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From: Fraser MacKenzie <[e-mail]>
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.archives
Subject: STORY: Fate's Fellowship - Chapter 3:Individual Effort
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Date: 26 Jun 1995 15:00:36 -0400
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   The characters contained in these writings and the writings themselves
   are copyright 1995 by Fraser MacKenzie.  Any resemblance to any persons
   or characters either real or fictional is utterly coincidental.  Copying
   and/or distribution of these tales is permissible only under the sole
   condition that no part of them will be used or sold for profit.

   I wish to thank Eric Lindsey, Seng Ann Mah, Ron Trimmer, Max
   Bullock, Charlotte Ashley, Tom DeSanctus, Bob Grob, Michael Clair
   Haflidi Jonsson, and Drew Lahaise for their immense input without
   which, there would be no story at all. ;)

   Enjoy!

                                  Fraser MacKenzie
                                  [e-mail]


   Note: You can FTP the chapters of Fate's Fellowship as they come
   out from ftp.achilles.net in the directory pub/users/fraserm or
   access them from my home page at http://www.achilles.net:80/~fraserm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Introducing the characters:

  Name      Race     Type        Experience
~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~      ~~~~~~~~~~
Kelemvor Human      Spellcaster  1
Ssylth   Human      Spellcaster  1
Ginafae  Elven      Spellcaster  1
Crowe    Half-Elven Thief        1




                             Fate's Fellowship
                                 Chapter 3
                             Individual Effort



Upon the death of her master, Ginafae learns that there is a world outside of
the lab.  She also discovers, to her dismay, that he was as disorganized about
paying bills as he was about everything else.  When the collectors come, they
take everything but a few belongings which she claims as her own and leave her
without a home.  Fortunately, a kindly wizard who was a friend of her masters
comes and tells her it is time for her to enter the world as an adventurer.  He
says that if she really wants to become a powerful wielder of magic she must
gain experince in the real world.

Though a bit anxious about this, Ginafae also finds herself excited by the idea
of leaving the confines of the lab.  The kind mage goes on to tell her of a city
on the border of the frontier, called Burkden, where danger lurks and fortunes
are to be had.  He suggests that she travel there to begin her career.  After
thinking about it Ginafae decides to take his advice.  He arranges for her to
travel with a caravan to Burkden and provides her with a letter of
recommendation to the master of the magic-users guild of that city.  As a
farewell gift, to see that her career begins right, he gives her 130gp and sends
Ginafae on her way.

The journey takes several days, but she arrives safely in Burkden.  The very
first thing Ginafae does upon her arrival is to go to the Magic-Users guild and
present her letter of recommendation.  They welcome her and after taking a 30gp
membership fee, assign her to an upper level wizard who will oversee her
continued training.  His name is Coran Archer.  She is not sure how the
relationship is going to work out after he takes a look at her spell book and
says "Quite sloppy, I see I'm going to have to teach you to become better
organized."  However, she decides to wait to give him the benefit of the doubt
after he tells her that he does not believe in doing lab work.  He says "Go out
and get some experience, then return to me when you are ready to learn more."

Over the next several days she explores the town, purchasing a map from the
local scribe (20gp).  She also meets several of the other hopeful students of
magic who hang out at the Merry Warlock.  From them Ginafae learns of some of
the goings on in the city.

These other students also tell her of 'the new member challenge' they have set
up amongst themselves.  They tell her that all new guild members must go to the
abandoned mansion on the east side of town alone, at midnight, and bring back
one object from inside.  Snickering, they assure her that only a couple of
students have gone in never to return.  It is obvious that anyone who doesn't
face their challege will be subjected to constant ridicule and heckling.  So,
wanting to fit in, she decides to give it a shot, not giving much credit to the
rumors of ghosts in the place.

On the third night after her arrival in Burkden, she makes her way to the
abandoned mansion with a group of fellow students.  The mansion stands atop a
small hill, just north of the eastern city docks, surrounded by a tall stone
wall.  She sees that the large yard, including an area of shore line, is over
grown with weeds and filled with trees growing wild from lack of care.  The
house itself has a barren look about it, and looms like a dark sentinel at the
head of a small roadway leading up from the gate.  The gate is rusted over, but
a chain and lock on it appear new.  The other students help her over the wall
and wait at the gate as Ginafae walks toward the mansion.  Even with her racial
background, they seemed impressed that she choose to go into the dark mansion
without a light.

Moving up the stone roadway, she conducts a quick search of the grounds.  The
four acres or so are thick with weeds and untended shrubbery.  At the back of the
house she finds a well that drops 30 ft to a pool of water.  Also behind the
house, at the bottom of the hill on the narrow strip of sandy beach, is the
remains of a decaying boat dock.  The mansion itself is a fairly large two story
structure.  Several of the windows have been knocked out and it is in general
disrepair.

Moving to the front entrance, she discovers that the door is not locked and
opens into a dusty 20x30 entrance hall.  There is a double door in the middle of
the north wall and a 5-foot wide corridor leading east from the northeast corner
of the chamber.  There is nothing in the room except dust.

