Prologue
Nightal 1 1372 DR, Year of Wild Magic
Holding his war hammer close to his person, the red bearded cleric Ioan Bronzenail walked through the dark narrow tunnels that lay in the bowels of Mithral Hall. At his side, was the robust brown bearded dwarf named Bernard Fizzlepeaks.
Unlike Ioan, who wore long sleeved white robes, Bernard wore a thin set of leathers over his cotton shirt and leather breeches. In each hand, he carried a sharp miner's pick.
The dwarven pair continued to travel down the narrow tunnels, the walls damp with moist and patches of moss. Their three hour-long adventure had been uneventful thus far-that is until they came across a large metal door.
Ioan examined the door, finding drawings of snakes and spiders all over the outer edges. "What do ye think this means?" asked the robust dwarf, holding his picks.
The cleric wasn't sure. He closed his eyes and whispered a prayer to his patron god Moradin to help with the answer.
"Could be drow," suggested Bernard. Truth be told, he had little desire to remain in this particular area. The air was growing warm and strange noises were echoing throughout the tunnel. The increasing silence between him and the cleric wasn't helping with matters either.
"Let's just leave Ioan," Bernard whispered in a quiet voice. The cleric of Moradin ignored him, as a brown bag near the door had caught his attention.
Ioan quickly bent down and picked up the brown bag. He reached inside with his thick fingers and felt several coins, a few stones, and what he believed to be a small leather book.
"Ye're right," Ioan said in a gruff voice. "Let's go home."
Bernard breathed a sigh of relief and turned back but Ioan stared at the walls.
"Something wrong Ioan?" asked Bernard.
Sweat began to trickle down the cleric's forehead. "I thought I had just seen something move."
Regis Rumblebelly walked down the streets of the Undercity, his belly full after a long meal with his friend King Bruenor Battlehammer. After making a turn, the halfling stopped at Cleaver McWinder's butcher shop. Perhaps I could go pay Cleaver a visit, the halfling mused to himself.
"Someone help!" screamed a voice from the other end of the street.
Regis ran down the streets as fast as his short legs could carry him. When he reached his destination, he saw a small crowd of male and female dwarves (it was hard to tell the difference) gathered in a circle. He moved his way through the circle, and his eyes widened in shock and horror when he saw the mutilated bodies of two dwarves lying on the ground.
"What happened?" Regis asked.
"These two came from the tunnels, and then died on the street," answered a tall, broad shouldered dwarf named Aberfor Rumbutters, a seasoned veteran warrior, who was the local bartender at the Shining Helmet Inn. "From the looks of it, they fought some sort of creature, or creatures."
Regis studied the dead bodies, noticing the large gashes and claw marks they bore. Next to one of the bodies, was a brown bag.
"Could I have that bag?" Regis asked as he reached inside of his shirt and pulled out his ruby pendant.
Aberfor stared at the ruby pendant, and then nodded. "Yes you may Steward Regis."
Back at the palace, Regis took the bag and poured its contents on the floor.
On the floor sat a large pile of gold, two sapphire gemstones, a diamond, and a small black leather bound book. Regis bent down to pick up the book. Written in white on the front of the leather bound book were the words "The Half-Blood."
"Rumblebelly!" shouted a voice that caused Regis to unknowingly toss the book into the room belonging to Bruenor's adopted daughter Catti-brie.
Just as Regis was about to go and retrieve the book, King Bruenor's voice echoed through the hallway, telling the halfling to join him in the throne room. Regis quickly scooped up the gold and gems into the bag, then looked into Catti-brie's room.
"I'll get it later" Regis whispered softly, before leaving to join King Bruenor Battlehammer.