Questions about Spy Agencies in the Western Heartlands, the North and Silver Marches.

[Death_Jester]

Greetings All,

I would like to request some feedback from those that also play in the Forgotten Realms setting. I will be doing a sort of Spy style series of games in in the near future. What I want to know is what Kingdoms/City-States would have espionage and counter-espionage groups operating for them. For example: would Waterdeep have a group that deals with intelligence and keeping an eye on the actions of, say Zentil Keep amonst other operatives in the city and surrounding country-side? If so what would it's name be?

Also what kinds of goals would these agencies have and what possible splinter groups could there be?

Thanks in Advance.

 

[Dark Jezter]

The Harpers, Moonstars, and Zhentarim all do a lot of espionage. In fact, the Player's Guide to Faerun has a Zhentarim spy prestige class.

 

[Derulbaskul]

Two other groups to consider: Waterdeep's Red Sashes and the Lords Alliance.

The Red Sashes are effectively a group of spies who act on behalf of certain non-paladin Lords/

The Lords Alliance is the formal name for the alliance amongst the goodly cities of the North. I have no doubt that they have their spies and agents.

 

[3catcircus]

Greetings All,

I would like to request some feedback from those that also play in the Forgotten Realms setting. I will be doing a sort of Spy style series of games in in the near future. What I want to know is what Kingdoms/City-States would have espionage and counter-espionage groups operating for them. For example: would Waterdeep have a group that deals with intelligence and keeping an eye on the actions of, say Zentil Keep amonst other operatives in the city and surrounding country-side? If so what would it's name be?

Also what kinds of goals would these agencies have and what possible splinter groups could there be?

Thanks in Advance.

Let's see:

In addition to those already mentioned, don't forget the (going off the top of my head, so the exact names may be wrong):

Arcane Brotherhood (Neverwinter)
High Captains of Luskan
The Kraken Society

 

[Derulbaskul]

(snip) Arcane Brotherhood (Neverwinter) (snip)

No, the Arcane Brotherhood rule Luskan. The High Captains are their minions.

 

[Death_Jester]

OK so far we have the RED SASHES from Waterdeep.
The ZHENTARIM from Zentil Keep, with the CHURCH OF BANE faction of that group.
The HIGH CAPTAINS from Luskan.


In addition to these there might be the:
The SHADES from the Anauroch Desert.
The DROW From Menzoberranzan.

Does the Silver Marches have a dedicated espionage and counter-espionage groups of its own? Since the area is little more then a loose confederation of city states would each of the signatoies of the confederation have its own group?

Also any additional information about power or spy groups in the area would be appreciated.

 

[BlackMoria]

The Lord's Alliance and the Silver Marches make extensive use of Harpers but also would have their own 'dedicated' spy networks. Some have been mentioned before like the Red Sashes. And I would imagine that Alustriel (Silver Marches) would have covert 'agents' of the Silver Legion.

Khelben Blackstaff broke from the Harpers and formed his own organization called the Moonstars.

In fact, most likely any power group would have a network of spies and informants, even if the network doesn't have any official designation.

So organizations like the Twisted Rune, the Order of the Shield, the Iron Throne, the Company of the Basilisk, the Shadow Thieves, and the Cult of the Dragon, (to name a few), would all field spies and informants.

 

[jasper]

jester is asking not nice questions. Please bunny thump him.