Evil Factions and Nations of Forgotten Realms

[CragOneEye]

Hi I know there's a thread for this on the old forum, but I figured I'd re created it on this one as I don't expect the old forum to last forever.

Zhentarim

The Zhentarim, also known as the Black Network, is an evil organization intent on dominating the land from the Moonsea to the Sword Coast North. Originally a secret society, for years the Zhents have operated openly in the Moonsea area, particularly around their greatest base of operations, Zhentil Keep. People who live near Zhentarim strongholds grow used to caravans with its symbol but live in fear that someday they will see armies marching under that banner.

While many of the Zhentarim are nothing more than opportunistic merchants, some resort to illegal acts such as attacking rival caravans, extorting villages for food, or more serious crimes such as arson and murder. The Zhentarim hire bandits to attack other caravans and towns, or have wizards conjure up or enrage monsters. Recently they have begun sending older members to frontier nations such as the Silver Marches, where they buy land and become peaceable homesteaders with families, biding their time until they are needed.

The agents of the Zhentarim are well equipped with both mundane and minor magic items. Masterwork items are common, and non-spellcasters usually have at least a potion of some sort. Spell-casters in good standing with the Black Network gain a scroll of two spells of any spell level they can cast every time they gain a spellcaster level (most wizards immediately add these spells to their spellbook).

Fear of this cabal has spread from the Moonsea lands across the Heartlands to the Sword Coast, where everybody "knows" the Black Network is a sinister, murderous organization of spies, informants, armies, and flying-monster-riding wizards engaged in all sorts of secret and terrible activities.

Folk who live in the Dragon Reach lands know rather more about the Zhentarim. They can tell you that it rose to open rule and power in Zhentil Keep, seized control of the Citadel of the Raven from the other Moonsea cities that shared it, conquered Tessendale, Voonlar, and Yûlash, and plotted the conquest of Shadowdale, Daggerdale, and Mistledale. The Zhents have entire armies hidden away in the Citadel and a sinister fortress, Darkhold, somewhere in the Western Heartlands. Zhent gold and sorcery govern affairs west across Anauroch (until the arrival of the shades, anyway) to the vales of the Gray Peaks, east to the walls of Mulmaster, north through the Ride and the Cold Lands to the Great Glacier, and south through the weaker Dales.

The Zhents are soldiers (from black-plate-armored veteran warriors to marauding orc mercenaries) commanded by aggressively cruel minor wizards of more ambition than power, who report to truly powerful mages headed by the sly-tongued Lord Manshoon. The Zhentarim seem bent on enriching themselves and controlling towns, villages, and entire realms along a trade route linking the Moonsea with the Sword Coast (specifically the Waterdeep area) via Darkhold. They smuggle slaves, poisons, and contraband.

They have spies everywhere. In their ranks is an evil unholy knight known as the Pereghost and Zhentil Keep's charismatic champion, the lady Scyllua Darkhope. (Scyllua administers the defenses and day-to-day affairs of the keep itself.) Anyone could be a Zhentarim, and some of them seem to want to seize all the magic they find, while others want to rule every town and steading between Shou Lung and Evermeet.

How much of any of this is truth, and how much exaggerated speculation, is the topic of endless conjecture in whispered conversations across half the Heartlands.

The Black Network was founded almost one hundred years ago by a dark and powerful lord of Zhentil Keep, the wizard Manshoon. Through guile, murder, intrigue, and his ever-increasing magical might, Manshoon created a cabal of like-minded wizards (the so-called Black Cloaks), beholders, wealthy Moonsea merchants, and servants of evil temples whose purposes did not cross his - most notably, the temple of Bane.

While Zhentil Keep was nominally under the rule of a council of lords, the real power in the city was Manshoon, absolute master of the Zhentarim. Through a small number of handpicked lieutenants (chief among them Sememmon, his second) he ran a secret empire of thousands of merchants, mercenaries, spies, and agents. In the years preceding the Time of Troubles, Manshoon cemented an alliance with Fzoul Chembryl, an ambitious cleric of Bane, to strengthen the Zhentarim even further.

In the last twenty years, the reach of the Zhentarim has extended to every corner of Faerûn, forging what amounts to a not-so-secret empire over much of the Moonsea and the North. But the Zhents have also suffered many setbacks, most notably the fall of Bane, internecine strife between Banite faithful and those who turned to Cyric, the destruction of Zhentil Keep in a holy purge, and vicious feuds between Manshoon's Black Cloaks and Fzoul's clerics. The winner in all this turned out to be Fzoul Chembryl, who assumed control over the organization and nearly destroyed Manshoon, driving the archmage into hiding for a time.

At the time of this writing, Fzoul Chembryl is the master of the Black Network, Lord of Zhentil Keep, and the Chosen Tyrant of Bane. Sememmon, Fzoul's longtime rival, has abandoned the fortress of Darkhold and is in hiding, conceding control of the western Zhentarim. Manshoon has recovered from Fzoul's attack and, ironically, returned to the Zhentarim in some kind of secret accommodation with Fzoul. The founder of the organization serves as a member-at-large, a free agent with the power and the authority to direct Zhentarim assets as he sees fit in the pursuit of power and influence across Faerûn.

With the Zhentarim fully under the thumb of Fzoul and the church of Bane, the Black Network is finally starting to see some of its major plans come to fruition. Over time, Fzoul plans to make the Zhentarim an arm of Bane's church in all but name.
(sited from http://www.realmshelps.net/faerun/organ ... arim.shtml)

[CragOneEye]

The Church Of Bane

Clergy: Clerics, specialty priests, wizards crusader.
Clergy's Align: LE, NE, CE

Bane was the most widely known and feared evil god of the Realms Banites were generally cruel folk who enjoyed exercising power over others within security of a rigid hierarchy and rules. While Bane is dead, his church lives on, though most of its members have now joined the churches of Cyric, Iyatchu Xvim, or even Gargauth, Talos, or Talona since the remaining Banites are not, as of 1369 DR, receiving spells or abilities from Bane or Cyric (unless they convert directly to his worship- at which point are no longer Banites).

The church of Bane was overrun with wizards, especially near Zhentil Keep. The presence of so many wizards as clergy members and influence of the ambitious Fzoul Chembryl led to a schism in the church long before the Time of Troubles. This created a fierce internal rivalry within the church between Orthodox (mostly clerical) and Transformed (more heavily wizardly) factions of the church.

Bane's church underwent several rapid changes after death of its diety during the Time of Troubles, the rift between Orthodox and Transformed Banites worsened. Cyric assumed Bane's portfolio, continued to grant Banite priests spells, and tried to convert Bane's faithful to direct worship of him. Orthodox Banites held Cyric was merely a new form of Bane, expanded to take in the powers of Myrkuul and Bhaal to show the growing power of evil. Transformed Banites instead argued that Bane was dead and Cyric had taken his mantle and position as diety of strife. The "office" of Bane that Cyric held was the power they worshiped. Along with almost all former Bhaal-worshippers and the vast majority of former Myrkulytes, these Banite factions formed the strong base of Cyric's faith.

There remained scattered sects of hardcore ultra-orthodox Bane worshipers, such as the Risen Cult of Bane in the Moonshaes, who believed that Bane was still alive and that Cyric, whom referred to as the Pretender, was a usurper who would be punished in the future along with all his faithless followers. Little did these stubborn misguided fools realize that the Prince of Lies was granting the spells and special abilities to all Banites, whether they recgonized him as Bane or Cyric, because he could not resist the chance to prevaricate in such a broad way because he hoped to eventually lure the stubborn holdouts to his cause.

Three years after Godswar, Bane's priests had converted almost entirely to Cyricism, though many still stubbornly worshiped Cyric as the new Bane. Cyric lost patience with the remaining priests of Bane, particularly the greatest holdouts in the Moonsea region, and unleashed an inquisition known as the Banedeath in Zhentil Keep (and later across the rest of Fearun). Tendays of rampage ensued wherein all temples and obvious worship sites of the old dead god were destroyed. The Banedeath resulted in the death of most of Bane's remaining priests in Zhentil Keep began seeking the return of Iyachtu Xvim, the Godson, to succeed his late father rather than converting to Cyricism.

Seven years after the Banedeath, Cyric destroyed Zhentil Keep. At the end of 1368 DR, some Cyric worshipers converted to the worship of the newly empowered Iyachtu Xvim, the Godson, who had managed to establish a base in Gehenna. One of the leading Banite priests who converted to Cyricism, Fzoul Chembryl, apparently deserted Cyric to encourage (and perhaps lead) Iyachtu Xvim's rising faith. Surviving members of the Risen Cult of Bane view Godson as Bane reborn. A few isolated pockets of true Banites still exist, but they receive no spels or abiities and are mainly focused around the High Imperceptor, who has lived in hiding since death of Bane. It is undoubtedly only a short time until these scant few convert to worship another power.

The High Imperceptor was in theory the supreme living servant of Bane (numerous former High
Imperceptors survive as Baneliches) and was formerly directly recognized as such by Bane, but in practice this declared leadership was often not the actua case. Well before the Time of Trouble, Fzoul Chembryl of Zhentil Keep led a powerful faction of the church into schism. He then assumed complete authority of the splinter branch-an act whose temerity Bane rewarded by possessing Fzoul directly when the Fall of the Gods came down upon Fearun.

There have been other rebel leaders in the church of Bane, the True Church of Bane , the Old Church of Bane, and so on. Bane suffered such strife continue down the years because it brought eager service beyond the call of duty and because he delighted in the strife itself.

The twisted halls of Zhentil Keep echo with malign invocations chanted in shadowy temples throughout Faerun. Bane (bain), the Lord of Darkness, has conquered death itself, returning to the world to give dark inspiration to a thousand intrigues, to foment fear and hatred in civilized lands, and to reassure the common mortal that tyranny, though it may suffer occasional defeat, will never die. Though Bane transcended mortality centuries ago, his primary goal remains notably human - he seeks nothing short of the total domination of Faerun. When his servants sit upon the throne of every land, when commoners serve their masters in fear for their very lives, and when altruism and hope have been erased from the world, then will Bane rest. Until that dark day, however, the Black Hand has eternity to hatch demented plots and vile intrigues. Eventually, he will rule all Faerun, but there's no hurry. Getting there will be half the fun.

Bane prefers to keep to the shadows, allowing his servants to carry out his intricate plans. On the rare occasion in which he appears, he takes the form of a shadowy human figure - often bare-chested, sometimes wearing black armor and a stylish black cloak streaked with red. His right hand, invariably covered by a jeweled metal gauntlet, is all the weapon he needs to dispatch the few foes brave (or foolhardy) enough to attack him. He has no tolerance for failure and seldom thinks twice about submitting even a loyal servant to rigorous tortures to ensure complete obedience to his demanding, regimented doctrine. Though possessed of an unforgiving wrath when aroused, Bane is slow to anger, existing in a perpetual state of a controlled burn.

