Dark Art

Kidnappers in Cormyr

When Richard finally announces his return to Shadowdale, he agrees to accompany Lyam and Callista. They decide that Lyam will leave for Tilverton earlier than the other two. Lyam begins to arrange for his absence with hiring a very trusted guard for his son, Serrdon, as Semenda will follow him to Tilverton. He seeks out Gorlomm, his old friend who is a smith in the Twisted Tower. Gorlomm cannot resist to do this "baby-sitting" as Lyam offers him a lot of gold (he even manages to raise his salary). He takes the job.
Lyam prepares for almost a week, and he and Semenda leaves for Tilverton on Uktar 5. Two days later they arrive in Tilverton quite safe, as they traveled with a Purple Dragon patrol through Shadow Gap and almost to the Gates of Tilverton.
After arranging for rooms at the Whispering Witch, he tries to contact Mathylos Stoneminer (a gnome thief), another friend from the Shining Spear days. He doesnīt manage to find Mathylos, but is not out of options yet. First he goes to Ghaelard Mossmere, but he seems to be studying. Then he tries to get a meeting with the Lady Regent Alasalynn Rowanmantle, whom they once rescued. But without any luck, he cant wait the time it would take for her to have time, as he doesnīt want to involve the Purple Dragons or the War Wizards in this. As he leaves the Council Tower, he is contacted by Mathylos. Lyam briefs him in, and Mathylos promises to try and find out who it can be that has kidnapped Sinnlyvone. After this, Lyam waits until his companions arrive.
Richard and Callista doesnīt sit idle while Lyam and Semenda prepares and then travels to Tilverton.
When they leave, Callista continues to study magic, while Richard seeks out some guardians for the Grove and tries to find some herbs. He makes contact with four sprites, whom all agrees to serve as Grove Guardians, if wellpaid in food and wine.
Their journey to Tilverton is smooth, without any greater incidents.
When they have met Lyam, they decide that they must do something. Richard uses Timepool to try and find out who kidnapped Sinnlyvone, and then where she is held captive. He manages to see two masked beings knocking her cold, and carry her into a wagon. Then he sees her being carried into a small room without windows, and as the kidnappers leave the room, he sees a corridor with a window just outside the room. Together with Lyam and Callista, they decide that she is probably held in a warehouse. But as Tilverton consists of quite a few such houses, that is not a great clue to investigate.
They rest and prepares for the 15th, and comes up with a good plan. When the evening of Uktar 15 arrives, Lyam sits at the Flagon Held High and waits to be contacted. Semenda will appear as a guest and act as a messenger for Callista hides in an alley near the tavern. Richard will be in bird shape and watch the whole area together with Glitter. Richard, Glitter and Callista will tail the kidnappers, while Lyam stays in the tavern until called upon.
He waits four almost five hours until a woman approaches him. She asks him if he has the gold, and that the money is to be left tomorrow night in Tilverīs Palace, at witching hour, while his sister will be turned over in an alley off the Street of the Sorceress. Lyam gives the signal to Semenda, who studies the woman and then goes and tells Callista. When the woman leaves the Flagon, Callista begins to follow the woman invisible. She notices a second person, a man, that appears out of an alley some hundred feet away. They manages to follow the pair down into the Old Town, where the two disappear into the sewers.
After a few minutes Lyam arrives, and they decide to enter the sewers as well. Richard refuses (as he is claustrophobic), so Lyam and Callista enters alone. Callista manages to bring her wardog Sharptooth with her down, and with his aid they pick up the track of the two culprits. Richard and Glitter follows as best they can on the streets.
Callista and Lyam walks about the sewers for a while, noticing that the tracks leads in a circle. They are so focused on following the two kidnappers, so when they come to a junction and are to enter a tunnel, they are ambushed by two trolls. The battle is short but fierce, and with fire magic they manage to bring down the two trolls. As soon as the last troll is dead, they become as silent as possible. Lyam manages to detect some strange noises, and with speed and stealth they enter the tunnel. They walk for some 30-40 yards, until they stop again. The noises now comes from the junction room, and they sound even more strange. Suddenly, the noises end and something comes towards them at a brisk pace. With only a little warning, they are set upon by a band of undead. They defeat the undead, and identifies them as ghouls. Callista tries to pick up the trail, and they walk a bit further until the tracks just disappear. They search the area, and almost as they are to give up, they find a secret door. They manages to guide Richard to the spot, and he reports that above it seems to lead to a warehouse. Here they debate for a while about what to do, but decides to chance that the warehouse is where Sinnlyvone is kept. They retreat back to the Whispering Witch and goes to bed (after a bath).
The next day they spend planning for the evening, and stays in their rooms. They all agree that they must take the kidnappers alive, but that someone must also care for Sinnlyvone. Semenda volunteers to safeguard Sinnlyvone, while the others is to deal with the kidnappers.
When the witching hour closes in, they split. Lyam and Callista goes to Tilverīs Palace, while Richard and Semenda goes to the alley. Glitter is to be link between them, going with Richard and Semenda.
Lyam and Callista goes to the center of the ruin, and then waits. Shortly after witching hour, A shadowy being appears in the ruins. He asks if they have the money and that they can hand it over.
At the same time, a wagon comes down the Street of the Sorceress, and the woman steps out of the wagon with Sinnlyvone. When Semenda is about to reach Sinnlyvone, a group of thugs attack them. In the ruins, another group of thugs attacks Lyam and Callista. The battle is very short, as all four attack the thugs with magic. But the shadowy being and the woman manages to escape from the battle, and the heavy magic use alerts the Purple Dragons.
The three decides to haste toward the warehouse they have scouted out. There they sneak inside, and discovers more thugs, the two culprits they know, and a third person. Here the Harpers manages to defeat the kidnappers by superior swordmanship. Almost all kidnappers surrender, while a few are knocked unconscious.
After interrogating the leader, one Jhorgen, they learn that the kidnappers worked for Gheril Wintershield, a merchant of Arabel. They decide to ride fast to Arabel, while Semenda will go back to Shadowdale with Sinnlyvone.