Cooper Vulpes, A Wild Ride.

[vulpes]

Hammering the last pin in for the day Cooper went back upstairs to his room to wash up after a hard day at the Vulpes barrel company in Waterdeep. Within a few moments he was cleaned up and ready to take a look at the scruffy notebook he had found in the attic. It was full of all sorts of strange writings a scribbles and looked old, very old in fact. Being good with languages, he was always sent to negotiate with new customers across the City, he figured the book must be some kind of old language.


Several minutes later he found he was reading the book aloud to himself lost in his own world of adventure, when the book flashed and he heard a scream and a crash from next door. Looking out of the second story window he saw his neighbor a nice lady holding a pile of clothes with a large frog in her hands with what looked like a human face!


Rushing down to see what had happened, he forgot he was still holding the book when a small crowd had gathered and one of them shouted “He did it !” Pointing an accusatory finger at Cooper “Magician !”

A small pit of panic filled his stomach as he held the book, warm in his hands now his mouth agape. At this point a firm shoulder gripped his shoulder and he knew it was his Father also called Cooper, who dragged him upstairs.


“I was worried it may come to this, you found it then. The Vulpes history says one will come every few generations and it seemed it’s you. You will have to leave you know? We can’t have you here now, not until this is blown over at least and the mages guild has turned poor Yorin there back”.


His life blurring before his eyes, some food in a pack, some coins he had stashed, a quick apology to the neighbor and a note left for the girl he knew he would never see again, most likely any time soon at best anyway. He was given a ticket to head to Cormyr and as his father said a genuine smile on his face…”Find adventure, forge your path, grow, be kind and make the Vulpes line proud”.

Greatgaunt.

Oddly Cooper had grown up in the City of Splendors pretty secluded, being stuck into barrel making for twelve hours a day most days. Greatgaunt was a nice change, so many things to see, so many things he had read about and had now seen.

Who knew goblins did not like writing as they thought it captured your soul?


Most recently he had found a note of some importance it seemed one that had some mention of "planarnauts" and various suits. He had found it while adventuring with Tundor Grinsmall, one of the finest people he had ever met and Kastrian also a legend in his own ale. It was time to visit the museum he thought and find the curator. This seemed important.

[vulpes]

A cool breeze came through his window ruffling the papers strewn about his desk. As Coopers skills in magic had increased, more of the notebook he had found in his attic became decipherable. Some of the magic was powerful he knew and he had spent quite some time at the Wizard Academy figuring out how best to use it. It seemed there were stiff penalties for using some of the magic without permission or from using some kinds of magic at all !

One thing that had gripped him with curiosity was the Slaadi. He jokingly called them frogs, as did many it seemed, but on a recent jaunt with Tundor and Brunhilda, he had stumbled upon a family? A group? A Gaggle? He did not know what to make of it really, but was confident they had helped a Slaad, only to find out they may have sent it to it’s doom.

‘Hilda had kept a claw from one of them so maybe that would yield a clue, but since then all Cooper could do was gather knowledge about these strange creatures and hope that he could gather a group either strong or crazy enough to go to Limbo to find out more.

Shuffling the papers together his stomach rumbled. It was time to get some pie from Shally and maybe figure out who would be willing to go.

[vulpes]

An oxymoron the aspiring master of the weave thought. Time had passed so quickly since leaving Waterdeep, yet was moving like treacle currently at this current juncture. Stretching to clear his head from studies, Cooper wondered what to do next?

Hallie it seemed was determined to move to Cloudstone, leaving him a feeling of listlessness, though when she left he was always left with a deep feeling of enuui anyway, so who knows maybe change would be good? He saw so many obvious things with the assassination that had occurred in Cloudstone, it was suggested he be an advisor there, something he could look into perhaps, after all how they had not noticed what he had was beyond him. His intellect no doubt, what seemed simple to him was maybe harder for others to see as they saw it everyday? Maybe he could elucidate some theories with them, but who to talk to? There was no easy way there.


After speaking with Alamor he did wonder about seeking out the mages there, it could give him a sense of purpose perhaps? Maybe sell the enchanted items he could make?

The Grinsmalls had agreed to come to Limbo with him, or at least to try and get near there, though everyone had warned him how chaotic it would be and what a “prize” a mage may be to a Slaad who wanted to impregnate him with an egg.

There was still much to prepare after all he did not like the idea of going insane, though his own frame of thinking was chaotic at most time, he just tried to not show it openly.


