Shadow War Strategic Studies

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Soosh's Message for Clergy Allan
Flamerule 18th, 1401 Dale Reckoning, Year of the Sheltered Viper
Scribed by Pawn Xandos Klaxxan

Clergy Alain, Soosh from the Adventurer's Guild has left this message for you.

Ahem. The guild of adventurers suggests your acquaintance with their doings this eve.
We're going to follow up some leads regarding organized cults of the dark gods, you know.
It's possible we may uncover evidence of links to you-know-who in the process!
Arguably, I shouldn't be telling you this at all.
On the other hand, if you stay back a ways and hidden, you can just jump in when the moment's right, that is when everyone else in front of me has fallen.

With some additional effort, I managed to learn that they intend to aim themselves at Zhentarim who have been known in the past for using Undead, and neither Soosh nor myself understand what the connection maybe to the Shadow War, but Soosh appears insistent a connection maybe possible. I maybe unable to be of service in lending aid to this effort and ask that you do so if you can.

If there is a connection between the Zhentarim and the Forces of the nightsinger, I would like one of us to be present to witness said connections. Soosh has in the past and present has proven himself an unreliable narrator. For example, there has been progress made by the Adventurer's Guild investigation into the Collector, yet Soosh was not only unable to spill those beans just yet, but confessed to not remembering what if any details he was actually aware of.

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Soosh's Message was Off
Flamerule 18th, 1401 Dale Reckoning, Year of the Sheltered Viper
Scribed by Pawn Xandos Klaxxan



I traveled to the Adventurer's Guild to lend aid in their cause, only to learn their actual plan was to mine Mana Crystals from Shadowdeep and experiment with their function. We entered through the Northwestern Void Door and traveled South to combat some Legion Forces, Shadows, and Shadow Mastiffs. It was learned that
First Circle Spells require a single Mana Crystal to fuel,

Second Circle Spells require Two Mana Crystals,

Third Circle Spells require Three Mana Crystals,

Fourth Circle Spells require Four bits of Crystal.

It was unconfirmed, but suspected Fifth Circle Spells require, Five Bits of Mana to fuel.

We returned through the nearby Moon Door so the Arcanists may explore the results of their field testing and I hope they may summit a report of their findings.

The Druid Birdsong also reported that properly applied Herbs do not appear to require Mana Crystals to fuel their potential.



In other news, Clergy of Mystra Nova's Potion has been successfully tested and proven capable of protecting from the Collector's, but the ingredients will remain undisclosed until such a time the Priestess feels Mystra has been given proper praise, or so claims the Elf Valyar Floshin, who insists this was not some bit of fun fairy humor.

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Lost Banner of Helm
Flamerule 19th, 1401 Dale Reckoning, Year of the Sheltered Viper
Scribed by Pawn Xandos Klaxxan

Inquisitor Guardian Hans Copperpot, Companion of the One True Vision has not returned from his confrontation with Commander Amaurri and all efforts of Clergy Alain of Kelevmor to Divine the Inquisitor Guardian's health and location have been met with visions of obscuring purple mists that could be the interference of the planes or worse, the Nightsinger herself.

With it having been more then a Ten Day since Inquisitor Guardian Hans Copperpot set out to confront Commander Amaurri, I advise everyone to move forward with the understanding that not only may the Inquisitor Guardian have been slain, but worse he may have been consumed by the Nightsinger's Forces and what knowledge he knew of our war efforts have been assimilated by the enemy.

Previously captured missives from the enemy told us that the only thing stopping their invading Waterdeep with a sizable force was their in ability to understand the patterns of the Moon Doors. If the enemy now knows what Inquisitor Guardian Hans Copperpot knew, the large scale invasion of Waterdeep may be imminent.

I advise all allies of the City and the City it's self to prepare for the reality there may very soon be fighting in the streets of Waterdeep.

