Brotherhood of the Black Hand

The Brotherhood of the Black Hand, also known as the Brothers of the Black Hand was a cadre of evil wizards originally based in Ascalhorn in the High Forest. They worshiped Bane, whose title and symbol was a black hand.

History
The Brotherhood was established in Ascalhorn shortly after the fall of Myth Drannor, at the guidance of the lich Aumvor the Undying, as part of his plan to revive Netheril's spirit of spellcasting, arcane research, and experimentation in Netherese bloodlines.

In 765 DR their existence was discovered by the Ascalhi authorites and exiled from the city. A year later they resurfaced in Silverymoon, after construction of the High Palace had begun, and placed spies among the builders. With this, they managed to steal a number of invaluable and powerful magical items and artifacts, including the collection of first High Mage Ecamane Truesilver, the glove of Taarnahm the Vigilant, Tasmia's necklace, and the staff of Silverymoon of the current High Mage, Ederan Nharimlur. The Brothers were discovered later that year and the majority were caught and executed, but the stolen treasures were not recovered.

The surviving members of the brotherhood fled back to Ascalhorn, later becoming embroiled in the escalating conflicts and power plays among the city's wizards. Their safehouse in Ascalhorn would fall to the machinations of the wizards and devils there, with their last surviving members dying in 856 DR, and the treasures therein were seized by those who killed the last of the Black Hand, before the city became Hellgate Keep in the following century. The only thing of theirs to go undiscovered was a hidden underground vault, later known as the Crypt of the Black Hand, where their bones and treasures apparently remained by the mid–14 century DR.