Le Sang Divin est une religion à prédominance humaine qui n'adore aucun dieu mais plutôt la divinité qui réside en tous les mortels. C'est une ancienne religion dédiée à la connaissance du sang, aux mystères de l'hérédité, et à la compréhension de la mort et des morts-vivants. La plupart de ses membres croient que le sang est la source de la vie et que les morts-vivants fournissent l'immortalité et un chemin vers la divinité.

Le Sang Divin est centré sur la croyance de la Divinité intérieure, ce qui signifie que les adeptes du Sang Divin ne vénère aucune divinité autre que le sang qui coule dans leurs propres veines. Ce n'est qu'en acceptant le pouvoir potentiel de leur sang qu'ils pourront éviter le désert gris de Dolurrh et vivre une vie après la mort créée par les capacités de chacun, un lieu de bonheur éternel. Les adeptes du sang divin se font appelés Chercheurs, un raccourci pour Chercheurs de la Divinité intérieure.

(Avertissement : Les informations suivantes ne sont apprises qu'en passant un test de religion ou d'histoire)

Avant de passer aux détails de la Divinité intérieure, il est instructif d’apprendre comment le Sang Divin est né. La plupart seraient surpris d’apprendre que les racines de la foi remontent à des dizaines de milliers d’années, jusqu’à l’époque des Géants de Xen’drik. Cependant, ce n'est que lorsque la marque perdue de la mort est apparue parmi les elfes de la Maison Vol que Le Sang Divin tel que nous le connaissons est né.

Dans une tentative malavisée de mettre fin au conflit qui avait ravagé les elfes et les dragons, la matriarche de la Maison a mélangé le sang des deux races, donnant naissance à une petite fille qui incarnait les deux, Erandis.

La révélation de l'existence d'Erandis a effectivement unifié les deux races (et, ironiquement, a mis fin aux conflits périodiques) mais pas comme la Maison Vol l'avaient espéré. L'indignation mutuelle devant cette abhération rapprocha les elfes et les dragons, et ils commencèrent immédiatement une campagne visant à effacer toute trace des demi-dragons et de la Maison Vol du visage d'Eberron.

Il y a vingt six cents ans, un puissant dragon rouge nommé Avothirax arrivA à la tête d'un millier de guerriers elfes. La Maison de Vol tomba en ruine, et la Marque de la Mort fut perdu. Les elfes des maisons associés à la maison de Vol furent épargnés et exilés en Khorvaire, ou ils répandirent leur religions parmi les humains.

Si une seule doctrine religieuse unit le Sang Divin, c'est bien le concept de la Divinité intérieure. Cette notion est incarnée dans l’un des principes les plus précieux des Chercheurs, prononcé à l’ouverture de presque tous les rassemblements rituels :

Ne regardez pas vers le ciel, ni vers les profondeurs, ni même vers le passé ou le futur lointain. Recherchez le divin à l’intérieur, car le sang est la vie, et quelqu’un qui prends la peine de l'écouter peut y entendre la promesse de la vie éternelle.

Ce chant illustre à quel point la foi se démarque des religions plus traditionnelles. Les chercheurs ne croient en aucune divinité autre que celle qui coule dans leurs propres veines et refusent de reconnaître l’existence d’un « dieu » par principe uniquement. Pour eux, les adeptes de la Légion Souveraine et des Sombres Six vivent des vies de mensonges qui finiront par se terminer dans le désespoir. La philosophie des chercheurs n'exclut pas les trois grands dragons mais les considère davantage comme des concepts que comme des êtres littéraux. Les fidèles croient au pouvoir des choses vues et touchés, et un fragment de dragon peut être tenu entre ses mains, le pouvoir le traversant. Les chercheurs soutiennent que tout « créateur » qui aurait conçut le plan de Dolurrh comme le dernier quartier des âmes ne mérite que du mépris. Ainsi, la foi se concentre sur le pragmatique, en particulier sur le tirage au sort de la vie ou de la mort qu’est l’existence.

Les chercheurs croient que la foi traditionnelle est une vanité complaisante, un moyen pour les petits esprits et les âmes encore plus petites d'accepter la véritable nature de l'existence. Dans un monde aussi impitoyable qu’Eberron, la seule foi qui n’est pas déplacée est la foi en soi et en ses propres capacités. Lorsque les prêtres du Sang méditent sur leurs sorts quotidiens, par exemple, ils ne prient pas des divinités ou des concepts, mais en vérité, eux-mêmes. La Divinité Intérieure accorde le pouvoir de façonner la réalité, et non une force extérieure.

Les chercheurs soutiennent que le sang lui-même est « l’âme » de la vie, courant dans les veines des êtres sensibles comme un dieu liquide. Dans la mentalité de la plupart des cultes du Sang, les créatures qui ne connaissent rien au sang (constructions, plantes, limons, etc.) sont ainsi éloignées de la véritable divinité. La doctrine Vol soutient que le sang est véritablement la vie et que sans lui, il n'y a pas de vie réelle. En conséquence, les Chercheurs croient que le sang détient la clé d’une myriade de pouvoir et de sagesse, y compris le plus grand de tous : la porte vers la vie éternelle.

Le concept de la Divinité intérieure est au cœur de la vision de l’âme des Chercheurs et de toute notion d’au-delà. Ils croient absolument en Dolurrh, et quelques-uns des plus puissants dans la foi prétendent même y avoir été et en être revenus pour raconter son vaste vide. Ces sinistres testaments sont souvent prononcés dans des sermons du culte dans tout Khorvaire afin d'encourager davantage la volonté des Chercheurs à s'échapper à ce sort gris. Le Sang Divin soutient que la clé d’une telle évasion réside dans la Divinité intérieure. Ceux qui cherchent du secours à l’extérieur du culte sont voués à la trahison par les puissances mêmes qu’ils vénèrent, voués à une éternité sans âme. Ce n'est qu'en regardant à l'intérieur et en puisant la force de la Divinité en soi qu'une âme peut espérer trouver sa propre vie après la mort.

La position élevée des Mort vivant au sein de l’Église pourrait surprendre ceux qui ne sont pas croyants. Les vampires, liches et momies n'ont plus de sang ni de vie et ne peuvent donc jamais atteindre pleinement à la Divinité intérieure. Les Chercheurs croient que les Mort-vivants intelligents ont fait ce terrible sacrifice pour vaincre la mortalité et servir la secte. Ainsi, ils sont vénérés et respectés, mais ils sont aussi plaints, car ils ne peuvent jamais atteindre la perfection. Les Mort-vivants sont les champions de l'Église, guidant les croyants vers leur véritable destinée, mais peu de ceux qui suivent la foi feraient ce terrible choix.

Contrairement à l'Église de la Flamme d'Argent par exemple, les suivants de Vol forment un groupe extrêmement diversifié. La foi intègre toute la diversité de la Légion Souveraine, et s'étend tout aussi loin, mais avec moins de membres dans sa congrégation mondiale.

La caractéristique la plus révélatrice du Sang Divin est la variété des manières dont ses adeptes accèdent à la foi. Seul un type spécifique de personne cherche activement à adhérer à une religion telle que la Flamme d'Argent, et le fait d'être élevé au sein de l'Église ne garantit pas une foi continue. En revanche, presque tout le monde pourrait rechercher un culte du Sang Divin. Un trait est commun à chaque chercheur, quelle que soit sa race ou sa région : une croyance inébranlable dans le pouvoir de soi. Tout véritable étudiant des mystères du sang est un dévot de la Divinité intérieure, et quoi qu'une âme puisse être, tant qu'elle reste ferme sur ce credo unique, elle sera toujours un chercheur dans l'âme. Cette croyance unificatrice non seulement donne de la force à la foi dans son ensemble, mais favorise également la puissance et la polyvalence de sa congrégation.

La majorité des prêtres de la foi sont issus des fidèles. Une fois que leur compréhension de la Divinité intérieure a progressé au-delà d’un certain point, certains chercheurs se sentent obligés d’aider les autres à trouver le chemin et sont ensuite élevé au rôle de prêtre. En théorie, pour rejoindre la prêtrise, il suffit d’une compréhension claire de son rôle dans le parcours d'un individu et d’un fort désir de servir. Dans la pratique, bien entendu, les choses se déroulent un peu différemment.

Chaque prêtre du Sang Divin partage le même devoir que chaque adepte : rechercher la Divinité intérieure. Même ceux qui ont déjà libéré leur propre divinité potentielle, devenant ainsi immortels, devraient poursuivre leurs recherches sur les mystères de la vie, de la mort et de l'au-delà. Tous les prêtres doivent obéir aux ordres raisonnables de leurs supérieurs dans la foi. Pour la plupart, cela signifie exécuter sans réserve les ordres du chef du temple local. Pour les chefs de temple et autres connaisseurs, cela signifie suivre à la lettre les ordres du Covenant Écarlate.

Le clergé du Sang Divin dirige des cérémonies et des rituels importants, tout comme le font les prêtres des autres confessions. Dans tous les cultes, sauf dans les plus sauvages, on peut trouver des prêtres du Sang remplissant des rôles banals dans la vie de leurs compagnons chercheurs, offrant des conseils aux fidèles et même acceptant des confessions. Bien que ce soit loin d'être commun, un prêtre peut même accueillir et assister à l'union de deux chercheurs de la congrégation, bien que la cérémonie doive généralement être répétée devant un représentant civil pour être légale juridiquement (en particulier à Thrane).

Il n’existe pas de symbole sacré unique et obligatoire associé à la foi. Bien que le Sang Divin ait un symbole, qui est largement utilisé comme un symbole sacré, ce n'est pas le symbole sacré de chaque prêtre. Chacun est autorisé (et même attendu) à trouver un symbole qui résonne en lui et à le garder sacré. Cette pratique peu orthodoxe reflète non seulement l’importance accordée par la foi aux besoins de l’individu, mais elle préserve également le caractère privé de ses activités. Dans le même esprit, les prêtres du Sang ne sont pas censés porter de tenue particulière en dehors de leurs temples. Lorsqu'en fonction, ils portent des vêtements à prédominance noire et rouge. Les crânes rasés sont communs, en particulier dans certaines sectes, mais ne sont pas obligatoires.

Les prêtres du Sang Divin poursuivent et maîtrisent les sorts de l'école de nécromancie ainsi que les sorts de soin, notamment ceux traitant de la mort ou de l'animation des morts. Une bonne compréhension de la manière dont la magie divine interagit avec la mort et l’âme est fondamentale pour comprendre la Divinité intérieure. Ceux qui ont le pouvoir de ressusciter les morts, par exemple, sont considérés comme spirituellement avancés, gagnant ainsi un plus grand statut et plus de respect. Tout clerc capable d’une véritable résurrection est considéré comme particulièrement béni.

La procédure de renvoi d’un prêtre du Sang Divin est d’une simplicité troublante. En règle générale, quelque chose d’assez grave pour justifier la défroquation suffit à justifier la mort du prêtre. La mort devant la divinité est le pire sort qu'un chercheur puisse concevoir, donc l'exécution est la seule punition appropriée pour un traître. Ce traitement sévère ne se produit généralement que lorsqu'il s'avère qu'un prêtre sert activement les intérêts d'une foi rivale, le plus souvent l'Église de la Flamme d'Argent. Aux yeux de nombreux Chercheurs, en particulier ceux qui connaissent la vérité sur la foi, une telle punition est « trop belle » pour le traître offensant.

Le Sang Divin ne mène pas de rituels au nom d'une divinité spécifique, comme le font de nombreuses autres confessions, et ne célèbre ni ne vénère le monde naturel. Pourtant, les rituels ne sont pas moins important pour les chercheurs que pour les membres des autres confessions. La différence réside dans le but. Les rites des chercheurs ne sont pas destinés à obtenir la faveur d’une divinité mais doivent servir un objectif particulier, et cet objectif doit être non seulement utile, mais vital.

Les adeptes du Sang Divin font peu usage de la prière conventionnelle, puisqu'il n'existe aucune divinité spécifique à implorer. Les chercheurs de certaines variantes de sectes, en particulier ceux dont le culte implique une ou plusieurs divinités nommées, prient souvent ces divinités, mais généralement uniquement lors de rites de plus grande importance. La plupart des chercheurs ne prient que pour eux-mêmes, souvent pour préparer leur âme à un défi ou à un événement à venir. De telles « prières » consistent en une récitation silencieuse, voire silencieuse, la plus commune étant :

Comme le sang est le pouvoir et que le sang coule en moi, le pouvoir est à moi.

Le Sang Divin dans son ensemble ne maintient aucun rite mineur, car toute pratique confessionnelle est considérée comme un rite majeur, par définition. Toutes les pratiques et rituels localisés sont donc considérés comme des rites mineurs, et ceux-ci varient d'un culte à l'autre. La plupart des cultes préfèrent laisser de nombreux rites mineurs à l'individu, car la poursuite de la compréhension de soi est d'une importance primordiale dans la foi, et par conséquent ils gardent peu (voire aucun) de ces rites en tant que groupe. D'autres cultes, cependant, choisissent de se concentrer sur l'identité communautaire de la foi et encouragent ainsi tous les chercheurs locaux à y assister. Ces situations sont plus précisément considérées comme des exemples de la manière dont la foi utilise le rituel pour construire des liens entre les membres, plutôt que comme un indicateur de l'importance du rituel lui-même. Dans ces circonstances, les rites mineurs peuvent inclure des choses telles que la célébration de l'illumination d'un compagnon chercheur, l'intronisation d'un nouveau membre dans le culte ou, peut-être plus communément, la méditation communautaire se tenant régulièrement dans la plupart des cultes du Sang.

Le Sang Divin en tant que foi ne marque pas les événements de la vie comme d'autres le font. De par sa nature, elle s'intéresse peu à ce qui passe pour la vie quotidienne des peuples civilisés de Khorvaire. Les mariages, par exemple, n’ont aucune importance pour la plupart des Chercheurs. Cependant, la foi s'intéresse aux questions de vie, de mort et de l'au-delà, de sorte que deux événements de la vie quotidienne ont autant d'importance pour les chercheurs que pour les autres : les naissances et les décès.

Contrairement aux autres confessions, le Sang Divin marque rituellement le passage d'événements qui donnent ou mettent fin à la vie même s'ils se produisent en dehors des rangs des fidèles. La foi n'est pas indifférente aux naissances et aux décès des Chercheurs (ceux-ci sont également marqués par des rituels), mais elle prête également attention à la vie de personnalités importantes, quelle que soit leur religion. Cette habitude inhabituelle place les Chercheurs dans la position de vénérer rituellement la naissance ou la mort de parfaits inconnus.

En de rares occasions, un chef de secte rassemblera les chercheurs locaux pour marquer la naissance ou la mort d'un individu inconnu ou banal. Malgré cela, aucun chercheur fidèle ne remettra en question la décision. Ce rite se produit le plus souvent lors des décès mais peut également se produire lors de naissance de temps en temps. L'ordre de célébrer le rite vient presque toujours directement de la hiérarchie supérieur, et même les dirigeants locaux sont souvent intrigués quant à l'importance de la personne ainsi honorée. Au-delà de cette vénération du double passage vers la vie et la mort, le Sang Divin connaît deux « grandes fêtes » qui impliquent un cérémonial substantiel. Le premier, le sacrement du sang, a lieu à intervalles irréguliers tout au long de l'année et constitue la pierre angulaire du rituel de la foi dans son ensemble. La seconde a lieu pendant Crya, le treizième et mois “perdu” de l’année.

• Le sacrement du sang : C'est la pratique la plus sacrée du Sang Divin, visant à affirmer que tous les membres d'une communauté sont un et unis dans leur divinité. Pendant ce sacrement, tous les chercheurs locaux se rassemblent dans une chambre spécialement préparée, loin des regards indiscrets. Le chef de la secte commence par un bref chant en Draconique, saluant l'assemblée en tant qu'individus et parties d'une âme collective. Après le chant, le leader se dirige tour à tour vers chaque participant, qui se coupe rituellement avec un poignard spécial connu sous le nom du croc de sang. Il permet ensuite au chercheur assis à côté de lui de lui tenir la main pendant que du sang coule dans le calice en rubis du maître des rites. Le rituel continue de cette manière jusqu'à ce que chaque chercheur présent ait donné son propre sang. Inconnu de beaucoup de ceux qui participent au rituel, le sang ainsi collecté est stocké dans des fûts de pin de conservation et expédié à travers le Khorvaire pour être utilisé dans une grande variété de pratiques nécromantiques.

• Jour des révélations (13 Crya) : À mesure que l'année se refroidit et finit par mourir, chaque chercheur examine les progrès spirituels qu'il a (ou n'a pas) réalisés au cours de l'année précédente. Le Jour des Révélations, également connu sous le nom de Jour de l'Ascension, offre à chaque membre de la foi la possibilité de reprendre une partie de ce qu'il a donné tout au long de l'année et de réfléchir aux connaissances ainsi acquises. Au cours du rituel du Jour des Révélations, le maître du rite convoque les chercheurs rassemblés pour un sacrement de sang. Cette fois, cependant, le maître du rite mène une cérémonie magique sur le calice rempli qui nettoie simultanément le sang des impuretés tout en concentrant les énergies vitales inhérentes au précieux liquide. (Secrètement, il est souvent mystiquement modifié d'autres manières, en fonction des ordres du maître du rite.) Lorsque cette cérémonie est terminée, le maître du rite fait passer le calice une fois de plus, chaque chercheur y buvant à tour de rôle, ne reprenant pas plus que ce qu'il y avait déposé. Cette ingestion se traduit toujours par un épisode psychotique dont la durée et l'intensité varient selon l'individu et, dans une moindre mesure, selon la quantité consommée. Ces « voyages de sang » offrent aux âmes fidèles la chance de visualiser les vérités qui se trouvent non seulement dans leur propre sang, mais aussi dans celui de leurs compagnons chercheurs.

Le Sang Divin existait bien avant la formation de Galifar et il n'utilise donc pas le Calendrier standard pour marquer les pratiques religieuses ou le passage du temps. La foi suit le plus ancien calendrier actif sur Eberron, appelé la roue de Qabalrin. Nommé d’après la civilisation elfe qui l’a développé sur Xen'Drik il y a des millénaires, c’était le seul Calendrier enregistré pour une grande partie des débuts de l’histoire du monde. Comme son homologue moderne, la Roue de Qabalrin est divisée en mois qui correspondent aux Lunes d'Eberron, mais contrairement au Calendrier de Galifar, elle reconnaît toujours la treizième lune (qu'on croit perdu au cosmos depuis que les Géants scellèrent le plan de Xoriat il y a plusieurs siècles). La Roue a treize mois au lieu des douze standard, le dernier, Crya, associé à la Marque disparu de la Mort, venant après Vult et avant Zarantyr sur le Calendrier Galifar. Cela rend l’année de la Roue Qabalrin un mois plus longue que l’année Galifar.

Le Calendrier liturgique du Sang Divin compte le temps à partir de l'année où la Maison de Vol a été trahie. Pour les Chercheurs avertis, 998 AR correspond à 2398 CM (la 2398ème année depuis la Chute de la Maison). De nombreux Chercheurs n'utilisent pas cette convention, bien sûr, et même ceux qui le font utilisent encore le Calendrier Galifar pour des relations en dehors de la foi.

Contrairement à La Légion Souveraine ou à l'Église de la Flamme d'Argent, le Sang Divin n'a aucune région ni nation où la foi est dominante (du moins, pas en majorité). Le culte est fort dans tout Khorvaire, en particulier à Karrnath et au Droaam, mais même là où la pratique de la religion se déroule ouvertement, aucune domination ne peut être revendiquée.

Les membres des races monstrueuses (en particulier les Gobelinoïdes, les gnolls et les minotaures) naissent souvent dans la foi, tandis que d'autres humanoïdes (en particulier les humains et les demi-orcs) y viennent généralement plus tard dans leur vie. Dans toutes les communautés de Chercheurs, sauf dans les plus sauvages, la conversion forcée est considérée comme insensée et, pire encore, comme une perte de temps et de ressources. Les gens trop ignorants pour voir la vérité devraient être laissés à eux-mêmes (jusqu’à ce qu’on en ait besoin). Même lorsque les Chercheurs capturent quelqu’un en dehors de la foi, ils ne lancent presque jamais l’ultimatum au non-croyant de « se convertir ou mourir ». Il existe des exemples d'âmes capturées demandant à rejoindre la foi, mais les chercheurs exigent que les individus viennent à elles. La croissance de l'esprit est toujours une affaire personnelle, laissée entièrement à l'individu (même si les âmes timides peuvent devenir des sacrifices communautaires dans certains régions).

Bien que de nombreux Chercheurs l’ignorent, leur foi est l’une des plus actives politiquement sur Éberron. La foi est surtout connue pour ses liens avec Karrnath, où elle est responsable, entre autres choses, du renversement de la vapeur au cours de la Dernière Guerre et de la naissance de l'Shirin de Garda, récemment converti, réussit à prendre le contrôle de la Maison Garda, le vent pourrait à nouveau tourner en faveur du Sang Divin.

La foi est presque aussi active dans l'État voisin de l'Aundair, bien que sa présence soit loin d'être aussi ouverte ou acceptée.

Comme l’Église de la Flamme d’Argent, Le Sang Divin estime que toutes les autres confessions sont fausses. Le chercheur typique ne croit en aucune divinité autre que celle qui coule dans ses propres veines et dénonce avec véhémence un culte insensé jusqu'à (et souvent au-delà) de son dernier souffle. Le Sang Divin méprise la plupart des autres religions : aucune âme sensée ne choisirait de renoncer à l’autodétermination, le plus grand don de l’existence. Pourtant, toutes les autres religions majeures d'Eberron placent le sort de leurs membres entre les mains de forces extérieures, qu'il s'agisse de dieux, d'anges, de démons ou de la nature elle-même. Le seul principe que les chercheurs partagent avec les membres d’autres confessions est peut-être que les actions d’une âme dans la vie déterminent son redécoupage final. Pourtant, là où d’autres croient que les actions sont comptées et jugées par ceux qu’ils vénèrent, les sectateurs du Sang soutiennent que les actions d’un individu sont le seul moyen pour l’âme d’échapper à Dolurrh, pour leur propre bien.

Les membres individuels du culte du sang ont des attitudes différentes à l'égard des autres religions, souvent basées uniquement sur leurs expériences individuelles avec lesdites religions, mais la « ligne du parti » est à peu près la suivante.

• La Flamme d'Argent: Des fanatiques à la tête vide du pire ordre. La meilleure leçon que l’on puisse tirer des soi-disant Purifiés est à quel point la foi peut être destructrice lorsqu’elle est laissée à un autre pour la dicter. La seule chose pure chez ces moutons sans âme, c’est la condescendance bien-pensante qu’ils nourrissent à notre égard.

• La Légion Souveraine : Une foi qui pourrait presque être considérée comme désuète, si elle n'était pas si omniprésente. Il est terriblement dommage que tant de personnes se contentent de mener une vie misérable en l’honneur de « dieux » qui les ont clairement abandonnés. Je les laisse à leur misère… et à Dolurrh.

• Les Sombres Six: Les vassaux des Six souffrent de la même maladie de l'âme qui affecte ceux de la Légion, mais au moins ils sont plus honnêtes à ce sujet (les adeptes du Geolier notamment). Au moins, ils constituent des alliés précieux, bien que peu fiables, contre les plus zélés de la Flamme d'Argent.

• Sectes druidiques : Certains prétendent que ces adorateurs de la nature sont nos plus grands ennemis. En vérité, nous sommes plus semblables que différents. Nous vénérons tous les deux la nature, ils sont simplement mal orientés. C’est la nature en nous tous, le sang, qui mérite le plus grand respect.

• Autres confessions : Simpletons. Je peux respecter le pouvoir et comprendre pourquoi certains pourraient vouloir s’allier à des êtres puissants. Mais offrir son âme à de tels êtres, remettre tout espoir de divinité aux pieds d’autrui, est plus que pathétique.

De nombreux Chercheurs individuels ont tenté de tirer le meilleur parti de « l’opportunité » qu’était La Dernière Guerre. Certains ont utilisé le chaos comme couverture pour des opérations visant à dénicher des reliques ou des secrets dont l'existence ou l'accès avait été interdit en temps de paix. Quelques-uns ont réussi ; beaucoup d’autres sont tombés aux côtés de ceux qui ont combattu pendant la guerre. Cependant, la majeure partie des ressources de la Covenant Écarlate dans La Dernière Guerre était consacrée aux efforts de la reine-liche pour assurer le pouvoir et la richesse de Karrnath.
Une fois que La Dernière Guerre eut véritablement commencé, Vol ordonna aux anciens de sa prêtrise d'approcher le roi Kaius I avec une offre. Les Le Sang Divin, influents dans la région depuis un certain temps, promettent leur plein soutien à Kaius et à Karrnath en échange de quelques « petites considérations ». Bien entendu, le timing était parfait. Cyre et Thrane étaient en mouvement, chacun désireux de revendiquer Karrnath pour le sien, et les relations diplomatiques de Kaius avec les quelques alliés restants n'avaient jamais été pires. Sans l’aide de Vol, Karrnath serait tombé pendant la Dernière Guerre.
Le Sang Divin a fourni deux sources principales d'aide, qui marquent encore aujourd'hui Karrnath. Ils créèrent Mort_vivant pour renforcer et remplacer les troupes vivantes de Karrnath, freinant ainsi l’avancée de Thrane. Combiné avec le corps d'élite connu sous le nom de Ordre de la Griffe Émeraude, également fourni par le Sang Divin, Karrnath a gagné du terrain non seulement contre Thrane, mais Aundair, Brelande et Cyre également.

Vol elle-même s'est présentée devant le roi de Karrnath pour réclamer son dû. Premièrement, elle exigea que son culte soit autorisé à établir des temples et des bases dans son royaume. Deuxièmement, elle a exigé que Kaius subisse le sacrement du sang. Kaius avait entendu parler du rituel et savait qu'il était inoffensif pour les participants, alors il accepta. Vol l'a cependant trompé et a utilisé le rituel pour transformer Kaius en son propre esclave personnel en tant que vampire. Cependant, Kaius a refusé de s'incliner et Vol a déclenché sa soif de sang en réponse, le poussant à assassiner sa propre femme. Depuis son retour sous le nom de Kaius III (se faisant passer pour son propre petit-fils), il a travaillé sans relâche pour éliminer l'influence de Vol sur ses terres, avant tout en interdisant l'Ordre de la Griffe Émeraude.

Many individual Seekers tried to make the most of the “opportunity” that was the La Dernière Guerre. Some used the chaos as cover for operations to ferret out relics or secrets whose existence or access had been forbidden during peacetime. A few were successful; many others fell alongside those who fought in the war. The bulk of the Covenant Écarlate’s resources in the La Dernière Guerre, however, were tied up in the lich_queen’s efforts to secure Karrnath’s power and wealth.
Once the La Dernière Guerre had begun in earnest, Vol directed elders of her priesthood to approach King Kaius I with an offer. The Le Sang Divin, influential in the region for some time, pledged full support to Kaius and to Karrnath in exchange for a few “small considerations.” The timing, of course, was perfect. Cyre and Thrane were on the move, each eager to claim Karrnath for its own, and Kaius’s diplomatic relations with what few allies remained had never been worse. Were it not for Vol’s aid, Karrnath would have fallen during the La Dernière Guerre.
The Le Sang Divin provided two primary sources of aid, which mark Karrnath to this day. They created Mort_vivant to bolster and replace Karrnath’s living troops, stemming the tide of Thrane’s advance. Combined with the elite corps known as the Order of the Griffe Émeraude, also provided by the Le Sang Divin, Karrnath gained ground against not only Thrane, but Aundair, Brelande, and Cyre as well.

Vol herself came before the king of Karrnath to claim her due. First, she demanded that her cult be allowed to establish temples and bases in his kingdom. Second, she required Kaius to undergo the Sacrament of Blood. Kaius had heard of the ritual and knew it was harmless to participants, so he agreed. Vol deceived him, however, and used the ritual to turn Kaius into her own personal thrall as a vampire. However, Kaius refused to bow, and Vol triggered his bloodlust in response, causing him to murder his own wife. Ever since his return as Kaius III (posing as his own grandson), he has worked ceaselessly to remove Vol’s inf luence from his land, first and foremost by outlawing of the Order of the Griffe Émeraude.

The Le Sang Divin is flexible about what structures can serve as shrines. Once again, individuality is respected. Seekers keep their faith in their own ways, and the religion mandates no adherence to any particular size, style, or construction of a shrine. It must contain an altar of some kind, along with a means for collecting ritually shed blood neatly and without undue waste. Any room can serve this purpose, so long as it is prepared withthe proper care and reverence. Most shrines are private affairs and usually small, since proper temples serve the needs of larger groups.
True temples are almost as varied as shrines but share more features. They are built of stone, natural or worked; the type is immaterial. Some are elaborate, using state_of_the_art engineering and magical techniques, incorporating multiple wings and vast, vaulted Chambres. Others are simple, one_room cubes of severe look and design, and a few are converted natural caverns. As with smaller shrines, the only requisite detail is an altar (preferably in its own room). Even the altar itself need not have any specific shape or design. In some temples, it is located against the far wall of the altar room; in others, on the floor in the dead center of the room; in still others, it is elevated and placed to one side. Every temple of any means also maintains a system to collect and preserve blood in the altar room. This can be a permanent magical effect, in the case of the largest and wealthiest temples, or simply a pattern of grooves in the floor of the Chambre, where spilled blood can pool in a specified collection place.
Candles, braziers, and other sources of fire are Commun, and a temple usually maintains at least one flame for each member of the local cult. These soulflames are kept alight, burning bright and red, whenever the temple is in use. They symbolize the sacred fire flowing through all sentient life. When a cultist unlocks the secret to divinity—by no longer aging or by becoming Mort_vivant—that flame is extinguished, but the candle or brazier remains. If a Seeker dies before making sufficient spiritual progress, that flame is treated with chemicals that make it burn a different color—most often black, but some temples use silver when a Seeker is murdered by a Flamme d'Argent zealot—for three full days and nights. After this time, the light is extinguished and the source of the flame destroyed.
Priests of the Le Sang Divin seek out Zone De Manifestations of Mabar, the plane of Endless Night, to build shrines and temples. When the plane is Limitrophe with Eberron, it enhances the power of magic sacred to the faith, but this happens only once every five years, and for just three nights. Unknown to even most Seekers, the Covenant Écarlate aggressively searches for such zones, and has built numerous new temples since the end of the La Dernière Guerre. Rumor tells of a massive ritual to be conducted during the three nights when next Mabar is Limitrophe, but none can say what such an ambitious rite is to accomplish.
The largest and most famous of all Vol’s temples is the Monastère du Sang Pourpre in Atur, the City of Night, in Karrnath. Like the Cathédrale de la Flamme d'Argent, the monastery is fortresslike in design and defensibility. Unlike its counterpart in Fort_de_la_Flamme, it presents a far more humble exterior. The local high priest, an abactor of the Covenant named Malevanor (LE male mummy cleric 9), uses his temple’s innocuous reputation to hide in plain sight amid the turbulent political climate of postwar Karrnath. Malevanor rarely leaves his inner Chambres and when he does, he goes heavily cloaked.
Khorvaire boasts two other notable temples. The first is Château Illmarrow, the home of Vol herself, in northern Lhazaar. The second is the Widening Gyre, a subterranean complex hidden beneath the streets of Xandrar, on the northwestern outskirts of Brelande. From this underground temple (which is concealed by magic, as well as by natural rock), a Covenant abactor named Baszilio (LE male vampire [Humain] rogue 2/necromancer 5/cleric 3) runs not only local affairs, but also a corridor of communication and trade with Covenant agents in Karrnath. According to rumor, Baszilio was in life a cousin to Shirin d’Garda, Lord Commander of the Épées Certifiéess, and has been aiding the ambitious Marque Du Dragon heir in his plan to wrest control of Maison Garda away from Breven d’Garda, the current baron of the house.

The Le Sang Divin draws Seekers of many differing origins and behaviors. Not all are equally committed to (or indeed, aware of) the Covenant Écarlate or Vol herself. The spread of her philosophy has grown far beyond Vol’s ability to oversee directly, and she watches with interest as it grows and changes with each new Seeker who comes to the faith.
Le Culte de la Vie:Despite its benevolent name, this subsect of the Le Sang Divin is filled with some of the most dangerous Seekers in the world. Its members are known as “thieves of life,” and for good reason: The entire purpose of the cult is the pursuit of immortality, paid for with other living souls. Those at the highest levels of the cult are fully aware of their organization’s connection to Vol and often take orders directly from the Covenant Écarlate. Neophyte members are kept ignorant of these truths until they have earned their place.
Le Clan des Corne de Fer:This confederation of orcs and Gobelinoids has grown from a small tribe into the single largest community of Seekers on Khorvaire in the time since the end of the La Dernière Guerre. Before the war, the Hornblades were a large orc tribe in western Khorvaire, but they were decimated by infighting with druid cousins who felt they had Perdu their spiritual way. The clan’s purpose was renewed by the return of a half_breed exile by the name of Janilya. After besting the former chieftain in mortal combat, she united the clan under the banner of Vol and made clear her vision for the future: The Hornblades would allow Seekers of other races to join the tribe, if their belief was strong enough. Since then, the clan’s ranks have swelled with new arrivals (mostly Gobelins and other orcs) who come to hear the word of their new prophet, to be a part of her vision of unity, and in the case of those found unworthy, to become ritual sacrifices for the good of the community.
Les Gardiens du Sang:Few cults have caused so large a rift in their parent faiths as have Le Geoliers. Some Seekers welcome them, while others view them as heretics of the worst order. Les Gardiens du Sang revere both the principles of Vol and the Sombres Six god known as Le Geolier. Most cultists do not actually believe in Le Geolier as an entity but revere his alleged portfolio. Only by recognizing and revering both primordial aspects can they be assured of divinity or life everlasting. In many ways, they are the most conservative sect of the Le Sang Divin.
Order of the Griffe Émeraude:Not so much a sect as a paramilitary branch of the faith, the Order of the Griffe Émeraude does the will of Vol herself. Agents of the Order operate not only in their home state of Karrnath but all across Khorvaire, where they carry out the orders of the Covenant Écarlate. Some of the rank and file in the Order are unaware of their organization’s ties to the lich_queen, truly believing themselves to be the ostracized Karrnathi loyalists they portray to the outside world. Those in charge of cells or operations are faithful Seekers, doing work they believe is essential to furthering the Le Sang Divin, and they would gladly die before spilling their secrets.

