A Wizard's Tale
Part One: Passage to Stormreach
Years of hard training and study paid off at last, and I was free of the Wizard's Academy. Life pitched me up on an anonymous dock, surrounded by hundreds of other wide-eyed adventurers looking for passage to Stormreach. I took a second to get my bearings, then began to push through the crowd, searching for something... or someone. I know my own weaknesses, you see, and I knew then as I know now that I needed someone to assist me in my travels. We wizards always value a comrade, someone with a sturdy back, a sharp sword, and most importantly, a willingness to listen.
My eyes settled on a giant, blue Warforged. I knew he was the one in an instant. He was standing on the dock, towering above the rest, a big blue hunk of metal with a huge stick that might've been a tree once... no, it still was a tree, I could make out branches dangling off it... and he seemed confused. Lost. Dazed by the wide world now open in front of him. He, too, seemed to be looking for something. Leadership. Guidance. Something I alone could provide him. I approached him and offered him my terms in a most respectful way. I would be a stern, but fair master, so long as he performed the few minor tasks I required him to perform. In return, he would be well compensated with a share of our treasure and provided with everything he needed to succeed.
He was agreeable and, fortunately, a ship was waiting for us at a slip not too far away from where we'd arrived. We paused at a nearby trader before setting off and, though the man seemed short on digits, he had plenty of useful weapons which were far better than the used-to-be-tree carried by my colleague in adventuring. There was also a staff and knife I could use for myself, as I had every intention of being a contributor on this particular campaign. We bid him farewell and boarded the ship, taking a place on the bow, where we might see danger as it approached. And, if we were fortunate, we would be the first to see the fair city of Stormreach, where fortune and glory await adventurers with the brains and courage to seize them.
The journey was long, but enjoyable enough, with plenty of sun and fresh air. The wind stayed true and, in a short time, we were in sight of the famous port city. Once again, we were on docks in a crowd of adventurers. The obvious place to begin looking for excitement was the tavern. Tales at the Academy frequently spoke of strange travelers and wounded men in shadowy cloaks approaching eager young adventurers in crowded pubs, perhaps gasping out a forgotten prophecy or clutching a blood-stained treasure map, and then falling dead across the table. I motioned for my minion to follow and off we went, pushing through the crowd to the door and then slipping into the tavern.
It was busy, as you might expect from a place where strange men hand out treasure maps and quests to wandering strangers. I shouldered my way to the bar and ordered a drink, then used that as an excuse to talk to the bartender. He seemed to be harried, but hundreds of people were standing around inside his small inn, talking and shouting and dancing and taking up space. He shouted to me that he'd appreciate it if I went downstairs and picked up a new barrel of ale, as the never ending parade of new arrivals was swiftly emptying what he already had. I agreed at once and set off down the stairs into the darkness, leaving my large friend to the teeming masses. It was easy enough to get down the stairs and find the barrel, especially as it was the only barrel in the cellar. I popped open the cask and sampled the brew. It was good stuff, by run down tavern standards, anyway. I nodded to myself and set off for the top floor.
Strange things began to happen as soon as I lifted the barrel out of its cradle. After hearing a loud rumbling and creaking from deep within the basement, I found myself staring into a dank, musty passage. I could smell the salt of the sea and hear strange mutterings deep within the cavern itself. Curious. I picked my way forward, staying to the shadows and listening closely. That brought me deep into the cavern, where I'd spotted a campfire. A sinister kobold assassin was lying in wait for me. Lurking in the shadows and waiting for a na•ve adventurer like myself to blunder along and then... SLASH. He'd slit my throat and take the coin I'd worked so hard for. I narrowed my eyes in disgust. Not today, my smelly friend. Not today.
I crept forward, and as soon as he saw me, he was on his feet. The dread assassin charged, slashing at me with a rusty dagger. I dodged swiftly, elven instincts taking over as I brought my spells to mind. The instant I finished the spell, his doom was sealed. Fire swept over him, consuming him, and the screaming and flailing of my enemy came to no use as he fell to the ground in a smoking heap. A`s I was rummaging through his things, I came upon a strange artifact. I could feel the darkness within it, the taint of evil all upon it. I returned to the tavern as quickly as I was able, and a consultation with the priest that waited there soon confirmed my suspicion. The artifact was as evil as could be, and I was close to uncovering the beating heart of the vileness that lurked under the tavern.
I descended into darkness once again, resolute in my determination to see this deed done. I would dispatch the evil that lurked here - I could feel it now, dark magic waiting beneath my feet - in the basement of this strange inn. I trod over familiar ground now, padding past the still-burning campfire and slipping open a door, where I found more vicious kobolds lying in wait. They were soon undone by the sheer power I hold at my command, and in a matter of seconds, they and their allies were smoldering heaps on the floor. Another door, more kobolds, and this time I managed to recover the necklace of the pretty wench from the tavern above. I hoped for a reward, naturally, but dark rumblings from the earth below pushed that from my mind.
There was a rickety ladder leading down, which seemed to buckle even under my meager weight, and I climbed down into the abyss. Frightened, yes, but resolute. I found a morbid and ghastly altar there at the bottom, but a sound clout of my staff took care of that. The cave above my head began to tremble, but that did not shake my steady resolve, for I knew it was but an illusion designed to trick the unwary. No harm would come to me, even if I stood in this spot for a thousand years. It was all a trick. I took my time climbing back up, secure in my triumph over evil.
As I made my escape from the caverns, I found a crazed cultist lying in wait for me, shouting gibberish about evil godsl. A Magic Missile stilled his craziness and the handful of coins I found in his pockets would get us food and drink above. If he'd messed up my robes, I would've had to make him pay with the eternal torments only a wizard of great power can manage. I returned to the tavern, where the crowd was awaiting my triumphant return. The wenches in the tavern were on edge. Some had been praying for my safety, so you can imagine their delight when they saw my comrade and I rising from the depths where evil once lay.
Zick and I celebrated long into the evening with our newfound friends, and one might say a certain comely tavern wench was grateful for the return of her necklace. It was most unfortunate that a misunderstanding over the location of the ale I found in the basement resulted in our swift departure, but Zick and I bear no grudges. It was only natural that the barkeep would be a bit cross after finding out about an evil cult lurking in his basement. We were not discouraged. We'd faced down the darkness and won the day for the forces of light.
--Encaen
