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The work contained on this page is the property and copyright of Jared Rascher and is used with permission. It has been formatted for viewing on the web by the Scribes of Candlekeep.
The Forbidden Enclave
By Jared Rascher
Grinistol walked up to the stall at the Thayan enclave in Scardale.
“Well met traveller, what can the nation of Thay do to help you?”
Grinistol knew that the Thayan had a potential good sale in him. Grinistol was obviously a wizard, and one wearing expensive robes as well, a sure sign that he had gold to spend on magical trinkets.
“I understand that you have come into possesion of the Winnegorge of Thr'henna. I am familiar with the device and am quite interested in purchasing the item.,” Gninistol told the bald, red robed Thayan merchant.
“I do not believe that I can sell an of like the one you have described. I doubt that this humble enclave has such a device at all,” the Thayan nerviously told Grinistol.
Grinistol realized that if the Thayan was reluctant to sell the item, odds were that the Thayan, or worse, his superiors, had an idea what the device was capable of, and that meant that he had to make sure he obtained the device.
“I doubt the device will be of much use to you, or your superiors. It takes some specialized knowlage to fully unlock its potential, and I have had such training.”
“As I have said, I do not think we have such a device here,” the Thayan replied, more forcefully this time. The two black armored Thayan knights near the back of the stall took notice and stood up, hands on their sword hilts.
Grinistol made a gesture, and all of the people in the vicinity froze solid, held in time. Grinistol then completed another spell that caused the merchant and both knights to shimmer, vibrate, and then fade away.
That should give me plenty of time to find the Winnegorge before anyone shows up, Grinistol thought to himself. I have all the time I need.
The Forbidden Enclave is a truly secretive organization that has very wide base of interest and goals, but is forged together in a cohesive unit by their intrerest in magic that is very strange even to the normal workers of the Art. The magic used by the Forbidden Enclave is often magic that the churches of Mystra and Azuth find troubling, and worth watching or restricting.
While many of the forms of the Art practiced by members of the Forbidden Enclave are not truly forbidden, they are all forms of magic that arouse suspicion among traditionalist mages. The rank and file members of this order believe that they seek to preserve ancient lore that might otherwise be suppresed, and that within the order they might pass on their traditions.
The inner sanctums of the enclave, however, have much more far reaching, and in many cases, sinister goals. They seek to remake the world, either by fusing it with other planes, restarting time, or infusing massive chaos to allow the world to mutate rapidly. All of them have their reasons, some noble yet misguided (remaking a perfect world devoid of strife), some predictable but dangerous (creating a reality where their magic would allow them to rule surpreme). There are many conflicting goals, but little outright infighting in the organization.
Brief History
The Forbidden Enclave is only a few decades old, but its members are from traditions that have existed for millinea. Over 25 years ago many powerful, off beat wizards got together to discuss how traditional organizations, including the Red Wizards of Thay, the rulers of Halruaa, the churches of Mystra and Azuth, and the Hosttower of the Arcane, frowned on their practices and made their magic difficult to promote.
The founders of the organization, using ancient lore, created their own small demi-plane to serve as a headquarters not easily breached, and created several secret portals that their members could access to get into the fortress.
While the organization is known to the Chosen of Mystra, and is guessed at by the Harpers, it has kept its secrets fairly well. Dispite this, several members in recent years have agendas that are far removed from the origianl goal of simply finding lore and training apprentices in peace. Many practicioners of shadow magic have joined, and these members have the most divided loyalties of any of the members.
The Organization
Headquarters: The Demi-plane of the Enclave
Members: 1000 apprentices of various traditions, 300 Enclave Masters (mid-level practicioners of the various alternate Art forms), The Nine High Masters (the percieved leaders of the enclave, day to day administrators and high level prationers of their Art forms), and The Five Deep Lords (the true leaders of the Enclave and each possesed of their own dispartiate goals, epic- level spellcasters).
Hierarchy: Militaristic
Leaders: The Nine High Masters (known to all), The Five Deep Lords (only known to the Nine High Masters)
Religions: Various (many worship none)
Alignment: CN (common mages and their apprentices), leaders vary
Secrecy: High
Symbol: NoneMembers of the Forbbiden Enclave often travel across the Realms looking for old magic items and spellbooks. They also look out for young aspiring wizards that might be disenfranchised from their traditional masters, or apprentices that show interest in magics from their area of expertise.
