Tyranny of Dragons tells an epic story spanning two adventures, Hoard of the Dragon Queen and The Rise of Tiamat—the two tales contained within this collection. Both adventures are introduced here, outlining their backgrounds, plots, and fundamental ties, followed by details on allies and villains relevant to both adventures. Regardless of which adventure you’re running, this overview provides useful information, applicable to the wider campaign and helpful for foreshadowing the threats unleashed by the Cult of the Dragon.
Tyranny of Dragons is set in the Forgotten Realms on Faerûn’s western shore—the Sword Coast. A thin strip of civilization stretches down this coast, where widely spaced cities are arranged like beads on a string. Roads loosely connect the cities that stretch from Luskan in the north to Calimport in the south, passing through Neverwinter, Waterdeep, Baldur’s Gate, and other ports along the way. The bulk of this adventure takes place on the stretch between Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter.
Adventure Supplements
You can play this adventure with just the Dungeons & Dragons basic rules and the Tyranny of Dragons appendix online, which contains all the monsters and magic items not described in this book. Both of these supplements are available as free downloads on DungeonsandDragons.com.
Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Tyranny of Dragons tells an epic story across two adventures, of which Hoard of the Dragon Queen is the first. Characters begin this adventure at 1st level; by the end of it they should be 7th or 8th level and ready to continue with The Rise of Tiamat. The ideal party size is four characters. If your group is larger or smaller, you can adjust the adventure’s difficulty by adjusting the number of enemies in each encounter.
Character Advancement
At your option, you can use the milestone experience rule. Under this rule, you pick events in the campaign that cause the characters to level up. In Hoard of the Dragon Queen, the characters gain a level after completing each chapter except chapter 5.
Background
The Cult of the Dragon has been active in Faerûn for centuries. It has focused on making undead dragons to fulfill a prophecy most of that time, but that’s changing.
Dragon Masks
The new leader of the cult is a Calishite named Severin Silrajin, who believes that real draconic knowledge and power belongs to living dragons, not undead ones.
Severin’s ambition amused Tiamat, so she revealed the existence of five dragon masks to him—one for each chromatic dragon color. Individually, these ancient masks allow wearers to communicate with dragons. More importantly, a person who is erudite in draconic lore becomes a wyrmspeaker while wearing the mask, which allows the wearer to think like a dragon, gain favor among dragons, and subtly influence their behavior. When all five are brought together, they magically merge into a single Mask of the Dragon Queen. With the assembled mask, the cult can release Tiamat from her prison in the Nine Hells.
After Severin (subtly guided by Tiamat) discovered that secret, he bent all the cult’s resources to finding the long-lost dragon masks in their secret hiding places. When he recovered the red mask, Severin became the first of the wyrmspeakers, but others soon followed.
Secrets
The Cult of the Dragon has kept secret its goal to bring Tiamat into the world thus far. Many know of the cult’s increased activity along the Sword Coast, especially in the north, but the reasons behind the resurgence are unknown.
Besides his cultists, Severin has forged an alliance with a splinter faction of the Red Wizards of Thay. This small and secretive group, led by an outcast named Rath Modar, plots to unseat the lich Szass Tam from his position over the Red Wizards. Rath believes that in exchange for his help in releasing Tiamat, she will grant him the power he needs to overthrow Szass Tam.
Cult Organization
The Cult of the Dragon is organized in cells, which vary in size from just a handful of members to scores. Leaders in the cult are known as Wearers of Purple, and they outrank normal cultists, but no formal grades exist within the ranks of the Wearers of Purple.
Although the cult uses regalia in its rituals and its distant camps, members who operate in public places dress and act no differently from anyone else.
The cult is not above hiring mercenaries when it has special jobs to fulfill. Indeed, many of the “cultists” that characters encounter in the first three chapters of this adventure are working for pay.
Overview
During the time covered by the first half of this adventure, the cult already has several of the five dragon masks. While the cult works to gain more, Severin initiates the second part of his plan to release Tiamat: recruiting dragons and assembling a treasure hoard worthy of the queen of evil dragons. These efforts draw the characters' attention to the cult.
The action begins when a town comes under attack by a dragon and its allies. Characters can intervene to save townsfolk, but not before attackers carry away an important scholar. While rescuing that captive from the raiders' camp, characters learn they are up against the Cult of the Dragon, and they have the chance to destroy a subterranean dragon hatchery that the cult guards.
The hatchery provides clues to the cult’s operation and sends the characters on a long journey northward. During that trip, they face threats from the cult and gain some unexpected allies within the Zhentarim, a shadowy organization with an unsavory history. North of Waterdeep, the cult’s contraband is offloaded at a smuggler’s den for shipment to a castle long ago abandoned.
A portal beneath the castle connects to the stronghold of one of the cult’s most powerful and most disgruntled members, Talis the White, who can become either a deadly enemy or a crucial collaborator to the characters. With or without Talis’s help, the characters must get into a flying citadel that a cloud giant placed at the cult’s disposal and prevent it from reaching its destination at the Well of Dragons.
The Rise of Tiamat
The Rise of Tiamat continues the tale of Tyranny of Dragons. Characters begin this adventure at 8th level, likely having attained that level through the events of the first volume, Hoard of the Dragon Queen. By this adventure’s conclusion, the characters should reach approximately 15th level. Four characters is the ideal party size. If your group is smaller than that, consider removing a few opponents from combat encounters. If the group is bigger, add opponents to the fights. Consider altering encounters for smaller groups to avoid overly tough battles.
Character Advancement
This adventure uses the milestone experience rule. Under this rule, completing certain events in the campaign causes the characters to level up. See “area Advancement” later in this introduction.
Background
The time of dragons dawns. Calling upon ancient magic and a host of draconic allies, the Cult of the Dragon seeks to unleash Tiamat from her prison in the Nine Hells. By bringing the Queen of Dragons bodily into the world, the cult plans to scour away their foes and usher in a new age of draconic dominance. So far, they’ve gathered great stores of treasure, forged an alliance with Thay to assist with performing the required summoning ritual, gathered the five dragon masks central to the ritual (see “area Dragon Masks,” below), and persuaded or cajoled many of the oldest and strongest evil dragons of Faerûn into supporting them.
However, not everything has gone according to the cult’s plans. The discovery of an alliance between the Cult of the Dragon and the Red Wizards of Thay has shaken the various factions aligned against both organizations. The Harpers view any such alliance as an abomination, as does the Order of the Gauntlet. The Lords' Alliance recognizes the obvious threat to the lands and rulers of the Sword Coast and the North, while the Emerald Enclave suspects that anything Thay promotes is likely against the natural order. Even the Zhentarim fear the union of two such powerful forces.
News of the alliance has thus brought the various factions of the Sword Coast together. The leaders of those factions understand that they must gather and rally forces to fight the cult, even as the situation in Faerûn grows more dire. Abductions and raids undertaken by the Cult of the Dragon increase daily, and refugees are fleeing from burned-out regions under cult attack to major cities and fortresses. Villagers have abandoned their homes, fleeing the constant predation of dragons. In many cities, all-out panic has created a growing movement in favor of agreeing to the cult’s demands in the hope of winning concessions in return. It is difficult to muster troops when people are afraid they will be burned by dragonfire. This is a time for heroes to inspire the people of the Sword Coast with a great victory or two. Fortunately, the Forgotten Realms has just such a group of heroes.
Secrets
In the first volume of Tyranny of Dragons, the Cult of the Dragon gathered up a hoard for Tiamat—then lost a portion of that hoard when Skyreach Castle fell. All the while, the cult kept secret its goal of bringing back Tiamat and its alliance with an exiled group of Red Wizards of Thay. The cult now needs only to gather enough sacrifices to power the ritual by which the dragon masks will open a portal to the Nine Hells, allowing Tiamat to travel to the Material Plane.
