Threats & Dangers: The Cult of Rebirth, Part 1

A cult of fanatics who believe bathing in the blood of Dragons, and Half-Dragons will transform them into Dragons, or Half-Dragons. This cult secretly runs the town of Dronter, one of the few remaining loyal walled cities in the Dragon Empire, and one of cities on the southern border of the Central Dragonlands.

The cult is always in the market for the Blood of Dragons and Half-Dragons and will even trade for Half-Dragon slaves which they bleed every 12 weeks as a “Donation” The Cult is careful and rarely conducts this kind of “Trade” within Dronter, preferring to use bases of operations near the city, but well outside of the city walls.

Dronter has come under suspicion from the Inquisitors in the Dragon Keep due to the large number of humans with strange draconic mutations, however their resources are stretched too thin dealing with internal conflicts to dedicate considerable resources to investigation, however they may have enough budget to hire and adventurer team or two for the task.

The Cult of Rebirth’s forward face is a Former Red-Half Dragon named Tersho, who on a crusade to the Lake Kingdoms was bitten and transformed into a Vampire. Tersho developed a taste for the blood of his own kind over human blood and discovered the mutative properties in an orgy of blood consumption. His research into the blood of the Dragons led him to working closely with the Cult of Rebirth using his position as their lead “Merchant” to satisfy his hunger on the “Donations”.

Tersho has bathed in the blood of Half-Dragons many times, and hungers greatly for a taste of true dragon’s blood. However, his mutations have greatly warped his coloration leaving him his scales a shimmering Cherry Blossom Pink.

Tersho
AC 1, HD 8d12, Treasure Type F, No. Of Attacks: 1, DMG 1d6+3
Tersho drains 1 level from the target when he hits with a melee attack, he can only be affected by magical weapons, and he regenerates 1d3 hit points per round. If brought to 0 hit points he is not slain, but is forced into a gaseous form returning to his coffin to rest for 8 hours and reform his corporeal body.

Sleep, charm, and hold spells do not affect Tersho. Neither do poison or paralysis. Tersho take only one-half damage from spells based on cold or electricity

Tersho can be slain by the following methods: exposure to direct sunlight kills the creature in 1 turn, and it becomes powerless immediately. Being immersed in running water for 3 turns is killed. The vampire loses one-third of its hit points per turn of immersion. If a wooden stake is driven through a vampire’s heart it is killed, but only for so long as the stake remains; to finish this task the vampire’s head must also be cut off and its mouth filled with holy waters.  Holy water splashed upon a vampire causes 2-7 hit points of damage per vial-full which strikes the monster.

Any human or humanoid drained of all life energy by a vampire becomes an appropriately strengthened vampire under control of its slayer. This transformation takes place 1 day after the creature is buried, but if and only if the creature is buried. Thus it is possible to have a vampiric thief, cleric (chaotic evil in vampire form, of course), etc. If the vampire which slew the creature is itself killed, the vampires created by it become free-willed monsters.

Tersho also has a breath weapon similar to that of a dragon, usable three times per day but no more than once per hour, which deals 5d4 points of Fire damage, along either a cone 40 feet long and 20 feet wide at its far end. A successful saving throw against Dragon Breath reduces the damage by half. A Tersho gains a +2 bonus to any saving throws against damage of the same type as their breath weapon.

Tersho is always accompanied by 1d4-1 Vampire Thralls and if he is on a Cult assignment he is always joined by 2d6+1 Cultists.

Tersho is a powerful combatant, and he knows it, being very proud of his abilities in the the crusade against the Lake Kingdoms, however he also is well aware if the cult is discovered the Dragon Keep will devote enough resources to remove the cult. As such he often pretends to be a normal Half-Dragon, as normal as his mutated scales will let him be. If he is pretending to be a normal Half-Dragon in combat he will forgo the use of his Level Drain, and will retreat if seriously harmed by magical weapons. Thankfully for the newly christened adventurer, Tersho rarely leaves his lair, sending out Cultists to do his bidding, however he is always present during major trade deals for blood, or new donors.

Tersho’s base of operations is in an abandoned salt mine, that he has put his thralls to work expanding. He has, much to his displeasure and that of the cult, turned two Hobgoblins that he has posted outside as guards, their orders are to kill anyone who does not offer the passphrase, “Rebirth Through The Masters”, and to make it look like Hobgoblins have occupied the mine, instead of a fanatical cult. The Mine however is just a holding pen for the Half-Dragon "Donors" once their donation is given, it is taken back to Dronter, though Tersho keeps a cut for himself.

Inspiration for Interaction

1. A group of Cultist stumble upon the Player Characters and think they can take them in a fight in order to capture the Half-Dragons in the party.
2. The Cult puts a high price of the blood of Dragons, Half-Dragons or living Half-Dragons. Paying 100 Gold Coins per Half-Dragon and 10 Gold Coins per quart.
3. Tersho is interested in acquiring a stonemason to improve the comfort of his base of operations, he contracts the Players to find and deliver a stone mason, he’ll pay extra for a Dwarven one.
4. The Cult reaches out to the party, offering a massive sum for a captured dragon.
5. A favored NPC of the party has been captured by the cult or has been brainwashed by their teachings.
6. An Inquisitor from the Dragon Keep hires the players to find information and maybe quell the cult.
7. The Cult Leader in Dronter dislikes Tersho’s growing power and wishes to replace him before he considered challenging their authority, the Players may be suitable candidates.

There is truth in their bizarre belief if a person is at least 75% covered in the blood of a dragon (So it’s possible to happen, accidentally when slaying a dragon) can undergo a Draconic Transformation. Half-Dragon blood also works, but it is measurably less potent.

Roll a 1d10 on the following table Add +6 If all of the blood is from a Real Dragon.

1. Rejection: Your body rejects the transformation, Save Vs. Poison or die.
2. Madness: Your mind falls to madness, you believe you are a Draconic Creature, or that you must drink of bathe in the blood of dragons to renew your vitality. (Create a fitting madness for the character, just bothersome enough that the character is playable, but annoying enough that they’ll want to quest to fix it right away)
3. Scent of Dragons: Your body reeks of dragon’s blood, and most normal Half-Dragons and dragons will be enraged by it. They must Save Vs. Spells when near you or fly into a murderous rage.
4. Gold Sense: When passing within 60 feet of gold, there is a 1-in-6 chance you will smell it.
5. Gem Sense: When passing within 60 feet of a gem, there is a 1-in-6 chance you will smell it.
6. Scales: Roll a 1d4
1. Patchy scales easily concealed by clothing
2. Patchy scales that are hard to hide
3. Full body scales, -1 to AC when unarmored
4. Heavy Full Body Scales. -3 to AC when unarmored
7. Wings: Roll a 1d5
1. Small wings from the shoulders, cosmetic only
2. Medium wings from the shoulder, allows for gliding and a slow descent
3. Large wings from the shoulders, allows flight
4. Arms partially transform into wings (Like a Wyrm), cosmetic only
5. Arms transform into wings, allows flight, but cannot wield heavy weapons (Suggest limited to Light or One-Handed weapons depending on your System of choice)
8. Talons: Roll a 1d3
1. Short claws of appropriate coloration that replace fingernails.
2. Claws that can be used as natural weapons (1d4 Suggested Damage)
3. Unconcealable talons that can be used as deadly natural weapons. (1d6 Suggested Damage)
9. Tail: Roll a 1d3
1. Just an uncomfortable nub
2. Slender and thin
3. A regal powerful tail
10. Breath Weapon: Gain a breath weapon similar to that of a dragon of the appropriate color, usable three times per day but no more than once per hour, which deals 1d4 points of damage per level, to a maximum of 5d4 damage. A successful saving throw reduces the damage by half.
11. Growth: Gain +1 Strength and Constitution, if rolled again gain only one bonus and increase your size from a Medium Creature to a Large Creature
12. Draconic Soul: You are considered a Dragon for any magics or abilities that specifically target Dragons or have benefits against Dragons.
13. Dragon’s Bed: To be able to sleep you must rest upon your hoard of coins and treasure. You must Save Vs. Magic to spend any treasure or to let it out of your sight.
14. Elemental Immunity: Gain immunity to the appropriate damage type.
15. Draconic Immunity: You take half as much damage from non-magical weapons, if you roll this result again, you are immune to non-magical weapons.
16. Draconic Transformation: You are fully transformed into a young dragon, you keep your level and abilities as the Dungeon Master sees fit, and gain all abilities of a young dragon of the appropriate color. If you obtain this result a second time, you gain the abilities of a dragon of the appropriate color, and your scales become a mix of the two colors, so a Blue & Red result would produce Purple scales. A DM is encouraged to modify the abilities of this result to fit with the mixed heritage.

That's it for the Cult this week, join us next week for Part 2, where we talk about the Cult's operations in Dronter.