Palarandusk Palarandusk ( the Unseen Protector , previously the Sun Dragon ) is a male gold dragon who lives in the Sword Mountains on the Sword Coast North . He is a great wyrm . Each time he kills , he weeps . He watches over the village of Ieirithymbul , regarding its gnome inhabitants as his children . He has prevented the invasion of the Clan Forgebar dwarves three times . He prefers to use an invisible and inaudible form so that he cannot be detected , but spends his time watching the gnomes and making sure they come to no harm . He is particularly interested in eavesdropping if gnomes are talking about their personal views or opinions . Palarandusk ' s secrecy has lead to Volo misinterpreting his true form , and the renowned dragon expert Velsaert from Baldur ' s Gate being unaware of his existence , but Elminster is aware of his identity . Description . Palarandusk still has bright eyes , but his scales are cracked with age and his jaw has turned white . Personality . Although he keeps himself hidden wherever possible , for fear of being hunted , Palarandusk would like to be able to live an unmasked existence and yearns to be respected as a major power on the Sword Coast North , as he once was . He has no interest in accruing a huge personal wealth , but has collected some treasures , mostly those holding aesthetic value , but some useful for trade with humanoid s , and has stashed them in remote caves in the Sword Mountains . He has an interest in philosophy and morality and has collected a number of writings on the subjects . He used to enjoy speaking to elves and dwarves about their outlooks and personal views . He has developed a system of personal beliefs during his long life , and is slow to change them . He believes that the natural environment should be protected from harm , and that prey should be killed only for food , not for enjoyment . Palarandusk is completely dedicated to protecting his chosen settlement , Ieirithymbul . Due to the magical effects in operation on his body , he has no need to sleep . Combat . Palarandusk will only reveal himself when it is absolutely necessary . He cannot attack or use magic in his invisible form , but this is only a semi - solid state and if he passes through any living creature , it will cause him damage , and the creature will experience a nauseous effect . He will throw boulders from the mountains at his foes . He is able to wield powerful magic and because of his age , he knows many spells from thousands of years ago which have been largely forgotten as of 1374 DR . He hates the idea of employing traps or ambushes , or any other form of premeditation where combat is concerned . History . Palarandusk was on Faerûn before the founding of Netheril , circa - 3800 DR , and hunted wyvern s on the Sword Coast North . He was enslaved by the Netherese sorcerer Mileirigath in Netheril ' s early history , and used as a test subject for the spells of Mileirigath and his apprentices . He remained in captivity until the fall of Netheril in - 339 DR , when he seized as many spellbooks as he could before fleeing . Under the name " the Sun Dragon " he protected Neverwinter several times , from orc hordes and from the Moonshaes . The Sun Dragon remains a well - known hero in Neverwinter as of 1374 DR , and some human s have been known to pray to him . As he continued to age , the threat of challenges from younger , more able dragons increased , to the point where he was forced into hiding , rather than accept one of these challenges , lose it , and leave Neverwinter and its surroundings unprotected . He particularly feared the Arcane Brotherhood , worrying that they would enslave him , like what had happened to him before . Palarandusk ( in human form ) purchased a mansion to the southeast of Neverwinter and used it as a personal library and a place where he could study his spellbooks . A band of adventurers later destroyed the house using magic , while Palarandusk was still in it . Although he managed to escape , his body had been badly damaged and was only held together with magic . It was after this that Palarandusk created a new physical form for himself , enabling him to transform into his invisible , inaudible state . It was also due to the injuries sustained during this attack that Palarandusk decided he was not fit to defend Neverwinter . He spent some time travelling the Sword Coast but found that most of it was unrecognisable compared to how he remembered it during his youth , and he felt that his true purpose was as a guardian . He wanted to be close to a large community , but all those in the area were human cities , and after his previous experiences , he did not want to get too close to human magic . He eventually settled in the Sword Mountains , fairly near to the human city of Waterdeep , and chose to watch over the gnome village of Ieirithymbul . In 940 DR , Palarandusk prevented Rauragh ' s orc horde from the Sword Mountains from attacking Waterdeep . He was also responsible for killing Cult of the Dragon wizard Radiglar ( known as the " Worm - tamer " ) and destroyed Koroaver ' s Raiders , preventing them from creating a Zhentarim mining stronghold . Palarandusk has been keen to keep his identity concealed , but there have been a few wizards who have sought him out in order to trade magic . He has generally given them only a brief audience , but one wizard from Neverwinter gave him a magical rod whose powers he could drain to boost his own . He has long since drained all the magic from the rod .