High Prince Telamont Tanthul was a powerful Netherese shade archmage and arcanist of the Shadow Weave and the ruler of Thultanthar, also known as Shade Enclave.[1]
Description[]
Tall and hardy, Telamont had diminished little in stature over his millennia-long existence.[1] In public, he cultivated his imposing figure by proudly wearing the traditional dark armor of the Netherese Empire. He wore robes of deep purple over the draconic overmantle and ornate vambraces of the armor.[8]
Personality[]
Telamont had a great love of Netherese culture and sought to preserve it even when his subjects and he were forced onto the Plane of Shadow. His unwavering determination to rule the city meant that he considered himself to be the true embodiment of the city's culture, laws, and beliefs. Telamont's composure was such that it was near-impossible to get a bead on what he was truly thinking or feeling and he had an unwavering eye for easily seeing through the facades of others.[1]
History[]
Early Life[]
Born in Year of Eternal Amber, −645 DR,[2] Telamont became a student at the Academy of Mentalist Study in Eileanar under the moniker Shadow.[9] As he grew in ability, he was credited with creating numerous spells based around shadow magic.[10] During his time at the academy, Telamont published a work that postulated the existence of demiplanes. Unfortunately, his ideas were considered to be completely at odds with the existing models of the planes and he was soon exiled.[9]
Rise and Fall of Shadow[]
Luckily, the ruler of Eileanar, Karsus, decided to grant Shadow sanctuary and bequeathed him the Shadow Consortium to continue his research. Well-warded by Karsus' magic, Shadow gathered other "fringe" researchers to help him and after eleven years he was ready. With Karsus's blessing, Shadow published his work on the Demiplane of Shadow called Shadows: The Palpable Cohesion of Formless Corporeality. This new work proved the existence of demiplanes and quasielemental planes without undermining the existing planar mechanics. It was such a success that all restrictions on demiplane research were lifted and Shadow was released from all charges.[11] In addition, attendance to the Academy of Mentalist Study rose by 30% for the next five years when it was revealed that Shadow had studied there.[12]
Shadow and Alashar escaping.
However, in Year of Enchanters, −390 DR, Shadow found himself romantically entangled with a bard from Xinlenal called Alashar Crywinds. Despite all charges for his work being lifted many years earlier, Alashar had been secretly assigned by the archwizard Grenway to kill Shadow. When this was revealed to Shadow, both he and Alashar found they were unable to kill each other and instead managed to stage their deaths with the use of a simulacrum. Successful in their ruse, the two married and traveled together to the Demiplane of Shadow.[2]
Escaping the Fall[]
Telamont Tanthul (under his guise as Lord Shadow) became Thultanthar's archwizard and was experimenting with the Plane of Shadow for some time before Karsus's Folly. He successfully shifted the entire city into the Plane of Shadow in the Year of Sundered Webs, −339 DR, mere days before Karsus cast Karsus's avatar and temporarily destroyed the Weave. For some reason though, Tanthul could not immediately move the city back to the Prime Material Plane. It took weeks, but eventually they managed to return to Netheril, or at least what was left of it. Searching for survivors for days, the city floated over the ruins of the Netherese empire. Finding none, Tanthul assumed it was the work of the phaerimm and began planning his revenge. He stopped though, when he realized that one city was not a match for them and that his subjects were likely the last of the empire's people. He abandoned those plans and retreated back into the Plane of Shadow, vowing that one day, they would return and reestablish the empire. The city's clerics of Shar cast divinations and saw what had really happened, but only informed the noble families, presumably at the whim of Shar herself for some reason. The excursion into the Plane of Shadow, due to unforeseen circumstances, lasted much longer than Tanthul anticipated. For over 1,700 years, the inhabitants battled the malaugrym and the other shadowy horrors of the realm, while each generation became gradually more attuned to the plane itself, becoming what were later known as Shadovar.[13]
Return of the Archwizard[]
At last, in the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR, High Prince Telamont Tanthul returned Thultanthar to Faerûn as the City of Shade. When he considered the time to be right, Telamont planned to reveal to the Shadovar that he was the Lord Shadow of legend to inspire them to victory.[13]
