| 1 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 2 | |
| 3 | [[folder:Akharis]] |
| 4 | [[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/akharis.jpg]] |
| 5 | -> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/CurseOfTheMummy'' |
| 6 | |
| 7 | The central villain of ''Fighting Fantasy''’s take on mummy movies. The last Pharaoh of Djarat, the world of Titan's FantasyCounterpartCulture of Ancient Egypt. He was a loathsome and reviled tyrant, who created the [[ReligionOfEvil Cult of the Cobra]] dedicated to Sithera, the Goddess of Evil (in fact a guise taken by Sith, one of the [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Snake Demons]]). As he was dying poisoned by his enemies, he swore that he would return and sacrifice the entire world to Sithera, and the recently revived Cult of the Cobra is about to find his tomb in the dangerous [[ShiftingSandLand Desert of Skulls]] to resurrect him. Unless you have something to say about it of course... |
| 8 | ---- |
| 9 | * ZeroPercentApprovalRating: He was reviled by pretty much everyone in Djarat, save from fanatics as twisted as him. |
| 10 | * AchillesHeel: [[spoiler: Akharis' power is linked to the artefacts used in the mummification process, breaking them weakens him: namely the Earthenware Jars, his Funeral Mask and his Sarcophagus. Breaking the jars costs him -1 stamina per smashed jar and -1 skill per smashed pair. Destroying the sarcophagus costs him -6 stamina. Removing his mask costs him -1 skill and -2 stamina.]] |
| 11 | * AntagonistAbilities: He is superhumanly strong and durable, making him a really tough foe with stats beyond the normal maximum. |
| 12 | * AntagonistTitle: He is the mummy of the title. |
| 13 | * BackFromTheDead: The entire plot is driven by his upcoming return from the dead as a mummy. |
| 14 | * BareFistedMonk: He fights primarily with his fists, and sometimes with his claws. And he uses them well. |
| 15 | * BigBad: Downplayed, he is the threat you set out to defeat and the FinalBoss, but nothing more. He does nothing of importance for the entire story. While many a SealedEvilInACan of the series [[LeakingCanOfEvil have some influence over the threats you face and the evil that spreads]], Akharis has zero. |
| 16 | * BigBadDuumvirate: The one who leads the Cult of the Cobra in the search for Akharis's tomb and presides the ceremony to revive him, is in fact the [[DragonInChief High Priestess of Sithera]]. While technically his subordinate and much weaker than he is, she does all the actual villainous stuff, and is the foe who casts deadly magic you need special trinkets to survive, something usually reserved to {{Final Boss}}es. |
| 17 | * TheCaligula: A fanatical worshipper of evil hardly makes a good ruler. |
| 18 | * CoolMask: The funeral mask of pharaohs sure looks wicked on mummies. |
| 19 | * {{Curse}}: Should Akharis return, Titan as a whole will be reduced to a barren, sandy desert forever covered with dark clouds, full of scorpions, snakes, insects and diseases, unfit for mortal life. Where exactly did he learn how to unleash such a world-threatening curse is not explained, though it is implied that it will channel Sith's power onto the Earthly Planes to do the trick... |
| 20 | * TheDragon: He was this to Sith, being his most powerful follower on the Earthly Planes and the leader of her cult. She wants him resurrected to become this once more. |
| 21 | ** His vizier Amentut was this to him when they were alive, and his mummy still faithfully guards his treasure, but he serves as nothing more than a BossBattle, and a rather underwhelming one at that. |
| 22 | ** Also, the High Priestess intends to become this for him. |
| 23 | * ElaborateUndergroundBase: His tomb, hidden at the very heart of the local ShiftingSandLand, as a tribute to the classic movies. |
| 24 | * TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: His return and subsequent {{Curse}} would cause a continental, and very likely a global one, reducing the land to a dark and inhospitable desert. |
| 25 | * FinalBoss: With skill 13 stamina 25 (both 1 over the normal maximum) and little ways to match his might, [[ThatOneBoss Akharis puts up a tremendous fight]]. Fortunately, he can be weakened to even the odds. |
| 26 | * FeedItWithFire: [[spoiler: Do not use the Iron Rod, lest its evil magic boosts him with +1 skill and +3 stamina.]] |
| 27 | * TheFundamentalist: He is fanatically devoted to Sith, and devoted most of his reign to expand her cult. |
| 28 | * GenericDoomsdayVillain: He is very evil and dangerous, but he lacks characterization, has little role in the story proper, and is pretty much only there to provide a suitably epic FinalBattle. |
| 29 | * GlowingEyelightsOfUndeath: Made even creepier with his mask. |
| 30 | * TheHeavy: Akharis is featured in the title and on the cover, he founded the Cult of the Cobra, the main antagonistic force throughout the story, and your goal is to prevent his return, driving the plot. But his only role in the story proper is to be the FinalBoss. |
| 31 | * HumanSacrifice: He sacrificed countless people to satisfy his foul idol's lust for blood. |
| 32 | * KillItWithFire: As per tradition, you destroy him for good by throwing him into the cult's magical fires after beating him. [[spoiler: Normal fire won't work, as the High Priestess was cautious enough to cast a spell protecting him from it.]] |
| 33 | * LivingMacGuffin: Well, for a pretty lax definition of "living"... You search his tomb to destroy him (and pocket his treasure while you are at it. HeroismWontPayTheBills after all), and the Cult of the Cobra is searching it to bring about his second coming. |
| 34 | * LoadBearingBoss: Defeating him causes the temple to collapse. Forcing you to escape to fully succeed. [[spoiler: Though it does not collapse right after your victory, but after you destroy Sith's animated statue.]] |
| 35 | * LongLived: Akharis died at 156... |
| 36 | * MalevolentMaskedMan: The evil mummy of a fanatical demon-worshipper, wearing a funeral mask. |
| 37 | * MarathonBoss: He is exceptionally resilient, so dealing damage before the battle is advised. |
| 38 | * MaskPower: His funeral mask empowers him. [[spoiler: But taking it off weakens him significantly.]] |
| 39 | * MonsterLord: As the mummy of a pharaoh, Akharis dominates {{Mooks}}-level mummies. |
| 40 | * {{Mummy}}: Well duh! |
| 41 | * NaturalWeapon: His fists and claws. He needs nothing else. |
| 42 | * NephariousPharaoh: He went down in history as the worst tyrant Djarat ever known. |
| 43 | * NoSell: [[spoiler: Akharis resists spells and normal fire, so try instead to decrease his stats.]] |
| 44 | * OmnicidalManiac: He wants to wipe out life on the surface of Titan. |
| 45 | * PostFinalBoss: Akharis is both the FinalBoss and this, as he is fought again after his first defeat, albeit considerably Worfed. [[spoiler: To clarify, after defeating him you need an Ankh to avoid getting crushed when Sith animates the statue in her likeness. She then revives him a second time, to stall you during the collapse of the temple.]] Fortunately, he has only skill 8 stamina 10, but you must defeat him in a limited amount of time before the temple crumbles on you, and must then escape the temple to fully succeed. |
| 46 | * RedEyesTakeWarning: Villains with red eyes are scarier after all. |
| 47 | * ReligionOfEvil: He founded the Cult of the Cobra, fanatical worshippers of Sithera adepts of HumanSacrifice and out to give the world on a silver platter to their demonic idol. Positively charming really... |
| 48 | * ReviveKillsZombie: [[spoiler: Dousing him with the healing Waters of Life deals heavy damage.]] |
| 49 | * SealedEvilInACan: One who not only needs to have his can opened, but to be revived as well. |
| 50 | * ShoutOut: His name is clearly inspired from Kharis, the titular mummy antagonist from the film series ''The Hand of the Mummy''. |
| 51 | * SilentAntagonist: He never utters a word, and one can wonder whether he still can. |
| 52 | * SuperStrength: Akharis is strong enough to effortlessly lift you and throw you like a rag doll. |
| 53 | * StrongAndSkilled: He is freakishly strong and powerful, but he also knows how to fight. |
| 54 | * UndeathAlwaysEnds: At soon as it started, after you're done with him. |
| 55 | * YouCantThwartStageOne: After killing the High Priestess and stopping the ritual, [[DiabolusExMachina Sith takes the matter in hand and revives him herself.]] |
| 56 | [[/folder]] |
| 57 | |
| 58 | [[folder:Balthus Dire]] |
| 59 | -->See his entry on the [[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsDemonicThree Demonic Three]] page under '''Rulers'''. |
| 60 | [[/folder]] |
| 61 | |
| 62 | [[folder:Bythos]] |
| 63 | [[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bythos_divine.jpg]] |
| 64 | [[caption-width-right:320:[[labelnote: Click here to see his human projection]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bythos_human.jpg[[/labelnote]]]] |
| 65 | -> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/SlavesOfTheAbyss'' |
| 66 | |
| 67 | Also known as [[RedBaron the Master of the Abyss]], Bythos is an extremely powerful PhysicalGod who reigns supreme over dimensions with an iron fist, and one of the few {{Big Bad}}s you do not hear about right from the start. He is capable of travelling from his plane of existence (where he exists as a [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever fifty-foot tall, massive entity]]) to our mortal world (where he adopts a human form). He targets Kallamehr, the FantasyCounterpartCulture of the Persian Empires, with the intent of dragging everyone to his realm. Getting on his bad side would mean [[FateWorseThanDeath imprisonment in his inter-dimensional prison]], and as one of many adventurers seeking to save Kallamehr, you will have to confront him in his realm... |
| 68 | ---- |
| 69 | * AchillesHeel: Fanghtane Steel, metal forged in the Sacred Mountain of the Dwarves, is the only substance that can kill him. The good news is that your CoolSword is made of the stuff. The bad is that your fighting skills will not be enough. |
| 70 | * AncientEvil: Bythos has ruled the Abyss for Titan only knows how many centuries. |
| 71 | * AntagonistAbilities: A [[NighInvulnerability virtually invincible]] PhysicalGod, with absolute control over his realm, enormous crystal-based ElementalPowers and a OneHitKill BreathWeapon, not to mention a MagicKnight who can have you for breakfast anytime with weapons alone. Without the means to resist his powers and make him vulnerable, you are history, whether you fight him under his true, divine form or his human projection. |
| 72 | * AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever: He's really fifty foot tall on the picture... Pretty jaw-dropping ins'n it? |
| 73 | * BadassCape: Bythos wears an imposing one, as seen on the illustration. |
| 74 | * BadassLongrobe: Same as above. He wears those both as a human and as a god. |
| 75 | * BareFistedMonk: He fights you with nothing but his fists in the FinalBattle, and uses them well. |
| 76 | * TheBattleDidntCount: He does not give a damn that you killed his human avatar, and tells you so in no uncertain terms. |
| 77 | * BeeBeeGun: Bythos can summon enormous swarms of giant hornets to attack entire villages and settlements, and teleport them to his realm under his rule. [[spoiler: You must destroy his swarms by burning untainted Jheera leaves, killing them with the magic smoke.]] |
| 78 | * BigBad: The evil DimensionLord who must be destroyed before he brings everyone in Kallamehr and Allansia in his realm under his power. |
| 79 | * BreathWeapon: Bythos breathes clouds that seal anyone they touch into a CrystalPrison. [[spoiler: You need to have eaten the Paa, Maet and Teth magical herbs to resist it, but only in the Abyss.]] |
| 80 | * BroughtDownToBadass: [[spoiler: Congratulations! You've just broke Bythos' divine power]]. You can now fight him on equal ground. Unfortunately, that does not make him bereft of powers and fighting skills. |
| 81 | * BroughtDownToNormal: The only way to stand a chance against him is to make him this. But how? |
| 82 | * CowardlyBoss: As soon as he gets BroughtDownToNormal, he high tails before you can blink. Not so high-and-mighty anymore eh? |
| 83 | * CrystalPrison: He can encase his victims in crystal, [[FaceMonsterTurn turning them into his sentient Crystal Warriors slaves]]. |
| 84 | * CrystalWeapon: His servant attack you with crystal javelins and the like, which he created himself. They [[OneHitKill turn everyone they harm into crystal]]. Bythos can make himself a crystal sword to fight you with. |
| 85 | * CurbStompBattle: Dishes out a nasty one upon you if you challenge him to a SwordFight without weakening him beforehand. |
| 86 | * DeityOfHumanOrigin: Probably. [[spoiler: He seems to gain his divine powers from the Abyss, and needs to drink a special broth on a regular basis to control it. The fact that you take his place after drinking it hints that he became this by drinking it as well.]] |
| 87 | * DePower: [[spoiler: You must drink his magic broth to gain his power over the Abyss and make him mortal.]] |
| 88 | * DimensionLord: The evil, divine ruler of the Abyss, who has set his sight on Allansia and Titan. |
| 89 | * DimensionalTraveller: The guy goes from dimension to dimension like you change from room to room in your house. [[spoiler: He needs a potion made from a ground crystal for this.]] |
| 90 | * DistinguishingMark: The scar on his cheek and facial lines. It's not that obvious in the book, but clearly shown on the cover illustration. |
| 91 | * DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans: He wants to take over Titan and enslave all its population in his realm because? Because he feels like it and has the power to do so. [[SarcasmMode Lovely...]] |
| 92 | * ElementalPowers: Most of his powers are crystal-based. |
| 93 | * TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: If he has his way, every living soul in Titan will be his captive in the Abyss to boost his power, and their bodies will be his mindless slaves. Not exactly promise of sunshine and rainbows... |
| 94 | * EvilIsBigger: Not bigger like tall, bigger like gigantic. |
| 95 | * EvilOverlord: Under his human form, Bythos rules a huge army to establish himself as this on Titan. Let's just tell him to wait in line with the others. |
| 96 | * FightingAShadow: You killed him in the Earthly Planes, yay! Or not, that was but a fragment of him and he is not even grazed. |
| 97 | * FinalBoss: One you cannot hope to defeat without [[BroughtDownToNormal making him mortal first]]. After that, you'll just need to defeat a skill 10 stamina 10 foe. [[SarcasmMode No big deal right?]] |
| 98 | * FinalBossPreview: Confronting his human avatar gives you a taste of what to expect against the real deal. You need a way to make him vulnerable before fighting him or [[SkippableBoss killing him without fight with the right method]]. As a human, he is a powerful swordsman with skill 10 stamina 15. |
| 99 | * GemstoneAssault: Bythos controls crystal, and of course weaponizes it against you. |
| 100 | * GodEmperor: He is a divine being who rules his realm like a tyrannical absolute monarch, and plans to be this for Titan as well, ruling people in body and soul and being worshipped forever. |
| 101 | * GodInHumanForm: What he is on Titan. He looks the same both as a god and a human though. |
| 102 | * GoodScarsEvilScars: If the cover artwork is to be believed, he sports nasty ones. |
| 103 | * HiddenVillain: Despite appearing on the very front cover of the book, Bythos doesn't reveal himself as the BigBad until more than halfway through the adventure. In fact your quest first consists in trying to uncover the threat to Kallamehr... |
| 104 | * HoistByHisOwnPetard: Can happen both ways. |
| 105 | ** [[spoiler: You can use his own BreathWeapon against him after taking his place.]] |
| 106 | ** If you use the "Spitting Fly" Secret Art against his human avatar, he parries it aside and kills you with the same technique. |
| 107 | --> '''Bythos''': "You are not the only one who knows that trick!" |
| 108 | * KarmicDeath: [[spoiler: Falling victim to the very crystallizing power he used to kill so many is deliciously cathartic.]] |
| 109 | * KungFuWizard: Despite all his power, he's also [[BareFistedMonk good with his fists]] when the need arises. |
| 110 | * LiterallyShatteredLives: His death is this, as he turns to crystal upon dying and you shatter him into millions of tiny fragments. |
| 111 | * MagicKnight: Holds terrifying divine powers and is a supreme warrior, even in human form. |
| 112 | * MakeMyMonsterGrow: His true form in the abyss is a fifty-foot giant human. |
| 113 | * MasterSwordsman: No matter his form, even a warrior of your level is but a fly to him. |
| 114 | * MeaningfulName: Bythos is derived from the Ancient Greek for "bottomless" or "depth", especially the dark depth of the sea, hence the oceanic Abysses. It is also a name of the Supreme Being in Gnosticism. |
| 115 | * MysteriousPast: Is Bythos a god ruling the Abyss from the Dawn of Time, or a DeityOfHumanOrigin? None shall ever know. [[spoiler: Though you taking his place hints the latter.]] |
| 116 | * NighInvulnerability: Treat him like a normal foe or lack the necessary items, and find yourself at the wrong end of a nasty CurbStompBattle. [[spoiler: Even in his human form.]] |
| 117 | * NoSell: Most artifacts and items you use against him will just bounce off with no effect, and simply bite you back in the ass. Even your [[SecretArt flawless "Spitting Fly" technique]] and your skill-boosting shield against normal enemies, both gotten from your MentorArchetype, don't work on him. |
| 118 | * ParryingBullets: If you try the "[[ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks Spitting Fly]]", your nearly infallible SecretArt on him, Bythos will contemptuously parry your flung sword aside. [[spoiler: Even in human form.]] |
| 119 | * PhysicalGod: The divine ruler of his realm, with full control over it. Among others, the Abyss contains the powers of every lost magic item of Allansia, and likely of Titan, and its ruler can use them all. |
| 120 | * PostClimaxConfrontation: Downplayed as it is a choice rather than a confrontation, but killing Bythos is not enough to reach the GoldenEnding. You also need to send all his captive back to Allansia. |
| 121 | * PrisonDimension: The titular abyss where he imprisons those who got on his bad side. |
| 122 | * PyrrhicVictory: It is possible to slay Bythos and then remain trapped in the Abyss, unable to release his prisoners, for all eternity... |
| 123 | * RaceAgainstTheClock: You have a limited time to stop him before he dooms Kallamehr and all of Titan. |
| 124 | * RecurringBoss: You must slay Bythos in his human avatar, then under his true, divine form. |
| 125 | * RedBaron: He is known as The Master of the Abyss. |
| 126 | * ScrewThisImOuttaHere: As soon as he becomes mortal. [[spoiler: Since you're now the god and he is not, he knows better than to antagonize you.]] |
| 127 | * ShouldersOfDoom: Look at the size of his pauldrons in the illustration! |
| 128 | * {{Sizeshifter}}: Bythos is positively gigantic, but he can decrease to more convenient size if he wishes to. |
| 129 | * SkippableBoss: Both times, but only if you made him vulnerable first. |
| 130 | ** [[spoiler: As a human, you can kill him on the spot with the "Spitting Fly" technique.]] |
| 131 | ** [[spoiler: Once you replaced him as the Master of the Abyss, you can use his crystallizing move against him.]] |
| 132 | * SuperSmoke: He can appear as a cloud of black smoke in the shape of his human form. He does it to exit his human avatar and return to the Abyss after you slew it. |
| 133 | * SuperStrength: Even when BroughtDownToNormal, he remains strong enough to punch a hole big enough for him to pass in a wall. Now picture how strong he might have been as a fifteen-foot tall god... |
| 134 | * StrongAndSkilled: He is frighteningly powerful and masters his powers perfectly, in addition to being a grade-A MasterSwordsman. |
| 135 | * TakeOverTheWorld: Because why not? |
| 136 | * ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: He like you masters the "Spitting Fly" SecretArt that does exactly this with deadly accuracy. Using it against him in both forms only leads to a painful demise. |
| 137 | * UnflinchingWalk: How he approaches you during the FinalBattle. |
| 138 | * VillainousCheekbones: The sod's face is like carved out of a rock. |
| 139 | * VillainousWidowsPeak: In the illustration and front cover. |
| 140 | * YouHaveFailedMe: Even being late in delivering him what he wants results in death... Overkill much? |
| 141 | * YouKillItYouBoughtIt: [[spoiler: By killing Bythos, you claim the spot as the new divine ruler of the Abyss.]] |
| 142 | [[/folder]] |
| 143 | |
| 144 | [[folder:The Dark Elf Sorcerer]] |
| 145 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dark_elf_sorcerer.jpg]] |
| 146 | [[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote: Click here to see the in-book illustration (markedly different look)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dark_elf_sorcerer_8.jpg[[/labelnote]]]] |
| 147 | -> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/SiegeOfSardath'' |
| 148 | |
| 149 | One of the very few {{Big Bad}}s of the franchise you don't learn about right from the start. He is the mysterious ruler of the dark elves who are plaguing the land. He disturbs the balance of the sacred Forest of the Night, taking control of the region, and blocks all accesses to the city of Sardath, the centre of civilisation in northern Allansia, which is being isolated, besieged and attacked by his airborne [[WingedHumanoid black flyers]]. If Sardath were to fall, all of Allansia would soon follow. He also sends his shape-shifted agents to infiltrate the local cities and cause strife all over in the land, until you escape being killed by his agent and set out to solve the troubles... |
| 150 | ---- |
| 151 | * AffablyEvil: The Sorcerer is courteous and polite, being nothing but cordial with you and congratulating your progress in earnest. Though he is clearly threatening, and enjoys taunting you when he has you on the ropes. |
| 152 | * AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: He has chalk-white skin, which is uncommon even among dark elves, usually with a darker complexion. |
| 153 | * AntagonistAbilities: A wizard too powerful to be defeated in a direct battle and too smart for a simple BattleOfWits, with [[PsychicPowers mental magic]], [[BarrierWarrior barrier spells]] and a DeathRay attack. |
| 154 | * TheArchmage: One of the most powerful sorcerers among a very magically adept race, and all in all one of the mightiest {{Evil Sorcerer}}s in the series hands down. |
| 155 | * AttackReflector: [[spoiler: You can only defeat the Sorcerer by deflecting his mental spell back at him to shatter his mind. Good luck in succeeding though, for having the means to do so won't mean you automatically can.]] |
| 156 | * AwesomenessByAnalysis: The Sorcerer is very good in noticing things and deducing exact information from very few clues. [[spoiler: You must use it against him by deceiving him to make mistakes without him noticing.]] |
| 157 | * BadassBookworm: He is a very powerful master of dark elven magic and EvilutionaryBiologist, in addition to a highly intelligent and calculating schemer. While he never fights in the proper sense of the word, he uses magic to [[CurbStompBattle Curb Stomp]] even expert warriors. |
| 158 | * BadassCape: The illustration depicts him with a long cape expanding his already imposing frame. |
| 159 | * BadassLongcoat: The cover art however depicts him wearing a purple one with jagged sleeves. |
| 160 | * BadassLongRobe: He is clad in an impressive-looking set of ornate robes. |
| 161 | * BattleOfWits: How the FinalBattle unfolds. [[spoiler: You own the Brain-Slayer Amulet that can block mental magic and deflect mental spells, but he knows its powers, so you must bluff and goad him into casting a spell you can deflect. The Sorcerer on the other hand is reading through your words and actions to deduce your powers and strategies. Be very careful or he easily sees through your act and has you for dinner.]] |
| 162 | * BigBad: The EvilSorcerer behind all the troubles you face, whose schemes threaten the entire continent. |
| 163 | * BroughtDownToNormal: To less than normal even, as his downfall shatters both his formidable mastery of magic and his brilliant mind, reducing him to a walking vegetable you deem NotWorthKilling. |
| 164 | * ChaosArchitecture: Used to great effect by dark elves. See EldritchLocation below to see exactly how. |
| 165 | * TheChessmaster: His EvilPlan is well in its final stage when you uncover it. He spent weeks isolating the cities around with his forces, driving away the elves taking care of the Forest of the Night, to cut his main target Sardath away from reinforcements. He syphons the power of the [[ShockAndAwe Storm Giant]] Corianthus to wreak Sardath's defences. He also sends his shape-shifted agents [[KillAndReplace kill and impersonate prominent members of the ruling councils]] of most cities around Sardath. There, they can vote to [[TheMole lead the citizens in his traps, spread discord, undermine attempts at discovering what is going on, and kill potential threats]]; to topple the cities from the inside as well as from the outside. |
| 166 | * CombatStilettos: The illustration depicts him with them, contrasting a pretty buff and imposing physique for a sorcerer. He can wear them since he does not even need to move to [[CurbStompBattle Curb Stomp]] his foes. |
| 167 | * TheCorrupter: The benevolent forces of the Forest of the Night start acting violent and dangerous under his influence, and his infiltrated spies sow discord and push for warmongering in their towns. |
| 168 | * CrazyPrepared: The Sorcerer studies the artefact that can defeat him, intending to use it for his gain. |
| 169 | * CreepySouvenir: He wears a skeleton's hand as a pendant. |
| 170 | * CurbStompBattle: If you attack him straight out or if he has you OutGambitted, he hands you your ass on a silver platter. Either paralyzing you with EyeBeams and [[MindRape frying your mind]], or knocking you out against force-fields and killing you with a DeathRay. |
| 171 | * DeathRay: He uses a spell that does just that, [[OneHitKill one-shotting you]] with a dark beam that burns your life-force while leaving your body intact. |
| 172 | * DeflectorShields: When you attack him with your sword, he retaliates by conjuring force-fields before you to knock you out and send you reeling, leaving you wide open for a DeathRay. |
| 173 | * DespotismJustifiesTheMeans: He wants to take over the continent and have his people leave the subterranean realm they were banished to, in order to enslave the people of the surface. |
| 174 | ** Dark elves in general consider the other races as [[FantasticRacism weaker and worthless, only fit for subjugation]], and regard dominating them as the natural order. |
| 175 | * ElaborateUndergroundBase: His men are building a subterranean town for him and his troops. By the time you infiltrate it, it is almost finished. |
| 176 | * EldritchLocation: Buildings made by dark elves are logic-defying, maddening, and unbearable to watch for any other race, causing troubles and vertigo that can cost -1 skill at best or be lethal at worst. [[spoiler: The dwarf leader Lokimur can give you a magic lens that protects you from its effects.]] |
| 177 | * EmperorScientist: A magical variant. The Sorcerer built most of his power base on the result of his magical experiments and the mutants he created. [[spoiler: He abducted Corianthus, the powerful Storm Giant, and is working to syphon his power.]] |
| 178 | ** He invented a shape-shifting potion he uses to infiltrate his elves into the local cities to further his plans. [[spoiler: You need to use it to infiltrate his lair shape-shifted as a dark elf.]] |
| 179 | * EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: He is the sorcerous leader of the local dark elves. There are others at his orders, but he is '''the''' big deal among them, fittingly called "the Sorcerer". [[SarcasmMode Gasp! What a surprise.]] |
| 180 | * EvilCounterpartRace: He is a Dark Elf, a group of elves who got corrupted by arrogance and tried to dominate the other races, only to be driven away in subterranean kingdoms. They are now AlwaysChaoticEvil masters of TheDarkArts, twisted by darkness. |
| 181 | * EvilGenius: Not only did he make quite the successful breakthrough with his magic experiments, but he displays huge intelligence, remarkable tactics and quite the SherlockScan. |
| 182 | * EvilGloating: He indulges into this, but in a more subdued fashion than most, and only when he really has the upper-hand. |
| 183 | * EvilSorcerer: A master of magic among a very magically powerful race, and quite the stylish one in looks, powers, plan and brains. |
| 184 | * EvilutionaryBiologist: He performed experiments on his subjects to create [[WingedHumanoid dark elves with bat-like wings known as the black flyers.]] |
| 185 | * EyeBeams: He can fire yellow bolts from his eyes, [[TheParalyzer that paralyze you.]] |
| 186 | * FateWorseThanDeath: His final fate. Leaving him brain-dead and powerless, unable to provide for himself whatsoever is much worse than killing him outright. He so totally deserves it and nobody will shed a tear, but the prospect remains gloomy. |
| 187 | * FinalBoss: The final and far and away the most dangerous enemy of the game, though he is fought in a BattleOfWits instead of a straightforward battle. Quite the contrary, trying to fight him the normal way only leads to a painful demise. |
| 188 | * HiddenVillain: You discover right from the start that the Dark Elves are behind the recent troubles, but who leads them and how is not disclosed until you storm TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon. |
| 189 | * HighCollarOfDoom: His cape sports this on the illustration. |
| 190 | * HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler: The Sorcerer is too powerful to be defeated otherwise, but he is also too smart to use magic carelessly. You must prove smarter than him.]] |
| 191 | * KillAndReplace: You realise to your horror that his agents are using this to infiltrate cities around and approach councilmen to do this for him and further his cause. |
| 192 | * LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler: You defeat him by shattering his mind with the very spell he cast upon you, reducing him to a powerless, witless, walking vegetable, unable to command or threaten anything. For such a smart and powerful villain, spending his remaining time irrevocably brain-dead and weak really is a deserving end.]] Karma is a bitch baby! |
| 193 | * MagicStaff: Quite a stylish one, doubling as a StaffOfAuthority. |
| 194 | * MagicalEye: The Sorcerer uses his mental magic through eye-contact. |
| 195 | * MindRape: He can shatter your mind beyond repair with mental magic. [[spoiler: He ends up with his mind irrevocably shattered after you defeat him.]] |
| 196 | * MonsterLord: The ruler of his own city, likely part of the four major clans ruling the dark elven race. |
| 197 | * NoNameGiven: He is only known by his title. |
| 198 | * ObviouslyEvil: One look is enough to know that this fellow means bad news. |
| 199 | * OneHitKill: As soon as the Sorcerer points his MagicStaff at you, you know you're screwed. |
| 200 | * OutGambitted: If you are not careful enough, he deduces what you are up to and the game is lost. [[spoiler: You must outsmart him to win, but he is a highly intelligent {{Chessmaster}} who can see through your bluffs quite easily, so you must prove even more devious.]] |
| 201 | * TheParalyzer: His EyeBeams do just that. |
| 202 | * PlayingWithSyringes: Among the many villains doing nasty experiments, the Sorcerer has some of the best results, perfectly enhancing his subjects. |
| 203 | * PointyEars: A given for an elf. |
| 204 | * PraetorianGuard: He has elite dark elf soldiers with skill 10 stamina 8, guarding his inner sanctum and never allowing anyone to enter without permission. Worse, he commands the other dark elven sorcerers, very powerful wizards in their own right, serving as his last line of defence. [[spoiler: You need a Lightning Sphere to destroy them. If not, they conjure a huge, dark energy sphere that engulfs and kills you by burning your life-energy.]] |
| 205 | * PsychicPowers: He is an expert in mental magic. |
| 206 | * PurpleIsPowerful: The cover art depicts his BadassLongcoat coloured in a deep shade of purple. |
| 207 | * PuzzleBoss: He is faced in a [[BattleOfWits mental challenge]] instead of an all-out battle, still plenty challenging. |
| 208 | ** [[spoiler: You can only defeat the Sorcerer by knowing how to use the magic Brain Slayer Amulet to deflect back his mental spells, so you must goad him into using them. You must either threaten to destroy it or boast that he must kill you to get it, then feign panic yelling that it no longer works, then test your luck. (And in case of bad luck, state that you were bluffing.) He will assume that you are protected by something else but that the amulet really does not work, cast the spell and end up brain-dead. If you're too forward, the Sorcerer either sees through your bluffs or deduces your intentions and you're an epitaph.]] |
| 209 | * RankScalesWithAsskicking: He leads the dark elves and he is far and away the most powerful you will face. Even other elite wizards of his PraetorianGuard pale before him. |
| 210 | * SamuraiPonytail: He is no samurai, but the illustration depicts him sporting an impressive one at the back of his head, falling down on his shoulders and separating his hair at each side of his head. |
| 211 | * SherlockScan: No detail is too unsignificant to escape his notice. |
| 212 | * ShouldersOfDoom: Golden in the cover art, more armour-like in the illustration. |
| 213 | * ASinisterClue: The Sorcerer carries his StaffOfAuthority in his left hand. |
| 214 | * SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil: He enslaves dwarves to build his subterranean town. [[spoiler: You must free them to distract the Sorcerer's guards and sneak in his inner sanctum. The dwarf leader gives you directions and even ask you to punch the Sorcerer after you defeat him, which you do with unabashed glee.]] |
| 215 | * SorcerousOverlord: He controls the local dark elves, building a subterranean city for him to rule, and uses his sorcery and the result of his experiments to attack the local cities. |
| 216 | * StaffOfAuthority: He holds a stylish one, more detailed in the illustration than in the cover art. |
| 217 | * TheStrategist: The Sorcerer knows his way around warfare. He isolates Sardath from other cities that could help, cuts out all exits from which the population could evacuate, and sends airborne squadrons harder to defend against. Not to mention the [[WeatherManipulation cataclysmic, never-ending storm]] to wreck their defences. The city resists admirably with its enormous military might but is a hair's breadth away from falling. |
| 218 | * SuperiorSpecies: Elves in the ''Fighting Fantasy'' setting are stated to be better in magic than any other race in Titan. Despite being evil, dark elves also count and this guy and his followers do not disappoint. Played with in that they are only superior in terms of magic, can be matched by powerful individuals, and are are frailer than other races. |
| 219 | * TakeOverTheWorld: He seeks to take over Allansia, and possibly Titan as a whole. |
| 220 | * UndyingLoyalty: He inspires fanatical devotion in his servants, who revere him and sing his praises. If captured, they would kill themselves without blinking rather than spilling his secrets. |
| 221 | * VillainRespect: Your skills and intelligence earns you his genuine appreciation. |
| 222 | * VillainousCheekbones: He has sharp features and pronounced cheekbones. |
| 223 | * VillainousWidowsPeak: To complete the ObviouslyEvil looks. |
| 224 | * WeatherManipulation: He captured the [[ShockAndAwe Storm Giant]] Corianthus, and syphons his power to cause a tremendous storm over Sardath. With this, he can not only cover the sky with dark clouds to keep sunlight at bay, protecting his dark elves from it, but it wreaks havoc on the cities defences and makes navigation on the nearby lake impossible, making it an easy target for his armies. |
| 225 | * WorthyOpponent: He wants his foes to challenge him before falling, and views you as one. |
| 226 | * XanatosSpeedChess: You spend the confrontation playing this against him. Each one adapting your next move from how the other acts or reacts. And it is '''very''' satisfying to beat him at his own game. |
| 227 | [[/folder]] |
| 228 | |
| 229 | [[folder:[[spoiler:Lady Sige]]]] |
| 230 | [[caption-width-right:280:[[labelnote:spoiler]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sige_spectre.jpg[[/labelnote]]]] |
| 231 | [[caption-width-right:280:[[spoiler:This happens after you kill her.]]]] |
| 232 | -> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/SlavesOfTheAbyss'' |
| 233 | |
| 234 | As [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Lady Carolina Bluestone]], ruler of Kallamehr, is gathering heroes to help with the invading armies and mysterious disappearances (both caused by the DimensionLord [[BigBad Bythos]]), your effort are strangely hindered. As if someone was actively sabotaging you. [[spoiler: Turns out there is a traitor in the capital city who must be unmasked and neutralized. It's Lady Sige the Silent, a member of the ruling council allied with Bythos. She'd do '''anything''' to rule the land, no matter who she needs to backstab.]] |
| 235 | ---- |
| 236 | * AmbiguouslyHuman: [[spoiler: The spectre wounding you after you kill Lady Sige is hinted to be her true form.]] |
| 237 | * AristocratsAreEvil: Yet another high-born in a bid for supreme dominion. |
| 238 | * BigBadWannabe: Gotta admit that without supernatural threats and veteran adventurers, they could very well have won. [[spoiler: And the fact that she does win despite all this in the worst ending is proof of her skills.]] Too bad, [[PhysicalGod Bythos]] and [[ExperiencedProtagonist you]] are both too tough a nut to crack. |
| 239 | * TheChessmaster: Lacking in brawn but certainly not in brains. [[spoiler: Lady Sige is masterfully PlayingBothSides and using most characters as {{Unwitting Pawn}}s.]] |
| 240 | * ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Will use or backstab anyone if that can open the way to the throne. Loyalty and honour are clearly foreign concepts... |
| 241 | * DiscOneFinalBoss: Must be dealt with before you enter the Abyss to deal with the real head honcho. |
| 242 | * DragonWithAnAgenda: [[spoiler:Bythos' main agent in the Earthly Planes, but out of self-interest instead of obedience. And if she can play TheStarscream she won't be found complaining.]] |
| 243 | * DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans: Wants power for the sake of power, without a care in Titan about the people. |
| 244 | * EvilChancellor: [[spoiler: Lady Sige is part of the ruling council of Kallamehr, and plots to backstab the leader [[TheHighQueen Lady Carolina]]. Figuratively and literally.]] |
| 245 | * EvilGenius: Undeniably very smart. |
| 246 | * FauxAffablyEvil: Appears as a noble and helpful citizen, but in fact holds nothing but contempt to anyone. |
| 247 | * HeroKiller: [[spoiler: She is all but stated to have killed Lady Carolina, and her machinations led to the gruesome death of all the adventurers the latter hired.]] |
| 248 | * HiddenVillain: Even more than the FinalBoss, as you know that he's here and plots something, though who and what is unknown. The mere fact that there is another villain to unmask is TheReveal. |
| 249 | * ItMayHelpYouOnYourQuest: [[spoiler: She gives you the pomander of herbs you need to resist the BigBad's BreathWeapon.]] |
| 250 | * TheMagnificent: [[spoiler: Lady Sige the Silent. It serves as a clue for experienced readers as the trope is usually reserved to villains and she's the only one in the council to have it.]] |
| 251 | * TheMole: [[spoiler: A member of the ruling council in league with the BigBad. Though it soon becomes clear that what she's really after absolute dominion over Kallamehr, so if you can kill him she won't complain.]] |
| 252 | * NonActionBigBad: Gains props for trying when cornered, but while no stranger to fighting, you're better by a loooong shot. |
| 253 | * OurSpiritsAreDifferent: [[spoiler: Lady Sige is hinted to be an evil spirit, probably from the Abyss, inhabiting a human-like shell.]] |
| 254 | * PlayingBothSides: [[spoiler: She helps both the BigBad by eliminating threats and facilitating invasions, and you by giving you a crucial protection against his powers.]] |
| 255 | * SmugSnake: Admittedly a very high-functioning one, but despite being a certified EvilGenius, this one bites off more than she can chew and is as arrogant as smart, clearly too overconfident. |
| 256 | * SpotTheImposter: How you unveil this wretch's intention. |
| 257 | * TheStarscream: [[spoiler: In league with the BigBad, only so long as she needs him.]] |
| 258 | * StealthHiBye: [[spoiler: Lady Sige owes her nickname to her uncanny ability to move silently and appear unnoticed. This is in fact a subtle hint that she is more than she seems.]] |
| 259 | * TakeOverTheWorld: Downplayed as this one only covets Allansia, which is too much anyway. |
| 260 | * TyrantTakesTheHelm: [[spoiler: If you venture into the Abyss without snuffing her, she gets named ruler of Kallamehr by the people, who will soon discover what kind of tyrant she really is.]] |
| 261 | * WalkingSpoiler: As if all the blanked text was not clue enough... |
| 262 | * XanatosGambit: [[spoiler: Whether she rules over {{Empty Shell}}s controlled by Bythos as his vassal, or on her own with Bythos gone, she gets what she wants.]] |
| 263 | * XanatosSpeedChess: [[spoiler: If Lady Sige sees you with the locket that [[TheAce Ramedes the Invincible]] died to fetch back, she accuses you of treachery and has you captured. Fortunately, opening the locket proves your innocence and provides an opportunity to turn the tables.]] |
| 264 | * UnwittingPawn: Uses you as one, just like everyone else. [[spoiler: She's savyy enough to recognize you as the best hope against Bythos, whom she'd rather see gone.]] |
| 265 | * TheUsurper: Plots to seize power and might succeed in the worst ending. |
| 266 | [[/folder]] |
| 267 | |
| 268 | [[folder:Leesha]] |
| 269 | [[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leesha_7.jpg]] |
| 270 | -> '''Appears in''' : ''Literature/TempleOfTerror'' |
| 271 | |
| 272 | The evil priestess of a dark cult dwelling in the [[TempleOfDoom lost city of Vatos]], Leesha is a spoilt and pampered woman of taste and power, ruling over the maddened cultists and the amorphous night horrors prowling the halls and corridors of her temple, acting as a secondary antagonist along with the evil Malbordus. She's rumoured to be immortal and protected from all weapons or magics, and it is up to you to see whether this is true... |
| 273 | ---- |
| 274 | * AchillesHeel: There's only one thing that she fears: [[spoiler: A Sandworm Tooth.]] |
| 275 | * AffablyEvil: Leesha is evil but she is sure courteous, speaking politely and bearing little ill-will even to enemies. Give her something she likes and she rewards you handsomely, oppose her or merely displease her, and she kills you without a second glance. |
| 276 | * AntagonistAbilities: Having NighInvulnerability and being TheParalyzer makes her a deadly foe. |
| 277 | * BigBadDuumvirate: Leesha forms one with Malbordus, leading the temple you must explore and being in cahoots with the Dark Elf Champion, willing to let him have the Dragon artefacts. |
| 278 | ** Contrary to Malbordus, a SorcerousOverlord wannabee working to build his own power base, she wields considerable power but only cares about sitting around and having her every whim catered. She flees as soon as you pose a threat, while Malbordus confronts you head on for the FinalBattle, cementing him as the biggest threat and true BigBad. |
| 279 | * CowardlyBoss: [[spoiler: She lifts her skirt and runs away as soon as she sees you with the Sandworm Tooth.]] |
| 280 | * DePower: [[spoiler: Enter her sanctuary through the rain of gold, and it cancels your ability to spellcast.]] |
| 281 | * DirtyCoward: Leesha acts high and mighty when you cannot do a thing against her, but as soon as you prove her wrong, she flees as fast as she can without looking back. |
| 282 | * HighPriest: A female example. She is the high-priestess of a ReligionOfEvil worshipping one of the Dark Gods, though we never learn which one. |
| 283 | * HotWitch: While she isn't a which in the proper sense, she is very beautiful and wields vast power. |
| 284 | * HumanSacrifice: Leesha is an evil priestess, so she unsurprisingly delves into this. She sacrifices all losers of her art contests for instance. |
| 285 | * KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler: She manages to escape the hero and promptly disappears from the scene, leaving you to fight Malbordus instead.]] |
| 286 | * LadyOfBlackMagic: She is beautiful, poised and elegant, and wields considerable magic power. |
| 287 | * ManOfWealthAndTaste: Woman in that case. She loves beautiful artworks, and is willing to hold an art contest and reward the winner with no less than 300 gold coins. The losers on the other hand... |
| 288 | * MsFanservice: While she's seen from a distance (see picture) she's quite attractive herself. |
| 289 | * NighInvulnerability: She's protected by an enchantment that makes her virtually invulnerable to mundane and magical attacks. [[spoiler: Except for a Sandworm Tooth.]] |
| 290 | * NoSell: Trying to attack her is purely suicidal. |
| 291 | * OhCrap: She quakes in fear [[spoiler: if you reveal the only thing capable of killing her off.]] |
| 292 | * OrcusOnHisThrone: She never leaves her comfortable sanctum, letting her minions do all the work. |
| 293 | * TheParalyzer: If you lack a way to hurt her, she immobilizes you with a spell and call for Malbordus, who proceeds to take your Artefacts. |
| 294 | * ReligionIsMagic: Leesha is the high-priestess of a cult, and wields powerful magic. |
| 295 | * ReligionOfEvil: She is a High Priestess of an unspecified evil idol, and her cultists are either mindless fanatics or horrible monsters. It is implied that she worships the same evils as Malbordus. |
| 296 | * ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler: She doesn't even try to put up a fight and runs for the hills as soon as you threaten her with the Sandworm Tooth.]] |
| 297 | * SequentialBoss: First get rid of her minions, then take care of the wench herself. |
| 298 | * SlouchOfVillainy: When you first set your eyes on her, she's reclining on a lavish sofa and being fanned by a massive brute she later unleashes on you. |
| 299 | * SmugSnake: Leesha is admittedly very powerful and has threatening minions, arbouring an insufferably condescending sneer all the time, but as soon as thing go south she sings a much more pathetic tune... |
| 300 | * SorcerousOverlord: A rare female example. She uses her power and influence to rule the lost city of Vatos and the monsters dwelling there. |
| 301 | * TalentContest: You meet people making works of arts for a contest she frequently organizes, in which the victor is handsomely rewarded and every other contestant is sacrificed. [[spoiler: You are not involved directly into the contest, but knowing about it provide a vital clue you need to progress.]] |
| 302 | * TempleOfDoom: She rules the temple of her cult, and the entire lost city of Vatos: Ancient ruins of a long-gone civilisation, derelict and filled with monsters and beasts. |
| 303 | * TheUnfought: You confront her but never fight her, for she is a [[CowardlyBoss craven]], ZeroEffortBoss. |
| 304 | * VainSorceress: Highly implied to be the case, as she surely likes to show off her beauty. |
| 305 | * WeakButSkilled: Leesha masters deadly magic, but she does not even try to fight when you expose her sole AchillesHeel, and likely never bothered to learn. |
| 306 | * ZeroEffortBoss: For all her power and posturing, getting rid of her is a piece of cake. [[spoiler: Show her the Sandworm Tooth and voila! Bob's your uncle.]] |
| 307 | [[/folder]] |
| 308 | |
| 309 | [[folder:The Lizard King]] |
| 310 | [[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lizard_king.jpg]] |
| 311 | -> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/IslandOfTheLizardKing'' |
| 312 | |
| 313 | The ruler of Fire Island, a former prison colony which he took over and turned into a slave mine, the Lizard King is a brutal tyrant who has learned voodoo sorcery to make himself even more powerful. On Fire Island, he has amassed an army of lizard-men, orcs, giants and all manner of monsters, and periodically sends them out to raid the surrounding islands to seize new slaves and expand his realm. To make matters worse, the Lizard King is fused with a [[PuppeteerParasite Gonchong]], a spider-like parasite that grants its host enormous strength in return for most of their free will. But there is one who will rise against him... |
| 314 | ---- |
| 315 | * AchillesHeel: [[spoiler: Fire Swords.]] |
| 316 | * AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: Blue scales are quite uncommon, even for lizard-men. |
| 317 | * AntagonistAbilities: His max skill stat and immunity to normal weapons make him a formidable foe. |
| 318 | * AntagonistTitle: Well duh! |
| 319 | * AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: He became king of the lizard-men of Fire Island by being the strongest, smartest, baddest and meanest of them. His mastery of Voodoo sorcery and the power-boost he owes the Gonchong also helped. |
| 320 | * AttackAnimal: The Lizard King has a black, maneless lion as a pet, that he sics on you before fighting. |
| 321 | * BadassNormal: The Lizard King might dabble in Voodoo sorcery, but he does not use magic in battle and has no need for it to kick ass. |
| 322 | * BigBad: The slave-driving EvilOverlord, who must be taken down to restore Fire Island and relieve the local fishing ports of his raids. |
| 323 | * BodyHorror: Has a horrible parasite attached to his brain. |
| 324 | * CoolSword: A sword is cool in itself, but a fiery blade is even cooler. [[spoiler: Especially when you wield it.]] |
| 325 | * TheDreaded: The Lizard King is feared in all the coasts he raids. |
| 326 | ** Even his {{Mooks}} are scared witless of the Gonchong. |
| 327 | * EmpoweredBadassNormal: He may not need sorcery to be badass, but he still uses a magic FlamingSword [[spoiler: that boosts him with +2 skill]] and the Gonchong gives him NighInvulnerability. |
| 328 | * EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: He is king of the lizard-men and is called the Lizard King. Logic I say. |
| 329 | * EvilOverlord: Pretty low-scale compared to the others fought in the franchise, though that's because he is still building his empire. But being a powerful tyrant leading armies of monsters, with dark powers and a unique weakness to boot; and threatening the nearby villages, he more than qualifies. |
| 330 | * EvilutionaryBiologist: The Lizard King attempts to create new monsters and life-forms to serve him, and submits his subjects to hideous mutations to empower them. |
| 331 | * FinalBoss: Having skill 12 stamina 15, [[spoiler: not to mention being only vulnerable to a Fire Sword]] makes him a very powerful foe. Fortunately, there are ways to weaken him. |
| 332 | * FlamingSword: His weapon of choice is a fiery magical scimitar. [[spoiler: Ironically, this is also the only weapon that can kill him. If you have another one, you can challenge him safely.]] |
| 333 | * FromNobodyToNightmare: He was originally just one of the guards when the island was still a penal colony. When it was abandoned, he unified the other guards and turned the prisoners into slaves. |
| 334 | * GeniusBruiser: The Lizard King is a powerful warrior, also smart enough to become a proficient self-taught Voodoo mage, and a competent army leader. |
| 335 | * HollywoodVoodoo: Like Cinnabar in ''Literature/{{Bloodbones}}'', he uses Voodoo magic of this variety. |
| 336 | * KillItWithFire: [[spoiler: The Lizard King and the Gonchong must be killed with a Fire Sword.]] |
| 337 | * MagicKnight: Downplayed. He is a powerful master of Voodoo magic, but you never see him using it and he fights only with a sword. A magic one, but one nonetheless. |
| 338 | * MasterSwordsman: The Lizard King is a very strong and skilled fighter. |
| 339 | * MonsterLord: A king among lizard-men. Self-appointed for sure, but he sure deserves the title. |
| 340 | * NighInvulnerability: The Lizard King resists pretty much everything thrown at him. |
| 341 | * NoNameGiven: The Lizard King is never named, just referred to by his title. |
| 342 | * NoSell: [[spoiler: Attacking him with anything else than a Fire Sword is useless and leads to a painful demise.]] |
| 343 | * PantheraAwesome: His aforementioned pet. Not a panther but a lion in fact, but black and without mane it does get quite close... |
| 344 | * PlayingWithSyringes: His atrocious magical experiments to mutate and create life-forms. |
| 345 | * PostClimaxConfrontation: After killing the Lizard King, you must kill the Gonchong [[spoiler: by severing its proboscis.]] If you fail or drop your guard, the Gonchong parasites you, brainwashes you and makes you the new EvilOverlord of Fire Island. |
| 346 | * PuppeteerParasite: Not the Lizard King himself, but the Gonchong he fused himself with. Contrary to most examples of the trope, they have more of a symbiosis than outright domination. |
| 347 | * RightHandAttackDog: He sics his Black Lion at you. With skill 11 stamina 11, it makes a powerful foe. |
| 348 | * SequentialBoss: First his RightHandAttackDog, then him, then the PostClimaxConfrontation. |
| 349 | * SinisterScimitar: The narration does not describe his FlamingSword, but its this in the illustrations. |
| 350 | * SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil: He holds every prisoner in Fire Island as slaves, condemning them to gruelling forced labour night and day to build his kingdom, and abducts people from the nearby villages to replace them and raise his numbers. |
| 351 | * ThereIsAnother: In the follow-up gamebook, ''Literature/BattlebladeWarrior'', a [[invoked]]SpiritualSuccessor of ''Island of the Lizard King'', it's revealed that there are ''more'' colonies of Lizard Men from the powerful Lizard Man Empire, each ruled by a separate Lizard King. Although this one is implied to be the most powerful of them due to his use of sorcery and bonding with the Gonchong. |
| 352 | * WeaksauceWeakness: [[spoiler: The Lizard King is deathly afraid of ''monkeys'' of all things (presumably since monkeys eat lizards). Bringing one to the FinalBattle makes it considerably easier. If you own a Fire Sword, he is so terrified that only the Gonchong's influence makes him put up some token resistance, becoming an absolute walk in the garden with only skill 6 for you to [[CurbStompBattle Curb Stomp]]. If you don't, depending on a test of luck, he either drops his Fire Sword for you to use (losing -2 skill while you gain +2 in the process), or can frighten the monkey away by lashing out blindly, leaving you open for slaughter.]] |
| 353 | * WillingChanneler: The Lizard King deliberately let himself be parasited by the Gonchong to boost his might, and they reached an agreement of sort. |
| 354 | * WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: [[spoiler: Why did it have to be monkeys in this case, but well, you know the drill.]] |
| 355 | [[/folder]] |
| 356 | |
| 357 | [[folder:Lord Carnuss Charavask]] |
| 358 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/carnuss_charavask.jpg]] |
| 359 | -> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/TrialOfChampions'' |
| 360 | |
| 361 | The younger brother of Baron Sukumvit, the FeudalOverlord ruling the province of Chiang Mai from the city-state of Fang. While his brother inherited a prosperous estate and made it famous worldwide with the Trial of Champions: a labyrinth full of deadly monsters and traps; Carnuss had but a pretty worthless title. He was banished to the remote Blood Island after a poorly thought assassination plot. Now, he abducts people all over as slaves for his gladiator arena, intending to train a fighter skilled enough to win the Trial of Champions and pocket the 20000 gold pieces reward. But the very slave he sent to the labyrinth won't let him have his way... |
| 362 | ---- |
| 363 | * AlliterativeName: '''C'''arnuss '''C'''haravask |
| 364 | * AristocratsAreEvil: A thoroughly loathsome, heartless FeudalOverlord. |
| 365 | * BadassNormal: Carnuss has no powers and no magic weapon, and is still a talented fighter, not to be underestimated. |
| 366 | * BadBoss: Oooooooh boy! He treats his slaves like filth and regards them as tools to toss and throw. He does treat you to luxury when you become his champion, but only because he needs you at the top of your game. Once you are, he throws you back into mortal peril without batting an eyelid... |
| 367 | * BigBad: The wretched slave-driver who put you through hell and back, you swore revenge against. |
| 368 | * BlueBlood: He is of noble descent. |
| 369 | * CainAndAbel: Carnuss loathes his brother and the feeling is entirely mutual. He tried to have Sukumvit killed, and strives to humiliate him no matter the cost. |
| 370 | * CarryABigStick: He is depicted with a spiked mace, but he only uses it to sound the gong starting the gladiator battles and fights with a sword instead. |
| 371 | * CoolHelmet: He wears one hiding his face, complete with horns. |
| 372 | * CutLexLuthorACheck: Given the success of the Trial of Champions and the public's fondness for bloody entertainment, he could have opened his gladiator arena to the public and invested to make it as popular as his brother's game, legally earning the wealth he envies his brother for. Given how much effort and resources he throws away for revenge in-story, it's not like he cannot afford it... |
| 373 | * DrivenByEnvy: Other villains of the franchise are motivated by power and control, but this one only swears by a childish grudge. Envy, thy name is Carnuss... |
| 374 | * DuelToTheDeath: How you face him in the end, requesting a duel to avenge your FireForgedFriends when Sukumvit offers to grant your wish as an additional prize. |
| 375 | * EvilIsPetty: And how! He wastes all his resources to basically say "nyah nyah" to his brother's face. |
| 376 | * TheFaceless: His helmet conceals his face. |
| 377 | * FeudalOverlord: He rules Blood Island, where he was banished, but his domain is small and scarcely populated, hence is resentment. |
| 378 | * FinalBoss: A powerful warrior with skill 10 stamina 10. While you overcame worse threats in the labyrinth, he remains dangerous and [[YouCanBarelyStand takes advantage of your weakened state]] after so many ordeals. |
| 379 | * FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Carnuss is a bratty, petty SmugSnake, in stark contrast to his pragmatic and reasonable brother. |
| 380 | * GladiatorGames: Carnuss makes his slaves fight to the death, to weed out the weak until only the best warrior remains. |
| 381 | * GoneHorriblyRight: When you want the best warrior around to serve you, make sure that he doesn't hate your guts unless you feel TooDumbToLive. |
| 382 | * GreenEyedMonster: He is consumed by jealousy of his brother, who enjoys lavish lordship of a prosperous city while he is left to rot on his island (by his own fault mind you), and strives to humiliates him. To such extent that he fails to (or straight up refuses to) grasp that Sukumvit made his city so thriving through his own effort, and that he could do the same without much trouble. Not to mention that he could have earned a position of power if he hadn't been so busy wallowing in bitterness. |
| 383 | * HateSink: The franchise has no shortage of utterly abhorrent piece of shit villains, but even the worst ones have at least a few traits of EvilIsCool to make you LoveToHate them even a bit. This self-centered, petty, smarmy piece of filth has [[PunctuatedForEmphasis none. At. All.]] Livingstone went to great lengths to make you loathe him and succeeded. And man, does it feel '''good''' to give him his just desserts. |
| 384 | * HoistByHisOwnPetard: He wanted a warrior mighty enough to face any foe... Including himself. |
| 385 | * HornsOfVillainy: All over his helmet. |
| 386 | * INeedYouStronger: He needs a powerful warrior, [[DefeatingTheUndefeatable to win the Trial of Champions]] for him. |
| 387 | * ItsPersonal: For abducting you, forcing you to fight your FireForgedFriends to the death in his arena, and sending you through hell and back, your fondest desire is having his head mounted on your wall. |
| 388 | * KarmicDeath: He ends up killed by the slave he abducted and tyrannized, avenging all the slaves who lost their lives for his petty schemes. |
| 389 | * MadeASlave: The fate he inflicts to all his victims. |
| 390 | * MasterSwordsman: Carnuss uses a sword in the FinalBattle, with enough skill to give you a solid run for your money. Literally at that, as he is the last obstacle between you and the 20000 gold coins reward. |
| 391 | * NeverMyFault: Unable to grasp that the unfairness he blames his brother for is self-inflicted from A to Z. |
| 392 | * ObviouslyEvil: With him being TheFaceless sporting Horns of Villainy and ShouldersOfDoom, Carnuss might as well go around with a huge neon sign saying "I'm a rotten douchebag!" |
| 393 | * OutGambitted: He expected his slave to win the Trial of Champions, and the prize money to rightfully become his since he owns the victor. But Sukumvit quickly notices that you hate him with every fibre of your being, and seizes the opportunity to get rid of him at long last. As such, he offers you the additional prize to grant your wish, and as he figured out, you ask for a DuelToTheDeath, leading to the FinalBattle and Carnuss's well-deserved demise. |
| 394 | ** He was already played by Sukumvit in his backstory, hastily hiring mercenaries to kill him... Mercenaries that were in fact spies tasked by a wary Sukumvit to keep tabs on him, who wasted no time reporting it all. You would think that Carnuss learnt his lesson, but no. |
| 395 | * PrincelingRivalry: In their past, though it did not end well for him. A second son coveting his elder brother's throne and resorting to crime to get it... Where did we see it before? |
| 396 | * PsychopathicManchild: He's basically a bratty child in an adult body throwing a hissy fit like "My brother got the big toy, whaaaaaaaaaa! So I’m gonna break his toy and rub it to his face! Dash for the cost, consequences and anyone I drag into the crossfire!" |
| 397 | * TheResenter: Three guesses on who? |
| 398 | * RevengeBeforeReason: His most defining characteristic. See CutLexLuthorACheck above and StupidEvil below to see exactly how unreasonable he gets. |
| 399 | * ShouldersOfDoom: He sports quite impressive ones. |
| 400 | * SiblingYinYang: While ruthless and willing to have the first winner of his Trial of Champions assassinated, Sukumvit is a TrueNeutral ReasonableAuthorityFigure, who made Chiang Mai thrive and cares about his subjects. Carnuss redefines StupidEvil, EvilIsPetty and RevengeBeforeReason. |
| 401 | ** Heck, Sukumvit was mature enough to swallow his pride and use the first win as a challenge to remake his labyrinth even more UnwinnableByDesign. And he seizes the opportunity to cut his losses when you win in turn. Carnuss on the other hand cannot let go of a grudge and is far too petty and overconfident for his own good, which naturally and satisfyingly comes to bite him in the rear. |
| 402 | * SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil: He has abducted many people and forced them to undergo a gruesome training before fighting to the death. They all hate his guts and want nothing more than revenge. |
| 403 | * SmugSnake: He acts high and mighty and has his servants talk about him like he is a big shot, but he is far too petty and repulsive to be impressive, and as seen in OutGambitted, he is much less smart that he fancies himself to be. |
| 404 | * StupidEvil: Sure Carnuss, abduct people, treat them like dirt, and casually cause their death for petty revenge. You will get a highly trained ActionSurvivor, strong enough to [[DefeatingTheUndefeatable win the Trial of Champions against all odds]], who hates your guts and wants you dead. WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong |
| 405 | * TrainingFromHell: What his gladiators are submitted to. |
| 406 | * TheUnfavorite: Totally averted despite him viewing himself as this. His brother inherited the title by virtue of being the elder, as it normally does, and he is entirely to blame for his poor lot in life. |
| 407 | * VillainBall: Two major instances... |
| 408 | ** Carnuss could have recruited and trained gladiators without the slavery, torture or fights to the death; promising them part of the reward, or a position of power if he wanted to keep the prize money. |
| 409 | ** Even without that, making his best champion howling for his blood, AND signalling himself when he just won the UnwinnableByDesign Trial of Champions is a whole new level of stupid. |
| 410 | * VillainousValour: Downplayed, for he first tries to turn tail like the coward he is. Still, despicable as he is, when he realizes that he has driven himself in a corner, he accepts it with quite some poise. It might be because he is still confident he can win, but he at least has some guts. |
| 411 | [[/folder]] |
| 412 | |
| 413 | [[folder:Lord Varek Azzur]] |
| 414 | [[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lord_azzur.jpg]] |
| 415 | [[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote: Click here to see him in ''Assassins of Allansia'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sans_titre_9.jpg[[/labelnote]]]] |
| 416 | ->'''Appears in''': ''[[Literature/CityOfThieves1983 City of Thieves]]'' (cameo) | ''Literature/MidnightRogue'' (mentioned only) | ''Literature/CryptOfTheSorcerer'' (mentioned only) | ''Blacksand!'' | ''Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World'' | ''Advanced Fighting Fantasy: Blacksand'' (mentioned only) | ''Literature/ThePortOfPeril'' | ''The Gates of Death'' | ''Literature/AssassinsOfAllansia'' |
| 417 | |
| 418 | A major figure of the ''Fighting Fantasy'' universe, featured in many gamebooks albeit in passing mentions. Varek Azzur is from a noble family of Arion in the continent of Khul, until the day when aged sixteen, he sneaked into the temple of the Adepts of Kukulak, twisted worshippers of the God of Storms. He survived the religious initiation, which left him disfigured, and fled at sea. Abducted by pirates, he rose in ranks to become the Pirate King of the Western Ocean, nothing less. One day, he stormed and seized Port Blacksand, butchering the entire ruling council. He now rules the WretchedHive with an iron fist.\ |
| 419 | |
| 420 | While never met nor seen, his presence is felt in every gamebook set in Port Blacksand. Even when just passing by or coming close, you might hear his name. He takes an active role for the first time in ''The Port of Peril'', from behind the scenes as always. [[spoiler: He plots with the [[EliteMooks Spirit Stalkers]] to resurrect the Night Prince [[BigBad Zanbar Bone]] and capture the legendary wizard [[TheArchmage Arakor Nicodemus]]. ]] In ''The Gates of Death'', he [[EnemyMine helps you to save Titan]], albeit for clearly selfish reasons. He sent the [[MurderInc Assassin's Guild killers]] after your hide in ''Assassins of Allansia'', being seen in person at long last. Will there be a day when his tyranny shall end?... |
| 421 | ---- |
| 422 | * AllThereInTheManual: His origins, rise to power, appearance and even his first name, were only revealed in official guides like ''Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World''. |
| 423 | * AristocratsAreEvil: Azzur is of noble descent and one of the most reviled figures of Titan's history. |
| 424 | * AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: He rose from the very bottom to the top rank, by being the smartest and most badass pirate around, before [[TheUsurper usurping]] power in Port Blacksand. It is quite telling that in a city where each governor killed their predecessor to take their throne, he remained in power for so many years without opposition. Even now, the pirates still answer to him. |
| 425 | * AvengingTheVillain: He's out for your blood in ''Assassins of Allansia'', [[spoiler: to avenge his lord Zanbar Bone, whom you killed in ''The Port of Peril''.]] Azzur being Azzur, his dirty work is done by flunkies, but not mere {{Mooks}}, oh no! He has the best {{Professional Killer}}s of the Scorpion Guild of Assassins dog your tracks. |
| 426 | * BadassNormal: He is the only villain of the franchise to be TheDreaded without magic powers or supernatural influence, merely exceptional fighting and rulership skills, strategy and pure charisma. |
| 427 | * BadassLongrobe: Azzur wears them in every illustration following the Scholastic relaunch. |
| 428 | * BadBoss: Zig-zagged. He is a ruthless tyrant, unforgiving to his underlings and rarely speaking to them aside from screaming in anger. But on the other hand, he is a very charismatic leader who inspires the absolute loyalty of his men, and is greatly respected by the scum of Port Blacksand. He can be genuinely generous and provides some favours to the population he oppresses to keep it under his thumb. |
| 429 | * TheBadGuyWins: Downplayed, but still a huge step up compared to the {{Final Boss}}es ending dusted... [[spoiler: Azzur does not exactly wins, for you're the only hero to meet him face to err... turban and come out alive. Still, he gets to throw you from the frying pan into the fire by conscripting you to the UnwinnableByDesign Trials of Champions; basically a death sentence.]] |
| 430 | * BigBad: After all those years ruling from the shadows and acting through proxies, Azzur finally gets a chance at calling the shots in ''Assassins of Allansia''. [[spoiler: He sends assassins after your hide, to avenge his liege, and even causes a PyrrhicVictory at the end.]] But contrary to the others, he is not the FinalBoss. |
| 431 | * BigBadDuumvirate: In ''City of Thieves'', [[OurLichesAreDifferent Zanbar Bone]] is TheHeavy and the [[FinalBoss biggest threat you must defeat]], but Lord Azzur rules the titular city and is behind most of your troubles. [[spoiler: Averted in the end, as ''The Port of Peril'' reveals that Lord Azzur has always been Zanbar Bone's most devoted servant.]] |
| 432 | * BlueBlood: Though he usurped the title he is known under, he is a noble, albeit fairly minor. |
| 433 | * BodyHorror: Azzur's religious scars horribly mark his entire body. |
| 434 | * BreadAndCircuses: Azzur maintains support of the citizens by indulging in their petty appetites. |
| 435 | * BreakoutVillain: The ''Scholastic'' relaunch elevates him from an unseen background character to a plot-critical villain in the first three books. |
| 436 | * CarnivalOfKillers: He sends a very dangerous one after you in ''Assassins of Allansia''. GottaKillThemAll to survive. |
| 437 | * CoDragons: Lord Azzur's closest and highest-ranked servants are three ominous beings, wearing black, fur-trimmed robes that blend in the shadows, [[InTheHood and a face-hiding cowl]]. |
| 438 | ** [[MouthOfSauron Lord Azzur's Mouth]] seems to lead and speaks in Azzur's place. He has [[TheBlank no face]] but a large, glowing mouth, and hurls {{Fireballs}} that can [[DisintegratorRay either vaporize people]] or [[TeleportersAndTransporters teleport them where he wants.]] |
| 439 | ** Lord Azzur's Eyes has [[TheBlank no face]] but [[ExtraEyes dozens of mismatched eyes]]. He seems to exert a SinisterSurveillance over the entire city, which could explain how the tyrant knew of your mission. |
| 440 | ** Lord Azzur's Ears is a bat-like WingedHumanoid, who hears everything from miles around and keeps watch over the city in combination with The Eyes. |
| 441 | * ColdBloodedTorture: Many a dissident suffers this in his dungeons. Scholars or mages in town who so much as look like they might use their trade against him find themselves in for a world of pain, having blinded one in ''Crypt of the Sorcerer'' and cut the eyes, ears and tongue of another in ''The Gates of Death''. |
| 442 | * ContinuityNod: In ''City of Thieves'' you get almost run over by his coach in the streets. In the sequel ''The Port of Peril'', you catch a glimpse of him from afar, as he leaves the palace, once again in his coach. |
| 443 | * CoolSword: Several instances. |
| 444 | ** In ''The Gates of Death'', he gives you a magic Khopesh (a sickle-shaped sword from ancient Egypt) that his men found. It is a powerful InfinityPlusOneSword, [[spoiler: and one of the two magic Khopeshes forged by the BigBad Ulrakaah, the only weapons that can harm her.]] |
| 445 | ** He wields a wicked looking ornate sabre on the cover of ''Assassins of Allansia''. |
| 446 | * DemotedToDragon: [[spoiler: After so many years of being an independent villain of whom even the {{Big Bad}}s of the franchise were wary, he is revealed to be TheDragon to Zanbar Bone.]] Still, don't think for a minute it means BadassDecay, for you will see first-hand how dangerous he is when he takes matter in hand, while still never appearing in person. |
| 447 | * TheDragon: Most {{Big Bad}}s would relish to have him serving as this to them. In ''Crypt of the Sorcerer'', you even infiltrate Razaak's lair by saying that you are sent by him to pledge his loyalty. [[spoiler: ''The Port of Peril'' reveals that he was always this to Zanbar Bone, being described as his most faithful follower.]] |
| 448 | ** In ''The Port of Peril'', the Chaos Warrior Klash is this to Azzur himself, but he serves as little more than an enforcer and a BossBattle. |
| 449 | ** ''The Gates of Death'' reveals that he has three CoDragons, who act as his collective MouthOfSauron. |
| 450 | * DragonAscendant: [[spoiler: In ''Assassins of Allansia'', which takes place after you thwarted his efforts to resurrect his boss, the BigBad of ''The Port of Peril''. Surprizing none, he is quite miffed about this and spends the book howling for vengeance...]] |
| 451 | * TheDreaded: Pretty much everyone is scared shitless of Azzur. It's telling that not even the TerribleTrio of Balthus Dire, Zharradan Marr and Oldoran Zagor ever moved against him. |
| 452 | * EnemyMine: In ''The Gates of Death'', Azzur provides you intel and even a priceless InfinityPlusOneSword, because he wants TheVirus gone as much as you do. But he still takes much of your {{McGuffin}}s and leaves your ParentalSubstitute to die without batting an eyelid. He may need you as OnlyTheWorthyMayPass and worthy he and his agents are '''not''', but he sees you as a mean to his end, nothing more. |
| 453 | * EqualOpportunityEvil: Azzur is loved by the scum of Blacksand because he extends his oppression to '''everyone''' social standing be damned. In fact, he celebrates the New Year by sentencing a noble family to the death, and distributing their wealth to the poor. Also, he recruits everyone in his City Guard, from humans, to ogres, to Chaos Knights and Trolls as EliteMooks. |
| 454 | * EvilVersusOblivion: He helps you in ''The Gates of Death'', because [[TheVirus the Demon Plague]] caused by [[DimensionLord Ulrakaah]] threatens his rule and his very life. But he also covets her power and her treasure. |
| 455 | * EvilWeapon: The Khopesh he gives you in ''The Gates of Death'' is a cursed weapon forged by the BigBad. [[spoiler: He seeks to use it to absorb her power after you slay her. You cannot fully succeed without destroying it after winning the FinalBattle.]] |
| 456 | * EvilWearsBlack: He is almost always covered in head to toes in black garments, masking every inch of his skin to hide his scars. |
| 457 | ** Though his clothes are described as navy blue with gold trimmings when you see him from afar in his coach in ''The Port of Peril''. And he is depicted as such in ''Assassins of Allansia''. |
| 458 | * TheFaceless: Azzur always keeps his face covered, as such even the scarce few who saw him don't know what he looks like. Only two people are known to have seen him unmasked, his personal high priest, and an extremely foolhardy thief who thought it was a good idea to break into Azzur's palace... His dismembered remains were eventually found scattered all across the city. |
| 459 | * FeudalOverlord: Given that almost all of Allansia is divided into city-states surrounded in hostile wilderness, Lord Azzur has complete control over Port Blacksand. Due to his tyranny and influence over scoundrels, he borders on EvilOverlord. He has spies and secret agents doing his dirty work all over and uses giant Warhawks as carriers and messengers. |
| 460 | * FourStarBadass: With most pirates of the Western Ocean at his beck and call, he commands a fearsome military force. He used it to take over Port Blacksand, but did not used it for war ever since. |
