Tyranny of Dragons (Dungeons & Dragons)

The Undesirables aka Cast of Characters

The Undesirables is a ragtag bunch of adventurers located in the city of Phlan. The adventuring group is loose-knit, its members coming and going. Almost all the members belong to a Faction with their own agendas but ultimately their goal is to fight evil and to earn coins at the same time. But why is the group called the Undesirables? Just look at them!

Asagg

Male half-orc warlock 2, not a known faction member (Atte)

Completed Adventures

• Defiance in Phlan Mission 1: The Meeting at Deepnight
• Defiance in Phlan Mission 2: The Screams at Dawn
• Defiance in Phlan Mission 3: The Dead at Highsun

Bonesnapper

Male goliath fighter 1, Springwarden (rank 1) of the Emerald Enclave (Kohfel)

Completed Adventures

• Defiance in Phlan Mission 2: The Screams at Dawn
• Defiance in Phlan Mission 3: The Dead at Highsun

Briz of House Akorgauss

Female drow elf cleric 3 of Eilistraee, Redknife (rank 2) of the Lords' Alliance (Mac)

Completed Adventures

• Defiance in Phlan Mission 1: The Meeting at Deepnight
• Defiance in Phlan Mission 2: The Screams at Dawn
• Defiance in Phlan Mission 3: The Dead at Highsun
• Defiance in Phlan Mission 4: A Shock at Evenfeast
• Secrets of Sokol Keep
• Shadows over the Moonsea

Gush of the Black Boars

Male half-orc barbarian 2, not a known faction member (Moff)

Completed Adventures

• Defiance in Phlan Mission 1: The Meeting at Deepnight
• Defiance in Phlan Mission 2: The Screams at Dawn
• Defiance in Phlan Mission 3: The Dead at Highsun
• Shadows over the Moonsea

Heskan of Clan Turnuroth

Male bronze dragonborn monk 2, Watcher (rank 1) of the Harpers (Bonk)

Completed Adventures

• Defiance in Phlan Mission 2: The Screams at Dawn
• Defiance in Phlan Mission 3: The Dead at Highsun
• Defiance in Phlan Mission 4: A Shock at Evenfeast
• Defiance in Phlan Mission 5: The Danger at Dusk
• Secrets of Sokol Keep

Imerion Xiloscient

Male wood elf sorcerer 2, not a known faction member (Santeri)

Completed Adventures

• Shadows over the Moonsea

Islev of Ghost Tree

Male aasimar druid 3, Summerstrider (rank 2) of the Emerald Enclave (Kenkkis)

Completed Adventures

• Defiance in Phlan Mission 4: A Shock at Evenfeast
• Defiance in Phlan Mission 5: The Danger at Dusk
• Secrets of Sokol Keep
• Shadows over the Moonsea

Jeb

Male human rogue 2 from Sigil, not a known faction member (Vessu)

Completed Adventures

• Defiance in Phlan Mission 4: A Shock at Evenfeast
• Defiance in Phlan Mission 5: The Danger at Dusk
• Secrets of Sokol Keep

Kursk

Male half-orc fighter 2, Springwarden (rank 1) of the Emerald Enclave (Tuukka)

Completed Adventures

• Defiance in Phlan Mission 4: A Shock at Evenfeast
• Defiance in Phlan Mission 5: The Danger at Dusk
• Secrets of Sokol Keep

Milo Tealeaf

Male lightfoot halfling wizard 2, Watcher (rank 1) of the Harpers (ppp)

Completed Adventures

• Defiance in Phlan Mission 4: A Shock at Evenfeast
• Defiance in Phlan Mission 5: The Danger at Dusk
• Secrets of Sokol Keep

Raelic Windearen

Female eladrin elf paladin 1 of Sehanine Moonbow, not a known faction member (Böke)

Completed Adventures

• Defiance in Phlan Mission 1: The Meeting at Deepnight

Shamash of Clan Prexijandilin

Male green dragonborn monk 2, Chevall (rank 1) of the Order of the Gauntlet (Nygren)

Completed Adventures

• Defiance in Phlan Mission 1: The Meeting at Deepnight
• Defiance in Phlan Mission 4: A Shock at Evenfeast
• Defiance in Phlan Mission 5: The Danger at Dusk
• Secrets of Sokol Keep

Vanduul

Male half-orc rogue 1, Watcher (rank 1) of the Harpers (Mika)

Completed Adventures

• Defiance in Phlan Mission 1: The Meeting at Deepnight

Phlan during the Tyranny of Dragons

State of Phlan

"To learn the state of Phlan is to understand her many trials and tragedies.” – Lord Sage of Phlan, 1489 DR

Founded in 367 DR, ten years after Northkeep, the town of Phlan has been leveled or razed repeatedly; new buildings sprouting from the ruins of previous incarnations. This has led to extensive tunnels, vaults, sewers and other hidden places under and throughout the city as the sounds of construction echo throughout. Though still the lawless, brutal town of the northern Moonsea, the town expands, trade continues slowly, and Phlan is more populated than it has been in many years; though stability is far from certain.

