Near the village of Daggerford on the Sword Coast, the Red Wizards of Thay plotted to extend the evil reach of their land and its master, the lich lord Szass Tam. At a site called Bloodgate Keep they built a powerful portal, fueled by elemental nodes, that could allow Thayans to instantly transport whole armies into the very heart of the Sword Coast. With this power, the Red Wizards would surely overthrow and take control of the North. However, groups of heroes recently assaulted Bloodgate Keep and its master, the lich Tarul Var. With the help of a renegade Red Wizard named Mennek Ariz, this assault was successful. Bloodgate Keep fell, and Szass Tam’s plans of invasion were crushed.

What no one expected was that despite the fall of the keep itself, parts of the Bloodgate Nexus (an interconnected series of teleportation circles) survived and that a cell leader named Syranna belonging to a group of rebels known as the Thayan Resurrection had devised a way to use it against Szass Tam. Syranna had been part of the team that originally assembled the Bloodgate Nexus, and she knew that remaining nodes allowed direct access to a secret Thayan training ground known as the Doomvault.

Through her network of operatives, Syranna has sent coded messages far and wide seeking the aid of brave adventurers willing to infiltrate the Doomvault and destroy the Red Wizards’ monstrous creations, experiments and their phylacteries to end the growing threat to Faerûn... 

Answering the secret summons of Syranna, six adventurers make the journey to Daggerford, eager to find fame, fortune and perhaps fate. After gathering their needed supplies in town, they each follow the instructions of their summons and make their way to The River Shining Tavern, the town's largest inn and order a Bloodgate Ale from the bartender...

The surly human with a witch's eye glares at each one for a moment before tossing a bar towel over his shoulder. He looks up and down the bar to see if prying eyes are watching and then reaches below. He produces an unlabeled brown bottle and removes the metal cap with a flick of an old busted thumb that looks more like a toe, all the while keeping his good eye on each patron. He then brings the bottle to his own lips instead of pouring it into a glass and says "Come," in a gruff voice, beckoning the adventurers to follow.

He would lead each of the six to an elegant private dining room, set with fine china and silverware appropriate for royals. "Sit. Eat. Wait." he says, and then drains the bottle down his gullet...

Magnus strides in with grace. He takes a seat at the end of the table, but ignores the silverware. He had already fed, and the blood drained deer he fed on had been tossed in an inconspicuous location at the edge of town. He makes very little effort disguising his nature, although it's unnecessary as he doesn't smile. The dour man wears fancy clothing like that of a noble, but the clothes seem....old, out of fashion. A relic of a bygone era. He says nothing, but scowls at being told to wait.

The hulking draconic humanoid that next enters the room has to bow his boulder-sized head and edge his muscular frame sideways to pass the doorway. His simple and loose-fitting attire is reminiscent of a pilgrim's tunic, made with coarse but finely weaved hemp and wool of neutral tones, ranging from light brown to shades of gray and dull blue. 

The creature leans a tall and vicious-looking spear decorated with garlands of knotted silk against the nearest corner and nods curtly, both at the strangely dressed aristocrat and their host, the silver-blue orbs of his eyes scanning the place intently. As he steps into the room, his bare and clawed feet lean on the wooden floorboards with surprising gentleness and care, eliciting very little sound for such a tall specimen. Short chin barbs quiver and bronze scales glisten with golden tones in the dim light of the candles and lamps of the dining room as he finally says in a hoarse, gravelly tone:

"This One will stand, it is of no concern for This One to do so. Waiting is proper. Food... not presently needed."

With this, he simply stands at attention a few paces away from the main door, arms the width of young tree trunks crossed quietly across his massive chest. 

A very large... Elephant man - huge, grey-skinned, big-eared, tusked, and trunked - ducks through the door, puffing on a pipe held by this trunk. He wore a set of robes that looked to be of a good quality - At least they would if they had a good laundering to get the various colors of dirt and dust off and had the holes, rips, and tears patched and stitched. He nods to the others and gives an appraising look at the chairs before backing away to lean his bulk on the staff he carried. "Um, I'll stand. Standing is fine. I've broken enough chairs this week." The voice matched the body - deep and ponderous. He puffed on his pipe a bit longer then took it in his hand and reached out to the table with his trunk, grabbing an apple and putting it into his mouth whole.

"So... This is for the Bloodgate thing, right?" He asked the others between the loud and wet sounds of chewing on the apple.

With a steady, a tall, dark haired elf joins.  His clothing is simple, reminiscent of a soldiers uniform but not of any local military factions.  These were slightly blue in color with thin silver chains that crossed back and forth holding the collar just so. He also wore a black leather vest which upon the back had a large stitched patch of a lightning bolt striking a mountain upon a sunburst pattern.  Gritar adjusted his his vest slightly and tucked a bit of his hair behind his ear before resting his hand on the hilt of a sword at his waist.  He stopped as he took in the sight of the others showing no emotion as he did so before he made his way over at the table.  

"When the food is served.  I suggest we all partake.  One never knows when their last meal will be."

He looks at the elephant man with mild....disgust? Irritation? the expression is hard to read, but joy is not it.

"I would assume you came to this rundown shanty for the same reason, this Bloodgate. I can only hope that this trip was not a waste of our time. I don't know about you, but I have other things need attending."

Sopa sighs with relief when he sees the sign for The River Shining just down the street. It had been a long trip from Candlekeep and he was looking forward to a rest. With his Steel Defender, Clank, leading the way he makes his way to the tavern. Following Sopa is his Shield Guardian, Clunk. Buzzing around just above the clangorous bunch is a mechanical dragonfly named Click. Sopas little entourage of mechanized minions makes a bit of a noisy spectacle as they move down the street. Arriving at the inn, the group makes its noisy chaotic entrance causing a bit of a stir. Once the stares begin to subside Sopa greets the bartender and orders the required drink only to be led to the back the same as the others.
Those already present in the dining room as well any that join later are  imparted a view of several figures unharmoniousy shuffling to a place at the table. The leader, a tortle, directs the smaller of the 2 mechanized  constructs, which incidentally appears to look like an animated suit of armor, to stand to his left as the other a large humaoid resembling a steel skinned Harengon takes the right. Sopa himself balances precariously in between the two on a chair obviousy designed for someone with a much different body type. Strapped on the back of the medium sized construct to his left is a small rectangular box. Subtle scratches and movement can be detected coming faintly from its open bottom. The soft mechanical buzzing coming from the mechanized dragonfly flittering about stops as it takes a perch on the edge of the shield being held by the robed stranger. The shield itself is blazened with the likeness of an open glowing book on its front. A closer look reveals an actual book restrained against the backside of the shield along with various small tools, implements, and small bone vials all being held snugly in place with leather straps. The tortle hands the shield to the large humanoid shaped rabbit to his right as he looks to each attendee in turn.  A bulging pack on its back indicates that it is currety serving as a valet to the tortle.
 In a soft slow tone the tortle dismisses any offers of refreshment before addressing those present in the room.

"Of course we're all here for the bloodgate. How else would one explain the presence of several strangers in a room that quite obviusly required vetting in order to be alowed to attend? So if we're done with the obvious allow me to introduce myself. I am Sopa. These are my guardians, Clank. He motions to the smaller suit if armor construct and then to the large one. "This is Clunk and Click is my winged homonculous."

Saj shrugs his massive shoulders, seemingly unperturbed by any surliness from the others or the wait in general. "I don't actually have much else to do - I'm supposed to check a couple conjunctions and observe a transit, but it seems I got here at the wrong time, so... I have time to kill. I'm Saj." As he leans on his staff, smoking his pipe and eating fruit, Saj pulls out a thick book with a black cover and begins flipping through it idly.