These plans continue to move ahead as the Thayan exile Rath Modar and his Red Wizards bring expertise in summoning magic to the cult, preparing a tremendous blood sacrifice to empower the ritual. The alliance between wizards and cultists is fragile, however, since neither side entirely trusts the promises of the other.
Allied Forces
This second volume of Tyranny of Dragons assumes that the factions of good-aligned adventurers and the people of the Sword Coast are aware of the threat posed by the cult. What’s unclear is how to deal with it. Depending on the nature of the characters and their relationships with the factions, different groups might recommend different courses of action to the heroes. It falls to the players to figure out how they want to proceed.
Overview
At the start this adventure, representatives of groups and factions from across the Sword Coast meet to discuss their concern about the Cult of the Dragon, and to draw up plans for opposing the cult. The adventurers are summoned to Waterdeep for a summit that will come to be known as the Council of Waterdeep (see chapter 9 for details).
Four council sessions take place over the course of the adventure, naturally dividing events into four stages. Between the council gatherings, the characters undertake missions to thwart the cult’s plans. Some of these missions will be proposed by NPCs (nonplayer characters) during council sessions. Others can be proposed by the characters. The adventurers understand that thousands of lives depend on their actions. The characters are among the greatest heroes of the Sword Coast, and the Council of Waterdeep looks to them for wise guidance and swift action.
Many of the power groups represented on the council don’t trust each other, and some even have conflicting goals. Over the course of the council’s four meetings, the players and characters need to forge this disparate, feuding group into a coordinated force. Only with all factions working together and contributing to the overall effort can enough power be brought to bear against the cult to prevent Tiamat’s return. The more successful the characters are in their actions against the cult, the more esteem and influence they gain with the council.
Events are arranged in this book in a logical sequence for staging The Rise of Tiamat, and the chapters are numbered for ease of reference. You can even add more chapters of your own devising, or which expand on ideas the players generate.
Outline
The events of Hoard of the Dragon Queen lead directly into The Rise of Tiamat. The shape of this adventure is defined by the meetings of the Council of Waterdeep, which divide the adventure into four stages.
Stage 1
First Council of Waterdeep
The characters are invited by NPCs they know and trust to the first session of the Council of Waterdeep. (If you played Hoard of the Dragon Queen, Leosin Erlanthar or Ontharr Frume are likely candidates.)
Varram the White
The adventurers learn the location of one of the cult’s highest-ranking leaders—Wyrmspeaker Varram. After discovering that Varram is held captive by yuan-ti in the Serpent Hills, the characters can fight the yuan-ti and negotiate to take custody of the cultist.
The Sea of Moving Ice
Maccath the Crimson, a tiefling sorcerer of the Arcane Brotherhood, is an acknowledged expert on the
The Cult Strikes Back (Part 1)
The cult’s leaders aren’t oblivious to the damage being caused by the heroes. Assassins try to stop the characters' interference, but the cultists misjudge the strength needed to complete the job.
Stage 2
Second Council of Waterdeep
The characters regroup with the leaders of the Sword Coast’s factions at the Council of Waterdeep, assessing their victories over the cult and planning the factions' next moves.
Neronvain
The Emerald Enclave requests that the adventurers help them investigate the aftermath of cult raids led by a green dragon in the Misty Forest—a dragon possibly controlled by one of the cult’s wyrmspeakers. That investigation leads to a showdown against the green dragon Chuth and Wyrmspeaker Neronvain, who has a surprising connection to the council.
Metallic Dragons, Arise
The metallic dragons of the Sword Coast send word to the Council of Waterdeep that they wish to participate in the coming struggle. The adventurers are chosen to attend a council of dragons in the Sunset Mountains, pleading the humanoid factions' case to some of the oldest and most powerful creatures in Faerûn.
The Cult Strikes Back (Part 2)
After a first attempt to assassinate the heroes failed, the Cult of the Dragon tries again. With a better idea of what they’re up against, they have a better chance to succeed.
Stage 3
Third Council of Waterdeep
At the third meeting of the Council of Waterdeep, the characters take lead roles in shaping the fight against the cult.
Xonthal’s Tower
The Cult of the Dragon is not without its own internal strife, as the adventurers discover when a cultist contacts them with the offer to turn over one of the dragon masks essential to Severin’s plans. The characters must infiltrate a cult stronghold and claim the mask, then save a nearby village from the blue dragon that means to take the relic back.
Mission to Thay
The ritual that will bring Tiamat to Faerûn is too complex for the cult’s spellcasters to perform without their Red Wizard allies—all Thayan exiles. The adventurers travel to Thay to forge an alliance with the Red Wizards, whose lich lord Szass Tam hungers for revenge against the exiles. The Red Wizards of Thay are evil to the core, though, and the delegates must tread carefully as they present their case.
The Cult Strikes Back (Part 3)
The Cult of the Dragon now knows the adventurers' strengths and methods. If the characters don’t take precautions to safeguard themselves, the cult stands a good chance of killing them all with a third attack.
Stage 4
Fourth Council of Waterdeep
At the final meeting of the council, the characters must work to unite the factions of the Sword Coast for the final battle against the Cult of the Dragon. Severin is ready to fulfill his plans, and the combined forces of the Sword Coast must strike now if the cult is to be stopped.
Tiamat’s Return
At the Well of Dragons, a battle unfolds that will decide the fate of Faerûn. The factions of the Sword Coast fight alongside new and unexpected allies, facing off against the assembled might of the dragon cultists, flights of chromatic dragons, other monsters, and mercenaries. The adventurers choose their own role during the battle, and might rescue sacrificial prisoners, shut down the
Advancement
Tyranny of Dragons: The Rise of Tiamat was designed around the milestone system of advancement. At the start of the adventure, the characters should be 7th or 8th level. Instead of tracking specific experience awards, characters can level up at the completion of significant chapters of the adventure. The characters level up after every chapter listed below:
- Chapter 11: Death to the Wyrmspeakers (Varram)
- Chapter 10: The Sea of Moving Ice
- Chapter 13: The Cult Strikes Back (First Attack)
- Chapter 12: Death to the Wyrmspeakers (Neronvain)
- Chapter 13: The Cult Strikes Back (Second Attack)
- Chapter 15: Xonthal’s Tower
- Chapter 16: Mission to Thay (level gain at DM’s option)
- Chapter 13: The Cult Strikes Back (Third Attack)
Leveling up after seven milestones should bring the characters to 14th or 15th level in time for the final battle at the Well of Dragons.
Adventure Hooks
For characters who have not played Hoard of the Dragon Queen, the adventure can also begin by playing out another chapter before the first session of the Council of Waterdeep. The party could be summoned by a factional leader seeking aid against the Cult of the Dragon, with the characters asked to undertake the “Varram the White” portion of the “Chapter 11 and 12: Death to the Wyrmspeakers.” Seeking to capture a high-ranking cult leader is a great step in the fight against the cult. Once they return to Waterdeep, the adventurers then become embroiled in the first session of the “Chapter 9: Council of Waterdeep.”
Tyranny of Dragons can be adapted to different regions of the Forgotten Realms, or to a different campaign setting entirely with a bit of preparation on your part. Change the names, factions, and locations present in the adventure to suit your own campaign.
Recurring Villains
The The Rise of Tiamat makes use of certain NPCs from Hoard of the Dragon Queen, and makes the assumption that those NPCs escaped any conflict with the adventurers.
In the event that important nonplayer characters such as Rezmir or the Red Wizard Rath Modar were killed or captured, simply replace them with new nonplayer characters here—or assume that they were resurrected between the previous adventure and this one. NPCs returning from the dead show the level of magical power the cult and its Red Wizard allies wield—and their dedication to seeing Severin’s plans brought to fruition.
