The cult has acquired a friendly roost in Skyreach Castle, a flying fortress built by cloud giants. This castle is docked near the village of Parnast and guarded by mists, magic, and monsters. The fortress contains much of the treasure and valuables that the cult has looted from the surrounding region—treasure that will be added to an even more monstrous hoard at the Well of Dragons, where the cult plans to summon forth Tiamat.
By the time the characters arrive in the village, Rezmir has already announced that the fortress must be made ready for departure. Characters should have time to deal with Talis and possibly other cultists before it takes to the sky.
The characters must be smart in how they tackle storming the castle—it’s clearly a well-fortified place. They also can’t wait too long. If the characters tarry, Skyreach Castle leaves to pick up more treasure from another lair of the cult. The exact moment when it takes flight is up to you as DM.
If Talis is with the party, she can use her rank and influence to get the characters safely to Skyreach Castle, but once inside, she cannot guarantee their safety and, in fact, turns against them at the earliest opportunity. Characters should be at or near level 8 by the end of this chapter.
Parnast
1. Village of Parnast
This small village is secretly under the control of the Cult of the Dragon. The cultists load and unload goods here, and some of those goods are sent to Talis’s hunting lodge (see area chapter 7).
The village has a few dozen houses and a small square, with buildings that include a tavern, a stable, and a shrine. In contrast to this rustic burg stands a mighty ice castle half hidden in a fog-shrouded ravine: walls stand forty feet high, huge narrow towers loom upward—one of blue ice, one crumbling—and all of it is built to a scale for giants. Wisps of fog hide much of the castle’s detail, but you see two statues standing just before the enormous gate.
Cultists posing as villagers are unfriendly toward visitors, while villagers under the cult’s sway remain silent and withdraw from visitors for fear of incurring the cult’s wrath.
If the characters demand to speak with someone in charge, they are directed to Captain Othelstan (appendix D) but are also warned that he has no time or patience for dealing with outlaws.
The Helpful Wheelwright
While the village is full of cultists and those who cooperate with them, not everyone is willing to tolerate the cult’s presence. One man, Gundalin the Wheelwright, a human male who makes wheels and fixes axles for the merchants, woodsfolk, and others, wants the cult gone. If the characters look around for someone who is not a member of the cult, they might find him at the Golden Tankard (where he says nothing) or at his small shop on the square. He often tries to catch their eye, but he is terrified of the cult and speaks only in a safe haven where he can’t be seen. He knows all of the information in the “Rumors and Information” section.
Rumors and Information
Laborers, porters, craftsfolk, and cultists live and work in the village, and although they are reluctant to talk, they can be bribed, charmed, or talked around with a successful DC 18 Charisma (
- The highest-ranking member of the cult to frequent Parnast is the half-dragon, Wyrmspeaker Rezmir. (If she is still alive and free, Rezmir has gone into hiding. No one in the village knows where she is, although they claim that Skyreach Castle is the most likely place to find her.)
- Rezmir’s deputy is a cult veteran and dragonsoul name Captain Othelstan. He commands the cult forces in Parnast, and he monitors all visitors and merchandise passing through the village.
- The cult has controlled Parnast for more than a year, and it basically brought in a company of thugs to take over.
- Some villagers were already cult infiltrators, and others signed up when it became clear that the cultists are rich and have a private army.
- The cultists keep trained wyverns in the village stables. The cultists use them to reach the castle while it is airborne. (No one in the village, including Captain Othelstan, knows where the castle goes after it leaves Parnast.)
- Characters can also learn one of two pass-phrases for safely entering for the castle from Gundalin or anyone who becomes a friendly helper to them: “Tiamat, Our Mother and Strength” or “Hail Blagothkus.”
2. The Golden Tankard
A yellow tankard hangs over the door of this rustic tavern. Inside, though, the place is short on cheer. All conversation stops and all eyes turn in your direction. A tall, heavyset man with enormous muttonchop sideburns steps forward and asks, “What can I get you travelers?”
A visitor can buy a mug of beer for 3 cp or a mug of strong mead for 1 sp. There’s sausage on the menu as well as stewed cabbage and heavy black bread (4 cp for a plate full), but no one visits for the fine dining. It’s just enough to keep a visitor going another day, and no more than that.
If the characters sit and order ale, well and good.
“I will send the pot boy out to you in a moment with the finest available in my humble tavern.” He goes toward the kitchen, bellowing for a cask.
The owner is Raggnar Redtooth, who seems friendly enough but secretly takes bribes from the Cult of the Dragon. Strangers are never really welcome in his tavern, but they get service while he informs Captain Othelstan by sending a messenger. Raggnar has a violent past and is treated as an unarmored veteran (AC 10). He keeps his weapons behind the bar.
Prying information from Raggnar and his clientele is difficult. The villagers want to keep the characters occupied, and they ask for them to tell tales of their journey, they inquire about the characters' families and where they are from, and they query how the party got here.
If asked about a place to sleep, Raggnar makes it clear that he isn’t an innkeeper: there are no beds or rooms, and even the stable is full. If anyone asks why, he gives his usual excuse: “Lord Marsten and his entourage are coming to hunt. All the servants are making things ready for their arrival.” (This is pure nonsense, of course—he has no rooms other than his own.) If the characters just wait a moment, Raggnar says he will offer them his own chambers, for a steep fee of 10 gp. “I’ll clear out a few things and it is all yours.” This is also a stalling tactic, though he’ll certainly take the money.
Because the cultists are about to ship a castle full of treasure from the village, they desperately don’t want the characters to find anything suspicious, such as wagons loaded with chests (there’s no room to hide a caravan in a village this small) or their wyvern mounts in the stables (see area 3). If Raggnar can keep the characters eating and drinking and gossiping, then Skyreach Castle can slip away into the sky.
