Symgharyl Maruel

Symgharyl Maruel, also known as the Shadowsil, was a powerful wizard affiliated with the Cult of the Dragon and the Zhentarim both.

Description
She was tall and slim, often wearing purple robes. As far back as 1294, she favored black leather and purple silk. One of her disguises bore green hair.

On the day of her death, in 1357 DR, she was clad in a robe, breeches, boots, and a half-cloak.

Personality
She was cruel. Her choice in lovers was varied. When angered, she was reckless enough to give away a dracolich's treasure. To the end, she loved Elminster, but she spurned his aid when dying, claiming she was too set in her ways to change.

Abilities
She had a talent that boosted some of her spells on demand. Amongst other spells, she had meteor swarm, fireball, and very likely hold person. She had also cast dancing lights. Other spells of hers included, almost certainly, fly and teleport.

Possessions
She carried an enchanted ring of protection, a rope of entanglement, a wand of fire, and a ring of dragons. Elminster had once gifted her a pair of earrings from Myth Drannor, which he had recovered after her death. Those were sapphire spindles with hanging king's tears.

History
Before meeting Elminster, Symgharil Maruel had taken to calling herself the Shadowsil in magefairs. She sought out Elminster Aumar for a teacher, after praying at an altar to Mystra one night. The next day, on Flamerule 6 of, Elminster was contacted by the Srinshee, telling him Mystra bade him accept the Shadowsil as his student, but not lose himself to her love, albeit she was going to betray him in the end. Elminster scried on the Shadowsil as she approached him, but she still managed to surprise him, lost as he was in conversation with the Srinshee, when she opened his door. He managed to surprise her by speaking her true name. Elminster became her tutor in the Art.

Later, she turned to evil and killed at least one of her lovers telekinetically, with a sword. She also came to work for Manshoon, who found her knowledge of Elminster rather tempting; becoming the lover of the Zhentarim leader also granted her a much higher effective rank than her official one. While serving him, she was also the lover of Lord Chess for at least one night in Spring of ; he knew her to be one of Manshoon's wizards, and related it to his friend Eldarr.

Per her recollection, as one of her first duties in the cult, she'd brought Aghazstamn treasure fourteen winters prior to 1357 DR, likely around.

In, she was fighting a mage in red robes at Myth Drannor, when Shandril Shessair came across the site of their battle. The mage struck with a cone of cold, to which Symgharyl responded with a meteor swarm, slaying him. Afterwards, she captured the young woman with a spell akin to hold person and her own enchanted rope, expecting to use her as a gift for Rauglothgor, or for her blood if she was a virgin. Though Narm struck her with a magic missile along the way to the dracolich, she swiftly disabled him with a fireball. Afterwards, she took Shandril to a ruined keep.

Beneath the ruined keep, in the lair of Rauglothgor, she interrogated Shandril, confirming she wasn't actually Alusair Obarskyr. However, during the interrogation, they were ambushed by the Knights of Myth Drannor and Narm. She pursued Narm and Shandril; before she could slay the first, she was nearly brained from behind by the lass.

When she woke up, she reached for her cache, where she drank a potion of healing, and then headed to request Aghazstamn's aid in attacking the Knights and the lass. Shortly afterwards, she was killed by Elminster together with her dracolich mount Aghazstamn when she tried to slay the group, through a reflected meteor swarm. Though she still loved Elminster, she spurned his aid when he offered to heal her in her last moments.

Aftermath
Symgharyl Maruel's death spurred Manshoon into personal action.