The Cult of Strife

The Wych Cult of Strife has become the most influential in Commorragh, largely due to the sublime talents of Her Excellence, Lelith Hesperax. This Cult has risen to the apex of power not through treacherous politicking, but through the creed of speed over strength and the elevation of bloodsport to a high art. Though the Cult of Strife boasts dozens of the best warrior-athletes in the galaxy, Lelith herself is the flawless diamond at the centre of the crown. Her allure draws in hundreds of thousands of spectators every night, each of whom is prepared to pay a high price for the privilege of watching her perform. Most deadly of all her kind, Lelith's skills in the arts of combat bear all the hallmarks of a true genius. She is grace embodied, her movements hypnotic, sensual and spellbinding. Alone amongst the Wych Cults, Lelith does not use combat drugs to enhance her performance. The Cult of Strife maintain that their mistress needs nothing more than a piece of edged steel to outclass her foes. Sure enough, although she is expert in the use of all the exotic weapons used by her kind, Lelith can most frequently be seen fighting with two simple but perfectly weighted knives. Like their Succubus, the Wyches in this cult refuse to use the standard Drukhari combat drugs to amplify their physical abilities, as they believe that the use of such stimulants lessens the sensations experienced in the heat of battle. Amongst Lelith's many admirers is Asdrubael Vect himself, and the Cult of Strife has long been affiliated with the Kabal of the Black Heart to the mutual benefit of both. Whether this is a bond of reciprocal admiration or the wary respect of natural born killers is immaterial, for the alliance has proven as strong as steel, and strength is hard currency in Commorragh. Thanks to the unparalleled power and generosity of their patron, the Cult of Strife's arena, the Crucibael, is the most lavishly appointed and spectacular in all of Commorragh. From the city-sized laser-grid of its toroid Reaver arena to the black-veined living jade of its mighty galleries, the Crucibael is one of the Dark City's greatest spectacles. As Vect himself was once heard to say, Lelith Hesperax is the greatest treasure of the Dark City, and one does not display one's finest emerald amid squalor. The alliance between the Kabal of the Black Heart and the Cult of Strife brings constant benefit to both. Even the most impulsive and hot-tempered Succubus must recognise that a challenge to the Cult of Strife is likely to incur the wrath of Asdrubael Vect himself.