Verraketh Talembar

Verraketh, later known as the Shadowking, was a monarch of the Talfir people, ruling from the city of Ebenfar. He was a master of shadow magic.

History
According to The Book of the Shadows, although Verraketh was skilled in magic, he was slowly corrupted by his dark magic and his appearance turned montrous. In time, Verraketh became known as the Shadowking. He ruled for a long time and claimed many lands as part of his domain. He later created the Nightstone using his own essence. However, he was tricked—the bard Talek Talembar had put an enchantment on the Nightstone, so that it could only obey him. They fought for seven days, until Talembar won. Talembar trapped the Shadowking within a crypt, then buried it in a great cairn the size of a hill. The city of Iriaebor would later be built atop this cairn.

1363 DR
In 1363 DR, due to an error in the structure of the crypt, the Shadowking managed to get hold of a thief named Snake. Snake did as his master told him, and tricked Ravendas, A Zhentarim lord, into being her steward, feigning loyalty towards her. Ravendas took hold of Iriaebor and started digging into the Tor hoping to find the Nightstone, so that she could amass power.

1364 DR
A year later Caledan Caldorien returned to Iriaebor, he found out that Ravendas was the Lord of Iriaebor and he wanted to stop her. He managed to reform the Fellowship of the Dreaming Dragon. Unfortunately, when they were making their final plans, freeing some of the citizens of Iriaebor that were in the dungeons of the High Tower of Iriaebor, the mage Morhion “betrayed” them and ratted their plan out to Ravendas.

Ravendas managed to capture some of the members of the Fellowship and took them to the crypt of the Shadowking, which she just discovered and where the Nightstone resided. When Ravendas took up the Nightstone, she was killed by its magic, as she did not possess the ability of the shadow magic.

The Shadowking burst out from her corpse. Muscles and veins writhed like serpents beneath his skin as dark and smooth as night. Its legs were thick as columns, ending in cloven hooves. It flexed it powerful arms; long, dark, talons sprang from its fingertips, a tail lined with saw-toothed barbs cracked like a whip in the air. Two batlike wings unfurled from its back. The Nightstone pulsed vividly in the center of its chest as hot and red as blood. Its face was that of a beast, fangs like obsidian knives protruding from its maw, oozing dark ichor.

Whilst the transformation was happening, Morhion cut loose the bonds of the Fellowship, as that was his plan all along. As Morhion did this, Mari Al'maren threw her pipes to Caledan Caldorien, but Snake shot a bolt of magical energy to her tossing her to unconsciousness. Kellen, Caledan's son, managed to kill Snake with a poisoned needle. Caledan played the pipes and played the shadow song, the song was inscribed in Talfir on the columns of the crypt, doing so Caledan defeated the Shadowking, the song tore the Nightstone asunder. After Caledan defeated the Shadowking, the crypt collapsed, Ferret sacrificed himself so that the rest of the members of the Fellowship could escape.

Works
The Shadowking was credited with creating the spell known as Verraketh's shadow crown.