Az’kerash, really name Perril Chandler, usually referred to as The Necromancer, is infamous in Issrysil for having killed a massive number of people, 10 years ago, with his legions of the undeads. He is a highly skilled necromancer, as he isn't just able to control zombies or skeletons, but also high ranking undeads, such as giants, wights and ghosts.
Appearance
He looks like an old man, with facial lines, white locks hair and albino white skin. His pupils are described as, pale ghostly white light shining from behind two black corneas.[1] That said, the black color appears to be the result of an illusion spell, as his eyes are in actuality supposed to be violet.[2]
He wears dark robes that seems to be made from shadows that slowly ripple over his form, sucking in all light and a silver ring on his finger.[1]
Personality
Background
Before he was known as "The Necromancer" and still went by the name of Perril Chandler, Az'kerash studied at Wistram.[3]
A century ago, he slew Kerash, the beloved Chieftain of the Gnolls who 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. Each time stronger.
2nd Antinium War & "Death"
During the time the 2nd Antinium War had started, he returned leading a massive army against the port-Kingdom of Desonis, were he quickly overwhelmed the kingdom’s army but did not approach the capital. Rather, he seized a local port and departed for Issrysil.
While his intentions for invading Issrysil were never revealed, some believe that his aim were the walls of the Walled Cities, as they may theoretically contain Dragon bones in them.
He would land to the north of the continent, and his arrival would herald a plague that swept the Human cities while his armies grew in number, leaving only death in his wake. With an army consisting of Draugr, advanced and incredibly powerful zombies, wraiths, Crypt Lords, wights, and Bone Giants, he marched south, towards Liscor.
While he was advancing south, he clashed with the Goblin King’s forces once, and the battle between them ended as a stalemate. After the battle, both forces largely ignored each other. He then marched his army to Liscor unimpeded, by exploited the fractured militaries of both Humans and Drakes.
It was there the his armies besieged Liscor and cut the continent in two. Because of him the Drakes could not assist the Humans and vice versa. Perhaps this was to aid the Goblin King as well, because it meant neither side could assist one another while the Goblins enjoyed the use of the High Passes. His armies even spread out past Liscor while he besieged the city, heading south of the Blood Fields to harvest more bodies for his army and caused much damage to Drake lands.[4] He even obliterated an Antinium army that was sent north, although he did not make them into undead.[5]
As the siege of Liscor began, the Liscorian army withdrawn around their city in advance of his assaults, and held the walls of their city as he concentrated the bulk of his forces in an attempt to bring it down, with his powerful undead and the aforementioned Bone Giants to assault Liscor’s walls. The Liscorian army was forced to fight the undead on the walls and slew the giants only at great cost. And though his giants failed to break Liscor’s walls, they had done such terrible damage that there was no hope of Liscor repelling the undead alone.
As truly grueling siege of Liscor began, he inflicted plagues on the city’s inhabitants, launched rotting corpses over the walls and personally unleashed his magics on the city’s defenders. Against all odds, every citizen fought to defend the city and endured for four weeks, hoping against hope for relief.
When Zel Shivertail heard of Liscor’s plight, he abandoned his battles against the Antinium to march north, with three other Drake [Generals] and their armies. They cut a path to the him and assaulted the entrenched army around Liscor.
On the first day of the battle, he slew [General] Hekiss, then on the second, he slew [General] Vusso and two hours later, he slew [General] Misa. Only Zel Shivertail remained as his undead forces threatened to overwhelm both the city of Liscor and the attacking army.[4]
He had ordered his undead to encircle the army and Liscor, hoping to swell his deathless horde further. But he failed to destroy the Drake army because of he could not kill Zel Shivertail. Not by magic, not by overwhelming numbers or ambush! General Zel Shivertail remained on the battlefield despite Az’kerash’s repeated assaults on him day after day. But Zel Shivertail refused to retreat, and it was his rallying presence and Skills that kept the Drake armies and the valiant defenders of Liscor from folding under the Az’kerash devastating attacks.
Yet due to Zel Shivertail's Skills mainly revolving around defensive formations and holding the line, he lucked offensive strategies. Thus, he was unable to launch a decisive strike and corner Az’kerash, as every time he would charge at his position, Az’kerash would screen himself with his undead troops or disappear. Still, due to Zel Shivertail’s army continue assault on him, they holded the battle lines and shielding Liscor from the full brunt of his attacks.
And so the battle became a deadly stalemate, as both armies refused to retreat. So long as the he lived, the undead would continue rising, empowered by him. And so long as Zel Shivertail refused to fall, the Drakes fought on.
Yet, his undead began to triumph, as for every Drake that fell at Liscor, an undead zombie or ghoul would rise in its place. And his own magical mastery allowed him to create a number of greater undead each day. Meanwhile, the people of Liscor and Zel Shivertail’s own army were finite in number.
Day by day Zel Shivertail forces decreased and Az’kerash’s undead increased. The Siege of Liscor had continued for three months by the time they had reached the breaking point.[5] This all changed when an army of Antinium lead by Klbkch, came to Zel Shivertail forces as allies.
Klbkch send the first wave of Antinium Soldiers at his undead army, crushing his zombies in an instant while the Draugr held their ground and grappled with the Soldiers and boring down a bone Giant. The Soldiers stomped on the fallen undead, brutally pounding them with their fists. But his undead army was full of horrors and the Soldiers stalled.
Then Klbkch send the second wave of Antinium Soldiers crashing into the backs of the first wave of Soldiers, not slowing even as they ran into the backs of their comrades. They trampled ally and enemy alike, pushing forwards without regard for casualties on their side. The undead were unprepared for the savage momentum that carried the Soldiers forwards, and their lines began to cave in.
At the third wave, Zel took all his forces with him and attacked as well. Az’kerash held his ground, trying to stop the attacks from Zel and Klbkch’s armies. But then Liscor’s gates opened and a group of Drakes poured out. Attacked from three sides his undead army was engulfed.
As he was cutting down Drakes and Antinium with black magic, reanimating their corpses and hurling them at his enemies, he snarled as he saw Zel and he turned to run. He fired a jet black beam of energy at Zel’s head, but he ducked and lunged with his claws swiped left to right. His blow caught him on the chest and tore through whatever protection he had on him. He stumbled as Zel laid his chest open. Then Zel’s claws went through his chest and torn him apart and throwing both halves of his body to the ground. With his "death" the undead around him stumbled and then began to fall and crumble, unable to sustain themselves without their master’s mana.[6]
Aftermath
While Zel and the majority believed that he dead, he in fact had survived. At some point, he settled down in the Blood Fields, where his huge castle is located that 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 casted a powerful veil around his domain. Their he strengthens his army and is waiting for the time to unleash, again, his legions upon the continent.
Chronology
While he does not make an appearance, after Skinner died, he called all the undead (including Toren) and commanded them to come to him, while carrying all the magical artifacts of the Ruins of Liscor.[7]
As he was focused creating something never dreamt of by any species, now or in the past, Venitra came to report him that another being has breached the outer web of the castle region. Finding it curious, he asked the description and features of the intruder. After hearing about her, he believing that she was a runner, or possibly a Courier, that was delivering a message for one of the armies.
He then asked about the progress of the engaging armies between Zel Shivertail and Wall Lord Ilvriss, and sighed of how troublesome the petty squabbles of the Drake cities can bring an army upon their doorstep. Before dismissing her, he tells her to observe them, mark the spots where the dead fall and to kill anyone that penetrate the veil and enter the castle.[8]
While he was still focused on his creation, he stops Ryoka with a [Sticky Webbing] spell, after she had entered the room, and tells Venitra to lower her sword and reprimands her for failing, and to regard this as a lesson and to learn from it. He then tells hear that he will take care of Ryoka and dismissed her.
Alone with Ryoka and still focused on his creation, he express his displeasure for the incompetence of his servants, for not keeping out a single intruder. He then tells her how impressive she was for making it this far, but as he was busy, he will kill her and discover anything of value from her corpse at a later time.
Ryoka evaded his [Silent Sickle] spell, which he found interesting and commended her for showing him that low-level spells have their weaknesses. As he was going to cast again, he stops when Ryoka tells him that Teriarch sends him a letter and a ring.
He removes the webs from her and summons her belt pouch to him to take both the ring and the letter. Recalling that he was expecting this, he starts reading it swiftly, while murmuring around about the usual long-winded greetings, Teriarch deepest congratulations, and to accept an original ring enchanted with warding and movement spells in the Silvarian dueling fashion, as a token of esteem.
He vanishes the ring and express Teriarch predictability for the note and token of esteem for his two hundredth year of existence, and says that he didn't have to bothered especially given their strained relationship.
As he turns back towards his creation, he asks Ryoka if their was anything else, and supposing that it would not do to kill one of Teriarch messengers, he lets her go. He tells her goodbye and to shut the door on her way out.[9]
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 mileniea.[10] He is so powerful that not even Teriarch is confident that he could beat him.[11]
He can enslave wraiths and ghosts and built new types of undead.
Classes/Levels:
- [Necromancer] Lv.? (highly likely over 40)
Skills:
Spells:
- [Mass Flame W—] (Full name yet to be revealed. Likely [Mass Flame Wall]) (Ceria's knows the 4th Tier spell [Ice Wall], making it likely that [Mass Flame Wall] is at least a 5th Tier spell.)
- [Mists of Madness]
- [Sanctuary of Protection]
- [Silent Sickle] (Low-level spell)
- [Snap Freeze]
- [Sticky Webbing] (Low-level spell)
- [Void Room]
- [Wall of the Damned]
- [Word of Death]
Chosen:
Possessions
He owns a limited amount of scrolls containing the spell [Greater Teleportation]. He is very careful when to use them, because he has no means to acquire further ones. His servants were shocked when Az'kerash handed out only 4 of them.[12]
He also has all the magical artifacts that were in Skinner's room, in the Ruins of Liscor.[7]
Trivia
- He was mentioned for the first time in Chapter 1.23.
- He has a strained relationship with Teriach.
- Despite Oom and Ijvani being his oldest creations, Az'kerash favors Venitra, his youngest one.[13]
- Az'kerash lived in Terandria and was expelled from Wistram hundreds of years ago.[14]
- The name Az’kerash means ‘Slayer of Kerash’.[4]
Quotes
- (To the Undead) “Rise once more, from the darkness. Come to me, my eternal army. Gather and know your time of return is at hand.”
- (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.”
Chapter Appearances
See Here.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chapter 2.25
- ↑ Chapter 1.09 R
- ↑ Wistram Days (Pt.5)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 S02 – The Antinium Wars (Pt.3)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 S02 – The Antinium Wars (Pt.4)
- ↑ S02 – The Antinium Wars (Pt.5)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Chapter 2.00 T
- ↑ Chapter 2.24
- ↑ Chapter 2.25
- ↑ Wistram Days (Pt.5)
- ↑ Chapter 4.31
- ↑ Chapter 4.30
- ↑ Chapter 2.28
- ↑ Chapter 4.46