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Curse of the Azure Bonds e Adventurers JournaC •SO- .sin*" INTRODUCTION — or — What Are We Doing in Tilverton, Anyway? J'outnal"Entry 1 blazed like. fire. 9-iy head swam, just before "I am beginning a new journal. 9A.y old 1 blacked out, 1 though that this was a bad journal is gone, along with aft of tfie party's endfor such experiencedadventurers. equipment. I unite here to try to make some "9{pw toe awake in Tilverton with our sense out of our spotty memories. wounds healed. Our equipment is gone, "We hadallagreed to come south to but we have found a stash of coins. One of lUvertm to scefahe fost princess, 9{acacia our first priorities must be to buy new o/Cormyr. Tilverton is on the Border equipment. between the 'Dalelands andCormyr, and "I overheard a servant mention the date, was the last place the princess had been but I'm not sure I Believe it. If the servant spotted. speaks true it is almost a month since the "Otumor was that "King Azoun 's ambush. Almost anything could have hap youngest daughter, the 'Princess 9{acacia, pened in that time. ran away from the royal household Of "It seems that almost anything did. 'Loch Cormyr almost a year ago. She fled an of us awoke with five azure blue symbols arranged marriage and ran off with a cleric imprinted on our sword arm. The sipnbols are from Tilverton named Cjharri of Cjond. not tattoos, they seem to &(jst below the skin. "'The latest word was that 9{acacia and Tltey occasionallyfeel like they're moving. gharri had a falling out and that she -was seen near Tilverton recently. The king had a large reward out jor?{acacia 's return, A smart group of adventurers like ourselves 'We have devised a plan of attacks Our could make some powerfulfriends if they spell-casters willprepare their spells. I^e found the princess and returned tier to will purchase some neio arms and armor. the king. Then we are going out inloTilverton and "Somewhere along the wadto 'Tili'erton find out what is going on. Someone must we were attacked. Th'e brigands must have knoiv. And I don't care if we have to roust been invisible, because some of our party every sage, priest, and bartender in this -went down before we knew what was town tofindout going on. I vaguely remember darkjaces in 'These are some random printed notes I evil looking helmets firing crossbows into have collected. 'Their information maij be our midst. 'Vie crossbow hits were not fatal important on ourjourney. 9v(y journal notes but every bit seemed to drop its target. I continue on page 10. remembergetting hit in the arm. The wound LLLJ Zhentil Keep ■•:■ MOOINSEA Myth . Shadowdale Dranrior ELVEN COURT ELVfW i TheStanding His 11 eel ale Stone shabehfon) To Cormyr To Seinbia & Butllcdale IMPORTANT DALELANDS Dagger Falls is a farming community on GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCES the River Tesh and the largest settlement in Daggerdale. The inhabitants of Dagger The area shown on the map stretches Falls dislike outsiders of any kind. They from Tilverton in the southwest to Phlan fear the expansion of Zhentil Keep may in the northeast. It includes the center of destroy their independence. the Elven Court, the western shores of the Moonsea, and several of the dales The Dalelands include the fertile areas surrounding the Elven Court. The area is surrounding the vast Elven Court. There sparsely populated, with major concen are many dales around the Court, includ trations in the cities and towns and farms ing: Shadowdale, Mistledale, Battledale, covering the intervening dales. Each loca and Daggerdale. tion on the map is described below. The Elven Court is a vast forest that was Cormyr is a large civilized nation to the the center of elven civilization in the south and west of the Dalelands. The areas near the Noonsea. When the elves forces of Cormyr have extended their left in The Retreat, the elven court was northern border by annexing the city of left empty. Without the elves to control Tilverton. Cormyr has no Known plans to them, evil creatures have begun to multi continue its expansion towards the ply deep within the forests. Some fear Dalelands. that these creatures will become a threat to the surrounding Dalelands. r ' r Essembra is the trading center for The Standing Stone is a large marker Battledale. Battledale has seen many con commemorating the signing of the agree flicts; many bitter enemies find it conve ment whereby the elves allowed humans nient to hold their wars in Battledale, to settle the Dalelands. The marker is rather than risk ravishing their own lands. also the closest marker to the ruined city