View source for Rise of Tiamat – Prelude: The Dream of Five Maidens

== Rise of Tiamat – Prelude: The Dream of Five Maidens ==
'''Date:''' February 2023  
'''DM:''' Lauren  

=== Summary ===
In the shadow of peace hard-won, the world shifts. The fires of the [[Forge of Spells]] have cooled, but unseen forces stir once more. As the dust of Phandelver settles, a new omen takes root — heralding the dawn of the next age of dragons.

One traveler, known only as [[Bechamel]], dreamed of five maidens seated upon a great sea rock — each garbed in a gown of a different hue: **red**, **black**, **white**, **green**, and **blue**. They faced the endless sea in silence. When called to, they turned in eerie unison. Though their mouths did not move, a single voice echoed in the traveler’s mind:

> “You are only a puppet.”

Thunder split the skies, mist engulfed the world, and from the void, ten blazing eyes appeared — eyes of fire and cruelty, slit like a dragon’s. They stared, smiling, before the dream collapsed into waking.

Bechamel awoke along the Sword Coast, drawn inexorably to [[Greenest]], a small town whispering with rumors of cultists, treasure raids, and dragon sightings. There, destiny waits — not just for Bechamel, but for every soul soon to stand against the Cult of the Dragon.

=== Campaign Transition ===
This vision marks the beginning of the **Rise of Tiamat** arc, following the events of [[Lost Mine of Phandelver]] and the [[Campaign Interlude – Thurmin’s Retirement]]. The dream serves as a harbinger, uniting scattered heroes and introducing the draconic omens now spreading across Faerûn.

=== Notable Characters ===
* [[Bechamel]] – The dreamer, chosen or cursed by prophetic vision.  
* [[Tiamat]] – The Five-Headed Queen of Evil Dragons, stirring in her infernal prison.  
* [[Cult of the Dragon]] – A rising faction devoted to freeing their dread goddess.  
* [[Thurmin (Retired)]] – Former adventurer turned local magnate; distant ripples of his choices still influence the region.  

=== Locations ===
* [[Greenest]] – A quiet frontier town about to become the first battlefield in a new war.  
* [[Sword Coast]] – The greater region, where omens of draconic unrest are spreading.  

<details><summary>🧩 DM Notes (Spoilers)</summary>

'''Truth:''' The dream is a divine sending — not from Tiamat herself, but from a splintered fragment of her essence manifesting through the Weave. Bechamel has been marked by this echo, attracting attention from both the Cult of the Dragon and opposing celestial forces.

'''Foreshadowing:'''  
* The Five Maidens symbolize Tiamat’s chromatic aspects — each tied to a dragon of her lineage that will appear in future sessions.  
* The “You are only a puppet” line hints at Bechamel’s connection to the cult’s ritual networks, possibly as a prophetic conduit.  
* [[Greenest]] will serve as the party’s convergence point and the prologue battlefield for the ''Hoard of the Dragon Queen'' campaign.

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[[Category:Rise of Tiamat]] [[Category:Campaign Events]] [[Category:Visions and Prophecies]] [[Category:Sessions]]