The near-destruction of the Harpers left them too weak to move openly against the fast-rising power of the Zhentarim. Elminster worked against the schemes of Manshoon alone, devot-ing most of his efforts to drawdevot-ing the church of Bane into open battle with the Dark Network.
The rich and powerful temple of Bane in Zhen-til Keep, under Fzoul Chembryl, had changed its name from the Dark Shrine to the Black Altar (not to be confused with the Black Lords Altar in Mulmaster). It had broken from the authority of the increasingly decadent and corrupt church of Bane to join the Zhen-tarim. The renegade priests under Fzoul did not lose the spells and powers granted them by Bane, and they saw this as vindication of their defiance.
The High Imperceptor of Bane, head of the
church, was a weak man (chosen as a figure-head by senior priests locked in bitter rivalries with each other). He did not wield the might of the church into any immediate attack on Zhentil Keep until it was too late. The Zhentarim had grown far too strong and easily defeated the tentative attacks mounted by the clergy of Bane.
Elminster set out to manipulate individual priests of Bane into launching their own small efforts against the Zhentarim, concentrating on the caravans the Zhentarim hoped to enrich themselves with. The Old Mage saw at once that the Zhentarim wizards intended to control the shortest and safest trade-route between the Moonsea North and the Sword Coastan aim that has kept them busy to this day. The ongo-ing struggle between the rival followers of Bane kept both busy, so the lands around retained some freedom, and the Harpers could rebuild.
In the Sword Coast area, Khelben took over direction of the Harpers for a short time, sup-porting the senior Harper Cylyria Dragonbreast (a veteran of the Harpstars War whod grown sick of battle and longed to establish a place of peace in the Realms for folk to dwell in) in her bid to become ruler of Berdusk. With the aid and protection of the Harpers and Waterdeeps friendship and financial support, Cylyria became High Lady of Berdusk. There she founded Twilight Hall. The Harpers were immediately called on to defeat brigand, Zhen-tarim (out of Darkhold), and mercenary (hired by Amnian merchant interests) attacks on Berdusk.
Thus founded in war, Twilight Hall became the base for a new breed of Harpers willing to fight for a peaceful haven. They were accus-tomed to authority, organized ranks, and clearly established responsibilities. Under Khelbens guidance, Cylyria drew up their code and ranks with an eye to preventing future abuse or tyranny, calling her formal organization the Order of the Silver Moon and Harp.
Khelben withdrew abruptly from the affairs of the fledgling Twilight Hall when he learned that Laeral of the Seven Sisters, who had
pur-sued her own career in the North as the head of a powerful adventuring band known as the Nine, had fallen afoul of evil magic.
The Crown of Horns was a mighty item of magic created by the god Myrkul. It had been lost for many centuries in a crypt under Yulash in the Dalelands (the resting-place of a long-ago, outcast cabal of magicians). Its fell powers included a ray of undeath that closely resem-bled the imaginary threat Rundorl Moonsklan had set the Harpers against in prior years. Over time the item turned its wearer into a lich, while keeping him or her ever under the influence of Myrkul. (Many sages believe it was at work in the downfall of Netheril.)
Laeral had found and donned the crown; it turned her actions (which had often worked in accord with those of the Harpers down the years) to evil and shattered the Nine. Many for-mer friends were attacked. Shocked Waterdha-vian nobles turned to Khelben for help.
With Mystras aid, Khelben succeeded in shattering the crown, ending its powers forever.
This involved the sacrifice of some of his own power, and left him in custody of a wild-witted Laeral. To nurse her back to health (and to keep her from evil influences), the weakened Khel-ben took her back to Blackstaff Tower in Water-deep, to be his apprentice.
Over the years, Laeral recovered and both she and Khelben grew in magical power. They came to love each other. Today, Laeral is Khel-bens consort.
While Khelben was rescuing Laeral, her sister Alustriel was busy in the Sword Coast North.
Fighting orcs and local Zhentarim agents (as well as the greater evil of Hellgate Keep), Alus-triel led a band of rangers, druids, and half-elves of all sorts into local politics, rising to become High Lady of Silverymoon. Like Cylyria, she was interested in establishing a haven of peace amid dangerous lands.
Storm Silverhand led her senior Harpers in aiding Alustriels rise to power and fledgling rule. This entailed scouting missions that led to the deaths of many orc and hired human spies,
the slaying of the wizard Shaloss Ethenfrost, who sought to raise his own rule over the area, and an open battle against a large orc raiding band. Known as the Battle of Tumbleskulls, this victory is famous in Silverymoon as the begin-ning of the citys pride and power. It was crucial to Alustriel in retaining power, and it succeeded because Storms Harpers roused the warriors of Silverymoon (who were beginning to argue seriously among themselves about which of them should rule instead of Alustriel) against the orc threat. The Harpers lured the orc band into a narrow valley, where they fell on an
unprotected human camp that turned out to be a trap. When they turned to flee, the only way back was through a narrow cleft held by the Harpers, who fired arrows and hurled spells at will, slaughtering the trapped orcs.
