After the first movie introduced five recognizable factions from the D&D universe, it’s worth wondering which ones Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves 2 will employ. In addition to using various monsters and locations from Dungeons & Dragons lore, Paramount’s live-action reboot adapted a handful of established organizations with roots in its universe.
Over the years, numerous worlds have been created for the tabletop game, allowing players a multitude of choices when it comes to where their adventure will be set. Arguably the most popular option is the Forgotten Realms, which has also been used for a long list of video games and books. For that reason, it’s not surprising that the Forgotten Realms campaign setting was chosen as the backdrop for Honor Among Thieves’ story. The movie pulled a great deal from the Forgotten Realms, including five factions with long histories in the source material. Were the franchise to continue with a sequel, it makes sense that even more could make appearances.
10 Emerald Enclave
The Emerald Enclave is the largest and most well-known druidic order in the Forgotten Realms. In D&D lore, druids of the Emerald Enclave following the teachings of Silvanus, the god of nature. In Honor Among Thieves, the party visited the headquarters of the Emerald Enclave, which was where they recruited Doric. According to her, the Emerald Enclave was engaged in a conflict with Forge over logging in the forest, hence why she was willing to join them in their quest.
9 The Harpers
Ironically, the most prominent organization in the Forgotten Realms is also its most secretive – the Harpers. Honor Among Thieves revealed that prior to the start of the story, Edgin was an agent of the Harpers, a group devoted to fighting for the greater good. A spy organization with members all over the continent of Faerun, the Harpers have had a hand in numerous wars and historic events in the Dungeons & Dragons timeline. Though most of their number are regarded as heroes, many outside the Harpers view them as trustworthy due to the high level of secrecy surrounding their activities.
8 Red Wizards of Thay
Often characterized as one of the most evil organizations in the Forgotten Realms, the Red Wizards of Thay are comprised of wicked mages and sorcerers. Hailing from the far-off, eastern nation of Thay, the Red Wizards are known for their ambitions of power and conquest. To achieve their goals, they’ve long envisioned a world ruled by their resurrected leader, a lich king named Szass Tam. Szass Tam was featured in Honor Among Thieves as the undead monster Sofina (a Red Wizard herself) intended to restore.
7 Cult of the Dragon
While the Red Wizards of Thay were the main source of conflict in Honor Among Thieves, they weren’t the only villainous organization with a presence in the film. Included through flashbacks, the Cult of the Dragon played a role in the backstory provided for the Helm of Disjunction. The party connected the Helm of Disjunction to a war perpetrated by the Cult of the Dragon. It’s established in Dungeons & Dragons that the practices of this evil cult revolve around the creation of undead dragons. This aspect of their activities was on display in the film when a Cult of the Dragon member was seen flying on what may have been an undead dragon.
6 The Uthgardt Barbarian Elk Tribe
Roaming the Forgotten Realms are the Uthgardt Barbarians, which are divided up into several tribes. Each one, defined by its own ideology and culture, occupies a different place on the map. One of these, the Elk Tribe, was depicted in Honor Among Thieves as the group Holga comes from. Honor Among Thieves revealed that the Elk Tribe banished her after she married a halfling. Interestingly, they also played a role in the history of the helm. They were on the opposite side of the war with the Cult of the Dragon, which is what led to Simon temporarily raising Elk Tribe members back from the dead to ask questions about the Helm of Disjunction.
5 Shadow Thieves
By using the Elk Tribe, the Red Wizards of Thay, and the Emerald Enclave, Honor Among Thieves was able to provide further representation for three of D&D’s most iconic classes (the barbarian, the wizard, and the druid). With that in mind, a sequel could follow the example set by its predecessor by introducing another faction based around a single D&D class. Specifically, it could bring in the Shadow Thieves, a criminal empire in Amn. Best remembered for their roles in the critically-acclaimed Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn video game, the Shadow Thieves operate by a strict code designed to ensure that they keep a low profile.
4 Twisted Rune
If Honor Among Thieves 2 is to top the scale of the first movie, one way it can pull that off is through the introduction of the Twisted Rune. Whereas the Red Wizard of Thay only sought to bring back one lich king, the Twisted Rune is composed of several. Operating as Runemasters, the seven liches that head the Twisted Rune organization do most of their work in the shadows, managing to stay even better hidden than the Harpers. By manipulating minions and eliminating loose ends, the Twisted Rune has been largely successful in keeping even their own pawns from finding out the truth about them and their nefarious schemes.
3 Arcane Brotherhood
Located in the nation of Luskan, the Arcane Brotherhood is a faction of good-aligned wizards. Over a hundred wizards make up the Arcane Brotherhood, which use the Host Tower of the Arcane as their base of operations. As a guild that has so many powerful spellcasters headquartered in one place, the Arcane Brotherhood is indeed a force to be reckoned with in the Forgotten Realms. They could be a formidable ally to the party in Honor Among Thieves – or an unconquerable enemy if a misunderstanding puts them at odds.
2 The Shadow Druids
The Shadow Druids serve as the antithesis to most druidic circles in the Forgotten Realms, and would be inherently different from what was seen of Doric in Honor Among Thieves. Believing that civilization is a threat to nature, the Shadow Druids invoke violence in order to pursue their interests. Their ruthless determination to strike out against society have made them recurring villains in Dungeons & Dragons stories. Through them, Honor Among Thieves 2 would have an opportunity to give Doric her own storyline, which she was denied in the first movie.
1 The Zhentarim
Widely considered to be the greatest enemies of the Harpers, the Zhentarim are a powerful mercenary company responsible for all sorts of nefarious plots in Faerun. Their criminal deeds include assassination, slavery, genocide, and even drug smuggling. Over the years, the Zhentarim have held villainous roles in several books and games, making them a prime candidate for a part in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves 2. Assuming a potential sequel brings back the original party, the Zhentarim being the villains isn’t hard to imagine, especially since Edgin could very well have a history with them as a Harper.
