Fflewddur Flynn
Fflewddur Flynn (a.k.a. Timekeeper)
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Has a tall and lean build with a look of elven handsomness.
Body Features
His skin is tanned and hands are a bit worn and calloused from his time spent on the road and in the wilderness.
Facial Features
His eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks, jaw and ears are all pleasantly proportioned. Face is symmetrical with no oddities or feature out of place.
Keeps a neatly trimmed beard.
Identifying Characteristics
Sharp emerald green eyes.
His tousled dark brown and white, neck-length hair which seems to be the only part of him that does not fit an otherwise orderly, well-kept appearance.
Apparel & Accessories
Prefers comfortable and simple clothing.
Usually found wearing a crisp white shirt, a pair of brown cotton pants with matching suspenders, comfortable dark brown leather boots and a large brown coat.
Wore a pair of earings for a disguise once and liked how they looked on him. Kept wearing them since.
Is often out on the road and carries his explorer's pack.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Fflewddur Flynn was born on 12th of Nightal 1462 DR to a human father and an elven mother. His mother Eilonwy heard the strangest thing during the moments of his birth. Faint sounds of clockwork gears turning echoed in her mind. Mixed in with Fflewddur’s first cries in the world were sounds of clock chimes, as if some hour had been struck. The family did not own any clocks. When she asked her husband Finn if he’d heard anything, he simply shrugged his shoulders and gave her a puzzled look. Finn then gave his son a warm smile and tried calming him down with a game of peek-a-boo. The odd clockwork sounds ceased and were soon forgotten as Fflewddur giggled.
As a child, Fflewddur spent a lot of his time at his father’s bakery in Neverwinter. He enjoyed watching his father make various tasty treats and would often sneak a few for himself while Finn wasn’t looking. The bakery was popular and brought in a variety of customers. Fflewddur loved interacting with the customers and knew the regulars by name.
Not long after the birth of his sister Fiona, Fflewddur began having strange dreams. In the dreams, he saw a strange world populated by what looked like living constructs. When he looked to his right, there was an elven woman dressed in emerald green robes that matched her eyes. The dreams would end just as the elven woman began to speak. Each time when one of these dreams ended, Fflewddur could hear faint echoes of clockwork gears turning. However, one night, instead of hearing clockwork gears, Fflewddur heard a loud clock chime instead. Just a single chime. Once the sound ended, he could feel gears in his mind moving. Strange memories formed in his head as he suddenly “remembered” how to cast magic.
Finn and Eilonwy were both puzzled by their son’s sudden ability with magic. Neither had ancestors with innate magic. Finn’s side of the family had no spellcasters as far as he could remember. However, Eilonwy’s maternal grandparents were both accomplished spellcasters. Her maternal grandmother Arianllyn was a bard from Baldur’s Gate who had mastered the Song of Creation. Adaon, her maternal grandfather, was a Bladesinger from Silverymoon. The two had met tracking down an ancient dracolich that had been terrorizing the lands. The nature of their work kept them far from home most of the time and Eilonwy’s mother ended up being raised by her paternal aunt in Silverymoon. One day, word came that the dracolich had been defeated. However, many lives were lost in the battle against the foul enemy, including Eilonwy’s maternal grandparents. Adaon’s wand and Arianllyn’s longhorn were recovered from their bodies and given to Eilonwy’s mother who kept both in a locked box tucked under the bed. Eilonwy didn’t know if Fflewddur somehow inherited some of her grandparents’ magic. However, she and Finn were in agreement that their son should be taught how to control his new abilities.
While the family was not poor by any stretch of the imagination, they weren’t wealthy either. Finn’s bakery was popular but he tended to charge less than his competitors and would often give away some of his baked goods to the poor. Eilonwy owned an apothecary shop which brought in enough money to allow the family to live modestly. The bulk of their savings were used to give Fflewddur a proper education in magic. When Fflewddur came of age, Eilonwy gifted him her grandfather’s wand.
Seeking to repay his parents, Fflewddur began doing mercenary work for the Lord of Neverwinter, serving as his eyes and ears in the surrounding areas. The work provided a steady stream of income of which the bulk went to help rebuild his parents’ savings. Fiona went to Waterdeep to help her paternal grandfather with his tailoring business in the Trades Ward. She sent home some of the money she earned as well.
Several years passed as Fflewddur served the city of Neverwinter as its first line of defense. One night, during an unpleasant encounter with a group of dark cultists, he rescued and befriended a gnome named Oswald Fiddlemender who introduced him to the Harpers. In his first meeting with the Harpers of Neverwinter, he learned that his maternal great-grandparents had both been members. As part of his debriefing, Oswald reported hearing his captors proclaim that the dracolich would rise once more. Should the dracolich return, Fflewddur vows to avenge his ancestors’ deaths and finish what they started.
Education
Growing up, Fflewddur studied under three tutors for his education in magic.
His first tutor was a College of Lore bard who helped him control his magic by visualizing it as a series of notes that he manipulated into song. Fflewddur ended up developing a habit of humming random tunes while casting magic as a result.
His second tutor was an Eldritch Knight who helped refine Fflewddur’s defensive and offensive magical capabilities. He also learned how to use simple weapons from the tutor.
His third and final tutor in magical studies was a Wild Sorceress who taught him the basics on how to augment his spellcasting through manipulating the flow of magic within him. Examples of such spellcasting augmentation, or metamagics as his tutor called it, included splitting a spell in two in order to direct it towards two targets instead of one, casting spells without spell components and altering the nature of a spell so that it could be cast in conjunction with another spell. Despite years of practice, he could never master any metamagics. Perhaps he would “remember” how to do it at some point in the future.
Employment
He is currently an active member of the Harpers in Neverwinter and serves as the eyes and ears of Lord Neverember.
Intellectual Characteristics
As he’s gotten older, he’s noticed that he tends to have a logical approach to things. Did he always have this logical side to him or is he somehow being influenced or shaped by the powers within him? This logical side of his at times conflicts with his desire to keep an open mind. There’s this sort of cold calculus that sometimes runs through his mind when he weighs his options to act which runs counter to his desire to help and his fear of loss.
Morality & Philosophy
Fflewddur believes in following laws that serve the people and strongly opposes rules and laws that benefit the few, especially at the expense of the many.
Seeing his parents living full and fulfilling lives and enjoying the fruits of their labors, he opposes anyone who would take away those freedoms from them or others.
Finn’s habit of giving away his wares to the less fortunate made a big impression on Fflewddur as a kid. The look of gratitude and joy on the faces of those his father helped is something he’ll forever remember and cherish.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
His father instilled in him a desire to help those less fortunate. The Harper Code has further cemented his beneficence.
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Sometimes misses the forest for the trees when investigating things, especially when presented with a lot of details and information.
Likes & Dislikes
An avid reader, he spends much of his downtime studying the cultures and histories of the peoples and settlements in the North.
Virtues & Personality perks
One of the first lessons he learned from his father was the axiom of measuring twice and cutting once. He tends to plan things out before acting.
Vices & Personality flaws
Fflewddur loves meeting new people and hates saying goodbyes. Rather than say “goodbye”, he often says “see you later” or “until next time”. Naturally, he has a tough time dealing with loss. While working in the field, he’s had to bury two companions who fell in battle. Each loss caused a great deal of sorrow and stress for him, resulting in parts of his hair turning white.
His difficulty in dealing with loss has caused him to avoid thinking about negative outcomes in life-and-death situations.
Personality Quirks
Has a habit of humming random tunes while casting magic.
Hygiene
His clothes are always clean and he makes sure to bathe and keep his beard and nails trimmed every chance he gets.
He can never seem to get his hair combed down in an orderly fashion. Finn, his father, has the same problem.
Social
Family Ties
Father
Fflewddur’s father is a human man who was born in Waterdeep and left the city when he came of age to work on trade caravans. After years of saving up his earnings, he eventually squirreled away enough gold to pursue his passion as a baker. He opened a bakery in Neverwinter and put to use the skills he learned from his mother. Initially, he kept the menu small and stuck to his favorite recipes. Eventually, as business picked up, he began to experiment and expanded his menu. Within a year, business was booming. He sent extra money he earned to his parents and often made rounds to the poorer areas of the city to give away his wares to the less fortunate.
Finn inherited a sharp mind from his parents and developed a strong work ethic from his time as a merchant. He worked hard to set a good example for his children and made sure they had a solid foundation in life.
Mother
Fflewddur’s mother is an elven woman who spent most of her childhood living in Neverwinter Wood, or Llewyrrwood as her parents called it. She learned a great deal about the medicinal properties of various herbs and plants from her mother. Her father, a former ranger of the High Forest, taught her hunting and self-defense.
When she came of age, she convinced her parents to let her visit the city of Neverwinter. During her visit to the city, she came across a bakery that piqued her interest. Smells of bread, fruit and a strange earthy aroma wafted from the bakery door to her nose. She had to take a peek inside. Within, the baker introduced himself as Finn and offered her samples of his wares. It was love at first sight and smell. Over the next several months, she’d pay Finn a visit and sample more of his baked goods. Eventually, the two began dating and married a year after.
With the help of her parents and Finn, she started an apothecary shop a few blocks away from Finn’s bakery. Eventually, she and Finn saved up enough money to repay her parents and start a family.
Sister
Fflewddur’s younger sister is a half-elf who inherited her paternal grandmother’s love of cooking and her paternal grandfather’s passion for tailoring. When she came of age, she moved to Waterdeep to help her paternal grandfather with his tailoring business. For several years, she also worked part-time as a chef at the Dancing Horse inn until she saved up enough money to settle down in a cozy home of her own in the Trades Ward.
Fiona and Fflewddur were very close as children having been born roughly 6 years apart. However, once Fflewddur’s innate magic manifested and he began his magical studies, they ended up spending less and less time together and started to grow apart. They remain on good terms and each takes time at least once a year to visit the other.
Religious Views
Agnostic.
Social Aptitude
Even as a child, Fflewddur was even-tempered. Seeing his father happily work each day bringing joy to people with his food instilled in him an upbeat attitude and a positive outlook on life.
Having met many people with various backgrounds and from all walks of life, he tends to keep an open mind when engaging with others. He enjoys learning each person’s story and is quick to provide comfort to those that need it.
Fflewddur Flynn was born on 12th of Nightal 1452 DR to a human father and an elven mother. He is a sorcerer who serves as the eyes and ears of the Lord of Neverwinter.
