Join us tonight for more Rise of Tiamat! The heroes have survived Xonthal's Tower, but a blue dragon approaches and they'll have to fight to protect the helpless village. As always, we're live on Twitch and Youtube, but if you need a reminder of what happened in our last session, read on:
During their invasion of Xonthal’s Tower, one cultist activated the teleporter that is used to traverse the stair-less Wizard’s tower… only to be killed before the teleporter activated. However, this sends his body (along with two of the Blink Dogs conjured by Dhalia) to another floor of the tower, potentially raising the alarm and ruining the Chainbreakers’ power of surprise. Fortunately, Dhalia saw which rune he pressed, with Iskander able to tell her that the flame-shaped rune means the body has been sent to the lounge. After Dhalia activates the rune to follow, as an extra insurance she orders the remaining Blink Dogs to follow their siblings and continue attacking cultists… unfortunately, the non-euclidean form of the tower makes it difficult to travel between floors, even with a Blink Dog’s ability to teleport… but, through sheer force of will, Dhalia is able to guide them to their destination where they will try to pin down the cultists to prevent them calling for help.
The Chainbreakers have no choice but to wait on the teleporter to follow, but as they begin to teleport they realize that one of the cultists in the floor above has teleported down to the level they’re leaving, apparently planning to warn the magic users who were on their floor of the danger coming for them. The Teleporter is incredibly crowded, especially since Loki still has her Giant Boar with her, which she’s taken to riding along with Katniss. Arriving in the lounge, they find a massive fire pit in the center of the room, the smoke rising from it vanishing magically the moment it touches the ceiling. Between Dhalia’s small army of Blink Dogs, Loki’s Giant Boar, and the wizard Iskander, the Chainbreakers quickly wipe out the cultists in the Lounge, suffering only the loss of a few Blink Dogs, who are teleported harmlessly back to the Feywild. Dhalia intends to follow the cultist they just saw back down to the laboratory, but Iskander warns he’ll be going to report the danger to the higher ranking cultists, who are likely in the upper floor observatory.
Following Iskander’s advice, the Chainbreakers ready their attacks and use the teleporter to get to the next floor up… arriving at the same time as the cultist they were chasing, who finds himself crammed into a tight spot where he’s quickly dispatched. Still, the commotion draws the attention of figures on the other side of an elaborate door, which Loki chooses to quickly deal with by ordering her Giant Boar to smash the door open, much to Iskander’s dismay, who had only recently seen Loki destroy an Undead research project that the cult had been working on for nearly a year. Seemingly just to get his goat, Loki walks over to a nearby shelf and casually knocks over several expensive looking tools and smashes several inkewells on the floor before Invoking Duplicity to summon an illusory duplicate of herself by the open doorway to draw the cultists’ attention. This proves valuable when one of the cultists wastes a powerful Hold Person spell on the illusion.
Seeking to end the conflict quickly, Iskander casts fireball in the room the higher ranked cultists were hiding in… although he quickly gets on both Dhalia and Loki’s bad sides, since his spell also destroyed one of Dhalia’s Blink Dogs and Loki’s Giant Boar, although it’s clear Iskander considers the conjured animals to be completely disposable and seems baffled that they care so much about them.
Realizing he’s beat, rather than attempt to fight for his life the last cult member, a high-ranking wizard named Jorgen, casts Sending to warn his fellow cultists that the tower has been taken. As part of casting the spell he mouths his message but doesn’t speak it out loud… however, Dahlia is capable of reading lips, and realizes that he’s sent out a call for “the dragon” to come and raze the town of Xonthal’s Tower. Ultimately, it’s Harle who covers the distance to personally stab Jorgen in the heart, claiming the hourglass-shaped key to Xonthal’s Tower… and also snatching Jorgen’s spellbook, knowing the value it may have to another wizard. With the immediate threat resolved they ask Iskander what he knows about the message Jorgen sent… Iskander states that the Dragon he mentioned is most likely Lennithon, a Blue Dragon loyal to the cult who resides nearby. The name is actually familiar to both Katniss and Dahlia, who recognize this as the very same Blue Dragon whose assault on the remote village of Greenest started their conflict with the Cult of Tiamat. Iskander knows there is not much time before Lennithon arrives and starts wreaking havoc, but fortunately Dahlia knows Sending as well, and quickly sends a warning to Eleanor Cornwallis, the woman who runs the local tavern, The Six. In a desperate plea, Dahlia warns her of the coming dragon attack and alerts her to have everyone abandon the town as quickly as possible… despite only hearing her voice, Dahlia’s gift of persuasion is enough to alert the groggy young woman to the danger and she promises she’ll do all she can to get as many people to safety as she can.
Knowing the danger that is coming, Iskander insists they need to recover the Blue Dragon Mask first, as its power will give them the upperhand needed to survive Lennithon’s assault. Despite the danger still on its way, the Chainbreakers agree as Iskander leads them into the tower’s Dungeon, warning them that it is a dangerous place to travel, even if you know the perils that await. With Iskander’s help they hurry past a room protected by Elementals that, thankfully, are restricted to a single room, and with everyone timing their dashes carefully they’re able to hurry past them, the not-quite-sentient beings unable to follow them past the threshold of a nearby doorway. Harle does notice a small wooden chest in the room, and uses his Mage Hand to take it for himself, although he doesn’t yet take the time to open it.
Next they come across a long bridge that appears to extend into outer space, leading to a small group of buildings. The bridge is occasionally hit by tiny meteors that seem to not follow any particular pattern, which seem to be orbiting a planetoid floating nearby. Luckily everyone is able to get across without being knocked over, and when they get to the other side they hear a voice calling to them from a nearby room. Inside they see a massive red-skinned figure which Dhalia recognizes as an Efreeti, an elemental djinn of fire. The Efreeti is trapped in his room, an enchanted barrier of salt holding him inside. He entreats them to break the barrier of salt and allow him to escape, claiming that Xonthal trapped him here and stole his ability to grant wishes, promising that he’ll grant them any wish they desire if they let him out. Dhalia hesitates, especially after their encounter with the Dao earlier, but its Harle who sees the lingering flash of pure, petty hatred hiding behind the Efreeti’s polite, gentle demeanor. The Efreeti continues to beg for their help, but when it becomes clear they’re not falling for it he drops the act, loudly proclaiming his disgust for being held prisoner by “inferior beings” who should “obey their superiors”. As he shouts insults at the Chainbreakers, Iskander leads the party to a chamber filled with massive hourglasses held by complex, arcane devices for some purpose only a master wizard like Xonthal could have understood. He shows them where he had hidden the Blue Dragon Mask, and intends to hold onto it himself, only planning to give it to them once they have safely gotten him away from Xonthal’s Tower… and the impending attack from Lennithon.
Iskander fully intends to wear the Blue Dragon Mask himself in the upcoming conflict, as it will provide protection against the Blue Dragon’s lightning breath. However, Dhalia points out that the Blue Dragon Mask may only draw more attention to Iskander, and also promises that she and her allies will protect Iskander, come what may, but she does want to investigate the Blue Dragon Mask to make sure it’s authentic. Proving her persuasiveness, Iskander accepts her logic and gives them the Blue Dragon Mask right now, as proof of the faith he’s putting in them. Using a scroll, Harle casts Identify on the Dragon mask, proving that it is the real deal and it does indeed contain extreme power. He also does not find any evidence of the artifact being cursed or overtly dangerous, at least not in a manner that the spell could identify. Satisfied that they’ve finally recovered another mask, the Chainbreakers hurry out to prepare for Lennithon’s arrival. As they use the teleporter to exit the tower, they see the ominous stormy clouds that follow the powerful Blue Dragon as he descends on the helpless village of Xonthal’s Tower.
Due to some shifts in schedules for our players, we'll be streaming Rise of Tiamat tonight instead of our usual Monday stream. The schedule for the Crits for Breakfast crew in general may change going forward, but I'll try and make sure to keep everyone informed of any changes.
That said, Join us tonight at 6pm PST at our usual homes on Twitch or Youtube. And if you need a referesher on what happened in the last session read on:
As the chainbreakers rush out of Xonthal’s Tower, they find the town named for the tower in chaos, citizens heeding Dhalia’s warning to flee the town, although some thought they would have more time for their escape. As they make their way out they find that the half-elf woman they met earlier, Elizabeth Wheatflow, has taken on a bit of a leader role, guiding others out of town. They see a fleeting moment of hope in her eyes… her elven father was one of Xonthal’s students, and decades ago he went missing braving the enchanted hedge maze surrounding the tower… and she sees the 4 foolhardy adventurers she met the other day somehow exiting the tower itself, followed by a man in wizardly robes… but her ever so brief expression of hope turns to grim determination when she sees it’s a human man, the wizard Iskander that the Chainbreakers were here to rescue. Dhalia especially is touched by Elizabeth’s plight, since she still mourns her own father’s death.
Elizabeth has no interest in discussing her plight further, and instead warns that others are still struggling to escape before the Blue Dragon arrives… by now the ominous winged silhouette of the dragon is obvious to all, especially as a rolling storm follows the powerful blue dragon, flashes of lightning all the more bright as heavy clouds cover the sky and rain starts to pour down in a heavy torrent. Dhalia briefly considers guiding the civilians to the impregnable safety of the tower itself… but realizes if she and her allies fail, the tower will be nothing but a prison for the helplesss civilians inside. Instead, she instructs Elizabeth to guide the others to spread out in their escape… if the townsfolk traveled as a single group, they would be practically helpless against the sinister might of the blue dragon.
The Chainbreakers can see a portion of the town a mere 200 feet away where no occupied houses remain in the largely abandoned settlement. However, they also notice that the blue dragon Lennithon is carrying what appears to be a small boat with several medium sized humanoids riding, along with a small horde of winged kobolds. Hurrying to meet Lennithon before he can reach any of the civilians who, at first, are straggling behind as they attempt to carry their treasured belongings with them (and who are forced to leave behind trunks and sacks of their personal belongings as they run), the Chainbreakers all move as quickly as possible… with their Roguish skills, Katniss and Harle rush to meet their foe, simply dashing through the heavily falling rain. Dhalia mounts her Broom of Flying, using its increased speed to get into position. Loki, uninterested in dashing, simply casts Dimension Door, and grabs the hesitant wizard, Iskander, who has been begrudgingly persuaded to assist in the coming conflict.
Katniss is the first to get the dragon in range, with Their nearly unparalleled skill as a sharpshooter. Pulling from Their magical items, Katniss draws an Arrow of Dragon Slaying… the storm reducing Their range, but with patience They wait to attack from a stealthy position, firing the arrow marked with Giant-language runes that stabs into the Blue Dragon, forcing Lennithon to use one of his limited Legendary Resistances to deal with the intense damage inflicted on him by the potent arrow. This draws his rage directly toward Katniss, but with Their potent skill in stealth They prove a difficult target to pin down.
Lennithon drops the small boat he was using to carry allies with him to assist in destroying the town… several cultists, a few bearded devils, and over a dozen winged kobolds. Harle remains hidden even from his allies as he reveals the secret he’s been keeping to himself thus far… his ability to shift into a more bestial form. He develops claws, face shifting to a more panther-like appearance as he activates his Swiftstride form. Using it to increase his mobility as he throws daggers at the Dragon, hoping to fell him before he devastates the remote village. Loki and Iskander both keep their distance… Loki is low on spell slots and wants to make sure she can help her allies in emergencies, and Iskander is simply afraid of direct confrontation and focuses on AOE spells to try and clear out as many of Lennithon’s minions at once as he can. Dhalia, however, uses her Broom of Flying to fly on top of one of the buildings and draw Lennithon’s attention directly to herself. Also low on spell slots, she tries to get Lennithon with Vicious Mockery, but the Blue Dragon is able to shrug it off… punishing Dhalia with a blast of his lightning breath, and carefully aiming to hit Katniss as well, who has run into a building to get some cover, but the perceptive dragon was able to keep track of Their position.
This blast from the dragon is potent enough to knock Dhalia uncnscious, as the roof beneath her collapses and she stumbles down to ground level. Seeing she’s in danger, Harle reveals his shifted form to everyone present in order to rush to her side and feed her one of the Potions of Healing that had been affected with Wild Magic from Antares. The potion restores her to consciousness, but also has a strange side effect… her skin turns a bright shade of green and her body becomes stretchy like rubber. While this does provide her with some additional defenses, it unfortunately makes her vulnerable to slashing damage, and she’s about to be set upon by by Cultists wielding scimitars and Bearded Devils wielding Glaives.
Throughout this Loki had been distracting and confusing enemies using her illusory Duplicate. Iskander continues to use his magic for crowd control as best he can, although he clearly prioritizes protecting himself over his allies. Katniss maintains heavy sharpshooter fire directly on the dragon, and after expending his fire breath, rather than finish off the heroes, Lennithon instead focuses on flying upward into the storm, using it for cover to protect himself from Katniss’s arrows, while barking orders to his minions to eliminate the archer as their top priority. Harle takes advantage of this… the dim-witted Kobolds and the literal-minded devils falling for an illusion he conjures to make it appear as though Katniss is diving into an abandoned building, distracting the Kobolds and one of the Bearded Devils, but leaving Dhalia still surrounded by cultists. Iskander, however, manages to clear most of them out with a strategically placed fireball… although he requires a stern warning from Harle to not target Dhalia with the spell, as he could tell the uncaring wizard would be willing to hit Dhalia with the same spell, trusting that, as a Tiefling, she could probably survive, and if not, she could probably be healed by her allies.
However, this act manages to draw the attention of a pair of Bearded Devils who make eliminating Iskander their priority. He’s left running for his life, forcing Loki to use her Duplicate to keep him safe until Harle can rush down to finish off the Bearded Devils. Seeing his forces devastated, and heavily wounded, Lennithon chooses to abandon the village for now and simply begins flying away. Knowing that he’ll report on their deeds, and also knowing he could simply return and destroy the village some other day, Dhalia needs to find some way to lure him back, as even with her Broom of Flying the fleeing dragon is far too fast for the Chainbreakers to catch him. However, Dhalia has one method of luring the dragon back… pulling out the Blue Dragon Mask, made from the scales of Tiamat herself, she puts it on. Feeling the rush of confidence and power the mask provides, feeling an unfamiliar sense of superiority over others that makes her uncomfortable. Still, the mask allows one to exert influence over Blue Dragons, and she shouts a challenge to Lennithon… rain pouring down, lightning arcing through the sky… her shout brings pause to the fleeing dragon… and then the dark shape begins to move back, still heavily obscured by clouds, but they can see the dragon will be making one last attempt.
As the Chainbreakers steel themselves for the dragon’s assault, Lennithon bursts out of the clouds, firing another powerful blast of his Lightning breath, carefully aiming it to target both Dhalia and Loki. Moving quickly, Loki dives out of the way, taking only half damage, but Dhalia fails to do the same. However, the Blue Dragon mask makes its wearer resistant to Lightning damage, and any creature already resistant to Lightning becomes immune. This is especially important because, thanks to the wild magic potion, Dhalia’s body has turned into rubber, which makes her resistant to lightning damage. So instead of a blast of Electricity that would have been nearly fatal instead washes over Dhalia harmlessly. Before Lennithon can attempt another attack, Harle bursts out of the shadows wielding a shortbow. His feline eyes focusing between the drops of rain, finding a weak spot… the still-sparking wound where Katniss had buried the Arrow of Dragon Slaying earlier. As lightning flashes, Harle lets out a panther-like roar, which causes the blue dragon to turn… just enough to expose the open wound. Harle fires, his arrow plunging deep, ending the dragon’s life as his massive body collapses, destroying an empty building as the clouds above almost immediately part, sunshine filling the landscape as the storm conjured by Lennithon dies with him.
As the sun pours in, the exhausted adventurers are approached cautiously by the half-elf farmer, Elizabeth. She’s stunned at the sight of a dead dragon, along with the bodies of the invaders who were planning to destroy her village. Katniss employs a magic spell to help Them butcher the dragon, intending to harvest his body for the many valuable and magically-potent body parts in a dragon. Dhalia, for her part, immediately removes the mask and seems to feel some guilt for employing its use in the first place, giving it to Katniss to hold, as she trusts that They know better than the others how dangerous the mask truly is.
With the threat completed the Party realizes they’ve been awake for nearly 24 hours at this point without a proper rest. Still, they want to get back to Waterdeep as quickly as possible, rather than rest in the local inn. However, Dhalia has no spell slots left to contact Armpit so he can pick them up with the Nimbus… fortunately, however she still has several fireworks the group had purchased months ago while in Daggerford. Setting a few off, they seem to achieve the intended effect, as what appears to be a distant cloud immediately starts floating in their direction as the exhausted heroes prepare for their successful return.
Hey everyone! It's been a while, hasn't it? There have been some financial struggles for two of our players and they haven't been able to play. But luckily we're back! Come join us tonight at 6pm on Twitch or Youtube for more Rise of Tiamat! And just in case you need a reminder, here's what happened in our last session from uh... about a month ago:
With Lennithon defeated, Katniss gets some help from the locals to break down the dragon’s body as the Nimbus arrives in the remote town of Xonthal’s Tower, lowering itself to float next to the 3-story tavern known as “The Six”. Exhausted, as they’ve all been awake for over 24 hours at this point and just finished fighting their way through the enchanted hedge maze before clearing out the Wizard’s tower and finally fighting a dragon, the Chainbreakers opt to get some sleep before starting their return journey to Waterdeep, with the Goblin pilot Armpit helping to load up the butchered dragon’s remains into the Nimbus.
After quickly falling asleep, Dhalia dreams she finds herself in a large, dark void… the only thing in the void is a small fire cooking a large pot of stew, and the familiar form of Granny Greenskin, Dhalia’s green hag Fairy Godmother. Greenskin is admiring the stew, which contains the heads of those Dhalia has killed and which fills the void with a sickly sweet, meaty scent. She’s meeting with Dhalia since, after conjuring some of Granny’s loyal Blink Dogs to fight alongside her earlier, Dhalia had made sure to send one of them back with a letter asking Granny about her likes and dislikes, as Dhalia had been hoping to learn more about her to help think of a gift to give her as thanks for all her help. Coyly, Granny doesn’t fully answer her question, but she does know that Dhalia has Griffin Hawe’s research notes about the feywild… she encourages Dhalia to focus on the many songs Hawe has copied into his notes, helping to narrow her focus so she can finally figure out as much as she can about the mysterious green hag. However, after sharing this tidbit of information Dhalia finds herself waking up in bed.
Meanwhile, Katniss is asleep as well when suddenly Their raven companion, Onyx, starts to speak to her in the voice of the Raven Queen. The Raven Queen offers Katniss assistance in the form of knowledge from the countless souls who have moved into the afterlife under watch. Wishing to know more about Acrobatics, Onyx then speaks in the voice of a deceased tumbler from a traveling circus, who tells Katniss his life story and various tips and explanations of his techniques, sharing with Them his knowledge and proficiency, thanks to Katniss’s new Whispers of the Dead feature gained from training as a Phantom Rogue.
Having gone to sleep in the early morning, everyone wakes up in the mid afternoon ready to depart. The celebrations from the morning have already passed, as the farming community of Xonthal’s Tower cannot afford to spend the day at leisure, no matter how impactful of a morning they had. The necromancer Iskander gets the opportunity to meet Armpit… shocked that the sloppy, uncharismatic goblin would turn out to be the genius inventor who managed to create the floating island of the Nimbus. As everyone is preparing to leave Dhalia has one last person to visit… she seeks out Elizabeth, the young half-elf woman whose father died decades ago trying to get into Xonthal’s tower.
Elizabeth is at her pig farm, tending to an injured pig. Like most animals along the Sword Coast, the pigs have been jumpy and irritable, regularly getting into fights with one another. Dhalia explains that it’s because of the Draakhorn… a powerful magic item that the cult of Tiamat is using to sow chaos while they continue their efforts. Dhalia once again apologizes that they couldn’t find Elizabeth’s father, but Elizabeth assures her it’s not a problem… she never really believed he would somehow be alive after all these years. Still, Dhalia knows better than most what it’s like to lose her father tragically, and the two of them share a bond for that reason. Ultimately, Elizabeth is simply pleased that someone like Dhalia actually cares about her, and the two part when Elizabeth has to hurry and break up another fight between some of her pigs.
Returning to the Nimbus, the Chainbreakers leave as a crowd of onlookers look in awe at their departure. They show Armpit the remains of the blue dragon, with Dhalia asking if he can somehow use the heart or some other part of the Blue Dragon as a power source for the Nimbus. He doesn’t think that’s possible, but he does believe he can use it to build a canon, which the Chainbreakers are instantly excited for, and Dhalia unceremoniously volunteers Iskander to assist Armpit as he’s already beginning work on the canon… conveniently distracting Iskander so the Chainbreakers can discuss what they’re doing next in private.
Heading inside the lower floors of the windmill that serves as a home base on the Nimbus, they begin by discussing their plans for Lennithon’s remains… knowing from what happened with the body of the green dragon Chuth, they know that Thorn and the Zhentarim will want to claim ownership of the blue dragon’s body, especially since Harle landed the killing blow. Harle takes the initiative to write up a contract splitting the remains fairly, reserving some of the finer scales to be turned into armor as a gift to the Dwarven Kingdom as apology for the silver dragon armor they’re being forced to return. As he’s composing the contract the group starts to interrogate him a bit, trying to figure out why he’s gone out of his way to assist them and why he seems so familiar with G’houl. Deciding he finally trusts the Chainbreakers, Harle admits that him and G’houl are both cousins through adoption… his real name being Cole Barael. He doesn’t know why he has the lycanthropic ability for his panther shift, but he know it’s at least not contagious. Originally stationed in Daggerford, he actually mostly did book keeping for the Zhentarim prior to this, although it’s clear he still has experience as an assassin as well.
Harle shares with the Chainbreakers that he was asked very explicitly to make sure everyone in Xonthal’s Tower was dead, although Thorn didn’t tell him specifically why she wanted him to do so. Thinking on it for a bit, Harle reasons it’s most likely to take advantage of Right of Conquest laws, where seemingly abandoned locations like Xonthal’s Tower can be legally claimed by those who take it over. A location like Xonthal’s tower, even ignoring the wealth of knowledge stored within, would be a valuable strategic location for a group like the Zhentarim to claim. The Chainbreakers are hesitant to let the Zhentarim claim the tower… Katniss objects to anything that may continue the cult’s experiments in necromancy, and Dhalia is worried about what the criminal Zhentarim will do to the locals. Loki, for her part, mostly doesn’t care, but she supports Katniss. Harle finishes composing the contract, making sure it grants ownership of enough of the dragon’s remains to satisfy Thorn without taking too much away from the others. They contact Thorn through their magic mirror, and Katniss can tell, with Their recent studies into Thive’s Cant, that Thorn and Harle are having a coded conversation about the tower… and in particular that Harle still holds the key to get inside.
However, during all this time, G’houl has been working with Taern “Thunderspells” Hornblade… the elderly human wizard working on the Council of Waterdeep as a representative of the Lords’ Alliance. The two of them are researching information about the ceremony to summon Tiamat, hoping to figure out some way to stop it for certain, as well as intense training from Thunderspells to help G’houl keep up with his friends as they adventure. With Thunderspells’ help, G’houl is able to dig through enough historical records to piece together some idea of how the ceremony works… he knows that the dragon masks will somehow combine into a single mask, a portion of Tiamat’s palace will be pulled from Avernus into the material plane… a sacrifice of a massive fortune of gold will be given, along with the sacrifice of innocent lives in the hundreds, and finally the ceremony itself will require at least 5 skilled wizards working in tandem to complete. However, they also discover that interrupting any of these processes weakens the spell… even damaging the portion of Tiamat’s palace could stop the spell from properly summoning her. G’houl stays busy, with Thunderspells sharing some of his advanced knowledge, and even the designs of various permanent teleportation circles that G’houl might find useful. During their training, however, G’houl notices heavy clouds passing overhead, and looking more closely realizes that it’s actually Stormreach Castle, the flying castle of the Storm Giant Blagothkus, arriving in Waterdeep followed by three smaller, though still quite impressive flying castles in preparation for the assault on the Well of Dragons to stop the ritual to summon Tiamat.
