Synopsis

(Josiah) Season 1: Tyranny of Dragons is set around the Moonsea town of Phlan. The early adventures are various missions you are offered in the town, most of which relate to activities of the Cult of the Dragon, which are causing trouble in the area. At the end of the season, the Cult invade Phlan, causing its people to flee.

DDEX1-1 Defiance in Phlan: The season began in Madame Freona’s Tea Kettle, where our heroes were introduced to the five factions:

• Order of the Gauntlet: who were trying to rescue a tinker’s daughter from a secret prison run by corrupt members of the Knights of the Black Fist

• Harpers: who wanted help obtaining a possible dragon egg

• Emerald Enclave: who were trying to recover a dangerous magic item

• Lord's Alliance: who wanted to clear out a draconic crypt beneath the Valhingen Graveyard

• Zhentarim: whose representative Chaab needed rescuing from goblins working with the Cult of the Dragon

DDEX1-2 Secrets of Sokol Keep: The lighthouse on Thorn Isle had gone dark. Bad weather makes the harbor particularly treacherous without the lighthouse. The characters traveled to Sokol Keep on the island to relight the lighthouse and find out why no messages had been forthcoming. From the servants, the characters learned that Igan Sokol and the rest of the garrison had disappeared. With the help of a friendly poltergeist, who would turn out to be the ghost of a cleric of Tyr named Harae, the characters were led to a shrine beneath the keep dedicated to Dagon, the Prince of the Depths. The characters discovered that the Black Fist garrison had slain Igan and accidentally reawaken the demonic shrine. The soldiers paid for their crimes in blood and the shrine was desecrated. Despite the adventurers success, the bad weather continued.

• Igan Sokol - slain by Black Fist garrison

• Harae - ghost of a cleric of Tyr

• Dagon - the Prince of the Depths

DDEX1-3 Shadow on the Moonsea: Doomguide Yovir Glandon of Order of the Silent Shroud and Knight Aleyd Burral of the Black Fist enlisted the aid of the characters. Coastal attacks along with rumors of dracoliches and ghost pirates moved the Kelemvorite to dispatch the characters to an island in the Stormy Bay. There they encountered inbred islanders and picked up the girl Elisande and a strange blind goat that followed them throughout their investigation. The characters discovered a cave in the woods and therein found a crude shrine. In the shrine they learned that the islanders have made a pact with Tiamat to rid themselves of a pirate threat, sending the pirates to Hell. Unfortunately the characters broke the pact and the pirates, now tainted by infernal energy, arrived just after the island was attacked by the Cult of the Dragon disguised as undead. With the aid of the villagers, the characters defeated both groups and learned that there was a schism in the Cult of the Dragon with one group still supporting the dream of aiding dragons achieve lichdom, while the new faction sought to bring Tiamat to Faerun. Both seek a Green Dragon Mask to gain an advantage over the other. The characters recovered a tome from the shrine that told them it was hidden in Kryptgarden Forest. Returning to Phlan, the characters delivered Elisande and the goat into the care of the Order of the Silent Shroud. They disappeared two weeks later.

• Doomguide Yovir Glandon - Kelemvor priest of the Silent Shroud

• Knight Aleyd Burral of the Black Fist

• Elisande - oracle with blind goat

DDEX1-4 Dues for the Dead: Back in Phlan, Doomguide Yovir Glandon asks the characters to go into the catacombs beneath Valinghen Graveyard and determine if the dead walk again. Along with Cassyt, a young acolyte acting as a guide, the characters descended. They discovered undead and some members of the Welcomers thieves’ guild who they rescued and then allowed to flee having learned a valuable lesson. The characters eventually encountered the necromancer, a Red Wizard named Rorreth and a thayan hellknight Scourge, who were searching for the Pool of Radiance on behalf of Rath Modar, another Red Wizard. While Roreth and Scourge escaped, his undead laborers were put down and Cassyt spoke highly of the characters’ efforts to the Doomguide and her friend, Knight Aleyd Burral.

• Doomguide Yovir Glandon - Kelemvor priest of the Silent Shroud

• Knight Aleyd Burral - Cassyt's friend

• Cassyt - a young female acolyte acting as a guide

• Rorreth - Red Wizard necromancer searching for Pool of Radiance

• Scourge - Rorreth's bodyguard and Thayan hellknight.

• Rath Modar - Red Wizard master

DDEX1-5 The Courting of Fire: Above ground again, the characters are asked by the Lord Sage of Phlan to investigate some thefts in Mantor’s Library. The first of the thefts led the party to follow the thief, Spernik, and his kobold minions into the Dragonspire Mountains. In the ruins of the Temple of the Scale, the characters captured Spernik and slew the thayan hellknight Scourge, but were unable to stop the Red Wizard Rorreth from escaping. They learned that the Cult of Dragon had sent Rorreth to recover a magical red dragon scale so that they could give it to the red dragon Scorlworyx as a gift to entice the dragon to ally with the Cult. Spernik was given to the Knights of the Black Fist to face justice and the relic was turned over to the Factions. Interestingly, the Zhentarim were recently seen returning to the ruins of the temple for purposes unknown.

