Astele Keene

Astele Keene, better known as Nine-Fingers, was the leader of the Guild, the criminal organization that operated within Baldur's Gate during the 15 century DR.

Description
Although she was fiery and passionate in her youth, Nine-Fingers was a cold and calculating individual. She was a mastermind when it came to planning and scheming, taking as much time and resources as was necessary to enact a plan, so long as the final outcome was profitable for the Guild.

Nine-Fingers had an especially keen mind. She was an excellent judge of character and could rapidly assess people's motives and persuasions within moments of their meeting.

Appearance
She was completely unassuming in her appearance, not particularly comely nor plain. She had brunette hair and a completely average build for a woman of her age.

Not one for flashy clothing or magic used for aesthetic improvement, Nine-Fingers dressed in a manner that contributed to her modest appearance.

Activities
Nine-Fingers guided the Guild to oversee all crime in the city, fostering bloodless competition between gangs while preventing violent crime, such as burglaries, assaults, arson and murders from spilling into the streets outright. She held her network of subordinates, assets and clientele together with an intricate web of bribes, threats, financial debts and blackmail.

Extremely skilled at avoiding attention, Nine-Fingers was a master at manipulating others without drawing unwanted attention to her operations. By 1482 DR she had, in one way or another, coerced or gained influence over most of the Parliament of Peers, members of the Baldurian patriar, scores of merchants, dozens of Flaming Fist soldiers and officers of the Watch.

Relationships
Nine-Fingers was always well-protected by her cadre of personal bodyguards known as the Lady's Court. They were six female protectors, two of whom were wizards, that were wholly and perfectly devoted to their mistress. She rewarded their loyalty with lavish recompense.

She showed some degree of favoritism towards one of her guardians, Rilsa Rael. She saw so much potential in her than after some time in the Lady's Court, Nine-fingers promoted her to Kingpin of Little Calimshan.

Her intermediary, Fruward the Nail, was as loyal as any agent could be. Although they rarely met in person, the two were once very close associates.

History
When Astele was only five years old she was kidnapped by a one-eyed elf in an effort to extort her family. He proceeded to slice off her left pinky finger and sent it to along with a ransom letter to her parents. While the Keene's were able to borrow money in order to bring their daughter home, she never forgot her abductor or his distinct appearance.

During her early career as a Guild thief, Nine-fingers encountered the one-eyed elf in a pipe den when he was smoking sable moonflower. She claimed her revenge twofold. To begin with, she cut out the elf's remaining eye along with all of his fingers, save for the little one on each hand. Beyond that violence however, she proceeded to purchase the establishment by which he fed his addiction, and ensured the elf would have enough food, drink and sable moonflower for the rest of his years, knowing full-well as one of the fair folk he would outlive. Nine-fingers arranged for his dosages of moonflower to be spiked with the dried yolk of cockatrice eggs, so that his drug-induced dreams were instead horrific nightmares.

After establishing herself as the leader of the Guild, Nine-Fingers established relationships with a number of powerful individuals and essential organizations within the city, from members of Parliament to minor families such as the Candulhallows, who merely carted dead bodies out of the city streets.