© by Keith Baker p illustrated by David Birchaini «Eberron Cats of the Dragmn Belo ; nvariably, all creatures either embrace or question the divine. While some worship the forces of wind, soil, and water, others turn their backs on the world of nature and look for inspiration in strange and disturbing places. Some revere angels or demons, incarnations of ideals that ‘humanity understands, icons of purest nobility and vilest "evil, Others look beyond this framework of belief, seeking solace in the truly alien, the raw essence of chaos, and the aberrations that defy natural laws. ‘The EBERxON Campaign Seting includes a wide variety of dark forces, but the oldest and perhaps greatest is Khyber, ", also known as the Dragon Below. According to legend, the world was formed during a battle between three vast drag- | ,pns. The dragon Khyber slew his brother Siberys, only to be «caught and bound by the dragon Eberron. Today, Eberron bis scen as the world itself, and the mother of all natural treatures, while the remains of Siberys float in the heavens above. Trapped below, Khyber is the darkness within the 5) “SSvorld and the father of ll the fiends that reside therein ee In the Age of Demons, many of these children of Khyber ruled the land. Today, powerful magic binds these mighty fiends to the fathomless depths. Immortal, indestructible, and possessed of nearly godlike power, these rakshasa sajahs now rage within their dragonshard prisons, waiting for their time to come again, While the dreadful desires of the rajahs often find their way into the dreams of worship- rs, an explorer who ventures into Khyber need not fear encountering one of these ancient fiends. Other powers brood in the darkness of Khyber’s depths, less powerful than the rajahs but every bit as terrifying. ‘Thousands of years ago, Khorvaire suffered a deva- stating incursion from Xoriat, the plane of madness. Armies of aberrations poured through the portals between the planes. Beholder eye rays and illithid mind blasts brought low many cities, and thousands of orcs and goblins fell in the first months of the attack. Many ‘were taken alive, forced into thralldom and psychic slav- ery, but others faced a far worse fate. A group of powerful June 2005 DRAGON 332 39Tena ae THE CULT OF THE DRAGON BELOW, Toe ‘beings'knownas the daelkjr led the invadingarify. Theselords of mad ness twisted their captives in'both body antd Soul, creating a.host of ‘warped. new aberrations, Hobgoblins were transformed infoidolBaunts, halffings into chokersyand goblins into dolgrims, all reshaped in the nightmare image of Xoriat. Billed with rage, self-loathing, and plire madness, these horrors massacred scores of their former kindred. The Xoriat incursion lasted for decades, and the sprawling empire of Dhakaan was mortally wounded in this unrelenting struggle Eventually, the Gatekeeper druids ‘managed to sever the connection between Eberron and Xoriat and drove the daelkyr into the depths below the world’s surface, finally ending the conflict. While trapped in Khyber, the daelkyr are not physi- cally bound and continue to crate new horrors to haunt thé darkness. The daelkyr cannot return to their home plane and they cannot travel to the sux- face of the world, but through their works they have strength. ened the connection between Khyber and Xoriat. This connection makes the Underdark a realm of mad- ness and death Inspired by this alien realm, the most twisted souls embrace the corruption fes- tering within the heart of the world Drawn together by their foul plots these murderers, madmen, and dark scholars are col- lectively known as the Cults of the Dragon Ad 4O RAG] While each cult might worship Khyber in’name, mostare truly reaching out to Xoriat, allowing the plane of mad- ness to touch their souls and twist their minds. ‘The triumph of the GatekeeBers brought freedom to those gob-# lins and ores enslaved by the daetkyr. Unfortunately, serviee—/ to those aberrant tyrants came with a heavy price, and ‘many of these slaves were mentally scarred by the experience. Instead of rejoicing in freedom, many dreamt of a glorious and terrible world ruled by the shapers of flesh: With each generation these myths few rhote elaborate ari fantastic until thes people fotindl