Battledale has lost some of its former of Myth Drannor. power with the retreat of the elves. Teshwave is a medium-sized city that has Hillsfar was formerly the major trading been recently occupied by the forces of center between the Elves of the Elven Zhentil Keep. So far the occupation has Court and the Humans of the ^^^^ been a calm affair and the Moonsea reaches. With the forces of Zhentil Keep think retreat of the elves, Hillsfar has that the people of Teshwave been taken over by a ruthless have been cowed. dictator. He has expanded the Tilverton is a small city on the Red Plume mercenaries and is southwestern border of the engaged in a successful mili kingdom of Cormyr near the tary campaign against Zhentil Dalelands. Tilverton was Keep in the ruins of Yulash. recently taken over by the Mistledale is a quiet farming Cormyr Protection forces and community. Its largest town is is currently occupied by the Ashabenford, where the River 7th Division. However, the Ashaba crosses the road from occupation is going peacefully, Hillsfar to Tilverton. and the people of Tilverton actually seem relieved to be Myth Drannor was a huge Gauntlet of Moandcr under the protection of the ancient city of elves at the cen- —_ 1 kingdom of Cormyr. ter of the Elven Court. When the elves left the Elven Court, the city Voonlar is an evil city which has allied was left deserted. Evil creatures, drawn with Zhentil Keep. Troops from Voonlar by the elven places of power, quickly have attempted to invade Shadowdale rushed into the city and turned it into a many times, but have always been foreboding ruin. turned back. Shadowdale is the name of both a town Yulash is a ruined city that sits on the and its surrounding area located where only trade route from Zhentil Keep to the the River Ashaba crosses the road from civilized southlands. The city is currently Tilverton to Voonlar. Shadowdale is a controlled by the Red Plume mercenaries haven for adventurers and happily opens of Hillsfar after a bitter struggle with the its arms to the power, protection, and forces of Zhentil Keep. Both sides are riches that successful adventurers bring. preparing themselves for another round Shadow-dale is also home to the famous of battle. sage Elminster. Zhentil Keep is a major city politically controlled by the evil Zhentrim. The city has been expanding its influence both west and south and many fear any further expansion of its power. IMPORTANT DALELAPiD'S The Fire Knives have sworn to assassi POWER GROUPS nate King Azoun IV and joined the first bonding project as a means to that end. The Army of Zhentil Keep is not so much the fiasco of the first bonding pro a Loo! of the city state, as it is a tool of After ject, the remains of the Fire Knives have the evil group, the Zhentrim. The army has recently taken the city of Teshwave, moved into the outer edges of the coun try of Cormyr. They are rumored to be patrols the route to Voonlar, and is fight engaged in another plot against the king. ing with the army of Hillsfar over the The symbol of the Fire Knives is a dagger ruins of Yulash. The army of Zhentil Keep excels in the close cooperation of fight surrounded by flame. ers, mages, and clerics. It also employs The Harpers are a secretive group con Terror Teams of intermediate level cler sisting mostly of high level bards and ics, mages, and fighter to sneak behind rangers. The overall aims of the Harpers enemy lines and wreak havoc. are a mystery, but they are known to sup The Cultists of Moander worship a dark, port good causes, and to oppose evil Zhentrim. The evil god whose power was centered in groups such as the Harpers mostly work behind the scenes, Yulash. Long ago, the elves of the FJven Court banished Moander to another applying as little force as necessary to unravel the plots of evil. plane and barred much of his power from the realms. Since then, Moander The Knights of Myth Drannor guard the worship has been reduced to a few fanat realms from the tremendous powers and ic cultists. These cultists were central in unending perils of the ruins of Myth creating the first azure bonds and tem Drannor. They keep the unspeakable porarily brought Moander back into the monsters inside the city from escaping. realms. But, Moander was rebanished They also keep naive adventurers from after a vicious magical combat over entering the city and getting hurt. Westgate. After Moander's rebanishment, his remaining cultists faithfully began yet The Red Flumes of Hillsfar is the generic another plot to return their master to the name for all troops fighting for the city of realms.

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