The Bloodied Fangs
A ruthless and disciplined raiding force specializing in ambushing merchant caravans, capturing prisoners, and seizing valuable goods along the trade roads between Dyvers, the Wild Coast, the Gnarley Forests , and the Viscounty of Verbobonc. These elite raiders, a specialized squad within The Crimson Reapers , are not your average roadside thugs. This band of cutthroats is notorious for their precision and brutality, preferring swift, overwhelming force to crush resistance before vanishing into the wilderness. They're highly disciplined, brutally efficient, and tied directly to the resurgence of the Temple of Elemental Evil.
The Crimson Reapers’ Elite Raiding Squad
Leader: Felix Fahnor ("Silent Blade")
Core Members
These elite bandits serve as Felix’s lieutenants in the field, ensuring the success of each raid.
Durgan "Ironjaw" Lormak – The Enforcer
- Role: Frontline bruiser, logistics officer, and Felix’s second-in-command.
- Personality: A brutal, pragmatic fighter who thrives on bloodshed and profit.
- Motivation: Former mercenary, now living for gold, glory, and the thrill of battle.
- Combat Style: Wields a greatsword and heavy armor, breaking enemy morale through sheer force.
- Special Tactics: Crushes enemy resistance with intimidation, executions, and brute force.
'"Gold spends the same, whether you earned it or took it from some dead fool's pocket."
Silk "The Shadow" Varenn – The Infiltrator
- Role: Scout, ranger, and tracker for the Bloodied Fangs.
- Personality: Sadistic and calculating, enjoying the thrill of the hunt.
- Motivation: Holds a deep vendetta against merchants, believing they betrayed her family.
- Combat Style: Dual-wields curved daggers and a longbow, excels in stealth and sabotage.
- Special Skills: Expert in disguises, forgeries, and terrain manipulation, setting traps along roads.
'"You can run. You can even hide. But you’ll die tired either way."
Torga "The Butcher" Redfang – Beastmaster
- Role: Tracker and beast-handler, specializing in wilderness survival.
- Personality: Wild and unpredictable, seeing violence as a divine calling.
- Motivation: Raised among raiders, he believes that only the strong deserve to live.
- Combat Style: Wields a massive cleaver, but his real weapons are his trained dire wolves.
- Special Tactics: Uses his wolves to corner and overwhelm fleeing prey.
'"The wolves don’t care who you are. They only care how long it’ll take to crack your bones."
Brigands of the Bloodied Fangs
Supporting the core members, these ten lower-level bandits carry out the bulk of the raids, forming the backbone of the crew. Each has a specific role within the group.
The Ten Brigands of the Bloodied Fangs
| Name | Role | Specialty |
|---|---|---|
| Garrik "The Grin" | Scout & Lookout | Sharp eyes, expert climber |
| Ralph "Two-Toes" | Ambusher | Crossbowman, dirty fighter |
| Krusk Iron-Eye | Heavy Hitter | Wields a greataxe, savage in combat |
| Lyle "Quickhands" | Saboteur | Traps expert, good with alchemical fire |
| Brenna "Red Briar" | Mounted Raider | Horseback combat specialist |
| Gord "Silent Step" | Knife Fighter | Dual-wielding dagger expert |
| Orlin "The Toad" | Muscle | Breaks bones, intimidates prisoners |
| Wexley "Soot" | Firestarter | Loves setting things ablaze |
| Edrik "False Smile" | Spy & Decoy | Master of deception |
| Velka "The Wraith" | Archer | Silent, deadly longbow sniper |
Each of these brigands has a unique history, personality, and combat specialty, allowing them to be used dynamically in raids.
'“Mercy? Never met the man. If I did, I’d probably rob him, too.”
Tactics and Raiding Methods
The Bloodied Fangs utilize ambush tactics, precision strikes, and brutal efficiency to overwhelm merchant caravans before disappearing into the Gnarley Forest.
Phase 1: Scouting & Ambush Preparation
- Silk and Torga track merchant movements and scout routes.
- Felix and Durgan identify ideal ambush points—dense forest paths, ravines, and bridges.
- The crew sets up roadblocks, traps, and hidden spike pits.
Phase 2: The Strike
- Felix initiates the attack with a silent assassination of the caravan leader.
- Durgan and Krusk charge the guards, breaking their formation.
- Silk and Velka pick off key targets with precise bow shots.
- Torga unleashes his dire wolves, creating chaos among the defenders.
Phase 3: The Aftermath
- Survivors are captured, interrogated, or executed.
- Loot is sorted and transported back to raiding camps or Nulb.
- False trails are left behind to mislead pursuers.
Raiding Camps in the Gnarley
The Bloodied Fangs maintain multiple hidden encampments across the Gnarley Forest to stage raids and store loot.
Primary Raiding Camps
- The Hollow Fang Camp: A fortified ruin deep in the forest, doubling as a prison for captured merchants.
- The Bleeding Tree: A ritual site where Maldrith occasionally performs dark sacrifices.
- The Smoke Hollow Hideout: A concealed cave system filled with stolen goods.
- The Black Stag Encampment: A mobile tent camp used for hit-and-run raids.
These camps provide resupply points, places to lay low, and staging grounds for continued raids.
Connections & Black Market Ties
- Waterside Hostel (Nulb): Safehouse and information hub.
- Nysera Krivaltis: Unofficial ally, sometimes purchasing stolen goods.
- Iron Lash Slave Dungeon: A major buyer of captured merchants.
- Temple of Elemental Evil: Occasionally purchases magic items and rare captives.
Adventure Hooks
- "The Merchant's Revenge" – A noble family hires the party to track down the Bloodied Fangs after a caravan raid kills their heir.
- "A Contract on Your Head" – The party disrupts a raid and becomes Felix’s next target.
- "Burn the Camps" – A secret mission to destroy the raiding camps and cripple the Bloodied Fangs’ operations.
- "The Wolves of the Gnarley" – The party hears rumors of dire wolves hunting travelers—but soon learns the truth behind Torga’s beasts.
Final Thoughts
The Bloodied Fangs are a ruthless, highly organized raiding force that threatens the major trade roads through the Gnarley Forest and beyond. With Felix Fahnor at the helm, they serve as an extension of Zelt’s growing power, acting as both his sword and shadow in the wilds.
'"We don’t fight fair. We fight to win. If you’re still talking when the killing starts, you’ve already lost."
Leader: Felix Fahnor ("Silent Blade")
- Role: Raid leader, master assassin, and enforcer of Zelt’s will in the field.
- Personality: Cold, pragmatic, and utterly efficient. Felix operates with surgical precision, treating his raids like military operations.
- Motivation: Absolute loyalty to Zelt; sees the raids as a tool to expand Zelt’s influence while eliminating obstacles.
- Combat Style: Prefers ambushes and surprise attacks, using stealth, poisons, and rapid, decisive strikes.
Durgan "Ironjaw" Lormak – The Enforcer
Medium Humanoid (Human), Lawful Evil
Armor Class 16 (Half Plate)
Hit Points 75 (10d10+20)
Speed 30 ft.
STR 18 (+4) | DEX 12 (+1) | CON 16 (+3) | INT 10 (+0) | WIS 12 (+1) | CHA 13 (+1)
Saving Throws Str +6, Con +5
Skills Athletics +6, Intimidation +5, Perception +4
Damage Resistances Bludgeoning (non-magical)
Senses Passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Thieves’ Cant
Brutal Charge. If Durgan moves at least 10 feet before attacking, his first melee hit deals an extra 9 (2d8) damage.
Multiattack. Durgan makes two melee attacks.
Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6+4) slashing damage.
Reckless Assault (Recharge 5-6). Durgan makes a single melee attack with advantage. On hit, the target must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Silk "The Shadow" Varenn – The Infiltrator
Medium Humanoid (Half-Elf), Neutral Evil
Armor Class 15 (Leather Armor)
Hit Points 52 (8d10+8)
Speed 35 ft.
STR 10 (+0) | DEX 18 (+4) | CON 14 (+2) | INT 12 (+1) | WIS 14 (+2) | CHA 13 (+1)
Saving Throws Dex +7, Wis +4
Skills Stealth +8, Perception +5, Deception +5, Sleight of Hand +7, Survival +6
Damage Resistances Poison
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 15
Languages Common, Elvish, Thieves’ Cant
Evasion. If Silk is subjected to an effect that requires a Dexterity saving throw, she takes no damage on a success and half damage on a failure.
Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Silk deals an extra 10 (3d6) damage when she has advantage or an ally within 5 ft.
Multiattack. Silk makes two melee or ranged attacks.
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+4) piercing damage.
Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+4) piercing damage.
Shadow Step (Recharge 5-6). As a bonus action, Silk teleports up to 30 feet in dim light or darkness.
Torga "The Butcher" Redfang – Beastmaster
Medium Humanoid (Half-Orc), Chaotic Evil
Armor Class 14 (Hide Armor)
Hit Points 68 (9d10+18)
Speed 30 ft.
STR 16 (+3) | DEX 14 (+2) | CON 16 (+3) | INT 8 (-1) | WIS 12 (+1) | CHA 10 (+0)
Saving Throws Str +6, Con +5
Skills Animal Handling +5, Survival +5, Perception +4, Intimidation +4
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Orcish
Pack Leader. Torga’s dire wolves have advantage on attack rolls if within 5 feet of him.
Feral Strike (1/Turn). If Torga is within 5 feet of a creature grappled or prone, he deals an extra 9 (2d8) slashing damage.
Multiattack. Torga makes two melee attacks.
Cleaver. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+3) slashing damage.
Whistle for the Pack (Recharge 5-6). Torga calls his dire wolves to attack. Up to two wolves in range immediately move up to 30 feet and make a bite attack.
Bloodied Fang Brigand
(Basic Stat Block for the 10 Brigands)
Medium Humanoid (Human), Neutral Evil
Armor Class 13 (Leather Armor)
Hit Points 27 (5d8+5)
Speed 30 ft.
STR 14 (+2) | DEX 14 (+2) | CON 12 (+1) | INT 10 (+0) | WIS 10 (+0) | CHA 11 (+0)
Skills Perception +2, Stealth +4, Survival +3
Senses Passive Perception 12
Languages Common
Multiattack. The brigand makes two melee or ranged attacks.
Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+2) slashing damage.
Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+2) piercing damage.
Cunning Ambush. If the brigand surprises a target, it has advantage on its first attack.
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