Moving to the double doors and taking a quick peek inside, she sees a battered
and broken table and the remains of six chairs strewn about the center of a
30x40 room.  In the northwest corner is a large patch of webs covering a piece
of canvas that is partially draped over a skeleton.  There is a door leading
east in the northeast corner of the room.  Seeing a shape scurry into the web,
Ginafae decides to stay away from that corner.

Going to the door in the northeast, she finds it is slightly ajar.  Entering
the room beyond, she discovers a kitchen.  It is dirty and dusty with patches of
harmless mold everywhere.  A fireplace on the east wall is half-filled with old
ashes.  In the northeast corner is an old barrel one-third full of rotten
kindling.  Several broken bottles are littered around the floor in front of the
fireplace.  Looking through the cabinets, hoping to find something really
interesting to take back, she comes across a couple of jars.  One contains some
dark liquid and the other dried leaves.  You take these, but decide to look
elsewhere in the house.
As Ginafae moves to the door it suddenly slams shut.  A bit frightened, she
cautiously approaches and tests the handle.  It doesn't budge.  Even with her
best efforts she can't get the door to move.  Starting to panic, she moves to
the windows which have been boarded up.  They too are firmly barred and turning
to the fireplace Ginafae finds the chimmney is far too narrow even for her.  She
tries everything that she can think of, but eventually resigns herself to the
fact that she is trapped.

Hours pass and she gives up hope that the other students will come to rescue
her.  Though, once Ginafae does hear the sound of footsteps in the entryway,
they seem to move into the south part of the house before fading away.
Sometime later she hears more footsteps from upstairs, but decides to remain
quiet, remembering stories of ghosts.  The night passes slowly, and the house is
filled with strange squeeks and thuds.  She dozes off once or twice but for the
most part remains alert.

Gradually light begins to filter in from around the boarded windows to
tell her that a new day has dawned.  Ginafae begins to feel the slight pangs of
hunger.  Hopefully, now that it is day, someone will come for her.  Just as she
has that thought, she again hears footsteps from the entryway.  They seem to be
moving slowly, as if someone is looking around.  They move south and pause for
several minutes before returning more hastily in her direction.  Whoever it is,
enters the room with the broken table and webs just outside the door from where
she stands.

It sounds like they move in the direction of the webs and after a few
seconds Ginafae hears a muffled oath and the sound of feet scuffling.  About
the same time more footsteps come from the entrance.  These, too, enter the
room beyond where she is standing and she hears the clash of weapons.
After a few minutes the sounds stop and voices begin.  She can't make out
what they are saying, but she does discern at least three different voices right
outside the door she is locked behind.

                             --------------------

After a brush with the law in his home town of Nagandib, Crowe decides it is
time for a change of scenery.  Hearing of a town on the edge of the frontier,
where there is adventure and fortune to be had for those brave enough to take
it, he makes plans to journey east.  The name of the city is Burkden and it is
reputed to be a lawless place where villainy and virtue contend on a day to day
basis.  The city is also said to be plagued by many dangers, both from within
and from without.  Intrigued by the stories and itching for adventure, he
arranges for passage on a southbound ship.  Then too, there is always the
possibility of visiting his father, who lives in the Elven city of Tintagel,
many miles north of Burkden.

Saying farewell to his mother, who barely acknowledges his departure in her
usual drunken stupor, he heads for the dock and boards the 'Sea Pegasus'.  The
trip south is uneventful and five days later he docks in the port of Lamyth.  It
takes two days for the ship to be refitted, during which time he hears many
rumors about a ghostship haunting the sea lanes in and around Burkden.  Though
somewhat apprehensive about continuing his sea voyage east, he reboards the boat
once it is ready to set sail.

It takes another two days to reach the port of Burkden, during which time the
'Sea Pegasus' has an unsettling encounter.  On the last leg of the trip, about
60 miles from the city, it comes across an abandoned ship floating adrift.  The
captain pulls along side and sends some sailors to investigate.  They report
back that there are no signs of survivors or cargo.  The captain rigs a line to
the abandoned vessel and tows it into the city's port.

Upon entering the city, one of the first things Crowe does is find a room at
a cheap inn.  By this time his funds are running low, so he takes the time to
look for the best deal he can which happens to be The Circled Star Inn.  This
inn is run by a kindly old woman name Blanche, who is more than happy to share
what gossip she can about the city.  From her he learns:

The Griffin's Lair is the local hangout for brave adventurers like him.
Watch out for the alchemist, half the time he doesn't know what he's doing.
Mrs. Weatherwax is a bit strange, but she does have true sight.
The abandoned mansion is said to be haunted and strange lights and sounds
   often come from within.
The owner of the Crescent Moon inn is said to be a crook.

Next, Crowe sets out to find a map of the city.  Blanche directs him to The
Ink Well and there he spends the last of his gold on a detailed map of Burkden.

+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                                                         |
|           \ \                                              ______       |
|            \ \           O______o_____O      |~ |         / /----       |
|             |1|          |            |      | ~|        /1/            |
|        o----O-O----------o  [2]   [3] |o_____O_o_0______O_O____o        |
|       /  __     [6]    [5]     ___            \~ \   [6]    [7]|        |
|     /   |4_|    [6]           [_8_]            | ~|  [4]       |        |
|   /         [9] [6]     [10]               [11]|~ |  [6] [12]  |        |
|  O  [13]     [14]              [15]            | ~|            |        |
|  |                    [16]  [4]          [17]   \~ \     [18]  |        |
|  |      [19]                     [20]            | ~|          |        |
|  |                 21     [22]               [23]|__|    [24]  |        |
|  |    [25]                          [26]         |--|          |        |
|  o           [27]            [28]                |~ |  [29]    O--      |
|  |   [30]         o---o-o---o           [31]     | ~|     [32]/ ~       |
|  |          [33]  | [6]  [6]|     [34]       [35]|~ |  [36]  / ~        |
|  |  ___[37]       \[4]__[38]|         [39]       | ~|   [40]|== ~       |
|  | / ~ ~|| ~\______O/ |||___O\       [41]   [42] |~ |   [43]|==~        |
|__O/~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~|| ~|| ~ \_[44]__   [45]   |~=|[46]  /~ ~ ~       |
|~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ // ~ || ~ ~ ~||~ ~\[47] [48]\= ~\ [49]|==~ ~       |
| ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ \[50] [51]\= ~\_[52]\~ ~        |
|~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ || ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  \___[53]_/ ~ ~ ||~ ~ ~ ~       |
| ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~/--o||o----\o___~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~|| ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~        |
|~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~/ ___  [54] ____ o~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~       |
| ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~/ [55_]      |56|  |~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  N  ~ ~        |
|~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~o    [57]   [58]    | ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ W< >E ~ ~       |
| ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ \___o________o_____o~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~   S ~ ~ ~       |
|~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~        |
|~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~        |
|                                                                         |
|                                                                         |
|                                                                         |
| 1. Gateways                        2. The Circled Star Inn              |
| 3. Cooper                          4. Stables                           |
| 5. Cartwright                      6. Army Barracks                     |
| 7. Ardrey's Leather Shop           8. Fighter's Guild                   |
| 9. Customs House                  10. The Griffin's Lair (adv. hangout) |
|11. The Jackpot (Gambling House)   12. Customs house                     |
|13. Ardath's Armory                14. Sid's Leather Works               |
|15. Temple of Selena               16. Drax the Gemcutter                |
|17. Alchemist's Shop (burnt down)  18. Tarcell's Tavern                  |
|19. Garrik's Weaving               20. Mrs. Weatherwax's                 |
|21. Market Square                  22. The King's Garden                 |
|23. The Cresent Moon Inn           24. The Silver Dice                   |
|25. Fabron's Temple (H of Justice) 26. The Ink Well                      |
|27. The Silver Blade               28. City Jail                         |
|29. Kryalla's Herbs & Spices       30. The Sea Dragon Tavern             |
|31. Miggin's Magic Shop            32. Abandoned Mansion                 |
|33. The Castle Inn                 34. Throcken's Armory                 |
|35. Imreaell's Mansion             36. Temple of Mortimer                |
|37. Merchants of Mystery           38. Warden's Home (of Burkden)        |
|39. Nurin's Pet Shop               40. Colossus Lumber Co.               |
|41. The Merry Warlock              42. Temple of Merlock                 |
|43. Invincible Armor Co.           44. City Dock                         |
|45. Wizard's Guild                 46. Merchant's Guild                  |
|47. Perk the Bowyer                48. Elcadar Jewel Importers           |
|49. Keepers of the Cloth           50. Reswald & Reswald Distillery      |
|51. Trustworth Suppliers           52. The Strong Corporation            |
|53. The Finest in Wines            54. Citadel Garrison House            |
|55. Embassy and Treasure House     56. Palace                            |
|57. Storehouse                     58. Peltar's Tower                    |
|                                                                         |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

With it he sets out to find the local Thieves' guild.  Over the next four days
he explores the city, adding to the map locations of wealthy homeowners and all
the while searching for the thieves' guild.  Crowe manages to support himself
with a couple of successful pickpocket attempts and a minor burglary, all from
people who could obviously afford to spare a little wealth.  During this time
he also picks up several rumors floating in and around town, several of them he
hears more than once.

  #1  Over the past month, there have been numerous disappearances in and
  around the city of Burkden.  Reports have said that groups of bandits,
  led by a vicious man of hideous appearance, have been roaming the
  countryside kidnapping unwary travelers.  There have been no ransom
  demands and rumor has it the victims are used in the experiments of some
  evil wizard.

  #2  There has been several recent threats made on the Duke's life and three of
  his closest aids have been murdered over the past two months.  People say that
  the merchant Imreaell is behind this because he wants the Duke out of power.

  #3  Recently, the sea lanes along the coast near Burkden have been plagued
  by sightings of a ghostship.  This ship is said to attack unarmed cargo
  vessels and has seriously hindered the city's shipping trade.  The town
  militia has tried several times to deal with the ghostship, without success.

  #4  It is rumored that somewhere near Burkden there opperates a secret
  Cult of the Death God.  They too are said to be responsible for people's
  disappearances.

