Symbol: A bleached dragon skull.

 

Background, Goals, and Dreams: Great halls adorned in draconic art, churning pools of salt water, undead servants in bone white livery, broken manacles and stone pillars, these are all common sights when walking the halls of the Bedlam Road. First records of the Bedlam Road place the founding of the church in -72 CM by an ambitious Grimwarden wyrmling named Darastrixmaekrix. Over the years Darastrixmaekrix, which means leader of dragons in draconic, has grown into a powerful great wyrm. A fact in which has swelled his ranks. Darastrixmaekrix wants to see the entire face of Draconspire reshaped in what he and his clergy preach as a perfect land. A place in which borders are erased, and people can fend for themselves. Survival of the fittest is often barked by Vindicators and Clerics of Rafar as a day to day mantra. Although Darastrixmaekrix dislikes cities, seeing them as tools of law bent on oppressing the free will of the soul, he also sees their use as recruiting grounds for his church. Darastrixmaekrix has never enjoyed the House of the Five, he runs the church from his lair in the Spine just North of the Castran Bay, a massive network of masonry and towers built into several mountains.  In 28 CM the church of Rafar was almost eradicated by a mighty host of Burning Crux crusaders. If it were not for Darastrixmaekrix’s ability to hire thousands of mercenaries it very well could have been the end of the road, so to speak.

 

Enemies: Although the Bond of the Divine keeps divine casters at bay while inside the House of the Five. It does little to mask the hatred that the Bedlam Road feels for Radiance and her servants of the Burning Crux. These two organizations usually work to undermine each other.

 

Members: The church of Rafar brings many into its arms. Rafar is a god of the Sea, and as such many sailors pay him homage. A god of undeath, which lures necromancers to his call. A god of change, which at some point everyone offers something in favor of. Bitter criminals and mercenaries flock to the Bedlam Road. Even good hearted folk, that feel constrained will join a church that speaks of freedom and choice.

 

Holidays: Hesjing Kear, which is Draconic for Water Day, is celebrated on the third Revel of the Last Bloom each year. This holiday is often celebrated, even by those that pay no regular homage to Rafar. Hesjing Kear is celebrated with a great feast of water born food like fish, clams, crab etc. The holy day is concluded when the faithful cast a treasured item, usually money, far out into the ocean, river or some other great body of water.

 

Kear Vaeri Kaegro, which is Draconic for the Day of Dancing Undead, is celebrated on the Third Drawing of Browngrass each year. This day is one of the most celebrated holidays in Tharstelding, with the exception of the Thallans who do not believe Rafar to be a true god. On the Day of Dancing Undead people dress like zombies, skeletons, or other undead that they have heard of in fairy tales. Emphasis is usually placed on maintaining the secrecy of your identity while in costume. Large dances are held in most cities and in some smaller towns. Gifts are usually exchanged in secrecy under the disguise of costumes, assuming you can find the person you have a gift for. This holiday also has a darker side, which is known to very few outside of the organization. On this day the clergy of Rafar gather in secret locations outside of major civilization to create undead. All year the clerics of the Bedlam Road collect corpses for this day so as not to draw attention to the amount of bodies that have disappeared. Once the undead have been created they are sometimes set free to do as they will, but usually they are sent to Darastrixmaekrix’s lair to fuel his undead army.

 

Type: Religious Branch of the House of Five

 

Affiliation Score Criteria: Membership is available to all whom seek it, and through undeath to some that don’t. To become affiliated with the church of the Bedlam Road you must meet with a Cleric of Rafar, who will provide you with an informal interview. Sometimes the church will require the prospective member to perform some task on its behalf before membership is extended. If a prospective member is deemed too lawful they may not be allowed admittance.

 

 

Criterion (One Time):

Affiliation Score Modifier

Character level

+1/2 Character levels

Chaotic alignment

+1

Cleric of Rafar or Vindicator class

+1

Can speak draconic

+1

Knowledge religion 5 ranks or more

+1

Can cast animate dead

+1

Can cast create undead

+2

Can cast create greater undead

+4

Has a draconic familiar, mount or pet

+2

Has the draconic blood line or draconic lineage

+2

Has the half dragon template

+10

Lawful alignment

-10

 

Criterion (Multiple Times):

Affiliation Score Modifier

Frees someone who is imprisoned

+1

Converts a new member

+1

Slays a lawful creature of CR8 or higher

+1/4 creature’s CR

Openly breaks a law

+1

Destroys an item considered to be a threat to the church

+2

Thwarts a plot of the Burning Crux

+3

Overthrows a tyrannical lawful government

+10

Donates treasure or items to Darastrixmaekris’s hoard

+1/per 1,000 GP value (up to 3,000 per month)

Fails in combat against servants of Radiance

-4

Associates with known lawful creatures

-4

Associates with known clerics of the Burning Crux

-10

 

Titles, Benefits, and Duties: Each Hall of the Bedlam Road within the House of the Five is under the guidance of one or more Wyrm Lords. Although the pecking order of rank is not always adhered to, it is almost always respected among fellow church members. The church of the Bedlam Road expects its members to work when needed and little else. It does not keep tabs or require that members be on hand at every waking moment. Promotions within the church are awarded by the highest ranking member available at the local House of Five. Only a cleric of Rafar may promote church members, which usually involves a short unofficial interview. A cleric may not promote a member of the Bedlam Road whose rank is equal to or higher than the cleric at hand. A cleric may also not promote a member if doing so would raise the members rank above their station.

 

Affiliation Score

Title: Benefits and Duties

3 or lower

Whelp: No affiliation.

4-10

Wyrmling: The Bedlam Road notices you as a potential asset. You gain a +2 bonus on diplomacy checks involving other members of the Bedlam Road. You take a -2 penalty on diplomacy checks involving members of the Burning Crux.

11-15

Risen: Treat your class level as 2 higher when casting spells or using abilities specifically designed to effect undead or dragons.

16-22

Dragon: Once per day you may cast overland flight on yourself as a spell like ability with a caster level equal to your character level.

23-29

Favored of the Waves: You can cast any two of the following spells once per day as a spell like ability, you may chose the same spell twice instead gaining two uses of the single spell. Treat your caster level as equal to your character level. The following spells may be selected; Create Water, Control Water, Quench, Water Breathing or Water Walk.

30 or Higher

Wyrm Lord: The Great Wyrm Lords are the most favored of Rafar. A Wyrm Lord gains a +2 on all strength checks and strength related skill checks. In addition, a Wyrm Lord gains a loyal chaotic dragon cohort as though they had the Leadership feat. They do not gain the additional benefits of the Leadership feat. The dragon cohort serves the Wyrm Lord unto death, but demands in return 10% of the Wyrm Lords treasure for any adventuring they accompany the Wyrm Lord on.