D&D 5E - The Rise of Tiamat

as this one, it is all but guaranteed that at some point
during the adventure—and possibly at many points—the
players w ill develop their own ideas about how to handle
a situation or how to deal with the cult. And just like
that, they’ll be off and running in directions that aren’t
covered by this book. Those kinds of situations put a
D M ’s skill to the test—but they also produce some of the
greatest gaming moments and memories.
V i l l a i n s
The plot to return Tiamat to the mortal realm has
brought some of Faerun’s most sinister organizations
and most powerful monsters into deadly alliance.
T h e C u l t o f t h e D r a g o n
The Cult of the Dragon has existed for centuries.
During most of that time, its members have focused
on the creation and worship of dracoliches, based on a
prophecy translated by the cult’s founder, Sammaster.
However, those goals changed with the rise of a young
cultist named Severin.
Inspired by Tiamat, Severin reexamined the texts
translated by Sammaster and discovered a different
interpretation, believing that “naught w ill be left
save shattered thrones, with no rulers but the dead.
Dragons shall rule the world entire ...” Severin’s quest
to reshape the cult led him to the dragon Hoondarrh,
“the Red Rage of Mintarn.” The fact that Severin not
only survived this encounter but befriended the dragon
impressed Tiamat in her exile in the Nine Hells. As a
reward and further test, she allowed Severin a scrap of
knowledge regarding the existence of the five dragon
masks. Severin took that bit of information and did what
few others could have accomplished, searching for and
finding all five masks. The task took years to complete,
and it led directly to the crisis that Faerun now faces.
Severin kept the red mask for himself. As other masks
were found, he presented them to his closest allies in
the Cult of the Dragon, granting each the power of a
wyrmspeaker. Using the magic of the dragon masks,
this Inner Circle of Wyrmspeakers helps Severin
prepare the way for Tiam at’s return.
D a i l y O p e r a t i o n s
The plots of the Cult of the Dragon are secret, but its
existence is not. Most folk of the Sword Coast have
heard of the cult, but know only that its members revere
evil dragons. The cult recruits new members in major
cities, and word quickly gets around. Moreover, many
cultists engage in legitimate business or are assigned to
ordinary academic research. Only a relative few serve as
thieves, assassins, and spies.
Dragon-themed symbolism and iconography pervade
the cult’s official regalia—black clothing that features
a cape or cloak cut to resemble dragon wings, and
festooned with jewelry and draconic imagery reflecting
the wearer’s favorite type of dragon. Masks are common
at cult gatherings.
Cultists avoid this regalia in public, but a character
who knows what to look for can often pick an incognito
dragon cultist out of a crowd. Cultists sometimes
greet one another with the sign of Tiamat: right hand
extended, palm forward, with all five fingers spread
in imitation of Tiamat’s five heads. Characters trying
to pass as cultists might find this sign useful if they
don’t overdo it.
Cult members venerate dragons as powerful icons and
masters, but their worship is reserved for Tiamat. They
look forward to the Dragon Queen’s return, believing
that she w ill destroy mortal civilization and usher in
a glorious reign of dragons—and of those who helped
bring about draconic rule. The complex plot dedicated to
bring Tiamat to Faerun has so far seen the cult recover
the five dragon masks and collect an immense treasure
worthy of the Dragon Queen. A ll that now remains is
to raise her temple in the Well of Dragons, sacrifice
hundreds of victims whose souls w ill power an ancient
ritual, and then use that ritual to open a portal through
which Tiamat w ill emerge from the Nine Hells.
C u l t S t r u c t u r e
The cult has a simple hierarchical structure, consisting
of initiates on the bottom, four ranks for cultists,
and one highest rank for “Wearers of Purple”—the
lords, leaders, and cult masters of particular locales.
The cult is ruled by a secretive inner group led by
Severin and four other wyrmspeakers—a term of
respect given to those whose bond with dragons is
supernaturally strong.
Rank in the cult is based on merit and fanaticism.
As raw recruits, initiates (represented by cultists and
cult fanatics) have no rank and follow the orders of
their superiors. Only initiates that prove their worth are
allowed to advance. A Wearer of Purple can promote
an initiate along the track of dragonclaw (first rank),
dragonwing (second rank), dragonfang (third rank),
and dragonsoul (fourth rank). Statistics for those four
ranking cultists are found in appendix A.
Cult operation groups are assembled to match their
assigned tasks. They vary in size, from a few lowranking
cultists operating on their own to hundreds of
cultists of various ranks under the control of multiple
Wearers of Purple.
W e a r e r s o f P u r p l e
The Wearers of Purple stand at the top of the cult’s
humanoid hierarchy, and their word is law for the
cultists in the cities, strongholds, and lairs they
command. They are the only members of the cult to
wear purple, and most are proud enough to flaunt
the color. The Wearers of Purple have an affinity for
talking to and negotiating with dragons—the gift of
wyrmspeaking. Dozens of Wearers of Purple are spread
throughout the Cult of the Dragon, and all are able to
marshal the cult’s resources.
Only Severin’s inner circle can promote a dragonsoul
to a Wearer of Purple, granting that character a base
of operations and funds. Most new Wearers of Purple
have already developed a working relationship with
a dragon as part of their power and authority. Those
who do not cultivate and expand this relationship are
sometimes demoted. A number of priests of Tiamat
have recently been made Wearers of Purple, and have