Cultist of the Shattered Peak

"The pride of wizards and arcanists nearly doomed Faerûn once. Never again."

- Khemal Serist, Cultist of the Shattered Peak

A Cultist of the Shattered Peak was a member of the Cult of the Shattered Peak, a secret society whose members were all of Netherese descent.

History
Cultists were always humans of Netherese descent. These bloodlines are most prevalent in the Anauroch Desert, Halruaa, Nimbral, on the Sword Coast North, in the Ride, among the Uthgardt, and in the Western Heartlands.

Organization
Most members were originally fighter/rogues, though single-class rogues and rogue/rangers have also been known to join the cult's ranks. Paladins are rare due to the cult's sometimes ruthless tactics, and arcane spellcasters are banned altogether. They were also required to speak Loross.

Goals and methods
The cultists recalled the arcane hubris that was Netheril's downfall, not to mention its oppression of nonhumans, and fought to keep the old ways dead and buried. Their goal was to prevent Netherese secrets from being rediscovered, in the hopes of protecting Toril from suffering a similar apocalypse. To this end they employed a myriad of tactics ranging from disinformation and theft to outright assassination. From the point of view of the Cult of the Shattered Peak, sorcerers and wizards were the ones most likely to disturb Netherese secrets; the cult's directive is to prevent this. This placed cultists in direct or indirect conflict with many of Faerûn's arcane spellcasters. Of course, not all mages were opposed to the cause, but the cultist had little choice but to view a given mage as a potential opponent and power abuser until proven otherwise.

Combat
Cultists normally favored stealth and guile over direct combat, but when forced they attack with ferocity and efficiency. Their prowess was equivalent to a rogue, and they struck fast and hard, preferably before their target realized that the cultist is there. Their special abilities, particularly the Death Attack (see below) make such surprise attacks devastating.

Abilities

 * Spellcasting: Cultists gained the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells from the schools of abjuration and enchantment.
 * Ominous Presence: Cultists had a knack for lying and intimidation which was useful for dissuading adventurers from uncovering dangerous Netherese secrets.
 * Zeal: Cultists had a boost in morale when fighting arcane spellcasters.
 * Sneak Attack: Like rogues, cultists could stab opponents in the back with lethal force.
 * Smite Mage: Like paladins, cultists could smash through enemy defenses.
 * Death Attack: Like assassins, cultists could instantly kill rival combatants.

Equipment
Cultists were proficient with many deadly weapons, wore light armor, and used bucklers in combat.