Treasure of the Savage Frontier JOURNAL ENTRIES Journal Entry 1 (not included! [RYGAR]) Journal Entry 2 The leader of men, wrapped in thick furs, faces you, arms raised. As he prepares to speak, many Northmen and smaller Ice Hunders push behind you. "I am Bjorn, Son of Bjorn, Chief of this village," he begins. Journal Entry 3 "The Lord's Men have broken throught the wall of the southeast tower and into the dwarves' stronghold. Lord Geildarr intends to surprise Milzorr and the others and slay them while they sleep. You may be able to reach the area throught the tower, or from the north throught the dwarven fortress. "If the trap works and the dwarven leaders are ambushed, the rebellion will be doomed! Good luck to you, and thanks for showing mercy on these helpless enemies." Journal Entry 4 "Brave adventurers," he continues. "You are facing powers great and evil, forces beyond your current means. You must fight hard and use every resource of your strength and wits if you are to prevail. But there is hope." Rabgar pauses to peer into the eyes of each member of the party. "I charge you with a quest, the quest of the three dungeons. Succeed and you shall be the stronger. Fail and your weakness shall be your downfall." The old man's voice abruptly quiets, as he struggles to strighten his back and stand fully upright. "Seek the dwarves throughout the land; hear what they have to say. They are your friends. They shall direct you on your quest. And when they cannot, let Silvanus be your guide!" Rabgar stoops, grasping his stick for balance, then turns and wanders away. Journal Entry 5 "Thank you for entering this battle and helping us against the Zhentil invaders. "We contol the area of Llorkh south of the river, as well as our ancient stronghold. More dwarves are coming from the hills to help us, but more Zhentarim stragglers from Ascore keep arriving, too. "We need to wear down the Zhentarim before we attack the Keep and go after Lord Geildarr himself. If we clear the rest of the town he will have to keep sending soldiers and monsters to try to stop us, and soon the forces remaining at the Keep will be weak enough for us to face them and regain our city." Journal Entry 6 We looked around us at the ring of Zhentarim solders, each with a crossbow aimed squarely at our hears. Lord Geildarr pushed his way through to face us, as sneer of satisfaction slicing across his twisted face. "So," he taunted us, "the heroes of Ascore have arrived to rescue the dwarves! Your trap has worked perfectly your majesty!" Grazoun came forward, shaking his fist defiantly, while staying behind Geildarr's robes. "The dwarves of Llorkh don't need your help! We have a dwarven king again, and it is Kind Grazoun the Great!" "Your majesty, I suggest that these bandits be thrown into your dungeon." Geildarr's suggestion sounded like a command, and the soldiers pulled us away even before the newly-named king could reply. Journal Entry 7 Sifting through the mess, we found one handwritten page that was still partially legible. It held a reference to someone whose name ended with the letters "amon," and something about his "foolish death on the horns of his own brazen overconfidence." Farther down the page were whate looked like directions to or from (we could not tell which) a place far off to the East. Then, in another's writing, scribbled hastily over the directions, was "gate Keep." It was impossible to make out anything else. Journal Entry 8 Lying in front of us was the sketeton of a man, his leather armor torn and scattered. From the bloodstains on the floor we could see that this was no ancient artifact. The corridor appeared to lead only to a storage area, but some poor wretch had come this way and met a monster so fearsome that now only his bones remained. Journal Entry 9 One man stands to speak. "I am the Big Fish in Cold Water. My people are the Ice Hunters. Our leader, Bleak Sky at Morning, expects your coming. He knows what you would know. Seek him. Go to IceWolf. Two of my people and two Northmen await your arrival at the Northern dock. Go there. Hurry. The eveil men in black robes are close behind." Journal Entry 10 "My name is arbarkas, and I am from a village called Windycliffs on the Sword Coast. Recently both Windycliffs and Leilon were sacked by ruthless buccaneers from Luskan, and much of the village lies in ruins. "Swearing revenge on the cowards who burned my home, I set out to offer my sevices to the Lords' Alliance. A group of volunteers was leaving Waterdeep to come to Llorkh to help the dwarves, and I joined them in their mission. "But no sooner did we arrive then we were ambushed by a force of men and monsters. My companions were killed, and I was overpowered and taken prisoner. "Lord Geildarr himself questioned me. He was very disappointed to hear we had just arrived and knew nothing of the dwarves' plans. He had just animated that skeleton to kill me when you came in. "I would be very careful to search all evenmies carefully for any kind of crystal. I know not what the powers of these crystals may be, but they were very careful to shatter them rather then let the stones call into our hands. There are threee different colors and no single person is ever entrusted with more then one." Journal Entry 11 Dear Friends, Since you are reading this note I presume that you have won the battle for Llorkh, and that Milzorr and his people are now free. And, I suppose, if you're not reading this note you have died nobly in support of a Good cause and are worthy of great honors as well. But, to save time, I will deal only with what you are to do if you are still alive. Please come see me in Secomber as soon as you can, for I will have more information on the strange goings-on in the land. Be prepared before travelling across the wilderness to Secomber. The snows are coming early this year, and the roads are dangerous with the drifts make travel slow. If the river starts to freeze the boat rental shops will not be open, and you will be forced to march overland. Erek and I await your arrival. I believe he is quite excited at the prospect of being rude to you once more. -Amelio Amanties of Secomber Journal Entry 12 The men in the small boar rowed away in a great hurry, and the crew began to run about the decks frantically, cursing at every step. "What's going on?" we asked one sailor as he hurried by. "Something's wrong at the docks 컴 there's fighting there. Have to swing 'round to the old pier!" Our vessel slowly tacked northward, and an hour later we disembarked onto a rickety, disintegrating dock. Around the town looks like an armed camp, with soldiers running everywhere and worried looks on all the faces. Journal Entry 13 "Dear friends, I am glad you have returned to see me once again. I have learned much since we last spoke. "A renegade beholder from Zhentil Keep has established a headquaters in Port Llast. There it hopes to prepare a safe haven for a large number of its hideous fellow monsters from across the Great Desert. "They plan to go to the towns and cities of the