With all these things to ponder, he had spent some weeks talking with “Red”. He had no other name for the Slaad he summoned, but it was red so it seemed like a good enough moniker. In fact, he was growing quite fond of having Red around, the creature was pure chaos, licking its eyes one moment, eating goblins only to throw them up on another goblin, it’s bubbly language, he had managed to communicate with it in some form of Undercommon in fact, a breakthrough he thought. Red was a remarkable being who he grown some affinity to. As Cooper matured so quickly with such exposure he could never have dreamed of not so long ago he found these beings remarkable.




The scrying had gone well, so much more to do though to find Pickens and it was incredibly taxing after a while. From what he had found out, this Skeeter Pickens seemed a very plain looking fellow with a marvelous mullet he didn’t think anyone could pull off! Cooper ran a hand through his hair and thought about a mullet shaking the idea off as quickly as he thought of it. Coops did wonder what Pickens offered the swamp though or perhaps the creatures in the swamp? For them to protect him as they did, he must be powerful indeed or have something he held over them perhaps?


Turning to spot Julia eating a sugary treat on her bed in the house he was renting in Shallybrook, he smiled his one companion that never left him. The house had a low ceiling, though large rooms and he started to practice his magic again in the space. The owner Biily ( two i’s oddly), had said he could as long as it didn’t wreck anything, which he intended not to do! Reading an incantation from his scruffy notebook, the massive gust of wind he brought forth sent papers all over the place and Julia giggled as the room filled with his notes and papers like confetti!




Perhaps he could be an advisor after all he thought as the dust settled, he could have a didactic tone people listened to after all? The question would be… who would he advise? The mage knew as his powers grew more people would want his services perhaps, that or feel threatened? If not he could always sell enchanted magical arms and armours?

[vulpes]

Looking over the verdant grassland nearby where the Slaadi had first appeared while out adventuring with Tundor and ‘Hilda, Cooper adjusted his cloak frowning a little as he was apt to do when pondering life’s mysteries.

If the creatures of chaos had broken through to his plane, theoretically he could push into theirs. In theory at least. A long and bizarre conversation with a Gnome had eventually come to the conclusion that travel between the planes was much easier if you had a connection between the two.


Crouching down, he ran his fingers through the monocotyledons, grasses and slightly scorched lichens where the portal had failed. Picking up a cluster of the grasses he turned his head to look at Red. The Slaad stared back at him with pure indifference a wet tongue flicking out to lick its eyeballs as Cooper lifted the grasses to show the red leathery creature. With what could have been a cough, shrug or a flex of its body a “bouuum” emanated from Red causing the grasses to stir and an unfortunate bird to fall from the sky stunned, as Red focused its energies outward in an expanding circle of magical energy.


His mind shielded from the burst and somewhat used to it. Cooper looked around for any signs of movement. Again there was nothing. Perhaps that was not the connection he needed. Another Slaad perhaps? One more powerful than Red. Soon he would know, if his studies progressed as he hoped they would, he had managed to get the scroll from Skira after all in trade at least. In the not too distant future he hoped he would venture with his band of adventurers to find the White Slaad.


Motioning to Red to follow him he set off back south, no real destination in mind as he walked with Red loping alongside. He talked to him about his thoughts, his problems anything really. Red was not much for talking but was a good listener, well when he did not bound off in some random fashion, he assumed which was due to his chaotic nature.


The mage had told some close friends that he was in fact noble born not just a mage in learning or simple barrel maker, though he did actually make barrels. The Vulpes line was actually a very powerful trading house in Waterdeep, only he was trying to find those who liked him for what he was, not what he had or rather could have. Intrigue was twitching at the corner of his mind again though, his sense of adventure wanting more than just to wander. Before he realized, he noted he was heading north not south. Perhaps it was something calling him that way.

That or he was lost, both were equally possible.

[vulpes]

Sweat poured over his brow as he worked the adamantine, enchanting it with magical electricity. The gem slowly dissolved under the power of his magic, becoming part of the weapon, imbued as it were in the very steel.

Gripping the leather bound handle and taking a swing the axe was well balanced and crackled as it parted the air. He knew Bjorn would be able to put it to great use, culling the enemies of Cormyr with stoic Dwarven ferocity!

Cooper watched the satisfied customer depart a smile on his face. he got more pleasure knowing he had helped someone than the coin he made, though the coin certainly helped him move along with other projects he was working on, namely finding a way to breach into Limbo without going mad.

