Chapter 3 Chapter 1 Puppet

When the Wizards Guild of Luskan City, headed by the Wizard Tower (Hosttower Of Arcane), is also the de facto ruler of the city.The departing wizard caravan saw Kelvifln's Cairn (Kelvifln's Cairn): a mountain standing alone in Icewind Valley, the only peak north of the Spine of the World.They breathed a sigh of relief as they slowly rose above the horizon.This trip is from Luskan Luskan (Luskan): known as the city of a thousand sails, a large city located in the south of Icewind Dale.Travel to the Far Frontier, known as the Ten Towns: ten small towns in Icewind Dale, surrounded by three great lakes.Because of their distance from the rest of the Forgotten Realms, they are collectively known as the Ten Towns.Except for the biggest one, Bryn Shander, in Ten Towns, almost all of them make a living by fishing.The ten towns are Bryn Shander, Caer Dineval, Caer Konig, Dougan's Hole, East Haven , Good Mead, Lonely Wood, Targos, Termalaine, Bremen.The three lakes are Maer Dualdon, LacDinneshere and Dellon-lune, of which Dellon-lune is now called Redwaters.The arduous journey to the place has been more than three weeks long.

In fact, the first week of the journey was quite easy.The team marched along the Sword Coast, and even though they were traveling in the northernmost regions of the Forgotten Realms, the summer breeze from the Unmarked Sea was still quite comfortable. But when they rounded the Spine of the World: the oldest and tallest mountain in the north in the Forgotten Realms. ——When the westernmost branch of "the vast mountain range considered by many to be the northern frontier of human civilization" entered Icewind Dale, these wizards quickly understood why everyone advised them not to come .Icewind Dale, a desolate, barren, and uneven tundra stretching thousands of miles, is said by people to be the most unfriendly area in the entire Forgotten Kingdom.And even though they had only traveled north of the Spine of the World for a day, Eldruk, the mottled wizard Dandiba, and the other wizards who set out from Luskan together already believed that the notoriety was well deserved.It is separated from the south by impassable high mountains, and from the east by the ever-expanding glaciers. An unnavigable sea full of icebergs is located in the east and north. To reach Icewind Dale, the only way to reach Icewind Dale is through the Spine of the World and the Sword Coast. Enter the path at the junction, usually only the most fearless businessman dares to walk this path.

For these wizards in the days to come, as long as they recalled this journey, there were two memories that would haunt their hearts, two travelers that would never forget, but were commonplace in Icewind Dale.One is the sound of the never-ending cold wind, like the howling of the earth in constant suffering.One is the emptiness in the valley, a gray-brown horizon that spreads for thousands of miles. The caravan's destination was the only part of the valley that was still alive, the ten small towns that circled the three lakes in the region, in the shadow of the Cairne Cone, the only mountain in the region.Like others who have set foot in this frigid land, these wizards have come to collect Ten-Towns' famous bone ornaments, fine carvings made from the hard-finned skulls that are a specialty of the lakes here.

However, there are a few wizards with more sinister intentions in mind.    The slender dagger pierced the heavily folded robe and pierced the old body so easily, even the attacker was amazed. The red-clothed wizard Mo Kai turned to face his disciple, his eyes were wide open, with a look of disbelief, the person he raised and treated like a son for fifteen years actually betrayed him. Akar Kessell let go of the dagger and stepped back from his mentor.He was terrified that the man, who had been mortally wounded, could still stand.He staggered back some distance until he hit the back wall of the hut.Kessell trembled visibly, imagining the grim fate he would face if the old wizard's magic overcame death.

When his all-powerful teacher punishes him for his betrayal, will he face a dire fate?What kind of magic would a truly powerful wizard like Mokai, the red wizard, use to torture him far beyond the cruelest torture on the continent? The old man's eyes were fixed on Acar Kessell, even as the last of the life began to drain from his dying eyes.He didn't ask why, and he didn't even question Kessell's motives.He understands that the real reason for betrayal cannot be separated from the power struggle.What really confuses him is not the motive of the attack, but the person who does it.Kessell?How could this young apprentice, who could stutter even the simplest of incantations, think he could gain anything by killing the only person who really cared about him?

The red-clothed wizard Mo Kai just fell down and bid farewell to the world.It was one of the few questions he could never find the answer to. Kessell was not moving against the wall, barely able to stand on the support of the wall, trembling constantly.Finally, the self-confidence that had put him in such danger filled him again.He was a great man now, said Eldrok, and Danshiba, the mottled wizard, and the other wizards who had come with him.When his master dies, he, Akar Kessell, will be rewarded: a meditation chamber and an alchemy chamber, in the Sorcerer's Tower in Luskan. So said Eldruk, Dendybar the Mottled Wizard, and others.

   "Is the matter done?" At the agreed place, in a dark alley, a strong man asked Kessell who had just arrived. Kessell nodded eagerly. "The scarlet wizards of Luskan will no longer be able to cast spells!" he announced loudly, hoping to please his accomplices. "Keep your voice down! Idiot!" Hiding in the darkness of the alleyway, the mottled wizard Dandiba, a frail-looking man, said in his usual monotonous, lifeless tone.Dandiba was a man of few words, and even when he was agitated, his face never showed a trace of emotion.He always hid his face under the pulled down brim of his hat.Most people who meet Dan Diba will be nervous by his cold blood.Although in this caravan that traveled more than 400 miles to the ten towns on the border, the wizard Dandiba was the thinnest and most inconspicuous, but he was the most frightening to Kessell among all the wizards.

"The red wizard Mokai, my former teacher, is dead." Kessell repeated softly. "I, Akar Kessell, will be called the red wizard Kessell from now on, and from now on, I will be a member of the Luskan Wizards Guild!" "Take it easy, my friend," Aldrouk said, placing his hand lightly on Kessell's tense shoulders. "When we go back to our hometown, then is the best time for you to officially become a member of the guild." He said behind Kessell's back, and winked at Dandiba. Fascinated by the various benefits that his future identity would bring, Kessell couldn't help but feel dizzy.No longer would he be ridiculed by his younger mage apprentices who outranked him in the guild ranks.Now they have to respect him, because he surpassed those guys who had better grades than him in the apprenticeship stage in one breath, and obtained the lofty wizard status first.

However, just as he was immersed in every bit of the beautiful future, the original excitement on his face suddenly dimmed.He turned quickly to face the person next to him, his expression tense as he realized a serious problem.Eldruk and the others in the alley also became uneasy.They both knew what would happen to them if the Archmage of Sorcerer's Tower knew of their murder. "That robe!" Kessell asked. "Should I bring back the red robe?" Aldruk was relieved, and couldn't hold back the smile on his mouth anymore, but Kessell only thought it was the smile of his new friend to reassure him.

I should have known that this kind of person would only worry about such trifles, Aldruk said in his heart, but to Kessell, he just said: "Don't worry. There are all kinds of things in the Wizard's Tower. Robes of all kinds. Wouldn't it be suspicious if you went to the Archmage wearing the same robes Morkai wore when he was killed, and asked him to take the vacancy left by Morkai?" After thinking for a while, Kessell nodded. "Perhaps," continued Eldruk, "you shouldn't be wearing a red robe." Kessell's eyes narrowed tightly in fear.The inferiority complex that had been lingering since he was a child began to haunt him again.What does Elder Luke mean by this sentence?Did they change their minds and plan to take his rightful place?

Eldruck teased Kessell with ambiguous sentences, but he didn't want to drive Kessell into a dangerous state of anxiety.He winked again at Dandiba, who was snickering privately, and answered the question the poor fellow was afraid to ask. "I just thought that maybe another color would suit you better, and blue goes well with your eyes." Relieved, Kessell giggled. "It's possible!" He fiddled with his fingers nervously, expressing his agreement. Dandiba was suddenly fed up with the farce.He signaled to his burly companion that it was time to get rid of the wretch. According to Dandiba's intention, Elderuk led Kessell out of the alley. "Now, go back to the stable," he instructed Kessell, "and tell the stable master that the wizards are going to Luskan tonight." "But what about the corpse?" Kessell asked. Eldrook smiled wickedly. "Leave it alone. That room is reserved for rich merchants from the South. I don't think it will be occupied until next spring. Murder is commonplace here. And I assure you, Even if the guys from the Eastern Exile know the truth, they won't be stupid enough to interfere in the private affairs of wizards." Travelers from Luskan entered the fading daylit streets. "It's now, go!" Eldruk ordered Kessell. "Meet us at sunset." He watched Kessell run away like an excited child. "It's really lucky to have such a useful tool!" Dandiba said. "The red-clothed wizard's stupid disciple saved us a lot of trouble. I thought we couldn't touch that old guy. Although only God would know why, the biggest weakness of Red-clothed Mokai is raising this trash." "A weakness that can be pierced with a dagger." The second man laughed. "And it's such a convenient place to start," another person gushed. "In this wild frontier, the unknown corpse is nothing more than a small trouble for the maid in charge of cleaning the room." The burly Eldruk laughed.This dirty task is finally over, and they can finally leave this vast desert and return to their hometown.    Kessell's steps were brisk as he traveled through the Eastern Exiles to the stables where the wizards' mounts were fostered.He felt that his life would be transformed by becoming a wizard, and that his not-so-great magical talents would also have magical powers. He was excited by the power he was about to gain. A street cat jumped over him, staring at him warily. Kessell squinted to see if anyone was watching. "Why not?" Pointing a deadly finger at the cat, he uttered the spell to summon the blaster.Seeing this spectacle, the nervous cat jumped away as fast as lightning, but no magic attack hit it, or even approached it. Kessell looked at his hissing fingertips and wondered where he had gone wrong. But he wasn't too disappointed.His charred nails were the strongest effect he had ever had from casting the spell.