Forge Fitzwilliam

Forge Fitzwilliam was a human rogue and confidence trickster and later Lord of Neverwinter in the late 15 century DR. He was a former partner-in-crime of Edgin Darvis, Holga Kilgore, and Simon Aumar before he betrayed them to aid Sofina, a Red Wizard of Thay. "Never put your trust in a conman."

- Forge Fitzwilliam

Description
"He has those soulful eyes and that face that's a little bit swoony, but at the same time I kind of want to punch him. You ever know anyone like that?"

- Edgin Darvis on Forge As Lord of Neverwinter, he wore a white shirt, a tan vest, and a turquoise neckerchief, under a gold-brocaded coat, with an ornate belt and rings and a gold amulet set with an emerald gem.

Personality
"Oh, look how you glow. I can see the envy that claws at your heart, though you try to hide it. Such lovely flaws and weaknesses and hidden truths..."

- Drueena the green hag to Forge

His morality was malleable, if not absent altogether, and he used a charming smile, flattery, and lies to manipulate people—and backstab them given the opportunity. He had a taste for wealth and its trappings, especially that which he'd won himself. He was audacious in his schemes and never satisfied, instead growing ever more ambitious.

Abilities
With his charm, Forge could disarm his foes, appearing less of a threat in combat, and he could also easily dodge attacks and evade harmful effects. He would cunningly escape to advantageous locations from which to strike back. However, he was most deadly to his own former allies whom he'd double-crossed and taken by surprise. His weapons were coated with poison.

Skilled in the arts of the thief, he was agile and stealthy, persuasive and deceptive, and also skilled in investigation and sleight of hand.

Possessions
He fought with a dagger and heavy crossbow.

Conman
Over decades in the latter 1400s DR, Forge had carried on his dishonest trade in cities up and down the Sword Coast, pulling a variety of heists and scams under many false identities, and leaving as broken promises and thefts in his wake.

In the early 1490s DR, Forge had a chance meeting with two other thieves, the bard Edgin and barbarian Holga, at the Trip and Shuffle tavern in Targos in Icewind Dale. With Holga's encouragement, the out-of-practice bard Edgin attempted to sing for the audience, but consumed too much liquid courage, leading to his performance being a public failure. This was when Forge pranced in, seeing an easy mark. The thieves played Three-Dragon Ante, but Edgin was better at noticing cheating while drunk, and Forge quickly recognized a fellow hustler. The competition between two cheats was cut short by a raiding party of gnolls, who started a fight but got away with the thieves' gold. Edgin, Holga, and Forge pursued the raiders to retrieve their stolen coin. The group ended up saving a Targossan child, Sief Talvick, Edgin's neighbor's kid, who'd been taken by the gnolls. This rescue made the trio heroes in the eyes of the locals.

Soon after, Forge waltzed into Edgin's life once again, having found two villagers whose drinking buddy had gone missing, along with several other people. The villagers were offering a hefty donation for the rescue, and Forge thought the job to be easy money. Forge convinced Edgin to travel to a "haunted" island just off the Sword Coast. There, Edgin, Holga, and Forge found a single survivor: the sorcerer Simon, who'd been hired by the villagers but had gone missing. The young half-elf convinced the thieves to rescue him in exchange for intel that would lead them to a greater mark: the estate of the wealthy and eccentric dragonborn wizard Torlinn Shrake. Subsequently, a green hag named Drueena was revealed to be responsible for the disappearances. With the sorcerer's help, the group ended the creature's life but received no reward. Following Simon's lead, the band later infiltrated the Shrake estate during a party with the intent to rob the place. They were also caught in a town threatened by the Bandit King on one Feast of the Moon. Throughout their schemes and heists together, Forge was always urging them to set their sights on higher targets and greater riches. Nevertheless, Edgin retained something of his old Harper sensibilities and saw to it that they never hurt anyone and only stole from those who wouldn't suffer for the loss.

Finally, one night whilst they were celebrating a score at the Trip and Shuffle tavern in Targos, a mysterious hooded figure calling herself "Lady Sofina" met the team. She wanted to hire them to help her steal the treasures of Korinn's Keep, a Harper storehouse that only a Harper could enter—Edgin. He refused, however, still having some standards. But Forge promised they would find there a Tablet of Reawakening, a magical relic capable of resurrecting one deceased soul. Against his better judgement but with hopes of restoring his wife Zia to life, Edgin relented and acquiesced to Forge's and Sofina's scheme.

Donning his old Harper uniform, Edgin led the team to Korinn's Keep and gained admittance. While the thieves helped themselves to the treasures of the vault, and Sofina claimed a strange red horn, Edgin went for the Tablet of Reawakening. But the poor thief triggered an alarm, summoning Harper guards, whom Sofina struck with chain lightning, to Edgin's dismay. She then cast time stop, trapping the guards, Holga, and Edgin while she, Forge, and Simon made their escape. Edgin's last act was to throw the Tablet to Forge and beg him to take care of Kira. Forge gave his word, for what that was worth. In fact, he'd always planned to double-cross them, having thrown his lot in with Sofina. As Forge watched, Sofina tried to kill Simon, as they'd never intended for him to escape Korinn's Keep, but the sorcerer only just got away with his life.

Lord
"But there are things I need to accomplish first before I really think about settling down, and one particular mountain I have yet to climb, so to speak. Neverwinter. That's the prize I've always coveted. The wealth in that city is staggering, and it’s all just ripe for the taking."

- Forge Fitzwilliam

Afterward, Forge collected Kira from Targos and together they moved to Neverwinter. For two years, dear 'Uncle Forge' lied to the girl and turned her against her father, until Kira thought he'd just abandoned her to seek more riches, that is, the so-called "Tablet of Riches". Forge kept the real Tablet of Reawakening hidden and never shared Edgin's true reasons. He presented himself as a having turned over a new leaf. Sofina also had an influence on the girl.

When Lord Dagult Neverember suddenly took ill and fell into a vegetative state, —a magical condition that was rumoured to be the work of Sofina, and in fact was —Forge seized the opportunity. He waged a political campaign for lordship of Neverwinter financed with his ill-gotten gains, in which he described Neverwinter's leaders as "corrupt and inept". Successful, he became Lord of Neverwinter with Sofina as his chief advisor.

However, not all were swayed. The wood elves of the Neverwinter Wood resisted his rule, so Forge painted them as enemies and traitors. He sent his forces to capture and execute them and dispatched loggers who cut ever deeper into the woods, abandoning sensible logging practices. Doric, a druid of the Emerald Enclave would lead the fightback.

But Forge and Sofina's real scheme was far larger and more terrible in scope. One of the Forge's main acts was to revive the High Sun Games, a monster-filled bloodsport that had been banned by Lord Neverember as he considered them too brutal. He also ordered the construction of the Neverwinter arena. The first Games were to be held in the late 1490s DR, allegedly as a way of bringing the city together. It also brought many visitors from outside Neverwinter—including rich, powerful, and unscrupulous people who wanted to bet big on the Games and who brought their riches with them. People like Din Caldwell and Porb Piradost, two of the wealthiest men of Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep of the day.

Forge revived the Highsun Games at the newly built Neverwinter Arena and hosted the event, even raising a balloon over the arena with his face on it.

Background
Forge Fitzwilliam is played by actor Hugh Grant. The character was initially reported to be named Forge Fletcher. He was confirmed to be a rogue via a promotional video played at the San Diego Comic-Con 2022's Tavern Experience. Writer-director Jonathan Goldstein said that "He turns out to be one of the bad guys."

Appearances

 * Film & Television
 * Honor Among Thieves
 * Novels
 * The Road to Neverwinter • The Junior Novelization
 * Comics
 * Honor Among Thieves: The Feast of the Moon