The Recent Past

In 1306 DR, a dragon invasion known as the Dragon Run swept out of the North and fell upon Phlan. Due in part to the Moonsea War with Mulmaster, none of the other cities in the Moonsea region came to Phlan’s aid and so Phlan was once again laid to waste. As Phlan was rebuilt, the entity known as Tyranthraxus corrupted and possessed a bronze dragon named Srossar in 1340 DR, after convincing the dragon to bathe in a Pool of Radiance that was buried beneath the ruins of Castle Valjevo. Tyranthraxus would later be discovered and subsequently defeated by a group of adventurers, but in his flight, he would turned the Pool of Radiance into a pool of non-magical water and would later be sealed off during the rebuilding of the castle and its location lost.

Phlan would know over ten years of peace before the Flight of Dragons in 1356 DR when it was again decimated and its ruins occupied by a great wyrm which itself was later slain and the city reclaimed by Zhentil Keep in 1375 DR. Within half a decade, the city’s previous Council of Ten system of rule was replaced by the tyranny of Zhentarim Hatemaster Cvaal Daoran. Daoran’s ascension as the Lord Protector of Phlan saved the city during the Shadowbane War of 1383 DR. Forging an alliance with the fey of the nearby Quivering Forest, Phlan was spared from the destruction that came to Zhentil Keep and the Citadel of the Raven at the hands of the Netherese. After Cvaal slays one of the shade princes, he declares the position of Lord Protector as hereditary. This marked the beginning of the eventual separation of Phlan from direct control by the Zhentarim.

Almost a century later, in 1480 DR, barbarian attacks in the north led to an influx of refugees into Phlan, drastically swelling its population. By then, Lord Protector Daoran’s grandson, Anivar Daoran, had inherited the Cinnabar Throne. Lord Protector Anivar Daoran was a cowardly and pampered noble, and a paranoid and ineffective ruler; his concern for the responsibilities of his rule was only slightly less than that for his subjects.

Phlan Today

In 1488 DR, Lord Protector Anivar Daoran died unexpectedly in what, for all intents and purposes seemed nothing more than a construction accident during renovations on Castle Valjevo. The Lord Protector left no heir, so the Knight Commander of the Black Fist, Ector Brahms, was declared the Lord Regent of the Cinnabar Throne. The Lord Regent’s grasp on the throne is tenuous. To maintain order, the Lord Regent has used his control of the Black Fist and the Cinnabar Throne to declared martial law; keeping the populace in line by fear. To run the city, the Lord Regent requires the aid of the noble families and the four trade guilds, both of which are hesitant to lend their full support until they know how it will benefit them.

The chaos has not been contained by martial law. Shortly after Daoran’s death, the Lyceum of the Black Lord was looted and burned. A blackened husk remains where once stood the great temple to Bane, and the ruins have since been repurposed by followers of the returned god of the dawn, Lathander. The Morninglord’s followers attempt to provide a place of solace and refuge from the tumultuous town and their small shrine joins active shrines to Umberlee and Auril. Despite the lack of a temple, the faith of Bane remains strong among the Black Fist.

One small point of light in Phlan is the Order of the Silent Shroud. In 1380 DR as a display of his new power, Hatemaster Cvaal Daoran bequeathed the overgrown and undead infested Vilhingen Graveyard to a small contingent of Kelemvor’s faithful. The Kelemvorites worked steadily and dutifully to end the undead threat and meticulously groom the wild graveyard with aid from druids of the Emerald Enclave until it is now a beautiful, somber resting place free of danger around the temple erected at its center. The Order, under Doomguide Yovir Glandon, struggles to remain independent of the Cinnabar Throne and aloof from city politics.

Following the declaration of martial law, trade barely trickles through Phlan. The Lord Regent has canceled many of the city construction projects as he tries to cope with a depleted treasury. The guilds vie with the noble families for control over the city’s remaining wealth and business; hoping to compensate for their lost incomes. Wages have plummeted and prices have skyrocketed. Work is scarce as building projects in the ruined parts of the city stand incomplete.

