Survival Cults

By Scott Reeves

Every sentient race has its own survival cult, a faction which guards against the corrupting touch of the other races. They see their race as the pinnacle of creation and actively seek to uphold their values and traditions. Outsiders are decadent or dangerous, threatening their culture and possibly even their existence. Because they have no real culture of their own, half-races do not have survival cults.

Each survival cult is different. Some are obviously religious establishments with clear-cut dogma and rituals. Others resemble political groups or conspiracies. All try to exemplify the things that make its race unique and, in their view, superior to the others. There are a few basic generalizations that apply to all survival cults:

• Superiority: Each cult believes that its race is superior to all others
• Purity: No survival cult will tolerate the dilution of its culture, traditions, or bloodlines.
• Zeal: Survival cultists are always willing to champion their beliefs. In the right circumstances they will vigorously defend their ideology, using deadly force if necessary.

The following entries give brief accounts of the survival cults for dwarves, elves, halflings, and humans:

• Sons of the Earth
• True Stewards
• The Folk
• Prophets of the Golden Age