The Pereghost

Lord of Darkhold

The Pereghost was a commander of the Zhentarim fortress of Darkhold in the mid–14th century DR.  He was named for how his armor made him appear one of the undead.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

The warrior appeared out of nowhere in 1356 DR, offering his services to the Black Network. He gave no name other than "The Pereghost" and refused to speak of his history. Within three years he was given command of the keep's entire army. He accomplished this by being ruthlessly efficient and not playing favorites. Darkhold's army was one of the few places in the Black Network where soldiers were promoted by merit, not by scheming or bribes. As such, the Pereghost was not just feared, but respected by the Zhentilar. In turn, the Pereghost was completely loyal to the Black Network.
Sometime before 1386 DR, the Pereghost underwent a religious conversion, becoming a holy warrior of the Traveler. 
In 1370 DR, Fzoul Chembryl, high priest of the Shadow and one of the triumvirate that ruled the Black Network, made a power grab to turn the Zhentarim into a religious organization. As a result, Darkhold became the last Zhentarim stronghold left to the worshipers of the Traveler. The previous lord of the castle, Sememmon, disappeared during Fzoul's attack, leaving no clear successor.
In 1372 DR, Darkhold was a dictatorship with two masters: the Pereghost and Dhamir Ercals, the castle's high priest of the Traveler. Both leaders despised one another and were actively plotting to assassinate their competition. The hatred between the two was so overwhelming that neither would consider an alliance of convenience, even though both knew that a bloody civil war between the worshipers of the Traveler and the Shadow was inevitable.
Following a string of disasters that left both Zhentil Keep and the Citadel of the Raven destroyed, the Pereghost emerged as the most senior leader of the organization still standing. His strong leadership in this time of crisis was widely credited as the only reason the Zhentarim was able to survive and begin rebuilding its power and reputation, and as of 1489 DR, he appeared to still be in command of Darkhold, and as a result the wider Black Network. However the Dread Lords and other high-ranking members of the Zhentarium knew the truth of who commands the Black Network - it wasn't the Pereghost, but long thought dead Manshoon. However other than those who personally met the founder of the Zhentarium, this was kept secret.

Wealth & Financial state

In battle, the Pereghost always wore his distinctive skull helm and chalk-white full plate armor and wielded Determination, an intelligent +3 bastard sword. When leading Darkhold's army, he rode Sandusk, a heavy warhorse equipped with a magical winged harness.

Due to the various crimes that Pereghost has committed, he has a bounty of 786,000 gold on his head from the Lord's Alliance.

Alignment

Chaotic Evil

Current Location

Darkhold

Species

Human

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Lord of Darkhold

Age

Unknown

Current Residence

Darkhold

Pronouns

He/Him

Gender

Male

Height

5'10"

Weight

180 lbs

Aligned Organization

Zhentarium

Ruled Locations

• Darkhold