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Scene Five: Chaos Revealed
Ul Thalik
Daemon Warrior. Undead. Co 9, Ph 12, In 9, Es 9, Dmg +12, Def -8, Health 30*, also aura (fear), aura (corrupt)*, mysticism (mentalism), immune to mentalism, normal weapons, and poison.
Ul Thalik is no ordinary daemon warrior. It is more dangerous and more magical than most of its kind. It has several powers that are unique.
Instead of having its Physique points represent his health, Ul Thalik has a separate pool of health points. This means that any damage is taken from its Health score, which is considerably higher than his Physique rating.
Ul Thalik can cast spells from the mysticism sphere of mentalism, but only at a limited degree. He uses mentalism to create his mental illusions within the minds of his foes. However, he can also read the heroes' thoguhts when he wishes to and even communicate mentally. He can even dominate the heroes and enslave them with a thought. However, he cannot alter their minds in any way with the sphere.
Ul Thalik also possesses a corrupt ability that allowed him to corrupt Trollwood and its inhabitants. The corrupt ability works similarly to a poison, only it takes a long time to work. A creature possessing the ability can manipulate the area around it, like the Dragon Overlords do with the land around them. They can also shape the land's inhabitants, but it does a long time for the corruption to become complete. While this ability is difficult to translate into game terms, it is vital to the game. During the battle between it and the heroes during this scene, its corrupt ability won't be used, so the Narrator can ignore it.
Ul Thalik was sent by chaos to Trollwood to complete a sinister mission. For untold ages, an earth giant has slumbered beneath Trollwood. Ul Thlaik's mission was to corrupt this powerful creature, with the blood of innocents, and turn the creature to the side of chaos.
When a party of adventurers decided to pit themselves against the daemon warrior, Ul Thalik believed it to be a stroke of luck. It couldn't shed the blood necessary because his chaotic influence would taint the blood, so it decided to trick the adventurers into shedding the blood for him. After eroding their minds and spirits with its deadly illusions and magic, it sent the adventurers against the people he had kidnapped. However, the adventurers saw through the illusion that it had cloaked them in and turned on the daemon warrior. WIht their powerful weapons, the adventurers slew the daemon warrior.
However, they did not complete the job. The daemon warrior's essence survived the adventurer's wrath and lingered around the crater where its body fell. As the currents of magic swept across teh land, Ul Thalik was strengthened. Slowly, surely, it sent out is corrupting influence throughout Trollwood. Ul Thalik dominated and changed the trolls that had dwelled in the forest and made them its servants. Finally, after over thirty years of waiting, Ul Thalik prepares to complete the mission that Chaos assigned it those many years ago. |
The heroes have witnessed the chaos ceremony and fought the defenders of the daemon warrior.
Overview
The heroes finally face the true master of Trollwood. The daemon warrier tries to trick the heroes into corrupting the earth giant of Trollwood. If they see through the daemon warrior's ploy, the heroes will have to fight against a powerful minion of chaos.
Getting Started
Although Ul Thalik is an exceptional member of its kind, it is still a daemon warrior. The Narrator should review the daemon warrior entry in The Bestiary. The Narrator should also review the description of Ul Thalik's, which is located in a table in the following pages.
Although the heroes should have been kept in the area designated for them by the doppelganger and the trollekai guard during the last scene, they may have changed position. The Narrator should account for these changes in this scene and make sure that the daemon warrior is properly ensconced behind his "trollekai."
First Impressions
Before your astonished eyes, the crater in the center of the clearing spews forth a stream of multi-colored lights. The five weapons that slew the chaos minion all those years ago glow eerily in a circle around the pit as their magic works upon the crater.
Rising from the depths of the blazing pit like some demonic angel, the master of Trollwood emerges. Your mind can barely comprehend the horror of the terrible being before you. It writhes in your mind, tiwsting and squirming like a foul serpent, untiul you cannot grasp it, cannot comprehend it. Yet the living nightmare appraoches you, as real as the dark trees around you and the damp soil beneath you. The creature of death flashes with your dark nightmares, your private fears, your inner destruction, and the promise of death.
The herald of your destruction, of Krynn's doom, steps forward and gazes upon you with its terrible gaze.
A palpable aura of fear and power emanate from the daemon warrior and crashes into you like a tidal wave. As every fiber of your being is caught in the chaos creature's whirlwind of power, it opens its mouth, filled with razor-sharp fangs, lined with small, triangular teeth, covered with black blood, as empty and black as the heart of the Abyss, and thunders, "So, these are the mortals who oppose me."
Turning to the trollekai around him, he orders, "They are yours to dine upon." With a final flourish, the daemon warrior retreats behind his trollekai minions.
The Story Continues
As was revealed in the previous scene, the trollekai army that the heroes face is actually a massive illusion. The trollekai are actually the locals that have been kidnapped. They are paralyzed and cloaked in illusion to resemble trollekai.
In order for the daemon warrior to corrupt the earth giant that slumbers beneath Trollwood, it needs the blood of innocents. However, he needs the blood to be spilled in anger, by mortals. It could not slay the locals himself, or even force its minions to slay them, becuase the blood would have been tainted by its magic. Therefore, the daemon warrior hopes to trick the heroes into engaging the cloaked locals and spilling their blood upon the soil.
