Chapter 7: Hunting Lodge - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

Chapter 7: Hunting Lodge. Characters who follow Wyrmspeaker Rezmir or Azbara Jos with the aid of the teleportation circle in Castle Naerytar's dungeon are deposited high in the Greypeak Mountains. The change in climate is very stark; the portal and a nearby lodge are buffeted by chill winds, and the surrounding countryside is heavily forested. The portal is one of several that predate the Cult of the Dragon, and it helps the cult leaders gather over large distances. Next to the portal is a hunting lodge used by a succession of local lords over the years. The lodge is a useful and central meeting place for high-ranking cultists, among them a Wearer of Purple known as Talis the White. Talis feels strongly that she belongs in Severin's "inner circle," but Severin doesn't trust her and recently appointed a dwarf named Varram as his wyrmspeaker in charge of recovering the White Dragon Mask. The adventurers meet Talis and her servants, and they could end up fighting Talis and her crew in the lodge. They might also bargain and make a deal with Talis, striking against those who oppose her ascension. If they do the latter, she helps the party reach the nearby village of Parnast and aboard Skyreach Castle (see chapter 8)-but negotiations are fairly hazardous and might easily result in combat rather than a deal. If the players don't realize that the cult hopes to bring Tiamat to the Realms, this chapter is the best time for that information to be revealed or confirmed. Although Talis won't mention any details such as masks or summonings, the cultists share a general belief that the time is right for Tiamat's arrival. The characters can find several clues that encourage this belief. General Features The lodge is built in a comfortable but rustic style, and good tapestries and some hunting trophies festoon its rooms. The wooden floors are heavily scarred by claws. A successful 20 Intelligence (Nature) check reveals that these are not the marks of normal hunting hounds, but ra...