Meanwhile, the remaining Chainbreakers continue their voyage, with Dhalia gathering the others to discuss an issue weighing heavily on her mind… Dhalia still carries the Soul Coins gifted to her by the archdevil Zariel, who had promised to withdraw support of Tiamat if Dhalia were to deliver to her the soul of one of Tiamat’s wyrmspeakers. She knows that two Wyrmspeakers are in captivity in Castle Waterdeep… the Dwarvish wyrmspeaker of white, Varram, and the disgraced Elven prince, Neronvain. If either of them were to be executed, Dhalia could use the Soul Coins to weaken Tiamat’s army by removing their Fiendish allies. However, Katniss’s raven, Onyx, clearly dislikes the coins, and Katniss as well isn’t comfortable with tampering with the natural order so aggressively… it’s one thing to kill someone, it’s quite another to then capture their soul. Still, there’s the knowledge that these are evil men, and upon their deaths their souls will be sent to Avernus anyway… at least with this they can’t be taken by Tiamat.
They fail to reach a conclusion before they approach Waterdeep and see that the Cloud Giants are there already. Eager to meet with Blagothkus in person, Dhalia flies off on her broom of flying to speak with him. He’s pleased to see her as well, although she realizes that there is still tension between the Giants and the Metallic Dragons, even though they’ve agreed to work together to oppose the Cult of Tiamat. She tries to persuade him to change his way of thinking, but the Cloud Giant is old and stubborn, and places the onus on the dragons to humble themselves first.
With their meeting complete the Nimbus docks on Mount Waterdeep… waiting for the Chainbreakers are the Zhentarim agent Thorn, Remalia Haventree of the Harpers, the Lords’ Alliance wizard, Taern “Thunderspells” Hornblade, and, of course, G’houl. Haventree is pleased that they returned safely, and Thorn has made certain to bring along a cart to carry the dragon’s remains. The Chainbreakers want to make certain that the Blue Dragon Mask is kept safe, and thankfully the Ancient Brass Dragon Ileuthra is already in Castle Waterdeep in order to hide the recovered dragon masks in the far reaches of the various planes. During this conversation, however, Dhalia notices Thorn and Iskander speaking in private… she realizes that Iskander has willingly signed over his claim to Xonthal’s Tower to the Zhentarim in exchange for payment… and for being allowed back to continue his research. The Chainbreakers are still wary of signing over the tower to the criminal organization, but Thorn tells them she’ll meet with the group at the Yawning Portal later to discuss the matter. For now, the Chainbreakers make their way to the Castle with the Blue Dragon Mask… and also the remains of the Blue Dragon they had slain.
The streets of Waterdeep are sparsely populated… everyone is on edge and seem to stay indoors whenever possible. Once back in Castle Waterdeep they find Ileuthra, who has assumed the form of a wisened elderly human in order to explore the castle more comfortably than he would in his massive draconic form. When presented with the Blue Dragon mask he promises to keep it safe until he can safely hide it, although he’s waiting until the completion of the next session of the Council of Waterdeep before taking on the task. The next Council Meeting is scheduled in two days’ time, giving the Chainbreakers only a brief period to prepare for the final assault against the Cult of Tiamat. Dhalia also tries to speak to Ileuthra about the giants… although Ileuthra was one of the gentler, more reasonable voices on the Council of Dragons, he still remains wary of the giants, considering their long and well-known rivalry with Dragons… Still, he seems more open to a potential meeting than Blagothkus was. Confident that the Dragon Masks will be safe within the Castle, especially with Ileuthra watching over them, the party now must decide what to do next as they prepare for war.
EDIT: lol it seems we still need to delay a bit. One of our players got called in to work and can't afford to miss any time at work, so we'll be rescheduling our game to tomorrow night.
We've been on a forced hiatus for almost two months now thanks to financial issues. While that problem hasn't completely gone away, we're all at least in a good enough state that we can start streaming again! Going forward, we'll be streaming on Tuesdays, and for now at least, we'll only be streaming Rise of Tiamat.
That said, we're nearing the end of the adventure! Come join us on Twitch or Youtube tonight at 6pm PST! The party is preparing for one last meeting with the Council of Waterdeep as they plan their final assault against the cult of Tiamat. And, as always, in case you need a reminder, here's what happened in our last session:
With the Blue Dragon Mask safely stored, Dhalia has an idea that requires the use of several more fireworks. Searching through the vast city of Waterdeep, she finds “Spencer Thompson’s House of Novelties”, a small but charming shop run by a flamboyant Gnome with a silly voice and a big mustache. The shop sells a variety of trinkets and toys, but Dhalia is interested in getting more fireworks… specifically, something with a bigger boom than the Sky Rockets the group had purchased in Daggerford. Fortunately, Spencer has “Sky Lighters”, potent explosives named for their ability to light up the night sky. He only has 4 in stock, but she happily purchases them. He also sells special sky rockets designed to burst with a single letter when they explode, and Dhalia purchases enough to spell out a sentence. Finally, she purchases an entire crate of standard sky rockets, giving her a small arsenal of flashy explosives for some plan of hers.
Returning to the Yawning Portal where they have all been given rooms, the group runs into Verther, the neurotic human business man that Loki and Dhalia had invested money in to create an insurance company. It seems the chaotic times has been good for business, although it’s clear the stress is overwhelming Verther. He provides Loki with 1000gp worth of platinum, and a few hundred gold for Dhalia as well, since she invested far less than Loki. Still, the group is happy for the extra funds and unfortunately, Verther is quite busy and unable to socialize. The Chainbreakers want to visit the bespoke magic shop, The Moon’s Reflection, but as it’s only open at night they instead focus on relaxing until then. Katniss in particular is drawn to a group of bar patrons playfully attempting trick shots, and although Katniss clearly does well, They still struggle a bit with some of the self-imposed challenges the group is attempting, such as attempting to throw the dart backwards while aiming with a mirror. Dhalia steps in to help Katniss with a trick shot… Dhalia balances a piece of chalk between her horns, and inspires Katniss to help them throw a trick shot that bounces off of a few glasses before cleanly cutting the chalk in half, to the delight of the onlookers who cheer and order drinks.
At this same time, Thorn arrives with her usual accompaniment of Half-Orc body guards. She brings with her a treasure chest laden with 50,000 gold pieces, as well as a few magic potions and a powerful spell scroll for the spell Earthquake, intending to trade them to the Chainbreakers in exchange for them selling their claim to Xonthal’s Tower to the Zhentarim. Katniss opposes this for one simple reason… Iskander and the other Wizards were researching necromancy in order to create dracoliches, something that They staunchly oppose. Thorn admits that the Zhentarim had already made a deal with Iskander, allowing him to return to the tower and continue his research. Loki, however, is unconcerned with the Undead, and instead she proposes renting the tower to the Zhentarim rather than sell it outright. This intrigues Thorn, but the group realizes they need to discuss the matter in greater detail, excusing themselves to Dhalia and G’houl’s shared room to figure out what to do.
Once alone Katniss expresses Their concern about necromancy, with Loki offering that they could put a clause in the rental contract preventing specific magics. Katniss seems relieved at Loki’s quick thinking, and decides it would be best if They simply give Their portion of the claim to the Tower to Loki outright, asking only for 3 kisses as payment, which Loki happily shares. The group then realizes they’ll need help if they want to compose a binding contract, so G’houl contacts his cousin Harle, who is nearby simply waiting for Thorn to leave so he can visit without drawing suspicion from the Zhentarim, who are unaware of his relationship to G’houl through adoption. Using Disguise Self to appear as a Dwarf, he passes through the bar to find their room and join them… although Dhalia is immediately distracted by the strange feeling of touching Harle’s real head that is well above what appears to be the top of his head in his disguise.
With Harle’s help the group decides that access to Xonthal’s Tower will be rented to the Zhentarim, with the caveat that they will need to allow members of the Emerald Enclave (and any experts they bring with them) into the tower periodically to make certain that they are not doing any research that could be abhorrent or dangerous to the people in the village surrounding the tower. They also must allow the Enclave members to attempt to free the Djinn and elementals that were imprisoned by Xonthal, and not attempt to recruit them for their own purposes. At this point, the only question is how much to charge for rent… as a Baroness, Dhalia has dealt with this kind of thing in the past, and knows that a Wizard’s Tower is an extremely valuable location, akin to a fort or palace… she knows that a rental fee of 500gp a month would be accepted without question, but they could reasonably ask for as much as 1000gp a month if they can be persuasive. Preferring the guaranteed success, especially with the caveats included in their contract, Loki suggests the lower 500gp. Harle quickly writes up a binding contract, using his skills in forgery to make it look as though it was written by Dhalia, expertly duplicating her handwriting.
Returning downstairs, they find Thorn trying out the trick dart throwing, although she’s far less successful than Katniss was. Showing her the contract, she’s satisfied with the conditions set, as the Zhentarim are more interested in the tower for its strategic value as a safe house rather than specific interest in Undead research or the dangerous elementals trapped within. She signs the contract and offers up 1 year’s worth of rent up front… 6000gp from the chest of 50,000 she has with her. As a personal gift, she also includes the potions and spell scroll, making it known that she still hopes the group’s success and is eager to assist them in the coming conflict. The group shares a drink before Thorn leaves, and once she’s gone Harle comes down from G’houl’s room where he was bonding with Dusk, G’houl’s familiar.
With night falling, the Chainbreakers decide to make their way to The Moon’s Reflection, with Harle tagging along, since he was interested in getting some of the dragon scales and claw he had claimed turned into something of value, since as a Zhentarim member he’s familiar with the store and its owner, a Yuan-Ti going by the name “Benedict Fenwick”. Once inside, Fenwick greets them with an elaborate light show and dramatic performance… something everyone present knows is just for show, but Fenwick goes through with it anyway for Dhalia’s sake, since she was disappointed when she first met Fenwick and he dropped the act when they were first brought here by the Zhentarim agent Jamna Gleamsilver. Katniss is the first to ask for Fenwick’s help in crafting a magic item, although They wish to speak to him privately on the matter. They want Fenwick to craft a pair of rings with some kind of protective property, offering him the Lapis jewels recovered from the dragon’s gizzard as a power source. Fortunately, Fenwick has several rings partially completed that he could convert into what Katniss desires, as they’re not uncommon as romantic gifts. Katniss selects a pair of rings made of gleaming silver designed to resemble interlocking antlers. Fenwick offers a trade, as Katniss has provided 3 lapis, while the enchantment only requires 2… if allowed to keep the third for his own use, he’ll craft the rings for no additional charge, which Katniss agrees to.
Returning to the rest of the Chainbreakers, they’re admiring Fenwick’s large flying carpet on display, with Dhalia reminiscing, as Flying Carpets are comparatively more common in her home country (although still a luxury of the fabulously wealthy). With Katniss returning, They spot a set of Bracers of Archery on display, with Fenwick willing to part with them for 1000gp, which Loki volunteers to pay for. Katniss steps outside to test Their new bracers while Loki attempts to haggle with Fenwick for the Flying Carpet, offering him her Tankard of Plenty in trade… which Fenwick very quickly dismisses, as the Tankard is far less valuable, although he’s willing to put its trade toward credit for the Carpet. Dhalia then offers up the head of the Blue Dragon as trade, which instantly draws Fenwick’s attention, as a Blue Dragon’s skull is incredibly valuable, especially its large horn. If the head is in good condition, he would be willing to trade his Carpet of Flying for it. Dhalia, however, starts to hesitate, as she really was looking forward to keeping the head as a trophy, but at the very least she sends a message to Armpit, asking him to bring the Nimbus to the Moon’s Reflection in order to show the head to Fenwick… and she also thinks that Armpit himself might interest Fenwick, as he’s also a talented craftsman and brilliant inventor.
While they wait for the Nimbus to arrive, Harle speaks with Fenwick, intent on commissioning some of the dragon scale he brought with him to be turned into a cloak. Fenwick believes he can craft one in just a few days’ time, and offers a discount if Harle allows him to keep any scales left over, which Harle agrees to. Soon the Nimbus arrives, escorted by Griffin Riders, and since the Moon’s Reflection has a tall Wizard’s Tower as part of its design, it’s able to dock so Fenwick can enter. He’s immediately impressed with the floating island, although like most people he’s clearly put off by the blunt, disheveled looking Goblin who designed it. He finds the Head stored on the Nimbus and appraises it as equal in value to the Carpet… however, despite calling Armpit to show it to him, Dhalia isn’t sure if this is the best use for the head and hesitates to trade, stating that she’ll need to think it over for at least a day. Fenwick gets distracted when he sees the lightning canon that Armpit is working on, using the heart of the Blue Dragon as a power source… the two of them end up losing themslves in a complex and technical discussion of how to accomplish such a thing. However, Fenwick eventually realizes he has work to do, and bids Armpit farewell and escorts the others out of his shop. Before leaving, however, Katniss asks if Fenwick can produce any more arrows of dragon slaying… he doesn’t have the means to produce any on his own, but he knows of a few other craftsmen he can contact and knows for certain he can have at least one waiting for Katniss when They come to pick up Their rings.
With their business complete the Chainbreakers return to the Yawning Portal, while Harle bids farewell to his cousin and disappears completely when no one is looking. Returning to their rooms, Dhalia shifts her focus once again to Griffin Hawe’s journal, looking for the song Granny Greenskin had hinted she should look for. Finally, she finds an interesting entry regarding a hag known to have an uncharacteristic love of music known as “Green Leaves”. She’s the 6th daughter of the legendary Baba Yaga, and the journal entry details her courtship with Lord Sephil, of the Court of Air in the Unseelie Court, where she was granted the title of “Lady Green Leaves”. However, Lord Sephil died of apparent Iron poisoning, and Lady Green Leaves abandoned the court and hasn’t been seen since. The journal also includes an interview with Sephil’s brother, Lord Waphin, who bemoans that his brother ever “degraded” himself by marrying a hag. He notes that Sephil courted Green Leaves by offering her the grass clippings of a vast field, assuming that Green Leaves must simply enjoy the scent, and Sephil composed a popular song about his love for Green Leaves, and with some alterations to the lyrics the song is still commonly played. Reading further, Dhalia recognizes the song as the common staple, “Green Sleeves”, although the lyrics are darker, and seem to extoll Green Leaves’ Wisdom rather than beauty, and focuses on the beauty and power of Fear.
After finding this story, she asks G’houl what he knows about the Baba Yaga. He’s heard many legends of this Archfey… The Queen of Witches, whose stories are Legendary, with just as many stories about her as an inhuman monster as there are tales of her as a wise and powerful guardian of the forests. She also asks Dusk if he’s ever heard of Lady Green Leaves, since Dusk is a fey spirit, but Dusk doesn’t seem to recognize the name at all. Still, Dhalia feels she’s learned something important about her Granny Greenskin and is eager to share her bed with G’houl to ease the stress of the past several days. Meanwhile, Katniss and Loki are doing much the same, the two pairs of lovers drifting peacefully to sleep.
Unsurprisingly, Dhalia once again finds herself at Granny Greenskin’s hut in her dreams. Greenskin confirms what Dhalia had read, and Dhalia realizes that a shrunken head hanging in Granny’s hut is actually her late husband, Sephil. She also discovers that Sephil was actually killed by his brother Lord Waphin… Dhalia calls him heartless, but Granny helpfully points out that she confirmed personally that Waphin has a heart… or, at the very least, he did. Greenskin also confirms that she feeds on fear… her love of the scent of grass clippings is because that scent is the grasses fear. She even claims that Dhalia produces the most delicious kind of fear… while Dhalia has little fear for herself, her fear for others and those she cares about is far more potent and valuable. She also learns that, when her father first stumbled upon Greenskin’s hut as a child, the one thing he was truly afraid of was that Granny would be all alone if he left. It’s implied that this is also why she has her faithful Blink Dog, Peaches, at her side. Granny gives Dhalia a cold, clammy kiss on the forehead, with Dhalia happily embracing the grim, imposing figure of Granny before returning to the Material Plane, having finally learned the true history of her Fairy Godmother.
We're playing tonight at 6pm PST! Come join us on Twitch or Youtube as I DM my friends through whatever comes next in the Rise of Tiamat. If you're curious about what happened last week, read on:
As the Chainbreakers are waking up in their rooms in the Yawning Portal Inn, Dhalia gathers everyone together in the room shared by Katniss and Loki to discuss what they should do next as they prepare for the next meeting of the Council of Waterdeep. In particular, she wants to discuss the use of the Soul Coins given to her by the Archdevil Zariel… Zariel has been providing Fiendish soldiers to assist the Cult of Tiamat, who is trapped in her circle of Hell, Avernus. Zariel doesn’t care what happens to the Material Plane, but despite her callous attitude Dhalia sees good in the Fallen Angel, as Zariel willingly damned herself simply so she could protect the Heavens from the Demons of the Abyss, which must pass through Avernus on the River Styx to reach the Heavens. Her duty is complicated by Tiamat’s presence, as Zariel cannot focus on both fighting back the legions of the Abyss and keeping a primordial Dragon Goddess imprisoned. Zariel has offered to withdraw her soldiers if Dhalia can deliver her the soul of one the Wyrmspeakers… the highest ranked members of the Cult of Tiamat. This can be done with the Soul Coins, which can be used to trap the souls of the recently deceased.
Loki, despite being a cleric, has little opinion on the matter… never one to show much interest in religious doctrine in service of her Trickster Goddess, she sees the practicality of using the coin and has no problem with utilizing it to eliminate the threat of Devils on the Cult’s side. G’houl as well doesn’t disagree, although he’s more worried of what effect the Coin might have on Dhalia, as he’s done enough research to know that toying with souls is viewed as a purely evil act by most Gods. This same concern also bothers Katniss, who has committed Themself to the service of the Goddess of Death, the Raven Queen, in particular opposing the Undead, which the Raven Queen opposes vehemently as they defy the natural order. Katniss is aware that meddling in souls, even souls of the irredeemably evil, is wholly unnatural and in direct defiance of the Raven Queen’s wishes. Even Onyx, Their raven familiar, clearly reacts with dislike whenever he sees a Soul Coin. Still, despite Their reservations, Katniss may work alongside the Raven Queen, but They are not an acolyte or servant, and They cannot deny that many more lives will likely be saved if the threat of Fiends could be removed. Although They’re not happy with it, They agree that using the Coin is the smart thing to do and agrees to support Dhalia, who intends to inform the Council as well, not wanting to use something so potentially corrupting without their knowledge and support.
With that heavy discussion out of the way, their next plan is to focus on the crate of Fireworks Dhalia had purchased. Carrying them in G’houl’s bag of holding, the Chainbreakers make their way to Mount Waterdeep to meet with Armpit in the floating island, the Nimbus. Once there they find that Armpit is working with a trio of students, making progress on his invention for a lightning canon, using a Blue Dragon’s very heart as a power source. They discuss plans to convert the fireworks into a weapon that could potentially damage a dragon. Armpit doesn’t know much about dragons, but he knows he could easily convert the fireworks into an explosive device. However this leads to a discussion on exactly what form it should take… the sheer volume of Fireworks purchased by Dhalia gives many options… whether they want something that can still be fired like a rocket, or if they’d prefer something potentially more powerful that needs to be thrown. Dhalia also thinks that blessing the fireworks might make them extra potent against Tiamat, with G’houl knowing from his research that, while Tiamat herself is a Goddess, when she first enters the material plane she will have to manifest an Avatar, and that Avatar will be a Fiend, and thus susceptible to Holy Water. However, the fireworks themselves cannot be blessed in the same manner, and a holy water core would make it completely impossible to build an explosive that can be fired… or even reasonably carried by an individual. Instead the group thinks it may make sense to give the bomb to one of the Giants assisting their battle against the Cult of Tiamat, since they’ve shown the ability to hurl actual boulders with relative ease. Armpit’s focus is still primarily on his Lighning Canon, but with their guidance he agrees to convert the fireworks into a large bomb to be dropped by the Giants at some point in the coming conflict.
Satisfied with their plan for the fireworks, the Chainbreakers’ discussion returns to the Soul Coins. They know that two Wyrmspeakers have been captured and are being held in Castle Waterdeep… however, they know that Varram the White is scheduled to be taken to the Mithral Hall after the conflict is resolved in order to stand trial for his many crimes, and they do not believe the Honorable and strict dwarves will defy tradition to sentence him to death without trial. The odds of King Melandrach of the Elves consenting to having his son Neronvain’s soul ripped from his body, despite Neronvain’s many crimes, is also incredibly low. The party instead thinks they may be able to learn from Varram or Neronvain the location of the remaining Wyrmspeakers, and if one can be defeated and killed it will satisfy Zariel’s demands. Knowing that Varram was captured some time ago, and that he was in exile from the cult even before, they realize that Neronvain is the better option and so head to Castle Waterdeep to hopefully pry information from the cruel and deceptive former Prince.
On their way to the Castle, they see that Dwarven Soldiers from the Mithral Hall have journeyed to Waterdeep, their hulking Riding Goats lining the streets. Inside the castle they first find Remalia Haventree of the Harpers. She’s informed of the plan with the Coin, and although she’s hesitant about using a form of Dark Magic, she does admit it makes tactical sense. She knows that Neronvain is held by the visiting Elven Kingdom and they will need Melandrach’s express permission to speak with him. She guides the group to a war room where Melandrach is speaking with his advisers, and Dhalia is able to convince him to give them complete privacy to discuss the matter. Katniss, who is more familiar with Elven sensibilities, carefully explains their intent, and Melandrach himself seems to recognize a Soul Coin on sight when Dhalia shows it to him. Melandrach is not enthusiastic about utilizing a Soul Coin for any reason, and especially refuses to have one used on Neronvain, despite already condemning his son to death… his execution only delayed by the urging of Dhalia’s friend Yawna after she worked with G’houl and Antares to capture him. Still, he grants permission for them to speak with Neronvain in private, writing them a quick letter to prove his consent.
Deep below Castle Waterdeep are the dungeons where only the most dangerous criminals are kept. Making their way to Neronvain’s cell, they pass many check points and are thoroughly examined each time, eventually even leaving their weapons behind if only to speed up the process. Although the delay is annoying, it is at least somewhat comforting to know just how tight the security is. Finally, they’re allowed to speak to Neronvain, who is kept in a simple cell behind a locked door, with bars separating him from his visitors. Neronvain continues to taunt and tease the Chainbreakers, acting casually about his situation and ignoring Dhalia when she points out the last time they saw him he was having a meltdown when his father condemned him to death. He even doesn’t seem to care when shown the Soul Coin, not convinced that it will make his afterlife any better or worse, all things considered. While threats and intimidation don’t seem to faze him, it’s also clear he holds no love for his fellow Wyrmspeakers and seems willing to sell them out in exchange for some form of entertainment. In particular he seems interested in having some alone time with Loki, asking if she really can look like anyone. A dismissive Loki admits she doesn’t work as a prostitute anymore, and also mocks Neronvain, claiming she doesn’t know what his Mother looks like and thus couldn’t make herself look like her. The casual take down actually seems to get under Neronvain’s skin and he stubbornly demands they provide him something in exchange for his information. Katniss remembers the pornographic magazine they found in the room of Dralmorrer Borngray, a cult member who was also a member of the Elven Supremacist group, the Eldrath Valuuthra. Depicting an Elf woman set upon by “filthy humans”, Katniss correctly guesses that the contents would appeal to Neronvain, who says he’ll be willing to trade what he knows for the book… but he refuses when he’s ordered to share the information first.
Wanting to take advantage of the opening the book provides, Katniss uses it to distract Neronvain so he won’t notice Dhalia casting Detect Thoughts. Unfortunately, Neronvain’s surface thoughts are simply him mentally singing Elvish songs to himself, as the well-trained cultist seems prepared for having his mind read and was likely doing this the entire time they were there. Annoyed, Dhalia holds back on probing deeper until she hears what he has to say. Snatching the magazine once it’s offered, Neronvain laughs and informs them that any remaining Wyrmspeakers would be at Severin’s side in the Well of Dragons. He even guesses the ritual to summon Tiamat has probably already begun, although the Chainbreakers aren’t certain if that’s true, or if he’s simply trying to get under their skin. He even willingly shares the names of the Wyrmspeakers… himself as the Speaker of Green, the Cult’s leader, Severin, is the Speaker of Red, the dwarf Varram is the Speaker of White (although he seems unaware that Varram is already in their custody), the late Rezmir was the Speaker of Black (he does not know if she has been replaced yet), and finally he mentions the Wyrmspeaker of Blue, Galvan. Wanting to know more about Galvan, Neronvain dismissively just calls him a human, and mentions off-hand that he’s Thayan. Seeing that Neronvain is clearly more interested in the magazine than the conversation, the group decides it would be best to instead speak to the captured Red Wizard, Azbara Jos, who hopefully will have some idea of how they can find Galvan before the assault on the Cult begins.