  #5  Rumor also has it that the master of the thieves' guild was recently
  murdered and this has set off a blood feud between the thieves' and the
  assassin's guild.  This makes the streets dangerous for citizens, especially
  at night.  No one knows where the 2 guild are located, though some speculate
  that The Jackpot serves as a front for the Thieves' guild.

On the fourth night of his stay in the city, after hearing the last rumor, he
goes to the Jackpot, but as best he can discern the rumor is false.  All of his
attempts to communicate in Thieves' cant with people who are in charge meet with
failure.

As he searches for the thieves' guild, Crowe decides to try his luck in the
gambling halls, seeing as how he visits them anyway.  The Silver Dice appears
to be the favorite gambling spot of the well-to-do citizens of Burkden.  As a
result, the ante for the games is fairly steep.  After trying his hand at a few
of the tables and losing, Crowe decides to take his business elsewhere,
preferably to a place where the stakes are in his income bracket.  He
contemplates picking a few pockets to make up for his losses, but several
obvious guard-like types roaming the floor dissuade him of that idea.

Moving to the Jackpot he finds that it is more his kind of place.  The patrons
are working class and adventurer types like him.  The games are somewhat less
sophisticated than those at The Silver dice, but the stakes are as he likes
them, low.  Making his way from table to table, Crowe plays a variety of games
such as roulette, blackjack and craps.  By the end of the night, he has turned
himself a modest profit, increasing his purse by 12gp.  Crowe decides to return
the next evening.

While exploring the city on the second day, he comes upon Trustworth Suppliers
storehouse.  It is a wholsesale company dealing in a variety of finished
products and miscellaneous equipment.  He scopes out the place while making a
minor purchase.  There are sixteen mercenary types guarding the building armed
with spears and wearing leather armor.  In addition to these, about eight clerks
and stock handlers are employed there.  It is a two story  building with wide
front and back entrances.  Placed high on the walls are several windows.  Inside
the front of the building there is a open sales room with a small office to one
side.  Double doors lead to a large open warehouse room in back of the building.
All the rooms have high ceilings, there being no second floor.  All in all, he
judges it to be a worthy test of his skills and decides to visit the place
again.

That evening, before making his way back to the Jackpot for another round of
gambling, he decides to pay a visit to Mrs. Weatherwax.  Crowe finds her small
cottage near the center of the city and just as he readies his hand to knock on
the door, it opens.  A short ancient looking gypsy woman, covered from head to
foot with jangling trinkets and brightly color scarves stands smiling at him.
In a light, friendly voice she says "Come in, come in, I've been expecting you."

Entering her small home, she leads Crowe to a back room dimmly lit by a strange
orange glow.  She sits him down at a table across from her and asks "What shall
it be?  A simple reading of the palm for 10gp, a look at what the cards have to
say for 15gp, or a peek into the future through my mystic orb for 25gp?"  With
40gp, but hoping to increase it later in the night, he decides to play it
somewhat safe and go with a card reading.  She takes out a worn pack of heavy
cards, shuffles them, and deals them out in strange patterns so that five remain
face up in front of him.  The faded pictures on them are as follows: a open eye
in the center of a star, two men clasping hands, a skull, a shadowy manshaped
figure, a ship on water.

Mrs. Weatherwax ponders over these for a moment then makes an interpretation.
"You shall find that which you have been seeking and meet new companions.
Together, you will face death and acquire a secret foe.  Not long after, you
will make a journey across the water.  The future is ever changing, but so
speak the cards."  After taking his money she escorts him to the door.  He
then makes his way again to the Jackpot and has another night of good luck,
gaining 18gp; all the while pondering the strange predictions of
Mrs. Weatherwax.

Crowe returns to the Jackpot the following night, but his luck fails and he
loses 10gp.  Much later in the evening, he again leaves the inn and makes his
way to the Trustworth Suppliers.  Crowe spends a considerable amount of time
assessing the situation.  There are two guards at each door, and at regular
intervals four guards come out of the building and patrol around it.  Timing his
move just right and keeping to the darkness, he moves quickly and silently to a
window at the back of the building.  He has no trouble climbing the wall and the
lock on the window is simple enough for him to pick.

Inside he climbs quickly to the floor.  He is in the warehouse part of the
building and there is no sign of guards.  Numerous crates are stacked up about
the room and he happens to find one of them open.  Inside are the following
items:
10 bolts of fine cloth
7 bullseye lanterns
a box of chalk
10 lengths of rope (3 of them are silk)
20 winter blankets
a box filled with soap
several iron pots
a box of paper
a box with 8 vials of writing ink
and a small hourglass

No other box is open and Crowe decides it would be too noisy to try to open
one.  Taking what he wants, Crowe heads back to the window, makes it back out
to the street and is away without anyone the wiser.

