Professor Valerius

Professor Valerius
Title: Scholar of the First Tongue
Role: Valerius is a human academic from the University of Kigum who has been granted a "temporary" research permit in Dal-Dur. He is obsessed with the "First Tongue"—the language spoken by the dragons. He is often seen in the city’s public plazas, trying to transcribe the ancient runes carved into the walls.
Secret Motivation: Valerius is actually an agent of Aurelius the Golden. His "research" is a cover for his real mission: to identify the "Sleeping Dragons" that are hidden within the mountain itself. He uses a specialized "Aether-Resonator" to map the dragon’s life signs. He is beginning to suspect that Dal-Dur isn't just a city—it's a "Cage" designed to keep an ancient dragon trapped.
Adventure Hook: Valerius hires the party to "escort" him to a restricted area of the mines where he believes a "major linguistic discovery" is waiting. The area is actually the site of one of the Sleeping Dragons.