The candle flickered in the cramped taproom of the Old Skull Inn as Volothamp Geddarm—Volo to his few friends and many creditors—scrawled furiously into his journal. Shadowdale was quiet, but for Volo, the air was thick with the scent of a potential bestseller.
"A bit heavy on the hyperbole, Volo," Elminster rumbled. "And you’ve listed the 'Silk-Tone Inn' as having 'enchanted beds.' They’re just stuffed with goose down. Don't lie to the tourists." Volo's Guide to the Dalelands (AD&D Forgotten R...
Volo spent three pages detailing the "refreshing" qualities of Shadowdale’s ales before moving on to the more perilous locales. He scribbled warnings about the (mostly to avoid the Ettercaps) and the ruins of Myth Drannor , though he conveniently omitted the part where he nearly lost his hat to a stray spell effect. The candle flickered in the cramped taproom of