Factions

Bregan D'aerthe

Bregan D'aerthe (pronounced: BRAY-gan DAIRth) was an elite drow mercenary company founded and led by Jarlaxle in Menzoberranzan (the Underdark). From the mid 14th century it also began operating above ground, initially out of Luskan, but has since expanded to create small and generally discrete chapters in other major cities throughout western Faerûn, not only to front and market its services but also to facilitate the manipulation of commercial arrangements favourable to Menzoberranzan.

In modern times, while it continues to provide mercenary services to those who can afford it - although primarily for covert “wet work” rather than outright military actions - the organisation is now more renowned as a highly efficient information gatherer and broker.

Agenda:

The provision of well trained and effective agents for various clandestine activities, and the buying and selling of high quality politcal, commercial and other information.

Beliefs:

Serving the best interests of Menzoberranzan.

Cult of the Dragon

The Cult of the Dragon is a semi-religious organisation that venerates undead dragons and dracoliches and proclaims that Tiamat, goddess of greed and the queen of evil dragons, will imminently be summoned to Toril to obliterate civilization and restore the dominance of dragons to rule as they did at the pinnacle of the Dawn Age.

Founded near the end of the first millennium by Sammaster, a powerful wizard and former Chosen of Mystra (like Elminster), it was originally a secret society, although it quickly attained a substantial following and influence. However, only in the last two centuries has it become an infamous and easily recognisable sect, largely due to an influx of followers who are less likely to be faithful zealots and more commonly motivated by evil natures, iniquitous self-interest, a fetish for the idea or practice of dark rituals, or disenchantment or outright rebellion against moral authority.

While followers who choose to reveal themselves - generally easily recognisable by wearing purple robes or cloaks adorned with a dragon sigil - may be tolerated if local sufferance, liberalism and/or indifference allow it, most mainstream civilised agencies recognise the organisation itself as a criminal enterprise and will do their utmost to curtail any overt activities.

Even most institutions that operate outside the law or could be considered “evil” conceive little benefit in working towards the destruction of everything and will not ally with the Cult of the Dragon.

Agenda:

That dragons should and will soon rule over Faerûn and all the lands of Toril, reclaiming the dominance they had in ages past. Moreover, the Cult of the Dragon's purpose is to bring about the coming reign of undead dragons and help live dragons enter into a state of undeath, as only in undeath may dragons be truly immortal and worthy of ruling the world.

Beliefs:

Tiamat shall arise and bring about the new Age of Dragons.

Dragons will annihilate all who might stand against them and once again rule the world.

We exist to enable dragons to enter the state of undeath and thereby be immortal.

Dragons and dracoliches are to be revered.

Emerald Enclave

Comprised mostly of druids, rangers and bards, the Emerald Enclave factional union that shares an admirable objective: to maintain balance between the natural world and the inoxerable expansion of civilisation, and firmly oppose those that seek to curtail nature.

Agenda:

To restore and preserve the natural order, keep the elemental forces of the world in check, keep civilization and the wilderness from destroying one another, and help others survive the perils of the wilds and wilderness.

Beliefs:

The natural order must be respected and preserved.

Any force that would disrupt or corrupt the natural order must be defeated.

The Enclave obligated to aid those who are or may victim of the wildness of nature.

Harpers

The Harpers' longevity and resilience is due to its decentralized, grassroots, secretive nature, and the near-autonomy of its members. The Harpers have “cells” and lone operatives throughout Faerûn, although they interact and share information with one another from time to time as needs warrant. The Harpers' ideology is noble, and its members pride themselves on their integrity and incorruptibility. Harpers do not seek power or glory, only fair and equal treatment for all.

Harper agents are trained to act alone and depend on their own resources. When they get into scrapes, they don’t count on their fellow Harpers to rescue them. Nevertheless, Harpers are dedicated to helping one another in times of need, and friendships between Harpers are nigh unbreakable. Masterful spies and infiltrators, they use various guises and secret identities to form relationships, cultivate their information networks, and manipulate others into doing what needs to be done. Although most Harpers prefer to operate in the shadows, there are exceptions.

Agenda:

The Harpers oppose tyranny and evil, will protect the oppressed, maintain freedom, peace and order, support fair and just laws, and work to prevent extremes and imbalances of power, wealth and influence. Harpers shall do whatever they must, no matter how mundane, how hard, uncomfortable or demeaning, and no matter the risk. When required to aid, a Harper acts without hesitation or concern for cost, asks nothing in return, and will ruthlessly punish treachery. And Harpers shall accumulate knowledge for the good of everyone and to record and preserve the past, for history provides the light with which we see the future.

Beliefs:

Harpers work against villainy and wickedness wherever they find it.

All beings should walk free of fear, with the right to live their lives as they wish.

The rule of law aids peace and fosters freedom, so long as the laws are just and those who enforce them lenient and understanding.

No extreme is good. For freedom to flourish, all must be in balance: the powers of realms, the reaches of the cities and the wilderlands into each other, and the influence of one being over another.

Whatever it takes, a Harper will do. Pride never rules the deeds of a true Harper.

Harpers can spare themselves less freedom than those they work to protect must have, but even a Harper must be free.

Harpers police their own. A Harper who hears the call of personal power can no longer hear the sweet song of the harp. A Harper who seizes power, and holds it above all else, is a traitor to the harp. Traitors must die for freedom to live.

Without a past, no being can appreciate what they have, and where they may be going.

Lords' Alliance

The Lords’ Alliance is a coalition of rulers from cities and towns across Faerûn (primarily in the North), who collectively agree that some solidarity is needed to keep evil at bay. The rulers of Waterdeep, Silverymoon, Neverwinter, and other free cities in the region dominate the Alliance, and every lord in the Alliance works for the fate and fortune of his or her own settlement above all others. The agents of the Alliance include sophisticated bards, zealous paladins, talented mages, and grizzled warriors. They are chosen primarily for their loyalty, and are trained in observation, stealth, innuendo, and combat. Backed by the wealthy and the privileged, they carry quality equipment (often disguised to appear common), and spellcasters tend to have a large number of scrolls with communication spells.

To seek out and destroy threats to their homelands, agents of the Lords’ Alliance must be highly trained at what they do. Few can compare to their skills in the field. They fight for the glory and the security of their people and for the lords who rule over them, and they do so with pride. However, the Lords’ Alliance can only survive if its members “play nice” with one another, which requires a certain measure of diplomacy. Rogue agents within the Lords’ Alliance are rare, but defections have been known to occur.

Agenda:

To ensure the safety and prosperity of the cities and other settlements of Faerûn by forming a strong coalition against the forces that threaten all, eliminate such threats by any means necessary whenever and wherever they arise, and be champions of the people.

Beliefs:

If civilization is to survive, all must unite against the dark forces that threaten it.

Glory comes from protecting one’s home and honoring its leaders.

The best defense is a strong offense.

Order of the Gauntlet

Many paladins and clerics of Tyr, Helm, Torm, and Hoar have joined the organization, seeing it as—finally!—a way of making common cause against the evils abroad in the world. The Order of the Gauntlet is ready to lash out the moment evil acts, and not a moment before. When evil breaks laws, agreements, or commonly accepted codes of conduct, the Gauntlet strikes hard and fast, without waiting for the blessings of distant temples or the permission of rulers. Evil must be met in the field and smashed, or it will swiftly overcome all.

The Order of the Gauntlet is a dedicated, tightly knit group of like-minded individuals driven by religious zeal or a finely honed sense of justice. Friendship and camaraderie are important to members of the Order of the Gauntlet, and they share a trust and a bond normally reserved for siblings. Like highly motivated soldiers, members of the Order of the Gauntlet seek to become the best at what they do and look forward to testing their mettle. There are few, if any, “lone wolves” in this organization.

Agenda:

To be armed, vigilant, and ready to smite evil, enforce justice, and enact retribution. This means identifying evil threats such as secretive power groups and inherently evil creatures, watching over them, and being ready to attack the moment they misbehave. (These are always retributive strikes, never preemptive.)

Beliefs:

Faith is the greatest weapon against evil—faith in one’s god, one’s friends, and one’s self.

Battling evil is an extraordinary task that requires extraordinary strength and bravery.

Punishing an evil act is just. Punishing an evil thought is not.

Red Wizards of Thay

Thieves Guild

Xanathar Sodality

Zhentarim

The Zhentarim seeks to become omnipresent and inescapable, more wealthy and powerful, and most importantly, untouchable. The public face of the organization appears much more benign, offering the best mercenaries money can buy. When a merchant needs an escort for his caravan, when a noble needs bodyguards to protect her holdings, or when a city needs trained soldiers to defend its honor, the Zhentarim provides the best-trained fighting men and women money can buy. However, the cost of doing business with the Black Network can be high.

The Black Network wants to make it necessary—and preferable, even—to deal with its members. It wants to secure, over time, an iron-fisted monopoly. Members must be the best—the cheapest, the fastest, and the most secure—at providing services and goods both legal and illicit, willing to lose coin if it means destroying a competitor, and securing profits from everyone they deal with, except when to do so would work against the Black Network's ultimate goal: to make everyone dependent on it.

A member of the Zhentarim thinks of himself or herself as a member of a very large family and relies on the Black Network for resources and security. However, members are granted enough autonomy to pursue their own interests and gain some measure of personal power or influence.

Agenda:

Amass and wield influence, power and wealth.

Beliefs:

The Zhentarim is your family. You watch out for it, and it watches out for you.

You are the master of your own destiny. Never be less than what you deserve to be.

Everything and everyone has a price.

Faction Summary / Page

Bregan D'aerthe
Cult of the Dragon
Emerald Enclave
Harpers
Lords' Alliance
Order of the Gauntlet
Red Wizards of Thay
Thieves Guild
Xanathar Sodality
Zhentarim