D&D 5E - The Rise of Tiamat

F o l l o w - u p : M e t a l l i c D r a g o n s , A r i s e
A ll the delegates are impressed if the party has gained
the support of the metallic dragons, even if their
own faction was asked to make concessions. The
good dragons are wise and just creatures, and their
acceptance of the party greatly boosts the adventurers’
standing in everyone’s eyes.
King Melandrach is furious if the characters agreed
to an apology for the Dracorage mythal. He makes the
apology because honor demands it, but he resents the
party for forcing his hand. Connerad Brawnanvil is
similarly unhappy if a concession was made in response
to the ancient dragonmoots of the dwarves. The
traditions of the dragonmoot saved many lives in their
time, and the fact that one metallic dragon was injured
indicates that it was probably misbehaving. Dwarves
have no patience for tolerating misbehaving dragons, no
matter what their color.
Bartering away portions of the hoard that the
cult stole is the only way some factions can make
concessions. For every concession that was made
for a share, circle a negative (-) icon in the following
order: Dagult Neverember, Connerad, Melandrach,
Lady Laeral, Ulder Ravengard, Taern Hornblade, the
Harpers, Sir Isteval, and the Order of the Gauntlet. The
Emerald Enclave is not affected by such concessions,
since the order has not been overly affected by the
dragon raids.
As an effect of the way in which the adventurers have
impressed the dragon council, it now falls to them to
allocate the dragons that have pledged their service
to the factions. Dragons allocated to a delegate of the
Lords’ Alliance are assigned to protect the capital city
of the delegate’s territory. A dragon assigned to the
Harpers w ill be used for intelligence gathering. The
Order of the Gauntlet sends any dragons to the city of
Elturel, while the Emerald Enclave sends dragons to
guard the ancient treant known as the Grandfather
Tree. The party can also distribute dragons to specific
regions. In such a scenario, a dragon protects a
100-mile-radius area around the point where it is
assigned, stopping draconic raids in that area.
S e t u p : M i s s i o n t o T h a y
The Red W izards are integral to the cult’s plans for
summoning Tiamat, but the Red W izards allied with
the Cult of the Dragon are exiles with no connection to
Thay. The Thayan Red W izards approach the Council
of Waterdeep asking for an envoy to be sent to Thay,
where they must convince the most reviled wizards in
Faerun to join with the forces of the Sword Coast for the
common good. This paves the way for episode 8.
F o u r t h Sessio n
The fourth council is the final meeting between the
faction leaders and the adventurers. Hundreds of
chromatic dragons have been sighted near the Well of
Dragons, and the time has come to strike. At the end
of this council, the delegates make their final decisions
of support for the adventurers and their cause, if they
haven’t done so already.
F o l l o w - u p : X o n t h a l ’s T o w e r
At an appropriate point in the council meetings, Rian
Nightshade approaches the characters and asks for
a private audience. She explains her position as an
emissary of the Zhentarim, and of the Zhentarim’s
interest in current affairs. She bemoans the dithering
of the other factions, stating that the Black Network
is w illing to act immediately and unflinchingly—if
the party can help arrange agreeable terms for the
Zhentarim's support.
Rian points out that the Zhentarim have a keen
interest in Xonthal’s Tower. Ownership of the tower is
under discussion by the council, but the tiefling wants
to deal directly with the adventurers, who have claim
to the tower by right of conquest. The Zhentarim are
w illing to purchase the adventurers’ interest in the
tower for 50,000 gold pieces, and Rian can throw
in a potion o f greater healing, a potion o f frost giant
strength, and a scroll o f earthquake to sweeten the
deal. This price could go up considerably if the party
negotiates agreeable terms from the other factions for
the Zhentarim’s support—up to an additional 25,000 gp,
at your discretion.
S e t u p : X o n t h a l ’s T o w e r
At the summit, information comes to the characters
revealing that a senior member of the Cult of the Dragon
seeks to defect from the group, and that the cultist
is offering a dragon mask as part of his plea for aid.
Though the offer could be a trap, the council delegates
believe that the risk is worth it. The defector is holed up
in a fortress known as Xonthal’s Tower, recently taken
over by the cult. Because a small team has a better
chance to successfully infiltrate the tower than a larger
force, the adventurers are asked to investigate. This
leads to episode 7.
F o l l o w - u p : M i s s i o n t o T h a y
Any alliance with the Red W izards is a mixed blessing.
More pragmatic factions and delegates—including the
Harpers, King Melandrach, Dagult Neverember, and
Taern Hornblade—are impressed by the diplomacy
such an arrangement demonstrates, and know that
regardless of the Red W izards’ character and previous
plots against the Sword Coast, they are a significant
asset. Sir Isteval, Ambassador Brawnanvil, and the
Order of the Gauntlet object to the idea of even opening
dialogue with the Red Wizards, and believe that the
Thayans would agree to an alliance only if it furthered
their own plots to rule the Sword Coast and all Faerftn.
Lady Laeral and Ulder Ravengard both think the Red
Wizards unpredictable but necessary, believing that the
only important factor is how the Thayans influence the
outcome of the final battle.