The Passing of Power

The Passing of Power took place in -205 DR when the elf Iliphar Nelnueve challenged the black dragon Thauglor to a Feint of Honor.

Although a Feint of Honor is usually between two dragons, Iliphar had cause to challenge Thauglor to put a stop to the fighting between the two races. The dragons contested that the elves had invaded their long-established territory, while the elves maintained that the dragons did not need to prey upon them. The winner of the Feint would gain the territory known as the Forest Country (what would later become Cormyr) and the loser's species would be forced to leave it alone.

At first, Thauglor saw no benefit in participating in the Feint, but Iliphar pointed out that despite elf deaths far outnumbering dragon deaths, the elves were quicker to reproduce and were many times greater in number. Thauglor accepted the challenge and inflicted heavy injuries upon Iliphar, but Iliphar managed to lodge his magical staff in the mouth of the dragon. Unable to free it using normal means, Thauglor used his acid breath to melt away the staff, a technical breach of the Feint's rules, and unwittingly unleashed the magic stored inside the staff, causing his throat to explode, and condemning him to defeat.