Saoirse rides arrives in town with a broad smile and eager anticipation. The eladrin is adorned in yellows, oranges and reds, and there is a confidence and eagerness in her step. Heavily armed and armoured, she is carrying an assortment of weapons in addition to her backpack. 

By her side is a strange hybrid between wolf and plant. The creature looks like a normal wolf with branches that run parallel to its body growing out at various points. Upon closer inspection, one would also notice that what one would mistaken as fur at a distance are actually tiny leaves, which are currently green, tinged with yellow and orange in a match with Saoirse.

"Well Athrú, we are here. I wonder what adventure awaits us next. This will be fun don't you think?"

Saoirse bends down to give the wolf a scratch behind the ears as she stands before the entrance to the inn. Then without further ado, she steps in and makes a beeline for the bartender.

"One Bloodgate Ale please."

When led to the private room, Soairse quickly sizes up the room before offering a wide smile in greeting.

"I'm Soairse and this is Athrú. Nice to meet you all!"

The bronze dragonborn had remained still: the opaque, metallic blue orbs of his eyes were indeed the only thing moving as he took in each of the newcomers, even though it was a little difficult to tell on whom or what his focus was exactly on, as he lacked either pupils or irises. 

"This One has had many names: the Way Of The Open Palm puts many guises upon its students, after it strips them of the illusion of individuality," the muscle-bound pilgrim finally said, his voice sounding like the rumbling of distant thunder. "This One is currently known amongst its peers as the 9th Disciple Raul'nar Droh-Jo-Yuin, from the Path of Evergrown Flowers..."

He nodded curtly. "Given the current company, This One would make the offer that 'Drohjo' can be used for now. Greetings. This One will be of Service, as His vows demand."

"Greetings all," says a disembodied feminine voice from one corner of the room. "I can tell by the racial diversity among you that my 'invitation' must have travelled quite far indeed...all the way to a Tortle's quiet swamp apparently! My animal messengers truly outdid themselves...I shall reward them for their effort! And Loxodon are not even native to this world...I don't know how or where they found you sir druid, but you are perhaps the singular specimen among your kind roaming the face of Toril..."

"Welcome to Daggerford, I hope you all have made ready for the daunting and dangerous task that has called you here. Allow me to thank you in advance for your brave volunteerism - I may not have another opportunity once you embark upon this assignment. I am Syranna, and please forgive me for remaining invisible...Red Wizards such as myself are most unwelcome here, so for my own safety and the secrecy of this mission, I cannot risk revealing myself to you now."

"So then, to business...I am a traitor. As one of the Red Wizards of Thay, I helped build a massive magical complex called the Bloodgate Nexus, which was intended to train new initiates by pitting them against hordes of terrible monsters. What I, and others like me, did not know is that our dark masters actually intended to release the monsters themselves into the world to bring ruin and chaos in an effort to further their power and influence...I am by no means a doer of good, but I am no demon. I cannot abide the senseless slaughter of thousands - if not millions - of innocent souls, and so I and a few of my brave colleagues formed a secret cell of rebels within the Red Wizards. We enlisted the aide of many like you before and assaulted the Bloodgate Nexus, which has staved off an invasion for now, but much of it still remains intact and the foul leader of our cult of mages, a lich called Szass Tam, is working to restore it."

"You have three objectives. One - enter the Bloodgate Nexus and destroy the monstrous creations and experiments in the remaining complex known as the Doomvault to end the immediate threat to Faerûn. Two - gain access to the phylactery vault deep beneath the dungeon. And three - destroy the phylacteries within the vault to kill Szass Tam and his lieutenants. Are you all freely willing to attempt these grave tasks?"

"So, is there, a plan, on how, we're going to accomplish, cleaning up this mess? One, that starts with, how we are to get to this nexus." questions Sopa in his slow and deliberate speech.

