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Aglaranna
Learned Scribe
166 Posts |
 Posted - 13 Jan 2007 : 15:09:17
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Hmmm...I would have to say that I'm rather partial to the Shadow Theives. I was integrated into their guild once.  Of course, a whole bunch of people tried to kill me afterwards...Sigh... |
"You can choose a ready guide
In some celestial voice
If you choose not to decide
You still have made a choice
You can choose from phantom fears
And kindness that can kill
I will choose the path that's clear
I will choose freewill." -'Freewill' by Rush |
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Charles Phipps
Master of Realmslore
1425 Posts |
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Marquant Volker
Learned Scribe
Greece
273 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jan 2007 : 18:28:09
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| The Zentarim: Its a classic option for every campaign |
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Charles Phipps
Master of Realmslore
1425 Posts |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jan 2007 : 22:27:36
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Its the little stuffed Manshoon Clone Dolls that they sell at the Zhentarim Company Picknick every Flamerule. Each one has a little flag with the heraldry of what part of Faerun the Manshoon doll wants to conquer.
I think even Elminster has one of the Shadowdale Manshoon dolls.
Everyone thinks they were Fzoul's idea, but they actually were Manshoon's, and its in his contract to get a cut off the sales of everyone of the suckers, even the ones they give out as part of the Mirthful Meals at the MacDougal's resturant chain in the Moonshaes. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jan 2007 : 23:43:31
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For myself, I kind of lost interest in the Zhentarim as 3e started gaining ground.
Basically, Steven's intentions about generating a specific religious focus for the Zhentarim through the Manshoon Wars was exactly what I was looking for. This was why they originally became worshippers of Xvim. In addition, Steven wanted to make Manshoon an unknown element within the general plot running through the Realmslore. Each "Manshoon" clone would be discreetly dropped into future FR accessories, giving DMs wider choices with regard to how to plan and play the overall effects and results, of Manshoon and his clones, upon the Realms. That is why we originally learned that there were so many (at least forty) clones now scouting around Faerun looking to make places for themselves. Officially, 3 Manshoons remain. One is the one with the Zhents. One is a vampire crimelord in Westgate. And one is hanging with Halaster in Undermountain.
Of course, Ed tells us that there are many more Manshoons than those who have been revealed in the Realmslore, so perhaps the whole Manshoon Wars concept hasn't been completely forgotten.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Charles Phipps
Master of Realmslore
1425 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jan 2007 : 23:56:32
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I dislike the religious focus honestly.
In my mind Fzoul is wonderfully effective as the leader of the Zhents but the Black Network only serves Bane so long as Manshoon thinks it benefits his mini-Illuminati.
Fzoul might not even realize when and if it ceases to. |
My Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blogspot.com/
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MerrikCale
Senior Scribe
USA
947 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2007 : 02:29:27
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| I picked the Masks. I like the vampire thing |
When hinges creak in doorless chambers and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls, whenever candlelights flicker where the air is deathly still, that is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight. |
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yargarth
Seeker
USA
58 Posts |
Posted - 23 Feb 2007 : 04:40:52
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| Zhents because i have yet to read about some of the others. i think the night masks and cult of the dragon are not all that great. |
"You take a step, then another. That's the journey. But to take a step with your eyes open is not a journey at all, it's a remaking of your own mind."
-Orson Scott Card
Ender in Exile |
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Ateth Istarlin
Seeker
United Kingdom
80 Posts |
Posted - 23 Feb 2007 : 10:48:43
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It's got to be the Zhents for me - they've given me so many happy hours of "evil-bashing"! |
The more I read about 4FR, the more depressed I am.
Politician - An elected official who tries to be all things to all people, while always looking out for his/her own interests first. |
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lokilokust
Seeker
USA
61 Posts |
Posted - 23 Feb 2007 : 13:28:06
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another vote for thay, here.
also, in my own games i've been using a cult of orcus as the big baddies against my players. |
yrs. in exile,
-s.j. bagley |
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ShadezofDis
Senior Scribe
402 Posts |
Posted - 23 Feb 2007 : 15:28:13
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Picked the Zhents out of the list, almost picked the Krakens but they seem a step below the Zhents to me. (even though certain Zhents often do stupid things I try not to judge the Zhents on the whole by that *g*)
However, I do prefer the intelligence networks over the thugs. :)
I think my absolute favorites would have to be beholders, I don't run them often as not many parties can survive an encounter with beholders the way I like to run them but I like them all the same.
