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A
BOUT THE
C
ULT
“Humans are sheep. They gather in flocks, relying on the group
to provide safety and comfort without consideration for their
own role in achieving the goal. On its own, man would perish.
Without others, man is without direction. When the masses
move, man moves with it.
But a flock needs direction. A flock without a shepherd does
not move at all and erupts in chaos and quarrelling. The flock
does not think for itself, nor act rationally or even pragmatically.
The flock is stupid, as sheep are stupid.
To ensure the flock provides the safety and comfort that man
craves, one must rise up, and be its shepherd. Few dare, for there
is little appreciation to be gained. Sheep do not love their
shepherd, taking the benefits of direction for granted and
resisting any control they see as an imposition on their freedom.
Being a shepherd is difficult, and hardly ever is the station
reached through the flock’s consent. But someone has to take
that post, by force if need be, and if none will, then I, Havra
Zhoul, shall rise to it, and provide direction to the flock – whether
it desires it or not.”
The Dictum – Section 3: On the Nature of Masses
the Lords Vederian and Berevos Soulbright and Lady Deanne
Huyn‐Veneer, are quickly gaining in influence among the
populace – influence the sitting magistrates are finding it hard to
ignore.
I
N
Y
OUR
C
AMPAIGN
The Order of the Dictum is a cult that, on the surface, appears
benevolent. It fights crime and corruption, and initially makes a
good ally for the PCs. Playing it up as a benevolent force allows
the PCs to get acquainted with the various NPCs (and vice
versa). Allowing them to become better informed about the
intrigues surrounding the cult gives both sides opportunities to
prepare for when they inevitably come into conflict.
It is possible that one or more PCs are drawn into the Order,
even becoming members, before its dark side is revealed. Make
sure your players can appreciate such a plot twist. Some players
will enjoy the additional role‐play that comes from getting
involved with the “wrong” crowd, while others dislike having
their characters duped.
Also, make sure that PCs who fall under the cult’s influence
eventually realize their error, so you can avoid inter‐party
conflicts.
Regardless of whether PCs get drawn into the Order, you
may want to hint to your players that many people in the Order
– especially the new members – are not evil, and that it can
actually be salvaged and turned into a force of good. If the PCs
succeed in identifying and eliminating the bad elements, they
could well take over the Order and make it into what it
appeared to be in the first place. An additional twist may be
when the PCs fail to identify all threats: it is quite possible for
them to deal with Vederian and Havra Zhoul but never realize
Deanne’s hidden role within the cult.
Similarly, the Order is not all evil; most members have their
good side. They care for family and are loyal to their friends,
and some of them act out of a (twisted) sense of idealism.
Making the NPCs human and showing their good side at some
point may cause your PCs to view them as more than
opponents to fight.
Allow your PCs to use other means to defeat the Order, for
example by convincing Vederian that
The Dictum
has corrupted
him (a very daunting task), or turning Berevos against the Order
by showing what it does to his brother.
In the end, the PCs should face the true evil: Havra Zhoul
and her Dictum, and possibly Deanne Huyn‐Veneer. These are
the true villains, and while they may be able to avoid the PCs’
attention by hiding behind Vederian, the PCs should ultimately
discover their duplicity and face them.
Moonlight glimmers on a blade, and moments later, a brigand
lies dead.
A thief loses his life as a garrotte is slipped around his neck
as he sneaks out of his target’s house.
A group of thugs find their intended victim wields dark magic
– and do not live to tell the tale.
A corrupt magistrate finds himself chased out of town when
his indiscretions are exposed.
In a town plagued with crime, the tide seems to be turning.
Those who break the law find themselves the target of a deadly
group of vigilantes. Known among the populace as the Order of
the Dictum, dark clad men and women stalk the night dealing
with the town’s most nefarious criminals. The town guard lets
them be – in fact, some guardsmen have joined the Order or
voice their support of the crime fighters. People grow to trust
the Order more than the sitting magistrates, whose efforts to
deal with the rampaging crime fail due to corruption and
inefficiency.
But the Order is less noble than they seem.
They are a cult, whose members secretly pray to obtain dark
powers, worshipping not a divine entity but the concept of
absolute subjugation of the masses, as proclaimed by a tome of
power,
The Dictum of Havra Zhoul
.
In their secret meetings, they plot the downfall of the
current rulers. They seek to install their own leaders as absolute
rulers in a state free not only of crime, but of individual freedom.
The populace, however, remains ignorant, seeing the cultists
of Havra Zhoul as their saviours. The nobles who sponsor them,
4
F
ORMATION OF THE
C
ULT
The founder – and main sponsor – of the Order is Lord Vederian
Soulbright, one of the most respected people in town. While
maintaining the façade of a benevolent noble, Soulbright seeks
to establish himself as the town’s absolute leader.
Lord Soulbright’s ambitions are fuelled by
The Dictum
, a
tome of power. It is written by a far ancestor of the Soulbrights,
the paladin Havra Zhoul, who recorded her philosophies on what
makes an ideal human society. Havra was a zealot, whose views
on an ordered and lawful society eventually drew her towards
dark ambitions and into conflict with her peers. When she
turned to dark rites to gain for herself the power to make her
dream society come true, her opponents joined against her. She
was slain, and the noble house of Zhoul was cast down. Most of
her remaining descendants scattered, and the Zhouls were
forgotten. The few holdings not taken by the state were handed
to the Soulbrights branch of the family, who in subsequent years
managed to establish themselves as a minor – though nearly
landless – noble house. Among these holdings was Zhoul Keep, a
fortified tower that guards a mountain pass.
During one of his forays in Zhoul Keep, Lord Soulbright
discovered a secret door in the keep’s cellar. Behind the door, he
found a hidden chapel centred upon an altar bearing a leather
tome,
The Dictum of Havra Zhoul
. Inscribed therein are the
teachings of Havra Zhoul: her philosophies, her journal and the
dark rites that brought her to power (and ultimate damnation).
Lord Soulbright started reading, initially out of a curiosity to
learn more of the woman who brought such misfortune to the
family. The writings at first seemed extreme, the ravings of a
madwoman. The paladin’s desire for a structured society, which
lord Soulbright could sympathise with, were eclipsed by her
fanaticism and self‐centred nature.
But after a while, he started to see sense in her arguments,
and as he progressed through the text, he came to new insights,
until finally the thoughts on the pages made sense and mirrored
his own. Moreover, he slowly gained understanding of the rites
in the book; even reading simple passages somehow imbued him
with spells, as if they had simply leaped into his mind.
In truth, Lord Soulbright had been enspelled by the tome –
and thus was incapable to realize the truth: that he was slowly
being possessed by the fell spirit bound to the tome: that of
Havra Zhoul herself.
He became obsessed with realizing
The Dictum’s
society and
started recruiting others to fulfil the dream, starting with his
brother Berevos and the riotous widow Huyn‐Veneer. Slowly, a
group of like‐minded people gathered around him. Some he
introduced to the tome’s texts, others he manipulated with
promises of a better, ordered society. Under his direction, these
folk actively worked towards the fulfilment of his dream, and
when the first vigilante actions against the town’s nefarious
criminals got noticed, it was he who named them the Order of
the Dictum.
T
HE
D
ICTUM
The Dictum
is not a mere tome of lore. It is an intelligent
artefact, crafted by the fallen paladin Havra Zhoul shortly before
her death. The tome not only holds her thoughts – and made
them its own – it is also a soul trap, holding Havra’s soul.
When Lord Soulbright delved into the book, he awakened
the evil within. As he read Havra’s words, he opened his mind to
the tome, and it corrupted him. In time, as he read on, he tied
his own soul to the book.
Havra, trapped in the book, became aware of him, and found
that she could influence him. Havra realized that Vederian’s
body could become a vessel that she could actually possess.
With only a bit more patience, she will have a way to escape the
tome, exchanging her soul for his.
Until then, she waits as Lord Soulbright absorbs
The Dictum’s
dark lore, guiding him in understanding the magic of the book
and occasionally placing subtle suggestions to pave her way to
freedom.
The Dictum
itself does the rest.
Lord Soulbright is wary of letting too many people gain
access to
The Dictum
. Most members of the Order know of
The
Dictum
, but few have seen it. They only know the sample texts
that are quoted by Lord Soulbright.
Despite their limited access, those closest to Lord Soulbright
have benefited. He has been able to use his newly acquired
knowledge to imbue his allies with powers from the tome (see
the Dictum Cultist and Dictum Adept templates [page 16]).
The only other person he has so far allowed to actually read
selected parts of
The Dictum
is Lady Deanne Huyn‐Veneer. He
rationalizes that this is necessary as she is the only person he
knows that has magical knowledge. In truth, Havra has
influenced him, as she believes the lady will be a far superior
vessel than the older Lord. Deanne, however, has so far resisted
The Dictum’s
influence.
W
HISPERS AND
R
UMOURS
PCs searching for information about recent events and the
Order can make a Diplomacy check to gather such information.
A successful check reveals all information revealed by lesser
checks.
DC 10
: Part of the Watch is corrupt – and many of the
magistrates are no better. Until recent, crime ran rampant
through the town, but the acts of shadowy vigilantes are slowly
restoring order to the streets.
DC 15
: The vigilantes belong to the Order of the Dictum; a
group dedicated to stamping out lawlessness.
DC 20
: The nobleman Lord Soulbright leads the order.
5
B
ELIEFS
&
V
ALUES
“My path has been long and I have met opposition at every step.
Yet I will prevail. I have been called a tyrant, a blasphemer and a
brigand, but I see my path clearly. My glorious destiny awaits,
and none will stand in my way.”
The Dictum – Section 1: Introductions
Order has in mind are strict, designed to cull the weak and
destroy all individual freedom. Most of the Order – especially
their leaders – seek to rule.
For now, the Order’s members focus their ire on the more
hardened and nefarious criminals. Their aim is to gather support
from the populace and increase their influence. Once that is
achieved they can place their own people in powerful positions,
through subtle influence where these posts are elected or
appointed, and through extortion and assassination where posts
are assumed for life.
Once they control most of the magistrates, they will turn to
subjugate the common people, and overthrow the ruling classes
to make their Lord, Vederian Soulbright, the absolute ruler.
The Order follows the principles laid out in
The Dictum
, as
translated by Lord Soulbright. It has a twisted perspective
preaching ultimate obedience to a higher power of law – more
specifically, the law set by Havra Zhoul.
Honour is less important to the Order than hierarchy.
Leaders need to be obeyed, laws followed and crimes punished
harshly. There is no room for discussion of good and evil in a
lawful society. The laws – their laws – are always right.
The ruling magistrates are perceived as ineffective or
corrupt. The established laws are inconsequential as they are
not enforced. The Order instead enforces its own law. They
punish those they brand criminals, root out corruption – at least
when it suits them – and eliminate those who oppose them or
question their philosophies.
While some may see the Order’s members as vigilantes or
rebels, its members do not see themselves that way. They
consider themselves justicars ‐ the only ones capable of bringing
order. For them, might makes right.
The Tome holds 154 “Dictates” – a codex of increasingly
extreme laws set down by Havra Zhoul “for a new order.”
Not all Order members know all the dictates. In fact, only the
first dictate is commonly known.
O
RGANISATION
The Order is a strict hierarchy with Vederian Soulbright at its
zenith. It uses an ancient system of military ranks.
The Dictum
lists numerous ranks, but as the cult is fairly small only a few of
these are used.
The cult is led by three nobles: Vederian and Berevos
Soulbright, and Deanne Huyn‐Veneer. They are referred to as
the
strategos
. Vederian Soulbright has the additional rank of
polemarch
, the head of the strategos, whose vote is a tie‐
breaker.
While it is known that nobles sponsor the Order, the
common people – and most of the new recruits – are unaware
that the nobles have such a stake in the cult. Instead, these
people believe the Order’s leaders to be the five members who
hold the rank of
taxiarch
.
The taxiarchs determine most actions of the cult. Each
directs his own group and is responsible for the Order’s activities
in a specific part of town (a
taxis
). They report to the strategos
but only directly involve the nobles when they cannot deal with
a problem among themselves. Berevos Soulbright occasionally
involves himself directly with the harbour taxis.
Each taxiarch has eight to twelve underlings. One of these is
second in command, the
syntagmatarch
. The others hold various
ranks, taken from
The Dictum
, though the small scale of the cult
means that none of them command more than four others.
Other ranks include
tagmatarch
,
lokhagos
and
tetrarch
. A group
of mounted cultists are led by a
hipparch
.
Individual members without rank are referred to as
hoplites
.
The taxiarchs and most of the syntagmatarchs are loyal
G
OALS
“My faith’s priests have buried themselves up to their necks in
tradition. Mired in the old ways, they are predictable and
doomed to failure. I will seek out new magic and techniques, and
improve myself without casting aside any means on basis of
pretentious motivations such as morality. Morality – hah! A
weak excuse to hide fear of change, a feeling as obsolete as the
church’s ancient hymns.
The Dictum – Section 5: How to Bring Change
The Order’s goal is to set society right and implement a strict
code of law. It is not, at its base, an evil goal, but the laws the
D
ICTATE THE
F
IRST
To obey your superiors in all things, without question nor
hesitation, and follow directions without fault. There is no
greater satisfaction than your task done, in compliance with
order, and in a timely manner. Do not be insubordinate, for my
punishment will be harsh, with ten lashes for each sign of
dissent.
D
ICTATE THE
T
WENTY AND
S
ECOND
To deliver all arms to those who serve my way, so peace will
reign the streets. And should you draw a knife, or club, or in
other ways arms oneself, my guards will strike you down
without hesitation. For there is no need for weaponry, no need
for defence, in a state where we guard the walls.
6
followers of the Soulbright brothers. They include retainers,
disgruntled nobles of minor or landless houses and dissatisfied
law‐enforcers. They are aware of Vederian’s future plans. They
support him either out of misguided idealism or in hopes of
enriching themselves.
Members lower in the Order’s hierarchy are less aware of
the extent of the laws
The Dictum
desires to implement. Some of
the newer recruits are still honestly concerned with fighting
crime and establishing order. This may confuse matters should
the PCs deal with Order members, especially if they make friends
among them. Convincing these new members of their leaders’
faults may be very difficult. Should PCs intervene too late, their
own friends may become radicalized.
the rise in the northern district. The guards actively oppose the
Order, claiming they are “unlawfully” interfering with their work.
Some of them fear that the Order may know and expose the
bribes they take. They seek to round up and lock up any Order
members they find. Chief among these guards is Captain Berard
Full (see Adventure Hooks [page 9]), a scraggly‐bearded, heavily‐
built bully, who takes his money from one of the most powerful
crime lords in town
Closer to home, Vederian Soulbright has to deal with the
suspicions of his wife, Lady Aserra Soulbright‐Veneer. While
Aserra considers herself a good citizen, she does not understand
the ferocity with which her once complacent husband has
thrown himself into the cause of justice. She does not like the
Order much and particularly resents how much it takes him
away from his family. Moreover, she has started to suspect
some of the rumors that circulate to be true – particularly the
one about a dalliance between her husband and her sister, Lady
Deanne Huyn‐Veneer. Digging into her husband’s business – and
that of
The Dictum
– may well bring her own life in danger.
Chief ally of Lady Veneer is her father, the old merchant
Hagbard Veneer. Hagbard is an old doting fool, who married his
daughters into noble families on the promise of his daughters
enjoying wealth and status. He has spent a considerable amount
of money on Lord Soulbright’s plans, trusting the tales told him.
He does not believe his daughter’s worries are based on truth.
Still, he aids his daughter, providing her with means to run her
own investigations.
Finally, Lord Reins is a noble who has his own misgivings over
Lord Soulbright, and who is the Soulbrights’ greatest rival when
it comes to claims on surrounding lands. Lord Reins is a
flamboyant man who yet appears to be a family man, but he has
had a few “indiscrete” encounters with Lady Deanne. He is
worried this will come to the ears of his wife, who he fears more
than loves. Moreover, Lady Deanne seems to have become
smitten with him, and while he loves her attentions and repays
them in kind, he does not consider her a proper match for him.
Still, she holds power over him through their affair, and it
hampers him working against his true goal: exposing Lord
Soulbright for the fraud that he obviously is.
A
LLIES
&
E
NEMIES
“I will keep my allies close, and my enemies closer. And I will
always have a knife ready.”
The Dictum – Section 2: A Paladin’s Hardships
Various groups have an interest in the Order. A group of
vigilantes, operating outside the law, is bound to draw its own
friends and foes.
The greatest allies the Order currently has are the guards
that patrol the town’s harbour at night. The harbour is not the
worst part of town, but it is far from safe. The understaffed,
underpaid guardsmen have had some aid from the Order when
dealing with the frequent fights in the taverns near the docks,
and a few violent and dangerous criminals have been found
“dealt with.” While the magistrates frown on the vigilantes’
interference, the guards are more practical. They feel that, with
the Order, crime has gone down and the streets are safer.
Several guards have secretly joined the Order, or have friends
who are members. Their open support for the Order – and their
active involvement in several raids – has earned them a certain
amount of respect from the people, rather than the scorn other
guards get for having the Order do their work for them.
This is far different from the guards of the north gate. It is
whispered that these guards accept coin from the crime lords
that traffic illegal wares through the north gate. While not all
guards are corrupt, a fair number are, and as a result crime is on
D
ICTATE THE
S
IXTY AND
S
EVENTH
To order your underlings to bring forth that which you desire,
and to bring to your superiors that which they desire, without
qualm. For whether through gold, goods, cattle or your
offspring, you honour your betters, and we have first rights to
all within your household. And should goods be refused, then we
feel righteous to take it all, and lash the thief of what should be
ours for no less than thirty times.
D
ICTATE THE
H
UNDRED AND
T
HIRTY
AND
F
OURTH
That none of your desires shall conflict with my law. Hence let
our state decide what bonds you make and what goods you
take. For bonds of so called love, outside the wants of your ruler,
are selfish and ferment rebellion, and we will punish it by
incarceration and hard labour until we have determined your
rebellious ways to be at an end.
7
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