Unlike the other prisoners, since Jos had surrendered himself willingly and has been actively assisting the Council of Waterdeep, his cell is on a tall tower with a view of the city, and he is provided more comfortable accommodations. Dhalia had asked her friend Yawna to watch over Jos, and when they arrive at Jos’s cell they find her already inside chatting loudly and quickly with the captured wizard. Jos is pleased to see the Chainbreakers, and when asked about Galvan he explains that he is actually a relative of Rath Modar, although even he doesn’t know exactly what their relationship is. He also confirms that it was Galvan who facilitated the union of the Cult of Tiamat and the renegade Red Wizards. Unfortunately, his intel is the same as Neronvain’s… at this time, he is most likely at Severin’s side preparing for the final ritual. This once again directs them to the Well of Dragons… the ancient metallic dragon gravesite that has been captured and corrupted by the Cultists. While visiting Dhalia also picks up on Yawna directing affection toward Jos… fully aware that Yawna is a hopeless romantic who falls in love easily, she silently informs Jos about Yawna’s affections, which the emotionally distant wizard seems to have not picked up on at all. Even once informed, he reacts mostly with a scholarly curiosity rather than express interest himself. Satisfied that they learned all they could from him, the Chainbreakers leave, although they gossip a bit about Yawna and Jos once they’re out of range of the pair… G’houl recalls that Yawna was quite flirtatious with him as well, but she did ease up once she learned he was dating someone… although he recalls Antares made it a bit worse by implying that he was the one dating G’houl, with Katniss noting that it sounds like Antares, who can give in to his fey lineage a bit too easily and stir up mischief simply for the sake of it.
As they discuss what to do next, they’re fortunate enough to see that the Tortle representative of the Emerald Enclave, Delaan Winterfloe, is approaching with the intent to visit Jos for tea, which seems to be a regular occurrence for them. The Chainbreakers pull him aside, hoping to discuss the matter of the Soul Coin with him in private. Dhalia explains how she got to this point, and makes clear that she had the opportunity to become Zariel’s Warlock, but refused. Katniss assists, making clear that They know the many problems that using something like this represents, but still believes this is the right thing to do. Delaan considers this for a moment but ultimately comes to the same conclusion. However, he looks on Dhalia with sympathy, knowing that the use of the coin may lead to the sacrifice of her very soul. Dhalia seems convinced that, as a Tiefling, she’s likely condemned to Hell anyway, although Delaan does not think it’s so simple. Like the Chainbreakers themselves, he’s not happy about it, but he does support finding a way to use the Coin and remove as many Fiends from the Cult’s side as possible. He also appreciates that they’re going out of their way to talk to the Councilmembers about it ahead of time, but warns that some of the others might not be willing to entertain the use of the coin… in particular he mentions Ontharr Frume, the Dwarven representative of the highly religious Order of the Gauntlet, who has already objected regularly to including the criminal Zhentarim organization in the Council, among other moral issues.
Delaan thanks them all for speaking with him, and offers some cookies from his tea set to the group before continuing to his visit with Jos. The Chainbreakers aren’t fully certain where to go next, as they don’t know where the other Council members might be found. For now it is getting into the afternoon, and if nothing else they need to find some place to eat. As they pass through the courtyard they find that it is filled with soldiers gathering and having discussions… Elves from the High Forest, Dwarves from the Mithral Hall, and the mostly human soldiers of Waterdeep comprise the majority of those present, but a few scattered gatherings of other nations and races can be seen. One in particular that Dhalia notices from a distance is the Green Dragonborn paladin, Corinth, accompanied by a cadre of lizardfolk, including the large figure of Snapjaw. Happy to see them, the group goes to speak to the group of scaled individuals and learn of what has happened in Castle Naerytar in the Mere of Dead Men. They learn that researchers have been allowed in the castle, and are making progress on repairing the telescope in the Observatory, although Corinth doesn’t know for certain whether it’s fully functional. The Wild Magic Sorceress Ella who traveled with Corinth before has taken the young Lizardfolk sorcerer, Light Touch, as a sort of apprentice to help him learn to channel his innate magics. The Lizardfolk present have all volunteered to join the war efforts, hoping to destroy the cult that treated them like slaves. However, the Chainbreakers notice that they’re very standoffish, and seem uncomfortable with the large crowds of humanoids that they refer to as the “unscaled”, and although Corinth is a Dragonborn and not a Lizardfolk, they still seem more comfortable in his presence than the others. Thinking it might cheer them up to meet with a dragon that isn’t cruel or manipulative, Dhalia uses Sending to contact Otaaryliakaarnos (better known as just “Elia”) to introduce her to the Lizardfolk.
It takes some time for Elia to reach them, as she was busy elsewhere in the castle… instead of arriving in her true form or the elven form she disguised herself as in the past, she arrives in the appearance of a silver Dragonborn. The Lizardfolk are not impressed, as they were told they would be meeting a dragon, but instead she appears in the form of a “tailless scaled one”. Elia takes the opportunity to reveal her true form, with the Lizardfolk bowing to her worshipfully, which Elia reacts to as though it’s a common occurrence for her. After meeting some of the Lizardfolk she’s asked about her opinion on the Giants… like Brass Dragon Ileuthra, she doesn’t trust them, but is at least committed to not deliberately causing trouble. Dhalia in particular seems set on easing this distrust between the Giants and Dragons, and does her best to plead with Elia to at least speak to Ileuthra about it, as Ileuthra has committed, at the very least, to give a gift to the giants’ leader, the Storm Giant Blagothkus, as a show of peace and goodwill. She reminds Elia that she hated the Dwarves for largely the same reason she hates the giants, and now they’re working together as trusted allies and the Dwarves have issued a formal apology for their actions. This is enough to get Elia to agree to try and mend issues with the giants, but she warns that she can’t promise that her people will share her sentiment… especially with the sound of the Draakhorn blaring all day and night, with dragons in particular sensitive to the foreboding sound, with the Chainbreakers realizing that Elia and her fellow dragons have been living with what amounts to a constant siren sound day in and day out for over a month.
As Elia has much to take care of arranging the arrival of Silver Dragons, she cannot stay and chat for too long, although the Lizardfolk are happy to accompany her and learn more from her. Snapjaw takes a moment to grip Dhalia’s head and lightly touch foreheads, a sign of affection among the Lizardfolk roughly equivalent to a hug, thanking them again for all they did and promising to assist should they need her. Seeing the discord and lack of camaraderie among the various organizations, Dhalia gets the idea to organize some kind of big party for everyone present to raise spirits in preparation for the coming assault. The other Chainbreakers agree that may be a good idea, although how they’ll organize such a thing in such short notice remains to be seen.
Our schedule has been a bit wonky thanks to some financial troubles that a few of our players are experiencing. But this week we'll be back with more Rise of Tiamat for the first time in over a month! Come join us at Twitch or Youtube tonight at 6pm PST as I DM my friends through more of Rise of Tiamat as we draw ever closer to the conclusion.
Just in case you need it, as always, here's what happened in last week's session:
The Chainbreakers are planning a party as the armies gather in anticipation of the final assault on the Cult of Tiamat, with the hopes of raising morale and softening the distrust still held by some of the disparate factions banding together. G’houl is asked if he knows anyone who can provide a magical light show of some kind… as he’s not from Waterdeep originally, his best guess is to contact Taern “Thunderspells” Hornblade, the elderly human wizard who represents the Lords’ Alliance in the Council of Waterdeep, and who put G’houl through some intense magical exercise over the past week. After contacting Thunderspells through Sending, he arrived to hear their request and becomes convinced at the value an event like this might provide for the good of the soldiers. Castle Waterdeep has the resources to provide basic comforts for the visiting soldiers, but he encourages the Chainbreakers to seek out an alternate source for drinks and finer foods… as for entertainment, he knows a few illusionists he can call on to put on a show.
With their goal set out before them, Dhalia remembers that the local Leadbrand Brewery considers them allies for rescuing one of the founders in their journeys earlier… Dhalia even carries a coin stamped with their logo that would get them free Leadbrand beer in the Yawning Portal… if their meals weren’t already comped by the Castle. On their way to the brewery Katniss keeps an eye out for vendors… as the brewery is near a large marketplace, they’re not difficult to find. Dhalia takes point speaking to a meat-on-a-stick vendor, who seems enthusiastic at the implication that some kind of festival is occuring in the Castle Courtyard. It’s not uncommon for festivals to occur there, and word quickly spreads among the vendors, some already closing up their shop to find a prime location.
Once within the Leadbrand brewery it’s a small effort to speak to the Dwarven Brewmaster, Ikla Leadbrand, who easily recognizes the adventurers and is happy to hear from them again. At their request for the Leadbrand Brewery to provide drinks for the event he considers it a point of pride, especially with the Dwarven armies of the Mithral Hall gathering in Waterdeep. He does, however, request some form of written invitation from the members of the Chainbreakers to get some form of compensation from the castle for the free drinks he’ll be providing for the event. Dhalia takes on the task of composing this letter, throwing some of her weight around by actually signing it as “Baroness Dhalia Tricklegrove-Whipstaff”, a title and full last name she largely avoids using, since her marriage to the Baron Whipstaff was unwilling and ended with her murdering the Baron to escape his cruelty.
With drinks secured, their next task is to invite the visiting Giants, led by the proud, occasionally philosophical Cloud Giant, Blagothkus. After the grueling march back up Mount Waterdeep for the second time that day to reach Blagothkus’s home of Skyreach Castle. They find that the Ogres who compose the majority of Blagothkus’s army are armed and ready for war, and their Cloud Giant leader is in the lower areas of the castle meditating. He’s pleased for the visit, with Dhalia again taking point alongside Katniss to convince Blagothkus to visit the castle for the festivities and ease the tension among those who are intimidated by the Giants in their floating castles. Dhalia also appeals to him for the sake of Esclarotta, his late wife whose soul inhabits and powers Skyreach Castle, and who she knows from speaking to the Giants in the past had always encouraged peace. With a critical success, Blagothkus becomes determined not simply to join this event, but use it as a means of blessing his new allies with the riches and strength of the Giants, committing (without being asked) to providing food for the small folk and even agreeing with Dhalia’s suggestion of moving Skyreach Castle itself down to ground level so that it can connect directly to Castle Waterdeep, with Skyreach Castle’s own Courtyard serving to entertain guests. With little thought for the panic it might cause, Blagothkus immediately guides the Floating Castle to fly towards Castle Waterdeep, with panicked Griffin Riders intercepting and passing on the knowledge of their visit to the Castle to avoid any further concern the sudden appearance of a massive castle suddenly approaching might cause.
Arriving in Castle Waterdeep the Chainbreakers are met by Lady Laeral Silverhand, the elderly human wizard who had ascended to the rank of Open Lord of Waterdeep. She greets Blagothkus formally and thanks him for his work, but wishes to speak to the Chainbreakers in private. She has been informed by the other Councilmembers that Dhalia spoke to about the Soul Coin, and how it may be used to eliminate the infernal allies aiding the Cult of Tiamat. She tells them not to worry about discussing the matter further with the remaining members of the council… the matter is now scheduled for discussion on the next meeting of the Council of Waterdeep, where it will be put to a vote. She also speaks sorrowfully about Zariel, believing, like Dhalia, that Zariels’ intent is noble, but her methods have become heartless. G’houl notices that she seems to speak of Zariel as if she knows the Archdevil… possibly even knew her before she fell. He voices this observation to his allies, and before Lady Silverhand can leave Dhalia asks her plainly how old the wizard is, with Lady Silverhand playfully avoiding the question and leaving without any more words.
Unbeknownst to the Chainbreakers, word of a massive party at the Castle has reached the ears of Harle, the Zhentarim agent who is also secretly a member of G’houl’s adoptive family. Eager to turn up the dial on the party, he then expertly uses his information network to spread word of the upcoming party across the entire city, drawing an even larger crowd than the Chainbreakers ever anticipated, since they were expecting this to simply be a chance for the various factions to mingle before entering combat together. The Chainbreakers are busy instead visiting Ashglade Fine Clothier’s, with Dhalia modifying the dress she wore on Liar’s Night to make it easier to dance in, and also purchasing a new suit for G’houl to wear for the evening… Katniss simply repurposes the suit They wore for the ill-fated party held by the Talraidal’s months before (which was ambushed by a team of assassins), and Loki, who easily wears the most lavish outfit of her group in the first place, opts to simply wear her usual clothing.
When the clothing modifications are complete, they return at sundown to find that the streets surrounding Castle Waterdeep have transformed into an impromptu fair, the likes of which haven’t been seen in Waterdeep since Liar’s Night. Vendors have set up stalls all around, children are running through the streets gleefully, playing in the light mist that covers the ground, emanating from the floating Skyreach Castle that hovers above Castle Waterdeep. On their way inside Katniss breaks off from the group when They see the Yuan-Ti enchanter, Benedict Fennwick of the Moon’s Reflection bartering with a jeweler who has set up a stall. Fennwick is pleased to see Katniss, as he had also come to the event seeking Them, as he had completed the rings Katniss had commissioned him to create and he was hoping to deliver them. Delivered in a small, simple box, Katniss thanks him and proceeds into the Courtyard to rejoin Their allies while music is played by gathering minstrels and fine Dwarven Ale is being distributed by the hardworking brewers of the Leadbrand Brewery, led by Ikla Leadbrand himself pouring from massive barrels.
The music picks up as a massive plank made from dozens of tree trunks lashed togethered is lowered from Skyreach Castle into the courtyard of Castle Waterdeep. Blagothkus himself in his finest armor leads a processsion of Giants carrying massive plates of Giant food to share with the small-folk, extolling the glory of the Giants an the bounty they provide. They bring with them massive smoked boars the size of houses, fruits of exotic trees as big as a man, and even what appears to be a whole, deepfried whale. Without hesitation, Loki climbs one of the smoked boars and starts eating, tearing off pieces to store in her bag of holding for later. Dhalia and G’houl try some of the giant fruits, with Dhalia needing to pull out her sword just to slice off an edible portion… as generous as the giants were with their food, they didn’t think to provide any cutlery or other means of actually consuming their enormous meals. Fortunately, as this is a party for soldiers, weapons are easily on hand and chopping off chunks of fruit and meat proves a fun experience for the gathered armies.
While Loki goes to stand in line and get herself some free beer, Katniss reveals what was delivered to Them by Fennwick. Dhalia instantly recognizes the significance of a pair of rings on this occasion. She’s delighted and eagerly encourages Katniss, giving them Inspiration in case they need it. Loki, after finally getting her beer, remembers that she actually has an enchanted mug that magically produces beer at will, shrugging and throwing the mug of Leadbrand beer over her shoulder and returning to her group just in time for Katniss to ask her if they can go somewhere private. With their status they’re allowed to go basically where ever they want in the castle, which seems mostly empty as anyone not on duty at the moment is in the courtyard celebrating.
After climbing to the top of a tall watchtower, they’re able to look out over the lights of the city, which seem almost reflected by the twinkling lights of the stars above. Taking a knee, Katniss then asks for Loki to become Their wife. Loki, for once, seems stunned… asking Katniss They really think she seems like the “wife” type. Katniss admits that, no, she doesn’t, but that only makes Them more eager to see what kind of wife she’ll be. Loki tries to play it off dismissively, casually claiming she’s only agreeing since she’s never been a wife before and is curious what it will be like, but she can’t hide her true feelings as she declares that, in her mind at least, this entire event is now officially her personal Engagement Party… to which Katniss happily agrees, the two holding hands and sharing some of the food Loki had snagged earlier as they hold hands and enjoy the music and dancing from their vantage point.
While the two lovers are gone, the music stops suddenly as Ileuthra and a small group of dragons arrive at the party. There is instant tension as the dragons and giants, long-time enemies, meet amidst this display of wealth and power by the Giants. Dragons are still gathering from distant lands, so the small group is easily outnumbered by giants. There is a moment of tension as they stare each other down, but the tension is eased as Ileuthra delivers a large gift wrapped in silks. Delicately opening it, a massive silver comb the size of a surfboard is revealed… exactly the gift that Dhalia had recommended. With a flourish, Blagothkus removes his helmet and runs the intricately designed comb through his long, flowing white hair. Without a word, he expresses his grattitude with a deep bow which instantly draws gasps from his fellow giants, and anyone in the crowd aware of the history of dragons and giants. To see a proud and arrogant King like Blagothkus lower his head to a dragon is unheard of amongst Giants. Ileuthra as well returns a deep, respectful bow, and although it’s clear that not all of his fellow dragons are happy with the gesture, they also bow to the Giant King. This gesture will not end the centures of ill will between the two races, but at the very least it’s a start toward peace in the future.
With the tension past, Dhalia leads G’houl toward a large drum circle that has formed, with other musicians joining in and turning into an impromptu band. She takes his hand and guides him into a dance, hoping to see his performance as they enjoy the night.
EDIT: Oops! One of the players is feeling sick, so we'll reschedule to next Tuesday!
It's been over a month since our last Rise of Tiamat Stream! Come join us tonight at 6pm PST tonight on Twitch or Youtube as I DM my friends as they make their way to the big finale of Rise of Tiamat! A few of our players have had a very stressful month, mostly for financial reasons, so we're very happy to finally come back to our game. Just in case you need a reminder (because I know I do) here's what happened the last time we streamed:
During the celebration in the courtyard of Castle Waterdeep, Dhalia leads G’houl in an impressive dance utilzing Dhalia’s Broom of Flying to put on an elaborate show for the gathered soldiers relaxing one last time before the assault on the Cult of Tiamat. The former Dwarven King Connerad Brawnanvil and the King of the Elven High Forest, King Melandrach, lead the soldiers in a rousing traditional Dwarven mining song, which is capped off with a massive display of illusory magic headed by old man Thunderspells, with the Giant King Blagothkus and the Ancient Bronze Dragon Ileuthra performing a competitive aerial dance while the gathered crowd cheers. Following this massive display the celebration gradually dies down, and G’houl leads Dhalia to an isolated location, given use of one of the guard towers where they can watch the lingering fireworks and other displays of illusion magic.
Nervously, G’houl produces the platinum and Amber ring he had purchased from Thorn’s shop some weeks ago, going on one knee and asking Dhalia to marry him. Dhalia is stunned but quickly agrees to marry G’houl, forsaking the formal courtship she had been experiencing as a Baroness in her distant home country. Without realizing it, both couples within the Chainbreakers proposed on the same night on isolated guard towers in Castle Waterdeep.
After spending the night in the castle, the group gathers to share a simple breakfast with the other soldiers in the barracks, and they reveal the dual-engagements from the night before. Everyone is overjoyed and already making plans for their friends’ roles in their upcoming weddings. However, with one day left before the final meeting of the Council of Waterdeep, there is still some work left for the group to do. In particular, Dhalia wants to speak with Ontharr Frume, the Dwarvish representative of the Order of the Gauntlet. She knows that Frume is the remaining council member who is most likely to be opposed to Dhalia’s potential bargain with Zariel that may remove the Devils working in support of the Cult of Tiamat. Asking around the castle, they learn that Frume is most likely across the city in the temples of the City of the Dead; in particular, the temple to Chauntea, the Goddess of Harvest.
After arriving at the temple the party realizes that the Priestess working there looks shockingly like Frulam Mondath… the Tiamat Cultist they had convinced to defect and who was briefly possessed by Tiamat and forced to attack the party. When Dhalia mentions Frulam, the woman confirms that Frulam is her daughter, and also dismisses Dhalia, assuming that she’s one of many who have come to her to attempt to collect on a debt that Frulam owes. She’s skeptical when Dhalia explains what happened with Frulam, until she mentions the simple Lamb pendant that Frulam still carries. The woman is overjoyed, introducing herself as Sister Sandora Mondath… with Dhalia assisting her using the Sending spell, she makes plans for a pilgrimage to Greenest to meet with her daughter and help her return to Waterdeep.
While discussing this with Sandora, she leads the group to a statue of Chauntea where Frume is praying. Frume overhears what Dhalia did for Sandora, and she assumes the group is there to discuss with her the use of the Soul Coin. Dhalia explains why she’s willing to take on the burden and even shows Frume the Soul coin, but gets reprimanded for bringing out something like that in a Holy Place. There’s nothing Dhalia could say to convince Frume to support the use of the Coin, but her actions and reasoning still impress Frume. While she still maintains that using the coin is sinful and wrong, she at least agrees to abide by whatever the council votes for with the coin and will not hold it against Dhalia or the Chainbreakers.
With that, the group needs only to gather the Cloak of Protection G’houl had commissioned and reconvene in the Yawning Portal. Dhalia and G’houl both use Sending to contact their parents… G’houl’s mother is crying with joy and demands they visit as soon as possible, while his father is more calm and simply congratulates his son. Dhalia’s Mother also weeps happily, although she’s a bit more composed as she tells Dhalia how proud she is of her daughter, and also expresses happiness that Dhalia will be marrying for love, and not out of obligation as a Baroness. Dhalia also prepares to contact Granny Greenskin, but to her surprise Greenskin manifests in a dark corner and makes it clear that she already knows. Greenskin does not physically appear… rather, the corner becomes black with deep, ominous shadows, and all that can be seen of granny are the reflections of light off of her predator-like eyes, and glisten of her jagged teeth in her far-too-wide smile. G’houl finds himself struck with Fear in her presence, and Dhalia is happy to introduce Granny to all her friends. Granny Greenskin also confirms that she intends to properly attend Dhalia’s wedding, whenever it ends up being, cackling with glee as she disappears, freeing G’houl from the fear he had found himself in.
With the morning comes the final meeting with the Council of Waterdeep. Despite joining in the quest to take over Xonthal’s tower, Harle is strategically kept out of the meeting by the Zhentarim. The first order of the meeting is the discussion of what is to be done with Xonthal’s Tower, with instant unhappiness from the other Council Members when Thorn reveals the Zhentarim have already arranged to rent the tower from the Chainbreakers to use as a base of operation. The disagreement is alleviated somewhat when they reveal the fairly in-depth contract they had drafted which prevents the Zhentarim from using the base in an overly sinister way, and also grants the Emerald Enclave safe passage into the Tower at their discretion to monitor the Zhentarim and also help free the Djinns and elementals captured by Xonthal… with the Zhentarim forbidden from attempting to recruit any Djinn to their organization. Although some groups are still clearly unhappy with this result, the effort put in to help regulate the criminal Zhentarim minimizes any complaints.
At this point, Lady Silverhand then changes to discuss the other matter still needing to be addressed… the use of the Soul Coin. Lady Silverhand herself thinks that toying with such things is foolish, but she has agreed to put the matter to a vote. Dhalia is given one last opportunity to plead her case, and with her allies helping her she delivers an impassioned speech where she makes clear that she doesn’t take the use of the Coin lightly, but she can’t ignore the potential to save lives in the upcoming assault if they can remove the Hellish threat of Zariel’s Devils. The speech is quite persuasive, and a vote is held…
Lady Silverhand is the first vote, and the first nay. She seems to know more than she’s admitting publicly about Zariel, and clearly does not trust the archdevil. Lord Neverember sides with Silverhand, also voting Nay. King Melandrach, whose own son is one of the Wyrmspeakers who must die for this plan to proceed, votes nay as well, feeling it would be hypocritical for him to refuse any possibility of the Soul Coin being used on his son but supporting its use on another man. However, the wizard Taern “Thunderspells” Hornblade thinks more pragmatically, and although he cautions that there may still be devils loayal to Tiamat and not Zariel, he still believes that removing as many Infernal opponents as possible is the smart move and votes yea. Ambassador Brawnanvil speaks to G’houl, who he seems to hold in high esteem for the loyalty and Dwarven honor he had shown. As G’houl is the adopted son of a Dwarf, Brawnanvil considers G’houl to be a Dwarf, as he believes Dwarven heritage means more than just blood. G’houl has much to lose, especially now that he’s engaged to marry Dhalia, and there’s no certainty what using the Coin will mean for her, but he believes in Dhalia and supports her, which is enough to convince Brawnanvil to vote yea.
The brash military leader Marshall Ravenguard isn’t concerned with the morality of the coin, and votes Yea wholeheartedly. Captain Sildar Hallwinter admits he doesn’t fully understand the implications of the coin, but he can see that the people he trusts support its use, so he votes Yea as well. Hulda, the representative of the Giants, also votes Yea, as does Thorn (who is baffled that this is even a debate), Lady Haventree, and Delaan Winterfloe. Although she can see the Yeas clearly have it at this point, Frume is still a Nay. Last to vote is Ileuthra, present as a representative of the Council of Dragons… the massive Bronze dragon leaps across the room to look Dhalia directly in the eye and ask her simply how much the coin weighs. With determination, Dhalia claims its the heaviest thing she’s ever carried. Seeing that Dhalia appreciates and respects the gravity of manipulating souls for this purpose. Ileuthra also votes Yea and the Council of Waterdeep agrees to allow the use of the Soul Coin to fulfill Dhalia’s contract with the archdevil Zariel and remove the devils in her employ from the ranks of the Cult of Tiamat.
