The Name Of The Shadows

Chronicling the rise of the thrill-seeker Klik Blaze, as played by megamania.

This is my second attempt at DMing a PbP Solo Campaign. Let it be more succesful than my ill-fated previous attempt, brought low by a long absence.

Mol, Therendor 16, 998 YK

If this is the best your civilization has to offer, I cannot say there is much hope for any of you...

After the long winter months spent in mountains of the Graywall, you finally returned home to Sharn, now burdened with the ever present voice of that cursed sword you claimed. Not much has changed since you left, at least on the surface of things. The refugee slums are a little more crowded, the forges deep under Sharn are a little less busy, the money of the nobles flows a little more freely, and here and there there is a new shop or home, or a grand tower that has grown just a little taller. Little has changed in the pace of the cities ebb and flow.

The night sky is clear, for once, not that you could really see anything were you to look up, other than perhaps one of the moons or the faint outline of the Ring of Siberys. The lights of the City of Towers are too bright and too many to allow for a view of the sky like that to be had in the mountains or the countryside. But, as always, there is plenty to be seen in the city itself.

For now, you wander the streets and bridges of your old haunt, the Center Bridge district. Down one of the many side alleys, a young woman in a revealing green dress leans heavily on the wall next to an open door lit by the glow of many candles. You can guess that it is one of the dreamlily dens that occasionally crops up in the district, fueled by the money of the wealthier students of Morgrave University, above.

The young woman is quite attractive, with an oval face and soft features framed by pale yellow hair. Her eyes open, and a gives you a hint of a smile.

" How would you like to join me, stranger? " she asks, grey eyes glittering in dim light.

Her weight shifts for a moment as she begins to move, but suddenly another young woman, dressed in orange and wearing a heavy black cloak appears in the doorway, and grabs her by the arm. Glancing worriedly in your direction, she pulls her friend away and heads in the opposite direction towards the next street over. Following on their heels is a dangerous looking half-orc dressed for combat, carrying another cloak, presumably that of the pale-haired woman.

They certainly are in a hurry, are they not, Klik? Running about like scared little mice. Hardly worth our attention.

The night is young, and the possibilities nearly unlimited. Yesterday was the festival of Sun's Blessing, and many of the city's restaurants and taverns are likely still serving the excess of special food and drink brought in for the celebrations of the holiday. The temporary truces of the day are over, and many new plots are likely afoot this night. Who knows what you can accomplish, armed with a magical sword and the secret advice it gives. The whole city is open to you, waiting for you.

Klik, old boy, leave this place to the petty pleasures of these hopeless people. You are so much more now. You can rule. I can help you. The only question is, where to begin?

OOC- telepathic link or not?

"I think I shall enjoy a meal and a show down the street at a favorite place of mine. They serve the best Aundair wine and Karrnathian sausage made by a non-halfling. There I can listen in on various conversations and learn what is REALLY going on around here. Trust me- it'll be fun. You've been in that dusty dungeon far too long. Say now bud- what should I call you? Bud is not a name for a sword."



OOC Sharn page 75 Townhouses where many students of Morgrave hang out. Possible contacts?

Mol, Therendor 16, 998 YK

( Yes, it is all in you head, . On another note, I can only guess at which establishment you mean, if you mean a specific one at all. Also, do you like roleplaying out all of the minutae, or is a certain amount of handwaving preferable to you?)

Oh, Klik. Perhaps, in time, I will deign to allow you the privilege of knowing my real name, but not now I think. No, not now.

Heading east, soon you cross one of the bridges leading into the Torchfire District, and then you are merely a hop, a skip and a jump from what is perhaps the one of the finest establishments in all of Lower Menths, Gailan's. It doesn't take long for you to be seated, and before you know it the aroma of that Karrnathi sausage is tickling your nostrils, staring up at your from the table, begging to be eaten.

On stage, a troupe of entertainers decked out in bright shades of green and yellow, mixed in with brown, are performing what seems to be a drama of some kind, set against the backdrop on the Eldeen Reaches. The story focuses on the story of some brave villagers facing the predations of some kind of doomsday cult of druids. The acting isn't bad, but there is little noteworthy about it other than a shifter who manages to pull off a certain magnetism in his character, uncommon for his kind.

Well now, Klik, I think someone in this peculiar establishment is glad to see you...

You look up from your meal just in time to see a Khoravar male plunk down opposite you, setting down a plate of... something, in front of him. Wearing a big grin, Sathil Kurigaun ethusiastically claps you on the shoulder.

" Where've you been, Blaze? I was startin' to think some troll had taking a liking to you, up in those mountains. I thought you would be back before winter set in. "

Sathil is an old aquaintance of yours, from back when you first got into the scene. Back then, he seemed older than you, which of course he was. As the years moved on though, you grew up and he stayed mostly the same. Now, relatively speaking, you are about the same age. He has short sandy-blond hair, and pale blue eyes. Sathil is a little far on the skinny side, though it would be a stretch to call him gaunt.

Back when you first starting exploring the ruins under Sharn, Sathil would tag along, for the novelty of it all. A close encounter or two though quickly persuaded him that the novelty wasn't worth it for him. In any case, he can probably help you with any questions you might have concerning recent happenings. Despite being a full time ' student ' at the university, he's always seemed to have plenty of time for illicit activities.

That thing on his plate... looks almost like, oh, nevermind.

"Ah Sathil looking as good as ever. Student life still going well for you? Anything new happening around here while I was away?"

