Karne Karne , also called Kharne was an agent for the Zhentarim . He was formerly a sellsword operating in Nashkel and the mortal enemy of the vampire king of the Battle of the Bones , Mordoc SeLanmere . Karne was quick to ascend through the ranks of the Black Network and was likely a direct advisor to Fzoul Chembryl . Bio . Sellsword . Karne had operated out of Nashkel , though it is unkown if he is from Amn . In Nashkel he had first fought the Harper Jherek and it appears they both had a long fight which ended in both believing to let the other have lived . Karne then encountered Mordoc SeLanmere who very quickly became his mortal enemy . Mordoc defeated Karne , though it was apparent that Karne faked his own death , something Mordoc soon figured out . Karne soon gained a reputation as a sellsword and being able to fake his own death . Zhentarim . Karne was then recruited by the Zhentarim and his skills proved of great use to them . Karne and his partner , the Lizardman , Sleyvas then hatched a plan that could restore the Zhentarim to their former glory . They were to remove Eldrith the Betrayer from the status as ruler of the Onyx Tower and give it to the Zhentarim . This plan landed Karne a spot as a direct advisor to Fzoul Chembryl . Karne then returned to Baldur ' s Gate after a long time leading his own thieves guild , aptly named Xantam ' s Guild after the Beholder Xantam who Karne appeared to serve . Karne sent his best man to the Keep of Pale Night posing as a servant of Eldrith the Betrayer . The vampire alchemist constructed the Orb of the Undead which Karne used to wreak havoc in Baldur ' s Gate . Karne attacked three travellers and robbed them of their gold . These travellers , Vahn , Kromlech and Adrianna , destroyed the Orb of the Undead and rescued a former thief , Eathon , from Xantam ' s Guild . They then tracked Karne down to the thieves guild headquarters . Here they attacked him and he , seeing their fighting abilities , feigned his own death to orchestrate Xantam ' s death . Karne and Sleyvas then began to secretley guide the trio through a series of events that led them to the Betrayer , who they kiled . Slevyas then reported back to Karne who created a goblin army called the Red Fang Marauders and a Thieves Guild , the Hands of Glory , in Baldur ' s Gate . War Against the Vampires . After learning that the Onyx Tower had fallen into the hands of Mordoc SeLanmere , the Red Fang Marauders had disbanded . Karne led the Zhentarim in the Western Heartlands and attempted to stop five unlikely allies , Harper agents , from activating the Onyx Tower ( though the Harpers were only activating it to destroy it ) . Though he failed , he was forced to enter the Zhentarim into an alliance with the Harpers and for the first time since Nashkel , he saw Jherek . Working with Jherek and five Harpers , Dorn , Ysuran , Borador , Allessia and Vhaidra , Karne travelled to the Keep of Pale Night and freed Vahn , Kromlech and Adriana . Karne then led the eight adventurers into Mordoc ' s chambers , while he and Jherek stayed on past levels to shield the heroes and orchestrated the defeat of his mortal enemey . However , Mordoc fled and took the Onyx Tower to Baldur ' s Gate . At Baldur ' s Gate , Karne assissted the soldiers of Baldur ' s Gate fighting the vampires and undead , following Mordoc ' s death he dissapeared quietly .