The Cabal

The Cabal
[[File:{{#setmainimage:cabalpit.jpg}}|150px]]
History
Founded on	Dominaria
Founded	4050 AR
Active	Mending Era
Status	Active
Membership
Founded by	Virot Maglan
Leader	Belzenlok, Braids, Lagomos
Notable members	Chainer
Races	Humans, demons, horrors and nightmares
Associated Colors

The Cabal was an influential black-aligned organization on Otaria, in Dominaria. Consisting of Clerics, Wizards and Minions it worshipped money, profit, and the numen Kuberr. After the mending, the demon Belzenlok replaced Kuberr as their god, and the organisation had became a demonic death cult and spread far beyond Otaria. After Belzenlok's death, Braids rose to lead the cult.

Storyline

Foundation

The Cabal was founded by Virot Maglan in 4050 AR, in the wake of the collapse of Suderbod. It was focused on commerce, manipulating the greed and fear of its customers for financial gain and accrual of influence and power.

Early Cabal clerics had visible purple veins, a mark of the power given to them by their Patriarch. They wore red, black, and gold robes.

Pit fights

The Cabal performed a variety of functions in Otaria, the most famous and profitable being its pit fights and other gladiatorial displays that Otarians could watch and gamble on as a means of entertainment. The competitors in the pits included wild animals taken from Krosa and the Pardic Mountains, slaves, horrors created by the Cabal's specialist dementia casters, professional gladiators earning a living (such as Kamahl and Ixidor), and even ordinary people looking to settle disputes in a violent but organized manner. Following the Phyrexian Invasion, the popularity of such displays grew due to the breakdown of society and the subsequent harshness of life on Otaria, resulting in a major expansion in the wealth and influence of the Cabal.

Structure

The structure of the Cabal was similar to an extended family, with members referring to each other as brother and sister. At the head of the family was Virot Maglan, who was referred to as patriarch or pater. One key concept in the Cabal's hierarchy was that of secret names. Every member of the Cabal was given a new cabalist name when they joined. Their original name was kept as a secret that, when spoken, gave the speaker control over them. The patriarch alone knew everyone's secret name and could therefore use it to control his subjects.

Cities

The Cabal controlled two major cities on Otaria. The first and foremost was the aptly named Cabal City, which served as the capital of the organization and the residence of the Cabal Patriarch. The Cabal's second major city was Aphetto in the south. Although the city was significantly smaller, less profitable, and more disordered than the capital, following the Patriarch's exile to Aphetto and Cabal City's subsequent destruction by Chainer Aphetto became the new center of Cabal activities. The Cabal also later built a third city based around the Grand Coliseum which served as their new main base of operations. They also created a presence in many other towns by building coliseums and running pit fights in them.

Enemies

The Cabal's most persistent enemies were the Order, who found the Cabal's exploitative nature, decadence, amorality, and profiteering morally despicable. In return, the Cabal saw the Order as sanctimonious, self-righteous, uptight, intolerant zealots. The two organizations frequently clashed, although neither had the strength to eradicate the other.

Reign of Kuberr

The reincarnated Kuberr took over the Cabal after the Patriarch's death. After his death, the Cabal was presumed defunct as of around 4500 AR.

Resurgence

After the Mending, the Cabal performed a ritual to resurrect Kuberr, but accidentally freed the elder demonlord Belzenlok from the Abyss instead. Belzenlok restored the power of the Cabal. Now primarily a death cult, the Cabal expanded away from Otaria, shifting their capital to the Stronghold of Urborg, and focusing on gaining control of the whole of Dominaria for the glorification of its leader. The expansion started shortly after the mending. The Cabal has corrupted expanses in areas as far away as Benalia and it has infiltrated New Argive, Shiv and Suq'Ata. Its zombies are called revenants and its knights are called grimnants. The clerics and wizards are Dementia casters. The Cabal also employs undead remnants (dread shades) and skin witches.

Belzenlok's reign was ended when he was slain by the joined efforts of the Weatherlight crew and the Gatewatch.

Following Belzenlok's death, Lagomos maintained the Cabal until its members summoned their former member Braids to lead them.

Significant members

• Belzenlok
• Braids
• Chainer
• Kuberr
• Lagomos
• Phage
• Skellum
• Virot Maglan
• Whisper

In-game references

Associated cards:

• Braids, Cabal Minion
• Cabal Archon
• Cabal Coffers
• Cabal Conditioning
• Cabal Evangel
• Cabal Executioner
• Cabal Initiate
• Cabal Inquisitor
• Cabal Interrogator
• Cabal Paladin
• Cabal Patriarch
• Cabal Pit
• Cabal Ritual
• Cabal Shrine
• Cabal Slaver
• Cabal Stronghold
• Cabal Surgeon
• Cabal Therapist
• Cabal Therapy
• Cabal Torturer
• Cabal Trainee
• Curse of the Cabal

Referred to:

• Accursed Centaur
• Airborne Aid
• Aven Trooper
• Barbarian Outcast
• Blackmail (Onslaught)
• Blood Celebrant
• Border Patrol
• Carrion Rats
• Caustic Tar (Odyssey)
• Caustic Tar (Masters 25)
• Crowd Favorites
• Cruel Revival (Planechase)
• Cursed Totem
• Dark Supplicant
• Death Match
• Decompose
• Dedicated Martyr
• Demonic Vigor
• Drudge Sentinel
• Duress (Magic 2014)
• Fatal Mutation
• Feral Abomination
• Gangrenous Goliath
• Gratuitous Violence
• Gravedigger (Odyssey)
• Gravespawn Sovereign
• Gustcloak Runner
• Inspirit (Onslaught)
• Isolated Chapel (Dominaria)
• Lingering Death
• Magus of the Coffers
• Major Teroh
• Megrim (Tenth Edition)
• Mortal Combat
• Radiating Lightning
• Rats' Feast
• Shepherd of Rot
• Spectral Sliver
• Soul Salvage
• Starstorm (Onslaught)
• Stronghold Confessor
• Thallid Soothsayer
• Temporal Machinations
• Unburden (Scourge)
• Undead Gladiator (Masters 25)
• Unspeakable Symbol
• Vile Deacon
• Windgrace Acolyte

Cabal gallery

• 

  Archon

• 

  Executioner

• 

  Inquisitor

• 

  Interrogator

• 

  Slaver

• 

  Surgeon

• 

  Torturer

• 

  Trainee

Cabal structures

• 

  Coffers (Mirari in Bottom Right)

• 

  Pit

• 

  Shrine