Chapter One: Compass to the North-Encounters at the City of Sails - Part I

Session was held 24th - 26th of August at the Hidden Cabin of Shadowlands

"I am the last,

so may the Gods hear my testimony.

It really does exist,

the legends are true.

Oh how I wish they would not be."

Sword Coast North

The day was Fourth of June 1372 after the Dale Reckoning. Summers first breaths were spreading across the north, and the spring drizzle was reviving the flora in this harsh land that is known as the Sword Coast North. There, in the independent port city of Luskan, two companions walked through the muddy streets filled with cutthroats that were ready to loot the last remaining coins from the cold corpse of the unwary. The two found their way into notorious tavern known as the Cutlass. There with fresh pints in their hands,  the weary travelers had the opportunity to witness a curious performance. The whole tavern ceased it's ever-continuing brawl only to hear the story told by man known as Enoch Crowgale. 

That will be me, my dear reader.

"For those who I haven't met before, may I present myself, the name is Enoch Crowgale. I came here tonight to tell you about a myth that I reckon to be the myth of Ultima Thule, but which many know as the Land of Eternal Light. This place of legend has been called since the Dawn of Toril as Thaczil Di Ro Kear by the Great Ancient Wyrms, while the elves who once strolled these northern lands knew it as Myth Cor'Cirith. So did the dwarves in their deep mines beneath the majestic mountains, Ankor A Bryngrom was the name of the myth and Migdhal Wyrdrazh was the great outpost that stood there. Even the foul creatures who lurked in the mountains above the dwarven strongholds had the name Uzg ob Gith-Drautas reappearing time after time in their crude orc sagas.You known that you have heard from it in the disguise of the familiar medley sung by skalds from the campfires to Halls of the Kings:

Enoch Crowgale 

North - From the Kingdoms of Men,
North- From the Great Dwarven Halls.
North - From where the Elves have strode,
North- From the Last Giant Throne.

Beyond - The Gods and their might,
Beyond - The Great  White Glacier.
There lies the Land of Eternal Light,
Now, always and never.

As I have hastily proven, this miraculous land walks with us regardless the race or culture. It's ethereal promises of power and riches untold have aroused many for searches in vain, and thus it has been said that no one has ever seen nor witnessed it's glory. They say it is only a myth. But I am to prove them wrong as I know what they didn't know. I know the man who saw it and returned and I have the compass to guide me there, and few of you may reach it in my company. So those intrigued by my words, join me later this evening at the third booth for wine and chatter, and maybe we are able to negotiate the terms for our journey together!"

And thus the sage ended his short performance and the crowd was left pondering his words. But soon the patrons burst into laughter, trying to outwit each other with mocking rants about Crowgale and his ill-famed journey of regulating  food rations from Luskan to Neverwinter. As the troubadour resumed to his play, the two companions began to peer for the third booth, and soon mister Crowgale appeared there with a full jug of wine. Quickly after he had sat down, four men approached the booth. These four were the men that we would soon learn to known as the Adventurers.

First sat the two companions.
First one was a young shield dwarf fighter Bolwyn Flameblade from the Citadel of Adbarr,
and his companion was a orc cleric Orgot Shatargat-thrak from Clan Ironjaws of eastern Spine of the World mountains. An odd couple indeed.
After them came a small man from the Western Heartlands, Posco Pepper, a halfling.
And after him came his friend, an elf from the distant realms that still possesses the splendor of yesterday, Thelon Celtharion of Evermeet.
These four quite different men were the only ones to show genuine interest for Crowgales speech, and thus they were just a glimpse away from the begin of the greatest adventure of their lifetime.

Bolwyn Flamblade, Thelon Celtharion, Orgot Shatargat-thrak, Posco Pepper

Crowgale explained his plans briefly, not giving away too much information just yet, as he could not be sure about the motives of the four. He had planned recruiting some sort of mercenaries for the solid core of his expedition to the Ultima Thule, and the four men interested about his speech would suite just well, if only they'd be willing. He promised them great adventures and possibly great wealth split in fifth-shares, but only after good night of sleep, as tomorrow he would reveal more.
The four mercenaries were quite enthusiastic about Crowgales expedition plans, and they promised to escort him to his apartment, while he would show them the Seven Sails-inn on the way.