There was a lot of rescheduling we were forced to do... a combination of financial troubles and health troubles, but now everyone is feeling better and we'll be finally streaming tonight!
Come join us on Twitch or Youtube tonight at 6pm PST for Rise of Tiamat!
We're nearing the finale to Rise of Tiamat! This has been a wild story that my friends and I have been playing for over 3 years now! It's been crazy... this all started with a quickly thrown together playthrough of Lost Mines of Phandelver, but when it came time to tackle a longer adventure everyone wanted to keep the same characters, so after a few adjustments to the Tyranny of Dragons campaign, everything continued from there. I doubt we'll finish tonight... although we're barreling toward the conclusion to this story, there's still a lot more for my friends to get through. You can join us tonight at 6pm PST on Twitch or Youtube, and the VOD will be available on Youtube the next day.
However, as is tradition, in case you missed our last session, here's what happened:
With the Council of Waterdeep approving the use of the Soul Coin, the question then turns to whether or not Dhalia is comfortable with having Varram, the Wyrmspeaker of White, executed in order to capture his soul within the coin. Dhalia knows firsthand the cruelty that Varram can unleash… his protege, Craggnor, trained Dhalia’s hated former husband in the unique torture methods employed by White Dragons… starving their intended slaves, and painfully torturing a beloved individual of the enslaved people to keep the rest of them under their control. Dhalia’s own father experienced that same fate, and although she’s already killed the Baron Whipstaff in revenge, Craggnor and Varram still live. Katniss as well looks on with grim determination… the illness that killed Their mother, as well as the majority of the people living in Their childhood home of Esme was unleashed by Varram… casualties callously discarded by Varram in an attempt to assassinate a small group of Elf Supremacists who happened to be using Esme as a hideout.
Dhalia proclaims her willingness to use the coin… the Gods are of little concern to her, and although she’s been told repeatedly that use of the coin may turn the Gods against her, her greatest concern is the health and well-being of living people, and using the Soul Coin will remove the Infernal aid of the Cult of Tiamat. One challenge arises, however… Dwarven honor demands that Varram is taken to court by Dwarven law, and although the Dwarven Ambassador Brawnanvil is willing to nudge the rules by holding the trial within the Council Chambers, tradition states that Varram must be tried by representatives of at least 3 Noble Dwarven Houses… Brawnanvil himself qualifies, as does Order of the Gauntlet member Ontharr Frume… however, Varram’s capture has been kept secret from even the visiting Dwarven army. Rather than go through the time and energy to vet a Dwarven noble, instead Brawnanvil formall Knights G’houl, honoring him as Sir G’houl of House Barael.
As the Chainbreakers react with shock and joy at G’houl’s formal promotion, the trial is shelved as the discussion shifts to the council working with the Chainbreakers to plan their assault on the Well of Dragons. While the armies of the Sword Coast work together to engage the hordes of chromatic dragons, the Chainbreakers are tasked with sneaking into the Well of Dragons in order to interrupt the ritual to summon Tiamat. Using a large illusion of the Well of Dragons, the group realizes that an entrance that was considered collapsed must be deeper than it seems, since bats were seen using the entrance, and would only do so if the cave was deep enough for them to safely hide in from the many dragons patrolling the sky. Deciding that’s their best bet for infiltration, they make plans to ride the Nimbus alongside Skyreach Castle, which will be carrying the rest of the army to engage the Cult of Tiamat in battle. The Nimbus will hide in the clouds that carry Skyreach Castle, before stealthily approaching. They also make plans to meet with Antares at the cave entrance… Antares is currently in the Feywild, thanks to an arranged marriage that will bring a circle of Dryads and their allies into the battle as well, and they intend to teleport directly into the battlefield.
With the Chainbreakers’ goal established, there’s also discussion about the large bomb that Armpit is making out of the fireworks purchased by Dhalia. It will be too large for the Chainbreakers to comfortably carry themselves, but they believe it could be used to damage the portion of Tiamat’s Castle that will be summoned as part of the ritual. Ultimately it’s entrusted to the Stone Giant Hulda to carry, with the intent of dropping it from the sky when the opportunity arises. After that is decided, the Chainbreakers are free to go, although Katniss and G’houl stay to listen in on the discussions made concerning the rest of the army… Katniss because they want to know as much as possible for the upcoming conflict, and G’houl because he wants to stay nearby for the upcoming trial of Varram.
Because Castle Waterdeep is warded against divination magic, Dhalia has to leave in order to send a message, with Loki tagging along just to get some fresh air. She contacts Zariel, informing her of the plan to deliver the soul coin and asking that Zariel herself would come to collect so the two can speak, but Zariel coldly dismisses her request and reminds Dhalia that their deal is already made. Dhalia then sends a message to Waheela, the hellhound who is meant to collect the coin for Zariel, who lets her know that he’ll find her once she has the coin. She also takes a moment to contact Granny Greenskin, hoping to get some more information from the hag, with Granny letting her know that they’ll speak directly that night, as she regularly contacts Dhalia through her dreams.
While those two are sending messages, the meeting of the council completes, and the council chambers are then to be used as a court to determine the fate of Varram. The cultist is brought out from the prisons to face trial, with Katniss now face-to-face with the man who killed Their Mother, and G’houl standing beside the former King of the Mithral Hall and the Paladin Ontharr Frume as a Dwarven noble. Varram scoffs at being tried by an Orc, and as the trial is about to begin in earnest, Dhalia and Loki return to observe what happens next.
Because of some technical issues, the VOD for last night's stream has been split into two videos. Still, it was a really fun session with a mix of drama, humor, and a surprising last-minute tryst! I'm going to try and share videos more clearly going forward, although you'll see that mostly if you follow our Gears and Guns campaign, since Rise of Tiamat will be completed soon
Our extended hiatus is officially ending tonight! Normally we plan to play on Sundays, but after going so long without playing everyone is eager to get back to the game, so we're doing an early stream this week. Com join us tonight at 6pm PST on Twitch or Youtube as we near the finale of the Chainbreakers' conflict with the Cult of Tiamat. And in case you didn't have time to watch the VOD, or if you just need a reminder, here's what happened the last time we played:
The trial of Varram the White begins, held to trial for releasing a necrotic plague on the innocent town of Nesme, where Katniss was raised. The plague attacks the lungs, filling them with necrosis, characterized by coughing up flecks of bleckened blood. As the trial begins, Katniss is drawn back in memory to Their child… only 13 years old when the plague arrived. They recognize Varram, if only vaguely, as a quiet newcomer who moved to town shortly before the plague began, but until recently had never connected the two events. Katniss was raised by Their human Mother, working as tanners in the remote village. Tanning is dirty, smelly work, and thus Katniss and Their Mother lived outside of town, and had thankfully avoided the plague thanks to their isolated nature.
In a desperate attempt to heal their sick friends and neighbors, Katniss’s Mother had done research and found that a cure-all could be found in the nearby Evermoors… a rare vegetable known as a Heart Bulb. However, after gathering supplies and on the very morning they were meant to leave, Katniss’s Mother suddenly had a coughing pit… and despite her best efforts to hide her condition, Katniss can tell by the blackened flecks of blood that Their Mother is afflicted with the plague, and will not survive the weeklong journey to reach the Heart Bulb, if it even is where Their Mother’s research implied it could be. Katniss is left with a horrifying choice: either seek the Heart Bulb and leave Their Mother all alone to weather this debilitating illness alone, or stay here by her side, knowing that there’s nothing Katniss can do to keep her from dying… and believing very much that They will succumb to the illness as well in due time.
Ultimately, Katniss cannot endure the cruelty of leaving Their Mother alone in her weakened state, and abandons the Heart Bulb to remain by Their Mother’s side. Over the course of a week They remain alone, uncertain even if anyone else in the nearby village is still alive. However, as Their Mother grows progressively weaker, Katniss seems wholly unaffected. As Katniss is sitting with Their Mother, trying to feed her, the young Mother weeps, lamenting that she can’t protect her child, apologizing for her failure as a Mother. Katniss, however, gives her comfort, promsing her that she taught Them all They needed to survive… despite everything, They’re still young and healthy. As she looks upon her child, she finally relaxes, telling Katniss to find Their father in Baldur’s Gate… to follow the river to Waterdeep and proceed from there. Katniss watches as an intense weight is lifted from Their Mother’s shoulder, realizing that she’s been desperately fighting her own death for some time… through tears Katniss can see that Their Mother finally feels relief in death, as They remember the only sound They heard in those moments was the distant caw of a Raven as Their Mother finally found peace.
Returning to the present, Dhalia and Loki arrive to witness the end of the trial, with Varram still dismissive about the people he hurt, and mocking the trial for including G’houl, a Half-Orc… the Orcs and Dwarves have a long history of conflict, and he considers Orcs to be “lesser” beings. When Varram realizes that Katniss was a citizen of Nesme, he switches tactics to teasing Them… probing to discover who died and how best to mock Them for it even as he’s found guilty, but not one to have her fiancee abused without doing something, Loki confidently marches forward and punches Varram in the face, knocking him to the ground, and although nobody is upset at Varram being punched, Ambassador Brawnanvil still intervenes, as interrupting a trial in this manner is considered a deep dishonor, reminding Loki that this is not the way of Dwarves. Loki shifts into the form of a Dwarf, offering to continue in that form, but ultimately Dhalia gets her to step down.
With his guilt determined, the only remaining question is the method of execution… Brawnanvil actually looks to Katniss, asking what They believe should happen to the man who killed Their Mother. With Stoic determination, Katniss recommends an execution by combat, and volunteers to be the executioner for this purpose. This is accepted, and Varram is escorted to a large, empty room reserved for executions. Varram is provided with basic armor and weapons, and his magic-suppressing shackles are removed… Katniss enters one-on-one combat with Varram.
Varram quickly reveals that he is very much a skilled and experienced fighter, launching himself at Katniss and unleashing weapon strikes with the speed and skill of a soldier, and proving difficult to strike. Katniss relies on Their longbow, skilled enough to be able to use it even at short range. Varram gets an early lead in the battle as Katniss repeatedly tries to use Sharpshooter attacks, but with the armor provided he’s too difficult to pin down… once Katniss just focuses on hitting him, and not trying to maximize damage with every attack, They quickly overtake the angry dwarf. The more injured he becomes the more Varram tries to mock Katniss… with his probing he’s realized that it was Katniss’s Mother who died, mocking the dead woman, calling her a failure and a weakling. Mocking Katniss for being a Half-Elf, claiming that it was simply their “Dirty Blood” that allowed them to survive the plague.
Despite his attempts, Varram’s cruel words don’t distract Katniss as They clearly take the lead in the battle. Sensing his impending doom, Varram attempts one last act of cruelty… denying Katniss the satisfaction of ending the life of Their Mother’s killer by stabbing himself in the throat, laughing mockingly as he does. Loki, however, is having none of this, and intervenes… healing Varram to prevent him from dying just yet. Seeing as how Varram so blatantly dishonored himself by taking his own life, Brawnanvil doesn’t intervene as Dhalia marches toward the now barely conscious Varram… holding up the soul coin toward him threateningly. Varram is versed in the dark arts enough to recognize the soul coin, and he shows true fear for the first time throughout his trial and execution. He attempts to flee, but Dhalia stops him, slamming her hand holding the coin against his chest… casting a 4th level Inflict Wounds, flooding his chest with necrotic energy. His skin melting away as she presses the coin between his ribs against his blackening lungs. Dhalia removes the gore-covered coin, revealing the heads side now displays the face of Varram the White, clutching his chest and coughing painfully… forever trapped in the same necrotic agony he subjected the citizens of Nesme to those many years ago.
With the criminal properly executed, Brawnanvil has his men take the body to be buried in an unmarked grave… the minimum that honor demands, even for one as vile as Varram. With the sun beginning to set, Dhalia moves out to the streets, using Sending to contact Zariel directly, hoping to speak to the archdevil in person. However, the normally persuasive Dhalia struggles to convey her intent through the limitations of the spell, and Zariel coldly reminds her that the two of them have made their deal and the Hellhound Waheela will collect the coin. Frustrated, Dhalia is about to contact Waheela, when she notices that the large, hound-like form of the devilish dog can be seen waiting patiently in the middle of a crossroads in front of her.
Waheela is a massive creature seemingly made of living shadow, with hellfire visibly burning in his belly and eyes that appear as two pin pricks of fire light in the center of his face. Although his form is dog-like, it’s clear at a glance that this creature is no dog. This does not deter Dhalia at all, who immediately showers the disinterested devil in pets and scratches. Waheela returns none of the affection and simply demands the coin, but before giving it to him, Dhalia asks that Waheela deliver a message to Zariel… she wants Waheela to give the arch devil a hug and encourage her to reconnect with friends, believing that Zariel’s lonely vigil to protect the River Styx is unhealthy. Waheela does not understand the purpose of this message, but ultimately agrees to deliver both the message and a hug to Zariel, although he shows no enthusiasm for the act.
As Waheela vanishes, the Chainbreakers decide to return to the Yawning Portal to rest and have an orgy before they leave the next day to face the cult of Tiamat.
After the orgy, the couples separate to their rooms. As Dhalia drifts to sleep she once again finds herself waking on the frozen waters of the swamp surrounding Granny Greenskin’s hut… however, to her surprise, G’houl is with her this time. The two are invited into Granny’s hut, along with her elderly Blink Dog, Peaches, who gives wet slurps of affection to them both, a far cry from the cold, uncaring reaction of Waheela hours ago. Granny is clearly picking on G’houl throughout the visit… looming over him and seeming to grow even bigger to keep him cloaked in shadow. Pouring drinks from a teacup, only for millipede to crawl out of the spout and immediately scramble under the table in G’houl’s direction where it can no longer be seen. Still, Granny congratulates them both on their engagement, and seems to enjoy G’houl’s reactions. Her playful teasing only gets stronger when a visitor arrives at the door… it’s Dusk, G’houl’s fey-spirit familiar in the from of a Tressim. As a fey spirit, Dusk regularly vanishes into the Feywilds, and it seems he quite simply traveled to Granny’s hut to find G’houl, sensing his presence in the Feywild. Dusk is even more scared of Granny than G’houl is, and spends most of the visit hiding trembling in G’houl’s hood.
However, the real reason Dhalia had asked to meet with Granny was to deliver a present, and thankfully she finds that she has the sack filled with grass clippings she had gathered the other day. Granny is delighted, inhaling the scent of the grass clippings eagerly, with Dhalia explaining to G’houl that Granny feeds on fear… and the scent of grass clippings is actually a fear response from the grass itself. Dhalia also shares a song she’s been working on for Granny, playing on her pan flute as the elderly woman closes her eyes. A serene smile on her face, head gently bobbing in time with the music. G’houl knows enough about Hags to know how unusual it is to see one enjoying music… normally hags have a nearly reversed sense of a beauty… things most people consider hideous and horrifying are beautiful to hags, and lovely things like beauty and music are abhorrent to them. Although these thoughts cross his mind, he doesn’t word them out loud, not wishing to be rude.
Finally, Dhalia asks if she can designate Granny’s hut to be a Sanctuary, for the purposes of a spell she had learned, Word of Recall, which can be used to quickly escape danger in an emergency. Granny lets her know that she’s always welcome to visit and gives her blessing. Granny also promises that she’ll attend Dhalia and G’houl’s wedding in-person. With one last hug pulling in everyone present… Granny, Dhalia, G’houl, and even Dusk and Peaches, before G’houl and Dhalia awake in bed as the sun rises, the bag of grass clippings nowhere to be seen.
Our next session of Rise of Tiamat will be starting tonight at 6:30 PM PST on Twitch and Youtube. This is going to be a big session, as the players are near the finale... we may even finish tonight! So be sure to stop by and cheer our players on as they take on the villainous Cult of Tiamat.
I do, however, have to share some bad news... we'll be going on hiatus again after this, as Hazel and Lotus are losing their apartment and won't have internet for... well, we don't know how long. I hope it won't cause any problems on this forum, but I just wanted to say that they're in very dire circumstances, and if at all possible, it would mean the world to us if you could send some money to their Ko-Fi.
As for what happened last session... just in case you don't have time to watch the above video, here's a summary of what happened in our last session:
On a rainy morning, the Chainbreakers find themselves waking up with the dim light of dawn. They know there’s little time to wait, although they’re briefly met by Durnan, the older human man who owns and operates the Yawning Portal Tavern they’re staying in. He’s brought them a sack filled with the Yawning Portal’s famous portable meat pies. Heading outside they find the streets oddly empty, as the normally busy city of Waterdeep seems to have shut down as soldiers dutifully march through the streets to gather at Castle Waterdeep, where the Cloud Giant’s flying fortress, Skyreach Castle, is docked and preparing to depart.
The Chainbreakers meet with Captain Armpit on the Nimbus, which is floating near Skyreach Castle. They confirm that Armpit has successfully installed a lightning canon to the front of the Nimbus, fueled by the heart of a blue dragon. Dhalia also flies on her broom to visit the Cloud Giant King, Blagothkus, who is meditating and preparing for the assault. Although Blagothkus is still filled with a degree of selfish pride and a deeply held belief about the glory of the giants, his time spent with the Chainbreakers has softened him a bit, and he no longer views all small-folk as inferiors. With assurance that the Chainbreakers themselves are ready, Blagothkus hurries the final loading of soldiers and begins the 3-day journey across the lands of the Sword Coast to re-take the Well of Dragons.
With Skyreach Castle leading the way, the comparatively diminutive shape of the floating island known as the Nimbus is able to travel at much greater speeds by riding Skyreach Castle’s wake. Metallic Dragons swirl and fly around the castle as well, providing protection from any forces brazen enough to attack from the sky. As they draw near the Well of Dragons, the party is horrified to see the lands surrounding have become scorched and ravaged by dragons. Plants wither in the chaotic weather… the very presence of but one dragon can alter the very landscape around them… with this many dragons of so many disparate elements gathered in one place, a massive black storm cloud has formed above the Well, and the once-dormant volcanoes that form the nearby mountain range have once again become active.
Otaaryliakarnos, or Elia as she is called, the leader of the Silver Dragons arrives to speak to the Chainbreakers. She laments the horror of the lands below them, eyes drawn to humanoid settlements that have been completely destroyed, while the fields below are empty of wildlife as any creature nearby has been driven away by the incessant noise of the Draakhorn… the sound of which also hampers the Metallic dragons. She warns that what they see below them is just a preview of what Tiamat will do to the entire world if she isn’t stopped, and strategizes with the Chainbreakers to provide cover for them so the Nimbus can sneak into the mountain range and approach the forgotten Southern entrance to the well of dragons.
With the Nimbus hiding in the cloud cover created by Skyreach Castle, the Chainbreakers can only watch dark shapes through the thick fog. They see massive winged forms rising from the Well, taking to the sky to engage the attackers directly. A massive war drum is beat by the giants, and they hear Blagothkus’s voice ring out with a traditional giant battle cry: “Fee! Fi! Fo! Fum!” The Giants chant that phrase again and again, slamming spears made of tall trees against shields the size of dinner tables between each word. Soon even the humanoids join in the invigorating chant before the two armies slam together in a clash of might.
During the chaos, the Chainbreakers are forced to remain hidden while their allies battle. Katniss keeps a keen eye open, looking for a clean path to travel through the cloud cover. In a burst of light, They notice a massive crackling burst of electricity fells a Green Dragon, the smoking body crashing toward steep cliffs that could hide the Nimbus. Using the smoking form as cover, Armpit steers the Nimbus downward, and with Katniss’s guidance manages to get to ground level near the entrance without being spotted.
Once on solid ground, the Nimbus is left to sneak back into the fray on its own, while Katniss casts Pass Without Trace to help the Chainbreakers sneak toward the Southern entrance. With the spell’s help, they successfully avoid detection… unfortunately, they’re also meeting with Antares, who is teleporting nearby from the Feywild, and who isn’t particularly stealthy. As they walk past dead trees used to provide some cover from above, they hear the sound of hooves against stone headed their way, before Antares turns a corner, followed by a Young green dragon who saw the lone centaur as an easy snack.
The Green Dragon makes the mistake of dropping lower to the ground to reach Antares, who leaps up, striking boldly with the sentient blade, Hazirawn. Even Antares doesn’t realize he’s drawn the creature to his allies, who burst out of their hiding places to catch it by surprise. The Chainbreakers began this quest to stop the cult of Tiamat when a chance encounter placed them in battle with a young green dragon that nearly killed them, and now after their experience and growth, they’re able to defeat one in a single round. Reuniting with Antares, they head inside the Well of Dragons to stop the ritual to resurrect Tiamat.
Once inside, they see that a cave-in has indeed blocked off this cave entrance. However, it looks as though something had dug through the cave-in at some point, leaving an opening almost large enough to crawl through. The group decides to move the remaining stones out of the way carefully… trading time spent in order to avoid detection. Once they’re through, they find themselves at a 3-way intersection that appears as though no one has approached in years. Listening closely, Dhalia can just barely hear the sound of someone weeping down one tunnel, and instantly the group heads that way to investigate further.
Heading further down the dusty-disused tunnel, they eventually find themselves in an area that seems deliberately lit and which shows sign of regularly passage by humanoid feet. Still hearing weeping, they follow that sound at another intersection, avoiding the sounds in the other direction that Katniss recognizes as the sound of Guard Drakes. Moving into a large chamber, they find that it has been furnished with all manner of niceties. The natural stone floor has been covered with expensive looking rugs, a large bed is set to one side, and a large desk with papers and inks is set to one side. G’houl instantly recognizes the papers and inks as the rare, magically enhanced writing tools that Wizards use when creating spellbooks or spell scrolls. They realize this is most likely the bedroom of Rath Modar, the Red Wizard spearheading the ritual to summon Tiamat, and the surrogate father of Azbara Jos… fellow Red Wizard who was convinced to betray the Cult of Tiamat.
The group investigates further, trying to find some hint of what’s to come, or how to defeat Modar. However, it’s clear that the desk has had several items removed from it recently, and only the blank wizard papers and inks are of any value. Dhalia sees some indication that Modar was attempting to compose a letter to Jos, and she sees that Modar has a small chiminea that he seemed to be using to burn papers he had no use for. Digging through it, she finds a barely-surviving scrap of paper that seems to be lamenting something, but not enough of it has survived to show anything more than the fact that Modar has been thinking about Jos recently.
Their investigation is cut short, however, as the weeping heard from the other room is interrupted by a gruff, angry voice… threatening the weeping person with a reminder that Tiamat only needs their life… and they needn’t continue to possess their own arms and legs. The group is stunned in shock as they recognize the voice of Rezmir, the Black Wyrmspeaker who had lost her Black Dragon Mask to the Chainbreakers. However, the last they had seen Rezmir, she had been beheaded, and now they hurry to see how and why their former enemy has been returned from the Dead.
We did it! The grand finale to Rise of Tiamat as our heroes journey deep into the Dragon's Lair and finally come face to face with the forces who seek to dominate the world. Join us tomorrow night as well, as we'll have a final epilogue for the Chainbreakers... one last stream before we must unfortunately take our next hiatus.
Our Finale Epilogue is airing tonight! That means I haven't had time to write up a summary of our last session but, well... it's the big final battle, and you can watch the video above to see what happened.
That all said... come join us tonight at 6pm PST on Twitch and Youtube! We've been playing this adventure for 3 years, with most of the sessions being streamed. This is my first time DM'ing a long session from beginning to end, and it's meant so much to me over all this time. This is a big celebration for us, especially because two of our players will be moving soon and we're going to be on hiatus until they can get fully settled in... that's also why we're streaming again so soon after the last fight, since it allows us to end our story with all of you.
In a thematically appropriate show of our usual technical problems, internet outages completely out of our control led to the stream being split up into 3 parts. Still, it was very humbling to finally DM my friends through the finale of my very first long-form campaign that I DM'd. This game has been running for 3 years, starting at level 1 and using XP, ending with everyone at level 13.
Following this the games I DM will no longer be streamed live. We're planning to dedicate the full force of our streams going forward on Gears and Guns, our homebrew Western-themed campaign DM'd by Afterdisbooty. I still love DM'ing and I have no intention of stopping, but it's just best for us to only worry about one streaming campaign going forward.
