History Characters / FightingFantasyAntagonistsAllansia

* [[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsDemonicThree The Demonic Three]][[note]]'''Rulers:''' Balthus Dire '''Conquerors and warlords:''' Oldoran Zagor, Zharradan Marr[[/note]]

* [[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsAllansiaRulers Rulers]][[note]]Akharis, Balthus Dire, Bythos, The Dark Elf Sorceror, [[spoiler:Lady Sige]], Leesha, The Lizard King, Lord Carnuss Charavask, Lord Varek Azzur, Relem, Sith, The Snow Witch, Zanbar Bone[[/note]]
* [[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsAllansiaConquerorsWarlords Conquerors & Warlords]][[note]]Agglax, Malbordus, Oldoran Zagor, Razaak, Ulrakaah, Xortan Throg, Zeverin, Zharradan Marr[[/note]]

* [[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsAllansiaConquerorsOthers Others]][[note]]Captain Bloodaxe, [[spoiler:The Dire Spectre of Solani Island]], The Night Dragon, Sharcle[[/note]]

* [[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsAllansiaRulers Rulers]]
* [[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsAllansiaConquerorsWarlords Conquerors & Warlords]]
* [[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsAllansiaCultists Cultists]]
* [[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsAllansiaConquerorsOthers Others]]

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!!Others
[[folder:Captain Bloodaxe]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bloodaxe.jpg]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/DemonsOfTheDeep''

Captain Bloodaxe is a vicious pirate captain commanding the ship known as the Troll. One day, he attacked the peaceful merchant ship you were working on as a seasoned sailor, sinking it and slaughtering everyone, but taking you captive, for you fought valiantly and killed many pirates. The sadistic prick feigns to congratulate you and to offer you a place in his crew, then states that he will let you live and escape, with supplies. This being said, he pushes you overboard but [[ContrivedCoincidence by an unbelievable stroke of luck]], [[DeusExMachina you end up right inside a magical pentagram that gives you gills for a day]], near the lost city of {{Atlantis}}. Now is your chance to search for a way to take revenge in this underwater setting...
----
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: Bloodaxe is the best fighter of his crew by a large margin, and they all obey him. [[spoiler: But when scared enough, they don't hesitate to backstab him hoping to save their wretched skins.]]
* BadassBeard: He has a wild, bushy beard, and fights well.
* BadassNormal: He might be an overweight human, but he is the mightiest foe in the gamebook. Not the more impressive giant see monsters. Him.
* BeardOfEvil: Such bushy, unkempt beards are rarely sported by {{Nice Guy}}s in fiction...
* BigBad: The vile pirate captain whose crew slaughtered your own and who sent you to your watery doom, whom you strive to kill in {{Revenge}}.
* CarpetOfVirility: His chest and belly are covered in hair.
* CoolHat: He wears the black tricorn ornate with skull and bones of pirate captains.
* CycleOfRevenge: You and Bloodaxe perpetuate this, as he throws you at sea to punish you for killing his men, and you spend the story searching for a way to avenge your crew he slaughtered. Then again, you have the moral high ground, for you were just minding your own marine business when he attacked you.
* DisproportionateRetribution: He tries to kill you in an especially twisted way, for the vile crime of killing pirates in self-defence. [[SarcasmMode How dare you? Could you not let yourself be killed like a good victim?]]
* DressedToPlunder: Less fancily clad than the classic pirate captain of fiction, but still clad as one.
* FanDisservice: There are way better-looking men with their chest bare. To say the least...
* FatBastard: He is as overweight as he is vile.
* FauxAffablyEvil: Bloodaxe addresses you with nothing but praises and honeyed words, as if talking to an old friend, and genuinely respects your fighting skills. But this is just an act to better {{Troll}} you with false hopes. In fact, he loathes you for killing his men and wants to go the extra mile to get back at you.
* FinalBoss: Bloodaxe is the BigBad and the last enemy you will face. You cannot face all his crew on your own and need magical help. Whether he has men left to fight you with or not, he is a powerful enemy with skill 11 stamina 12.
** Played with in that depending on how you led your quest, you can kill him without fight. [[spoiler: Either by sinking his ship, or by overwhelming his crew with skeleton warriors.]] If so, there will either be no FinalBattle, or the FinalBoss will be the [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Sea Dragon]] (skill 10 stamina 24) or the [[KrakenAndLeviathan Kraken]] (skill 10 stamina 30). Powerful, but less than he is, though [[MarathonBoss much more durable]], and {{Skippable Boss}}es themselves.
* FlunkyBoss: He is backed-up by his men, [[spoiler: If you don't have enough skeletons to slaughter his crew.]]
* ForTheEvulz: Not only leaving no survivor is not really necessary, but sending you to drown while making you believe 'till the end that you will be spared was completely fruitless and even wasteful. Bloodaxe is just that twisted, getting his kicks by slaughtering people and trolling them.
* {{Gonk}}: Fat, ugly and with scarce teeth, Bloodaxe is not a pleasant man to look at. Not at all.
* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: You fight FishMen, you fight a Sea Dragon, you fight a Kraken, but the BigBad of the story and the vilest foe you will face is a pirate captain who did it all ForTheEvulz.
* ItsPersonal: Your goal throughout the story is not to merely get back to shore and live another day, oh no. Your goal is to kill Bloodaxe and all his crew for what they did to you and your fellow sailors.
** Bloodaxe himself has had a bone to pick with you from the very beginning, for killing many of his men.
* KickTheDog: Throwing you to drown was bad enough, but making it look like he would spare you, and going as far as giving you back your sword and food was a tremendous dick move.
* MasterSwordsman: He is a very good fighter.
* MeaningfulName: Played with, as it figures a violent and dangerous man revelling in slaughters, and that he is. But contrary to what the name would lead you to believe, he does not fight with an axe.
* MoralMyopia: When Bloodaxe kills your crew it's fair game, when you kill his men it's a hanging offence.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Does "Bloodaxe" inspires your trust? If so you might not live long...
* ObviouslyEvil: Just look at him...
* OrcusOnHisThrone: He does absolutely nothing for the entire story, being content with sailing his ship. Justified in that they just looted a ship and don't need more for now.
* {{Pirate}}: His job's description.
* PirateBooty: Bloodaxe looted an enormous fortune in treasure chests. If you can take it after exacting your {{Revenge}}, you won't be complaining. [[spoiler: Don't go salvaging treasure after the ship is sinking, the spell will wear out and [[DeathByMaterialism you will drown]].]] In the GoldenEnding, you seize his ship and his entire treasure, sailing towards you future rich and powerful.
* ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything: They don't do much during the story proper, but still averted as they viciously slaughtered your crew.
* PurpleIsPowerful: He wears a purple jacket, and is a mighty pirate leading a dangerous crew.
* RapePillageAndBurn: How Bloodaxe and his crew operate. They are villains and meant to be reviled, not idealized misfits enjoying freedom at sea or other romanticized drivel...
* RevengeMyopia: Again, you seek justice for innocents while he wants revenge for their murderers.
* {{Sadist}}: How else can we explain his needless KickTheDog feats?
* ScaryTeeth: His smile reveals a disgusting sight of oversized teeth overlapping with gaps, doubtless due to dubious dental hygiene, or scurvy as it was common at sea in medieval times. Yuck!
* SinisterSchnoz: He is a vile, rotten piece of work, sporting a big, ugly potato-like nose.
* SkippableBoss: [[spoiler: You can finish the game without fighting him, by summoning a Grimlet Fish or a Sea Dragon to sink his ship, or summoning enough skeleton warriors from [[PlotCoupons Black Pearls]] to overwhelm his crew. He still tries to fight but his pirates snuff him out themselves hoping for mercy.]]
* {{Troll}}: The sod just relishes in messing with people's heads for shit and giggles. That's even the name of his ship for crying out loud!
* VillainRespect: He might loathe you, but he admires your fighting prowesses in earnest.
* VillainousValour: Say what you will about his '''many''' flaws, but he is a scum with guts. [[spoiler: Even with his crew mowed down by your skeletons, he keeps on fighting. Yet, his men off him hoping for mercy.]]
* WalkingShirtlessScene: He only wears a pirate jacket over the waist. But being fat, hairy and generally unpleasant to look at, it's not a pleasant use of the trope.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: [[spoiler:The Dire Spectre of Solani Island]]]]
[[caption-width-right:260:[[labelnote: Click here to see it]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dire.PNG[[/labelnote]]]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/IslandOfTheUndead''

[[spoiler: When the four Elemental Wizards of Solani Island attempted to broaden their range of magic spells, the most powerful of them - Ziraphelis the Master of Fire - decided to dabble with necromancy, only to end up summoning a powerful, nether-world demon appropriately called the Dire Spectre, who possessed its summoners and turned Solani Island into a gloomy, cursed hell-hole infested with undead activity. Only you can expose and defeat the Spectre and restore peace to the Island...]]
----
* AchillesHeel: [[spoiler: Coating your sword with Specterbane is the only way to harm the Dire Spectre.]]
* AfterBossRecovery: [[spoiler: After defeating the Master of Fire, the Dire Spectre needs a while to fully materialize, enabling you to chug down some of your provisions to heal before confronting it.]]
* AnIcePerson: Its life-draining magic chills you to the bone, costing -5 stamina.
* AttackReflector: [[spoiler: Any attempt to fling projectile at it will just have them bouncing back uselessly.]]
** [[spoiler: However, with an enchanted diamond, you can turn its attack back upon itself, gaining a precious Presence point in the process]].
* BadassBoast:
--> [[spoiler: "Fool! You cannot harm me! I will find another body to possess, just as I took over this mortal who summoned me!"]]
* BallisticBone: It conjures bone projectiles to attack.
* BigBad: The true, hidden cause of all the evil in the story.
* BossRush: [[spoiler: You get to fight a powerful Black Skeleton, the possessed Master of Fire and the Dire Spectre in a row as the FinalBattle. Luckily however, you're given the chance to heal yourself between battles.]]
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Not it, but what it does to its hosts, and pretty much any spirit under its thrall. [[spoiler: It corrupted Ziraphelis' mind and after you defeat him, it attempts this on you]].
* ContinuityNod: [[spoiler: A powerful demon from another realm, appearing as an old man to pull the strings behind demonic activity, which you do not uncover until the end. Just like the Hell Demon from ''Literature/HouseOfHell''.]]
* CreepilyLongArms: The illustration shows it with these.
* DemBones: Its appears to have its skeletal structure growing on its ''outside''.
* DemonicPossession: [[spoiler: The Spectre's modus operandi.]]
* DisappearsIntoLight: [[spoiler: When you eventually defeats the Dire Spectre, its body dissipates into nothingness and is banished for good]].
* EldritchLocation: [[spoiler: The Ethereal Plane where it hails from.]]
* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: [[spoiler: If it has its way, the rest of Titan will eventually look like Solani. It just hates living beings that much.]]
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: [[spoiler: It's a Spectre, and its existence puts the entirety of Solani Island in a dire state]]. [[SarcasmMode That sounds really complicated, doesn't it]]?
* FinalBoss: One with skill 11 stamina 19, who can NoSell all normal attacks, making it a tough foe.
* GenericDoomsdayVillain: It comes out of nowhere at the end, threatening Titan because it strikes its fancy. TheReveal sure is impressive, but Keith Martin invented better doomsday bringing Final Bosses...
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: To make its alignment even more glaring.
* GoneHorriblyWrong: [[spoiler: To say the Master of Fire's summoning ritual didn't work as planned would be one heck of an {{Understatement}}...]]
* HiddenVillain: [[spoiler: You do not learn of the true evil infesting Solani Island until you defeat the Master of Fire, at which point the Dire Spectre reveals itself]]...
* HornedHumanoid: Humanoid may be a bit of a loose term, though.
* {{Intangibility}}: [[spoiler: When the Spectre first appears in front of you before it can fully take shape, trying to attack it only makes your sword to phase harmlessly through its body.]]
* TheManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler: The true cause of all the necromantic activity plaguing Solani Island.]]
* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler: The Spectre is this in spades, using the Master of Fire as a pawn to completely devastate Solani Island and causing all sorts of chaos.]]
* MindRape: [[spoiler: What it did to its victims to take over their minds]].
** [[spoiler: In one bad ending it grips your face, at which point you feel your mind fading away]]...
* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: [[spoiler: Fitting for a demon summoned from some EldritchLocation.]]
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: It doesn't sound like friendly chap...
* NaturalWeapon: [[spoiler: It fights with its talons, which is more than enough to make it formidable.]]
* NoNameGiven: [[spoiler: Justified however, since you don't even know about it until the end.]]
* NoSell: Several instances.
** [[spoiler: Choosing to fight the Dire Spectre without a magic weapon? Your funeral.]]
** [[spoiler: Attempting to use acid against it doesn't work, either.]]
* ObviouslyEvil: Like you would not believe.
* OhCrap: [[spoiler: If you are coated in Ethereal Oil, and have dipped your sword in Specterbane, you can now harm the Dire Spectre. At which point the mighty spirit will, for the first time in its existence, show fear...]]
* OminousFog: [[spoiler: A creepy, ethereal mist surrounds where the Spectre materializes itself]].
* OurDemonsAreDifferent: Of the spiritual, ethereal sort.
* OurSpiritsAreDifferent: No matter what type, it is an evil, ghastly spirit.
* OutsideContextVillain: [[spoiler: There's no friggin' way a peaceful fishing village who employs wizards as protectors could expect a netherworld demon to suddenly enter theirs and cause such widespread destruction, could there?]]
* ParanoiaFuel: [[spoiler: The fact that a simple incantation gone wrong can spell the EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt will keep even the strongest of adventurers awake at night.]]
* PlayingWithFire: [[spoiler: While assuming the form of the Master of Fire he can use fire-based attacks on you.]]
* PsychologicalTormentZone: [[spoiler: It will corrupt your mind by decreasing your Presence score, and once it drops to Zero, you become its new host]].
* SequentialBoss: One taking the form of a BossRush against its summons and different forms.
* SpikeShooter: One of its attacks conjures a wall of spiked, calcified bones which it sics on you.
* SpikesOfVillainy: [[spoiler: The Spectre's entire body is covered in sinister-looking spikes]].
* {{Telepathy}}: [[spoiler: The Dire Spectre transmits its thoughts to its surroundings, and taunts you, through its mind.]]
* TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow: [[spoiler: Shouldn't there be a law against summoning the eldritch forces of the netherworld to be used as servants?]]
* UndeadAbomination: You never learn what it really is, but its '''far''' worse than regular spectres and evil spirits. Is it undead? Demonic? Both? Its aspect, nature, and effect on the island are uncanny as Hell...
* ThisWasHisTrueForm: [[spoiler: He only reveals his true form after the Master of Fire's demise]].
* TooDumbToLive: [[spoiler: Not it, but its summoner. Yeah sure, [[SarcasmMode who knew summoning a powerful entity hating humanity with all its guts could end up horribly wrong?]]]]
* WalkingSpoiler: Yeah, you can build a small house with the wall of spoilered text above.
* WalkingWasteland: What Solani Island became under its influence is only a start.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Night Dragon]]
-->See its entry on the [[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsThePit The Pit]] page under '''Demonic Generals'''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sharcle]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sharcle.jpg]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/EyeOfTheDragon''

You meet this shady [[HalfHumanHybrid man-orc]] in a tavern, looking for a profitable treasure hunt. He introduces himself as Henry Delacor and tells you about a golden dragon statue in a dungeon beneath [[TheLostWoods the dangerous Darkwood Forest]]. This could make the both of you as rich as a lord, and you eagerly accept to explore the dungeon and share the benefits. He then [[StupidEvil dares you to drink poison]], leaving you two weeks left to live, and will only exchange the antidote for the treasure. You will snatch the treasure and get rich all right, but you'll be damned if you let this creep see the colour of a single copper coin...
----
* AerithAndBob: Henry Delacor is a name one could come across in RealLife, contrary to the fantasy-sounding ones much more common on Titan.
* AintTooProudToBeg: He snivels and grovels pathetically for his worthless life, like the pitiful coward he is, after you wound him. In vain...
* AntiClimaxBoss: You risked life and limb in an incredibly dangerous dungeon and fought formidable monsters like the [[RockMonster Gigantus]], a Great Black Dragon and a [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Hell Demon]]. And your last trial is... a wimp merely of strong {{Mook}} level and way easier to take down. [[PunctuatedForEmphasis What. A. Joke.]]
* BadassCape: Subverted. Sharcle wears a nice looking Cape, but badass he is '''not'''.
** Then again, he did explore the dungeon and reached the dragon statue, which is no small feat. Though considering the character, he might have sneaked past monsters and used tricks.
* BigBad: The main villain of the story, who covets the treasure but does not want to get his hands dirty and refuses to share.
* {{Blackmail}}: Sharcle won't give you the antidote of his poison if you don't risk your life to get him the loot.
* BondVillainStupidity: Poisoning you really was unneeded, as you already agreed to work with him and share the loot. [[spoiler: Especially considering it was but a bluff.]]
** You in turn prove TooDumbToLive by drinking it as a dare '''after''' being told it's poison, likely not believing him. To be fair, a guy petty enough to poison a willing associate is hard to fathom.
* BowAndSwordInAccord: Sharcle first tries to kill his foes at distance with a crossbow, before fighting with a sword. He handles them with much less proficiency as many other examples of the trope though.
* BowsVersusCrossbows: He prefers the crossbow, fitting the trope as he is a cowardly piece of trash.
* CallBack: A BigBad who sends you in an incredibly dangerous dungeon to get the fortune you earn, incurring your staunch hatred in the process, before dying a KarmicDeath by your hand and generally being an disgusting SmugSnake, calls into mind Lord Carnuss from ''Literature/TrialOfChampions''.
* CarryingTheAntidote: Sharcle tells you that he has the antidote to the poison he gave you, and will only let you have it if you bring him the golden dragon statue.
* ConMan: He makes a living tricking and scamming people, sending them on wild goose chases for him or plain blackmailing them.
* DirtyCoward: He uses blackmail and countless other nasty tricks to send people take the risk in his stead, and begs pathetically for his worthless life when wounded.
** [[spoiler: Before the FinalBattle, he offers the antidote hoping to avoid a fight with you. Which could have worked had he not been too much of a dick for his own good and shot Littlebig, triggering your UnstoppableRage.]]
* EvilIsPetty: The depths he would sink to avoid risking his hide and to avoid sharing the loot are staggering.
* EvilPlan: Find a powerful adventurer who can get in the dungeon and retrieve the golden dragon statue for him, and kill him when he succeeds to get it all for himself. None too bad, but as pointed out pretty much everywhere in this list, he pointlessly poisons you and confronts you openly instead of opting for more stealthy way while he is much weaker than you, veering straight into StupidEvil.
* FatBastard: He is an overweight man, and an absolutely revolting creep.
* FauxAffablyEvil: Sharcle speaks with business-tone and a thin veneer of polite friendliness, but this is but an act. To his core he is a smug, sneering scum. Even before his treachery is unveiled, he dares you to drink poison for no reason at all.
* FinalBoss: Far and away the lousiest one in the entire franchise. He has only skill 8 stamina 8, which is good for a common monster but laughable for even a secondary villain, and he goes down in two hits.
* FurAndLoathing: He is an abhorrent piece of work and his Cape is ornate with fur.
* GoodHairEvilHair: His long slick hair fit his villainous nature.
* {{Greed}}: He covets the most precious treasure of all Allansia, and would rather kill the ones who risked life and limb to get it rather than share a single copper coin.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Half-orc, half-human.
* HateSink: Arguably the vilest, smarmiest piece of crap of the entire franchise, which is saying '''a lot'''. This scamming cowardly, spiteful SOB is made to inspire nothing but contempt and loathing. And he succeeds.
* InTheHood: How he enters the inn where you meet him.
* ItsPersonal: For poisoning you and blackmailing you '''after''' you agreed to work for him, [[spoiler: and for shooting Littlebig before the FinalBattle,]] let's just say it is no surprise that you want him dead. And no-one would hold it against you.
* KarmicDeath: Sharcle spends the story gloating that he has you at his mercy, and wants to kill you and Littlebig to have the golden dragon statue for him alone. Thus it is intensely satisfying to rebuke his grovelling for mercy, as he is the one to die while you and Littlebig get rich beyond your wildest dreams.
* KickTheDog: As if needlessly poisoning you and taking Littlebig prisoner for torture was not bad enough, [[spoiler: shooting Littlebig]] definitely earns him your burning hatred.
* LudicrousPrecision: He hazards a guess that the golden dragon statue is worth 335000 gold coins. How can he be so precise is never explained.
* MasterOfNone: Sharcle is a ConMan, an adventurer, a swordsman and a crossbow shooter. Still, he is merely slightly above average with weapons, which won't get him far in a WorldOfBadass such as Titan, needs you to do the adventuring, and his conman plans leaves too much to be desired.
* MasterSwordsman: Greatly downplayed. He is objectively a decent swordsman, but leagues away from being a threat to a seasoned sword-for-hire such as you.
* NonActionBigBad: Downplayed as he knows how to fight, but he is too small a threat not to count. No Sharcle, crossbow or not, an insufficiently trained fatso is no match for a seasoned warrior [[DefeatingTheUndefeatable who just survived one the most dangerous dungeons in Allansia, full of unforgivingly powerful foes]].
* ObviouslyEvil: You could not see it when you first meet him due to his [[InTheHood hooded cape]] covering him entirely, but when you get a good look at him, it is clear that he cannot be trusted as far as he can be thrown.
* OurOrcsAreDifferent: Orcs in ''Fighting Fantasy'' are your typical evil humanoid warriors and standards {{Mooks}}. Half-orcs like Sharcle however, are bad as well but more crooked than outright hostile.
* PoisonAndCureGambit: The crux of his plan. [[spoiler: or so it seems.]]
* RaceAgainstTheClock: You have only fourteen days left to live due to the poison, so you must hurry bringing back the treasure to Sharcle. Think of it as a punishment for being dumb enough to drink something that you were told was poison. [[spoiler: Except there was no poison in the first place, which [[TheArchmage the Legendary Mage Yaztromo]] deduces in three seconds in the ending.]]
* TheRedBaron: Henry Delacor is best known as Sharcle.
* SinisterSchnoz: Sharcle sport a nose as big and ugly as he is.
* SmallNameBigEgo: He is just a lowly ConMan, but he talks like he is a big game DiabolicalMastermind, while being faaaaaar less intelligent than he fancies himself to be.
* SmugSnake: Without a doubt the worst offender in the franchise. He fancies himself as a genius schemer and has ten times the arrogance but none of the smarts. Not by a stretch. His plan is incredibly simple and leaves too much to random, yet he is convinced that everything will occur AllAccordingToPlan. (Spoiler: they don't.) Other Smug Snakes at least have power, influence, smarts, and fighting skills to back up their over bloated ego. This one has not.
* StupidEvil: Dear Titan, where to begin? The pointless poison blackmail to someone who '''agreed to take the risk and share with him'''? Attacking you upfront while he does not stand the ghost of a chance against you while he could have shot you stealthily with his crossbow? Both? More?
* TooDumbToLive: Is it still needed to expand exactly '''how''' his plan and every action was beyond stupid?
* VillainBall: As anyone could easily gather by this point, he has it glued to his hand for the entire story. And has a second glued to the other hand just to be sure he would not miss...
* VillainsWantMercy: He begs you to spare his life after his ignominious defeat at your hand, but you won't have any of it and leave him to bleed to death without a single glance back. Good riddance!
* VillainousWidowsPeak: His balding head form this with the hair he has left on the forehead.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler: He pulls this on Littlebig with gusto, as you exit the dungeon with the treasure. Too bad for him that was the last straw and you jump at him howling for his blood.]]
[[/folder]]

!!Rulers

!!Conquerors and Warlords


!!Cultists
[[folder:The Bone Stalker Mage]]
[[quoteright:160:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bone_stalker_mage.jpg]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/NightDragon''
The founder and leader of the ApocalypseCult worshipping the Night Dragon, dead set on awakening his eldritch idol to bring about TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt. His cultists and draconic [[EliteMooks Stalkers]] are everywhere and will cause you trouble all over the story. But you quickly start to retaliate...

* AchillesHeel: [[spoiler: He made himself draconic, and becomes vulnerable to the LegendaryWeapon needed to slay his idol.]]
* AntagonistAbilities: Not only does he have superhuman stats, but he casts powerful spells, wields a PoisonedWeapon and exhales [[StinkBomb weakening stench]]. Everything to make one hell of a BossBattle.
* ApocalypseCult: The Bone Stalker Mage and his ReligionOfEvil know that waking the Night Dragon would doom the world, and wish for it anyway.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Far and away the best fighter and mightiest wizard among the Acolytes of the Night Dragon he leads. He enforced the trope, mutating himself to become more powerful.
* BadassBoast: He greets you by daring you to come to him, stating that he is not afraid of you, who mowed down your way through his acolytes and EliteMooks. There is a hint of SchmuckBait as well, as he is goading you to rush blindly right into his [[BarrierWarrior Barrier Spell]].
* BadassLongRobe: The Bone Stalker Mage wears a black robe covered in silver magic sigils, befitting a powerful wizard, and torn to shreds by his mighty draconic frame.
* BarrierWarrior: He surrounds himself with a magic force-field that you must take down to attack him. [[spoiler: Throwing a MagicMirror breaks it. You can attack at distance, but if you fail he casts a dangerous spell. Don't rush or you knock yourself on it, losing -3 stamina, and getting automatically hit by his spell.]]
* BlackMage: The Bone Stalker Mage fights with viciously dangerous spells.
* ClimaxBoss: The leader of the cult plaguing you since the start, the second-to-last boss and the second mightiest enemy of the gamebook. With skill 13 (higher than the usual maximum) stamina 16, spells costing -4 stamina, and a PoisonedWeapon, he is a formidable foe putting most {{Final Boss}}es of the franchise to shame. Fortunately, you should be more than equipped to kick his scaly butt with little trouble.
* ColdHam: This guy uses hammy boasts and taunts, in a perfectly even tone.
* TheDarkArts: He uses Dark Magic to perform hideous mutations on his servants.
* DraconicHumanoid: The Bone Stalker Mage performed Titan only knows what kind of Dark Magic on himself, to become the repellent half-dragon half-man monstrosity he is today.
* TheDragon: He is this to the Night Dragon, whom he fanatically worships. He rules the Cult of the Night Dragon, spawns its EliteMooks and creates atrocious magical devices to awake his foul deity. Fittingly, he is the second most powerful enemy in the game.
** He has his own Dragon, Scalmagzaprin, the HighPriest of the Cult in Carnex, who controls the citizens by drugging their food. But he serves as little more than an enforcer and a tough BossBattle.
* DragonInChief: With the slumbering Night Dragon mostly affecting the [[DreamWorld Dreamtime]], he and his cult are behind all your hardships, but you only learn of his existence in the VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon.
* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: The Bone Stalker Mage seeks to unleash a planetary-scale one, letting his idol reduce everything to dust.
* EvilIsBigger: The Bone Stalker Mage is over ten feet tall, and very, very evil.
* EvilMakesYouMonstrous: He made himself monstrous through magic, out of fanatical devotion.
* EvilSmellsBad: As if he weren't already disgusting enough. But well, it's hard not to reek for someone whose flesh is half-rotten.
* EvilSorcerer: And a very powerful one at that.
* EvilWearsBlack: A black, torn-up robe covered in silver sigils.
* EvilutionaryBiologist: He created the Draconic Stalkers by combining dragons and humans, after many awful experiments on baby dragons forcibly taken out of their eggs.
* TheFundamentalist: The Bone Stalker Mage is fanatically devoted to the Night Dragon, to the point of renouncing his humanity to make himself "worthier" of his foul deity. Talk about crazy...
* GeniusBruiser: Feral, vicious and highly powerful, but an expert sorcerer and EvilutionaryBiologist, who lays traps for his foes and goads them.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Half-human, half-dragon, albeit by self-inflicted mutation instead of by birth.
* HighPriest: The Bone Stalker Mage is the founder and Supreme Leader of the Cult of the Night Dragon.
* HornedHumanoid: Goes hand in hand with having a dragon's head.
* HornsOfVillainy: To no-one's surprise...
* HumanoidAbomination: No longer anything remotely human but not fully dragon, not really living but not really undead, he's a downright repulsive, decaying and stinky contradiction to the laws of nature.
* KingMook: He is pretty much an even mightier, uglier and nastier Draconic Stalker. Justified since he fashioned them after himself, or the other way around, it's not exactly clear.
* LargeAndInCharge: Huge and the leader of the cult.
* LiminalBeing: The Bone Stalker mage is a HumanoidAbomination tethering on the borders between human and dragon, and between life and undeath.
* MagicKnight: He is both a considerably powerful wizard and an expert warrior of superhuman skill.
* MasterSwordsman: The Bone Stalker Mage wields his sword with perfect expertise.
* MookMaker: He created the Draconic Stalkers to make EliteMooks for his cult.
* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: Goes along with his draconic head.
* NoNameGiven: He is only known by his title.
* ObviouslyEvil: Goes without saying.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: In any other gamebook he would be one heck of a FinalBoss, but next to a being as powerful and nightmarish as the Night Dragon, let alone someone equipped to face it, he is little more than a minor inconvenience. Without the [[WeaponOfXSlaying Sacred Weapons]] however, that's another story...
* PathOfInspiration: His ReligionOfEvil presents the facade of a nice cult of scholars, caring for the poor and teaching to populations, in order to integrate themselves and take control secretly.
* PlayingWithFire: He can cast a spell of Fire Threads that cost -1 skill for the fight and -4 stamina .
* PoisonedWeapon: His blade is coated with a poison that costs -4 stamina instead of 2, but fortunately evaporates after three turns.
* ReligionIsMagic: Averted. He is the HighPriest of a ReligionOfEvil and uses Dark Magic, but because he is also an EvilSorcerer.
* ReligionOfEvil: His cult enslaves towns, performing {{Human Sacrifice}}s and awful experiments.
* SinisterMinister: As the HighPriest of a ReligionOfEvil that masquerades as helpful scholars, the Bone Stalker Mage could not be anything else.
* StinkBomb: He smells awfully enough to weaken you by -1 skill during the BossBattle.
* StrongAndSkilled: The raw might of a dragon combined to the expertise of a warrior and a wizard.
* SummonMagic: During the first two attack rounds, he summons red snake-spirits that cost -4 stamina.
* TechnicallyLivingZombie: He is alive and well, or as much as one can be in his state, but his flesh is decayed and bone-revealing like that of an undead.
* ThatManIsDead: It is made clear that who he was as a human no longer means anything to him, if it ever did. He even relinquished his human name.
* WasOnceAMan: He used to be a normal human wizard, but he made himself "worthier" of his idol.
* WouldHurtAChild: Would gladly submit unborn dragon babies to atrocious experiments.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The High Priestess of Sithera]]
[[quoteright:290:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/high_priestess_of_sithera.jpg]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/CurseOfTheMummy''

The evil priestess who restarted the Cult of the Cobra, worshippers of Sithera out to revive Akharis and bring about his {{Curse}}. Her cultists and Sith's [[SnakePeople Caarth]] roam the deadly [[ShiftingSandLand Desert of Skulls]] in search of the tomb of the evil pharaoh, plaguing you throughout the story. But you give as good as you get...

