"The clocktower stands jagged against the clouds, all angles and gargoyles. The stone itself keens — a sound heard in bone rather than ear. As the bell tolls, you feel your feet shift — as if the ground forgot what second it belonged to."

The party enters town to find the marketplace eerily quiet, all merchants looking toward the tower. A single Tempestman stands in the square, unmoving, staring up. A child throws a stone — the soldier does nothing. Then the bell chimes… and every local citizen drops to their knees, weeping.

Significant NPCs:

• Dame Alyra Thorne – The town’s steward, desperate to stop the bells and avoid drawing more soldiers.

• Kithen Darr – A hedge-chronomancer who believes the tower is counting down, not chiming forward.

• Jorren Blace – A clockmaker’s son who began carving exact replicas of Tempestman helms in his sleep.

Rewards:

• A piece of the tower’s pendulum, which grants resistance to enchantment once per long rest.

• A broken helm marked with a single number: 9.

• A sound-scroll that records the exact chime — for use in counter-commanding the next wave.

Lore Tie-Ins:

Faramond is using old Vecnan time-rituals to synchronize his Tempestmen across vast distances. Nuxvar is one of the few remaining “sound towers” from the First Silence.