But Luskan showed it's danger just outside the Cutlass, as two thugs were to mug Crowgale and his new companions. Rat-Zim and Spikefist demanded Enoch to hand over his compass that he had shown earlier at the tavern. Crowgale was willing to cope, but the four mercenaries prepared a show-off of their skills. After a split second of high speed action, Spikefist sat crying for his shattered guts, and Rat-Zim lied on the muddy street with his left eye punctured, shaking in a neurological shock. The adventurers had a promising start.

Later that evening the heroes arrived to Seven Sails inn, where the innkeeper Vegar Rosolov offered his quality, although ridiculously overpriced, services. After the good night of sleep granted with exclusive right of Arcane Brotherhood, the heroes gathered around a marine breakfast which was plentiful. For the record, that was the first time Bolwyn and Orgot tasted seafood.

Valgaerd Last Poem
(slightly modified
Dream-Land by
Edgar Allan Poe)

As the morning grew to forenoon, four men who had slowly found a common tongue among themselves, gathered at Crowgales apartment. It was filled with books and strange gadgets with geography and measurement importance. He also had a full shelf of compasses, a curious wit of a somewhat possessed mind. Now as everyone was still interested about his great expedition after a night of sleep, he began adding details.

Crowgale explained that he believed that man known as Valgaerd the Whitefarer managed to reach the Ultima Thule and return from it. As a partial evidence he presented the adventurers a short poem penned on the death bed of no one else than the Whitefarer himself. In addition to this he had confirmed from several sources that Valgaerd had kept a journal or log about his adventure beyond the glaciers. None had ever witnessed it so it was merely a legend as the whole Thule adventure itself. But Crowgale had a hunch about the log, as he had managed to dig up information that Valgaerd had been buried with some sorts of documents. And thus, our newly formed adventure team received their first quest for plundering the tomb of Valgaerd.
Crowgale reckoned that the nordman was buried on the island of Icepeak, that was few hundred miles northwest from Luskan. Crowgale administrated the heroes to acquire a vessel of transportation from the piers of Luskan, and he preferred to depart tomorrow morning. And so they left to the Luskan Piers in search for a suitable ship to Icepeak island.

Old man Martinus - the tanner

The harbor of Luskan was known as the Piers and it was located on the Dragon Beach, southern one of the many sand strands of the mouth of River Mirar.   The piers were full of sailors and lowlifes seeking to gain advantage from one's misery, but with determination our four sell-swords tracked down a harbor clerk called Garald Karenin, who was able to pinpoint a suitable ship for their desires. Withering Wench was the name of the ship and Herrod the Herring was its captain. Walking past ships macabre figurehead (mummified old woman in a red dress) sure gave them shrivels but the old caravel seemed otherwise quite seaworthy. Captain Herring (who got his epithet from being successful on fishing the northern Sword Sea herrings into extinction) accepted the travelers into his ship that would depart next morning, but he asked them to perform a small task in favor.

Ships First Mate Jónsi explained that he would need the four braves to help him carry some leathers and hides from a local tannery. The four companions agreed to help although they felt their skills weren't in a good use doing such dull labor. Later that evening after spending the day goofing at the marketplace, our heroes returned to the piers, where Jónsi had just launched a small whaleboat from Wenches stern. Rowing they went towards the sunset and after mile or two of following the coastline to south, when they docked into a old pier that belonged to the tannery of Martinus. Stench was foul as they struggled out of the boat, while Jónsi sneaked closer to the tannery waving a small but fierce club in his hand. At this point the mercenaries understood they were heading towards a brawl. And with a quick move, Jónsi stormed inside the tannery, shouting Captains greetings for the treacherous tanner Martinus.

The scuffle was bloody, leaving Martinus incapacitated, maiming his wife and killing their son. Martinus had positioned a local mercenary on his front door, but the backdoor assault forced the sell-sword to surrender quickly. The hides were quickly carried back to the launch, and our mercenaries rowed into the nightly mist.

Later on, as they returned to Luskan with all the leathery plunder, Jónsi explained that brutal actions were necessary as Martinus had declined to pay up his debts earlier this day. And so our newly weds returned to the Seven Sails Inn and slept few hours only to return to the piers at the dawn with mister Crowgale, who was excited to see his age-old dream finally coming into life. Their success at the icepeak would determine whether or not the expedition would be formed.  And so  the Withering Wench departed towards Aurilsbarg, the "capital" of the Icepeak, and our new heroes began their first real quest together.

The Withering Wench leaving Luskan at dawn.

End of Part One