Bas Ohn-Horak

BAS OHN-HORAK

Real Name: Bas-Ohn Horak

Class: Minotaur

Occupation: Ruler of Nethosak

Group Affiliation: None

Known Relatives: Bas Ohn-Koraf (brother, deceased)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Nethosak, Krynn, Earth-TSR

First Appearance:

Powers: Like all minotaurs Horak was a fierce warrior that was half-man and half-bull., and had an uncanny knack for navigating mazes.

History: (Dragonlance #9, 10) - The half-man half-bull Minotaurs were a warrior race with strong ties to the family. Lord Gunthar knighted Riva Silvercrown and gave her her own command unit. Thanks to Riva's bravery and the use of the Dragonlance the forces of good won the day. Forces of evil were still afoot, and Kitiara rallied her dragonsoldiers and looked to expand her sphere of influence to Nethosak, city of the Minotaurs. They offered the warlike Minotaurs a military alliance, and Gunthar sent Riva, Tanis Half-Elven and the elven cleric Loralon to Nethosak to counter with a trade alliance. Gunthar had chosen Tanis because he knew Kitiara's scheming ways better than anyone else because he was once her lover, and Riva was to keep her eye on him to make sure Kitiara didn't seduce him. At the meeting with Minotaur leader Bas Ohn-Horak he leaned towards Kitiara's offer, because she was a warrior and a conqueror, much like his own people. Loralon revealed that Tanis was with Ohn-Horak's brother Bas Ohn-Koraf when he perished during the War oof the Lance. Tanis had no idea how he had that information, and wished Loralon would have alerted to him to his plan, but Ohn-Horak badly wanted to perform the proper funeral rites for his brother, and promised a greater chance at an alliance if Tanis led him to his brother's watery grave in the blood sea of Ishtar. Ohn-Horak hosted the night's entertainment, a feast eaten while they watched a Gully Dwarf run through a maze of monsters. The Dwarf was killed, and Riva was disgusted, while Kitiara enjoyed herself. Ohn-Horak said the entertainment was also an educational lesson for young Minotaurs, weakness was never tolerated in their society. Kitiara flirted with Tanis and baited Riva, who was still furious that she'd caused the deaths of several of their friends. The next day Ohn-Horak, Loralon, Tanis and a crew of Minotaurs set sail for the blood sea. Kitiara followed them with her black dragon, and Tanis told Ohn-Horak how she'd driven him and her brother into a storm during the war. The ship sank, and while sea elves saved several of them Bas Ohn-Koraf sunk beneath the waves. A storm blew up, and a whirlpool opened up beneath the ship. The ship sunk beneath the waves, but Loralon saved himself, Tanis and Horak with a magically created air-bubble. Dragon Turtles had taken over Ishtar, and one of them rammed the bubble, knocking Loralon out. The bubble collapsed, but Tanis and Horak managed to swim to Ishtar, which had a magically created atmosphere. They were quickly apprehended by the resident gladiators, who the Dragon Turtles forces to fight for their own amusement. The prisoners' wills had been broken, and when Tanis said he disliked killing they told him it was kill or be killed, and the champions of the arena would win a coveted prize. Horak and Tanis were thrust into the arena, but Tanis could not bring himself to kill his opponent. After Horak bashed his opponent's head in with a mace he killed Tanis' foe and said he didn't expect to have to do his job for him next time. Koraf and Tanis' old captain Maquesta had survived the storm and been transformed into merfolk. As current champions they held the amulet that the Dragons promised would lead to their eventual release. Horak was thrilled that his brother lived, but Koraf said he'd slay him and Tanis to attain his freedom. Loralon appeared to the heroes in their cell, telling them they needed to claim the amulet, and revealed that he'd conjured the storm that sunk them for that purpose.

(Dragonlance #11, 12) - Tanis was furious that he'd risked their lives, but Horak staid his hand, demanding answers. Loralon was in Ishtar centuries ago during the cataclysm and managed to save all the clerics of the city, but lost two valuable artifacts he needed to recover for Paladine. Tanis demanded to know why Paladine's will was worth his life, and why the god sunk Ishtar. Loralon showed him a vision of Ishtar in its' glory, and how the people turned their backs on the gods, causing disaster. The priestking demanded power from Paladine, and the god destroyed Ishtar for his hubris, as well as to restore the balance of all things. The artifacts Loralon needed back were the amulets Koraf wore, starstones created by the gods that created the new races of Krynn. He feared Kitiara or other evil forces would claim them if he didn't, and admitted Horak would have to kill his brother to get them, which Horak found infuriating. Tanis and Horak prepared for combat, and Horak remembered the last words he spoke to his brother before he disappeared, "May we never meet as enemies, but if we do may the heavens sing of our battle," an old Minotaur maxim. They prevailed, slaying Koraf and Maquesta, claiming the starstones as their reward. Loralon used the power of the starstone to summon a group of sea elves, who helped him flood the sunken city, and he proceeded to cast a spell to allow Tanis, Horak and himself to breathe water. The Dragon Turtles were displeased that their fun had been ruined, and Loralon turned them into ordinary sea turtles. Horak refused to ally himself with Riva's group or Kitiara's, saying the Minotaurs needed their independence, so Kitiara and her dragonsoldiers attacked Nethosak. Horak used the starstones to summon several elementals, repelling Kitiara's forces. Horak promised to use his immense power only for defense, and told Tanis he considered him a brother-at-arms.

Comments: Created by Dan Mishkin & Dave Simons.