What has gone before, part II (long)
To add insult to the injury of being ignored by the mage-council of Alaghon, the heroes discover Mourn is missing and that the Great Axe Inn is no longer owned by them. It has been commandeered by a mysterious Mulhorandi merchant named Thazar-de. They are joined by the dwarf Einekil Lutgar, a veterean of Ithal Pass who recognizes Aris. They confront Thazar-de who turns out to be a half-fiend priest of Set, and a battle ensues. The heroes prevail againt 'de, but at the cost of Milo and Einekil. The half-fiend and one of his magic-using henchman flee. Here, Ellysidell gains possession of Golden-fire, which he pries from the dead fingers of Thazar-de's half-orcish cohort. Fortunately, allies among the Emerald Enclave take the heroes' tale of a Zhentarim invasion seriously and violent storms lash the coast of Turmish for nearly a tenday. The invasion never comes and the Heroes are convinced that the ships, and the Zhentilar marines they carried, rest at the bottom of the Sea of Fallen Stars.
During the winter of 1372, Aris has a ship commissioned. The keel is laid for the Wave of Destiny. Aris also successfully sues the Ministry of Real Estate in Alaghon and wins 7500gp for their unlawful transfer of the inn's deed to Thazar-de. Meanwhile, Alberia takes a retreat to Castle Grimjaws to get over a deep depression that has set in since returning from Khundrakar. on 23 Alturiak of 1373, the heroes are hired by a Lord Danwick to rescue his pregnant daugther from an evil group of kidnappers. That same day, the late Milo the younger's uncle, Milo the Elder, arrives and subdues the Heroes before they are able to explain what happened to his nephew. Satisfied that heroes did not kill Milo, the white-haired psion has his nephew's body exhumed. He disappears back to wherever psions go, but leaves his former bodyguard, Variak the psychic warrior with the party to continue to monitor Nosr. That night the heroes discover that Danwick's daughter is actually in league with cultists of a Nameless evil god. A gnome artificer, Babu of Lantan is rescued from their clutches and then they defeat the cultists, rescuing Danwick's grandson before he is sacrificed in some twisted ritual. The cult temple is destroyed in the process and the heroes get a manor house as a reward. Aris converts the resisdence to a wayward house for orphans, placing a ranger named Gareth Oakenbow, that they also rescued from the templed, in charge. The newborn, which Lord Danwick refuses to recognize, is whisked away to Ilighon for the Emerald Enclave to raise.
On the 29th of Alturiak, the Wave of Destiny sets sail, barely avoiding taking three Cyricists as passengers. The goal of the Heroes now is to retrieve Mourn from Evereska. On the journey, Thazar-de's former mage henchman tries to assassinate Aris. The heroes take him out and arrive in Westgate on the 6th of Ches.
Westgate nearly destroys the heroes. First, Alberia sees the gladiator called the Scourge whom she feels very strongly is her father Dorthan. Then, after dropping the converted doppleganger Aif/Kith off at the Abbey of the Blinding Truth and first, returning to the ship to confer with Aris, Benito leads Nosr, Ellysidell, Grim, and Babu to attempt to get an interview with the Scourge at the Colisseum of Westgate, run by the Quivering Thumb Stable. Before they are granted an audience, they have a confrontation with a very prejudice elf who insults the group. After mutal verbal abuse the elf leaves, but not before casting a spell that causes Babu to attack Nosr and Ellysidell to nearly go after minions of the Quivering Thumb. The elf is a member of the Night Masks and while this subset of the Heroes is resting at a nearby tavern contemplating what to do next, Nosr's familiar Squatto is killed. Nosr runs out into the street calling out his familiar's name before anyone can stop him, and He is assassinated. Benito kills some Night Masks, but returns to find Babu gone, Ellysidell and Grim subdued and left helpless with a note of warning from the Night Masks. They are joined by an envoy of the Emerald Enclave named Meliane, and Benito rashly decides to visit the Scourge. The heroes are very nearly, utterly defeated by the Quivering Thumb and one of their Banelar servitors, but Benito negotiates a detente and Grim, Ellyisdell, Meliane, and the priest are escorted out under heavy guard. Grim did discover, to his satisfaction, that the Scourge was indeed Dorthan Lhal. These four Heroes rest at the Abbey of the Blinding Truth where Nosr is to be raised the next day. Benito sends a messenger to Aris to inform him of the tragedy.
