Factions


Bregan D’aerthe is a company of mercenaries originally made up of the much-derided and dishonorable castaways of destroyed drow houses. The group’s leader, Jarlaxle Baenre, is always looking for new members to fill the ranks, and loyalty is what matters to him most.
Emerald Enclave seeks to foster harmony between nature and civilization. Members living in Waterdeep help guard the city against unnatural threats, including aberrations and undead. They also watch over the City of the Dead (Waterdeep’s public cemetery) and the city’s parks. A character must demonstrate an interest in protecting nature or the natural order to join the Emerald Enclave. Druids and rangers are especially welcome.
Force Grey is an elite cadre of specialized adventurers, drawn from the ranks of the Gray Hands, whose fighting prowess is matched only by their loyalty to the city. Force Grey attracts the best of the best. Characters don’t begin their adventuring careers as members of Force Grey, but they can work up to that status.
Harpers are altruists who work behind the scenes to keep power out of the hands of evil tyrants. In the current situation, it doesn’t take long for them to suspect that the Zhentarim is wholly or partially responsible for the escalation of violence in Waterdeep. Various nobles and guildmasters in the city are Harper sympathizers.
The Lords’ Alliance is a confederation of cities and towns up and down the Sword Coast and throughout the North, including (among others) Baldur’s Gate, Mirabar, Mithral Hall, Neverwinter, and Silverymoon. Members of the alliance must come to one another’s aid in times of need, and the organization uses field operatives (diplomats, spies, and assassins) to safeguard its interests.
The Order of the Gauntlet's mission is to seek out and destroy evil before it gains a foothold. They are religious in nature, serving gods of lawful good alignment.
Anyone can join the Xanathar Guild, which, despite its name, doesn’t have official guild status in Waterdeep. Before membership is granted, however, an applicant must pass a test that always involves the perpetration of a serious crime. Possibilities include murdering a guild member who has failed Xanathar in some fashion, kidnapping a Waterdavian citizen, collecting a ransom, robbing a hire-coach, or looting a warehouse.
The Zhentarim is a shadow organization that trades mercenaries and goods (including weapons) for profit. They are a fractured organization. Those who support Manshoon want to destroy Xanathar and seize political and economic control of the city. Those who oppose Manshoon want to expose and destroy him before they are themselves apprehended or driven out of the city by the local authorities.