"The Doomvault is a high-security complex which is divided into several sectors, zones and areas that are controlled and accessed via a network teleportation circles. This network is overseen by a gatehouse...and I am the gatemaster. Once you all have finished you last meal, uh, I mean...once you are done eating dinner and have gathered all of the supplies you feel you will need, I will then provide you entry into the Doomvault. How you choose to go about your task from that point forward is entirely up to you."

"I will give you further instructions on how to operate the teleportation network once we arrive at the gatehouse. But for now, I can provide you with a map of the Doomvault complex."

At that moment, a tapestry hanging on the wall magically changes to display the map (OOC: see the #quest journal chatroom in the Discord server.)

Gritar stands from the table and moves over to the map and begin examining it and trying to commit as much to memory as he can.  It is an extensive map but he wonders if it is of singular level.  "So, to be clear.  This is an extermination mission through and through and this map.  This shows the top most level and the phylacteries are  below this top layer?  Also, where on the map here will we be transported too?"

Saj leans in to examine the map, frowning. "I'm guessing we enter here where it says 'Entry point'." He points to a spot on the map with his trunk... Then to another spot. "Or that one.. Or that one.. Or... Oh... Oh dear. This is... A LOT to take in one bite..." He leans back from the map, puffing on his pipe thoughtfully. "How is this going to work? Once we're in, are we just... Stuck? No coming back until the job's done?"

Saoirse crosses her arms as she listens to the voice. 

"So  how do we know you are telling the truth and you are not just sending us to our deaths?"

TO SOAIRSE: "I most likely AM sending you to your deaths," says Syranna dryly, "...we don't call it the 'Doomvault' based on the popularity of it's elderberry muffins, you know. And while I am certain that your impending demise will be quite spectacular indeed, the amusement of witnessing it is not my purpose...although, I will be watching. As I said, the Red Wizards are led by a powerful lich who is intent on bringing all of Fearun to heel and the living nightmares imprisoned in this complex are essentially the shock troops of the surprise assault he is planning. I sent secret-coded messages far and wide seeking brave souls to come and risk their lives for the sake of us all...Szass Tam has spies everywhere, and so perhaps the great personal risk I took in contacting you is enough for you to trust my motives..."

TO YAMA: "As the far-traveller has just pointed out, the dungeon has several initial entry points...from the gatehouse, you may choose which one to make your insertion into the complex. The teleportation circles, called 'black gates', allow movement from one area to another within the Doomvault, which includes to and from the gatehouse. There are also security circles, the 'white gates', which serve essentially as locked doors between the zones. Both are operated by items called 'glyph keys' and you will receive one at the gatehouse. The glyph keys can only operate gates to which they are attuned. Initially, your glyph key will only be attuned to the area of your selected entry point, but as you move through the complex, you will be able to add additional attunements. The process is complicated, but I will ensure you have thorough written instructions on how to do so as well as a copy of the map you see here."

Rohjo approaches the map while the conversation goes on, and examines it in silence. Finally, he turns to the group:

"This One sees a pattern: each zone's name.... Hmmm. Distinct dangers and challenges. Hmmm, quite so."

He digs a clawed, scaly finger into the area marked OOZE GROTTOS, then traces a line passing through GOLEM LABORATORIES to finally end on a smaller section towards the center top marked as 'Vermin Halls'. He turns his blank, disturbing-looking eyes towards the assembly of characters again. "Watch ! Names, quite evocative. Hmmm. 'Vermins' must be such, indeed." 

He cracks his knuckles and stretches. "Hmmm... possibly Quite Large Vermins. Good. We start, then."

Sopa pulls out a smooth stone from his components pouch and using a pick from his thieves tools scratches a rune into the surface. He takes the stone and holds up to his mouth in cupped hands. A few hot breaths and he places the stone back on the table. "I have the map copy taken care of." He says as he taps the stone with an extended claw. A perfect illusionary copy of the map appears floating above the infused stone.