Prelude
Hammer 12 1362 DR, Year of the Helm
Bowie Butterball drew his short sword and walked up to the large wooden door. Turning around he watched as his dwarf friend Rouric Balderk was walking towards him.
"I didn't think we would ever defeat those dragonspawn," the beefy blond haired dwarf said to the stout halfling bard. "Especially after Silvira and Destin fell to their claws."
Bowie let out a sigh and brushed back his curly brown hair. Going on four days without sleep, he and his fellow Harper recruits have been traveling the ruins of Myth Drannor for over a day now, as part of their mission before they became full fledged Harpers. Several rooms back, Destin and Silvira, who had been fellow Harper recruits, had fallen to dragonspawn back at the ruined temple of Hanali Celanil.
"The next room should be safe," Bowie said with a smile as he pushed the door open.
Rouric shook his head and scratched his beard. "That's what ya said before, but that didn't all the monsters from attacking us."
The bard shook his head and stepped into the room. After Rouric came inside, they walked to the end of the vacant room and walked down a narrow hallway. Rouric's eyes lifted upward. The dwarf let out a gasp when he saw the various runes drawn on the ceiling
"I wonder what this section of Myth Drannor once was?" he asked out loud.
"It was probably a section of the city where clerical magic was the strongest," the halfling answered in his evangelistic voice. "The runes you see on the ceiling are actually names of elven gods. Yet they aren't magical."
Rouric patted Bowie on the back as they entered a dark room. Bowie sang a quick song and cast a light spell on the gold piece he carried in his pocket. The moment Bowie's coin touched the ground, a white glow engulfed the entire room. The bard's eyes widened when he saw the creature in the center of the room.
"That looks like a gray skinned human with a vultures' head and wings," Rouric whispered as he stood next to Bowie. "Either that or a gray skinned vulture with human legs."
"That is a vrock, a demon from the abyss," replied the halfling as he pointed his short sword Vithril (known as Deathwaltz to it's victims) forward. The vrock let out a screech and flew at the two Harper recruits. Rouric swung his great axe high, cutting off a large portion of the vrock's left wing.
As the demon landed, Bowie charged and slashed Vithril across the vrock's face. After a splash of blood flew from the wound, Bowie swung his blade once more, but the demon slapped away the sword and dug his claws deeply through the halfling's chest.
Bowie stepped back, his chest throbbing with pain. The vrock let out a screech of laughter until he felt Rouric's axe rip through his back.
When the vrock turned to face Rouric, Bowie stabbed his short sword though the back of the demon's neck.. The vrock let out a painful death cry before falling to the ground.
"Shame we didn't get to see him tap his toes," the dwarf said with laugh. His laughter ended when he saw the blood and rips on Bowie's leather jerkin. "Bowie, are ya all right?"
Bowie nodded his head, then lifted his hand. "I'll live for now, though I'm not sure how long, seeing as the demon's friends decided to stop by." Rouric looked over, seeing two more vrocks fly down from the ceiling
"You'll pay for that," growled one of the demons as it flew into the air.
The dwarf let out a fierce cry as the vrocks landed in front of him and swung his axe forward, cutting a large gash through a vrock's stomach. Rouric gave his axe another mighty swing, taking off the demon's head.
Next to Rouric, Bowie sliced Vithril through the vrock's shoulder. After Bowie pulled his weapon back, the bloody demon tried to scratch the halfling's already bleeding chest, but the power of the bard's weapon took effect, and the vrock's feet began to dance with lightning speed.
Bowie slashed Vithril two more times across the demon's body, then watched as the lifeless body fell to the ground. Then, the halfling heard footsteps coming from behind him. He turned to face this new attacker, swinging his blade as his body turned.
But Bowie's weapon was blocked by a long sword that was being held by a beautiful silver haired woman wearing elven chain armor.
"Congratulations boys, you've successfully passed your trial," Storm Silverhand said with a big smile. Her eyes widened when she saw the blood on Bowie's leathers.
Rouric walked over to Bowie and placed a hand on his back. "Well done Bowie, we're officially Harpers now."
"That's great," Bowie said in a weak voice. "I'm going to celebrate with a nap." Storm and Rouric looked at each other, unsure of what Bowie was saying. Then the halfling fell to the ground and began to sleep peacefully.