Nachtjager has used his magic to losen the tongue of the wild elf leader. The elves had a ring of dragons and not just any ring of dragons, this was the first ring, stronger than the other rings. It was stolen from the elves and the thieves retreated into the underdark. That is why the elves would risk entering the Dark Dominion. The ring is out there and we must find before the elves do.


~A ring of dragons is a brass ring that looks like a dragon biting its own tail. They are made and used by the Cult of the Dragon and no more than six dozen exist. The wearer can communicate verbally or telepathically with any dragon he or she can see, can cast a silent image once a day of any dragon he or she can recall from memory, and can call any dracolich or evil dragon by name, although this does not guarantee that the creature will respond or arrive. The ring is worth around 25,000 gold pieces.

The Merchants of the Drow Brotherhood will be making a trip to Skullport. The Drow merchants are more than able to defend themselves but with the new threat from the wood elves we will send a few of our fighters as escorts. When we arrive in Skullport we will get in touch with one of our contacts to see if they know why the wood elves venture near the Dark Dominion.

~Skullport, the Port of Shadow, is perhaps the best kept secret in all the Sword Coast North. A mile and a half beneath the orderly streets of Waterdeep squats the most wretched and lawless pits of thieves, buccaneers, slavers, and sellswords the Realms has to offer. Under a moldering tangle of catwalks threaded between the stalactites and stalagmites of the cavern city, illithids, drow, beholders, and others plot and trade with emissaries from the surface. Monsters prowl the dark recesses and alleyways, gangs of zombies shamble about performing menial labor, and anything and everything can be bought and sold: lethal poisons, foul tomes of forbidden magic, and slaves.

It is almost the 'Festival of the Founding' in Menzoberranzan and Matron Malice Do'Urden has a plan to raise her house's station in the city. Legend has it that Lolth appears somewhere in the city every year during the upcoming festival. Malice has summoned a yochlol that told her of a surefire way that Lolth would appear in House Do'Urden. Malice tasks Zaknafein with finding the Dagger of Menzoberra. Using a magical spider gem, Zak succeeds in finding Menzoberra's tomb beneath the city via a staircase that winds down the length of the inside of Narbondel. He retrieves the dagger from a magic-impeding web that falls apart as soon as the dagger is in his hand and is about to escape Narbondel just as Gromph Baenre lights up the stone pillar with his daily fire spell. But Zak, long harboring a hatred of Lolth decides to defy his matron and casts the dagger back down the staircase before escaping with his life.

Malice knows of his betrayal and sentences him to be turned into a drider. Zak escapes though, thanks to a tiny clay golem cutting his bonds. Zak kills a yochlol, some driders and several priestesses before escaping into the Dark Dominion. The golem leads him to a teleportation circle which transports him to the quarters of Jalynfein the Spider Mage who tells him that the best way to defeat Lolth is to pretend to serve her and then strike at her once favored, like he has done for so long. He also informs Zak that the dagger was not destroyed by Gromph's spell and that he must retrieve it to regain favor in his house. Zak goes to do just that.

Meanwhile, a young Drizzt Do'Urden, while doing a pointless and tedious chore for Briza Do'Urden stumbles upon his family's secret stash of treasure, including a scrying bowl. He commands it to show him something important and he is shown the dagger. Drawn to do so, Drizzt places his hand within the bowl's waters and withdraws the weapon.

Zak discovers the blade is not where he dropped it and uses the spider gem to track it back to House Do'Urden, where Malice is entertaining Yvonnel Baenre. He knocks down Drizzt, thinking him a thief but realising his mistake. When Drizzt finishes telling Zak of how it happened, Zak realizes that by knocking down Drizzt, he has inadvertently activated the houses defenses and soon has to battle three jade spiders. Zak observes Drizzt's natural fighting skill and realises that he is his son, not Rizzen's as Malice had told him. He pushes Drizzt into an antechamber right before Malice and Yvonnel come to investigate the disturbance. Malice deactivates the constructs and demands an explanation. Zak tells her he knows where the dagger is and opens the antechamber door only to find Drizzt empty-handed. They demand to know what happened and Drizzt explains that the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, wearing a dress made of spiders took it, saying his mother would be happy that she did. Yvonnel declares that House Do'Urden is favored by Lolth. Malice is ecstatic and takes Zaknafein back as her weapons master, but decides that it would not be a good idea to explain what happened to Drizzt.

The dark tunnels within a five mile radius of the city are known as the Dark Dominion. The Drow have constant patrols on the look out for banned creatures and unwelcome guest. A messenger has come to one of the Drow Brotherhoods brothels in the city demanding to speak to a member of the Drow Brotherhood. One of the elite fighter guards at the door steped forward and recieved the letter.

(the letter)

Drow Brotherhood,

Need for your service has come again. Two Drow patrols in the Dark Dominion ecountered a large group of wood elves. The battle was bloody but the wood elves defeated the badly out numbered Drow. You will track the elves through the Dark Dominion to the surface tunnel that leads to the High Forest. You will find the group responsible and brings us thier heads. Failure is not an option.

New Rank ~The Anointed Blade~ (1 per House)

The Anointed Blade is traditionally the single strongest, deadliest, and most clever assassin of the House. Like the Weapon Master or House mage of a traditional matriarchal drow House, the Anointed Blade is the personal agent and tool of the House's leader; he/she is a living weapon with which can destroy all but the most thoroughly protected individuals. But, in addition to serving as the dark champion of thier house, the Anointed Blade is also expected to foment plots, execute plans, and generally bring mayhem and woe to the enemies of the house in whatever manner he deems most suitable.