Additional Encounters
The Rise of Tiamat is an open-framework adventure designed for higher-level characters. As such, not all your game sessions need to stick to the main track of the adventure narrative. Additional events, rumors, and encounters can be used as needed or added as side treks or distractions. The following encounter seeds are meant to be used when you want to break up the narrative or if the players get off track. Each can be expanded as you like, and is meant to tie into one of the main chapters in the adventure (or to let you gently guide the players in that direction). Each additional encounter also provides a sense of the wider scope of the setting.
Monstrous Uprising
A charismatic half-red dragon veteran leads a band of 21 Kobold and 7 lizardfolk, taking advantage of the unrest along the Sword Coast. The group might besiege a village the characters are staying at, raid and enslave another settlement, or start charging tolls along one of the trade roads of the Sword Coast. This band isn’t organized enough to attack all at once and provide a significant challenge to the party. Instead, it shows the increasing anarchy of the region, and the way that Tiamat’s rise has emboldened evil creatures that aren’t directly serving the Dragon Queen.
Power of the Cult
The Cult of the Dragon expands its operation in larger and bolder ways. Its leaders send diplomatic missions to Berdusk, Triel, and other settlements demanding tribute—and offering protection from dragon raids for those who comply. Cultists shake down caravans seeking protection money, and have been burning caravans that belong to the rivals of those who do pay. Less scrupulous merchants are finding it easier to do business with the cult than to fight against them. Any Zhentarim contacts of the adventurers are understandably worried about these developments.
Elite bands of cultists have been charged with establishing the cult’s control from the Gray Peaks to the Sunset Mountains. They seek out allies in the area, with an eye toward choosing friendly territory for a capital city and a seat of power for the cult’s Inner Circle. Such bands are led by a dragonsoul defended by 4 Dragonclaw and a pack of 3 Guard Drake. The dragonsoul rides a warhorse, but the other cultists are on foot. See appendix D for the cultists and drakes.
Devilish Demands
Though the Cult of the Dragon and the Red Wizards are making use of diabolic allies as they plan the ritual that will free Tiamat, not all devils are on their side. Some fiends not wanting to see Tiamat gain worldly power seek to break the alliance between the cult and Thay. This encounter can be used to reveal to the characters the divisions already present among the evil factions.
The devils who are aligned against Tiamat send a delegation of 5 Cultist and 2 Cult Fanatic (devil worshipers) and a bone devil named Lord Volmer to treat with the party. The cultists lead the characters to a large tent, inside which Lord Volmer awaits.
Using telepathy, Lord Volmer tells the adventurers about the so-called “Thayan Resurrection” (the attempt by Thayan exiles to supplant Szass Tam), as well as the fact that Szass Tam intends to destroy Rath Modar and his “splinter sect” for their impudence. The bone devil assures the characters that they can earn the Red Wizards' favor by providing him with information leading to Rath Modar’s capture.
Lord Volmer also tells the party that the lords of the Nine Hells are divided when it comes to the matter of Tiamat’s release. He tells the party that if Tiamat is prevented from escaping, the party will earn “powerful friends” in the Nine Hells. If the characters attack Lord Volmer, he and his allies retaliate. The devil is not worried about dying, since he reforms at full strength in the Nine Hells upon his demise.
Captive Cultist
A group of dwarf miners has captured a high-ranking member of the Cult of the Dragon—a Wearer of Purple named Cheela Flegsteel who got a little too greedy while leading a group of cultists that was terrorizing the dwarves. Having killed Cheela’s drakes and subordinates, the dwarves bring their prisoner to the adventurers hoping for a reward.
Cheela has useful information about the cult’s activities, which could be used to lead into any chapter of your choice. However, she also knows that a rescue party is not far behind her. The adventurers need to help the dwarves fend off an attack by 4 Ogre and a half-red dragon veteran named Yggran. The dwarves are hopelessly overmatched and flee rather than fight. If her fellow cultists can’t save Cheela, they might kill her rather than leave her in the adventurers' hands.
Fallen Hero
The adventurers meet a seriously injured elf ranger—a well-known hero named Cylanestriel. She speaks of her capture by the Cult of the Dragon and her escape from the stronghold at the caldera of the Well of Dragons. (If possible, make Cylanestriel an associate, mentor, or relative of someone in the party.)
Use this encounter to make the players aware of the dangers presented by a direct assault against the Well of Dragons. The army of the cult is huge and powerful enough to have destroyed a major adventuring group. The Well of Dragons is on alert, and its defensive forces include flights of dragons that prowl the skies above the site. The characters should be made to understand that attacking with a large allied force is their only option for defeating the cult.
Death at the Council
During the second or third session of the Council of Waterdeep, rumors spread of an aide from Neverwinter who killed an aide from Mithral Hall and then hanged himself. In truth, the Cult of the Dragon sent a succubus spy to Waterdeep. She
If the characters investigate, they can obtain the body to question it using
Running the Adventure
Tyranny of Dragons is a big, sprawling adventure that covers many levels of play and a huge swath of the Forgotten Realms. This book outlines the overall structure of the adventure and presents many chapters and events with which to challenge the characters as they investigate the nefarious plots of the Cult of the Dragon. This is not, however, a script to be read aloud with stage directions that must be followed. Tyranny of Dragons does not hold your hand and guide you step-by-step from the story’s beginning to its inevitable conclusion. Instead, it presents people, creatures, locations, and situations for the adventurers to explore and interact with in a constantly changing, lively way.
You, the Dungeon Master, play a vital role. The creators of Tyranny of Dragons have tried to foresee the most likely courses of action that the characters might take in the adventure. However, D&D players are curious and unpredictable, and Faerûn is immense and filled with possibility. In a scenario as open-ended as this one, it is all but guaranteed that at some point during the adventure—and possibly at many points—the players will 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 DM’s skill to the test—but they also produce some of the greatest gaming moments and memories.
Campaign Villains
The plot to return Tiamat to the mortal realm has brought some of Faerûn’s most sinister organizations and most powerful monsters into deadly alliance.
The Cult of the Dragon
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 will 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 Faerûn 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 Tiamat’s return.
Daily Operations
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 will 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 Faerûn has so far seen the cult recover the five dragon masks and collect an immense treasure worthy of the Dragon Queen. All that now remains is to raise her temple in the Well of Dragons, sacrifice hundreds of victims whose souls will power an ancient ritual, and then use that ritual to open a portal through which Tiamat will emerge from the Nine Hells.
Cult Structure
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 Cultist and Cult Fanatic) 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 D.
Cult operation groups are assembled to match their assigned tasks. They vary in size, from a few low-ranking cultists operating on their own to hundreds of cultists of various ranks under the control of multiple Wearers of Purple.
Wearers of Purple
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 been charged with establishing temples for her open worship in Faerûn. This aspect of the cult’s plans is still in the early stages, and the inner circle remains divided on how the Cult of the Dragon should interact with the faithful of Tiamat.
The Inner Circle
These four Wearers of Purple are the keepers of the dragon masks and Severin’s most devoted servants in the effort to summon Tiamat. Each of these wyrmspeakers bears one of the dragon masks, which they never part with except under the direst circumstances—and then only at the request of Severin or a draconic ally. The members of the inner circle each have an affinity for a particular color of chromatic dragon. They treat with dragons of those colors to recruit more dragons to the cause, and plan cult missions that advance Severin’s plots.
In addition to Severin, the Red Wyrmspeaker, the members of the inner circle are: Galvan (male human), the Blue Wyrmspeaker; Neronvain (male moon elf), the Green Wyrmspeaker and son of Melandrach, King of the Misty Forest; Rezmir (female half-black dragon), the Black Wyrmspeaker; and Varram (male dwarf), the White Wyrmspeaker.
