"No, no." Camilla eggs on Messa, folding her arms against her chest, amused at the turn this conversation went. "Explain it to her NOW. If she can fight dragons she can probably handle this insight."

Astrid searches the “H” section for books on Harpers, who is course are experts at Sleight of Hands (15).

Edward, likewise, searches the “S” section for books on Samurai training (Athletics: 29).

You find a 250gp book on EVERYTHING about the Harpers, including high ranking members and secret bases. What the ****? How did this get published? This book is probably worth a hell of a lot more than 250gp in the right hands. Edward finds a pretty cool 150gp book on samurai training, history, and technique. Written by J. Ackie Chan.

"Well Bell, when two people love each other very much, or are very bored, they use the body parts that you have a tendency to destroy to have a little thing called sex. And when people do that a lot and critically fail their pullout checks,  that's how babies are made."

Camilla stares at the camera as if she's on The Office.

It is clear by Bell's facial expression that the explanation only confused her further, "Sounds fake, but okay!" Was all she responds with and then looks around the library for fairytale and coloring books! Maybe a book of Ilmater. ( Religion: 6 )

You find a fairy tale coloring book about Ilmater. It's, surprisingly, worth about 60gp. It hasn't been colored yet, and is in very good condition, much to your delight. It even has a small coupon for a free large fry with a purchase of a Maccataur burger at a place called "Maccabee's". The coupon expired about 200 years ago, though.

Astrid is excited about her book!  She quickly stuffs it into her pack, and then continues to search the library for anything else that might be hidden.

Investigation: 33, or 24, whichever is larger. 

Li'riya slips her book into her bag for reading later.

Bell happily shows the book to Camilla before putting it in her bag and patiently waits for everyone to finish up their searching and then leads them all to the next area. (22?)

Camilla gives Bell a loving pat on the head, happy she found something that made her happy.

AREA 22 - SLEEPING AREA

This area appears to be a sleeping area, with sleeping bags and straw piles and makeshift pillows. Unfortunately, there is nothing else in the room.

AREA 21 - STORAGE CLOSET

This area is lined with shelves holding hundreds of mundane and exotic reagents and components. Most of the supplies have evaporated, congealed, or decayed over long years.

AREA 23 - TIME CHAMBER

Two massive hourglasses occupy this irregularly shaped chamber. Their glass globes are nearly fifteen feet across, with each hourglass rising almost to the ceiling thirty feet overhead. Each is suspended by chains, pulleys, and gears in such a way that it can be turned over to set its sand running. Slumped against the wall at the far side of the chamber is the cultist who called to you from the balcony of the tower. His dark robes are charred and torn, and a blue dragon mask is clutched in his red-stained hands. It appears undamaged.

Astrid hugs the walls and disappears into the shadows.  Stealth: 16 (or 25, whichever is larger)

She’ll then make her way around the edge of the room to where the body is laying, all while being extra cautious of some bad dude popping out and attacking:

Perception: 20

Investigation: 15 (or 24, whichever is larger) 

"Well..." Li'riya says softly. "So much for getting information. At least we have a mask."

FOLLOW UP: XONTHAL'S TOWER

As you return to Waterdeep, Rian Nightshade approaches you all and asks for a private audience. She explains her position as an emissary of the Zhentarim, and of the Zhentarim’s interest in current affairs. She bemoans the dithering of the other factions, stating that the Black Network is willing to act immediately and unflinchingly — if the party can help arrange agreeable terms for the Zhentarim’s support. Rian points out to you all that the Zhentarim have a keen interest in Xonthal’s Tower. Ownership of the tower is under discussion by the council, but the tiefling wants to deal directly with you all, who have claim to the tower by right of conquest. The Zhentarim are willing to purchase your interest in the tower for 50,000 gold pieces. 

In addition, under heavy scrutiny from the council, it is revealed that the Blue Dragon Mask was a forgery.

SESSION 3: THE THIRD SESSION / XONTHAL'S TOWER / MISSION TO THAY

The council has been approached by a Red Wizard of Thay named Nyh Ilmichh. Ilmichh has extended an invitation to the council to send an envoy to Thay, to discuss ways in which Thay and the Sword Coast might aid each other during the current crisis. You all have been specifically requested to represent the Sword Coast at this meeting, after which you will be returned to Waterdeep unharmed.

You all should understand that without the Red Wizards, Severin’s plans are severely compromised. Moreover, it is common knowledge that Szass Tam wants all exiled Red Wizards dead in the worst possible way. Despite reservations from some on the council, most believe that since the factions and Szass Tam have a common goal, the invitation is worth accepting.

Thay is an isolated and arid windswept plateau some twenty-five hundred miles east of Waterdeep, its dark skies constantly clouded by volcanic ash. This land is defined by the prevalence of undead within its borders. The supreme leader of Thay is the lich Szass Tam, whose council of advisers — the zulkirs — are powerful liches themselves. Everyone of consequence in Thay is a spellcaster, and necromancers are common there. Undead servants are everywhere, and many of the commanders in Thay’s armies are the free-thinking undead soldiers.

