D&D 5E - The Rise of Tiamat

B a c k in Wa t e r d e e p
The most powerful factions of the Sword Coast all
recognize the significance of Tiamat’s possible return,
and they are w illing to cooperate with each other to
prevent it. Trust doesn’t come easily for these disparate
groups. But even for orders and organizations that have
been in conflict in the past, the “enemy of my enemy” is
easily understood.
To coordinate their efforts against the Cult of the
Dragon, the factions have sent important delegates for
secret meetings in Waterdeep. If the adventurers played
through Hoard o f the Dragon Queen, they now know
as much as anyone about the cult’s activities, and their
heroics have been brought to the attention of powerful
leaders and earned them a place at the council table. If
you didn’t play Hoard o f the Dragon Queen, a separate
group of heroes assaulted Skyreach Castle and bravely
gave their lives to crash the fortress. The characters
are then invited to the council simply because of their
reputation as powerful adventurers, and because the
council expects to need their services.
F o u r C o u n c i l s
When the characters arrive in Waterdeep, they are
met by the Harper agent Leosin Erlanthar. The
monk explains the purpose of the council and tells
the adventurers they are expected to attend the first
gathering—both so the council can thank them for their
great deeds and to advise the council about the Cult
of the Dragon. Four meetings of the council occur at
critical points throughout the crisis, right up to the final
episode of the adventure at the Well of Dragons.
During the first session of the council, all the Sword
Coast becomes aware of how the Cult of the Dragon’s
plots are advancing when the Draakhorn sounds. In the
aftermath, the characters are given leads to episode 2 or
to Varram in the “Death to the Wyrmspeakers” episode.
A second session of the council is summoned to
address increasingly aggressive dragon activity. The
characters are asked to investigate a devastating series
of raids in the Misty Forest, leading to Neronvain in the
“Death to the Wyrmspeakers” episode. The adventurers
are also approached by a representative who wishes
to bring the party to a secret meeting with the metallic
dragons, leading to episode 6.
A third session of the council is called to assess the
gains made by the allied factions against the Cult of
the Dragon. The party is called on to pursue two leads
that might grant even more advantage over the cult—a
renegade cultist offering to turn over one of the dragon
masks, in episode 7, and an attempt to undercut the
power of the exile Red Wizards in episode 8.
At the fourth session of the Council of Waterdeep,
the adventurers learn that the plots of the Cult of the
Dragon and the Red W izards are nearing fruition. The
forces of the various factions must gather in preparation
for the assault on the Well of Dragons.
During each new council, the various factions
measure the party’s actions and achievements,
comparing those actions to their own goals. Characters
who further the goals of a faction w ill find that faction
w illing to pledge more resources to the fight against
the cult. However, gaining the allegiance of one faction
might lead to distrust from others. The adventurers
must strike a careful balance in their appeal to—and
appeasement of—the delegates to gather the strongest
force possible to confront Tiamat.
Though it isn’t ideal for all attendees, the Lords’
Palace in Waterdeep is the designated location of
the council meetings. The Lords’ Alliance faction is
sending the most delegates, and those delegates prefer a
civilized gathering place.
G a t h e r i n g A l l i e s
Though every faction provides some troops and
resources toward the final showdown with the forces
of Tiamat, the extent of their support—and how much
effect that support w ill have—is dependent on the
respect the adventurers garner from each group for
their actions. Before committing irrevocably to the
fight, a faction must be convinced that the cult presents
a danger surpassing all other concerns—and that the
adventurers are the right heroes to lead this fight.
Moreover, what is worthy of respect in one faction might
lose respect from another.
As the adventurers successfully complete episodes of
the adventure, you track how they earn or lose respect
from each faction on the Council Scorecard (appendix C).
See “Scoring the Sessions,” below, for more information.
L e a d i n g D e l e g a t e s
Most factions have sent a delegation to the Council of
Waterdeep consisting of several important persons
and their aides. In general, only the leaders of each
delegation are present at the council meetings attended
by the adventurers. However, no matter how individual
delegates might react to the characters’ deeds, they also
heed the words of their fellow councilors not present
at the council meetings. Brave and heroic feats that
individual leaders might approve of could be frowned on
by a faction as a whole if those deeds don't line up with
the faction’s agenda.
Se s s io n s o f t h e C o u n c i l
The format of the four council meetings as described
below follows the flow of the adventure as set out in
the “Overview” section. If events unfold differently
in your campaign, adjust the meetings and their
events accordingly. For each council meeting, a brief
justification for the different attitudes of the factions
is provided. More information on the factions and
their delegates is provided under “Allies” in the
introduction section.
Each session of the council discusses the setup for
episodes meant to be played as a result of that session,
and the follow-up for previous episodes whose outcome
is resolved in that session. In all cases, see those
specific episodes for full details.
Two preliminary events help to set up the first session
of the council: news of the assassination of Arthagast
Ulbrinter, one of the Masked Lords of Waterdeep, and
the sounding of the Draakhorn.