Dave Wood's

Campaign

The Company of the Black Hand

The Company of the Black Hand has existed for centuries in Færûn as part of the Zhentarim. They are a special missions task force, frequently given nigh-impossible tasks by their superiors, but always attaining the desired results. They are a group of hand-picked members from the most loyal of the Black Three's followers.

The Black Three are:

• Bane, Lord of Strife;
• Myrkul, Lord of Bones;
• and Bhaal, Lord of Murder.

Recent History

Since the advent of the Time of Troubles, and Cyric's ascention to Godhood, many followers of the Black Three have converted to worship Cyric. Members of the Company of the Black Hand knew better, for these fanatical followers of the dead three possessed a book penned by Bane himself when he walked Færûn as a mortal (simply referred to as the Black Book). The contents of the book revealed that Cyric's Godhood was attained falsely. An incantation written in the book will petition Ao directly and return to Bane his lost portfolio. It is assumed that a similar petition can be made for the other fallen gods.

Within the first year after the Time of Troubles, the Black Hand were determined to restore their Gods to life. Members of the Black Hand made their way to a secret shrine dedicated to the Black Three. But the forces of good were interested in the Black Book as well. Torm's Order of the Golden Lion followed this group from Cormyr, across the Dalelands, and to the secret shrine in a swamp north of the free town of Danzig (formerly Scardale). There the ritual to restore Bane was interrupted, and everyone within the evil shrine disappeared.

The two groups awoke outside in a swamp, but they soon realized that it wasn't the same swamp in the Dalelands. They had entered a world permiated by evil. The Company of the Black Hand managed to shirk the close following Order of the Golden Lion. They entered a nearby town, Port D'Elhour, and booked passage to Ludendorf.

From Ludendorf, the Company travelled east into Darkon and the City of Rivalis. It was here that they came in contact with the local church, the Eternal Order. A pact was formed between the Company of the Black Hand and the Eternal Order. Both sides had many common goals, but more importantly Mandor (the undisputed leader of the Company of the Black Hand) saw this as an opportunity to increase their followers. To the south lay Falkovnia, a war-torn state where the number of dissenters from the Falkovnian Army made recruitment easy.

The Company of the Black Hand moved to the town of Nartok and set up a base of operations there. Using an existing temple to the Eternal Order, the Black Hand was able to increase their strength and add more followers to their cause. The time came to renew their pact to Bane, and return him to Godhood.

A fanatical priest of Myrkul, Ladislas Sinesti, was put in charge to gather the blood of innocents, necessary for the ceremony. He and Lord Gallius, a priest of Bhaal skilled in the arts of assasination, ventured to Lekar, the capitol city of Falkovnia, and together they began their nefarious acts. Ladislas raised from the dead criminals who were put to die by impalement and left in town squares and on city walls. Lord Gallius trained these men how to kill. They called their new splinter group the Ebon Fold, and made their base of operations in an abandonded tower. Ladislas and Lord Gallius were murdered, but not before they transported the blood to the temple in Nartok.

With the coming of the Grand Conjunction, Darkon can reach Faerun once again. Many years ago, in the frozen wastes of Vaasa, a powerful artifact known as the Orb of Golden Death was used to create gates to other worlds. The Orb of Golden Death was destroyed, along with the Temple of Elemental Evil in which it resided. However, rumours of recent activity in that region have piqued the interest of the Company of the Black Hand. A contingent of loyal followers have been sent to investigate.