Jalanvaloss

"In many ways, she's more Waterdhavian than most Waterdhavians"

- Laeral Silverhand

Jalanvaloss was a steel dragon who lived in Waterdeep as of 1479 DR.

Description
In her draconic form, Jalanvaloss was long and sleek with catlike grace. The spines that surrounded her face resembled whiskers and long, straight hair. Her large, intelligent silver eyes made her face more expressive.

Jalanvaloss assumed different human forms and personas when she wanted to mingle with the inhabitants of Waterdeep. In fact, she liked to spend more time in human form than in her natural form, and so she created a lot of different human identities to avoid raising suspicions. As of 1479 DR, her favorite persona was that of Lady Jalanvaloss, a slim female human with long, straight, black hair and steel-gray eyes.

Personality
Jalanvaloss was a schemer, trickster, and manipulator, living for upheaval and unpredictability, endeavoring to keep her city dynamic. Fickle but not malicious, she manipulated nobles, merchants, and adventurers in her efforts to expand her power and holdings. Some described Jalanvaloss as greedy as a red dragon.

She was a vigilant observer of even the smallest details and this helped her in the many intrigues and deception she was a part of. Jalanvaloss was a consummate actress and she liked to scheme and manipulate others. Thanks to her age, Jalanvaloss could recall most of the genealogies of Waterdeep's families, as well as the histories, relationships, and alliances of all families, cabals, and other groups.

According to some investigations, it seems that Jalanvaloss wasn't interested in the company of any other dragons (at least during her younger years).

Abilities
As her nickname indicates, the Wyrm of Many Spells had considerable skill in magic. She knew a substantial number of spells.

After the Spellplague of 1385 DR, Jalanvaloss lost a great amount of her magical ability, and she spent the following century working to recover her former power.

Possessions
Instead of the common draconic hoard composed of gems, riches, and magic items, Jalanvaloss commanded a mercantile empire that had holdings throughout Waterdeep. She owned or co-owned many buildings in the city, among those a few inns and several shops in South Ward, Trades Ward, and Dock Ward. Jalanvaloss rented her buildings to various merchants, generating a steady stream of income. All these buildings were crowned with one or two floors of rental apartments, generating even more income.

Jalanvaloss also used such buildings as her private lairs, having secret rooms and apartments for her personal use. As such, it was impossible to determine which, if any, was her real lair. She had at least one secret cache somewhere in the sewers of the city, and another in a spell-guarded tomb in the City of the Dead that contained nothing but clothing, makeup, and accessories that allowed her to change one human identity for another.

Relationships
Jalanvaloss was a sworn enemy of House Rosznar, the Cult of the Dragon, and the Knights of the Shield.

She considered Khelben Arunsun a worthy rival, usually teasing and frustrating him whenever playing with him didn't endanger the security of Waterdeep.

A few spellcasters, such as Elminster Aumar and Laeral Silverhand, as well as a few Harpers, knew about Jalanvaloss and her activities, but they decided to let her be, because they considered Jalanvaloss a true Waterdhavian.

Activities
Jalanvaloss focused her attention on her mercantile empire and the protection of Waterdeep. She loved to be on the run from the Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors, just because she thought it fun.

Jalanvaloss was very protective of Waterdeep, although it was only because she was protecting her hoard. When the city faced a crisis, Jalanvaloss was willing to assume her dragon form to protect her possessions, earning her a legendary reputation among the citizens as the steel dragon guardian of Waterdeep.

Her ultimate goal was to create an empire of humans and elves, with her as their ruler, so her people would live without fear. She knew about the dangers of such a task, however, so she was careful in the implementation of her plans, taking the long view in the matter.

History
Jalanvaloss was raised by the Amnian archmage Rythtalies, who trained her in the rudiments of magic so she could serve as his guardian and steed. Rythtalies used powerful spells to augmented her magical abilities, making her more adept in magic than most dragons. Rythtalies ensured Jalanvaloss was strong enough to defeat his enemies, but not enough to surpass him.

The first written records of Jalanvaloss were registered in A Year of Sorcery: Wizardly Doings in the Year of the Dark Dawn, which states that in 1104 DR Jalanvaloss fought against two archmages to protect Rythtalies from their spells.

After Rythtalies was presumed dead, around 1262 DR, Jalanvaloss inherited the old wizard's enemies, including the Amnian branch of House Rosznar. After some time, Jalanvaloss abandoned Rythtalies' keep in Amn, because it was often visited by opportunistic wizards and adventurers.

Jalanvaloss moved to live with humans, as she felt it was the race she knew better. She eventually moved to Waterdeep. Assuming the identity of a human traveler, she forged connections in every echelon of Waterdhavian society, favoring adventuring types because they reminded her of her deceased master. She began to sponsor merchants and adventurers, gathering her hoard in the form of real estate and investment enterprises.

In 1352 DR, agents of Lord Daigar Rosznar set fire to several Waterdhavian properties owned by Jalanvaloss in revenge for some previous injury. Jalanvaloss retaliated by killing the blue dragon sisters Calaunthriina and Daereveroese, who were working for the Rosznars, dealing a sharp check to the fortunes of House Rosznar and earning the enmity of Dower Lady Miilal Hydcont.

At some point before 1373 DR, Jalanvaloss killed the black dragon Nabalnyth, who were recruiting members of the Cult of the Dragon to serve him in the Rat Hills. Because of Jalanvaloss's zealous activities against them, the Cult of the Dragon lost their interest in having a cell in Waterdeep.

At some point during his travels around the North, Volothamp Geddarm met and flirted with Jalanvaloss while in Waterdeep, without being aware she was a dragon.

In that same period of time, Khelben Arunsun discovered her identity while she was attending a noble party, and tried to get her off the city. Jalanvaloss responded with such a barrage of spells that Khelben was unable to defeat her without harming Waterdeep in the process, a weakness that Jalanvaloss exploited to flee the battle. This battle earned her the title of the "Wyrm of Many Spells" and she became rather infamous in the city after that. This battle also started the "enmity" between Jalanvaloss and Khelben.

During the last Rage of Dragons of 1373 DR, Jalanvaloss took refuge in Waterdeep's magical shield, avoiding the effects of the Rage. However, because she and other dragons hunted too much game to have plenty of food while in the refuge, this allowed the Knights of the Shield and House Rosznar to track most of her personas to Waterdeep.

During the Spellplague of 1385 DR, Jalanvaloss lost much of her fortune when the catastrophe hit the city. The blue flame also diminished her magical powers. She spent the following century working hard to recover her former power and fortune. For that purpose, she assumed the form of "Lady Jalanvaloss", a human noble who sponsored adventurers and merchants, helping Waterdeep to recover from the catastrophe. Some even attributed the restoration of Waterdeep to her businesses and fortune.

As of 1479 DR, Jalanvaloss was still using her "Lady" persona, without "aging" her, leading some people to believe she had made pacts with dark powers in exchange for her longevity.

Trivia
It was noted by Elminster that her scales flashed with an almost iridescent blue sheen when she was about to change shape into human form.

Likewise, some believed that Jalanvaloss' mastery of magic was because she was possessed by Rythtalies, or that the wizard's mind somehow directed her magical abilities. However, learned spellcasters knew better, because for all of her arcane mastery, Jalanvaloss made too many mistakes with her spellcasting to be "possessed" by a master wizard.