Oler shrugged to the inquiry. He was in the dark on most of what the current goal was. It seemed in the time he was away from the party there had been a number of developments. He was happy to be back in the North though and hoped that maybe they could visit more of it. He decided that since he didn't know what was going on entirely it might be best to remain quiet. Better to be thought a fool, than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.

  "I bid thee good day Master Khelban Arunsun of Waterdeep. Well shall we say that this rag tag group found Anthel's Keep and have returned. And for one such as you know what that entails I am sure. Primal magic and stones. We seek a moment of thy Lady wife's time and beg your indulgence. And Alastain is no mere dwarven merchant. No more than I am merely a scholar." he says somewhat respectfully.

After a moment's pause "In truth it isn't the Lady Laeral we wish to speak with, but rather her sister Lady Alustriel. And if you need proof of our claim to having been to Anthel's keep we have a few artifacts from there on our persons. Three of which you have already surmised."

Khelben looked at the dwarf, clearly feeling that he is not only educated enough to understand what he will say, but clearly a leader amongst them.

"So the rumors are true?" he says, placing his hands to his lips, thinking for a moment. "This group, made up of most of the goodly races known, hiked into the mountains and found a keep that the dwarves have been searching for  for centuries! Not only that, came out unscathed."

he sighs, taking a deep breath and points at Yacob. "You....i will have your name and tell me everything you know....including how Alstadin has such high up contacts to get my ear and so short a time. Do not skip anything or gods help me, i'll turn you into a snake and have my familiar hunt you down for sport!"

He looked at Kell. "...and what in the nine hells is a Nino, and why would his glove interest me?"

Nym is standing by the bookcase looking at the titles of the impressive collection while waiting for Khelban Arunsun to meet with us.  When he walks in Nym turns to look at him, but remains standing by the book case.  Yacob greeted him before Nym could, but Nym didn't react in any way to Yacob's greeting other than to smile at the appropriateness of his greeting.

Nym looks at Yacob and then decides it would be best if Yacob tells the group's tale first, with the rest of us who are present filling in any details as needed and says so.

Master Khelban we shall let Yacob tell the tale and fill in details if you have questions.  Suffice to say we have uncovered more than just Anthel's keep and returned from it to tell the tale.

Rivka had been fascinated by the pictures of Beasts and exotic monsters on the walls, and was on the verge of cracking open some books to further identify them when the master of the tower entered the room.    Having led expeditions for rich merchants and minor nobility, she had thought of herself as someone not easily intimidated, but the power that seemed to radiate from the wizard Khelben was like heat from a fire, even to one as unskilled in Arcana as she was.

Like most of her Traveling Companions, she elected to let the scholars of the group be the spokespersons, and held her tongue, though she was tempted to refute Khelben's remark that they were "unscathed".
After all they went through, Rivka felt pretty damned scathed.

Quinn stood silently by Nino in the room with Khelban, trying to keep a slight eye on him to keep him out of trouble if he could, though he didn't really expect any.

Nino followed Bob Bob around, but he was a bit distracted when he smelled some good cooking somewhere.

05:22, Today: Nino rolled 106 using 1d100+100.  Smell beef jerky.

  "To answer one question at a time. This is a Nino." he gestures at Nino "And his gauntlet is the Fabled Blackguard Gauntlet of Anthel's Keep. One of the things we brought out of there with us."

  He tells the story of the group as best he can. He tells Khelban everything that they went through. And then when he gets to the part where he passes out he simply says "I passed out and woke up a minute later. No big deal." he continues with the taking of the stone and then finishes with the group leaving the Keep.

Sonori swayed side to side, letting the others talk, but one of those people who just never really stood still.

"Like you had a choice!" Zell chuckled "He loves that thing just as much as his beef jerky and beer."

Jonathan let the others speak first and when Yacob was finished with story, the human approached the powerful wizard. finally speaking as he held out rolled maps and sketches in one hand and his copy of the journal he had made of their first outing, in the other. I was hired by Alstadin to be the historian for Yacob's exploration of Anthel should he find it. These area detailed maps, and sketches of everything, and this journal is the complete history of everything that happened down to a word for word copy of what the dwarven spirit said to us about the stones. He handed everything to the wizard.I inadvertently picked up the stone and am for now at least it's carrier.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:21, Sat 14 Mar 2020.

Oler wondered about the wisdom of showing the journal to Blackstaff. Still it was not his journal to show and thus he raised no objections but how long before Blackstaff led a party there to find whatever they missed he wondered to himself.

Nym doesn't visibly react to Jonathan showing Khelban his journal and maps.  He does look around at the others to gauge their body language about it though.

  "While I appreciate the need to be forthright I have to ask is that your only copy?" he asks Tracks quietly.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:24, Sun 15 Mar 2020.

Yes and I expect it back, but it's easier to give the account of what we went through in detail one time.The details are all in the journal, along with the lay out of the keep and sketches of what we encountered.

Kell remarks "given the demands of scholarship and the need to retain information, you'd think that some wizard would've come up with some sort of spell to quickly read through reams of non-magical materials and retain knowledge of them by now, wouldn't you?"

 Yacob merely shakes his head at the goliath's comment before saying "They have."

Kell smiles. "It's always a pleasure to see people whose intellect hasn't dulled their wisdom."

The man ignored most of the chatter, nodding in acknowledgement towards Johnathan as he took the notes and looked at them. Despite his gruff demeanour, he was gentle with the notes as he looked through them, the only indications were raises of his eyebrows and a look towards Nino and his glove

As he reads he speaks without looking up. "I assume this alstadin has a copy of at least most of this....very fascinating." He looks at Yacob, his tone less gruff. He hands the papers back without a word and looks at Yacob and sighs before talking.

"Tell your uncle we agree with his request....the land around the tower will be known from this point bon as land owned by the stonevein and Ironmaul clan. All known relatives are known to live around Luskan, and Alstadin has permission to explore therein and do what he wishes."

He looked at them all, then continued. "This will be forwarded to teh harpers and the lady of silverymoon...i'm sure they will not object. So that part of the business is settled."

He looked at Johnathan. "You have touched on the stone and being itr's 'keeper', very admirable....and my compliments to tyour notes CLeric"

He shifted in his seat and looked at them all. ""Now, tell me more about this glove, the stone and what your plan is next?"

  "Glad to know that you are respecting what amounts to ancestral lands." he waved his hand as if that in itself was immaterial to this discussion. "Nino's gauntlet is a major piece of the Anthel legend. It is as I said the Blackguard Gauntlet. Anthel's husband weapon made for him by her. Anthel set the course we are just taking the next step. Either Laeral or Alustriel has the location of the one we seek. His name is Zarmantan. He has more information than we on these stones. Which is what we need honestly. Information. I know enough to know that we do not want the wrong hands to get a hold of them."

At the mention of Zarmatan, Khelben sat up a little straighter and looked at the dwarf. "Zarmatan? That's a name i haven't heard since i was a boy." He sat back, musing for a second, then took a whistle from a pocket and blew it. Even no sound came from it, within moments, the same gnome walked through the door that let you in.

"You called master?" the gnome said in a formal tone.

"Send word to my wife that we need to contact her sister....this is urgent."

The gnome bowed and left the room, while Khelben sighed and slumped a little, for a moment looking tired. he looked at the others again and straightened. "Anything involving Zarmatan, wether he lives or not, is important. My master instilled that into me. Elminster himself has decreed that anything involving him is to be taken seriously, and i will not go against his wisdom. In saying that, whatever you need, I will help."

"My wife is out on an errand and was due back this evening, but given this....well, she will not mind. She can send word to Her sister."

He sat back and looked at the group. "Your gathering of information is well done, but let me fill in a little of what you may not know. My master, Elminster, knew Zarmatan....they share some common ground in terms of agelessness.. I saw the man once.briefly. Elmister respected him and knew he was on his own path. I was but a boy then, just in service to my master."

"Years later, when my art became suffice, Elminster told me of Zarmatan. He came from the stars...an unknown place and time. His travel has given him his agelessness, but also a purpose." He scratched his head, then continued. "My master told me of a prophecy....light and dark, good and evil. All I know is he was involved in a prophecy that included a equally powerful magic user...opposite sides of the same coin. It was said their powers were unlimited in power, but linked....what one could do, so could the other. If one was limited, so was the other. There was several destructive battles...I believe Anthel's keep was one of these....then, they both vanished."

He looked at Johnathan. "Can you please place the stone on the desk....i would examine it. Do not fear, i will not touch it.....just probe with magic."

He also looked at Nino. "And i would like to look at that glove too."
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:06, Mon 16 Mar 2020.

"Anthel gathered some clues as to possible locations of stones that match this one. And gathered at least one piece of information you do not have the name of the enemy. The Mistress. Also she controls a red dragon or did in Anthel's time.

Khelben's brow furrowed, looking angry. "Your sources may be wrong there master dwarf. By all accounts, The enemy of Zarmatan IS a red dragon that is known as the mistress."

"They have led epic battles, the last when i was young before he disapeared. Even Elmisnster tried helping him once and he failed to have the power against the beast. No...Zarmatan was a true even match for her, and her him."

His anger was clearly aimed at the enemy and not the group....he had heard of the mistress
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:39, Mon 16 Mar 2020.

Kell nods. "I had surmised as much. When I voiced the opinion that the two were one, I was ignored on the point."
This message was last edited by the player at 07:58, Mon 16 Mar 2020.

Nino was already bored and looking at things on shelves and out the window, where he smelled food. If nobody stops him, he will wander around.