When you are ready to depart, Nyh Ilmichh teleports you to Nethwatch Keep in the Tharch of Lapendrar, just inside the Thayan frontier.

Nethwatch Keep is under the command of Tharchion Eseldra Yeth. At the fortress, you are assigned to luxurious individual rooms, though the doors have no locks. Nyh Ilmichh tells you all that they are utterly safe in the tharchion’s keep. You see no other living creatures until your audience with Eseldra Yeth. All the servants and staff are undead, but the food and comforts of the fortress are of excellent quality and entirely safe. Tharchion Eseldra Yeth is a female human vampire spellcaster. In the audience chamber where the meeting takes place, she is accompanied by 10 Red Wizards and 5 wights. She examines your diplomatic immunity paperwork, so to say, and then delivers a prepared message.

“We find ourselves bound in common cause against common enemies. Those who sought to destroy us in ages past now seek to destroy you. Our thirst for vengeance is strong, as is your thirst for continued life. Our enemy has become your enemy. We know their weaknesses and the ways of destroying them forever, without destroying their usefulness. You have the opportunity to discover their hiding places in your struggle against their cult allies. Together, we can remove them as a threat to us both. Our agent, Nyh Ilmichh, will return with you to your city of Waterdeep, there to serve as our liaison to your council. What you learn of the enemy, she will relay to us by means of our own. You need only find the enemy. We will deal with them, as is our custom. I am authorized by our eternal master, Szass Tam, to say these things, for I act in his name.”

A DC30 Persuasion check is required to convince Eseldra Yeth of the experiences you have survived thus far, and to fill her in on the current situation with your progress to make her feel secure that the Red Wizards should join the Council and led their support.

Astrid leans in to Messalina, and whispers a word of encouragement in her ear:  “You got this, deary!  I believe in you, and your charming persistence!”

....offering Help to Messalina.

Bell goes ahead and gives Messalina a big hug to help put some extra oomph behind her words!

"In the months that we've spent battling the Cult of the Dragon Queen, we've slain multiple officers, destroyed their sky palace, convinced the Council of Metallic Dragons to back the humanoid cause, we've defeated two ancient dragons, and we've slain two of their wyrmspeakers. I think that we are more than able to assist the Red Wizards in this endeavor. Do you agree, Lady Eseldra?"

Persuasion: 27

Self-Inspiration: 9

TIAMAT'S RETURN

Everything that you have fought for, all the distances you have travel, everything that you have experienced so far - has led to this moment. With excitement, and probably a little bit of fear, the time has come to have the forces of good engage the forces of evil. The battle between the factions of the Sword Coast and the Cult of the Dragon will play out as a huge clash between armies and monstrous forces, no doubt.

WHAT WE KNOW

Both the Harpers and the Zhentarim have spies among the Cult of the Dragon. As such, both organizations have report that the cult’s preparations are nearing completion. Since it began sounding, the Draakhorn's mournful tones have been an ever-present reminder of the threat rising in the Sword Coast. With Severin’s plans swinging  into its final stage, the Draakhorn’s call shifts from being barely perceptible to a clear and distant sound that gives a sense of impending doom to all who hear it.

Severin’s plan to bring Tiamat back to the world has been set up in five distinct stages:

- Assemble a treasure hoard worthy of Tiamat.
- Gather an army of dragons and other evil creatures to defend the Well of Dragons against interference.
- Capture hundreds of prisoners whose souls will power the magic that draws Tiamat to Faerûn.
- Perform the ritual that raises Tiamat’s Temple in the caldera of the Well of Dragons.
- Sacrifice the prisoners while performing the ritual that guides Tiamat from the Nine Hells to the world.

The first three stages of Severin’s plan are complete. Stage 4 will be completed by the time you all arrive at the Well of Dragons. Stage 5 begins soon after you and the factional allies arrive, and becomes the focal point of this final battle against the cult.

YOUR PRIMARY MISSION

You primary mission is to thwart Severin’s plans and prevent Tiamat from passing from the Nine Hells into Faerûn. Your accomplishments up to this point have frustrated Severin and slowed his plans. But the only thing that can truly stop him now is ending the ritual performed by the cult’s Red Wizard allies inside the Temple of Tiamat. Everything else is secondary.

APPROACHING THE WELL OF DRAGONS

As you and the forces commanded by the factions of the Council of Waterdeep approach the Well of Dragons, you have no doubt that you are moving deep into enemy territory. The landscape for a hundred miles in all directions is a grim harbinger of what Tiamat’s rule would mean for the world. Never have you seen such death, and destruction. Little remains in the territory surrounding the Well of Dragons, and the constant drone of the Draakhorn has forced the local animals to flee or driven them mad. A handful of villages in the area are bloodstained ghost towns, and every farmstead is a charred ruin. The few survivors you encounter are headed in the opposite direction, all of them watching the sky for the telltale shape of a dragon on the wing. You all spent many days and night approaching the Well, laying low and staying out of sight of the chromatic dragons patrolling the land by sky. The caldera of a long-dead volcano rises from an ashen plane ahead. Along the cinder cone’s steeply sloped sides, thousands of creatures mill about or are lining up into ordered infantry ranks. In the air above, dozens of chromatic dragons wheel and shriek like a flock of immense crows, awaiting the bloodshed of the battle to come.

