Forgotten Realms: Pure Hearts 1:

"Swamp thing"

By Anders Lundgren

Chapter:1 A little Task Force

This little story is highly influenced by the Forgotten Realms novel "Stormlight" in the Harper series, written by Ed Greenwood. Most characters is taken from that novel, and the plot idea as well. This story is just before the happenings in the novel.

The Sevensash investigative team, sent by Lady Laspeera of the Wizards of War

- Broglan Sarmyn: Average height and build, hair the color of mud and going thin on the top. It turned grizzled gray in his large but carefully trimmed sideburns, the man’s only visible personal style. Permanent worry lines creased a high forehead, and a touch of grimness hovering about the mouth. His robes were a year or two behind high fashion. A man uneasy in court society but decisive behind closed doors and out among the common folk. A good teacher who adopted the pose of the gruff, growling bear favored by so many swordcaptains of the Purple Dragons.

- Hundarr of the Wolfwinter noble house: Tall, sharp-featured mage whose elegantly cut black hair was shot through with streaks of white. The mage is capable of inclining his head in a greeting every bit as haughty as the looks of the Dowager Lady Summerstar.

- Lhansig Dlaerlin: A short, burly man with a broad face and an easy smile sketched a flippant, one-handed salute, his eyes mocking.

- Corathar Abaddarh: This mage was young, thin-lipped, and wintry-eyed, so eager to impress that he practically quivered, like a dog leaping to be off the leash. He’d struck a dramatic pose, of course, and shift rather self-consciously to another.

- Insprin Turnstone: Recently transferred from Vangerdahast’s personal Enforcers. An older wizard steadily met the gaze and nodded, as one to an equal. His face was weather-beaten, his eyes were the color of dull steel, and his black hair -- what little he still had -- had almost gone gray.

- Murndal Claeron: A darkly handsome man with a close trimmed mustache and the sort of beard that puts two little corners to the chin before slicing up to join the sideburns. He had glistening brown eyes and a half-smile. Trouble. As ambitious as a hungry snake, and probably possessed of the same tactics

- The seventh member: Is unable to attend, as she is presently giving birth.

- Arwendur do’Urden: A temporary replacement. A slim and slender Drow. Dressed in the red clerical trappings of a Priestess of Suene. Her silver hair and silver eyes twinkle in the torchlight. On various positions upon her dress, several pieces of magical gadgetry is positioned. Among them a wand holster. As the Lord of Hultail, she is known and respected, by most, even though she is a Darkelf. Her soft, warm voice can be heard even in a thunderstorm. Elegant and with an air of confidence, she draws attention where she travels. Rumored to be a member of the semi-secret order of the Harpers, and a member of the adventurers "The Company of Pure Hearts".

The Residents:

- Lord Murgal Tiltsin: A strapping young noble, with a quick and sure sword, Stone Cutter, Gone missing on a tour hunting monsters

- Lady Mariella Tiltsin: Is matriarch of the Tiltsin family, and very haughty and always looking for a way to increase the meager power of the Tiltsin family. Mother of Murgal, she is looking for a good party to marry him with.

- Oswald, the Seneschal: Is the trusted veteran and loyal guardian of the Tiltsin manor. Have been both an adventurer and lately a Purple Dragon, now semi retired

Setting:

The eastern border of Cormyr, in the vicinity of the Vast Swamp, just east of the village of Ghars, a little noble house has a fortified manorhouse, popularly called "Fort Swampy", but officially named "Tiltsin Manor", located on their land.

There have been several incidents lately, with monsters roaming and mysterious disappearances happening. The situation called upon the Sevensash, when the Heir to the house Tiltsin, Murgal, disappeared with his entourage on a mission to hunt the monsters. His mother, Lady Mariella Tiltsin, has asked assistance of the Purple Dragons, and also of the War Wizards. Lady Laspeera immediately sent her Sevensash Investigation Team (SIT) to find out what happened. A troupe of Purple Dragons will be arriving shortly, in one week at the most.

