Az’kerash

Perril Chandler
Aliases	Az’kerash The Necromancer Peril Archmage Chandler Gravewarden of Therras Undying Shield of Calanfer
Species	Human (Formerly)
Age	200+
Gender	Male
Status	Alive
Affiliation	Order of Seasons (Formerly) Order of Felgeist (Formerly) Chosen
Occupation	Necromancer
Residence	Castle west of the Blood Fields
First Appearance	Chapter 2.29

Perril Chandler, now mostly known to all as Az’kerash or simply as The Necromancer, is a highly skilled Necromancer, as he isn't just able to control zombies or skeletons but create far darker armies, such as Draugr, advanced and incredibly powerful zombies, wraiths, wights and Bone Giants.

Appearance

He looks like an old man with facial lines, white locks, and albino white skin. His pupils are described as pale ghostly white light shining from behind two black corneas. That said, the black color appears to be the result of an illusion spell, as his eyes are in actuality supposed to be violet.

He wears dark robes that seem to be made from shadows that slowly ripple over his form, sucking in all light, and a silver ring on his finger. 

Personality

Az'kerash is aware that he has weak points, among them arrogance and an overconfidence in his abilities

Background

Before he was known as "The Necromancer" and still went by the name of Perril Chandler, he studied at Wistram. While he emulated his teachers, he was also dismayed at poor innovative students. He was even teaching there, and called Zelkyr a friend.

A century ago, he slew Kerash, the beloved Chieftain of the Gnolls whom some had labeled the first ‘King of Gnolls’. For killing him, the Gnolls dubbed the Necromancer as Az’kerash (‘Slayer of Kerash’).

For over a century, he plagued Terandria, by leading armies of death against the living. He would destroy and despoil kingdoms, his undead armies beaten back only after much effort and then disappear before he could be slain, returning after years or sometimes decades, sometimes even faking his demise. When he returned again, he was stronger each time.

Second Antinium War

After the second Antinium War had started, the Necromancer Az’kerash led a massive army against the port-Kingdom of Desonis, where he quickly overwhelmed the kingdom’s army but did not approach the capital. Rather, he seized a local port and departed for Izril.

While his intentions for invading Izril were never revealed, Pisces believes that his aim were the walls of the Walled Cities, as Pisces supposes they contain Dragon bones.

In his invasion of Izril, the Necromancer clashed with the army of the Goblin King before approaching Liscor. He besieged the city which was however quickly relieved by Zel Shivertail. After three months, the ruinous and increasingly desperate siege was lifted when an Antinium army under Klbkch came to Liscor's help. Zel Shivertail himself assailed the Necromancer's position and tore Az'kerash in two pieces. The Undead army was swept up in the aftermath. (See: Necromancer's Siege of Liscor)

However, Az'kerash had once again only pretended his death at Zel's hands, likely with illusions and/or a necromantic construct that replaced him in battle.

Aftermath

While Zel and the majority of Izril's population was convinced of Chandler's death, he had in fact survived. At some point, he settled down in the Blood Fields, where his huge castle is located. It houses his numerous undead servants. Although the castle is very large, no one, aside from a handful of people, is aware of its existence, as he cast a powerful veil around his domain. There he strengthens his army and is waiting for the time to unleash his legions upon the continent again.

Eight years before the main story started, he or one of his many undead constructs posed as a [Merchant] and went to a Drake village, bringing a wagon laden with goods and asking for news. There he met a Hobgoblin under illusion spells that intrigued him. Az’kerash saw that the Hob could read as well. That night, he attacked the Drake village with a horde of undead, slaughtered the Drakes and cornered the Hobgoblin and fought him.

After defeating the Hob, Az’kerash offered him the choice of serving him in life or serving him in death. The Hob chose to live, and so he became his apprentice. Az’kerash then started training him, by giving him spellbooks and scrolls to read, so that he could make him his own Goblin King and use him as a weapon to strike the living with.

