The Shadowmask

The Shadowmask is the second novel in the Stone of Tymora trilogy by Geno Salvatore and R.A. Salvatore. It continues the story of Maimun, now following him in his quest to recover the Stone of Tymora.

"Cross swords with a blue-skinned pirate and unravel the mystery of the masked spellcaster in this second book of the Stone of Tymora Trilogy!

Though robbed by a masked spellcaster and left for dead by a demon, twelve-year-old Maimun refuses to give up the magic that rightfully belongs to him. After reuniting with dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden and Captain Deudermont's crew, Maimun sets off on a sea-faring chase that will test both the strength of his spirit and of his friendships. As perilous storms rock Sea Sprite and vicious pirates bombard its decks, a mysterious force gathers in the Moonshaes, determined to bring Deudermont's ship—and Maimun's quest—crashing to an end on its shores.

In this second book of the Stone of Tymora trilogy, R.A. Salvatore and his son Geno continue their gripping tale of coming-of-age in a world filled with magic, featuring a cameo of R.A. Salvatore's signature character Drizzt Do'Urden."

Summary
The story once again begins with Maimun being questioned by the same pirate from The Stowaway. He continues his story from some years earlier:
 * Part 1:

In Memnon, the demon Asbeel is leaning over Maimun, asking him where the Stone of Tymora has gone. However, the stone has been taken from Maimun by a woman in a shadowmask. Maimun fights him, but their battle is interrupted by the wearer of the shadowmask, who commands Asbeel to be gone. She then disappears into the city with Maimun close behind. He stops in one of the city's markets, where he finds a circle of nine ravens who tell him to stop his pursuit. He trips into a tent, where an old seer with no name tells Maimun that he sees a strange man following him, seeking the same thing Maimun is seeking.

Believing the man from the seer's vision is the dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden, Maimun runs to the city's gates to find out where Drizzt and his friends, who parted ways with him only day before, had gone. A homeless boy on the street tells Maimun that Drizzt has passed into the Calim Desert and that Maimun should procure a camel in order to follow him. Maimun finds the merchant Sali Dalib, but having no money, he instead accepts a loan of "magic" boots.

Maimun enters the Calim Desert and avoids the eastern "De Bestest Road" that Sali Dalib recommended, suspecting a trap. He goes south instead only to find that the boots are not magical. He suffers dehydration in the desert, but after some time passes a watering hole where bandits are waiting. He manages only a short drink of water before being forced to fight one of the bandits. He escapes, discovering that his borrowed boots are in fact magical, but only when he runs. He crosses the desert in less than a tenday, surviving on melted frost that he can form on his cloak with his magical sword.

In Calimport, Maimun offers food to the first beggar that can help him find Drizzt Do'Urden. Only one "child" (soon identified as the halfling Dondon Tiggerwillies) is brave enough to give him any information: Drizzt Do'Urden has been claimed by the legendary assassin Artemis Entreri. Dondon refuses to say more, but Maimun follows him to Rogue's Circle and the house of Pasha Pook, where Drizzt was believed to be either captured or dead.

Maimun rests for the night at the docks, where he spies Sea Sprite coming in. He tried to convince Captain Deudermont that they must rescue Drizzt, but at that moment Drizzt and the other Companions of the Hall (minus Regis) appear, having escaped—and beaten—Entreri. That night, Maimun asks Drizzts about the Stone of Tymora, only to find that the drow knows nothing about the stone and was not the man in the seer's vision.

Back in the cave with the pirate, Maimun develops a plan to escape captivity, all while continuing his story:
 * Part 2:

Maimun has joined with the crew of Sea Sprite once again, planning to travel with Drizzt to the North to find Malchor Harpell. The numbness in Maimun's arm and leg due to being separated from the Stone of Tymora is growing. The ship reaches Baldur's Gate and is held there for several days due to a storm. Maimun enters the city to find the Empty Flagon, where he left his dying foster father, on fire and its owner, Alviss, missing. Concerned, Maimun goes to the Temple of Tymora to seek out the priestess Jaide, but she too is gone.

Thirteen days later, Sea Sprite leaves port for Waterdeep, dodging icebergs all the way. Upon arrival, Maimun spots Joen working on the docks. He follows her to an inn called Shank and sees her join the crew of a Chrysaor, the water genasi that had once attempted to kidnap Maimun. Maimun tries to convince Joen not to join him, but she refuses. Chrysaor spots Maimun and admits he is after the Stone of Tymora, not Maimun himself.

When it comes time for Drizzt to leave, Maimun decides not to go with him. Instead, he asks Deudermont to pursue Chrysaor. He agrees to let Robillard, the new ship's wizard, keep him under surveillance. The two crews winter in Waterdeep and in the spring, Deudermont's crew has a new ship, smaller and lighter than the old ship but again named Sea Sprite. Chrysaor's crew depart in the ship Lady Luck before the last so, so Deudermont refuses to pursue him. Maimun angrily goes to his bunk, but awakens to the ship with its sails out; apparently, Lucky had polled the crew and they had agreed to help Maimun by following Chrysaor.

Days later, Sea Sprite catches up to Lady Luck. The crews battle each other. Maimun meets Joen in hand-to-hand combat. Chrysaor's crew is defeated, but in the end both ships capsize on the shores of an island in the Korinn Archipelago of the Moonshae Isles. Deudermont, angry at the loss of his ship, wants to slay the crew of Lady Luck, but Maimun and Joen convince him that the two crews together can help repair Sea Sprite. At that moment, nine ravens landed on the beach and transformed into nine people in shadowmasks. They call themselves the Circle and say they have brought the crews to the island for a purpose. They threaten to call the winds upon the crews if they do not leave Maimun behind on the island. Deudermont, surprisingly, agrees.

Back in the pirate's cave, Maimun determines that the pirate won't kill him until he's heard the rest of the the story. He demands food and a light, then asks for the pirate's word that he won't kill him. Then Maimun continues his story:
 * Part 3:

On the island in the Moonshaes, the two marooned crews sleep on the beach at night while they repair Sea Sprite. One night, Maimun goes walking, angry at Deudermont's decision to leave him. He finds a colony of walruses, then suddenly Elbeth, his former caretaker, appears behind him. It is revealed that Elbeth was the masked woman who stole the Stone of Tymora in Memnon. Maimun is happy to see her, despite her being a member of the Circle. She explains that the Circle stole the Stone because it threw luck out of balance, but they didn't realize it would have a physical effect on Maimun to remove it from his person. Elbeth also believed that getting rid of the stone would make Maimun less of a target. However, although the Circle wants to keep Maimun prisoner on the island, Elbeth cannot bear to see him captured. She reveals the location of the stone: in a dragon's lair on the island.

Elbeth leaves, but Maimun finds that Joen has followed her. He tells her his plan to steal the stone from the dragon. At low tide just before Sea Sprite is ready to sail, the two find the dragon's lair. Maimun retrieves the stone and Joen finds some gems and magical daggers, but in doing so the bronze dragon is awakened. They escape only to find Asbeel blocking their path. They fight him until a bull walrus attacks him, giving them the distraction they needed to escape. When the reach the ship, they find Robillard casting spells at the dragon.

The Circle soon chases the dragon off, but Asbeel appears once again. Robillard rescues Maimun from the demon's clutches, but Asbeel intends to escape with Joen in his clutches. Maimun uses his boots to leap into the air and impale Asbeel with Perrault's magical stiletto. The demon falls into the see and Joen is rescued. Everyone returns to Sea Sprite to leave the island. As they sail off, Maimun and Joen share a kiss in the crow's nest. At that moment, they hear familiar hoofbeats beating across the water.

Characters

 * Main characters:
 * Maimun


 * Supporting characters:
 * Asbeel • Chrysaor • Deudermont • Dondon Tiggerwillies • Drizzt Do'Urden • Elbeth • Joen • Lucky • Robillard • Sali Dalib • Tonnid


 * Minor characters:
 * Aridren • Bruenor Battlehammer • Catti-brie • Waillan McCanty • Wulfgar


 * Mentioned characters:
 * Alviss • Artemis Entreri (unnamed) • Haze • Jaide • Perrault • Pinochet • Pook • Regis

Locations

 * Actual locations:
 * Calimshan (Memnon; Calim Desert; Calimport, Rogue's Circle) • Moonshae Isles (Korinn Archipelago) • Sea of Swords • Sword Coast (Baldur's Gate, Lady's Hall, Empty Flagon; Waterdeep, Shank) • Tyr • Waterdeep


 * Mentioned locations:
 * High Forest • Sea of Moving Ice • Tower of Twilight

Creatures

 * Actual creatures:
 * bat • bronze dragon • demon • drow • dwarf • genasi • goblin • half-elf • human • rat • raven • walrus


 * Mentioned creatures:
 * camel • fox • hydra • nymph • rabbit • wolf

Deities

 * Beshaba • Tymora

Organizations

 * The Circle • Companions of the Hall • Lords of Waterdeep (mentioned) • Memnon Harbor Guard (mentioned)

Artifacts

 * Aegis-fang (unnamed) • Agatha's mask (unnamed) • boots of striding • crystal ball • Doss lute • Lady Luck • ring of feather fall • Sea Sprite • shadowmask • Stone of Tymora