My scores are in and WOW this was a tough one to judge.  At least three entries caused me to break out the Tums.  First, I liked them.  Then after I thought about it and decided they had considerable problems.  Then I thought about it again and realized they were good after all.  Then I had to decide just how much better one entry would be over another.  Then had to rescale the points 'cuz I didn't feel right giving perfect scores to four different entries for certain components of the entry.

This is too much like work. 

For something to pass the time, I submit my own (somewhat sketchy) entry into the ring.

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Nightshade, the Ancient Purple Dragon (Level 28 Solo Controller)

"...and a scion of the Lord of Hells shall rise to challenge the Throne  of Death.  Thus shall mark the End of Days..." - Sage Ventus the Wise, on his deathbed (c. 634 in the Year of the Wolf).

The PCs have been contacted by an agent of the dragon and lead through a maze of underground tunnels to a large cavern.  The PCs are left alone in the cavern with only the soft illumination of phospherescent mosses dotting the ceiling like green stars in a pitch black sky.  A few moments later, a deep voice rumbles from the darkness ahead, intoning gutteral arcane words in draconic.  A soft light begins shining from a nearby stalagmite and casts shadows around the huge cavern.  From one of those shadows slides an impossibly long, sinuous form.  The scales on its body glittering like milions of dark amethysts in the soft light.  It coils itself before them and regards them coolly.

"Greetings adventurers.  Allow me to introduce myself.  I, as you probably have guessed, am the great Nightshade.  Incredibly, I am in need of your services.  Please, make yourselves comfortable and heed my tale.

"As you know, the city of Farreach lies not far from my home.  Many dragons would not tolerate such an incursion into their domain.  However, unknown to most of the peoples of this land, the city leaders and I have an understanding.  You see, at the beginning of every lunar cycle, they present me with a gift, or what they term a "sacrifice."  Usually it is a young child, or young woman; I prefer the women, you know.  In exchange for this delicacy, I agree to allow the city to exist and I don't overtly involve myself in the affairs of the mortals in the area.

"This last cycle, I was presented with a young woman who was late with child!  I was amazed that such a gift would be presented to me, knowing the tendencies of your race.  I was so enamored with the woman that I spoke with her at length concerning why she had been chosen to be given to me.  She claimed that the child he was carrying was begotten by an infernal creature which had forced itself upon her.  Farreach's rulers felt that giving her to me would solve their problem of appeasing me and dealing with a bastard devil-child.  Well, I was annoyed with this and thought to simply kill the woman for her insolence and raze the city as an example.  Then the Sorrowsworn showed up.

"They demanded that I turn over the woman and her unborn child to them immediately.  Now I don't know what you know about etiquette concerning dragons, but one does NOT intrude upon a dragon's lair and demand ANYTHING, much less his dinner.  I was already annoyed and having a bunch of Shadowfell cretins demand anything from me stoked my anger to new heights.  Let's just say that you should watch your step over in that tunnel over there; the gore hasn't been completely cleaned by the carrion crawlers yet.

"During the battle, the woman went into labor and birthed the child near the corner in which you sit.  The Sorrowsworn began ignoring me and advanced upon the woman and child.  Not wishing to have my dinner spoiled, I quickly ended the battle and even ate two of them.  Unfortunately, Sorrowsworn leave a bit of a sour taste in my stomach, so I decided not to eat the woman and child right away.  Instead, I asked her why agents of the Raven Queen would attack her, a pauper woman with a bastard devil child.  She then told me of the Prophecy of Ventus the Wise.  I was mulling over the potential that this child could possibly be the scion of Asmodeus when again my home was invaded; this time by Astynaxx, a mighty pit fiend, and his entourage.

"Fighting Sorrowsworn is one thing.  Fighting a pit fiend and his cadre is something completely different.  Had I been at full-strength and not suffering indigestion, I could've defeated the lot of them; but they had clearly planned this ambush.  After a long, brutal battle, I succeeded in forcing Astynaxx back through the gate to Avernus and destroyed his minions.  Both the woman and child amazingly survived the battle.  I realized then that the child was most likely indeed a scion of Asmodeus and I wanted no part of it.  I cast the woman out of my lair and redoubled the defenses around my home.  I then retired to my hoard to recover my strength.  Three weeks passed while I slept, and I was awakened by my monthly tribute's arrival.  After eating her, I began plotting my revenge.  I was rightfully enraged at the loss of not only my dinner, but two cowardly intrusions into my home!  Rest assured little ones, offenses such as these are not soon forgotten by my kind and rarely escape retribution.  

"I summoned a succubus from Avernus and interrogated it concerning the child.  She admitted that Asmodeus knew not where the child was, aside from last being seen in my lair.  He was busy punishing Astynaxx for its failure and hadn't yet begun searching for the child again.  After destroying the succubus, I then summoned one of my agents; a priestess of the Raven Queen.  She revealed that the Raven Queen also did not know of the child's current location.  In addition, she tells me that the Raven Queen wants the child alive, not dead.  Here is where your part in this tale begins, my little ones.

"I want you to scour the region and find this woman and child before either the Raven Queen or Asmodeus can.  I want you to find them and destroy them.  I want this done to spite both the Raven Queen and Asmodeus for treating me and my home with such rude disrespect.

"Why not do it myself, you ask?  Because I dare not leave my lair while those two powers believe that I shelter the child.  Two intrusions is two too many, and I will NOT allow a third from either of them.  Rest assured that I shall annihilate any further trespassers in my home and follow them back from whence they came.  Only then shall they realize the mistake they've made in making an enemy of the great Nightshade!  But I digress.  I am enlisting you, little ones, because you are not normal agents of mine, so you won't easily be tied to me.  You also seem capable of defending yourselves against the other seekers of the child whom you shall surely meet along your way.

"Why should you risk your own lives to satisfy my ego?  Simple, my little insects.  You must do this for me because it is in your best interest.  Should the child be retrived by Asmodeus, he could use it to indeed fulfill the prophecy.  If the Raven Queen acquires the child, she will likely attempt to raise it as a captain in her armies and use it against Avernus.  That could throw the entire realm into chaos and destruction; something I'm sure none of us want.  Finally, lest I be too heavy-handed, you do not want me as an enemy.  In the last month, I've destroyed six Sorrowsworn retrivers and at least ten devils.  And that was on an empty stomach.  Having eaten recently, I assure you that five adventurers won't inconvenience me much.

"Now then, threats aside, I shall make it worth your while.  I offer the knowledge that I have gathered over the past two thousand years, as well as a place in my lair as a safe haven for you.  You may also have some of my extensive wealth to outfit yourselves as necessary for this task.  Do not regard this lightly, young ones.  A dragon never offers his lair to anyone, and allowing you to plunder my hoard pains me to the core.  But such is my desire to see Asmodeus' and the Raven Queen's plans go awry.

"Yes, I'm aware that both the legions of Hell and of the Shadowfell could and probably will arrive upon my doorstep once you succeed.  But that is my concern, little ones, not yours.  My time is nearing its end anyway and I prefer to go out in a blaze of glory than die an old husk on a bed of gold.

"Now then, begone with you and keep me informed of your progress!"

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Nightshade is a typical (?) ancient purple dragon.  I'd probably bump up his stats by a couple of levels just to increase his stature.

Optionals:

Greater Good, Prophecy, Warmongering: Killing an innocent child and woman to prevent them from being used by evil to fulfill a prophecy.

Favor, Influence, Lore, Wealth: All favors the dragon is willing to give to the party to aid their quest.

Friendless: Upon completion of the task, Nightshade shall divorce himself of the party to eliminate his association with them.
Enemy: The PCs may incur the wrath of either Asmodeus or the Raven Queen...or both.
Spite: Nightshade wants the child dead not for his own gains, but to disrupt the plans of those who wronged him.

Wow...9 hours an no commentary?  Tough crowd...

I like Nightshade. 
He would work great in my campaign if one of my PCs wasn't already a Tiefling outcast devil child and prophesied scion of Asmodeus.

Dregzia  Table-Test Notes Show