For the past two years, you have worked together under the auspices of Jorthun Arimar, a special agent of the Silver Marches. Each time a mission has become available, you have been summoned by a glowing blue hand to the Laughing Troll Tavern in Silverymoon. Today is no different, wherever you are, only you can see this magical hand as it guides you to the familiar path leading to the tavern. The hand always guides you, not through the front door, but along the back of the building, where a pass wall allows you to walk though, only when the hand is present. You immediate begin to descend a flight of stairs to a large, simple room, a massive map of Faerun along one wall, a solid oak table and chairs centered around the room, and another doorway that Jorthun arrives and departs through.

Today, across the table, are spread various letters and reports, a map of the Silver Marches, and a single crimson dragonscale with an arcane sigil engraved upon it. You each arrive in your own time, depending on distance and schedule, but relatively in close order.

When not performing missions for Jorthun Arimar in the Silverymoon area, Jerinvar spent his time aiding the Fangshields, who were a group of talking animals and good-aligned monsters who operated all over the wild areas of Faerûn.  They sought out and stopped evil monsters and organizations from carrying out their malevolent plans.  The role he played for them was as a messenger sent to impart their plans to cells that they themselves couldn't reach, as monsters tended to attract too much attention on human-built roads.

He had just finished delivering a response to the main body of the Fangshields from an outlying cell when seemingly out of nowhere a glowing blue hand appeared before him.  He didn't need to communicate in any with it and couldn't even do so if he'd wanted to for it was incapable of doing so, yet Jerinvar knew exactly what it wanted.  He bid the Fangshield members who were currently present goodbye and then cast the teleportation spell he kept in reserve for such moments.

He blinked out of existence for a moment and then magically reappeared many hundreds of miles away, just outside of Silverymoon as there was maic in place preventing him from teleporting into Silvermoon itself.

Although the blue hand didn't get teleported along with him as part of the casting of the spell, it somehow was floating there waiting for him.

He followed the hand through Silverymoon to the Laughing Troll Tavern.  Not to the front door as one might imagine, but rather around the back of the Tavern so that he could enter by way of the 'pass wall' that was only functional in the presence of that floating glowing blue hand.

He made his way down the stairwell into the large room that it lead too.  He waited for everyone else to arrive, for he knew that several others had been summoned in this very same way in order to go on another mission for Jorthun.  This had always been the way over the last two years of service to him and his cause. While he waited he examined the various letters and reports strewn across the tabletop as well as the dragonscale with the arcane sigils.

23:06, Today: Jerinvar rolled 39 using 1d100.  teleportation results (very familiar).
This message was last edited by the player at 15:01, Sun 29 May 2022.

They let Eriale read their books.  She didn't mind what books but the Jorthun Arimar let her have access to all of the books her voracious curiosity could desire.  That was sufficient to buy her loyalty and thus she was much cheaper than any conceivable mercenary.

This of course meant that when the hand appeared, she followed, even this time when she returned from a trail which she was sure would lead to Herald's Holdfast with its famous library.  It was becoming obvious that they tended to call her back from such trails and a lesser, or more single minded scholar might have felt a building frustration as a result.  Not Eriale though because she honestly didn't care WHAT she learned as long as she did so.

As usual, the hand led her to the back wall of the Laughing Troll Tavern and through the passwall to the stairs that led down, down, down to the Maproom.  On arriving, she said hello to Jerinvar who had already arrived and she began to look at the papers on the table, but first of all at the red dragonscale with the arcane sigil.  She frowned as she considered whether or not it was one she recognised.

EDIT: They LET ErialE read their books
This message was last edited by the player at 15:50, Sun 29 May 2022.

Keryth had spent the last week patrolling the woodland areas near the city. He knew it wasn't really required this close as the Knights of Silver did a good job of keeping the surrounds clear of threats but he enjoyed the time out of the city sometimes with just Shadow as company.

He was in the process of returning to Silverymoon with Shadow, walking across the Moonbridge when the glowing blue hand appeared. He immediately recognised the summons, the team had seen more than a few of these over the past 2 years.

He bent down to stroke the head of his trusted companion. "We better get a move on my friend, the others are likely to already be there" he said quietly

The two of them then quickly head to the Laughing Troll Tavern. Keryth knew the way through the town so they arrived at the rear of the tavern and entered through the passwall. They descended the stairs and arrived in the large room at the bottom.

He greats Eriale and Jerinvar warmly when he enters. It was good to see his friends and companions again. "I am not last for a change" he says with a grin taking a seat at the table next to Jerinvar while Shadow went to one of the corners of the room and lay down where she could watch the entrance.

Nin enjoyed his time off from doing ostensibly not-Silverymoon work.  Sparring with elven initiators and other warriors in nearby meadows and glens was always fruitful.  Many of those he exercised with had centuries of experience on him, centuries he would never begin to catch up on.  This didn't embitter him, but made him absorb every bit of wisdom he could.  Fortunately, the precious silvery plate armor he had been given opportunity to purchase in the past year made it possible for there to be more wisdom passed than gashes.

When the blue hand appeared, he finished his match and then quickly followed the hand to the Laughing Troll.  He nodded in recognition of those already there.  Glancing over the letters and strangely marked scale, he commented noncommittally, "Another day another gold piece.  How are you all doing?"

Eriale continues to pore over the contents of the table so Athena says, "We have been traveling the highways and byways and enjoying the Northern air while Eriale searches for knowledge. We are both well thank you." Talking owls may be rare but Athena is special and considers herself a part of this group as much as her mistress.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:53, Mon 30 May 2022.

Xulo was on patrol with the Knights in Silver in her capacity as a representative of the Spellguard.  They had just defeated a Giant troop who had thought to descend from the Nether Mountains on a course towards Silverymoon.

The squad now rested by a fire cooking up daily rations and ready to spend the night and head bak to Silverymon in the morning.  As he ate he looked up from his plate to see a glowing blue hand floating in the air before him.  He knew what it meant and reported to the commanding officer to explain his departure.

He then Teleported himself directly to the briefing room under the Laughing Troll Tavern where others were already assembled.  As he waited for Jorthun to arrive he stood next to the crimson dragonscale and studied it and the engraved sigil upon it.

[ooc: Knowledge Arcana Skill Check: 28 / 12:48, Today: Xulo rolled 28 using 1d20+20 ((8)).]
This message was last edited by the player at 16:16, Mon 30 May 2022.

As Xulo arrived, Eriale moved on from the sigil and began to check through any of the books and scrolls on the table, taking care to try to decypher and identify any in languages she didn't know.  "What do you make of it?" she asked Xulo.

16:55, Today: Eriale Zora rolled 32 using 1d20+14.  Knowledge (Arcana).
16:56, Today: Eriale Zora rolled 18 using 1d20+4.  Decipher Script.

As some of your companions read through the documents, both Athena and Shadow acknowledge each other by purr and hoot before attending to their animal natures.

Your host has yet to arrive, but this is normal for Jorthun, as he lets you examine the information he prepared for you so that you might discuss it before he arrives.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:24, Tue 31 May 2022.

Xulo ponders for a moment... "I think the sigil is the mark of Sammaster, the Mad Archmage and the scale is from a red dragon, of at least adult age.  What about you?  Anything other than that?"  He continued looking at the Scale still trying to unravel it's secrets.  With a slight hand gesture and an arcane word he shifted his sight to the realm of magic.

[ooc: Cast Detect Magic]
This message was last edited by the player at 00:05, Wed 01 June 2022.

As was the norm for missions they were summoned here for, there was usually information and objects left out for them to ponder upon and discuss prior to his arrival.  He didn't know much about the arcane, which the sigiled item most likely was, so he left that to those in the know about such things.  Instead, he sifted through the various documents and reports that had been placed out for them to view.

The papers and reports were not very difficult to decipher, and he shared the gist of what they said to his allies: "Some of these reports tell of Cultist movements and others tell of various attacks made upon a number of caravans by unknown aggressors.  Sometimes the destruction seems to be indicative of dragon attacks, but there have been no survivors or solid proof to suggest otherwise.

This last report seems to be the newest and it was written by a scryer who reported a village being burned down, and their inability to scry effectively upon the ruins. There is a recommendation of a search and rescue mission to locate possible survivors."

Like Jerinvar, Keryth left the arcane knowledge to those much more suited than himself. He was much better at tracking or scouting out the enemy physically.

As Jerinvar sifted through the reports Keryth also spent some time reading through them.

"Does it have the name of the village on the report? It would be good to have an understanding of how far away it is and what the surrounds are like"he asked Jerinvar when he mentioned the latest report

"What would the Mad Mage have to do with dragon attacks?  And where are these happening?"  Nin wondered aloud as he began looking through the reports and trying to figure out where things were happening.



22:51, Today: Nin Vinto rolled 19 using 1d20+8.  Reroll K: Geo w/ +4 - call to mind.

"Sammaster is the head of a Doomsday cult, certainly but the thing that brings him and the cult together with dragons is their obsession with a future world ruled solely by dracoliches.  I'm not sure whether he's giving the dragons any choice in the matter either."

For those who are reading the reports, the raids are happening across the North. The village was called New Barrow, apparently a community of some size made up of former Waterdevian settlers and a noble by the name of Korith Dwescyth, taking advantage of the "free" land given by the Marches to clear and civilize the North.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:56, Thu 02 June 2022.

ooc: 35 Spellcraft check to identify a spell that’s already in place and in effect. DC for the check = 20 + spell level

08:47, Today: Xulo rolled 35 using 1d20+25 ((10)).