The Ba'al Verzi, they aren't just killers and they aren't just thugs. Clearly there is an opportunity to create interesting motivations.
For me the Ba'al Verzi are some secret society for the most part. There are contracts for kills but they don't happen everyday. So what do they do they other days? I often wonder if they have a group of mage assassins with crafting skills making things in the basement. Like for example, poisons, scrolls, rings, the signature daggers. Basically, improving themselves making ways of generating capital (unless of course they are just to rich for their own good) Are there any connections with the Red Vardo Traders? They have unscrupleous methods to. Could it be that the 'assassin' arm of the RVT is the Ba'al Verzi? That might not work since the RVT are usually after items which would make the Ba'al Verzi thieves too. From my other thread and the ones quoted about good ol' Leo Dilisnya and his Ba'al Verzi connections.
Of course Strahd knows about them, but part of the nature of a darklord is to be distracted by other things in your domain or your agenda or of a sense of the apathy toward them just because they don't pose a threat.
Seems to me that the Ba'al Verzi keep a pretty low profile in general terms. Using agents or alias' when dealing with the outside world.
As to how many there are that is interesting.
Gaz1 says Nicu and a handful of the other leadership are nosferatu. In the
RL listserve archive it says that the numbers dwindled to less than 13. Of course the rest of this history posted there is off-canon I think as there is no mention of Nicu (personally I think Nicu could be a great character)
But it would reason out why they disappeared or laid low.
love the discussion
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