A Wizard in Need...

On the first of Flamerule, I found myself in the peculiar community of Bug Tussle enjoying a meal at the Fighter's Own.

My residence is in a tower under construction in the Dagger Hills, but business brought me here. I'd paid to aquire an item which would help me retrieve some property taken from me long ago.

My agent had not yet arrived, and so I took the opportunity to dine on shepard's pie with Halfling mushroom pudding as a side dish, and a pint of fennel spiced wine. While eating, I carefully took in my surroundings. Galen was not there, but his pet troll Bertrum was sitting in a dark corner humming to himself as he drank his dark mead. Garunth, the giant who works as a bouncer, kept an eye on any trouble, ready to stop any before it arises.

An attractive woman in the tightly fitting clothing of a thief entered wearing a radiant smile ready to celebrate the completion of some new level of training attained. She spoke with the bartender, someone named Markus, about needing to move out of Hairfoot's Barefoot Inn because she would have to start paying rent now that her training was completed.

The bartering over long term rentals at the Fighter's Own grew wearisome so I turned my attention to a brightly dressed priest of Gond seated impatiently at a nearby table bending the ear of everyone who came near about how wonderful Lantan is this time of year, especially by comparison to this backwater. If it weren't for the curiosity over his obviously mechancial companion, I don't think anyone would have tolerated the man. The strange being clicked and whirred, was as large as a barbarian chieftain, and one hand ended in a cruel looking swordblade. Its eyes glowed red and its head constantly surveyed the room looking for any sign of danger or threat. It was no mere golem, this was certain, because it clearly posessed its own unique intelligence. The priest, whose name I gathered was Routunious (but I heard more than one patron jokingly refer to him as "Rotundious"!), was asking after a gnome named Stago Wimsicalamity.

I was not alone in watching the odd pair, far from it, but no one else in the room scrutinized them as closely as I save for a grim faced female elf who, by the look of her, was a ranger who may have been tracking them for some time.

The rest of the room was full of the normal hubbub of any given night in Bug Tussle.

Before too very long a well dressed man in a green turban entered the bar and try as he might, he could not out pace or ignore the yapping young gnome nipping at his heels and trying to convince him to do several things at once. What I could make out was that this gnome wanted to be trained as a magic user, to write a book which he could sell in the man's bookstore, to trade books he'd bought for books he hadn't yet read, and to have a few free drinks.

Fortunately for me, my agent arrived and I paid her for the rolled scrap of parchment she had come here to sell me. I turned my attention from the other patrons, and became absorbed in examining the map she had delivered.

At some point the mechanical man must have caught the attention of the gnome, for when I looked up again the gnome was speaking with the priest, and seated at their table. I overheard Routunious inform Stago that the gnome's father had been living for some years in the temple to Gond in Lantan, but had recently passed away. Routunious told Stago that he was in possession of the personal effects of Stago's father and had been charged with delivering them to the family. Stago had been left his father's spell book, which contained all the standard first level wizard spells and a large bag of coins totalling 1000 gold pieces in value. The coins are to be given to Stago's mother.

I was so engrossed in listening to the conversation without being observed that I did not notice when the waitress, a dark haired young woman whose beauty is only sligthly marred by crooked teeth, cleared my table. In horror I glanced at the empty table and realized my map was missing!

I regret now that I lost my temper and accused the waitress of stealing it and we got into a loud argument when she denied it. The fighting attracted everyone's attention, but I needed that item greatly, and had paid dearly to obtain it.

Nicole, that was the poor girl's name, suggested that perhaps it had been thrown away with his unfinished food when she cleared the table. All the garbage is tossed down a chute which empties into the Undertavern tunnels to feed whatever might be down there.

Most of the patrons turned back to their own affairs, but four offered their assistance. They were the pretty thief, the elven ranger, the talkative gnome and, somewhat reluctantly, the large priest. They introduced themselves as Selina, Elissaria, Stago, and Routunious respectively.

After examining the chute, Selina attempted to slip through it but became stuck. The others pulled her free. I sensed that they needed incentive, and I offered a 500 gold reward for the return of my map. They inquired after the tunnels below the tavern and were told many tales of what lies below.

A dwarf at the barwith a heavy mug of dark beer said, “As anyone with any passing familiarity with Shadowdale knows, the whole of the dalelands is crisscrossed beneath its soil by a subterranean labyrinth which connects to the Underdark and the territories of the Drow. The area under this town...by the Nine Hells, the area under this tavern, is no exception. The topmost level of the catacomb system exist directly below where yer is sittin’ right now. The crazy bastard what owns this place says he’s sealed them up safe and it ain’t no threat to anyone but what goes after his treasure. Who knows if he’s telling the truth? I’m not to be paying a gold piece to find out it’s a damned lie and a joke on my poor soul!”

“The Fighter’s Own tavern and access to the lower levels have been sealed up by Galen. He’s not that crazy. I understand that the upper level is fairly small and not too dangerous to anyone but the greenest of fighters. But then, truth be told, I’ve not seen too many come out what went in. Still, them that came out had no trouble paying the toll, and bought plenty of rounds for everyone in the place with what they come out with. There’s monsters, to be sure, but I’m guessing there’s plenty of booty, too. Look at all the money being spent in here tonight. Where do you think it goes? Galen don’t spend it, what’s he want he don’t already have? So it all goes down there...every night, every copper. Think of it, lads!”

“Be careful if ye go, it costs to go down and ten times as much to come back up, and Galen never ever lets anyone up who can’t pay--he’s watched a troll kill a man who couldn’t pay, and then laughed as the troll picked his teeth with the man’s broken leg bone.”

I offered to pay the fees for going down and coming back up--if they came back up with the map--in addition to the reward money. Stago, being frugal, suggests that even if they go down through the well, they might not be able to find their way to where the garbage chute empties out.

"If we're chasing the map, isn't it the best idea to follow the map?" He asked, and began tying a rope around his chest. He fit easily through the trap door and Elessaria lowered him slowly down the chute. After descending in that manner for a length of 40 feet, he was able to spy the crumpled and stained parchment atop a quivering pile of garbage and moldering offal.

This most unusual gnome was carrying in his backpack a live chicken. This turned out to be most fortuitous. As he reached out to grab the map, several tentacles snapped up from the pile and reached toward him. He managed to dodge their embrace and tossed his clucking cargo onto the pile instead. Before the bird touched down it was entwined in the tentacles of a carrion crawler. With the monster thus distracted, the gnome nimbly plucked the map from the garbage heap and called for Elessaria to begin drawing him back up to the tavern level.

With the map safely back in my hands, I thanked the group and introduced myself to them. After counting out the well deserved reward, I left the tavern and began the journey back to my tower with great haste.

As I understand it, after I left it wasn't long before Galen returned. Upon hearing the story of the map, and that I had been the patron involved in this incident, the retired fighter related some of his knowledge of me and the adventures of the Hopeful Seven which led to the founding of the town.

Stago told Routunious that he would take the gold coins to his mother, but either out of mistrust or a sincere desire to deliver the gold personally, Routunious says that he must give the money to Stago's mother himself. Stago said he would guide the priest to the village but not at night. Even in the daytime the trip is dangerous.

The thief and the elf offered to assist in the transfer of the estate and everyone agreed to meet at the Green Rajah's bookstore the following day at high sun.

Selina arranges for her new lodging at the FIghter's Own, Elessaria also takes a room there. Routunious desires lodging more suitable for a person of his station, so Selina, who still has at least one night remaining at Hairfoot's, guided the priest and his mechanical man there. Routunious pays Groot for a month's lodging in advance.

Stago, happy his dodge to get a little time to think this through on his own worked so easily, dashed home alone through the dark along the very familiar path, to give his mother the news!

The Fighter's Own Tavern

The adventures I'm about to describe began with a visit I made to Bug Tussle, where a business transaction took me to the Fighters Own Tavern. I thought it might be prudent to give a general description of the tavern before beginning the story.

Despite the tavern’s name, it is a haven for all travelers, not just warriors, although they certainly are the target demographic. This is a favorite haunt of sword swingers to boast of their exploits and plot new ones.

This isn't an establishment I frequent often, as it is owned and operated by Galen (CG hm F16/B9), who led the adventuring company to which I once belonged. We parted on...less than amicable terms. However, he wasn't in that evening, which helped with my digestion immensely.

Galen, in his day, was one of the greatest fighters in the Realms. He often had terrible tangles with his brother Morgan (LG hm Paladin 18), but it has been quite some time since the two have locked horns. Morgan is not a frequent visitor to Bug Tussle

Galen still goes adventuring, though not as earnestly as once he did. He is rather content to run this tavern which caters to fighters, but will serve anyone. He has a fine selection of wines, ales, and spirits from all over the realms. Galen also brews his own brand of ale and distills a sour tasting whiskey. He will also quite happily purchase beverages brought to him from afar in order to encourage others to buy his product and spread the good will among merchants of spirits.

Galen employs a verbeeg giant named Garunth as his bouncer. He met Garunth in battle several years ago, but rather than either one meeting his end, the two became friends united against a common enemy. Garunth sleeps in the town meeting hall when it is not being used for meetings. He is friendly to all but those who have crossed him, and he never forgets an insult or injury. If he tells you that you’ve had enough, you’d better listen. He is missing half of one leg and one hand. The former being replaced by a wooden peg (which is enchanted) and the latter with a gigantic mace head.

The tavern is treated like a second rate amusement park, and there is a lot of gambling. There are constant dagger throwing contests, card and dice games, and drinking contests too. There are regular sporting events held in the makeshift arena out back, which are heavily bet upon, with the winner taking a handsome purse provided by Galen from the proceeds.

Once a week there is a prize fight there for an admission price and people are allowed to bet on the outcome. Often these fights are part of the training young fighters can get from Galen for a tuition fee. These are not usually to the death, and even if a death accidentally happens, Too Bad Jim is on hand to revive and heal the fallen if they have purchased an "insurance" policy ahead of time.

Sometimes the fight is against Garunth, and sometimes against individual patrons for a local championship title, and sometimes against a summoned or captured monster. Galen never allows monster vs. monster exhibitions, however. He feels that is immoral. If the monster is not killed before the summoning spell ends, it is considered the winner.

Once, several years ago, a troll was summoned to the ring and defeated three fighters before the dweomer faded which sent it back to its home in the Underdark. Somehow that troll found its way back to the tavern and caused quite a turmoil until it was able to convince Galen that it only wanted a job. The troll, Bertrum by name, now regularly fights in the ring at the Fighter’s Own, making a very good living by collecting the prize money when he wins. He lives in the Bug Cave and has a day job there as its janitor. Sometimes, especially if the tourists are of a higher level or if someone is taking the tour for a second time, Martin will tip him extra to slip in behind the last tourist and give them a real fright by attacking them.

There are rooms to be had here, but they are pricey for what you get, which isn't much. Galen doesn’t want to cut into Groot’s business, but there are many fighters who won’t sleep in a fine inn and the town would rather they stayed under a roof than out in someone’s lawn.

Food here is better than average, but a far cry from what you could expect at the Church of Divine Pleasure or Hairfoot's Barefoot Inn. Meals are served on pottery and you pay twice the cost of the item if you break a dish.

Menu and Prices
Breakfast, plain 5 cp
Breakfast, elaborate 2 sp
Dinner, plain 5 sp
Dinner, elaborate 1 ep
Supper, plain 3 sp
Supper, elaborate 7 sp

Common Drink (per pint)
House Ale 2 sp
"Imported" Ale (out of town) 1 ep
"Exotic Ale” (from beyond the Dales) 5 ep
FO Beer, small 5 cp
FO Beer, heavy 1 sp
Mead 1 ep
Mead, special brew 15 sp
Wines (by the pint) 1 sp (worst) 1 pp(best)
FO Whiskey (per gill) 1 gp
FO Bourbon (per glass) 1 sp
Brandy 1 ep
Maker's Mark 3 gp
Liqueur Elixir 5 gp
Absinthe 1 pp

Galen once visited The Yawning Portal in Waterdeep, and when he had the opportunity to build a bar of his own, he based it on that model--including what he calls The Undertavern Dungeon composed of caverns discovered below the tavern site. Well, to be more precise, the location for the tavern was based upon proximity to the caverns, which had been discovered during the fight with the giant bugs.

Exactly as in the Waterdhavian bar, in the back room is a "well" which never functioned for the purpose of drawing water. Through the well and below the tavern are a series of catacombs. For a gold piece Galen will lower you into the well, but charges 10gp to haul you back up. The fees are clearly posted on a sign in this room.

Usually only one person at a time may descend into the tunnels, but if two or more wish to go, the fees go up by a multiple equal to the number of the party to a limit of 5 persons. The Undertavern is hardly a fraction the size of the great maze of the Ruins of Undermountain. More than 5 people at a time could easily overcome what challenges there are in this small sized homage.

The money and equipment of those who don't make it out remains in the tunnels for the taking. Whatever you find you can bring up, so long as you have the 10gp to pay the toll. It is well known that that the Fighter's Own’s master safe is hidden down there with all of Galen’s amassed treasure. It is also well advertised that the lucky one to find it and escape may keep all that they can find and carry out. Galen himself, or rather, Bertrum, restocks the caves with random treasures and resets the traps on a regular basis.

Even though smaller in scale than the infamous catacombs below Waterdeep, the Undertavern is not for the timid or ill-prepared. It is full of dangerous traps and many monsters. There is a rumor that there is a one way gate down there through which these dangerous beasts wander in and are unable to return. People tell new students whom Galen is training that getting in and getting out of the Undertavern Dungeon is the final exam, but in fact, Galen does not allow his students into the tunnels, anyone who would participate in something like this for sport he isn't interested in wasting his time training. He also will not allow anyone down the well who is drunk, or whom he believes has a death wish.

After the contestant is lowered into the well, the rope is pulled up and the lid is locked down tight. The contestant is told that when they want back up, they just have to pull on the chain, which will ring a bell in the tap room. When the bell rings, the door will be flung open and the rope thrown down to them. If they don’t have the 10 gold pieces when they reach the top, Garuth lets go of the rope and the poor delver drops back into the pit to try to come up with the exit fee. Not everyone goes down with the 10 gold pieces already in hand...and these are the ones for whom Galen has the most contempt.

