Guarding the Shrine

In ancient times, there were many dragons across these mountains in the north. As little folk spread across the land, and discovered the wealth under the ground, they contested the dragons and drove most of them from the skies. In due course, cults of dragon followers arose and established shrines and strongholds to worship the dragons and train their own warriors to avenge the wrongs brought against the dragons.
One of these cults carved a shrine into the heart of the mountain across the valley from the abandoned outpost. The outpost was set up to keep watch on the valley after the cult was destroyed, specifically to guard access to the cave holding the shrine and make sure the cult doesn't rise again. Unfortunately, a kobold tribe found their way into the cave system from deeper within the mountain. They began worshipping at it, drawing in more supporters. Too late, the watchers noticed something was going on there, and they were attacked and defeated.
One man, Everett, managed to survive the initial assault, and hid in the basement. When you find him, he is unconscious and barely alive. If you stabilize his wounds or heal him and allow him to take a long rest, he will recover completely. Once he has, he can relate further information.
The watchers drove out the original cult decades ago, and have maintained a watch over its location since. One of the key elements of the shrine was a powerful magic item. When the cult was destroyed, the item was removed and safeguarded by the watchers. They concealed it, and it was not found when the building was attacked and overrun.
Everett will recover the artifact if the players haven't found it already, and request they help him take it safely to another location. He knows a powerful wizard that lives in a tower a few miles upriver, and thinks the wizard can help unlock the power of the item, and offer advice on what to do with it now.