Join us tonight for more Rise of Tiamat! The heroes have survived Xonthal's Tower, but a blue dragon approaches and they'll have to fight to protect the helpless village. As always, we're live on Twitch and Youtube, but if you need a reminder of what happened in our last session, read on:
During their invasion of Xonthal’s Tower, one cultist activated the teleporter that is used to traverse the stair-less Wizard’s tower… only to be killed before the teleporter activated. However, this sends his body (along with two of the Blink Dogs conjured by Dhalia) to another floor of the tower, potentially raising the alarm and ruining the Chainbreakers’ power of surprise. Fortunately, Dhalia saw which rune he pressed, with Iskander able to tell her that the flame-shaped rune means the body has been sent to the lounge. After Dhalia activates the rune to follow, as an extra insurance she orders the remaining Blink Dogs to follow their siblings and continue attacking cultists… unfortunately, the non-euclidean form of the tower makes it difficult to travel between floors, even with a Blink Dog’s ability to teleport… but, through sheer force of will, Dhalia is able to guide them to their destination where they will try to pin down the cultists to prevent them calling for help.
The Chainbreakers have no choice but to wait on the teleporter to follow, but as they begin to teleport they realize that one of the cultists in the floor above has teleported down to the level they’re leaving, apparently planning to warn the magic users who were on their floor of the danger coming for them. The Teleporter is incredibly crowded, especially since Loki still has her Giant Boar with her, which she’s taken to riding along with Katniss. Arriving in the lounge, they find a massive fire pit in the center of the room, the smoke rising from it vanishing magically the moment it touches the ceiling. Between Dhalia’s small army of Blink Dogs, Loki’s Giant Boar, and the wizard Iskander, the Chainbreakers quickly wipe out the cultists in the Lounge, suffering only the loss of a few Blink Dogs, who are teleported harmlessly back to the Feywild. Dhalia intends to follow the cultist they just saw back down to the laboratory, but Iskander warns he’ll be going to report the danger to the higher ranking cultists, who are likely in the upper floor observatory.
Following Iskander’s advice, the Chainbreakers ready their attacks and use the teleporter to get to the next floor up… arriving at the same time as the cultist they were chasing, who finds himself crammed into a tight spot where he’s quickly dispatched. Still, the commotion draws the attention of figures on the other side of an elaborate door, which Loki chooses to quickly deal with by ordering her Giant Boar to smash the door open, much to Iskander’s dismay, who had only recently seen Loki destroy an Undead research project that the cult had been working on for nearly a year. Seemingly just to get his goat, Loki walks over to a nearby shelf and casually knocks over several expensive looking tools and smashes several inkewells on the floor before Invoking Duplicity to summon an illusory duplicate of herself by the open doorway to draw the cultists’ attention. This proves valuable when one of the cultists wastes a powerful Hold Person spell on the illusion.
Seeking to end the conflict quickly, Iskander casts fireball in the room the higher ranked cultists were hiding in… although he quickly gets on both Dhalia and Loki’s bad sides, since his spell also destroyed one of Dhalia’s Blink Dogs and Loki’s Giant Boar, although it’s clear Iskander considers the conjured animals to be completely disposable and seems baffled that they care so much about them.
Realizing he’s beat, rather than attempt to fight for his life the last cult member, a high-ranking wizard named Jorgen, casts Sending to warn his fellow cultists that the tower has been taken. As part of casting the spell he mouths his message but doesn’t speak it out loud… however, Dahlia is capable of reading lips, and realizes that he’s sent out a call for “the dragon” to come and raze the town of Xonthal’s Tower. Ultimately, it’s Harle who covers the distance to personally stab Jorgen in the heart, claiming the hourglass-shaped key to Xonthal’s Tower… and also snatching Jorgen’s spellbook, knowing the value it may have to another wizard. With the immediate threat resolved they ask Iskander what he knows about the message Jorgen sent… Iskander states that the Dragon he mentioned is most likely Lennithon, a Blue Dragon loyal to the cult who resides nearby. The name is actually familiar to both Katniss and Dahlia, who recognize this as the very same Blue Dragon whose assault on the remote village of Greenest started their conflict with the Cult of Tiamat. Iskander knows there is not much time before Lennithon arrives and starts wreaking havoc, but fortunately Dahlia knows Sending as well, and quickly sends a warning to Eleanor Cornwallis, the woman who runs the local tavern, The Six. In a desperate plea, Dahlia warns her of the coming dragon attack and alerts her to have everyone abandon the town as quickly as possible… despite only hearing her voice, Dahlia’s gift of persuasion is enough to alert the groggy young woman to the danger and she promises she’ll do all she can to get as many people to safety as she can.
Knowing the danger that is coming, Iskander insists they need to recover the Blue Dragon Mask first, as its power will give them the upperhand needed to survive Lennithon’s assault. Despite the danger still on its way, the Chainbreakers agree as Iskander leads them into the tower’s Dungeon, warning them that it is a dangerous place to travel, even if you know the perils that await. With Iskander’s help they hurry past a room protected by Elementals that, thankfully, are restricted to a single room, and with everyone timing their dashes carefully they’re able to hurry past them, the not-quite-sentient beings unable to follow them past the threshold of a nearby doorway. Harle does notice a small wooden chest in the room, and uses his Mage Hand to take it for himself, although he doesn’t yet take the time to open it.
Next they come across a long bridge that appears to extend into outer space, leading to a small group of buildings. The bridge is occasionally hit by tiny meteors that seem to not follow any particular pattern, which seem to be orbiting a planetoid floating nearby. Luckily everyone is able to get across without being knocked over, and when they get to the other side they hear a voice calling to them from a nearby room. Inside they see a massive red-skinned figure which Dhalia recognizes as an Efreeti, an elemental djinn of fire. The Efreeti is trapped in his room, an enchanted barrier of salt holding him inside. He entreats them to break the barrier of salt and allow him to escape, claiming that Xonthal trapped him here and stole his ability to grant wishes, promising that he’ll grant them any wish they desire if they let him out. Dhalia hesitates, especially after their encounter with the Dao earlier, but its Harle who sees the lingering flash of pure, petty hatred hiding behind the Efreeti’s polite, gentle demeanor. The Efreeti continues to beg for their help, but when it becomes clear they’re not falling for it he drops the act, loudly proclaiming his disgust for being held prisoner by “inferior beings” who should “obey their superiors”. As he shouts insults at the Chainbreakers, Iskander leads the party to a chamber filled with massive hourglasses held by complex, arcane devices for some purpose only a master wizard like Xonthal could have understood. He shows them where he had hidden the Blue Dragon Mask, and intends to hold onto it himself, only planning to give it to them once they have safely gotten him away from Xonthal’s Tower… and the impending attack from Lennithon.
Iskander fully intends to wear the Blue Dragon Mask himself in the upcoming conflict, as it will provide protection against the Blue Dragon’s lightning breath. However, Dhalia points out that the Blue Dragon Mask may only draw more attention to Iskander, and also promises that she and her allies will protect Iskander, come what may, but she does want to investigate the Blue Dragon Mask to make sure it’s authentic. Proving her persuasiveness, Iskander accepts her logic and gives them the Blue Dragon Mask right now, as proof of the faith he’s putting in them. Using a scroll, Harle casts Identify on the Dragon mask, proving that it is the real deal and it does indeed contain extreme power. He also does not find any evidence of the artifact being cursed or overtly dangerous, at least not in a manner that the spell could identify. Satisfied that they’ve finally recovered another mask, the Chainbreakers hurry out to prepare for Lennithon’s arrival. As they use the teleporter to exit the tower, they see the ominous stormy clouds that follow the powerful Blue Dragon as he descends on the helpless village of Xonthal’s Tower.
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Due to some shifts in schedules for our players, we'll be streaming Rise of Tiamat tonight instead of our usual Monday stream. The schedule for the Crits for Breakfast crew in general may change going forward, but I'll try and make sure to keep everyone informed of any changes.
That said, Join us tonight at 6pm PST at our usual homes on Twitch or Youtube. And if you need a referesher on what happened in the last session read on:
As the chainbreakers rush out of Xonthal’s Tower, they find the town named for the tower in chaos, citizens heeding Dhalia’s warning to flee the town, although some thought they would have more time for their escape. As they make their way out they find that the half-elf woman they met earlier, Elizabeth Wheatflow, has taken on a bit of a leader role, guiding others out of town. They see a fleeting moment of hope in her eyes… her elven father was one of Xonthal’s students, and decades ago he went missing braving the enchanted hedge maze surrounding the tower… and she sees the 4 foolhardy adventurers she met the other day somehow exiting the tower itself, followed by a man in wizardly robes… but her ever so brief expression of hope turns to grim determination when she sees it’s a human man, the wizard Iskander that the Chainbreakers were here to rescue. Dhalia especially is touched by Elizabeth’s plight, since she still mourns her own father’s death.
Elizabeth has no interest in discussing her plight further, and instead warns that others are still struggling to escape before the Blue Dragon arrives… by now the ominous winged silhouette of the dragon is obvious to all, especially as a rolling storm follows the powerful blue dragon, flashes of lightning all the more bright as heavy clouds cover the sky and rain starts to pour down in a heavy torrent. Dhalia briefly considers guiding the civilians to the impregnable safety of the tower itself… but realizes if she and her allies fail, the tower will be nothing but a prison for the helplesss civilians inside. Instead, she instructs Elizabeth to guide the others to spread out in their escape… if the townsfolk traveled as a single group, they would be practically helpless against the sinister might of the blue dragon.
The Chainbreakers can see a portion of the town a mere 200 feet away where no occupied houses remain in the largely abandoned settlement. However, they also notice that the blue dragon Lennithon is carrying what appears to be a small boat with several medium sized humanoids riding, along with a small horde of winged kobolds. Hurrying to meet Lennithon before he can reach any of the civilians who, at first, are straggling behind as they attempt to carry their treasured belongings with them (and who are forced to leave behind trunks and sacks of their personal belongings as they run), the Chainbreakers all move as quickly as possible… with their Roguish skills, Katniss and Harle rush to meet their foe, simply dashing through the heavily falling rain. Dhalia mounts her Broom of Flying, using its increased speed to get into position. Loki, uninterested in dashing, simply casts Dimension Door, and grabs the hesitant wizard, Iskander, who has been begrudgingly persuaded to assist in the coming conflict.
Katniss is the first to get the dragon in range, with Their nearly unparalleled skill as a sharpshooter. Pulling from Their magical items, Katniss draws an Arrow of Dragon Slaying… the storm reducing Their range, but with patience They wait to attack from a stealthy position, firing the arrow marked with Giant-language runes that stabs into the Blue Dragon, forcing Lennithon to use one of his limited Legendary Resistances to deal with the intense damage inflicted on him by the potent arrow. This draws his rage directly toward Katniss, but with Their potent skill in stealth They prove a difficult target to pin down.
Lennithon drops the small boat he was using to carry allies with him to assist in destroying the town… several cultists, a few bearded devils, and over a dozen winged kobolds. Harle remains hidden even from his allies as he reveals the secret he’s been keeping to himself thus far… his ability to shift into a more bestial form. He develops claws, face shifting to a more panther-like appearance as he activates his Swiftstride form. Using it to increase his mobility as he throws daggers at the Dragon, hoping to fell him before he devastates the remote village. Loki and Iskander both keep their distance… Loki is low on spell slots and wants to make sure she can help her allies in emergencies, and Iskander is simply afraid of direct confrontation and focuses on AOE spells to try and clear out as many of Lennithon’s minions at once as he can. Dhalia, however, uses her Broom of Flying to fly on top of one of the buildings and draw Lennithon’s attention directly to herself. Also low on spell slots, she tries to get Lennithon with Vicious Mockery, but the Blue Dragon is able to shrug it off… punishing Dhalia with a blast of his lightning breath, and carefully aiming to hit Katniss as well, who has run into a building to get some cover, but the perceptive dragon was able to keep track of Their position.
This blast from the dragon is potent enough to knock Dhalia uncnscious, as the roof beneath her collapses and she stumbles down to ground level. Seeing she’s in danger, Harle reveals his shifted form to everyone present in order to rush to her side and feed her one of the Potions of Healing that had been affected with Wild Magic from Antares. The potion restores her to consciousness, but also has a strange side effect… her skin turns a bright shade of green and her body becomes stretchy like rubber. While this does provide her with some additional defenses, it unfortunately makes her vulnerable to slashing damage, and she’s about to be set upon by by Cultists wielding scimitars and Bearded Devils wielding Glaives.
Throughout this Loki had been distracting and confusing enemies using her illusory Duplicate. Iskander continues to use his magic for crowd control as best he can, although he clearly prioritizes protecting himself over his allies. Katniss maintains heavy sharpshooter fire directly on the dragon, and after expending his fire breath, rather than finish off the heroes, Lennithon instead focuses on flying upward into the storm, using it for cover to protect himself from Katniss’s arrows, while barking orders to his minions to eliminate the archer as their top priority. Harle takes advantage of this… the dim-witted Kobolds and the literal-minded devils falling for an illusion he conjures to make it appear as though Katniss is diving into an abandoned building, distracting the Kobolds and one of the Bearded Devils, but leaving Dhalia still surrounded by cultists. Iskander, however, manages to clear most of them out with a strategically placed fireball… although he requires a stern warning from Harle to not target Dhalia with the spell, as he could tell the uncaring wizard would be willing to hit Dhalia with the same spell, trusting that, as a Tiefling, she could probably survive, and if not, she could probably be healed by her allies.
However, this act manages to draw the attention of a pair of Bearded Devils who make eliminating Iskander their priority. He’s left running for his life, forcing Loki to use her Duplicate to keep him safe until Harle can rush down to finish off the Bearded Devils. Seeing his forces devastated, and heavily wounded, Lennithon chooses to abandon the village for now and simply begins flying away. Knowing that he’ll report on their deeds, and also knowing he could simply return and destroy the village some other day, Dhalia needs to find some way to lure him back, as even with her Broom of Flying the fleeing dragon is far too fast for the Chainbreakers to catch him. However, Dhalia has one method of luring the dragon back… pulling out the Blue Dragon Mask, made from the scales of Tiamat herself, she puts it on. Feeling the rush of confidence and power the mask provides, feeling an unfamiliar sense of superiority over others that makes her uncomfortable. Still, the mask allows one to exert influence over Blue Dragons, and she shouts a challenge to Lennithon… rain pouring down, lightning arcing through the sky… her shout brings pause to the fleeing dragon… and then the dark shape begins to move back, still heavily obscured by clouds, but they can see the dragon will be making one last attempt.
As the Chainbreakers steel themselves for the dragon’s assault, Lennithon bursts out of the clouds, firing another powerful blast of his Lightning breath, carefully aiming it to target both Dhalia and Loki. Moving quickly, Loki dives out of the way, taking only half damage, but Dhalia fails to do the same. However, the Blue Dragon mask makes its wearer resistant to Lightning damage, and any creature already resistant to Lightning becomes immune. This is especially important because, thanks to the wild magic potion, Dhalia’s body has turned into rubber, which makes her resistant to lightning damage. So instead of a blast of Electricity that would have been nearly fatal instead washes over Dhalia harmlessly. Before Lennithon can attempt another attack, Harle bursts out of the shadows wielding a shortbow. His feline eyes focusing between the drops of rain, finding a weak spot… the still-sparking wound where Katniss had buried the Arrow of Dragon Slaying earlier. As lightning flashes, Harle lets out a panther-like roar, which causes the blue dragon to turn… just enough to expose the open wound. Harle fires, his arrow plunging deep, ending the dragon’s life as his massive body collapses, destroying an empty building as the clouds above almost immediately part, sunshine filling the landscape as the storm conjured by Lennithon dies with him.
As the sun pours in, the exhausted adventurers are approached cautiously by the half-elf farmer, Elizabeth. She’s stunned at the sight of a dead dragon, along with the bodies of the invaders who were planning to destroy her village. Katniss employs a magic spell to help Them butcher the dragon, intending to harvest his body for the many valuable and magically-potent body parts in a dragon. Dhalia, for her part, immediately removes the mask and seems to feel some guilt for employing its use in the first place, giving it to Katniss to hold, as she trusts that They know better than the others how dangerous the mask truly is.
With the threat completed the Party realizes they’ve been awake for nearly 24 hours at this point without a proper rest. Still, they want to get back to Waterdeep as quickly as possible, rather than rest in the local inn. However, Dhalia has no spell slots left to contact Armpit so he can pick them up with the Nimbus… fortunately, however she still has several fireworks the group had purchased months ago while in Daggerford. Setting a few off, they seem to achieve the intended effect, as what appears to be a distant cloud immediately starts floating in their direction as the exhausted heroes prepare for their successful return.
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Hey everyone! It's been a while, hasn't it? There have been some financial struggles for two of our players and they haven't been able to play. But luckily we're back! Come join us tonight at 6pm on Twitch or Youtube for more Rise of Tiamat! And just in case you need a reminder, here's what happened in our last session from uh... about a month ago:
With Lennithon defeated, Katniss gets some help from the locals to break down the dragon’s body as the Nimbus arrives in the remote town of Xonthal’s Tower, lowering itself to float next to the 3-story tavern known as “The Six”. Exhausted, as they’ve all been awake for over 24 hours at this point and just finished fighting their way through the enchanted hedge maze before clearing out the Wizard’s tower and finally fighting a dragon, the Chainbreakers opt to get some sleep before starting their return journey to Waterdeep, with the Goblin pilot Armpit helping to load up the butchered dragon’s remains into the Nimbus.
After quickly falling asleep, Dhalia dreams she finds herself in a large, dark void… the only thing in the void is a small fire cooking a large pot of stew, and the familiar form of Granny Greenskin, Dhalia’s green hag Fairy Godmother. Greenskin is admiring the stew, which contains the heads of those Dhalia has killed and which fills the void with a sickly sweet, meaty scent. She’s meeting with Dhalia since, after conjuring some of Granny’s loyal Blink Dogs to fight alongside her earlier, Dhalia had made sure to send one of them back with a letter asking Granny about her likes and dislikes, as Dhalia had been hoping to learn more about her to help think of a gift to give her as thanks for all her help. Coyly, Granny doesn’t fully answer her question, but she does know that Dhalia has Griffin Hawe’s research notes about the feywild… she encourages Dhalia to focus on the many songs Hawe has copied into his notes, helping to narrow her focus so she can finally figure out as much as she can about the mysterious green hag. However, after sharing this tidbit of information Dhalia finds herself waking up in bed.
Meanwhile, Katniss is asleep as well when suddenly Their raven companion, Onyx, starts to speak to her in the voice of the Raven Queen. The Raven Queen offers Katniss assistance in the form of knowledge from the countless souls who have moved into the afterlife under watch. Wishing to know more about Acrobatics, Onyx then speaks in the voice of a deceased tumbler from a traveling circus, who tells Katniss his life story and various tips and explanations of his techniques, sharing with Them his knowledge and proficiency, thanks to Katniss’s new Whispers of the Dead feature gained from training as a Phantom Rogue.
Having gone to sleep in the early morning, everyone wakes up in the mid afternoon ready to depart. The celebrations from the morning have already passed, as the farming community of Xonthal’s Tower cannot afford to spend the day at leisure, no matter how impactful of a morning they had. The necromancer Iskander gets the opportunity to meet Armpit… shocked that the sloppy, uncharismatic goblin would turn out to be the genius inventor who managed to create the floating island of the Nimbus. As everyone is preparing to leave Dhalia has one last person to visit… she seeks out Elizabeth, the young half-elf woman whose father died decades ago trying to get into Xonthal’s tower.
Elizabeth is at her pig farm, tending to an injured pig. Like most animals along the Sword Coast, the pigs have been jumpy and irritable, regularly getting into fights with one another. Dhalia explains that it’s because of the Draakhorn… a powerful magic item that the cult of Tiamat is using to sow chaos while they continue their efforts. Dhalia once again apologizes that they couldn’t find Elizabeth’s father, but Elizabeth assures her it’s not a problem… she never really believed he would somehow be alive after all these years. Still, Dhalia knows better than most what it’s like to lose her father tragically, and the two of them share a bond for that reason. Ultimately, Elizabeth is simply pleased that someone like Dhalia actually cares about her, and the two part when Elizabeth has to hurry and break up another fight between some of her pigs.
Returning to the Nimbus, the Chainbreakers leave as a crowd of onlookers look in awe at their departure. They show Armpit the remains of the blue dragon, with Dhalia asking if he can somehow use the heart or some other part of the Blue Dragon as a power source for the Nimbus. He doesn’t think that’s possible, but he does believe he can use it to build a canon, which the Chainbreakers are instantly excited for, and Dhalia unceremoniously volunteers Iskander to assist Armpit as he’s already beginning work on the canon… conveniently distracting Iskander so the Chainbreakers can discuss what they’re doing next in private.
Heading inside the lower floors of the windmill that serves as a home base on the Nimbus, they begin by discussing their plans for Lennithon’s remains… knowing from what happened with the body of the green dragon Chuth, they know that Thorn and the Zhentarim will want to claim ownership of the blue dragon’s body, especially since Harle landed the killing blow. Harle takes the initiative to write up a contract splitting the remains fairly, reserving some of the finer scales to be turned into armor as a gift to the Dwarven Kingdom as apology for the silver dragon armor they’re being forced to return. As he’s composing the contract the group starts to interrogate him a bit, trying to figure out why he’s gone out of his way to assist them and why he seems so familiar with G’houl. Deciding he finally trusts the Chainbreakers, Harle admits that him and G’houl are both cousins through adoption… his real name being Cole Barael. He doesn’t know why he has the lycanthropic ability for his panther shift, but he know it’s at least not contagious. Originally stationed in Daggerford, he actually mostly did book keeping for the Zhentarim prior to this, although it’s clear he still has experience as an assassin as well.
Harle shares with the Chainbreakers that he was asked very explicitly to make sure everyone in Xonthal’s Tower was dead, although Thorn didn’t tell him specifically why she wanted him to do so. Thinking on it for a bit, Harle reasons it’s most likely to take advantage of Right of Conquest laws, where seemingly abandoned locations like Xonthal’s Tower can be legally claimed by those who take it over. A location like Xonthal’s tower, even ignoring the wealth of knowledge stored within, would be a valuable strategic location for a group like the Zhentarim to claim. The Chainbreakers are hesitant to let the Zhentarim claim the tower… Katniss objects to anything that may continue the cult’s experiments in necromancy, and Dhalia is worried about what the criminal Zhentarim will do to the locals. Loki, for her part, mostly doesn’t care, but she supports Katniss. Harle finishes composing the contract, making sure it grants ownership of enough of the dragon’s remains to satisfy Thorn without taking too much away from the others. They contact Thorn through their magic mirror, and Katniss can tell, with Their recent studies into Thive’s Cant, that Thorn and Harle are having a coded conversation about the tower… and in particular that Harle still holds the key to get inside.
However, during all this time, G’houl has been working with Taern “Thunderspells” Hornblade… the elderly human wizard working on the Council of Waterdeep as a representative of the Lords’ Alliance. The two of them are researching information about the ceremony to summon Tiamat, hoping to figure out some way to stop it for certain, as well as intense training from Thunderspells to help G’houl keep up with his friends as they adventure. With Thunderspells’ help, G’houl is able to dig through enough historical records to piece together some idea of how the ceremony works… he knows that the dragon masks will somehow combine into a single mask, a portion of Tiamat’s palace will be pulled from Avernus into the material plane… a sacrifice of a massive fortune of gold will be given, along with the sacrifice of innocent lives in the hundreds, and finally the ceremony itself will require at least 5 skilled wizards working in tandem to complete. However, they also discover that interrupting any of these processes weakens the spell… even damaging the portion of Tiamat’s palace could stop the spell from properly summoning her. G’houl stays busy, with Thunderspells sharing some of his advanced knowledge, and even the designs of various permanent teleportation circles that G’houl might find useful. During their training, however, G’houl notices heavy clouds passing overhead, and looking more closely realizes that it’s actually Stormreach Castle, the flying castle of the Storm Giant Blagothkus, arriving in Waterdeep followed by three smaller, though still quite impressive flying castles in preparation for the assault on the Well of Dragons to stop the ritual to summon Tiamat.
