Sunblight and the Dragon (Hard Rock Cafe)
Sequestered among the crags of the Spine of the World is a grim fortress hewn out of rock. This fortress is home to Xardorok Sunblight, his two living sons, and the rest of the Sunblight duergar clan. It is a heavily defended gateway between the clan's former home in the Underdark and its future home in Icewind Dale. From here, Xardorok plots the destruction of Ten-Towns.
Xardorok has no imagination of his own. Instead, he receives inspiration from his patron, whom he believes is Deep Duerra (the duergar god of conquest). Unknown to Xardorok, his warlock powers come from Asmodeus, the Lord of the Nine Hells, who enjoys impersonating other gods. It is Asmodeus, not Deep Duerra, who inspired Xardorok Sunblight to become the first duergar to leave the Underdark and carve out a kingdom for himself on the surface.
Xardorok's Paranoia
Xardorok's obsession with chardalyn is a form of madness that has consumed the duergar warlock, to the extent that he will stop at nothing to obtain all of it. Xardorok prizes chardalyn more than he loves his sons and his clan, which has alienated his closest advisors and forced them to question their blind obedience to him. Prolonged contact with malevolent magic suffusing the chardalyn has made Xardorok extraordinarily paranoid. He keeps his two sons, Durth and Nildar, as far away from him as possible, sending them on dangerous missions to acquire more chardalyn in and around Ten-Towns, fearing that they might usurp his throne otherwise. Xardorok rewards his subjects for spying on one another and uncovering plots against him. The duergar closest to him are aware of the changes in his demeanor, but they lack the courage to stand up to him. A few have learned to capitalize on his paranoia, gaining Xardorok's favor by fabricating evidence of coups orchestrated by their rivals.The Muzgardt Conspiracy
Grandolpha Muzgardt, the grand dame of the Muzgardt duergar clan, has recently arrived at the fortress after being invited here by Xardorok. The Muzgardts are based in Gracklstugh, a duergar city in the Underdark. They mass-produce and distribute a filthy duergar ale made from mushrooms. Xardorok has been eager to take a fourth wife and has had his eye on Grandolpha Muzgardt for many years. He asked Grandolpha to his fortress to give her a gift—a pseudodragon made of chardalyn (a pseudo-pseudodragon, if you will)—and make her an offer she can't refuse. Once he conquers Icewind Dale, he wants the Muzgardts to control the ale trade throughout his sunless surface kingdom. Grandolpha, for her part, is too canny and jaded to fall for Xardorok's blunt attempt at seduction. She has begun plotting with disenfranchised advisors and warriors in his ranks to overthrow him when the moment is right. Ironically, despite his paranoia, Xardorok is too blinded by his admiration for Grandolpha to foresee her treachery. In Grandolpha, the characters found an unlikely (if temporary) ally.The Chardalyn Dragon
Created by Sunblight, the dragon has a preprogrammed path of destruction.
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