Palarandusk

Palarandusk, known as the Unseen Protector and previously as the Sun Dragon, was a male gold dragon who lived in the Sword Mountains on the Sword Coast North. He was a great wyrm by the mid-to-late 14 century DR. He was the self-appointed guardian of the gnome village of Ieirithymbul.

Description
In his old age, Palarandusk still had bright eyes, but his scales were cracked with age and his jaw had turned white.

Personality
Although he kept himself hidden wherever possible for fear of being hunted, Palarandusk would have liked to live an unmasked existence and yearned to be respected as a major power on the Sword Coast North, as he once had been. He had no interest in accruing a huge personal wealth, but had collected some treasures, mostly those holding aesthetic value, but some useful for trade with humanoids, and had stashed them in remote caves in the Sword Mountains.

He had an interest in philosophy and morality and collected a number of writings on the subjects. He used to enjoy speaking to elves and dwarves about their outlooks and personal views. He developed a system of personal beliefs during his long life, and was slow to change them. He believed that the natural environment should be protected from harm, and that prey should be killed only for food, not for enjoyment.

Palarandusk was completely dedicated to protecting his chosen settlement, Ieirithymbul.

Each time he killed, he wept.

Abilities
Unique among dragons, he had a semi-incorporeal form, placing him partway in the Ethereal Plane. Due to the magical effects in operation on his body, he had no need to sleep.

Activities
He watched over the village of Ieirithymbul, regarding its gnome inhabitants as his children. He had prevented the invasion of the Clan Forgebar dwarves three times. He preferred to use an invisible and inaudible form so that he could not be detected, but spent his time watching the gnomes and making sure they came to no harm. He was particularly interested in eavesdropping if gnomes were talking about their personal views or opinions.

Combat
Palarandusk would only reveal himself when it was absolutely necessary. He could not attack or use magic in his invisible form, but this was only a semi-solid state and if he passed through any living creature, it would cause him damage, and the creature would experience nausea. He did throw boulders from the mountains at his foes. He was able to wield powerful magic and, because of his age, he knew many spells from thousands of years earlier that have been largely forgotten as of 1374 DR. He hated the idea of employing traps or ambushes, or any other form of premeditation where combat was concerned.

History
Palarandusk was active in Faerûn before the founding of Netheril, circa, and had hunted wyverns on the Sword Coast North. He was enslaved by the Netherese sorcerer Mileirigath in Netheril's early history, and used as a test subject for the spells of Mileirigath and his apprentices. He remained in captivity until the fall of Netheril in, when he seized as many spellbooks as he could before fleeing.

Under the name "the Sun Dragon", he protected Neverwinter several times, from orc hordes and from the Moonshaes. When the Everhorde of orcs led by mind flayers laid siege to Neverwinter in the, the Sun Dragon and the allied armies of Phalorm, Uthtower and other realms were vital in lifting the siege.

The Sun Dragon remained a well-known hero in Neverwinter as of 1374 DR, and some humans were even known to pray to him. As he continued to age, however, the threat of challenges from younger, more able dragons increased, to the point where he was forced to go into hiding rather than accept one of these challenges, lose it, and have to leave Neverwinter and its surroundings unprotected. He particularly feared the Arcane Brotherhood of Luskan, worrying that they would enslave him as the Netherese had done. Palarandusk (in human form) purchased a mansion southeast of Neverwinter and used it as a personal library and a place where he could study his spellbooks. A band of adventurers later destroyed the house using magic, while Palarandusk was still in it. Although he managed to escape, his body was badly injured and was only held together with magic. It was after this that Palarandusk created a new physical form for himself, enabling him to transform into his invisible, inaudible state. It was also due to the injuries sustained during this attack that Palarandusk decided he was no longer fit to defend Neverwinter. He spent some time traveling the Sword Coast but found that most of it was unrecognizable compared to how he remembered it during his youth, and he felt that his true purpose was to be a guardian. He wanted to be close to a large community, but all those in the area were human cities, and after his previous experiences, he did not want to get too close to human magic. He eventually settled in the Sword Mountains, fairly near to the human city of Waterdeep, and chose to watch over the gnome village of Ieirithymbul.

In the, Palarandusk prevented the orc King Rauragh of Uruth Ukrypt in the Sword Mountains from forming an orc horde to attack Waterdeep, by destroying them even before they could fully gather.

He was also responsible for killing Cult of the Dragon wizard Radiglar (known as the "Worm-tamer") and destroyed Koroaver's Raiders, preventing them from creating a Zhentarim mining stronghold.

Palarandusk was keen to keep his identity concealed, but a few wizards sought him out in order to trade magic. He generally gave them only a brief audience, but one wizard from Neverwinter gave him a magical rod whose powers he could drain to boost his own. By the 1360s DR, he had long since drained all the magic from the rod.

The Arcane Brotherhood of Luskan targeted Palarandusk for its own ends in the month of Uktar in the. Palarandusk was caught in a magical snare and he was freed by Burlmarr, a psionically talened gnome.

In the Dracorage of the Year of Rogue Dragons, 1373 DR, Palarandusk was fortunately unaffected, as he spent the duration in his incorporeal form and thus in the Ethereal Plane where the magic of the Dracorage mythal could not reach him.

Lair
The Unseen Protector did not maintain a lair like other dragons, but instead simply lived in the valley of Felrenden, a high narrow place amidst the peaks of the western edge of the Sword Mountains, near the High Road and Leilon. He stayed close to Ieirithymbul to better watch over it.

Reputation
Palarandusk's secrecy led to Volo misinterpreting his true form, and the renowned dragon expert Velsaert from Baldur's Gate being unaware of his existence, but Elminster was aware of his identity.

Palarandusk was counted as one of the more powerful creatures of the Realms.

Appearances

 * Realms of the Dragons II: "How Burlmarr Saved the Unseen Protector"