TEXT: 1
  Fee, Fly, Foe, Fund
  Avenging the Blood of a Waterdhavian
  Two tendays ago, cloud giants attacked the town of Nightstone, slaying many of its inhabitants including Lady 
  Velrosa Nandar, a Waterdhavian noble and High Steward of the town. Word of Velrosa’s deaths has reached 
  Waterdeep, and the current Nandar patriarch, Talurth Nandar, is concerned his family’s investment in the 
  region will be compromised. He’s now looking for adventurers to investigate the area, gather information, deal 
  with any giant threats, and report back.
  A 4-hour adventure for 6th-8th level characters
  by Greg Bilsland
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Ad-
  venturers League, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters 
  and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or 
  unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast.
  ©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro 
  Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK.
  @gregbilsland
  
  2
  Tavern Tales 
  Roll
  Tavern Tale
  1
  Catapult Incident. You once fired the character of the player to your left out of a catapult to try to attack a blue dragon.
  2
  Body Swap. You once swapped bodies with the character of the player to your left after discovering two cursed coins. 
  You removed the curse but each of you still has one of the coins.
  3
  Inevitable Betrayal. Your character was once stabbed by a doppelganger that had replaced the character of the player to your 
  left. The truth was revealed shortly after, but you still have trust issues.
  4
  Unfortunate Romance. Your character discovered that a cambion had bewitched the character of the player to your left.
  When you went to confront your companion, you discovered them in a rather intimate situation.
  5
  Hangover. You once discovered the character of the player to your left after he or she got a bit tipsy. Somehow, he or she 
  had acquired a baby, and you spent the next day trying to figure out where it came from. 
  6
  Turned into a Newt. Your character was once transformed into a newt by a witch, and the character to your left was forced to
  carry you around in his or her pocket for a tenday until you got better.
  Part 1. Fee
  The adventure starts as the party follows up on a job 
  posting in Waterdeep.
  A cool rain patters down on the cobblestones of Waterdeep 
  as you make your way to House Nandar’s villa in the 
  North Ward. You’re responding to a post in a local tavern 
  calling for adventurers with tact and integrity. The job 
  description didn’t go into details, but you’re confident your 
  group can handle it. After all, your party is the very picture 
  of discretion.
  If you’re playing this adventure as a one-shot, allow the 
  players to introduce themselves and their characters. 
  If the characters haven’t adventured together before, 
  give them the option of rolling on the Tavern Tales table 
  below. This table creates some relationships and stories 
  the characters share. If a player gets the same result as 
  another player, he or she should reroll.
  The front of the Nandar villa is an unassuming stone 
  façade set with a pair of dark wooden doors. Embedded 
  on the doors are iron plates embossed with a stone bridge 
  and a flying flag.
   After a knock and an inspection of you from beyond a 
  small shutter in the door, you’re beckoned into the villa 
  by a well-dressed female halfling, who introduces herself 
  as Regina. In the foyer, she eyes your muddy boots and 
  dripping gear meaningfully, giving a side-glance to a set of 
  hooks and cubbies.
  If a character doesn’t take the hint from Regina, she 
  coughs loudly and gives a stern nod to the cubbies. 
  Ultimtely she doesn't force a character to relinquish his 
  or her weapons and dirty gear, but any character who 
  remains equipped has disadvantage on Persuasion 
  and Deception checks with any members of the 
  Nandar household.
  Introduction
  Regarding the eating habits of hill giants—Pigs 
  seem a favored delicacy of this giant kin. Oft times, the 
  heady scent of roast pork effuses these giants’ dens, briefly 
  overpowering their pungent body odor. These meals of 
  swine seem also to have the effect of drawing predators, 
  such as wolves, from nearby environs. The giants then sub-
  vert the creatures to their will—or make into meal as well.
  —Harold Glimmerswick, On Giant Eating Habits
  This adventure is intended for a 4-hour play 
  session for four to six characters, levels 6 – 8. It is 
  written to take place after the events of chapter 1 of 
  Storm King’s Thunder. With adaptation, this adventure 
  can be integrated with Storm King’s Thunder, but 
  characters shouldn’t venture to the Nandar hunting 
  lodge until they’re at least level 5. 
   This adventure includes some silly and anachronistic 
  elements because it was designed with suggestions 
  from Extra Life donors. Hopefully these elements 
  are good for a laugh, but if you find them distracting, 
  just leave them out. For details on Extra Life and the 
  adventure designer’s fundraising efforts, visit extra-life.
  org/participant/gregbilsland.
  Adventure Background
  Two tendays ago, cloud giants attacked the town of 
  Nightstone, slaying many of its inhabitants including 
  Lady Velrosa Nandar, a Waterdhavian noble and High 
  Steward of the town. Word of Velrosa’s deaths has 
  reached Waterdeep, and the current Nandar patriarch, 
  Talurth Nandar, is concerned his family’s investment in 
  the region will be compromised. He’s now looking for 
  adventurers to investigate the area, gather information, 
  deal with any giant threats, and report back.
   For more details on these events, see chapter 1 of 
  Storm King’s Thunder.
  
  3
  Griffon Naming
  Players love coming up with names for their mounts. If you 
  want to add some fun to the appearance of the griffons, allow 
  the players to decide what names House Belabranta gave 
  them. If you’re streaming this adventure, you could also have 
  your audience suggest names.
  The unassuming exterior of the Nandar estate gives way to 
  a interior of white marble, polished wood, and beautifully 
  wrought iron. Beyond the foyer, the villa opens up to 
  several hallways and a staircase. Regina escorts you to a 
  well-furnished parlour to the left. A pair of guards stand at 
  attention in the room, eyeing you.
   “Lord Talurth will be with you shortly,” says Regina. 
  “Feel free to help yourselves to the pastries on the table.”
  Regina leaves the characters, who are free to enjoy the 
  cream-filled pastries on one of the tables. Any natives 
  of Waterdeep recognize the desserts as coming from 
  Hriiat’s Fine Pastries, a beloved installment of the 
  North Ward. The room is well-appointed, hosting an 
  array of art and upholstered wood furniture. Mounted 
  around the room are the preserved heads of several 
  creatures, including an owlbear, a stag, a displacer 
  beast, and a bear. Among the art are architectural 
  diagrams of famous buildings in Waterdeep. Any 
  character who succeeds on a DC 15 History check 
  recollects that House Nandar is well known for building 
  bridges and houses. With a DC 20 History check, a 
  character also recalls that like many other Waterdhavian 
  noble families, House Nandar frequents the Ardeep 
  Forest to hunt.
   The guards keep watch on the characters but don’t 
  interfere unless the characters do anything provocative.
  Lord Talurth’s Arrival
  After about five minutes of waiting, Lord Talurth arrives 
  accompanied by Regina. Talurth is a muscled, well-built 
  human whose receding hairline and set of tiny bifocals 
  seem to contradict his apparent fitness. He prefers 
  plain speech and immediately asks the adventurers 
  to describe their qualifications. Unless the characters 
  reveal anything alarming, he accepts them at their word 
  and sets to describing the events covered in “Adventure 
  Background." He then relates the following request:
  The Ardeep elves and House Nandar have long been at 
  odds, and I worry that with Velrosa’s death, violence will 
  erupt again. Please find out what they know of the giant 
  attack, and take this embroidered crest of House Nandar as 
  a symbol of friendship. The elves live in Ardeep forest, but 
  I know not how to contact them. You’ll need to figure that 
  out for yourselves. You might start in Nightstone.
  Talurth offers 100 gp for the errand of delivering the 
  crest and adds that he'll add 250 gp per giant slain with 
  proof in the form of severed right ears. With a successful 
  DC 15 Persuasion check, Talurth is willing to raise his 
  compensation by twenty percent (120 gp / 300 gp). On 
  the topic of giants, he adds the following.
  Of late, giants have troubled the Sword Coast. I fear this 
  attack may only be the beginning. I understand Blackstaff 
  Tower has deployed Force Grey to deal with threats in the 
  North, but to the south, no one seems to pay heed. I long 
  to see my sister-in-law avenged and to set an example to 
  any brutes who think to make our land their playground. 
  Should you encounter and eliminate any giants, trust that 
  you will earn my thanks as well as future employment 
  from the Lords’ Alliance.
  When the characters agree to Talurth’s terms, 
  he declares that Regina will see to their travel 
  arrangements and then bids an abrupt farewell. 
  Part 2. Fly
  Regina furnishes the characters with the crest they’re 
  to deliver to the elves and then accompanies them to 
  the foyer to collect their gear. She shares that House 
  Belabranta has furnished House Nandar with griffons 
  to expedite the errand and sternly warns the characters 
  against bringing harm to any of the griffons. The griffons 
  wait in the villa's plaza. Once the characters complete 
  any remaining business in Waterdeep, they can depart.
  The rain whips your face as you ascend on your griffon 
  mounts toward the gray clouds hanging over Waterdeep. 
  Despite the mounts' speed, the journey southward passes 
  slowly as the dismal weather persists. Wind periodically 
  buffets the beasts, forcing them to keep low.
  The environs of Waterdeep have many landmarks 
  to help guide the characters to their destination, but 
  the stormy weather presents an obstacle to the party 
  keeping its bearings. Each character can make a DC 15 
  Survival check. If at least half the party succeeds, the 
  party arrives at Nightstone before dark. If fewer than 
  half the party members succeed, they arrive several 
  hours after dark and suffer one level of exhaustion.
   If at least half the party succeeds on its Survival 
  checks, then the character might also spot activity in 
  Ardeep Forest several miles north of Nightstone. Any 
  character with a passive Perception of 15 or higher 
  notices is a column of smoke rising from the forest. Any 
  
  4
  character that succeeds on a DC 20 Perception check 
  (made at disadvantage due to the weather) spots a 
  structure in a forest clearing and identifies the source 
  of the smoke as a large cook-fire. The DC drops to 10 if 
  the characters fly closer to the smoke. If the characters 
  choose to investigate this location now, skip the 
  Nightstone section below and go to part 3, "Foe."
  Nightstone
  Nightstone is a fortified village a few miles beyond the 
  southern edge of Ardeep Forest. Characters arriving 
  before nightfall can see the wreckage incurred from the 
  cloud giant attack a tenday ago. If you’re running this 
  adventure in conjunction with Storm King’s Thunder, 
  you can incorporate the characters’ arrival with the 
  events in chapter 1, in which a goblin tribe has seized 
  the town. This adventure assumes the goblin infestation 
  is eradicated and the surviving Nightstone residents 
  have returned to rebuild.
  As the sun sinks low into the western hills, ahead you 
  spot a small village situated on an island. A scattering of 
  homes, partly in ruins, huddle within a wooden palisade, 
  while south of the village squats the crumbling remains of 
  Nightstone's keep, now cut off from the town. A strand of 
  smoke rises from one of the larger buildings in town, just 
  north of the town square.
  If this adventure takes place after the goblins infesting 
  Nightstone have been eradicated, then the characters 
  might notice some additional features as they approach. 
  Any character succeeding on a DC 15 Perception check 
  (or with an equivalent passive Perception) notices 
  the following.
  The building near the town square seems to be an inn and 
  has some new timbers set out over the holes in 
  the roof. A clamor of voices comes from within the 
  inn, and an elf stands alone outside, apparently 
  keeping watch.
  Unless the party approaches stealthily, the elf 
  (passive Perception 15) spots the approaching 
  griffons and withdraws to the tavern to report 
  to her leader, Rond Arrowhome. If the party is 
  detected, then the clamor of voices diminishes 
  as they approach. When they land in the town, 
  read or describe the following.
  Wreckage is everywhere. Boulders, apparently too large 
  to move, still lie embedded in the ground, and flinders 
  from smashed buildings layer the ground. In the center of 
  the square is a giant cavity where the famous Nightstone 
  must have once sat. Repairs have begun on several 
  buildings, including a large, two-story building on the 
  north side of town, where people are gathered inside. An 
  iron sign outside reads “Nightstone Inn.”
  Within the tavern is a delegation of eight elves from 
  Ardeep Forest (CG male and female wood elf scouts). 
  Led by Rond Arrowhome, this group has come to 
  Nightstone to discuss a giant threat now troubling 
  their home. Rond isn’t pleased at having to ask for 
  help from humans, and the people of Nightstone, 
  already devastated by the cloud giant attack, are none 
  too eager to offer aid. Conversation pauses when the 
  characters enter.
  Within the inn's wide common room is a recently boarded 
  up crater. A staircase in the center of the room leads 
  upstairs and to the north a clamor of dishes indicates a 
  kitchen. On one side of the room, a group of eight elves 
  stands stiffly, regarding you, while across from them, a 
  dwarf and a human watch you with uncertainty.
  The inn’s owner, Morak Ur’gray (LG male shield dwarf 
  commoner) is the owner of the inn. He was rescued 
  along with many of the other townsfolk only a tenday 
  ago and has since become the ostensible leader for 
  the town. He’s eager to see a new lord or lady from 
  Waterdeep to take over leadership, preferring to 
  “serve someone a mug of ale over telling them what 
  to do.” He and Hiral Mystrum (LG male Tethyrian 
  human commoner), the town’s priest of Lathander, 
  Nightstone Keep
  
  5
  Morak's Wisdom
  Roll
  Catchphrase
  1
  "Whatever doesn't kill ya makes ye stronger, 'cept amputations."