| 461 | * FromNobodyToNightmare: From just a wayward noble child, to the Pirate King of the Western Ocean, the dictator of Port Blacksand, and a major face of the ''Fighting Fantasy'' universe. |
| 462 | * TheFundamentalist: He was already devoted to the Adepts of Kukulak's unwholesome cult before joining them, and he grew to a fanatical worshipper. |
| 463 | * GeniusBruiser: A formidable warrior and leader, in addition to a cunning strategist. |
| 464 | * TheGhost: You will hear of him many times, but the closest you come to meeting him is when his coach almost runs you over in ''City of Thieves'', when you catch a glimpse of him from afar, again in his coach, in ''The Port of Peril'', and when you are in audience with his CoDragons with him watching it hidden in ''The Gates of Death''. Finally averted in ''Assassins of Allansia''. |
| 465 | * GladiatorGames: Azzur is fond of these, and only appears in public at the local gladiatorial arena. |
| 466 | * GoodScarsEvilScars: His body is covered by the definitely evil scars resulting from the initiation ritual of the Adepts of Kukulak: The initiate is branded with fire and if the scars do not turn into the sacred runes of the sect they are executed. Unfortunately for everyone in Titan, Azzur survived. |
| 467 | * GottaKillThemAll: ''Assassins of Allansia'' consists in a cat-and-mouse game against the [[ThirteenIsUnlucky thirteen]] best agents of the [[MurderInc Scorpion Guild of Assassins]] working for him. You must kill them all or be killed. |
| 468 | * HatedByAll: Played with. Everyone in Allansia hates and fears him, aside from the scoundrels, cutthroats and vermin who look up to him and admire him in earnest. |
| 469 | * TheHeavy: He is largely to blame for Port Blacksand being such an awful WretchedHive. |
| 470 | * HeWhoMustNotBeSeen: He almost never seen in public. Even those granted audience with him are led to a carved wooden screen, behind which Lord Azzur stands, listening to complains and whispering his replies to his MouthOfSauron, who carries his words to the visitor. |
| 471 | * IHaveYourWife: [[spoiler: in '' The Port of Peril'', he keeps Luannah Wolff hostage in his prison, to force her husband to carve the ArtifactOfDoom that can resurrect Zanbar Bone.]] |
| 472 | * IOwnThisTown: Azzur's mentality. He does have to compose with the powerful ThievesGuild, and the high class, but, makes it clear that he could crush them anytime. His tradition to execute nobles and distribute their wealth serves both to restrict their influence and to warn them not to cross him. |
| 473 | * InformedAbility: Azzur is hyped as an extremely dangerous foe to cross, but this isn't truly shown for he is never directly faced in any gamebook. |
| 474 | ** Though his back story, and most importantly his actions in the ''Scholastic'' relaunch do prove that his reputation is not usurped by a long shot. |
| 475 | * KarmaHoudini: Since he is never fought, his dictatorial rule remains unchallenged. [[spoiler: He is the only BigBad of the series you don't kill at the end of the book.]] |
| 476 | * MasterSwordsman: If the sabre he is seen holding on the cover art of ''Assassins of Allansia'' is enough indication, he does know a thing or two about sword fighting. |
| 477 | * NeutralNoLonger: He usually only bothers with tyrannizing his city and pays no mind to the various world-threatening crises happening all over. But... |
| 478 | ** [[spoiler: Then comes ''The Port of Peril'' and he actively plots to resurrect Zanbar Bone, keeping hostages captives to coerce people and sending agents to capture [[TheArchmage Nicodemus]], the biggest threat to his lord, and steal his RingOfPower. Nicodemus being too powerful to be faced upfront, he has him drugged.]] |
| 479 | ** He takes part in the conflict in ''The Gates of Death'' as well, sending his men to the Invisible City and playing QuestGiver to you in a rare EnemyMine situation. |
| 480 | ** Finally, he hops in the BigBad bandwagon in ''Assassins of Allansia''. |
| 481 | * NoOneSeesTheBoss: He rules that way, surrounding himself in total secrecy and always decreeing through his MouthofSauron. |
| 482 | * OrcusOnHisThrone: Azzur always acts through proxies, but don't think he's lazing around. He has agents and spies all over Allansia, each for a specific task, and he has them firmly in hand. |
| 483 | * PetTheDog: Azzur can sometimes express genuine niceness to people who suffered too much for his liking. Such as when he rescued an innocent woman turned into a SnakePeople by worshippers of [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Sith]], and gave her a life of luxury in Port Blacksand as the Serpent Queen. |
| 484 | * {{Pirate}}: How Azzur began his career and rise into infamy. He still controls piracy of the Western Ocean and enjoys sailing his admiral ship, the "Face of Chaos", to commit some raids from time to time. |
| 485 | * PoliceBrutality: His City Guard is comprised only of [[DirtyCop corrupt bullies]], less likely to arrest the thief than the victim (for "troubling the public order"), who extort bribes left and right, or throw anyone who appears well-off in jail to "confiscate the stolen goods", among other outstanding displays of duty... |
| 486 | * PoliceState: His rule is enforced by his ruthlessly efficient (though horribly corrupt) City Guard. They patrol everywhere, enforce curfew, arrest anyone caught without a pass, have people thrown in pillories or outdoor cages, if not executed without trial. He at least once used [[AlwaysChaoticEvil Chaos Warriors]] for his black operations, so to speak... In broad daylight. Without anyone daring to move. |
| 487 | * PraetorianGuard: The elite guards in his palace are much tougher than those in town, and blindly devoted {{Tyke Bomb}}s who would give their life for him without thinking twice. |
| 488 | * PragmaticVillainy: Azzur knows that fear alone is not enough to rule, hence his oppression and favours being equally divided to all social classes, and adding acts of kindness to many ruthless actions. |
| 489 | * PresentAbsence: He seldom leaves his palace and is almost never seen in person by his people, yet his grasp over the town is almost tangible. |
| 490 | * PriceOnTheirHead: |
| 491 | ** He does this to the group of heroes in ''Advanced Fighting Fantasy'', believing them responsible of the rampage by the local ApocalypseCult. But he retracts it after learning that you saved his city. |
| 492 | ** He puts a bounty on your head in ''Assassins of Allansia'', offering no less than a thousand gold coins to anyone who could kill you and attracting [[CarnivalOfKillers all manners of cutthroats]] after your hide. |
| 493 | * QuestGiver: In a strange twist, he is this in ''The Gates of Death''. You already know that you must reach the fabled Invisible City to mass produce the antidote to TheVirus, but it is Azzur who tells you about the BigBad and how to go there, also giving you the SwordOfPlotAdvancement. |
| 494 | * RapePillageAndBurn: How his pirates work. No romantic [[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Pirates of the Caribbean]] lifestyle there. |
| 495 | * ReligionOfEvil: He is part of a downplayed example. While Sukh, the God of Storms revered under the name Kukulak in Khul, is prideful and HotBlooded, he is quite benevolent. The Adepts of Kukulak however, are definitely twisted and fanatical, though not actively malevolent and dangerous. |
| 496 | * ResurrectTheVillain: [[spoiler: In ''The Port of Peril'', Lord Azzur is trying to bring back Zanbar Bone.]] |
| 497 | * ReturningBigBad: The secondary villain of ''City of Thieves'' becomes a major recurring enemy in the relaunch. Downplayed in that he had to wait for ''Assassins of Allansia'' to become a proper BigBad. |
| 498 | * ShadowDictator: You will never see him in Port Blacksand, but you will always feel his shadow looming. |
| 499 | * StaffOfAuthority: Azzur holds one on the picture, whose pointed tip evokes a spear. |
| 500 | * TheStoic: Azzur is described as someone of unshakable calm and assurance. |
| 501 | * TykeBomb: Lord Azzur has infants abducted from their families at a very young age, and has them raised to be blindly devoted to him. They serve as a PraetorianGuard who never leave the palace, protect him twenty-four/seven, and would gladly march to their death if he ordered them to. |
| 502 | * TyrantTakesTheHelm: All rulers of Port Blacksand succeeded each other by killing their predecessors, bringing more corruption with each coup d’état. Lord Azzur was the last and definitely the worst. |
| 503 | * TheUnfought: Never faced in battle in any of the books. The game guide for the RPG rules even recommends against using Azzur as a FinalBoss, as fighting him, not to mention '''reaching''' him in the first place, is basically the equivalent of ''TabletopGame/TombOfHorrors''. |
| 504 | * UnseenNoMore: After over thirty years of gamebooks, you finally face him face to turban at the end of ''Assassins of Allansia''. |
| 505 | * TheUsurper: He took power by killing the former governor. As explained in TyrantTakesTheHelm, this could almost be seen as tradition. |
| 506 | * VillainousFriendship: He is friends with [[Characters/FightingFantasyRulers Baron Sukumvit Charavask]], the ruthless yet neutral ruler of Fang. Given their different alignment, this is also a form of OddFriendship. |
| 507 | [[/folder]] |
| 508 | |
| 509 | [[folder:Relem]] |
| 510 | -->See his entry on the [[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsThePit The Pit]] page under '''Night Demons and other Demon Princes''' |
| 511 | [[/folder]] |
| 512 | |
| 513 | [[folder:Sith]] |
| 514 | -->See her entry on the [[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsThePit The Pit]] page under '''The Snake Demons, Ruler of the Pit''' |
| 515 | [[/folder]] |
| 516 | |
| 517 | [[folder:The Snow Witch]] |
| 518 | [[quoteright:290:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/snow_witch.jpg]] |
| 519 | [[caption-width-right:290:[[labelnote: Click here to see the second illustration (markedly different look)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shareella_alternate.jpg[[/labelnote]]]] |
| 520 | -> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/CavernsOfTheSnowWitch'' |
| 521 | |
| 522 | One of the very few female {{Big Bad}}s of the franchise, the Snow Witch is a considerably powerful vampire SorcerousOverlord in cahoots with Ice Demons, based in the Icefinger Mountains in the [[GrimUpNorth polar northern reaches of Allansia]]. She reigns in the Crystal Caves dug by her monster servants, worshippers of the Ice Demon, she is tended by slaves captured all around and compelled to obey her every whim by {{Slave Collar}}s. She is about to unleash a second, everlasting Ice Age over the world of Titan, to rule it forever. And it is up to you to stop her...\ |
| 523 | |
| 524 | Shareella, to call her by her name, is notable for being defeated [[spoiler: twice]] at the middle of the story, the rest being spent lifting the Death Spell she cast on you. This was first a smaller adventure written for a magazine, thus too short for a book format, so Ian Livingstone had to complete it with {{Filler}}. |
| 525 | ---- |
| 526 | * AbsurdlyHighStakesGame: See TheGambler below... [[spoiler: During the [[ClimaxBoss last battle]], the Snow Witch challenges you to a game of Discs (basically Rock-Paper-Scissors), in which you both bet your life. If you lack discs to play with or if she wins you're history. but if you hold the disc that can beat her bet, twice, you win. It's much trickier than it sounds.]] |
| 527 | * AllThereInTheManual: Like many villains of the franchise, nothing is told about her in-story, not even her name, all is told in the additional guides like ''Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World'' and ''Out of the Pit''. Made all the sadder in that it reveals she is a FallenHero who got corrupted. |
| 528 | * AntagonistAbilities: A vampire with potent HypnoticEyes and a super powerful witch with OneHitKill spells, who can't be defeated in a direct battle. |
| 529 | * AntagonistTitle: The story is centered around her after all. |
| 530 | * AttackAnimal: Anyone who would send a pet rat against a seasoned warrior would be laughed at, not her, see RightHandAttackDog below to learn why. |
| 531 | * BigBad: The evil vampire witch who threatens the entire world with a second Ice Age. |
| 532 | * BlackMage: She masters deadly spells. |
| 533 | * BondVillainStupidity: The Snow Witch provides a glaring example. Justified in the fact that the FinalBattle would otherwise be a HopelessBossFight, but still... [[spoiler: Sure Shareella, you have TheHero at your mercy, you can kill them at any second and they proved that they are a threat by destroying your physical body. WhyDontYouJustShootHim What? They challenge you and you accept? A game of discs? You bet your own life as well? WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong Lots of things in fact. But for you as well...]] |
| 534 | * ClassicalMovieVampire: The Snow Witch is first and foremost a powerful WinterRoyalLady, but she fits the bill for VampireTropes. Sleeps in a vault? Check! Rises from it to suck your blood? Check. HypnoticEyes? Check. NighInvulnerability? Check. [[spoiler: must be staked to be for her physical body to be destroyed?]] Checkmate. |
| 535 | * ClimaxBoss: She is not the FinalBoss, but confronting her is a turning point in the narration [[spoiler: both times]]. |
| 536 | * CoolCrown: She wears a fancy, skull-shaped diadem on the in-book illustrations. |
| 537 | * CorruptTheCutie: Not what she can do to you or her slaves, but what happened to her in her backstory. |
| 538 | * {{Curse}}: The Death Spell she casts on you before you destroy her for good. It gradually drains your life-force and you must search for the most powerful Healer Mage of Allansia to survive. [[spoiler: You only make it if you could drink a life potion.]] |
| 539 | * DarkActionGirl: Played with. She is more than able to destroy you with magic and will do so if she beats you, but she never does so in a direct fight. Most likely because she is too powerful for you to face upfront but still needs to be defeated. |
| 540 | * TheDarkArts: Her main field of expertise, being expert in casting deadly spells, crafting cursed artefacts and raising undead, among others. |
| 541 | * DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans: The Snow Witch does not merely wants to TakeOverTheWorld, she wants to rule a scarcely populated (if at all) frozen wasteland filled with cold monsters and undeads. |
| 542 | * TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: A second Ice Age would spell the doom of Titan's civilisations. |
| 543 | * EvilLaugh: The Snow Witch indulges in this when she has you on the ropes. |
| 544 | * EvilSorcerer: A rare female example and an impressive one. Easily one of the mightiest in the franchise. |
| 545 | * ExplosiveLeash: She can use her {{Slave Collar}}s to kill her slaves or cause them intense pain, [[spoiler: or knock them out to create zombie clones of them.]] It is all but stated that [[SinisterSurveillance she uses them to monitor her slaves.]] |
| 546 | * FallenHero: She was once a very promising mage apprentice from the Holy City of Zengis, who was sent to the Icefinger Mountains as part of her training. There, she stumbled upon an [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Ice Demon]] who corrupted her and taught her Dark Magic, turning her into the BigBad she is now. |
