[Abe Sargent]

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The two Vassagonians unsheathe their rapier-thin swords and advance towards you, secretly thankful that they are no longer the target of Kraagenskûl's wrath. The Darklord orders them to halt and demands that you step within the circle of the fiery pillars and explain your intrusion. You sense that he has not detected your true identity, that his psychic skills are solely destructive, and that he is, for now, deceived by your Drakkarim disguise.

'I have come from the victorious army of Darklord Xog, the conqueror of Cloeasia, with vital information to impart, O Mighty Lord of Darkness,' you say, slavishly. You speak partly in Vassagonian and partly in Giak to maintain your deception. 'There is a traitor in your court. He has tried to send word to the enemy, to warn them of what is being constructed in Argazad. I know who he is and I carry proof of his treachery.'

'Speak!' commands Kraagenskûl. 'Speak or die!'

'I shall speak, O Invincible Lord of Death and Decay, but I crave your confidence. Can we not speak alone?' You cast an accusing glance at the two Vassagonians, and they return your look with fear and hatred blazing in their eyes.

'Leave us!' snarls Kraagenskûl, pointing to the stairs with his jet-black blade, 'but stray no further than the hall below, and do not disturb us until I call for you.'

Reluctantly, the Vassagonians leave, their heads bowed in reverence but their eyes still fixed murderously on you.

As you watch the Vassagonians leave, you edge nearer to Kraagenskûl and prepare yourself to launch a surprise attack. You will need all your speed and skill if you are to catch him off-guard. From the bottom of the stairs you hear the steel door click shut and immediately you spin around to face your enemy. But he has a plan of his own and it is he who catches you by surprise. A crackling arc of blue electrical fire surges from his hand and connects with your chest, shaking you like a helpless puppet on the tip of a fiery lance.

'Now tell me everything you know!' he growls, as he increases the current. It is a torture that he has employed countless times, and always it has elicited the truth from his human victims.

Your skin tingles and the charge causes you to shiver, yet you feel no pain. Staring down, you see that the crackling bolt is being drawn to the Golden Amulet that hangs around your chest: its magical properties are neutralizing the evil charge. Kraagenskûl senses that something is wrong. He breaks off his attack, his bulbous eyes filled with fearful suspicion. He steps back, then utters a curse in the dark tongue, which echoes like thunder around the walls. Black mist pours from his fingers, swirling into a cone that grows in his bony palm. Shadow-shapes writhe at the core, then gush towards you, engulfing you in a choking flood of deadly Crypt Spawn.

I can use the Sommerswerd, the Dagger of Vashna, or I have neither. I left the Dagger and I didn’t think I’d need it and I’ve been told not to draw the Sommerswerd. I should have brought the Dagger, just in case. Ah well. Gotta do this naturally.

Crypt Spawn Flood CS 30, EP 36

I roll a 5 and they take 11 and me 2. I roll a 9 and they take 18. I roll a 2 and they take 8 and die. I took 5 damage. 34/39.

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Kraagenskûl watches you step over the gore-stained bodies of his creations, then raises his black sword as you approach him boldly. 'Here lies your doom, fool!' he roars, waving his sword before his ghastly face. 'Come. Take it . . . if you dare!'

Cautiously you circle the Darklord, taking care to remain beyond the reach of his sorcerous blade, but he moves towards you with surprising speed. As you dive to avoid his attack, you seek a chance to turn the odds a little in your favour. With a mighty kick, you send one of the fiery pillars toppling towards your foe. He screams and dodges aside, but the column glances his shoulder as it slams to the granite floor with a crackling roar. The black sword spins from his hand and slides to a halt near the base of the throne. For a moment your eyes meet, then simultaneously you race to retrieve the blade.

I roll a die and add 5. I win easily. I grab the sword, Helshezag first. I raise it and feel a dark cold power enter me. It will me forward, to take the now cowering Darklord and kill it.


Darklord Kraagenskûl CS 35, EP 38

I add 7 to my CS for fighting with Helshezag. He is immune to MB. That makes my CS 44 without Psi Surge, and I push it to 50 with Psi Surge.

I roll a 5 and he takes 14 and me 2 (one damage, one Psi-Surge). I roll a 1 and he takes 9 and me 4. I follow with a 7, 18 to him, me for 1. He is dead and I took 7. That is three Darklords I have personally killed in my lifetime.


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Your killing blow draws a howl from Darklord Kraagenskûl, so loud that it shakes the very foundations of the building. He falls, yet as he does so, his withered frame vanishes before your eyes, leaving only a tattered grey robe and a black sword to mark his passing.

If you wish to keep Helshezag, the sword of Darklord Kraagenskûl, mark it on your Action Chart as a Special Item. (You wrap this sword in the remains of the Darklord's grey robe and carry it vertically, tied behind your Backpack) When used in combat, it will add 5 points to your COMBAT SKILL, and 7 points when used against a Darklord of Helgedad. However, prolonged use of this evil blade will weaken your ENDURANCE score. In the second and subsequent rounds of every combat in which you use the sword, you must reduce your ENDURANCE level by 1 point.