Mol, Therendor 16, 998 YK

Sathil sets down his fork for a moment, and scratches his right cheek. Leaning slightly over the table, he quietly says, " Well, for one thing, that gang from below Dura, the new one with all of those folks from Droaam, is starting to crack the armour of the Boromars, or at least that is what I heard. It's gotten to the point that new indepedant thieves and gangs are starting to crop up, but I suspect the halflings will crack down on them eventually. "

Settling back into his seat, Sathil shovels another forkfull of food into his mouth, taking a moment to finish it before continuing.

" Things are basically as they always are here, you know? The more things change, the more they stay the same. There have been a few happenings in city politics, and a new advisory has been posted on going into the City of the Dead at night, or at any time really, without ample protection. "

Pausing again, Sathil takes a sip of his drink, then, for a moment, he looks a little vacant. " You remember the second set of passages we explored in the Depths, way back when? The ones where I was nearly eaten by that swarm of dead rats? Some kids, about the age you were then, late teens, apparently went in there, and didn't come back out. Strange thing is, no one had heard of any trouble coming out of that part of the ruins for years, since we were down there. Huh... Oh well... "

Your friend, he certainly is a compassionate one, is he not, Klik? I think I was almost overwhelmed by his sadness at the thought of those poor, lost souls.

" Anyway, " Sathil continues, " If you're looking for something exciting to do, I think there might be a group who might catch your interest, hanging around up in Cornerstone. They're mostly folks who grew up in Northedge, and didn't like the quiet atmosphere there. They used to hang out around home, but they got kicked out for stirring up trouble of some sort or another. One of them used to be a student at the university, which is how I got wind of them. I can't recall any names though. If you going looking, you'll probably find them easily enough. "

Sathil goes on, mixing reminiscience with the odd bit of news for quite some times. Eventually, he finishes his meal, and the show winds down to its conclusion. Sathil excuses himself, wishing you a good evening, and goes on his way.

It's getting rather late, and the crowd in Gailen's is thinning out as closing time draws near. For someone who makes their own schedule and likes the late hours, it isn't too late to go exploring or to get drunk in the taverns, but if not, you might want to think about finding a place to stay for the night.

Sense Motive 18+7= 25. Curious if Klik suspects anything out of the ordinary at the comments of compassion and the such with the possessing sword.


Spot 17+6= 23 Looking for pretty women or some fun.

The night is young and those guys at the Cornner Stone sound curious, it has been a while since he partied some.

If nothing is here he will go elsewhere for fun

Know: Local: Sharn 18+3= 21

Tommorrow he will look into these new upstarts. Until then it is about fun and maybe some homework on them.

Gather Info 16+5 =21


OOC I wish I rolled this well more often

Zol, Therendor 17, 998 YK

The voice tends to be good at projecting the proper meaning along with the words, and it was pretty clear that it was being sarcastic, given Sathil was being rather dismissive of it after bring it up.

Looking around, you see a number of pretty faces, but they're all to be found next to male companions. In any case, settling your bill costs you thirty-two crowns.

After leaving Gailan's you head over into the neighbouring Firelight district. You visit a number of bars and taverns, and spend the early hours of the morning chatting up a number of pretty young things, but none of it leads anywhere. In your inquiries into the group Sathil mentioned, you do manage to find out that one of them, a guy known as Verthick, is a sporting fan who can often be found at the Cornerstone venue.

Any ales you have costs four crowns apiece, and when you turn in for the night, lodging will cost two or five sovereigns, depending on how good a place you want to stay. Both can be found in Firelight.

OOC crown = Silver and Sover = gold?
Two drinks and a good bed 36 crown / 5 soveriegn

What is Verthick's poison? Gambling in general or sports. Cards? Know : Local 17+3=20.


In the morning I will go there to check him out from the distance first then perhaps introduce myself.

Zol, Therendor 17, 998 YK

( Copper Crown, Silver Sovereign, Golden Galifar, Platinum Dragon. If you have two drinks, would it not be 32 cp + 8 cp?)

The Cornerstone is the arena in the Cornerstone district, featuring mostly wealthy or well-known competitors. Entertainment includes hrazhak, jousting and sky blade matches, as well as the circus when it comes to town.

You wake up late in the morning, having a rare night, unsullied by dreams or the voice, and you gather up your things before heading out. While you were sleeping, it seems the clouds moved in, and every time you move out of the safety of one of the towers, you feel a light rain. For two sovereigns, you catch a skycoach to the Cornerstone district, and from there you make your way to the Cornerstone.

It takes another four sovereigns to gain entry into the arena, as a high level hrazhak game is currently underway. Upon inquiring, however, the entry clerk is able to describe Verthick for you, as he is quite well known around here.

Once you pass inside, you can see the game under way on the grounds below. The field is covered in felled trees, rocks and streams, and all matter of junk. Thirteen players are on the field, vying for the two idols which are the focus for the game. On the sidelines, an injured player is receiving attention from a healer.

This certainly looks interesting, Klik. The blood is real, but the glory, that is just a facade. You should remember this, how easily the masses are entertained. Control the entertainment, control the people, Klik... Remember that...

Verthick is quite easy to pick out. He's a big fellow, with rough features and a head covered by a short stubble. He's wearing a leather jerkin and black trousers, and two coloured bands, matching one of the teams below, are tied around his biceps. He seems to be occupied shouting obscenities at the top of his lungs at one of the game officials. Suddenly, his arms shoot upwards and he begins hooting and cheering, and you notice his team has managed to grab both idols and place them in their goal, which is how you score in hrazhak.

After a few moments, play gets back underway, and Verthick settles back down into his seat.