Where are the cults of the Dark Six in Eberron? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Where are the cults of the Dark Six in Eberron? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
TheApokalypseShovel
02-04-08, 06:47 PM Eberron has no shortage of evil organizations. From the daelkyr to the Lords of Dust to the Quori to the Blood of Vol, there are a lot of powerful organizations to fight. But one thing that is never really illustrated is the role of the Churches of the Dark Six. Do they work with the daelkyr and the Dragons Below? Are they pawns of the Lords of Dust? The cults of the Dark Six do not seem to be very active in anything. They seem not to have far reaching goals like the Blood of Vol or even the cults of the Dragon Below. So where are these cults and what are they doing?
JulesCARV
02-04-08, 08:20 PM My impression is that they're not very organized. For that matter, neither are the cults of the Sovereign Host, but the Sovereign Host is at least public, so they're visible even if they aren't centralized. Of course, there are exceptions, such as the Flayed Hand (monks of the Mockery), just as there are well-organized Sovereign Host-based organizations like the Order of the Broken Blade (monks of Dol Dorn). However, there's no head honcho of the Dark Six, just as there's no head honcho of the Sovereign Host analogous to Speaker Jaela, Cardinal Krozen, Erandis d'Vol, or the Ascendant Councillors of the Undying Court. Local congregations, however, might pursue their own ends and act independently toward various goals.
Hellcow
02-04-08, 11:56 PM JulesCARV has hit on the key point. In many ways, the Dark Six are part of the Sovereign Host; the farmer offers his daily prayers to Arawai, but when the tornado threatens his flock he may make a sacrifice to the Devourer in the hopes that the angry lord will pass over his fields. Any evil individual COULD be motivated by the worship of the Dark Six - but in the world as a whole, there's a fair number of people who worship one or more of the Six without actually having any sinister goals on par with the Lords of Dust or the Daelkyr. Another example would be the popularity of the Shadow in Droaam. By and large, this is a Prometheus myth - the belief being that the Shadow created many of the monstrous races, giving them gifts that the Sovereigns witheld, and that this is why the worshippers of Aureon fear and hate the medusa and the ogre mage. So the medusa worships the Shadow, but in her eyes, he's a heroic figure - the bringer of blessings, outcast by the cruel Sovereigns. There's a big difference between such a worshipper and the human wizard who turns to the Shadow in the belief that his devotion will grant him dark secrets of forbidden magic.

In any case, the Shadow has strong support in Droaam; through Daask, this group can be found in Sharn (p 153). The other best-known sects would be the Cabinet of Faces (mentioned in RoE and FoE, among other places) and the monks of the Flayed Hand (mentioned in the monk dragonshard and FoE). Faiths of Eberron provides a few more sects (Creation's Muse and the Sacred Spark); other sources have mentioned the Three Faces of War (the military cult which worships the Mockery alongside Dol Arrah and Dol Dorn), the Deep Brethren (a Lhazaar pirate faith which worships the Devourer and the Mockery), and the Watchful Rest (a generally benevolent sect which reveres Aureon and the Keeper). Meanwhile the Sahuagin are especially devoted to the Devourer, the Rusheme giants of Xen'drik weave various members of the pantheons into their faith, the Umbragen drow may be worshipping the Shadow, and so on.

The key point is that there is no single overarching Church of the Dark Six, and no vast global conspiracy attached to it... unless you create one. If you want to create a sect of assassins dedicated to the Mockery and the Keeper (using Keeper's Fang daggers to steal worthy souls for the hoard of their lord), go ahead; it's up to you whether they're even aware of the Flayed Hand or the Faces of War. There's lots of smaller sects - and there's always room for one more.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
TheApokalypseShovel 02-04-08, 06:47 PM	Eberron has no shortage of evil organizations. From the daelkyr to the Lords of Dust to the Quori to the Blood of Vol, there are a lot of powerful organizations to fight. But one thing that is never really illustrated is the role of the Churches of the Dark Six. Do they work with the daelkyr and the Dragons Below? Are they pawns of the Lords of Dust? The cults of the Dark Six do not seem to be very active in anything. They seem not to have far reaching goals like the Blood of Vol or even the cults of the Dragon Below. So where are these cults and what are they doing?
JulesCARV 02-04-08, 08:20 PM	My impression is that they're not very organized. For that matter, neither are the cults of the Sovereign Host, but the Sovereign Host is at least public, so they're visible even if they aren't centralized. Of course, there are exceptions, such as the Flayed Hand (monks of the Mockery), just as there are well-organized Sovereign Host-based organizations like the Order of the Broken Blade (monks of Dol Dorn). However, there's no head honcho of the Dark Six, just as there's no head honcho of the Sovereign Host analogous to Speaker Jaela, Cardinal Krozen, Erandis d'Vol, or the Ascendant Councillors of the Undying Court. Local congregations, however, might pursue their own ends and act independently toward various goals.
Hellcow 02-04-08, 11:56 PM	JulesCARV has hit on the key point. In many ways, the Dark Six are part of the Sovereign Host; the farmer offers his daily prayers to Arawai, but when the tornado threatens his flock he may make a sacrifice to the Devourer in the hopes that the angry lord will pass over his fields. Any evil individual COULD be motivated by the worship of the Dark Six - but in the world as a whole, there's a fair number of people who worship one or more of the Six without actually having any sinister goals on par with the Lords of Dust or the Daelkyr. Another example would be the popularity of the Shadow in Droaam. By and large, this is a Prometheus myth - the belief being that the Shadow created many of the monstrous races, giving them gifts that the Sovereigns witheld, and that this is why the worshippers of Aureon fear and hate the medusa and the ogre mage. So the medusa worships the Shadow, but in her eyes, he's a heroic figure - the bringer of blessings, outcast by the cruel Sovereigns. There's a big difference between such a worshipper and the human wizard who turns to the Shadow in the belief that his devotion will grant him dark secrets of forbidden magic. In any case, the Shadow has strong support in Droaam; through Daask, this group can be found in Sharn (p 153). The other best-known sects would be the Cabinet of Faces (mentioned in RoE and FoE, among other places) and the monks of the Flayed Hand (mentioned in the monk dragonshard and FoE). Faiths of Eberron provides a few more sects (Creation's Muse and the Sacred Spark); other sources have mentioned the Three Faces of War (the military cult which worships the Mockery alongside Dol Arrah and Dol Dorn), the Deep Brethren (a Lhazaar pirate faith which worships the Devourer and the Mockery), and the Watchful Rest (a generally benevolent sect which reveres Aureon and the Keeper). Meanwhile the Sahuagin are especially devoted to the Devourer, the Rusheme giants of Xen'drik weave various members of the pantheons into their faith, the Umbragen drow may be worshipping the Shadow, and so on. The key point is that there is no single overarching Church of the Dark Six, and no vast global conspiracy attached to it... unless you create one. If you want to create a sect of assassins dedicated to the Mockery and the Keeper (using Keeper's Fang daggers to steal worthy souls for the hoard of their lord), go ahead; it's up to you whether they're even aware of the Flayed Hand or the Faces of War. There's lots of smaller sects - and there's always room for one more.