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What the Weave Wills
Flamerule 24th, 1401 Dale Reckoning, Year of the Sheltered Viper
Scribed by Pawn Xandos Klaxxan

Clergy Anovallis Starmane of the Lady of Mysteries has delivered to the House of Heroes Six Vials of the Dimensional Anchor Potion that she has invented and had tested against the predations of the Collector as well as the Recipe for it's creation.

Recipe for Potions of Dimensional Anchor

• 1 part Acid Breath Potion
  1 part iron ore
  1 part Horn of the Imp

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Grey Hands Free Silverhand
Eleasis 4th, 1401 Dale Reckoning, Year of the Sheltered Viper
Scribed by Pawn Xandos Klaxxan



Today the Waterdeep Grey Hand Enforcer Aries Vexx arrived to the House of Heroes wearing the Shadow Dragon Gloom Maw's skull as a Helm. I was then informed that Grey Hand Enforcers Aries Vexx, Flynn, and Brujo lead an assault into Gloom Maw's lair to not only slay the powerful Shadow Dragon but also successfully free Khelban Blackstaff's wife lady Laeral Silverhand.



During the course of the debrief it was revealed that the Grey Hand Enforcers were sworn to strict secrecy as to not forewarn the enemy of the operation. Once the three Grey Hand Enforcers engaged Gloom Maw in fierce combat, several other Grey Hand Enforcers arrived to help overwhelm the Shadow Dragon. Several of the Grey Hand Enforcers lost their lives in the effort to bring down the Shadow Dragon, including the Flynn who was not only a Grey Hand Enforcer but also a popular performer of songs amongst Waterdeep's various live music venues as well as a beloved member of the Adventurering Community by his peers. Because of the sacrifices made by Flynn and the other Grey Hand Enforcers who dared to battle the Dragon Gloom Maw, Waterdeep has regained not only one of the City's most powerful allies, but two of them, for now both Khelban Blackstaff and Lady Laeral Silverhand will be free to contribute to the War effort without fear or concern for the unmitigated retaliatory actions Vanrak Moonstar had available to him while he held Lady Silverhand hostage.



Last but not least, not only has the prowess and sacrifices of the Grey Hand Enforcer once more allowed the pair to contribute to the communal war effort, Vanrak Moonstar has lost an unreplaceable ally in the death of Gloom Maw.

[jmecha]

Sight of the Great Guide
Eleasis 7th, 1401 Dale Reckoning, Year of the Sheltered Viper
Scribed by Pawn Xandos Klaxxan

TEAM
Selu Basha
Caliope Dirtpaw of the Lhuvenhead Trading Company
Alain Clergy of Kevelmor
Grey Hand Enforcer Aries Vexx
Pawn Xandos Klaxxan of the House of Heroes



OPERATION: Sight of the Great Guide
In an effort to investigate what has become of Inquisitor Guardian Hans Copperpot of the One True Vision, we set out through the Void Door located near the Waterdeep Plumber's Guild into Shadowdeep before traveling south to the Shadowdeep analog of the Adventurer's Quarter. Along the route we encountered a Legion Patrol made up of Footmen, Archers, and an Undead Legion Cleric. Once we reached the Square we found displaced grass and dried blood on the south side of the Square. Using a sample of the dried blood, Clergy Alain prepared a Divination Ritual Prayer to the Great Guide, while the rest of us established a defensive perimeter to protect him and the ritual from any interference. We were attacked by a number of Bleakborn from the South East, and then again by another group of Bleakborn from the North East, both attacks were repelled and Clergy Alain of the Great Guide was able to complete his ritual.

From what was shared with me, it is understood that Clergy Alain of the Great Guide believes Inquisitor Hans Copperpot has been slain and reanimated to serve within the Legion, and that an unknown entity was watching Clergy Alain's ritual and took pleasure in our presence within Shadowdeep.



