Battle for Eveningstar

The Battle for Eveningstar was a pivotal battle of the Sschindylryn invasion of Eveningstar that determined the course of the war from that point on. It was fought between the forces of Sschindylryn and the defenders of Cormyr as the drow attempted to capture the village of Eveningstar and the Thread of the Weave that Lolth sought.
==History==
The day preceding the battle, Swordcaptain Garwyn Thane received scout's reports indicating an imminent attack on the village, and likely that same night. He deduced that while they could feasibly attack in the daytime under the Darkening, it would be too obvious and give away their attack, and so they would simply strike under cover of darkness to ensure their advantage. The villagers prepared the barricades and bonfires as best they could, and grimly waited for the drow attack once night fell. The defenders were made up by Purple Dragons, War Wizards, Evenor militia, adventurers (including those from Eberron), and Elminster's protégé Ana Brabener. On the drow side, their soldiers were supported by driders, priests of Lolth, and necromancers with their zombies. They also sent many captured Cormyreans forward with their drow slave collars to fight and die against their own people.
Rather than taking to the field as a fighter, Elminster used his own fame and prominence against the drow attackers. He conspicuously left the village before the battle started, and led a sizable contingent of drow soldiers on a chase across the countryside. They believed that the Old Sage must be focused on protecting the Thread of the Weave, and so judged that pursuing him was just as vital as taking Eveningstar itself. Ana Brabener was left behind in the comparatively safe role of using her magical abilities to support the defenders at the village.
The initial attack broke through the palisade gates, but were easily defeated by the awaiting defenders. Before the drow could regroup, the adventurers charged out into the ruined western edge of the village, which had been abandoned ever since the first attack. They fought in the streets below the razed House of Morning, cleared the village granary, and recaptured Tummarlin's farmstead on the edge of the forest. They also lit more bonfires as they took ground to dissuade drow counterattacks in their bright firelight. Along the way they encountered the cruel necromancer Jevan of House Szind and his horde of drow and human zombies, the slaver Kal'anoth of House Avithoul and his collection of unwilling slave soldiers, and the priestess of Lolth Xyra Dun'Robar who ritually sacrificed others to preserve her own vitality.
With the ruins of Eveningstar cleared of invaders, the Cormyreans pursued the drow to their base camp in the nearby King's Forest, where they had emerged from a cave entrance. There they found the field commander Draya Dun'Robar, who rode atop the huge bebilith Red Weaver. After a fierce battle with the commander, a horde of spiders, and more drow soldiers, Red Weaver and Draya were slain, putting an end to the battle and breaking the siege of the village. Though the drow continued to skirmish and raid in the area, they failed to reassemble a large, organized force and the Cormyreans were able to take the initiative in the rest of the war. They used this advantage to strike directly at the Houses in Sschindylryn, ultimately weakening them and breaking their alliance.
==Appendix==
===Notes===
===Appearances===
===Gallery===
Eveningstar barricade.jpg|The barricade built to protect Eveningstar.
Eveningstar ruins.jpg|The burnt ruins of Eveningstar.
Eveningstar drow camp.jpg|The field camp the drow used near Eveningstar.
Eveningstar drow cave.jpg|The cave the drow emerged from in their camp.
===References===
Category:Battles
Category:Events in Cormyr
Category:Events in the Eastern Heartlands
Category:Events in Interior Faerûn
Category:Events in Faerûn
Category:Events on Toril