#mintiper's chapbook

[tale-chaser]

Mintiper's Chapbook - Trail of Mists

Mintiper Moonsilver is one of the legendary bards of the Forgotten Realms, and tales of his adventures have long been recounted around hearthfires across the North in musical, poetic, and narrative forms. 

Transcribed in Silverymoon's Vault of the Sages by the Keeper of the Vault, Mintiper's Chapbook is a compilation of the Lonely Harpist's ballads, poems, and tales.

Trail of Mists

Ga ‘nomes went in, ga ‘nomes went out,  Now look at ga fields all about.  Ga men of course get all ga ‘lory,  Forgotten again, same old story!

(CHORUS)  We may be here, we may be there,  Like men of course we’re everywhere!  We may be fair, but so are elves,  Ga People, see, are just themselves!  We may be stout, but so are dwarves,  At least we’re not afraid of wharves!  We may be small, but so are hin,  At least we have hair on our chin!  We may be fierce, but so are orcs,  At least we do not taste like pork!  We may be here, we may be there,  Ga misty trail runs everywhere!

Ga ‘nomes went in, ga ‘nomes went out,  Now look at ga trees all about.  Ga elves of course get all ga ‘lory,  Forgotten again, same old story!

(CHORUS)

Ga ‘nomes went in, ga ‘nomes went out,  Now look at ga gems all about.  Ga dwarves of course get all ga ‘lory,  Forgotten again, same old story!

(CHORUS)    Ga ‘nomes went in, ga ‘nomes went out,  Now look at ga pipes all about.  Ga hin of course get half ga ‘lory,  Forgotten again, same old story!

(CHORUS)

Ga ‘nomes went in, ga ‘nomes went out,  Now look at nothing all about.  Ga orcs of course get all ga ‘ory,  Oops, not our fault, and not our story!

(CHORUS)

gnome drinking ditty entitled  "Ga Nomes"  blamed on Mintiper Moonsilver  Year of the Boot (1343 DR)

Keeper’s Annotations

Have you ever wondered how gnomes start bar brawls? This inspired bit of doggerel is a favorite of drunken gnomes, particularly those who feel slighted or overlooked. The listed verses are believed to be the original work of the Lonely Harpist, although countless additional verses have been created by various gnomes to offend just about any audience. Mintiper Moonsilver is believed to have written this ditty during his fabled trek through the High Forest, as Heverseer Windfeather, proprietor of the Singing Sprite inn, claims to have heard its first performance in the Year of the Moonfall (1344 DR) in the taproom of the Seven-Stringed Harp tavern in the village of Secomber on a night that the Wood-Riders of Turlang came to town.

The Lonely Harpist may have written this little song as a way of thanking the Forgotten Folk for their assistance in speeding his passage through the High Forest. The reference to the "misty trail" in the last line of the chorus suggests what form such aid may have taken: The Trail of Mists is a little-known means of magical travel akin to a series gate [1] and believed to date back to the height of Netheril and Eaerlann. [2] Created by gnome illusionists [3] working in concert with Eaerlanni High Mages, the Trail of Mists served originally as a means of magical transport by which gnomes who had escaped enslavement by the Netherese could move about the northern and eastern High Forest without fear of being recaptured. [4] The Trail of Mists linked several score elven garrisons on the Eaerlanni-Netherese border with an elven fortress in the heart of Eaerlann since rebuilt as the Citadel of Mists. [5] From there the Trail of Mists led further south and west, enabling gnomes to safely flee far from their former masters. [6]

Gnomes still dwelling in the High Forest [7] must have guided Mintiper and his companions along at least part of the Trail of Mists during their southward trek, and the Lonely Harpist apparently developed an inkling of just how far-reaching this network of magical trails had become. The Trail of Mists does indeed seem to connect most gnome communities with each other and with major settlements of other races, functioning as a hidden trading network and speeding travel between far-flung gnome communities. [8]

The Trail of Mists must lead at least as far south as Amn, for one branch of the "misty trail" leads directly into the taproom of the Threshing Flail. A rough-and-tumble tavern in the Amnian town of Purskul, this favourite hangout for half-orc field hands is commonly known as the Thrashing Flail for its frequent tavern brawls. Rowdy, drunken gnomes apparently delight in "crashing" the Threshing Flail by way of the Trail of Mists and then singing their favourite drinking ditty to the crowd. If outmatched by the assembled porcine patrons in the inevitably ensuing brawl, the Trail of Mists provides a simple and safe means of egress by which to flee. [9]

Chronicler’s Footnotes

[1] A series gate is a string of magical portals that connect two or more destinations through a series of intermediate locales. One example of such is the Lost Princess Road, which links the Purple Hills of Tethyr with such diverse locales as northeastern Amn, the mouth of the River Chionthar, the Bridge of Fallen Men, Silavene’s festhall in Waterdeep, and the confluence of the River Delimbiyr and the Unicorn Run. Another series gate is used as a the slaving route between the drow city of Karsoluthiyl in the Underdark off the coast of Baldur’s Gate and the drow outpost of Kyorlamshin in the depths of Undermountain. Many other examples of series gates may be found inSecrets of the Magister.

Although it serves much the same function as a series gate, the Trail of Mists is actually a series of fixed paths through the Border Ethereal. One can only step onto the Trail of Mists at certain fixed points across Faerûn, known as nexus points. A would-be "mistwalker" must know the precise location of the nexus point, as both magic and psionics have proven ineffective in pinpointing them, and move some part of his physical form through it. To access the Trail of Mists, the nexus point employed must also be wholly cloaked in some type of three-dimensional magical illusion, such as that created by a phantasmal force or improved phantasmal force spell. The exact nature of the illusion created is irrelevant, although most spellcasters create the illusion of some type of portal. Finally, a would-be mistwalker must be carrying a specific type of gemstone, and the exact type required varies from nexus point to nexus point.

