Tyranny of Dragons
Episode Nine: Mother of Dragons
The finaleThe Approach
In Greenest, Stormwatch gathered around Martmaal’s Feast with the leaders of Faerûn for one last meal before battle. Tales were told as you reflected on the long journey from adventurers-for-hire battling kobolds to would-be-saviors fighting Gods. The rulers of the Sword Coast toasted you, and even Jorin seemed too nervous to let out a Stormwatch battlecry.
During the feast word was received from the spies at the battlefront — something was happening in the Well, a huge sound of grinding rock and moving earth. None could see the cause, but the gathered Cult forces became feverish with anticipation. There was only one conclusion: Tiamat’s summoning had begun.
At dawn the gears of war ground into motion.
You each drank down potion after potion, enabling flight and the blessings of the gods for the epic fight ahead. Martmaal was equipped with an Ioun stone that allowed him to eavesdrop on the battle as it unfolded, and the first orders were to open the battlefield portals.
A huge roar went up from the massed Sword Coast armies, and they started pouring through the 6 portals. Fighting began almost immediately as the Cult armies moved heavily against the incoming forces. Before long a portal blinked out of existence as the Mages holding it open were overrun, but the armies were through. Some were no longer coming back.
Once the enemy was fully engaged, Skyreach Castle entered the fray, and you were relieved to hear that it had the desired effect: scores of Chromatic Dragons left the Well and took the attack to Skyreach, just as you had planned.
Simultaneously the Elvish Archers used their portals to start the surprise assault on the rear of the Cult insurgents. Elia approached you and indicated she and her lieutenants were ready to fly at your call. The moment was ripe, and you each mounted a Dragon and took to the air. At the same time the Dwarvish infiltration forces mounted up on their Dragon Wing.
The feeling of immense power beneath you was breathtaking, but you barely had time to appreciate the honour before you were hurtling toward and through the aerial portals.
You emerged screaming into North-Eastern section of the caldera, and were immediately greeted with the terrifying sight of Tiamat’s Temple, now fully raised and no doubt the source of last nights' quakes.
A mind-numbing structure towering over the blasted volcano, made of stone and the dark magic of the Nine Hells, all chaotic angles and jutting buttresses.
Surrounding the temple was a field of giant dragon bones, blanketing every surface except one. In front of the opening to the Temple a space was cleared, and hundred upon hundred of bedraggled prisoners were being torn apart by 5 enormous ancient Chromatics, one of each hue.
Ash, with a rush of blood, immediately recognised the White Dragon — it was Arauthator, Old White Death, who had escaped your clutches and was now reaping the spoils. Elia cried out that there was barely time for a single loop of the Well, as Chromatic Dragons started swooping down to intercept your flying vanguard.
Martmaal ordered her to circle the Temple looking for a way in, and you tore around the outside, barely staying attached as the Metallic Dragons arced around. A deep pit was spotted at the rear of the Temple, but with no way of knowing whether you would be trapped there or find a way out, the decision was made: Stormwatch was going in through the front door. Death or glory.
Breathing deeply, and screaming inside, you all leapt from the backs of your mounts and skyrocketted toward the huge entry doorway, through which prisoners were streaming to their death. Everyone was on target, with the exception of Donald and Martmaal, who mistimed their approach vectors.
Donald managed to correct with barely inches to spare, but Martmaal hurtled into the side of the Temple and collapsed down into the bone field. He was immediately set upon by Cult Mages, but realised he could still fly and quickly worked his way inside the Temple.
The Temple
The interior of the Temple was one huge cathedral-like space, with five distinct vaults branching off the central gallery. Each vault rose 50 feet in the air, and each was coloured in one of the hues of the evil Dragons.
In each vault, Red Wizards were performing some kind of ritual — one on the ground, and one hovering 50 feet above. In the central apse a huge kaleidoscopic whorl of arcane energy was crackling with power, fed by streams of surging colour from each vault. A low continuous tone could be heard, seeming to emanate from the swirling mass.
Standing below the ball was Rath Modar, the Red Wizard you fought in Skyreach Castle. He was clearly directing proceedings, and turned to see you with a look of surprise — and determination.
Severin
And 100 feet above you could see the figure of Severin, hovering in mid air, and wearing a majestic mask with four Dragon heads — the Mask of the Dragon Queen, assembled.
