The Cult of the Phoenix

Known to themselves as the Heralds of the Phoenix, this cult is one of the more secretive and insane ones to be found. The most prized possession of this cult is a copy of the rare and controversial Tale of Firebirth, which they treasure above all else. The core of their belief stems from the interpretation of this document; the conclusion that they have drawn from it is that the world must be destroyed. The gods that rule over us are not true gods, they say, but impostors. They are no more than spirits and ghosts who have been inflated with power by the belief of their servants. The true gods cannot return as long as the world remains as it is now; the world must end in order to continue the ceaseless cycle of light and dark, fire and shadow, life and death. Only by descending into darkness can a glorious new age of light return.

Despite their dangerous views, the Heralds are surprisingly benign - it is for this reason that few have even heard of them. Their plan to end the world is very difficult and specific, and references a particular line of the Tale of Firebirth. The line in question runs "Only when the last Linnorm dies will the Gates of Chaos close, and then the end of the world will have begun.". They believe that by slaying each of the few living Linnorms that dwell on Morus, they can close the fabled Gates of Chaos that supposedly dwell in the center of the earth. With these closed, they say, the flames that heat the core of Morus will slowly fade, causing the world to fall once more into darkness.

The Linnorms in question are the first and oldest line of dragonkind - so as can be imagined, the task of the Heralds is by no means a simple one. Indeed, most adventurers only learn of the cult's existence because the Heralds try to recruit them - the cult is always on the lookout for adventurers and mercenaries to manipulate into killing a Linnorm, preferring to keep their true motives secret while doing so.