Once on the Trail of Mists, a mistwalker can travel along one of the trails of thick mist linked to that nexus point until he reaches the next nexus point. All nexus points have at least one trail leading away through the Border Ethereal, and some have as many as a dozen alternatives. Upon reaching a nexus point, a mistwalker is instantly shifted back to the Prime Material Plane, and he must re-enter the nexus point normally, subject to all the conditions listed above, to resume movement along the Trail of Mists.

While walking along the Trail of Mists, a mistwalker can see objects in the Prime Material Plane as if through a thick mist. The Trail of Mists never seems to pass through physical objects on the Prime Material Plane or rise off the ground. The Trail of Mists simply reroutes itself (and anything on it) around any new physical impediments from the Prime Material Plane that are moved in its apparent path. It is not possible to move even one step backward along the Trail of Mists or step off it in any way, nor is it possible to interact in any way with the neighbouring Border Ethereal. Likewise, creatures of the Ethereal Plane cannot interact with mistwalkers in any way, although both can see and hear each other if in close physical proximity. If two parties are moving in opposite directions along the same branch of the Trail of Mists, the branch automatically forks and then re-joins so that the two groups appear to pass each other at a distance of 20 feet or so. Mistwalkers can cover as many miles (relative to the Prime Material Plane) per hour as they have points of Intelligence, although it is possible to move more slowly if desired. Groups that wish to stay together cannot move faster than the slowest being among them, as it is not possible to carry or pull someone along the Trail of Mists.

[2] The first stages of the Trail of Mists were established circa -3150 DR, and the Forgotten Folk have expanded this network of ethereal paths in fits and starts through the present day.

[3] Eaerlanni elves taught promising candidates among the Forgotten Folk the art of wizardry, much as they had instructed the humans of Netheril in the Art centuries before. Most gnome apprentices demonstrated a natural affinity for spells of illusion and phantasm, and, coupled with their need to hide from the spells of the Netherese archwizards, the Forgotten Folk developed the tradition of specializing in the school of illusion and phantasm that continues through the present day.

[4] The Netherese enslaved the Forgotten Folk for centuries, despite a series of failed revolts, employing them as craftsmen and inventors. Small groups of gnomes regularly escaped captivity, but most were quickly discovered and killed by the Netherese.

The elves of Eaerlann began quietly assisting the small bands of gnome refugees who arrived on their borders circa -3520 DR, a mere dozen years after the discovery of the Nether Scrolls. The Forgotten Folk were initially housed in subterranean chambers dug beneath elven frontier garrisons, but, fearing the wrath of Netherese archwizards hunting their escaped slaves, the Eaerlanni began shepherding the Forgotten Folk through the High Forest towards the South, far from the sphere of influence of Netheril.

After many failed revolts, those Forgotten Folk who remained enslaved by the Netherese eventually won their freedom during the Silver Age of Netheril by refusing to work. Mind-controlling magic, while successful at keeping the gnomes in line, proved ineffectual at producing quality inventions, so the Netherese finally relented, thanks in part to the diplomatic efforts of Eaerlann’s ambassadors, and all of Netheril’s gnome slaves were emancipated by –2387 DR.

[5] The Citadel of the Mists, a slim triangle of three towers jutting from two large buildings and an enclosed courtyard, is an isolated castle on the northern fringes of the High Forest. The tallest tower houses a pegasus aerie, well-guarded by charmed air and fire elementals and only accessible via an exposed internal staircase that rises through a single large chamber.

The Citadel is home to the enigmatic Mistmaster, a powerful, long-lived illusionist and lapsed priest of the Lady of the Mists, who may have once been the highest-ranking priest of the entire faith based in Milvarune. The Citadel is cloaked in an ancient wardmist that predates the castle’s construction by millennia. The Mistmaster has developed series of spells that allow him to trigger the awakening of the wardmist in the same way that a magic mouth spell is triggered, i.e. in almost all cases, by intrusions or specific intruder actions. In addition, the Mistmaster can cloak the entire Citadel in swirling mists at will. The former priest employs the Sarbossa Ring of Undarl, a unique magical device that enables him to shapechange at will and may have other powers as well.

The Mistmaster’s household retainers and allies include Iltmul, an elite member of the Everwatch Knights, Cherissa Mintaeril, who venerates the Luckmaiden and who gained great fame in the service of Cormyr, and Azure, an enigmatic wizard from Silverymoon. Each of the above-named allies and retainers bears a ward token, enabling them to move about the Citadel at will without triggering the wardmist’s defences.

The Citadel is riddled with ancient dimension doors of elven construction, which is invisible spots that whisk someone entering them in certain ways to other invisible spots, elsewhere in the Citadel. Some of these linkages work in the upper floors of the three Citadel towers despite predating the construction of the present fortress, a conundrum that only the Mistmaster has unraveled. The dimension doors are in some way tied to the Trail of Mists, but it is not possible to access the ethereal network of paths by employing them.

Built in the Year of the Deep Moon (1294 DR) by agents of the Mistmaster, the Citadel of the Mists lies atop the foundations of an ancient elven fortress abandoned circa –4,300 DR at the end of the Seven Citadels War. The ancient cellars and passageways beneath the Citadel of the Mists were once one of five secret armouries established by the gold elf cambions of House Dlardrageth circa –4,500 DR. The Dlardrageth armouries, which may in turn have been built atop ruins of earlier fortresses dating back to the height of Aryvandaar, were storehouses of magical artefacts recovered from the ruins of the Vyshaantar Empire and defended by bound demon guardians. Gold elf agents of Siluvanede discovered four of the five Dlardrageth armouries during the Seven Citadels War, including the one that now lies beneath the Citadel of the Mists, enabling the lesser houses of Siluvanede to wield the terrible legacies of the Vyshaantar Empire they found within the armories against their moon elven brethren in Eaerlann.

After the defeat of Siluvanede, the Fair Folk of Eaerlann discovered the subterranean armoury that now lies beneath the Citadel of Mists. Eaerlanni archmages wrapped the armoury in magical wards, so as to imprison those evils that remained within the armoury’s deepest chambers. The armoury lay untouched for centuries, until its empty upper chambers were given over to the Forgotten Folk circa –3150 DR to serve as a clearing station for the Trail of Mists.

Circa –1700 DR, the gnomes were forced to erect additional wards around the ancient armoury and abruptly ceased using it as a central way station of the Trail of Mists. One or more of the bound demons that had long guarded the legacies of the Vyshaantar Empire had managed to escape the former armoury’s lower catacombs, and only the desperate action of a small band of forest gnome and moon elven adventurers managed to keep the unbound demons from escaping the upper catacombs as well.

Today, the upper catacombs of the Citadel of the Mists are still defended by all manner of illusions, traps, and magical and monstrous guardians laid by the gnomes, and they are home to one or more partially freed demons as well. The tunnels and chambers contain well over three dozen nexus points through which it is still possible to directly access almost every nexus point found in the northern High Forest as well as those that lie amidst the ruins of ancient elven garrisons along the eastern edge of the Far Forest.

[6] Most gnomes who escaped enslavement by the Netherese made their way to southern lands, far beyond Netheril’s sphere of influence. Travel through the North was facilitated by the Trail of Mists, which, in those days, extended as far south as the waterway now known as the River Chionthar and as far east as the mountain range now known as the Stormhorns.

[7] Over two dozen communities of forest gnomes remain within the northern and eastern reaches of the High Forest, all in close proximity to at least one nexus point of the Trail of Mists. Most such villages have between 100 and 300 inhabitants, and the total population of forest gnomes in the High Forest barely exceeds 5,000.

[8] Today the Trail of Mists criss-crosses much of the northern High Forest and links with gnome communities, the ruins of older gnome settlements, and various cities of other races scattered across western and northern Faerûn. It has been extended time and time again by gnome illusionists, the most famous of whom was undoubtedly Fitzmilliyun Sparkledrim, the legendary creator of the Castle of Illusion ere the fall of Ascalhorn.

In addition to those that lie within the depths of the High Forest, one or more nexus points of the Trail of Mists lie within the ruins of Dolblunde (north and east of Waterdeep), the ruins of Hellgate Keep (dating back to the days of Ascalhorn), and the ruins of Myth Glaurach (detailed in Mintiper’s Chapbook: Myth Glaurach), as well as amidst the Castle of Illusion, the Trollbark Forest, the Forgotten Forest, and the Trielta Hills. Another nexus is said to lie amidst the long-lost Shinglefell Gnome Burrow, but the exact location of Fitzmilliyun’s birthplace has been lost even to the Forgotten Folk, suggesting that at least one branch of the Trail of Mists is no longer connected with the rest of the network of paths.

Gnome settlements that encompass or lie near a nexus point of the Trail of Mists include Anga Vled (west of Elturel), Beldenshyn (along the Winding Water), Elbencort (east of Riatavin), Forharn (in the White Peaks north of the Ride), the Friendly Arm (an inn on the trade road from Baldur’s Gate to Beregost), Hardbuckler (near the Trielta Hills), Skultan (east of Daerlun), Stormpemhauder (in the depths of the Spiderhaunt Woods), Tempus’s Tears (at the crossroads of the Skuldask Road and Thundar’s Ride), and countless other out-of-the-way locales known only to the Forgotten Folk. Cities such as Baldur’s Gate, Elturel, Elversult, Evereska, Mithral Hall, Neverwinter, Scardale, Silverymoon, Sundabar, Suzail, Thentia, and Waterdeep, also contain one or more nexus points of the Trail of Mists.

[9] The Threshing Flail has one additional attraction for gnomes largely unknown outside their communities in the Trielta Hills. A lingering wild magic effect from the Time of Troubles centred on the tavern’s taproom renders full-blooded gnomes who shed blood in its confines immune to the curse of lycanthropy until the next full moon. The Trielta Hills have seen numerous incursions by weremoles since the Time of Troubles, a plague attributed to Urdlen, the Crawler Below. As such, gnome warriors from the Trielta Hills routinely visit the Threshing Flail, and inciting a tavern brawl is simply a fun way of ensuring a little blood is spilled.

[tale-chaser]

Mintiper's Chapbook - Crypt of the Black Hand

Mintiper Moonsilver is one of the legendary bards of the Forgotten Realms, and tales of his adventures have long been recounted around hearthfires across the North in musical, poetic, and narrative forms. 

Transcribed in Silverymoon's Vault of the Sages by the Keeper of the Vault, Mintiper's Chapbook is a compilation of the Lonely Harpist's ballads, poems, and tales.

Crypt of the Black Hand

Lunargent raced through the catacombs with the ghoul pack slavering at his heels. Blood dripped from a score or more cuts, witness to the sharp teeth and cruel claws of the flesh-eaters, and his stomach roiled against the pervading stench of carrion. From up ahead he could hear the mad howls of another ghoul pack racing to cut him off, leaving him no option but to dash into the nearest side chamber and bar the door shut, hoping against hope it was the one he sought.

His eyes wild with fear, Lunargent looked about the room, noting the bones of rotting corpses and streaks of blood across the floor and walls. Once a safehold for the citizenry of Ascalhorn in times of attack, the room had been transformed into a macabre playroom for the demons to indulge themselves. From outside the door, a fiendish baying heralded the arrival of the ghoul pack’s master, a fearsome glabrezu. With desperate haste, Lunargent raced to the rear of the chamber and dove into the tainted, brackish waters of the cistern. Lady Luck was kind to him, for at the bottom of the fouled reservoir he found the slight hand-shaped depression carved into the stone that he sought.

With a sense of impending doom, Lunargent pressed his right hand against the symbol of the Black Lord and then swam back up to the surface. The half-elf found himself in a dark pool at the center of a chamber with walls of basalt and a high, arching ceiling. The air was heavy with smoke from a handful of guttering torches placed in sconces along the walls, and his crazed fear quickly transformed into an awareness of dreadful majesty. Directly above him loomed an immense obsidian hand standing six feet high and hovering high above the room. The walls were lined with a dozen obsidian sarcophagi, the lids of which were all carved in the form of a human male clad in the vestments of the Lord of Darkness.

Taking care not to disturb anything within the unholy crypt, Lunargent made his way around the room, studying each sculpted figure in turn. At last he found the one he sought, whose twisted visage mocked the noble features of the long-dead High Mage of Silverymoon, Ederan Nharimlur. Shoving aside the heavy lid, the half-elf lay down within its dank confines and closed himself within for the space of three terrifying heartbeats.

After what seemed an eternity, the coffin walls slowly melted away, and the half-elf found himself standing in a narrow crevice at the base of the western cliff face of the ancient igneous plug once known as Ascal’s Horn. It was only a matter of time until the ghoul packs found his trail again, but at least he was free of Hellgate Keep and had a brief head start.

                                           fragment of a narrative epic entitled "Hellstorm"                                                                              attributed to Mintiper Moonsilver                                                                                       Year of the Harp (1355 DR)

Keeper’s Annotations

Mintiper Moonsilver has long been recognized as the only man to have stormed the ghoul-hold of Hellgate Keep and lived to tell the tale. The recent fall of that centuries-old bastion of evil ensures that he will be the only one ever to do so. [1] As mentioned in an earlier annotation, the hero of the "Hellstorm" epic, Lunargent, is simply a commonly employed alias for Moonsilver and those who have told him of their adventures. In this narrative, at least, Mintiper’s tale is definitely autobiographical. [2]

There is little agreement among scholars as to exactly when Mintiper’s famous raid on the fiend-held redoubt occurred, as some sages place it before the half-elf’s founding of the Moonlight Men, while other chroniclers believe it happened it immediately following the Battle of Turnstone Pass or several years later, during the five years he spent with the druids of the Tall Trees after his return to the North. It has been established, however, that Mintiper did not compose his "Hellstorm" epic until the last year of his residence among the druids of Tall Trees. The Journal of Ilygaard Stormhawk, Druid of the Tall Trees Circle, which now lies in the Vault of Sages in Silverymoon, speaks of Mintiper creating the narrative epic as a gift to his companion, the slave girl Noura, in the early stages of her descent into madness and death as a way of giving her hope that even the greatest of horrors could be surmounted. [3]

This passage from the "Hellstorm" narrative undoubtedly describes the Crypt of the Black Hand, a vault said to lie within the depths of Hellgate Keep and hold the bones and treasures of the Brotherhood of the Black Hand. This cadre of Bane-worshipping wizards was founded in Ascalhorn shortly after the fall of Myth Drannor. The Brotherhood was driven into exile in the Year of the Cowl (765 DR) after the Ascalhi authorities discovered the group’s activities, only to resurface in Silverymoon a year later where their spies were employed as builders of the High Palace of Silverymoon. Most of the Black Hand wizards were found an executed, although a few escaped with a number of priceless magical artefacts, including High Mage Ederan’s staff of Silverymoon, the chain mail glove of Taarnahm the Vigilant, and Tasmia’s necklace. Those who did survive returned in secret to a safehold in Ascalhorn, where the remaining Brothers became enmeshed in the rapidly escalating conflicts and power plays between the wizards of that city. In the Year of Thorns (856 DR), the last wizards of the Black Hand fell to the attacks of rival sorcerers and the burgeoning host of baatezu that had infiltrated Ascalhorn. Of all the Brotherhood’s places of power, only the legendary Crypt of the Black Hand is thought to have escaped discovery, although Lunargent’s tale suggests some means of accessing the subterranean vault survived and remains known today.

From Mintiper’s description, we can conclude that the symbol of Bane is carved in the floor of a cistern in one of the lesser assemblies beneath Ascalhorn, assuming it survived the destruction of Hellgate Keep, and that, by placing one’s right hand in it, can be employed as a gate to the Crypt of the Black Hand, which lies elsewhere within Ascal’s Horn. (No hint is given as to whether or not magical passage in the reverse direction is also possible.) [4]

A comparison of this account with one found in the Annals of the Helmstar Company, a band of adventurers who plundered a temple of the Dark Lord over a century ago, suggests that the Crypt is guarded by a holy hand of Bane, a rare type of magical relic sometimes found guarding the innermost altars of temples dedicated to the Black Lord. The means by which Lunargent escaped its attentions is left unstated, although perhaps his care to avoid disturbing anything contained within the Crypt ensured his safety. [5]

Ederan Nharimlur was known as Catseye after he miscast a find familiar spell in the Year of Portents Perilous (707 DR) and mixed his form with that of a summoned feline, giving him a light gold fur covering his skin and the green eyes of a cat. The inclusion of the High Mage’s twisted representation amidst the Brotherhood is undoubtedly a mocking jest alluding to their vindictive theft of his staff of Silverymoon as well as a distinctive marker indicating which sarcophagus functions as an exit gate from the Crypt. One wonders what horrors lurk within the sarcophagi that Lunargent did not disturb. Perhaps they contain the purloined treasures of Silverymoon? [6]

Chronicler’s Footnotes

[1] The fall of Hellgate Keep was the work of the Mistmaster of the Citadel of Mists, the bard Cryshana Fireglen, and Spellviper, a priest of Mystra. In the Year of the Gauntlet (1369 DR), the illusionist and the two Harpers employed an artefact known as the Gatekeeper’s Crystal to shatter the powerful wards that enveloped the ghoul-hold and bring about the destruction of the former citadel-town.

[2] See Mintiper’s Chapbook: The Tree of Wailing Souls, for further discussion of the character of Lunargent and the Keeper’s general skepticism that Mintiper actually participated in all the great adventures attributed to the Lonely Harpist.

