The Twilight Three

The Twilight Three was the name given to a group of three cruel wizards who later became liches of the isle of Thelve in the Sea of Swords, ages before the 14 century DR.

Organization
The three liches of the Twilight Three had their names forgotten by time. They intentionally spread stories, rumors, and falsehoods about their past to remain in anonymity. The only thing known about the liches' identity was that one was once a human male, and the other two were human females. Each of the liches doomed in their own castle on Thelve.

All three liches were powerful arcane spellcasters who accumulated fearsome collections of spells and enchanted items. One of the liches was a master of wards and barrier magics. They were said to be cunning and insane in their endless unlife. The members of the Twilight Three did not engage adventurers and intruders openly and instead let their monsters and traps handle the unwanted visitors. Reportedly, when seen out of their dooms, the members of the Twilight Three wore resplendent finery, crowns, and decorated filigreed armors.

Base of Operations
The Twilight Three resided in three elevated cliffside castles erected on Thelve. The castles were impressively tall, looming fortresses, all with extensive stone-carved basement dungeons underneath. The first one of them was called the Gaunt, located on the eastern shore, overlooking the library fortress of Candlekeep. Another stood at the western end of the island's southern shore across from the Nairn's Tomb island. And lastly, another castle stood atop a jebel approximately southeast of the northwesternmost point of the island. The eastern castle – the Gaunt, had an extensive dungeon several miles long that ran towards the island's center with an exit in a valley at the heart of Thelve.

History
In their ancient past, the Twilight Three were a group of three wizardly friends. Even before they became undead, their relationships gradually soured, and the liches retreated to their castles. Despite the animosity, the Twilight Three did not openly and actively wage war against each other over the island's control. When the wizards came to Thelve, they used their sorcerous powers to enslave a community of gnomes who inhabited the island. They used the gnome slaves to erect the three impressive castles and eventually exterminated the community altogether.

At one point before the late 14 century DR, the Twilight Three unleashed spells that turned the pirate fortress of Roaringcrest on the isle of Raerest into a wild magic ruin.

By the late 14 century DR, the Twilight Three counted many mages among their victims, and the group was under the control of the immensely powerful lich named Larloch. It was said that the name "The Twilight Three" was created by bards long after the trio became undead. There was no evidence that the name was in use during the wizards' mortal days.