Hoard of the Dragon Queen 2.

Overview: The Cult of the Dragon becomes LORDE. This organization, run by dragons of every

color and their associates, is a black market clearinghouse for draconic delicacies. This used to

mean convincing dragons to become liches and other things that could make it money, but its

goals have changed recently with the discovery of a portal to the Otherness. It now seeks to bring

Ai-Tiamat into Azlas Vrayne and re-enforce draconic rule, taking its place as the most powerful

organization within the new world order. The Dragon Masks stay in place because that’s cool.

Masks have always been an important part of LORDE’s aesthetic anyway. I need to make sure I

keep the cult’s ultimate goal (and Ai-Tiamat’s existence) a secret until LONG into the campaign.

Instead of Thay, Severin and LORDE have allied with defectors of the Jade Empress’s Mad

Mages, who wish to overthrow the ancient being’s autocracy. The feel of this organization

should be less of “cult” and more of “power grabbers.” Regalia essentially consists of a mask to

be used in private business. Leaders of LORDE wear purple, but this could mean anything from

a ball gown to a hoodie.

Chapter 1: The approach needs to be different. I’m imagining they’ll already be in Greenest by

the time LORDE attacks. I’ll figure out specifics once I get hooks.

LORDE is in town, disguising its agents as political terrorists. Frulam Mondath leads this

mercenary force, assisted by Langdedrosa Cyanwrath. Rezmir was the obvious brains behind the

operation. In the days leading up to the attack, more and more LORDE agents entered Greenest

under various pretenses, all of them well thought out by Rezmir. By the time Frulam and

Langdedrosa’s forces entered Greenest, LORDE had a hefty force of 500 operatives, who began

attacking homes and businesses just as Lennithon began attacking. This is a carefully constructed

ruse—as they move through Greenest, the agents place graffiti, shout political slogans, and seem

as if they are a militant political faction. Their actual goal, however, is to scare Greenest’s people

away so they can collect loot and children (for recruits and future slaves), load it all into the

getaway trucks positioned near the old granary and get the hell out. Rezmir has stationed teams

of bow snipers at all the major entrances to the city in wait for government officials on their way

—she hopes to throw any potential military action into chaos by causing the deaths of military

personnel before they enter the city. If her plan works, however, LORDE’s attack should take no

less than seven hours, nowhere near enough time for Jasnen’s military to respond en masse.

There are no wandering encounters (big freaking waste of time unless the characters are

incredibly stupid).

Characters:

Governor Tarbaw Nighthill—Arabic, 60’s, well-dressed, close-cropped hair, well-trimmed

beard, wounded w/ arm in sling

 Traits: I’m in over my head, and I just I have to keep calm. I feel like there’s something

else I should be worried about.

Ideal: Community. I believe life is best when everyone works together.

Bond: I’ve worked hard to get to my position, and I intend to stay there.

Flaw: I am too focused on my job to be a good father or grandfather.

Mayor Escoberta Rhondarth—dwarf, white, wild red hair that can’t seem to be done well ever,

grim face but uncanny sense of humor, good-spirited

Traits: Just keep moving; everything will be all right in the end. Lookie there! It’s a big

strong human shitting her pants over one measly tragedy! Grow some ovarian fortitude!”

Ideal: Courage. When faced with adversity, I respect those who handle it deftly.

Bond: I love Jasnen, and I love Greenfields. I want to protect them.

Flaw: I am usually insensitive to others’ emotions.

Linan Swift—40s, black, short hair, PTA mom getup, has an unusually low voice

Traits: Honey, don’t think; we’ve got to get going. Who cares? It’s the fastest way.

Ideal: Survival. I want me and my loved ones to get out of this.

Bond: My family is by far the most important thing to me.

Flaw: I don’t think through risks; I act first.

Serena Nighthill-Warren—35, Arabic, wearing a dark blue summer dress and has a lot of

dangly, pretty jewelry, talks like an overgrown sorority girl but is actually intelligent
 Traits: Omigod, is everyone okay? Um…maybe we should be like...quiet.

Ideal: Community. We all have to work together in order to make it out alive.

Bond: Janna and I have been through a lot together. She’s my everything.

Flaw: I act stupid in order to manipulate others.

Beringer Verdnok—old dwarf, long white beard, huge scar on temple, spits dentures at people

Traits: Och, tha’s the most lily-livered plan I’ve heard in years! I’m not thinkin’ bout

‘scapin…least not fer an hour er two.

Ideal: Glory. I will live up to my legend at all times.

Bond: I will die to defend my country from ruffians.

Flaw: I’m the most incorrigible bastard ever.

Ionia Chraekchat—kobold, very small (just under 3 feet), speaks with Wisconsin accent, has

ribbons flowing through her horns, wears a romper with stylized flamingoes on it, plays violin

Traits: Well, if that isn’t the sweetest thing I’ve seen all day. Hey, don’t sweat the small

stuff. Things are still pretty okay if you think about it.

Ideal: Beauty. Everything is beautiful, even some of the morbid stuff.

Bond: My bandmates are the best community I’ve ever known.

Flaw: I mean, it might not kill us. Maybe it just wants to be friends?

Langdedrosa Cyanwrath—half-dragon, tall and imposing, speaks with a deep Russian accent,

wears a purple tank and cargo pants. Fights with an enormous industrial lance and an FF sword
 Traits: I do what is right for my people and my benefactors. If you cannot do what needs

done, I spit in your face.

Ideal: Honor. Everything should be done according to my code of conduct.

Bond: I have unswerving loyalty to those whom I serve. Dragons will rule again.

Flaw: I have no regard for human life. I am also woefully bad at slang.

Minor Characters—

Cuth Swift—white, barrel-chested, annoyed with himself and his injury, trying his best to

keep the kids calm, with the aid of his eldest son Yoren. Younger two sons are freaking out.

Janna Nighthill-Warren—Serena’s partner, dark skin, shortish hair, dressed elegantly,

panicked, not really following along

The Brigade—Beringer has a curtain rod, Brannock has 2 large kitchen knives, Byrna has

an umbrella and Bulli has a stack of flowerpots. They’re all hella senile.

The Dragon Sound—Dorian, a centaur accordionist, is fey, deep and slightly reserved.

Phrygian, a satyr keyboardist, is wild and a bit kooky. Lydia, another kobold cellist, is withdrawn

and aloof, while her twin bassist Mixolydia is approachable and laid-back. Aeolian, a lizardfolk

guitarist, is melancholy and negative, and Locria, a dragonborn drummer, is just kind of a bitch.

Flow

Hook.

Encounter 1: The Swifts (Linan, Cuth, 3 kids) and 8 kobolds. Linan and her family encourage

the characters to make their way to the high school, where there’s a safe haven for those who
can’t escape town or want to put up a fight. The characters have the following encounters as they

make their way:

Encounter 2: The Nighthill-Warrens (Serena, Janna, 1 kid), 3 kobolds, 3 cultists. 2 agents are

attempting to rape Serena and kill Janna on their porch while a third absconds with the baby. The

characters will have to see if they can help everyone and might need to enlist Linan’s help.

Encounter 3: Beringer’s Brigade (4 elderly dwarves: Beringer, Brannock, Byrna and Bulli), 5

kobolds, 1 urd, 3 cultists. The dwarves have escaped from the nursing home and are attempting

to ambush raiders as they cross one of the town’s bridges. The characters need to stop them

before they get hurt.

Encounter 4: The Dragon Sound (Ionia, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydia, Mixolydia, Aeolian, Locria),

4 kobolds, 2 cultists. The kobolds are hiding as the gates have recently been closed, and the

electric barbed wire at the top is deterring them from climbing up. Buying the band enough time

to convince those inside to open the gates is the goal here.