[3] Noura, daughter of the Bedine chieftain Khytor Moramu, died a slow, quivering death as her madness advanced, and no one Mintiper could find knew why or how to stop it. Noura’s condition was the result of a hitherto unknown disease that causes the tissues of the brain to gradually rot. It is spread by a species of flower resembling a blood-red orchid that is native to Pandemonium and the Abyss and that grows only amidst carrion. Such flowers, known as carriorchids, emit a form of pollen that reeks of decay, attracting chasme (fly-like demons), ghouls, and other scavengers. When even the smallest amount of pollen from a carriorchid is inhaled by a sentient species not native to the Lower Planes, madness inevitably ensues over the course of several months as the mind literally rots away. For reasons not well understood, sometimes the pollen lies latent for years before symptoms manifest, while other victims show signs of madness almost immediately. If left unconsecrated (i.e. not blessed) after dying (whether because of the mindrot sickness or some other factor), the corpses of humanoids suffering this fate rise within twenty-four hours as ghasts, and the stench they exude is laced with carriorchid pollen, making their noxious attack potentially lethal if a saving throw vs. poison is failed.

Noura’s fate has been shared by at least a handful of others in the Upvale region since the fall of Ascalhorn in the Year of the Curse (882 DR), but only after her death in the Year of the Harp (1355 DR) did the druids of Tall Trees finally determine the cause of her decline. Although still quite rare, carriorchids grow wild in the Far Forest, one of the many Abyssal horrors to taint that ancient forest, and mindrot sickness has plagued many who dared walk beneath the forest’s boughs. In addition, this disease is not unknown in the South, for wizards in the employ of Shadow Thieves, using pollen gathered from carriorchids of the Far Forest, have developed a lethal variety of magical aromatic oil known as putressence that, if heated, causes similar symptoms in those who inhale its vapours.

No cure for mindrot is known, as spells such as cure disease, heal, and neutralize poison have proven wholly ineffective, and herbal remedies such as feverbalm and mother’sleaf provide no apparent benefit. However, sacred texts of the cult of Moander suggest that the Darkbringer’s minions may have developed a more powerful version of slow rot that affects animal flesh as well as plants. Such a spell might stave off the any further progression of this disease, but finding an appropriate scroll would require both luck and a foray into one of the fallen cult’s ruined bastions.

[4] Both the Crypt of the Black Hand and the cistern gate leading to it survived the devastation wrought by the Gatekeeper’s Crystal. The cistern gate is found within one of the lesser assemblies, as mapped in the Hellgate Keep module. The Crypt of the Black Hand lies encased in solid rock between the Lesser Assemblies and the upper level of the Deep Garrisons, again as mapped in the Hellgate Keep module. The Black Hand Gate is bi-directional, with passage from the Crypt to the cistern triggered by a matching right hand indentation carved into the centre of the floor of the pool in the Crypt. The gate is warded against the passage of creatures native to the Lower Planes, and thus the Crypt has never been breached by the demons of Hellgate Keep. The air within the Crypt of the Black Hand is kept fresh by magical means, and the torches are lit by magical flame that cannot be extinguished, except by a successful detect magic spell.

[5] The giant obsidian hand that guards the Crypt is indeed a holy hand of Bane. It did not attack Mintiper because the half-elven bard is not of good alignment, but is chaotic neutral in ethos, and because Mintiper disturbed nothing but the exit gate. The holy hand of Bane will attack anyone entering the Crypt of good alignment as well as anyone who disturbs any of sarcophagi (except the one employed by Mintiper) in any fashion, whether by physical, magical, or psionic means.

[6] Ederan’s sculpted form is recognizable, even by those who have never seen his visage, by the slitted irises of a cat and the faint rendition of fur on his skin. These clues are only noticeable if someone knows what to look for or if they spend at least an hour studying the sculpted forms of the various sarcophagi looking for something distinctive. The gate within the sarcophagi is activated as described above, and only functions in one direction.

The other sarcophagi contain the mummified forms of the wizards of the Black Hand interred within. A secret compartment beneath each mummy contains the spell librams and personal treasures of the dead wizard. Despite the Keeper’s hopes, High Mage Ederan’s staff of Silverymoon, the chain mail glove of Taarnahm the Vigilant, and Tasmia’s necklace are not found within the Crypt, as they were confiscated from the last surviving wizards of the Brotherhood by their slayers and lie elsewhere within ghoul-hold. 

[tale-chaser]

Mintiper's Chapbook - Tree of Wailing Souls

Mintiper Moonsilver is one of the legendary bards of the Forgotten Realms, and tales of his adventures have long been recounted around hearthfires across the North in musical, poetic, and narrative forms.

Transcribed in Silverymoon's Vault of the Sages by the Keeper of the Vault, Mintiper's Chapbook is a compilation of the Lonely Harpist's ballads, poems, and tales. 

Tree of Wailing Souls 

While making their way across the hinterlands of the North, Lunargent and his five companions chose to make camp atop a nearby tor crowned by a massive, gnarled oak tree. Although the hill’s summit was easily defended against orcs and other monsters, the night that followed was one of nightmarish horror, for the band had lain down to sleep in the bower of a monster.

Lunargent was the first to realize that something was wrong, for he awoke with a start in the middle of the night to realize that no one had woken him up for his shift on guard duty. Near the edge of the firelight lay one of his companions apparently dozing against the trunk of the great oak instead of standing watch on his shift.

As he made his way over to the slumbering form of his friend, Lunargent tripped over a rock that had not been there when he lay down to sleep. Bending down to examine the stone, Lunargent realized with dawning horror that it was the severed head of his friend, apparently torn off the rest of his body by a bloody tree root that lay twitching on the ground nearby. A mad cackle from the base of the tree drew his gaze to his friend’s body. The twin head that had lain atop its shoulders rose into air while ranting insanely, revealing that it was affixed to the end of a thick branch.