Treasure
The Golden Tankard takes its name from a magic item that Raggnar found years ago: a golden stein decorated with dancing dwarves and grain patterns. This is a
3. The Stable
The two big doors leading into the stable are sealed, and the place looks shuttered.
If the characters ask around, the villagers claim that the stable was put out of business some time ago. Anyone listening carefully hears a bellowing noise, though (no check required). The cult keeps two Wyvern in the stable; sometimes, they unleash a wyvern-sized roar.
Cracked sheep bones and a few ox skulls cover the stable floor. Other than riding harnesses for the wyverns, there is no treasure here.
Wyvern Riding and Castle Catching
The wyverns in the stable (area 3) are trained to carry up to two Medium or six Small riders at a time. The difficult part is getting their harnesses attached so that riders don’t fall off, and giving the proper commands once airborne.
Any character can put the harness on a wyvern with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (
Animal Handling ) check. If the check fails by 5 or more, the wyvern strenuously objects and attacks the character once with its tail stinger as a reaction. The wyverns aren’t choosy about who rides them, but convincing a wyvern to fly or move in a specific direction requires an action to make a DC 15 Wisdom (Animal Handling ) check; if the check fails, the wyvern ignores the rider’s commands until the rider’s next turn. After a rider succeeds on two such checks, the wyvern goes where the rider wants for the next hour, or until it takes damage or the rider dismounts.The castle is easily spotted, day or night, out to a range of five miles. The wyverns are faster than the castle in flight, and they can catch up to it.
Developments
The characters can try to equip the wyverns with harnesses and ride them as aerial mounts; see the “Wyvern Riding and Castle Catching” sidebar for details. If they steal one or both wyverns from under the Cult of the Dragon’s nose, divide 4,000 XP evenly among the characters—more than what they would receive for slaying the wyverns.
4. Shrine of Axes
This wooden building is a shrine for woodcutters, and it combines several gods under one roof.
A statue of Angharradh, an obscure elven deity representing spring, stands among statues of gods representing the other seasons, namely Auril (winter), Chauntea (summer), and Mielikki (autumn). Angharradh’s statue has been defaced by having her face and hands chopped away. A dead squirrel has been left at Auril’s feet.
The statue of Mielikki is not only freshly painted but also has a set of small cups, bits of bread, and other small sacrifices at its feet.
5. Village Well and Square
A well stands at the center of the village square. Four buildings surround it: an empty shrine, a wheelwright’s shop, a tavern, and a stable.
Timber merchants, woodsfolk, and others haggle over the finer lumber here, and wagons carry supplies. See area areas 2, area 3, and 4 for more information about the tavern, the stable, and the shrine.
The well is 40 feet deep, cold, and pure. Five human Guard loyal to the Cult of the Dragon keep an eye out here at all times, making sure that villagers do as they are told. If the guards are confronted, one runs to fetch Captain Othelstan as the villagers flee. Only the wheelwright Gundalin sticks around to watch, and even he does so from behind a heavy wooden oxcart.
Timing the Departure
How long can the characters dawdle? The question of timing is tricky, since the party might head straight to the castle and miss a lot of possible information and roleplaying in Parnast. So, Skyreach Castle should leave whenever it seems most dramatic to you as DM, but here are some tips to help you choose the best moment.
Storming the Castle Immediately: Aggressive players can assail the castle while it’s on the ground. In addition to dealing with the castle’s defenses, they must also contend with reinforcements from Parnast. Such reinforcements include Captain Othelstan, one veteran, six Guard, and three Dragonclaw. In addition, Othelstan and the veteran (his lieutenant) ride a pair of Wyvern (see area area 3).
Dawdling and Resting: Any party that spends an hour or more in the village asking questions, getting a meal or rest, or otherwise not getting aboard the castle might miss the boat. The castle leaves one hour after the cultists realize the village has been infiltrated. After the castle is gone, the villagers drop all pretense of friendliness and send Captain Othelstan (see appendix D), one veteran, and six Guard to attempt to capture the intruders and either kill them as sacrifices or drive them out of the village. Othelstan can also call for reinforcements in the form of three Dragonclaw, one of whom takes the time to release the two Wyvern in the stables (see area area 3).
Last Recourse: If the castle flies away without the characters, Gundalin or another villager predisposed to help the party might provide assistance before Captain Othelstan and his retinue arrive, suggesting that the characters rush to the stables, mount the wyverns, and take flight at once. The characters have a few rounds to reach the stables before Othelstan has the building surrounded and demands their surrender.
Skyreach Castle
Eons ago, cloud giants built this flying fortress to take their ancient battle against dragonkind into the skies. The spirit of a giant enables it to fly—this ancient bond dates back to the days when giants and dragons fought great wars. The binding kept dragons from taking these castles for their own, and the bond still holds centuries later.
The cult has struck a bargain with the castle’s owner, a cloud giant named Blagothkus who harbors no particular hatred of dragonkind (or anything else, for that matter). The spirit of his deceased wife, Esclarotta, controls the castle’s propulsion and buoyancy. The cult cannot afford to alienate Blagothkus, because the castle’s spirit will not obey them.
Skyreach Castle is carved from ice so thick as to be opaque. The ice is as strong and impenetrable as granite, thanks to ancient cloud giant wizardry. Towers and walls surround an iceberg core that’s been hollowed out to serve as the lair of a powerful white dragon allied with the cult. The whole thing can be hidden under a veil of fog and cloud, or set to move slowly with the wind. See area area 19 for details.
General Features
The castle is carved from opaque ice magically reinforced to be as hard as stone. While on the ground, the castle rests in a wide ravine on the outskirts of Parnast. Everything in the ravine is heavily obscured by fog, so the characters can approach the castle without being seen by its inhabitants. Until the castle takes flight, cultists and guards from the village deliver wagons laden with supplies and treasure to the castle’s main gate (see area area 6 for details).
