Rogue's Gallery - Villains of Faerun

This is where you can find the Forces of Evil (FoE).  Some are members of large organizations; while others are lone nuts.  I'll post the 'lone nuts' first, with the large organizations next.  [As the Heroes learn more about their enemies, I may expand these sections, but its generally best to keep your own notes of what has been learned in-game.]
      [Note that there are links throughout these articles; most of them are not chosen to enhance your knowledge of the game setting, but are an artifact of the hosting environment.]

Lone Nuts

     Epic Threats

Jaluth Alaerth – Snakeface. Former Overwizard (Arcane Brotherhood (AB)), Human-ish Wizard, has 3 Golems, lives near Icewind Dale.
Ornar of the Claw – Former Overwizard (AB), Human-ish Wizard, last known in the Trollmoors.
Deltagar Zelhund – former Overwizard, Human Wizard, consorts with Yuan-ti of Najara.

Wulgeth the Elder – Lich(human) Netherese Arcanist Archmage

Qysar Shoon VII – Lich(human) Necromancer Archmage, Qysar of Shoon Empire.

Selfaril Uoumdolphin – High Blade of Mulmaster, Human Fighter

Arcane Brotherhood [based in Luskan, operate throughout the Savage Frontier]
   A cabal of Wizards (they're pretty traditional about it) that seems focused on conquering or controlling the Sword Coast North and/or Savage Frontier, either overtly or covertly.  Their off-and-on leader is Arklem Greeth, who has been aging poorly of late.  The Arcane Brotherhood spends most of its time in the Tower of the Arcane, a strange and alien structure on an island in the mouth of the River Mirabar.

'Assassins' Guild' [based somewhere in the Galena Mountains / operate throughout most of the Unapproachable East]

     This organization is not particularly old, becoming active shortly after the rise of Zhengyi the Witch-King of Vassa.  It claims sole rights to contract assassination (common murder-for-hire is usually overlooked) throughout the Unapproachable East (though they find themselves unable to enforce that claim in Thesk or Thay).

     The 'Assassin's Guild' seems to prefer an anonymous identity instead of a moniker that strikes fear into its enemies; likewise, it seems to have no allies or causes it promotes other than training assassins and enforcing a monopoly.  Even elite (former) members [like Evie] know little about the Grandmaster of Assassins and his/her agenda.  [Joran Silverhand suspects that there is a name and cause that motivates the highest leaders of this group, but does not know what it might be.  D'versey (no stranger to assassination) suspects that they are waiting for something or someone.]

Blood of Morune [Nether Mountains]
    A 'clan' of Blue Dragons; they rule a hobgoblin 'nation'.  They are considered one of the longstanding threats to civilization in the eastern Savage Frontier.

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Cairnheim, Kingdom of (stone giants) [Underdark, under the Giant's Run Mountains]
   One of the few Underdark powers that is effectively resisting the Drow/Duergar alliance; they are even expanding where the Duergar are not already established.  Cairnheim is ruled by the Dodkong, who is (apparently) a Stone Giant lich dating from when Nedeheim flourished.  While the area Cairnheim occupies is rather small, it has great influence in a wide area; even the stone giants on the surface of the Giant's Run Mountains defer to the will of the Dodkong.

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Church of Shar
     "The church of Shar is composed of cells that act independently of one another, often without knowledge of the other cells.  [...]  The church only contacts those it wishes to corrupt or those it thinks can be useful in some way. The Sharrans prefer to go about their dark business in secret, with as little interference as possible." - Champions of Ruin, p.87
  - Dark Army of the Night [Sword Coast North]
  - Monks of the Dark Moon [Lady's Hand Monastery]
          "The Monks of the Dark Moon are a sect of sorcerer-monks who have dedicated themselves body, mind, and soul to Shar, the Lady of Loss. The monks are her assassins, her enforcers, and her shadowy agents. [...]  The organization’s leaders have direct contact with their goddess, and are not subject to the authority or will of her clergy."
          "This sect of Sharrans is relatively new to Faerûn. Shar chose her most trusted mortal servant, Alorgoth (The Bringer of Doom) to recruit and train the first wave of monks, who set out from their secret lair [a scant few decades ago.]  Most Faerûnians are blissfully ignorant of the existence of this group, but Shar’s enemies know only too well of its increasing reach and power." - Champions of Ruin, p.85
          Two details of this fighting order have been shared with the Heroes by Sherbert: 1) The Monk/Sorcerers are granted the lesser & greater Shadow Tentacle spells (upon reaching the appropriate Circles of arcane skill) as a divine 'bonus' to their normal 'spells known'; and 2) their training and teamwork is such that they are noticeably more effective when they have at least one 'Dark Brother' or 'Dark Sister' at their side [+1 to hit & AC].
  - Shadovar [Lands Under Shadow]

Court of Shadow [Lands Under Shadow]
   Not much is known about the Court of Shadow; they seem to be a collection of fey nobility from the Shadowfell.  Their arrival coincides with the appearance of the Shadar-kai, but they seem distinct groups - the Shadar-kai are often malevolent, but usually lack direction, whereas the Court of Shadow seems to be working towards some (unforseen) end.  The Court of Shadow seems to mostly work through agents (which often are Shadar-kai, further complicating the distinction).  Certain (unverified) prophecies suggest that 'the return of the White Queen to the Seelie Court heralds the return of the ancient Unseele Court'.  If this is what is happening, it marks a new level of danger for the Realms; the Seelie Court is known to include many Leshy (LeShay) of phenomenal power.  The appearance of a Court of evil Leshy nobles on the Realms would be disasterous for all non-fey.

Crimson Chain [Melvaunt / Moonsea]
   The Crimson Chain is a very-successful slaving ring that operates out of Melvaunt, with the tacit approval of the city government.  This alone makes them troublesome, but D'versey claims that the truth is much worse; the Crimson Chain is a local franchise of the inter-dimensional slaving cartel known as the Chainmen.  The Chainmen have access to Epic resources and operatives, and are not to be underestimated - their ruthlessness is legendary.  According to D'versey, the Chainmen have depopulated entire (small) worlds in the past, and many of the usual checks on their depredations (especially the Imperial Elven Navy) are distracted by the ongoing Second Unhuman War.

Cult of Astarte [Underdark]
   This demon-mother cult has been fairly successful in replacing Lolth as the goddess of the Drow; about 70-80% of the House Matrons (and priestesshood) formerly loyal to Lolth have accepted at least the basic premise of Astarte as 'the daughter of Lolth'.  Like the surface cults of Astoreth, the Cult of Astarte preaches the mixing of blood with demonkind to breed a superior race (Drow, in this case).  The Cult of Astarte is far more accepting of rival cults, seeking to co-opt and incorporate them rather than crush them.  This has led to many former-worshippers of Vheraun accepting Lareth (the son of Astarte) as a viable masculine deific replacement, for instance.
  While demon-worship would normally place the Drow at even greater odds with the devil-worshipping* Duergar, the priestess of Astarte are apparently actively involved in keeping the Drow/Duergar 'detente' moving forward... for now.

   * The Duergar have mostly gone over to the worship of certain Archdevils (Asmodeus, Mammon) under dwarven names and guises after the Battle of Hammergrim, which ended in the deaths of the Duergar deities of Laduguer & Duerra.

Cult of the Dragon [widespread, but especially the Deadlands]
     "The Cult of the Dragon is a fellowship of men and women across Faerûn who believe the prophecies of their founder, Sammaster, a crazed archmage and fallen Chosen of Mystra. He revealed through the translation of obscure prophecies that the fate of all the nations of Faerûn was to be ruled by undead dragons."
     "Their first goal was the creation of a dracolich, or undead dragon, a task they first accomplished in 902 DR. The rituals and components necessary to create a dracolich were transcribed in the Tome of the Dragon..."
     "Its leaders are known as The Wearers of Purple..."
 - Champions of Ruin, p.72
    The Cult of the Dragon has taken several hits in recent years, including the loss (apparently-permanent) of its Founder, Sammaster.  The most recent hit was the (also-permanent) death of one of its ruling Triumvirate, the Sibilant Shade (a Shadow dracolich of considerable potency).  However, her place in the Triumvirate may have been taken by Shadow Wing (the Sibilant Shade's dam).
   These hits have not prevented the Cult from profiting from the many disruptions of the Longest Winter and establishing a surface realm ruled by undead dragons; the so-called Deadlands.  While this is hardly the most desirable territory, it does surround the fabled Well of Dragons and threaten both Cormyr & Evereska.  Furthermore, much of the desert & near-desert lands were once a part of fabled Netheril, which raises concerns of the Cult discovering lost Netherese artifacts and putting them to use.

Daughters of Sora Kell (hags) [Narfell]
      The Hags are more active in Narfell than has been seen in generations, and most of them have Demons under their control.  The Hags are said to be ruled by a Coven of considerable power.