| 547 | ** You will meet the Ice Demon who corrupted her, but only for a BossBattle and while not the hardest fight in the game, weaker than mere EliteMooks, he remains a dangerous foe with skill 9 stamina 11, whose BreathWeapon deals additional damage. Her backstory implies that they form a BigBadDuumvirate of sort, but this is hardly explained. He is content being worshipped by the Snow Witch's {{Mooks}}, leaving the Snow Witch as the sole BigBad and far and away the biggest threat of the book. |
| 548 | * FromNobodyToNightmare: Once an innocent mage-in-training, now a formidable vampire witch. |
| 549 | * FurAndLoathing: She is a villain and wears a lavish white fur coat. Justified in that she lives in mountaintops in the polar reaches. |
| 550 | * TheGambler: She loves playing luck-based games with her victims. [[spoiler: This proves her undoing in the end.]] |
| 551 | * HotWitch: Despite being a creepy vampire, the Snow Witch remains a gorgeous woman... When she is not baring her fangs that is. |
| 552 | * HotterAndSexier: The original in-book illustration was not that appealing, but the second set racks up the sexiness, depicting her in a skimpy LeotardOfPower. |
| 553 | * HypnoticEyes: Like any self-respecting vampire. [[spoiler: You can resist it with garlic or by winning a test of skill, otherwise she compels you and bites you, turning you into her vampire slave.]] |
| 554 | * AnIcePerson: She controls ice and snow, rules over a polar mountain and commands all sort of ice-related beasts, up to a rat that she turns into a White Dragon. |
| 555 | * LadyOfBlackMagic: She is regal, imposing and clearly the most powerful witch fought in the franchise. |
| 556 | * LeotardOfPower: She wears one in the second set of illustrations. |
| 557 | * MagicWand: She has one on the picture, though not in the story. |
| 558 | * MirrorSelf: Before the FinalBattle against her, she creates two zombie clones of your [[RequiredPartyMember travelling companions]] for you to fight, as a way to torment you. It is implied that she was originally meant to [[WhatCouldHaveBeen kill them outright and reanimate their corpses]]. |
| 559 | * MookMaker: She created her {{Elite Mook}}s and her PraetorianGuard, not to mention turned her pet into a RightHandAttackDog, with her potent sorcery. |
| 560 | * NighInvulnerability: You cannot destroy this wench by normal means, [[spoiler: no matter how you confront her.]] |
| 561 | * NoBodyLeftBehind: She is ReducedToDust after you kill her, [[spoiler: but you're not done with her even then...]] |
| 562 | * NoSell: [[spoiler: Attack her with your sword, and she drains your blood in the first confrontation, and blasts you to death in the second. Using a sling during the second confrontation might knock the orb and deviate her energy blast, but still does not harm her.]] |
| 563 | * NobodyCallsMeChicken: [[spoiler: She has you on the ropes during the second confrontation, but you insult and challenge her and she never backs down from a challenge. Though she does so out of sadistic amusement rather than a BerserkButton. This leaves you with a chance to defeat her, while she could easily obliterate you with magic. Justified plot-wise, since you need to stand a chance against her to win the game, and story-wise by her fondness for torture and mind-games, and her arrogance.]] |
| 564 | * OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: No one knows her real name in-universe and she is only referred to by her title in the entire gamebook. |
| 565 | * OurSpiritsAreDifferent: [[spoiler: when you face her for the second time, only her spirit remains within her SoulJar. Not that she minds.]] |
| 566 | * OurVampiresAreDifferent: The Snow Witch is revealed to be a vampire when you finally meet her. She has shades of the ClassicalMovieVampire but the SorcerousOverlord and WinterRoyalLady aspects of her character are more prominent. |
| 567 | * PostClimaxConfrontation: In a strange twist of the trope, everything you face after killing her (meaning a good third of the book) can be seen as this, being due to her [[SarcasmMode lovely parting gift]]. |
| 568 | * PuzzleBoss: [[spoiler: The second confrontation against the Snow Witch is basically a fantastic equivalent of the Rock-Paper-Scissors game called Discs. Star beats Square, Square beats Circle, and Circle beats Star. You must hide the figure that beats the one she names. If you do she is destroyed. If you hide the figure she names, the game is void but you can only survive the second round by beating her. She names Circle so hide Square. In the second turn she names Star so hide Circle.]] |
| 569 | * PraetorianGuard: She animated a bunch of {{Golem}}-like Crystal Warriors to serve as this. They are very powerful, with skill 11 stamina 13 and too sturdy for swords. If you lack a mace you're a goner. |
| 570 | * RavenHairIvorySkin: The Snow Witch sports this look. Justified knowing that she is a vampire. |
| 571 | * RecurringBoss: [[spoiler: You fight her twice, each confrontation getting trickier and trickier.]] |
| 572 | ** [[spoiler: In the first, you confront her in her vault, must resist her hypnosis and stake her.]] |
| 573 | ** [[spoiler: In the second, you challenge her in a battle and when she has you on the ropes during the battle, you insult and challenge her to a game of Discs, which is basically Rock-Paper-Scissors in another name.]] |
| 574 | * RedBaron: The Snow Witch. You know her more under her title than her real name. |
| 575 | * RedEyesTakeWarning: As a vampire, this could not be any other way... |
| 576 | * ReducedToDust: Her physical body ends up like this after you're through with her... [[spoiler: Though you’re not done with her even then...]] |
| 577 | * RightHandAttackDog: She has a pet white rat who attacks intruders. Nothing scary until it transforms into nothing less than a White Dragon! With skill 12 stamina 14, and [[BreathWeapon breathing]] clouds of [[KillItWithIce frost costing -3 stamina]], it is easily the deadliest monster fought in the game. [[spoiler: Fortunately, you can break the transformation spell with ground minotaur horn and avoid the fight. You are also protected from his Breath Weapon with a gold ring.]] |
| 578 | * {{Sadist}}: She gets her kick by tormenting her foes and putting them through the wringer emotionally. |
| 579 | * SequentialBoss: [[spoiler: In the second confrontation, you must use a sling to knock out the Snow Witch's orb and test your luck to avoid her energy blast, before facing her. (If you are unlucky, you can still survive the blast with a high enough stamina score, but must retry.) Then she creates two zombie clones of your friends for you to fight, before challenging you to a game of Discs.]] |
| 580 | * ShockAndAwe: During the FinalBattle against her, she hurls very powerful lightning bolts that either fry your sword out of your hand or OneHitKill you. |
| 581 | * ShoutOut: She evokes the White Witch from ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'', without being a full-blown {{Expy}}. |
| 582 | * SlaveCollar: She puts one on every unlucky schmuck who get captured by her forces. They are still fully conscious and loathe their condition, but cannot do anything. |
| 583 | * SorcerousOverlord: She is a highly powerful and accomplished witch, who rules over the Icefinger Mountain and controls an army of monsters. |
| 584 | * SoulJar: [[spoiler: So? You thought you have won after staking her? Well think again! She keeps her spirit bound to the Earthly Planes in a bewitched orb, and her power remains intact.]] |
| 585 | * TaxidermyTerror: She uses stuffed white owl as a headwear, though it's not from the latest cover art. |
| 586 | * TrialAndErrorGameplay: [[spoiler: During the final confrontation against Shareella, you must try discs pretty much at random, without knowing which can counter her own. One mistake and ciao bambino! It's Square for the first turn and Circle in the second turn.]] |
| 587 | * UndeathAlwaysEnds: You are here to end hers. |
| 588 | * UndeathlyPallor: Being a vampire, this is a given. |
| 589 | * VampiresHateGarlic: As per tradition. |
| 590 | * VampiresSleepInCoffins: Well not a coffin, a friggin' ornate vault carved in stone. |
| 591 | * WaveMotionGun: Her deadliest spell is a powerful energy blast. You can survive the weakest ones if your stamina score is high enough, but at full power they kill you outright. |
| 592 | * WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Justified game-wise. If she just did, you would stand no chance against her and the story needed a way for you to kill her if you want to finish the game. |
| 593 | * WickedCultured: The Snow Witch enjoys listening to her minstrel's music. |
| 594 | * WinterRoyalLady: She rules polar mountains and ice caves, wears fur and has a clear winter theme. |
| 595 | * WoodenStake: [[spoiler: You need one to destroy her when you confront her at her coffin. You need to be skill 10+ to be able to stake her, otherwise she pries the stake off your hand and turns you into her vampire slave.]] |
| 596 | * YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: She kills her servants whenever she feels like it, and mostly does it to display her power. |
| 597 | [[/folder]] |
| 598 | |
| 599 | [[folder:Zanbar Bone]] |
| 600 | %% |
| 601 | %%Image kept on page per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1646026692064804800&page=1 |
| 602 | %%Please don't change or remove without starting a new thread. |
| 603 | %% |
| 604 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zanbar_bone_glowing_eyes.jpg]] |
| 605 | [[caption-width-right:320:[[labelnote: Click here to see him in ''The Port of Peril'' (Brazilian edition)]]http:////static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zanbar_bone_demon_prince_brazil.jpg[[/labelnote]]]] |
| 606 | -> '''Appears in''': ''[[Literature/CityOfThieves1983 City of Thieves]]'' | ''Literature/ThePortOfPeril'' |
| 607 | |
| 608 | An enormously powerful lich who rules from his [[EvilTowerOfOminousness Black Tower]]. He was born in Fang from rich merchants and secret worshippers of the [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Snake Demon Myurr]], who imbued him at birth with huge evil powers. His parents sent him away to the WizardingSchool of the Forest of Yore, where he became one of its best students, along with the [[Characters/FightingFantasyStarPupils Star Pupils: Arakor Nicodemus, Gereth Yaztromo and Pen Ty Kora]]. He displayed creepier tendencies over time, until Nicodemus witnessed him kill a female elf student named Ellanor, and nearly got killed in the ensuing WizardDuel. Fortunately, Bone was driven away by [[TheArchmage Grandmaster Vermithrax Moonchaser]]. He fled and killed his parents, to seize their wealth and their cult. He later became [[TheDreaded a feared]] EvilOverlord and the rest was history.\ |
| 609 | |
| 610 | Zanbar Bone casts his ghastly shadow over the prosperous trade city of Silverton. He demanded the daughter of mayor Owen Carralif to be sent to him, and upon refusal he set his [[{{Hellhound}} Moondogs]] to the city, murdering anyone they could find every night ever since. Carralif sends a mercenary to his former adventuring friend, [[TheArchmage the legendary wizard Arakor Nicodemus]], in hopes that he can help bring down the undead tyrant...\ |
| 611 | |
| 612 | Zanbar Bone was destroyed, but his [[TheDragon most faithful follower]] and his [[EliteMooks Spirit Stalkers]] are plotting to resurrect him. Now he sets out to restart his reign of terror from an even bigger domain, threatening Allansia as a whole. It is up to you to ally to the best fighters and mages of the land to take him down once again... |
| 613 | ---- |
| 614 | * AllThereInTheManual: His background is explained in ''Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World'' and ''Out of the Pit'', later summed up in ''The Port of Peril''. |
| 615 | * AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs: He plans to make Yaztromo's MageTower his new EvilTowerOfOminousness in the second book. This is a central plot point, for the Spirit Stalkers are channelling his arcane magic to turn it black, so as to resurrect him by placing an ArtifactOfDoom at the top. |
| 616 | * AnimalMotifs: A black cat, fitting his cat-like eyes. You see one at the start of the story and before confronting him in the first book, which is hinted to be Zanbar Bone himself shape-shifted. |
| 617 | * AntagonistAbilities: Zanbar Bone can [[TheParalyzer paralyse you]], has a OneHitKill TouchOfDeath, and SummonMagic, among other niceties, and is too powerful to be fought straight-on. |
| 618 | * TheAntichrist: Being a mortal anointed at birth with evil powers by a Demon Prince to wreak havoc. |
| 619 | * ArchEnemy: He was this to his old school rival Nicodemus from the moment they met. Both were sons of rich merchants from Fang, and Nicodemus had heard gloomy rumours about Bone's parents' cult. Later, Nicodemus exposed him as a murderer and they fought a deadly WizardDuel. They are hinted to have fought for decades until Nicodemus was too old and weary and you came knocking in ''City of Thieves''. [[spoiler: They settle their score in an epic fashion in ''The Port of Peril''.]] |
| 620 | * TheArchmage: He is never described as such, but he is definitely a step above the other {{Evil Sorcerer}}s of the series. When still a young human, he could trade blows with an actual Archmage in a WizardDuel, and that was before the decades of experience and knowledge he has under his belt as the FinalBoss. |
| 621 | ** The monster guide ''Beyond the Pit'' did set his stats at skill 14 stamina 20, making him one of the mightiest villains of the franchise. The IOS adaptation ''Fighting Fantasy Legends'' on the other hand, sets the still formidable but more normal FinalBoss tier, skill 12 stamina 17... Jury's still out about which one counts, if at all, but what is sure is that his power is considerable. |
| 622 | * BackFromTheDead: In ''The Port of Peril'', much to everyone in Allansia's dismay. |
| 623 | * BadassCape: As befits the powerful EvilOverlord he is. |
| 624 | * BadassLongRobe: Described as a black tunic in the narration, but depicted as a billowing whitish robe on the illustrations. |
| 625 | * BeeBeeGun: In the second book, he summons millions of flying, venomous insects to kill you. [[spoiler: A Dragonfly Pendant will protect you. Without it, you lose -4 stamina and -1 skill, but Yaztromo destroys them before they can devour you whole.]] |
| 626 | * BigBad: In both books, being the demonic lich spreading evil all over the land. |
| 627 | * BigBadDuumvirate: In the first book. Zanbar Bone is TheHeavy and the [[FinalBoss biggest threat you must defeat]], but [[ShadowDictator Lord Azzur]] rules the titular city and is behind most of your troubles. [[spoiler: Averted in the end, as ''The Port of Peril'' reveals that Lord Azzur has always been Zanbar Bone's most devoted servant.]] |
| 628 | * BroughtDownToNormal: [[spoiler: You need a way to make him this to stand a chance in the second book.]] |
| 629 | * BoomHeadshot: [[spoiler: How he meets his end in the second book. Literally.]] |
| 630 | * CameBackStrong: Zanbar Bone is even more powerful after his resurrection [[spoiler: now being one of the Demon Princes themselves!]] So strong in fact that he cannot be confronted head-on. Even worse, it is stated that what killed him once no longer works on him after he returns. |
