Attack on Nightstone (cont'd)

Markham Southwell, sheriff and captain of the guard has approached the PCs for help in clearing the city and restoring defenses before the night's chaos worsened. Players also received a first person account of the attack from Markham. Orchestrated by Cloud Giants, the apparent target was an ancient obsidian artifact, stolen after the town was bombarded with giant boulders flung from a castle in the clouds. They also learned that the surviving population of Nightstone has fled, with no other choice but to head North to the Dripping Caves.

In the midst of their successful goblin hunt, players were surprised to stumble upon a pack of Zhentarim mercenaries. Led by Kella Darkhope and Xolkin Alassandre, the unwelcomed cadre of Zhentarim spies was discovered by the remaining town guardsmen. As players hid in the shadows watching the exchange quickly grow heated, the two groups were startled by the sound of warhorns and the thundering approach of the Orcish tribe known as the Ear Seekers.

Led by their infamous leader Gurrash, the orcs stormed the opened gate. The PCs quickly emerged from the shadows defending the estranged town for a second time since their arrival. The orc attack shattered against the collective forces at the entrance gates before being driven off by another group of unexpected visitors, the Wood Elves of Ardeep Forest.

As the dust settled, it was the town guard who remained in control of Nightstone. Zhentarim leader Xolkin Alassandre was slain in the battle by a Nightstone guardsmen and Kella Darkhope was captured, but not before releasing a flying messenger snake last seen heading over the southern wall towards waterdeep.

Even with the gates closed and goblin threat cleared, the fate of Nightstone is anything but certain. With The Lady Nandar slain, her castle guard all but destroyed and Nightstone's citizens in peril, the players are once again looked to for rescue.