Ieirithymbul

Ieirithymbul was a tiny gnome mining village in the western Sword Mountains in the mid-to-late 14 century DR. Notably, it was the home of the great wyrm gold dragon Palarandusk, the Unseen Protector.

Geography
Ieirithymbul lay in a narrow valley called Felrenden,  high in the cradle between the three peaks southeast of Leilon that marked the western edge of the Sword Mountains before descending to the Mere of Dead Men on the northern Sword Coast. The three mountains were locally named Mount Sternhelm, Mount Ardabad, and Mount Pheldaer. Sternhelm was the tallest and the northern point of the triangle, Ardabad was to the east, and Pheldaer was to the west.

Geographical Features
The valley shared its name with the stream the flowed though it. The Felrenden stream eventually disappeared into a sinkhole known as Braeder's Pit.

History
The gnomes of Ieirithymbul were once quite active, even aggressive, in their patch of the Sword Mountains, but over the years they dwindled. They might have been destroyed or driven out by monsters or rival miners long before the 1360s DR, if not for the coming of Palarandusk.

After protecting Neverwinter for some time, and later becoming gravely wounded, Palarandusk had desired to retire yet still serve as a guardian of some community of hard-working honest people who lived close to the land in an isolated place, yet still close to a bustling city. Weary of ambitious human mages, Palarandusk took a liking to gnomes, the Forgotten Folk of Faerûn, and to Ieirithymbul. With his magic, Palarandusk summoned lone gnome elders out of town to meet with him, then revealed his true nature and asked to be allowed to live in the area in exchange for his protection. Awed and moved, they all accepted the Unseen Protector as he came to be known.

Over the years, Ieirithymbul had suffered attacks by orcs and the dwarves of Clan Forgebar, but each time they were defeated by Palarandusk. By the 1360s DR, three times the Forgebar dwarves had attacked and three times Palarandusk nearly wiped them out.

Defenses
The settlement was guarded by the gold dragon Palarandusk, known to the inhabitants as the "Unseen Protector". He acted swiftly when any gnome was threatened. He tended to escort them when outside the village.

Inhabitants
The village had a population of perhaps 400 adults, at most.

Palarandusk watched over the Ieirithyn gnomes with care and close attention, monitoring them and making sure they came to no harm with the habits of a worried sheepdog. He generally just drifted from one gnome to the next, checking up on them and updating his overview of their activities and locations in the valley. He particularly liked to listen in on arguments, feasts, and other events where the usually reticent gnomes talked freely about their goals, personal views, or opinions. Generally, he escorted them when they went to the edge of the Felrenden valley for their work and when they left the valley to trade with the outside world. He followed Ieirithyn gnome traders all the way to their trademoots and into Leilon.

Trade
There were rich copper and iron lodes in the area and a significant deposit of coal by the Pit. The gnomes engaged in prospecting and mining, herding sheep, and gathering edible flowers.

A band of gnome traders from Ieirithymbul visited Leilon about once a month, weather permitting. They also went to the High Road for trademoots. On rare occasions, wizards aware of Palarandusk came to the village hoping to trade spells.

Reputation
Ieirithymbul was little-known to the outside world. Even in Leilon, folk knew only that gnomes lived in the mountains and came to trade sometimes. They knew the names of the three peaks, but didn't know who or what "Felrenden" referred to.

Rumors & Legends
Palarandusk did well at concealing his nature, fooling bards and sages alike into thinking he was anything but a dragon. The majority thought him to be a local guardian spirit keeping the Ieirithyn from harm. Other theories held he was a gnome wizard who could project himself out-of-body in an invisible flying ghostly form called a "send-forth" while retaining the use of his senses, speech, and ability to cast powerful spells. Ideas that posited a connection with a dragon were dismissed as absurd, sightings by humans were rare, and few scholars could accept or understand Palarandusk strange state of existence. Volo learned of the appearance of a dragon somehow but misinterpreted it as the illusion of a powerful spellcaster. The renowned dragon expert Velsaert of Baldur's Gate was barely aware of his existence. Only a few folk, mostly great wizards such as Elminster, knew the truth of Palarandusk and of course the Forgebars were well aware of the aged gold dragon that slaughtered them. And the gnomes too, obviously.

Notable Inhabitants
Two of the mountain peaks were named for past heroes&mdash;Ardabad and Pheldaer. Another famous name among the Ieirithyn was Braeder&mdash;somehow associated with the sinkhole that swallowed the Felrenden stream.