This action proves to be fatal for the Wave of Destiny, her crew, and apparently for Aris, Alberia, and Variak. Night Masks led by a shadow dragon calling herself the Countess of Shadows attacks the ship after tossing the head of the messenger onto the ship. As a result of the battle, Aris's ship is set on fire and explodes due to flammable materials in the hold. Many of the crew are slain by Night Mask killers in the water as they attempt to flee.
The next day, Benito, Grim, and Ellysidell hear about and then go to view the gristly aftermath of the Wave's destruction. They find no survivors but discover that the Night Masks are the culprits. That evening, two of Aris's merchant employees Khi'rin al-D'hib and Souliess of Raven's Bluff, arrive to present Aris's last will and testament. The mood is somber, especially after divinations about their missing comrades are cryptic. The high abbot of the abbey, Grigor Khazar, councils the remaing heroes to leave. Nosr and Kith remain, while the rest of the group including Meliane, Khi'rin and Souliess travel via a directed windwalk to Sunset Vale. There, they are to remain and recover at the Temple of Ilmater in the village of Twillight Hollow.
Here they are sequestered to help the lost soul of a paladin hero Shaunnra by the high priestess of Ilmater, Andress Nagheson. The priestess deceives the hero's for she is in fact a worshipper of Lovitar, and sends them on a wild goose chase to a haunted valley, a former holy site of the god Talos. Souliess dies and is reicarnated as a wolverine and the heroes are plagued by seemingly random attacks by increasingly tougher extra-planar opponents. The heroes travel to Irieabor and back, leaving Khi'rin in the City of Many Spires to sell some booty from the evil valley. After the death of Ellysidell by the fiery blades of an efreeti assassin in Twillight Hollow, Benito calls for deific intervention. He is visited by Suldolphin, General of the armies of Ilmater, who retrieves Nagheson, reveals the betrayal, and has Benito take an oath to recover the Gatekeeper's Crystal for the Triad. The heroes are joined by an elven ranger named Faun, who had been tracking a bandit henchman of the priestess, and descend into the catacombs underneath Twillight Hollow to clean out the hidden temple of Lovitar. There they are joined by Ivan Vorshev, leader of the 32nd Cormyrean Expeditionary Force, and Aris Cloud-dancer's old teacher. He had been on his way to Westgate to meet him, but heard of his death from Khi'rin in Irieabor. The temple is cleared and consecrated, an evil cauldron is destroyed, and the soul of Shaunnra is freed from the foul Devourer that held her. Benito and Grim, the last of the original Heroes of the Vilhon Reach, return to Irieabor to finish their quest--the rescue of Mourn.
Aris, Alberia, and Variak are not dead. After the demise of the Wave of Destiny, the trio manages to escape. Only Alberia actually dies in the ship battle. They gain entrance into the temple of Tymora in Westgate where Alberia is raised. And after six days of recuperation, they emerge totally reinvented as the Stormwolves. Aris becomes Jenner Stormwolf, Alberia is Valeria the Red, and Variak becomes Kyros, the Mithral Knight. Backed by the temple and the Harpers in the form of the Harper Priestess, Sandrine, the Stormwolves collect Nosr and Kith and then set about rescuing Babu from the Fire Knives. In the process, they capture and then recruit Jhovan the Grey, an assassin from Tashalar forced to serve the Fire Knives. Then the Stormwolves free some gladiators from their very indebted master and even manage to purchase his house in auction. Manta del Ray is among the gladiators. The manor staff is purged of Night Mask spies by Jhovan and Kith and the house is put back on track with the help of the loyal butler Randall Crownwood. Aris/Jenner continues to rebuild, tracking down one of the former leaders of the Mercenary Guild of Westgate (now defunct or disbanded), Varen. When they find him they end up fighting against vampires in the rough tavern where Varen has been drinking himself silly. Money and influence allows the Stormwolves to receive and invitation to a Masked Ball sponsored by House Cormaeril, the leaders and financial backers of the Fire Knives. While the ball rages, Varen and Jhovan rescue Jhovan's mother and son. The festivities are interrupted by an assassination attempt on a Thayan wizard, Lord Bordulin. Chaos ensues as members of the Night Masks attending the ball seek to take advantage of the confusion to slay Lord Cormaeril. The Stormwolves indirectly aid their host, and fight and defeat (but do not destroy) two vampire leaders of the Night Masks, including Draegen Guldar, the Count of Coins and the elf (now a vampire) that had Nosr killed. As the Night Masks are defeated and the Thayans flee, Lord Cormaeril thanks the remaining Stomwolves (Kyros, Manta, Alberia, and Aris) by detaining them for the evening, interviewing Aris/Jenner and Alberia/Valeria before their release.
