Dedryk Black

Dedryk Black was a notorious Sharran who long lived within the Wheloon Prison, and became the priestly leader of a Sharran cult that operated from a hideout in the Storm Horns foothills of Cormyr in the late 15 century DR.
==Description==
Dedryk Black was a powerful human man with red hair gathered in a ponytail and a trimmed red beard. He had a light skin tone and wore Sharran robes dyed in dark purple hues.
==Personality==
Dedryk was a true believer in Shar, seeing her dominion over the world as both righteous and inevitable. He had a special hatred for the Wheloon prison, and regarded it as a horrid place that nobody deserved to be thrown into. He was no blind fanatic, however, and could be appealed to with rationality in regards to his own survival, and that of his flock.
==Abilities==
The cultist leader wielded an enchanted bladed shield that glowed with Shar's magic and used a chakram in battle. He possessed a knowledge of fearsome dark magics like disintegrate and Abi-Dalzim's horrid wilting.
==History==
Dedryk originally lived as a regular farmer in Wheloon, and came to the service of Shar along with many other residents. When the town was turned into an enormous prison due to their discovery by the Purple Dragons, Dedryk's faith was not shaken, and many years later he was able to escape by passing through the Shadowfell. He eventually reached the Storm Horns in northern Cormyr and assembled a group of criminals and cultists in an underground hideout.
The Cormyrean Magistrates Abella Toth, Celia Pendrick, and Barthold Moncrief pursued signs of his cult's activity to Eveningstar, and tasked a band of adventurers from the world of Eberron with investigating the foothills of the Stormhorn mountains. Though they were well hidden, used many traps, and fought hard (including using a poorly-controlled owlbear), he and many of his disciples were captured and handed over to the Purple Dragon knights.
The Magistrate Barthold Moncrief then took Dedryk and the other prisoners with him on the Wheloon Prison boat from Eveningstar to Wheloon, with Dedryk in particular kept contained within many-layered War Wizard spells. Wary of the danger from the cultists' allies, the convoy was protected by a heavy bodyguard of Purple Dragons and the continued service of the adventurers. While camping one night on the banks of the Wyvernflow south of Wheloon, the convoy was ambushed by lizardfolk, who swarmed the defenders in an attempt to free the Sharrans. When the tide of battle turned against them, the shaman Srass Marnanr emerged from the river and used dimension door to vanish alongside Dedryk, absconding with the most valuable prize. Unwilling to let the mercenary lizardfolk get away with their raid, Moncrief sent his forces into the wilderness in pursuit of Dedryk, overcoming a war party led by the hulking Rynarr Nosryrr. They eventually found the enemy camp, containing Dedryk and the shaman Srass Marnanr. Before Dedryk could be freed from his incapacitating wards, his savior Srass Marnanr was killed, and the unlucky Sharran was returned to custody.
Dedryk soon after reached Wheloon, and was taken to the Magistrate's Office at the Wheloon Docks for interrogation. Magistrate Cornelius Latrimor had been unsuccessful in learning anything, and so let the adventurers who had caught him twice take a turn. Though he spoke mostly threats and curses, Dedryk did mention that he had passed through the shadows themselves to freedom, and was willing to entertain a small measure of cooperation to ensure the safety of himself and his followers. Before the interrogation could proceed much further, the whole area was assaulted by the forces of Returned Netheril as they overlapped the docks with the Shadowfell itself, allowing a small army of living shadows and enraged prisoners to burst into the Cormyrean position from the inside. While the defenders fought off the attack, the shadar-kai assassin Teralyn shadowstepped into the Magistrates office, slew Magistrate Latrimor, and sent Dedryk back into the shadows to freedom. Before Teralyn could escape herself, she was cornered by the vengeful heroes from Eberron and slain in battle. The fate of Dedryk after that was unknown.
==Appendix==
===Gallery===
Dedryk Black's sharran hideout.jpg|The cave hideout of Dedryk Black's Sharran cultists.
Dedryk Black convoy to Wheloon.jpg|Dedryk Black's prison convoy's route to Wheloon.
===Appearances===
===References===
Category:Humans
Category:Cultists
Category:Criminals
Category:Wizards
Category:Farmers
Category:Priests and priestesses
Category:Worshipers of Shar
Category:Inhabitants of Wheloon
Category:Inhabitants of Wheloon Prison
Category:Inhabitants of Cormyr
Category:Inhabitants of the Storm Horns
Category:Inhabitants of the Eastern Heartlands
Category:Inhabitants of Interior Faerûn
Category:Inhabitants of Faerûn
Category:Inhabitants of Toril
Category:Inhabitants
Category:Year of Metropolises