New Organization: The Cult of Four
The Cult of Four is an organization designed to provide a place for the shugenja base class described in the Complete Divine. In Eberron, shugenjas revere the elements and work together to achieve elemental balance. They have existed since at least the colonization of Khorvaire, but the few scholars who know they exist assume they are an exotic druid sect. For more information on shugenjas, click here.
Headquarters:
Varies (see below)
Leadership: The High Four
Alignment: Neutral
Secrecy: High
History
The
Cult of Four is a venerable organization dedicated to keeping the four
elements -- earth, air, fire, and water -- in balance. Its members are
shugenjas, divine spellcasters who learn to harness elemental power through
a combination of reverence and intensive study. Anyone can become a shugenja,
but most races have a specific proclivity to one of the elements. Dwarves
and shifters seem drawn to earth, elves and goblinoids possess an affinity
for fire, halflings and changelings possess ties to water, and gnomes
have a talent for manipulating the element of air. While these are the
traditional affinities, any member of any sentient race is capable of
becoming a shugenja and a member of the Cult of Four.
The Cult of Four does not have a central headquarters. Potential inductees are identified by members who are always on the lookout for children with innate elemental aptitude. Young initiates gather in small schools throughout Khorvaire, serving as apprentices under more experienced mentors. They generally spend several years studying the four elements and learning how to recognize threats to balance. Once an initiate reaches adulthood or completes a degree of training deemed appropriate by a mentor, he joins an order based on the study of a particular element. Every initiate carries a short sword decorated with tassels that indicate the order to which he belongs. The weapon is ceremonial, but shugenjas are trained in its use.
Older initiates spend their lives guarding elementally significant sites or patrolling a certain region in order to serve as a steward of balance. Many take other professions and live alone, meeting with other shugenjas only at seasonal conclaves. All are bound to the Cult, however, and will go to great lengths to support it.
Hierarchy
The Cult of Four is not a
very hierarchical organization. The vast majority of the Cult's members
are initiates, spiritual brothers and sisters treated as equals. Any
leaders who might emerge within the orders are not given titles. Instead,
an election is held every four years to determine the High Four, a small
council of leaders who are referred to as elemental disciples. The High
Four meet during conclaves at the beginning of every season, rotating
between a different headquarters each year.
Motivation
and Goals
While every initiate focuses on a single element, they are
trained to be mindful of balance between the four. Itinerant initiates
search for external threats to elemental balance, which the organization
then mobilizes to combat. However, a significant number of threats to
balance come from within the Cult. Part of the original reason it was
founded was because shugenjas themselves are dangerous if left unchecked.
An unstated but important goal of the Cult is to suppress the study of Void, also known as the final element. While some Void disciples have achieved great wisdom, most who pursue the worship of nothingness become obsessed with the destruction of being. Preventing shugenjas from becoming entropomancers is a priority for the High Four.
Finally, secrecy is an important goal for the Cult of Four. While they welcome all those with a natural inclination toward one of the elements, they do not want the world aware of the significant powers they harness. Doing so would encourage imitators, they reason, and internal balance is easier to police when the population of shugenjas is limited.
Allies
The Cult has no real allies. Their goals are similar to the druids
of the Eldeen Reaches, but their methods and philosophy are different
enough to prevent them from working with one another. They are willing
to help anyone championing the protection of balance, whether elemental
or philosophical. When the Cult of Four is short-handed or wishes to
conceal their involvement in a matter, they sometimes hire non-shugenja
adventurers to perform missions.
Enemies
Other shugenjas are the Cult of Four's most frequent enemy,
whether they revere Void or simply pursue one element too zealously.
Spellcasters who specialize in elemental evocation may be eliminated by
Cult initiates if they are deemed too powerful. The Cult of Four does not
strive to prevent natural disasters like earthquakes, wildfires, floods
and tornados, but they will keep a close eye on them and investigate
anything thought to be unusual or supernatural. Other targeted threats
include rogue elementals, outsiders from Fernia and Syrania, and wizards whose experiments threaten
the purity of the distinct elements.
Notable
NPCs
The current members of the High Four were elected one year ago,
and reflect the diversity of the organization.
Sebis Ninglan (male gnome artificer 3/shugenja 4) is the group's Air Disciple. An accomplished airship wright, he is something of a dreamer. He is apolitical and tends to be ambivalent when it comes to decisions affecting the outside world.
Kharaad (male hobgoblin fighter 2/shugenja 5), the Fire Disciple, is related by blood to ancient Dhakaani kings, but feels no connection to the Darguun nation. He is the chief supporter and unofficial leader of an aggressive Cult of Four splinter group that calls itself the Elemental Army.
Gala d'Orien (female human aristocrat 2/shugenja 4) is the young and charismatic Water Disciple. Once a Lhazaar trader, she now embraces her role as a spiritual leader. She is the mediator of the group, looking for validity in all sides' arguments. While she is apparently without bias, her family ties to House Orien may influence some of her decisions.
Kor the Thick-Skinned (male shifter ranger 1/shugenja 6) is the Earth Disciple. He shows a quiet reserve uncommon in his race, having spent as much time living among dwarves as most shifters have among sylvan beings. He serves as the voice of reason on the council.
Typical
Cult of Four Initiate
Dwarf shugenja 1: CR 1; Medium humanoid; HD 1d6+1; hp 10; Init
+0; Spd 20 ft.; AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10, Base Atk + 0; Grp + 0;
Atk +0 melee (1d6, short sword) or +0 ranged (1d4, sling); Full Atk +0
melee (1d6, short sword), or or +0 ranged (1d4, sling); SA spells; SQ dwarf
traits, sense elements (3/day); AL N, SV Fort +1, Ref +0, Will
+3; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 12 Wis 12 Cha 14.
Skills and Feats: Concentration +5, Craft (sculpture) +3, Diplomacy
+ 6, Knowledge (arcana) +5, Knowledge (nature) +3, Knowledge
(the planes) +3, Spellcraft +3, Toughness.
Languages: Common, Dwarven, and Terran.
Possessions: short sword, sling, scroll case, parchment, ink.
Shugenja Spells Known (5/4; save DC 12 + spell level): 0 -- detect
magic, mending, read magic, resistance; 1 -- endure elements, magic
stone.
Adventure
Hooks
House Lyrandar hires the heroes to investigate a mysterious series of
airship crashes. A group dedicated to the abolition of "elemental
slavery" has sabotaged several flights, and plans to bring an army
from Syrania to attack the shipyards in Zilargo. Only a gnome shipwright
named Sebis Ninglan holds the secret to preventing the conflict.
In the past, the Cult of Four has only eliminated Void followers who have presented a clear danger. Now, though, Kharaad has commanded the Elemental Army to hunt down all students of Void. Can the heroes save a noble Void disciple without incurring the High Four's wrath?
Deep within the Mror Holds, two dwarven clans are at war, and they are both armed with powerful artifacts of earth magic. One of the dwarven mages is using a rod that causes earthquakes, while another is destroying fortifications with magic that transforms stone to mud. When the resulting tremors and sinkholes threaten to destroy both clans' city-states, the Cult of Four enlists the heroes to prevent a catastrophe.
A Q'barran settlement is overtaken by an unexpected flood, leaving several villagers stranded in partially-submerged dwellings. Heroes must brave monster-infested waters and face a rogue water shugenja to save the remaining settlers.
This article was written by Johnny "Jhonen Olain" O'Neal and Jeddy "jedi8187" Kight. The Cult of Four was created by Jeddy "jedi8187" Kight. All associated copyrights are property of Wizards of the Coast.