Knights of the Cult
Elient 25 Year 1372 DR, Year of Wild Magic
Prologue
The drow Lillandra sat quietly in the center of the abandoned temple located in the Underdark regions near the Silver Woods. The vampire's colorless eyes looked around the walls, noticing the ripped and dusty paintings that depicted the strange and evil rituals of the drow.
Lillandra looked at the doorway, seeing Malice enter her room, wearing her black scale armor that covered her beautiful body.
Like Lillandra, Malice was a dark elf, who worshipped the goddess Kiaransalee. A goddess of undeath and revenge.
"I was once the Matron Mother of the 8th house in the drow city of Menzoberranzen," Malice had told the vampire shortly after meeting her. "After falling out of grace with the Spider Queen, I was killed by my own daughter. My soul had wandered the Fugue Plain, waiting for Lolth to take me back to the Abyss. Then the goddess Kiaransalee approached me and said that she had claimed ownership over my soul. She taught me the ways of revenge, and the power of mastering and controlling death."
It had been a seven days since Malice had found Lillandra grieving over the loss of her husband, the vampire Gilles Raist. Malice had offered Lillandra a chance to avenge her husband and kill the man who had slain Gilles. An undead hunter by the name of Shadimir Deachron. However, during these last few days, Lillandra had doubts of killing the undead hunter. Her husband's voice echoed in her mind, telling her that it would be wrong to exact her revenge. Lillandra may have pledged her aid to Malice and her goddess, but secretly her heart and soul would always belong to her husband.
Malice slowly walked over to Lillandra. She smiled at the vampire, then saw a look of confusion on her face. "Something the matter Lillandra?"
The vampire looked at Malice and replied," I was just curious to what you have planned for Shadimir?"
"I know that you are eager to avenge the man you love," Malice responded in a soft, but cold voice," but I still have some last minute planning to finish."
"What exactly are these plans you speak of?" Lillandra asked curiously. "Do you plan to just go up to Shadimir and ask that he come with you?" she added in a sarcastic voice.
Malice placed a hand on her belt, gripping her dagger. "Lillandra, we can't just walk into Silverymoon and try to capture Shadimir. He has many allies and family who would destroy you." The drow cleric of Kiaransalee walked past Lillandra and pulled out a large red leather-bound book from the small leather bag on her belt. Drawn on the front of the book in black ink, was a red flame with burning eyes above a dragon's claw. "What book is that?" Lillandra asked once she spotted the book
The priestess smiled. "This is the Tome of the Dragon, a book written by one of the greatest wizards of all time. The mad lich Sammaster. This books holds many secrets in creating a dracolich. Many members of the Cult of the Dragon have held this book, and now I hold it."
Lillandra stared at Malice with a look of confusion on her face. "Cult of the Dragon?" The vampire had heard of the Cult of the Dragon from her husband.
Malice nodded. "Shortly after returning to life, I was a member of the Cult of the Dragon. After learning the teachings of Kiaransalee, my greatest ambition was to create an undead creature powerful enough to help me get revenge on those who have done me wrong in the past. The Vengeful Banshee told me that if I wanted to create such a creature, then I needed to work with the Cult. I learned a great deal about dracoliches and other ways to control undead. I even learned to work with other creatures like humans, yuan-ti, and surface elves." Malice grinned wickedly. "And it won't be long before I achieve my goal."
"But I thought you wanted to destroy only Shadimir?" asked Lillandra. She was surprised to learn that Malice was a member of the Cult. The vampire wondered if the priestess still had ties to the organization.
"There are many who I plot to destroy," Malice answered coldly. "Shadimir is just the first. He is a threat to me, and my goals. And let us not forget what he did to your husband."
Lillandra winced; remembering the wound the hunter had left in her heart that would never close. Do not listen to Malice. She is only using you, her husband's voice whispered in her mind.
"I do have some servants who will bring Shadimir to us," Malice declared. "Once he is brought before me, I will destroy him." The drow cleric smiled and placed the book under her arm. She flashed Lillandra a smirk and walked out of the room.
Lillandra watched Malice leave. The vampire was starting to have second thoughts of killing the hunter. She mainly wanted to confront him. To ask him why he had killed her husband. She wondered if Shadimir had made Gilles' death a quick one, or painfully slowly.
She quietly walked over to a closet and grabbed her cloak. The vampire would have to act fast if she wanted to find Shadimir before Malice's servants did.