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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 8623555" data-attributes="member: 2012"><h4>Cult of the Dragon</h4>Source: Forgotten Realms Lords of DarknessOrigin: UnknownSymbol: A flame with eyes burning above a dragon's claw.Leaders: Wearers of the Purple. Each cell of the Cult of the Dragon is lead by one or more of these leaders who wear purple robes to signify their rank.Notable Members: Augustin Guischard [ISPOILER](NE male Getacian human, transmuter 18)[/ISPOILER]; Khallos Windenrivier [ISPOILER](LE male half-elf, cleric of Falazure 12)[/ISPOILER]; Maddalyn Reimstein [ISPOILER](N female Northlander human, fighter 10)[/ISPOILER].<h3>Purpose</h3>The Cult of the Dragon believes that the world should look to dragonkind for leadership. They revere dragons in all their forms, but show the greatest reverence for undead dragons such as dracoliches (called the sacred ones). The cult tries to recruit rogue dragons to their cause, and they will even go so far as to kill a dragon and then raise it as an undead creature. This organization has no respect for those that follow the Tenets of the Balance. The cult pays special homage to Falazure, The Night Dragon.<h3>Notable Activities</h3>The Cult of the Dragon bases its daily activities around the betterment of dragonkind and those that show them proper respect (namely themselves). This doesn't always conflict with the goals of other organizations dedicated to dragonkind, but when they start turning dragons into undead creatures they go one step too far in the mind of civilized society. The cult is always looking for rogue dragons willing to undergo the transformation into dracoliches, and they don't always take no for an answer.However, turning dragons into undead creatures rarely is an effective way for the cult to fund their activities, in fact it costs the cult tons of time and gold. Each cult cell usually makes its coin by one of the following methods: banditry & pirating, blackmail & extortion, dungeoneering, kidnapping, protection rackets, smuggling, or providing vices to others. Cult cells that are forced to fund their activities by dungeoneering, or worse, by legitimate means are usually down on their luck.The cult also works towards spreading the worship of the dragon gods. They revere Falazure before all the other dragon gods but that doesn't stop them from being prophetical regarding Io's place in the universe. And this devotion to all the dragon gods keeps the cult from being hunted everywhere it has influence. A cell that is able to increase the standing of all the dragon gods, in a particular area, succeeds as much as a cell that only spreads the word of Falazure.Opponents of the cult consider its members activities and goals to be contradictory; this seems insane to a group like the Knights Majestic. As a result, members of the Cult of the Dragon and the Knights Majestic never work together and will attack each other on sight.<h3>Campaign Notes</h3>The Cult of the Dragon tend to keep to the shadows of mainstream society, so the cells that have been uncovered have tended to be located in out-of-the-way places. They prefer to haunt old ruins and abandoned dungeons — anywhere they can provide a suitable lair for a sacred one. However, a few cells have been rooted out in major population centres.One such cell was uncovered and destroyed in the City of Anthmoor, in late 754 N.C., and it was believed to have been in league with High Fist Warcoul, the theocratic ruler of the Owelga Dominion. The High Fist has coveted the lands of the Storm Domain for over fifty years, and his knowledge of necromancy is undeniable as is his strength of will. It is even rumoured that he has a dracolich in his service. Thus, it is quite possible that he's had dealings with the cult.The only other known cell to be uncovered in a populated region was the group of cultists known as the Purple Brotherhood. This large cell existed in the Free Lands of Arkhangel, and it was the bane of that republic, up until the end of 735 N.C. It was at this time that the cultists tried unsuccessfully to take over the City of Arkhangel. They were defeated by allies of the current Gubernator, Willem Polgár, including a group of adventurers from the Wind Cities known as the Ramparts of Alavar. The Purple Brotherhood cell is believed to still exist somewhere in the Wind Plains, but nothing has been heard of them in decades.Another famous Cult of the Dragon cell is known as the Unnamed. These cultists wander the wastes of the Great Expanse staying one step ahead of the desert elves and the Knights Majestic. They are nomadic and are said to be lead by a powerful dragontouched earth elementalist who's name isn't know — not even by his fellow cultists. They simply call him the Purple Lord of the Sands. His followers are fanatical and in the few instances when the Unnamed and the Knights Majestic have clashed they have laid down their lives to save their master.There are many more cells spread throughout the Lands of Harqual but discovering and cataloguing them all would take a lifetime. It would also be useless as Cult of the Dragon cells come and go. The legacy they leave behind is an increase in the number of undead dragons that now haunt the continent. One of the most powerful of these is a dracolich named Hellscar [ISPOILER](LE male red great wyrm [dracolich, rogue], sorcerer 10)[/ISPOILER]. (He had a different name once, but no one dares speak that now.) Hellscar was an ancient red dragon that once lived within the Tenets of the Balance and who once soared over the Hills of Morhan and was a great friend to the druids of the Hallowed Lands. His fall at the hands of the Cult of the Dragon is one of the worst tragedies of dragonkind.The cult tracked the ancient red to his lair and offered him undeath and immortality. He refused, of course, but they wouldn't take no for an answer. Over a hundred of them died, sacrificing themselves to bring the dragon low and then they forced the transformation into a scared one on him. The forced change drove him completely mad, and he slew every last one of the remaining cultists before going on a rampage across the North. The druids tried to save what was left of his soul, but he did not recognize them and killed dozens of them. He didn't remember his former self and took the name Hellscar to strike fear into the hearts of mortals. That was more than 100 years ago.The ancient, red dracolich now lives in the Aragar Mountains in the frozen wastes of the Northlands. He considers the entire mountain range to be his domain and kills all other dragons that infringe on his territory. It is known that Hellscar is in league with the ruler of Blighted Lands of the North, the Lord of Decay. Hellscar helps subjugate the Lord of Decay's more unruly citizens, and in return, the evil cleric of Mussin provides the dracolich with suitable sacrifices. If those sacrifices are members of the Cult of the Dragon then so much the better.[ATTACH=full]156615[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]156617[/ATTACH] (Alternate Homebrewed Symbol)</blockquote>

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