Astele Keene

Astele Keene, better known as Nine-Fingers, was the leader of the Guild, the criminal organization that operated within Baldur's Gate during the 15 century DR.
===Description===
She was completely unassuming in her appearance, not particularly comely nor plain. She had brunette hair and a completely average build for a woman of her age.
Not one for flashy clothing or magic used for aesthetic improvement, Nine-Fingers dressed in a manner that contributed to her modest appearance.
==Personality==
Although she was fiery and passionate in her youth, Nine-Fingers was a cold and calculating individual. She was a mastermind when it came to planning and scheming, taking as much time and resources as was necessary to enact a plan, so long as the final outcome was profitable for the Guild.
Nine-Fingers had an especially keen mind. She was an excellent judge of character and could rapidly assess people's motives and persuasions within moments of their meeting.
When Astele was young, she thought the Beloved Ranger, Minsc of Rashemen, to something of a personal hero – a statue on the Wide that sheltered the young pickpocket from snow, wind, and rain.
==Activities==
Nine-Fingers guided the Guild to oversee all crime in the city, fostering bloodless competition between gangs while preventing violent crime, such as burglaries, assaults, arson, and murders from spilling into the streets outright. She held her network of subordinates, assets, and clientele together with an intricate web of bribes, threats, financial debts, and blackmail.
Extremely skilled at avoiding attention, Nine-Fingers was a master at manipulating others without drawing unwanted attention to her operations. By 1482 DR, she had, in one way or another, coerced or gained influence over most of the Parliament of Peers, members of the Baldurian patriar, scores of merchants, and dozens of Flaming Fist soldiers and officers of the Watch.
==Relationships==
Nine-Fingers was always well-protected by her cadre of personal bodyguards known as the Lady's Court. They were six female protectors, two of whom were wizards, that were wholly and perfectly devoted to their mistress. She rewarded their loyalty with lavish recompense.
She showed some degree of favoritism towards one of her guardians, Rilsa Rael. She saw so much potential in her than after some time in the Lady's Court, Nine-fingers promoted her to Kingpin of Little Calimshan.
Her intermediary, Fruward the Nail, was as loyal as any agent could be. Although they rarely met in person, the two were once very close associates.
In her many years of Harper work in Baldur's Gate, Jaheira crossed paths with Nine-Fingers on many occasions. Despite having opposite morals and methods, their goals aligned and eventually, the two gained a type of endearing mocking affection for eachother. Keene poked fun at Jaheira calling her "grandmother" and even made an offering to Kelemvor when she thought the half-elven High Harper died in the Shadow-cursed Lands in 1492 DR.
As the Guildmaster, Astele was cold even to those whom she knew in her youth and those who were friends with her parents. Once such person was Custen Meen, who helped her parents search for the girl when she was abducted and celebrated her return. In Astele's later years, she showed no favoritism for Custen and slapped the old acquaintance's business with high protection fees despite their pleads and begging. Another friend from her youth was halting Tut Thistlebog who once saved Astele when she was a child. For decades that followed, Tut had been a confidant of the Guildmaster and a regular visitor of the Guildhall festhall in the Lower City.
==History==
When Astele was only five years old, she was kidnapped by a one-eyed elf in an effort to extort her family. He sliced off her left pinky finger and sent it along with a ransom letter to her parents. While the Keenes were able to borrow money in order to bring their daughter home, she never forgot her abductor or his distinct appearance.
During her early career as a Guild thief, Nine-Fingers encountered the one-eyed elf in a pipe den when he was smoking sable moonflower. She claimed her revenge twofold. To begin with, she cut out the elf's remaining eye along with all of his fingers, save for the little one on each hand. Beyond that violence however, she purchased the establishment by which he fed his addiction, and ensured the elf would have enough food, drink, and sable moonflower for the rest of his years, knowing full well that, as one of the fair folk, he would outlive her. Nine-Fingers arranged for his dosages of moonflower to be spiked with the dried yolk of cockatrice eggs, so that his drug-induced dreams were instead horrific nightmares.
After establishing herself as the leader of the Guild, Nine-Fingers established relationships with a number of powerful individuals and essential organizations within the city, from members of Parliament to minor families such as the Candulhallows, who merely carted dead bodies out of the city streets. 
In the , a new threat loomed over Baldur's Gate. During the Absolute crisis, Astele faced an existential threat to her beloved city and to the Guild. The High Harper of Baldur's Gate, Jaheira, tipped Astele of the Cult of the Absolute's danger and soon disappeared. This prompted Nine-Fingers to nose around the cult herself. Soon after, the man known as the Stone Lord started attacking the Guild's operations and claiming some of its territories, starting a guild war. Stone Lord was backed by the Cult of the Absolute, and with the loss of territory, Nine-Fingers resorted to hiring agents of the Zhentarim to help defend the Guild's turf.
==Appendix==
===Appearances===
:;Adventures
::Murder in Baldur's Gate
:;Card Games
::
:;Video Games
::Baldur's Gate III
===Gallery===
Astele Keene bg3.png|Astele Keene's appearance during the Absolute crisis.
9Fingers.jpg|Concept art of Nine-Fingers by Max Dunbar.
Nine-Fingers Keene CLB alt.jpg|Only nine fingers, but a ten for style.
===References===
FR:Kine Neuf-Doigts
Category:Humans
Category:Rogues
Category:Thieves
Category:Guildmasters
Category:Members of the Guild
Category:Inhabitants of Baldur's Gate
Category:Inhabitants of the Sword Coast
Category:Inhabitants of the Western Heartlands
Category:Inhabitants of West Faerûn
Category:Inhabitants of Faerûn
Category:Inhabitants of Toril
Category:Inhabitants of neutral alignment