Realms Personalities : Maaril The Dragon Mage

Given to wearing dark green or purple robes, the Dragon Mage of Waterdeep is a handsome, dark-eyed wizard with a jutting black beard curling from the point of his chin. Famed largely for his dragon-shaped tower, Maaril is considered just one more eccentric, independent mage of note by most other wizards of the city. Khelben is a notable exception, having deduced Maaril's true nature in recent years, but he is hesitant to confront Maaril for the reasons detailed below.

Born in the Year of the Wandering Wyrm (1317 DR), Maaril was fostered in the House of Wonder and apprenticed at a young age to Lhoril Delhiinyn, a mage who had survived the Guildwars and avoided exile. Once Maaril felt he had learned all he could from Lhoril, he summoned a demon to slay her and framed a rival apprentice for the murder. The infamous Dragon Tower of Maaril was once Lhoril's abode.

Maaril's many secrets included his legion of guardgoyle servitors, his recent mastery of the gate spell, and his never-ending efforts to seize magic items from overly boastful adventurers by means of such servitors. He has proven himself a quiet, patient, behind-the-scenes foe to all adventurers who retaliated against him, hiring endless sellswords to bar their way.

Maaril's greatest treasure is the dragonstaff of Ahghairon, a legacy of Ahghairon stolen by Lhoril in the immediate aftermath of the legendary archmage's death and taken in turn by Maaril after he murdered his instructor. The Dragon Mage of Waterdeep holds the literal key to Ahghairon's dragonward, a fact that gives him a great deal of influence over the city's resident dragon population.

The Dragon Mage has many foes and few allies among the populace of Waterdeep, but nonetheless he is regularly invited to revels hosted by the Waterdhavian elite. Maaril has made himself sufficiently influential that it is dangerous to annoy him. The Dragon Mage bears a particular enmity for Duhlark Kolat (CG male Illuskan human transmuter 20), who briefly turned Maaril into a faerie dragon after Maaril goaded him into an ill-advised spell-duel. (Duhlark is the brother of Alcedor Kolat, who is mentioned connection with the quarterstaff of Alcedor and the amulet of Alcedor.) Maaril's closest friend is Meleghost Starseer, the Magister of Mystra at the House of Wonder.

Maaril has reached an understanding of sorts with most dragons that reside in the City of Splendors, for he always treats them with proper respect, and they reply in kind. Among those dragons that dwell outside the City of Splendors but seek to enter the city, Maaril is regarded with distrust, if not loathing, for he invariably frustrates such plans. As a result, the Dragon Mage must take significant precautions each time he exits the city.

Maaril's dragon cohort is Khavalanoth (LE male juvenile green dragon). The offspring of Chloracidara of Mhiilamniir and Grimnoshtadrano the Riddling Dragon is pledged to serve the Dragon Mage until he becomes a young adult. Maaril's familiar is Frethian, a black cat.

Maaril the Dragon Mage: Male Illuskan human Wiz17/Archmage 1; CR 18; Medium humanoid; HD 18d4+18; hp 64; Init +4; Spd 30 ft.; AC 24, touch 16, flat-footed 20; Base Atk +8/+3; Grp +7; Atk +9 melee (1d6+1, +2 quarterstaff); Full Atk +7/+2 melee (1d6+1/1d6+1, +2/+2 quarterstaff); SA arcane fire, frightful presence, spells; SQ summon familiar; AL NE; SV Fort +8, Ref +11, Will +14 (+18 vs. frightful presence of good dragons); Str 8, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 19, Wis 10, Cha 17.

Skills and Feats: Bluff +12, Craft (alchemy) +10, Concentration +18, Diplomacy +3 (+9 on checks made to adjust the attitude of a dragon), Intimidate +14, Knowledge (arcana) +21, Knowledge (local Waterdeep) +21, Knowledge (the planes) +21, Spellcraft +26; Craft Staff, Craft Wondrous Item, Dragon Cohort, Dragonfriend, Empower Spell, Forge Ring, Frightful Presence or, Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus (Spellcraft), Spell Focus (conjuration), Spell Focus (evocation), Two-Weapon Fighting.

Languages: Chondathan, Common, Draconic, Illuskan.

Arcane Fire (Su): Maaril can change arcane spell energy into arcane fire, manifesting it as a bolt of raw magical energy. The bolt is a ranged touch attack with long range (440 feet) that deals 1d6 points of damage plus 1d6 points of damage per level of the spell used to create the effect.

Frightful Presence (Ex): When Maaril attacks or charges, all opponents within 30 feet who have less than 18 Hit Dice become shaken for 1d6+3 rounds. The effect is negated by a DC 22 Will save. A target that saves successfully is immune to Maaril's frightful presence for 24 hours. This ability can't affect creatures with Intelligence scores of 3 or lower, nor does it have any effect on dragons~

Possessions: Maaril's scaled bracers (bracers of armor +8), Maaril's mantle (cloak of Charisma +4), Maaril's gloves (gloves of Dexterity +4), Maaril's brooch (amulet of proof against detection and location), Maaril's dragonseye ring (ring of x-ray vision), Maaril's spelltome (Boccob's blessed book), ring of feather falling, dragonstaff of Ahghairon (staff of power, 50 charges).

Wizard Spells Prepared (caster level 18th): 0 - acid splash (+12 ranged touch), detect magic, prestidigitation, read magic; 1st - alarm, expeditious retreat, magic missile, shield, true strike; 2nd - arcane lock, false life, fox's cunning, scorching ray (+12 ranged touch), whispering wind; 3rd - arcane sight, lightning bolt (DC 18), magic circle against evil (2), protection from energy; 4th - enervation (+12 ranged touch), ice storm (DC 19), lesser globe of invulnerability, stoneskin, summon monster IV; 5th - dimensional lock, dominate person (DC 19), sending, teleport; 6th - chain lightning (DC 21), greater dispel magic, guards and wards (DC 20), planar binding (DC 21); 7th - banishment (DC 21), control undead (DC 21), greater ironguard; 8th - antipathy (DC 22), create greater undead, greater shout (DC 23); 9th - gate.

Spellbook: As above, plus Maaril knows dozens of worthwhile spells, including several that enable the calling of creatures from other planes. He knows many of the wizard/sorcerer spells in the Player's Handbook as well as some of those found in Magic of Faerûn.

Source: City of Splendors - Waterdeep


Realm's Personalities