Leaving the Jackpot on the fourth night, his luck having returned in the form of
a 12gp winning streak, Crowe's keen hearing picks up sounds of a fight nearby.
Moving in the direction of the alley beside The Jackpot, he comes upon four men
clothed in black, with some sort of red insignia on their arms, attacking a lone
man.  A lantern lies over turned on the ground casting a strange light upon the
scene.  Also on the ground are the bodies of two men in black.  The lone man
seems to be fending well for himself, but he has a nasty gash on his leg and a
bleeding wound at his side.  The fight is about 20ft away from Crowe and none
of those involved have spotted him yet.

Investigating, he crouches low in the shadows peering at the man being attacked.
He is a tall lean man, with brown hair and beard.  He is nicely dressed in a
dark blue cloak, a dull yellow tunic, stained red with his blood, and blue
breeches.  He is wielding a long sword in one hand and a dagger in the other.
He is definitely not a mage or a priest, neither does he look like a merchant.

Deciding to come to his aid, Crowe creeps stealthily up behind one of the mans
attackers.  Intent on their prey, they do not notice Crowe.  With a quick
thrust, he plunges his dagger into the man's back.  As he falls with a scream,
Crowe hurls another dagger at a second man, but misses.  The man in black turns
to take a swing at Crowe with his scimitar, but he dodges easily and draws his
longsword.

Distracted by Crowe's attack, another blacked cloaked figure goes down with a
vicious stroke from the bearded man.  The man facing Crowe swings again and
catches him on the arm, but it is only a scratch.  Crowe lunges with his sword
but misses.  As Crowe and his opponent parry each other's blows, the man gets
through the guard of yet another attacker who falls to the ground.

The man fighting Crowe suddenly turns and strikes the bearded man, who falls to
his knees with a groan.  Crowe leaps at the man in black and runs him through
with his sword and the man in black slumps to the ground, dead.

Clutching, his most recent wound with a grimace of pain, the bearded man looks
up at Crowe and says "I thank you, you have most likely save my life.  Would you
mind searching their bodies for me?"  As Crowe complies, the moves to the wall
and begins bandaging his wounds.  Making a thorough search, Crowe discovers that
besides scimitars each of the dead men carry two daggers with skulls on their
pommels.  They each also have 8gp and on one them he finds a piece of paper with
the following short message:

+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                                                         |
| We've gotten rid of Romdril Murr, now it is up to you to dispose of his |
| pupil, Ardan Fiske.  Do not fail or our plans will be in jeapordy.      |
|                                                                         |
|                                                   Sandar Fleatis        |
|                                                                         |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Showing the wounded man what he found, the man first says "You may keep the
gold as partial reward for aiding me."  Upon reading the note the man murmurs
to himself "Just as I suspected."  Looking up at Crowe, he says "You handled
yourself well here, I owe you a debt.  My name is Ardan Fiske, student of the
late master of the thieves' guild, Romdril Murr.  You are the one I've heard
about who's been asking about the location of the thieves' guild aren't you?"

After Crowe responds affirmatively, the man continues "I tell you what, I will
sponsor you as a member and even take on your training myself.  But first, if
you are interested in my offer, I want you to go to the abandoned mansion and
find out what you can about who sent these men.  They are members of the death
cult.  When you have some information, return to the Jackpot and ask for me.
You are not too badly hurt, go now, before these five are missed and they send
more after me.  I will be alright for now."

After retrieving the dagger he threw, Crowe accepts Ardan's offer,
telling Ardan that he will head to the mansion tomorrow.  He replies "Very
well, why don't you help me back inside then.  But first, let's take their
clothes."  Removing the black cloaks of the five dead men, Crowe then assists
Ardan to the rear entrance of The Jackpot.  Taking out a small pick, Ardan
inserts it into the door, jiggles it, producing a click.  He then
opens the door, revealing a flight of stairs leading up.

As he leans heavily on Crowe, the two of them climb the stairs.  Ardan stops
twice to fiddle with the pick in small holes in the walls.  Finally, they
reach another door at the top of the stairs which he also opens with a
pick, and the two men enter a living area.  Crowe lowers him to a plush chair
and brings him a drink of wine.  He again thanks Crowe and reminds him to return
when he has information for Ardan.  Crowe asks him about the items he stole from
the warehouse and Ardan chuckles "Busy already huh?  Sure, leave it in your room
and I'll have someone pick it up, to take care of it."  Leaving the way he came,
Crowe returns to the Circle Star and calls it a night.

In the morning, after breakfast, Crowe makes his way to the abandoned mansion.
The mansion stands atop a small hill, just north of the eastern city docks,
surrounded by a tall stone wall.  The large yard, including an area of shore
line, is over grown with weeds and filled with trees growing wild from lack of
care.  The house itself has a barren look about it, and looms like a dark
sentinel at the head of a small roadway leading up from the gate.  The
gate is rusted over, but a chain and lock on it appear new.  Taking out
his picks, Crowe makes sure no one is around to see, then manages to open
the lock.

Moving up the stone roadway, he conducts a quick search of the grounds and
deciding to have a quick look inside, he moves to the front entrance.  The
door is not locked and opens into a dusty 20x30 entrance hall.  There is a
double door in the middle of the north wall and a 5-foot wide corridor
leading east from the northeast corner of the chamber.  There is nothing
in the room except dust.

Moving to the double doors and taking a quick peek inside, Crowe sees a battered
and broken table and the remains of six chairs strewn about the center of a
30x40 room.  In the northwest corner is a large patch of webs covering a piece
of canvas that is partially draped over a skeleton.  There is a door leading
east in the northeast corner of the room.

Looking down the hallway leading from the entrance hall, he sees two more
doors.  Taking a look in the one to the north Crowe sees an empty 30x20 room
full of dust and dirt.  The one to the south leads to a 40x20 room containing
a desk along the west wall and a chest between the two windows in the south
wall.  To either side of the door and the east, the walls are lined with
bookshelves.  Most of the books are gone, but a few remain and some lie on the
floor amid the dirt.

                             --------------------

The 'time of adventuring' having drawn near, Kelemvor is called to a
private meeting with Garnabel Kerlyth, the High Priest of the temple of Valeska.
After an exchange of pleasantries, he asks Kelemvor to sit down to discuss an
important matter.

"Kelemvor, you have been a worthy student for many years, learning
the will of Valeska with admirable zeal.  Now the time has come for you to
leave the security of the temple and enter the world to carry out her
work.  I have a special task which calls for the talents of one such as
yourself.  It will not be easy, in fact it will require all your skills
to meet the challenge, but given your record I am confident you will not
disappoint the goddess should you choose to accept the mission."

He smiles warmly at Kelemvor before continuing.  "Word has reached my ears that
a group calling itself the Cult of Death is operating within the city of
Burkden.  They have been attributed responsibility for numerous murders and
disappearances in the area over the past several months.  They have the
population of that city on the verge of panic and I fear we may feel the
repercussions even here."

"We have not had a temple in that area since the 'time of change'.
Stories have it that before 'the reincarnation' of Valeska, when Burkden
was only a small wilderness settlement, there was a large temple there that
was very active.  However, it is said to have been one of the first
places destroyed by the goddess in her mortal form.  All attempts to
reestablish a temple there have met with failure due to the fear and
hostility of the citizens.  The current activities will only serve to
reinforce those fears and end all hope of our winning over the people
unless something is done soon."

"It is for that reason that I want you to go to Burkden and learn what
you can about what is going on.  Try to find out if it is a remnant of
the old sect that is operating there and if so from where they are working.
I do not expect you to try to stop them yourself, I just want you
to gather information that will help me prepare a larger force to deal
with the situation.  It is a dangerous mission, I know.  Not only will
you be in peril should the cult discover your actions, you will also have to
deal with the hostility of the people of the city.  But, I feel your
talents are up to it and you could serve Valeska well in this matter."

"I am not ordering you to take on this mission, the choice is yours.  You
may have some time to consider and prepare what you need.  A caravan is leaving
for Burkden in the morning, you have until then to decide.  Should you choose to
go, you have my permission to enlist the aid of any others you might meet and
feel you can trust.  You may, on my authority, offer a reward to anyone willing
to serve the temple of Valeska in this way."

Kelemvor firmly states, "I accept, but I do have some questions. Given the
nature of the mission, should I disguise myself?  I prefer to walk as I am
now, in the clothes of the priesthood, but I know we tend to draw attention
to ourselves, especially with the symbol of our lord."

The high priest nods his head gravely, "Yes, given the climate of the
situation, I  can see that it might be necessary to disguise or at least not
flaunt  your affiliation with Valeska.  Do not consider this a violation of
your honor to her.  She knows well the fear and dislike many have of our
priesthood and would have you protect yourself from such prejudice.  After
all, you cannot serve her if you are imprisoned or maimed."

Next, Kelemvor asks "How much can I offer for aid?"

Looking thoughtful for a moment, Garnabel replies "That will depend on the
service provided, but for help in getting information as to the activities of
this group I think we can afford to offer a reward of at least 300gp per person.
Maybe more, maybe less, depending upon the quality and type of information and
the number of people."

Nodding, Kelemvor continues his questions.  "If the cult is our fallen
brothers, do you have any special instructions for me?"

The high priest replies "You may try to convince them of the error of their
ways and encourage them to turn to the new tenets of our faith.  Use your best
judgment as to their receptiveness when approaching them."

Satisfied with the answers he received, Kelemvor thanks his high priest for
selecting him to perform this honorable service for the order.  He then leaves
the high priest's chamber to prepare for the journey.

In the morning Garnabel goes with Kelemvor to meet the caravan.  The temple has
provides him with a mule to carry his belongings.  Garnabel bids Kelemvor
farewell saying "I have every confidence you will serve Valeska well as you make
your way in the world.  Put yourself in her path and she will guide you."  He
then unfolds a cloak he has been carrying and places it around Kelemvor's
shoulders.  "Farewell my son, may you join Valeska soon."  Kelemvor then moves
away with the caravan, headed east to Burkden.

He journeys with the caravan of traders to the city of Burkden.  The merchants
are members of the Trustworthy Suppliers Company, on their way to deliver a
shipment of finished wood products and foodstuffs to their branch in Burkden.
They have regular dealings with Kelemvor's temple as so are not too disconcerted
by his presence.  In fact, they are easygoing men who like to talk and along
the way Kelemvor picks up a variety of news about what is going on in the
Burkden area.

He learns that the reason they are travelling overland rather than by boat is
because of a 'ghostship' that has been haunting the sea lanes to the city.
Intrigued by this bit of news, he tries to find out all that the merchants
know, which turns out to be next to nothing.  It seems that a ship, manned by
grisly undead from the sea, has been attacking unarmed cargo vessels and has
seriously hindered the Burkden shipping trade.  Several of their own ships have
been attacked, only to be found adrift days later, empty of cargo and crew.  The
town militia has tried several times to deal with the ghostship, without
success. Merchants, craftsmen and the seamen's guild are complaining loudly
about the problem this is causing for business and have even put up a handsome
reward to anyone willing to stop this menace.  None of the group Kelemvor is
travelling with have actually seen the ghostship, but they tell him that there
are survivors of its attacks in Burkden.

Of course the overland route is not much safer, as they tell him that over the
past month, there have been numerous disappearances around the city of Burkden.
Reports have said that a group of bandits, led by a vicious man of hideous
appearance, has been roaming the countryside kidnapping unwary travelers.  There
have been no ransom demands and rumor has it the victims are used in the
experiments of some evil wizard. But they say they are more willing to brave a
attack by bandits than coming face to face with unnatural creatures of a
ghostship.

Along the way, he also subtly prompts them for information about the Death Cult.
The merchants say that even within the walls of the city people have been
disappearing and there have been more than the usual unaccounted for murders.
They beg Kelemvor's pardon for any offense, but say that rumor has a secret
Cult of Death is responsible for these activities.  Members of this cult may
even be behind recent threats made against the duke's life.

The merchants have a map of the city which they allow him to borrow and copy
over the four day trip.  They are helpful in providing him with information
about points of local interest.  From them he learns, The Griffin's Lair is
the local hangout for adventurers.  They also tell him to watch out for the
alchemist, half the time he doesn't know what he's doing.  Kelemvor is told that
the merchants of mystery deal in all sort of strange merchandise and are
constantly on the lookout for new unique items.  They say that if he is looking
for ghosts on land, a good place to find them might be the abandoned mansion
on the east side of town, where strange lights and sounds are often seen and
heard. The journey is uneventful and Kelemvor arrives safely outside the walls of
Burkden on the fourth night.  Bidding the merchants farewell at the gate, he
enters the city and finds lodgings for both his mule and himself.  The next day
he rises early and begins his search for information concerning the cult of
death. The town is buzzing with talk of the ghostship and the recent murder of
one of the Duke's councilors.  Kelemvor finds a few people who mention that the
Death Cult is active in the area, but they seem unwilling to say anything else
about it.

Near dusk, after a busy but fruitless day of inquiry, he goes to The Griffin's
Lair to have his evening meal.  There, he runs into a young mage named Ssylth
who wears a cloak of blue, the colors of Modrake's Academy of Magic.  He appears
to have the frail body of a teenager and is a couple inches shorter than most
humans, not having reached his full height.  Beneath his cloak he is wearing
what looks to be average cloth pants, a grey shirt that seems to be a few sizes
too big for him, and a pair of sift boots.  Kelemvor notices that although the
clothes are in good shape, they are not made of very expensive material.  They
are probably just well cared for.  Looking at his face, he seems somewhat
clueless, as if he'd be more at home in a library than this tavern.  He has
blond hair and blue eyes.  Kelemvor sees that Ssylth carries a couple daggers
and some pouches on his side, and wears a backpack.  Though he does not appear
to be carrying much, Kelemvor gets the impression that Ssylth could not carry
more.

Kelemvor learns that Ssylth too, has recently come to Burkden in search of the
mistress of his school, one Lycira Modrake, and three fellow students.  He tells
Kelemvor that in his search for Lycira he has heard rumors that a death cult
operating in the area is responsible for many people's disappearances.  He also
has it from a good source that this cult may have a hideout at the abandoned
mansion on the east side of town.  He plans to go there tomorrow to search for
Lycira.  Seeing as how this is Kelemvor's only real lead, he agrees to accompany
Ssylth.

                             --------------------

It has been a month since Ssylth's graduation from Modrake's Academy. The past
couple of weeks have been hectic at the academy as twelve days ago Lycira
Modrake, mistress of the school, vanished while on a trip to the mainland.
She was on her way to the city of Burkden with one of your fellow students,
named Zanzibar Longstaff, when they disappeared without a trace.  Not long
thereafter two undergraduates, a girl named Genna and an elf named Goldenmeadow,
whose training you were supervising, secretly left the isle to go search for
Lycira and Zanzibar.

Concerned for their safety and holding Ssylth somewhat responsible for their
leaving, his mentor has charged him to go after the two undergraduates and
tell them to return to the Academy or be expelled.  He, in turn, is to stay
in Burkden and learn what he can about the location of Lycira and Zanzibar.
Menaliss, Ssylth's mentor, says that Ssylth is ready for the challenge and he
is confident in Ssylth's ability to succeed.  Ssylth only half grudgingly
accepts the task, as he has considerable admiration for Lycira and wants to see
her return safely.  In addition, he cares for Genna and Goldenmeadow and doesn't
want to see them lose their place at the Academy.  So, gathering his belongings
and finalizing preparations to enter the real world, he leaves the island for
the city of Burkden.

Ssylth travels on a small ship owned by the Academy.  On the way, the crew tells
him stories of a 'ghostship' that has been haunting the sea lanes around
Burkden.  It seems that a ship, manned by grisly undead from the sea, has been
attacking unarmed cargo vessels and has seriously hindered the Burkden shipping
trade.  The town militia has tried several times to deal with the ship, without
success.  They tell him not to worry, it only attacks cargo vessels and this is
a passenger ship.  They report having sighted the ghostship from a distance on
at least two occasions, but have never actually confronted it.  They don't seem
too concerned, but for the rest of the trip Ssylth watches the passing waves
nervously.

The wind stays in the boat's favor and it takes only two days to reach the city.
Ssylth disembarks at the dock, bidding farewell to the sailors and enters the
city to find lodgings.  The following day he rises early to begin his search for
Genna and Goldenmeadow.  Someone tells Ssylth to check at the Griffin's Lair and
gives him directions to the tavern.  Upon entering the place and asking around,
he comes upon a priest of Selena who says there is an elf by the name of
Goldenmeadow at his temple recovering from a serious wound.  He kindly agrees to
take Ssylth there and as luck would have it he finds both Genna and
Goldenmeadow.

They both express pleasure, and surprise, at seeing him.  Within moments they
are telling Ssylth their story.  After leaving the isle and making their way to
Burkden, the two apprentices were attacked on the road by a group of orc
bandits.  Fortunately, for them, an elf named E'tharn Talloak came along and
drove off the orcs.  However, Goldenmeadow was almost killed in the fight and
Genna brought him to this temple to be healed, with the help of E'tharn.
While Goldenmeadow has been recovering, Genna and their rescuer have been
searching for clues as to the disappearance of Lycira and Zanzibar. Today
Genna learned some interesting news.  It seems that a cult of death, who are
said to be responsible for many people's disappearance in the city may be
operating out of an abandoned mansion on the east side of town.  She was
planning to inform E'tharn of this and go with him there at first light
tomorrow to investigate.

Ssylth then informs them of the orders that they return to the academy or be
expelled.  At first they protest, but eventually he manages to convince them
that is the right thing to do and he will be staying to search for Lycira.
Though not happy, they agree and say they will leave on the waiting ship
tomorrow.  Meanwhile, Genna gives Ssylth her map of the city and urges him to
go back to Griffin's Lair to try to find E'tharn, the elf who helped them.  She
says he was very kind and wanted to help find Lycira.  Ssylth agrees to go and
take the map with him to study.

It is near dusk by the time Ssylth gets to the Griffin's Lair, so he orders
dinner.  As Ssylth eats, he is approached by a tall man wearing a large black
cloak.  He is also wearing black pants, calf-high black leather boots, and a
dull grey flannel shirt.  He has a rather plain appearance with brown hair and
brown eyes.  As Ssylth looks up at him, the man catches his eyes with an intense
stare which is a bit unnerving.  It is almost as if he is staring into Ssylth's
very soul.  The man is wearing no jewelry and has two pouches and many jars
hanging from his belt.

He introduces himself as Kelemvor and asks if he may sit down.  Ssylth learns
that the man too has recently come to Burkden and has heard rumors of a death
cult in the area which interests him.  He asks if Ssylth knows anything about
this.  Ssylth finds himself telling Kelemvor how he came to Burkden in search
of Lycira Modrake and that he has learned from a reliable source that this cult
may have a hideout at the abandoned mansion on the east side of town. Ssylth
also tells Kelemvor of his plans to go there tomorrow to search for Lycira and
asks if Kelemvor would like to come along.  He agrees and the two men make plans
to meet tomorrow morning.

Ssylth stays at the tavern for several hours, but finds no sign of the elf Genna
described as E'tharn.  He returns to the temple and tells Genna and Goldenmeadow
of his plan to go to the abandoned mansion in the morning.  He also tells them
that they should be on the ship headed back to the academy tomorrow.  Genna asks
to stay until noon, when she is supposed to meet E'tharn.  She will tell him
goodbye at that time and ask him to find Ssylth and help continue the search for
Lycria.  Ssylth agrees that this would be a good idea.  Wishing them a safe
journey tomorrow, Ssylth returns to his inn and turns in for the night.

                             --------------------

After a night of rest Kelemvor meets Ssylth and together they move to the
abandoned Mansion.  It is not long before they arrive outside the gate at the
head of a short roadway leading up to the old house.

The mansion stands atop a small hill, just north of the eastern city docks,
surrounded by a tall stone wall.  The large yard, including an area of shoreline
in back, is overgrown with weeds and filled with trees growing wild from
lack of care.  The house itself has a barren look about it, and looms like a
dark sentinel at the head of the small roadway leading up from the gate where
they stand.  The gate is rusted over, but stand slightly ajar with a new chain
and lock hanging undone from one of the bars.