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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MerricB" data-source="post: 6581127" data-attributes="member: 3586">My group started on the final section of The Rise of Tiamat yesterday. And we really became aware of how epic the entire ending is.There was recently discussion on how the major NPCs don't get involved in Princes of the Apocalypse. I haven't got that adventure yet, so I don't know how true it is. However, it is certainly not true of The Rise of Tiamat. Throughout the adventure, the characters have been rubbing shoulders with really important people: Lord Neverember, Lady Laeral Silverhand, King Melendrach of the Elves... the heroes have gained their respect; they have helped negotiate an alliance against the Cult of the Dragon, and now that alliance is needed.From the cities and towns of the Sword Coast, from the villages and hamlets, men have responded to the call of the Lords Alliance. They have left their families and homes to march towards the forbidding plain of bones where lies the Well of Tiamat. They have been joined by armies of the dwarves and elves. The Order of the Gauntlet has sent  an elite army of holy warriors to aid the cause.Through the alliances formed by the players, they have been joined by the metallic dragons. The giants of the North have come to the call of Blagothkus of Skyreach, whose great castle floats above the army, escorting it towards its destination. The Harpers and Emerald Enclave are there as well.Battleplans have been laid. The dragons will attack the Temple of Tiamat directly, attempting to sever its connection to Faerun. The wizards and druids of the Emerald Enclave will attempt to block the malign influence of the Mask of Dragons. The armies of the Sword Coast will fight the armies of the Cult while giants and dragons fight in the skies above.Over 20,000 men have marched to the Well of Dragons. Many will not return.And yet, all of their efforts will be in vain if the players can't penetrate the Temple and stop Severin, mad leader of the Cult, from summoning Tiamat to the Realms. The Alliance has given the players a chance - but the fate of the Realms is in their hands.This is why I play D&D. It's an awesome conclusion to eight months of gaming. The actions of the players have given them this shot: they little knew when they gave Blagothkus back his castle in Hoard of the Dragon Queen that it would prove so pivotal to turning the balance in this final battle. The Zhentarim and the Red Wizards are not involved because the group decided that they were not to be trusted - and that they couldn't risk alienating other members of the alliance by including them. My players spent half-an-hour last session debating what to do about the Zhentarim before deciding to exclude them. It wasn't a decision made lightly.And this, for me, is why The Rise of Tiamat is a triumph: it makes the players feel that it's not just about them. Next week, they enter the Well of Dragons.Cheers!</blockquote>

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