Draconic Tyranny of Chessenta [Old Empires]

     In 946 DR, a warlord named Tchazzar united the cities of Chessenta and successfully threw-off the yoke of Unther, establishing the land's independence.  He was crowned king, and his rule was generally looked-back on in following centuries as a golden age.  He disappeared in battle with raiding Sahuagin ('sea devils') in 1018 DR, but his body was never found and a cult quickly sprang up, proclaiming his divinity as 'father of the nation'.
     Unbeknownst to the people of Chessenta, Tchazzar was in-truth a Red Dragon, who did indeed taste divinity (as a result of their worship).  He returned during the Time of Troubles (1358 DR), as part of a complex plot by Tiamat, to regain her divinity in RealmSpace.
     Tchazzar has ruled Chessenta indirectly from His gargantuan palace in Cimbar since 1373 DR.  He usually rules through the Sceptenar, a faceless mortal 'herald' of sorts who proclaims the will of Tchazzar (and seems to have some sort of direct communion with Him).  While Chessenta is still technically independent from Tiamat's Unther, it is clear that only a fool would defy Tiamat openly, and Tchazzar is no fool.
     Over the course of 1399 DR, several strange new draconic settlers have taken up occupation of vacant estates within Chessenta; all are of the blood of red dragons and refer to Tchazzar as 'Our Infernal Father'.  [There is considerable evidence that Tchazzar's incarnate form is a half-Fiend Great Wyrm.]  These draconic settlers largely keep to themselves (which all other Chessentans agree is for the best).  There is some evidence that they form one or more military units, directly in service to the Tyrant.

Eldreth Veluuthra (“Victorious Blade of the People”) [forests of Western Faerun]
     "The Eldreth Veluuthra is a group of fanatical elf supremacists who have vowed to remove the human scourge from the face of Faerûn. It views humanity as a blight upon the land, little better than an infestation of vermin in dire need of a genocidal housecleaning. Its members operate throughout Faerûn, particularly in ancient elf homelands...  The Eldreth Veluuthra was formed in 262 DR, a year after the founding of Myth Drannor. In that year, five leading elf houses declared that they could not support the coronal’s liberal attitude toward humans, nor could they allow the continued encroachment of humans into ancestral elf lands.  However, the organization did not formally organize until the Weeping War (711–714 DR) and the destruction of Myth Drannor."
     "Although they consider themselves to be true to the most traditional and honored elven ideals, most elves are embarrassed by the Eldreth Veluuthra and would prefer to see the organization disappear. [...]  The Eldreth Veluuthra is considered evil because of its methods, but the individual members of the organization do not consider themselves evil. If anything, they think of themselves as the caretakers of all that is good in the world. They are constantly surrounded by evil enemies who would like nothing better than to remove the last vestiges of elfdom from the face of Faerûn."
     "Because the Eldreth Veluuthra considers itself to be a group dedicated to the cause of good, its members continue to worship the traditional elven pantheon. The gods of the elves do not, however, reciprocate these feelings. Therefore, no clerics of the good-aligned elven pantheon are members of the Eldreth Veluuthra, and no member of the Eldreth Veluuthra would dare worship a non-elf deity."
    "The Eldreth Veluuthra is made up of small cells of like-minded individual elves. Usually, most of the members of a cell are blood relatives, further assuring the group’s secrecy and the loyalty of its members.  [...]  Members of the Eldreth Veluuthra get along with sylvan creatures—especially centaurs, satyrs, and the more aggressive fey—who share their opinion of humanity."
 - Champions of Ruin, pp78, 81

Fire Knives [Cormyr / Westgate]
      "A small but deadly band of aristocratic killers, the Fire Knives are assassins-in-exile. Originally a society of skilled murderers who based themselves in Cormyr, the members of the organization were forced to abandon their homeland when their role in the assassination of a local lord was discovered and brought into the public eye. Long thought by the Cormyrian monarchy to be defunct, the Fire Knives secretly regrouped and now operate from the city of Westgate, where they have allied with the Night Masks." 
     "They were nearly broken for good in 1357 DR when their plan to assassinate Azoun IV backfired, killing nearly all the Westgate members of the organization.  The remaining members of the Fire Knives regrouped once more, slowly and painfully, beginning in 1369 DR..."
     "Symbol: The Fire Knives use as their sigil a slim dagger, knife, or stiletto with its point downward. A blazing red-orange flame lines the entire blade. The device, which is inspired by a card from the suit of daggers in the Talis deck...  It is also used as a “calling card” to mark the scene of a Fire Knives assassination."