Chronology

Volume 1

Az'kerash was mentioned several times in Volume 1 as a historical threat, to both show [Necromancy] is considered a threat in general and a death-worthy crime in Liscor especially, but also that the [Necromancer] Pisces is not nearly as dangerous as The Necromancer was. He was mentioned for the first time in Ch 1.23.

Volume 2

After Skinner's Attack on Liscor, Az'kerash called all the undead (including Toren) and commanded them to come to him and bring him all the magical artifacts of the Ruins of Liscor. However, none of the Undead made it all the way to him and he didn't receive those artifacts.

When Ryoka Griffin approached the Necromancer's castle on her delivery run for Teriarch, Az’kerash was occupied creating a huge whale-sized creature out of bone designed to threaten the Walled Cities. He only focused a fracture of his mind towards casually surveilling the battle between Zel Shivertail of the Trisstral Alliance and Ilvriss and the forces of Salazsar, which also occured near his abode. One of his servants, Venitra regularly briefed him on the situation as it unfolded, but the Necromancer decided not to interfere in the Drake's petty squabbles, just sweep up the fallen after the battle as future resources. He issued a kill order on anyone that penetrated his veil.

Ryoka broke through that veil, followed by Periss who was slain together with her Elite Soldiers by the Undead. Ryoka could run straight towards Az'kerash's study where he - his main consciousness still occupied with the Undead creation spell - stopped her with a [Sticky Webbing] and a [Silent Sicle] spell. He reprimanded Venitra and dismissed her, then dealt with Ryoka himself, commending her for coming this far.

As he then learned she was a [Courier] sent from Teriarch to him, he relieved her of the package and revealed to Ryoka that the Dragon had sent him a birthyear greeting and a considerably minor artifact: an original ring enchanted with warding and movement spells in the Silvarian dueling fashion.

Supposing that it would not do to kill one of Teriarch messengers, he lets her go afterwards. A week later, he finished his new undead creation, and woke from his focussed trance, ready to give orders on collecting fresh material for his next creations, of which he states to need at least six, and fourteen would be ideal. Still, he stated to work under time constraints. When Venitra reported to him the incident with Ryoka, Az'kerash became furious that the messanger escaped alive to tell of his location: Spilling the knowledge of his current abode could undo a decade of preparation and force him to act. So he tasked Venitra together with Ijvani to track Ryoka down and kill her along with everybody who knew of his castle - unless the Runner has kept confidential about it, in which case he expected Venitra to either call him but use her own judgement he was similarly occupied with a creation again.

After she left, Az'kerash considered that he was ready for a war, if the need arose; but if not he would have yet more time to prepare. He also pondered about Teriarch's role in the chains of events, as the Dragon was his mortal enemy but also a neutral entity that might now take sides in the conflict.

Volume 4

Az'kerash interfered in the battle between his apprentice, the Goblin Lord, and the forces of Garusa by possessing him. Seemingly casual, he kill Garusa and her Soldiers and reanimated them as Draugr to send them towards their former comrades. After telling his apprentice to finish this, he left. After the battle, Az'kerash reprimanded the Goblin Lord, telling him that he had alerted the Drakes of his greatest weapon and failed to use it to proper effect: While Reiss tried to separate Undead and Goblins and hold back the Goblins forces to spare their lifes, Az'kerash expected him to ruthlessly sacrifice both in order to win more effectively. He tasked Reiss to comply with those battle orders, and to unify the Goblins, or otherwise perish in despair.

A few day later, he contacted the Goblin Lord to give him his orders. Then he asked him why he keeps the Drake, as that while she is an Oldblood, as a useful corpse, she was not. Upon hearing that he is using her as a spy for information, he told him with a voice filled with scorn that he already has all the information required, and that he does not need spies, only magic.

Then he remind him of his orders to go past Liscor and reclaim the Goblins in the mountain, by taming their leader, so that he could build his forces and wreak havoc among the Human lands. He also told him to become a Goblin King if he is able, and If not, then die cursing his weaknesses.

He then told him that he has his trusted servants in Liscor, and that their tasks must not be compromised, as they have been occupied there for a long time, gathering information. Upon hearing this, the Goblin Lord started laugh and told him that his servants were not in Liscor for a long time, as he had met them a week ago, as they were lost and could not find Liscor.

Hearing this, Az’kerash said that he will reprimand his servants and thanked the Goblin Lord for telling him. Before vanishing, he told him to go north as he had told him, and burn the cities as he passes, while leave the strong ones undefended. He also told him to kill the Oldblood Drake, as he does not like loose ends.

Volume 7

Az'kerash educated Bea on sexual intercourse, which was something he never deigned to teach his Chosen before.

When Ijvani finally arrived at Az'kerash's fortress, the Necromancer studied the Healing Slime and Toren, determining the latter to be a masterpiece that Pisces had created unknowingly of his true achievement: a leveling, sentient Undead made from a Necromancer's Archmages bones, inscribed with the spell matrix of a sentient Golem. That discovery made Az'kerash destroy much of his less valuable property in excitement (including major parts of his castle, his bone giants, his laboratory and the forest surrounding his fortress). He then resolved to reshape his Chosen, make them leveling undead (starting with Ijvani), and raise their number from four to ten.

Powers and Abilities

Az'kerash is a master of magic. He gazed deeper into the heart of magic than any but the greatest [Archmages] before him. His name is infamous as the most powerful [Necromancer] of this millenium. He is so powerful that not even Teriarch is confident that he could beat him.

He can enslave wraiths and ghosts and built new types of undead.

He was fencing good enough once to have owned a golden bell.

The Necromancer may know at least 500 different destructive spells.

Classes/Levels:

• [Necromancer] Lv.? (highly likely over 70-80)
• [Mage] Lv.?

Spells:

• Tier 2:
  • [Flame Jet]
• Tier 3:
  • [Detect Magic]
• Tier 4:
  • [Invisibility]
• Tier 5:
  • [Blackfire Fireball]
• Unknown Tier:
  • [Absorb Recollections]
  • [Accelerate Spell]
  • [Appraisal]
  • [Beguiling Aroma]
  • [Bloodcaller’s Curse]
  • [Bone Rapier]
  • [Bound Spell – (Spell)]
    • [Blackfire Fireball]
  • [Concealed Presence]
  • [Deathblast]
  • [Deathbolt]
  • [Deep Freeze]
  • [Detect Lies]
  • [Diamondshard Spray]
  • [Eagle Eyes]
  • [Enhanced Strength]
  • [Flash Step]
  • [Flesh Regrowth]
  • [Greater Invisibility]
  • [Gust of Wind]
  • [Ice Floor]
  • [Lesser Teleport]
  • [Mass Stone Lances]
  • [Mass Flame W—] (Full name yet to be revealed. Likely [Mass Flame Ward].)
  • [Mass Silent Sickle]
  • [Mend Bones]
  • [Mindhaze]
  • [Mists of Madness]
  • [Muffle]
  • [Parallel Thoughts]
  • [Preservation]
  • [Purify Water]
  • [Sanctuary of Protection]
  • [Scribe Thoughts]
  • [Scrying]
  • [Sightless Winds]
  • [Silent Sickle] (Low-level spell)
  • [Snap Freeze]
  • [Sticky Feet]
  • [Sticky Webbing] (Low-level spell)
  • [Stone Lance]
  • [Void Room]
  • [Wall of Stone]
  • [Wall of the Damned]
  • [Warming Touch]
  • [Word of Death]

Creations

Chosen:

• Kerash
• Oom
• Ijvani
• Bea
• Venitra

Possessions

Magical Artifacts

• An original ring enchanted with warding and movement spells in the Silvarian dueling fashion. Gifted to him by Teriarch, as a token to celebrate his 200th year of existence.

