Soaring Citadel of the Dragon Queen
If the citadel weren't the home of Tiamat, the structure would almost be a wonder to behold.
Formerly known as the Well of Dragons
Tiamat’s throne, the bastion of dragons, soars among the clouds. At the heart of the citadel stands the Temple of Tiamat, its five asymmetric towers topped with twisted steeples, one per chromatic dragon. The temple has grown even more grandiose and daunting than during its days within the Nine Hells, and Tiamat resides within the central chamber atop the hoard of all hoards. A sea of platinum coins, artifacts of untold power, and glimmering treasures make for a bed befitting the Dragon Queen.
In the pit left behind when the dragons’ lair rose into the sky, pools of molten lava form, along with a network of tunnels that countless dragons call home. Ancient dragons are often thought of as immortal, but they do eventually die of old age. Those nearing the end of their lifespan still come to this place, once called the Well of Dragons, and continually line the chasm with their bones. The routine blasting of the Draakhorn from the citadel echoes for thousands of miles around, rallying the dragons or delivering messages of Tiamat’s desires.
The surrounding landscape has been gradually warped to better accommodate each type of chromatic dragon, from winding cavern tunnels and black fathomless depths to frigid mountain tops and verdant forests. The forces of the Cult of the Dragon largely garrison around the end of the Sunset Mountains in a string of settlements that double as dragon lairs.
Citizenry
Only those who prove themselves to the Cult of the Dragon are permitted to stay within the Soaring Citadel, and this is frequently in positions of indentured servitude. Many dragonborn and tieflings call the citadel home, as Tiamat’s edicts declare that those of draconic and infernal bloodline are superior to others and welcomed in her land. Beyond this, the temple is full of diverse humanoids—some kept by dragons as collectible commodities, others as walking meals.
The less “collectible” humanoids, including the majority of the cultists, would consider themselves lucky to ever set foot on the Soaring Citadel. The cultists instead live huddling in makeshift settlements that live in the perpetual shadow of dragons. Each settlement worships a particular chromatic dragon, and one or more Wearers of Purple are at the dragon’s every beck and call. Only the Wyrmspeakers and their trusted allies live within temple quarters, in luxurious and decadent chambers–while their “collectible” humanoids discover how uncomfy a pile of treasure can be to sleep atop.
Religion
All denizens of the Soaring Citadel worship and pray to the Dragon Queen, Tiamat—and increasingly, survivors who find their deities no longer answer their prayers turn toward her as well. She rarely answers, but at least her existence is proven. Whether one worships out of reverence or fear, it matters little to the Queen as long as her hoard of wealth continues to grow. Weekly tithes are expected from every living entity in the citadel, and many dragons gather donations from all their minions, turning them over in one grand delivery in hopes of receiving a compliment from the Queen. But Tiamat grows aloof and not all that glitters is gold; now, only victory over Vecna will please her.
Noteworthy Information
Outside of carefully balancing Tiamat’s fickle desires and navigating the hierarchy of the Cult of the Dragon, here is some other useful information that influences the daily activities of the Soaring Citadel of the Dragon Queen:
Holders of the Dragon Masks
The Mask of the Dragon Queen brought Tiamat into this world, but she deemed it more suitable to split the crown into its five core parts, establishing a hierarchy in the occasionally useful Cult of the Dragon. Each Wyrmspeaker wears their respective mask, commanding unquestioning respect from cultists and token recognition from most dragons. The five Wyrmspeakers are as follows:
- Blark Towersmasher, the Red Wyrmspeaker (he/ him, chaotic neutral goliath warlord). Blark aims his relentless fury at the giants. He curiously rose to Wyrmspeaker for his ability to pummel dragons into submission, which the ancient red dragons found entertaining.
- Kren, the Blue Wyrmspeaker (he/him, lawful evil elf lich). Kren is a deeply methodical individual of unwarranted arcane power. It’s rare for someone to match a blue dragon’s prowess for deception, but Kren is a triple agent. He spies for Vecna but would turn on the God-King the moment an opportunity presented itself.
- Nuphod “Goldlungs” Morqull, the Green Wyrmspeaker (she/her, chaotic evil green dragonborn enchanter). Goldlungs weaves song, fables, and stories as much as she weaves lies. While her musical talent is unquestionable, Goldlungs has an uncanny habit of convincing everyone to see her side of things.
- Rezmir, the Black Wyrmspeaker (she/her, neutral evil half-black dragon; stat block in Hoard of the Dragon Queen). A relentless and cruel warrior, Rezmir single-handedly thwarted an adventuring group from claiming the Black Dragon Mask.
- Breeze, the White Wyrmspeaker (they/them, neutral water genasi warlord). Breeze is a genasi of few words, but their ferocious nature rivals any glacial wyrm. They strike like a blizzard—without warning, mercy, or reason.
Clash of Giants
Dragons and giants are born enemies, it seems, destined to clash until the world ends. Every giant wants to slay dragons to prove they belong on the top of the new ordning—the giants’ social hierarchy.
Government
Tiamat is the sole dictator of the Soaring Citadel, and her word is final. She does, however, entertain advisors and pleas for assistance. Her closest advisors are a cabal of dracoliches. While many dragons turned to necromancy to sever ties with their Queen, they quickly decided upon her arrival in the Material Plane that siding with her was the best option to ensure their prolonged survival. Tiamat also maintains a rotating collection of wyrm consorts who benefit from being so closely associated with her.
Beneath those advisors, mature dragons jockey for power. The weakest dragons are white dragons. From there, black, green, and blue dragons are each more powerful than the last, and red dragons are the most powerful of all. (Still, the strongest white dragon would make a snack out of a weakest red dragon.)
Defences
Two thousand dragons take to the skies around the Soaring Citadel. All other defenses are mundane by comparison.
Industry & Trade
The Soaring Citadel knows no economy and is the embodiment of greed and avarice where gold, gems, and monuments are sent to be hoarded. Wealth flows into the throne of Tiamat, but rarely leaves or is even touched. Tiamat and all chromatic dragons under her command have little they would wish to purchase—if they desired something, they would simply take it.
As the ongoing war with the giants drags on, members of the Cult of the Dragon exchange giant skulls for their weight in gold or magic items. Hunting giants without the assistance of dragons is a fool’s errand, but some cultists believe it’s their only way to prove their worth.
Guilds and Factions
The citadel belongs to Tiamat and the Cult of the Dragon, who control and influence the whole area. Given Tiamat’s history within the Nine Hells, it’s not uncommon for representatives or war bands from Zariel’s Legion to visit for trade, negotiations, or tribute to placate the Dragon Queen.
History
Tiamat, goddess of evil dragons, has a long and sordid history of greedily clutching onto power whenever she emerges. When Tiamat was imprisoned within the first layer of the Nine Hells, she aligned herself with the archdevil Asmodeus. For generations, she schemed and plotted her escape, communing with her followers to guide them into assembling the Mask of the Dragon Queen. With this artifact, the Cult of the Dragon summoned their Queen back to the Material Plane, and Tiamat took to the skies of Toril for the first time in centuries.
Dark days quickly ensued. Tiamat devastated huge swaths of the land with dragonfire, backed by countless flights of dragons. Each settlement and soul caught in the flames fed the Soulmonger until it was full to the brim, ushering forth Vecna’s fabled return. Emboldened by victory, Tiamat and Vecna clashed, quickly realizing their battle would lead to their mutual destruction. And so, Vecna reluctantly called for parley.
As the dust settled, Tiamat returned to her temple in the Well of Dragons. She ordered her followers to raise her temple into the clouds, a perch and throne befitting the Queen of Dragons. And so, the Soaring Citadel of the Dragon Queen took to the skies, elevated by countless dracoliches and Netherese magic. From there, Tiamat followed her avaricious heart, amassing wealth in numbers never seen before in the Forgotten Realms.
The Queen’s work isn’t done, however; while she bides her time and plots against Vecna, disloyal dragons still hold territories unclaimed by her kin. Plus, until all giants have been wiped off this world, there is little rest to be had. The Soaring Citadel is rife with activity, thanks to thousands of followers offering gifts to satiate the Queen at all hours of the day. For a Queen who was trapped in Avernus for eons, Tiamat is content to wait a little longer.
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