Dreadgod Cults

Each Dreadgod has a cult following. The first cult appears in book 4, Skysworn, when The Bleeding Phoenix awakes and its parasites in Redmoon Hall attack citizens in the southern Blackflame Empire. However, we hear mention of the cults before book 4, because Yerin has a Blood Shadow belt.

Simple Summary

Cultists are key antagonists throughout the series. Yerin calls them all parasites; she particularly has reason to hate Redmoon Hall, followers of the Bleeding Phoenix. Ziel hates The Stormcallers, who murdered his Dawnwing disciples on the Iceflower Continent. He especially wants vengeance on the Sage of Calling Storms, who splintered his spirit, but Calan Archer will do for now — he was in at the slaughter, too. In the epilogue of Underlord, the lion-Monarch Reigan Shen recruits the four cults to his supposed cause, to represent him in the upcoming Uncrowned King Tournament. In book 8, Wintersteel, Shen persuades them to ambush young sacred artists in Sky’s Edge. In book 10, Reaper, the cultists wage war on the mountains around Sacred Valley simply to distract the other Monarchs from what Shen is up to, down in the Labyrinth. Unbeknownst to the cult leaders, the Cat has been lyin to everyone, to enact his plans for world domination.

Four Dreadgod Cults

Each known Dreadgod is followed by a cult, sacred artists who follow their chosen beast and benefit from the destruction it creates. The unique Path of each cult uses the same aspects as their Dreadgod, borrowing power from them to create Blood Shadows, Living Lightning, etc. They murder innocent citizens fleeing from the Dreadgod, just to attain greater power.

1. Redmoon Hall, with their Blood Shadows in a thousand different forms. Dreadgod — Bleeding Phoenix
2. Abyssal Palace, their faces concealed beneath hoods and stony masks. Dreadgod — Wandering Titan
3. Silent Servants, whose mouths are bound. Dreadgod —- Silent King
4. Stormcallers, who ring their arms in scripts that crackle with lightning. Dreadgod —- Weeping Dragon

(-Underlord, epilogue)

Cult Characters

Silent Servants:

Anybody know character names from the Cult of the Silent Servants?

Abyssal Palace:

Brother Aekin — wore a dark stone mask carved to resemble some kind of snarling monster, the right eye of which glowed with a bright yellow light. His robes were black and brown, representing the Wandering Titan’s cult: the Abyssal Palace. (Wintersteel)

Redmoon Hall:

Ambush!

Calan Archer conjured a lightning dragon.
Yan Shoumei gathered blood madra in
her palms, but didn’t summon Crusher.
Brother Aekin covered himself in his
Enforcer technique, taking on the vague
aspect of the Wandering Titan.

-Wintersteel ch 26

Red Faith, The Blood Sage — founder of the Bleeding Phoenix’s cult, looked as though he had no blood in him at all. His skin was as pure white as his hair, which was so long that it reached down to his bare feet. His black-and-red clothes were tight enough to reveal his skeletal frame, and lines of red paint ran down his cheeks from both eyes like tears. He perched on the windowsill, hunched like a monkey, chewing on his thumbnail and staring at her with unnerving intensity. She felt nothing but disgust for this creature. At some point in the past, he was supposed to have been an accomplished researcher, pioneering investigation into dreadbeasts and the nature of spirits. (see Wintersteel ch 6)

Yan Shoumei — Uncrowned Tournament. The girl still stood like a specter in her red robes, black hair falling over her face in a veil. Her Blood Shadow was huge. She called it Crusher. It fears Lindon. (Wintersteel)

Longhook — Ambitious Emissary. Killed by Eithan Arelius in book 5, Ghostwater

Stormcallers:

The Sage of Calling Storms — Mutilated Ziel’s spirit and murdered his Sect on the Iceflower Continent some time ago.

Calan Archer —- Contender in the Uncrowned King Tournament. He had been in on the slaughter that killed Ziel’s sect. He was older than Therian by almost ten years, and he looked like he belonged in the tournament. He was thick with muscle, his Goldsigns crackling around thick biceps. The scripted rings of blue-gold lightning looked like they were about to burst off. His hair was blond so pale that it was almost white, and he had a scar across one eye socket. (Wintersteel)

Therian Nills —- was an ordinary man. He had started as a farmer. . . (in book 8, Wintersteel)

The Four 5 Dreadgods

Secret Keeper

Elder Whisper sat on his haunches,
tails waving smoothly behind him.
“Wei Shi Lindon. Would you like to
know how to kill the Dreadgods?”

-Bloodline, epilogue

1. The Weeping Dragon — A blue serpentine dragon that travels on thunderstorms, and sleeps on miles-long beds of clouds. Aspects: Storm. Techniques: Living Lightning. Cult: The Stormcallers
2. The Silent King — White Tiger crowned in a halo. Dream aspects. Cult: Silent Servants
3. The Wandering Titan — A stone warrior with the shell of a tortoise and the tail of a monkey. Aspects: Earth. Cult: Abyssal Palace
4. The Bleeding Phoenix — Huge crimson phoenix with wings large enough to stretch across the horizon. Blood madra aspects. If it’s cut, it reforms itself from blood droplets. Cult: Redmoon Hall
5. Note — Subject One is also a Dreadgod, although few people know it. The first one. He stays in his prison, the Labyrinth that runs beneath Sacred Valley. (Bloodline, ch 20)