“Would you like to hear an epic tale of adventures across the length and breadth of the Sword Coast? One that involves redemption and sacrifice?” The garishly dressed bard strummed the lyre in his hand. He lounged lazily in front of the tavern’s glowing hearth. “How’s about some coins, my friends? A bard needs to buy his bread and drink.”
A few murmurs and grunts could be heard from the crowd at the Brewmaster Pub. So could the sounds of a few coppers and silvers dropping into the silver mug in front of the bard.
“I’ll tell you a recent tale. It involves a drow…” the bard began.
“A drow?” One of the patrons spat on the floor. “I thought it was going to be about redemption and sacrifice!”
“You do not think a drow is capable of redemption and sacrifice?” The bard raised an eyebrow.
“Drow are all evil.”
“All men have evil in their hearts. It is about whether they can overcome them. Haven’t you heard of the drow Ilidan Hunzrin?”
Muttered rumblings could be heard from the crowd.
“Give me a chance to tell my tale. If you are not satisfied, you can take your coin back.”
The gathered patrons seemed to hesitate for a moment, then they all settled back down to listen to the bard with the fair hair and roguish smile.
“There are all sorts of tales about the drow Ilidan Hunzrin. He has been called a thief, a murderer and a cheat. A slayer of giants and dragons. Let me weave together some of the tales I have heard and let you be the judge of this drow. Ilidan left the Underdark and arrived in the city of Neverwinter. He met up with a young human bard named Gileas and they helped a family retrieve an old applie pie recipe from a band of evil bugbears…”
“An apple pie recipe?” a patron snorted with derision.
“Indulge me for a moment,” the bard smiled genially back at him. “For the tale starts small and grows big. Despite their apparent differences, Ilidan and Gileas became fast friends and made their way to Waterdeep, the City of Splendors. They gathered many comrades along the way to form a band of adventurers – some of the names may be familiar. Rolann Uthersen, a fallen paladin and a former High Captain in Luskan. Jax, the dangerous and charismatic thief. Boarstack, the valiant duergar…”
“Didn’t he murder some rich lady in Waterdeep?”
“No, no,” the bard corrected him. “He was suspected of it, but it was never substantiated. I fear that his race and poor circumstances may have led to false accusations.”
“Doesn’t sound like a bunch of heroes to me…” another patron muttered.
“And there was also Kelderrin, a clever and multi-talented gnome…”
“Who?”
The bard sighed. “Well, you all know the last member of this band of adventurers. It our very own Master Declan.”
All heads turned towards the tavern to look at the owner of the tavern standing behind the oak bar. The tall, broad-shouldered barbarian’s eyes glinted with a hidden steel that seemed to challenge anyone that would doubt the bard’s words. After a brief moment, the gathered patrons returned their attention to the bard.
“While in Waterdeep, the band was hired to find a missing person by the name of Floon who had been taken by Xanathar’s Guild. They delved through the putrid sewers and discovered an Illithid holding Floon prisoner. Ilidan and his friends waded through the sewers to defeat the Illithid and return Floon to safety. As a reward, they receive the deed to Troll Skull Manor. I’m sure you have all heard of it, have you not?
The eyes staring at the bard were blank and puzzled.
There was a faint expression of disappoint on the bard’s face. The bard recovered and continued. “In any event, the tale grows greater, for then our heroes went after a gang of were-rat slavers. At one point, most of the party was trapped in a caged cell that they needed to break out of. Kelderrin saved the well-known lady Tess Adarbrent, who’s beauty and intelligence is well-known throughout the lands. During their stay in the City of Splendors, they crossed swords with Ziraj the Hunter and other notable figures from the streets of Waterdeep. They also slew devil-worshipping cultists in the underbelly of Waterdeep. Ilidan did get himself involved in some questionable activities. He may have killed and murdered some citizens, but he did so to save his friends, especially Gileas. In one instance, he murdered someone in cold blood who threatened blackmail upon the group. Eventually, the band of adventurers turned their efforts to even greater goals. They sought to recover the theft of a vast sum of gold stolen from the treasury of the city.”
The patrons leaned forward with gleam in their eyes at the utterance of the word “gold” by the bard.
The bard continued his tale. “The party investigated and discovered that the gold was held in a vault guarded by the gold dragon Aurinax. Did the party shrink at this challenge? No, they forged ahead and overcame oozing black pudding, dwarven puzzles and faced Aurinax in his home lair. While the party attempted to parley with the dragon, it was Ilidan who sneaked into the depths of the vault to obtain a very powerful arcane staff. When talks with the dragon seemed to be on the verge of breaking, Ilidan raised the staff and used its powers to send the dragon away. The party did not keep the treasure for themselves, but handed it over to the Open Lord Laeral Silverhand. Or at least, someone they thought was the Open Lord. Apparently, the party had been deceived and someone else had made off with the treasure.”
“I heard that they took the treasure themselves!” a rather portly patron exclaimed.
“Ask Declan,” the bard said. “I don’t think he would lie about the treasure. Moreover, I would challenge anyone to question him under a Zone of Truth spell. I will pay each of you five gold pieces if he is lying. But if he is telling the truth, each of you pay me one gold piece. Any takers?”
The audience members glanced nervously amongst each other.
“I’m glad that’s settled,” the bard said. “Anyhow, Ilidan and his companions journeyed north to Luskan to help Declan find his beloved Embree who had been taken by Gall the slaver.”
The patrons gazed at the beautiful woman standing beside Declan. Embree smiled sweetly at their stunned expressions.
“It always seems like trouble sent them underground, for they hunted the slavers to the dark passages under the city of Luskan. They found an organization of drow that were running the slave trade and in the process of summoning fiends. A small army of drow and golems descended upon our heroes. Master Declan led the charge while Boarstack and Rolann launched an ambush. Jax sent a hail of arrows upon their foes to cull their numbers. Kelderrin used stealth and magic while Gileas sang a mighty song to inspire his comrades. Ilidan danced in and out of shadows with his glinting blade. After breaking the drow slave ring, they continued onward to rescue the fair Embree…”
The voice of the bard lowered dramatically until only the crackling of the fireplace could be heard. Softly, he continued.
“North they marched with the frigid tundra crunching beneath their feet. Upon arriving at Termalaine, they saw the city was besieged by maddened frost giants. Our adventurers leaped into action to turn the tide. Ilidan and his poisoned crossbow bolts were crucial in subduing some of the giants. Even though Emberlee was their true goal, they could not but help rescue kidnapped townsfolk. After rescuing the townsfolk, they challenged the frost giant Ragner and the white dragon Ormfrost. The sound of steel rang out as our heroes valiantly charged. The frost giant’s enormous axe and the dragon’s icy breath nearly overcame the adventurers. Gritting their teeth, they persevered until they hacked down the frost giant. The white dragon, seeing a grim situation, escaped from an opening in the ceiling. Just imagine, a handful of mortal men overcoming a frost giant and white dragon.”
Some of the patrons turned to gaze at Declan with newfound awe in their eyes. The barbarian didn’t seem to notice and began polishing the rough surface of the bar.
“Dawn broke and they marched onwards into the desolate icy landscape. When they encountered a goblin encampment, the gnome Kelderrin sought to gain information without bloodshed. But it was not to be. Ilidan lashed out at the goblins and their entire encampment was burned down. Many goblin lives were lost, and it was softhearted Kelderrin who shed tears for them.” The bard looked somberly into the hearth.
“Just damn goblins,” someone muttered. “Can’t disagree with Ilidan on that one.”
“In any event, I do not know whether those tears ever moved Ilidan. But they had no time to pause, so they pressed onward until they found the lair of Gall the orc slaver. They fought through the walls of axes and cut down their foes. Into the heart of the lair they went until they found Gall himself. Declan challenged the orc slaver to single combat. It was a mighty battle, one that could be a tale in and of itself, but that would require more coin.”
The bard used his foot to casually nudge the mug at his feet. Just in case anyone wanted to make more offerings.
“They discovered that Gall had sold the Lady Embree to Illithids. Knowing that time was short, they rushed back to Luskan. There, they attempted to parley with the Captain of Ship Rethnor, but Ilidan and Boarstack seemed to feel that it would bear no fruit. The pair attacked them while the rest of the party was not present. Captain of Ship Rethnor was killed. This caused the party split up, and Rolann took on the mantle of Captain of Ship Rethnor. He and Kelderrin decided to take it upon themselves to make reparations of the party’s actions.
“Meanwhile, the rest of party, with support from Adarbrent mercenaries Azul and Feikiran , went into the Underdark after the Ilithids. With Ilidan and Boarstack leading the way, they traveled endless miles in the blackness. They journeyed to Mantol-Derroth, then went across the Dark Lake, until they reached Gracklstugh. After fighting a hydra, they met with the mindflayer Quallux that would help transport them to where Embree was being held in exchange for the death of the Elder Brain that had been tainted by demons. The adventurers agreed to do so and that is its own detail to recount. Suffice it to say, Ilidan and Declan were the first to charge into the room to face the many tentacled Elder Brain. You all know that they succeeded, for Declan is here with the Lady Embree. But Declan could not remain with the party, for he stayed to care for his beloved Embree.”
