Maker of Sorrows

Xeron must seek out Grand Forgesmith Khazandar and force him to make Armageddon's Blade. If Xeron falls, all is lost. Xeron is only allowed to advance to 24th Level.

Victory condition:

Acquire Artifact

Loss condition:

Lose Hero

Allies:

Enemies:

Choose a bonus:

5

Carried to next scenario:
(none)

Max level:

24

Prologue

Xeron: My king seeks to build Armageddon's Blade. With this fabled weapon he will set the world on fire. I have the elements to build the blade, but only the grand forgesmith Khazandar can fashion it from the relics I carry. Again, a collection of mysterious heroes gather to end my quest. Ironically, they have surrounded Khazandar, but have not killed him as I would. This proves they are soft. They will not stand in my way.

Scenario

Timed events

Day	Title	Message
Day 1	Opening	"Sleen has provided us with the name of the man whom you will seek out. Grand Forgesmith Khazandar, an alchemist and weaponsmith of great repute is the sole man in all Antagarich who has the knowledge and skill to build Armageddon's Blade. Find him Xeron. Find him and force him to construct the Blade, for if he does not consent, make him suffer until he does. My vision will become reality and you will carry it out for me. According to Sleen, he is being held somewhere in this area of the Contested Lands, protected by those accursed Confluxes. Destroy them. Make them suffer for daring to stand in the way of destiny. You are too close to achieving my victory to be held off by this rabble. Succeed and the rewards will be glorious. I shall wear your skin as a cloak and your eyes shall adorn my rings should you fail me." As the vision fades from the red crystal shard, you stand and summon Sleen to your side. Xex, your faithful servant, "bamfs" away and returns shortly with the slimy human. "So Sleen, here is my task for you. Find me the location of that smith. Failure is not an option."
Day 6	Guerilla Attacks News'	Xex teleports into your presence with a message on his lips. Kneeling before his lord and master, Xex begins his report. "My master, I have come to regretfully inform you that our enemy has again begun their shadowy attacks on our supply lines. We lost three more caravans and the mark of that accursed pale warrior was left behind on one of the wagons." "Arise Xex, my faithful companion. I have a task for you. Seek out Sleen and put a name to this mysterious pale warrior. I wish to know his name, so I might know it when I kill him." Effect: -4 Wood, -2 Mercury, -4 Ore, -2 Sulfur, -2 Crystal, -2 Gems, -2000 Gold
Day 11	Khazandar's Location	Sleen stumbles into the meeting area, having been pushed there by Xex. You turn and face the little man who has provided you with much worthy information. He is visibly sweating and you know that fear courses through his veins. It is obvious that Sleen is still worried if you are going to carry out your threat to eat his heart. "I bring news Your Eminence," Sleen states fearfully. "The Grand Forgesmith Khazandar is being held in a simple hut somewhere in the tunnels left behind by the Overlords of Nighon when they invaded Erathia not long ago. He should be easy to find as he will be heavily guarded." "Congratulations Sleen, you have managed to exceed my expectations as to how skilled and useful you are. Perhaps you will not need to be eaten after all. However, I wouldn't be making any long term plans if I were you."
Day 21	New about Catherine	A hurried messenger demon rushes into your planning session early in the pre-dawn hours. Infuriated at the intrusion, you grasp the demon by the throat and lift him off the ground. Your fetid breath in his face, you ask him why you are being interrupted. "My master, I come to pass on a message sent by our spies in The Contested Lands. They tell of a meeting between the Elemental Lords of the Conflux and Queen Catherine. They also say an agreement has been reached between the two armies. They are now allies!" the demon manages to croak out just before you crush his windpipe. Throwing his lifeless corpse to the ground, you bellow out in rage. "Bring me Sleen! I want to know why this little piece of information escaped his attention. I want to know why Queen Catherine is still alive! I want to know why incompetents SURROUND me so! Xex! Get this useless sack of griffin droppings out of my sight. I need to think."
Day 38	Gelu Kills Xeron's Mother	A forlorn-looking Xex enters your chambers, a long look on his face. He obviously bears grave news. He kneels down as is tradition, but is waved to stand and give his report. "My master I regret to inform you that your mother has been slain in battle. It was the pale warrior who has been plaguing us so. She fought bravely yet was slain by that accursed one during one of the raids that he has been leading. I am truly sorry my lord," Xex states as he takes a step backward. "Leave me." When the tent is clear you drop to your knees and sob. Soon your sobs turn to laughter; laughter with no humor; laughter filled with insane rage. Moments later, the tent erupts in a steady stream of swearing and the crashing sounds of destruction.
Day 48	Spirits of the Dead	In your sleep, you are visited by haunting dreams. In it spirits come to you, with a warning. Your present course of action is leading towards your destruction. You laugh in their faces and the visions get worse. Still you laugh at their pathetic attempts to sway you from your appointed task. You have suffered far worse fates than some insipid ghosts haunting you in your sleep.
Day 66	Cat Marches on Kreelah	Xex "bamfs" in and kneels before you while you are deeply involved in examining tactical maps. You turn and put your hand on Xex's shoulder. "What is it my trusted friend? Is it bad news again? You may feel at ease when speaking to me." "I have grave news to bring you my master. Our spies have informed me that Queen Catherine and her forces now march on Kreelah itself. Our northern lines have failed to breach her defenses enough to gain a foothold in Erathia and I have reason to believe King Roland has reinforced her position and made his own push into Eeofol. My lord, I fear we might be beaten." "NEVER!" You backhanded Xex across the face, sending him sliding across the floor. "I cannot believe what they have brought me to. No longer shall I tolerate failure. I want them all slaughtered. Kill everything. Leave no survivors. GO!!!" Xex quickly flees his master's presence just as you unleash your fury on the map table in front of you. Maps and markers fly across the tent, scattering like spores in the wind. "Know this Catherine Ironfist, I shall have my revenge. I swear by Erebus the Dark I will flay the skin from your child's bones as you watch. You shall suffer my wrath for this insolence!"

Rumors

Title	Message
Xeron's Mom	Xeron is born of the union between an Erathian knight and a succubus.
Xeron's Dad	Xeron's father was seduced by a succubus but not slain afterward. Rather he was tainted and never the same again.
Khazandar's Homeland	Khazandar was once an alchemist in Bracada.
Khazandar's Mercenary Ways	Khazandar was once a wizard who got kicked out of Bracada for acting too mercenary.
Khazandar's Former Profession	The Forgesmith was once a wizard, but never finished his studies.
Khazandar's Ties	It is said that Khazandar apprenticed as a smith under Galen, a smith who built a powerful sword for Lord Haart.
Khazandar's Ties 2	I hear Khazandar once lived in Tarach's Cove and was commissioned to make an adamantine hammer for the high priest of the Temple of Baa.
Tarach's Cove	Tarach's Cove is a port town in Bracada with a reputation for being a home for people who live on the shadowy side of the law. It's not a nice place.
Xeron's Minion	Xex is a childhood friend of Xeron's. He has been a loyal follower of his for a very long time.
Kreegan Stuff	The Kreegans worship dark gods like Erebus, the God of Darkness and Destruction.

Objects

Events

Location	Message
34, 62, 0	Ahead is an entrance to an old Nighon tunnel system. At last Sleen's information is starting to pay off.
44, 72, 1	The musty smell down here is stifling. A feeling of uncertainty is nagging at the backside of your brain. Too bad Sleen couldn't actually find the bloody hut. Is that crackling flames you hear?
45, 63, 1	The dank, moldy smell of dragon dung hangs thick in the air. Perhaps this way is not a good idea.
54, 53, 1	Echoing off the walls of the caverns comes a sound you've never heard before. It's a sort of wail mixed with a crackle. Not entirely sure what is making it, yet it could just be a trick of the wind down here. . . or maybe not.
58, 67, 1	There is the crackling of electricity up ahead and several of your men have their hair standing on end. 'Tis an odd feeling indeed.
62, 68, 1	Washes of heat are coming from down this passageway. Perhaps a nice cozy lava pool is up ahead. At least there you could relax and loosen up the toughness of your muscles. However, with your luck, you're not too hopeful of that.

Towns

Location	Type	Name
13, 9, 0	Conflux	Diacara
20, 94, 0	Conflux	Frelin
21, 62, 0	Conflux	Kaffinar
48, 96, 0	Conflux	Ciara
56, 67, 0	Conflux	Soal
65, 43, 0	Conflux	Shelindria
2, 3, 1	Conflux
73, 13, 0	Inferno	Azrael Field
97, 79, 0	Inferno	Scorch
99, 48, 0	Inferno	Dagger Peak
102, 16, 0	Inferno	Vandal Hall

Heroes

Location	Color	Hero
13, 11, 0		Labetha the Elementalist
17, 62, 0		Thunar the Planeswalker
20, 95, 0		Luna the Elementalist
27, 51, 1		Inteus the Elementalist
48, 98, 0		Ignissa the Planeswalker
56, 69, 0		Gelare the Elementalist
65, 46, 0		Pasis the Planeswalker
97, 81, 0		Rashka the Demoniac
98, 49, 0		Random hero
73, 15, 0		Calid the Heretic
102, 18, 0		Xeron the Demoniac

Seer's Huts

21, 67, 1
Proposal Message
"My master said you would be coming. He told me to meet you here and to expect that several artifacts would be delivered. Do you have the Sword of Hellfire, Breastplate of Brimstone, Shield of the Damned? Oh yes, he also mentioned you would be bringing my Sphere of Permanence. I've been missing that for many months now. Do you have all of these things?" Sword of Hellfire, Shield of the Damned, Breastplate of Brimstone, Sphere of Permanence
Progress Message
"If you do not bring all that you are supposed to, how do you expect my master and I to work on your Blade? We must do everything properly, else the intricate workings shall fail and the Blade will be useless."
Completion Message
Khazandar and his apprentice go in the back and soon is heard the sounds of spells being cast, the pounding of hammer on steel, and the swearing of an injured hand now and again. After some time, old man Khazandar emerges from the forge bearing a blade wrapped in thick cloth. He unwraps the cloth slowly and a pulsating light emanates from the weapon so recently forged. The blade looks odd, like none ever seen in Antagarich before. The hiltguard is shaped like an eagle and the blade has a strange shape to it, yet it bears the unmistakeable appearance of a weapon most foul. "Here is your blade, Dark One. Thank you for your payment. Now leave me be." Armageddon's Blade

27, 50, 1
Proposal Message
As you approach the hut, you hear some odd whistling emanating from within. The song is a sad, angry tune, filled with a sense of bitterness and angst. Finding the tune strangely intriguing, you go up to the door and kick it open. Sitting calmly in a rocking chair is an old man with a long white beard smoking a pipe. His eyes stare out into oblivion, unblinking. Clearing your throat, you get his attention, somewhat. "Yeah? What do you want?" the old man asks most irritatedly. "Speak quickly, I'm a busy man." "I have come a long way old man. I hear you are the one called Khazandar, the Grand Forgesmith, and you are he who can harness Armageddon. I've brought the legendary artifacts needed for the ritual. All I need now is for you to make me Armageddon's Blade." The old man looks at you, contemplates his words carefully, and puffs on his pipe. "So, you have finally come to ask me to build my last great piece. Yes, I'm Khazandar and yes, I'll make your Blade. A few conditions though. First, I want to be spared your Armageddon. Second, I want to be paid. . .well paid. I figure 30,000 pieces of Gold ought to do it. Once I get that, you may take the artifacts to my apprentice and I shall build your sword." 30000 Gold
Progress Message
Staring deeply into your eyes, Khazandar wheezes, coughs, and spits a glob of greenish fluid at your feet. "When you have my 30,000 Gold I'll make your Blade. Not a moment before. Begone!"
Completion Message
"Finally! Here, give the 30,000 Gold to me! By the way, since you are going there anyway, take this to my apprentice, he's been looking for it. I will be along shortly once my work here is done. Then I shall make your weapon." Sphere of Permanence