How The Mighty WIll Rise: Search for the Nether Scrolls

[Comrade Tortoise]

The ancient city of Myth Drannor, once a land of wonder, power and magic. Now a land of demons, drow, and death. In the northeast reaches of the city, far from the ruins of the residential buildings,, lay the perfectly preserved ruins of Windsong Tower. Unchanges for hundreds of years the ancient school of magic was none the less an amazingly dangerous place. Inaccessable to all but the most powerful of mages, deep within the complex’s depths lay the Quess.Ar.Teranthvar. The Golden Grove of Hidden knowledge. Nightmarish creatures prowleded the area around the tower. Creatures of spikes, teeth, and evil incarnate. Still. All was as it should be. Until the grounds were rent asunder. With a loud popping sound, several shrouded figures materialized on the grounds around the Windsong Tower complex. Fiends, thirsting for blood powered toward them, ready to rend them limb from limb, but with a gesture and a whispered word of power one of the shrouded figures sent them straight back to the abyss. The others began to chant. Working together, with several of the number covering them from demonic assault, they managed to overcome the wards surrounding the tower and break through the walls.

…

The monastic library of candlkeep was a sprawling complex. Well fortified, it sported numerous gardens and water features. Inside however, the monks and loremasters which made up it’s staff poured over ancient books and tomes of knowledge, and also watched Faerun for signs and portents of the passage of prophecy and other matters of import for archiving in the keeps massive library.

Looking into his scrying mirror, Vincent saw the attack and his wrinkled old face blanched white.

…

The shrouded figures seemed to become less physical in the shadows of the ruins, but they also increased in power. They demolished the internal wards and overcame any obstacle to reach their goal. Deep within the complex they found what they sought. The Quess.Ar.Teranthvar, the Golden Grove of Hidden Knowledge, in the elven tongue. In it’s center sprawled a small golden tree. It’s leaves of gold spread toward a huge glow-lamp which still managed to glow hundreds of years after the city’s fall. Its golden root system was sprawled out along a rock surface, and between it’s branches perched a tiny silver bird with an electrum beak, and a snake with alternating gold, silver and electrum scales. The mages stood around it, and joined hands. After several moments of chanting both they and the tree, disappeared

…

In the treasure chamber of the Io’s Claws Kobald tribe, the guard was asleep, propped up on a spear by the door. He really shouldn’t have been slumbering. A cloaked figure appeared out of a shadow cast by torchlight next to him, and with a flick of his wrist, slit the little kobold’s throat and caught him as he fell. He lay him gently on the ground and wend directly toward the center of the room. Past all of the tribe’s assembled riches toward a set of golden scrolls.

He stopped, took out a steel cylinder and uttered a command word. In a puff of magic and a tiny flash of light, the wards around the Arcaenus Fundare, ten of the thirty eight nether scolls from the second set that to most scholars, were nowhere to be found. He grabbed the scrolls and after initiating a few wordws of power, disappeared with a loud pop and a silver flash.

The next morning, Blackclaw was awoken by a high pitched voice.

“BOSS!! BOSS!! BOOOOSSSSSS!!! Someone stole the scrolls!!! SOMEONE STOLE THE SCROOOOOOLLLLSSS!!!â€

[SirNitram]

It was shortly after Blackclaw had scowled at the guards who had failed at protecting their treasure horde that he received the telepathic summons. He moved with great speed, collecting the transcribed contents of the Arcanus Fundare that his tribe had been able to copy down, and stuffing them into a sack. He glanced at the chief Sorcerer as he walked towards the exit of their caverns.

"Close the entrance and let no one through except those you know. There are supplies enough for years, by last count."

"Of course, my lord." The sorcerer deferred. "In the meantime, we will do what we can to reproduce the knowledge we lost and scry out the location."

"Good. And now I must go to the Mammal place of learning. The spell is ready?"

"Of course. We will be awaiting your return, my lord. May Lord Bahamut bless you through this endeavour."

Moments later, the Kobold flickered out of existance.

-----

Candlekeep was never Blackclaw's favorite Mammal settlement. Still, the fee for entry was within his tolerance. Kobolds produce alot of writing, and for some strange reason, there were always Mammals who were fascinated by the hum-drum details of the colony's activities.

By Kobold standards, Blackclaw was huge, built powerfully and sturdily. This made him slightly smaller than a Dwarf. Still, the draconic tail and golden scales made it clear he was not your average dungeon-inhabiting scum. With the best speed he could muster, he sought out the man who had contacted him.

He laid out the scrolls.. The paper, draconic-written scrolls. "The real Fundare were stolen. I received word moments before you contacted me." A scowl crossed his reptilian features. "A scheme is afoot. But here is everything we had uncovered so far."

[Comrade Tortoise]

What stood before the Kobald Chieftan was what looked to be an unassuming old man. Glasses perched on his nose and in old robes and with a holy symbol dangling from his neck. But the air around him was charged with a power that even the Kobald could feel. His brow furrowed at the news, but his heart warmed at Kobald's forethought.

"Then things are worse than I thought. QUickly, we have to get these to the loemasters in the archives. Even without the magical properties inherent in the scolls the text itself will be very usefull." he said, motioning for the Kobald to follow him. He quickly scuttled from his study and headed down the numerous flights of stairs to the main floor of the keep where many thousands of books were kept.

On the way, he found the other man he wished to speak to. An Oghman Monk by the name of Brother Tormenta, who was currently giving a rather flashily dressed mage a stern talking to about being quiete in the library. In truth it was not so much a stern talking to as a tongue lashing, involving a threat to "Quivering Palm" the poor man

"You really are taking the quite rules too seriously again Brother Tormenta. Come, I have need of your assistance"

[Shark Bait]

What stood before the Kobald Chieftan was what looked to be an unassuming old man. Glasses perched on his nose and in old robes and with a holy symbol dangling from his neck. But the air around him was charged with a power that even the Kobald could feel. His brow furrowed at the news, but his heart warmed at Kobald's forethought.

"Then things are worse than I thought. QUickly, we have to get these to the loemasters in the archives. Even without the magical properties inherent in the scolls the text itself will be very usefull." he said, motioning for the Kobald to follow him. He quickly scuttled from his study and headed down the numerous flights of stairs to the main floor of the keep where many thousands of books were kept.

On the way, he found the other man he wished to speak to. An Oghman Monk by the name of Brother Tormenta, who was currently giving a rather flashily dressed mage a stern talking to about being quiete in the library. In truth it was not so much a stern talking to as a tongue lashing, involving a threat to "Quivering Palm" the poor man

"You really are taking the quite rules too seriously again Brother Tormenta. Come, I have need of your assistance"

Brother Tormenta bowed from the waist as the older man spoke to him “If one who knows does not speak and one who speaks does not know then all in the house of knowledge should know, and thus should not speak. Yet one who speaks in the house of knowledge clearly does not know and is therefore ignorant, and what is ignorance but the enemy of knowledge?â€

[LadyTevar]

There is a saying amongst humans: Flattery can get you anywhere.

Jernei was very partial to flattery. The SeaElf was standing on one of the many rocky outcroppings that made the coast between Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep so dangerous to shipping when she got the telepathic summons. She considered the message as the pirate ship she'd been keeping an eye on the last three days weighed anchor, readying to launch their surprise attack yet another Waterhavian merchant vessel traveling the coastal waters.

"Well... I wonder if I'll need a book to get inside Candlekeep this time?" she murmurred to herself, watching as the pirate ship lined up in the lee of the rocky isle, invisible to the incoming merchant. "I guess this will have to be a fast battle, then..."

She closed her eyes, activating the magic, and her bronzed skin started turning into rippling scales. As she grew larger, her green-tinged hair merged into a fringed spine that ran down her elongating neck, past where great wings started to erupt from her shoulderblades, ridging the length of her flat serpentine tail.

She leapt into the air in the form of a young bronze dragon, not yet a full adult, but still a fearsome sight as she roared her challenge into the sky. The merchant captain's eyes bulged as the metallic dragon appeared over the rocky outcropping, and then loosed her lightning breath on something hiding on the other side.

"Beshaba's Breath!" the captain exclaimed before commanding his crew to take fighting positions. It was not needed... the bronze dragon's appearance and sudden attack had damaged the pirate vessel and demoralized its crew. The merchant captain watched the bronze turn gracefully on the wing and fly towards the main coast, and promised both Tymora and Torm offerings at their temples for the timely appearance of the metallic dragon.

[Comrade Tortoise]

The old sage chuckled and filled the monk in on what was going on as he walked down the hall, Kobald and monk in tow. He made sure that the words "Nether Scrolls" and "Retrive"were said just loud enough that the apparantly loud mouthed mage would be able to hear them. In case he wanted to help. He was an illusionist of considerable skill, or so Vincent had heard when he first came through the doors ofcandlekeep.

When they reached their destination he slipped the Fundare copies into the hands of monk sitting at a desk

"Get these to the sages in the basement." he said as the monk stood up, bowed, opened a door, and vauolted down the stairs, the door sealing itself shut magically behind him

"They will be safe there for the time being. But now...we have a special someone to wait for... Blackclaw, I think you know her..."

[Comrade Tortoise]

Much like the merchnt ship captain the pirate ship capain's eyes bulged when he saw the Bronze Dragon rise up from a rocky outcropping. He too ordered his men into fighting positions. Several of the men even managed to loose arrows at the creature before her lighting struck. But they all either flew wide in their panic, or failed to penetrate her scaly hide.

In seconds however, her lighting breath struck. In it's path it tore through the rigging and tore the main mast assunder, snapping it like a burning toothpick. It crashed to the deck, killing or injuring several of the crew, the burning rigging catching the ship itself on fire.

The ship was going nowhere but under the waves.

[Shark Bait]

The old sage chuckled and filled the monk in on what was going on as he walked down the hall, Kobald and monk in tow.

When they reached their destination he slipped the Fundare copies into the hands of monk sitting at a desk

"Get these to the sages in the basement." he said as the monk stood up, bowed, opened a door, and vauolted down the stairs, the door sealing itself shut magically behind him

"They will be safe there for the time being. But now...we have a special someone to wait for... Blackclaw, I think you know her..."

As Vincent informed him of the events that had transpired Brother Tormenta nodded in grim appreciation of the situation. His time spent in libraries had changed his views considerably, while he admired all who perused knowledge he ranked theft of books among sins equal to murder or extreme cases of grand theft. Few crimes were worse to him save genocide or the burning of any published text for reasons other than immediate survival, (burning the books not genocide).

“Who approaches the house?â€

[LadyTevar]

It was a realitively short flight to Candlekeep. Jernei's investment into her boots of swiftness truly paid off, as their magic effected not just her swimming and running, but flight in this form as well. It was a bare half-hour before the guards of Candlekeep saw the dragon arrowing their way through the skies. Making a cautious sweep well out of arrow range so those on the towers could see her metallic color and distinctive silouette first, she then landed outside the keep's entrance.

She activated the magic once again, her body melting once again into a lovely SeaElf with bronzed skin and green-tinged bronze hair that curled over her shoulders. How the magic kept the trident and her armor with her was something for the monks of Candlekeep to discuss, as was the way the chain mail draped over her ... assets.

"Greetings. I am called Jernei, and Master Vincent Gauge is expecting me" she announced to the gate guards.

[SirNitram]

"Someone I know?" The Kobold leaned to one side, lifting a brow. "Huh. If it's this bad, it's not gonna be that drunk old fool from the tavern, I know that much. Which makes me think..." A pause, and his snout twisted in a smirk. "Ah. Her. Yes, she'll be handy."

The small creature clicked his claws together thoughtfully. "I don't suppose you know more than just 'The scrolls are gone, it's probably a Neth resurgence'? Like where the Shade are stashing them while they try to regain the old stuff that broke it all?"

This was followed by a muttering of 'Mammals...' under the breath.

[Comrade Tortoise]

The sage only smirked at the monk's question

"I need she will be." He replied

"As for how much I know, I am at a loss. As soon as they teleported out, and the were Shades, they cast spells which blocked my divinations. I can only suppose that they are in the city of shade itself. Which, as you can probably suppose, we will not be able to breach. I know it is a netherese resurgence, because last week they began making attacks on Silverymoon. Attempting to destroy the closest challenge to thier rebirth as an empire."

He sighed

"And truth be told, I am a battle-wizard and healer, not a diviner. My knowledge of the past is derived primarily from my having been to many of the ancient ruins, not from divinations... they arent my strong suit, more of a hobby"

It was then that a monk came running down the hall and whispered something in his ear

"And it seems Jernei has arrived. That was fast"

(AND campus is closing for the night. I can reply to additional posts come morning)

[LadyTevar]

From all the fuss, one would expect far more: when escorted into the study, the SeaElf was lovely and petite, built slim and lean as all her race. Her skin was bronzed, shimmering in sunlight as if dusted with fishscales. The chainmail armor she wore was obviously drow manufactored, and any who had the talent for seeing magic would find it, the trident on her back, her boots, and the three rings on her fingers were heavily enchanted. One of the rings nearly covered her whole finger, shaped like a dragon's head and set with emeralds for eyes. Her long wavy hair was the color of bronze gone green with age, and her eyes were a deep sea green set in a narrow sharp-featured face.

Those eyes widened at the sight of Blackclaw. "YOU!" she shouted, striding forward to grab the kobold by the shoulder. "Now I know there's trouble brewing, if you're behind all this."

"Hi," Blackclaw said dryly, turning around to look up at her. "I missed you too... silly mammal." Jernei gave him a playful swat to the back of his head, then hugged the Kobold warmly before turning to the older sage.

"Master Vincent, I presume?"

[Comrade Tortoise]

The sage glanced down at her huge dragon shaped ring and smirked

"Indeed. At your service My lady" he said, bowing slightly before her. With those such as her flattery would certainly get one somewhere.

