Elient 22, 151 Council, Spellguard, Watch Files Townhall, Spellguard Tower, Watch House Regard Patrols of Dark Lake

Being displeased with the vague results of the Seeker investigations into the actions of the Slaal'teesh lizardfolk; I took a patrol of volunteers to sweep the north shores of the Dark Lake.

I encountered a large force of lizardfolk, a rough estimate put their numbers between fifty and one hundred fifty. They were in a moderately fortified camp just pass the ruins of the Blue Mushroom inn. There are no longer any gnomes at the trading post, they've either died or fled.

As the Seekers discovered, the lizardfolk are fanatical worshippers of the God Moander. They are seeking to exterminate all they come across as sacrifices for Moander.

Its clear their will turn their attention to Sanctuary before long.

In their camp, we located stockpiles of elixers to cure the Rotting Death Plague.

Its clear they intend to use their plague as a first assault against Sanctuary.

I suggest the Spellguard begin monitoring our water supply. Both testing it, and keeping it guarded. Lizardfolk poisoned it before with their plague.

They have the stockpile of elixers, they will be studying and analyzing it to try to make their own cure.

The lizardfolk are not weak warriors. Their rot shamans are the magical equal to our own Spellguards. Their scouts are stealthy and quiet, capable of felling strong men and leaders with a single strike. Their warriors are fierce but no match for even at two to one odds against a human warrior.

They travel with a number of seige engines. They will be able to attack our gates and bring them down with concerted effort. My patrol did seize all the seige engines we found in their camp, and destroyed any spoils we could not carry back. The seige engines we seized will be added to the Watch arsenal.

The lizards feared my advance and the courage of the men with me. They actually collapsed a cavern north of the Blue Mushroom ruins to prevent us from penetrating deeper into their ranks.

It will take at least a week for them to clear this area.

We left the camp in ruins, the bodies of their vanguard are still there festering.

I'd like the Seekers to immediately locate rogue and hostile kobold bands in the Underdark. Eliminate these bands and then use inks to tattoo the corpses with designs similar to those used by the Shadow Tribe kobolds.

Leave these corpes in the ruins of the lizardfolk camp *before* the lizards have time to dig out the collapsed passage and find the carnage. Leave the following notice near a stately lined row of these kobold's corpses.

"This shore of the Dark Lake is now under the protection of the Shadow Death and the Shadow Kobold Tribe. Tribute of any who will pass this way is to be delivered to the Shadow Death's lair to the east; located near the Sand Caves."

With luck, this may distract our enemies into fighting one another.

Sanctuary must prepare for war within one to two weeks. By that time the route north will be cleared again and our foes will decend in far greater numbers. Their route will take them through the Grunstuhble mines. We should warn our neighbors. From there they can attack directly at Upper Sanctuary.

A second route through the Spider caves or the canal is feasible, but far more dangerous for them to take. Both these routes could lead them through Lower Sanctuary. I find this is less likely, but citizens down there can not hope to repel the attack when it comes. I urge warning Lower Sanctuary's citizens to evacuate and come to Upper Sanctuary.

Within my part is a list of the men who risked their lives to bring this information:

Agent Lance Lathain Garul the Mighty Jarin the Scout Thorain Diasterion the Monk Jethro the Dwarf Malgrinn of Dumathion Alexander Reille

A monk by the name of Ashtielle also accompanied us, but his dishonorable actions and disloyalty to the men who served with us left him looking pathetic and contemptable in my eyes. It was a pity that he served on this mission.

Filed Sergeant Barrister Fawkes

*A copy is also delivered to Clan Gruhnstuhble with the following note. The section about using kobold bodies as a decoy is left out.*

"Your people are in danger. The city of Sanctuary will share all information about this danger with you, and will offer what aid it can spare if your people call for it.

Contact by letter or courier, Sergeant Barrister Fawkes to discuss the details if you wish this aid. The size of the lizardfolk forces coming this way will number between 500 and 1500; although at this time it is still a rough estimate."

*Follow up to the Council*

Elient 22, 151 ... ... ...

The Spellguard and the Watch have drawn up some preliminary defenses. The wards on the Upper gate are being modified to better protect the city from this threat.

Further we suggest:

1) The city find and locate an area to stockpile reserves of water should our main supply become contaminated.

2) We will mobilize the reserves and put them on active duty patrolling the gates and fortifying them.

3) I'd have the Council issue a bounty to any citizen that brings us information on the lizardfolk and their activities to help cover for the inability of the Seekers to learn more.

More suggestions will come in time. Further plans and defenses are being established. Currently, there is no plan to protect Lower Sanctuary because it is still "free". I again stress to the Council it may be a wise idea to urge the citizens there to evacuate for their own safety.

Marponeth 1, 151 Council, Spellguard, Watch Files Townhall, Spellguard Tower, Watch House Regard Lizardfolk Assault

A local druid, believed to worship Umberlee, plotted an attack on the city of Slaal'teesh itself in an attempt to eliminate the Synod. I spoke with him when he began trying to recruit large numbers of Sanctuary's citizens for his assault. I felt after our discussion that his plan lacked any chance of success and would result in the slaughter of all those included.

I made contact with an exiled lizardman dwelling on the south shores. He proposed a plan where our forces, rather than commit suicide on Slaal'teesh's shores would move to the protection of a lizardfolk exile community on an island in the Dark Lake.

A force of perhaps thirty citizens under the leadership of the druid Shroom and myself departed. There we helped repel and destroy a force of 200-300 lizardfolk, representing a significant portion of their standing forces. The lizards attacked by swimming toward's the island, surrounding it, and attempting to simply over power us with sheer numbers.

I expect a similar strategy may be used when they turn toward Sanctuary. This mission was a strong success, at the loss of only a few lives-all volunteers-Sanctuary's forces were able to destroy a large force of lizardfolk who might otherwise have turned against Sanctuary with a vastly larger force in the coming days.

The success of this mission was directly hinged on the Watch's recent scouting operations. The Seekers have been failing to share or bring useful information to the Watch about this matter and have proven several times to be uncooperative in the city's defenses-most notably some of the newer Seekers.

For this reason, the Watch is again requesting additional emergency funds--to be permanently extended during the next session of the Council--to establish a fully funded and operational Watch Scouting Division. The results we're gaining now are with an ad hoc force I've developed, with assured funding and support our results will only continue to improve for the benefit of Sanctuary.

Filed

Sergeant Fawkes

Sergeant Fawkes,

I have a special assignment that needs the attention of both the Spellguard and the Watch. It is to be classified Top Secret. Please see me in person for details.

-Field Officer Contego Ferrington Order of the Spellguard Mages

Marponeth 2, 151 Spellguard/Council ... ...

As promised, I tried to get more detailed information on the lizardfolk. I'd have expected the Seekers to be able to do this since they are funded by the city to launch scouting missions while the Watch is making due and stretching our budget to get anything.

Still, even with the little we have I learned the following todark.

The Synod exists no more in fact. It was destroyed or killed. The sole survivor is a lizardwoman named Aquarai. She alone swore to worship Moander when he reappeared and has led the recent uprise in hostile activity to search for sacrifices. She can be easily noted by the many jewels she wears within her hair (rare among lizardfolk I presume) and the scepter of command that glitters with a red jewel atop it.

At this point, the lizard forces number perhaps 1000, a score or two more perhaps but roughly 1000 at this point. That means the recent Watch operations in our North Shore raid and our defense of the exile isle eliminated nearly one third of their total strength already.

I expect this information, scanty though it is considering our lack of resources dedicated specifically to funding compared to what the Seekers obtain, shall prove helpful.

Lieutenant Fawkes