Ibrandlin

Ibrandlin, also known as lurkers in darkness, were a type of magically created, dragon-like creatures that were found in Faerûn. While they were extremely dangerous, they were often trained to serve as watchful guardians or bestial companions to adventuring companies. They were originally created by the priests of Ibrandul.

Description
The ibrandlin were massive creatures that resembled wingless, gray-scaled red dragons with red and black bellies. While the surface-dwelling ibrandlin of Thar maintained an aversion to sunlight and kept themselves in whatever dark caves they could find, they adapted to the harsh life of living in such barren terrain. Having previously been domesticated in the Underdark, they had become a more bestial, even feral species when living in the wild.

Behavior
Ibrandlin were trained from birth to respect and protect anyone wearing the dark purple vestments of Ibrandul or carrying his symbol (four interlocked silver circles), and were tasked with guarding important, subterranean locations. They were taught to understood short verbal commands and gestures, with the most common commands being "attack", "defend", "eat", "don't eat", and "stand guard".

Combat
Due to their size, ibrandlin were inherently dangerous, and surprisingly speedy creatures. They were known to rear up on their immensely strong tails and come crashing down on their foes, pinning them to the ground and raking them with all four of their massive claws while simultaneously biting with their forceful jaws.

Ibrandlin possessed the ability to breathe fire.

Ibrandlin would obey simple commands given to them by priests of Ibrandul.

Ecology
Ibrandlin were primarily found underground, such as within the caverns of the Underdark or the halls of Undermountain, but could be found wherever the clergy of Ibrandul needed or desired them to be. They were most common in lands where Ibrandul was worshiped, including the Sword Coast near Waterdeep and in the Shining South. They were also found in the land of Thar and the western Galena Mountains of Vaasa. They were passionately hated by the ogre tribes of Thar but were considered a mere nuisance by the region's orc clans.

An ibrandlin did not keep its own hoard, but treated the place or people it was intended to protect with the reverence a dragon might show for a hoard. They tended to form familial bonds with any Ibrandul worhsipers in their vicinity, and readily trusted any new person wearing their vestments. If seperated from their home or place of guardianship, they could always determine the direction they needed to travel to return to it, and would let nothing stop them from getting back. If their masters were slain or their home destroyed, they would continue to stubbornly protect whatever remained until a priest of Ibrandul told them otherwise.

They had no predators, but dragons and wyverns would sometimes attack them.

Diet
Ibrandlin preferred to feed on livestock and herd animals, such as goats, deer, antelope, and cows. In th wild, it was not unheard of them to attack orcs and humans, as well as any accompanying horses or pack animals they kept. They were physically incapable of getting sick or poisoned from something they ate, and were thus captive ibrandlin were often fed meat that was otherwise not safe for consumption.

Language
While ibrandlin were not particularly intelligent, they could speak in broken Draconic.

Life Cycle
Originally, ibrandlin were created directly by priests of Ibrandul, who would create them from fire lizards using special breeding techniques and the create ibrandlin spell. While these artifical ibrandlin could mate, their offspring were normal fire lizards. Only in the mid-to-late 14 century DR did they successfully manage to breed ibrandlin which could produce ibrandlin offspring.

A mating pair of ibrandlin would breed once a year, with a female laying a clutch of about a dozen eggs within their nest. After the eggs hatched in spring, the parents would care for the brood of hatchlings for one to three months until they were capable of defending and feeding themselves. Hatchlings were a light gray color, and their scales darkened as they aged. Captive ibrandlin hatchlings were removed from their parents to be trained, while wild ones sought out their own lairs with plentiful hunting grounds once they grew from juveniles into adults.

Uses
The church of Ibrandul jealously guarded their control over the ibrandlin as their guardians and protectors, and would hunt down anyone who acquired one of their eggs or hatchlings. In the mid-to-late 14 century DR, eggs sold for around 5,500 gold pieces while hatchlings went for 8,000 gold pieces.

History
Ibrandlin were first created by priests of Ibrandul using secrets passed to them by their god, including special breeding techniques and spells. They spent centuries struggling to create creatures that could propogate themselves, but did not succeed until the death of their deity at the hands of Shar during the Time of Troubles of 1358 DR. As Shar had absorbed Ibrandul's divine portfolio, it was ultimately her influence that allowed for the perfection of these beasts. By the 1370s DR, their numbers were growing rapidly.

It was unknown as to how the ibrandlin came to be so numerous in the aboveground realm of Thar. Ogre-made stelae within the region depicted humanoid priests (presumably faithful of Ibrandul) summoning the massive beasts to kill helpless ogres, and their legends spoke of the human hero Beldoran who slew the last Tharkul.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Sands of the Soul
 * The Paladins
 * The Paladins