When the seventh member of the SIT was unable to attend, Laspeera had a rough time to find a replacement, but sent the six active members ahead, hoping to find a replacement soon. When the Lord of Hultail, Dame Arwendur do’Urden, officially asked to conduct an investigation of the Vast swamp, with the help of a Warrior friend, and wanting to bring a couple of armed guards and mages, Laspeera knew she had an adequate replacement. Arwendur agreed to step in, and teleported to the location, causing an alarm to be raised, before she was identified. That’s where we begin our tale….

A little taskforce:

The rain was pouring down, as the Sevensash Investigation Team ran off to investigate the newly teleported Drow. Guards from the Tiltsin manor reached for their halberds and crossbows, while the officers drew their swords.

The Darkelf in the red robes looked around, identifying the War Wizards approaching. She took no hostile action whatsoever, and the assembled guards just stood, waiting for her to make one. One of the mages noted that the rain did not touch the Drow, and looked closer. Noticing the sign of Suene, and the Wizard mark, he recognized the mage.

"Hold your weapons, she is known to us, and no enemy." Broglan recognized her first, and the others stared at him, wondering how he was so sure.

"It’s Dame Arwendur do’Urden, the Lord of Hultail, High priestess of Suene, and the Chancellor of the Academy of the Art of Magic. She is a War Wizard, and probably sent here as a late replacement to Delrina."

The Drow bowed her head in a show of respect.

"You did recognize me, that is good. All these men with arms and Art surrounding me is somewhat unsettling. Please lower your guard, I mean you no harm." The soft, warm voice drifted out to all attendants, and one by one, the guard was dropped.

"I am indeed Arwendur, and I have been assigned to service within the Sevensash on this mission."

The Oswald, the Seneschal of the manor stepped over to formally greet the new addition to the investigators.

"Welcome to Tiltsin Manor, milady. Lady Mariella will want to see you at your earliest convenience." The Guards saluted, and went back to their positions, and the leader of the Sevensash stepped up beside the Seneschal.

"Greetings, exalted one. I am pleasantly surprised to have such a mighty member of the War Wizards in the team. I will of course let you take charge." Broglan seemed uneasy with his new member.

Arwendur shook her head, silvery hair dancing.

"On the contrary, my dear. You have been put in charge of the investigation, I’m just here to help out, and to do part of my duty for the Wizards of War."

Broglan nodded, slightly more at ease. "Right, let’s get to work then. The good Boldshield Gunthar will be here with a two-score of Purple Dragons soon, and we would look silly if we fail to come up with any clues as to what had happened." The gathered War wizards looked at each other, and nodded.

The rain was still pouring down, but only Broglan, Insprin and Arwendur had the Weather Shield spell up. The other wizards were now soaking wet, and decidedly grumpy.

Broglan turned to the Seneschal.

"Where exactly did Lord Murghal disappear, can you take us there?"

The old and weather beaten Seneschal groaned.

"Well, we must get going right away, then. Follow me, it’s just a few leagues away."

"A few leagues!" The exasperation came from the foppish Hundarr Wolfwinter. "This weather is making it impossible to find anything in! You can’t mean that we shall walk around in the rain and mud all evening?"

Broglan turned to glare at the whining mage. "Oh, shut up! We’re here on official business, and our duty is to conduct an investigation, let’s by the Lady of Mystery, conduct one!"

Arwendur stifled a smile, careful not to gain any mortal enemies among these ambitious mages.

Hundarr turned to Broglan, muttering "Easy for you to say, you got the Weather Shield on, it protects you from the cold as well as the rain. Why are only you, Insprin and this newcomer protected?"

Insprin spoke up. "Well, to start. The spell is a personal spell only, and rather new. Secondly, we War Wizards are the only ones who knows the spell, as it was a gift to us. Only the more senior members have the spell in the inventory, that’s why I and Broglan knows it. As to why the Lady Arwendur is protected, it’s because it’s her spell."

Hundarr looked with new respect to the drow.

The seneschal harumphed. "Well, shall we leave this side of midnight?"

The war wizards and city guards alike started to move towards where the knight had disappeared. Clanking armor, and stomping feet must have been heard for miles around, at least according to Arwendur, as she tripped along avoiding the deep puddles in her delicate sandals.

A couple of hours later, they arrived, and the weather was still not favorable.

"Here’s where the knight and his entourage vanished. Our trackers followed them here, but no tracks could be found leading away." The Seneschal motioned to a small clearing in the swampy forrest.

Immediately all the war wizards went out to look for signs, many detection spells going off.

"Here! I’ve found something!" The cry came from Corathar Abaddarh. Arwendur came tripping, as did Broglan.

Corathar held up a discarded dagger, beginning to melt in the faint daylight.

"It’s a Drow dagger!" Arwendur looked more closely.

"No, it’s not. This is either a plant to throw us of their track, or someone’s idea of a joke. This dagger is being disolved by magical means, but not from sunlight. Look."

A green ooze trickled down the hilt, and Corathar dropped it as the green stuff burned his hands.

"Ow, that hurt!"

Arwendur looked at the wound, and prepared a spell of healing.

"Hold still, I got to see what kind of damage it does."

"Aow, I got to get to a medic, my hand is burning up!"

Arwendur sighed, and let the spell go.

"Lovely Suene, kind and true. Grant me the power to heal the minor wound of this man."

A tingling, soothing sensation spread in the injured hand, as Arwendur touched the hand.

A startled Corathar looked up at the Drow wizard/cleric. "Thank you, lady. I did not know you had healing powers as well."

Arwendur smiled. "Well, I thought it was common knowledge, but I guess you do not study harpers that well."

Broglan looked up, "So, it’s true that you are a member of that group of meddlers?"

Arwendur turned her silver eyes to stare penetratingly at Broglan. "The Harpers do good, and help the weak, even if they happen to live outside the borders of this magnificent kingdom. I help them on occasions."

Insprin came over. "Let’s do some research, before all traces go up in smoke like that one." He pointed at the now molten dagger.

Arwendur nodded. "That dagger was triggered by it’s discovery. Someone is either watching, or smart enough to leave enspelled daggers around. The spell is not known to me, but it acted as some kind of acid."

Hundarr shouted. "I can see what happened with my divination spell… It’s some kind of green monster coming from the nearby swamp.. it’s slaying the soldiers as their swords is unable to damage it… Lord Tiltsin brings out his famous Stone Cutter Longsword, and engages the swampthing…. I can see through his eyes…. The swampthing is wounded, and thrashing about killing a few others….Then he reach for the knight…. Aieee! The pain!"

Hundarr fainted, and fell to the ground. Arwendur quickly ran to him, and began to check him out.

"He is ok. The experienced pain was to much for him, but he will be up shortly."

Broglan scratched his chin. "Hmm, so now we know how they were ambushed, and by what. What it does not say is why, or how the bodies were carried away without any trace, and why leave trapped dagger behind?"

Insprin nodded. "Good questions, but at least some of them are easy to understand. As far as I know, this swampthing as Hundarr explained it as, must have been made of vegetable mater, and possibly could move about without a trace. It could have carried them to his lair, for a fiest, or buried them in the swamp. But the dagger is a mystery."

Arwendur had been administering Hundarr, when he opened his eyes. "I got his burning sensation. It was too much to take. Maybe the feeling was the same as that dagger trap produced, like an acid."

"That could explain the dagger spell too, but only partly. Why leave one behind, trapped to damage the one that picked it up?"

Lhansig giggled. "Maybe he was controlled by someone with brains?"

Broglan turned. "Very good, that may be the ticket, a monster and a mage!"

The wizards began a discussion about how to find them, but no consensus was reached. Then Broglan let his Authority speak.

"Ok, the way I see it, we can stand here talking all night and not accomplishing anything. Therefore, it’s time to go looking for trouble. We must divide into groups of two, and go searching with a cityguard as escort. I got the division here:"

He cleared his throat.

"Broglan and Hundarr, Lhansig and Corathar, Insprin and Murndal, Arwendur and Oswald"

The appointed was not surprised, and Murndal put on a crooked smile as he noted that the Drow was the lone mage in that team.

"Well, lady Arwendur. Hopefully you will not meet any Swamp Mages or monsters. But if you do, just shout out real loud, and maybe we can come to rescue you."

Arwendur bowed smoothly.

"Thank you so much for the offer, and it goes the other way around, if any of you need assistance, call out."

Broglan started to divide up the search area in smaller pieces, and assigning them to one each.

The teams of two mages and armed escort set off on their assigned patrols, hoping the other were to be the ‘lucky ones’……