130 Orders and Monasteries ‘Most followers of he Light fall into one of two catego- ies. depending on their attitude toward the secret war Lightbringers comprisethe majority, and they belive in strengthening i-Yanach through active mental exereive Shadow watchers area militant minority who are con- Vineed that simply waiting for the vurning of the age is rnot enough. They take the fight directly cathe Inspired wherever they can Within Adar's fortresses, elite monks train for war against the darkness. Many of these monks develop psionic oF magical ability o complement their phytical training. A large number of them take levels tm the Bet of Zuoken prestige class (Esponded Pionics Handbook 14). which they name fist ofthe Light. Adar is home to other forms of martial riysticism aswell VARIANT SECTS Asmall number ofkalashtar are neither evil nor insane bbut they don't follow the Path of Light. Some call hemeclses reamwallkers, professing that the t-Lehiever fmol a foree-of'cvil It is incomprehensible to nonquort and its alien nature is deeply disturbing totkem. butin perp The dreamwalkers study the Dreaming Dark the hope of making i€ more understandable to 1. fn this way, kalashtar can once again take theie place within Dal Quor as true quori spirits, and the warring halves of their people ean be reunited. Kalashtar do not dream, for dreams would take them to Dal ‘Quor. a place still hostile them: Bat the dreaiivalker’ colvece the steps of the exo. led the rebel quoti through mortal dreams, to find a way to skirt the edi by it. They alto hope to find the lost epirit of Taratai, which they believe remains trapped somewhere in the dreaming, Sometimes a dreamnealker loses her way fand becomes isolated, so others also seck their lost colleagues. Those who ean be reseued from Dal Quor might have valusble information to impart concerning whens Tar + of the Dreaming Dark without being consumed THE PATH OF LIGHT IN THE LAST WAR Kalachtar who live among the people of Khorvaire were affected by and pacticipated in the Last War along with their neighbors. The Path of Light played no active ein the war, but its followers paid expecially careful attention to the machinations of the Inspired during that ime, The usual symbol of the Dragon Below ea mockery of a dragonmark, aa dark and tristed shape that echoes the madness ofthe cultists. THE CuLts OF THE DRAGON BELOW Westera Khorvaire was twisted long ago into a dark, dangerous land by the invasion of the daelkys, The con. querors from Xoriat laid waste to citiesand corrupted the inhabieants into foul shominations thas still wander the deep places of the world. Using magie taught to them by the dragon Vwaraak, the Gatekeepers Anally sealed the planar portal and drove the daclkyr tate the depths of Khyber. But the Dhakaani Empire had been shattered hy the war, and the oressnd goblinoid: degenerated into scattered clans The Shadow Marches are still scarred by that war, and remnants of the horrors it ‘unleashed yet lurk there. Roughly hall ‘ore imhabitans stil Follow a simple, rustic lifestyle and continue to observe the Gruidéceaditions ofthe Gatekeepers Moat of the ethers practice strange worship collectively known s+ the Cults of the Dragon Below. Despite the all-inclusive name, these cults have mothing in comman beyond ‘devotion to the darkly insnne forces ‘within Khyber, They do not com municate with one another. and {indeed they might have completely opposite aims From hit origia, the cults spread acrois Khorvsire and beyond. Any community that gives reverence to dark forees, particularly those purported tobe buried deep in the ‘arth, could be deemed to suppor ‘a cult of the Dragon Below. Aside from their dark heart, Dargon Below warshipers are as varied as shelisel SERVANTS OF THE DRAGON BELOW ‘The cults followers might he wild-eyed maniaes or dis- turbingly serene. Some give themselves over completely toevil, violence, and terror, while others eannot see the insanity behind theirbeliefs, convinced that they serve a treater good, Most have been so peychically scarred that only insanity makes any sense—it is even comforting: Every cult priest has her own interpretation of worship gad her on ideas of how to demonstrate faith (One might demand that every follower remove a Anger Another might insist that the road to paradise ts paved with cannibalistic feasts, Another might call on worship. brstogive up all material wesith, or conversely to acquire ss much as possible. ‘Among the savage peoples (mostly ores and some hhalf-oFes), madness ir seen ar path to power. For them. barbarian rage is the pares exprestion of the warrior spirit, and insanity isthe quickest way to achieve st. Not many ure divine magic, and those who do are uncivilized tnatets such es adepts and favored touls. The more eivi- lined clans incorporate myriad human and ore belief, tach with its own idea of how to bond with the Dragon, Belov. Though they might war with each other over theirinterpretations, all rexpect the power of abereitions, thick they treat asthe bigh prieas of Khyber, These Clans are more likely ous lerie magie, but they always thooee tbe Madness dma "Thete cultists are to be pitied more than hated, Unfortunately their tnenne devotion makes thes dan erouny unpredictable, and shir dens of worship can be Tntenteal vo ie Becoming a Priest Anew eult cam arize at anytime, Alli takes ea charie- imate personality who can persuade oheravo siento fer sas Asura of madiettsarmpunde sectnpeople 208 they sendy attret disturbed or damaged followers. As well, powerful aberration might found cult ta sceompltsh tome purpose. Those with mind contr abilities, such av ebolcths, mind flayers, and teaser dacikyr, are the mon Wkely candidates. Their followers need nol understand why they obey—they stenply must, They aight severe the horeardtvecaly, oF they might be under its consol from a distance, enrap turedbya normal-rceming pret whe paceeson the rue Seseecciliins belive wionly ueiens of ihe Dragon Below are sberrations, Ifa hurancld leader alae, she must prove her worth by Becoming physically tmonsiour tn someway. The usual ethod iby sequin tn aberration graft ora symbiont (ECS 298) Hierarchy With such a variety of unrelated cults, there can be no organised priestly hierarchy. Instead, exch group has its own orgenization. That might include detailed ranks, a ruling conclave, pure anarchy, but most often features a dictatorial leader with the power to enforce Fallen Priests Cults of the Dragon Below rise and fall unpredictably. Just as a charismatic prescher might suddenly appear From the wilderness and gather followers to her, another might be torn apart atthe very hands of those she con verted. A priest can fall from grace in a momenta it lakes is for followers to question her motives or actions. This docs not usually happen as 4 rerult af commands that go too far; true believers are capable of justifying the most terrible acts. But ffa human priest sets out af eee Cutts of THE DRaGon BELow Neutral Evil ‘The various Cults ofthe Dragon Below have litle in common, but their cleries and adepts find crazed inspiration from their worship. Portfolio: Glory, insanity, conquest, darkness, aberrations Domains: Corruption (Book of Vile Denes 80), Cavernt. Darkners, Dragon Below’, Earth, Evi Greed, Madness, Pact. Pain (Bok of We Durie 81), Pestlenced, Summoner} Favored Weapon: Heavy pick. hae reas eset character, on shows hesitation, followers might see weak- nets of conviction. In such 4 ease, someone else might rise to claim he i the true voice of Khyber and chal Tenge the leader. This usually ssa fight ta the death, but a resourceful priest sometimes escapes, nursing «grudge fand plotting her vengeful return. More ofien thaa not suck 2 fallen priest seeks out 4 powerful aberration, which is happy o accept her service for the opportensty to-extend its awn power: Quests Mndneds is the one defining trait of the Cults of the Dragon Below. Whatever «lrader'sporpote might be, ‘any set bisarve goal for theie followers and even fo themclver, Sometimes there quests have un internal logis, even if t mates no tense to sm observer. For couple, che alt ssllenan toe eyes ef forgave #ho hrseen a parsieular sacred object or site, inthe bale that no one but themselves have the right to behold i ted that the eyes contain power from the hight, The yet aight bu eaten or be Hered in a central tem of Strip: Inather cnser, quets are mers libe pyehtie Coupeisions, sech at painting every ether brckin a beildtsiggreen fs thereston enailbpaete puna Goronpcib purpore, such sie sterpt vo create a Xoriat mmifest fone. In these eases, the culate pursue activities that outros to thin ultimate feel. ‘evan though hicks ‘Seem monsensieal_ A individual might be sent to gether body pera, or measure every doorway inthe dati "The mad Teaders of individual sults are always pur satay preset kno ledger ov dloseansa to Kuper Koc: They drive huntsierreleulsclyta tate thaten aquest. 40 that # they were not entirely mad when they agen, eny-remaicing nity is soon tbandoned. The iopresoe enrpsheal olll yeensnesi a beet never be completed RITES AND RITUALS. OF THE DRAGON BELOW With such a variety of cults, religious activity can comprise anything imaginable, and plenty of things beyond imagination, Prayers Pachotieaffiction i common among followers ofthe Dragon Below, andthiscan manifex im habits of speech Awershiper who i convinced that he name of hit godt sacred could spb all the time (logomania) or refuse compa given word or phrase, subsitetings more accep able term instead. Nonsensical chants, speaking in tongues. and constant mattering cam all ube the place of taditionel proyersA wershiper cho fe rearenatly sane, though offers ep prayers tc his god jut av anyone ci does Minor Rites Ritual bonds a group, whether its purpose is religious or otherwise. The priest ofa given cult typically prescribes certain ritual behavior to demonstrate loyalty and rein. force obedience. Its exact form, of course, varies from ‘one cult to the next, 'S1IND WAHLO 131Major Rites Aswith minor rituals, each cult’ leader prescribes and setsany major rites. Some cults observe no great fet~ tivals, expecially their work requires secrecy. Those led by megamantacal priests might got lor big, showy rituals complete with al the elichéd trimmings: drome robes and hoods, smoking torches, obsidian knives, and CULTS OF THE DRAGON BELOW IN EVERYDAY CIEE The exe! number of cults unknown and constantly changing. #0 any given community can contain wore thipers, even of tultiple competing cults. Despite the insanity that underlies any such faith, a follower need norappesr mad. Some cultstsare sll in conteal of their ‘culties o rome exten and ean dlaguise her impelare 40 aso “past” in everyday society. Some are nat even crany themaclvermat lett, not yer~but believe Fervently inthe logieal premises oftheir cul, These are he most dangerous cultists, capable of persuading othersto helt sty of thinking and difficult to discovers Cults of the Dragon Below and Government No one cult a real threat tothe stably of Khorvaie, but their sheer mumber and their obscurity make chem collectively dangerous. An influential pllical figure taight secretly serve an abomination Irom Khyber, {nd cout he doing so in the certainty that's forthe grener good, Even more frightening fs the possibiicy hat untainted leaders are being influenced by agendas peddled from the shadows and presented by trusted sdv fort as rensonable pally Gertainly, the nitions bordering the Shadow Marcher are concerned about the influence of the colts, The Eldcen druids are always on the watch for renewed activity by the minions of madness. In Dar guun, the Lheth Haruue fears that other ehleftaing Roping to consolidate power when he dies night urn to the Dragon Below. The semtered power brees of Drossm could eailyuipin favor of one who allies wth the dark powers. For the mos part, the “civilized” nations of Khor valve underestimate the danger posed by these cults ‘The Shadow Marches are along way of, and few people care much about the well-being of monstrous King- dom or a scarcely populated wilderness. The mort forward-thinking rulers, such as Aurala of Aundsin. Boranel of Breland, and especially Kalwsaf Karenath, are watchful for corruption in their courts, but most ff the young nations sre too caught up to recover ing from the Last War to see the hidden danger from within, I is fortunase that the eults work purposes 10 often Cults of the Dragon Below and Other Faiths Each cult has its own set of beliefs, and its followers see even other cultists ofthe Dragon Below as wrang-headed for worse, Random groupe that spring up under influen~ tial humanoids usually do not interact with other faiths tall, The more insidious danger comes From those cule with abomination leaders. These intelligent creatures sometimes infiltrate legitimate religion with their cult~ ists to take advantage of is influence, Ik is relatively easy to insert a devotee of the Dragon Below into the followers ofa datk yod dedicated to primal impulses, such as the Devourer, the Fury, or the Mack- ry. Average people, who might offer a prayer to avert ill fortune From the god, are not likely to novice a change in the church's leadership. and the interests of true beliey ers coineide—at least for a time. Corrupting worshipers of a “good” religion such as that of the Shining How is harder, but ean reap much greater rewards. Such faiths usually have elore connec: tions with the ruletship of a eity. province, oF nation, and open the door to greater influence by the cul TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THE DRAGON BELOW ‘The cultists skulk in hidden places, whether isolated humsocks within the Shadow Marches, basements of noble manors, or abandoned warehouses on deeay ing waterfronts. Their temples fill these seeret lairs usually cobbled together from materials at hand. rlshough a wealthy patron or priest can afford expen sive furnishings All aspects of the Cults of the Dragon Below can be better understood by reference to the particulars fof one cul. To that end, the Mourning Circle is dis cused in detail The Mourning Circle Erlomel d’Tharashk (male daelkyr half-blood telepath 12; ace page 37 of Magi ofEberon) was born with a dread ful physical deformity and displayed signs of mental instability in youth. Rejected by his family and unable to hold position within the House. hi behavior grew tnore and more erratic until he left she Shadow Marches for Shar. There he has been living inthe undereity for some time, Using the benefits of his own lester Mark of Find. the libraries of Margrave University. and human agente who came under his control, he studied the Inisory of the city. hoping to find clues that would lead 19 ancient aaurees of power. He learned all he could sbout the Closed Circle of witardry. which had bheen destroyed for its blasphemous scudy in 641 YK. tnd became convinced the wizards had still had a base in Sharn. He eventually located » ruined complex in the slum district of Khyber's Gave, s0 buried beneath the rubble of later generations that its existence was completely hidden. ‘All the arcane laboratories had been smathed—the Pure Flame crusaders had burned every foul rome they could find, then cleansed the spot with 3 hollow spell. But in their zeal, they had overlooked a trove of research notes, sored in an exiraplanar vault. The witards were long dead, but Erlomel used his prionic tection abilities to glimpse the past and discern the secret of opening the euult, At present, he is absorbing sa much of theif forbidden knowledge as he ean. To that end, he founded the Mourning Girele so that he would have a steady supply of experimental subjects and. willing soldiersealm of hightmar And beauaiful Erlomel has added a fountain and pool tothe center ‘of the 100m. which he hopes to make a gateway to Xoriat fone day. In the meantime, it anchors a manifest xone in its early stages. He dispelled the hollow epell that the Pure Flame laid on the place and has replaced it with 4 permanent Mordnkoien grisate sanctum (east by a domi which the worshipers see as divine nated wizard). ‘The temple isin use fairy frequently; the rest of the time, Exlomel is in the workshop (area 3) or poring over his precious texts (avea 6). 2. Gells. These simply furnished rooms accom modate the temple's worshipers. Each ean hold four people ‘3. Workshop. This rubble-strewn chamber was once the arcane workshop of the wizards’ circle. Evlemel has adapted it for creating aberration grafts. The long workbenches are covered with vesteleand tubs containing a variety of unpleasant substances, such as thick, nasty colored liquid or preserved samples of will-Iving flesh A massive tub occupies ane corner ofthe room, ia which tunidentiBable Mukelike creatures sim (his attempts at brood leeches) 4. Storage. The wizards'cirele had used thi to store mundane equipment, food supplies, and the like. (They did not equip the building with a kitchen. being disinclined to take time for cooking, but instead purchased prepared foods or sent servants out for meals.) ‘The Purified, lewving nothing to chance, torched this place as well, The