Vipers ' Nest The Vipers ' Nest was a secret base of the Vipers bandits , located in the Brynwood forest in the Vast . History . In the Year of the Banner , 1368 DR , two Red Brigade scouts reported a dead - magic zone in Brynwood in the Vast to their captain , Cedric Ravajar . He later disbanded the Red Brigade and reformed with a trusted few into the Vipers , a bandit gang . They returned to the dead - magic zone and began construction of their base , as an underground hideout protected by the magic - dead area . Dwarven engineers , formerly of the Red Brigade , designed and built the structure , with the aid of low - ranking bandits . It was nicknamed " the Vipers ' Nest " . They were in operation by the end of the year . 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 . 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 ' s Nest with Calispar to oversee testing and development of such a poison , which Calispar had promised to give them . The visit enabled local ranger Dura Gerathu to track the pair and finally discover and study the Nest . However , the ranger was killed by Vipers before he could report his find . Geography . The Vipers ' Nest was constructed inside a hill in Brynwood . The northern side was overgrown , but the southern side was barren earth . On either side , cunningly disguised secret doors allowed entrance . Outside , there was no visible sign of habitation Almost the entire base was located within a dead - magic zone some 160 feet ( 49 meters ) in diameter . Interior . The base consisted of three levels . The first was within the hill itself , while the other two were entirely below ground . The third level was a natural underground cavern crossed by a subterranean river that ran south – north . Stairs allowed passage between levels . The whole base was of dwarven construction with a number of features of dwarven design . Cleverly crafted chimneys took rising smoke through a number of filters and nooks , dispersing it and allowing it to escape the mound invisibly , leaving only a faint smell of smoke and tiny embers . For an underground bandit hideout , it was surprisingly well appointed and equipped , more like a professional military barracks . There was an armoury , and guard rooms and guard quarters by the entrances . Their planning and meetings took place in the battle room and conference chamber , complete with a " throne " for Cedric and a scale model map of the surrounding lands . Some of their loot was displayed in a trophy room , but most was stored in the supply room along with other equipment . There was a kitchen and mess hall , with rooms for storage of food and alcohol that were kept quite cool by dwarven engineering . There were bedrooms for senior members and a barracks for lower - ranking members . A game room entertained the troops , and a training room kept them in form . The underground river supplied fresh water for drinking and washing , as well as cleaning the latrines . Of particular note were the rooms set aside as bedroom and workshop for Calispar Delgorth . They were built across the boundary of the dead - magic zone , giving him space to conduct his magic and prayers at his shrine to Talona , and were lit by a " continual light " spell cast on a pebble . In his laboratory , he kept a planter box where he grew plants to produce ingredients and alchemical equipment to brew them into various toxins . Defenses . The Vipers relied on concealment for the protection of their Nest , as it was entirely hidden and underground , and the dead - magic zone blocked magical detection and provided a powerful defence against magic - users .