Oh, there's just too many good villians out there though, it's so hard to decide ;) |
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Bladewind
Master of Realmslore
Netherlands
1280 Posts |
Posted - 24 Feb 2007 : 16:43:06
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Zhents!! They combine insideous plots with brutal conquests. The major villains are all pretty deep, their thugs are fun to squash, their spies are everywhere. They got mages of high power, powerhungry apprentices and everything inbetween. Evil clerics, monstrous generals, massive resources, need I say more (because I will ^^).
Ooh, and they got hot battlecommander chicks (Scyllua) as well... |
My campaign sketches
Druidic Groves
Creature Feature: Giant Spiders |
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Korginard
Learned Scribe
USA
126 Posts |
Posted - 26 Feb 2007 : 16:47:44
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No mention of the Phaerim???
They destroyed Netheril, causing destruction of an entire region in the process. Imagine the state of the Realms if they had not been contained and the spread of thier life draining spells had not been stopped.
I'd also have to list Shar as my favorite evil Goddess. I see terrible things coming from her and her followers.
From the list given? I'd have to say Zhents because they offer the perfect threat that grows with an adventuring party. Start with thier lowlies and move up the organizational chart. I also like how they mix Arcane and Divine Magic with a strong military and the subtlety of thieves and spies. They truely do have it all.
What impresses me most about the Zhentarim is that they pretty much operate in the open. Most folk know who they are, what they do,and what they intend for the world arround them. Despite this obvious threat to freedom, noone has ever been able or willing to put a stop to them.
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Pasta Fzoul
Seeker
USA
79 Posts |
Posted - 03 Mar 2007 : 22:58:12
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I suppose my favorite is the Zhents, if only because of sympathy for Manshoon... I mean, here we have a brilliant, motivated individual, who can never quite succeed because he's surrounded by traitors, incompetents, and religious zealots  |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 03 Mar 2007 : 23:05:29
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| The Zhents are also in general quite sexy. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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Marquant Volker
Learned Scribe
Greece
273 Posts |
Posted - 12 Sep 2007 : 16:36:27
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| Whorray! All bow before the mighty Zentil Keep |
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sirreus
Learned Scribe
USA
118 Posts |
Posted - 12 Sep 2007 : 17:08:20
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zhents? you guys have got to be kidding. the red wizards have more hands in more cookie jars than any other group in the realms. having said that, shade enclave are determined to make all the realms pay for their conceived slight, now over a thousand years old. has anyone mentioned the phaerim? |
"The measure of an undisciplined mind, is that the intellect allows emotion to challenge the observed truth" Richard Baker |
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Pharaun Mizzrym
Acolyte
Canada
34 Posts |
Posted - 14 Sep 2007 : 01:53:07
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| Red Wizards! They're so deliciously Evil |
Edited by - Pharaun Mizzrym on 14 Sep 2007 03:01:20 |
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Victor_ograygor
Master of Realmslore
Denmark
1076 Posts |
Posted - 14 Sep 2007 : 12:08:01
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quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
The Zhents are also in general quite sexy.
Do you realy think thoes Zhents a sexy… Uhmm I must agree 
On thing I were wondering about is if they got stronger afther the the “fall”, afther reading the text below.
And I realy like Thagdal being the new head master of the tower of the art in zhentilkeep.
Weak? You think the Black Network is weak? Hah! If anything, the razing of Zhentil Keep made it stronger! Cyric's muddling seemed to be exactly what the Zhentarim needed to get rid of the riffraff and get back to the business of ruling the entire Moonsea region -- and everywhere else, for that matter."
Zhentil Keep and the West
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060607a&page=5
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Victor Ograygor The Assassin and Candel keeps cellar master
Everything I need to know about life I learned from killing smart people.
Links related to Forgotten Realms
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9571
Adventuring / Mercenary Companies / Orders / The chosen from official sources
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11047
Priests in Forgotten Realms.
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9609&whichpage=1 |
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Aravine
Senior Scribe
USA
608 Posts |
Posted - 01 Oct 2007 : 13:09:38
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| definatly red wizrds. just because i ran into them more them once. it's a sympathy vote. my20fghter/10epic/14 pal along with the rest of my party slautered most of them. |
The brave don't live forever,the cautious don't live at all |
Edited by - Aravine on 01 Oct 2007 13:19:50 |
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sirreus
Learned Scribe
USA
118 Posts |
Posted - 01 Oct 2007 : 17:24:46
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quote:
my20fghter/10epic/14 pal along with the rest of my party slautered most of them.
are you playing in a party of gods?
44th level? |
"The measure of an undisciplined mind, is that the intellect allows emotion to challenge the observed truth" Richard Baker |
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Aravine
Senior Scribe
USA
608 Posts |
Posted - 01 Oct 2007 : 20:57:39
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quote:
Originally posted by sirreus
quote:
my20fghter/10epic/14 pal along with the rest of my party slautered most of them.
are you playing in a party of gods?
44th level?
lol. yeah weve been playing qutite along time. a really long time. |
The brave don't live forever,the cautious don't live at all |
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MerrikCale
Senior Scribe
USA
947 Posts |
Posted - 02 Oct 2007 : 01:45:14
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| can I vote for my won, like the Brethren, a secret cabal of power hungry warlocks, or the Dhorgal Nath, an order of vampire knights? |
When hinges creak in doorless chambers and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls, whenever candlelights flicker where the air is deathly still, that is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight. |
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GRYPHON
Senior Scribe
USA
527 Posts |
Posted - 02 Dec 2007 : 18:55:42
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| House Dlardrageth |
'Everyone dies...I only choose the time and place for a few.' --Eric Destler |
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BARDOBARBAROS
Senior Scribe
Greece
581 Posts |
Posted - 03 Dec 2007 : 19:26:31
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| i like killing Red Wizards!! |
BARDOBARBAROS DOES NOT KILL.
HE DECAPITATES!!!
"The city changes, but the fools within it remain always the same" (Edwin Odesseiron- Baldur's gate 2) |
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Nimriel
Seeker
Sweden
51 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2007 : 21:05:18
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| Twisted Rune followed closely by the Zhents. |
Edited by - Nimriel on 04 Dec 2007 21:11:49 |
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MerrikCale
Senior Scribe
USA
947 Posts |
Posted - 06 Dec 2007 : 16:14:43
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| I did always like the Black Bood groups. They're very feral |
When hinges creak in doorless chambers and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls, whenever candlelights flicker where the air is deathly still, that is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight. |
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Theophilus
Learned Scribe
Australia
143 Posts |
Posted - 12 Dec 2007 : 02:16:55
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| Twisted Rune - aside from their political machinations in the South didn't they also actually manage to kidnap Halaster from Undermountain? |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 12 Dec 2007 : 02:26:30
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Indeed, 'twas Halaster's Higharvestide. The Rune kidnapped Halaster so they could gain his knowledge of portals.
With the Mad Mage outside of his playground, the many layers of spells he's wrought down there started going awry. All over the Realms, portals to and from Undermountain were opening. Some grabbed unsuspecting people, pulling them into Undermountain. Other portals dumped monsters into the laps of those unsuspecting people. It was a very rough day in Waterdeep, in particular.
Halaster was eventually rescued by a group of adventurers. He returned to his Underhalls and things returned to normal, more or less.
See Undermountain: Stardock. It was the third and final module set in Undermountain [the other two were The Lost Level and Maddgoth's Castle -- all three are available for free at WotC].
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
Edited by - The Sage on 12 Dec 2007 02:28:50 |
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Everyone's Favorite Evil Organization
