Mestrel Hawkmantle

Mestrel Hawkmantle was a bard and member of the Harpers of the mid–14 century DR.

History
In the, Mestrel was very busy. First, he worked as a guard for a caravan carrying Harper messages from Baldur's Gate to Iriaebor, where he found a Thayan spy. He foiled the spy's slaving operation and followed him to Westgate, where Mestrel identified the spy's master and, with the help of a fellow Harper wizard from Suzail, read the mind of the superior before killing him.

Thanks to the information gained, Mestrel ruined another slaving operation with the help of the adventuring party called the Shining Shield Band, some novice fellow Harpers, and the deceived Pirates of the Fallen Stars, taking the free slaves to Yhaunn.

In Sembia, Mestrel saved a priestess of Tymora from robbery, helped fix a wagon, beat a bully, and paid the debt of a veteran of the war against Lashan Aumersair, and saved a widow from debtors in Saerb by masquerading as her dead husband.

He robbed and tricked a Cult of the Dragon cell, forcing them to battle the Zhentarim. Later, he sold some Zhent agents in Hillsfar to Lord Maalthiir, unveiling Maalthir's plot to capture some Harper agents.

In the Vast, Mestrel slew the evil wizard Rundleth Talhart. Though Rundleth was independent, Mestrel framed him as one of the Zhentarim. He later saved fifty slaves in the Earthfast Mountains from drow slavers.

In Lyrabar, he exposed a cheating merchant before sailing to Aglarond. Later, Mestrel ruined a slaving business in Telflamm and after a trip to Rashemen he destroyed a bandit group near Murghôm. Afterward he was hired as a guard for a caravan headed to Kara-Tur, but in the Glittering Spires the caravan was destroyed by vampire-led brigands. He found there a ghost town full of ghouls and stepped through a gate.

Behind the Scenes
Mestrel was presented to illustrate a "normal" year of activity for a Harper agent.