THE CULTS AND THE WAR
The war and its aftermath created a fertile breeding
ground for the Cults of the Dragon Below. In this time
of uncertainty and fear, it's easy for people to gravitate
toward a group that provides a sense of purpose or a
promise of security. This mindset is intensified by the
spread of refugees in the wake of the Mourning, and by
the lingering animosity that continues to divide people.
In the Mror Holds, the conflict with Dyrrn the Corruptor
has begun to leave its mark, with new cults appearing
throughout the nation. In general, the chaos of the war
has left behind ample areas of shadow in which new
cults can form and thrive.CULTS OF THE
DRAGON BELOW NPCs
Some Cults of the Dragon Below are bizarre yet harm
less, but most of them are dangerous and destructive
forces that prey on innocents and vulnerable people.
Some cultists are aware of the true nature of the be
ings they serve, but many are delusional; cultists might
perceive their mind flayer master as a wise and gen
tle priest.
CULT NPCs
d8 NPC2 3 4 5 6 7 8A monstrous aberration (such as a beholder, a mind
flayer, or a gibbering mouther) lairs beneath a popular
inn, from where it twists the thoughts and dreams of
those sleeping above.
The headmaster of an exclusive magic academy is ac·
tually a cult leader who is indoctrinating the students
into a cult of Sul Khatesh.
A wizard found mad scrawlings hidden in a li brary
book, used the writing to make contact with a daelkyr,
and began creating aberration servants.
A mind flayer serving Dyrrn dominates a magistrate
and takes control of the city watch using intellect
devourers.
An assassin mixes mind-altering poisons laced with
the whispers of a dark entity.
A dragonmarked heir whose fortunes were ruined in
the Last War founds a cult within their house.
The local thieves' guild turns from mundane orga
nized crime activities to bizarre murders and acts of
chaos.
A respected noble behaves more erratically as time
goes on, treating their servants and family with ran
dom and escalating cruelty.CULT CAMPAIGN THEMES
Cults of the Dragon Below make versatile villains in a
campaign. They can be introduced as a threat early on,
in the form of low-level cultists and small, disorganized
cells. As the campaign moves through the tiers of play,
stronger aberrations and fiends become viable antago
nists, as well as more powerful cult leaders who serve
the daelkyr, the Lords of Dust, or other dark entities.
The cults can also serve different styles of play. One
would be perfect for a slowly unfolding investigation that
starts out seemingly mundane, but slowly delves deeper
into otherworldly influences and dark magic. Allies
become suspect, and perhaps even erstwhile enemies
become necessary bedfellows.
Alternatively, a cult can burst explosively onto the
scene with a spray of gore and a horde of shrieking
dolgaunts. Such an incident leaves no doubt about the
cultists' evil nature, making them the obvious villains of
the story.CULT ADVENTURES
The Cult Adventure Hooks table offers suggestions for
story opportunities involving the cults.CULT ADVENTURE HOOKS
d8 Adventure Hook
Children throughout town begin reciting the same
nursery rhyme, adding increasingly disturbing de
scriptions as the verses progress. No one knows
where they learned the rhyme.
2 Shadows around the old asylum take on a deep, inky
cast, and things move just outside the light. Then the
whispered laughs begin.
3 A seemingly healthy noble dies of heart failure
brought on by extreme terror, but with no clear
source. The noble recently had an exquis ite portrait
painted. Every other person portrayed by the same
artist has also died in a similar fashion.(^4) In a remote village, the local herbalist is condemned
for practicing dark magic against the villagers. They
swear their innocence to the characters and beg to be
exonerated before their scheduled execution.
5 Magic items begin exhibiting strange side effects,
causing minor warping of their users' flesh, or fraying
their users' sanity.
6 Strange bounty hunters stalk the characters, seem
ingly aware of all their secrets and loved ones. Odd
lumps writhe beneath the hunters' cloaks.
(^7) A crazed hermit wanders into town and commits
suicide in a grisly fashion. All the food in the village
spoils instantly, and aberrant creatures attack every
midnight thereafte,r.
8 Several caravans have gone missing over the course
of months. The authorities hire mercenary help after
an aberration attacks while wearing the signet ring of
a missing caravan master.
CHAPTER 4 I BUILDING EBERRON ADVENTURES
189