30 Kythorn by the Reckoning of the Dales

It's a warm night on the last evening in the month of Kythorn. The smells of mead and spiced food permeate the air of the Old Skull Inn in Shadowdale. The members of the Remnants of Order tarry in the Inn's common room, which has become a regular practice for them of late when they're not out of town on some dangerous errand. Their new friend, Swift Elyan, points to a group of newcomers that enter the Inn.

"They look like trouble," she says over her ale. It's an odd comment for the halfling to make. The men that enter the Inn do not wear any armor. They are clad in dusty traveling clothes, having obviously spent many days in the saddle before stopping at the Old Skull Inn. They carry only rudimentary weapons - daggers and knives. It's their demeanor, however, that brings a momentary silence to the Inn's common room as they enter. These five men are battle-scarred and rough-looking. While they do not carry any overt weapons, their movements and muscular bodies indicate they could all ably wield one.

"Wouldn't want to meet them in a dark alley," Swift jokes. The visitors survey the Inn until they find a table that can accommodate them. The din of the room returns to normal as folks get back to their conversations and the Inn's servants begin moving around tables again.

One of the newcomers makes eye contact with you and a startling realization takes hold: he is the Zhentarim soldier whose life you spared outside of Dagger Falls two months ago. He whispers to his companions. They make surreptitious glances at your table.

Then, the soldier who owes you his life rises from his seat, grimly looking in your direction, and begins to walk over...

28 Kythorn 1480 by the reckoning of Harptos

Following the leads presented by Haldor and the Archendale Ridesman, the Remnants of Order made their way south from Shadowdale. They'd passed Landaw on the East Way and were halfway to White Ford on the evening of 28 Kythorn when they stumbled upon two groups of youths confronting each other near a bend in the Arkhen River. It was good timing, for shadow creatures attacked the youth as the Order was passing nearby. Of course, the Order slew the shadow creatures after a brief skirmish.

After the fight, the Order learned that the shadow creatures focused on the Arkhen youths. Before much can be discerned, however, soldiers from White Ford and armed farmers from a Deepingdale village arrive and each requests that the Order come back with them to their respective dales. The choose to go to White Ford, as it seems the instigator of this affair resided there.

The Order offers to help Baron Bograt of White Ford to find out where the recent war mongering comes from. They learn several things in White Ford. First, information is obtained about a mustering of a vigilante group called the Hunters of Vengeance and a small ruin in Arch Wood which until recently was used for meetings of the Hunters. They also determine that a young boy named Messian was paid to incite the White Ford youths to violence against the kids of Landaw. The person that paid Messian was local named Hethram. An inspection of Hethram's house reveals that he left in a hurry to muster the Hand of Vengeance to seek reprisals against the folks of Landaw and the rest of Deepingdale. At this point, it's unclear why Hethram would involve himself in this matter.

A local hunter named Loromar indicates that Hethram has a hideout in the Arch Wood. The Remnants head into the foreboding woods in the middle of the night in search of Hethram. Finding the ruin on the northern edge of Arch Wood, the party sets-off a traps warding the ruin's entrance. However, the easily make it into the ruin's hidden dungeons.

Events become interesting at this point. The Order finds a group of
mercenaries that has come to the ruin to take confront Hethram. Hethram had hired a dark elf and his henchman to find an object called the ring of blue shadows. Hethram never paid the dark elf and his band for their services. They've come to collect payment - beginning with cutting-off Hethram's left hand. The party jumps to Hethram's aid to get his story before he is slain by the dark elf.

After the battle, the Order learns that the Hunters of Vengeance are going to muster at Hunter's Down the following evening. Hethram admits that he was inciting a conflict against one man - Bokan. Bokan has been seeking a way to repopulate the Dead Dale, something that is anathema to an Arkhen like Hethram. Hethram figured he could stop Bokan by simply conjuring up a story that it was Bokan's meddling in the Dead Dale that stirred up the area's shadows, haunts and other spirits to life. However, it was Hethram, using the ring of blue shadows who has summoned the shadow creatures of late.

With this knowledge, the party decides to find Bokan and protect him against the Hunters of Vengeance. The Order arrives at Bokan's cabin shortly before the Hunters and find none other than Byar. But, the mob of Hunters arrive before they can get into any details with Byar.

