Zhentilar Paladin of Bane

Wardens of the Zhentarim Treasure: Armaments

The Zhentilar is the militant wing of the Zhentarim. Zhentilar forces occupy Zhentarim strongholds such as Zhentil Keep and Darkhold and defend these places from the Zhentarim's many enemies. If the Zhentarim is one big family, then the Zhentilar are the protective older siblings who look out for their kin. Zhentilar also conduct other important organizational work such as safeguarding powerful magic items or escorting Zhentarim leaders.

Zhentilar Paladin of Bane: The Zhentilar's most-respected commanders and sergeants tend to be spellswords or holy warriors who worship nefarious higher powers, such as Bane.

The Zhentilar are the elite military forces of the Zhentarim (the Black Network), serving as the brutal, organized arm of Bane, the god of tyranny, fear, and hatred. Paladins who pledge themselves to Bane through the Zhentilar are sworn to establish rigid order, ruthlessly crush chaos, and ensure that the strong dominate the weak.

The Core Lore:

• The Patron: Bane (The Black Lord/The Black Hand) demands absolute discipline, strife to weed out the weak, and careful orchestration of control rather than senseless slaughter.
• The Black Network: The Zhentarim spans across Faerûn, converting political influence, trading networks, and mercenary might into holy conquests for Bane.
• The Order: Zhentilar Paladins (sometimes known as part of the Knights of the Black Gauntlet) enforce law via tyranny. They view their cause as bringing necessary order and structure to a chaotic world, believing peace comes only through total subjugation.

Roleplaying a Zhentilar Paladin:

• The Oath: Unlike good-aligned paladins, they usually follow the Oath of Conquest, emphasizing martial prowess, fear as a weapon, and the rule of the strong.
• Alignment: Lawful Evil. They loathe chaotic villains (like typical bandits) just as much as heroes, believing that chaos undermines the supreme, structured society they are trying to build.
• Motivations: They operate as high-ranking enforcers, generals, or regional warlords, often infiltrating frontier towns to manipulate local militias or taking over thieves' guilds to install themselves as the iron-fisted ruling class.

Campaign Adventures in Faerûn:

• Moonsea Hegemony: Zhentilar Paladins are heavily embedded in the Moonsea region, historically operating out of Zhentil Keep, the Citadel of the Raven, and Mulmaster. They frequently clash with the Harpers and the Lords' Alliance.
• The Western Heartlands: Since the devastation of Zhentil Keep, the Black Network's center of power shifted to Darkhold. Adventures here involve covertly bribing nobles, running slave camps, and violently suppressing rebellions.
• Icewind Dale: Zhentarim influence (and Zhentilar mercenaries) stretches all the way to Ten Towns. They can serve as dangerous puppet-masters, such as the town speakers Naerth Maxildanarr, creating local conflicts to secure trade monopolies.

The Zhentalir: The Zhentilar are the standing military force of Zhentil Keep and the enforcement arm of the Zhentarim (the "Black Network"). Serving as both ruthless conquerors and elite sellswords, they operate across Faerûn from the Moonsea to the Sword Coast. Their lore centers on tyranny, elite mercenary work, and shadow politics.

History and Origins:

• Foundation: Formed after the death of the warlord Zhentar in 753 DR, the Zhentilar were officially expanded into a full army following the devastating "Night Plague" in 882 DR.
• The Black Network: In 1261 DR, the wizard Manshoon founded the Zhentarim. The Zhentilar became the primary military and enforcement arm for this mercantile and espionage organization.
• The Citadel of the Raven: Along with Zhentil Keep itself, the Zhentilar maintained a massive fortress called the Citadel of the Raven.
• Fall and Rebirth: During the 15th century, the Zhentarim evolved from an overt military-nation into a continental network of elite mercenaries.

Key Figures and Lore Icons:

• Manshoon: The founder of the Zhentarim, a brilliant but fiercely ambitious wizard who controlled Zhentil Keep alongside a triumvirate of leaders.
• Fzoul Chembryl: The High Priest of Bane, who ultimately took over the Black Network, transforming it into a formidable faith-based organization.
• The Pereghost: The shadowy undead commander of the mercenary fortress of Darkhold. He transformed the Zhentilar's reputation from backstabbing thugs to highly disciplined, professional mercenaries.
• Scyllua Darkhope: A high-ranking champion of Bane and Castellan of Zhentil Keep, responsible for the city's day-to-day defenses.

Equipment and Combat Style:

• The Iron Guard: Zhentilar soldiers are typically clad in heavy, distinctive black plate armor and are well-known for utilizing state-of-the-art weaponry, and occasionally banned contraband like poisons or smokepowder weapons.
• The Naug-orls: Also known as "Devil Worms," this was a specialized, covert division of the Zhentilar containing assassins, spies, and thieves who operated as a secret police within the Keep.

Adventure Hooks:

• Contracted Muscle: Your party might encounter a squad of four elite Zhentilar soldiers (led by a Sternhelm) offering their services as caravan guards for 20 gold pieces per day.
• Sabotage and Ransom: Historically, Zhentarim agents have been known to stir up local monster populations or capture castles to force isolated towns and kingdoms to rely on the Zhentilar for protection.
• The Black Road: Adventurers can find themselves tangling with Zhentilar forces who routinely extort trade routes or harass independent operators who refuse to pay the Zhentarim protection fees.