(long rested)

In the morning I feel refreshed and well. I gently wake up Dain and get some breakfast. During breakfast I show Dain again what happens if I take away his stone. We experiment a bit with closed boxes,  bringing it to another room but it always magically returns to Dain.

After that we go and report to the stone lord about what happened at the brewery and on the road on our way back. I also tell him that during my research I read that in such cases there normally is a powerful necromancer behind it. 

Dain yawns and stretches awake. He does some morning routine and finds the oddness of the stone curious. 
“Well it is my magic stone. I always feel better when I have it. Maybe it likes me too and wants to come back when it gets too far?

After eating quite a large breakfast, he starts walking with Aldun to the Stone Lord.

“Maybe the Lord can explain the quirkiness of the rock?”

Morning dawns it is cold as you make ready to meet with the Stonelord you notice the streets are very sparse not too many people out.  When you arrive at Sir Pleuket’s you are ushered in past the entry past the dining area, into a den of sorts- table line the walls maps are hung everywhere.  Sir Pleuket is talking with elder Whitline, there seems to be a familiarity between them as if they are friends or perhaps family.  Stonelord Pleuket, “Please come inside.  Sorry for the lack of chairs, recent events are demanding attention.  I have heard the guards and my beloved acolyte did not make the return trip.  I need your report please leave nothing out.”

I step forward and tell what happened in the brewery and on our way back on the road. I describe the rider (is het dead?). Carefully, holding it with just my thumb and the index finger,  I also show Sir Pleuket the now unholy symbol of the acolyte.

I also tell him about the short vision I had of the wizard being harassed by some dwarves and my feeling it is connected to the attacks, both in kazduhr-dum as on the brewery. I show him the tankard and ask Dain to show his luck stone. I make sure to tell that Dain is real happy with the stone which according to him gives him a "good feeling".  

I tell Sir Pleuket of the experimenting we have done on the stone and the fact that it keeps reappearing on Dain. Last I tell about the tankard, the text I read on it, pointing out the clan symbols I could not identify and what happened yesterday at the bar when I drank from it as described on the tankard....

“The stone makes me feel confident. Maybe overly so, but so far I’ve found no ill effects from it. And the tankard seemed to affect my friend’s drinks more so than a regular glass. I don’t know to what extent though.

These trinkets gifted by this wizard is odd. Normally they guard magical items jealously. That said… besides Alsun’s vision or dream or whatever it was, we’ve found no connection of this man to the undead threat we’ve encountered.

These creatures are fierce and incredibly dangerous as I’m sure you’ve surmised by your own encounters. What you may not have seen is how fast our fallen can be turned against us. I would suggest any of your healers and clerics sanctify (consecrate?) any burial grounds and fallen as soon as possible.”

Sir Pleuket’s eyes tear up hearing that the young acolyte was defiled his holy symbol desecrated.  His eyes go wide as you share your vision.  Then as the items from the wizard are described he just shakes his head, “They cannot be what they seem, the tankard was from an original dwarven clan that settled in this very region they were slowly captured by the Vel’Xerion drow, when only they leaders were left a pact was made to deny the drow their capture and torment… this tankard was made.  They drank from it and died.”  Elder Whiteline speaks, “They are using this wizard he is ambitious, young, and powerful.  But the drow are centuries older many times more powerful and…”

He stops and wipes tears from his eyes, “They took my nephew.”

The Stonelord puts a hand on the elders shoulder, “Train has taken the ancient way to recover him.  I wasn’t going to cause a panick but the drow ghast was not the only sign.  Many dwarves have gone missing.”

“I’m guessing if the tankard is cursed, then my gift may be as well. I am reluctant to relinquish it however.

what other signs have appeared?”

Visibly shivering by the name Vel'Xarion Aldun sits down in a nearby chair fearing what is to come. 

"I drank from the tankard as well, yesterday evening Should I be worried?" Aldun mumbles.

I'm just silently listening at what is said.....hoping it will pass by automatically or a solution is brought up by the Stone lord.

The Stonelord looks Dain in the eye, embers of a burning hatred for the drow, “At first it was just a few random missing persons but now we have undead sightings and Thrain Blackbeard tracked active trails leading through the undercity into the founding tunnels.  A Kuldjargh  troop which guards the ancient way have gone missing… They followed the undead… here is a map of where we think they went.”

”Aldun they made a pact wanting to die they ‘Lifted high and drank deep’ you have a survivors soul Blackbeard says you should have died several time over before escaping your captivity, but I would never drink from that tankard again, dear scholar.  Your knowledge of the Vel’Xarion is our greatest weapon now.”

Blackbeard is exploring the ancient tunnels tracking drow.  The missing Kuldjargh are suspected to have gone a different way pursuing undead.

What would the two of you care to do?

"it feels like you want us to go and hunt drow and take back those who are lost. As you said I have experience with the drow. Those are not the best experiences... (Aldun sighs) If you ask me what I would like than I'd say get away from this all,  find myself a proper library and read interesting literature for the rest of my life......

At the same time I have a score to settle with drow. I just don't know if I'm up for it and if my emotions won't get the better of me.

Maybe this is what I was born to do and this is what I can do for my people. I just don't know. It would involve so much planning and even than a lot of chaos would be our part.

And I don't know what Dain wants." 

Aldun sits down again, hides his head in his hands and thinks.....along time

“You know I’ll follow where you lead…”, then with a small grin, “except maybe that lifetime of libraries”.

Putting a hand on the belt, a wave of repulsion and fury washes over him. “I think we need to destroy the one turning our kin into these undead horrors. It’s unnatural and what’s dead should stay dead.”

“Stonelord, if we leave these items with you can you destroy them?”

"if you need me I'll go" Aldun says hesitantly. "And I would like to keep the tankard. Might come in handy. Seems like I haven't studied it enough."

"I would like to ask for one thing that might come in useful. There should be a spell which can change ones appearance. That way I can act as a drow if needed. Can one of your wizards learn me this?"

“Perhaps go after the Battleragers first then with their help delve into the underdark, find Thrain Blackbeard if you can, with help and a good sound mindful plan we can defend against the dark elves.  If you seek out Effery the Seamstress she has magic for disguises give her this promisery note it should cover any expense.  Dain id like you to take my hammer it has saved me many times in dire situations.”

the hammer is a light hammer +1

“Thank you for such a powerful item. It shall be used to bring hope to those in the dark”

"thank you Sir. I will. Please tell me everything you can about the battleragers to prepare us for what's to come."

I'll listen to everything he has to tell me about the battleragers and after that find the seamstress.

The seamstress I ask to learn me how to change my appearance and show her the note. 

  “Well now what good fortune for me.  What can a simpleton like me do for you?”  Effery runs a laundry and garment shop.  It’s hot and sweaty inside.  You see a cloak that changes its appearance as you look at it.  A set of clothes that appear made of silk.  Two other young dwarf lasses smile and coyly watch from the laundry tubs where they are working.  As you turn to respond Effery runs a hand over a torn dress it is mended with just a touch.

Battlerager ‘Axe Idiot’ turns out the special troop of drummers were Battleragers.

"uhh well miss Effery. I asked the stonelord about appearance changing magic (looking around in the shop) and told me to find you... He gave me this note. I thought 'seamstress' was some sort of nickname..... But you really are a seamstress are you not? I was hoping to find some magic knowledge that would be able to give me the temporal appearance of a drow, or any race I would wish for including clothes, voices etc. Am I in the right place for that? Maybe tell me what you can do for me."

“Well if the Stonelord is paying, I’ve got costumes, disguise kits, a chameleon cloak, a hat of disguise, or a scroll of disguise self plus for drow I recommend you wear silk even when magically disguised, touch still reveals deceptions.  And since I may never see you pretty face again, here is a house ring not sure about its authenticity but it’s good at a glance.”