Count Jaskar ir'Edar of Aundair was a man with an adventurous spirit. He traveled across the Talenta Plains, delved into the depths of the Eldeen Reaches, and even led an expedition into the Demon Wastes. His peers came to expect eccentric behavior from the count, but even they were surprised when he married Nola Turaash, a half-orc who served as his guide in the Shadow Marches. Yet despite his strange behavior, Jaskar was a man of wealth, and whisperers said that his less-than-lovely bride was heir to a vast fortune in dragonshards.
Whatever the source of their fortune, Jaskar and his children prospered. Over the course of centuries the family gained even greater prestige and power. Today, one of Jaskar's descendents, Jalnar ir'Edar, is duke of the city of Passage. Having studied magic at Arcanix, Jalnar frequently used his powers to defend the city against Thrane knights and Eldeen rebels. Over the last decade, however, he has become increasingly reclusive, often sending his eldest daughter to conduct affairs of state in his place. Some fear he has fallen ill. Others believe he was worn down by the horrors of the war and seeks sol-ace in the solitude of his library.
The truth is far worse. In the final years of the war, Jalnar found himself in the grip of an irrational fear. He felt a desperate need to tap new sources of mystical power, to find some way to protect his city from its enemies. He began to have disturbing dreams, and following one of these visions he uncovered a secret chamber in his ancestral manor—a room filled with strange texts and odd relics. Nola Tuurash was a child of the Dragon Below, and her tainted blood ran in his veins. Through this corrupt heritage, he could gain the power he sought.
Over the last ten years, Jalnar was drawn deeper down the path of the Cult of the Dragon Below. In his twisted mind, he does what is best for Aundair, believing that if he can adapt the dark lore of his ancestors, he can lead the battle to reclaim the Eldeen Reaches, possibly even reunite Galifar itself. Having drawn a host of followers to his cult, Jalnar engages in strange experiments and slowly gathers his own army of savage aberrations.
At the moment, the Passage cult consists of approximately 60 people. The group is led by Jalnar ir'Edar; his sinister studies have made him one of the most powerful wizards in Aundair, though few know of his skills. jalnar's exposure to the taint of Khyber has afflicted him with a hideous rotting skin condition, and he remains in his mansion to hide this horrible affliction. His daughter, Melys ir'Edar (NE female human conjurer 5/alienist Vaberrant paragon 2) manages the affairs of Passage on his behalf. As for the other members of the sect,pinar's experiments tapped into inner reserves of rage and madness, causing many of his followers to gain barbarian, wilder, or soulknife levels. As such, Passage is filled with unpleasant surprises. The plump innkeeper or crippled beggar might be a barbarian 5/soulknife and could fly into a murderous rage at any moment, lashing out with a blade formed from blood.
There are many ways a party could encounter the ir'Edar brood. While traveling through Passage, they could be attacked by a crazed farmer-turned-barbarian or encounter a pseudonatural creature (see the template in Complete Arcane) that has escaped from Jalnar's lab. Adventurers could discover a win dating back to the war against the daelkyr, but Jalnarls cultists are also present scouring the dungeon for artifacts. A wizard could be asked to spy on Jalnar on behalf of an increasingly suspicious arcane congress. Perhaps Jalnar achieves a power great enough that he seeks to conquer the Eldeen Reaches, and the party must ally with the Gatekeep-ers to battle a new wave of unnatural horrors.