The Arcane Brotherhood
The Arcane Brotherhood is a powerful and ruthless cabal of wizards based in Luskan, the "City of Sails," on the Sword Coast of Faerûn. In 1373 DR, they are at the height of their power, effectively ruling Luskan through magical dominance, manipulation, and fear. Known for their ambition and amorality, the Brotherhood seeks to control the North through magic, trade, and piracy, positioning themselves as a major power in the region.
Leadership and Structure
- The Overwizard: In 1373 DR, the Arcane Brotherhood is led by Arklem Greeth, a cold and calculating archwizard who has secretly become a lich to extend his life and power. Greeth took control of the Brotherhood in the 1360s DR after a series of internal power struggles, betrayals, and assassinations that saw the previous leadership toppled. As Overwizard, he rules with an iron grip, using fear and necromantic magic to keep his subordinates in line.
- The Archmages: Below Greeth are the four Archmages of the Quarters, each overseeing one of the Hosttower’s four spires (North, East, South, and West). These archmages manage the Brotherhood’s operations in their respective domains—North might handle piracy, East could focus on magical research, and so on. In 1373 DR, notable archmages include Jaluth Alaerth (a female drow wizard specializing in enchantment) and Valdar Hlakoth (a human necromancer loyal to Greeth). These archmages are powerful but constantly scheme against each other, vying for Greeth’s favor or plotting to replace him.
- The Mages: The bulk of the Brotherhood consists of lesser wizards, ranging from low-level apprentices to mid-tier enforcers. These mages are often recruited through coercion—many are kidnapped from across the Sword Coast for showing magical talent, then indoctrinated or magically bound to serve. They wear the Brotherhood’s signature black-and-silver robes and are a common sight in Luskan, patrolling the streets or guarding key locations.
- Agents and Spies: The Brotherhood employs non-mages as well—rogues, assassins, and informants who gather intelligence or carry out covert missions. Many of these agents operate in cities like Waterdeep, Neverwinter, and Mirabar, undermining rivals and expanding the Brotherhood’s influence.
Base of Operations
The Arcane Brotherhood is headquartered in the Hosttower of the Arcane, a towering, tree-like structure in Luskan’s northern district. The Hosttower is a marvel of magical architecture, with a central spire and four branching spires that resemble a gnarled tree, each glowing with arcane energy. Its interior is a labyrinth of laboratories, libraries, and ritual chambers, protected by magical wards, summoned creatures (like elementals and golems), and deadly traps. The Hosttower serves as both a fortress and a symbol of the Brotherhood’s power, its eerie glow visible for miles along the coast.
Goals and Methods
- Control of the North: The Brotherhood’s primary goal in 1373 DR is to dominate the North, both magically and economically. They seek to control trade routes along the Sword Coast, using Luskan as a hub for piracy and smuggling. Their influence extends to the High Captains of Luskan, whom they manipulate through magical compulsion, bribes, or threats.
- Piracy and Trade: The Brotherhood directs the High Captains’ fleets to raid merchant ships, targeting rivals like Waterdeep and Neverwinter. They also control Luskan’s black market, dealing in stolen goods, illegal magic items, and even Netherese artifacts smuggled from the Anauroch Desert.
- Magical Research: The Brotherhood is obsessed with uncovering ancient magic, particularly from the fallen empire of Netheril. They conduct dangerous experiments in the Hosttower, often involving planar magic, necromancy, or summoning. These experiments sometimes go awry, unleashing arcane horrors into Luskan’s streets or creating magical anomalies.
- Expansion of Influence: The Brotherhood sends agents to infiltrate other cities, sowing discord and gathering intelligence. They’ve clashed with the Lords’ Alliance (a coalition including Waterdeep and Neverwinter) and the Harpers, who see them as a growing threat to the Sword Coast’s stability.
Influence in Luskan
In 1373 DR, the Arcane Brotherhood effectively rules Luskan, though they allow the Five High Captains—Taerl, Baram, Kurth, Suljack, and Rethnor—to maintain the illusion of governance. The captains are little more than puppets, their decisions guided by the Brotherhood’s magic or coercion. The Brotherhood’s mages patrol the city, abducting anyone with magical potential to bolster their ranks, often through mind-altering spells or threats to their families. Citizens fear the Brotherhood, whispering of people disappearing into the Hosttower, never to return—some say they’re used in experiments or turned into undead servants.
The Brotherhood also controls much of Luskan’s economy, taking a cut of all illicit trade and using their magic to dominate markets. They’ve made enemies of Mirabar’s merchants, who operate in the city’s Mirabar District and resent the Brotherhood’s interference in their trade.
Reputation and Enemies
The Arcane Brotherhood is widely feared and despised across the Sword Coast. Their reputation for cruelty, ambition, and magical tyranny makes them a target for many factions:
- The Lords’ Alliance: Waterdeep, Neverwinter, and other member cities see the Brotherhood as a destabilizing force, especially due to their piracy. In 1373 DR, the Alliance is beginning to organize a naval response to curb Luskan’s raids.
- The Harpers: This secretive group opposes the Brotherhood’s tyranny and magical abuses, often sending agents to disrupt their operations or free their captives.
- The Zhentarim: Operating through the Red Dragon Trading Post in Luskan, the Zhentarim are rivals in the city’s underworld, competing for control of the black market.
- Internal Rivalries: Within the Brotherhood, mistrust and betrayal are rampant. Archmages scheme against each other, and some whisper that Arklem Greeth’s lichdom—still a closely guarded secret in 1373 DR—might be uncovered, sparking a power struggle.
Notable Activities in 1373 DR
- Piracy Campaigns: The Brotherhood is intensifying its raids on merchant shipping, targeting Waterdhavian and Neverwintan vessels to weaken their rivals. This has drawn the ire of the Lords’ Alliance, who are planning a retaliatory strike.
- Netherese Research: The Brotherhood is excavating ruins in the Anauroch Desert, seeking Netherese artifacts. One such artifact, a shard of a mythallar, is rumored to be hidden in the Hosttower, fueling dangerous experiments that could destabilize the region.
- Internal Tensions: Some High Captains, particularly Kurth, are growing resentful of the Brotherhood’s control. Kurth has been secretly meeting with agents from Mirabar, hoping to find allies to break free, though the Brotherhood’s spies are already onto him.
Appearance and Symbol
Members of the Arcane Brotherhood are easily recognized by their black-and-silver robes, often adorned with arcane sigils. The Brotherhood’s symbol is a silver crescent moon on a black field, sometimes with a single star above it, representing their mastery of magic and their ambition to dominate the night (a metaphor for the North).
