The Cult-Born

"And who among you purports to speak for the shadows?" the robed and hooded figure declared, pointing toward those gathered. "Who among you has heard the whispers of the dark, and come to know the truth of the world?"

The congregation knelt, their heads bowed in supplication, each of them speaking in a whisper as they recited the benedictions under their breaths. But several of them stood, rising from the ground like ghosts.

"I speak for the shadows," said the first. His voice rang through the room, silencing the whispers like a thunderclap. Heads turned to look, and the Dark Father frowned beneath his cowl.

"And who are you?" he asked, his voice haughty and dismissive.

The figure pushed back their hood, revealing long locs of dark hair falling over his dark face. Scars from the Ritual of Silence lined his lips, and pinpricks from the Rite of Darkness rimmed his eyes. Those eyes were open now, and shadows dwelt in them. When he drew back his teeth, they were a stark, bone white, each carved with the glyphs of the Shadowbinder. The Dark Father drew back as if he'd been burned.

"Torius?" he said, incredulous.

"I speak for the shadows," said another, pulling away her hood to reveal a face inked with the ancient glyphs of the Dark Heart. Dantine spread her fingers, and an ax of glimmering night appeared in her hand.

"I speak for the shadows," the third said, pushing back his hood. He was pallid, his eyes pools of emptiness, and his teeth filed to razor points. He raised his hands, dark claws sliding from his fingertips. Marak, the last of the old guard's shadow stalkers, smiled at the Dark Father.

"The shadows bid you to be silent," they said as one. After that there were no more words... just screams, followed by silence.

Empowered By A Cult

Cults are one of the classic standbys of fantasy fiction, and have been since the days of Robert E. Howard. These dark religious sects often infiltrate a city's population, or they meet out in the empty spaces of the wild hills, praying to gods and forces that wise men have no truck with. However, in addition to being a vehicle for your campaign's plot, a cult can also act as an origin story for one (or more) members of the party.

First things first, take your character's class/abilities, and ask how they fit into the cult. If your character is a barbarian, is their Rage part of the rituals the cult put them through, and the brutal, inhuman training they used to turn you into an unquestioning agent of their violence? If your character is a sorcerer, did the cult kidnap them as a child to awaken their bloodline? Were they specifically bred for service to the cult? Or is their bloodline a "gift" left to them by the cult's patron? If they're a rogue, were they trained to steal, spy, or kill on the cult's behalf? If they're a druid, or a cleric, were they trained in the secrets and mysteries by the cult?

Once you know who your character was in the cult, you need to ask several questions about their background. First of all, have they left the cult, or are they still members? If they have left the cult, was it by choice, or did something happen to shatter it (such as a raid by an adventuring party)? Third, has your character done anything to try to heal from what was done to them, or are they still leaning into the role they were given by the cult so long ago?

These things can all leave lasting scars on a character, and help define their motivations and actions. For instance, are they determined to wipe out the cult that raised them, and bent them to its cause? Do they still carry the seeds of that cult's plan, acting as unwitting agents of dark gods or terrible fiends? Or did they go in a different direction with their lives after the cult, such as a dark warrior attempting to redeem themselves by becoming a paladin, or someone being groomed for the clergy of an arch fiend taking the vows of a god of peace and light?

This backstory can act as a fun surprise to deliver to the others at the table (especially if the cult in question is a major antagonist for the upcoming campaign), or if you want to have a unified party with a single cause, then ALL of you might be trying to lay to rest what happened to you in your youth.

For more advice regarding cults in fantasy RPGs, make sure you check out:

- 5 Tips For Making Better Fantasy Cults

- 100 Cults To Encounter

- 13 Fiends: A Baker's Dozen of Devils (with rites, rituals, and cults attached)

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