Darkness and mystery flooded his mind as Kraeth attempted to discern his surroundings. For a moment, all he could see was the massive void that stretched out before him. Despite its eerie beauty, all that was here was emptiness. Suddenly, it was no longer empty. An immense light pierced the silent void, but this was not the holy light of Lathander, the Morning Lord. Kraeth awoke from this nightmare only to find that the reality he found himself in was much less preferable. Pain was soon added to the unpleasant, enigmatic shadows that he was engulfed in. In the midst of it all, Kraeth finally perceived the dark, steel cage that was his environment, and the darker-still man in from of him that must be his captor. The man spoke in a calm voice, as if this were completely normal, "Ah, the Child of Bhaal has awoken. It is time for more... experiments."

All returned to blackness. Soon, the man's voice changed in to a much softer female voice. This, Kraeth recognized. There was a human lass crouching in front of him, fiddling with the lock on his cage. Something was oddly familiar about this girl. Her thick, black garb looked as if it came from the North, and her worried stance suggested that she was certainly a stranger to this place. It was only when he heard the girl's voice, that he remembered. "Wake up, you!" the girl whispered with a frightened tone, it was Imoen, Kraeth's childhood friend.

Growing up in Candlekeep was far from the most exciting place, for a child. All that was in Candlekeep was crotchety old monks that dwelt within the grand libraries, and the grumpy soldiers who strolled around as if they owned the place, there were few other children to be found. Then there was Imoen. She did not arrive for some years after Kraeth did, but the two immediately became friends. Imoen always looked out for him, referring to him as "Lil' brudder", until a few years later when he grew much taller than she. In spite of them not being brother and sister, or perhaps because of it, the two were very close and inseparable by any force they had come in to contact with, and they had a very special bond that was stronger than either of the two were aware of. Lost in memory, Kraeth almost didn't hear Imoen's voice calling to him, "Wake up! We have to get out of here!"

Getting out of the underground dungeon was easier than Kraeth had expected, and he had even found help along the way. His old friends, Jaheria the half-elven druid and Minsc the slightly addled ranger were nearby Kraeth's own cage. A nearby stash held a key for Jaheria's cell, she was thankful for her release, though noticeably worried.

"Have you seen Khalid?" the Druidess asked. Khalid was Jaheria's husband, they had been together for as long as Kraeth had known them, since he had met the two in the Friendly Arm Inn near the city of Baldur's Gate.

"I have not," Kraeth said, "perhaps we shall find him hiding under a bed along the way." he added with a slight smile.

Jaheria rolled her grey-blue eyes, "Despite your... wit... Khalid would be of great aid to us. We shall need all the help we can get to escape this place alive."

Kraeth chuckled, "Ahhh, he likes it. Come, I have found the key to your cage. We will celebrate once we have escaped from this hole."

Rescuing Minsc was not as easy. "AHH! Minsc will be FREE! These bonds will not hold my wrath! Butts will be LIBERALLY kicked in good measure!" The Berserker shouted.

Kraeth smiled sadly, "Hello Minsc, do you know how to open your cage?" But Minsc was not listening. Minsc began to cry about his witch, Dynaheir. Kraeth suddenly had an idea.

"Minsc, you are pathetic, if you could not protect your witch I would not want you at my side." he said, narrowing his eyes at the ranger, "Your being here shows you are weak."

"Do not force me to add your ass to the kicking list!" Minsc screeched in fury, "Minsc will be FREE! I shall smack your face to the earth with my boot heel of justice! I shall make sure you do not abandon any more friends to the darkness! RAAAAAAGGGHHH" There was a loud scraping of iron as Minsc, in a rage of livid fury, ripped the bars of his cage apart from where they stood. Kraeth knew that his plan had worked, but never before had he been so frightened in his life. Minsc was not the sort of person that one would purposefully anger unless the situation was quite dire.

"I... I see what you did! You said what you did just to get me mad! Minsc is free! Ha HA!" Minsc cheered, his anger quickly disappearing.

"Come with me Minsc, and we shall wipe the floor with the buttocks of all that oppose us!" Kraeth grinned.

"Ha HA! Now you are speaking the language of Minsc!"