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Why does the hand have to be evil?
There was a massive battle long ago. Good vs evil epicness. Demon prince was destroyed completely, good guy blasted into peices by his last, great retributive/mutual destruction type strike. The good guy's hand was so damaged that an evil cult THOUGHT it was the hand of their evil patron. They took it and hid it until they found the accompanying amulet they mistake to be from their demon lord (cue advice from previous posts) They eventually find this amulet (blasted into another plane by the battle) and want to bring them together. Thus the massive time gap. In the mean time, the had was lost due to persecution of the cult. Until now.
If the two are united, the proper effect occurrs, the Lord does grow back, preferably as the good PC's are activly fighting to keep ultimate good from the world.
Cue epic awkward moment.
Pretty good story Choon, however this particular hand is evil, NE but very ambitious. Story details follow, i hope none of my players are reading these forums, but if you are, stop reading!
It is the hand of an Erinyes named Mishtal, who was cast out from Hell and imprisoned in the Abyssal plane. Eventually "rescued" by Sifkesh (a Demon Lord) she was bound into service to act as a herald of Sifkesh in the Material plane. She led a fledgling cult into prominence and power.
Sifkesh had learned of an ancient dark ritual that would grant her the powers of a true god. This ritual required the self sacrifice of thousands in her name, a mass suicide. Sifkesh did not know however that her herald plotted with a select few high ranking cultists to betray Sifkesh and seize power for herself.
The ritual was interrupted by the allied forces of good deities before it could be completed. Many of the cultists were slaughtered to prevent them taking their own lives, some were taken prisoner and others escaped. As part of the ritual the Erinyes spread a demonic/infernal taint, Sifkesh believed this to be on her behalf, however it was designed to bend the cultists to her own will. Those who survived and escaped the slaughter retain and pass this heritage through their bloodline. All who carry the taint are loyal first and for most to Mishtal, though they do not always realize this.
It was during the battle at the ritual that Mishtal was defeated. But she had taken precautions, binding herself to the amulet and ring. Her power drained and body destroyed in battle only her hand survived. One of her most loyal servants, a powerful mage, recovered the hand. Knowing that she had no chance of achieving her goals with the gods on watch he hid the hand away, that it would remain hidden for centuries until she had faded from memory. He did this in hopes that one day she would return to complete the ritual she set in motion.
Thats what i've come up with anyways, now i just need a good name for the cult, i'm terrible with names.
The cult of . . .
BOB
The cult of the blood amulet.
Given that any member of said cult would have been initiated into it in the presence of the amulet, the leader wears it, and it is the only thing that the cult physically has (aside from their own blood) to tie themselves to their evil overlord. Oh and it basically "reads" their blood for this taint
I'm good with pun character names, but awful with group names. Hrm...
I don't think the cult would really call themselves a "Cult", due probably to the negative connotations that society throws on the word. They probably see themselves as doing a favor to the world, and probably would view themselves in a favorable light. Something more like "Wardens of the Abyss" or "Legion of the Crimson-Blade Sorceress" or something.
Well that all depends on whether they know they are following a demon and will be unleashing a blight upon the world if their mission is complete, or if they are grisly in the dark about what will happen if the ring and the amulet are brought together.
If they're the kind of devoted demon cult that tattoos rams horns on their temples then they probably like the way the word "cult" makes people shrink back in fear.
But incase the latter, how does 'keepers of the truth' strike you?
I actually like 'Keepers of the Truth'
It sounds like a good guy organization that is really going to be the bad guys.
Well that all depends on whether they know they are following a demon and will be unleashing a blight upon the world if their mission is complete, or if they are grisly in the dark about what will happen if the ring and the amulet are brought together.
If they're the kind of devoted demon cult that tattoos rams horns on their temples then they probably like the way the word "cult" makes people shrink back in fear.
They know they are demon worshipers, the cult worships the demon lord Sifkesh, it is she who grants divine spells and the like. They are not aware (apart from a very few who may come to realize it) that they can be manipulated by Mishtal for her own ends. Mishtal continues to pose as a herald of Sifkesh until she can safely reveal her true intentions, or they are revealed against her will. All followers with her taint remain devoted to her no matter what. They do not realize it affects them this way, they only know that great power can be harnessed through it.
Though they are well aware of what they are worshiping, it is a secret society, they know their practices would not be accepted. Many are prominent members of society and pay false homage to the common gods of the area. A noble family, with a very strong tainted bloodline, directs cult activity. They also have spies strategically positioned in cities and have infiltrated select institutions.
The survival of Mishtal is not well know in the cult, the leaders have recovered scrolls prophesying her return. They did not know the amulet is linked to the ring, or of the hands existence until the ring communicates with the amulet. This triggers a vision of the ringed hand and a compulsion obtain it and unite the two.
The cult of . . .
BOB
InsubGenius!
Why do they need a name. If you go for the bloodline sorcerers, let them just refer to themselves as "the family" to designate the "pure members" and "the bastards" when the pure-blooded talks about the others of lesser lineage...
Let the players find the group name. Often, criminal groups are named by people from the outside.
Edit: Or just go with the cult of Bob.
I like "the family" it gives a very mobish feel to it