Cult of the Dragon

The Cult of the Dragon, also called the Dragon Cult and known as the Keepers of the Secret Hoard and, as of around 1370 DR, the Wearers of Purple, was a semi-religious evil organization venerating undead dragons, or dracoliches, founded by Sammaster, a powerful wizard and former Chosen of Mystra like Elminster and Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun. Their belief was that dracoliches were destined to one day rule Faerûn and beyond. They were considered to be a secret society or a beast cult, albeit an overly large and powerful one.

Dogma
According to the claims of Sammaster, their founder, the Cult believed that undead dragons would, and indeed should, rule over all of Toril, reclaiming all the lands they'd once dominated. The Cult's purpose was thus to help bring about the coming reign of the dragons. In practice, this was the destruction of civilization in the Realms.

While in theory they revered all dragons, they had a preference for the evil dragons and particularly the deceased evil dragons known as dracoliches. They sought to persuade evil dragons to undergo the process of becoming a dracolich. Normally, this was done with the cooperation and consent of the dragon, but it was not unknown for the most powerful wizards of the Cult to force it on an unwilling dragon because although they worshiped dracoliches, they also manipulated them as their servants.

Organization
In general, the Cult of the Dragon comprised mages, merchants, and warriors motivated more by evil natures and their own self-interest.

Hierarchy
The structure of a Cult of the Dragon call comprised two distinct tiers of cult members: the higher-echelon Keepers of the Secret Hoard and the more common Followers of the Scaly Way. Each cell was led by one or more members of the Wearers of Purple, whose members commonly overlapped with the Keepers.

The Keepers of the Secret Hoard were senior members and the true believers within the Cult. This group was composed of wizards, most commonly necromancers, a handful of priests and clerics, and the most ruthless and vicious of the Cult warriors. Only the Cult mages had the arcane knowledge required to take active duty in providing dragons with beneficial magical items as well as prepare the esoteric potions and rituals needed for a dragon to become a dracolich. As divine spellcasting members were somewhat rare, the mages also often controlled the lesser undead and supported the cell's leadership.

The Followers of the Scaly Way included many mercenaries and warriors employed by the Cult to provide martial security, and outside agents such as merchants who acted as spies or smugglers to move their illicit goods, as well as or adventuring companies who, unbeknownst to them, rid the world of problems that hampered Cult activities.

Doomkin, the elite warriors of the Cult of the Dragon, were armed with doomkin scarabs allowing them to dominate their targets. They answered only to the Wearers of Purple.

Titles
By the 15 century DR, the organization and structure of the Cult of the Dragon had changed somewhat. As of this time, titles within the cult included, in descending order: Wyrmspeaker, the cult's highest echelon that held one office for every primary color of chromatic dragon; Dragonsoul; Dragonfang; Dragonwing; Dragonclaw; and Initiate, entrants into the cult who would train for months or years to attain higher rank.

Serving Dragons
Seeking and serving the evil dragons of Faerûn who were ostensibly their "masters", the Cult of the Dragon's main activities were gathering intelligence for them, contributing treasure to their hoards, and generally aiding them in any way possible, all in an effort to gain the cooperation of these dragons and entice them into being transformed into dracoliches. They were also to make preparations for their transformations and guard dragon lairs, sometimes containing dragon eggs or hatchlings, while these dragons went to hunt or raid.

In exchange, the members of the Cult of the Dragon would seek permission to use the dragons' lairs for shelter, and ask for help from the dragons if they were ever called upon using the rings of dragons.

Members would also purchase any captured dragons they learned of in order to liberate them, but not before recruiting them to their cause and encouraging them to get revenge against their captors and spread destruction in the region.

Fundraising
However, to fund their efforts, they needed treasure, and lots of it. Thus, their activities extended to the theft of valuables, especially rare and unique pieces that could be gifted to their dragon masters, and to tracking and raiding of caravans carrying various riches. Agents were also known to waylay and rob adventuring companies. The cult was not against legitimate commercial activities either, and as such, in the late 1400s DR, it had several merchant members who used their well-earned money to fund cult projects.

Defense
Naturally, all these practices made the Cult of the Dragon many enemies too, and their enemies were anyone not in favor of rule by dragons. They responded by conducted attacks and raids on them.

Symbol
The symbol of the Cult of the Dragon was a black flame with eyes above a dragon's claw.

Tactics
A Cult strike-force, such as found in Sembia circa 1358 DR, comprised a group of fighters (up to five) and thieves (up to eight), commanded by a wizard.

A Dragon Cult agent like Asbras Hlumin would pretend to aid adventuring parties, by offering training and spellcasting services and even joining them for short periods. They would learn all they could about them and then send them into a dangerous location to be slain and later rob their treasures for themselves and the Cult.

Bases of Operations
Although it was active all over Faerûn, particularly the Heartlands, the Cult of the Dragon was strongest in the North and the Cold Lands, where dragons were most common and most feared. In the mid–14 century DR, they were believed to have their base in the lands north of Thar, as this was the origin of the devastating Flight of Dragons in 1356 DR. Cult agents tended to use the Dragon Coast as a launching point for their schemes in more southerly parts of Faerûn.

Dragon Coast
On the Dragon Coast in the mid-to-late 14 century DR, the Cult of the Dragon dominated an illicit trade in drugs, poisons, and spices in Elversult. Heading by priestess of Shar Indrith Shalla, the cell included thieves, pirates, priests of Malar, and doppelgangers, and was opposed by the Harpers, as well as by Zhentarim, Thayan agents, and rival pirates who wanted to seize their trade. Agents were naturally also present in the nearby ports of Ilipur and Pros.

Cormyr
The Cult of the Dragon had a following in the Shou enclave of Xiousing in Marsember, Cormyr, in the late 15 century DR. The Shou traditionally venerated dragons and the cult found they could operate more openly among the Shou than among other cultures.

Mourktar
One of the longest-operating cells of the Cult (formed 1005 DR), this group acted as pioneers in the field of magical research related to dragons and undeath. They achieved great success in persuading the dragon Alasklerbanbastos to undergo the transformation to dracolichdom, and the Great Bone Wyrm since became the cell's leader. In fact, the cell relocated their base of operations from Chessenta to his lair in Mount Thulbane.

This cell had a dogmatic reputation within the Cult of the Dragon as a whole, owing to their devotion to Bane, strong ties to his church, and emphasis on the teachings of Algashon Nathaire over those of Sammaster. The cell, however, remained united in its hatred of Tchazzar and his followers over the years and saw his return to ascension as an open threat to Alasklerbanbastos. During the late 14 century DR, the Great Bone Wyrm hinted at an alliance forming between their cell and the Church of Tiamat, which, along with failed attempts at installing draconic leaders in Chessenta and Threskel, had its members grow weary and marginalized from other Cult branches.

Murghôm
In the late 15 century DR, the cult operated openly in the dragon-dominated realm of Murghôm. The cult owned a building in the city of Skalnaedyr known as Dragon House and maintained a fortress on the edge of the Plains of Purple Dust known as the Tower of the Talon.

Neverwinter
In 1479 DR, a cell of the cult, led by Adimond Kroskas, worked in conjunction with Thayan agents of Valindra Shadowmantle in Neverwinter Wood whilst searching for a way to restore the dragon Lorragauth to unlife. At the time, someone regularly graffitied a wall of a dilapidated building in the southern Blacklake District of Neverwinter with Iokharic writing (the language unrecognized) and the Cult of the Dragon symbol. Locals believed the images were evil, but mistook it for a devil-worshiping cult.

Sembia
In Sembia, as of 1358 DR, the Cult of the Dragon was in control of the city of Daerlun via their manipulation of the unwitting Allathast, the commander of the guard. Preferring to keep their activities here low-key, the organization used Daerlun as a refuge, where members could rest and recover and they could store arms and treasures, and to profits off its secret slavery of convicted criminals. Their agents were all around the area. The Cult was also rampant in Saerloon, under the leadership of Naergoth Bladelord, the priest Salvarad, and the thief Zilvreen. They dispatched members members and strike forces to steal treasure and magic to add to dracolich hoards. In Urmlaspyr, the Cult maintained a secret temple under High Dragonservant Faerlaur Onthim, while Cult strike forces battled Harpers in Yhaunn.

By the 1370s DR, the senior leaders of the Sembian cell were the Wearers of Purple Salvarad, Zannaster, Zilvreen, and Faerlaur Onthim along with seven or so well-to-do merchants and a senior member of the Silver Ravens. The cell was strongly allied with the dracoliches Aurgloroasa and Dretchroyaster, and maintained a loose associated with a few others. The Sembians maintained a strong influence over the Dragonwell cell.

The Sembian cell was in a constant resource war with the Zhentarim and repeatedly came into conflict with the church of Tiamat during their efforts to convert the dragons of the Thunder Peaks to undeath. They even became a check on the growing threat of the Shadovar.

Sunset Mountains
This Cult cell was housed in a citadel in the Sunset Mountains, near the Well of Dragons, the legendary site that served as a graveyard to dragons in Faerûn for ages. Their influence stretched from the Serpent Hills in the south to the southern border of the Anauroch, and even off the coast to the island of Evereska.

In the late 14 century, the Dragonwell cell was led by Naergoth Bladelord, a former member of the Sembian cell. In fact the group in the Sunset Mountains maintained close relations with their sister cell, and was full of its expatriated members. They had one allied dragon, Arsekaslyx, who served as their guardian for over a century.

As of the late 15 century DR, some old dragons continued to make pilgrimages to the site to achieve immortality through dracolichdom.

Tymanther
In the late 15 century DR, a secret cell of the cult operated in Djerad Thymar, the capital of Tymanther. The cult maintained its membership and beliefs secret, but had a public face called the Abeir Academy that welcomed dragonborn who had had hard times and were looking for a new start, as a way to cultivate potential new members.

Waterdeep
The Cult had a presence in Waterdeep circa 1367 DR.

Wyrmsmoke
Located in the Galena Mountains, the Cult cell that operated from Wyrmsmoke Keep extended their influence over the dragons of Thar and the eastern Moonsea. They often sought out dragons to disrupt the trade lines of the Zhentarim, though they could not sustain open opposition. The Wyrmsmoke cell had lost all their dracoliches, and many of their draconic allies in 1373 DR, largely at the hands of the Talons of Justice.

This cell was led by a council of six Wearers of Purple, mostly from the Moonsea region: Kaela Ulsant, Crenshyl Khodoil, Delphaeryn Leiyraghon, Orinskar of Thar, Theldar Hammerfist, and Dalgar. Their garrison of forces included three tribes of dragonkin, a tribe of draconic orcs, and their fire drake mounts.

Relationships
The enemies of the Cult of the Dragon were, in their view, anyone who would not want to be ruled over by dragons.

Manshoon of Zhentil Keep manipulated the Cult of the Dragon in the mid-1300s DR to enhance his own influence in the city and cultivate his magical power.

The Cult of the Dragon was primarily opposed by the Harpers. Other enemies included the Zhentarim.

The adventuring mage Maxer Hlarr was a noted opponent of the Cult of the Dragon in the early-to-mid 1300s DR, said to have set their schemes back by 20 years before his retirement. The Flight of Dragons in 1356 DR was in part an attempt to get revenge against him.

Armor

 * Evil dragon armor

Magic

 * Main: Cult of the Dragon spells

The Cult of the Dragon was reputed to have developed strange magical practices for gaining mastery over evil dragons.

The most significant of these was the method of transforming a live dragon into an undead dracolich, though it was rumored the Cult was not alone in possessing the knowledge. It was a complex process of powerful magic and expensive material components and a phylactery.

They employed a number of unique and specialized spells that were inscribed within the Tome of the Dragon. As copies of Sammaster's opus were disseminated to leaders of the Cult's cells, they were often used by their arcane members while in service to the Sacred Ones. Many of the more uncommon and rare spells associated with the Cult were based in the metamagic and necromancy schools of magic. These subjects were part of Sammaster's obsession after his fall as one of Mystra's Chosen.

Magical Items

 * Amulet of draconic might
 * Dragon's tooth
 * Dragon masks
 * Ring of dragons: These were used by senior members, the Keepers of the Secret Hoard, for their protection, namely by summoning (but not controlling) nearby evil dragons.

Artifacts

 * Mask of the Dragon Queen
 * Tome of the Dragon

History
The Cult of the Dragon was founded by the former Chosen of Mystra, Sammaster. Unlike his fellow Chosen, however, his mind broke under the great power granted him by Mystra. Mad and beset by delusions of grandeur, Sammaster began to believe that "dead dragons shall rule the world entirely" and furthermore that he should be the one to bring about that destiny.

Although Sammaster was killed in 916 DR during an ambush by the Harpers and clergy of Lathander, Algashon Nathaire led the organization underground, and Sammaster achieved lichdom, having prepared for the event of his death. Though he would later be destroyed, the Cult of the Dragon survived and continued to menace Faerûn.

Originally, the Cult of the Dragon lacked any formal headquarters or strong leadership, which caused the organization to be disjointed and often in conflict with itself.

By around 1370 DR, the Cult had spread widely, and its own tenets had diverged, leading to members in different areas having different ideas of the Cult's formation and ultimate destiny.

After Sammaster's destruction in the late 14 century DR, the cult had no true leader, although, as of the, it revered Anabraxis the Black Talon as its ultimate authority. The cult was organized into semi-autonomous cells, each led by one or more Wearers of Purple.

It was during this leaderless period that a cultist named Severin Silrajin came to prominence. Guided by Tiamat, he decided that the Chronicles of Years to Come had been mistranslated by Sammaster, and predicted that the world would be ruled not by dead dragons, but by living ones. He quickly rose through the cult's ranks until he became its leader, at which point he switched the focus the cult's efforts to summoning Tiamat into Faerûn. This plot nearly succeeded, but, following its failure, the Cult fractured between those who wished to return to their old mandate to honor undead dragons and those who wished to pursue the new philosophy.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Steelheart • Vale of the Dragon Oracle • Hoard of the Dragon Queen • Rise of Tiamat


 * Novels
 * Shandril's Saga (Spellfire, Crown of Fire, Hand of Fire) • The Veiled Dragon • Temple Hill
 * Comics
 * Tyranny of Dragons


 * Video Games
 * Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor •