Victor's Letter

[103 hours ago, an hour past midnight on 13 Kythorn, when the company defeated the cloaker guardians inside the temple of Bane in kurth, the monk of the Yellow Rose found that his regained eyesight was barely good enough to read the secret script upon the black parchment he had found. With the aide of Leif's magic, the hidden message was revealed. It read as follows:]

My dearest Claudia, I raised you well. If you have disclosed this information to someone you trust, it means either our plans have failed or I have not returned. Here is more information if it will aide our cause:

First, Teegan sold Unther a "slow-death" poison.

Next, Unther called upon me to aid him, ensuring that when he was most weak—a priest of Kelemvor would be at his side, raising no suspicions, as having a Priest of Kelemvor with him during his final days would go absolutely unquestioned. This was critical, because I needed to replace Unther's poisoned body with a corpse, polymorphed by the Baneites, for the purpose of Calling Hours ceremony.

Previous to this, the prisonstone itself was sought for by Baneites loyal to and led by Blackalter, high cleric of Bane's church in Kurth. Blackalter supports Darkoon, but feels Darkoon is taking unlawful actions in the conduct of the church of Bane. To this end, it was he and other sinister clerics, including one named Saultair, who researched and uncovered the prisonstone from beneath Citadel Sunderhame. I am told this stone contained a creature named Kuldermog. He and 12 orogs were brought up from the underdark at the behest of Darkoon to, "Find a leader for these disgusting orcs." I have learned that Darkoon said, "There must appear to be a presence of leadership among them—find a king perhaps, that could do our bidding in the days to come." As far as I know, Blackalter has not yet surprised Darkoon with the prisonstone gift. So, as of now, the High Imperceptor knows not of the stone, nor it's current occupant... one Unther Ravenhelm. I believe they will travel in the days to come to deliver this in person.

I am sorry to say that Unther could not trust his friends this time. Unther said he spoke with Teegan, and he suspected that Erling has given away precioius secrets about Grimmerfang. his dear friend Zinaida and the others could not be reached in time. Although I begged him to, Unther refused to tell his wife Marina and his daughter, Alyona—but, he did manage to make a few preparations.

He instructed Bromar to burn his journals except for a single page which Bromar has set aside in his home. Unther has instructed Bromar to deliver it to an adventuring party that he had never met, because he could not even trust his friends. Unther's last request which I placed on his writing desk, was to invite new adventurers to protect his family during calling hours—sad, but with Erling compromised, Unther felt he could trust strangers better than he could his own friends, the members of the Company of the Talking Shield. He said, "Someone needed to know at least as much as Erling had already spilled out to Teegan."

Finally, there was one more plan, but the success or failure of this one is truly unknown: with the Zhentarim already benefiting from the attacks upon Kurth, Unther knew they were allied with the Baneites. He contacted Azhurdeen... Unther has taken a wild chance that an offer to double-cross the Baneites might appeal to Azhurdeen.

Good luck my dearest Claudia,
Your Loving Father