Hoping Hallie had figured out a group to look go and look for Skeeter, he wondered if the Nemesis that was hunting him had in fact been working with Skeeter, there were so many coincidences it was uncanny. Slowly packing up his tools and tidying the table of his items he looked over at the massive Slaad staring blankly at him. Somehow he knew this was the key. Perhaps if he could transform into a Slaad? Not even sure if that was possible he muttered his thoughts out loud while the massive black Slaad licked it's eyeballs and generally ignored Cooper, occasionally breaking things as it shifted it's weight about. perhaps that was the key after all... become a Slaad to find a Slaad?

With the place tidied, he looked at the sign he had and snapped his fingers making it vanish into a magical bag of holding.

Alamor had been most generous helping him with the wording and now it seemed as part of the Adventurers Call, The Blue Fox, Coopers mercantile store was up and running, offering everything from healing kits, potions, scrolls and enchanted arms and armour. He hoped he could help those seeking adventure and intrigue.

It was time to set up the stall again in the market and work out who to ask to help him get his book on Dwarven Stone Masters back from the bandits for Cathryn Stormcrown. The Grinsmalls, Hallie and Uriel would be perfect for such a task.

[vulpes]

Fortune favours the brave, or so the phrase went Cooper thought, as he trudged back through the swamp. Cooper recalled many brave warriors who had fallen on the field of battle and decided the phrase was misleading at best musing he was certain they did not feel fortunate as some beast ate them or they were poked with a sword!

The happy go lucky mage decided to stick with being lucky or even perhaps a scholar would say "as fate would have it?". Either way he had been fortunate enough to bump into a very friendly Hin, Corky. Quick to smile and quick on his feet Cooper took an immediate liking to him and even more so when he said he could show him where some Slaad were "residing". Perhaps this would be his chance to get D, his Death Slaad who had oddly become "friendly" to him, if not occasionally near impossible to direct, to help him communicate with the others and make his journey to Limbo, or at least talk with a White Slaad, perhaps -the- White Slaad he had met with the Grinsmalls that day.




Remembering what he had seen and the approximate location of the Slaad "residence" he smiled over to Hallie, perhaps they could find Skeeter Pickens here too, after all, for some reason he seemed to get drawn to the Tun on more than one occasion and Hallies hunt for the ever elusive marvelously mulleted renegade was getting closer he could feel it!

Time ticked by and he found he had walked back into the Mage Library in Suzail, where he started to write down his notes to remind him of what he would need and to poke about the many books on the shelves to see if there was a clue as to anything he could use. One dusty tomb poked out a little, oddly having been recently handled it seemed, one that reminded him he should try to speak with a War Wizard, though he had yet to find one that would give him time. The title of the book simply "Jorunhast".

[vulpes]

The sight blinded his senses, his head rang like a gong his body seemed to catch fire yet freeze at the same time.

Cooper had done it with the help of “D”, his Death Slaad, if only for a brief part of a second, maybe less maybe more?

Standing in shock as the air moved around him settling again. D stared at him calmly licking his eyeballs as he was prone to do. Cooper had managed to glimpse Limbo.






He knew now the warning D had given to him, that is when D was coherent enough to talk and focused enough not to wantonly kill things or just sit there plucking grass as he was apt to do.

Limbo was supreme chaos, a twisting, quicksilver place filled with bits and pieces of rocks, trees, the four elements, entire landscapes, strong winds, and random pockets of liquid, solid, or gas. Sentient beings could dampen down the chaos to livable levels and produce a safe environment as long as they maintained concentration so he read, though his mind was totally unprepared for what he saw.


It was time to try and find a White Slaad and show it the Slaad claw he had recovered with the others the day the Slaad was captured. He would have to gather a party though, for even with D by his side this would be like dancing on razorblades while throwing a bucket of water in a volcano to put it out.

[vulpes]

Cooper, after being informed Hallie is missing looked under every rock and area he could think she wanders with his faithful friend Tundor to no avail.

Returning to his house in Shally, even D turns his nose at the smells of sulphur and brimstone coming from the sigils Cooper is experimenting with.

[vulpes]

The events in Cloudstone had unfurled as he had expected. Bickering amongst those there was ever present with a vague grasp on what was happening being discussed at best. What was definitely happening was the Crown was marching against the magical place.




Still not able to put a finger on what anyone saw in the barren outpost, the constant infighting, inhospitable landscape and the ever present and horrifically depressing rain. He knew it was time for a stand. The Crown was coming, regardless of the rain, landscape or storm shield they had hoped to bring.




