The Call of Atropus: Theft of Wisdom

The party was called to Candlekeep, responding to a call for aid. They met with several monks and a high ranking librarian, named Ilma. They were informed that several texts were taken while being prepared for transport. The texts were unidentified before they were taken, but a horseshoe was recovered from the cloaked rider who fled with the texts. They headed down the entry path, and Ocunta used his tracking skills to try and see if any tracks matched up with the print. They searched for 2 hours, and found that the thief must have travelled East, through the Forest of Sharp Teeth. Bracing themselves, the party headed into the woods, before coming to a crosspoint. As they pondered this, Locheid found that the vines that the roots underneath the party were moving and writhing in strange ways. The roots grew up from the ground, and the party fought against dangerous masses of vines. They thought they were growing closer to victory, but then the trees themselves joined the vines. Miyamoto was brought down, as well as Ocunta and Russet, but luckily Syndel and Locheid managed to bring down the creatures before the party fell. They managed to mend some of the wounds they received, before venturing further down the path. They headed to a checkpoint, guarded by the Bloodswords, a ruthless mercenary company often employed by the Zhentarim. They tried to negotiate, but upon realizing that the party would not be good for business, they were not allowed to pass. They returned to the center of the forest, and headed down a second path, before finding they were being tracked. They rushed to the settlement of Berdusk, and Russet used several bags of ball bearings to slow their pursuers. They made their way into the city, attempting to blend into the crowd. They stayed at an old inn, and found themselves at the hands of a small halfling in the midst of the night. He mistook them for Zhentarim agents, but upon realizing the mistake, he asked that, in return for information, they return to the town to free it from Zhentarim influence. Russet is bound by a Thieves’ Pact. With newfound information, they travelled to an old tavern, just before dawn. They found it locked, and tried to enter the windows, but they were barred with magic. The door was not magically barred, but contained several traps, some of which the party managed to disable. A bolt embedded itself in Locheid, slowly dissolving, threatening to be lethal. However, the party was successful in removing the bolt, which they found contained crystallized dust of dryness. They headed into the old tavern, finding it has long since been abandoned. They headed down to the cellar, where a cloaked figure waited. They spoke with him, found that his name was Valken, and that he was a Zhentarim agent, who stole the texts for a client. He offered a deal, they could keep their lives and leave with the ledger that detailed the titles of the 6 books, if they paid him 1000 gold, but they could not take the books. Russet noticed a green, glimmering ring, filled with shadows, on his right hand. After much deliberation, the party chose to cut their losses, give him the money, and escape with some information and their lives. They fled before sunrise, and made their way back towards Candlekeep. The books taken deal specifically with Forbidden Knowledge, an entity that was unknown by any in the party, but has been spelled several different ways, including Vecan, Vacen, and Venac, and most specifically a mythical book of all the darkest spells, actions, and beings. It’s true name is unknown, but it is referred to here as the Book of Darkness. None know if such a text or being is real, or simply a matter of stories long forgotten. For now, none can say.