The Welcomers have shifted their goals from thieves’ guild to vigilante heroes of the people and now lash out at the guilds who the Welcomers claim, in their greed, have abandoned the citizenry. In turn, they are hunted by the Black Fist, and any person with a missing ear, a symbol of guild membership, is imprisoned, tried and hung. Each day, more bodies swing from the Stojanow Gate.

The Black Fist maintain order to a point, though that point is at the end of a sword. Justice is selectively meted out based on one’s ability to pay bribes to corrupt watchmen or navigate the massive bureaucracy of the few true-believers who strain to hold the government together. Given that members of the Black Fist have the ability to judge those they deem criminals and dispense harsh justice on the spot, the citizenry gives them fearful, wide berth.

Phlan is a lawless, shabby remnant of what it once was and what it was struggling to become again. For over a millennia it has endured decimation at the hands of its enemies and it is decidedly ironic that it now stands on the brink of ruin by its own hand. If Phlan is to be saved, heroes must rise.

People of Note in and around Phlan

Blaizette

One of Freona's daughters, young halfling woman. Wears a blue kerchief.

Brother Keefe

Keeper of the Dead, overseer of all permanent residents of the Valhingen Graveyard, priest of Kelemvor, member of the Lords' Alliance.

Briez

One of Freona's daughters, young halfling woman with long black hair.

Buhrell Caah

Half-orc man, member of the Emerald Enclave.

Chaab

Human man, Zhentarim agent rescued by the Undesirables. Had been investigating Cult of the Dragon activities outside Phlan.

Darvag

Human man, middle-aged groundskeeper of Sokol Keep, in charge of upkeep of the structure and grounds. His wife is Shandra.

Esma and Eve

Two older human women, widowers, regular patrons of Freona's Tea Kettle.

Fat Mar (Markoth)

Human man, waiter at the Laughing Goblin. A rotund man who sweats profusely. Has a sharp mouth and a foul mouth but warms up instantly to anyone who asks what his actual name is (Markoth Hasselpond).

Gorrunk

A bugbear killed by the Undesirables. Leader of a goblin gang.

Grelinda

Youngest of Freona's daughters, halfling girl with short hair tinted with an odd shade of coppery green.

Grim

Human man, Guard Sergeant Grim murdered Igan Sokol out of greed. The Undesirables took him to justice and he was hanged from the Stojanow Gate for his crime.

Hurn

Dwarf man, Guard Sergeant Hurn is old and just riding out the last few years he has left before he can retire. Stationed at a Black Fist Guardpost at the docks.

Igan Sokol

Human man, a young scion of House Sokol. Was murdered underneath Sokol Keep by Guard Sergeant Grim.

Imizael

Human woman, bartender at the Laughing Goblin. A thin woman with long, black hair.

Karst, the Ferryman

Human man, a bitter, elderly fellow who has worked as a ferryman for nearly forty years.

Kerial and Aravele

Two female human mercenaries. Friends with Grim.

Liela

Human woman, employee of House Sokol in her late thirties. Business to the core.

Madame Freona

Halfling woman. The owner of Madame Freona's Tea Kettle, an inn at the better part of Phlan. She runs the place with her five daughters.

Millivent Moss

Human woman, peat farmer ouside of Phlan. The Undesirables helped recover her husband Haldred, daughters Alleena and Kithian, and sons Quayle and Volland who were taken hostage by goblins.

Minnitha

White dragonborn woman on her way to explore the mountains to the north.

Olisara Lightsong

Female moon elf, Harper agent.

Ortal Gruk

Half-orc man. A regular at the Laughing Goblin.

Reece

One of Freona's daughters, young halfling woman, just shy of adulthood. Has curly red hair.

Rillo Leadstopper

Gnome tinkerer whose daughter Villonah the Undesirables rescued from a secret Black Fist prison.

Rorin

Human man, acts as an aide to his parents, Darvag and Shandra, as needed. Lives in Sokol Keep.

Schuyler

Half-elf man, a food critic with a magic pen.

Shandra

Human woman, middle-aged, primarily responsible for ensuring the interior of Sokol Keep is clean and meals are prepared. Darvag is Shandra's husband.

Surruk

Wild elf woman ranger from the Quivering Forest.

Tawn, Tane, and Tine

Halfling acrobats on a traveling show now gone from Phlan.

Tibeem, Spernik and Ellison

Three humans with ink-stained hands and shirts. Regulards at the Laughing Goblin.

Trett

Human man, a merchant who bought a dangerous magical tooth from a traveling band.

Villonah

Young gnome woman who was recued from a secret Black Fist prison by the Undesirables. Member of the Order of the Gauntlet.

Welby and Grent

Two halfling merchants that deal primarily in ropes, wood and dried food from the Dalelands.

