Dragonbait

Dragonbait, also referred to as Champion, was the finhead saurial paladin companion and the soul-brother of the adventurer Alias, who was transported to Toril, alongside a small community of his people, by the Rotting God Moander.

"She thought very hard about Dragonbait, about all he'd done for her, all she knew about him, all the things she felt about him. He was the least human of her companions, he couldn't talk to her, and she had little idea what went through his mind, yet Dragonbait was the only member of the party she trusted completely... She knew that the two of them, lizard and swordswoman, had an understanding. "You're not my bondservant, are you?" Alias whispered to the sleeping lizard. "You're my brother.""

- Alias

Description
Dragonbait stood at in height, not counting his single head fin, the telltale sign of him being a finhead saurial. His low height was due to his posture, canted towards his hips, and balanced by a long thick tail. His mouth was short, thinner, and more rounded than that of lizardfolk. Inside it was a row of powerful sharp teeth in front of the maw, and bull molars at the back. His body was covered in small smooth green scales. His eyes were lizard-like and yellow. He bore shimmering magical tattoos - azure bonds, similar to those his sister had on her forearm. The tattoos were the byproduct of Alias' creation and originally were adorned by glyphs symbolizing Alias' masters, but after their demise, the bonds transformed into a ring of blue ivy.

Personality
Like many other paladins, Dragonbait was good, caring, kind, and righteous, a being of a pure soul. That was the reason why he was chosen as a sacrifice to bring Alias to life by Cassana, and Phalse. Dragonbait always used his abilities to defend his friends, family, people, and a good cause.

Dragonbait preferred close combat because the felt that ranged weapons were dishonorable.

Abilities
As a paladin of the god of justice of his realm, he had access to the divine spells he often used to heal his companions. While on Toril, his divine powers came from Tyr the god of justice.

Dragonbait was a skilled paladin, his weapon proficiencies included saurial and regular broadswords, bastard swords, longswords, light crossbows, and battleaxes. He also possessed exceptional direction sense and endurance.

Dragonbait knew the ancient saurial close-combat tradition that utilized the race's natural weapons - their claws and tail. Like all saurials, Champion was resistant to sound-based attacks but extremely vulnerable to cold.

Dragonbait could not speak Common and communication was often difficult for him. Instead, he communicated using a complex system of clicks, chirps, whistles (often almost inaudible to the human ear). Another big part of the Saurial language was body language and scents emitted (that ranged from brimstone, to ham, to honeysuckle, etc.). Eventually, Alias taught him thieves' hand cant (to Olive's irritation). Eventually, Alias used the Finder's Stone to cast a permanent tongues spell on herself, enabling her to speak Dragonbait's native language.

Dragonbait was a capable juggler, laying on his back, he used all 4 of his limbs and his tail. He entertained Gaylyn's wedding guests in such manner to the stern disapproval of the bride's mother without dropping a single piece of the lady's fine crystal.

Possessions
Before it was destroyed, he wielded a strange sword (saurial broadsword) named Hill Cleaver that featured a small hilt that was sized for his slender hands, with a blade that ended in a wide wedge with serrated teeth on the hiltward side. Hill Cleaver could negate magic on command.

For a time, after Hill Cleaver's destruction, Dragonbait used a non-magical version of the saurial broadsword, as he adventured with Alias.

Later, he came into possession of more magical items: a +1 flame tongue longsword, possibly a gift from Finder Wyvernspur, +2 flaming burst longsword, a +3 cloak of resistance, a belt of giant strength, bracers of armor, a +2 ring of protection, and a handful of Keoghtom’s ointments.

Relationships
Dragonbait's closest friend, his soul-sister was Alias, who was brought to life using a splinter of his own soul. How it was possible remained a mystery, even though both Alias and Dragonbait felt a close kinship towards each other. Their sibling relationship has reinforced the gods when Alias became a soul singer, a saurial gift that apparently followed genealogical lines.

Dragonbait's past mate Coral (saurial) was enslaved by Moander, forcing the saurial paladin to kill her. That loss weighted heavily on Dragonbait, and only reinforced his commitment to defending the saurial community of the Lost Vale. Eventually, Dragonbait met his second mate Copperbloom with whom he settled and fathered offspring.

Other friends and companions of Dragonbait's were Akabar Bel Akash, a merchant and a mage from Turmish who joined Alias on her very first adventure, Dragonbait grew to care for, and respect the mage. Olive Ruskettle was a bard who Dragonbait often teased, Olive lost her trust in the saurial after she found out he was a Paladin, but they reconciled eventually and remained friends after surviving much together. Mintassan the planeswalker was a one-time ally of Dragonbait and Alias. And lastly, he was old friends with Grypht, a saurial wizard, who knew and respected Dragonbait. They went back together all the way to the lime before Moander's corruption and transportation to Toril.

History
Dragonbait received his current name the night he assisted Alias in disposing of some thugs in the service of her creators. Alias warned him that if he made a single false move, he'd be "dragon bait". He immediately took it as his name, and was only referred to as "Champion" by Grypht and presumably, other saurials. Dragonbait's near-abandonment of his name may have originated in the circumstances that brought him into the power of the creators of Alias.

Dragonbait had served Tyr with a singular purpose for many years, until he fell in love with another saurial who served the Lady Luck, Tymora. Believing that luck's intrinsically fickle nature was in violation of the rigorous justice of Tyr, he demanded that his love leave her goddess' service and come to serve his god. The argument ended with no resolution, and apparently fearing his love for her would eventually taint his pure service to Tyr, he left for the outer plane of Tarterus to better fulfill this aim. While in Tarterus, Dragonbait was captured by the demon Phalse to be used for a dark purpose. While imprisoned, he had a vision, or perhaps only a dream, in which he was visited by Lady Luck. He was told that she would rather not see him ever again, but that her aid had been asked by the god of justice to save his servant. Wishing to live and not offend his god who had intervened on his behalf, he accepted the task she charged him with: to fulfill the service laid on him by the human Alias.

Freed from his imprisonment by the Nameless Bard, Dragonbait became Alias' companion. While he still lived to serve Tyr, he also paid homage to all other gods who could further the cause of justice.

Eventually, Dragonbait and Alias settled in the Lost Vale with the displaced saurials to aid them in their new settlement. A short time later, however, they started adventuring again.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Curse of the Azure Bonds • Tomb of Annihilation


 * Card Games
 * AD&D Trading Cards • Spellfire: Master the Magic


 * Comics
 * Converging Lines • The Great Game • Fools Rush In


 * Novels
 * Azure Bonds • Song of the Saurials • Masquerades


 * Video Games
 * Curse of the Azure Bonds • Tales from Candlekeep: Tomb of Annihilation • Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms