Zhentil Keep was the first human city to be built on the northern side of the Moonsea, and it has become the richest and most powerful habitation in the area, rivaling Suzail and the cities of Sembia. It has been called, at times, Thargate Keep, because it stands between the eastern Heartlands to the south and Thar.
There can be no understanding of Zhentil Keep without understanding its groups. The first thing any scholar of the Keep must know is the difference between the Zhents, the Zhentilar, and the Zhentarim.
Zhents are citizens of the Keep, those who live and work and dwell and die in the city. Their toil is fodder for those who rule them.
Zhentilar are the swords and spells of Zhentil Keep, the soldiers and mages that are the armies of the Zhents. Their work is that of Empire, they seek to dominate lands both near and far for their own glory and the glory of their masters.
Zhentarim are the undisputed masters of the Keep, even if their rule is from the shadows of the power structure of the city.
Lord Chess Calkontor and the Council of Lords may rule in name but those in the know are well aware that the true might pf the city resides with the Zhentarim, the Black Network. Their goal is much more subtle than that of the Zhentilar, they seek to dominate all trade in Faerun and they do so the same way they rule Zhentil Keep, through the shadows.
Those who wish to be something more than a Zhent or a Zhentilar know that they must rise through the ranks of the Zhentarim, they must become members of the Black Network...
Zhentil Keep'S population is 79,000 in the winter, and swells to an estimated 86,000 during the summer. Its major products are metal of all sorts; armor, weaponry, and other metal products; gems; coal; furs; and liquor. Its armed forces are the Zhentilar, currently numbering some 22,000 crack troops armored in plate mail to full plate, and bolstered by almost 16,000 mercenaries of all levels of ability. These troops are mainly based along the Long Road and in the Citadel of the Raven, with only about 5,000 residing in the Keep itself.
The Keep is fortified with 40-foot-thick walls of black granite that are higher than the tallest building. Legend has it they are constructed from stone mined in the Dragonspine Mountains centuries ago. These walls can withstand twice the punishment of normal granite, a testament to the dwarves who constructed them.
Most of the buildings inside the black walls are four to six stories high, and lean one against the other. They loom over the streets like dark cliffs. Crabweed and lichen grow on the cobbled streets, through which dirty water, kitchen, and night wastes flow until they meet a sewer grate. There is not a tree or park to be found in the entire city. Great iron gates set into building walls can block off entire streets in case of an invasion or, as the locals say quietly, a revolt. The city is divided into four sections: the Common Quarter, the Harbor District, the Foreign Quarter, and the Inner Quarter.
The Common Quarter is where the masses of Zhentil keep live, do business, and hope to see the next sunrise. The buildings of this quarter are crammed together along the broken streets occupied by the common Zhent. The quarter harbors inns, taverns, merchant shops, providers of skilled services, and apartments that house the masses, along with the rare slightly rundown family residence. The condition of structures found here is mediocre at best, and roach-infested and disease-ridden at worst.
For the lost soul who, because of his or her birth or condition, will never venture beyond the walls of the Keep, this is a prison akin to the plains of Gehenna. To the corrupt and immoral that prey on the ignorant and downtrodden, the Common Quarter is the means to gain the hearts' desire be it wealth, fleshly delights, or power.
The Common Quarter is home to myriad inns and taverns, each in poor to average condition. Rumors persist that Agents from the Inner and Foreign Quarters see to it that prospering businesses run by common Zhents never draw too many customers away from the plush, expensive establishments in those quarters.
Typical housing for common Zhents consists of one- or two room apartments with poor (or absent) plumbing, unclean water, and an abundance of rats and other vermin. Not all residences are in such deplorable condition, but a Zhent must work hard to bring himself or herself out of squalor.
Unless someone leaves via the Harbor District or the Foreign Quarter, anyone exiting Zhentil Keep must travel through the Common Quarter to one of two gates at the western or northeastern portion of the Keep. Each gate is guarded by 10 Zhentilar soldiers and concealed agents likely lurk in nearby shadows.
Entering Zhentil Keep is relatively easy; exiting can be much more difficult. Anyone entering through the Dragon Gate or the Trail Gate (also known as the common gates) is asked a series of questions by Zhentilar guards.
Answering yes to certain questions results in the traveler being detained for questioning by Zhentilar captains and possibly Zhentarim. Giving different answers to similar questions also results in similar detainment. If found guilty of spying or subversion parties cannot bargain for their freedom, they often end up as slaves or become victims at the Black Altar of Bane.
To exit through any of the city's gates (even those in other quarters) costs money. Foreigners who wish to leave the city are charged a gate fee of 20 gp. Working-class or middle-class natives of Zhentil Keep are charged 100 gp. The Council of Lords assesses such a high gate fee to its average citizens because it has had problems in the past with a persistent attrition of its workforce. Nobles of Zhentil Keep and their entourages may enter or leave the city at will. Thus, the life of a Zhentilar is much more attractive than that of an average Zhent.
The harbor is controlled by the lords of the city who are merchants, as well as the Zhentarim, as this district is the center for goods shipping and warehousing in Zhentil Keep. Most of the lords reside in the Inner Quarter, but their merchandise storage and offices are located in this section of the Keep. Warehouses here are squeezed up against one another along heavily guarded docks and are safeguarded by the personal troops of the owning Zhent lord. The harbor itself is easily capable of docking 250 vessels at a time at its six large permanent wharves and numerous smaller, temporary ones that change with the seasons. Docking and unloading in the north harbor is restricted to the Zhentarim, the lords of the Keep, and others having special trading status with the Zhentarim. Non-Zhent trading concerns must work out of the Foreign Quarter.
In addition to the guards of the lords, the Harbor District is patrolled by a garrison of Zhentilar during the day, and nefarious shadow figures rumored to be under the control of the Zhentarim at night. Access to the Harbor District is possible through two inner city gates leading to the Common Quarter and two inner bridge gates, leading to the larger city bridge gates, the North Force Gate and the North Tesh Gate. Each inner gate has a Zhentilar guardpost near it and is guarded by 10 to 15 Zhentilar, depending on the days activities. Admittance to the Harbor is restricted to those bearing authorized writs and on-duty members of the Zhentilar under the command of an officer or petty officer. These writs are obtained from the harbormaster or his agents at the High Hall, and are issued to (mainly Zhent) merchants, Zhent lords and people on their payroll, known Zhentarim traders, and members of the Zhentilar.
