Aozaki Aoko Case File [498] (Patreon)

After receiving Edgin’s plea for help, Aoko performed her first-ever prayer—not so much a prayer as trying to call Mystra to ask what was going on in Icewind Dale.

In Aoko’s view, only a god could control the weather over such a vast area and block all magic like teleportation and communication. Even the greatest Netherese archmages would struggle to pull this off.

This time, Mystra didn’t reply with her usual clear voice; after Aoko asked, the answer was a vague “Yes,” and nothing more—like the distant, formal communication between ancient gods and their followers.

What did that mean? Just “yes” and nothing else? What’s actually going on?

Was that a confirmation that a god was interfering in Icewind Dale?

Aoko figured Mystra must be busy managing the Weave, so she didn’t press further. She gave instructions to her steward Bernard, then set out in a hurry.

To cross the Spine of the World and reach the Ten Towns of Icewind Dale, the first stop was Luskan. Aoko had briefly stayed in Luskan before, when she left Icewind Dale with Edgin and Holga, but she barely remembered the city and didn’t understand its unique character.

This time was different. Before entering Icewind Dale, she needed detailed intel, which meant dealing with local powers.

Luskan was notorious for its rough, violent reputation, frequently clashing with nearby cities and towns. Neverwinter, especially, was a thorn in Luskan’s side—the prosperity and location of Neverwinter ruined Luskan’s trade, so while everyone in the Sword Coast knew about the famous City of Skilled Hands, many didn’t even know Luskan existed.

They thought it was some backwater little town.

Part of the reason was Luskan’s founders were exiles from Neverwinter, driven out by dissatisfaction with its rule.

At first, Luskan—called the City of Sail—welcomed adventurers from all over Faerûn, becoming briefly prominent.

But poor governance and lawlessness quickly turned Luskan chaotic and riven with infighting.

Now, Luskan was ostensibly ruled by five noble families—Ship Taerl, Ship Baram, Ship Kurth, Ship Suljack and Ship Rethnor—all descended from pirate captains, so their attitude toward commoners and visitors was as expected.

But these five families were just for show. Real power lay in the hands of the Arcane Brotherhood, a society of wizards.

Though the name sounded impressive, the Brotherhood never dared provoke Waterdeep or Amn, knowing their limits, and instead preyed on smaller towns.

This made Luskan widely despised. Locals often formed militias to fight off the Brotherhood’s raids.

Longsaddle was especially troublesome for the Brotherhood, as it was protected by powerful spellcasters like Dilo and his family. Sending low-level wizards to rob them was a death sentence.

Thus, Longsaddle and the Harpell family became leaders among the northern towns, and the Harpells were happy with this, not wiping out Luskan’s raiders completely.

Aoko, clad in a robe and hood with a staff, immediately scared off would-be troublemakers when she entered the city—they knew not to mess with wizards, and who really ran Luskan.

But to the Arcane Brotherhood, this was a different matter. They couldn’t tell if Aoko was here to challenge their interests or just passing through.

Still, the Brotherhood didn’t act immediately, as their own leaders were locked in a fierce power struggle—one had just been killed by his apprentices, making everyone nervous about new variables.

Anyone powerful enough could see Aoko’s strength at a glance. Even if disguised, she’d recognize a legendary wizard like Elminster.

The Brotherhood was afraid—afraid Aoko was backup called in by one of their rivals. If the balance tipped, all of Luskan could be plunged into chaos.

But to their surprise, Aoko really was just passing through, wanting only information about Icewind Dale.

After days of debate, the Brotherhood decided to send some expendable lackeys to test her.

If she was weak, they’d devour her without mercy. If she was strong—well, then nothing had happened, right?

On her fifth day in Luskan, while wandering the less crowded streets for information, Aoko was surrounded by a group of pirates and a few brown-robed wizards.

That day, Aoko had cast Mystra’s Wisdom with an evocation focus, so she didn’t give them a chance to utter a single threat—she simply raised her hand and unleashed a Maximized Chain Lightning, sending the pirates flying, barely alive.

The five brown-robed wizards had been ready and, standing apart, avoided the lightning’s range. They coordinated smoothly, casting a mix of spells—transmutations, summonings, fireballs, illusions—but Aoko wasn’t interested in playing along.

She escalated: casting Time Stop, she calmly planted Delayed Blast Fireballs at each one, sending them to oblivion.

However, Aoko wanted information, so she left one brown-robed wizard alive.

But the mastermind behind the attack was ruthless—when Aoko used Mind Probe to extract information, the wizard’s head exploded like a smashed watermelon, splattering everywhere.

Aoko found this disgusting—if she hadn’t reacted with a shield spell, she would’ve been covered in gore.

These local gangs really had no manners!