Adventures in the Forgotten Realms: The Legends of the Realms
Howdy folks! Adventures in the Forgotten Realms is upon us, and it only made sense for us to have a few Lore articles explaining the various Lore tidbits that make up the world of the Forgotten Realms. This article is going to primarily focus on the Legends of the Realms, characters so powerful that the very world knows who they are, as well as a brief explanation of the Realms.
As a side note, this article is only about the Legends that we have some measure of existing lore for. There are plenty of new characters in this set that are in this set as well!
I am VERY excited about this set, so let's GO!
The Realms
The primary setting of Adventures in the Forgotten Realms is the planet Toril, with the primary continent most adventures take place on being that of Faerûn. Faerûn is home to many varied races and creatures, its primary defining feature the Sea of Fallen Stars that sits in the center of the continent.
Faerun relative to 1372 DR
Faerûn utilizes a calendar system known as the Dalereckoning (DR), taken from the Year of Sunrise 1 DR, when the Standing Stone was first raised by the elves of Cormanthyr and the human Dalesfolk. This system is widely used in Faerûn, but does not see much use beyond the continent.
One of the most important aspects of Faerûnian life was the concept of the Faerûnian Pantheon. The deities of Faerûn were extremely important to everyday life, as most mortal races were devoted to one God or Goddess or another. It was not uncommon to witness sailors on the Sword Coast pray that the Dark Goddess Umberlee leave their ships alone, or for a Wizard to seek the guidance of the Holy Mystra. The Gods and Goddesses of Faerûn are petty creatures who often fought amongst themselves or schemed in various ways to gain further worshippers and power. One of the most contentious periods of time for the deities was the Time of Troubles. This began after the Gods Bane and Myrkul stole the Tablets of Fate from the Overgod Ao. The Tablets were powerful artifacts that defined the boundaries of Law and Chaos, and the role each deity played in that cosmic struggle, as well as their relevant portfolios.
Ao cast out all the Gods to the world of Toril, forcing them to take avatars or walk amongst their followers by possessing mortal forms. The outcome of this situation after the return of the Tablets and their subsequent destruction by Ao was the beginning of the Era of Upheaval, a chaotic time for the world of Toril, and a significant change in the Faerûnian Pantheon.
In 1385 DR, the Spellplague occurred with the murder of the Goddess Mystra at the hands of the God Cyric, throwing the world into yet another chaotic period of time until the Second Sundering occurred in 1400s DR when Ao decided to recreate the Tablets of Fate. The Second Sundering ended in 1487 DR with the return of the Goddess Mystra.
The Legends of the Forgotten Realms
Acererak, Lord of the Tomb
Acererak was a powerful lich/demilich that traveled the multiverse, and was feared by many. He personally enjoyed creating trap-ridden dungeons for adventurers, even going so far as to make their presence known to adventurers for the sheer pleasure of watching them die in them. He used the power of these souls to power his phylactery. One particular infamous dungeon that Acererak created was the Tomb of Horrors, a real-life dungeon module that is well known for its overkill and difficulty (so much so that there used to be events and tournaments in which players would attempt to brave the dungeon and survive).
In 1480s DR, Acererak traveled to the Negative Energy plane and decided to nourish an atropal (a race of unfinished immortals that are undead) to godhood by creating an artifact called the Soulmonger that would store the souls of the dead and convert that into energy for the atropal to feed upon, a magic known as the death curse. He stored this artifact in a dungeon known as the Tomb of the Nine Gods in the land of Chult. This dungeon would eventually come to be called by another name: The Tomb of Annihilation.
Another artifact that Acererak created with some power is the mirror of life trapping, a device that traps creatures inside.
Acererak is on record as stating "In retrospect, I might have gone a little overboard. The best traps make their prisoners suffer and scream. Adventurers who visit my tomb die too quickly."
Asmodeus, Lord of the Ninth
Asmodeus was the Faerûnian deity of indulgence and also the ruler of devils and Nine Hells of Baator. He ruled from the lowest layer of the Nine known as Nessus. His true form was that of endlessly long wingless scaled serpent, but he utilized humanoid avatars and projected images to interact with others.
Asmodeus' origins are not very clear. There are some stories that paint him as one of the primeval serpent gods of old, battling for supremacy over the idea of the multiverse. Some origins show Asmodeus as an Angel who fooled the very gods themselves into signing the Pact Primeval which allowed devils to take the souls of mortals to Baator. Further still are stories that show him as a servant an unknown God that Asmodeus himself destroyed and erased from existence.
Despite his origins, one thing is clear. Asmodeus is the oldest devil in existence and the most powerful being in all of Baator. Most of Asmodeus' tactics and politics within Baator revolved both keeping his position and in fighting the Blood War. Asmodeus recognized the Blood War was a senseless effort, but he capitalized on its existence in order to keep various Archdevils busy with it instead of busy with scheming to overthrow him.
During the events of the Reckoning, several archdevils conspired to remove Asmodeus from power, but were unsuccessful in deposing him. Asmodeus instituted the Dark Eight at this time and reorganized the duties of the archdevils loyal to him.
In 1358 DR a coven of warlocks known as the Toril Thirteen performed a cursing ritual that cursed all tiefling lineages to trace directly back to Asmodeus himself. This was done in order to gain Asmodeus enough followers to convert him into a deity. Later on in 1385 DR in the wake of the Spellplague, the lesser deity Azuth fell into the Nine Hells, and Asmodeus took an opportunity and devoured the lesser entity in order to claim his portfolio as a God. This act fused his essence with Azuth's, which led to some erratic behavior by the Lord of the Ninth. The end result of this was the magic enabled by the Toril Thirteen taking place and by 15th century DR most living tieflings traced their lineage to Asmodeus.
Azuth was eventually able to regain control and become separated from Asmodeus in 1487 DR after the struggle for control of their shared body would have inevitably led to the very hierarchy of the Nine Hells becoming destabilized.
As of 15th century DR, a cult known as the Ashmadai worshipped Asmodeus as the deity he became.
Asmodeus' greatest possession and weapon was the Ruby Rod of Asmodeus, a powerful magic item that denoted Asmodeus' station of ruler of the Nine and bestowed powerful protective and offensive abilities to the wielder. Every avatar of Asmodeus carries one.
