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The work contained on this page is the property and copyright of Nicholas Burke. It has been formatted for viewing on the web by the Scribes of Candlekeep. Candlekeep claims no ownership for this material. Click the map for full size (map also copyright Nicholas Burke).
Eveningstar
By Nicholas Burke
Eveningstar
#1: Temple (Greater) of Lathander: Known as the ‘Jewel of the Community', this temple is one of Eveningstar's best-known monuments. It is a frequent stop for adventurers, merchants, and travelers looking for aid. It is Eveningstar's largest building, and even the occasional passer-by takes note of the years of hard work that local folk have put into it. Above its mighty doors is a large ivory sculpture of the Morning Lord spreading his rays over a field. Anyone who enters is humbly greeted by the temple Acolytes, who then explain that the temple is divided into three sections: the main hall, the healing hall, and the crafting hall. The main hall is used for morning prayers, Sunday schooling, religious inquiries, and other forms of mundane use. The main hall is described as a long, elaborate room with endless wooden and ivory sculptures of the Morning Lord and his closest servants, spreading light all across the world. There are enough chairs to accommodate to the entire population of Eveningstar. The healing hall is to the right of the main hall, and has several beds and Morning lord shrines. In the healing hall, adventurers can receive aid from the temple priests that have specialized in cure and restoration spells. Naturally, good aligned characters receive benefits, as do any who serve Lathander or prove themselves worthy to the temple. On the left is the crafting hall, where various potions and wands associated with healing spells are sold. The temple is run by a married couple who themselves used to adventure together, but have now founded this temple to Lathander for the sake of serving adventurers. The husband, Father Bedwyr (LG male Human Ftr 1/Cle of La 9) is in charge of the healing hall. The wife, Mother Aryan (CG female Elf Cle of La 10) is in charge of the crafting hall. However they may bicker back and forth, both Father Bedwyr and Mother Aryan are capable and willing to help adventurers. Travelers simply must pray that either father Bedwyr or mother Aryan help them, and not both in the same room; lest they find themselves witness to another one of their petty, seemingly endless feuds.
#3: Guard Post: the guards of Eveningstar are all soldiers of the Purple Dragon Army. Your average guard (LN/LG male human Ftr1-4) carries splint mail, a large steel shield, a masterwork heavy crossbow with twenty bolts, and a masterwork bastard sword. The guard posts are made of wood, and for size purposes are identical to a guard tower (see Stronghold Builder's Guide ), with three levels. At any time there are 1d3+1 guards at a post, and at every post is an alarm. If one alarm is sounded, then all alarms in all other posts are set off. This immediately brings all of the soldiers in Eveningstar to arms, including those in the shelters for Arabel Soldiers.
#4: Tessaril Winter's Estate: When first looking at Tessaril's estate, one wouldn't guess that it was the home of a noblewoman and much as a crafter's guild-house. Against the wishes of her cabinet, Tessaril did not wish for her home to belittle the people of her town, and wanted it to give the image that she herself was worth no more than the average commoner. Tessaril does not keep servants in her home, nor any other worker to do her chores for her: she sees such professions aimed towards the comfort of one individual as inefficient. Instead, Tessaril enjoys the company of Eveningstar's finest craftsmen, particularly the two town smiths, Gaelden and Penden (brothers). She will often buy weapons and armor directly from them, planning to imbue them to sell to adventurers looking for magic arms and armor. Unfortunately, Tessaril soon loses her temper towards indecisiveness, which in her book entails browsing. Nevertheless, Tessaril keeps a wide variety of magic items due to her extensive study in the Art before inheriting Eveningstar from her Mother. She despises vanity, and prefers the honesty of her people to the chatter of her cabinet; aristocrats live inefficiently, where as merchants and builders accomplish things. The two guard posts in front of her home are not in place to protect it, but to alert her immediately if the town were ever in trouble. During the recent Goblin raids, Tessaril has unquestionably been the first individual to engage them. If she's not fending off a raid, crafting amongst her people, dismissing complaining cabinet members, or caring affectionately for her pet Tressym, she is testing her fortitude towards intoxication in the local Inn. Naturally, the bar tender knows very well what Tessaril's alcohol limit is, and never allows her to exceed it by too much. She is a busy woman, after all.
#5: Barracks & Armory: At any one time, there are 6d4 soldiers inside the barracks. The barracks, much like the rest of Eveningstar, are totally open to the public, and in many regards is taken less seriously than it should be. There is an instructor in the barracks, as well as a training facility. All members of the purple dragon army are given free instruction, however adventurers who may wish to be trained (see the Training section of the Dungeon Master's Guide) must pay 50gp at the door per day of instruction, or 25gp to simply make personal use of the training facility.
