Castle in the Clouds

(Following the events of: Phandalin in Flames and after the 3. Lizardfolk for Leilon )

Castle in the Clouds: Skyreach

Prelude

While the party returns to Leilon, Willow heads back into the Mere of Dead Men, with the lizardfolk leading her to the Castle Naerytar, which had been cleared out several weeks back by The Dragonslayers (Favored Few) party.  

Back in Leilon, an excited flock of sparrows swoop about the head of Belcoria, chirping excitedly. Landing all around where Belcoria sat teaching some children how to read the sky’s constellations, three of the birds take turns giving s the message in Willow’s voice: (Sparrow 1) “Assemble the others and travel south on the High Road as swiftly as possible.” (Sparrow 2) “I will meet you on the way.” (Sparrow 3) “Bring a pike and stock up on healing potions.”

The party purchases a long pike from the blacksmith Zana Taylish in the town market (5gp) and 2 potions of superior healing at Aubrey’s Peculiarities (1000 gp!) 8d4+8 HP healing each. On the second day, Willow and Shadow meet the party and lead off the High Road toward the shadow of Mount Pheldar, where lies the moon gate of the Place of the Unicorn.  That night, the party steps through the gateway to emerge in the Greypeak Mountains, traveling nearly 600 miles in mere moments!

On the way to the moon gate, Willow shares her tale:

At the castle in the swamp, another local tribe of lizardfolk have taken the place as their own, freed (at least for now) of the Cult of the Dragon and its bullywugs. I was able to slip through the magical gateway at the standing stones beneath the castle, using the powers we were given by the Emerald Enclave at the Circle of Thunder.  The gateway led to a large hunting lodge on a snowy mountain top in what I’m told are the Greypeak Mountains. This is where we must go fast before we miss our chance!

She tells a story of sneaking into the lodge in animal form and eventually meeting the lodge’s angry leader, a half-elf cleric (priestess of Tiamat) named Talis the White (Kasterel).  The lodge has some amazing stuff inside, but it is clearly a stronghold for the Cult of the Dragon, and has been for a long, long time. Talis is certainly not a nice person at all, she is one of the “Purple Robes” (leaders of the Cult of the Dragon) - but she’s recently been betrayed by the Purple Robe named Rezmir who was the cause of the troubles at both Castle Naerytar and the attack on Phandalin. Rezmir is a Half-dragon (like the one fought at Tresendar Manor by Belcoria, Willow and Ujio).

According to Talis

The party already knows about these things called Dragon Masks.  The purple robes who own and wear one of the Dragon Masks are called Wyrmspeakers.  Rezmir has the Black Dragon Mask and is the Black Wyrmspeaker. Rezmir is seeking to gain the favor of the head Wyrmspeaker, Severin Silrajin the Red Wyrmspeaker by collecting together  treasures the Cult of the Dragon has stolen in raids all over the Sword Coast  and contributing generously to the tribute treasure hoard being collected to lure Tiamat to this world. The special trick Rezmir has to WOW Severin is safely bringing the treasure all at once in a flying fortress.

The fortress of Skyreach Castle is a structure carved from an iceberg, with walls of ice so thick you cannot see through them, and hardened with magic. The whole structure is able to fly, like The Netheril cities could fly, but powered by far older and simpler magic known only to cloud giants. The castle is docked in the town of Parnast, just five miles from the mountain lodge - but leaving soon, so the party must get there quickly before it takes to the skies!

The castle is commanded by a cloud giant named Blagothkus, and the treasure is guarded by a powerful white dragon described by Talis as “Snow-white Glazhael the Stormchaser, a handsome dragon of the pure northern breed.” Since the beginning of time, Giants and Dragons have been enemies. This may have started because they fought for power, but it would seem the giants ended up finding battling dragons is really exciting and fun for them! Rezmir is working with a Red Wizard who somehow has been able to get Blagothkus to follow Rezmir’s wishes.

Talis was working with Rezmir, in hopes she would become the White Wyrmspeaker, but Rezmir double-crossed her and supported someone else getting the White Dragon Mask. She was already bitter about this before her friend Dralmorrer Borngray (also working for Rezmir) was killed in Castle Naerytar by the Dragonslayers. Then with Rezmir also driven away from Castle Naerytar by the Dragonslayers, returning to her lodge in the Graypeak Mountains, Rezmir took away most of Talis’ forces - expecting the adventurers would figure out the gateway and eliminate her, tying off his own loose ends.

Rezmir sent the purple robe Frulam Mondath and the dragon champion Langderosa Cyanwrath with a blue dragon to take the Dragonslayers adventurer’s treasures from the Tresendar Manor in Phandalin.  Those treasures were taken to Skyreach Castle, which Rezmir has been readying for its next stop picking up even more treasure.  (See: Phandalin in Flames)

But several weeks passed until Willow approached Talis in the lodge.  In that time, Talis has decided she wants revenge more than trying to fix things, and when Willow mentioned being a friend of Venomfang, Talis hatched this new plan: she will help the party get into the flying fortress, in simple exchange for the party spoiling Rezmir’s plans. She does not care about Rezmir, the giants or the treasure. She does seem fond of the white dragon, however.

Talis claims to have some allies inside, and will attempt to sneak inside herself separate from the group. The party will sneak in pretending to be mercenaries and assistants to the Cult of the Dragon. Willow agreed to this plan, since:

1. The party would also like some vengeance against those who attacked Phandalin.
2. The party likes treasures!
3. The party is really not cool with the Cult of the Dragon plan to lure Tiamat into the world!! .

