Father Korvan
The architect of Volcathar's ascension — and the only person at Toothmaw Cliffs whose fate the party never confirmed.
Background
Father Korvan led a fire cult devoted to Volcathar, operating from scattered caves throughout the Dragonspine Mountains. The cult believed that through worship and sacrificial offerings, they could bind the dragon to their will and channel his power. Their strictest commandment was the Vow of the Burning Flesh — an oath forbidding the use of weapons, requiring each initiate to capture and offer a victim as part of their initiation.
The cult's signature equipment was the Bracers of Ignition — magical items crafted from Volcathar's scales, gifted to each cultist after taking the Vow. The bracers burn along with the wearer upon death.
The Truth About Control
Korvan believed he was binding Volcathar to his will. He was wrong. A dying cultist in D04 revealed the critical truth:
"We thought he was bound, Father Korvan said. Not bound, never bound. We were fools."
Volcathar was never under the cult's control. The dragon tolerated the cult because the sacrificial ritual fed his own power — and he murdered cultists and victims alike for entertainment. Korvan's entire premise was a delusion.
The Disguise
Father Korvan is not a single humanoid — he is an elaborate disguise worn by multiple kobolds standing on each other's shoulders in a humanoid coat. The party spotted a tail sticking out of the costume when observing the ritual at Toothmaw Cliffs in D04. Whether the kobolds inside the coat are willing participants or coerced is unclear.
History
D02 — Named by Merrick
The captured cultist Merrick confirmed Father Korvan as the cult's leader during interrogation in Flamemeet. Ivor Blackwell's scouts had observed Korvan at Toothmaw Cliffs on three separate occasions.
D04 — The Ritual Revealed
The party crested a ridge overlooking the Toothmaw Cliff amphitheater to find Korvan raising his arms in supplication at the edge of a 30-foot flame vortex, commanding five cultists with bound prisoners while Volcathar circled within the flames.
"Offer the flesh! Feed the flames! Bring forth the god reborn!"
D05 — Battle at Toothmaw Cliffs
During the battle, Korvan cast devastating fire magic against the party while cultists continued pushing prisoners into the vortex. The sacrifices completed the ritual — Volcathar ascended from Young to Adult Red Dragon mid-combat, gaining legendary actions. Korvan's fate after the battle is unconfirmed — the session ended with Volcathar seizing Kavu and fleeing northward.
Cult Structure
From Merrick's interrogation (D02):
- Cell-based organization — scattered caves throughout the mountains
- Dead-drop communication — orders via rock placed 100 paces from cave cell entrance
- Compartmentalization — each cell separated, though poorly executed
- Estimated strength — 10+ cultists observed at Toothmaw, possibly more total
- Sacrifice hierarchy — Merrick indicated kobold sacrifices valued less than human ones
Status
Unknown. Father Korvan's fate was never confirmed after the Battle of Toothmaw Cliffs. With Volcathar destroyed at The Scar, the cult has lost the dragon they worshipped.