Balt

Balt was the general and the consort of the Batiri goblin queen M'bobo in the mid-14 century DR.

Description
Balt had small fangs for a goblin, yellow eyes, and was protected by his sturdy dinosaur leather breastplate. He wielded a crude but deadly scimitar.

Personality
Balt was demanding of his goblins, making sure they fulfilled their tasks and duties, in fear of being fed to the Batiri "god," Grumog.

History
By 1362 DR, Balt was the right hand of the beautiful land beloved Batiri queen M'bobo. When Artus Cimber was captured by his tribe during the adventurer's quest for the Ring of Winter, Balt was one of the goblins who was alerted by Artus' attempt to escape. The adventurer managed to dispose of his guard but faced a more formidable opponent in Balt and his wicked scimitar. Momentary, once the escape commenced, the entire tribe was alerted of Artus' escape via magical totems that started hollering alert across the whole village. Balt was knocked into one of the underground prison cells, but the escapee was eventually recaptured and thrown into Grumog's sacrificial pit.

M'bobo, allied with the leader of the Cult of Frost, Kaverin Ebonhand, who insisted on the goblins killing Artus Cimber before feeding him to their deity. Angered by the Batiri refusing to do so, Kaverin attacked the goblins to the queen's ire. The adventurer was thrown into the "god"'s pit, and Kaverin was forced to pay for his offense. As part of the payment, Balt dragged Kaverin's wizard ally Phyrra al-Quim to be slaughtered and devoured by the tribe.

Eventually, Artus fled from Grumog's tunnels and managed to kill the abominable lizard-centipede. M'bobo blamed Balt for this disaster, claiming it was the general's impiety that caused the death of their god. The queen tasked Balt with the task of retrieving the escaped adventurer to appease Grumog's spirit. The failure was not an option as Balt was to be sacrificed to the tribe's next god. Balt, along with Kaverin Ebonhand and goblin warriors, found the hut of Ras T'fima, one of the barae of Mezro, presuming that Artus would eventually visit the old paladin.

Subsequently, Balt's goblins were able to capture Dhalmass Rayburton and sentient wombat Byrt just outside Ras T'fima's camp. This led to a violent conflict between Artus Cimber, Alisanda Rayburton, and Negus Kwalu, who tried to rescue the captured bara. During the battle, Kwalu unleashed a plague of ravaging locust. Balt charged into the wall of hungry insects, but as the insects moved onto the rest of the village, nothing was left from Balt but clean bones and a grinning yellow-teethed skull.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * The Ring of Winter