5. HOTDQ - Greenest in Flames - The Long Night

5. HOTDQ – Greenest in Flames – The Long Night

LiquidAnalog

March 1, 2024

5. HOTDQ – Greenest in Flames – The Long Night

This is part 5 of my guide for Hoard of the Dragon’s Queen campaign. You can read all chapters of this guide here:

Greenest – The Long Night

OK. So once the heroes get to the keep, they have a LOT to absorb here. There is a whole village under attack, with bad things happening in every direction. The module provides a huge list of action opportunities – but it should be clear to you that you should not try to execute all of them.

I recommend you pick a few quests from this chapter (or be ready for more and allow the players to decide). The most important ones that must happen are the Dragon Attack and the Half Dragon Champion – use the rest are how you see fit. A reasonable flow could be as follows – feel free to change according to your taste and your players.

The Keep

The heroes have a breather after the opening scene. They meet Sgt. Mark, The Castellan dwarf, and the governor Nighthill, and maybe even get a treatment from the healer in the Keep. Now is the first time they can see the view from the rooftop – and comprehend the size of the invasion. The dragon is coasting, and an unmanned Ballista with a charred body nearby. However down below looters are everywhere – houses on fire, and carts dragged around. They should also be able to clearly see the mill and the church – but alarmingly, the keep is surrounded with troops and torches.

Its important that whenever the heroes are at the keep, they are greeted with the townspeople gratitude. They are strangers helping a town in dire need, and they are embraced by the villagers. Shaking their hands, thanking them, giving them a few coins they have or a bit of their food.

The Old Tunnel

The trigger to get there could be any one of the objectives – like “They are burning the church!”. The castellan dwarf says “There is another way!” and shows them the old waterway. Getting into the darkness with torches is tense. However beware of the rats scene – this could get dangerous very quickly to the characters, so be careful.

Stealth along the river

This is a great tension segment – stealth (or mishaps), and bandit encounters. This is where the heroes see very closely the raiders and can overhear their conversations (see below for encounters). This is also the stellar opportunity to see the leaders group – a huge reptilian creature commanding the army, and a human with purple robes riding a horse. Maybe even notice Rezmir with her purple robes pointing at the village and the Dragon reacts (using the Mask).

The Temple of Chauntea (or The mill)

Both of these are great encounters, with high tension and tactical combat. The church is a great opportunity to introduce healing – as the temple has Mother FalconMoon with her staff of priestesses that can cure wounded heroes. After the scene, getting back with rescued townspeople is more stealth and tension, this time with people…

Midnight Dragon Attack

This is one of the two most important and must-have scenes. In this scene you should drive home how scary the dragon is – charred bodies, few archers, no-one mans the ballista. However the heroes should feel they have a chance: They should see that the dragon is not an enthusiastic participant. And maybe someone can man the ballista?
The dragon blasts lightnings – this is deadly, but you can use it – maybe Sargent Mark saves a PC by shoving him out of harms way – and getting most of the charge (but stays alive). When the heroes succeed to hit the dragon enough – maybe a successful ballista hit and some spells – The dragon shouts in Draconic “F*ck This Bullshit” and leaves, eating a cart driver as its drifting away. This touch is critical to plant the notion that something is fishy with the Dragon’s motives.

Sally Port

If you want to pressure the heroes further, this is a great encounter. The heroes try to catch a breather but they are breaching the port!

The Half Dragon Champion

That is the second must have scene in this chapter – and it is one of the best and most memorable encounter for the players. Hopefully one of the Heroes volunteers for the epic duel. If not, Sgt. Mark will do it. I ran the duel by the dice, but its most impactful if the hero falls to Cyanwrath. A few death saves for tension – and Mother FalconMoon runs out from the fort to heal the hero the last second.

Good night

The party should be completely beat, and get to full rest.

Wandering Town Encounters

As the heroes stealth through town, its a great opportunity for them to see evidence of the nature of the raid. Its a looting raid – the looters care less for killing and much more on packing things on wagons. Its also a mixed army of Cultists, Mercenaries and Kobolds, and the groups are not really working well together.

So here are a few ideas for scenes (that can develop to an actual encounter):

Merceneries riding an overloaded loot wagon. You can describe the loot – furniture, brass ornaments, suitcases full of fancy garments
Kobolds fighting over loot they just stole
Cultists praising each other “Heil Tiamat”
A cultist shouting at a group of kobolds bringing loot “We dont need the frying pans, you silly creatures!”

NPCs in this Episode

Sgt Mark

He is important as possibly the first friendly face the heroes meet at the keep, as a possible protector during the Dragon Attack, and lastly as the one that will go face the Half-Dragon Champion, if the heroes are not going.
Friendly and kind-hearted family man, clearly the most competent of the guards.

Governor Tarbaw Nighthill

Very important as the one giving the orders in Greenest. He is the one that will request the heroes to do things.
60 years of age. Wounded (Broken Right arm, bleeding from face).
Trying to marshall a desperate defense, and knows his shit.
Needs to be received as honest, forward-facing and caring leader, so the heroes will work with him.

Escobert the Red – the Castellan

I consider his character here mainly for color.
Knotted, tangled, bright red Haired Shield Dwarf
His noted Iron Ring is eight inches in circumference and nearly three feet tall, worn on his back. The Keys are also consipicuously large and stubby.

Father Eric, The Healer

You might need him in the Keep to help wounded heroes recover.
Healer Feat: Stabilize: +1 hp with healer’s kit, and Heal: +4+1d6+(character level) with Healer’s kit / per short rest.

Next: 6. HOTDQ – Episode 2 – The Raiders’ Camp