Pale Claw

The Pale Claw was a bandit gang that operated throughout the Dessarin Valley in the Savage Frontier for a time during the late 15 century DR. They performed the bidding of their secretive, undead master.

"I mean, come on, a dead dragon?! That's the monster? I was kind of thinking, like, just an oversize, you know, troll or something!"

- Edgin Darvis, speaking of Glyrgoth.

Organization
The bandits served the great white dracolich Glyrgoth, who used them to accumulate more and more riches.

Activities
Members of the gang spent their time stealing valuables and weaponry from innocent folks of the North. They used their ill-gotten gains to grow the hoard of their undead draconic master.

Tactics
The gang would move into an area, set up operations and completely terrorize a single town or settlement. They stole all they could from its people, subjugated them to forced labor, and amassed weaponry for further operations.

Base of Operations
For a time, the Pale Claw operated out of the abandoned mine in the Savage Frontier. Glyrgoth made its lair within the same mines.

History
"...if you can do it...get justice on the murderous thieves that took my Grunnald from us...you'll get your room tonight, and ales, and the money after it's done."

- Mae, hiring adventurers to deal with the Pale Claw.

Some time during or before 1490s DR, the Pale Claw took over the small town of Womford, and stole nearly all the wealth and valuables from its residents. To redirect their attention elsewhere, the barkeep of the local tavern―a dwarf by the name of Grunnald―joined the Pale Claw. He ascended as their new 'bandit king' and enjoyed some success, directing the Pale Claw to focus on wealthy folks of the North. Once Grunnald offered all the information found useful by the gang, they had no more use of him. The mortal 'bandit king' became a puppet leader, a figurehead they could parade around to distract from the Pale Claw's true master Glyrgoth.

Later on, an adventuring party composed of Edgin Darvis, Holga Kilgore, Simon Aumar, and Thelvyn Kip traveled into Womford, and offered to aid the plight of its people. The group gathered some weapons and equipment and confronted the Pale Claw gang. While they managed to destroy a few of the Pale Claw's undead minions, they were ultimately unsuccessful. The adventurers were then abducted and taken to the Pale Claw's hideout in the abandoned mines. There they met Grunnald, and came to understand the true nature of the Pale Claw's operations.

Unfortunately for the Pale Claw, the heroes carried out a daring escape in the mines. They broke themselves out of imprisonment, freed the gang's prisoners, and even managed to steal back some of the riches accumulated by Glyrgoth. Just before the group it out of the mines, Glygorth appeared before them and recovered the stolen treasure. The adventurers only made away with a single porcelain figurine of a boar. The whole ordeal upended the bandits' operations however: the people of Womford had given all they could and Glyrgoth was poised to move on to another target. The dracolich and her followers moved on to better prospects.

Members
The gang attracted members form various races. Some of them even kept a small group of skeletal undead among their enforcers.