Dragonbait

Dragonbait, also referred to as Champion, was the finhead saurial companion of the adventurer Alias. Dragonbait was a paladin of the God of Law from his world, though while on Toril, his divine spells were provided by the god Tyr. He was brought over into this world by a cruel trick of Moander, prior to the Rotting God's death at the hand of Finder Wyvernspur during the Godswar, along with a small number of his people. Dragonbait could not speak Common and communication was often difficult for him.

Appearance
Dragonbait stood roughly in height, not counting his troglodyte-like head fin; though that was measurement was due to his posture, being canted forward at the hips, and balanced by a tail that was nearly as long as his torso. His mouth was thinner and more rounded than the lizard-men of Faerûn, lipless to show his sharp teeth in the fore and rounded molars to the rear. His scales were small and smooth, like beadwork. On his chest was a ring of symbols identical to those originally sported by Alias on her arm, which eventually resolved themselves into a ring of blue ivy.

Equipment
He wielded a strange sword he named Hill Cleaver that featured a small hilt that was sized for his slender hands, with a blade that ended in a wide wedge with serrated teeth on the hiltward side. Hill Cleaver could negate magic on command.

Language
While Dragonbait could not speak human tongues, at least, not audibly for most humanoids, Alias taught him thieves' hand cant after their adventure destroying her evil captors. This thoroughly irritated their companion, the halfling bard Olive Ruskettle. Eventually Alias used the finder's stone to cast a permanent tongues spell on herself, enabling her to speak Dragonbait's native language, which was a combination of clicks and whistles pitched outside normal human hearing, and scents that were used to express emotions.

Relationships
Dragonbait frequently referred to Alias as his sister, a fact the gods recognized when Alias became a soul singer, a saurial gift that apparently followed genealogical lines. Perhaps more importantly, however, her soul was created from half of his own.

History
Dragonbait received his current name the night he assisted Alias in disposing of some thugs in the service of her creators. Alias warned him that if he made a single false move, he'd be "dragon bait". He immediately took it as his name, and was only referred to as "Champion" by Grypht and presumably, other saurials. Dragonbait's near-abandonment of his name may have originated in the circumstances that brought him into the power of the creators of Alias.

Dragonbait had served Tyr with a singular purpose for many years, until he fell in love with another saurial who served the Lady Luck, Tymora. Believing that luck's intrinsically fickle nature was in violation of the rigorous justice of Tyr, he demanded that his love leave her goddess' service and come to serve his god. The argument ended with no resolution, and apparently fearing his love for her would eventually taint his pure service to Tyr, he left for the outer plane of Tarterus to better fulfill this aim. While in Tarterus, Dragonbait was captured by the demon Phalse to be used for a dark purpose. While imprisoned, he had a vision, or perhaps only a dream, in which he was visited by Lady Luck. He was told that she would rather not see him ever again, but that her aid had been asked by the god of justice to save his servant. Wishing to live and not offend his god who had intervened on his behalf, he accepted the task she charged him with: to fulfill the service laid on him by the human Alias.

Freed from his imprisonment by the Nameless Bard, Dragonbait became Alias' companion. While he still lived to serve Tyr, he also paid homage to all other gods who could further the cause of justice.

Eventually Dragonbait and Alias settled in the Lost Vale with the displaced saurials to aid them in their new settlement. A short time later, however, they started adventuring again.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Tomb of Annihilation


 * Card Games
 * AD&D Trading Cards • Spellfire: Master the Magic


 * Novels
 * Azure Bonds • Song of the Saurials • Masquerades


 * Video Games
 * Tales from Candlekeep: Tomb of Annihilation • Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms