Dawnbringer, Part 12

[The following review was published in the most recent copy of the Royal Explorer's Society Minutes, but was buried near the back of the issue, while Evette Deadbrow's own account took the front page.]

The Dawnbringer Company - An Examination
by Pall Gar, Philo-archaeologist   It has come to my attention that the so-called "Dawnbringer Company" has brought its brand of faux-archaeology to the Pandoran Plane, at last. While it is undeniable that these dragonslayers undid the machinations of a vampire dragon, they did so only in search of a fabled artifact, and looted the dragon's hoard in its entirety, completely removing any and all discoveries from their context, making any future verification impossible. Perhaps it is true that the Talon Arendelonthos granted them their claim, but surely he would object to the sale of the beast's corpse! The Company granted the corpse to a complete mystery figure for mere gold. Even worse, it's rumored that the Dragon Cult was involved. Furthermore, as adventurers, or should I say, tomb-robbers, often do, they slew the vampire without any discovery of its master or full search of its demesne. Waterdeep may have cheered for them at first, but that Faerunian city has horrors yet to come, I stake my reputation on it!   According to my inquiries, the Company made several suspicious purchases of gems with their newfound wealth and drained all accounts like vagabonds unworthy of local respect before venturing back to Pandora. There have been swirling rumors that a band of non-dwarves calling themselves by the same name then made their way into the Heart of the Mountain after paying, or should I say, bribing, the local official in charge of the legendary First Forge, Elder Lord Durak, High Priest of Abbathor. It was only after solving the three riddles of the ghost of the First Forgemaster that they were able to craft, or should I say summon, the titular artifact. They answered his riddles by blaming murder on the blacksmith, arguing that flesh is stronger than steel, and that apprenticed souls bound to golems allow the dead to forge artifacts! Oh yes, all on the level, real adventurous stuff. Until you consider that they entered the Forge with six members of the Company, and left with only five. There was no body. And who was missing, but Solus Dawnbringer. Add that to rumors that the newly-forged artifact is an intelligent item, and you can see why I find the rumors of the paladin's forced sacrifice to some dead heretical god of the sun might have some merit!   A fire agate, a dragon's hoard, religious zealots, and the soul of a paladin. Seems like the opening for a bad joke, or maybe the next world-ending threat... I ask you, what do we really know about the members of the Dawnbringer Company? Evette Deadbrow claims to be a Royal Explorer, but where did she acquire such wealth and goods, and even a ship? I would never accuse anyone without cause, but I would be curious to hear her response to the accusations of piracy swirling about her. Next to her in (in)famy is this Malen, a simple old man with a walking stick. Who controls the powers of lightning! If this Talos-worshiper has really got ahold of an artifact of Lathander, perhaps we had better be scrutinizing the skies a bit more closely for rogue thunderstorms. Rhal Stedrisk is next, and boy, do we have a winner here, ladies! How would you like to be with a half-elf with ties to the Xanadar's Guild in Waterdeep, the Zhents in West Haven, and his accomplice, a Mask-follower named Anathema apparently who has assassins from Westgate after her! Fame is a two-edged sword, dear readers, and I dread the Dawnbringer will soon fall into a dark history, even if it does save us from this mythological "Long Night."