The Cabal has worshiped darkness since its founding. Today, the demonlord Belzenlok is that order's latest and most fearsome god. From his place in the black heart of the mile-high Stronghold, Belzenlok sends his fervent worshipers to every corner of the globe. In his name, they sow terror, seize powerful relics, and prepare Dominaria for the coming of its true lord and master.
Though it began as a crime syndicate organized as an extended family, the Cabal under Belzenlok has become a full-blown demonic cult. In the field, the knights of Belzenlok are dark paladins devoted to his gruesome glory, while inside his temples, shaven-headed initiates bow as dark-robed priests chant his name.
Because the Cabal is a worldwide force of evil in modern Dominaria, this section assumes that the organization is playing the role of a villain in the campaign and not producing heroes or sending them on quests.
Cabal Adventures
Though headquartered at the Stronghold in Urborg, the Cabal has agents all over the world—and they're particularly active in Aerona. Some engage in overt raids designed to cause terror and confusion, while others infiltrate society as secret agents and assassins. Their goal is to destabilize the powerful nations of the world, paving the way for Belzenlok's armies to march forth and claim what is rightfully his.
Cabal Sites
Sites involved in Cabal adventures are typically places ripe with evil magic, from small outpost temples to remote mountain fortresses. The Cabal Sites table notes some examples.
| d10 | Adventure Site |
|---|---|
| 1 | A small shrine to Belzenlok located near a major city |
| 2 | A basement room in a busy town where Cabal cultists meet |
| 3 | A ruined library that cultists are excavating, hoping to find magic items to decorate Belzenlok's throne |
| 4 | A half-collapsed temple in a dark swamp |
| 5 | An ancient war machine whose power the Cabal is trying to harness |
| 6 | A small outpost of Grimnant knights |
| 7 | A deep sinkhole with whispering echoes emerging from the darkness |
| 8 | A secret fortress in the mountains |
| 9 | An abandoned mine shaft |
| 10 | The house of an aristocrat who has joined the Cabal |
Cabal Villains
Belzenlok's Cabal is singlehandedly focused on gathering power and control over all of Dominaria for the glorification of its leader. The Cabal Villains table gives some examples of their wicked nature and terrible schemes.
| d8 | Villain |
|---|---|
| 1 | A Grimnant commander leads raids along a nation's borders to sow chaos and confusion. |
| 2 | A Cabal assassin starts killing the firstborn children of prominent families. |
| 3 | A dementist unleashes formless horrors of nightmare upon a defenseless town. |
| 4 | A cult leader sends a miasma out from a hidden temple to pollute and corrupt the surrounding forest. |
| 5 | A Cabal cultist has infiltrated a ruling council or prominent church body and begins destroying it from within. |
| 6 | A dementist is controlling the mind of a monster, sending it to rampage through an area of farms and villages. |
| 7 | A Cabal infiltrator sows discord among various factions within a larger organization (different Serran orders, different Benalish houses, and so forth). |
| 8 | Cabal infiltrators detonate nightmare devices designed to cause as much terror as possible, striking in highly populated areas at unpredictable times. |
Belzenlok's Cultists
Cabalists are uniformly fanatical, tormented into zealotry by pain, greed, and the distinctive power of their dementia magic. From the Cabal's beginning, spellcasters known as dementists have manipulated the very stuff of nightmares, reshaping reality and creating items and creatures from the parallel realm of "dementia space." Though it has been greatly changed by centuries of hardship, dementia magic remains a powerful asset of the Cabal, and cabalists value prowess with such magic above everything except the favor of Belzenlok.
Cultists, Initiates, and Priests
Most members of the Cabal serve it in a religious capacity. Cells of Cabal cultists are found throughout the world, worshiping Belzenlok in secret. Once inducted into the Cabal more formally, cultists shave their heads and become initiates, assisting priests in their dark rites. As Cabal priests rise through the ranks, they dress more ornately, often wearing headgear or high collars that set them apart from initiates. Most Cabal clerics are dementists, and carry with them implements of sacrifice and veneration. But a few are more martial in nature, wielding heavy blades and viewing combat as the most active form of sacrifice to Belzenlok.
These figures might be represented by acolytes, cultists, cult fanatics, mages, or priests, starting off with the statistics in the Monster Manual. You can then modify those statistics using the guidelines found under "Cabalist Characteristics," below.
Grimnants
Cabal knights are all members of an order called the Grimnant. The armor they wear has been melted down from scavenged or stolen pieces and forged anew, painted in a black lacquer and with its edges honed. Often, the armor is molded to mirror aspects of the demon Belzenlok, a form of idol worship that Grimnant knights believe gains them power and favor.
Grimnants are brutal combatants who arrive after the Cabal's infiltration has weakened a target. Most have some minor knowledge of dementia magic or carry trinkets that give them the ability to wield dark magic in battle, but they're not generally known as spellcasters. Appearing stoic from afar, most Grimnant knights experience a bloodlust in battle and enjoy going in close for the kill.
Grimnant knights can use the statistics of gladiators, guards, knights, or veterans, as modified by the information under "Cabalist Characteristics." Some Grimnants are actually wights riding undead horses with the statistics of zombies (except that their size is Large).
Infiltrators and Assassins
In its cells throughout the world, the Cabal has need for more than prayer. Whether striking from the shadows or venturing out in full regalia to spread open terror, Belzenlok's infiltrators and assassins emphasize what many fear: that the Cabal is already everywhere. You can use the statistics for assassins, bandits, bandit captains, spies, or thugs for these characters, modifying them as desired using the information below.
Cabalist Characteristics
Like the diabolical cults and demonic boons that appear in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, the following boons can enhance the abilities of Belzenlok's cabalists. For any monster or NPC that can cast spells, you can replace any of those spells with spells from the signature spells list, as long as the new spell is of the same level as the spell it replaces.
Belzenlok's cultists can gain the Demonic Vigor trait. Favored cultists or cult leaders can also have the Unholy Tether trait.
Demonic Vigor (1/day)
As a bonus action, or as a reaction when this creature would drop to 0 hit points, it regains 1 hit point and gains temporary hit points equal to its Constitution modifier plus its maximum number of Hit Dice.
Unholy Tether
As a reaction when an ally of this creature within 30 feet of it dies, this creature regains hit points equal to twice the dead creature's Constitution modifier.