Savage Frontier and coordinate a renewed attempt by Zhentarim to overrun the region through the Great Desert. We must find the beholder and stop this plan before it starts!" Journal Entry 14 "I believe, my lord, that the story might be true. The young man appears to know nothing of the...." Here Cortarra had stopped in the writing of her letter. What we would give to learn the secrets it might have contained! Journal Entry 15 "I am Bjorn of the Sea. We Ice Hunters are setn to greet you. Do not fight the Northmen 컴 it was a mistake to make them enemies. They believe you have angered Tempus and will attack you. Seek our leader, Bleak Sky at Morning. He knows the way." Journal Entry 16 The guards stopped us at the gates of Waterdeep and demanded to know our business. Several had crossbows and looked nervous 컴 they had heard all the talk to impending war and were ready to shed the blood of the first Luskan spies they set eyes on. "We're the Heroes of Ascore," we called out, "and we bear a letter for Lord Piergeiron from the famous magic-user Amelior Amanitas of Secomber." The guard Captain looked at us through narrow, suspicious eyes. "Let's see this letter." We handed him the envelope Amanitas had given us. "We don't know what information it contains, but it is urgent that it reaches Lord Piergeiron." The captain glanced at the letter, then signalled for a troop of his men to escort us 컴 or to prevent us from escaping. "Follow me," he ordered. "We will go directly to the castle." Journal Entry 17 "Sorry, but there was a big fire after the Zhentarim fought the Heroes of Ascore here. Now we have to rebuild that whole northern section of town 컴 no one's allowed to go that way. "They say Vaalgamon himself burned his local headquarteres to keep it from falling into our hands. He was afraid if we Loudwater city gueardsmen got hold of his plans we'd have stopped the whole invasion even before he got to Ascore! "You knew the Heroes of Ascore fought here, too, didn't you? Before they went up to Ascore, I mean. Had a pitched battle with an army of Zhentarim force right here in these streets. We city guardsmen fought right beside them I was on the front line, myself, for the final battle before the bridge. Almost got the strike a blow at old Vaalgamon himself but then he turned and ran! "So when they tell you of the Heroes of Ascore, remember Loudwater, too. If they were here they'd tell you, loud and clear. Without us city guardsmen they might never had made it out of Loudwater!" Journal Entry 18 A strong, young dwarf in ring mail of burnished copper stepped forward. "We are in need. Our mind has been taken. All whome we send into the shaft then never return. Their last, terrible screams reach our ears, but we know nothing more." Journal Entry 19 "I believe, my lord, that the the story might be true. The girl appears to know nothing of the..." Here Cortarra had stopped the writing of her letter. What we would give to learn what secrets it might have contained! Journal Entry 20 A man in purple and blue robes at the head of the crowd opens his arms wide and proclaims, "Our Heroes! We are free from the great snowmonster and his minions!" As the throng cheered, he came to each of us in turn and shook our hands. "I am the ShearMaster, brother of Menaster, head of the Triumvirate of Fireshear, and leader of this town. I and my people thank you." A commotion swept through the crowd of newly-freed miners. "What of our friends at the docks?" someone called out. "Yes, you are right! We must go to the docs, to the west!" the ShearMaster called out. "Free the docs from the great evil there! Hurry! Heroes of Ascore, will you lead the way?" The crowd quited and looked anxiously to us for a reply. Wighout hesitation, we all nodded and shouted "To the docks!" Journal Entry 21 A portion of the note was soaked in blood and was illegible. The part that remained read: "...been prepared and are being sent south. We created a different one for every mission in the plan, with coded names to make them easy to identify. Our superstitious enemies will help us spread the instruc..." Journal Entry 22 Beneath his swirling red hair the man's face was covered with patterns of tattoos. A dark shadow covered much of his forehead, and the lines across his features seemed to change even as we watched. For a moment the eternal smile of a down appeared, followed closely by the image of tear falling from one eye. He carried a mask on a stick in one hand but in contrast to his face, its features were completely plain and unadorned. And, as a citizen of Farr Windward, he bore the bold red circle tattoo on his left forearm. "I am Ougo," he said, pumping each of our hands in greeting. "When I lived in Neverwinter I was called Ougo the Strange." He smiled at us and winked. "You know, I have a tattoo on my back depicting the mural on the ceiling of the Temple of Oghma in Neverwinter!" We all indicated how impressive this was, and, perhaps mercifully, Ougo the strange let the matter drop without forcing us to admire this tattoo. "Why is everyone outside so happy?" we asked. "Because this is the house of Haalbok, and he just died this morning." "That is so strange!" we exclaimed. "Ah, how clever! I see you understand my point about being strange!" Ougo the strangle said, smilling. We all looked at each other, completely confused. From the back row of the party came a single, soft voice. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand. Why is everyone happy that Haalbok is dead?" Ougo the Strangle nodded. "I will be happy to explain what your companions already understand. Haalbok is now free from Farr Windward, so we celebrate for him. Death is normal 컴 he has returned to normalcy. We are given everything else in Farr Windward: Food clothing, entertainment. "Freedom is the one thing we have to seek out for ourselves, and he has found it! Let us celebrate!" Journal Entry 23 The bird crackled derisively as we stepped inside, and Erek slammed the door in its face with a great swing of his massive right arm. "Blasted bird." Erek told us. "You should ignore everything it says! Amanitas tought it to discourage travelling merchants and welcome vistors. Now it welcomes the merchants and chases away all his friends! How can anyone stand a creature so stubborn and ill-tempered as that? "Just this week I've been besieged by one loudmouthed man selling food dicing contraptions, another with a book called 'You Can Improve Your Charisma!', and a woman who said that for ten platinum pieces she would help me lose fifty pounds by eating nothing but celery! "Amanitas is in here. He's been waiting for you." Escorting us into the library Erek grunted to indicate our arrival and stalked out of the room. Jounal Entry 24 "I am called Siulajia, and I was raised in the High Forest. My father, Lezoul of the Great Oaks, protects groups of pilgrams who travel up the Unicorn Run into the forest to pay homage to the Goddess Mielikki. "One day, not long ago, I was hunting near the edge of the woods. I saw something moving in the