Attack on the Neverwinter Gala

The Attack on the Neverwinter Gala (22nd of Eleasis, 1496) was a false-flag operation performed by Banesmarked monks of the Twilight Monastery, posing as members of the Free Focos Movement, who violently disrupted the gala celebrating the creation of the Neveren Alliance. The attack resulted in the deaths of 29 people.

The Conflict

Prelude

For the past four years, the aboleth S'gothgah had been slowly extending his influence across the northern Sword Coast, controlling various key individuals through the rediscovered power of the Banesmark.
In 1494, shortly after setting up his base in the Styes, S'gothgah discovered monks from the Twilight Monastery that were investigating the strange happenings. The aboleth brought the monks under his sway and leveraged them to take over the leadership of the entire monastery.
S'gothgah's ultimate goal was to create an Avatar, in the form of a kraken on the Material Plane for Bane. To accelerate the growth of the kraken, S'gothgah learned from the Twilight Monastery about the Feast of Corruption, a powerful ritual that fed on pain, fear, and misery.
S'gothgah recognized that the formation of the new Neveren Alliance presented a perfect opportunity to continue spreading fear and chaos. The aboleth dispatched members of the Twilight Monastery to infiltrate Castle Never as servants.
In addition, many key figures of the Banesmark Crisis arrived at the gala that night. The Heroes of Saltmarsh came as representatives of their town, with the intent of questioning Dagult Neverember's court wizard Brisk about the Banesmark they had recently discovered. In addition, Krisella Ferox, the daughter of Focosgost's former ruler Joakim Ferox, arrived at the gala with the intention of publicly confronting Lord Hargrave Decker.

The Engagement

The Twilight Monastery monks were telepathically signaled to begin their attack at 11:00 pm, after it was confirmed that all major guests of import had arrived. Seizing upon the opportunity presented by the arrival of Krisella Ferox, a detachment of monks captured her and bound her to one of the thrones in the castle, casting Silence on her and acting as if they were acting on her orders as members of the Free Focos Movement.
Meanwhile, a separate group of assassins made their way to the chambers of the court wizard Brisk. S'gothgah wanted the eladrin gone, so as not to alert others in the Hand of Mana that the Banesmark had returned, but also to interrogate the wizard and learn what secrets he might have hidden. Unbeknownst to the assassins, however, was the Brisk was in the middle of trying to erase the memories the Heroes of Saltmarsh had about the Banesmark. Thus, Brisk was killed, and his soul was trapped, but the Heroes of Saltmarsh managed to recover the soul trap gem and kill the assassins.
The Heroes made their way to the gala hall. By the time they had arrived, most of the guests had fled, and the Neverwinter Guard was engaged in a pitched battle with the remaining monks. The Heroes found Krisella and, realizing that she was being held against her will, freed her and escaped. The fighting continued for some time, but the remaining monks fled shortly before midnight.

Outcome

Neverwinter entered martial law that night, and a state of emergency was declared that did not abate until the end of the Banesmark Crisis. The following day Ulder Ravengard declared that he would offer any aid he could to the families of the slain and seek out the attackers with prejudice.
Initial reports determined that the attackers were members of the Free Focos Movement, leading to a crackdown on protests in Focosgost and an increase in tensions in the city.
The Heroes of Saltmarsh managed to escape out of Neverwinter with Krisella Ferox in tow, avoiding the Neverwinter Guard so she would not falsely be taken into custody. The Heroes also dropped off the soul trap gem containing Brisk's soul at Castle Never, hoping that he could be revived.

Aftermath

The Attack on the Neveren Gala paid dividends for S'gothgah. The attack proved to be a catalyst for many future conflicts in the Neveren Alliance, from the crackdowns on the Free Focos Movement to intensifying Neverwinter's racial tensions, culminating in the Neveren Orc Riots later that year.
Most critically, the blow the Neveren Alliance's prestige during their initial gala led to the leadership and citizens of the alliance staking more of their hopes and future prospects on the Great Neveren Trade Fleet, exactly as the aboleth hoped. S'gothgah exploited this hope during the Attack on the Neveren Trade Fleet, where he attempted to create his Avatar of Bane.

Historical Significance

Legacy

In the years following the attack, many historians and citizens have framed the tragedy in relation to the Neveren Alliance as a whole, considering that the attack happened during the alliance's official beginning. For supporters of the Neveren Alliance, the attack on the gala proved the necessity of the new partnership. The various city-states on their own would have fallen to crises after such a terror attack in normal times. Instead, the alliance immediately proved its worth, providing security and safety in equal measure to distraught civilians and pledging greater cooperation to stop a similar attack in the future.
For detractors or skeptics of the alliance, the attack at the gala is instead framed as a horrible tragedy that would go on, along with the future Attack on the Neveren Trade Fleet, to define the alliance as a whole: prone to failure, needless conflict, and issues brought about by the hubris of its founders, namely Ulder Ravengard.
Inside the Neveren Alliance, the former point of view is most often taken, while the latter view is predominately used by the alliance's rivals in Luskan and the rest of the Lords' Alliance. Only time will tell whether one view or the other will become universally accepted.

by Harris

The issue of Neverwinter Nights following the attack

Included under Conflict

Banesmark Crisis

Start Date

22nd of Eleasis, 1496

Conflict Result

S'gothgah's goals achieved; 29 dead; Brisk's soul temporarily trapped; general populace terrified

Location

Castle Never