Melegaunt Tanthul

Prince Melegaunt Tanthul was one of the youngest Princes of Shade.

Personality
He had a knack for deception, combined with a talent of false empathy, that made him a formidable manipulator. There were few people outside the royal family that he could not win over with his combination of charm, good looks, and seeming sincerity. Indeed, he practically made it his life's work. It was believed that he tricked Galaeron Nihmedu into opening the Sharn Wall in Evereska, thus unleashing an army of Phaerimm on Faerûn.

Relationships
Melegaunt had twelve brothers, but among them, only Dethud Tanthul favored his policy of manipulation.

Abilities
Melegaunt was a spy from Thultanthar, also referred to as the City of Shade. He had a barely above average aptitude in the magical arts, but was trained exactly like the rest of the princes and the secret kept safe on pain of death by order of his father, Telamont. What Melegaunt lacked in arcane aptitude, however, he made up for in guile.

Early Life
Like the rest of his brothers, Melegaunt was born before Karsus's Folly in Netheril at some point. In accordance with the rules of Thultanthar, Melegaunt undewent tests at the age of 13 to determine his aptitude. However the Determinists found that Melegaunts potential with magic was only just above average. Despite this his father, Telamont Tanthul, decreed that Melegaunt would still be trained in the arcane arts anyway and that the results of the test kept secret.

Traveling Toril
Melegaunt arrived on Toril in 1222 DR and began exploring and studying the world. Over the next few decades he made his way from Kara-Tur to Chult and even Halruaa to Hartsvale.

In 1269 DR, while traveling through Vaasa, Melegaunt rescued Bodvar and the rest of the Moor Eagle clan. Afterwards the Prince of Shade managed to convince Bodvar to let him stay with the Vaasans. During his time among the Moor Eagles, Melegaunt constructed 20 darkswords for the clan's warriors but Bodvar initially refused the weapons. Eventually Bodvar and his clan were forced to take up the blades against a horde of monstrous humanoids, binding themselves in service to the shadovar wizard.

Spying on the Phaerimm
By 1271 DR, Melegaunt had left the Moor Eagles after constructing the Granite Tower and entered the Anauroch on his own. There he began mapping the Buried Realms of the Underdark and spying on the phaerimm. Despite his skill with deception, in 1346 DR the phaerimm eventually became aware of his presence which brought Melegaunt into frequent conflict with the aberrations.

Return of the Archwizards
By 1371 DR, Melegaunt had gathered enough information on the phaerimm. He called upon Bodvar's pact and gathered 20 skilled Vaasan warriors, led by Vala Thordotter, to assist him in the crypts beneath the Shaeradim. However on Nightal 20, while exploring the crypts, Melagaunt and his warriors crossed a band of Evereskan tomb guardians led by Galaeron Nihmedu. During the ensuing conflict, Melegaunt's Shadow Weave magic and Galaeron's Weave magic collided and the resulting interaction created a breach in the Sharn Wall, which allowed the phaerimm to escape into Faerûn.

Despite this calamity, Melegaunt slowly worked his way into Galaeron's confidence and even unveiled the secrets of the Shadow Weave to the elf. Vala and Melegaunt traveled with Galaeron to the High Forest in search of the Karsestone which Melegaunt explained could defeat the phaerimm.

On Hammer 1 of 1372 DR Melegaunt died in battle against the lich Wulgreth of Ascalhorn within a pyramid in Karse Butte. Although Melegaunt perished, he had managed to subvert Galaeron enough that the tomb guardian completed the ritual to summon the City of Shade in Melegaunt's stead.

Appearances

 * "Darksword" (in Realms of Shadow)
 * The Summoning
 * Lords of Darkness (mentioned)