Malakar was the iron-fisted head warden of the Prison of the Forsaken in Menzoberranzan for three decades, a figure whose legendary cruelty surpassed even the harsh standards of the Drow city. He took sadistic pleasure in his charges' suffering and was deeply corrupt, using the prison as a waypoint for The Underdark slave trade and pocketing a cut of the illicit profits.

His brutal reign met its end during a massive prison riot, orchestrated by rival Drow houses who sought to seize his illicit wealth amidst the chaos. The prisoners, fueled by years of hatred, cornered Malakar in the deepest part of the prison. There, they subjected him to a slow and agonizing death.

However, Malakar's spirit was too steeped in malice and avarice to pass on into the afterlife. It became irrevocably anchored to the Catacombs of Woe beneath the prison, the final resting place of those he had tormented in life. There, his soul was twisted by unresolved hatred and the dark energies of The Underdark.

Now, as the Shadewarden, he exists as a spectral echo of his former tyranny. This transformation was a direct consequence of the very chaos he helped create, such as that seen during events like The Betrayal in the Forsaken Prison where an elemental engine was unleashed. Bound eternally to the Catacombs of Woe, Malakar remains ever vigilant, plotting his escape from this spectral prison.