The Order manages to scare off most of the mob. However, a few of them stay, because the idea of Bokan's activity in the Dead Dale is more than they can bear, whether it's true or not. A fight ensues in front of Bokan’s cabin. The Order prevails, of course, and drive off or otherwise beat down the mob's stubborn combatants.

The battle and the ill sentiment that gave rise to it wakens the spirits of the elven dead in the area. One of these ancient specters appears and offers a cryptic warning of more things to come. It suggests that the ring of blue shadows be destroyed, as it shall only bring harm, discord and sorrow. However, one of the Order's members balks at the warning and covetously keeps the ring.

The party, with Byar, make their way back to Shadowdale where there is a joyous reunion between Byar, Swift and Dorring. Byar is moved to tears at the sight of his friends. He completely breaks down when he sees Sureen.

The Tale of Byar's Seven ends here. But, more adventure awaits the Remnants of Order.

20 Kythorn 1480 by he reckoning of Harptos

Dusk had arrived. The members of the Remnants of Order had spent the afternoon with Lady Addlee at the Tower of Ashaba. The setting sun reminded the party members of their weariness, so they retired to the Old Skull Inn at the heart of Shadowdale. The Inn is busy as usual, with people from all over the Dales stopping for a night or two, seeking rest from their travels.

One of the Inn's patrons this night identifies himself as Ridesman out of Archendale. His attire and demenaor lends credence to his claim. He indicates he is heading to Dagger Falls on some sort of business out of White Ford for Lord Borgat.

While discussing his travels north, the Ridesman tells of a fellow he encountered in Highmoon. While turning west onto the East Way, the Ridesman says he was briefly accompanied by a man named Byar. The two traveled together on the East for for half a day, before Byar truned south to do some trapping along the Arkjen River's headwaters.

The Ridesman said that Byar was a "forlorn chap, lost in his thoughts and not too present in the here and now. It made him a good companion that half day as he did not entertain too much idle chit-chat." The Ridesman further said that Byar was a resident of Deepingdale.

Swift Elyan, of course, seizes this moment to formulate a plan to go down to Deepingdale to see if it is indeed her and Dorring's friend. "On the 'morrow we must set-out to Highmoon," she declaims. "We must find Byar at long last and let him know that some of us have survived, and that Sureen lives."

20 Kythorn 1480 by the reckoning of Harptos

The members of the Remnants of Order had made short work of their exploration of Windsong Tower. While in Shadowdale, an envoy of Myth Drannor approached the party. The envoy of Gold Elves, having heard that Berrian and the other members of the Order were nearby, had come to Shadowdale to ask for assistance. Windsong Tower had drifted over the lands of Berrian's family in the western reaches of Cormanthor. Coronal Ilsevele requested that an exploration of the tower be conducted. The family turned to Berrian and the Order since they were nearby and certainly experienced and well equipped for such an endeavor.

Windsong Tower was once a school of sorcery whose membership was secret. During the fall of Myth Drannor, all of the members of the school were killed during the fighting. Since that time various creatures inhabited it. The last was a group of demons and daemonfey using it as a small outpost and prison. Eventually a host of eladrin set on a crusade to recover Myth Drannor. The fighting around the tower was fierce. The eladrin choose to seal the demons up rather
than continue to take losses. A few demons remained, trapped since just before the Spellplague.

The Order learned that these demons were hold-outs from the Elven Crusade of 1274 and they were still waiting for Sarya Dlardrageth to return to give them orders - they did not know that the demons had been defeated and Sarya was killed a hundred years ago. The Spellplague had completely isolated Windsong Tower's inhabitants from the rest of the world.

As noted, the Remnants of Order handily dealt with the secluded demons and returned to Shadowdale, after receiving the thanks of Coronal Miritar. Now, during the summer solstice, the party rests from their exertions in Windsong Tower and their travels all the way from Waterdeep.

Swift Elyan was at the Old Skull Inn waiting on the party and hoping for their safe return. She'd grown attached to the party after they had found her friend Dorring Brightaxe near Dagger Falls and Sureen Tevernesta in the depths of the Spiderhaunt Forest.

Sureen still lies in a coma under the watchful eye of Lady Addee of Shadowdale. Byar is still unaccounted for and Swift is eager to solicit the party one more time to help find him, if he's alive, before the moving out upon the arrival of their patron, Yazeth of the Church of Amaunator.