Regulars enjoy sitting around telling familiar tales of this or that adventurer who in need of training, excitement, or money went below, or “through the well”, and what became of them. Or the money they’ve made by betting cleverly. Of those who don’t come out, less is said. The Fighter’s Own makes all who go below sign a release absolving the business of any wrong doing should the worst befall them. They also have to sign an agreement which assigns permission to allow their corpses to be animated for the purpose of protecting the treasure below from future contestants. It is only this permission which allows Too Bad Jim, a Chaotic Good cleric to create the undead guardians below.

Bug Tussle (Formerly the Shallain Freehold)

The Dalelands are by far the most frequented by adventurers in the Realms, owing to the large number of ancient ruins, accesses to the Underdark, and hidden treasure caches. There’s always something to do or to find here. Of all the cities, towns, and hamlets in the Dales, perhaps the least famous is Bug Tussle.

I currently reside in a tower I'm building in the Dagger Hills, an inhospitable tract of land between Shadowdale and Dagger Falls, and I've had several occaisions to visit...though I must confess to having reluctance to do so often. The town is the creation of several members of my old adventuring company, from whom I've become estranged. I admit that though nearly everyone else in the Realms is welcome there, I am given the coldest of shoulders...but tolerated none the less.

Bug Tussle is not so much a town as it is a small collection of buildings situated on what used to be the Shallain Freehold along the Dagger Hills Trail. It is, technically, located in Shadowdale, though it most often appears on maps of Daggerdale, owning to its being so close to the SE edge of Dagger Hills.

The Shallain Freehold was home to around 20 kinsmen who held a loose union of family farms in the area until 1363, when they were overrun by a swarm of giant insects which swept down on the farms and devoured the crops, livestock, and several of the farmers.

At precisely that time, the party of adventurers I mentioned previously, The Hopeful Seven, were headed to Shadowdale after an extended campaign in the Underdark. Laden with treasure and smarting from many wounds, they emerged from a cave not far from White Crag, and headed southeast toward the freehold to seek supplies and aid in exchange for trinkets. They arrived to see the town in ruin and the farmers fighting for their lives against the giant insect swarm.

The Hopeful Seven didn’t hesitate to join the defense of the farms, and after a tremendous battle, won the day. Success against the insects, however, came too late to save the most of the Shallain farms. What the insects hadn’t destroyed was obliterated in the many fireballs launched by the party’s wizard, Alzador.

The adventurers felt such compassion for the ruined farmers that they purchased almost all of their devastated lands at a prices several times the value of the land before the coming of the insect horde. Having spent most of their fortune in this generous act, and not having the heart for further exploits, they retired as a group and decided to start a town. They named it in honor of the battle they’d fought there: Bug Tussle.

Some of the original Shallain family farmers took the money, but continued to work their farms as tenants. Each year they are allowed to keep their entire crop in exchange for a small portion of the profits contributed towards the general town fund, established for the upkeep and protection of Bug Tussle. Over the years, two of those farmers have since bought back their farms.

Most of the businesses in town are owned by the individual members of The Hopeful Seven, and cater primarily to tourists and transient bands of adventurers. The way stop was officially opened for business in 1365.

This "town" is not recognized as such by the Mourngrym (Lord of Shadowdale), or most anyone else. Residents of the Dales outside Bug Tussle still refer to it as the Shallain Freehold, hoping that the fame of the town never spreads far. The residents, however, are adamant that it is, in fact, a real town.

OOC: Anyone who calls it by the old name (other than the remaining Shallain family farmers), will suffer an increasing charisma penalty of one point per reference to the Freehold after the first time they’ve been corrected.

Most residents of the town are members of The Seven, of course, or residents who have become loyal to them as a result of the adventuring company’s acts of kindness, bravery, or largess. Despite being indebted to the Seven for getting rid of the giant insects, most of the farmers in the area look down on them and avoid coming to Bug Tussle. It has the atmosphere of a town populated by carnies. Bug Tussle's main clientele are unsavory elements looking for a short cut between Dagger Falls and the North Ride, as well as novice adventurers eagerly seeking action in the Dagger Hills.

The Seven, though somewhat legendary, are frequently held up to dissatisfied farm children as the kind of bad end even successful adventuring will lead to--best to stay at home and tend the crops! Bug Tussle does provide a convenient source of supplies for the farmers in the northern section of this dale and an interesting rest stop for travelers on the minor trail between Shadowdale and Daggerdale. The Seven are also a source of help when the farmers of northern Shadowdale need assistance and the trip to the village of Shadowdale proper would take too long.