Declan nodded slowly towards the bard in silent acknowledgment. Embree put her head upon his shoulder.
“The rest of the party reunited with Rolann and Kelderrin at Luskan, and picked up a mysterious warrior named Nord. By that time, the madness of the giants in the North had grown to a frenzy. I am sure all of you have known about the madness. Many of you are survivors of their pillaging and destruction. Did you know why it ended and how? Well, the band of heroes ventured to seek the wisdom of the Eye of the All-Father. The oracle told them that they must root out the evil in the court of the Storm King Hekaton. This too is a long tale, fraught with peril, and worthy of its own retelling. If you want to hear that tale, I am here tomorrow and a couple of gold coins might get me to remember it. In brief, the first step was to acquire a conch that could teleport them to Hekaton’s court. Ilidan journeyed with the group far to the Ice Spires in the east. There, they fought with fire giants to liberate enslaved dwarves and recovered a magical conch that teleported them to the undersea realm of Hekaton. With both cunning and resourcefulness, they were able to uncover a plot by two of Hekaton’s daughters to usurp his power. These two daughters had been influenced by the ancient blue dragon Iymrith. Does that name ring a bell?”
The patrons exchanged nervous glances among themselves. Soft whispers about the dragon Iymrith could be heard of the crackle of the fireplace.
“Hekaton had been kidnapped and held aboard the Morkoth, a fearsome vessel belonging to the Kraken Society. Our heroes take passage upon the Kolanth to track down and find the Morkoth. Gileas and Kelderrin combine their cunning to allow the band to board the Morkoth. Once a battle ensued, the party was outnumbered on the high seas. Boarstack, Jax, Nord and Rolann cut a swath through the enemies while Gileas and Kelderrin gave their support. Ilidan used the shadows to kill and maim the crew. They managed to free King Hekaton just as the lord of the Kraken Society arrived. With lightning bolts firing, most of the party teleported away with Hekaton. Gileas and Nord remained to ensure that the crew of the Kolanth makes it back safe. It was quite a heroic endeavor, if I say so myself.”
The bard took a moment to sip some ale. He cleared his throat and continued.
“Our heroes then traveled to a desert ampitheater in the east to hunt down Iymrith in an underground maze. Gileas, Kelderrin, Nord and Rolann fight Iymrith’s minions. While they are distracted, Iymrith flies out of the sand pits to attack the party. With wordless coordination, Ilidan and Jax attack Iymrith with a deadly grace. The attack like a pair of shadowy wolves, their blades flashing out left and right, high and low. In desperation, Iymrith blinds them and forces the party to split up. The party eventually retreats. They return with Hekaton and appear to defeat the blue dragon Iymrith, but they find signs that she may have sent her soul to a replacement body.”
“Iymrith’s still alive?” someone whispered softly. A dark muttering of prayers and curses fill the tavern.
The bard stretched languidly. “For some unknown reason, Gileas decided to retire from adventuring. Throughout their travels, they noticed the insidious presence of demonic forces infiltrating the Underdark and even the surface world. Ilidan and the rest of the band took it upon themselves to try and find the source of this demonic invasion. Apparently, it had begun in the underworld. It was Ilidan who’s contacts directed them to find a drow archmage.”
“Well, isn’t that a funny coincidence,” snorted a bearded patron. “One drow to another.”
“The drow archmage had devised a plan to summon all the demon lords together and let them destroy each other. This summoning would require some very rare and specific reagents that the drow archmage would need. The party volunteered to recover these items and to assist in destroying the demon lords. Let that sink in, my friends. They were prepared to fight demon lords. Any of you willing to do that?”
A hushed silence carried over the tavern.
The bard continued. “They returned to Luskan to find the southern portion of the town completely overrun be demons…”
“I was there in Luskan,” a gaunt patron announced. “Almost the entire half of the city was controlled by demons. It got so bad that I barely escaped with a band of other refugees.”
“They decided to infiltrate the demon-infested portions of the city and went into the underbelly of a desecrated church to find even more demons and ghastly demonic trees that twisted and corrupted mortals into hosts for demons. They fought goristro demons, cultists and cambions. After destroying one of the demonic trees, they return to the surface to regain their breath. It is at this point that Nord recovers his lost memories and leaves to rescue his wife. Rolann mysteriously disappeared while Kelderrin left Luskan to meet Tess Adarbrent. Fortunately, the party was joined by Iluna, a teifling sorceress, Khazad, a dwarf bard, Kepesk, a Dragonborn priest and Warlan the Spellbringer, Kelderrin’s cousin.”
“That’s a strange cast a characters,” a bearded patron said pointedly.
“These are strange times,” the bard acknowledged. “Ilidan, Jax, Boarstack and their newfound companions decide to head back to the Underdark to acquire the reagents needed b the drow archmage. They travel through a minotaur-controlled labyrinth and slaying many of the foul creatures along the way. Eventually, they stumbled upon a group of modrons making their way to something called the Orderer.”
“The Orde-what?” the bearded patron asked in confusion.
“The Orderer,” the bard repeated. “It is also known as the Maze Engine. A very ancient and mysterious artifact that can reshape, cut and tear the fabric of our universe. It can manipulate time and space, alter reality and create dimensional rifts. Apparently, it had become damaged and its powers was driving region into greater chaos. Realizing that the Maze Engine needed to be repaired, the party set forth to help restore it. Unfortunately, a demon had been set to guard the machine.”
The bard paused for a moment to take a sip of ale. He eyed his audience for a moment before strumming his lute. With a deeply resonant voice, he began to sing:
Marching through the Underdark with no light, were
Ilidan the Shadow one with the night,
Duergar Boarstack who loved to fight;
Sorceress Iluna with her magical flight
Kepesk who’s spirit burned so bright;
Jax the Quick with keen eyesight; and
Warlan the journeyman spell-wright.
The Maze twisted, winded and bent,
Into the Orderer’s chamber they went.
In the loathsome shadows they could see,
A bloated, fearsome demon Nalfeshnee.
Ilidan and Boarstack attacked in twain,
The demon summoned from the demon plane,
Vrocks with claws and beaks of pain.
With steel and magic our heroes fought,
Jax firing arrows, each a magnificent shot;
Iluna’s fingers crackled with lightning,
And storms did draconic Kepesk bring;
Lost in the madness of the great fight,
Was the stealthy gnome spell-wright,
Warlan set the great Orderer a’light.
A brilliant sea of many colors began dancing
A glowing dome above so very entrancing;
Images of the past, present and future came,
Nefarious deeds and noble acts of fame,
Beneath this timeless vision that flashed,
Against infernal demons they clashed,
Their heroic spirits never were dashed.
The frenzied demons’ bloodthirsty attack,
Was focused upon the warrior Boarstack;
Iluna and Kepesk cast magic from afar,
While Warlan used his grimoire,
Ilidan and Jax battled like daring hawks,
To defeat the Nalfeshnee and the Vrocks,
But were not ready for the coming paradox.
The Orderer’s powers were divine,
Creating rifts in space and time,
Visions of Ilidan’s past were shown,
Sins for which he must atone,
One of the images above came alive,
Upon golden wings did it dive;
Supreme Aurinax now arrived.
Wrath filled its blazing eyes,
Focused on that elusive prize;
Ilidan who once brought it shame,
By ancient staff had made Aurinax tame,
Ilidan had once sent the dragon in flight,
Ever since its hate burned bright,
And sought vengeance with all its might.
With a deep growling boom,
Aurinax demanded Ilidan’s doom,
As recompense for his many crimes,
That stretched over lands and times,
Or Ilidan could choose to fight,
And his comrades would join his plight,
Only Ilidan’s sacrifice could make things right.
Ilidan’s companions did protest,
Their hearts pounding in their chest,
Gently Ilidan made them all halt,
For they could not survive Aurinax’s assault,
To friend Jax he took alongside,
Quietly talking, they did abide,
Ilidan walked to Aurinax with pride.
“My companions took no part,
Bear them no grudge in your heart,
Willingly I face your justice here,
Release the friends I hold dear,”
Those words Ilidan did state,
Knowing it would seal his fate,
As he prepared to walk into a fiery gate.
Aurinax assented to this pact,
And opened his jaws for the act,
Golden flames erupted so great,
Hurtling down to devastate,
Like an inferno Ilidan did blaze,
As punishment for his ways,
Ilidan would be ashes now for all days.
As the bard’s rich voice faded, the tavern was filled with a respectful silence. The garishly dressed bard picked up his mug of coins and made his way towards the bar.
“Is my room ready?” the bard asked cheerily. “I think I am ready to retire for the night.”
“It’s ready,” Declan said.
“All right, good night, my friend.” The bard patted Declan on the shoulder.
Declan nodded. “Good night, GIleas.”