* AnimalMotifs: A Cobra, just like her foul idol.
* AntagonistAbilities: She packs a mean punch with her spells and her PoisonedWeapon can make the BossBattle against her really dangerous, especially if your poison score is already high.
* ApocalypseCult: Her own wants to resurrect a guy whose curse would extinguish all life.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: She leads the Cult of the Cobra, and by extension Sith's [[SnakePeople Caarth]] servants. While not the mightiest foe in the book, she is by far the most powerful spellcaster among them, and a tough foe overall.
* BadassCape: Her upper body is wrapped in a cool-looking cape, and badass she is.
* BareYourMidriff: Her outfit, in Ancient Egypt fashion.
* BigBadDuumvirate: Akharis is the central villain, TheHeavy whose threat must be stopped and the FinalBoss, but it is the High Priestess who leads the Cult of the Cobra, is behind all the villainous stuff happening and presides the ceremony to revive him. While technically his subordinate and much weaker than he is, she is the foe who casts deadly magic you need special trinkets to survive, something usually reserved to {{Final Boss}}es.
* BlackMage: Magic is her primary weapon, which she even uses to make her weapon deadly.
* ClimaxBoss: The second-to-last boss, fought at the start of the {{Climax}}. While much weaker than Akharis, her magic makes her just as. With skill 9 stamina 7 she is not a foe to underestimate.
* CoolCrown: She wears an Egyptian golden headdress.
* DarkActionGirl: A young woman with great powers of Dark Magic, and a skilled fighter.
* DeadlyGaze: Her gaze can drain your strength until you succumb. [[spoiler: You can NoSell it with an Eye Amulet. If not, you can survive but you will be severely weakened, hugely disadvantaged in the upcoming fights.]]
* TheDragon: She is Sith's. Had Akharis got revived, she would have likely become this to him.
* DragonInChief: With Sith as TheUnfought GreaterScopeVillain and Akharis [[SealedEvilInACan sealed in his tomb]], it is her who leads the cult, which she recreated herself, both to search for the tomb and to get rid of hindrances, you included. Once Akharis' mummy is brought to the Temple of Sithera, she proceeds to revive him.
* ElectiveMute: She never deigns to spare you a single word. Incantations aside, the only time you hear her voice is when she invokes her idol's cursed name as she dies, lamenting that she failed her.
** Averted when she has you at her mercy, as she taunts you before killing you.
* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: The High Priestess' ultimate goal is to unleash a continental, and very a global one by unleashing Akharis' curse, to turn the entire land into a desolate desert.
* EnergyAbsorption: If she captures you, the High Priestess drains your life-force and transfers it to Akharis to revive him. Played with as she does not use it to heal herself but someone else.
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: She is only known as the High Priestess, because that's what she is.
* EvilEyebrows: Giving her a stern and quite menacing gaze.
* EvilGloating: Just before she finishes you off, should she have you at her mercy.
* EvilIsSexy: A nasty villainess but a pretty young woman.
* FlunkyBoss: Before fighting you, she sics her horde of mummies on you. [[spoiler: You need charms or fire to destroy them. Trying to take them on only gets you overwhelmed and killed.]]
* TheFundamentalist: Slavishly devoted to Sith. Even in death, she only cares about failing her idol.
* TheHeavy: Even more so than Akharis as she calls the shots, cementing their BigBadDuumvirate dynamic. Her cultists number among your most troublesome foes, all thanks to her teachings.
* HighPriest: High Priestess in her case.
* HotWitch: She is young, pretty and regal, and knows quite a lot about magic.
* HumanSacrifice: The idol she worships is fond of these. [[spoiler: She wants to use you as one.]]
* HypnoTrinket: [[spoiler: Not the High Priestess, but if you face her wearing a Malachite Amulet, it will compel you to obey her and she will kill you without needing to fight.]]
* ImprobableWeaponUser: She fights by animating her cobra-shaped staff to bite you like a real one.
* KickingAssInAllHerFinery: A skilled fighter wearing the lavish garments of high priests of Ancient Egypt.
* LadyOfBlackMagic: She is regal, dignified and composed, and masters deadly magic.
* LadyOfWar: She is regal, dignified and composed, and holds her own against seasoned fighters.
* LifeDrinker: She drains her victims' life-force in sacrifices. [[spoiler: She plans to revive Akharis using your own.]]
* MagicKnight: A very powerful spellcaster, wielding a staff in battle with quite the proficiency.
* MagicStaff: See ImprobableWeaponUser above.
* NoNameGiven: You never learn her name.
* PoisonedWeapon: Not in the usual sense, but the bites of her cobra-staff are venomous, and each strike she deals adds 1 to your venom score. [[spoiler: If it reaches 18 you are dead.]]
* ReligionIsMagic: A cult leader using fearsome magic. Justified as she owes her powers to her vile idol.
* ReligionOfEvil: She leads the Cult of the Cobra, a cult fanatically worshipping a [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Demon Princess]]
* ResurrectTheVillain: Wants to bring back Akharis. As an undead mummy but it still counts.
* SequentialBoss: You first need to destroy the horde of mummies bodyguarding her, then to survive two deadly spells, before being able to fight her upfront.
* SinisterMinister: The {{High Priest}}ess of the local ApocalypseCult.
* SquishyWizard: She is powerful and dangerous in a direct battle, but she has a low stamina score.
* StaffOfAuthority: A cobra-shaped one, which she can animate to fight.
* SummonMagic: When you face her, she summons a demonic jackal-spirit covered in snakes, [[spoiler: that rips you to shreds without a Falcon Breastplate, that summons a GuardianEntity to destroy it.]]
* VillainousCheekbones: Sharp features indicating a stern and imposing character.
* WeakButSkilled: While she is a skilled and dangerous foe in a direct battle, she is pretty frail. Clearly, it is her magic that makes her so dangerous.

[[folder:[[spoiler: Sargon]]]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote:spoiler]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sargon_the_black_0.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
[[caption-width-right:320:[[labelnote: Click here to see him in ''Allansia'']]http:////static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sargon_allansia.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Advanced Fighting Fantasy''

The central villain of ''Advanced Fighting Fantasy'', a role-playing-game comprised of three books: ''Dungeoneer'', ''Blacksand'' and ''Allansia''. Not one of the many ObviouslyEvil villains you are told about at the start, this one only appears midway to the first book and the true extent of his villainy is not clear until the end of the second. [[spoiler: Hailing from the lost kingdom of Carsepolis, Sargon is the long dead ghost of the evil HighPriest of Elim, [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast the Great Enemy]]: one of the three [[OldGods Primal Deities]] creators of the Planes of Existence, who strives to destroy the world and start anew.]]\\\

[[spoiler:Sargon died during the Chaos Wars. Three centuries later, his ghost bargained with your band of heroes tracking the EvilSorcerer Xortan Throg, and resurrected by touching the Crystal of Power he told them about. Alas, he restarted his ReligionOfEvil and raised an huge army, soon becoming more of a threat that Throg could dream to be... Then again, there is no threat against which no hero can rise...]]

* AchillesHeel: [[spoiler: Your best (and pretty much only) option is the [[VillainBeatingArtifact Staff of Ashra]] created by priests of the eponymous First God, that vaporizes anything related to Elim at contact.]]
* AffablyEvil: Very courteous and cordial, gives you genuine advice and keeps his part of any bargain if not more. But make no mistake, if he wants you dead he won't hesitate.
* AntagonistAbilities: Very powerful, immune to normal weapons and with such tremendous magic skill score that no spell of his can miss. He masters vicious spells ranging from [[LevelDrain weakening ones]], to BalefulPolymorph, TakenForGranite and DeathRay, fighting to weaken or [[OneHitKill one-shot foes]] instead of the usual GradualGrinder.
* ApocalypseCult: [[spoiler: Sargon and his priests seek to bring Elim back on Titan so that he can return it to the Primeval Darkness. It is said that many low ranking Elimites are content with spreading chaos and gaining power, but most of them strive for destruction.]]
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: [[spoiler: A very powerful HighPriest ruling a huge cult of fanatical acolytes, and an army large enough to threaten the land. Sargon might not be the most powerful of them in terms of skill score, but he is hands down the mightiest spellcaster.]]
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:He was long dead by the time the story takes place, but his ghost immediately resurrects when he touches the Crystal of Power.]]
* BadassBeard: Big, white and bushy, befitting both his old age and his vast experience.
* BadassBookworm: [[spoiler: Sargon is not only very powerful, but also very knowledgeable in magical lore, in addition to being a scheming manipulator able to gain countless followers in a few months, who targets what can threaten him before moving for the kill.]]
* BadassLongRobe: [[spoiler:He wears a lavish toga over ornate robes in the fashion of his lost kingdom, making him look both noble and powerful.]]
* BadassMustache: Goes along with the BadassBeard.
* BalefulPolymorph: He masters the Cockroach Spell that turns you into a bug and must be dispelled. You can resist it with a successful test of luck.
* BeardOfEvil: Making his SlasherSmile quite sinister looking.
* BigBad: Of the ''Advanced Fighting Fantasy'' overall. [[spoiler: Sargon is causing all the troubles right after [[DiscOneFinalBoss Xortan Throg]] is dealt with, and having his shadow looming over when Throg is around, even as a ghost. Especially prevalent in the third book, in which you put an end to the threat he built for the entire epic, once and for all.]]
* BlackMage: He fights with a crapload of spells, to weaken, distract, or neutralize any foe coming his way.
* CastFromHitPoints: Like all mages in ''Advanced Fighting Fantasy'', spellcasting costs him stamina.
* CastingAShadow: He masters the Darkness spell that covers his surroundings in pitch-black shadows.
* ChoiceOfTwoWeapons: Like his PraetorianGuard, he wields a sword in the BigBadassBattleSequence, and a dagger as the FinalBoss. But his foremost WeaponOfChoice is always magic.
* CoolHat: Sports quite an elaborate headwear.
* CoolHelmet: Changes for one during the FinalBattle.
* TheCorrupter: [[spoiler: Sargon twisted many people into becoming his fanatical followers, howling for destruction.]]
* TheDarkArts: He can summon and control demons, and casts all sorts of nasty curses.
* DealWithTheDevil: [[spoiler: Played with in that you don't realise how evil he is and suffer little consequences, at least until he must be taken down. He offers you a way to beat the wretched [[EvilSorcerer Xorthan Throg]], in exchange of a way to end his ghostly undeath. You only realise that it wasn't such a great idea as he resurrects instead of crossing to the Afterlife. In your defence, you did not have much choice.]]
* DeathRay: The Death Spell casts a black energy bolt that insta-kills at contact, but it proves a double-edged sword as it [[CastFromLifespan ages the caster by one year per casting.]]
* TheDreaded: [[spoiler: Sargon starts the story completely forgotten, but by the time his reign of terror is fully established, he is very much feared all around.]]
* EmotionBomb: He masters the Fear Spell and the Befuddle Spell, greatly disturbing your characters for a while. They don't last long and can be resisted by winning a test of luck, but are debilitating.
* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: Devastating Allansia is only the first step, the sod wants to destroy '''everything''', [[spoiler: as an offering to his deity.]]
* EvilAllAlong: [[spoiler: Meeting Sargon in the first book, you know that his god is a bit ominous and that he cast a [[BlackMagic Death Spell]], but he is nothing but polite and helpful, so you pay it no mind. [[UnwittingPawn If only you knew]]... It only appears in the next books that he was not just a bit fishy, but [[SortingAlgorithmOfEvil worse than Xortan Throg on every imaginable scale...]]]]
* EvilCounterpart: [[spoiler: Sargon is this to Zune, the High Priest of Ashra (Elim's greatest opponent) from the Ekaadian people: worshippers of the OldGods who survived the Chaos Wars. Fittingly enough, it's Zune who strikes him down once and for all.]]
* EvilGloating: He indulges in this during the FinalBattle, taking great delight at {{No Sell}}ing attacks and inflicting crippling StandardStatusEffects before mocking you for the results.
* EvilOldFolks: [[spoiler: He is very old, and very, very evil.]]
* EvilSorcerer: [[spoiler: Played with. Sargon is a high-priest instead of a wizard, but he masters Priestly Magic and Dark Magic, making little difference.]]
* EvilVirtues: [[spoiler: He's rotten to the core something big, but he's polite, poised and honourable. He keeps his promises and can go the extra length to reward those who help him, without screwing them in any way.]]
* EvilerThanThou: [[spoiler: Played with since they never meet in person. Yet, Xortan Throg is but a small-fry compared to him, and he regards him as such. He speaks scathingly about him, calling him a "young idiot" and an "upstart", among other niceties.]]
--> [[spoiler: '''Sargon''': "Pah! Let a man get a few spells in his head and he thinks he can do anything!"]]
* FinalBoss: The third book and subsequently the entire epic, ends up with his final defeat. He is a powerful foe with skill 10 stamina 15, and the tremendous magic special skill '''29''' (the skill he uses to spellcast). He first casts [[StandardStatusEffect Weaken, Befuddle, Fear or Sleep]], then resorts to [[BalefulPolymorph Cockroach]], [[TakenForGranite Petrify]] or [[DeathRay Death]] when push comes to shove, and uses a dagger when [[CastFromHitPoints he cannot spellcast any longer]]. [[spoiler: One-shotting the fucker with the Staff of Ashra is hands down your safest bet.]]
* FinalBossPreview: [[spoiler: If you fight him after he resurrects in the first book, he has skill 10 stamina 12, magic special skill 29 and several dangerous spells, announcing how the FinalBattle will eventually unfold. Downplayed in that he distracts you long enough to escape instead of fighting back, and that he is not even established as the FinalBoss yet.]]
** [[spoiler: [[FridgeLogic Then again]], [[KnowWhenToFoldEm he is not stupid enough]] to fight people whom he just taught how to use the powerful [[AttackReflector spell-bouncing crystal]] that snuffed him before.]]
* FlunkyBoss: [[spoiler: is surrounded by the [[PraetorianGuard nine Elimist Commanders]] during the BigBadassBattleSequence just before you settle your score with him once and for all. With skill 10 stamina 12, they make powerful foes.]]
** [[spoiler: Right after, he fights the FinalBattle surrounded with four bodyguards with skill 8 stamina 10 who keep you away from him. [[NoNonsenseNemesis He orders them to target those who wield magic weapons in priority.]]]]
* {{Foil}}: [[spoiler: Sargon the Black and Xortan Throg are both powerful and dangerous {{Sorcerous Overlord}}s hailing from Carsepolis, with similar clothing and fighting style. But one is the HighPriest who was a first class citizen, now a continent-threatening BigBad and OmnicidalManiac. The other is an EvilSorcerer only remotely related to royalty, who is a BigBadWannabe obsessed by a long-gone kingdom and targeting another country for [[EvilIsPetty petty reasons]]. They both died the same way, but Sargon could resurrect and have another (much bigger) shot at villainy, while Xortan Throg has no hope left.]]
* ForcedSleep: He masters the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin self-explanatory Sleep Spell]], putting foes out of commission for a few turns. It is annoying but can be dispelled or resisted with a successful test of luck.
* FrontlineGeneral: He and his highest ranking commanders ride in battle along with his troops, laying waste in your ranks with weapon and spell.
* TheFundamentalist: [[spoiler: He will stop at nothing to enact his god's will and destroy Titan, city after city, continent after continent.]]
** [[spoiler: Not unlike RealLife fanatics, Sargon twists the creed of his religion to fit an extreme end. Elim is the Primal Deity of Destruction indeed, but also one of the creators of the universe who strives for perfection and wants to remake everything better. Yet, Sargon only cares for the destruction part, more fitting of worshippers of the [[SatanicArchetype Demon Gods]] Elim created. Then again, Elim is almost only remembered as [[GodOfEvil the Great Enemy]] and his WellIntentionedExtremist aspect is little known.]]
* GreaterScopeVillain: [[spoiler: Sargon plays this role in the first two books, being a powerless ghost in the first and a HiddenVillain at the root of the troubles you face in the second.]]
* HiddenVillain: [[spoiler: You never meet him in the second book, and only hear of him after you discover that his cult is behind the murder you are investigating and the [[{{Golem}} Brass Golem]] rampaging across [[WretchedHive Port Blacksand]].]]
** [[spoiler: The ArcVillain of the book is Nagrin, [[TheDragon the High Priest of Elim in Port Blacksand]]. With skill 12 stamina 17 luck 6 and priest magic special skill 14, he is even more powerful than Sargon himself and can resist your spells. Fortunately, he is a DirtyCoward who'd much rather summon demons instead of throwing [[ShockAndAwe Force Bolts]] and StandardStatusEffects.]]
* HighPriest: [[spoiler: The supreme leader of the Church of Elim. He went from being its last member to leading a huge sect spread all across Allansia, boasting hundreds of acolytes and thousands of {{Mooks}}.]]
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler: In his backstory. He first died by having his Death Spell [[AttackReflector reflected back at him]] with a Crystal of Power. He knows that Xortan Throg will try the same trick, and that you should in turn use the same protection and take it away with you to prevent him from returning.]]
* HumanSacrifice: [[spoiler: Since Sargon leads a ReligionOfEvil, he and his flunkies are bound to perform those, especially on prisoners.]]
** [[spoiler: In the third book, you rescue the goblin Giblet from such fate, and [[EnemyMine he becomes a reluctant ally]] who proves instrumental in his downfall by gaining his people's support.]]
* IGaveMyWord: When he gives his word, he keeps it and withholds no information.
* TheInsomniac: Justified given that [[spoiler: Elim's dark blessing]] prevents him from needing rest, meaning that he can fight all night long and [[NoSell is immune to the Sleep Spell]].
* KnifeNut: He uses a dagger in the FinalBattle.
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: [[spoiler: There is no point for him in fighting you after he resurrects, especially when you have the relic that killed him before, so if attacked he merely stalls with minor spells before high-tailing.]]
* MagicKnight: He is a master spellcaster, but wields swords and daggers with impressive proficiency.
* TheMagnificent: [[spoiler: He is called Sargon [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast the Black]], sometimes Sargon the Dark.]]
* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler: He is very good in using people to do his bidding. He uses you to resurrect by posing as a friendly and helpful ghost. He also started his cult in the WretchedHive of Port Blacksand, knowing that its corrupt denizens would be easier to sway.]]
* MasterSwordsman: You never face the sod head on in a SwordFight, but he wields a sword [[FrontlineGeneral when fighting along with his troops]] and with his skill 10 score, he is bound to use it very well.
* MrExposition: [[spoiler: You learn about Xortan Throg's background, ambition and grudges from Sargon of all people in the first book.]]
* NoNonsenseNemesis: [[spoiler: In battle, Sargon targets the most dangerous foes first, specifically those who can harm him. He casts spell to incapacitate, and pulls out the [[OneHitKill big guns]] if that fails. He only resorts to normal weapons when he can no longer spellcast. [[GoodCounterpart Zune]] must hide the Staff of Ashra 'till the very end and sneak up on him while you keep him busy, otherwise he destroys both.]]
** On a larger scale, [[spoiler: he targets the city of Kaad to find and destroy the Staff of Ashra, that is located near. He doesn't want to enact his goal before threats to his power are no more.]]
* NoOntologicalInertia: Averted, the [[TakenForGranite Petrify Spell]] he cast are not lifted after his final destruction. [[spoiler: Hinting that he might have survived for a possible return in an upcoming book... that was never made.]]
* NoSell: [[spoiler: Elim's dark blessing made him immune to normal weapons. He can only be harmed with magic weapons and spells.]] In fact, he takes great delight in tanking attacks that cannot harm him just to invoke the trope, while remaining wary of attacks that can. Also, he can cast Ward Spells to negate them. [[spoiler: Your best tactic is to throw useless attacks to distract him until [[GoodCounterpart Zune, High Priest of Ashra]], can strike.]]
* NoBodyLeftBehind: Is obliterated after his defeat, [[spoiler: or is he?]]
* NobleDemon: [[spoiler: He is evil and twisted, but honourable. Any help he gives is self-serving, but he never screws people over and proves pretty generous.]]
* OhCrap: Delightfully so, he screams in pure terror when [[spoiler: Zune strikes him down for good.]]
* OldMaster: [[spoiler: As old as he is powerful, which means a lot.]]
* OmnicidalManiac: [[spoiler: His god wants to destroy Titan to restart creation anew. Sargon himself is determined to destroy Titan, one city at a time.]]
* OurGhostsAreDifferent: [[spoiler: Sargon was doomed to roam the subterranean ruins of Carsepolis for eternity as a ghost, but he found a way to return...]]
* OutsideContextProblem: [[spoiler: The Primal Deities shaped the universe and created the gods, but left Titan to the gods after the [[DivineConflict First Battle]], when it became clear that their conflict could not be settled. As of now, next to no-one even knows they ever existed, so a ReligionOfEvil worshipping one took most by surprise. To defeat him, you have to ally with ancient worshippers of the other Primal Deities: Ashra who championed creation and Vuh who championed balance.]]
* OverarchingVillain: [[spoiler: In the first book, in which Sargon is but a ghost and Xortan Throg is the most pressing threat, and the second, in which his priests cause the troubles you face but he remains out of reach. Even then, after you meet him you can only fathom that this nasty SOB means '''huge''' trouble.]]
* TheParalyzer: He masters the Hold spell that can freeze you on the spot and prevent movement for a while. You must successfully test your luck to escape it, but it can be dispelled.
* PetTheDog: [[spoiler: If he had cordial enough exchanges with you in the first book, he restores the rusted sword you found into the InfinityMinusOneSword it used to be. Not part of the deal, just a token of gratitude.]]
* PlagueMaster: He causes a plague that decimates the city of Kaad, just because he could.
* PraetorianGuard: [[spoiler: His nine powerful Elimite Commanders are this in the BigBadassBattleSequence.]]
* PretenderDiss: [[spoiler: Amusingly, Sargon views Xortan Throg as a pathetic BigBadWannabe. If the heroes tell him about their mission to kill Throg, he'll rant about the foolishness of his plans and how his schemes to topple [[TheDreaded Lord Azzur]] are bound to fail.]]
* RainOfArrows: He masters the powerful Arrow Storm Spell that hurls a volley of arrows at a group of enemies, undistinguishable from an archery ambush.
* ReligionIsMagic: [[spoiler: As a priest he gains powers from his god, as well as mastery of Priestly Magic.]]
* ReligionOfEvil: [[spoiler: He does not worship the [[GodOfEvil Demon Gods]], he worships [[UpToEleven the Primal Deity who created them]]. Elim is more of a WellIntentionedExtremist who wants to reset a world he regards as beyond saving, but Sargon and his followers are evil with a capital E.]]
* SequentialBoss: [[spoiler: You must engage Sargon along with his PraetorianGuard during the BigBadassBattleSequence, before fighting the proper FinalBattle against him. Even then, [[FlunkyBoss his bodyguards]] must be dealt with before attacking him, and the fight itself is a distraction for Zune to strike.]]
* SinisterMinister: He pretends to be wise and caring, if a bit spooky in more ways than one, and uses it to entice followers, but he is in fact a fanatic of the worst kind who wants the world to go down in flames.
* ShouldersOfDoom: He sports those on his outfit in the third book.
* SorcerousOverlord: He raised a cult that quickly grew enormously influential, with a huge army to boot, threatening all of Allansia.
* SortingAlgorithmOfEvil: The last, most evil and most dangerous enemy of the ''Advanced Fighting Fantasy'' quests. Long story short, he is everything [[BigBadWannabe Xortan Throg]] craved to be and more.
* SquishyWizard: [[spoiler: Sargon has enormous power and skill, but he has low stamina and old age makes him very physically feeble.]]
* SummonMagic: [[spoiler: He and his priests can summon powerful demons to do their bidding. The plot of the second book starts when they summoned one to kill the rich merchant named Brass [[HeKnowsTooMuch who knows too much]] without being suspected.]]
* SupernaturalFearInducer: The aforementioned Fear Spell.
* SupernaturalLight: [[spoiler: As a ghost, Sargon is surrounded with an intense halo.]]
* TakenForGranite: He masters the very dangerous Petrify spell, which decreases its target's stamina by slowly turning them to stone, becoming a statue when they die. You must successfully test your luck to escape it, but it can be dispelled.
* TheyLookLikeEveryoneElse: [[spoiler: Justified as you don't know his true alignment from the start. Still, refreshingly in a franchise filled to the brim with [[ObviouslyEvil bad guys whose looks scream "eeeevil" miles around]], Sargon looks like a normal old man, albeit wearing lavish robes and toga. His evil is expressed through his facial expressions more than anything else.]]
* UncertainDoom: [[spoiler: His cult and armies are destroyed during the BigBadassBattleSequence at the end of the third book, when attacking the city of Kaad. Sargon himself disappears in a blinding flash of light. Whether he was destroyed once and for all or could teleport away as he was struck down with the Staff of Ashra remains unclear. His final fate is left to the appreciation of the Game Master.]]
* UndeathAlwaysEnds: [[spoiler: Unusually, his own ends by returning to true life.]]
* VillainExitStageLeft: [[spoiler: Played with in that he is not defeated, and his villainy is just hinted, but Sargon teleports away as soon as he is resurrected and done with you in the first book.]]
** [[spoiler:It is implied that he managed to escape after his final defeat...]]
* VillainousRescue: [[spoiler: You only learn that he is a villain long after the fact, but his ghost scaring away the FishMen who took you prisoner as he appears to you is this in retrospect.]]
* WalkingSpoiler: The very fact that he is a villain, let alone the BigBad, is a major plot twist. Hence the loads of blanked text.
* WeHaveReserves: [[spoiler: Sargon being a priest and not a general, he has zero sense of military strategy and did not expect resistance in the {{Climax}}. As for tactics go, he is content sending his {{Mooks}} to ZergRush while he and his PraetorianGuard cast spells. Uncouth but efficient. [[NoNonsenseNemesis Don't think he lacks caution though.]]]]
* WeakButSkilled: [[spoiler: Sargon is a frail and feeble old man, but his enormous mastery of Priestly Magic makes him formidable, nonetheless.]]
* WeaponOfMassDestruction: [[spoiler: Sargon and his priests experiment on them. In the second book, the Priests of Elim build a towering [[{{Golem}} Brass Golem in Elim's likeness]] as a magical one: A titan with skill 10 stamina 30, with 2 attacks per turn and powerful DamageReduction (-2 damage and the Mighty Blows, the usually lethal double dice roll dealing normal damage.) It can pretty much only be destroyed by [[AttackItsWeakPoint striking its heart or navel with projectiles]]. Two successful tests of luck to reveal and strike the heart, one for the navel.]]
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: [[spoiler: The hints that he survived the decisive battle]] were meant to tease a possible SequelHook, but the project was scrapped.

!!Others
[[folder:Captain Bloodaxe]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bloodaxe.jpg]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/DemonsOfTheDeep''

Captain Bloodaxe is a vicious pirate captain commanding the ship known as the Troll. One day, he attacked the peaceful merchant ship you were working on as a seasoned sailor, sinking it and slaughtering everyone, but taking you captive, for you fought valiantly and killed many pirates. The sadistic prick feigns to congratulate you and to offer you a place in his crew, then states that he will let you live and escape, with supplies. This being said, he pushes you overboard but [[ContrivedCoincidence by an unbelievable stroke of luck]], [[DeusExMachina you end up right inside a magical pentagram that gives you gills for a day]], near the lost city of {{Atlantis}}. Now is your chance to search for a way to take revenge in this underwater setting...

* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: Bloodaxe is the best fighter of his crew by a large margin, and they all obey him. [[spoiler: But when scared enough, they don't hesitate to backstab him hoping to save their wretched skins.]]
* BadassBeard: He has a wild, bushy beard, and fights well.
* BadassNormal: He might be an overweight human, but he is the mightiest foe in the gamebook. Not the more impressive giant see monsters. Him.
* BeardOfEvil: Such bushy, unkempt beards are rarely sported by {{Nice Guy}}s in fiction...
* BigBad: The vile pirate captain whose crew slaughtered your own and who sent you to your watery doom, whom you strive to kill in {{Revenge}}.
* CarpetOfVirility: His chest and belly are covered in hair.
* CoolHat: He wears the black tricorn ornate with skull and bones of pirate captains.
* CycleOfRevenge: You and Bloodaxe perpetuate this, as he throws you at sea to punish you for killing his men, and you spend the story searching for a way to avenge your crew he slaughtered. Then again, you have the moral high ground, for you were just minding your own marine business when he attacked you.
* DisproportionateRetribution: He tries to kill you in an especially twisted way, for the vile crime of killing pirates in self-defence. [[SarcasmMode How dare you? Could you not let yourself be killed like a good victim?]]
* DressedToPlunder: Less fancily clad than the classic pirate captain of fiction, but still clad as one.
* FanDisservice: There are way better-looking men with their chest bare. To say the least...
* FatBastard: He is as overweight as he is vile.
* FauxAffablyEvil: Bloodaxe addresses you with nothing but praises and honeyed words, as if talking to an old friend, and genuinely respects your fighting skills. But this is just an act to better {{Troll}} you with false hopes. In fact, he loathes you for killing his men and wants to go the extra mile to get back at you.
* FinalBoss: Bloodaxe is the BigBad and the last enemy you will face. You cannot face all his crew on your own and need magical help. Whether he has men left to fight you with or not, he is a powerful enemy with skill 11 stamina 12.
** Played with in that depending on how you led your quest, you can kill him without fight. [[spoiler: Either by sinking his ship, or by overwhelming his crew with skeleton warriors.]] If so, there will either be no FinalBattle, or the FinalBoss will be the [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Sea Dragon]] (skill 10 stamina 24) or the [[KrakenAndLeviathan Kraken]] (skill 10 stamina 30). Powerful, but less than he is, though [[MarathonBoss much more durable]], and {{Skippable Boss}}es themselves.
* FlunkyBoss: He is backed-up by his men, [[spoiler: If you don't have enough skeletons to slaughter his crew.]]
* ForTheEvulz: Not only leaving no survivor is not really necessary, but sending you to drown while making you believe 'till the end that you will be spared was completely fruitless and even wasteful. Bloodaxe is just that twisted, getting his kicks by slaughtering people and trolling them.
* {{Gonk}}: Fat, ugly and with scarce teeth, Bloodaxe is not a pleasant man to look at. Not at all.
* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: You fight FishMen, you fight a Sea Dragon, you fight a Kraken, but the BigBad of the story and the vilest foe you will face is a pirate captain who did it all ForTheEvulz.
* ItsPersonal: Your goal throughout the story is not to merely get back to shore and live another day, oh no. Your goal is to kill Bloodaxe and all his crew for what they did to you and your fellow sailors.
** Bloodaxe himself has had a bone to pick with you from the very beginning, for killing many of his men.
* KickTheDog: Throwing you to drown was bad enough, but making it look like he would spare you, and going as far as giving you back your sword and food was a tremendous dick move.
* MasterSwordsman: He is a very good fighter.
* MeaningfulName: Played with, as it figures a violent and dangerous man revelling in slaughters, and that he is. But contrary to what the name would lead you to believe, he does not fight with an axe.
* MoralMyopia: When Bloodaxe kills your crew it's fair game, when you kill his men it's a hanging offence.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Does "Bloodaxe" inspires your trust? If so you might not live long...
* ObviouslyEvil: Just look at him...
* OrcusOnHisThrone: He does absolutely nothing for the entire story, being content with sailing his ship. Justified in that they just looted a ship and don't need more for now.
* {{Pirate}}: His job's description.
* PirateBooty: Bloodaxe looted an enormous fortune in treasure chests. If you can take it after exacting your {{Revenge}}, you won't be complaining. [[spoiler: Don't go salvaging treasure after the ship is sinking, the spell will wear out and [[DeathByMaterialism you will drown]].]] In the GoldenEnding, you seize his ship and his entire treasure, sailing towards you future rich and powerful.
* ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything: They don't do much during the story proper, but still averted as they viciously slaughtered your crew.
* PurpleIsPowerful: He wears a purple jacket, and is a mighty pirate leading a dangerous crew.
* RapePillageAndBurn: How Bloodaxe and his crew operate. They are villains and meant to be reviled, not idealized misfits enjoying freedom at sea or other romanticized drivel...
* RevengeMyopia: Again, you seek justice for innocents while he wants revenge for their murderers.
* {{Sadist}}: How else can we explain his needless KickTheDog feats?
* ScaryTeeth: His smile reveals a disgusting sight of oversized teeth overlapping with gaps, doubtless due to dubious dental hygiene, or scurvy as it was common at sea in medieval times. Yuck!
* SinisterSchnoz: He is a vile, rotten piece of work, sporting a big, ugly potato-like nose.
* SkippableBoss: [[spoiler: You can finish the game without fighting him, by summoning a Grimlet Fish or a Sea Dragon to sink his ship, or summoning enough skeleton warriors from [[PlotCoupons Black Pearls]] to overwhelm his crew. He still tries to fight but his pirates snuff him out themselves hoping for mercy.]]
* {{Troll}}: The sod just relishes in messing with people's heads for shit and giggles. That's even the name of his ship for crying out loud!
* VillainRespect: He might loathe you, but he admires your fighting prowesses in earnest.
* VillainousValour: Say what you will about his '''many''' flaws, but he is a scum with guts. [[spoiler: Even with his crew mowed down by your skeletons, he keeps on fighting. Yet, his men off him hoping for mercy.]]
* WalkingShirtlessScene: He only wears a pirate jacket over the waist. But being fat, hairy and generally unpleasant to look at, it's not a pleasant use of the trope.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: [[spoiler:The Dire Spectre of Solani Island]]]]
[[caption-width-right:260:[[labelnote: Click here to see it]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dire.PNG[[/labelnote]]]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/IslandOfTheUndead''

[[spoiler: When the four Elemental Wizards of Solani Island attempted to broaden their range of magic spells, the most powerful of them - Ziraphelis the Master of Fire - decided to dabble with necromancy, only to end up summoning a powerful, nether-world demon appropriately called the Dire Spectre, who possessed its summoners and turned Solani Island into a gloomy, cursed hell-hole infested with undead activity. Only you can expose and defeat the Spectre and restore peace to the Island...]]
----
* AchillesHeel: [[spoiler: Coating your sword with Specterbane is the only way to harm the Dire Spectre.]]
* AfterBossRecovery: [[spoiler: After defeating the Master of Fire, the Dire Spectre needs a while to fully materialize, enabling you to chug down some of your provisions to heal before confronting it.]]
* AnIcePerson: Its life-draining magic chills you to the bone, costing -5 stamina.
* AttackReflector: [[spoiler: Any attempt to fling projectile at it will just have them bouncing back uselessly.]]
** [[spoiler: However, with an enchanted diamond, you can turn its attack back upon itself, gaining a precious Presence point in the process]].
* BadassBoast:
--> [[spoiler: "Fool! You cannot harm me! I will find another body to possess, just as I took over this mortal who summoned me!"]]
* BallisticBone: It conjures bone projectiles to attack.
* BigBad: The true, hidden cause of all the evil in the story.
* BossRush: [[spoiler: You get to fight a powerful Black Skeleton, the possessed Master of Fire and the Dire Spectre in a row as the FinalBattle. Luckily however, you're given the chance to heal yourself between battles.]]
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Not it, but what it does to its hosts, and pretty much any spirit under its thrall. [[spoiler: It corrupted Ziraphelis' mind and after you defeat him, it attempts this on you]].
* ContinuityNod: [[spoiler: A powerful demon from another realm, appearing as an old man to pull the strings behind demonic activity, which you do not uncover until the end. Just like the Hell Demon from ''Literature/HouseOfHell''.]]
* CreepilyLongArms: The illustration shows it with these.
* DemBones: Its appears to have its skeletal structure growing on its ''outside''.
* DemonicPossession: [[spoiler: The Spectre's modus operandi.]]
* DisappearsIntoLight: [[spoiler: When you eventually defeats the Dire Spectre, its body dissipates into nothingness and is banished for good]].
* EldritchLocation: [[spoiler: The Ethereal Plane where it hails from.]]
* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: [[spoiler: If it has its way, the rest of Titan will eventually look like Solani. It just hates living beings that much.]]
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: [[spoiler: It's a Spectre, and its existence puts the entirety of Solani Island in a dire state]]. [[SarcasmMode That sounds really complicated, doesn't it]]?
* FinalBoss: One with skill 11 stamina 19, who can NoSell all normal attacks, making it a tough foe.
* GenericDoomsdayVillain: It comes out of nowhere at the end, threatening Titan because it strikes its fancy. TheReveal sure is impressive, but Keith Martin invented better doomsday bringing Final Bosses...
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: To make its alignment even more glaring.
* GoneHorriblyWrong: [[spoiler: To say the Master of Fire's summoning ritual didn't work as planned would be one heck of an {{Understatement}}...]]
* HiddenVillain: [[spoiler: You do not learn of the true evil infesting Solani Island until you defeat the Master of Fire, at which point the Dire Spectre reveals itself]]...
* HornedHumanoid: Humanoid may be a bit of a loose term, though.
* {{Intangibility}}: [[spoiler: When the Spectre first appears in front of you before it can fully take shape, trying to attack it only makes your sword to phase harmlessly through its body.]]
* TheManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler: The true cause of all the necromantic activity plaguing Solani Island.]]
* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler: The Spectre is this in spades, using the Master of Fire as a pawn to completely devastate Solani Island and causing all sorts of chaos.]]
* MindRape: [[spoiler: What it did to its victims to take over their minds]].
** [[spoiler: In one bad ending it grips your face, at which point you feel your mind fading away]]...
* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: [[spoiler: Fitting for a demon summoned from some EldritchLocation.]]
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: It doesn't sound like friendly chap...
* NaturalWeapon: [[spoiler: It fights with its talons, which is more than enough to make it formidable.]]
* NoNameGiven: [[spoiler: Justified however, since you don't even know about it until the end.]]
* NoSell: Several instances.
** [[spoiler: Choosing to fight the Dire Spectre without a magic weapon? Your funeral.]]
** [[spoiler: Attempting to use acid against it doesn't work, either.]]
* ObviouslyEvil: Like you would not believe.
* OhCrap: [[spoiler: If you are coated in Ethereal Oil, and have dipped your sword in Specterbane, you can now harm the Dire Spectre. At which point the mighty spirit will, for the first time in its existence, show fear...]]
* OminousFog: [[spoiler: A creepy, ethereal mist surrounds where the Spectre materializes itself]].
* OurDemonsAreDifferent: Of the spiritual, ethereal sort.
* OurSpiritsAreDifferent: No matter what type, it is an evil, ghastly spirit.
* OutsideContextVillain: [[spoiler: There's no friggin' way a peaceful fishing village who employs wizards as protectors could expect a netherworld demon to suddenly enter theirs and cause such widespread destruction, could there?]]
* ParanoiaFuel: [[spoiler: The fact that a simple incantation gone wrong can spell the EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt will keep even the strongest of adventurers awake at night.]]
* PlayingWithFire: [[spoiler: While assuming the form of the Master of Fire he can use fire-based attacks on you.]]
* PsychologicalTormentZone: [[spoiler: It will corrupt your mind by decreasing your Presence score, and once it drops to Zero, you become its new host]].
* SequentialBoss: One taking the form of a BossRush against its summons and different forms.
* SpikeShooter: One of its attacks conjures a wall of spiked, calcified bones which it sics on you.
* SpikesOfVillainy: [[spoiler: The Spectre's entire body is covered in sinister-looking spikes]].
* {{Telepathy}}: [[spoiler: The Dire Spectre transmits its thoughts to its surroundings, and taunts you, through its mind.]]
* TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow: [[spoiler: Shouldn't there be a law against summoning the eldritch forces of the netherworld to be used as servants?]]
* UndeadAbomination: You never learn what it really is, but its '''far''' worse than regular spectres and evil spirits. Is it undead? Demonic? Both? Its aspect, nature, and effect on the island are uncanny as Hell...
* ThisWasHisTrueForm: [[spoiler: He only reveals his true form after the Master of Fire's demise]].
* TooDumbToLive: [[spoiler: Not it, but its summoner. Yeah sure, [[SarcasmMode who knew summoning a powerful entity hating humanity with all its guts could end up horribly wrong?]]]]
* WalkingSpoiler: Yeah, you can build a small house with the wall of spoilered text above.
* WalkingWasteland: What Solani Island became under its influence is only a start.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Night Dragon]]
-->See its entry on the [[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsThePit The Pit]] page under '''Demonic Generals'''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sharcle]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sharcle.jpg]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/EyeOfTheDragon''

You meet this shady [[HalfHumanHybrid man-orc]] in a tavern, looking for a profitable treasure hunt. He introduces himself as Henry Delacor and tells you about a golden dragon statue in a dungeon beneath [[TheLostWoods the dangerous Darkwood Forest]]. This could make the both of you as rich as a lord, and you eagerly accept to explore the dungeon and share the benefits. He then [[StupidEvil dares you to drink poison]], leaving you two weeks left to live, and will only exchange the antidote for the treasure. You will snatch the treasure and get rich all right, but you'll be damned if you let this creep see the colour of a single copper coin...
----

[[folder:Agglax]]
-->See his entry on the [[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsThePit Pit]] page under '''Greater Demons'''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Malbordus]]
[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/malbordus.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:[[labelnote: Click here to see him in Temple of Terror]]http:////static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/malbordus_temple_of_terror.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/TempleOfTerror''

A human of great potential for magic, abandoned in the wilderness as an infant, who was taken to the underground capital of the dark elven kingdom of Tìranduil Kelthas, and raised by the {{High Priest}}ess of the [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Snake Demon Myurr]]. As the final trial of his training, he is tasked to venture into the [[TempleOfDoom lost city of Vatos]] in the [[ShiftingSandLand Desert of Skulls]] to recover lost ArtifactsOfDoom that would help him take over Allansia. Fortunately, [[BigGood the Legendary Wizard Yaztromo]] learns about his quest and sends the hero who braved the ''Literature/CavernsOfTheSnowWitch'' and ''Literature/TheForestOfDoom'' to face him...

* AntagonistAbilities: He starts the battle with a painful, deafening spell that affects the whole room and his cursed sword will paralyze you if you're hit three times.
* ArtifactOfDoom: The five Dragon Artefacts he is looking for are five dragon statuettes of bone, ebony, crystal, silver and gold, that can be turned into an invincible dragon obeying those who awoke them. With such WeaponsOfMassDestruction, the Dark Elven Kingdom and its army could rise from their subterranean city and invade the land unopposed.
* BadassLongRobe: Malbordus wears a long, flowing black robe, fitting for an EvilSorcerer.
* TheBeastMaster: He can subjugate animals, even those bred for war, into obeying him so thoroughly that they become dependent on him to live, unable to feed if he does not order them to.
* BigBad: The powerful mage setting out to invade Allansia for the dark elves, whom you must track down.
* BigBadDuumvirate: Malbordus is the main villain of the book, but Leesha, the Grand Priestess of Vatos plays an equally important villainous role. At least one bad ending confirms that the two are in cahoots.
** Contrary to Leesha, a VainSorceress of considerable power who only cares about sitting around and having her every whim catered, Malbordus is a SorcerousOverlord in training, working to build his own power base. She flees as soon as you pose a threat to her, while Malbordus confronts you head on for the FinalBattle, cementing him as the biggest threat and true BigBad.
* BigBadWannabe: Not in the story proper, but the franchise as a whole. He does poses a considerable threat, yet is an upstart compared to other {{Big Bad}}s. Justified in that Malbordus is still in training to become a proper BigBad. Had he succeeded, he would have grown as formidable as the others.
* BlackSwordsAreBetter: His cursed blade is made of pitch-black steel.
* BondVillainStupidity: He tries to kill you by summoning the dreaded [[OurSpiritsAreDifferent Envoy of Death]]... who, rather than killing you on the spot is content with scattering the five letters D.E.A.T.H. across the dungeon, which are quite dangerous but easily escapable.
* TheChampion: To the [[GreaterScopeVillain High Priestess of Myurr]], and the Dark Elven Kingdom as a whole. And to Myurr himself by extension.
* ChildProdigy: Malbordus displayed immense potential for magic at a very young age, and passed his first initiation with flying colours at the tender age of nine.
* ComplexityAddiction: Summoning a powerful spirit against you while he's searching the PlotCoupons is fine and dandy. But he had to send one with needlessly convoluted, next to useless methods. Better (or worse), the Envoy of Death makes it clear that he could easily [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim snuff you on the spot]], but goes for complexity instead.
* CreepyChild: He was so evil as a child that even the AlwaysChaoticEvil dark elves were [[EvenEvilHasStandards disturbed]]. Of course, they saw his evil and potential as a blessing and set out to make use of it.
* DarkMessiah: He's this to the dark elves and the cult of Myurr who raised him.
* DespotismJustifiesTheMeans: Malbordus and the Dark Elves want to take over and enslave all other races. [[FantasticRacism They consider every other people as beneath them and only fit to crawl at their feet.]]
* DropInNemesis: After you've found all five statuettes and smashed one of them, Malbordus will emerge from a nearby pit and challenge you to a fight, starting the FinalBattle.
* EvilCounterpart: He's this to your own character if you think about it: Both of you are trained in swordsmanship and magic, received magical help in Darkwood and are sent to Vatos to look after the same set of artefacts, though your objectives are different.
* EvilEyebrows: Made even creepier by his gaunt, skull-like face.
* EvilLaugh: He gives one in the Bad Ending, riding one of the Five Dragons to the Dark Elf Kingdom.
* EvilMakesYouUgly: As an adult he's tall, gaunt and dark-skinned, with almost-balding hair on his head and hideously exaggerated facial features that make his face look like a skull.
* EvilSorcerer: He was tutored into TheDarkArts by the Dark Elves of Darkwood Forest and the cult of Myurr, and he is very skilled in the trade.
* EvilWeapon: He wields a cursed blade that can leave you paralyzed and defenceless.
* EvilWearsBlack: He is only clad in black robes.
* FinalBoss: With skill 10 stamina 18, he makes a powerful foe. But what makes him formidable are his BlackMagic and his EvilWeapon. Without proper protection, he is a SNKBoss through and through.
* ForeheadOfDoom: As an adult.
* FriendToAllLivingThings: An evil subversion, as it's said that sinister and wicked animals came to witness Malbordus' birth and accompanied him.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: Once a simple abandoned baby, sadly common in medieval settings, now an OverlordJr on his way to take over Allansia.
* GenericDoomsdayVillain: While the same can be said for most {{Big Bad}}s of the franchise, Malbordus is one of the least developed villains, with minimal looks, name, powers and characteristics. He is evil, he is ugly, he is powerful, he wants to TakeOverTheWorld, but so do most other more fleshed out villains with more presence and unique traits. Only his background salvages things a bit.
* GottaCatchThemAll: His second initiation test and his goal in the story is to retrieve the [[ArtifactOfDoom five Dragon Artefacts]], and use their power to take over Allansia.
** Your goal is the same, but contrary to him you're searching the artefacts to destroy them.
* IHaveManyNames: He is also known as Aeren Tintathel.
* IWasQuiteALooker: As seen in the picture, he was good looking as a child. Now on the other hand...
* MagicKnight: Malbordus is equally talented in magic and swordsmanship.
* MakeMeWannaShout: As soon as he appears he casts a dark spell that seriously harms your hearing, costing -3 skill, no less. [[spoiler: Unless you're wearing a copper ring.]]
* MasterSwordsman: He's not half bad with that Black Sword of his.
* MeaningfulName: In-universe.
** "Malbordus" means "Child of Darkness".
** "Aeren Tintathel" means "Storm Child" in dark elven language, for he was found during [[ItWasADarkAndStormyNight a stormy night]].
* MisanthropeSupreme: Malbordus absolutely loathes humanity and the races of the surface.
* MosesInTheBullrushes: He was abandoned in a forest during winter, likely by a poor peasant family who could not afford to take care of him. Dark elves found him and raised as a powerful SorcerousOverlord.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Malbordus sounds quite ominous.
* ObviouslyEvil: His current appearance plays this as straight as possible. The narration states that he exudes an aura of pure malevolence and hatred.
* OlderThanHeLooks: Who could believe upon seeing him that he is a young adult? Even then, can you guess how old is he in the main picture here? A teenager? The answer: Nine years old. No kidding!
* OverlordJr: He is the adopted son of the [[HighPriest high-priestess of Myurr]], who sent him on his quest, and he plans to dominate Allansia as a whole for the dark elves, with him and her on top.
* TheParalyzer: It does this to you if he strikes you thrice with his blade, kind of like a ghoul's claws. [[spoiler: A copper ring will protect you.]]
* PlayingWithFire: He burned a village only with his mental focus, during his first initiation trial.
* PointyEars: He might be human, but his ears are elf-like.
* SNKBoss: Facing a skill 10 foe is tough, but not that hard with higher stats. Facing a skill 10 foe who wins if he lands three hits, after suffering a crippling loss of -3 skill is nearly impossible, even with the maximum of 12. Without protection from his magic, you are in for a world of pain.
** Said protection however, [[spoiler: namely the copper ring]] leaves him as powerful but nothing insurmountable. With it and skill 11 or 12, you can kick his sorry ass without much trouble.
* SorcerousOverlord: He aims to become one, and you must do whatever it takes to prevent him from reaching his goal.
* SummonMagic: He called forth the Envoy of Death, a powerful spirit, and knows how to use the Dragon artefacts to summon the real deal.
* TakeOverTheWorld: Downplayed, as he covets one third of it. But it is already far too much.
* VillainousCheekbones: Did we mention that his face looks like a skull?
* VillainousWidowsPeak: UpToEleven, as his ForeheadOfDoom highlights it.
* WalkingWasteland: Malbordus can wither plants by looking at them.
* YouAreWhatYouHate: Malbordus utterly loathes humans and identifies as a dark elf, despite being human. Justified in that he hates humans for leaving him to die in the cold, while the dark elves saved him and are training him as a leader.
* YoungConqueror: He is a few years past being a teenager and he aspires to take over Allansia. He is not that yet, and you must ensure he never becomes it.

[[folder:Oldoran Zagor]]
-->See his entry on the [[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsDemonicThree Demonic Three]] page under '''Conquerors'''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Razaak]]
[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/razaak_2.jpg]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/CryptOfTheSorcerer''

Far and away the worst SNKBoss of the franchise, virtually invincible without cheating. Once a power-hungry mage apprentice, he spent forty years in isolation to become a necromancer. He then demanded obedience from the lords of Allansia, but being totally unknown, he was dismissed as yet-another harmless BigBadWannabe. Big mistake. He blighted the entire land for years, until he got killed by the legendary hero Kull, wielding his own cursed sword. But after a century, he has returned as a lich after his vault was accidentally opened, and plans to wipe out all life in Allansia. Alerted by your old friend, [[TheArchmage the Legendary Mage Yaztromo]], you set out to destroy him once and for all...

* AchillesHeel: Not a spoiler for you learn it right away, but Razaak can only be felled by his own cursed sword, [[SwordOfPlotAdvancement which you must fetch as soon as possible.]]
* AllThereInTheManual: Downplayed. The intro reveals all you need to know about him, but the guidebooks add details. Notably that he studied in the famed WizardingSchool of the Forest of Yore.
* AnimalMotifs: Insects. He is described as evoking a grotesquely deformed bug, and he [[BeeBeeGun summons a plague of insects]] to kill you or to spread pestilence.
* AntagonistAbilities: What makes him such a nightmare to fight. Even without counting his many deadly spells, he is a powerhouse with max skill, lots of stamina, and a TouchOfDeath that kills you as soon as he grabs you at any point of the battle. Talk about broken...
* AntagonistTitle: I wonder who the sorcerer of the title might be?
* BackFromTheDead: He was slain a hundred years before the start of the story, and returns as an undead, even worse than before.
* BadassBoast: His greetings sums up as "you are powerful to make it this far, and I know that you have the only thing that can harm me. But you still stand no chance." And true to form, it won't be easy.
* BadassLongRobe: He wears a luxurious red and gold robe that does not fit his hideous frame and many deformities, but reminds you that said hideous midget is a necromancer of considerable might.
* BaldOfEvil: The least disturbing of his many deformities.
* BeeBeeGun: Razaak summons millions of venomous insects to spread plague, and he uses it against you during the FinalBattle. [[spoiler: You must have the Hamakeis' parchment and to know how to cast its defensive spell, lest you die a painful death.]]
* BigBad: The Lich Master who threatens all life in Allansia and must be stopped at all costs.
* BlackMage: Gets some nasty, OneHitKill attack spells under his belt.
* BodyHorror: Where to begin? The eyes? The arms? The face? The oversized head? This sod is hideously deformed from head to toe.
* ContinuityNod: He shares some powers with Zanbar Bone, the BigBad of ''[[Literature/CityOfThieves1983 City of Thieves]]'', another [[OurLichesAreDifferent super powerful lich]] from a book by Ian Livingstone. Namely the TouchOfDeath, and [[spoiler: the need to wear a Ring of True Seeing to see through his first trick.]] In ''The Port of Peril'', a revived Zanbar Bone completes the reference by using a BeeBeeGun attack similar to his own. Livingstone sure loves referencing his previous works.
* CreatingLife: He creates hideous monsters just to pass time.
* CreepilyLongArms: One is long enough to reach the ground. The other averts it by being shrivelled.
* TheDarkArts: He masters Dark Magic to create monsters and summon demons.
* DepravedDwarf: He is very small and horribly evil.
* DespotismJustifiesTheMeans: He always craved power for the sake of power. Back when he was alive, he wanted to rule and tyrannize Allansia, but after dying and becoming a lich, [[FromBadToWorse he became much worse]].
* DisabilitySuperpower: Seriously, how can such a deformed creep be such a deadly fighter? [[AWizardDidIt He most likely enhances himself with magic.]]
* TheDreaded: Zig-zagged. In his backstory, Razaak was not taken seriously at all at first but quickly became this all around. Now, he is mostly forgotten, but everyone who still know about him fears him greatly. Even the BigGood, the Legendary Mage Gereth Yaztromo, is wary of him.
* ElaborateUndergroundBase: He turned the crypt he was buried into one, under the Moonstone Hills.
* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: Extinguishing all life is rarely good for the planet's health.
* EvilMakesYouUgly: And how! No-one knows know what he looked like as a human, but as an undead, dear Titan, this grotesque, vaguely human ''thing'' is so utterly disgusting that even the narration states that you never felt such revulsion.
* EvilSorcerer: An undead and very, very evil one.
* EvilWeapon: His own cursed sword, which he cast away as a pact with the demons he worships. It is indestructible, can harm supernatural beings, and is the only weapon that can harm him. But all its wielders become an undead skeleton doomed to hold it forever, or until someone takes it, risking the curse in turn. Yaztromo saves you from the curse after you win the FinalBattle, and throws the sword in the collapsing chasm, buried under thousands of tons of rubbles.
* FemmeFatalons: A male example, his hands with long, pointed fingernails are described as looking like a bird-prey's talon.
* FinalBoss: By far the hardest to defeat of the franchise, no question asked. This creep is an utter nightmare, feared and reviled by many fans.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: Razaak was but a simple wizard graduate, but he grew over the years to a world-threatening SorcerousOverlord.
* FrozenFace: His skull-like face is fixated in a permanent rictus. Despite that, he can talk just fine.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Not only do you kill him with the cursed sword he cast away, [[spoiler: but you destroy him for good with the horn of the [[{{Kaiju}} Gargantis]] he bred as his major military asset.]]
* HostageSituation: Razaak has [[BadassInDistress Yaztromo kidnapped by a demonspawn he summoned]], forcing you to save him. He did not bother for hostages though, as he merely wanted anyone opposing him dead, and was planning on sacrificing the wizard.
* HypnoTrinket: [[spoiler: If you face him wearing a Demon Talisman, it compels you to obey him and he kills you without fight. He might have crafted it himself.]]
* KillAllHumans: And every other life-form with them.
* LifeDrinker: From the surroundings of the VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon to his foes, he decays and withers all he comes in contact with.
* LoadBearingBoss: His crypt crumbles as soon as you destroy him once and for all, forcing you to escape safely to fully finish the game.
* LooksLikeOrlok: Hideous? Check. BaldOfEvil? Check. Hunchback? Check. NightmareFace? Check. Deathly waxen skin? Check.
* MadEye: One of his eyes his oversized, bulging and protruding.
* MarathonBoss: He boasts stamina 20, which would be unwelcome even if he was not already so broken.
* TheNecrocracy: Razaak aims to make Allansia solely populated by undeads, and rule it forever.
* TheNecromancer: Necromancy is his main field of magic. From animating undeads to draining life-from the land or his victims, and even returning from the grave as an undead, he sure knows the subject.
* NighInvulnerability: Only his own EvilWeapon can harm him. [[spoiler: And after killing him, you must pierce his heart with a Gargantis Horn to prevent further resurrections forever.]]
* NightOfTheLivingMooks: He raises thousands of undeads to serve him and plans to make an army of every corpse in Allansia to destroy all life.
* NightmareFace: Skull-like, deathly waxen, with a MadEye, [[FrozenFace fixed]] in a creepy rictus.
* NoBodyLeftBehind: Razaak disintegrates when you snuff him out for good.
* NothingButSkinAndBones: He hasn't got a single pound on flesh on his body.
* OhCrap: He has a downplayed one before you fight him, his eyes reflecting an ounce of fear. Still intensely satisfying considering the headaches he will cause you.
* OmnicidalManiac: He wants to extinguish all life in Allansia, making it a land of the undead.
* OneHitKill: EVERY trick in his arsenal, even his normal attack under conditions. Nightmare we tell you...
* OurLichesAreDifferent: Razaak is never referred to as a lich, but being a nearly indestructible undead necromancer of immense power, he more than qualifies.
* PintSizedPowerhouse: You would think at first glance that this hideous, deformed midget could not fight well in such a state, but he soon gonna prove you wrong. And [[SNKBoss haunt your worst nightmares]] while he's at it.
* PlagueMaster: Razaak causes plague, pestilence, droughts and all sorts of disasters across Allansia. He used it in his backstory to make people take his threats seriously, and now he does so merely ForTheEvulz. Which tips you that something is off, and prompts you to investigate and act.
* PlayingWithFire: He masters the [[{{Fireballs}} Firebolt Spell]] to deadly effect. [[spoiler: You need to have breathed a magical smoke to resist, or else he blasts you with it until you fall.]]
* TheRedBaron: He lacks a title in the gamebook, but [[AllThereInTheManual the guidebook]] calls him the Undying One.
* ReducedToDust: All that's left of Razaak after you kill him is a thin sheen of brown dust.
* ResurrectiveImmortality: He reached it after becoming a lich, and you must not only kill him again but make sure he stays dead for good.
* SealedEvilInACan: He became one after his death, for a mage sealed his corpse in a crypt that was not to be opened in a hundred and ten years, to prevent him from returning as a lich. Of course, it was opened before the time limit, [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom probably by unknowing grave-robbers.]]
* SequentialBoss: As soon as you meet him, you must survive his many attempts on your life, each with a specific counter, before fighting him.
** [[spoiler: He first welcomes you transformed into your friend Yaztromo to catch you off-guard, then hurls Firebolt spells, then summons hordes of insects, then blasts you with a Thunderbolt spell. Without the aforementioned counters, you are done for. Then you fight him and shit really hits the fan.]]
* ShockAndAwe: He masters an exceptionally powerful version of the Thunderbolt Spell. [[spoiler: Without a magic shield to deflect it you are toast. Literally.]]
* SNKBoss: Not counting his deadly tricks, the FinalBattle is virtually UnwinnableByDesign. Skill 12 (the normal maximum) and stamina 20 makes his super tough, and he wins instantly by hitting you twice in a row. With few means to match his might, even starting with skill 12 and reaching 13 with a bonus, your chances of winning fairly do not exceed 6%... Any player can tell horror stories about this creep.
* SorcerousOverlord: He is a powerful lich controlling a lifeless domain around his crypt, with an army of monsters and undeads, controlling all trolls in Allansia and setting out to rise every dead.
* TaintedVeins: Razaak's skull is covered in bulging, palpitating red veins.
* TouchOfDeath: His SignatureMove and WeaponOfChoice is a life-draining touch. If he grabs someone, he drains them dry and turns them into his undead slave. This alone is what makes him such a SNKBoss.
* UndeathAlwaysEnds: But you will go through hell to end his own.
* UndeathlyPallor: Long past simply being pale, his tone is a deathly, greyish waxen. Did we mention that the fucker is ugly as hell?
* VillainBall: By the start of your quest, he has built himself a considerable power base and his EvilPlan is running smoothly. You only discover the truth when investigating the plagues spreading all around and the mysterious deaths near his lair, which he caused just ForTheEvulz. Had he refrained from being a dick for no reason, he would have succeeded. Well done, dumbass, undeath sure has rotten your brain.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: He can transform and assume other aspects. [[spoiler: He welcomes you transformed into Yaztromo to catch you off-guard. Without a Ring of True Sight, you are doomed.]]
* WalkingWasteland: Razaak turns his surroundings into a desolate, decaying wasteland.
* WeaponOfChoice: His deadly TouchOfDeath is his most used way to kill people. You can NoSell every other OneHitKill move he dishes out, but not this one, which makes it his true ThatOneAttack despite being much less flashy than the others.
** As far as attack spells go, he favours the [[{{Fireballs}} Firebolt]], also a long-range move.
* ZombieApocalypse: His EvilPlan in a nutshell.

[[folder:Ulrakaah]]
-->See her entry on the [[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsThePit The Pit]] page under '''Greater Demons'''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Xortan Throg]]
[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/xortan_throg.jpg]]

The [[StarterVillain main antagonist]] in ''Dungeoneer'', the first book of the role-playing game ''Advanced Fighting Fantasy'', Xortan Throg is an old EvilSorcerer, descendant from the royalty of the lost city of Carsepolis, who strives to restore the kingdom now replaced by Port Blacksand, the infamous [[WretchedHive City of Thieves]]. He abducts Princess Sarissa of Salamonis, prompting her betrothed Prince Barinjhar of Chalice to lead an expedition against him. But little does Throg know that [[OverarchingVillain a being far more evil and dangerous that he could ever be]] is lurking around his lair, and that the adventuring party launched after him will track him down come hell or high water...

