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Diverse in their beliefs and practices, cults have emerged in every corner of Midgard. However, in a land filled with unstable environments, political conflict, and ancient mystical forces, the Northlands of Midgard is ripe for exploring the dynamics of cults in your campaign.
Exposed to extreme environmental conditions, community isolation, and otherworldly forces, the Northlands provide a breeding ground for devoted followers and eccentric leaders offering an array of storytelling possibilities.
For the follower, there is a straightforward truth about cults. You become part of something bigger than yourself. For the people of the Northlands facing the loneliness and nihilism brought on by uncontrollable forces, a cult can offer purpose and community in a frigid land. As communities that fervently worship an object, person, or concept above all else, cults have the power to transform people’s lives. This makes the people of the Northlands easy targets for any would-be leader.
Certain elements lie at the foundation of any cults. While the specific flavor of each cult may differ, they share a core set of ingredients. Without these elements, a cult would be like any other faction.
- Core Beliefs/Obsessions
- Charismatic/Inspiring Figurehead
- Hopeless/Desperate Group of People
- Recruitment and Preservation Tactics
- Rites/Rituals and Shared Activities
The order in which these elements come together shapes a cult’s unique aspects, regardless of intentions. This means that not all cults are made equal. And not all of them deserve extermination. While fantasy gaming often depicts cults as maniacal doombringers (such as the infamous Cult of Ragnarök in the Northlands), not all cults are centered on apocalyptic themes. Here’s a Northlands cult that you can incorporate into your game, providing a fresh perspective on what “cult activity” looks like in the Northlands.
The Paragons
The enigma known as the Paragons operates under the motto, “Perfection. Profit. Perpetuity.” They consider themselves a secret society focused on influencing political and cultural affairs. Invitations are extended only to the Northlands’ prestigious and wealthy, the ultimate power source.
The Paragons operate in the shadows, hiding their activities from the wider populace. Governed by a secret council that never reveals their identities, the true purpose of their activities remains shrouded. They enforce their influence through a pyramid scheme disguised as a self-improvement and networking organization. It primarily benefits those at the top and ensures loyalty from members’ obsessive fear of inadequacy.
Origins
The Cult of Chernobog needs coin to fund its dark activities. What better way to get it than by manipulating the prosperous? The Paragons serve as the Cult of Chernobog’s bank, a deep supply of financial support that ironically fuels what Paragon members fear most—the end of everything. They are an unwitting front, the financial arm of the larger Cult of Chernobog, enabled by naive elitism and its vices of envy, greed, and excess.
The reality is that the Paragons are the biggest deception in Midgard. Members are promised that by earning or buying their way through the “ranks,” they will be allowed to leave Midgard for a place called The Labyrinth. There, they will be safe from the prophesied endless night while recouping all the wealth they invested in their new life.
Amid the ruins of war and paranoia in the Northlands, this cult draws its ideology from a profound fear of exclusion combined with a desire to escape death’s grasp. Their philosophy twists a narrative of impending doom and destruction into a catalyst for control, presenting wealth as a defense against chaos. Its activities thrive in secrecy, upholding confidentiality to safeguard its operations and ensure influence over its members.
Figurehead
The cult is led by a secretive council known only as the Faceless. Members of this council are rumored to be among the wealthiest and most influential people in the Northlands.
The number of council members is unknown, creating an atmosphere of tension and mystery for its members. Actually composed of the Cult of Chernobog’s top priests, the Faceless have amassed power at the pinnacle of this rigid social hierarchy, controlling influential Northlanders without their knowledge. Autonomy is the greatest weapon of the Faceless, maintaining strict confidentiality to safeguard its operations and ensure ongoing, unknown influence over its members.
Activity
Members are enticed to join with promises of financial independence, personal safety, and access to a robust network. Each member must invest a significant sum and recruit other wealthy members to join, creating a steep hierarchy. As new members pay entry fees, a portion of the funds flows up to the upper tiers, enriching those at the top while leaving the majority struggling to recoup their investments. Despite the Paragon’s facade, only the few at the top reap the rewards.
Initiation rituals and exclusive gatherings further solidify loyalty. Grand soirées featuring feasts, entertainment, and rare luxuries in the Northlands serve as recruitment drives and rites. Clandestine rituals occur behind closed doors during these gatherings; “worthy” members are advanced through the “ranks” based on their financial contributions.
Each new rank offers a “magical relic” promising safety and security against impending doom. Though these relics are a member’s ultimate acquisition, they hold no real magic.
Those unable to maintain tithes and regularly advance through the ranks are placed under indebted policies or used in one of the Cult of Chernobog’s blood rituals. The Faceless have no plans of allowing anyone to leave for the Labyrinth. The “final rank” is a death sentence.
To outsiders, this cult exists only in whispers and vague rumors. The Paragons prefer it this way, obscured, mysterious, keeping prying eyes at bay. The few who dare to believe in the existence of the cult are often dismissed as conspiracy theorists.
This skepticism is fueled by the fact that no hard evidence of the cult’s activities has ever come to light. Despite numerous claims and stories circulating, the elusive nature of the Paragons ensures that they remain a specter, waiting to prey on the affluent.
In Your Game
PCs can become enmeshed in the complex dynamics of the Paragons as they navigate high-stakes social events, witnessing the allure of membership and its manipulative strategies. Character alliances with other disenfranchised nobles also provide story opportunities to foster dissent among current followers, weakening or dismantling the cult’s influence.
Most importantly, characters confront the dilemmas posed by power and prosperity. Beneath the glamor lies a web of deception, fabrications, and fear. As they unearth layers of the Paragons’ operations, they may challenge the cult’s grip and assist the Northlands in developing a deeper understanding of what the Cult of Chernobog is plotting.
THE PARAGONS
This section outlines the cult uses the faction description block, as described in the Tales of the Valiant Game Master’s Guide.
Tiers: 2–3
Values: Prosperity, Control, Elitism
Goals: Build a private group of influential members.
Motto: “Perfection. Profit. Perpetuity.”
Membership: Invitations are extended only to prestigious, wealthy residents of the Northlands. Once recruited, each member must invest a significant sum and recruit other wealthy members to join.
Background and Notes: The Paragons cult is a deception, acting as the financial arm of the Cult of Chernobog, enabled by the naive elitism and vices of envy, greed, and excess among its members. It operates in the shadows, ensuring its activities remain hidden from the wider public. Governed by a secret council that never discloses their identities, their influence is enforced through a pyramid scheme disguised as a self-improvement and networking organization, benefiting mainly those at the top and ensuring loyalty through a fear of imperfection.
Adventure Hooks
Here are rumors to help your PCs get stuck in with the Honeyless:
- A handful of high-profile, wealthy Northlanders have gone missing in recent months. There was no recovery of their bodies, as they disappeared without a trace. Their families are increasing pressure to act. A local constable is looking to hire individuals for an undercover investigation to infiltrate the cult, uncover incriminating evidence, and connect the disappearances.
- The PCs are contacted by a man in hiding seeking to hire a team of mercenaries to sabotage a secret ritual performed by an elusive cult. As an ex-member, he escaped and is now on the run. He seeks revenge after losing his lifelong wealth to the Paragons, offering the last of his gold to ensure the cult is brought to justice.
- (Ideal for higher level, noble, or wealthy characters) PCs receive an invitation to an exclusive party held by one of the Northland’s most elite. Unknown to them, they are attending one of The Paragon’s recruiting events and are under consideration. They must maneuver through the dazzling, high-stakes social gathering without falling prey to the scheme set to entrap them.