Sect of Tiamat
"Oh, Dark Lady! Oh Dragon Queen, Tiamat! Teach us vengeance and rage, so we may summon the Truly Powerful and have them lead us to glory! Give us power and give us strength, we prostrate ourselves before thee, oh Undying Queen!"
~a prayer from The Book of The Avaricious
Divine Origins
No one knows when the Sect of Tiamat first formed. Tiamat had always been worshipped by some, and her followers had always been persecuted, so the Sect likely predates the Draconic Church.
When the humanoid races first started worshipping the dragon gods, their dragon overlords had, for the most part, already banned the worship of Tiamat. Only chromatic and other chaotic evil ones worshipped the Dragon Queen. These mostly weren't interested in ruling and so had no subjects to impose their will on.
But humanoids are always drawn to power, and some soon realized Tiamat could provide that, so the sect was created by these ambitious individuals.
When the humanoid races first started worshipping the dragon gods, their dragon overlords had, for the most part, already banned the worship of Tiamat. Only chromatic and other chaotic evil ones worshipped the Dragon Queen. These mostly weren't interested in ruling and so had no subjects to impose their will on.
But humanoids are always drawn to power, and some soon realized Tiamat could provide that, so the sect was created by these ambitious individuals.
Tenets of Faith
To Tiamat, all other deities are inherently tyrannical, and therefore her rivals. She considers herself the only being powerful enough to defy these gods and overthrow their despotic rule. Her followers work tirelessly toward her agenda of world domination. When Tiamat assumes her throne as the only goddess of the Realms, her draconic children would serve as her dukes, or so her followers believe.
Tiamat is inherently greedy but prefers getting gifts from her to increasing the size of her hoard herself. A such, many of the prayers and rituals to Tiamat involve a sacrifice or gift in her honor. For example, clerics of Tiamat pray for their spells at dusk, in hopes she will return the sun the following morning, as part of a ritual known as Tithing. The Tithing required a small tithe, typically several gold coins or a small gem, which were hidden in the cleric's cupped hands while praying, then buried.
Her Sect has proclaimed the first full moon after Midsummer a holy day dedicated to her. Known as the Festival of Vengeance, this day marks the prophesized defeat of Bahamut at Tiamat's hands. The day is celebrated by her followers through general anarchy, rioting, and widespread mayhem incited by the faithful. During that day, clerics of other gods and the authorities try to contain the looting and destruction, and prominent officials are aware of assassination attempts often executed by Tiamat's worshipers.
Tiamat is inherently greedy but prefers getting gifts from her to increasing the size of her hoard herself. A such, many of the prayers and rituals to Tiamat involve a sacrifice or gift in her honor. For example, clerics of Tiamat pray for their spells at dusk, in hopes she will return the sun the following morning, as part of a ritual known as Tithing. The Tithing required a small tithe, typically several gold coins or a small gem, which were hidden in the cleric's cupped hands while praying, then buried.
Her Sect has proclaimed the first full moon after Midsummer a holy day dedicated to her. Known as the Festival of Vengeance, this day marks the prophesized defeat of Bahamut at Tiamat's hands. The day is celebrated by her followers through general anarchy, rioting, and widespread mayhem incited by the faithful. During that day, clerics of other gods and the authorities try to contain the looting and destruction, and prominent officials are aware of assassination attempts often executed by Tiamat's worshipers.
Priesthood
Tiamat accepts only evil clerics. They, like Tiamat herself, seek to place the world under the domination of evil dragons and are trying to bring the dragons back.
The church of Tiamat is regimented by a strict hierarchy of ranks and titles. Her clerics are occupied by the twin tasks of acquiring an ever-increasing hoard of wealth for the faith and sabotaging the faiths of other deities. As a result, they occupy most of their time with an unending series of thefts, assassinations, acts of vandalism, and arson.
Because the worship of Tiamat is forbidden, her followers are extremely secretive and much of the Sect's inner workings were a mystery until very recently. In 4801 a book titled "Evil at Work: An Investigation of the Sect of Tiamat" was written and published by the gnomish scholar and adventurer, Calgrim of Fallcrest. The book details the Sect's hierarchy and their activities between the years 3986 and 4800, during which Calgrim had infiltrated the Sect.
The Sect is lead by five Clerics or Paladins of Tiamat, named the Knights of the Five Thorned Rose. Each one represents one of Tiamat's heads and leads a group of the Sect. The groups are organised by region, with three located on the Northern Island and two on the Southern Island. They are further divided into small cells, led by more powerful followers of Tiamat. These cells operate relatively independently and are lead in worship by their leaders but they are sometimes given tasks by one of the Knights. Calgrim also theorizes there is someone above the Knights, a single person leading the Sect, but he could never find out if such a person exists.
The church of Tiamat is regimented by a strict hierarchy of ranks and titles. Her clerics are occupied by the twin tasks of acquiring an ever-increasing hoard of wealth for the faith and sabotaging the faiths of other deities. As a result, they occupy most of their time with an unending series of thefts, assassinations, acts of vandalism, and arson.
Because the worship of Tiamat is forbidden, her followers are extremely secretive and much of the Sect's inner workings were a mystery until very recently. In 4801 a book titled "Evil at Work: An Investigation of the Sect of Tiamat" was written and published by the gnomish scholar and adventurer, Calgrim of Fallcrest. The book details the Sect's hierarchy and their activities between the years 3986 and 4800, during which Calgrim had infiltrated the Sect.
The Sect is lead by five Clerics or Paladins of Tiamat, named the Knights of the Five Thorned Rose. Each one represents one of Tiamat's heads and leads a group of the Sect. The groups are organised by region, with three located on the Northern Island and two on the Southern Island. They are further divided into small cells, led by more powerful followers of Tiamat. These cells operate relatively independently and are lead in worship by their leaders but they are sometimes given tasks by one of the Knights. Calgrim also theorizes there is someone above the Knights, a single person leading the Sect, but he could never find out if such a person exists.
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