Dark Dagger

The Dark Dagger was a widespread group of Vhaeraun-worshiping drow. Their goal was to increase the influence of the drow on the surface and to gain power to fight against the church of Lolth.

Headquarters
In the 14th century DR, the Dark Dagger was active in Skullport, Turmish, the Vilhon Reach, Amn, and Calimshan and were expanding to other cities around the Sea of Fallen Stars.

Members
The Dark Dagger was led by drow males but recruited humans and half-elves as well. Members of the Dark Dagger used poisons to which they were immune, resulting from prolonged and controlled exposure.

It seemed that common members or cells were called Points and the leaders held the title Envenomed Edge.

History
In 1359 DR, in the course of the Darkstalker Wars, the Dark Dagger in Skullport suffered an attack by assassins hired by Ralan el Pesarkhal. This attack caused casualties that numbered half of the Skullport cell's members and made it impossible to send money and material supplies to their southern fellows. This interruption caused their bid to gain control over Calimshan's underworld to fail.

The groups in Calimshan and Skullport were in serious danger of collapsing but their state of weakness didn't last. The Skullport cell saw a change in leadership and was rebuilt after under Malakuth Tabuirr, becoming a major power in Skullport, while the cell in Calimshan rebuilt their influence under Masoj Naerth.

After the death of Victor Dhostar in 1367 DR, the Dark Dagger attempted to secretly take control of the Night Masks but failed, thus earning their enmity.

Activities
The Dark Dagger sought to establish themselves as the masters of the criminal world in the region around the Inner Sea lands. Their modus operandi was to first infiltrate and eventually become the de facto rulers of such groups.

As a religious order, they also founded temples and drew dissatisfied humanoids (humans and half-elves) to their faith by using the similarities of Mask's and Vhaeraun's symbols as an entry.

Activities in Skullport
As mentioned above, the Dark Dagger was a widespread group. They were active to various degrees in Turmish, Amn, Calimshan, Vilhon Reach, and also in Skullport.

The cell numbered about 80–90 members with a ratio of 1:3 in favor of non-drow members. While the cell had only about 20 actual drow members (out of whom about six were part of Vhaeraun's priesthood), the majority of Vhaeraun followers in Skullport was affiliated with the Dark Dagger.

Under the leadership of Malakuth Tabuirr, they dealt in legal but more often than not in illegal goods and services and even their legal business had a shady taint. For example, they could be hired as mercenaries but also as assassins.

Malakuth Tabuirr was a member of the Iron Ring, a slaver ring for mutual protection and the most influential in the field, but Dark Dagger's field of expertise was the smuggling business.

The Dark Dagger dealt in poisons, alcohol, weapons and armors, through routes leading into and out of Waterdeep, and funded their slave trade with it and vice versa. They favored female elf and human slaves. While it wasn't clear to whom the slaves were sold to, it was suspected that the buyers were denizens of drow cities.

Traders from outside Skullport were also targets of extortion and their goods were targets for theft, with traders from Calimshan being the favored targets to disrupt.

A religious enemy of the Dark Dagger were followers of Lolth. In Skullport, the foremost Lolthite organization was House Tanor'Thal of Karsoluthiyl, which was a contender in the trading field. The Dark Dagger undermined the House's economic activities and power by raiding their caravans, because prolonged long-term conflicts were prohibited by the Skulls of Skullport. Despite losing both lives and property to the Dark Dagger, House Tanor'Thal never managed to understand that the Dark Dagger were behind these attacks.

Notable members

 * Amryyr Yauntyrr: Scholar and courier.
 * Malakuth Tabuirr: Leader of the Dark Dagger in Skullport and member of the Iron Ring circa 1370 DR.
 * Masoj Naerth: Leader of the Dark Dagger in Calimshan.