![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
masterghandalfThis is a repost from Das_sporking2. Previous installments of this sporking may be found here.
Warning: This chapter contains more violence, including some brutal deaths, and some sexism.
MG: Well, everyone, it’s time to continue our journey through Ed Greenwood’s Shadows of Doom! Last time, Sharantyr and Company finally fought their way into the council chambers and confronted Stormcloak, Elminster arrived in time to save their bacon, and after some back and forth, he seemingly got exploded (but do you really believe that he’s dead?). Today, the battle for High Dale finally… finally… comes to an end, and we start to get some sense of where this book is going next. Joining us once again will be Errezha and Calassara!
Chapter Twenty: Feast, Fine and Fury
Errezha: Ugh, at least we’re finally getting somewhere with… this. Exactly how pointless will it prove to be in the end, I wonder? I suppose we’ll find out. We open with Elminster, bracing himself for the moment when his ring explodes, though he is forced to admit it still hurts. Good. He holds his fingers apart to keep them from being too damaged by the blast, though even so much of his nearby flesh went with it. How much is “much,” exactly? Asking purely for research purposes; it’s vitally important we know just how injured Elminster is, and how much pain he’s in. *she notices Calassara staring disapprovingly at her* Oh, please. You know you’re thinking it, too. Elminster still isn’t able to stop himself from crying out in pain and thinks to himself that those who spend centuries hurling spells must bear their share of spells coming back at them. Wisdom for us all. But holy Mystra, it hurt! And it’s a small enough price to pay compared to the doubtless thousands you and your proteges have messily slaughtered across the centuries. But I’ll take what I can get.
Calassara: So, live by the …spell… die by the spell, it seems. Meanwhile, Belkram slices a nameless counselor’s face open – come, now, Greenwood, at least tell us if this was a Zhent, or a Cult or Thayan agent or something! – and charges Stormcloak, worrying that he’s already too late. He takes a swing at Stormcloak, who vanishes, and then hears Sharantyr call out a warning as Stormcloak reappears behind Elminster with a knife in his hand. Wait, they all know Elminster’s still alive? We saw them watch Elminster explode at the end of the previous chapter, but we don’t get to see the moment when they realize he survived that? When Stormcoak realized it? For shame, Greenwood! But Itharr recognize’s the dagger’s design as a death dagger… he is a Zhentarim! …and thus Itharr dramatically realizes something that was entirely obvious to everyone else, us included. I suppose non-Zhentarim evil wizards only carry “mildly wounding daggers” or “moderately annoying daggers,” then? I’ll keep that in mind! Stormcloak shoots Itharr with magic missiles, causing him to chim but then raises his dagger to stab Elminster; Sharantyr tries to get over to stop him, but is still too weak to move far. Stormcloak takes a moment to savor his impending victory – no, no, you stab first, then gloat! Has this man ever heard a ballad, read a saga or watched a play before? And, sure enough, this proves his undoing as the forgotten Irreph Mulmar rose up behind the Zhent wizard like a vengeful ghost. Ah, and this is what we call irony. Stormcloak hears Mulmar’s chains – I thought Elminster muffled them? – and whirls to face him, but too late. The first blow shatters his dagger and breaks the arm that held it for good measure. It’s too late for you to learn, wizard… to beware toothless old men, Mulmar says – now he’s wasting time gloating – and then the second terrible blow split Angruin’s skull like the shattering of a hurled egg striking a stone wall, and nearly tore his jaw off. The corpse clawed at the air convulsively and vainly – and fell. *stunned* Well. That’s it for Stormcloak, then. Strange that the man who has, so far, been the book’s main villain dies at the beginning of a chapter rather than the end of one – I suppose Greenwood really, really wanted that cliffhanger. And though he had yet another gruesome Greenwood death, considering it came at the hands of the man he enslaved and whose mind he stole… I cannot say, in this case, that it wasn’t deserved.
MG: Yeah, the way Stormcloak’s death is handled is weirdly anticlimactic, considering he has been our main villain for most of the book so far, especially once Longspear bit it. On the other hand, the fact that he dies by Mulmar’s hands considering what he put him through is at least appropriate, if predictable. Honestly, it occurs to me that this book really should have been two separate books, with the High Dale plotline getting its own story with the Mulmars as the main protagonists. Maybe that way it would actually feel like it matters, instead of like it’s just a giant waste of Elminster’s, Sharantyr’s, the Harpers’ and most of all our time (and maybe could have had more development of High Dale and the situation here, instead of one giant, never-ending slog of a battle). Because seriously, most of this is just a big distraction from what this trilogy, and the Time of Troubles as a storyline, is actually about. I bet you wouldn’t guess, from what we’ve read so far if you didn’t know differently, that this book is actually building up to a confrontation with Manshoon, a meeting with an old friend of Elminster’s, and an event which will draw the Malaugrym’s collective attention back to Faerun? Because none of that (except, tangentially, Manshoon) has anything to do with any of the High Dale stuff!
Errezha: …I really think the more I read Greenwood’s books, the more I hate them. Remarkable. Anyway, Mulmar stands over Stormcloak’s body until he’s satisfied it won’t get back up again (I’d note that most men stay down when their brains are leaking from their skull… but the undead do exist, so perhaps he’s wise to be cautious). Everyone else stops fighting and stares at them, and then Mulmar turns to Elminster -who’s currently clutching his burned hand – and thanks him for giving me my home back again. Now, now, let’s be honest here. Elminster did quite a bit of fighting, but so did a lot of people. He provided a distraction at an appropriate moment, and carried you up through the castle, but I don’t think he’s the only one who could have done that. But you broke yourself free of Stormcloak’s control… somehow, I still don’t quite understand how. Your daughter rallied the people of High Dale. Belkram and Itharr killed Longspear. Sharantyr killed quite a lot of Stormcloak’s last soldiers. You yourself killed Stormcloak. In the grand scheme of things, Elminster’s contributions weren’t nothing, but I’d hardly call him the prime mover of events! But, I suppose, wizardly backsides must be kissed… Mulmar promises to feast with Elminster when time permits, and then collapses in a faint on top of Stormcloak’s body. *she wrinkles her nose in disgust* Ew.
Calassara: Elminster then crawls over to Sharantyr, and tells her to hurry up and heal, lass… I’m in fair need of that ring meself. *disgusted* Yes, and so is she. And so are a lot of people around here, some of whom seem to be quite a bit closer to death than you are, old man! So, at the risk of sounding insensitive, kindly wait your turn. Meanwhile, Belkram is demanding the counselors surrender, telling them that he’ll assume anyone who continues fighting now is a Zhentarim and he’ll treat them accordingly. Harsh, but possibly fair… except you’ve now given anyone who is a Zhentarim, all the cover they need to keep their identity secret by surrendering! Itharr gets back to his feet and joins Belkram, while the counselors all surrender and Belkram tells them to sit and wait for Mulmar to speak to them later. Gedaern the old dalesman promises to guard both the counselors and Mulmar and tells the two Harpers to go hunting any remaining Zhents in the castle, the pair of you certainly seem to have the hang of it. Honestly, I think Sharantyr probably has the highest body count of anyone for this battle, though admittedly, she’s not in any condition to fight at the moment. But Belkram agrees with Gadaern, as does Itharr, though he asks for a moment to catch his breath. They hear the sounds of fighting somewhere else in the castle, and then a scream that’s cut off, and Belkram comments that there may not be any more Zhents left. *beat* Ah, why, exactly? You don’t know that the person you just heard die was a Zhent – it could have been one of the dalesfolk! And even if it was a Zhent, there’s no guarantee it was the last one! Belkram have you read ahead? But Belkram and Itharr head out, while Ulraea comments that they seem more like untiring automatons than men (which… is why Itharr needed time to catch his breath? Are automatons known for that in Faerun?) But Gedaern says they’re just men. More than that – they’re Harpers. Ah, so does that mean in Gedaern’s estimation, Harpers are literally superhuman? My, what interesting things I’m learning this chapter! Regardless of the precise nature of Harpers, however, the scene ends there.
