Vipers The Vipers were a bandit company active in the Vast in the 1360s DR . They were based out of the Vipers ' Nest in Brynwood . History . In the Year of the Banner , 1368 DR , two Red Brigade scouts reported a dead - magic zone in Brynwood Forest in the Vast . Captain Cedric Ravajar kept the find a secret and the two scouts disappeared shortly afterwards . Late that year , Cedric announced his retirement and disbanded the Red Brigade . The group split up and most went their separate ways . A trusted few , however , departed with Cedric and secretly returned to the dead - magic zone , where they reformed into the Vipers , a bandit group . They built their base , the Vipers ' Nest , within the dead - magic zone , and began raiding merchant caravans going through the Glorming Pass by the close of the year . By the beginning of the Year of the Gauntlet , 1369 DR , they ' d made a fearful reputation for themselves , for their ruthlessness , organization , and efficiency . There were frequent attempts by rangers , bounty hunters , constables , and other groups to locate their hideout but all failed , largely due to the dead - magic environment and the Vipers concealing their tracks . Around Kythorn of 1369 DR , the Vipers attacked a convoy and massacred its guardians , then looted its wealth . This happened to include the " torque of faith " , a holy item of Tymora secretly being transported to The Lady ' s Favor temple in Sevenecho . The Tymorans were outraged and Randolph dul Umast hired the ranger Dura Gerathu to locate the Vipers ' Nest . Calispar Delgorth , a priest of Talona and member of the Vipers , discovered that plant - based toxins grown within the dead - magic zone were unaffected by magic . He used the find to develop poison s immune to magic . On the 28th Eleasis in the Year of the Gauntlet , 1369 DR , Autton Shadowshroud of the Shadowkind assassin s visited the Vipers ' Nest with Calispar to oversee testing and development of such a poison , which Calispar had promised to give them . The visit enabled Dura Gerathu to track the pair and finally discover and study the Nest . The ranger was , however , spotted and recognized by Cedric . Cedric sent Calispar and some Vipers to attack and kill Dura at his cabin before he could report his find . The Vipers later went to Misty Vale to kill The Green Lady , whom Dura had told about his find , but they were driven off by her magic . Activities . The Vipers primarily raided merchant caravans passing through the Glorming Pass and going past Brynwood , along the North Road . They operated out of their hideout , the Vipers ' Nest . The Vipers symbol was a coiled viper , which they emblazoned on their shield s . Organization . The Vipers numbered some 25 members . As they were mostly former mercenary soldiers , the Vipers were well - organized and operated along military lines . The senior members were : Cedric Ravajar , the leader of the band ; Soren Whitespear ; Calispar Delgorth , a priest of Talona ; the four group leaders ; and four dwarven engineer s . All were former members of the Red Brigade . These senior members were responsible for decision making and planning attacks . The group leaders served as Cedric ' s lieutenant s . They oversaw the lesser troops and acted as point commanders . They were responsible for maintaining defenses and the orderliness and readiness of the troops . The group leaders obeyed Cedric ' s commands without question . Meanwhile , the four dwarven engineers designed and built the Vipers ' Nest , and were firmly loyal to Cedric . Beneath them were the regular members who made up most of the force . A few of the tougher ones came from the Red Brigade like the senior members , but most were former men - at - arms secretly recruited to become bandits by Cedric and Soren . When not fighting as skirmishers in raids , they guarded the base , helped in its construction , and carried out other duties . Lastly was Drakar , the cook and also a former Red Brigade member .