Yanna Hammerbound

Dwarf woman, high-level representative of The Ironhanded; Phlan's Ironworkers' Guild. Tried to buy a dangerous magical item from Trett.

Yllivia

Elf woman, member of the Order of the Gauntlet the Undesirables met while rescuing Villonah from a secret Black Fist prison.

Whittlee

One of Freona's daughters, halfling young woman with startingly white hair pulled back in a tight braid.

Adventures

Chapter 1: Defiance in Phlan

The Cult of the Dragon has come to Phlan, a lawless refuge on the Moonsea. Now, with no significant authority to stop the cult, other power groups in the Realms--the Harpers, Order of the Gauntlet, Emerald Enclave, Lords' Alliance, and even the Zhentarim--must unite to stop the cult from fulfilling its dark purpose in the city.

Mission 1: The Meeting at Deepnight

1st Kythorn / The Time of Flowers, 1488 DR

A Harper agent approached the Undesirables at Freona's Tea Kettle. The Harpers had captured a merchant who was going to illegally purchase a red dragon egg. The Undesirables were to pose as the merchant and any hirelings, go to the buy site, make the transaction, and place a magical device on one of the sellers so that Harpers could track them back to their place of residence. To buy the egg the Harper agent gave The Undesirables a small sack of fake "diamonds."

Off they went to complete the transaction 20-minute walk away at an abandoned barn outside the city. They met the buyer, a female elf, with three human guards. The transaction took place successfully and the tracking device was planted on the buyer. At the same time the Watchers decided to join the transaction by demanding the "diamonds" and the dragon egg for themselves. The elf fled the barn with her human guards and the Undesirables were forced to fight the thieves. In the ensuing battle, the thieves were killed and the barn was burnt down. The Undesirables returned to the city and presented the egg to the Harper agent claiming their reward. The agent claimed that the dragon egg was a fake and he gave them a warning: "We have seen an increased interest in all thing related to dragons. We have also heard of more dragon sightings in the Moonsea region--and elsewhere. Keep your eyes and ears open for further information on dragons. It might save your life."

Mission 2: The Screams at Dawn

7th Kythorn / The Time of Flowers, 1488 DR

The Undesirables were having their breakfast at Freona's Tea Kettle when they heard a woman screaming outside the inn. Going to investigate they found a middle-aged human woman, Millivent Moss, crying hysterically, clutching an infant boy, Bo, in her arms. Goblins had taken her husband, rest of her children and her hirelings as prisoners. Two Black Fist guards started to distakalisto the gathered crowd and ordered the Undesirables to go investigate.

One hour later, the Undesirables were at the peat farm outside of Phlan tracking the goblins and their prisoners. They found out that the goblins had gone to a cave in the side of a hill rising from the bog. They witnessed a goblin and a mysterious cloaked figure discussing in Common before the cloaked figure teleported away.

Going in to the lair the Undesirables eventually succeeded in killing several goblins, two wolves and a bugbear and were able to free the prisoners. One of the prisoners was a Zhentarim agent who had been on a recon mission. A black dragon had laired there until recently, and it had been parleying with humans for some reason. The dragon hadn’t been seen in a while, but the humans were still skulking in the area, so the agent came to investigate. He found that the dragon had been killed by adventurers, but the adventurers perished as well. Someone emptied the dragon’s hoard and started harvesting parts of the dead dragon. He was trying to escape the lair and report his findings when he was waylaid by dozens of goblins. Since then, the goblins have been in talks with the humans to secure the area. The agent, Chaab, said that there might be hundreds of goblins in the lair or raiding outside the cave.

Mission 3: The Dead at Highsun

13th Kythorn / The Time of Flowers, 1488 DR

The Undesirables were having a highsun meal at Madame Freona's Tee Kettle when they were approached by a tall, dour-looking human with a balding pate under his tall black hat. He introduced himself as Brother Keefe, priest of Kelemvor and "Keeper of the Dead" of Valhingen Graveyard in Phlan. He needed the Undesirables to enter with him the crypt of Xandria Welltran, a long-standing resident of the cemetery, who was not in fact human, but a polymorphed dragon. Brother Keefe needed to inspect her body to confirm or disprove these claims.

The Undesirables entered the crypt with Brother Keefe and opened the sarcophagus to find out that the bones were not human--but many of them were draconic in nature. Also at least half of the bones were missing. Also in the sarcophagus was five gems that were the key what happened next. The door of the crypt closed and the Undesirables were trapped while some sort of poison gas started to enter the crypt. The Undesirables figured quickly that when the gems were inserted into the indentations on the walls covered with beautiful paintings, the gas dissipated, the door of the crypt opened and the sarcophagus slided away revealing a starway down into the darkness.

Going down the Undesirables came eventually to a alchemical laboratory. From there they went to the next room that was quite large and it had four sigils on the walls glowing faintly. Also, there were bodies constructed of different body parts to form medium-sized walking dragons. In the room there was a painting of a red dragon's hoard that was inaccessible due to a force field in place. A teleportation circle in the corner completed the interior of the room. As soon as the Undesirables started to investigate the sigils they flashed and the bodies animated. The zombies attacked accompanied by a pair of skeletons. After dealing with this undead threat, Brother Keefe was sent down and he disrupted the teleporation circle and after investigating the laboratory was quite sure that someone was trying to create a dracolich.

At that point, Brother Keefe reveals himself to be a member of the Lord's Alliance, a group looking to maintain stability in Phlan, but not at the cost of lawlessness. Receiving a reward the Undesirables retreated from the crypt.

Mission 4: A Shock at Evenfeast

19th Kythorn / The Time of Flowers, 1488 DR

The Undesirables were having an Evenfeast meal at Freona's Tea Kettle when they were approached by Buhrell Caah, a half-orc representing the Emerald Enclave. He had been informed that a dangerous magical object was in the inn and asked if they could investigate where it was without alerting anyone. The party split up talking to patrons in different tables. On one table there was a wild elf called Surruk who claiming to having been patrolling the Quivering Forest for the last two weeks and was now on a holiday. The second table had a half-elf named Schuyler, a food critic not so happy about the quality of the food eating a meal consisting of safflower oil. On the third table there was a white dragonborn woman called Minniths on her way to exploring mountains to the north. The fourth table had three halflings called Tawn, Tane, and Tine, tumblers in a traveling show which was in Phlan.

The final table had an older man and dwarven woman who didn't want to be disturbed. Something magical was inside the human's pack. Milo Tealeaf conjured a minor illusion on top of the table startling both the human and the dwarf. The dwarf fell down on her back and started to crawl away whereas the human broke whatever was inside his pack releasing a lightning. Keeping a blue dragon tooth on his hand. From the human the lightning bolted to the food critic and from the food critic to the wild elf woman. At this time the party had managed to pry the tooth from the human's hand. The people struck by lightning stood up and started to walk towards the inn's exit. Heskan, being the cook at the inn, was keeping the tooth in his hand when the lightning struck him. Instead of knocking him down, the lightning went to the tooth. After awhile the victims of the tooth came to (Jeb killed the human man, but Briz managed to save him with her clerical spells) unharmed. The Undesirables took the human man and the dwarf woman for questioning.

The human man was called Trett who was just a merchant who bought the tooth from a traveling band. They showed him that the tooth could be used to heat and work metal more easily than in a forge. So he purchased it to sell it to the Ironworkers' Guild. The dwarf woman was called Yanna Hammerbound, a high-level representative of The Ironhanded; Phlan's Ironworkers' Guild. She was there to purchase the blue dragon tooth from Trett who told her that its magic would be a great asset to the guild. She was not aware of the nature of the magic within the tooth.

The tooth was from a blue dragon that lived in the Quivering Forest. Since safflower is a flower that grows in the Quivering Forest, the food-critic was the second person struck by lightning, third was the wild elf woman having a bow made of Morcant Burl; a rare wood that grows only within the Quivering Forest. Finally, Heskan being the cook and having handled safflower oil, was struck next. Luckily he was holding the tooth so the lightning went in to the tooth.

In the end, The Undesirables gave the blue dragon tooth to Buhrell Caah getting their reward in the process.

Mission 5: The Danger at Dusk

25th Kythron / The Time of Flowers, 1488 DR

The Undesirables were drinking ale at Madame Freona's Tea Kettle close closing time after the sun had settled when they were approached by a worried-looking gnome. He had patchworked clothes and had a floppy hat nervously in his calloused hands. He said that his little girl was in terrible trouble. The gnome was a tinkerer called Rillo Leadstopper. His daughter was called Villonah. She had been in trouble with the law since her mother died and usually Rillo just bailed her out of jail but last night she was not held in Castle Valjevo and nobody knew where she was. So Rillo gathered information from seedier parts of town and found out that some Black Fist guards keep a secret prison underneath the ruins of the Lyceum of the Black Lord. Altough the burnt-out lyceum had been converted into a make-shift shelter for the displaced and injured by priests of Lathander, the guards had found and taken up residence in some chambers beneath it. A secret entrance to the place was located from the caves on the River Stojanow.

The Undesirables went to investigate with the gnome and they found the tunnel did exist and it ended up in a door. After some investigation and getting some hoods on their faces Jeb picked the lock and they entered the chamber beyond. In the middle there was a chair bolted to the floor with torture equipment hanging on the wall. There were five prisoners of whom two were members of the Welcomers. Villonah was not there and the prisoners told the Undesirables that she had been taken to the Funhouse pointing to a door to the east. After releasing the prisoners and barring the door to the south where they heard the guards talking to each other, the last prisoner attacked the party and Jeb was forced to kill the insane man with his rapier.

Going to the Funhouse, they found a large cavern partly collapsed with many black small obelisks that radiated fear when approached. In the middle of the room there was a cage where Villonah was sitting. When approached a tentacled monster later identified as a grick attacked and the party managed to slay the monster. Freeing Villonah they retreated to find a elf woman on a same mission as they. She was Yllivia, a member of the Order of the Gauntlet. They all got out of the secret prison leaving the guards with their gods banging on the barred door.

The Undesirables found out that Villonah was also a member of the Order of the Gauntlet and Rillo gave the reward he promised to the Undesirables. The reason why Villonah was imprisoned was because she stole a map from the Black Fists that is rumored to lead to the lair of a white dragon in the mountains to the north. She had created a patch of fake skin, hiding the map on the sole of her right foot. Villonah and Yllivia told the party that the Black Fist knights hold the honest citizens of Phlan in a state of fear with their tyranny, and their interest in anything related to dragons is a bad sign for the city.

Chapter 2: Secrets of Sokol Keep

Decades have passed since Sokol Keep was reclaimed, and a small garrison placed there along with a beacon to help guide ships. Now, that beacon has gone dark, and the garrison has disappeared. In Phlan, rumors circulate that something ancient was discovered in the grounds beneath the keep, dating to before the clerics of Tyr built the small fortress.

1st Flamerule / Summertide, 1488 DR

The Undesirables were drinking at the Laughing Goblin, a famous tavern in Phlan. The establishment is run by Imizael, a human woman and Fat Mar, an obese man who's real name is Markoth. The party learned that the beacon at Sokol Keep went out two days ago, and no one knows why. It's an old keep and has been destroyed more than once. Legends say that it used to be a temple and the spirits of dead priests haunt a buried treasure beneath the keep. House Sokol owns the Keep, a young noble house raised up by the first Lord Protector. The only reason house Sokol still bothers with it is because it is still a small source of income; and with trade the way it is, they need all the help they can get. Also, word is that a spirit ship full of monstrous pirates has been attacking villages on the Moonsea. If that's the case, Sokol Keep is Phlan's first line of defense.

The peace and quiet was interrupted by a bunch of dockworkers clearly looking for a fight. They came shouting to two female Black Fist guards claiming that their friends in the Keep are costing them work. The guards were more than happy to fight but the Undesirables managed to dissolve the situation peacefully by skillful oratory persuasion.

Talking to Keria and Aravele, the guards, they told them that the Keep is run by Guard Sergeant Grim who is a foolhardy man who is usually in debt to the wrong sort of people. He has befriended Igan Sokol, the quartermaster in charge of the keep; a somewhat naïve, enthusiastic young man eager to make a name for himself amongst his house. Grim had mentioned a treasure below the keep and that he was close to finding it. Also, the guards told that the Black Fist has been openly recruiting in response to rumors of a spirit ship attacking coastal villages in the area.

The dockworkers told the Undesirabels that the Keep is haunted with the dead clerics who died "A thousand and one years ago." It used to be a temple to some god or another, but none of them agreed on which one. One says Torm, another Tyr, and a third insists that they're both wrong and suggest that it was the headquarters of some pagan cult. They had also heard about rumors about spirit ships attacking nearby villages. Ensuring the beacon is lit should be a priority of the city if that's true. Liela is House Sokol's administrator and has an office by the docks. She's usually who the dockworkers go to for jobs, so can be counted on as a good source of information.

At this time the party split up into three parties. One party went to the cemetery to inquire about the Keep from Kelemvor's priests and they told them that there probably was a temple dedicated to Triad hundreds of years ago. Second party went to see Liela, a human female employee of House Sokol at House Sokol administrative office. She told them about the staff of the Keep (Darvag and Shandra) that it's operated by Igan Sokol and that there's a contingent of six Black Fist guards at the Keep. She gave them a piece of paper and told them that Karst, the ferryman, would take them to the island.

The third party met with Guard Sergeant Hurn, an old male dwarf in a Black Fist uniform. He told the Undesirables that Guard Sergeant Grim is in command of the contingent of six Black Fist guards at the Keep. Grim is a lazy man, but for some reason has routinely volunteered for duty at the Keep; a position that is widely considered to be punishment. Ensuring the beacon was lit was House Sokol's job, but the Black Fist were there to make sure that they were safe to get it done. He also told them to see Karst, the ferryman.