trees, and soon a tattered, ragtag party of orcs, men, and ettins came beating through the underbrush. They were stragglers from the battle at Ascore. "I turned to slip away 컴 and ran right into the arms of a hill giant coming the other way. He called to the others, and one, a man in a black cape, said they should bring me along as a gift for Lord Geildarr. I feigned interest in meeting him so they might let down their guard and allow me to escape. "But my plan went wrong. When we arrived and Cortarra heard that I wanted to meet Lord Geildarr, she became jealous and had me pplaced in chains. Instead of making them let down their guard, my ruse had turned a pwerful sorceress into an enemy! Why she didn't kill me on the spot I'll never know 컴 she seemed fascinated with the work of my father. "In any case, I am grateful to you all for rescuing me from the trap of my own making." Journal Entry 25 "There are shops on the road that leads west to the docks. You may find unusual items in some places, common ones elsewhere. An inn lies just west of here. "Be careful of locked doors here in town 컴 people have goods here they don't want inspected. Some of the goods are bads, and some have thier own opinions about being inspected." He chuckled at his little joke, and his breath smelled like dead barnacles. "You don't look like you're ready to take on the kinds of enemies you'll find in Mintarn and Orlumbor, but when your party grows stronger come back to this little down and you'll be able to book passage to go there. There are two docks on the western end of town. Ships at the north one go to Mintarn, and the southern ones go to Orlumbor. Get there by 6:00 in the morning to travel 컴 and whatever you do don't snoop around the docks after dark." We thanked him and moved on, grateful for the chance once again take a deep breath. Journal Entry 26 "It's you! It's your!" the guard told us, a delighted smile covering his face. "You're the Heroes of Ascore!" We admitted that we were in fact the celebrated adventurers. "Amelio Amanitas, the great wizard from Secomber, was here looking for you only days ago! He flew over this very sopt in a great ship suspended in the air from waht looked like a gigantic, nulticolored balloon! "He told us that if we saw the Heroes of Ascore we were to tell you to come see him in Secomber, that your help was needed urgently once again, and that he nad something important to give you!" We all looked at each other the message in each pair of eyes was the same. It was time to hurry to Secomber. Journal Entry 27 "I'm concerned that more and more warships flying the flag of Waterdeep keep appearing in the harbor. These are not regular warships but sleep-hulled galleys filled with warriors. I don't like it...don't like it at all! "While you're here, steer clear of Farr Windward 컴 it's an exile colony of the crazed, the obsessed and the misfits from the mainland. I detest having it here on the island 컴 I'd like to open the games and let them all go home. But after so many generations of treaties there is nothing I can do." Journal Entry 28 The soldier wore the distinctive uniform of Waterdeep. "You're here!" he shouted, turning to the crowd. "Hey everyone, it's the Heroes of Ascore!" The patrons broke out into spntaneous applause. Frankly, we were both embarrassed and pleased with all the hoopla. The soldier faced us once more. "We're the escort from Waterdeep. We were sent to help guard the ambassadors from Neverwinter and Mirabar for the rest of the journey. They're not here yet, but they are expected to arrive this evening. "We'd heard you'd be coming with us 컴 this is such a thrill!" Journal Entry 29 "I've always been friendly to Waterdeep, and how do they repay me? They send their soldiers to take over our docks!" The Tyrant paced madly, to and fro. "They say they are protecting the Trackless Sea from the pirates, but there was no pirate ships based here 컴 I've always seen to that! If they don't get out now, I care not for the size of Waterdeep's navy 컴 I will declare war against them and starngle them from the seas!" Journal Entry 30 The room seemed to be the bedroom of a farmhouse. All the furniture was gone, and a line layer of straw on the floor was the only bed. We thought it was strange taht they didn't take away our weapons, but then we examined the door and the boards covering the windows. They were made of heavy wood beld together by steel fittings and when we hacked at the door with our swords we could hear guards on the opposite side laughing. "Keep trying!" they called out. "By the time you carve your way through this door the High Captains of Luskan will be sipping tea in the palaces of Waterdeep!" Journal Entry 31 "Whoa, that was a close call! I'm sure glad we came along! "Malchor Harpell really is that the tower of Twilight, and I think he's probably safe there. But Krakens and hooligans from Luskan have taken over the town. "They have monsters locks in corrals at some of the local ranches. I hate to think what they're planning to do with them!" Journal Entry 32 The robed man looked up for a moment suprised. "You are the Heroes of Ascore!" We nodded and said, "Yes." His ancient eyes peered at us intently. "You have risen to great heights, and all in the Northern Realms know of you heroism. But to climb still higher you will first have to fall to great depths. "The mountaintop of honor awaits you once again, but you will have to survive to see it only if you are skillful and brave 컴 and if you remain loyal and faithful to your cause. "If you fear death do not go on, for it shall stalk your every step. If you have doubts, if you are unsure of the rightness of your quest, do not go on, for only through a unity of purpose and spirit you will survive." We paid the old psychic, thanked him and departed, looking in each others' eyes for the glint of undaunted determination he had said would bring us through. It was still there. Journal Entry 33 Guards in strange uniforms stepped up to inspect the party. "You may stay in Farr Windward as long as you wish," they told us "but when you leave none of the citizens may come with you. "Farr Windward is maintained by the major cities of the Sword Coast as a comunity for thoese who are unable to live with others in normal society. Please understand its importance and its benefits, and respect its rules. "Remeber, the penalty for attempting to escape from Farr Windward 컴 or helping others to escape 컴 is death!" Journal Entry 34 The dream seemed so real! The women pulled at the chains, twisting something in the locks until they fell away and we were freed!" They pulled us away through the water, swimming rapidly even as they dragged our armored bodies with them. Their long hair undulated in the underwater breeze, and they seemed to smile at us to show that everything would be all right. Such a lovely dream this was! Our precious air stayed tightly sealed within our lungs, but its life still seeped away. As the darkness came rolling in like evening fog and covered the last peacks of our consciousness, we