Duhlark Kolat

Duhlark Kolat was a powerful mage who lived in Waterdeep.

Description
In the Year of the Shield, 1367 DR, Duhlark was a middle-aged but vital man with russet-colored eyes, braided long blonde hair, and a similarly braided beard. He was most often seen wearing a bright red vest over brown robes.

Personality
Duhlark was a highly focused individual, concentrating on one thing at a time no matter what was going on around him, whether he was doing spell research or just eating. This single-mindedness was perceived by most as stand-offish and it prevented him from easily making friends.

Abilities
Duhlark was an incredibly talented transmuter with a penchant for the dramatic, enacting impressive spell thematics when he cast magic.

Possessions
Duhlark possessed numerous magical items (many, but not all, likely crafted by his brother), including a staff of power.

Activities
Duhlark spent a lot of time, especially when beginning a new avenue of magical research, wandering around Waterdeep. He desired renown and would most frequently achieve it by creating and selling new transmutation spells.

Relationships
Duhlark prized the few friends he had. Branta Myntion, his brother's apprentice; the hill giant tavernkeeper Trahnt; the blind cook Hedrik; and Lady Laeral Silverhand all gladly counted themselves as his friends.

Maaril the Dragonmage and Elaith Craulnober were his foes and Blakantar Tagon irritated Duhlark.

Duhlark had been romantically linked to Lady Hlanta Melshimber in gossip circles but Duhlark himself refused to confirm or deny such talk.

He and his brother Alcedor were still close but had drifted apart from their adventuring days. They argued frequently over the nature of ancient (mostly Netherese) artifacts and lived in separate towers on the same property.

History
Duhlark was born to a pair of merchants in Sulmeth along with his identical twin brother Alcedor. Alcedor appeared much older than his brother however, due to the toll that creating magical items took on his body. The two were trained in Llorbauth's Mystics' Academy before joining an adventuring party calling themselves Mystra's Defenders. Years later, while in the Border Kingdoms, the Defenders were transported to the Maze Level of Undermountain but managed to escape back to the surface where they continued their careers for a while in the Savage Frontier. On Marpenoth 15 of 1358 DR, they re-entered Waterdeep, only to find it under attack from the undead forces of Myrkul, whereupon they immediately joined in the defense of the city.

After things settled down again, so did the Kolats, pooling their riches to purchase property in the Adventurer's Quarter of South Ward where the took over an old stone manor, repaired it, and renamed it Kolat Towers. Duhlark sold several original spells to the Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors but grew upset and contemplated discontinuing the business when they began dropping his name from the spells when they referred to them.

In 1367 DR, Duhlark created a new spell that he called Duhlark's animerge, which could combine two creatures into a new species with the traits of both. He was still testing it (gifting the first creature created with it, a wolveraven, to Khelben and Laeral) when on Midsummer, the Kolat Towers were broken into and several spell scrolls and magic items were stolen.

After the break-in Duhlark became increasingly paranoid so he encased Kolat Towers in an invisible force field to prevent further intrusions. Over time however, Duhlark began to suspect his brother of selling their secrets, further driving the brothers apart. Eventually Alcedor left Waterdeep and hasn't been heard from since. Duhlark eventually died alone in the Towers.

Near the end of the 15 century DR Manshoon had take possession of Kolat Towers and turned Duhlark's skull into a flameskull.