Some time back, there was a dwarven uprising in the mines of Talador. Sir Maldon Wellesborne's son was the lieutenant in charge of the army sent by the Baron Hochstib of Jantalar, into the mines to put down the uprising. Since the plan did not go to the Baron's liking, he ordered the mines sealed up, trapping dwarf and man alike.

Sometime after this, the Baron sent Sir Maldon (his chief knight) to take command of a Holding near the Landing so that he could lay claim to the land here when the time came for Hochstib to claim the town in his expansion process.

Standing to our south, is Vornavis. This is a seaport area with a Baron named Malwind. He has a daughter who has a crush on Brinn, and a young son who is very clever. He is currently our ally because if the Landing should fall under Hochstib's control, Vornavis would be next.

Once Maldon got here, he made it clear that his intention was not to lay claim to our town in the Baron's name nor assist the Baron in his plan, but to start an Order of Knights to help protect the town against the Baron both militarily and politically. By producing a class of nobility here, it is hoped to slow down the Baron's claim to the Empress that our town is unclaimed territory and free for the taking.

The Holding itself was previously held by another Knight of Jantalar, who discovered a dwarven mine in the basement as well as a forge. He was apparently assassinated by Hochstib when it became apparent he was not going to cooperate any longer. There was evidence of this in the Holding when it was first discovered. There was a headless skeleton on the floor of the bedroom up the newel staircase. This skeleton was clutching a rusted knife with something on the edges which suggested that it was a poisoned blade. The skeleton also had a small triangle of parchment which was according to Maldon often given to assassins and other folks who had dirty little jobs to do that would give them an automatic pardon if they were caught at the job.

There was another body found there, on the ruins of the bed. Apparently the assassin had managed to nick the knight before his untimely introduction to the man's sword and the knight subsequently died as well. There was armor found as well as a page from a journal in which the knight notes that he found something by accident at the solstice and did not think the Baron would be pleased to hear of it.

Maldon then asked the folks who had assembled if they would join him in an Order to help stop the Baron's expansion and racial tyranny. And so the Silver Gryphon was born.

Sometime in here an assassin came to the Holding and was defeated. I do not have the details of this however.

Also during this time there was some falling out between members and the Order lost Lords Berr, Pip and Metaboculous.

It came to pass sometime later that a trip to Vornavis was planned to speak with Malwind and his court. It was at this time that the Baron's daughter took a shine to our Lord Brinn. This trip mostly involved an agreement to be allies.

It came to pass a month or so after this that the Order heard something of the Mandis Crystal. This crystal is renowned in other parts of the Empire due to its negation of mana in a fairly significant radius around it. It literally sucks the mana from the area around it making those magicians who rely upon it unable to use their talents. According to early reports given by Sir Maldon, clerical and emapthic spells are unaffected by it. Later trips to Jantalar made this uncertain.

It became clear that some weapon against this threat needed to be crafted... a special weapon or a group of weapons. Korm, a dwarf from the first Juggernaut indicated that he might be able to assist with this and so he came and spoke to the Order about it and became an ally.

It also became clear that a spy should be sent to Jantalar to see if any information could be gleaned about the Mandis Crystal that the Baron was supposed to have ordered from the Empress.

Lord Aonghus suggested that his brother of spirit be recruited by the Order to take on the task of spying, and so it was that I came into the Order as first a spy. At the same time the plan to spy was made there was in the Landing a nephew of the Baron come to take a census of the population in order to make a report to his Uncle. No doubt to make a report of the readiness of the Landing to withstand an invasion.

It was first planned that I would accompany the nephew, Lovviestor back to Jantalar. However, Lovviestor became suspicious of the town and a dear giantkind Lady Thorissa (or something similar) assisted me in escaping the town in an apple barrel instead. I rode in a caravan for several days, although I am not exactly certain of the time... it seemed a long long time indeed, packed tightly in the barrel, sleeping for the most part until finally the dull movement and crashing came to an end.

I was reluctant to get up, but finally did and climbed shakily out of the barrel and into the capable hands of Talenni the Queen of the Thieves in Jantalar. She was simply "A footpad" in that time... giving no other name to know her by. She suggested that a trip through the sewers might be instructive for me, and so I picked the lock on a grate and crept into the stench. Once into the sewers I encountered no wildlife except a smell that made me crave the stink of apples I had grown tired of on my trip--certainly it had a life of its own.

There was an insect mandible in a hole betraying the fact that there was wildlife lurking about somewhere. And finally I came across a ladder leading up into the local brewery. Since there were no dwarves with freedom around the city, the local alcohol was sadly unfit for consumption, but a brewery worker there promised to keep information flowing to the theives and then by extension us. He confirmed that the Crystal was on its way to Jantalar, and was by all reports very large. There was a pounding on the door then, and so I departed back down the ladder and back into the stink. At this time there were sewer trolls to meet me, but they were not too dangerous... it seemed to me they hit on a par with our own hill trolls. There were also some rats. I did not tarry to fight any of them though as the pounding put me in mind of the Baron's men, and I did not want to meet something more difficult to contend with.

I met with Talenni outside the grate and she produced a magic ring that would get me close to home, if she could in fact activate it. She fiddled with it several times while the guards on the walls spotted us and began to shout and the sound of running feet approaching did make us a bit worried.

She finally got the ring to work, but it was left behind as was she.

I reappeared at the very tip of the Holding, but at the time I did not know where I was, nor how to get out... it seemed a solid place with no door, but the door was merely hidden in the wall at one end. Sir Maldon did come down and rescue me from this small problem, and so the first trip to Jantalar was done.