The Le Sang Divin is a religion that reveres the Mort_vivant. In Breland—and even in much of Karrn— people associate the Le Sang Divin with mad necromancers and armies of the dead. But as with the Église de la Flamme d'Argent or the Légion Souveraine, the majority of the people who worship the Le Sang Divin are Communers—hardworking peasants and crafters who simply wish to be left alone to practice the faith of their fathers. The vampire lords and wizards of the Le Sang Divin may seek to spread chaos across the world or to restore the Perdu Mark, but the typical parishioner simply wants to do his duty, give blood on the holy days, and pray for the spirits of his ancestors who have been taken from this world.
The followers of Vol in Sharn know little about the true nature of the religion. They also believe in the existence of the gods of the Légion Souveraine—and despise them. The core belief of the Sharn sect is that death is the greatest evil of all. There is no glorious afterlife, no rebirth; death is oblivion at best, and eternal torment for a soul taken by Le Geolier. The gods cursed the world with mortality, but Vol has found a way to escape this curse. Fearing the power of Vol, the gods fled to the heavens, and today they do not walk the world. To the followers of Vol, the sentient Mort_vivant are champions in the battle against death. The faithful believe that in time, the vampire lords will take the battle to the heavens and destroy the gods, and that when this is done there will be no more death. The regular giving of blood is a form of reverse communion—a spiritual sacrifice, showing the willingness of the community to support their champions and to give their lives to overcome death. As for mindless Mort_vivant, the soul is all that matters to the followers of Vol and there is no taboo against raising the dead as zombies or skeletons; on the contrary, it allows those unjustly taken from the community to still serve it in some way.
While they believe in the righteousness of their cause, followers of Vol know better than to discuss their faith with outsiders, even with fellow Karrns. The vile gods have enslaved the world, and the followers of Vol know that most people will not listen to them. Some of the followers of Vol are actually of good alignment; these people are deeply opposed to violence, and refuse to participate in the killing of an innocent. Others believe that there are no innocents, and that those who choose to serve and believe in the gods of death deserve nothing better. It is these people who are usually secretly recruited to serve in the Order of the Griffe Émeraude.
The congregation of the hidden temple in the Muraille_Grise district are primarily peaceful followers of Vol. They provide shelter and passive assistance to Mort_vivant or members of the Griffe Émeraude, but they themselves are not killers or necessarily evil—no more or less so than the inhabitants of any other district of Sharn.

Followers of the Le Sang Divin call themselves Seekers and come from all walks of life though Seekers are predominantly Humain. Seekers do not believe in divine beings rather they seek the divinity within themselves believing in the life and godliness that flows through blood itself. The Le Sang Divin tends to appeal to those who wish to improve themselves and those who are driven due to the faiths focus on the individual's inner-sElfee. Some followers join the religion because they believe that the concept of a god is unfathomable. Unfortunately the faith is incredibly appealing to death fetishists, necromancers and seekers of immortality. Unlike the cult’s enemies in the Church of the Silver Flame, the people of Vol are an exceedingly diverse lot who would be surprised to learn that they have anything at all in common. The faith incorporates all the diversity of the Sovereign Host, and is spread out just as far, but with fewer members in its global congregation.

Much like the Flamme d'Argent, the Le Sang Divin believe that all other religions are simply distorted aspects of their own religion, seeing other faiths as misguided fools, who hopefully will come to see the error of their ways and convert.

The Flamme d'Argent:The Le Sang Divin sees the Flamme d'Argent as fanatical zealots, from whom one can only learn how destructive faith can become when dictated by another.

La Légion Souveraine:A faith one could almost begin to understand, if it was not for the reliance on “gods” that have clearly forsaken their worshipers.

Les Sombres Six:Suffering from the same faults as the Légion Souveraine, though at least the worshipers of the Sombres Six admit to it. If nothing else, they make useful allies against the Église de la Flamme d'Argent.

Sectes Druidiques:We both venerate nature, but the druids look to the natural world beyond, while we look to the natural force within oursElfes.

While the followers of The Le Sang Divin are often distrusted by members of other faiths because of rumors that they worship the dead, the members are not evil. This is widely misunderstood due to the fact that the teachings are dark and driven. While no longer presumed evil, the members of The Le Sang Divin are unaligned and follow these exhortations: *Believe in yourself: “As the blood is the power, and the blood flows through me, the power is mine.” *Work to improve yourself and your capabilities. A complete understanding of divinity within opens the door to immortality. *Meet with others of The Le Sang Divin to share in the power of each other's blood. Those of The Le Sang Divin are entranced by the meaning of blood, both literal and figurative, as well as heredity. To them, blood is the source of power and the divine, and only through understanding that power is within and not without or through an illusionary otherworldly power can one focus on day-to-day activities and sElfee-improve and ultimately obtain immortality. For if one is strong enough, he may be able to master the source of life and abilities that come from within him and his blood.

*Cult of Life Safehouse

*Janilya The Fearless

*Thief of Life

• Le Culte de la Vie
• Le Clan des Corne de Fer
• Les Gardiens du Sang
• L'Ordre de la Griffe d'Émeraude

RISING : Le Sang Divin Everyone has a spark of divinity. Find that power within. • Death is the end, Dolurrh is oblivion, and if the gods exist, they are cruel. Stand with those you care for; all we have is this life and each other. What just god would allow death and suffering? The Le Sang Divin teaches that we all have the potential to become divine beings-and that death is a curse, designed to kill you before you can unlock the divinity within you. The Le Sang Divin is a grim faith, founded by Erandis de Vol, an Elfee from Aérénal. It asserts that death is oblivion, that the universe is uncaring, and that if the Sovereigns exist, they are cruel. Its followers study the secrets of blood and life, and because they believe that death is the end, they see nothing wrong with using the bodies of the fallen to serve the living. Seekers of the Divinity Within (as the faithful call themselves) are glad to be reanimated after death; at least they can do some good. Because of this association with necromancy, many believe the Le Sang Divin embraces death and its followers want to become Mort-vivant. Both ideas are false. The Le Sang Divin sees death as the ultimate evil. Seekers don't want to become Mort-vivant; they want to become divine beings. The faith teaches that divinity is tied to blood and soul, and the Mort-vivant can never fully harness that power. The mummies and vampires of the Blood of Vol have sacrificed their chance at divinity to guide the living. They're martyrs, not something to envy. In addition to a general revulsion toward the Mort-vivant, the public opinion of the Le Sang Divin is colored by the actions of L'Ordre de la Griffe d'Émeraude. This extremist sect serves a lich known as the Queen of Death, and it employs necromantic magic in acts of terror. However, most Seekers don't support la Griffe d'Émeraude. The Le Sang Divin has its strongest following in Karrnath and the Principautés de Lhazaar. For a time, it was the national religion of Karrnath. Though fallen from favor, the faith is still practiced openly in that nation. SYMBOL The power o f a cleric o f the Blood o f Vol comes from within them. As such, every cleric chooses a unique holy symbol-an object that resonates with them. More generally, the faith is represented by a tear-shaped red gemstone or shard of glass. Priests of the Le Sang Divin wear robes of red and black. RITES The services o f the Blood o f Vol focus o n drawing the faithful together as a community and encouraging people to find power within themselves. The most important ritual of the faith is the Sacrament of Blood. After a sermon, each member of the congregation sheds a small amount of blood into a basin. This is a symbol of unity, and a message that members of the community would shed their blood to defend one another. In some temples, this blood is donated to vampire champions of the faith. TEMPLES A shrine devoted t o the Blood o f Vol requires only a n altar and a means for collecting ritually spilled blood. Temples of the Le Sang Divin are fortified structures, built to serve as sanctuaries. In contrast to the Silver Flame, such temples are stark and functional. Temples include vaults or catacombs, designed to hold Mort-vivant or to store corpses.

Unlike the Sovereign Host or Church of the Silver Flame, the Blood of Vol has neither a region where the faith is dominant (at least, not outwardly) nor a nation to call its own. Worship is strong all over Khorvaire, particularly in Karrnath and Droaam, but even where practice of the religion occurs openly, no dominance can be claimed.

The People of the Blood of Vol Members of the monstrous races (particularly goblinoids, gnolls, and minotaurs) are often born into the faith, while other humanoids (especially humans and half-orcs) typically come to it later in life. In all but the most savage Seeker communities, forcible conversion is seen as senseless, and worse yet, a waste of time and resources. People too ignorant to see the truth should be left to their own devices (until they are needed). Even when Seekers capture someone outside the faith, they almost never give the nonbeliever the “convert or die” ultimatum. Examples of captured souls asking to join the faith do exist, but Seekers demand that individuals come to them. The growth of the spirit is always a personal matter, left entirely to the individual (though half-hearted souls might become community sacrifices in some areas).

The Blood of Vol and Government Although many Seekers are unaware of it, their faith is one of the most politically active on Eberron. In its upper echelons, the Blood of Vol is a force for political and social change that uses its congregation as a worldwide masquerade for its true agenda.

The Blood of Vol is involved to some extent in every major government on Khorvaire. The faith is best known for its connections to Karrnath, where it is responsible for, among other things, turning the tide of the Last War and begetting the recently outlawed Order of the Emerald Claw. With the reemergence of Kaius I (now a vampire, thanks to Vol herself) in the guise of Kaius III, the faith has met with setbacks. Still, it is stronger and more influential in Karrnath than in most other areas. And if the recently converted Shirin d’Garda succeeds in his bid to take over House Garda, the tide could turn in favor of the Blood of Vol once more.

The faith is almost as active in the neighboring state of Aundair, though its presence is not nearly as open or accepted. The capital at Fairhaven is the headquarters of the Cult of Life, the single largest order within the Blood of Vol, which serves as the Aundairian equivalent of the Order of the Emerald Claw (though without the public persona). Vol is much more careful about her operations in Aundair, for the region is important to her future plans. Her operatives have thus far managed to keep a low profile, despite having made substantial inroads in the Aundairian political system.

Seekers are influential in both Breland and the Lhazaar Principalities, each of which houses one of the most important temples of Vol worldwide (the Widening Gyre in Xandrar, Breland, and Illmarrow Castle in the far north). Vol’s efforts are much more hands-off in the Principalities, due to the region’s political system and her desire to def lect attention, but in Breland, the Covenant Écarlate is waging an all-out campaign to wrest power and influence from the locals. Some Seekers believe Breland will be the site of the faith’s greatest struggle.

The Blood of Vol and Other Faiths Like the Church of the Silver Flame, the Blood of Vol believes that all other faiths are wrong. The typical Seeker believes in no divinity beyond that which runs through his own veins, and vehemently decries mindless worship until (and often beyond) his last breath. The Blood of Vol holds most other religions in contempt: No sane soul would choose to give up self-determination, the greatest gift of existence. Yet every other major religion on Eberron places the fates of its members in the hands of outside forces, whether gods, angels, demons, or nature itself. Perhaps the only tenet that Seekers share with members of other faiths is that a soul’s actions in life determine its final reward. Still, where others believe that actions are tallied and judged by those they worship, cultists of Vol hold that an individual’s actions are the only way for the soul to escape Dolurrh, for their own sake.

Specific Attitudes Individual members of the cult of Vol have differing attitudes on other religions, often based solely on their individual experiences with said faiths, but the “party line” is roughly as follows.

The Silver Flame: Empty-headed zealots of the worst order. The best lesson one can learn from the so-called Purified is how destructive faith can be when it is left to another to dictate. The only pure thing about these soulless sheep is the self-righteous condescension they harbor for us.

The Sovereign Host: A faith that could almost be considered quaint, were it not so pervasive. It is a terrible pity that so many are content to eke out miserable lives in the honor of “gods” who have clearly forsaken them. I leave them to their misery . . . and to Dolurrh.

The Dark Six: Vassals of the Six suffer from the same disease of the soul that affects those of the Host, but at least they are more honest about it (followers of the Keeper in particular). If nothing else, they make valuable if untrustworthy allies against the more zealous of the Silver Flame.

Druid Sects: Some claim that these nature-worshipers are our greatest enemies. In truth, we are more alike than different. We both venerate nature. They look to the natural world beyond us, and in that are misdirected. It is the nature within us all—blood—that deserves the greatest reverence.

Other Faiths: Simpletons. I can respect power and can understand why some might want to be in league with mighty beings. But to offer one’s soul to such beings—to lay all hope for divinity at another’s feet—is beyond pathetic. Even the druids are worthy of more respect.

The Blood of Vol in the Last War Many individual Seekers tried to make the most of the “opportunity” that was the Last War. Some used the chaos as cover for operations to ferret out relics or secrets whose existence or access had been forbidden during peacetime. A few were successful; many others fell alongside those who fought in the war. The bulk of the Covenant Écarlate’s resources in the Last War, however, were tied up in the lich-queen’s efforts to secure Karrnath’s power and wealth.

Once the Last War had begun in earnest, Vol directed elders of her priesthood to approach King Kaius I with an offer. The Blood of Vol, influential in the region for some time, pledged full support to Kaius and to Karrnath in exchange for a few “small considerations.” The timing, of course, was perfect. Cyre and Thrane were on the move, each eager to claim Karrnath for its own, and Kaius’s diplomatic relations with what few allies remained had never been worse. Were it not for Vol’s aid, Karrnath would have fallen during the Last War.

The Blood of Vol provided two primary sources of aid, which mark Karrnath to this day. They created undead to bolster and replace Karrnath’s living troops, stemming the tide of Thrane’s advance. Combined with the elite corps known as the Order of the Emerald Claw, also provided by the Blood of Vol, Karrnath gained ground against not only Thrane, but Aundair, Breland, and Cyre as well.

Vol herself came before the king of Karrnath to claim her due. First, she demanded that her cult be allowed to establish temples and bases in his kingdom. Second, she required Kaius to undergo the Sacrament of Blood. Kaius had heard of the ritual and knew it was harmless to participants, so he agreed. Vol deceived him, however, and used the ritual to turn Kaius into her own personal thrall as a vampire. However, Kaius refused to bow, and Vol triggered his bloodlust in response, causing him to murder his own wife. Ever since his return as Kaius III (posing as his own grandson), he has worked ceaselessly to remove Vol’s influence from his land, first and foremost by outlawing of the Order of the Emerald Claw.

Temple : The Blood of Vol is flexible about what structures can serve as shrines. Once again, individuality is respected. Seekers keep their faith in their own ways, and the religion mandates no adherence to any particular size, style, or construction of a shrine. It must contain an altar of some kind, along with a means for collecting ritually shed blood neatly and without undue waste. Any room can serve this purpose, so long as it is prepared with the proper care and reverence. Most shrines are private affairs and usually small, since proper temples serve the needs of larger groups.

True temples are almost as varied as shrines but share more features. They are built of stone, natural or worked; the type is immaterial. Some are elaborate, using state-of-the-art engineering and magical techniques, incorporating multiple wings and vast, vaulted chambers. Others are simple, one-room cubes of severe look and design, and a few are converted natural caverns. As with smaller shrines, the only requisite detail is an altar (preferably in its own room). Even the altar itself need not have any specific shape or design. In some temples, it is located against the far wall of the altar room; in others, on the floor in the dead center of the room; in still others, it is elevated and placed to one side. Every temple of any means also maintains a system to collect and preserve blood in the altar room. This can be a permanent magical effect, in the case of the largest and wealthiest temples, or simply a pattern of grooves in the floor of the chamber, where spilled blood can pool in a specified collection place.

Candles, braziers, and other sources of fire are common, and a temple usually maintains at least one flame for each member of the local cult. These soulflames are kept alight, burning bright and red, whenever the temple is in use. They symbolize the sacred fire flowing through all sentient life. When a cultist unlocks the secret to divinity—by no longer aging or by becoming undead—that flame is extinguished, but the candle or brazier remains. If a Seeker dies before making sufficient spiritual progress, that flame is treated with chemicals that make it burn a different color—most often black, but some temples use silver when a Seeker is murdered by a Silver Flame zealot—for three full days and nights. After this time, the light is extinguished and the source of the flame destroyed.

Priests of the Blood of Vol seek out manifest zones of Mabar, the plane of Endless Night, to build shrines and temples. When the plane is Limitrophe with Eberron, it enhances the power of magic sacred to the faith, but this happens only once every five years, and for just three nights. Unknown to even most Seekers, the Covenant Écarlate aggressively searches for such zones, and has built numerous new temples since the end of the Last War. Rumor tells of a massive ritual to be conducted during the three nights when next Mabar is Limitrophe, but none can say what such an ambitious rite is to accomplish.

The largest and most famous of all Vol’s temples is the Crimson Monastery in Atur, the City of Night, in Karrnath. Like the Cathedral of the Silver Flame, the monastery is fortresslike in design and defensibility. Unlike its counterpart in Flamekeep, it presents a far more humble exterior. The local high priest, an abactor of the Covenant named Malevanor, uses his temple’s innocuous reputation to hide in plain sight amid the turbulent political climate of postwar Karrnath. Malevanor rarely leaves his inner chambers and when he does, he goes heavily cloaked.

Khorvaire boasts two other notable temples. The first is Illmarrow Castle, the home of Vol herself, in northern Lhazaar. The second is the Widening Gyre, a subterranean complex hidden beneath the streets of Xandrar, on the northwestern outskirts of Breland. From this underground temple (which is concealed by magic, as well as by natural rock), a Covenant abactor named Baszilio runs not only local affairs, but also a corridor of communication and trade with Covenant agents in Karrnath. According to rumor, Baszilio was in life a cousin to Shirin d’Garda, Lord Commander of the Épées Certifiéess, and has been aiding the ambitious dragonmark heir in his plan to wrest control of House Garda away from Breven d’Garda, the current baron of the house.

• All Seekers revere or worship undead. The Seekers see undeath as a tool. Undead such as skeletons and zombies are useful and a way to thumb your nose at the universe: You may have killed me, but you’ll have to grind my bones to dust before I stop helping my people. Seekers believe that their souls are destroyed after death, so there is nothing magical about the body; why not use it in a way that will help those who still live? In addition, throughout history the Blood of Vol has had champions who have become undead so that they can continue to teach or protect the living, or search for ways to break the curse of mortality or fight the Sovereigns themselves; essentially, undead saints. What makes these beings worthy of respect isn’t that they are undead: it’s what they do WITH their undeath. So a Seeker doesn’t inherently see a vampire as worthy of reverence; they understand that many vampires are selfish and only out for themselves. They understand that a ghoul may simply be a slavering beast. It’s simply that there are those who have become mummies or vampires or liches so that they can champion the faith, and those beings deserve reverence.

Are undead warriors an extreme solution in Karrnath or now undeads are used in common works? Do they have undead farmers?“Karrnath” isn’t the same thing as the Blood of Vol. The Seekers are comfortable with undead and have always used mindless undead – standard skeletons and zombies – for manual labor. You can definitely find a Seeker farmstead with skeletons in the fields. But Seekers have always been a minority in Karrnath and most Karrns consider that sort of thing to be creepy. During the Last War, Kaius embraced the Blood of Vol during a time of crisis recognizing that their necromancers could help reinforce the armies of Karrnath with undead, and they did. However, many Karrns hated this practice, believing that it sullied the martial reputation of their nation; they didn’t need to turn to such dark magics. Towards the end of the war Regent Moranna broke ties with the Blood of Vol, and Kaius III has actually blamed the Seekers for some of Karrnath’s problems – perhaps it was their dark magics that sickened crops and caused famines in the first place! This is basically a populist move that helped Kaius reinforce his power base, giving his people someone to blame for their misfortunes.

A good follower of the Blood of Vol wants to preserve all life. This proves to be an uneasy goal to reach, as the very mechanics of the game tend to push players to kill their opponents without seconds thoughts more often than not. What creatures, would you think, the BoV faith may consider “impossible to save” (and so, fair game to kill if they act evil)?

Well, rather than saying they want to preserve all life, I’d say that they consider every death a loss. Every death is a tragedy, and a good follower of the BoV sympathizes will all who labor under the curse; in my opinion, BoV clerics are the MOST likely to help others with resurrection magic, because they don’t believe dying people have some pleasant future with the Sovereigns of Flame. But with that said, that doesn’t mean that every life must be saved or that they cannot kill. Every death is a tragedy, but first and foremost you have to protect your people. If a bandit tries to kill you – or if a paladin of Dol Arrah is going to destroy your undead champion – it’s OK to kill them. If you CAN take them alive, great. But if misguided people pose a clear and deadly threat to the faithful, shed a tear for them and do what you must do to protect those who are truly innocent. Basically, it’s never something you should do without a second thought – but it’s acceptable to kill someone who will kill you or your people if nothing is done.

Aberrations are definitely fair game. Strangely, undead are valid to destroy, because they’re dead. Constructs, oozes, etc – all good. Beyond that, many Seekers only see the divine spark as existing in “things that look like me”. TECHNICALLY any intelligent creature with blood has the Divinity within, but many Seekers only extend that to humanoids, and others limit even further to humans and demihumans. So if you try to protect all sentient things you’d a very noble Seeker… but many would just see the blackscale lizardfolk as a monster, not a brother-in-blood.

What would be the position of the Church toward the warforged, in your opinion?

A warforged is essentially like an undead. Pity them as they have no blood and can never attain true divinity, but if they choose to serve the faith, it’s a noble calling and they should be treated with respect. Now, the stranger case is the warforged Seeker who attains divine power; in the 5E game I’m running right now, one of the PCs is a warforged BoV paladin. Some Seekers will look at this and say that they must have a piece of the divine spark for this to occur. Others would assert that because they are acting as a champion of the faith, they are actually drawing on the divinity of the people they are protecting.

You mentioned that the Bloodsails are more representative of the first traditions of the line of Vol. Does it have something to do with the presence of “Lady Illmarrow”, a.k.a. Vol herself, among the Grim?

No – it’s because the Bloodsails are the direct descendants of the elves who served the line of Vol and fought alongside it against the dragons and the Undying Court. The Blood of Vol took their ideas and mixed them up with existing beliefs about the Sovereigns and such; the Bloodsails follow the more pragmatic approach that death sucks and undeath gives you power and immortality, without investing in the idea of the Divinity Within.

• It is POSSIBLE for people to unlock the Divinity Within and move on without breaking the who cycle for everyone. So selfish Seekers this is all they want to do: achieve personal ascension, with no concern for others. But there are surely BoV “saints” who ARE believed to have ascended and to exist in a higher form already; we just want to make that possible for everyone.
• Tying to the point that most BoV followers consider the “Vol” in the Blood of Vol to be the original Seeker who discovered the Divinity Within: there’s no issue with this clashing with the true history of the line of Vol. Elves live a long time and thus HAVE more time to try to unlock the Divinity Within. Hearing the true history of the line of Vol, a Seeker would say “So, it’s a family of elves who was studying necromancy? Clearly, the Vol WE reference was a member of that family who discovered the Divinity Within as part of that work.” Essentially, they don’t know WHICH member of the family it was, but there’s nothing problematic about the idea that a long-lived Elven necromancer might have stumbled upon this secret and accomplished something the rest of his family didn’t follow up on.
• Honestly, I think Seeker sages pity the elves. They have the right idea and they have such long lives they ought to be able to accomplish it. But looking to the Undying Court, they tie themselves to this world – when someone who unlocks the Divinity Within should ascend to something BETTER than this world.

