Background

Background
The Cult of the Dragon has been around for centuries, proclaiming that one day the Dragons would return to Daen Ral. For much of this time, the Cult has focused on gathering what dragon bones they could find, using necromantic magic, fabricating undead dragons. Mephista, dean of the School of Nekros (Dungeon #27), is a Red Cult member working in this region.  Recently, the Cult has changed their tactics from raising up undead dragons to bringing the dragons back from their millenium long exile.

The Immortal being, the great five-headed dragon known in Daen Ral as Asharath, has been communicating through dreams with the head of the Cult, an Adabi Warrior Sorcerer named Severus Sufjan. Sufjan has been recording his dreams for years, divining out the mysteries of the dragon exile. As such, he believes he has pinpointed the locations of the Five Masks of Asharath. Each of these masks is a different color, each color representative of the five elements (dragons in Daen Ral are tied to elements, and their color designations indicate which element: earth, green; fire, red; air, blue; water, white, darkness, black - dragons tied to such elements have shades of the colors in their scales, but the primary link is in their breath weapons). Individually, the masks will allow the wearer to communicate with dragons of each element and, if a will check is successful, control one or more dragons of said color (though this is a dangerous proposition, see descripton of the Masks of Asharath for more information). When all five masks are brought together, they form the Helm of Asharath or the Helm of Dragons. Asharath has been subtling hinting that the Helm will give Sufjan control over all dragons. And that is true...to an extent (again, fully described in the item section).

Sufjan has acquired the Red Mask of Asharath and has become the first of the Dragonspeakers. He has not used the mask to more than communicate (through the veil of the exile) with red dragons. Asharath has revealed another secret to Sufjan: some great stones found in the Endless Mountains are Draconic Cysts - eggs, of a type, which, if hatched properly, bring forth Dragonmen (Draconians). Sufjan has had agents scouring the mountains for more than a decade, and has been hatching a dragonarmy, which he will put on the march soon.

Through the power of the mask, and by virtue of his position within the Cult, Sufjan has forged a number of alliances and is beginning to put the Cult on the offensive, gathering resources (treasure, slaves, etc) for Her Majesty, the Great Queen, Asharath. As such, besides the cult (with such members as Mephista of the School of Nekros), Sufjan has forged an alliance with the King Under the Water (one of the Goblin Kings in the region) and a heritcal splinter group from the Holy Empire of the West known as the Red Monks. The Cult employs many mercenaries to act out its plans.

The Cult is organized in cells, ranging from a few members to very large groups, each with their own agendas and plans. Leaders in the Cult are known as the Indigo Brotherhood fot the shade of purple they are known to wear. While Cult members may wear special regalia denoting their position when enacting ceremonies and rituals, generally they are indistinguishable from the general public (though leaders are still likely to wear some item of indigo colored clothing).

Dragons
Dragons are the Children of the Firstfallen, powerful, nearly immortal creatures who were used as weapons in the Famine Wars, to the great devastation of the Midlands. After the Wars, the dragons were sent into exile - the "good" dragons went voluntarily, to the Veil Lands, the "evil" dragons were forced into exile in the Outer Darkness. In addition, the instigators of the Famine Wars, Asharath, the Wrath Queen and Alhamuen, the Light King, have been exiled as well. The Light King rests in eternal slumber in the Veil Lands while Asharath seethes in rage in the Outer Darkness, scheming a way to gain her revenge. All that is known to the peoples of Daen Ral is that dragons may have once existed, but they are no longer to be found.