Seven heroes embark on an adventure that begins in the small village of Nightstone. While each has set out with their own goals, this band of adventurers have begun a journey that will ultimately decide the fate of the Sword Coast.

1. The Aerie of the Snow Eagles

Far in the northern reaches of the continent, the winged elves known as Avariel lived in the midst of the Great Glacier and frozen mountains. In the crystal city of the Avariel called the Aerie of the Snow Eagles, a place unknown to the wingless denizens of the surface world, there stood a glimmering convent dedicated to the worship of Aerdrie Faenya, the goddess of the wind and patron deity whom the Avariel called the Winged Mother.

Among these Avariel who might easily be mistaken for angels, there was a wingless half-elf who had arrived several years ago. Marie Moonster left behind a life of turmoil that began after she learned the truth about her own birth and identity. Forsaking the name of her noble family, she became Sister Mary, a pious worshipper of the Winged Mother, and finally found peace in her heart.

But one day, Mary’s past caught up with her. The Mother Superior of the convent gave Mary a letter delivered by a kobold friend from Waterdeep named Mister Mo. Mary only needed to see the butterfly letterlocking technique with which the letter was folded to know who the author was.

“Mother Superior, this letter doesn’t belong to me. I have no right to accept it. I gave up the name Marie Moonstar when I entered this convent.”

“Nevertheless, I think you should open it. Aren’t you curious what it says?”

After a moment of hesitation, Mary opened the letter. As she expected, it was written by Lady Velrosa Nandar, a noblewoman who reigned over a small town called Nightstone. But the letter had been written almost a year ago and only now found its way into Mary’s hands.

The Nandars were nobles from Waterdeep who were like an aunt and uncle to Mary in her youth. Velrosa’s husband, Lord Drezlin Nandar, was a close friend of Mary’s father, and the two often went hunting together. Ten years ago, the Nandars had renovated their ancestral hunting lodge, and the small village of Nightstone had cropped up around it. The Nandars and their villagers enjoyed an idyllic life in their natural surroundings and occasionally went hunting in the woods, ignorant at first of the growing elf population in the nearby Ardeep Forest.

In time, conflict began to arise between the villagers and their elven neighbors. Things came to a head one day when the elves finally attacked Nightstone. During the siege of the village, Lord Drezlin was killed by an elven arrow while issuing commands from the walls of the keep. With her husband dead, Lady Velrosa had to bury her sorrow and anger in order to make peace with the elves. Having little knowledge of elven customs and values, Velrosa only managed to create a fragile truce, but there was no telling how long it would last.

Fearing to call upon the orders of knights and protectors from Waterdeep lest the village become a warzone once more, Velrosa hoped to find a mediator to create a lasting peace between the villagers and the elves. While she wondered where she could find such a person, she remembered Marie Moonstar whose mother was an elf and who was studying among elves in a convent. (Velrosa only knew that the Avariels were “winged elves” and did not seem to understand the distinction). Having nowhere else to turn, Velrosa had written to Marie to plead for her help.

The Mother Superior, having heard the contents of the letter, gave Mary some advice.

“Sister Mary, I think it is time for you to return to the surface. Perhaps you have been here too long. The Winged Mother advises us not to spend too much time in one place. The wind always changes, and we must change with it.”

 

2. Waterdeep

Strong Palm Ian was a half-orc monk from the distance lands in the east know as Kara-tur. Ian had always been afraid of the orcish blood in his veins and the violent nature of the orc side of his heritage. Recently, he had decided to leave his homeland and embark on a long journey to the west. He began on the Golden Way that connected Kara-tur to the western continent, and after many months he found himself traveling along the Trade Road upon the western shore of the Sword Coast leading to Waterdeep, the City of Splendor.

Filled with anticipation for his new life as an adventurer, Ian visited the famed tavern called The Yawning Portal. In the raucous tavern, he heard that the Gray Hands adventuring company, an organization for elite adventurers, was recruiting members for a new quest. Old John went to the recruitment location, but he was startled to find that the captain of the new team was an orc barbarian!

After successfully completing her mission in Waterdeep, Tarancha the orc barbarian had been promoted to the rank of captain. She was looking forward to some time off, but she hardly had time for a short rest before she was summoned once more by the leader of the Gray Hands, Vajra Blackstaff. Tarancha wondered what dangerous quest she would be sent on with the mighty heroes of Force Grey. But she could not hide her disappointment when she received her new orders.

“General Blackstaff, why does it have to be me? I am a strong warrior fit for perilous missions, not a glorified bodyguard for a nun or a trainer for soft new recruits.”

“Tarancha, you’re a captain of the Gray Hands now. Protecting others and teaching new companions is par for the course for adventurers. If you don’t want to be known simply as a notorious orc, then you must become a leader who commands people’s respect.”

Tarancha went to the recruitment location to see who her new companions would be. She saw an older man in his 50s who looked like a grocer (Old John), a naive and bookish elf sage who dreamed about interracial harmony and world peace (Vincent), and a traveling monk from the distant land of Kara-tur (Strong Palm Ian). Out of the sorry-looking bunch, only the monk looked like he might be of any use with his experience as a martial artist, but the half-orc didn’t even speak Orcish and could hardly communicate in proper Trade Common.

Tarancha could see that she had her work cut out for her.

 

3. Nightstone

A lone tiefling stumbled along the road in a drunken haze. For the past ten years, Kane had been trapped in a strange, dark valley called Barovia. But just as he escaped from the mists of the valley, he found that the companions he had been journeying with in that dark land were nowhere to be seen!

When Kane tried to tell people about the wondrous things that he experienced in the mysterious valley, no one would believe him. Kane had been left all alone with nobody to turn to. The only thing that consoled him in his loneliness was his bottle of wine.

One day, he came upon a crossroads with three road signs: “Waterdeep,” “Daggerford,” and “Nightstone.” He was already familiar with Waterdeep and Daggerford, but he had never heard of a place called Nightstone before, so it piqued his interest.

Hoping there might be someone there who might lend him an ear and listen to his stories, Kane turned his feet toward Nightstone. In the distance, dark clouds began to loom toward him from the horizon.