Former Possessions

[Greater Teleportation] Scrolls

• He owned a limited amount of scrolls containing the spell [Greater Teleportation]. He wass very careful when to use them, because he had no means to acquire further ones. His servants were shocked when Az'kerash handed out only 4 of them. During the fight against Zel, Az had to use all 11 scrolls he had left.

List of Enemies

The following people have been explicitly shown to be aware of the threat that Az'kerash still poses for Izril, while most other believe him dead, including most Terandrian powers including the Order of Seasons. This list also informs about their motives to act against Az'kerash.

• [Lady] Magnolia Reinhart, who only considers the Antinium a greater threat than him
  • her confidante, Ressa
  • Erin Solstice, having been told about him on their first meeting
• Teriarch, his mortal enemy who nevertheless sent him a token birthyear gift
  • his messenger, Ryoka Griffin, later forced to flee from Liscor to stay far away from Az'kerash
• Wall Lord Ilvriss Gemscale, who started a secret operation against him but covered it up as an anti-Antinium strike force
  • Osthia Blackwing, who was captured by Reiss and confirmed to Ilvriss about the threat
  • Plus some of his retinue such as Welsca Crimsonscale and Captain Veel.

Trivia

• He has a strained relationship with Teriarch.
• Despite Oom and Ijvani being his oldest creations, Az'kerash favors Venitra, his youngest one.
• Az'kerash lived in Terandria and was expelled from Wistram hundreds of years ago.
• The name Az’kerash means ‘Slayer of Kerash’.
• He owes Belavierr a favor. She was also the one that made the robes he wore, as well as the one who sold him the castle west of the Blood Fields.
• Back when he was still an Archmage at Wistram, Feor was once one of his students.

Gallery

Az'kerash by Vreemdear

by DemonicCriminal

Az'kerash casting Deathbolt by Chalyon

Quotes

• (To Ryoka) “Ah, hm. Goodbye. Shut the door on your way out.”
• (To himself) “Arrogance is my flaw; even now, it seems. Of course Teriarch would not send anything less than a Courier to do his bidding. And that old fool would insist upon delivering me a gift, even if we were mortal enemies.”
• (To Goblin Lord) “You have disappointed me, my apprentice. I should not have to intercede on your behalf.”
• (To Goblin Lord) “If you want victory, you must sacrifice. Next time, place the Goblins among your force. Do not fail me this time. Unify the Goblins, my apprentice. Or perish in despair.”
• (To Zel) “Hardly. My battle was never with one individual. I wage war with Drakes, with species as a whole. The living are my enemy, Shivertail. You do not merit my presence. My creations are enough for you. Each one is a masterpiece, unique among their kind. Look upon them and despair, for they are your betters.”
• (To the Chosen) “I see I have overestimated your capabilities. Or perhaps underestimated that of my foes. The next generation of your brothers and sisters will lack your weaknesses.”
• (To Reiss) “A foolish attempt. Why would anyone conceive—ignore fools like that, my apprentice. That girl is not too far from a zombie in terms of intellect. And why she would assume…do I know her?”
• (To Pisces) “That name is old. Archmage Chandler was a man from a different era. Over a century dead. Address me as you will. But do so by the name they have given me.”
• (To Bea) “No. It is I who fail you. My craft is not yet enough. The strength I gave you was not sufficient to best Zel Shivertail. My Chosen, my children, are still children.”
• (To Pisces) “Someday, you will see the depths of their hatred for you, boy. Rejoice in your today, for that tomorrow lies ahead. Inevitably.”
• (To himself) “No. No. It will make you strong, boy. We must be alone. Even she will—let her die like this.”
• (To Belavierr) “If you come to my place of power to insult me, Belavierr…I call my Chosen my children. Insult them again at your peril.”
• (To Belavierr) “I offer you the protection and secrecy of my place, Belavierr. As long as you wish it. I offer you my resources, and my power. And I crave your power in an alliance. To create. Walk this castle and the forest as you wish. My hospitality is yours.”

Chapter Appearances

See Here.