Cooper rubbed his temples the agonizing throbbing not leaving no matter what wards he cast or what potions he tried from Brandiocs supplies in Shallybrook. He even looked to the runes he had in a book when he had made a deal, -the- deal, he did not want to think about, the acrid smell of sulphur and brimstone returning to his nose unbidden, worsening the headache he could not shake.


Reaching for some milk and eating some plain bread, all he seemed able to stomach at the moment, Cooper thought about his meeting with Cathryn Stormcrown in her private chambers before the events unfolded into the catastrophe in the valley. So many needless battles, friends fighting friends, forcing him to act how he didn’t want to. The Blue Fox thought again while frowning to himself, he had told her to leave so many times, but she wouldn’t listen and look where they had landed.


Getting up from his bed in the Inn in Eveningstar he washed in lukewarm water that felt like fire on his skin, dressed and put on his normally comfortable clothes that scratched and pulled at him now. Standing he looked at himself in the mirror for several minutes before realizing he had forgotten what it was he was doing and sat back on the bed. A worried Julia flew to his shoulder and whispered a reminder in his ear and he smiled looking at his faithful familiar, then to the note he had written to himself the night before. A reminder, it had just one word and with that he set out from the Inn, the resolve hardening through eyes that struggled to focus on the simplest things.

[vulpes]

"The wheel turns and time moves with it" the old wizard of Savras spoke to Cooper in dulcet tones, his milky eyes inspecting him as he spoke.

"Make sure the choices you make are those you want to make and not those forced upon you by others, search for the truth in all things".

Looking at the shrine ahead of him, he had listened to the Mage speak for what seemed like a day, his voice intriguing almost mesmerizing in his knowledge. Kneeling down as he had before Mystra, his thirst for knowledge andcuriosity driving him he asked Savras for guidance.



And so began his quest for the Benign Order of the Third Eye.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Valkurs Roar, with the chaos and odd happenings going on where better to start the search? If only he could find Mynian.

[vulpes]

Cooper looked into the silver plate mirror at his pointed teeth and ears and ran a finger along his bald scalp. Smiling with sharpened yellow teeth, he turned to see Hallie over the pit in the cave they lived in roasting a horse she had captured from one of the nearby towns. Hallies green skin was rough and dirty, her leather armour hanging loosely off her muscled body. He smiled again shaking a crude bow with savage looking arrows in it and barked at her in the rough tongue of the goblin not to overcook the meat, to which she lovingly responded by throwing a burning stick from the fire at him. Life was good. He had a cave wife, food in his belly and a war band to command.

Suddenly he could hear chittering at the edge of his senses, his well developed sense of smell picking up something...off, it wasn't the midden pile or partially eaten food by the cave mouth, it was Orogs and manflesh... Something wasn't right for a moment he heard an unfamiliar name whisper in his ear.. "Cooper!".

He grabbed his cave wife by the ears hoiking her up to come with him, she barked at him and delivered a solid punch to his guts driving the air out and making him smile, she was a keeper he thought, she clearly liked him as she hit him again and pointed to the cave entrance. There it was again.... that unfamiliar name, he started to sweat as he approached the mouth and saw two groups slaughtering each other, knights in shining armour that hurt his eyes and massive brutish orogs. He blanked out for a moment, the brightness outside washing pain over his eyes.

When he opened them, the devil looked into his eyes and said in a voice that would melt steel with it's venom "I did not forget how you tricked me!" A hand of fire and ice darted for his neck and he tried to yell the air gone from his lungs. His eyesight faded and ringing hurt his ears.

"Cooper !" The voice yelled, and he sat bolt upright in surprise waking from his fever dream, "What !?" he yelled in goblin, confused and drenched in sweat, magic crackling on his fingertips.

Julia threw some water on him and told him he was tossing and turning, speaking in weird languages, muttering about goblins, devils, knights fighting orogs and a star cut by a sword. She went on to explain she woke him finally as he seemed to calm and stop breathing for a moment.

The Blue Fox's senses finally coming back to him, he thanks Julia, her presence always calming, so kind an innocent no matter the situation, he would surely not know what to do without her.

Sliding off the bed, he heated a bath with a quick flash of magic and sunk under it to clear his mind. There were many loose ends it seemed, he should try to close some off. Starting with another delve into Savras's secret library, he knew he should looks for indications of the sword and blue star. Perhaps it was time to start giving some missions to The Benign Order of The Third Eye. Drying himself off he knew he could rely on Karyn, she was trustworthy and smart. Perhaps it was time to let her know about how she could help?

Turning back to get dressed he looked in the mirror and straightened his glorious hair and blinked and turned quickly looking behind him, he swore he saw a female goblin looking at him briefly. Shivering he tried to clear his head by chatting to Julia and what she had been up to in Shally.

[vulpes]

The Source of Fire:


Cooper sat in his study reading the book for the third time. The penmanship was easy on the eyes, something he appreciated, given the vast number of tomes and parchments he read.




Karyn Del’Riyen was clearly an excellent choice to join the Benign Order of the Third Eye, if that is she wanted too of course. Secrecy was one of the Orders objectives, though she could clearly hold her tongue, given… the incident.

Pouring over the book, Cooper decided it was time to get a party together at least to investigate the contents some more.


Perhaps Xzavions story was not unlike his life….


Closing the book he turned and looked at the “magic egg” on his desk Rith Xillow had sold him and laughed. She was a canny customer that one *laughing he spun the egg on the desk and put it back on the small pedestal as a reminder.


Talking to himself he repeated the name of the book. The Source of Fire.


// Thanks to Faewing for the story line !

[vulpes]

Preparations were underway. Cooper with the help of others had slowly been gathering items and articles of interest for what he thought would be necessary to protect Cormyr and possibly the realms. If what his parents had said in Waterdeep, things were bigger than he thought. He pondered over what Hallie had said about heading back for a visit, yet things were going well here in Cormyr, for now anyway.

Looking over his items on the table for sale, he knew his store location would not be a prime location for sales, but word of mouth of what he could do was good enough it seemed and his reputation as a merchant was growing stronger daily.

Vera one of the travelling food merchants came by with a meal he had ordered, spiced lamb and roast potatoes and his mouth watered the moment she put it on the table. Maybe he should stay in Shally, partly as he liked it and Mystras temple was nearby, but he looked up at the store behind him in the Field Gates of Suzail and pondered a more permanent location.

Coopers meal finished, the scraps fed to a cat he imaginatively called "Cat" he looked through the sales he had made and realised it was not such a bad spot after all, if a little quiet. Quiet was good though in some regard, given the current undertakings and his search for The Lord of Murders minions.

[vulpes]

With a place he hoped to call home soon enough in Suzail on the horizon, Cooper set forth once again to find the mysterious "Spiders Eyes" Circlet.

Having been beaten back so many times he was sure he was on the right track to hunt down Cyric's minions. The mage knew he had to find a certain scroll in the secret library and decided today was that day.



Arriving after a gods awful journey, they entered their destination. Wasting no time after freshening up, Cooper headed for the known library.


Even examining things he was not sure about, but ever curious for clues..




Finally getting to where he needed to retrieve the scrolls, Cooper gave thanks to Savras and the Order. Soon he said looking at the Shrine, hopefully soon.

[vulpes]

It seemed like branching out to others to help Cooper find out what was happening with the Triads had worked. Marcus and Nicha were resourceful indeed and had found what he had asked and more importantly given him directions.

There were still a few pieces missing he knew and finding out the Triads had been accepted by the Crown was a surprise, though he realized they could be duped easily enough it seemed, history does repeat itself after all.

Wandering up to Skull Cragg to check in on the Knights unnatural ways,  Cooper was stunned  a moment when he saw not one, but two adamantine golems wandering about with the Knights and dead Orogs spiked on stakes for the Crows to feast on and the wolves if they were brave enough to chew on at night.



It was time to find Dorf again and start surveying the land in earnest.

[vulpes]

Examining the notes on his desk a quick glance at the crystal ball and other trinkets lying around, Cooper decided he needed a break from trying to figure out how saying the Mad Ones name could bring his wrath down upon you.

The mage looked at the texts strewn across the desk in some sort of order, languages of all sorts, some so old that were long since forgotten, some of more recent tongue and still there was a piece of the puzzle missing. Leaning back in the padded leather chair of his study in Shallybrook, he wondered what it could be, his mind darting too and fro from one thought to the next as it was apt to do.

Pushing the papers aside, he pulled out the commission from "Aria Migand". He had asked the scribe to make him something interested, a blank slate as it were for her commission, all things interested him after all, not just how to save the mighty dragons, but often the more simple things in life.

Pulling the cord loosening the parchment he read the note in excellent writing, an excerpt it seemed from a book, hopefully finished in the future. Smiling he read it aloud to Julia, the Pixie sat on his shoulder listening to the words.




Pinning it to the wall above his desk he realised it was gold well spent, a chance at one of Aria Migands finest works, whole when finished put a smile on his face. That was certainly something worth keeping.

He then returned to his list on the desk, unsure of what task to start or whom to seek for help with it....

[vulpes]

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