Events+of+Zarantyr+16-18,+998+YK

=Events of Zarantyr 16-18, 998 YK=

Party arrives in New Cyre with the Cyran Muster, all happy at having cleared the Dragonshard mine under the Murnie Homestead and Monument Hill and "defeating" the Dark Hand Goblinoid incursion. The Cyrans taking part in the muster celebrated, mostly because they saw very little actual combat. The mine and the goblins' lairs had already been cleared of major opposition, and the survivors had been stopped as they tried to retreat to the Seawall mountains (their final destination, however, was a mystery). Tanar d'Tharashk used his dragonmark to confirm that the old mine still had sufficient Eberron dragonshards to warrant it being reopened, and communicated this to Prince Oargev.

Needing to get to Sharn to follow up on the Kostas Knyarri clue, the party joins a House Orien fast caravan heading for Starilaskur. Professor Grigg Wunsin accepted a couple of Hobgbolin magic items (including a Dhakaani Battle Pennant) in trade for Lightning Rail tickets for everyone between Starilaskur and Sharn (with a stopover at Wroat).

The caravan, consisting of magically-enhanced wagons pulled by magebred horses, travels quickly, making the 175-mile distance in three days...even with the ambush. Outside a village abandoned during the Last War, near a monument memorializing Brelanders from the area killed during the first two decades of said War (894-914 YK), the caravan was attacked by bandits seemingly intent on freeing a couple of prisoners being transported from New Cyre to Starilaskur for trial. They came very close to succeeding, but were stopped by the party, the Orien guards warding the prisoners, and fellow passengers Narcy ir'Kemble and Citadel Agent Lucan Stellos (who had been captured by the Dark Hand Goblinoids without their realizing he was an agent). A couple of the bandits escaped, and several were captured and stuffed in the prisoner transport wagon, but during the scrum a wagon of Hobgoblins bearing diplomatic banners detached from the caravan and tried to make its own way.

As the caravan moved on, they soon came across the Hobgoblin wagon, on its side and burning, possibly from a //fireball//. All occupants, including their Orien driver and the deputy to Darguun Ambassador Ka'vanau, are found dead. The deputy had managed to scribe a peculiar rune using his own blood -- a square-shaped set of four right triangles. The strongbox that would have carried diplomatic papers had been forced, and the contents scattered to the winds (making an inventory of what might have been missing impossible).

They made it the rest of the way to Starilaskur in relative peace, and the party was able to board the Lighting Rail safely. Colden Torbald made sure the prisoners were turned over to the Brelish authorities, and that there were no repercussions to the party from the battle. Faye, for her part, made contact with a Shifter and a Gnoll in a bar catering to monstrous humanoids, called The Great Crag. Pretending to be Kostas Knyarri's protege, Faye convinced them to tell her who to contact in Sharn. Naturally, a brawl soon broke out, and a Human Knight, Crest, was able to break it up and keep Ms. Dwarfhammer from harm.