If any wyrmspeakers are killed or captured in your campaign—including Rezmir, who the characters might have defeated in Hoard of the Dragon Queen—Severin appoints new followers to his inner council.
Dissent in the Ranks
Under Severin’s leadership, most cultists are devoted to Tiamat—but not all. Some of the old guard dislike the cult’s new direction, and long for the established traditions and the rise of the dracoliches. A common thought among the dracolich loyalists is that Severin is being played by the fiendish Tiamat. Notable among these members of the old guard are Naergoth Bladelord, the former commander of the stronghold at the Well of Dragons, and Jorgen Pawl and Iskander, two high-ranking cultists in command of Xonthal’s Tower.
Using the Cult of the Dragon
Cultists are suitable foes for the adventurers in most situations. They keep a low profile in public, so characters are unlikely to see cultists in full regalia on the streets of Waterdeep or Scornubel. As their plots near fruition, however, the cultists grow bolder and might engage the adventurers openly.
By the start of The Rise of Tiamat, the effects of the cult’s activities are visible across the Sword Coast. The scorched ruins of farming communities pillaged by cultists for Tiamat’s hoard are a common enough occurrence that travelers know something is amiss.
Red Wizards of Thay
The Red Wizards hail from Thay, over two thousand miles east of the Sword Coast. A grim, dismal region spread across a towering plateau, Thay is defended by an army of undead warriors and ruled by the lich Szass Tam and the zulkirs he appoints to rule over the eight schools of magic. The Red Wizards of Thay are known across Faerûn, and are easily recognized by their distinctive crimson robes and the arcane sigils tattooed onto their shaved heads. Because of their evil reputation, Red Wizards are arrested or killed on the spot in many lands. For that reason, they often travel in disguise, invisibly, or by magical means.
For many years, Szass Tam’s grip on absolute power in Thay has been weakened by internal strife. Mortal Red Wizards have risen against their undead masters, destroying some of Szass Tam’s lich zulkirs and thinning the ranks of other undead. Little is known of the conflict beyond Thay’s borders, however. In this quiet civil war, both sides fear that too much attrition will make Thay a target for its long list of enemies. Szass Tam questions the allegiance of all living Red Wizards outside Thay, and has made it clear that death and worse await any who oppose him.
Rath Modar’s Ambition
One such Red Wizard exile is Rath Modar, an illusionist of great skill who long ago made the Sword Coast his home. Having a natural interest in dragons, it wasn’t long before Rath Modar came into contact with the Cult of the Dragon and Severin. The young, ambitious cult leader sought powerful magic to locate the scattered dragon masks and to perform the ritual that would summon Tiamat from the Nine Hells. Rath Modar dreamed of an army that could confront and defeat Szass Tam. Out of mutual need, their alliance was born.
The secret cornerstone of this union is Rath Modar’s belief that once Tiamat returns, she will see that the Red Wizards are more useful allies than the devoted but magically weak cultists. Rath Modar hopes that Tiamat will show her gratitude for the pivotal role he and his fellow Red Wizards played in her return, granting them an army of dragons with which to assault Thay. After unseating Szass Tam, Rath Modar plans to take his place at the head of all Red Wizards. Whether Tiamat will grant such a reward—or have any further use for the Red Wizards at all—remains unknown.
Not all members of the Cult of the Dragon are happy about the Red Wizards' involvement in the cult’s plans. Wyrmspeaker Varram foresees trouble in the cult joining forces with Rath Modar’s splinter sect. He has warned Severin about the potential danger, to no avail.
Using the Red Wizards
Red Wizards can be encountered anywhere on the Sword Coast (use mage stats if necessary), whether operating alongside cultists or on their own. They most often work alone, but two or three Red Wizards might join forces for an important assignment. In a public area where their appearance could put them at risk, Red Wizards favor deep hoods and scarves to hide their faces. Their undead wight bodyguards are usually nearby—and often
Red Wizards don’t share the cultists' fanaticism for Tiamat. For them, bringing the Dragon Queen into the world is just one stage of what they call the Thayan Resurrection—the larger plan to destroy Szass Tam and reclaim Thay. They tolerate the dragon cultists but do not acknowledge them as equals.
Not every Red Wizard on the Sword Coast is working for Rath Modar or the Cult of the Dragon. Some pursue their own interests, while others are spies for Szass Tam. The adventurers might thus find themselves making uneasy alliances with characters they would normally never trust, since the easiest and surest way to eliminate a Red Wizard in service to the cult is to betray that wizard’s location to an agent of Szass Tam. However, characters who get too close to Szass Tam’s servants and his paranoid vendetta against the Red Wizard exiles might find themselves at the mercy of the Thayans. This possibility is explored more fully in chapter 16.
Hosts of the Nine Hells
Tiamat has long threatened Faerûn, often appearing in lands such as Chessenta and Unther to drive mortals to worship her awesome power. Although mortals don’t know it, the end of the Sundering and the Era of Upheaval also put an end to such direct meddling by the gods. Without powerful magic and mortal aid, Tiamat cannot travel from her home in Avernus into the world.
Avernus is a boulder-strewn desolation where fiery comets streak across the sky and devil aristocrats rule from dismal iron fortresses. The River Styx saws a jagged course through Avernus’s basalt cliffs, winds its way across ashen plains, and eventually plunges through a yawning pit into the eight levels of the Hells below. All the rivers of Avernus feed into the Styx, each one flowing red with blood beneath a roiling cloud of flies.
Asmodeus recently reinstated the fallen angel Zariel as the Archduchess of Avernus, reversing an earlier decision that allowed a pit fiend named Bel to take the throne. While in exile from her seat of power, Zariel was at the mercy of Tiamat—a fate that rankles her still. Despite her power as ruler of the first layer of the Nine Hells, Zariel cannot kill the dragon goddess, and she sees the summoning of Tiamat to the world as a way to be rid of her.
Zariel has directed her mortal agents to assist those who seek to free Tiamat, and her power has made it easier for the Red Wizards to summon devils and for the Cult of the Dragon to find more adherents. However, just as Zariel wants Tiamat out, other devils would be happy to see the Dragon Queen stay in Avernus. Foremost among them is the deposed pit fiend Bel and the devils still loyal to him.
Ordinarily, the Cult of the Dragon has nothing to do with devils. However, releasing Tiamat into the world is a massive undertaking, and Severin has called on every resource he can. Though many of his allies among the Red Wizards are well schooled in summoning and commanding devils, doing so is never a straightforward process. Devils cannot leave the Nine Hells of their own accord, and though Asmodeus can bend these laws, he seldom does. Most devils in the Material Plane were summoned there by mortal mages who expended tremendous amounts of magical power to breach the barriers that separate the Nine Hells from other planes.
Using Devils
Devils aren’t numerous in The Rise of Tiamat until the final showdown at the Well of Dragons, but their presence elsewhere in the adventure (including the additional encounter “Devilish Demands”) should make attentive players wonder at the connection between devils and dragons. Devils are supreme manipulators, and if the characters have the opportunity to speak with devils that aren’t working for the cult, don’t be afraid to offer them diabolical assistance. Such an offer should put all characters—not just those of good alignment—in a bind. Bargaining with devils is a fool’s game, but if the alternative is the end of the world, it might be the adventurers' only option.
Devils in the adventure should always be one step ahead of the adventurers. Characters who like to charge in and decide on strategy later will find that their diabolical foes have well-executed plans. If the characters plan two steps ahead, the devils are one step beyond that. Nothing mortals do should ever surprise them.
