To the Honored Brother Ordrik Ironheart, Priest of Torag, in the Halls of Hammerfast

May the Forge Father bless your anvil and keep your hammer steady, Ordrik. I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. It has been too long since I last wrote, but the road has been long, and the burdens of my duty heavier than I expected when I set out. There is much to tell.

After leaving Fallcrest, my companions and I undertook a great venture into the ruins of the Sunless Citadel. We had been sent to find three missing members of the Riders of the Watch, but our search led us to an ancient place of corruption, infested with goblins, kobolds, and worse. In the depths of that cursed ruin, we uncovered a sealed dragon door and, after some trials, obtained the key to open it. Behind the door, we fought a monstrous Dragon Priest—undead, of course, because what ruin isn’t haunted by something best left forgotten? The battle was fierce, but we prevailed. Among the spoils was a cloak infused with phoenix fire, which I have taken for myself. I find the warmth of it comforting, like the forge on a cold morning.

Upon our return to Fallcrest, we were welcomed by Banner, the Riders’ leader. He offered us work as free agents under the Riders' banner. Kvothe and Jocelin accepted, though for all Kvothe’s boasting, I suspect he will prove more trouble than he’s worth in an organization that values discipline. Still, he has a good heart buried under all that mischief. We spent some time in town, resupplying and acquainting ourselves with a strange little halfling merchant named Thistle Thornapple, who, along with his equally strange family, pointed us toward an unexplored barrow in the Barrow Downs. The barrow held its share of undead horrors and ancient traps, but we bested them and walked away with coin and knowledge, though tensions with the Winterbole Tribes still linger in that region. I expect we will cross their path again before this tale is done.

Our next task took us south, escorting a caravan to Harken at Banner’s request. There, we met a jeweler’s apprentice named Andren, whose fiancée, Jaylin, had vanished without a trace. This mystery followed us back north, where we scouted the Spiderfell in search of bandits preying on travelers. Instead, we found something far worse—Brokenskull Orcs, creatures I’ve no patience for, working alongside ettercaps and giant spiders. Were it not for a wandering druid named Oleanne and her wolves, we might not have survived the fight. She told us that the orcs and bandits had made a stronghold in the ruins of Broken Spire Keep, and worse still, some of the kidnapped travelers had been fed to the spiders. There will be a reckoning for that in time.

Back in Fallcrest, the Septarch—an odd fellow, but skilled in his craft—helped us investigate some disturbing Potions of Domination we had found among the orcs. These potions weaken the will and make the drinker susceptible to control. Who made them and why remains unclear, but their presence is troubling. Seeking answers, we returned to Broken Spire Keep, intent on clearing it out.

The battle was long and brutal. Orcs, bandits, zombies, and even a foul priest of Asmodeus stood against us. The priest slipped away into the dungeons, and though we searched, he eluded us. In the aftermath, we found Leander, an itinerant priest of Erastil, imprisoned in the keep. We also discovered a shrine to Asmodeus, which sickens me to my core. It will be Hallowed in Torag’s name, if I have anything to say about it. Deeper still, we uncovered a secret passage leading to the Underdark.

Of course, we went in.

The tunnels beneath the Keep stretched for miles, twisting and dark. We fought goblins and encountered a pair of massive stone doors, locked and requiring two keys. Further still, we came upon something I wish we had not—a Deep Dragon, asleep in the caverns. It awoke as we fled, but fortune was with us, and it did not pursue. Knowing we were unprepared for what lay ahead, we returned to Fallcrest to rest and resupply.

Now, we prepare to return. We intend to finish what we started at Broken Spire, clear out the remaining goblins and spiders, and ensure that the shrine is properly consecrated. The Lord Warden has agreed that, if we can make the Keep secure and swear fealty, it will be deeded to us. I have not yet decided whether this is the path I will take, but having a stronghold of our own would be no small advantage.

More pressing, however, is Jaylin’s fate. The Septarch scried her location—she is trapped in the depths of the Underdark, alone, with a Mindflayer watching her. You have taught me much, Ordrik, but I have never stood against such a creature before. I do not know if I am prepared.

I will write again when I can. Until then, may Torag’s light guide my hammer, and may I bring his justice to the dark places of the world.

Agatha Ironheart