The Ascending

The Ascending is an underground religious organisation, worshipping artificial beings who received powerful gifts from deities or chaos itself, and now act as gods themselves, calling them "those who have ascended" or "the Ascended" for short.

The current cult believes there used to be a total of 9 Ascended, but that a mysterious figure has been murdering them one by one, to the point only 3 Ascended are still alive and left on the continent.

### Mythology & Lore

Current Ascended still being worshipped:

* **Justice Bringer:** *Order and War*. A young earth genasi with blonde volcanic glass hair lifting her spear towards the sun. She has no wrinkles and no frown on her face for she knows what to do and how to strike true.
* **Archivist:** *Knowledge*. A wise elf writing in his book, spectacles on his nose. He has seen all, remembers all, and will be here for the remainder of existence.
* **Eldritch:** *Forge and Arcana*. A dwarf with hard iron skin and heart, oozing magical energy. He enchants the most perfect of weapons and crafts the most powerful of spells.

Previous Ascended who have been destroyed:

* **Harbinger**: *Knowledge and Twilight*. A blind tiefling child holding a crystal globe. She reads and writes in stars, weaving the paths of mere mortals, understanding chaos around her.
* **Reaper:** *Grave and Nature*. A male firbolg with a scythe, gently caressing golden wheat fields around him. As he steps throughout the fields, he leaves behind a trail of blood and life essence, fertilising the soil.
* **Guardian:** *Light and Life*. A dragonborn of pale scales crossing his arms, a giant axe at his feet. The door in his back holds the most precious of treasures, and no one shall spoil it with their touch.
* **Messenger:** *Trickery*. A playful tabaxi of sand fur, running across the continent. Letters in her bags, she will not tire out and will keep on running until she decides to stop.
* **Vengeful:** *Death*. A kenku holding a dagger on top of the mountains. With the pale moon behind him, he silently moves in the shadows, forever looking to right others' wrongs towards him.
* **Luminary:** *Peace and Light*. A smiling fairy, glowing of joy and wonder. She wishes for the world to get together and rejoice in their differences, as all live under the same sun and stars.

### Priesthood

The Ascending are scattered throughout the continent and most of them are not organised.

The original leader of the cult, also known as the Shepherd, was a failed Ascended, meaning he had simply learned ways to become an Ascended, tried himself and failed. As years went on, he united people who wanted to ascend and become super-beings, teaching his ways. After his time, he chose the next Shepherd, giving them his knowledge, and the cult kept going, failing every generation of Shepherds to create more Ascended, getting worse and worse.

The current Shepherd is a male Harengon, whose name is not known. He looks about 30-35 years old with white and grey fur, carrying a staff and a robe during private meetings. He has the sigil of the Ascending cult, a nine-pointed star, engraved on a medal, that he usually plays with when trying to recruit and gamble with.