Flames of the Dark Sun [Amn]

     In the aftermath of the Time of Troubles, Amn in particular saw a lot of upheaval.  The land had long looked to Waukeen as their preeminent deity, but her Silence seriously undermined her cause.  The crusading acts of Tellvon Bloodshoulder succeeded in converting the vast majority of Bane's faithful to the new Lord of Strife [Cyric], as well as many of Waukeen's 'less-scrupulous' followers.  [The more decent (or more socially-aware) followers of Waukeen were welcomed in the temples of Lliira, on behalf of Waukeen.]
     While the 'Church of Cyric' has devolved into a cult of lone madmen in most lands, it remains a powerful force in Amn, with strong and independent leadership.  [Also, its agenda is considerably more pragmatic.]  It retains control of the old Banite base at the Twin Towers of the Eclipse (which controls the lowest pass north through the Cloud Peaks).

Fraternity of Tharos [Impiltur & Narfell]
     Very little is known of this group, as little or nothing is revealed of them by divination.  They seem to be involved in human sacrifices, brazenly performed in Impiltur's capital city of New Sarshiel, under the noses of the many paladins of that land.  Their name suggests an interest in the demonic practices of old Narfell, which had its capital at Dun-Tharos (far to the east, beyond the Easting Reach and lost within the Rawlinswood). 
     The heritage of Narfell continues to haunt Impiltur, which was the westernmost extent of the ancient Nar empire. Impiltur, modern Narfell, Ashnath and the Great Dale were all encompassed by this demonic empire, sometimes referred-to by sages as 'the Demonlands' for the many Demoncysts that lurk beneath the surface; some still contain demons waiting to be unleashed on the world.  Even now, over 1500 years after the fall of Narfell, the birth of tieflings is a common occurrence among the Nar, who are far more tolerant of fiend-blooded than most barbarian cultures.  [In the Forgotten Realms, substitute Narfell for the Empire of Bael Turath of 4th Edition Tieflings' background; obviously, they are descended from demons not devils, and Narfell's end came due to war with its rival Raumathar, not the Dragonborn Empire of Arkhosia.]
     The bloody evidence of a demonic cult in the capital city of Impiltur has driven many of the paladins of Impiltur into a frenzy of suspicion, contributing to an atmosphere of fear and dread that grips the whole country.  Some self-proclaimed 'Inquistors' have given in to paranoia, and witch-hunts are common of late.  Despite all efforts, however, the Fraternity of Tharos remains elusive.
     [After four months of studying the situation, Joran Silverhand and Lord Morannon DeTuriss both suspect that the 'Fraternity of Tharos' is mostly smoke and mirrors - the work of a cabal of master manipulators.  However, they admit that they cannot prove this suspicion.]

Heiligheim, Kingdom of (fire giants) [Sword Coast North & Savage Frontier]
      The ancient Giant Kingdoms fell long, long ago; most before the rise of the elves.  However, the glories of those kingdoms have endured in the memories of their descendants.  In the case of the Fire Giants, many attempts have been made to restore the ancient Kingdom of Heiligheim to the surface, but they were never successful.  [Ancient redoubts of the famed 'Kingdom of Fire' survived in the Underdark, where vengeful dragons could not gather in sufficient numbers to overwhelm the defenders.  These 'fortress-realms' occasionally clashed with the Deep Dwarves, but few legends of these wars ever reached their 'shallow-dwelling' brethren.]
     In the wake of the Coldest Winter, the chain of volcanoes known only as 'the Crags' (ranging from Mount Hotenow to the outskirts of Mirabar) were quickly occupied by large bands and work-teams of Fire Giants, who quickly erected forts of blackened iron; from these forts, they projected their control over the thinly-populated wildands for many miles around, forming the first viable surface outpost of Heiligheim in over eight centuries.  The reason for the difference in the fire giants' fortunes was obvious; they were led by powerful summoners and warlocks, and they worked in concert with Efreeti, Salamanders and even the occasional Devil.  More than a few of these fire giants sported signs of infernal taint; rumor has it that their leadership all bear great wings and conjure hellfire as easily as a warlock.  Their tactics are more cunning than are usually attributed to giants, and they are as likely to throw grenadoes as rocks.
     During the First Conference, the Giants of Heiligheim attacked and brought-low the Tower of Twilight (also in the Neverwinter Woods, but beyond what was thought to be the boundaries of 'the newest band of fire giants').  In doing so, they crippled the Master of the Tower, Malchor Harpell.