Adalon

Adalon is a silver dragon who attempted to keep peace between the drow and the surface elves by guarding the passageway between the surface and the Underdark, often being successful. According to past lore, Adalon was married. She and her mate fought a powerful evil, but he perished in the attempt. After destroying it, she was granted a wish. At first, she attempted to resurrect her husband, but that was not possible. So instead, she wished for his spirit to fertilize some eggs.
==Overview==
In Baldur's Gate II, Adalon will ask Gorion's Ward and party to retrieve her eggs after they were stolen by Jon Irenicus, as a way for the wizard to ensure that she wouldn't dare meddle in his schemes. She will ask the party to infiltrate the drow city of Ust Natha and retrieve her eggs disguised as drow. By doing this, the party will be able to return to the surface, so as to continue on their quest to defeat Bodhi and Irenicus.
If the player retrieves her eggs intact, Adalon will facilitate a way to the surface, and give a reward from her hoard. If the eggs are destroyed, Adalon will fight the player. Her blood may be used to help complete the Human Flesh armor. See the Finish the leather armor begun by Rejiek Hidesman quest page for details.
==Gameplay==
Upon first making way through the darkened staircase leading to Adalon' lair, the party will eventually observe the magnificent form of the Silver Dragon.
Adalon will address the party. She will know if the party obtained the Light Gem from Goldander Blackenrock by doing the good deed of destroying the Balor (Underdark), and she'll also know if it was obtained in other fashion, such as being stolen. If it was obtained in an underhanded fashion, then the dragon will make known her displeasure and say:
"You have come here through trickery, without granting the wishes of Goldander Blackenrock. He and his people will fall to the balor they unearthed because of it."
If any murders of the Svirfneblin gnomes have occurred, she will also know this and likely say:
"You committed pointless murder in your travels, leaving Therndle with no son, and you used trickery to get here without helping Goldander Blackenrock. If they are not dead now, they soon will be. You are vile in many ways, but I have need of you. I also know that you have need of me." 
Further dialogue will continue, as she explains her purpose, and may answer a question or two. She knows of Bhodi and Irenicus. but eventually will inform the party that she requires a task be performed. Adlaon explains:
*"The two you seek, this Bodhi and Jon Irenicus, I believe they have made a deal with the drow for their own safe passage and offered a way to tip the scales against their elven enemy."
*"You may ask why I do not extend my influence. I cannot. Irenicus bargained with my most prized possession. He violated my lair and stole from me. They have taken my eggs."
*"I have been informed that to move from my lair is to cause the destruction of my eggs. It is the final straw in a long list of atrocities I have been witness to."
*"You must retrieve them for me. Do this, and I will reveal a safe escape route to leave the Underdark, one that emerges close to where Irenicus plots his next move."
If you agree to do the task, Adalon will give instructions, and explain how her powerful magic will make the party appear as drow. She also gives a plausible back story for you to adopt, instructing the party to pretend they are from the drow city of Ched Nasad. Gorion's Ward should use the common name "Veldrin". In this manner and using subterfuge, the party is to find her eggs, and safely return them to her. In return she shall assist in leaving the Underdark and give a worthy item from her hoard as an extra reward.
If the party refuses, then finding a way out of the Underdark can only be accomplished by other means. The party has no idea how to do that, if it is even possible, and must figure it out on their own. No clues are provided in the game about leaving the Underdark without Adalon's help.
The most optimal way of leaving the Underdark is to undertake the quest to retrieve Adalon's Dragon Eggs. Unless the party is granted an illusory disguise to appear as, speak as, and understand the drow language, then there is no really ideal method to leave the Underdark.
It will also be impossible to enter the city of Ust Natha unless the party is disguised to appear as drow. Even if the party has a drow party member such as Viconia DeVir, that won't be enough to allow entry. In practical terms, the game saga is designed to encourage the party pursue the Dragon Egg quest. There really is no good game playing reason to try and figure out a way to get out of it, as the rewards (especially Experience points) for the quest are substantial, plus there is more adventuring, and over all immersive play opportunity. 