Bane's tyranny is known throughout the continent, and his is the image most seen as the face of evil. When news of Bane's destruction during the Time of Troubles made its way throughout Faerun, no fewer that twenty-seven nations declared national festivals of celebration and thanksgiving. The commoner sees Bane's clerics as petty would-be dictators unafraid to use immoral tactics and unthinkable violence to spread their influence and agenda. The adventurer sees the clergy as constant interlopers and enemies, agents of a rigid, evil philosophy who side with monsters, devils, and savage humanoids to further their wicked ends. Canny nobles glimpse the truest threat, that some of their peers pay homage to the Black Lord to gain by guile and subterfuge what soldiers cannot conquer by force.

Even as a human, Bane wanted nothing more than to become the most feared, respected tyrant the wolrd had ever known. However, doing so would require an infusion of arcane power greater than that usually accorded to mortals. Hence, the calculating despot joined forces with similarly driven humans Bhaal and Myrkul in a pact of mutual assistance that would end in the apotheosis of the entire trio. The three villains adventured across the breadth of Faerun, defeated countless foes, slew one of the Seven Lost Gods, and traveled throughout the Lower Planes before achieving that goal. They benefited from the generosity (or, some would suggest, indifference) of the dispassionate Jergal, who had become bored with his role as the patron of strife, death, and the dead. Each earned one third of Jergal portfolio and dominated their area of concern for centuries.

However, even complete control over strife was not enough for Bane, whose desire for supremacy led him, in 1358 DR, to once again team with Myrkul. The pair stole the Tablets of Fate, inscribed by Lord Ao (the supreme deity) to outline the roles of the deities of Toril. The precipitated the calamitous Time of Troubles, during which Bane was slain by Torm the True in a furious battle in the harbor of Tantras. It seems the Black Lord's ceaseless ambition had at last led to his destruction. Bane's church fragmented, with most of the faithful defecting to the clergies of Cyric, who inherited Bane's portfolios, and Iyachtu Xvim, the progeny of Bane's coupling with a powerful demon. Agents of weal and freedom breathed easier those days, knowing that Toril was rid of perhaps its greatest menace.

Those who let down their guard, however, did so rashly, and far too soon. On Midwinter night of 1372 DR, Xvim burst in a conflagration of diabolical green light. From the smoking husk of his remains emerged a newly reinvigorated Bane, his right hand ablaze with green fire. Xvim, it appeared, had been little more than a sentient cocoon, a shell in which grew a festering larva that would, in time, become Bane. Within days, the Xvimlar clergy had converted to the worship of Bane, and a great evil once again cast its calculating stare over the lands of Faerun.

Bane hates virtually the entire Faerunian pantheon but holds special antipathy for Torm, Cyric, Mystra, Tempus, Helm, Lathander, Oghma, and Ilmater, in that order. He has established a working relationship with Loviatar, Mask, and Talona, but as these deities desperately fear him, the alliances are not strong

Clerics of Bane pray for spells at midnight. Their religion recognizes no official holidays, though servants give thanks to the Black Hand before and after major battles or before a particularly important act of subterfuge. Senior clerics often declare holy day's at a moments notice, usually claiming to act upon divine inspiration granted to them in dreams. Rites include drumming, chanting, and the sacrifice of intelligent beings, usually upon an altar of black basalt or obsidian. Of late, clerics of Cyric have become a preferred sacrifice, though old favorites such as paladins, unicorns, children, and celestials remain popular with traditionalists. Clerics of Bane most commonly multiclass as fighters, monks, blackguards, or dreadmasters. Those associated with the Cult of the Dragon often multiclass as wearers of purple.

Specialty priests of Bane were known as dreadmasters, a term used regardless of gender of its owner. About 10% of the total priesthood of the church of Bane was comprised of dreadmasters, and most were kept in low-level positions. Some specialty priests of Bane operated outside the rigid church hierarchy; they were mainly adventurers and hermits seeking to create their own power base to eventually destroy others.

Novices of Bane's clergy were addressed as "slave," but if named by Bane from a speaking altar or in a dream vision, they became full priests of the god and gained the title of Watchfu Brother/ Watchful Sister. From there, they ascended through the following rankings: Deadly Adept, Trusted Servant, Willing Whip, Hooded Menace, Black Fang, Striking Hand, Vigilant Talon, Masked Death, Dark Doom, Higher Doom, and Deep Mystery. This latter title was a general held by all clergy members of 12th and greater level. A priest of this rank addressed fellow clergy members of higher ranks or levels as "Deep Mystery" (not to do so was regarded as a deliberate insult). Known individual titles among the Banites of Deeper Mystery included Vigilator, Lord/Lady of Mysteries, Lord/Lady of the Hand, Imperceptor, Dark Imperceptor, Grand Bloodletter, High Inquisitor, and High Imperceptor. All except the last title were self-bestowed, but such self-given titles had to be confirmed and used upon the bestower by a higher ranking priest before they were formally recgonized.

Banites addressed each other only by title unless the mix of individuals present would cause confusion without the addition of a surname. Banite clergy bowed, knelt to, or kissed the boots of superiors, depending on difference in their ranks-and what they were ordered to do. When in the presence of non-worshipers of Bane, Banite clergy addressed each other as "Brother/ Sister Faithful" unless speaking to a superior of considerably greater rank, whereupon "Dread Brother/Sister" would be used.

Priests of Bane prided themselves on cold, decisive thought, speech, and action. Sarcasm and cutting authority were valued over shouting, loss of temper, or uncontrolled behavior. Two priests arguing to death may well have appeared as softly polite but insistent noblemen debating some minor point right up to the last moments of one (or both) of their lives.

Bane orders his clerics and followers to achieve positions of power within their society, either through force or trickery, and to use that power to further the cause of hate, fear, destruction, and strife. The Black Hand much prefers that his clerics subvert to governments and carry out their agendas under the cover of the rule of law, but he tolerates a limited amount of discord and debauchery. Torture, beatings, and calculated assassinations frequently come into play in such operations, and rare indeed is the initiate of the Lord of Darkness who does not possess at least rudimentary skill in such enterprises. The church operates under a strict hierarchy - questioning or disobeying the orders of a superior is an insult to Bane's supremacy, and is punishable by torture, disfigurement, or death.

Bane's temples tend to reflect the clergy's regimented doctrines. Tall, sharp cornered stone structures featuring towers adorned with large spikes and thin windows, most Banite churches suggest the architecture of fortified keeps or small castles. Thin interior passageways lead from an austere foyer to barracks-like common chambers for the lay clergy, each sparsely decorated with tapestries depicting the symbol of Bane or embroidered passages from important religious texts. Temples frequently include an exposed central courtyard used for military drills and open-air ceremonies, as well as a more traditional mass hall for the congregation at large. Most churches feature extensive underground dungeons replete with torture chambers, starvation wells, and monster pens.

Before the Time of Troubles, Bane's church was riven with internecine strife, divided into the Orthodox sect (commanded primarily by clerics) and the Transformed church (dominated by wizards). Bane himself encouraged this struggle, appreciating the value of dissension even when applied to his own servants. His long dormancy seems to have cleared his mind on this matter, however, as he has acted personally to eradicate these divisions, even going so far as to name Fzoul Chembryl, the ruler of Zhentil Keep, as his personal Chosen Tyrant and infallible mortal representative. The formerly fractious Banites have made common cause in vicious pogroms against those clerics who turned to Cyric after Bane's "death" and who have not returned to the fold; their increased cooperation can only lead to foul tidings for the rest of Faerun.

(Sources are from Faiths and Avatars Forgotten Realms AD&D Source book and Faiths and Pantheons Forgotten Realms D&D 3.5 Source book)

[CragOneEye]

THE CULT OF THE DRAGON



“And naught will be left save shattered thrones with no rulers.
But the dead dragons shall rule the world entire. . . .”

As the purple robed figure on the platform continued to
intone the litany, Harnath Tommor, lesser mage of the Cult of
the Dragon, gave only part of his attention to the speaker. The
other half was focused on the incredible sight before him: an
aged blue dragon, its serpentine form at rest on the platform next
to the Wearer of Purple. As he watched the ceremony continue,
Harnath’s chest swelled with pride. At last, here was the day
that he had waited and worked for since he first joined the
Cult. Today, he would see the ultimate proof of Sammaster’s
wisdom as the dragon abandoned its fetters of life and
became a Sacred One—a dracolich.

“. . . and the dominion of the dead dragons shall
endure until the end of all things. So we swear,” con-
cluded the Wearer of Purple.

“So we swear,” echoed the dozens of cultists who stood
expectantly within the Chamber of Ascendance.

From somewhere within the folds of his ceremonial
garb, the officiating cultist withdrew two objects: a
clay flask and an enormous ruby. Unstoppering the
flask, the cultist proffered it to the dragon. Gracefully, the blue
wyrm opened its huge maw. The cultist obliged, pouring the con-
tents of the flask onto its tongue. A collective “ahhh” went through
the watching cultists, and Harnath thought that he could catch a
hint of a strange scent in the air. Sulfur?

Suddenly the dragon’s jaws clenched tightly together, and the
Wearer of Purple snatched his hand away barely in time. A
spasm wracked the great creature’s body, and then it slumped
forward on the platform and lay still. A brilliant light filled
the ruby, spilling over into the hand of the Wearer of Purple.
The light flared once, and then receded until it became a muted
but constant glow. It was done. The first part of the transforma-
tion was complete. By the time the sun set this evening, Faerûn
would know a new terror.

------------------------------

The members of the Cult of the Dragon believe that it is
Faerûn’s destiny to be ruled by undead dragons. The Cult takes
upon itself the responsibility of helping that destiny along, di-
recting all its plans and energies toward gaining the wealth and
magical power necessary to transform living dragons into
undead dracoliches.

Cult members undertake magical research,
espionage, mercantilism, and a variety of criminal activities to
fund and support their goal in anticipation of the day when the
undead dragons will hold sway over the entire world. Many Cult
members are therefore criminals, though in their minds and in
the minds of their peers they are heroic and devoted individuals
who take great personal risks on behalf of the organization.
More than one adventurer has remarked on the fact that the
minds of the Cult’s current members (including the Cult’s
founder, the archmage Sammaster) are not always entirely bal-
anced. Indeed, some are quite mad, though their insanity makes
them all the more dangerous in the deadly serious pursuit of their
goals. The cultists venerate dragons to the point of worshiping
them as deities, and certain dragons—lured by promises of eter-
nal unlife and overwhelming power—revel in the attention.

Brief History

Over four centuries have passed since the Cult of the Dragon
first appeared in Faerûn, and another century before that since
the Cult’s founder and first leader, Sammaster First-Speaker,
was born.

Sammaster was a powerful archmage who became one
of Mystra’s Chosen, an honor that proved too great a burden.
The archmage’s mind could not bear the divine power, and Sam-
master eventually went insane. By the time the deity rescinded
her gift, it was too late: Sammaster was incurably mad.
Suffering from terrible delusions, the mad archmage in-
sisted that he possessed special insight into the future of Toril,
its people, and its deities. He began collecting both well-
known and obscure works of oracular knowledge and trans-
lating them (or reinterpreting them, as the Cult’s
detractors and enemies would have it) as validation of
his claims. In the pages of one of these tomes,
Maglas’s Chronicle of Years to Come, Sammaster discov-
ered a cryptic prophecy that he believed predicted that
undead dragons would eventually rule the world. Thus
inspired, the irrational archmage gathered a band
of followers and persuaded them that his fore-
telling of the future was accurate.

In 902 DR the “Cult of the Dragon” created its first dracol-
ich, using necromantic formulas that Sammaster inscribed in
his magnum opus, Tome of the Dragon. Sammaster eventually
died—or, as some Cult members believe, became a lich and dis-
appeared. Today, the inheritors of his terrible knowledge con-
tinue to carry out his legacy.

The Organization

Headquarters: The members of the Cult do not presently
maintain a central headquarters. However, they are in the
process of constructing one - a mighty fortress in the Western
Heartlands, built over an extinct volcano that houses the
fabled Well of Dragons.

Members: Nearly 1,000 individuals are knowing, willing,
and active members of the Cult. Countless more serve the
cultists without suspecting who they serve.

Hierarchy: Webbed.

Leaders: The Wearers of Purple (formerly the name used
by leaders of the Sembian cells, now adopted for the organiza-
tion as a whole).

Religion: None, though the Cult’s few clerics primarily wor-
ship Bane, Shar, Talos, Talona, or Velsharoon. A handful of
others venerate Cyric, Gargauth, Malar, or Tiamat.

Alignment: CE, CN, NE.

Secrecy: High. (Like the Twisted Rune, which will be revealed in time, the Cult of the Dragon is incredibly secretive, and only a handful of people working for the Cult of the Dragon actually know who their working for and the dark goals they're furthering...)

Symbol: The Cult uses the symbol of a flame with eyes
burning above a dragon’s claw, but cultists display it openly
only when a cell or individual member can be sure that it will
not attract the attention of the Cult’s many dedicated foes. Be-
cause some groups of cultists sometimes take it into their heads
to work at cross purposes with their fellows for reasons rang-
ing from madness to pure contrariness, the exact appearance
of this symbol varies from cell to cell.

The Cult of the Dragon continues its founder’s work by or-
ganizing itself into a number of independent cells, each with a
specific purpose and role to play in the group’s larger plans.
The teachings of Sammaster have attracted a limited number
of followers, some of them as delusional as he was, others
lured by the promise of great rewards gained by means other
than honest toil. Many of the Cult’s current members are
sane (so far) but exhibit other defects of mind or character
that convince them that the Cult offers a path to their desires
that is quicker and easier than any other. Virtually all cultists
are human.

HIERARCHY

Individual cells comprise the basic units of the Cult’s organiza-
tional structure. Even as each cell is specialized, so too do rank,
function, and purpose differentiate the members’ roles. Any
given cell normally has from ten to one hundred members, de-
pending on its relative importance in the Cult’s great schemes.
The cell’s hierarchy is based on a structure followed through-
out the Cult.

So called because of their purple ceremonial robes, the
Wearers of Purple are the chief authority in every cell. Small
cells have only one Wearer of Purple at the helm, but larger
cells can have several, all acting (theoretically) in concert as
part of a coalition. More than a few Wearers of Purple are
necromancers who seek out Cult of the Dragon cells for the
specific purpose of joining their ranks. These necromancers
oversee the complex process by which a living dragon is trans-
formed into a dracolich. They also create magic items, both
for use by Cult members and as gifts and bribes to evil drag-
ons. It is additionally their burden to make up the shortfalls
faced by the Cult due to the scarcity of clerics among its
membership. These wizards cannot afford to be armchair gen-
erals if the Cult is to achieve its goals: When a cell faces
danger from enemies, the Wearers of Purple must lead their
forces against the enemy.

The Cult offers necromancers access to the otherwise diffi-
cult-to-find research conducted by Sammaster, and the chance to
work directly with some of the most powerful undead creatures
in all Faerûn. Others join to further their own ambitions or be-
cause they found the endless internal conflicts of other organi-
zation (such as the Zhentarim) unsatisfactory to their tastes.
Below the Wearers of Purple are the lesser members of the
cell, their designations determined by the cell’s specific function.

Mercantile Cells

Some cells are devoted to pursuing completely legitimate busi-
ness interests as a means of generating cash flow. The lesser
members of these cells tend to be merchants, many of them
quite wealthy. These cells take advantage of their trade con-
tacts and communications to gather and pass along interesting
information to other cells.

Criminal Cells

The majority of Cult cells generate the needed coin through il-
legal means, and the schemes in which they are involved are as
varied as the members themselves.

Banditry

Cells sometimes engage the services of bandits, brigands, and
highway robbers to relieve travelers of their excess cash. Raids
on merchant caravans can be extremely lucrative, both in gold
and trade goods (later sold by mercantile or smuggling cells).
These cells are small, consisting generally of a Wearer of
Purple and perhaps half a dozen subordinates who deal with
the local bandits. The outlaws who do the actual work usually
do not know who hired them, and they usually don’t care.

Protection

The Cult of the Dragon generally avoids protection rackets
on the small scale. The organization isn’t large enough to
dominate the underworld in most major cities, which is where
protection money really pays off. It leaves such pursuits to
local thieves’ guilds and unscrupulous merchants. Instead, it
engages in grand-scale protection rackets, threatening care-
fully chosen merchants with draconic intervention should
they fail to meet the Cult’s demands for money, goods, or
services. Once a merchant so approached realizes exactly
whom he’s dealing with, he usually pays the demanded price:
Everyone knows, after all, that you can’t bargain with insane
people. These cells usually consist of a Wearer of Purple who
deals with the dracolich or dragon muscle, and a dozen or
more operatives who deal with the merchants themselves. The
cell may also employ laborers or traders who handle any ill-
gotten merchandise for a fee.

Kidnapping

Abducting wealthy nobles and ransoming them back to their
families can generate a large amount of gold. Many aristo-
crats pay up less out of any desire to regain the kidnapped
member of the family, and more out of a more profound
desire not to suffer the embarrassing notoriety of being the targets of a successful kidnapping plot. The Cult almost always releases its hostages after the ransom is paid; otherwise, other victims’ families might start refusing to pay, and
that would end this particular line of handsome profit very
quickly.

The lairs of evil dragons make very convenient and secure
holding places for kidnapping victims who might be located by
friends or allies before their ransom is paid. The Cult’s few
rogues generally work within kidnapping cells, along with sev-
eral fighters who take care of the actual kidnapping as directed
by the Wearer of Purple

Blackmail and Extortion

Here again, the desire to avoid scandal generates a good deal of
money. Few people want to see their dark secrets publicized,
and some folk possess secrets that are more dangerous than
they are embarrassing.

Blackmail is a delicate business, because it involves continu-
ous regular payments. Cells engaged in this activity must use
care not to demand such a high fee that they kill the golden
goose, or that the goose decides that exposure is less expensive
than payment.

Extortion, on the other hand, requires only a one-time pay-
ment and is therefore preferable in situations where the target
has a limited amount of ready cash. The cells that engage in
these activities generally have only a very few actual cultists,
but large numbers of paid spies and informers, most of whom
sell information not only to the cell but to anyone who can
pay. Some cells boast their own private spy networks, but com-
petition for genuinely blackmail-worthy secrets is so stiff that
this is a rarity.

Smuggling

An old favorite not only of the Cult but many other criminal
groups, smuggling is a thriving industry. Stolen magic items
make up the bulk of the Cult’s smuggled goods, though poisons
and illicit drugs are also popular. These cells can be quite large:
The Cult’s Sembian smuggling cell has more than one hundred
cultists.

Vice

A very few cells possess enough control over the criminal ele-
ment in some smaller communities to run secret (and therefore
untaxed) gambling dens, drug parlors, and festhalls. These cells
rarely boast more than a dozen members, though they do employ
several times that number of hired muscle. The employees of the
vice establishments almost never know who pays their wages.

MOTIVATION AND GOALS

The senior members of the Cult are unequally divided into two
camps: those who believe completely and wholeheartedly in
Sammaster’s prophecies, and those who pretend to do so for
their own reasons. The latter few are most often individuals
who see membership in the Cult as a way to fulfill whatever
personal desires they may have for power, wealth, self-impor-
tance, magical knowledge, or even amusement. What’s the
harm in working toward a Faerûn ruled by undead dragons,
they reason, if it makes me rich, powerful, and important along
the way? These members suspect that the Cult won’t ever reach
its goals, but there’s no denying that having a dracolich or two
as an ally certainly makes a life of crime a lot easier.

The fanatics, however, are the really dangerous members of
the Cult, and they make up the bulk of the membership at the higher levels. They believe so strongly and completely in their
insane goal that they are willing not only to die for it, but also
to take anyone else who may get in their way along with them.
Many people who aid the Cult of the Dragon don’t even
know that they are doing so.These folk are the bandits, merce-
naries, merchants, and smugglers who go about their normal
activities in return for payment, unknowing and uncaring of
their employer’s identity. But some do know, and purposefully
seek out the Cult with the intention of becoming members.

Why would an otherwise ordinary person decide to join a group
of power-hungry wizards who use the demented ravings of a
long-dead madman to transform dragons into undead mon-
strosities as a prelude to conquering the world?
For starters, some power-hungry recruits lack the talent,
wealth, or charisma to attain that power on their own. The
Cult offers them a way to sate that hunger in a way that’s more
viable than vague self-generated plans to conquer the world.
Others are greedy and relish the coin that the Cult generates;
the promise of future power is merely an added enticement to
the avaricious. Still others are the descendants of previous
members, and they intend to carry on the family tradition. A
fair—some might say alarming—number of the “average”

Cultists either believe or come to believe very strongly in the
prophetic doom pronounced by Sammaster.

Those who have seen the terrible grandeur and awesome
power of a dracolich begin to believe that the crazy old arch-
mage may have been onto something after all. To many ordi-
nary folk, a dragon might as well be a deity: It might not be
able to grant divine spells, but it ranks among the most power-
ful mortal creatures on Toril.

When the chance of one’s patron deity coming to one’s aid in
times of difficulty is unlikely at best, the Cult’s dracoliches and
evil dragons can serve as reliable allies. Additionally, the notion
of an impending apocalypse is appealing to some people, partic-
ularly those who are convinced that only the “true believers”
will survive the doomsday and then inherit the world.

RECRUITING

The Cult of the Dragon has mixed feeling about new re-
cruits. On the one hand, there’s no denying that the Cult
needs fresh blood to replace those members who either die
of old age (rather than become liches, an option actively
sought by some) or who perish at the swords of enemies.
And the more members the Cult has, the more quickly it
can bring about the subjugation of Faerûn under the claws
of the dracoliches.

On the other hand, the Cult has been the victim of count-
less infiltration attempts sponsored by its enemies. Several of
the Cult’s weaker cells have been wiped out by foes, and it takes
time, money, and effort to recover these losses. So how does
the Cult deal with the double-edged sword of the prospective
recruit?

Simple: It doesn’t. The Wearers of Purple trust in the
word of Sammaster, who wrote: “. . . and all our enemies
shall be revealed in good time. Those who would oppose us
shall fall to ruin and death in the jaws of the dead dragons.
And their bodies shall crack and their hair shall burn, and
they will know in their last moments that theirs was the
path of folly. For the reign of the dead dragons cannot be
forestalled, cannot be thwarted, cannot be broken.” Despite
the fact that the Cult’s enemies do sometimes succeed in in-
filtrating its ranks and wreaking havoc with operations, the
Wearers of Purple nonetheless cling stubbornly to their
belief that all the efforts of their foes will prove, ultimately,
to be futile.

ALLIES

The most common allies of the Cult are evil dragons and the
dracoliches that the Cult creates. The Cult is not averse to co-
operating temporarily with evil monsters or even a few evil
adventurers, and certainly its necromancers are capable of cre-
ating undead creatures to serve many different functions. In-
dividual members have been known to make deals with chaotic and evil outsiders, though Cult policy discourages interacting
with demons and devils. The church of Cyric is a sometime
ally, though this is a less common occurrence since Cyric lost
the portfolio of death.

Its members know the dracoliches created by the Cult as
“Sacred Ones,” since they are the forces destined to reign
supreme over the world. The process of creating a dracolich,
and the statistics for these fell creatures, are detailed in the
FRCS.

Dealing with Dragons

Dragons in general are a notoriously self-centered race, and
none more so than the evil dragons of Faerûn. Yet the Cult ap-
proaches these incredibly powerful beings routinely, visiting
their lairs to advise them of the great destiny that awaits
them. Cultists bring large gifts of treasure to the dragons they
visit, as a contribution to their hoards (another reason why the
Cult requires such a large amount of cash). They flatter the
dragons, praise their skill and cunning, offer to provide any
services that the dragons may desire, and—usually on a visit
subsequent to the first—read to the dragon from Sammaster’s
Tome of the Dragon.

Some evil dragons deal regularly with the cultists, exchang-
ing the Cult’s services for permission to shelter in the dragon’s
lair in times of emergency. Cult cells serve as the eyes and ears
of the evil dragons with which they have allied. Others dismiss
the cultists as crazed fools, and the cultists generally leave
these dragons alone, at least for a generation or two. More
than one dragon that rejected a deputation from the Cult of
the Dragon centuries ago is more disposed to treat with them
after two or three hundred years have passed, particularly the
lesser dragons that haven’t done as well for themselves as they
had hoped to do. There’s no harm, these creatures reason, in al-
lowing the cultists to add some new traps to the lair if all that’s
required is paying attention to some ancient prophetic writings
(which many evil dragons find quite interesting when they ac-
tually pay attention).

While the cultists venerate the evil dragons, their visita-
tions and offers of aid do have ulterior motives: first to per-
suade the dragons to cooperate actively with the Cult, and
second to eventually convince the dragons to undergo the
transformation into lichdom.

The Sacred Ones

Many folk mistakenly assume that the Cult of the Dragon
exercises complete control over the dracoliches it creates.
Dracoliches are, just like living dragons, independent-minded
creatures that can and do embark on plans and schemes of
their own (presumably to keep themselves occupied while
they wait for Sammaster’s predictions to come true). Dracol-
iches do cooperate regularly with the Cult, however, exchang-
ing their protection for the cultists’ services. A dracolich
might agree to destroy a merchant vessel or caravan, for in-
stance, so that a Cult cell can persuade a noble or merchant
to cooperate. In return the Cult brings the dracolich offer-
ings of treasure and valuable information, and provides reas-
surance that the end times for Faerûn are indeed
approaching quickly.

ENEMIES


Most Faerûnians see the Cult of the Dragon as a dangerous
group of lunatics. But the Cult doesn’t receive as much atten-
tion as the Zhentarim, the church of Cyric, or the shades be-
cause the threat posed by the Cult seems less immediate. (At
least, it seems less immediate to anyone who has never watched
in stupefied horror as a dracolich makes mincemeat out of her
adventuring companions, or smashes a Sembian warship into
so many splinters.) Nevertheless, the Cult of the Dragon has
its enemies, principally those groups who either compete with
the Cult for resources and turf, or those dedicated to ensuring
that evil folk do not prevail.

The Cult of the Dragon is content to leave the Red Wizards
of Thay to their own devices, secure in the knowledge that
Thay will eventually be just another vassal state when the un-
dead dragons rule the world. Indeed, recent relations between
the Cult and the Red Wizards have been businesslike and pro-
fessional to the point of courteousness, because the Cult has
discovered that it’s quicker and easier to purchase magic items
at an enclave than to create its own. But individual Red Wiz-
ards continue to plague the organization: They have an annoy-
ing habit of attempting to acquire the Cult’s necromantic
knowledge for themselves, and an even more annoying habit
of trying to subvert the evil dragons allied to the Cult. How-
ever, strife between the organizations is generally limited to
individual Red Wizards and Cult cells rather than to society-
wide warfare.

Wherever the Cult of the Dragon maintains criminal cells,
it comes into conflict with the local crime lords. Whether it’s
the Night Masks in Westgate or the Iron Throne in Sembia,
the Cult runs afoul of those competing for the same ill-gotten
gains. These conflicts can be as inconsequential as a disagree-
ment over territory that is settled by a pact or a sum of com-
pensating gold paid to one side or the other. They can also be
as desperate as full-scale armed opposition with both factions
struggling openly for control of the desired prize. The Cult
prefers to bargain its way out of these problems, but when it
can’t, its members dig in and fight. The Wearers of Purple
devise the strategy their cells employ against rival organiza-
tions, and they also join the rank and file in the fighting.
Not surprisingly, the Cult of the Dragon and the Harpers
have battled one another ever since the Cult came into being.

The Harpers oppose the Cult the same way that they oppose all
individuals or groups who seek to force their will on others (or
conquer the world, a much broader application of the same con-
cept). Harper agents continually attempt to infiltrate Cult cells
and disrupt their operations. Some individual Harpers have ded-
icated their entire lives to identifying and stopping Cult agents,
while others merely strive against the cultists whenever they are
encountered. It’s a special event for a cell when a Harper spy is
discovered in its midst: After taking the agent prisoner, the
cultists usually convey him or her to the nearest allied evil
dragon or dracolich to be messily devoured. This sight never
fails to bring broad smiles to the faces of the attending cultists.

[CragOneEye]

THE CHURCH OF CYRIC

The three heroes reached the rendezvous point without being
followed. Their contact had not yet arrived, and Dorn was be-
ginning to get nervous. The sorcerer scratched his head and
looked about nervously.

“Are they late?”

“No,” replied Ombert, buffing a metal stud on his
leather armor. “We’re early. Nothing to worry about.”

“Cease your talk, my friends,” chided the
woman in full plate. “Bad enough we have to
deal with these criminal contacts of yours, I
shouldn’t have to hear you babble on about it.” She
gripped her holy symbol of Lathander and
frowned.

“I hear someone,” whispered the halfling. A few
seconds later, three humans stepped into view, two
wearing chainmail and the third only common clothing.
Each carried a sheathed longsword. The unarmored one spoke.

“Greetings, Ombert. I trust you have our payment?”

“Yes. You have information on who holds the dead body of
our slain cleric friend?”

“Why yes. Yes, I do. It’s me.” As the man grinned, his fea-
tures and clothing shifted, revealing a haughty man of dusky
features in ceremonial black full plate.

“Malark!” exclaimed the paladin, drawing her sun blade.
The evil cleric grinned and drew his weapon. It flashed in
the night, bearing the profane symbol of the Cyric and exuding
an aura of true evil. “My skull blade thirsts for your blood.
Now I shall avenge my brother’s death at your hands.” With his
words, six swordsmen appeared out of thin air and surrounded
the heroes.

-------------------------------------------------------

The church of Cyric is a fanatical organization devoted to the
deity of murder, treachery, and deception. The most devout
followers of the Prince of Lies are willing to give their lives
for their cause, and often do so if they can take others with
them. Worshipers of Cyric include murderers, liars, spies, trai-
tors, and assassins with no loyalty to anyone except them-
selves. Even loyalty to their church is tenuous at best in the
face of destruction. Others embrace this dark deity because
they hope his philosophy of supremacy and power will em-
power them as well.

Cyric’s church is a large cult with members in every city. Be-
cause it is by and large a chaotic organization, its members
often act independently or in small groups with little or no
knowledge of each other, making the church very hard to
combat. Likewise, its members are hard to predict
and incorrigible in their evil, some willing to
betray their fellows for their own gain, others
more likely to lie their way through a situation
until they can murder their captors and escape.


Brief History

Born to a lower-class woman in Zhentil Keep (pre-
sumed by Cyric’s detractors to be a prostitute), the
mortal Cyric never knew his parents and was sold
into slavery after his mother was killed when he was very young.
As a young adult, he fell in with a thieves’ guild and learned to fight during his travels. During the Time of Troubles, he rose to
godhood and inherited the divine portfolios of Bane, Bhaal, and
Myrkul, the deities of tyranny, murder, and death. His meteoric
rise from orphan to deity would eventually suffer several dra-
matic plummets before his power stabilized at its current level.
Through divine events he himself orchestrated, Cyric lost the portfolio of tyranny to Xvim, much of Myrkul’s portfolio
to Kelemvor, and caused the destruction of Zhentil Keep, at
that time one of the largest concentrations of his own wor-
shipers. This weakened his power and the authority of his
church. He later made the mistake of reading the Cyrinishad, a
magical book of his own creation that caused the reader to be-
lieve that Cyric was the most important being in the universe.
The madness and megalomania this caused weakened him fur-
ther. Since that time he has regained his senses, consolidated
his power, and encouraged a renewed fervor in his church. Bol-
stered by their evil deity’s new focus, the Cyricists work harder
than ever to promote his goals.

The Organization
Headquarters: The church maintains no true central head-
quarters, although several outposts vie for the title.
Members: Roughly 12,000 clergy and 250,000 worshipers.
Hierarchy: Loose.
Leader: Cyric (the deity himself holds power over the entire
church). [Human leaders include Malik el Sami yn Nasser, Chosen of Cyric and Seraph of Lies around the Sword Coast, countless highly-placed agents in Amn, and the Pereghost of Darkhold.]

Religion: Cyric.

Alignment: CE, NE, CN.

Secrecy: Medium.

Symbol: The symbol of Cyric is a white jawless skull cen-
tered on a black or purple sunburst. He kept this symbol even
though it originated from his ownership of the portfolios of
death and the dead, which he no longer has. Some of his tem-
ples display minor variants on the symbol, such as a sword
under the skull, flaming eye sockets, or even multiple skulls.
Cyric still has a few worshipers who converted to his church
from Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul when those deities died during
the Time of Troubles. These worshipers use the symbols of their
original deity (an upright black hand on a red shield for Bane, a
skull surrounded by streaming teardrops for Bhaal, and a skull
on an inverted shield bordered by finger bones for Myrkul) or a
combination of the old symbol and Cyric’s. Most of these splin-
ter cults have been eliminated or absorbed into larger groups.

The church of Cyric is cellular in structure, with different
groups of Cyricists keeping their location and agenda secret
and often even working against each other. These habits stem
from the Dark Sun’s former period of madness, when he would
give conflicting information to different high priests, causing
them to turn their temples against each other. Cyric has
stopped doing this overtly, but his chaotic nature and the fact
that he embodies lying and intrigue attracts people of similar
character who regularly betray their allies, which makes elimi-
nating the problem difficult.

HIERARCHY

A Cyricist temple is led by the most powerful cleric of Cyric
present (usually the one with the most cleric levels, but some-
times a cleric/blackguard takes this role). The temple’s hierar-
chy is based on power and personal influence, with the most
charismatic and dominant leaders taking positions of author-
ity. Regular turnovers in leadership ensure that those who
manage to stay in power tend to be very paranoid, often con-
trolling their immediate subordinates and allies with magic to
prevent betrayal.

The church’s fractious nature leads to the creation of nu-
merous splinter groups and cults, such as the Flames of the
Dark Sun, an order of assassins devoted to Cyric and based in
the Cloud Peaks Mountains. The order is allied with the
Mountain of Skulls temple in Amn and dedicated to the de-
struction of “heretical” sects of Cyricists, such as those located
at the Twin Towers of the Eternal Eclipse.

MOTIVATION AND GOALS

The Cyricists wish to destroy anyone who opposes Cyric, elimi-
nate rival churches (of their own religion and others), kill
those devoted to good, and take over the world. They pursue
these goals with many different methods, sometimes at odds
with the plans of other Cyricist temples. Some start armed
conflicts against temples of other deities. Some quietly assassi-
nate influential beings of good alignment. Some promote ban-
ditry. Some take over guilds and cause economic destruction.
Kidnapping, murder, and espionage are also common activities.
Because of their fragmented and independent nature, the cells
of the church might be plotting just about anything that fur-
thers the cause of the Prince of Lies.

RECRUITING

The Cyricists welcome new converts. They see their deity as
the one true divine authority, and thus joining Cyric’s church
is the only sensible choice. Even defeated enemies can buy
themselves time if they volunteer to convert. However, con-
version to Cyric under such circumstances usually involves tor-
turous rituals and horrible evil rites (including human
sacrifice) performed by the would-be converts to prove their
devotion, so anyone of good alignment who uses such a ruse
needs to escape before such events occur or risk a forced align-
ment change.

Some temples recruit people, brainwash them into fanatics,
and then send them on suicide missions. These converts are par-
ticularly dangerous because they have been convinced that their
deaths advance the cause of Cyric. In their minds they win
either way, since martyrdom brings them favor in the afterlife.
Although the temples have gained many new recruits, be-
cause the church was initially formed of worshipers of three
other deities, Cyric has been known to call for purges to elimi-
nate heretics. He has done so at least twice to remove those
with allegiance to Bane (while that deity was dead) and some-
times calls for a purge simply to stir up his followers. Those
who flee such purges (whether justified or not) often start
their own cells and recruit more followers to the cause.

The church is fond of disguising agents as benign parties,
then having these agents pay good-aligned adventurers large
amounts of magic items (typically scrolls and potions) to un-
dertake a quest. When the quest proves to further the cause of
the church or is an outright evil act, other agents surprise the
adventurers and either slay them or attempt to gently convert
them to the cause of Cyric. These methods have resulted in
several powerful adventuring companies turning to Cyric.
In addition to the people who revere Cyric out of genuine de-
votion, Cyric has many worshipers who pay him lip service in
the hope of staving off his attention and wrath. The devout of
Cyric look upon these weak-willed folk with contempt, but are
not above taking advantage of these lay worshipers if necessary.

ALLIES
Cyric’s church allies itself with monsters that have similar in-
terests or creatures that are easily dominated or bribed into
service. The church is particularly fond of demons, undead,
evil humanoids, and chaotic and evil outsiders. In wilder lands
where it has no need to disguise its allies, the church employs
creatures such as athachs, chimeras, giants, hieracosphinxes,
howlers, minotaurs, ogres, ropers, wyverns, and young dragons.
The following creatures from the Monsters of Faerûn acces-
sory are also common allies: banelars (although some zealous
Cyricists dislike their lawful nature, the banelars are loyal),
black unicorns (only in Thay), dread warriors, and yuan-ti
tainted ones (in Calimshan, Chult, Hlondeth, and Tashalar).
Some powerful clerics keep a high-level summon monster or
planar ally spell or scroll in reserve just in case they need
backup. Most clerics also keep a few skeletons or zombies in
their lair.

The church sometimes supports cells of the Cult of the
Dragon (although this is less frequent since Cyric lost the port-
folio of death), monasteries of the Long Death (again, not as
common since Cyric lost that part of his portfolio) and other
evil organizations on a small scale.

Currently the Zhentarim forces in Darkhold are in chaos
due to infighting between followers of Cyric and worshipers of
Bane. Fzoul Chembryl of Zhentil Keep has encouraged this
strife by sending unruly members of the Zhentarim or those
who openly worship Cyric to this western castle, because he
sees Darkhold as a place to weed out the weak from his organi-
zation. His plan may backfire if Cyric’s devout take charge,
and several cells of Cyricist cultists have been supplying aid to
their comrades in the castle. Should Darkhold turn to Cyric,
the Zhentarim will lose their western arm and Cyric will gain
a large and established military force and fortification in the
Western Heartlands.

Though Cyric is opposed to nearly every other deity, Shar
has been tempting Cyric with the power of the Shadow Weave.
This power would allow his clerics to sever the ties they have
with Mystra to cast their spells, which he finds abhorrent.
The best ally for a single member of the church is an asso-
ciate from a nearby allied temple. If a temple can be convinced
that a particular group (such as a band of heroes) is a threat to
the church or an affront to the holy power of Cyric, a Cyricist
is almost guaranteed assistance from that temple, even if it’s
only in the form of sanctuary, supplies, and information.

ENEMIES

Because he opposes everything good and considers all other
deities either beneath him or rivals for his power, Cyric is an
enemy of nearly every organized benevolent group and the
churches of all other deities, including evil ones such as Mask
and Bane. His rivalry with Bane is especially fierce now that the
Black Hand has returned. Cyric also particularly hates Mystra
and Kelemvor and directs his church to eliminate worshipers of
these deities at every opportunity. Because of these conflicts,
followers of Cyric rarely work with those of other deities.
The Cyricists oppose the Zhentarim because of the latter’s
alliance with the Banites, although followers of the Dark Sun
usually don’t go out of their way to attack Zhentarim troops
since both groups promote evil.

No group hates the Cyricists more than the Banites. They
consider Cyric a usurper of Bane’s portfolio, and only the fact
that Bane reclaimed much of his power from Cyric has pre-
vented an all-out holy war. As it is, Bane sees Cyric as an an-
noying cur who once stole a piece of meat from his table, and
when he finds it convenient Bane will have that cur put down.
The followers of the Black Hand treat the Cyricists in a simi-
lar manner, not going out of their way to find the servants of
the Prince of Lies, but wasting no time slaying them if they
are discovered. The Cyricists are more active in their pursuit of
the Banites, but the feeling is otherwise mutual.
Individual members of the church of Cyric tend to have
many enemies, particularly within their own organization.
Fortunately, these feelings shift quickly at all but the highest
levels of power, so someone who is an enemy one day might
not be one the next.

Because they engage in murder and deceit across the conti-
nent, and because their deity is a foe of every other deity, fol-
lowers of Cyric expect to be opposed by just about anyone that
discovers their identity. Even followers of other evil deities
have been known to interrupt a battle with heroes when a
group of violent Cyricists arrives.

[CragOneEye]

THE NIGHT MASKS

The Night King reclined, silent but attentive, on his throne. The
feeble moans arising from the man who stood very still on the
damp flagstones before him meant as little to him as the bleating
of sheep. The prisoner’s hands were bound tightly behind his back,
and his body was wrapped in razor-sharp metal wire that bit
deeply into his exposed skin each time he moved. The man’s only
hope of avoiding excruciating injury was to remain absolutely
still, but the exposed red gashes that peeked from beneath his torn
clothing gave testimony to his failure. Droplets of his blood al-
ready stained the floor of the Night King’s audience chamber.

The Court of Night, the quartet of vampire dukes who served as
extensions of Orbakh’s will, looked on appreciatively at the grim
sport . . . and hungrily at the appetizing crimson stain that grew
slowly, drop by drop, at the foot of their master’s throne. Leaning
forward slightly, the Night King began to speak.

“Thaleem of Teziir, you have betrayed the Night Masks.
Yours was a simple task: You were charged with reporting the
movements of one Vendryth, head forger of the Astorians’
guild, to your cell leader. Yet you failed because you allowed
yourself to be purchased with gold offered by the very target you
were sent to observe. The Court of Night stands witness to your
confession. Receive now the punishment you have earned.”

Orbakh raised a pale, languid hand and spoke a single word,
invoking the Art of which he was a true master. Instantly the
prisoner began writhing, and it was clear to the onlookers that he
was attempting to dance in place. Unable to control his own move-
ments, the man could not prevent the wire from doing its un-
speakable work. His blood spattered against the floor, the walls,
and the vampires, who wiped it from their clothes and skin, then
licked it from their fingers with greedy satisfaction. The man’s
anguished screams rose to the vaulted ceiling of the underground
chamber, in a crescendo of agony that died to a faint whisper,
and then silence.

The Night Masks is a powerful thieves’ guild that operates out
of the metropolis of Westgate on the Dragon Coast. The term
“thieves’ guild” is something of a misnomer, because theft is
the least of the Night Masks’ numerous illegal activities. En-
gaged in such illicit but lucrative trades such as assassination,
extortion, smuggling, blackmail, and kidnapping, the Night
Masks control Westgate’s underworld. Operating mainly at
night, guild operatives haunt the city’s shadowed streets, some-
times clashing with the City Watch, armed adventurers, and
private soldiers in the employ of the city’s nobles.

These nobles, whose houses comprise the leading merchant
interests in the city, ostensibly rule Westgate through a ruling
council. The head of each family—ten in all—sits on the coun-
cil and represents his house’s views and wishes on all aspects of
the city’s administration. It is no secret that these families are
economic competitors, and that they have been engaged in a
semicovert power struggle against one another for as long as
the council has existed.

Virtually all of Westgate’s citizenry, as well as those in
other lands, believe that the council actively opposes the depre-
dations of the Night Masks. This appearance is a deception,
one of many crafted with care by the leaders of the thieves’
guild to obscure its true purpose. The Night Masks’ leadership
directly controls three of the noble houses and is using them to
further its own goals. It intends to control the remainder, and
much more, in time. In addition, the Night Masks have also
gained indirect control of some of the city’s institutions, in-
cluding the dock operations (which are vital to the guild’s
smuggling endeavors).

If the general populace of Westgate
knew the truth about the city’s power struc-
ture, they might find it difficult to believe
that an organization composed entirely of
criminals — even an organization as well or-
ganized and skilled as the Night Masks —
could bring such a wealthy and powerful city
under its thumb. Under normal conditions,
they would be correct. However, the key to
the Night Masks’ political manipulations
does not lie with the group’s ordinary mem-
bers, or with its usual criminal activities. For all
their greed and viciousness, the evil committed by the
majority of the guild members pales in comparison to that
contemplated by their unseen masters. The common thugs,
burglars, thieves, and cutthroats who make up the bulk of the
Night Masks’ membership believe themselves ruled by an
anonymous Guildmaster, called the Faceless. While it is true
that such an individual does exist, these same guild members
(as well as most of the citizenry) would almost certainly flee
the city if they knew his true nature or understood his goals.
The true ruler of the Night Masks is the Court of Night
Masters, a coven of powerful, ruthless vampires who harbor
ambitions far darker than the mere clandestine rulership of a
single city. The leader of this group — the Night King himself,
who also holds the title of Faceless — is a vampire who re-
named himself Orbakh. He is also one of the surviving stasis
clones of the infamous wizard Manshoon of the Zhentarim.

Brief History

The Night Masks have been a part of Westgate’s history since
1353 DR, when the first Faceless assembled a band of assassins,
thieves, and enforcers to gain control of the city’s fractious un-
derworld. Following their master’s directives, the guild mem-
bers quickly extinguished or absorbed all the criminal
organizations that opposed them. The consolidated organiza-
tion began competing with the merchant houses for control of
the city’s illegal activities. The merchant houses struck back,
and the resulting conflict became a semisecret street war that
lasted nearly two decades before the Night Masks gained the
upper hand.

The thieves’ guild suffered a near-fatal setback in 1368 DR
when Alias of Westgate and Dragonbait, a saurial paladin,
were engaged to curtail the Night Masks’ activities. The Harp-
er duo and their allies managed to eventually unmask the
Faceless (the second to hold the title) and significantly disrupt
his group’s operations. Unwilling to admit defeat, the Faceless
attempted to proclaim himself King of Westgate, but was slain
shortly thereafter. The guild might have perished then for
lack of competent leadership, or torn itself apart with infight-
ing as several of the remaining members scrambled for con-
trol of the group’s various operations. But in 1369 DR a new
Faceless arose to quell these internal conflicts and restore the
Night Masks to their previous strength.

It has always been the custom that the general membership
of the guild does not know the true identity of the Faceless,
though some holders of the title have been less secretive than
others. Each new Faceless must prove himself capable of lead-
ership through actions rather than words. The
individual who rose to claim the title when
the guild faced its darkest hour encountered
few obstacles on his path to becoming the new
Faceless. The guild was in a near-total state
of disarray following the death of its last
leader, and was hungry for new leadership—
particularly when that leadership was demon-
strated in the face of adversity. Some limited
dissent in the ranks provided the aspirant to
the Faceless title the opportunity to show his
mettle. Those who objected to his ascension, or
sought it for themselves, were murdered in spec-
tacularly gruesome fashion, often inside what they had
supposed were their well-guarded private quarters. One rival
was reportedly struck down only hours after he announced his
intentions to a group of his comrades who were enjoying an
evening in the Purple Lady festhall. Dozens of witnesses
watched, horror-struck, as he was literally torn apart in the
street outside the establishment by a massive swarm of fren-
zied dire bats. One of his henchmen hastily scooped what little
remained of the unfortunate man’s corpse into a helmet and
conveyed it to a nearby guild safehouse to report the incident.
The new Faceless was accepted by all shortly thereafter.

The Faceless chose not to reveal to his new minions that he
was a vampire. He had used the abilities granted by his undead
condition to obtain information about dissenters and rivals
and then kill them (being able to take on gaseous form is a
very effective means of entering otherwise impenetrable areas,
and the ability to summon the creatures of the night to do
one’s bidding makes for a novel form of execution). But even if
the guild had somehow learned the truth about the Faceless’s
nature, there was no way the members could know that he was
no ordinary vampire. He was also one of the few surviving
stasis clones of the infamous Manshoon, erstwhile leader of
the Zhentarim. He had awakened in the catacombs beneath the
city just as the Manshoon Wars began, only to discover that
prior to his revival he had been abducted and drained by the
vampire Orlak, the self-proclaimed Night King who laired be-
neath Westgate. The clone’s first act upon rising was to hunt
down and destroy his creator, taking the title for his own and
adopting the name Orbakh. Ensconcing himself in his late pre-
decessor’s underground lair, Orbakh contemplated his goals
and plans for the future. But as he pondered his situation,
emerging from the undercity only to hunt and feed, he found
his actions influenced by a surprising manipulator.

Among the treasures he “inherited” from his slain creator
was the Maguscepter and a pair of powerful
magic items: the Argraal of Orlak and the Flying Fangs of the
Night King.

The Argraal was an enchanted drinking goblet that filled
with the fresh blood of any victim that had been slain by its
companion piece, the Flying Fangs. This was a magic weapon
that drained life energy from its victims, as well as blood. Both
were imbued with some part of their creator’s essence, and they
worked in tandem to influence whoever possessed them. The
vampire clone found himself feeling an inexplicable but deep-
seated need to be served by beings of a similar nature. By the
time his research discovered the source of this compulsion, he
had already used the Argraal and the Fangs to create several
servitor vampires and dub them his Court of Night Masters.
Not desiring to waste potentially useful resources (and fully
aware that good help is hard to find), Orbakh did not eliminate
his servitor vampires. After a period of observation in the city,
he decided his first act would be to claim leadership of the
Night Masks and revitalize the guild. He and his Court would
be the secret rulers of the organization, reshaping it to suit
their own ends.

The Organization

Headquarters: The Night Masks do not maintain a guildhall
or other central meeting location (that would make the job of
the City Watch far too easy). The organization instead main-
tains dozens of safe houses throughout Westgate, many of
which are legitimate businesses during the day. The closest
thing the guild has to a “town hall” is the Purple Lady festhall,
owned and operated by one of the Night Masks’ upper echelon.
Members are free to meet and leave messages for one another
here, provided that they do nothing to alert the patrons to the
host’s role in the organization (and that includes not wearing
dirty “street clothing” inside the establishment).

Members: Approximately 900, including the Court of
Night Masters.

Hierarchy: Webbed.

Leader: The Faceless, presently Orbakh, the Night King.

Religion: Mask.

Alignment: CE, LE, NE.

Secrecy: High. (The true goal of the Court of Night Masters is certainly unknown to the low-level street agent, should someone on Arelith play on.)

Symbol: Domino mask (a black cloth mask shaped to cover
the eyes and nose, cut with two eyeholes), used both as a sigil
and as a physical token of the guild’s work. Anyone who be-
trays the Night Masks and does not immediately flee beyond
their reach is eventually discovered dead, with a domino mask
shoved in his mouth, wrapped around his slit throat, used as a
ligature to bind his hands, or otherwise adorning his corpse.

In former days, the Night Masks habitually identified busi-
nesses that paid protection money to the guild by inscribing the
mask symbol somewhere on the business’s property, as a notice
and a warning to other would-be extortionists. The Night King
ordered this practice abandoned shortly after the Court of Night
Masters reached its full complement. He did not want to make
it so simple for enemies to identify the Night Masks’ “business
associates” by providing a visible marker for them to follow.
The Night Masks’ hierarchy is complex, structured to provide
maximum protection for those who lead it.

HIERARCHY

From the group’s inception, an anonymous guildmaster and
his inner council of lieutenants have ruled the Night Masks.
The Faceless traditionally wields supreme authority over the
entire guild, but delegates responsibility for the organiza-
tion’s various activities and interests to the Night Masters,
who in turn employ a retinue of assistants, agents, and
flunkies to carry out their will. The majority of the rank-and-
file membership consists of rogues and assassins. The guild
also counts among its members a number of clerics, fighters,
sorcerers, wizards, and a smattering of other professions as
well. Not everyone on the Night Masks’ payroll is a full-
fledged member. Many, particularly those who collect infor-
mation for the guild in distant cities, are freelance
operatives.

The Faceless

The Faceless has the prerogative to structure the guild as he
pleases. Each successive Faceless has reorganized the guild’s
hierarchy to suit himself, though all the holders of the title
have retained the core administrative elements of the Face-
less and the Night Masters regardless of what other changes
he wrought.

Orbakh has, in his turn, redefined the organiza-
tional structure to both reflect his personal leadership style
and better achieve his goals. The current hierarchy begins
with the Night King himself at the apex of the structure.
Four senior members of the Court of Night Masters, the
dukes, report directly to him. Next are the counts, each of
whom reports to one of the dukes. Each count has a number
of lieutenants, who deal directly with the rank and file of the
organization. The general membership is differentiated into
cell-like units that deal only with those members immedi-
ately above and below them in the hierarchy. This structure
makes it very difficult for a given member of the thieves’
guild to identify any of his fellow members who are not in
his cell, diminishing the risk of exposure throughout the
entire organization. The number of street-level members
once numbered almost two thousand, but Orbakh trimmed
that number down within a year of becoming the Faceless,
eliminating almost eight hundred persons that he considered
to be nonessential (including a purge of those discovered to
be disloyal).

The current Faceless prefers to exercise indirect control
over the elements of Westgate that are currently under his
thumb, and he expects his minions to do the same. While it is
possible for a vampire to simply use his domination ability to
get a mortal to do his bidding, as the Night King has done
with Lady Thistle Thalavar, he considers this technique both
inelegant and risky if used too frequently. It takes a strong
will to dominate a mortal so thoroughly that he or she nei-
ther disobeys commands nor shakes off the vampire’s control.

To minimize the risk of failure and exposure, the Night King
prefers that his servitor vampires (and their progeny) work
through intermediaries whenever possible. It isn’t necessary to
dominate the harbormaster, for example, when by working
through agents a vampire can bribe, threaten, or blackmail
him just as effectively without revealing anything of his true
nature or motivations.

To summarize the next few pages, the organizational structure
goes from Orbakh, down to his Dukes, down to his Counts, and
on down to his lieutenants (who are not vampires), and then
to street-level operatives. Street-level operatives are for
the most part expendable, especially when one considers the
ultimate goal of the Night King.



The Upper Echelon

The Court of Night Masters is motivated by goals far
more grandiose—and frightening—than anything their
agents and employees could possibly imagine. The court
has already achieved its first short-term goal by gaining
the means to influence Westgate’s ruling council, and
while it does not yet fully and directly control the entire
city, this second goal shall surely come to pass. Control-
ling the city, even through indirect means, gains the vam-
pires invaluable resources, including wealth, political
influence, military power, and a constant supply of fresh
blood. Only the members of the court are aware of the
role this goal plays in their master’s greater goal. Only
they understand what he is ultimately trying to create — a
kingdom of vampires.

The Night Kingdom

Though he has become a vampire, the Manshoon clone has
lost little of the thirst for power, to say nothing of the arro-
gance, ambition, and daring possessed by the original Man-
shoon himself. The transformation into an undead nocturnal
marauder has subtly altered whatever remained of the original
Manshoon’s ambitions that were extant when the clone re-
vived from stasis. Instead of desiring to re-create or regain con-
trol over the Black Network, the Night King envisions a vast
kingdom ruled by a vampire monarch (himself, naturally) and
governed by similar creatures for their own benefit. In his
mind’s eye, he sees a nocturnal paradise for his kind, a kingdom
in which vampires may dwell openly and rule the mortals—
just as vampires were obviously meant to do.

He sees a kingdom in which mortals are enslaved and
herded like cattle, each existing only to perform menial labor
until its turn comes to sate its master’s appetite. He pictures a
grand palace here in Westgate, its fountains running with
fresh blood, its many rooms filled with the choicest morsels of
human flesh for his culinary enjoyment. He rejects the notion
that Westgate alone would be enough to satisfy his ambitions.
The Night King intends to include the entire Dragon Coast in
his horrific kingdom. Cormyr, Sembia, the Shining Plains—he
and his minions plan to have them all, and their teeming mil-
lions of mortal lives, for their kingdom of night.

The first stages of the Night King’s plan are already well
under way. One of his first acts as the new Faceless was the re-
shaping of the guild, making it more suited as the instrument
of political terror he requires if he is to achieve his ends. He
has launched what eventually should be a lengthy list of strate-
gic political assassinations in Sembia and Cormyr.

The targets of these killings are nobles and politically powerful merchants whose interests and views might prove a hindrance or a detri-
ment to the Night Masks’ plans to expand into those lands. So
far a dozen men and women have fallen to the lethal talents
of the Lady Dahlia’s killers. Each successful assassination has
coincided with the arrival of one or more Night Masks cells in
the target area; their goal is to take advantage of the destabi-
lization caused by the assassinations and start taking over the
target area’s criminal element. The cell-level Night Masks
members believe only that they are part of the Faceless’s plan
to infiltrate and control the underworld in cities beyond West-
gate. They have not the faintest inkling that they are paving
the way for the creation of a kingdom that one day might
treat them as little more than herd animals.

She continues to function in her roles as head of her family
and council member, but the lady’s voice and actions now serve
the Night King rather than herself or her house. When he
judges the time to be auspicious, Orbakh intends to wed her
prior to claiming the monarchy of Westgate for himself. Until
then, she remains firmly under his control. Currently he is
considering making Lady Thistle into a vampire, so that he
can preserve his link to the old monarchy for all eternity.

RECRUITING

One might think that an organization with such far-reaching
designs as the Night Masks might seek to swell its membership with as many criminals as it can find.

The Night King and his court, however, much prefer quality to quantity. While
it is true that the organization does recruit and employ a
number of relatively common criminals, possessed of no re-
markable talents, for the bulk of its grunt work, the Night
Masters nevertheless understand the value in recruiting the
best and most skilled individuals they can find. Operatives in
recruitment cells spend much of their time observing newly
arrived criminals in order to determine whether they might
merit closer scrutiny as potential Night Masks. When a cell
identifies a prospective member, one of its number approaches
the individual and enlists him or her to carry out a job or mis-
sion to determine worthiness. Those who perform well may be
offered regular membership in the guild; those who do not
may be given a place in the organization’s lowest echelon,
where they must claw their way upward or perish quickly. The
more unusual a candidate’s capabilities, the more highly sought
he is.

The guild has no shortage of common rogues, but the tal-
ents of a skilled assassin, monk, or bard are harder to come by,
even in a city as corrupt as Westgate.

Regardless of membership, no criminals — individual or or-
ganized — operate in the city of Westgate without the express
permission of the Night Masks. Those who disdain the guild’s
claim to supremacy and insist on engaging in criminal activi-
ties without its blessing may escape detection for a short
time — a few days, perhaps —but inevitably their activities are
noticed by one or more of the many eyes that serve the Face-
less and his followers. Through the Twilight Knight (a vampire who acts as the lead enforcer for the Night Masks), the Face-
less enforces a rigid policy toward such transgressors. They
receive one opportunity to either purchase a guild membership
or leave the city forever, never to return. Those who refuse to
accept one of these options are, of course, murdered and their
corpses left as warnings. Such is the guild’s success rate at iden-
tifying non-guild operatives and enforcing its policy that re-
markably few visiting criminals are willing to risk its ire.

ALLIES

The nature of this organization does not lend itself to making
friends. However, the Night Masks can count on several allies
of convenience that either work for or with the thieves’ guild.
Chief among these are the Astorians, the leading thieves’ guild
of Teziir, which the Night Masks have infiltrated and now all
but control. The Astorians know that their future is now inex-
tricably intertwined with that of the Night Masks, and so co-
operate with their partners with reasonable efficiency.

The Fire Knives, on the other hand, are a different sort of
ally. Most of the general members of the Night Masks
remain unaware that the Faceless has been manipulating this
gang of assassins ever since he first gained leadership of the
thieves’ guild. Exiled from their homeland of Cormyr in 1341
DR, the members of the noble houses of Bleth and Cor-
maeril—the leaders and members of the Fire Knives—intend
to assassinate those Cormyrians who oppose their return. This
seems like a marvelous plan to the Night King, who permits
the assassins to exist and operate in Westgate in return for the
use of their unique talents, all the while manipulating some of
their junior members into believing that the Knives stand a
better chance of achieving a swift return to Cormyr if they
subordinate themselves completely to the Masks. The leaders
of the Fire Knives suspect the Night King’s true nature and
are beginning to feel his influence on their organization. (See
the Fire Knives entry, coming soon.)

ENEMIES

The Night Masks consider any who hinder their nightly goals
and operations to be their enemies, and deal with them quickly
and decisively.

The caravan merchant who attempts to undercut the guild
by smuggling goods into the city without permission from the
Count of Storms is the enemy of the Night Masks. Once dis-
covered, that merchant dies and his goods are confiscated. The
weapons merchant who falls behind in his protection pay-
ments is the enemy of the Night Masks.

The do-gooder adventurers who can’t seem to resist stick-
ing their noses where they don’t belong are the enemies of
the Night Masks. Maybe they find themselves framed for a
burglary and cast into the city dungeons, or perhaps they are
murdered in their beds as they sleep. A particularly trouble-
some adventurer might merit the attention of a lieutenant,
or possibly (if the interloper is very unlucky) the Court of
Night Masters.

As for more specific foes, the one garnering the lion’s share
of the Night Masters’ attention at this time is High Lord
Abbot Grigor Khazaar, a militant cleric of Tyr. Based at the
newly constructed Abbey of the Blinding Truth in the King’s
March, the High Lord Abbot and his clergy have made it their
business to interfere with Night Masks operations whenever
possible. Clerics, monks, and paladins devoted to the Just Deity
have clashed increasingly with operatives of the thieves’ guild
in recent months, and the Night Masks have suffered from
these altercations.

The Night Masters are more than a little concerned about
this. All attempts to infiltrate the new abbey or acquire hard
information about the religious leader and his temple’s de-
fenses have proven ineffectual, leaving the organization with-
out adequate intelligence about this threat. The Night King
himself is aware of the danger posed by these interfering
moralists, and while he dares not show it openly he, too, is
troubled. If the cleric discovers the true nature of the Faceless,
the abbey will bring all its resources to bear in an attempt to
topple the Night Masks.

The High Lord Abbot has gone so far as to lobby the mem-
bers of the noble council in an attempt to convince them to
“Wake up and realize the injustice that is being perpetrated
nightly in the city streets, often by agents of the council
itself!” Grigor seems to have found a sympathetic ear in old
Scirkas Urdo, one of the most conservative members of the
council. Thistle Thalavar has reported to her master Orbakh
that Scirkas has several times in recent nights invited the High
Lord Abbot to dine with him privately, and once attended a
service at the abbey’s chapel. Orbakh has considered ordering
Grigor Khazaar’s assassination, but has delayed for fear that
the cleric’s martyrdom could bring even greater numbers of
Tyr’s followers to the city.

Perhaps the most consistent and troublesome enemies of
the Night Masks are the Harpers. Ironically, the Night King’s
campaign to become the Faceless was made possible when
Those Who Harp toppled his predecessor. Despite this assis-
tance, he feels no gratitude toward these meddlers. Anyone sus-
pected of being a Harper must be reported through channels
until the news reaches the ears of the Duke of Whispers, whose
task it is to confirm the information. A half-dozen Harpers
have been identified since this edict was issued, each one appre-
hended in turn and brought before the Court of Night Masters
for a brief but thorough interrogation before being drained of
every last drop of blood.

Unsurprisingly, the Night Masks’ campaign of aggression
in the organized crime syndicates of various cities has at-
tracted the attention and opposition of merchant societies
such as the Knights of the Shield, the Men of the Basilisk, and
the Rundeen. Thus far, however, none of these enemies has
been able to deliver any meaningful blows to the Night
Masks’ operation.

[CragOneEye]

Thay

Religion:
For humans: Bane, Gargauth, Kelemvor, Kossuth, Loviatar, Malar, Shar, Talona, Umberlee

Gnolls: Yeenoghu

Half-Orcs: Gruumsh

Races:

Gnolls and Half-Orcs:
Gnolls and orcs are the most common nonhuman humanoids in Thay. They form the backbone of the Thayan armies, especially the gnolls, who are often placed in city garrisons to keep the populace in line. The less-controllable orcs are usually employed as shock troops.

Mulan:
Mulhorandi blood runs thick in the veins of the Mulan. These are the descendants of renegades who rebelled against the Mulhorandi Empire 400 years ago, and since those fateful days, they have retained the power they wrested from their distant masters. Nearly all the Red Wizards are of Mulan extraction. There are a few exceptions, and most of these pass themselves off as the children of Mulan parents.

The Mulan people are tall and slim, sometimes to the point of being gaunt. Their skin is sallow, and they usually remove what little body hair they have by means magical or mundane. They wear intricately designed tattoos in place of hair, usually on their bare skulls and where their eyebrows once were. These tattoos often represent dragons, demons, devils, and other creatures of ancient evil. They are extremely stylized, sometimes to the point of being cryptic runes or even abstract designs. Many Red Wizards use tattoo magic, and the fashion of tattooing arose from this. Even those without the power of the Red Wizards wish to look as though they do.