The Plan

Obviously if Talis is wicked enough to turn on a fellow Purple Robe like Rezmir, she will quite likely do the same with the party, so we need to be ready for anything! But this is a sudden opportunity to do the right thing - and maybe you are the right people in the right place at the right time. The Emerald Enclave, the Harpers, the Lords Alliance and the Order of the Gauntlet would certainly agree!

Talis gave Willow a special banner the party can attach to the pike you brought. The banner will identify the group as friendly to the patrols.  She also told Willow the secret pass code to give the guards to get into the flying fortress. 

1. Willow will join as an animal handler for the castle’s stables
   1. Spy around the castle in animal form, listen in on conversations
   2. Where is Rezmir? Where is the cloud giant? Where is the treasure (and dragon)?
   3. Who else is involved? Who else is here that may be a concern? Why is the giant cooperating?
2. Ujio will be identified as a mercenary drill sergeant assisting in directing martial exercises.
   1. Tallon the Tall and Belcoria will also be mercenaries under Ujio’s command
   2. Figure out who gives orders to who, keep the forces distracted / occupied
3. Mon-Kei will be a hired entertainer, performing acrobatic tricks.
   1. Distract the in-charge-people outside the troops that Ujio / Tallon / Belcoria are working
   2. Act curious about the giant, see if can perform for him? (Get an opportunity to get to him)
4. Yeet will be barely noticed or memorable, almost a ghost presence (using Nondescript/Disguise)
   1. Spy around the castle, listen in on conversations
   2. Where is Rezmir? Where is the cloud giant? Where is the treasure (and dragon)?
   3. Who else is involved? Who else is here that may be a concern? Why is the giant cooperating?

Goals

• Figure out what’s up with the giant (Blagothkus) helping the Cult of the Dragon? Turn him against?
• Find out more about this plot to bring Tiamat into the world
• Who else is working with the Cult of the Dragon? Red Wizards of Thay? Kingdoms? 
• Take down Black Wyrmspeaker Rezmir
• Can the stolen treasures be returned to the places the Cult of the Dragon raided?

Setting the Stage

Using the party’s power to travel with the menhir stone circles, and Willow’s knowledge of the gate in the Greypeak Mountains, the group emerges near the lodge. Talis is there waiting, and supplies horses for the team to get riding quickly, as the castle has already begun getting ready to take off.

Ujio takes the lead, flanked by Belcoria and Tallon, Mon-Kei carrying the pike flying the multicolored banner, and Willow, Shadow and Yeet discreetly taking up the back.  The town of Parnast has a large platform constructed outside of town that serves as a ramp to the main gates at the lower lip of Skyreach Castle. 

Mists slowly swirl around the icy base of the structure itself. Suddenly out of the arm of a fog bank emerges the long body and wide wings of a snowy white dragon. The beast swoops toward the party, but catching sight of the banner atop the pike held by Mon-Kei, it then banks and glides off, content there is no threat.  You estimate the size of the white dragon to be roughly that of the blue that attacked Phandalin.  Continuing to the platform, leaving the horses, the humans, half-elf, elf, tall dwarf and wolf approach the guards at the checkpoint. Ujio speaks the pass code: “Tiamat, Our Mother and Strength” and the group is peacefully allowed entry into the first courtyard of Skyreach Castle. This is truly a fortress: siege weapons atop the towers are so massive they are manned by ogres. Groups of cultists drill in formation in the courtyard.  Kobald servants are everywhere, moving mounts - mostly wyverns into and out of the stables. Others move supplies and food and drink to and from storage areas. The force here is as much a small army as the guards of a treasure vault!

There is so much going on the party is simply taken for part of the forces’ mercenary recruits and led to rooms in the barracks across the second courtyard.  While the buildings inside the courtyards of the castle are more human-sized, it is apparent the construction of the towers and walls are intended for giantfolk. Floors appear 30 feet high, with 20 foot high doors and handles 8 feet off the ground!  Ogres are needed to open the doors for smaller folk. The bustle of activity in the courtyards is starkly opposite the utter stillness and silence around the high tower.  

You spot a purple-robed leader of the Cult of the Dragon, but not the half-dragon Rezmir. This is Frulam Mondath, last seen leaving Phandalin on the back of a wyvern, with the great chests of loot stolen from the Dragonslayers while most were distracted fighting the blue dragon.

The opening scene is just ahead of dinner time, when most finished afternoon duties. Night time sneaking about is on hold, after hearing about a “creature from hell” that patrols by night, enforcing a strict curfew over the courtyards.

• Ujio is trying to keep Captain Othelstan and his lieutenants distracted
• Tallon has challenged an enormous half-orc to a friendly duel with clubs to keep the fighting forces distracted
• Mon-Kei is attempting to distract the V.I.P.s from their rooms
• Yeet and Willow-as-cat meanwhile are trying to use the distractions to gather information
• Belcoria has connected with Talia in disguise and assists in performing a ritual in a hidden corner room

Opening Scene

Tallon picks a fight with an enormous (half-giant? ogre?) named Fruffy Bigbonk - a duel attracting attention, surrounded by a large number of dragonclaws, kobalds and ogres who are making various bets and cheers and jeers regarding the action. (Crowd wants pro wrestle drama)

Mon-Kei is performing near a high (70 ft) castle wall with some scaffolding nearby, an empty wooden cart (but ogre-sized) and a rope attached between the top of the scaffolding and a tower rampart. 

Ujio is waging a warrior brag-off with the Captain, two lieutenants and a few sergeants (most sergeants are watching the Tallon-Fruffy scuffle).

Meanwhile, Willow-cat and Yeet Stealth and Perception around the place...

(Next: Skyreach Castle )