"Adventurers have been flocking to the Silverymoon area for hundreds of years. It's the mages that brought them here, the mages and their ideas of building colleges and libraries. Mages mean money in the eyes of adventurers. In hindsight, I see that it is the mages, inevitably, that hooked me to my destiny in Silverymoon. That's why I never left. The mages and their damn books…how I love them both." - from the last will and testament of Shynn Forrester, 1371 Year of the Unstrung Harp

    It was also without coincidence that in that same year, a lady halfling named Sevena Hiltavin, a retired adventurer, came out of retirement. Sevena was a close acquaintance of Shynn. The talented halfling had spent the past eight years working with Shynn and three others in Silverymoon. Had you approached Sevena one year earlier and told her that she would have been back to adventuring in one year, Sevena would have laughed in your face. She had spent her time on the road, and the road had its fill of Sevena. But alas, in the year of 1371, after watching her dear friend drift downriver in a coffin made of oak, as he had requested, Sevena packed her belongings and hired a ranger, a wizard, and a cleric, and headed west. She has never been heard of since.

    "One evening at the Silvery Mist Inn, I heard a drunken dwarf tell me once that he was the king of Forgebringer's Keep. And according to the dwarf, orcs or trolls overran Forgebringer's Keep. The new masters of the keep changed about eight times in the course of his story. I don't know where Forgebringer's Keep is, or was. I don't ever remember the name of that dwarf king. What I do remember that night, was how stormy it was. And how every time that dwarf would talk about the glory of Forgebringer's Keep the lightning would crash ominously. I found that dwarf dead one week later in an ally in the north ward. I'll never forget the crazy look in that poor man's face when I turned his dead body over in that ally; a kingly kind of crazy, and kingly kind of death by poison dagger in the back.
    "When I set the team up to investigate, no one could ever find out who killed the dwarf. The knife was slightly rusted, crafted by dwarves. Turning the heat on in the thieves' guilds and assassin's guild proved fruitless. No one knew who the hell that dwarf was, not even the dwarves. No one had heard of Forgebringer's Keep. After spending four months resources trying to piece together the puzzle, we eventually gave in. One more unsolved case for the records." - from the journal of Shynn Forrester, dated Mirtul 1367, Year of the Shield.

    Chester Fallgate was an extremely talented bard of Silverymoon. He played at the Silver Mist Inn for about four years. Fallgate was not just one of the great bards of the area; he worked for Shynn Forrester as well. The talented bard was Shynn's secret weapon, for Fallgate could entice you with a story or song, then before you knew it, you'd be telling him who your first love was, who you lost your innocence to, and many other deep secrets that you wouldn't tell most.
    If you ask the proprietor of the Silver Mist, Randal Dan, what happened to Chester, he'll shrug with a sad, distant look on his face. There's a rumor, spread about a year ago, when he disappeared, that the grief of his friend's death sent him hiding in the mountains near Sundabar. Another rumor is that Zentarium, who wanted a good description of the newly formed Silver Marches, kidnapped him. The truth is hidden deeper than the snows on the peaks of the Spine of the World; no one in Silverymoon knows the whereabouts of one of the greatest living bards.

    "I was once a brash youth, though those days are long past. I adventured with a great group of people that I could call my family. It was with them who I trusted my life in their competent hands. One such occasion had pitted us against a group of angry frost giants. They had captured me while I was scouting ahead for the group in the Lurkwood.
    "Sevena eventually freed me while the rest of the group distracted the giants. Gladrialla took a grievous wound that day from a frost giant's sword. I remember she barely lived to see the sunrise the next day. The entire night before, I held her hand and cried, she had taken the risk like the rest of them against the odds, to save me, and she slowly died away all night long. But the sun did rise, and Talven prayed to Tymora to heal Gladrialla. She knew after that night how much I loved her. I'll never forgive myself for not being able to give her children, but I am thankful for the years we've had. I am also thankful for all of my companions, both on the road, and working together to better Silverymoon." - from the last will and testament of Shynn Forrester.

    A High Priest of Tymora is no easy accomplishment, yet four years ago Talven Peartree stepped up to the prestige of High Priest of Tymora in Silverymoon. His former had died of old age and Talven was destined for a decade or two as High Priest before he too would feel the ravages of old age. It was Talven who had sanctified Shynn and Gladrialla's marriage sixteen years ago, and it was Talven who had performed the prayers for Shynn's funeral last year. Two days later, Talven stepped down as High Priest, and left Silverymoon for a destination unknown.

    "It has been hard, the years in Silverymoon. Helping others in the city has been a joy and chore that I would have never imagined when we first started this business. Yet the mission was clear, to assist those in need, to use our talent not for glory and riches, but to help those who needed the help. Those first years were the hardest; we were learning the subtle difference between adventuring and assisting. In our years as adventurers, we were motivated with fame and glory. Our years as civil assistants left as many hating us as those that loved us. Our pockets were a bit emptier than when trolling for treasure. But we had a comfortable bed to sleep, a warm home to call our own, people we loved, and peace in our lives. We felt, even at our lowest, like a family." - notes from a seminar hosted by Shynn Forrester at the Lady's College, Marpenoth 1369, Year of the Gauntlet.

    Gladrialla Forrester is still listed as a member at the Silverymoon Arcane Guild. Gladrialla never left her husband's side those two months when the disease had taken hold of him. They called it the shakes, and though Talven tried everything in his power, Shynn's time was lengthened, but the disease was unstoppable. The widow Forrester stayed in Silverymoon the longest, of Shynn's company, after his death. It was Gladrialla who had made sure the will of Shynn was carried out.
    The names were as unfamiliar to Gladrialla as a warm winter is to Silverymoon. Yet her husband wrote those names down so she summoned those on the list. Teril Wolfscent and Azazulle Drowbane were in separate areas of town when they were approached and summoned.

    "It is hard for me to say this, but to continue our work in Silverymoon would be impossible after I leave. I have been doing a lot of thinking over the past few months, since this illness has grappled me; our mission has changed as much as our land. The Silver Marches is where we should now concentrate, not only Silverymoon. Like Alustriel, I believe that we should step down from our post, and hand it off to those deserving of continuing the quest for Silverymoon, while ours-yours, since I am passed on if you are reading this-turns to the Silver Marches. A new beginning for a bunch of old trolls like us. I will attach a note to each of you stating what I believe will be my last order. I love you all, and please, do not mourn me long, for I have had a wonderful life, and a strong family filled with love." - from the last will and testament of Shynn Forrester.

    Teril Wolfscent had been a loner, working in co-operation with the city watch on several occasions when a Knight of the Silver approached him. The name Forrester had been heard of many times in Teril's profession. While he had never had the opportunity to work for or with Forrester's group, he was quite aware of their involvement in the community. Forrester's Five, they were often called on the streets. They were responsible for solving some of the most complex cases that the watch had been stumped on. They were prominent people in the city. One of them was a High Priest, another, Forrester's own wife, was a prominent figure at the Silverymoon University.
    And now, not a few days after Shynn's death, Teril was being summoned to Forrester's business. Teril was a ball of nerves; here was a prominent group of investigators who had called on him. Was it to replace one of the best rangers in the area, or just to help for a single unsolved case? Teril did not know, but anxiously attended the summons.

    Azazulle Drowbane was working in his stable when Randal Dan, a man who owned the nearby Silvery Mist Inn, approached him. Randal was known for talking people's ears off whenever business was slow. Many times Azazulle hid in the loft to keep for listening to Randal blather relentlessly about how many people where in his Inn last night, and how wonderful that puffed up bard he always had entertaining. Randal's look was nowhere in the realm of joyful today, which is the only thing that kept Azazulle from ducking into the loft. He asked Azazulle if he could come over to a nearby home of an investigation group.
    A few months ago, when Azazulle gained the stable business, he met a halfling woman from that group of investigators named Sevena. And two days ago Sevena had ask if he had any extra horses for sale, which he had none. That is the only contact he had with Sevena or anyone else in her company.

    When both Azazulle and Teril had arrived, Gladrialla descended the staircase from the upper level of the building. She seemed sad, yet very strong at the same time. She welcomed the two shortly, then unrolled a parchment and began to read to them the last will and testament of her husband. The will, to Teril and Azazulle's surprises, left the building and property to them and upon pledging that they uphold an idea set aside eight years ago to continue assisting the people of Silverymoon and area. The will named them as equal partners to the land and building, along with others who will undoubtedly come along soon. The will expressed that Shynn (who neither Teril nor Azazulle knew personally) had complete faith in both of them. That their reputation as just and good natured persons, as well as persons who solve problems and help people proceeded them. Gladrialla informed the two that if they accept, she would be around for an unknown amount of time to oversee the change of property as well as make sure that this arrangement will work.
    Neither Azazulle nor Teril had known the other before that day, and overwhelmed with the gift offered, accepted the business without a problem to be partners. It didn't take long for them to get along, nor did it take long for others to join. Darien was the first to join, Azazulle knew him as a trustworthy ally with a lot of contact with a local thieves guild. The next to join them was a dwarf named Ulfgar. He joined them while after Teril finished a stint as an undercover caravan guard.
    About two months passed when Gladrialla packed her stuff up. She had seemed extremely withdrawn during her months as overseer. Before leaving, she referred the group to a man in the Silverymoon Arcane Guild to contact if the group should need assistance with arcane matters. The Arcane Guild had mentioned to her the other day that they had the perfect candidate offer the group for free assistance. She had no idea who the person was they had in mind; she just left the name Vlad Taman to contact about getting a mage. She left after that, she went to the Arcane Guild, and hasn't been seen since.
    After Gladrialla's departure, the two months of good luck came to a screeching halt. The mage that Vlad offered for free turned out to be some kind of mage on probation with the guild. Kelmar Mordecai seemed to be more of a curse than assistance. The old mage held some sort of grudge upon the entire group for the fact that they breathe. Getting the old bastard to help was like herding cats. If they could have gotten rid of him, they would have, but months of searching for a replacement were useless. The only mages willing to join were either too young, or Azazulle always complained about getting a "bad vibe," which everyone had understood by this point.
    It's been about nine months working in the company now. At least four out of five are comfortable with the way each other work. Business has been extremely slow. But as winter's thaw melted away in 1372 the Year of Wild Magic, the business seems to have heated back up.
    One month ago, a woman named Helena Meldragon brought you the most recent case. Helena's husband, Marshall, was a miner who had made the trek to Everlund last fall to mine in the foothills of the Nether Mountains. Marshall promised Helena and their five children that come spring, he would send money, or bring money home himself. Spring passed into summer and after working hard to keep her children fed, Helena wanted an answer to where her husband was. Azazulle, Darien, and Ulfgar traveled down to Everlund to search for the missing husband. Meanwhile, because the business could attract customers, and leaving Kelmar behind to take care of business for days on end was not an option, Teril stuck around and looked into Marshall's past while the other three looked in Everlund.
    After turning up enough stones in Everlund, the group tracked Marshall down. Seems that Marshall had been mining for gold in the mountains of love. He and his mistress were living in a small cabin in the Silverwood. When the Azazulle, Ulfgar and Darien got to the cabin, they found it sacked and burnt to the ground. A band of orcs was the likely culprit. Though no bodies were found on the cabin, there were signs of violence in the area. Tracks in the area indicated orcs and worgs. The group returned to Silverymoon with the terrible news of Helena's husband. Yet Helena seemed to think it was a fitting end to the cheating bastard.
    She offered what little money she could afford, and offered to repay the group by working for them as a secretary for a cheap rate. This compromise fixed the problem of leaving the business for extended periods of time, and allowed the entire group to leave during the daytime to investigate matters. Helena handles clerical matters and paperwork much better than anyone else in your group.
    Yesterday was Midsummer, and most of you stayed up late with the festivities. And now the day dawns on Shieldmeet (a holiday that only occurs once every four years) and the prospect of more debauchery this night hangs in the air, after all, its only once in four years that you get a holiday two days in a row...