Bahamut, God of Metallic Dragons
The Dragon God Bahamut is the patron deity of all metallic dragons on Faerûn, known as the Dragon God of Justice, and was a subservient deity to Torm. His primary rival was the Dragon Goddess Tiamat, his sister, who was queen of the chromatic dragons.
Bahamut often wandered the mortal world in many disguises, often appearing as a peasant or old man accompanied always by seven canaries (which are actually seven gold great wyrms polymorphed). He carried plenty of disguises however, and would often travel the Realms providing information and assistance to travelers along the way. Those he met were assessed for their worthiness, always in the form of justice, nobility, and honor. Bahamut has supposedly traveled to every known world and plane of existence at least once in his long lifetime.
In his normal form, he appeared as a massive platinum dragon approximately 180 feet long. The Magic: the Gathering card representing Bahamut indicates that at one point, Bahamut posed in the Monastic order at the Monastery of the Yellow Rose as the eponymous Grandmaster of Flowers (the title bestowed upon the senior monk of the Monastery).
Bahamut was one of the most compassionate beings in the multiverse, often preferring to polymorph his foes than outright killing them. His empathy for the downtrodden and helpless was limitless. He was neither vain or desirous of wealth and valued wisdom and knowledge above all.
In his Dragon God form, Bahamut was a terrifyingly powerful creature, but because he disdained combat, it was very rare to see him enter into battle. While he did have major powers in his two breath weapons (a cone of cold and another a vapor that turned enemies into gaseous forms) and a roar that acted as the spell disintegrate, Bahamut's primary weapon was words and diplomacy, preferring to talk to his foes and make them see the error of their ways. Despite this aversion he was very capable of defending himself if the need arose. Most of all, Bahamut despised evil acts, and would work to stop evil where he could in the world, always through the lens of justice tempered with mercy.
Originally a Draconic God of the Draconic Pantheon, in ancient times known as Xymor to his followers. During the Dragonfall Wars, Bahamut created a race of Dragonborn known as the Ux Bahamuti who served as his mortal emissaries. At some point Bahamut took the alias Marduk within the Untheric Pantheon, however when Gilgeam was attacked by Tiamat, Marduk intervened and struck his sister. In destroying her aspect, he destroyed himself and the Church of Marduk became no more.
For a time, Bahamut rested as a Celestial Paragon, but was returned to deific status after 1359 DR when more non-Dragon followers began to worship the God. Around 1373 DR, Bahamut became trapped in a prison related to the dracorage mythal, but eventually broke free after the destruction of Sammaster. In turn, he prepared for the Dragonfall War to renew once again as Tiamat had also regained her status as well. He gifted the ability of mortals to transform into the Ux Bahamuti once more in preparation for this renewed conflict, so that the mortal races would be able to adequately defend themselves.
In 1385 DR, a group of demons attacked the House of the Triad after the Spellplague, and Bahamut's forces intervened to help assist the Gods Tyr and Torm. Afterwards, Bahamut was made a deity within the Faerûnian Pantheon and became a temporary member of the Triad until Tyr's return in 1480s DR.
Barrowin Undurr
Barrowin was a devoted Dwarven cleric of Gorm Gulthyn, the Dwarven God of vigilance and defense. Her early life was very dour and boring, so when she called on Gorm to provide a path, Gorm answered. Barrowin fell in love with Storn Skulldark, a wealthy young Ironstar Dwarf. The two had set out to build their own fortress together, but the project received many setbacks and in the end, Storn himself was carried off by a white dragon during a journey back to Ironmaster.
Devastated by her loss, Barrowin left Ironmaster and joined the Order of the Gauntlet.
Bruenor Battlehammer
Bruenor Battlehammer was a Dwarven King who hailed as Eight, Tenth, and even Thirteenth King of Mithral Hall. He was originally born in Mithral Hall and was just a boy when the Dwarven fortress was cleared out by the shadow dragon Shimmergloom and duergar working for him. His clan, the Battlehammers, settled into Icewind Dale, where Bruenor would rule the clan and later on meet and become friends with the legendary Drizzt Do'Urden. During this time he adopted a young human girl whose parents had been killed named Catti-brie, and raised her as his daughter.
Bruenor was a legendary craftsman, but he put all of his life and craft into a single weapon: the warhammer Aegis-Fang, which would belong to his other adopted child, the barbarian Wulfgar.
Bruenor sought to reclaim his homeland of Mithral Hall, venturing with Drizzt, Wulfgar, and Regis before eventually finding the Dwarven stronghold still inhabited by the duergar and the dreaded Shimmergloom. During this time, Drizzt became separated by the others in a battle with Artemis Entreri, and Bruenor believed that his friend had perished in the rubble of a Dwarven trap. Doing battle with the dragon, Bruenor rode the dragon down to its death as the other Companions thought that he himself had died. Bruenor was thankfully saved by the scimitar Icingdeath as he had been holding the weapon on the way down on his belt.
Bruenor would pull himself out of the situation, being rescued by Alustriel of Silverymoon. He played an instrumental role in saving Regis from Pasha Pook and the thieves guilds of Calimport, and then would later return to Mithral Hall with a massive Dwarven army to reclaim his home. Bruenor was crowned King of Mithral Hall.
Attacks by the Drow would wound Bruenor greatly, from the loss of his eye to the even greater loss of his adopted son Wulfgar in a battle with a Yochlol. Bruenor grieved greatly for his adopted son, but was forced out of his depression in lieu of a massive scale Drow invasion from Menzoberranzan. In repelling the invasion, the Dwarven King discovered his ancestor Gandalug, the original founder of Mithral Hall, having been held in thrall by the first Matron Mother Yvonnel Baenre. Gandalug's presence allowed Bruenor to abdicate his throne and seek out his own interests.
Bruenor would later be reunited with Wulfgar, who had been held in the Abyss by the demon Errtu. Although Wulfgar would leave the Companions after an altercation in which he nearly attacked Catti-brie, Bruenor greatly missed his adopted son.
The rise of the Orcs of Many-Arrows was a tumultuous time for Bruenor, having taken back over as King from Gandalug after the old King's death. The end result of this era of the world was the Treaty of Garumn's Gorge, which established peace with the Orcs and their leader Obould. He would also later attempt to assist in saving Catti-brie from her affliction during the Spellplague.
After the Spellplague, Bruenor faked his own death so that he could search for the fabled Gauntlygrym with Drizzt. They found the ancient Dwarven home eventually, but during a fight with a pit fiend there Bruenor died valiantly by saving the complex from the primordial of fire trapped within.
