The Cult of the Dragon

". . . and all our enemies shall be revealed in good time. Those who would oppose us shall fall to ruin and death in the jaws of the dead dragons. And their bodies shall crack and their hair shall burn, and they will know in their last moments that theirs was the path of folly. For the reign of the dead dragons cannot be forestalled, cannot be thwarted, cannot be broken." - Sammaster First-Speaker

The members of the Cult of the Dragon believe that it is Faerûn's destiny to be ruled by undead dragons. The Cult takes upon itself the responsibility of helping that destiny along, directing all its plans and energies toward gaining the wealth and magical power necessary to transform living dragons into undead dracoliches. Cult members undertake magical research, espionage, mercantilism, and a variety of criminal activities to fund and support their goal in anticipation of the day when the undead dragons will hold sway over the entire world. Many Cult members are therefore criminals, though in their minds and in the minds of their peers they are heroic and devoted individuals who take great personal risks on behalf of the organization.

More than one adventurer has remarked on the fact that the minds of the Cult's current members (including the Cult's founder, the archmage Sammaster) are not always entirely balanced. Indeed, some are quite mad, though their insanity makes them all the more dangerous in the deadly serious pursuit of their goals. The cultists venerate dragons to the point of worshiping them as deities, and certain dragons—lured by promises of eternal unlife and overwhelming power—revel in the attention.