Moments later the hill erupted with roots that sought to ensnare the interlopers. The great oak’s branches swung back and forth, bludgeoning the companions as they awoke. A dozen heads at the end of branches danced to and fro above the fray, spitting curses and spells on the combatants below. In response, the companions unleashed gouts of spellflame, but to no avail, for the Tree of Wailing Souls refused to burn.

With desperate haste, Lunargent and his companions fled down the steep-sided slope dodging the grasping thicket of roots that erupted wherever they stepped. With Tymora’s favor, four survived, including Lunargent, but the mad shrieks of their dead companions never ceased to echo in their heads.

                                                                       commonly recounted folktale                                                                   attributed to Mintiper Moonsilver                                                                      Year of the Moonfall (1344 DR)

Keeper’s Annotations

The tale of the Tree of Wailing Souls is one of the more popular "ghost stories" recounted by bards across the North to audiences ensconced in front of a warm fire with a full tankard in hand and the door firmly barred. As with many such stories attributed to Mintiper, the hero of this tale bears the name Lunargent, an obvious alias for "Moonsilver." However, it is never clear in such tales whether or not the events recounted actually happened and, in cases where there is some kernel of truth to the tale, whether or not the hero is Mintiper himself or someone else whose tale he is retelling. [1]

Of the many such stories attributed to Mintiper, sages such as myself have long been curious about the Tree of Wailing Souls in particular. The supposed location of this unholy entity is never twice the same when the tale is recounted, however, a detailed examination of Mintiper’s known travels coupled with a pattern of similar accounts of by other travelers suggests a probable location atop Turlangtor. [2] Moreover, the existence of such a massive tree atop that peak might account for both the hill’s common name and the disappearance of more than one group of misguided seekers of the only recently rediscovered Grandfather Tree. [3]

If it does exist and is as old as I suspect, the Tree of Wailing Souls represents both a grave threat to the region [4] and an opportunity to learn more of the legacies of Ammarindar, Delzoun, Eaerlann, Sharrven, Siluvanede, and even Aryvandor. Its alleged power to trap souls suggests that it might contain the trapped sentiences of beings who lived during the height of these ancient empires. [5]

Chronicler’s Footnotes

[1] The tale of the Tree of Wailing Souls is in large part true, based on a nightmarish night spent by Mintiper Moonsilver and the five other survivors of the Battle of Turnstone Pass, just before they entered the northern High Forest. Although Lunargent has become so popular a character that he appears in many tales that did not originate with Mintiper, most, if not all, of those authored by the Lonely Harpist are actually first-hand accounts. It is simply beyond the imagination of most individuals that even the legendary Lonely Harpist could have had so many adventures, accounting for the skepticism in the Keeper’s annotations and similar commentary by other sages.

[2] The Tree of Wailing Souls does indeed lie atop Turlangtor, the westernmost peak of the rocky heights that lie to the south of the River Rauvin and run east to Turnstone Pass and so named for its proximity to the Woods of Turlang. The tree’s taproot descends deep into the heart of the bedrock that forms the core of the hill, and its roots entwine nearly every boulder and pocket of dirt in the tor’s mantle. Every attempt to kill the Tree of Wailing Souls, whether by burning or other means, has failed, for the tree never fails to regrow to an even greater size from the roots that remain unscathed. In all probability, the Tree of Wailing Souls can only be permanently killed by ripping the tor apart down to its base, a feat beyond the ken of all those who have tried. Even that might not be enough though, for the tree’s tenacious hold on life may well be attributable to the lingering energies of warped elven High Magic from ages past. However, those seeking merely to escape the tree’s clutches can prevail if they inflict sufficient damage to destroy that part of the plant that grows above ground. Although ultimately hollow, such a victory effectively deprives the Tree of Wailing Souls of the ability to attack for days or even weeks thereafter.

[3] Turlang the Thoughtful is the aeons-old treant who leads the Wood Rulers (treants) of the High Forest.

The Grandfather Tree is an Uthgardt ancestor mound unlike any other that lies in the depths of the High Forest, east of the Lost Peaks. This massive oak tree was lost long ago when the Blue Bear tribe was driven away by its guardian spirits, and it was only recently rediscovered on Shieldmeet in the Year of the Banner (1368 DR). The Tree Ghosts, a tribe that split off from the Blue Bear tribe many years ago with the advent of Tanta Hagara’s corruption and whose members had long sought their original ancestor mound, now dwell near the Grandfather Tree, working to preserve it and the surrounding forest.

In years past, more than one seeker of the Grandfather Tree mistook the Tree of Wailing Souls for the legendary ancestor mound of the Blue Bear tribe. Such mistakes are understandable in hindsight, although no less fatal, for both trees are of monstrous proportions and tower above their surroundings. One consequence of such ill-fated pilgrimages is that many relics and other items of magic have been lost upon the slopes of Turlangtor. Whether the Tree of Wailing Souls draws such items down into the hill or whether they are recovered by later travellers is unknown, but only a few lost items of magic have been recovered in the tree’s immediately vicinity. Among those items still believed lost are the Meerschaum Eye of the Covey, the Sacred Bundle of Ursas Blueclaw, and the Stoneblade of Athalantar. Travelers in the region are advised to be careful should they chance upon such items on the slopes of a steep-sided hill, for it may not be Tymora’s fortune that smiles upon them, but the leering heads of the Tree of Wailing Souls.

[4] In appearance, the Tree of Wailing Souls is somewhat akin to a cross between a red oak tree and a death’s head tree, but it has a unique set of powers unlike any other found in the Realms.

The Tree of Wailing Souls can physically attack anyone standing atop or flying near the slopes of Turlan. If not rescued, those trapped by the roots will eventually starve to death, and their souls will be drawn into the tree.)

The Tree of Wailing Souls can manifest as many as a dozen heads at a time at the tips of its branches. Each head is identical to that of a past victim and retains the spellcasting abilities, innate magical abilities, and psionic powers it had in life at the time of its death, as well as a fragmentary collection of memories. The Tree of Wailing Souls contains literally hundreds of trapped spirits, and it can vary which heads it manifests as it pleases, withdrawing or manifesting at most one head per round. Curiously, the Tree does not seem to select which heads it manifests based on the attendant powers it can employ, but rather choosing heads most likely to horrify whomever (if anyone) currently stands atop Turlangtor.

In lieu of water and sunlight, the Tree of Wailing Souls subsists on the blood and souls of sentient beings. The tree absorbs any blood shed on the ground within reach of its roots (i.e. anywhere on the slopes of Turlangtor). Once a single drop of blood of any creature’s blood is absorbed, that victim’s fate is thereafter tied to the tree, unless a remove curse is for some reason cast before the fated being’s death. Upon death, the victim’s soul is drawn into the tree, no matter how much time has passed or how much distance lies between the cursed victim and the Tree of Wailing Souls (assuming the victim is within Realmspace at the time of his death). Once this occurs, the trapped soul can only be freed by physically severing its head from the tree and placing it in contact with whatever remains of his or her mortal form. Fortunately, the tree’s desire to terrify usually results in a victim’s head being manifested while his or her companions confront the Tree of Wailing Souls from the slopes of Turlangtor.

[5] It is theoretically possible to contact the trapped sentiences within the Tree of Wailing Souls, although any such communication will be tinged with the taint of madness and hindered by fragmentary recollection. Such communication might be established by means of psionic or magical telepathy or by necromantic variants of the tongues spell. As severing a head effectively "kills" the communication channel with the trapped sentience until the tree manifests chooses to manifest the being’s head once again, all such communication must take place on the slopes of Turlangtor while simultaneously battling the Tree of Wailing Souls. If such communication is ever attempted, some of the spirits that might be reached include King Connar V, one of Ammarindar’s later dwarven monarchs, Neldarnoth the Thrice-Cursed, a Netherese refugee who became one of the most admired Ascalhi archmages ere his disappearance, Taanyth Vyshaan, once an elder of the ruling clan of Aryvandaar during the Fifth Crown War, Usunaar Neirdre, a Siluvanedenn dragon-rider who vanished during the Seven Citadels’ War, and Valdyr Battlehammer, clanmaster and legendary runecrafter of Delzoun at the height of the Northkingdom.

[tale-chaser]

Mintiper's Chapbook - Moonlight's Triumph

Mintiper Moonsilver is one of the legendary bards of the Forgotten Realms, and tales of his adventures have long been recounted around hearthfires across the North in musical, poetic, and narrative forms.

Transcribed in Silverymoon's Vault of the Sages by the Keeper of the Vault, Mintiper's Chapbook is a compilation of the Lonely Harpist's ballads, poems, and tales. 

Moonlight’s Triumph

Along Selûne’s path they did walk, Leaving no stone unturned. A battle fought, all but six were lost, A final triumph earned. A nether tide swept down the pass, In search of silver plunder. Two hundred strong the mists did cloak, Ready with waiting thunder. Arching shafts flew aloft in flocks, And boulders rained down on the field. The tuskers’ blood ran red and hot, While nary a blade did they wield. From yonder bluffs did lightning strike, Reaving a scarlet furrow. By Art lived, by reflection lost, Freestaves laid forever low. With cries of rage the orcs did charge, The battle joined at last. The waves were dashed upon the rocks, And none did ever pass. Five score did fall upon each blade, Ere the nether tide receded. And of the rocks that stood so firm, Only bloody sand postceded. Along Selûne’s path they did walk, Leaving no stone unturned. A battle fought, all but six were lost, A final triumph earned.

                                                           Excerpt from "Moonlight Paean"                                                            Composed by Mintiper Moonsilver                                                                 Year of the Moonfall (1344 DR)

Keeper’s Annotations

The valiant sacrifice of the Moonlight Men in the Battle of Turnstone Pass in defence of the Gem of the North and neighbouring Everlund is justly celebrated in song and tales throughout the Moonlands. After eight splendid seasons spent roaming the North, all but six men of Mintiper’s legendary company of mercenaries gave up their lives battling the orcs of the Nethertide Horde in the Year of the Boot (1343 DR). The Moonlight Paean is perhaps Mintiper’s most poignant work, for it speaks of a commander’s anguish as those loyal to him fight desperately for a noble cause, yet die nonetheless.

In this excerpt from the beginning of the ballad, the reference to Our Lady of Silver in the first and last stanzas suggests that Selûne in some way guided the Moonlight Men (and she may still guide Mintiper’s wanderings even today). [1] The reference to "no stone unturned" is an apparent allusion to both the company’s success in treasure-hunting in ruins across the North as well as the site of their last battle. Some have suggested that taken together, these two lines hint at the location of the Cairn of Moonlight, believed to lie somewhere along the length Turnstone Pass. According to such theories, the location of this barrow is revealed on certain nights when the moon is full. However, at least a score or more of treasure-seekers have failed to uncover such a site, casting doubt on any such claims. [2]

It is from the second stanza that the Nethertide horde destroyed by the Moonlight Men earned its moniker. Here "nether" has multiple connotations, suggesting the orcs’ origin in the Nether Mountains, the region’s ties to ancient Netheril, and the perception among humans and demihumans that orcs are a lesser species. "Tide" connotes both the overwhelming numbers faced by the Moonlight Men and the nigh endless supply of orcs that endlessly plague our land. "Silver plunder" suggests the target of the horde was Silverymoon and, to a lesser extent, Everlund. "Mists" is often used to suggest the goddess Leira, and a mantle or cloak of mist is often an allusion to the use of magical invisibility. [1] Finally, "ready with waiting thunder" matches accounts that the Moonlight Men had in their possession one or more horns of blasting, although no such devices were ever recovered or accounted for. [2]

The third stanza recounts the initial ambush launched by the Moonlight Men, as archers let fly thousands of arrows and prearranged rockslides were triggered. [3]

