Disclaimer: I do not own Forgotten Realms or any of the races and Classes all credit goes to Wizards of the coast and the book writers. Though the places and the charachters are my creation (Unless someone didnt create them before me).

A/N: Enjoy and leave a review! This story goes in a place that i created and invented so tell me what you think. :P

PRELUDE

Captain Williams sat in his chair in the captain quarters. His head above a handful of maps, and he squinted his eyes in the dim yellow light of the single candle that was on the table. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. The annual trip to Thiorindal took his toll on the Captain. Thiorindal was a large island, four months away, west of the sword coast of faerun. Four months already passed and they were supposed to be there in only a few hours. He removed his black hair from his eyes and yawned. He stood up, streched his body and rubbed his shoulders. He wore his warm jacket on his short white shirt and button it. it was summer's end now and they did not have much time to waste here, unless they wanted to stay in Thiorindal for the winter. He finished buttoning his dark blue jacket and walked out of his quarters. It was still night out side but he noticed the traces of a sunrise in the west. He walked to the railings and looked back. Three more ships were following behind them. Trading with Thiorindal was quite profiting, the people who lived there liked the faerunian goods but the trip was too troublesome to make often so the annual trip was created. Captain Williams did the trip more then a dozen times and this year he commanded a caravan of four ships, including his own. Finding Thiorindal was not so easy, since the island was thousand miles long, the easy was to sail west straight from waterdeep until you would reach it but if you will deter from the correct course, you could miss the island by dozens, even hundreds of miles. He looked to west again and the light was now brighter and in the distance he noticed the silhouette of a large island. He smiled to himself. He thought of the great places he could rest at, such as the great city of Izoliya in the northern part of the island. Or Selinar, The greatest kingdom on the whole island. The other cities reminded him more of the cities of Calimshan or the city of Luskan. In any way he would still receive his welcoming rest.

The first signs of life aboard the ship as crew members started to awake. Each one greeted the captain and walked to their posts. The signs of daylight were seen now as the sunrise finally came and the sea started the sparkle from the light and soon enough the caravan of ships was full with motion and working crewmen.

The ship passed by the island of Blackland. Williams did not know why the natives called it Blackland but he in his decade of traveling to this place he heard stories about it that still made him shiver. As he looked at the island he realized that there was indeed something mysterious about the island, the unusual stillness of it, without any hints of life on it and the cliffs that dotted the sea near the beaches of the island, as if the island itself does not want any visitors. The single mountain that was in the middle of the island was a mystery itself. Many told stories about that mountain, saying that it was infested by demons and monsters. He heard one in particular many times. That under the island was a large city of Drow. Considering that the island had quite a history with the drow it could be even true. This was a story told countless times and was changed even more. Williams did not know if to belive to the story or not.

Many years ago, no one knew the exact time but many said that it was more than millennia ago; a large drow army almost conquered all of Thiorindal. Some said that they received help from a mighty demon. Others said, from a god.

But the most interesting part was the ending. The most told version was that the united armies of humans, elves and even few drow fought against them and finally defeated them.

Williams didn't believe in this but it was a lovely tale. He thought that it was a story they told to anyone who ever crossed by their island, to lure more people into a tavern to share a drink. Williams heard that tale more times then he was on the island and he could tell it by himself if he would wish so. He chuckled to himself; that was probably the plan from the beginning, to tell the tale so many times so it would be carried away to faerun and beyond and draw that way more trade to the island.

He loved the feel of the wind on his face and smiled to himself. He was over forty years old and he lived all his life on the sea. In a few hours he would be in the first stop, the port of Highmasts.

The "Bottomless" entered the port of Highmasts. Captain Williams braced himself for the reception the city prepared for them. They always received few gifts and drinks each time they entered the port. He looked at the port and enjoyed the sight. This was the easternmost port of the island and it is usually the first port sailors meet. Dozens of masts dotted the port and it was full in motion now, sailors carrying cargo, shoppers buying goods straight from the ships and groups of crewmen going to the nearest taverns. The large port street ended and the city started by high buildings, made of stone and had wooden roofs against the sea winds. Some Sailors from other ship waved their greetings to them and Williams waved back to them with a smile. Captain Williams of Waterdeep was well known in this port and each time he entered it he recieved a warm welcome.

When they finally dropped the anchor and stopped by the one of the piers they started to unload their cargo. They brought with them precious stones, jewelry, food, swords and armors made by the best of waterdeep's smithies, scrolls of magic, and much more.

Aboard the last ship of Williams' caravan, the "Deep wave", Captain Angus Lorthery ordered his crew to drop anchors near the closest pier. When the ship stopped moving Captain Lorthery stepped over the plank bridge to the pier.

"Duncan! Go down and take with ye' one crate of that fine wine!" He yelled to Duncan, an old sea dog who served on Angus's ship for years.

"Aye Captain, where do I need to bring it?" Duncan cried back with a wide smile. This night celebration would be one of the best they had in a long time. Captain Lorthery was known for his unwillingness buy drinks from taverns and thats why he alwasy brought the drink with him. Some of Lorthery's crewmen said that years ago, before he became the Deep wave's captain he was poisoned and now he is fears another attempt on his life. Duncan though, knew the truth. The Tavernkeepers in Thiorindal always raised the prices when they entered their taverns.

Angus stopped in his tracks for a moment to think. He scratched his bearded chin and smiled.

"Remember that fine tavern in that courtyard? With the statue of that man?" He cried back and returned to his way.

"Aye Captain, I'll be right there in a moment, don't you doubt it." He cried after him and he hurried down to the cargo hold of the ship.

Duncan had bright blue eyes which made him look younger then he truly was. His short trimmed brown hair showed the hints of gray but his body still looked like a body of a young lad, with honed muscles from his years in the sea and the usual black shirt he wore had the strong scent of salt and ale.

Once he got down he found the cargo hold completely dark. He wandered trough the crates in search of that old lantern. He remembered where it was and soon enough he felt it in his hands and walked out to the bright daylight to light the lantern. He returned there, this time armed with the now lit lantern and walked through the crates to the place where the liquor crates were. When he got to it he noticed something strange. The crates with the liquors were open and few bottles were missing. He counted three missing wine bottles and he moved to the other crates. The crate that held water bottles was also open, but this one was almost empty. He continued to search the other crates and found two open crates of food and a half empty barrel of ale.

"We have a rat here, thieving and hiding rat." Duncan said to the empty chamber and drew his small dagger that as in his belt. Duncan was old but he lived all his life in the sea and pirate attacks were common. He was skilled with the blade and he was certain in his abilities.

He kept stalking the hiding passenger trying to be as silent as he could. Sometimes the creaking of ship's hull caused Duncan turn around and brace himself for a strike from behind. After few minutes of searching his hiding pray he stumbled upon a small pile of empty bottles. Duncan grinned, thinking that he found the rat. When he turned around a high stack of crates he didn't saw the rat, he saw something that caused him to drop his dagger.

There, on a small crate, sat a Drow. Duncan never saw a drow before but he knew how they looked like from all the horrible stories he heard about them. He immediately recognized that what sat in front of him was a drow, the pointy ears and the dark skin, almost black as coal gave the drow away. Duncan didn't dear to move, the drow's eyes were close and Duncan suspected that he was asleep. While he was terrified of the drow he was also amazed of him, the smoothness of his skin, the slender body and the thick fur cloak that he wore. He thought for a moment to pick up his dagger or call for his fellow crewmen but as he tried to decide his course of action the Drow lifted a half empty bottle of water to his mouth. Duncan froze in his place as the drow opened his eyes. Those eyes were the brightest red eyes Duncan has ever seen and they were staring directly at his own. The drow finished swallowing the remaining water that were in the bottle and stood up from the crate he was sitting on. Duncan took a step back from him but the drow did not attack. The drow had very long white as snow hair that almost reached his waist and he was taller then Duncan, but only by a few inches.

"We reached Thiorindal?" The drow finally said in a perfect dialect of the common tangue.

"Y-y-yes" Duncan stammered. He was surprised to hear the drow speak in common. Even more he was surprised to find himself alive. The drow dropped the empty bottle near the other bottles and Duncan winced and took a step back from the noice of glass against wood.

"Perfect." He just mumbled to himself and threw a small bag to Duncan. He managed to catch it and he clearly heard the ring on coins inside. Now Duncan was amazed. Why the drow gave him money?

"W-why do you give me m-money?" he stammered again.

"I pay for the road, the water and the food. The sum inside should be enough." He said in his calm, melodic tone and started to move.

The drow reached toward the Human and Duncan stepped back until his back was against a large crate. The drow raised his hand and Duncan prepared to die but the drow only took the lantern and extinguished the only source of light that Duncan had. Duncan froze, cold sweat on his brow but the only thing he heard was the rush of the drow's heavy cloak and nothing else. When he didn't hear anything else he stumbled towards the exit to the bridge. When he stepped outside into the bright daylight he looked at all the directions. He looked around but he could not find him. He could have easily blended with the crowd that was in the port. He looked at the small bag in his hand and he decided to open it. His looked wide-eyed at the dozens of golden coins that were inside. He closed the bag and ran down to the pier and from there to the tavern the Captain was in. Tonight's celebration would be an interesting one indeed; Duncan mused to himself and wiped the cold sweat from his brow.