We then interviewed the ethereal bartender of the Shadowdeep Jade Dancer and learned that Inquisitor Hans Copperpot had visited the establishment, alive and well some weeks ago. This is in accord with when he left to confront Commander Amaurri.



We then visited Torleth the Trader who claimed he and his servant Appoloin had seen nothing, and that they did not want trouble.

We then traveled North of the Shadowdeep Adventurer's Quarter to move westward and return south to exit Shadowdeep through the moon Door located in the Adventurer's Quarter.

[Burt]

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The Collector
Eleasis 11th, 1401 Dale Reckoning, Year of the Sheltered Viper
Scribed by Pawn Xandos Klaxxan



Today the elven sorcerer Valyar Floshin of the Adventurer's Guild informed me that the Adventurer's Guild has located the Collector and are preparing to move against it. Unfortunately the elven sorcerer was unable to show where the Collector is located upon the Map and instead could only say that somewhere between the two Void Doors marked in Green Circles, located in the City's North West Corner and just North of the Thayan Enclave, is where the Collector Lairs.



Should the Adventurer's Guild fail in their purpose, we at a minimal have an insight of which quarter of the city to focus our search to find the Collector and put an end to the capturing of Waterhavian citizens from the streets. As an ally in support the Adventurer's Guild I donated to them a pair of Spell Daggers that had been created by the Bard Sarenna Irithyl of Lhuvenhead Trading Company that are capable of casting potent protective wards against the ravishes of Negative Energy, as well as one hundred pieces of crystalized mana.

[jmecha]

Unconfirmed
Eleasis 29th, 1401 Dale Reckoning, Year of the Sheltered Viper
Scribed by Pawn Xandos Klaxxan

I have received this missive that reads more as self congratulatory propaganda then anything resembling an accurate report of events, and from the name of the author and the source I consider it likely that the Elf who penned this may have taken liberties with the truth as is the inclination of the elven people with their fey marked heritage making them less inclined to value such tangibles as truth and reality. All the same I will add this report to the war records on account it will either prove true in time with confirmation or serve as a record of this Feyblade's spreading misinformation during a time of war amongst the allied forces of Waterdeep.

On this day of Eleasis 29th in the Year of 1401 Dale Reckoning, the Adventurer's Guild of Waterdeep marched valiantly through the streets of Shadowdeep to assualt the dark crystal tower of the Collector.

The Guild Master Cornelius Tauber lead the formation with his Warhammer held at the ready and his full plated foot falls falling in the cadence of a man on the March.

The Dwarven Guild Master of Blacksmithing Kharak Aza-DeDuin acted as the Guild's defender with both his shield and axe every prepared to intercept any and all enemy attacks against his Adventurer's Guild Brothers and Sisters.

The Hin Druidess of the North Woods, Master of Nature Birdsong stepped bravely with the glorious stature and grandeur of an ancient old wood tree over watching all the saplings of the forest beneath her as she used her connection and understanding of the old ways to safe guard and watch over all of those who stood with her against the foul twisted evil Magics of the Collector.

The Elven Journeymen Sorcerer and Alchemist of the Adventurer's Guild Valyar Floshin worked tirelessly and with unprecedented glamorous style to see all as well equipped with the potent alchemical concoctions they needed to not only bring the fight to the enemy, but the curatives needed to survive such.

I the Adventurer's Guild Apprentice Aeldre Feyblade was fortunate enough to have witnessed the true heroism of Adventurer's Guild's senor members and live to record these historical events only because of the Martial Prowess of Guild Master Cornelius Tauber, Master Kharak Aza-DeDuin, the wondrous concoctions and arcana applications of Jourenyman Valyar Floshin, and last but not least the fierce heart of Master Birdsong who exposed herself to death and danger to lend aid to myself when I was weakest and most vulnerable.

United in purpose and following the very clear and precise plan laid out before us by Guild Master Cornelius Tauber, the Adventurer's Guild took the Tower of the Ancient Netherese Shade known as the Collector, slew him in his chamber of darkest power and shattered those devices that had once been used to prey upon the good people of Waterdeep.

