Disciples of the Dragon

# **Devices and Uniforms:**

The Cult uses the symbol of a flame with eyes burning above a dragon’s claw, but cultists display it openly only when a cell or individual member can be sure that it will not attract the attention of the cult’s many dedicated foes. Because some groups of cultists sometimes take it into their heads to work at cross purposes with their fellows for reasons ranging from madness to pure contrariness, the exact appearance of this symbol varies from cell to cell. The rarely seen in public leaders of the Cult tend to wear bright red clothing (similar to a Kimono)

# **Deity:**

Dragons are worshipped as divine entities

# **Goal:**

The Members of the “Disciples of the Dragon” believe that it is Xaria’s destiny to be ruled by Dragons

# **Past:**

*(Note! this is the way the Cult describes history; what other groups and historians claim as truth could be quite different...)*
The Cult describes its history as being interlinked with the history of Dragons in the world of Xaria. They tell of a time in the dawn of the remeberance, where Dragons freely roamed this and other worlds. The Dragons watched all of the inhabitants of Xaria, and quickly determined that they needed help or they were not going to be able to survive. So, the dragons began to help different races and peoples in various and different ways. Over time, the humanoid races began to seek the counsel of Dragons on various important decisions, and some even took to worshipping the dragons themselves for their generous gifts and wisdom. A symbiotic relationship was formed, with magikal gifts being shared between the worshippers and the Dragons. New fields of study in Divine magiks were formed. The Dragons enjoyed this relationship, and all was good for generations. Other Divine beings calling themselves “Gods” also visited the world, and encouraged the growing populations to worship them instead of the Dragons, claiming any number of falsehoods about the Dragons. The “Gods” helped to establish a vast empire of Temples across the lands, and echoed the Dragons ritual of magikal sharing. Many of the religions of the world speak of a great Wyrm or Dragon as the Eternal opponent of the Gods. During the Era of the Consortium, a group of mages used the magiks gained from the dragons to create their own magikal Dragon to be at their beck and call. The “Gods” became frightened of this new power demonstrated by the Consortium, and launched a massive attack against the Consortium mages responsible for the created Dragon, and ended up destroying a significant amount of the civilization and the newly created Dragon. The land now known as the Badlands was the center of the Attack of the Gods. After this great attack, the Dragons went into the deeper passages of the world, rarely being seen on the surface by the peoples of the world. With the dragons went their magikal powers.

*Note: This needs to be adjusted to reflect events within the Ancient Shadows games...*
No sign of Dragons has been seen in Xaria since 250 at the “Month of Sunset”, when all of the skies turned a beautiful blood red for a full month. It is believed that the Dragons left the caverns of the deep to spread their joyous learning and powers to other planes. The Wearers of Red, our leaders, wear blood red clothing as a commemoration of this awe-inspiring event. Since then, the cult has worked to promote the teachings of the Dragons, and make the world ready for their return to Xaria.

# **Present:**

Not much is known about current activites of the Disciples. They are known to be in possession of a Dragon Egg that was returned to Xaria as a result of the casting of the Red Sky spells. Several Dragons were known to have returned, but it is unclear how many did come, and in what forms they have taken.

# **Alliances:**

The most common allies of the cult are dragons. The cult is not averse to cooperating temporarily with evil monsters or even a few evil adventurers. Individual members have been known to make deals with chaotic and evil outsiders, though cult policy discourages interacting with demons and devils.

The Cult has no connections with the Drow. The Cult favors self-made individuals, and doesn’t value those claiming to be royalty, or of royal descent. “Power is something that is earned or taken, not granted by birth”.

Against apparent logic, the cult considers the Veldron Knights to be their allies, due to their relationship of veneration to the Dragon Veldron. It is unlikely that the Veldron will consider this a reciprocal relationship.

# **Enemies:**

Most Xarians see the Disciples of the Dragon as a dangerous group of lunatics. The cult doesn’t receive much attention by most governments or organized bodies. Nevertheless, the Disciples of the Dragon have their enemies, principally those groups who either compete with the cult for resources and turf, or those dedicated to ensuring that evil folk do not prevail, such as the Knights of Light. Another consideration, is that the worshippers of any god or gods, would likely find much to disagree with in the general principles of Disciples of the Dragon. The Cult essentially opposes the worship of gods in general, and as such tends to make for lively conversations and the bloodiest brawls witnessed in most Inns and taverns in the land.

Wherever the Disciples of the Dragon maintain Dragon Temple, it is likely to run afoul of those competing for the same ill-gotten gains. These conflicts can be as inconsequential as a disagreement over territory that is settled by a pact or a sum of compensating gold paid to one side or the other. They can also be as desperate as full-scale armed opposition with both factions struggling openly for control of the desired prize. The cult prefers to bargain its way out of these problems, but when it can’t, its members dig in and fight. The Priesthood devise the strategy their cells employ against rival organizations, and they also join the rank and file in the fighting.

*Due to the events in Ancient Shadows*, the Disciples of the Dragon see followers of the younger gods, Skuag, Niva, Vorak, and Sheela as enemies, but will not attack on sight blindly. They prefer to try to publicly humiliate or otherwise bring shame to these "misguided" followers. They will actively try to disuade people from joining these Followings, using whatever means are at their disposal, but always preferring words over weapons.

# **Leadership:**

The Priests, known internally as Divine Dragon Mages are the visible leaders of ceremony and responsible for recruiting and training of new members. The Cult is known to employ large muscular fighters as guards in and around the Temple. These powerful guards are also seen in the company of the Priests when they are out in the towns and villages often using their muscle to help enforce the word and will of the Priests. This extra muscle is especially helpful in extracting tithes and donations to the local temple.

# **Code & Prohibitions:**

Members of the Disciples of the Dragon must renounce any allegiances made to all other gods, and pledge sole allegiance to the Dragon race.

# **Recruitment:**

The Disciples of the Dragon have mixed feeling about new recruits. On the one hand, there’s no denying that the Cult needs fresh blood to replace members, but most Disciples barely remember the circumstances about how they joined the Cult. It's like they have no memory of their lives before they were part of the Cult. Disciples are frequently seen to visit orphanages and brothels and are known to take children that are otherwise unwanted.

# **Typical Member:**

The typical cultist appears to be human, but other races are seen from time to time.

# **Generally Known:**

The Cult is taken a little more seriously since the recent Red Sky event, since Dragons were seen in the sky above many parts of Xaria. Most people still think it is pretty weird, and think of them somewhat as a "Doomsday" type group. Most parents would not be happy to learn that their son or daughter was hanging around with the Disciples.

# **In-Character Quote:**

“…and all our enemies shall be revealed in good time. Those who would oppose us shall fall to ruin and death in the jaws of the dragons. And their bodies shall crack and their hair shall burn, and they will know in their last moments that theirs was the path of folly. For the reign of the Dragons cannot be forestalled, cannot be thwarted, cannot be broken.”

# **Red File**:

Yes! Most certainly, a red file exists and is suggested to be read before playing as a member.