A Nightmare in Nightstone

It had been a year since the Troll Skull Syndicate had defeated the Evil Vampire Queen Faneara and sent the Ashen Manticore back to its slumber in the Ashen Mountains. The town of Nightstone had slowly begun to heal, though scars from the battles remained. The Syndicate had agreed to reunite after a year, but three members were missing.

Argus had sent a letter congratulating Norbert on his marriage to Sameria, expressing regret for not being able to attend. He mentioned that he and Hell Storm were in the city of Kae, heading further south. There was no word from Rayla or Leomarvis, who had ventured west together.

Norbert, now the king of Nightstone, held a mostly honorific title. Sameria, the true heir of the Nightstone family, ruled the kingdom and managed its day-to-day affairs. Norbert focused on his magical studies. Addelin, appointed Duchess of Millhaven by Sameria, had recently celebrated the birth of her daughter, Sophia, with her partner Chase.

Despite the progress, some damage caused by Faneara and the Ashen Manticore remained unrepaired, leading to discontent among some townsfolk. However, the recent royal wedding had eased some of the tensions.

Grumble Thorn, the dwarf the group had met in Northshire, managed the inn for Morthos. The inn had become one of the busiest in Nightstone, thanks to the townsfolk’s admiration for the heroes. It had finally paid off its debts and completed necessary repairs.

Tonight, Norbert joined the group at the Troll Skull Tavern. Sameria was meeting with an emissary from Costria, and these meetings were usually long, tedious, and very boring from Norbert's perspective. Norbert decided to spend the night away from the castle, reminiscing with his old friends.

As they sat around a table, sharing stories of their past adventures, patrons pretended not to eavesdrop. Honkess and Blueterion, who had traveled thousands of kilometers taking various jobs, had finally ended up in Nightstone. Shadow, having avenged his people by defeating Frodnonag, had sought inner peace in the west. Aust had become an apprentice to the master druid Zedd, leaving Honkess and Blueterion to find their way north, eventually arriving at the Troll Skull Tavern.

At a nearby table, Arace, a paladin from Northwind, sat with a young, nervous man named Ruben Pankhurst. Ruben had hired Arace to escort him from Northwind to Nightstone, offering 500 gold for the job. The inn was full when they arrived, but Ruben paid two people to give up their rooms. He insisted on staying at the Troll Skull Tavern, claiming he was waiting for someone. As soon as that person arrived, Arace would receive the remaining 250 gold and the job would be over.

As the lively music in the Troll Skull Tavern died down, the patrons began to settle for the night. The heroes of Nightstone, now reunited, found themselves drifting into an uneasy sleep. Bob, one of the heroes, was the first to be disturbed by a strange nightmare. In his dream, he saw dark shadows, a looming figure, and a man running for his life. Bob awoke, feeling unsettled and unsure of the dream’s meaning. He decided to get a drink of water and stepped out into the hall.

As Bob walked down the hall, he saw a looming figure at the far end. The creature stood ten feet tall, its head hunched just below the ceiling, and shadows seemed to wrap around it as it glided towards him. Panicking, Bob ran to Morthos’s room, swinging the door open and slamming it shut behind him. Morthos was already awake, his head pounding from the nightmare. Bob quickly explained what he had seen, but before they could react, a hairless purple dog-like creature with a large glowing green eye appeared from the shadows and attacked them. A beam of necrotic energy shot from its eye, hitting both Bob and Morthos.

Honkess, Blueterion, Morthos, and Norbert were also awakened, each clutching their heads in pain from the same disturbing vision. In his own room, Norbert opened his eyes to a tall, squid-faced creatures entering. Reacting instinctively, Norbert cast a polymorph spell. The creature resisted at first, but the magic eventually overpowered it, transforming it into a tiny snail. Norbert carefully picked up the snail and placed it in a jar, sealing it with a lid.

On the second floor, Blueterion and Honkess were also under attack by the one-eyed creatures. The green-eyed monsters hit them with necrotic beams, but Blueterion fought back ferociously with her great axe, killing one of the creatures with two powerful blows. Honkess grabbed her bow and fired three shots, two of which hit their target, dropping the creature to the floor dead.

In another part of the inn, Arace, a paladin from Northwind, had also experienced the nightmare. He recognized the running man as Reuben Pankhurst, the very person he was meant to protect. In the dream, Arace stepped between Reuben and the tall, tentacled being, ready to defend him with his life. Reuben’s scream jolted Arace awake, and he found the lanky creature in their room, its tentacles wrapped around Reuben’s head.

Arace drew his sword and slashed at the creature, wounding it badly. However, the creature seemed to have a purpose and did not let go of Reuben. The tentacled monster sent a blast of psychic energy at Arace, knocking him to the ground. Its voice penetrated Arace’s mind, commanding him to leave the room. Despite his desire to disobey, Arace found himself turning and leaving the room, closing the door behind him. He could hear Reuben’s screams but was unable to will himself back inside.

Back in Morthos’s room, Bob and Morthos fought desperately against the purple dog-like creature. Morthos, despite the pain from the necrotic beam, managed to cast a spell that weakened the creature. Bob, using his agility, dodged another beam and struck the creature with his weapon, finally defeating it.