Ceilings
All castle ceilings are 30 feet tall to accommodate the cloud giants who built it.
Doors
All doors in the castle are made of 1-foot-thick ice as hard and tough as stone, but only half the weight. They are fitted with iron hinges and handles, and sized for giants. A normal door is 20 feet tall, 8 feet wide, and has its handles situated 10 feet above floor level.
Important Nonplayer Characters
Skyreach Castle is home to the cloud giant Blagothkus, a pair of Stone Giant named Wigluf and Hulde (allies of the cloud giant), Wyrmspeaker Rezmir of the Cult of the Dragon, two Red Wizards of Thay (Rath Modar and Azbara Jos), a vampire named Sandesyl Morgia, and an adult white dragon named Glazhael the Cloudchaser.
These adversaries do not entirely trust one another and are unlikely to present a unified front against the characters. Instead, the giants fight to defend their home, and the cultists and dragon fight to defend their treasure. If the characters play their hand wisely, this lack of trust will be the villains' undoing. The NPCs have dozens of servants, cultists, and guards at their disposal. If more than one or two of these turn up dead, the cultists search the castle for the killers.
Negotiating with the Cloud Giant
Blagothkus the cloud giant is not a particularly enthusiastic supporter of the Cult of the Dragon, but he sees it as a way to stir his fellow giants out of their complacency and into action.
Blagothkus thinks giants have grown soft, and thrashing some dragons would be good for giantkind. So, he plays along with the cult, but on the side he is gathering support among giants, urging them to assume their rightful place as lords of the world. He believes that the rise of Tiamat and the threat of a dragon empire will spur the giants to unite.
Blagothkus has no conflict with “small folk.” He’ll happily let the party know that yes, his castle is transporting a vast amount of treasure to the Well of Dragons, where the cult is gathering its forces and amassing a hoard in anticipation of the Tiamat’s arrival (from where he doesn’t know). If the characters want to help him fight cultists, he’ll happily take them somewhere more interesting up north, where he’s massing his own small army to fight the dragons after they have been lured out into the open. This army is further detailed in The Rise of Tiamat.
Areas of the Castle (6-15)
6. Main Gate
A lowered drawbridge spans a foggy moat. Beyond the drawbridge is an open portcullis, and beyond the portcullis is a covered gateway leading to an open courtyard. Large figures loom in the gateway, but you can’t quite make them out.
Prior to the castle taking flight and leaving Parnast, the cult moves a few wagons laden with treasure chests and supplies into the lower courtyard and unloads them every hour or two during daylight. Adventurers within earshot of the gate who listen closely can also hear the password spoken as each cart passes by.
The supply carts provide a way for the party to enter the castle undetected. Cultists haul the supplies to the kitchen (area area 15) and carry the treasure chests down to the dragon’s main hoard chamber (area area 25).
Walls and Aerial Defenses
The castle walls are carved from solid ice and possess the resiliency and texture of stone. The walls provide a great defense against attacks from the ground. While the castle is airborne, the walls also keep those within from falling to their deaths, and they block the wind.
By Day
Three Ogre stand guard atop each gate tower (see area 6B). They can shout for reinforcements, which come from area areas 9, area 10, and area 15. Rezmir and her Guard Drake (see area area 11) arrive three rounds later. The lower courtyard is clear of fog during daylight hours.
At Night
In addition to the ogres standing watch (see above), the vampire Sandesyl Morgia patrols the lower courtyard, which is heavily obscured by thick fog at night, and the upper courtyard, which is lightly obscured at night. As long as the vampire is on patrol, cultists and kobolds steer clear of the courtyards.
6A. Gateway and Golems
A heavy oak-and-iron portcullis is drawn up just behind the drawbridge. Two life-sized statues of 18-foot-tall cloud giants—one male and one female—stand behind the portcullis, facing each other within the covered gateway.
The winches that raise and lower the drawbridge and portcullis are located in the nearby gate towers; see area 6B for details.
The two statues flanking the portcullis inside the gateway are Huge but otherwise have the statistics of Stone Golem. Anyone who passes through the gateway without speaking the correct pass-phrase (“Tiamat, Our Mother and Strength” or “Hail Blagothkus”) activates one of the golems. If another creature attempts to pass through without speaking the pass-phrase, the second golem animates and attacks. Only a cloud giant can command the golems to return to their posts once activated.
6B. Gate Towers
These two gate towers are not the same height. The one to the left of the drawbridge is 120 feet tall, while the one to the right of the drawbridge is 80 feet tall.
Three Ogre stand atop each tower. Although the ogres are equipped with javelins, they can also fire their javelins from a large ballista on the roof each tower.
Tower Rooftops
It takes one action to load and fire a ballista, and a ballista can be fired only once in a given round. An ogre firing a javelin from a ballista makes the following attack instead of its regular javelin attack.
Javelin
Javelin. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 120 ft./480 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (
Each ballista has AC 10, hp 50, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.
Tower Interiors
A large trapdoor in the roof of each tower can be pulled open to reveal a staircase of ice that hugs the tower interior and spirals all the way down to the tower’s ground floor, where there’s a single unlocked, giant-sized door leading to the lower courtyard (area 7) or the cultist barracks (area area 9).
The winch that raises and lowers the drawbridge is located on the ground floor of the northern tower, while the winch for the portcullis is located in the ground floor of the other. Each winch is manned by one ogre, and each ogre has strict orders to guard its winch and not leave its tower even if the general alarm sounds. Turning the crank on a winch is an action and requires a successful DC 15 Strength check, and each action spent turning a crank either half-raises or half-lowers the drawbridge or portcullis. (Two actions are required to fully raise or lower either barrier.)
7. Lower Courtyard
The upper courtyard (area area 16) partially overhangs the lower courtyard, held aloft by gigantic arches of ice. At night, the lower courtyard is heavily obscured by fog to a height of 40 feet—the same height as the walls that enclose it.
Walls of solid ice enclose this courtyard. Another courtyard partially overhangs this one. It is held aloft by sweeping arches of ice that soar to a height of over 100 feet. Doors of sculpted ice fitted with iron hinges lead to various outbuildings and main keep on the far side of the courtyard from the gate towers.
Add the following if one or more characters succeed on a DC 22 Wisdom (
Hidden in the shadows of the overhanging courtyard, across from the main gate, is an opening in one wall that leads to a spiral staircase made of sculpted ice.
Combat here alerts the ogres in area 6, the cultists in area area 9, the stone giants in area area 10, and the kobolds inarea area 15. One of the cultists runs to area area 11 and alerts Rezmir, who arrives with her Guard Drake three rounds later.
Spiral Staircase
A spiral staircase of sculpted ice connects the upper and lower courtyards, as well as the tunnels leading to the main vault where the dragon lairs (area area 25). The staircase’s spiraling steps are coated with crunchy frost and cannot be climbed quietly, nor are they slippery.
8. Stables
The double doors to the stables are 20 feet tall and wide, making it easy for the wyverns (see below) to get in and out.
The place stinks of some kind of droppings and rotted flesh. Cracked bones cover the floor. Two wyverns stride into view with their fangs bared and tails lashing.
This outbuilding currently holds two Wyvern trained as aerial mounts. However, they are hungry and attack anyone they don’t recognize.
Treasure
Four fine wyvern bridles are kept here, embellished with jade and with mithral bits (worth 500 gp each).
9. Cultist Barracks
The barracks smell of unwashed bedclothes, and the chamber contains fourteen fur-covered beds, as well as several chests of clothing, a table and chairs, and other simple furnishings.
At any given time, ten Dragonwing (see appendix D for statistics) are resting here. Half of them are sound asleep, while the other half are awake but doing nothing overly strenuous. They do not roam the castle unless an alarm has sounded, they hear combat in the courtyard, or the ogres at the gate yell for reinforcements.
10. Stone Giants' Chamber
Two 20-foot-tall, 8-foot-wide archways connect this chamber to the lower courtyard. Any loud disturbance in the courtyard alerts the stone giants that dwell here.
In the middle of this frost-glazed room stands a nine-foot-tall table of carved stone surrounded by three giant-sized chairs, also carved from stone. A fat iron cauldron etched with runes rests upon the table. On the floor in the far corner sits a large iron chest.
If an alarm has not been raised and the stone giants are present, add:
A male stone giant gazes into the cauldron while a female stone giant sits nearby.
If the castle alarms have not sounded, the characters gain a surprise round.
The two Stone Giant, Wiglof and Hulda, are guests of the cloud giant. They are worried that Blagothkus’s attempts to incite the giants into action against the dragons could lead to devastating consequences, but they are supportive nonetheless. They have agreed to help Blagothkus repair damage to the castle and gladly aid in its defense.
Presently, Wiglof is using a magic cauldron (see “Treasure”) to perform an augury ritual and hopes to ascertain the most likely outcome of Blagothkus’s alliance with the Cult of the Dragon, to either confirm or assuage the cloud giant’s fears that the cult is planning to betray him. Any attack launched against Wiglof disrupts his ritual and angers him greatly. Hulda is Wiglof’s companion and bodyguard, and any hostility directed at her or Wiglof is met with brutal force.
The stone giants know that the flying castle is controlled from a steering tower (area area 19) accessible from the upper courtyard, and that only giants can gain entry to the tower.
Treasure
The stone giants collect small-but-perfect gemstones, primarily amethysts but also diamonds, opals, rubies, and topaz. Their collection is secured by a magical globe of force inside an iron chest, which is six feet long, four feet tall and wide, and weighs 500 pounds. Lifting the heavy iron lid requires an action and a DC 12 Strength check, and destroying the globe of force requires an
The iron cauldron weighs 50 pounds. When filled with water or some other liquid, the cauldron substitutes for the normal material components needed to cast the
Developments
The stone giants are reluctant to share any information, but if defeated and either threatened or bribed, they might cooperate.
11. Rezmir’s Chamber
The door is always locked and Rezmir holds the key. A
A large rug covers the icy floor just inside the door of this 10-foot-high room, which is lit by a brazier of hot coals. A large bed rests in one corner, a desk in another. Resting atop the desk is a handsome, iron-banded chest secured with a sturdy padlock.
Unless she is lured elsewhere by a general alarm, Rezmir (see appendix D) is here along with two loyal Guard Drake (appendix D).
The large rug inside of the door is actually a rug of smothering. The rug patiently waits for a creature to walk onto it before attacking. If they are present, Rezmir and her drakes wait for the rug to attack an enemy coming through the door before springing into action.
If Rezmir is killed, the contents of the iron chest on her desk teleport away, leaving the chest empty.
Treasure
Rezmir carries keys to this room, the lock on the chest, and to the storeroom (area area 13). In addition, the chest here is locked and magically attuned to Rezmir so that if she dies, its contents are teleported to the Well of Dragons and out of her slayers' hands.
The chest’s padlock can be picked using
The chest contains the
Developments
If the characters capture Rezmir, she refuses to cooperate in any way. She prefers death over surrender, particularly if her death might keep the
12. Red Wizards' Room
The door to this chamber is unlocked.
Hundreds of horse skulls are nailed to the ceiling and cover it entirely. Thick carpets cover the icy floor, and desks, chairs, and lecterns are everywhere, some covered with books and scrolls, others with potion vials, bits of meat and fur, and other things. Four hulking gargoyles stand frozen in the room.
