Second Council of Waterdeep
Strategic Priorities – What Front Comes Next?
As the debates over Varram settle and the murmurs of divided alliances drift into silence, a gentler voice rises from among the council delegates. Delaan Winterhound, calm and grounded as ever, leans forward in his seat. His eyes, green as pine needles, rest not on the chamber but on the adventurers themselves.
Delaan Winterhound:
“The sword is not always the answer. Nor is the flame, or the gold. Sometimes it is the quiet ones who know the path ahead.”
He reaches into his satchel and places a folded map onto the council table, the parchment soft from wear. The Misty Forest is circled in green ink.
“There have been incursions. Emerald Enclave agents—my people—have been tracking movements along the forest’s edge. Green dragons. Fire from above. Villages left in ruin. One survives. Altand.”
He finally looks up, eyes sharp with purpose.
“Prince Alagarthas has been working with us to stave off the worst of the destruction. He has helped where his court would not. But our agents are scattered, and the Enclave stretches thin.”
“If I’m right, if the whispers hold true, then the one behind this green-scaled terror is not just a beast—but one of the cult’s own Wyrmspeakers.”
The name hangs unspoken, but the implication is clear.
“Altand is quiet, but not silent. The people there may have seen something. Or someone. A shadow before the flame. A name that does not belong.”
Lady Laeral Silverhand (softly):
“A thread in the weave.”
Delaan (to the adventurers directly):
“I know you have many roads before you. But I ask you this: walk beneath the boughs of the Misty Forest for me. Speak to the survivors. Find the one who commands the green. If he is who I suspect, then we are not yet done bleeding.”
The map remains on the table. A fresh path waits to be chosen.