No longer will this Collector prey upon the innocent, and no longer will the Legion of the Nightsinger fill its ranks with good and honest Waterhavians!

[jmecha]

Advent of the Super Moon
Eleint 4th, 1401 Dale Reckoning, Year of the Sheltered Viper
Scribed by Pawn Xandos Klaxxan



Contact with Alathene Moonstar was made and the potential for an alliance between her and those that have defended Waterdeep rests ready upon the table of possibilities, needing only to be finalized before being put into action. We have only a few weeks time to stop Vanrak Moonstar and his Legion of Darkness before the coming Super Moon, which will bath Toril in enough of Selune's light that all of the Moon Doors between Shadowdeep and Waterdeep will remain open for the duration. Moon Doors that will allow the Legion of Darkness to pour their forces into Waterdeep into every corner of the city simultaneously. Should the Legion of Darkness have the opportunity to invade Waterdeep during the Super Moon, there will be no effective means of defending the City of Splendors from the invasion.

In accordance with Alathene Moonstar's plans, it is possible that if a team delivers the Fourteen Resonators to her brother Vanrak Moonstar inside Castle Shadowdeep, where she will manifest through the Resonators and wrest control of the Eye of Jupiter from Vanrak Moonstar. Once Alathene Moonstar has control of the Eye of Jupiter, she will use it to direct heavenly bodies upon Vanrak Moonstar's location, using shooting stars from the beyond as weapons to destroy Vanrak Moonstar, and herself.

For this team to have a possibility of success, it was suggested that a secondary team be used to strike at the main body of the Legion of Darkness and Commander Amuarri atop Mount Shadowdeep to divert Legion Forces away from Castle Shadowdeep, allowing the team carrying the Resonators a greater chance of succeeding and seeing Vanrak Moonstar destroyed.

Both Teams will need a Leader and brave capable members if we are to save the City of Waterdeep from the on coming invasion that will arrive with the Super Moon. I ask all of you to consult with your Gods, your closest allies, and yourselves before volunteering for either team. I though am asking for volunteers for the time for those willing to risk their lives to save all of the region from the Darkness has come to call.

Mount Shadowdeep Assault Team
Guild Master Cornelius Tauber
Pawn Xandos Klaxxan of the House of Heroes
Grey Hand Enforcer Brujo
Adventurer's Guild Master Wyk Whitehorn
Clergy Anovallis Starmane of the Lady of Mysteries
Aniewien Dy'neren Elven Archer
Adventurer's Guild Journeyman Valyar Floshin

Castle Shadowdeep Infiltration Team
Grey Hand Enforcer Aries Vexx
Clergy Alain of the Great Guide
Caliope Dirtpaw of the Lhuvenhead Trading Company

[jmecha]

Operation: Blow Hard
Eleint 10th, 1401 Dale Reckoning, Year of the Sheltered Viper
Scribed by Pawn Xandos Klaxxan



Intelligence from the House of Wonders and House of the Moon suggest that survivors of Alathene Moonstar's orginal invasion into Shadowdeep may have survived along with their Commander, Sir Xale. It is believed that Sir Xale and his troops may have used magical flight to escape the Shadowdeep mainland and fled to one of two islands just off the coast. It is unknown which of the two islands they maybe upon and Clergy Anovallis Starmane of the Lady of Mysteries has been provided a Horn of Calling to try and make contact with the survivors from the shores of Shadowdeep.

It was orginally discussed possibly positioning ourselves on the coast between both islands in an effort to reach both islands with the Horn's call, but decided to error on the side of caution and sound the Horn as far from the Legion's main body as we could in hopes the survivors are upon the Southern most isle. If we fail to make contact, we will flee Shadowdeep and attempt to reach the Western most isle a few days later.

Our team consists of the following.

