Filro

Filro the Forgotten is a hostile male drow wizard located in the Dread Hollow area of the Underdark.

Involvement

Act One

Filro is located near the Sussur Tree in the Underdark. He is hostile toward the party from the start and fights alongside the  Hook Horrors, that patrol around the Sussur Tree. Filro holds the  Icy Crystal, one of the three pieces required to rebuild the powerful  Mourning Frost.

He can be communed with using  Speak with Dead.

History

 Xargrim, Filro, and  Dhourn were trying to find the Adamantine Forge somewhere within the Underdark. Filro was tasked with learning about any defense mechanisms within the forge and learned of a guardian of the forge that could be injured while it was in magma, and was vulnerable to a "hot hammer".

Abandoned by his companions after they turned on each other, Filro was found by a pack of Hook Horrors who took him in and cared for him.

Speak with Dead

• Who are you?

  • Filro

    Filro... forgotten... forsaken...

• You lived among these creatures?

  • Filro

    My pack... found me... fed me... gnome flesh...

• How did you come to be here?

  • Filro

    Chasing... mystery... riddle... lie... the Adamantine Forge...

    • The Adamantine Forge - what is that?

      • Filro

        Workshop... of great Silouv... Yali...

        • Filro

          Artefacts... beyond price...

    • Where would I find this forge?

      • Filro

        Location... was Dhourn's task... I learned... of the Guardian...

        • What's the 'Guardian'?

          • Filro

            Protector... of the Adamantine Forge...

            • Filro

              Born... from hellish heat... in hellish heat... destroyed...

    • Who is this Dhourn your records mention?

      • Filro

        Friend... enemy... like Xargrim

• The glowing tree - what is it?

  • Filro

    It... stills the Weave... protects me from... the others...

    • What others?

      • Filro

        Xargrim... Dhourn...

        • Filro

          Three seek... Adamantine Forge... only one of us... may find...

Reading Filro's notes before speaking with his corpse unlocks the question "Your notes mention a 'Guardian' - what is it?", which results in the same answer as above.

If the party killed the nearby  Hook Horrors, the interacting party member must pass a check first before Filro answers any questions:

• [DECEPTION] You're confused. I would never harm something as beautiful as your beloved. (DC 20)
• [PALADIN OF KELEMVOR] [CLERIC OF KELEMVOR] [PERSUASION] If you wish to see your beloved in the afterlife, I can smooth the way. (DC 10)
• [BERSERKER] [INTIMIDATION] ANSWER ME! (DC 15 )
• [WARLOCK] [SORCERER] [INTIMIDATION] You are in my power. I do not ask, I command. (DC 15)

If the check is failed while  disguised, it can be removed and Speak with Dead can be re-cast as if the check was passed.

Combat

Attacks and abilities

 Fire Bolt ()

Damage: 1~10

1d10⁠Fire

Hurl a mote of fire.

 Range: 18 m (60 ft)

 Hold Person ( + )

Hold a humanoid enemy still. They can't Move, Act, or React. Attacks from within 3 m / 10 ft are always Critical Hits. At the end of each turn, the affected creature can make a  Wisdom Saving Throw to end this condition.

 WIS Save

 Range: 18 m (60 ft)

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 Hypnotic Pattern ( + )

 Hypnotise creatures that can see the pattern. They cannot attack you. They cannot move nor act.

This spell can be cast while you are  Silenced.

 WIS Save

 Range: 18 m (60 ft)

 Shield ( + )

When you are about to be hit by an enemy, use your Reaction to increase your  Armour Class by 5. You also take no damage from  Magic Missile. These effects last until the start of your next turn.

 Range: Self

 Tasha's Hideous Laughter ( + )

Leave a creature  Prone with laughter, without the ability to get up.

 WIS Save

 Range: 18 m (60 ft)

 Thunderwave ( + )

Damage: 2~16

2d8⁠Thunder

Release a wave of thunderous force that pushes away all creatures and objects in an area, while also dealing Thunder damage.

 CON Save

 Melee: 1.5 m (5 ft)

Allies

•  Hook Horror - 4x

Encounter details

Filro uses the the height advantage he has among the cliffs and roots to throw down debilitating spells onto intruders for the hook horrors to pick off. He favors casting  Tasha's Hideous Laughter to make his enemies fall  Prone, leaving them open for a Hook Horror's deadly  Multiattack (Hook Horror). Grouping up near him on the high ground can also lead to a lethal outcome if he uses his  Thunderwave to shove party members off the cliff.

If the  Bulette is still alive when the party begins the fight with Filro and the Hook Horrors, then there is a chance of it burrowing out of the ground to join the fight. Its  Territorial passive leads to it attacking the Hook Horrors before going after the party.

Tactics

Filro has low Wisdom and Charisma, making him weak to spells with such Saving Throws. A well aimed  Shove can also instantly kill him via fall damage or by knocking him into a chasm, though in the latter case the  Icy Crystal he carries will be lost.

The party can also consider not fighting the Bulette until it makes its appearance during this fight. The Bulette and Hook Horrors deal good damage to each other, potentially weakening all of them enough for the party to make easier kills.

Also, if  Sovereign Glut is an Attached Follower, it can use its Animating Spores ability to revive a Hook Horror as a "Spore Servant", allowing use of their powerful natural abilities against the other Horrors and the insane wizard.

Loot

• Icy Crystal
• Potion of Feather Fall
• Quarterstaff
• Scribbled Notes
• Scroll of Mirror Image
• Scroll of Misty Step
• Scroll of Sleep
• Simple Robe

Related literature

• Tattered Scroll

Related quests

• ⁠The Adamantine Forge

Notes

• If the party kill Filro before encountering Dhourn, they can tell Dhourn this instead of discussing the Adamantine Forge. If the party deceive Dhourn into believing Filro had nothing of note, combat with Dhourn can be avoided entirely.
• Filro can be heard singing a song to himself before he is approached and triggers combat. The lyrics are: "The Bitch Queen shan't take me, my joy, ahoy / Bellows and swallows, my joy, ahoy / Melinda, my true love, my true love, my true... / Where have you got to, my darling, my joy"

External links

• ⁠Filro on the Forgotten Realms Wiki