Veiled Congregation (DM Only Page)

A high elf referred to as Archpriest Blaise formed the Veiled Congregation as a part of their devotion to the goddess Sehanine Moonbow. Their co-founders, the seer Polaris, and their sentinel Gable, are loyal defenders and promoters of the organization. 

Their unwavering commitment lay in creating a richly diverse and inclusive community within elven culture. High elves, wood elves, dark elves, and other subcultures were all welcomed to bask in the moonlight rituals of Sehanine.

Though they were eager to spread their influence, the congregation was found through invite-only making it exclusive and somewhat prestigious to join. 

As the Veiled Congregation's Archpriest, Blaise orchestrates all rituals and worship services in the community. They were a charismatic and beloved figure in their community, leading with acts of reverence and extending the invites to potential new members, those who were in need and deserving of Sehanine's guidance. Blaise was the sole recruiter of the Veiled Congregation.

Polaris, the masked fey, served as their insightful seer, propelling the congregation forward with their interpretations of Sehanine's will. Her intuition and wisdom caused many members to treat her as a second in command to Blaise's leadership. It was her that decisions were turned to in the Archpriest's absence. 

Gable was the second masked fey permitted to be within the Veiled Congregation. He stood as their sentinel, ensuring the safety and surveillance of their gatherings. Through his raw strength, Gable was cemented as powerful and trustworthy among the trio of founders.

The members of the Veiled Congregation worshiped Sehanine Moonbow, conducting services under each full moon. Arhchpriest Blaise was her intermediary, and she appeared as a veiled visage to deliver messages to her followers. Most of the ceremony was spent paying praise and adoration to Sehanine. These divine communions were mandatory, as they were displays of loyalty to their goddess and community.

The Veiled Congregation served as a sanctuary for elves from various backgrounds. Sharing backgrounds was not encouraged, in order to allow all members equal and fair treatment among their peers.

The veil of the full moon rituals provided a shield against judgment and persecution. All subcultures of elves were joined together by their passion for the upkeep of the Veiled Congregation and their devotion to Sehanine. 

The invitation-only nature of the congregation made it easy to escape a troubled past and find a haven of acceptance. Loyalty to Sehanine and the Veiled Congregation prevailed over judgment on all avenues. 

During the full moon, the Veiled Congregation was ready to host their first Unveiling. A member volunteered by their family, Bingus Le Fleur, was to be given Sehanine's blessing and undergo a divine transformation. Acolyte Jean and Bingus wait proudly by the ritual table. Once the full moon rose to its peak, its light would shine through their skylight and illuminate the chamber.

Their esteemed Archpriest Blaise is found to be absent as midnight approaches. Fuelled by the unrest and anxiety among their congregation, Acolyte Jean stepped forth to initiate the ceremony by using their lessons from Blaise as guidance. Jean soothes the followers of Sehanine with their routine practices of worshipping the goddess, though as that wears thin, they are forced to start the process of Bingus's transformation. 

With the full moon at its peak, Bingus's transformation was initiated. Acolyte Jean called upon their goddess Sehanine to appear in her veiled visage and ordain their rite. Though, without the experience and poise of Blaise, they made one fatal mistake by keeping their eyes open upon her arrival. Seeing her unveiled, Jean quickly realized their goddess was not as she seemed, and called out her name in prayer.

The members of the Veiled Congregation find the shadows around the edge of their ritual room slowly creeping inwards to the spotlight of the full moon. With each member touched, there are following cries of agony as their minds are plagued with nightmarish visions and illusions before their bodies fall still. One by one the members on the edges of the ritual lay limp and engulfed by the encroaching darkness. The terrors of the night draw forth a cambion who lays witness to the scene.

With the ruse of the Veiled Congregation unveiled, the enraged goddess emerged at the edge of the ritual table and revealed herself to be Lolth. Jean realized in agony that Archpriest Blaise served as a false prophet, no follower of Sehanine, but the queen of spiders, Lolth.

Though Lolth is disgusted at the Veiled Congragation's members' incompetence and negligence, she is simultaneously impressed that Blaise has been tricking them into a cult since its formation. Few elves would be willing to follow Lolth and this was the veil they put up to entice them.

Before leaving the ceremony altogether, Lolth offers Acolyte Jean a pact. An offer to become his patron and give him strength in his time of distress and need. The goddess's power could grant him revenge, protection, comfort. All things that Sehanine would refuse to offer Jean now that their soul had been sullied by the years of worship towards a deity of the Abyss.

The goddess anoints the tip of the acolyte's sacrificial dagger with a small yet potent dosage of her venom. To create the pact, she asks for their first act of loyalty to be the execution of the final member present at the Unveiling. Bingus, who lays still against the ritual table, petrified by terror.

The now unwilling sacrifice is at the mercy of the once acolyte before them. Jean, grappling with the crippling image of the Veiled Congregation had a split moment of indecision between their loyalty to their massacred community, and the opportunity to renew themselves with Lolth. 

Though the bystander cambion also finds the acolyte to be an easy target, they are unable to compete with the raw potential offered by Lolth. And they opt for the less suitable yet willing and desperate host, Bingus.

The cambion makes a sudden pact with Bingus during this moment, finding opportunity amidst all the chaos. Pure desperation fuels the pact between the sacrifice and the demon, a deal made on unsure terms and unquestionable fear. The cambion offers Bingus the chance to live, in exchange for the eventual release from their own patron.

In a surge of jade-green flames, Bingus is filled with arcane energy and releases an explosive burst that sends the acolyte flying to the edge of the room. The dagger falls towards Bingus but is taken in full by the cambion who unknowingly touches its venomous tip. 

The potency of Lolth's venom corrupted and bound the cambion to the dagger, and in turn, bound the weapon to Bingus. The demon is weakened by the envenomation of a higher deity and is forced to be shelled inside the dagger. The sacrifice and their blade lay still under the setting full moon as their recollection of the night and all nights before, vanished. 

After wreaking havoc on the cultists, Lolth seeks out Blaise for their explanation

Blaise is held up before going to the sacrifice ceremony - they meet Liriel at the halfway point and start lecturing her. She was stuck - she was doing something she wasn't supposed to - and she's way too young to go to the ceremony.

Lolth also finds Blaise with the young drow girl Liriel, and punishes them by turning Liriel into a drider.

Enraged, Blaise is now sentenced to a shorter-term agreement with her. Instead of once per five years, she wants 

Liriel is now 'Drip Drop'

Circe is put on guard outside the ritual room - a fiercely loyal member of the Veiled Congregation. 

The congregation was where they found community and family after leaving.

Circe was standing just outside the ritual when it happened and heard many sounds. Screams, thuds, squelches, wails. Most of all, a shuddering boom that shakes the walls.

Circe is badly hurt from the explosion inside the ritual room, and needs to be converted to a Fey.

All members are now on the run from the scene of The Unveiling and need to leave town quickly

Blaise takes on the alias "Jean Doe", the name of the fallen acolyte from the ceremony, and signs on for a travelling vehicle using the remaining funds from the Veiled Congregation.

Polaris takes on the alias "Ka Peesh"

Claus takes on the alias "Ka Pow" 

Circe takes on the alias "Ka Boom" and is now a member.

Liriel takes on the alias "Drip Drop" and is now a member.

The Travelling Fey Troupe is renamed to Métamorphose Mystique.