During this time Harper members of the Undesirables were met with Olisara Lightsong, a female moon elf Harper agent. They were assigned to recover any arcane or forgotten knowledge in Sokol Keep.

The Undesirables met at the docks and booked passage. Karst, the ferryman, was a bitter, elderly fellow who had worked as a ferryman for nearly forty years. The events in Phlan had taken its toll on his livelihood and he had not seen much in the way of coin. For 1 measly gold piece the ferryman took the Undesirables to the island. On the way he told them that he knows Darvag Shandra, and Rorin, and spoke to them the day prior. They appeared to be in good health. The Black Fist have a detachment of six guards on the island at any given time. Being chosen for the detail is usually a punishment for some infraction of the rules. He didn't know about any dead clerics, but his grandmother used to tell him that the island was full of spirits, not that he had actually seen any before.

The Undesirables arrived to Thorn Island, to a small quay on the eastern extend of the isle where there were also a couple of large wooden warehouses. They were met by Darvag, male human, a middle-aged groundskeeper and his wife Shandra, female human responsible mainly for ensuring the interior of the keep was clean and meals were prepared, and their son Rorin who acted as an aide to both of them as needed. The party learned from the servants that the guards change somewhat regularly, and the only one whose name they knew was Grim. Guardsmen typically assigned to the Keep didn't seem to like the assignment to the lighthouse, and suspect that it was a form of punishment for troublesome members of the Black Fist. Guard Sergeant Grim had been the ranking guardsman at the Keep for the last month. Igan Sokol, the servants' supervisor, and the sergeant were often together and would engage in long conversations out of earshot of others. Their friendship seemed odd. Sergeant Grim seemed a nice enough fellow. He treated the servants with respect and genuinely seemed to like Igan. They told that Igan Sokol is a nice young man who read frequently and was obsessed with the rumor of treasure that was supposedly hidden somewhere in the keep. The servants wouldn't have been surprised if he had torn the place down brick by brick in order to find it. The beacon to the lighthouse was magical in nature the servants told. They didn't know how to activate it but suggested that Igan's quarters would be a good starting-point to finding out how. At the end of the conversation Shandra provided the Undesirables with a key to the Keep.

Sokol Keep dominated Thorn Island, a large stone fortress clearly built for defense. The castle looked old and it had obviously been repaired extensively in some areas. Despite its excellent repair it had an abandoned look about it. There were no banners, no guards patrolling its walls, no smoke rising from its chimneys and its gates were closed. A large mansion had replaced almost half of the original structure and nearly all of the wooden outbuildings. The mansion appeared to be quite comfortable though not very defensible; with large, glass windows instead of arrow-slits. The grounds were well-maintained and in good repair. The open courtyard was empty save for a few practice dummies likely used by the Black Fist guards. Wings of the home were blocked off, likely because of the small number of people who resided within. When the Undesirables ventured within they found furniture covered by sheets of dusty and cobweb covered rooms. However, the parts that were not blocked off were clean and well-maintained.

The Undesirables started by inspecting the lighthouse, the tallest tower of the keep at the southern end right at the edge of the water. The lighthouse had three floors. Two of the floors housed the Black Fist contingent and the upper floor held the crystal and brass beacon that was dark. No matter what the party tried, the light remained dark.

From there the Undesirables went to the modern mansion where they found out that all the books from the library had been moved to Igan's quarters. There they found a sketch that indicated to be a shrine of Tyr, an ancient-looking book titled Moonsea Cults by Thalioss of Tyr. Carpets and paintings on the wall depicted were famous stories about followers of Tyr, the god of Justice.

Going to the east tower they found a hidden wall and behind it a shrine of Tyr with a beautiful gray statue of a one-handed blind god, a small stone altar, and a beautiful reading desk of purple wood. The desk held Igan's journal written without dates, just random notes all over the page including sentences in the margins. What the Undesirables found out was that Igan started his search on a whim and he never took the search serious until he met Sergeant Grim. Igan became more serious about his search after a book about Tyr literally fell into his lap. Toward the end of the journal, whatever pretense of scholarly research devolved into the ramblings of an obsessed man. Also, the journal read that Igan had found an entry to the structure beneath the Keep and what phrase to say to gain entrance.

At this time strange happenings had occurred, rustling of hair, books falling by themselves that the Undesirables started to wonder if a ghost was behind it. And so it was. Devicing a method where the ghost could answer yes or no they found out that the ghost was previously a cleric of Tyr hundreds of years ago. The ghost told them to go to the west tower underneath the keep.

