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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Gradine" data-source="post: 7758046" data-attributes="member: 57112">Again, I haven't read the adventure, and I'm not a FR-lore expert, but everything I've read about the Zhentarim, especially <a href="http://dnd.wizards.com/dungeons-and-dragons/story/faction/zhentarim" target="_blank">here</a>, just screams Aurum to me. Sure Emerald Claw might have the link to necromancy, but they're mostly known as a terrorist organization, and they're ultimately loyal to Lady Vol; they lack either the public face or the desire for riches/econonic/political power that characterize the Zhents. The fact that there appears to be a split makes things a bit more interesting however. As in; the Aurum are the "main" faction of the Zhentarim, while Manshoon and his loyalists are replaced by the Boromars? I could see that; though I'd lean more towards House Tarkanan in this case. The Aurum and House Tarkanan have a common enemy (the Dragonmarked Houses) and I could see a potential alliance between them, leading to whatever split is set up in the adventure.I can see the argument for setting Waterdeep somewhere else (while we're at it, Stormreach, Thronehold, or even Korth might make interesting stand-ins for different reasons) but I'm going to make several arguments in favor of sticking to Sharn:1) The Xanathar Guild (and the Xanathar themself) fit Sharn to a T.2) The Undermountain. Thinking ahead to the Dungeon of the Mad Mage here, but Sharn is the only city with a well-established dungeon deep within its bowels in The Depths.3) Considering The Depths' ties to the War of the Mark, it would make sense for House Tarkanan to have an interest in them.4) There's also plenty of possible tie-ins to who the Mad Mage's counterpart would be. Calderus is currently the Big Bad down there, but I could see potential for a Bigger Bad lurking beneath; perhaps one of the ancient leaders of the Aberrant Dragonmarked, thought dead for millennia?</blockquote>

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