The Rise of Tiamat begins immediately after the conclusion of Hoard of the Dragon Queen, and assumes that the characters have returned to Waterdeep in the aftermath of that adventure. While in the city, the adventurers are summoned to the first meeting of the Council of Waterdeep. While at that gathering, they hear the sounding of the ancient
Starting the Adventure
The Rise of Tiamat begins in Waterdeep. If you played Hoard of the Dragon Queen, the characters might have already made their way back to the City of Splendors after Skyreach Castle crashed at the end of that first adventure. If you didn’t play Hoard of the Dragon Queen, if Skyreach Castle wasn’t crashed, or if the characters went somewhere other than Waterdeep afterward, you need to get the party back to Waterdeep for the start of this adventure.
It’s easy enough to simply tell the players that their characters are back in Waterdeep. However, if you suspect that your group won’t find that satisfying, you can avoid playing through a long overland journey by making use of the following scenario.
Wherever the characters are when this session begins, a raven flies up to them. The bird is part of an
The raven lands a dozen paces from you, then boldly hops closer, a flat parcel wrapped in oilskin strapped to its belly. It eyes you enigmatically for a few moments, then speaks in a familiar voice. “Leosin Erlanthar sends his heartiest congratulations! Please use the gift this bird brings to meet me in Waterdeep as soon as possible.”
The bird waits patiently while the leather parcel is removed from its harness. The parcel contains a carefully folded
Back in Waterdeep
The most powerful factions of the Sword Coast all recognize the significance of Tiamat’s possible return, and they are willing to cooperate with each other to prevent it. Trust doesn’t come easily for these disparate groups. But even for orders and organizations that have been in conflict in the past, the “enemy of my enemy” is easily understood.
To coordinate their efforts against the Cult of the Dragon, the factions have sent important delegates for secret meetings in Waterdeep. If the adventurers played through Hoard of the Dragon Queen, they now know as much as anyone about the cult’s activities, and their heroics have been brought to the attention of powerful leaders and earned them a place at the council table. If you didn’t play Hoard of the Dragon Queen, a separate group of heroes assaulted Skyreach Castle and bravely gave their lives to crash the fortress. The characters are then invited to the council simply because of their reputation as powerful adventurers, and because the council expects to need their services.
Four Councils
When the characters arrive in Waterdeep, they are met by the Harper agent Leosin Erlanthar. The monk explains the purpose of the council and tells the adventurers they are expected to attend the first gathering—both so the council can thank them for their great deeds and to advise the council about the Cult of the Dragon. Four meetings of the council occur at critical points throughout the crisis, right up to the final chapter of the adventure at the Well of Dragons.
During the first session of the council, all the Sword Coast becomes aware of how the Cult of the Dragon’s plots are advancing when the
second session of the council is summoned to address increasingly aggressive dragon activity. The characters are asked to investigate a devastating series of raids in the Misty Forest, leading to Neronvain in “area Chapters 11 and 12: Death to the Wyrmspeakers.” The adventurers are also approached by a representative who wishes to bring the party to a secret meeting with the metallic dragons, leading to chapter 14.
A third session of the council is called to assess the gains made by the allied factions against the Cult of the Dragon. The party is called on to pursue two leads that might grant even more advantage over the cult—a renegade cultist offering to turn over one of the dragon masks, in chapter 15, and an attempt to undercut the power of the exile Red Wizards in chapter 16.
At the fourth session of the Council of Waterdeep, the adventurers learn that the plots of the Cult of the Dragon and the Red Wizards are nearing fruition. The forces of the various factions must gather in preparation for the assault on the Well of Dragons.
During each new council, the various factions measure the party’s actions and achievements, comparing those actions to their own goals. Characters who further the goals of a faction will find that faction willing to pledge more resources to the fight against the cult. However, gaining the allegiance of one faction might lead to distrust from others. The adventurers must strike a careful balance in their appeal to—and appeasement of—the delegates to gather the strongest force possible to confront Tiamat.
Though it isn’t ideal for all attendees, the Lords' Palace in Waterdeep is the designated location of the council meetings. The Lords' Alliance faction is sending the most delegates, and those delegates prefer a civilized gathering place.
Gathering Allies
Though every faction provides some troops and resources toward the final showdown with the forces of Tiamat, the extent of their support—and how much effect that support will have—is dependent on the respect the adventurers garner from each group for their actions. Before committing irrevocably to the fight, a faction must be convinced that the cult presents a danger surpassing all other concerns—and that the adventurers are the right heroes to lead this fight. Moreover, what is worthy of respect in one faction might lose respect from another.
As the adventurers complete chapters of the adventure, you track how they earn or lose respect from each faction on the council scorecard (see appendix B). “area Scoring the Sessions,” below, for more information.
Leading Delegates
Most factions have sent a delegation to the Council of Waterdeep consisting of several important persons and their aides. In general, only the leaders of each delegation are present at the council meetings attended by the adventurers. However, no matter how individual delegates might react to the characters' deeds, they also heed the words of their fellow councilors not present at the council meetings. Brave and heroic feats that individual leaders might approve of could be frowned on by a faction as a whole if those deeds don’t line up with the faction’s agenda.
Sessions of the Council
The format of the four council meetings as described below follows the flow of the adventure as set out in the “Campaign Overview” section. If events unfold differently in your campaign, adjust the meetings and their events accordingly. For each council meeting, a brief justification for the different attitudes of the factions is provided. More information on the factions and their delegates is provided under “Allies” in the book’s introduction.
Each session of the council discusses the setup for chapters meant to be played as a result of that session, and the follow-up for previous chapters whose outcome is resolved in that session. In all cases, see those specific chapters for full details.
Two preliminary events help to set up the first session of the council: news of the assassination of Arthagast Ulbrinter, one of the Masked Lords of Waterdeep, and the sounding of the Draakhorn.
Death of a Masked Lord
Though the leadership of the Cult of the Dragon could not have realized it, one of the key events in the fight to thwart Severin’s plans was the cult’s assassination of Arthagast Ulbrinter, a Masked Lord of Waterdeep and husband of Remi Haventree of the Harpers. News of Arthagast’s recent murder has spread across the Sword Coast, and has galvanized opposition to the cult in Waterdeep.
In her grief, Remi Haventree has sworn to destroy the cult and the threat it presents to the Sword Coast. She has been instrumental in bringing the factions together for this Council of Waterdeep, setting up the potential for alliances that the adventurers must now complete.
The Draakhorn Sounds
Shortly after the crash or capture of Skyreach Castle, operatives of the Cult of the Dragon sounded the
As the characters are arriving in Waterdeep, read or paraphrase the following.
A sudden shift in the wind brings with it a strange sense of unease. The feeling is akin to the drop in air pressure before the approach of a deadly storm, or faint tremors felt from a landslide or earthquake far away. You’re not the only ones who have noticed. The city around you goes unnaturally quiet suddenly. No dogs bark, no birds squawk. Even the street vendors have gone silent.
The silence lasts only a moment before the normal sounds of Waterdeep return to mask the unexplained sensation. If the characters get to a quiet place, they notice the disturbance again, like a rumbling almost too faint to hear. As well, subtle changes in the behavior of animals can be noted. Dogs are nervous and on edge, horses are skittish, cats are more feral than usual, and rats gather in large, bold packs. Sensitive NPCs are also affected, becoming nervous, fearful, and impatient.
During the first session of the council (or earlier if the characters make efforts to investigate the strange phenomenon), the adventurers are approached by Dala Silmerhelve—a Waterdhavian noble. Read or paraphrase the following when the characters speak to Dala.
“The disturbance that’s been sensed across the Sword Coast is the
Draakhorn —an ancient device whose sounding alerts dragons across Faerûn that great events are unfolding. It’s impossible to say what the sounding means, but the dragons hear it clearly and will eventually answer its call. "
Lady Silmerhelve learned this from her family’s secret benefactor, an ancient bronze dragon named Nymmurh. She knows a little more about the
First Session
Having accepted the invitation to the council meeting, the adventurers are received at the Lords' Palace. Make the introduction to the City of Splendors and the Lords' Palace as detailed or as simple as fits your campaign style.
Once inside the Lords' Palace, the party is escorted to the secret council chambers by Leosin Erlanthar. The outer galleries are packed with nobles engaged in heated debate, and the guards are wearing livery from city-states across the North.
Although Erlanthar is not invited to the council discussions, Remallia Haventree has informed him of the agenda and the reason the party has been summoned. He advises the characters that though the factions are all nominally committed to stopping the Cult of the Dragon, none of the delegates have made substantive pledges yet.
Too much mistrust still burdens the factions, and not enough is known about the situation. Erlanthar thinks the leaders need someone to show them the right path—heroes who will lead the forces of the Sword Coast with certainty into the coming darkness. He believes that the adventurers have a chance to be those heroes. However, he explains that each faction will weigh every word the characters say and scrutinize every one of their decisions. What pleases one group might anger another, and it will be incredibly difficult to make all parties happy.
Follow-up: Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Once introductions are made, Dagult Neverember summarizes the situation if the adventurers did not play through Hoard of the Dragon Queen. This includes the plan to summon Tiamat, increased dragon raids led by the cult, the treasure collection system, the crash or capture of Skyreach Castle, and the importance of the wyrmspeakers and dragon masks to the cult.
If the party played through the previous adventure, Dagult explains that the council has heard reports from Ontharr, Leosin, and other witnesses, but that the delegates wish to hear from the heroes at the center of recent events. (At this point, use Neverember to also fill in any information the characters did not gather during Hoard of the Dragon Queen that you deem important.)
Most of the factions recognize that Skyreach Castle needed to be stopped, and they are happy if the castle was crashed. However, some members of the Lords' Alliance think it unconscionable that such a resource would be destroyed, intentionally or otherwise. These dissidents believe it would have been better for the characters to have waited for reinforcements, then attacked to secure the castle (regardless of how unrealistic that plan might have been).
The fate of the dragon hatchery divides opinion as well. Most delegates respect a decision to destroy the hatchery, accepting that having fewer dragons to deal with later on is an advantage. However, the Harpers would have preferred the eggs to be kept for ransoming back to their parents, potentially keeping those dragons from cooperating with the cult. Dagult would have sold the valuable eggs to “responsible buyers,” then used that gold to hire more mercenaries. The Emerald Enclave is firmly against any dragon eggs being destroyed, believing that the chromatic dragons are a part of the natural order and that killing their young upsets the balance of that order. Taern Hornblade and Lady Laeral Silverhand think there might have been a way to leverage the eggs as ransom, but both recognize that they would have been dangerous to hold onto—and even more dangerous to return.
When the discussion around the events from Hoard of the Dragon Queen is concluded, the council moves on to current matters. It’s obvious to all that the adventurers have taken a firm hand in addressing this crisis, and that they have proven their worth. The council deputizes the characters with emergency investigative powers and a writ demonstrating such. This grants the characters access to resources and sites they deem necessary for their investigation, but carries with it the burden of oversight from the council. If the adventurers misbehave or abuse their powers, their actions will be reviewed and the writ will be revoked.
Once the characters have been vested with their powers, the first stages of the adventure await.
Setup: Varram the White
One of Remallia Haventree’s first acts in her fight against the Cult of the Dragon was to encourage the Harpers to focus all their resources on the cult’s activities and its most powerful members. Those efforts have been successful, and Leosin Erlanthar reports to the adventurers of the movements of Varram, the cult’s White Wyrmspeaker. This leads to “Varram the White,” Part of “Chapters 11 and 12: Death to the Wyrmspeakers”.
Setup: The Sea of Moving Ice
The sounding of the
Second Session
At the Second Council of Waterdeep, the adventurers see two new faces. Lord Neverember has been replaced as Open Lord of Waterdeep by Lady Laeral Silverhand, who now sits at the head of the council table. Dagult sits to her right, alongside a human female introduced as Elia (see below).
The delegates discuss the raids in their various domains after receiving the characters' report, providing flavor for the ongoing activities of the cult and giving a clear impression that the situation is escalating.
Follow-up: Varram the White
In response to the fate of Wyrmspeaker Varram, the Harpers and Taern are upset if the dwarf was slain without being interrogated, and Connerad is upset that Varram was not captured and made an example of in a court of dwarven law. Though most are pleased with capturing Varram, the Emerald Enclave is nonplussed, believing that capturing him only complicates matters. Varram has already demonstrated a willingness to corrupt the natural order, making a trial excessive—and potentially opening the door to a rescue attempt.
Follow-up: The Sea of Moving Ice
The Arcane Brotherhood are powerful allies, and all are pleased if the party wins their allegiance—with the exception of the Order of the Gauntlet. Ontharr Frume knows that the Arcane Brotherhood does not police its members in what kinds of knowledge they pursue, and that they tolerate many evil wizards in their company. Bringing the Arcane Brotherhood into the alliance doesn’t lose Frume’s respect, but neither does it earn it.
Setup: Neronvain
Delaan Winterhound of the Emerald Enclave is involved with investigations into recent dragon attacks in the Misty Forest. King Melandrach waves away Delaan’s concerns, saying that dragon attacks in the area have stopped since his elves increased their patrols and fortified their positions. Discovering the truth will lead the adventurers to “area Neronvain,” part of “Chapters 11 and 12:Death to the Wyrmspeakers.”
Setup: Metallic Dragons, Arise
During the council, the adventurers are introduced to the silver dragon Otaaryliakkarnos, in her human guise as Elia. She bears an invitation from the metallic dragons to a council of their own, and the council delegates ask the adventurers to attend. This leads into chapter 14.
Third Session
The third council features another new face—the tiefling Rian Nightshade, introduced as a special adviser to Lord Neverember. Characters who pay attention notice that some at the meeting—including Sir Isteval, Ontharr Frume, and Ambassador Brawnanvil—are doing their best to ignore the secret Zhentarim delegate, who makes no statements unless addressed by the party.
Follow-up: Neronvain
News that the dragon attacks in the elven forest have ended is gratefully received by all on the council. However, King Melandrach responds with cold fury to news of his son Neronvain’s betrayal. He remains hesitant to put elves in the front lines of combat, but no longer acts as a roadblock to negotiations. His pragmatism means that he no longer has any qualms against the adventurers' securing the allegiance of Red Wizards, giants, or even devils in the fight against the Cult of the Dragon—as long as such allies are conveniently arrayed in front of his elves in battle.
Follow-up: Metallic Dragons, Arise
All the delegates are impressed if the party has gained the support of the metallic dragons, even if their own faction was asked to make concessions. The good dragons are wise and just creatures, and their acceptance of the party greatly boosts the adventurers' standing in everyone’s eyes.
King Melandrach is furious if the characters agreed to an apology for the Dracorage mythal. He makes the apology because honor demands it, but he resents the party for forcing his hand. Connerad Brawnanvil is similarly unhappy if a concession was made in response to the ancient dragonmoots of the dwarves. The traditions of the dragonmoot saved many lives in their time, and the fact that one metallic dragon was injured indicates that it was probably misbehaving. Dwarves have no patience for tolerating misbehaving dragons, no matter what their color.
Bartering away portions of the hoard that the cult stole is the only way some factions can make concessions. For every concession that was made for a share, circle a negative (−) icon in the following order: Dagult Neverember, Connerad, Melandrach, Lady Laeral, Ulder Ravengard, Taern Hornblade, the Harpers, Sir Isteval, and the Order of the Gauntlet. The Emerald Enclave is not affected by such concessions, since the order has not been overly affected by the dragon raids.