Writs can be obtained at the High Hall for 25-50 gp and up, depending on the speed desired for a reply (no guarantees). Since free and safe trade is the heart of Zhentil Keeps economy, the Keeps’ laws are strictly enforced here for most Zhentarim tend to be above the law, except when incompetence could be traced back to the Inner Circle or important Zhentil Keep lords. Zhentarim offenders who might embarrass their superiors are usually made an example by being publicly whipped or beheaded.
The harbormaster of Zhentil Keep is an important post chosen by the Council of Lords, and his or her performance is reviewed each year. It takes a vote of half of the Council to elect or reelect someone to the position. In theory, the election of this official by the entire Council helps reduce the chance for corruption in the position and helps counter the favoritism of certain lords. Currently, the harbormaster is an ex-Zhentilar captain named Zak Tanish, who retired after a battle at Yûlash left him lame in one leg. Zak has proven himself a more-than-adequate administrator. In the decade he’s held the position, it is said he has publicly held steadfast against the bribes and threats of corrupt lords.
The Foreign Quarter is comprised of the portion of Zhentil Keep south of the River Tesh. The Foreign Quarter is a stopping point for non-Zhent traffic along the river from the Dales to the Moonsea. The Council of Lords of Zhentil Keep (along with the Zhentarim) normally does not suppress travel along the River Tesh and detain traffic in the Foreign Quarter because the volume of traders coming up the river would overwhelm the harborage. Entry into the Foreign Quarter by either the River Trail Gate or the Throat Gate meets an interrogation similar to that for the two outer gates of the Common Quarter.
Two bridges now cross the river from Zhentil Keep to the Foreign Quarter: the Tesh Bridge and the Force Bridge. Neither of them are much like the first bridge begun across the Tesh here, long ago in the Year of Mid-Summer’s Dreams (754 DR). The Tesh Bridge is a series of multiple gates through which traffic from the Moonsea must pass to enter the River Tesh, and vice versa. Zhentilar under the command of the harbormaster record the names of ships, their captains, cargoes, and destinations before letting the ships into the mouth of the river. In addition to providing an accessway to the Foreign Quarter, the Force Bridge has an enormous iron gate, which is dropped down to block river traffic in both directions. The gate is opened for only eight hours per day, often forcing non-Zhent traffic to stay in the Foreign Quarter. Non-Zhent traffic is restricted to the Foreign Quarter, while the goods of the Zhentarim, the lords of the Keep, and others having special trading status with the Zhentarim are filtered north into the harbor.
Non-Zhent traders wishing to unload for the first time must seek temporary docking at the smaller dock near the South Tesh Gate of the Foreign Quarter until the proper paperwork can be obtained for a longer stay. Certified harbor couriers at the temporary docks take applications for legitimate trading and unloading permits to the High Hall for 30-60 gp and up, depending on the speed desired for a reply.
Non-Zhent traffic restricted to the Foreign Quarter pays exorbitant taxes (docking permit, unloading permit, wine tax, beer tax, liquor tax, inn tax per night’s stay, etc.) and equally high prices for food and lodgings. This quarter is full of inns, taverns, festhalls, and other entertainment-based establishments. Many of these businesses are owned by lords of Zhentil Keep and the Zhentarim.
The Inner Quarter lies within the boundaries of Flostren’s original keep walls, built over 500 years ago. At one time these walls towered 60 feet in height, but they have been reduced to 15 feet over the years. The removed stone has been used to reinforce new outer walls. This quarter is home to the most prominent, powerful, and deadly citizens of Zhen-til Keep Merchant headquarters, plush inns, exorbitant taverns, and the Keep’s official government also reside here, as well as an assortment of other notable city structures including the Black Altar of Bane, the Tower High of Manshoon, the Thieves’ Guildhall, and the deadly Arena.
The services offered in the Inner Quarter command higher prices than in other quarters of the city, except for the obscenely inflated Foreign Quarter. Gaining access to the Inner Quarter is not at all an easy task. There are only two gates to this quarter, one located near the Black Altar (the temple of Bane) and the other near Manshoon’s Tower High. These gates are guarded by at least 12 Zhentilar soldiers, and anyone wanting to gain access to this quarter must submit to substantial interrogation. In addition, it is said that things watch these Gates from the shadows’.
The condition of the Inner Quarter is paradisaical compared to any other part of the Keep. The general layout of the quarter is similar to the rest of the city, but the quality of the structures is vastly superior. What few tax moneys actually make their way to the city’s coffers are used to rebuild broken roads, repair faulty sewage lines, and restore older buildings in this quarter.
Prices for services in the Inner Quarter are two to three times those of the Common Quarter, but the patron definitely gets the best Zhentil Keep has to offer. Although walking the streets at night is not recommended in any part of the Keep, citizens who respect the laws (and those that enforce them) are the safest in this segment of the city.
Residents of the Inner Quarter who do not possess the title of Lord often pay protection money to one of the city’s major power groups depending on their location in the quarter to ensure protection (or at least prevent harassment!). Despite corruption in these power groups, such paid protection is always honored in times of need, hence the maxim: “A Zhent promise is always purchased”.
Life within the walls of Zhentil Keep is difficult and sometimes deadly, but many opportunities are available for the
Resourceful and wealthy Zhent.
The most common way to make a living in Zhentil Keep is by working for someone else. Many Zhents live by the coins they make from day to day, but never have to worry about property, taxes, or the shadow of the Zhentarim. Since it is difficult for the average citizen to leave Zhentil Keep, many Zhents live out their lives as commoners within the city’s walls. Excluding joining the ranks of the Zhentilar, most workingclass Zhents hold jobs as tavern workers, cooks, street cleaners and repair workers, servants, personal guards, entertainers, professional escorts, beggars, messengers, and assorted other menial occupations that barely put food in their mouths, let alone support their families.
Given their station within the class system of the Keep, the common Zhents are often found in taverns or back alleys drinking or gambling away their meager income. They seek an escape from the squalor and dreariness of their lives through beer or liquor, or hope for that lucky break of the cards or dice that will make them rich or at least well off enough to leave the Keep or set up a shop of their own. Many of these sad and deluded individuals end up drinking themselves into oblivion permanently, losing their money to professional gamblers, falling afoul of muggers and thieves, dying in bar fights, or simply wasting away of poor nutrition and disease.
Small business owners, skilled tradesfolk, property owners, and non-lord merchants make up the next bracket of Zhent society. These folk have inherited money or a business, or they have pulled themselves out of the gutter through skill, persistence, or luck to compete for their own place within the city’s walls. Many of these Zhents have either thrown in their lot with one of Zhentil Keep’s many power groups in order to get where they are, or they have been persecuted by a power group that wanted to keep them from getting more powerful.
Many establishments and buildings in the Common Quarter are owned by these middle-class businessmen. These businesses run the full gamut, and include inns, taverns, small specialty shops, wagonmakers, finesmiths and ironsmiths, weaponmakers and armorers, jewelers and gemcutters, leathermakers, tailors, weavers, millers, bakers, masons, carpenters and cabinetmakers, and other trade services. Zhents who make their livings as landlords own primarily working-class Zhent living quarters, which are frequently nothing more than filthy and disease-filled holes in the wall. Between keeping their business going, paying off power groups, meeting taxes, and other unexpected expenses, these entrepreneurs earn only slightly more than the common worker.
Non-lord merchants and traders seldom own property from which to peddle their wares, and often attempt to sell their goods on the streets to those who pass by. Such individuals often earn the ire of the lords with whom their businesses compete; they are then usually put out of business slowly by having their prices vicious undercut or quickly at the point of a sword. Eventually, the non-lord merchants and traders end up working for lords if they prove competent and have some connection a lord would be interested in, or are forced to leave the city, or are marked for assassination. Many of these smaller, fiercely independent traders make an adequate living in Zhentil Keep, but the cautious ones make sure not to cross the Zhentarim, under penalty of a slow, painful death.
Joining the Zhentilar is a step up in pay from these jobs, and the potential for kickbacks and bribes can double a Zhent’s income. However, the strict and harsh military life of the Zhentilar is not for everyone. Most Zhentilar, unless they possess special skills, spend their careers as members of the Army and there is a very great chance of being killed on the job. Unlike normal Zhents, Zhentilar at least have the chance to come and go from the Keep, provided they have orders that allow them to do so. Villains such as the Harpers make life for a Zhentilar outside of the city dangerous when their allegiances are discovered. Those who do display the correct set of abilities and are not marked for death due to some unknowing slight, are potential recruits for the Black Network.
Lords of Zhentil Keep either inherited their money or earned it (legally or illegally) through hard work. Those who got where they are through hard work involve themselves in all aspects of their mercantile businesses, from purchasing goods to accompanying the wares to their destinations. These lords tend to be the most manipulative, shrewd, underhanded, and cruel Zhents in Zhentil Keep. They are usually involved with the Zhentarim or some other power group.
The title of lord had been passed down from father to son. The death of a lord of the Council required that his son be confirmed as a lord by the Council. Due to this tradition and unfortunately for the prosperity of Zhentil Keep, many of the lords are fat, lazy buffoons who live off the gold of their forefathers and are more interested in what new luxuries they can wallow in than their family businesses. While the debaucheries of such lords are legendary, their business acumen is not. Many of these lords leave the management of their business to incompetent subordinates or deceitful individuals who embezzle their masters’ funds and eventually disappear. Such lords are often still lords because they have proven themselves to be useful pawns of the Zhentarim or other heinous individuals.
Unlike Watereep whose Lords are cowards that hide form the populace, the lords of the Keep are well known (though not easily accessible) to the average Zhent. The Council of Lords functions in governing Zhentil Keep, The rulers of the city are Lord Chess Calkontor, Watchlord of the Council and supreme director of Council affairs, and a Council of Lords comprised of 16 other lords of Zhentil Keep, known as the Council of Lords. Another 40 to 45 minor lords work together as a kind of parliament, each of them supporting a lord of the Council. Council lords often imbue minor lords with the power to speak for them in day-today administrative issues.
Manshoon carries the title of high lord of Zhentil Keep. This title does not grant him supreme control of Zhentil Keep but it does place all the military forces of Zhentil Keep at his disposal.
The Council of Lords
High Lord Manshoon of the Zhentarim – As the High Lord of the Keep, Manshoon possesses complete control of the military forces of the Keep. Unquestionably the most powerful individual in the Keep due to his powerful wizardry Manshoon has lived a much longer lifetime than any normal man could dream of. His demeanor is controlled, yet his opponents always feel that he is just a hair.s width away from flying into a fury. He is biting and sarcastic even when being polite to the letter.
Lord Syal Amandon - The Amandon family controls the majority of Zhentil Keep’s weapons and iron trade.
Lord Marsh Belwintle - This Zhentarim agent, commonly known as the Slave Lord, is one of Zhentil Keep’s leading merchants, dealing slaves to the drow, to others across the Heartlands, and to foreign contacts.
Lord Thaerun Blackryn - The family of Blackryn can trace its lordship back to one of the very few of Zhentar’s chosen wizard lords who took a wife though Thaerun himself has no magical aptitude. Thaerun is a cunning merchant who has increased his personal wealth through the trading of weapons, ore, and exotic goods (especially fabrics and spices).
Lord Fzoul Chembryl – As the High Priest of Bane for the Black Altar Temple, Fzoul is one of the most powerful individuals who dwells within the Keep. Unsurprisingly, Fzoul tends to support plans that involve the church of Bane prominently, especially those that will increase its power and his standing within the church. He also favors plans brought before the Council that take the long view, working toward the long-range goals of the city. Like Manshoon, Fzoul age has not affected his wits through life extending magic.
Lord Chess – A cleric of the Goddess Leira, Chess is a fat, oafish, vain overlord. Many wonder how he continues to retain his position of prominence. As Watchlord of the council, Chess frequently serves as a sort of chairman of the Council, but he is only allowed a vote in the case of ties.
Lord Orgauth – He is a cruel and calculating veteran of dozens of wars. Orgauth.s family has immense wealth; he himself spent some time adventuring in his youth, and the treasures he obtained made him rich twice over. Orgauth makes a fair amount of coin through hiring out a portion of his immense personal bodyguard as mercenaries and through trading in slaves. Because of his slave dealings, he has a business relationship with Lord Marsh Belwintle.
Lord Magistrate Osconivon – Is a corrupt sot of the first order. Besides his own personal fortune, his income comes solely from taking bribes from those accused of crimes. Justice is bought and sold in the Keep with Osconivon as Magistrate.
Lord Phandymm – Is one of few who endorse Fzoul’s plans in Council meetings. It is widely believed that Fzoul had him placed on the Council as his “family tree” appeared from nowhere with documents showing that he was a rightful Lord of the city found in the Archives of the Black Temple.
Councilor Urathyl - Councilor Urathyl is the day-to-day administrator of the High Hall, the public meeting place of the Council of Lords. He is the ultimate bureaucrat as there is very little that is constructive he seems to do. Urathyl.s family makes its money through festhalls and distributing liquor. During Council meetings, all lords must recognize Councilor Urathyl’s protocol.