scorched remnants have largely been Cleared out, and the roam now stores the temple's mun= ne materials, Erlomel is working on converting the room to.a kitchen; a fireplace is under construction 5. Extradimensional Vault. Accessible only through a masterfully hidden secret door (Search DC 126) is this pocket dimension that the former owsers used to stare their most precious items. They kepe their research scrolls here, ss ell as valuable components and rmagic items crafied in their lab. Exlomel discovered it and plundered its contents. It now holds his personal vrealth and the most valued research notes, 6. The Stacks. Erlomel cleaned out the wizards records and stored them in one of these former sleeping cells. The ather he devoted to his own substantial cl~ lection. The books and scrolls are piled in heaps on the bare floor; Erlomel has never taken the time to organize them properly, and he does not trust his underlings enough tohare shelves built. (He will getaround to tone of these days.) He spends much of his tsme in these wo rooms absorbing the information. Another projec sis compiled memoirs, which he sees as becoming the culls holy scripture eventually. Erlomel devotes at least one hour each night to recording his contemplations. Taam outside reader, these seem the ravinge ofa megalomanine ‘with a shaky grasp of reality, but Eslomel regards them fsthe distillation of great truth that he has been favored to discern, Cults of the Dragon Below in the Last War “The mad ambitions of thote who adore Kyber and Xoriat continue regardless ofthe political climate in the outside world, Except wliere the batles of the Last War physically intruded on their activities, the cultists were langely naware of this upheaval. The more cunning leadere recognized opportunities to selze ravaged territory or recruit the traumatized inhabitants of a war zone, Some of them headed to Cyre, where they were destroyed or vworseon the Day of Mourning A few individuals, even by the loose standards of such eulte, made their way to the Mouraland brcaue i had become a twisted land ‘The disorder and ruin lei by the war across Kharvaire have offered many opportunities for new cults to flourish and for alder ones to expand SEREN DRAGON CuLts The thirty or s0 tribes of barbarians who inhabit Seren Island, northwest of Argonnessen proper, ave ferocious raiders and fanatic worshipers ofthe dragons, Each tribe hhasa dragon “founder,” an individual that i reveres as us foremost god, and its own sot of rituals relating to ‘that founder. The dragons as a whole form the tribes pantheon, and tis the fervent hope of every Seren wor thiper to join with his gods—whether through rebirth as a'dragon, or the blessing of draganblood. Each tribe hhas its own ideas about how to honor the dragons, and the Seren war continually among themselves over reli- tious dogma SERVANTS OF THE DRAGONS. Every Seren inhabitant follows the dragon gods, but very few are deemed worthy to speak to and for the godt themselver. There honored men and women are the ragonspeakers, who are the highest evil authority in faeh tribe ‘As civic leaders, deagonspeakers are responsible for every aspect of tribal life other than the business of| warfare, the province ofthe chieftain. They oversee life events, make pronouncements on life, hear petitions sentences. They far justice, pass judgment, and enfor prophesy for the tribe, and prescribe rituals to appease tn angry patron when hard times befall their people. ‘They have absolute power of life and death, even over a thiefisin found to displeate the gods. Many senior dragonspeakers are clerics or favored souls (Complete icin 6). Dragonspeaker cleries prefer to choose the Dragon domain (Spell Compendium 273), Lower-ranked speskers are also spellessters but as ally adepte. Dragonspeskers adopt elaborate costumes to make them appears druconie as passble, They affect horned hheaddvesses, brightly painted dragon masks, and robes embroidered with sealy patterns. A shed scale shard oF [poe THE SYMBOLS OF THE Dracon Cutts Dragonhesdstatuessearup on Totem Beach, thelr origin uunkmows. They are now used as sites of worship by the dregon cultists Seren barbarians sometimes carry oF swear the symbol of a dragon's head, typically the founder of the wearerstribe he arcane seen