As an effect of the way in which the adventurers have impressed the dragon council, it now falls to them to allocate the dragons that have pledged their service to the factions. Dragons allocated to a delegate of the Lords' Alliance are assigned to protect the capital city of the delegate’s territory. A dragon assigned to the Harpers will be used for intelligence gathering. The Order of the Gauntlet sends any dragons to the city of Elturel, while the Emerald Enclave sends dragons to guard the ancient treant known as the Grandfather Tree. The party can also distribute dragons to specific regions. In such a scenario, a dragon protects a 100-mile-radius area around the point where it is assigned, stopping draconic raids in that area.
Setup: Xonthal’s Tower
At the summit, information comes to the characters revealing that a senior member of the Cult of the Dragon seeks to defect from the group, and that the cultist is offering a dragon mask as part of his plea for aid. Though the offer could be a trap, the council delegates believe that the risk is worth it. The defector is holed up in a fortress known as Xonthal’s Tower, recently taken over by the cult. Because a small team has a better chance to successfully infiltrate the tower than a larger force, the adventurers are asked to investigate. This leads to chapter 15.
Setup: Mission to Thay
The Red Wizards are integral to the cult’s plans for summoning Tiamat, but the Red Wizards allied with the Cult of the Dragon are exiles with no connection to Thay. The Thayan Red Wizards approach the Council of Waterdeep asking for an envoy to be sent to Thay, where they must convince the most reviled wizards in Faerûn to join with the forces of the Sword Coast for the common good. This paves the way for chapter 16.
Fourth Session
The fourth council is the final meeting between the faction leaders and the adventurers. Hundreds of chromatic dragons have been sighted near the Well of Dragons, and the time has come to strike. At the end of this council, the delegates make their final decisions of support for the adventurers and their cause, if they haven’t done so already.
Follow-up: Xonthal’s Tower
At an appropriate point in the council meetings, Rian Nightshade approaches the characters and asks for a private audience. She explains her position as an emissary of the Zhentarim, and of the Zhentarim’s interest in current affairs. She bemoans the dithering of the other factions, stating that the Black Network is willing to act immediately and unflinchingly—if the party can help arrange agreeable terms for the Zhentarim’s support.
Rian points out that the Zhentarim have a keen interest in Xonthal’s Tower. Ownership of the tower is under discussion by the council, but the tiefling wants to deal directly with the adventurers, who have claim to the tower by right of conquest. The Zhentarim are willing to purchase the adventurers' interest in the tower for 50,000 gold pieces, and Rian can throw in a
Follow-up: Mission to Thay
Any alliance with the Red Wizards is a mixed blessing. More pragmatic factions and delegates—including the Harpers, King Melandrach, Dagult Neverember, and Taern Hornblade—are impressed by the diplomacy such an arrangement demonstrates, and know that regardless of the Red Wizards' character and previous plots against the Sword Coast, they are a significant asset. Sir Isteval, Ambassador Brawnanvil, and the Order of the Gauntlet object to the idea of even opening dialogue with the Red Wizards, and believe that the Thayans would agree to an alliance only if it furthered their own plots to rule the Sword Coast and all Faerûn. Lady Laeral and Ulder Ravengard both think the Red Wizards unpredictable but necessary, believing that the only important factor is how the Thayans influence the outcome of the final battle.
Follow-up: Metallic Dragons, Arise
The outcome of the support of the metallic dragons (as allocated in the third council) is accounted for in this fourth council. Factions that did not receive draconic aid suffer terribly in the cult’s raids, and some delegates resent the adventurers for withholding the service of their dragon allies. Only Isteval, Connerad, and the Harpers maintain their respect for the adventurers regardless of how the dragons were assigned. Cormyr remains largely untouched by the cult, whose operations remain focused on the Sword Coast. The Harpers have no strongholds, and so suffer less than other factions. Ambassador Brawnanvil appreciates the value of dragon guards, but his strongholds are deep underground and hard for the cult to reach—and all dwarves know how even good dragons covet dwarven gems and gold.