* ActuallyADoombot: [[spoiler: The sorcerer you face in his tower is but a construct in his likeness animated by magic, through which he can see, talk, act and spellcast.]]
* AntagonistAbilities: A very powerful wizard, who can spam a slew of nasty spells and counter your attacks, always troublesome when faced head on.
* ArcVillain: The primary antagonist of the first book... [[SortingAlgorithmOfEvil out of three.]]
* AstralProjection: [[spoiler: As his body double falls, Throg casts an image of himself in the fire to swear revenge.]]
* AttackItsWeakPoint: [[spoiler: When facing him in his tower, you must destroy the two incense burners on each side of his throne to breaks his magic. Destroying one renders him vulnerable and makes his spells harmless. Destroying both [[ZeroEffortBoss forces him to fight at close range]].]]
* AttackReflector: During the last BossBattle, he deflects back every projectile thrown at him. [[spoiler: The easiest way to take him down is to deflect back his Death Spell with a Crystal of Power.]]
* BadassLongRobe: Wears elaborate robes and toga, as does the BigBad due to their shared origin.
* BaldOfEvil: Has little to no hair on top of his head and he has not a single decent bone in his body.
* BarrierWarrior: In addition to the Ward Spell he uses to NoSell your projectiles, he casts a Barrier Spell between your party and him, to gloat without being attacked before the first BossBattle against him.
* BastardBastard: Xortan Throg boasts about being the last descendant of the king of Carsepolis. While true, his royal ancestor was but the result of the last prince's one-night-stand with a servant maid. And a good monarch he would be '''not'''.
* BeardOfEvil: He sports a typical scumbag-looking goatee.
* BigBadWannabe: While Xortan Throg is a genuinely powerful and threatening SorcerousOverlord, he can't hold a candle to [[ShadowDictator Lord Varek Azzur]], whose throne he covets, and to the true BigBad of the epic.
* BlackMage: Xortan Throg masters a lot of attack spells ranging from troublesome to deadly.
* BrainsAndBrawn: [[spoiler: He is the brains to his secret accomplice Prince Barinjhar, having devised their plan when the prince came to see him. Him fighting with spells and Barinjhar fighting with a sword reflects this.]]
* CastFromHitPoints: Averted in the first BossBattle against him. Played straight in the second, as like all mages in ''Advanced Fighting Fantasy'', spellcasting costs him stamina.
* ClimaxBoss: He is confronted each time at the end of a quest, but the story goes on after.
** In ''Tower of the Sorcerer'', you fight him atop the titular tower, where [[TheReveal you learn the truth about his plan.]] Don't be fooled by his pathetically low scores (a measly skill 2 stamina 6), he has a tremendous magic special skill 20 and you cannot fight him normally. He [[NoSell counters spells and long-ranged attacks]] and fires spells from afar. [[spoiler: You must attack the incense burners to prevent him from spellcasting, [[ZeroEffortBoss either rendering him vulnerable to projectiles or forcing him to fight with said measly skill 2]].]]
** In ''Revenge of the Sorcerer'', you track him down to his secret lair, where he is preparing his '''real''' EvilPlan. He is a powerful and very dangerous foe with skill 10 stamina 28 and magic special skill 21, who fortunately [[CastFromHitPoints loses stamina when spellcasting]]. He [[AttackReflector deflects back your projectiles]] and uses the Arrow-Snake spell to turn your arrows into snakes. He takes three turn to reach, casts the dangerous [[TakenForGranite Petrify Spell]] if you get close and the even worse [[OneHitKill Death Spell]] if you get closer, so you need reviving tricks. After exhausting his spell supply, he fights at close range with a dagger. [[spoiler: You can one-shot him by deflecting back his Death Spell with the Crystal of Power.]]
* CoolPet: He has tamed a friggin' Giant Griffin! He uses it for errands and important missions, and of course as a RightHandAttackDog should the need arise.
* TheDarkArts: Xortan Throg masters all sorts of curses and evil spells, and can raise undeads.
* DeathRay: The Death Spell casts a black energy bolt that insta-kills at contact, [[CastFromLifespan and ages the caster by one year per casting]].
* DespotismJustifiesTheMeans: Xortan Throg wants to restore Carsepolis as the biggest political power in Allansia and rule it as king, but not for the good of his subjects... Oh no.
* DiscOneFinalBoss: Congratulations! You just slew the EvilSorcerer who gave you trouble for so long. But now, [[EvilerThanThou the true villain]] is at large, [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom by your own (unwilling) doing at that.]] And compared to what he will put Allansia through, this quest was but a walk in the garden.
* DualBoss: [[spoiler: During the first confrontation, you face both Xortan Throg and Prince Barinjhar. However, Throg is content with spellcasting at distance and countering attacks, letting his ally do most of the fighting. Beware, for the prince is a powerful foe with skill 11 stamina 14.]]
* ElaborateUndergroundBase: [[spoiler: His tower is in fact one of his bases, the real VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon being a derelict palace in the ruins of Carsepolis, below the sewers of Port Blacksand.]]
* EvilDuo: [[spoiler: With Prince Barinjhar. Throg being the conqueror craving for a long-gone kingdom and Barinjhar being the fighter who resents his betrothed's higher station and fears being subjugated.]]
* EvilEyebrows: Thin eyebrows casting shadow over his sunken eyes.
* EvilGloating: The SOB just cannot utter a single sentence without singing his own praises.
* EvilIsPetty: Xortan Throg wants to crush the kingdom of Salamonis, for the utterly heinous crime of being the mightiest kingdom of Allansia, which he regards as usurping Carsepolis' glory. Never mind that it was destroyed centuries before Salamonis rose into prominence. Gee! Childish much?
* EvilMakesYouUgly: Old, ugly and simian-looking, in stark contrast with the BigBad who is an aversion.
* EvilOldFolks: An old and morally bankrupt man, who wants a kingdom of his own to tyrannize.
* EvilPlan: Gather enough forces to dethrone Lord Azzur and rebuild Carsepolis. Also, subjugate Salamonis. [[spoiler: His alliance with Prince Barinjhar to get rid of Princess Sarissa is the first stage.]]
** [[spoiler: Knowing that attacking from the outside is bound to fail, he plans to strike from within, operating from the ruins of Carsepolis below Port Blacksand, raising the skeletons of the entire Carsepolis army, subjugating the local fish-men and getting supplies from rogue pirates under Azzur's nose.]]
* EvilSorcerer: A staple of the series, that cannot be escaped even in other format that gamebooks.
* EvilTowerOfOminousness: He lives in one. The first quest even being called ''Tower of the Sorcerer''.
* EvilerThanThou: Played with, since they never met and he likely never heard of the former, but Throg falls on the short hand of the stick compared to both the real BigBad and Lord Azzur. The former becomes in record time the SorcerousOverlord he spent a lifetime trying and failing to be. As for the latter, he is [[FourStarBadass the Pirate King of the Western Ocean]] and a world-class BadassNormal of whom even the {{Big Bad}}s of the gamebooks [[TheDreaded steer clear]]. Poor Xortan is waaay out of his depth.
* FateWorseThanDeath: [[spoiler: If you kill him by reflecting his Death Spell, his ghost is doomed to roam the ruins of Carsepolis aimless and powerless forever and ever. And the Crystal of Power having been taken out of his reach to [[TheArchmage Nicodemus]] or [[TheGoodKing the King of Salamonis]], there is no way he can touch it to resurrect like Sargon did.]] Given what kind of man Throg is, this calls for cheers instead of tears.
* FemmeFatalons: Xortan Throg is a male variant with long, pointed nails. He weaponizes it when fighting at close range, dealing damages similar to that of a dagger.
* FinalBossPreview: The first ClimaxBoss against him serves as this, although he is only the DiscOneFinalBoss in the epic. You learn of how he fights and the fact that you'd better avoid direct confrontation.
* {{Foil}}: [[spoiler: Xortan Throg and Sargon are both powerful and dangerous {{Sorcerous Overlord}}s from Carsepolis, with similar clothing and fighting style. But one is an EvilSorcerer only remotely related to royalty, a BigBadWannabe obsessed by a long-gone kingdom and targeting another country for [[EvilIsPetty petty reasons]]. The other is the HighPriest who was a first class citizen, now a continent-threatening BigBad and OmnicidalManiac. They both died the same way, but Sargon could resurrect and have another (much bigger) shot at villainy, while Xortan Throg has no hope left.]]
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler: If you follow Sargon's advice, Throg ends up killed by his own Death Spell, reflected back at him with a Crystal of Power.]]
* ItsPersonal: After the first quest, your adventuring party has a huge bone to pick with Throg, and he himself wants you dead [[YouMeddlingKids for the crime of meddling]].
* KnifeNut: He wields a dagger to fight at close-range when he can no longer cast spells.
* LaserGuidedKarma: He wanted to be king of Carsepolis, and will now spend all eternity roaming its ruins as a ghost, doomed to wallow in what's left of the kingdom he so badly wanted to raise but will remain forever underground, and him along with it. Ghost king of a ghost kingdom, talk about poetic justice... [[spoiler: All the sweetest in that he is killed with his own spell.]]
* LeanAndMean: Thin as a rake, and utterly vile.
* MarathonBoss: He boasts one of the highest stamina scores in the franchise, 4 points over the normal maximum, making him this if you go for the normal battle route.
* NoOntologicalInertia: His [[TakenForGranite petrifying spells]] are dispelled after he dies, and [[KeystoneArmy the skeletons he animated turn back into harmless carcasses]].
* NoSell: He deflects all your shots and spells, and even [[AttackReflector deflects them back]] in the second BossBattle.
* ObviouslyEvil: One look at the sod is enough to understand that he is up to no good. Though he does not look very intimidating...
* OldMaster: A very old, powerful and dangerous wizard, with decades of experience.
* OrcusOnHisThrone: He remains in his tower for the entire first campaign, sending his monsters and CoolPet do the footwork for him. [[spoiler: Even when you fight him he remains glued to his throne till the bitter end.]]
** [[spoiler: Completely averted for the {{Climax}} against him though, as he has been raising his army in secret for quite some time. And works towards toppling Port Blacksand from within.]]
* PointedEars: He has them.
* RecurringBoss: You fight him twice in the entire book.
* RightHandAttackDog: Throg has two, one per quest and both [[ThatOneBoss very dangerous]].
** In ''Tower of the Sorcerer'', his Giant Griffin can be fought upon venturing in the wrong place. With skill 12 stamina 15 and 2 attacks per turn, it is a very powerful but fortunately SkippableBoss.
** In ''Revenge of the Sorcerer'', the Skeleton TRexpy is Throg's last line of defence. It is a very powerful foe with skill 12 stamina 25 and 3 powerful bite attacks per turn. Worse, it is immune to neutralising spells and bladed weapons merely rip on its bones for half damage.
* RightfulKingReturns: Subverted. Xortan Throg delusionally fancies himself as this. First problem, his kingdom was toppled nearly three hundred years ago and replaced by something else entirely. Second, the current ruler is indeed a loathsome tyrant ruling a WretchedHive, but he is equally loathsome and would be an even worse ruler since Azzur at least abides by PragmaticVillainy. Third, you actively try to kill him before he can make his "triumphant return".
* RoyalBlood: He is the last descendant of the prince of Carsepolis. This should not matter since the kingdom no longer exists, but he obsessively yearns to rebuild it.
* SaveThePrincess: He kidnapped Princess Sarissa of Salamonis, starting out the quest to rescue her from his clutches. [[spoiler: He in fact kidnapped her so that he could kill her and all the warriors sent to save her, letting her betrothed (his accomplice) report the bad news and gain leverage over Salamonis.]]
* ScaryTeeth: His mouth is full of spaced pointed teeth that make his smile creepy.
* ShockAndAwe: During the first battle, he mostly attacks with Force Bolt spells: bolts of electricity that can only be dodged with a test of luck, bypass armour defences, deal 4 of damage and knock you backward.
* SinisterSchnoz: He has a big, crooked, ugly nose.
* SmugSnake: Xortan Throg has the power and cunning of a proper BigBad, but ten times the arrogance. He acts high and mighty even without enough military power, and fancies himself as smarter than he is. He bits off much more than he can chew and ends up paying the heavy price. Karma is a bitch baby!
* SorcerousOverlord: A rather low-scale compared to the other of the franchise, yet not to be underestimated. He strives to surpass the aforementioned big shots or die trying.
* SortingAlgorithmOfEvil: He is a powerful enemy, but barely even a blimp on [[BigGood the Legendary Mage Gereth Yaztromo]]'s radar, contrary to the FinalBoss.
* SquishyWizard: Averted. A frail old geezer whose threat only comes from his magic he might be, but he can take loads of punishment and fight at close range. [[spoiler: So much that fighting him normally is not advised.]]
* StarterVillain: Xortan Throg can be seen as a watered down version of the BigBad, who fittingly regards him with absolute disdain.
* TakenForGranite: Xortan Throg masters the very dangerous Petrify spell, which decreases its target's stamina by slowly turning them to stone, becoming a statue when they die. You must successfully test your luck to escape it, but it can be dispelled.
* UnknownRival: To Lord Azzur. Xortan Throg covets the city Azzur is ruling with an iron first, and strives to kill him and take his place to restore his kingdom. However, Azzur could not care any less about yet another upstart challenging him, and likely has not even heard of him in the first place.
* VillainousCheekbones: Making him look thinner. Justified as he's being bony and emaciated with age.
* WeWillMeetAgain: After the first confrontation with him, he tells your party that he will have his vengeance.
* WeakButSkilled: A frail old geezer who makes up his lack of might and strength with mastery and skills.
* TheWrongfulHeirToTheThrone: Let's just say that he would not honour his royal ancestors if he were to take the throne. On the absolute contrary...
* ZeroEffortBoss: He is this both times if you know what to do. [[spoiler: During the first fight, destroy his incense burners in the tower, and he won't be able to do anything. In the second, let the Crystal of Power do the trick and voila! Thank you, good bye and don't forget to tip.]]

[[folder:Zeverin]]
[[quoteright:160:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zeverin.jpg]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/TowerOfDestruction''

A demented wizard obsessed with power, in cahoots with one of the Demon Princes... He studied magic at the IcePalace of the Elven Mages, under TheArchmage Elokinan, before [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness killing them all after completing his studies]]. He created a gigantic Flying Sphere that can destroy entire settlements in a few minutes, and is working on the even more destructive titular [[WeaponOfMassDestruction Tower of Destruction]]. He earned the staunch hatred of the survivor of a village he destroyed to test his inventions, who would not rest until he is destroyed...

* APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil: Averted, he already was evil before being apprenticed to Elokinan, he just hid it well enough.
* ActuallyADoombot: He vanishes into thin air when you first strike him down, as it was just a projection. [[spoiler: A projection that you can disable to avoid quite a hard fight, by destroying the jewel on the statue.]]
** [[spoiler: In your second fight, fighting him feels real and he falls to the ground in a broken mess when killed, but he returns nonetheless. Whether it was this again or he got revived by Relem is unclear.]]
* AntagonistAbilities: He masters a large array of attack spells, and uses them during the {{Climax}}. From {{Energy Ball}}s and [[AnIcePerson clouds of frost]] costing -3 stamina, to [[ShockAndAwe thunderbolts]] dealing -5. [[spoiler: Unless you can fly to fight him, or kill him with special weapon before fighting, his FlechetteStorm spells cost you -5 stamina before you can engage him in a swordfight.]]
* AstralProjection: The first time you face him, and when he appears to gloat after that, he is but an image in his likeness through which he acts and uses his powers from afar.
* AxCrazy: He might look much more composed than most examples, but he is seriously off his rocker and enjoys spreading destruction way too much.
* BadassBeard: He sports one making him look creepy, but also undeniably badass.
* BadassBookworm: He is a very powerful and skilled wizard, but also very gifted in magic engineering, experimenting to create giant flying structures, a major breakthrough in itself. Too bad he only seeks to accomplish it for evil purpose.
* BadassLongRobe: As expected of a wizard.
* BadassMustache: Merging into his BadassBeard around his mouth.
* BeardOfEvil: A long, thick, black one.
* BlackMage: He uses lots of magic attacks, ranging from troublesome to deadly.
* BloodMagic: His WeaponsOfMassDestruction are powered by blood, continuously fuelling a furnace.
* CessationOfExistence: [[spoiler: His final fate, courtesy of Elokinan.]] If anyone deserves it, it's him.
* ClimaxBoss: Zeverin is only the second-to-last boss, and while powerful he is quite the joke next to Relem. But this fight is the highly satisfying culmination of your RoaringRampageOfRevenge. Nasty spells to cast before fighting (or if you fail to harm him), and skill 10 stamina 13 makes him tough. Epecially since you need all your strength for the FinalBattle and PostClimaxConfrontation.
* {{Curse}}: He cursed the Ice Palace, [[FateWorseThanDeath trapping his elven teachers' souls on the Earthly Planes as tormented ghosts]], maddening many to become spectres. You must lift it and help them pass away.
* TheDarkArts: Zeverin specializes in Demonology and destructive magic.
* DealWithTheDevil: He gained his current level of power, and probably his ResurrectiveImmortality, by selling his soul to Relem.
* DeceptiveDisciple: Zeverin only studied under Elokinan and his mages to gain power and knowledge, and as soon as he had nothing left to learn from them, he killed them all and cursed them to remain as ghosts.
** His own apprentice Aliades was this to him. He was his student but quickly realized what a dangerous psycho he was learning under, trying in vain to stop him and ending up jailed for his trouble. You save him from the destruction of the Sphere after beating Zeverin the first time, and he provides priceless help and {{Exposition}}, but Zeverin sadly kills him with a RapidAging curse the following morning.
* DiabolusExMachina: [[spoiler: When he reappears during the PostClimaxConfrontation.]]
* TheDragon: He is eventually revealed to be this to Relem.
** Zeverin himself has his own CoDragons: The Dark Elf Sorcerer leading the dark elves he sent to ransack the Ice Palace; and his [[TheChampion Champion]] Dazrakk, the powerful man-orc serving as his bodyguard in the Sphere. But they are little more than tough {{Boss Battle}}s.
* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: He seeks to devastate Titan, one continent after another.
* EnergyBall: He can fire many small ones at once, [[spoiler: or a ginormous one.]]
* EnergyWeapon: During the first confrontation against him, he fires never-missing energy darts. They deal additional damage, making the BossBattle against Dazrakk, his man-orc bodyguard, pretty dangerous.
* EvilEyebrows: Shading his eyes to accentuate the malice in his stare.
* EvilGloating: After you destroys the Sphere, Zeverin appears as an AstralProjection to boast that it was but a minor setback and that you won't stand a chance against what he has in store next. While waxing lyrical about how great and powerful he is. It is up to you to prove him wrong.
* EvilIsNotAToy: He obeys Relem, persuaded that he will be allowed to dictate his law to what's left of Titan. It is quite clear that he is completely out of his league, and that Relem only regards him as a disposable pawn. Even his former apprentice and his [[TheDragon right-hand]] lampshade this.
* EvilSorcerer: Notice a trend there?
* FinalBossPreview: Subverted since he is not the FinalBoss, but you do get a preview when facing his AstralProjection in the Sphere, along with TheChampion. His spells complicate the already tough BossBattle, [[spoiler: but you can destroy the gem on the demon statue's forehead to dispel his projection.]] He has only skill 8 stamina 8, making him quite manageable, but the ordeal before still makes it annoying.
* FlechetteStorm: One of his attack spells, throwing waves after waves of energy darts.
* HateSink: Self-absorbed, self-aggrandizing to a fault, demented, murderous and insufferably smug... Long story short, this guy is an utterly abhorrent piece of trash.
* TheHeavy: Zeverin is the one who built the Sphere and later the Tower, cursed the Ice Palace, destroyed your DoomedHometown, and [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge whom you track down and fight several times throughout the story]].
* HighCollarOfDoom: Just to drive the point home. He is not a nice fellow.
* ImmortalityImmorality: Zeverin lived many lives across centuries, each eviler and mightier than the former.
* InTheHood: When you face him during the {{Climax}}, he wears a robe whose hood hides his face.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Zeverin actively tries destroy the world to indulge his petty delusions of grandeur, [[MoralMyopia howling for you blood for thwarting his twisted schemes]]. He clearly doesn't give a damn about the lives he destroys, acting as if being his guinea pigs was a honour, and takes offense when his EvilGloating does not impresses you. Yes, he lost his marbles, provided he ever had them in the first place.
* ItsPersonal: You're not the only one who yearns for Zeverin's head mounted on you wall, Elokinan is understandably pissed at his wretched disciple for killing and cursing him and his people. [[spoiler: Quite fittingly, Elokinan is the one to finish Zeverin off once and for all at the very end.]]
* ItsPersonalWithTheDragon: You only face Relem as a necessity to save the world from the Tower of Destruction, but Zeverin remains your primary target until the bitter end.
** At first, Zeverin only sees you as a minor nuisance, but he also develops a staunch hatred for you, [[spoiler: after you "kill" him, destroy his tower and banish his lord.]]
* KarmicDeath: His death at the hand of a survivor of his twisted experiments, [[spoiler: not to mention his existence being obliterated by the ghost of the mentor he betrayed]] are '''very''' satisfying and totally well-deserved.
* KillItWithIce: [[spoiler: He is highly vulnerable to ice, so using a Wand of Cold deals him a crippling -8 stamina.]]
* KnifeNut: He fights with a dagger during the first battle against him.
* LeanAndMean: Zeverin is short, skinny, and very evil.
* MagicKnight: He is very skilled with magic and casts nasty spells, but he is equally skilled with weapons.
* MasterSwordsman: Zeverin wields a curved sword in your second fight, and wields it well.
* MoralMyopia: He kills thousands and curses dozens without batting an eyelid, but is affronted to see you oppose him. [[SarcasmMode You should know your place and thank him for the privilege he grants you.]]
* {{Narcissist}}: Very much in love with himself. There is nothing remotely likable about this guy.
* NoSell: Played with. He is stated to be immune to fire and lightning, but you can never attack him with it.
* ObviouslyEvil: He must have been a pretty good MasterActor to prevent Elokinan to suspect anything, for just looking at him makes it pretty glaring that he is up to no good.
* OmnicidalManiac: Zeverin would gladly doom every mortal in the world to death and damnation, if this means he can rule what's left.
* PostClimaxConfrontation: [[spoiler: After you "kill" him and banish Relem, you first must escape the crumbing Tower of Destruction before it crashes on the mountains, then he reappears [[DiabolusExMachina out of nowhere without explanation]] and hurls a WaveMotionGun to obliterate you. If you wield the Ice Sword, fortunately mandatory for the FinalBattle, Elokinan appears to make him vanish forever, otherwise everything ends.]]
* PsychopathicManchild: Zeverin is off his rocker something big. While competent and threatening, his posturing, self-aggrandizing attitude show that he is but a petty SmugSnake, far less smart than he fancies himself to be. He wants to be the greatest no matter what, even if the world must go down the drain for it, [[GenreBlind unable to see that he is but a pawn.]]
* RapidAging: He kills his former apprentice Aliades that way, for the unspeakable offence of being a decent human being who helped you. Fortunately, he cannot do the same to you.
* RecurringBoss: You battle him twice [[spoiler: and confronts him thrice.]]
* ResurrectiveImmortality: He reincarnates time and time again.
* ShockAndAwe: He casts the powerful Thunderbolt spell, costing you -5 stamina before fighting.
* SmugSnake: And how! Despite his genuine power, skill and talent, Zeverin suffers from '''massive''' delusions of grandeur and {{Genre Blind}}ness, being nothing more than a convenient pawn for Relem.
* SphereOfDestruction: [[spoiler: The last attack he uses against you is one. If you cannot counter it you are in for a nasty OneHitKill.]]
* SquishyWizard: He is powerful and skilled, but frail, and his stamina score is rather lacking.
* SummonMagic: He summons all manners of demons, [[spoiler: made easier by working for one of their monarchs]].
* VillainousCheekbones: Franly the only thing missing is a neon sign saying "eviiiiiil" over his ugly mug.
* WaveMotionGun: The most powerful spell he uses against you is a gigantic energy blast. [[spoiler: He attacks you with it after you destroy the tower.]]
* WeaponOfMassDestruction: He builds the magical sort: First a gigantic flying Sphere of Destruction that [[DeathFromAbove rains fire-blasts]] and can wipe villages off the map like nothing. Then the titular Tower of Destruction, many times bigger and destructive enough to wreck the three continents one by one, in a few weeks at worst. [[spoiler: He masters the technique to build them, but only Relem can sustain them and make them work.]]
* WizardClassic: He looks like a pretty standard EvilSorcerer.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: He pulled this on the Elf Mages as soon as he completed his training.
** It's painfully obvious to anyone but him that Relem has this in store for him the second he stops needing him, instead of the riches and power he promised him.

[[folder:Zharradan Marr]]
-->See his entry on the [[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsDemonicThree Demonic Three]] page under '''Conquerors'''.
[[/folder]]

!!Cultists
[[folder:The Bone Stalker Mage]]
[[quoteright:160:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bone_stalker_mage.jpg]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/NightDragon''
The founder and leader of the ApocalypseCult worshipping the Night Dragon, dead set on awakening his eldritch idol to bring about TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt. His cultists and draconic [[EliteMooks Stalkers]] are everywhere and will cause you trouble all over the story. But you quickly start to retaliate...

* AchillesHeel: [[spoiler: He made himself draconic, and becomes vulnerable to the LegendaryWeapon needed to slay his idol.]]
* AntagonistAbilities: Not only does he have superhuman stats, but he casts powerful spells, wields a PoisonedWeapon and exhales [[StinkBomb weakening stench]]. Everything to make one hell of a BossBattle.
* ApocalypseCult: The Bone Stalker Mage and his ReligionOfEvil know that waking the Night Dragon would doom the world, and wish for it anyway.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Far and away the best fighter and mightiest wizard among the Acolytes of the Night Dragon he leads. He enforced the trope, mutating himself to become more powerful.
* BadassBoast: He greets you by daring you to come to him, stating that he is not afraid of you, who mowed down your way through his acolytes and EliteMooks. There is a hint of SchmuckBait as well, as he is goading you to rush blindly right into his [[BarrierWarrior Barrier Spell]].
* BadassLongRobe: The Bone Stalker Mage wears a black robe covered in silver magic sigils, befitting a powerful wizard, and torn to shreds by his mighty draconic frame.
* BarrierWarrior: He surrounds himself with a magic force-field that you must take down to attack him. [[spoiler: Throwing a MagicMirror breaks it. You can attack at distance, but if you fail he casts a dangerous spell. Don't rush or you knock yourself on it, losing -3 stamina, and getting automatically hit by his spell.]]
* BlackMage: The Bone Stalker Mage fights with viciously dangerous spells.
* ClimaxBoss: The leader of the cult plaguing you since the start, the second-to-last boss and the second mightiest enemy of the gamebook. With skill 13 (higher than the usual maximum) stamina 16, spells costing -4 stamina, and a PoisonedWeapon, he is a formidable foe putting most {{Final Boss}}es of the franchise to shame. Fortunately, you should be more than equipped to kick his scaly butt with little trouble.
* ColdHam: This guy uses hammy boasts and taunts, in a perfectly even tone.
* TheDarkArts: He uses Dark Magic to perform hideous mutations on his servants.
* DraconicHumanoid: The Bone Stalker Mage performed Titan only knows what kind of Dark Magic on himself, to become the repellent half-dragon half-man monstrosity he is today.
* TheDragon: He is this to the Night Dragon, whom he fanatically worships. He rules the Cult of the Night Dragon, spawns its EliteMooks and creates atrocious magical devices to awake his foul deity. Fittingly, he is the second most powerful enemy in the game.
** He has his own Dragon, Scalmagzaprin, the HighPriest of the Cult in Carnex, who controls the citizens by drugging their food. But he serves as little more than an enforcer and a tough BossBattle.
* DragonInChief: With the slumbering Night Dragon mostly affecting the [[DreamWorld Dreamtime]], he and his cult are behind all your hardships, but you only learn of his existence in the VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon.
* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: The Bone Stalker Mage seeks to unleash a planetary-scale one, letting his idol reduce everything to dust.
* EvilIsBigger: The Bone Stalker Mage is over ten feet tall, and very, very evil.
* EvilMakesYouMonstrous: He made himself monstrous through magic, out of fanatical devotion.
* EvilSmellsBad: As if he weren't already disgusting enough. But well, it's hard not to reek for someone whose flesh is half-rotten.
* EvilSorcerer: And a very powerful one at that.
* EvilWearsBlack: A black, torn-up robe covered in silver sigils.
* EvilutionaryBiologist: He created the Draconic Stalkers by combining dragons and humans, after many awful experiments on baby dragons forcibly taken out of their eggs.
* TheFundamentalist: The Bone Stalker Mage is fanatically devoted to the Night Dragon, to the point of renouncing his humanity to make himself "worthier" of his foul deity. Talk about crazy...
* GeniusBruiser: Feral, vicious and highly powerful, but an expert sorcerer and EvilutionaryBiologist, who lays traps for his foes and goads them.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Half-human, half-dragon, albeit by self-inflicted mutation instead of by birth.
* HighPriest: The Bone Stalker Mage is the founder and Supreme Leader of the Cult of the Night Dragon.
* HornedHumanoid: Goes hand in hand with having a dragon's head.
* HornsOfVillainy: To no-one's surprise...
* HumanoidAbomination: No longer anything remotely human but not fully dragon, not really living but not really undead, he's a downright repulsive, decaying and stinky contradiction to the laws of nature.
* KingMook: He is pretty much an even mightier, uglier and nastier Draconic Stalker. Justified since he fashioned them after himself, or the other way around, it's not exactly clear.
* LargeAndInCharge: Huge and the leader of the cult.
* LiminalBeing: The Bone Stalker mage is a HumanoidAbomination tethering on the borders between human and dragon, and between life and undeath.
* MagicKnight: He is both a considerably powerful wizard and an expert warrior of superhuman skill.
* MasterSwordsman: The Bone Stalker Mage wields his sword with perfect expertise.
* MookMaker: He created the Draconic Stalkers to make EliteMooks for his cult.
* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: Goes along with his draconic head.
* NoNameGiven: He is only known by his title.
* ObviouslyEvil: Goes without saying.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: In any other gamebook he would be one heck of a FinalBoss, but next to a being as powerful and nightmarish as the Night Dragon, let alone someone equipped to face it, he is little more than a minor inconvenience. Without the [[WeaponOfXSlaying Sacred Weapons]] however, that's another story...
* PathOfInspiration: His ReligionOfEvil presents the facade of a nice cult of scholars, caring for the poor and teaching to populations, in order to integrate themselves and take control secretly.
* PlayingWithFire: He can cast a spell of Fire Threads that cost -1 skill for the fight and -4 stamina .
* PoisonedWeapon: His blade is coated with a poison that costs -4 stamina instead of 2, but fortunately evaporates after three turns.
* ReligionIsMagic: Averted. He is the HighPriest of a ReligionOfEvil and uses Dark Magic, but because he is also an EvilSorcerer.
* ReligionOfEvil: His cult enslaves towns, performing {{Human Sacrifice}}s and awful experiments.
* SinisterMinister: As the HighPriest of a ReligionOfEvil that masquerades as helpful scholars, the Bone Stalker Mage could not be anything else.
* StinkBomb: He smells awfully enough to weaken you by -1 skill during the BossBattle.
* StrongAndSkilled: The raw might of a dragon combined to the expertise of a warrior and a wizard.
* SummonMagic: During the first two attack rounds, he summons red snake-spirits that cost -4 stamina.
* TechnicallyLivingZombie: He is alive and well, or as much as one can be in his state, but his flesh is decayed and bone-revealing like that of an undead.
* ThatManIsDead: It is made clear that who he was as a human no longer means anything to him, if it ever did. He even relinquished his human name.
* WasOnceAMan: He used to be a normal human wizard, but he made himself "worthier" of his idol.
* WouldHurtAChild: Would gladly submit unborn dragon babies to atrocious experiments.

[[folder:The High Priestess of Sithera]]
[[quoteright:290:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/high_priestess_of_sithera.jpg]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/CurseOfTheMummy''

The evil priestess who restarted the Cult of the Cobra, worshippers of Sithera out to revive Akharis and bring about his {{Curse}}. Her cultists and Sith's [[SnakePeople Caarth]] roam the deadly [[ShiftingSandLand Desert of Skulls]] in search of the tomb of the evil pharaoh, plaguing you throughout the story. But you give as good as you get...

* AnimalMotifs: A Cobra, just like her foul idol.
* AntagonistAbilities: She packs a mean punch with her spells and her PoisonedWeapon can make the BossBattle against her really dangerous, especially if your poison score is already high.
* ApocalypseCult: Her own wants to resurrect a guy whose curse would extinguish all life.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: She leads the Cult of the Cobra, and by extension Sith's [[SnakePeople Caarth]] servants. While not the mightiest foe in the book, she is by far the most powerful spellcaster among them, and a tough foe overall.
* BadassCape: Her upper body is wrapped in a cool-looking cape, and badass she is.
* BareYourMidriff: Her outfit, in Ancient Egypt fashion.
* BigBadDuumvirate: Akharis is the central villain, TheHeavy whose threat must be stopped and the FinalBoss, but it is the High Priestess who leads the Cult of the Cobra, is behind all the villainous stuff happening and presides the ceremony to revive him. While technically his subordinate and much weaker than he is, she is the foe who casts deadly magic you need special trinkets to survive, something usually reserved to {{Final Boss}}es.
* BlackMage: Magic is her primary weapon, which she even uses to make her weapon deadly.
* ClimaxBoss: The second-to-last boss, fought at the start of the {{Climax}}. While much weaker than Akharis, her magic makes her just as. With skill 9 stamina 7 she is not a foe to underestimate.
* CoolCrown: She wears an Egyptian golden headdress.
* DarkActionGirl: A young woman with great powers of Dark Magic, and a skilled fighter.
* DeadlyGaze: Her gaze can drain your strength until you succumb. [[spoiler: You can NoSell it with an Eye Amulet. If not, you can survive but you will be severely weakened, hugely disadvantaged in the upcoming fights.]]
* TheDragon: She is Sith's. Had Akharis got revived, she would have likely become this to him.
* DragonInChief: With Sith as TheUnfought GreaterScopeVillain and Akharis [[SealedEvilInACan sealed in his tomb]], it is her who leads the cult, which she recreated herself, both to search for the tomb and to get rid of hindrances, you included. Once Akharis' mummy is brought to the Temple of Sithera, she proceeds to revive him.
* ElectiveMute: She never deigns to spare you a single word. Incantations aside, the only time you hear her voice is when she invokes her idol's cursed name as she dies, lamenting that she failed her.
** Averted when she has you at her mercy, as she taunts you before killing you.
* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: The High Priestess' ultimate goal is to unleash a continental, and very a global one by unleashing Akharis' curse, to turn the entire land into a desolate desert.
* EnergyAbsorption: If she captures you, the High Priestess drains your life-force and transfers it to Akharis to revive him. Played with as she does not use it to heal herself but someone else.
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: She is only known as the High Priestess, because that's what she is.
* EvilEyebrows: Giving her a stern and quite menacing gaze.
* EvilGloating: Just before she finishes you off, should she have you at her mercy.
* EvilIsSexy: A nasty villainess but a pretty young woman.
* FlunkyBoss: Before fighting you, she sics her horde of mummies on you. [[spoiler: You need charms or fire to destroy them. Trying to take them on only gets you overwhelmed and killed.]]
* TheFundamentalist: Slavishly devoted to Sith. Even in death, she only cares about failing her idol.
* TheHeavy: Even more so than Akharis as she calls the shots, cementing their BigBadDuumvirate dynamic. Her cultists number among your most troublesome foes, all thanks to her teachings.
* HighPriest: High Priestess in her case.
* HotWitch: She is young, pretty and regal, and knows quite a lot about magic.
* HumanSacrifice: The idol she worships is fond of these. [[spoiler: She wants to use you as one.]]
* HypnoTrinket: [[spoiler: Not the High Priestess, but if you face her wearing a Malachite Amulet, it will compel you to obey her and she will kill you without needing to fight.]]
* ImprobableWeaponUser: She fights by animating her cobra-shaped staff to bite you like a real one.
* KickingAssInAllHerFinery: A skilled fighter wearing the lavish garments of high priests of Ancient Egypt.
* LadyOfBlackMagic: She is regal, dignified and composed, and masters deadly magic.
* LadyOfWar: She is regal, dignified and composed, and holds her own against seasoned fighters.
* LifeDrinker: She drains her victims' life-force in sacrifices. [[spoiler: She plans to revive Akharis using your own.]]
* MagicKnight: A very powerful spellcaster, wielding a staff in battle with quite the proficiency.
* MagicStaff: See ImprobableWeaponUser above.
* NoNameGiven: You never learn her name.
* PoisonedWeapon: Not in the usual sense, but the bites of her cobra-staff are venomous, and each strike she deals adds 1 to your venom score. [[spoiler: If it reaches 18 you are dead.]]
* ReligionIsMagic: A cult leader using fearsome magic. Justified as she owes her powers to her vile idol.
* ReligionOfEvil: She leads the Cult of the Cobra, a cult fanatically worshipping a [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Demon Princess]]
* ResurrectTheVillain: Wants to bring back Akharis. As an undead mummy but it still counts.
* SequentialBoss: You first need to destroy the horde of mummies bodyguarding her, then to survive two deadly spells, before being able to fight her upfront.
* SinisterMinister: The {{High Priest}}ess of the local ApocalypseCult.
* SquishyWizard: She is powerful and dangerous in a direct battle, but she has a low stamina score.
* StaffOfAuthority: A cobra-shaped one, which she can animate to fight.
* SummonMagic: When you face her, she summons a demonic jackal-spirit covered in snakes, [[spoiler: that rips you to shreds without a Falcon Breastplate, that summons a GuardianEntity to destroy it.]]
* VillainousCheekbones: Sharp features indicating a stern and imposing character.
* WeakButSkilled: While she is a skilled and dangerous foe in a direct battle, she is pretty frail. Clearly, it is her magic that makes her so dangerous.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:[[spoiler: Sargon]]]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote:spoiler]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sargon_the_black_0.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
[[caption-width-right:320:[[labelnote: Click here to see him in ''Allansia'']]http:////static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sargon_allansia.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Advanced Fighting Fantasy''

The central villain of ''Advanced Fighting Fantasy'', a role-playing-game comprised of three books: ''Dungeoneer'', ''Blacksand'' and ''Allansia''. Not one of the many ObviouslyEvil villains you are told about at the start, this one only appears midway to the first book and the true extent of his villainy is not clear until the end of the second. [[spoiler: Hailing from the lost kingdom of Carsepolis, Sargon is the long dead ghost of the evil HighPriest of Elim, [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast the Great Enemy]]: one of the three [[OldGods Primal Deities]] creators of the Planes of Existence, who strives to destroy the world and start anew.]]\\\

[[spoiler:Sargon died during the Chaos Wars. Three centuries later, his ghost bargained with your band of heroes tracking the EvilSorcerer Xortan Throg, and resurrected by touching the Crystal of Power he told them about. Alas, he restarted his ReligionOfEvil and raised an huge army, soon becoming more of a threat that Throg could dream to be... Then again, there is no threat against which no hero can rise...]]
----
* AchillesHeel: [[spoiler: Your best (and pretty much only) option is the [[VillainBeatingArtifact Staff of Ashra]] created by priests of the eponymous First God, that vaporizes anything related to Elim at contact.]]
* AffablyEvil: Very courteous and cordial, gives you genuine advice and keeps his part of any bargain if not more. But make no mistake, if he wants you dead he won't hesitate.
* AntagonistAbilities: Very powerful, immune to normal weapons and with such tremendous magic skill score that no spell of his can miss. He masters vicious spells ranging from [[LevelDrain weakening ones]], to BalefulPolymorph, TakenForGranite and DeathRay, fighting to weaken or [[OneHitKill one-shot foes]] instead of the usual GradualGrinder.
* ApocalypseCult: [[spoiler: Sargon and his priests seek to bring Elim back on Titan so that he can return it to the Primeval Darkness. It is said that many low ranking Elimites are content with spreading chaos and gaining power, but most of them strive for destruction.]]
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: [[spoiler: A very powerful HighPriest ruling a huge cult of fanatical acolytes, and an army large enough to threaten the land. Sargon might not be the most powerful of them in terms of skill score, but he is hands down the mightiest spellcaster.]]
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:He was long dead by the time the story takes place, but his ghost immediately resurrects when he touches the Crystal of Power.]]
* BadassBeard: Big, white and bushy, befitting both his old age and his vast experience.
* BadassBookworm: [[spoiler: Sargon is not only very powerful, but also very knowledgeable in magical lore, in addition to being a scheming manipulator able to gain countless followers in a few months, who targets what can threaten him before moving for the kill.]]
* BadassLongRobe: [[spoiler:He wears a lavish toga over ornate robes in the fashion of his lost kingdom, making him look both noble and powerful.]]
* BadassMustache: Goes along with the BadassBeard.
* BalefulPolymorph: He masters the Cockroach Spell that turns you into a bug and must be dispelled. You can resist it with a successful test of luck.
* BeardOfEvil: Making his SlasherSmile quite sinister looking.
* BigBad: Of the ''Advanced Fighting Fantasy'' overall. [[spoiler: Sargon is causing all the troubles right after [[DiscOneFinalBoss Xortan Throg]] is dealt with, and having his shadow looming over when Throg is around, even as a ghost. Especially prevalent in the third book, in which you put an end to the threat he built for the entire epic, once and for all.]]
* BlackMage: He fights with a crapload of spells, to weaken, distract, or neutralize any foe coming his way.
* CastFromHitPoints: Like all mages in ''Advanced Fighting Fantasy'', spellcasting costs him stamina.
* CastingAShadow: He masters the Darkness spell that covers his surroundings in pitch-black shadows.
* ChoiceOfTwoWeapons: Like his PraetorianGuard, he wields a sword in the BigBadassBattleSequence, and a dagger as the FinalBoss. But his foremost WeaponOfChoice is always magic.
* CoolHat: Sports quite an elaborate headwear.
* CoolHelmet: Changes for one during the FinalBattle.
* TheCorrupter: [[spoiler: Sargon twisted many people into becoming his fanatical followers, howling for destruction.]]
* TheDarkArts: He can summon and control demons, and casts all sorts of nasty curses.
* DealWithTheDevil: [[spoiler: Played with in that you don't realise how evil he is and suffer little consequences, at least until he must be taken down. He offers you a way to beat the wretched [[EvilSorcerer Xorthan Throg]], in exchange of a way to end his ghostly undeath. You only realise that it wasn't such a great idea as he resurrects instead of crossing to the Afterlife. In your defence, you did not have much choice.]]
* DeathRay: The Death Spell casts a black energy bolt that insta-kills at contact, but it proves a double-edged sword as it [[CastFromLifespan ages the caster by one year per casting.]]
* TheDreaded: [[spoiler: Sargon starts the story completely forgotten, but by the time his reign of terror is fully established, he is very much feared all around.]]
* EmotionBomb: He masters the Fear Spell and the Befuddle Spell, greatly disturbing your characters for a while. They don't last long and can be resisted by winning a test of luck, but are debilitating.
* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: Devastating Allansia is only the first step, the sod wants to destroy '''everything''', [[spoiler: as an offering to his deity.]]
* EvilAllAlong: [[spoiler: Meeting Sargon in the first book, you know that his god is a bit ominous and that he cast a [[BlackMagic Death Spell]], but he is nothing but polite and helpful, so you pay it no mind. [[UnwittingPawn If only you knew]]... It only appears in the next books that he was not just a bit fishy, but [[SortingAlgorithmOfEvil worse than Xortan Throg on every imaginable scale...]]]]
* EvilCounterpart: [[spoiler: Sargon is this to Zune, the High Priest of Ashra (Elim's greatest opponent) from the Ekaadian people: worshippers of the OldGods who survived the Chaos Wars. Fittingly enough, it's Zune who strikes him down once and for all.]]
* EvilGloating: He indulges in this during the FinalBattle, taking great delight at {{No Sell}}ing attacks and inflicting crippling StandardStatusEffects before mocking you for the results.
* EvilOldFolks: [[spoiler: He is very old, and very, very evil.]]
* EvilSorcerer: [[spoiler: Played with. Sargon is a high-priest instead of a wizard, but he masters Priestly Magic and Dark Magic, making little difference.]]
* EvilVirtues: [[spoiler: He's rotten to the core something big, but he's polite, poised and honourable. He keeps his promises and can go the extra length to reward those who help him, without screwing them in any way.]]
* EvilerThanThou: [[spoiler: Played with since they never meet in person. Yet, Xortan Throg is but a small-fry compared to him, and he regards him as such. He speaks scathingly about him, calling him a "young idiot" and an "upstart", among other niceties.]]
--> [[spoiler: '''Sargon''': "Pah! Let a man get a few spells in his head and he thinks he can do anything!"]]
* FinalBoss: The third book and subsequently the entire epic, ends up with his final defeat. He is a powerful foe with skill 10 stamina 15, and the tremendous magic special skill '''29''' (the skill he uses to spellcast). He first casts [[StandardStatusEffect Weaken, Befuddle, Fear or Sleep]], then resorts to [[BalefulPolymorph Cockroach]], [[TakenForGranite Petrify]] or [[DeathRay Death]] when push comes to shove, and uses a dagger when [[CastFromHitPoints he cannot spellcast any longer]]. [[spoiler: One-shotting the fucker with the Staff of Ashra is hands down your safest bet.]]
* FinalBossPreview: [[spoiler: If you fight him after he resurrects in the first book, he has skill 10 stamina 12, magic special skill 29 and several dangerous spells, announcing how the FinalBattle will eventually unfold. Downplayed in that he distracts you long enough to escape instead of fighting back, and that he is not even established as the FinalBoss yet.]]
** [[spoiler: [[FridgeLogic Then again]], [[KnowWhenToFoldEm he is not stupid enough]] to fight people whom he just taught how to use the powerful [[AttackReflector spell-bouncing crystal]] that snuffed him before.]]
* FlunkyBoss: [[spoiler: is surrounded by the [[PraetorianGuard nine Elimist Commanders]] during the BigBadassBattleSequence just before you settle your score with him once and for all. With skill 10 stamina 12, they make powerful foes.]]
** [[spoiler: Right after, he fights the FinalBattle surrounded with four bodyguards with skill 8 stamina 10 who keep you away from him. [[NoNonsenseNemesis He orders them to target those who wield magic weapons in priority.]]]]
* {{Foil}}: [[spoiler: Sargon the Black and Xortan Throg are both powerful and dangerous {{Sorcerous Overlord}}s hailing from Carsepolis, with similar clothing and fighting style. But one is the HighPriest who was a first class citizen, now a continent-threatening BigBad and OmnicidalManiac. The other is an EvilSorcerer only remotely related to royalty, who is a BigBadWannabe obsessed by a long-gone kingdom and targeting another country for [[EvilIsPetty petty reasons]]. They both died the same way, but Sargon could resurrect and have another (much bigger) shot at villainy, while Xortan Throg has no hope left.]]
* ForcedSleep: He masters the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin self-explanatory Sleep Spell]], putting foes out of commission for a few turns. It is annoying but can be dispelled or resisted with a successful test of luck.
* FrontlineGeneral: He and his highest ranking commanders ride in battle along with his troops, laying waste in your ranks with weapon and spell.
* TheFundamentalist: [[spoiler: He will stop at nothing to enact his god's will and destroy Titan, city after city, continent after continent.]]
** [[spoiler: Not unlike RealLife fanatics, Sargon twists the creed of his religion to fit an extreme end. Elim is the Primal Deity of Destruction indeed, but also one of the creators of the universe who strives for perfection and wants to remake everything better. Yet, Sargon only cares for the destruction part, more fitting of worshippers of the [[SatanicArchetype Demon Gods]] Elim created. Then again, Elim is almost only remembered as [[GodOfEvil the Great Enemy]] and his WellIntentionedExtremist aspect is little known.]]
* GreaterScopeVillain: [[spoiler: Sargon plays this role in the first two books, being a powerless ghost in the first and a HiddenVillain at the root of the troubles you face in the second.]]
* HiddenVillain: [[spoiler: You never meet him in the second book, and only hear of him after you discover that his cult is behind the murder you are investigating and the [[{{Golem}} Brass Golem]] rampaging across [[WretchedHive Port Blacksand]].]]
** [[spoiler: The ArcVillain of the book is Nagrin, [[TheDragon the High Priest of Elim in Port Blacksand]]. With skill 12 stamina 17 luck 6 and priest magic special skill 14, he is even more powerful than Sargon himself and can resist your spells. Fortunately, he is a DirtyCoward who'd much rather summon demons instead of throwing [[ShockAndAwe Force Bolts]] and StandardStatusEffects.]]
* HighPriest: [[spoiler: The supreme leader of the Church of Elim. He went from being its last member to leading a huge sect spread all across Allansia, boasting hundreds of acolytes and thousands of {{Mooks}}.]]
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler: In his backstory. He first died by having his Death Spell [[AttackReflector reflected back at him]] with a Crystal of Power. He knows that Xortan Throg will try the same trick, and that you should in turn use the same protection and take it away with you to prevent him from returning.]]
* HumanSacrifice: [[spoiler: Since Sargon leads a ReligionOfEvil, he and his flunkies are bound to perform those, especially on prisoners.]]
** [[spoiler: In the third book, you rescue the goblin Giblet from such fate, and [[EnemyMine he becomes a reluctant ally]] who proves instrumental in his downfall by gaining his people's support.]]
* IGaveMyWord: When he gives his word, he keeps it and withholds no information.
* TheInsomniac: Justified given that [[spoiler: Elim's dark blessing]] prevents him from needing rest, meaning that he can fight all night long and [[NoSell is immune to the Sleep Spell]].
* KnifeNut: He uses a dagger in the FinalBattle.
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: [[spoiler: There is no point for him in fighting you after he resurrects, especially when you have the relic that killed him before, so if attacked he merely stalls with minor spells before high-tailing.]]
* MagicKnight: He is a master spellcaster, but wields swords and daggers with impressive proficiency.
* TheMagnificent: [[spoiler: He is called Sargon [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast the Black]], sometimes Sargon the Dark.]]
* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler: He is very good in using people to do his bidding. He uses you to resurrect by posing as a friendly and helpful ghost. He also started his cult in the WretchedHive of Port Blacksand, knowing that its corrupt denizens would be easier to sway.]]
* MasterSwordsman: You never face the sod head on in a SwordFight, but he wields a sword [[FrontlineGeneral when fighting along with his troops]] and with his skill 10 score, he is bound to use it very well.
* MrExposition: [[spoiler: You learn about Xortan Throg's background, ambition and grudges from Sargon of all people in the first book.]]
* NoNonsenseNemesis: [[spoiler: In battle, Sargon targets the most dangerous foes first, specifically those who can harm him. He casts spell to incapacitate, and pulls out the [[OneHitKill big guns]] if that fails. He only resorts to normal weapons when he can no longer spellcast. [[GoodCounterpart Zune]] must hide the Staff of Ashra 'till the very end and sneak up on him while you keep him busy, otherwise he destroys both.]]
** On a larger scale, [[spoiler: he targets the city of Kaad to find and destroy the Staff of Ashra, that is located near. He doesn't want to enact his goal before threats to his power are no more.]]
* NoOntologicalInertia: Averted, the [[TakenForGranite Petrify Spell]] he cast are not lifted after his final destruction. [[spoiler: Hinting that he might have survived for a possible return in an upcoming book... that was never made.]]
* NoSell: [[spoiler: Elim's dark blessing made him immune to normal weapons. He can only be harmed with magic weapons and spells.]] In fact, he takes great delight in tanking attacks that cannot harm him just to invoke the trope, while remaining wary of attacks that can. Also, he can cast Ward Spells to negate them. [[spoiler: Your best tactic is to throw useless attacks to distract him until [[GoodCounterpart Zune, High Priest of Ashra]], can strike.]]
* NoBodyLeftBehind: Is obliterated after his defeat, [[spoiler: or is he?]]
* NobleDemon: [[spoiler: He is evil and twisted, but honourable. Any help he gives is self-serving, but he never screws people over and proves pretty generous.]]
* OhCrap: Delightfully so, he screams in pure terror when [[spoiler: Zune strikes him down for good.]]
* OldMaster: [[spoiler: As old as he is powerful, which means a lot.]]
* OmnicidalManiac: [[spoiler: His god wants to destroy Titan to restart creation anew. Sargon himself is determined to destroy Titan, one city at a time.]]
* OurGhostsAreDifferent: [[spoiler: Sargon was doomed to roam the subterranean ruins of Carsepolis for eternity as a ghost, but he found a way to return...]]
* OutsideContextProblem: [[spoiler: The Primal Deities shaped the universe and created the gods, but left Titan to the gods after the [[DivineConflict First Battle]], when it became clear that their conflict could not be settled. As of now, next to no-one even knows they ever existed, so a ReligionOfEvil worshipping one took most by surprise. To defeat him, you have to ally with ancient worshippers of the other Primal Deities: Ashra who championed creation and Vuh who championed balance.]]
* OverarchingVillain: [[spoiler: In the first book, in which Sargon is but a ghost and Xortan Throg is the most pressing threat, and the second, in which his priests cause the troubles you face but he remains out of reach. Even then, after you meet him you can only fathom that this nasty SOB means '''huge''' trouble.]]
* TheParalyzer: He masters the Hold spell that can freeze you on the spot and prevent movement for a while. You must successfully test your luck to escape it, but it can be dispelled.
* PetTheDog: [[spoiler: If he had cordial enough exchanges with you in the first book, he restores the rusted sword you found into the InfinityMinusOneSword it used to be. Not part of the deal, just a token of gratitude.]]
* PlagueMaster: He causes a plague that decimates the city of Kaad, just because he could.
* PraetorianGuard: [[spoiler: His nine powerful Elimite Commanders are this in the BigBadassBattleSequence.]]
* PretenderDiss: [[spoiler: Amusingly, Sargon views Xortan Throg as a pathetic BigBadWannabe. If the heroes tell him about their mission to kill Throg, he'll rant about the foolishness of his plans and how his schemes to topple [[TheDreaded Lord Azzur]] are bound to fail.]]
* RainOfArrows: He masters the powerful Arrow Storm Spell that hurls a volley of arrows at a group of enemies, undistinguishable from an archery ambush.
* ReligionIsMagic: [[spoiler: As a priest he gains powers from his god, as well as mastery of Priestly Magic.]]
* ReligionOfEvil: [[spoiler: He does not worship the [[GodOfEvil Demon Gods]], he worships [[UpToEleven the Primal Deity who created them]]. Elim is more of a WellIntentionedExtremist who wants to reset a world he regards as beyond saving, but Sargon and his followers are evil with a capital E.]]
* SequentialBoss: [[spoiler: You must engage Sargon along with his PraetorianGuard during the BigBadassBattleSequence, before fighting the proper FinalBattle against him. Even then, [[FlunkyBoss his bodyguards]] must be dealt with before attacking him, and the fight itself is a distraction for Zune to strike.]]
* SinisterMinister: He pretends to be wise and caring, if a bit spooky in more ways than one, and uses it to entice followers, but he is in fact a fanatic of the worst kind who wants the world to go down in flames.
* ShouldersOfDoom: He sports those on his outfit in the third book.
* SorcerousOverlord: He raised a cult that quickly grew enormously influential, with a huge army to boot, threatening all of Allansia.
* SortingAlgorithmOfEvil: The last, most evil and most dangerous enemy of the ''Advanced Fighting Fantasy'' quests. Long story short, he is everything [[BigBadWannabe Xortan Throg]] craved to be and more.
* SquishyWizard: [[spoiler: Sargon has enormous power and skill, but he has low stamina and old age makes him very physically feeble.]]
* SummonMagic: [[spoiler: He and his priests can summon powerful demons to do their bidding. The plot of the second book starts when they summoned one to kill the rich merchant named Brass [[HeKnowsTooMuch who knows too much]] without being suspected.]]
* SupernaturalFearInducer: The aforementioned Fear Spell.
* SupernaturalLight: [[spoiler: As a ghost, Sargon is surrounded with an intense halo.]]
* TakenForGranite: He masters the very dangerous Petrify spell, which decreases its target's stamina by slowly turning them to stone, becoming a statue when they die. You must successfully test your luck to escape it, but it can be dispelled.
* TheyLookLikeEveryoneElse: [[spoiler: Justified as you don't know his true alignment from the start. Still, refreshingly in a franchise filled to the brim with [[ObviouslyEvil bad guys whose looks scream "eeeevil" miles around]], Sargon looks like a normal old man, albeit wearing lavish robes and toga. His evil is expressed through his facial expressions more than anything else.]]
* UncertainDoom: [[spoiler: His cult and armies are destroyed during the BigBadassBattleSequence at the end of the third book, when attacking the city of Kaad. Sargon himself disappears in a blinding flash of light. Whether he was destroyed once and for all or could teleport away as he was struck down with the Staff of Ashra remains unclear. His final fate is left to the appreciation of the Game Master.]]
* UndeathAlwaysEnds: [[spoiler: Unusually, his own ends by returning to true life.]]
* VillainExitStageLeft: [[spoiler: Played with in that he is not defeated, and his villainy is just hinted, but Sargon teleports away as soon as he is resurrected and done with you in the first book.]]
** [[spoiler:It is implied that he managed to escape after his final defeat...]]
* VillainousRescue: [[spoiler: You only learn that he is a villain long after the fact, but his ghost scaring away the FishMen who took you prisoner as he appears to you is this in retrospect.]]
* WalkingSpoiler: The very fact that he is a villain, let alone the BigBad, is a major plot twist. Hence the loads of blanked text.
* WeHaveReserves: [[spoiler: Sargon being a priest and not a general, he has zero sense of military strategy and did not expect resistance in the {{Climax}}. As for tactics go, he is content sending his {{Mooks}} to ZergRush while he and his PraetorianGuard cast spells. Uncouth but efficient. [[NoNonsenseNemesis Don't think he lacks caution though.]]]]
* WeakButSkilled: [[spoiler: Sargon is a frail and feeble old man, but his enormous mastery of Priestly Magic makes him formidable, nonetheless.]]
* WeaponOfMassDestruction: [[spoiler: Sargon and his priests experiment on them. In the second book, the Priests of Elim build a towering [[{{Golem}} Brass Golem in Elim's likeness]] as a magical one: A titan with skill 10 stamina 30, with 2 attacks per turn and powerful DamageReduction (-2 damage and the Mighty Blows, the usually lethal double dice roll dealing normal damage.) It can pretty much only be destroyed by [[AttackItsWeakPoint striking its heart or navel with projectiles]]. Two successful tests of luck to reveal and strike the heart, one for the navel.]]
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: [[spoiler: The hints that he survived the decisive battle]] were meant to tease a possible SequelHook, but the project was scrapped.
[[/folder]]

!!Others
[[folder:Captain Bloodaxe]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bloodaxe.jpg]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/DemonsOfTheDeep''

Captain Bloodaxe is a vicious pirate captain commanding the ship known as the Troll. One day, he attacked the peaceful merchant ship you were working on as a seasoned sailor, sinking it and slaughtering everyone, but taking you captive, for you fought valiantly and killed many pirates. The sadistic prick feigns to congratulate you and to offer you a place in his crew, then states that he will let you live and escape, with supplies. This being said, he pushes you overboard but [[ContrivedCoincidence by an unbelievable stroke of luck]], [[DeusExMachina you end up right inside a magical pentagram that gives you gills for a day]], near the lost city of {{Atlantis}}. Now is your chance to search for a way to take revenge in this underwater setting...
----
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: Bloodaxe is the best fighter of his crew by a large margin, and they all obey him. [[spoiler: But when scared enough, they don't hesitate to backstab him hoping to save their wretched skins.]]
* BadassBeard: He has a wild, bushy beard, and fights well.
* BadassNormal: He might be an overweight human, but he is the mightiest foe in the gamebook. Not the more impressive giant see monsters. Him.
* BeardOfEvil: Such bushy, unkempt beards are rarely sported by {{Nice Guy}}s in fiction...
* BigBad: The vile pirate captain whose crew slaughtered your own and who sent you to your watery doom, whom you strive to kill in {{Revenge}}.
* CarpetOfVirility: His chest and belly are covered in hair.
* CoolHat: He wears the black tricorn ornate with skull and bones of pirate captains.
* CycleOfRevenge: You and Bloodaxe perpetuate this, as he throws you at sea to punish you for killing his men, and you spend the story searching for a way to avenge your crew he slaughtered. Then again, you have the moral high ground, for you were just minding your own marine business when he attacked you.
* DisproportionateRetribution: He tries to kill you in an especially twisted way, for the vile crime of killing pirates in self-defence. [[SarcasmMode How dare you? Could you not let yourself be killed like a good victim?]]
* DressedToPlunder: Less fancily clad than the classic pirate captain of fiction, but still clad as one.
* FanDisservice: There are way better-looking men with their chest bare. To say the least...
* FatBastard: He is as overweight as he is vile.
* FauxAffablyEvil: Bloodaxe addresses you with nothing but praises and honeyed words, as if talking to an old friend, and genuinely respects your fighting skills. But this is just an act to better {{Troll}} you with false hopes. In fact, he loathes you for killing his men and wants to go the extra mile to get back at you.
* FinalBoss: Bloodaxe is the BigBad and the last enemy you will face. You cannot face all his crew on your own and need magical help. Whether he has men left to fight you with or not, he is a powerful enemy with skill 11 stamina 12.
** Played with in that depending on how you led your quest, you can kill him without fight. [[spoiler: Either by sinking his ship, or by overwhelming his crew with skeleton warriors.]] If so, there will either be no FinalBattle, or the FinalBoss will be the [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Sea Dragon]] (skill 10 stamina 24) or the [[KrakenAndLeviathan Kraken]] (skill 10 stamina 30). Powerful, but less than he is, though [[MarathonBoss much more durable]], and {{Skippable Boss}}es themselves.
* FlunkyBoss: He is backed-up by his men, [[spoiler: If you don't have enough skeletons to slaughter his crew.]]
* ForTheEvulz: Not only leaving no survivor is not really necessary, but sending you to drown while making you believe 'till the end that you will be spared was completely fruitless and even wasteful. Bloodaxe is just that twisted, getting his kicks by slaughtering people and trolling them.
* {{Gonk}}: Fat, ugly and with scarce teeth, Bloodaxe is not a pleasant man to look at. Not at all.
* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: You fight FishMen, you fight a Sea Dragon, you fight a Kraken, but the BigBad of the story and the vilest foe you will face is a pirate captain who did it all ForTheEvulz.
* ItsPersonal: Your goal throughout the story is not to merely get back to shore and live another day, oh no. Your goal is to kill Bloodaxe and all his crew for what they did to you and your fellow sailors.
** Bloodaxe himself has had a bone to pick with you from the very beginning, for killing many of his men.
* KickTheDog: Throwing you to drown was bad enough, but making it look like he would spare you, and going as far as giving you back your sword and food was a tremendous dick move.
* MasterSwordsman: He is a very good fighter.
* MeaningfulName: Played with, as it figures a violent and dangerous man revelling in slaughters, and that he is. But contrary to what the name would lead you to believe, he does not fight with an axe.
* MoralMyopia: When Bloodaxe kills your crew it's fair game, when you kill his men it's a hanging offence.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Does "Bloodaxe" inspires your trust? If so you might not live long...
* ObviouslyEvil: Just look at him...
* OrcusOnHisThrone: He does absolutely nothing for the entire story, being content with sailing his ship. Justified in that they just looted a ship and don't need more for now.
* {{Pirate}}: His job's description.
* PirateBooty: Bloodaxe looted an enormous fortune in treasure chests. If you can take it after exacting your {{Revenge}}, you won't be complaining. [[spoiler: Don't go salvaging treasure after the ship is sinking, the spell will wear out and [[DeathByMaterialism you will drown]].]] In the GoldenEnding, you seize his ship and his entire treasure, sailing towards you future rich and powerful.
* ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything: They don't do much during the story proper, but still averted as they viciously slaughtered your crew.
* PurpleIsPowerful: He wears a purple jacket, and is a mighty pirate leading a dangerous crew.
* RapePillageAndBurn: How Bloodaxe and his crew operate. They are villains and meant to be reviled, not idealized misfits enjoying freedom at sea or other romanticized drivel...
* RevengeMyopia: Again, you seek justice for innocents while he wants revenge for their murderers.
* {{Sadist}}: How else can we explain his needless KickTheDog feats?
* ScaryTeeth: His smile reveals a disgusting sight of oversized teeth overlapping with gaps, doubtless due to dubious dental hygiene, or scurvy as it was common at sea in medieval times. Yuck!
* SinisterSchnoz: He is a vile, rotten piece of work, sporting a big, ugly potato-like nose.
* SkippableBoss: [[spoiler: You can finish the game without fighting him, by summoning a Grimlet Fish or a Sea Dragon to sink his ship, or summoning enough skeleton warriors from [[PlotCoupons Black Pearls]] to overwhelm his crew. He still tries to fight but his pirates snuff him out themselves hoping for mercy.]]
* {{Troll}}: The sod just relishes in messing with people's heads for shit and giggles. That's even the name of his ship for crying out loud!
* VillainRespect: He might loathe you, but he admires your fighting prowesses in earnest.
* VillainousValour: Say what you will about his '''many''' flaws, but he is a scum with guts. [[spoiler: Even with his crew mowed down by your skeletons, he keeps on fighting. Yet, his men off him hoping for mercy.]]
* WalkingShirtlessScene: He only wears a pirate jacket over the waist. But being fat, hairy and generally unpleasant to look at, it's not a pleasant use of the trope.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: [[spoiler:The Dire Spectre of Solani Island]]]]
[[caption-width-right:260:[[labelnote: Click here to see it]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dire.PNG[[/labelnote]]]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/IslandOfTheUndead''

