The Blood of Vol
The Blood of Vol is an ancient religion dedicated to the meaning of blood, the mysteries of heredity, death, and the undead. Most of its members believe that blood is the source of life and that undeath provides immortality and a path to divinity, but know little of the true motives of the religion.
True followers of the religion serve and revere the ancient lich Vol. This self-proclaimed Queen of the Dead was once the heir to the dragonmarked House of Vol, whose members carried the Mark of Death. In an attempt to end the elf-dragon wars the House of Vol attempted to mix elf and dragon blood. The result was Erandis d'Vol, a half-dragon who bore the Mark of Death, created from the arcane union of an elven mother and a green dragon father.
The revelation of Erandis's existence lead to an alliance between the elves and the dragons for the purpose of destroying the House of Vol and all half-dragons as both sides saw them as an abomination. To insure her survival, Erandis's mother used her powers over death to transform Erandis into a lich.
Structure
Although it might seem disorganized in comparison to certain faiths, the Blood of Vol is a formal hierarchy, as rigorous as any other. The difference lies in the levels of secrecy maintained, and in the flow of information throughout every level of the faith. While many are unaware of it, the religion maintains a number of suborders and titles, the most pivotal of which are as follows.
Vol, Queen of the Dead
At the top of the religion sits its progenitor and namesake, Erandis d’Vol. From her place of seclusion in Illmarrow Castle, perched on frozen Farlnen island in the far northern -reaches of the Lhazaar Principalities, the lich directs the efforts of a vast network of priests, spies, catspaws, and agents provocateurs. She is the supreme authority of the faith, and anyone lucky enough to communicate with her directly is expected to follow her orders to the letter, quickly and without question. Like any organization of willful (and usually evil) beings, the faith sees its fair share of political backstabbing and scheming, but Vol is chillingly efficient at maintaining absolute loyalty.The Crimson Covenant
The lich-queen’s operations would be hampered substantially were it not for her inner circle of trusted functionaries. For centuries, the Crimson Covenant has been the primary link between Vol and the day-to-day operations of the faith worldwide. The Covenant numbers thirteen, each of whom is either an intelligent undead or a mortal who has managed to bypass the rigors of time (see the thief of life prestige class on page 84). Each member has an unrestricted line of communication to Vol herself (though few dare abuse the privilege), and provides regular updates on the activities he or she oversees. Unlike other tiers of the faith, those who sit on this council know the identities of their fellow Covenant members, and the entire body is protected by the mightiest magic at Vol’s disposal. Few could even hope to divine the existence of the Covenant, let alone its makeup or the location of individual members.The Abactors
The Crimson Covenant maintains a network of Seekers known as abactors. Each is a temple head, responsible for the operation of both a temple and cult of substantial size. (The two groups are not mutually exclusive, and a handful of those in the Crimson Covenant are abactors themselves.) Abactors are, by definition, Seekers who are clerics of the Blood of Vol. Their ability and trustworthiness sets them apart from other priests, and they are inducted into the deepest mysteries of the faith. In return, they coordinate the induction of new cult members and oversee the collection and shipping of preserved blood to Covenant chosen areas.The Order of the Emerald Claw
Not beneath so much as beside the network of abactors is Vol’s paramilitary arm in Karrnath and beyond, the Order of the Emerald Claw. Ties to the Blood of Vol are known only to the highest ranks of the Order. Given the Order’s high profile, especially in Karrnath, security is a top concern, and even the most trusted unit commander typically knows only her immediate superior in the Covenant (often by a false name or face). In this manner does Vol protect herself and her secrets.The Clergy
The lowest rung on the ladder of faith hierarchy is the general priesthood. Many in this tier are ignorant of the truth of the religion’s makeup, even after years of faithful service. The magically active clergy of Vol includes a number of clerics but is primarily composed of adepts, with the remainder being necromancers of various stripes. Clerics are inducted into the truth of the faith more often than noncleric priests, due in part to the depth of their connection to and understanding of the Divinity Within. Priests of Vol hail from all races and walks of life, and were it not for common ritual and symbology, they would fail to recognize one another on a busy street.History
Most would be surprised to learn that the roots of the faith stretch back tens of thousands of years to the time of the giants in Xen’drik. It was not until the lost mark—the Mark of Death—appeared among the elves of House Vol, however, that the Blood of Vol as we know it was born. In a misguided attempt to put an end to the conflict that had ravaged both elves and dragons, the matriarch of House Vol mixed the blood of the two races, resulting in the birth of a baby girl who embodied both. The matriarch, a powerful necromancer named Minara d’Vol, named her daughter Erandis after her grandmother. Unknown even to the rest of House Vol, Minara fell deeply in love with the girl’s father, a mighty green dragon known as the Emerald Claw (his true name is believed known only to Vol), over the course of her pregnancy. Erandis was raised in secret while both House Vol and the Emerald Claw tried to secure a peaceful end to the conflict.
How word of the half-dragon’s existence got out is still a mystery to this day. Some claim the baby girl was betrayed by one of the elves of House Vol, but none can explain who did so or why. The prevailing belief is that the girl’s own father, desperate for an end to the intermittent but devastating conflicts between the elves and dragons, announced the news of the successful union between elf and dragon. Whatever the cause, revelation of Erandis’s existence did indeed unify of the two races (and ironically, brought an end to the periodic conflicts) but not in the House Vol as they had hoped.
Mutual outrage brought elves and dragons together, and they immediately began a campaign to obliterate all traces of both half-dragons and House Vol from the face of Eberron.
According to legend, the Emerald Claw vanished not long after the purge began. Some say he was killed defending the race of half-dragons (of which his daughter was now the most famous example). Others claim he withdrew from the world in shame over what his hubris had wrought. Twenty-six hundred years ago, House Vol was brought low, and the Mark of Death was lost in the process. Rather than see her daughter destroyed, Minara used her powers over life and death to transform Erandis into a lich. She had just enough energy left to send her daughter to safety before a powerful red dragon named Avothirax arrived at the head of a thousand elf warriors.
Tenets of Faith
If any single religious doctrine unites the Blood of Vol, it is the concept worshipers call the Divinity Within. This notion is embodied in one of the Seekers’ most treasured axioms, spoken at the opening of almost every ritual gathering:
Look not to the skies, nor to the depths below, nor even to the distant past or future. Seek the divine within, for the blood is the life, and in its call can be heard the promise of eternal life. One has but to listen.
This chant illustrates how the faith stands apart from more traditional religions. Seekers believe in no divinity but that which courses through their own veins, and refuse to acknowledge the existence of any “god” on principle alone. To them, followers of the Sovereign Host and the Dark Six are living deluded lives that will ultimately end in despair. Seeker philosophy does not exclude the three great Dragons but views them more as concepts than as literal beings. Worshipers believe in the power of things seen and grasped, and a dragonshard can be held in the hands, power coursing through it. Seekers hold that any “creator” who would devise the plane of Dolurrh as a soul’s final reward is worthy only of contempt. Thus, the faith focuses on the pragmatic; specifically, the life-or-death coin toss that is existence.
Seekers believe that traditional faith is a self-indulgent conceit, a means for small minds and even smaller souls to come to terms with the true nature of existence. In a world as unforgiving as Eberron, the only faith that is not misplaced is faith in oneself and one’s own capabilities. When priests of Vol meditate on their daily spells, for example, they are praying not to deities or to concepts, but in truth, to themselves. The Divinity Within grants the power to shape reality, not some outside force.
Ethics
Members of the monstrous races (particularly goblinoids, gnolls, and minotaurs) are often born into the faith, while other humanoids (especially humans and half-orcs) typically come to it later in life. In all but the most savage Seeker communities, forcible conversion is seen as senseless, and worse yet, a waste of time and resources. People too ignorant to see the truth should be left to their own devices (until they are needed). Even when Seekers capture someone outside the faith, they almost never give the nonbeliever the “convert or die” ultimatum. Examples of captured souls asking to join the faith do exist, but Seekers demand that individuals come to them. The growth of the spirit is always a personal matter, left entirely to the individual (though half-hearted souls might become community sacrifices in some areas).
Worship
Followers of the Blood of Vol make little use of conventional prayer, since no specific deity exists to entreat. Seekers of certain variant sects, especially those whose worship involves one or more named deities, often pray to those deities, but usually only during rites of greater import. Most Seekers only pray to themselves, often to steel their souls for an upcoming challenge or event. Such “prayers” consist of a quiet or even soundless recitation, the most common being “As the blood is the power, and the blood flows through me, the power is mine.”
MINOR RITES
The Blood of Vol as a whole maintains no minor rites, as any faith-wide practice is considered a major rite, by definition. All localized practices and rituals are therefore considered minor rites, and these vary from cult to cult. Most cults prefer to leave many minor rites to the individual, as the pursuit of the understanding of the self is of paramount importance in the faith, and therefore they keep few (if any) such rites as a group. Other cults, however, choose to focus on the communal identity of the faith, and thus encourage all local Seekers to be in attendance. These situations are more accurately seen as examples of how the faith uses ritual to build the bonds between members, rather than any indicator of the importance of the ritual itself. In these circumstances, minor rites can include things such as the celebration of a fellow Seeker’s enlightenment (often represented in game terms by advances in class level), the induction of a new member into the cult, or, perhaps most commonly, the communal meditation circles held regularly in most Vol cults.MAJOR RITES
The Blood of Vol as a faith does not mark life events as others do (although individual worshipers might). By its very nature, it has little interest in what passes for daily life among the civilized peoples of Khorvaire. Weddings, for example, are of no significance to most Seekers. However, the faith is concerned with matters of life, death, and beyond, so two events of daily life hold as much import for Seekers as they do for others: births and deaths. Unlike other faiths, the Blood of Vol ritually marks the passage of life-giving or life-ending events even if they occur outside the ranks of the faithful. The faith is not indifferent to the births and deaths of Seekers (these, too, are marked with ritual), but it also pays attention to the lives of important figures regardless of religion. This unusual habit puts Seekers in the position of ritually venerating the birth or death of complete strangers. On rare occasions, a cult leader calls the local Seekers together to mark a birth or death of an unknown or otherwise unremarkable individual. Even so, no loyal Seeker questions the decision. This rite happens most often with deaths but can also occur at births from time to time. The order to conduct the rite almost always comes straight from the Crimson Covenant, and even local leaders are often mystified as to the significance of the individual so honored. Most never realize their leaders are acting on orders from above, of course. Beyond this veneration of the twin passages into life and death, the Blood of Vol has two “high holidays” that involve substantial ceremony. The first, the Sacrament of Blood, is held at irregular intervals throughout the course of the year, and is the cornerstone ritual of the faith entire. The second is held during Crya, the thirteenth and “lost” month of the year.The Sacrament of Blood
This is the most sacred practice in the Blood of Vol. During the Sacrament, all the local Seekers gather in a specially prepared chamber, far from the eyes of prying outsiders. The cult leader begins with a brief chant in Draconic, welcoming the assembly as both individuals and parts of a collective soul. After the chant, the leader moves in turn to each participant, who ritually cuts himself with a special dagger known as a bloodfang. He then allows the Seeker seated next to him to hold his hand while it drips blood into the ritemaster’s ruby chalice. The ritual continues in this manner until every Seeker in attendance has given of his own blood. Unknown to many who partake in the ritual, the blood so collected is stored in barrels of preserving pine and shipped across Khorvaire for use in a wide variety of necromantic practices.Revelations Day (Crya 13th)
As the year grows colder and finally dies, each Seeker examines whateverspiritual progress he has (or has not) made in the preceding year. Revelations Day, also known as Ascension Day, offers every member of the faith the chance to take back a portion of what he has given throughout the year, and to reflect on the insights so gained. During the Revelations Day ritual, the ritemaster convenes the assembled Seekers for a Sacrament of Blood. This time, though, the ritemaster conducts a magical ceremony over the filled chalice that simultaneously cleanses the blood of impurities while concentrating the life energies inherent within the precious liquid. (Secretly, it is often mystically altered in other ways, depending on the ritemaster’s orders.) When this ceremony is complete, the ritemaster passes the chalice around once more, with each Seeker drinking from it in turn, taking back no more than he had put in. This ingestion always results in a mind-altering episode whose duration and intensity varies with the individual, and to a lesser extent, the amount consumed. These “blood trips” offer faithful souls the chance to visualize the truths that lie within not only their own blood, but within that of their fellow Seekers.THE CALENDAR
