Yesterday, my dear readers, the esteemed proprietor of the Lusty Strigiforme Tavern, Otus Asio, bid a fond farewell to his establishment’s exotic cooler. The intrepid Zephyr, accompanied by the illustrious Lady Syndra, and their newly forged companions–Tien, Dru, Murk, and Eridan–then set out from Waterdeep, journeying along the High Road, bound for the town of Nightstone, nestled some thirty-five miles to the south. It was with great generosity that Otus bestowed upon each of the six travelers a precious potion of healing, ensuring their preparedness for the road ahead. By nightfall, these fate-bound travellers had made camp just a mere ten miles shy of their intended destination.
With the first light of Lathander’s rosy fingertips tickling the sky, the group embarked on the final leg of their journey, their eyes fixed upon the distant silhouette of Nightstone, gradually drawing closer with each passing step. Anticipation hung in the air, as they contemplated the prospects of securing employment there: perhaps as ambassadors to elves, protectors of nobles, or even as seasoned hunters of mischievous goblin raiders. However, their hopes were quickly tempered by the sight that greeted them as they neared the beleaguered town.
The signs of recent conflict were unmistakable, evident in the widespread destruction that had befallen Nightstone. The landscape was strewn with stony debris, the drawbridge lay open, and the guard towers appeared eerily deserted, their sentinels nowhere to be seen. Even the bridge connecting the motte to the bailey lay in ruin, a grim harbinger of the troubles that had beset the town.
Undeterred by the desolation that lay before them, the valiant company cautiously entered the town, to find the harrowing sight of two massive, saddled and snarling dire wolves, hungrily feasting upon the remains of an unlucky fallen canine in the town square. Sensing the allure of Lady Syndra’s aristocratic fragrance, the wolves advanced menacingly, only to be met with a resolute defense by the formidable fellowship of Eridan, Dru, Murk, Tien, Syndra, and Zephyr. The beasts were swiftly dispatched, their threat neutralized by the indomitable courage of our gallant band.
Amidst the chaos, the company’s attention was drawn to a conspicuous cavity in the heart of the town square, a site that once housed the town’s revered, eponymous “Night Stone”, an ancient obelisk etched with cryptic runes, now conspicuously absent, presumably stolen in the recent turmoil.
Meanwhile, the unrelenting toll of an alarm bell continued to resonate from a nearby temple, dedicated to the dual patronage of Lathander, the god of dawn, and Mielikki, the benevolent goddess of the forests. Venturing forth to investigate, Dru stumbled upon a pair of mischievous goblins, one of whom was seized by uncontainable laughter, while the other persisted in an endless cycle of tugging on the bell rope, setting ears ablaze with an unceasing clamor. Without hesitation, the companions swiftly dispatched the laughing goblin, known as Vark, and compelled his bell-ringing companion, Beedo, to surrender. Murk skillfully managed to subdue Beedo, leashing him like a faithful hound as he began his interrogation. These goblins, it seemed, had made off with a meager sum of fifteen silver pieces from the temple’s coffers, along with three blocks of precious incense and a delicate silver holy symbol fashioned in the likeness of a unicorn’s noble visage.
Ah, dear readers, the chaos and tumult of Nightstone unfolded like a tragic play before our intrepid party. Murk, the resilient woodsman, adorned himself with the pilfered Mielikkian silver holy symbol. Leaving the leashed Beedo behind, they followed Tien towards the Nightstone Inn, entering through two different doors to converge in the battered common room, its destruction evident in the fallen stones. A lifeless goblin lay amid the rubble, meeting its end with a crossbow bolt lodged in its back. Alas, we will never know his name.
Drawn by distant commotion, our heroes found themselves in the kitchen where another goblin, engrossed in pillaging the pantry, met their steely gaze. The ever-commanding Lady Syndra demanded answers about the whereabouts of the townspeople, prompting the goblin to flee. A swift strike from Syndra’s longsword rendered the looter senseless, and the curious contents of the goblin’s sack spilled forth.
While Dru and Tien sifted through the mundane kitchen supplies, Eridan and Zephyr ascended the staircase to explore the inn’s upper floor. As Syndra unceremoniously stuffed the unconscious goblin into her own sack, Murk, ever watchful, spotted two goblins outside, to the east, giving chase to a hapless chicken within a fenced farmhouse yard. Joined by Dru, javelins were hurled with lethal precision, dispatching the nearest goblin, named Tot. The other, Pojo, took refuge behind a haystack after a hasty shot from his short bow. Tien joined the fray, and with Dru and Murk, they cornered Pojo, extracting a plot of increasing girth: Pojo claimed the goblins were recruited by giants to raid the town, and now they were looting it for themselves.