[[spoiler: When the four Elemental Wizards of Solani Island attempted to broaden their range of magic spells, the most powerful of them - Ziraphelis the Master of Fire - decided to dabble with necromancy, only to end up summoning a powerful, nether-world demon appropriately called the Dire Spectre, who possessed its summoners and turned Solani Island into a gloomy, cursed hell-hole infested with undead activity. Only you can expose and defeat the Spectre and restore peace to the Island...]]
----
* AchillesHeel: [[spoiler: Coating your sword with Specterbane is the only way to harm the Dire Spectre.]]
* AfterBossRecovery: [[spoiler: After defeating the Master of Fire, the Dire Spectre needs a while to fully materialize, enabling you to chug down some of your provisions to heal before confronting it.]]
* AnIcePerson: Its life-draining magic chills you to the bone, costing -5 stamina.
* AttackReflector: [[spoiler: Any attempt to fling projectile at it will just have them bouncing back uselessly.]]
** [[spoiler: However, with an enchanted diamond, you can turn its attack back upon itself, gaining a precious Presence point in the process]].
* BadassBoast:
--> [[spoiler: "Fool! You cannot harm me! I will find another body to possess, just as I took over this mortal who summoned me!"]]
* BallisticBone: It conjures bone projectiles to attack.
* BigBad: The true, hidden cause of all the evil in the story.
* BossRush: [[spoiler: You get to fight a powerful Black Skeleton, the possessed Master of Fire and the Dire Spectre in a row as the FinalBattle. Luckily however, you're given the chance to heal yourself between battles.]]
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Not it, but what it does to its hosts, and pretty much any spirit under its thrall. [[spoiler: It corrupted Ziraphelis' mind and after you defeat him, it attempts this on you]].
* ContinuityNod: [[spoiler: A powerful demon from another realm, appearing as an old man to pull the strings behind demonic activity, which you do not uncover until the end. Just like the Hell Demon from ''Literature/HouseOfHell''.]]
* CreepilyLongArms: The illustration shows it with these.
* DemBones: Its appears to have its skeletal structure growing on its ''outside''.
* DemonicPossession: [[spoiler: The Spectre's modus operandi.]]
* DisappearsIntoLight: [[spoiler: When you eventually defeats the Dire Spectre, its body dissipates into nothingness and is banished for good]].
* EldritchLocation: [[spoiler: The Ethereal Plane where it hails from.]]
* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: [[spoiler: If it has its way, the rest of Titan will eventually look like Solani. It just hates living beings that much.]]
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: [[spoiler: It's a Spectre, and its existence puts the entirety of Solani Island in a dire state]]. [[SarcasmMode That sounds really complicated, doesn't it]]?
* FinalBoss: One with skill 11 stamina 19, who can NoSell all normal attacks, making it a tough foe.
* GenericDoomsdayVillain: It comes out of nowhere at the end, threatening Titan because it strikes its fancy. TheReveal sure is impressive, but Keith Martin invented better doomsday bringing Final Bosses...
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: To make its alignment even more glaring.
* GoneHorriblyWrong: [[spoiler: To say the Master of Fire's summoning ritual didn't work as planned would be one heck of an {{Understatement}}...]]
* HiddenVillain: [[spoiler: You do not learn of the true evil infesting Solani Island until you defeat the Master of Fire, at which point the Dire Spectre reveals itself]]...
* HornedHumanoid: Humanoid may be a bit of a loose term, though.
* {{Intangibility}}: [[spoiler: When the Spectre first appears in front of you before it can fully take shape, trying to attack it only makes your sword to phase harmlessly through its body.]]
* TheManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler: The true cause of all the necromantic activity plaguing Solani Island.]]
* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler: The Spectre is this in spades, using the Master of Fire as a pawn to completely devastate Solani Island and causing all sorts of chaos.]]
* MindRape: [[spoiler: What it did to its victims to take over their minds]].
** [[spoiler: In one bad ending it grips your face, at which point you feel your mind fading away]]...
* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: [[spoiler: Fitting for a demon summoned from some EldritchLocation.]]
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: It doesn't sound like friendly chap...
* NaturalWeapon: [[spoiler: It fights with its talons, which is more than enough to make it formidable.]]
* NoNameGiven: [[spoiler: Justified however, since you don't even know about it until the end.]]
* NoSell: Several instances.
** [[spoiler: Choosing to fight the Dire Spectre without a magic weapon? Your funeral.]]
** [[spoiler: Attempting to use acid against it doesn't work, either.]]
* ObviouslyEvil: Like you would not believe.
* OhCrap: [[spoiler: If you are coated in Ethereal Oil, and have dipped your sword in Specterbane, you can now harm the Dire Spectre. At which point the mighty spirit will, for the first time in its existence, show fear...]]
* OminousFog: [[spoiler: A creepy, ethereal mist surrounds where the Spectre materializes itself]].
* OurDemonsAreDifferent: Of the spiritual, ethereal sort.
* OurSpiritsAreDifferent: No matter what type, it is an evil, ghastly spirit.
* OutsideContextVillain: [[spoiler: There's no friggin' way a peaceful fishing village who employs wizards as protectors could expect a netherworld demon to suddenly enter theirs and cause such widespread destruction, could there?]]
* ParanoiaFuel: [[spoiler: The fact that a simple incantation gone wrong can spell the EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt will keep even the strongest of adventurers awake at night.]]
* PlayingWithFire: [[spoiler: While assuming the form of the Master of Fire he can use fire-based attacks on you.]]
* PsychologicalTormentZone: [[spoiler: It will corrupt your mind by decreasing your Presence score, and once it drops to Zero, you become its new host]].
* SequentialBoss: One taking the form of a BossRush against its summons and different forms.
* SpikeShooter: One of its attacks conjures a wall of spiked, calcified bones which it sics on you.
* SpikesOfVillainy: [[spoiler: The Spectre's entire body is covered in sinister-looking spikes]].
* {{Telepathy}}: [[spoiler: The Dire Spectre transmits its thoughts to its surroundings, and taunts you, through its mind.]]
* TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow: [[spoiler: Shouldn't there be a law against summoning the eldritch forces of the netherworld to be used as servants?]]
* UndeadAbomination: You never learn what it really is, but its '''far''' worse than regular spectres and evil spirits. Is it undead? Demonic? Both? Its aspect, nature, and effect on the island are uncanny as Hell...
* ThisWasHisTrueForm: [[spoiler: He only reveals his true form after the Master of Fire's demise]].
* TooDumbToLive: [[spoiler: Not it, but its summoner. Yeah sure, [[SarcasmMode who knew summoning a powerful entity hating humanity with all its guts could end up horribly wrong?]]]]
* WalkingSpoiler: Yeah, you can build a small house with the wall of spoilered text above.
* WalkingWasteland: What Solani Island became under its influence is only a start.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Night Dragon]]
-->See its entry on the [[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsThePit The Pit]] page under '''Demonic Generals'''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sharcle]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sharcle.jpg]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/EyeOfTheDragon''

You meet this shady [[HalfHumanHybrid man-orc]] in a tavern, looking for a profitable treasure hunt. He introduces himself as Henry Delacor and tells you about a golden dragon statue in a dungeon beneath [[TheLostWoods the dangerous Darkwood Forest]]. This could make the both of you as rich as a lord, and you eagerly accept to explore the dungeon and share the benefits. He then [[StupidEvil dares you to drink poison]], leaving you two weeks left to live, and will only exchange the antidote for the treasure. You will snatch the treasure and get rich all right, but you'll be damned if you let this creep see the colour of a single copper coin...
----

* [[FightingFantasyAntagonistsAllansiaRulers Rulers]]

[[folder:Akharis]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/akharis.jpg]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/CurseOfTheMummy''

The central villain of ''Fighting Fantasy''’s take on mummy movies. The last Pharaoh of Djarat, the world of Titan's FantasyCounterpartCulture of Ancient Egypt. He was a loathsome and reviled tyrant, who created the [[ReligionOfEvil Cult of the Cobra]] dedicated to Sithera, the Goddess of Evil (in fact a guise taken by Sith, one of the [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Snake Demons]]). As he was dying poisoned by his enemies, he swore that he would return and sacrifice the entire world to Sithera, and the recently revived Cult of the Cobra is about to find his tomb in the dangerous [[ShiftingSandLand Desert of Skulls]] to resurrect him. Unless you have something to say about it of course...

* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: He was reviled by pretty much everyone in Djarat, save from fanatics as twisted as him.
* AchillesHeel: [[spoiler: Akharis' power is linked to the artefacts used in the mummification process, breaking them weakens him: namely the Earthenware Jars, his Funeral Mask and his Sarcophagus. Breaking the jars costs him -1 stamina per smashed jar and -1 skill per smashed pair. Destroying the sarcophagus costs him -6 stamina. Removing his mask costs him -1 skill and -2 stamina.]]
* AntagonistAbilities: He is superhumanly strong and durable, making him a really tough foe with stats beyond the normal maximum.
* AntagonistTitle: He is the mummy of the title.
* BackFromTheDead: The entire plot is driven by his upcoming return from the dead as a mummy.
* BareFistedMonk: He fights primarily with his fists, and sometimes with his claws. And he uses them well.
* BigBad: Downplayed, he is the threat you set out to defeat and the FinalBoss, but nothing more. He does nothing of importance for the entire story. While many a SealedEvilInACan of the series [[LeakingCanOfEvil have some influence over the threats you face and the evil that spreads]], Akharis has zero.
* BigBadDuumvirate: The one who leads the Cult of the Cobra in the search for Akharis's tomb and presides the ceremony to revive him, is in fact the [[DragonInChief High Priestess of Sithera]]. While technically his subordinate and much weaker than he is, she does all the actual villainous stuff, and is the foe who casts deadly magic you need special trinkets to survive, something usually reserved to {{Final Boss}}es.
* TheCaligula: A fanatical worshipper of evil hardly makes a good ruler.
* CoolMask: The funeral mask of pharaohs sure looks wicked on mummies.
* {{Curse}}: Should Akharis return, Titan as a whole will be reduced to a barren, sandy desert forever covered with dark clouds, full of scorpions, snakes, insects and diseases, unfit for mortal life. How exactly does he have the power to unleash such a powerful, world-threatening curse remains unknown, though it is implied that it will channel Sith's power onto the Earthly Planes to do the trick...
* TheDragon: He was this to Sith, being his most powerful follower on the Earthly Planes and the leader of her cult. She wants him resurrected to become this once more.
** His vizier Amentut was this to him when they were alive, and his mummy still faithfully guards his treasure, but he serves as nothing more than a BossBattle, and a rather underwhelming one at that.
** Also, the High Priestess intends to become this for him.
* ElaborateUndergroundBase: His tomb, hidden at the very heart of the local ShiftingSandLand, as a tribute to the classic movies.
* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: His return and subsequent {{Curse}} would cause a continental, and very likely a global one, reducing the land to a dark and inhospitable desert.
* FinalBoss: With skill 13 stamina 25 (both 1 over the normal maximum) and little ways to match his might, [[ThatOneBoss Akharis puts up a tremendous fight]]. Fortunately, he can be weakened to even the odds.
* FeedItWithFire: [[spoiler: Do not use the Iron Rod, lest its evil magic boosts him with +1 skill and +3 stamina.]]
* TheFundamentalist: He is fanatically devoted to Sith, and devoted most of his reign to expand her cult.
* GenericDoomsdayVillain: He is very evil and dangerous, but he lacks characterization, has little role in the story proper, and is pretty much only there to provide a suitably epic FinalBattle.
* GlowingEyelightsOfUndeath: Made even creepier with his mask.
* TheHeavy: Akharis is featured in the title and on the cover, he founded the Cult of the Cobra, the main antagonistic force throughout the story, and your goal is to prevent his return, driving the plot. But his only role in the story proper is to be the FinalBoss.
* HumanSacrifice: He sacrificed countless people to satisfy his foul idol's lust for blood.
* KillItWithFire: As per tradition, you destroy him for good by throwing him into the cult's magical fires after beating him. [[spoiler: Normal fire won't work, as the High Priestess was cautious enough to cast a spell protecting him from it.]]
* LivingMacGuffin: Well, for a pretty lax definition of "living"... You search his tomb to destroy him (and pocket his treasure while you are at it. HeroismWontPayTheBills after all), and the Cult of the Cobra is searching it to bring about his second coming.
* LoadBearingBoss: Defeating him causes the temple to collapse. Forcing you to escape to fully succeed. [[spoiler: Though it does not collapse right after your victory, but after you destroy Sith's animated statue.]]
* LongLived: Akharis died at 156...
* MalevolentMaskedMan: The evil mummy of a fanatical demon-worshipper, wearing a funeral mask.
* MarathonBoss: He is exceptionally resilient, so dealing damage before the battle is advised.
* MaskPower: His funeral mask empowers him. [[spoiler: But taking it off weakens him significantly.]]
* MonsterLord: As the mummy of a pharaoh, Akharis dominates {{Mooks}}-level mummies.
* {{Mummy}}: Well duh!
* NaturalWeapon: His fists and claws. He needs nothing else.
* NephariousPharaoh: He went down in history as the worst tyrant Djarat ever known.
* NoSell: [[spoiler: Akharis resists spells and normal fire, so try instead to decrease his stats.]]
* OmnicidalManiac: He wants to wipe out life on the surface of Titan.
* PostFinalBoss: Akharis is both the FinalBoss and this, as he is fought again after his first defeat, albeit considerably Worfed. [[spoiler: To clarify, after defeating him you need an Ankh to avoid getting crushed when Sith animates the statue in her likeness. She then revives him a second time, to stall you during the collapse of the temple.]] Fortunately, he has only skill 8 stamina 10, but you must defeat him in a limited amount of time before the temple crumbles on you, and must then escape the temple to fully succeed.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Villains with red eyes are scarier after all.
* ReligionOfEvil: He founded the Cult of the Cobra, fanatical worshippers of Sithera adepts of HumanSacrifice and out to give the world on a silver platter to their demonic idol. Positively charming really...
* ReviveKillsZombie: [[spoiler: Dousing him with the healing Waters of Life deals heavy damage.]]
* SealedEvilInACan: One who not only needs to have his can opened, but to be revived as well.
* ShoutOut: His name is clearly inspired from Kharis, the titular mummy antagonist from the film series ''The Hand of the Mummy''.
* SilentAntagonist: He never utters a word, and one can wonder whether he still can.
* SuperStrength: Akharis is strong enough to effortlessly lift you and throw you like a rag doll.
* StrongAndSkilled: He is freakishly strong and powerful, but he also knows how to fight.
* UndeathAlwaysEnds: At soon as it started, after you're done with him.
* YouCantThwartStageOne: After killing the High Priestess and stopping the ritual, [[DiabolusExMachina Sith takes the matter in hand and revives him herself.]]

[[folder:Balthus Dire]]
-->See his entry on the [[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsDemonicThree Demonic Three]] page under '''Rulers'''.

[[folder:Bythos]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/capture_980.PNG]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/SlavesOfTheAbyss''

Also known as [[RedBaron the Master of the Abyss]], Bythos is a highly powerful PhysicalGod who reigns supreme over dimensions with an iron fist, and one of the few {{Big Bad}}s you do not hear about right from the start. He is capable of travelling from his plane of existence (where he exists as a [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever fifty-foot tall, massive entity]]) to our mortal world (where he adopts a human form). He targets Kallamehr, the FantasyCounterpartCulture of the Persian Empires, with the intent of dragging everyone to his realm. Getting on his bad side would mean [[FateWorseThanDeath imprisonment in his inter-dimensional prison]], and as one of many adventurers seeking to save Kallamehr, you will have to confront him in his realm...

* AchillesHeel: Fanghtane Steel, metal forged in the Sacred Mountain of the Dwarves, is the only substance that can kill him. The good news is that your CoolSword is made of the stuff. The bad is that your fighting skills will not be enough.
* AncientEvil: Bythos has ruled the Abyss for Titan only knows how many centuries.
* AntagonistAbilities: A [[NighInvulnerability virtually invincible]] PhysicalGod, with absolute control over his realm, enormous crystal-based ElementalPowers and a OneHitKill BreathWeapon, not to mention a MagicKnight who can have you for breakfast anytime with weapons alone. Without the means to resist his powers and make him vulnerable, you are history, whether you fight him under his true, divine form or his human projection.
* AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever: He's really fifty foot tall on the picture... Pretty jaw-dropping ins'n it?
* BadassCape: Bythos wears an imposing one, as seen on the illustration.
* BadassLongrobe: Same as above. He wears those both as a human and as a god.
* BareFistedMonk: He fights you with nothing but his fists in the FinalBattle, and uses them well.
* TheBattleDidntCount: He does not give a damn that you killed his human avatar, and tells you so in no uncertain terms.
* BeeBeeGun: Bythos can summon enormous swarms of giant hornets to attack entire villages and settlements, and teleport them to his realm under his rule. [[spoiler: You must destroy his swarms by burning untainted Jheera leaves, killing them with the magic smoke.]]
* BigBad: The evil DimensionLord who must be destroyed before he brings everyone in Kallamehr and Allansia in his realm under his power.
* BigBadEnsemble: This guy is the biggest and mightiest threat, and fittingly the FinalBoss, but his ally [[spoiler: Lady Sige the Silent]] is another sinister tyrant-in-the-making, causing most of your troubles in Allansia.
* BreathWeapon: Bythos breathes clouds that seals anyone they touch into a CrystalPrison. [[spoiler: You need to have eaten the Paa, Maet and Teth magical herbs to resist it, but only in the Abyss.]]
* BroughtDownToBadass: [[spoiler: Congratulations! You've just broke Bythos' divine power]]. You can now fight him on equal ground. Unfortunately, that does not make him bereft of powers and fighting skills.
* BroughtDownToNormal: The only way to stand a chance against him is to make him this. But how?
* CowardlyBoss: As soon as he gets BroughtDownToNormal, he high tails before you can blink. Not so high-and-mighty anymore eh?
* CrystalPrison: He can encase his victims in crystal, [[FaceMonsterTurn turning them into his sentient Crystal Warriors slaves]].
* CrystalWeapon: His servant attack you with crystal javelins and the like, which he created himself. They [[OneHitKill turn everyone they harm into crystal]]. Bythos can make himself a crystal sword to fight you with.
* CurbStompBattle: Dishes out a nasty one upon you if you challenge him to a SwordFight without weakening him beforehand.
* DeityOfHumanOrigin: Probably. [[spoiler: He seems to gain his divine powers from the Abyss, and needs to drink a special broth on a regular basis to control it. The fact that you take his place after drinking it hints that he became this by drinking it as well.]]
* DePower: [[spoiler: You must drink his magic broth to gain his power over the Abyss and make him mortal.]]
* DimensionLord: The evil, divine ruler of the Abyss, who has set his sight on Allansia and Titan.
* DimensionalTraveller: The guy goes from dimension to dimension like you change from room to room in your house. [[spoiler: He needs a potion made from a ground crystal for this.]]
* DistinguishingMark: The scar on his cheek and facial lines. It's not that obvious in the book, but clearly shown on the cover illustration.
* DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans: He wants to take over Titan and enslave all its population in his realm because? Because he feels like it and has the power to do so. [[SarcasmMode Lovely...]]
* ElementalPowers: Most of his powers are crystal-based.
* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: If he has his way, every living soul in Titan will be his captive in the Abyss to boost his power, and their bodies will be his mindless slaves. Not exactly promise of sunshine and rainbows...
* EvilIsBigger: Not bigger like tall, bigger like gigantic.
* EvilOverlord: Under his human form, Bythos rules a huge army to establish himself as this on Titan. Let's just tell him to wait in line with the others.
* FightingAShadow: You killed him in the Earthly Planes, yay! Or not, that was but a fragment of him and he is not even grazed.
* FinalBoss: One you cannot hope to defeat without [[BroughtDownToNormal making him mortal first]]. After that, you'll just need to defeat a skill 10 stamina 10 foe. [[SarcasmMode No big deal right?]]
* FinalBossPreview: Confronting his human avatar gives you a taste of what to expect against the real deal. You need a way to make him vulnerable before fighting him or [[SkippableBoss killing him without fight with the right method]]. As a human, he is a powerful swordsman with 10 in skill and 15 in stamina.
* GemstoneAssault: Bythos controls crystal, and of course weaponizes it against you.
* GodEmperor: He is a divine being who rules his realm like a tyrannical absolute monarch, and plans to be this for Titan as well, ruling people in body and soul and being worshipped forever.
* GodInHumanForm: What he is on Titan. He looks the same both as a god and a human though.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: If the cover artwork is to be believed, he sports nasty ones.
* HiddenVillain: Despite appearing on the very front cover of the book, Bythos doesn't reveal himself as the BigBad until more than halfway through the adventure. In fact your quest first consists in trying to uncover the threat to Kallamehr...
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Can happen both ways.
** [[spoiler: You can use his own BreathWeapon against him after taking his place.]]
** If you use the "Spitting Fly" Secret Art against his human avatar, he parries it aside and kills you with the same technique.
--> '''Bythos''': "You are not the only one who knows that trick!"
* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler: Falling victim to the very crystallizing power he used to kill so many is deliciously cathartic.]]
* KungFuWizard: Despite all his power, he's also [[BareFistedMonk good with his fists]] when the need arises.
* LiterallyShatteredLives: His death is this, as he turns to crystal upon dying and you shatter him into millions of tiny fragments.
* MagicKnight: Holds terrifying divine powers and is a supreme warrior, even in human form.
* MakeMyMonsterGrow: His true form in the abyss is a fifty-foot giant human.
* MasterSwordsman: No matter his form, even a warrior of your level is but a fly to him.
* MeaningfulName: Bythos is derived from the Ancient Greek for "bottomless" or "depth", especially the dark depth of the sea, hence the oceanic Abysses. It is also a name of the Supreme Being in Gnosticism.
* MysteriousPast: Is Bythos a god ruling the Abyss from the Dawn of Time, or a DeityOfHumanOrigin? None shall ever know. [[spoiler: Though you taking his place hints the latter.]]
* NighInvulnerability: Treat him like a normal foe or lack the necessary items, and find yourself at the wrong end of a nasty CurbStompBattle. [[spoiler: Even in his human form.]]
* NoSell: Most artifacts and items you use against him will just bounce off with no effect, and simply bite you back in the ass. Even your [[SecretArt flawless "Spitting Fly" technique]] and your skill-boosting shield against normal enemies, both gotten from your MentorArchetype, don't work on him.
* ParryingBullets: If you try the "[[ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks Spitting Fly]]", your nearly infallible SecretArt on him, Bythos will contemptuously parry your flung sword aside. [[spoiler: Even in human form.]]
* PhysicalGod: The divine ruler of his realm, with full control over it. Among others, the Abyss contains the powers of every lost magic item of Allansia, and likely of Titan, and its ruler can use them all.
* PostClimaxConfrontation: Downplayed as it is a choice rather than a confrontation, but killing Bythos is not enough to reach the GoldenEnding. You also need to send all his captive back to Allansia.
* PrisonDimension: The titular abyss where he imprisons those who got on his bad side.
* PyrrhicVictory: It is possible to slay Bythos and then remain trapped in the Abyss, unable to release his prisoners, for all eternity...
* RaceAgainstTheClock: You have a limited time to stop him before he dooms Kallamehr and all of Titan.
* RecurringBoss: You must slay Bythos in his human avatar, then under his true, divine form.
* TheRedBaron: He is known as The Master of the Abyss.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: As soon as he becomes mortal. [[spoiler: Since you're now the god and he is not, he knows better than to antagonize you.]]
* ShouldersOfDoom: Look at the size of his pauldrons in the illustration!
* {{Sizeshifter}}: Bythos is positively gigantic, but he can decrease to more convenient size if he wishes to.
* SkippableBoss: Both times, but only if you made him vulnerable first.
** [[spoiler: As a human, you can kill him on the spot with the "Spitting Fly" technique.]]
** [[spoiler: Once you replaced him as the Master of the Abyss, you can use his crystallizing move against him.]]
* SuperSmoke: He can appear as a cloud of black smoke in the shape of his human form. He does it to exit his human avatar and return to the Abyss after you slew it.
* SuperStrength: Even when BroughtDownToNormal, he remains strong enough to punch a hole big enough for him to pass in a wall. Now picture how strong he might have been as a fifteen-foot tall god...
* StrongAndSkilled: He is frighteningly powerful and masters his powers perfectly, in addition to being a grade-A MasterSwordsman.
* TakeOverTheWorld: Because why not?
* ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: He like you masters the "Spitting Fly" SecretArt that does exactly this with deadly accuracy. Using it against him in both forms only leads to a painful demise.
* UnflinchingWalk: How he approaches you during the FinalBattle.
* VillainousCheekbones: The sod's face is like carved out of a rock.
* VillainousWidowsPeak: In the illustration and front cover.
* YouHaveFailedMe: Even being late in delivering him what he wants results in death... Overkill much?
* YouKillItYouBoughtIt: [[spoiler: By killing Bythos, you claim the spot as the new divine ruler of the Abyss.]]

[[folder:The Dark Elf Sorcerer]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dark_elf_sorcerer.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote: Click here to see the in-book illustration (markedly different look)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_dark_elf_sorcerer.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/SiegeOfSardath''

One of the very few {{Big Bad}}s of the franchise you don't learn about right from the start. He is the mysterious ruler of the dark elves who are plaguing the land. He disturbs the balance of the sacred Forest of the Night, taking control of the region, and blocks all accesses to the city of Sardath, the centre of civilisation in northern Allansia, which is being isolated, besieged and attacked by his airborne [[WingedHumanoid black flyers]]. If Sardath were to fall, all of Allansia would soon follow. He also sends his shape-shifted agents to infiltrate the local cities and cause strife all over in the land, until you escape being killed by his agent and set out to solve the troubles...

* AffablyEvil: The Sorcerer is courteous and polite, being nothing but cordial with you and congratulating your progress in earnest. Though he is clearly threatening, and enjoys taunting you when he has you on the ropes.
* AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: He has chalk-white skin, which is uncommon even among dark elves, usually with a darker complexion.
* AntagonistAbilities: A wizard too powerful to be defeated in a direct battle and too smart for a simple BattleOfWits, with [[PsychicPowers mental magic]], [[BarrierWarrior barrier spells]] and a DeathRay attack.
* AttackReflector: [[spoiler: You can only defeat the Sorcerer by deflecting his mental spell back at him to shatter his mind. Good luck in succeeding though, for having the means to do so won't mean you automatically can.]]
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: He leads the dark elves and he is far and away the most powerful you will face. Even other elite wizards of his PraetorianGuard pale before him.
* AwesomenessByAnalysis: The Sorcerer is very good in noticing things and deducing exact information from very few clues. [[spoiler: You must use it against him by deceiving him to make mistakes without him noticing.]]
* BadassBookworm: He is a very powerful master of dark elven magic and EvilutionaryBiologist, in addition to a highly intelligent and calculating schemer. While he never fights in the proper sense of the word, he uses magic to [[CurbStompBattle Curb Stomp]] even expert warriors.
* BadassCape: The cover art depicts him with a long cape expanding his already imposing frame.
* BadassLongcoat: The in-game illustration however depicts him wearing a purple one with jagged sleeves.
* BadassLongRobe: He is clad in an impressive-looking set of ornate robes.
* BarrierWarrior: When you attack him with your sword, he retaliates by conjuring force-fields before you to knock you out and send you reeling, leaving you wide open for a DeathRay.
* BattleOfWits: How the FinalBattle unfolds. [[spoiler: You own the Brain-Slayer Amulet that can block mental magic and deflect mental spells, but he knows its powers, so you must bluff and goad him into casting a spell you can deflect. The Sorcerer on the other hand is reading through your words and actions to deduce your powers and strategies. Be very careful or he easily sees through your act and has you for dinner.]]
* BigBad: The EvilSorcerer behind all the troubles you face, whose schemes threaten the entire continent.
* BroughtDownToNormal: To less than normal even, as his downfall shatters both his formidable mastery of magic and his brilliant mind, reducing him to a walking vegetable you deem NotWorthKilling.
* ChaosArchitecture: Used to great effect by dark elves. See EldritchLocation below to see exactly how.
* TheChessmaster: His EvilPlan is well in its final stage when you uncover it. He spent weeks isolating the cities around with his forces, driving away the elves taking care of the Forest of the Night, to cut his main target Sardath away from reinforcements. He syphons the power of the [[ShockAndAwe Storm Giant]] Corianthus to wreak Sardath's defences. He also sends his shape-shifted agents [[KillAndReplace kill and impersonate prominent members of the ruling councils]] of most cities around Sardath. There, they can vote to [[TheMole lead the citizens in his traps, spread discord, undermine attempts at discovering what is going on, and kill potential threats]]; to topple the cities from the inside as well as from the outside.
* CombatStilettos: The illustration depicts him with them, contrasting a pretty buff and imposing physique for a sorcerer. He can wear them since he does not even need to move to [[CurbStompBattle Curb Stomp]] his foes.
* TheCorrupter: The benevolent forces of the Forest of the Night start acting violent and dangerous under his influence, and his infiltrated spies sow discord and push for warmongering in their towns.
* CrazyPrepared: The Sorcerer studies the artefact that can defeat him, intending to use it for his gain.
* CreepySouvenir: He wears a skeleton's hand as a pendant.
* CurbStompBattle: If you attack him straight out or if he has you OutGambitted, he hands you your ass on a silver platter. Either paralyzing you with EyeBeams and [[MindRape frying your mind]], or knocking you out against force-fields and killing you with a DeathRay.
* DeathRay: He uses a spell that does just that, [[OneHitKill one-shotting you]] with a dark beam that burns your life-force while leaving your body intact.
* DespotismJustifiesTheMeans: He wants to take over the continent and have his people leave the subterranean realm they were banished to, in order to enslave the people of the surface.
** Dark elves in general consider the other races as [[FantasticRacism weaker and worthless, only fit for subjugation]], and regard dominating them as the natural order.
* ElaborateUndergroundBase: His men are building a subterranean town for him and his troops. By the time you infiltrate it, it is almost finished.
* EldritchLocation: Buildings made by dark elves are logic-defying, maddening, and unbearable to watch for any other race, causing troubles and vertigo that can cost -1 skill at best or be lethal at worst. [[spoiler: The dwarf leader Lokimur can give you a magic lens that protects you from its effects.]]
* EmperorScientist: A magical variant. The Sorcerer built most of his power base on the result of his magical experiments and the mutants he created. [[spoiler: He abducted Corianthus, the powerful Storm Giant, and is working to syphon his power.]]
** He invented a shape-shifting potion he uses to infiltrate his elves into the local cities to further his plans. [[spoiler: You need to use it to infiltrate his lair shape-shifted as a dark elf.]]
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: He is the sorcerous leader of the local dark elves. There are others at his orders, but he is '''the''' big deal among them, fittingly called "the Sorcerer". [[SarcasmMode Gasp! What a surprise.]]
* EvilCounterpartRace: He is a Dark Elf, a group of elves who got corrupted by arrogance and tried to dominate the other races, only to be driven away in subterranean kingdoms. They are now AlwaysChaoticEvil masters of TheDarkArts, twisted by darkness.
* EvilGenius: Not only did he make quite the successful breakthrough with his magic experiments, but he displays huge intelligence, remarkable tactics and quite the SherlockScan.
* EvilGloating: He indulges into this, but in a more subdued fashion than most, and only when he really has the upper-hand.
* EvilSorcerer: A master of magic among a very magically powerful race, and quite the stylish one in looks, powers, plan and brains.
* EvilutionaryBiologist: He performed experiments on his subjects to create [[WingedHumanoid dark elves with bat-like wings known as the black flyers.]]
* EyeBeams: He can fire yellow bolts from his eyes, [[TheParalyzer that paralyze you.]]
* FateWorseThanDeath: His final fate. Leaving him brain-dead and powerless, unable to provide for himself whatsoever is much worse than killing him outright. He so totally deserves it and nobody will shed a tear, but the prospect remains gloomy.
* FinalBoss: The final and far and away the most dangerous enemy of the game, though he is fought in a BattleOfWits instead of a straightforward battle. Quite the contrary, trying to fight him the normal way only leads to a painful demise.
* HiddenVillain: You discover right from the start that the Dark Elves are behind the recent troubles, but who leads them and how is not disclosed until you storm TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon.
* HighCollarOfDoom: His cape sports this on the illustration.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler: The Sorcerer is too powerful to be defeated otherwise, but he is also too smart to use magic carelessly. You must prove smarter than him.]]
* KillAndReplace: You realise to your horror that his agents are using this to infiltrate cities around and approach councilmen to do this for him and further his cause.
* LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler: You defeat him by shattering his mind with the very spell he cast upon you, reducing him to a powerless, witless, walking vegetable, unable to command or threaten anything. For such a smart and powerful villain, spending his remaining time irrevocably brain-dead and weak really is a deserving end.]] Karma is a bitch baby!
* MagicStaff: Quite a stylish one, doubling as a StaffOfAuthority.
* MagicalEye: The Sorcerer uses his mental magic through eye-contact.
* MindRape: He can shatter your mind beyond repair with mental magic. [[spoiler: He ends up with his mind irrevocably shattered after you defeat him.]]
* MonsterLord: The ruler of his own city, likely part of the four major clans ruling the dark elven race.
* NoNameGiven: He is only known by his title.
* ObviouslyEvil: One look is enough to know that this fellow means bad news.
* OneHitKill: As soon as the Sorcerer points his MagicStaff at you, you know you're screwed.
* OutGambitted: If you are not careful enough, he deduces what you are up to and the game is lost. [[spoiler: You must outsmart him to win, but he is a highly intelligent {{Chessmaster}} who can see through your bluffs quite easily, so you must prove even more devious.]]
* TheParalyzer: His EyeBeams do just that.
* PointyEars: A given for an elf.
* PraetorianGuard: He has elite dark elf soldiers with skill 10 stamina 8, guarding his inner sanctum and never allowing anyone to enter without permission. Worse, he commands the other dark elven sorcerers, very powerful wizards in their own right, serving as his last line of defence. [[spoiler: You need a Lightning Sphere to destroy them. If not, they conjure a huge, dark energy sphere that engulfs and kills you by burning your life-energy.]]
* PsychicPowers: He is an expert in mental magic.
* PurpleIsPowerful: The cover art depicts his BadassLongcoat coloured in a deep shade of purple.
* PuzzleBoss: He is faced in a [[BattleOfWits mental challenge]] instead of an all-out battle, still plenty challenging.
** [[spoiler: You can only defeat the Sorcerer by knowing how to use the magic Brain Slayer Amulet to deflect back his mental spells, so you must goad him into using them. You must either threaten to destroy it or boast that he must kill you to get it, then feign panic yelling that it no longer works, then test your luck. (And in case of bad luck, state that you were bluffing.) He will assume that you are protected by something else but that the amulet really does not work, cast the spell and end up brain-dead. If you're too forward, the Sorcerer either sees through your bluffs or deduces your intentions and you're an epitaph.]]
* SamuraiPonytail: He is no samurai, but the illustration depicts him sporting an impressive one at the back of his head, falling down on his shoulders and separating his hair at each side of his head.
* SherlockScan: No detail is too unsignificant to escape his notice.
* ShouldersOfDoom: Golden in the cover art, more armour-like in the illustration.
* ASinisterClue: The Sorcerer carries his StaffOfAuthority in his left hand.
* SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil: He enslaves dwarves to build his subterranean town. [[spoiler: You must free them to distract the Sorcerer's guards and sneak in his inner sanctum. The dwarf leader gives you directions and even ask you to punch the Sorcerer after you defeat him, which you do with unabashed glee.]]
* SorcerousOverlord: He controls the local dark elves, building a subterranean city for him to rule, and uses his sorcery and the result of his experiments to attack the local cities.
* StaffOfAuthority: He holds a stylish one, more detailed in the illustration than in the cover art.
* TheStrategist: The Sorcerer knows his way around warfare. He isolates Sardath from other cities that could help, cuts out all exits from which the population could evacuate, and sends airborne squadrons harder to defend against. Not to mention the [[WeatherManipulation cataclysmic, never-ending storm]] to wreck their defences. The city resists admirably with its enormous military might but is a hair's breadth away from falling.
* SuperiorSpecies: Elves in the ''Fighting Fantasy'' setting are stated to be better in magic than any other race in Titan. Despite being evil, dark elves also count and this guy and his followers do not disappoint. Played with in that they are only superior in terms of magic, can be matched by powerful individuals, and are are frailer than other races.
* TakeOverTheWorld: He seeks to take over Allansia, and possibly Titan as a whole.
* UndyingLoyalty: He inspires fanatical devotion in his servants, who revere him and sing his praises. If captured, they would kill themselves without blinking rather than spilling his secrets.
* VillainRespect: Your skills and intelligence earns you his genuine appreciation.
* VillainousCheekbones: He has sharp features and pronounced cheekbones.
* VillainousWidowsPeak: To complete the ObviouslyEvil looks.
* WeatherManipulation: He captured the [[ShockAndAwe Storm Giant]] Corianthus, and syphons his power to cause a tremendous storm over Sardath. With this, he can not only cover the sky with dark clouds to keep sunlight at bay, protecting his dark elves from it, but it wreaks havoc on the cities defences and makes navigation on the nearby lake impossible, making it an easy target for his armies.
* WorthyOpponent: He wants his foes to challenge him before falling, and views you as one.
* XanatosSpeedChess: You spend the confrontation playing this against him. Each one adapting your next move from how the other acts or reacts. And it is '''very''' satisfying to beat him at his own game.

[[folder:[[spoiler:Lady Sige]]]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote:spoiler]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spectre_sige.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[spoiler:This happens after you kill her.]]]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/SlavesOfTheAbyss''

As [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Lady Carolina Bluestone]], ruler of Kallamehr, is gathering heroes to help with the invading armies and mysterious disappearances (both caused by the DimensionLord [[BigBad Bythos]], your effort are strangely hindered. As if someone was actively sabotaging you. [[spoiler: Turns out there is a traitor in the capital city who must be unmasked and neutralized. It's Lady Sige the Silent, a member of the ruling council allied with Bythos. She'd do '''anything''' to rule the land, no matter who she needs to backstab.]]

* AmbiguouslyHuman: [[spoiler: The spectre wounding you after you kill Lady Sige is hinted to be her true form.]]
* AntiClimaxBoss: Skill 7 stamina 5 is an outright stroll in the garden. It's hardly a threat for regular {{Mooks}}, and pathetic when it comes to plot-relevant bosses.
* AristocratsAreEvil: Yet another high-born in a bid for supreme dominion.
* BigBadEnsemble: Bythos might be the worst and mightiest threat, and fittingly the FinalBoss, but [[spoiler: Lady Sige]] is another sinister tyrant-in-the-making causing most of your troubles in Allansia.
* BigBadWannabe: Gotta admit that without supernatural threats and veteran adventurers, they could very well have won. [[spoiler: And the fact that she does win despite all this in the worst ending is proof of her skills.]] Too bad, [[PhysicalGod Bythos]] and [[ExperiencedProtagonist you]] are both too tough a nut to crack.
* TheChessmaster: Lacking in brawn but certainly not in brains. [[spoiler: Lady Sige is masterfully PlayingBothSides and using most characters as {{Unwitting Pawn}}s.]]
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Will use or backstab anyone if that can open the way to the throne. Loyalty and honour are clearly foreign concepts...
* DiscOneFinalBoss: Must be dealt with before you enter the Abyss to deal with the real head honcho.
* DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans: Wants power for the sake of power, without a care in Titan about the people.
* EvilChancelor: [[spoiler: Lady Sige is part of the ruling council of Kallamehr, and plots to backstab the leader [[TheHighQueen Lady Carolina]]. Figuratively and literally.]]
* EvilGenius: Undeniably very smart.
* EvilIsSexy: Beautiful but vile and despicable.
* FauxAffablyEvil: Appears as a noble and helpful citizen, but in fact holds nothing but contempt to anyone.
* HeroKiller: [[spoiler: She is all but stated to have killed Lady Carolina, and her machinations led to the gruesome death of all the adventurers the latter hired.]]
* HiddenVillain: Even more than the FinalBoss, as you know that he's here and plots something, though who and what is unknown. The mere fact that there is another villain to unmask is TheReveal.
* ItMayHelpYouOnYourQuest: [[spoiler: She gives you the pomander of herbs you need to resist the BigBad's BreathWeapon.]]
* TheMagnificent: [[spoiler: Lady Sige the Silent. It serves as a clue for experienced readers as the trope is usually reserved to villains and she's the only one in the council to have it.]]
* TheMole: [[spoiler: A member of the ruling council in league with the BigBad. Though it soon becomes clear that what she's really after absolute dominion over Kallamehr, so if you can kill him she won't complain.]]
* NonActionBigBad: Gains props for trying when cornered, but while no stranger to fighting, you're better by a loooong shot.
* OurSpiritsAreDifferent: [[spoiler: Lady Sige is hinted to be an evil spirit, probably from the Abyss, inhabiting a human-like shell.]]
* PlayingBothSides: [[spoiler: She helps both the BigBad by eliminating threats and facilitating invasions, and you by giving you a crucial protection against his powers.]]
* SmugSnake: Admittedly a very high-functioning one, but despite being a certified EvilGenius, this one bites off more than she can chew and is as arrogant as smart, clearly too overconfident.
* SpotTheImposter: How you unveil this wretch's intention.
* TheStarscream: [[spoiler: In league with the BigBad, only so long as she needs him.]]
* StealthHiBye: [[spoiler: Lady Sige owes her nickname to her uncanny ability to move silently and appear unnoticed. This is in fact a subtle hint that she is more than she seems.]]
* TakeOverTheWorld: Downplayed as this one only covets Allansia, which is too much anyway.
* TyrantTakesTheHelm: [[spoiler: If you venture into the Abyss without snuffing her, she gets named ruler of Kallamehr by the people, who will soon discover what kind of tyrant she really is.]]
* WalkingSpoiler: As if all the blanked text was not clue enough...
* XanatosGambit: [[spoiler: Whether she rules over {{Empty Shell}}s controlled by Bythos as his vassal, or as her own with Bythos gone, she gets what she wants.]]
* XanatosSpeedChess: [[spoiler: If Lady Sige sees you with the locket that [[TheAce Ramedes the Invincible]] died to fetch back, she accuses you of treachery and has you captured. Fortunately, opening the locket proves your innocence and provides an opportunity to turn the tables.]]
* UnwittingPawn: Uses you as one, but you're not the only one. [[spoiler: She's savyy enough to recognize you as the best hope against Bythos, whom she'd rather see gone.]]
* TheUsurper: Plots to seize power and might succeed in the worst ending.

[[folder:Leesha]]
[[quoteright:340:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leesha.jpg]]
-> '''Appears in''' : ''Literature/TempleOfTerror''

The evil priestess of a dark cult dwelling in the [[TempleOfDoom lost city of Vatos]], Leesha is a spoilt and pampered woman of taste and power, ruling over the maddened cultists and the amorphous night horrors prowling the halls and corridors of her temple, acting as a secondary antagonist along with the evil Malbordus. She's rumoured to be immortal and protected from all weapons or magics, and it is up to you to see whether this is true...

* AchillesHeel: There's only one thing that she fears: [[spoiler: A Sandworm Tooth.]]
* AffablyEvil: Leesha is evil but she is sure courteous, speaking politely and bearing little ill-will even to enemies. Give her something she likes and she rewards you handsomely, oppose her or merely displease her, and she kills you without a second glance.
* AntagonistAbilities: Having NighInvulnerability and being TheParalyzer makes her a deadly foe.
* BigBadDuumvirate: Leesha forms one with Malbordus, leading the temple you must explore and being in cahoots with the Dark Elf Champion, willing to let him have the Dragon artefacts.
** Contrary to Malbordus, a SorcerousOverlord wannabee working to build his own power base, she wields considerable power but only cares about sitting around and having her every whim catered. She flees as soon as you pose a threat, while Malbordus confronts you head on for the FinalBattle, cementing him as the biggest threat and true BigBad.
* CowardlyBoss: [[spoiler: She lifts her skirt and runs away as soon as she sees you with the Sandworm Tooth.]]
* DePower: [[spoiler: Enter her sanctuary through the rain of gold, and it cancels your ability to spellcast.]]
* DirtyCoward: Leesha acts high and mighty when you cannot do a thing against her, but as soon as you prove her wrong, she flees as fast as she can without looking back.
* EvilIsSexy: Heartless and described as very beautiful.
* HighPriest: A female example. She is the high-priestess of a ReligionOfEvil worshipping one of the Dark Gods, though we never learn which one.
* HotWitch: While she isn't a which in the proper sense, she is very beautiful and wields vast power.
* HumanSacrifice: Leesha is an evil priestess, so she unsurprisingly delves into this. She sacrifices all losers of her art contests for instance.
* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler: She manages to escape the hero and promptly disappears from the scene, leaving you to fight Malbordus instead.]]
* LadyOfBlackMagic: She is beautiful, poised and elegant, and wields considerable magic power.
* ManOfWealthAndTaste: Woman in that case. She loves beautiful artworks, and is willing to hold an art contest and reward the winner with no less than 300 gold coins. The losers on the other hand...
* MsFanservice: While she's seen from a distance (see picture) she's quite attractive herself.
* NighInvulnerability: She's protected by an enchantment that makes her virtually invulnerable to mundane and magical attacks. [[spoiler: Except for a Sandworm Tooth.]]
* NoSell: Trying to attack her is purely suicidal.
* OhCrap: She quakes in fear [[spoiler: if you reveal the only thing capable of killing her off.]]
* OrcusOnHisThrone: She never leaves her comfortable sanctum, letting her minions do all the work.
* TheParalyzer: If you lack a way to hurt her, she immobilizes you with a spell and call for Malbordus, who proceeds to take your Artefacts.
* ReligionIsMagic: Leesha is the high-priestess of a cult, and wields powerful magic.
* ReligionOfEvil: She is a High Priestess of an unspecified evil idol, and her cultists are either mindless fanatics or horrible monsters. It is implied that she worships the same evils as Malbordus.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler: She doesn't even try to put up a fight and runs for the hills as soon as you threaten her with the Sandworm Tooth.]]
* SequentialBoss: First get rid of her minions, then take care of the wench herself.
* SlouchOfVillainy: When you first set your eyes on her, she's reclining on a lavish sofa and being fanned by a massive brute she later unleashes on you.
* SmugSnake: Leesha is admittedly very powerful and has threatening minions, arbouring an insufferably condescending sneer all the time, but as soon as thing go south she sings a much more pathetic tune...
* SorcerousOverlord: A rare female example. She uses her power and influence to rule the lost city of Vatos and the monsters dwelling there.
* TalentContest: You meet people making works of arts for a contest she frequently organizes, in which the victor is handsomely rewarded and every other contestant is sacrificed. [[spoiler: You are not involved directly into the contest, but knowing about it provide a vital clue you need to progress.]]
* TempleOfDoom: She rules the temple of her cult, and the entire lost city of Vatos: Ancient ruins of a long-gone civilisation, derelict and filled with monsters and beasts.
* TheUnfought: You confront her but never fight her, for she is a [[CowardlyBoss craven]], ZeroEffortBoss.
* VainSorceress: Highly implied to be the case, as she surely likes to show off her beauty.
* WeakButSkilled: Leesha masters deadly magic, but she does not even try to fight when you expose her sole AchillesHeel, and likely never bothered to learn.
* ZeroEffortBoss: For all her power and posturing, getting rid of her is a piece of cake. [[spoiler: Show her the Sandworm Tooth and voila! Bob's your uncle.]]

[[folder:The Lizard King]]
[[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lizard_king.jpg]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/IslandOfTheLizardKing''

The ruler of Fire Island, a former prison colony which he took over and turned into a slave mine, the Lizard King is a brutal tyrant who has learned voodoo sorcery to make himself even more powerful. On Fire Island, he has amassed an army of lizard-men, orcs, giants and all manner of monsters, and periodically sends them out to raid the surrounding islands to seize new slaves and expand his realm. To make matters worse, the Lizard King is fused with a [[PuppeteerParasite Gonchong]], a spider-like parasite that grants its host enormous strength in return for most of their free will. But there is one who will rise against him...

* AchillesHeel: [[spoiler: Fire Swords.]]
* AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: Blue scales are quite uncommon, even for lizard-men.
* AntagonistAbilities: His max skill stat and immunity to normal weapons make him a formidable foe.
* AntagonistTitle: Well duh!
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: He became king of the lizard-men of Fire Island by being the strongest, smartest, baddest and meanest of them. His mastery of Voodoo sorcery and the power-boost he owes the Gonchong also helped.
* AttackAnimal: The Lizard King has a black, maneless lion as a pet, that he sics on you before fighting.
* BadassNormal: The Lizard King might dabble in Voodoo sorcery, but he does not use magic in battle and has no need for it to kick ass.
* BigBad: The slave-driving EvilOverlord, who must be taken down to restore Fire Island and relieve the local fishing ports of his raids.
* BodyHorror: Has a horrible parasite attached to his brain.
* CoolPet: A lion looking like a black panther. To think some are content with cats...
* CoolSword: A sword is cool in itself, but a fiery blade is even cooler. [[spoiler: Especially when you wield it.]]
* TheDreaded: The Lizard King is feared in all the coasts he raids.
** Even his {{Mooks}} are scared witless of the Gonchong.
* EmpoweredBadassNormal: He may not need sorcery to be badass, but he still uses a magic FlamingSword [[spoiler: that boosts him with +2 skill]] and the Gonchong gives him NighInvulnerability.
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: He is king of the lizard-men and is called the Lizard King. Logic I say.
* EvilOverlord: Pretty low-scale compared to the others fought in the franchise, though that's because he is still building his empire. But being a powerful tyrant leading armies of monsters, with dark powers and a unique weakness to boot; and threatening the nearby villages, he more than qualifies.
* EvilutionaryBiologist: The Lizard King attempts to create new monsters and life-forms to serve him, and submits his subjects to hideous mutations to empower them.
* FinalBoss: Having skill 12 stamina 15, [[spoiler: not to mention being only vulnerable to a Fire Sword]] makes him a very powerful foe. Fortunately, there are ways to weaken him.
* FlamingSword: His weapon of choice is a fiery magical scimitar. [[spoiler: Ironically, this is also the only weapon that can kill him. If you have another one, you can challenge him safely.]]
* FromNobodyToNightmare: He was originally just one of the guards when the island was still a penal colony. When it was abandoned, he unified the other guards and turned the prisoners into slaves.
* GeniusBruiser: The Lizard King is a powerful warrior, also smart enough to become a proficient self-taught Voodoo mage, and a competent army leader.
* HollywoodVoodoo: Like Cinnabar in ''Literature/{{Bloodbones}}'', he uses Voodoo magic of this variety.
* KillItWithFire: [[spoiler: The Lizard King and the Gonchong must be killed with a Fire Sword.]]
* MagicKnight: Downplayed. He is a powerful master of Voodoo magic, but you never see him using it and he fights only with a sword. A magic one, but one nonetheless.
* MasterSwordsman: The Lizard King is a very strong and skilled fighter.
* MonsterLord: A king among lizard-men. Self-appointed for sure, but he sure deserves the title.
* NighInvulnerability: The Lizard King resists pretty much everything thrown at him.
* NoNameGiven: The Lizard King is never named, just referred to by his title.
* NoSell: [[spoiler: Attacking him with anything else than a Fire Sword is useless and leads to a painful demise.]]
* PantheraAwesome: His aforementioned pet. Not a panther but a lion in fact, but black and without mane it does get quite close...
* PostClimaxConfrontation: After killing the Lizard King, you must kill the Gonchong [[spoiler: by severing its proboscis.]] If you fail or drop your guard, the Gonchong parasites you, brainwashes you and makes you the new EvilOverlord of Fire Island.
* PuppeteerParasite: Not the Lizard King himself, but the Gonchong he fused himself with. Contrary to most examples of the trope, they have more of a symbiosis than outright domination.
* RightHandAttackDog: He sics his Black Lion at you. With skill 11 stamina 11, it makes a powerful foe.
* SequentialBoss: First his RightHandAttackDog, then him, then the PostClimaxConfrontation.
* SinisterScimitar: The narration does not describe his FlamingSword, but its this in the illustrations.
* SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil: He holds every prisoner in Fire Island as slaves, condemning them to gruelling forced labour night and day to build his kingdom, and abducts people from the nearby villages to replace them and raise his numbers.
* ThereIsAnother: In the follow-up gamebook, ''Literature/BattlebladeWarrior'', a SpiritualSuccessor of ''Island of the Lizard King'', it's revealed that there are ''more'' colonies of Lizard Men from the powerful Lizard Man Empire, each ruled by a separate Lizard King. Although this one is implied to be the most powerful of them due to his use of sorcery and bonding with the Gonchong.
* WeaksauceWeakness: [[spoiler: The Lizard King is deathly afraid of ''monkeys'' of all things (presumably since monkeys eat lizards). Bringing one to the FinalBattle makes it considerably easier. If you own a Fire Sword, he is so terrified that only the Gonchong's influence makes him put up some token resistance, becoming an absolute walk in the garden with only skill 6 for you to [[CurbStompBattle Curb Stomp]]. If you don't, depending on a test of luck, he either drops his Fire Sword for you to use (losing -2 skill while you gain +2 in the process), or can frighten the monkey away by lashing out blindly, leaving you open for slaughter.]]
* WillingChanneler: The Lizard King deliberately let himself be parasited by the Gonchong to boost his might, and they reached an agreement of sort.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: [[spoiler: Why did it have to be monkeys in this case, but well, you know the drill.]]

[[folder:Lord Carnuss Charavask]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/carnuss.jpg]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/TrialOfChampions''

The younger brother of Baron Sukumvit, the FeudalOverlord ruling the province of Chiang Mai from the city-state of Fang. While his brother inherited a prosperous estate and made it famous worldwide with the Trial of Champions: a labyrinth full of deadly monsters and traps; Carnuss had but a pretty worthless title. He was banished to the remote Blood Island after a poorly thought assassination plot. Now, he abducts people all over as slaves for his gladiator arena, intending to train a fighter skilled enough to win the Trial of Champions and pocket the 20000 gold pieces reward. But the very slave he sent to the labyrinth won't let him have his way...

* AlliterativeName: '''C'''arnuss '''C'''haravask
* AristocratsAreEvil: A thoroughly loathsome, heartless FeudalOverlord.
* BadassNormal: Carnuss has no powers and no magic weapon, and is still a talented fighter, not to be underestimated.
* BadBoss: Oooooooh boy! He treats his slaves like filth and regards them as tools to toss and throw. He does treat you to luxury when you become his champion, but only because he needs you at the top of your game. Once you are, he throws you back into mortal peril without batting an eyelid...
* BigBad: The wretched slave-driver who put you through hell and back, you swore revenge against.
* BlueBlood: He is of noble descent.
* CainAndAbel: Carnuss loathes his brother and the feeling is entirely mutual. He tried to have Sukumvit killed, and strives to humiliate him no matter the cost.
* CarryABigStick: He is depicted with a spiked mace, but he only uses it to sound the gong starting the gladiator battles and fights with a sword instead.
* CoolHelmet: He wears one hiding his face, complete with horns.
* CutLexLuthorACheck: Given the success of the Trial of Champions and the public's fondness for bloody entertainment, he could have opened his gladiator arena to the public and invested to make it as popular as his brother's game, legally earning the wealth he envies his brother for. Given how much effort and resources he throws away for revenge in-story, it's not like he cannot afford it...
* DrivenByEnvy: Other villains of the franchise are motivated by power and control, but this one only swears by a childish grudge. Envy, thy name is Carnuss...
* DuelToTheDeath: How you face him in the end, requesting a duel to avenge your FireForgedFriends when Sukumvit offers to grant your wish as an additional prize.
* EvilIsPetty: And how! He wastes all his resources to basically say "nyah nyah" to his brother's face.
* TheFaceless: His helmet conceals his face.
* FeudalOverlord: He rules Blood Island, where he was banished, but his domain is small and scarcely populated, hence is resentment.
* FinalBoss: A powerful warrior with skill 10 stamina 10. While you overcame worse threats in the labyrinth, he remains dangerous and takes advantage of your weakened state after so many ordeals.
* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Carnuss is a bratty, petty SmugSnake, in stark contrast to his pragmatic and reasonable brother.
* GladiatorGames: Carnuss makes his slaves fight to the death, to weed out the weak until only the best warrior remains.
* GoneHorriblyRight: When you want the best warrior around to serve you, make sure that he doesn't hate your guts unless you feel TooDumbToLive.
* GreenEyedMonster: He is consumed by jealousy of his brother, who enjoys lavish lordship of a prosperous city while he is left to rot on his island (by his own fault mind you), and strives to humiliates him. To such extent that he fails to (or straight up refuses to) grasp that Sukumvit made his city so thriving through his own effort, and that he could do the same without much trouble. Not to mention that he could have earned a position of power if he hadn't been so busy wallowing in bitterness.
* HateSink: The franchise has no shortage of utterly abhorrent piece of shit villains, but even the worst ones have at least a few traits of EvilIsCool to make you LoveToHate them even a bit. This self-centred, petty, smarmy piece of filth has [[PunctuatedForEmphasis none. At. All.]] Livingstone went to great lengths to make you loathe him and succeeded. And man, does it feel '''good''' to give him his just desserts.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: He wanted a warrior mighty enough to face any foe... Including himself.
* HornsOfVillainy: All over his helmet.
* INeedYouStronger: He needs a powerful warrior, [[DefeatingTheUndefeatable to win the Trial of Champions]] for him.
* ItsPersonal: For abducting you, forcing you to fight your FireForgedFriends to the death in his arena, and sending you through hell and back, your fondest desire is having his head mounted on your wall.
* KarmicDeath: He ends up killed by the slave he abducted and tyrannized, avenging all the slaves who lost their lives for his petty schemes.
* MadeASlave: The fate he inflicts to all his victims.
* MasterSwordsman: Carnuss uses a sword in the FinalBattle, with enough skill to give you a solid run for your money. Literally at that, as he is the last obstacle between you and the 20000 gold coins reward.
* MoralEventHorizon: As if capturing dozens of unsuspecting innocents to make them his slaves wasn't vile enough, he puts them through TrainingFromHell and forces them to kill each other just for his self-aggrandizing whims.
* NeverMyFault: Unable to grasp that the unfairness he blames his brother for is self-inflicted from A to Z.
* ObviouslyEvil: With him being TheFaceless sporting Horns of Villainy and ShouldersOfDoom, Carnuss might as well go around with a huge neon sign saying "I'm a rotten douchebag!"
* OutGambitted: He expected his slave to win the Trial of Champions, and the prize money to rightfully become his since he owns the victor. But Sukumvit quickly notices that you hate him with every fibre of your being, and seizes the opportunity to get rid of him at long last. As such, he offers you the additional prize to grant your wish, and as he figured out, you ask for a DuelToTheDeath, leading to the FinalBattle and Carnuss's well-deserved demise.
** He was already played by Sukumvit in his backstory, hastily hiring mercenaries to kill him... Mercenaries that were in fact spies tasked by a wary Sukumvit to keep tabs on him, who wasted no time reporting it all. You would think that Carnuss learnt his lesson, but no.
* PrincelingRivalry: In their past, though it did not end well for him. A second son coveting his elder brother's throne and resorting to crime to get it... Where did we see it before?
* PsychopathicManchild: He's basically a bratty child in an adult body throwing a hissy fit like "My brother got the big toy, whaaaaaaaaaa! So I’m gonna break his toy and rub it to his face! Dash for the cost, consequences and anyone I drag into the crossfire !"
* TheResenter: Three guesses on who?
* RevengeBeforeReason: His most defining characteristic. See CutLexLuthorACheck above and StupidEvil below to see exactly how unreasonable he gets.
* ShouldersOfDoom: He sports quite impressive ones.
* SiblingYinYang: While ruthless and willing to have the first winner of his Trial of Champions assassinated, Sukumvit is a TrueNeutral ReasonableAuthorityFigure, who made Chiang Mai thrive and cares about his subjects. Carnuss redefines StupidEvil, EvilIsPetty and RevengeBeforeReason.
** Heck, Sukumvit was mature enough to swallow his pride and use the first win as a challenge to remake his labyrinth even more UnwinnableByDesign. And he seize the opportunity to cut his losses when you win in turn. Carnuss on the other hand cannot let go of a grudge and is far too petty and overconfident for his own good, which naturally and satisfyingly comes to bite him in the rear.
* SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil: He has abducted many people and forced them to undergo a gruesome training before fighting to the death. They all hate his guts and want nothing more than revenge.
* SmugSnake: He acts high and mighty and has his servants talk about him like he is a big shot, but he is far too petty and repulsive to be impressive, and as seen in OutGambitted, he is much less smart that he fancies himself to be.
* StupidEvil: Sure Carnuss, abduct people, treat them like dirt, and casually cause their death for petty revenge. You will get a highly trained ActionSurvivor, strong enough to [[DefeatingTheUndefeatable win the Trial of Champions against all odds]], who hates your guts and wants you dead. WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong
* TrainingFromHell: What his gladiators are submitted to.
* TheUnfavorite: Totally averted despite him viewing himself as this. His brother inherited the title by virtue of being the elder, as it normally does, and he is entirely to blame for his poor lot in life.
* VillainBall: Two major instances...
** Carnuss could have recruited and trained gladiators without the slavery, torture or fights to the death; promising them part of the reward, or a position of power if he wanted to keep the prize money.
** Even without that, making his best champion howling for his blood, AND signalling himself when he just won the UnwinnableByDesign Trial of Champions [[WhatAnIdiot is a whole new level of stupid]].
* VillainousValour: Downplayed, for he first tries to turn tail like the coward he is. Still, despicable as he is, when he realizes that he has driven himself in a corner, he accepts it with quite some poise. It might be because he is still confident he can win, but he at least has some guts.