Errezha: We cut to Elminster asking Sharantyr if she’s better – please, old man, we know you have ulterior motives, like wanting your turn with that ring! – and she reminds him to call her “Shar,” not “lass,” which still strikes me as an ill-omened nickname in this world. Elminster jokes that he’s an old man, and old men forget things – slap him, Sharantyr, for me – and then he looked slowly her up and down as if seeing her for the first time… Sharantyr found herself blushing. Oh, Prince protect us all, no. None of that! From either of you, but especially you, Elminster! Finally, he tells Sharantyr she looks healed (I think that’s for her to judge, not you…) and asks for the healing ring; she hands it over, and after he puts it on, he heads off, with her following behind. Gedaern demands to know where they’re going, since the Harpers wanted everyone to guard Mulmar and the counselors, but Elminster just tells Gedaern to do that (calling him young man, to his shock) since I’ve other business to see to yet. Dare I even ask what he’s up to? Sharantyr looks apologetically at Gedaern and follows Elminster out – and as soon as he’s gone, one of the captive counselors tosses something onto the floor, where it shatters; when Gedaern whirled around, darkness was already spreading smoky tendrils toward him. And so, Elminster, by leaving without warning, gave his enemies an opening and left his allies in danger! What a man, that Elminster! Don’t we all love him so much? *she makes a disgusted face*
Calassara: Well, we cut to Sharantyr as she catches up to Elminster and puts a hand on his shoulder. She reminds him that she’s well enough to be up and walking but probably won’t be much good in a fight (maybe he should have given her some more time with that ring, hmmm?) while she’s not sure he should be up and about at all, especially since the battle might not be over. Elminster only responds that I have to be. Only because you are, inexplicably, one of the favorite character’s of the setting’s creator and therefore the powers that be are probably never going to let you die for good, I presume. Sharantyr still wants to know where they’re going and why (an excellent question…) and Elminster responds that sages and drunkards alike have been arguing over answers to that double-bladed question for longer than I’ve been alive. Yes, but I don’t think Sharantyr is asking philosophically, she wants to know where the two of you are literally going right now. That’s a different thing entirely! Sharantyr is also exasperated, but before Elminster can respond one of the counselors – the one who threw the bomb – escapes from the great hall under the cover of the smoke and shadows and starts following them down the corridor. Hearing Dalesfolk following him, he slips into a side chamber and draws a concealed wand, from which he conjures a floating eyeball – spooky! – that hovers in midair for a moment before turning invisible. He then draws a dagger and lies down in a pose mimicking suicide – he had better hope nobody thinks to check his breathing or pulse, then! Meanwhile, the invisible eyeball shoots off after Elminster.
Errezha: We cut to Elminster musing that it’s been years since he’s been here, but he thinks what he’s looking for should be nearby; finally, he stops and paces between two closed doors before turning back to look at Sharantyr. Elminster makes a mark on one of the stones in the floor, and then starts working at it while Sharantyr watches. Finally – after refusing her offer to help; men – he manages to pull the stone up from its position while the invisible eye watches them. Finally, a draft of foul air wafts up from the opening, and Sharantyr comments that Elminster’s found the cesspool. And Elminster sits by the opening without denying it as he starts feeling for footholds *she shudders violently* Disgusting. He then pauses to explain what he’s doing. Lass, we’ve no defense against magic anymore… with the people roused, and the Harpers and Cormyrean agents I recognized among them (who? When?) the Zhentarim cannot hope to hold this dale any longer and dare not try to openly seize control of it, not with so many Zhentish coins owed to Sembian merchants right now. It’s almost as if this plan was always stupid and doomed from the start… our work here is done. I’d as soon be gone before some Zhent mageling or other finds us and decides to enhance his reputation by blasting Elminster of Shadowdale into little wisps of smoke. And be honored by every civilized nation for doing so, in a just world… alas that the religion in which I was raised promises neither justice nor fairness. Apparently, there’s a portal deep in High Castle, by the cesspool, where nobody would want to look for it. If we find it now, Mulmar can feast as much as he likes, and we’ll be long-vanished in the night before anyone comes looking for us. On the one hand, this feels like a contrivance that wasn’t foreshadowed at all, and I have a hard time believing the Zhents wouldn’t have searched this castle from top to bottom when they moved in… on the other hand, if it gets us out of High Dale all the faster, I’ll take it! I’m getting quite sick of this place, I assure you!
Calassara: I’ve noticed *she sighs* but I have, too. Elminster starts climbing down into the pit, telling Sharantyr that he knows she’s young and it must hurt her to leave matters unfinished, but learn a little wisdom and come now. Well, it seems to me that Elminster is fleeing to save his own skin before the matter in High Dale is fully settled – when Mulmar realizes this, I think he’ll be less likely to throw you a feast, and more likely to curse your name! He also takes a moment to tell Sharantyr how to replace the stone, which she does, while complaining about how Elminster keeps landing her in trouble (on the one hand, you chose to follow him, on the other hand… he really does have a remarkable knack for that, doesn’t he?). Elminster says that’s just adventure; some folk would envy ye. It’s been said before, but for someone who writes so much about adventure, Greenwood does seem to have a remarkably bleak outlook on it – but Sharantyr only hopes they find the portal soon, as her eyes are starting to water from the smell, and the scene ends. We have a brief moment of the invisible eye watching this happen before flying back to its master, and then that scene ends as well.
Errezha: And so we cut back to our mysterious councilor, whose name is Xanther Srilder, which sounds vaguely familiar, as he reports the bad news to the Lord Most High – Stormcloak and Longspear are dead, almost all their soldiers and mages are dead, and the Dalesfolk, together with Harper and Cormyrean agents (again, who is a Cormyrean agent here?) have taken High Dale back. An entirely predictable turn of events, from where I stand. When it issued out of the floating, darkly glowing black spindle in front of him, Manshoon’s voice was silken in its easy softness. “Indeed. Have you an explanation for how this came about?” Yes; your plan was terrible and was doomed to fail eventually because it involved antagonizing very powerful people and nations you couldn’t account for or control. Any questions? Xanther thinks about how even his position as one of Manshoon’s personal spies won’t save him if he can’t offer a good enough explanation for himself, and so he describes how Elminster and one of the Knights of Myth Drannor were involved in the uprising. I saw Elminster myself and overheard him talking to this knight, a woman in leathers. He called her Shar. He further explains that he knows Elminster plans to escape by a hidden magical gate. Manshoon is amused by the idea of Elminster running – I’m torn between amusement and outrage, personally – and Xanther thinks that it might be that his news would please the Dread Lord of the Zhentarim enough to save his own life after all. He explains that he overheard that Elminster has no defensive magic left, and how his hand was burned during the fight with Stormcloak, and repeats Elminster’s line about wanting to flee before some Zhentarim mageling catches up to him. *bored* It’s going to turn out that Elminster specifically said that hoping Manshoon would hear about it, isn’t it? Or that he planned this in some other way, or that it works out in his favor even if he didn’t, because why wouldn’t it?
Calassara: I always say you are too cynical… but considering the quality of Greenwood’s storytelling thus far, I find I can’t argue. Manshoon pauses for a long moment, and Xanther is glad the magic doesn’t allow Manshoon to see him, or him to see Manshoon, when Manshoon in turn asks why Xanther didn’t take advantage of Elminster’s vulnerability to kill him himself. Well, Xanther is a spy, not a fighter; perhaps assassinations simply aren’t his line of work, especially when he’s not had time to prepare? Xanther responds that he wasn’t physically present and was watching and listening through a conjured eye, and he doubts Elminster would have spoken plainly if he’d been there in the flesh. Manshoon considers this for a moment and decides that despite the Zhentarim’s failure in High Dale, Xanther himself has done well. So… his lucky day, I guess? Do whatever you can, and enlist whomever you feel necessary, to destroy Elminster of Shadowdale. Bring evidence of his death to me if you can – but whatever befalls and by what means, you must bring about his death. Your reward will be very great. *she sighs* I take it back; with that assignment, Xanther is a dead man walking. Alas for him. Regardless of his fate, the scene ends there, and we cut to another figure who neither Xanther nor Manshoon had noticed, who was watching them both. The figure departs, deciding he’s found a chance to earn Manshoon’s favor instead of his punishment. The figure descends towards the cesspit, and we learn that it’s Hcarla Bellwind, who I believe was the next most powerful Zhentarim mage in High Castle after Stormcloak, and who we haven’t heard from in… several chapters now? I wonder how he will die… and then that scene ends as well!
Errezha: …and we’re back with Xanther (Greenwood is remarkably inconsistent this chapter about whether a point of view change means a scene change or not – it’s sloppy) as he notices Hcarla leave and wonders who was spying on him and why. Who knew Manshoon’s orders and the truth about Elminster of Shadowdale; who was lurking somewhere in the castle right now? I’m quite certain lots of people are lurking; that is typical of castles. Can you be more specific? Xanther looks around himself, sees no immediate danger but finds no comfort from that… and the scene ends. That was pointless. We cut back to Hcarla as he makes his way through the castle, not certain he believes Xanther about how weak Elminster is; he recalls stories of how Elminster has bested Manshoon at least twice. Now, as I recall, Crown of Fire indicated Elminster had killed Manshoon at least twenty times, so I think our friend Hcarla is missing… quite a few. And yet, the fact that even Manshoon’s own henchmen know that Elminster is more dangerous than he is does not do wonder’s for our perception of Manshoon as Elminster’s nemesis – then again, none of the villains who aren’t Manshoon have been that impressive, either. But Hcarla has a plan – he’s prepared something called a stealspell, which will apparently let him drain the most powerful spell Elminster has prepared out of his mind and into Hcarla’s. That… sounds impressive, and yet like something that could quite easily backfire, depending on what spell exactly you steal and what it does… But Hcarla thinks that if Elminster has any powerful magic left, he can take it from him, and if he doesn’t have anything the stealspell can take, then he truly is vulnerable to everything else in Hcarla’s arsenal. A cunning plan… I can’t wait to see how it fails. Because it will. We all know it.
Calassara: I can’t argue with that… Hcarla passes a room where glowing mold had been left undisturbed to cast its eerie light – that cannot be sanitary – and fetches a hatchet, which he intends to use to collect Elminster’s head, fantasizing about also finding his hidden spellbooks and treasures after he kills him using a version of the speak with dead spell and how that will enable him to replace Manshoon outright. Ah, and there it is again, Errezha – apparently, even Elminster’s leavings can make one a greater wizard than Manshoon! I don’t think Greenwood knows how a nemesis relationship is supposed to work. The scene then ends with Hcarla wondering why Elminster has never tried to take over the Zhentarim himself. Ah, because he doesn’t want to? Because he has all the power he wants already, courtesy of Mystra? Because the Zhentarim are his favorite punching bag, so actually running them wouldn’t be as fun? Some combination of the above? We cut back to Itharr, complaining about how exhausted they are and how there can’t be more than a handful of Zhents left in High Castle (I’m amazed there are any at all, at the rate they’ve been killed and the size of High Dale…). Belkram agrees that even the Zhentarim can’t make men out of nothing (they seem to have been pulling them from nothing quite impressively earlier, I must say…)… and that’s when Itharr says he heard someone shouting earlier about how there was magical darkness in the hall after they left and some of the council got away. And you’re telling him this now, long after the event in question when neither of you is in any position to do anything about it? What is wrong with you? Belkram complains about how now they have another job to do (a bit late for that, friend…) but Itharr thinks it can wait until tomorrow (if the escaped councilors are planning something tonight – no, it can’t!) and is more worried about Elminster. Suddenly, Gedaern the Dalesman, blood spattered, battered, but alive and happy, calls out a greeting and comes up the hall towards them; he thanks them for giving him a chance to fight back, and smiles a proud, dangerous smile. A smile that Belkram would never forget, to the end of his days. And as Belkram is ruminating on that terrible smile – how ominous! – the scene comes to an end. And, yet again, that was pointless.
Errezha: We cut to Sharantyr, complaining about the stink of the cesspit – I cannot blame her! – while telling Elminster he knows some romantic places to take a lady. *she shudders, and not from the smell* No. Elminster jokes about how he’s lived long enough to know all the places, and Sharantyr wonders why they can’t go there instead; ha, ha. Apparently, they can’t use torches because of the risk of setting off an explosion in the bad air – delightful place! – while Sharantyr gloomily expects she’s going to end up falling into the cesspool itself. We cut to Hcarla, gloating to himself since he can follow the sound of their complaining voices – and then he steps on a rat himself, which squeaks angrily and alerts Elminster and Sharantyr to the fact that they’re being followed! Ah, hubris. Hcarla hands back, wanting to stay out of the reach of Sharantyr’s sword, while he prepares the stealspell. A moment later, he casts it, and Elminster cries out as he feels it take effect and power starts to drain out of him – right into Hcarla. An instant later there was a blinding flash and a shattering roar that left their faces wet. Hcarla Bellwind, with all his dreams, had been consumed in a white-hot fireball by the titanic power of Art surging into him. …funny, I seem to recall one Evaereol Rathrane died much the same way, in Hand of Fire. I think Greenwood is repeating himself now. Anyway, that’s it for Hcarla. I can’t help but feel that even by the standards of Greenwood villains, that was a letdown. His plan didn’t even backfire on him in an interesting way! Elminster’s magic was just too much to handle! Sigh.
