TEXT: A Great Upheaval
  
  Credits
  Lead Designer: Christopher Perkins
  Story Design: Jenna Helland, Adam Lee, Christopher Perkins, 
  Richard Whitters
  Additional Design: Mike Mearls
  Managing Editor: Jeremy Crawford
  Editors: Kim Mohan, Michele Carter
  Editorial Assistance: Matt Sernett, Chris Dupuis, Ben Petrisor, 
  Sean K Reynolds, Stan!
  Story Consultant: R.A. Salvatore
  D&D Lead Designers: Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford
  Art Director: Kate Irwin
  Additional Art Direction: Shauna Narciso, Richard Whitters
  Graphic Designer: Emi Tanji
  Cover Illustrator: Tyler Jacobson
  Interior Illustrators: John-Paul Balmet, Beet, Mark Behm, Eric 
  Belisle, Jedd Chevrier, Olga Drebas, Michael Dutton, Wayne 
  England, Lars Grant-West, Lake Hurwitz, Tyler Jacobson, Julian 
  Kok, Olly Lawson, Christopher Moeller, Scott Murphy, Chris 
  Rahn, Ned Rogers, Chris Seaman, Richard Whitters
  Cartographers: Jared Blando, Will Doyle, Jason A. Engle, Lee Moyer, 
  Christopher Perkins, Mike Schley
  Project Manager: Heather Fleming
  Product Engineer: Cynda Callaway
  Imaging Technicians: Sven Bolen, Carmen Cheung, Kevin Yee
  Art Administration: David Gershman
  Prepress Specialist: ���������������
  Other D&D Team Members: Greg Bilsland, John Feil, Trevor Kidd, 
  Christopher Lindsay, Shelly Mazzanoble, Hilary Ross, Liz Schuh, 
  Nathan Stewart, Greg Tito, Shawn Wood
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, 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.
  Printed in the USA. ©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.
  
  CHAPTER 1 | A Great Upheaval
  3
  �������������������������������������
  party of 1st-level characters to 5th level. 
  The characters gain levels by accomplish-
  ing various goals, which are summarized 
  in the Character Advancement sidebar at 
  the end of the chapter. If the characters 
  are already 5th level, skip ahead to chapter 
  2, “Rumblings,” using the information in appendix A if 
  the characters are transitioning from another published 
  adventure to this one.
  � ��������������������������������������������������
  miles south of the Ardeep Forest, in the untamed hills 
  between Waterdeep and Daggerford. A lonely wooden 
  signpost, standing where the trail to Nightstone meets 
  the High Road, points the way to the settlement.
   Nightstone’s closest neighbors are the elves of the 
  Ardeep Forest. Hunters from Nightstone have incurred 
  the elves’ wrath on multiple occasions. However, elves 
  ��������������������������������������������������������
  heroes who come to Nightstone in search of adventure 
  quickly discover.
   The characters are traveling to Nightstone for one or 
  more of the following reasons:
  • The characters have heard rumors of goblins terroriz-
  ing the settlement. The High Steward of Nightstone, 
  Lady Velrosa Nandar, is a Waterdhavian noble. She 
  �����������������������������������������������������
  able to deal with the goblin threat.
  • Nightstone is a popular retreat for wealthy nobles who 
  wish to hunt in the Ardeep Forest. Adventurers can 
  ����������������������������������������������������
  on a hunt.
  • The residents of Nightstone have a longstanding and 
  �����������������������������������������������������
  neighbors, the elves of the Ardeep Forest. Lady Vel-
  rosa Nandar has been searching for skilled mediators 
  to help resolve the dispute.
  • The Nightstone Inn is renowned for its food and cozy 
  guest rooms. The dwarf innkeeper, Morak Ur’gray, has 
  a fondness for adventurers and a nose for lucrative 
  adventuring opportunities.
   You can create other adventure hooks using the infor-
  mation presented in this chapter about Nightstone.
   When you and the players are ready to get un-
  derway, read:
  �������������������������������������������������������
  evening approaches, you spot a wooden signpost next to 
  a trail that heads north into the hills. Nailed to the post 
  are three arrow-shaped signs. The two marked “Water-
  deep” and “Daggerford” follow the High Road but point 
  in opposite directions. The third, marked “Nightstone,” 
  beckons you to follow the trail. If memory serves, Night-
  stone is roughly ten miles up the trail.
  Chapter 1: A Great Upheaval
  
  4
  CHAPTER 1 | A Great Upheaval
  Nightstone: General Features
  �����������������������������������������������������������
  �������������������������������������������������������-
  marized here.
   Bailey. A 15-foot-high wooden palisade encloses the 
  ��������������������������������������������������������������
  and the gaps between the logs are sealed with tar. The 
  ���������������������������������������������������������
  climbed without the aid of climbing gear or magic, such as 
  a spider climb spell.
   All the buildings in the village except the watchtowers 
  are made of wood and have steep, shingled rooftops. 
  Muddy paths connect them.
   Moat.�����������������������������������������������������
  feet. The moat is 30 feet wide, narrowing to a width of 20 
  feet under the drawbridge (area 1). The moat is home to 
  schools of trout.
   Motte. The keep overlooking the village stands atop a 
  constructed, funnel-shaped hill called a motte. The rocky 
  slopes of the motte are covered with loose shale, and scal-
  ing these slopes without climbing gear requires a success-
  ful DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check.
  � �������������������������������������������������������-
  apet with a 15-foot-high outer curtain wall made of thick 
  wooden planks perforated with shuttered archer windows. 
  ����������������������������������������������������������-
  ������������������������������������������������������������
  be climbed without the aid of climbing gear or magic, such 
  as a spider climb spell.
   Rocks. As the characters explore Nightstone, they see 
  �����������������������������������������������������
  in the earth, holes punched through rooftops, shattered 
  wreckage, and dead villagers buried under piles of debris. 
  ���������������������������������������������������������
  500 pounds each.
  Nightstone
  Read the following boxed text as the characters ap-
  proach Nightstone. You can adjust the boxed text for the 
  time of day or night when the party arrives.
  After following the trail for ten miles, you hear the ringing 
  of a bell. The sound grows louder as Nightstone comes 
  �������������������������������������������������������
  a moat. The village itself is contained within a wooden 
  palisade, beyond which you see a windmill, a tall steeple, 
  and the high-pitched rooftops of several other buildings. 
  Apart from the ringing of the bell, you detect no other ac-
  tivity in the village. The trail ends before a lowered draw-
  bridge that spans the moat. Beyond the drawbridge, two 
  ��������������������������������������������������� 
   South of the village and surrounded by the river moat 
  ����������������������������������������������������
  stone keep enclosed by a wooden wall. The keep, which 
  overlooks the village, has partially collapsed. A wooden 
  bridge that once connected the keep to the village has 
  also partially collapsed.
   Nightstone got its name from a massive chunk of 
  obsidian that once stood in the middle of the village 
  square. The obsidian megalith had strange glyphs 
  carved into it and radiated magic under the scrutiny 
  of detect magic spells, but its properties and purpose 
  couldn’t be ascertained. The villagers assumed it was a 
  relic of some bygone age or kingdom and left it alone.
   Three days ago, a cloud giant castle passed over 
  Nightstone and dropped large rocks on the settlement 
  and its keep. Unable to defend themselves against the 
  bombardment, villagers who weren’t killed in the at-
  ����������������������������������������������������
  hills, taking refuge in some caves. Once the village was 
  abandoned, four cloud giants descended from the sky, 
  uprooted the nightstone, and bore it back to their castle 
  for further study, believing it to be an Ostorian artifact. 
  The cloud castle then drifted away with its prize.
  � ������������������������������������������������������
  and an allied pair of ogres lurking in the caves. The 
  villagers were ambushed, captured, and brought before 
  Hark, the goblin boss. Hark interrogated them, learned 
  of the giant attack on Nightstone, and sent a band of gob-
  lins to plunder the abandoned village. Characters who 
  capture and interrogate these goblins can learn where 
  the villagers are located.
   The following warning signs indicate that all is not 
  well in Nightstone:
  • The drawbridge (area 1) is lowered, and the perimeter 
  watchtowers (area 2) are unguarded.
  • The temple bell (area 5) won’t stop ringing.
  • The keep (area 14) and the bridge that connects it to 
  the village (area 11) have partially collapsed.
   Goblins are scouring the village for treasure. They 
  have unwisely spread themselves thin, providing adven-
  ���������������������������������������������������������
  a time. A goblin that is alone and outnumbered might try 
  ������������������������������������������������������������
  the goblin retreats to the temple (area 5). See the “Night-
  stone: General Features” sidebar for information about 
  the settlement. Map 1.1 shows its layout. The sections 
  that follow describe locations on that map.
  1. Drawbridge
  �������������������������������������������������������
  It is 20 feet long, 10 feet wide, and made of sturdy oak 
  planks. Iron chains bolted to the drawbridge connect to 
  winch mechanisms in the nearby watchtowers (area 2a).
  Footprints
  Characters who search the area west of the drawbridge 
  see several humanoid tracks in the grass and dirt. A 
  successful DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check reveals that 
  �������������������������������������������������������-
  ers) lead north. A successful check also reveals smaller 
  humanoid tracks (made by roughly a dozen goblins) 
  heading from the north toward the drawbridge, as well 
  as two sets of unusually large wolf tracks (made by the 
  worgs in area 3) heading in the same direction.
  2. Watchtowers
  Seven stone watchtowers stand along the village perim-
  eter. Each tower is 20 feet tall, with a roof enclosed by 
  
