Dark Faiths and Cults of the Dragon Curses
It is an unfortunate truth that light cannot exist without darkness as its counterpart. The denominations of Metallicism stand as beacons of light and virtue surrounded by shadow cults wearing the trappings of true religions. Chief among these pretenders are the five dark faiths of the dragon curses, sometimes collectively referred to as Chromaticism. While they do serve nicely as foils for Metallicism and its sects, also being composed of five groups each headed by an elder dragon lord, it is exceedingly fortunate that curses seem to be fundamentally incapable of allying with one another for any significant amount of time, lest their combined forces spell doom for the world as a whole.
When examining the current state of affairs from this worldview, one can see how not all subjects of the dragon curses view themselves or their actions as wholly evil. An old adage asserts, “no one fancies themself the villain” and it seems as though this primarily rings true. Yes, orcs and death knights seemingly revel in their villainy, but other factions like the dvergen or panthera could easily see themselves as revolutionaries rather than traitors. The general lack of acknowledgement of personal, private property of the thals and lycans is not too dissimilar to the communal nature of the taurien, and could even be compared to that of halflings except for the acts of violence. The faelene may have felt they were treated as second class citizens by the high elves. And the dvergen are very vocal about their belief that their expatriation was to shrug off the oppression of the high born clans. It is easy to paint every group who is perceived as an enemy with a wide brush and color them all as evil, depraved, and villainous, but reality is never nearly that black and white.
Mythology & Lore
Chromaticists agree with the broad strokes of the creation myth supported by Metallicism. Primus formed Aurora and Umbra by separating light from dark, and created the material world from the fundamental elemental forces. These forces then self organized to become the primevals known today. However a fundamental difference in the myths centers around the inherent natures of Aurora and Umbra. Metallicism dictates that Aurora is the embodiment of light and life, while Umbra is darkness and death. However Chromaticism defines the distinction differently, labeling Aurora as a confining force of order and Umbra as the spirit of freedom and self determination.
Divine Origins
The metallic dragon lords are still the children of Aurora, and the chromatics of Umbra, but again Chromaticism defines their roles differently than its counterpart. To a chromatic cultist all elder dragons are essentially morally equal, seeking to increase their own power, wealth, and status at the expense of their peers. They cite the stories which claim that in the beginning each dragon lord enslaved the drahkai, and go further by claiming that their liberation was a ploy to get all of the drahkai to serve only them. Given that the overwhelming majority of drahkai now serve Ferritrix this characterization does seem to hold at least some weight, from a certain point of view.
Perhaps more importantly though are the tales of the giant wars. The true giants posed a legitimate threat to the elder dragons, so the dragons joined together to wipe them out. The wars lasted the better part of an age and carved massive swaths out of the landscape, but when the dust finally settled it was the dragons who remained, though greatly diminished as a result. So intense was the fighting that it would take the better part of an age for them to recover their strength to the extent seen today. Chromaticists tell this story as an example both of the moral relativism of all elder dragons, and the fact that when posed with a significant enough threat they were willing to put aside their supposedly dichotomous differences and work together against a common foe.
Ethics
That is not to say that there are not some who revel in evil deeds for their own sake. Whether it be necromancy, war mongering, depravity, or gluttony, there are numerous sins which bring great joy to the living. Those who put more than their fair share of evil into the world, those whose shadow creates more darkness than their frame, are the servants of Umbra, the Shadowcasters. Just as Candlekeepers need not be faithful to the Church of Light, Shadowcasters are not all the servants of dragon curses. First and foremost they always serve themselves, and commit acts of villainy to further their own pursuits. They are the ones people imagine all enemies to be, the exception which proves the rule. And so with all of this in mind, here is an examination of the dark faiths of the dragon curses.
Alternative Names
Chromaticism
Demonym
Chromaticists
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