Calassara: And so, we cut to Manshoon himself, in a chamber dark and warm as his favorite scrying crystal explodes from picking up the force of Hcarla’s destruction. The women with him – my my, apparently someone never told Manshoon not to mix business and pleasure; I doubt they’re Zhentarim themselves, since Greenwood seems to think the Zhentarim are all men, at least – scamper away in fright, while he angrily declares he’ll have Elminster’s head. *beat* And I’m sure that will work out better than the last dozen times he has no doubt vowed this. He pulls a bell rope to call for mages, many mages, while one of the women hesitantly asks if she should fetch the… beholders? Manshoon wonders if that means she expects the mages he’s calling for to fail, and Anaithe admits she does. Manshoon idly wonders if he should send Anaithe with the mages, since she’s clearly observant and has now seen what Elminster is capable of; after a moment, Anaithe pulls herself up and declares that she will serve Manshoon however he desires, though I cannot see how I, without any magic, can be of any help in destroying an archmage. Manshoon, at least, is pleased by her response and decides she can live (were you planning on killing her? Why?), and she can’t quite keep the sarcasm out of her voice as she thanks him. Manshoon idly wonders if he shouldn’t train Anaithe as an apprentice after all, after she’d been humbled by a whipping, and thus the scene ends with our villain planning to inflict pointless, petty violence against a woman, so we can be sure he’s evil. *she sighs* Greenwood, you are a master of subtlety.
MG: I also can’t help but shake the implication that Anaithe and the other women with Manshoon are probably courtesans, which just makes me think that it’s another subtle way of propping up Elminster and Manshoon’s expense. See, Elminster just naturally has women falling all over him, but Manshoon has to pay for that (please ignore that Manshoon is canonically attractive and can be charming when he wants to, and Elminster… isn’t). Maybe I’m reading too much into it… but it’s Greenwood, so who knows…
Errezha: All I can think is that if Manshoon makes a habit of treating his bedmates so shabbily, he’s likely to end up stabbed… he wouldn’t be the first noble to die at the hands of a courtesan, mistress or other… companion they’d pushed too far, after all. We cut back to Sharantyr, who now finds herself coated in droplets of ambitious Zhentarim mage, to her disgust (and mine *she shudders even more violently than usual* this chapter is not pleasant for me) and since Hcarla exploded without setting off a bigger blast, they decide they can have some light. And right at that moment, Belkram and Itharr show up, carrying torches. *beat* What. When. How did they get here? What is going on? They introduce themselves and say Storm sent them; Elminster complains about how she thinks he needs nursemaids and tells them to go find Mulmar and assist him. They turn to do so *she growls irritably* but turn back around when they hear Elminster laughing; Itharr admits that Mulmar told them to bring Elminster back with them. At this, Elminster decides to go (so that entire excursion in the filthy, disgusting sewer was a waste of time, then? Greenwood, I hate you!) and follows the Harpers back up to the Great Hall, where Mulmar, clothed now, is seated in his chair with dalesfolk all around. Mulmar thanks Elminster for his help, but reminds him they’re sick of wizards ruling High Dale – what, when did Elminster show any sign he wanted to rule High Dale? Elminster angrily says he doesn’t want to rule anywhere (indeed; didn’t you, as a young man, immediately hand off the throne of your liberated homeland to the first person available to take it and run off?) and everyone laughs as the scene ends. Ha, ha.
Calassara: We cut to dinner sometime later, as Belkram, Itharr and Sharantyr are all eating together, while everyone else feasts ravenously around them in celebration of High Dale’s liberation. Sharantyr is pleased to hear that Belkram is from Baldur’s Gate, since she’s from there too, and asks where Itharr is from; Itharr, after vacillating for a bit, admits that he’s from Athkatla. Belkram and Sharantyr, in unplanned unison, promise not to hold it against him. …Savored Sting help me, if I had any idea of the cultural context here, that might be mildly amusing. Sharantyr asks how they ended up Harpers; Belkram explains that he’s an orphan. His parents were sailors who went down with their ship, and after they died he took to the road and became a mercenary and eventually a Harper. Itharr, meanwhile, hates cheating folk, which he says is what the rulers of Amn do, though Belkram corrects him that it’s commerce; regardless, Itharr left his home country in disgust, looking for something more meaningful to do with his life. He met Belkram at an inn – gods save us, this is starting to sound like a very bad ballad – where some Dragon Cultists were also staying. The Cultists attacked a harmless looking old man who was actually a Harper, who proceeded to effortlessly kill them all, and then sat down and sang a song for all the inn’s surviving patrons amidst the carnage. That… is either disturbing, or admirable professionalism. I’m torn. Anyway, he was Osryk, a Master Harper, and Belkram and Itharr were so impressed he recruited them and sent them on for training. Apparently, they somehow managed to offend their trainer, who decided they needed more seasoning and sent them out to adventure. Sharantyr decides they must be a riotous pair to travel with – Sharantyr, my dear, they barely rise above “moderately amusing” even when they’re not killing people.
Errezha: *snorts* You’re giving them too much credit. They flirt a bit – I can’t say I much care for any of these people, but better them than Elminster! – and Itharr asks Sharantyr how does a beautiful lady come to swing such a deadly blade, and join the Knights of Myth Drannor, hey? What, are you implying that once women reach a certain beauty threshold, they’re less likely to learn swordsmanship or join adventuring companies? No, I suspect this is just a clumsy attempt to hit on her… but Sharantyr won’t answer, and only winks at him; after a long moment, he winks back, and the scene ends. We cut to later that evening, as Sharantyr and the Harpers move to sit with Elminster. Belkram gives her a huge goblet, which she continues drinking from for the rest of the evening, while she keeps watching for any surviving Zhents who might be hiding in the hall. Finally, she notices a particular councilor staring daggers at them from across the table, and slowly unsheathes her own blade so it will be ready to draw as needed. She remembers his name is Xanther – wait, after fleeing, pretending to be dead, and contacting Manshoon himself, Xanther came back? I would love to have heard his explanation for that – and that he’s staring not at her, but at Elminster’s wand, which is lying on the table. Xanther, noticing both Sharantyr’s expression and the flash of her sword’s steel, decides not to take action for now… and so the chapter, at last, comes to an end.
MG: Whew. This was a long one, and it felt especially tedious. The good news is, the Battle for High Dale is officially over! After taking up far, far too much of this book compared to its actual plot relevance, anyway. But this chapter feels more like a series of linked vignettes than anything. We have the end of the battle and Stormcloak’s death, some mopping up action, Elminster and Sharantyr going into the sewers, Hcarla following and getting killed (and after how he was hyped up as second to power to Stormcloak, especially cruel and ambitious, and possessing a rare spell that he thought would defeat Elminster easily, he sure did die easily even for a Greenwood villain! It feels like a very anticlimactic end for the character), Belkram and Itharr bringing them back up to the feast, Manshoon being evil, Belkram and Itharr’s backstories (both of which, not going to lie, feel extremely generic and don’t make these already dull characters any more interesting), and so on. This is already one of the longer chapters in the book, and boy, does it sure feel it, while at the same time a lot of the individual parts feel rushed, like Greenwood has suddenly realized he dedicated so much of the book to tedious battle, he has to cram the actual plot in quickly at the end; it might have been better to make Stormcloak’s death the climax of the previous chapter, dedicate this one to Elminster trying to sneak away and the encounter with Hcarla, and then push the feast off to the next chapter. But for now, we are indeed done! Next time, we finally leave High Dale and move on towards the book’s actual climax. We’ll see you then!
