The Cult of the Dragon is a force of evil across Toril, including the cosmopolitan metroplis of Waterdeep. Sages and law enforcement scoff at the thought of a Cult of the Dragon cell operating within Waterdeep, as it is well documented that Waterdeep is protected from dragonkind by Maaril the Dragon Mage. His protective ward around the city, even if done for his own gain, kept any dragon that would threaten Waterdeep out.
Or, it used to be.
During the few outbreaks of the Spellplague, Maaril was driven into the Outer Planes by a reversal of his Staff's warding ability. The Lords of Waterdeep were never the wiser of Maaril's departure and the dropping of the ward. After the outbreak died off, "Maaril" reported to the Lords that the wards were drastically altered, but still helf.
"Maaril" is in fact a Malaugrym that was altered by the Spellplague outbreak. Although not directly responsible for Maaril's disappearance, his proximity to Maaril and the planar rupturing allows him to perfectly emulate Maaril in all ways.
This false Maaril is the frontman for Waterdeep's cell of the Cult of the Dragon. Acolytes of dragons (kobolds and wizards), aspiring necromancers, and mercenaries alike are brought into his fold by the promise of being part of the coming conquest of Waterdeep by Dragonkind.
The Malaugrym has told no-one of his true self, except for his master, Daurgothoth, "The Creeping Doom". Long positioned outside Waterdeep, Daurogothoth found an opening during the Spellplague outbreak, but reasoned that keeping the demise of the Dragon mythal secret could allow him to rule the city with no draconic opposition.
Daurogothoth the Dracolich has his own web of allies, including the Gnawbones (catspaws of the Green Wyrm) that he keeps in the dark as to the true extent of his power. But soon, he will strike.
Comment and contribute.
Of course, in your Realms, anything's possible
**BOOM**,you have a fullfledged movement on your hands. At least IMO.
Of course the Tiamat "heresy" and the Cult would fight with each other for supremacy. The Tiamat cult might actually seek the aid of adventurers to attack the "evil" undead version of the Cult. It is a lesser of two evils thing.
The dracolich must want something particular from waterdeep. He might be after the large treasuries and magic in magetowers. But whould he risk destroying the town?
18DELTA (Chosen of Cyric) :evillaugh
I guess my version doesn't necessarily contradict Blackstaff Tower: Maaril could have been banished before, after, or during his tower got trashed. Did the book mention anything specifically about him? What are the Maaril the Malaugrym's motives to aid that Dracolich? Is he really an ally for the cult or might he have other plans? For example: Could he still be swayed to steal the dracoliches horde if he can get away with it?
The dracolich must want something particular from waterdeep. He might be after the large treasuries and magic in magetowers. But whould he risk destroying the town?
I doubt he would destroy Waterdeep, as he is a learned archmage as well as a Dracolich. Both the gold and knowledge running in and out of Waterdeep would be too valuable to him to jeopardize with an overt display to the world. I'm sure he's content to have a portion of it as a direct hoard and a cult of synchophants at his talons worshipping him.
FYI, I plundered his name from the roll call of Faerun dragons here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060913a
If anyone wants to talk about other Waterdhavian Dragons, feel free to cross-reference them here.
As for Malaugrym-Maaril, some answers are below.
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Daurogothoth's Cell of the CoD is not the first to operate in Waterdeep (in fact, some Cult inquisitors believe there are other cells presently operating clandestinely). Many rag-tag clusters of madmen and draconic beings have come and gone, sometimes literally as rapidly as the tides go in and out. But one cell bears distinction as a direct forerunner of Daurogothoth's cell.
In 1358, Waterdeep faced a grave influx of undead that was quickly repulsed. However, not all undead were destroyed, and some not permanently. Some laid in undead limbo, Kelemvor's eyes too overwhelmed to catch every lost soul.
Claugiyliamatar, a Green Dragon who has scryed the city for many years, had spent many nights wondering how she could exploit the Cult of the Dragon for her own profit. She had no inclination to join them, even as a ruling dracolich. Her current power as the head of his Gnawbones gang was a sufficient display of respect directed to her.
But these lingering undead inspired Claugiyliamatar to use the CoD's name to spread unease amongst her enemies in the city. With a supply of undead and magical assistance, her sparse gang could appear to be a Cult of the Dragon. Her enemies could be more easily intimidated by the name recognition of the CoD, and waste time searching out the real CoD.
The Ancient Green's cornucopia of magic items made it easy for her Gnawbones to find the lingering undead and bind them to her service. Then several Gnawbones conmen changed their physical appearances and began performing petty acts of civil disobedience with their purloined undead. Thefts, vandalism, enough action to spread rumours to the right people that there may be a CoD in Waterdeep.
From there, Claugiyliamatar and her minions performed a two-pronged offensive. CoD impersonators met with evil/evil-tolerant Waterdhavians with offers of business and alliance: Skullport, the Thayan Embassy, certain noblepeople. No ventures were agreed upon, given the CoD's laughable track record, but the seed was spread amongst the underworld that the CoD was active. The second offensive was by the Gnawbones as themselves, doing what they always do. Claugiyliamatar made sure that her ordinary operations remained predictable, so that no-one watching her organization would suspect a double front.
Long before the actual Cult of the Dragon came to investigate, the Cult of Shar visited Claugiyliamatar to inform her that they knew what she was trying to do. They blackmailed her, forcing her to take a majordomo of their choosing to oversee the CoD front of her operations, or they would tell the real CoD of her actions and let them turn her into an undead with no free will.
Claugiyliamatar angrily acquiesced, and took in a Malaugrym who seemed equally chagrined at working with both her and the Sharites. The Malaugrym never revealed why it was working for the Sharites, but their mutual disdian for their situation allowed both the Malaugrym and Claugiyliamatar to work hard to complete the dragon's final goal.
After fending off an attack by a group of her rivals during the Dracorage, the green dragon was saved by members of the CoD and was offered membership into the Cult. In an ironic twist, the CoD had no knowledge of Claugiyliamatar's actions: she was one of many influential dragons contacted that year.
With the recent attack upon her lair still fresh in her mind, Claugiyliamatar began to seriously consider the possibility of joining the CoD. She was chafing with her Malaugrym observer overseeing her affairs, and suspected that continuing to work with the Sharrans would result in her death eventually. At least with the CoD, she could conceivably retain her free will.
Unfortunately, the Malaugrym was wise to Claugiyliamatar's treacherous thoughts, and sprung a trap for her in the next year. When word of lightning strikes revealing draconic eggs began spreading amongst the surviving dragons of Faerun, Claugiyliamatar arranged to personally collect some of them to add to her growing empire. She would have sent the Malaugrym to retrieve them, if she did not suspect he would corrupt them for Shar. As it turned out, the rumours she received were fabricated by the Malaugrym. Claugiyliamatar arrived at an active temple of the Cult of Tiamet, and was quickly mauled by a superior force of dragonspawn.
Upon news that his coup d'etat was complete, the Malaugrym phased out the Gnawbones side of operations and turned the group into a full-fledged (if independent) Cult of the Dragon.
Excellent.I like it a lot. Lots of intrigue there.
Skullport didn't survive the spellplague, but the underdark bay is still in use.
So Claugiyliamatar is effectively at the mercy of Daurogothoth's cell, the Sharran malaugrym in particular?
). 4ed monsters useful for the Cult of the Dragon. Change names as necessary. Not all monsters are present, but all monster could be.
Cultists
Show
Nearly every last humanoid cultist in the Cult of the Dragon is insane in some manner. Those who are simply evil or opportunistic have a wide variety of other groups to profit from. Many of the veterans from the Gnawbones, as well as specialists hired by Maaril-Malaugrym or Daurogothoth, are "just" evil, but represent a shrinking minority. Those naive enough to rationalize the Cult's doctrines into something plausible are eventually lethally ejected for failing to fully embrace the teaching of Sammaster.
Cultist Thug 8 Standard, Skirmisher Dungeon Magazine 157
Cultist Warlock 8 Standard, Artillery Dungeon Magazine 157
Death Cultist Mage 5 Standard, Artillery Dungeon Magazine 155
Deathpriest Hierophant 21 Elite, Controller,Leader Monster Manual
Human Cultist 6 Minion, Minion Dungeon Magazine 157
Human Cultist Archer 3 Standard, Artillery Dungeon Magazine 157
Kalarel, Scion of Orcus 8 Elite, Controller H1 Keep on the Shadowfell
Mystic Cultist 8 Standard, Controller Dungeon Magazine 156
Orcus Underpriest 5 Standard, Controller H1 Keep on the Shadowfell
Thuggish Cultist 8 Standard, Brute Dungeon Magazine 156
Voldini Cultist 1 Minion, Minion Lost Temple of the Fey Gods
Nearly every last humanoid cultist in the Cult of the Dragon is insane in some manner. Those who are simply evil or opportunistic have a wide variety of other groups to profit from. Many of the veterans from the Gnawbones, as well as specialists hired by Maaril-Malaugrym or Daurogothoth, are "just" evil, but represent a shrinking minority. Those naive enough to rationalize the Cult's doctrines into something plausible are eventually lethally ejected for failing to fully embrace the teaching of Sammaster.
Cultist Thug 8 Standard, Skirmisher Dungeon Magazine 157
Cultist Warlock 8 Standard, Artillery Dungeon Magazine 157
Death Cultist Mage 5 Standard, Artillery Dungeon Magazine 155
Deathpriest Hierophant 21 Elite, Controller,Leader Monster Manual
Human Cultist 6 Minion, Minion Dungeon Magazine 157
Human Cultist Archer 3 Standard, Artillery Dungeon Magazine 157
Kalarel, Scion of Orcus 8 Elite, Controller H1 Keep on the Shadowfell
Mystic Cultist 8 Standard, Controller Dungeon Magazine 156
Orcus Underpriest 5 Standard, Controller H1 Keep on the Shadowfell
Thuggish Cultist 8 Standard, Brute Dungeon Magazine 156
Voldini Cultist 1 Minion, Minion Lost Temple of the Fey Gods
Sounds cool, except I think Maaril's tower flew into the sky and exploded during the Spellplague - according to Steve Schend in Blackstaff Tower.
Maybe it just made the jump to Hyperspace?
Maybe it just made the jump to Hyperspace?
Sorry, just thinking of Maaril's dragon-shaped tower rocketing through the Astral Sea.
"The planes, the final frontier..."
The inhabitants of Vanrakdoom (a sub-level of Undermountain) learned of the Waterdhavian Cult of the Dragon in 1371, when Umbraxator, their Shadow Dragon, returned from his hunts in the Underdark with severe wounds. He told Vanrak of a band of kobolds and humans laying in wait for him, and very nearly capturing him in a holding cell. Vanrak was incensed by this attack, but placed his revenge on hold, focusing intensely on his continual war on Selune.
During his monthly commune with Shar during the New Moon, Vanrak received a vision that he should bring Umbraxator's attackers under his control. As the vision faded, a geas-bound Malaugrym lay before him. Vanrak wisely interpretted his Lady's will that the Malaugrym would be the key. However, whereas other leaders would have had the Malaugrym infilitrate the Cult, Vanrak's overconfidence lead him to be blatantly bold.
After tracking down Claugiyliamatar's base in Kryptgarden through the movement of her minions, Vanrak sent Umbraxator and the Malaugrym to her lair and blackmailed the Green Dragon to acquiese to their control. A few years later, Claugiyliamatar was eliminated and the CoD was firmly under the control of Vanrak's proxy.
During the Year of Blue Fire, Vanrakdoom was abuzz with celebration for the Lady of Loss and her victory over Mystara. Dark revelery took over all other activity in the foul realm. Drunk on the assumption that his Lady would soon overwhelm Selune, Vanrak became brazen in his orders to the Cult of the Dragon. Demands for humanoid sacrifice increased daily, and Vanrak's already arrogant leadership style became downright unbearable, if not unrealistic.
When word reached Vanrakdoom that the Spellplague had reached Waterdeep, the revels reached a fever pitch. The Sharrans believed that the Spellplague was the work of their Lady, and that the city above would soon become their city.
To Vanrak's utter chagrin, a casual scrying for the Malaugrym revealed nothing. Divination spells of every strength were used to find any member of the Cult of the Dragon, or any person in the city, or anything, to no avail. While his followers fretted over this, Vanrak boldly asserted that this only meant that every last thing in Waterdeep had been erased from reality, and that the world above was Shar's.
Vanrak was proven a liar when he emerged from Undermountain to see a city largely intact. His pride wounded, he rallied his forces to a final culling of the city. As soon as he uttered the call to arms, a legion of undead and living humanoids appeared from behind an invisible veil. Most dreadful of them all was Daurogothoth, the greatest Dracolich in existence. The Dracolich sneered at Vanrak, and taunted him for his actions. "You are a fool twice over, Vanrak. Once, for believing an unloyal underling would suffer your demands. Second, for believing your Lady will tolerate your own foolishness!"
The battle between Daurogothoth and Vanrak Morningstar was glorious, yet brief. When Vanrak reformed eight days later in Vanrakdoom, he was surrounded by his own followers, chained and shackled, and a legion of draconic undead. Umbraxator, now a Dracolich, stepped forward and explained to Vanrak what happened.
"The Malaugrym has fooled you and the Lords of Waterdeep. He has taken the form of Maaril and lied to them that the Dragonward is still intact. It is not, but he was quite convincing. Daurogothoth's feinged howls of pain and cowardly retreat has left no doubt that the Malaugrym is who he says he is. The Lady would approve of such a deception, which is why I have accepted the Cult's offer. Treachery is ever a dictate of our Lady, and so is success. We shall see who Shar favours more, Vanrak..."
For the past 70 years, Vanrak and Daurogothoth have avoided striking each other directly, but taken every opportunity to waylay their followers when convienent. As such, Undermountain is a dangerous place for the Cult of the Dragon to linger in. Vanrak has placed hefty bounties on members that nearly every powergroup in Undermountain is willing to ferry CoD members alive to Vanrakdoom to face Vanrak's fury.
Here is a link to the writeup for Daurgothoth, "The Creeping Doom" as written by Ed Greenwood and originally presented in Dragon Magazine #234 (for 2nd Edition AD&D, as part of the highly popular Wyrms of the North series), but with revised game stats by Eric L. Boyd for 3rd Edition D&D.
Gotta love those CR 49 critters!
Here may be found the link to a similar writeup for Claugiyliamatar, "Old Gnawbone".
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This is an absolutely killer thread, Alter_Boy. You’ve done more work here than I could have done in a year on my own (I’m just not that organized).
I will contribute eventually. Need to absorb everything you’ve written up first.