Thalmyzzarene

Thalmyzzarene, also known as Thalmyz, was a green dragon who made her home among the dense forests south of present-day Lungao.

Description

Thalmyzzarene was a powerful green dragon who once dwelled i nthe deep, mist-wreathed forests of the elven territories. Her scales shimmered like polished malachite, marked by lighter streaks that resembled curling vines, and her vast wings bore translucent membranes. Her eyes were a deep emerald-green and always seemed to be halfway between calculation and contemplation.   Though she maintained the majesty and cunning typical of green dragons, she also bore a distinct stillness. Unlike many other green dragons, she found herself growing wanting of contact with outsiders—and not just those she claimed as part of her hoard. The forests around her grew thick and fey-touched with poisonous flora, but those who walked carefully would find they could pass unharmed—if they earned her interest rather than her ire.

Personality

Thalmyzzarene was exceptionally intelligent even by the standards of her own kind and age. She was incredibly interested in strategy, arcane study, and philosophical pondering. She once reveled in manipulation and dominance, as was her draconic instinct, but over time her thoughts ended up turning increasingly inward. She became introspective, detached, and—though she would never admit it out loud—lonely.   Unlike most green dragons, Thamyzzarene lost her desire to corrupt and control for its own sake. SHe grew to prefer conversation over conquest, riddles over roaring, and was known to allow travelers to pass her domain if they offered a clever story or unusual knowledge. Though still proud and extremely dangerous, her temperament was more contemplative than cruel.

Activities

In her early centuries, Thalmyzzarene engaged in many of the classic behaviors of her kind: the secret manipulation of forest settlements, the hoarding of magical items, and the subtle elimination of rivals or those who she simply disliked for one reason or another. She is renowned for manipulating a kingdom of elves into a civil war, causing thousands of deaths and only resulting in abandoned territory for her to claim as her own.   She was an established and renowned wizard, working magic not only through her bloodline alone, but seeking out knowledge and crafting her own spells. She was known as a collector of strange and powerful magics—even those she herself could not or would not make use of. As this reputation grew, so to did the number of would-be dragon slayers who sought her out.

Relationships

Thalmyzzarene is known to have born many young, with some said to still exist in Cetandar.   One of the most influential relationships of Thalmyzzarene's life was a chance encounter with Gleinafinion Fein, a Half-Elf man whose skill with his tongue and mind was second only to his skill with weapons. This strange man met Thalmyzzarene when she was growing old, past the age of child-bearing and conquering, waning into her loneliness. She stalked the man for several days through the forest before finally meeting him. Rather than threatening her or seeking her treasure, he engaged her in dialogue. Over time, the two developed a rare bond of mutual respect.   With Gleinafinion came Garm, a forest drake companion of his. The much smaller creature intrigued Thalmyzzarene, for Gleinafinion treated the creature with respect despite its much lessened mental capacities compared to his own. In time, the dragon took on a role similar to a mother over the drake, and by extension its master.   This companionship softened her worldview over many years. She never ceased being draconic—prideful, scheming, and deeply territorial—but she became something more than merely feared.

History

Thalmyzzarene's early life is largely unknown, hidden within lost or destroyed elven records. She is thought to have risen to prominence during the fading years of the Cavellan Empire, keeping her domain secret and heavily warded across the sea.   During this period, she expanded her hoard with relics of Faerie and items looted from fallen rivals, druids, and others. She established her lair in a region that has long since faded from maps, due to the creation of The Ash Plains where she once lived.   Her encounter with Gleinafinion marks the turning poit of her legacy. Instead of driving him away, she found herself intrigued by him and Harm. The three became inseparable for decades—some say nearly a century. They operated as a strange but formidable alliance.   As Gleinafinion paid the dragon more visits, he expressed desire to seek new sights, and informed her he planned to leave, heading across the sea. Hearing this, and fearing she would return to her lonesome state, she did something unheard of for most of dragonkind, particularly the chromatics. She abandoned her territory, taking with her only her most valuable treasures—namely magical items and her own spell collection, carved into the scales of slain rivals.   The dragon personally ferried Gleinafinion across the sea to modern-day Cetandar. The landed on the western shore, overtaking the territory of a white dragon dwelling too low in the mountains above a frozen taiga for their likings. Thalmyzzarene had Gleinafinion take the credit for the kill, establishing him as a dragon slayer in this new land among the nearby humans—remaining cavellans. As his reputation grew, so too did sightings of Thalmyzzarene, and he was eventually called upon to slay her due to the general fear surrounding such a large dragon.   Gleinafinion went to Thalmyzzarene, informing her of what he had been tasked with. The two decided to move on from the region, but then Thalmyzzarene got news that would inevitably lead to her downfall. She was contacted by one of her children, still living back in her old homeland. A race of strange humans had begun fighting with the elves on a large scale, and a distant branch of dragonkind had been helping them, pushing against the elves and invading the green dragons' homeland as a result.   Thalmyzzarene made the decision to return home, leaving her hoard with Gleinafinion as a show of appreciation. She returned across the sea over the course of several weeks, eventually landing. What she saw there was nothing like what she expected. A full war had broken out, and she arrived in the middle of it. She leapt from the sea, soaring overhead. She saw her children—so reclusive previously—fighting claw-by-hand alongside the elves they had shared their homes with against this shared foe. The Ryushin humans had pushed deep into the forest, clear-cutting portions of it away as they go. This infuriated Thalmyzzarene, who slammed into their ranks, spraying out her toxic breath and killing scores of the human interlopers.   Eventually, it seemed the Ryushin had begun retreating, something accepted by the elves but not many of the dragons who chased them down, killing thousands more as they fled. Unfortunately for her and many of her brood, the Ryushin had been developing a strange magic to take care of the elves once and for all. With the aid of several extremely powerful Lung Dragons, the Ryushin unleashed a destructive wave of energy, ripping free life from the land and people alike.   The land became ash, the people mere bones. Thalmyzzarene used many of her accumulated spells to protect herself, but even these failed as she found her own body ripped apart. She flew as quickly as she could away from the energy, desperately seeking escape, but it didn't save her. She made it back to the lines of the elves, with many of their druids putting up a powerful shield, but even this was failing.   The ancient dragon landed beside them, intensifying their own spell with her own magic, seeking to halt the continuation of the destruction let loose by the Ryushin. Knowing the land was lost, however, one of the druids sent word magically back to the capitol of the elves, informing them of their loss, and of the powerful dragon who stood by their side. Within the barrier stood a single elf unlike others, beautiful beyond compare. This avatar of Eruwen knew she would not survive long, and channeled her magic into Thalmyzzarene, promising her beauty would live on, even if her body failed.   Accepting this as her end, Thalmyzzarene accepted this gift of the strange elf. She unleashed the last of her magical power, exploding forth as a final act of desperation, and let the elf's magic flow into her. As the dragon—and the elves who stood with her—fell and became undone, a single massive stone remained behind. The Heart of Thalmyzzarene fell to the ground—a beautiful and massive emerald of impeccable purity and strength.   Thalmyzzarene stands in myths as a monster and a savior—protector to the elves and a wretched bane who cost thousands of lives to the ryushin. Her legacy lives on through her petrified emerald heart, which the elves spared no expense to retrieve from the Ash Plains.