Sammaster Sammaster was an immensely powerful human mage and a former Chosen of Mystra . Sammaster was known for discovering the process which turns a dragon into a dracolich . After being killed in a great battle , he returned several hundred years later as a lich , but has since been destroyed once more . Appearance . Sammaster was a tall handsome man with dark brown hair . His hair was usually long and straight . History . Early Life . Sammaster was born in 800 DR , and at age 17 was taken on as an apprentice by a travelling mage named Mnethos . Not long into his training , Sammaster was introduced to the goddess Mystra , whom he soon began worshipping . After just 8 years under the guidance of Mnethos , Sammaster had learnt all he could and began a path of his own . This led to him achieving the status of archmage just a decade later , at age 35 . To reach such a level at that age was almost unheard of at the time . Not long after , he began travelling Faerûn in search of knowledge and wisdom . During this time he made numerous advancements in metamagic through detailed research . In 851 DR the goddess Mystra appeared to Sammaster and offered to make him one of her Chosen . This was most likely in anticipation of the death of a current Chosen . Sammaster began meeting regularly with Elminster , in order to understand his new powers . Although both archmages worked together and Sammaster learnt from Elminster , the two did not get along well , as their personalities grated on each other . During one lesson with Elminster , Sammaster had to defeat an army of undead without destroying a single monster . He was instructed to force them to return from whence they came . Although he struggled at first , he ultimately succeeded . A few years later , Sammaster began researching the processes of life , death and undeath . This research lasted several years and resulted in the creation of several original necromantic enchantments . In 861 DR after ending his research Sammaster once again began travelling Faerûn . On his travels he met and began a relationship with another Chosen of Mystra , Alustriel . A few years later the relationship came to an end , and Sammaster ’ s emotional and mental well - being were permanently damaged . Later Life . Sammaster soon met and befriended Algashon Nathaire , in or around the city of Baldur ' s Gate . Algashon was a mage and dedicated priest of Bane ( Mystra ' s enemy ) . For the next few years the two mages traveled far and wide together , and Algashon slowly turned Sammaster more bitter , resentful and evil . By 875 DR Algashon had convinced Sammaster to attack his former lover , Alustriel . Although wounded by Sammaster ' s initial assault , Alustriel survived and summoned two more Chosen , Khelben Arunsun and Laeral Silverhand , to help her . In the ensuing battle , Sammaster was stripped of his Chosen powers and would have been killed if not for Algashon . The battle destroyed what was left of Sammaster ' s sanity and from that point on , he fully embraced evil . He soon began translating ancient prophecies and distributing his findings , most notably his translations from the ancient text " Maglas ’ s Chronicle of Years to Come " . The validity of these translations is highly speculated , and it is suspected that they were just a means for him to promote his new ideals . From his research he quickly became convinced that ' dead dragons ' would one day rule over Toril . He named this belief the " Scaly Way " . In 902 DR Sammaster successfully created the first Cult dracolich , named Shargrailar . He compiled accounts of the rituals and components necessary to create a dracolich in a book entitled Tome of the Dragon . This holy relic is still used by the many members of the Cult of the Dragon to raise their own dracolich allies . By 905 DR Sammaster finished his principal work on the Tome of the Dragon , and copies started appearing all over Faerûn . His philosophy and beliefs of the Cult of the Dragon also began spreading across Faerûn . Death . In 916 DR Sammaster and a group of his followers were travelling to visit two Green Dragons in southern Cormanthyr , in order to convince them into becoming dracoliches . However they were ambushed by The Harpers and clergy of Lathander . A battle broke out and Sammaster was forced to do battle with an avatar of Lathander . During the chaos Sammaster was killed and seemingly obliterated . Resurrection and Destruction . Once the chosen had left , Algashon appeared from a hiding place and began resurrecting Sammaster . The spell he used also managed to recapture a fraction of the Chosen powers into Sammaster , returning his immortality . 336 years later in 1282 DR , a lich calling itself Sammaster was found in the Desertsmouth Mountains . The creature began forming an army from humanoids , undead , and dragons . In 1285 DR an adventuring group of paladins known as the Company of Twelve attacked Sammaster ’ s stronghold . Of the twelve , nine were killed , but the lich ’ s physical form was destroyed . The survivors confirmed that this creature was in fact Sammaster . Almost another one - hundred years later in 1373 DR Sammaster ( now a lich ) completed his transformation of the " Dracorage mythal " binding his phylactery within . This precipitated a Rage of Dragons independent of the King - Killer Star . Under the alias of the Witch - King reborn , Sammaster then raised an army of orc s and giants in Vaasa . The army took the Bloodstone gates and flooded into Damara . Within the year , despite his immense power , Sammaster was destroyed along with his phylactery , and the Rage came to an end .