  CHAPTER 1 | A Great Upheaval
  5
  Map 1.1: Nightstone
  
  6
  CHAPTER 1 | A Great Upheaval
  crenellated battlements. Inside each tower is a wooden 
  ladder that leads to an unlocked trapdoor in the roof.
  2a. West Towers
  ������������������������������������������������������-
  ing a gatehouse of sorts. Each tower contains a winch, 
  and both mechanisms must be turned to extend or 
  retract the chains that raise and lower the drawbridge. 
  If both winches are operated simultaneously, it takes 1 
  round to raise or lower the drawbridge by 30 degrees. In 
  other words, the fully lowered drawbridge can be fully 
  raised in 3 rounds.
  2b. Northwest Tower
  This watchtower stands between the village’s two grave-
  yards (areas 6a and 6b). It contains nothing of interest.
  2c. Northeast Tower
  Two pigs are chewing on some grass near the base of 
  this tower. The pigs escaped from their pen (area 4c) 
  and are harmless. The tower is empty.
  2d. East Tower
  The door to this tower is ajar, and a greedy goblin 
  named Gwerk lurks within. Gwerk stole a silver locket 
  from a nearby residence (area 4e) and is quietly admir-
  ing it. She’s afraid the other goblins might try to take 
  it from her.
   Treasure. �������������������������������������������
  and contains a painted portrait of a rosy-cheeked male 
  �����������������������������������������������������
  widow, Taela Summerhawk, and is worth 25 gp. Taela is 
  in the Dripping Caves (see area 4, map 1.2).
  2e. Southeast Tower
  The door to this tower is ajar. Unless they are drawn to 
  area 4g by sounds of combat, two goblins named Larv 
  and Snokk are searching the tower for treasure.
   Treasure.�������������������������������������������-
  sils (worthless) and three vials of perfume (worth 5 gp 
  ������������������������������������������������������
  ��������������������������������������������������-
  ���������������������������������������������������������
  2f. Southwest Tower
  A falling rock punched through the roof of this tower, 
  collapsing everything but the outermost wall. A search 
  of the debris unearths the broken remains of a ladder 
  and a battered wooden door with broken hinges.
  3. Square
  Two worgs slaughtered a dog and are feasting on its 
  remains in the northeast corner of the village square. 
  The worgs move to attack any characters who enter the 
  ������������������������������������������������������
  in the square and the temple bell has been silenced, the 
  goblins in areas 4c and 9 hear the noise and investigate. 
  �������������������������������������������������������-
  rows at the characters.
   The square is a muddy open area with a 5-foot-deep 
  hole in the middle of it. The nightstone once stood here, 
  but the cloud giants took the megalith and left the hole 
  behind. North of the hole is a covered well. Other fea-
  tures of the village square include an empty wooden 
  ����������������������������������������������������������
  ground. From the square, characters can see signs iden-
  tifying the Nightstone Inn (area 8) and the Lionshield 
  Coster trading post (area 9).
  4. Residences
  The village contains eight cottages, each one belonging 
  ���������������������������������������������������������
  damaged during the cloud giants’ bombardment.
   A typical cottage has a 10-foot-square front room that 
  serves as a kitchen and dining area, and a 10-foot-by-15-
  foot back room where the residents sleep.
  4a. Delfryndel Residence
  This cottage belongs to the Delfryndels, a human fam-
  ily that owned and operated the windmill (area 10). 
  The goblins have already rummaged through the resi-
  dence, taking anything of value and leaving the interior 
  in disarray.
  4b. Osstra Farm
  A giant rock destroyed the back room of the Osstra resi-
  dence, and two more rocks are embedded in the garden 
  where the family grew wheat. Goblins searched the 
  home for treasure and dumped everything they didn’t 
  �������������������
  4c. Southwell Farm
  This residence belonged to a middle-aged human 
  woman named Semile Southwell, who raised pigs and 
  chickens. Semile was killed when a rock fell on her 
  �����������������������������������������������������
  Semile’s crushed body.
   A muddy fenced-in yard next to the Southwell resi-
  dence contains wooden feeding troughs and chicken 
  coops. Unless they are drawn to the village square by 
  sounds of combat there, two goblins named Pojo and 
  Tot are in the yard, chasing after a pair of chickens that 
  escaped from one of the coops. The goblins attack char-
  ��������������������������������������������������
   Treasure. Pojo has a pouch containing a gold ring 
  (worth 25 gp), which he pulled from Semile Southwell’s 
  dead hand. Tot carries a pouch that holds 5 cp and a 
  sack containing a live chicken.
  4d. Hulvaarn Farm
  The Hulvaarns are human farmers, and their cottage 
  backs onto a fenced-in potato and turnip garden. The 
  cottage wasn’t damaged during the cloud giants’ bom-
  bardment, but a rock fell on the garden and killed Nestor 
  Hulvaarn, the family patriarch, on impact. His crushed 
  corpse is visible underneath the rock.
   The cottage door hangs open. Goblins have already 
  ������������������������������������������������������
  value but leaving the place in a shambles.
  4e. Summerhawk Residence
  ���������������������������������������������������
  Taela Summerhawk and her husband, Larlow, were 
  �����������������������������������������������������
  ��������������������������������������������������
  their home. When a rock fell on the front room of their 
  
  CHAPTER 1 | A Great Upheaval
  7
  house, Larlow was killed instantly. Taela managed to 
  escape with their four children.
   Treasure. Goblins have already searched the cottage, 
  but characters who conduct their own search and suc-
  ���������������������������������������������������-
  ����������������������������������������������������-
  ism kit, a vial of antitoxin, and a pouch containing 15 gp.
  4f. Agganor Residence
  This cottage belongs to Destiny Agganor, the village’s 
  ������������������������������������������������������
  has locked shutters over its windows. The door, which 
  is also locked, has row upon row of ornate runes burned 
  into it. Most villagers assume that the ornate runes are 
  purely decorative, but any character who understands 
  Infernal can translate the script as follows: “Let all who 
  enter this home without the consent of its owner burn 
  for ninety-nine years in the depths of Nessus and freeze 
  for a thousand more in the icy wastes of Cania.”
   The goblins tried to enter the cottage but were 
  thwarted by the locks. A character can use thieves’ tools 
  to pick the lock on the door or open a set of window 
  shutters by succeeding on a DC 15 Dexterity check.
   Treasure. A search of the cottage interior yields an 
  unlocked wooden chest containing a golden holy symbol 
  of Asmodeus (worth 75 gp), a healer’s kit, and a potion 
  of healing.
  4g. Nesper Farm
  Two goblins are dancing in the garden behind this 
  cottage, which belongs to the Nespers, a human family 
  of pumpkin and squash farmers. The goblins, Blik and 
  Flik, are wearing eyeless, hollowed-out pumpkins on 
  their heads and playing a game of blind tag. While wear-
  �����������������������������������������������������
   If combat erupts here, the goblins in area 2e hear the 
  disturbance and investigate.
   The goblins have already looted the Nesper cottage, 
  the front door to which hangs open. The cottage, though 
  undamaged, has been thoroughly ransacked.
   Treasure. Blik carries a pouch that contains 4 cp 
  and 3 sp. Lying in the southwest corner of the garden is 
  Flik’s sack of loot, which contains a tinderbox, a smok-
  ������������������������������������������������������
  Dragon Ante cards (worth 1 gp).
  4h. Xelbrin Residence
  The Xelbrins were an elderly human couple who moved 
  to Nightstone from Waterdeep four years ago at Lady 
  Nandar’s request. Melantha Xelbrin served as the vil-
  lage’s notary and record keeper. She and her husband, 
  Lathan, were killed when the roof of their cottage col-
  lapsed. Rillix, their pet tressym (see appendix C), lurks 
  amid the wreckage. If the characters take the time to 
  ��������������������������������������������������������-
  �������������������������������������������������������-
  place else to hide.
   Treasure. The goblins haven’t yet looted the Xelbrin 
  ����������������������������������������������������
  dead bodies of Lathan and Melantha. A search of Melan-
  tha’s desk also reveals evidence of her profession (wax 
  seals, jars of ink, blank scrolls, quill pens, land owner-
  ship documents, and tax records), along with a money 
  pouch containing 32 gp and 17 sp.
  5. Temple
  This wooden temple is dedicated to Lathander (god of 
  the dawn) and Mielikki (goddess of forests). It has a slen-
  der steeple containing a large bronze bell, and stained 
  glass windows depicting images of birth, the dawning 
  �����������������������������������������������������-
  rive here, the front door to the temple is wide open and 
  the bell is ringing incessantly.
  5a. Temple and Pulpit
  Sunlight or moonlight pours into this high-vaulted 
  chamber through four stained-glass windows set into 
  the north and south walls. Beneath the windows are 
  ���������������������������������������������������������
  The room is mostly empty otherwise. Standing against 
  the back wall is a wooden pulpit with steps leading up to 
  �����������������������������������������������
   Set into the west wall, north of the pulpit, is a half-
  open door, beyond which lies area 5b.
  5b. Bedroom and Steeple
  This back room contains a plain wooden bed where 
  Hiral Mystrum, the village’s acolyte of Lathander, slept. 
  The mattress has been torn open and its straw pulled 
  ��������������������������������������������������������
  chests: priestly vestments and worthless personal ef-
  fects. The creatures responsible for the disarray are two 
  goblins named Beedo and Vark.
   The goblins are gleefully swinging on a knotted rope 
  that hangs from the bell in the steeple. The sound of the 
  bell delights the goblins, and they won’t stop ringing it 
  until they perceive some threat to their well-being. If the 
  characters enter the room, the goblins drop from the 
  rope, brandish their scimitars, and attack.
   Treasure. Each goblin has a sack lying on the steeple 
  ����������������������������������������������������
  (worth 5 gp each), a silver holy symbol of Mielikki 
  shaped like a unicorn’s head (worth 25 gp), and some 
  ����������������������������������������������������
  holds three empty vials that used to contain holy water 
  (Vark drank them) and an unlocked wooden “poor box” 
  containing 37 cp and 15 sp.
  6. Graveyards
  Most of the villagers who perished since the founding 
  of Nightstone are interred in these two graveyards. 
  Almost half of them died when wood elves attacked 
  ����������������������������������������������������-
  stone” sidebar).
  6a. Nandar Crypt and Graveyard
  Narrow footpaths meander among the graves, most of 
  which are marked with granite headstones. A couple 
  of these markers were destroyed when a giant rock 
  fell on them.
   In the northeast corner stands an aboveground crypt 
  with the name Nandar engraved over its sealed en-
  trance. Cracking the door seal requires a crowbar or 
  
  8
  CHAPTER 1 | A Great Upheaval
  similar tool and a successful DC 11 Strength (Athlet-
  ics) check.
   The Nandar crypt contains a stone bier, upon which 
  ��������������������������������������������������
  open and holds the skeletal remains and tattered burial 
  shroud of Lord Drezlin Nandar, the village’s founder, 
  ������������������������������������������������������
  contains anything of value. If one or more characters 
  remove any of Lord Nandar’s bones from the crypt, 
  a specter forms in the crypt and attacks them. The 
  specter can’t leave the graveyard and disappears when 
  reduced to 0 hit points or when it has no enemies it 
  can attack.
  6b. North Graveyard
  This graveyard was created when the one next to the 
  temple ran out of space. It contains nothing of interest.
  7. Stable House
  The Nandar family (see “The Nandars of Nightstone” 
  sidebar later in the chapter) procured horses for the 
  village and kept them in this stable house. The panicked 
  villagers left the horses behind after a rock punched 
  through the stable house roof. Fortunately, none of the 
  horses were harmed.
  7a. Barn
  �������������������������������������������������������-
  ������������������������������������������������������
  the north and south walls. Hanging on the walls are 
  bits, bridles, and leather saddles. Two wooden ladders 
  allow easy access to the hayloft (area 7b).
   Characters who enter the barn are attacked by the 
  goblin hiding in the loft.
  7b. Hayloft
  ������������������������������������������������������gob-
  lin named Derp is searching the loft for treasure. If he 
  detects enemies in the barn, Derp takes cover behind a 
  haystack and shoots arrows at enemies below, drawing 
  his scimitar only when forced into melee combat.
   Treasure. Derp carries a coin pouch that holds 1 cp 
  and a sack containing a wooden box engraved with the 
  symbol of the Lionshield Coster (see area 9). Derp stole 
  the box from the store, and packed inside it are ten sil-
  vered darts.
  8. Nightstone Inn
  A shield dwarf named Morak Ur’gray owns this estab-
  lishment. An ornate wrought-iron sign bearing the inn’s 
  name hangs above the entrance, facing the town square.
   Morak is a natural leader. Realizing that the village 
  couldn’t defend itself against the cloud giants’ bombard-
  ment, he led his fellow villagers to the Dripping Caves. 
  In the confusion and panic, Morak left behind his only 
  guest at the time: Kella Darkhope, a Zhentarim spy 
  posing as a traveling monk. Kella has nefarious plans 
  for Nightstone and has no intention of abandoning the 
  settlement (see area 8f for details).
  8a. Dining Room
  This room is strewn with wreckage. A giants’ rock 
  punched through the roof and landed here, destroying 
  a dining table and a pair of long benches. The remains 
  of a bed and a wardrobe (from the chamber above) lie 
  among the shattered dining room furnishings. Two 
  smaller round tables and several chairs remain intact, 
  and resting atop each table is an unlit oil lamp. Charac-
  ters exploring this room can hear someone rummaging 
  through the kitchen (area 8b).
  � ������������������������������������������������������
  goblin with a crossbow bolt sticking out of its chest. 
  The goblin fell prey to Kella Darkhope, who is spying 
  on the room through the gaping hole in her bedroom 
  ��������������������������������������������������������
  and succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check can 
  determine that the wound is fresh, indicating that the 
  goblin has been dead only a few minutes. If the charac-
  ters linger here, Kella tries to eavesdrop on their conver-
  sation and learn more about them without revealing her 
  location. Any character who peers up through the hole 
  in the ceiling can spot Kella lurking in the shadows with 
  a successful Wisdom (Perception) check contested by 
  Kella’s Dexterity (Stealth) check.
  8b. Kitchen and Pantry
  A goblin named Gum-Gum is searching through the 
  �����������������������������������������������������
  large sack that’s almost too heavy for her to drag, let 
  alone carry. The northwest corner of the inn (pantry 
  included) was destroyed by a falling rock. Most of the 
  kitchen, however, was undamaged. Set into the north 
  �������������������������������������������������������
  broken dishware and scattered utensils.
   If one or more characters confront Gum-Gum, she 
  ��������������������������������������������������������
  ���������������������������������������������������
  foot reduction to her speed.
   Treasure.����������������������������������������
  a block of cheese, a cooked chicken, a frying pan, an 
  ���������������������������������������������������������
  cook’s utensils, a jar of cloves (worth 1 sp), a jar of saf-
  fron (worth 1 gp), a dented silver jug (worth 20 gp), and a 
  cracked hourglass (worth 25 gp if repaired).
  8c. Morak’s Bedroom
  Most of the furnishings in Morak’s room were destroyed 
  ������������������������������������������������������
  Hanging on the east wall is a tapestry depicting a 
  mountain landscape, and tucked under the window in 
  the southeast corner is a locked wooden chest. What 
  ���������������������������������������
   Treasure. A character can attempt to unlock the iron 
  chest using thieves’ tools, but the built-in lock is tricky 
  and requires a successful DC 20 Dexterity check to 
  open. The chest contains a suit of chain mail sized for 
  a dwarf, a dwarven helm, a leather bag that holds 45 gp 
  and two 100 gp gemstones, and a potion of heroism.
  8d. Guest Bedroom
  This vacant bedroom contains two beds, an empty 
  wardrobe, a desk, and a matching chair. An oil lamp sits 
  
  CHAPTER 1 | A Great Upheaval
  9
  on one corner of the desk, and another rests on a small 
  table tucked between the two beds. A bearskin rug lies 
  ������������
  8e. Guest Bedroom
  This room is similar in all respects to area 8d.
  8f. Kella’s Bedroom
  Kella Darkhope, a Zhentarim spy (NE female Chon-
  dathan human), lurks in the shadows of this room—or 
  what’s left of it. A falling rock punched a hole in the roof 
  ��������������������������������������������������������
  the dining room (area 8a). It destroyed two beds and a 
  wardrobe as it passed through the chamber, leaving a 
  desk and chair tucked under the window in the north-
  east corner of the room unscathed.
  ��������������������������������������������������������
  monk and is waiting for Zhentarim reinforcements to 
  arrive (see the “Seven Snakes” section). She had noth-
  ing to do with the cloud giant attack, but she intends to 
  take over the village and turn it into a Black Network 
  base. Her original plan was to drive away the Lionshield 
  Coster and bully Lady Velrosa Nandar into subservi-
  ence, but the cloud giant attack has left the abandoned 
  village ripe for conquest while leaving its defenses more 
  or less intact.
  Kella isn’t alone. The morning after the cloud giants 
  attacked, a ����������� carrying a message from her 
  Zhent associates arrived. The snake belongs to Xolkin 
  Alassandar (see the “Seven Snakes” section), and it now 
  coils around Kella’s left arm. Its message is scrawled in 
  Common on a strip of parchment in Kella’s possession. 
  The message reads, “On our way.”
  Treasure. In addition to her weapons and armor, 
  Kella has a pouch containing 8 gp and 5 sp.
  Development. Kella tries to remain hidden until the 
  Seven Snakes arrive. If discovered, she pretends to be 
  a guest who was knocked unconscious by falling debris 
  and left behind after the giant attack. She claims that 
  her escape was thwarted by the sudden arrival of the 
  goblins, whom she believes have nothing to do with 
  the giants. Characters can see through her ruse with a 
  successful Wisdom (Insight) check contested by Kella’s 
  Charisma (Deception) check. Any character who be-
  �������������������������������������������������������
  symbol of that faction. Kella claims it is merely her pet.
  9. Trading Post
  Mounted above this building’s entrance is a circular 
  blue shield emblazoned with a stylized golden lion: the 
  symbol of the Lionshield Coster, a trading company. The 
  door to the trading post hangs open, and characters can 
  hear a ruckus within.
  The trading post consists of a 20-foot-square store 
  and a 10-foot-by-20-foot side room containing storage 
  shelves and a cot. The store’s proprietor was a Tethyrian 
  human named Darthag Ulgar. He escaped the giant at-
  tack but didn’t survive long as a prisoner of the goblins 
  (see the “Dripping Caves” section for details).
  A goblin named Jilk is rummaging through the store’s 
  �����������������������������������������������������
  ������������������������������������
   Treasure. During their initial search, the goblins 
  �������������������������������������������������������
  of the store’s for-sale items, including bottles, lamps, 
  ink jars, spice jars, and crockery. Nevertheless, many 
  items remain intact. Characters who search the trading 
  �������������������������������������������������������
  chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook that is worth 10 gp 
  or less. Roll a d4 to determine how many of each avail-
  able item can be found.
  10. Windmill
  Nightstone’s windmill stands atop a 10-foot-high grassy 
  hill. Two sets of goblin tracks are clearly visible in the 
  muddy path that leads up the hill to an open doorway in 
  the northwest side of the windmill.
  � ��������������������������������������������������������
  wooden gears and cogs that help turn the millstone. 
  Two goblins named Longo and Yek are climbing among 
  the rafters near the roof, roughly 25 feet above the 
  �����������������������������������������������������
  while enjoying half cover against ranged attacks made 
  from below.
   Treasure. Longo and Yek are more interested in hav-
  ing fun than searching for treasure. They each carry a 
  pouch that holds 1d6 cp.
  11. Bridge
  A 70-foot-long, 10-foot-wide sloped bridge used to con-
  nect the village bailey to the motte. However, a falling 
  rock struck the bridge and destroyed a 15-foot-long sec-
  ����������������������������������������������������
   A creature with a Strength score of 15 or higher can 
  leap across the broken section of the bridge if it moves 
  at least 10 feet before the jump. The jump is made more 
  ����������������������������������������������
  Kella Darkhope
  
  10
  CHAPTER 1 | A Great Upheaval
  The Nandars of Nightstone
  The beauty of Ardeep Forest and the mystique of its elven 
  ruins have long attracted nobles from Waterdeep. The 
  nobles of House Nandar had a hunting lodge in the forest 
  two centuries ago, but elves forced them to abandon it. 
  Ten years ago, members of House Nandar—Lord Drezlin 
  Nandar and Lady Velrosa Nandar—decided it was time 
  to return. They built a new motte-and-bailey settlement 
  south of the Ardeep Forest and began making forays into 
  the woods with friends to hunt and explore. Unknown to 
  the Nandars, wood elves from Ever meet then settled in 
  the forest, determined to protect the remnants of old elf 
  empires from plunder and desecration. As in the past, the 
  interests of the elves and Nandars were at cross purposes. 
  ������������������������������������������������������
  attacked Nightstone. Drezlin was among the many slain—
  shot and killed by elf arrows while standing on the roof of 
  his keep. His widow, Lady Velrosa Nandar, made peace 
  with the elves and promised to make no further incursions 
  into the Ardeep Forest—a promise she kept for the rest 
  of her life. Velrosa was mortally wounded when the cloud 
  giants bombarded Nightstone, leaving the village without 
  a lord or lady to govern it.
  • A creature jumping from the lower part of the bridge 
  to the higher part must succeed on a DC 10 Strength 
  (Athletics) check to land on its feet. On a failed 
  check, the creature falls prone at the broken edge 
  of the bridge and takes 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage 
  from the fall.
  • A creature jumping from the higher part of the bridge 
  to the lower part must succeed on a DC 10 Dexter-
  ity (Acrobatics) check to land on its feet. On a failed 
  check, the creature tumbles to the bottom of the 
  bridge, landing prone and taking 5 (2d4) bludgeoning 
  damage from the fall.
  12. Gate to the Keep
  Set into the motte’s curtain wall are two windowless 
  stone gatehouses with wood-shingled, high-pitched roof-
  tops. Between them stands a set of oak doors with iron 
  hinges. The doors can be barred shut from within, but 
  ��������������������������������������������������������-
  acters can push open the doors to gain access to Nandar 
  Keep and its bailey.
  Gatehouses
  The gatehouses are set aside as guard barracks. The 
  east building contains six bunk beds (twelve beds in all) 
  and a dozen footlockers containing worthless personal 
  �������������������������������������������������������
  a falling rock destroyed half the building’s contents. 
  ���������������������������������������������������
  bodies of three human guards who died when the roof 
  fell on them.
  13. Inner Bailey
  The cloud giants heavily bombarded the keep, and the 
  inner bailey is strewn with rocks. Ramps lead up to the 
  8-foot-high stone parapet that encircles the yard. No 
  guards are currently standing watch on the walls.
   A search of the bailey yields the corpses of two dead 
  human guards, both of whom were struck and killed by 
  falling rocks.
   Characters can enter the keep through the front 
  door, or they can climb over rubble and enter the keep 
  �������������������������������������������������������
  �������������������������
  14. Nandar Keep
  The cloud giant attack left Nandar Keep in a sorry state 
  and also claimed the life of Lady Velrosa Nandar, the 
  High Steward of Nightstone. She was buried under rub-
  ble and died from her wounds before the castle guards 
  could reach her. The few guards who remain are demor-
  alized, in shock, and at each other’s throats.
  14a. Great Hall
  Half of the great hall lies buried under rubble. Four 
  guards (NG male and female Illuskan humans) have 
  placed the body of Lady Velrosa Nandar atop the shat-
  tered remains of an oak dining table and are arguing 
  about next steps. The guards’ names are Sydiri Haunlar, 
  Torem Breck, Alara Winterspell, and Kaelen Zam. No 
  strong leader stands among them, so they turn to the 
  characters for guidance and leadership. If the characters 
  question the guards about what happened, they share 
  the following information:
  • Nightstone was bombarded by rocks dropped from a 
  ������������������������������������������������������
  village when a rock tore away part of the bridge.
  • With nowhere to hide, the people in the village low-
  ���������������������������������������������������
  an attack, the villagers are supposed to retreat to 
  the keep; with the bridge out, that was no longer 
  an option.
  • North of Nightstone, about a mile away, are some bat 
  caves. The villagers probably hid there.
  • �������������������������������������������������������
  the villagers.
  • �����������������������������������������������������
  descended from the sky, uprooted the nightstone in 
  the village square, and took it back to their castle. The 
  cloud castle left soon thereafter, drifting eastward.
  • Lady Nandar was in the great hall when the roof 
  collapsed. She was buried under the rubble and died 
  before anyone could reach her.
   The great hall once served as a throne room and a 
  dining room. Doors in the west wall lead to the kitchen 
  (area 14b) and den (area 14c). Between these doors 
  ����������������������������������������������������
  (area 14d).
   Treasure. Lady Nandar wears a gold wedding ring 
  ����������������������������������������������������
  hand. The ring is nonmagical and worth 750 gp. The 
  keep guards strongly object to anyone attempting to 
  take the ring.
  14b. Kitchen
  This room is buried under rubble.
  
  CHAPTER 1 | A Great Upheaval
  11
  14c. Den and Library
  This corner room consists of two levels. The lower level 
  �������������������������������������������������������
  bearskin rugs, and the walls are adorned with weapons, 
  shields, and the mounted heads of wild animals. A dec-
  orative wooden ladder leads to a 20-foot-high circular 
  balcony with a sculpted wooden railing. The upper level 
  is a library, and its walls are lined with bookshelves. 
  Lord Drezlin Nandar and his hunting companions used 
  the den as a place to relax and tell stories, while Lady 
  Velrosa Nandar used the library to store her collection 
  of books on philosophy, nature, and poetry.
  While the contents of this room held great sentimental 
  value to the Nandars, there’s nothing particularly valu-
  able to be found here.
  14d. Upstairs Hall
  This L-shaped hall is decorated with rich carpets, gilded 
  sconces, and framed paintings of places in Waterdeep. A 
  door at the north end of the hall leads to a stone balcony 
  overlooking the entrance to the keep. Other doors lead 
  to bedchambers, two of which have been destroyed. 
  A wooden staircase in the west wall descends to the 
  ��������������������������������������������������������
  to the roof.
  14e. Master Bedroom
  This room is the only one of three bedchambers to sur-
  vive the cloud giants’ attack. Tapestries and oil lamps 
  are mounted on the walls, and wolfskin rugs cover the 
  ��������������������������������������������������������
  ornate headboard sculpted with images of roses and 
  foxes. Four wardrobes stand against the walls; each 
  contains a season’s worth of women’s clothing, all in the 
  latest fashions of Waterdeep. At the foot of the bed is an 
  unlocked wooden chest.
  Mounted above the door is a longsword. This weapon 
  is actually a ����������� that attacks anyone who opens 
  the chest. (Only Lady Nandar was able to open the chest 
  without causing the sword to attack.) The guards in area 
  14A try to prevent anyone from looting the contents of 
  the chest.
  Treasure. The interior of the wooden chest is divided 
  into small compartments. A thorough search yields a 
  velvet sack containing 180 sp (money used to pay the 
  guards), a silk pouch containing four 100 gp gemstones, 
  and a silver jewelry box (worth 25 gp) containing three 
  beautiful gold necklaces (worth 250 gp each).
  14f. Roof
  Falling rocks caused sections of the roof to collapse, but 
  ���������������������������������������������������������
  ������������������������������������������������������
  �����������������������������������������������������
  stylized head of a golden fox with a rose clenched in its 
  teeth, on a purple background.
  Special Events in Nightstone
  The following special events can occur while the char-
  acters are in Nightstone. Ideally, the characters are 2nd 
  level before either event occurs.
  Seven Snakes
  This event takes place after the characters rid Night-
  stone of its goblin infestation but before they have time 
  ���������������������
   Seven Zhentarim mercenaries arrive at the village on 
  horseback. If the drawbridge is lowered, they ride to the 
  square and call out for Kella Darkhope. If the characters 
  raised the drawbridge, the Zhents call out for someone 
  to lower it. If she’s still alive, Kella tries to let them in.
   The leader of the new arrivals is Xolkin Alassandar 
  (LE male half-elf bandit captain), a charming, ruthless 
  man in his mid-thirties. He and his six subordinates (LE 
  male and female human bandits of various ethnicities) 
  are mounted on seven riding horses. Known as the 
  Seven Snakes, Xolkin’s band does “dirty work” for the 
  Snail, a Zhent leader based in Daggerford (see the “Dag-
  gerford” section in chapter 3). Their current mission is 
  to help Kella Darkhope turn Nightstone into a base for 
  the Black Network. The settlement’s defensibility and its 
  proximity to Waterdeep make it ideal for Zhentarim op-
  ��������������������������������������������������������
  village posing as bounty hunters in search of a wanted 
  criminal (Kella), but they drop the ruse once it becomes 
  apparent that the village is mostly abandoned.
   Xolkin is in love with Kella and would do just about 
  anything for her, even though he knows that she doesn’t 
  feel the same way about him. If Kella is a prisoner, 
  Xolkin tries to buy her freedom (see “Treasure”). Failing 
  that, he tries to liberate her by force. If Kella wormed 
  her way into the characters’ good graces, she reveals her 
  allegiance to the Zhentarim once the Seven Snakes are 
  close enough to protect her. If the party includes one or 
  more characters with strong ties to the Black Network, 
  Kella tries to convince them to help secure the village as 
  a Zhentarim base.
  Xolkin
  Alassandar
  
  12
  CHAPTER 1 | A Great Upheaval
  If the characters do nothing to oppose the Zhent mer-
  cenaries, Xolkin orders his men to raise the drawbridge 
  �������������������������������������������������������
  Snail, letting him know that the village is under the 
  Black Network’s control. If the characters killed Xolkin’s 
  �������������������������������������������������������
  Daggerford and report the news while the others “hold 
  down the fort.” If combat erupts, Xolkin drinks his po-
  tion of invulnerability before leaping into the fray.
  The Zhents have no easy way to reach the keep and 
  ignore it for the time being. That said, if the Zhents 
  learn that some of Lady Nandar’s guards are holed up in 
  the keep, they urge friendly characters to dispose of the 
  guards. Similarly, if the characters are on friendly terms 
  with the guards in the keep, the guards ask the charac-
  ters to save the village from Zhentarim occupation.
  The characters are under no obligation to rid Night-
  stone of Kella Darkhope and the Seven Snakes. If they 
  defeat the Zhents or come to terms with them, allow the 
  characters to take a long rest, if they wish, before con-
  tinuing with the “Ear Seekers” event.
  Treasure. Xolkin wears a gold ring (worth 25 gp) 
  emblazoned with the symbol of the Zhentarim: a black 
  winged serpent. He also carries a pouch that holds 4 pp, 
  ���������������������������������������������������������
  Kella’s life, and a potion of invulnerability.
  Each of the other mercenaries carries a pouch that 
  holds 2d10 gp.
  Ear Seekers
  The wood elves of the Ardeep Forest are at war with 
  a neighboring tribe of orcs called the Ear Seekers (so 
  named because they wear necklaces made of elf ears). 
  Gurrash, the orc war chief, recently led an attack on the 
  forest. Unfortunately for the orcs, the elves were ready 
  for them. More than half of the orc horde perished, and 
  ������������������������������������������������������-
  eral orcs escape out of the forest, make their way south, 
  and stumble upon Nightstone. Knowing that the elves 
  ����������������������������������������������������������
  way into the village and make a stand there.
  Gurrash, the orc war chief, is bleeding from wounds 
  �����������������������������������������������������-
  ing. He leads a force consisting of twenty uninjured orcs 
  and an uninjured orc Eye of Gruumsh named Norgra 
  One-Eye. Norgra is Gurrash’s lieutenant and assumes 
  command if the war chief dies.
  The orcs have no gear other than their weapons and 
  armor. If the drawbridge is lowered, they rush toward 
  it and try to storm the village, killing other creatures in 
  their path. If the drawbridge is raised, the orcs swim 
  across the moat and try to climb the palisade, with no 
  success. After being thwarted by the palisade, Gurrash 
  ������������������������������������������������������
  It takes these orcs 10 minutes to realize that they can 
  enter the village through the gap in the palisade where 
  the bridge (area 11) leads up to the keep. Once the orcs 
  ���������������������������������������������������������
  prisoners. Because the orcs don’t know what they’re 
  up against, characters can try to hide in the village and 
  �����������������������������������������������������������
  keep, which the orcs ignore.
   If the orcs lose more than half their number without 
  ����������������������������������������������������������
  the surrounding hills. Once the orcs are defeated, the 
  characters can advance to 3rd level and head to the 
  Dripping Caves to locate and retrieve the missing villag-
  ers. If they’re not sure where the villagers went, Kella 
  Darkhope or the guards in the keep can point them in 
  the right direction.
   Strange Bedfellows. If the characters came to terms 
  with the Black Network in the previous event and the 
  Seven Snakes are still around when the orcs arrive, 
  the Zhents help the party defend Nightstone. Xolkin 
  and Kella aren’t heroes and don’t place themselves in 
  unnecessary danger, but they are quick to raise the 
  drawbridge or position defenders on the watchtowers as 
  needed. Knowing that orcs are devastating melee com-
  batants, the Zhents favor ranged attacks and try to keep 
  the orcs at a distance.
   Elves to the Rescue! If the characters are in danger 
  of being overwhelmed by War Chief Gurrash and his 
  bloodthirsty orcs, eight elves of the Ardeep Forest (CG 
  male and female wood elf scouts) arrive from the north 
  to assist them. The leader of this band is a daring wood 
  elf named Rond Arrowhome. He and his fellow elves 
  have no love or respect for the residents of Nightstone, 
  but they hate orcs more. Once the orcs are defeated, 
  Rond yells out, “You’re welcome!” before leading the 
  elves back to the Ardeep Forest. The elves aren’t looking 
  ������������������������������������������������������-
  tants, and they aren’t interested in any kind of reward.
  Dripping Caves
  The hills around Nightstone are riddled with caves. The 
  villagers hid in the Dripping Caves, located a mile north 
  of Nightstone, after the cloud giant attack. Characters 
  who follow the villagers’ tracks or are given directions 
  discover a gaping cave mouth on the south face of a 
  rocky hill topped with pine trees. Characters who use 
  this entrance arrive in area 1 of the Dripping Caves.
   If the characters take an hour to circle the hill, they 
  ���������������������������������������������������������
  ��������������������������������������������������������
  This tunnel is 40 feet long and leads to area 6. On the 
  east side of the hill is a dry, 100-foot-long tunnel that 
  gently slopes down to area 3a.
   If the characters climb to the top of the hill and look 
  ��������������������������������������������������������
  chimney (a 5-foot-diameter shaft) that descends 50 feet 
  to area 7. The chimney has abundant handholds and can 
  be climbed with a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) 
  check. No ability check is required if the characters use 
  a rope or climbing gear.
   A goblin clan driven from the Ardeep Forest by wood 
  elves took refuge in the Dripping Caves a little over a 
  month ago. A week later, while scouring the hills for 
  food, they befriended a mated pair of ogres and lured 
  them to the caves for protection. The goblins and ogres 
  captured the Nightstone refugees and have started 
  eating the villagers. Prisoners that the goblins haven’t 
  eaten are doomed to meet a similar fate unless the ad-
  venturers intervene.
  
  CHAPTER 1 | A Great Upheaval
  13
  Dripping Caves: General Features
  The Dripping Caves are naturally formed and have the fol-
  lowing features in common.
   Darkness. The Dripping Caves contain no light sources. 
  The goblins and ogres rely on their darkvision to see.
   Dripping Water. The caves get their name from the water 
  that constantly drips from the stalactites in the main cav-
  ern (area 1). The sound of dripping water echoes through-
  ���������������������������������������������������������
  distinctive noises.
   Narrow Tunnels. The tunnels leading away from the 
  main cavern (area 1) are 7 to 8 feet high and range in 
  width from 2 to 5 feet. Ogres and other Large creatures 
  ���������������������������������������������������
  the normal penalties for doing so (see the “Squeezing 
  into a Smaller Space” section in chapter 9 of the Player’s 
  Handbook).
   Walls. The walls are damp and slick, but thanks to 
  an abundance of handholds and footholds, they can 
  be climbed with a successful DC 10 Strength (Athlet-
  ics) check.
  Hark, the goblin boss, isn’t an unreasonable creature. 
  His instincts for self-preservation outweigh any natu-
  ral animosity he feels toward his enemies or his prey. 
  Characters can negotiate with Hark and avoid unneces-
  sary bloodshed (see area 9), or they can kill Hark and 
  his followers to win the villagers’ freedom—the choice 
  is theirs.
  The characters should be 3rd level by the time they 
  set foot in the Dripping Caves. Map 1.2 shows the caves’ 
  layout. The sections that follow describe locations 
  on that map.
  1. Main Cavern
  Characters who follow the villagers’ tracks arrive at 
  a yawning cave mouth, 12 feet wide and 20 feet high. 
  Beyond the cave mouth is a vast cavern with a forest of 
  stalagmites in its center and 10-foot-high ledges along 
  its walls. Water drips from the stalactite-covered ceiling, 
  which rises to a height of 30 feet in the middle of the 
  cavern. Six naturally formed tunnels lead from this cen-
  ���������������������������������������������������������
  is littered with broken spears, broken shields, and drops 
  of bat guano.
   Characters who peer into the cave can see a male 
  ogre bathing in a pool of mud (see area 1b). Those with 
  darkvision can also see one or more goblin sentries on 
  ledges (see area 1a). If the characters are carrying light 
  sources or making a lot of noise, the creatures in areas 
  1a, 1b, and 1c detect them and attack.
  1a. Ledges
  Ten-foot-high ledges of rock have formed along the walls 
  of the cavern. Climbing up to a ledge or safely descend-
  ing from one requires a successful DC 10 Strength (Ath-
  letics) check.
   Five goblins stand guard on the ledges—one on each 
  ledge marked with a “1a” tag on the map. Their names 
  are Gleek, Lop, Nitch, Pox, and Slibberdabber. When 
  they detect intruders, the goblins cry out “Bree-yark!” 
  and begin shooting arrows. Their cries of alarm put 
  the rest of the cave complex on alert, but no reinforce-
  ments arrive.
  Map 1.2: Dripping Caves
  
  14
  CHAPTER 1 | A Great Upheaval
  1b. Hot Mud Bath
  A male ogre named Nob bathes in a 5-foot-deep pool of 
  hot mud near the cave entrance. The pool is heated by 
  a natural vent that keeps the temperature of the mud 
  around 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Nob doesn’t carry any 
  javelins but keeps his greatclub in the pool with him. 
  �������������������������������������������
   Nob and his mate (see area 1c) work for Boss Hark, 
  who browbeats them into service with his superior in-
  tellect and nasty disposition. Nob tries to crush enemies 
  �����������������������������������������������������������
  mate chase after them.
  1c. Stalagmite Forest
  A cluster of stalagmites has formed in the middle of the 
  cavern. The stalagmites range in height from 3 to 15 
  feet. In the middle of the stalagmite “forest” is a clear 
  space. The ogres have turned this space into a den, and 
  a female ogre named Thog is sleeping here when the 
  ����������������������������������������������������-
  bat or cries of alarm, and either hurls javelins or wades 
  into battle with her greatclub. A search of the ogres’ den 
  yields nothing of value.
  1d. Polluted Pool
  A shallow pool has formed against the northeast wall of 
  ��������������������������������������������������������
  the pool trickles eastward into area 4. The water is pol-
  ���������������������������������������������������
  2. Goblin Warrens
  �������������������������������������������������������
  to a cramped network of caves where the weakest mem-
  bers of the goblin tribe live. These goblins cower in their 
  �����������������������������������������������������-
  ers. If threatened, they cry and beg for mercy. Each has 
  ��������������������������������������������
  2a. Sleeping Caves
  Six of these caves are marked on the Dripping Caves 
  map, and each one contains 1d6 goblin noncombatants. 
  ��������������������������������������������������������
  which the goblins sleep. Apart from a few rusty pots, 
  odd tools, and goblin toys, the sleeping caves contain 
  nothing of value.
  2b. Cave of Bones
  The goblins discard the bones of the creatures they de-
  �����������������������������������������������������������
  of small animals (mostly bats) and a few unlucky human-
  oids, including some recently eaten villagers. A search 
  of the area yields no treasure.
  3. East Caves
  After a few unfortunate run-ins with the monster in area 
  3a, the goblins avoid this tunnel. The goblins refer to the 
  monster as the Blob.
  3a. The Blob
  Stalactites and stalagmites crowd this 20-foot-high, 
  ���������������������������������������������������������
  is a particularly large (10-foot-tall) stalagmite riddled 
  with 4-inch-wide, 12-inch-deep naturally formed holes 
  that bore down into a hollow central cavity. Lying near 
  the base of the stalagmite are the badly corroded re-
  mains of two goblin scimitars.
   A black pudding has taken residence inside the sta-
  lagmite’s hollow core, and the holes in the stalagmite’s 
  “shell” are wide enough that a character can stick an 
  ������������������������������������������������������-
  ding makes a free pseudopod attack against anything 
  that is inserted into one of the stalagmite’s holes.
   The pudding has total cover while inside the stalag-
  mite’s core. If left undisturbed, the pudding remains 
  inside the stalagmite until the characters make their 
  way toward area 3b, whereupon it quietly emerges and 
  follows them. Once the characters are trapped in area 
  3b, the pudding attacks.
   East Tunnel. This 5-foot-wide, 7-foot-high tunnel 
  slopes gently upward as it travels east. After 100 feet, it 
  breaks through the east side of the hill.
  3b. Water Supply
  A small waterfall pouring from the 8-foot-high ceiling 
  forms a 5-foot-deep pool at the southwest end of the 
  cave. The goblins used to come here to drink fresh wa-
  ter, but they stopped visiting the cave when the black 
  �������������������������������������������
   Growing near the southeast wall is a patch of twenty 
  green mushrooms. A character who inspects the mush-
  rooms and succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (Nature) 
  check can ascertain that they are poisonous. Any crea-
  ture that ingests a mushroom must succeed on a DC 10 
  Constitution saving throw or take 1 poison damage and 
  ������������������������������������������������������
  mushrooms are cumulative.
  4. Bats and Prisoners
  A short tunnel leads to a sunken cavern that echoes 
  ����������������������������������������������������
  �����������������������������������������������������������
  covered with bat guano. Ten-foot-high ledges surround 
  the pit and form raised alcoves to the north, east, and 
  south. Huddled in these alcoves are thirty Nightstone 
  villagers. The villagers are prisoners of the goblins and 
  ogres, and they are trying to remain as quiet as possible 
  for reasons that might not be readily apparent to the 
  characters.
   Directly below this cavern is another similarly sized 
  �������������������������������������������������������
  either cavern agitates the bats. When the bats become 
  agitated, have the characters roll initiative. On initiative 
  ������������������������������������������������������
  ��������������������������������������������������������
  visibility in the upper cavern to 5 feet. A creature takes 1 
  piercing damage whenever it enters a 5-foot-square area 
  �������������������������������������������������������������
  turns, roll a d6. On a roll of 1–5, the bats remain agi-
  tated. On a roll of 6, the bats return to the lower cavern 
  and are no longer agitated.
   The pit descends through 20 feet of solid rock before 
  opening into the lower cavern, which is 30 feet deep.
  
