Cult of the Dragon
The Cult of the Dragon has existed since the War of the Fallen. The religious sect formed in response to the cataclysmic civil war fought amongst the gods, displaying sympathy and support for the actions of the evil Dragon Queen Tiamat. A man by the name of Severin Silrajin initially founded the cult during the 1st century BWF - the first man to don the color purple. The group began as a collection of sadists, necromancers, and acolytes devoted to the worship of chromatic dragons. While it originated as a secret organization devoted to the veneration of Tiamat, the cult evolved over the ages into a group acknowledged by the wider public.
During the War of the Fallen, Severin and his followers pledged themselves implicitly to Tiamat and her hoard of evil dragons in the hopes of receiving riches and rewards beyond their wildest imaginations. The work the cult did to aid the Fallen gods was recognized by Tiamat and as a result, the Dragon Queen bestowed upon Severin five magical dragon masks for himself and his closets followers. Individually, these ancient masks allowed the wearers to communicate with dragons, granting whoever possesses one the title of Wyrmspeaker. More importantly, a person who dons one of the masks gains the ability to think like a dragon, gain favor among dragons, and subtly influence their behavior. When all five masks are brought together, they magically become the Mask of the Dragon Queen. With the assembled mask, it is said that the cult can release Tiamat from her prison created by the nine Astrals.
The cult employs a rather simple hierarchical structure, consisting of initiates on the bottom, a few ranks for cultists, and one highest rank for the “Hand of the Dragon”—the lords, leaders, and cult masters of particular locales. The cult is ruled by a secretive inner group led by the “Eye of the Dragon”—a title given to the chief denizen within the cult—and four other wyrmspeakers—a term of respect given to those whose bond with dragons is supernaturally strong.
The Hand of the Dragon exist at the top of the cult’s humanoid hierarchy, and their word is law for the cultists in the cities, strongholds, and lairs they command. They are the only members of the cult to wear purple, and most are proud enough to flaunt the color. The Hand of the Dragon, occasionally referred to as the Wearers of Purple have an affinity for talking to and negotiating with dragons—the gift of wyrmspeaking. A number of the Hand of the Dragon are spread throughout the cult, and all are able to command the cult’s immense resources. Only the Eye of the Dragon’s inner circle can promote a member of the cult to the Hand of the Dragon, granting that character a base of operations and funds. Most new members of the Hand have already developed a working relationship with a dragon as part of their power and authority. Those who do not nurture and develop this relationship are sometimes demoted.
These four members of the Hand of the Dragon are the keepers of the dragon masks and the Eye of the Dragon’s most devoted servants in the effort to summon Tiamat. Each of these wyrmspeakers is directed with bearing one of the dragon masks, which they never part with except under the direst circumstances—and then only at the request of the Eye or a draconic ally. The members of the inner circle each have a nature connotation for a particular color of chromatic dragon. They treat with dragons of those colors to recruit more dragons to the cause, and plan cult missions that advance the goals of the cult.
Cult members idolize dragons as powerful icons and masters, but their worship is reserved for Tiamat. They look forward to the Dragon Queen’s return, believing that she will annihilate mortal civilization and usher in a magnificent reign of dragons—and of those who helped bring about draconic rule. The multifarious plot dedicated to bringing Tiamat to Esos has so far been focused on the cult recovering the five dragon masks and collecting an enormous treasure worthy of the Dragon Queen. Nearly 700 years after the War of the Fallen, the cult made tremendous headway in achieving its goal of reviving the Dragon Queen. In an event known as the Dracomachy, the Cult of the Dragon was successful in waging war against the mortal races of Eldamir and was nearly able to gather all five of the ancient dragon masks and assemble the Mask of the Dragon Queen. If not for the alliance of men, dwarves, and storm giants that rose up to counter the armies assembled by the cult, Tiamat very well may have been resurrected. Since this event, the Cult of the Dragon has worked tirelessly to reassemble the dragon masks and strive towards reviving their queen.
The Cult of the Dragon maintains an interesting position within Esoean society. Because there is no secret as to the organization’s existence, cult members do not attempt to hide their affiliation with the religious sect from their neighbors. However, since many of the more nefarious operations of the cult are kept secret from the public the society’s true agenda is a mystery to most people. Most people of Esos have heard of the cult but know only that its members revere evil dragons. The cult recruits new members in major cities, and word quickly gets around. Moreover, many cultists engage in legitimate business or are assigned to ordinary academic research. Only a relative few serve as thieves, assassins, and spies.
The Hand of the Dragon
The Hand of the Dragon exist at the top of the cult’s humanoid hierarchy, and their word is law for the cultists in the cities, strongholds, and lairs they command. They are the only members of the cult to wear purple, and most are proud enough to flaunt the color. The Hand of the Dragon, occasionally referred to as the Wearers of Purple have an affinity for talking to and negotiating with dragons—the gift of wyrmspeaking. A number of the Hand of the Dragon are spread throughout the cult, and all are able to command the cult’s immense resources. Only the Eye of the Dragon’s inner circle can promote a member of the cult to the Hand of the Dragon, granting that character a base of operations and funds. Most new members of the Hand have already developed a working relationship with a dragon as part of their power and authority. Those who do not nurture and develop this relationship are sometimes demoted.
The Inner Circle
These four members of the Hand of the Dragon are the keepers of the dragon masks and the Eye of the Dragon’s most devoted servants in the effort to summon Tiamat. Each of these wyrmspeakers is directed with bearing one of the dragon masks, which they never part with except under the direst circumstances—and then only at the request of the Eye or a draconic ally. The members of the inner circle each have a nature connotation for a particular color of chromatic dragon. They treat with dragons of those colors to recruit more dragons to the cause, and plan cult missions that advance the goals of the cult.
Goals
Cult members idolize dragons as powerful icons and masters, but their worship is reserved for Tiamat. They look forward to the Dragon Queen’s return, believing that she will annihilate mortal civilization and usher in a magnificent reign of dragons—and of those who helped bring about draconic rule. The multifarious plot dedicated to bringing Tiamat to Esos has so far been focused on the cult recovering the five dragon masks and collecting an enormous treasure worthy of the Dragon Queen. Nearly 700 years after the War of the Fallen, the cult made tremendous headway in achieving its goal of reviving the Dragon Queen. In an event known as the Dracomachy, the Cult of the Dragon was successful in waging war against the mortal races of Eldamir and was nearly able to gather all five of the ancient dragon masks and assemble the Mask of the Dragon Queen. If not for the alliance of men, dwarves, and storm giants that rose up to counter the armies assembled by the cult, Tiamat very well may have been resurrected. Since this event, the Cult of the Dragon has worked tirelessly to reassemble the dragon masks and strive towards reviving their queen.
Relationships
The Cult of the Dragon maintains an interesting position within Esoean society. Because there is no secret as to the organization’s existence, cult members do not attempt to hide their affiliation with the religious sect from their neighbors. However, since many of the more nefarious operations of the cult are kept secret from the public the society’s true agenda is a mystery to most people. Most people of Esos have heard of the cult but know only that its members revere evil dragons. The cult recruits new members in major cities, and word quickly gets around. Moreover, many cultists engage in legitimate business or are assigned to ordinary academic research. Only a relative few serve as thieves, assassins, and spies.
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