View Character Profile
Alignment
Neutral Good
Age
30
Date of Birth
12th of Nightal 1462 DR
Birthplace
Neverwinter
Children
Current Residence
Leilon
Gender
Male
Eyes
Emerald Green
Hair
Tousled Dark Brown, Greying Neck-Length Hair
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Tanned
Height
6'
Weight
200 lbs.
Related Reports
Tick
Nightal 11, 1492
Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick… Anxiety and fear melted away from Fflewddur like winter ice melting at the start of spring. Memories of the shadowy creatures on the Pirate’s Skyhold and in the Tower of Thalivar dissolved into darkness. The half-elf felt at ease for the first time in weeks.
Wondering how long he’d been meditating with Amarille, Fflewddur listened for the sound of fire crackling but caught the faint sound of birds singing instead. A cool breeze brushed his right cheek ever so gently as he heard the rustle of leaves nearby. Was it morning already? And, how did he end up outside?
Fflewddur opened his eyes and found himself sitting in the middle of a small forest clearing. A bird flew above him and landed on a tree to his left. Heat from the sun above warmed his body. There was a strong smell of oak in the air. If this was a dream, it was the most vivid one he’s ever had.
Two figures approached in the distance. One of them noticed Fflewddur and started to head his way. Should he run? Hide? No, Fflewddur decided to find out what they wanted. He stood up and waited for them to come to him. “Hello there,” the figure said aloud. “My name is Adaon Moonshadow. Who might you be?”
Fflewddur’s brows furrowed as he struggled to make sense of what was happening. Seeing the puzzled look on Fflewddur’s face, Adaon added, “You are in a memory, my memory to be exact. Are you one of Angharad’s children?”
“No, she’s…she’s my grandmother,” Fflewddur said with eyes wide in disbelief. “My name is Fflewddur, Fflewddur Flynn. What am I doing in your memory?”
“Nice to meet you, Fflewddur Flynn,” Adaon said with a smile. He directed Fflewddur to a shaded area under a great oak. The two of them sat cross-legged on the damp moss beneath the tree. “Now, where to begin?”
Adaon spent what felt like an hour explaining what was going on. Fflewddur listened attentively and kept his interruptions to a minimum. When his great-grandfather finished, Fflewddur still had some unanswered questions.
“So, let me see if I understand this correctly. My powers come from this Primus being who foresaw you visiting their domain and thought Ebondeath was somehow linked to the chaos and darkness that would befall their realm and subjects.” Fflewddur bobbed his head as he went through a mental list of the things Adaon had told him. “Did I miss anything?”
“That’s the gist of it,” Adaon replied with a nod. “This memory and your powers were a boon from Primus. The three of us combined our magic, added bits of our essence and created memories that would unlock for Angharad, or one of her descendants, when the time was right.”
Still confused, Fflewddur asked, “But if Primus is so powerful and rules an entire plane, why couldn’t he have simply defeated Ebondeath himself? Or, if he needed help, why didn’t he use the ritual to empower you and great-grandmother?”
“Primus’ powers are tied to their plane. They have no direct influence on our plane.” Adaon paused and his face hardened a little before softening as he let out a small sigh. “As to your other question, we weren’t sure if we would be successful in defeating Ebondeath, even with Primus’ help.”
Although Fflewddur knew his great-grandparents were ultimately unsuccessful in defeating Ebondeath, the truth still stung. He was determined more than ever to ensure his ancestors didn’t die in vain. Learning more about the boon granted to him would help in that regard. “You mentioned there were other memories embedded in my mind. Can you elaborate on that?”
“Five memories were incorporated into the ritual. We hoped to provide brief counsel to Angharad, or one of her descendants, through infusing slivers of our essence into the spell. This is how I am able to talk to you in my most cherished memory. Arianllyn and Primus will be able to do the same once their memories surface.” Adaon paused to see if Fflewddur had any questions.
As Adaon talked, Fflewddur looked at the elven woman in the distance and studied her intently. He couldn’t make out her face but something about her attire seemed familiar. The more he thought about it, the more she looked like the woman he saw in his dreams. When Adaon finished speaking, Fflewddur turned back to him and asked, “So, the three of you live on inside memories embedded in my mind? Not just as memories but as fragments of your former selves?”
“Not quite. Our memories will remain with you but Arianllyn and I will move onto the afterlife after we’ve had the opportunity to speak with you.” There was a hint of sadness in Adaon’s voice but also a look of pride on his face as the elf looked upon his great-grandson’s face.
Before he could ask another question, Fflewddur heard the faint sound of clockwork gears turning. He could feel the memory “solidifying” for lack of a better description. “What’s happening?” Fflewddur asked with a mix of confusion and fear.
“It would appear my time on this plane draws near,” Adaon replied. “Before I go, I wanted to let you know a little more about the other three memories Arianllyn and I included in Primus’ boon.” A clock chime rang softly in the air. Adaon spent the next five chimes briefly describing and explaining the three other memories. At the seventh chime, the two clasped their hands and embraced.
“Goodbye Fflewddur. I am so very grateful and proud to have met you.” At the eighth chime, Fflewddur awoke and found himself sitting in a meditative pose with Amarille sitting across from him staring at him intently.
The Journal Entry’s title
Begin writing your story here...
Whirlwind
Nightal 7, 1492
The last couple of days were something to behold.