thémselves worshiping ® thedeatores that had once’ ensiaved thém, ‘The majority of these slaves were concentrated along the west coast of Khorvaire, especially in the regions now known as Droaam and the Shadow Marches. When humans eventually came to the Shadow Marches and joined with the ore tribes, they brought their own myths, legends, and racial perspec tives to these traditions. ‘The modern Gults of the Dragon Below emerged from this fasion. ‘Today, dozens of sects of the Cult of the Dragon Below exist, cach witha slightly differentyieW OF the world and the future. Some actively fight the Gatekeep- ers, seeking to shatter the wards that imprisoiiithe forces of Xoriat inthe depths. Others see Khyber as thejBrom- ised Land, but the road Yd glorious realm must be pe swith innocent blood. Some» b deal directly with the forces of madness, serving mind ‘layers and dolgaunts . slaves, spies;and assas vants of the Dragon | Below, Anyone can héar the voiceofmadness whispering in the night, . issuing strange comh- mands and beautiful" promise: Net these aren't the only 9 ‘Al it takes is Bre such vessBlo all together cult, Madnessis pier ME quite conmpelling, andeult Jead- Fe Ars usually excel at both verbal and .:tmmotional maniputatt6H *. "Today, the langgst and oldest Cult the: * Dragon Below make thei#horns ithe Shadow Marches. The Dragon Below ‘maintains a strong following in both the wild and isolated ore tribes and the more civilized clans, where humans and ores Join together in one community ‘The tribes of the Shadow Marches possess loosely defined beliefs con- cerning the Dragon Below. The tribal warriors embrace madness as a path to strength, wielding rage as others use swords. Some among the tribes are born with supernatural powers—dark gifts that reflect the touch of the dael- kyr so many generations ago. These gifted childzen often become religious leaders, with whole tribes hanging onto everYword of their jorkaanta Ore for “blood sage”). While most believe these children gain their guiding power Yrom a divine source, they actualy draw ‘ftom the lingering taint ofthe dael- kyr and thelr own tribe's crazed caba- listiefervor. The beliefs and goals of a Khyber tribe shift with each new gen- eration, making these groups chaotic, unpredictable, and forces best avoided Dy cautious adventurers The human-ore clans of the Shadow Marches are more civilized, both in culture and in their approach to their BPP religion. The clans integrally te reli- gion to family. Each clan believes that ‘talone understands the true will of the Dragon Below. This often leads to feuds between clans, Frequent feuds end in swift and brutal bloodlet- ting, but some fester as subtle shadow ‘wars that rage unseen for years. While * the orc tribes possess wild and shifting +" belief, the intermixed clans firmly gPelieve in fixed traditions handed down ‘rom one generation to the next. Age is as much a requirement for leadership 3s supernatural power although the "Eto often go hand in hand. Members ‘fa clan cult are loyal to one another, Unorganized and unpredictable, the plots of the Cults Peete ea See eee ae ea oe ea eet them and spreading the madn Soest Coe eee a Ste pat a numberof the other pa ality these diner eee madness is spre See ere oe aut e awoken an illithid champion and its abs omnia ucts eRe cea faithful oughout the city. a ee) pt deep below the city, eae ieee hile dining at an inn or tavern, an observant character eee , and blood. The innkeeper dismiss ation of their taint. What c to make the meal? Has the party cultists simply umbled upon a cult of killers, or ToC Rue ete ea Seer econ eee tn eee es irene eee as reads the text ee ie eect Pon eet cult. The cultists are capturing p Pie ea idnappin Peo eee oe Cee eat threat if they defeat the cult? believing that their family stands alone against the world. Only emissaries of the Dragon Below, such as mind flayers and dolgaunts, receive the same level of trust as other cult members of the same clan. The clans of the Shadow Marches, often called “Marcher clans” willingly serve these aberrations, viewing them as embodiments of their twisted belie Marcher clans occasionally send their agents across Khorvaire to propagate new sects, but a cult just as likely forms onits own accord. Powerfl aberrations secretly organize some of these cults, while others come together through the pull of mad visionaries. More often than not, these groups possess few things in common. Three such callts could operate ina city with no Imnowledge of one another. Some crazed prophets draw recruits from the lowest preree or eee oes ins a point of taint. As long Spee ong hands could have even eee Beene en at eee a oma Ere) eed ee ed dregs of society, calling om those already touched by madness or willing to accept any promise that could lead to a better life. tis possible, however, for cults to even at the high: est levels of society. A king's court could be riddled with cultists, such as jaded nobles who initially considered the cult merely an amusing diversion, only to spring up anywhere find the pull of madness irresistible, These groups are generally small and cannot call on others for assistance, but their isolated nature and lack of contact with other cults often means that the forces of Khyber are not easily purged. No two Cults of the Dragon Below are exactly alike, but most revere the dark forces trapped in the depths of Khy- ber. Many eagerly avait these powers’ June 2005 DRAGON 332 41ge) Neto) =] ee wwofthe world, Others hope to join their Jords in Draalattaria hical promised Iandde k power inthe current fat'serving Kuyber erint ddaelkys, nd create ea beliéfsand Jolize and worship a rate fantasies to justify the yr, such as Belashyrra, Lord. zm the Corruptor; or Bloody inand, and know nothing about the sthers, Only time will tell which of t nally exist, of madness. sinister supposed deit and which are figment Yet, for all of these differences, most cult cake qualitie two or three The typical cultist displays the fol Sociopathic Behavior: Over time,a ultistlo compassion. A cult ving traits, his capacity for empathy and to other membe i deyotion, those who don the cultis? him than insects. S pelief& mean little more to ach a cultistis willing ‘fp steal or murder without a second thought. The ultist simply cannot ‘with those around him and see ating them as discarded. Love of th Itist pos- arped and twisted sense of beauty, made so by the visions he in his mind. Most people find aber 2s a vision of the world to come. Most ‘nation with f pulsion to s cholders,ilithids, and nag cep lesser aberrations a such and often guardians or pets, Symbionts and graft acult can pi considered the g ‘the bearer: tep closer to the creatures he admires. strain of madness wor through a particular cult. This could ‘manifest as paranoia, schizophrenia, 42_ DRAGON 332 June 2 traveled across the Talenta Plains, delved into the depths of the Eldeen Reaches, and even led an expedition into the Demon Wastes. His peers ‘came to expect eccentric behavior from the count, but even they were sur- Ae cae at ec eee the Shadow Marches. Yet despite his strange behavior, Jaskar was a man of Ree me eee ee ee Soto cae Cue eg clans ete aa oat Over the course of centuries the family gained even greater prestige and power. Today, one of jaskar’s descendents, Jalnarir’Edar, is duke of the city i ee tee ee aan ee Pere eee cate a nee uc en cs Cee ee eee ce ee eldest daughter to conduct affairs of state in his place. Some fear he has fallen il. Others believe he was worn down by the horrors of the war and seeks sol- ace in the solitude of his library. Dee eR ea cs in the grip of an irrational fear. He felt 2 desperate need to tap new sources See ee eer cca cn cannes He began to have disturbing dreams, and following one of these visions Penner ee ees aoe cee Ry pee eno a ee ene gc and her tainted blood ran in his veins. Through this corrupt heritage, he eee ea eet (Over the last ten years, Jalnar was drawn deeper down the path of the Cult of the Dragon Below. In his twisted mind, he does what is best for Aundait, believing that if he can adapt the dark lore of his ancestors, he can lead the et ete ee eee eae cu Ree ea drawn a host of followers to his cult, Jalnar engages in strange experiments and slowly gathers his own army of savage aberrations. ee ee eet eee en oe ad pete ey aa ne See Se eae ee Le pee este eae a ce er ae studies have made him one of the most powerful wizards in Aundair, hough eos ee tie tue aaa eu with a hideous rotting skin condition, and he remains in his mansion to hide Cena eee eet ane eae salienist a/aberrant paragon 2) manages the affairs of Passage on his behalf. ee ee ea ees ee reserves of rage and madness, causing many of his followers to gain barbarian, wilder, or soulknife levels. As such, Passage is filled with unpleasant surprises. The plump innkeeper or crippled beggar might be a barbarian s/soulknife 2 and could fly into a murderous rage at any moment, lashing out with a blade oe aes! See ee nn eae a a Te through Passage, they could be attacked by a crazed farmer-turned-barbarian or encounter a pseudonatural creature (see the template in Complete Arcane) that has Cee eee eee eet ee Ree et msc for artifacts. A wizard could be asked to spy on Jalnar on behalf ofan increasingly Bee ene ts eee ee es seeks to conquer the Eldeen Reaches, and the party must ally with the Gatekeep- Pete ene ies eee ccsOF even mullite personality'diso” fers. Suckrinstity often takes the © form of a ferent beliefinssomething Bee ia i pig dicate ag Th Be: Till enough people, the Seth ‘blood ‘ll extinguish the sun.” g, SelE-delited n6 force ombe 2p y'> convince a eultist of hisigt <* Unpredictable Behavior: # the Dragon Below serve only mad- ness. Possessing thoughts impossible for sane minds to comprehend, such cults should never be as predictable as other conspiracies or cabals. This © is doubly true of those cults guided by aberrations. Emissaries of the realm of madness, such monstrosi- ties think in ways unlike any other creatures adventurers might have encountered. An aberration might send its servants on seemingly mean- ingless quests, such as collecting bent copper pieces, the first toenails of young children, or even the ears of ‘opposing cult members. The ques- tion'adyenturers must ask is whether these strange actions serve some higher purpose invisible to sane ‘Yninds, or whether they are simply the fits and ravings of madness. [aes re OF Calts of the Dragon Below accept mem- bers from all classes. Cult devotion is an excellent way to explain the abilities of particular PC or NPC. Although not > allof the classesaare covered here, the lowing represent the most common Classes possessed by cultists. naddition, the rules for taint pre- ented on page 189 of Unearthed Arcana ‘work exceptionally well when applied 10 those touched by Xoriat (especially the aberrant paragon presented later in this article). Payers and DMs interested in adding extra depth to characters cor- “rupted by this alien realm should con- sider these rules. HDERTS NP CLERICS Fevoredttouls ae more coramon oo the cults than adepts and cler- fet cultists poneess an interest Bs devoting themselves to serious religious study. However, a cleric who Bears the whispers of Xoriat ‘might convert to the Dragon Below. ‘More focused than their sorcerer and favored soul counterparts, cler- ics of the Dragon Below are among the most ative ip seeking to free their hidden masters. These clerics frequently choose the Dragon Below domain (see the Enerxon Campaign Setting), enhancing their abilif'to summon allies and providing them with a wide range of ‘magic weaponry. In the EBERRON setting, adepts may also select one dleric domain, although they do not gain bonus spells. As a result, a crazed rabble-rouser could be an adept of the Dragon Below with the Madness domain, HIENISTS ‘The path of the wizard requires lucid, devoted study, and few of these scholars embrace the darkness of cha Tagen Belo sssepionn oon, however, most notably being those who take the aienist prestige class “a presented in Complete Arcane. In EDER- oN, Xoriat fills the role of the Far 3 Realm. Those who follow this path of 4. magic seek to unlock the secrets of Xoriat and Khyber itself. Often soli- tary alienists see little benefit in join- inig cults, but sometinies start tnt, the bidding of sonore . otmagigs BreBRRINS. A true warrior of the Dragon Below allows the madness of Khyber to guide his hands in battle. This sav- age rage grants tremendous strength at the cost of any thought of per- sonal safety. While most barbarians devoted to the Cults of the Dragon Below dwell within the orc tribes of the Shadow Marches, some of these crazed berserkers also reside in civilized areas. The powers and limitations of the class are not the result of growing up in a barbaric June 2005 DRAGON 332 43THE CULT OF THE DRAGON BELOW { INVOKING THE DRAGON BELOW Followers of the Dragon Below draw strange strength from the depths of Le nae TERM, their disturbed minds. to the Cults of the Dragon Belov ry eee toes ere rorerts | COR GETING MEDNEss, S Td You havé leamed tolive with the ret chaog dur qitarminds andnsant SELLE a tal magicccan match the disturbing Peeiciy visions of Xoriat, coer ee Om Preréquisite: Devotion to the Cult look to the Cult B of the Dragon Below. ‘Benefit: You are immune to any spell Voice of or effect that causes confusion or insan- ere) ity. You are not affected by febleming. aire on, as the spell. However, the duration is incr Special: If you abandon your faith erro can E SAUCER in the Dragon Below, you lose the benefits of this feat. COREL LIN MibNEss environment, but rather a reflection Below usually develop aggressive Your tormented psyche weakens your of the madness raging in the soul of powers related to transmutation and willpower, but you are able to project the character. Such a Khyber-influ- _enchantment—forcing their will on maddening visions upon your vie- ence ibgrbarian is less likely to pos-._ others or twisting flesh as the dael- _ tims to lower their resistance to your sess ranks in nature-oriented skills, kyr do. ‘mental powers. instead focusing on physical skills, Prerequisite: Devotion to the Cult ea pei ER EC ie ye i pomastne ea % to Xoriat, and those who embrace by +1. However, you take aa penalty The ore tribes of the Shadow madness find the ability to unlock on all Will saves. Marches do not study magic as powers similar to mind flayers Special: Ifyou abandon your faith wizards do or engage in the orga- _and other abberations. The wilder in the Dragon Below, youlloseithe nized worship that characterizes _is the archetypical psionic cult- _benefitsof this feat. cleries. Many of the children of ist, allowing her fury andmadness | these savage tribes possess innate to unleash her innegiThe et UeBiNG SPELL Gry. niperatural powers dark legacy sollte forms heafetponry out LENE | . dating back to the daelkyr’s reign of of tH@!Wery essence of madness. You ean channel the power of Xoniat ; terror. Among the more integrated When dealing with psionic char- _44Blephance your spells, but this takes a Marcher clans, mystical skills acters who draw their power from " texmible toll on your mind. passed from the oc bloodlines into. Xoriat a DMshould emphasize the _Prerequisiter Devotion to the G the human gene pool. Even those _distuxbimg/mature of these abili- _of the Dragon Below, ability to spor with no contact to the Shadow ties. Any visible manifestation of Gagonsly cast spells. Marches might develop sinister a power; ineltiding a soulknife's Benefit: When you apply 2 gifts asa result of their devotion. _ mind blade, seems especially i¢ al {6 a spontaneous Spel, All three of these classes are highly y unnatural. A mind blade might i take Wisdomdamage instead % | appropriate for the Cults of the appear made from sore-encrusted ing the level ofthe spell slot, Dragon Below, and this is one of flesh, solid blood, or a hordes “used by the spell. You take 1 point of SAE the most likely places for warlocks of bitingiinseets. This does mek _ Wisdom damage for each, spell slot” OP to anpeanincnuntiow, change the effects of the powel BUBINlgyel'For example, using gent Spe Sorcerers and favored souls who observers know they are dealing | sefollow the Cults of the Dragon with the unnatural, Gf DRAGON 332 June 2005ABERRANT PARAGON CLASS SKILLS. Sree acai Yow plani Skill Points per Level THE ABERRANT PARAGON coed acme Pore Ist 403030 nd 404043 a8 fer this to offset the increased spell slot level of a single feat per casting, and you cannot cast a spell if the increased spell slot level would place it above your ability to cast—for example, a 6th-level sorcerer cannot cast a silent fireball through the use of this feat ‘Wisdom, damage dealt by this feat can only be healed naturally at the rate of 1 per day. Magical healing has no effect. ‘You cannot use this feat ifthe damage ‘would lower your Wisdom below x ‘Speeiak: Ifyou abandon your faith in the Dragon Below, you lose the benefits of this feat. rel ell You are a vessel for the power of the plane of Madness and you can use this gift to twist the minds of others. Prerequisite: Devotion to the Cult ofthe Dragon Below. Benefit: Your bond to Xoriat grants you the following spell-ike abilities a5 a 1st-level caster: 1/day—daze, lesser confision, lullaby. Save DC.10 + spell level + Cha modifier Special: Ifyou abandon your faith "in the Dragon Below, you lose the benefits of this feat. TES, HRY Your insane rage increases your ‘Strength to astonishing levels, but you Spay no heed to your own safety Pec Pn “+2. Darkvision 60 ae Aberrant apotheosis, darkvision 120 ft +1 level Pee eG ors) fore Abilites 1 level eee Prerequisite: Devotion to the Cult of the Dragon Below, ability to rage or frenzy. Benefit: Increase the Streng_ bonus you receive from rage or frenzy by +35 for example, asa ast-level bar- barian you would gain 2 +6 bonus to Strength while raging, However, the Armor Class penalty is increased to-4. You cannot choose to voluntarily end your rage; you must remain enraged for the full duration of the effect. Special: Ifyou abandon your faith in the Dragon Below, you lose the benefits of this feat TO oF WibNEss IGERERALT Your bond with Xoriat strengthens jour machi spawned magic. you touch your victim, you can let this power flow into it, enhancing the effect of your spells. Prerequisite: Devotion othe Cultof the Dragon Below, ability to casta spell, Tike ability that confuses its target. ‘Benefit When you make use of spell, psionic power, o spell-ike ability that causes the confused condition, you may chose to deliver it asa touch attack instead ofa ranged attack If this touch attack succeeds, your caster level and the. save DCare both increased by 42 Special: Ifyou abandon your fith in the Dragon Below, you lose the benefits ofthis feat Just as morfal spirits travel to the plane of Dal Quor when they sleep, all mortals possess a primal bond to Xoriat. The followers of the Dragon Below call upon this link for strength, bat gaining the.power'of Xoriat comes at tersibleppice’A character who dravjs on the poWer of madness undergoé§ a merital and physical ‘SBrsformation, slowly becoming one of the aberrations she reveres. Normally, characters can only take levels in a paragon class corres- ponding to the character's race. However, taking levels in this class represents a primal change in the character's race, forever tying het to Xoriat. A character who pursues this path is known as an aberrant paragon. Levels in this class might represent a conscious decision on the part of the character or the slow seduction of Xoriat's whispers. Any character can become an aberrant paragon but cannot possess or later take levels in any other paragon class. Taking this class represents the character abandoning her origi- nal race to embrace the darkness. A character cannot take aberrant para- gon as her first class level Abi come from any background and fol- low any number of different paths. As a result, the ideal abilities of the para- gon are tied to the classes possessed before being touched by darkness. jes: An aberrant paragon can A sorcerer or warlock might want to continue to develop her sinister Charisma, while a crazed barbarian ‘ight follow this path to enhance his Strength and Constitution Alignment: Aberrant paragons cannot be lawl or good. The majority tends toward chaotic and evil alignments Cass FEATURES ‘The aberrant paragon is slowly cor- rupted by her connection to dark owes i nea bexemen soe thing completely unnatusal an sbes- sition ts horde inher own way aba digestion sed Baye June 2005 DRAGON 332 45Pensa THE CULT OF THE Di at : lass Abilities: The powef of Xoriat flows throug the aberrant paragon, enhancing mental and magical abil- ity. IF the paragon ims leveisin one of the lisjed Glasses she can ébfusBiel this power te enharicé-ceftaimelis fea- turd. Af istanid 3rd level ait at! paragon with levelsin’one of the listed classes can Select a single disand gain the specified benefits. Only these aspects of the chosen class are affected; the paragon does not gain access to any other class features or benefits. + Analienist, cleric, favored soul, or sor- cerer adds this clas level when deter- ‘mining caster level, spells known, and spells per day. Divine casters only receive this benefit if they worship the Dragon Below. + Abarbarian adds this class level to her barbar- ian level to determine both the number of uses of rage per day and other rage abilities suthigs greater rage and tireless rage. + A psychic warrior or wilder adds this class Jevel when determining ‘manifester level, power points per day, and pow- ers known, + Asoulknife adds this class level to determine the enhancement bonus of her mind blade. + Awarlock adds this class level to determine the power of her eldritch blast and the caster level ‘of her invocations. If the paragon does not possess levels in any of | these classes, she gains no Denefit from this ability. Darkvision (Ex): Over time, the paragon's shifting physiology affects her vision. At ist level, an aberrant paragon gains darkvision with a range of 60 feet. At 3rd level, the range increases to 120 feet. Sif the character already possesses 4G DRAGON 332 Jun RAGON BELOW 2a darkdision, she dds half this value to the range of her existing darkvision, Ability Boost: Aberrant paragons progress down one of two paths. Some gain an unnatural charm and ability to influerice peaple,a magnetism that belies the horror that lies beneath the skin. Others gain tremendous strength at the cost of their sanity, as The savage madness of Xoriat grows too diffeut to conceal. At and level, a character chooses one of the following optionsadd +2 to Charisma or add +2 to Strength and subtract-2 from Charisma, Unnatural (Ex): Animals and other natural creatures sense the unnat- animals might beeome’hostile with® ural nature of the aberrant paragon. From and level on, the paragon suf fers.a racial penalty on Handle Ani- ‘mal and wild empathy checks. This penalty equals:the character's para- gon level. In additions, inftiehdly , out warding, Aberrlint Apotheosis (Su): Atard © Agfa), anaberrant paragon’s type changes to aberration. He becomes “immune to spells and effects that specifically target humanoids, gains darkvision out to 60 feet, and gains a +2 racial bonus to his Con- stitution score,Ta wocshiptheDng the path twa insanitylthere are many ‘ays to playa character who Belongsto he ofthe Cults of tte DPQ Welling Ahhen eating charartes 3 dy Xoriat cdnsider th 5 ‘The Tormehted SoreerersAs cerer, warlock, or wildet that the true source f your power 1g of madness grows ever stronger, possibly represented by lev els in the aberrant paragon class. You don’ vorship t] Below, b are beginning to hear whis and the call of Xoriat is harder and harder to resist ‘A Family Affair: You come fom the and were born into a cult fumily. You learned bern your ers in the night ways of Kh uth, and they are an impor- tant part of your identity. When you left the marches hat the more extreme aspect cliginsuch as feeding visi pbering mouther in the basement—are ee Ce Ces eee ee OT Se nn ee eee the Manual of the Planes, Unearthed Arcana, and recently given an expan- sive treatment in Deacon #f330. The Cults of the Dragon Below can easily become disciples of the Far Realm, sects seduced by the secret lore of the alienist and the terrible wonders that lie outside mortal comprehension. Ce eee on ee ee eat ee ee behind the curtains of civilization in both the Forcorren Reaums and Cece wrong, Unfortunately, you find it hard to shake the belie oft ult. You worketo your murderous and sociopathic ‘impulses and to fit in with normal seciefy Curiosity Killed the s discovering an an at you developed an ination with the Dragon some seek toes arch fora way your tiesto Khyber: fa that the power of Xoriat corrupts al that it touches, certain that itis simply a matt of knowledge and willpower. With all that ou have learned, you believe it possible t, channel this power for a noble cause Champions of Madness: You seek to paradise lies deep within Khy- earn your passage toa glétio that you ber. Accompanied by of silent voices and schizophrenic 1a believe that the spirits of aconstant chorus your family and loved ones follow you and that these souls can only find para- them there, To re aradise you must win a mighty vic- ory over the forces of evil, so the role of th and monsters alongside your fe adventurers. While your actions serve your methods might disturb your companions.