Fzoul Chembryl

Fzoul Chembryl was the Faerûnian god of service to evil as well as an exarch of Bane. Formerly the mortal Chosen tyrant of his dark overlord, Fzoul was killed while fighting the Shadovar and was granted the status of an exarch as his reward for dying in Bane's service.

History
Fzoul Chembryl, the ambitious Chosen and High Priest of Bane, joined the Zhentarim when Lord Manshoon (then leader of the Zhentarim) forged an alliance with him. He served as second-in-command for years, seemingly content with his position, but he schemed with another high-ranking Zhentarim, Lord Orgauth (the lord of Zhentil Keep who was, in fact, not human as he seemed, but a fell pit fiend) and eventually ousted Manshoon from power. Fzoul intended to turn the Zhentarim into an arm of the faith of Bane, and forced from the Zhentarim both loyalists to Manshoon (including Manshoon's lieutenant, the powerful mage Sememmon) and the faithful of the rival deity of Cyric. This led to a brewing war within the organization, with the western Zhentarim of Darkhold led by Sememmon and the Cyricists opposing the Zhents and Banites, until Sememmon was forced to abandon Darkhold and go into hiding. The Zhentarim of Darkhold, however, led by the evil Cyricist knight known as the Pereghost and a priest of Cyric called Dhamir Ercals, remained at odds and on the verge of war with the Banites. Fzoul, after Orgauth was slain, almost gained full control over the Zhentarim. An agreement made with Khelben Arunsun prevented Fzoul from organizing Zhentarim expansion into the Sword Coast, but the agreement would not last forever.


 * 1263 DR: Took authority over the Dark Shrine of Bane in Zhentil Keep.
 * 1368 DR: Read aloud the True Life of Cyric, which directly caused the fall of Zhentil Keep.
 * 1370 DR: Slew Manshoon and purged the Zhentarim of Manshoon's Clones, gaining leadership over most of the Black Network. Summoned the Tyrantfog.
 * 1370 DR: Forged the Scepter of the Tyrant's Eye.
 * 1372 DR:Fzoul struck an alliance between his Zhentarim forces and baatezu Gorgomorz's forces of Dragonspear Castle to bring down Daggerford. The plot was eventually stopped by a drop of adventurers.
 * 1374 DR: Allied with House Jaelre and Auzkovyn Clan to prevent The Return in Myth Drannor.
 * Ordered Scyllua Darkhope to seize Moonsea Ride.
 * Ordered Scyllua Darkhope to invade Shadowdale with the aid of the Church of Shar and the drow of House Dhuurniv.


 * 1375 DR: Blamed all of the Black Networks' failures in the Cormanthor War on Scyllua Darkhope to save face with his drow allies.
 * 1376 DR: With his drow allies broken, Fzoul offered peace terms to the elves of Cormanthor, who accept. Ilsevele Miritar gave Hillsfar and the lands directly to the north to the Zhentarim, as well as free passage along the Moonsea Ride and Rauthauvyr's Road so long as they do not fell a single living tree, injure or kill any elf, or leave the road for more than 30 paces.
 * Between 1376 DR and 1479 DR: Killed while defending Zhentil Keep against Netherese attack.
 * Bane raised Fzoul Chembryl to be his exarch.

Fzoul's tower was located in the western section of Zhentil Keep's Inner Quarter.

Personality
Fzoul had an honest, if disgusting, faith in Bane but was a realist and bent whichever way the wind blew. He switched allegiance from Bane to Cyric at the time of Bane's death, and from Cyric (whom he hated) to Iyachtu Xvim (Bane's Son), and finally back to Bane at his re-emergence.

Quotes
"I put out my hand, and the fish swam right into my net—as they always do. It's all in the brightness of the lure you offer."

- Fzoul Chembryl, High Lord of the Zhentarim Conquering What I Want of the World: Words For All the Brethren to Live By (text of speech, 1371 DR)

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Curse of the Azure Bonds • Shadowdale
 * Halls of the High King • Tantras
 * Novels
 * Shandril's Saga (Spellfire • Crown of Fire) • Avatar series (Shadowdale • Tantras • Prince of Lies • Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad) • "So High a Price" • The Last Mythal (Farthest Reach • Final Gate) • Realms of the Dead: "The Many Murders of Manshoon" • "Lord of the Darkways"
 * Hand of Fire • Son of Thunder • The Sword Never Sleeps • Elminster Must Die
 * Video Games
 * Curse of the Azure Bonds • Neverwinter Nights: Tyrants of the Moonsea
 * Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford
 * Curse of the Azure Bonds • Neverwinter Nights: Tyrants of the Moonsea
 * Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford
 * Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford