People of the Black Blood
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The People of the Black Blood collectivity include several large groups of lycanthrope worshipers of Malar. Because they can travel incognito and form new bands in other places, it is not known how widespread they are, but groups are known to be active in the Chondalwood, Cormanthor, and the High Forest. They exist for the hunt, following the will of the Beast Lord and their own animal instincts. They hunt normal animals but prefer intelligent prey, often kidnapping victims in humanoid form and releasing them in a wilderness area to be pursued by the entire pack. Such hunts usually end in the consumption of the victim.

Membership

The group's membership consists of true and infected lycanthropes, primarily evil with a scattering of feral neutral members. They disdain people who live in cities, particularly wererats, and often commit acts of great violence against would-be interlopers on their territory. The churches of Gwaeron, Mielikki, and Silvanus often mount searches into the forest to discover and destroy the People's lairs.

Joining the People

To join the People, an individual need only worship Malar and be infected with lycanthropy. Many rangers, barbarians, and druids are counted among the packs. When the ranks grow thin, they infect others with their kind of lycanthropy to gain more followers.

Bloodmasters

A pack's leader, called a Bloodmaster, is decided by physical prowess. Werewolves and wereboars are the most common Bloodmasters due to their physical strength.

Organization

As an organization, the People of the Black Blood do not have a political agenda. Like wild animals, they wish to protect their territory and thrive, which means they attack creatures that approach them. Occasionally they ally themselves with the church of Malar or are hired by evil groups such as the Zhentarim, but their independent natures mean that such alliances tend to be short-lived. Because they disdain civilization, what minor equipment they have is usually ill-kept, but most packs have an amazing variety of potions devised by their spellcasting members (since potions can be used by creatures that cannot speak and lack hands). Most packs consist of only one or two types of lycanthropes and normal or dire animals of the same type.

Moonwood People

The Moonwood Black Bloods were once two tribes, but centuries ago the more powerful werewolves of the northern Moonwood subsumed the small wererat pack of the southern eaves. Today the tribe consists almost exclusively of afflicted werewolves and wererats, their shifter descendants, dire wolves, and dire rats. They hunt in a pack, posting sentinels and roving scouts in the verges of the wood.

The Moonwood People are led by Bloodmaster Kuldus Droum. Kuldus is a natural werebear bred of Sky Pony Uthgardt stock. When the Moonwood people began to fracture under the ambitious leadership of Jarthon Drael and involvement from outside forces such as the Silver Company, a civil war began and Kuldus remained the clear choice for Bloodmaster.

Other notable members of the Moonwood People include:

  • Jarthon Drael was once a half-elf of Silverymoon who hunted Black Blood lycanthropes in this forest to protect folk of the city. Infected with lycanthropy after a werewolf attack, he used his hunting skills to become the leader of the Black Bloods. He dreams of ruining Silverymoon and overwhelming the Silver Marches with wild hunters. His faction was defeated by Kuldus and the Silver Company, who hunt him still.
  • Bloodmaster Varek was the last natural lycanthrope of the Moonwood People. According to an eyewitness, he was killed by Quaervarr hunters several months ago, but the circumstances surrounding his death are mysterious.
  • Sarissa Duncastle is an outcast from the People who scoffed at Jarthon's leadership and resents the curse of lycanthropy. She is pregnant with a child Jarthon and Kuldus believe to be Varek's, and lives in constant fear of the ex-Bloodmaster's spies. She is currently under Kuldus' protection.

Without a natural lycanthrope in the pack, the Moonwood People knew their end was swiftly approaching. Rather than sit idly by, they abandoned the tenets of the Beastlord and became more warlike, with the ultimate goal of being recognized as the true rulers of the Moonwood, to create a nation of lycanthropes and shifters comparable to Obould's empire of orcs.

While Jarthon prepared his horde for war, Malar's ever-faithful Kuldus sought to find Sarissa and return her to the People. If the child she carries is truly Varek's, she would be born a natural lycanthrope, capable of passing on the gift to others. Jarthon was aware of Kuldus' actions, and sought to dispose of the traitor Sarissa before his two most powerful followers supplanted him.

Other Tribes

Other notable members of the People include:

Each has been a Bloodmaster for at least five years and has defeated many challengers.

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