The Sentinel

The Sentinel by Troy Denning is the fifth book of The Sundering (series).

"Embittered paladin Kleef Kenric is on a quest to stop evil forces from taking advantage of the chaos rolling across the land of Faerûn and claiming dominion over the entirety of the Realms.

Stubbornly clinging to his family's worship of a long-forgotten god, Kleef Kenric soon discovers that his god has blessed him with divine gifts, making him one of a new group of Chosen cropping up around the Realms. This divine gift makes him an excellent ally—and a target for those who wish corral his powers.

After battling his way out Marsember, a city besieged on all sides in the wake of the Sundering, he becomes swept up in the mission of a group of odd allies—a warrior noblewoman, an accomplished thief, and a mysterious short pudgy man exuding a faint odor of decay. With the forces of Shade tracking their every step, they travel to the Underdark to thwart the rise of the goddess of Death, but before long Kleef learns that his allies hide dangerous secrets—secrets that could destroy not only Kleef but the very fabric of the Forgotten Realms."

Summary
On Uktar 2 in the, the port city of Marsember was evacuated as the returned empire of Netheril invaded the kingdom of Cormyr. Topsword Kleef Kenric and his members of the Marsember Watch aided in these efforts for some time, until they encountered the Prince of Shade Yder Tanthul who was in rapid pursuit of two of the gods' chosen, Malik el Sami yn Nasser, Seraph of Lies and devotee of Cyric; and Joelle Emmeline, a Berduskan jewel thief and Heartwarder of Sune. With the timely aid of the young noblewoman, and skilled archer Arietta Seasilver, Kleef was able to fight off many shades and protect the two chosen, learning of their quest to return the Eye of Gruumsh to the temple of Grumbar in the Underchasm before the end of the Second Sundering.

After Yder Tanthul was turned away the company, the Prince of Shade commandeered the Wave Wyvern, the Seasilver family vessel that held Arietta's parents, Lord Farnig and Elira Seasilver. Yder killed Lord Farnig and sailed off with Lady Elira as bait to draw out Arietta, Kleef, and the two chosen they took under their protection. The group enlisted the aid of Falrinn Greatorm and the Lonely Roamer, sailing out across the Dragonmere and the Sea of Fallen Stars. They set a trap for the Wyvern near a partially submerged earthmote, managing to rescue Lady Elira, setting her on her way to Westgate before continuing their journey southeast to Turmish. Yder Tanthul began to telepathically appear in Kleef's dreams, gleaning information about their location and activities.

Once they reached land the party and Greatorm parted ways, the former going to Xorhun and joining up with a group of caravans led by an earth genasi named Maheed. The caravans were regularly harried by bands of orcs from the Stonelands that also sought after the Eye of Gruumsh. While Kleef did all in his power to remain awake, in order to prevent Yder from learning more during his slumber, he eventually succumbed to fatigue. After crossing the River Arrabar, the party made their way to the Chondalwood. There they enlisted aid from several treants and a satyr called Theamont. Using the Forest Way, they were able to put some distance between themselves, the orcs and the shades.

Using the time they bought for themselves, the group built a small raft to continue their journey downriver, eventually arriving at the Underchasm. They crossed several magically-supported bridges connecting numerous earthmotes before arriving at Sadrach's Spire. After turning away the orc leaders and rebuffing an ambush led by the shades, the party hurried to the gates of the spire. There they encountered the young Myrkulite Gingrid, granddaughter of the ancient Sadrach. Both Kleef and Arietta discovered their status as chosen, to Helm and Siamorphe respectively. Kleef's dedication to ever-present vigilance allowed him to summon Helm's avatar to break down the gates of the spire, while Arietta's noble and commanding presence granted her power over the keep's defenses.

Finally within Grumbar's temple, the party managed to set forth the Eye of Gruumsh as an offering to the earth primordial. They defeated the Shadovar during a final ambush within the temple's innermost chamber, killing the Prince of Shade Yder Tanthul. Malik revealed his true status as the chosen of Cyric, attempting to kill Arietta, while Joella sacrificed herself to save the life of the woman she had come to love. While Malik skulked away after the betrayal, he was caught and apprehended by Kleef and Arietta, just before they made their way back home to Cormyr.

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