THE FALL OF THE SHADOW MASTER
It was dusk on the Trade Way, and leaves beginning to change color with the season. A man named Nash traveled towards the Friendly Arm Inn after an encounter with Ogres near the famous Candle Keep. Nash, little is known of him… at least I know little of him. On his way toward the Friendly Arm Inn he spotted a tall, black knight with a keen sword, the edge glistening in the moon light. With him went a powerful looking devil. He stood nearly 9 feet tall with many horns protruding from his head and wings like that of a bat half ready to wrap around a foe or to take flight in an instant. The two walked on the road blatantly defying the laws of the land… but what are the laws of men, but simply the desires of men in power. They make laws on a whim, at their fancy and to profit themselves. Few men are just, and fewer still the laws. Or so it seemed to this Devil.
The dark knight and the devil spawn walked slowly, the one known as Nash keeping his distance and trying not to stare. The devil was fully aware of him. Knowingly, the devil looked over at Nash with a toothy and malevolent grin, his eyes as red as blood. Nash continued to keep his distance.
They rounded the bend and passed by the Friendly Arm Inn, Nash heading to the campfire, and the devil and the dark knight disappeared behind a rock formation. The devil knew without a doubt that Nash had told of his presence. The devil peered out from behind the rock and recognized several of the persons present at the campfire. The wizard known as Wendel caught his eye. He had seen him before. The devil skulked in the shadows and spoke a word, his form changing quickly from devil back to man. The cloaked man was dressed in all blacks, hooded and masked. Mauglir the Dark, Shadow Master, leader of the Shadow Enclave and the shadow druids of the Cloakwood.
"Let us go Caedus," he said to the dark knight. "I have business to attend to in the mines of the Cloakwood. One of my shadow druids was killed by a Batiri, and I will have my vengeance."
Caedus Kun, the dark knight, Blackguard and priest of Bane. His history is clouded and he has no friends but his hellhound and undead servants. He walked now with the Dark One. Whether they had some mutual agreement of service or worked together only this once is unknown. They walked out from behind the rock formation and passed by the campfire. Words were spoken in hushed voices as they passed. Mauglir clearly heard the words "evil presence" spoken by more than one person.
"Fools," he thought. "They are so narrow minded and have little understanding of the world and the Balance." He realized at that point, that in order to properly maintain the Balance, he has had to work with both good and evil and all manners of personalities. But by doing so, he has been able to help maintain the Balance in the Sword Coast area. "Few will understand my accomplishments," he told Caedus who just looked at him. "And they will not understand because they choose not to understand."
The two kept walking for sometime in the Cloakwood, and Caedus realized it was without incident, a rare occurrence for him. Whether that was just luck or by the grace of being with the Shadow Master they encountered no hostility from any creatures of the forest. Everywhere they went the sounds of ravens cawing could be heard.
They eventually arrived at the entrance to the mines. The mines were mostly unused now, overrun with creatures hostile to most elves and men. There was however much ore left to be mined, and the greedy found that to be most advantageous as the ore commanded a high premium in the Gate. Caedus followed Mauglir into the mines and they began their decent. Mauglir was there for a purpose, to exact revenge for his fallen shadow druid to the Batiri. When Mauglir, the Dark One, exacted revenge, he enjoyed assuming the form of a devil, the Horned Devil. He did so because of the fear he could instill in his prey prior to killing. And he was ruthless in his revenge killing any Batiri that crossed his path. If Mauglir was anything, he was protective of his shadow druids. For several hours he slaughtered Batiri and Caedus Kun joined him. The bloodshed was satisfying for both, and each for different reasons.
In the evening they returned to the forest and confronted several adventurers at the entrance to the mines.
Four or five there were, against the two them. Caedus Kun, young in his service to Bane but no amateur, and Mauglir, a Master of his art. But the others were Masters of their trade as well, accomplished in hunting their prey.
"Oh my! What have we here?" said the old man wearing glasses. He looked the most feeble of the lot, but was likely the greatest of his peers.
"You devil, are not welcome here!" a young woman spoke. "Your kind is not wanted in our world."
Several of the others were casting spells of protection on themselves in preparation for the inevitable.
Deep came his reply, guttural and demonic… "You know nothing of me or my plan, and you see only what is on the outside. Your understanding is shallow."
"Depart monster! Leave this place at once! Or we will destroy you!", another lady said, but was very short, as if by some magic that reduced her size.
At that moment the devil spoke a word and in an instant his body morphed into the dark cloaked figure of Mauglir.
"As you can see I am not a devil at all, but a man! Your eyes have deceived you for I can assume many forms."
"Be ye that, or be ye a devil who takes the form of a man!" the old man stated flatly. "Difficult for us to know the truth in this matter."
The adventurers had formed a small semi-circle around Mauglir and he stepped closer inside talking directly to the old man whose name was Wendel.
"Let us go Mauglir… we do not need to bother with the likes of these. Their desires are not ours!" replied Caedus to the bickering that had ensued.
"No! All must learn that they are not always right," replied Mauglir.
"You are evil! That much is for sure," one young lady stated. "The blood on your weapons and armor tells us that you have been murdering and killing!"
"You mean killing the very creatures in the mine that adventurer after adventurer have slain, yet you do nothing about that?! You know only what your heart tells you is good. Goodly folk doing goodly deeds! Yet you cannot see my heart or know my desires, but you call what I do Evil!" Mauglir was nearly yelling at them now, his anger apparent and his voice low and raspy.
Two of the adventurers continued to cast spells of protection, "Stop casting your spells of protection!" cried Mauglir. "You do not want to know the outcome of such folly!"
One more spell was cast and the battle begun. Mauglir was surrounded immediately by four of the adventurers. Swords were drawn and voices were screaming out spells and enchantments were flying amid the chaos of the battle. Mauglir was struck many times in that brief instant. His protections and enchantments were designed to protect him from all forms of physical and magical attacks. But even the Shadow Master's magic was mortal. But to Mauglir all was quiet and slow as he prepared for his spell. A spell of incredible power that only the most Masterful of their arts can learn, and even then, only a few do. The spell was called Vampiric Feast, and known to many spellcasters as an evil spell used to suck the life-force of the enemy from their body and give it to the caster. The spell was potent that's for sure… but the adventurers were well protected.
Mauglir's hands were raised as he called on a power greater than himself to do his Will. He was already gravely wounded and his enchantments were wearing thin as the air around him began to heat up and spin with a life of its own. The air glowed red and black, if that's possible, and the negative energy that could be felt like a static charge on the air channeled itself through Mauglir and rushed out to all enemies around Mauglir. The force of negative energy was like a tidal wave as it hit all around him sucking the life force out of each adventurer and giving back to Mauglir. Pain wracked their bodies and each cowered for an instant, uncontrollably, as their life force departed. But none fell. Mauglir stood before Masters in their arts. The adventurers recovered quickly and struck down Caedus Kun.
The others were quickly on Mauglir and spell after spell was cast at him and they overwhelmed him. Their swords bit into his flesh and they wounded him gravely. His blood was spilled on the floor of the Cloakwood, the very forest he was sworn to protect.
The adventurers recovered the bodies of Caedus Kun and Mauglir the Dark and returned to the Trade Way. There they received the aid of the Fist and Wendel Ashby released the bodies to the guard's custody. A second Fist guard, a half-orc, came rushing over to aid the situation. He came bumbling over, uncoordinated in his armor, as if a farmer had put full plate on horse and then used it to gallop gracefully. The half-orc was not graceful! He stumbled into a few of the onlookers as he made his way to the center where Wendel stood with the other guard.
The half-orc farted. This wasn't the first time today. He had been complaining about his breakfast all morning. He had eaten some left overs and trash he found near the Friendly Arm Inn. No one really listened to him though. Except now. Many heard his flatulence. Several onlookers commented, though under their breath, for he was still a half-orc and they cannot be trusted. Stupid or not, he was very strong.
The gathering began to break up now and the crowd mostly kept away from the half-orc... mostly so they could not smell him.
The Fist put the bodies on a small wagon pulled by a mule and readied themselves for the return trip to the Gate. A small crowd gathered as the bodies were prepared and the Fist questioned the adventurers about the battle. There they would stand trial for their crimes; Caedus Kun, the Blackguard and servant of Bane; Mauglir the Dark, the Shadow Master and Lord of the Shadow Enclave of the Cloakwood Forest.
Nash sat by the fire near the Friendly Arm Inn quietly. He began to look through a book as the Fist carted the bodies to Baldur's Gate. Many others sat around the fire discussing the recent event and talking amongst themselves.
Suddenly, the sky darkened and the forest came to life as hundreds of ravens departed the Cloakwood and flew north. A rush of wind accompanied the huge flock of ravens with the loud cawing sound so well known of the birds.
The two Fist guards, one a half-orc, walked slowly by the wagon. They were quiet on the trip back, save for the half-orcs flatulence.
The half-orc repeatedly looked back into the wagon, uncertainty on his face. The bodies were covered with a cloak.
"Don't worry! They're dead! It's likely that they will just be discarded of when we return to the Gate!", stated the other Fist guard.
All at once, they heard the sound of cawing and they both looked up to see hundreds of ravens flying in a large circle over them. The ravens did not attack. They did nothing but fly in a circle high above the wagon and followed it to Baldur's Gate. Their caws seemed a lament for their fallen master.
The half-orc farted.
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