Xanathar's Guild

Xanathar's Thieves' Guild, or simply Xanathar Guild is run by a paranoid elder beholder.

The Xanathar

Structure

Members of the guild are trained in stealth, discretion, and tactics with fighters, rogues, sorcerers, wizards, and experts which comprised most of its numbers. An ever-growing organization, it utilizes multiple mouthpieces to protect and conceal the identity of the Xanathar. To join, a member has to prove their ruthlessness, obedience, and loyalty by committing a serious crime - killing or selling a friend or family member into slavery, as well as paying 300 gp. The typical agent earns dues of 60 gp a month. Support generally comes in these ways:

• Any member given an assignment would receive a bodyguard or assistant - such as a bugbear, wererat, kenku, or gazer - with secret instructions to spy on and assassinate the agent in the case of failure.
• The guild provided safe refuges - cellars in the sewers.

Among the low-ranking guild members, no-one really knows who Xanathar was. Few have an inkling he is a beholder, and fewer still have spoken to him.
Given that the faction was evil at the core, advancement through assassination was a popular "shortcut".

Some of the more unusual members of the guild were a group of five dwarves that had been modified by the mind flayer Nihiloor to operate and serve as a surveillance system for the Xanathar.

Territories

This criminal/slaver network is one of the most powerful on the Sword Coast and often acts as a buffer against other evil organisations unintentionally. They have a massive stronghold on Skullport Island, but are otherwise largely active in Waterdeep.

Typical Xanathar Slaver CR5
Human Rog3/Ftr2 | Chaotic Evil | HD 3d6+3 plus 2d10+2 | hp 27
Str 14 Dex 16 Con 13 Int 12 Wis 10 Cha 8
BAB +5 | Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +1 | Init +7 | AC 17 (touch 13, flat-footed14)

• Skills: Appraise +3, Balance +5, Bluff +3, Climb +10, Escape Artist +5, Hide +11, Intimidate +5, Jump +8, Listen +6, Move Silently +11, Search +5, Spot +6, Tumble +7, Use Rope +7, Swim +4
• Feats: Improved Initiative, Stealthy, Twin Sword Style, Two Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus(short sword)
• Possessions: +1studded leather, +1 short sword, potion of invisibility, potion of cure moderate wounds(3rd), masterwork short sword, light crossbow, 20 bolts

Type

Illicit, Syndicate