Introduction

11 Marpenoth 1375

Our story begins with a tall and slender man, dark ebony skin and shortly cut hair the hue of a raven. He wears dark crimson robes with blue flames creeping like an ancient ivy up the edges of the fine cloth. As he turns to glance in your direction his blue eyes, bright as the summer sky blind you. He elicits a knowing grin then quickly frowns and furrows his brow gazing beyond you into the city. He pulls out an old tome, flips through some pages, then sticks it back in his backpack. With a great sigh the man lifts his head, and gazes again at the city. Finally nodding and taking a step in the right direction, his large Contrabass musical instrument sticking out his pack, he heads into the downtown of the City of Silverymoon.

It is a dreary day in Silverymoon. It is cold and wet. The rain sprays down from above as if blown through the nostrils of a mist dragon from Baanderhouen. “Interesting choice” you think as you meander down the grass and flower laden streets of Silverymoon, knowing that the weather is controlled magically by the highest ranking members of the Spellguard (half of the local law enforcement). You are on your way to the Bright Blade Brandished, a local drinking establishment.

You are in the market for a strong and skilled warrior and a cleric who can be a distraction if needed. Given a small amount of funds by *********THIS IS VIEWABLE ONLY BY Azora Charbonneau********************, you are to hire the best you can with the 200 gold provided. You hope this will be enough, it is a meager amount for the kind of help you desire. *************THIS IS VIEWABLE ONLY BY Azora Charbonneau************************** This is what your secret contact told you, whose name you also keep hidden deep in your mind and will not even touch now as you near a group of thugs on the street corner. Luckily Waterdeep has certain magical wards that protect you from riff-raff such as this. Just in case you reach into your pocket and grasp your wand should the need for a magical spell arise. The men turn and look at you, most grinning in a tell-tale way. You know your coin purse is being scrutinized. Luckily, it is a decoy with your real purse being hidden inside the cutout pages of a book in your backpack and containing well over 200 gold pieces.

As you near the thieves one steps in front of you and holds out his hand.

“Hail Mage. Doth thou wish to make a few silver? Well, my boys and I here want to learn a simple trick. We want to learn how to make coin disappear. Can you teach us?” As he says this you feel a slight tug on your decoy coin purse. You tense up but also spot a patrol of Knights in Silver on horseback about ¼ mile down the main road. The Knights in Silver are Silverymoon’s Armed and Armored guardsmen and guardswomen who protect the people of Silverymoon from danger. They are very skilled in battle and the 5 men would flee if they were pursued by the Knights in Silver.