The Blood of Vol: Divinity Within Life is pain, a ceaseless struggle against hunger, disease, and despair. Every day we’re one step closer to the grave, and all that lies beyond is Dolurrh and the disintegration of the soul. What just god would create such a world? What benevolent Sovereign would condemn their creations to such misery? But what if mortality is something that can be overcome? Perhaps we all have a spark of divinity within us, a spark that can become a force to rival the Silver Flame. Perhaps one day we can end the cycle of death and misery, so all can live long enough to find their divinity within. Until then, the best we can do is to hold our family and friends close, defy cruel fate, and fight to live as long as we can. This is the message of the Blood of Vol. Life is suffering and death is annihilation, but you can defy this cruel fate— and perhaps even break the cycle for good. Foundations of the Faith Most followers of the Blood of Vol identify as Seekers of the Divinity Within—usually shortened to Seekers—though there are other traditions within the faith. The Blood of Vol has long been vilified, with outsiders often viewing it as a death cult, falsely equating it with the cult of Katashka the Gatekeeper (described later in this chapter), or blaming its members for plagues and blights. In the midst of misinformation and fear, what is the truth of the Blood of Vol? Born in Khorvaire Human settlers to Khorvaire brought the faith of the Sovereign Host with them, but the Blood of Vol is indigenous to the continent. The line of Vol was a noble line of Aerenal, as described in chapter 2, with a long tradition of necromancy tracing its roots back to Xen’drik. When members of the line of Vol developed the dragonmark known as the Mark of Death, they undertook a risky series of experiments designed to unlock its full powers. This ended when the Undying Court and the dragons of Argonnessen joined forces to eradicate the bloodlines that carried the Mark of Death. In the aftermath of this brutal purge, those elves who had supported Vol but didn’t bear its blood were given the choice of exile or swearing fealty to the Sibling Kings of Aerenal. This resulted in a wave of exiled elves settling in the Lhazaar Principalities and spreading west into the lands that are now Karrnath. These exiles brought the knowledge of necromancy along with stories of how the heroic family of Vol had sought to attain godhood, only to be destroyed by the jealous gods. The people of the region knew nothing of Aereni traditions or dragonmarks, and they blended this story with their own experience of life in a harsh land, local tyrants, and the empty promises of Sovereign priests. And in the process, they somehow discovered something real. The line of Vol had never sought the divinity within, but these first priests found it, drawing divine power from their own conviction and their own souls. So despite its name, the religion was never practiced by the line of Vol, nor by the infamous Erandis Vol herself, who was in hiding during the period in which the faith evolved. It is a faith born of the blending of elf and human myths and traditions. While the faithful believe that “Vol” was the first person to find the divinity within and challenge the curse of mortality, the faith is based around the divinity within each of us, not the worship of this mythical Vol. Even devoted priests of Vol do not know Erandis Vol’s identity, though they respect the name of “Vol” as author of their core texts, believing that this Vol challenged the Sovereigns, then was subsequently destroyed by these jealous gods—a martyr of the faith. Modern Seeker scholars debate the origins of the name, whether Vol was an individual or a group of people, or related to the elven line at all. So if Erandis Vol were to proclaim her true identity, many of the faithful would be impressed by her lineage, but her bloodline alone wouldn’t give her divine authority. Always in Opposition Millennia ago, as the faith of the Blood of Vol emerged in pre- Galifar Khorvaire, it stood in opposition to the dominant beliefs and authorities of the time. The tyrannical leaders asserted that the Sovereigns blessed their bloodlines and their rule. By challenging the benevolence of the Sovereigns, these early Seekers were also challenging the despots of the time. As time marched on and those petty tyrants fell, the Sovereign Host remained the dominant faith of humanity in Khorvaire, and the philosophical divide between Seeker and Vassal only grew. The Seekers were also shunned for their use of necromancy, generally considered taboo and said to be condemned by Aureon and Dol Arrah. This prejudice grew worse with the rise of Galifar and the Church of the Silver Flame, which asserted that undead are inherently anathema and drain the life from the world by their very existence. In turn, this caused people to blame plagues and blights on the Seekers. However, the Blood of Vol is a faith grounded in the principle of an oppressive universe, and it endured in spite of this prejudice and persecution. But it never spread far beyond the harsh lands where it began, and Seekers are often still met with fear and suspicion today. Stronger Together “The universe is against us, and all we have is each other.” This is one of the most basic principles of the Blood of Vol. Despite its grim outlook, it is a faith that emphasizes the value of friendship, family, and community. There are no benevolent gods looking out for us, so we have to look out for each other. Death is the end, so we can’t let it steal the people we care about without a fight. And since there is no pleasant afterlife waiting for us, we should treasure the time we have with those we love. These values have kept the Blood of Vol alive through the centuries: the deep commitment to community and to working together even in the face of impossible odds. The Divinity Within “Divinity lies within our blood.” In the eyes of the Seeker, life and the soul are both divine forces. Every soul has the potential to evolve and develop divine power—but this takes time and willpower, and most mortals die before they accomplish it.

As a divine spellcaster who follows the Blood of Vol, you believe that your power comes from your own soul. As a paladin, you are calling on the power of your own blood when you heal your allies or smite your enemies. The visible manifestations of magic of the Blood of Vol typically involve crimson energy, as if luminous tendrils of blood are flowing from you. But it’s not simply your power. Consider the Seeker priest who casts commune; how can they gain information they don’t already know? The answer is that the divinity within is something far greater than you. It is a god, possessing celestial power you can’t understand or imagine—but it is still in its chrysalis, waiting to be born. When you cast your spell, you awaken a sliver of its power; once the spell is done, it returns to its rest. Or at least, that’s a Seeker believes. Scholars of other faiths argue that the Seekers are deluded, that their powers are simply drawn from some other source, the same kind of delusion that allows a warforged cleric to draw magic from their devotion to the Lord of Blades. However, Seeker priests can reverse this same argument. What proof is there that all clerics aren’t simply drawing on their own divine sparks—that even a paladin of Dol Arrah mistakenly thinks their power come from above, when really, it’s always come from within? Necromancy and the Undead The Blood of Vol emerged from collaboration with Aereni necromancers, and the undead have always been associated with the faith. First and foremost, this link is born out of practicality. Seekers have no reverence for corpses; the divinity within is tied to life and to the soul, and once those things are gone, what’s left is just meat and bone. As an extension of this, most Seekers want their corpses to be put to use. The faith is driven by the idea of serving a community—why let your corpse go to waste when it can help your friends and family? As such, mindless undead are commonly seen in Seeker communities serving as guardians, performing manual labor, and completing other simple tasks. However, a common misconception is that Seekers want to become undead. Some do, driven purely by the fear of oblivion, but undeath is a miserable half-life, not a triumph. The divinity within is bound to your blood and your soul, so Seekers believe that the souls of undead are trapped in their corpses, the spark of divinity lost to them. Those who embrace undeath are seen as martyrs, and generally expected to protect and serve their Seeker community. One of the most public of these champions is the mummy lord Malevanor, the high priest of Atur. The former high priest of Atur was the mummy Askalor, who held the post for over four hundred years—but he was weary of his long undead existence. When Malevanor was grievously injured during the Last War, Askalor transferred his power and his undead existence to his apprentice. This raises an interesting question: if the divinity within lies in the blood, how does Malevanor cast divine magic? The answer is that Seeker communities ritually draw their blood and share it with these champions. Vampires drink this blood, while mummies or liches may bathe in it. Through this, undead priests draw their power from the blood of the living faithful. Another factor in the long association between the Blood of Vol and necromancy is that Seeker communities have often formed in or near manifest zones to Mabar. While such areas are often inhospitable or dangerous, over the course of many centuries, Seekers have learned how to tap the energies of these places. Because Mabaran manifest zones are usually blighted, outsiders often accuse the Seekers of causing blights. In reality, the Seekers often perform rituals that limit the negative effects of the manifest zones—so instead of causing the plagues and blights associated with Mabar, they often prevent them. Celestials, Fiends, and the Blood of Vol If the power of the Blood of Vol flows from within, who answers when a cleric conjures a celestial or invokes planar ally? One simple answer is for the DM to use a being who has the statistics of a celestial or fiend, but that is formed from blood and magic; it’s a manifestation of your own divine essence and fades away when its work is done. This might seem a strange match for planar ally, a spell that normally requires payment to an external force, but even an ally of your own essence might demand a service in return. This could be seen as a request from your subconscious—a demand that you do something you know you should do, but that you’ve been trying to ignore. On the other hand, it could be a mysterious task with no discernible purpose; this ties to the fact that your Divinity Within is something beyond mere mortal understanding, and you don’t fully understand what it needs or wants. Another possibility is that you’re drawing on the Seeker community rather than reaching to the planes for assistance. One principle of the faith is that champions become undead so that they can help other Seekers. When you cast planar ally, rather than calling a celestial or fiend, you might summon an undead champion of your faith; this could be anything from a vampire to a mummy lord or a death knight. In this case, the payment they demand for their service would likely be a tithe to the Seeker temple they are bound to. On a smaller scale, your DM could similarly decide that when you cast conjure celestial, it summons a sarcastic flameskull instead of an angel.

War and Peace Throughout its history, the Blood of Vol has been treated with fear and suspicion by the people of the Five Nations. It’s a faith that has dwelled in the shadows. This changed early in the Last War. His nation crippled by famine, King Kaius I accepted the aid of the Blood of Vol. The Seekers provided undead soldiers and necromantic expertise; with the resources of the crown behind them, Seekers developed necromantic rituals and weapons never before imagined. In exchange, Kaius elevated the Blood of Vol to the official state religion. Warlords were encouraged to embrace the faith, and Seeker families were given lands and titles. For a time, the Blood of Vol spread and was celebrated—or so it seemed. Most of the old warlord families still despised the Seekers and felt that the use of undead in battle debased the proud martial traditions of their ancestors. Toward the end of the war, Regent Moranna turned on the faith and the Blood of Vol became a scapegoat for all of Karrnath’s troubles. Moranna claimed that the famines and plagues the people had suffered were caused by the Seekers. Its nobles were stripped of their lands. Chivalric orders of Seekers were disbanded. Some—notably the infamous Order of the Emerald Claw—refused to surrender, but most Seekers remained loyal to their nation even when it betrayed them. Today, the Blood of Vol has returned to the shadows, though there are still Seekers who serve the crown. Kaius III has sealed most of his undead forces in the crypts below Korth and Atur, but he isn’t willing to entirely surrender this strategic advantage. Fort Bones and Fort Zombie remain bastions of loyal Seekers. But the faith is no longer celebrated, and the old warlord lines still mutter that they would have won the war if only they’d relied on skill and steel instead of foul magics. In playing a Karrnathi Seeker, do you support the crown and believe that Kaius III is only doing what he has to do to maintain the support of the warlords, or do you despise Kaius III and Moranna for betraying your faith?

Paths of the Faith When creating a player character or NPC associated with the Blood of Vol, consider the following paths and which best fits your character. The Seekers of the Divinity Within The Seekers of the Divinity Within are the largest and most widespread tradition associated with the Blood of Vol. The faith isn’t as formally structured as the Church of the Silver Flame or even the Sovereign Host. For the most part, Seekers keep to themselves, living in their own villages and small towns or in isolated neighborhoods of larger communities, where they can practice their traditions without drawing the ire of their neighbors. The exception is the city of Atur: known as the City of Night, this remains the most public bastion of the Blood of Vol. Expanded and fortified during the Last War, Atur is the seat of Karrnath’s necromantic research and development. While Kaius III has stripped the Blood of Vol of much of its standing, he still recognizes its potential value should the war begin anew, and many believe that he continues to provide support to Atur. The mummy lord Hass Malevanor is the high priest of Atur and the current spiritual leader of the faith. However, there are stories of undead champions who have guided and protected the Seekers for centuries. Sometimes known as the Covenant Écarlate, these enigmatic figures may be the true power behind Atur. Outside Atur, for the most part, each Seeker community relies on their abactor—the priest that oversees a temple or community—and they rarely reach out to the world beyond. The largest temple in a region serves as a hub, coordinating with the other Seeker communities around it. But every community has its own stories and traditions and they’re generally unconcerned with “heresy”; feel free to develop your character’s own unique beliefs. As an acolyte of the Blood of Vol, you’ve been ordained as a priest, but not bound to a single community as an abactor. You can receive shelter in any Seeker community. Are you following orders from Malevanor or the Covenant Écarlate itself? Are you guided by visions from your own divinity within? As a Seeker hermit, you spent your time in isolation communing with your divinity within, and your Discovery may relate to the faith. Perhaps you have an insight into how to unlock your own power. Or perhaps you’ve learned a secret about the Covenant Écarlate, and believe that a malevolent force is manipulating the faithful Seekers—can you find a way to bring down this ancient evil and free your people? The Bloodsails The elves of the Bloodsail Principality occupy the island of Farlnen in the Lhazaar Principalities. The Bloodsails share the same roots as the Blood of Vol, as the principality was founded by Aereni exiles. However, they have followed a different path and hewn closer to the traditions of their ancestors. They don’t believe in the divinity within and readily seek immortality through undeath. However, the island can only support a limited number of vampires, and Bloodsails must earn their afterlife by paying velgys—blood money—to the lords of the land. Those who fail to earn enough to buy a better afterlife are instead bound to objects after death. This is similar to the Aereni techniques described in chapter 2, but Bloodsail elves are often tied to ships and sails, enabling their vessels to move across a windless sea, sails driven by ghosts. Bloodsail elves often bear crimson tattoos that are tied to their families and vessels. The Bloodsails are exceptional sailors, so both sailor and pirate are logical backgrounds for a player character. Most Bloodsails use the Aereni elf subrace provided in chapter 6. As an adventurer, you might have been exiled from your island, or you could be searching for a way to quickly earn the blood money you need to leave mortality behind. The Order of the Emerald Claw The Order of the Emerald Claw began as an elite military force comprised of devoted Seekers. When Regent Moranna turned on the Blood of Vol, the Emerald Claw refused to stand down. Today, members of the order include both Seeker extremists and Karrnathi patriots furious at Kaius III for embracing peace. The ultimate leader of the Emerald Claw is the lich known to most as the Queen of the Dead, though those in the inner circle know her to be the infamous Lady Illmarrow of Farlnen. She claims that her violent actions are for the good of Karrnath and the Blood of Vol, but in truth, they primarily benefit her and serve to spread terror. The Order of the Emerald Claw is full of villains whose actions have cast all Seekers in a bad light, and most Seekers despise the Emerald Claw. If you have ties to the Emerald Claw, you could have served with them before realizing that the Queen of the Dead is pursuing her own evil agenda; if so, you could be determined to find some way to destroy the lich and restore honor to the order. Or you could be convinced that Lady Illmarrow truly does have the best interests of your people at heart. Has she been unjustly vilified? Or are you simply a tool? If you wish to play a Seeker veteran without the villainous ties of the Emerald Claw, the Order of the Onyx Skull was another elite unit comprised of Seekers, but disbanded on Moranna’s orders. As a paladin of the Blood of Vol, you could be a knight of the Onyx Skull who has taken up adventuring after being cast aside by your nation. Are you still loyal to Karrnath? Or do you believe Kaius III is a traitor to your people?

Thieves of Life The Seekers of the Divinity Within value community, urging the faithful to stand together. But there are others who follow the principles of the Blood of Vol who prefer to stand alone. The hermits known as Thieves of Life are determined to unlock their divinity within at any cost—not to help others, but solely to further their own quest for power and immortality. Thieves of Life are often master necromancers, but never become undead themselves; instead, they specialize in magics that allow them to drain the life from their foes. As a hermit devoted to the Blood of Vol, you could choose the path of the Thief of Life. You are utterly devoted to the pursuit of your personal divinity, and your Discovery has likely shown you the path you must take. You might be a cleric, a Divine Soul sorcerer, or an Undying warlock (with your patron being your own nascent divinity within). What binds you to your fellow adventurers, and why would they choose to associate with you? You may be utterly devoted to your quest for immortality—but what is your redeeming feature, your anchor to humanity? An unusual option for a Thief of Life hermit is to say that you’ve actually been in a state of suspended animation for decades or even centuries—your Discovery was made on an inner journey. You were once far more powerful than you are today, but your powers have yet to return; as you gain levels, you are actually regaining the power you once had. If this is the case, it could be that one or more of your adventuring companions are actually descendants of yours; while you’re obsessed with your quest for immortality, you also care about your own bloodline.

My last IFAQ dealt with the role of mummies in the Blood of Vol. This ties into another question that’s equally relevant to the season: How would you use the Covenant Écarlate in your Eberron?

Information about the Blood of Vol is wildly inconsistent across canon material. You can find some of my thoughts on this in this article. My vision of the Blood of Vol is articulated in Exploring Eberron. In short, the Blood of Vol was created in Eberron, when exiled elves fleeing the destruction of the line of Vol settled among humans and dwarves living in a harsh land, long oppressed by tyrants who used the Sovereign Host to justify their rule. The elves shared a tale of a champion who attained divine power only to be crushed by the existing gods, and the humans recast that to fit their reality. In their story, Vol isn’t an elf with a dragonmark who fights the Undying Court, but rather is a human who finds a spark of divinity within and fights the Sovereign Host. The NAME is there and the bones of the story can be seen, but the truth that iinspired it is long forgotten. The elves shared some of their necromantic traditions with the humans, and that aspect of the faith has its roots in Aerenal. But it was only in the synthesis of the cultures and traditions that the faithful actually found the Divinity Within. The Aereni line of Vol were NECROMANCERS; they never harnessed this power.

So: the Blood of Vol was is something entirely unique to Khorvaire, something formed by the blending of Vassal heretics and exiled elves. When this religion was taking root, Erandis Vol was hiding from the Undying Court and building her strength; it was many centuries before she would stumble across the faith that carried her family’s name. She sees the Blood of Vol as a useful tool and is happy to manipulate them, and the result of this is the Order of the Emerald Claw. But she didn’t create their faith and she doesn’t share it. She aspires to be a goddess, but it is her apex dragonmark that is her path to divine power, not some universal Divinity Within.

The Blood of Vol has always been a religious of the downtrodden, of those who believe that the gods are cruel and the universe is unforgiving. Its strongholds lie in Mabaran manifest zones, shunned lands no one else could tame. As discussed in Exploring Eberron, the structure of the faith is far looser than that of the Church of the Silver Flame. Some priests are trained in one of the great temples such, such as the Crimson Monastery of Atur; others have never met a priest from beyond their village, and learned the faith from their local abactor. So, what then is the Covenant Écarlate?

The basic principle of the Blood of Vol is that every mortal holds a spark of divinity within their blood, and the goal is to unlock that Divinity Within. But few can accomplish that in their lifetime, and death is oblivion. Some champions of the faith become undead—typically vampires and oathbound mummies—to live beyond what their mortal span would allow. This is a form of martydom; an undead creature has no spark of life, and loses the Divinity Within. But they gain time, and can guide and protect other Seekers. The Covenant Écarlate are the oldest and most powerful of these undead champions, some of whom were guiding the Seekers before Erandis Vol even knew the faith existed.

Among most of the faithful the Covenant Écarlate is little more than a legend; most seekers believe that Hass Malevanor, High Priest of Atur, is the greatest spiritual leader of the faith. There is good reason for this secrecy. First and foremost, there are many—the Aereni Deathguard, templars of the Silver Flame, paladins of Dol Arrah, and other champions of the light—who would see these elders as monsters to be destroyed. But there is another aspect: all undead aren’t created equal. We think of things in terms of stat blocks and rules, under which a lich is a lich is a lich. But the necromancy of the early Seekers was adapted from Aereni techniques; it was never as sophisticated as the techniques used by the Bloodsails or the Line of Vol, and has its own quirks. The most ancient member of the Covenant Écarlate, Duran, was its first lich; but while his will is strong, his enchantments are unable to maintain his body and he exists now as a demilich. Most of the members of the Covenant Écarlate are oathbound, and many of their oaths are quite restrictive. Beyond this, many members have had their humanity slowly worn away by the passage of time, and they know it; it is difficult for them to interact directly with the living. With this in mind, Malevanor ISN’T a member of the Covenant Écarlate; he is still young, still comfortable with the world. But he and other priests protect the Covenant and rely upon it for guidance, and the Covenant does perform the most sacred rituals of the faith. The core of the Covenant resides in the catacombs below Atur, and it is their devotions that contain and channel the dreadful powers of this sunless land.

So for the most part the Covenant Écarlate are masterminds and advisors. They can cast spells and perform rituals that are far beyond Malevanor’s powers—but only a few of them are actually capable of freely moving within the world. As such, they generally support the faith by creating magic items, raising undead (they were certainly an important part of raising the first armies for Karrnath), and casting divinations and other rituals. They teach the most promising students in the Crimson Monastery. But there are only a few—such as the Silent Knight and Lady Dusk—who often act in the outer world. There have been others—there were a few members of the Covenant Écarlate who rose from their chamber to lead Seekers in the Last War—but they have been destroyed.

So, to go back to the original question, How would I use the Covenant Écarlate in my Eberron? I would use it as something the adventurers hear of in whispers. Seekers may receive guidance from the Covenant Écarlate; I might even choose to say that when a Seeker priest casts commune, it’s the Covenant that answers. Its possible they won’t even believe it exists until one of these ancient champions actually DOES appear to assist a group of seekers… or alternately, until one of them is discovered and destroyed, and the Mabaran manifest zone they were containing becomes a threat. Beyond that, it would depend on the relationship between the adventurers and the Seekers. If the adventurers are fighting the Emerald Claw, I’d probably start by having them believe that the mysterious Covenant Écarlate is their enemy, perhaps the true leaders of the Emerald Claw. But eventually they would finally meet the Covenant, and if they walked the proper path it could be a powerful ally in the question to put an end to the threat posed by the Claw. With that said…

What’s the relationship between Lady Illmarrow and the Covenant Écarlate?

Originally, none. The Covenant Écarlate are elder Seekers, many of whom have served the faith for longer than Illmarrow has been aware of it. However, Lady Illmarrow is a mastermind, and over the course of centuries some of her handpicked agents have risen to join the Covenant Écarlate. It is through these agents that Illmarrow knows the plans of the abactors and influences the faith to her own ends. It is Illmarrow’s agents who have prevented the Covenant from taking any action against the Emerald Claw, convincing the others that they must wait and see, and that perhaps Illmarrow is acting as a champion of the faith. Some of those councilors slain in the Last War were victims of schemes laid by their fellow councilors, because they posed a threat to Illmarrow’s plans. So the point is that Lady Illmarrow doesn’t control the Covenant Écarlate… But she is influencing it, and in many ways slowly poisoning it to help with her agenda. So again, if I were running a campaign in which the adventurers were fighting Illmarrow and the Emerald Claw, an important piece of the endgame would be identifying and destroying her agents in the Covenant Écarlate, at which point its surviving members could be valuable allies.

Likewise, I could certainly see a member of the Covenant Écarlate who is suspicious of Illmarrow’s influence but unable to act openly serving as a patron for a group of adventurers—potentially using the Immortal Being group patron, or serving as an Undying patron for a warlock or a personal spiritual guide for a Seeker paladin or cleric. Such a patron could direct adventurers to operations of the Emerald Claw or to expose other agents of Illmarrow within the faith.

What’s the relationship between the Blood of Vol and the Bloodsail Principality? Also, the article “Dolurrh’s Dawn” has an individual named Ashalyn Vol who’s said to have created some of the core principles of the Blood of Vol. How’s that work with this interpretation?

Well, I DID say canon was inconsistent! Having said that, let’s take a look at what the canon Bloodsail article says.

The religion known as the Blood of Vol is a bastardized version of the beliefs of the elves of Farlnen, and it has grown and changed over the centuries. Bloodsail priests are far more pragmatic than are their Karrnathi counterparts. They shape their divine spells from the raw energy of Mabar, and whereas the Seekers of Atur try to unlock the immortal potential of the Divinity Within, the priests of Port Cairn are content with the simpler immortality of undeath. Nonetheless, the two faiths share some common practices, and followers of the Blood are treated with respect in Farlnen.

The bolded element is the key. After the line of Vol was eradicated in Aerenal, the Undying Court allowed elves allied to the line but who didn’t carry its blood to either swear fealty to the Court or to accept exile. Some of these went directly north to Farlnen and became the Bloodsails. Others landed in Lhazaar and migrated west, mingling with humans and dwarves. The Blood of Vol arose from that mingling of traditions, and the Divinity Within was a discovery of this new faith. So Ashalyn Vol WAS a cleric and did set the first cornerstones of the faith. But those cornerstones were about channeling the power of Mabar, not about finding the Divinity Within. The idea of fighting against death was there, but how you do it is very different. The Seekers see undeath as a sacrifice; the Bloodsails see it as entirely satisfactory and don’t believe in a divine inner spark; they don’t believe the oathbound gives anything up by becoming undead, and their divine magic isn’t drawn from the same source as that of a Seeker priest. So as noted, the Bloodsails RESPECT the Seekers and recognize their common roots; but they also think the Seekers are, well, crazy humans with bizarre conspiracy theories. “The Sovereigns cursed people with mortality, so they couldn’t become gods themselves” — that’s just a ridiculous idea!