  CHAPTER 1 | A Great Upheaval
  15
  Nightstone Villagers
  Boss Hark stripped the villagers of their weapons be-
  fore herding them into this cavern. The villagers fear 
  for their lives but can’t escape the Dripping Caves until 
  the monsters in area 1 are defeated. Every few hours, 
  one of the ogres enters the cave, grabs a prisoner, and 
  takes the unfortunate villager away to be eaten (if not by 
  the ogres, then by the goblins in area 2 or the giant rats 
  in area 9).
   In the absence of a true leader, Morak Ur’gray (LG 
  male shield dwarf commoner), the owner and propri-
  etor of the Nightstone Inn, speaks on behalf of the vil-
  lagers. Morak is an optimist, and he’s counting on Lady 
  Velrosa Nandar coming to the rescue. When he lays 
  eyes on the adventurers, he breathes a sigh of relief and 
  assumes they were hired by Lady Nandar. (He would be 
  dismayed to learn that she didn’t survive the attack on 
  Nightstone.)
   Other noteworthy prisoners trapped in the cavern 
  include Hiral Mystrum (LG male Tethyrian human 
  commoner), the village’s cowardly priest of Lathander, 
  and six unarmed guards (LN male and female guards 
  of various ethnicities). The guards were wounded by the 
  goblins and ogres in the process of being captured; each 
  has only 1d6 hit points remaining.
   The other prisoners found here are surviving mem-
  bers of local families. All the adults are unarmed 
  commoners, and all the children are noncombatants. 
  They let Morak speak on their behalf. The families are 
  as follows:
  Agganor Family. Destiny Agganor (age 42) is Night-
  ����������������������������������������������������
  27), worked in the village’s stable house, feeding 
  the horses and cleaning the stalls for Lady Nandar. 
  Destiny worships Asmodeus but doesn’t impose her 
  beliefs on anyone else, including her son.
  Delfryndel Family. The Delfryndels are Tethyrian hu-
  mans. They own and operate Nightstone’s windmill. 
  The surviving family members are Renarra Delfryndel 
  (age 64), her youngest son Zalf (age 40), his wife Elize 
  (age 37), and their two adolescent children, Darson 
  (age 17) and Hildy (age 14). No family members died 
  in the giant attack, but Renarra’s eldest son, Olaf, was 
  killed and eaten by the goblins.
  Hulvaarn Family. The Hulvaarns are Damaran hu-
  man potato and turnip farmers. The surviving family 
  members are Godrick Hulvaarn (age 32), his wife 
  Prennis (age 30), and their three children: daughter 
  Jehanna (age 12) and twin sons Ellis and Ghalt (age 9). 
  The children lost their grandfather (Godrick’s father, 
  Nestor) in the giant attack on Nightstone.
  Nesper Family. The Nespers are Tethyrian human 
  pumpkin and squash farmers. None of them were 
  killed in the giant attack, but three of them died at the 
  hands of the goblins and ogres in the Dripping Caves. 
  The remaining family members are Yondra (age 15) 
  and her brother Sarvin (age 11). They lost both of their 
  parents and an older sister named Sylda.
  Osstra Family. The Osstras are Tethyrian human 
  wheat farmers. The surviving family members include 
  Thelbin Osstra (age 52) and his husband, Brynn (age 
  52), and their good-hearted nephew, Broland (age 23). 
  Brynn lost his elderly mother and younger sister (Bro-
  land’s mother) to the goblins.
  Summerhawk Family. The Summerhawks are strong-
  ����������������������������������������������
  apothecary, comforts her four young children, Barley 
  (age 10), Midge (age 8), Nincy (age 6), and Dollop (age 
  3). Taela’s husband, Larlow, was killed in Nightstone 
  when a rock fell on their house.
  5. Fissure
  ��������������������������������������������������������-
  �����������������������������������������������������-
  en’t explored the tunnel. Where the tunnel leads is up to 
  you. It might break the surface at some point, or it might 
  lead to a monster’s lair or the Ardeep Forest. If you don’t 
  ��������������������������������������������������������
  players that the tunnel collapsed after a few hundred 
  feet, forcing the characters to turn back.
  6. Underground Stream
  An ankle-deep stream of water pours through a narrow 
  tunnel in the west wall and forms a small pool in this 
  otherwise empty cave. The water doesn’t taste good 
  because of its high mineral content, but the goblins have 
  been forced to drink it because their supply of fresh wa-
  ���������������������������������
   If the characters enter the caves undetected and take 
  refuge here, there’s a 50 percent chance each hour that 
  a goblin noncombatant enters the cave, looking for a 
  �����������������������������������������������������������
  heading north to area 9. The goblin has AC 10, 1 hit 
  �������������������������������
  7. Natural Chimney
  A chimney has formed in the 7-foot-high ceiling of this 
  small side cave. The chimney is 5 feet wide and has 
  abundant handholds and footholds. A creature can 
  climb up or down the shaft with a successful DC 10 
  Strength (Athletics) check. No ability check is required 
  if a rope or climbing gear is used.
   An unscrupulous and ambitious goblin named Snig-
  bat stands guard at the bottom of the shaft. Snigbat’s 
  job is to watch for intruders and report what she sees 
  to Boss Hark. Snigbat considers this duty a form of 
  punishment. If she sees one or more well-armed adven-
  ��������������������������������������������������������
  promise to kill Hark and help Snigbat become the new 
  boss. Snigbat knows where Hark keeps his treasure 
  (area 8) but doesn’t share this information with the char-
  acters in the hopes that she might get it.
  Development
  If the characters form an alliance with Snigbat and 
  dispose of Hark, Snigbat asks them to slay the ogres 
  �������������������������������������������������������
  over them. With Hark and the ogres dead, Snigbat can 
  seize the title of boss without being challenged. Once 
  she becomes the new boss, she allows the characters 
  and the villagers of Nightstone to leave the Dripping 
  Caves unharmed.
  
  16
  CHAPTER 1 | A Great Upheaval
  8. Hark’s Hoard
  ��������������������������������������������������������
  �����������������������������������������������������������
  and must be pushed into the cave to clear the passage. 
  Moving the boulder out of the way requires a successful 
  DC 11 Strength (Athletics) check. The sound of the roll-
  ing boulder is loud enough to be heard by the creatures 
  in area 9.
   The cave has an 8-foot-high ceiling and contains a 
  grass pallet (Hark’s bed), next to which rests a battered 
  wooden chest with a rusty lock. The lock is purely for 
  show and falls apart if handled roughly.
  Treasure
  The chest contains the treasure that Boss Hark has 
  amassed in his short lifetime:
  • 12 gp, 55 sp, and 87 cp (loose)
  • A matching pair of silver salt and pepper shakers 
  (worth 10 gp apiece or 25 gp for the pair)
  • A bloodstained leather case containing a complete set 
  of thieves’ tools (worth 25 gp)
  • A holy symbol of Silvanus carved from wood and in-
  laid with gold (worth 25 gp)
  • One magic item, determined randomly by rolling on 
  Magic Item Table A in chapter 7 of the Dungeon Mas-
  ter’s Guide
  9. Boss Hark’s Cave
  This 10-foot-high cave contains Hark, the goblin boss, 
  two female goblins (bodyguards) named Ratcha and 
  Zukluk, and seven giant rats (Hark’s beloved pets). 
  ������������������������������������������������������
  Hark and his bodyguards are gleefully watching the rats 
  feed on the corpse of a slain villager (Darthag Ulgar, the 
  proprietor of the Lionshield Coster trading post).
   Hark has collected all the weapons and shields be-
  longing to the captured villagers and stashed the equip-
  ment in a western alcove behind rocks. Characters who 
  ����������������������������������������������������-
  gers, and six wooden shields.
  Hark’s Larder
  At the north end of the cave is a smaller cave where 
  Boss Hark keeps prisoners before feeding them to his 
  giant rats. Cowering in the back of this 6-foot-high lar-
  �������������������������������������������������������
  Daphne Featherstone (LG female Tethyrian human 
  commoner). Daphne was in the village when the cloud 
  giants attacked. Unable to make it back to Nandar Keep, 
  ������������������������������������������������������-
  ers—a decision she has come to regret. If she learns that 
  Lady Nandar is dead, Daphne becomes inconsolable.
  Dealing with Hark
  Characters can try to negotiate with Hark instead of at-
  tacking him. He agrees to release the remaining villag-
  ers if the characters do one of the following things (and 
  leave the goblin lair in peace):
  • Pay a ransom of 1 gold piece per villager. (The total 
  amount is 31 gp, minus 1 gp for each villager who has 
  died since the characters arrived at the caves.)
  • Give Hark a working lock. Hark needs the new lock 
  for his treasure chest in area 8.
  • Kill the Blob (see area 3). If the characters provide 
  Hark with proof of the black pudding’s demise, he re-
  leases all the villagers into their custody.
  Morak’s Quest
  Characters who survive the perils of the Dripping Caves 
  and return to Nightstone should advance to 4th level.
   Once he is safely back in the village, Morak Ur’gray 
  takes stock of the damage, makes arrangements to de-
  liver news of the giants’ attack to Waterdeep, and urges 
  the characters to undertake one of the following three 
  quests. If Morak died in the Dripping Caves, another 
  NPC can give the quest in his place. Choose whichever 
  quest you like. Your choice will determine whether the 
  �������������������������������������������������������
  in the next leg of the adventure (see chapter 2).
   Whether or not the characters accept Morak’s quest, 
  continue with the “Tower of Zephyros” section.
  Bryn Shander Quest
  Morak’s friend and neighbor, Semile Southwell, was 
  killed in the giant attack. Although she had no family 
  in Nightstone, Semile spoke often about her brother, 
  ���������������������������������������������������
  Bryn Shander and asks the characters to travel to Ice-
  wind Dale and deliver the sad news of Semile’s passing.
  Goldenfields Quest
  The Xelbrins were killed in their home when the giants 
  bombarded the village (see “Nightstone,” area 4h). 
  Morak recalls that the elderly couple had a son, Miros, 
  ����������������������������������������������������
  ����������������������������������������������������-
  pened. If the Xelbrins’ tressym is still alive, Morak asks 
  the characters to deliver it safely to Miros.
  Triboar Quest
  Morak’s friend and neighbor, Darthag Ulgar, was eaten 
  by giant rats. Darthag ran the Lionshield Coster trading 
  post in Nightstone, and his ex-wife runs a similar trad-
  ing post in Triboar. Morak asks the characters to travel 
  to Triboar and deliver the sad news of Darthag’s passing 
  to Alaestra Ulgar.
  Tower of Zephyros
  The day after the characters accept Morak’s quest, they 
  ����������������������������������������������������-
  phrase the following boxed text to the players:
  �����������������������������������������������������
  a thousand feet overhead. The tower must be hundreds 
  of feet tall, and its spire looks strangely like a pointy 
  ���������������������������������������������������������
  clouds begin to form underneath it and descend to-
  ward you.
  
  CHAPTER 1 | A Great Upheaval
  17
  CHAPTER 1 | A Great Upheaval
  17
  ����������������������������������������������������
  ����������������������������������������������������
  of the ground. They are sized for humans and safe 
  to climb. After climbing the stairs for 1,000 feet, the 
  characters stand in front of the tower’s entrance, on a 
  ���������������������������������������������������������
  �����������������������������������������������������������
  ����������������������������������������������������
  (using a levitate spell) to greet them.
  Zephyros is an eccentric cloud giant with windswept 
  white hair, a wispy white beard, and a billowy purple 
  robe adorned with gold stars. He poses no threat to 
  Nightstone or the characters.
  Ever since the ordning shattered, Zephyros has been 
  using contact other plane����������������������������
  things right. Failed castings of the spell have driven him 
  insane on multiple occasions. He has recovered from 
  the madness, yet it has accentuated his eccentricity. His 
  magical investigations led him to Nightstone. He had 
  nothing to do with the cloud giant attack on the settle-
  �������������������������������������������������������
  giants caused.
  Zephyros holds “small folk” in higher regard than 
  most giants. If the characters introduce themselves to 
  him, a wide smile settles on the cloud giant’s face as he 
  realizes they are the ones mentioned by the mysterious 
  planar entities with which he has spoken. Convinced 
  that the characters can restore the ordning, Zephyros of-
  fers to transport them to one destination of their choice 
  in the North. That is the extent of his involvement. The 
  planar entities with whom Zephyros has spoken via the 
  contact other plane spell warned him against taking 
  a more direct hand in events. The party’s destination 
  should coincide with Morak’s quest. After safely deliver-
  ing the characters to their destination, Zephyros and his 
  tower depart for the Moonshae Isles.
  If the characters ask Zephyros to take them some-
  �����������������������������������������������
  Triboar, Zephyros (eccentric wizard that he is) gets a 
  little befuddled and ends up taking them to one of these 
  places by accident.
  Zephyros is a cloud giant, with the following changes:
  • Zephyros is neutral good.
  • He has an Intelligence score of 18 (+4) and the spell-
  casting feature described below.
  • He carries a giant-sized ���������������� instead of a 
  morningstar. As an action, he can make two melee at-
  ��������������������������������������������������������
  and deals 20 (3d6 + 10) bludgeoning damage on a hit, 
  or 23 (3d8 + 10) bludgeoning damage if used with two 
  hands. This damage is considered magical.
  • He has a challenge rating of 13 (10,000 XP).
  Spellcasting. Zephyros is a 12th-level spellcaster. His spellcast-
  ing ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 17, +11 to hit with spell 
  attacks). He has the following wizard spells prepared:
  Cantrips (at will): mending, message, prestidigitation, ray of frost, 
  shocking grasp
  1st level (4 slots): charm person, comprehend languages, magic 
  missile, shield
  2nd level (3 slots): crown of madness, gust of wind, levitate
  3rd level (3 slots): nondetection, protection from energy, tongues
  Map 1.3: Tower of Zephyros
  
  18
  CHAPTER 1 | A Great Upheaval
  4th level (3 slots): conjure minor elementals, greater invisibility, 
  Otiluke’s resilient sphere
  5th level (2 slots): cone of cold, contact other plane
  6th level (1 slot): mass suggestion
  ��������������������������������������������������
  small folk, but the cloud giant wizard allows the party to 
  �������������������������������������������������������
  �������������������������������������������������������
  ������������������������������������������������������
  the tower’s movements using a navigation orb (see ap-
  �����������������������������
   The Tower of Zephyros Travel Times table summa-
  rizes how long it takes the tower to travel from Night-
  ������������������������������������������������������-
  less of their ultimate destination, the characters have at 
  least one encounter en route (see the “Unfriendly Skies” 
  section for details).
  Tower of Zephyros Travel Times
  Destination
  Travel Time
  Bryn Shander
  624 hours (26 days)
  �����������
  72 hours (3 days)
  Triboar
  275 hours (11½ days)
  First Floor
  The tower rests atop a cloud that feels solid underfoot. 
  An open archway leads to an empty vestibule, at the 
  back of which hangs a thin, translucent blue curtain that 
  �������������������������������������������������������
  high hexagonal chamber containing a giant-sized 
  wooden table and stone chair. Dangling from the ceiling 
  by iron chains are six crystal spheres with continual 
  ���� spells cast on them. The illuminated spheres keep 
  the room brightly lit.
  � ����������������������������������������������
  20-foot-wide hole in the soaring ceiling.
  Second Floor
  This level of the tower has an 80-foot-high ceiling and 
  tall, slender windows set with panes of stained glass. 
  Furnishings include a giant-sized bed and an enormous 
  wooden chest sealed by an arcane lock spell. Stone 
  shelves protrude from the walls at heights of 20, 40, and 
  60 feet, and these shelves bear the weight of Zephyros’s 
  vast collection of journals (see “Treasure”).
  � �������������������������������������navigation orb (see 
  appendix B) that Zephyros uses to control the movement 
  of the tower.
   Zephyros uses magic to move between levels. A 
  �������������������������������������������������������
  �������������������������������������������������������-
  larly sized hole in the ceiling leads to the aerie.
  Treasure
  The wooden chest is 9 feet long, 5 feet wide, and 5 feet 
  tall. It contains an assortment of giant-sized robes, a 
  giant pair of sandals, a large electrum comb encrusted 
  with moonstones (worth 750 gp and weighing 25 
  pounds), and Zephyros’s spellbook. The spellbook 
  weighs 250 pounds has gilded silver covers. It contains 
  all the spells that Zephyros has prepared plus the fol-
  lowing additional spells: arcane eye, ��������������, 
  ����������, hypnotic pattern, mage armor, mirror image, 
  misty step, modify memory, shatter, and slow.
  � ����������������������������������������������������-
  ���������������������������������������������������������
  years, Zephyros has been drifting around the Moonshae 
  Isles and cataloging its many wonders, both magical 
  and mundane. Each book weighs 100 pounds, consoli-
  dates a month’s worth of research, and is worth as much 
  as 250 gp.
  Aerie
  The highest level of the tower has open archways set 
  into its walls. Four ������� have made nests in the 
  aerie, and Zephyros treats them like cats. At any given 
  ���������������������������������������������������������
  ���������������������������������������������������������
  present attack if they or their nests are disturbed. The 
  �����������������������������������
  Unfriendly Skies
  One or both of the following encounters occur while the 
  characters are traveling with Zephyros. If the characters 
  are making the journey on their own, without the cloud 
  giant’s assistance, skip this section and use the Random 
  Wilderness Encounters table in chapter 3 to generate 
  overland encounters.
  Day 3: The Howling Hatred
  On the third day of the party’s journey, representatives 
  of an evil elemental cult called the Howling Hatred ar-
  ���������������������������������������������������������
  Zephyros
  
  CHAPTER 1 | A Great Upheaval
  19
  giant ally whose goals coincide with those of Yan-C-Bin, 
  the Prince of Evil Air.
  ������������������������������������������������������
  they spot the cloud giant’s tower, they investigate. The 
  �������������������������������������������������������
  ���������������������������������������������������
  they arrive and only becomes aware of visitors if the 
  characters wake him or if combat erupts.
  On the third day of your journey, you spot nine very thin 
  and lightly armored humans riding giant vultures. They 
  land atop the cloud, whereupon the humans dismount. 
  All the riders wear steel helms that cover their eyes and 
  resemble stylized bird heads. One of them is equipped 
  with a shoulder bag adorned with a smiling face.
  The visitors include two cult fanatics (NE male Illus-
  kan humans) and seven cultists (NE male and female 
  humans of various ethnicities). The cultists try to enter 
  the tower while their nine giant vultures remain out-
  side. The vultures allow only members of the cult to 
  ride them, and they attack anyone else who approaches 
  within 5 feet of them. A character who dons a cultist’s 
  costume can, with a successful DC 12 Charisma (Ani-
  mal Handling) check, fool a giant vulture into allowing 
  him or her to ride it. The giant vulture attacks the char-
  acter if the check fails.
   The cult fanatics are named Amarath and N’von. They 
  speak for the rest of the group and claim to speak on 
  behalf of Yan-C-Bin as well. Amarath and N’von wish 
  to make contact with a cloud giant and have no interest 
  in dealing with anyone else. If the characters get in the 
  way, the cultists ignore them and call out for master of 
  the tower. If the characters get pushy or turn violent, the 
  cultists attack them.
   Amarath carries a magic bag (see “Treasure”) with an 
  invisible stalker����������������������������������������
  Amarath releases the invisible stalker and commands it 
  to attack the cult’s enemies.
  Treasure
  Amarath’s “smiling bag” is actually a bag of holding. The 
  bag becomes empty once the invisible stalker leaves it.
   N’von carries a pouch containing ten pinches of pixie 
  �������������������������������������������������������-
  velopment”).
   One pinch of the pixie dust can substitute for the mate-
  rial components of any enchantment spell of 3rd level or 
  ��������������������������������������������������������
  If a pinch of pixie dust is sprinkled on a creature, roll 
  percentile dice and consult the Pixie Dust table to deter-
  ���������������
  Pixie Dust
  d100
  �������������
  01–70
  �����������������������������������������������
  speed of 60 feet for 10 minutes.
  71–80
  The creature sprinkled with dust must succeed 
  on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or fall un-
  conscious for 1 minute. The creature awakens if 
  it takes damage or if it is shaken or slapped as an 
  action.
  81–90
  The creature sprinkled with dust must succeed on 
  �����������������������������������������������
  confusion spell.
  91–00
  The creature sprinkled with dust becomes invis-
  ible for 1 hour. Any equipment it is wearing or 
  carrying is invisible as long as it is on the crea-
  ����������������������������������������������������
  attacks, deals any damage, or casts a spell.
  Development
  If a battle erupts between the characters and the cult-
  ists, Zephyros (eccentric wizard that he is) watches the 
  chaos unfold from a safe distance. Only if the characters 
  are near defeat does the cloud giant cast a mass sugges-
  tion spell on the cultists and the invisible stalker, urging 
  them to leave at once and never return.
   If the characters allow the cultists to speak to Zeph-
  ������������������������������������������������������
  and urge him to help Yan-C-Bin “return the world to its 
  primordial state, as it was at the dawn of history.” The 
  cultists are hazy on how this can be achieved and more 
  interested in a yes or no from the giant.
   Zephyros accepts whatever counsel the characters 
  �������������������������������������������������������
  away the cultists, Zephyros accepts the cultists’ gift and 
  allows them to remain in his tower while he considers 
  ����������������������������������������������������
  casts contact other plane to determine the best course 
  of action. If he fails the spell’s Intelligence saving throw, 
  ����������������������������������������������������������
  save is successful, he determines with the aid of the 
  spell that the cult’s interests are opposed to his own, 
  and politely asks the cultists to leave. The cultists grudg-
  Howling Hatred Cultist
  and Giant Vulture
  