Lady Alicia - The first woman ever toserve on the Council of Lords, Alicia was allowed to claim her position on the Council after her father died because she is an apprentice of Manshoon, or at least that is what has been rumored. She tends to be quiet, but has already proven an able and passionate debater on topics that interest her.
Lord Aumraeven - Lord Aumraeven is a fell and ancient merchant-mage who often opposes Manshoon in Council.
Taradril Aumraeven is a brilliant man who has thwarted many attempts on his life by unknown parties. He has obviously used potions of longevity to prolong his adult vigor, although they are now failing him. Lord Aumraeven is childless and his legacy will die with him.
Lord Halaster - Lord Halaster is a master politician, and he often deals with representatives from nearby cities. Halaster owns many establishments in the Foreign Quarter. Halaster has also made a great deal of money in the fur trade. His expertise as a former military man is often sought out when the humanoids of Tesh become restless north of the Keep.
Lord Hael – Is one of the oldest members of the council who is not privy to life extending magics. No doubt he will soon be succeeded by his more energetic less brain addled son Mhael.
Lord Naerh – Is the beneficiary of greatness and wealth. No doubt but for his station he would live in the squalor of the common quarter.
Lord Payr’adar – A foreigner who rose to prominence in the Keep and became a lord is the owner of the finest festhalls (and exotic company) in all of Zhentil Keep.
Lord Ssorg - Lord Ssorg is a hideously deformed half-elf who deals in gems and coal, and dabbles in trading weapons and armor.
Inns
Zhentil Keep’s inns are comparatively few. Those that can be found in the city are commonly of two types: large, spired stone structures that are clearly in better shape than the buildings around them, and sprawling multi-floor buildings of wood and stucco whose upper floors are often cantilevered out over their first stories.
The Eagle of the North: Located just inside the Dragon Gate, this inn is a drab, tired old building huddled in a dark part of the city.
The Heroes’ Rest: A cozy but noisy inn located in the southwestern part of the Inner Quarter. The Rest boasts quality food, lavish lodging, and nightly entertainment for visiting dignitaries and wealthy adventurers.
Oparil’s Tower: Oparil is an aging female human bard whose establishment flaunts the best singers and storytellers in Zhentil Keep. This sprawling structure, which features a large tower that rises above the buildings for several blocks, is located in the Harbor District.
The Pride of Zhentil Keep: The Pride, located in the Foreign District, is patronized by bullies and warriors. Fights at this inn occur almost nightly, and the common room of the establishment has very little unbroken furniture.
The Silver Trumpet Inn: Located in the northwest comer of the Common Quarter, the Trumpet is a many-turreted microcastle. It is the best of the inns located in this portion of the city, and better than almost all in the Keep except some establishments in the Inner Quarter.
The Serpent’s Eye: This inn is a huge, creaking, old ruin of a place located in the southeastern portion of the Common Quarter. It is leaky in wet weather and drafty all season long.
The Tesh Inn: The most lavish inn in the Foreign Quarter, the Tesh Inn is the most extravagant resort a non-Zhent can access, and the most expensive inn outside the Inner Quarter.
Taverns
Since Zhents love their liquor, day or night, taverns aplenty line the streets in Zhentil Keep. Most taverns are dimly lit buildings who cater to a specific clientele, with others entering at their own risk.
The Axe and the Minotaur: The Axe and the Minotaur is a Zhentilar hangout located near the Trail Gate.
The Black Avatar: The most sinister of taverns in the Inner Quarter near Fzoul’s Tower, the Black Avatar is a place where the disciples of Bane come to converse and relax without overindulging.
The Cloven Ogre: This tavern sports a signboard depicting an axe-split beastman with an expression of pain on the two halves of his face. Brash young Zhentilar soldiers make this tavern, located in the northern portion of the Common Quarter.
The Gorey Eye-Beast: This tavern’s sign shows an eye tyrant whose fangs are dripping with blood, below which is printed the name of the tavern. The worst of the worst, this tavern is exclusive to evil humanoids (orcs, ogres, hobgoblins, and the like) who are members of the Zhentilar under the command of the orc General Vrakk.
The Last Stop: This tavern is a place publicly known to be favored by Zhentarim mages.
The Roaring Dragon: Anyone who has been to Zhentil Keep knows of the Roaring Dragon. This tavern is a lively, honest place whose doors are open to all, even known Zhentarim and priests of Bane. The finest in entertainment can always be found on the Dragon’s large stage, brightening the lives of Zhents throughout the daylight hours. After sunset, the doors of the Roaring Dragon are open only to members of the military and those holding no fear of the night.
The Shield Faces North: Probably the oldest tavern still operating in Zhentil Keep, the Shield is a quiet place located in the heart of the Harbor District. This tavern is frequented by those wishing to spend a quiet evening in calm surroundings, such as dwarves, halflings, and older merchants reminiscing about the old days before a crackling fireplace. Its sedate clientele is probably partially due to the strict requirements for gaining access to the Harbor District, which keep out most average citizens of the Keep and even discourage sailors and longshoremen from lingering in the area longer than it takes to just do their jobs.
The Whipwalker’s Cloak: This establishment is frequented by worshipers of Loviatar and those curious about the teachings of the Maiden of Pain.
Towers, Temples, and Halls
Zhentil Keep has quite a few landmark structures, buildings that are not a part of the typical street structure, most of these prominent buildings are located in the Inner Quarter, home of Zhentil Keep’s most powerful and influential people.
The Arena: This coliseum was constructed for the amusement of the lords hundreds of years ago, affording them the sport of gladiatorial games and allowing them to witness the deaths of traitors and lawbreakers at the hands of savage monsters or other criminals.
The Black Altar: This black granite structure is the second largest public temple to Bane in the Realms. The temple is five stories high, with imposing decorative elements that jut upward like black serrated blades.
Eye of the Beholder: Outside the Black Altar, near the west wing that houses the high priest’s apartments, is a grand statue of a beholder atop a slim spire of black stone.
Fzoul’s Tower: Traditionally, this tower has been the private residence of the head of the church of Bane in Zhentil
Keep. Fzoul’s Tower is narrow, but tall, rising five stories above the city street. The Tower is of stone and square in form, although a wooden stable annex built onto the base somewhat mars its symmetry.
