The Piebalds are a faction of witted individuals that emerges during the reign of Queen Kettricken. The group gets their name from the story of the Piebald Prince and wish to return to a time when witted people are not only able to live openly but dominate over non-witted people. Many of the members of the Piebalds are younger witted people who are fed up with having to hide who they are and what to take action. The main focus of group was to stir up animosity between witted and non-witted by outing the identities of witted people to their communities, often resulting in their getting killed by their neighbors. The intention was to force the witted people to rise up against the oppression of the non-witted.
The Piebalds first emerge into the public eye by posting notes in towns revealing the identities of witted people in the town, signing the notes with an illustration of a piebald horse.
The biggest scheme that the Piebalds devised was an attempt against Prince Dutiful. Laudwine, the leader of the Piebalds, arranged for Lady Bresinga and Civil Bresinga to present the prince, who was suspected to be witted, with a hunting cat for him to bond with. Unbeknownst to the Bresingas and Dutiful, the cat was actually the former bond partner of Laudwine's deceased sister, Peladine, who inhabited the cat's body and their intention was for her to take over Dutiful's body. After Dutiful bonds with the cat, Peladine convinces him leave Buckkeep and join the Piebalds, though she really intends to use it as an opportunity to take him over. This plan is interrupted when FitzChivalry Farseer and The Fool, disguised as Tom Badgerlock and Lord Golden, respectively, attempt to rescue the prince. When The Fool and Nighteyes are captured, Fitz and Dutiful return in an attempt to rescue the others, sacrificing themselves. Right before Peladine takes control of Dutiful the cat jumps at Fitz and forces him to kill it, sacrificing itself for Dutiful. Fitz then cuts off Laudwine's arm before Laurel and the Old Bloods arrive to bring the conflict to an end.
Piebald members later arrive at Buckkeep and threaten to reveal that "Tom Badgerlock" is witted. They also attempt to influence Laurel, threatening a friend of hers and asking her to leave Tom Badgerlock and Lord Golden's horses unguarded. When she refuses to cooperate they kill her horse. At the same time they recruit Thick as a spy inside Buckkeep and from him learn Fitz' true identity. The Bresingas also remain under their control, Lady Bresinga as a hostage back in Galekeep and Civil as a spy in Buckkeep. After being raped Lady Bresinga kills herself and Civil refuses to continue to cooperate. Fitz arrives just in time to save Civil and kill Laudwine. It is also revealed that the Piebalds were cooperating with The Pale Woman against the Farseers.
Even without their leader the Piebalds continue to out some witted families and murder others, but don't plan any major schemes for some time.
Eventually, while Dutiful and his Wit Coterie are on their mission to Aslevjal, the Old Bloods strike back against the Piebalds in a series of escalating murders in order to cleanse the "piebald blight". By all appearances they are successful in destroying the Piebalds.