For generations, starting from its founding on 11 July 435, Altherstab existed as a tranquil collection of farmsteads and cottages. Nestled in the verdant shadow of the Cocker Mountains, life revolved around the seasons, the harvest of mountain grains, and the steady rhythm of the Uuthrak Mill. The villagers lived in blissful ignorance of the wider Shadow War or the machinations of powerful liches like Ariel Bannister.

This peaceful existence was violently shattered several months ago, prior to the year 1248. The nearby Bukhara Spire Gateway, hidden high in the treacherous passes of the Cocker Mountains, suddenly flared to life. Corrupted by the dark influence permeating Coia, a horde of shadow beasts and gloom stalkers poured forth, descending upon the unsuspecting valley. The attack was swift and brutal, razing nearly a third of the village's structures.

Altherstab was saved not by a grand army, but by a desperate, improvised defense. The local blacksmith, Madashlak Bohdon, utilized his strange preternatural foresight to organize the villagers before the first beast even struck. Paki Serepet, the tavern owner, surprised everyone by wielding arcane knowledge to repel the invaders. Despite their bravery, the incident left an indelible scar upon the landscape.

Today, Altherstab stands as a testament to this ordeal, currently in the throes of aggressive reconstruction. The once open village is now enclosed by a hastily erected palisade of sharpened logs. The community has become insular and deeply paranoid, viewing the looming mountains not with reverence, but with dread, knowing the gateway to the Shadowfell lies dormant but potentially still active in the peaks above.

On 15 March 1248, a pivotal event unfolded elsewhere, unconnected to Altherstab’s immediate plight but crucial to its future. A diverse group, including Nym, Lenore, Sszardin T'sarran, Moose Knuckle, Emis Faralei, and Nicodemus Hartwick, were kidnapped from another Bukhara Spire Gateway. They awakened in crude mountain jails, stripped and watched by their captors. This harrowing experience, and their subsequent escape, forged them into the famed Dragonbone Vanguard.

Just six days later, on 21 March 1248, the newly formed Dragonbone Vanguard learned of the devastation Altherstab had suffered from a goblin horde. They decided to rescue captured villagers, leading them to confront dark threats in a demonic realm. As they considered their options, a pair of goblins emerged from a portal, followed by two more waves. After dispatching the threats, the group realized the portal itself needed to be addressed.

Emis immediately favored destroying it, striking it a few times. Though the rest of the group was hesitant, they saw no alternative and began to smash the portal. After significant damage, the portal cracked, and its center film went clear, indicating it was no longer an active threat. This crucial action neutralized the source of Altherstab's continued terror.

Following these events, Altherstab remains in a state of ongoing recovery. The city is actively rebuilding, a deeply paranoid community haunted by the recent memories of destruction. While the Dragonbone Vanguard's actions neutralized the immediate threat from the Cocker Mountain Gateway, the people of Altherstab remain cautious, forever changed by their brush with the Shadowfell.