{ "__data_type": "UTI ", "AddCost": { "type": "dword", "value": 6 }, "BaseItem": { "type": "int", "value": 74 }, "Charges": { "type": "byte", "value": 0 }, "Comment": { "type": "cexostring", "value": "" }, "Cost": { "type": "dword", "value": 7 }, "Cursed": { "type": "byte", "value": 0 }, "DescIdentified": { "type": "cexolocstring", "value": {} }, "Description": { "type": "cexolocstring", "value": { "0": "The dark city of Zhentil Keep, at the mouth of the River Tesh in the western Moonsea, is one of the oldest human settlements in the region. It's name is certainly one of the most feared, having been associated with the Zhentarim, the evil black network, since that organisation's founding.\nThis date can be traced back to the Year of The Fanged Beast (640DR), two hundred and forty years after the great city of Northkeep sank beneath the waves at the behest of a coven of dark magi. Originally founded as the mining colony of Flostren's Hold, the city soon grew to fill the void in the region as a centre of trade in this new frontier, now that human civilisation in the Dalelands was beginning to bear fruit.\nTo some it seemed that this new beginning had been cut short when the fiendish Army of Darkness sacked the fledgling city, lying as it did on the path to their ultimate destination of Myth Drannor, capital of the forest realm of Cormanthyr. But the city recovered surprisingly quickly. Ironically the end of elven power in the great forest had opened a direct (albeit very dangerous) route between the River Tesh and Sembia that would make Flostren's Hold the gateway to the north of inland Faerûn.\nThe city continued to grow until the Year of Good Tidings (751DR), when a man by the name of Zhentar came to Flostren's Hold and was made a member of the council of lords. Zhentar was a popular character and began quietly removing members of the council with opposing interests. To fill the void left by these deaths, Zhentar appointed the high priest of Bane to the council. In the Year of Strife (753DR), Zhentar was slain by Sembian agents and the city was renamed Zhentil Keep in his honour. \nFor the next three hundred years the city continued to grow, despite almost constant quarrelling with the neighbouring cities of Phlan, Thentia and Melvaunt, usually in the form of trade disputes, but occasionally breaking out into small scale war.\nManshoon, the man who would shape the future of the keep, was born in the Year of The Carrion Crow (1229DR) and rose to become a wizard of tremendous power. At the age of 32, he came to the city and claimed a seat on the council. He used his newfound power to form the now infamous Zhentarim, ever since associated with the city. Beside him on the council sat Fzoul Chembryl, high priest of Bane, whose clergy had been the dominant force in the keep for over three hundred years. During this period, an uneasy alliance of Moonsea cities began rebuilding the Citadel of The Raven in the Dragonspine Mountains, though the representatives of Zhentil keep would gradually rise to become the dominant garrison in the ancient fortress.\nIn the Year of The Evening Sun (1303DR), the agents of Zhentil Keep subtlety manipulated an army of ogres, diverting them from the Citadel towards the rival city of Phlan, which was quickly overrun by the surprise attack. This event triggered the first Moonsea War. The forces of Mulmaster quickly annexed some of the smaller towns of the region, but their success was short lived when the remaining cities allied against them. Still recovering from defeat by the ogres, Phlan was crushed by an army of dragons in the same year in an event known as The Dragon Run and the city was reduced to ruins.\nWhen Bane is slain by the mortal Cyric in the time of Troubles, Banite elements in Zhentil Keep are thrown into chaos as a religious war takes place in the streets of the city between followers of Iyachtu Xvim, Bane's half demon son and heir, and followers of Cyric, newly risen to godhood. This struggle results in the almost total destruction of the city and the death of a third of it's population, when the city is levelled by divine vengeance.\nDespite this turmoil, the black network continued to grow covertly, planting agents in most realms of the Inner Sea, and some in lands beyond. This intelligence network made Manshoon one of the best informed men in the realms. The zhent army eliminated the rival city of Hulburg in the Year of The Bright Blade (1347DR), mostly through treachery from the inside. The city also inflicted a crushing naval defeat on the city of Mulmaster in the Year of The Bow (1354DR), though this battle is later revealed as a show, orchestrated by Manshoon and Selfaril, High Blade of Mulmaster and secret member of the Zhentarim. Mulmaster effectively becomes the organisation's second city. The Black Network then gains total control of the Citadel of The Raven, which proves a useful stronghold in the years to come.\nIn the Year of Maidens (1361DR), the church of Cyric (which had by now supplanted the church of Xvim as the principle faith of the city) exacted the first Banedeath on followers of the dead god and his son. Opponents of Cyric were given two options: either they convert to Cyric, or are slain \"to explain to Cyric in person why he is not worthy of worship.\" Cyricist domination comes to an abupt end when Fzoul Chembryl reads aloud from the \"True Life of Cyric,\" revealing the dark god's betrayal of his faithful at Zhentil Keep. The young god is driven insane, causing his worshippers to falter and flee the city. \nFrom the ashes of this defeat, Fzoul rises to the status of Tyrant, leader of Xvim's church in Faerûn. With his newfound power he manages to slay Manshoon, becoming sole master of the city in the Year of The Tankard (1370DR). \nFzoul is of current the most powerful man in Zhentil Keep, though struggles to purge remaining Cryic worshippers from the organisers. While the loss of Manshoon has been clearly felt, there are persistant rumours that he survives in exile. Some even suggest that his death awakened a series of clones that Manshoon had created in anticipation of his betrayal by Fzoul.", "id": 13026 } }, "Identified": { "type": "byte", "value": 1 }, "LocalizedName": { "type": "cexolocstring", "value": { "0": "History of Zhentil Keep", "id": 13025 } }, "ModelPart1": { "type": "byte", "value": 3 }, "PaletteID": { "type": "byte", "value": 60 }, "Plot": { "type": "byte", "value": 0 }, "PropertiesList": { "type": "list", "value": [] }, "StackSize": { "type": "word", "value": 1 }, "Stolen": { "type": "byte", "value": 0 }, "Tag": { "type": "cexostring", "value": "nwsfrb036" }, "TemplateResRef": { "type": "resref", "value": "nwsfrb036" } }