Neverwinter, Day 17 -- Entering the Waterclock Guild Crypts

With some helps from me, Harper Windle and Tristopher Chettlebell figured out the way to enter the Waterclock Guild Crypts.

There are 6 physical seals hiding behinds the shields. Unlocking them is not a big deal.

The Seal of  the Waterclock Guild Crypts

The metaphysical lock in the Shadowfell is more challenging. Tristopher gave me some powder so that I can enter Evernight. Everything feels wrong in Evernight, and I am glad I unlocked the metaphysical lock came back in one piece.

Evernight

Windle said I had an advantage of knowing how to enter the Waterclock Guild Crypts, but I think she was too optimistic. When I got into the crypt, there are already lots of cultists and Valindra's minions. When I finally got to the bottom, Valindra already got the dragon and left.

The Clockwork Tomb

I guess I failed to stop her, but the Doomguides still thanked me for restoring the peace in the graveyard area.

Neverwinter, Day 16 -- Troubles around the Waterclock Guild Crypts

There are lots of the cult of the dragon and Valindra's minions in this area, and now we know why.

Tristopher Chettlebell asked me to rescue his employer, Zami Monini. She was captured by "a group of hooligans in purple robes," according to Tristopher, when they are researching into her family's history.


I entered the tomb and rescued Miss Monini. She doesn't seem to have a clue about what the cultists wanted with her. But she believe the cult of the dragon were searching for something that belonged to one of her ancestors, Romani Monini. Something named like "Azharzel". According to Tristopher's research, Azharzel is ..... a blue dragon! When Romani died, he gave orders for Azharzel to be entombed with him.

Miss Zami Monini

What a surprise! Romani Monini was both a powerful member of the Waterclock Makers Guild and a Dragon Cultist with a ring of dragon control. Apparently both the cult of the dragon and Valindra are after this blue dragon.

I need to deal with Azharzel before either Valindra or the cult of the dragon gain control of him. But I need to first find a way to get into the Waterclock Guild Crypts. 

Neverwinter, Day 15 -- Captain Zemmer's Problems

Cult of the Dragon recruited several mercenaries under Captain Zemmer, and Captain Zemmer want them to pay the price of disloyalty. By the way, I know it's not right to judge by appearances, but looking at Captain Zemmer, I think I understand why the mercenaries might be wanting a different leader.

After I dealt with the mercenaries, Captain Zemmer asked me to gather his father's journals and destroy his lab -- he was a Thayan necromancer, and the rumors about her father have kept her mercenary career from getting lucrative jobs with Lord Neverember. I helped Captain Zemmer to bury her past, and she seemed very happy. "This is the best thing that's happened since father was sucked into the shadowfell!" "He wasn't the worst parent. But I didn't even know it was weird to have a zombified dog until I was twelve." She told me. Although Captain Zemmer doesn't seem to like her father very much, her father's journals did mention about her and his failures as a father.

Neverwinter, Day 14 -- Xivros's Plan

Orran asked me to help investigate what purpose the Bone Porters serve. The red wizards are using some skeletons to excavate bones and relics from Pauper's Field and then transport the items through a southern gate to a very old portion of Neverdeath.

I found a camp where a battle wight was studying some documents. Maybe I looked so friendly that the wight explained the documents to me. It's from a Red wizard named Xivros, and they are collecting the bones and artifacts to create some powerful undead creature. He also told me something about the mass raising the red wizards are performing here. It seems that each of them carries a special amulet for the ritual. If I can destroy one of them, it can be a great setback to their plans.

Chatting with the battle wight

I reported my findings to Volahk and Orran. Volahk said what Xivros was trying to revive is Arleon the Unforgiven. It took 10 heroes to bring him down when he was mortal, and we must stop Xivros's ritual.

I killed Xivros in front of the Pauper's Field hill, but it was too late to stop them to raise Arleon the Unforgiven. Luckily, we probably have much more advanced gears nowadays that it took only one hero and his companion to bring down Arleon.

Pauper's Field Hill

Arleon the Unforgiven .... dead again

Neverwinter, Day 13 -- Errands in the Graveyard

After helping Acolyte Neyman, I decided to fool around and see if there is any interesting news.

Tristopher Chettlebell said he has a "friend" asking him to help prove her birthright. Some rapscallions altered the dates of birth and death on gravestones to discredit her claim to noble descent. He seems to work for Miss Monini, and he describe my works as "changes." I believe that Tristopher is the historian mentioned in Hubert Windcastle's mail I received few days ago, but somehow I sense something fishy here. Anyway, I will leave it as is for now.

Retrigal Bookbinder wanted me to find a lost note that ratify Lord Neverember's inherited claim on the city. He lost it when the dead started to rise. I found the note on a zombie hulk and returned it to Retrigal. He asked me to do another favor to kill some more hulks so that when he is holed up in a tomb, those undead would not bother him. I also cleared a crypt for him, which is believed to be the tomb of Vars Never, the ancestor of Lord Protector. Although the tomb should be empty if Vars did settle in Waterdeep, Retrigal thinks there may be still something interesting in the crypt.

Oh, and I picked up a phylactery of a Lich named Zarifrax. Zarifrax did not seem interested fighting me. Instead, he asked me to find a nice, quiet spot for his phylactery not being disturbed for a long time. I tried 3 places and none of them satisfied Zarifrax. He gave up and asked me to turn him in to a doomguide to be destroyed. Interestingly, Volahk said they are not capable of destroying a powerful lich and would just imprison it in an impenetrable vault for centuries.

Volahk said he felt the lich was laughing. I guess I know why.

Neverwinter, Day 13 -- Cleansing the Lynching Tree

Volahk mentioned that Valindra's Thayen wizards are tapping into the evil energy around the lynching tree, where the criminals as well as the unjustly executed innocent are interred. Acolyte Mina Neyman suggested a ritual cleasing the evil energy, and she needs a protector during the ritual.

It was an easy job. She can actually defend herself, and I only need to buy her some time to complete the ritual. After the evil energy was cleansed, I saw several ghost coming to thank me.

The lynching tree and two ghosts waiting to thank me

Neverwinter, Day 12 -- Rescuing the Doomguides

I saved Severin from a Red Wizards of Thay. Severin said the others were taken to somewhere else. According to Volahk, the journal I found belonged to Doomguide Awen, and they were taken to Soldier's Memorial.

On my way to Soldier's Memorial I encountered Doomguide Stonehammer. He was turned undead, and I had to kill him. May him rest in peace now. I burned Falstaff's body so that he wouldn't suffer the same fate as Stonehammer. Not far away I encountered another wizard transforming Awen. Although I stopped the ritual, but I was a little bit late. Awen was dead. I spoke to Awen's ghost before she joined the eternity. She mentioned that Doomguide Winlof managed to sneak away.

Awen's ghost

Winlof was hid in a wizard's tomb. She was frightened, but I think she is physically fine. And I saved Ganilon in the Soldier's Monument. I was only able to rescue 2 out of 5. I wish I could have come earlier.

Winlof in the tomb

Ganilon in the Soldier's Monument.

Neverwinter, Day 12 -- Neverdeath Graveyard

Neverwinter is in a troubled time. As an adventurer, I enjoy venture through the unknowns. However, I wonder if it's just too much.

Right after I told Sergeant Knox about what happened in the Blackdagger Ruins, he asked me again to investigate the Neverdeath Graveyard. Some wounded back from the graveyard spoke of undead overrunning the city, or something alike. Is it related to what Traven Blackdagger is doing? I don't know...

The Neverwinter graveyard

Doomguide Volahk at the graveyard said there has been an alarming surge in the number and power of the undead, and he suspected Valindra was behinds it. The first thing Doomguide Volahk wanted me to help is to find the missing Doomguides. Doomguide Severin and his group have been missing for some time. Before they become missing, they sent Acolyte Neyman back reporting they were descending into the area known as the Rift.

 Acolyte Neyman

Neyman said they spotted creatures moving in the Rift that were not undead, and Severin went investigating it. That was yesterday and they were not reporting back since. I entered the rift and found an empty camp. There was an ambush await, but they need to send ten times more to make it successful. I found a backpack at the end of a road not far from the camp. There is no sign of survivors, but there is a note describing Red Wizards and the gnolls taking Severin away. I may still get a chance to save him.

The empty camp near the rift

Neverwinter, Day 11 -- Entering Grimstorm Keep

Before I was about to see Xalliana, Sergeant Yates recalled that Xalliana had stopped by and asked me to meet Garl Gnarlclaw, who is Xalliana's spy among the bandits. According to Garl, Jareth Grim is still in the Grimstorm Keep.

Garl in front of the Blackdagger Crypt

Jareth is a experienced swordsman. I can barely follow his movement, and he almost got me with his flash slash. Although I defeated him at the end, it was a close call.

Insides Grimstorm Keep

Next to Jareth's body I found a note from Traven Blackdagger. It seems that they found some artifacts that can control the undead army below the Cragmire Keep. That doesn't sound good, but I think the trade route has been restored ... for now. I will leave Traven Blackdagger and his undead army for the Harpers.

Neverwinter, Day 10 -- Uncovering Blackdagger Bandits' Plan

Today is another day full of legwork.

Per Xalliana's suggestion, I went to the sea caves and borrowed the journals from the local leader, Marlon Hexbane, to find out what their plans are. Although I don't like the way Xalliana orders me around, I have to admit that she is good at planning. The journals did mention a dwarven merchant named Melkhor Goldseeker "was important to the plans of Krag Foultooth," and Melkhor Goldseeker admitted attempting to strike a deal with the Blackdagger Bandits about the ancient ruins he found on the hill.

"But they wanted everything." Melkhor Goldseeker said. Well, I am not surprised about it.

Anyway, I promised to help Melkhor Goldseeker to check some looted caravan wagons on the road and go to the Mine Base Camp to find out what happened to Melkhor's niece, Mira Thamros.

In the mine base camp, I met Sergeant "Dusty" Yates, who seems to work for Melkhor Goldseeker. She told me that Melkhor did not hear from his caravan because every runner Sergeant Yates sent was caught by those bloodtrackers. I promised to kill those bloodtrackers when I see them, and I also promised to kill Krag Foultooth, the gnoll bandit leader that occupied the ancient ruins "Angelhead Mine" and kidnapped Melkhor's niece.

The Mine Base Camp

After I rescued Mira, she told me there is another leader named Jareth Grim who recently visited Krag, and Jareth may still be in the Blackdagger Keep.

I don't know if Jareth will still be there tomorrow, but I am tired today. I will discuss with Xalliana about Jareth later.

Neverwinter, Day 9 -- Going to Blackdagger Ruins

The bed in the Broken Crown Inn is not very comfortable, but I guess that's all I can get at Blackdagger Ruins.

Sergeant Knox sent me here to meet a Harper named Seven Toes, as the Luskan pirate Traven Blackdagger and his bandits are disrupting Neverwinter's trade route. Seven Toes said he was supposed to meet Xalliana, but she did not show up. Chances are her ship was robbed by the bandits, and he wanted me to help him check out on the roads and see if Xalliana was killed.

I traveled around and found many victims killed by the Blackdagger bandits, but Xalliana was not among them. During my search, I met an old man called Old Lenn, and he said Harpers used to communicate with each other using the beacons. I eventually found Xalliana after lighting up 3 beacons, as Old Lenn suggested.

Although I haven't met many Harpers before, I have to say I don't really like these two I just met. When I walk around this dangerous area, Seven Toes just stands next to the safe, warm campfire; Xalliana was no better than Seven Toes. She asked me to salvage her stuff, but she just stayed there, waiting for me to do all the works instead of coming with me. Even though I can do it by myself without her help, but you know, that's not the way how you ask others for a favor.

Xalliana doesn't want her identity exposed, and I can only take a photo of her back.

I have too much legwork today. I need a good sleep.

Neverwinter, Day 8 -- Tower of Solace

It's a long day, and we might have lost Josef forever.