looked up into the beautiful faces of these women who carried us and smiled. If this was death by drowning, it was as sweet a death as there could be.... We awakened, shivering, in a freezing cavern 컴 but we were still alive! "Quick, get more blankets! They're still too cold!" The voice was that of someone accustomed to command, and we opened our eyes to see a circle of faces looking down at us in the dim torchlight. As more blankets were wrapped around our trembling bodies, we realized that the women were not a dream. Hair still wet, they stood side by side with the others, peering at us with concern. Beside them were a group of elves. "They'll be all right," the leader told them, seeing the same look in thier eyes. "If you hadn't been there are the moment they fell in, they never would of made it. You can see 컴 they can only breathe air." "The didn't fall in. They were thrown in," responded one of the women. "They were thrown in. With chains and locks. Thrown in off the pier." "That's right," we told them and then proceeded to explain how the letter givin to us by Amanitas had been switched with the incriminating note, presumably while we were prisoners in Leilon. "I knew we escaped from there too easily!" chimed in a voice from the back of the party. "That was the whole point, to capture us and plant that letter to discredit us with the Lords' Alliance!" The elf leader nodded. "Even we elves of the sea, who avoid the problems of the land whenever possible, have heard of the Heroes of Ascore. If you enemies had simply slit your throats you would have been transformed into martyred gods and inspired the Lords's Alliance to fight on. This plan was more clever, becuase it was the leading city of the Lords' Alliance that sentenced you to death!" "We have no choice," we told them. "We must go back and defeat the evil plans of our enemies. Only then will the Lords' Alliance know that we aren't traitors!" "Thanks to the Sirines of the Trackless Sea, you will have the chance," the elf said smiling. We sturggled to our feet to thank them for saving our lives, and there was much embracing among everyone. "Sadly, the harbor is too we guarded for us to take you back the way you came," the sirines's leader told us after we had settled down to eat. The elf nodded. "I agree. The only way out of these caverns by land is full of danger, but it is just that 컴 the only way. One room here connects to the passageways of an ancient dungeon outside of Waterdeep. We have blocked the entrance, but you will be able to move the stone and pass through. "The dungeon is inhabited by dangerous monsters, so please, rest here and save your strength before you go." Warm broth was severd, and we passed many hours sharing stories with the elves and sirines who had saved our lives. Journal Entry 35 "Those tattooed Kraken squid lovers, they'll suck you dry faster then a snake in the great Desert in the noonday sun. "And they don't want to pay the money they was offerin', neither. I weren't gonna do it for less. And old Jasper, be my guess he weren't neither. But he don't know they lowered the price yet. "Maybe you oughta go an' chat with him. His ranch is right due east o'here. Right across from the stables." We opened the hastily-scribbled note. It read: Kaarno 컴 Golozz the Greedy says he's going to toast you with his breath and eat you for dinner tonite unless he gets the gold you promised him from that ship we took off Leilon! He's not joking! He could burn this whole village to the ground at any moment! You know how his moods are 컴 you can't use logic with him! I heard him roaring through the walls last night while I tried to sleep! Get him that gold, and fast! -Osalt Journal Entry 37 "It's an invasion! Soldiers from Waterdeep have taken over the docks as a base to fight the pirates! "Why would they do this to the Tyrant? He's always fought the pirates of Luskan! "You know, the Tyrant is fair and honest with the people of Mintarn, but he is a Tyrant when it comes to keeping our island independent! There's talk of war against Waterdeep!" Journal Entry 38 "The great lie you have just uncovered is a plan we have prepared for some times, for just as our enemies have spied on us, we have spied on them. "When we heard you had arrived in the city, we set the plan in motion 컴 with the help of the Heroes of Ascore we knew that we could finally succeed where so many others had failed. "My dear friend Ougo here organized the celebrations throughout the city, knowing they would stretch the spy network to its fullest as they tried to follow each small group. We knew that with the help you could find and eliminate the two places we needed to destroy in order to free the city. "But one more step remains in our plan, and we must take it now." He examined the brand which was recovered from the spies's secret chamnber, did something to it we couldn't see, then returned it. Journal Entry 39 "Strange-looking men in Waterdeep uniforms have been pilaging the country side. I'm a veteran of the troll wars; I fought for Waterddeep for twenty years. One look at this scurvy lot told me they're not from any army I ever served in. "The farmers around here have turned agains Waterdeep and the Lords' Alliance becuase of the attacks. I went to a town meeting and tried to tell them it was a trick, someone dressing up like soldiers. "They thought I was a spy and threw me out. I'm lying there face-down in the mud, and no sooner do they vanish back inside then I see the dirty pants-leg of a Waterdeep uniform six inches from my face. "The imposters dragged me down here to silence me permanently. If you hadn't come along I;d have been monster food, sure as anything. Thank you, and may help protect you on your quest!" Journal Entry 40 "Pirates have been attacking merchant ships up and down the coast, including those bound for my home in Gundariun. Many of our sailors were killed and a number of vessels lost. "I started going to sea with the merchant ships 컴 against Father's wishes, of course 컴 to try to find out what was going on. The last vesse I was on reached Mintarn safely after fighting off two attacks, and I learned of this supposed Waterdeep invasion." She looked down at the dead guards. "This is the first time I've ever seen soldiers from Waterdeep with tattoos of a purple squid on their arms! These are Krakens!" Journal Entry 41 "I see you may be going west to the town of Farr Windward. It is on the other side of a very long tunnel through the mountains 컴 so long that it will take you days just to pass through it. "Farr Windward itself is on a rocky peninsula on the western edge of the island, atop high cliffs that make escape by the sea impossible, Guards prevent the inhabitants from leaving through the tunnel. "You can come and go as you wish, but remember that Farr Windward can be a dangerous place, filled wiht the outcasts of every city on the Sword Coast, and the descendents of past generation of outcasts. "Each resident has a bright red cirle tattooed on his or her forearm. They may never leave, and the penalty for assisting in an attempted escape is death." Journal Entry 42 No one must know of your prisoner's location 컴 or that such a person even exists. If you are asked, say only several traitors to Luskan have been arrested for spying on behalf of our enemies and that you have them under guard. Anser NO question about the family of your prisoner. Journal Entry 43 He pulled his arm away quickly, but it was too late! Heated by some form of magicle fire, the brand had left the telltale mark of Farr Windward upon his arm. "You cannot do this to me! This...This will never come off! I'm normal but with this....No one will ever believe me!" He stood up and raced around the room, screaming maniacally, "I'm normal! I'm normal! I'm normal!" over and over again. Journal Entry 44 "Of course it's the fools from Triboar, and this time they've gone too far!" shouted one man. "Kidnapping the Waterbaron! This time it's no joke 컴 they're out to take us over!" yelled another. "It's all about gold, and their greed for nothing else! They want to control trade all up and down the valley!" "They're jealous becuase we're right on the Long Road and they're not, so they get less trade then us! Now they want to take over Yartar and keep everything for themselves!" Journal Entry 45 "What are you celebrating?" we asked a reveler. "Haalbok is dead!" he replied, punctuating his remark with a flourish from his wooden flute. "Who was Haalbok?" we asked. "Did you really hate him that much?" "No, you silly people! We all loved Haalbok! HE was one of the leading men in the city! He was intelligent, kind, well balanced...and very normal!" We were incredulous. "Then why are you celebrating?" The man looked at us as if we were total idiots. "Is there not enough misery in the world already? We do not pour water into a flood, or add oil to a fire when it burns our neighbor's house. With miser why should our courise be different?" Journal Entry 46 As you enter Triboar. follow an alley in the northwest area to the farthest door. Knock 3 times and say "Northwaters." The men there have some very important information for us. You are to gather that information and bring it home so we can use it for planning our defense. Journal Entry 47 "Those blasted pirates almost go us that time!" the angry ship captain told the Harbormaster. "If the wind hadn't shifted so we could run with the current they'd have caught us for sure! "I won't go out again until something's done! What's Haeromos thinking, huh? That they'll get bored and go away?" He pounded his fist on the railing. "These are rich waters for pirates 컴 and the fisherman never changes ports when the fisk keep leaping on the deck!" The Harbormaster nodded. "I thought that's what the out-of-towners were here foor, the Heroes everyone flaps their lips about so much. Thought the first Captain hired 'em straight from Waterdeep. Guess not, though." The Captain grunted his disgust at what was being done. "Shouldn't give up yet, though." the Harbormaster added, trying to sound positive. "We should keep a look out. Maybe someone'll be along to help..." Journal Entry 48 A man stood beneath the arches on the far side of the room, looking out to sea. We crossed to his side, looked down, and realized this was the top of a high cliff. Far below us sharp rocks reached upwards from the shore, looking like a thousand huge stone bayonets shoved handle-first into the sand. The man wavered at the edge, as if about to jump. We jumped forward and pulled him back, asking, "What's wrong? Whatever it is that troubles you, jumping to your death is not the answer!" "Nothing is wrong," he replied in a normal, even pleasant voice. "It's just that every so often someone in Farr Windward jumps from the leap. No one has jumped for quite a while, so someone has to step in and maintain normalcy. We all have duties, obligations as citizens of Farr Windward, and I don't care what they say on the mainland. Farr Windward is a place of normalcy." We thought for a moment, then said, "Didn't you know? Someone jumped just two days ago! Everyone's been talking abou it 컴 didn't you hear?" Suddenly the man's face filled with relief. "Whew! I'm glad you told me! Otherwise I'd have jumped and it would have been such a waste!" He bid us farewell and walked away happily. Journal Entry 49 "Thank you for releasing me!" Redbeard exclaimed, massaging his wrists after we had cut the tight ropes that held him. "Thier leader was a bad one, he was. He'd have killed us all soon, once he'd made sure he wouldn't need us. "They called him Lord something or another, so he must have been an important one, he was. He kept reciting how his plan was working so perfectly. He said he was holding the southern flank, that forces from the Way Inn and Daggerford would be sent north towards Waterdeep. "Pirates would blockade Waterdeep, and none of its allies would help becuase they all thought waterdeep was attacking its neighbors. Once the city was close to starvation, he bragged that one morning he himself would march into Lord Piergeiron's bedchamber and raise the man's head on a pike" Redbeard looked around at the remains of the monsters and Zhentarim that filled the room. "I s'pose Lord Piergeiron can sleep late this morning after all." Journal Entry 50 The tall, barrel-chested man on the stage pronounced his commands, but there was a starnge look in his eye. Or perhaps it was a look that wasn't in his eye 컴 the gleam of life was somehow missing. Yet everyone in the room stood in rapt attention, including our party. There was something about this man, his bearing or stature, that compelled us. He gave detailed instrctions on the coming navel blockade of Waterdeep by the combined fleets of Ruathym and Luskan, and we listened in forzen horror. But somehow the words we were hearing and the man who delivered them did not match. It was just a hunch, pure instinct at best, but could be be under the control of someone else? This man looked nothing like a scurvy ally of Luskan. Could he have been charmed by a magic-user, who pulled the once-powerful puppet's strings from a relative safety offstage? Journal Entry 51 "The Zhentarim and their hideous monsters came rolling into town like a tidal wave! My guards and citizens fought bravely, but we were overwhelmed! I had to hide in here to escape certain death!" Journal Entry 52 "I am captain Redlet 컴 a name I acquired courtesy of a shark with sharp teeth and a first made with a sharp tongue. "You comin' along breakin' that spell is a brace of salt air in the morning! I hate these Luskan Low Captains and their filmsy-robed magic men! I hate this alliance! "When those cursed pirates came here with their talk of conquering Waterdeep, I didn't listen 컴 but the First Axe swallowed it like a marlin takes a bait. "One again Luskan had what it wanted, the First Axe was the first Axed, and I would up in the brig! With their threats against innocent hostages they forced me to command the fleet, My fleet, to blockade Waterdeep! "When I refused to order attacks on defenseless