  20
  CHAPTER 1 | A Great Upheaval
  Character Advancement
  Characters gain levels in this chapter by completing the 
  goals summarized below:
  • Characters who explore Nightstone and defeat the gob-
  lins in the village advance to 2nd level.
  • Characters who deal with the Zhentarim operatives and 
  survive the orc siege (with or without the assistance of 
  the elves of the Ardeep Forest) advance to 3rd level.
  • Characters who survive the perils of the Dripping Caves 
  advance to 4th level, regardless of how many villagers 
  they rescue.
  • Characters advance to 5th level after their encounters 
  ����������������������������������������������������������
  The characters should be 5th level by the time they reach 
  �������������������������������������������������������
  chapter 2.
  ingly concede to his request and take their leave, but not 
  before Amarath chastises the cloud giant wizard for his 
  “foolish and shortsighted decision.”
   After his business with the cultists is concluded, 
  Zephyros feels bad about keeping their gift and gives 
  the pouch of pixie dust to the characters, believing they 
  might get more use out of it than he will.
  Day 10: Operation “Orb Strike”
  This encounter occurs on day 10 of the party’s journey 
  and takes place only if the characters are traveling to 
  Bryn Shander or Triboar. The preponderance of giant 
  activity in the North has members of the Lords’ Alliance 
  on edge, and their operatives are gathering information 
  while taking steps to curtail the giants’ advances.
   Any character standing guard outside Zephyros’s 
  tower or watching the sky from the tower’s aerie spots 
  danger approaching if his or her passive Wisdom (Per-
  ception) score is 15 or higher.
  A huge silver dragon glides through the clouds, ap-
  ����������������������������������������������������������
  armored dwarves clutched in its talons.
  A male adult silver dragon named Clarion owes a favor 
  to Queen Dagnabbet of Mithral Hall and is transporting 
  a Lords’ Alliance strike team to Zephyros’s tower at her 
  behest. The dragon clutches three shield dwarves in 
  each foreclaw. The dwarves have orders to disable cloud 
  giant strongholds, and they plan to locate and destroy 
  the tower’s navigation orb. Neither they nor the dragon 
  know that Zephyros poses no threat to the settlements 
  of the North, nor do they care. They have orders from 
  their queen and a mission to complete, and by Moradin’s 
  beard, they intend to succeed!
   Characters who spot the silver dragon have 1 minute 
  to prepare for its arrival. Otherwise, all of the tower’s 
  inhabitants are startled by the sound of the dragon’s 
  ���������������������������������������������������
  �������������������������������������������������������
  ����������������������������������������������������������
  and waits there while the dwarves complete their work.
   The shield dwarves are named Daina Ungart, Ildehar 
  ���������������������������������������������������
  Torunn, and Naalt Splintershield. They have the statis-
  tics of veterans, with the following changes:
  • The dwarves are lawful good.
  • Their speed is 25 feet.
  • They have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.
  • They speak Common and Dwarvish.
  • They have advantage on saving throws against poison, 
  and they have resistance to poison damage.
  • They wield battleaxes instead of longswords, and 
  handaxes instead of shortswords (the handaxes deal 
  slashing damage instead of piercing damage).
  • Each is equipped with a potion of gaseous form.
  � �����������������������potions of gaseous form upon 
  landing and make their way into the tower, searching 
  for the navigation orb. Realizing that the orb isn’t on the 
  ����������������������������������������������������������
  in sight, the dwarves revert to their true forms and at-
  tack it. Zephyros does his best to protect the orb without 
  harming any of the dwarves, using spells such as charm 
  person, Otiluke’s resilient sphere, and mass suggestion 
  to trap or divert them. Meanwhile, the dragon watches 
  the battle from the aerie and tries to neutralize the cloud 
  giant wizard with its paralyzing breath.
  � ����������������������������������������������������
  the characters. If the characters kill one or more of the 
  dwarves or deal damage to the dragon, they are accused 
  of conspiring with giants to bring about the downfall of 
  dwarven civilization in the North. The strike team turns 
  on the party, attempting to knock the characters uncon-
  scious instead of killing them.
  Development
  A character can try to persuade the dragon and the 
  dwarves to end their assault by convincing them that 
  Zephyros means no harm. If the player roleplays well 
  and makes a convincing argument, allow the character 
  to use an action to make a DC 15 Charisma (Persua-
  sion) check, with advantage if the character is a member 
  of the Lords’ Alliance, and with disadvantage if one or 
  more members of the strike team are dead. If the check 
  fails, the dwarves say they “can’t take any chances” and 
  press forward with their plan, though the character can 
  try again. If the check succeeds, the dragon and the 
  ���������������������������
   If the dwarves destroy the navigation orb, the tower 
  is stranded until Zephyros crafts a replacement (which 
  could take months). Rather than strand the characters 
  in his tower, he helps them return to the surface, points 
  them in the right direction, and bids them farewell be-
  fore returning to his tower to ponder his options.
  � ��������������������������������������������������������
  ���������������������������������������������������������
  If the dwarves are killed, the dragon returns to Mithral 
  Hall alone. Once the Lords’ Alliance strike team is 
  gone, Zephyros thanks characters who helped defend 
  the tower, mutters something about dragons under his 
  breath, and carries on as though nothing happened.
  
  APPENDIX C | CREATURES
  Tressym
  A tressym is a mischievous winged cat as big as a house 
  cat, with a wingspan of 3 feet.
  Thought to be the results of wizardly experimentation 
  on house cats, tressym are intelligent and have been 
  known to form strong friendships with humanoids, par-
  ticularly rangers and wizards. Tressym get along well 
  with others of their kind, but they rarely lair or hunt to-
  gether. They peacefully ignore bats, faerie dragons, and 
  ��������������������������������������������������������
  such as manticores. They also enjoy teasing dogs.
  Tressym feed on small rodents, birds, and insects, 
  stalking and pouncing on prey much as normal cats do, 
  ������������������������������������������������������
  however, attack nestlings or despoil eggs.
  �������������������������������������������������������
  mate for life. A tressym can also mate with a normal cat, 
  �����������������������������������������������������������
  a tressym; the others will be normal cats.
  Tressym have good memories, particularly when it 
  comes to danger. For example, a tressym that sees a hu-
  man use a wand of lightning bolts remembers the dan-
  ger of “sticks of wood held by humans” for the rest of its 
  life. A lucky, healthy tressym can live to be 20 years old.
  ������������������������������������������������ 
  ������������ spell can choose to conjure a tressym in-
  stead of a normal cat.
  Tressym
  Tiny beast, chaotic neutral
  Armor Class 12
  Hit Points 5 (2d4)
  Speed��������������������������������
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   3 (–4) 
  15 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  11 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  12 (+1)
  Skills Perception +5, Stealth +4
  Damage Immunities poison
  Condition Immunities poisoned
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
  Languages understands Common but can’t speak
  Challenge 0 (10 XP)
  Detect Invisibility. ���������������������������������������������-
  ����������������������������������������������������������
  Keen Smell. �������������������������������������������-
  ��������������������������������
  Poison Sense. ��������������������������������������������
  ������������������������������������
  Actions
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack:�������������������������������������
  Hit: ������������������
  Tressym
  
  TM
  TM & © 2016 WIZARDS OF THE COAST LLC IN THE USA AND OTHER COUNTRIES. PERMISSION GRANTED TO PHOTOCOPY FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY.
  Starting XP 
  Starting Gold 
  Starting Downtime 
  Starting Renown 
  Starting # of Magic Items
  Starting XP 
  Starting Gold 
  Starting Downtime 
  Starting Renown 
  Starting # of Magic Items
  Starting XP 
  Starting Gold 
  Starting Downtime 
  Starting Renown 
  Starting # of Magic Items
  Starting XP 
  Starting Gold 
  Starting Downtime 
  Starting Renown 
  Starting # of Magic Items
  XP Earned 
  Gold +/– 
  Downtime +/– 
  Renown Earned 
  Magic Items +/–
  XP Earned 
  Gold +/– 
  Downtime +/– 
  Renown Earned 
  Magic Items +/–
  XP Earned 
  Gold +/– 
  Downtime +/– 
  Renown Earned 
  Magic Items +/–
  XP Earned 
  Gold +/– 
  Downtime +/– 
  Renown Earned 
  Magic Items +/–
  XP Total 
  Gold Total 
  Downtime Total 
  Renown Total 
  Magic Items Total
  XP Total 
  Gold Total 
  Downtime Total 
  Renown Total 
  Magic Items Total
  XP Total 
  Gold Total 
  Downtime Total 
  Renown Total 
  Magic Items Total
  XP Total 
  Gold Total 
  Downtime Total 
  Renown Total 
  Magic Items Total
  Adventure Notes/Downtime Activity
  Adventure Notes/Downtime Activity
  Adventure Notes/Downtime Activity
  Adventure Notes/Downtime Activity
  Adventure Name 
  Session # 
  Date 
  DM Name and DCI #
  Adventure Name 
  Session # 
  Date 
  DM Name and DCI #
  Adventure Name 
  Session # 
  Date 
  DM Name and DCI #
  Adventure Name 
  Session # 
  Date 
  DM Name and DCI #
  Adventure Logsheet
  Record each session of play below. Express downtime totals in daily 
  increments. Record certified and non-certified permanent magic items 
  (all magic items except for potions, scrolls, and some wondrous items).
  CHARACTER NAME
  CLASSES AND LEVELS
  FACTION
  PLAYER NAME
  DCI #
  SHEET #
  A Great Upheaval
  A Great Upheaval
  A Great Upheaval
  A Great Upheaval
  300
  600
  1800
  3800
  5
  5
  5
  5
  1
  1
  1
  1
  0
  0
  0
  0
  For successfully exploring Nightstone and defeating the goblins in the village.
  For surviving the orc siege.
  For surviving the perils of the Dripping Caves.
  For surviving encounters with the cultists and Lords Alliance strike team.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/Adventure League/S05 - Storm Kings Thunder/DDIA05 - A Great Upheaval.pdf