• Lord Sage of Phlan

• Rorreth - Red Wizard necromancer, working with the cult of the dragon

• Scourge - Rorreth's bodyguard and Thayan hellknight.

• Spernik - thief working with kobold minions for cult

• Scorlworyx - red dragon

DDEX1-6 The Scroll Thief: For the second set of thefts, the characters went in search of books that were stolen from three borrowers: the wizard Aya Glenmiir, the retired adventurer Marten Foss, and the noble Agin Lamarck. With direction from Knight Aleyd Burral and Scribe Master Cassra Brandywine, the characters tracked Ellison Berenger, the scroll thief, to the lair of a black dragon wyrmling, Rythnax, who was allied with the Cult of the Dragon. As the party tried to face off against the dragon, the Red Wizard Rorreth appeared and helped the dragon fight the heroes, before Ellison turned on the Rorreth and helped the heroes drive them off. The heroes recovered the stolen information, and decided to let Ellison go, after his assistance against Rorreth. In the end, the party determined that the attempt to frame the Welcomers for the crimes where actually the work of the Cult of the Dragon mercenary, Soares. There were rumors that the noble Agin Lamarck’s claim to nobility was tenuous at best, but the Lords Alliance assured the public that the Lamarcks are well-documented nobles of Phlan.

• Aya Glenmiir - wizard

• Marten Foss - retired adventurer

• Agin Lamarck - noble of Phlan

• Knight Aleyd Burral

• Cassra Brandywine - Scribe Master

• Ellison Berenger - the scroll thief, betrayed the cult to help the heroes

• Rorreth - Red Wizard necromancer, working with the cult of the dragon

• Rythnax - black dragon wyrmling warlock

• Soares - Cult of the Dragon mercenary

DDEX1-7 Drums in the Marsh: Drums had been heard coming from the Twilight Marsh nightly and each morning locals turned up missing. Rythnax had taken the place of one of the heroes, intent on claiming control of the lizardkin himself. Following a trail of clues from the Crossing Inn, the party delved into the marsh where they crossed paths with Bogclaw, a lizard king. His father had been killed a month ago by Throstulgrael, a black dragon otherwise known as Velvet, who had recently arrived from the Flooded Forest. The dragon had demanded that the lizardfolk tribes compete for his favor by bringing him humanoids and livestock as tribute with the winning tribe’s chieftain being named king of all the lizard folk! The characters snuck into the Ringcurrent Islands, supported the disguised Rythnax in challenging Bogclaw for control of the tribes, and freed the missing farmers and a dwarven merchant named Rolk with a minimal loss of life. Rythnax slew Bogclaw, with the heroes help, and then gained control of the lizardkin tribes.

• Bogclaw - a lizard king

• Throstulgrael - a black dragon otherwise known as Velvet

• Rolk - dwarven merchant

• Rythnax - black dragon wyrmling warlock

DDEX1-8 Tales Trees Tell: The heroes learned that a woodworker had violated the prohibition from entering the Quivering Forest and may have aggravated the elves and fey folk who had previously protected the town of Phlan from attack. Encountering the woodworker’s familiar, a portly imp named Pipyap, the characters learned that the woodworker was in fact a minion of the Cult of the Dragon sent to form an alliance with the fey at the expense of Phlan. Pipyap, unhappy over his master’s abandonment, joined with the adventurers. Eventually negotiating with the most powerful of the fey, a hag named Jenny Greenteeth, the characters were able to convince her not to side with the Cult, but were not able to get her to reinstate the pact. Phlan would no longer enjoy the protection of the fey of the Quivering Forest. Seeing the writing on the wall, Pipyap choose to part company with the characters.

• Pipyap - portly imp

• Jenny Greenteeth - powerful fey hag

DDEX1-9 Outlaws of the Iron Route: The characters are hired by House Cadorna to make the road to Zhentil Keep safe once again. Beset by the Gray Patriots under former Knight of the Black Fist Sahnd Krulek, and the Claws of Tiamat commanded by a dragonborn sorcerer named Jeralla, the Iron Route is no longer safe for merchants and the town is slowly starving. With storms blocking trade by sea and outlaws on the roads, the need for heroes grew dire. Heading to Grimshackle Jail, the party met with Rathene Fel who was a member of the Gray Patriots before being captured. In exchange for her freedom, she told the party that both bands of outlaws were meeting at King’s Pyre to discuss a truce and joining forces for an attack on Phlan. The party headed to the landmark, but not before foiling an escape attempt by the famed minotaur pirate, Captain Walharrow. At the Pyre both gangs were dispersed, Krulek was believed slain in a ferocious fiery explosion, and Jeralla was slain. As the adventurers left for Phlan, they were set upon by the Burning Banner orcs who have arrived to serve Jeralla. A fight ensued with the characters being forced to flee and the Burning Banner’s chieftain, Narle Shieldbiter vowing revenge.

• • Sahnd Krulek - former Knight of the Black Fist commanding Gray Patriots. Slain in fiery explosion.

• Jeralla - dragonborn sorcerer commanding Claws of Tiamat. Slain by heroes.

• Rathene Fel - member of the Gray Patriots before being captured.

• Captain Walharrow - famed minotaur pirate.

• Narle Shieldbiter - Burning Banner orc chieftain

DDEX1-10 Tyranny in Phlan: Unable to stomach the corruption among the Knights of the Black Fist any longer, Knight Aleyd Burral sought out the characters. Concerned that Spernik still lived in Stojanow Gate Prison, untried for his crimes she sought trustworthy allies. While meeting on unusually nice day in the Laughing Goblin, the town was attacked by Vorgansharax, a huge green dragon sometimes called the Maimed Virulence. In the opening moments, the Temple to Kelemvor was laid low and its clergy decimated. Then the dragon attacked Valjevo Castle killing all who stood before the Cinnabar Throne: the Lord Regent, the masters of the town’s four major guilds, and the head of each noble house were believed dead. A Cult of the Dragon army streamed up from the sewer tunnels and from hidden holds of docked ships; taking townsfolk prisoner as tribute for their dragon master. In the fight to free some of the prisoners, Markoth, known as Fat Mar to many who frequent the Laughing Goblin, was slain. One of the rescued was Aya Glenmiir who bore news the Lord Regent still lived. So a plan was hatched to free the Lord Regent, with the aid of Elisande and the blind goat who appeared once again. Knight Aleyd Burral gave her life in executing the plan and her body would later be taken to Mulmaster where her brother Wylan, a cleric of Tymora would see her raised from the dead. After freeing the Lord Regent, agents of the Harpers infiltrated Stojanow Gate Prison and assassinated Spernik before he could free the prisoners there. With the aid of the Lords Alliance, the Welcomers, and Cassyt the last surviving Kelemvorite in Phlan, the characters lead their charges out of the city, only to be attacked by Rorreth the leader of the Cult forces in Phlan searching for the heroes. Ector Brahms, Lord Regent, Knight Commander of the Black Fist, Defender of the Cinnabar Throne, was slain while drawing Rorreth away from the townsfolk and his body was destroyed. It was a great loss to the future of Phlan. Vorgansharax is now the new Tyrant of the Cinnabar Throne.

• Ector Brahms, Lord Regent, Knight Commander of the Black Fist - slain by Rorreth while giving the people of Phlan time to escape.

  • Aya Glenmiir - moon elven arcane tutor and sage.

  • Cassyt - young human Kelemvorite acolyte, friends with Aleyd. Last surviving Kelemvorite in Phlan

  • Knight Aleyd Burral - slain and resurrected by Wylan, her brother and cleric of Tymora

• Vorgansharax the Maimed Virulence - huge green dragon occupying Phlan and leading the cult.

  • Farvnik the Venomous - green robed cultist of Talona, in charge of gathering tribute for Vorgansharax. Slain by the heroes.

  • Rorreth - Red Wizard necromancer leading the Cult forces in Phlan hunting for the heroes. Slew the Lord Regent as the heroes helped the people escape.

  • Spernick - prisoner awaiting judgement for breaking into Mantor's Library, cult spymaster, in charge of determining who to sacrifice to the dragon and who to serve as slaves. Slain by the heroes.

  • Surasiel - cambion, leader of the Tears of Virulence (Black Fist traitors and bane worshipers). Fled from the heroes.

• Elisande - young odd girl with a strange blind black goat.

• Glevith - chondathan head of the Welcomers

• Markoth - known as Fat Mar to many who frequent the Laughing Goblin, slain by the Ettin

DDEX1-11 Dark Pyramid of Sorcerer’s Isle: The Cult of the Dragon sought to control the magic of silver pyramid of Sorcerer’s Island. The party traveled to the pyramid from the home of the resistance in Denlor’s Tower at the behest of the Lord Sage. There they found not only the cult, but the Red Wizard Rorreth, both trying to claim it for their own. Allying with some of the mutant lizard folk trapped within, the adventurers were able to deal with both groups and the slaadi who were corrupting the power of the tower to bring the chaos stuff of limbo into Faerun. The spread of polluting chaos of the pyramid was stopped.

• Lord Sage of Phlan - male half-elf master of Mantor's Library and one of the leaders of the resistance.

• Kral - Harper agent who played the part of a servant.

• Welsea Parenthe - Zhentarim agent that hid her features beneath a black cloak.

• Rorreth - Red Wizard necromancer seeking the journal of the mad sorcerer Yarash. Fled the heroes after a spell battle in the pyramid.