Tyranny of Dragons Session 36 – Blue Mask and Red Wizards

Tyranny of Dragons was the first full D&D 5e campaign I ran, starting back in 2015. 

Here’s the write up from the 36th session, in which the PCs recovered the Blue Dragon Mask from Xonthal’s Tower and went on a diplomatic mission to Thay. The characters reached 13th level at the end of the session and the final confrontation with the Cult of the Dragon and Tiamat is fast approaching.

Begin here with Session 1 – Greenest in Flames.

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29th Alturiak, 1491 DR

The characters search the library beneath Xonthal’s Tower and find a few interesting and valuable books including Wyrms of the Northlands – perhaps this might contain information on some of the dragons the party have faced? 

Roping themselves together, they return to the Cosmic Hallway and proceed cautiously to the end. They talk to the efreeti Taraz the Fair who seems to have been imprisoned by Xonthal in a chamber warded by a line of salt. Accepting his polite offer of spiced tea, the party enter his room.

Taraz challenges the characters to a game of chess – if he wins, the adventurers must free him. If they win, the efreeti will tell them how to find Iskander and the Blue Dragon Mask. Crake takes up the challenge, winning the game, angering Taraz who draws his sword and attacks. The genie conjures a wall of fire but the characters leap through it and Rosie is able to banish Taraz back to the Plane of Fire. Taraz shouts out in triumph as he returns home.

Entering the Time Chamber with its two giant hourglasses, Rosie uses a mage hand to retrieve the Blue Dragon Mask from Iskander’s body. It seems that the characters were too slow getting here – the wizard is dead, having bled out from his wounds. 

Dashing past the elementals, the characters return to the teleport platform and press the flame symbol. This brings them to a room full of cultists with a fire pit burning in the centre; the skeleton of a dragon has been assembled on the floor. Turin casts fireball and Rosie casts synaptic static to take out the cultists. The warlock draws one of their dark souls into her soul cage. 

Using the teleporter again, they select the triangle symbol which brings them back to the sundial in the maze. Lennithon, the blue dragon they first encountered nine months ago in Greenest, is flying over the village, blasting villagers and buildings with its lightning breath. The dragon demands the adventurers surrender the mask. The characters gulp down potions of lightning resistance and charge forward.

Lennithon stays airborne for much of the battle, landing briefly to attack with its bite, claws and tail. The characters scatter for cover and attack at range with agonising blasts, arrows, and guiding bolts. Ug takes to the air but Turin is attacked and loses concentration, forcing the paladin to land on a rooftop. Rosie and Turin are down to a handful of hit points, but Lennithon has had enough and flees. The characters hit it twice more before it flies out of range, badly wounded. Another dragon has been defeated by our heroes!

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25th Ches

The characters arrive back in Waterdeep and hand the Blue Dragon Mask over to the Council. Unfortunately, experts soon determine the mask is a fake. The party speculate the whole incident was designed to lure them into a deadly trap.

Leosin Erlanthar of the Harpers briefs the characters on the mission the Council would like them to undertake to Thay, far to the east. They are given sealed warrants to hand to the Tharchion they are due to meet with. 

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27th Ches

The character teleport with the Red Wizard Nyh Ilmichh to Nethwatch Keep near Thay’s western border. At the fortress, the party are given luxurious individual rooms (with no locks) and served delicious food by zombie servants. 

Later, they meet with Eseldra Yeth, vampire Tharchion of Lapendrar. The characters do their best to show her the proper respect and answer her questions as best they can. Turin and Rosie have impressed the Tharchion; she is less convinced by Crake and Ug. 

That night Crake and Ug both have a hideous nightmare in which they are tortured by Red Wizards and asked a series of questions about their intentions, what they know about their companions, and what the Cult of the Dragon is plotting. Their interrogators do not seem very happy with the answers they give and the pair wake up screaming and drenched with sweat, their sheets stained with blood. 

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28th Ches

After a delicious breakfast, the characters are greeted by Nyh Ilmichh who tells them the Tharchion thanks them for the information they have supplied but regrets that Thay’s attention is commanded by matters within its own borders and the Red Wizards cannot help. A moment later, the characters find themselves standing in a ruined farmhouse, north of Waterdeep. 

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Tiamat image by Michael Komarck