Warning: This chapter contains more violence, including some brutal deaths, and some sexism.
MG: Well, everyone, it’s time to continue our journey through Ed Greenwood’s Shadows of Doom! Last time, Sharantyr and Company finally fought their way into the council chambers and confronted Stormcloak, Elminster arrived in time to save their bacon, and after some back and forth, he seemingly got exploded (but do you really believe that he’s dead?). Today, the battle for High Dale finally… finally… comes to an end, and we start to get some sense of where this book is going next. Joining us once again will be Errezha and Calassara!
Chapter Twenty: Feast, Fine and Fury
Errezha: Ugh, at least we’re finally getting somewhere with… this. Exactly how pointless will it prove to be in the end, I wonder? I suppose we’ll find out. We open with Elminster, bracing himself for the moment when his ring explodes, though he is forced to admit it still hurts. Good. He holds his fingers apart to keep them from being too damaged by the blast, though even so much of his nearby flesh went with it. How much is “much,” exactly? Asking purely for research purposes; it’s vitally important we know just how injured Elminster is, and how much pain he’s in. *she notices Calassara staring disapprovingly at her* Oh, please. You know you’re thinking it, too. Elminster still isn’t able to stop himself from crying out in pain and thinks to himself that those who spend centuries hurling spells must bear their share of spells coming back at them. Wisdom for us all. But holy Mystra, it hurt! And it’s a small enough price to pay compared to the doubtless thousands you and your proteges have messily slaughtered across the centuries. But I’ll take what I can get.
Calassara: So, live by the …spell… die by the spell, it seems. Meanwhile, Belkram slices a nameless counselor’s face open – come, now, Greenwood, at least tell us if this was a Zhent, or a Cult or Thayan agent or something! – and charges Stormcloak, worrying that he’s already too late. He takes a swing at Stormcloak, who vanishes, and then hears Sharantyr call out a warning as Stormcloak reappears behind Elminster with a knife in his hand. Wait, they all know Elminster’s still alive? We saw them watch Elminster explode at the end of the previous chapter, but we don’t get to see the moment when they realize he survived that? When Stormcoak realized it? For shame, Greenwood! But Itharr recognize’s the dagger’s design as a death dagger… he is a Zhentarim! …and thus Itharr dramatically realizes something that was entirely obvious to everyone else, us included. I suppose non-Zhentarim evil wizards only carry “mildly wounding daggers” or “moderately annoying daggers,” then? I’ll keep that in mind! Stormcloak shoots Itharr with magic missiles, causing him to chim but then raises his dagger to stab Elminster; Sharantyr tries to get over to stop him, but is still too weak to move far. Stormcloak takes a moment to savor his impending victory – no, no, you stab first, then gloat! Has this man ever heard a ballad, read a saga or watched a play before? And, sure enough, this proves his undoing as the forgotten Irreph Mulmar rose up behind the Zhent wizard like a vengeful ghost. Ah, and this is what we call irony. Stormcloak hears Mulmar’s chains – I thought Elminster muffled them? – and whirls to face him, but too late. The first blow shatters his dagger and breaks the arm that held it for good measure. It’s too late for you to learn, wizard… to beware toothless old men, Mulmar says – now he’s wasting time gloating – and then the second terrible blow split Angruin’s skull like the shattering of a hurled egg striking a stone wall, and nearly tore his jaw off. The corpse clawed at the air convulsively and vainly – and fell. *stunned* Well. That’s it for Stormcloak, then. Strange that the man who has, so far, been the book’s main villain dies at the beginning of a chapter rather than the end of one – I suppose Greenwood really, really wanted that cliffhanger. And though he had yet another gruesome Greenwood death, considering it came at the hands of the man he enslaved and whose mind he stole… I cannot say, in this case, that it wasn’t deserved.
MG: Yeah, the way Stormcloak’s death is handled is weirdly anticlimactic, considering he has been our main villain for most of the book so far, especially once Longspear bit it. On the other hand, the fact that he dies by Mulmar’s hands considering what he put him through is at least appropriate, if predictable. Honestly, it occurs to me that this book really should have been two separate books, with the High Dale plotline getting its own story with the Mulmars as the main protagonists. Maybe that way it would actually feel like it matters, instead of like it’s just a giant waste of Elminster’s, Sharantyr’s, the Harpers’ and most of all our time (and maybe could have had more development of High Dale and the situation here, instead of one giant, never-ending slog of a battle). Because seriously, most of this is just a big distraction from what this trilogy, and the Time of Troubles as a storyline, is actually about. I bet you wouldn’t guess, from what we’ve read so far if you didn’t know differently, that this book is actually building up to a confrontation with Manshoon, a meeting with an old friend of Elminster’s, and an event which will draw the Malaugrym’s collective attention back to Faerun? Because none of that (except, tangentially, Manshoon) has anything to do with any of the High Dale stuff!
Errezha: …I really think the more I read Greenwood’s books, the more I hate them. Remarkable. Anyway, Mulmar stands over Stormcloak’s body until he’s satisfied it won’t get back up again (I’d note that most men stay down when their brains are leaking from their skull… but the undead do exist, so perhaps he’s wise to be cautious). Everyone else stops fighting and stares at them, and then Mulmar turns to Elminster -who’s currently clutching his burned hand – and thanks him for giving me my home back again. Now, now, let’s be honest here. Elminster did quite a bit of fighting, but so did a lot of people. He provided a distraction at an appropriate moment, and carried you up through the castle, but I don’t think he’s the only one who could have done that. But you broke yourself free of Stormcloak’s control… somehow, I still don’t quite understand how. Your daughter rallied the people of High Dale. Belkram and Itharr killed Longspear. Sharantyr killed quite a lot of Stormcloak’s last soldiers. You yourself killed Stormcloak. In the grand scheme of things, Elminster’s contributions weren’t nothing, but I’d hardly call him the prime mover of events! But, I suppose, wizardly backsides must be kissed… Mulmar promises to feast with Elminster when time permits, and then collapses in a faint on top of Stormcloak’s body. *she wrinkles her nose in disgust* Ew.
Calassara: Elminster then crawls over to Sharantyr, and tells her to hurry up and heal, lass… I’m in fair need of that ring meself. *disgusted* Yes, and so is she. And so are a lot of people around here, some of whom seem to be quite a bit closer to death than you are, old man! So, at the risk of sounding insensitive, kindly wait your turn. Meanwhile, Belkram is demanding the counselors surrender, telling them that he’ll assume anyone who continues fighting now is a Zhentarim and he’ll treat them accordingly. Harsh, but possibly fair… except you’ve now given anyone who is a Zhentarim, all the cover they need to keep their identity secret by surrendering! Itharr gets back to his feet and joins Belkram, while the counselors all surrender and Belkram tells them to sit and wait for Mulmar to speak to them later. Gedaern the old dalesman promises to guard both the counselors and Mulmar and tells the two Harpers to go hunting any remaining Zhents in the castle, the pair of you certainly seem to have the hang of it. Honestly, I think Sharantyr probably has the highest body count of anyone for this battle, though admittedly, she’s not in any condition to fight at the moment. But Belkram agrees with Gadaern, as does Itharr, though he asks for a moment to catch his breath. They hear the sounds of fighting somewhere else in the castle, and then a scream that’s cut off, and Belkram comments that there may not be any more Zhents left. *beat* Ah, why, exactly? You don’t know that the person you just heard die was a Zhent – it could have been one of the dalesfolk! And even if it was a Zhent, there’s no guarantee it was the last one! Belkram have you read ahead? But Belkram and Itharr head out, while Ulraea comments that they seem more like untiring automatons than men (which… is why Itharr needed time to catch his breath? Are automatons known for that in Faerun?) But Gedaern says they’re just men. More than that – they’re Harpers. Ah, so does that mean in Gedaern’s estimation, Harpers are literally superhuman? My, what interesting things I’m learning this chapter! Regardless of the precise nature of Harpers, however, the scene ends there.
