Lord Gamalon Idogyr was the Count of Spellshire[1][12] and the Court Sage of Tethyr.[1][13] Formerly, he had been the most powerful wizard living on the Rock of Bral,[6] as well as a famous traveler, explorer, and merchant of magical goods.[14]
Description
Gamalon had old scars across his face[6] and a green gem where his left eye had once been.[6][1][12] He had dark skin and, by 1374 DR, a salt-and-pepper beard.[12] with a bald head.[15] He was one of the oldest nobles in Queen Zaranda Star's court.[1]
Gamalon so commonly had ioun stones orbiting his head that he had earned the nickname "Gemhead".[4]
Because he was a landowner, Gamalon was considered a noble of Bral before returning to Tethyr to become a noble there as well.[14]
Gamalon was a known expert on magic items, including historical magical artifacts.[1] He also was knowledgeable regarding spelljamming magic.[16] Indeed, even the spacefaring race known as the Arcane dealt with him directly and had taught him some of their spelljamming magic.[14]
Personality
Gamalon's friendliness disguised the fact that he was an exceptionally powerful wizard. He was tactful and thoughtful to the point of annoyance.[1] His friendliness and tactfulness masked his great pride, as he knew how powerful he was.[6]
He loved difficult challenges and relished solving them.[6] He was a family man and preferred spending time at his home with his wife and family.[6] He did not usually welcome strangers into his home, but he enjoyed sharing tales with them within his shop on Bral.[14]
Possessions
Gamalon's magic gem eye acted as a gem of seeing[1] in addition to providing him with darkvision and the ability to detect magic.[6][1]
He also possessed bracers of defense, a cloak of the bat, and boots of starstriding and carried a staff of the magi.[6]
While living in the city of Bral, Gamalon was a landowner and ran a magical curios shop,[6] Gamalon's Curious,[14] right at the edge of the Great Market.[17] His private estate home was directly behind his shop and had a large courtyard and included several buildings.[14]
Gamalon's official abode upon returning to Toril was the manor of Shildamere, which had belonged to his family.[1]
Activities
As a merchant, Gamalon both collected and sold rare and unique magical items, focusing on those related to travel through the Sea of Night.[14]
As Court Sage of the Kingdom of Tethyr, Gamalon served as the official scholar for the court. He commonly worked with foreign sages.[3] He had many connections among the powerful mages of Faerûn, including members of the Harpers, and could pass information to or from them for the King and Queen. His activities as Courts Sage made Lord Inselm Hhune especially suspicious of him.[1]
Relationships
Family
Gamalon was the son of Count Darud Idogyr. He was one of seven children. His mother's name was Arana.[8] He also had an older half-elven half-brother through his father named Araneth Idogyr, who was also a wizard.[4]
Gamalon's wife was Mynda Idogyr.[10] The two were extremely close.[1] She was killed on Uktar 28, 1374 DR when a magical explosion occurred at the Sleeping Dragon inn.[18] They had been married for 34 years at that time.[1]
They had two children. The eldest was their son Perigon, who was born in 1343 DR.[8] Their daughter, born in 1346 DR, was named Lara.[9][8] She was Gamalon's favorite and his heir, as Perigon gave up his birthright to dedicate his life to serve The Triad.[8]
He also had a son-in-law, named Arn Gyrfalcon, the husband of his daughter Lara,[8] with whom he visited the country of Erlkazar in 1370 DR,[11] and a half-elven niece from Waterdeep, Carolyas Idogyr.[19] Vajra Safahr, who bore the famed Blackstaff in 1479 DR, was a descendant of Gamalon's[20] through Arn Gyrfalcon.[21]
Friendships
Gamalon was friends with Elminster Aumar[6][2][9] and was a long time acquaintance of both Khelben Arunsun, who was actually his great-grandfather,[20] and Laeral Silverhand; for this he was secretly recruited into the Moonstars around 1370.[5] He also was friends with wizards even in other crystal spheres.[6]
Tutelage
From 1369 DR, Gamalon was a tutor and protector of the brass dragon Alaerurrgos, whose father and siblings had been slain by the blue wyrm Iryklathagra.[22]
History
Much of Gamalon's family, including his mother and two oldest siblings, were killed in 1313 DR, when Gamalon was only eleven-years-old, during a series of feuds that occurred between his family and Clan Trecask from the Duchy of Dusk.[8]
Gamalon was educated at the Mystics' Academy in Erlkazar.[4]
Sometime in his early life, Gamalon became an adventurer and explorer.[6] During one of these early adventures, Gamalon lost his left eye to an owlbear.[1]
In 1333 DR, Gamalon left Toril and his homeland of Tethyr and lived on the Rock of Bral,[2] one of the Tears of Selûne,[1] where he maintained a curio shop.[9] At some point while there, Gamalon discovered a secret stash of orbus rings, which enhanced the power of spelljamming helmsmen. For a time, Gamalon was the only seller of such rings.[16]
During his time on the Rock of Bral, he became enamored with a merchant's daughter, named Mynda. After four years of pursuing her, she finally agreed to become his wife.[1]
During the Ten Black Days of Eleint, one of his sisters and one of his brothers and most of the members of their families were slain for being nobility.[8]
Gamalon returned to Toril, to his grandfather's lands in County Spellshire near the Forest of Tethir, sometime before the First Siege of Myratma. He provided magical support in both the First and Second Sieges, and for this, he was rewarded his grandfather's old lands to rule over as count.[1]
In 1374 DR, Gamalon planned to break the "Tethyr Curse" by staying in Waterdeep over the winter. He planned to give guest lectures at Blackstaff Tower.[13] On Uktar 28, 1374 DR, Gamalon, together with his wife and his party, arrived back at the Sleeping Dragon inn, on their way back to Waterdeep after a trip to Longsaddle. Raegar Stoneblade and Damlath had brought the Diamondblade to the inn, and Gamalon's green gem eye caused lightning bolts to transmit between it and the blade, destroying the front of the building and a large area of the upper floor.[23]
Gamalon Idogyr, Raegar, and Damlath survived, but Gamalon's wife, many guards, and other bystanders were killed in the incident.[18] While Gamalon was laid low, Damlath (who was possessed by the lich Priamon "Frostrune" Rakesk) stole his gem eye.[24]
Appendix
Trivia
Gamalon Idogyr was Steven E. Schend's original PC, whom he created in 1982. He received his gem eye after the DM had pity on Schend and decided not to let his character die on his first time playing, so Gamalon lost his eye instead.[8]
Appearances
Notes
- ↑ Gamalon is listed as level 19 in the Rock of Bral sourcebook; presumably, he grew in power by the time he returned to Tethyr.
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 Steven E. Schend (August 1997). “Book One: Tethyr”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Lands of Intrigue (TSR, Inc.), p. 86. ISBN 0-7869-0697-9.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Steven E. Schend (August 1997). “Book One: Tethyr”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Lands of Intrigue (TSR, Inc.), p. 2. ISBN 0-7869-0697-9.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Steven E. Schend (August 1997). “Book Three: Erlkazar & Folk of Intrigue”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Lands of Intrigue (TSR, Inc.), p. 30. ISBN 0-7869-0697-9.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Steven E. Schend (August 1997). “Book Three: Erlkazar & Folk of Intrigue”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Lands of Intrigue (TSR, Inc.), p. 6. ISBN 0-7869-0697-9.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Steven E. Schend, Sean K. Reynolds and Eric L. Boyd (June 2000). Cloak & Dagger. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 29. ISBN 0-7869-1627-3.
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 Richard Baker (1992). Rock of Bral. (TSR, Inc), p. 32. ISBN 1-56076-345-0.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend (January 1997). Undermountain: Stardock. Edited by Bill Olmesdahl. (TSR, Inc.), p. 33. ISBN 0-7869-0451-8.
- ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 Steven E. Schend (2004-04-17). Questions for Forgotten Realms Designers. Candlekeep Forum. Retrieved on 2015-04-18.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Steven E. Schend (July 1990). “Bazaar of the Bizarre: Magic from the stars”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #159 (TSR, Inc.), p. 15.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Warning: edition not specified for Blackstaff
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Steven E. Schend (August 1997). “Book Three: Erlkazar & Folk of Intrigue”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Lands of Intrigue (TSR, Inc.), p. 2. ISBN 0-7869-0697-9.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Steven E. Schend (July 2006). Blackstaff. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 77. ISBN 978-0786940165.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Steven E. Schend (July 2006). Blackstaff. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 50. ISBN 978-0786940165.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 Richard Baker (1992). Rock of Bral. (TSR, Inc), pp. 57–58. ISBN 1-56076-345-0.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend (July 2006). Blackstaff. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 92. ISBN 978-0786940165.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Steven E. Schend (July 1990). “Bazaar of the Bizarre: Magic from the stars”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #159 (TSR, Inc.), p. 18.
- ↑ Template:Cite book/Rock of Bral/map
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Steven E. Schend (July 2006). Blackstaff. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 79. ISBN 978-0786940165.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (June 2005). City of Splendors: Waterdeep. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 38. ISBN 0-7869-3693-2.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Steven E. Schend (September 2008). Blackstaff Tower. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 253. ISBN 0-7869-4913-9.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend (September 2008). Blackstaff Tower. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 247–251. ISBN 0-7869-4913-9.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd, Eytan Bernstein (August 2006). Dragons of Faerûn. Edited by Beth Griese, Cindi Rice, Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 24. ISBN 0-7869-3923-0.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend (July 2006). Blackstaff. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 73–81. ISBN 978-0786940165.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend (July 2006). Blackstaff. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 80. ISBN 978-0786940165.