding the defenses of the city more generally.

First, then, to the matter of recruitment:
The Watch shall be undertaking an aggressive recruiting drive, effective immediately. Please understand that service in the Watch is an occupation in itself, and requires one to focus their time in Waterdeep. It requires an oath to uphold and enforce the law, in an even-handed manner. It requires a willingness to follow orders and respect one's superiors. It be not for everyone. [OOC: Um, if your PC is chaotic or doesn't want to spend most of their time in Waterdeep, it's probably not for them. You must be LG, LN, or NG. Also, the Watch training RP is relatively long - not paladin-sized, but not short. Please don't start it if you don't plan to stick with it and finish it.] That said, if ye be interested in joining the Watch, please contact a current Watch member to express your interest, or to learn more. Those with longstanding interest in attending the Academy, dating back to before the start of this recruiting drive, will be the first admitted to the Academy. [OOC: Watch members take on substantial responsibilities in sponsoring someone to attend the Academy - so don't expect to be sponsored until and if your PC is well-known and trusted by a current Watch member!]

The City may also seek the service of others, in a capacity distinct from the City Watch. More information on this will be provided as plans solidify.

Second, to the matter of collecting information:
I ask all citizens, adventurers, and allies of Waterdeep to share what information, ideally first-hand accounts, they may have about recent, potentially related events with the City's defenders. The bardess Rani has volunteered to organize this effort, and has been deputized as the City Recorder. She will be posting hours over which she will be available for interviews in the Font. If you are unable to contact her, written submissions to myself are also welcome, even if made in anonymity. We have pieced together the following lists of possibly related events and threats, though both are likely to change:

Events of Interest

• The events of yesterday, in which many well-known citizens were killed, necromatized, and then thrown into the Market Square, followed by volley upon volley of magical fire.
  The destruction of the Temple of Moradin atop Mt. Waterdeep
  The attempted arson of the Orphanage of Saint Jasper of the Rocks, in the Trade Ward
  The attack upon the high priestess of the elven Moon [OOC: Sehanine Moonbow]
  The dropping of leaflets about the region and within the City, marked with an emblemized hand
  The opening of new passages in the City sewer system, by giant ants
  Any and all disappearances of any souls, human or otherwise, in the regions around Ardeep, Waterdeep, and Berdusk
  Sightings of any servants of the Dark Hand [OOC: Bane] outside of Tantras
  The attempted burning of Ardeep
  The flaying and killing of Maldo's mother, and a druidess of the shrine of nature
  A demon attack upon the Market Square of the Deep

Possible Suspects / Involved Parties
------------------------------------

• A cult in the sway of the godson of the Dark Lord, or the church of the Dark Hand itself [OOC: Iyachtu Xvim and Bane, respectively]
  The drow priestess Zarafae and/or her agents
  The church of the Maiden of Pain and/or its agents [OOC: Loviatar]
  Cerendus: an archmage servant of Graz'zt, the Demon Lord that infested Ardeep with demons and held the Merchant's Friend [OOC: Waukeen] captive for so many years
  Malakar: a gaunt humanoid that came upon us at the end of yesterday's events, but escaped afore more information about him could be obtained
  A demon or demons on the loose and wreaking havoc on this plane

Threads of connection between these two lists have been drawn, though some are tenuous. I would like to publicly discount the suggestion upon leaflets found about the realms implying a claim of responsibility for some of the events above. We have reason to believe these claims, with certainty in at least one instance, are false: an attempt by a weak force to make itself seem to be more than it is.

Lord Piergieron has offered a 50 platinum coin reward for information which leads to the destruction of the cult of Xvim, and a 100 platinum reward for information leading to the capture of the necromancer Cerendus. If you have any potentially related information, even if ye think it of little import, pray, please do report it to us. It be your duty as a Citizen or an ally of the City, and it may save countless lives. The aid of all in this respect is sought, and gladly accepted.

A warning: The pattern of events and our current information suggests that other churches and faiths are likely to be targets in this cycle. Specifically, the churches of Lathander, Tyr, Tymora, Corellon, and Kelemvor are likely to be threatened, these being among the churches of the nine rescuers of Waukeen that have not yet been struck. Additionally, the Church of Liira be a likely target. I will explain in more detail, and try to complete this list, in a subsequent posting.