Errezha: We cut to Elminster asking Sharantyr if she’s better – please, old man, we know you have ulterior motives, like wanting your turn with that ring! – and she reminds him to call her “Shar,” not “lass,” which still strikes me as an ill-omened nickname in this world. Elminster jokes that he’s an old man, and old men forget things – slap him, Sharantyr, for me – and then he looked slowly her up and down as if seeing her for the first time… Sharantyr found herself blushing. Oh, Prince protect us all, no. None of that! From either of you, but especially you, Elminster! Finally, he tells Sharantyr she looks healed (I think that’s for her to judge, not you…) and asks for the healing ring; she hands it over, and after he puts it on, he heads off, with her following behind. Gedaern demands to know where they’re going, since the Harpers wanted everyone to guard Mulmar and the counselors, but Elminster just tells Gedaern to do that (calling him young man, to his shock) since I’ve other business to see to yet. Dare I even ask what he’s up to? Sharantyr looks apologetically at Gedaern and follows Elminster out – and as soon as he’s gone, one of the captive counselors tosses something onto the floor, where it shatters; when Gedaern whirled around, darkness was already spreading smoky tendrils toward him. And so, Elminster, by leaving without warning, gave his enemies an opening and left his allies in danger! What a man, that Elminster! Don’t we all love him so much? *she makes a disgusted face*
Calassara: Well, we cut to Sharantyr as she catches up to Elminster and puts a hand on his shoulder. She reminds him that she’s well enough to be up and walking but probably won’t be much good in a fight (maybe he should have given her some more time with that ring, hmmm?) while she’s not sure he should be up and about at all, especially since the battle might not be over. Elminster only responds that I have to be. Only because you are, inexplicably, one of the favorite character’s of the setting’s creator and therefore the powers that be are probably never going to let you die for good, I presume. Sharantyr still wants to know where they’re going and why (an excellent question…) and Elminster responds that sages and drunkards alike have been arguing over answers to that double-bladed question for longer than I’ve been alive. Yes, but I don’t think Sharantyr is asking philosophically, she wants to know where the two of you are literally going right now. That’s a different thing entirely! Sharantyr is also exasperated, but before Elminster can respond one of the counselors – the one who threw the bomb – escapes from the great hall under the cover of the smoke and shadows and starts following them down the corridor. Hearing Dalesfolk following him, he slips into a side chamber and draws a concealed wand, from which he conjures a floating eyeball – spooky! – that hovers in midair for a moment before turning invisible. He then draws a dagger and lies down in a pose mimicking suicide – he had better hope nobody thinks to check his breathing or pulse, then! Meanwhile, the invisible eyeball shoots off after Elminster.
Errezha: We cut to Elminster musing that it’s been years since he’s been here, but he thinks what he’s looking for should be nearby; finally, he stops and paces between two closed doors before turning back to look at Sharantyr. Elminster makes a mark on one of the stones in the floor, and then starts working at it while Sharantyr watches. Finally – after refusing her offer to help; men – he manages to pull the stone up from its position while the invisible eye watches them. Finally, a draft of foul air wafts up from the opening, and Sharantyr comments that Elminster’s found the cesspool. And Elminster sits by the opening without denying it as he starts feeling for footholds *she shudders violently* Disgusting. He then pauses to explain what he’s doing. Lass, we’ve no defense against magic anymore… with the people roused, and the Harpers and Cormyrean agents I recognized among them (who? When?) the Zhentarim cannot hope to hold this dale any longer and dare not try to openly seize control of it, not with so many Zhentish coins owed to Sembian merchants right now. It’s almost as if this plan was always stupid and doomed from the start… our work here is done. I’d as soon be gone before some Zhent mageling or other finds us and decides to enhance his reputation by blasting Elminster of Shadowdale into little wisps of smoke. And be honored by every civilized nation for doing so, in a just world… alas that the religion in which I was raised promises neither justice nor fairness. Apparently, there’s a portal deep in High Castle, by the cesspool, where nobody would want to look for it. If we find it now, Mulmar can feast as much as he likes, and we’ll be long-vanished in the night before anyone comes looking for us. On the one hand, this feels like a contrivance that wasn’t foreshadowed at all, and I have a hard time believing the Zhents wouldn’t have searched this castle from top to bottom when they moved in… on the other hand, if it gets us out of High Dale all the faster, I’ll take it! I’m getting quite sick of this place, I assure you!
Calassara: I’ve noticed *she sighs* but I have, too. Elminster starts climbing down into the pit, telling Sharantyr that he knows she’s young and it must hurt her to leave matters unfinished, but learn a little wisdom and come now. Well, it seems to me that Elminster is fleeing to save his own skin before the matter in High Dale is fully settled – when Mulmar realizes this, I think he’ll be less likely to throw you a feast, and more likely to curse your name! He also takes a moment to tell Sharantyr how to replace the stone, which she does, while complaining about how Elminster keeps landing her in trouble (on the one hand, you chose to follow him, on the other hand… he really does have a remarkable knack for that, doesn’t he?). Elminster says that’s just adventure; some folk would envy ye. It’s been said before, but for someone who writes so much about adventure, Greenwood does seem to have a remarkably bleak outlook on it – but Sharantyr only hopes they find the portal soon, as her eyes are starting to water from the smell, and the scene ends. We have a brief moment of the invisible eye watching this happen before flying back to its master, and then that scene ends as well.
Errezha: And so we cut back to our mysterious councilor, whose name is Xanther Srilder, which sounds vaguely familiar, as he reports the bad news to the Lord Most High – Stormcloak and Longspear are dead, almost all their soldiers and mages are dead, and the Dalesfolk, together with Harper and Cormyrean agents (again, who is a Cormyrean agent here?) have taken High Dale back. An entirely predictable turn of events, from where I stand. When it issued out of the floating, darkly glowing black spindle in front of him, Manshoon’s voice was silken in its easy softness. “Indeed. Have you an explanation for how this came about?” Yes; your plan was terrible and was doomed to fail eventually because it involved antagonizing very powerful people and nations you couldn’t account for or control. Any questions? Xanther thinks about how even his position as one of Manshoon’s personal spies won’t save him if he can’t offer a good enough explanation for himself, and so he describes how Elminster and one of the Knights of Myth Drannor were involved in the uprising. I saw Elminster myself and overheard him talking to this knight, a woman in leathers. He called her Shar. He further explains that he knows Elminster plans to escape by a hidden magical gate. Manshoon is amused by the idea of Elminster running – I’m torn between amusement and outrage, personally – and Xanther thinks that it might be that his news would please the Dread Lord of the Zhentarim enough to save his own life after all. He explains that he overheard that Elminster has no defensive magic left, and how his hand was burned during the fight with Stormcloak, and repeats Elminster’s line about wanting to flee before some Zhentarim mageling catches up to him. *bored* It’s going to turn out that Elminster specifically said that hoping Manshoon would hear about it, isn’t it? Or that he planned this in some other way, or that it works out in his favor even if he didn’t, because why wouldn’t it?
