Davil Starsong

Much of Davil’s early history is cloaked in rumor. Some whisper he was once part of the Doom Raiders, a band of notorious adventurers whose exploits blurred the line between heroism and self-serving violence. Records of their deeds place Davil across the Sword Coast, including Mirabar, Neverwinter, and Unknown, often under pseudonyms. It is said he once seduced a baroness and betrayed a demon prince in the same week—neither of whom ever proved the wiser.

In time, however, the blade gave way to the quill. Davil chose to invest his accumulated clout into the growing Zhentarim presence in Waterdeep, particularly under the oversight of the rising Dread Lord Enna Baenre. His fluency in surface courtly politics, combined with his uncanny understanding of criminal psychology, made him the ideal front for her more discreet interests.

Davil serves as a recruiter, fixer, and public face of the Waterdeep Zhentarim—a rare combination of roles that few survive holding for long. He oversees the cultivation of talent, ensuring that potential agents are not merely capable, but controllable.

Two of his most notable recruits are Callista Maidel and Xanna—both of whom would rise to become founding members of the Hype Squad, and both of whom would eventually shape the very fate of the Grand Game.

• Calista Maidel, a rogue born of the Dock Ward’s smoke and salt, joined the Zhentarim to avoid punishment for an accidental killing. Davil smoothed her past and offered her a future—one drenched in secrets and opportunities.
  
• Xanna Twinfield, a gnomish City Guard investigator, was drawn into the criminal underground not by ambition, but by violence. She was nearly killed during a street brawl between Zhentarim and Xanathar agents, and only survived through the intervention of Metric, a broken angel of Mystra. Manifesting as a spear, Metric empowered Xanna with a strange, warlock-like magic, blurring the line between arcane pact and divine spark. Intrigued by her fusion of law, trauma, and power, Davil approached her not only as a recruiter—but as a handler. He gave her tools, assignments, and guidance that slowly entangled her deeper in the Black Network's web.

During the height of The Grand Game, Davil found himself at the fulcrum of chaos. While Enna Baenre moved unseen and other players blundered publicly, Davil maneuvered through social circles, bribing Watch officers, silencing witnesses, and laundering the reputations of operatives like the Hype Squad—a group whose actions he occasionally helped smooth over, and sometimes had to discreetly threaten into compliance.

His relationships with Calista Maidel, Xanna Twinfield, and Ambrose Rosznar gave him multiple entry points into the Squad’s decision-making. He was one of the few Black Network figures trusted—if warily—by those who otherwise would have hunted his kind in the streets. That trust would be tested again and again, most notably during the Fireball Incident, the Martial Law crackdowns, and the eventual assault on the Xanathar Guild’s lair.

Notably, Davil did not interfere when Xanna began to openly explore her divine nature. In fact, several within the Zhentarim believe he encouraged her to continue walking both paths—seeing in her a test case for whether loyalty and morality could be severed completely from divine obligation.

As of the latest reports, Davil remains active within the upper tiers of Waterdeep’s Black Network, though he rarely appears in person. His name is whispered with equal parts fear and affection across noble salons and darkened alleyways alike. To those within the Zhentarim, he is mentor, judge, and occasional executioner. To outsiders, he is the smiling mask of a shadow with a thousand blades.

To me, he is a reminder: that a sharp wit cuts as cleanly as any sword—and leaves far fewer stains.

Starsong is a dangerous creature—not because he lies, but because he so often tells the truth with a smile and a flourish. I have seen many blades in my long watch. Few are so well-dressed.