Knights of the Black Sword

The Knights of the Black Sword are dedicated to the escape from the cold Prison of Ice.

The Knights of the Black Sword were once a secretive society devoted to what is now more open and clearly-spoken as a cause for freedom from the icy grasp of Auril. Though loyalist members can be found scattered throughout the Ten Towns, their presence is most public and prominent in the town of Caer Dineval, which, following the Desolation of the dragon of Xardorok Sunblight, is mainly the keep of Caer Dineval itself. The settlement is run as a military base, with spare trade with others as needed to supply the operations. Establishments have picked up (in the absence of Caer Konig's historic support) supplying expeditions to the east of the Frozenfar, though often insisting on including one of their own as a guide/observer.

Members wear amulets shaped like swords and made of Chardalyn. The amulets protect them from the cold and are a symbol of their loyalty to the cause. Unlike the characteristic "madness" the material seems to cause in barbarians of the waste and as seen with Xardorok, not a single Knight of the Black Sword has exhibited behavior of anything but focus and discipline and loyalty to the group and its cause. The tenets of the order demand

• Unity (or be shunned),
• Trust (brotherhood and sisterhood), and
• Loyalty (to the cause to escape the icy prison of the Frostmaiden's making).

There is a sort of power struggle for leadership between the named leader Hethyl Ark'orran and an overbearing (bright red) tiefling named Kadroth, while and an outsider mutually-adopted by/adopting the Knights also has a growing influence: a wizard of the Arcane Brotherhood called Avarice.  Avarice was instrumental in defending the keep during the Desolation, joined by one of her wizardly sisters, Vellynne Harpell. (Who arrived with a freed Black Sword dwarf named Deana Auldrice). By their arrival the townsfolk outside the tower had been killed to the last one.

The order has fortified their keep, beyond even sensible access to materials, thus there is conjecture magical allies and powers have been employed. 

There is no love between Dineval and Konig, but each seems focused on its own thing - so occasional skirmishes arise, but these seem mere distractions. Overall, both towns are essentially ghosts of what they once were - now apart from the other goings-on of the Icewind Dale.

In addition to Kadroth and Hethyl, other Black Swords include:

• Deanna Auldrice, a female dwarf - rescued from the Sunblight Stronghold.
• Karou Salafan, an exceptional "field-cook".
• Fel Suparra, a female (light blue) Tiefling rogue, mentor to the pair of Ten Towns humans below.
• Huarwar Mulphoon, a fighter - son of Cora Mulphoon, an Innskeeper met in Bremen.
• Yajath, a belligerent/arrogant hotheaded fighter.
• Zigzastromanth Ziggastromarch ("just call me Ziggy"), who aided in Grimskalle and Trials of the Frostmaiden

UPDATE

• The Adversary is named an enemy of the order - perhaps an even greater threat than the Frostmaiden, though its identity is not openly named (or perhaps even known) - other than, perhaps, speculations (see Machines of the Adversary).
• Hethyl Ark'orran has been killed, splitting the Knights into two factions.
• Kadroth leads the Knights-in-exile, those more treacherous and self-serving, working underground in the populous towns and allied with the Chardalyn Syndicate.
• Avarice leads the "loyalist" (fanatical) Knights of the Black Sword. She is "an upstart" compared to most members, but considered "favored" by their patron.