Arcane Brotherhood

The following is from Luskan's Arcane Brotherhood, a book within the game Neverwinter Nights.

The dangers of Illusk pale in comparison to the Host Tower of the Arcane â€“ the home of the Arcane Brotherhood. This magically created stone structure is built to resemble a giant tree or an open human hand. It rises into a central spire surrounded by four spires at the points of the compass. All are of equal height, and each bristles with many lesser spires, balconies, and branching turrets.

The Arcane Brotherhood is a mercantile company and spellcasterâ€™s guild. It maintains several safe houses in Luskan and in other cities of the North, and at least one fortress somewhere in the mountains north and east of Luskan. The Host Tower, however, is the seat of its strength.

Hard information on the upper echelons of the Arcane Brotherhood is very difficult to come by. It is clear, though, that some of the senior wizards have recently been destroyed or trapped in forms from which they canâ€™t escape, communicate, or work magic. Some have been moved behind the scenes, and some have left the Brotherhood to pursue their own aims â€“ lichdom, mastery in other lands or planes of existence, and so on. Even still, it should be noted that current activities of the Zhentarim, the Cult of the Dragon, and the Red Wizards of Thay reveal that they havenâ€™t managed to place agents or even spies in any positions of importance within the Brotherhood.

The Brotherhood has been known to change with menacing rapidity, as its internal feuds tend to be deadly. Travelers are advised to avoid even coming to the attention of this evil, manipulative group.