Part of the point of this is to challenge the concepts of Elven Exceptionalism and that Things Were Always Better In The Old Days. I like the idea that the blending of elf and human beliefs and ideas created something new—that this fusion allowed them to DISCOVER the Divinity Within, which is a real divine power source that the line of Vol never knew about or harnessed. To me this is more compelling than saying “Oh, an elf discovered it five thousand years ago – we’re just following in their footsteps and we’ve never really made any sort of improvements.” The Bloodsails ARE just following in Ashalyn’s footsteps, because that’s what elves do; they cling to the traditions of their ancestors. But the Blood of Vol did something NEW. And part of MY idea is that they are continually improving their techniques—that Duran the demilich is a demilich because their original lich technique was flawed and that they’ve gotten better at it — that the techniques used to produce Malevanor were superior to the oathbound rituals they used centuries ago.

What’s the relationship between the Covenant Écarlate and Kaius III? How does the Covenant feel about Lady Illmarrow and the Emerald Claw?

In thinking about the Covenant Écarlate, it might be helpful to look at the US Supreme Court. It’s a small body of people who are experts at what they do (we hope) but who have differing opinions and who were appointed in very different times. It’s a lifetime position, and in this case, when we say lifetime, we mean eternity—or until you get taken down by a paladin of Dol Arrah. There are members of the Covenant Écarlate who are older than Galifar, and at least one who’s older than Karrnath. For these people, the events of the last ten years—the Order of the Emerald Claw, Kaius III—are a tiny drop in the bucket of time. It’s only been a decade; let’s see how it plays out in another decade.

You definitely have factions in the Covenant. There are those who argue that the Covenant should be focused on teaching the living—that it’s not its place to intervene directly. There are those who say that they should be trying to find a way to destroy the Sovereigns directly, those who say they should undermine the institutions that encourage worship of the Sovereigns, and those that say that all this discussion of the Sovereigns is ridiculous, because they don’t exist. There are those who believe Lady Illmarrow poses a threat to the faith, and those who argue that she’s a champion and that the Covenant should be supporting her—along with those who say “Let’s see what happens in the next ten years.”

So there are definitely enough members on the Covenant who support Illmarrow or at least want to wait and see to keep the Covenant as a whole from acting against her. But there’s certainly members of the Covenant who ARE worried about Illmarrow and the Emerald Claw. Such a member might well be secretly working with Kaius III, and might very well work as a patron for an adventurer or a party of adventurers. They can’t convince the majority of the Covenant to take action, but they do believe that something should be done.

What stops the Covenant Écarlate from using some preexisting D&D 5e methods of achieving effective immortality, such as the Reincarnate and Clone spells?

Part of the idea of Eberron has always been to consider magic as a tool and a science—which means that we add limitations to it that aren’t necessarily obvious from the rules. If you’re making a character you can be a druid, just like that. But in the WORLD, druidic magic comes from ancient traditions. A random person in Sharn can’t just say “I’m going to be a druid” and start casting thorn whip; they need to LEARN these traditions from someone else. There is no established druidic tradition in Karrnath, therefore, the Covenant Écarlate has no druids and no idea how to cast reincarnate. On the other side, clone is an 8th level spell, which is far outside the common power level of the Five Nations—which is normally 1st-3rd level spells are common tools, 4th-5th are attainable but rare. On that scale, clone is the stuff of legends. Even if we assume that there are a few members of the Covenant Écarlate who have gained the power to cast 8th level spells, the next point of considering arcane magic as a science is that just because there’s rules for a spell doesn’t mean that every culture has developed every spell. This is something we called out in earlier editions with the idea of limiting certain rituals to character with dragonmarks. As a PLAYER CHARACTER, your wizard can learn any spell on the wizard spell list. And in my Eberron you can be sure that Mordain the Fleshweaver has discovered clone. But beyond that, it’s up to the DM to decide what spells are available to NPCs. If you want to have a member of the Covenant who uses clone as a path to immortality, tell that story! But in my campaign, no one in the Covenant has discovered how to cast that spell.

Ultimately, remember—the rules are a tool for the DM to use to tell a story. It’s always up to us to decide which elements we want to use and which we choose to ignore. I prefer to think of each wizard spell as a scientific discovery, and to consider that different traditions—the Twelve, Arcanix, Aerenal, the dragons—may know spells that the others haven’t yet mastered. Again, player characters can choose any spell—but that’s part of what makes them remarkable.

That’s all for now! My next major article (as chosen by my Patreon supporters) will deal with Ghost Stories of Eberron. And tomorrow I’ll have a few announcements about other things I’m working on!

What’s the role of mummies in the Blood of Vol?

The traditions of necromancy practiced by the Blood of Vol and the Bloodsail Principalities are known to be able to produce three forms of sentient undead: mummies, vampires, and liches. Note that I don’t include the Karrnathi undead in this list, because while they are seemingly sentient, they don’t have the personality or memories of a living person. If you want to extend your own existence, these are your three options.

Of these, liches are the rarest and most difficult to produce. Setting aside the notable example of Minara Vol and Lady Illmarrow—which is an extremely unusual situation involving one of the greatest necromancers of the last 20,000 years—the general idea is that a necromancer can’t just make you into a lich: YOU have to perform the ritual yourself, and it requires both tremendous will and a deep understanding of necromancy and arcane science. This is why all liches are powerful spellcasters: because you have to be a powerful spellcaster to become a lich. And again, in my campaign, becoming a lich also requires the most iron will imaginable: not merely mystical knowledge, but an absolute will not to die, defying the pull of Dolurrh with your sheer conviction.

On the other end of the spectrum, vampires are the easiest sentient undead to produce, because if you have one vampire, they can produce more vampires. So an obvious question is why don’t they? Yes, the Blood of Vol generally believes that undeath is an inferior state that severs your connection to the Divinity Within. But still, it is trivially easy for a vampire to create more vampires. Why aren’t all of the leaders of the Emerald Claw vampires? We know that the Emerald Claw ISN’T flooded with vampires, so this is a simple logic problem: If you could turn an ally into a vampire, why wouldn’t you? In my campaign, the answer is that being a vampire isn’t easy. Of the lich, mummy, and vampire, the vampire is a PREDATOR. It is a conduit to Mabar, and Mabar is HUNGRY. The vampire needs to drain the blood and life force of other creatures, not simply in the practical way that a human needs food and water, but as a consuming drive that is always burning. This is a critical reason most vampires are evil: because the hunger of Mabar hollows them out, eroding their empathy and transforming them into pure predators. So, why doesn’t the Emerald Claw turn everyone into vampires? Because most people can’t take it. Just as it takes a powerful will to become a lich, to endlessly defy the draw of Dolurrh, it takes a powerful will to retain your own identity as a vampire. Most vampires degrade into inhuman creatures driven purely by their hunger—creatures with the statistics of Vampire Spawn, but without true human sentience. So you don’t want to just turn all of your friends into vampires because you don’t know if they will survive the experience. Their bodies will survive—but they may no longer be the people they were, or even people at all.

Which brings us to the original question: what’s the role of mummies? First of all, let’s consider that word. Mummies are indeed produced by rituals that include, among many other factors, ritualized embalming and mummification. But that’s just a physical aspect and not what Seekers see as their defining principles. Thus, Seekers and Bloodsails call them oathbound, for reasons that will soon become clear. Anyone can become oathbound; it involves a conduit to Mabar, an expert necromancer, a series of rituals including the embalming process, and a number of rare and expensive components… Which are the major limiting factor on the number of mummies in existence. But there is a second, critical component to creating a mummy: its oaths. The 5E Monster Manual says that a mummy “obeys the conditions and parameters laid down by the rituals that created it.” These conditions aren’t an extra piece added onto the ritual; they are an integral part of it. A mummy is bound by a set of oaths that it must obey, and it is these oaths that bind its essence to its body and prevent it being dragged to Dolurrh. This is how you end up with a mummy bound to protect a specific tomb; even if it’s intelligent, it CAN’T just choose to leave the tomb and forget about it; that role of tomb guardian is what defines it and preserves it. Most mummies are bound by restrictive oaths; many Bloodsail mummies are bound to their ships. The looser these oaths, the more power and components are required for the ritual. So Malevanor, the High Priest of Atur, has far fewer restrictions than most oathbound; but it’s not a simple matter to create mummies with such freedom. Of liches, vampires, and mummies, the oathbound are the most common form of undead within the Blood of Vol, but many of the oathbound are never SEEN; mummies are often bound to temples or villages. There are hundreds of mummies in Atur, but most dwell in the vaults and temples of the City of Night, tirelessly performing their duties.

OK, but… The default mummy in the Monster Manual has an Intelligence of 6. That doesn’t SEEM like it’s an ideal alternative to, say, a vampire. In my Eberron, that base MM Mummy is a classic tomb guardian. As the lore suggests, it’s someone bound to be a mummy as a sort of course, forced by their oaths to battle intruders; they haven’t tried to retain their humanity. However, oathbound such as Malevanor retain their mental ability scores, their proficiencies, and some of their class abilities; Malevanor is the high priest of Atur and can perform divine magic. The Monster Manual mummy is created to be a physical powerhouse, but I think there are oathbound who aren’t as physically powerful but are sustained by the same rituals and power; I’m posting a stat block for an oathbound priest for my Patreon supporters.

Now: oathbound aren’t driven by the hunger of the vampire. They don’t need to consume to survive. However, they are sustained by and suffused with the power of Mabar. This is why the touch of the mummy causes flesh to rot and why its gaze causes dread; it is a vessel for Mabar, which embodies the death of all that lives and the end of all hope. While it’s not as dramatic as the vampire, the influence of Mabar still does erode the compassion and the empathy of the oathbound. This is why most mummies have an evil alignment. As is always the case in Eberron, they can have an evil alignment and still be driven to DO GOOD—but because of that lack of empathy, they may do good deeds in an evil way. A mummy forgets pain, and so it doesn’t care about causing pain to others. You can have a good or neutral mummy, but there’s a reason that they are rare… and why mummies tend to be crueler than the deathless of Aerenal, who are sustained by positive energy. The rotting touch of the mummy is something the Aereni point to in asserting that the oathbound do consume the life force of the world—that even though they don’t actively feed on others as vampires do, they are still slowly destroying the world merely by existing.

So within the Emerald Claw and the broader Blood of Vol, liches are rare and remarkable. Vampires aren’t very common, but they are often found as active agents in the field because they have freedom of movement and need to find new prey. Oathbound are the most common sentient undead, and if adventurers encounter an undead priest of the Blood of Vol, it’s most likely a mummy; however, it may be bound to its temple or its village (and it may be a lesser oathbound, weaker than the default mummy). In creating one of the oathbound, the critical question is what are the oaths that bind it? What are the restrictions on its actions and choices? Who was it in life, and what key skills has it retained in its undeath? Has it retained its sense of mercy and empathy, or has this been worn away?

How do wights figure into this?

I prefer not to lump all undead into a single basket. There are different sources of undead—Qabalrin traditions, Katashka the Gatekeeper, the raw power of Mabar—and to me, a story is more interesting if those different traditions produce different undead, rather than the only difference being CR. With this in mind, the basic lore of 5E notes that wights are mortals transformed by a dark power with the goal of making eternal war on the living. With this in mind, I say that wights AREN’T created by mortal necromancers; they can be created either by Katashka the Gatekeeper or by one of the Dark Powers of Mabar, and they directly serve the agenda of the force that created them (even if they don’t know what that agenda is).

What do you think happens if an oath is broken? Would the mummy just cease to function or would it be compelled magically to restore its oath?

It’s a matter of will. I think that most oathbound simply cannot violate their oaths, and if they are somehow forced to (a guardian removed from its tomb by force) it must attempt to rectify the situation immediately. If it can’t, this will weaken the bonds that sustain its undead existence, and it would ultimately disintegrate. Having said that, there can always be exceptions. A mummy with the strength of will to break its oath might become something else—finding a new way to sustain itself—potentially becoming something like a death knight or a wight, depending on the power of the spirit and its personal story.

That’s all for now! Thanks as always to my Patreon supporters for making these articles possible.