D&D 5E - The Rise of Tiamat

and Szass Tam have a common goal, the invitation is
worth accepting.
The final decision is up to the characters, of course.
No one w ill compel them to go to Thay. But in the
council’s estimation, the potential to delay or even undo
Severin’s plan at a single blow is too much to pass up.
A D a r k a n d F o r b i d d i n g L a n d
Thay is an isolated and arid windswept plateau some
twenty-five hundred miles east of Waterdeep, its dark
skies constantly clouded by volcanic ash. This land is
defined by the prevalence of undead within its borders.
The supreme leader of Thay is the lich Szass Tam,
whose council of advisers—the zulkirs—are powerful
liches themselves. Everyone of consequence in Thay
is a spellcaster, and necromancers are common there.
Undead servants are everywhere, and many of the
commanders in Thay’s armies are the free-thinking
undead soldiers (use the wight statistics).
Travelers to this land must be wary of its dark
politics—rampant paranoia, a police-state mentality,
and necromancers commanding the top of the social
order—as much as the threats of the undead and Red
Wizards that dwell here. Thay is a place filled with
extraordinary danger.
P r e p a r a t i o n s a n d D e p a r t u r e
The Harpers keep a close watch on developments in
Thay, and they are the characters’ best resource for
current information on that land. If the characters
don’t seek advice from the Harpers, Leosin Erlanthar
approaches them.
In addition to providing the characters with the
information about Thay above, Erlanthar arranges for
them to receive sealed warrants indicating that they
are acting on behalf of the Lords of Waterdeep and the
Lords’ Alliance. The party is under the protection of
both groups, though such warrants are no guarantee
of safety in Thay. Erlanthar advises the characters to
address anyone of importance deferentially and by title,
never by name only. As well, characters who know any
necromantic magic should feel free to show it off.
When the adventurers are ready to depart, Nyh
Ilmichh teleports with them to Nethwatch Keep in the
Tharch of Lapendrar, just inside the Thayan frontier.
R e c e p t i o n a n d A u d i e n c e
Nethwatch Keep is under the command of Tharchion
Eseldra Yeth. She has been tharchion of Lapendrar
for nearly a century—long enough to have firsthand
memories of the past rebellion.
At the fortress, the characters are assigned to
luxurious individual rooms, though the doors have no
locks. Nyh Ilmichh tells anyone who asks that they are
utterly safe in the tharchion’s keep. The adventurers
see no other living creatures until their audience with
Eseldra Yeth. A ll the servants and staff are undead, but
the food and comforts of the fortress are of excellent
quality and entirely safe.
Tharchion Eseldra Yeth is a female human vampire
spellcaster. In the audience chamber where the meeting
takes place, she is accompanied by 10 Red Wizards (use
mage statistics if necessary) and 5 wights. Eseldra Yeth
reviews the characters’ warrants briefly, then delivers a
prepared message.
“We find ourselves bound in common cause against
common enemies. Those who sought to destroy us
in ages past now seek to destroy you. O ur thirst for
vengeance is strong, as is your thirst for continued life.
"Our enemy has become your enemy. We know
their weaknesses and the ways o f destroying them
forever, without destroying their usefulness. You have
the opportunity to discover their hiding places in your
struggle against their cult allies. Together, we can remove
them as a threat to us both.
“ Our agent, Nyh Ilmichh, will return with you to your
city o f Waterdeep, there to serve as our liaison to your
council. What you learn o f the enemy, she will relay to us
by means o f our own. You need only find the enemy. We
will deal with them, as is our custom.
“ I am authorized by our eternal master, Szass Tam, to
say these things, for I act in his name.”
The tharchion waits for the characters’ response, and
engages them in a discussion of what is known of the
plot to release Tiamat and the Red Wizards aiding that
plot. Her questions are straightforward and intelligent,
and offer little opportunity for sly or clever responses.
If a character is less than truthful, Eseldra Yeth probes
for more information. She addresses questions to
specific characters, never to the group in general. If
she detects a lie (see below), she never addresses that
character again.
Toward the end of the audience, each character
must make a D C 20 Charisma (Persuasion) check. (To
maintain an aura of menace, ask for the check without
revealing the DC.) The following modifiers apply
to the check:
• Arcane spellcasters gain a +6 bonus.
• Characters who openly worship a deity associated
with death gain a +4 bonus.
• Clerics and paladins of good-aligned deities take
a -6 penalty.
• Other characters wearing visible signs of worshiping
any good-aligned deity take a -4 penalty.
• A character takes a -4 penalty each time he or
she addresses Eseldra Yeth without using her title
of tharchion.
• Any character who lies to Eseldra Yeth takes a -8
penalty, unless he or she succeeds on a D C 18
Charisma (Deception) check for each lie. (Don’t reveal
the D C of this check.)
Feel free to introduce additional modifiers based on
specific arguments the characters present and their
overall behavior. Sincere (or at least convincing)
praise for necromancy and for Thay’s twisted social
order might earn a +2 or +4 bonus. Insincere praise,