Battle at the Bar The Battle at the Bar was a fight that broke out in the common room of the Whistling Wizard inn sometime around the Year of the Turret , 1360 DR . It involved two independent and uncoordinated Harper groups , members of a slavery and smuggling ring known as the Tarntar , an illithid , an ogre mage , at least two doppelganger s , various bodyguards , and eventually the local law enforcers . Location . The Whistling Wizard inn was located on the outskirts of Voonlar where the North Ride emerged from the forest when traveling north from Shadowdale . History . Early in the winter of the Year of the Worm , 1356 DR , the owner of the Whistling Wizard , Ansilber Klauthaudra , was found hacked to pieces in the common room of his establishment . Within a tenday , the inn was then purchased by Ravvas Thurrpurtyn of Selgaunt who , Harper agents avowed , was killed and impersonated by an agent of the Red Wizards of Thay . Other reports deem it likely that the unnamed Red Wizard agent was soon assassinated and replaced by a malaugrym that played both roles , innkeeper and agent , for purposes unknown . Over the next few years , the Wizard was a meeting place for many nefarious characters from a host of dangerous organizations . At any given time there might have been Zhentarim agents , members of the Cult of the Dragon , agents of Thay , agents from Hillsfar , informants , information brokers , smugglers , and members of Sembia n power groups and players , such as the Tarntar , in residence . During this time , some non - human sentient creatures also infiltrated the inn for unknown reasons . An ogre mage using the name Gathkatra decided to become the chatelaine of the Wizard and did so by causing an accident to remove the current lady of the house . Then , polymorph ed into human female form , Gathkatra applied for the job and stepped into the role . An illithid archmage , also polymorphed into a tall , human male and calling itself Klondras Imdree , took up residence in the inn . And finally , at least two doppelgangers had begun working in the cookhouse as kitchen staff . Causes . The Whistling Wizard was also home to the Wizard Well , a water - filled cistern in the basement that was known to talk to individuals who came in peace . The Well was actually haunted by a female spectral harpist named Zarracee Ambroanye that gathered information and passed messages to Harper agents that came through Voonlar . She became sufficiently alarmed at the presence of so many suspicious or evil characters visiting or living in the inn that she eventually decided to send a message through the Harper network to Elminster in Shadowdale and beg for intervention and removal if the numerous imposters lurking there . The messenger Zarracee chose was one already on the way to Shadowdale to report to Storm Silverhand , and therefore the Bard of Shadowdale heard about the spectral harpist ' s concerns in passing , and decided to act . She called upon her sister , the Simbul for aid and the Simbul readily agreed and brought along six of her eager apprentices for the experience . When news of Zarracee ' s plea reached Elminster ' s ears , he allowed the Knights of Myth Drannor to handle the situation as they saw fit . Knights Sharantyr , Jhessail Silventree , and Illistyl Elventree organized a strike team of about twenty - five Harper agents and made their way to Voonlar . Unbeknownst to the Knights / Harper team , the Storm / Simbul team was doing the same , and got there first . Among the guests in the common room of the Whistling Wizard that afternoon were members of a Sembia n crime syndicate known as the Tarntar . Present were the evoker Alro " Five Flames " Randulkyn , the illusionist Skulto Mreth , the wizard and so - called Master - of - Moons Hastammer Orlim , a trader in cosmetics named Ghaurann Rhee , and a dealer in furs and leather clothing , Tharath Shemmer . There were also other minor peddlers , apprentices , familiar s , bodyguards , wagon drivers , and attendants scattered throughout the common room , the inn , and the stableyard . The Simbul apparently scried the room and recognized the Tarntar spellcasters , or divined their names and backgrounds , because she altered her appearance to mimic the Sage of Shadowdale ( right down to the smoking pipe that floated beside his head ) and walked straight into the den of thieves and began to tease , cajole , and advise them about their personal life , their religious affiliations , and their slavery business . The audience was speechless and the mages knew better than to trade spells against Elminster himself , but when he grinned , sat in Hastammer ' s lap , and changed into a woman , the battle was on . Battle . If the mages who cast the first attack spells had recognized the Witch - Queen of Aglarond , the Battle at the Bar might never have begun . But this was not the case . Hastammer ' s associates immediately cast deadly spells at the Simbul even as she sat across his lap . She shrugged off the attacks , laughed out loud to signal her compatriots to join the fun , and then took up a defensive posture to protect the inn from major damage while her apprentices took on the Tarntar with the help of Storm . As Storm and the apprentices rushed into the common room , merchants and attendants scattered to find or fetch their bodyguards . The Knights of Myth Drannor and two dozen Harper agents were approaching the inn when they observed people pouring out of windows and doors , running and shouting , and quickly joined the fray with the initial