D&D 5E Tiamat Strikes Back

[Riley37]

Imagine, if you will:

You are a member of the Cult of Tiamat. You live in Phlan, and you've been observing and scouting and building up connections there. So far as you know, you're the only member of the Cult left in Phlan.

There's this gang of so-called heroes who have thwarted the Cult several times. They tracked down Spernik. They discouraged Jenny Greenteeth from alliance with Tiamat. They defeated Ixas. They intercepted the sale of a red dragon egg to a certain merchant. They wiped out a secret society of Bane-worshippers within the Black Fists, a society which you were JUST about to recruit to your cause. They attacked that gobin tribe who's searching an old black dragon lair on your behalf, and freed a spy that you had caught and imprisoned. And so on, and so forth. It's ridiculous. It's not even funny. It is not to be tolerated.

You have three levels, in any class. (If you're a Warlock, then Tiamat is your patron; if you're a cleric, she's your deity; if you're a sorcereror, you're draconic bloodline; and so forth.) You can have a loyal zero-level minion of Tiamat, or two, if it helps to have Tiaminions; or any other plausible minor resource.

What do you do?

I posted a rather long list of ideas. No replies. So here's a more open-ended approach. EN Worlders, I am not sufficiently creative to think of everything Tiamat might inspire. Help me out! Failure is not an option!





"Listen, and understand. Tiamat is out there. She can't be bargained with. She can't be reasoned with. She doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And she absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead."

 

[edhel]

Get to know the so-called heroes first, and write down everything you know about them. Then just keep your head down, and write a letter to your superiors. You're not suicidal, you just want to get the dragon party started. If the party suspects something, leave the town.

 

[Cernor]

If you must do something, hire an assassin (and someone to cast Pass Without Trace on them) to kill them all in their sleep. With its near-impossibility to be detected, it can get in, cut their throats, and waltz out in 5 minutes or less. Your superiors would guarantee payment upon being given proof of demise.

 

[Unwise]

They intercepted a shipment to a merchant. They likely have no proof that it was a dragon egg (is it illegal even if it was?). That sounds a lot like banditry to me. I would lodge a complaint with the merchants guild. That shipment contained vital supplies for a profitable and noble endevour. They at least have a case to answer. While they are in court, I could get up to other mischief.

In fact, while they should be in court, I would put a plan in motion that any heroic adventurer would have to attend to. A remote orphanage under attack or something, according to the minion you hired. Missing their court date won't look good. Of course, when the heroes get there, they find there was no attack and the orphanage is fine. No proof that they were ever called away to help.

Have they got a lecherous bard/swashbuckler type? A scandal is always distracting. There are lots of lesser nobles with titles but no money. Maybe one of them could be convinced to claim the lethario attempted/did assault her.

Who are these Black Fist guys? Did they know/care that some of their guys were cultists. Can the PCs prove that? They need to be provoked into action too. If they are a legit merc company or something, they also need to have a legal writ for justice ordered.

After sowing enough doubt and having the authorities become wary of these guys, you could look to join them. There are surely some ex-minions that know too much and need to be wiped out. You could give them a quest to do it and join them. Try and join their group, even if they don't accept you, it is enough to be seen to be part of them or hanging out with them. At a later stage, you claim that you tried to join them, but found out how evil they are and witnessed them do horrible things. Things that have proof, because you did them yourself.

Cursed items generally sell fairly cheaply. You can buy some of them and offer them as quest rewards for brave adventurers. Bonus if they give lycanthrope or kinslaying or something else that looks bad.

Find out what evil plots some of your contemporaries are up to and snitch on them. Keep the PCs busy foiling Bane, Orcus, Zentarim, Thayian, Cthulu and Asmodeous plots.

In short, I think the important thing is to be annoying and distracting. Make them have to explain all of their actions, make the local authorities sick of them, even if they are never found guilty. Drive a wedge between them and those they seek to protect. Keep them busy and pointed away from your mistresses work.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

I say give up on Phlan for the moment and go to the Well of Dragons, join up with Severin and the rest of main force of the cult. Tell Severin that their are some adventurers that are ruining the Cults plans at every turn and that you need some of the big guns to just wipe them out. Maybe he could grant you some Yugoloth Mercenaries, some elite soliders of the cult and or a dragon.

 

[Erik42]

Sue the PCs for infringing on your religious freedoms. The ACLU will be all over this one.

 

[Voort]

You need three levels of bard, sorcerer, or wizard to cast Invisibility. Then just follow the party around and use your two hours of invisibility every day to sabotage them. Poison their drinks in the tavern. Steal valuables & plant them on the "heroes". Make sure any secrets revealed to them become the talk of the town. Keep it up until they are run out of town.

 

[Derren]

Considering all the resources the Cult somehow has in the adventure just wipe out Phlan with its massive army.

 

[transtemporal]

I'd make myself some noodles and wait for the next cult to get started. Maybe have a few beers and watch the game.

 

[Riley37]

Who are these Black Fist guys? Did they know/care that some of their guys were cultists. Can the PCs prove that? They need to be provoked into action too. If they are a legit merc company or something, they also need to have a legal writ for justice ordered.

The Black Fists are the predominant armed force in the city of Phlan; their leader is (acting as) ruler of the city. Pinning the deaths of several Black Fists on the PCs could provide a complication for the PCs. It could also provoke internal struggle between pro-Bane and anti-Bane factions among the Black Fists. My (variant, non-canonical) term for the Bane-worshippers among the Black Fists is the "Fuligin Fists", since fuligin is the color darker than black.

The Danger at Dusk, Mission 5 of Defiance in Phlan, leaves certain loose ends up to the DM, muahaha.

Find out what evil plots some of your contemporaries are up to and snitch on them. Keep the PCs busy foiling Bane, Orcus, Zentarim, Thayian, Cthulu and Asmodeous plots.

That could be good synergy. Assuming that Asmodeus prefers to keep Tiamat in Avernus, then anything which is both weakens Asmodeus and distracts the PCs is a double accomplishment. As long as Bane is either neutral or opposed to the rise of Tiamat, same thing. Heroes travelling to Zhentil Keep are heroes who might die there and never return to Phlan.

Thanks!