Thernos
(a.k.a. The Wailing)
He was the strongest and one of the largest (second to only the Leviathan) of the Great Dragons. His roar shook heavens and earth alike and was said to cause earthquakes for days after. Presiding over mountains and strength, he is the dragon most beloved and revered by the dwarves. It is the heart of the great ebony mountain, the tallest in the Galus Mountains surrounding Embarr, that he resided in for generations. This mountain would come to be known as the Wailing Mountain.
It is said that the hero, Velg, sought out Thernos’s might and challenged him to a contest. Velg proposed that, in exchange for Thernos’s blessing, they should each try to hold a stone between their teeth, and the winner would be the one who held it the longer. Thernos, overconfident in his abilities, accepted, but he overestimated his strength… As he placed the stone between his teeth, it crumbled into dust by the weight of his massive jaws, and Velg was given, as a half-blessing and half-curse, the strength of Thernos.
After, he resided inside the Wailing Mountain in great shame and was said to have died soon after as a result. His remains were sealed inside. The chamber at the heart of the mountain has since been barred from travelers entering, and mining takes place only outside the sacred room. Dwarves offer their prayers yearly to Thernos for continued strength, the preservation of the House of Velg (who contains his last blessing and the remainder of his life), and great wealth in the coming year.
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