Case 692, 23 Uktar - The Passage

While at Ninhub's Web, the party encountered Sadie Hystilia and a friend of hers from Baldur's Gate. She told them that she had barely escaped with her life. She began to hear rumors of attacks on the outskirts of Baldur's Gate. Merchants and travellers trying to enter the city were being attacked by strange groups of foreign-looking brigands. Over the next week, the Flaming Fist outpost at Wyvern's Rock Crossing was attacked by a large force of these same strangers, and the Outer City and Little Calimshan were overrun. Stories began to circulate that an army of devils from the Nine Hells was attacking the city. The Flaming Fist and the Watch, along with the Shield and other mercenaries including some from the Silverscript Consortium were able to reinforce the walls and hold back the invading devils. But there was a mass panic. At first people were fleeing in droves by boat down the River Chionthar, but soon tall, smoking black ships appeared just outside the harbor, flinging fiery death at any ship which attempted to flee. Baldur's Gate is besieged! A friend made arrangements with a powerful sorcerer who planned to travel to the city of Sigil in the plane of Concordant Opposition and invited her to come along. She grabbed her most important books and made the magical journey to Sigil. Since then, she has been staying at Ninhub's Web. There are other refugees from Baldur's Gate, but news from the city is scant and it appears that things are not going well.

The party escaped Sigil through a passageway which was a portal between Sigil and the island of Mintarn. Along the way, they encountered Saphfrael who had returned to life with a strange tale about the gods Azuth and Savras and about Lolth and Asmodeus. She joined the party as they traveled through the dangerous passageway to Mintarn.

In Mintarn, the party was met by Morgram Hammerhand, a dwarven agent of the Shield that had been sent to find the party with a message from Milka. The message said:"Great evil is in motion across the Sword Coast. It is not widely known, but an army of drow elves has taken control of the library at Candlekeep. It is unknown what their purpose is, but the leadership of the Shield has decided that they must be stopped and Candlekeep must be liberated. Your orders are to travel to the island of Mintarn and find the agents of the Shield there protecting the gnome Marish Muscoria. Once you have regrouped with them, your orders are to design and execute a plan to liberate Candlekeep. Any resources of the Shield are available to you, but know that the group is stretched thin. There are problems up and down the coast which are demanding their attention."They delivered the third cube to Marish, which meant that two cubes were in possession of the party and one was in the possession of the cult of Asmodeus. The party conferred and tried to decide what to do next.