High Hall of the Lords. Council: This hall is a series of connected buildings that consist of a meeting hall for the Council of Lords, the offices and courtroom of the lord magistrate, a small detention area for lawbreakers whom the magistrate is next to hear, and a great many offices occupied by minor bureaucrats.
Thieves’ Guildhall: This fortified guildhall is the home of the Guild. This four-story structure serves as living quarters, a training area, and a central base of operations for the group.
The Tower High: The Tower High is the largest of the four towers in Manshoon’s walled compound. Attempt to enter here at your oen peril!
Shops and Services
Among the populace of Zhentil Keep are a diverse variety of craftsfolk, artisans, and others skilled in strange or unique professions. Some of services can only be found in the heart of Zhentil Keep, with people traveling across the Heartlands to visit with a lone crafter or artist. Shops in Zhentil Keep sport iron bars and shutters on all the street-level windows, many establishments, especially in the Inner Quarter and Foreign Quarter, also have sliding panel spyslots in their entrance doors through which their armed doorguards can look to decide whether to admit a customer.
Services vary between the different districts of the city. The Foreign Quarter does supply at least one outlet for any type of trade, and that service provider usually charges stratospheric prices. It is easier to located skilled tradespeople of certain professions in the city. Common laborers, messengers, butchers, tanners, pawnbrokers, gravediggers, liveries, brewers, midwives, bowyers, leathercrafters, fletchers, tailors, weavers, cooks, and bakers, among others, can be found in most quarters of the Keep. The quality of their work varies, and the prices for their wares or their labor tend to be inflated in a manner similar to all prices in the Keep, and proportionate to other tradesfolk of the quarter they work in. Most of these tradespeople serve the local population.s needs, and are not of Faerûn-wide class in their chosen crafts, nor do they need to be. Cartographers, scribes, vintners and distillers, smiths, finesmiths, armorers, weaponmakers, caravan masters, jewelers, gemcutters, and other professions requiring an education, a long apprenticeship, or dealing with valuable basic materials tend to be located in the better parts of Common Quarter or in the Inner Quarter. They also often work exclusively for a certain noble house or organization. Their services command a high price, when they can be obtained.
The best craftsmen can be found in the Inner Quarter. Here are found blacksmiths who can forge weapons worthy of magical enchantments, scribes that can forge documents from any city or illuminate works worthy of ensorcellment, traders who have whatever you need, wizards who cast spells for a high price, assassins for hire, and clerics of Bane who can raise the dead, all if you have sufficient coin to satisfy their greed. Nearly any service can be provided somewhere within the walls of Zhentil Keep for a price.
Most Zhents begin their day at the crack of dawn, scurrying to their place of employment or cleaning up their establishment from the night (in the case of taverns and inns) or day before. The average Zhent moves head down through the streets of the city, concentrating on his or her destination and being careful not to make eye contact with someone, anyone, who might take offense or be suspicious of anyone curious enough to look about.
Any Zhent who has no reason, aside from personal entertainment, to be out of doors after nightfall takes care to stay off the dark streets and alleys of the Keep. During the daylight hours, Zhentilar troops patrol the city or loiter in the streets, often looking for trouble makers. While the Zhentilar can be source of trouble in and of themselves, they do well as a security force. Business owners and Zhentish citizens walking the streets do not fear muggings or robberies during daylight hours, as a shout to nearby Zhentilar often solves the problem.
Entertainment
Zhents, on the whole, tend to be a hard-drinking lot, but they favor house parties over taverns. Such private parties can involve sensual revelry, shady business deals, rebel plots, and other unscrupulous arrangements without the fuss of public exposure.
If one seeks to drink outside of a private home, they will find admission to the companionable atmosphere of a festhall carries a price, like everything in Zhentil Keep. To enter a cheap festhall costs 1 cp, and is the origin of the Zhent phrase “A copper to come in” which is spoken by the ready-armed doorguard after she or he has looked a prospective customer over thoroughly through a sliding panel spy-slot in the door. The better festhalls charge as much as 7 sp, and this practice is the source of the phrase, “A seven silvers house”, which Zhents use to describe places or things with expensive price and high worth.
Gambling is another form of entertainment that idle or foolish Zhents enjoy. Back-room gambling halls can be found in many taverns throughout the city. The most notable among them is Tymora’s Holy Hall of Good Fortune and Casino, despite being christened in Tymora’s name there is nary a shrine to her within!
Family Life
Unless one has sufficient gold, raising and supporting a family well in Zhentil Keep is hard. The sons and daughters of the wealthy are educated by private tutors and usually follow in the footsteps of their parents, while orphaned street urchins wander back alleyways in search of their next meal. It is not unknown for impoverished Zhent parents to sell children they cannot care for into slavery for the gold they need to survive..
Taxes
Working-class Zhents pay little to nothing in taxes, depending on their occupation. This is probably the only right the working class Zhent has. Business owners, skilled tradesfolk, and non-lord merchants are taxed on either the goods they sell or those they bring into the Keep’s walls to sell. Such taxes range from 5% to 10% of the products worth.
If the business owner making a transaction is not a resident of Zhentil Keep, an additional tax of 10%-20% is also applied. Sometimes it is difficult to tell a Zhent trader from a non-Zhent trader but to the mon-Zhent trader who is caught claiming they are a resident terrible consequences abound.
Foreigners visiting in the Foreign Quarter on business or pleasure pay outrageous taxes on almost everything. Foreigners in the Keep frequently just pay whatever a tax collector or merchant tells them they have to pay. The whims of the Council make keeping track of legitimate taxes difficult, as the corruption with which Zhentil Keep is riddled makes getting a fair assessment nigh impossible.
Although the lords are not subject to taxes, all lords must pay a monthly fee to Councilor Urathyl at High Hall to support the forces of the Zhentilar.
Crime and Punishment
The law of Zhentil Keep is set by the decree of the Council of Lords, enforced by the military, and sentence is passed upon offenders by the lord magistrate. In the day-to-day life of the average Zhent, the Zhentilar enforce the Keep’s laws. The law of the Keep is strictly enforced; conversely, because of the breadth of corruption within the Keep, many offenders escape its grasp.
The judicial system of Zhentil Keep is a farce. Individuals may be charged with crimes by private parties or by the city. Accused individuals are arrested by the Zhentilar. After those arrested spend a minimum of one night in the Detention Center (across the street to the north of the High Hall), they are brought before the administrator of the Keep’s laws, Lord Magistrate Osconivon.
Osconivon accepts bribes from all prosecutors, and those accused of a crime by a private party who plead innocent had better be able to out-bribe those who accuse them. If put into a bidding war between two private parties, Osconivon decrees that the issue must be decided by a “trial of guilt” in the Arena between the accused and a force designated by the lord magistrate. Sometimes the accused faces the accuser, and sometimes she or he faces Arena gladiators or monsters. The difficulty of the match hinges on the whims of the drunken Magistrate. Osconivon then accepts the bribe of the winner in the Arena and makes an .appropriate, judgment.
Faiths of the Keep
Although it has the largest following, the church of Bane is not the only church in Zhentil Keep. Zhents who are not Banites tend to keep a low profile in the city, and the temples and shrines of other deities within the walls of the Keep are much smaller than the exalted Black Altar.
For nearly a century the church of Bane in Zhentil Keep has been divided into two separate sects: Orthodox Banites who owe their allegiance to the High Imperceptor of Bane in Mulmaster, and the followers of Fzoul. The most prominent faith in Zhentil Keep, the Banites boast about 500 active worshipers and nearly 60 priests, if one adds both sects together.
Orthodox Banites believe that the followers of Bane exist only to do his will, kill his enemies, and bring more followers into the nest. Things such as personal wealth and power are secondary, even meaningless, when compared to spreading the faith of Bane.
Fzoul and his adherents have a more “practical” view of the goals of the Church and utilize it to further the aims of the Keep. Fzoul became high priest of the Dark Shrine in the Year of the Tressym (1263 DR), after Zhentarim agents’ revealed to the Council of Lords that the High Imperceptor of Bane was a puppet of Mulman interests. Supposedly, he had been working for years through the upper echelons of the church of Bane in Zhentil Keep to undermine the authority of the Council and lay Zhentil Keep open for an invasion by Mulmaster that would leave the Keep the first city-state to be forcibly inducted into a Mulman empire. Emboldened by this claim, Fzoul was able to utilize the Zhentilar to wrest control of the Church from the Orthodox Bainites. Fzoul rededicated the temple of Bane in Zhentil Keep as the Black Altar and those Bainites loyal to the Keep remained with and supported Fzoul. Despite their “treachery” the Orthodox Bainites were allowed to dedicate a smaller Church also within the walls of the Keep and continue to preach the word of Bane to Zhents. The schism between the two factions in the Keep remains to the present day.
The remainder of the Realms recognized orthodox Bane worship as the correct method of glorifying the god of strife, putting Fzoul in the minority, theologically speaking, and this resulted in constant pressures on the church to “come back to the fold” from the High Imperceptor. Fzoul has ignored this plea.
There has been a small but powerful following of the Maiden of Pain in Zhentil Keep since 1305 DR. This small congregation of Loviatar priests resides in the Tower of Pain Exalted under the domination of High Torturelord Ulamyth Quantor
The church of Malar in Zhentil Keep is one of the few organized churches of the Beastlord in the eastern Heartlands. This temple to Malar, the High House of the Hunt, is found in the northeastern portion of the Common Quarter. Huntmaster Baerdeth Malagar is a cruel, powerful, and despicable individual who rules through his forceful nature and chaotic charisma. Huntmaster Baerdeth has a staff of nearly a dozen specialty clerics who serve nearly two dozen followers among the Zhent population. Many night “disappearances” are blamed on the Beastlords followers but little proof has ever surfaced to connect them to these disappearance.
Battlehall, the shrine of Tempus in Zhentil Keep, is located in the Foreign Quarter. Since Tempus-worshipers love for battle is so zealous, they are common among the ranks of the Zhentilar.
Worshipers of the Frostmaiden roam the streets of Zhentil Keep in the winter months and are seldom seem during the rest of the year. Their apparent purpose in the city is to recruit followers for the Ice Queen from among the homeless of the Keep. Many of these refugees, who would otherwise perish during the harsh weeks of winter, find salvation and life under the wing of the Aurilians, instead of a frozen death in some back alleyway of the Keep. Auril is rumored to have a secret shrine somewhere in the Keep.
Followers of the Queen of the Sea are deeply hidden and worship in secret, although there is undoubtedly a sect serving her in the Keep simply because it is a port of some significance. Any public invocation of the name of the B%%$& Queen is usually done to avoid her unwanted attentions in a seagoing venture, rather than to call forth her power. Many Zhents seek to appease Umberlee to insure their safe travel across the Sea of Fallen Stars. A hidden shrine to Umberlee is said to exist in the Foreign Quarter, where the majority of seagoing traffic stops before heading to the Moonsea.
The name of Tymora is invoked often in Zhentil Keep by those needing the power of luck to survive to see the next day. Tymora’s priesthood runs a business on the premises of the festhall and gambling den but certainly no shrine! The pressure exerted by the more powerful evil churches in Zhentil Keep on the Council of Lords, to not allow a shrine of Tymora to be erected in the Keep, resulted in the construction of the casino as a compromise. The hefty tax assessed by the Council on the casino allows the Council’s greed to outweigh its fear of reprisals from the churches of Bane, Loviatar, and Malar. Priests of Tymora are forbidden by law to enter any other gambling establishments in the city, for they often walk away with exorbitant sums of gold. Invoking the luck of Tymora, however, is not yet a crime.
OUTSIDE THE WALLS
Citadel of the Raven
The Citadel of the Raven is a fortress of recently acquired by the Keep (in 1355) that is situated within the Dragonspine Mountains in the western portion of the Moonsea region. The citadel itself is the main feature of the stronghold, which rests in the center of 10 miles (16 km) of interconnected fortresses on the western end of the Dragonspines. It is a well-fortified and well-protected fortress. Allowing the Keep to control trade routes in this region much more easily.
Darkhold
Darkhold, originally called The Keep of the Fallen Hills, is the western stronghold of the Keep, located near the Sunset Mountains in the Western Heartlands. An Acolyte of Manshoon, a powerful wizard Sememmon controls the Hold.
The line moves forward but you and this Commander are being held up!
The Faith of the Bainites of the Keep place the value of materialism as high as the spreading of the Black Lord’s faith. Your infatuation with wealth, while not overwhelming, is certainly a motivating force for what else could a servant of a dragon expect to learn if not the value of having great wealth!?
As you approach the gate one of the soldiers directs you back into line to wait your turn. After nearly twenty minutes you arrive at the checkpoint. One of the soldiers stands next to a table surrounded by at least several others all well-armed. He addresses you, ”What is your name?”
The cloaked man is wearing all black, as he bends over to look at you, you see a holy symbol slip out from his shirt and dangle before you. It is a symbol of the God Bane, you saw and heard enough of this God to know that, ”Tell me creature, what manner of elf are you?”
You watch the main gates to the Black Altar having just been promoted this week. One of the Acolytes, a Maskar, you believe his name to be (?) approaches. ”Mawj yes? I am told that you originally hailed from Cormyr yes?”
As the teeming masses pass you by you pause in front of a building that appears to have recently collapsed. The symmetry of the rubble fascinates you, perhaps there is hidden meaning in its appearance? You enter to get a closer look.
After wandering for a bit, you find within the rubble a steel box that appears to have been somehow overlooked! The symbol on the box is one you have seen around the city before though you are not familiar with its origins, some sort of maker’s mark perhaps?
Your wares here sell well but after so much time, your supply runs low. Exotic fare is what you have become known for but with no way to bring in more perhaps it is time for another change in life?
Then a customer approaches, ”You are the one they call Suni?” As you look up you see this is not your usual customer, this one is well dressed and confident in a way that few of this Quarter are. His bearing leads you to believe he may be one of the Zhentilar you hear so much about…
Supply wagons roll past you both into and away from the city shaking you from your reverie. As you pause you hear a pair of horses approaching from behind, glancing back, you see two soldiers of the Keep clad in plate mail armor. One addresses you, ”You, horseman, from where do you hail?”
Still, you have aligned yourself with a commoner, a commoner who is certainly a conduit to Lord Bane. Xeno Mirrormane by name. He was raised from Acolyte to full Cleric when you were accepted as an Acolyte and he took a liking to you. Articulate and thuggish, much like him. He has been your biggest proponent within the Church.
Currently you sit in his quarters meeting with him regarding a matter for which he is quite enthusiastic, ”This is it, this is the opportunity I have long sought. If successful my name shall be legend! As will your Vorik as I pick you to be my right hand man. I need someone in the field for this to oversee a delicate operation…”
Rook gives a soft growl at his masters side but does not move from where he sits, at least not yet. The dog stares at the point where the man's hand is on his master, muscle twitching for a spring. Dorn does nothing to calm his pet, he knows Rook is well trained and won't attack unless it is needed. Not that the dog won't prepare. Speaking before his charge in a business like tone, he lays this man's choice in more detail then he apparently considered or knew.
"It is not my business that is of concern here good sir. It is Lord Aumraeven of the Ruling Council's business that you are delaying. I am his Apprentice Dorn Xizurth. If you wish to be the reason why we are late to meet my master after his urgent and direct summons. Then by all means we will return to the line, I am sure your name will be duly noted. After all you placed your duty before the business of the Keep's Ruling Council. Such devotion should be properly addressed. Wouldn't you agree, Commander Kraveth?"
He dropped the right names and titles. Ether this guard would realize the scope of his stupidity and make all haste to correct it. Or he would find himself suffering a slow death, it made little difference to him. Their would be no repercussions on his part. He had no position, pride, or reputation to protect or maintain. The same could not be said of the council, if mere guards were interfering in their business. Well they couldn't have that.
Pox grins, delighted at his find. both the box and the pretty ruins that birthed it. "We found something, Longtooth," he says to the little basket strapped to his hip. He eyes the ruin again, hoping for more clues--does the symbol match any friezework in the remains?
But the ruins themselves are too interesting, the sight of what is and once-was, and he gets mesmerized without picking up anything of note. Once he manages to disengage, he looks again at the box.
Does he recognize the mark itself?
|
Vlad couldn't help but smile since he first saw the Kepp's walls over the horizon. This was the place where his legend would start, he could feel it in his bones.
When the guards approached him, the rashemi was still smiling, and he sloghtly bowed before speaking "Good days and pleasant nights." he said "I came all the way from Rashemen, my name is Vladislak. I heard Zhentil's Keep was a great sight and an even better place to start my Dajemma... but I am a stranger in these parts."
The rashemi kept smiling and posing as a humble traveller, pausing to let the guards react before continuing "Would you help a weary traveller? I've been long on the road, and a warm meal and a hearth to sit by would lift my spirit."
Ja-far pulls out his silver holy symbol of bane flashing it to the soldier at the checkpoint.
"My name is Ja'far Abu Nazim al-Kuzbari Mahavira, Ja'far to keep it simple. I've traveled far from Dupari to train in The Black Alter.
His common has hints of dupari and draconic dialets, nonetheless he addresses politely knowing full well what would happen if he didn't.
What should I say? The truth could expose my clan. On the other hand a lie might lead to my death.
Deciding that strengthening his clan will be very difficult from beyond the grave he decides some form of the truth to be the best path forward.
''I am Kyorruel and I am no elf! Elves are a weaker race best kept as slaves. I am a Fey'ri.''
He looks the human priest in the eyes and speaks politely but can't help his voice getting a little heated when called an elf.
Vorik nods at Xeno, whom he did not overly like, but needed in order to advance within the church. He kept these feelings and thoughts hidden of course, playing at being the dutiful underling. "Of course my friend. You should know by now that I can be quite discreet. Tell me what you would have me do, and I will see it done." He says with quiet confidence.
"Commander Kraveth you are free to proceed to Lord Aumraeven. You will come with me". The figures hand raises and points at you Dorn. The tone of the figures voice is one that sounds used to issuing decrees which are to be obeyed.
The Commander pauses for a moment as the gate guard steps out of his way, he looks back at the hooded figure "I will be informing Lord Aumraeven of this development".
The figure chuckles but says nothing further and instead gestures for you to enter the same shadowy doorway that he or she exited from.
The mark is not a makers mark as you study it with further detail but it may be a Wizard's sigil.
As you follow him through the Temple he leads you to the second and then the third floor, a place which you have never been before. He proceeds down the long black marbled hall until he comes to a door intricately adorned with the symbol of Bane upon it. He opens it and gestures you in.
Before you can respond the door opens and you see Xeno's brother, Maskar enters the room with a guardsman.
Vorik, the guardsman who entered is new but competent from what you understand. The question is why have they entered the room during your meeting with Xeno?
Xeno continues, "Ah my brother, you have retrieved Mawj is it? Vorik, this is the first and perhaps the most important member of your team".
You see a man clad in chainshirt armor and a greataxe in a scabbard at his shoulder. He is of Illuskan descent with walnut brown hair tightly gathered in a ponytail. His eyes are the color of the sky, with small flecks of silver near the iris. His skin is fair with small freckles on his nose and cheek bones. He is quite tall, with a solid frame and straight posture.
He gives Vorik a respectful nod and turns back to Xeno. "Mawj, sir. Your commands, sir?"
