Telamont Tanthul

Telamont Tanthul the Most High is ruler of Thultanthar, also known as Shade Enclave. He is a powerful Shade Archmage and Netherese Arcanist of the Shadow Weave.

Past
Telamont Tanthul was Thultanthar's high mage before Karsus's Folly, and had been experimenting with the Plane of Shadow for some time beforehand. He had successfully shifted the entire city into the Plane of Shadow mere days before Karsus cast Karsus's Avatar and temporarily destroyed the Weave in the -339 DR. For some reason though, Tanthul could not move the city back to the Prime Material Plane. It took weeks, but eventually, they managed to return to Netheril, or at least what was left of it. Searching for survivors for days, the city floated over the ruins of the Netherese empire. Finding none, Tanthul assumed it was the work of the Phaerimm and began planning his revenge. He stopped though, when he realized that one city was not a match for them and that his subjects were likely the last of the empire's people. He abandoned those plans and retreated back into the Plane of Shadow, vowing that one day, they would return and reestablish the empire. The city's clerics of Shar cast divinations and saw what had really happened, but only informed the noble families, presumably on the whim of Shar herself for some reason. The excursion into the Plane of Shadow, due to unforeseen circumstances has lasted much longer than Tanthul anticipated. So for over 1,700 years, the inhabitants have battled the Malaugrym and the other shadowy horrors of the realm, while each generation became gradually more attuned to the plane itself, becoming what are now known as Shades.

Present
He is now High Prince Telamont Tanthul and leader of the City of Shade, which is synonymous with Thultanthar, and one of the most powerful mages now in Faerun. When he considers the time to be right, Telamont plans to reveal to the Shadovar the fact that he is the Lord Shadow of legend, inspiring them to victory.

Well over two millennia old, Telamont preserves his life by means of powerful magic, such as wish spells. This process has been made easier by virtue of the fact that he is no longer human, but rather an outsider. The natural life span of a shade is many times longer that that of an ordinary human. However, Telamont acknowledges reluctantly that as his outsider body begins to fail, stronger measures are required to keep him alive. He has not yet decided on the best means of continuing his existence, but the Shadovar's return to Faerûn offers a wealth of possibilities, including transformation into an undead creature. It was revealed in 1372 DR that Tanthul is now composed of pure shadow magic.

Telamont has taken great pains to preserve what he believed were the best elements of Netherese society and merge them with the characteristics necessary for survival on the hostile Plane of Shadow. The result is a society bound by formality and regimentation, in which even the most mundane aspects of daily life have some level of ritual bound up in their execution. In this fashion order is maintained, but more important, so is continuity of culture from century to century. As the final arbiter of all that transpires in the City of Shade, in many ways Telamont is the city. His subjects view him as the living embodiment of all their customs, beliefs, and values. And that is exactly how Telamont sees himself as well.

Those who meet the High Prince encounter someone who has had millennia to practice keeping his true thoughts and feelings in check. Telamont is as difficult to read as he is to bluff. Even his sons rarely know what their father is truly thinking behind his impenetrable mask of glacial calm. Despite his inexpressive exterior, Telamont's mind is always in motion. At heart the High Prince is an autocrat. His determination to lead his city stems from a strong inner conviction that no other individual could possibly be as successful at it as he considers himself to be. Still tall and robust despite his age, the High Prince cuts an imposing figure whether seated on his floating throne or presiding over ceremonies in the streets of the city. Whenever he appears in public, the High Prince prefers to wear the traditional dark armor of the Netherese Imperium, with its dragon-winged overmantle, stylized vambraces, and flowing, dark purple robes. The High Prince's personal sigil is a stylized lionesque creature, with dragonlike or batlike wings rampant, in black silhouette on a blood red field.

Tanthul has twelve sons, the Princes of Shade, all potent warriors and spellcasters. His eldest son, Rivalen Tanthul is the High Priest of Shar in Faerûn, and is a divine exarch of that goddess after killing and absorbing part of the energy of Kesson Rel. He also commands the services of his Chief Counselor Hadrhune and the powerful dracolich Malygris.