However, death was not the end for this Dwarf. Instead of joining the table of the great Dwarven God Moradin, Bruenor woke up in Iruladoon, a pocket dimension created by the Goddess Mielikki. He was reunited with Catti-brie, Regis, and Wulfgar and given the chance to become reborn. He was reborn as Reginald Roundshield of Citadel Felbarr and was later reunited with the other Companions of the Hall including Drizzt in Icewind Dale.
Bruenor's favored weapon was a single bladed axe, and he also wielded a shield bearing the foaming mug symbol of Clan Battlehammer. As part of his service in Gauntlygrym, the Dwarven Gods enchanted his weapons and shield in their service. Bruenor reclaimed these items after his rebirth, and they were altered further magically in service of the Dwarven Gods.
Catti-brie, Chosen of Mielikki
Catti-brie was a human who lived originally near the towns of Icewind Dale. Her mother died giving birth and her father killed in a Goblin attack, she was adopted and raised by the gruff and caring Bruenor Battlehammer. She was originally one of the first of the Battlehammers to befriend the rogue drow Drizzt Do'Urden when he found his way to Icewind Dale. It was her friendship with Drizzt that allowed Bruenor himself to accept him as a friend as well. Catti-brie also befriended the barbarian Wulfgar during his indentured servitude to Bruenor following the barbarian tribes' attack on Ten-Towns. She was also fond of the halfling Regis.
Catti-brie was a more than capable fighter, overcoming her fears after being captured by the assassin Artemis Entreri to use as leverage against Drizzt, Wulfgar, Bruenor to take Regis back to Calimshan to face punishment for a theft. She ended up escaping Artemis and assisted the others in the discovery of Mithral Hall, earning the powerful bow Taulmaril in the process. She later was found helping the other Companions in rescuing Regis from Pasha Pook and Entreri in Calimshan.
Catti-brie and Wulfgar were engaged to be married, however Wulfgar's tribal traditions regarding women gave her second thoughts on the marriage. It would all come crashing down however in a drow attack that resulted in the apparent death of Wulfgar. Catti-brie went headfirst into the Underdark, following Drizzt back to his home in order to rescue him the city. During this time she acquired the sentient weapon Khazid'hea.
She was part of the force that repelled the invasion of Menzoberranzan into Mithral Hall, and afterwards she and Drizzt left to explore the Sea of Swords with the famed Captain Deudermont.
The Companions discovered that Wulfgar had not been killed and had instead lived as a plaything of the balor Errtu. During this reunion, Wulfgar struck Catti-brie, believing her to be a vile succubus thanks to the years of his imprisonment and the pain he had endured. Ashamed, Wulfgar fled and Catti-brie was forced to let him go once more. Eventually he would return, this time with a wife and daughter in tow.
Catti-brie's transition from archer/fighter to wizard began in 1370 DR when her leg was crushed by a boulder. Although she could walk, the long term effects of the injury resulted in her combat training suffering. She began to learn the Art from Alustriel of Silverymoon, becoming one of her apprentices.
The further transition from friend to lover and wife of Drizzt happened even more gradually, as Catti-brie was torn over her feelings for the drow. Eventually however, she moved past these feelings and the two were married for eight years before the events of the Spellplague.
During the Spellplague, Catti-brie was caught in the failing Weave between the Shadowfell and the Prime Material Plane alongside the halfling Regis, who attempted to use his enchanted ruby to save her. Despite the best efforts, the Companions were unable to save her, and she perished, but not before being given one last night with her beloved Drizzt. She was carried away by the Goddess Mielikki into a pocket dimension known as Iruladoon, where she waited with Regis until Wulfgar and Bruenor arrived. Now a Chosen of the Goddess, she explained that they could pursue rebirth into the world of Toril in order to aid Drizzt.
Catti-brie was reborn as Ruqiah, a Desai Bedine girl in the Anauroch desert. At a young age, she was taken by Lady Avelyere of the Netherese Shade Enclave to study magic. She later fled, studying magic alongside the Harpells of Longsaddle under an alias. In 1484 DR, she and the others returned to Kelvin's Cairn and rescued Drizzt from mortal wounds and was able to heal the drow.
After her rebirth, Catti-brie became both a Chosen of Mielikki and a Wizard honoring Holy Mystra, the Goddess of Magic. Her outlook on life and her personality however were drastically changed. Once believing in the different races of the Realms, the reborn Catti-brie hated goblinoid and orcish races with a passion, declaring them to be unnatural beasts.
In her first life, Catti-brie was a skilled archer and strong with the sword. In her second life, she rarely wielded physical weapons and leaned both into the usage of arcane and divine spells, granted to her by her worship of Mystra and Mielikki. She was especially fond of fire based evocation spells, as they were flashy and powerful.
Delina, Wild Mage
Another character from the Legends of Baldur's Gate comic books from IDW, Delina is Moon Elf Wild Mage, which are arcane magic users that attempt to utilize wild magic (magic with erratic and unpredictable effects). She journeyed to the city of Baldur's Gate to locate her brother Deniak, who she had felt her mystic bond with dissipate. During her entrance into the city, she was attacked by a group of Gargoyles. In the heat of the battle a stray bit of magic from her struck the statue of the Beloved Ranger, Minsc, which in turn freed Minsc from petrification. She worked with Minsc, Shandie, and Krydle to uncover a plot of the Cult of the Dragon.
It was revealed that Deniak was a full member of the Cult, planning on stealing Delina's magical ability from her. However, the ritual to accomplish this was interrupted and Deniak transformed into a red dragon. Delina was forced to finally kill her brother in dragon form with assistance of her newfound friends. Afterwards, she decided to stay in Baldur's Gate to journey with the others.
Drizzt Do'Urden
As far as characters in the Forgotten Realms go, there are a few characters that transcend discussion and if you know anything about the campaign setting at all, it's more than likely you've seen them. One of the most (and quite possibly the most) recognizable characters in all of the Realms is the Drow Ranger, Drizzt Do'Urden.
Drizzt was born into House Do'Urden of the Drow city of Menzoberranzan during an attack by his house on a rival house to Matron Mother Malice Do'Urden. Drizzt was originally intended to be sacrificed to the Goddess Lolth as was tradition for a third male in Drow families. His birth had been used in a powerful magical ritual which gave House Do'Urden the upper hand in the attack, and during this battle the eldest son of the house Nalfein was killed by the second eldest Dinin. This act alone saved Drizzt from being sacrificed. His early years were spent being trained in ritual by his older sister Vierna, and in the art of the blade by his father Zaknafein.
Drizzt attended the Academy and became a skilled fighter. During a raid on the surface world however, Drizzt began to realize that the Drow were indeed evil, and he secretly spared a moon elf child because of this. This act placed his own house out of the favor of the demonic Lolth, who demanded repayment in blood. Zaknafein, Drizzt's true father, gave his life to repay Drizzt's debt.
During Drizzt's time in Menzoberranzan, he would form a true bond with a summoned panther owned by Masoj Hun'ett named Guenhwywar. A confrontation between Masoj and Drizzt would lead to Drizzt claiming the figurine that summoned Guenhwywar from the Astral Plane, and Drizzt later escaped the city after learning of his father's demise.
Drizzt became a hunter and wanderer in the wilds of the Underdark, the massive undgeround caves far below ground. He would make few friends, but the ones he did were long lasting including the deep gnome Belwar Dissengulp. Drizzt would be forced to face his family once more in the form of an undead reanimation of his father sent to kill him. However, enough of Zaknafein existed inside the undead monster to prevent himself from killing his son and he dove into a pool of acid to save him. Drizzt fled for the surface world, knowing that the Drow could likely not follow.
On the surface, Drizzt attempted to find a home, but the legendary reputation of the Drow as evil beings preceded him, and he found little friends. He found solace in the teachings of an old blind ranger named Montolio Debrouchee, who accepted Drizzt as he was. It was in these moments that the Drow would find his strength in the Goddess Mielikki, the patron of rangers. After Montolio passed away, Drizzt wandered the surface world, eventually ending up in the land of Icewind Dale.
Icewind Dale is where Drizzt would meet friends who would become life long and important to him, at first primarily in the Dwarven King Bruenor Battlehammer and his adopted human daughter Catti-brie. He would take central part in the invasion of Icewind Dale by Akar Kessell and the Crystal Shard, earning the lifelong emnity of the demon Errtu. It was during this time that Drizzt would meet his other lifelong friends, Wulfgar of Icewind Dale and Regis the Halfling. The five would eventually go on to be known in the annals of history as the Companions of the Hall, due in part to the rediscovery of Mithral Hall (Bruenor's ancestral home). He would also during this time meet his enemy and rival Artemis Entreri, an asssassin from Calimport that mirrored Drizzt in many ways that Drizzt himself feared that he would have become had he given in to his Drow nature in Menzoberranzan.
Drizzt would later take part in many major events in Faerûn's history, from the near invasion of Mithral Hall by the Drow to the rise of the Kingdom of Many-Arrows. Drizzt would later go on to marry Catti-brie before her death as a result of the Spellplague. Being an elf and living a naturally long life, Drizzt continued on, helping Bruenor discover the ancestral Dwarven complex of Gauntlygrym to even helping a long lived Artemis Entreri who had become cursed as well as falling in with an Elven sorceress named Dahlia (who would later attempt to kill Drizzt and nearly succeed).
Just when all was thought lost in Drizzt's life, after his friends had all passed and he was dying from a mortal wound atop one of the mountains of Icewind Dale, his long lost Companions of the Hall returned to his side. The Goddess Mielikki had given them a second chance on life to aid their friend, and he was once again reunited with his nearest and dearest friends including Catti-brie.
Being a ranger, Drizzt's skills lie in both combat and tracking. He favored the Scimitars as a dual weapon, carrying two distinctly magical weapons named Twinkle and Icingdeath (a blade that was a frostbrand weapon that fed on fire). His most cherished item he held was the figurine that summoned the great panther Guenhwyvar to his side. The panther was one of his greatest and truest of friends, and was always by Drizzt's side in combat. Due to his service to the Goddess Mielikki, he also commanded a magical unicorn steed named Andahar.
Ebondeath, Dracolich
Ebondeath's original Draconic name was Chardansearavitriol, a Black Dragon of some renown who settled in the Mere of Dead Men in the Sword Coast North in 631 DR. Around 922 DR, Ebondeath disappeared, becoming a dracolich at the behest of Strongor Bonebag, a priest of Myrkul and member of the Cult of the Dragon. Dracolich's are powerful undead, formed when a dragon sloughs off its mortal coil and arises as an undead creature still containing their magical powers.
Ebondeath was worshipped by the Ebondeath Sect of the Cult for many years. In 1202 DR, Ebondeath's body disintegrated into dust due to Myrkul's influences. The Ebondeath Sect itself collapsed in 1358 DR when Myrkul was destroyed during the events of The Time of Troubles. The location of Ebondeath's remains were subsequently lost.
Ellywick Tumblestrum
Ellywick Tumblestrum is a Gnomish bard with the capability of traversing between Faerûn's planar boundaries. She travels with her magical lute called Morningmist and her companion Groak the Toad as she uncovers various legends and lores from across the multiverse. Ellywick primarily will appear in an upcoming D&D supplement called The Wild Beyond the Witchlight as the player's guide to the Feywild.
In real life, Ellywick is portrayed in D&D promotional media by Erika Fermina of Girls, Guts, Glory.
Farideh
Farideh was a tiefling warlock who made a pact with the devil Lorcan. Unknown to Farideh when she made her pact with Lorcan was the fact that she was descended from one of the Toril thirteen, a group of tiefling warlocks that had made pacts with the Devil God Asmodeus. She was adopted by a dragonborn named Mehen, who raised her and her sister Halivar to be bounty hunters.
Farideh's first appearances were in the Brimstone Angels novels.
Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar
Grazilaxx was an Illithid, one of the feared mind flayers of the Underdark. He belonged to a group known as the Society of Brilliance. This group was filled with many neutral members of various races within the Underdark, and their primary intent was to study the Underdark in order to better understand it. Grazilaxx, along with the rest of the Society, made their way to the mystical library of Gravenhollow prior to the demonic crisis that struck the Underdark in later 1480s DR.
In the Neverwinter online game, Grazilaxx appears as part of an expansion module in which he assists Drizzt Do'Urden and the halfling Regis in defeating Demogorgon, the Prince of Demons.