Scoring the Sessions
Every faction will donate troops and resources to the struggle against the Cult of the Dragon. However, to win the battle requires the full, unconditional support of multiple factions. The outcome of the Council of Waterdeep is tracked on the Council Scorecard (appendix B), which determines what resources are available to oppose the Cult of the Dragon during the final confrontation at the Well of Dragons.
Which way a faction leans is determined by the adventurers' actions and accomplishments during the adventure. Successfully completing an chapter of the adventure will usually gain support from multiple factions. However, each faction has its own priorities, and sometimes a heroic deed that pleases one faction can anger or disappoint another. In some cases, a faction might even prefer that the characters engage in antiheroic acts—by executing certain enemies rather than taking prisoners, for example. The adventurers might also be seen to be favoring certain factions, if metallic dragon allies are sent to defend the interests and settlements of one faction over another.
Each faction has its own column on the scorecard. Important events that occur during The Rise of Tiamat are noted along the side of the scorecard, beginning with events that could have occurred in the previous adventure, Hoard of the Dragon Queen. If you didn’t play Hoard of the Dragon Queen, assume that events marked with an asterisk (*) occurred and that other events did not.
A plus sign (+) for a particular faction and event indicates that the faction approves of the successful outcome of that event, and that the characters gain respect for that outcome. Each + counts as +1 in the final tally. A negative icon (−) indicates that a faction disapproves of an outcome and the characters lose respect for it. Each−counts as −1 in the final tally. A blank means that the faction either doesn’t consider the event significant or that there’s no consensus within the faction. Some events are especially important to certain factions, and are marked double plus (+/+) or double minus (−/−). They count as +2 or −2, respectively, in the tally.
Whenever an event occurs as noted in the list, circle or highlight the appropriate icons. You can usually mark all the icons in a row at once. Icons that are marked off are counted to determine each faction’s attitude, while unmarked icons are ignored.
Three rows on the table have icons that can’t be marked all at once. These are the decisions about which factions receive metallic dragon guardians, which factions had to make concessions to secure the metallic dragons' aid, and who takes possession of Xonthal’s Tower. Only the factions that are affected have their icons marked. For example, if King Melandrach and Ulder Ravengard had to make concessions to win the support of the metallic dragons, only their entries on that line should be circled or highlighted.
Some attendees are easier to sway toward pledging their full support, including Dagult Neverember. Others are more difficult, such as Connerad Brawnanvil. Additionally, securing Sir Isteval or Laeral Silverhand’s full support provides one additional respect for certain of the other factions, since both those senior delegates hold great influence on the council.
The scorecard covers the events and outcomes that are likely to occur over the course of the adventure. However, The Rise of Tiamat is an open-ended scenario, such that decisions by the players might trigger events that aren’t noted on the scorecard. Excellent diplomacy, good roleplaying, and creative handling of events that have the potential to impress or anger certain delegates can be rewarded with additional respect, at your discretion. Likewise, if the characters tackle chapters in a different order from this list, just mark off icons for events as they happen, then keep track of the subtotals as you see fit.
At the end of each council, add up all the plusses and minuses from that stage of the adventure and write the subtotal in the provided space. At the end of the fourth council, add up the subtotals. You can use the subtotals as feedback to give the players an idea of how the factions are reacting to their exploits and whether the delegates treat them with respect, disdain, or something between.
The scorecard is meant to be used only by the DM, but there’s nothing wrong with sharing it with your players if that suits the style of your game. If you don’t reveal the specifics of the scorecard, convey the players' and adventurers' goals through description and roleplaying, providing good indications of how effectively the adventurers are winning over the factions.
If a faction’s final tally equals or exceeds the “Score Needed For Support,” the characters have won that faction’s full support in the final battle. If the tally is below the score required, that faction sends only minimal support that won’t help in the final confrontation. The benefits of each faction’s support are Determined in chapter 17.