<div class="floatright">(https://dncache-mauganscorp.netdna-ssl.com/thumbseg/957/957724-bigthumbnail.jpg)</div><br/>The road north from Waterdeep was relatively uneventful. Scores of people on foot, and horseback walked in and out of the city gates alongside the road while merchant convoys had the right of way to get their wares and commodities that sustained a large city in and out. As such, the City Guard maintained a contingent of rangers and sherriffs whose sole purpose was to make sure the roads and the lands near the city were safe to travel.<br/><br/>As the small group went further north though, those road men were sighted fewer and fewer times. The group was not fearful or defenseless though, an older man who's best years were behind him, but still had a few good years in front of him had a crossbow across his saddle and a rapier at his side, while the older woman just had a crossbow of her own. Another much younger woman, probably in her late teens had a shortbow and sword at her side. All three held defferrence to their Lady, who looked ready for battle. The Lady's dark grey armor contrasted sharply with her milk white skin and platinum hair. She carried a massive sword at her back and a large bolt thrower across her own saddle.<br/><br/>They stopped in Red Larch, a fairly well to do town that served as a crossroads, stopover, and junction for trade going north and east from Waterdeep. They chose a middling inn, whether because the Lady felt more comfortable with commoners or because the higher class establishments were stuck up was anybody's guess.<br/><br/>In the morning they kept going north towards the Sword Mountains and the Kryptgarden Forest. In the Forest was the place the Lady hoped to find. The coin that Durnan showed her felt wrong in her hands. It wasnt intrinsic to the metal itself, more like some smell or tarnish it picked up where it had lain. She told Durnan it felt evil to which he responded<em>What money isn't?</em><br/><br/>Still, it had piqued Her interest and finding out where it came from and doing away with it would be a better use of her time than praying and cleaning Ilmater's Catherdral yet again.<br/><br/>"Miss Claire, I think we are here. Look at those big stones. They are not from around here." Her squire had piped up.<br/><br/>Indeed, the clearing they came to had a massive hill in the center of it, that rose sharply and leveled off as if it were cut in half. The stones looked like black obsidian, but didnt reflect any of the sunlight that poked through the grey clouds that day. Walking the horses around, there was no real easy way up to the top save a game trail or two. Each side of the hill looked squared off and ran for three hundred feet to a side, and all were covered with thorns and brambles and other hard scrabble plants. The north side however, looked to be eroding, as it appeared that sand and loose dirt crumbled away into the pocket of the hill itself and the sloping rise of he northern mountain it sat on.<br/><br/>Save the four of them, there didnt seem to be anyone or anything else around, not even birds chirping or crows crying for more food...<br/>