merchants, they had one of those long robed daffodils from the Hosttower cast a spell on me to make me say the words they wanted my men to hear. "But that was then and this is Now! Now we have the Heroes of Ascore fighting by our side! We'll send the scurvy lot o'them to blow bubbles with the fish in Luskan Harbor!" Journal Entry 53 We are close to finding the Waterbaron! I know that he is being held somewhere here in Triboar. How do these simpleminded fools think that they can hide him for so long in this hayseed town? The new areas in the Northwest part of town are suspicious, and I plan to search them as soon as possible. The army of Triboar is growing, but still no match for us. The Lord Protector is mad if he believes he can defeat us! Journal Entry 54 "The Zhentarim stormed into town with a great force of men and monsters, and captured us before we could organize our resistance. "We might have held out longer, but the duke turned and ran away! So much for the man who claims to be descendant of that brave bow with a dagger who founded this poor town. "You should know that your movements were being watched from the momment you entered town. Just as you launched your attack upon this stronghold, the Zhentarim sent out messengers. They were to warn their allies at the Way Inn, to the south, that you'd be coming. If you hurry to the edge of town perhaps you can intercept them in time and still surpirse the enemies there! "The south door to this room leads to the street. And come to any of our shops when you return to Daggerford. We will make sure you are rewarded for your heroism! Journal Entry 55 The book is a history of Ruathym, with much about its early days and founders. Many pagers are devoted to their leaders, who bore the title "The First Axe." Rhaumon Bloodaxe is the first such kind mentioned. The early days of the island nation where turbluent, filled with frequent wars against Luskan and other coastal cities. One later chapter describes an old waterfront mansion, the original residence of Bloodaxe. It tells a story that the long dead king has never truly left the mansion, and that only loyal residents of Ruathym may stay there safely. Journal Entry 56 We walked down the ship's gangplank and onto the pier. The Captain and crew stood waiting there, heads hanging in shame. The Harbormaster said, just loudly enough for us to hear, "It's a strange day when the captain comes home in a rowboard and the passengers fight off pirates and bring his ship back to port!" The Captain kept his eyes on the warped planking of the ancient pier, saying nothing. Then the Harbormaster raised his voice to address the big crowd that was gathering to see what was going on. "The First Captain said Heroes would come to help PortLlast, and the did not lie! Three cheers for the Heroes of Ascore! They have won a great victory in our war to reclaim the Trackless Sea from the Pirates! Now, and forever, they will be our Heroes too!" As the crowd roared its approval, the Harbormaster leaned over to us and whispered. "The First Captain hsas something for you. He lives in a mansion in the southeast corner of town." Journal Entry 57 "The pirates have created much sadness and despair in Port Llast. They have burned his temple 컴 you can see the scorch marks on that wall 컴 attacked the merchant ships, and taken over the northernwest corner of the village. "And we keep finding their little scraps of paper. 'You shall have good fortune today', is all they ever say. What is the hidden code? For whome does this have meaning? "These papers of good fortune have brought us nothing but sorrow." Journal Entry 58 "Threee cheers for the Heroes of Ascore!" the Fat Man bellowed to the crowd. They gave three great. lusty roars. "There!" he says, "The Heroes of Ascore are still heroes here in Neverwinter! "We hear your recent mission to Leilon went poorly, when our poor ambassador disappeared. Messengers from Waterdeep said you were responsible for the kidnapping, but we didn't beleive it. Did we believe it, everyone?" "Nooooo!" roared the crowd that filled the tavern. "We've had messengers from Waterdeep tell us all sorts of crazy things. Big cities confuse people, make them believe silly tales when they should be giving the tale-teller a skeptical eye. No one here in Neverwinter tells tall tales, do we everyone?" "Nooooo!" the crowd cried once more, to the Fat Man's delight. "But enough of this. I hear that you're here to find the kindappers and prove to everyone that these stories were naught but poppycrock. You've come to the right place! BaRKEEP! a round for my friends!" Journal Entry 59 "Froal said that you could save us, that you'd somehow defeat their plans and rescue us! And now you've done it! "As you now know, the Krakens captured the Neverwinter Ambassador Froal and myself in Leilon. They imprisioned you and then purposely allowed you to escape. How that furthered their plans I do not know, but they later brought us here to Neverwinter and told us you had been blamed for our disappearance. "The forces of the Lords' Alliance may have sccourned the countryside, but never thought to search for us here in Froal's back yard. Before you arrived I had begun to despair of ever being rescued. "Froal himself is being held in one fo the other gardens 컴 he is a noble man and must be rescued! I shall make my way to Lord Nasher and tell him of these events. I am certain that a great reward awaits you when the last Ambassador is saved!" Journal Entry 60 "My father, the Waterbaron, has been kidnapped! He is being held by the Triboarians! They are mustering an army against us, becuase they thing we will crumble like a sand castle before the rising tide! "But they are wrong! I have assumed leadership in my father's absence, and we will defend our homeland against Triboar! They will be made to pay for this! "My father will be so proud!" Journal Entry 61 "Throughout the years of Fireshear," the dwarf continues. "We quit ones have lived here, beneath the town, in and around this chamber. There are never many of us, but we do know of the events and of the people above. "The recent happenings are evil, and behind them is a very evil being. It is a large spherical creature 컴 four of us saw it when it came, but only one of us returned. The others remain stone-solid. like the bones of the mountains. "The evil is a lard round monster, with many eyes 컴 and powers. A glow or a twinkle, and our friends were stone. Others simply vanished or fell dead. "Take care as you explore! The monster remains in Fireshear, near the docks. It must be destroyed, or the town will become wholly evil, and we Quit Ones shall be gone." Journal Entry 62 Skattered across the desk were several maps of the farmlands around Waterdeep. A number of them had been crossed off, with notes such as "Burned" and "Poisoned crops." Others were marked with a lard "X." Another note was a list with only two entries: More uniforms Weapons � Force crests from Waterdeep Journal Entry 63 "The Waterbaron of Yartar has been kiddnaped, and we're being blamed by his people! War will break out between our towns if we do not find out who really commited this crime, becuase Yartar will attack us for something we didn't do! "If they attack we'll defend ourselves and save our city from conquest, but we'd rather find the Waterbaron and avert a needless war. "We need to find out who it is who wants Yartar and Triboar to fight and destroy each other 컴 it is in their hands that we will find the Waterbaron!" Journal Entry 64 When he had solidified from the exploding black cloud that appeared so suddenly beside us, he begain to speak. "You have done very well, Heroes of Ascore! You have removed the Kraken slime from the pond of Longsaddle. You have destroyed thier plans to house monsters here for use in battles against Mirabar, Triboar, and Yartar. "You have the gratitude of teh people of Longsaddle, and of all the Savage Frontier! "But you cannot rest, not yet! More Kraken and Zhentarim plots are still unfolding! "Soon the autumn meeting of the Council of Mirabar will be held in that powerfull northern city. They will vote there on whether to support the Waterdeep and the Lords' Alliance in the battles against Luskan. "Without their help the tide of battle might turn against us, and the Krakens are working mightily to show the Lords' Alliance as wak, corrupt, and backstabbing. They hope that Luskan and Zhentarim allies will win, so that together they will control the North. "Only the Heroes of Ascore can uncover all their plans in time, then go to Mirabar and present proof of the Kraken deceptions! May Helm guide you on your way!" Journal Entry 65 not here! -RYGAR Journal Entry 66 "Great adventurers! I have just now been recording your acts of heroism while they are fresh in my memory. I shall transmit this letter to all members of the Lords' Alliance, and your names shall right throughout the Council Halls in the great City of Waterdeep! "The deceptions of Luskan, the Krankens and the Zhentarim have been exposed, but our victory is not yet certain. "You may have heard stories of a great and powerful magical item, a Gem created in ancient times to fight the great evils of its day. We know little more of its powers and its history. "My brother leads the miners of Fireshear. He has written to me of the Gem, and may know more. You must seek him out. "In no event can we allow our enemies to gain the Gem, for if the stories of the ancients are true its power could crush our mightiest battlements." Journal Entry 67 "Long have we waited," the old man said, his words measured and thoughtful. "From grandfather to father, from father to son, from generation to generation, has the secret been passed. 600 years have we waited. And now you have come." The old man rises. He gestures to the rear of the room, to a door. "The way is there. Long have we watched. Long has it waited. Through the door you must go. Climb the steepest climbs; find the Lair of the Dragon. The ancient power you seek is there, in the great cavern." Journal Entry 68 "The dwarves of Mirabar and their King thank you for your efforts in saving our city" He bowed low, and descneded from his throne to arrroach our party. "But greater events still threaten us. You may have heard stories about a magical Gem from ancient times, and the chance that it may be rediscovered. "To the north and west of here lies The Ice Peak, a mountain that rises from the freezing waters of the Trackless Sea. It was the ancieant home of the merciless white dragon named Freezefire, who terrified the Northern Realms for Centuries. "It was this magical Gem that was used to destroy Freezefire centuries ago, although we have no record of how the deed was done. The powerful magic item may still be there, awaiting adventurers with the strength and courage to come find it in the barren wastes. "It was the same dragon Freezefire that stole the treasure of our ansestors, treasure that generations labored mightily to wrest from the hearts of so many northern mountains. "We are going to the Ice Peak to find the hoard of the White Dragon. We seek the Gem to strengthen the Lords' Alliance, and to keep it from our enemies. And we seek to recover the gold stolen from our ancestors. "We hope that you, too, will choose to come to the Ice Peak, and help us in this noble mission." Journal Entry 69 "Freezefire's lair, the Gem, the Heroes of Ascore have arrived before we could find the way. All is wrong! I have failed! The masters will torture me and never let me die! "The Masters of Hellgate Keep, they sent us to stop you, they sent us to retrieve the Gem. And now my group is lost, I am lost, and I have failed!" The man slumps limply against a boulder in complete despair. Journal Entry 70 Raurym's massive jowls jiggled as he talked, and with every word the chicken scraps stuck in his beard would dance in a macabre revue. "You adventurers(chomp)have done a(chew)splendid job! Come feast with me!" Raurym grabbed a dagger and used it to tear a chunk of meant from the roast beside him before driving it point-first into the table. We had already decided that the food did indeed look good, and sat down to enjoy the meal. After we had eaten our fill(which in ruaym's case was enough to empty several local ranches)we retired through a hidden door in the back of the room. Seated in a plush chair in his comfortable study, Raurym told us, "Now that the city is for sale for the moment, what are we going to do about the Gem?" He reached into a large bowl beside his char and stuffed a fistful of candies into his mouth. "If our enemies find it before we do, everything you've accomplished will be lost." Another mass os sticky candy entered his mouth, some brightly colored pieces saving themselves from destruction by clinging to his thick, red beard. "We think it is somewhere in the Ice Peak in the hoard of the long-dead dragon Freezefire. Of course,(more candy) the Krakens almost certainly know as much or more than we do. "And the dwarves(more candy) they claim that Freezefire's hoard is really theirs. Now,(more candy) that simply is not true! My great great grandfather, Prejudge Raurym, himself, brought his own greath wealth norht when he moved here, and the dragon stole it from him and his people! "Now,(more candy)I would send an army to the Ice Peak now, but we still have to defend Mirabar against raids by ogres and(more candy)orcs and ettins and so on. "So, I'm afraid our hopes must rid with you." He reached for the bowl once more and frowned to find it empty. Reaching beneath his chair, he withdrew a large velvet bag from which he poured a stream of nuts and raisins. "The gem must be recovered to ensure the safty of the north. When it comes to the division of any treasure you may recover,(nuts and raisins)I will depend upon your sense of honor." Journal Entry 71 "I have been successful in spreading the word amoung our people that Triboar had no hand in my kidnapping. Thanks to you, the relations between our towns are normal once again." The Waterbaron laughed, the first time we'd ever seen him do so. "Of course normal relations with the Triboar means that sometime this week a placard will appear on the statue of me here in the town square. It will cover the inscription and say 'Jilbo the Goatherder.' We looked at each other, not sure whether or not to laugh. "I suppose," said the Waterbaron, "that you have to be born here to appreciate Yartar-Triboar humor." Journal Entry 72 "No sooner did I arrive in Ruathym than some fool pirate guards ambushed me. What was I thinking? Daydreaming about going home to Gundariun and rock-climbing in all my favorite places, I suppose. In any event they came up behind me, and I woke up with a big headache in a Luskan troop ship that brought me here. "I was just about to break free from these ropes when you came along, really." Journal Entry 73 The Lord Protector eyed us supiciously. "If you have come to demand our surrender, you have severely miscalculated the mettle of the people of Triboard!" "Nothing could be farther from the truth, honorable Lord Protector," the Waterbaron began, and then told the story of his kidnapping. We added details as he went, confirming how the Krakens and their allies had tried to turn the two towns against each other. "Before my return to Yartar," the Waterbaron begain, "I shall transmit a message to my son. He is to order my troops to search out every Kraken stronghold in the city, and inform the pupulace that the people of Triboar are innocent of any hostile acts against Yartar. I shall remain here as your hostage as proof of my good faith until you can see that all threats to Triboar cease." The Lord Protector strode forward and embraced his counterpart. "Our towns have often been rivals in the past, but in the end you and I have always had a bond of trust. No hostage is necessary. You word 컴 and the Heroes of Ascore 컴 is good enough for me. I shall order our forces to hunt only for the Krakens, and to help the people of Yartar in any way they can." Bothe leaders turned to us and repeated their thanks. "Without you," they said, "thousands of innocent people would of been killed in a useless war!" We bowed and prepared to leave and continue our mission. Journal Entry 74 "It is good to see you all again. Since we last talked on Mintarn I have learned so much. "Ruathym is backing Luskan in its plan to blockade Waterdeep, despite the fact that they are ancient enemies. "Ruathym's power lies in its fleet, one of the strongest on the Trackless Sea. Captain Redleg is their commander. His men say he commands the fleet, but not with his own voice 컴 he may be under someone's magical control. "This is no empty threat. As powerful as Waterdeep is, it lives and dies by its trade across the seas. If the combined fleets block the harbor and they lay siege to the city gates, it is possible that even Lord Piergeiron's power would be sufficient to save the city. "We must go to Ruathym and find Captain Redleg. With or without his help, we must break the Ruathym-Luskan alliance. Journal Entry 75 "They cam out of the hills and holes and mountains. Huge white furry snow monsters. They brought white hounds from hell. They left at us in our sleep, in our mining, in our business, in the very center of our city. No mercy. No Mercy. "They killed everyone. We could not stop them. And our leaders they carried away. The ShearMaster gone. What will happen to Fireshear, to us..." With a deep sigh the gnome's voice fails, and he is dead. Journal Entry 76 I have great news! The Heroes of Ascore were just here. They interceded at the council just in time, exposed the Kraken plot to divide the Lords' Alliance, and unmasked their spies! The Krakens were posing as Neverwinter Representitives. I have sent the Heroes on to you, with the hope that from there they will go to the Ice Peak. Please give them every hopsitality. They may be the answer for our quest for the Gem. I shall be along as soon as possible. Journal Entry 77 "The Ice Peak is a very dangerous place. and your enemies have knowledge of your coming. You will arrive at the chief city, as fast as possible. "Head east to the settlement called Bjorn's hold. His people care not for Luskan, but watch for enemies everywhere. "Next go North to the village of Icewolf. It is a town of genttle people, the Ice Hunters, but Northmen also live there. If the stories are true, it is from Icewolf that you will be able to set out in search of the Gem. Good luck!" We climbed into a small boat, and minutes later they had rowed us out to a ship waiting close to shore. Journal Entry 78 "It is said," one very old, leather-skinned Ice Hunter begain, "That the Lair of the ancient Draong Freezefire was in the Peak above us. With his power he held all in terror. In his heart he held great greed. "It is also said that the dragon tormented the old city of Nimoar's Hold, now known as Waterdeep. Then a man of great courage, Stramling the Wise, called upon the magic of the land. He gathered to himself all great power and tempered great evil with itself. He created The Gem. "On a field in high summer, to his people Stramling presented this most marvelous and magical Gem. High aloft he held it, and it gleamed in the sunlight. And this brought forth Freezefire, just as Stramling had desired. "The beast swooped down upon the man, attacking him, striking him to the ground with the great wind from its wings. It tore the Gem from Stramling's hands with its mighty claws. Off the dragon flew with its new treasure, to its lair high on the Ice Peak. "And there the dragon stayed. Upon no man or beast did Freezefire make evil again. The centuries past, and the story was forgotten. But somewhere deep within the Ice Peak lies the dragon with its hoard. And the Gem." Journal Entry 79 Unfolding the heavy paper, you see carefully written, gold script letters that read: "Our time has come. Pick up their trail at Mirabar, and follow to the Ice Peak. Let them lead you to the Gem, then take it! Be sure their bodies are burned, broken, and very dead. A quick return will ensure a great reward. Failure will ensure death...death wirhout end." Journal Entry 80 We broke the shackles that held the man, and he thanked us with a sense of urgency in his voice. "Be warned: Tranjer Rolsk in a very evil man. He supports those in Luskan and their pirates. Stay away from him! "We know why you are here and wish to help. You must seek our leader, Bleak Sky at Morning. Hurry! Go East to Bjorn's Hold, then, from the North pier, take a board North to Icewolf." Journal Entry 81 "I am Bahriit. Did you see my sign, my fine sign? IT is the finest sign in all of Fireshear, don't you think?" Tears rolled down his cheeks. "They killed my three apprentices, those monsters! Did I help? No, I ran away. But they didn't find me! But they killed my apprentices. They killed them all and I ran away and they killed them...." "Did you see my sign? Isn't it lovely? No one else in Fireshear has such a sign... so lovely...." He trailed off into repetitive gibberish, and reluctantly figure and moved on. Journal Entry 82 & 83 are maps, i dont have them! [RYGAR] End............