Gretchen Titchwillow
Gretchen Titchwillow's first major appearance was in the Betrayal at Baldur's Gate board game. She was a halfling druid that found her vocation as a druid originally near the city of Waterdeep. She was tasked by the willow trees to travel to Baldur's Gate to put down an evil presence there and to eventually plant a willow tree.
Icingdeath, Terror of Icewind Dale
Ingeloakastimizilian, or otherwise known by the barbarian tribes of Icewind Dale as "Icingdeath", was a white dragon that lived in a region of the Reghed Glacier known as Evermelt. Icingdeath had a vast hoard of wealth and magical items, and spent most of his time sleeping so deeply that the ice in his home covered both him and his hoard.
In 1356 DR, Icingdeath was challenged by the barbarian Wulfgar with assistance by Drizzt Do'Urden as a rite of passage that would allow Wulfgar a trophy to unite the barbarian tribes of Icewind Dale. Icingdeath was brought down in the battle by Wulfgar, who used his hammer Aegis-Fang to bring down an icicle upon the dragon's head, killing him.
The name of Icingdeath would later go on to become attached as the name of one of the scimitars carried by Drizzt Do'Urden, a magical weapon which was found in Icingdeath's hoard.
Inferno
Inferno, or otherwise known as Imvaernarhro, was an ancient red dragon whose lair was in the Star Mounts. He typically keeps to himself, and maintains several hoards of treasure within the peaks of the Star Mounts. In terms of gold coins, Inferno's wealth has been measured by Elminster to be at least "a dozen million."
Iymrith, Desert Doom
Iymrith was a powerful blue dragon sorcerer that often explored numerous ruins in search of magical power, specifically surrounding the Netherese and their artifacts. She conducted experiments with powerful magic and commanded an army of gargoyles as she searched for more spells to learn. After the shattering of the ordning (a social structure code for the giants), she infiltrated the Storm Giants and covertly plotted and pitted the princesses of the clan against each other, reaching the height of being the most powerful creature in the Maelstrom. Her ultimate goal was to start a war between the Giants and the smaller folk.
Iymrith is a calculating and manipulative sort, using her wiles and cunning to get what she wants. She had two adult offspring, named Anaxaster and Chezzaran.
Karazikar, the Mad Beholder
Karazikar was a Beholder that lived during the Rage of Demons in 1400s DR. It was a hateful and paranoid creature that plotted to seize a device known as the Maze Engine, a reality shaping artifact that was hidden in the Underdark by the Modrons. Karazikar was eventually killed by a group of adventurers working under Bruenor Battlehammer in order to utilize its central eye in a rite to attempt to banish the demons.
Klauth, Old Snarl
Klauth was an ancient red dragon (over 1,200 years old) who lived in the Northern Sword Coast. He was exceptionally long lived, surviving even the Cult of the Dragon's motivations to attempt to turn him into a dracolich. He extended his life magically, using the essences of red dragon eggs to make himself stronger and healthier.
Klauth not only appeared in the Storm King's Thunder supplement, but he also appeared as an encounter in the Neverwinter Nights video game.
Krydle of Baldur's Gate
Krydle's first appearances were in the Legends of Baldur's Gate comic book series by IDW. He was a half-elf thief and poet who lived in Baldur's Gate during the 15th century DR. He was a part of a criminal organization at this time and was estranged from his father Coran. Together with the Rashemar adventurer Minsc and the Moon Elf Wild Mage Delina he helped investigate a plot by the Cult of the Dragon that involved Delina's brother Deniak.
Krydle would go on to appear in further IDW comic series as part of this group of adventurers.
Lolth, the Queen of Spiders
The pantheon of Gods and Goddesses in Faerûn is actually one of the more important pieces of the Faerûn lore. The worship of various deities within the pantheon is an ever present and important part of day to day life within the world. Of course, if Drizzt is one of the big and most recognizable of a mortal character, the Goddess Lolth is equally as recognizable as the deity he turned away from.
Lolth is a fickle creature, known as the Queen of Spiders or the Queen of the Demonweb Pits. She is the most influential Goddess among the Drow race, and she commands undying loyalty from her worshippers. Her primary clerics within her religion are all female, known as priestesses. This has given way to most of Drow culture being a matriarchal society broken up into various Houses, each seeking to gain the Spider Queen's favor. Lolth herself actually cares very little for the ordered power structure within the communities that worship her, even sometimes sowing chaos and discord of her own from time to time in order to shake up the balance of power among the Drow race.
Much of Lolth's religion is centered around worship and sacrifice, and members of her worship are encouraged to ascend via subterfuge and even murder to claim power. She also favors spiders to the extent that killing one of her holy creatures is grounds for death among her followers.
Originally an Elven Goddess who turned away from the Seldarine (the associated pantheon of Elven deities) before being banished and changed into a demon, Lolth's domains are centered in Chaos and Darkness.
It is often said that the rogue Drow Drizzt Do'Urden is actually an unknowing servant of Lolth, even though he himself would deny it. Lolth's relationship with the rogue drow is curious, as her attempts to have him destroyed have often ended in failure. Lolth seems to allow the rogue's existence simply because his very existence creates and sows the kind of chaos amongst her followers that she delights in.
Failure to serve Lolth in all of her ways can often lead to some incredibly harsh punishments, with swift death being the least of them. The most devilish punishment by the Spider Queen's powers is the transformation of a Drow into a Drider, a mindless half Drow/half Arachnid creature that is seen as the ultimate perversion of Lolth's anger.
The vast majority of Lolth's communications to her clergy is handled via beings called Yochlol's, a lesser type of demon known as a Handmaiden of Lolth. These waxy abominations often had ambition of their own, but fell in line to the Spider Queen's demands and conveyed the wishes of the Goddess to her followers. To be blessed by a summoning of a Handmaiden is to know that one is in favor of the Goddess.
Lolth's ambitions over the years of Faerûn's timeline are well known. At one point in time she attempted to subvert the magical Weave from the Goddess Mystra. She even attempted to assist the chromatic dragon race in reviving the Queen of Dragons herself, Tiamat.
Lorcan, the Warlock Collector
Lorcan was a cambion devil who collected pacts with warlocks, and at one point had a full set of the Toril Thirteen, warlocks who had originally made pacts with the Devil God Asmodeus. When the tiefling Havilar accidentally summoned Lorcan, Lorcan chose her twin sister Farideh to bear his pact instead. Lorcan kept tabs on Farideh throughout the events of Brimstone Angels, even going so far to protect her from the machinations of his mother Invadiah and the archdevil Glasya to start a conflict between Asmodeus and the Abolethic Sovereignty.
His last sighting was being dragged back to Malbolge and imprisoned for his interference.
Minsc, the Beloved Ranger
Minsc was a ranger from the lands of Rashemen. His primary companion is the hamster Boo, who Minsc claimed was a miniature giant space hamster, although no one else ever saw any evidence of this. A simple man, Minsc believed in heroism and had a very simplistic view of the world when it came to good and evil. As a young man he travelled on dajemma (a rite of passage for the Rashemi) with a young witch of the Wychlaran named Dynaheir.
Minsc followed Dynaheir to the western lands of Faerûn around 1368 DR, before becoming separated during an attack by gnolls. Minsc settled into a nearby town looking for help to save his charge. He was involved in the iron crisis events of Baldur's Gate and was able to rescue Dynaheir. He later accompanied Abdel Adrian (the Bhaalspawn protagonist of Baldur's Gate) on their travels, during which Dynaheir was killed in a prison below Athkala. Minsc believed he had failed his charge and was heavily distraught over her death.
At some point Minsc and Boo fell under the effects of a petrification spell, and ended up as a statue in the city of Baldur's Gate around 1409 DR. The statue became known as The Beloved Ranger. Around 1480s DR, Minsc and Boo's statue was struck by a bit of wild magic released by Wild Mage Delina in a battle with some gargoyles. Minsc and Boo were freed from the petrification effects and joined up with Delina, Krydle, and Shandie during the events of The Legend of Baldur's Gate comic books.
Minsc would later go on to adventure with Delina and the others, becoming known widely as the Heroes of Baldur's Gate.
Minsc appears in all games in the Baldur's Gate series of video games and is voiced by Jim Cummings in all of them.
Mordenkainen
Mordenkainen was a powerful archmage from the world of Oerth, whose work eventually made its way to the world of Faerûn. By the year 1367 DR, his spells were not uncommon among spellbooks in Faerûn, and he dealt directly with the Lich Lord Vecna, who destroyed the Circle of Eight (a powerful wizarding group made up of various well known inventors of spells such as Bibgy, Otiluke, and Tenser) after he failed to become a deity. Mordenkainen was a good friend of the Sage of Shadowdale, Elminster Aumar and met with the sage on numerous occasions.
Mordenkainen at one point traveled to the world of Barovia to deal with the vampire lord Strahd. However he underestimated his foe's powers and barely survived a confrontation with the vampire lord. He lost his memory and nearly was driven to the brink of madness.
After this he ended up in Waterdeep in 1491 DR, where Storm Silverhand and Elminster helped him recover.
By the year 1494 DR, he resided in the Tower of Urm, which he used as a vehicle to travel the multiverse.
Some of Mordenkainen's most prolific work includes Mordenkainen's disjunction, Mordenkainen's faithful hound, and Mordenkainen's sword.
Nihiloor
Nihiloor was a Mind Flayer that worked for the Xanthar Thieve's Guild in the late 15th century DR. Despite the fact that he was an Illithid, Nihiloor did not consider supplanting Xanathar as leader of the Guild, as he actually considered himself Xanathar's equal.
Nihiloor's primary function in the Guild was to create intellect devourers that he would send out into Waterdeep to ensnare helpless guards or watchmen to act as spies for the Guild unknowingly.
Old Gnawbone
Old Gnawbones, or Claugiyliamatar as was her Draconic name, was a green dragon who operated out of the Kryptgarden Forest near Waterdeep and Neverwinter. She often used a number of agents to influence events within the cities via a group known as the Gnawbones, a criminal gang. One of the things that she was mostly fascinated with was the spells that turned Dragons into Humans. She often wished to be a powerful woman within the city, living the high life.
She had two sons, one a Half Dragon Ettin named Bonesplitter and the other a green dragon named Vorgansharax.
During the events of the Rage of Dragons, Old Gnawbones was attacked by another group of green dragons from Neverwinter Wood, causing her to flee her territory. Members of the Cult of the Dragon approached her at this time, offering her the gift of dracolichdom.
Orcus, Prince of Undeath
Orcus was one of the more powerful Demon lords of the Abyss, ruling from his sub layer of Thanatos and the self proclaimed Prince of Undeath. Orcus' origins are often considered to have been that of a mortal originally, a wicked spellcaster who upon death had his soul placed into the wild and chaotic Abyss. Orcus climbed the ranks of Demonkind over several thousand years, shifting form until he ascended to the rank of Demon Lord. Orcus coveted the title of "Demon Prince", a title claimed by Demogorgon, and Orcus became an archenemy of both him and the Demon Lord Graz'zt.
Orcus was famous for being a patron to many mortals who transcended life into undeath. One of the most famous of these was the Witch King Zhengyi, a Red Wizard of Thay who became a Lich that controlled the kingdom of Damara during 1357 DR. One of Orcus' most powerful weapons was the Wand of Orcus, a device that had the ability to slay any living creature it touched. Occasionally Orcus allowed the device to fall into the material plane simply to wreak a little chaos in the hands of the mortal races.
At some point Orcus was apparently slain by a drow demi-goddess named Kiaransalee. However, Orcus, true to his portfolio of undeath, lived on under the name Tenebrous, an undead divine being. As Tenebrous, he attempted to restore himself to his lost divinity, and discovered powerful magic known as the Last Word in the process (a magic so powerful it could destroy deities). Orcus' efforts as Tenebrous were halted by a group of adventurers and Orcus himself was destroyed by the magic of the Last Word.
Eventually Orcus was resurrected by his high priest Quah-Nomag in a ritual on the Astral Plane. Orcus reclaimed his rightful title as Prince of the Undead and his place in the Abyss, but the divinity he had known as Tenebrous was lost.
Oswald Fiddlebender
Oswald's appearances come from the Icewind Dale series of video games. He was a skilled alchemist who operated an airship laboratory, which ended up crashing in the northern part of the Ten-Towns settlement of Targos. Oswald admitted to experimenting with dangerous potions mid-flight, which likely caused the crash.
Oswald is part of much of Icewind Dale 2's gameplay as he serves as a ferry for the adventuring party in many parts of the game. He also served as a merchant, being able to provide items such as potions and also armor or garments for adventurers to wear.