Didn’t expect the group of adventurers Theris mentioned the other day to be in town. Thought I’d have to make my way to Phandalin and track them down. Turns out Amarille, one of the group’s members, is a friend of Theris and others in the Harpers. The elf brought a paladin named Helaena with her to visit the House of a Thousand Faces in the evening. After brief introductions, we discussed what we knew about Ebondeath and the various dragon cults in the area. Hearing Helaena talk about the Necropolis Shard and the wardens that imprisoned Ebondeath, I got the impression that she was there all those centuries ago. Was she one of the wardens? Did any of the other wardens survive? How did Ebondeath escape? Unfortunately, my questions had to wait as our meeting was cut short.
Raina came running down the stairs and interrupted us with concerning news. Wolfaen, a member of Amarille and Helaena’s group, had been drinking at a nearby tavern when bandits captured him. Eethyl was waiting upstairs and needed help in freeing their companion. We quickly made our way up and found the gnome sitting in a booth. He spoke as if under the effects of the Haste spell and proceeded to lead us towards where the bandits were last seen. On the way, we exchanged introductions and Eethyl filled us in on the bandits that held Wolfaen. As we slowly made our way through a dark alleyway, a lone figure appeared ahead.
There was a brief exchange between Amarille, Helaena and what turned out to be the bandits’ leader. I wanted to survey the area and snuck atop a roof nearby to get a better vantage point. By the time I got onto the roof, Amarille and Helaena were engaged in combat with the bandit leader. Suddenly, the air in front of me began to heat up as flames appeared out of nowhere, engulfing the bandit leader and his assailants. Flames licked the stone walls of a few nearby buildings, leaving dark marks as they subsided. The fiery spell was enough to bring down Amarille and stop us in our tracks.
Thankfully, Amarille was just close enough for my magic to rouse her and get her back in the fight. She pressed her attacks with redoubled fury. Still smoldering from the fiery attack earlier, Helaena dispatched one of the bandits with a bright flash of steel and divine light. Under the cover of darkness, Todac sewed confusion in the enemy ranks with his arrows. Eethyl called upon additional companions to help even the field. One of the enemy spellcasters tried to engulf us in flames again but I countered their spell just in time. Another tried to Command me to fall from the rooftops. I refused. As two more bandits fell to our counter-offensive, it was clear the tide had turned. The enemy made a full retreat and escaped into the night.
Amarille spotted Wolfaen slumped against a wall in the distance. The rogue was in pretty bad shape and was out cold. With Lathander’s aid, Helaena healed some of his wounds and got him on his feet. Todac and I ended up following our new friends back to their inn. On the way, we told them about Nix and our encounters with her. The conversation carried on late into the night.
The next morning, I woke up to loud knocks on my door. Amarille had been abducted by Ebondeath cultists! We gathered our belongings and gave chase. Eethyl disappeared in a puff of smoke into some sort of relic after summoning his faerie companion Sila to help. The cultists had the advantage of flight and were halfway across the city before Helaena and I joined them in the skies. Todac followed our trail on foot. As we closed in on Amarille’s abductors, they tried to lose us in the urban sprawl of the Neverwinter slums.
Landing at the entrance of a dilapidated building, Helaena and I were greeted by Sila and Wolfaen. Eethyl reappeared in a puff of smoke and, with Sila guiding him from above, headed around the corner to give chase on the ground. The rest of us entered a building where Sila had spotted the cultists entering earlier. As we made our way up the stairs, we could hear a blacksmith working on a piece of metal nearby. The second floor had an open door leading to a small balcony and a narrow ledge. Proceeding cautiously through the door, we were ambushed by two cultists as we stepped onto the ledge.
I spotted the cultist carrying Amarille in the distance and tried to close the gap using Misty Step, narrowly dodging two balls of acid directed at me by hidden cultists in the area. The acid splattered onto the roof I was standing on and burned a large hole in it. Managed to jump away just in time. Surveying my surroundings, I could hear the slow crescendo of rustling armor and staccato footsteps on the cobblestone streets below. Todac had arrived.
While Wolfaen kept the cultists on the ledge busy, Helaena made her way to me with a Misty Step spell of her own. Gwaur and Sila managed to draw the attention of a few cultists while Eethyl continued making his way through the street below. Helaena and I caught up to Amarille’s captor and began our assault. As I flung Mind Slivers at cultists ahead of and behind us, Helaena drew her longsword and struck the cultist carrying Amarille across the chest in one quick motion. Bright light enveloped the hooded figure as Helaena’s sword tore into his flesh, stopping him in his tracks.
Flying overhead, Sila shouted directions to Todac below and let loose an arrow at a nearby cultist. Missed. Wolfaen dropped one of the cultists on the ledge who ended up falling onto the street below with a wet thud. The cultist carrying Amarille motioned for nearby minions to engage Helaena and me. Using quick footwork and reflexes, he dodged Helaena’s next attack and ran off. The paladin deftly spun around mid flourish and dashed after him. Tired of running, I pointed my wand at Amarille’s captor and a cultist nearby and unleashed my magic.
Focusing my magic on the cultists ahead blinded me to the attacks from cultists approaching me from behind. A ball of acid flew past me, narrowly missing my head. Another one hit me directly in the chest as I turned around to face my attackers. The searing pain nearly caused me to break concentration on my spell. My instincts took over and I turned around and ran after Helaena. Behind me, I could hear screams of pain as Wolfaen felled another cultist and Todac struck one of the cultists chasing me with an arrow.
Under the effects of my spell, the cultist carrying Amarille decided to take flight to compensate for his slowed movement. Sila managed to strike him with one of her poisoned arrows just as he rose off the ground, causing him to drop Amarille. With Helaena preoccupied by another cultist, I sprinted towards Amarille’s falling body and just managed to catch her before she fell unconscious onto the street below. The elf awoke in my arms and I helped her onto her feet. Unfortunately, her captor’s tenacity was not sapped by my spell nor Sila’s arrow. He grabbed the monk by her right arm and pulled her towards his body, holding her against her will through sheer strength. Taking flight again, the cultist flew no more than a few feet away before being hit with a Sleep spell from Eethyl below. Amarille managed to break free from the cultist’s grasp midair and landed gracefully on the ground. Her captor, fully unconscious, hit the street below with a loud thud. Outnumbered and outmatched, the remaining cultists retreated into the skies, all except one.
Wolfaen followed the cultist into an empty home through a hole in its roof and subdued his quarry. Amarille and Helaena quickly joined him inside. The rest of us waited outside as Amarille and Helaena interrogated the captured cultist. Several unproductive minutes later, we decided to let the cultist go in hopes of tracking him to a nearby hideout. Didn’t pan out. With no other leads on Ebondeath or his cultists, we decided to depart Neverwinter for Leilon. Not knowing when I would return, I visited mother to get patched up and father to drop off some gold and pick up a package of his famous baked goods. I swung by the House of a Thousand Faces to check up on Imoen and quickly filled her and Henwen in on everything that had happened since I last saw them. Though Imoen’s spirits were high, her body was still recovering. With a heavy heart, I left Imoen with Henwen and joined the others at the southern gate.
It took us a day and a half to reach the Wayside Inn, a rest stop less than a day’s travel from Leilon. On the way there, I learned from Amarille that Ebondeath had manipulated a white dragon into terrorizing the areas east of Neverwinter. I had not expected the dracolich’s influence to be so great, especially while trapped in the Necropolis Shard. Made a mental note to discuss the matter further with Helaena.
Aside from Todac, the others had stayed at the Wayside Inn before and were friendly with the owner and those under her employ. Helaena’s conversation with the blacksmith Teega revealed a startling discovery. Nix is alive! Not only that, she passed by the inn recently and sold several pieces of jewelry to the people there. Lost my appetite after hearing the news. Tried to sleep after dinner but couldn’t. Need to try again. Another long day of travel tomorrow.
Coda
Nightal 4, 1492
It’s been almost a week since we survived our visit to the Pirate’s Skyhold. Imoen’s wounds haven’t healed completely despite Henwen’s divine magic and mother’s healing balms. Henwen’s been praying to Yondalla for aid and guidance. I’ve been perusing the scrolls and tomes in the Temple of Oghma for anything that can help identify the creatures we encountered.
I don’t think I’ll be able to have a good night’s sleep for a long while. Still have nightmares about what happened on the Pirate’s Skyhold. Digging through writings covering all manners of aberrations, plaguechanged and undead over the last couple of days hasn’t helped.
Remembered hearing stories that told of the pirate king Bartholomew Blackdagger and his men haunting the earthmote. However, when I talked to Henwen about it, she said she didn’t feel the presence of undead that night. So, were they aberrations then? Read as much on the occult as I could stomach. Some terrifying business there. Did Nix get in contact with one of the Old Gods? Were those creatures serving her? If not, how did they get there? It’s also possible those things were creatures corrupted by the Spellplague. Managed to catch glimpses of the plaguechanged during my earlier days working for Lord Neverember. I can’t put my finger on it, but those things we saw that night didn’t quite feel like they were twisted by magic. There was something about them that felt not of this world.
Met up with Todac earlier in the basement of the House of a Thousand Faces. We were in the middle of planning our next steps in tracking down Nix when Theris interrupted us with grave news. There have been reports of Ebondeath’s reappearance a few tendays ago. Somehow, he managed to escape his prison hidden under the Tresendar Manor in Phandalin. To think, he was right under our noses this whole time! The dracolich will want to return to his phylactery which may be located in the Mere of Dead Men. Apparently, his followers are still searching for a new body for him to inhabit. Time is of the essence. Don’t think we can wait for Imoen to get better. Henwen won’t leave Imoen’s side until she’s better. Will have to track down Ebondeath and his followers without them.
Theris mentioned a group of adventurers in Phandalin that has been tracking Ebondeath. They were responsible for bringing down the white dragon that’s been spotted near the mining town. I need to join this group and head for the Mere of Dead Men. With no leads on Nix’s whereabouts, Todac might want to do the same.
Pirate's Skyhold
Uktar 30, 1492
Had a lot more trouble finding our way onto the Pirate’s Skyhold than we’d hoped. Local magic shops were out of Levitate and Fly scrolls and none of the spellcasters we approached were willing or able to transport the four of us safely onto the earthmote. The landmass wasn’t tethered to Neverwinter like the other earthmotes in the area and there were no portals or teleportation circles we could use, for good reason. With time running out, Imoen called in several favors and secured a meeting with the sky captain Shil Yargo.
Shil let us know upfront that she only agreed to meet with us as a favor to one of her clients. The halfling balked at the idea of going near the Pirate’s Skyhold and demanded more gold for the services of her ship and crew than any of us could ever afford. Imoen was unfazed. Through her contacts, she discovered that Shil had not only traveled to the Pirate’s Skyhold several years ago but made off with one of the skyships on the earthmote. She also learned that a wealthy merchant named Larro Bardatto owed Shil and her crew a large sum of gold but refused to pay due to a petty dispute. The merchant went into hiding and Shil needed the money; skyship maintenance is not cheap. With this information, Imoen offered to find Larro and convince him to pay Shil her gold in exchange for a one-way trip to the Pirate’s Skyhold. By helping us, she argued, Company Yargo would improve its reputation and gain new clients in Neverwinter while bolstering their coffers for very little effort. The halfling stroked her chin and contemplated the offer. Imoen pressed on and asked Shil if she and her crew lacked confidence in surviving another trip to the infamous earthmote. Shil’s face softened into a smirk. Impressed with Imoen’s research and negotiation skills, the sky captain agreed to the deal.
After the meeting, Imoen filled us in on her plan. Initially, she hoped we could find a way onto the Pirate’s Skyhold using spell scrolls or one of her spellcaster contacts. When neither of those options panned out, she put her backup plan in motion. She caught wind of Shil and Company Yargo a few years ago and kept tabs on the mercenary outfit. One of the chefs at the Moonstone Mask had owed her a favor and let slip that a wealthy merchant fitting Larro’s description was staying at the inn. The final piece of her plan involved procuring special lapel pins from the Harpers quartermaster; each pin held a single charge of the spell Feather Fall which we could use to leave the earthmote. Brilliant.
We decided to split up in the interest of time. Imoen went to the Moonstone Mask to retrieve Shil’s gold. The rest of us returned to Harpers headquarters and paid a visit to the quartermaster. Once we obtained the lapel pins, Henwen, Todac and I made our way to the Docks District where we waited for Imoen to join us. Shortly after sunset, Imoen arrived at our meeting place with Shil’s gold and we made our way to the Buccaneer's Tear. Upon receiving payment, Shil ordered her crew to ready the skyship for flight. Destination Pirate’s Skyhold.
Instead of enjoying my ride on the skyship, I kept ruminating over the stories I heard about Pirate’s Skyhold. Shil and her crew performed their duties on deck like clockwork. There were no songs, laughter or banter. You could cut the tension on the ship with a butterknife. To prepare us for the dangers that lay ahead, I began casting a series of long-lasting abjuration spells on myself and the others. Imoen followed suit with magical preparations of her own. As we approached the earthmote, the wind started to pick up. The sky above Pirate’s Skyhold was dark and ominous. Shil steered the Buccaneer's Tear towards a skydock on the main landmass. Moments later, the ship was docked and we were rushed onto the earthmote.
We surveyed our surroundings upon stepping foot on the skydock. Though night had fallen, the moon and stars were absent in the sky above us. Strong winds whipped across the landmass. As the Buccaneer's Tear began to depart, the skyship took with it the only source of light we had in the area. Todac with his keen senses and umbral sight spotted a figure in the distance. It was Nix. She seemed to be in the middle of some sort of ritual. As we made our way towards the Storm priestess, the winds grew stronger around us. Upon reaching what appeared to be an old marketplace, we heard a screeching roar erupt from a nearby building and stopped in our tracks. Henwen cast Detect Evil & Good and we got into scouting formation. I took out my wand and readied my Fire Bolt spell. Imoen cast Protection from Evil & Good on herself and unsheathed her silvered daggers. Todac unslung his bow and notched an arrow.
A dog-like creature emerged from a collapsed building ahead and galloped towards us. Todac let loose the arrow from his bow and I unleashed my Fire Bolt spell. Our readied attacks found purchase and drove the creature away. Suddenly, a cacophony of nightmarish sounds erupted from the buildings around us. Imoen, with the aid of her Darkvision spell, caught glimpses of creatures moving through the walls of the buildings ahead and motioned for us to hide. We scampered behind a dilapidated wooden building nearby.
The winds began to die down as we plotted our next steps. Soon the area was dead silent. Did Nix complete her ritual? Where did those creatures come from? Were they denizens of the earthmote or were they summoned by the Storm priestess? A bloodcurdling roar broke the silence. Todac offered to take a look. I couldn’t see him in the darkness but heard the scales of his armor rustle lightly as he made his way towards the sound. Moments later, Henwen let out a gasp and motioned us away from the walls of the building. She must have sensed something with her divination spell as creatures began to emerge from the walls behind us.
Henwen, Imoen and I dashed around the building and tried to put some distance between ourselves and the creatures hunting us. While running back towards the skydock, I realized Todac hadn’t returned and flagged down Henwen and Imoen. We doubled back in search of the ranger. Thankfully, the creatures didn’t appear to have followed us.
By the time we reached the marketplace, the moon and stars were starting to emerge from the dark clouds in the sky. Through the faint light, I caught a glimpse of a figure in the distance. Before I could get a good look at who it was, I heard the sound of armor rustling nearby. Moments later, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Through labored breaths Todac whispered the words “Nix”, “tentacles” and “run” and proceeded to run off towards the others. I looked up and saw large tentacles squirming in the sky. One of the tentacles seemed to be grasping something but I couldn’t make out what it was. Didn’t have time to get a good look as I heard the sound of a woman’s scream behind me. Trouble.
Upon catching up with the others, I saw Imoen sitting propped up against a wall holding her stomach with her left arm. Henwen, visibly shaken, was in the middle of casting a healing spell on her and Todac was busy fighting a large creature with his daggers. I pointed my wand at the creature and directed a mote of fire at it. Imoen was back on her feet by the time Todac and I dispatched our foe. Just as we were about to leave, three dog-like creatures appeared ahead, blocking our path. As I looked back towards the marketplace, I spotted two creatures in the distance galloping towards us. Henwen pushed Imoen out of the way as a creature emerged from the walls of the building to our right and lunged at the halfling.
Time seemed to slow down as I saw Todac plunge his daggers in the creature attacking Henwen. I rushed to help Imoen to her feet and saw that the creatures ahead of and behind us were closing in. Faint clock chimes rang in my head as I began to draw and mold magic within me. I pointed my wand at each of the creatures surrounding us and directed my magic towards them. When the clock chimes ceased their ringing, the movement of the creatures around us began to slow. We rushed past the creatures in front of us and made our way back to the skydock. Each of us placed a hand on the Harper pin fastened to our clothes and dove off the earthmote.
Storm Brewing
Uktar 24, 1492
Todak, Imoen and I spent the last couple of days trying to track down Nix. I went back to Nix’s home and jewelry shop to see if she had returned to either place. No dice. Neighbors hadn’t seen her since her disappearance several days ago. Imoen made her rounds around the city and greased the palms of her most promising contacts in hopes of getting any information on Talos cultists operating out of Neverwinter. Ended up with a handful of rumors but nothing concrete. Todak went back to Neverwinter Wood to look for clues and track down cultists operating in the area. The trail seemed to be as cold as the Midwinter winds. Tymora must have taken pity on us as we were soon gifted with a solid lead that fell right into our laps.
While sitting at one of the booths in the House of a Thousand Faces, Imoen and I overheard two sloshed patrons talking loudly about a lucrative job they completed for a powerful benefactor. One of the men let slip that the benefactor was a tiefling who ran a jewelry shop in town and needed to move her inventory quickly. Our ears perked up as we heard this. Before Imoen could approach the men, a hooded figure entered the establishment and beat her to them. The hooded figure spoke quietly and left with the two men in tow. Imoen and I tailed them to a small house in the River District.
We hid in an abandoned home nearby and waited until nightfall before making our next move. Imoen had summoned Squeak while we waited and planned on using her rat familiar to spy on the men we followed. By the time Imoen put her plan in motion, a few more hooded figures had entered the house we were watching.
I waited alone in the abandoned house for what seemed like an eternity. More than once, I was tempted to sneak out and check up on Imoen. Of all of the people I’d met and worked with over the years, she was one of the sharpest and most talented. I put my worries aside and stuck to the plan. Moments later, I felt a light tap on my shoulder and Imoen appeared before me with a smile.
Upon returning to the House of a Thousand Faces, we found Todac sitting alone in one of the booths. His investigations in Neverwinter Woods did not bear any fruit and the wood elf looked dejected. The three of us made our way to the basement of the inn and sat down at an empty table. Imoen gave Todac a smile and told him the good news. She learned that the people we followed were working for Nix and had one more job to do before leaving Neverwinter. They planned on visiting a fence in the Docks District the next night. We spent the rest of the evening laying out plans to ambush and capture one or more of the cultists.
Our plan went off without a hitch. The cultists didn’t put up much of a fight though a few of them managed to escape during the brief scuffle. We ended up capturing two cultists and took them to a nearby safehouse. Imoen and Todac spent the next hour interrogating Nix’s minions and uncovered the Storm priestess’ plans. According to the cultists, Nix planned to perform a summoning ritual atop the Pirate’s Skyhold. Her goal was to summon a kraken and gain powers from it. The ritual needed to be performed during the Feast of the Moon which didn’t give us much time to stop her.
Imoen and I were a bit skeptical about the reliability of the information we learned from the cultists. Anyone that lived in Neverwinter knew that no one went up to the Pirate’s Skyhold. Those that managed to make their way to the earthmote were never seen again. However, this was the best lead we had and time was of the essence. We reported our findings to the Harpers and Lord Neverember and set about making plans to travel to the Pirate’s Skyhold.
Lost & Found
Uktar 20, 1492
I was hired a few days ago to find a missing tiefling jeweler named Nix. Paid a visit to her shop and home to look around for clues. Asked Imoen to reach out to her contacts in the city to see if they had any leads. Our investigations led us to an old tower ruin in Neverwinter Wood. We decided to visit the tower at night and bring along our newest member of the Harpers of Neverwinter, a halfling cleric of Yondalla named Henwen.
We made our way to Neverwinter Woods just after sunset. As we approached the tower, we noticed an eerie silence in the area and made sure to keep ourselves hidden amongst the trees. I spotted a figure at the top of the tower and decided to take a closer look. Imoen and Henwen stayed hidden behind a large bush. Unfortunately, as I snuck towards the base of the tower, I accidentally tripped on something that protruded from the ground and let out a brief yelp. The figure from the top of the tower called out to me. He revealed himself as Volgos and promised payback for thwarting his lucrative plans in Port Llast. Before I could react, I saw the dead rise from the ground around the tower.
Volgos kept his focus on me which meant he hadn’t spotted Henwen and Imoen. As the dead began to shamble towards me, I dashed towards an opening in their ranks and cast Protection from Good and Evil on myself. After putting a couple of strides of distance between myself and the undead, I started slinging taunts at Volgos in hopes of luring him and some of his undead minions away from the tower. One of the taunts must have hit a nerve as the necromancer made his way down the tower and took the bait.
Henwen and Imoen made sure to wait until Volgos was out of sight before making their way to the tower. Upon reaching the top of the tower, they found Nix sitting against the tower walls with her hands and feet bound by rope. While Imoen moved to free Nix, Henwen noticed Volgos had returned. Just as he made his way to the top of the tower, Nix, freed from her constraints, struck him down with a bolt of lightning. By the time I managed to make my way back to the tower, Volgos was dead and Nix had flown away.
We were all a little perplexed by what had happened. How did someone as powerful as Nix end up getting captured by Volgos? Why did Volgos capture her? Was she ever in any real danger? Could Volgos have been working with her or maybe even for her? If so, to what end? With Volgos dead and Nix gone, we decided to head back to Neverwinter to report our findings.
On our way back to Neverwinter, we ran into a couple of elves that were tracking Nix. They referred to her as a Storm priestess and joined us as we reported our encounter with Nix and Volgos to Lord Neverember.
Life Debt
Tarsakh 28, 1492
Months ago, I was investigating a lead into the smuggling of illicit goods into Neverwinter when I ran afoul of pirates in Luskan. While fleeing my pursuers, I stowed away on a ship named the Errant Stingray and was quickly discovered by Osthrynn, the first mate of the ship. Rather than turn me in, she provided me safe passage back to Neverwinter in return for a life debt to be repaid some time in the future.
About a week ago, Osthrynn called in my debt in a most unexpected way. A soldier by the name of Edwam Cave arrived in Neverwinter late at night. The guards directed him to where I had been staying and, upon finding me, he handed me a pouch that contained a single coin and a piece of paper with Osthrynn’s name written on it. Barely a moment after he handed me the pouch, the soldier fell to the ground dead and turned into a soggy long-dead corpse right before my eyes. Still get shivers up my spine when I think back to that moment.
I’d been staying with Imoen and Oswald and told them what had happened. Both offered to help me repay my life debt. Our investigations into the coin from Edwam led us to Port Llast. We arrived at the port city late in the afternoon and made camp nearby. During the night, Osthrynn’s ghost paid us a visit. At first I thought she was an illusion. Osthrynn was so youthful and vibrant the last time I saw her. However, once Osthrynn started explaining the situation, my heart sank. She and her crew had perished out at sea and were now compelled to serve an unknown master. They were being used to plunder shipwrecks at the bottom of the sea. Before disappearing, she bade me to defeat whoever was responsible, allowing her and her crew to finally rest in peace. Once the task was completed, my life debt would be repaid in full.
Over the next couple of days, we attempted to track down whoever was controlling the undead. When our search turned up empty, we looked into other ways to free the dead. A cleric in town helped us find a way to purge the dark magic from the sewers using Candles of Lathander. We procured the candles and made our way into the dark sewers.
Each Candle of Lathander had to be lit and placed in a specific order and in a specific location within the sewers. Partway through the task, we found ourselves surrounded by undead. Oswald’s dragon fire flasks came in handy as we barely managed to fight off the swarms of undead and light the last of the candles. Once all of the candles were placed and lit, their light began to glow brighter and brighter until the sewers filled with their light. The remaining undead crumpled to the ground and ceased to move. As the light from the candles began to subside, we saw a shadowy figure appear. He introduced himself as Volgos Huune. Imoen recognized him as one of the merchants we came across the other day. Before any of us could move to apprehend the man, he disappeared.
We informed the local authorities of what had transpired down in the sewers. Unfortunately, no one saw where Volgos went. Within a few hours, the undead remains were cleared from the sewers by the ebb and flow of the sea. As we left Port Llast, I could feel a weight being lifted from me. When I looked in the pouch in my pocket, the coin and paper were gone. My life debt had been repaid.
Family History
Hammer 19, 1490
As a child, I remember mother telling us stories about an ancient dracolich that terrorized the lands. She would warn us, jokingly, that if we misbehaved, the dracolich would pay us a visit. Always thought those stories were told to keep children on the straight and narrow. Turns out the dracolich was real. Its name was Ebondeath and my ancestors gave their lives fighting the foul thing.
Spent the last several months digging into my elven ancestry. Visited family in Neverwinter Wood. Scoured several libraries in Neverwinter and Waterdeep. Chatted up every bard I could find. Ended up with more questions than answers, unfortunately.
My maternal great grandparents’ names were Adaon Moonshadow and Arianllyn Dawnsong. Adaon was a Bladesinger from Silverymoon and Arianllyn was a bard from Baldur’s Gate. They died almost 500 years ago. I inherited my wand from Adaon and my eyes from Arianllyn. But, what about my powers? Did they have anything to do with the magic within me? I always thought the woman in my dreams felt familiar. What if those strange dreams weren’t dreams at all but rather memories of the past? That would mean there’s a world out there inhabited by living constructs. Where would such a place exist? Who would know? Would anyone know?
While researching my family history, I found some worrying information on Ebondeath. The dracolich was sealed some time around 996 DR by means of an artifact called a necropolis shard. Any information about the shard after 1350 DR has been hard to come by. Its whereabouts are currently unknown. Rumors have been circulating of a group or maybe even multiple groups of cultists working to free Ebondeath. Do the cultists know where the shard lies? Should we be looking for the shard? Will bring this up at the next Harpers meeting.
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