Villains' Lorebook.pdf - Department of Political Science

112
Knights of
the Shield
Enemies of the Sword Coast
Organization: This group of merchants, nobles,
and other secretive persons has most of its power in
Amn, Tethyr, and Baldur’s Gate. They seek to manipulate
the politics and economics of the Sword
Coast region to its members’ advantage. A secondary
goal of many of the members is to infiltrate
the Lords of Waterdeep, as it is the only city in the
region that has resisted the Knights’ efforts thus far.
Very few hard facts are known about the Knights.
Most of its suspected members use the organization
as a means to gain more wealth by trading news and
information, setting up monopolies, colluding to
drive non-Knight competitors out of the market (or
out of business), and so on rather than as a means to
conquer the region outright or any other such auspicious
designs. As any merchant can tell you, anarchy
is bad for business, and business is the primary inter-
est of most Knights.
Such cannot be said regarding the Knights’ leaders,
though. It is these corrupt individuals who share
some of the goals of the Zhentarim and the other
evil organizations across the Realms. Their guises as
merchants and nobles allow these members (and
their lackeys, enforcers, and assassins) to travel
widely without attracting attention, providing them
the opportunity to strike quickly when necessary
and be long gone before most investigations get
going.
Many rumors exist concerning who these people
are, who the true leader is (if any one person truly can
be chosen as a definitive leader of the group), where
these members meet, and more. One story tells of a
creature from the Lower Planes (disguised, of course)
is the true leader of this “inner circle” of the Knights;
another hints at a southern connection, perhaps one
(or more) of Calimshan’s pashas pulling the strings. A
variant of the latter rumor intimates that the connection
goes even farther south to the mysterious lands of
Zakhara. Who can guess at the myriad intrigues the
enigmatic peoples (or the powerful genies) of that
faraway land have up the sleeves of their abas? Some
sages even venture that every court on the Sword
Coast has been infiltrated by an agent of the
Knights-with the sole exception of Waterdeep.
History: The origins of the Knights of the Shield
are not known. Some of their more recent activities
are traceable, however.
In the recent history of the Realms, Waterdeep
seems to have become the main focus of the uppermost
members of the Knights. The events in Waterdeep
in 1364 involving Khelben Arunsun, the
Harpers, a green dragon, and the ancient power of
the elfsong are all directly attributable to the
Knights.
They’ve not been inactive elsewhere though. Not
long ago, the Harper (and secret Lord of Waterdeep)
Danilo Thann traveled to the Tethyrian city of
Zazesspur. The Knights learned of his presence and
sent assassins to dispose of him. This attack failed,
and the power-brokers in the Knights decided that
Thann was too visible a target to risk attacking
again. Even if the attack were successful, the death
of Thann in Zazesspur would bring too much attention
to bear on the city and Thann’s theoretical
killers than the Knights would find comfortable.
The Knights’ most recent agent in Waterdeep,
Lady Lucia Thione, was exposed and barred from the
city. She did learn some of the identities of the City
of Splendors’ secret Lords before she was exposed.
She subsequently returned to Zazesspur. Not long
thereafter, the Knights removed Pasha Balik of the
city’s council of Lords.
All these events took place prior to the events in
the novel War in Tethyr and the ascension of Zaranda
Star to the throne of the “reunified” kingdom of
Tethyr.
Leaders/Important NPCs: Below are brief details
of two Knights. See the Lands of Intrigue boxed set
for many more details.
• Lady Lucia Thione (CE hf F0), late of Waterdeep.
She was last known to be in the company of
Lord Hhune and was returning to Zazesspur—she
also has blood of the deposed royal family in her.
l Lord Inselm Hhune (NE hm F8) of Tethyr. He
instigated trouble with a money-making scheme in
the Forest of Tethir, but he emerged personally and
professionally unscathed.
Sources: Elfsong, Silver Shadows, City of Splendors
boxed set.