Any who encounter missing souls, as corpses or in an undead state, in the regions about Waterdeep, Berdusk, and Ardeep, or see agents of dark forces interacting with same, are asked to watch and follow same, if such can be done safely, and report their destination to the City. We have reason to believe that sacrifices power the dark magics most recently unleashed against the City.

Citizens, know well that your City's defenders do not rest on their haunches in light of this threat. We are called to action, and will do what we must to protect the City, and its citizens, from any and all threats that confront us.

In humble service to the Holy Cause of Justice and the Lords of Waterdeep,

Raona Corbin of Tyr

[Raona]

My fellow citizens of Waterdeep -

In my effort to keep ye abreast of developing events, I have several new pieces of information to relate.

First and foremost, it seems that there be an organization known to some as the "Mithril Rats" operating within our very City. Word came to me of this as follows:

Four of our fellow citizens, adventurers, were in the Drunken Drow when a Lady Savannah, perhaps familiar to those of ye who read the society pages, arrived on the scene, looking harried. She explained that her brother had been kidnapped - or worse - because he had been considering offering testimony against a band of thieves known as the "Mithril Rats." He did not return from a walk about the City, and when they scried for him, no sign was found. She asked these four adventurers to aid her, which they agreed to do even as, oddly, the innkeeper of the Drunken Drow quickly departed out the back of the tavern. He returned within moments, with a man claiming to be from an asylum for the insane. This fellow insisted that the Lady Savannah was quite mad, a raving lunatic uttering complete nonsense, and said that he would return her to the safety of the asylum. Our four adventurers were skeptical, asking questions of him, but he did not bother to reply to them; instead, he drew forth a wand, waved it at the Lady Savannah, and she didst disappear in a flash of light. He suggested that the four visit her in the asylum, and departed forthwith. Even as our adventurers had discussed the matter and turned to pursue this questionable man, they were confronted by what appeared to be a hostile, bespectacled sailor bearing a black handled dagger. He took to arms with them immediately, even as one of the four recognized him to be none other than the man just recently departed, wearing a hastily donned and thus incomplete disguise.

Together, they managed to best the man in battle, whereupon they interrogated him as to his true nature and purpose. He confessed to being a sailor and wizard by training, but having taken up the disguise of a deckhand serving on a ship called the Crescent Moon. He began to relate something concerning the Waterdeep sewers when an arrow zinged into his eye from above, killing the captive instantly. It was after this that I arrived on the scene; alas, the author of the arrow had taken flight as quickly as the arrow he or she let loose. We proceeded to the Dock Ward, where we conducted a search for the Crescent Moon, to no avail. The spirit of the dead "sailor" could not be contacted on the other side, despite attempts to do so.

It is believed that Lady Savannah's family name sounds vaguely like "Phyris," and her brother's name be Elmaker. Interrogation of the proprietor of the Drunken Drow, sailors familiar with the Crescent Moon, and those citizens living in the homes near where the assassin's arrow is thought to have come from are underway.

Any citizens having heard anything concerning these "Mithril Rats" are urged to come forward with this information to a member of the City Watch, or to Rani, the City Recorder. Expeditions into the City sewers, in search of anything unusual, are also most welcome, but perhaps best not undertaken alone.

On this latter point, I have been informed that the previously reported tunnels into the Undermount and Ardeep, opened by a large ant and flooding our own sewers with xorn and similarly formidable beasts, have again collapsed shut. Further investigation into how that came to pass is currently underway, and those familiar with the matter are asked to convey word of it. The important consequence be that the sewers be not, at present, particularly dangerous, though if these "Mithril Rats" do indeed reside there, the threat may merely be unseen and discrete.

Any information concerning the whereabouts of either Lady Savannah or her brother are urgently sought. Should any hear of the Crescent Wave calling again in any port, please report this immediately to a member of the Watch.

In humble service to the Holy Cause of Justice and the Lords of Waterdeep,

Raona Corbin of Tyr

[Raona]

My fellow citizens of Waterdeep, and folk throughout the Realms -

In my effort to keep ye abreast of developing events, I have an important tale to relate concerning Cerendus, the fallen archmage of the Demon Lord Graz'zt.

