“I saw the Madwyrm once. It was enough.”
—Lord Sulatesh of the Burning Blade, commander of Kintam Sulat
For those who study it, the sparse history of dragons in Sarlona is punctuated by regular tales of rogues driven mad by the pursuit of psionic power. The strange energy of psionics often reacts poorly with the arcane potential of the children of Siberys. However, Sarlona is a land steeped in psionics, from the ancient ruins of the yuan-ti to the hanbalani altas that focus and shape the collective mind-power of the people of Riedra. A small number of rogue dragons are drawn to the arts of the mind—and to the destructive madness that inevitably results.
Gornath is a native Sarlonan, born in the Frostblade foothills of the Tashana Tundra. From his lair on the Tundra–Riedra frontier, he ranges through virtually all the lands of Sarlona except central Riedra (which holds the great cities of the Inspired) and eastern Syrkarn (where lairs Qataakhast, self-styled guardian of that land). From Ohr Kaluun to Adar, Gornath has begun to unite other rogue dragons and isolated clans of persecuted yuan-ti in the name of his own twisted version of draconic destiny. In his madness, he sees psionics as the next stage of draconic evolution, and he is the paragon and path through which that evolution will unfold.
Description
Gornath is a young adult red dragon, though he is barely recognizable as such. Endless skirmishes with the Harmonious Shield have combined with the ravaging effect of his pursuit of psionic power to twist his form. His body is deeply scarred, the dull red of his gnarled scales flecked with black.
His jet-black wings and neck frill are shredded, trailing flayed skin that creates a distinctive hiss as he flies. Each of his frill-spikes has been set with a skull (mostly yuan-ti and human), and a heavy mithral chain strung with yuan-ti and half-giant skulls adorns his throat. The teeth of his reeking maw are jagged stumps, stained the same red-black as his tongue and his unblinking eyes.
Even more disturbing than Gornath’s physical appearance is his reputation in battle. The Madwyrm attacks with no provocation or thought to his own safety, and is as likely to decimate ranks of weaker creatures as he is to take on foes stronger than himself. He typically leads off with a maximized breath weapon attack, often after casting invisibility to get into optimal position. Gornath otherwise eschews spellcasting in battle with lesser creatures, but he uses his potent psionic powers against the weak-willed.
Minions
The Madwyrm’s minions rarely last long enough to be noteworthy, and Gornath has run through countless yuan-ti lieutenants and acolytes over his lifetime. One exception is Zrayanu (N male yuan-ti pureblood egoistEPH 10), the cunning leader of a sect that has served Gornath favorably for nearly ten years. When Zrayanu’s predecessor underestimated the dragon’s need for obedience, his skull was quickly added to Gornath’s collection. Zrayanu does not intend to make the same mistake, and he has instilled in his followers a maniacal devotion to the Madwyrm.
To his yuan-ti thralls, Gornath has become the essence of Syrkarn, the mystical force rumored to lie sleeping beneath the ruined yuan-ti city of Sustrai Mor. Over the past ten years, a number of yuan-ti clans and more than a few rogue dragons have joined this de facto cult. This movement is a source of concern to scholars in Sarlona and Khorvaire alike, who fear that the ruins of Sustrai Mor in fact hold a bound rakshasa rajah.
The yuan-ti cultists have begun to use the protective influence of the rogue dragons to spread beyond their native Syrkarn, reportedly pushing across the Andnemun desert frontier and into Borunan. Seeking to follow the Madwyrm’s example, the rogues call themselves the Gornatha and study the psionic mysteries with the yuan-ti’s aid. As the Madwyrm’s following grows, so does his power.
In addition to a shifting entourage of yuan-ti and other dragons, Gornath has the fealty of four phrenic manticores (EPH 205) that guard his lair.
Allies And Enemies
The rogue dragons who pay fealty to Gornath are fairweather allies at best. The most notorious are Azhnylix, a juvenile bronze dragon of Ohr Kaluun, and the sibling adult white dragons Basnetix and Basnetar, who control a vast swath of territory in the northernmost reaches of the Tundra. All make full use of their association with the Madwyrm, if only because as long as his cult continues to rise, Riedra focuses its attention on him rather than on them.
Despite his relatively young age, Gornath is one of the most notorious rogue dragons of the past century. The Harmonious Shield typically takes an approach of careful observation and quiet containment when dealing with the dragons of Sarlona, but Gornath is an exception. From Adar to the Frostblade frontier, Riedran units have standing orders to destroy the dragon on sight. At the highest levels of Harmonious Shield command, rumors suggest that the Conclave of Siberys has actually asked the Inspired to slay the Madwyrm.
Adventure Seeds
Any encounter between a PC party and Gornath has little potential for anything but bloodshed. The Madwyrm is hedonistic, merciless, and dangerously insane.
Treasure Hunt: The PCs have come to Sarlona seeking a psionic artifact of great power. However, they discover too late that the Madwyrm covets this same relic, and that he will stop at nothing to get it.
Friends of My Enemies: The PCs come to the aid of a good dragon under attack by a flight of evil rogues. However, when it is revealed that the good dragon is a cultist of the Madwyrm, the party must decide whether to throw in with the evil dragons, who wish to see Gornath’s power checked.
Prophecy Found: A fragment of the twisted exegesis in Gornath’s lair makes its way to Argonnessen, where a group of dragon prophets determines it is a missing piece of Prophetic lore. The PCs are charged with infiltrating a yuan-ti cult to gain access to the Madwyrm’s lair.