"And I dare say there is certainly trouble brewing. It seems that the ten scrolls in Blackclaw's posession were stolen last night, in addition to the Nether Scroll set stolen from windsong tower. It could be a concidence, but I doubt that is likely. So, we have several avenues open to us in this regard. We can begin tracking the missing Fundare immediatly so that the case, after a fashion, does not get cold. Or we can head north to the High forest to the crypt under the Grandfather Tree, there we will be able to find seven of the scrolls, and possible clues on where to find others. We can worry about the FUndare after we retrive some, or all of the others. Provided you wish to assist of course"

He waited for the other's imput on the matter

[LadyTevar]

The SeaElf's eyes got frigidly cold, her head turning slowly to glare down at BlackClaw. "They. Got. Stolen? What happened to 'people will never know they're here' and 'they won't get past me'?"

[SirNitram]

"Offspring." Blackclaw replied testily. "The guards fell asleep and someone used some high-level magic to circumvent the majority of the defenses. I've got my sorcerers and shamen checking the traps for any magical ones that'll help us track 'em down."

The kobold shook his head. "We can point claws later. The sooner we crack how Shade did this and catch the crooks, the better. In the meantime, all the information we pulled out of the scrolls has been copied down already.. It'll be useful."

[Comrade Tortoise]

"Indeed it will be. It is being kept safe in the vault for the time being. The magical properties inherent within however, could not be replicated. But blackclaw is correct. Claws can be pointed later... If your shaman and sorcerers are tracking the magic used. Perhaps I can assist in that endevor"

[LadyTevar]

"Offspring..." Jernei repeated, looking down at BlackClaw. "This is what you get for mating with every available female..." Her rant was interrupted by the scholar revealing the name of the theives. "Shade? The Shadovar are behind this?" she asked, looking at him with true concern, then back down to BlackClaw. "Ok.. you're right, no pointing claws. Have your offspring find them, and then we'll find a way to get them back."

[Comrade Tortoise]

"Indeed they are... I saw them break into Windsong through my scrying mirror... They tore through the wards like they didn't exist..."

[LadyTevar]

"Windsong.... that's in Myth Drannor, isn't it?" Jernei asked, showing some skill at geography. "How did Scrolls end up there, and why didn't the demons find them already?"

[Comrade Tortoise]

"There were two sets of Nether Scrolls originally found. Several hundred years after they were discovered, the elves of Cormanthyr stole one set and placed them in Windsong Tower for study, there they transmuted them into a golden tree. The tower itself was so heavily warded and protected, that not only did it not corrode since the fall of Myth Drannor, but also kept the demons at bay" The sage took a deep breath
"They used High Magic wards and protections, as well as the defenses that a regular wizard can errect. And the Shadowvar tore them assunder"

[Comrade Tortoise]

"Still. If no one objects, we should probably depart...Time is of the essence Blackclaw, where is your tribe located. I knew who you were and thus could communicate. Your location on the the other hand I dont know accuratly enough to safely transport us there. If you could give e a detailed description, I could avoid..mishaps"

[Shark Bait]

"Still. If no one objects, we should probably depart...Time is of the essence Blackclaw, where is your tribe located. I knew who you were and thus could communicate. Your location on the the other hand I dont know accuratly enough to safely transport us there. If you could give e a detailed description, I could avoid..mishaps"

Tormenta had been listening silently to most of the conversation, he did not know these two new individuals well and did not wish to interrupt a reunion, then once a discussion of tactics had begun, he simply listened in order to learn. Finally he stepped forward as he reached deep into one of the pockets of the ugly green coat he wore and withdrew a map case. He opened the case and removed a map of the sword coast and surrounding areas, he turned the map case on its end and oriented a compass that was built into it. “We are hereâ€

[SirNitram]

"You couldn't teleport to the caverns even if you knew them like I did." Blackclaw smirked simply. "They don't exist on this plane of reality. Long story, involves how we got the stupid scrolls in the first place." The kobold explained, before stretching his claws out.

"The usual entrance is south of Waterdeep. Not far. Then again, if you lot show up, you will probably be killed by sheer force of numbers. As you might expect, the settlement is on high alert, and, well, my kind aren't known for liking mammals poking around." The smirk exposed far too many teeth. "I recommend hitting Waterdeep itself, the merchant district. I have one of my merchants stick around there in the guise of a dwarf to keep up commerce. He'll have all the information we need."

[Comrade Tortoise]

"A wise plan. The scrolls we know of all got transported into roughly that region. Barring the Fundare, which I understand were rather interesting to find." the wizard smiled. Brother Tormenta was always useful. He seemed to have a tool for everything in that coat.

"So? DO we have a concensus? We will have to get to those ruins anyway in order to find the other scrolls, we may as well do so in one trip... And I have been to Waterdeep so many times teleporting there is second nature"

Of course, the Kobald layer being on another plane of existence was news, even to him.

[Shark Bait]

Tormenta rolled the maps into the mapcase then returned them to his coat, "Very well then, I am prepaired to depart immediately, unless there is someone else you wish to accompany us or items you wish to bring I suggest we leave as soon as possible."