#6: Shelter for Arabel's Troops: When Myrmeen Lhal explained to Tessaril that she needed accommodations for the remainder of her army, Tessaril and her crafters took that request as more of a challenge than a favor. Within a sort week they constructed enough shelter for Arabel's entire army, and some. This included a base of operations, a training ground, two wooden walls (one on the east side, one on the west), an office for the War Wizard Tsharliira (who liked it so much that she remained in Eveningstar), several armories, and their own private Smithery. After Arabel was won back, most of the purple dragon soldiers returned back to Arabel, however several battalions were ordered by Myrmeen to remain in Eveningstar. Myrmeen found Eveningstar to be a valuable contingency location, should Arabel be attacked again in its shaken state. Myrmeen was also fairly disappointed in the state of Eveningstar's military force, and insisted that Tessaril enforce a greater amount of discipline amongst her people. Tessaril, who deeply enjoyed Eveningstar's easy-going way of life, dismissed Myrmeen's plea, and explained that Eveningstar was safe inside of the King's Forest. Nevertheless, a fair portion of Myrmeen's more regimented troops, along with the War Wizard Tsharliira, are now helping take care of Eveningstar, and at any one time there are 4d4 soldiers in each shelter. These new troops have been fundamental in defending Eveningstar from the recent raids. Unfortunately, there have also been several conflicts of interest between Arabel's old soldiers, and the peaceful people of Eveningstar, most of which having to do with the security of the town. Tsharliira has argued time and time again that additional walls should be built on the northern and southern ends of the town. Tessaril replied ‘It will entertain me, good War Wizard, if any of the goblins even attempt to cultivate the Eveningstar Mansion and its surrounding area. And as for the south, well, lets just say a ‘mutual' friend of ours has everything… under control”. Tessaril was of course referring to the fabled ‘Gray Guardian' to the town's south.
#7 Blue Leaf Tree, Portal to Suzail: This monumental blue leaf tree (Gargantuan Size category) was left standing when the town of Eveningstar was built for one purpose: to serve as a location for the Portal. Unlike most Portals made out of stone or metal, this would was carved into the side of the tree. The Portal is the most heavily guarded part of the town, since it is more is less out in the open. At any one time, there are 6d4 guards protecting it, not including the guards in the two nearby towers. Even Tessaril does not know much about the cleric that constructed this portal, other than that she shortly after ventured east, most likely to Arabel. Before leaving, the cleric entrusted one of Tessaril's soldiers with a seal that could potentially cause the portal to malfunction permanently, should the need ever arise. Unfortunately, the town as attack shortly after, and the soldier slain without the seal being recovered. Rumor has it that the seal in kept secretly in the Eveningstar Mansion, this is not certain and by Tessaril's logic, unreasonable (nothing living could ever survive enough to hide something in that Mansion). Tessaril would be willing pay a hefty sum of gold for that seal, but understands that ever seeing it again is extremely unlikely. The symbol itself was said to have the shape of a leaf from a blue leaf tree, with the symbol of Mielikki on it in golden writing.
#19 Saelen's Adventuring Shop: Old man Saelen, a veteran adventurer himself, has put together on the northern most point of the town, a shop dedicated entirely towards adventuring. In it, one can find almost any mundane item that an adventurer might need, particularly adventuring gear. In here, adventurers will be able to find many different types of items all in one place, but won't be able to get anything truly customary. Saelen likes to keep standard adventuring items in his shop.
#21 & #24 Town Halls, New and Old: The New Town hall was constructed along with the Shelters for Arabel's troops so as to act as a center of operations for the Arabelian Soldiers. Now it's used by the War Wizard Tsharliira as a conference room, where she can try and stay up to date with all of Eveningstar's matters. Unfortunately, where the majority of Tessaril's cabinet will attend Tsharliira's meetings, Tessaril won't; Tessaril finds one Town Hall inefficient, let alone two.
#25 Rowan's Home: Generally speaking, Eveningstar is a relaxed town. It does have, however, one tremendously dire rule, “No one disturbs the Southern Woods”. Foolish adolescent boys will see how long they can keep their back to the trees without giving into fear at night. But other than that, none of the locals will willingly enter it. For the southernwoods of Eveningstar are home to a beast known only as ‘the Gray Guardian'. Unbeknownst to the commoners of Eveningstar, residing in those same southernwoods is a Daleswoman Elf by the name of Rowan (CN female elf Rgr 6/Drd 6). Tessaril met Rowan once, who explained the very nature of ‘The Gray Guardian' to her in order to ensure that her woods would remain placid. Myth's about the Gray Guardian are that it is a 12 foot high beast, with a mouth that could swallow a man whole. Its arms could rip trees in two as if they were rags, and its skin (as it's name would suggest) is Gray. The truth is surprisingly close to the myth, for the Gray Guardian is actually a Gray Render Beast (see Monster Manual) that has been impressed upon Rowan. Rowan, however, was sure to not tell Tessaril about how her Gray Render was naturally a herbivore: the rumor that such a beast is a carnivore keeps pesky children out of her resort. Rowan is actually Eveningstar's oldest citizen, for she is the only one still alive that can remember when the town was built. Initially, a rogue Gray Render was attacking the builders of Eveningstar constantly. They summoned Rowan from Mistledale (who was already a well accomplish Ranger and Druid) to deal with this Render. She soon found that the Render had impressed itself upon her, causing it to follow her wherever she may go, and protect her and the territory around her at all costs. She knew that it was impossible to stop the humans from creating a town there, but at the same time Rowan wished to keep much of this precious wood intact. And so, when she returned to the people of the new town, she explained that ‘the Gray Guardian wanted to make a deal'. To this day, the town of Eveningstar stands undisturbed by the Render, provided it itself isn't disturbed by the townsfolk.
Rumor has it that Rowan is also the cause behind the high density of Tressym in the town. Tressym are most abundant on the southern brush, and some townsfolk have even reporting seeing Tressym litters no more that a couple of yards in the forest. Although why Rowan would so heavily promote the spread of Tressym in Eveningstar is not totally known, Tessaril believes that Rowan is doing it too keep the southern farmers too occupied to get any ideas about bugging her and her Render.
