Helm’s Hold

Helm’s Hold is a notable fortified monastery and stopover located along the road to the city of Neverwinter (known as the Jewel of the North). It serves as a critical point of interest, a defensive outpost, and a sanctuary for travelers traversing the rugged and dangerous routes of the Sword Coast.

The Monastery and the Temple of Arathis

At the heart of Helm’s Hold is a heavily fortified monastery complex centered around the Temple of Arathis, which is dedicated to Erathis the Lawbearer, the Prime Deity of civilization, laws, justice, peace, and order. The temple is tended by devout clerics and priests, such as the halfling cleric Sandra. These holy figures offer both divine and practical services to passing travelers, adventurers, and pilgrims. Powerful spells, including Lesser Restoration, are typically rendered in exchange for gold, diamond dust, or the completion of specific favors.

Defenses and Wards

Helm’s Hold is renowned for its strict defensive measures. Absolute order is maintained within its walls by highly disciplined paladin guards. In addition to physical defenses, the monastery grounds are protected by ancient, powerful magical wards designed to repel extraplanar and otherworldly entities. This warding manifests as an invisible physical barrier that completely blocks fey creatures, such as fairies, from crossing onto the temple grounds.

Beyond guarding the monastery itself, paladins of Helm’s Hold sometimes venture out to support the military and administrative efforts of Neverwinter. Following the cataclysmic events at Dragon Barrow, two paladins of Helm’s Hold accompanied Lady Arabeth de Tylmarande (the chief of staff to Lord Nasher Alagondar) to investigate the smoking crater and interrogate the adventuring party responsible for the disturbance.

Recent Events

During their journey north to Neverwinter, the adventuring party known as the Magnificent Five stopped at Helm’s Hold. They sought healing for Farwald (whose true form is the ancient Firbolg skald and cleric Hrothgar), who had been suffering from profound memory loss. It was later revealed that Farwald’s fogged mind was the result of a powerful Modify Memory and True Polymorph spell cast by his legendary wizard ally Elminster Aumar to safeguard the secrets of the powerful Dragon Masks and protect his home community of Kuldahar.

While the party’s fairy companion, Nalini, was forced to wait outside due to the anti-otherworldly wards, Erevyn Sehahine and Farwald negotiated with Sandra. The halfling cleric successfully cast Lesser Restoration using gold and diamond dust provided by the party, lifting the fog from his mind and restoring his memories of the ancient dragon wars. However, their stay was abruptly cut short when Erevyn used his thieves’ tools to vandalize a monastery wall by scratching the acronym “ACAB” into the stone. This act of disrespect prompted the strict paladin guards to physically escort the party from the premises and issue a permanent ban on their return.

Geography and Surrounding Legends

Helm’s Hold is situated in close proximity to other major landmarks of the Neverwinter region. Rumored to lie along the same high road is Dragon Barrow, the final resting place of Lady Tanager Alagondar and her legendary greatsword, Dragon Slayer. Three centuries ago, Lady Alagondar sacrificed herself to slay the ancient green dragon Virethas (the Jade Queen, also known as the Jade Serpent) at this site. Dragon Barrow was recently the site of a major confrontation where a cult led by the Green Wyrmspeaker Sidorna attempted to fully resurrect the dragon.