Almost all nobles in Thay are of Mulan descent, although not all Mulan are nobles. At worst, lowborn Mulan are free farmers or artisans, although many seek power that does not depend on their family's wealth, becoming bureaucrats, soldiers, or priests. For those with the aptitude, the path of the Red Wizard lies open. In fact, most Red Wizards come from Mulan families of relatively humble means (although high-born Red Wizards have the advantage of personal wealth and noble alliances to aid their advancement when they complete their training).

Rashemi:
The common people in Thay are almost exclusively Rashemi, kin to the folk of Rashemen. The Rashemi are a hardy people, short and stocky with dusky skin and dark eyes. They all have thick, dark hair, although most free Rashemi choose to shave their scalps (or at the least, crop their hair quite short) to distinguish themselves from slaves, who are forbidden to cut their hair. Wealthy Rashemi often have themselves tattooed in the Mulan style.

Thayan Rashemi are not a conquered people, nor are they oppressed. They do not have the same opportunities for advancement or wealth that people of Mulan descent do, but they think of themselves as Thayans first. The Rashemi are not happy about having the Mulan as their overlords, but they are resigned to their lot and take fierce pride in the strength and dark majesty of their land. Any Rashemi with sufficient means owns slaves, and most likely treats those slaves as harshly as they are treated anywhere in Thay. Few Red Wizards are of Rashemi descent, but Rashemi make up the bulk of Thay's free soldiers. Many of the most elite military forces are composed of cruel Rashemi warriors who are happy to serve the tharchions and Red Wizards.

Caste:

The Red Wizards:
At an early age, noble children are carefully examined for any signs of arcane talent. Any who are shown to have even small aptitude are immediately inducted into wizardry school, followed by a long and arduous apprenticeship to a Red Wizard. Those who survive their apprenticeship and are ambitious, resourceful, and talented are invited to join the Red Wizards. Some refuse the red robes, but this is rare: Becoming a Red Wizard is such an obvious path to power that the zulkirs don't need to recruit anyone.

The Red Wizards are the ruling class of this magocracy. It's illegal for any Red Wizard to take on an apprentice of other than Mulan blood. Some still do, however, and it's usually an open secret. At any given time, most Red Wizards claim up to a dozen apprentices (in game terms, wizards who have not yet acquired their first level in the Red Wizard prestige class), whom they keep at one another's throats to advance their own schemes. Apprentices exist to serve as the master's agents, minions, and thralls. What magical training they gain in the process is determined solely by their own ambition and initiative.

Only Red Wizards are permitted to wear red robes, their badge of office. The penalty for posing as one is instant death at the hands of the first Red Wizard to uncover the deception.

The Red Wizards are ruled by a council of eight zulkirs, one representing each of the eight schools of magic. These positions are for life - the only way a zulkir would ever deign to leave office would be feet first. Within each school exists an elaborate pecking order, in which standing is determined by magical ability and the patronage of more powerful wizards. The current leader of the council is Szass Tam, the zulkir of necromancy.

The Red Wizards are evil through and through. Their ultimate goal is nothing less than world domination, and they have spent much of Thay's history in pursuit of that effort by military means. It's only within the past few years that they have set aside the ways of war in favor of more insidious, economic methods.

Nobles:
Most of Thay is owned by ancient noble families of Mulan descent. The dividing line between a well-off Mulan commoner and an impoverished Mulan lord is starkly defined by ancestry. Certain Mulan families are noble, and others aren't. The nobles of Thay are content to be governed by the Red Wizards (after all, the most influential mages in that order are nobles themselves), but they jealously maintain control over the elevation of commoners, even heroic ones, to noble status. Nobles enjoy two paths to comfort, power, and wealth: land and service. Wealthy nobles often own vast tracts of land and make money by leasing it to those who reside upon it, whether they are farmers, ranchers, or miners. Land ownership is not restricted to the noble classes, but in practice, most land in Thay is already owned by a noble, so it is difficult for a commoner to acquire land of his own.

Landless nobles (or those who simply wish to make something of themselves) often take up service in Thay's army, bureaucracy, or clergy. While any free Thayan can become a soldier, official, or priest, leaders are most often drawn from the ranks of well-off nobles who purchase their rank or title. For example, in a typical Thayan garrison, the captain is minor landed Mulan noble, his officers are landless Mulan nobles, and his sergeants are Rashemi veterans. The troops, of course, are mostly Rashemi. A noble who buys a good post can enrich himself just as easily as one who owns a great estate It is expected that a powerful official or highly-placed officer will divert a certain amount of "taxes" for his own use.

Thayan Knights:
While the Red Wizards are not opposed to blasting their opponents with deadly spells or shredding the minds of their enemies with dark magic, there are times when they need protectors who have mastered the art of swordplay. These protectors are the Thayan knights, familiar with magic and loyal to none but the tattooed mages.

The Thayan knights act as bodyguards and enforcers for the Red Wizards and as an extension of their reach. They lead common Thayan troops into battle and help guard the wizard enclaves. Although they are referred to as knights, they have no code of conduct, and the only rule that binds them is that their lives are worth nothing compared to the safety of the Red Wizards.

Almost all Thayan knights are fighters, although monks and rangers have been known to pursue this career. Barbarians are typically too reckless to concentrate on defense, and the Red Wizards consider other individuals too weak for the duties of a Thayan knight.

Soldiers:
Mulans, Rashemi, Orcs/Half-Orcs, and Gnolls as described above under races.

Commoners:
As a whole, commoners do not have much better lives than slaves do. However, they are citizens, not property, which means they can't be indiscriminately tortured or killed. The Red Wizards can usually get away with such behavior, but they usually have to invent some sort of pretext for their actions.

Commoners have a far better life expectancy than slaves and better prospects overall. The worst jobs go to slaves, so by default, the commoners are a slight step up. Some have even managed to claw their way to the top of the heap, usually by becoming successful adventurers or wealthy merchants. A few are actually wealthier than most of the nobles and, even some Red Wizards. Most commoners are Rashemi, although there are a few members of this class from more distant lands.

Slaves:
The lowest level of Thayan society is, of course, the slave. The economy of Thay is built upon slave labor, and without it the country would quickly collapse. The current trade in magic items has changed this only a little, and it has not improved the lives of slaves one whit.

Slaves are not considered citizens and have no rights. They are chattels, like livestock. Killing or harming a slave is not murder or mayhem. It is merely damaging someone's property. A slave's owner can do with his own slave as he wishes, but if he harms someone else's property, he is expected to make reparations.

Slaves are costly (a young human field slave sells for about 50 gp in the markets at Eltabbar), so few commoners have the means to own them. Since slaves represent a significant investment for a small farmer or artisan, common Thayans take good care of them. Slaves consigned to the broad estates of noble Thayans face a harder existence, and those unfortunate souls sold off to the vast state-run fields or mines are treated as nothing more than beasts of burden.

Thay imports slaves from all over Faerûn, and just about every race is represented among the servile population. Those who survive the trip are usually the hardiest, but most do not last long in their job. House slaves live in relative comfort, caring directly for the needs of their Mulan masters. Those consigned to the mines rarely survive a year of scratching metals from the unforgiving Underdark.

[dirza]

The Dalninilen d'lil Olath Velve ,
sub-group do Handmaidens of the Yochlol

Codex
Upon initiation to the order, all new members have to swear an oath of loyalty to it. The organisation of the Dalharilen differs from any other known to the culture of the drow. While there are several high ranking priests and crusaders among their ranks, only one of them is the person in charge, even if she is of lower rank and station than others. (Power does not need to stem from class and character levels only, but experience and knowledge as well.) Adopted from the Yochlol's way of treating each other, there is almost no in-fighting among the Dalharilen, no betrayals or internal feuds. The true ruler remains the Spider Queen herself and her will is passed onto the Daughters via an omnipresent Yochlol. If Lolth accepts the way chosen by the female who is in command, no answer is given to those who question it. Leaders of the sub-groups are chosen according to the work at hand, but the word of a Dalharil or an Arachne still carries great weight in decision-making.

The fighting order dedicated to the Queen of Spiders. Only capable female and a few male drow will be accepted amongst their ranks. Therefore any Dalninilen encountered are well seasoned and trained fighters, priests, crusaders, mages and thieves. All are battle-hardened by continually fighting the enemies of Lolth both on the surface world and in the Underdark. Most of the fighters are specialised in fighting style and/or weapons, spellcasters are well-equipped with magical items while thieves are usually scouts or assassins. Most of the priests are multi classed (clerics/standard classes & clerics / prestige classes) and quite a few of them carry a specific weapon known as the Yochlol's Rod. Males are only accepted as either fighters, thieves or arcane spellcasters, though they are very few in number. It should be noted that most of the groups (any size) might well be accompanied by a disguised Yochlol or two, who serves them in any of the classes mentioned above apart from thieves.

Whilst in combat the groups work closely together and try to exploit not only any advantage they may gain from the territory they are fighting in, but they also look out for opponent's weaknesses, e.g. a Paladin's code of honour. Fighters and crusaders will be in the forefront of any attack, arcane spellcasters and thieves will use their special forms of combat while priests either join in full-scale melee or cast protective, combat or healing spells. They are not suicidal in battle, but as ruthless as they are fearless. Many of the Dalninilen have got training in the Abyss, especially the priestesses, and therefore they all fear little apart from her goddess.



Whatever duties other bands of the "Handmaidens of the Spider Queen" have, the Dalninilen are charged with the extermination of the clergy of any Elven deity that remains in the Realms, especially that of Shevarash, the Black Archer. It is for this reason that Lolth has ordered the Dalninilen to find the ruins of Golothaer and build a stronghold as a base for future raids on the surface. The powerful equipment used by the Drow-hating clergy of Shevarash as well as the occasional appearance of the god' avatar has forced the Dalninilen to muster several non-drow fighters and magic-users as front-line troops. Those include mostly humans, but also half-elves of non-drow heritage. Their most powerful ally against the Elves and their god is a renegade marilith, who has taken refuge amongst the ruins of Golothaer, along with her entourage of three alu-fiends, two succubi and seven tieflings.


Excerpt from Demihuman Deities:

"The Handmaidens of the Spider Queen is an order of female crusaders with no permanent ties to any individual city. Also known as the Daughters of the Yochlol, the Handmaidens serve as instruments of Lolth's will in times when the Spider Queen needs to bring an entire city into line. At least three times in recorded history the Handmaidens of the Spider Queen have assaulted and destroyed an entire dark elven city that threatened to drift from Lolth's web of chaos. When not assembled into an army of chaos and vengeance, the Handmaidens work in small companies scattered throughout the Underdark, harassing merchant trains that look to Vhaeraun for protection and conducting hit-and-run raids on cities ruled by clergy of the Masked Lord or That Which Lurks."

(p. 30)