Umbral Covenant

The Umbral Covenant is a clandestine drow organization operating in shadows both literal and political. To surface dwellers, they appear as mercenaries, assassins, or criminals. To those who look more closely, they are something far more disciplined: a survivalist movement forged from exile, loss, and a shared belief that the drow people face extinction unless they act decisively.   The Covenant does not seek conquest of the surface. Its focus is inward and downward, toward the Darklands, where ancient enemies and rival powers threaten what remains of drow civilization.  

Beliefs and Ideology

The Umbral Covenant is built on three core principles:

1. Survival Above All. Every action is judged by whether it protects the future of the drow. Morality is secondary to continuity. Cruelty is tolerated only when it serves survival.
2. Shadow Is Strength. Open rule invites destruction. The Covenant believes power is best exercised indirectly: through secrecy, misdirection, and controlled violence.
3. Discipline Over Decadence. The Covenant rejects the excesses and internal betrayals that destroyed older drow societies. Rank is earned through competence and loyalty, not birthright alone.

Leadership

The Covenant is unified under the authority of Ardura Tor’lyn, an empress-in-exile whose survival and return transformed her into both a political and spiritual figurehead. To Covenant members, Ardura represents legitimacy, continuity, and the promise that the drow people still have a future.   Most surface operatives have never met her. Orders pass through layers of trusted commanders and adepts, preserving her distance and mystique.  

Organization and Ranks

The Umbral Covenant operates in small, disciplined cells rather than large armies.

• Cell Commanders. Tactical leaders entrusted with missions, negotiations, and the authority to abort or redirect operations if Covenant doctrine is threatened.
• Adepts. Spiritual and ideological authorities who interpret Covenant law and ritual. Their word can override contracts and orders if survival is at risk.
• Blades. Rank-and-file operatives. Infiltrators, scouts, and fighters who carry out missions on the surface and below.

This structure allows the Covenant to fracture cleanly under pressure, minimizing the damage if a cell is exposed or destroyed.  

Common Activities

Adventurers are most likely to encounter the Umbral Covenant while it is:

• Working as mercenaries under false banners
• Stealing gold, reagents, or weapons to fund Darklands operations
• Sabotaging rival factions tied to ancient subterranean powers
• Hunting serpentfolk agents and their collaborators
• Securing or destroying dangerous artifacts before others can misuse them

The Covenant prefers short, decisive operations followed by immediate withdrawal.  

Symbols and Signs

The most commonly encountered symbol is a broken crescent fang partially eclipsing a dark disc. Outsiders often mistake it for a criminal mark or serpent icon. Among initiates, it signifies survival through loss and strength through restraint.   True Covenant signs are rarely displayed openly and may take the form of subtle gestures, coded phrases, or negative-space sigils only members recognize.  

Relations with Adventurers

The Umbral Covenant is not inherently hostile to adventurers, but conflict is common.

• Adventurers often interfere with Covenant missions without understanding their purpose.
• Covenant agents may abandon or betray employers if a job threatens their people.
• Temporary alliances are possible, but trust is rare and fragile.

To the Covenant, adventurers are unpredictable variables: sometimes useful, often dangerous, never fully controllable.