Knightfall
World of Kulan DM
Campaign Introduction
Toril. Faerûn. Baldur's Gate. 1374 DR, Flamerule 21.
An hour before dawn...
In the Western Heartlands, the city of Baldur's Gate stands as the gateway to 'everywhere else' in the lands known as Faerûn. Standing on the northern bank of the river known as Chionthar, only twenty miles from the coastline, the Sword Coast. The Chionthar originates in the Sunset Mountains far to the east and flows through 'miles and miles of miles and miles', past the other cities of the Western Heartlands, south and west of the Reaching Woods (where it meets the River Reaching) and then south of the Fields of the Dead before flowing past Baldur's Gate and emptying into the Trackless Sea.
The sun of Amaunator has yet to rise, but the light from the world's star has turned the eastern sky a incandescent blue at the edge of the horizon. The citizens of Baldur's Gate have already started their day. There are tinkers, flower maids, local merchants, wandering traders all preparing their wares in the open-air market known as The Wide. The masterful docks of the harbor of the city are in full swing with their unusual crane-like constructs that were put in place by the clerics of Gond and the knowing mind of Elminster of Shadowdale.
Near the Duchal Palace in the western half of the city, the temple of Gond, The High House of Wonders, stands closed to the faithful. It is a strange sight to see the priests of the temple turn away their flock, but they explain that “High Artificer Thalamond Albaier is in communion with Gond in the main hall and must not be disturbed.” The crowd buzzes sensing some sort of major revelation from the clergy. What could it be about?
Elsewhere in the city, a lone man walks the streets decrying the loss of the world. “The world is ending! The world is ending!” He shouts. It is the mad prophet, Haspur. He believes he's touched by the heavens, but most consider him to be touched in the head. His ranting is nothing knew, but his eyes seem more fearful than usual this morning. A lone figure watches the mad prophet from the shadows and then is gone into the crowd. The guards come for Haspur, but he manages to evade them through an alley. A warrior of some renown points at Haspur as he flees the guards as he speaks to a nearby companion, “Boo says, 'that man is crazy'.”
In the Water-Queen's House, Storm-Priestess of Umberlee, Jalantha Mistmyr, faints dead away from divine aftershock. In The Lady's Hall, the temple of Tymora, acolytes find High Priest of the Lady's Favor Chanthalas Ulbright vomiting in his privy. At the shrines to Helm, Ilmater, Lathander, Oghma, and Waukeen, local clerics and visiting pilgrims feel a sense of uneasiness. One cleric of Waukeen is said to have spoken these words to her god, “What has happened? Where are you?” Rumors begin to circulate that the gods have disappeared or have cutoff their clergy's power. No one dares to say what many of them are thinking... Has a god died?
The faithful of Gond fill the streets around The High House of Wonders. They are soon joined by worshipers of the other major temples of Baldur's Gate. All wait for the High Artificer to appear on the steps of the temple, hopeful that he will be able to tell them what their own clergy can't or won't tell them. The crowd is surprisingly silent despite the eagerness of of all those gathered. There is only quiet murmuring and silent prayers for answers. Along the edge of the crowd, members of the Flaming Fist Mercenary Company keeps watch for troublemakers, but even they are nervous.
Several citizens are shocked to see Grand Duke Entan walk through the crowd (with a contingent of Flaming Fists) to the front of temple of Gond. He questions the acolytes and lesser artificers guarding the door to the temple. They shake their head when he demands to be let in. “Open the damn doors!” he yells. Still they refuse and it appears that the Gondites and the Fists are set to exchange blows when the doors to the temple open. The High Artificer stumbles through, nearly tripping down the steps. An acolyte grabs him and helps him down the steps to wear the Grand Duke is waiting. He is pale and shaking in fear. The crowd goes completely silent.
“Thalamond, what is it?” Eltan asks.
“M-myst-tra,” the cleric sputters. “S-she, she is d-dead. The W-weave, it, it is g-gone.”
Murmuring in the crowd quickly turns to gasps of horror and dismay. Fear quickly begins to spread through the populace and the Flaming Fists are soon trying to stop a riot. The High Artificer tries to speak again over the noise but he faints from exhaustion. Eltan and the clerics of Gond flee into the temple closing the door behind them, as the panic boils over into chaos. The Fists push back the crowd and distraught citizens begin to spread out into the city to spread the word.
“The Goddess of Magic has died!” “It is the Time of Troubles all over again!” “I heard that Waukeen has died again too.”
The rumors and madness fill the streets and those merchants who'd been preparing for the morning now either head out of the city or lock themselves away in their homes. The mass of crowds break up into smaller groups, as some people flee to their homes. Angry youths begin vandalizing buildings and the Flaming Fists spend the next hour trying to restore order to the city. The city's jails are soon overflowing just as dark clouds appear on the horizon over the Trackless Sea. The storm blows in like a dire omen and soon the city is awash in a torrential rain. Those still in the streets flee inside as lightning crashes in the sky and large hail fall from the sky.
Only one man stands under the downpour. Haspur the mad seer yells at the sky. “The world is ending!” Then there is a roar like a dragon that cannot be and several dark shapes pass overhead. They are red and metallic with burning red embers for eyes and the metal beasts screech through the sky at a blinding speed. Haspur screams in horror and falls over unconscious in the muddy streets. A large hailstone sits next to his body in the street. No one is there to hear him mumble, “Mystra is dead. The Empire has come. The world is ending. Not even the gods can save us.”
Toril. Faerûn. Baldur's Gate. 1374 DR, Flamerule 21.
An hour before dawn...
In the Western Heartlands, the city of Baldur's Gate stands as the gateway to 'everywhere else' in the lands known as Faerûn. Standing on the northern bank of the river known as Chionthar, only twenty miles from the coastline, the Sword Coast. The Chionthar originates in the Sunset Mountains far to the east and flows through 'miles and miles of miles and miles', past the other cities of the Western Heartlands, south and west of the Reaching Woods (where it meets the River Reaching) and then south of the Fields of the Dead before flowing past Baldur's Gate and emptying into the Trackless Sea.
The sun of Amaunator has yet to rise, but the light from the world's star has turned the eastern sky a incandescent blue at the edge of the horizon. The citizens of Baldur's Gate have already started their day. There are tinkers, flower maids, local merchants, wandering traders all preparing their wares in the open-air market known as The Wide. The masterful docks of the harbor of the city are in full swing with their unusual crane-like constructs that were put in place by the clerics of Gond and the knowing mind of Elminster of Shadowdale.
Near the Duchal Palace in the western half of the city, the temple of Gond, The High House of Wonders, stands closed to the faithful. It is a strange sight to see the priests of the temple turn away their flock, but they explain that “High Artificer Thalamond Albaier is in communion with Gond in the main hall and must not be disturbed.” The crowd buzzes sensing some sort of major revelation from the clergy. What could it be about?
Elsewhere in the city, a lone man walks the streets decrying the loss of the world. “The world is ending! The world is ending!” He shouts. It is the mad prophet, Haspur. He believes he's touched by the heavens, but most consider him to be touched in the head. His ranting is nothing knew, but his eyes seem more fearful than usual this morning. A lone figure watches the mad prophet from the shadows and then is gone into the crowd. The guards come for Haspur, but he manages to evade them through an alley. A warrior of some renown points at Haspur as he flees the guards as he speaks to a nearby companion, “Boo says, 'that man is crazy'.”
In the Water-Queen's House, Storm-Priestess of Umberlee, Jalantha Mistmyr, faints dead away from divine aftershock. In The Lady's Hall, the temple of Tymora, acolytes find High Priest of the Lady's Favor Chanthalas Ulbright vomiting in his privy. At the shrines to Helm, Ilmater, Lathander, Oghma, and Waukeen, local clerics and visiting pilgrims feel a sense of uneasiness. One cleric of Waukeen is said to have spoken these words to her god, “What has happened? Where are you?” Rumors begin to circulate that the gods have disappeared or have cutoff their clergy's power. No one dares to say what many of them are thinking... Has a god died?
The faithful of Gond fill the streets around The High House of Wonders. They are soon joined by worshipers of the other major temples of Baldur's Gate. All wait for the High Artificer to appear on the steps of the temple, hopeful that he will be able to tell them what their own clergy can't or won't tell them. The crowd is surprisingly silent despite the eagerness of of all those gathered. There is only quiet murmuring and silent prayers for answers. Along the edge of the crowd, members of the Flaming Fist Mercenary Company keeps watch for troublemakers, but even they are nervous.
Several citizens are shocked to see Grand Duke Entan walk through the crowd (with a contingent of Flaming Fists) to the front of temple of Gond. He questions the acolytes and lesser artificers guarding the door to the temple. They shake their head when he demands to be let in. “Open the damn doors!” he yells. Still they refuse and it appears that the Gondites and the Fists are set to exchange blows when the doors to the temple open. The High Artificer stumbles through, nearly tripping down the steps. An acolyte grabs him and helps him down the steps to wear the Grand Duke is waiting. He is pale and shaking in fear. The crowd goes completely silent.
“Thalamond, what is it?” Eltan asks.
“M-myst-tra,” the cleric sputters. “S-she, she is d-dead. The W-weave, it, it is g-gone.”
Murmuring in the crowd quickly turns to gasps of horror and dismay. Fear quickly begins to spread through the populace and the Flaming Fists are soon trying to stop a riot. The High Artificer tries to speak again over the noise but he faints from exhaustion. Eltan and the clerics of Gond flee into the temple closing the door behind them, as the panic boils over into chaos. The Fists push back the crowd and distraught citizens begin to spread out into the city to spread the word.
“The Goddess of Magic has died!” “It is the Time of Troubles all over again!” “I heard that Waukeen has died again too.”
The rumors and madness fill the streets and those merchants who'd been preparing for the morning now either head out of the city or lock themselves away in their homes. The mass of crowds break up into smaller groups, as some people flee to their homes. Angry youths begin vandalizing buildings and the Flaming Fists spend the next hour trying to restore order to the city. The city's jails are soon overflowing just as dark clouds appear on the horizon over the Trackless Sea. The storm blows in like a dire omen and soon the city is awash in a torrential rain. Those still in the streets flee inside as lightning crashes in the sky and large hail fall from the sky.
Only one man stands under the downpour. Haspur the mad seer yells at the sky. “The world is ending!” Then there is a roar like a dragon that cannot be and several dark shapes pass overhead. They are red and metallic with burning red embers for eyes and the metal beasts screech through the sky at a blinding speed. Haspur screams in horror and falls over unconscious in the muddy streets. A large hailstone sits next to his body in the street. No one is there to hear him mumble, “Mystra is dead. The Empire has come. The world is ending. Not even the gods can save us.”
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