2 Mirtul, 1368

I head out to the Candlekeep Inn. It is owned and run by Winthrop, the father of my good friend Imoen.

Outside the Inn I bump into my good friend, Alec, another of the errand boys raised in the Keep.

Gameplay Note
And we hit the ground running with some modded content already! This is from the Romantic Encounters mod by Gibberlings Three.

Dorthon: Hey, Alec. Yes, I’m leaving Candlekeep.

Alec: I overheard Ulruant and Gorion arguing about it. Ulruant wanted to send you away alone, like he always does whenever your name is mentioned, and Gorion said he would die, first.

Was kind of embarrassing, actually: I broke the pistachio jar I was dusting, and they both stared at me. I guess it’s chamber pot duty for another tenday. As if I haven’t gotten intimately familiar with Ulruant’s pisspot already.

Dorthon: Don’t start about Ulruant’s chamber pot again. I really don’t want to know.

Alec: Heh. You think *I* want to know?

Since my uncle at the shrine of Oghma died, all Ulruant does is send me on errands. Cleaning, dusting, emptying his trash… I don’t think he wants me to become a priest. He’d much rather see me as a servant.

Dorthon: He’s really got it out for you.

Alec: Yeah, I don’t know. I think it’s because I’d do anything for you, and he knows it.

Sometimes I wish I could escape this place, too. But it’s Candlekeep! The great library! Even kids of the richest nobles don’t get to read half as much as you and I have read in the last year!

Dorthon: True. Adventures, legends, ancient lore and magic, history and news from all over the world…

Alec: There are travellers and pilgrims, too. Yesterday I heard Drizzt was somewhere in the area on his way to the Ten Towns, imagine! You might even get to meet him when you’re out of these walls!

Unless you meet a pack of hungry orcs first. But I’m an eternal optimist.

Dorthon: I’ll deal with those orcs in a blink, just you wait.

Alec: I’ve no doubt you’ll do well. You’re good with your weapon and you know about the world outside a fair bit.

Oh well, these are dry words. What I mean to say is, you’re going to kick their asses. You know it, I know it, and the orcs know it, but since they’re stupid, they’ll come at you anyway.

And you’ll make an omelet out of them. That’s what heroes do.

Dorthon: And every hero needs a sidekick!

Alec: Ah, so I see. So I’m just a sidekick to the great and magnificent Dorthon of Candlekeep? Let’s see if the hero can withstand a huge round of tickles coming!

Dorthon: Ha! The hero can withstand anything!

Alec: All right, all right. I relent! The hero is indomitable!

I’m a little envious, to be truthful. I love the hallowed halls of Candlekeep, but I want to see the world, too.

But duty calls, and right now, it’s calling me back to the shrine of Oghma. See you there later?

Dorthon: Sure. You’ll wait for me there, then?

Alec: I’ll be there. Well, it’s not as if I can go anywhere else.

Especially seeing how Tethtoril prowls the grounds today. A kind old man… but misstep in his sight, and Ulruant’s not far behind with sharp words. Like the snake and the grass, these two.

I’ll see you at the shrine of Oghma. Stay out of trouble.

With that Alec leaves to attend to his duties. I walk into the Candlekeep Inn. I see Firebead Elvenhair enjoying the fireplace, and a lady I don’t recognise pacing around. And there is also a rather angry looking dwarf talking to Winthrop at the bar.

Winthrop: Please, calm thyself down! My goodness! How many times must I tell you that I do not know where this stray is?

Braegar: Buzzurk! Gorschabarmarzabuldarvel!

Winthrop: Cursing will not help you, my friend. Either you start searching for him, or you wait here.

Braegar: Hrmpf. Give me another one, barkeeper.

Gameplay Note
We’ve already found our second mod! This is Braegar, a new NPC by Ascalon.

The dwarf takes his drink and goes to the back of the Inn. I’m here to get supplies, so I talk to Winthrop to see what he has.

Dorthon: You always were the big kidder, Winthrop. That gets funnier very nearly every time I hear it. Well, perhaps not quite so often.

Winthrop: Haw! Just having a bit o’ fun with ye, my friend. Them monks may be walking about with poles in their nethers, but you know you are always welcome here in my sight. Gorion did well by you, he did. So, is there anything I can do for ya? Some drinks, a room to sleep, or anything to buy?

Dorthon: Sure, what do you have?

He likes his jokes. As unfunny as they are, they still somehow maintain their charm. Among his supplies, I find a mace, a small shield, and a helmet.

Gameplay Note
Equipping the mace reduces Dorthon’s strength by one point. It doesn’t seem to have a major effect, but I’m not sure why this happens.

Gameplay Note
Notice this shield has 5% arcane spell failure. This is part of a mod that reworks armour to be a little more interesting. One of these changes is to allow arcane spellcasters to equip armour at the cost of making it more difficult to cast spells. Thankfully this won’t affect Dorthon as he is a divine spellcaster. I’m not sure exactly which mod this is from – as far as I can tell there are a few mods that do the same thing.

I’m starting to look like a real adventurer now!

The lady pacing around walks past me. She seems kind of troubled, so I decide to ask how she’s doing.

Dorthon: You look very pale indeed. Aren’t you feeling well?

Linda: I… had a terrible adventure. For me, as well as for the man I love. *sigh*

Dorthon: That sounds horrible. Do you want to talk about it?

Linda: You are Gorion’s foster child, aren’t you? Yes, I think I want to talk with you about it.

Have you been to the infirmary? My fiancé is recovering there from the injuries he got in his last fight.

Dorthon: No, I haven’t spoken to him yet.

Linda: He has an obvious injury: he lost an arm. But the wounds that are still troubling him are his memories of what happened during this fight, and the conditions under which he lost that arm. I… I am troubled by it too.

You see… I cut off his arm. It… it was the only thing to do.

Dorthon: I beg your pardon? That, I don’t understand.

Linda: We were on our way to Candlekeep, when suddenly a portal started opening near us. Monsters came out and started attacking. It was horrible. Sir Trun defended us, and it looked as if he would win easily. Then one of the creatures bit into his arm, dragging him toward the portal. He lost his sword…

There was only one possible way to save him and I used it. Otherwise, he would be dead by now.

Dorthon: It is a great pity he lost his arm, but you saved him nonetheless. Doesn’t he feel thankful for that?

Linda: No, it is not that easy. Sir Trun proposed to me, what seems a long, long time ago, and we went on this educational journey to Candlekeep. You have to understand, I am the daughter of a noble family, and never touched any kind of weapon. His… his gaze upon me when he realized what had happened…

Forgive me, but I do not want to talk more about it. I need to be patient, and hope that he will overcome his feelings. Poor Sir Trun… he is so brave. He grimly tries not to attribute any importance to the matter, but doesn’t succeed in overcoming his feelings of horror. He is bound to his proposal to a woman he now fears, and is trying to convince himself it is nothing to worry about. I still see that look in his eyes…

I decided not to go to the infirmary until someone brings the news of his recovery, or until he approaches me himself.

Gameplay Note
This is a quest from the Mini Quests & Encounters mod by Gibberlings Three.

A tragic tale for sure. Maybe I can visit Sir Trun and see how he feels. I might be able to help as a Volamtar.

The angry dwarf intrigued me. He seems to need some kind of help, and that’s what I do around the Keep. Plus, I always take every opportunity to meet every dwarf that visits this place.

Dorthon: I just wanted to know if I can do something for you, sir.

Braegar: Good, that’s more like it. That foolish dreamer Adam, that pathetic excuse of an errand boy, has my book and is floating around here somewhere!

I’m cooling my heels here and his lordship does not consider it necessary to appear! I should…

Buzzurk!

Come on, see if you can find him and bring me my book!

Dorthon: I’m on my way sir.

Braegar: It’s about time. Come on, what are you waiting for, boy?

I may have no chores, but I am ever the errand boy. I decide to say hello to Firebead. He’s a regular visitor to the Keep so I know him well.

Braegar: How about you finish *one* job first, before saddling another?

Firebead Elvenhair: Ah yes… if you could please root out this book quickly. The good dwarf strained my nerves a little.

Perhaps I should find this book – perhaps it will calm this other dwarf down a bit. I wander into the backroom and find a well dressed couple.

Noblewoman: Oh yes darling, they are MOST standoffish.

Dorthon: Perhaps they could not have been as welcoming as they could have, but you ARE strangers in their home.

Thurston: Perhaps. But if they wish no one to enter it is a simple matter of not letting anyone enter at all. ‘Twould certainly be a shame if they did, though. Such a storehouse of knowledge has limited use if no one can use the stored knowledge. Ah, well. ‘Tis cozy enough here by the fire to wash away any troubles I otherwise have with the place.

I never liked these kind of visitors. They had the money and could afford the book donation to get in, but they have no real interest in the knowledge here. They behave like they’re on a retreat, rather than as seekers of knowledge. Still, I guess it’s good for the library to have such people donate their tomes.

I head upstairs. Marthammor encourages exploration, so I like to explore the things people leave behind when they stay at the Inn.

In the first room I find a few coins and a scroll of Friends in a drawer.

I’m no arcane spellcaster, but I hold onto the scroll, just in case.

In the next room is a locked drawer. I manage to pick the lock and inside I find a silver necklace, a pearl, and a potion of persuasiveness.

The necklace isn’t much but might fetch a few coins if I trade it in downstairs.

The pearl was likely found in an oyster somewhere along the Sword Coast. I have no real use for it so I’ll just sell this to Winthrop as well.

The potion seems a bit more useful. It could help me barter a better price for goods, or get me out of a tricky conversation.

In the third room I manage to pick open another drawer. Inside are a few coins and a potion of clarity.

This potion can protect me from mind altering effects a mage might use.

The next room has another locked drawer. This lock seems a bit more intricate, and I am unable to break in. I decide not to try smashing the lock as I don’t want to attract a Watcher.

The next room turns out to be occupied.

Dorthon: I was just wondering who else was sharing the inn with me tonight. Who might you be?

Christian: I MIGHT very well be anyone, but I AM Christian of Waterdeep. Likely you would not know my family name or history, and this suits me well and good. These trips to Candlekeep are a bit of an extravagance on my part, and while I neither use illicit substances nor consort with “hired” company, I spend quite enough here that I should not like it common knowledge. To this end, I should appreciate it if you would forgo your odd little attempt at introductions and leave me to my thoughts.

Another tourist I see. Of course I leave him alone as he asks. One final room and it turns out to be occupied as well.

Dorthon: Just getting to know the neighbours. Who might you be?

Quincy: My name is Quincy. Beyond that is my own business and none of your concern. Leave, lest I report this intrusion to the guard.

Well that’s all the rooms checked. I head back down and talk to Winthrop one more time before I leave.

He gives me 100 gold for the pearl, but only 5 for the silver necklace. I purchase some studded leather armour so I have some protection if I need to fight when I leave the Keep.

Gameplay Note
I was planning on getting splint mail, but it was here I realised that metal armours now give a dexterity penalty. Since I’m playing a multiclass thief, I opted to use armour that wouldn’t impact Dorthon’s thieving abilities.

Now I am ready to face the world!

Gameplay Note
Starting out with an AC of 2 is not bad. THAC0 and damage are low though. It should be enough to complete the rest of Candlekeep though.

I’m supposed to meet Gorion after I have prepared but I want to walk around the grounds one last time before I do. Besides, I have some errands to run – and what kind of an errand boy would I be if I left the Keep with those unfinished?