Rath Modar (see appendix D for statistics), a Red Wizard of Thay allied with the Cult of the Dragon, resides here. Unless he was killed or captured previously, Azbara Jos (see appendix D for statistics) is also present. If both Red Wizards are present, they are in the midst of a scholarly argument when the characters arrive, but they clam up as soon as others appear. If Rath Modar is alone, he is standing at a lectern, reading a book (see “Treasure”).
If Azbara is absent, Rath Modar might mistake the characters for cultists. If the characters play along and attempt to gather information from the Red Wizard, roleplay it out. Rath is no fool, and he is an expert at seeing through illusions and deceptions. He also has a healthy suspicion of strangers, especially if the characters are wounded or inappropriately equipped.
Rath Modar is here to help watch over the vast treasure being transported to the Well of Dragons and also to plan for the summoning of Tiamat; the necessary incantations are complex and require hundreds of skilled spellcasters. He knows that the cult’s ultimate goal is to free Tiamat and raise her temple from the Nine Hells, and Rath’s ultimate goal is to use Tiamat and her dragons to overthrow Szass Tam.
The horse skulls on the ceiling are ghastly ornaments and nothing more.
Three of the gargoyles are statues; the fourth is a living gargoyle that serves Rath Modar.
Vanishing Wall of Ice
Between two windows is a 35-foot-long, 20-foot-high section of icy wall that vanishes for 1 minute when touched. Beyond the wall is an outdoor landing platform.
If he is outmatched, Rath Modar turns
Developments
If the characters speak to Rath Modar or his associate, Azbara Jos, they find that the Red Wizard reputation for arrogance is true: the pair are haughty and proud of their skill, and they have little patience for “ruffians, thugs, and mercenaries seeking to stop the inevitable.” Rath Modar and his associate figure prominently in The Rise of Tiamat. Defeating or killing them is a serious blow to the cult’s ability to summon Tiamat.
Treasure
Rath Modar has three
A thorough search of the room yields several letters to Rath Modar from Severin, the supreme leader of the Cult of the Dragon. Severin’s letters reveal the depths of the connections between the Red Wizards (at least those friendly to Rath Modar) and the cult. The characters also find other letters from Thay revealing that clearly some Red Wizards are not nearly as keen on the cult’s plans. If the characters deliver these letters to Leosin Erlanthar, Ontharr Frume, or one of their other contacts in organizations opposed to the Red Wizards and the Cult of the Dragon, award the party 1,000 XP.
Resting on a lectern is a book titled Beyond the Iron Gates. Written entirely in Infernal, it describes various forms of devil summoning, but the final chapter describes the use of massive summonings and the sacrifice of hundreds of souls to bring Tiamat bodily out of the Nine Hells and into the world. The details of the ritual make it clear that this is something that requires enormous preparation and expense—but the actual magical formulae and chants are not given in this volume. Neither the book nor the other papers here, however, provide a timetable for when the cult or the Red Wizards plan to attempt the summoning, nor do they mention the significance of the treasure that the cult has amassed. (Rath Modar and Azbara Jos can both attest that the treasure is to appease Tiamat upon her arrival.)
13. Storeroom
The door is secured and locked. Any character with
Huge sides of beef, entire ham hocks, and enormous barrels fill this room, as do hundreds of crates. The place smells of burlap, wood, and salt.
This storeroom contains a huge amount of food, though all of it is of average quality. Other than its natural refrigeration, this room is not remarkable.
14. Guest Chamber
This room is comfortably furnished for inhabitants of human size.
A large section of the icy wall opposite the door vanishes for 1 minute when touched, exposing this room to the elements. Beyond the wall is an outdoor landing platform.
15. Kitchen
The scene is pure chaos: dozens of kobolds chopping, mixing, carrying sacks of ingredients, and stirring great cauldrons. It could be an alchemical lab or a kitchen—with kobolds cooking, it’s a little hard to be sure.
Twenty Kobold are here, preparing food for the castle’s other inhabitants. The kitchen is filled with huge sides of beef, entire sheep, chests full of dried fish and vast amounts of bacon, onions, beans, and so forth.
Roosting on a ledge above the fray is a griffon. The creature is Blagothkus’s pet, and it makes sure the kobolds behave themselves. Whenever a fight breaks out, one shriek from above snaps the kobolds back in line. The griffon also protects the kobolds if they come under attack.
Treasure
A thorough search of the kitchen reveals small chests of black pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Each of these weighs 2 pounds, but their contents are worth 130 gp total.
Areas of the Castle (16-25)
16. Upper Courtyard
The upper courtyard is the primary landing site for dragons, wyverns, and flying spellcasters when the castle is airborne. During the day,
Tall, slender towers and walls of ice enclose a windswept courtyard.
Characters landing here need to be prepared to either show a banner or token of the cult immediately; otherwise, the ogres or vampire on watch will sound the alarm and attack them. The ogres in area 20 investigate any loud disturbance in the courtyard.
Developments
If the characters arrive in disguise or fast-talk their way through the courtyard, they are taken to meet Blagothkus the cloud giant (if caught by the ogres), or Rezmir (if caught by the vampire).
17. High Blue Tower
This tower of pale blue ice is the color of sky on a winter day. Its few windows shimmer like mirrored glass or crystal.
The door to this tower is fitted with an iron lock, and Blagothkus carries the only key. The lock can be picked with
The tower interior is a hollow cylinder 90 feet high, without stairs or ladders to reach the top. Any creature inside the tower that speaks the command word “Esclarotta” is instantly teleported to area area 21.
Developments
If the two ogres standing watch atop this tower begin firing the ballista or dropping some boulders, they get the attention of the ogre guards, cultists, and others in the main castle grounds and courtyard fairly quickly. The alarm is raised as soon as any ogre yells.
