Oeged

Oeged has been imprisoned for nearly a millenia and dormant for more than half of that time, and this should be reflected in any interaction with him. Since the end of his reign, much has changed in the world above that he is completely unaware of. Oeged believes that the elven kingdom is still strong on the surface and that he was deposed by an unknown usurper. Having been dormant, he also does not know how long he has been imprisoned; he will initially assume that he has been underground for no more than 300 years and that his usurper is still alive.

When Oeged speaks, he changes his size to reflect his emotion. He is smallest when he is feeling amiable or is trying to persuade the characters to do his will. In this state he is only slightly larger than the average human. When he is acting imperious and grand, he becomes around three times the size and holds his posture upright. He is largest when he is angry or aggressive; he becomes like smoke, expanding to fill whatever space he is currently in. He thins out through the air and along the walls, reaching over and around the characters while his voice becomes increasingly disembodied. He will not remain this way for long, reverting to his normal size within a few seconds.

Oeged understands most languages but speaks only Elvish. If he notices that any of the characters do not speak or understand Elvish (which he might be able to discern from their expressions) he will cast the Tongues spell on himself, allowing any intelligent creature to understand him.

Initially Oeged will assume that the characters are envoys from the elven kingdom and that the magical seals on his exits are still strong. With this in mind, he will begin by asking the characters who they are and what their purpose is in awaking him. When he does he will inquire why the characters do not speak the language of his land if any of them do not speak Elvish. Among his inquiries he will try to learn who supplanted him, how many years he has been sealed away, and what has happened to his people in his absence.

If the characters correct Oeged on anything, they will find him doubtful and stubborn but not impossible to convince. He will become greatly distressed if he learns that most of his people are no longer living, and annoyed if he is told that there was no usurper and that his own kin, united, condemned him to his fate.

Oeged does not recognize or understand that transforming himself into a shadow dragon and his councillors into wraiths could possibly be the cause of his imprisonment. If the characters try to point this out to him, or otherwise mention Eclipse magic, he becomes angry. He will talk about the great benefits of using Eclipse magic and the power that can be gained from it, as well as pre-emptively refute arguments against it, as though the characters were his councillors in disagreement. This is an argument he held many times in his life towards the end of his reign, and he knows the script by heart.

Listen to me! You have witnessed the power of my magic, and yet you still do not believe? The Eclipse is a gift, granting great power to those who are willing to take it. The druids know this! They harness this true raw power for their own purposes. Why should we not, when our own purposes are far nobler than theirs? My people suffer! They scrape by with very little, living day to day, and you withhold yourselves from the tools you need to save them. You are weak-minded if you cannot see your own stupidity, and weaker still if you would allow this magic to corrupt you like you say would happen. Power is power! We have seen it and used it before, with no ill effects. You must open yourselves to the magic of the Eclipse, or suffer the pain of your own regret! Do you understand?

If Oeged discovers that the characters are not in fact envoys from the elven kingdom, or that there is no longer any elven kingdom, he will begin to suspect that the time of his imprisonment is at an end. Ultimately, freedom is what he desires. He will ask questions to the characters about how they found their way into the underground chambers and how they plan on getting out. If possible, he will try to trick the characters into allowing him to escape, thinking that he would be more likely to escape any magic seals if he were intentionally released. His persuasion tactics will progress through four stages: asking nicely, demanding aggressively, offering wealth and wishes, and threatening harm. He will not actually harm the characters, however, unless they challenge him on his threats or attack him. When they do he will try to kill them all as quickly as possible with his most potent spells.

If he sees that this sort of persuasion will not work, he will instead try to persuade the characters to leave, imagining that he will follow them and escape as well. If the characters wish to explore further areas of the catacombs, Oeged will assure them that there is nothing of interest left for them to find. When the characters do eventually leave Oeged will slip back into his form of pure shadow and follow, trying to remain unseen.