The caldera of the Well of Dragons is roughly oval-shaped, with high, steep walls. The dragons flying above it are not scouting for infiltrators, thankfully, but are quarreling and posturing for each other before the battle. Only cultists are living and working in the warrens beneath the caldera. The thousands of mercenaries, giants, devils, and monsters serving the cult are camped chiefly along the north and east slopes.

The caldera is blanketed beneath the bones of hundreds of dead dragons, but that’s not its most arresting feature. A mind-numbing structure has pushed up from beneath the tangled bones to tower above the blasted volcano. Partly volcanic ash fused with dragon bones and partly stone imbued with the dark magic of the Nine Hells, the Temple of Tiamat is all chaotic angles and jutting buttresses. Within that snarl of cornices and soaring angulation, you make out five asymmetric towers topped by twisted steeples.

Lava tubes form natural pathways beneath the caldera of the extinct volcano. This is your best way in once the battle begins. As the time for the ritual draws near, the Well of Dragons is crawling with cultists and their allies. Whether using stealth or disguising themselves as cultists, you all can easily survey the entrances to the lava tubes or see the risen temple from the edge of the caldera. However, once inside the Well of Dragons, disguises prove ineffective. The cultists working in and patrolling the caverns are on high alert, and use a complex system of checks and passwords as proof against spies and enemy agents.

Once the battle begins, you will be provided cover and armed assistance to push your way following the purple path.

THE TEMPLE OF TIAMAT

TIAMAT'S TEMPLE

The temple in the caldera of the Well of Dragons is the same temple that marks the center of Tiamat’s realm on Avernus. The Red Wizards’ ritual has brought it here to act as a beachhead and beacon for the Dragon Queen, melding it into the caldera floor in the process. The main gate into area 1 (the blue chapel) is the only apparent entrance. When the ritual begins, the temple is the focus of the cult’s activity, with Severin’s Red Wizard allies at the center of the action. The souls of sacrificed prisoners are sent to Avernus to provide the magical power that will open a pathway between the Nine Hells and the Material Plane. The Red Wizards will then guide Tiamat as the Queen of Dragons claws her way back into the mortal realm.

The interior of the temple is a single open expanse. Though divided into distinct areas, the cathedral-like space has no interior walls or upper floors. Five chapels are devoted to one of the five aspects of Tiamat and the matching branch of chromatic dragons, all surrounding a central apse. The apse and all five chapels rise into separate spires, culminating in the sanctuary at the pinnacle of the central spire. Level 2 as shown on the map is a zone 50 feet above ground level; level 3 is a zone 100 feet above ground level, both of which can be reached only by flying.

Once your eyes adjust to the stunning chaos of Tiamat’s Temple, you see that its interior is a single, cathedral-like space that towers far overhead. Five distinct vaults branch off the central gallery. Though the overwhelming color of the place is a lifeless, ashen gray, each of the side vaults shimmers dimly blue, green, red, white, or black — the hues of the evil dragons and their world-consuming queen.

Red Wizards stand in each of the five vaults, chanting and channeling magical force into the central apse. There, a kaleidoscopic whorl of arcane energy rises above the blackened floor, stretching up into the twisting recesses of the temple’s central spire.

The numbered areas on the map are identified in the table below, which also identifies key NPCs during the ritual that will bring Tiamat to the Well of Dragons.

Key to Tiamat’s Temple

THE MECHANICS

To successfully bring Tiamat from the Nine Hells into the world, the Red Wizards must successfully focus the summoning ritual for 3 rounds after you all enter the Temple of Tiamat. Each round, at least three Red Wizards must use an action to perform the ritual in order for it to be successfully focused for that round, helping guide Tiamat across the planes. The Red Wizards on the first level are in melee and firing range. The flying Red Wizards on the second level are 50' up, so out of melee range, and Severin is 100' up.

There is a chance you may be able to disrupt the portal before Tiamat comes through. If you fail, disrupting any part of the ritual process weakens the Dragon Queen regardless.

Disrupting the ritual still lets Tiamat in, but it weakens her. Killing Severin weakens Tiamat. Destroying the Mask of the Dragon queen weakens Tiamat.

When you guys are ready, the forces of good will engage the Cult of the Dragon, providing you a distraction to getting into the temple. We will begin with you all entering the temple and stopping the Red Wizards from summoning Tiamat and will roll for initiative.

WARNING:

Tiamat is a God. I will play her appropriately and not hold back. She is extremely powerful. This means I wont go easy on you guys, so I wish you all the best of luck - and as always, it was a pleasure having you all in this campaign. This is quite possibly the greatest, most powerful enemy any of you have ever faced. Take out as many Red Wizards as you can to weaken her, but she will still be extremely deadly.

Initiative: 18

As a Bonus Action, Messalina casts Bigby's Hand and sends it flying towards Severin

Attack: 13 Damage: Unable to parse dice roll.

As an action, Messalina uses all 7 charges on the Wand of Magic Missiles to cast Magic Missile at 7th level, sending all nine of them at Severin. 29

Initiative: 18