Knights of the Shield

The Knights of the Shield

The Knights of the Shield are a group of information dealers and political manipulators that operate within the Sword Coast, Lands of Intrigue and, to a lesser extent the North, for over a thousand years, dating back before Dale Reckoning. While on the surface they appear to be a secret society of merchants and nobles who are interested in the mercantile and civic matters of their respective lands, their high leadership are in fact guardians of a secret in service to the archdevil-turned-deity, Gargauth. This is a secret to the citizens of Faerûn who know of their existence, as well as most of their membership.

Areas of Influence

Though they are based primarily in Baldur's Gate, Amn, and Tethyr, the realm of influence of the Knights reaches from Calimshan to Waterdeep. They have little influence in the City of Splendors however, thanks to a failed coup against the Lords of Waterdeep.

Activities

Since the disappearance of the Shield of Silvam, the "knights" of the organization have had their agents gather vital and valuable information from throughout western Faerûn and share it amongst one another. For many years, they have used this knowledge in mercantile practice, making wise financial investments and political connections to become richer and more powerful than the rest of the aristocracy in their respective cities. Since the establishment of the Shield Council, they have used their network of spies and informants to manipulate and influence social, economical and military developments across the west as they see them arise. Of course, these machinations still benefit the members of the Shield in great measure.
While most of the Knights of the Shield believe their ultimate aim is the accumulation of wealth and influence, they are mistaken. The most senior-ranking members of the council serve the whims of Gargauth, the god of betrayal and political corruption. The Knights of the Shield mint their own coin, appropriately enough in the City of Coins as is common among guilds in the South. It is the same size as normal currency, but is a particularly dense, gold coin, three times the weight of others.

Organization

Since the 9th century DR, the organization and its network of informants have been led by the seven-member Shield Council, which itself is led by the First Lord. They meet sporadically, though never twice in the same location, to coordinate with one another and mark their collective progress. Four councilors are senior agents of the Knights of the Shield, power-hungry information brokers unaware of the great groups true leader, whereas the Second Lord, First Lady and First Lord of the Shield act as servants to the Hidden Lord of the Shield himself.

Hierarchy

The hierarchy of the Knights of the Shield serving under the council is a loose collection of members, agents, and hirelings. Seeing as how their members are well-separated by geography and culture, they rarely collect in meetings larger than six. Old bylaws dictate that any given member can reveal their membership within the network to no more than three individuals, regardless of their identity or allegiance.

History

The Knights of the Shield were originally founded in the time of the Tyrant Eye Wars in −170 DR by a gathering of exceptional minds to defend the kingdom of Tethyr; they adopted this name from the artifact, the Shield of Silvam, a magic artifact supposedly created by the wizard Zhyra Bardson-Ithal. In the Year of the Twisted Tree, 187 DR, following the disappearance of the legendary shield, the order was falsely accused of having a hand in the murder of the king Leodom IV and disbanded shortly thereafter. However, its members continued to hold their meetings in secret, becoming more of a secret mercantile consortium.
A decisive factor emerged in the Year of the Shining Shield, 889 DR when the Duke Tithkar Illehhune joined the Knights of the Shield. He brought with him a mystical shield known as the Shield of the Hidden Lord, which he claimed was a divine gift that heralded the group's return to glory and prominence throughout the Realms. Duke Illehhune and the allies he quickly made within the organization instituted the Shield Council, an even-more-secret cabal tasked with further increasing the power of the order. 
In Year of the Black Horde, 1235 DR, the Shield had a hand in the defeat of the Black Horde of orcs that wreaked havoc through the Sword Coast.
Despite their usual discretion, the Knights of the Shield did manage to raise their own mercenary group in Year of the Worm, 1356 DR to march against the forces of Dragonspear Castle, disrupting trade throughout the region. When the Council of Six managed to rally the Amnian army, the Knights turned their forces over to the military's leadership. During the Reclamation Wars of Tethyr in the late 1360's, they heavily influenced trade policy and even aided in Zaranda Star claiming the throne of Darromar.

Relationships

In order to carry out their various political machinations, the Knights of the Shield groom their own militaristic enforcers known as vengeance knights. Using various bits of misinformation, while clouding their own identity, the Knights present themselves to their zealous warriors as benevolent patrons. Each agent of the Knights of the Shield employ a number of vengeance knights at their disposal. Referred to as a 'patron', each Knight acts as a sort of mentor to their warrior-enforcers.

Type

Alliance, Generic