D&D 5E - The Rise of Tiamat

E piso d e 8: M ission t o T h a y
I
arly during his rise to power, Severin enlisted
p H the aid of a group of Thayan exiles in his scheme
-1— / t o return Tiamat to the world. He needs the Red
W izards’ expertise in the rituals that w ill open the
portal between Tiamat’s home on Avernus and the Well
of Dragons. Without the Red Wizards, Severin’s plan
can't succeed.
The Red W izards enlisted by Severin are among the
many exiled Thayans who have fled the rule of Szass
Tam, the lich lord of Thay, and his council of undead
zulkirs. So great is the lich lord’s wrath that all such
exiles are under a sentence of death. The leader of the
Red Wizard exiles allied with Severin is Rath Modar, a
human illusionist.
Though he has no particular bond with dragons, Rath
Modar believes that when Tiamat returns, she w ill be
w illing to do favors for those who supported her. In
comparison to the feeble members of the Cult of the
Dragon, who offer Tiamat devotion but little else, the
Red Wizards who opened the gate for her can wield
great magical power in her name. A ll Modar plans to
ask in return is the Dragon Queen’s aid in overthrowing
the hated Szass Tam and restoring Thay to its former
glory. Rath Modar and his splinter sect refer to their
movement as “the Thayan Resurrection.”
T h e E n e m y o f M y E n e m y
At the start of this episode, the characters are
summoned to a secret meeting by someone they trust
on the Council of Waterdeep. At the meeting, they
learn that the council has been approached by a Red
W izard of Thay named Nyh Ilmichh. Ilmichh has
extended an invitation to the council to send an envoy
to Thay, to discuss ways in which Thay and the Sword
Coast might aid each other during the current crisis.
The adventurers have been specifically requested to
represent the Sword Coast at this meeting, after which
the characters w ill be returned to Waterdeep unharmed.
The visit to the embassy w ill last only a few days, but
the location of the meeting is not negotiable. The duties
of the tharchion (a Thayan governor) the characters w ill
meet precludes her leaving her post. The characters’
council contact tells them that Ilmichh has been
carefully questioned and subjected to a zone o f truth,
and that all she said has been confirmed.
The characters should understand that without
the Red Wizards, Severin’s plans are severely
compromised. Moreover, it is common knowledge that
Szass Tam wants all exiled Red Wizards dead in the
worst possible way. Despite reservations from some
on the council, most believe that since the factions