Meanwhile, the remaining Chainbreakers continue their voyage, with Dhalia gathering the others to discuss an issue weighing heavily on her mind… Dhalia still carries the Soul Coins gifted to her by the archdevil Zariel, who had promised to withdraw support of Tiamat if Dhalia were to deliver to her the soul of one of Tiamat’s wyrmspeakers. She knows that two Wyrmspeakers are in captivity in Castle Waterdeep… the Dwarvish wyrmspeaker of white, Varram, and the disgraced Elven prince, Neronvain. If either of them were to be executed, Dhalia could use the Soul Coins to weaken Tiamat’s army by removing their Fiendish allies. However, Katniss’s raven, Onyx, clearly dislikes the coins, and Katniss as well isn’t comfortable with tampering with the natural order so aggressively… it’s one thing to kill someone, it’s quite another to then capture their soul. Still, there’s the knowledge that these are evil men, and upon their deaths their souls will be sent to Avernus anyway… at least with this they can’t be taken by Tiamat.
They fail to reach a conclusion before they approach Waterdeep and see that the Cloud Giants are there already. Eager to meet with Blagothkus in person, Dhalia flies off on her broom of flying to speak with him. He’s pleased to see her as well, although she realizes that there is still tension between the Giants and the Metallic Dragons, even though they’ve agreed to work together to oppose the Cult of Tiamat. She tries to persuade him to change his way of thinking, but the Cloud Giant is old and stubborn, and places the onus on the dragons to humble themselves first.
With their meeting complete the Nimbus docks on Mount Waterdeep… waiting for the Chainbreakers are the Zhentarim agent Thorn, Remalia Haventree of the Harpers, the Lords’ Alliance wizard, Taern “Thunderspells” Hornblade, and, of course, G’houl. Haventree is pleased that they returned safely, and Thorn has made certain to bring along a cart to carry the dragon’s remains. The Chainbreakers want to make certain that the Blue Dragon Mask is kept safe, and thankfully the Ancient Brass Dragon Ileuthra is already in Castle Waterdeep in order to hide the recovered dragon masks in the far reaches of the various planes. During this conversation, however, Dhalia notices Thorn and Iskander speaking in private… she realizes that Iskander has willingly signed over his claim to Xonthal’s Tower to the Zhentarim in exchange for payment… and for being allowed back to continue his research. The Chainbreakers are still wary of signing over the tower to the criminal organization, but Thorn tells them she’ll meet with the group at the Yawning Portal later to discuss the matter. For now, the Chainbreakers make their way to the Castle with the Blue Dragon Mask… and also the remains of the Blue Dragon they had slain.
The streets of Waterdeep are sparsely populated… everyone is on edge and seem to stay indoors whenever possible. Once back in Castle Waterdeep they find Ileuthra, who has assumed the form of a wisened elderly human in order to explore the castle more comfortably than he would in his massive draconic form. When presented with the Blue Dragon mask he promises to keep it safe until he can safely hide it, although he’s waiting until the completion of the next session of the Council of Waterdeep before taking on the task. The next Council Meeting is scheduled in two days’ time, giving the Chainbreakers only a brief period to prepare for the final assault against the Cult of Tiamat. Dhalia also tries to speak to Ileuthra about the giants… although Ileuthra was one of the gentler, more reasonable voices on the Council of Dragons, he still remains wary of the giants, considering their long and well-known rivalry with Dragons… Still, he seems more open to a potential meeting than Blagothkus was. Confident that the Dragon Masks will be safe within the Castle, especially with Ileuthra watching over them, the party now must decide what to do next as they prepare for war.
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EDIT: lol it seems we still need to delay a bit. One of our players got called in to work and can't afford to miss any time at work, so we'll be rescheduling our game to tomorrow night.
We've been on a forced hiatus for almost two months now thanks to financial issues. While that problem hasn't completely gone away, we're all at least in a good enough state that we can start streaming again! Going forward, we'll be streaming on Tuesdays, and for now at least, we'll only be streaming Rise of Tiamat.
That said, we're nearing the end of the adventure! Come join us on Twitch or Youtube tonight at 6pm PST! The party is preparing for one last meeting with the Council of Waterdeep as they plan their final assault against the cult of Tiamat. And, as always, in case you need a reminder, here's what happened in our last session:
With the Blue Dragon Mask safely stored, Dhalia has an idea that requires the use of several more fireworks. Searching through the vast city of Waterdeep, she finds “Spencer Thompson’s House of Novelties”, a small but charming shop run by a flamboyant Gnome with a silly voice and a big mustache. The shop sells a variety of trinkets and toys, but Dhalia is interested in getting more fireworks… specifically, something with a bigger boom than the Sky Rockets the group had purchased in Daggerford. Fortunately, Spencer has “Sky Lighters”, potent explosives named for their ability to light up the night sky. He only has 4 in stock, but she happily purchases them. He also sells special sky rockets designed to burst with a single letter when they explode, and Dhalia purchases enough to spell out a sentence. Finally, she purchases an entire crate of standard sky rockets, giving her a small arsenal of flashy explosives for some plan of hers.
Returning to the Yawning Portal where they have all been given rooms, the group runs into Verther, the neurotic human business man that Loki and Dhalia had invested money in to create an insurance company. It seems the chaotic times has been good for business, although it’s clear the stress is overwhelming Verther. He provides Loki with 1000gp worth of platinum, and a few hundred gold for Dhalia as well, since she invested far less than Loki. Still, the group is happy for the extra funds and unfortunately, Verther is quite busy and unable to socialize. The Chainbreakers want to visit the bespoke magic shop, The Moon’s Reflection, but as it’s only open at night they instead focus on relaxing until then. Katniss in particular is drawn to a group of bar patrons playfully attempting trick shots, and although Katniss clearly does well, They still struggle a bit with some of the self-imposed challenges the group is attempting, such as attempting to throw the dart backwards while aiming with a mirror. Dhalia steps in to help Katniss with a trick shot… Dhalia balances a piece of chalk between her horns, and inspires Katniss to help them throw a trick shot that bounces off of a few glasses before cleanly cutting the chalk in half, to the delight of the onlookers who cheer and order drinks.
At this same time, Thorn arrives with her usual accompaniment of Half-Orc body guards. She brings with her a treasure chest laden with 50,000 gold pieces, as well as a few magic potions and a powerful spell scroll for the spell Earthquake, intending to trade them to the Chainbreakers in exchange for them selling their claim to Xonthal’s Tower to the Zhentarim. Katniss opposes this for one simple reason… Iskander and the other Wizards were researching necromancy in order to create dracoliches, something that They staunchly oppose. Thorn admits that the Zhentarim had already made a deal with Iskander, allowing him to return to the tower and continue his research. Loki, however, is unconcerned with the Undead, and instead she proposes renting the tower to the Zhentarim rather than sell it outright. This intrigues Thorn, but the group realizes they need to discuss the matter in greater detail, excusing themselves to Dhalia and G’houl’s shared room to figure out what to do.
Once alone Katniss expresses Their concern about necromancy, with Loki offering that they could put a clause in the rental contract preventing specific magics. Katniss seems relieved at Loki’s quick thinking, and decides it would be best if They simply give Their portion of the claim to the Tower to Loki outright, asking only for 3 kisses as payment, which Loki happily shares. The group then realizes they’ll need help if they want to compose a binding contract, so G’houl contacts his cousin Harle, who is nearby simply waiting for Thorn to leave so he can visit without drawing suspicion from the Zhentarim, who are unaware of his relationship to G’houl through adoption. Using Disguise Self to appear as a Dwarf, he passes through the bar to find their room and join them… although Dhalia is immediately distracted by the strange feeling of touching Harle’s real head that is well above what appears to be the top of his head in his disguise.
With Harle’s help the group decides that access to Xonthal’s Tower will be rented to the Zhentarim, with the caveat that they will need to allow members of the Emerald Enclave (and any experts they bring with them) into the tower periodically to make certain that they are not doing any research that could be abhorrent or dangerous to the people in the village surrounding the tower. They also must allow the Enclave members to attempt to free the Djinn and elementals that were imprisoned by Xonthal, and not attempt to recruit them for their own purposes. At this point, the only question is how much to charge for rent… as a Baroness, Dhalia has dealt with this kind of thing in the past, and knows that a Wizard’s Tower is an extremely valuable location, akin to a fort or palace… she knows that a rental fee of 500gp a month would be accepted without question, but they could reasonably ask for as much as 1000gp a month if they can be persuasive. Preferring the guaranteed success, especially with the caveats included in their contract, Loki suggests the lower 500gp. Harle quickly writes up a binding contract, using his skills in forgery to make it look as though it was written by Dhalia, expertly duplicating her handwriting.
Returning downstairs, they find Thorn trying out the trick dart throwing, although she’s far less successful than Katniss was. Showing her the contract, she’s satisfied with the conditions set, as the Zhentarim are more interested in the tower for its strategic value as a safe house rather than specific interest in Undead research or the dangerous elementals trapped within. She signs the contract and offers up 1 year’s worth of rent up front… 6000gp from the chest of 50,000 she has with her. As a personal gift, she also includes the potions and spell scroll, making it known that she still hopes the group’s success and is eager to assist them in the coming conflict. The group shares a drink before Thorn leaves, and once she’s gone Harle comes down from G’houl’s room where he was bonding with Dusk, G’houl’s familiar.
With night falling, the Chainbreakers decide to make their way to The Moon’s Reflection, with Harle tagging along, since he was interested in getting some of the dragon scales and claw he had claimed turned into something of value, since as a Zhentarim member he’s familiar with the store and its owner, a Yuan-Ti going by the name “Benedict Fenwick”. Once inside, Fenwick greets them with an elaborate light show and dramatic performance… something everyone present knows is just for show, but Fenwick goes through with it anyway for Dhalia’s sake, since she was disappointed when she first met Fenwick and he dropped the act when they were first brought here by the Zhentarim agent Jamna Gleamsilver. Katniss is the first to ask for Fenwick’s help in crafting a magic item, although They wish to speak to him privately on the matter. They want Fenwick to craft a pair of rings with some kind of protective property, offering him the Lapis jewels recovered from the dragon’s gizzard as a power source. Fortunately, Fenwick has several rings partially completed that he could convert into what Katniss desires, as they’re not uncommon as romantic gifts. Katniss selects a pair of rings made of gleaming silver designed to resemble interlocking antlers. Fenwick offers a trade, as Katniss has provided 3 lapis, while the enchantment only requires 2… if allowed to keep the third for his own use, he’ll craft the rings for no additional charge, which Katniss agrees to.
Returning to the rest of the Chainbreakers, they’re admiring Fenwick’s large flying carpet on display, with Dhalia reminiscing, as Flying Carpets are comparatively more common in her home country (although still a luxury of the fabulously wealthy). With Katniss returning, They spot a set of Bracers of Archery on display, with Fenwick willing to part with them for 1000gp, which Loki volunteers to pay for. Katniss steps outside to test Their new bracers while Loki attempts to haggle with Fenwick for the Flying Carpet, offering him her Tankard of Plenty in trade… which Fenwick very quickly dismisses, as the Tankard is far less valuable, although he’s willing to put its trade toward credit for the Carpet. Dhalia then offers up the head of the Blue Dragon as trade, which instantly draws Fenwick’s attention, as a Blue Dragon’s skull is incredibly valuable, especially its large horn. If the head is in good condition, he would be willing to trade his Carpet of Flying for it. Dhalia, however, starts to hesitate, as she really was looking forward to keeping the head as a trophy, but at the very least she sends a message to Armpit, asking him to bring the Nimbus to the Moon’s Reflection in order to show the head to Fenwick… and she also thinks that Armpit himself might interest Fenwick, as he’s also a talented craftsman and brilliant inventor.
While they wait for the Nimbus to arrive, Harle speaks with Fenwick, intent on commissioning some of the dragon scale he brought with him to be turned into a cloak. Fenwick believes he can craft one in just a few days’ time, and offers a discount if Harle allows him to keep any scales left over, which Harle agrees to. Soon the Nimbus arrives, escorted by Griffin Riders, and since the Moon’s Reflection has a tall Wizard’s Tower as part of its design, it’s able to dock so Fenwick can enter. He’s immediately impressed with the floating island, although like most people he’s clearly put off by the blunt, disheveled looking Goblin who designed it. He finds the Head stored on the Nimbus and appraises it as equal in value to the Carpet… however, despite calling Armpit to show it to him, Dhalia isn’t sure if this is the best use for the head and hesitates to trade, stating that she’ll need to think it over for at least a day. Fenwick gets distracted when he sees the lightning canon that Armpit is working on, using the heart of the Blue Dragon as a power source… the two of them end up losing themslves in a complex and technical discussion of how to accomplish such a thing. However, Fenwick eventually realizes he has work to do, and bids Armpit farewell and escorts the others out of his shop. Before leaving, however, Katniss asks if Fenwick can produce any more arrows of dragon slaying… he doesn’t have the means to produce any on his own, but he knows of a few other craftsmen he can contact and knows for certain he can have at least one waiting for Katniss when They come to pick up Their rings.
With their business complete the Chainbreakers return to the Yawning Portal, while Harle bids farewell to his cousin and disappears completely when no one is looking. Returning to their rooms, Dhalia shifts her focus once again to Griffin Hawe’s journal, looking for the song Granny Greenskin had hinted she should look for. Finally, she finds an interesting entry regarding a hag known to have an uncharacteristic love of music known as “Green Leaves”. She’s the 6th daughter of the legendary Baba Yaga, and the journal entry details her courtship with Lord Sephil, of the Court of Air in the Unseelie Court, where she was granted the title of “Lady Green Leaves”. However, Lord Sephil died of apparent Iron poisoning, and Lady Green Leaves abandoned the court and hasn’t been seen since. The journal also includes an interview with Sephil’s brother, Lord Waphin, who bemoans that his brother ever “degraded” himself by marrying a hag. He notes that Sephil courted Green Leaves by offering her the grass clippings of a vast field, assuming that Green Leaves must simply enjoy the scent, and Sephil composed a popular song about his love for Green Leaves, and with some alterations to the lyrics the song is still commonly played. Reading further, Dhalia recognizes the song as the common staple, “Green Sleeves”, although the lyrics are darker, and seem to extoll Green Leaves’ Wisdom rather than beauty, and focuses on the beauty and power of Fear.
After finding this story, she asks G’houl what he knows about the Baba Yaga. He’s heard many legends of this Archfey… The Queen of Witches, whose stories are Legendary, with just as many stories about her as an inhuman monster as there are tales of her as a wise and powerful guardian of the forests. She also asks Dusk if he’s ever heard of Lady Green Leaves, since Dusk is a fey spirit, but Dusk doesn’t seem to recognize the name at all. Still, Dhalia feels she’s learned something important about her Granny Greenskin and is eager to share her bed with G’houl to ease the stress of the past several days. Meanwhile, Katniss and Loki are doing much the same, the two pairs of lovers drifting peacefully to sleep.
Unsurprisingly, Dhalia once again finds herself at Granny Greenskin’s hut in her dreams. Greenskin confirms what Dhalia had read, and Dhalia realizes that a shrunken head hanging in Granny’s hut is actually her late husband, Sephil. She also discovers that Sephil was actually killed by his brother Lord Waphin… Dhalia calls him heartless, but Granny helpfully points out that she confirmed personally that Waphin has a heart… or, at the very least, he did. Greenskin also confirms that she feeds on fear… her love of the scent of grass clippings is because that scent is the grasses fear. She even claims that Dhalia produces the most delicious kind of fear… while Dhalia has little fear for herself, her fear for others and those she cares about is far more potent and valuable. She also learns that, when her father first stumbled upon Greenskin’s hut as a child, the one thing he was truly afraid of was that Granny would be all alone if he left. It’s implied that this is also why she has her faithful Blink Dog, Peaches, at her side. Granny gives Dhalia a cold, clammy kiss on the forehead, with Dhalia happily embracing the grim, imposing figure of Granny before returning to the Material Plane, having finally learned the true history of her Fairy Godmother.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
We're playing tonight at 6pm PST! Come join us on Twitch or Youtube as I DM my friends through whatever comes next in the Rise of Tiamat. If you're curious about what happened last week, read on:
As the Chainbreakers are waking up in their rooms in the Yawning Portal Inn, Dhalia gathers everyone together in the room shared by Katniss and Loki to discuss what they should do next as they prepare for the next meeting of the Council of Waterdeep. In particular, she wants to discuss the use of the Soul Coins given to her by the Archdevil Zariel… Zariel has been providing Fiendish soldiers to assist the Cult of Tiamat, who is trapped in her circle of Hell, Avernus. Zariel doesn’t care what happens to the Material Plane, but despite her callous attitude Dhalia sees good in the Fallen Angel, as Zariel willingly damned herself simply so she could protect the Heavens from the Demons of the Abyss, which must pass through Avernus on the River Styx to reach the Heavens. Her duty is complicated by Tiamat’s presence, as Zariel cannot focus on both fighting back the legions of the Abyss and keeping a primordial Dragon Goddess imprisoned. Zariel has offered to withdraw her soldiers if Dhalia can deliver her the soul of one the Wyrmspeakers… the highest ranked members of the Cult of Tiamat. This can be done with the Soul Coins, which can be used to trap the souls of the recently deceased.
Loki, despite being a cleric, has little opinion on the matter… never one to show much interest in religious doctrine in service of her Trickster Goddess, she sees the practicality of using the coin and has no problem with utilizing it to eliminate the threat of Devils on the Cult’s side. G’houl as well doesn’t disagree, although he’s more worried of what effect the Coin might have on Dhalia, as he’s done enough research to know that toying with souls is viewed as a purely evil act by most Gods. This same concern also bothers Katniss, who has committed Themself to the service of the Goddess of Death, the Raven Queen, in particular opposing the Undead, which the Raven Queen opposes vehemently as they defy the natural order. Katniss is aware that meddling in souls, even souls of the irredeemably evil, is wholly unnatural and in direct defiance of the Raven Queen’s wishes. Even Onyx, Their raven familiar, clearly reacts with dislike whenever he sees a Soul Coin. Still, despite Their reservations, Katniss may work alongside the Raven Queen, but They are not an acolyte or servant, and They cannot deny that many more lives will likely be saved if the threat of Fiends could be removed. Although They’re not happy with it, They agree that using the Coin is the smart thing to do and agrees to support Dhalia, who intends to inform the Council as well, not wanting to use something so potentially corrupting without their knowledge and support.
With that heavy discussion out of the way, their next plan is to focus on the crate of Fireworks Dhalia had purchased. Carrying them in G’houl’s bag of holding, the Chainbreakers make their way to Mount Waterdeep to meet with Armpit in the floating island, the Nimbus. Once there they find that Armpit is working with a trio of students, making progress on his invention for a lightning canon, using a Blue Dragon’s very heart as a power source. They discuss plans to convert the fireworks into a weapon that could potentially damage a dragon. Armpit doesn’t know much about dragons, but he knows he could easily convert the fireworks into an explosive device. However this leads to a discussion on exactly what form it should take… the sheer volume of Fireworks purchased by Dhalia gives many options… whether they want something that can still be fired like a rocket, or if they’d prefer something potentially more powerful that needs to be thrown. Dhalia also thinks that blessing the fireworks might make them extra potent against Tiamat, with G’houl knowing from his research that, while Tiamat herself is a Goddess, when she first enters the material plane she will have to manifest an Avatar, and that Avatar will be a Fiend, and thus susceptible to Holy Water. However, the fireworks themselves cannot be blessed in the same manner, and a holy water core would make it completely impossible to build an explosive that can be fired… or even reasonably carried by an individual. Instead the group thinks it may make sense to give the bomb to one of the Giants assisting their battle against the Cult of Tiamat, since they’ve shown the ability to hurl actual boulders with relative ease. Armpit’s focus is still primarily on his Lighning Canon, but with their guidance he agrees to convert the fireworks into a large bomb to be dropped by the Giants at some point in the coming conflict.
Satisfied with their plan for the fireworks, the Chainbreakers’ discussion returns to the Soul Coins. They know that two Wyrmspeakers have been captured and are being held in Castle Waterdeep… however, they know that Varram the White is scheduled to be taken to the Mithral Hall after the conflict is resolved in order to stand trial for his many crimes, and they do not believe the Honorable and strict dwarves will defy tradition to sentence him to death without trial. The odds of King Melandrach of the Elves consenting to having his son Neronvain’s soul ripped from his body, despite Neronvain’s many crimes, is also incredibly low. The party instead thinks they may be able to learn from Varram or Neronvain the location of the remaining Wyrmspeakers, and if one can be defeated and killed it will satisfy Zariel’s demands. Knowing that Varram was captured some time ago, and that he was in exile from the cult even before, they realize that Neronvain is the better option and so head to Castle Waterdeep to hopefully pry information from the cruel and deceptive former Prince.
On their way to the Castle, they see that Dwarven Soldiers from the Mithral Hall have journeyed to Waterdeep, their hulking Riding Goats lining the streets. Inside the castle they first find Remalia Haventree of the Harpers. She’s informed of the plan with the Coin, and although she’s hesitant about using a form of Dark Magic, she does admit it makes tactical sense. She knows that Neronvain is held by the visiting Elven Kingdom and they will need Melandrach’s express permission to speak with him. She guides the group to a war room where Melandrach is speaking with his advisers, and Dhalia is able to convince him to give them complete privacy to discuss the matter. Katniss, who is more familiar with Elven sensibilities, carefully explains their intent, and Melandrach himself seems to recognize a Soul Coin on sight when Dhalia shows it to him. Melandrach is not enthusiastic about utilizing a Soul Coin for any reason, and especially refuses to have one used on Neronvain, despite already condemning his son to death… his execution only delayed by the urging of Dhalia’s friend Yawna after she worked with G’houl and Antares to capture him. Still, he grants permission for them to speak with Neronvain in private, writing them a quick letter to prove his consent.
Deep below Castle Waterdeep are the dungeons where only the most dangerous criminals are kept. Making their way to Neronvain’s cell, they pass many check points and are thoroughly examined each time, eventually even leaving their weapons behind if only to speed up the process. Although the delay is annoying, it is at least somewhat comforting to know just how tight the security is. Finally, they’re allowed to speak to Neronvain, who is kept in a simple cell behind a locked door, with bars separating him from his visitors. Neronvain continues to taunt and tease the Chainbreakers, acting casually about his situation and ignoring Dhalia when she points out the last time they saw him he was having a meltdown when his father condemned him to death. He even doesn’t seem to care when shown the Soul Coin, not convinced that it will make his afterlife any better or worse, all things considered. While threats and intimidation don’t seem to faze him, it’s also clear he holds no love for his fellow Wyrmspeakers and seems willing to sell them out in exchange for some form of entertainment. In particular he seems interested in having some alone time with Loki, asking if she really can look like anyone. A dismissive Loki admits she doesn’t work as a prostitute anymore, and also mocks Neronvain, claiming she doesn’t know what his Mother looks like and thus couldn’t make herself look like her. The casual take down actually seems to get under Neronvain’s skin and he stubbornly demands they provide him something in exchange for his information. Katniss remembers the pornographic magazine they found in the room of Dralmorrer Borngray, a cult member who was also a member of the Elven Supremacist group, the Eldrath Valuuthra. Depicting an Elf woman set upon by “filthy humans”, Katniss correctly guesses that the contents would appeal to Neronvain, who says he’ll be willing to trade what he knows for the book… but he refuses when he’s ordered to share the information first.
Wanting to take advantage of the opening the book provides, Katniss uses it to distract Neronvain so he won’t notice Dhalia casting Detect Thoughts. Unfortunately, Neronvain’s surface thoughts are simply him mentally singing Elvish songs to himself, as the well-trained cultist seems prepared for having his mind read and was likely doing this the entire time they were there. Annoyed, Dhalia holds back on probing deeper until she hears what he has to say. Snatching the magazine once it’s offered, Neronvain laughs and informs them that any remaining Wyrmspeakers would be at Severin’s side in the Well of Dragons. He even guesses the ritual to summon Tiamat has probably already begun, although the Chainbreakers aren’t certain if that’s true, or if he’s simply trying to get under their skin. He even willingly shares the names of the Wyrmspeakers… himself as the Speaker of Green, the Cult’s leader, Severin, is the Speaker of Red, the dwarf Varram is the Speaker of White (although he seems unaware that Varram is already in their custody), the late Rezmir was the Speaker of Black (he does not know if she has been replaced yet), and finally he mentions the Wyrmspeaker of Blue, Galvan. Wanting to know more about Galvan, Neronvain dismissively just calls him a human, and mentions off-hand that he’s Thayan. Seeing that Neronvain is clearly more interested in the magazine than the conversation, the group decides it would be best to instead speak to the captured Red Wizard, Azbara Jos, who hopefully will have some idea of how they can find Galvan before the assault on the Cult begins.
