Shadow's Witness by Paul S. Kemp is the second book of the Sembia: Gateway to the Realms series.
From the nobles in their towers to the gangs in the streets, in the city of Selgaunt power belongs to the bold and no one's position is certain. When a thieves' guild attempts to eradicate a rival organization, something unspeakable breaks free—and it's hungry.
With Selgaunt in chaos, Erevis Cale must return to the shadowy life he left behind, to protect the family that has made him one of their own from the horrors of the Abyss.
Enter the greatest fantasy setting of our generation—enter the Realms.Summary[]
Krollir Venasten, Righteous Man of the Night Knives in Selgaunt and follower of Mask, summons Ysrillar, a greater dread, to destroy the Zhentarim. His lieutenant Drasek Riven reveals himself as a Zhentarim agent and destroys the binding circle, leaving Krollir for dead. However, Ysrillar possesses Krollir instead of killing him. He then summons two lesser dreads, Araniskeel and Greeve.
Meanwhile, Jak Fleet, halfling thief and Harper, breaks into the Soargyl mansion to steal an item from Lord Boarim Soargyl’s bedroom, to serve as his holy symbol for Brandobaris. He succeeds, but witnesses the lord and lady Soargyl killed by one of the dreads.
Araniskeel leads many members of the Night Knives, turned into ghouls, in an attack on Stormweather Towers during a birthday celebration for Thamalon Uskevren's brother Perivel, long presumed dead. Many nobles are slaughtered and Thazienne Uskevren is wounded. Erevis Cale, a Night Knife spy who was embedded in the Ursekvern family and eventually became loyal to them, developing a friendship with Thamalon and romantic feelings for Thazienne, drives Araniskeel off.
Riven meets with Verdrinal, a higher-ranking member of the Zhentarim. With their leader, Malix, reporting to Fzoul Chembryl, Verdrinal is in charge of the Selgaunt Zhentarim. Verdrinal says that the Zhentarim plan to do nothing, as the demon is targeting rival guilds and noble families more than the Zhentarim.
As Thazienne recovers, Erevis Cale goes to the guildhouse, realizing Krollir has been possessed by Ysrillar. Ysrillar speaks of Champions of Mask. A mysterious appearance of a wall of darkness allows him to escape. He contacts Brelgin, leader of the Harpers in the city, while searching for Jak, finding him comatose in a temple of Deneir. However, after Erevis touches Jak, he regains consciousness. Upon learning that Brelgin is unwilling to help fight the demon, Jak returns his Harper pin.
Jak theorizes that Mask is sending signs and aid to Erevis. Elsewhere, Riven kills Verdrinal. In the guildhouse, Erevis and Jak discover gates opening to the Abyss. When the two are are retrieving enchanted weapons, a black facemask, the symbol of Mask, seems to appear to Erevis, and he takes it. Erevis kills Araniskeel, but both he and Jak fall through gates and find themselves in the Abyss.
Erevis seems to instinctively cast a spell protecting himself from the energy of the hostile plane. They discover a mirror version of the guildhouse and are able to slay all the ghouls by attacking their insubstantial manifestations on the Abyss. They kill Greeve and return to the Prime Material Plane. Erevis accepts his position as Champion of Mask and banishes Ysrillar. In his final moments, Krollir reveals that Riven freed Ysrillar. Erevis threatens Riven and the rest of the Zhentarim in Selgaunt.
Index[]
Index based on the 2007 paperback edition.
Click here for page index
Characters[]
- Araniskeel • Drasek Riven • Erevis Cale • Fek • Greeve • Jak Fleet • Krollir Venasten (Righteous Man) • Malix • Norwyl • Thazienne Uskevren • Thamalon Uskevren • Yrsillar
- Referenced only
- Avarix
Creatures[]
Locations[]
Organizations[]
Religion[]
Miscellaneous[]
- Books
- Shadowtome
- Concepts
- soul
- Events
- 1371 DR
- Games
- knucklebones
- Items
- candle • tinderbox
- Languages
- Thorass
- Materials
- flint • iron • ivory • limestone • mahogany • oak • plaster • platinum • silver • steel
- Weapons
- dagger • saber • short sword
- Referenced only
- butter • steam engine • Time of Troubles
Appendix[]
Gallery[]
Further Reading[]
- Paul S. Kemp (November 2000). “Rogues Gallery: The Heroes of Shadow's Witness”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon #277 (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 100–104.
External links[]
- Read a sample chapter (.zip file).
- And All the Sinners, Saints (a short story).
References[]
- ↑ Paul S. Kemp (April 2007). Shadow's Witness. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 1, p. 1. ISBN 978-0-7869-4259-6.