However, there are two ways to avoid the Dragon Egg quest and to depart the Underdark, if the player is bent on doing that:
* Agree to perform the quest for Adalon, and receive the illusion enchantment to appear and speak like the drow. If desired, the party can make their way to the Underdark exit gate (now disguised as drow) and bargain/negotiate with the drow gate guardians. A high charisma and the presence of Viconia in the party can assist with better dialogue choices. In short, you can pay a bribe to be let out and pass through to the passage leading to the surface. Once the party leaves the Underdark, the illusion is removed, and Baldur's Gate II Chapter 6 will start.
* Another way is to attack Adalon (with or without agreeing to perform her quest), and if the dragon is destroyed, loot her corpse for the Note. Possession of this note is one of the ways to open the locked door from the Underdark to the underground elven temple transition. That door is sealed with special magic - it can only be opened by Adalon, the drow guardians, or if the party has the Note. 
If the party has indeed managed to secure Adalon's eggs, and is ready to leave the Underdark, then return to her lair. A reward will be given, and then she'll eventually change to a more appropriate form as a humanoid and teleport the party and herself to an area close to the exit gate and the Drow gate guardians in the Western Tunnels, assist with a spell cast, and then take her leave. As promised, she has broken the ward on the exit gate, but the party will still need to battle through the guardians, although she will cast a spell to weaken the defenders.
It's possible to kill Adalon before this occurs. Perhaps the party is interested in obtaining a Blood of a Silver Dragon. This can be attempted in two ways. Try it in her humanoid form or do it in her Dragon form. In the human form, after she change shape and teleport you near the exit of Underdark. You should use spells like finger of death otherwise she could turn hostile and teleport. If killed this way you will get full experience for the kill, and you can freely loot her. This can is difficult to accomplish, due to timing restriction, as she will teleport away once made hostile. If the player isn't bothered by "save scumming", and just reloading until it is successful, well, then it can be accomplished at some point. This instant death attempt will not work with Sword Coast Stratagems installed.
It's also possible, though considerably more difficult, to complete the quest and still have Adalon be killed in dragon form. Through very precise timing (and some luck on saving throws), you can begin the conversation to return the eggs and reap the rewards, whilst simultaneously attacking her, perhaps with by an instant-kill spells (such as Finger of Death). This doesn't provide any other benefits to the method described above, and you do not get teleported to the exit of the Underdark. The instant death attempt will not work with Sword Coast Stratagems installed.
Certainly, a full-on battle with the Silver Dragon may provide a way for an evil party to test their mettle.
===Fighting Adalon===
Should the party instigate an attack on Adalon, or if Adalon herself initiates hostilities the following actions will occur:
*If Adalon is in its humanoid form and attacked, the dragon automatically is protected with an application of Stoneskin, and also instantly shows a "dryad teleportation" animation and disappears from the map, gone from the game for good. If the dragon is somehow slain before this occurs, then a body will be seen where the form died, plus an XP reward is granted, and the corpse can be looted. There is only a limited time for the form to suffer death, and it will be difficult to do. 
*If Adalon is attacked in its Dragon Form, which can only occur in its lair, then the dragon will instantly deploy several protective and debuffing spells, including Stoneskin and Remove Magic. She'll also get up an innate version of Minor Spell Turning and a Death Ward for self-protection.
*If the Dragon's original Hit Points drop to a threshold of 50%, then an instant Heal spell will be applied, and a resetting of globals to begin getting ready for a timed increment counter to unleash Remove Magic, Dragon Fear, Haste and Wing Buffet. These will deploy shortly thereafter.
In between these events, Adalon will engage in physical combat with any party member in range using her melee attack.
Expect that the closest party members will be exposed to Dragon Fear, Remove Magic, and dragon Wing buffet.
All dragons have a specific type of breath attack, and the silver dragon is no exception. However, Adalon has two varieties of breath weapon, one which inflicts cold damage, and the other a paralyzing breath that actually applies a Stun effect. Saving throws will apply to these for half damage and to negate the status effects, but magic resistance and spell level immunity protection like Spell Turning or Spell Trap offer no protection.
During the battle she will attempt several offensive damage and or disabling spells depending on target opportunities, such as Silence, 15' Radius, Ice Storm, Hold Person, Chromatic Orb and a few others. 
== Party reaction to fighting Adalon ==
Several good-aligned party members will take exception to siding with the Lesser Demon Lord in the final stages of the Matron Mother Ardulace Despana's ritual. They will either become hostile to the PC or just leave the party forever.
However, this is not the case if the party attacks Adalon (which seems like an oversight). For example, while Keldorn Firecam will fight the party if siding with the Lesser Demon Lord, he won't have a reaction if the party attacks Adalon, and will carry on as normal.
The only exception to this is Rasaad yn Bashir. He will leave the party permanently if Adalon is attacked, so plan accordingly.
==Gallery==
Adalon.jpg|Sideview of the dragon's appearance, Enhanced Edition (2017)
UD Adalon 1.png|With the Light Gem in hand, the party descends into the dark cave to find the silver dragon.
Attack Adalon.png|If the party attacks Adalon, a journal entry will update, and she turns hostile. Shortly after, her illusionary disguise is removed from the party if they had received it.
== Achievements ==
===Silver Dragon Slayer===
Slew the silver dragon, Adalon.
==Mod Content==
With Sword Coast Stratagems mod installed and the "Smarter Dragons" component, Adalon has some revisions which are responsive to the game difficulty settings. Adalon has all the immunities and powers of the unmodified dragon, with the following additional changes:
*Adalon is a 23 Hit Dice dragon (casts spells at level 23)
*762 Hit Points (depends on difficulty setting)
*3.5 Attacks per round (4 with Haste)
*Note that with SCS, all Dragon melee weapons (claws/bite) have weapon range reach of 5. They can strike at opponents several rows back.
Immunities in addition to the unmodified dragon version:
*Intelligence Modification (Feeblemind will still work)
*Backstab
*Blindness
*Imprisonment
*Slay
*Kill target
*Power Word, Stun
*Most Cold based spells (Ice Storm, Cone of Cold etc.)
*With this mod, Adalon has a finite number of spells available in memory, and the Dragon's AI will select when to cast them based upon a smarter opponent vulnerability and threat assessment. For example, party members that are protected vs. magical weapon won't be attacked in melee combat until it is expired or removed. Those with no protection to cold damage will be targeted with spells or breath weapon dealing cold damage. 
Adalon has an opening Spell Sequencer that applies Dragon Fear, Dispel Magic, Death Ward, Spell Deflection, and Haste, which is uninterruptible and takes only 1 second to deploy. All party members in range not protected from fear must make a saving throw or possibly suffer panic. Adalon also has Stoneskin already applied without the need for casting it.
Adalon's Blood Mod is available to bargain with the Silver Dragon to get some of her blood. This blood can be used to resolve the Finish the leather armor begun by Rejiek Hidesman quest. Instead of trying to slay her for the blood, you can convince her to give you some of her own Silver Dragon's Blood voluntarily - if you do a task for her.
==Mod Gallery==
:Portraits from Portraits Portraits Everywhere
UDSILVER.jpg|thumb|Adalon, Silver Dragon - "Silence! I... I will tell you when you may speak. This is a VERY important matter, and I will not be interrupted." 
UD Adalon 2.png|The party makes contact with the dragon, and she speaks for the first time in a rich voice full of serene power.
Adalon gives reward.png|Approaching Adalon with her Dragon Eggs leads to a reward from her hoard.
Adalon Suitable Form.png|The Silver dragon explains that she will take a more suitable form before escorting the party to the Underdark Exit.
Adalon Escort to Gate.png|In human appearing form she transports the party to the Exit area adjacent to the Drow gate guardians. Enemy group composition changed by SCS mod, pictured here.
Adalon Assists.png|Adalon assist the party with a "Banishment" spell upon a Glabrezu of the drow gate guardians, with SCS. It will be a Slow spell effect in the unmodded game.
Adalon Farewell.png|Adalon takes her leave of the party, with closing remarks and then teleporting away. She will be gone from the game at this point.
Adalon Buffs.png|If the party attacks Adalon in her lair - here is a screenshot of her opening buffs and Dispel Magic cast with SCS.
Blood of a Silver 1.png|the Adalon's Blood mod adds dialogue options to ask her for some blood. Screenshot of that in play.
Blood of a Silver 12.png|After fulfilling a task for the dragon, Adalon bestows some of her blood and a final warning.
==External links==
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