Those who tried to scale the walls of the cleft were beheaded by the weakest of the Harpers, lying on the rocks with blades ready. The heads falling and rolling back into the fray gave
the battle its name.
After the defeat of the orcs, Storm estab-lished a hidden Harper stronghold in nearby Everlund. The Heralds looked on this local rise in civilization with great pleasure. They sent financial support to both communities, to help in fortifying them and improving roads linking them with the Holdfast and thence more southerly lands.
Elminster and Storm worked together to build friendships and lines of communication, so that the Harpers would grow slowly in power throughout Faerûn. In the Dales and the lands to the north and east, he preferred to encourage many small, independent adventur-ing bands that could stand between the Harpers and open involvement in local politics (and open confrontation with the Zhentarim, agents of Thay, and The Cult of the Dragon).
In contrast, the Harpers based in Twilight Hall, located on a long and dangerous overland trade route that was falling under increasing
Zhentarim dominance, worked openly in Harper adventuring bands (and sponsored, aided or led other groups, such as the Riders with Red Cloaks of Asbravn). Belhuar Thantarth grew to lead them, becoming Master of Twilight Hall, while bards such as Obslin Minstrelwish and Caledan Caldorien gained experience and personal power in the service of Twilight Hall.
As the Harpers flourished, so did the need for them; interests and groups whose aims and methods were evil grew in strength and num-bers all over the Realms. Evil rose and fell in the Moonshae Isles, prompting the Harpers to strengthen their presence there. Orcs and worse were on the move in the North, keeping Dove of the Seven Sisters and the senior Harpers Sha-ranralee and her half-elven consort Eaerlraun busy.
The Zhentarim grew mighty indeed, to the point where Khelben and Elminster regarded Storm and Sylune of the Sisters, dwelling in Shadowdale, to be in grave personal danger.
Elminster openly settled (in a base he had often used before) in Shadowdale, to make the two Sisters less likely to be casually attacked by any ambitious Zhent underling who wanted to make a name for himself.
Elminsters work against evil all over Faerûn and on other planes kept him absent from the dale so often that Khelben sent a fledgling band of adventurers (who were to become famous as the Knights of Myth Drannor) to Shadowdale, to rule there and defend the dale against the Zhentarim.
The Cult of the Dragon and the Zhentarim had begun to act openly and often in the Drag-onreach lands. Evidence also came to light in Cormyr that the dead god Moander the Dark-bringer was alive and stirring. Then the rare and awesome power of spellfire was revealed in the person of one Shandril Shessair. The Cult of the Dragon and the Zhentarim scrambled to gain control of this weapon. So did the forces loyal to the High Imperceptor of Baneand the younger, more reckless Malaugrym (whod taken to watching over events in Faerûn). The
Knights of Myth Drannor took Shandril to Shadowdale under their protection. Elmin-sterwith the aid of the Simbulprotected her until she came to terms with her power. Storm offered her the protection of the Harpers, and she set out for Silverymoon, where Alustriel had agreed to train her consort, Narm Tama-raith, in magic.
Love developed between Elminster and the Simbul. The Harpers were kept busy battling many forces for evilonly to find magic going wild. Then order and much of the Realms split asunder in the widespread chaos of the Time of Troubles. Many Harpers perished in the tumult of the Fall of the Gods, and in the brigandry and orc raids that followed.
In the days that followed, the senior Harpers again set about rebuilding their organization.
The Nameless Bard (Finder Wyvernspur) reap-peared in the Realms, freed from his otherpla-nar exile. Elminster, desperate to add some muscle and experience to the Harper cause, used his influence on Storm, Cylyria, and other senior Harpers to have Finders sentence reviewed. Ultimately, the Harpers found them-selves battling the awakened god Moander. The god was vanquished in the Realms, but his defeat cost the lives of several Harpersinclud-ing, it seemed, that of Finder Wyvernspur, whose name and music the Harpers restored.
The Time of Troubles, with its widespread death and destruction, left much of the Realms lawless, in need, and restless. It was a time for adventurers, in which both the Harpers and their foes flourished. For the first time, folk traveled to Twilight Hall, to try and join the Harpers, in numbers. Despite the dangers of belonging, and of the treacheries of those would-be Harpers who were agents of the ene-mies of Those Who Harp, the ranks of the Harpers grewand continue to do so.
The Realms had been reshaped. As the strug-gle began to build a new world, Harpers were determined to be a part of it.
What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrowI can be sure of giving you the right answer then.
Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm This sourcebook, like the revised FORGOTTEN REALMS® Campaign Setting boxed set, is set at the end of The Year of the Shield (1367 in Dalereckoning). As the rather harsh winter of that year takes hold in Faerûn, the Harpers are engaged in the following major concerns and missions.