Threats & Dangers: The Cult of Rebirth, Part 2

(This is a continuation of Part 1)

The City of Dronter, nestled in the southern hills at the edge of the now declining Dragon Empire, the last walled city along the road to what was once the Southern Dragonlands. This city, a bastion against Hobgoblins & other Monstrous creatures hided a dark secret. A cult that manipulated every aspect of the city, like a puppeteer.

The Cult draws its membership from wounded military veterans, from Orcs to Humans they offer a better life, and a purpose. For the Orcs that served in the Dragon Honor Legions, it's a chance to become akin to their masters & leaders, for humans its a chance of elevating their status, at least within Dronter.

The cult's front is a spa, where their motto is "All is Welcome", besides performing normal spa services, their basement has been transformed into a twisted spa of the macabre, where barrels of Half-Dragon blood are stored to be used in rituals of rebirth.

Members of the Cult who can no longer walk in daylight due to their twisted visage of being Half way between humanoid and Half-Dragon are hidden in a cave two miles to the west of Dronter, returning only to assist in acquiring new "Donors" or to patrol the area.

Dronter however is seen from the outside as a place of freedom and safety, no bandits stalk their roads or Hobgoblins besieging their walls. A new arrival might be concerned at the lack of Half-Dragons in the city, the hungry eyes they might see in the shadows, or that fact that everyone keeps inserting the phrase, "Born Again" or "Renewal" into common conversations. However, everyone is so friendly, and that last merchant gave you some free fruit, so things must be fine!

The cult prefers to take their foes alive, putting them through the Draconic Transformation process, in the hopes that their new existence might make them allies, after all, their goal is to take over the Dragon Empire, and put everyone through this process, they have to desire to fight everyone.

Their Leader is a human by the name of Horace Shimmerscale. He was a warrior a crusade to the Lake Kingdoms, fighting alongside a Red Dragon who was slain in battle. The Dragon's blood covered his platoon and mutated them all. Horace realized that this transformation could be harnessed for good of common man, and returned home to Dronter to found his cult after the crusade failed. In a fight Horace is consider a 12th level Fighter and has the appearance of an aging Red-Half Dragon, however his age is catching up with him and he prefers not to fight if possible.

The Cult aims to slowly turn it's members into enough Dragon's to claim the right to rule and give the Dragon Empire a Rebirth of its own. Assuming no player interaction, the cult will take the following actions with the following results.

• Capture a Dragon to Create new Dragon via their Draconic Transformation 
• Result: Young Dragons will begin raiding and pillaging the landscape, creating new lairs for themselves.
• Create Half-Dragons via the Draconic Transformation process, and have them replace critical leaders throughout the remaining Dragon Empire.
• Result: The cult will have influence over town leaders and businessmen when the time comes to take control, in addition these replacements will provide aid or hardship to players depending on how the cults opinion of the players.
• Seek the blessing of The Eternal, by getting another group to sacrifice for them, or by subjugating another group.
• Result: The Eternal grants it's blessing, mechanically this can be in the form of a +1 to +2 bonus to their actions, or via a magical artifact.
• Create a magical artifact to help control their now out of control Young Dragons.
• Result: The Young Dragons follow the cult into battle without question, and the artifact even helps influence Half-Dragons.
• Take their new army of Dragons and march on every major city, giving them the choice to join them, or be conquered, cities with their Disguised Agents will likely submit.
• Result: The cult will have control of all major cities, places of trade, and businesses.
• A Final battle at the Dragon Keep, where the remaining loyalists will poise a last ditch defense.
• Result: The Cult will seize control of the Dragon Keep, and the Dragon Empire, and will begin forcing the Draconic Transformation on all citizens before attempting to expand and rebuild their new glorious empire.

Additional Player Interaction:

1. The Cult knows of a Dragon's Lair, Empty, and offer the Party the location in exchange for a 10% finders fee, taken from magical artifacts or lore. The Cult is secretly looking for information that be used to reanimate Dragons.
2. A Mildly-Heretical  (By cultist standards) wizard has been experimenting on the results of the Draconic Transformation on Undead creatures with mixed results. He needs the Amulet of Vitality for his work.