User:Zeromaru X/Project Neverwinter/Campaign outline/Summary 3

Dates
Mirtul 25 – Kythorn 2, Year of the Ageless One, 447 NR

Summary

 * Two months have passed since the plaguechanged invasion on Protector's Enclave, and Neverwinter is being rebuild. The White Griffons have been helping with public order, dealing with Nashers that want to take advantage of the weakened state of the city to cause chaos or helping the defenders of the Wall (as casualties were high during the invasion, and there are few defenders patrolling the Wall now). During this time, the relationship between Dargor and the Harpers of Neverwinter has been improving. Theryis has become a close ally of the Griffons. Toram avoids him, however, as he is still mourning Cymril. Thanks to Dargor, the Harpers and the Graycloaks have been talking again, and there is a possibility that they join forces once again to deal with Lord Protector Dagult Neverember.
 * The people is unaware of a new threat to Neverwinter, however. A tenday ago, an aboleth overseer of the Abolethic Sovereignty had been exposed to the unfettered energy of the Spellplague in the Cauldron of Blue Fire, and was transformed into a plaguechanged. Its companions had exiled it to the Plaguechanged Warrens to die, as they had done before with other aboleths that have suffered the same fate. However, this particular aboleth survived long enough to reach the sewers of Neverwinter. In its madness, the aboleth wants to release the full power of the Symphony of Madness in the city, and the fact that this would certainly kill it and the rest of the Sovereignty's cell in Neverwinter is immaterial to it. In essence, it wants to do this because it can. The mad aboleth has been using its plaguechanged powers to create slaves from the citizens of Neverwinter to work its evil on the surface and protect its sanctum until it could complete its ritual. The final stage of its plan requires a number of thralls on the surface—thralls that have demonstrated their worth by perpetrating a string of gruesome murders across the city.
 * Telliann, an aide of Lord Neverember, ask the Griffons to met her in the market square, as she wants to ask them for help to look into the murders string. However, as the meeting is taking place, they witness the latest murder firsthand amid the crowded market: an usually good citizen suddenly kills an Mintarn mercenary. The Neverwinter Guard respond quickly to the disturbance, but it its too late. This convinces Kaylara that they have to investigate those murders.
 * Initially the investigation is mundane enough, though the murders appear to have no rhyme or reason. Fears are running rampant that the murders are connected to the false "Heir" (Seldra Tylmarande) and are part of the ongoing resistance to Lord Neverember's reign, since two of the victims were Mintarn soldiers in his service and another a wealthy merchant who supported Neverember.
 * Victims: Hurvast Marx (first), Riac (second), Credar Longstaff (third), Danas Winterpole (fourth), Sabel Estwick (fifth), Turom Cadel (sixth), Andros (last killer)
 * As the aboleth becomes aware that the Griffons could interfere with its plans, it sends a mob of dominated citizens to take care of the nosey heroes. The Griffons subdue the citizens without harming them too much. Olivar and Quon determine that this sudden attack by normal townsfolk was under the influence of an outside magical force, casting the recent murders in a new light: it is clear that a third party is enthralling conveniently located bystanders to carry out bizarrely formulaic atrocities. They have no idea on who is the puppet master, though. Unfortunately, the Griffons were exposed to the insidious influence of the deranged aboleth, whose subtle whispers of madness and probing tendrils of psionic power now contaminate their minds.
 * As the Griffons report their findings back to Telliann, she is impressed with what they have gathered in such a short amount of time, but her congratulatory speech is interrupted by the arrival of some plaguechanged creatures backed up by mind-controlled locals. Thanks to a psychic blast, all Guards in the vicinity, including Telliann, are rendered unconscious. The Griffons are on their own. As they Griffons fight against the mob, the mad aboleth attempts to use its psionic-connection with them to exert control over them with subtle whispers of madness and psychic attacks, slowly wearing at the edges of their sanity.
 * After the Griffons defeated their attackers, they descend into the sewers to track the plaguechanged back to their lair, and they have to face mind-blanked thralls, plaguechanged monsters, and aberrant horrors on their way. Among the aberrations serving the aboleths are a group of nothics. The Spellplague energy emanating from the aboleth has amplified the deteriorating effect the nothics have on normal reality, rendering the concept of space somewhat fuzzy.
 * The Griffons eventually arrive to the aboleth's lair, in the Blacklake Sewers. At this point, reality within the sewers has ceased to make sense. The Griffons are able to defeat the aboleth and his plaguechanged creatures channeling the Symphony, and reality begins to heal itself. In a few hours, the sewers return to normalcy.
 * With the aboleth slain, the immediate threat to Neverwinter is ended. Upon learning of the return of the Griffons, Telliann is eager to hear the details of their exploits. Despite the fact that the aboleth they killed wasn't important, the actions of the Griffons had earned them the attention of the Abolethic Sovereignty.