Dear Sir, I am writing this letter as part of a formal disciplinary procedure instigated by the Watch two days ago. I am to send to the spellguard a comprehensive list of my activities criminal and otherwise, which led to the capture of a potentially significant artefact. Three days ago, I read a small advert in the Urinating Crone, advertising for work at a cryptically described location. I solved the enigma, more for the exercise of the brain than the urge for coin. I located a hidden area beneath the city, and found four individuals. One was called Cale, and had just been hired by the other three, he immediately left to hire more help. The employers were dressed in long yellow cassocks, and wore matching yellow gloves. The had simple masks that obscured there features entirely. The room was filled with a foul miasma, perhaps emanating from the “cultists” themselves. The man called Cale returned with two mercenaries. One is a dwarf by the name of Wulgar. The other is a half-orc who might have been called Morgh (I did not get introduced, but overhead a name later). We were told we were to travel to the Sandy Caverns and locate and return an artefact in the form of a knucklebone. It was to be guarded by many undead. We would gain a key, which would allow entry, and a magic stone that would allow the crypt to be located.
During this discussion, the lead cultist made a critical error. Clearly irritated by the mask, he moved its position, revealing a clean view of some distinctly black flesh. Wulgar, Morgh and myself came to the same conclusion immediately. This cultist, and most probably the other two were drow. Wulgar and Morgh left immediately, leaving Cale and myself behind. I was tempted to leave, but I reasoned any artefact the cultists wanted to pay 5000 gold for was clearly powerful, and there motives unlikely to coincide with those of Sanctuary. I decided to take the job, with the intention of placing this artefact into safer hands. We hired a bunch of mercenaries to do the task. I made a sending, and hired a squad under the command of Tristan, know to some as Mr Cove. His team included a half orc called Hungry, a human called McLusky and and an elf called Pixley Skylark. A Lathanderite priest by the name of Matthew also offered to come without pay. I was also met by a Maestro, a tiefling I had met before. Unlike the other applicants for the job he already knew its nature, whispering that he worked for the same cultists already. In addition a human by the name of Thomas was hired separately. He was executed yesterday as I understand for unrelated criminal activities.
I would have liked to immediately hand over the magic stone of location and report Cale as having the key. However this Cale gentleman had willingly consorted with drow, and I could not trust him to hand himself in. Likewise the presence of the Maestro made things more complicated still. I did clearly state our destination in front of the guards at the sanctuary gate, alerting them to our destination. No doubt the watchman will confirm that he heard me, as he chastised the party for wishing to travel to a forbidden zone. Unfortunately we were not arrested.
We left the city and travelled to the Sandy Caverns. Now I wish to stress that the mercenaries I had hired did not know of the nature of our employer, and are free of treason in this regard. They did, however, all agree to go to a forbidden area. We were shadowed on route by Vulgar, Morgh and also the well-known Mylin. We entered the Canyons, found the crypt with the magic stone, and opened the grate with the key. We were assaulted by waves of undead, and survived only due to the tireless work of Matthew, whose calls to Lathander were the difference between our life and death. Much to our surprise and interest, there were also several large jellies in the crypt, and these fought the undead, but avoided us. Three of our number were killed in one particularly violent struggle. We finally found the knucklebone, guarded by an undead giant of epic proportions. It was lured away, while the Maestro slipped in like a shadow and took the bone. The undead giant collapsed as it exited the crypt. We carried our dead outside, where, as luck would have it, Matthew was able to raise the dead with some scrolls that had been gathered. Maestro then gave me the knucklebone at my insistence.
As you now have the knucklebone in your care, you are probably already aware it appears to be the index finger of an elf. The bone was polished smooth by time, but did not appear brittle or weak. I am unable to tell you anything about this bones function or purpose.
As we returned to Sanctuary, Mylin, Wulgar and Morgh burst upon us with a pack of gnolls. While pandemonium broke loose, I drank a potion of invisibility and slipped past them all. I do feel guilty for leaving people I had unwittingly duped into working for drow to face combat with Sanctuaries finest vigilantes. However I judged the return of the bone to safe keeping of ultimate import. I ran to the watch and spoke to the guards. While I waited for a senior guard to arrive, Mylin’s group came with the rest of my group. Thomas was bound and gagged, and had clearly suffered violence. They had arrested the group for conspiring with the drow. I gave both the knucklebone, and a second item to the guards. The latter was a device designed for the raising of an undead creature of prodigious power, which in and of itself seemed to be a danger to Sanctuary.
I was put on probation, and told to make a written report to the spellguard, which I have now done. There are several things I wish to say in conclusion. Firstly I did gamble on my own ability to leave the group once I had the bone. I understand I risked Sanctuary, but ultimately I did so with the best of intentions. I believe to this day that had I immediately alerted the guards we might not now possess the artefact. Secondly I wish to move all blame away from any other than Cale, the Maestro and myself. Cale and I were the only two that colluded with the drow, while Maestro seemed to imply he was already a member of their cult. The others were unwittingly conned into service under false pretences, and they have already faced undue trials and tribulations for minimal pay. If you have any further questions, or wish to visit me to hand down sentence, I can be found in the Steady Hand.
Frudoc L. Maynare.