| 631 | * ContinuityNod: In ''Literature/CryptOfTheSorcerer'', the BigBad Razaak (also a [[OurLichesAreDifferent lich]]) has similar powers, namely the [[TouchOfDeath life-draining touch turning you to an undead]], and [[spoiler: the disguise unveiled by a RingOfPower]]. In the second book, Zanbar Bone uses in turn one of Razaak's powers, summoning a plague of insects. |
| 632 | * CoolCrown: He is described wearing one in ''City of Thieves'' and wears a diadem ornate with a demonic head in one illustration, fitting his title as the Night Prince. |
| 633 | * CreepySouvenir: A disgusting ShrunkenHead he wears as a pendant. |
| 634 | * CurbStompBattle: In his backstory, Zanbar Bone inflicted this on poor Nicodemus, only to find himself on the receiving end of one courtesy of Grandmaster Moonchaser. Yes, his WaveMotionGun could have killed him, no sending one is not enough to kill [[TheArchmage the most famous Grandmaster in the history of Yore]]. |
| 635 | ** The FinalBattle of both books can either be this in your or his favour, depending on how you played. |
| 636 | * TheDarkArts: He is an expert in Dark Magic and Demonology, being able to summon very powerful demons and eldritch forces. |
| 637 | * TheDeadHaveEyes: His GlowingEyesOfDoom. They are hinted to be the source of his power. |
| 638 | * DemBones: Zanbar Bone appears as a skeleton wizard. |
| 639 | ** He'll also summon skeleton henchmen before the FinalBattle in both books. |
| 640 | * DemonLordsAndArchdevils: [[spoiler:He has become no less than one of the Demon Princes after resurrecting in ''The Port of Peril''. Though whether he reached the rank of the superior Snake Demons or the subservient Night Demons, or something in-between, is never explained.]] |
| 641 | * DemonOfHumanOrigin: Zanbar Bone used to be a human wizard, albeit a human imbued with demonic powers that can count as a half-demon, downplaying the trope. But after turning into an undead, he became not only a lich but also a full-fledged Skeleton Demon. |
| 642 | * DePower: In both books, you must break his evil power and make him vulnerable to kill him. |
| 643 | ** [[spoiler: In the first book, you must shoot a silver arrow through his heart to paralyze him.]] |
| 644 | ** [[spoiler: In the second book, Nicodemus casts the extremely powerful Ring of White Flame spell [[BroughtDownToNormal that traps him and breaks his powers for a while]], going as far as making him vulnerable to mundane weapons. And a skeleton without uber dark powers proves very brittle.]] |
| 645 | * TheDreaded: He is feared all over Allansia, and seemingly all over Titan. Understandably so. |
| 646 | * EmperorScientist: The Fantasy counterpart. His backstory explains that he always had an unhealthy obsession with elven magic, especially the dark elves', dedicating his existence to learn all its secrets. |
| 647 | * EvilSorcerer: And undead, to make it worse. |
| 648 | * EvilTowerOfOminousness: Zanbar Bone "lives" (so to speak) in one in the first book. You burn it to the ground at the end after destroying him, though he aims to turn Yaztromo's tower into another in the second book. |
| 649 | * ExpressiveSkull: It helps that the sod retains eyes, but he still remains able to convey expressions like a human. And specializes in evil expressions like KubrickStare or SlasherSmile for extra creepy points. |
| 650 | * FinalBoss: In both books, true to form. See AnticlimaxBoss above and SequentialBoss below for details. |
| 651 | * FrontlineGeneral: In the second book, he besieges Yaztromo's tower with his armies. Played with as he sits on a palanquin throne while his troops do all the fighting. Still, he organizes them in perfect formation, stops them all at once by simply raising his hand, and makes them loudly rattle their weapons against their shields for intimidation, showing that he's not the last when it comes to warfare. |
| 652 | * GlowingEyesOfDoom: His horrible, shining green eyes. His backstory explains that he had them since the moment he was born, reflecting the huge demonic powers bestowed by Myurr. |
| 653 | * GoForTheEye: [[spoiler: How you destroy him in the first book. In a rather odd play on the trope, you must rub a magic compound on them instead of striking them.]] |
| 654 | * GoodWingsEvilWings: He now has wings in the second book. No point for guessing which sort... |
| 655 | * HairTriggerTemper: He is prompt to fly in vicious rages when you thwart him in the second book, and it is quite creepy. He was more composed in the first. |
| 656 | * HateAtFirstSight: Bone loathed the Star Pupils since the second they met. And this was totally mutual. |
| 657 | * {{Hellfire}}: The second book describes Zanbar Bone as able to attack foes with Demon Fire. |
| 658 | * HellishPupils: Fitting his AnimalMotifs, and making his cat-like eyes look even more demonic. |
| 659 | * HiddenInPlainSight: [[spoiler: He's hidden under magical illusions in one of the rooms of his tower in the first book.]] Finding out where he is and how to uncover him is part of the challenge. |
| 660 | * HornsOfVillainy: Fitting his demonic nature. |
| 661 | ** For trivia, Iain [=McCaig=] the artist who designed him seems fond of them, given that sixteen years later he would design another villain with a similar set. Who? None other than [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Maul]]. |
| 662 | * HornedHumanoid: As with the above, his skull is covered in horns, even longer after he resurrects. |
| 663 | * HypnoticEyes: One of his most prominent powers. He can paralyse anyone he looks at in the eye. |
| 664 | * IHaveYouNowMyPretty: Kickstarts the plot by demanding the Mayor of Silverton's daughter captive, for reasons unknown. His backstory implied that he sacrifices them in experiments. At least a bit less {{Squick}}y than the alternative, but still not a peach... |
| 665 | * IShallTauntYou: He taunts you as you come near him in the first book. This is in fact a hint that you are getting close to his lair. |
| 666 | * KeystoneArmy: His skeleton soldiers crumble into dust when you kick his ass. Justified, in that they were animated by his necromantic magic. |
| 667 | * KubrickStare: Does a nice one on the original cover art of the first book. |
| 668 | * LastBreathBullet: Attempts the magical variation but is thwarted, after you kill him in the second book. His corpse points a finger at you, most likely to cast a deadly spell, but fortunately for you [[RequiredPartyMember Hakasan Za]] cuts off his hand just in time and he gets ReducedToDust. |
| 669 | * LaughingMad: Bone does this unnervingly often in the second book. Coming BackFromTheDead seems to have unhinged him quite a bit. |
| 670 | * LifeDrinker: Zanbar Bone's SignatureMove and deadliest power is his ability to drain life-force with a touch. [[TouchOfDeath If he catches you]], too bad for you, YouAreAlreadyDead. |
| 671 | * ManOfWealthAndTaste: He resides in a gloomy yet lavish and well-kept tower, filled with many wondrous works of art, like a normal mortal lord would. |
| 672 | * MasterOfIllusion: He can cloak himself in illusions undistinguishable from reality. [[spoiler: Without the Ring of the Golden Eye, he catches you off-guard and kills you without fight.]] |
| 673 | * MeaningfulName: His last name is "Bone" and he is a skeleton. |
| 674 | * MookMaker: He creates the aforementioned Spirit Stalkers and the [[{{Hellhound}} Moondogs]]. He can also create skeletons by throwing his teeth to the ground, and raises an army of skeleton warriors in the second book. |
| 675 | * MysteriousPast: Zanbar Bone's backstory states that only a few scholars know about it, with anyone else only caring to know that he exists since as long as can be remembered. This clearly indicates how long he has ruled and how much he is feared. |
| 676 | * {{Necromancer}}: He is an expert in necromancy, being able to create powerful sentient undeads, raise an army of elite skeleton warriors, and drain life at contact. |
| 677 | * NighInvulnerability: No normal weapons and spells can harm him. |
| 678 | * NightOfTheLivingMooks: He raises an army of a thousand skeleton warriors in the second book. |
| 679 | * NoBodyLeftBehind: You don't just kill him, you obliterate him. Unfortunately, [[ResurrectiveImmortality he is more persistent than your average cockroach...]] |
| 680 | * NoSell: During the FinalBattle of the second book, he laughs off every spell Nicodemus throws at him... [[spoiler: Until his old rival pulls out the big guns.]] |
| 681 | * ObviouslyEvil: He looks like a demonic [[TheGrimReaper Grim Reaper]]. |
| 682 | * OhCrap: He has a very satisfying moment of sheer terror [[spoiler: when Nicodemus casts the Ring of White Fire spell to DePower him, in the second book.]] |
| 683 | * OneDegreeOfSeparation: Zanbar Bone was at school with the legendary Star Pupils, arguably the BigGood of the entire series. |
| 684 | * OrcusOnHisThrone: In the first book. Justified as he sees no point in TakingOverTheWorld, since he already has pretty much everything he wants. He is content with merely extorting whatever strikes his fancy and cursing those who resist. |
| 685 | ** Averted in the second book, in which he threatens Allansia as a whole, being implied to direct his servant from beyond the Veil and taking matter in hand when he returns. Then again, he seems more interested in seizing a new domain, much larger while he is at it, than in conquest for the sake of it. |
| 686 | * OurDemonsAreDifferent: He is a lich, but he gives demonic vibes, made even clearer by his backstory. The second book explains that he is both an undead lich and a Skeleton Demon at the same time. |
| 687 | ** [[spoiler: All ambiguity flies through the window in the second book, in which he becomes no less than one of the Demon Princes. Nifty promotion isn't it?]] |
| 688 | * OurLichesAreDifferent: He lacks the SoulJar, but being a highly powerful undead wizard, and looking like a skeleton wearing robes, he fits every other criteria like a glove. |
| 689 | * TheParagonAlwaysRebels: He was one of the very best and most promising students ever seen in the Forest of Yore, and his defection is still regarded both as one of the greatest displays of magic there and as a turning point in the school's history. Then he got away and it got ugly big time... |
| 690 | * TheParalyzer: Through his HypnoticEyes, leaving preys wide open for his TouchOfDeath. |
| 691 | * RedBaron: The Night Prince. Talk about NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast... |
| 692 | * ReducedToDust: Both times after you show him who's the boss... |
| 693 | * ResurrectiveImmortality: The second book reveals that he will always return, one way or another, more powerful and evil than before. Yet, he still needs to be resurrected by external intervention. |
| 694 | * ReturningBigBad: After thirty-four years in RealLife, old Zanbar Bone is the BigBad of another gamebook. |
| 695 | * RightHandAttackDog: He uses a friggin' '''Lesser Demon''' in the second book! Quag-Shugguth, a giant, tentacled AnimalisticAbomination and a formidable foe with skill 12 stamina 13, costing you -'''4''' skill without the WeaponOfXSlaying. Thankfully, said weapon grants you +3 skill for a way easier fight. |
| 696 | * SelfMadeOrphan: Bone killed his own parents. It is strongly hinted that he used their wealth and took over their cult, over whom he already had a strong influence, to start his first reign of terror. |
| 697 | * SequentialBoss: In both books: |
| 698 | ** In the first, you must overcome his illusions, fight the skeletons he creates, successfully shoot his heart, [[spoiler: and try to rub his eyes with the magic mixture. One single mistake and you're screwed.]] |
| 699 | ** In the second, you must survive his plague of insects, destroy his [[RightHandAttackDog Right-Hand Attack Demon]], and [[spoiler: have Nicodemus wear his RingOfPower to make him BroughtDownToNormal, before shattering his skull with a long-range weapon. If you lack the latter two you're screwed.]] |
| 700 | * ShrunkenHead: One he wears around his neck in the first book. As if you needed any more clues that this sod was '''bad''' news. |
| 701 | * SignatureMove: The TouchOfDeath is Zanbar Bone's go-to solution to fighting his foes in the first book. Not in the second though. |
| 702 | * SinisterScythe: Illustrations of the first book depict him with one. They were iconic enough for the second book to include their every detail, scythe included. He never fights you with it though. |
| 703 | * SinisterSurveillance: He can see you and talk to you from a distance when you are in his tower. |
| 704 | * SilverHasMysticPowers: [[spoiler: Shooting a silver arrow (a silver dagger in the IOS) paralyzes him and breaks his power in ''City of Thieves''.]] |
| 705 | * SlasherSmile: He sports one on every illustration, made all the creepier in that [[ExpressiveSkull this is as visible on his skeletal mug as it would be on a human face.]] |
| 706 | * SorcerousOverlord: A considerably powerful undead wizard who rules a large domain, controls many monsters and terrorizes the land. |
| 707 | * SummonMagic: He can create skeletons from his teeth, and does so before fighting you in the first book. |
| 708 | ** In the second, he summons Demons, skeleton warriors and plagues of flying insects. |
| 709 | * TakingYouWithMe: See LastBreathBullet above for more details. |
| 710 | * TechnicolorFire: In his backstory, he fought Nicodemus by conjuring many tentacles of red fire. |
| 711 | ** [[spoiler: Ironically, Nicodemus' White Flame Magic proves his undoing in the second book.]] |
| 712 | * TinTyrant: Zanbar Bone wears a black armour in the illustration of the second book. |
| 713 | * TooImportantToWalk: In the second book, he enters the fray sitting on a cushioned throne on a palanquin, carried by four skeletons. |
| 714 | * TouchOfDeath: Anyone he touches is drained of their life-force and becomes his undead slave. |
| 715 | * TrialAndErrorGameplay: There are three possible salves to destroy him in the first book, and you have no way of knowing which one unless you played it before. [[spoiler:It’s hag's hair and black pearls.]] |
| 716 | * UndeathAlwaysEnds: It is your job to make sure his own won't last any longer. In both books. |
| 717 | * VoluntaryShapeshifting: Only hinted at. The black cat among his illusions (and even the one you almost trip over at the very beginning) in the first book, is implied to be Zanbar Bone shape-shifted. |
| 718 | * WasOnceAMan: He was born a man, albeit one with HellishPupils from birth according to his backstory, and became a lich bordering on HumanoidAbomination. [[spoiler: He is now one of the Demon Princes...]] |
| 719 | * WaveMotionGun: Zanbar Bone is described as able to destroy his foes with magic energy in the second book. This fits his backstory, in which he unleashed a huge onslaught of magic at Vermithrax Moonchaser, who managed to [[AttackReflector deflect it]] and [[HoistByHisownPetard grievously wound him.]] |
| 720 | * WeatherManipulation: He causes a thunderstorm and even directs a bolt of lightning to strike next to him in the second book, but he fortunately never uses it against you. |
| 721 | * WingedHumanoid: Zanbar Bone sports black bat-like wings after his resurrection. |
| 722 | [[/folder]] |
| 723 |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext Characters / FightingFantasyAntagonistsAllansiaRulers
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load