  2
  "Every morning the sun rises trying to kill ya, and every night I toast to her demise. Drink up, 'cause 
  this sunset could be yer last."
  3
   "To your health and my fortune!"
  4
  "We feel sorry for those who don drink, 'cause when they get up in the mornin that's as good as they'll feel."
  are currently arguing with the Ardeep elves, who have 
  grudgingly come to request assistance.
  Negotiations
  Both groups are immediately interested in why the party 
  has come to Nightstone. 
   Rond Arrowhome. Rond has been instructed by 
  his tribe leaders to request the aid of Nightstone. He 
  is humiliated and believes his leaders misguided. A 
  successful DC 10 Insight check reveals to a character his 
  prejudice against non-elves. An elf dealing with him has 
  advantage on Persuasion and Deception checks. Rond 
  can relate the following:
  • A group of hill giants has taken residence in the old 
  Nandar hunting lodge in Ardeep Forest. They’ve been 
  capturing elves and other wildlife.
  • The giant group is from somewhere to the northeast. It 
  seems entirely made up of females.
  • His people aren’t well equipped to deal with giants. If 
  the characters are willing to slay them, he can ensure 
  peace continues between the elves and Nightstone.
   Morak Ur'gray. Morak is friendly and eager for help. 
  With a successful DC 10 Insight check, a character can 
  discern that he is relieved to have Lord Talurth Nandar 
  taking an interest in the town and that he’s happy to let 
  the characters deal with the elves. Morak dispenses 
  advice as only an innkeeper can; roll on the Morak's 
  Wisdom table to periodically inject one of his phrases 
  into the negotiations. Morak can relate the following: 
  • Velrosa Nandar was a fine leader, and the town is 
  grieved at her loss. They're eager to negotiate a peace 
  with the elves and secure a replacement lord or lady.
  • The hill giants aren't the same that attacked 
  Nightstone, but they're definitely still a threat. 
  Eventually they’ll turn their attention to other 
  settlements.
  • He's happy to offer free lodging to the characters if 
  they’re able to reach an accord with the elves.
   Hiral Mystrum. Hiral Mystrum is suspicious of 
  the elves and skeptical of the characters, suspecting 
  them to be charlatans seeking to take advantage of the 
  town's misfortune. Showing the crest of Nandar proves 
  nothing to him. With a successful DC 10 Insight check, 
  a character can recognize that Hiral has no maleficence, 
  he simply believes doing nothing is safer than doing 
  something. Hiral can relate the following (next page).
  
  6
  • The elves should deal with their own problems. They 
  offered little help when the town was taken hostage by 
  goblins after the cloud giant attack, and they haven’t 
  done anything to help the town recover.
  • Only a few able-bodied soldiers remain in the town, 
  and they’re needed for rebuilding and keeping bandits 
  at bay. 
  To fulfill Talurth Nandar’s request to guarantee an 
  ongoing peace with Nightstone, the characters will need 
  to assist in killing or driving away the hill giants. Savvy 
  characters might also persuade the wood elves to help 
  with Nightstone's reconstruction efforts by supplying 
  food while the community recovers.
   Once negotiations are completed, Rond begrudingly 
  agrees to lead the party to the ruined Nandar hunting 
  lodge in the morning.
  Part 3. Foe
  This section assumes that the characters visit 
  Nightstone before arriving at the Nandar hunting lodge 
  and that the characters follow the elves on foot. If the 
  party skips Nightstone or flies to the lodge atop the 
  griffons, adjust the read-aloud. The elves caution the 
  characters against flying, warning that if the giants 
  spot their approach, they’ll likely knock them out of the 
  sky with rocks.
  The elves lead you on a meandering 
  path through Ardeep, wending 
  through steep ridges and gullies. The 
  forest smells alive from the rain, and 
  periodically you can spot a faintly 
  glowing mushroom or the stir of 
  wildlife in the underbrush. 
  The elves don’t willingly engage 
  the adventurers in conversation 
  during the journey. With a DC 
  15 Persuasion check (made at 
  advantage if the character is an elf), 
  the elves are willing to share a few 
  more details about the forest and 
  the hill giants occupying the lodge. 
  Feel free to incorporate any of the 
  following pieces of information 
  into the characters’ interactions 
  with the elves.
  • This forest and the land around 
  it was once part of the elven 
  kingdom of Illefarn. Eventually, 
  Illefarn broke into three realms: 
  Ardeep, Iliyanbruen, and Rilithar. 
  Most elves left these lands for 
  Evermeet, and now only a small 
  group of wood elves keep watch 
  here.
  • The wood elves of Ardeep 
  have long been in conflict with 
  House Nandar. They drove the 
  inhabitants from the lodge, for they greedily hunted 
  the land.
  • The hill giants have captured creatures from around 
  the woods. They believe these are been kept in the old 
  cellar of the lodge (those that aren’t eaten right away). 
  A female elf named Alandryn recently disappeared, 
  and they fear the giants nabbed her.
  • The lodge contains four hill giants. Two dire wolves 
  are kept on chains outside. Confronting them at once 
  could prove deadly. It's strange for hill giants to gather 
  like this. In the past, the elves have encountered only 
  lone giants.
  Flying to the Lodge
  If the characters approach the lodge on their griffon mounts, 
  each character must make an Animal Handling check to 
  keep the griffon flying low to the trees during the approach. 
  Roll an opposing Perception check for the two dire wolves 
  (Perception +3) in area 1. If the characters are detected, the 
  wolves bark, drawing the hill giant in area 4 to investigate.
  
  7
  The Approach
  As the characters near the hunting lodge, read 
  the following.
  After several hours of travel, the tall blueleaf and 
  duskwood trees give way to a large forest meadow, within 
  which is a dilapidated structure constructed of large 
  timbers and stone blocks. About a hundred feet outside 
  the grounds of the lodge lies a colorful, overturned wagon 
  with a large hole in its side. From a distance, you can 
  make out a fancy script on the side that reads “Mila’s 
  Marvelous Meals”
  The wagon belonged to a female half-elf named Mila 
  Vyrth (NG commoner; see area 5). Mila was accosted 
  by the giants outside Ardeep Forest. The giants, 
  discovering her wagon contained an assortment of 
  foods, seized the whole thing and carried it back 
  to the lodge.
   Gleamsparkle. Characters inspecting the wagon 
  attract the interest of a young, mischievous faerie 
  dragon named Gleamsparkle. The faerie dragon 
  was fond of Mila, who fed her delicious pastries. 
  Gleamsparkle has been in the wagon for several days, 
  trying to figure out how she can help Mila escape. The 
  faerie dragon can relate details of the Nandar lodge, 
  including where the giants keep their food (area 3).
   If the characters approach the wagon stealthily 
  and surprise Gleamsparkle (passive Perception 13), 
  she uses her Euphoria Beath and briefly flees before 
  returning while invisible.
   Other Contents. The wagon also has an assortment 
  of fine clothes, cookbooks, loose parchment containing 
  recipes, and a strongbox. The strongbox can be opened 
  with a succsssful DC 15 Dexterity check. Within the 
  box are 17 gp, 6 sp, 21 cp and an encoded piece of paper 
  (DC 20 Intelligence to decipher). The encoded writing 
  is a recipe for Elminster’s Favorite Brownies (a Vryth 
  family secret).
  Nandar Hunting Lodge
  The giants are inside the lodge when the characters 
  arrive. As the characters near the lodge, read 
  the following.
  The Nandar hunting lodge has seen better days. The 
  grounds of the lodge are overgrown with trees and brush, 
  which obscure most of the lodge’s stone foundation. 
  Around the lodge, trees have been crudely cleared, 
  their trunks splintered away from upturned stumps. 
  The destination of the trunks is clear from the crudely 
  constructed walls and ceiling of the lodge. The inhabitants 
  have been rebuilding it in an ugly reflection of its past 
  dignity. Two building make up the estate: a structure to 
  the north and a larger structure to the south.
  Area 1. Courtyard
  The two dire wolves are tied to a tree near the northern 
  building, giving them a vantage to the west and east.
  A muddy, uneven yard separates two dilapidated 
  structures. Boulders the size of human heads are strewn 
  throughout the area. A large tree grows from a spring 
  that burbles up from the ground and flows into a muddy 
  sinkhole in the middle of the yard. Two enormous wolves 
  are tied to the tree with thick rope. Bones periodically pop 
  and snap under their jaws.
   Rope. The length of rope keeping the dire wolves 
  tethered to the tree is about twenty feet. The rope is 
  rotted, and a DC 15 Strength check breaks it. 