There are several indications that the "trollekai" are not what they seem. For instance, the "trollekai" will not move at all. In fact, the "trollekai" resemble zombies, with no expressions or other signs of life. The Narrator should make a point of this to the heroes, should they ask (see the "Actions" section).
However, Kara will not notice the strange countenance of the "trollekai." In fact, unless she is stopped, the half-elf will charge and the "trollekai" and engage them immediately. Since they do not move, the cloaked locals will be easily cut down by the enraged half-elf and any of the heroes who follow her.
However, if the heroes manage to restrain themselves, they can disrupt the daemon warriors plans. Ul Thalik, the chaos minion, will become so enraged that it will nearly lose control. It will begin taunting the heroes and attempt to goad them into slaughtering the cloaked locals. However, if the heroes remain strong against his words, Ul Thalik will immediately attack.
The Battle
Once Ul Thalik realizes that the heroes have seen through its plan, it becomes enraged and attacks the heroes immediately. It decides that the heroes are now simply a liability and will just have to trick another band of hapless adventurers into supplying him with the local's blood.
First of all, the heroes will have to contend with Ul Thalik's fear ability. His corrupt ability has no bearing on the battle and should therefore be ignored. Although he is a daemon warrior, Ul Thalik is more powerful than the average of his kind. Without magical weapons, the heroes will be easy prey for the daemon warrior. The heroes should have picked up many magical items, weapons, and even armor during the adventure. However, clever heroes might notice that the five weapons used to slay Ul Thalik so many years ago, are left unguarded.
These weapons, a dagger of fame, a broken crossbow bolt of glory, a war hammer of renown, a long sword of renown, and the footman's dragonlance that was taken from the heroes, are particularly deadly to Ul Thalik. Each of the weapons does double damage to Ul Thalik.
The crossbow bolt can be mended with a quick spell { the spell costs five points without adjustments for the Invocation time }.
Atmosphere
The mood of this scene should be intense and doubtful. The entire adventure culminates at this one point, when the heroes are seemingly at the mercy of a powerful chaos minion and its deadly servants. The doubt and confusion in this scene should become apparent as soon as the heroes realize that the "trollekai" are not what they seem. The heroes are faced with a decision that could spell the end for Krynn and the tension of the moment should show.
Actions
The heroes can attempt to examine the "trollekai." If the heroes succeed in a challenging Perception action, they realize that their is something wrong with the "trollekai." They sense a magical force present, a trap being set, or just something odd about the situation. Those who fail cannot discern anything at all.
If the heroes attempt to disbelieve any illusions, they must make an average Perception (Reason) action. If successful, they see that the "trollekai" are actually the locals of Trollwood. If unsuccessful, then the heroes cannot penetrate the illusion.
Resisting Ul Thalik's fear ability requires a challenging Presence (Spirit) action. Any heroes who wear a ring of fearlessness has this action reduced by one degree.
Characters
Augin Helmspurr. Human boy, timid demeanor, Rabble. Co 4, Ph 3, In 6, Es 4, Dmg +2 (dagger), Def -1 (padded armor).
Eugene Whetstone. Human boy, afraid demeanor, Rabble. Co 3, Ph 2 (currently reduced to 1), In 4, Es 5, Dmg +0 (fists), Def -0 (normal clothing).
Jaedyn Taerglaze. Human adult male, optimistic demeanor, Adventurer. Ag 4D, Dx 6C, En 5D, Str 4D, Re 8A (64), Pe 7C, Sp 4D, Pr 5B, Dmg +2 (quarterstaff), Def -0 (robes), also sorcery (geomancy, aeromancy, and divination), secondary weapon (dagger/+2), wand of summoning { 9 charges }, and ring of free movement.
Kara Half-elven. Qualinesti half-elf female young adult, rash demeanor, Adventurer. Ag 8X, Dx 7A, En 6C, Str 6B, Re 7B (49), Pe 6A, Sp 5D, Pr 7C, Dmg +4 (cutlass), Def -2 (leather armor), also sorcery (pyromancy), secondary weapon (dagger/+2), and missile weapon (longbow/+6).
Rezik. Human middle-aged male, cantankerous demeanor, Novice. Co 4, Ph 5, In 4, Es 3, Dmg +0 (fists), Def -2 (leather armor).
Thomas Steelguard. Human middle-aged male, eccentric demeanor, Champion. Ag 5B, Dx 4B, En 7A, Str 7A, Re 4X, Pe 5B, Sp 5D, Pr 6B, Dmg +12 (two-handed sword of renown), Def -5 (plate mail).
Locals. Humans of various ages and demeanors, Unknown. Co 4, Ph 4, In 4, Es 4, Dmg +0 (fists), Def -0 (common clothing).
Ul Thalik. Undead. Co 9, Ph 12, In 9, Es 9, Dmg +12, Def -8, Health 40*, also aura (fear), aura (corrupt)*, immune to mentalism, normal weapons, and poison.
* See the "Ul Thalik" table for details.
Outcome
If the heroes saw through Ul Thalik's plan and defeated the daemon warrior, or even if they were killed, go to the Epilogue.
If the heroes fell for Ul Thalik's ploy and slaughtered the cloaked locals, skip the events detailed in "The Battle" go straight to the Epilogue.
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