Badul Zhaldrea
(a.k.a. The Mad Alagrian)
"You know, people call me the Mad Alagrian, ridculous! The stuff people will make up." "You mean you're not mad?" "I'm not Alagrian!"
Overview
A mysterious and unusual figure, Badul Zhaldrea is a wizard and aberrantologist who resides in the deepest levels of Barada's Deep Scramble Slums. While he is highly proficient in his field of study, his erratic nature and outlandish theories have led to him being know as "the Mad Alagrian". Zhaldrea is an elderly, male Dragonborn whose copper scales have tarnished to a verdigris green from years living in his dank hovel far beneath the Alagrian surface.Career & Works
Badul Zhaldrea is an Adjunct Researcher for the Abjuration and Extraplanar Studies faculty of the Hw. Habn'Izm University, where he has received the title (Other). Zhaldrea however has never visited the university and instead sends children from the slums as runners with his works or correspondence. This has gotten him and the university in trouble in the past, as Zhaldrea has taken to using Geas spells on his couriers to ensure his errands are carried out correctly. Zhaldrea's field of specialty is the study of aberrations, although his heterodox opinions has brought him into frequent disagreement in letters with his Head of Department, (Sagacious) Wisatawan Jao. To date, Zhaldrea is known to have published the following academic works:- Illithidian Thoughts: A study in Elder Egos and Ids
- Of Dreams & Nightmares: Beholder Lifecycles and Upcycling
- Songs of the Ulitharid: a Treatise on the Atonally Radiomorphic Metallurgy of the Mindflayer Race
- Elder Evils: Gods Beyond the Stars?
Relationships
Deep Scramble Slums
The residents of Deep Scramble Slums treat Zhaldrea with caution, knowing that he is too erratic to be fully trusted. However, they have discovered on multiple occasions that Zhaldrea is powerful and has no patience for trouble makers disrupting his neighbourhood. For that reason the locals try to do what they can to stay out of his way and keep him happy. In return, they know they can point any thugs attempting to make their lives difficult towards Zhaldrea's hovel, where their problems will mysteriously disappear.Fezzik the Flumph
Badul Zhaldrea is typically considered to be a loner, although he has recently befriended a lost Flumph that he met on his travels. Zhaldrea, upon discovering the Flumph like his fez, gave the hat to the creature and named him "Fezzik". He has been heard remarking that, "if anything should happen to Fezzik, he would destroy all of Barada and then himself."(Lonesome) Faylaq Wahid
Zhaldrea has hired an Adjunct Research Associate (Lonesome) Faylaq Wahid, a human male from the Deep Scramble Slums. As a boy, Faylaq entered Zhaldrea's hovel on a dare and attempted to steal a honeycombed rock. A swarm of aberrant insects emerged from the rock and attacked him and it was only with the Mad Alagrian's intervention that Faylaq was saved. However in order to save the boy's life, Zhaldrea fused a section of the rock was fused into Faylaq's chest, making him one with the hive. Faylaq now carries out dangerous tasks for Zhaldrea in the underdark as a Swarm-master Ranger. Due to his prolonged exposure to the darkest depths of Ara, Faylaq has developed darkvision and sunligh sensitivity.Aethillian Kindlespire
Following the Incident at Amar Creige, Aethillian Kindlespire reached out to Badul Zhaldrea for his expert knowledge on all things aberrant. In exchange for a full report of findings and samples of the far-realm shells found at that site, Badul provided Kindlespire with vital insight into the matter, as well as support with handling his developing multiple personality, Algernon Kinkyspank. While the two have collaborated closely, they have never met.The Darkest Timeline
During the events of the Darkest Timeline, the Thanes of Order were directed by Aethillian Kindlespire to seek out the Mad Alagrian for help in finding Umberlee. As an individual touched by madness, he was one of the few people who was fully aware that something was wrong during these events. He was able to provide useful information in their search, if not the location of the demi-goddess. He also expounded on the dual understandings of time (being cyclical or linear), which would later aid Gamble on her quest to correct the timeline. He was presumed dead following the fall of Barada.
Alignment
Chaotic Neutral
Current Location
Species
Ethnicity
Age
Unknown
Date of Birth
Unknown
Birthplace
Unknown
Children
Current Residence
Badul Zhaldrea's Hovel, Deep Scramble Slums
Pronouns
He/him/his
Sex
Male
Eyes
Amber
Hair
N/a
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Copper scales, tarnished to verdigris
Height
5'8"
Aligned Organization
Comments