The Zhentarim: The Black Network

[Gregorotto]

Theme Music

Leader: The Pereghost
Headquarters: Darkhold, Sword Coast
Symbols: A winged serpent chasing a globe; occasionally draped around a gold coin, Black Mace or Hand of Bane, or Skull of Cyric
Mission: Control black market networks of spies, thieves, mercenaries, trade goods, slaves; control politics from shadows; create above-table versions of each goal for "polite" society
Ranks: Unknown, determined by local cells or by the will of the Pereghost
Typical Members Include: Spies, thieves, sellswords, cultists of Bane and/or Cyric, necromancers, slavers, thugs
Allies: Mercenary companies, merchant guilds, slavers, unscrupulous politicians, outcasts looking for power.
Enemies: The Lords' Alliance, the Harpers, the Order of the Gauntlet, various good-aligned faiths

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It goes by many names. The Black Robes, the Keepers. The Black Network.

The Zhentarim.

Founded in 1261 DR by the mage Manshoon, Lord of Zhentil Keep, this network of spies, thieves, and slavers sought to create a network, if not outright empire, combined with the mighty faithful of a sect of the church of Bane, run by his favored priest Fzoul Chembryl. Though the alliance between Chembryl and Manshoon was only ever frosty at the best of times, the two created a powerful working alliance over the next century, creating a Toril-spanning network that found opposition where it did not outright take control, and almost always from the shadows. Soon, the duo were joined by a paragon of Bane's faith, the mysterious Pereghost, who served faithfully but never revealed his true identity. Flowing and ebbing like their rivals, the Harpers, the Zhentarim was nearly at their peak when the Time of Troubles came about, seeing the death of Bane and rise of Cyric, who stole much of the Zhentarim's faithful, including a much-chagrined Fzoul.

With Manshoon's paranoia, death followed in his wake. The Manshoon Wars began when Manshoon, who created countless clones of himself in the event of his death (which had happened multiple times in the last century): except, with an awry spell, they all woke at once, believing themselves to be the true Manshoon, and destroyed Zhentil Keep. Fzoul, now leading the Zhentarim, rejoined the Church of Bane when Bane resurrected in 1372 DR, and led it until his death at the hands of Returned Netheril, whereafter Bane raised him as an exarch and the Zhentarim abandoned Zhentil Keep for Darkhold.

While the Church of Cyric has attempted its coups, the Zhentarim remains under the control of the Pereghost, functioning much as it once was: yet in the wake of the Second Sundering and resurrection of the other two members of the now-called Dead Three, the Zhentarim has made attempts to appear more legitimate than they once were, treating their reputation as a rumor. Only time will tell how this attempt at restructuring will work, but their apparent hand in the Cult of the Dragon crisis of 1489 DR proves that perhaps change is possible.

The Expedition met the Zhentarim along the Soshen River during their first exploration of Chult, noting they were "assisted" by a local tribe, who told Eku they were really there to watch them and make sure they didn't steal. They claimed to be looking for a man named Artus Cimber, a former Harper who seems to be drawing a lot of attention to himself.

[Gregorotto]

Known Zhents

Pender of Parnast, Cell Leader-Pender is a well-known Zhentarim leader in Port Nyanzaru, a thug of the lowest caliber who is effective at tracking people down and making sure that's the last anyone hears of them. Formerly of Parnast, something drove him in his youth to flee the North and he comes now to Port Nyanzaru and Chult with a single purpose: find Artus Cimber. Encountered in the jungles of Chult by the 5th Cohort, the expedition was honest in having not met him but did not count him as their ally by any means despite his jovial character towards them. Fond of big words but rarely saying them right, Pender is rough, rugged, and ready to kill at a moment's notice.