Chromatic Dragons
Severin and his supporters intend to use the ancient draconic artifact known as the
The Cult of the Dragon has a secret weapon for dealing with chromatic dragons, in the form of the five dragon masks. Even with a dragon mask, the process of influencing a dragon remains arduous and dangerous—though the payoff is enormous. These relics give their wearers the ability to communicate with dragons, but more importantly, they impart a subtle influence over dragons that cannot be detected. Dragons cannot be controlled by the masks, but they can be swayed by ideas and proposals that they would not normally find persuasive.
Using Chromatic Dragons
The power of the chromatic dragons is a motif running through every aspect of Tyranny of Dragons: The Rise of Tiamat. As the events of the adventure unfold, more and more dragons respond to the
Characters and players should seldom be allowed to forget that the evil dragons are on the move. Whenever the adventurers are outside, they might see a dragon winging overhead in the distance. The shadow of a dragon could fall across the adventurers in the daytime, and dark draconic wings might momentarily blot out the moon at night. When the characters arrive in a settlement, they should hear stories about dragon sightings and attacks. When they travel, burned-out hamlets and demolished caravans line the road.
Dragons are among the oldest, most intelligent, and most powerful monsters in Faerûn and the Dungeons & Dragons game. Chromatic dragons are evil and merciless, and every battle against these creatures should be a life-or-death struggle. No dragon should ever fall without the heroes suffering during the battle. Chromatic dragons use every possible advantage with no regard for fairness, and their chief advantage is flight. A dragon never fights on foot where enemies might hack at it when it can soar majestically out of reach and slaughter foes with its breath weapon. Only in its lair will a dragon typically engage in melee, and then only if its hoard is threatened.
Characters who can tackle the challenges of this adventure are high enough level to have allies raised from the dead when those allies fall to a draconic foe. If the characters can’t do so themselves, their allies in the Order of the Gauntlet or the Harpers should be willing to help out.
With lifetimes of a thousand years or more to lose, chromatic dragons have no interest in dying in battle against mere humanoids, and they don’t sacrifice themselves nobly for any cause—Tiamat included. A dragon caught in a losing battle takes any escape that presents itself, most often simply soaring away. This changes during the final showdown at the Well of Dragons, however, when Tiamat can be seen clawing her way through the portal from the Nine Hells.
Giants
If the characters claimed Skyreach Castle in Hoard of the Dragon Queen, they might well hear from a frost giant diplomat who shows up to reclaim it as property of the giants who built it. A frost giant named Harshnag lives on Mount Sar north of Waterdeep, and he is sometimes called upon when the Sword Coast faces dire threats. The player characters could fly the citadel to him or—in a more dramatic interlude—he might come to a council meeting and demand the citadel’s return on behalf of his kin so that he might rally them against their ancient foes.
If the player characters did not claim the citadel (or crashed it), this option is not available to them.
Using Giants
Giants are unlikely to appear side by side with dragons anywhere before the final showdown at the Well of Dragons. However, characters who gain any insight into the giants' alliance with the dragons should understand its apocalyptic significance.
Campaign Allies
Several powerful organizations battle the Cult of the Dragon even as the party does. The characters are key players in the drama, but everyone in Faerûn has a stake in the outcome of the battle against Tiamat and her allies. Each faction has a presence in the Council of Waterdeep, and all factions are ultimately on the adventurers' side—even if some of them occasionally hinder the characters more than they help.
This section describes each faction’s goals and driving concerns, its leading delegate or delegates to the council, and what resources it can contribute to the final battle against the Cult of the Dragon.
The Harpers
The secret society known as the Harpers has been disbanded and rebuilt several times over its long history. The latest incarnation of the group retains its focus on gathering information, keeping a close watch on the balance of power in Faerûn, and promoting fairness and equality in quiet, unobtrusive ways. Harpers try to keep out of the public eye, preferring secrecy to fame and using knowledge to win the day over brute force. However, as the Cult of the Dragon grows more brazen and destructive, the Harpers are forced to act more openly in their opposition.
If the characters played through Hoard of the Dragon Queen, they’ve already met one of the most influential of the Harpers: Leosin Erlanthar, a male half-elf monk from Berdusk.
Using the Harpers
Harper agents operate most effectively alone or in small groups, much like adventurers. When on a mission, they are independent and self-reliant. The ideal Harper is a keen observer, persuasive, and able to go almost anywhere without arousing suspicion.
NPC Harpers are the kinds of characters who consistently pop up when they’re least expected and most useful. If the characters need a safe house in a strange city, are unable to locate an elusive foe, or have been captured by the cult and need inside help to escape, a Harper can offer up a secure hideout, a whispered clue, or a smuggled knife. Bards, mages, and rogues are the most common character types in the Harpers, but characters of every class can be found in the organization.
Remallia Haventree
Chaotic good female moon elf fighter
Ideals: Freedom, respect (“Our failure would spell an end to all beautiful and honest things.")
Interaction Traits: Honest, friendly
Pledged Resources: Harper mages and scouts
The elf noble Remallia—“Remi” to her friends—is the Harper’s leading delegate to the Council of Waterdeep. She is quiet, speaking only after others have had their turn, and is content to let events unfold until she feels a need to offer intervention and guidance. This embodies her attitude about combating the cult as well.
Remi is convinced that the rumors of Tiamat’s return are true, and she is frustrated by the unwillingness of the other Harpers to commit to fighting the Cult of the Dragon. She understands their hesitation, however. The Harpers' have only recently been reformed, and the cause of their near-destruction was the decision to act more openly and aggressively.
The Harpers measure success in the value and quantity of intelligence gained by a course of action, as well as how that knowledge can be used to leverage an enemy into submission. Remallia wants the party to succeed using such tactics, knowing that this will sway the conservatives in her faction.
The Harpers are willing to cooperate with unsavory types and leverage evil assets, but not if doing so endangers others unnecessarily. They can respect the deftness and skill needed to make such an arrangement, even if they do not like the arrangement itself. The Harpers are always dissatisfied if the characters kill important cultists rather than capturing them—or at least trying to extract information from them beforehand.
The Order of the Gauntlet
The Order of the Gauntlet shares the Harpers' dedication to justice and equality, but their methods and attitude are quite different. Bearers of the gauntlet are holy warriors on a righteous quest to crush evil and promote justice, and they never hide in the shadows. Evil must be opposed openly and vanquished in the light of day, so that all can see and be emboldened by its destruction.
Members of the order are driven by religious fervor and by devotion to the principle of justice for all. Whether a member places more emphasis on one or the other of those ideals is an individual choice. Camaraderie and esprit de corps run high within the order, and an individual member will risk anything to save a fellow member or to complete an important mission.
The Order of the Gauntlet is a young organization, and it is eager and restless for action. It does not take orders from any government or temple, although the opinions of holy figures are greatly esteemed within the order. When evil threatens, the gauntlet strikes.
Using the Order of the Gauntlet
The Order of the Gauntlet is an invaluable asset at the final showdown at the Well of Dragons. No other faction can muster more paladins and priests to heal the wounded and combat Severin’s devil allies directly.
Before the final battle, members of the order make interesting NPCs for roleplaying encounters because of their outgoing ways and strong opinions. Sharing a roadside inn with twenty paladins from the Order of the Gauntlet, or joining their march for a few days when headed in the same direction, should be a memorable experience.
Clerics, paladins, and monks make up the majority of the Order of the Gauntlet, but any character of a righteous mind is welcome in the order’s ranks.
Ontharr Frume
Lawful good male human paladin
Ideals: Responsibility, greater good (“The strong must defend the weak, whatever the cost.")
Personality Traits: Friendly, hot-tempered
Pledged Resources: Paladins and healing clerics to support the fight against Tiamat’s forces
Boisterous and gregarious to a fault, Ontharr is the leading delegate for the Order of the Gauntlet. He has all the justification he needs to support the party (especially if the characters played through Hoard of the Dragon Queen). However, the rest of the order is not yet convinced. In particular, the order does not tolerate evil, and if the characters are known to have committed acts of a dubious moral nature, Ontharr Frume will be pressured to withhold his support. Members of the order will seek proof that the party is righteous or has divine guidance, for it is only with the blessing of Torm and the other gods that Tiamat can be defeated.