The west tower was empty except the basement where somebody had broken the floor and dug down to the stone. There was a stone slab approximately 10 feet on a side bordered with worn glyphs, and had an indentation in the shape of a human hand approximately six inches away from the leading edge of the slab. One of the Undesirables put a hand on the shape and said the correct words and the slab disappeared, revealing a dark hole in the floor with a cut rope dangling from it.

The Undesirables went down and found a crypt with calcified skeletal remains of humans. Going further they found a room that had been under water for a long time but was quite dry at the moment. It contained two bizarre armor made of what appeared to be coral and shells crusted over with calcified growths of barnacles and of course the armor animated and attacked the party. After dispatching the armor the party found a sinkhole in the next room. It was difficult to get across so they tied a rope from door to door and managed to get through.

Finally they arrived to a big round room where at the far side of the room was a large idol carved from a single piece of pale green stone standing in a pool of black water. It was carved in the shape of a tentacle humanoid with the head of a many-fanged fish, and bathed the room in a sickly green light. Investigating the 6 foot tall idol revealed it to be a representation of Dagon, a demon lord called the Prince of the Depths. Next to the idol was a altar and on the alter was a human male slumped over it at the edge of the pool. A wand was on the floor next to his hand. A pool of dark blood had pooled and dried on the altar after running down its sides and front. Before it dried, the blood ran into the pool around the statue. A number of calcified skeletons lay in heaps on either side of the pool. Also, a second corpse lay partially submerged in the pool, the body bearing dozens of slashing wounds and feathered with the broken shafts of a few arrows.

The corpse of Igan Sokol and a Black Fist guard rose from the floor as zombies and the skeletons attacked the Undesirables, too. After a minute two ghouls entered the fight but the party managed to destroy the undead.

Going to the final room that was barred from the inside, the Undesirables found the missing Black Fist guards with Grim. The room was full of treasure the guards had put into burlap sacks. They had been hiding in the room for days and were hungry and thirsty. Interrogating the guards the Undesirables found out that Igan had touched the idol and the dead came to life, killing him and one of the guards, and forcing Grim and his men to flee. Grim did most of the talking and the party realized that he was wracked with guilt. Interrogating Grim further he finally cracked and admitted to murdering Igan Sokol.

The Undesirables went back to the surface with the guards. On the surface they noticed that the lighthouse was working again. The party took their prisoners to Black Fists and Grim was arrested, sentenced to death and his body dangled from the Stojanow Gate the following day. The other soldiers were convicted of lesser crimes and were imprisoned. The Harper agents delivered the book on various cults in the Moonsea Region to Olisara Lightsong.

Chapter 3: Shadows over the Moonsea

Life on the Moonsea isn't easy. Bandits, pirates, and cruel lords dominate the land, threatening those who make an honest living there. Now, a new scourge is prowling the waters: A ghost ship has been striding small coastal villages, leaving its victims whispering about the "eye of the dracolich."

13th Flamerule / Summertide, 1488 DR

The Undesirables were summoned to Valhingen Graveyard by Doomguide Yovir, the high priest of Kelemvor. There were rumors of a "ghost ship" attacking small villages and lone farms or inns on the northern coast of the Moonsea, moving up the Iron Route towards Phlan from Zhentil Keep. No one seems moved to act and the danger draws ever nearer to Phlan. Yesterday, a man from a small unnamed hamlet two days southwest of Phlan was picked up just outside the city. Raving about a dracolich, and seemingly insane, the man was delivered into the care of the Kelemvorites. The man's mind was gone and it would take some time for him to recover if he ever does at all. The clerics had the man at their temple. Yovir knew that the Knights of the Black Fist were also concerned about the situation, given that the attacks appeared to be moving in the direction of Phlan and it was possible that eventually it would attack the city. While keeping a nominal eye on the approaching danger, they were not preparing as much as Yovir belived they should. The Knights did task one of their number, Aleyd Burral, with gathering information. It was quite possible that Aleyd could share additional information about the attacks. Since the Kelemvorites are specifically neutral in the intricate web of city politics, Doomguide Yovir was motivated to act; fearing the arguing disparate groups would not be able to agree and act in time to prevent the danger from coming to Phlan. In addition, rumors of ghosts and liches had disturbed Yovir. These sorts of powerful undead are extremely rare, but unfortunately had not been all that uncommon in the Moonsea. The followers of Kelemvor were staunch enemies of the undead and if they do exist, Yovir wanted them stamped out. Yovir gave the Undesirables two potions of healing and had arranged riding horse at the Laughing Goblin Inn. The horses were a loan and were not the Undesirables to keep.