Expedition to Evereska

[volsunga]

From the desk of Jod Hil, Magus of the Arcane Society

Fellow Arcane Society Members,

The proposed expedition to Evereska has been approved. The intelligence-gathering portion of our mission should prove to be quite pleasant, as Evereska is a most beautiful elven city, perhaps second only to Evermeet. The elves of Evereska are our allies and will likely go out of their way to help us. However, we will need to interpret correctly all the data gathered by the Evereskans in order to pinpoint the location of our target: the Phaerimm search party that is attempting to gather the Paradox Fragments.

A note on the Phaerimm: they are an evil, sadistic, powerful race bent on alternately enslaving or exterminating all other creatures. They feed on magic, but also eat all mammals and reptiles. Fortunately, many of them are imprisoned behind the Sharn Wall under the deserts of Anauroch. Unfortunately, many of them escaped in 1371 DR, whereupon the Phaerimm and their army of enslaved creatures attacked Evereska. The war was bloody, especially for the Evereskans. It took a combined army of Shadovar, Evereskans, and humans (including Cormyreans) to finally defeat the Phaerimm army in 1372. Evereska has been rebuilding ever since.

Phaerimm are cone-shaped monsters, with a jagged-toothed mouth at the widest part of their body. They move by levitation, have four arms, and can use their tails as weapons. Most importantly, phaerimm have a better command of magic than most human mages. They can absorb or reflect spells cast at them. And they can mind-control numerous minions, such as illithids and beholders.

Thus, the search and destroy portion of our mission could be very dangerous. I implore the most powerful members of the Arcane Society to join this expedition. We cannot let any of the Paradox Fragments fall into the hands of this most evil and dangerous race.

[volsunga]

After Action Report: Expedition to Evereska and the Hunt for the Phaerimm Search Party by Jod Hil

Last week, the Arcane Society was visited by one of the Greycloaks of Evereska. (The Greycloaks are the law-enforcement and investigative organization of the Elves of Evereska). The Greycloak messenger invited the Arcane Society to Evereska to meet with the High Elder of Evereska.

Upon arrival at Evereska, the Arcane Society party was led to the magnificent Cloudcrown Palace to meet the High Elder. The Elder informed the Society that they had detected (as I have in my recent forays into the Underdark) that Phaerimm activity had recently increased with the recent disturbances caused by the Paradox Fragments.

The High Elder informed us that Greycloaks had recently intercepted three messages from the Phaerimm to their minions. The only message of the three that we could decipher was sent by the Phaerimm to their minions among the Bedine tribesmen near the Anauroch desert. This was an affirmation of Phaerimm activity. The Phaerimm were likely looking for Paradox Fragments, possibly to breach the Sharn Wall imprisoning most of the Phaerimm race under the Anauroch desert. We needed to find the Phaerimm looking for the Fragments and stop them.

After further discussion with the High Elder of Evereska, we concluded that Phaerimm activity was most likely in the Underdark. We thanked the Evereskans for their hospitality and made our way to the Underdark. First stop: Reeshov.

Upon the Expedition's arrival in Reeshov, we tried to find signs of Phaerimm activity, but could not find any. We then decided to look for the Phaaerimm in the Zhentarim stronghold of Stonakor. After searching unsuccessfully searching a Zhentarim estate, we found the Phaerimm Search Party in the northeast corner of Stonakor. They were accompanied by a couple of beholders. The Expedition set upon the Phaerimm and the beholders, and after a short battle, emerged victorious and relatively unscathed. Near the body of the Phaerimm Search Party leader, we were able to retrieve one of the Paradox Fragments! Geovex was also able to capture one of the Phaerimm for study. The captured Phaerimm was herded to the basement of the Arcane Society tower, where it was imprisoned by the Old Wizard Elminster Aumar.

Based on the expedition, we can conclude the following:
1. The Paradox Fragments must be powerful if the Phaerimm are expending their valuable resource looking for them.
2. A Paradox Fragment can make its bearer feel disoriented, possibly due to the powerful magics it contains.
3. Some of the Zhentarim have been subverted by the Phaerimm.

The Society must be on the lookout for further Phaerimm activity, as it is now clear that they are searching for Paradox Fragments. Studying the Fragment we have in our possession may help the Society find the other Fragments. It is of the highest priority that we keep the Paradox Fragments out of the hands of those that might use them to further their evil aims.

Report submitted concurrently with an application for the position of High Mage.

Jod Hil
Mage of the Arcane Society