The Strongheart halfling Erling and I were attempting to escort an errant steed from the Halls of Justice when one of the knights that guard the Halls approached, concerned. He pointed out a beggar aimlessly wandering the nearby courtyard, explaining that he seemed not quite right in the head, and asked that we turn our attentions upon his situation. He related that the beggar had mumbled something about traveling the road betwixt Berdusk and the Deep, then made a vague reference to 'a great black pit of nightmares,' but that the knight had been unable to otherwise communicate with him.

Approaching the old, crippled man, we found him to have a vacant look in his eyes. He wandered over to the fountain, poked the water therein with his finger, and his face lit up with a childish joy at the dance of the reflections. We attempted to speak with him, but whilst his eyes rose to meet our own at our words, they were devoid of any comprehension. I set out some maps, in hope of eliciting without words from whence the stranger may have come. Erling, however, thought he recognized the man - said he struck an uncanny resemblance to the mad wizard Meriki. I attempted to ascertain whether the beggar was in fact under the effects of some manner of enchantment, but afore I could complete my determination the poor creature began to stammer something out: "C-C...C-Cer...," but the words would not come. He then yelped out "Help! Sanctuary!" and bolted north toward the holy sanctum of my church.

We followed, struggling to keep up with his mad dashes from room to room. He moved like a terrified hare pursued by a hungry wolf. The beggar finally froze, as if cornered, and pleaded for our protection. We turned to see the cause of his terror - a black, flickering form building to solidity behind us. It spoke with a silky voice, admonishing the beggar as Meriki, chiding him for his weakness and betrayal. Sensing this intrusion into the Halls, the Lord High Justicar himself strode into our midst, enjoining us to prayer. Pray we did, I focusing on an attempt to break whatever enchantment might have hold over Meriki, the High Justicar and Erling attempting to keep Cerendus at bay.

With the conclusion of our respective prayers, a flash of light emanated from Meriki, and his eyes opened with a new awareness, initially stunned and disoriented. The dark form of Cerendus did not waver, however, and he offered a sinister laugh at our efforts, sneering that he had killed many in preparation for this day. His silky voice then lashed out at Meriki again, mocking him: "Ah, Meriki... you tried to flee from me, didn't you? You thought to curse your own mind, so I would not find you, and repay your treachery?" Erling took my place at Meriki's side, tugging on his pants leg and whispering to him, but I did not hear of what for Cerendus now addressed me. He spoke of his expectation of justice for the intrusion of my sister, the Lawmaker Lady Maybel, into his master's domain. My reply clearly failed to satisfy, for his form grew larger, brightening into a glowing red demonic maw with six black horns and fangs dripping with acid. The Lord High Justicar at my side and the courage of my Lord in my heart, I managed to somehow stand firm, though my mind screamed at me to flee. Cerendus' form recoiled, as if caught off guard, or preparing to strike, I could not discern.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Erling snatch a tiny aquamarine from within a pipe he carries and fling it to Meriki. Catching it, Meriki snapped at me "An illusion, nothing more! Pray hard, paladin of Tyr, to your god!" As he did so he stepped forward, chanting and tossing the small gem through the apparition afore us. The towering form shattered into shards of the imagination as the gem struck, presenting us with a shockingly different image.

For but an instant, we saw an unkempt, unshaven, desperate man in tattered robes, his eyes haunted. These eyes spoke volumes - of a dedicated believer, now lonely, discarded, abandoned by his Master, hoping beyond hope to somehow redeem himself in the eyes of his Lord, yet utterly hopeless. I was left with little doubt that it be that hopelessness that now drives Cerendus in his madness, his hatred, perhaps even his evil - Cerendus knows no hope for anything else. The Lord High Justicar bellowing "Begone, Cerendus! By Justice, I command you... begone!", Cerendus shrieked in desperation and his image faded with a firm chopping motion of his right hand.

The Lord High Justicar turned his gaze firmly upon Meriki, admonishing him: "No law-abiding citizen makes such an enemy so intimately, so quickly. You will speak truth, in exchange for your life." With that, the Lord High Justicar nodded curtly and departed, leaving us to hear Meriki's confession.

