Azure Bonds

Azure Bonds is the first book of The Finder's Stone trilogy by Jeff Grubb and Kate Novak. It was later made into an adventure module, Curse of the Azure Bonds, and a computer game of the same name released by Strategic Simulations, Inc.

"Her name is Alias, and she is in big trouble.

She is a sell-sword, a warrior-for-hire, and an adventuress. She awoke with a series of twisting, magical blue sigils inscribed on her arms and no memory of where she got them.

Determined to learn the nature of the mysterious tattoo, Alias joins forces with an unlikely group of companions: the halfling bard, Olive Ruskettle, the southern mage, Akabar, and the oddly silent lizard-man, Dragonbait. With their help, she discovers that the symbols hold the key to her very existence.

But those responsible for the sigils aren't keen on Alias's continued good health. And if the five evil masters find her first, she may discover all too soon their hideous secret."

Summary
The 7th of Mirtul 1357 DR, Alias woke up in one of the guestrooms of the Hidden Lady inn in Suzail. She quickly realized she remembered nothing of the previous night, nothing of how she ended up in the room, and she felt hungover with vague images of lizardmen, shadowy warriors, and wizards in her mind. Another surprise was right there on her sword arm - an elaborate glowing azure tattoo. It was a pattern surrounding five symbols: a dagger lit with blue fire; three interlocking circles; a dot and a squiggle; a hand with a fanged mouth in the middle of the palm; and the last one was of three concentric circles of bright blue light. There was an empty spot underneath all the symbols as if the tattoo was missing one of its parts. As Alias was inspecting mysterious symbols on her arm, she noticed that she was being watched by a lizardman of sorts, one she's never seen before. As Alias' warrior instincts kicked in, the strange lizard was gone.

Alias walked to the Hidden Lady's barroom and met a friendly barkeep who told her that she was found by Mitcher Trollslayer, one of the regulars. She was left on the inn's porch with a bag of gold and trinkets, that was used to pay for her stay. It was there where the woman met Akabar Bel Akash, a trader, and a wizard from Turmish. The Turmishman agreed to help Alias finding out about the azure tattoo by casting Detect Magic on it. The effect was overwhelming, the spell exploded with blue light, lightning flashes, strobing rays, eliminating the barroom. Shocked by the uncanny display of magic, assuming Akabar Bel Akash was incompetent, Alias left the Hidden Lady in search for a capable magic-user to help her.

The only place Alias could think of was a cleric. She eventually reached the only available temple on the Promenade - Towers of Good Fortune of Waukeen. Curate Winefiddle greeted her and offered the temple's services. The warrior asked Winefiddle to remove curse off her arm, but the result of the spell was even worse than the last attempt. Alias realized that she has lost control of her own body as the azure throbbing light wrapped around her body forcing it to attack the curate. Alias, armed with a knife, stabbed Winefiddle, not lethally thanks to his reflexes. Only by Waukeen's luck, Winefiddle survived as Alias was knocked out. She came to her senses shortly back in full control. It was clear to Winefiddle that the azure bonds were not a simple curse, and advised her to look for a sage Dimswart, about half a day ride outside of Suzail.

On her way back to the Hidden Lady, Alias was ambushed by black-leather-clad assassins. Suddenly, the lizard-like creature from earlier in the day appeared wielding a strangely shaped sword, aided the red-haired warrior. She was cautious of the strange creature but he seemed to be friendly, and judging by his body language, pledging her his blade. She called him a dragon bait if he ever tried to cross her. The lizard happily accepted his new name - Dragonbait.

Back at the Hidden Lady Alias and Dragonbait settled for the night. Still, without a way to communicate with each other, the warrior woman thought the lizard to act like a cat, slowly she was starting to feel safe around him as if she's known him in her past. As Dragonbait slept, Alias went through the loot left behind by the assassins. She discovered two vials of potent poison Peranox, it informed her that the assailants were not trying to kill her as they used clubs instead of blades coated in the poison. She also found a card depicting the symbol of what she would discover later to be of the Fire Knives assassins guild. In the morning she woke up to a welcoming smell of breakfast affectionately served to her by Dragonbait. The strange couple reached Dimswart Manor half a day later. They were greeted by the commotion and bustle of the wedding preparations. Alias presented the recommendation letter from Winefiddle and gained an appointment with the well-known older sage from Waterdeep - Winefiddle. He eagerly agreed to help Alias with research on her strange azure tattoo in exchange for rescuing the bard hired by the sage for his daughter's wedding - Olav Ruskettle. The bard was taken by a red dragon Mistinarperadnacles Hai Draco who earlier in the week ambushed the trade caravan the bard traveled with. One of the surviving caravaneers would accompany Alias... The trader was already familiar to the warrior - Akabar Bel Akash.

Characters




Creatures




Locations




Wondrous Items




Organizations




Characters
Vangerdahast Aeiulvana • Mourngrym Amcathra • Elminster Aumar • Cassana • Daisyeye • Daisyeye II • Darol • Mistinarperadnacles Hai Draco• Han • High Roll • Lady Killer • Lhaeo • Lightning • Minda • Moander • Phalse • Zrie Prakis • Rafner • Roberts • Jhaele Silvermane • Turko • Windove Dorath Wyvernspur • Finder Wyvernspur • Frefford Wyvernspur • Giogioni Wyvernspur

Locations
Arabel • Desertsmouth Mountains • Elven Wood • Hilp • Immersea • North Gate Inn • Old Skull Inn • The Old Skull Tor • Reddansyr • The Rising Raven • River Ashaba • Shadowdale • Shadow Gap • Stonelands • Teziir • Tower of Ashaba Voonlar • Yulash