18. Crumbling Tower
This tower is almost 100 feet high, but it is in shoddy repair. There are two entrances: a door at the base of the tower that cannot be opened (see below), and a working door connected to a crumbling ice balcony 75 feet above the tower’s base.
This ancient tower seems to be crumbling. The windows have been sealed shut with ice, and cracks have formed in the walls and roofcap. A balcony of sculpted ice hugs one side of the tower, 75 feet above the tower base.
This is the tower of the vampire Sandesyl Morgia, a moon elf who joined the Cult of the Dragon long before she became undead. She is a member of the old guard and was around long before Severin took over. Given the chance, she talks about serving under Sammaster and killing dragons to raise them as dracoliches, which she still considers “the true path.” She hates the new cult leadership, but she is forced by circumstance to work with them.
Sandesyl is active by night only and prowls both the upper and lower courtyards in the night hours, keeping a keen eye out for lone ogre guards or others who might provide a meal. When confronted by more enemies than she can handle, she summons two vampire spawn (moon elf consorts) as reinforcements. These vampire spawn lurk on the upper floor of the tower.
The tower is in dire need of repair. The cracked and crumbled ice provides abundant handholds, allowing the tower’s walls to be climbed with a successful DC 10 Strength (
The tower once had four levels with 20-foot-high ceilings; however, all but the highest level have had their floors and ceilings shattered, and the staircase that once curled up the inside of the tower, connecting its various levels, has also been destroyed. The ground floor is now packed with icy debris to a depth of 20 feet, and this debris prevents the ground-floor door from being opened.
Balcony
The best way into the tower is via the balcony. However, it has been weakened and breaks away if more than 150 pounds of weight is placed on it. The door leading from the balcony is unlocked and opens into the upper level that serves as Sandesyl’s crypt. There are no windows on this level.
Sandesyl’s Crypt
Sandesyl’s coffin rests in the middle of the tower’s upper level, guarded day and night by her two consorts. The coffin contains grave dirt, but no treasure. A ice staircase hugs one wall, descending a few feet before ending suddenly, 50 feet above the icy detritus filling the lowest level of the tower.
19. Steering Tower
Blagothkus has secured the door to this tower with an
A staircase of ice leads from the tower’s ground floor to a higher chamber, the walls and ceiling of which gleam and glitter: Jewels are everywhere in the room. You see glowing moonstones, thumb-sized emeralds, shining silvery mithral wands, and strange spheres covered in turquoise and gold, as well as dozens of copper levers and golden spheres embedded in the walls. After a moment, the walls themselves seem to disappear, providing a perfect aerial view in all directions, as if there were no castle and no cloudstuff around. More than a dozen glowing white runes wink into existence, drifting about the room like snowflakes.
This is the castle’s steering chamber. When no one is present, the castle is under the control of the spirit of Esclarotta, who is bound to the fortress by powerful magic that cannot be dispelled. Touching one of the glowing runes issues a specific command to Esclarotta’s spirit. A character who understands Dwarvish or Giant can interpret the command runes.
Command Runes
There are eighteen command runes.
Alarm: A noise akin to a howling wind alerts all non-
deafened creatures in the castle.All-Clear: A noise akin to a loud whisper signals an end to danger.
Anchor: The castle holds position on the ground or in the air. The castle remains stationary despite winds, storms, and so on.
Calm: The thunderclouds around the castle abate over a period of 1 minute. During this time, the storm rune cannot be reactivated.
Cast Off: The castle is no longer anchored.
Drift: The castle drifts on the wind, effectively under no one’s control.
Home: The castle returns to its place of origin, in the Spine of the World (a cold mountain range to the north).
North, South, East, and West: The castle moves in the specified cardinal direction. Touching two runes simultaneously can move the castle in other directions; for example, touching the north and east runes at the same time moves the castle northeast.
Rise: The castle ascends at a rate of 10 feet per round.
Sink: The castle descends at a rate of 10 feet per round. If it comes into contact with the ground, it lands.
Spin: The castle rotates gently clockwise, completing one full rotation in 1 minute.
Storm: The clouds around the castle darken and churn, becoming rumbling thunderclouds over a period of 1 minute. Until then, the calm rune cannot be activated. Once the thunderclouds have fully formed, the creature that activated the storm rune can use its action while standing in the steering chamber to target one creature it can see with a lightning bolt. The bolt has a range of 1,000 feet and can target one creature or unattended object. A creature targeted by the bolt must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 22 (
4d10 ) lightning damage. An unattended object targeted by the bolt simply takes the damage (no saving throw).Unveil: Foggy cloudstuff engulfing the castle dissipates. Lightly obscured areas become clear in 1 round, and heavily obscured areas become lightly obscured for 1 minute, then become clear.
Veil: Foggy cloudstuff materializes around the castle. After one minute, all creatures and objects in outdoor areas within 100 feet of the castle are heavily obscured, and all creatures and objects in indoor areas are lightly obscured.
Widdershins: The castle rotates gently counterclockwise, completing one full rotation in one minute.
Esclarotta
Although anyone can trigger command runes, the spirit of the cloud giant Esclarotta actually controls the castle and can “lock out” individuals who misuse the command runes, effectively rendering them unable to trigger the runes.
Any character succeeding on a DC 15 Intelligence (
If Blagothkus dies aboard the castle, his spirit replaces Esclarotta’s, and he crashes the castle to keep it from falling into enemy hands (see “Developments”).
Treasure
If the characters insist on tearing out the valuable control elements, they can pry loose fistfuls of emeralds, turquoise, moonstones, a huge chunk of jade, bits of amber, and large pieces of mithral, worth 10,000 gp total.
This destroys the castle’s ability to move under power, generate weather effects, and so on. The castle will drift on powerful winds that carry it northward, where it ultimately crashes on the Miklos Glacier in the Spine of the World Mountains. Repairing the control mechanism requires a long period of extremely difficult and expensive work, though a
Developments
The castle might crash, depending on the actions of the characters and various NPCs.
Crashed by Blagothkus
If the cloud giant is slain, his wife’s spirit in the steering chamber is replaced by his spirit. Enraged, he avenges his death by moving the castle northward and then commanding it to crash in the Spine of the World, near the Miklos Glacier. More details of this crash and its consequences are provided in The Rise of Tiamat.
If the dragon is slain and the cultists are routed, Rath Modar gathers any remaining forces allied with the cult and slays Blagothkus, knowing full well that the cloud giant’s death will cause the castle to crash (see above). Rath Modar then uses his
Characters Seize the Castle
If the adventurers befriend Blagothkus and drive off the cultists and the dragon, they may fly it anywhere, though they will certainly attract hostile attention from any dragon. If they are still aboard the castle, Rath Modar and the vampire do their utmost to thwart them.
If he remains in control of the castle, Blagothkus decides to visit the giants. He sends Skyreach Castle north to near the Spine of the World.
20. Ogre Barracks
Read the following text if the characters surprise this chamber’s occupants.
This unfurnished chamber contains a horde of ogres sleeping on piles of fur.
Unless they are drawn elsewhere by an alarm or some other disturbance, twelve Ogre sleep on the furs heaped about this otherwise featureless structure.
Treasure
The ogres all keep small amounts of gold and silver in pouches, sacks, and chests. If the characters spend 30 minutes searching the barracks, they find 800 sp and 300 gp.
If one member of the party succeeds at a DC 20 Intelligence (
Developments
If any ogres are taken prisoner,
- A vampire watches the Skyreach Castle at night. It sometimes feeds on the ogres, to their chagrin.
- The cult uses the castle to visit important sites without roads or portals. The ogres don’t really know where they are other than “the green forests” and “that stretch of the moors” and “the old mountains.”
- The castle’s mists and navigation are all controlled by the cloud giant’s magic. Without him, the castle won’t fly.
The last point is untrue, but it’s what Blagothkus told his ogres, and they believe him.
21. Esclarotta’s Tomb
This icy cyst has no obvious means of entry or egress. However, a creature can teleport to this buried chamber via area area 17.
You appear in an oval cave carved from solid glacial ice, with no passages leading out. The ceiling is 30 feet high and lined with icicles, and bits of broken ice surround a massive white marble sarcophagus situated in the middle of the floor. The lid of the sarcophagus is sculpted into the likeness of a female giant with long flowing hair.
The sarcophagus is 20 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 10 feet tall. Dwarvish runes carved into its base spell the name ESCLAROTTA. The lid of the sarcophagus requires a DC 30 Strength check to push aside, and the bones of Blagothkus’s deceased cloud giant wife are contained within. There is no treasure buried with her.
A creature in this tomb that speaks the name “Blagothkus” is instantly teleported to the ground floor of area area 17.
22. Cloud Giant Tower
This 70-foot-tall tower has a parapet rooftop, two unlocked doors at ground level, and no windows. The tower interior is split into two levels, each with a 30-foot-high ceiling. A staircase of chiseled ice hugs the interior wall, connecting both levels.
Unless the characters take strides to conceal their approach, the ogres on the roof spot them.
Tower Rooftop
Three Ogre guard the tower rooftop, which is furnished with a ballista. See area area 6B for details.
Ground Floor
A silver chime attached to the inside of each door rings whenever the door is opened, alerting the tower’s inhabitants.
A staircase hugs the interior wall of this chamber, leading up to a landing with a door. The room itself contains sturdy wood-carved furnishings of giant proportions, including a table surrounded by four chairs. The walls are sculpted with ice murals depicting an army of hill, frost, fire, stone, and cloud giants.
Four Ogre guard the lower level. They wear fancy plumed helmets to signify that they are members of Blagothkus’s “honor guard.” This simple reward keeps the ogres alert and loyal, for they know the giant could give their helms away to someone else at any time.
Upper Floor
If the ogres above or below him sound the alarm, Blagothkus cannot be surprised.
The walls of this room are sculpted with icy murals depicting cloud giants riding giant birds. An enormous bed with a headboard of ice sculpted to resemble clouds dominates the room. Bear furs are heaped upon the bed, and two large wooden chests rest at the bed’s foot.
A blue-skinned giant sits on the floor with his legs crossed while two ogres comb his snowy white hair. The giant’s hulking morningstar leans against the bed within arm’s reach.
Blagothkus (appendix D) and the two Ogre (his stewards) aren’t the only inhabitants of this room. As a bonus action on his turn, Blagothkus can summon an air elemental that’s been magically bound to the room. The elemental follows the giant’s commands but cannot leave the room. It remains until dismissed by its master.
The dim-witted ogre stewards are poor conversationalists, but Blagothkus uses them as sounding boards, expressing his concerns that the Cult of the Dragon might try to seize control of the castle. The ogres offer no advice. Clever characters can sow discord by preying on the giant’s fears (see “area Negotiating with the Cloud Giant” near the beginning of the chapter). An alarm or the characters' sudden appearance startles him, and he reaches for his weapon. If the characters are pretending to be cultists, Blagothkus is furious at their intrusion but does not attack unless they further provoke him. The ogres defend their master to the death.
Treasure
The chests are unlocked and loaded with silver and gold coins (12,000 gp total). One of the chests also contains a
Developments
If the characters surrender to Blagothkus, he asks about their names, allegiances, and plans. If the characters represent themselves as enemies of the cult, the giant says, “I can take care of them. But just in case, you should know that they are entirely serious about making dragons a power along the coast again. Can you imagine? The nerve.” If they sway the giant to their side, he locks himself in area area 19 and guides the castle northward while the characters deal with the cultists and the white dragon. Blagothkus’s ultimate destination is described in The Rise of Tiamat.
If anyone attempts to wrest the castle from him, Blagothkus goes to the steering tower and tries to crash the castle in the Spine of the World; see area 19 for details. If Blagothkus is killed, his spirit takes over the castle, with the same end result.
23. Giant Guest Chambers
These rooms are set aside for giant-sized guests and have furnishings of the appropriate size.
In each room, a large section of the outer wall vanishes for 1 minute when touched, revealing a icy landing platform. Long ago, giants would use these platforms to land their flying roc mounts.
24. Servant Barracks
Twenty Kobold are trying to sleep here on dozens of small piles of bedding, fur, and clothes. They are exhausted and ignore the characters unless they are in great danger. They have no treasure.
Characters questioning the kobold servants may make a DC 12 Charisma (
Each success brings one of the following bits of information to light; the first failure by any character means that the kobolds unite in their terror of the cultists and go completely silent. If questioned further, they start screaming for help and babbling for mercy: completely useless.
- An elf vampire lives in the crumbling tower (area area 18).
- Blagothkus still speaks to his dead wife, and her spirit is the castle’s pilot and protector. If the giant dies, all the magic of the castle will be undone.
- The human dragon-cult people don’t really understand dragons the way that kobolds do. Dragons are fine creatures, but grumpy. They say the treasure here is for the queen of all dragons, to keep her from being grumpy.
- A red-robed wizard is working with the cultists, and his room (area area 12) is off limits to all kobolds.
- The white dragon Cloudchaser loves frozen meat. Toss it into the cavern (area 25) and run!
25. Main Vault
The icy “core” of the castle is hollowed out with tunnels that break the surface at multiple points. The white dragon, Glazhael the Cloudchaser, enters and leaves via a wide funnel-shaped passageway that narrows as it draws closer to the main vault, where the Cult of the Dragon stores its treasure.
If the characters explore the tunnels, read or paraphrase the following:
The walls of blue ice are partly transparent, revealing various things embedded in the ice all around, including coins, helmets, livestock, a handful of kobolds, and an ogre or two. Frost coats the tunnel floors and crunches underfoot.
When the characters reach the main vault, read:
All tunnels seem to lead to a central core—a glittering cavern of ice with jagged walls and icicles the size of stalactites. This grand vault is split into two levels: an egg-shaped upper level with a sheer ledge overlooking a sunken level 30 feet below, where a massive pile of treasure rests beneath an icy glaze. Clinging to the ceiling above the hoard, wings tucked in tight along its sides with claws gripping the ice, is a huge white dragon.
Glazhael is an adult white dragon that is doing his part to ensure the rise of Tiamat, hopeful that the queen of evil dragons will reward him with untold power. He is, however, a bit on the dim side, thinking of visitors as either servants (who bring him food) or as enemies (who do not bring him food). Mostly, Glazhael is proud to guard this treasure for Tiamat, his most glorious and perfect queen. He rarely talks to any cultists other than Talis and is suspicious of Rezmir and the others.
If the characters speak with Glazhael, he responds with a pompous speech about the superiority of dragons over humans, dwarves, and so forth.
If the characters flatter him to a ludicrous degree, he listens to anything that sounds like fawning, servile, helpful obedience but offers nothing in return. He will generously spare the lives of those who offer him tribute in the form of treasure or food. Those who challenge him become targets of his breath weapon.
When fighting, Glazhael clings to the ceiling whenever possible, using his breath weapon and Frightful Presence to start. If that doesn’t scare the characters off, he makes melee attacks until his breath weapon recharges. If dropped to fewer than 40 hit points, he flees. He can navigate even the narrow tunnels by tucking in his wings. Once outside, he alerts the rest of the castle, shouting “They’re after the treasure!” in Draconic.
Clever characters can lure the dragon into a narrow tunnel where it is unable to maneuver effectively. Under such circumstances, the dragon has disadvantage on its melee attacks.
Treasure
When the characters investigate the hoard, read:
The floor of the cavern is carpeted in gold, silver, copper, and jewels, all sealed under a sheet of ice. Dozens of old human skulls and bones are also frozen in the ice.
The treasure hoard is frozen in ice, and it requires either several fire spells or a long wait with bonfires to melt the ice. The hoard includes 500,000 cp, 100,000 sp, and 5,000 gp, a frozen chest containing 800 pp and 21 small blue sapphires worth 300 gp each, a frozen
Developments
If the dragon is slain, the cultists are enraged and seek immediate vengeance. The major cult players on Skyreach Castle will call out the ogres, wake the vampire, and ask the Red Wizards to find the intruders. If the characters are still around after the dragon is slain, the entire castle is on high alert until they are found and killed.
Concluding the Adventure
The crash or capture of Skyreach Castle marks the end of Hoard of the Dragon Queen. If you are using the milestone experience rule, the characters reach 8th level for completing the adventure. By uncovering the cult’s plans and hijacking a huge hoard of treasure, the characters have slowed and damaged the cult’s chances of success. They may also have slain or captured important leaders of the Cult of the Dragon. But there is much more to come. The cult moves forward with its plan to free their five-headed queen out of the Nine Hells, and the mere loss of wealth will not stop the true fanatics.
The Rise of Tiamat expands on the final drive to destroy the Cult of the Dragon, and it requires great new powers and new courage. Things grow much more dangerous for the adventurers as they seek help in strange places, from the Sea of Moving Ice to the depths of the Serpent Hills. They might find a great weapon among the giants or uncover an unexpected ally within the cult itself.
Unless the characters press on, the Queen of Dragons might yet establish her personal rule over the lands of lesser creatures. The stakes are high when the gates to the Nine Hells open, and scaly doom comes out of its lair, full of fire and fangs.
The conflict reaches its apex at the Well of Dragons, where the characters and their hard-won allies face Tiamat and her greatest minions in a fight to the death!