"Do you truly believe I do not embark upon even the most minor of plans without calculating the smallest detail?"

The man known as Manshoon has gone by many names and enacted even more schemes, all in his machinations to expand his magical power. As the founder of the Zhentarim, he established the Black Network across the nation to seize control in the forms of trade or illegal partnerships, his forces being infamous for their immoral nature. Over his many deaths across the years, Manshoon has sought to amass power in all manners of magic, controlling those beneath him in his schemes for the affairs of Faerun. Throughout it all he would have several clashes with the legendary Eliminster, to the point the two were regarded as foils of one another. Mystra herself had intervened more than once, for while she never chose sides she knew the pair both led pursuits that served that of the magical Weave.

Having lived for as long as he has through his own version of the Clone spell, Manshoon would be the target of a coup led by his lieutenants Fzoul and Lord Orgauth. This incident unknown to all was expected by Manshoon, who unleashed his lesser clones on them and his Black Network to purge it of the weaknesses he saw within. The clones each viewed themselves as the original, instilled with their own plots to pursue power and grow in arcane mastery. The Original Manshoon took on the name Amos Nohn, an anagram of his name as he monitored his clones in the schemes he instilled in them throughout the nation. Fzoul's leadership would come to an end not long after when the Shadovar raised Zhentil Keep to the ground, killing him and resulting in much of the zealots under his sway to scatter. Satisfied with the purge of his organization, Amos Nohn partnered with The Pereghost to rebuild it in Darkhold now with a clear direction of controlling power unburdened by deity worship.

Since this reformation and the Manshoon Wars, Manshoon has claimed the name Amos Nohn with some small pride. He has utilized his clones to pursue his arcane interests without fear of being thwarted, each one unknowingly providing him with new knowledge in the Weave through an arcane link. Years of magical collection and education have enhanced his spell mastery, with the reformation of his Black Network having set him up as secretly one of the most influential men on the continent. While The Pereghost leads the group at large, Manshoon continues his schemes in the shadows with the entire faction at his command when he needs it to be. Because of this, few are aware that the Original Manshoon lingers or has masked his psychological state, having maintained his sanity despite the Manshoon Wars evident to the contrary.

Fueled by making sure his clones do not threaten the continent with their distorted mental states, he meddles in their affairs while extracting all they have learned. Perhaps he does so for amusement, to fuel his boredom of immense power? Maybe he does it to act as a counterbalance, a force to prevent lesser, false "Manshoons" from surpassing their true creator? Or it could be even that the thrill of adventure when he was younger still exists deep inside, and he acts the wanderer to find satisfaction in that which has been lost? It's even possible he seeks to lead younger adventurers on their paths, orchestrated by him toward an unknown cause.

Regardless of it, it is clear he seeks to collect the knowledge his clones have amassed in their years active. Entire machinations that would take a lifetime to accomplish are now able to be done in multiple lives, orchestrated by their creator unknowingly. For why dedicate one life to achieving a goal, when you could craft 100 to do several each for you? With still his perfected stash of clones to himself, the Original Manshoon is without the flaws of the ones he used in the Manshoon Wars. And all of Faerun will know his reach, whether he reveals himself or not. 

Personality

"I had expected my moment of victory to be more...satisfying. But perhaps I should repay you for years of treachery. The ultimate cruelty of tampering with my laborious calculations upon our first meeting. It will grant me peace of mind whereas merely defeating my most worthy of foes does not!"

Manshoon is a complex villain, whose use of intelligence alongside his arrogance makes him at times his own worst enemy literally and metaphorically. His driven desire for arcane supremacy among mortals but not gods allows him to act without ensuring their wrath, Elminster chief among them due to their opposing views of how magic should govern the world. His calm yet ruthless leadership has ensured his legacy is warranted across the continent as someone who understands the machinations of his foes and allies. The sinister schemes that have placed him center first over others have made him both a ruthless enemy and a capable ally to those who benefit him. Hated yet at the same time admired by even his own organization at times, his awareness of how untouchable his power is keeps him arrogant yet at the same time amused by it all.

Enamored by magic from a lost spellbook belonging to the inspiring Chosen, Manshoon is a quick study in learning all there is about the Weave. He does not deny his first love is power, having desired and achieved it all his life yet intelligent enough to know there are limits to not cross. He understands the need for balance in the world, making no ambition to usurp the Weave or Mystra herself to avoid unwarranted trouble. His amassed magical followers, the Black Cloaks, expand his reach alongside his views with like-minded charisma in inspiring loyalty to the Zhentarim and its leader. Despite his pride in not being Chosen of Mystra unless desperate, the Goddess of Magic herself acknowledges Manshoon is next to Elminster as one of the greatest magical mentors in the realm for his loyalty to the arcane despite compelling others to his cause. So revered is his arcane knowledge that even other beings like a Beholder respect his authority while striving for his Zhentarim plots out of loyalty.