Dorn tilts his head in appreciation at Commander Kraveth.
"You have my thanks."
Is all he says as he follows the figure. Dorn was not completely defenseless and he was confident in both his master and family that any unearned harm, as he made it a point not to earn any, would be returned in multiples. Still he knew better, in the Keep few bluffed, those that pressed could usually back up their claims. If he was outmatched it was pointless, if he was not then this one would suffer for it.
"Do you have a name or is "you" preferred."
He studied the robe, could be a mage or just as easily someone pretending. Then again they could just have been fooled into buying a robe with gibberish.
Rook walks by his side, silent but alert now that his master was not being touched.
Despite your pronouncement, more questions come your way from this soldier.
"Are you wanted for any crimes anywhere in the Moonsea?
Are you carrying any powerful magical items?
What is your name again?"
At the bottom of the stairs are three doors. The robed figure pulls a key from his sleeve and unlocks and opens the door. As it silently swings open yawning before you is a portal!
"Enter", he bids you.
Some people thought being mysterious was impressive. They were idiots. The best way to hide something, is to appear as if your hiding nothing. Rarely does anyone ever look into what is right in front of them, everyone looks into the shadows. More often then not, that got you exposed in the worst way. He changes languages from the common tongue over to Chondathan.
"You it is."
He watched for anything from this figure from that. Not that it mattered, he was a messenger. An errand boy or girl in the Keep no less, that said something. Not that he was much better, he just didn't leave his magic for all the world to see or hide his face and identity. That alone could get you killed or on some people's bad side in the Keep. He preferred neither. He entered the portal, no doubt someone more impressive and less tiresome would be on the other side. At least he had gained the knowledge of a portal with in the Keep, that could be worth something if handled properly.
Ja'far nods to the guard, expecting a welcoming as bitter and cold as the surrounding lands.
"I've not committed any crimes nor do I plan to. I merely carry my weapons, armour,clothing and faith. My Name is Ja'far Abu Nazim al-Kuzbari Mahavira but I will simply go by Ja'far."
Despite being annoyed, forced to answer these question, he remains calm having heard the reputation of Zhentilar.
''You wish for proof that i am more than an elf? Behold!''
Leaning forward slightly, Kyorruel's shoulders hunch slightly as two leathery objects erupt from cleverly hidden gaps cut into the back of his clothing. His bat-like wings unfurl themselves in all their glory.
''And that is not all, watch carefully.'' Kyorruel shuts his eyes for a moment and when he opens them, his form has shifted to perfectly match that of the guard's. His wings are gone and even his clothes have shifted to mirror the outfit the guard is wearing.
After about a minute the spell wears off and Kyorruel resumes his normal form.
''My demonic heritage grants me many powers beyond those of an elf. I can shift my form and fly with my wings, with time my demonic blood will strengthen and my powers will grow. Most of them involve affecting the minds of those around me and hiding myself in plain sight. And of course, resistance to most of the elements.''
His wings furl themselves back up and once more tuck into the slits in his clothes.
He tries to think if he has seen the sigil in the Keep. He also checks to see if it is locked, but even if it isn't, he does not open it.
Vorik is a tall muscular young man, wearing the basic acolyte attire of Bane. His black hair is cut short, and he has penetrating blue eyes.
He nods at Mwaj, "Well met. I am Acolyte Vorik." He says simply.
The Eastern man sighs. Ah, yes, I do, but I am running very low on my "spices" and might have to return... he hides the fact that returning isn't exactly what he wants... He'd rather cut his own fingers off than go back... But if you are here to buy the last of it off me than I am in no way going to complain... he makes sure to smile as he says this.
The room you enter is plainly adored. On the wall is a simple holy symbol of Bane other than that a table with a man seated behind it are the only other things of note. The door which you assume leads out of the room is barred from the inside. It is heavy oak and clearly sturdy.
The man behind the table stands, he too is adorned in robes marking him a Wizard of some sort but his face is not hidden. Regardless of that you have no memory of ever having seen him before, "Welcome Dorn son of Norn, we have been watching you for some time. I would beckon you to sit but as you can see, no chair is available for you".
He takes his seat once more and shuffles a few parchments on his desk, "I know that you are a servant of one of the great Lords of our city but... there comes a time when one manner of employment must end and another begin.
Your father is a merchant, a merchant with strong ties to Waterdeep is that not so?"
Ja'far eye widen, he misspoke and such mistakes could most him dearly.
"Forgive me Sir guard for my insolence, I have misspoken to you. I hail from Durpar. Nation north of Estagund, south east of Mulhorand, boarding the Giant's Belt mountain and the Raurin dust desert. Forgive my broken Common, I lived in the desert and was raised by a dragon. This is my first time to the Keep Sir guard, I hope to please Lord Bane with my piety and service."
Ja'far bows his head downwards, hoping the guard will forgive him.
The man sits up and looks at you and the coins on the floor, "B..B.. but he's worth a lot more than this!"
The cloaked man stops smiling, "Pigs get fat and hogs get their throats slit by former prisoners, which are you?"
The man oinks and the cloaked figure sneers, "I suspected as much. Come along Kyorruel, I am in need of an el... eh Fey'ri of your talents. I suspect I'll not have to torture you into agreement with what my superiors have planned..."
As you step into the light of day you find yourself in the countryside outside of what you assume to be a small garrison, it seems you are not even in the Keep proper yet. The cloaked man rushes to a wagon opening the flap in the back and inviting you to step inside.
Ja'far raises his head. The large Dupari/Zakharan man humbly thanks the guard.
"Thank you sir, I will not forget what you've done for me this day."
Ja'far makes his way through the check point, searching for The Black Altar in the inner city he heard so much about. Ready to meet his destiny.
Did no one introduce themselves anymore.
"Forgive me, but to put it simply. I don't know you or even of you. As such to discuss anything concerning my employer, my father's business, or anything of the like. Would be presumptuous."
Inclining his head slightly at the end. He wasn't going to give anything away to some no name nobody. Wizard or priest it made no difference to him. His master didn't grow old in Zhentil Keep by having a little magic when dealing with the other lords. While his own father did not have a successful business without making enemies and dealing with them as needed. Nether were served by having people with wagging tongues around, he was not going to be the first. This one was going to have to do more then just talk or dropping easily obtained information. Asking a question a few gold coins could get you the answer for, granted everything in the Keep was suspect unless confirmed. Would do little to convince him, he could dodge questions all day if needed. Time was on his side after all, the longer he was gone the more he would be missed.