Cult of the Dragon
History
Sammaster's Translation and the First Dracolich
In 887, a powerful wizard named Sammaster - who was also formerly a Chosen of Mystra, the goddess of magic - published his translation of "Chronicles of Years to Come" by Maglas, an ancient text of cryptic prophecies. Sammaster's translation included the following passage:
"And naught will be left save shattered thrones with no rulers. But the dead dragons shall rule the world entire."
This interpretation led to the beginnings of the Cult of the Dragon. Sammaster and his ally Algashon Nathaire - a priest of Bane, the god of tyranny - gained followers by preaching about their vision of a world ruled by "dead dragons." Sammaster and Algashon then gathered their followers in the city-state of Saerloon within the borders of the future nation of Sembia.
In 902, after several years of research and unsuccessful attempts, Sammaster and the cult successfully created the first dracolich, a former red dragon named Shargrailar. Sammaster then began using the threat of Shargrailar to extort wealth from nearby city-states.
The Cult is Formed, but Sammaster Dies
In 905, Sammaster finished the "Tome of the Dragon," a book in which he documented the rituals and components necessary to create a dracolich. Copies of the book started appearing all over Faerûn, and the name "Cult of the Dragon" became widely adopted.
In 913, as the nation of Sembia was officially formed, the cult began to expand its presence beyond Saerloon and the surrounding area, opening individual sects that operated relatively independently. The cult's growing influence soon attracted enemies, including the Harpers and the Zhentarim. The Harpers opposed the cult due to Algashon and his connection to Bane, and the Zhentarim was angered by Shargrailar and the cult regularly raiding their trade caravans.
In 916, a group of more than 60 cultists (including the Ryu Mori Clan visiting from Treaath) joined Sammaster in his travels to Cormanthyr. Sammaster was planning to visit two green dragons and convince them to become dracoliches, but the travelers were ambushed by a group of Harpers, including an avatar of Lathander. Sammaster and the majority of his group were killed that day.
The Schism
After the ambush by the Harpers in 916 - which resulted in the death of Sammaster - Algashon and the rest of the cult regrouped and moved underground, figuratively and literally.
For example, some of the survivors of that ambush by the Harpers in 916 relocated to the Mere of Dead Men and began serving the black dragon Chardansearavitriol, who would later call himself "Ebondeath." Several years later, in 922, that new sect attempted to transform Ebondeath into a dracolich, but the Harpers intervened and the wizard Bowgentle escaped with Ebondeath's soul trapped in his spellbook.
Over the following years the cult spread widely, although there were many disagreements within the various sects; some sects saw their sacred undead dragons as subordinates to the greater power of Bane, while others were more focused on Sammaster's original view of undead dragons ruling all of Toril. This schism resulted in a destructive battle in 1018, as Algashon and his Bane-following forces were destroyed, leaving the cult without a true leader.
The Evolving Definition of the "Cult"
Over the following centuries, the surviving sects continued to operate independently, and they rarely worked together. Some sects continued to follow Sammaster's teachings and belief that dead dragons will rule the world, while other sects shifted their focus to a more direct worship of one specific dragon.
In some cases, the "cultists" in a sect were simply unwilling servants of a dragon. In these cases, when a dragon took over a settlement by force - such as when Claugiyliamatar took over the wood elf village of Treaath in the Kryptgarden Forest in 1303 - the residents of that village became cultists to outsiders, whether they truly were worshiping the dragon or not.
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments