Chapter 1: A Great Upheaval - Storm King's Thunder

Chapter 1: A Great Upheaval. This chapter is designed to advance a party of 1st-level characters to 5th level. The characters gain levels by accomplishing 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. Nightstone is a fortified settlement located a few 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 are the least of the settlement's problems, as fledgling 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 Goblin terrorizing the settlement. The High Steward of Nightstone, Lady Velrosa Nandar, is a Waterdhavian noble. She is reportedly offering a reward to anyone willing and 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 earn good money by offering their services as guards on a hunt. The residents of Nightstone have a longstanding and seemingly irreconcilable conflict with their northern neighbors, the elves of the Ardeep Forest. Lady Velrosa 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 information presented in th...