In his formative years, Manshoon proved himself to be ruthless, cold, and cunning in his pursuits. He murdered his older brother Asmuth knowing he would fail as a leader for their people, and masterminded the plot that would secure his own legacy for centuries after. Growing up in Moonsea, he understood that worth came not from gods but from the drive of a single man, securing his claim for power across the region as its greatest unifying power with the Zentarim. A capable politician and tactician, he directed his forces to acquire what he wanted all while masking his intentions until his goals were met. With the Zhentarim, Manshoon became feared widely as a tyrant yet his leadership gave him and those under his command great reach across the continent. Despite his weariness in ruling the Black Network, Manshoon knows well how to manage his resources and use his influence where needed.

Knowing his power would be challenged by the growing followers of Bane under Fzoul and those of Cyric in his organization, Manshoon used his years of psychological warfare to engineer the Manshoon Wars. Manufacturing each Clone that would fight to represent singular personalities to cover his true intentions, Manshoon used even his own flesh, blood, and bone to ensure no one could learn his goals. Whether it was a madman, calculating politician, paranoid leader, or egotistical maniac his Clones did their job in sowing doubt in uncovering the real Manshoon's personality. This cover has been recorded even in the histories, since with all the different depictions of him historically no one really could guess who was the real representation of the Many-Faced archmage.

Despite his vanity, Manshoon does show he is a warranted ally when the need is called for the realm's good. On more than one occasion he has been called upon to ally with Elminster and others, working toward protecting the interest of the multiverse even if Manshoon believes he should manage it over them. His partnership with The Pereghost is one of the complementary skills, earning the wizard's trust in managing the Zhentarim's affairs by ruling the modern Zhentarim with some benevolent loyalty. A secret known only to Mystra, Manshoon has a draconic daughter from an affair with a dragon with whom he takes a friendly relationship, handling her with shocking respect and patience. While he wouldn't admit it, Manshoon finds heroic adventurers useful as well, even crucial to keep others in check so long as it doesn't thwart him personally. 

Appearance

"I do as I choose. And I answer to no one."

Having masked his identity for years, as Amos Nohn Manshoon acknowledges the form is the closest he's come to looking like himself in the public eye. With short black hair and burning yellow eyes, he wears a primarily black with dark green styled waistcoat that resonates with runes inscribed in the inner stitching befitting a Robe of the Archmagi. He looks to be a noble of intellectual background, a traveling royal which isn't incorrect given his status. The polished silver trims and serpentine design of the few metal parts on it do nothing to hide his family's affiliation for the reptiles. This is even more apparent as he travels using a walking cane though it serves merely for aesthetic purposes. The handle of the staff bears the winged snake matching his Zhentarim coat of arms, a weapon that acts as Staff of Power and a hidden Dancing Rapier in disguise.

Special Equipment

"Knowledge is power. In all the universe there is no greater truth."

Manshoon has amassed a wide library of artifacts of power across Faerun from his years active. However, while acting as Amos Nohn he carries a dedicated set of equipment belonging to him.

Zhentil Royalty Attire

Belonging to the Founder of the Zhentarim, Manshoon desired to mask his power in the form of arcane elegance and nobility. This noble garment is made from exquisite cloth and adorned with runes hidden inside the fabric. Aware of his reputation, he has modified the attire to be able to conform to any looks he may need in his national dealings.

You gain these benefits while wearing the robe.

• Armored Lining. If you aren’t wearing armor, your base Armor Class is 18 plus your Dexterity modifier.
• Magic Resistance. You have Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
• Shifting Desires. You can take a Bonus Action to change the style, color, and apparent quality of the garment. The attire's weight doesn’t change. Although it can duplicate the appearance of other magic wardrobes, it doesn’t gain their magical properties.
• War Mage. Your spell save DC and spell attack bonus each increase by 3.

Zhentil Cane

An heirloom belonging to Manshoon The Many-Faced, this ordinary walking cane is a modified Staff of Power that conceals a Dancing Rapier. The handle resembles the Zhentarim winged snake, with the wings outstretched and the tail descending down the shaft of the cane.

• Hidden Fang. Use a Bonus Action to extend the hidden rapier out from the handle of the cane. The rapier hovers, flies up to 30 feet, and attacks one creature of the character's choice within 5 feet of themself. The rapier uses their attack rolls and adds their ability modifier to damage modifiers. Spells cannot be cast from the cane while the rapier is out.
  • While the weapon hovers, you can take a Bonus Action to cause it to fly up to 30 feet from you. As part of the same Bonus Action, you can cause the weapon to attack one creature within 5 feet of the weapon.
  • After hovering the weapon for the fourth time, it flies back to return to the Zhentil Cane. If the Zhentil Cane is not available, it falls to the ground in its space. If the rapier has no unobstructed path to the Zhentil Cane, it moves as close as it can and then falls to the ground. It also ceases to hover if it is grasped or has moved more than 30 feet away from the Zhentil Cane.
• Zhentarim Icon. The cane holds 15 charges, and counts as a magic Quarterstaff that grants +2 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls made with it. While it is held while Hidden Fang is inside, you gain +2 bonus to  Armor Class , saving throws, and spell attack rolls.
  • Spells. While the staff contains Hidden Fang, you can cast one of the spells on the following table from it, using your spell save DC. The table indicates how many charges you must expend to cast the spell.

    Spell	Charge Cost
    Cone of Cold	5
    Fireball (level 5 version)	5
    Globe of Invulnerability	6
    Hold Monster	5
    Levitate	2
    Lightning Bolt (level 5 version)	5
    Magic Missile	1
    Ray of Enfeeblement	1
    Wall of Force	5

  • Regaining Charges. The Zhentil Cane regains 2d8 + 4 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the last charge, roll 1d20. On a 1, the staff retains its +2 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls but cannot cast spells unless attuned by Manshoon. On a 20, the staff regains 1d8 + 2 charges.
• Requiem Strike. You can take a [Tooltip Not Found] action to break the cane over your knee or against a solid surface. The staff is destroyed and releases its magic in an explosion that fills a 30-foot Emanation originating from itself. There is a 50% chance to instantly travel to a random plane of existence, avoiding the explosion. If you fail to avoid the effect, you take Force damage equal to 20x the number of charges in the staff. Each other creature in the area makes a Dexerity Saving Throw: DC 18. Failure: A creature takes Force damage equal to 5x the number of charges in the staff. Succes: A creature takes half as much damage.

Manshoon's Archive

An Enduring Spellbook that is weightless despite its thickness, it radiates a collection of amassed magic. Built in with an Alarm for Manshoon The Many-Faced, it seems constructed out of materialized bits of the Weave itself. Each page contains knowledge of the arcane in the form of symbols, writings, and drawings from untold years. 

• Weave Manifested. The book can be summoned and stored out of the very Weave itself. A character attuned to the tome can recall it to them within 60 feet.
• Zhentil Knowledge. Intelligence Saving Throw: DC 20, a spellcaster can copy spells out of the book. Intelligence Saving Throw: DC 23, a spellcaster can use the book as their spell focus. Intelligence Saving Throw: DC 25, a spellcaster can attune to the book. Manshoon The Many-Faced can Counterspell any spell cast from the book if he is the target 
• Spellcasting. It contains all the spells Manshoon, The Many-Faced has prepared plus the following spells:
  • Cantrip: Booming Blade, Control Flames, Elementalism, Fire bolt, Light, Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, Prestidigitation, Shocking Grasp, 
  • 1st Level: Absorb Elements, Alarm, Alter Self, Arcane Lock, Chromatic Orb, Detect Magic, Feather Fall, Fog Cloud,Magic Missile, Protection from Evil and Good, Shield, Tenser's Floating Disk
  • 2nd Level: Arcane Lock, Arcane Vigor, Borrowed Knowledge, Dragon's Breath, Gentle Repose, Locate Object, Magic Mouth, Magic Weapon, Mirror Image, Misty Step, Ray of Enfeeblement, Shadow Blade, 
  • 3rd Level: Animate Dead, Counterspell, Dispel Magic, Fireball, Fly, Gaseous Form, Glyph of Warding, Major Image, Phantom Steed, Sending, Tongues, Vampiric Touch
  • 4th Level: Arcane Eye, Banishment, Blight, Confusion, Dimension Door, Elemental Bane, Evard's Black Tentacles, Fire Shield, Greater Invisibility, Hallucinatory Terrain, Polymorph, Stoneskin, Wall of Fire
  • 5th: Level: Animate Objects, Bigby's Hand, Cloudkill, Cone of Cold, Dream, Far Step, Fireball, Geas, Hold Monster, Lightning Bolt, Modify Memory, Scrying, Summon Dragon, Telekinesis, Teleportation Circle, Wall of Force
  • 6th Level: Arcane Gate, Chain Lightning, Contingency, Disintegrate, Flesh to Stone, Globe of Invulnerability,Mass Suggestion, True seeing
  • 7th Level: Draconic Transformation, Etherealness, Finger of Death, Fire Storm, Mirage Arcane, Plane Shift, Power Word Pain, Prismatic Spray, Simulacrum, Symbol, Teleport
  • 8th: Level: Antimagic Field, Clone, Demiplane, Dominate Monster, Feeblemind, Illusory Dragon, Incendiary Cloud, Mind Blank, Power Word Stun
  • 9th Level: Astral Projection, Foresight, Gate, Imprisonment, Power Word Kill, Prismatic Wall, Time Stop, Wish