In the Year of the Rune Lords Triumphant, 1487 DR, Telamont tried to gain the power of Myth Drannor's mythal so that Shar could become the new deity of magic. He and his fellow Shadovar were stopped by Larloch, who wanted to absorb the mythal himself,[14] and Telamont was killed by Elminster. Thultanthar fell upon Myth Drannor and both cities were destroyed.[4]
Abilities[]
Well over two millennia old, Telamont preserved his life by means of powerful magic, such as wish spells. This process was made easier by virtue of the fact that he was no longer human, but rather an outsider and the natural life span of a shade was many times longer that that of an ordinary human. However, Telamont acknowledged reluctantly that as his outsider body began to fail, stronger measures were required to keep him alive. He had not yet decided on the best means of continuing his existence, but the Shadovar's return to Faerûn offered a wealth of possibilities, including transformation into an undead creature.[1] By 1372 DR, Tanthul's body was composed of pure shadow magic.[15]
Relations[]
Tanthul had thirteen sons, the Princes of Shade, all potent warriors and spellcasters. His second eldest son, Rivalen Tanthul was the High Priest of Shar in Faerûn, He also commanded the services of his Chief Counselor Hadrhune[8]
Creations[]
Telamont, during his time as the arcanist Shadow, was noted for creating a number of spells centered around shadow magic. They follow here with the year the spells were created:
- Shadow's door in −600 DR[10]
- Shadow's shades in −597 DR[10]
- Shadow's demimagic in −594 DR[10]
- Shadow's summons in −594 DR[10]
- Shadow's magic in −593 DR[10]
- Shadow's walk in −592 DR[10]
- Shadow's monster in −588 DR[10]
- Shadow's demimonster in −587 DR[10]
Appendix[]
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References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Jason Carl, Sean K. Reynolds (October 2001). Lords of Darkness. Edited by Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 82. ISBN 07-8691-989-2.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 slade, Jim Butler (October 1996). “The Winds of Netheril”. In Jim Butler ed. Netheril: Empire of Magic (TSR, Inc.), p. 115. ISBN 0-7869-0437-2.}
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 260. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ed Greenwood (June 2014). The Herald. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 19, pp. 350–351. ISBN 978-0786964604.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (June 2014). The Herald. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 15, p. 275. ISBN 978-0786964604.
- ↑ Various (2008). Realms of War. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 1–7. ISBN 0-7869-4934-1.
- ↑ Troy Denning (November 2002). The Sorcerer. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?. ISBN 978-0-7869-2795-1.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Jason Carl, Sean K. Reynolds (October 2001). Lords of Darkness. Edited by Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 83. ISBN 07-8691-989-2.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 slade, Jim Butler (October 1996). “The Winds of Netheril”. In Jim Butler ed. Netheril: Empire of Magic (TSR, Inc.), p. 104. ISBN 0-7869-0437-2.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 slade, Jim Butler (October 1996). “The Winds of Netheril”. In Jim Butler ed. Netheril: Empire of Magic (TSR, Inc.), p. 28. ISBN 0-7869-0437-2.
- ↑ slade, Jim Butler (October 1996). “The Winds of Netheril”. In Jim Butler ed. Netheril: Empire of Magic (TSR, Inc.), p. 105. ISBN 0-7869-0437-2.
- ↑ slade, Jim Butler (October 1996). “The Winds of Netheril”. In Jim Butler ed. Netheril: Empire of Magic (TSR, Inc.), p. 97. ISBN 0-7869-0437-2.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Jason Carl, Sean K. Reynolds (October 2001). Lords of Darkness. Edited by Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 81. ISBN 07-8691-989-2.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (June 2014). The Herald. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 18, pp. 336–338. ISBN 978-0786964604.
- ↑ Troy Denning (November 2002). The Sorcerer. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?. ISBN 978-0-7869-2795-1.
Appearances[]
Novels & Short Stories
Further Reading[]
- Jason Carl, Sean K. Reynolds (October 2001). Lords of Darkness. Edited by Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 81–83. ISBN 07-8691-989-2.
- Troy Denning (November 2001). The Siege. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 978-0-7869-2678-7.
- Troy Denning (November 2002). The Sorcerer. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 1–343. ISBN 978-0-7869-2795-1.
- Paul S. Kemp (December 2008). Shadowrealm. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 978-0786948639.