I spoke to Josef about Tualo's death, and we confronted Rhazzad about it. Surprisingly, Rhazzad did not attempt to hide his evilness at all! He escaped and opened a portal, and the spellburst then struck the Beggar's nest. There were blue flames everywhere, and we had to flee into the sewer.

Josef and I cleaned up the Dead Rats in the sewer to help the commoners escape. And we rushed to the Tower of Solace. However, Josef was too impetuous that he felt into Rhazzad's trap and got spellplagued. I had to knock him out twice before he got back to himself, barely. I fought my way to the top of the tower to stop Rhazzad. He transformed into a fat, giant monster. But luckily, he was kind of slow, and I was able to dodge his attacks and defeated him.

The Tower of Solace

The statues insides the tower

Rhazzad's evil plan was stopped, at the cost of losing Josef and his wife. Sergeant Knox said they did not find Josef and Dorothea's body. I am hopeful that it means they survive and safely hide to somewhere nobody knows.

One Rhazzad's note denoted that he was following some instructions from the "Masters" in the chasm. What does that mean ... ?

Neverwinter, Day 7 -- Investigating Rhazzad

Sergeant Knox was happy to know that Josef got some helps. However, he doesn't feel right about Rhazzad, and I am afraid he might be right.

Rumor says Rhazzad visited Tualo the Bright's house, and Sergeant Knox wanted me to speak to Tualo for more information about Rhazzad. But when I arrived Tualo's place, there were lots of undead crawling around. And they came from a portal Tualo opened. When I broke into Tualo's house and shut the portal opening device down, Tualo was already dead, and the book "Transmogrifications of the Spellplague" lied next to him.

Tualo was dead when I arrived

Tualo's apprentice, Lucian Pancrates, said the ritual was supposed to grant insight into the Spellplague, but instead, it opened a portal to the nightmarish Far Realm.

Is it just an unfortunate accident, or is it a setup?

Neverwinter, Day 6 -- Josef Linketter and His Spellscarred Wife

Sergeant Knox asked me to help Josef Linketter, as his wife Dorothea might be spellscarred.

There is a wizard named Rhazzad helping them, but things seem a little out of control, and Rhazzad suggests bringing Dorothea to his hidden hospice in the Tower of Solace, through the sewer.

We got a small ambush outsides the Tower of Solace, and Dorothea transformed to save her husband. Their hearts are strongly bounded, and I feel sorry that they have to suffer all of these.

Anyway, we safely brought Dorothea to Rhazzad's hospice at the end. I hope she recovers well.

Neverwinter, Day 6 -- Sergeant Knox's 2nd Career

I think Sergeant Knox can be a good tour guide after he retires, or maybe he is already doing it.

Every time I meet Sergeant Knox, there are lots of people around him, talking about where they should stop by next. And he always has something for them to do, or somewhere to visit. It can be a multiple-day tour (to wipe out the entire local gang organization), or a two-hour short trip (to help a robbed merchant). One day he also suggested me to become a local professional. It is not a bad idea, especially when you don't have to do the works by yourself. I found several mercenaries who are willing to do various tasks for me free of charge in exchange of some experiences. I guess they are doing some kind of unpaid internship, and I will happily write them a recommendation letter if they ask.

By the way, I just learned from Sergeant Knox that there is an auction house near the market. I wish I knew it when I had the crown.

Neverwinter, Day 5 -- The Tower District

When I returned the crown to Sergeant Knox, he mentioned the troubles in Tower District. "I think you might be just what we need." He said. I bet he said the same thing to everyone he sent to the Tower District.

The trouble Sergeant Knox referred to is a group of orcs called Many-Arrows attacking the Tower district. And the solution is ... the orc way: keep killing and pillaging.

Anyway, the disturbance was temporarily put to an end after I took care of the 3 warband leaders.

The forge in the orc barrack

A paint untouched in the orc barrack

Neverwinter, Day 4 -- The Crown Recovered

Karzov got away. But we have a good idea where he is going -- the Nasher's headquarter. Before I stormed the headquarter, Private Fargo suggested me to distract the Nashers by burning some of their supplies, making their headquarter became penetrable. There are still several dozen of Nashers in the headquarter, but there is nothing my lance of faith can't handle.

Karzov is a tough guy, and it hurts if you stay close to his whirlwind. But anyway, I knocked him out at the end, and I successfully recovered the crown before any worse thing happens.

The recovered crown

Now I have the crown with me. Out of curiosity, I tried to sell it on the market, but no merchant seems to dare to take it. What a shame.

Neverwinter, Day 4 -- Dealing with Dead Rats

I raided the sewer and turned those Dead Rats into dead rats. Luckily, Gothwan is still alive.

Private Hawthidon got all the information from Gothwan, including the location of Karzov's safehouse and the crown. I met Private Zoey Fargo again in front of the safehouse. Private Fargo is going to attack the safehouse, but I think I need to take a shower first, otherwise the bandits can smell my sewer stink 100 ft away.

Private Zoey Fargo in front of the safehouse

Neverwinter, Day 4 -- Tracing Gothwan in the Blacklake District

I traced Gothwan to the Blacklake District. However, things gets complicated again. According to the note I found, it seems Gothwan was abandoned by Nashers and kidnapped by another group of wererat thieves called Dead Rats. Although I don't really believe in superstitions, I do think "Dead Rats" is a bad name. I mean, I am certain there will be many rats dead soon.

Blacklake District Entrance

Neverwinter, Day 3 -- Hunting the Thief, and a Surprise

On my way hunting Honor, Corporal Benton stopped me and asked for a favor. It turned out a surprise! The soldiers I saved on the bridge held a party for me in the Driftwood Tavern.

A party for me in the Driftwood Tavern

It was a joyful party, but I guess I am not ready for the Neverwinter style diet yet.

Cloudy drink and something like super thin pork chop ... uh, maybe next time.

After the party, I sneaked into the ruined building next to the Driftwood Tavern and took care of Honor. In her pocket I found a note from Gothwan, probably her companion I saw in the vault. I guess Gothwan would be my next target.

Neverwinter, Day 3 -- Adventure in the Vault

Sergeant Knox sent me to investigate some disturbances in the vaults beneath the Hall of Justice, and it's more than just "some disturbances!" A group of bandits called Nashers, and zombies! The vault was as crowded as the Seven Suns Coster Market. That's not what I anticipated for "some disturbances." Figuring out that they are going to steal some treasures from the vault, I fought my way to the bottom of the vault. Regretfully, I was one minute late. Thanks to the silly undead Guard of Nine who chose to fight a friend of Protector's Enclave instead of the thieves of the crown, those thieves got away.

The crime scene of the stolen crown

Sergeant Knox did not blame me for the stolen crown, but I still feel responsible. I'll track down that thief named "Honor"

Neverwinter, Day 3 -- A Sad News, and a Beautiful City

Everything happened too fast. Private Wilfred rushed at Valindra when he saw her, and Valindra killed him in a snap before I can do anything. I tried to help him, but it's just too late.

I brought this sad news to Sergeant Knox. "Too you to go out like that." Sergeant Knox sighed, and I totally agree.

Anyway, I killed the harbinger on the bridge. It should put this wave of attack to the end. I am glad that I helped protect the beautiful city.

My first sight of Protector's Enclave

Neverwinter, Day 2 -- Help Fighting the Undeads

Neverwinter is a more troubled place than I expected. I helped a few wounded soldiers and collected some arrows on the battlefield. Private Hawthidon asked me to help defending the gate. I will do it tomorrow when I am more prepared.

Private Zoey Fargo in the camp

Neverwinter, Day 1 -- First Day to Neverwinter

It was a big dracolich. And I am surprised that I survived the attack. Oh well, maybe I shouldn't be surprised. After all, I saw lots of people passing by when I was talking to Private Wilfred on the beach I woke up.

A photo with Private Wilfred

 I picked up one or two gears on the beach as Private Wilfred suggested. I don't like the idea of taking someone else's stuff. After waiting for a while on the beach, making sure no survivor comes to claim the onwership of the equipments, I prayed for the victims and left.

It's too much for today. I need to take a rest.

I can see the destroyed ship from the campfire