Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 188 Journey of Memories and Rumors

In Baldur's Gate, a place possessing extraordinary powers such as magic and divine arts, the plague did not cause such a tragedy as nine out of ten houses being emptied, but the deaths of over a thousand people were undoubtedly a major blow to this city, which was not known for its large population.

Despite its status as a transportation hub in the Sword Bay area, it has a population of less than 50,000, which makes it hard to say that there are no lingering effects of the plague from that time.

As for revenge, let's not even talk about how this group of ignorant adventurers went to Larok's hometown to freeload and ended up getting into trouble and causing trouble for others. What good way could Baldur's Gate possibly deal with them?

It's hard to say who is the strongest, but Lalock is certainly one of the highest-level spellcasters known. Not to mention, after years of building up his power base, who knows how many powerful undead and undead legions he has amassed? Even many troll tribes in the Troll Mountains are secretly controlled by him.

The Flame Fist Guild is indeed powerful, even ranking among the top in the Sword Coast region, but how can it contend against a great arcanist like the Shadow King?

In any case, the dukes of Baldur's Gate acted as if nothing had happened afterward, swallowing their anger and resentment.

Fortunately, Lalock is a lifelong shut-in, keeping himself in his old lair, Oberda, the ruins of the former floating city after its collapse. He is engrossed in various magical experiments and technical research, showing little interest in or concern for what is happening in the outside world.

The only variable is probably the visit by the group of red-robed men led by Sazantan, or rather, their attempt to freeload.

After suffering near-total annihilation, the chief red-robed necromancer reached a secret agreement with Lalock, obtaining several extremely powerful, even artifact-like, magical items from the latter, including the Death Moon Orb.

Of course, such a high-level game and transaction is beyond the reach of a spellcaster who has just entered the intermediate level; however, he must be careful to deal with the possible aftereffects.

According to records from the previous life, this incident occurred in 1366DR, which is this year!

No one can say for sure whether the deal has been finalized by now, or what kind of impact it will have.

It's not that we're worried about Lalock having a moment of madness or getting too excited and wandering around aimlessly; we're just afraid of the possible activity and abnormalities of the trolls and undead in the Troll Mountain region. These minions alone could give the Canaan squad a run for their money.

Fortunately, they did not encounter any attacks or harassment that night, and the group spent the night peacefully and comfortably in the stone house.

Incidentally, the four survivors lived in tents because a mage told them that there wasn't enough space and they had to camp outside overnight.

The four people, who even had to rely on the other party to provide their tents, naturally didn't dare to complain. However, when they looked at their own tents, which rattled in the wind, and then at the other party's stone house, which exuded a strong sense of security, they felt a mixture of envy and worry.

This anxiety dissipated as the three warrior pieces were summoned as part of the night watch. The imposing figures of Mars and Axe clearly put them at ease, preventing them from tossing and turning and unable to sleep. Of course, whether their experiences in the troll cave would haunt them for the rest of their lives with nightmares, only they themselves knew.

The Canaan team, fully prepared and ready to go early the next morning, made no hesitation. They had already formed a grudge against a force that was secretly plotting against them. Who could be sure that the other party had any backup plans or allies in this place?
Zhang Yuan even summoned five knights to ensure that each carriage was pulled by three horses. Rick and Morty rode separately, making the weight distribution of each carriage more balanced.

In this way, after taking into account and optimizing almost every aspect of the convoy, the convoy, which was originally empty, sped along the highway like lightning.

For an entire day, from sunrise to sunset, from the stars disappearing to the moonrise, the team traveled far from the Troll Mountains, heading northwest along the trade route.

As he parked and settled in, Zhang Yuan looked around in the afterglow of the twilight and gazed to the right of the road. Not far away, he saw a long, high cliff rising up.

It is the Highlands, a highland located south of the High Forest and east of Sword Coast. Its vast expanse not only nurtures Farstar Lake and the numerous swamps and ponds scattered across the highlands, but also Dragonspear Castle, which sits not far ahead.

The next leg of the journey, the trade route ahead, lies in this narrow passageway nestled between the Troll Howling Forest and the High Wasteland.

“From now on, we need to be wary not only of the trolls on the west side, but also of the evil creatures from the northeast, whose base is Dragonspear Castle, which may also be spreading their activities to this area.” Inside the stone house, a captain was discussing the upcoming journey with his team members.

"Dragonspear Castle?" Upon hearing this, Kegan took a big gulp of water, smacked his lips unhappily, and, remembering the captain's prohibition on alcohol during the state of alert, could only give up in disappointment.

"Speaking of which, this castle was founded by the dwarf hero Dalos Dragonspear and his brass dragon companion Harathastal. What a glorious and heroic era that was!"

As he spoke, a look of longing and anticipation appeared on Kegan's face: "That was all a hundred years ago. Back then, Daros's feat was praised and sung in our Shield Dwarf village, and many of our people regarded him as a hero and a source of pride."

“That’s right. Back in those chaotic times, Dragonspear Castle was practically the fortress and sanctuary in the eyes of all the dwarves in Sword Coast. It’s just a pity,” Bard interjected, shaking his head repeatedly as he spoke:
"Unfortunately, the peaceful years passed quickly, and the former glory was gone forever. Less than forty years after the founding of Dragonspear Castle, this prosperous region was targeted by an evil mage who wanted to seize the treasures accumulated by Daros and his brass dragon companions."

Upon hearing this, Kegan could hardly contain his emotions: "Istairus, that name that deserves to be cursed a thousand times, that damned bastard actually dared to open the portal to the Nine Hells in order to achieve his own goals, and even lured the other three dragons to participate in that despicable sneak attack."

"Ironically, although this despicable mage's plan succeeded, he himself died at the hands of the greedy and tyrannical Shandel. The black dragon, having failed to obtain the promised treasure, directly turned on the foolish Istalus." Bard also revealed the mage's fate with a series of cold laughs, his words overflowing with sarcasm.

"Dragonspear Castle was destroyed in that terrible War of the Four Dragons, and the ancient castle was abandoned. It is said that the soul of Harathal, the bronze dragon who died here, has been wandering the old site ever since. No flame of civilization has been lit since then, and only bandits and beasts roam freely." Kegan and Bard, the two dwarf brothers, sang in unison, like bards.

(End of this chapter)