Themberchaud

Themberchaud, titled the Wyrmsmith of Gracklstugh, was an adult red dragon allied with the duergar of Gracklstugh in the Northdark of the Underdark in the 14 and 15 centuries DR.

Activities
As the Wyrmsmith, Themberchaud used his fire breath to heat the city's great forges and temper the famous steel blades manufactured by the gray dwarves of Gracklstugh. He went about the city on a regular basis. In turn, they paid him regularly, adding to his treasure hoard.

Relations
He was attended to by the Keepers of the Flame, a monastic order of psionic duergar priests. They obeyed his every whim, or at least those that fell within the terms of the pact between the dragon and House Steelshadow. This included defending his hoard while he was away working at the forges. They kept him happy, rich, and fat on the city's more disobedient slaves and guarded the entrance to his lair from a nearby guardhouse, though few would dare trespass in the dragon's lair.

Personality
Much like many red dragons, Themberchaud was prideful and vain, and his ego was so big that he considered it impossible that someone would not agree with his orders. Although well pampered by the Keepers, he was growing discontent with his lot.

History
At some point, Themberchaud acquired a red dragon egg as part of his treasure hoard—it was unclear whether it was his offspring or a prize of conquest. However, the Gray Ghosts thieves' guild under Zunkhasp Saltbaron stole the egg and in a rage the Keepers declared war on the Gray Ghosts, opening hostilities between them and causing strife in the city by 1373 DR.

By the late 1400s DR, Themberchaud had grown stronger, restless, discontent with the limited gold and food supply, and more resistant to the Keepers' control, and had started getting ideas of dominating the whole city for himself. Themberchaud had been aware for some years that the Keepers were hiding things from him, yet elected to watch and wait before confronting them. While he paid closer attention to the city's affairs, he had begun trying to recruit personal agents outside the Keepers and looked out for capable mercenaries he could recruit as his agents. He was unaware that, as had happened to past Wyrmsmiths, the Keepers planned to kill him before he became too powerful and replace him with a weak and pliable hatchling. But the Gray Ghosts once again stole a red dragon egg, this one intended to hatch a new Wyrmsmith, and the Keepers became distracted by their renewed war on the thieves. In response, the Keepers refocused their security around the dragon's lair and explored other options. They hired talented mercenaries within the city, but Themberchaud too would try to recruit them as his agents, while leader of the Keepers Gartokkar Xundorn would then interrogate them as to the dragon's intentions.

Lair
Themberchaud dwelled in a side cavern leading off from the southern wall of the main cavern of Gracklstugh, out of sight to visitors. He sat atop his treasure hoard there.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Out of the Abyss
 * Novels
 * Escape the Underdark
 * Video Games
 * Sword Coast Legends