Order of the Dark Moon

The Order of the Dark Moon was a secretive order of monks who dedicated their lives to the deity Shar. They managed to keep the identities of their members, as well as their exploits, all but completely secret throughout Faerûn.

The leaders of the Dark Moon had direct contact with the Lady of Loss and were not subject to the will of her clergy. Their agents acted independently as killers or enforcers of her will on Toril.

Activities
The Dark Moon acted openly in lands friendly to the worship of Shar. It also had secret sects in places where the faith of Shar was outlawed. These secret sects usually worked in rural settings or in hidden underground enclaves. The monks sought knowledge and wisdom from the shadows, in the belief that true understanding was within darkness and loss.

In Shar's name, they sacked the temple of Chauntea in Purskul, killed the head priest of Loviatar in Cormyr and desecrated a holy site of Selûne, transforming into a safehouse for Dark Moon monks operating within the Moonsea.

Membership
Each monastery of the Dark Moon would take on a new cohort of young adults every 14 months. Shar commanded that the order should never recruit children, or from among the ranks of her church, as the Order must act without interference. Lastly, each prospective Dark Moon acolyte had to demonstrate some sort of sorcerous power. Any recruit caught lying about any their age, abilities or affiliation were put to the knife.

Acolytes that were eligible were culled from the most indoctrinated of Shar's faithful who had shown zealous devotion. In addition to the intense, year-long-plus training of mind, body and soul, neophytes of the Dark Moon Order were required to perform vile acts upon the groups enemies.

Regions
The Order of the Dark moon had a number of safehouses and dark sanctuaries located throughout Faerûn. Among these were a shrine in the northwestern region of the Sword Mountains serving agents across the Sword Coast, a network of tunnels deep below the storms of the Calim Desert and a mountaintop refuge within the Thunder Peaks of central Faerûn, which was guarded by a group of manticores.


 * Dark Moon shrine
 * Although this shrine to Shar was known to everyone in the city, the activities within were completely secret. Anyone who entered its premises either became a faithful member of the Dark Lady or were outright killed. Most clerics of Shar refused to enter the Dark Moon shrine.

History
In the late 14 century DR, Shar appointed her most trusted faithful, Alorgoth, "the Bringer of Doom" to establish a shrine in Purskul and train a sect of sorcerer-monks in her service. These acolytes attuned their spiritual growth, honed their martial abilities and perfected their magical skills under the tutelage of veteran monks, an master assassin and a sorcerer who had a wealth of control over the Shadow Weave. After their initial period of training, these monks ventured out throughout Faerûn to spread the word of Shar and recruit more into their ranks.

Members

 * Algoroth
 * Alon