The Blood of Vol has been around since long before the formation of Galifar, and thus does not use the standard calendar to mark either religious observances or the passage of time. The faith follows the oldest active calendar on Eberron, called the Qabalrin Wheel. Named after the elf civilization that developed it on Xen’drik millennia ago, it was the only calendar of record for much of Eberron’s early history. Like its modern counterpart, the Qabalrin Wheel is divided into months that correspond to the moons of Eberron, but unlike the Galifar calendar, it still recognizes the thirteenth moon (believed lost to the cosmos when the giants sealed off the plane of Xoriat so many centuries ago). The Wheel has thirteen months rather than the standard twelve, with the last— Crya, associated with the lost Mark of Death—coming after Vult and before Zarantyr on the Galifar calendar. This renders the Qabalrin Wheel year one month longer than the Galifar year. The Blood of Vol liturgical calendar reckons time from the year when the House of Vol was betrayed, forcing its last scion into an eternity of undeath. To Seekers in the know, 998 YK corresponds to 2398 FH (the 2398th year since the Fall of the House). Many Seekers do not use this convention, of course, and even those who do still use the Galifar calendar for dealings outside the faith.Priesthood
Unlike the cult’s enemies in the Church of the Silver Flame, the people of Vol are an exceedingly diverse lot who would be surprised to learn that they have anything at all in common. The faith incorporates all the diversity of the Sovereign Host, and is spread out just as far, but with fewer members in its global congregation.
COMING TO THE FAITH
The most telling characteristic of the Blood of Vol is the variety of ways in which its followers come to the faith. Only a specific type of person actively seeks to join a religion such as the Silver Flame, and being brought up within the Church is no guarantee of continued faith. By contrast, almost anyone could seek out a Vol cult. Despite the faith’s broad-reaching charter and the deception inherent in its hierarchy, one trait is common to every Seeker, regardless of race or region—unshakable belief in the power of the self. Any true student of Vol’s mysteries is a devotee of the Divinity Within, and whatever else a soul might be, so long as it stands firm by this single creed, it will always be a Seeker at heart. This unifying belief not only lends strength to the faith as a whole, but fosters power and versatility in its congregation.BECOMING A PRIEST
The bulk of the faith’s priests hail from the lay worshipers. Once their understanding of the Divinity Within has progressed beyond a certain point, some Seekers feel compelled to help others find the path and are subsequently exalted to the role of priest. In theory, joining the priesthood takes nothing more than a clear understanding of its role in the journey of the individual, and a strong desire to serve. In practice, of course, things play out somewhat differently. The global priesthood of the faith (such as it is) is the mechanism by which the lich-queen Vol influences the lives of Seekers everywhere. Most worshipers have no idea that Vol still exists, let alone the full extent of her schemes and manipulations. A secret circle of advisors and functionaries known as the Crimson Covenant acts as the “ruling body” of the faith—the Blood of Vol equivalent of the Silver Flame’s Diet of Cardinals—despite the fact that many Seekers never learn of its existence, nor of the extent of its impact on their own lives. Taking the cloth in the Blood of Vol does not necessarily involve learning the truth about the Crimson Covenant. Most would-be priests of Vol are carefully investigated by Covenant agents before being exalted. In order to maintain this structure, the high priest has to be “in the know.” Each cult of any size has a temple head who is in direct communication with the Crimson Covenant or is an active part of it (the latter is always the case with the largest temples). When a potential new priest appears, the local temple head sends word to superiors in the Covenant. While waiting for an official reply, the temple head begins to test the would-be priest on matters of faith— specifically, knowledge of the twin subjects of life and death. He also conducts a special Sacrament of Blood in the petitioner’s honor, secretly preserving the blood for delivery to the Crimson Covenant. When the Covenant finally does address the request, it has accumulated enough information to provide a detailed recommendation one way or the other. If all goes smoothly, the temple head is permitted to induct the petitioner into the priesthood. If not, … The specifics vary from one group to the next, and some cults are cut off entirely from the Covenant (though the organization is doing its best to corral the most important ones), but most new priests go through some period of probation akin to seminary study. Usually, probation lasts no longer than three years, and no less than one year. During this time, the priest studies intensely in matters of death, history, and spirituality. An individual who displays a propensity for adept or cleric magic receives additional education and training in these areas. At the close of each year, the temple head who first sponsored the acolyte (or the present temple head, if a change has occurred) submits another report to the Crimson Covenant. Based on this report, as well as on its own findings in the interim, the Covenant decides either to let the priest in on the truth, or to keep him ignorant for another year. If permission is not granted to indoctrinate the priest into the truth of the Covenant after the third year, that priest will never be so indoctrinated.DUTIES OF THE CLERGY
Every priest of Vol shares the same duty as every follower: Seek out the Divinity Within. Even those who have already unlocked their own potential divinity, becoming immortal in the process, are expected to continue research in the mysteries of life, death, and beyond (furthering the cause of the lich-queen Vol in the process). All priests of Vol must obey reasonable orders from their superiors in the faith. For most, this means executing the local temple head’s commands without question. For temple heads and others in the know, it means following the orders of the Crimson Covenant to the letter. The clergy of the Blood of Vol conduct ceremonies and lead important rituals, just as priests of other faiths do. In all but the most savage of cults, priests of Vol can be found fulfilling mundane roles in the lives of their fellow Seekers, offering counsel to the faithful, and even taking confessions. While it is far from common, a priest might even host and witness the union of two Seekers in the congregation, although the ceremony generally needs to be repeated before a civil representative to be legally binding (especially in Thrane). There is no single, mandated holy symbol associated with the faith. While the Blood of Vol has a symbol, which sees a great deal of usage as a holy symbol, it is not the holy symbol of every priest. Each is allowed (and indeed, expected) to find a symbol that resonates with him, and to keep it sacred. This unorthodox practice not only reflects the faith’s focus on the needs of the individual, but also keeps its activities private. Along the same lines, priests of Vol are not expected to don any particular attire outside their temples. When conducting services, they wear garb of predominantly black and red. Shaved heads are common, especially in some cults, but are not mandated. Clerics of the Blood of Vol pursue and master spells of the necromancy school, especially those dealing with death or the animation of the dead. A strong grasp of how divine magic interacts with death and the soul is fundamental to understanding the Divinity Within. Those who have the power to raise the dead, for example, are seen as spiritually advanced, thus gaining greater status and respect. Any Vol cleric capable of true resurrection is deemed particularly blessed.FALLEN PRIESTS
The procedure for removing a priest of the Blood of Vol is disturbingly uncomplicated. As a rule, something grievous enough to warrant defrocking is enough to justify the priest’s death. Death before divinity is the worst fate a Seeker can conceive, so execution is the only suitable punishment for a betrayer. This harsh treatment typically occurs only when a priest is discovered to be actively serving the interests of a rival faith, most often the Church of the Silver Flame. In the eyes of many Seekers, particularly those who know the truth about the faith, such punishment is “too good” for the offending traitor.Political Influence & Intrigue
Although many Seekers are unaware of it, their faith is one of the most politically active on Eberron. In its upper echelons, the Blood of Vol is a force for political and social change that uses its congregation as a worldwide masquerade for its true agenda.
The Blood of Vol is involved to some extent in every major government on Khorvaire. The faith is best known for its connections to Karrnath, where it is responsible for, among other things, turning the tide of the Last War and begetting the recently outlawed Order of the Emerald Claw. With the reemergence of Kaius I (now a vampire, thanks to Vol herself) in the guise of Kaius III, the faith has met with setbacks.
Still, it is stronger and more influential in Karrnath than in most other areas. And if the recently converted Shirin d’Deneith succeeds in his bid to take over House Deneith, the tide could turn in favor of the Blood of Vol once more.
The faith is almost as active in the neighboring state of Aundair, though its presence is not nearly as open or accepted. The capital at Fairhaven is the headquarters of the Cult of Life, the single largest order within the Blood of Vol, which serves as the Aundairian equivalent of the Order of the Emerald Claw (though without the public persona). Vol is much more careful about her operations in Aundair, for the region is important to her future plans. Her operatives have thus far managed to keep a low profile, despite having made substantial inroads in the Aundairian political system.
Seekers are influential in both Breland and the Lhazaar Principalities, each of which houses one of the most important temples of Vol worldwide (the Widening Gyre in Xandrar, Breland, and Illmarrow Castle in the far north). Vol’s efforts are much more hands-off in the Principalities, due to the region’s political system and her desire to def lect attention, but in Breland, the Crimson Covenant is waging an all-out campaign to wrest power and influence from the locals. Some Seekers believe Breland will be the site of the faith’s greatest struggle.
Sects
The Blood of Vol draws Seekers of many differing origins and behaviors. Not all are equally committed to (or indeed, aware of) the Crimson Covenant or Vol herself. The spread of her philosophy has grown far beyond Vol’s ability to oversee directly, and she watches with interest as it grows and changes with each new Seeker who comes to the faith.
The Cult of Life
Despite its benevolent name, this subsect of the Blood of Vol is filled with some of the most dangerous Seekers in the world. Its members are known as “thieves of life,” and for good reason: The entire purpose of the cult is the pursuit of immortality, paid for with other living souls. Those at the highest levels of the cult are fully aware of their organization’s connection to Vol and often take orders directly from the Crimson Covenant. Neophyte members are kept ignorant of these truths until they have earned their place.The Hornblade Clan
This confederation of orcs and goblinoids has grown from a small tribe into the single largest community of Seekers on Khorvaire in the time since the end of the Last War. Before the war, the Hornblades were a large orc tribe in western Khorvaire, but they were decimated by infighting with druid cousins who felt they had lost their spiritual way. The clan’s purpose was renewed by the return of a half-breed exile by the name of Janilya. After besting the former chieftain in mortal combat, she united the clan under the banner of Vol and made clear her vision for the future: The Hornblades would allow Seekers of other races to join the tribe, if their belief was strong enough. Since then, the clan’s ranks have swelled with new arrivals (mostly goblins and other orcs) who come to hear the word of their new prophet, to be a part of her vision of unity, and in the case of those found unworthy, to become ritual sacrifices for the good of the community.The Keepers of Blood
Few cults have caused so large a rift in their parent faiths as have the Keepers. Some Seekers welcome them, while others view them as heretics of the worst order. The Keepers of Blood revere both the principles of Vol and the Dark Six god known as the Keeper. Most cultists do not actually believe in the Keeper as an entity but revere his alleged portfolio. Only by recognizing and revering both primordial aspects can they be assured of divinity or life everlasting. In many ways, they are the most conservative sect of the Blood of Vol.Order of the Emerald Claw
Not so much a sect as a paramilitary branch of the faith, the Order of the Emerald Claw does the will of Vol herself. Agents of the Order operate not only in their home state of Karrnath but all across Khorvaire, where they carry out the orders of the Crimson Covenant. Some of the rank and file in the Order are unaware of their organization’s ties to the lich-queen, truly believing themselves to be the ostracized Karrnathi loyalists they portray to the outside world. Those in charge of cells or operations are faithful Seekers, doing work they believe is essential to furthering the Blood of Vol, and they would gladly die before spilling their secrets.
Look not to the skies, nor to the depths below, nor even to the distant past or future. Seek the divine within, for the blood is the life, and in its call can be heard the promise of eternal life. One has but to listen.
Founding Date
1400 YK
Type
Religious, Cult
Demonym
Seeker of the Divinity Within a.k.a Seeker
Parent Organization
Subsidiary Organizations
Permeated Organizations
Location
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