Inadvertantly, Nosr helps the mage who tried to assassinate the Thayans, escape and escorts him/her into the Stormwolf House. Jhovan and Kith find out and imprison the mageling named Souless. Aris/Jenner returns that afternoon and realizing that their identities will soon be compromised begins plans to move the household to Cormyr. He also recruits Souless. Before the Stormwolves leave, they make an attempt to rescue Dorthan Lhal, aka the Scourge. They set up a one-on-one combat between the Scourge and Manta. Unfortunately, Manta and Kith are charmed by the illithid masters of the Quivering Thumb while visiting the Scourge in the Colisseum against advice. The betrayl nearly gets all of the Stormwolves captured or killed. Dorthan Lhal is not rescued. Souless falls and Kith disappears. If not for the timely stampede of cattle instigated by Kyros, Alberia and Jhovan would have died as well. Aris leads the weary troop from Westgate vowing vengeance on the Quivering Thumb and the Night Masks. They make their way back to Cormyr, stopping in Suzail briefly before travelling to Dragonstorm Castle, Alberia's new holding. In Suzail they are commissioned to perform a clearing mission in the Stonelands by agents of the crown.
Meanwhile, Benito and the remainder of the Heroes of the Vilhon Reach scry and locate Mourn. Teleporting to his location with the help of Prespur the Traveller, he is quickly retrieved in a successful Scry and Fry operation against his Eldereth Veluthra captors, only to discover that he is under the power of an evil sword the heroes learn is the Starym Moonblade. Faun, the elven ranger is killed by the wailing spirit of the sword. The sword is imprisoned in the High Tower of Iriaebor's dungeon under protective wards. The heroes also learn that, Mourn's separation from the sword is also causing him to die. Prespur, also an archmage of Irieabor, prolongs his life with magic while the heroes teleport to the Chondalwood to return Ellysidell's body. Instead of a burial, the heroes witness a resurrection as the wild elf comes back as the Chosen of Fenmaril Mestarine. Benito returns to Alaghon to tie up loose ends finally reconcilling with Denton Crimsgard and returning Moradin's Prayers of the Faithful to a dwarven delgation from Ironfang Keep. The rest of the heroes return to Irieabor to guard the sword.
Eldereth Veluthra attacks the High Tower in the pre-dawn hours of 7 Tarsakh, 1373. They are led by an elven lich and his minions including a great green dragon. Two more greens and the Black Talon Mercenaries join against the good folk of Iriaebor. Mourn is taken, but the sword is not as Ivan and Benito word of recall back to Alaghon. Lord Bron and Prespur are killed in the action. The Shields of Irieabor are driven from the High Tower and the Heroes are scattered. Ellysidell and a captured EV wild elf named Talindra, along with Grim escape in one direction, while Khi'rin and Souliess along with the remaining warriors from Ivan's expeditionary force under his lieutenant Sergei of Kozakura regroup at the Temple of Eldath in the city.
The evil moonblade is safely stored in Alaghon. Benito and Aris finally contact one another as a plan is made to attempt to retake the High Tower in Irieabor the next day. The forces of good are defeated in Irieabor and the Heroes of the Vilhon Reach fortunately make their escape after being routed by the elven lich in an attempt to assault him directly. Balagos the Flying Flame drives away the green dragons and leaves the way clear for Zhentarim from Darkhold to occupy the city. Aris regroups the Heroes, the Cormyreans, and some Shields. They find Benito's unconscious body in field outside the city and begin the long march back to Cormyr.
After a brief stay at Dragonstorm Castle, the heroes disperse across Faerun. Aris begins to build his mercantile empire with the help of Khi'rin, Nosr, Kyros and Alberia. Ivan retires and heads west. Benito wanders north. Souliess, the psionic wolverine, returns to Raven's Bluff. Grim heads to Sembia and Ellysidell returns to the Chondalwood.
The tale picks up five years later in 1378, the Year of the Cauldron....