It turns out Meriki had a great deal to which to confess. He spoke of his approaching Cerendus, hungry to share in his power. He spoke of how he had abused his intimate knowledge of his home City to betray it to him: opening our gates, distracting the Watch, and voiding our wards that Cerendus and his agents might enter and operate. He told of how he had aided and abetted in the murder of the ranger priestess of Mielikki, and how he had appraised Cerendus of the travel patterns of Maldo's relatives; of how he had edified Cerendus as to the most effective way to hurt each of the Nine, and aided him in doing so...until. Until he was asked about Jaenoic, and how to best cut her most deeply. At that he had held back, ever so slightly. He urged making of the Ilmateri temples festivals to Loviatar, but he did not mention the children: the orphanage. In the innocent eyes of those children he saw the fear that he himself had known as a child. No, he did not mention the children, but Cerendus smelled the truth, stole it from Meriki's nightmares...and attempted to use it to full advantage, to make a point to Meriki that he would do with him as he pleased...that Cerendus would use him as a tool, willing or not.

Here Meriki's tale quickly transformed into one of valour and courage, of an attempt to amend for his past misdeeds and miscalculations. Unable to dissuade Cerendus from his path, Meriki did his best to scuttle his advance on the orphanage of Saint Jasper. Knowing that followers of most benevolent gods would hesitate to act and instead ply him with questions, he informed a priest of the Shadowlord of the imminent threat, who in turn had tried to prevent the tragedy alone. Finding himself facing overwhelming odds, he resorted to raising the general alarm, going so far as to alert Lady Jaenoic herself of the blaze. As Meriki put it, "The Shadowlord may be dark-hearted, b-but he isn't without scruples."

Meriki then set to work within the City, quickly, but quietly, slaying the very agents that he had helped Cerendus emplace, and restoring the wards he had voided, thereby laying the cobblestones of a path to his own redemption. As he spoke of how he had come to realize that he loves our City, and now feels for the plight of the innocent, the veracity of his transformation seemed nigh tangible. Knowing Cerendus would seek vengeance, Meriki then disguised and feebleminded himself, that Cerendus might no longer track his physical self or his mind, and this is how we came to encounter him as the beggar with the vacant stare.

Returned to his senses once again, and with a new spirit in his heart, Meriki be a beacon of the hope of redemption. It is a rare thing indeed that any should succeed in truly turning from a dark path, and moreover survive the ordeal. True, his past actions amount to nothing less than treason, over and above his involvement in murder and arson. Any one of these latter crimes alone would warrant him a long prison term, if not outright hanging. It remains for the Lords to sit in judgment, and decide Meriki's fate, but he confessed his crimes openly, with a contrite heart, and I trust he be sincere in his desire to make amends, having already undertaken to do so. Meriki risked everything, inspired by the memory of his own innocence and his compassion for the orphans and their near fate. He can not undo what he has done...but his heart is changed, it breathes compassion again. I, for one, would see the reformed given the opportunity of redemption, rather than locked up, or run through, with only blood upon their hands.

It be with this in mind that I pen the words to follow, though I know some will take umbrage at them. Cerendus, I know ye watch the City intensely...ye will read every word of this missive, examine it, seek weakness and opportunity in what is here writ. Nonetheless, I bear my heart here plainly, for it is only in doing so that I can offer ye the same opportunity that Meriki took up, that of redemption.

I am a believer that within every soul there lies a seed of hope. When that seed is covered over with the infertile stones of hatred and starved of the waters of compassion - when hope is extinguished - the soul becomes a barren landscape, and so it has become with ye, Cerendus. Ye buried your innocence and hope in layer upon layer of lies, deception, greed, and avarice in service to your demon Lord, in rapt anticipation of sharing in his might, of sitting at his side. Ye came to think him a true ally and friend, worthy of your utter devotion. Yet when things went awry, your Lord didst abandoned ye, cast ye aside. He cared not for ye, only for what ye could provide him. With this truth revealed, much of the rubble cluttering your soul has been blown away - the lies turned to dust, the dreams of power burned to ash. There be almost nothing there...though I trust the seed of hope still remains. How else to understand your continued devotion to your Lord, and the mad hope that if ye exact enough vengeance on his behalf, all will be forgiven in his eyes, and he will take ye up again, and make of ye a true comrade - as you once were...or...so you thought?

You are keenly intelligent, Cerendus - you must see in the example of your own personal history that there is no true hope in this vengeance, no means by which you will truly attain the position ye deceived yourself into thinking ye once held. But there is a way out, Cerendus. Meriki has set the example for ye, hast shown ye the way. Whatever ye have been in the past, that seed in your soul can still be nurtured: there can still be hope. But the rains of compassion must come! Think, think back to the days of your own innocence...when you felt as those you now terrorize, but still clung to someone you cared for and found reason to hope. Find in ye compassion for the fate of others, see that ye have in the path you choose the power to affect that fate. If you can find compassion for no others, pray, seek it at least for yourself. You can be more than the cast-aside tool of a demon lord. You can come to respect yourself, rather than have no purpose save to seek with futility the hollow respect of a callous demon prince, who would forget ye again the moment ye no longer served his needs, whatever the depth of your devotion to him.

I will not waste time with further nuance and allusion: I offer ye a simple choice, Cerendus. Your evil ways will end, in short order, in one way or another. Whether it be by the conviction of your own heart to begin again, or the combined hand of those dedicated to defend our realms against ye, the choice is ultimately yours. If there be truly naught left within ye save a thirst for vengeance, ye be already dead in spirit; it remains only to join your material form with your true self, and that will be done 'ere ye slake your twisted thirst much further. You will likely find death a release, of sorts, relative to the pain of hopelessness ye now endure. But if ye can find it in ye to somehow hope again, Cerendus - not for some mad, impossible dream of the respect of a demon, but for true redemption - you will have the opportunity to attempt to right the wrongs ye have done; none will forget, but I believe many will be able to forgive.

In humble service to the Holy Cause of Justice and the Lords of Waterdeep,

Raona Corbin of Tyr

[Raona]

My fellow citizens of Waterdeep -

In my effort to keep ye abreast of developing events, I have several new pieces of information to relate.

First and foremost, several apparently independent reports suggest the involvement of Mazikeen, the tiefling wizardess of Storms, in the dropping of pamphlets throughout the Deep declaring the heresies and ultimatums of the so-called "Godson." Investigations continue into who her accomplices may be; within the City they seem to work under cover of disguise and distraction. Any citizens or allies of the City having additional, possibly relevant information are asked to bring it to the attention of myself or Rani, the City Recorder, but to do so confidentially. For those not motivated by the welfare of the city and the realms, but rather their own, let me remind ye that Lord Piergieron hast offered a 50 platinum coin reward for information leading to the downfall of this cult. The identities of those providing information will not be publicly disclosed until (and only if) matters come to trial, as Mazikeen and her allies have already shown themselves willing to strike ruthlessly at those who would speak to their crimes openly.

Secondly, reports are circulating, and again independent threads suggest some reliability in them, that Zarafae is the mastermind behind the thefts of a variety of religious artifacts throughout the realms. I can not confirm the truth of this presently, however, nor is the motivation for the thefts obvious. Again, any information along these lines would be great interest to all the churches involved thus far, if not those yet to be struck.

Finally, I wish to echo the report of an attack on a caravan in the Storm Horns, related to me by Vibius Dive, the Holycoin of Waukeen. All those who travel that region must already be well aware of the bandits that have taken up residence in that mountain pass, using it as a bountiful pinch point from which to strike caravan and traveler alike. Such was the fate of yet another caravan this past week, though in this case one of its members survived, and escaped, to tell the tale. He related overhearing his captors speak of how their necromancer master would be pleased at the souls they had taken captive and brought to him for sacrifice. To our ears, this suggested the hand of Cerendus, and thus a search of the region was undertaken. Alas, a thorough search of the ten leagues about that pass turned up a bandit hideout, but these men were clearly not those who had taken the caravan, nor were they willing to divulge anything at all when captured. The search also turned up an odd throne of gigantic proportions, but no sign of Cerendus. The search continues, following other leads in other locales, but I am not at liberty to speak further of those activities presently.

A good deal of other information has come into our collective possession, but at the moment it remains a jumbled mass, whose relating would only serve to confuse. As portions of it are connected to suggest hypotheses, I will share these with ye. When sufficient evidence exists to prompt action, it will be detailed.

No further information has come in concerning Lady Savannah or the so-called Mithril Rats. Again, should ye know anything concerning either, please contact me at the soonest opportunity.

The first of several new recruits are being admitted into the Academy this week, to bolster the numbers of the Watch.

In humble service to the Holy Cause of Justice and the Lords of Waterdeep,

Raona Corbin of Tyr
Acting Commander, Waterdeep City Watch

[Raona]

My fellow citizens of Waterdeep -

I am happy to find myself in a position to report to ye that the efforts of the so-called "Godson" cultists to enhance the power of the focus of their devotions have been foiled, thanks to the quick thinking and determination of certain members of the populace. I was not present for the events, but here relate the essence of the tale, as told to me by my Sister in faith and colleague in the Watch, Lady Jaenoic of Ilmater, with the aid of the mage Namic. If ye should have any corrections or additions to offer, please do not hesitate to do so.

As Jaenoic related, it all began with a disturbing yell, proclaiming the imminent resurrection of the Godson, throughout the Deep. Jaenoic went to investigate the source of the disturbance, finding two individuals, one a half-drow she later came to know be named Araavar, dropping more of the ostentatious leaflets for which the Cult had become known. When confronted, the two fled, but Sergeant Jaenoic locked down the City and gave chase.

In response to the yelled threat of awakening the Godson here in the Deep, Jaenoic called together a band of those willing to investigate, and if necessary, combat this threat. Her call wast answered by, as best Jaenoic and Namic could recall: Keltorn, Bhuvan, squire Alfrid, Namic, Ynaura, Ema, Ariala, and Kokoro; though they thought there were others as well, who's names did not come immediately to mind. Jaenoic apologizes for their omission - it all happened so quickly. Namic related that Nelik joined the group later, as well, and aided those in need of healing.

As this band wast being organized, Lady Jaenoic received word that Sir Exer had recently been taken captive in Thay, and was to be sacrificed in some dark ritual. Research into the matter suggested that while it was indeed likely that Sir Exer had been captured, his location wast not Thay. Correlating this information with word from a Watch Wizard that a series of disturbances in the City's Wards had recently occurred, centered in the sewers, she led the assembled group there to investigate. They soon came upon Mazikeen, Travis, the two that had been seen dropping the leaflets, and the well-known jeweler of Sword Street here in the Deep, Halazar, who had been implicated in the earlier thefts of the painting of Sune, the mantle of Millil, and the bone of the saint of Ilmater. They were, surely enough, centered around a retrained Sir Exer, preparing to draw some of his blood for some dark ritual yet to ensue.

As the group approached, a black, yet transparent, wall of dark energy blocked their way. Efforts to break through the wall brought searing pain, but no disruption in said wall. As they worked to breach the wall, they saw Halazar burn the three holy items: the mantle, the painting, and the bone, in dark sacrifice, while ranting blasphemies about resurrection of the Godson. Thanks to some quick thinking on Bhuvan's part, he and Alfrid departed in haste through the sewers, seeking to come at the cultists from an undefended direction. As the two came upon the cultists, startling them, the ritual was temporarily disrupted. Jaenoic quickly led the others in Bhuvan and Alfrid's footsteps, maneuvering to join them. When they arrived, they found Halazar transformed into a balor, and a scene of chaos. Raving, the Balor was demanding more blood, from the members of his own cult, no less, to fuel the ritual. At this the cult's adherents fell into disarray and confusion, eventually opting to flee with the aid of Mazikeen's magic. Jaenoic led the others in battle against the balor, the transformed Halazar, finally bringing him down. They freed Sir Exer and sanctified the spot with holy water and prayer...and then, all was quiet.

Encouragingly, the cult has not been seen or heard from since, though I ask each of ye to remain vigilant, and continue to report any suspicious events ye might become aware of. I note also that Cerendus remains at large, though his threat presently seems focused without the City walls. My thanks to the many brave citizens who put themselves in peril, yea, in some cases sacrificed their lives, to provide the information that led to this successful defense against the dark plans of this deranged cult.

In humble service to the Holy Cause of Justice and the Lords of Waterdeep,

Raona Corbin of Tyr
Acting Commander, Waterdeep City Watch

[Raona]

Dear Citizens, I pen ye greetings from Mirabar, whence I have been called by my Church to stand at the side of its defenders against an onslaught of babyloths - tiny, inexplicably cute demons that wail with rage when they do not get what they wish, and consider themselves fully deserving of nearly everything. What they lack in size and strength, they make up for with determination, tenacity, and volume - a meaningful prayer has not been uttered to my Lord in the northland in many a moon, now, thanks to the efforts of these fiendish creatures. Lore has it that they strike those who have too much, so perhaps it is Mirabar's very success, of late, that brought this odd plague among them. This is the first true respite from the fighting that I've had since being called north to aid this hamlet; I know not how much longer the battle will rage, though I've reason to hope the tide may now be turning.

In any case, I do not take up quill to tell ye of matters here, but rather, to speak to ye of matters in Waterdeep. I apologize that I have been largely absent from within our walls for these past moons - save a visit from my Sister, the Lawkeeper Maybel, I have been largely out of touch and do not know what has been transpiring in our beloved Deep. I can but hope that all there is well. I hope that the elections continue apace, and that the Watch continues to uphold the Law within the walls.

It is on this latter point that I have a matter to share with all of ye, something that has been long festering but for which new information arose shortly before my being called away - such that I have not had time to properly document it until now. I was working with Felgous, of the Morninglord's church, on an ultimatum for the return of Lady Savannah, who had been kidnapped by this band of brigands calling themselves the "Mithril Rats," when word came to me that Lady Savannah had indeed reappeared - alas, only to then meet a dark end. I write now to fill ye all in on these matters, and ask for your aid in solving this unfinished affair.

My investigations suggest that Lady Savannah was freed, with a ransom demand for the return of her brother. She turned to members of the Morninglord's church for aid, most notably Sadie and Adil, being able to raise only half of the ransom amount on her own. With the full amount in hand, she followed the instructions she had been given, walking north toward the Heroes' Garden. She performed an odd twirl and a little dance as she passed through the Market Square, which the Lathanderites, who were following as best they could in her haste, considered odd, and were later able to confirm was not part of her instructions. Lady Savannah got ahead of them, and they heard a cry from the gardens, arriving in time only to find Lady Savannah's lifeless body, free of signs of physical harm, the ransom gone, birdseed scattered about, and a vial next to her, as if fallen from her hands. There wast no sign of any others, but (part of, it would seem) the ransom note was discovered, reading as follows:

From: The Mithril Rats
To: Lady Miss Phyndis
Subject: Instructions I

Bring a collection of small gemstone with a total worth of four hundred
pieces of platinum to the center of the garden of heroes at highsun
tomorrow. Come alone. Do not have upon your person any items of magic
or be affected by any spell. We have ways of detecting invisible and
hidden persons. Any attempt at trickery will result in the death of
your brother. Further instructions will await you in the garden. Do not
be late.

Distraught, the Lathanderites brought the body before Her High Radiance, Ghentilara, who was able to contact the Lady's spirit, but only by the most tenuous of connections. That revealed that the Lady had arrived in the square with the ransom - that at that time her brother wast already dead, though it was unclear when she learned this - that she had, of her own volition, consumed the contents of the vial that had been found, a poison, though she did not wish to die: that she might save another - that the instructions above were but part of a whole, the latter part which had not been shared with the Lathanderites - and that there when she arrived there were birds there, but not other souls present.

Citizens, we have clear indications of a double kidnapping and a double murder at the hands of these foul Mithril Rats. It is clear they have no honour, and that attempting to placate them will only make a situation more dire. We seek the second portion of the instructions Lady Savannah followed, as well as any other information relating to these events. I have taken into evidence the following, which are now stored in the Watch Vault, to which Sergeant Jaenoic has access:

• the birdseed found by the body
• the empty vial that contained the poison
• the frilly white linen dress trimmed with lace, white linen and lace handkerchief, high heeled red shoes, and red leather purse that Lady Savannah carried with her on that day
• The ransom note, part I of some number greater than that

Should any sign of these Mithril Rats emerge before your eyes, please take careful note, and be certain to report it to the authorities. Do not do anything they ask or demand, lest ye end up as the Lady Savannah.

Together, with vigilance, we can uncover and stamp out this rot on the safety and serenity of our fair environs.

In humble service to the Holy Cause of Justice and the City of Splendours,
Lady Raona Corbin of Tyr
Acting Commander of the Waterdeep City Watch

OOC: Raona isn't in a position to say this ICly, but the Phyndis family sought out the aid of the Lathanderite church, and followers of the Morninglord have been deeply involved in this RP. So, it would make a lot of sense for Lathanderites to speak with each other about this, and keep their eyes peeled for further developments! I expect they want to see their church do right by the Phyndis family, if nothing else.