Storvald, Jarl of Frost Giants
Jarl Storvald was one of the giant lords at the time of the shattering of the ordning, the Giant societal structure code. In later 1400s DR he led the Frost Giants to reclaim Svardborg, the ancestral home of the Frost Giants, while also enslaving two white dragons to the clan's service.
His primary goal was to locate the fabled Ring of Winter in order to claim supremacy for the Frost Giant race over the lesser races.
Targ Nar, Fang of Yeenoghu
Targ Nar was Gnoll of some renown, known for being a Fang of Yeenoghu, the patron demon of Gnolls. He first appeared in the adventure Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus where he was stationed at the Scab surrounding the Bleeding Citadel in 1492 DR. Being a Fang, Targ possessed powerful abilities granted by Yeenoghu, the least of which was being able to transfrom hyenas into Gnolls via the flesh of those he had slain.
Tiamat, Queen of the Chromatic Dragons
Tiamat was a lawful evil goddess, the queen of all evil dragons. Revered by the chromatic dragons of Faerûn, Tiamat is greed and evil incarnate. Her brother and eternal enemy is the God Bahamut, the patron of all metallic dragons.
Tiamat's origins have many varied stories to them, and it is generally unknown which of the myths of her creation is true. Tiamat led her followers in a massive war versus the servants of Bahamut in what would become known as the Dragonfall War. After this war had begun waning, Tiamat became a part of the Untheric empire's pantheon, gaining a realm in the plane of Zigguraxus. This period of time would further the Dragonfall War as both she and Bahamut had human worshippers at this point. Tiamat worked against the other Untheric pantheon as well.
During an intense battle in which Tiamat sought to slay the God-King of Unther Gilgeam, she was attacked by Bahamut (going by the name Marduk) and the two killed each other, rendering their Untheric aspects dead. Both were stripped of their divinity and Tiamat had been reduced to the status of an archfiend. She was given a space in Avernus by the devil Asmodeus.
As Gilgeam became a tyrannical God-King, cultists managed to summon an aspect of Tiamat to the material plane, formenting a rebellion against Gilgeam. During the Time of Troubles, her essence was rendered into three separate dragons. One of them (a dragon named Tchazzar) devoured the other two and Tiamat's divine essence arose, bringing about her five-headed form. She used this opportunity to slay Gilgeam which forced Ao to dissolve the Untheric pantheon.
Now a minor deity, the Dragonfall War began anew as Tiamat sought to defeat her brother and his kind once more. This conflict would continue on throughout the ages.
Tiamat is a vicious, greedy, and ultimately vain deity. All of her focus was on obtaining power and wealth, and especially her disdain for her brother and his dragon kind. Her followers continually work towards the domination of the Realms by placing herself as the only deity to be worshipped in the Realms.
Trelasarra Zuind, Priestess of Eilistraee
Trelasarra is a priestess of the Drow Goddess Eilistraee (the chaotic good Goddess of Song and Beauty as well as the Moon). She journeyed to the surface city of Waterdeep with a group of other Moon Dancers to create a temple to their Goddess with the blessing of the Harpers. This temple was known as the Dancing Haven. Later she helped rebuild the Promenade of the Dark Maiden, former headquarters of the Church of Eilistraee in Undermountain. Despite being the leader of this branch of the Church, she claimed no real title as was the standard for the Church of Eilistraee.
Vecna, the Lich Lord
Originally a Lich who authored the Book of Vile Darkness, Vecna transcended undeath with the assistance of Orcus and became one of the most powerful Liches in existence. Entrusting much of his authority to his lieutenant Kas, Vecna created the Sword of Kas for him. However, the sword still contained much of Vecna's evil, which manifested and seduced Kas into usurping the throne and killing his master. The only physical traces left of Vecna were his Hand and Eye, both of which became magically powerful artifacts that contained fragments of the Lich's will. Kas himself was banished to Cavitius, the fortress that Vecna had maintained among the Planes.
However, final death was not the end for Vecna. His spirit still strong, he achieved a status as a demigod thanks to the many followers and worshippers he had amassed in his time. Vecna attempted to ascend to full deity status, but was banished to Cavitius where he freed Kas and the two formed an alliance of the Domain of Dread known as Burning Peaks.
Vecna would later attempt to ascend to a greater deity, his plans involving an invasion of the city of Sigil. This plan was thwarted by the Lady of Pain that controlled Sigil, but Vecna retained enough power to maintain lesser deity status. His religious portfolio is based in evil secrets, and his clerical domains are Arcana, Death, and Knowledge.
To this day, the Hand and Eye of Vecna are considered to be massively powerful artifacts that require self mutilation of the user in order to use. The dragonborn paladin of Tiamat Arkhan the Cruel acquired the Hand of Vecna as he attempted to utilize it to free Tiamat from her prison on Avernus.
Volothamp Geddarm
Volothamp, or Volo as he was well known, was a world renowned scholar, adventurer, and traveler of the Realms. If there ever was someone who knew where something was held, or where a dungeon might be, or what creatures might live around these parts, Volo is your quintessential "go-to" guy. He knows just about everything about everything, and has published numerous guides to the Realms on subjects from Monsters to Magic.
Wulfgar of Icewind Dale
Wulfgar was the son of Beornegar in the Tribe of the Elk in Icewind Dale, and was one of the fabled Companions of the Hall alongside Drizzt Do'Urden, Bruenor Battlehammer, Catti-brie, and Regis. As a boy, Wulfgar was a flag bearer in an army that was set on attacking Ten-Towns in Icewind Dale, until he was knocked out by Bruenor. He was placed into indentured servitude to Bruenor for five years and a day of service, learning the art of the forge and the ways of the people of Icewind Dale's civilized towns as well as the Dwarves of Kelvin's Cairn. Eventually his opinion of Bruenor changed, realizing the Dwarf spared his life to show him a better way, and began to regard him as a father figure.
At the end of Wulfgar's service, Bruenor crafted the most legendary creation he had ever forged, the mighty warhammer Aegis-Fang. He gifted the weapon to Wulfgar, and asked Drizzt to help teach the barbarian how to fight. During the events of Akar Kessel's attacks on Ten-Towns, Wulfgar defeated the dragon Icingdeath, using the dragon's head as trophy to claim leadership of the barbarian tribes to help turn the tribes toward an alliance with Ten-Towns to defeat Akar Kessel.
At some point, he and Catti-brie fell in love and were engaged to be married, however Wulfgar could not easily break from the traditions of the barbarian tribes regarding the role of women and wives in the tribe, acts which angered Catti-brie greatly. However, soon after Mithral Hall was attacked by Drow that were seeking Drizzt, and Wulfgar was dragged into the Abyss by a yochlol (one of Lolth's handmaidens). Lolth gifted the barbarian to the balor Errtu to earn a favor, and Errtu tortured the barbarian for six years before he was eventually rescued by the others after Errtu's return to Toril.
Six years of torture by a demon had broken Wulfgar, and the man nearly killed Catti-brie due to having witnessed his lost love in the Abyss, only for her to turn into a succubus. He fled the Companions and ended up in Luskan for some time into the bottom of a bottle, the only thing that quelled the demons in his mind. He found friendship and redemption in Delly Curtie, a woman he would eventually marry, and a thief named Morik the Rogue. During this time, Wulfgar found himself in a situation of having to care for a young infant girl he named Colson, who he and Delly adopted.
Wulfgar eventually returned to the Companions as a friend, and the events of the battles against Obould Many-Arrows presented many complications. Delly, feeling isolated inside the Dwarven citadel of Mithral Hall, fled with the sentient sword Khazid'hea, which had dominated her mind. She was killed by orcs. Colson had been gifted to a refugee of Nesme and was later recovered by Wulfgar, who then decided to return the girl to her birth mother.
Wulfgar returned to Icewind Dale and would eventually return to the ways of the Barbarian tribes and lived to be over a hundred years old before dying in battle against a group of Yetis. Death was not to be however, because he arrived in the pocket dimension of Iruladoon where Regis and Catti-brie awaited. He initially rejected the idea of being reborn to assist Drizzt, but then later chose this option and was reborn as Hrolf in the Tribe of the Elk. He appeared in 1484 DR with the rest of the Companions to save Drizzt, and he journeyed with the Companions once more.
Wulfgar was a powerful man with strength beyond mortal measure. His greatest weapon was the warhammer Aegis-Fang, crafted by Bruenor. The weapon was magically attuned to Wulgar as its master, and with a mere thought he could return the weapon to his hand. He often utilized it in battle as such, throwing it as his enemies and then calling it back to use again.
Xanathar, the Crime Lord
Xanathar was an infamous crime lord, master of the Xanathar Thieves' Guild in Skullport. What most are unaware of about Xanathar, is that Xanathar isn't truly Xanathar at all. "The Xanathar" is a title, rather than a name, and that title has been claimed over the centuries by various beholders. The original Xanathar was destroyed by a band of adventurers in 1358 DR under the secret assistance of another beholder who would go on to assume the identity of Xanathar. Later on, the beholder with the title of Xanathar was slain by an ancient beholder known as The Eye, who then assumed the name and title of "The Xanathar".
The Eye would eventually be destroyed by a former agent of his, and the title of Xanathar would continue to pass down to various beholders. Around 1479 DR the existing Xanathar, a beholder previously called Izulktur, decided to retire, passing the mantle onto Zushaxx, a beholder from the same cluster as Izulktur.
Zushaxx had a penchant for many things, one of which was his pet goldfish Sylgar. Unbeknownst to Zushaxx, the goldfish was not the same goldfish and had been replaced by the members of the Xanathar Thieves' Guild several times as each one died in order to keep their master happy.
As one of the most infamous crime lords Waterdeep has ever known, much of the thievery in Skullport and beyond is directed by Xanathar. Most of the organization is virtually unaware however that their secret master is a beholder, and those that do know are kept on a very tight leash.
Zalto, Fire Giant Duke
Zalto was a duke of the Fire Giants after the War of the Silver Marches, and was lord during the shattering of the ordning (the social structure to which the giant clans adhered to).
At one point, Zalto attempted to reconstruct an ancient colossus named Vonindod, forging an alliance with the Drow House Xorlarrin which controlled the ancient Dwarven city of Gauntlgrym and the fire primordial Maegera that was sealed under the city.
Zariel, Archduchess of Avernus
Zariel's tale is a tragic one. Originally a Solar Angel under the command of the God Lathander, Zariel was tasked with tracking the status of the Blood War, an age old conflict between the Nine Hells of Baator and the Abyss. As she monitored the battles, Zariel came to believe that the only way to end the conflict was for the celestial armies to destroy both sides. She grew obsessed with the War and developed a taste for battle, much to the chagrin of her fellow Solars. During the year 1354 DR, Zariel led a group of mortals into Avernus in a battle that would become known as The Ride. Easily outnumbered, Zariel was defeated but not before killing as many of both sides as possible herself. Zariel was recovered from the mound of the dead by the Archdevil Asmodeus, who admired the Solar's vengeance and warlike ways. He congratulated her, and made her into an an archdevil and his champion.
As a devilish creature, her appearance took on traits becoming of her stature. A halo of fire burned atop her head, her wings once angelic were scorched and leathery. One of her hands had been lost, replaced with a flail.
Zariel's exact timeline of how she came to rule the layer of Avernus is unclear in regards to the other Archduke of this layer named Bel. Some claim that Bel ruled Avernus first, and that Zariel supplanted the fiend, while others claimed that Zariel controlled Avernus before the Reckoning and that Bel betrayed her. Regardless, Zariel controlled Avernus through a measure of fear and vengeance. During the Reckoning, in which many of the archdevils of the Nine Hells attempted to depose Asmodeus, Zariel was betrayed by Bel and imprisoned in his fortress. It is claimed that Asmodeus orchestrated all of this after falling out of his favor. However, following Bel's demotion due to the archdevil's inability to repel a demonic invasion of Avernus, Zariel was reinstated as the proper Archduchess of Avernus.
Zariel did not get along well with any of the other lords of the Nine Hells, but did once ally briefly with Tiamat's followers in a bid to summon Tiamat to Toril. Zariel didn't like the Dragon Queen regardless, and figured the best way of dealing with her was to simply allow her to leave Avernus. She was opposed in this by Bel and his followers, who wished to keep Tiamat trapped.
Wrapping Up
Wow! There's a lot to the Realms, and a lot to these characters. It's great to have seen so many truly awesome references to the Legends of the Realms in Adventures of the Forgotten Realms. I hope you all enjoyed this lore jaunt, I know I did! I had a lot of fun researching these really awesome characters. I hope we get to do it all again someday!
Until next time, keep rolling dice and keep playing games!