Martmaal quickly enacted part two of the plan, creating a huge stone wall to block the sole entrance into the Temple. This had two effects — stopping the outside from coming in, and stopping the flow or prisoners to the sacrifice. You soon realised that there was another entrance in the middle of the chamber, a tunnel being guarded by Rath and two Wizards, and from which the prisoners were being funneled.
Disrupting the summoning was your next goal, so those closest immediately attacked the nearest summoner in the Blue Temple. The Wizard didn’t react at all until he was wounded, at which point he emerged from his trance and set about defending himself.
Rath Modar too started firing volleys of fire and worse, to stop your assault (and murder many cowering prisoners as a bonus). Realising he needed to be stopped, Ash and Bally started moving toward Rath, while everyone else took care of the first Blue summoner, who was quickly killed before attention was given to his floating compatriot above. Before you could finish him, you noticed that the ominous tone in the room had risen a pitch. You realised what this meant: the summoning ritual was working, and time was of the essence.
Rath was engaged by Ash and Martmaal, while Bally, Jorin, and Marko moved to the Black Temple. You realised with some horror that a Black Dragon was chained to the ground at the foot of the Black Spire, writhing in agony as power was drawn from it by two Red Wizards. The fact that you held the Black Mask meant the Cult had to find alternate means, and this was the result. No matter — you’d killed ‘plenty’ of Dragons, and this one was chained down.
Meanwhile the second Blue summoner died quickly, but not before several sudden volleys from Severin, who had teleported to a position that allowed him to attack. Rath was struggling under the assault in the centre, but the two free Wizards were casting with abandon and dealing significant damage with no retaliation possible.
As the Black Temple assault continued, you noticed that the audible tone had stayed stable — killing both Blue summoners had had an effect. Donald and Marko formed a second vanguard, and started working their way into the Red Temple.
As you assaulted the Black and Red, you realised that Severin has begun channeling Blue energy, and the summoning tone rose a level correspondingly. In the midst of the fighting, an almighty pounding could be heard at the entranceway, and Martmaal’s wall developed a massive sundering crack, as the Dragons outside sought to reopen the source of their slaughter.
Rath Modar finally fell, and as he did so did one of the Black Summoners. The two stray Red Wizards were running out of spells but kept throwing everything they had, forcing Stormwatch to finally deal with them. This slight delay allowed the ritual to escalate once more, and the tone rose once more.
But as you heard this, you also heard the sound of furious fighting from the prisoner tunnel, and a clear Dwarven voice rang out with an almighty battle cry. Help was on its way!
You slew the Black Dragon, and one of the Red summoners, before the entrance wall collapsed and the head of Arauthator reached in and slaughtered all the prisoners within reach with a blast of his icy breath. The tone rose once again and the maelstrom in the middle of the room started to coagulate into a solid mass.
Desperate now, you flung everything you had at the assaults. The Black Temple fell, and the Red was almost disabled too. Severin started teleporting around the room, attacking where he could, and staying out of reach of your attempts to engage him.
Despite his best attempts, you had again weakened the summoning ritual: the tone stayed steady for a moment, and a small flame of hope rose up inside you. But before that flame could take, you saw despairingly that Severin had started also channeling the Black energy, and now the vortex was imploding upon itself, opening a gateway to another world.
All that could flew to assault Severin, who was now in an ecstatic pose, arms spread, head thrown back, oblivious to the terrible assault upon his mortal body. In a final furious assault, you slew Severin, who’s lifeless body hung above his creation, suspended only by the Mask.
Donald, in a burst of frustration and inspiration, unleashed a beam of destruction at the Dragon Crown, shattering it into pieces that were flung around the Temple.
The maelstrom filling the central apse of the temple suddenly split open with a deafening crack of thunder. A huge pit formed in the middle of the Temple floor, closing off all entranceways and throwing those on the ground into the walls. Emerging from the darkness within you could make out the gargantuan heads of five dragons beginning to tear and gnash their way out of the rune-lined pit of fire.
Tiamat approached.
The Dragon Queen
The Rise of Tiamat
First to emerge from the rent in the world was a enormous White Dragon head, staggering in its size and terrifying in its power. It immediately devoured the remaining summoners, mercilessly mocking their role in bringing her forth.
Stormwatch took a moment, but only a moment, before beginning the fight that would determine the fate of Faerûn.
