The Black Bastards

The Black Bastards are an infamous mercenary group of elite warriors that many consider to be undefeatable. Similar to a natural disaster the Bastards arrive without warning, destroy everything in their path, then disappear as quickly as they came leaving nothing but burning buildings and SCORCHED EARTH in their wake.

Description
Known by their signature black armor and black adamantine weapons, the Bastards traditionally travel in groups of four at a time only breaking with tradition when a particularly difficult mission requires more personnel.

The groups usually are divided into: a weapons specialist, an assassin, a war-mage, and a team leader/tactician/negotiator. Once a team of Bastards has been assembled they are bound to each other for life, often growing as close as family. This is an essential part of the survival of the team since in the field a Bastard has no allies save for other Bastards, and whatever 'team-pets' the group collects along the way.

History
The first team of Bastards was assembled in 1485 DR by Orbach Manshoon to be his elite personal strike team and enforcer. Originally dubbed "Orbach's Hammer", the Lich-lord of the Zhentarim searched far and wide across the sword coast looking for the perfect combination of warriors to comprise his team.

The first Bastard to be conscripted was a golden dragonborn paladin of Bahamut named Scrayla Daardendrian who battled the armies of Tiamat when the Goddess of Chromatic Dragons attempted to rise from Avernus. However, during the battle one of the Dragon Queen's Red Wizards was able to break Scrayla's mind and turn her against her allies forcing her to slaughter many of her friends before she was brought down. After, when the families of those she killed called for retribution, her mother was only able to save her by selling her service to the Zhentarim, sending her far from her ancestral home and into the employ of Orbach. Scrayla was then sent across the continent to collect a pyromancer on the run from the law after killing the headmaster of the magical academy he was attending and burning the headmaster's tower to the ground. Barnaby, as he later introduced himself, was a tiefling gentleman and scholar who had a special talent for burning everything, even things that were previously thought to be immune to fire. After evading/killing the guards that pursued him Scrayla sat down with Barnaby at a tavern and convinced him over a few drinks to join the team she was tasked with assembling. The two became fast friends that night as they headed out to conscript the next member of their team who was particularly hard to find.