Rise of the Blade - Charles Moffat [0]
The Harpers 17 - Rise of the
Blade
By
Plus Dramatis Personae and Pronunciation Notes
The Harpers:
A semi-secret organization for Good, the Harpers fight for freedom and justice in a world populated by tyrants, evil mages, and dread concerns beyond imagination.
Each novel in the Harper Series is a complete story itself, detailing some of the most unusual and compelling tales in the magical world known as the Forgotten Realms.
Note on Pronunciation:
Chev is pronounced with a soft C, like Shev. Marque Draque is pronounced Mark Drake.
Dramatis Personae:
Doctor Pierce O'Hiram: Dubbed Doctor by his comrades, Pierce is the only son of a boxer who became Waterdeep's premier warrior. After twenty years of adventuring, Pierce retired to Waterdeep and founded the Acadamy of Combat. Since birth he has been blessed with foresight and the ability to read minds. He has proven himself to be a valuable asset to the Harpers.
Chev: Once the greatest warrior in the realms, Chev was imprisoned in a statue for unknown crimes. Now that he is out, he seeks vengeance.
Marque Draque: Pierce's cigar-chomping drow elf comrade is a master of everything but truly shines when his magic is at work.
Martinez: A Harper comrade of Pierce's, Martinez is known for his overdrinking. The bald warrior fights for the Harpers because he has nothing left to do in his life.
Rambertz: The druid who watches over the Academy's gardens. Rambertz was once a drow elf but was changed into a monster half-spider, half drow thing known as a drider.
Durnan: A coordinator for the Harpers, Durnan runs a tavern known as the Gaping Portal, which features an entrance into the Undermountain
Hiram: Pierce's father is an extraordinary chef. His hardy visage and boxing skills make him one of the most feared people at the Academy.
Valentino d'Or: A smuggler belonging to a rich Waterdeep family.
Ignazio d'Or: Valentino's nephew, enroled at the Academy of Combat.
Witter: Pierce's longtime friend and mentor. He died defending Waterdeep from smugglers carrying smoke powder.
Valeska Ko'Ragur: The drow bard causes more trouble than she should be able to handle. Her ability to escape capture has made her legendary.
Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunson: The Archmage of Waterdeep. "Blackstaff" is known for his black and white beard and the black staff he carries with him. A fellow Harper, Khelben rarely talks to Pierce but when they do they make a great team.
Prologue
The year is 1370.
Running his hands through grey hairs that betrayed his age, Witter sat quietly in the shadows of the early morning and waited. As the sun rose defiantly in the east, giving birth to the noisy bustle of the streets of Waterdeep, he remained there in his vigilant shadows watching the creaking timbers of a silent ship only forty paces away. Before him lay a simple task that he knew so well.
As simple and sharp as a saber's blade, as he stood and drew Spitzer from its sheath. He advanced confidentally on the ship, spotting the guard before the guard spotted him.
"Announce yerself!" spat the sailor into the fog that rolled in off the ocean to his back. He squinted into the sunlight surrounding Witter like a holy aura. When the newcomer did not respond, he reached for the weapon at his belt.
Which should have been a cutlass. In any other place along the Sword Coast, that's what it should have been, but not here. Indeed, one could easily say that it was that weapon alone that had drawn Witter here, blade in hand. It was a pistol.
This ship was a gun smuggler. Guns were outlawed in Waterdeep. Witter belonged to the group known as Harpers. Harpers live and die, protecting Waterdeep. Go figure, thought the warrior.
Witter charged at the man, Spitzer flashing in to cut the man's hand from his arm but not before he pulled the trigger. The slug took the Harper in the belly and he winced it away as a second saber, Planereacher appeared in his other hand and sliced across the guard's throat.
"My lucky day!" Witter spat with sarcasm and sheathed Planereacher, clutching the bullet wound.