Ash did what he does, and leaped straight onto the back of the mighty head assaulting it with all his fury. Marko shot the first of his two Dragon Slaying arrows, and it struck true and hard into the neck of the mighty beast.
Bally, who thus far had been killing each of his targets with a single swing, found that this final foe would take many, many more, even as he swung true and fiercely with his flaming sword. Jorin plunged in as only Jorin could, all reckless attack and brutal power, striking the beast harder than he’d struck anything before.
Donald unleashed his most potent fire spells, only to watch them spill harmlessly from Tiamat’s hardened hide, whilst Martmaal did all he could to stay alive in order that he could keep the rest of Stormwatch in a similar state.
And after throwing everything you had at her, Tiamat looked merely scratched as she roared in thunderous fury, and proceeded to bathe you in her icy breath. After weathering that, you were all surprised to see that Donald emerged wearing the Black Dragon Mask, though upon (very rapid) further reflection, you weren’t surprised at all.
A second head emerged from the maw, this one Black, breathing an acidic rain down on the Temple’s interior. Stormwatch withstood the barrage (particularly Donald) and continued assaulting the White queen, inflicting enormous damage again with sword and arrow and determination.
Tiamat’s massive heads swung around and spoke words that none could understand, but which sent the fear of gods into your souls, a deafening cry from the dawn of creation that pummelled your senses and sent some of you deaf. Thankfully Martmaal was on hand to undo that problem, and Stormwatch fought on.
Next to arrive was the Green head, and this time something went right for you: she unleashed a spray of poison breath that dripped harmlessly off you thanks to the Heroes Feast you’d enjoyed the night before.
In a fury the Black head moved to attack Ash, flinging him to the ground as she ripped him off her White head. That head, now free, unleashed another ice storm, trapping half the group. Martmaal again kept everyone up, as did the potions that you begun liberally swilling.
Donald, realising his go-to attacks were harmless, devised an alternate which immediately started impacting on the White Dragon head. Marko had reverted to his lethal roguish attacks, as the two warriors, Jorin and Bally, continued their relentless swings on the exposed neck. Ash remounted the head and chained together attack after attack. Even Martmaal found time to let loose an attacking swarm.
Still Tiamat fought and grew, and seemed unstoppable. The penultimate head emerged from the gaping pit, Blue this time, and lightning forked through the cavernous space, pummeling your senses and bodies into painful submission. Tiamat roared and thundered, but you felt no fear, again saved by the Feast.
You attacked, she attacked, and while you grew ever weaker you started to fear she never would.
Yet even as the breath attacks and vicious jaws caught each of you, there were moments where you felt the blessing of other gods protecting you, as you narrowly escaped time after time blows that should have been murderous. And Tiamat was beginning to react to your blows, screaming and bellowing as they landed hit after hit.
As you battered her with everything you had, the final head emerged, Red and furious, and enormous claws started hauling Tiamat’s body out from the pit below.
The Red jaws unleashed a stream of molten fire on Stormwatch, and Martmaal finally fell, dropping to his knees as he collapsed. His third death against this accursed foe.
A moment arrived, a stillness, an opening. Something surged within Stormwatch, a manifestation of the journey that had brought you to this moment, this time, together, now.
Riding the crest of that wave, you unleashed a final, relentless, maniacal attack, striking together, striking true, striking like a Storm.
And Tiamat, Mother of Dragons, Queen of the Nine Hells, Bringer of Destruction, Her Dark Majesty, was defeated.
Writhing in agony, shrieking in horror and fury, cursing with words of the Evil Old Gods, Tiamat was dragged back into the disintegrating Hellmouth.
The Temple started to collapse around you, and you quickly revived your leader and flew out of the destruction.
Stunned, you landed amongst the death and destruction outside, and looked wildly around for Cult forces. But there were none. The Cult was routed, the Chromatic Dragons disappeared, and the Well of Dragons strangely still.
Emerging from the entrances above you came the much reduced Dwarven assault force, and landing nearby was Elia. Skyreach Castle hovered overhead. The Dwarven forces rose their hammers and axes above their head in salute, and Elia bowed low.
And in the silence, a voice of a huge, loyal, slightly unwise but very true warrior suddenly cried out…
S T O R M W A T C H ! ! !
The End
(Level up!)
Map of The Well of Dragons. Buy from Jared Blando here
Map of Tiamat’s Temple. Buy from Jared Blando here
Final session played: 17 June 2018