Errtu Errtu was a powerful balor . He commanded his own layer of the Abyss and the tanar ' ri inhabitants that resided there . Description . Errtu was a balor , the second most powerful class of the true tanar ' ri demon s , after the demon lord s . He was twelve feet tall , covered in red scales , had a large pair of batlike wings and a tail , and and had a horned , ape - like head with a dog - like muzzle . When he was in the throes of lust for power , he drooled an acidic saliva . His voice was gravelly , guttural , and harsh . Personality . Errtu reveled in evil and chaos . Nothing pleased him more than to torment others . When needed , however , he could be a polite and patient negotiator and was known to reward his minions . He had a particular interest in gaining power on and from the Prime Material Plane , in particular Toril . Errtu ' s motivations were primarily that of the average demon ' s — his own power , his own survival , and the chance to cause havoc in the Prime Material Plane . He was concerned entirely with himself and his own quest for power and control , and his selfishness led him nearly to paranoia — in his view , anything that went wrong was a conspiracy directed at him . Despite that , Errtu was very intelligent and was a capable tactician . The simple fact that unless something greater destroyed him in the Abyss ( which was unlikely ) , he would exist for almost eternity allowed him to have considerable patience if he might be rewarded with a considerable increase in power . He was also able to think laterally and work around his problem . In 1364 DR , he released himself from a wizard ' s circle by using an anti - magic stone he kept in a bag , a leftover from the Time of Troubles . This dispelled the summoner ' s protective " magic circle against evil " , which was otherwise flawless , and likewise disabled Errtu ' s magical abilities . However , Errtu , being very strong physically , did not need them to kill the summoner . Realm . Errtu was the ruler of a layer of the Abyss characterized by the growth of giant mushrooms , and even had a throne carved into the stalk of one . Combat . Errtu was immune to flames and his affinity to them allowed him to conjure a flaming whip and ring of fire when needed . Like all balors , Errtu emitted an aura of fear and was a capable strategist . He carried a vorpal sword that appeared as a bolt of lightning and was resistant to magic . History . Crenshinibon and Drizzt Do ' Urden . Errtu once worked for the group of lich es that created the artifact named Crenshinibon . When it was brought to " life , " Errtu was cast back to the Abyss . He originally thought Crenshinibon was destroyed in the same blast . After he learned that Crenshinabon had not actually been destroyed , Errtu devoted his existence to finding Crenshinibon again . His search for Crenshinabon led him into several altercations with the drow ranger Drizzt Do ' Urden , who sought to keep the artifact out of Errtu ' s hands . The first time , when Errtu was serving as Akar Kessel ' s general in 1351 DR , Drizzt summoned Errtu , meaning to pose as a drow scout and inquire about Crenshinibon . When Errtu discovered Drizzt ' s ivory unicorn pendant , he attacked the drow , surrounding himself with flames and using his whip to catch Drizzt and pull him into the flames . Upon contact with Drizzt , the flames were extinguished due to the magic of the as - yet unnamed scimitar " Icingdeath " . In a confused moment for both of them , Drizzt slashed Errtu with " Icingdeath " — causing the balor real pain and the blade ' s magic even froze the tissues at the edge of the wound . Errtu and Drizzt were both shocked , having never even heard of a weapon with that effect , but Drizzt recovered first and stabbed the balor in the stomach . The scimitar ' s magic won out , destroying Errtu ' s material body and banishing him for a hundred years . As his body dissolved , Errtu reminded Drizzt of their long lifespans and promised revenge . In 1358 DR , after Drizzt ' s companion Wulfgar was " killed " by a yochlol summoned by Vierna Do ' Urden , the evil goddess Lolth gifted the barbarian to Errtu as a bargaining chip in exchange for his guardianship of Menzoberranzan during the Time of Troubles . Errtu tortured Wulfgar for six years . Wulfgar was freed in 1364 DR during Errtu ' s second altercation with Drizzt . The balor had gained the artifact Crenshinibon and used it to build a stronghold in the Sea of Moving Ice , a body of water west of Icewind Dale and dotted with icebergs . Despite his dislike of cold , Errtu chose the place because of its natural barriers . He opened a gate to the Abyss and let innumerable lesser fiends through , as well as more powerful demons . Drizzt and his friends managed to fight their way through , and confronted Errtu in an ice cave . This time , Errtu had space to fly , and repeatedly " teleport ed " around the room , using his flames to melt nearby ice and fill the floor with water — in which he would periodically thrust his lightning - bladed sword to shock the companions . Drizzt and his friends would have died , if Wulfgar had not been inadvertently freed by a younger barbarian via the hammer Aegis - fang and joined the fight . Together , the companions managed to bring Errtu out of the air , where Drizzt struck with " Icingdeath " and banished him for the second time . Return to Icewind Dale . In 1466 DR , Errtu appeared outside the walls of Bryn Shander , seeking a drow ( Drizzt Do ' Urden ) . The drow warrior Tiago Baenre confronted him and banished him , making himself a hero to the inhabitants of the city . The spot where Errtu was slain was permanently blackened . On that spot , the citizens erected a statue of Tiago with the inscription , " On this spot did Master Tiago slay the demon . And the snows will cover it nevermore . " Rage of Demons . Errtu ' s alliance with Lolth began when she approached him to guard Menzoberranzan during the Time of Troubles ( 1358 DR ) . That same year , after the fall of House Oblodra in , the house ' s matron mother , K ' yorl Odran , was given to Errtu as a prisoner . Although he tortured her and considered her his toy , she willingly schemed with him a century later when Lolth plotted to use her as a way to weaken the barriers between the Abyss and the Prime Material Plane . In 1485 DR , Lolth incapacitated Errtu ' s rival , Balor , as a favor to him . In exchange , Errtu allowed K ' yorl to speak with Kimmuriel Oblodra . She provided him with an incantation to subliminally convey to Gromph Baenre . When Gromph cast the incantation , believing it to be the product of his genius , it weakened the walls of Faerzress , allowing demons such as Demogorgon to freely pass into Toril . Relationships . Errtu was known to cooperate with other evil beings . In 1356 DR , he chose to ally himself with the wizard Akar Kessel , on the promise that when Kessel died ( which wouldn ' t be long in Errtu ' s view , even if Kessel died of old age ) , he would gain Crenshinibon . In 1358 DR , he became a reluctant ally of the drow goddess Lolth — at first because she could obliterate him if he didn ' t cooperate , and later because she offered him a chance to gain total , personal revenge on Drizzt . A few times he offered subordinate posts to lesser demons to ensure their aid . Errtu was the greatest rival of Balor , the great demon for which the balor race was named . Origins . Errtu was one of the original six named " Type VI " demons in Gary Gygax ' s " Advanced Dungeons and Dragons " books . The other five were Ndulu , Ter - Soth , Alzoll , Wendonai , and Balor , the greatest of them all . The Type VI demons later took the name of balor to refer to their breed of demon as a whole .