   Sinkhole. The sinkhole smells wretched. It is 30 
  feet deep and connects with tunnels that run into the 
  Underdark. The giants have been using the hole as a 
  latrine and a waste disposal for anything they deem 
  inedible (which isn’t much). The area around the edge of 
  the latrine is slick with waste and mud. Any Medium or 
  smaller creature who falls prone while adjacent to the 
  sinkhole must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity check or 
  slide into the hole.
   At the bottom of the sinkhole, an opportunistic otyugh 
  has crawled in from the tunnels and wallows in the filth. 
  If the otyugh hears commotion above, it calls out with its 
  Telepathy at any creature near the sinkhole: “Food?”
   Rocks. After being harrowed by the wood elves, the 
  hill giants have piled these rocks to use as ammunition. 
  Each rock weighs about 40 pounds.
  Area 2. Master Bedroom
  This room was once the master bedroom of the Nandar 
  hunting lodge. Characters can enter through the 
  doorway connected to area 3 or the hole on the north 
  side of the structure.
  
  8
  
  9
  A giant-sized hole exposes this chamber to the elements. 
  Timbers lie across the ceiling, barring some of the rain 
  and wind, which has already rotted away most of the finer 
  furnishings of this bedroom. The only piece of furniture 
  that seems to have escaped weathering is a large trunk 
  along the south side of the room. 
  The trunk is a large mimic. If a character attempts 
  to open the chest, he or she automatically becomes 
  grappled from the mimic’s Adhesive trait. Double the 
  attack, damage, and hit points of the mimic to make it 
  more of a challenge for higher level characters.
  Area 3. Foyer and Cellar
  This foyer has a door to the west leading to area 2 
  and a staircase in its southwest corner leading down 
  to a small cellar. The staircase is presently covered 
  by an enormous slab of granite. The north side of the 
  foyer once led to the second story, but the staircase 
  has become impassable due to the collapse of 
  the upper story.
  The weathered doors leading to this foyer have been 
  ripped off their hinges and discarded, and the part of the 
  wall has been knocked out, making the opening about 15 
  feet high.
   Within the chamber, the white marble interior is littered 
  with ruined floorboards and beams from above. The stone 
  is cracked, and a muddy path leads toward a large stone 
  slab in the southwest corner. To the north, a stairway 
  leading up is littered with wreckage, while to the west, a 
  door hangs loosely on its hinges, leading to an adjacent 
  room.
   Stone Slab. The stone slab is used to 
  keep captive the giants’ future meals. 
  Normally two giants are required to move 
  the slab, so it takes a collective Strength 
  check of 50 or higher to move it (have 
  each character attempting to move the 
  slab make a Strength check and add 
  together the results). Alternatively, the 
  giants come to move the slab and collect 
  their latest victims each evening shortly 
  before dinnertime.
   Prisoners. The cellar below is a 
  cramped space, 15 feet wide on a side. The 
  cellar is full of grass and bushes, which 
  the giants have put there in a misguided 
  attempt to keep the prisoners fed. The 
  prisoners are famished and filthy and in no 
  condition for combat, but they can provide 
  some information.
  • Slurpy (CN male goblin) is a goblin with 
  a penchant for survival. He’s sarcastic 
  and has been the unwilling participant in 
  the exploits of many adventurers. At the 
  sight of his rescuers, he exclaims. “Not 
  again.”
  • One pig who is in actuality a Harper wizard named 
  Harold Glimmerswick (LG male human). He 
  can’t communicate but has attempted to show his 
  intelligence to his fellow captors (who claim there’s 
  something strange about the pig). Harold was a wiz-
  ard of Waterdeep who sought to learn more of a hill 
  giant tribe located outside Goldenfields and led by a 
  chief named Guh. He polymorphed himself into a pig 
  and was captured and taken to Grudd Haug, the den 
  of Guh, and something went wrong with the spell’s 
  duration. He avoided being devoured for several 
  tendays. Then, the four female hill giants here at the 
  lodge were driven away by Guh and took him, because 
  he was “Guh’s best pig.” See chapter 5, “Den of the 
  Hill Giants,” in Storm King’s Thunder for more infor-
  mation on Grudd Haug.
  • Alandryn (CG female elf) is part of the tribe of wood 
  elves in Ardeep Forest. She is relieved at her escape 
  and offers to lead the rest of the prisoners (with the 
  exception of the "surly goblin") to the safety of her 
  people. She says she will speak well of the characters’ 
  heroics.
  • Two small dogs with big eyes, short snouts, and long 
  black and white coats. These were pets of a traveling 
  merchant who the giants have since eaten.
  • Two Zhentarim (LE male bandit and LE female 
  human spy), one named Kella Darkhope and the 
  other named Damian Rand. The two don’t reveal they 
  are Zhentarim. Instead Kella claims they are monks 
  come to Nightstone from Candlekeep to investigate 
  rumors of giants (Deception +5). Kella claims they 
  were waylaid by giants and have been imprisoned for 
  half a tenday. In reality, these two Zhentarim are what 
  remains of a group called the Seven Snakes, which 
  intended to assert a presence for the Black Network 
  in Nightstone. Kella and Damian fled after adventur-
  ers liberated the town. They were shortly thereafter 
  
  10
  captured by the hill giants. See “Seven Snakes” 
  in chapter 1 of Storm King’s Thunder for more 
  details.
  Area 4. Stable
  A hill giant is sleeping in this room. Characters 
  with a passive Perception of 15 or higher can 
  hear the sound of her snoring from area 1.  The 
  hill giant awakens to the sound of the barking 
  dire wolves or to a Stealth check of 5 or less. 
  The stalls of this stable have been knocked over 
  to make way for the giant that now beds within. 
  The ground is thick with mud from the giant’s 
  movements, and the air is heavy with the smell of 
  mold and body odor. A few scraps of indigestible 
  material are piled on one end of the room—a set of 
  antlers, some metal armor and weapons, a fez, and 
  some large, smashed pieces of bone.
  Most of the items in the pile of rejected food 
  are worthless. Notable items include a suit of 
  splint mail and a shield inlaid with the symbol 
  of a dagger and bridge (History DC 10 to determine it’s 
  the symbol of Daggerford), a couple of books detailing 
  the ecology of Ardeep Forest and the Forlorn Hills, a 
  set of smith’s tools, and a javelin of lightning (Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide, page 178). 
  Area 5. Great Hall
  This room contains two hill giants currently attempting 
  to cook. They are taking instructions from Mila Vyrth 
  (NG female half-elf commoner; see “The Approach”). 
  She is tied up and suspended from a chandelier of 
  horns and antlers that hangs precariously from one of 
  the wood beams.
  Of the chambers remaining in the Nandar hunting lodge, 
  this large hall is most intact. The large stone foundation 
  and thick wooden beams have endured decades of 
  weathering, and the giants have made a good effort 
  of their reconstruction. The same can’t be said for the 
  contents of the room, which are smashed and pushed 
  aside, save for a newly constructed table that has several 
  large stones in place for seating.
   A cook-fire has been set into a primitive hearth against 
  the wall opposite the entrance. A large cauldron is set 
  above the fire. The container emits a chocolaty fragrance 
  and rocks back, as though something moves within it.
   Across the table, plant and animal matter—some of 
  it stomach-turning—has been laid out. And overhead, a 
  female half elf is suspended and shouting exasperated 
  instructions at two female hill giants who seem to 
  comprehend only a fragment of what she’s saying.
   “No, you need cheese to make a grilled cheese 
  sandwich. You can’t just use a cow. I’ll explain again how 
  to make cheese. Just listen this time.”
  The giants are distracted (passive Perception 5) 
  as they fumble with shorn portions of a cow. Mila 
  (passive Perception 10) may spot the characters 
  before the giants. She helps by distracting the 
  giants with descriptions of other possible meals. 
  If she sees the characters, she arches her head 
  meaningfully at the adjacent chamber (area 6). With 
  a DC 10 Insight check, a character realizes she’s 
  indicating another giant is there.
   Gleamsparkle. If Gleamsparkle is present, 
  the faerie dragon flies up to Mila while invisible. 
  However, Gleamsparkle doesn’t speak Common, 
  so she can relate only basic words between the 
  character and Mila.
   Sleeping Giants. If the hill giant in area 5 is 
  alive and still sleeping, roll a d20 each around. 
  On a five or less, the giant hears the sound, wakes 
  up, and comes crashing through the wall between 
  the two areas.
   Area 6 also contains a giant that awakens to the 
  sound of combat at the end of the first round. This 
  giant is intoxicated (poisoned), though, and hence 
  has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
   Cauldron. The cauldron contains a black 
  pudding, which the giants are trying to cook. The 
  black pudding has only 42 hit points, and if freed, 
  immediately attacks the nearest giant.
   Negotiations. In the event the characters speak 
  with the giants, they learn these four female giants 
  are outcasts from Grudd Haug near Goldenfields. 
