The Red Wizards of Thay are just one of Faerun’s many villainous organizations. Here are five others, waiting to be bad!
The Forgotten Realms is as full of villains as it is heroes, it seems. And whether you’re good or evil, you know that teamwork makes the dreamwork. Which is why Faerun is full of factions. One of them – the Red Wizards of Thay- is going to take center stage later this year.
But the Red Wizards are only one of the many, many evil organizations lurking in the Forgotten Realms. So if you’re worried they’ll feel played out after Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall, you needn’t. Here are five other evil organizations just waiting for their time to shine.
The Zhentarim
The Zhentarim, as an organization, is one of the best examples of villains and mercenaries who can play all sorts of roles in a D&D campaign. They’re the most likely evil organization for anyone to know outside of the Red Wizards. This is because the Zhentarim are omnipresent; they go where the coin is.
On the surface, they are an organization dedicated to doing evil business. Emphasis on the business. They trade in illicit goods, smuggle cargo, and of course, offer their mercenary services to protect said cargo. But dig a little deeper and you’ll find a whole internecine conflict between Banites and Cyricists (two evil gods whose champions have wielded influence in the Zhentarim) just ready to spill over.
House Orogoth
House Orogoth, on the other hand, is a more obscure evil organization. But don’t let that confuse you,, House Orogoth is a deadly presence in the Sword Coast. They have been around since the ancient days – at least since the high days of Netheril, when the House originated as a powerful arcanist family in that mythic empire.
Since then, House Orogoth has changed. It was thought lost to history, but actually was taken over y the great wyrm Calathanorgoth, a Black Dragon who sired an entire dynasty and directed them to accumulate and uncover the secrets of Netherese magic. Calathanorgoth became a dracolich and has steered the House for more than a thousand years. Now it is a House of reptilians, ophidian creatures, and of course humans of Netherese descent whose arcane pwer can be put to use in service of the great wyrm/dracolich in charge.
The Fraternity of Tharos
The Fraternity of Tharos is a demon-worshipping cult. Operating out of Impiltur, the Fraternity takes its name from an ancient citadel of black stone, Dun-Tharos. It was once ruled by druids, then corrupted by the goddess of poison before being left to rot and fester – and there, the abyss settled in.
The Fraternity of Tharos is a great example of how demon cults can grow and seethe if left unchecked. They conduct bloody rituals in unmarked gray towers. Innocent victims are abducted to be sacrificed before a relic known as the Demonstone – an ancient stone inscribed with the names of various demons. Its members can call upon fiendish aid in battle as they spread the influence of demonic forces in Faerun.
The Kraken Society
The Kraken Society is probably my favorite one on this list, because they’re so weird and sinister. Also known as the Krakenar, the Heralds of the Sea, and the Tentacles of the Deep Lord, this organization is most known as a kind of evil pirate spy network. Their primary goal is the retrieval of information – their stock and trade is illicit secrets, as much as any loot or plunder gained from the violent tactics they employed.
But the truth is darker – the kraken mage Slarkrethel leads the society. The titular Deep Lord, Slarkrethel keeps his existence secret, preferring to act through emissaries who spy on the surface world to keep the society informed and in power. But the society serves a secret purpose – its schemes all serve one of Slarkrethel’s two main aims: building a kingdom beneath the Trackless Sea and an eventual apotheosis.
The Night Parade
And then there’s the Night Parade. This one is truly sinister. It is a group of nightmarish creatures from the Far Realm or the Demiplane of Nightmares, depending on whom you ask. These bizarre creatures scatter themselves throughout Toril in different “nests” that could go from a few dozen creatuures to thousands.
No matter the size, each Night Parade nest has one goal: colonizing Faerun. However, these alien creatures could not reproduce naturally on the Material Plane, so in order to spread the next generation of their power, the Night Parade was formed. This organization was dedicated to abducting humanoid infants and transforming them through magical rituals into nightmare descendants that could then continue to spread their power. True monsters from beyond the pale, they will stop at nothing to transform Toril into their next home.
Happy Adventuring!
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