The Moonstone Mask

The Moonstone Mask (also known as the famous Moonstone Mask Inn or simply the Mask) is a legendary, luxurious establishment located within the bustling Market District of the city of Neverwinter, the “Jewel of the North.” Renowned for its unparalleled opulence and extravagant festivities, it stands as the premier social hub for the city’s wealthy, elite, and visiting noble class, offering a lavish sanctuary of escapism even when shadow, plague, and conflict loom over the Sword Coast.

Location and Surroundings

Situated in the heart of the Market District—the commercial engine of Neverwinter—the Moonstone Mask shares its immediate neighborhood with notable landmarks like the Trade of Blades, where adventurers gather for training and martial contracts, and the Pig and the Whistle, a bustling tavern favored by traveling merchants and common folk. While those humbler venues bustle with raw commerce, the Mask stands apart, protected by high walls and catering exclusively to those of deep pockets and high status.

Atmosphere and the “End of the World” Party

During a tense period of heavy wartime preparations in Neverwinter, the Moonstone Mask hosted a decadent, notorious “end of the world” party. This event occurred as the city prepared for an impending war with Luskan, the “City of Sails,” which was rumored to have caused the recent plague. While Neverwinter’s docks choked with ships unloading massive quantities of lumber and supply caravans arrived from the south, the city’s common folk suffered from skyrocketing prices and severe food shortages.

In stark contrast to the suffering outside, the patron class inside the high walls of the Mask sought absolute escapism. They caroused and drank fine spirits, choosing to drown out the sounds of the brewing war and the bustling dockyards with music and indulgence.

Gilmore’s Respite and the Stork Legacy

Following a grueling journey that culminated in restoring the foggy mind of his companion Farwald at Helm’s Hold, the noble paladin Gilmore chose to spend his night at the Moonstone Mask. As the second son of the minor noble House of Stork from the wind-torn western isle of Stork’s Rest, Gilmore had a long history of carousing in taverns and training in martial yards. His family, descendants of the legendary dragonslayer hero Lady Tanager Alagondar, had been exiled to the far western isles generations ago by the High King of the Moonshaes.

His noble family claimed high hopes for his elder sister, Elire, who was educated in Silverymoon to redeem their house. However, after Elire was murdered by cultists wearing dragon masks, Gilmore was thrust into a grim destiny. Having made a dark pact with the Raven Queen (the Matron of Ravens) to shepherd his sister’s soul, Gilmore carried her soulstone—a purple gem on a golden chain—hoping to find a way to grant her proper passage to the afterlife.

Exhausted by the weight of this noble obligation, Gilmore split from his companions—who sought humble shelter in the Docks District or went to heal starving children alongside Druid Nimiriel Nightbreeze at the Temple District’s Emerald Grove—and surrendered himself to the extravagant “end of the world” party at the Mask. There, amidst the wealthy and oblivious elite of Neverwinter, he sought a temporary reprieve from his heavy fate, the memory of his sister’s tragic death, and the looming war.

A Sanctuary for Lunch and Secrets

As tensions peaked and war was formally declared between Neverwinter and Luskan, the Moonstone Mask served as a critical neutral meeting ground for the adventurers. The party reconvened at the establishment for lunch, trailing their suspicious new chaperone, a “town guard” named Sheila.

While inside the luxurious dining room, the party partook in several rounds of fiery spirits served by the proprietor, Ofala. Over their drinks, they actively gathered intelligence from a drunk importer-exporter at a neighboring table, who revealed that Luskan forces had recently seized Port Damali, and that Lady Aribeth De Tylmerande’s administration was holding evidence of Luskan’s involvement in the recent plague. The merchant also noted that Lord Admiral Finster Lionheart was the council member best regarded among the working class for keeping supply ships moving.

It was also during this respite at the Moonstone Mask that Gilmore paid a courier 50 gold pieces to rush an urgent warning letter to his parents, Thalorian Stork and Selene Valcorn, back at Pink Tor on Stork’s Rest. Realizing the dragon cult had stolen his sister’s soul stone and that her soul was not at rest, Gilmore’s letter warned his family of the rising shadows, urging them to examine who had held their ears, and to bar their gates against all envoys.