[[folder:Lord Varek Azzur]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/seigneur_azzur.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote: Click here to see him in ''Assassins of Allansia'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sans_titre_9.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Appears in''': ''[[Literature/CityOfThieves1983 City of Thieves]]'' (cameo) | ''Literature/MidnightRogue'' (mentioned only) | ''Literature/CryptOfTheSorcerer'' (mentioned only) | ''Blacksand!'' | ''Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World'' | ''Advanced Fighting Fantasy: Blacksand'' (mentioned only) | ''Literature/ThePortOfPeril'' | ''The Gates of Death'' | ''Literature/AssassinsOfAllansia''

A major figure of the ''Fighting Fantasy'' universe, featured in many gamebooks albeit in cameos and passing mentions. Varek Azzur comes from a noble family of Arion in the continent of Khul, until the day when aged sixteen, he sneaked into the temple of the Adepts of Kukulak, twisted worshippers of the God of Storms. He survived the religious initiation, which left him disfigured, and fled at sea. Abducted by pirates, he rose in ranks to become the Pirate King of the Western Ocean, nothing less. One day, he stormed and seized Port Blacksand, butchering the entire ruling council. He now rules the WretchedHive with an iron fist.\\\

While never met, and even never seen, he makes his presence felt in every gamebook set in Port Blacksand. Even when just passing by or coming close, you might hear his name. He takes an active role for the first time in ''The Port of Peril'', from behind the scenes as always. [[spoiler: He plots with the [[EliteMooks Spirit Stalkers]] to resurrect the Night Prince [[BigBad Zanbar Bone]] and capture the legendary wizard [[TheArchmage Arakor Nicodemus]]. ]] In ''The Gates of Death'', he [[EnemyMine helps you to save Titan]], albeit for clearly selfish reasons. He sent the [[MurderInc Assassin's Guild killers]] after your hide in ''Assassins of Allansia'', being seen in person at long last. Will there be a day when his tyranny shall end?...

* AllThereInTheManual: His origins, rise to power, appearance and even his first name, were only revealed in official guides like ''Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World''.
* AristocratsAreEvil: Azzur is of noble descent and one of the most reviled figures of Titan's history.
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: He rose from the very bottom to the top rank, by being the smartest and most badass pirate around, before [[TheUsurper usurping]] power in Port Blacksand. It is quite telling that in a city where each governor killed their predecessor to take their throne, he remained in power for so many years without opposition. Even now, the pirates still answer to him.
* AvengingTheVillain: He's out for your blood in ''Assassins of Allansia'', [[spoiler: to avenge his lord Zanbar Bone, whom you killed in ''The Port of Peril''.]] Azzur being Azzur, his dirty work is done by flunkies, but not mere {{Mooks}}, oh no! He has the best {{Professional Killer}}s of the Scorpion Guild of Assassins dog your tracks.
* BadassNormal: He is the only villain of the franchise to be TheDreaded without magic powers or supernatural influence, merely exceptional fighting and rulership skills, strategy and pure charisma.
* BadBoss: Zig-zagged. He is a ruthless tyrant, unforgiving to his underlings and rarely speaking to them aside from screaming in anger. But on the other hand, he is a very charismatic leader who inspires the absolute loyalty of his men, and is greatly respected by the scum of Port Blacksand. He can be genuinely generous and provides some favours to the population he oppresses to keep it under his thumb.
* TheBadGuyWins: Downplayed, but still a huge step up compared to the {{Final Boss}}es ending dusted... [[spoiler: Azzur does not exactly wins, for you're the only hero to meet him face to err... turban and come out alive. Still, he gets to throw you from the frying pan into the fire by conscripting you to the UnwinnableByDesign Trials of Champions; basically a death sentence.]]
* BigBad: After all those years ruling from the shadows and acting through proxies, Azzur finally gets a chance at calling the shots in ''Assassins of Allansia''. [[spoiler: He sends assassins after your hide, to avenge his liege, and even causes a PyrrhicVictory at the end.]] But contrary to the others, he is not the FinalBoss.
* BigBadDuumvirate: In ''City of Thieves'', [[OurLichesAreDifferent Zanbar Bone]] is TheHeavy and the [[FinalBoss biggest threat you must defeat]], but Lord Azzur rules the titular city and is behind most of your troubles. [[spoiler: Averted in the end, as ''The Port of Peril'' reveals that Lord Azzur has always been Zanbar Bone's most devoted servant.]]
* BlueBlood: Though he usurped the title he is known under, he is a noble, albeit fairly minor.
* BodyHorror: Azzur's religious scars horribly mark his entire body.
* BreadAndCircuses: Azzur maintains support of the citizens by indulging in their petty appetites.
* BreakoutVillain: The ''Scholastic'' relaunch elevates him from an unseen background character to a plot-critical villain in all three books.
* CoDragons: Lord Azzur's closest and highest-ranked servants are three ominous beings, wearing black, fur-trimmed robes that blend in the shadows, [[InTheHood and a face-hiding cowl]].
** [[MouthOfSauron Lord Azzur's Mouth]] seems to lead and speaks in Azzur's place. He has [[TheBlank no face]] but [[UncannyValley a large, glowing mouth]], and hurls {{Fireballs}} that can [[DisintegratorRay either vaporize people]] or [[TeleportersAndTransporters teleport them where he wants.]]
** Lord Azzur's Eyes has [[TheBlank no face]] but [[ExtraEyes dozens of mismatched eyes]]. He seems to exert a SinisterSurveillance over the entire city, which could explain why the tyrant knew of your mission.
** Lord Azzur's Ears is a bat-like WingedHumanoid, who hears everything from miles around and keeps watch over the city in combination with The Eyes.
* ColdBloodedTorture: Many a dissident suffers this in his dungeons. Scholars or mages in town who so much as look like they might use their trade against him find themselves in for a world of pain, having blinded one in ''Crypt of the Sorcerer'' and cut the eyes, ears and tongue of another in ''The Gates of Death''.
* ContinuityNod: In ''City of Thieves'' you get almost run over by his coach in the streets. In the sequel ''The Port of Peril'', you catch a glimpse of him from afar, as he leaves the palace, once again in his coach.
* CoolSword: Several instances.
** In ''The Gates of Death'', he gives you a magic Khopesh (a sickle-shaped sword from ancient Egypt) that his men found. It is a powerful InfinityPlusOneSword, [[spoiler: and one of the two magic Khopeshes forged by the BigBad Ulrakaah, the only weapons that can harm her.]]
** He wields a wicked looking ornate sabre on the cover of ''Assassins of Allansia''.
* DemotedToDragon: [[spoiler: After so many years of being an independent villain of whom even the {{Big Bad}}s of the franchise were wary, he is revealed to be TheDragon to Zanbar Bone.]] Don't think for a minute that it means BadassDecay, for you will see first-hand how dangerous he is when he takes matter in hand, while still never appearing in person.
* TheDragon: Most {{Big Bad}}s would relish to have him serving as this to them. In ''Crypt of the Sorcerer'', you even infiltrate Razaak's lair by saying that you are sent by him to pledge his loyalty. [[spoiler: ''The Port of Peril'' reveals that he was always this to Zanbar Bone, being described as his most faithful follower.]]
** In ''The Port of Peril'', the Chaos Warrior Klash is this to Azzur himself, but he serves as little more than an enforcer and a BossBattle.
** ''The Gates of Death'' reveals that he has three CoDragons, who act as his collective MouthOfSauron.
* DragonAscendant: [[spoiler: In ''Assassins of Allansia'', which takes place after you thwarted his efforts to resurrect his boss, the BigBad of ''The Port of Peril''. Surprizing none, he is quite miffed about this and spends the book howling for vengeance...]]
* TheDreaded: Pretty much everyone is scared shitless of Azzur. It's telling that not even the TerribleTrio of Balthus Dire, Zharradan Marr and Oldoran Zagor ever moved against him.
* EnemyMine: In ''The Gates of Death'', Azzur provides you intel and even a priceless InfinityPlusOneSword, because he wants TheVirus gone as much as you do. But he still takes much of your {{McGuffin}}s and leaves your ParentalSubstitute to die without batting an eyelid. He may need you as OnlyTheWorthyMayPass and worthy he and his agents are '''not''', but he sees you as a mean to his end, nothing more.
* EqualOpportunityEvil: Azzur is loved by the scum of Blacksand because he extends his oppression to '''everyone''' social standing be damned. In fact, he celebrates the New Year by sentencing a noble family to the death, and distributing their wealth to the poor. Also, he recruits everyone in his City Guard, from humans, to ogres, to Chaos Knights and Trolls as EliteMooks.
* EvilVersusOblivion: He helps you in ''The Gates of Death'', because [[TheVirus the Demon Plague]] caused by [[DimensionLord Ulrakaah]] threatens his rule and his very life. But he also covets her power and her treasure.
* EvilWeapon: The Khopesh he gives you in ''The Gates of Death'' is a cursed weapon forged by the BigBad. [[spoiler: He seeks to use it to absorb her power after you slay her. You cannot fully succeed without destroying it after winning the FinalBattle.]]
* EvilWearsBlack: He is almost always covered in head to toes in black garments, masking every inch of his skin to hide his scars.
** Though his clothes are described as navy blue with gold trimmings when you see him from afar in his coach in ''The Port of Peril''. And he is depicted as such in ''Assassins of Allansia''.
* TheFaceless: Azzur always keeps his face covered, as such even the scarce few who saw him don't know what he looks like. Only two people are known to have seen him unmasked, his personal high priest, and an extremely foolhardy thief who thought it was a good idea to break into Azzur's palace... His dismembered remains were eventually found scattered all across the city.
* FeudalOverlord: Given that almost all of Allansia is divided into city-states surrounded in hostile wilderness, Lord Azzur has complete control over Port Blacksand. Due to his tyranny and influence over scoundrels, he borders on EvilOverlord. He has spies and secret agents doing his dirty work all over and uses giant Warhawks as carriers and messengers.
* FourStarBadass: With most pirates of the Western Ocean at his beck and call, he commands a fearsome military force. He used it to take over Port Blacksand, but did not used it for war ever since.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: From just a wayward noble child, to the Pirate King of the Western Ocean, the dictator of Port Blacksand, and a major face of the ''Fighting Fantasy'' universe.
* TheFundamentalist: He was already devoted to the Adepts of Kukulak's unwholesome cult before joining them, and he grew to a fanatical worshipper.
* TheGhost: You will hear of him many times, but the closest you come to meeting him is when his coach almost runs you over in ''City of Thieves'', when you catch a glimpse of him from afar, again in his coach, in ''The Port of Peril'', and when you are in audience with his CoDragons with him watching it hidden in ''The Gates of Death''. Finally averted in ''Assassins of Allansia''.
* GladiatorGames: Azzur is fond of these, and only appears in public at the local gladiatorial arena.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: His body is covered by the definitely evil scars resulting from the initiation ritual of the Adepts of Kukulak: The initiate is branded with fire and if the scars do not turn into the sacred runes of the sect they are executed. Unfortunately for everyone in Titan, Azzur survived.
* GottaKillThemAll: ''Assassins of Allansia'' consists in a cat-and-mouse game against the [[ThirteenIsUnlucky thirteen]] best agents of the [[MurderInc Scorpion Guild of Assassins]] working for him. You must kill them all or be killed.
* HatedByAll: Played with. Everyone in Allansia hates and fears him, aside from the scoundrels, cutthroats and vermin who look up to him and admire him in earnest.
* TheHeavy: He is largely to blame for Port Blacksand being such an awful WretchedHive.
* HeWhoMustNotBeSeen: He almost never seen in public. Even those granted audience with him are led to a carved wooden screen, behind which Lord Azzur stands, listening to complains and whispering his replies to his MouthOfSauron, who carries his words to the visitor.
* IHaveYourWife: [[spoiler: in '' The Port of Peril'', he keeps Luannah Wolff hostage in his prison, to force her husband to carve the ArtifactOfDoom that can resurrect Zanbar Bone.]]
* IOwnThisTown: Azzur's mentality. He does have to compose with the powerful ThievesGuild, and the high class, but, makes it clear that he could crush them anytime. His tradition to execute nobles and distribute their wealth serves both to restrict their influence and to warn them not to cross him.
* InformedAbility: Azzur is hyped as an extremely dangerous foe to cross, but this isn't truly shown for he is never directly faced in any gamebook.
** Though his back story, and most importantly his actions in the ''Scholastic'' relaunch do prove that his reputation is not usurped. Not by a long shot.
* KarmaHoudini: Since he is never fought, his dictatorial rule remains unchallenged. [[spoiler: He is the only BigBad of the series you don't kill at the end of the book.]]
* MasterSwordsman: If the sabre he is seen holding on the cover art of ''Assassins of Allansia'' is enough indication, he does know a thing or two about sword fighting.
* NeutralNoLonger: He usually only bothers with tyrannizing his city and pays no mind to the various world-threatening crises happening all over. But...
** [[spoiler: Then comes ''The Port of Peril'' and he actively plots to resurrect Zanbar Bone, keeping hostages captives to coerce people and sending agents to capture [[TheArchmage Nicodemus]], the biggest threat to his lord, and steal his RingOfPower. Nicodemus being too powerful to be faced upfront, he has him drugged.]]
** He takes part in the conflict in ''The Gates of Death'' as well, sending his men to the Invisible City and playing QuestGiver to you in a rare EnemyMine situation.
** Finally, he hops in the BigBad bandwagon in ''Assassins of Allansia''.
* OrcusOnHisThrone: Azzur always acts through proxies, but don't think he's lazing around. He has agents and spies all over Allansia, each for a specific task, and he has them firmly in hand.
* PetTheDog: Azzur can sometimes express genuine niceness to people who suffered too much for his liking. Such as when he rescued an innocent woman turned into a SnakePeople by worshippers of [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Sith]], and gave her a life of luxury in Port Blacksand as the Serpent Queen.
* {{Pirate}}: How Azzur began his career and rise into infamy. He still controls piracy of the Western Ocean and enjoys sailing his admiral ship, the "Face of Chaos", to commit some raids from time to time.
* PoliceBrutality: His City Guard is comprised only of [[DirtyCop corrupt bullies]], less likely to arrest the thief than the victim (for "troubling the public order"), who extort bribes left and right, or throw anyone who appears well-off in jail to "confiscate the stolen goods", among other outstanding displays of duty...
* PoliceState: His rule is enforced by his ruthlessly efficient (though horribly corrupt) City Guard. They patrol everywhere, enforce curfew, arrest anyone caught without a pass, have people thrown in pillories or outdoor cages, if not executed without trial. He at least once used [[AlwaysChaoticEvil Chaos Warriors]] for his black operations, so to speak... In broad daylight. Without anyone daring to move.
* PraetorianGuard: The elite guards in his palace are much tougher than those in town, and blindly devoted {{Tyke Bomb}}s who would give their life for him without thinking twice.
* PragmaticVillainy: Azzur knows that fear alone is not enough to rule, hence his oppression and favours being equally divided to all social classes, and adding acts of kindness to many ruthless actions.
* PresentAbsence: He seldom leaves his palace and is almost never seen in person by his people, yet his grasp over the town is almost tangible.
* PriceOnTheirHead:
** He does this to the group of heroes in ''Advanced Fighting Fantasy'', believing them responsible of the rampage by the local ApocalypseCult. But he retracts it after learning that you saved his city.
** He puts a bounty on your head in ''Assassins of Allansia'', offering no less than a thousand gold coins to anyone who could kill you and attracting all manners of cutthroats after your hide.
* QuestGiver: In a strange twist, he is this in ''The Gates of Death''. You already know that you must reach the fabled Invisible City to mass produce the antidote to TheVirus, but it is Azzur who tells you about the BigBad and how to go there, also giving you the SwordOfPlotAdvancement.
* RapePillageAndBurn: How his pirates work. No romantic [[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Pirates of the Caribbean]] lifestyle there.
* ReligionOfEvil: He is part of a downplayed example. While Sukh, the God of Storms revered under the name Kukulak in Khul, is prideful and HotBlooded, he is quite benevolent. The Adepts of Kukulak however, are definitely twisted and fanatical, though not actively malevolent and dangerous.
* ResurrectTheVillain: [[spoiler: In ''The Port of Peril'', Lord Azzur is trying to bring back Zanbar Bone.]]
* ReturningBigBad: The secondary villain of ''City of Thieves'' becomes a major recurring enemy in the relaunch. Downplayed in that he had to wait for ''Assassins of Allansia'' to become a proper BigBad.
* ShadowDictator: You will never see him in Port Blacksand, but you will always feel his shadow looming.
* StaffOfAuthority: Azzur holds one on the picture, whose pointed tip evokes a [[BladeOnAStick spear]].
* TheStoic: Azzur is described as someone of unshakable calm and assurance.
* TykeBomb: Lord Azzur has infants abducted from their families at a very young age, and has them raised to be blindly devoted to him. They serve as a PraetorianGuard who never leave the palace, protect him twenty-four/seven, and would gladly march to their death if he ordered them to.
* TyrantTakesTheHelm: All rulers of Port Blacksand succeeded each other by killing their predecessors, bringing more corruption with each coup d’état. Lord Azzur was the last and definitely the worst.
* TheUnfought: Never faced in battle in any of the books. The game guide for the RPG rules even recommends against using Azzur as a FinalBoss, as fighting him, not to mention '''reaching''' him in the first place, is basically the equivalent of ''TabletopGame/TombOfHorrors''.
* TheUsurper: He took power by killing the former governor. As explained in TyrantTakesTheHelm, this could almost be seen as tradition.
* VillainousFriendship: He is friends with [[Characters/FightingFantasyRulers Baron Sukumvit Charavask]], the ruthless yet neutral ruler of Fang. Given their different alignment, this is also a form of OddFriendship.

[[folder:Relem]]
-->See his entry on the [[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsThePit The Pit]] page under '''Night Demons and other Demon Princes'''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sith]]
-->See her entry on the [[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsThePit The Pit]] page under '''The Snake Demons, Ruler of the Pit'''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Snow Witch]]
[[quoteright:290:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/snow_witch.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:290:[[labelnote: Click here to see the second illustration (markedly different look)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shareella_alternate.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
-> '''Appears in''': ''Literature/CavernsOfTheSnowWitch''

One of the very few female {{Big Bad}}s of the franchise, the Snow Witch is a considerably powerful vampire SorcerousOverlord in cahoots with Ice Demons, based in the Icefinger Mountains in the [[GrimUpNorth polar northern reaches of Allansia]]. She reigns in the Crystal Caves dug by her monster servants, worshippers of the Ice Demon, she is tended by slaves captured all around and compelled to obey her every whim by {{Slave Collar}}s. She is about to unleash a second, everlasting Ice Age over the world of Titan, to rule it forever. And it is up to you to stop her...\\\

Shareella, to call her by her name, is notable for being defeated [[spoiler: twice]] at the middle of the story, the rest being spent lifting the Death Spell she cast on you. This was first a smaller adventure written for a magasine, thus too short for a book format, so Ian Livingstone had to complete it with {{Filler}}.

* AbsurdlyHighStakesGame: See TheGambler below... [[spoiler: During the [[ClimaxBoss last battle]], the Snow Witch challenges you to a game of Discs (basically Rock-Paper-Scissors), in which you both bet your life. If you lack discs to play with or if she wins you're history. but if you hold the disc that can beat her bet, twice, you win. It's much trickier than it sounds.]]
* AllThereInTheManual: Like many villains of the franchise, nothing is told about her in-story, not even her name, all is told in the additional guides like ''Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World'' and ''Out of the Pit''. Made all the sadder in that it reveals she is a FallenHero who got corrupted.
* AntagonistAbilities: A vampire with potent HypnoticEyes and a super powerful witch with OneHitKill spells, who can't be defeated in a direct battle.
* AntagonistTitle: The story is centred around her after all.
* AttackAnimal: Anyone who would send a pet rat against a seasoned warrior would be laughed at. Not her. See RightHandAttackDog below to learn why.
* BigBad: The evil vampire witch who threatens the entire world with a second Ice Age.
* BlackMage: She masters deadly spells.
* BondVillainStupidity: The Snow Witch provides a glaring example. Justified in the fact that the FinalBattle would otherwise be a HopelessBossFight, but still... [[spoiler: Sure Shareella, you have TheHero at your mercy, you can kill them at any second, and they proved that they are a threat by destroying your physical body. WhyDontYouJustShootHim What? They challenge you and you accept? A game of discs? You bet your own life as well? WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong Lots of things in fact. But for you as well...]]
* ClassicalMovieVampire: The Snow Witch is first and foremost a powerful WinterRoyalLady, but she fits the bill for VampireTropes. Sleeps in a vault? Check! Rises from it to suck your blood? Check. HypnoticEyes? Check. NighInvulnerability? Check. [[spoiler: must be staked to be destroyed?]] Checkmate.
* ClimaxBoss: She is not the FinalBoss, but confronting her is a turning point in the narration [[spoiler: both times]].
* CoolCrown: She wears a fancy, skull-shaped diadem on the in-book illustrations.
* CorruptTheCutie: Not what she can do to you or her slaves, but what happened to her in her backstory.
* {{Curse}}: The Death Spell she casts on you before you destroy her for good. It gradually drains your life-force and you must search for the most powerful Healer Mage of Allansia to survive. [[spoiler: You only make it if you could drink a life potion.]]
* DarkActionGirl: Played with. She is more than able to destroy you with magic, and will do if she beats you, but she never does so in a direct fight. Most likely because she is too powerful for you to face upfront but still needs to be defeated.
* TheDarkArts: Her main field of expertise, being expert in casting deadly spells, crafting cursed artefacts and raising undead, among others.
* DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans: The Snow Witch does not merely wants to TakeOverTheWorld, she wants to rule a scarcely populated (if at all) frozen wasteland filled with cold monsters and undeads.
* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: A second Ice Age would spell the doom of Titan's civilisations.
* EvilIsSexy: She is described as very beautiful, and the most recent cover art does not disappoint.
* EvilLaugh: The Snow Witch indulges into this when she has you on the ropes.
* EvilSorcerer: A rare female example, and an impressive one. Easily one of the mightiest of the franchise.
* ExplosiveLeash: She can use her {{Slave Collar}}s to kill her slaves or cause them intense pain, [[spoiler: or knock them out to create zombie clones of them.]] It is all but stated that [[SinisterSurveillance she uses them to monitor her slaves.]]
* FallenHero: She was once a very promising mage apprentice from the Holy City of Zengis, who was sent to the Icefinger Mountains as part of her training. There, she stumbled upon an [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Ice Demon]] who corrupted her and taught her Dark Magic, turning her to the BigBad she is now.
** You will meet the Ice Demon who corrupted her, but only for a BossBattle, and while not the hardest of the game, weaker that mere EliteMooks, he remains a dangerous foe with skill 9 stamina 11, whose BreathWeapon deals additional damage. Her backstory implies that they form a BigBadDuumvirate of sort, but this is hardly explained. He is content being worshipped by the Snow Witch's {{Mooks}}, leaving the Snow Witch as the sole BigBad and far and away the biggest threat of the book.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: Once an innocent mage-in-training, now a formidable vampire witch.
* FurAndLoathing: She is a villain and wears a lavish white fur coat. Justified in that she lives in mountaintops in the polar reaches.
* TheGambler: She loves playing luck-based games with her victims. [[spoiler: This proves her undoing in the end.]]
* HotWitch: Despite being a creepy vampire, the Snow Witch remains a gorgeous woman... When she is not baring her fangs that is.
* HotterAndSexier: The original in-book illustration was not that appealing, but the second set racks up the sexiness, depicting her in a skimpy LeotardOfPower.
* HypnoticEyes: Like any self-respecting vampire. [[spoiler: You can resist it with garlic or by winning a test of skill, otherwise she compels you and bites you, turning you into her vampire slave.]]
* AnIcePerson: She controls ice and snow, rules over a polar mountain, and commands all sort of ice-related beasts, up to a rat that she turns into a White Dragon.
* LadyOfBlackMagic: She is regal, imposing, and clearly the most powerful witch fought in the franchise.
* LeotardOfPower: She wears one in the second set of illustrations.
* MagicWand: She has one on the picture, though not in the story.
* MirrorSelf: Before the FinalBattle against her, she creates two zombie clones of your [[RequiredPartyMember travelling companions]] for you to fight, as a way to torment you. It is implied that she was originally meant to [[WhatCouldHaveBeen kill them outright and reanimate their corpses]].
* MookMaker: She created her {{Elite Mook}}s and her PraetorianGuard, not to mention turned her CoolPet into a RightHandAttackDog, with her potent sorcery.
* NighInvulnerability: You cannot destroy this wench by normal means, [[spoiler: no matter how you confront her.]]
* NoBodyLeftBehind: She is ReducedToDust after you kill her, [[spoiler: but you're not done with her even then...]]
* NoSell: [[spoiler: Attack her with your sword, and she drains your blood in the first confrontation, and blasts you to death in the second. Using a sling during the second confrontation might knock the orb and deviate her energy blast, but still does not harm her.]]
* NobodyCallsMeChicken: [[spoiler: She has you on the ropes during the second confrontation, but you insult and challenge her, and she never backs down from a challenge. Though she does so out of sadistic amusement rather than a BerserkButton. This leaves you with a chance to defeat her, while she could easily obliterate you with magic. Justified plot-wise, since you need to stand a chance against her to win the game, and story-wise by her fondness for torture and mind-games, and her arrogance.]]
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: No one knows her real name in-universe, and she is only referred to by her title in the entire gamebook.
* OurSpiritsAreDifferent: [[spoiler: when you face her for the second time, only her spirit remains within her SoulJar. Not that she minds.]]
* OurVampiresAreDifferent: The Snow Witch is revealed to be a vampire when you finally meet her. She has shades of the ClassicalMovieVampire but the SorcerousOverlord and WinterRoyalLady aspects of her character are more prominent.
* PostClimaxConfrontation: In a strange twist of the trope, everything you face after killing her (meaning a good third of the book) can be seen as this, being due to her [[SarcasmMode lovely parting gift]].
* PuzzleBoss: [[spoiler: The second confrontation against the Snow Witch is basically a fantastic equivalent of the Rock-Paper-Scissors game called Discs. Star beats Square, Square beats Circle, and Circle beats Star. You must hide the figure that beats the one she names. If you do she is destroyed. If you hide the figure she names, the game is void but you can only survive the second round by beating her. She names Circle so hide Square. In the second turn she names Star so hide Circle.]]
* PraetorianGuard: She animated a bunch of {{Golem}}-like Crystal Warriors to serve as this. They are very powerful, with skill 11 stamina 13 and too sturdy for swords. If you lack a mace you're a goner.
* RavenHairIvorySkin: The Snow Witch sports the look. Justified knowing that she is a vampire.
* RecurringBoss: [[spoiler: You fight her twice, each confrontation getting trickier and trickier.]]
** [[spoiler: In the first, you confront her in her vault, must resist her hypnosis and stake her.]]
** [[spoiler: In the second, you challenge her in a battle and she forces you to play a game of Discs, Rock-Paper-Scissors in another name.]]
* TheRedBaron: The Snow Witch. You know her more under her title than her real name.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: As a vampire, this could not be any other way...
* ReducedToDust: Her physical body ends up like this after you're through with her... [[spoiler: Or so you thought.]]
* RightHandAttackDog: She has a pet white rat who attacks intruders. Nothing scary until it transforms into nothing less than a White Dragon! With skill 12 stamina 14, and [[BreathWeapon breathing]] clouds of [[KillItWithIce frost costing -3 stamina]], it is easily the deadliest monster fought in the game. [[spoiler: Fortunately, you can break the transformation spell with ground minotaur horn and avoid the fight. You are also protected from his Breath Weapon with a gold ring.]]
* {{Sadist}}: She gets her kick by tormenting her foes, and putting them through the wringer emotionally.
* SequentialBoss: [[spoiler: In the second confrontation, you must use a sling to knock out the Snow Witch's orb and test your luck to avoid her energy blast, before facing her. (If you are unlucky, you can still survive the blast with a high enough stamina score, but must retry.) Then she creates two zombie clones of your friends for you to fight, before challenging you to a game of Discs.]]
* ShockAndAwe: During the FinalBattle against her, she hurls very powerful lightning bolts that either fry your sword out of your hand or OneHitKill you.
* ShoutOut: She evokes the White Witch from ''{{Literature/Chronicles Of Narnia}}'', without being a full-blown {{Expy}}.
* SlaveCollar: She puts one on every unlucky schmuck who get captured by her forces. They are still fully conscious and loathe their condition, but cannot do anything.
* SorcerousOverlord: She is a highly powerful and accomplished witch, who rules over the Icefinger Mountain and controls an army of monsters.
* SoulJar: [[spoiler: So? You thought you have won after staking her? Well think again! She keeps her spirit bound to the Earthly Planes in a bewitched orb, and her power remains intact.]]
* TaxidermyTerror: She uses stuffed white owl as a headwear, though it's not from the latest cover art.
* TrialAndErrorGameplay: [[spoiler: During the final confrontation against Shareella, you must try discs pretty much at random, without knowing which can counter her own. One mistake and ciao bambino! It's square, and Star for the second turn.]]
* UndeathAlwaysEnds: You are here to end hers.
* UndeathlyPallor: Being a vampire, this is a given.
* VampiresHateGarlic: As per tradition.
* VampiresSleepInCoffins: Well not a coffin, a friggin' ornate vault carved in stone, the step above.
* WaveMotionGun: Her deadliest spell is a powerful energy blast. You can survive the weakest ones if your stamina score is high enough, but at full power they kill you outright.
* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Justified game-wise. If she just did, you would stand no chance against her and the story needed a way for you to kill her if you want to finish the game.
* WickedCultured: The Snow Witch enjoys listening to her minstrel's music.
* WinterRoyalLady: She rules polar mountains and ice caves, wears fur and has a clear winter theme.
* WoodenStake: [[spoiler: You need one to destroy her when you confront her at her coffin. You need to be skill 10+ to be able to stake her, otherwise she pries the stake off your hand and turns you into her vampire slave.]]
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: She kills her servants whenever she feels like it, and mostly does it to display her power.