intent to quell the riot . The battle soon raged up and down the ( mostly dark ) halls and staircases of the inn and around the grounds . Zarracee flew from room to room , passing through walls and floors , with reports and warnings for the Harper troops . When someone fled or was chased into the cookhouse , their panic infected the doppelgangers into thinking they had been revealed . At this time , the Zhentarim was the major power in Voonlar , having control over the Bron ( local sheriff ) and his deputies and the backing of the local temple of Cyric , so the shapeshifters took on the form of what they believed was the most feared and respected beings in Voonlar : Zhentarim wizards . The sight of their arch - enemy put the Knights of Myth Drannor and the Harpers into full battle cry and escalated the fighting to a zealous fervor . These new developments also brought Gathkatra ( the ogre - mage ) and Klondras Imdree ( the illithid archmage ) into the widening conflict . As the battle raged around the inn , the epicenter was still in the common room , and specifically , the bar . The wood of the counter was enchanted with " firequench " like most of the inn , but it also was the recipient of various " magic mouth " spells that laid dormant , each awaiting the specific trigger to deliver its message . It is believed that this overly - enchanted furniture was subject to many battle spells being thrown at or near it and this proved to be too much for maintaining arcane and structural integrity . In short , it exploded . The explosion of the bar instantly killed the owner Ravvas , " Five Flames " Randulkyn , and Tharath Shemmer who were in close proximity , either backed up to the counter or using it as cover . The blast was so great that a good portion of the ceiling was destroyed . At the time , Gathkatra was engaged in battle in the manager ' s apartments just above the bar and was tossed into the air and fell through the hole to her death by impalement on the debris . Collaterally , the mind flayer Klondras was in mid - transformation to a different form when it was struck on the head by some explosively accelerated projectile and suffered major damage to its brain . In the confusion immediately after the explosion , Hastammer Orlim cast a spell on himself and grew extra arms , each equipped with a dagger , that he proceeded to thrust into the Simbul . With no less than six hilts protruding from her torso , the Simbul turned her wrath on Hastammer , whose triumphant smile was quickly reduced to sniveling and grovelling for his life . Either he was a good actor or the Witch - Queen was feeling generous that day because she stayed her hand , but the dastard repaid her mercy by causing the daggers in her body to detonate . Storm Silverhand furiously decapitated him with a single stoke of her blade as " contingency " spells and effects brought a bubble of healing liquid into which the Simbul ' s torn body fell , close to death . As Storm and the apprentices rallied around the queen to give aid and protection , some deputies of the local law enforcement in Voonlar showed up with weapons drawn and a gaggle of gawking commoners were not far behind . One of the deputies unwisely tried to disarm and direct an unknown spellcaster and she , being an apprentice of the Simbul , sent him flying back up the road to the Throat ( the crossroads at the center of town ) , ricocheting painfully off of obstacles on the way . The Harpers present were still seeing red and launched an attack on the remaining deputies who quickly retreated before overwhelming numbers . Aftermath . The healing sphere quickly mended the Simbul ' s body and restored her to full health , although she need a change of clothes . After seeing two of their number get blown up and a third beheaded , the remaining Tarntar fled as the deputies arrived and distracted their opponents . The ogre - mage Gathkatra died in the fall onto sharply pointed wreckage in the common room . The illithid was unable to transform or cast spells and was last seen in a morphologically ambiguous form , screaming and running into the forest . The doppelgangers were believed to be vanquished , but history has not yet revealed any proof of this . At the very least , they fled in the face of so many enemies and the kitchen staff was cleansed . The common room and several second - story rooms were a shambles in need of major repair and refurnishing . The Knights of Myth Drannor and the Harpers were somewhat chagrined at the amount of damage the battle had caused and their open confrontation with the Voonlarren authorities , perhaps worried that future dealings with Voonlar would be met with harsher treatment for Harpers . They deferred to Storm and the Simbul since they had arrived first and clearly knew more about the situation than the Knights were led to believe . As they all departed the scene , Storm gave Avlar , the elderly bartender who miraculously survived , a bag of gold and gems to easily cover the needed repairs . Combatants . Casualties . The Harpers suffered no deaths , although the Simbul received catastrophic damage and only her " contingency " magics saved her . The Tarntar lost Alro , Hastammer , and Tharath , the rest got away . Of the residents , the owner , Ravvas , the ogre - mage disguised as the chatelaine , Gathkatra , and the mind flayer disguised as Klondras all perished . The doppelgangers either fled or were destroyed . The deputies of Voonlar suffered mainly wounds to their pride as they retreated before overwhelming numbers .