The crowd was large and diverse, with people from all walks of life and all corners of Halruaa. Wizards, monks, clerics, soldiers, and common folk stood shoulder to shoulder, united in their grief and determination. They were dressed in black or other dark colours, and many wore armbands with the symbol of the School of Transmutation, in honour of the fallen mages.
At the centre of the plaza was a large platform, draped in white cloth and adorned with flowers. On the platform stood Tiberius Arcturus, the head priest of the School of Transmutation, dressed in his ceremonial robes. He stood tall and proud, his voice carrying across the square as he delivered his speech.
"My fellow Halruaans, today we gather to mourn the loss of our brothers and sisters who fell in battle against the drow. They were warriors, mages, and clerics, united in their dedication to protecting our land and our people. We cannot bring them back, but we can honour their sacrifice. We can remember their bravery, their selflessness, and their unwavering devotion to our cause. They fought with everything they had, giving their lives to defend us against our enemies. We must never forget their sacrifice."
The crowd listened intently, their heads bowed in respect and sadness. Some wiped away tears, others held hands with their loved ones for comfort. The words of Tiberius resonated deeply with them, stirring up feelings of grief and loss.
"But we must also remember that their deaths were not in vain. They fought to protect everything we hold dear, our homes, our families, our way of life. They stood up to the darkness and showed us that we are not powerless against it. They proved that we are capable of great things, even in the face of overwhelming odds. Today we mourn, but we must also look to the future. We must carry on their legacy, continuing the fight against those who seek to harm us. We must honour their sacrifice by never giving up, by never giving in, by always standing up for what is right. So let us take a moment to remember those we have lost. Let us honour their memory with a vow to carry on their work. And let us never forget that we are stronger together than we are alone. We will get through this, and we will emerge stronger and more determined than ever before. For Halruaa!"
As Tiberius finished his speech, the crowd erupted into applause. It was a spontaneous and heartfelt expression of gratitude and support for their fallen heroes. The applause echoed across the plaza, a fitting tribute to those who gave their lives in service of Halruaa.
In the following week Argentarius and most of the survivors got honoured by a speech and medals from the Council of Elders. What surprised him most, was that he got permission to borrow a few books on mid level magic. He pretended to be most humble and quickly made his escape back toward the Nath, with his books of course. Having no intention to be dragged down into political games, he had already noticed the greedy glances on him from some Elders, he sought refuges inside the Temple and emersed himself in research.
In his spare time, when he was exhausted from experimenting with his spells, he read a bit more about the country of Halruaa. It was written by an outsider and was therefore not very popular by the locals, but he was convinced an external perspective would be more accurate.
"In a region ringed by mountains lies Halruaa, a nation of reclusive wizards. This rich realm is famous for its gold mines, its fiery Haerlu wine, and most of all, its magic. Halruaans wizards, like their mighty Netherese ancestors, crave powerful magic and pursue their craft with fanatical devotion, and even Halruaans who do not practice the Art respect its inescapable power and influence." That was definitely true, as he would describe them obsessed rather then respectful.
"Halruaa is almost completely encircled by the Walls of Halruaa, a series of mountain ranges that form the eastern, northern, and western borders of the country. The coastline of the Great Sea forms its southern boundary. Halruaa stretches approximately 500 miles from east to west, and more than 350 miles from the coast to the northern foothills. The vast majority of the country consists of flat, windswept plains, broken only by broad, sluggish rivers and the occasional unusual feature or ancient forrest. For the most part, Halruaa is a warm, humid land, with temperatures ranging from more than 100 degrees in the summer to between 80 and 90 degrees in the winter. The mountains trap the moisture that rolls in off the sea, producing sudden and frequent thunderstorms. The higher foothills and valleys of the Walls of Halruaa are cooler and more comfortable than the lowlands in the middle, and the mountains are even colder, with permanent snowcaps on the highest peaks. Winter often brings snow to the temples on the mountain slopes as well, though never to the inland plains. The winds blowing off the mountains make life inland more bearable, though the weather patterns produced when they meet over Lake Halruaa make the lake a tricky place to sail."
His research on the skyships had answered his question on why they would still rely so heavy on the water travelling variety. In short, the winds were hell. Even with protective magic, the ships were built for efficiency and speed. Back in the days of the Netherese Empire of old the weather could be manipulated by any respectable spell caster, but since the magic fell of since then they had no choice but to bend to natures will and sail the choppy waters when the winds became to much.
He read further on the Geography.
"The nation of Halruaa is perhaps the single most isolated country on the continent of Faerûn, with the possible exception of some island kingdoms. Great mountains tower over the central plains, their snow-capped peaks tantalizingly out of reach of those who live in this hot, windswept land. High, narrow passes through these severe mountains provide some measure of contact with the rest of the world, as does shipping from the Great Sea to the south. For the most part, however, the wizards of Halruaa live in comfortable dissociation from those around them."
Add that to the fact that they and the crazy necromancers of Thay were the last remnants of the magic Empire of the Netherese and it no longer wondered him why they were so paranoid.
