Dispaters Concubines

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Dispaters Concubines are cultists seeking to spread the diabolic influence of Dispater on Bal-Kriav. Most of their operations are in the regions Hells Womb, Grashakh and the Northern Hordelands.

In the Horgon Era, an Erinyes, a devil from a faraway system, was summoned to Bal-Kriav. The summoner was a hobgoblin shaman living along the Ragil river. This Erinyes wrested control from the summoner, taking the female hobgoblin back to her world. There, she received the seed of Dispater. As part of a ritual, when the devil-blooded baby was born, the mother was sacrificed to Dispater. The baby grew to be a powerful war maiden named Heriyes.

Heriyes got back to her mother's land three decades later. Someone had finally found the tome that the Erinyes had hidden. In it was the rite to summon devils, and the name of a girl that when it was written, had yet to be conceived. Heriyes maintained a disguise for many years, hiding her devilish features. When she was finally revealed, the idea of a half-Hobgoblin/Devil was of little concern to her growing army. She had proven time and again that no matter her blood, she was a born leader, cunning, passionate, and when needed, ruthless.

As time went on, more war maidens came about. At first, these were an answer to the giant threat coming out of Glangveif - a frost giant empire hungry for land and minions. Seeking slaves to do their building and dirty work, the Glangveif sponsored slave hunts into the Giant Steps, rounding up hobgoblins and any others they could put to the yoke. The war maidens were the hobgoblin's champions; and the proselytizers for the word of Dispater.

In the First Epoch, the hobgoblins were fighting among themselves as much as with the remnants of Glangveif. When the Umahanbad Oligarchy came to power, pushing north along the Ragil River, the hobgoblins put up a stern defense. They were so well led and trained that their enemies struggled going up against them even when they outnumbered them five to one. Unable to break the impasse, Umahanbad sent in the assassins. Suffering many losses, they eventually caught up with hobgoblin shamans with the skill in "creating" the War Maidens. All the shamans and the war maiden were executed. In 930, Umahanbad declared the witches of Kangjald eradicated.

In 959, an exploratory expedition out of Naram-Gunal went into the subterranean chambers of Kangjald. In this ancient hold the entire expedition ended up being charmed and seduced by Dispaters Concubines. The charmed were sent back to Naram-Gunal where they spread the word of Dispater and founded cults dedicated to his worship. The erinyes of Kangjald, the cult headquarters, task others to bring female Mîmêk to their labyrinth. In this place they either willingly, or are forced into having intercourse with devils. The outcome of this breeding program are Gradorians, half-devil dwarves that will be set on a path of power, hopefully joining the councils of the Umahanbad Oligarchy.

Today, Dispaters Concubines focus more on deception than trying to act as war heroes for squabbling tribes. They focus on infiltrating villages, towns, and cities and spreading Dispater's influence by many than showing his might through champions. In areas of the Underdark and in remote areas the war maiden erinyes are still used as a way of spreading Dispater's influence into less civilized groups.