Simultaneously, within the Nightstone Inn, Zephyr and Eridan conducted a thorough search of the guest rooms. Eridan uncovered a chest containing dwarven chain mail, a helm, a pair of fine gems, a potion of heroism, and a trove of forty-five gold pieces. Zephyr’s exploration took an unexpected turn as he encountered a wounded woman named Kella, who identified herself as a trader, seeking refuge during the town’s assault. However, both Zephyr and Eridan couldn’t help but notice Kella’s unusual companion—a pet snake named Hisyphus, coiled around her arm.
As Tien ascended a perimeter tower for a strategic overview, Syndra ventured southwards, accompanied by Murk, to explore a large stable. Here, they discovered ten horses and, concealed in the loft, an unseen archer who launched a surprise attack, wounding Murk. Syndra, calling for a parlay that went unanswered, took matters into her own hands. She lit a torch and hurled it into the hay, creating chaos as Murk flung open the horses’ stall doors. Eridan, Dru, and Tien rushed to join the confrontation. Eridan’s well aimed flaming arrow ignited the loft, and the valiant party, and terrified horses, hastily retreated from the ensuing inferno, leaving the hidden assailant to their fiery fate.
Meanwhile, Zephyr escorted the swooning Kella to the gatehouse, where she sought refuge. Returning to the party, Zephyr encountered Dru and Murk engaged in a peculiar pursuit—a pair of capering goblins, Blik and Flik, adorned with pumpkins on their heads. The first fell skewered by Dru and Murk’s javelins, and Zephyr skillfully dispatched the second with a crossbow bolt.
In a sudden twist, Jilk, another goblin, emerged from the Lionshield Coster building, scimitar drawn, while Yek and Longo, fellow goblin comrades, burst forth from the windmill to the south, brandishing short bows. Yet, as swiftly as the conflict began, Syndra, Eridan, and Murk demonstrated their deadly prowess. Jilk met his end at Syndra’s blade, Longo fell to Eridan’s arrow, and Murk silenced Yek with another javelin. The Battle of Nightstone concluded, rewarding its victors with the goblins’ humble loot— four copper, three silver, a tinderbox and pipe, a teddy bear, and a Three Dragon Ante deck. Yet, amidst the meager spoils, Syndra and Eridan also managed to secure themselves a pair of fine new riding horses.
As twilight descended upon the war-torn landscape, our gallant heroes ventured forth into the coster building, their footsteps echoing in the desolate halls as they sought out supplies to aid them on their quest. With practiced efficiency, they gathered what they could before venturing further into the labyrinth of rock-damaged buildings that lay ahead.
In the Xelbryn residence, a somber scene awaited them. Amidst the shattered remnants of what was once the home of the town record-keepers, they discovered the lifeless bodies of the owners, grim evidence of the devastation that had befallen Nightstone. Yet amidst the ruin, a glimmer of hope emerged as they uncovered a pouch containing a modest sum of gold and silver, a blank deed of ownership for the Southwell Farm, and an unexpected surprise – a startled tressym, its wings quivering with fear. With Tien’s gentle touch, the winged feline was calmed, its collar revealing its name: Skrillex.
Pressing onward, guided by Zephyr’s keen instincts, the party approached a stone tower, their senses alert for any sign of danger. Within, they encountered two more goblins. With swift precision, Eridan dispatched one of the foul creatures, Larv, while the other, named Snokk, fled for its life, desperate to evade the party’s wrath. Yet even so, justice prevailed as the heroes retrieved three stolen vials of perfume from Larv’s fallen body.
Their journey led them next to the cottage of Destiny Agganor, the local midwife, where they uncovered a trove of valuable supplies hidden amidst the wreckage. Tien’s nimble fingers bypassed the locked door, revealing within a holy symbol of Asmodeus, a healer’s kit, and a magical potion of healing – treasures that may prove invaluable in the trials ahead. Further north, in an abode of tiny scale, they discovered the body of a fallen halfling. Yet amidst this tragedy, they unearthed a hidden cache of supplies, including a herbalism kit, antitoxin, and a small sum of gold.
Eridan, ever vigilant, led the party to yet another tower, where they encountered a goblin named Gwerk, hunched over a treasure. With swift determination, the party dispatched the foul creature, its pilfered fish-shaped silver locket a tantalizing prize amidst the chaos. Retrieving the locket, Eridan uncovered a poignant reminder of the lives lost amidst the town’s turmoil – a haunting image of a halfling male captured within its silver embrace.
As the heroes ventured forth, their path led them to the shattered remnants of the town’s once-mighty keep, a bastion now reduced to little more than rubble and despair. Amidst the ruins, they encountered four weary guards. With solemn reverence, the soldiers introduced themselves as Private Sydiri Haunlar, Private Torem Breck, Private Alara Winterspell, and Private Kaelen Zam. They recounted the tragic fate of Lady Velrosa Nandar, the steward of Nightstone, who had perished under the relentless bombardment from an aerial fortress. The guards spoke of the town’s besiegement, and four pale giants who had stolen the Night Stone, leaving the townsfolk to seek refuge in nearby caves.
Undeterred by the devastation that surrounded them, our valiant band of heroes pressed onward, their resolve unyielding as they delved deeper into the ruins of the keep. Within its shattered halls, they discovered a trove of treasures amidst the chaos. In a luxurious den and well-appointed library, Dru and Murk took particular interest in the variety of books, while Tien’s deft swordplay disarmed an enchanted longsword that guarded a wooden chest in a bedroom. Inside the chest lay a treasure trove – 180 silver pieces, a velvet sack containing gems, a silver jewelry box, and three exquisite gold necklaces.
In a gesture of gratitude, our noble heroes bestowed twenty silver pieces upon each of the four valiant guards before departing the ruined keep. Accompanied by Privates Breck, Winterspell, and Zam, they made their way back to the town square, only to be confronted by an unexpected sight. There, in the fading light of dusk, they encountered Kella in the company of seven armed horsemen, the goblins Pojo and Beedo lying dead at their feet. Their leader, Xolkin Alassandar, identified their band as The Seven Snakes, proclaimed their allegiance to the Zhentarim, and demanded the heroes’ compliance.
As the shadows of dusk descended upon the beleaguered town, our intrepid band of heroes found themselves embroiled in a tumultuous clash. Xolkin drank deeply from a potion of invulnerability as Murk leapt into the fray with untamed ferocity, his opponent falling in a crimson tide of blood. Syndra, her snowy hair billowing in the evening breeze, stood resolute against the advancing leader, her radiant presence a beacon of hope amidst the chaos. With a mighty roar, Dru cleaved through the enemy ranks with primal fury, his massive frame a whirlwind of destruction amidst the fray. Meanwhile, Eridan defaced Kella with a swift and deadly headshot, his drow heritage lending him a merciless edge in battle.
As the clash raged on, Zephyr brought his formidable strength to bear against the third Snake, his mace shattering bone and sinew with each thunderous blow. But even as victory seemed within their grasp, tragedy struck as Xolkin cut down Syndra with a cruel and merciless blow, leaving her wounded and unconscious amidst the chaos. With their indomitable resolve, our heroes fought on, their courage undiminished by the fall of their beloved comrade. Tien darted between the combatants with the grace of a winter fox, his nimble movements a testament to his agility and skill. Together with Murk, they felled the fifth and sixth Snakes, their blades cutting through the air with deadly precision.
As the battle raged on, Privates Winterspell and Zam joined the fray, their bravery and determination bolstering the heroes’ ranks. But even as victory seemed within their grasp, Xolkin broke away at a gallop, his cowardice laid bare for all to see. With grim determination, our heroes gave chase, their pursuit relentless as they closed in on their quarry. With a mighty shot, Tien brought down Xolkin’s horse, sending the treacherous villain crashing to the ground below. Desperate and cornered, Xolkin made a final bid for freedom, his flight ending in a desperate plunge into the Ardeep River.
As Zephyr and Eridan pulled Xolkin’s lifeless body from the water, they uncovered a treasure trove of riches amidst the cold embrace of death. With grim satisfaction, they retrieved Xolkin’s golden Zhentarim ring, four platinum pieces, thirteen gold pieces, and five precious gemstones, each one a glittering reminder of their hard-won victory. With nightfall looming on the horizon, our heroes revived Syndra and made their wounded way to the inn. They had experienced much this day, and in their own unique ways, had each gained a new level of mastery. Yet their journey was far from over, and as the darkening sky loomed, they knew that greater challenges surely lay ahead.
chronicles 