Chapter 9: Council of Waterdeep - Rise of Tiamat

Chapter 9: Council of Waterdeep. The Rise of Tiamat begins immediately after the conclusion of Hoard of the Dragon Queen, and assumes that the characters have returned to Waterdeep in the aftermath of that adventure. While in the city, the adventurers are summoned to the first meeting of the Council of Waterdeep. While at that gathering, they hear the sounding of the ancient Draakhorn that heralds the next stage of the Cult of the Dragon's plots. (See Chapter 17 for more information on the Draakhorn, but be sure to withhold that information until the characters have played through the "Chapter 10: The Sea of Moving Ice.") Starting the Adventure The Rise of Tiamat begins in Waterdeep. If you played Hoard of the Dragon Queen, the characters might have already made their way back to the City of Splendors after Skyreach Castle crashed at the end of that first adventure. If you didn't play Hoard of the Dragon Queen, if Skyreach Castle wasn't crashed, or if the characters went somewhere other than Waterdeep afterward, you need to get the party back to Waterdeep for the start of this adventure. It's easy enough to simply tell the players that their characters are back in Waterdeep. However, if you suspect that your group won't find that satisfying, you can avoid playing through a long overland journey by making use of the following scenario. Wherever the characters are when this session begins, a raven flies up to them. The bird is part of an animal messenger relay dispatched by Leosin Erlanthar's allies in the Emerald Enclave. The raven lands a dozen paces from you, then boldly hops closer, a flat parcel wrapped in oilskin strapped to its belly. It eyes you enigmatically for a few moments, then speaks in a familiar voice. "Leosin Erlanthar sends his heartiest congratulations! Please use the gift this bird brings to meet me in Waterdeep as soon as possible." The bird waits patiently while the leather parcel is removed from its harness. The parcel contains a carefully fo...