Clergy Anovallis Starmane of the Lady of Mysteries
Squire Lucian Thelvair
Journeyman Vaylar Floshin of the Adventurer's Guild
Brujo of the Grey Hand Enforcers
Aries Vexx of the Grey Hand Enforcers
Myself



We will enter Shadowdeep through the Void Door near Caravan Court and proceed directly south to the Shadowdeep Adventurer's Quarter as swiftly as we can while working to avoid any conflicts we can with Legion Forces. We will then travel West and South until we reach the dockside pier designated upon the map. Once in position we will secure the area with Traps, establish a defensive line, and hope to hold our position long enough for the survivors to reach us in reply to the Horn of Calling. We fully expect the Horn's call to summon all nearby Legion Forces to our position and possibly reinforcements from farther inland.

[jmecha]

Results of Operation: Blow Hard
Eleint 12th, 1401 Dale Reckoning, Year of the Sheltered Viper
Scribed by Pawn Xandos Klaxxan



The route was successfully followed except for a navigational error I had made by traversing to far to the West after leaving the Shadowdeep Adventurer's Quarter. The enemies that we encountered were made up of sizable Legion Patrols occasionally lead by Sharren Priestesses, and rarely augmented with Shadow Mastiffs. Once we reached the desired pier the Horn was blown as defensive traps were laid and we collectively waited. We did not wait long before the Legion responded to the Horn's Call, and after a few waves of incoming Legion Patrols the Griffon Rider Sir Xale of the Blue Moon arrived at our location. I would be dishonest if I did not share that his arrival from the black sky did at first appear to be a small Shadow Dragon coming in for attack.



Sir Xale of the Blue Moon informed us that him and his twenty surviving Knights of the Blue Moon have been continuing to watch over and guard the Moon Doors of Shadowdeep to prevent Vanrak Moonstar's forces from using them to gain access to Waterdeep. Clergy Anovallis Starmane of the Lady of Mysteries asked that Sir Xale and his Knights of the Blue Moon work to harass the Legion's flanks during our assault on Mount Shadowdeep and it was agreed that they would. We though were very clearly warned by Sir Xale that Commander Amuarri and his Officers are not novices in matters of war and battle, and that we should tread carefully fully aware that our enemy are most experienced and capable tacticians.

Perhaps most alarming was the revelation that Commander Amuarri's forces have not only Shadow Dragons to augment the Legion Forces, but twenty siege engines capable of destroying our team as we occupy the pass leading to the Legion's main camp and preventing the Blue Knight's and their Griffon Mounts from effectively attacking. This has changed our previous plan of simply holding the pass for as long as we could while fighting a tactical withdrawal as needed, to having to designate members of our Assault Force to the responsablity of hunting these Siege Weapons and destroying them.

[jmecha]

Operation: Copperpot
Eleint 17th, 1401 Dale Reckoning, Year of the Sheltered Viper
Scribed by Pawn Xandos Klaxxan

Sometimes the best defense, is offense.

The celestial event known as the Super Moon is approaching and when it arrives all of the Moon Doors connecting Shadowdeep to Waterdeep will swell open and remain a reliable means of moving military personal, siege engines, and monsters for an entire month. It is during this Super Moon event that Vanrak Moonstar and Commander Amuarri of the Legion intend to invade Waterdeep with their forces. It is my estimation that due to their ability to move all of their forces into the city of Waterdeep through all of the Moon Doors at once and our inability to know from which directions they will strike, we will not be capable of mounting a defense capable of protecting the civilian population of Waterdeep from the violence. It maybe possible we in time drive back or defeat Legion Forces on the streets of Waterdeep, but the initial invasion will result in thousands of Waterhavians slain, and their corpses used to bolster the ranks of the Legion. Operation Copperpot, is aimed to defeat the Legion invasion force before the Super Moon, thus preventing them from being able to take advantage of the celestial event and invade Waterdeep.



A small team of volunteers from the Adventurering Community will enter the Void Door located near to Caravan Court and proceed south to the Shadowdeep Adventurer's Quarter, where we will head West along the Docks till reaching the trail that leads up to the Legion encampment atop Mount Shadowdeep.



PHASE ONE
Once there we will fight an up hill battle working to disable the Legion's Siege Weapons and secure the narrow mountain pass.

Our opening attack will be to release a flight of Guardgoyles and Clockwork Hornets armed with alchemical fire bombs targeted at the Legions ranks and weapon emplacements.

As the the constructs take flight, the Grey Hand Enforcer Brujo and myself will follow after them working to destroy as many Siege Weapons as we can until our capability for flight through magical devices is exhausted.

Master of the Adventurer's Guild Cornelius Tauber will lead the others to the narrow pass where they will overcome any resistance they encounter with overwhelming arcane Evocations, Alchemical Weapons, and traditional Weapons.

It is mission critical that enough Siege Weapons are destroyed that the Legion can not use them to attack us in the Pass, and the Pass needs to be held so that we can deny the Legion the advantage of them out numbering our small team.

PHASE TWO

Once a number of the Legion's Siege Weapons have been disabled, and we have secured a footing in the pass, Clergy Anovallis Starmane of the Lady of Mysteries will summon the Knight's of the Blue Moon to the battle using the Horn of Calling.

It is at this point where the Arcanists Wyk Whitehorn and Vaylar Floshin of the Adventurer's Guild may need to take flight to destroy the remaining Siege Weapons through force of the Arcane, while Cornelius Tauber, Brujo, Aniewien Dy'neren, Clergy Anovallis Starmane, and myself continue to hold the Pass.

PHASE THREE

At this time we will either have created an opportunity for an attack upon the Legion Commander Amuarri and his Officers, or not. If presented with the oppertunity to destroy the Legion Command, we will. If no opportunity is feasible we will hold the pass working to thin the Legion's vast numbers until such a time our combat capabilities are so diminished we are forces to withdraw from the field.

[jmecha]

Report of Operations: Copperpot & Comet Fall
Eleint 19th, 1401 Dale Reckoning, Year of the Sheltered Viper
Scribed by Pawn Xandos Klaxxan

Operation Copperpot was never our only effort to prevent the invasion of Waterdeep by Vanrak Moonstar's Legion, it was in truth only a distraction effort to take enemy focus away from Operation Comet Fall. When we made contact with Alathene Moonstar and learned of the coming Super Moon and the effect it would have upon the Moon Doors, we agreed to set into motion a plan that if successful would destroy Vanrak Moonstar and cripple the Legion. We were partially successful in my assessment.



Castle Shadowdeep Infiltration Team of Operation Comet Fall
Grey Hand Enforcer Aries Vexx
Clergy Alain of the Great Guide
Caliope Dirtpaw of the Lhuvenhead Trading Company
Alathene Moonstar Presumed Dead

Mount Shadowdeep Assault Team of Operation Copperpot
Guild Master Cornelius Tauber
Pawn Xandos Klaxxan of the House of Heroes
Grey Hand Enforcer Brujo Slain by Blackguard Hans Copperpot
Adventurer's Guild Master Wyk Whitehorn
Clergy Anovallis Starmane of the Lady of Mysteries
Aniewien Dy'neren Elven Archer Slain by Blackguard Hans Copperpot
Adventurer's Guild Journeyman Valyar Floshin Slain by Blackguard Hans Copperpot
Sir Xale of the Knights of the Blue Moon



The members of the Castle Infiltration Team entered the Void Door just South of the City of the Dead, while the members of the Mountain Assault Team entered the Void Door in Caravan Court. As the Assault Team marched through Shadowdeep combating every Legion Patrol they encountered along their route, the Castle Infiltration Team used Invisablity, Stealth, and Guile to move as quickly and as undetected as they could in a direct route to their objective of Castle Shadowdeep. It was the goal of the Assault Team to draw attention away from the Infiltration Team, and in this the Assault Team was successful. Due in no small part to the combined arms of the Team's capable melee combatants, arcane prowess, archer, and the Moonraker Lazer artifact we were able to overcome all of the Legion Patrols we encountered in the streets.



The Infiltration Team managed to infiltrate Castle Shadowdeep undetected, and reached Vanrak Moonstar, where the phylactery made of the fourteen gathered dark crystal resonators collected from across Shadowdeep was used to allow Alathene Moonstar the opportunity to confront her brother. The plan was for Alathene Moonstar to use her superior understanding of magic to wrest control of the Eye of Jupiter from her brother Vanrak Moonstar and use it to deliver as many celestial bodies from across space as needed to crash into Castle Shadowdeep with enough force to destroy Vanrak and his closest followers. To facilitate this all the members of the Infiltration Team accepted there may be no escape for them, and that in order to see Vanrak Moonstar destroyed, they may need to accept mutually assured destruction. Thankfully Alathene Moonstar was able to provide to them a Moon Door to flee through, as the Comets arrived to destroy Castle Shadowdeep and all who remained within it.

As the Infiltration Team worked to navigate the dangers and sentries of Castle Shadowdeep, The Assault Team reached the peak of Mount Shadowdeep where the Legion's main body was stationed under the command of Commander Amuarri. It was just before the Assault Team's final advance against the Legion that Clergy Anovallis Starmane of the Lady of Mysteries began her prayer that allowed those present to access the Weave despite the often suffocating effect the Plane of Shadows had upon the flow of magic.



"This battle we fight is not just one house against another, but many houses against a tide of darkness…
The Triad, Lord of Battles, The Lady of Strategy, The Moonmaiden, The Mother of Magic…
They are all here with us… they have sent their greatest champions.
We are the rocks, the wall that will not just hold this evil at bay… but to push it back.

To make it fear the light…
To strike such a blow that this evil will turn from this path and tremble to hear the tale of the hero’s than stand here this day…
We all have lost dear friends… Hans… Jed… Dorian… Sarenna… Flynn… Soosh… and many more
When we need strength this night… think of them, our friends… their sacrifice… let it not be in vain and let us not fail where they stood strong.
This corruption… this twisted form of the weave… it’s use is the highest form of blasphemy to the Mother of Magic.
And I extend her blessings upon you all… you brave souls… you saviors of the City of Splendors… you Champions of the Prime.
May we be worthy of the duty that now sits upon our shoulders and may our prayers be heard in this place of blight.

We fight for our home…
We fight for each other…
We fight for the light…
And we WILL be victorious…"

As the prayer was finished the Guardgoyles and Clockwork Hornets that had been prepared for the battle ahead were armed with Fire Bombs and cloaked with magical Invisablity before being released to the Shadowdeep Sky to rain fire down upon the Legion Forces, and the Assault Team fractured into two smaller teams. Grey Hand Enforcer Brujo and myself were responsible for advancing ahead to seek out and disable any Siege Weapons that might prevent the effective holding of the narrow pass or interfere with the approach of the flying mounts of the Blue Moon Knights. Guild Master Cornelius Tauber of the Adventurer's Guild was to lead the other members of the Assault Team to the Narrow Pass were they would establish a foot hold and work to prevent the Legion from moving to interfere with the Castle Shadowdeep Infiltration Team's efforts. It was here that our plan began to falter and break down.



While the Guardgoyles and Clockwork Hornets successfully delivered their alchemical weapons upon the Legion Forces disabling several Siege Weapon Crews and destroying numerous Legion formations, Greyhand Enforcer Brujo and I failed to initially find any Siege Weapon emplacements nor any means to access the Legion Encampment other then the narrow pass. This failure of ours slowed the initial rapid advancement that our plan required for successfully taking and holding the narrow pass. In an effort to make up for our initial failures Grey Hand Enforcer Brujo and I hurried up the narrow pass where we were stopped by Legion Forces holding the Pass and blocking our advance. Grey Hand Enforcer Brujo fought without faltering against the overwhelming enemy numbers, until the arrival of the former Paladin of Helm and member of the One True Vision, Guardian Inquisitor Hans Copperpot for who this operation was named in honor of, arrived mounted upon a Nightmare in service of the Legion as a Black Guard and delivered a fatal blow to the Grey Hand Enforcer. It was then that I abandoned the narrow pass and the overwhelming enemy forces to race Blackguard Hans Copperpot back to the others of the Assault team to warn them and aid them in battle against him.



I failed to prove swifter then Blackguard Copperpot and his Nightmare, Journeyman Valyar Floshin of the Adventurer's Guild was ruthlessly cut down without warning. It was then that Blackguard Copperpot threw the marking signals that the remaining Siege Weapon Crews were awaiting to begin targeting their weapons. As Guild Master Cornelius Tauber rallied the remaining Assault Team members in defense against the Blackguard's attacks and incoming Siege Weapon munitions, I briefly engaged the Blackguard in a small series of skirmishes before abandoning that effort to seek out and destroy those crewing the Siege Weapons in an effort to prevent further munitions from overwhelming the Assault Team.



Finding the remaining Siege Weapons and their crews proved more difficult then disabling them. It took time to cover the dark grounds of the mountain top, and even with vision enchanted with a potion of ultravision, flight by consuming a potion of dragon's blood, and numerous potions of speed consumed to make my legs faster, it still required time to find the emplacements. Time that left the remaining Assault Team members venerable to the Siege Weapons, in addition to Blackguard Copperpot's continued deadly attacks. It was while I searched for and worked to disable the Siege Weapon Crews that the Elven Archer Aniewien Dy'neren was slain.



As the Siege Engines fell quiet Clergy Anovallis Starmane of the Lady of Mysteries sounded the Horn of Calling and summoned the Knights of the Blue Moon to the Battle and the Assault Team moved to secure the narrow pass. As the griffon mounted Knights of the Blue Moon harried the Legion's flanks, Master of the Adventurer's Guild Wyk Whitehorn used his arcana to polymorph himself into the form of a Balor. Together Guild Master Cornelius Tauber, Guild Master Wyk Whitehorn in Balor Form, and Sir Xale of the Knights of the Blue Moon managed to surround and confront the Blackguard Hans Copperpot within the narrow pass. Against the combined efforts of the three, Blackguard Hans Copperpot was forced to flee for his life, and was last seen grievously wounded and flying away atop his Nightmare. It is unknown if Blackguard Copperpot, escaped Mount Shadowdeep with his life intact.



It was immediately after this final confrontation with Blackguard Copperpot that the Comets summoned by Alathene Moonstar through the power of the Eye of Jupiter began to rain down upon both Castle Shadowdeep and Mount Shadowdeep. As the Knights of the Blue Moon took flight from the mountain, we survivors of the Assault Team gathered our dead and moved with all the haste we could muster for the nearest Moon Door as Mount Shadowdeep erupted in celestial fires behind us.



As of the time of writing this, there is no confirmation that Vanrak Moonstar, Commander Amuarri, or Blackguard Hans Copperpot were destroyed. If they remain a threat to Waterdeep, they do so without the Legion they once controlled, the infrastructure they once used to coordinate it, and the Collector to swell their ranks. This is why I believe our combined efforts of Operations Copperpot & Comet Fall were a partial success. It is in my assessment that while Waterdeep is no longer facing an immediate threat of invasion from Shadowdeep by the Legion of Darkness, we must not dismiss the possibility that such a threat may once more rise from the unknown darkness to threaten the City of Splendors once more.

[Burt]