Just as good deeds must be performed in the light for all to see, evil must be shunned and fought at every turn. Members of the order can be won over by heroic and righteous deeds, but they will turn against characters who cooperate with or tolerate evil. The order can best be swayed by actions that demonstrate heroism and divine providence—uniting the metallic dragons to fight Tiamat’s brood, for example. Slaying a wyrmspeaker will also serve the party well, while capturing and delivering such a villain to justice will raise them even higher in the order’s sight.
Ontharr Frume’s dedication to heroic justice creates a strong connection between him and the paladin Sir Isteval. However, Ontharr has difficulty reconciling the heroic Isteval of legend with the diplomatic and retiring figure of the Council of Waterdeep. It’s incomprehensible to him why Sir Isteval does not take to the field himself in this great conflict.
The Emerald Enclave
The Emerald Enclave is dedicated to maintaining balance in the natural order and combating the forces that threaten that balance. Members of the enclave live in the wilderness or in small communities, and the order has almost no representatives in towns and cities. They are not opposed to civilization, however. Rather, they seek to prevent civilization and wilderness from harming one another. Those who serve the Emerald Enclave are masters of survival and living off the land, of navigating through the wilderness, and of reading the signs that indicate approaching weather, the passage of creatures, and the general weal of the natural world.
Severin’s plan to release Tiamat from the Nine Hells represents a grave threat to the natural order. The Dragon Queen’s reign and the ascendancy of chromatic dragons would trigger a continent-wide catastrophe that the Emerald Enclave cannot allow.
Using the Emerald Enclave
Members of the Emerald Enclave operate alone or in small groups. Their primary focus is places where the natural world and civilization intersect, because that’s where the natural order is most easily upset. Humanoids and monsters alike can become a threat to nature when they are thrown out of balance with their environment or their role in the world.
Whenever characters are traveling through the wilderness—and especially if they get into trouble in a remote area—they can encounter agents of the Emerald Enclave. If the adventurers need someone to guide them safely across a mountain range or lead them through trackless, monster-infested forest, there is no better choice than a member of the order.
Druids, rangers, and barbarians make up most of the Emerald Enclave, but any character with a strong affinity for nature can find a place in the order.
Delaan Winterhound
Neutral good male half-elf ranger
Ideals: Balance, life (“In all good hearts is a spot of darkness, and in all tragedy is a glimmer of light.")
Interaction Traits: Quiet
Pledged Resources: Druids, treants, and good- and neutral-aligned lycanthropes
Delaan has come to the Council of Waterdeep as the lone representative of the Emerald Enclave. Even his regular companion, a winter wolf named Loska, remains on patrol outside the city. Delaan spends much of his time wandering the northern wilderness, and although he visits friends in Nesmé once a year, he otherwise shies away from large settlements. He is clearly uncomfortable in Waterdeep.
There is no question that Tiamat must be stopped, but the Emerald Enclave wants to see the world restored to order. This sometimes means taking a middle ground in battles between good and evil. Delaan is acutely aware of the destruction accompanying the recent activities of the Cult of the Dragon. He knows the cult must be destroyed for upsetting the balance of nature, and he knows that many dragons supporting the cult will die before the end. He would rather not kill unnecessarily, however.
Delaan is initially reserved in his support of the party. To earn his respect, the characters must recognize that their battle is not just to save civilization but to preserve the natural order. He thus objects to many actions that good or neutral characters might not think twice about—including destroying chromatic dragon eggs and other acts that disrupt the natural cycle.
Delaan’s oldest friend and mentor is a mighty treant named Turlang who resides in the High Forest. With Delaan’s support, many treants will join the fight against Tiamat.
The Lords' Alliance
“The Lords' Alliance” is not a metaphor. This organization was created and is led by leaders and nobles from across Faerûn. Although many of its members have conflicting goals and long-standing rivalries outside the alliance, they band together in the face of events that are too big for any of them to handle on their own. The rulers of Waterdeep, Silverymoon, Baldur’s Gate, and other cities, families, and trading houses of the Sword Coast might never set aside their differences, but they can pull together when the survival of all depends on it.
The Lords' Alliance represents the richest interests and the most powerful armies on the Sword Coast. The order controls wealth that can hire mercenaries, ensure the loyalty of wavering princes, and possibly even bribe a few chromatic dragons to switch sides or break from Tiamat’s cause. Without the help of the alliance against the Cult of the Dragon, the Dragon Queen’s victory might be assured.
Using the Lords' Alliance
Even while they are working together, members of the Lords' Alliance are always advancing their own interests. Everyone knows and expects it—it’s a fact of dealing with the alliance. That doesn’t mean member cities don’t cooperate and help each other in times of crisis. But if a crisis rearranges the power structure of the Sword Coast, all the players involved hope that the new order leaves them better off. For anyone to move up, someone else must move down.
Whenever a military campaign is underway, the Lords' Alliance is likely to be in command. Even if it isn’t, alliance representatives will be on hand to observe and advise. If the characters find themselves in legal trouble, a councilor might come to the party’s aid with a writ of pardon.
Fighters and sorcerers are plentiful in the Lords' Alliance, but the order takes on any character who feels at home in civilized lands. Barbarians, rangers, and druids are seldom involved with this faction, which sometimes leads to strained relations with the Emerald Enclave.
On the Council
Because the Lords' Alliance is a confederation, the order sends seven delegates to the Council of Waterdeep, each effectively representing his or her own faction. Their diverse character, motivations, and obligations ensure that they are not in agreement about the current threat facing Faerûn. Moreover, the standing of certain delegates changes from one council to the next.
Although it is not necessary for all delegates to back the adventurers, without at least some support from the Lords' Alliance, there is almost no way for the party to marshal enough forces to win the day.
Lady Laeral Silverhand
Chaotic good female human wizard
Ideals: Creativity, respect (“We cannot stop what we do not understand.")
Interaction Traits: Quiet, curious
Pledged Resources: Waterdeep’s army and conscript troops
Lady Laeral is present starting with the second council, at which point she becomes the Open Lord of Waterdeep. She is one of the Seven Sisters—legendary, nigh-immortal figures known to have been blessed by Mystra. (Some even say they are the goddess’s daughters.) Her spellcasting ability is impressive but is beginning to wane, and she focuses more on political power than on the arcane these days. The Masked Lords of Waterdeep choose her as the successor to Dagult Neverember between the first and second sessions of the Council of Waterdeep, making her the leader of the Lords' Alliance.
Laeral Silverhand brings centuries of leadership experience and an impressive reputation to the negotiations. A consummate diplomat, she can wield words that wound or soothe with equal ease. As the Open Lord of Waterdeep, she holds great sway with all the delegates except Dagult Neverember, who believes that she engineered his removal from the position of Open Lord.
Laeral’s primary concern is keeping all parties at the negotiating table, and making sure that concrete actions result from each council’s discussions. However, she is leery of committing troops to battle. No stranger to the horrors of war, she is keenly aware that the lands represented by the Lords' Alliance need their soldiers for the protection of their own people. Only when convinced that the Cult of the Dragon is likely to succeed in summoning Tiamat does she change her mind. However, she doesn’t trust the adventurers with leadership unless their deeds in the field and at the negotiating table have impressed her.
If the adventurers sway Laeral to their side, she speaks highly of the party in the periods between council sessions. Having the support of the leader of the Lords' Alliance increases the party’s stature in the eyes of all other factions, granting additional bonuses. See “Chapter 9: Council of Waterdeep” and the Council Scorecard (appendix B) for more information.
Lord Dagult Neverember
Lawful neutral male human fighter
Ideals: Moderation, responsibility (“The commoners need strong leaders to protect them—and to do what must be done even when it is distasteful.")
Interaction Traits: Honest
Pledged Resources: Neverwinter conscript troops, and mercenaries from around the world
Lord Neverember holds many titles and wears several crowns. During the first council, he is the Open Lord of Waterdeep, the Lord Protector of Neverwinter, and leader of the Lords' Alliance. He looks the part of such an impressively titled figure: tall and broad-shouldered, with a thick beard, a wild mane of hair, and a forceful manner. Rarely seen without his hand around a glass of strong spirits, he is a master manipulator and looks and behaves as a king should.
Strong and decisive, Dagult acts always for the good of his subjects and realm—and in doing so, has consistently built up his own power and wealth. Unfortunately for him, the Masked Lords of Waterdeep have recently chosen to replace him as Open Lord. Laeral Silverhand, his successor, claims her title in the second council meeting.
Dagult demands order and rewards discipline, but he is pragmatic and driven by results above all else. He knows that nothing comes without effort, and sacrifices must be made when necessary. Tireless in his actions, he never stops until he has achieved his goals. He will use any means at his disposal, as long as those means are legally justifiable—even when such justification must be “rediscovered” from long-forgotten or ignored laws.
In the first council meeting, Lord Dagult’s resources have been spread thin between the massive investments he’s made in rebuilding Neverwinter and in maintaining dominance in Waterdeep. He strongly supports the members of the Lords' Alliance pooling resources, because he worries that neither of his investments can survive the coming catastrophe without assistance. This changes by the second council. Though losing Waterdeep allows him to consolidate his strength, Dagult resents Laeral for taking his position. He avoids letting his feelings cloud his judgment, however, intent on showing that he is a more fitting leader by backing the adventurers and taking a firm leadership role in the council.
Ambassador Connerad Brawnanvil
Lawful good male shield dwarf fighter
Ideals: Honor, respect (“A sturdy axe, a strong hand to hold it, and a straight fight are all we dwarves need to end this little problem.")
Personality Traits: Hot tempered, suspicious
Pledged Resources: Dwarf soldiers and dwarf-forged armaments and siege weapons
Son of Banak Brawnanvil and a former king of Mithral Hall, Connerad has made the long journey from Mithral Hall to act as the Lords' Alliance delegate for the dwarves of the North, including Citadel Adbar and Citadel Felbarr.
Even though Connerad hates dragons, devils, and cultists alike, he is as stubborn as a mule about committing troops anywhere but his homeland. The dwarven kingdoms in the North have lost many people in recent years, and the dwarves that remain are struggling to retain ancient lands only recently reclaimed. He knows the adventurers only by reputation, and desires tangible proof that they have the mettle and wits to lead soldiers and dwarves before he’ll make a serious commitment. Like Ontharr Frume of the Order of the Gauntlet, Connerad responds well to bold demonstrations of heroism. However, he is personally and deeply insulted by any slight against dwarves or intrusions by the characters into dwarven affairs. His reactions to the adventurers' exploits determine how he votes in the fourth council.
Marshall Ulder Ravengard
Lawful neutral male human fighter
Ideals: Responsibility, glory (“I am trusted with protecting thousands of lives, and I will not betray that trust no matter what my personal desires.")
Interaction Traits: Honest
Pledged Resources: Flaming Fist warriors and expert advisers to train conscript troops
Ulder Ravengard is the leader of the Flaming Fist—the military might of Baldur’s Gate. He has the greatest martial acumen of anyone at the council (and probably in the whole Lords' Alliance). He can also muster more soldiers than any other delegate, and he is not bashful about saying so. His place is at the head of the war council and the front of the battle—but he will take that place only if the party proves worthy of his trust.
Ravengard is a stern warrior dedicated to discipline and results. Having risen through the ranks of the Flaming Fist by the might of his blade and the sharpness of his wits, he sometimes lacks sophistication and tact, but he possesses an unwavering commitment to the law. More comfortable working with soldiers than adventurers, Ravengard is used to giving orders and having them obeyed without question.
Though Baldur’s Gate is still recovering from the havoc caused by the resurrection within the city of Bhaal, god of murder, the metropolis remains one of Faerûn’s most populous, wealthy, and powerful cities. Ravengard recognizes his duty to protect the city above all else, and the Flaming Fist’s tired reserves are desperately needed for reconstruction and policing. However, he would love to see the Flaming Fist take a leading role in the fight against the Cult of the Dragon, if only to give the defenders of Baldur’s Gate a stature befitting the greatest city in Faerûn. This opportunity for glory makes Ravengard receptive to the adventurers' overtures, as long as their plans and decisions promise stability and discipline.
King Melandrach
Neutral male wild elf fighter/druid
Ideals: Balance, nation (“We elves were once the greatest civilization to grace Faerûn, and my people are heir to that history. I will not squander our waning strength.")
Interaction Traits: Quiet, arrogant
Pledged Resources: Elven eldritch knights
The King of the Misty Forest is the delegate for the elves of both the Misty Forest and the High Forest. Whereas his sons Alagarthas and Neronvain always rushed headlong into their own pursuits, Melandrach is more circumspect. He has led the elves of the Misty Forest since before most of their kind abandoned their lands in the Retreat. Despite the years of discussion and meditation that preceded it, Melandrach considered the Retreat a rash decision, and he is understandably hesitant to commit to any sudden course of action.
During meetings of the council, Melandrach consistently argues for caution and more information, and nothing the adventurers say seems to make any difference. That changes when it is revealed that his lost son Neronvain has become the cult’s Green Wyrmspeaker.
Taern “Thunderspells” Hornblade
Lawful good male human wizard
Ideals: Logic, greater good (“Calculated risks are necessary to win this war, and no one is likely to emerge unscathed.")
Interaction Traits: Ponderous, curious
Pledged Resources: The army of Silverymoon (the Knights in Silver) and Silverymoon conscript troops
Taern Hornblade has lived an unnaturally long life by consuming potions of longevity. The wizard led Silverymoon for many years as high mage, but eventually ceded control to Methrammar, leader of the city’s army and son of its most famous ruler, Alustriel. Though Methrammar remains leader of Silverymoon and a member of the Lords' Alliance, he is too forthright and earnest to succeed as a diplomat. As such, Taern was sent to the Council of Waterdeep in his stead.
Silverymoon has a large army and many wizards who would greatly assist in the coming battle, but Taern has not lived this long by being rash. He is one of the most cautious delegates, knowing that Silverymoon’s great wards of protection have stood against dragons before. Fearing that committing soldiers to the effort against the Cult of the Dragon might leave the city weakened, Taern needs to know that the party will protect any troops he lends to the coalition. As such, he seeks to gather as much information as possible about the adventurers and other potential allies.
Sir Isteval
Lawful good male human paladin
Ideals: Tradition, honor (“Against Tiamat, we either stand together or fall alone. Who will stand with Cormyr?")
Interaction Traits: Honorable, wise, dour
Pledged Resources: The might of Cormyr, including Purple Dragon Knights and War Wizards
Sir Isteval is a former adventurer and Purple Dragon Knight of Cormyr. Though not an actual member of the Lords' Alliance, he is present at the Council of Waterdeep as the alliance’s nominal representative for Daggerford. That small settlement can contribute little to the effort to defeat the Cult of the Dragon, however, and in truth, Isteval has been drafted by Cormyr to gain insight into what looks to be a war brewing on its western border.
Isteval has too much respect for the other delegates to hide this information from them, and he assures those present that his loyalties—to Daggerford, to Cormyr, to the Lords' Alliance, and to all good folk—are not at cross-purposes. This forthright approach nevertheless causes an uproar among other delegates, and the adventurers must take a hand in insuring that Isteval is not expelled from the council meetings.
A veteran dragon slayer, Isteval bears a wound in his leg that resists magical healing, and he walks with a cane made from a bone of the green dragon that dealt him the injury. The paladin can be a helpful source of dragon lore, but his advice is always guarded. He sees his infirmity as a reminder from his god Lathander of the dangers of hubris. As befits his deity’s ethos, Isteval has chosen to treat his injury as a reason to encourage the heroics of others even as his own legend fades. Still, at times like these when the world needs heroes, he doesn’t like being reminded that he must watch the fight from the sidelines.
Isteval believes in heroes as the spark that can ignite the flames of righteousness in others and the light that chases away the darkness of evil. Seeing this spark in the adventurers makes the paladin one of the party’s strongest advocates at the Council of Waterdeep, as long as they pursue a principled path.
Sir Isteval has much in common with Ontharr Frume of the Order of the Gauntlet. The two are potential allies in all things, which worries some of the other Lords' Alliance members.
The Zhentarim
The Zhentarim—also known as the Black Network—is a loose affiliation of merchants, mercenaries, and malefactors. Common folk know the Zhentarim as the people to talk to when you need the best guards or mercenaries money can buy. And if the cargo is shady or the cause you’re fighting for is questionable or even unjust, the Zhentarim don’t mind.
Affiliation with the Zhentarim can be profitable to sellswords, thieves, and rogues of every stripe. It’s plausible that adventurers in your campaign might become members of the organization—but like most residents of Faerûn, they won’t know the full extent of the Zhentarim’s operations and goals.
Unknown to all but a few, the heart of the Zhentarim is a cabal of evil and sometimes monstrous leaders who seek to extend the Black Network’s blood-soaked reach into every assassination, black market, and illegal deal that happens in Faerûn. The order’s criminal connections burrow into every major city and thieves' guild in the Western Heartlands and along the Sword Coast. Wherever a city’s coinage is disastrously undermined by counterfeiting, wherever an up-and-coming business runs roughshod over its established competitors, and wherever a political struggle turns to widespread intimidation, it’s a safe bet that the Zhentarim are involved.
However, engaging in mainstream corruption and wanting to see Tiamat ascendant are two different things. The Zhentarim have no illusions about what the Dragon Queen’s return would mean for their plans. Wanting to secretly rule the world from the shadows for themselves, the leaders of the Black Network have no desire to become agents and errand-runners for some petty god and her dragon cohorts.
This viewpoint makes the Zhentarim an interesting addition to the characters' possible allies. Under normal circumstances, the Harpers, the Lords' Alliance, the Order of the Gauntlet, and the Emerald Enclave would shun ties to the Black Network—and possibly arrest its emissaries. However, the crisis created by the Cult of the Dragon is unprecedented. Every resource that can be mustered will be needed in the final showdown against the cult, and the Zhentarim’s network of spies, assassins, and mercenary armies cannot be ignored.
Even with the fate of the world and the Zhentarim’s own future hanging in the balance, the order demands payment for services—and where need and risk are greatest, the pay is expected to be equally great. This mercenary attitude does not sit well with the Lords' Alliance, however, and they are the only group with the resources to pay the Black Network’s price. The heroes can attempt to sway the opinions of the other factions—and have a chance to buy the Zhentarim’s allegiance outright in the follow-up to chapter 15.
In the end, too much is at stake to sit this fight out, and the Zhentarim pitch in against the cult regardless of whether their price is paid. However, if the other factions want a voice in how the Zhentarim go to war against the cult, it will cost them. If the Zhentarim fight on their own, they strike when and how they choose.
At least one Black Network mission is carried out regardless of payment. Without the knowledge of anyone outside the Zhentarim, one of their agents has infiltrated the cult and gets close enough to Wyrmspeaker Varram to steal the White Dragon Mask. This theft sets off a sequence of events that culminates in Varram’s portion of the “Death to the Wyrmspeakers” chapter.
Using the Zhentarim
Black Network agents are useful NPCs that you can introduce at appropriate times during the adventure. Characters who played Hoard of the Dragon Queen have already met one member of the Black Network—the female gnome Jamna Gleamsilver. If the characters need information or gear they can’t obtain any other way, seeking out or being approached by a Zhentarim agent is an easy way for you to provide it.
A typical Black Network agent is a highly capable adventurer with no scruples. Some Zhentarim have winged snake companions that carry messages on scrolls as they fly, allowing agents to keep in contact with one another.
Although the Zhentarim as a whole oppose the cult’s plans, not everyone in the Black Network shares that view. A number of Zhentarim agents believe that the cult’s victory is inevitable, and that by standing against the cult, the Zhentarim risk losing everything. If events are going too smoothly for the heroes, you can introduce a few rogue Black Network agents to throw a wrench into the characters' plans at the worst possible moment.
Rian Nightshade
Lawful evil female tiefling warlock
Ideals: Logic, greed (“I’m certain we can come to an agreement that all parties will favor. But if not, we have other means of settling the issue.")
Interaction Traits: Polite, mercantile, ruthless
Pledged Resources: Assassins and mercenaries
Rian is a member of the Zhentarim and the Black Network’s envoy during the third Council of Waterdeep. She is seated at the table as a special adviser to Lord Neverember, and her affiliation with the Zhentarim will not be mentioned. However, neither she nor Lord Neverember try to deny or conceal that affiliation if the characters question why Rian is present.
The Black Network backs any plans that increase the likelihood of defeating the cult. Any and all alliances are fine, as are any outcomes that add to the council’s strategic resources. Rian doesn’t have any particular interest in morality, and dark acts have no impact on her attitude toward the party. She disapproves of taking any wyrmspeakers alive, though, fearing the power of such dangerous figures and questioning the chance of success for attempts to turn or interrogate them. She favors discreet execution, interrogation of the corpse with appropriate rituals, and destruction of the body to prevent resurrection.
The Black Network remains uncommitted until the final council when pledges are made. If the party has earned the Zhentarim’s respect, they provide their services at only a nominal cost. However, such action almost certainly alienates most of the other factions from the adventurers. Unlike the other factions, the Zhentarim’s loyalty can be purchased regardless of their respect for the characters, if the party can negotiate terms to be paid by the other factions.
Metallic Dragons
The good dragons of Faerûn hear the Draakhorn’s call and know what it portends. With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, the good dragons will take action to oppose the return of Tiamat. However, it remains to be seen whether they do so in concert with the humanoid factions of the Sword Coast, or whether they strike on their own with no thought or concern for the fate of the lesser races.
Using Metallic Dragons
The metallic dragons will strike against the cultists at the Well of Dragons, but they are much more effective if their attacks are coordinated as part of the overall plan of battle. Moreover, if they can be brought into the alliance represented by the Council of Waterdeep, they can help defend humanoid territories from the cult’s devastating raids. This is covered in greater detail in chapter 14.
Giants
Though many giants have thrown their lot in with the Cult of the Dragon, most remember the ancient dragon-giant wars with bitterness and hatred. Tales of feuds, bloodletting, and death fuel the giants' hatred of dragons, but the giant races are their own masters. As such, they don’t easily cooperate with the small races. Even when good giants see the need and wisdom in joining forces with lesser folk, they often resist the idea out of pride until someone or something can command their respect.
Using Giants
Engaging the giants in an alliance against the Cult of the Dragon can be handled by NPCs (most likely by members of the Harpers or the Emerald Enclave). If the characters completed Hoard of the Dragon Queen in possession of Skyreach Castle, offering to return it to the giants (either behind the scenes or in a side trek chapter of your own creation) is sure to guarantee their support of the factions against the Cult of the Dragon. The presence of giants at the final showdown will be an enormous advantage for the forces fighting against the cult.