Letters Home: 1

Mother,

I've arrived safely in Sharn. I know you were concerned, so I'm writing at my earliest opportunity. The journey from Wolf's Paw was uneventful. The terrain is more sparse than what I'm used to, but the time passed quickly enough. There is decent land just north of the city that I expect will be a better fit.

You were right about the city proper. Its soaring towers are unlike anything I could have imagined. I've not seen trees so tall! I honestly didn't know we were capable of such things... Seeing this grand accomplishment makes me more confident in my purpose. It is a fresh reminder of why I'm out here.

I'll write more in a few weeks once I've settled in. The contact you gave me for the trade district seems reliable. With any luck, I'll be living inside the city before the month is out.

Yours,

Willa

Brief Outline

Since it looks like we will be playing on Friday here is a brief outline of events until I can post a real entry (work is killing me)

• Met Marcal who knows the victim (smiley), ~introduced to the 'suspicious pair'
  
• discovered meaning of "Dargosh kat dal from one of the watch who take smiley away
  
• went to smile's shop
• Marcle found way in (excellent work)
  
• found potions and papers
• finally got the other two to join us
• Willa has expertly been noting a 7' tall guy was originally following Tevesh, but now all of us
  
• Moved to Frey's Inn for discussion of the issue
• spent the night there to go to university in the morning
• Tavesh discovered some goblins sneaking around outside
• battle with goblins (Marcus remained hurt)
• Went to university to look for the 'number' and name clues
• found out the number was for a letter which smiley was to receive via house Sivis
• found out there was a prof roan who was in to goblinoid history 9and many other histories)
• gained info about ancient goblinoid empire, the dual meaning of "the king of slaves"
• learned Marcus Krantz was a goblinoid history student who recently stopped coming
• Got Mr Krantz's address from the school registry, and Smiley's district
• Decided to split up
• Tevesh and Daaleen to go see Marcus
• Marcus's house in elf district was empty, had to break in
• searched the place and found he had moved out (including mattress but not frame)
• Marcus found loose floorboard containing scrolls, gems and ID papers with other name ('something' Marcus = names may be aliases)
  
• go back to prof roan to have scrolls translated
• wait for translation and find that they discribe a goblinoid empire coronation and the KoS item which is a pair of broken manacles, and that extensive ancient ruins of the goblinoid empire are under dura district, and that some goblinoids are trying to rebuild theri ancient empire of Darkuun
  
• head back to Frey's Inn but intercepted by hoard who start a fight (see below)
  
• Willa and Marcal to go find smiley's place
• goes to hall of records to get smiley's address
• go to smiley's and find it ransacked
• find a hollow bed post ans smash it open
• get stuff out of bedpost
• go back to Frey's Inn
• fight begins with just Tevesh and Daaleen
• Fight joined by Willa and Marcal
• enemy is:1 bugbear leader, 2 hobgoblins and 8 goblins
• We are: 2 humans, 1 elf, 1 shifter and 1 eagle
• we win, though I am knocked uncontious trying to protect Tevesh, and everyone else is bleading out of their boots except Sereen (who doesn't wear boots)
  

and then it began

Most of what I have to recall is a haze. Being knocked almost dead has an unfortunate side-effect of weakening memory. But here is my attempt to recall the past two days.

It's a regular day, nice weather, and I have some extra coin to spare. So I'm in the bazaar in Middle Dura looking for some evening entertainment - then the intrigue begins. I see this person falling from way up in Upper Dura. Falling straight for the packed bazaar I'm presently shopping in. So, of course, I yell out to everyone to lookout 'cause a person is falling. But people in Sharn are used to a number of odd things, so most don't take much notice other than looking up and slightly adjusting their steps to avoid the potential impact point and splatter. I rush to where I think the person is going to hit, hoping I may be of some useful service to this person after the impact. I mean, there is some small chance I could be of help.

But in the last few seconds a Feather Fall spell takes effect and gently guides this unfortunate person to the 'bridge' on which the bazaar is located. I later learn that this is a magical ward protecting some of the bridges in Sharn which causes the falling to slow to the rate of a feather gently falling from the tail of a bird.

Needless to say, the man, as I discover him to later be, gently and slowly falls the final 20 to 30 feet to rest gently upon the stone floor of the bridge. But, I'm not so good at judging his 'impact' location as is an elf who rushes forward and is next to the landed man almost prior to his landing. He does carry a bow, so perhaps his targeting eye is much more developed than mine. One last utterance emits from his mouth; Something along the lines of "dargosh kat dall", which I have no inclinations toward being able to understand.

Gatekeeper Daaleen

Daaleen & Sereen in Sharn

998 YR, day1

What day was that? I keep forgetting and have to consult my notes... Ah, yes, the 13th day of Therendore - the day I left my comfortable wooded home in the Western Eldeen Reaches. Almost two years in Sharn and nothing of note until now. Two years of watching and listening for aberrations, extra-planar incursions, and 'hoards' from Khyber, the Dragon Below - to keep up with my Gatekeeper Oath and responsibilities. The Last War ends and they immediatly send me to Sharn to be a set of eyes and ears. Sharn, the biggest City in all of Khorvaire, the City of Towers, and me a druid. Must be due to my "extensive" urban life experiences in Varna that they chose me. But what ever the motivation behind their choice I can only hope wisdom was consulted in this decision making. The Gatekeep druids sent me here to wait, or should I think 'work'. Yes, two years of working. Well, almost two years of working, anyway.

And work I did. Diligently, and with vigor I might add. Up until a couple days ago, nothing was unusual (for Sharn, and from a Gatekeeper perspective). I'd sell my blessings and healings to the poor, mostly. Then go to the bazaar for supplies and, on occasion, nightly entertainment. But mostly I'd patrol local watering holes listening in on conversations, with out looking to obvious. Listening for anything of interest to the Gatekeeper druids, and developing a fine taste for the regional ales and wines, or, at least the cheap stuff.

Daaleen, Gatekeeper