The Nine High Masters make sure that the chaotic coalition stays together, usually by force or threat, and they also seach out artifacts and relics related to their interests, as well as cataloging the libraries and laboratories of the Enclave's headquarters.
The Five Deep Lords each wish to alter reality in some way. Members of the Nine High Masters work for them in this manner, especially with their artifact research. Though each of the Five Deep Lords have their own agenda, each ostensibly keeps track of the plans of the others, and they nominally support each others goals and contribute to one another.
Hierarchy
No one in the Enclave really look much further than the tier above them. The apprentices only thing that the Nine High Masters are keeping the organization alive by administrating it. The Nine High Masters are acutely aware of their administrative duties, and increasingly they worry about their hidden masters, the Five Deep Lords.
A few of the Deep Lords have directly approached the Enclave Masters, although rarely do the Enclave Masters ever think that there might be a higher tier of organization, they simply see the Deep Lords as powerful retired members of the Nine High Masters.
The Nine High Masters
The Nightsinger, pratcitioner of shadow magic, and especially necromancy and illusion. Keenly interested in the Deep Masters projects, and often recruits spys from the ranks of the Enclave Mastes and constantly pries information from the other High Masters. The Nightsinger is a wiz 8/shadow adept 10 of NE alignment. He is of half elven stock.
Baezeriol, a warlock, spends most of his time training others in their powers and researching ways that he might utilize items that belong to other pratices, as well as obtaining defensive magic. He is somewhat paranoid, but still has a drive to help other warlocks not be consumed by their own power. He is also quite uncomfortable around fiends and those who control them. He has a brilliant head for logistical concerns, though he is bored with such matter quickly. Baezeriol is a warlock 16 of CN alignment. He is of human stock.
Alphaedron, is a powerful, wild-eyed wizard who acended to his rank by the force of his power and the fact that he will share his secret lore with anyone that might listed to his lectures. Alphaedron often slips into genial moments of lucidity that can lull those who would oppose him into dropping their defenses, at which point Alphaedron has no problem tearing their secrets from their minds.
Alphaedron is a wiz 8/alienist 10 of CE alignment, and is of human stock (Alphaedron has the Cerebrant feats from Dragon 330).
Keiredis, is a tall, handsome, stern, white haired man of apparent middle age. While Keiredis' particular decipline, that of the Fatespinner, is not particularly looked down upon by many established wizards, the fact that Keiredis' was a sorcerer living in the nation of Halruaa contributed to his disaffection with standard magical practices. Keiredis loves the Enclave for what it provides and for its structure and the ability to control so many lives, but does not like many of his fellow Masters and the Deep Masters. He is the one who talks Baezeriol into doing the books and is also the one who helps keep the peace and provides a moderator and diplomat to the more contentious issues that might come about (though Keiredis always has a particular outcome in mind before the moderation begins, and works to ensure that is what happens). Keriedis is a sor 14/fatespinner 5 of LN alignment and human stock.
The Krea-Faxxanon, is a relatively young elf that has studied magic that many in Fearun greatly frown on, that being wild magic. She joined the Enclave several years after the Time of Troubles, brining with her many apprentices. She refuses to discuss her family, and cares little for the politics of the Enclave. The Krea- Faxxanon is a slight moon elf female with blue hair, and is attractive but uncomfortably intense with here stares. She is a wiz 9/wild mage 10 of CN alignment.
Ruulduun Oreaphaedon, a solid man of middle age, with a distinctive scar over his left eye. Many question wheather Ruulduun deserves a place in the Enclave and consider his dicipline a weak one not worth the efforts of the Masters. Ruulduun is a hexblade, and the other masters granted him his position due to the fact that his followers provide the “muscle” and the protection for enclave members that travel forth into Faerun. Ruulduun is quite happy to let others underestimate him, and he bides his time to move his goals forward, knowing his martial skills are neccissary to help protect all of the other enclave forays. Ruulduun is a hexblade 15, of LE alignment and human extraction.
Saerlaestis Teirkannaleir, is a thin, somewhat unhealthy looking gold elf male. Saerulaestis is quiet in council, and weighs every work he hears very carefully. He is very leary of the plans of the the Deep Masters, and he does not like the political games played by the members of the High Mastes of the council. When he does speak or get involved in a decision, the others listen well to him. Saerlaestis is a chronomancer and a worshipper of Labelas Enoreth and hopes to eventually return to Evermeet and integrate chronomancy with the more commonly practiced magic of the elves. Saerlaestis sees the Enclave as a transient thing that he can learn from, and hopes eventually to become a High Mage. Saerlaestis is a chronomancer 18 of N alignment.
Yagenfarrin Undragranded, a gnome of advancing years, is the High Maste that oversees the interests of magics that are bases on the sciences. Yagenfarrin feels that while his Art is not shunned per se, it is generally ignored or underestimated. Yagenfarrin is almost completely oblivious to the politics of the Enclave, though he is very level headed in council so long as he is not engaged in a major project. Yagenfarrin is a wiz 14/gnome artifacer 10/effigy master 5, whose power is often underestimated by others. Yagenfarrin is of N alignment, and unlike many of his peers, is a very devout Gond worshipper, and is very respectful of Mystra.
Vhleastistis, an illithid that studies the fusion of psionics and the Art, passes on those secrets to the few he deems worthy. Vhleastistis is given a wide berth by many in the Enclave, though he would never disrupt the sanctity of the place until he had learned all that he wanted to from it. Vhleastistis is as active in recruiting spies as the Nightsinger, and is aware of many plots and plans being birthed in the Enclave, and seeks to keep himself either neutral or on the right side of anyone plot. Alphaedron is facinated with Vhleastistis, but the illithid views the man as a dangerous zealot, though he will not express such thoughts out loud. Vhleastistis is quite concerned about the plots that he has started to unravel from the Deep Mages. Vhleastisits is a wiz 10/psion 5/mind mage 10 of LE alignment. (See Dragon Magazine 313)
The Five Deep Lords
Kaeldarra Sethdreniil, a female moon elf of advancing years, though she, like many elves, does not show age in a manner humans would recognize, was one of the first founders of the Enclave. Kaeldarra is a powerful chronomancer that has been frustrated that Time iteself resists her efforts to change it. Dispite that, she has collected much information from travelling to the past and know exactly what she would change. She is currently trying to find artifacts or elven High Magic lore that will let her alter time when she travels to the past, so that she may save Myth Drannor and establish a benevolent empire of elven domination in the Heartlands to make sure many attrocities do not happen under the new elven order. She is frustrated that Saerlaestis seems to be warry of the elements of her plan that she has shared with him, and that he seems to be content to be a historian rather than a shaper of history. Kaeldarra is a LN moon elf female chronomancer 35.
Saaktaanith Ur'kleddivar, a handsome older drow male, who like Kaeldarra, does not show his age. Saaktaanith is very diplomatic, and goes out of his way to stay on Kaeldarra's good side. Unlike many of the Deep Lords, Saaktaanith has very rarely professed a grand scheme to anyone else in the Enclave. That is because Saaktaanith's goal is to subvert the entire enclave to Shar's service and begin teaching the shadow weave magic to all of the students. Saaktaanith is a drow male, cleric 17/shadow adept 10/ wizard 15, of NE alignment. He is very devout, and well favored by, Shar.
Orvrail Kur-Uthven, appears to be a young man, but is much older than he appears. Orvrail is obsessed by the Far Realm and is convinced that if he could summon a powerful Far Realm creature that he could merge with it and reshape reality upon opening a portal to that twisted alternate reality. Orvrail seeks to study Vhlaestistis for his powers, but does not seek to recruit him. Alphaedron is useful, but far too unstable to fully trust. Orvrail has horrid rages from time to time, but usually seems very calm and reserved. He is a human male, wizard 25/ alienist 10 of CE alignment.
Baen Falledan, another founder of the Enclave, Baen saw his particular form of Art shift from being obscure (before the Time of Troubles), to being mistrusted and somewhat reviled (after this crisis). Baen is very worried about the direction that the Enclave has taken, as a simple hidden school, to a secret organization. Baen has carefully leaked plans of his fellows to various organizations in order to keep his enclave from becoming a force for evil and destruction. Baen is a half elf male, CG in alignment, and is a wizard 32.
Lurikal Vaanith, another newcomer that rose quickly in the ranks, has very grand plans as well, though his skills are limited and he must rely on artifacts and the spells of others to accomplish his goal. Lurikal systematically uses various lesser members of the Enclave to weaken planar boundaries, causing destruction in Faerun and upseting political boundaries, allowing him to send in agents that will stabilize the region and close the portals. Lurikal is also looking into finding ways to banish entire tracts of land to other planes so as to make them a non-factor in opposing his rule. In the mean time he simply studies ancient Imaskari portals lore and sponsors those seeking the same. Lurikal is a tiefling male warlock 16/ wizard 22 of NE alignment.