The Fighter’s Own Tavern sells a wide variety of spirits, beers, wines and ales, and sponsors regular sporting events and monster baiting for prize money. There is an open air flea market across the street that attracts the kind of merchant who can’t afford a store—something like a perpetual yard sale—and all in the shadow of what, for all practical purposes, is a house of sanctified prostitution. This is the Church of Divine Pleasures, a temple to Sharess.

OOC: Given its out of the way location and devotion to carnal delights, you might call Bug Tussle the Las Vegas of the Forgotten Realms.

To the Southwest of Bug Tussle is a deep wood full of gnolls and black orcs, as well as other nasty creatures which sometimes venture out to steal a cow or several chickens. These woods were once part of Cormanthor, but the trade route between Tilverton and Voolar, as well as the Farmer's axe have cut the trees back.

To the North and West are the most rugged stretches of terrain in the Dalelands--the Dagger Hills, rife with monsters and the territory of the Orcs of the Dripping Fang. These orcs are an offshoot of the Broken Anvil Tribe and inhabit the crumbling ruins and catacombs beneath the White Crag.

Besides the townspeople, farmers, and monstrous denizens, there are a few human shepherds and the occasional miner looking to strike it rich. There are also lots of bandits in the area who come down out of the hills to raid travelers on the roads and trails between Shadowdale and Daggerdale.

Spreading out between Cormanthor and Bug Tussle are the majority of Shadowdale's other farmlands, providing an easy and safe route along the road to Voonlar. To the North, East, and south--past the farmlands--are the main body of woods of Cormanthor. This ancient forest is home to a few remaining elves and far more monsters than you want to shake a short sword at.

Stago, Illusionist Pick Pocket

Stago is a gnome from Fleckstone Village, just north of Bug Tussle. Stago’s father, Vimvender, left Fleckstone not long after Stago was born, in 1299. The patriarch of the Wimsicalamity family decided to leave family life and gem mining behind in order to pursue his passion for magical study and adventuring.

Stago never knew his father but his mother constantly scorned him for leaving a family and a productive gem mine for a life of adventure. Stago spends much of his time in the Green Rajah’s bookstore, reading everything he can on illusion magic and even getting some pointers from the Raja himself.

In addition to a fascination with his father, adventure, magic and books the young gnome is also good at taking things that belong to other people. None of these passionate pastimes curry any favor with his mother.

It is precisely to avoid his mother, or at least delay seeing her, that drives Stago into the Fighter’s Own Tavern late one afternoon. The gnome is astonished to see in the dimly lit bar an unlikely sight--a flamboyant man in a huge yellow hat sitting with a hulking armored warrior with glowing red eyes.

"Now this is more interesting than mining gemstones or arguing with mother!" He thinks, and sets about seeing how much he can drink for free while he observes the strangers.

Selina, Thief and Bast Worshipper

Selina comes originally from Mulhorand where she was a devotee of the goddess Bast and a novice sneak thief. Her childhood religion has left in her a deep obsession with all things cat related.

In one of her early exploits she attempted to rob a slaver of some cat shaped trinkets but ended up being aprehended herself. The slaver brought her north, en route to Zhentil Keep. Too Bad Jim, also of Mulhorand, noticed her when the slaver passed through Bug Tussle. Intrigued by her exhortations to Bast to help save her because he knew that his own goddes, Sharess, is likely the same diety by another name, he purchased her from the man on the condition that she train with him to become a priestess of Sharess in the Church of Divine Pleasure.

Sharess is, in fact, the northern manifestation of Bast, but Selina could not bring herself to make the conversion and continued to venerate Bast only as the Cat Goddess. This obstinance kept her at constant odds with the High Sensate. Also, her tendency toward cleptomania (concerning items related to cats she has to save vs spell at -10 to avoid the overwhelming urge to steal them) caused her to constantly place her own pleasure above that of those who came to worship at the temple. This Too Bad could not tolerate.

Because she found no pleasure whatsoever in providing pleasure to others she avoided helping others to feel pleasure whenever possible, almost to the point of deriving pleasure from that denial. This rift caused her to be expelled from the priesthood and left her free to pursue the more more natural vocation of being a professional thief.

When she left the church, she was allowed to take with her certain items including her specially made cat's claw gloves and boots, a tight fitting black silk body suit, mask, and cat's ear tiara. She also wears a solid gold holy symbol of Bast (though she has no power to use it as such), and a golden belt with a ruby studded buckle. These last items are truly valuable, but she will never willingly part with either.

She was allowed to leave the church by the High Sensate, but must repay his initial payment made by Too Bad Jim to the slaver, a debt of 1000gp. Further, she is indebted to Groot Hairfoot, who took her in at his Inn and undertook her formal training as a thief. For this initial training she owes the sum of 200gp. She signed a binding agreement that she will seek him out as her exclusive tutor until she has attained 3rd level and until that time in addition to any applicable training fees she will surrender to him 5% of all financial wealth attained in the line of work for which she has been trained.

According to the terms of the contract, in the event of her death before attaining third level, Groot Hairfoot is the sole benefactor of all wealth personally owned by Selina. After repayment of all sums owed and the successful attaiment of third level all obligations by either party are rendered null and void.

Groot had expected this to be a long and fruitful arrangement, however last night Selina had an extremely troubling dream. In it she was travelling to Dagger Falls with the Gypsy who lives in town, one of the priestesses of Sharess from the Temple of Divine Pleasures with whom she was friends, an elf she doesn't know and a man in a green turban. In the dream she is kissed by a nixie, engulfed in flames, chased by wooden dwarves, attacked by giant flies and frogs, watched one of her cats be killed, and other troubling images...but are they a preminition? Who can say? All she knows for sure is that although she went to sleep a first level thief and woke up a third level one.

She spent the entire day going through tests with her mentor and proved she'd somehow achieved the abilities and skills of a third level thief. With that demonstration, she was ceritified and her contract with Groot was ended. Selina was truly free now to seek her own fortune...the first portion of which would need to go toward paying off her debts.

Still, she had enough coin to celebrate, and that's exactly what she planned to do at the Fighter's Own tavern.

As a personal goal, Selina hopes to one day meet and kill the slaver who took her from Mulhorand.

Elessaria, Elven Ranger

Elessaria hails from Elventree, not far from Shadowdale. Her Mother was a Harper and in protecting the Elven Woods was killed by Zhentish soldiers from Zhentil Keep. Her father, in his grief, departed west. He implored his only daughter to accompany him, but but she has remained behind in hopes of becoming a Harper herself. She knows that before this can happen she will have to do some adventuring and by brave deeds gain the Harper's attention. To that end she is willing to suffer the company of non-elves as part of an adventuring company.

She is decidedly unfriendly to any member of the Zhentarim.

Elissaria had been considering exploring the Ruins of Myth Drannor when she heard the sounds of a caravan and turned from the danger of the ruins to discover if the caravan were Zhents. She was intrigued by a large priest of Gond who was accompanied by a mechanical man. She determined to follow them and learn what she could. Thus far she has trailed them through Essembra, Tilverton, Shadowdale, and finally Bug Tussle.

From a table in the Fighter's Own tavern, she observes quietly.

The Journey of Routunious

Along his journey, Routunious is also charged with stopping at major temples of Gond in areas through which he passes. He must communicate with the local priests, exchange messages and gifts, and then resume his travels. These are the major dates and events which bring him to Bug Tussle.

15th, Ches, 1368: Routunious departs from Lantan by galley to Baldur's Gate.

28th, Ches, 1368: Routunious arrives in Baldur's Gate and lodges at the Temple to Gond.

2nd, Tarsakh, 1368: Routunious and Tick-a-Tick gated to the Temple of Gond in Tantras.

4th, Tarsakh, 1368: Routunious and Tick-a-Tick depart Tantras for Mulmaster by caravan on the Cross Road.

19th, Tarsakh, 1368: Routunious and Tick-a-Tick arrive in Mulmaster.

23rd, Tarsakh, 1368: Routunious and Tick-a-Tick depart Mulmaster by sailing ship for Melvaunt.

26th, Tarsakh, 1368: Routunious and Tick-a-Tick depart Melvaunt by sailing ship for Hillsfar.

30th, Tarsakh, 1368: Routunious and Tick-a-Tick depart Hillsfar by caravan along the Moonsea Ride, and then Aruthauvyr's Road to Essembra.

4th, Mirtul, 1368: As Routunious and his caravan pass through the Elven Court, they are noticed by Elessaria, a moon elf ranger. She is intrigued by the mechanical companion and decides to follow them to determine their purpose.

9th, Mirtul, 1368: Routnuious arrives in Essembra and lodges with the priests there.

10th, Mirtul, 1368: Routnuious departs Essembra and leaves for Tilverton.

5th, Kythorn, 1368: Routunious departs Tilverton for Bug Tussle via Shadowdale.

1st Flammerule, 1368: Routunious arrives in Bug Tussle and seeks a room at the Fighter's Own tavern.

(OOC: Many, many thanks to the good sages at The Forgotten Realms Cartography Yahoo Group for helping to determine both distances and travel times by various craft. Without their assistance this would have been impossible to compute.)

Routunious of Gond

Routunious is a priest of Gond who has been charged with an important mission by the High Priest of his home temple in Lantan.

Many years ago, before Routunious began his clerical studies, a gome wizard named Vimvender Whimsicalamity came to Lantan to give up his wizardly ways and pursue an understanding of Gond worship. He was taken in by the priests and was a close friend of the High Priest. Recently the old gnome passed away, and his dying wish was for the church to deliver his spellbook and the rest of his estate to his family living in the Dagger Hills just north of the Shallain Freehhold.

The task was given to Routunious, who dislikes and resents having to go so far inland. He is very quick to tell anyone who asks him (and a few who don’t) how much more beautiful it is to live on an island, and the island of Lantan in particular.
To accompany him on his journey, Routunious was given a gift of a Warforged Fighter as a companion.

(In these Realms Gond did not give the gift of smoke powder to his priests after the Time of Troubles, he gave the gift of Warforged Knowledge, the ability to create truly intelligent and self aware automatons. Each of these automatons have their own individual personality, though they can be given instructions and choose to serve with complete loyalty the creator of the individual Warforged creature.)

Routunious knows the name of his companion, but has taken to calling him Tick-a-tick after the constant clockwork sound coming from its torso.

Tickatick has a finite number of hit points, which can not be repaired except by a 12th level cleric of Gond or higher. Tick-a-tick has only low level intelligence and does not speak, although in the months of travel from Lantan, not speaking back has not stopped Routunious from telling the clockwork warrior how supremely unhappy he has been. It may be that while Tick-a-tick can speak, he chooses not to in an effort to avoid encouraging the priest's dissertations.

What has gone before....

I am Shandar, the Ashen One.

I reside in a tower inside a region of the Forgotten Realms known as Dagger Hills.

This shall be a repository of information dealing with the exploits of an adventuring company currently in my employ.

I welcome comments, corrections, and additions.

This story begins with a curious wrinkle in time, the effect of which is what brought the players to my attention. Great efforts by great magic users are often felt far from the expression of power, and so it was here.

Elminster, Sage of Shadowdale, did something few but he would dare to do, and only in the most dire of circumstances. He reversed the flow of time.

What caused him to do make this move and so dramatically alter the course of events which would follow I have no idea. But I will find out, which is why I am following so closely the exploits of these adventurers who were at the center of Elminster's spell.

Let me explain, if I can, what has gone before and yet is now no more.

In the month of Flammerule, in the year of 1368, a small group of adventurers came together and in the course of their efforts made a series of mistakes which I can only presume would eventually lead to a disaster of calamitous proportions.

Each had completed the most basic levels of training in their chosen fields and had come together more out of greed than any heroic tendencies. This dominating tendency toward evil is likely the fly in the ointment which would lead to their downfall.

I will not describe in detail the backgrounds of these characters here, instead I will discuss each at length as they enter the story for the second time.

In the first time line Paschya, a cleric of Sharess, and her dearest friend Selina (defrocked priestess of Sharess now turned thief), had formed an adventuring company with a mysterious magic user who called himself the The Green Rajah, an elven ranger named Elessaria, and a Vistani herbalist named Gafar.

They tested their mettle in various ways, including fighting in the ring at the Fighter's Own, and even descending into the Undertavern Dungeon....to somewhat disappointing results.

Ada Janko, pupil of Alzador in Bug Tussle, approached them with offer of employment. That in itself was a sign of how desperate the poor young woman was. She begged them to come to Dagger Falls to help avert a plague which was causing the entire town--including her own brother--to fall asleep and waste away. She was in the company of a stalwart and silent dwarf who, for lack of anything better, was known only as The Dwarf with No Name.

The company joined her and her silent dwarven companion, crossing the Dagger Hills and actually had some progress in sorting out the mystery of the Sleeping Sickness. Unfortunately for them, they had more troubles than successes.

In a very short time they had promised Randal Morn they would liberate the Dale from Tren's control, but contracted with the evil Constable Tren to murder Randal Morn--though they believed they only meant to stall Tren and take his money without doing the rightful heir to the Daggerdale throne in.

During their investigations, they followed some strange creatures which resembled dwarves made of wood into the ruined temple of Lathander. In the lower level crypts they discovered a hidden altar set and promptly stole it. After discovering a tunnel they descended into the caverns below the crypt, encountering a nixie and discovering a large room filled with magical mushrooms and more of the peculiar wooden dwarves. After a struggle, they examined the mushroom ring and discovered that one of the mushrooms had magical healing properties and there were 13 examples of fungus which looked like horrible plant versions of humanoid infants.

The group promptly destroyed them all by stomping them under their boots, and then set to the task of removing a giant wall of thorns which blocked their path.

It was decided to burn their way through it, and the fire resulted in an explosive blast which killed the Dwarf with No Name and filled the entire cavern with an acrid, choking smoke.

The smoke forced them down another tunnel that descended sharply more than 50 feet. This allowed the party to reach not only clean air, but a swift underground river. While they waited for the air above to clear, they determined to explore the catacombs on the other side of the river. It wasn't long before they lost Gafar to the corrosive acid spittle of a giant slug. What remained of the party returned to the mushroom cavern. They explored a short way up the cavern, finding the badly burned and dead body of another of the wooden dwarves.

They couldn't go much further up the passage way, because it was blocked some distance ahead by a heavy iron door behind which could be heard the barking and growling of some horrible beast. Off to one side was an offal pit which contained a black pudding.

Unable to determine how best to proceed, the party collected the the dwarf’s corpse and returned it to Ada where they were surprised to discover that nearly 20 of the townspeople afflicted with the Sleeping Sickness had recovered while they were in the tunnels. The group took full credit although they had no idea how they might have accomplished this feat. Ada paid them and gave them more money to return to Bug Tussle with the dwarf's body to have him raised from the dead by the priest Too Bad Jim.

Though they suspected they had left much unfinished in Dagger Falls, the group decided to take the altar set they had discovered to Shadowdale in order to return it to a functioning temple of Lathander. While in Shadowdale they decided to take on a new mission and abandon their old one.

They hired out to clear the tunnels below the Twisted Tower.

While “clearing out the tunnels” the Green Rajah used a fire hands spell on what he thought was an ochre jelly...but was really two young lovers under a yellow blanket doing what young lovers do under blankets. The pair were horribly burned by the spell and fled in terror.

Pressing on, the adventurers came to a chasm filled with giant flies and frogs. One of Selina’s cats was killed by the flies in the terrible battle. During the fierce fighting with flies above and frogs below, with the adventurers knocking on death's door, a blast of bright light burst forth and Elminster stood before them.

"Oh, the folly of those who seek to help but don’t even know enough to be able to help themselves.

Begone and beback with ye!

Many are those who have said if I knew then what I know now...well, that won’t be you. The sands of time flow in reverse, and with this reversal comes the knowledge that nothing you did worked in rehearsal!"

And with a mighty burst of magic, Elminster sent each member of the company back in time to before they met. Each retained their skills, wealth, and items as well as most of the memories of their adventure and all the mistakes they had made...I presume with the hope that they would not make them again.

Was it all a dream?

It has taken considerable effort and scrying with unique artifacts to make all of this known to me, since after Elminster's spell it was a past which didn't exist and a future which might not happen.

The individual members of the group have reacted differently to the experience. All believe it was a strange dream, and none discuss it openly. Only two of the original group have chosen to take a path even remotely similar to the one they took before. I must assume that these two have the makings of true heroes.

Paschya remains a priestess of Sharess, rarely venturing from the temple now and has ended her friendship with Selina abruptly. The memories of that “vision” give her no pleasure and so she has turned from it completely. She does not understand how she has overnight gained levels which would otherwise take many weeks to achieve, and explains it to herself as a miracle bestowed by her goddess for her exemplary efforts as a priestess of pleasure.

Selina awoke from the "dream" to find herself safely in her room at Hairfoot’s Barefoot Inn. Groot was quite surprised to see the remarkable progress in his student after only one night, but he simply put it down to his own good instruction. The agreement they had was for him to tutor her to 3rd level, but she is there already and he was forced to graduate her. To celebrate and to cloud the memory of her dreams, Selina drifted into the Fighter’s Own to have a drink and practice picking pockets. This is where I found her and where the new thread begins.

Gafar's memory of being dissolved in spittle has left him reluctant to take on anything more adventurous than running a small tea shop out of his home. He even pays others to collect the ingredients he needs for his teas.

The Green Rajah is pleased to have, in the space of one night's dreaming, gained impressive magical abilities. His memory of accidentally using that power to harm innocents, however, has kept him from actually using his magical gifts for fear of inadvertently causing more harm. In his dreams he is still haunted by seeing the entwined and charred bodies of the young lovers screaming in agony. He currently runs a used tome business, collecting the stories of others rather than creating his own. A regular customer, Stago the gnome, has been pestering him for mentoring in magical arts, and has shown some promise of value as a future mage, though he is strongly drawn to the arts of the thief as well.

Elissaria had before, as she has now again, set off from Elventree to form an adventuring band after the departure of her father west. This time, however, something different has happened which brings her into the story from the south road rather than the north.

She has been following a strange pair on the road through the Elven Court to temples of Gond in the cities of the Dale Lands. One is a man, wearing an exceedingly strange outfit with a large yellow sun hat. The other is not a man at all, but some form of golem-like fighting machine.

Several times she was certain she might have to aid the man and reveal herself as she watched them from a distance, but his machine managed to drive off any trouble which popped up. Their path eventually took them to the Fighter’s Own Tavern, and she followed them inside to wash the dust of the road from her throat and to see what her elven hearing might pick up.

She has little memory of the previous time line, with only flashes of images triggered by parallel events. In the tavern she notices a woman in black catsuit whom she feels is familiar and yet she is equally certain she has never before met.