Council of Waterdeep

Council of Waterdeep

Overview

The Council of Waterdeep is an extraordinary war council convened in the City of Splendors to coordinate resistance against the Cult of the Dragon during the Rise of Tiamat crisis. It gathers rival powers—openly virtuous orders, secretive spy networks, hard-edged pragmatists, and nature's stewards—under one tense roof to share intelligence, assign missions, and vote on strategy against Tiamat's return.

During the Rise of Tiamat campaign, this Council becomes the hub where the party's deeds ripple into politics, alliances, and the final coalition of the Sword Coast.

Member Blocs and Their Agendas

The Harpers (Espionage & Balance of Power)

Operate through secrets, subtle pressure, and precision strikes. They aim to dismantle the Cult from within and expose tyrants without igniting chaos.

• Primary Goal: Maintain balance of power across the Sword Coast
• Methods: Intelligence gathering, infiltration, propaganda
• Council Representative: Remalia Haventree

Order of the Gauntlet (Holy Steel & Public Justice)

Knightly champions who prize honor, law, and the defense of innocents. They push for decisive blows against undead, fiends, and evil dragons—and to do so openly and cleanly.

• Primary Goal: Protect the innocent and destroy evil
• Methods: Direct military action, public trials, righteous crusade
• Party Member: Xanphina
• Council Representative: Ontharr Frume

The Zhentarim (The Black Network)

A calculating power bloc focused on influence and profit. Modern Zhents prefer leverage and "business" over brute conquest and will back anti-Cult action that grows their reach or preserves stability they can monetize.

• Primary Goal: Expand influence and profitable stability
• Methods: Bribery, contracts, controlled violence, information brokering
• Party Member: Shade
• Council Representative: (via the Zhentarim leader Rian Nightshade, post-council)

Emerald Enclave (Two Philosophies at the Table)

The Emerald Enclave is represented by two competing factions with different approaches:

Talons of Veylan - Dragon-hunters who believe evil dragons corrupt the balance. They endorse force to purge draconic threats.

• Philosophy: Evil dragons are a blight on nature
• Methods: Hunting, tracking, targeted elimination
• Party Member: Keyleth

Scales of Eldath - Peacemakers who preserve equilibrium, preferring mediation and restorative acts unless the balance is truly imperiled.

• Philosophy: All life has a place; seek harmony
• Methods: Diplomacy, restoration, defensive action only
• Party Member: Karma

Devout of Athena (Rare but Influential Voice)

A justice-minded, strategy-first creed championing wise vengeance and the protection of the weak. Often aligning with Gauntlet aims while arguing for cunning over spectacle.

• Primary Goal: Strategic justice and protection of the weak
• Methods: Tactical planning, calculated vengeance, wisdom in warfare
• Party Member: Alexios

Outcomes the Council Can Grant

Based on faction support and the party's standing:

Intelligence & Safehouses (Harpers) — covert routes, informant networks, encrypted dossiers, false identities.

Sanctioned Strikes (Order of the Gauntlet) — troops, healers and divine support, relic loans, legal authority for public action.

Logistics & Favors (Zhentarim) — transportation and smuggling routes, bribes and political influence, deniable teams, "lost" paperwork.

Wards, Hunts, or Truces (Emerald Enclave) — wilderness guides, druidic wards, negotiated creature withdrawals, intelligence on dragon lairs.

Strategic Counsel (Athena's Devout) — battlefield planning, oaths of protection, analysis of enemy strategies.

Council Dynamics

Tension Points:

• Harpers vs. Zhentarim (historical enemies)
• Order of the Gauntlet vs. Zhentarim (honor vs. pragmatism)
• Talons of Veylan vs. Scales of Eldath (violence vs. peace)
• All factions vs. bureaucratic delay

Party Faction Spread:

• Harpers: Gootcha
• Order of the Gauntlet: Xanphina
• Zhentarim: Shade
• Emerald Enclave – Talons of Veylan: Keyleth
• Emerald Enclave – Scales of Eldath: Karma
• Devout of Athena: Alexios

This means the party can potentially influence all major voting blocs if they maintain good standing with each faction.

Headquarters

The Council meets in Waterdeep at a secure location (a fortified high lord's manor rather than the public guildhall).

Session 43 Council Meeting: The Deputization of Deez Nuts

On Eleasis 30, 1488 DR, the Council of Waterdeep convened an emergency war council at a high lord's manor in Waterdeep to address the escalating threat of the Cult of the Dragon. The adventuring party Deez Nuts, having recently defeated Lord Valtheran and uncovered critical intelligence about the Cult's operations, was summoned to provide firsthand testimony and receive official sanction for continued operations against the Cult.

Participants

Council Members Present:

• Lady Dalla Silmerhelm - Representative of Waterdeep, knowledgeable about Maccath the Crimson
• Lord Dagult Neverember - Lord Protector of Neverwinter and leader of the Lord's Alliance, presided over the meeting
• Ambassador Conrad Brawn - Representative of the dwarves of Mithril Hall, skeptical and distrustful of giant alliances
• Marshal Ulder Ravenguard - Military leader of Baldur's Gate and the Flaming Fist, tactical expert and defender of the Bronze Blades
• King Melendrak - Representative of the elves of the Misty Forest, skeptical about the reality of the Cult's threat
• Taern Thunderspells Hornblade - Former High Mage of Silverymoon, concerned about Red Wizards' involvement

Faction Representatives:

• Remalia Haventree - High-ranking Harpers agent, primary intelligence source on the Cult
• Ontharr Frume - Order of the Gauntlet representative, strong supporter of Deez Nuts
• Declan Winterhound - Emerald Enclave representative for the Scales of Eldath

Adventurers:

• Deez Nuts - Shade, Xanphina, Gootcha, Keyleth, Karma, Alexios

Pre-Meeting Briefing

Leosin Erlanthar of the Harpers met Deez Nuts at the city gates to brief them on the political landscape: the Council is not yet convinced the Cult can truly summon Tiamat from Avernus; lords and ladies compete for power, creating trust issues; the party must convince skeptics (Ambassador Conrad Brawn, King Melendrak) while reinforcing believers and pragmatists (Lord Dagult Neverember, Marshal Ulder Ravenguard). Guaranteed allies were Remalia Haventree, Ontharr Frume, and Declan Winterhound.

The Council Meeting: Key Discussions

The Party's Testimony. Deez Nuts reported on the Draakhorn (located at the Well of Dragons per Lord Valtheran's intelligence, sounded around the clock to summon chromatic dragons), the summoning of an Erinyes in the Hills of Lost Souls, the resurrections of Rath Modar and Rezmir, and their capture of the flying Skyreach Castle and alliance with the giants (with Thurmin left traveling among them).

Maccath the Crimson. Lady Dalla Silmerhelm and Remalia Haventree proposed tracking down Maccath the Crimson, the Arcane Brotherhood's foremost dragon expert, last researching the Draakhorn and white dragons in the Sea of Moving Ice; a search could begin by asking after the Brotherhood around Luskan.

The White Dragon Mask. Remalia Haventree revealed that the Wyrmspeaker Varram the White has lost the White Dragon Mask and searches for it covertly; recovering it first would disrupt the ritual. Varram was last seen at Boareskr Bridge.

The Giant Alliance Controversy. Ambassador Conrad Brawn decried the party's alliance with giants; Marshal Ulder Ravenguard countered that giants fought against the dragons in past summonings and applauded the alliance.

The Bronze Blades Incident. Shade asked whether deputization granted "kill on sight" authority over the Bronze Blades. Marshal Ulder Ravenguard firmly refused — the Blades are his agents, their work invaluable — and instructed the party to aid them.

The Deputization. Lord Dagult Neverember formally deputized Deez Nuts to act in the Council's name, granting authority and resources across member cities, with two primary missions: find Maccath the Crimson and track Varram the White. Taern Thunderspells Hornblade requested any intelligence on summoning or resurrection magic be brought to him or relayed via Silverymoon's mages.

Post-Meeting Faction Promotions

• Shade / Zhentarim: Rian Nightshade, the Zhentarim leader (wearing an amulet of four symbols — fang, wolf, viper, dragon), promoted Shade to Viper (Rank 3), giving her an iron viper amulet and the Zhentarim Guide to Poisoning Friends and Foes. She sensed the infernal energy of the Bagpipes of Zariel's Lament.
• Xanphina / Order of the Gauntlet: Ontharr Frume promoted her to Rank 2, teaching her "Rally the Line." (Recorded in play as "Defender"; per the Order's ladder the Rank 2 title is Justicar — see the Renown Tracker.)
• Karma / Emerald Enclave: Declan Winterhound promoted her to Rivercaller (Rank 2) in the Scales of Eldath, granting a mood-shaped amulet with "Eldath's Sanctuary."
• Gootcha / Harpers: Remalia Haventree spoke with Gootcha privately; the content was not overheard.

Quest Assignments

The Council formally assigned two primary quests to Deez Nuts:

• Find Maccath the Crimson — locate the tiefling sorcerer in the Sea of Moving Ice to learn how to counter or destroy the Draakhorn; begin near Luskan.
• Find Varram the White — recover the White Dragon Mask before the Wyrmspeaker does; begin at Boareskr Bridge.

The party instead chose to first pursue Xanphina's ancestral quest, Investigate Garmok's Mine in the Mere of Dead Men.

Ongoing Obligations

As part of their deputization in Session 43 - The Council of Waterdeep, Deez Nuts has an ongoing obligation to report their findings to the Council. The party was granted significant authority to act on behalf of the Council in matters related to the Cult of the Dragon and the threat of Tiamat. See Report Findings to Council of Waterdeep for details on this reporting relationship and the party's delegated authority.

Session Appearances

• Session 43 - The Council of Waterdeep - First major Council meeting with the party; the deputization of Deez Nuts