#Treth and Relve's section might be adjusted as I continue reading but I don't think so?

[fellsilver]

THE NINE / MEMBERS.

Here follows information on Laeral's final, infamous, ill-fated adventuring company: The Nine. Specifically an overview of their members. Some of this information is derived from canon sources and some is pure headcanon on my part. As a note, Laeral led this band under an alias; although some folk researching The Nine in later years connected her to this company's leader, such is not common knowledge.

SORAYA THE DAWNSMITH.

aka Anamanué Laeral Silverhand Human + Elven (divine lineage via Mystra's avatar) Artificer, Armorer + Wizard, Transmutation + Rogue, Inquisitive

When Laeral accepted the mantle of Mystra's Chosen, she initially traveled with her sister Syluné under Azuth's direction. When they eventually parted ways, she continued adventuring for over four hundred years, assuming various identities and joining or founding multiple companies. The last identity she forged was that of Soraya the Dawnsmith circa the 1290s. She adopted no elaborate spellguise during this period but rather dyed her silver hair red as forge fire and near always adorned her face with war paint. Between this, the way she clothed herself, and the changes she affected to her bearing and speech — she little resembled the figure she would present when she would begin living under her true name again. As for "Soraya's" background, she never gave definitive answers, playfully allowing people to make their own assumptions.

Although a worthy wizard and rogue, she preferred to lean into artificing during this period. She is one of the most skilled and most prolific creators of enchanted items, and this was her golden age. She earned the epithet Dawnsmith, for her work was so peerless people said she must have forged the very rays of the sun. It was she who gathered and led The Nine, and she who provided much of their store of enchanted items. Combined with the spoils of their adventures, they had a hoard kings would envy.

As far as most anyone knows, Soraya donned the Crown of Horns and perished when Khelben broke its power twenty years later. Few are able to connect this identity to the Laeral Silverhand so famed in Waterdeep. The rest speak of Soraya as a cautionary tale against hubris and betrayal. For as skilled as she'd been with dweomers, it was an enchanted crown that unmade her, and her own pride that placed it on her brow. All know how the Stronghold of the Nine was bathed in blood over that wretched artifact with no hands redder than hers. They say her hair turned from flame red to tar black it was so soaked in blood.

KERIN ULRISTES.

aka Thanadar of Dragonrock. Human Ranger, Monster Slayer

Kerin's family emigrated to Baldur's Gate from Amn while his mother was pregnant with him. They kept food on the table and a roof over their heads, but Kerin always found their Lowtown dwellings and truly the whole city far too crowded for his liking. This led to a restlessness and mischief-making in Kerin that worried his mother. Thus his grand-uncle, Thanadar, began taking him out of the city to pass on his skills as a ranger — lessons that Kerin took to like a fish to water. He started hanging around adventurers as he got older, hungry to live that life of far-ranging excitement. He was fifteen when he joined his first company — against his parents' protests but with his grand-uncle's approval.

He earned quite the reputation as a monster slayer over the years. A reputation so great that an old enemy of Laeral's (then living as Soraya) contracted him to hunt her. He was fed grand lies about what a monster-in-disguise she was; he was no fool, but his employer was a deceiver with centuries of practice. And, Kerin had a hunter's pride to play on. Soraya led him on a merry chase for several months before she decided to catch him. All he'd learned of her in that time indicated she was not the monster he'd been led to believe, and all she'd learned of him indicated he would be a worthy companion, well-suited for the adventuring company she wanted to build. He became her second-in-command and her most trusted confidante.

So great was their loyalty to one another that the Crown struggled to break it, managing only to twist it instead. He was one of the four who escaped death and remained her steady right hand while she was corrupted by the Crown. Although he was slowly healed after the Crown was shattered, he was permanently changed. He became reserved when once he was merry and urbane when once he was raucously proud. He took his grand-uncle's name to escape the curse placed upon The Nine and took up work leading people safely through the Sword Coast's more perilous regions. He never blamed Laeral for what happened. Indeed, the experience seemed to bring them closer than ever, and they remained close until his death.

MORVAAN GALLEY.

aka Arnthiir Windrivv. Human Bard, College of Whispers

Morvaan was born a wild wanderer. He began as a humble shepherd, but he was more interested in playing tricks than watching his flock. If ever a boy cried wolf, it was Morvaan. When he was thirteen, he along with his father and brothers made a trip into town. Pirates terrorizing the Amnian coast struck that same day. Such a town as theirs held few riches but there was food and drink and other diversions — all of which a crew needs as much as gold, if not more. When the pirates lay at last in a drunken slumber, Morvaan attempted to steal back his father's moneypurse, taken by the captain. He was caught, but rather than whimper and plead, he spun one bragging tale after another warning them off from harming him. The captain didn't buy a one — though others of the crew were shaken by the boy's conviction — but he did find Morvaan amusing. He gave his father back his purse — and took Morvaan.

Morvaan's first work was in the galley under the cook's hawk-eye, and so that was what the crew called him: Galley. That or names less kind to teach him humility. (Not that it ever did.) Every chance he got, he continued to spin tales so wondrous, so transporting, he could hold the crew in thrall for a little while. He became their primary source of entertainment as well as the captain's favorite. Years passed in this way, and Morvaan's wily ways strengthened. One night, when they'd sailed up the Storm Coast, he sang all the crew to sweet slumber and made off with their latest haul.

Though he'd claimed a small fortune, he had no desire to spend it wisely. He burned through it in the span of a year and took to singing for his supper instead. He made something of a name for himself in the following years: a bard of nigh-incomparable skill who would sing you out of your wealth and wits. He first encountered Kerin whilst he was hunting Laeral (then living as Soraya). Morvaan followed their game of cat and mouse, and composed a wildly popular ballad telling of it. Though he insisted he was a rake and scoundrel, Soraya saw the good his tales could inspire and tempted him into The Nine with the promise of plentiful material.

Like Kerin, he survived the ravages of the Crown: her loyal left hand. He was slowly healed after the Crown's shattering and seemed to return to his usual pranksome self. He even took the name of a black sheep from his family's history. But, Laeral and Kerin could both see the change he'd undergone. He lived as though he was dead, throwing himself into one reckless scrape after another. Kerin decided to journey apart from him, and Laeral was forced to put some distance between herself and Morvaan, though she continued to look out for him when possible. She even risked life and limb to recover his bones when he met a grisly end and bury them with the honor due a saint.

TRETH HALONTER.

Human Fighter, Rune Knight

Treth was a military man first. In those days, northern kingdoms rose and fell like the tides, and Treth's home was one of them. His father was a knight of modest holdings and little fame, but Treth was proud of him and eagerly followed in his footsteps. He might have died in relative obscurity like his father, but it was his doom to live in infamy. When war came to his home, he championed strategies that snatched victory from defeat. But, with that fame came hubris — and a humbling. He was lured into a vicious trap that broke his forces. He would have died himself had not one of his scout's, Relve, carried off his injured body. By the time he returned to fighting shape, their home had fallen.

He lashed out at Relve in his anguish, decried him for a coward and deserter, said they both should have died on that battlefield. He spent the next few years in a drunken storm. All that was left to him were his bloodied hands, and he used them well as a prize-fighter or hired blade with no care for his life. Yet, Relve saw the good Treth swore had died on the field that day. He began by hiring Treth to aid The Nine. Treth was drawn by the gleam of a worthy cause, the honor of The Nine's creed to protect the Sword Coast, though he fought that draw at every turn. Finally, Relve challenged him to a fight: if Treth won, Relve would pay him his weight in gold and never trouble him again, but if Relve won, Treth would join them. Relve's skill at arms was no match for Treth's, but his words struck true at the fallen knight over and over so that Treth chose to yield. He would live in hope rather than die in despair.

When the Crown of Horns descended upon The Nine, Treth was the first to challenge Laeral's claim. His pride had ever been his greatest downfall, and this was no exception. His faction in the Stronghold was the second greatest next to Laeral's and held out against her the longest. He and Relve fought together even in this — and died together. He was raised again as a lich, then imprisoned in a chalice as a blueflame ghost.

RELVE LANGRAL.

Human Rogue, Scout

Relve was born to the same ill-fated kingdom as Treth, though his origins were even more humble. He was a forester's son who offered his skills to Treth when came the call to war. He had no dreams of glory, only a desire to defend his home. Yet, glory he found, for his skills as a scout and his ability to direct his fellows proved invaluable. The intel his people provided to Treth more than once contained the key to success. Though Treth was a proud man, he always honored their work, with Relve earning a place of great trust. For Relve's part, though he'd never believed in personal glory, he believed in Treth and the path he carved. When he saw a chance to save him during a doomed battle, he didn't hesitate.

He nursed Treth back to health in secret. When he awoke and learned the fate of their home and railed against him as a deserter . . . Relve did not deny it. In truth, he blamed himself as much for the defeat as Treth did. His instincts had warned him of a trap, but he should've found clear proof, he should've convinced Treth. He kept tabs on Treth from afar for years, but shame and heartbreak prevented him from approaching. He made a meager living contracting his skills to travelers, and it was in this way that he met The Nine (who then only had four members). It was Laeral (then called Soraya) who saw through to his heart and inspired him to join their company permanently. He couldn't save the dead, but he could prevent other good folk from sharing their fate. He was willing — but there was no redemption for him unless it was shared with Treth. He placed both wealth and health on the line to win Treth over and succeeded.

As Relve had little for the Crown to prey upon, he held out against its influence admirably. Alas, his love for Treth proved his undoing. The warrior was the first to challenge their leader's claim to the artifact. The harder Relve tried to return him to his senses, the deeper he himself was corrupted. Finally, he became Relve's true right hand in the war within the Stronghold and was slain alongside Treth. He was raised as a lich and later imprisoned as a blueflame ghost in a sword.

ARDENT TRUETONGUE.

Deva Aasimar Cleric, Knowledge Death Domain

Ardent was a being beyond time, an angelic soul born into mortal guise again and again and again and again. It happened in ages past that they were a casualty of the duels between Savras and Azuth as the latter sought to usurp the former's power. The trauma of this death left them in a state of bodiless dreaming for centuries, during which time they acted as guard and guardian for various mortals. When the time finally came for them to reincarnate, however, Aumvor the Undying learned the location and claimed it for himself. His tainted prevented Ardent from reincarnating as he sought a way to manipulate the deva's power for his own purposes.

The Nine (then only eight in number) broke Aumvor's defenses. Laeral (then living as Soraya) was forced into single combat with Aumvor in the end; though she failed to destroy him, she sent him running with his tail between his legs. Together, she and the rest of the company spent seven days cleansing the place of his rot. As they did so, Ardent visited their dreams, growing a little stronger as they worked. At the end of the seventh day when the first star appeared in the sky, they were at last reborn. A joy in its own right but one muddied by an oddity: they retained every memory of their past lives and their time spent bodiless.

Ardent's first emotion in this life was the agony of compassion. Not for anyone before them but for one lost long ago: the god Savras fallen to Azuth and imprisoned within a scepter. They felt a great love with Him for they too had been a casualty of those battles; thus they vowed to keep the faith of Savras alive until the god could at last return. And if they could ever find the scepter in which He'd been imprisoned, they would stop at nothing to release Him. Despite Savras' reduced state, He seemed still able to bless His faithful, for not only was Ardent endowed with a cleric's spells but they showed an affinity for perceiving the truth that no other could match. They swore never to knowingly speak an untruth, and thus they never did. Furthermore, though it is said Alaundo has been the only true prophet, their divination was uncommonly accurate, and The Nine came to rely upon it.

But, Ardent was wearied by the burden of so many lives. Of being reborn again and again — and knowing they would be reborn again and again still. Knowing that, not only would they have a new life devoid of their companions, they wouldn't even remember them. Thus did Myrkul slowly turn Ardent to His worship, luring them with the promise of true death. Whether because of a despairing heart or some lingering darkness of Aumvor, it worked. Thus when Aumvor sought to discreetly lay the Crown of Horns in Laeral's path, Myrkul influenced Ardent to ensure she would claim it. When she laid it upon her brow, Ardent was the first Myrkul twisted her to enthrall, and their protection would go a long way to fending off other's attempts to claim it. When at last they were freed, they blamed themself for all that happened. The guilt and shame were unbearable. Suddenly, all they had feared became all for which they yearned. They sought the oblivion of a new life and ended their present one.

MANAL AL-MEHDI.

Earth Genasi Elemental Mage, Earth

Manal haled from the city of Qudra in distant Zakhara. Her mother was a great sha'ira who advised their emir. Though many sought her hand, she scorned the traditional trappings of marriage; when she desired a child, she took a genie as a lover. Such an arrangement would normally have been scandalous in Qudra, but too much fear and respect follows genies and the sha'ir through whom they speak — to say nothing of her mother's own formidable reputation. Manal thus had access to the finest education in every facet of life — and her mother made certain she was availed of it. Manal would one day be a bulwark of Qudra, of that her mother had no doubt.

Yet as Manal grew in wisdom and power, she realized just how lacking she was in both. Speaking to ajami (spellcasters from other lands, those who manipulated this strange thing called the Weave) piqued her curiosity. Being of the earth, she never made a decision in haste, yet the more she considered it, the more right it seemed. She would travel alone to other lands, grow in experience, return stronger and armed with fresh perspective. Though her mother was initially resistant, Manal convinced her. She was on a ship bound for Faerûn before the week was out.

She spent years traveling that continent working from the south to the north. Her particular interest was in casters and their relationship with the Weave, especially wizards and the clerics of both Mystra and Azuth. Thus when she met Laeral (then living as Soraya) who was born of Mystra Herself, Manal was fascinated in the extreme. She sought a place among The Nine and was swiftly granted it. Her sure and steady ways made her an outlier at times, but she brought an invaluable balance to the group. It was she who found the Stronghold of the Nine, argued most fervently for its use, and played the greatest role in its renovation.

When the Crown descended upon them, Myrkul found Manal's steadfast will an unprecedented challenge to wear away. The deeper he delved into her mind, the more he found of interest, particularly the magical traditions of Zakhara which did not use the Weave at all. He chose to let her linger in thrall to the crowned Laeral, thus making her one of the four survivors. When she was freed of the Crown's influence, however, she blamed Laeral for all that had happened and she could not fathom why the other three did not. She left and was never heard from again, though rumor says she returned to Qudra.

GRIMHILDE SKULLBREAKER.

Shield Dwarf Barbarian, Kuldjargh

Grimhilde came from a long military line that stood in proud defense of Citadel Adbar — right up to their annihilation. Like many clans, their number had steadily dwindled over the years. One ill-fated battle wiped them all out, standing in steadfast defense of their home, with only the young Grimhilde left behind. Her grief burned to rage. She was determined to honor her family's legacy, but the path of a common soldier was not hers to walk. She trained as a kuldjargh, quickly earning recognition for her terror in battle. They called her Skullbreaker for the way she targeted her opponents' heads. Either she would cleave their skulls with her great hand-axe or, if disarmed, she would grapple them down and smash their heads beneath her boot.

Alas, the rage that made her a fierce warrior hindered her from confronting her grief. As she lost more comrades, she likewise lost control of her temper. Skullbreaker turned from a compliment to an insult, for many said she must have cracked her own skull and gone mad. They said no kuldjargh had greater regard from Clangeddin Silverbeard than she — and this was both blessing and curse. She survived when all others fell and rose up raging all the worse. She was kissed by Clangeddin, they said. A soul He would share with no other, even as it tore her asunder.

Citadel Adbar was finally forced to exile her. Consideration for her accomplishments and her family's history stayed their hand longer than it should have, but in the end, they could not deny she had become a danger to her own people. She raged in the wilds from then on, trying to shatter great dangers in the north even as she herself felt shattered beyond repair. Her friendship with The Nine was slow in forming. She was terrified to join any company, any community, lest she prove her home right for exiling her. Yet, Laeral (then called Soraya) in particular had faith in her. Slowly they befriended Grimhilde til she joined them permanently.

Though she'd been exiled from Citadel Adbar, she still had a few friends, a few favors. It was she who negotiated dwarven contractors to rebuild and expand the Stronghold of the Nine. Alas, she was the first to fall when the Crown of Horns descended on them. Her will was too strong to be swayed by it — not without prolonged exposure. She stood between her loved ones as they began fighting one another. They tore her apart. Soraya raised her again to serve in thrall, and she was later imprisoned in a blueflame item, her own axe. She remains a blueflame ghost still.

LIORA OF THE QUILL.

Lightfoot Halfling Wizard, Order of Scribes

Liora was abandoned in the woods beside the Way of the Lion as a babe. An Avowed returning from business abroad discovered her on the roadside and brought her to Candlekeep. Many theories were put forth regarding her origins, yet no trace could be found of her kin nor did any come to claim her. Though Candlekeep was not founded with child-rearing in mind, the monks had become too fond of her to send her off anywhere else. They named her Liora, and she grew up with ink on her fingers.

Though she loved her home, she dreamed of seeing the lands she'd studied on pages. She yearned to study magic and sail on ships and walk cities. When she came of age, she sought an apprenticeship with a wizard who had studied at Candlekeep many times over the years. Liora had no coin to pay her, but the lady was aging and desired to pass on her knowledge before she left this plane. Liora was the perfect student: inquisitive, innovative, attentive — if a bit naïve in the ways of the world. She joined the Order of Scribes, dedicating herself to studying and recording magic across Faerûn. She often offered her worthiest writings to Candlekeep. Before long, folk dubbed her Liora of the Quill, and that name was on many lips.

She and Laeral (known as Soraya at the time) had become pen pals of a sort as Liora's work had piqued her interest. When Soraya began forming The Nine, she enlisted Liora's "help" on one of their adventures as a field test. She offered her a permanent place with them at the end, and she enthusiastically accepted. Though Soraya kept her true identity and nature both as one of the Seven and a Chosen of Mystra discreet at this time, Liora was the only to know she was a Chosen. A secret she held in trust.

When the Crown came upon The Nine, Myrkul claimed her life early. He enthralled Soraya to drink down Liora's knowledge til she was little more than a hollowed out shell. Then that shell was raised again as a puppet. She was later imprisoned in a blueflame item — her own spellbook, no less — wherein she remains.