The next stanza suggests that the wizards of the company stood on bluffs above the pass and rained lightning bolts and other evocations down on the orcs below. "Freestaves" is a common term for mercenary wizards suggestive of trees, and the metaphorical imagery suggests that the mage corps was toppled like a forest felled by a woodsman’s axe. "By reflection lost" is a curious turn of phrase considered by most scholars to be either a lament for knowledge lost or an acknowledgment that mercenary spellhurlers forego the opportunities for scholarship afforded to their more introspective colleagues. Despite common belief that the company’s wizards eventually fell to a series of suicidal charges by the orcs, it is my belief that Mintiper was alluding here to a heretofore unknown battle tactic of the orcs that enabled them to hurl spells back at their caster. [4]

The following two stanzas recount the bloody battle that ensued between the orcs and the Moonlight Men, said to have outnumbered them twenty-to-one. [5] Mintiper’s imagery suggests a pounding surf gradually beating rocks into sand, a metaphor that can be taken in two different ways. On one hand he is obviously celebrating the valour of the Moonlight Men, to have prevailed against such odds. On the other hand he seems to be suggesting the futility of pitting armies against the endless hordes of orcs emerging from the wastelands of the North, for no matter how strong their defences or valiant their efforts, they will eventually be worn down. Perhaps there is a better way?

The stanzas that follow this excerpt record the entire roster of the Moonlight Men and their fates, and they are only rarely sung in full. Some of the more prominent names from these stanzas include Lord Laerlos Silmerhelve II [6], Tsaelynos of Everlund [7], and Barundar "Firebeard" Battlehammer, son of Arn, of Kelvin’s Cairn [8]. A full recounting of the individual exploits of the Moonlight Men is beyond the scope of this annotation, but rest assured that their deeds are the source of countless fireside tales.

Chronicler’s Footnotes

[1] Evidence of Selûne’s favor persists in a magical legacy of the Battle of Turnstone Pass. All who pray to Our Lady of Silver within the confines of the pass are cloaked in a mantle of invisibility with respect to those who bear some trace of orcish blood, no matter how faint. The Moonmaiden’s boon is not given to any individual more than once per cycle of the moon or to any individual bearing some trace of orcish blood, and it fades immediately if the recipient makes an attack against any being, regardless of whether or not the target is of orcish heritage.

[2] The Cairn of Moonlight does indeed lie within the confines of Turnstone Pass, containing the bones of some two hundred men interred by Mintiper and his five surviving comrades immediately following the battle’s end. The barrow’s exact location is revealed only on nights when the moon is full, and then only to those who stand in the correct spot. When the surviving Moonlight Men erected the cairn, they situated it so that its position was revealed when the moon’s radiance was observed through a nigh-circular gap in a nearby stone. That landmark has since been buried under a ton of rock by Turlang’s treants and allied galeb duhr, so it is unlikely even Mintiper could find the gravesite today. Interred within the Cairn are many magical items employed by the Moonlight Men, including an amulet of leadership, at least two horns of blasting, a horn of valour, a ring of armouring, a staff of thunder and lightning, and a talisman of memorization, as well as several unique items mentioned below.

[3] "Tuskers" is a regional name for orcs commonly employed in the Moonlands and the lands of Old Delzoun.

[4] The orcs of the Nethertide horde employed magical talismans fashioned of iris agate, silver, and powdered dragon bone. These talismans of spell reflection provide protection to the bearer equal to that of a minor spell turning spell for one round. This protection is invoked by the first spell to affect the wearer of the talisman, and lasts for just that round before the talisman crumbles to dust. Only the witch doctors and shamans of the Thousand Fists tribe currently know the process of fabricating such talismans, although Kaanyr Vhok (a marquis cambion formerly of Hellgate Keep) and his legions of tanarukka (tiefling-orcs) are undoubtedly seeking to spread such secrets to tribes throughout the Nether Mountains, the Rauvin Mountains, the Greypeaks, and the Fallen Lands.

[5] There were some 4,000 orcs in the Nethertide horde and only 200 Moonlight Men standing against them. Nevertheless, their bones are but a fraction of those that litter Turnstone Pass, for horde upon horde has swept down this gorge to fall upon rich kingdoms awaiting plunder.

[6] Lord Laerlos Silmerhelve II was the only son and heir of Lord Laerlos Silmerhelve I, patriarch of House Silmerhelve of Waterdeep, and Lady Tannyth Silmerhelve. A proud and rebellious son who joined the Moonlight Men against his parent’s wishes, the younger Laerlos’ death shattered his mother’s spirit and plunged his father into a deep melancholy from which the Silmerhelve patriarch has never fully recovered. At the time of his death, Laerlos II bore several important family heirlooms that the Silmerhelves are very keen to recover, including the Griffonlance of Goring, Nimoar’s Blazing Bulwark, and the Silverhelm of the Guardian (considered a minor relic by the followers of Helm), some or all of which may still lie within the Cairn of Moonlight.

[7] Tsaelynos of Everlund was one of the brightest graduates of the Lady’s College of Silverymoon in his day and a member of the clergy at the Temple of Silver Stars. He is famed for his crafting of the Starstaff of Tsaelynos and for developing wizardly versions of many spells known only to the clergy of Selûne. Seekers of arcane lore and the Moonmaiden’s faithful have long wondered if the tome in which he recorded his discoveries, entitled Starsongs of Tsaelynos, was interred with the wizard-priest at the time of his death, for it was not recovered from his chambers back in Silverymoon.

[8] Barundar "Firebeard" was a shield dwarf "Wanderer", who left his home decades before Clan Battlehammer reclaimed Mithral Hall. He achieved great fame and the title of "elf-friend" by slaying Horned Wyrm of Quaervarr and only joined the Moonlight Men in the twilight of his career. None know where he buried his legendary fortune, although some whisper that his spirit might be compelled to reveal the truth.