(Following: 2. House of Thalivar )

Rescuing the Missing Patrol

A half-orc stonemason that has been a good hard worker alongside Tallon the Tall (named Breltora Red-Eye) approaches the party one morning, a worried expression on her face. She is friends with one of the garrison soldiers, Private Vester Jessup. He works under Sgt. Yorrum, and he was set into the Mere of Dead Men as part of a regularly scheduled patrol. Vester told Breltora that Yorrum has them patrol the stretch of the High Road that runs along the edge of the terrible swamp to ensure that no dangerous creatures have established lairs there.

During the rebuilding in the past year, these patrols have not spotted anything more dangerous than a nest of snakes or a random alligator. But for the first time, a Leilon patrol has failed to return - Private Vester was among the patrol’s four soldiers, now a full two days late. When she approached Sgt. Yorrum, he brushed off her concerns, insisting he can't spare any more of his troops to look into the missing soldiers, especially with the recent threats from the lightning worshippers and the undead. Breltora hopes you might find out what happened - she has a map that Yorrum tossed to her, suggesting maybe someone else might address her complaint.

(Ahead of this mission, the party gathers some information on the swamp, see part-1 of History of the Mere of Dead Men)

Into The Swamp

(From : A. The Battle of Leilon )

Loose End : Cult of Talos / (12th level)

Dreadnought

The champion of Talos, Fheralai Stormsworn, once more escaped death by will of her deity - resurrected at the Tower of Storms in a shock of lightning after falling from the great bird mount, her Roc. As word of the battle's conclusion reached  Dagult Neverember of Neverwinter, the Lord Protector has offered 8000gp bounty for tracking down and sinking the pirate-barbarian's flagship, the undead ship called the Emberlost. The advisory council of Neverwinter believes this will end the lingering threat from Talos through these forces, which still threaten ships and settlements along the Sword Coast.

The Ships of Luskan are similarly on alert to this threat, having already punished Ship Rethnor for having colluded with the Talos Cultists.

Bronze Dragon

There is reason to believe the association with the Unknown would also lead to the opportunity for the Dragon Rescue.

Mithral Hall (sometimes spelled Mithril Hall) was a dwarven stronghold beneath Fourthpeak Mountain in the Frost Hills, part of the Spine of the World. It was one of the best known dwarven strongholds in Faerûn.

(See also: wiki)

h'Rothgar Anvil'bjorn

A dwarven cleric so devoted to the god of the forge and metalwork, he is rarely seen without his hammer and outside his mail armor. h'Rothgar is the son of the prolific (in both forgings and children) Überdvärg Anvil'bjorn. The Anvil'bjorn clan once held a position of prominence in Dorn's Deep under the Wyrm's Tooth glacier of the Spine of the World mountains, but driven out by invaders were forced to scatter and settle where they might be welcome - or at least tolerated. Like many of his siblings, h'Rothgar is born of a dalliance his father had in his travels - but Hildra so loved raising children, she welcomed them all, even the ones with features and skin tones that were clearly other than her own.

h'Rothgar had been a promising cleric in the temples, in fact - even sent to assist a retiring Hierophant in a project down in Waterdeep. Something seems to have gone amiss in that assignment as he made a hasty retreat from there to the far north and now has turned his interests to Rime of the Frostmaiden.

On his journey north, he is said to have had a transcendent vision from Moradin aboard the vessel Twinkle, of Ship Kurth, as it entered the harbor of Neverwinter. He fell to his knees, eyes wide and mouth open on seeing the floating islands" (earthmotes) called Pirate's Skyhold and Fisher's Float just north and south of the harbor. (See: Storms to the North and Death to the South)

Forge Cleric (Variant)

Bonus spells (always prepared, do not count toward total):

1. (st) level spells: Identify, Searing Smite
2. (nd) level spells: Find Traps, Magic Weapon
3. (rd) level spells: Protection from Energy, Tiny Servant
4. (th) level spells: Fabricate, Stone Shape
5. (th) level spells: Creation, Suspension

Divine Abilities:

• (1st level) Blessing of the Forge (1/long rest) make a non-magical armor, simple or martial weapon +1 until next long rest.
• (2nd level) Channel Divinity (1/rest - 2 at 6th level, 3 at 18th) Turn Undead or Celestial Armor
• (6th level) Soul of the Forge: Resistance to Fire damage, +1 to AC when wearing Heavy Armor
• (8th level) Divine Strike: one attack per turn does +1d8 fire damage
• (14th level) Improved Divine Strike: one attack per turn does +2d8 fire damage (replaces Divine Strike)
• (17th level) Saint of Forge and Fire: Immunity to Fire Damage, While in Heavy Armor: Resistant to non-magical Bludgeon, Piercing, and Slashing 

Celestial Armor: (bonus action) Instantly doff (Moradin-consecrated) armor you are currently wearing, vanishing to a celestial plane under the protection of Moradin.  At any point in the future, with a word (and bonus action) the armor so sent away can be instantly donned from that celestial plane (and nicely cleaned and shined!) (Consecration of the armor can be performed using Ceremony).

Talos The Storm Lord

God of tempests, and destruction, called Kozah by The Netheril. Leader of the Gods of Fury (which included)

• Auril (Frostmaiden Goddess of Winter),
• Umberlee (Great Storm Queen of the Sea, Goddess of the Deep),
• and Malar (The Beastlord, Master of the Hunt).

Recently more active through the actions of Anchorites of Talos led by Fheralai Stormsworn, a half-orc Unknown. The war-priestess and her followers seem to truly have a connection to this force-of-nature god, having conducted significant miracles including

• the war-priestess reappearing after being killed in battle
• the summonings of Circle of Thunder
• the powers unleashed from the tower of storms (see 6. Return to the Tower of Storms)
• the massive thunderstorms joining the activities of the pirate fleet
• the summoning of a Unknown in the attack on the Death Knight Dreadnaught vessel of the Church of Myrkul's Ularan Mortus

Some kind of objects or locations have been driving the activities - along the coast seems focused on Leilon and another within the Neverwinter Wood.  (The latter has suffered severe setbacks at the hands of Our Party, the Emerald Enclave and Venomfang - some of this hidden to the party's knowledge).