The heroes stay at the clockwork inn was a short, but blessedly pleasant one. A place of marvels and impossible things, letting them forget the darkness in their minds, if only for a moment. Auburn's went after bottles of rum and companionship, Liw haggled the bartenders with the rare goods he likes collecting. Fylikiel sat back and observed his surroundings. Aishar received a strange note from a friend from his past, and met with a shadar-kai he had met before. Called by his destiny, he had to leave his friends for some time.
The others faced another calling, it seemed, as they soon saw. Standing out of the crowd distinctly, 5 tough looking adventurers blocked one after the other the 5 exists from the hall they were in. Discussions died, as the crowd and the bartenders examined them.
Then he walked in, clad in heavy battle platemail and his disproportionate blade strapped in his back.Galarnok Partack, leader of the interplanar mercenary company, The Blood Ravens.His presence in force in the clockwork inn, though, was not welcome. He soon bought the bartenders' tolerance with a vial filled full with residuum, then approached the 3 remaining companions, to drop a bulging bag of gold at their feet.
" This is your payment. Well done, I presume. Now, enough pleasantry. Tell me, what in the fucking nine hells happened? "
That is how they were introduced to the Blood Ravens and their purpose on Faerun. They told everything they knew. Somehow, they understood that much more than a handful of coins was on the line, and that the survival of their world depended on these strange mercenaries. Worse still. The Blood Raven were hired to watch their world years ago, waiting for the exact events they had caused by mistake: the release of Quel'Danas.
Their mission: Stop him from unleashing once again the furious destruction that once destroyed a whole eladrin kingdom within mere days.
If the Blood Ravens story holds any truth, they have not much time before them. Months, maybe weeks, before the ancient eladrin arcanist restore enough of his former powers to once again threaten this world with destruction and death.
The mercenaries do not know where to look for. They don't know how to find him, how to contact him, how to hurt and destroy him. But Galarnok realizes that the heroes he had hired in Baldur's Gate for a simple investigation turned out to be much more formidable than he had thought. They also are the only ones who confronted Quel'Danas once. And somehow, destiny is in play, as Fylikiel reveals the truth of his family ancestry, relating him to the ancient Quel'Danas.
So he asked them their price.
Freedom from his demonic tutor, Liw requested.
For Auburn, all he wants is cleaning of the name Brandis, making them free men and no longer pirates and criminals.
Fylikiel said he would reflect upon it, but nonetheless accepted the offer.
They would be on a mission, for The Blood Raven and their mysterious employer, to oppose Quel'Danas' rise to power, to study and find him, and ultimately find a mean to destroy him. By any means necessary.
With only their wits and a handful of clues and theories, they left the clockwork inn for Waterdeep, back in their world, where started their research of the only meager pieces of information they had.
And the countdown has started...
