Neverwinter (game)

Dungeons & Dragons: Neverwinter is a Free2Play MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game) developed by Cryptic Studios and published by Perfect World Entertainment. It was released on the 20th of June 2013.

The game deals with the after effects of an attack on the city of Neverwinter by Valindra Shadowmantle and a dracolich. Several factions and individuals attempt to take advantage of the chaos caused by the attack.

Plot
Washeing up on the beach in 1479 after their ship was sunk by the dracolich the hero beings its journey. They fight their way through Valindra's undead minions to reach the relative safety of Neverwinter's walls. Along the way he meets a Private Wilfred a neverwinter graycloack whom gets killed by Valindra. The player also meets Makos a tiefling wizard from the opening cinematic.

The Crown of Neverwinter
During an investigation of the vaults beneath the Hall of Justice, the player discovers that the Nashers managed to sneak into the vault during Valindra's attack and steal the Crown of Neverwinter. After tracking down the Nasher rogue "Honor" Reigh, whom the player saw stealing the crown with another Nasher, clues point to a Nasher base in the Blacklake district. While in the Blacklake district, which has been overrun with Nashers, the player soon finds out that the other thief they saw has been kidnapped by the Dead Rats. Down in the sewers beneath the city, the player locates the other thief, Gothwan, who claims that his leader Karzov left him to die and gladly gives up Karzov's location which should also be where the Crown is being held. The Nashers set fire to their safehouse when the Player arrives and Karzov escapes to their headquarters, an old warehouse, where the player kills Karzov and brings the Crown back to Protector's Enclave. A side plot involves helping an alchemist investigate the faintly magical sludge bubbling up from the Blacklake itself, discovering the cause to be a Chosen of Ghaunadaur living in the lake.

Orc Invasion
After clearing out some kobolds that have been boiling up from the sewers, the Player is informed that some orcs from Many-Arrows have invaded the Tower District. While battling the orcs and their Nasher allies, it is discovered that whoever is behind the attack has sealed themselves within the Cloak Tower. When the shamans maintaining the wards are defeated, it is then possible to enter the Cloak Tower and deafeat the orc leaders.

Spellplague
The wife of a Neverwintan soldier was spellscarred and transforms into a monster when emotional. The Player is asked to see if there's a way to help her without invoking the Protector's Law. A wizard named Rhazzad has been giving the woman medicine to keep her sane and under control but her condition is worsening. To keep her out of Helm's Hold, Rhazzad asks the Player to escort the woman through the sewers to his tower, fighting through Dead Rats along the way. When the player reports their actions however, suspicions about Rhazzad are raised.

A rumour points toward another wizard - Tualo the Bright - but upon reaching Tualo's home,the Player learns that monsters have been coming out of the house and killing people. Inside, the Player finds Tualo's apprentice who says a ritual scroll given to his master by Rhazzad opened a portal to the Far Realm which has to be closed. In an effort to rescue the soldier's wife from whatever Rhazzad is doing, the Player discovers that Rhazzad has sacrificed all of the spellscarred people that he's kept out of Helm's Hold to fuel a deadly magical explosion. A full assault is ordered on Rhazzad's tower before he can complete whatever plans he has for the Spellplague energy he has at his command and the Player, against orders rushes ahead of the main force to kill Rhazzad just in time to save the city.

Blackdagger Bandits
North of Neverwinter years ago, a pair of pirate brothers from Luskan set up a bandit kingdom surrounding a fortified keep. The Player is put in contact with the local Harper cell to put a stop to the Blackdagger Bandits who operate out of the ruins of the former Cragmire noble house and are disrupting trade along the High Road. Along the road a old man named Old Lenn will need help with several tasks like knocking holes in several boats and kill some bandits and then lead the player to the harper. But also he wants an old chest with all his letter from Rohini back from his sailing days.

The Player and their Harper contacts start by putting a stop to the wrecking operations the Blackdagger Bandits are performing along the coast. This leads them to Melkhor Goldseeker, who has recently opened some mines as well as unearthed some ancient ruins. The Blackdagger Bandits kidnapped his niece for ransom and took over his mines. After rescuing Goldseeker's niece, the Harpers put the Player in contact with their spy in the bandits ranks who eventually informs the Player that their actions have caused the current leader of the Blackdagger Bandits to come out of hiding. The Player then tracks down the leader and assassinates him, putting a stop to organized banditry along the High Road and earning the friendship of the Harpers.

Neverdeath Graveyard
Undead are apparently rising out of their graves in Neverwinter's graveyard and the priests of Kelemvor who watch over the place seem to be overwhelmed. Some Red Wizards of Thay are using the undead to lure unsuspecting Doomguides into their clutches to create even more powerful undead monstrosities and collecting relics for similar purposes. The Thayan leader, Xivros, hoped to raise Arleon the Unforgiven, a nigh unstoppable ogre warrior in life, as his undead servant.

In another region of the graveyard, the Cult of the Dragon was searching for something. It turned out they were interested in the Waterclock Guild Crypts, in which a former high-ranking guild member and secret dragon cultist had secreted the blue dragon Azharzel and the ritual of the dracolich upon the occasion of his death. Though the cultists were prevented from entering the crypts, Valindra Shadowmantle appeared and claimed both the dragon and the ritual as her prize.

Class and Race Quests
It seams that every zone has quests that are given to the player depending on the character race. The Tieflings get quests related to there families old relation to Lord of lies, these thing are usually related to not allwoing the false Ashmadai to affect the world around them. In Blacklake the main character must put up posters to warn the gangs of Blacklake of the Ashmadai whom are trying to influence them. Halflings seam to have quests that relate to helping there own community like finding housing in Blacklake and requesting the aid of the Ghostwise.

In game references
In the Protectors Enclave there is a street named "Deekin Street," a reference to the kobold bard Deekin Scalesinger of the Neverwinter Nights series.

Side Quests
All of the game has loads of side quests like the in Neverdeath "Lich Lament": Within the confines of neverdeath after slaying an undead the player finds a phylactery of a Lich named Zarifrax whom at first attempt to intimidate the player but then sighs and says that he dosent care for the battle of good and evil right now and just wants to rest undisturbed for a few hundred years. You can help him find a final resting place and in that quest he talks to the play about different things: "How did we end up with Undead-hating Kelemvor as a god for the dead anyway? I, for one, blame Cyric. Now Jergal there was a god of death! Of course, Bhall and Myrkul had there qualities, too." In the end he gets tired and wants to be taken to the Doomguides for destruction, but be course of his powers they must encase him for along time in there vault.

Characters

 * Sergeant Knox: A squadron commander for Lord Neverember's guards. As the 'adventurer liason officer', he is the main questgiver in the game.
 * Karzov: An uthgardt barbarian, second in command of the Nashers faction of the Sons of Alagondar.
 * Valindra Shadowmantle: A former member of the Arcane Brotherhood now working ostensibly for the thayans but chiefly serving her own, occasionally deranged goals. An elven lich and primary antagonist during Module 2.