Unlike the other prisoners, since Jos had surrendered himself willingly and has been actively assisting the Council of Waterdeep, his cell is on a tall tower with a view of the city, and he is provided more comfortable accommodations. Dhalia had asked her friend Yawna to watch over Jos, and when they arrive at Jos’s cell they find her already inside chatting loudly and quickly with the captured wizard. Jos is pleased to see the Chainbreakers, and when asked about Galvan he explains that he is actually a relative of Rath Modar, although even he doesn’t know exactly what their relationship is. He also confirms that it was Galvan who facilitated the union of the Cult of Tiamat and the renegade Red Wizards. Unfortunately, his intel is the same as Neronvain’s… at this time, he is most likely at Severin’s side preparing for the final ritual. This once again directs them to the Well of Dragons… the ancient metallic dragon gravesite that has been captured and corrupted by the Cultists. While visiting Dhalia also picks up on Yawna directing affection toward Jos… fully aware that Yawna is a hopeless romantic who falls in love easily, she silently informs Jos about Yawna’s affections, which the emotionally distant wizard seems to have not picked up on at all. Even once informed, he reacts mostly with a scholarly curiosity rather than express interest himself. Satisfied that they learned all they could from him, the Chainbreakers leave, although they gossip a bit about Yawna and Jos once they’re out of range of the pair… G’houl recalls that Yawna was quite flirtatious with him as well, but she did ease up once she learned he was dating someone… although he recalls Antares made it a bit worse by implying that he was the one dating G’houl, with Katniss noting that it sounds like Antares, who can give in to his fey lineage a bit too easily and stir up mischief simply for the sake of it.
As they discuss what to do next, they’re fortunate enough to see that the Tortle representative of the Emerald Enclave, Delaan Winterfloe, is approaching with the intent to visit Jos for tea, which seems to be a regular occurrence for them. The Chainbreakers pull him aside, hoping to discuss the matter of the Soul Coin with him in private. Dhalia explains how she got to this point, and makes clear that she had the opportunity to become Zariel’s Warlock, but refused. Katniss assists, making clear that They know the many problems that using something like this represents, but still believes this is the right thing to do. Delaan considers this for a moment but ultimately comes to the same conclusion. However, he looks on Dhalia with sympathy, knowing that the use of the coin may lead to the sacrifice of her very soul. Dhalia seems convinced that, as a Tiefling, she’s likely condemned to Hell anyway, although Delaan does not think it’s so simple. Like the Chainbreakers themselves, he’s not happy about it, but he does support finding a way to use the Coin and remove as many Fiends from the Cult’s side as possible. He also appreciates that they’re going out of their way to talk to the Councilmembers about it ahead of time, but warns that some of the others might not be willing to entertain the use of the coin… in particular he mentions Ontharr Frume, the Dwarven representative of the highly religious Order of the Gauntlet, who has already objected regularly to including the criminal Zhentarim organization in the Council, among other moral issues.
Delaan thanks them all for speaking with him, and offers some cookies from his tea set to the group before continuing to his visit with Jos. The Chainbreakers aren’t fully certain where to go next, as they don’t know where the other Council members might be found. For now it is getting into the afternoon, and if nothing else they need to find some place to eat. As they pass through the courtyard they find that it is filled with soldiers gathering and having discussions… Elves from the High Forest, Dwarves from the Mithral Hall, and the mostly human soldiers of Waterdeep comprise the majority of those present, but a few scattered gatherings of other nations and races can be seen. One in particular that Dhalia notices from a distance is the Green Dragonborn paladin, Corinth, accompanied by a cadre of lizardfolk, including the large figure of Snapjaw. Happy to see them, the group goes to speak to the group of scaled individuals and learn of what has happened in Castle Naerytar in the Mere of Dead Men. They learn that researchers have been allowed in the castle, and are making progress on repairing the telescope in the Observatory, although Corinth doesn’t know for certain whether it’s fully functional. The Wild Magic Sorceress Ella who traveled with Corinth before has taken the young Lizardfolk sorcerer, Light Touch, as a sort of apprentice to help him learn to channel his innate magics. The Lizardfolk present have all volunteered to join the war efforts, hoping to destroy the cult that treated them like slaves. However, the Chainbreakers notice that they’re very standoffish, and seem uncomfortable with the large crowds of humanoids that they refer to as the “unscaled”, and although Corinth is a Dragonborn and not a Lizardfolk, they still seem more comfortable in his presence than the others. Thinking it might cheer them up to meet with a dragon that isn’t cruel or manipulative, Dhalia uses Sending to contact Otaaryliakaarnos (better known as just “Elia”) to introduce her to the Lizardfolk.
It takes some time for Elia to reach them, as she was busy elsewhere in the castle… instead of arriving in her true form or the elven form she disguised herself as in the past, she arrives in the appearance of a silver Dragonborn. The Lizardfolk are not impressed, as they were told they would be meeting a dragon, but instead she appears in the form of a “tailless scaled one”. Elia takes the opportunity to reveal her true form, with the Lizardfolk bowing to her worshipfully, which Elia reacts to as though it’s a common occurrence for her. After meeting some of the Lizardfolk she’s asked about her opinion on the Giants… like Brass Dragon Ileuthra, she doesn’t trust them, but is at least committed to not deliberately causing trouble. Dhalia in particular seems set on easing this distrust between the Giants and Dragons, and does her best to plead with Elia to at least speak to Ileuthra about it, as Ileuthra has committed, at the very least, to give a gift to the giants’ leader, the Storm Giant Blagothkus, as a show of peace and goodwill. She reminds Elia that she hated the Dwarves for largely the same reason she hates the giants, and now they’re working together as trusted allies and the Dwarves have issued a formal apology for their actions. This is enough to get Elia to agree to try and mend issues with the giants, but she warns that she can’t promise that her people will share her sentiment… especially with the sound of the Draakhorn blaring all day and night, with dragons in particular sensitive to the foreboding sound, with the Chainbreakers realizing that Elia and her fellow dragons have been living with what amounts to a constant siren sound day in and day out for over a month.
As Elia has much to take care of arranging the arrival of Silver Dragons, she cannot stay and chat for too long, although the Lizardfolk are happy to accompany her and learn more from her. Snapjaw takes a moment to grip Dhalia’s head and lightly touch foreheads, a sign of affection among the Lizardfolk roughly equivalent to a hug, thanking them again for all they did and promising to assist should they need her. Seeing the discord and lack of camaraderie among the various organizations, Dhalia gets the idea to organize some kind of big party for everyone present to raise spirits in preparation for the coming assault. The other Chainbreakers agree that may be a good idea, although how they’ll organize such a thing in such short notice remains to be seen.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
Our schedule has been a bit wonky thanks to some financial troubles that a few of our players are experiencing. But this week we'll be back with more Rise of Tiamat for the first time in over a month! Come join us at Twitch or Youtube tonight at 6pm PST as I DM my friends through more of Rise of Tiamat as we draw ever closer to the conclusion.
Just in case you need it, as always, here's what happened in last week's session:
The Chainbreakers are planning a party as the armies gather in anticipation of the final assault on the Cult of Tiamat, with the hopes of raising morale and softening the distrust still held by some of the disparate factions banding together. G’houl is asked if he knows anyone who can provide a magical light show of some kind… as he’s not from Waterdeep originally, his best guess is to contact Taern “Thunderspells” Hornblade, the elderly human wizard who represents the Lords’ Alliance in the Council of Waterdeep, and who put G’houl through some intense magical exercise over the past week. After contacting Thunderspells through Sending, he arrived to hear their request and becomes convinced at the value an event like this might provide for the good of the soldiers. Castle Waterdeep has the resources to provide basic comforts for the visiting soldiers, but he encourages the Chainbreakers to seek out an alternate source for drinks and finer foods… as for entertainment, he knows a few illusionists he can call on to put on a show.
With their goal set out before them, Dhalia remembers that the local Leadbrand Brewery considers them allies for rescuing one of the founders in their journeys earlier… Dhalia even carries a coin stamped with their logo that would get them free Leadbrand beer in the Yawning Portal… if their meals weren’t already comped by the Castle. On their way to the brewery Katniss keeps an eye out for vendors… as the brewery is near a large marketplace, they’re not difficult to find. Dhalia takes point speaking to a meat-on-a-stick vendor, who seems enthusiastic at the implication that some kind of festival is occuring in the Castle Courtyard. It’s not uncommon for festivals to occur there, and word quickly spreads among the vendors, some already closing up their shop to find a prime location.
Once within the Leadbrand brewery it’s a small effort to speak to the Dwarven Brewmaster, Ikla Leadbrand, who easily recognizes the adventurers and is happy to hear from them again. At their request for the Leadbrand Brewery to provide drinks for the event he considers it a point of pride, especially with the Dwarven armies of the Mithral Hall gathering in Waterdeep. He does, however, request some form of written invitation from the members of the Chainbreakers to get some form of compensation from the castle for the free drinks he’ll be providing for the event. Dhalia takes on the task of composing this letter, throwing some of her weight around by actually signing it as “Baroness Dhalia Tricklegrove-Whipstaff”, a title and full last name she largely avoids using, since her marriage to the Baron Whipstaff was unwilling and ended with her murdering the Baron to escape his cruelty.
With drinks secured, their next task is to invite the visiting Giants, led by the proud, occasionally philosophical Cloud Giant, Blagothkus. After the grueling march back up Mount Waterdeep for the second time that day to reach Blagothkus’s home of Skyreach Castle. They find that the Ogres who compose the majority of Blagothkus’s army are armed and ready for war, and their Cloud Giant leader is in the lower areas of the castle meditating. He’s pleased for the visit, with Dhalia again taking point alongside Katniss to convince Blagothkus to visit the castle for the festivities and ease the tension among those who are intimidated by the Giants in their floating castles. Dhalia also appeals to him for the sake of Esclarotta, his late wife whose soul inhabits and powers Skyreach Castle, and who she knows from speaking to the Giants in the past had always encouraged peace. With a critical success, Blagothkus becomes determined not simply to join this event, but use it as a means of blessing his new allies with the riches and strength of the Giants, committing (without being asked) to providing food for the small folk and even agreeing with Dhalia’s suggestion of moving Skyreach Castle itself down to ground level so that it can connect directly to Castle Waterdeep, with Skyreach Castle’s own Courtyard serving to entertain guests. With little thought for the panic it might cause, Blagothkus immediately guides the Floating Castle to fly towards Castle Waterdeep, with panicked Griffin Riders intercepting and passing on the knowledge of their visit to the Castle to avoid any further concern the sudden appearance of a massive castle suddenly approaching might cause.
Arriving in Castle Waterdeep the Chainbreakers are met by Lady Laeral Silverhand, the elderly human wizard who had ascended to the rank of Open Lord of Waterdeep. She greets Blagothkus formally and thanks him for his work, but wishes to speak to the Chainbreakers in private. She has been informed by the other Councilmembers that Dhalia spoke to about the Soul Coin, and how it may be used to eliminate the infernal allies aiding the Cult of Tiamat. She tells them not to worry about discussing the matter further with the remaining members of the council… the matter is now scheduled for discussion on the next meeting of the Council of Waterdeep, where it will be put to a vote. She also speaks sorrowfully about Zariel, believing, like Dhalia, that Zariels’ intent is noble, but her methods have become heartless. G’houl notices that she seems to speak of Zariel as if she knows the Archdevil… possibly even knew her before she fell. He voices this observation to his allies, and before Lady Silverhand can leave Dhalia asks her plainly how old the wizard is, with Lady Silverhand playfully avoiding the question and leaving without any more words.
Unbeknownst to the Chainbreakers, word of a massive party at the Castle has reached the ears of Harle, the Zhentarim agent who is also secretly a member of G’houl’s adoptive family. Eager to turn up the dial on the party, he then expertly uses his information network to spread word of the upcoming party across the entire city, drawing an even larger crowd than the Chainbreakers ever anticipated, since they were expecting this to simply be a chance for the various factions to mingle before entering combat together. The Chainbreakers are busy instead visiting Ashglade Fine Clothier’s, with Dhalia modifying the dress she wore on Liar’s Night to make it easier to dance in, and also purchasing a new suit for G’houl to wear for the evening… Katniss simply repurposes the suit They wore for the ill-fated party held by the Talraidal’s months before (which was ambushed by a team of assassins), and Loki, who easily wears the most lavish outfit of her group in the first place, opts to simply wear her usual clothing.
When the clothing modifications are complete, they return at sundown to find that the streets surrounding Castle Waterdeep have transformed into an impromptu fair, the likes of which haven’t been seen in Waterdeep since Liar’s Night. Vendors have set up stalls all around, children are running through the streets gleefully, playing in the light mist that covers the ground, emanating from the floating Skyreach Castle that hovers above Castle Waterdeep. On their way inside Katniss breaks off from the group when They see the Yuan-Ti enchanter, Benedict Fennwick of the Moon’s Reflection bartering with a jeweler who has set up a stall. Fennwick is pleased to see Katniss, as he had also come to the event seeking Them, as he had completed the rings Katniss had commissioned him to create and he was hoping to deliver them. Delivered in a small, simple box, Katniss thanks him and proceeds into the Courtyard to rejoin Their allies while music is played by gathering minstrels and fine Dwarven Ale is being distributed by the hardworking brewers of the Leadbrand Brewery, led by Ikla Leadbrand himself pouring from massive barrels.
The music picks up as a massive plank made from dozens of tree trunks lashed togethered is lowered from Skyreach Castle into the courtyard of Castle Waterdeep. Blagothkus himself in his finest armor leads a processsion of Giants carrying massive plates of Giant food to share with the small-folk, extolling the glory of the Giants an the bounty they provide. They bring with them massive smoked boars the size of houses, fruits of exotic trees as big as a man, and even what appears to be a whole, deepfried whale. Without hesitation, Loki climbs one of the smoked boars and starts eating, tearing off pieces to store in her bag of holding for later. Dhalia and G’houl try some of the giant fruits, with Dhalia needing to pull out her sword just to slice off an edible portion… as generous as the giants were with their food, they didn’t think to provide any cutlery or other means of actually consuming their enormous meals. Fortunately, as this is a party for soldiers, weapons are easily on hand and chopping off chunks of fruit and meat proves a fun experience for the gathered armies.
While Loki goes to stand in line and get herself some free beer, Katniss reveals what was delivered to Them by Fennwick. Dhalia instantly recognizes the significance of a pair of rings on this occasion. She’s delighted and eagerly encourages Katniss, giving them Inspiration in case they need it. Loki, after finally getting her beer, remembers that she actually has an enchanted mug that magically produces beer at will, shrugging and throwing the mug of Leadbrand beer over her shoulder and returning to her group just in time for Katniss to ask her if they can go somewhere private. With their status they’re allowed to go basically where ever they want in the castle, which seems mostly empty as anyone not on duty at the moment is in the courtyard celebrating.
After climbing to the top of a tall watchtower, they’re able to look out over the lights of the city, which seem almost reflected by the twinkling lights of the stars above. Taking a knee, Katniss then asks for Loki to become Their wife. Loki, for once, seems stunned… asking Katniss They really think she seems like the “wife” type. Katniss admits that, no, she doesn’t, but that only makes Them more eager to see what kind of wife she’ll be. Loki tries to play it off dismissively, casually claiming she’s only agreeing since she’s never been a wife before and is curious what it will be like, but she can’t hide her true feelings as she declares that, in her mind at least, this entire event is now officially her personal Engagement Party… to which Katniss happily agrees, the two holding hands and sharing some of the food Loki had snagged earlier as they hold hands and enjoy the music and dancing from their vantage point.
While the two lovers are gone, the music stops suddenly as Ileuthra and a small group of dragons arrive at the party. There is instant tension as the dragons and giants, long-time enemies, meet amidst this display of wealth and power by the Giants. Dragons are still gathering from distant lands, so the small group is easily outnumbered by giants. There is a moment of tension as they stare each other down, but the tension is eased as Ileuthra delivers a large gift wrapped in silks. Delicately opening it, a massive silver comb the size of a surfboard is revealed… exactly the gift that Dhalia had recommended. With a flourish, Blagothkus removes his helmet and runs the intricately designed comb through his long, flowing white hair. Without a word, he expresses his grattitude with a deep bow which instantly draws gasps from his fellow giants, and anyone in the crowd aware of the history of dragons and giants. To see a proud and arrogant King like Blagothkus lower his head to a dragon is unheard of amongst Giants. Ileuthra as well returns a deep, respectful bow, and although it’s clear that not all of his fellow dragons are happy with the gesture, they also bow to the Giant King. This gesture will not end the centures of ill will between the two races, but at the very least it’s a start toward peace in the future.
With the tension past, Dhalia leads G’houl toward a large drum circle that has formed, with other musicians joining in and turning into an impromptu band. She takes his hand and guides him into a dance, hoping to see his performance as they enjoy the night.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
EDIT: Oops! One of the players is feeling sick, so we'll reschedule to next Tuesday!
It's been over a month since our last Rise of Tiamat Stream!
Come join us tonight at 6pm PST tonighton Twitch or Youtube as I DM my friends as they make their way to the big finale of Rise of Tiamat! A few of our players have had a very stressful month, mostly for financial reasons, so we're very happy to finally come back to our game. Just in case you need a reminder (because I know I do) here's what happened the last time we streamed:During the celebration in the courtyard of Castle Waterdeep, Dhalia leads G’houl in an impressive dance utilzing Dhalia’s Broom of Flying to put on an elaborate show for the gathered soldiers relaxing one last time before the assault on the Cult of Tiamat. The former Dwarven King Connerad Brawnanvil and the King of the Elven High Forest, King Melandrach, lead the soldiers in a rousing traditional Dwarven mining song, which is capped off with a massive display of illusory magic headed by old man Thunderspells, with the Giant King Blagothkus and the Ancient Bronze Dragon Ileuthra performing a competitive aerial dance while the gathered crowd cheers. Following this massive display the celebration gradually dies down, and G’houl leads Dhalia to an isolated location, given use of one of the guard towers where they can watch the lingering fireworks and other displays of illusion magic.
Nervously, G’houl produces the platinum and Amber ring he had purchased from Thorn’s shop some weeks ago, going on one knee and asking Dhalia to marry him. Dhalia is stunned but quickly agrees to marry G’houl, forsaking the formal courtship she had been experiencing as a Baroness in her distant home country. Without realizing it, both couples within the Chainbreakers proposed on the same night on isolated guard towers in Castle Waterdeep.
After spending the night in the castle, the group gathers to share a simple breakfast with the other soldiers in the barracks, and they reveal the dual-engagements from the night before. Everyone is overjoyed and already making plans for their friends’ roles in their upcoming weddings. However, with one day left before the final meeting of the Council of Waterdeep, there is still some work left for the group to do. In particular, Dhalia wants to speak with Ontharr Frume, the Dwarvish representative of the Order of the Gauntlet. She knows that Frume is the remaining council member who is most likely to be opposed to Dhalia’s potential bargain with Zariel that may remove the Devils working in support of the Cult of Tiamat. Asking around the castle, they learn that Frume is most likely across the city in the temples of the City of the Dead; in particular, the temple to Chauntea, the Goddess of Harvest.
After arriving at the temple the party realizes that the Priestess working there looks shockingly like Frulam Mondath… the Tiamat Cultist they had convinced to defect and who was briefly possessed by Tiamat and forced to attack the party. When Dhalia mentions Frulam, the woman confirms that Frulam is her daughter, and also dismisses Dhalia, assuming that she’s one of many who have come to her to attempt to collect on a debt that Frulam owes. She’s skeptical when Dhalia explains what happened with Frulam, until she mentions the simple Lamb pendant that Frulam still carries. The woman is overjoyed, introducing herself as Sister Sandora Mondath… with Dhalia assisting her using the Sending spell, she makes plans for a pilgrimage to Greenest to meet with her daughter and help her return to Waterdeep.
While discussing this with Sandora, she leads the group to a statue of Chauntea where Frume is praying. Frume overhears what Dhalia did for Sandora, and she assumes the group is there to discuss with her the use of the Soul Coin. Dhalia explains why she’s willing to take on the burden and even shows Frume the Soul coin, but gets reprimanded for bringing out something like that in a Holy Place. There’s nothing Dhalia could say to convince Frume to support the use of the Coin, but her actions and reasoning still impress Frume. While she still maintains that using the coin is sinful and wrong, she at least agrees to abide by whatever the council votes for with the coin and will not hold it against Dhalia or the Chainbreakers.
With that, the group needs only to gather the Cloak of Protection G’houl had commissioned and reconvene in the Yawning Portal. Dhalia and G’houl both use Sending to contact their parents… G’houl’s mother is crying with joy and demands they visit as soon as possible, while his father is more calm and simply congratulates his son. Dhalia’s Mother also weeps happily, although she’s a bit more composed as she tells Dhalia how proud she is of her daughter, and also expresses happiness that Dhalia will be marrying for love, and not out of obligation as a Baroness. Dhalia also prepares to contact Granny Greenskin, but to her surprise Greenskin manifests in a dark corner and makes it clear that she already knows. Greenskin does not physically appear… rather, the corner becomes black with deep, ominous shadows, and all that can be seen of granny are the reflections of light off of her predator-like eyes, and glisten of her jagged teeth in her far-too-wide smile. G’houl finds himself struck with Fear in her presence, and Dhalia is happy to introduce Granny to all her friends. Granny Greenskin also confirms that she intends to properly attend Dhalia’s wedding, whenever it ends up being, cackling with glee as she disappears, freeing G’houl from the fear he had found himself in.
With the morning comes the final meeting with the Council of Waterdeep. Despite joining in the quest to take over Xonthal’s tower, Harle is strategically kept out of the meeting by the Zhentarim. The first order of the meeting is the discussion of what is to be done with Xonthal’s Tower, with instant unhappiness from the other Council Members when Thorn reveals the Zhentarim have already arranged to rent the tower from the Chainbreakers to use as a base of operation. The disagreement is alleviated somewhat when they reveal the fairly in-depth contract they had drafted which prevents the Zhentarim from using the base in an overly sinister way, and also grants the Emerald Enclave safe passage into the Tower at their discretion to monitor the Zhentarim and also help free the Djinns and elementals captured by Xonthal… with the Zhentarim forbidden from attempting to recruit any Djinn to their organization. Although some groups are still clearly unhappy with this result, the effort put in to help regulate the criminal Zhentarim minimizes any complaints.
At this point, Lady Silverhand then changes to discuss the other matter still needing to be addressed… the use of the Soul Coin. Lady Silverhand herself thinks that toying with such things is foolish, but she has agreed to put the matter to a vote. Dhalia is given one last opportunity to plead her case, and with her allies helping her she delivers an impassioned speech where she makes clear that she doesn’t take the use of the Coin lightly, but she can’t ignore the potential to save lives in the upcoming assault if they can remove the Hellish threat of Zariel’s Devils. The speech is quite persuasive, and a vote is held…
Lady Silverhand is the first vote, and the first nay. She seems to know more than she’s admitting publicly about Zariel, and clearly does not trust the archdevil. Lord Neverember sides with Silverhand, also voting Nay. King Melandrach, whose own son is one of the Wyrmspeakers who must die for this plan to proceed, votes nay as well, feeling it would be hypocritical for him to refuse any possibility of the Soul Coin being used on his son but supporting its use on another man. However, the wizard Taern “Thunderspells” Hornblade thinks more pragmatically, and although he cautions that there may still be devils loayal to Tiamat and not Zariel, he still believes that removing as many Infernal opponents as possible is the smart move and votes yea. Ambassador Brawnanvil speaks to G’houl, who he seems to hold in high esteem for the loyalty and Dwarven honor he had shown. As G’houl is the adopted son of a Dwarf, Brawnanvil considers G’houl to be a Dwarf, as he believes Dwarven heritage means more than just blood. G’houl has much to lose, especially now that he’s engaged to marry Dhalia, and there’s no certainty what using the Coin will mean for her, but he believes in Dhalia and supports her, which is enough to convince Brawnanvil to vote yea.
The brash military leader Marshall Ravenguard isn’t concerned with the morality of the coin, and votes Yea wholeheartedly. Captain Sildar Hallwinter admits he doesn’t fully understand the implications of the coin, but he can see that the people he trusts support its use, so he votes Yea as well. Hulda, the representative of the Giants, also votes Yea, as does Thorn (who is baffled that this is even a debate), Lady Haventree, and Delaan Winterfloe. Although she can see the Yeas clearly have it at this point, Frume is still a Nay. Last to vote is Ileuthra, present as a representative of the Council of Dragons… the massive Bronze dragon leaps across the room to look Dhalia directly in the eye and ask her simply how much the coin weighs. With determination, Dhalia claims its the heaviest thing she’s ever carried. Seeing that Dhalia appreciates and respects the gravity of manipulating souls for this purpose. Ileuthra also votes Yea and the Council of Waterdeep agrees to allow the use of the Soul Coin to fulfill Dhalia’s contract with the archdevil Zariel and remove the devils in her employ from the ranks of the Cult of Tiamat.
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There was a lot of rescheduling we were forced to do... a combination of financial troubles and health troubles, but now everyone is feeling better and we'll be finally streaming tonight!
Come join us on Twitch or Youtube tonight at 6pm PST for Rise of Tiamat!
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
We're nearing the finale to Rise of Tiamat! This has been a wild story that my friends and I have been playing for over 3 years now! It's been crazy... this all started with a quickly thrown together playthrough of Lost Mines of Phandelver, but when it came time to tackle a longer adventure everyone wanted to keep the same characters, so after a few adjustments to the Tyranny of Dragons campaign, everything continued from there. I doubt we'll finish tonight... although we're barreling toward the conclusion to this story, there's still a lot more for my friends to get through. You can join us tonight at 6pm PST on Twitch or Youtube, and the VOD will be available on Youtube the next day.
However, as is tradition, in case you missed our last session, here's what happened:
With the Council of Waterdeep approving the use of the Soul Coin, the question then turns to whether or not Dhalia is comfortable with having Varram, the Wyrmspeaker of White, executed in order to capture his soul within the coin. Dhalia knows firsthand the cruelty that Varram can unleash… his protege, Craggnor, trained Dhalia’s hated former husband in the unique torture methods employed by White Dragons… starving their intended slaves, and painfully torturing a beloved individual of the enslaved people to keep the rest of them under their control. Dhalia’s own father experienced that same fate, and although she’s already killed the Baron Whipstaff in revenge, Craggnor and Varram still live. Katniss as well looks on with grim determination… the illness that killed Their mother, as well as the majority of the people living in Their childhood home of Esme was unleashed by Varram… casualties callously discarded by Varram in an attempt to assassinate a small group of Elf Supremacists who happened to be using Esme as a hideout.
Dhalia proclaims her willingness to use the coin… the Gods are of little concern to her, and although she’s been told repeatedly that use of the coin may turn the Gods against her, her greatest concern is the health and well-being of living people, and using the Soul Coin will remove the Infernal aid of the Cult of Tiamat. One challenge arises, however… Dwarven honor demands that Varram is taken to court by Dwarven law, and although the Dwarven Ambassador Brawnanvil is willing to nudge the rules by holding the trial within the Council Chambers, tradition states that Varram must be tried by representatives of at least 3 Noble Dwarven Houses… Brawnanvil himself qualifies, as does Order of the Gauntlet member Ontharr Frume… however, Varram’s capture has been kept secret from even the visiting Dwarven army. Rather than go through the time and energy to vet a Dwarven noble, instead Brawnanvil formall Knights G’houl, honoring him as Sir G’houl of House Barael.
As the Chainbreakers react with shock and joy at G’houl’s formal promotion, the trial is shelved as the discussion shifts to the council working with the Chainbreakers to plan their assault on the Well of Dragons. While the armies of the Sword Coast work together to engage the hordes of chromatic dragons, the Chainbreakers are tasked with sneaking into the Well of Dragons in order to interrupt the ritual to summon Tiamat. Using a large illusion of the Well of Dragons, the group realizes that an entrance that was considered collapsed must be deeper than it seems, since bats were seen using the entrance, and would only do so if the cave was deep enough for them to safely hide in from the many dragons patrolling the sky. Deciding that’s their best bet for infiltration, they make plans to ride the Nimbus alongside Skyreach Castle, which will be carrying the rest of the army to engage the Cult of Tiamat in battle. The Nimbus will hide in the clouds that carry Skyreach Castle, before stealthily approaching. They also make plans to meet with Antares at the cave entrance… Antares is currently in the Feywild, thanks to an arranged marriage that will bring a circle of Dryads and their allies into the battle as well, and they intend to teleport directly into the battlefield.
With the Chainbreakers’ goal established, there’s also discussion about the large bomb that Armpit is making out of the fireworks purchased by Dhalia. It will be too large for the Chainbreakers to comfortably carry themselves, but they believe it could be used to damage the portion of Tiamat’s Castle that will be summoned as part of the ritual. Ultimately it’s entrusted to the Stone Giant Hulda to carry, with the intent of dropping it from the sky when the opportunity arises. After that is decided, the Chainbreakers are free to go, although Katniss and G’houl stay to listen in on the discussions made concerning the rest of the army… Katniss because they want to know as much as possible for the upcoming conflict, and G’houl because he wants to stay nearby for the upcoming trial of Varram.
Because Castle Waterdeep is warded against divination magic, Dhalia has to leave in order to send a message, with Loki tagging along just to get some fresh air. She contacts Zariel, informing her of the plan to deliver the soul coin and asking that Zariel herself would come to collect so the two can speak, but Zariel coldly dismisses her request and reminds Dhalia that their deal is already made. Dhalia then sends a message to Waheela, the hellhound who is meant to collect the coin for Zariel, who lets her know that he’ll find her once she has the coin. She also takes a moment to contact Granny Greenskin, hoping to get some more information from the hag, with Granny letting her know that they’ll speak directly that night, as she regularly contacts Dhalia through her dreams.
While those two are sending messages, the meeting of the council completes, and the council chambers are then to be used as a court to determine the fate of Varram. The cultist is brought out from the prisons to face trial, with Katniss now face-to-face with the man who killed Their Mother, and G’houl standing beside the former King of the Mithral Hall and the Paladin Ontharr Frume as a Dwarven noble. Varram scoffs at being tried by an Orc, and as the trial is about to begin in earnest, Dhalia and Loki return to observe what happens next.
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Because of some technical issues, the VOD for last night's stream has been split into two videos. Still, it was a really fun session with a mix of drama, humor, and a surprising last-minute tryst! I'm going to try and share videos more clearly going forward, although you'll see that mostly if you follow our Gears and Guns campaign, since Rise of Tiamat will be completed soon
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
Our extended hiatus is officially ending tonight! Normally we plan to play on Sundays, but after going so long without playing everyone is eager to get back to the game, so we're doing an early stream this week. Com join us tonight at 6pm PST on Twitch or Youtube as we near the finale of the Chainbreakers' conflict with the Cult of Tiamat. And in case you didn't have time to watch the VOD, or if you just need a reminder, here's what happened the last time we played:
The trial of Varram the White begins, held to trial for releasing a necrotic plague on the innocent town of Nesme, where Katniss was raised. The plague attacks the lungs, filling them with necrosis, characterized by coughing up flecks of bleckened blood. As the trial begins, Katniss is drawn back in memory to Their child… only 13 years old when the plague arrived. They recognize Varram, if only vaguely, as a quiet newcomer who moved to town shortly before the plague began, but until recently had never connected the two events. Katniss was raised by Their human Mother, working as tanners in the remote village. Tanning is dirty, smelly work, and thus Katniss and Their Mother lived outside of town, and had thankfully avoided the plague thanks to their isolated nature.
In a desperate attempt to heal their sick friends and neighbors, Katniss’s Mother had done research and found that a cure-all could be found in the nearby Evermoors… a rare vegetable known as a Heart Bulb. However, after gathering supplies and on the very morning they were meant to leave, Katniss’s Mother suddenly had a coughing pit… and despite her best efforts to hide her condition, Katniss can tell by the blackened flecks of blood that Their Mother is afflicted with the plague, and will not survive the weeklong journey to reach the Heart Bulb, if it even is where Their Mother’s research implied it could be. Katniss is left with a horrifying choice: either seek the Heart Bulb and leave Their Mother all alone to weather this debilitating illness alone, or stay here by her side, knowing that there’s nothing Katniss can do to keep her from dying… and believing very much that They will succumb to the illness as well in due time.
Ultimately, Katniss cannot endure the cruelty of leaving Their Mother alone in her weakened state, and abandons the Heart Bulb to remain by Their Mother’s side. Over the course of a week They remain alone, uncertain even if anyone else in the nearby village is still alive. However, as Their Mother grows progressively weaker, Katniss seems wholly unaffected. As Katniss is sitting with Their Mother, trying to feed her, the young Mother weeps, lamenting that she can’t protect her child, apologizing for her failure as a Mother. Katniss, however, gives her comfort, promsing her that she taught Them all They needed to survive… despite everything, They’re still young and healthy. As she looks upon her child, she finally relaxes, telling Katniss to find Their father in Baldur’s Gate… to follow the river to Waterdeep and proceed from there. Katniss watches as an intense weight is lifted from Their Mother’s shoulder, realizing that she’s been desperately fighting her own death for some time… through tears Katniss can see that Their Mother finally feels relief in death, as They remember the only sound They heard in those moments was the distant caw of a Raven as Their Mother finally found peace.
Returning to the present, Dhalia and Loki arrive to witness the end of the trial, with Varram still dismissive about the people he hurt, and mocking the trial for including G’houl, a Half-Orc… the Orcs and Dwarves have a long history of conflict, and he considers Orcs to be “lesser” beings. When Varram realizes that Katniss was a citizen of Nesme, he switches tactics to teasing Them… probing to discover who died and how best to mock Them for it even as he’s found guilty, but not one to have her fiancee abused without doing something, Loki confidently marches forward and punches Varram in the face, knocking him to the ground, and although nobody is upset at Varram being punched, Ambassador Brawnanvil still intervenes, as interrupting a trial in this manner is considered a deep dishonor, reminding Loki that this is not the way of Dwarves. Loki shifts into the form of a Dwarf, offering to continue in that form, but ultimately Dhalia gets her to step down.
With his guilt determined, the only remaining question is the method of execution… Brawnanvil actually looks to Katniss, asking what They believe should happen to the man who killed Their Mother. With Stoic determination, Katniss recommends an execution by combat, and volunteers to be the executioner for this purpose. This is accepted, and Varram is escorted to a large, empty room reserved for executions. Varram is provided with basic armor and weapons, and his magic-suppressing shackles are removed… Katniss enters one-on-one combat with Varram.
Varram quickly reveals that he is very much a skilled and experienced fighter, launching himself at Katniss and unleashing weapon strikes with the speed and skill of a soldier, and proving difficult to strike. Katniss relies on Their longbow, skilled enough to be able to use it even at short range. Varram gets an early lead in the battle as Katniss repeatedly tries to use Sharpshooter attacks, but with the armor provided he’s too difficult to pin down… once Katniss just focuses on hitting him, and not trying to maximize damage with every attack, They quickly overtake the angry dwarf. The more injured he becomes the more Varram tries to mock Katniss… with his probing he’s realized that it was Katniss’s Mother who died, mocking the dead woman, calling her a failure and a weakling. Mocking Katniss for being a Half-Elf, claiming that it was simply their “Dirty Blood” that allowed them to survive the plague.
Despite his attempts, Varram’s cruel words don’t distract Katniss as They clearly take the lead in the battle. Sensing his impending doom, Varram attempts one last act of cruelty… denying Katniss the satisfaction of ending the life of Their Mother’s killer by stabbing himself in the throat, laughing mockingly as he does. Loki, however, is having none of this, and intervenes… healing Varram to prevent him from dying just yet. Seeing as how Varram so blatantly dishonored himself by taking his own life, Brawnanvil doesn’t intervene as Dhalia marches toward the now barely conscious Varram… holding up the soul coin toward him threateningly. Varram is versed in the dark arts enough to recognize the soul coin, and he shows true fear for the first time throughout his trial and execution. He attempts to flee, but Dhalia stops him, slamming her hand holding the coin against his chest… casting a 4th level Inflict Wounds, flooding his chest with necrotic energy. His skin melting away as she presses the coin between his ribs against his blackening lungs. Dhalia removes the gore-covered coin, revealing the heads side now displays the face of Varram the White, clutching his chest and coughing painfully… forever trapped in the same necrotic agony he subjected the citizens of Nesme to those many years ago.
With the criminal properly executed, Brawnanvil has his men take the body to be buried in an unmarked grave… the minimum that honor demands, even for one as vile as Varram. With the sun beginning to set, Dhalia moves out to the streets, using Sending to contact Zariel directly, hoping to speak to the archdevil in person. However, the normally persuasive Dhalia struggles to convey her intent through the limitations of the spell, and Zariel coldly reminds her that the two of them have made their deal and the Hellhound Waheela will collect the coin. Frustrated, Dhalia is about to contact Waheela, when she notices that the large, hound-like form of the devilish dog can be seen waiting patiently in the middle of a crossroads in front of her.
Waheela is a massive creature seemingly made of living shadow, with hellfire visibly burning in his belly and eyes that appear as two pin pricks of fire light in the center of his face. Although his form is dog-like, it’s clear at a glance that this creature is no dog. This does not deter Dhalia at all, who immediately showers the disinterested devil in pets and scratches. Waheela returns none of the affection and simply demands the coin, but before giving it to him, Dhalia asks that Waheela deliver a message to Zariel… she wants Waheela to give the arch devil a hug and encourage her to reconnect with friends, believing that Zariel’s lonely vigil to protect the River Styx is unhealthy. Waheela does not understand the purpose of this message, but ultimately agrees to deliver both the message and a hug to Zariel, although he shows no enthusiasm for the act.
As Waheela vanishes, the Chainbreakers decide to return to the Yawning Portal to rest and have an orgy before they leave the next day to face the cult of Tiamat.
After the orgy, the couples separate to their rooms. As Dhalia drifts to sleep she once again finds herself waking on the frozen waters of the swamp surrounding Granny Greenskin’s hut… however, to her surprise, G’houl is with her this time. The two are invited into Granny’s hut, along with her elderly Blink Dog, Peaches, who gives wet slurps of affection to them both, a far cry from the cold, uncaring reaction of Waheela hours ago. Granny is clearly picking on G’houl throughout the visit… looming over him and seeming to grow even bigger to keep him cloaked in shadow. Pouring drinks from a teacup, only for millipede to crawl out of the spout and immediately scramble under the table in G’houl’s direction where it can no longer be seen. Still, Granny congratulates them both on their engagement, and seems to enjoy G’houl’s reactions. Her playful teasing only gets stronger when a visitor arrives at the door… it’s Dusk, G’houl’s fey-spirit familiar in the from of a Tressim. As a fey spirit, Dusk regularly vanishes into the Feywilds, and it seems he quite simply traveled to Granny’s hut to find G’houl, sensing his presence in the Feywild. Dusk is even more scared of Granny than G’houl is, and spends most of the visit hiding trembling in G’houl’s hood.
However, the real reason Dhalia had asked to meet with Granny was to deliver a present, and thankfully she finds that she has the sack filled with grass clippings she had gathered the other day. Granny is delighted, inhaling the scent of the grass clippings eagerly, with Dhalia explaining to G’houl that Granny feeds on fear… and the scent of grass clippings is actually a fear response from the grass itself. Dhalia also shares a song she’s been working on for Granny, playing on her pan flute as the elderly woman closes her eyes. A serene smile on her face, head gently bobbing in time with the music. G’houl knows enough about Hags to know how unusual it is to see one enjoying music… normally hags have a nearly reversed sense of a beauty… things most people consider hideous and horrifying are beautiful to hags, and lovely things like beauty and music are abhorrent to them. Although these thoughts cross his mind, he doesn’t word them out loud, not wishing to be rude.
Finally, Dhalia asks if she can designate Granny’s hut to be a Sanctuary, for the purposes of a spell she had learned, Word of Recall, which can be used to quickly escape danger in an emergency. Granny lets her know that she’s always welcome to visit and gives her blessing. Granny also promises that she’ll attend Dhalia and G’houl’s wedding in-person. With one last hug pulling in everyone present… Granny, Dhalia, G’houl, and even Dusk and Peaches, before G’houl and Dhalia awake in bed as the sun rises, the bag of grass clippings nowhere to be seen.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
Heads up: Slight delay until 6:30
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
Our next session of Rise of Tiamat will be starting tonight at 6:30 PM PST on Twitch and Youtube. This is going to be a big session, as the players are near the finale... we may even finish tonight! So be sure to stop by and cheer our players on as they take on the villainous Cult of Tiamat.
I do, however, have to share some bad news... we'll be going on hiatus again after this, as Hazel and Lotus are losing their apartment and won't have internet for... well, we don't know how long. I hope it won't cause any problems on this forum, but I just wanted to say that they're in very dire circumstances, and if at all possible, it would mean the world to us if you could send some money to their Ko-Fi.
As for what happened last session... just in case you don't have time to watch the above video, here's a summary of what happened in our last session:
On a rainy morning, the Chainbreakers find themselves waking up with the dim light of dawn. They know there’s little time to wait, although they’re briefly met by Durnan, the older human man who owns and operates the Yawning Portal Tavern they’re staying in. He’s brought them a sack filled with the Yawning Portal’s famous portable meat pies. Heading outside they find the streets oddly empty, as the normally busy city of Waterdeep seems to have shut down as soldiers dutifully march through the streets to gather at Castle Waterdeep, where the Cloud Giant’s flying fortress, Skyreach Castle, is docked and preparing to depart.
The Chainbreakers meet with Captain Armpit on the Nimbus, which is floating near Skyreach Castle. They confirm that Armpit has successfully installed a lightning canon to the front of the Nimbus, fueled by the heart of a blue dragon. Dhalia also flies on her broom to visit the Cloud Giant King, Blagothkus, who is meditating and preparing for the assault. Although Blagothkus is still filled with a degree of selfish pride and a deeply held belief about the glory of the giants, his time spent with the Chainbreakers has softened him a bit, and he no longer views all small-folk as inferiors. With assurance that the Chainbreakers themselves are ready, Blagothkus hurries the final loading of soldiers and begins the 3-day journey across the lands of the Sword Coast to re-take the Well of Dragons.
With Skyreach Castle leading the way, the comparatively diminutive shape of the floating island known as the Nimbus is able to travel at much greater speeds by riding Skyreach Castle’s wake. Metallic Dragons swirl and fly around the castle as well, providing protection from any forces brazen enough to attack from the sky. As they draw near the Well of Dragons, the party is horrified to see the lands surrounding have become scorched and ravaged by dragons. Plants wither in the chaotic weather… the very presence of but one dragon can alter the very landscape around them… with this many dragons of so many disparate elements gathered in one place, a massive black storm cloud has formed above the Well, and the once-dormant volcanoes that form the nearby mountain range have once again become active.
Otaaryliakarnos, or Elia as she is called, the leader of the Silver Dragons arrives to speak to the Chainbreakers. She laments the horror of the lands below them, eyes drawn to humanoid settlements that have been completely destroyed, while the fields below are empty of wildlife as any creature nearby has been driven away by the incessant noise of the Draakhorn… the sound of which also hampers the Metallic dragons. She warns that what they see below them is just a preview of what Tiamat will do to the entire world if she isn’t stopped, and strategizes with the Chainbreakers to provide cover for them so the Nimbus can sneak into the mountain range and approach the forgotten Southern entrance to the well of dragons.
With the Nimbus hiding in the cloud cover created by Skyreach Castle, the Chainbreakers can only watch dark shapes through the thick fog. They see massive winged forms rising from the Well, taking to the sky to engage the attackers directly. A massive war drum is beat by the giants, and they hear Blagothkus’s voice ring out with a traditional giant battle cry: “Fee! Fi! Fo! Fum!” The Giants chant that phrase again and again, slamming spears made of tall trees against shields the size of dinner tables between each word. Soon even the humanoids join in the invigorating chant before the two armies slam together in a clash of might.
During the chaos, the Chainbreakers are forced to remain hidden while their allies battle. Katniss keeps a keen eye open, looking for a clean path to travel through the cloud cover. In a burst of light, They notice a massive crackling burst of electricity fells a Green Dragon, the smoking body crashing toward steep cliffs that could hide the Nimbus. Using the smoking form as cover, Armpit steers the Nimbus downward, and with Katniss’s guidance manages to get to ground level near the entrance without being spotted.
Once on solid ground, the Nimbus is left to sneak back into the fray on its own, while Katniss casts Pass Without Trace to help the Chainbreakers sneak toward the Southern entrance. With the spell’s help, they successfully avoid detection… unfortunately, they’re also meeting with Antares, who is teleporting nearby from the Feywild, and who isn’t particularly stealthy. As they walk past dead trees used to provide some cover from above, they hear the sound of hooves against stone headed their way, before Antares turns a corner, followed by a Young green dragon who saw the lone centaur as an easy snack.
The Green Dragon makes the mistake of dropping lower to the ground to reach Antares, who leaps up, striking boldly with the sentient blade, Hazirawn. Even Antares doesn’t realize he’s drawn the creature to his allies, who burst out of their hiding places to catch it by surprise. The Chainbreakers began this quest to stop the cult of Tiamat when a chance encounter placed them in battle with a young green dragon that nearly killed them, and now after their experience and growth, they’re able to defeat one in a single round. Reuniting with Antares, they head inside the Well of Dragons to stop the ritual to resurrect Tiamat.
Once inside, they see that a cave-in has indeed blocked off this cave entrance. However, it looks as though something had dug through the cave-in at some point, leaving an opening almost large enough to crawl through. The group decides to move the remaining stones out of the way carefully… trading time spent in order to avoid detection. Once they’re through, they find themselves at a 3-way intersection that appears as though no one has approached in years. Listening closely, Dhalia can just barely hear the sound of someone weeping down one tunnel, and instantly the group heads that way to investigate further.
Heading further down the dusty-disused tunnel, they eventually find themselves in an area that seems deliberately lit and which shows sign of regularly passage by humanoid feet. Still hearing weeping, they follow that sound at another intersection, avoiding the sounds in the other direction that Katniss recognizes as the sound of Guard Drakes. Moving into a large chamber, they find that it has been furnished with all manner of niceties. The natural stone floor has been covered with expensive looking rugs, a large bed is set to one side, and a large desk with papers and inks is set to one side. G’houl instantly recognizes the papers and inks as the rare, magically enhanced writing tools that Wizards use when creating spellbooks or spell scrolls. They realize this is most likely the bedroom of Rath Modar, the Red Wizard spearheading the ritual to summon Tiamat, and the surrogate father of Azbara Jos… fellow Red Wizard who was convinced to betray the Cult of Tiamat.
The group investigates further, trying to find some hint of what’s to come, or how to defeat Modar. However, it’s clear that the desk has had several items removed from it recently, and only the blank wizard papers and inks are of any value. Dhalia sees some indication that Modar was attempting to compose a letter to Jos, and she sees that Modar has a small chiminea that he seemed to be using to burn papers he had no use for. Digging through it, she finds a barely-surviving scrap of paper that seems to be lamenting something, but not enough of it has survived to show anything more than the fact that Modar has been thinking about Jos recently.
Their investigation is cut short, however, as the weeping heard from the other room is interrupted by a gruff, angry voice… threatening the weeping person with a reminder that Tiamat only needs their life… and they needn’t continue to possess their own arms and legs. The group is stunned in shock as they recognize the voice of Rezmir, the Black Wyrmspeaker who had lost her Black Dragon Mask to the Chainbreakers. However, the last they had seen Rezmir, she had been beheaded, and now they hurry to see how and why their former enemy has been returned from the Dead.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
We did it! The grand finale to Rise of Tiamat as our heroes journey deep into the Dragon's Lair and finally come face to face with the forces who seek to dominate the world. Join us tomorrow night as well, as we'll have a final epilogue for the Chainbreakers... one last stream before we must unfortunately take our next hiatus.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
Our Finale Epilogue is airing tonight! That means I haven't had time to write up a summary of our last session but, well... it's the big final battle, and you can watch the video above to see what happened.
That all said... come join us tonight at 6pm PST on Twitch and Youtube! We've been playing this adventure for 3 years, with most of the sessions being streamed. This is my first time DM'ing a long session from beginning to end, and it's meant so much to me over all this time. This is a big celebration for us, especially because two of our players will be moving soon and we're going to be on hiatus until they can get fully settled in... that's also why we're streaming again so soon after the last fight, since it allows us to end our story with all of you.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
In a thematically appropriate show of our usual technical problems, internet outages completely out of our control led to the stream being split up into 3 parts. Still, it was very humbling to finally DM my friends through the finale of my very first long-form campaign that I DM'd. This game has been running for 3 years, starting at level 1 and using XP, ending with everyone at level 13.
Following this the games I DM will no longer be streamed live. We're planning to dedicate the full force of our streams going forward on Gears and Guns, our homebrew Western-themed campaign DM'd by Afterdisbooty. I still love DM'ing and I have no intention of stopping, but it's just best for us to only worry about one streaming campaign going forward.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium