Attack on Waterdeep
After leaving the Temple of the Ravenqueen, the group realized that time had passed faster outside. The army had marched so far south that they were no longer in sight. They hurried to Steelheim to report their findings. The mayor’s reaction was unexpected, but through cunning, they gained access to the teleportation circle and arrived in Waterdeep. However, they arrived too late. The army had already overrun Waterdeep.
After extinguishing the flames in the Davern and the surrounding buildings, Franziskus noticed something horrifying. His comrades, with whom he had fought side by side for years, were now dead — murdered and impaled on spikes. Overwhelmed by despair and grief, Franziskus broke his oath, taking Bloodbane, the weapon of his closest friend, Cormac Stonefist, and looked ahead.
Shortly after, FEND heard cries for help from a nearby burning building. Without hesitation, he plunged into the fire and saved the stablemaster Horvarth’s life. Horvarth then recounted what had transpired in Waterdeep. Together, they set sail on a small skiff towards Springwater, the capital of the Kingdom of Lemuria.
Springwater
Upon arriving in Springwater, the group was immediately greeted by soldiers and escorted to the city center. As they walked towards the inner walls of the city, they saw many machines—warforged similar to FEND, but at a much earlier stage of development. They quickly noticed the stark division between classes: outside the city walls, the people were poor and lived in ghettos, while inside the walls, the wealthy resided.
In the palace, the group met Lady Laereal, who directed them to the academy known as the “The Mystic Conclave of the Arcane,” led by the Grand Mage Alatar. After obtaining the scroll for the banishment spell, they met with Oathliz, the Dragonborn Paladin and leader of Springwater’s forces and a member of the The Order of the Silver Dragon.
Oathliz tasked them with stealing blueprints of Castle Ravenloft, which were said to be in an old archive in Krezk. These blueprints were crucial for their plan to infiltrate Castle Ravenloft.
Journey to Krezk
On their journey to Krezk, the group sailed from Springwater back to Waterdeep, where they picked up the two horses given to them by Horvarth as a token of gratitude. From there, they traveled towards their property, encountering a traveling merchant named Galfred Ironshell and his giant traveling snail, Escargot. They bought gems and potions at favorable prices, and FEND purchased small figurines he had seen with his mentor some time ago. He learned that these figurines originated from the dilapidated city of Oribos.
Upon arriving at their property, the group noticed that the dockworkers lay dead in the streets and that 32 kobolds were now working there.
As they continued their journey, they encountered two enormous owlbears with white fur that sparked and attacked them.