Bregan D'aerthe

Bregan D'aerthe was an elite drow mercenary and later mercantile group founded and led by Jarlaxle Baenre, primarily based in Menzoberranzan in the Underdark.

History
Bregan D'aerthe was founded by the houseless rogue Jarlaxle, choosing to seperate from the matriarchal drow society. It was built of mainly rogue drow males from destroyed houses of Menzoberranzan and Ched Nasad. It was widely employed by the ruling houses of Menzoberranzan, especially by House Baenre, which had the resources to hire the group regularly, particularly given that Jarlaxle himself was a Baenre.

The group had an important role on major events at Menzoberranzan; for instance, it was hired by House Do'Urden to assist on the attack to the Fifth House, House Hun'ett, and played a significant role in the demise of House Do'Urden.

Bregan D'aerthe played a role in the drow attack on Mithral Hall.

Circa 1360 DR, House Xorlarrin hired Bregan D'aerthe to help protect the Lustrum mines.

In Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (game), Bregan D'aerthe acted in Ust Natha in connection with House Jae'llat and Deirex the lich around 1369 DR.

During the Siege of Menzoberranzan (1372-1373 DR), Bregan D'aerthe provided intelligence on the siege for city leaders. Jarlaxle, however, was not in the city at the time. Meanwhile, Valas Hune was investigating the Silence of Lolth, having been hired by Matron Mother Triel Baenre to escort Quenthel Baenre's expedition through the Underdark.

Bregan D'aerthe played a role in the fall of the Host Tower of the Arcane in Luskan and the subsequent grapple for dominance between Captain Deudermont, who was supported by Waterdhavian nobles and the High Captains. They secured trade relations with Luskan during this incident, aligning with Ship Kurth. Jarlaxle later used that connection to make a deal with Marchion Elastul Raurym, opening trade with the city of Mirabar.

In 1466 DR, Bregan D'aerthe, at the bequest of Jarlaxle, assaulted Draygo Quick's compound in Gloomwrought in the Shadowfell to free his prisoners: Drizzt Do'Urden and the petrified Dahlia Sin'felle and Artemis Entreri. In 1469 DR, Draygo Quick was continuing to work with Bregan D'aerthe; Kimmuriel Oblodra had agreed to share information he gathered from working with the illithids in return for forgiveness for the assault on Quick's home.

Activities
Bregan D'aerthe was primarily a mercenary and mercantile band. Members, both individuals and the band as a whole, were available for hire to the highest bidder. Bregan D'aerthe was involved in most conflicts in Menzoberranzan in one way or another. The band expanded to trade surface goods from the surface to Menzoberranzan and the Underdark.

Bregan D'aerthe had a reputation that normally allowed its agents to skip lines. Its members were given "credit" — often they didn't need to pay because of the threat of retaliation from Bregan D'aerthe.

Headquarters
Bregan D'aerthe's main headquarters were hidden in the Clawrift in Menzoberranzan.

The band established a presence on the surface in order to further the band's influence as well as trade for Menzoberranzan. In (1366 DR), it briefly had a surface base in Calimport.

By 1377 DR, Bregan D'aerthe had developed a significant surface presence in Luskan and used Ship Kurth as its outward face. In 1463 DR, the drow agent Beniago, disguised as a human, was second to High Captain Kurth. By 1483 DR, Beniago had become High Captain Beniago Kurth.

Leadership
After the debacle with Crenshinabon in 1366 DR, Jarlaxle left the organization in the capable hands of his trusted lieutenant Kimmuriel Oblodra and adventured on the surface with Artemis Entreri. Kimmuriel longed for a time when he could return to his lieutenant status and let Jarlaxle take over again, allowing him to return to his personal psionic studies.

Some time after his adventures in the Bloodstone Lands, Jarlaxle returned and resumed his throne as leader of Bregan D'aerthe, still working in the shadows of society to establish trade and profits from the surface world, particularly in Luskan. Kimmuriel was still his second and was frequently the public face of dealings with the mercenary band while Jarlaxle ran off adventuring on the surface with Athrogate and others. Kimmuriel was, however, given the power to overrule Jarlaxle if he felt his master's involvement in matters of the surface world threatened the organisation as a whole. As time went on (by 1463 DR, Kimmuriel became widely understood as the band's leader, and indeed Jarlaxle undertook missions for Kimmuriel and paid him for the services of Bregan D'aerthe when he wished to use the band for personal missions.

Below Kimmuriel in the hierarchy was Valas Hune, but he was afforded a great deal of independence in his activities. Lesser in rank to Valas were a number of lieutenants of equal standing, such as Beniago, each of whom was given jurisdiction over an area of interest for the group. Beniago, for example, considered Luskan his personal territory.

Equipment
Members of Bregan D'aerthe carried an insignia of the band that was widely recognized throughout the Underdark, including in Sschindylryn. Unlike a house insignia, the Bregan D'aerthe insignia did not allow its bearer to levitate, however.

Valas Hune had an upside-down cameo trinket of deep green jade that allowed him to send messages to his band when he touched it. Whether this trinket was the same as his insignia was unclear.

Drow

 * Jarlaxle, founder.
 * Kimmuriel Oblodra, co-leader and later primary leader, psionicist.
 * Rai-guy Bondalek (killed), lieutenant, mage/cleric
 * M'tarl (killed), lieutenant.
 * Dinin Do'Urden (turned into drider, killed).
 * Valas Hune, scout and lieutenant.
 * Berg'inyon Baenre.
 * Beniago Baenre, lieutenant disguised as a human in Luskan.
 * Ak'hafta (killed).
 * Iftuu (killed).
 * Mariv.
 * Braelin Janquay, who discovered Regis's true identity.

Non-drow

 * Artemis Entreri, honorary human member (although he wouldn't have named himself a member).
 * Morik the Rogue, human agent in Luskan.
 * Sharlotta Vespers, honorary human lieutenant in Calimport.
 * Athrogate, honorary dwarf member.

Novels

 * Homeland
 * Exile
 * The Legacy
 * Starless Night
 * Siege of Darkness
 * The Silent Blade
 * Spine of the World
 * Servant of the Shard
 * Promise of the Witch-King
 * Road of the Patriarch
 * Daughter of the Drow (mentioned)
 * Sword of the Gods: Spinner of Lies (minor)
 * Dissolution (minor)
 * Condemnation (mentioned)
 * Annihilation (minor)
 * The Pirate King
 * Gauntlgrym
 * Charon's Claw (mentioned)
 * The Last Threshold
 * The Companions (minor)

Computer games

 * Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn