The Wandering Bard
The Wanderlust Revue arrives in Waterdeep. Dustin and Don Juan hustle the tavern circuit, answer a call to Nightstone, and reunite with an old friend on the road south.
Arrival in Waterdeep
The Wanderlust Revue rolled into Waterdeep on a cool autumn morning — a ragtag band of performers, their wagon loaded with costumes, props, and more instruments than any reasonable troupe should own. At its heart were two friends: Dustin Dwint, a half-elf bard with red hair and a silver flute, and Don Juan, a half-elf paladin whose swordfighting was as much performance art as it was combat.
Waterdeep, the City of Splendors — the greatest city on the Sword Coast. A maze of wards and markets, noble villas and dockside dives, all stacked on top of each other. For a travelling troupe hungry for an audience, there was no better place to be. Taverns, inns, and alehouses on every corner, each one a potential stage.
The plan was simple: book as many gigs as possible across the city's many establishments. The Yawning Portal, the Skewered Dragon, the Dock Ward dives — every venue that would have them. But first, they needed to draw a crowd. Dustin composed a lively, infectious anthem to be performed on the squares and market plazas of Waterdeep — to play in the open, attract curious passersby, and funnel them toward the evening's shows.
Composed to be performed on the squares and plazas of Waterdeep, drawing crowds toward the Wanderlust Revue's evening tavern shows.
The anthem of the Wanderlust Revue — a merry band of performers who travelled the Sword Coast bringing music, theatre, and spectacle to every town they visited. Dustin wrote this as a street-performance piece to attract passersby on Waterdeep's busy market squares and funnel them to the troupe's evening gigs. It became their calling card, performed at the opening of every show.
It worked. Dustin would set up on a busy square with his flute while Don Juan drew a crowd with a flashy display of swordwork. By the time the chorus hit, half the square was singing along, and the evening show was guaranteed a full house.
The Nightstone Invitation
But after a few days, the reality of Waterdeep set in. The city was vast, and the competition fierce — every corner had its own busker, every tavern its house musician. The crowds at the Revue's shows were decent, but not what they'd hoped for. Waterdeep had too many distractions to give a travelling troupe the attention it deserved.
It was while wandering the streets between gigs that Dustin and Don Juan spotted a poster nailed to a notice board. An invitation — a call for performers to come to Nightstone, a small settlement south of Waterdeep, for a festival. The details were enticing enough to make them stop and read.
Nightstone Festival
Join us in the grand celebration of Lady Velrosa Nandar's 60th birthday at the Nightstone Festival!
Seeking talented bards and performers to grace our stage with mesmerizing acts and enchanting melodies.
Brave souls, we need your strength! Keep the order and peace throughout this jubilant occasion.
Save the date: Next full moon Location: Nightstone, between Waterdeep and Daggerford For inquiries: Contact Morak Ur'gray at Nightstone Inn.
Don't miss out on this unforgettable event! Let's make Lady Velrosa Nandar's milestone birthday a night to remember!
Back at the inn, they brought it to the rest of the troupe. The discussion was brief. The Wanderlust Revue had enough shows booked in Waterdeep to keep the rest of the performers busy — they could manage fine without two of their number for a while. Dustin and Don Juan would head south to Nightstone and see what this festival had to offer. The rest of the Revue would carry on in the city.
It seemed like a simple detour. It would prove to be anything but.
The Road South
The journey from Waterdeep to Nightstone followed the Trade Way south toward Daggerford — a well-travelled road through rolling farmland and sparse woodland. Dustin and Don Juan made good time, but the road was long enough to warrant a rest.
They stopped at a clearing by the roadside. Don Juan leaned against a tree, polishing his blade and musing aloud about what awaited them. A noble's birthday — Lady Velrosa Nandar herself. He grinned at the thought of performing swordwork before local nobility, maybe even earning a patron or a letter of recommendation. The good food and wine wouldn't hurt either. Before long, the musing trailed off and Don Juan dozed off against the tree, sword still in hand.
Dustin, meanwhile, sat cross-legged on a fallen log, his flute in hand. He'd been composing a piece for the occasion — something fitting for a lady's celebration. Bright, warm, celebratory. He ran through the melody again, refining the phrasing, letting it ring out across the empty road.
Composed on the road to Nightstone, rehearsed during a rest stop on the Trade Way south of Waterdeep — a celebration piece for Lady Velrosa Nandar's 60th birthday festival.
A bright, warm folk tune composed for Lady Velrosa Nandar's 60th birthday celebration at Nightstone. Dustin wrote it on the road south from Waterdeep, rehearsing the melody on his flute during rest stops along the Trade Way.
Dustin lowered the flute and frowned. Something about the last verse didn't sit right. Is this the right approach? he thought. Maybe there is no banquet. Maybe the celebration is more intimate, or maybe…
His train of thought was broken by movement on the road ahead. A huge silhouette came around a bend — impossibly tall, broad-shouldered, carrying itself with a stride that was proud, determined, fearless. Something about the figure felt familiar. Not just the size, but the way he moved.
As the figure drew closer, the features came into focus. The grey skin, the strong jaw, the unmistakable build of a goliath — and not just any goliath.
Dustin's eyes went wide. He leapt to his feet, the flute nearly tumbling from his hands, and broke into a sprint down the road.
"Kürbis!!!"
The shout rang out across the countryside, raw and overjoyous, the voice of a man reunited with someone he thought he might never see again.
"Aric!! You here!!!" Kürbis bellowed back, his deep voice carrying even further.
When Dustin reached the goliath he jumped up and threw his arms around his neck, barely able to contain his joy. "Big friend, what a great surprise to see you! What in the heck are you doing here, so far away from the Ice Spires?"
"Just wandering around, heading to Daggerford," Kürbis said with a shrug. "Looking for a job. And you?"
"We are heading that direction too — on our way to Nightstone for Lady Velrosa's birthday. I'm planning to play there."
"Need some help carrying stuff?" Kürbis offered.
"This is just great! I can't believe my luck," Dustin laughed. "Actually, I think they are still looking for people for security at the festival in Nightstone. You can join us!" He gestured back toward the clearing. "I want to introduce you to my friend Don Juan. He's part of the Wanderlust Revue — you remember the travelling band of bards in the Silver Marches? But he seems to have dozed off while I was rehearsing. Let's sit down and catch up."
They walked back to the clearing and settled down. Kürbis eyed the sleeping paladin, then turned back to Dustin. "So, security — that's my cup of tea. Does it pay well?"
"I'm not the employer," Dustin said, raising his hands. "The poster said they need brave souls to keep order and peace. And talented bards with mesmerizing acts and enchanting melodies. I will provide the latter. My friend Don Juan is very good with a sword — he is, among other things, our sword juggler in the Revue."
"Oh, a sword juggler..." Kürbis said, unimpressed. "I'm more of a sword hack-and-slasher."
"Oh, don't let impressions fool you — he is also our most skilled fighter and best guard of our band of entertainers."
"Do you need protection with your band?"
"The rest of the band is still in Waterdeep. Just the two of us took a few days off to travel to the festival."
"Ah, the Wanderlust Revue," Kürbis nodded slowly. "Yes, it rings a bell."
"The band is doing fine — we grew quite a bit since we went our separate ways. But we can always use some more protection," Dustin said. "Let's go to the festival together and we can discuss employment with the others when we get back to Waterdeep."
"Sounds like a plan. Not that I have any appointments."
"No appointments — ha, good one. Have you been roaming around by yourself all these years?"
"Yes," Kürbis said. "In circles. Trying to set a speed record each time."
"I see you haven't changed — still as competitive as ever."
"Just faster."
A loud yawn interrupted them. Don Juan stirred against the tree, blinking awake. He looked up at the enormous figure sitting across from Dustin and his eyes went wide. "By Tyr's beard, who is that towering friend of yours, Dustin?"
Tyr did indeed have a glorious beard.
"Don, meet Kürbis!" Dustin said with a big grin. Turning back to Kürbis, he added, "Oh yeah — people call me Dustin nowadays. You know, music business and all."