5 Kythorn, 1372

Dear Master Zorthaster,

Forgive me for not writing sooner. My days have been filled with the activity and bustle and a great deal of worry for my captured sister Larissa. Despite our more frequent contacts via sending and those few, too-short visits I made home recently, I do still want to keep in touch with you with these letters. I find that writing them helps me better organize my thoughts and reflect upon the flurry of life that swirls about me. Unfortunately, this letter seems likely to be filled with the flood of horrible news and scattered bits of information that I have been able to glean about the shadow war. I fear that it will be some time before words like organization or clarity can be applied to my thoughts in these matters. Larissa's capture in particular weighs heavily on me. I find it increasingly difficult to refrain from teleporting myself to the city of Shade and creating as much havoc as possible in Leevoth's presence. Before I get further into that horror, let me try to summarize for you the past few months.

As you know, one of the first things I did after returning to Shadowhold and getting the refugees mostly settled was to learn the spell sending. With this new spell and the scrying ability of the crystal skull, I have established a more far flung information gathering and communication network than you might realize. I regularly either scry on or cast sendings to a wide variety of friends and acquaintances daily. The list includes, in addition to you, Lord Morn, Oriseus, Peraus Wands, Solom Ned'razak, Dalis Ned'razak, The dwarf Dorinal of the Bladebright Clan, Queebs of the Woven Tower, Gorgoland, several key members of the Merrydale Delvers Guild, Old Man Katan, and the youngsters I have puttering about my makeshift laboratory. With the more difficult to contact members of my network I have a set of signals and surrogate targets for scrying such that I can learn when I need to contact someone either through a sending or in person.

With this rather rough network, I have discovered a great deal of troubling information about the Shadow War. I do not think for a moment that Larissa's kidnapping was a random act of terror or a petty bit of vengeance against me by the Shades. After you notified me of her kidnapping, I interviewed everyone who saw the incident or who was in the vicinity. Based on the descriptions of the Shadovar involved and the way the crime was committed, I have concluded that it was Leevoth, a high ranking officer from Shade Enclave's military that took her. I do not yet know if he was responsible for the other kidnappings that I have learned about or if it was others, but I do know that my sister is not the only Cormyrian abducted by the Shades. In fact, it appears that there are kidnapping victims from all over Faerun. Despite every attempt at scrying on her or the other missing people, I have not been able to locate them. This, more than any other thing has kept me from trying to teleport directly to their position and killing every Shadovar in sight. Instead, we are about to embark on a mission to try to get some more information about the families of the missing people. The Shade we met at Spirit Soaring, the temple run by the cleric Cadderly, was there investigating genealogy. Primula and Xan seem to think that there may be something liking these families in their past. Primula thinks she knows of a library where we can both get the information needed and hopefully keep it from the Shades. We will be leaving for that place tomorrow.

Peraus Wands also has a mission for us related to the Shadow War. He wants me to deliver a letter to an inventor known as Nadul DaRoni in Selgaunt, Sembia. Master Wands wants DaRoni here no later than Midsummer. He is as frustrating as ever to talk to. He refuses to tell me much of anything. I tried to get information from him about the Heavy Magic fluid and why it does not work like the stuff we found in the desert. All I learned was that it needs a spark of Mystra. Master Wands seems to think that DaRoni can build something that will help us use the Heavy Magic against the Shades. He got a bit wild-eyed and crazed looking when I tried to probe him for more information or to get Planus Mechanus from him so I could spend some time studying it. Frustrated, I left the scrolls with him yet again and left with a letter to deliver to a crazed inventor in Sembia. I am getting angry with Master Wands for keeping too many secrets from me.

We learned a little about the rift between the eastern and western Harpers, the breaking of the Sharn Wall and the destruction of Evereska. Primula has been in a black mood and has talked about little beyond rescuing her people and creating a refuge for them in the ancient temple where we first encountered the gold dragon Gorgoland She received a letter from her family and a very old letter from her grandfather who I presume is long dead. Remember that we encountered him in the days of ancient Netheril when we traveled back in time with Master Wands. She shared only a little of the letter with us. It was more of the same type of thing that drove her from her home originally and created such a rift between her and her parents. I think that the trip back to the library near her home will be more than just a quiet time for study.

From the Far Rangers and Lela Sud we have learned that the Zhents in Anauroch are in full rout. Shade Enclave, the city on top of a flying mountain cruises through the desert land and, if our guesses are correct, destroys phaerimms where ever they can be detected in their underground lairs. The most reliable rumors I have heard point to a systematic campaign by the shades to search out and destroy phaerimm mythallars. I didn't even imagine that the creatures could have had mythallars. Meanwhile, Shade ambassadors are everywhere except Thay and the North, trying to make alliances. Apparently they never sent anyone to Thay and they withdrew their ambassadors from the North after the recent conflict. They are doing something with shadow magic to melt the High Ice as well. This has disrupted the weather across a huge area, causing flooding and early spring rains that have destroyed our newly planted crops each time we have tried to get them started. Despite the failed planting attempts and the horrors of the past winter, our refugees are in reasonably good spirits. This is due in no small part to Kerith's skills. He is a remarkable leader and very popular amongst the people of our newly established thorpe. He is attracting quite a following and everything seems to go more smoothly and effectively when he is around. We're lucky to have him.

In other news, we have heard that the Bladebrights found a lead for a new mine in our area. Oscar has also discovered information about a lost clan of Bladebrights known as the Bazontras in the Dagger Hills. We've learned that these dwarves, which allegedly shave their beards, are having trouble with a wizard overlord. They have also learned of the "key to helping the Bladebrights" in the west which has been hidden for too long. I am certain that this omen refers to the lost mines of Tethyamar and the Axe of the Dwarven Lords. I feel like we should be helping them in this, but I worry that we will not be able to get to that problem until we deal with the Shades.

I'm sure you have, by now, heard about the destruction of Tilverton. Unfortunately, Artur Grossman left Dagger Falls to return to Tilverton shortly before the disaster. Nothing has been heard of him since. I hope that some of his more trustworthy scouts and agents remained in Dagger Falls Lord Morn needs someone to keep an eye out for ongoing Zhent activity. We learned that the great sage of Shadowdale is missing after a confrontation with representatives of Shade Enclave in Shadowdale. Following this, Kelben and some of the Seven Sisters attacked the City of Shade directly in an attempt to destroy its mythalar. Apparently they all withdrew without significantly harming the shades. This does not bode well.

While I have spent many days gathering information and seeking out more, I have also filled my days with magical study and works. I have added a few interesting arts to Oskar's Urgosh and my own staff. To the Urgosh I have added the ability to weave a greater dispelling and a holy sword once a day. To my staff I've woven in a shield spell which works while the weapon is being held, and once a day I can cast a thunderlance. Kerith and I have also worked a bit on his sword and I've learned ethereal jaunt and analyze portal. The magical weapon work was aided by the use of the spark at the site of my future laboratory. The dwarves have erected a scaffolding there now that will be used to construct the tower. I have used that and, with the help of an endure elements spell on my assistants and a screen to keep things hidden, have strengthened everything I've cast. Additionally, all the study I have been putting in on those captured spell books has finally paid off. I just needed a bit of time to process all the different information. It is amazing how different each wizard is when it comes to crafting spell books. I stopped looking for patterns and common threads and just relied on rote memory work to keep them all straight. Now those books finally make sense to me. I fear that my own books are taking on a hodge podge of styles from every book I've mastered and you would hardly recognize the style anymore. I should also tell you that I picked up a few strange and somewhat distasteful magical items from our recent adventures in the Underdark. I now wear a drow version of the infamous Hand of Glory. It is hideous but even more powerful than that better known magic item . I also have a rod that functions much like a rod of absorption but also has a backlash effect of negative energy. As long as I don't use it on undead, it should be useful.

Not a moment goes by these days when I don't feel like I have failed Larissa and my parents. If only I had been there when she was taken. If only I could figure out what to do now to rescue her from Leevoth's clutches. My moods have grown increasingly black and sullen. And yet, although I recognize this and often wish it were different, I continue to sink deeper into despair and hatred for the Shades. I want to help her but there seems little that I can do. I almost lashed out with deadly art when Xan asked if perhaps Larissa welcomed her abduction. I barely controlled myself from weaving something terrible and calling out for his death. I don't know if I will be able to control such feelings should we encounter another representative of Shade Enclave or a tainted wizard who dabbles in the shadow weave.

Sincerely,

Cedar