Velsharoon

Velsharoon, also known as Mellifleur, was the Faerunian demigod of necromancy, the patron of liches and those that explored undeath. Arrogant and obsessed, the Archmage of Necromancy continued his experiments on the living and the dead as a god, paying no heed to the lesser lives lost in the name of his research and encouraging his disciples to do the same.

Description
Velsharoon appeared as a gaunt, sallow-skinned man in height, his deathly cold flesh stretched thin over his bones, and whose thin and graying hair flowed across his back in a snarl. He dressed in purple, worm-ridden, moth-eaten robes, with a tarnished silver crown on his head. His eyes were pitch black pits with tiny green flames moving malevolently within.

Manifestations
Velsharoon's favored manifestation was a burning skull, wreathed in red, pale blue or blue-green flames. He was fond of using various gemstones to denote his favor or presence of hues including black, purple, maroon, rust-red, gray, and a bright and unnatural green reminiscent of green slimes. The sudden appearance of a bloodrose was said to herald him.

Personality
As a god, Velsharoon was canny, yet extremely vain and selfish, concerned overmuch with revenge and experimenting on both living and dead. This was not a great change from the mortal he was.

Possessions
In his humanoid form, Velsharoon wielded the Skull Staff of the Necromancer.

Divine Realm
Velsharoon had his divine realm called Death's Embrace on Mungoth, the third mount of Gehenna in the Great Wheel cosmology. In the World Tree cosmology it lay on the magical plane of Dweomerheart, far underground beneath Azuth and The Eye. In appearance a moldy tomb, Death's Embrace was a repository of all necromantic knowledge.

Relationships
Although he nominally served Azuth (and through him, Mystra), Velsharoon re-established a secret alliance with Talos and a flirtatious relationship with Shar.

He became an ally of Kiaransalee, and a foe of Jergal, Sehanine Moonbow and Urogalan.

After the Second Sundering, Velsharoon was believed to think little of Myrkul, considering him a do-nothing has-been, with Myrkul returning a symmetrical sentiment for the grasping upstart.

History
As a Red Wizard of Thay, Velsharoon fought a spell-battle to a draw against Omm Hlandrar of Halruaa in the skies over the Shaar in the.

Once, Velsharoon had sought the position of Zulkir of Necromancy, but he feuded with several other Red Wizards, including his chief rival, Szass Tam, who saw him driven out of Thay. Thereafter, he was known as a renegade wizard of Thay, and one of the most powerful archmages in the Realms by the mid–14 century DR. At that time, he was known to be a foe to Omm Hlandrar, Halder of Delzimmer, Elminster, the Simbul, and Mempter. The former four had challenged Velsharoon in his wicked plots. In turn, the arch-necromancer worked to acquire enough power to destroy those who'd opposed him.

In the Plains of Purple Dust, he had discovered a process to achieve demigodhood through a potion which called for such the blood of adventurers. In the late 1350s DR, those archmages who'd opposed him feared for their safety and for the safety and stability of the Realms. The infamy of his actions had traveled so far, that he was heard of in the Moonshaes even. The process had been devised by the god Talos, who needed a new demigod. This culminated with his lichdom and then ascension in the year. As a god, he was granted Cyric's portfolio over necromancy; sages speculated this was to counterbalance Kelemvor's dislike for the undead. His fame grew in divinity, becoming known to Khelben Arunsun.

However, his service to Talos required him to expend his divine energy far too quickly, and he soon turned his allegiance to Azuth. He later made a secret alliance of convenience with Talos, using his servants' undead servants to spread chaos and destruction; he was not liked by either of his masters, because of this. He also began flirting with Shar. He ultimately lost his divine realm to the Spellplague in.

He was destroyed by the Simbul in, leaving behind his charred body, which was watched in Aglarond since. However, his cult was still alive and had access to divine spells within Mulmaster after the Second Sundering, indicating he may have been restored by Ao during the event.

Rumors
His influence was felt in the, in the place that would later become the Battle of Bones, where a floating, flame-wreathed skull was seen during the last skirmish in the war, though he wouldn't become a divinity until later. Whether the symbol foretold his ascension or was adopted upon his embrace was not known.

The Simbul was said to have sacrificed herself to destroy the god's corpse in the Astral Plane.

Trivia
There was a ring belonging to Empress Shoon V of the late 3 century DR known as the Dual Ring of Velsharoon's Bindings. His relationship to the ring is unknown.

Connections
Velsharoon