This brings the characters to the keep, where they’ll be introduced to Berta (if the characters

rescued Beringer) and Nighthill (if they rescued Serena). They’ll commend their efforts and tell

them to lie low until the military arrives. Berta then recommends that if they’re in good shape,

they may as well make themselves useful and go clear a path through the creek tunnels.

Encounter 5: 2 swarms of rats in the tunnels

Encounter 6: 2 cultists, 6 kobolds, perhaps 2 cultists, 10 kobolds, 1 ambush drake. These raiders

are discussing a possible escape plan as they now have enough money to leave LORDE.

After this, the characters can go to different characters for different missions. They are:
Nighthill—Prisoners. This is a side quest that can be tacked onto another one. Basically, they just

have to capture one of the people who seem to know what’s going on and bring them to Nighthill

Berta—The Sally Port. When encountering Berta, they’ll see a loud explosion and hear her

barking orders near the school’s practice football fields. The dragon has just taken out the power

box, and raiders have broken a section of the fence and begun to come in. The box and fence

need repaired. This encounter is otherwise similar.

Linan—Half-Dragon Champion. Characters will find Linan manning the front gate of the school.

Langdedrosa shows up with a large force and a megaphone, saying that the Parliamentary Party

is done “liberating the area” and will not bother Greenest again. She promises that the loss of

wealth and children is for the greater good and even returns some adult prisoners. She’s not

done, however. She has the entire police force held at swordpoint, including Linan’s sister.

Langdedrosa wants to see who the “coolest cat in Greenest” is, and that means fighting her in

single combat. Linan immediately accepts her challenge with the full knowledge that she will

probably be killed. Characters can convince her not to only by going themselves.

Beringer—Blue Dragon Attack. Lennithon comes to scare people throughout the night and

comes to make his final attack once the characters are inside. If they look for Beringer, they find

him and his friends challenging the dragon in the school’s courtyard as other townsfolk rush to

the dwarves’ defense.

Serena—Sanctuary. A bunch of people have barricaded themselves in the hospital mess hall of

the Church of St. Vrandus, an Aristan temple. The clerics and doctors have managed to get most

of the staff and healthier patients out, but the sickest patients, along with some of the nobler

doctors (including Serena’s best friend Eadyan Falconmoon) are still trapped inside. 3 groups of
raiders are trying to get in: some with a makeshift battering ram at the main doors, some who

pound on the magic-proof windows and try to scare the townsfolk, and some who are attempting

to blow open the interior door with an alchemical grenade. In order to see these people,

characters will need to do perception checks in the hospital’s interior, even as the doors are worn

down. The rest of this encounter is the same.

Ionia—Save the Mill (Factory). Ionia will call the characters and say she and her bandmates

discovered someone attacking the tire factory, a major source of income for the town. She wants

some backup in routing them. Characters who help will be attacked by 3 guards and 1 acolyte.

This is a trap to attract the Dragon Sound, and if the characters don’t help then the Dragon Sound

will be captured and taken to LORDE as slaves for the hoard. Attackers ambush the heroes in the

warehouse out back, jumping down from high conveyor belts to attempt to pick the party off one

by one. After these guys are defeated, Ionia will thank the party and promise them a favor.

After all this shit’s over, the characters can rest up and heal, at which point Nighthill, along with

Iilya herself, will show up and ask the characters to locate the camp. Iilya will take Nesim’s

place in the narrative, as that’s a lot more convincing than some dude.

On the Road Tasks

1. Fungus Humungous—Orvustia

2. Adventuring Life—Lai

3. Stranded—Enom

4. Animal Abuse—Beyd & Edhelri

5. Contraband—Losvia

6. Everything Has a Price—Noohar & Selvek, Nyerhite

7. Payback—Oyn & Aldor

8. Roadside Hospitality—Samardag

9. Recognized!—Lasfelro

10. The Golden Stag—Achreny

11. Bane of the Mountains—Sulesdeg

12. No Room at the Inn—Tyjit

13. Spider Woods—Werond & Leda

14. Murder Most Foul—Eldkin