It's just me, Gorris, Felicia, Xalorn, Andy, Ordmar and Lysara now. We survived the ambush and avalanche caused by the frost giants back in Kuldahar Pass, and as the result, we are the only survivors, and our only way back to the Ten Towns of Icewind Dale is blocked off by a 30 feet wall of snow. Even if we could go back, it would take days for us to return to Easthaven, and we have no supplies to last us long enough to return there, all the food, water and weapons the expedition brought with them are buried deep in the snow, along with their frozen, lifeless corpses. We are tired, cold, hungry, and we lost most of our supplies in the avalanche, and as we reached the end of the trench, I looked up at the sky and noticed for the first time that the clouds have darkened to a dark shade of gray, and the winds are beginning to pick up.
"I h-h-hope we get to Kuldahar or at least find some s-s-s-s-settlement soon," Andy said, his teeth chattering and wrapping his arms around his chest, hoping to maintain what little warmth there is left in his body.
"We need to," Gorris glanced up at the sky as he moved with us. "I have a bad feeling about this upcoming snowstorm..."
I peered ahead, squinting my eyes against the cold wind blowing in my face, causing my eyes to sting and leak tears. About 50 yards ahead of us, I believed that I saw a two story tall brick house, and a decrepit watermill next to it. Far as I could tell from this distance and angle, I saw the watermill's undershot wheel, and it is not rotating at all, apparently because the water trenches around the area the house is in is completely dry and filled with snow, and there is a watchtower tall enough to overlook Kuldahar Pass near the house and mill, too. I'm not surprised about that, winters in the Spine Of The World mountain ranges last a little longer than around Luskan or further down south, except around Neverwinter.
"I think I see a house that way," I informed my companions, pointing in the direction where I saw the house and its watermill. "We should take shelter there and warm up before we continue onward to Kuldahar."
And so we moved on towards the brick house. Several steps ahead later, we crossed a small bridge that took us over a brook that would have been filled with water if the snow melted. We passed by a broken livestock enclosure made of dry stone. Judging by the open spaces of the circular enclosure, someone tall and strong must have hit the wall of dry stones with a morningstar or club to get at the livestock inside. But who would do such a thing?
"No livestock in t-t-the enclosure..." Andy said, saying his thoughts aloud for no particular reason.
Xalorn signaled to us to stop walking, and we stopped, and watched him approach the enclosure. He stepped closer to one of the undamaged sections of the dry stone wall, and peered into the enclosure while placing his hands on the surface of the stone wall.
"What do you see, big guy?" Gorris asked, coming up next to him curiously.
Xalorn snorted and frowned.
"Something I expected to see," he said.
I didn't know what he saw, but the truth is, he saw something interesting. He saw footprints in the snow. Not just the footprints of cattle, but also other footprints. Humanoid footprints among the footprints of cattle.
"Someone, a group of ten or eleven, I believe, broke into the cattle pen and stole the cattle. And judging by the footprint sizes, I'd say about a few goblins did this, more or less, and an ogre or two, and some orcs," Xalorn declared.
I could scarcely believe my ears, and neither could Ordmar, Felicia and Gorris.
"Goblins, ogres and orcs attacked a farm?" Lysara wondered aloud.
"It wouldn't be the strangest thing they've done as of late," I said to her.
"Shh! Quiet!" Xalorn snapped.
Then I saw him turn his head slowly to the left, towards the nearest damaged area of the wall the ogres made to get in or out of the enclosure, and unknown to my knowledge, he saw prints in the snow near the opening signifying that the goblins killed the cattle, even though we saw no blood on the snow inside the enclosure, and dragged their bodies out of the enclosure.
"They dragged the cattle out," Xalorn announced.
"Where to?" Andy asked.
"That's exactly what we're going to find out," Xalorn said as he took the lead, following the footprints of the goblins, orcs and ogres and the dragging body prints of cattle being dragged across the snow towards the house.
As we drew nearer to the house, we crossed another small bridge over another brook, this one closer to the watermill, and I could clearly see that the mill hasn't been running since the beginning of the winter season, and it is now Mirtul, a month of the summer season, and it is still snowing, which would likely cause the farmers here many problems. As we crossed the bridge, we saw something that shocked us. About 7 feet in front of the house, we saw the bodies of the cattle strewn on the ground. Some were dead because of the harshly cold weather or because their heads caved in from being whacked by the club of an orc, and some have their flesh picked clean from their bones, likely by the goblins, orcs and ogres. But that is not the only thing that shocked us. Among the corpses of the cattle, there are also the corpses of goblins, orcs and ogres! Judging by the slash marks on their necks and their caved in skulls, they must have either killed each other or killed themselves.
"What manner of madness is this...?" Andy asked, looking visibly disturbed.
"I think it's safe to say that the owners of this house have also been slain," Gorris said warily, looking down at the 15 corpses of cattle.
Ordmar cast his gaze on the house.
"Aye, it seems like it. 'Tis house looks good enough fer us to settle down. If there be no surviving goblins left in there, that is," he said.
"Let's just get inside the house before we freeze to death," Andy said.
At that moment I realized that he spoke too soon. We heard the front door swing open, and when we stared ahead, we saw a goblin stumble outside holding his head as if he has a serious headache. He wore silver plate mail armor over his body and a helmet, possibly signifying that he is the leader of the goblin army that settled here.
He walked down the stairs and then lost his balance on the fourth step and fell face first into the snow. Then he bolted back up on his feet and started screaming in the goblin language: "MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!"
At least, that's what I thought he said. I'm not too fluent in their native language, unfortunately.
My group and I cautiously approached the suffering goblin as he rolled back and forth in the snow, screaming continuously.
"Hello? Are you in pain? What is wrong?" I asked the goblin, hoping that he understands the human trade language known as Common.
The goblin ceased rolling and looked up at us, his face covered in pieces of snow.
"Who are you? Who am I? What am I doing here? Rrrghh..." He replied to me in Common, then grimaced, holding his head as he sat in the snow the same way he would sit in a chair.
"I'm relieved that you can speak Common, and so fluently," I said.
The goblin looked up at me and frowned. "Of course. Not all goblins are idiots. Just most of us." He paused there, then snapped his head back as a fresh jolt of pain hit his brain, causing him to scream in pain so loudly, his scream echoed in the air. "What is the buzzing in my head?!" He exclaimed, removing his helmet and rubbing snow into his head frantically.
"What's wrong with you?" Gorris asked him.
It took a while for the goblin to calm down and reply.
"I... I don't know. Something is in my head."
"In your head?" Felicia repeated.
The goblin nodded. "It whispers things to me."
"What is it telling you?" Andy asked.
"I don't know. My mind does not understand it. But something else in me does, somehow."
"When did this happen?" Ordmar asked, driving into the heart of the matter.
The goblin shook his head. "It all started a tenday ago. My goblin army and orc and ogre allies settled here because the faint whispers in our heads told us to. We didn't know why, we just did as we were told. We weren't told why we had to wait here, and so we waited and waited until we grew hungry. Eventually the whispers whispered to us more and more, and everyone went mad, killing each other. I am the last one alive because I hid myself in the basement of the house."
I blinked in surprise; I couldn't believe my assumptions about the goblins and their allies killing each other are true.
"The whispers in their heads really did drive them mad. I can't believe it..." Xalorn whispered in surprise.
Before I could ask the goblin another question, he clutched his head again and continued rolling in the snow.
"I can't take it anymore! It won't stop!" He wailed. "It whispers to me even when I try to sleep! I haven't gotten any sleep at all!"
Then to my surprise he pulled out a dagger.
"No!" I started to come at him and grab the dagger out of his hand, but I wasn't close enough to do that, and I was too late.
The goblin shoved the blade into his skull and he collapsed face down into the snow.
Normally I don't show pity to goblins, but I pitied this one because I could only imagine the torment he'd been through the past few days, hearing foreign whispers from some malevolent force and being unable to sleep because of it. Whatever that evil force is, it probably directed the goblins, orcs and ogres in this area to settle at this house and wait for any survivors from Hrothgar's expedition, but things didn't go as planned for the being trying to direct them.
I felt Felicia's hand touch my left shoulder.
"Come on. Let's get inside and warm up," she said.
And so we entered the house. Fortunately the door isn't locked, the goblins have picked the lock days ago and never locked the door again since then. The inside of the house felt rather warm, and there is firewood inside too. There are only two beds, so some of us will have no choice but to sleep on the chairs. There's a fireplace too, and Xalorn and Ordmar went down to the basement and discovered that there are not only barrels and crates containing wheat and corn, but there is also enough firewood to last us for 3 days. The bad news, however, is there is very few drinks in the house, only 2 bottles of ginger ale are left, which means my companions and I will have to share it. And so Xalorn and Gorris placed the firewood into the fireplace, Andy used cast a fireball at the firewood to set them on fire, and the smoke from the burning firewood rose up the chimney. I must say that Andy felt relieved to be sitting in front of a warm fire. Honestly, I don't blame him. As we explored the house, we learned that the farmhouse belonged to someone by the name of "Ghoson" or something like that, and the mill was run by his daughter and son, Joaquin and Jermsy. Where they have gone, what happened to them, I had no clue, and it is unlikely they are coming back.
On the first night of our stay at the abandoned farmhouse, a snowstorm brewed suddenly, forcing us to stay indoors at all costs. There are no windows, so we had to rely on candles for light. Felicia slept in one bed, Andy slept in the other, Lysara slept on the floor using my cloak to keep herself warm, Gorris and Xalorn slept with ther backs propped up against the wall, and Ordmar slept in a rocking chair. As for me, I couldn't sleep. I sat on another chair, gazing into the flame of the candle at the center of the table, thinking of my past adventures. I've traveled with many other people before Gorris, Felicia and the others, but after each adventure, I went my separate way. I sighed then moved my right hand down to the side of my belt, and I felt my finger touch something with a sharp end. Confused, I inspected the object, and I realized that of all the weapons I lost back at the avalanche in Kuldahar Pass, I somehow managed to keep Apsel's dagger in my possession. The tip of the dagger's blade looked as keen as I remembered it as I held it in front of the candle's light.
Just then, I thought I heard someone call my name. I turned my head left and right, and after a few seconds of silence, I continued inspecting Apsel's dagger.
"... Jovan."
I heard my name a little clearer now, and I thought I recognized the voice. I looked over to the bed where Felicia is sleeping, and saw her sitting up, looking straight at me.
"Are you cold?" She asked.
I shook my head. "I'm fine," I said, but I lied. With Lysara wearing my cloak so she can sleep well without being cold, I'm feeling a little too cold to fall asleep peacefully.
"You can sleep with me if you want," she offered.
I was not expecting this.
"No, no thank you," I politely refused.
"Jovan, you are cold, wearing nothing but your tunic and armor. Don't pretend that you can handle the chilly air here," Felicia said in a scolding tone as if she were my mother.
I shook my head, smirking, then I stood up and quietly made my way over to the bed, being careful not to wake Lysara, Ordmar, Gorris, Xalorn or Andy. I pulled off my boots, then climbed into the bed sitting beside Felicia, and throwing the bed sheets over my body. I had to admit, I felt very comfortable laying in a bed for a change, but what made me feel uncomfortable is that I'm in the bed with Felicia.
"What's wrong?" Felicia asked.
I fidgeted for a second. "Nothing," I replied, afraid of making eye contact with Felicia. "I just... just..."
"You feel uncomfortable sharing a bed with a woman? Don't worry, I understand. I'm only trying to help keep you warm," Felicia assured me.
Little did we know, Andy was only half asleep, he rolled his head to face us, and watched us whisper to each other with his left eye partially open giving the illusion that he is still asleep.
"I know you are, it's just that... I haven't shared a bed with a woman since..."
"You're married?" Felicia asked.
I couldn't look into here eyes after she said that.
"I was married... She died many years ago..." I admitted.
"What happened to her?" Felicia became curious and sympathetic now.
"I'd rather not talk about it," I refused.
Felicia only nodded. "I understand. Memories of losing a loved one are painful."
"What about you? Are you married?" I asked.
Felicia smiled at me and shook her head. "No."
I frowned. "Really? Why not?" I asked.
"Because I grew up around people who hate half-breeds. My father is human, born and raised here in Icewind Dale, and my mother is a moon elf, born and raised from the High Forest. The sad thing is, there are some men in Faerun, both human and elf who judge beauty by your blood," Felicia said.
"You don't seem bothered by that fact," I noted.
"Why should I be? It cannot be helped that some men don't like the fact that I am part human and part elf. Let me tell you something, Jovan. There are more than just truths and lies. There are also half-truths too. I've accepted the hard truth that there are some men who don't like half-elves, but I refuse to drown myself in depression because of that partial fact. I know there are men out there who like women whether they are pure blooded human or elf or not, I just haven't found one of them yet," Felicia said, her voice almost rising above a whisper.
"(Look no further than me, Felicia, I am one of them...)" Andy muttered under his breath.
I had to admit that I admired Felicia's positive outlook in life. "Who taught you how to have that kind of outlook?" I asked her.
"From my parents. They knew that I won't always be accepted into human and elf societies with open arms, so they always reminded me that not everyone in the Faerun will treat me like dirt. That is what keeps me going. People will either love you or hate you, and the possibilities of you being hated should not prevent you from trying to be accepted somewhere. That, I feel, is an issue all half breeds like myself should strive to know and understand. We have a place in this world, we just have to find it."
She's right. I have no problems admitting this, but she is right. There are xenophobic humans and elves in the Realms, but there are some that will show respect to a half breed as much as they show respect to a pure blood.
"You've given me something interesting to think about, Felicia. Something more interesting than thinking about remorhazes," I said, trying to make a joke.
That caused her to giggle, smiling at me showing her bright teeth.
"Good night," I said, then rested my head on the pillow.
Felicia nodded and said "Good night", then rested her head on her own pillow.
Before actually falling asleep, Andy grumbled to himself: "Why does he get to share the bed with her?"
The next morning, the snowstorm still kept us contained inside the mill! So we stayed at the mill for another day, eating what little food we had left carefully, and drinking the remaining ginger ale sparingly, making sure each of us got our fair share to drink. The next morning, the snowstorm still continued, forcing us to spend another night at the mill! On the third day, the snowstorm subsided, allowing us to finally leave the mill and head southeast towards Kuldahar.
We fought our way through the goblin infested valley until we reached Kuldahar in the evening. I have to be honest, Kuldahar is nothing like how I imagined. It is a village where the houses and cottages are nestled against or within the roots of a oak tree that is 58 feet tall and 46 feet long in width. I am deeply impressed. This village would be proof to Druids all over Faerun that human civilization and nature can indeed coexist. What amazed not just me, but my entire group is that as we neared the village, the cold air we felt as we passed through the valley disappeared, replaced by warm breeze that is a welcome sensation to our partially numb bodies, in addition to the sweet scent of cooking fires.
"I don't believe it. This town is somehow shielded from the harsh winter air!" Andy exclaimed in awe.
"How is this possible?" Ordmar asked in sheer disbelief.
"I think it has something to do with that massive oak tree, I don't know. Maybe it is giving off enough heat to warm the town," I guessed.
For the next the minutes we walked in silenced awe towards Kuldahar, and when we were close enough to see the village 40 yards ahead of us, a human boy who appears to be 7 years old came running towards us. He wore a red shirt, brown pants and his hair is blond with streaks of black on some places.
"Yes! I know you'd make it through. I just knew it!" He exclaimed happily as he ran towards us.
"Who are you?" I asked the boy.
"I'm Nate. Arundel said that help is on its way, so I've been out here every day, keeping a lookout for you," the boy explained, then he took a long look at me and my group, and his happy grin turned into a confused stare. "Where is the rest of your army? Are you just the scouts or something?" He asked.
I didn't want to break the truth to Nate, but he really needs to know what has happened.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but we are alone," Gorris said, sparing me the trouble of telling him myself.
Nate now looked disheartened. "Alone? I thought for sure that the Ten Towns would send an army to help us. Wait 'til Arundel finds out it's just you."
"At first there would be 60 of us coming here, but at Kuldahar Pass, we were ambushed by frost giants. We are the only ones who survived," Lysara told Nate.
"Frost giants? Really?" He asked.
"Yeah. It was almost as if they were expecting us and laid a trap for us," Xalorn said.
"Hold on. Who is Arundel? Is he the mayor of this village or something?" Andy asked.
"Arundel's my friend. He's the oldest and smartest man in the whole world. He can talk to animals too, you know. You should probably go see him... he'll be wanting to talk to you too," Nate explained with reverence in the tone of his voice and smile when he talked about how old and smart Arundel is.
"Very well. Where can we find this Arundel?" I asked.
Nate pointed over at the house on the other side of the brook near us.
"He lives across this bridge, on the other side of the brook. That house over there with the three big rocks out front."
I looked over at the house he is pointing at, and I saw that Arundel's house looks as if it has been built into a massive boulder, from the looks of it.
"Thanks, Nate. Goodbye," I thanked the boy, and he nodded and headed back to wherever his home is.
We crossed the bridge and headed straight for the front door of Arundel's home. i knocked on the door three times and waited for a reply, but none came.
"Hello? Arundel? Do you know Hrothgar?" I called.
Just then, I heard footsteps approaching. Then the door opened, revealing an old human man wearing loose brown clothing. His beard is white colored and long, stretching down to his chest.
"Welcome. I've been expecting you for some time now," Arundel said as he turned his back on us and walked further into his house, allowing us to come in.
Since Andy is the last person to enter Arundel's home, he shut the door. Arundel's home is smaller than I expected. Near us, there are stairs that spiral up to his bedroom, most likely. In the room we are in, there are shelves around us full of potions and books, and in the center of the room is a large sphere of some kind that seems to be made of wood.
"So you must be Arundel, I presume," I said though I knew that I should know the obvious.
Arundel stopped near the wooden sphere and turned around to face us.
"Yes, I am Arundel, known to some as the Archdruid of Kuldahar. Though I invite you to dispense with the formalities and just call me Arundel, plain and simple. Titles tend only to serve one's vanity and aren't really much use in this small mountain community."
"Very well. Tell me, Arundel, do you know anything about the reports of disturbances in these mountains?" I asked him.
"Yes," he nodded. "It was I who sent Hallaster to Easthaven for help. His death weighs heavily on my conscience, for not only was he a student of mine, but he was also a friend and trusted companion. He will be missed. As will Hrothgar and the other members of your expedition."
"You know about the avalanche?" Ordmar asked in surprise.
Neither one of us understood how Arundel could have heard about the avalanche.
"Oh, yes, I know. I also know that it was no accident. Someone or... *something* did not want Hrothgar's expedition to reach Kuldahar alive," Arundel replied.
"What is happening here?" Felicia asked while Ordmar stopped Lysara from trying to take a potion off from one of the bookshelves and scolded her for trying something so mischievous as an invited guest.
Arundel sighed, shaking his head. "There are malevolent forces at work in these mountains, forces that seek to undermine the delicate balance we druids have struggled to preserve for centuries," he said almost ominously.
"Malevolent forces? Could you please be more specific than that?" Gorris asked.
Arundel groaned in disappointment and said: "Would that I could. The face of evil remains hidden, but its presence is unmistakable. All about us, there are signs of its damaging influence on the balance... the unnatural weather, the recent rash of abductions, the numerous monster sightings in the pass... These all point toward something sinister. Even the animals sense something amiss."
"Can you tell us more about these disturbances?" I asked.
Arundel shook his head and sighed, a sign that he doesn't know anything useful to our investigation. "I can only tell you what I know," he admitted.
"Tell us about this unnatural weather," Andy said.
Arundel sat down on a wooden chair before speaking.
"The weather in these mountains has always been harsh, but never like this. Fierce storms ravage the valley without warning, often lasting for several days before vanishing as quickly as they come. It is barely midway to Leafall, and yet the pass to the south has been snowed in entirely. Weather such as this is most unnatural. Nature presents itself in cycles that are predictable by those who know what to look for."
He has a point. The winter weather here should not be so intense, not when we are four months away from the month of Marpenoth, also known as Leafall, which is a month in the autumn season.
"What about the abductions ye mentioned?" Ordmar asked.
"Ah yes. Terrible. Terrible. At first there were tales told by travelers of companions disappearing into the night, snatched up from their bedrolls as they camped along the narrow trail that winds through the pass. We did not think much of these tales, for such occurrences are not unheard of in these mountains. Then one night, Conlan's boy, Sheemish, went missing. The next morning, the whole town searched for the boy but turned up nothing. He was just gone. Vanished without a trace," Arundel said regretfully.
"That is strange indeed," I nodded.
"The boy was just the first. Several nights later, another disappeared- Megan Potts, the local midwife. Her husband Kaleel was grief-stricken to the point of madness. With barely a word to anyone, he snatched up his sword and marched off into the darkness after his wife. No one has heard from him since. And now, the abductions are occurring *more* frequently. Eidan, the old innkeeper from the Evening Shade was taken only three days ago," Arundel continued.
Felicia's eyes widened. "That means that abduction happened while we were stranded in the mill because of the storm," she told me.
I nodded in agreement, then asked Arundel: "Tell us what you know about the monster sightings."
"As I am sure you have noticed by now, there seems to be quite a few goblins about. It is not usual to see so many of their kind roaming the mountains so late in the year. It is almost as if something has drawn them out of their holes, like carrion birds drawn to the scent of death," Arundel said while stroking his beard gently. "As if the goblins weren't enough, several frost giants have been spotted moving through the pass in groups as large as ten. That many giants traveling together in such numbers indicate they are organized and are acting with a singular purpose."
"What led you to that conclusion?" Andy asked.
"I have watched their activities closely. Their tracks trace a deliberate pattern through the mountains, almost as if they were on patrol."
When I thought he was done speaking, I opened my mouth to ask him something, but he spoke before I could. "Another thing... while I was out scouting the giants, i discovered other sets of tracks, tracks I have never encountered before. What manner of beast made them... I could not say."
"Before, you spoke of balance. what sort of balance are you talking about?" Andy asked.
"*The* balance. It is what the druids of Kuldahar hold sacred and have worked to preserve for generations. It is all around us. It *is* us," Arundel replied.
Andy scratched his black hair in confusion. "You lost me," he said.
"Balance is the harmony that is achieved when man and nature learn to coexist, no longer contending with one another, but coming together as two parts of a whole," Arundel clarified.
Just when I thought Andy wouldn't understand, he began to nod. "I understand now. Such balance is an ideal worth striving for indeed," he said.
"I'm glad you of all people understand that, Andy," I told him.
"Balance is the belief that this town is built upon... the very reason for its existence. Druids of Silvanus, the Oak Father, have tended to this shrine since the beginning. For hundreds of years, we have striven to achieve the ideal balance between man and nature. When settlers finally came to this pass, it was the Archdruid Tolben, my predecessor, who laid the foundation for the relationship that led to the birth of this community."
"Who was this Tolben?" Lysara asked.
Arundel smiled then replied: "Tolben was the catalyst for the transformation of the shrine from a sacred grove to a thriving community in which man and nature exist as one. At first, settlers were kept away from this site. The druids of old saw outsiders as an affront to the sanctity of the tree and its sphere of benign influence."
After he said that, I was suddenly reminded of the story my parents used to tell me of how the elves of Myth Drannor used to act towards humans back when the city was known as Cormanthor. The xenophobic elves of that time acted the same way as the druids of old Kuldahar did, refusing to allow humans, gnomes, dwarves and halflings come in the city, fearing it would "violate" the sanctity of their beautiful city, and their dignity as "noble" elves. Those days are long gone now, and Myth Drannor became a symbol of peaceful coexistence between elves, humans, dwarves, halflings and gnomes. Some people are simply afraid of changes, I guess.
"They erected thorny brambles to keep intruders out, and used their powers to frighten away the men and women that came to build homes in a place they felt was... obviously so close to the gods," Arundel continued as I was daydreaming about the stories I heard of the origins of Myth Drannor. "It wasn't until the succession of of Archdruid Tolben that things changed. Unlike his predecessors, he believed that the settlement of the valley was not only inevitable, but it was actually the will of Silvanus. He also believed that we had been wrong in keeping the settlers away, and that the Oak Father had intended people to share in the miracle of the Great Oak from the beginning," Arundel explained.
I realized that Tolben reminded me of what I heard about coronal Eltargrim Irithyl, the ruler of Cormanthor shortly before it became Myth Drannor. Like Tolben five thousand years after him, Eltargrim believed that peaceful coexistence with humans, dwarves, gnomes and halflings is inevitable and necessary for the survival of Cormanthor's citizens, despite what some of his fellow elves believed about humans being unable to coexist with nature like we elves naturally can. He was right, to this very day, Myth Drannor continued to be a symbol of peaceful relations between elves, humans and other races who aren't known to be entirely evil, and Tolben and his ideals are right, too. Before this day, I have never seen a town like Kuldahar that could be a perfect symbol of coexistence between man and nature.
"When Tolben finally became Archdruid, he formed a plan to fulfill the destiny of this sacred site by bringing about a union between the Great Oak shrine and the settlers. It was this union that the Archdruid Tolben believed would achieve the harmony that we had been striving for for generations... the harmony between man and nature. As it stands, Kuldahar is a monument to this vision. The tree And town exist in a natural symbiosis where it is next to impossible to tell where one leaves off and the other begins. But now, the balance is threatened."
"What happens if we fail to find the source of these... disturbances?" Lysara asked.
"Then all that we have worked for will be destroyed. The evil that has come to these mountains infects the town like a disease. As its people suffer, so does the tree suffer from the the sickness that attacks the balance, corrupting it with its very presence. Already, the circle of warmth that radiates from the Great Oak has begun to recede. We were forced to abandon the outlying farmsteads as a result of the shrine's fading power. If we do not take action soon, I am afraid that the life-giving warmth will cease altogether. Both the Great Oak and the town nestled within its roots will die. this must not happen. We need your help."
To my utter disappointment during my recollections of the stories of Myth Drannor, the city does not exist anymore. It fell on the Year of Doom (714 DR) during the Weeping War thanks to the actions of the Trio Nefarious and the Army of Darkness. If Kuldahar is in danger of becoming extinct too, like Myth Drannor before it, I will do everything in my power to stop this mysterious evil from tearing down another symbolic settlement on the face of Faerun.
"We came here to help you and the people of this town, Arundel, and that is what we'll do. Where must we begin our search for this evil?" I asked with determination.
"I suggest you begin your search investigating the Vale of Shadows. It's a place not far northeast from here. Darkness has always clung to the floor of the small canyon, as if the light of the sun itself were wary of the place. There is a large, ancient crypt hidden somewhere within the shadows of the Vale's narrow cliff walls. There have been rumors of the dead awakening and emerging from their dusty tombs to walk once more amongst men. If these rumors are true, then I suspect whatever is responsible for disturbing their slumber may be behind the other disturbances as well. Go to the Vale of Shadows. Learn what you can about the happenings there, then return here then we shall discuss a course of action. Good luck and farewell."
"We'll return as soon as we learn what we can," I promised as we left the house.
Before heading off to the Vale of Shadows, my group and I went to a tavern known as The Root Cellar, and there we ate warm foods and cool drinks. Ordmar drank frost wine, Andy and I drank arrowflight ale, Gorris and Felicia drank knee cracker cider, and Lysara drank Kuldahar tree sap, which, despite its name, isn't really tree sap at all. Then we rested for a day at the Evening Shade. The next morning, we set off northeast for the Vale of Shadows after getting properly equipped at a weapon shop, where I bought a new crossbow to replace the one I lost back at Kuldahar Pass seconds before the avalanche fell on us, and Lysara bought herself a +1 shortbow, which was almost the most expensive weapon in stock. We also visited a mage known as Orrick the Gray, who runs a shop for wizards with his goblin assistant Weenog, we purchased a wand that fires magic missiles for Andy since he is unable to use the Magic Missile spell without using the wand more than once. After that, we are almost penniless, having only two gold coins, one silver coin and not a single copper coin. Then we left Kuldahar going east along a very sturdy stone bridge that took us over a seemingly bottomless chasm that the town and tree are near.
Six hours later while walking along the snow-covered pathway to the Vale of Shadows, which is the section of the canyon where there are shadows even though it is highsun. We eventually encountered a terrified man running towards us, apparently coming from the Vale.
"Whoa! Slow down!" Gorris exclaimed to the terrified man.
"Run! The Vale's... filled with yetis!" The man exclaimed, trying to catch his breath but having trouble because of his heart pounding rapidly. "Tried to outrun them, but... two of them... still chasing me! Run! Get help!" The man exclaimed.
I looked ahead and around the curve going right, I saw two tundra yetis appear from the blind corner of the curve coming for us!
"Here they come guys!" I exclaimed, readying my crossbow, taking aim, and Lysara aimed her bow at them, preparing to fire an arrow.
When they got in range, Lysara and I fired at their heads! Andy, armed with a sling and a pack full of sling bullets, flung a sling bullet but missed trying to attack the tundra yeti I planned on shooting, but my aim and Lysara's were true. Both of us hit the two yetis on the foreheads and they collapsed dead.
"Okay, we're clear," I said, taking the time to reload another bolt into my crossbow.
"Thanks," the man thanked us. "My name is Mirek, by the way."
Then we proceeded to introduce ourselves.
"Nice to meet you all," Mirek nodded. "I thought the time to join my ancestors had finally come. Last time I ever set foot anywhere near the Vale, that's for certain. There's all sorts of strange creatures roaming around there now. "
"Really? Are you serious?" Gorris asked.
Mirek nodded. "I sure am. My brother Silas and I made a pilgrimage there to pay our respects to our family crypt, like we do every year, but this time... I don't know; the Vale seems... different... *cursed* somehow. The shadows have come alive, and there's yetis roaming the paths, attacking travelers."
"What happened to your brother?" Andy asked.
Mirek lowered his head sadly. "He's dead. the largest yeti I've ever seen tore out of the snow and took a piece out of him with its claws. he fell, dead as a stone, blood everywhere."
"I suggest you return to Kuldahar and stay there. We're going to the Vale to investigate what is going on there," Gorris said.
"Good luck, and be careful," Mirek said with a thankful nod before going down the trail to Kuldahar while we went the opposite direction towards the Vale.
Three hours later, we reached the Vale, and by the grace of Mielikki, this section of the canyon is gloomy! We saw the torch lights outside the crypt entrance 50 yards ahead of us on the other side of the semi dark canyon, there are two large bronze statues of robed men on both sides of the main crypt entrance, one has its head attached to the body and seems to be praying while the other to the right is missing its head and left arm. But the strangest thing is we didn't see a single yeti on the winding pathways ahead, and what is even more unsettling is we could sense that this place is extremely dangerous, even though we couldn't see the danger... yet.
"Follow my lead... and be careful," I whispered, holding my crossbow up as I took point, moving forward, with Lysara beside me and Ordmar too.
We made our way slowly and carefully towards the main crypt, the one that is flanked by the two big bronze statues. I never lowered my crossbow, not even for a second, and Lysara made sure she held her bow and arrow ready to shoot at anything that threatened us. When nothing seemed to try to ambush us, we cautiously moved forward. In the center of the Vale, I noticed, is another ancient bronze statue. Unlike the other two near the main crypt entrance, this one is in a seated position, head lowered and arms entwined together in prayer. And at that moment, I allowed myself to get distracted by an ancient statue. I don't know why, but I couldn't stop myself from wondering who the statue might be praying to, then I heard Andy exclaim:
"YETIS! LOOK OUT!"
His shout is what snapped me out of my trance, and I turned around just in time to see Lysara shoot an arrow at one of the yetis coming at us from behind, Gorris and Felicia hat to crouch so that Lysara could get a clear shot. There are four yetis coming at us, and Lysara killing one only served to make its brethren more angry.
"Look alive, boy! We got company!" Ordmar nudged me urgently.
I aimed my crossbow at the yeti that is getting close to Andy.
"Uh, Jovan! Shoot now!" Andy exclaimed as the yeti pulled back its arm preparing to deliver a powerful punch to Andy.
I quickly took aim at the yeti's face and fired! As soon as the bolt struck the yeti in its right eye, it misdirected its punch missing Andy's face by 6 inches, and the momentum of its punch caused it to fall off the canyon pathway down to the ground 50 feet below. Gorris drew his war axes, came at the remaining two yetis with Ordmar by his yeti Gorris is fighting tried to strike him with a right hook, but the barbarian is too swift, he crouched, dodging the blow, then struck the yeti in the chest with the war ax in his left hand. At the same time, the other yeti slammed its left fist down at Ordmar, but he blocked the blow with his shield, and even though he was able to withstand the strong punch, that doesn't mean that his left arm didn't sting from the aftershock of the impact. At the same time Gorris attacked the other yeti with the war ax in his right arm, Ordmar swatted aside the other yeti's arm with his war hammer, then delivered a stunning strike to the yeti's chest, causing it to stagger back a few inches.
Andy and Xalorn thought it was their imagination playing tricks on them, but from the area where the seated praying statue is, they thought they saw five ghostly shadow figures hovering over the large gap that separated the statue from where my group and I, including the two yetis are. However, once we heard the Shadow ghosts screech a loud, otherworldly screech, we realized that our imaginations aren't playing tricks on us at all.
"Oh no! We got more company coming!" Andy exclaimed, and fired a magic missile at one of the Shadows coming toward us, but not using the magic missile wand though. The small sphere of magical energy hit one of the Shadow ghosts causing it to melt into thin air, but still the remaining four continued to approach us.
At that moment, Gorris and Ordmar finished dispatching the yetis, but they soon realized that down the path we came from, 5 more yetis are coming towards us, the Shadows aren't the only threat we have to contend with.
"There's too many of them coming! Run!" I exclaimed, then we ran for the 10 foot long wooden bridge that will take us directly to the main crypt entrance instead of the pathway that would lead north several feet and curve left to the spot where the seated praying statue is.
Normally I'm not afraid if heights, but as soon as I stepped on the bridge and ran across it, the bridge rocking slightly made me feel a little lightheaded. I managed to cross the bridge first, then Xalorn, Felicia, Andy, Gorris, Lysara and Ordmar. Andy and Lysara stayed by my side to attack the yetis crossing the bridge. Lysara shot first, her arrow striking the lead yeti in the chest causing him to stagger back and the yetis behind him crashed into him, and they suddenly lost their balance and fell off the bridge. But the four Shadows are still coming at us, screeching loudly and reaching towards us with cold, spectral hands that threaten to sap our strength slowly if they touch us. I've heard stories that if a Shadow kills you by completely draining your strength, your corpse becomes a new Shadow a few hours later. I fired my crossbow at one of them, and even though they are spirits, the crossbow bolt still harmed it as it would to a creature made of flesh and blood, and since I shot the spectral creature in the head, it evaporated into thin air after the bolt pierced through its head. Andy killed the third Shadow with his Magic Missile wand. The last Shadow got a little too close to us for us to attack it with ranged weapons. Fortunately Xalorn with his +1 morningstar was with us to strike down the shadow before it could touch me while I was trying to quickly place my crossbow behind my back and reach my long sword.
"Thanks," I nodded at Xalorn thankfully.
"Don't mention it," the half-orc smirked.
For now, it seemed as if we were out of the woods. We still sensed danger around us, but as we drew nearer to the main crypt entrance which is flanked by the two bronze statues, we saw no yetis or Shadows anywhere, everything seemed quiet now, but we didn't let our guard down, not even me, I learned my lesson not to let anything distract me. We are now only 8 feet away from the main crypt entrance, and as we moved towards the the large opening that has no door of any kind, I walked by a large mound of snow to my right. Ordmar was walking beside me to my left at that moment, and somehow, out of the corner of his right eye, he must have seen something odd about that large mound of snow, because he shouted something that that almost startled me.
"MOVE, ELF, MOVE!"
As quickly as he could, he put himself between me and the mound of snow, and as he did, a big arm covered in white fur burst out of the mound of snow and the hand grabbed Ordmar before he could react!
"No!" Gorris and Lysara exclaimed together in unison.
"Ordmar!" I shouted as I stepped back a few inches in surprise.
A yeti, who was under the mound of snow in a crouching position quickly stood up, holding Ordmar in its left hand and without hestation, he slammed the dwarf down to the ground! Ordmar saw flashing spots dancing around the blackness of his closed eyes upon impact, and his body and head ached with near excruciating pain even though his armor saved him from more life threatening damage. We didn't hesitate attacking the yeti before he could do more harm to Ordmar. With a furious yell, Gorris jumped on the yeti's back and holding on to its long, fine fur with his left hand, he brought down his war ax in his right hand down on the yeti's right shoulder while Xalorn struck at the yeti's left leg, stunning it. Lysara took aim at the yeti's head, then before firing, she said:
"Die, you bastard."
The arrow flew at the yeti's head and struck it in the left eye. The yeti nearly collapsed dead on Ordmar, but instead, collapsed next to him. After the danger was defeated, Andy and I rushed over to Ordmar and helped him stand up. He is still breathing, but apparently he felt severe pain in his chest as he tried to breathe.
"Are you okay? Anything broken?" Andy asked the dwarf.
"*cough* *cough*... I'll be fine, lad. It'll take more than a durned pea-brained yeti to bring ol' Ordmar Coppershield down," Ordmar grinned, then spat blood.
Lysara ran up to Ordmar and hugged him.
"Ordmar! Thank the gods you're okay!" She exclaimed happily.
"Now now, no need to cry, lass, I ain't going nowhere yet. I'm hurtin' all over, sure, but none of me bones are broken at least," he assured her.
"Damn it, we really need a cleric now..." Andy muttered.
"Or at least a healing potion," Gorris said.
"We have neither, so we must press on, unfortunately," I said regretfully.
And so we entered the crypt together.
Once inside, we found ourselves in a room with three pillars surrounding us on both sides, there is also an inlaid mosaic of a wolf paw in the middle of the floor, and ahead of us about 9 feet away is a worn, old statue depicting a barbarian warrior leaning on a sword too big to be held with one hand.
"Is that Jerrod?" I asked Gorris, pointing at the statue.
Gorris frowned at me. "How did you know about the legendary shaman Jerrod?" He asked me.
"Oh, before we left Easthaven, a priest of Tempus named Everard told me the story about him," I explained.
Gorris nodded to show that he understood. There are only two ways forward. The hallway to the statue's right leads to a dead end, while the hallway to the statue's left leads down to an closed iron gate. We went down the hall lit by torches of blue flame towards the iron gate. Fortunately the gate isn't locked. However, as soon as we entered the room beyond the gate where there are two pools of water with skulls and bones floating in them, we were suddenly attacked my nearly a dozen live skeletons armed with swords, maces and a few other melee weapons I'm not in the mood of describing. Even though he is still under mild pain, Ordmar fought the skeletons with us with ease as if he were in perfect health. I'll never underestimate him again.
After all the undead skeletons were defeated, I stood between the two pools of water near a pedestal that supports a large book that is secured to the pedestal by chain. I didn't read the book because I saw it is no ordinary book; its cover and pages are made out of human skin, and as far as I can tell, the words in the pages aren't written in ink, they are written in blood. As for the room we are in, there are only six ways out, the way we came in, the large door ahead of us, the door to the left, the door to the right, the door to the right next to the iron gate, and the door at the corner of the door to the left. We tried opening the first four doors, but they are all locked, and I assumed that they probably lead into family crypts like Mirek and his brother's family crypt, for example. Lysara tried lock-picking the door to the right, and it opened, so we searched that way.
The crypt we wandered into is very disturbing, there are more than a dozen human bones crammed into the niches of the walls. There is nothing of interest here, so we got out of there and instead tried to open the large door ahead of the two pools of water.
Fortunately that door is not locked, and it made a loud creaking noise as we entered. In the next room beyond we encountered six armored skeleton warriors and their commander. The one who I believe is the leader wore a different kind of body armor and he wore a necklace with an amulet of a wolf's paw on it. To my surprise, instead of attacking us, the undead skeleton commander spoke to us.
"Greetings. I am Bone Dancer Mytos," the skeleton commander bowed respectfully at us. "I must commend you on your efforts to enter here. Your perseverance is remarkable, to say the least. Now tell me, why are you here?"
"We are adventurers here to ask someone here some questions," I answered.
Mytos crossed his arms. "What questions?" He pressed.
"We seek the evil that threatens Kuldahar's balance. Would that be you?" I asked.
Mytos's eyeless sockets glowed from green to dark blue as he rubbed his chin.
"Kuldahar... Do you refer to that little hamlet under the great tree?" He asked.
I nodded.
"No, my concerns lie within these walls, not without. I would suggest you continue your search elsewhere."
"If you are not responsible, then who is?" I asked.
"I have no idea," Mytos shrugged. "What happens outside this vale is of no concern to me."
"It will be of concern to you when this so-called foreign evil turns its attention upon you. I'm not accusing you of this evil, but if you really are innocent of Kuldahar's woes, could you at least tell us who you think might be responsible?"
Mytos didn't speak for a while, considering my words carefully. Then finally he said: "I don't know who might be responsible for the hamlet's woes, but my superior might know," he admitted.
"Your superior...?" Ordmar frowned in confusion, he assumed that Mytos is in command of the undead here.
"Can you take us to see him?" I asked. "It's urgent that we meet with him."
Mytos slowly nodded. "I will bring you to him," he agreed.
Mytos and his soldiers guided us into the deepest areas of the crypt, and everywhere I went, saw banners of the wolf paw. What group or organization did these people belong to when they were among the living?
We were eventually brought to a large door in front of another inlaid mosaic of a wolf's paw on the floor just like near the tomb's entrance. We waited as Mytos's soldiers pushed the door open, and after the door was pushed wide open revealing seven small circular pools of water in the next room and a coffin atop a flight of stairs ahead of the small pools, Mytos entered the room first and I saw an undead spirit in the room awaiting his approach. This spirit is clad in black armor and a helmet obscuring his face except his glowing violet eyes.
"Master, you have visitors," Mytos informed the spirit in black armor, then he signaled to us to come in.
We cautiously entered the room, and Mytos's superior approached us, his arms spread out wide.
"At last... The mighty adventurers stand before me. To what do I owe this... honor?" He asked us by way of greeting.
"I take it you were expecting us?" I asked him.
"I have been observing your progress ever since you first stepped foot into my realm. It was only a matter of time before you made your way here. So tell me, why have you come?"
"Before I answer that, tell me who you are. I don't recognize you," I said.
"In life, I was Kresselack the Black Wolf. In death, I am nothing, a mere shadow cursed to haunt these walls."
Back then, when we personally met him, I knew nothing about Kresselack the Black Wolf. But now, I do. According to what I recently dug up, Kresselack's ghostly presence in the Vale is the reason why none of Faerun's historians dare to venture to that place and officially record in the history of the realms the identity and deeds of Kresselack. They say that his hands were as blood, his footsteps deft like a winter wolf in the snow, and his troops struck like arrows into the hearts of people in towns and hamlets around the Spine of the World's vicinity. No one dared to speak his name as if it were cursed, and people were obviously overjoyed when they received news of Kresselack's passing.
"Why are you cursed?" Andy asked out of curiosity.
"Hmm. Why indeed," Kresselack replied with a soft chuckle that sent chills rising up and down my spine. "That is a long tale. Would you care to hear it?"
I felt that by hearing his backstory we might gain insight on whether he is responsible for Kuldahar's woes or not.
"Yes, we are listening," I said for Andy.
"As a young man, I was a conqueror. I ravaged the lands and brought all who opposed me under my rule. I built a kingdom upon the corpses of my enemies and I reveled in the glories of war," Kresselack proclaimed, raising his clenched hand proudly for a moment, then he lowered his arm on the next part of his story and made his voice calm.
"However, in time my sword grew heavy, my aim less true, and I realized I was growing old. For the first time in my life, I knew fear... Realizing that death would someday claim me, I returned to my homeland. For months, I pondered what course I should pursue in my remaining years. I thought of my kingdom and all that I had fought to create, but it was meaningless to me. A kingdom lasts a lifetime, but death lasts an eternity. I decided to forsake all I had wrought in life for a place in the afterlife..."
"What did you do?" Lysara asked him.
"I ordered this tomb built in utmost secrecy and squandered the wealth of my kingdom doing so. Upon its completion, I traveled here with my most faithful followers to survey the work. Finding all in order, I slew the workers and buried them throughout the Vale outside and in this tomb. My faithful followers I sacrificed to become... the guardians of this tomb. Finally I sacrificed myself to my god, hoping to stand at his side in the land of the dead. Little did I know that my actions would instead bind me to these halls for eternity."
"Okay. As for why we are here, we are seeking the evil that plagues Kuldahar. That wouldn't be you, would it?" I asked, cutting to the chase.
"If it is evil you seek, then look no further. I stand here before you. However, I am not the one who plagues Kuldahar. For that evil, you must look elsewhere."
"Now that we know your history, why should we believe you are innocent?" I asked.
Kressalack's glowing eyes darkened. "I care not at all whether you believe me, adventurer. I am centuries dead and bound to these to these halls for eternity. I care even less of the living or their gathering places. If your Kuldahar is beset by evil, it is not of my doing. Go seek your villain elsewhere," he said and prepared to turn his back on us.
"If not you, then who is responsible?" Andy asked.
Kresselack turned to face us again, and I got the feeling that if he could show us, he would be smiling.
"Who indeed... I can answer your question, but I require a boon first. Perform a task for me, and I will answer you."
We felt more wary now. "What task?" I asked.
"Auril, the ice goddess, is worshiped by some here in the cold north. Auril commands her followers to extinguish all fires, to open structures to cold winds, and to deny a warmth a place to gather. As you can see, my tomb would be an abomination to a follower of Auril," Kresselack replied.
"I concede your point. Go on," I nodded.
"A priestess of Auril has stood at the threshold of my tomb and gazed within. Recently she attempted entry, but my guardians foiled her. Now that you've slain most of my guardians, there is little to prevent her from returning and carrying out the will of Auril. I do not wish to spend eternity in a cold, lightless hell. Find this Aurilite... and slay her. Only then I will answer you."
"All right. We will deal with this priestess of Auril," I agreed.
"Excellent," Kresselack nodded approvingly. "Be quick about the task, for even now I sense her presence within the Vale. Return to me when you have dealt with her. Until then, I have nothing more to say."
When we left the tomb and searched the Vale up and down for the priestess of Auril's campsite, no Shadows pestered us, only yetis, for some reason. When we came to the area where the seated praying bronze statue is, I noticed a pathway at the edge going down somewhere. We followed that path down to a cavern below. If a priestess of Auril set up a campsite somewhere here in the Vale, a cold cavern sounds like the ideal spot.
"All right, I'll go in first. If she attacks me, come in shooting," I told my group, and I stepped into the cold cavern alone.
The cavern isn't as vast as I thought it would be, but the only room inside is bigger than I imagined. The ceiling is 48 feet above my head, and the priestess's camp s on the other side of the room. There are two tents erected, one held six crates of most likely food and water, and the other tent is obviously where the priestess sleeps in her bedroll. As I approached, her camp, I saw her emerge from her tent and walk over to the tent where the crates are kept, possibly to get something to eat or drink. As far as I can tell, she is a fair skinned human woman no older than 36 from the looks of it, she has short brown hair and to my surprise, she only wore bright blue robes that are cyan colored at the sleeves, nothing more, not even a cloak to keep herself warm! Its almost as if her body is accustomed to being cold. She didn't see me yet, so I didn't hesitate approaching. However when I got 5 feet close to her camp, she emerged holding a sandwich in her hands, and when she saw me, she froze in confusion.
"This is my private retreat," she said, her mouth partially full of the sandwich she just took a bite out of. She paused to swallow it then said: "I will thank you to leave me to my solitude."
"I seek a priestess of Auril. Would that be you?" I called.
I didn't expect her to come out and admit that she does worship Auril, but she rubbed her chin in thought with her left hand while holding her partially bitten sandwich in her right hand.
"Hmm... I am somewhat familiar with Auril. The Frostmaiden is not very popular among most peoples. Many worship her out of fear rather than love or devotion. her truly faithful are rare and secretive, to say the least. Why do you seek such a person?" She asked before biting more of her sandwich.
"I must speak to her about a matter of some importance," I said, approaching more, but carefully analyzing my distance from the woman.
The woman raised her left eyebrow in amusement. "Really? Hmm... I must admit that I am bursting with curiosity. I can't imagine what is so important that you would seek out a follower of Auril... Would you care to enlighten me?"
"Sorry, this is a private matter that I must only discuss with the priestess," I said.
The woman sighed. "I see... Very well, let us end this charade. I am Lysan, servant of Auril. you have found your priestess. Now, state your business with me."
"I have come on behalf of the spirit of the tomb here. He is worried about your intentions toward his resting place," I replied.
"Hmm. I know nothing of any spirit, but I am familiar with the tomb you speak of. It is an abomination in the eyes of my goddess. I intend to make it... more pleasing to Her tastes," Lysan replied.
"What of Kuldahar?" I asked, sensing that she might be another threat to Kuldahar too.
"Kuldahar, the great tree, and the circle of warmth are an abomination in the eyes of Auril. Kuldahar and your spirit's tomb shall embrace the winter in Her name or perish in the cold wastes! The will of Auril shall be done."
"No it won't, Lysan. I can't allow you to do this, sorry," I said.
"Oh really? How sad. I shall have to kill you then. Prepare to meet your fate, fool!"
"So be it!" I declared, acting as if I was reaching for my long sword.
Lysan wielded her mace and attempted to strike me with it, swinging downwards at my head, but I dodged and she missed, and at the same time, I grabbed Apsel's dagger and cut Lysan's right lung with it as we passed by each other trying to strike each other at the same moment. I froze in place, and Lysan froze too, utterly confused. She felt sharp pain below her chest and she looked down and noticed a red stain growing on the side of her robes.
"I... I... No..." She muttered in disbelief before falling to her knees and collapsing dead.
At that moment my companions entered the cavern.
"Jovan!" Felicia called.
"It is done. Let's go back," I informed my companions while wiping Lysan's blood off the dagger.
Minutes later we returned to Kresselack in his tomb.
"You have returned," he announced.
"Yes. The priestess of Auril is dead now," I announced.
"Yes... I no longer sense her presence. You have done well, and I thank you. As a reward, you may take my sword and body armor from my corpse in my sarcophagus," he said.
"Ye also promised that ye'd tell us who is responsible for the disturbances at Kuldahar," Ordmar reminded him.
"Yes... so I did... the truth of the matter is I do not know who is responsible. I can only assure you that it is not I, nor is it anyone in this vale. Were it to be otherwise, I would sense it," Kresselack replied casually.
"Hold on one moment, this is not the answer you promised us," Gorris said accusingly.
"Promised? I made you no promises, adventurer. As for your answer... knowing where your enemy is *NOT* is as vital as knowing as where he *IS*. Think upon that," Kresselack replied.
"We will, and we will take our leave. Farewell," I said, then we left the tomb, never to return, heading back to Kuldahar with news to Arundel that no one in the Vale Of Shadows is responsible for the woes plaguing Kuldahar.