Calassara: I always say you are too cynical… but considering the quality of Greenwood’s storytelling thus far, I find I can’t argue. Manshoon pauses for a long moment, and Xanther is glad the magic doesn’t allow Manshoon to see him, or him to see Manshoon, when Manshoon in turn asks why Xanther didn’t take advantage of Elminster’s vulnerability to kill him himself. Well, Xanther is a spy, not a fighter; perhaps assassinations simply aren’t his line of work, especially when he’s not had time to prepare? Xanther responds that he wasn’t physically present and was watching and listening through a conjured eye, and he doubts Elminster would have spoken plainly if he’d been there in the flesh. Manshoon considers this for a moment and decides that despite the Zhentarim’s failure in High Dale, Xanther himself has done well. So… his lucky day, I guess? Do whatever you can, and enlist whomever you feel necessary, to destroy Elminster of Shadowdale. Bring evidence of his death to me if you can – but whatever befalls and by what means, you must bring about his death. Your reward will be very great. *she sighs* I take it back; with that assignment, Xanther is a dead man walking. Alas for him. Regardless of his fate, the scene ends there, and we cut to another figure who neither Xanther nor Manshoon had noticed, who was watching them both. The figure departs, deciding he’s found a chance to earn Manshoon’s favor instead of his punishment. The figure descends towards the cesspit, and we learn that it’s Hcarla Bellwind, who I believe was the next most powerful Zhentarim mage in High Castle after Stormcloak, and who we haven’t heard from in… several chapters now? I wonder how he will die… and then that scene ends as well!
Errezha: …and we’re back with Xanther (Greenwood is remarkably inconsistent this chapter about whether a point of view change means a scene change or not – it’s sloppy) as he notices Hcarla leave and wonders who was spying on him and why. Who knew Manshoon’s orders and the truth about Elminster of Shadowdale; who was lurking somewhere in the castle right now? I’m quite certain lots of people are lurking; that is typical of castles. Can you be more specific? Xanther looks around himself, sees no immediate danger but finds no comfort from that… and the scene ends. That was pointless. We cut back to Hcarla as he makes his way through the castle, not certain he believes Xanther about how weak Elminster is; he recalls stories of how Elminster has bested Manshoon at least twice. Now, as I recall, Crown of Fire indicated Elminster had killed Manshoon at least twenty times, so I think our friend Hcarla is missing… quite a few. And yet, the fact that even Manshoon’s own henchmen know that Elminster is more dangerous than he is does not do wonder’s for our perception of Manshoon as Elminster’s nemesis – then again, none of the villains who aren’t Manshoon have been that impressive, either. But Hcarla has a plan – he’s prepared something called a stealspell, which will apparently let him drain the most powerful spell Elminster has prepared out of his mind and into Hcarla’s. That… sounds impressive, and yet like something that could quite easily backfire, depending on what spell exactly you steal and what it does… But Hcarla thinks that if Elminster has any powerful magic left, he can take it from him, and if he doesn’t have anything the stealspell can take, then he truly is vulnerable to everything else in Hcarla’s arsenal. A cunning plan… I can’t wait to see how it fails. Because it will. We all know it.
Calassara: I can’t argue with that… Hcarla passes a room where glowing mold had been left undisturbed to cast its eerie light – that cannot be sanitary – and fetches a hatchet, which he intends to use to collect Elminster’s head, fantasizing about also finding his hidden spellbooks and treasures after he kills him using a version of the speak with dead spell and how that will enable him to replace Manshoon outright. Ah, and there it is again, Errezha – apparently, even Elminster’s leavings can make one a greater wizard than Manshoon! I don’t think Greenwood knows how a nemesis relationship is supposed to work. The scene then ends with Hcarla wondering why Elminster has never tried to take over the Zhentarim himself. Ah, because he doesn’t want to? Because he has all the power he wants already, courtesy of Mystra? Because the Zhentarim are his favorite punching bag, so actually running them wouldn’t be as fun? Some combination of the above? We cut back to Itharr, complaining about how exhausted they are and how there can’t be more than a handful of Zhents left in High Castle (I’m amazed there are any at all, at the rate they’ve been killed and the size of High Dale…). Belkram agrees that even the Zhentarim can’t make men out of nothing (they seem to have been pulling them from nothing quite impressively earlier, I must say…)… and that’s when Itharr says he heard someone shouting earlier about how there was magical darkness in the hall after they left and some of the council got away. And you’re telling him this now, long after the event in question when neither of you is in any position to do anything about it? What is wrong with you? Belkram complains about how now they have another job to do (a bit late for that, friend…) but Itharr thinks it can wait until tomorrow (if the escaped councilors are planning something tonight – no, it can’t!) and is more worried about Elminster. Suddenly, Gedaern the Dalesman, blood spattered, battered, but alive and happy, calls out a greeting and comes up the hall towards them; he thanks them for giving him a chance to fight back, and smiles a proud, dangerous smile. A smile that Belkram would never forget, to the end of his days. And as Belkram is ruminating on that terrible smile – how ominous! – the scene comes to an end. And, yet again, that was pointless.
Errezha: We cut to Sharantyr, complaining about the stink of the cesspit – I cannot blame her! – while telling Elminster he knows some romantic places to take a lady. *she shudders, and not from the smell* No. Elminster jokes about how he’s lived long enough to know all the places, and Sharantyr wonders why they can’t go there instead; ha, ha. Apparently, they can’t use torches because of the risk of setting off an explosion in the bad air – delightful place! – while Sharantyr gloomily expects she’s going to end up falling into the cesspool itself. We cut to Hcarla, gloating to himself since he can follow the sound of their complaining voices – and then he steps on a rat himself, which squeaks angrily and alerts Elminster and Sharantyr to the fact that they’re being followed! Ah, hubris. Hcarla hands back, wanting to stay out of the reach of Sharantyr’s sword, while he prepares the stealspell. A moment later, he casts it, and Elminster cries out as he feels it take effect and power starts to drain out of him – right into Hcarla. An instant later there was a blinding flash and a shattering roar that left their faces wet. Hcarla Bellwind, with all his dreams, had been consumed in a white-hot fireball by the titanic power of Art surging into him. …funny, I seem to recall one Evaereol Rathrane died much the same way, in Hand of Fire. I think Greenwood is repeating himself now. Anyway, that’s it for Hcarla. I can’t help but feel that even by the standards of Greenwood villains, that was a letdown. His plan didn’t even backfire on him in an interesting way! Elminster’s magic was just too much to handle! Sigh.
Calassara: And so, we cut to Manshoon himself, in a chamber dark and warm as his favorite scrying crystal explodes from picking up the force of Hcarla’s destruction. The women with him – my my, apparently someone never told Manshoon not to mix business and pleasure; I doubt they’re Zhentarim themselves, since Greenwood seems to think the Zhentarim are all men, at least – scamper away in fright, while he angrily declares he’ll have Elminster’s head. *beat* And I’m sure that will work out better than the last dozen times he has no doubt vowed this. He pulls a bell rope to call for mages, many mages, while one of the women hesitantly asks if she should fetch the… beholders? Manshoon wonders if that means she expects the mages he’s calling for to fail, and Anaithe admits she does. Manshoon idly wonders if he should send Anaithe with the mages, since she’s clearly observant and has now seen what Elminster is capable of; after a moment, Anaithe pulls herself up and declares that she will serve Manshoon however he desires, though I cannot see how I, without any magic, can be of any help in destroying an archmage. Manshoon, at least, is pleased by her response and decides she can live (were you planning on killing her? Why?), and she can’t quite keep the sarcasm out of her voice as she thanks him. Manshoon idly wonders if he shouldn’t train Anaithe as an apprentice after all, after she’d been humbled by a whipping, and thus the scene ends with our villain planning to inflict pointless, petty violence against a woman, so we can be sure he’s evil. *she sighs* Greenwood, you are a master of subtlety.
MG: I also can’t help but shake the implication that Anaithe and the other women with Manshoon are probably courtesans, which just makes me think that it’s another subtle way of propping up Elminster and Manshoon’s expense. See, Elminster just naturally has women falling all over him, but Manshoon has to pay for that (please ignore that Manshoon is canonically attractive and can be charming when he wants to, and Elminster… isn’t). Maybe I’m reading too much into it… but it’s Greenwood, so who knows…
Errezha: All I can think is that if Manshoon makes a habit of treating his bedmates so shabbily, he’s likely to end up stabbed… he wouldn’t be the first noble to die at the hands of a courtesan, mistress or other… companion they’d pushed too far, after all. We cut back to Sharantyr, who now finds herself coated in droplets of ambitious Zhentarim mage, to her disgust (and mine *she shudders even more violently than usual* this chapter is not pleasant for me) and since Hcarla exploded without setting off a bigger blast, they decide they can have some light. And right at that moment, Belkram and Itharr show up, carrying torches. *beat* What. When. How did they get here? What is going on? They introduce themselves and say Storm sent them; Elminster complains about how she thinks he needs nursemaids and tells them to go find Mulmar and assist him. They turn to do so *she growls irritably* but turn back around when they hear Elminster laughing; Itharr admits that Mulmar told them to bring Elminster back with them. At this, Elminster decides to go (so that entire excursion in the filthy, disgusting sewer was a waste of time, then? Greenwood, I hate you!) and follows the Harpers back up to the Great Hall, where Mulmar, clothed now, is seated in his chair with dalesfolk all around. Mulmar thanks Elminster for his help, but reminds him they’re sick of wizards ruling High Dale – what, when did Elminster show any sign he wanted to rule High Dale? Elminster angrily says he doesn’t want to rule anywhere (indeed; didn’t you, as a young man, immediately hand off the throne of your liberated homeland to the first person available to take it and run off?) and everyone laughs as the scene ends. Ha, ha.
Calassara: We cut to dinner sometime later, as Belkram, Itharr and Sharantyr are all eating together, while everyone else feasts ravenously around them in celebration of High Dale’s liberation. Sharantyr is pleased to hear that Belkram is from Baldur’s Gate, since she’s from there too, and asks where Itharr is from; Itharr, after vacillating for a bit, admits that he’s from Athkatla. Belkram and Sharantyr, in unplanned unison, promise not to hold it against him. …Savored Sting help me, if I had any idea of the cultural context here, that might be mildly amusing. Sharantyr asks how they ended up Harpers; Belkram explains that he’s an orphan. His parents were sailors who went down with their ship, and after they died he took to the road and became a mercenary and eventually a Harper. Itharr, meanwhile, hates cheating folk, which he says is what the rulers of Amn do, though Belkram corrects him that it’s commerce; regardless, Itharr left his home country in disgust, looking for something more meaningful to do with his life. He met Belkram at an inn – gods save us, this is starting to sound like a very bad ballad – where some Dragon Cultists were also staying. The Cultists attacked a harmless looking old man who was actually a Harper, who proceeded to effortlessly kill them all, and then sat down and sang a song for all the inn’s surviving patrons amidst the carnage. That… is either disturbing, or admirable professionalism. I’m torn. Anyway, he was Osryk, a Master Harper, and Belkram and Itharr were so impressed he recruited them and sent them on for training. Apparently, they somehow managed to offend their trainer, who decided they needed more seasoning and sent them out to adventure. Sharantyr decides they must be a riotous pair to travel with – Sharantyr, my dear, they barely rise above “moderately amusing” even when they’re not killing people.
Errezha: *snorts* You’re giving them too much credit. They flirt a bit – I can’t say I much care for any of these people, but better them than Elminster! – and Itharr asks Sharantyr how does a beautiful lady come to swing such a deadly blade, and join the Knights of Myth Drannor, hey? What, are you implying that once women reach a certain beauty threshold, they’re less likely to learn swordsmanship or join adventuring companies? No, I suspect this is just a clumsy attempt to hit on her… but Sharantyr won’t answer, and only winks at him; after a long moment, he winks back, and the scene ends. We cut to later that evening, as Sharantyr and the Harpers move to sit with Elminster. Belkram gives her a huge goblet, which she continues drinking from for the rest of the evening, while she keeps watching for any surviving Zhents who might be hiding in the hall. Finally, she notices a particular councilor staring daggers at them from across the table, and slowly unsheathes her own blade so it will be ready to draw as needed. She remembers his name is Xanther – wait, after fleeing, pretending to be dead, and contacting Manshoon himself, Xanther came back? I would love to have heard his explanation for that – and that he’s staring not at her, but at Elminster’s wand, which is lying on the table. Xanther, noticing both Sharantyr’s expression and the flash of her sword’s steel, decides not to take action for now… and so the chapter, at last, comes to an end.
MG: Whew. This was a long one, and it felt especially tedious. The good news is, the Battle for High Dale is officially over! After taking up far, far too much of this book compared to its actual plot relevance, anyway. But this chapter feels more like a series of linked vignettes than anything. We have the end of the battle and Stormcloak’s death, some mopping up action, Elminster and Sharantyr going into the sewers, Hcarla following and getting killed (and after how he was hyped up as second to power to Stormcloak, especially cruel and ambitious, and possessing a rare spell that he thought would defeat Elminster easily, he sure did die easily even for a Greenwood villain! It feels like a very anticlimactic end for the character), Belkram and Itharr bringing them back up to the feast, Manshoon being evil, Belkram and Itharr’s backstories (both of which, not going to lie, feel extremely generic and don’t make these already dull characters any more interesting), and so on. This is already one of the longer chapters in the book, and boy, does it sure feel it, while at the same time a lot of the individual parts feel rushed, like Greenwood has suddenly realized he dedicated so much of the book to tedious battle, he has to cram the actual plot in quickly at the end; it might have been better to make Stormcloak’s death the climax of the previous chapter, dedicate this one to Elminster trying to sneak away and the encounter with Hcarla, and then push the feast off to the next chapter. But for now, we are indeed done! Next time, we finally leave High Dale and move on towards the book’s actual climax. We’ll see you then!