  The leader of the giants, Belch, who is one of the 
  two trying to cook, laments that Chief Guh took 
  all their husbands, and now they must fatten up 
  if they’re to challenge her power and lead hill 
  giants to the top of the ordning. The hill giants 
  have no intention of leaving the area, but with two 
  successful DC 20 Persuasion checks, the giants can 
  
  11
  Donations
  Donation Effect
  $10
  Shoutout. Give the donor a shout-out for their
  contribution, because they’re awesome.
  $15
  Inspiration. Give a character or the Dungeon Master
  the option to reroll a die.
  $20
  Suggestion. Give the player or a Dungeon Master a
  suggestion to incorporate into the adventure, such as a
  character name, a monster, a catchphrase, or a treasure.
  $25
  Critical Hit. Give a player the option to score a critical
  hit at a time of the player's choosing, or give the Dungeon
  Master the ability to negate a critical hit.
  Rate the Adventure!
  Want more adventures like this one? Rate the adventure 
  and leave a comment to let me know how you like it. You 
  can also reach me on twitter @gregbilsland or over email at 
  gregbilsland@gmail.com. Thanks for trying the adventure!
  be convinced to march alongside the characters on Grudd 
  to reclaim their husbands. Persuasion checks are made at 
  disadvantage if the party has slain any of the giants.
   Weapons. The two giants in the midst of attempting to 
  cook a grilled cheese sandwich have set their clubs aside 
  near the cook-fire. Savvy characters might deprive the 
  giants of their weapons, in which case you can reduce 
  their Greatclub attack from 3d8 + 5 to 3d6 + 5. The giants 
  are not above using improvised weapons. Here are a 
  few examples:
  • Chandelier (swinging it like a flail by holding the rope 
  that Mila is tied up to). Melee Weapon Attack + 6 to hit, 
  reach 15 feet. Hit: 3d8 + 5 piercing damage, shatters 
  after impact.
  • Mila (after the chandelier is shattered). Melee Weapon 
  Attack + 6 to hit, reach 15 feet. Hit: 3d6 + 5 bludgeoning 
  damage, and Mila takes an equal amount of damage.
  • Half a Cow. Melee Weapon Attack + 6 to hit, reach 10 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 3d6 + moo bludgeoning damage.
  • Barrel of Ale. Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 
  30/90 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d10 + 5) bludgeoning 
  damage.
  Area 6. Kitchen
  This room contains one female hill giant who is drunk 
  (poisoned) on several barrels of ale recently pillaged 
  from a passing caravan.  A large opening to the east 
  leads to area 5.
   Barrels of ale piled are piled against a backdoor to the 
  south. With a DC 15 Strength check, a character can 
  force enough room to squeeze through and get a view of 
  the room. Once the door has been forced, a character can 
  make a DC 10 Dexterity check to squeeze into  the room. 
  Failure by 5 or more alerts the drunk, sleeping giant.
  Part 4. Fund
  Whether the giants are slain or escorted off to attack 
  Grudd Haug, the characters are rewarded with the thanks 
  of the Ardeep elves, who agree to an ongoing peace with 
  House Nandar and offer some support as Nightstone 
  rebuilds. If the party slew the giants, they can return the 
  ears to Talurth Nandar to receive his thanks and 250 gp 
  per giant ear. (If any griffon mounts were slain, 500 gp/
  griffon is deducted from he reward). Talurth inquires about 
  the state of the Nandar hunting lodge, and muses that 
  perhaps he will make an effort to rebuild it.
   The residents of Nightstone are grateful the hill giant 
  threat was eliminated before they could start troubling the 
  town. Morak Ur’gray is eager for the story and offers the 
  characters free accommodation for two tendays as they 
  figure out what’s next.
  What’s Next?
  If you're running this adventure as a one-shot, the 
  story ends there. However, if you want to keep going, 
  this adventure offers several hooks connected to the 
  story in Storm King’s Thunder. The characters might 
  investigate reports of chief Guh and the hill giants outside 
  Goldenfields; they could track the cloud giants that 
  accosted Nightstone; or perhaps they simply want to spend 
  downtime in Nightstone planning their next action.
  Fundraising
  This adventure was designed for Extra Life 2016, 
  written by Greg Bilsland, who ran it for players 
  Emi Tanji, Kate Irwin, Shawn Wood, and Taymoor 
  Rehman. If you’re running this adventure as part of 
  Extra Life or a livestream, here are some donation 
  options to share with viewers.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/DMsGuild/Fee, Fly, Foe, Fund A Storm King's Thunder Adventure.pdf