KRILL
By the reign of Phloid Flathead, who ruled from 738 to 755 GUE, a young
warlock was already beginning to test the limits of his magical powers.
After the repeated series of earthquakes that heralded the arrival of
Krill's fledgling strength, Phloid himself had recurring nightmares
that showed a noble and brave young warrior matching Krill in magical
combat. A search of the city ordered by the Flathead monarch after this
portent brought Syovar into royal service after a mere dozen years of
magical training, and barely four decades of life.
War Against Syovar
Following the collapse of the Great Underground Empire in 883 GUE, evil
times plague the Land of Frobozz. Every warlock in the kingdom
attempted to gain control. The most powerful of this clutch of evil
warlocks was Krill, who emerged from the mysterious forbidden lands of
the freezing north. The Enchanters Guild confronted this warlock, who
had already been bathing in dark sinister and menacing deeds for
approximately 200 years. It was now that the Guild was finally able to
banish him from the Accardi Circle of Enchanters. Upon excommunication,
Krill gathered an army of lizard warriors of over 10,000 strong, and
using powerful spells enslaved many humans to fight in his army against
their own will. Krill’s first battle was waged against the capital of
the newfound Empire, the Aragain Province and the Castle of Zork.
To counter this uprising, King Syovar declared war on Krill and fought
the warlock with his amassed army. The early campaigns were many, but
the forces of Krill grew so strong that not even a great warrior-wizard
like Syovar was able to overcome the evil that had snatched the land.
To gain victory, he knew that he needed both the Sword of Zork (one of
the most powerful of all ancient blades of elvish workmanship) and the
three Palantirs of Zork.
Every day and every year, the forces of Krill grew more daring. No
village was safe from their attacks or spells. The wind became old and
sour and reeked of evil. The crops began to wither and the barren land
lost its fertility. All those who struggled to farm, found their crops
stunted and bitter-tasting. Hunters discovered that most animals had
fled the land, and those that remained were hardly worth catching. Many
villages became ghost towns: the men were enlisted into the Knights of
Frobozz, and the women and children were hidden in the mountains.
It was during these desperate days, that two young adventurers, Bivotar
and Juranda were placed on the scene. This nephew and niece of Syovar
had been in Krill’s captivity for nearly 200 years, during a period
which neither had aged a day. Having managed to escape from the
clutches of Krill’s servants, the two stumbled across the Sword of
Zork, which they made haste to attempt to bring to Syovar.
At the time, Ellron's forces were collecting with Syovar's at the
campsite near Ellron's own house in the Dark Forest. Krill's amassed
his forces beyond Flood Control Dam #3, forcing these Knights of
Frobozz to move on to engage him. Krill's lizard warriors scattered the
Knights in battle thay day, forcing them to retreat to the underground
base in the nearby coal mines. Krill amassed for battle once again,
pursing them into the mines. Just as Sir Ellron arrived at the mines,
Krill discovered the hideous and forced all of the Knights of Frobozz
to withdraw to the White House.
Knowing that Bivotar and Juranda were attempting to unite the Sword of
Zork and the Palantirs with Syovar, Krill desired to trick the two into
directly handing over the relics to him. His lizard warriors were
polymorphed into the likeness of men, while Krill himself assumed the
form of Syovar with the same spell. This pseudo-Syovar welcomed Bivotar
and Juranda with stew and informed them that Ellron had already told
him of their quest for the Palantirs and the recovery of the sword. But
when Bivotar recalled that Syovar never removed his Ring of Zork, he
was not fooled by the naked fingers of Krill’s disguise. At his refusal
to hand over the relics, Krill reverted his appearance and the
surrounding knights reverted to their lizard forms. Bivotar and Juranda
escaped the coal mine, sliding down a chute that returned them to the
White House where they met with Ellron, Syovar and the other knights in
the living room and placed the three Palantirs and the Sword of Zork
into the king's hands.
Krill’s pursuing army of at least ten thousand strong surrounded the
house. Syovar quickly placed the Palantirs into the trophy case, read
the inscription on the case and recited a spell. An arc of light leapt
between the three spheres and grew to encompass the entire room. It
flashed blindingly bright, and as the light faded, so did their
surroundings—the house was gone, and instead they all stood on a hill
in the center of a vast plain. Before them, like a foul black sea,
stood the armies of Krill.
Krill himself towered above them, larger than life, a horrible dark
cloud before the sun. Behind the Knights of Frobozz, stretching to the
horizon, summoned by the power of the Palantirs, stood the legendary
Warriors of Zork, clothed in white tunics and shiny battle armor.
Syovar mounted his mighty steed and commanded the summoned warriors to
rid his kingdom of the evil scourge. With a cheer that echoed across
the plain, the warriors charged forward, engulfing the armies of Krill.
As the battle raged about them, Syovar held the Sword of Zork high
overhead—its brilliant glow like a beacon to the troops. Dark storm
clouds formed, and lightning streaked down into the heart of the
battle. Giant balls of fire plunged overhead and exploded into a
million tiny infernos. A fierce wind whipped across the plain, toppling
trees and sweeping horses off their feet. After an eternity of chaos,
the armies of Krill lost both ground and strength. The Warriors of Zork
pressed on, seemingly tireless and invincible.
With an explosion like thunder, Krill appeared before Syovar. Drawing
his sword, the warlock challenged the king to dismount. Syovar
relented, leaping from his steed. As the battled raged about them,
Syovar appeared to be the better swordsman, but Krill used a variety of
tricks and pyrotechnics to distant his opponent. Krill lunged and sunk
his blade deep into Syovar’s side. At his last act, a blue glow
surrounded the Sword of Zork and Syovar’s right arm. With surprising
strength, he plunged the blade deep into Krill’s heart. The evil
warlock’s body disappeared in a giant puff of unwholesome black smoke
and his disembodied spirit fled elsewhere. The temporary defeat of
Krill ushered in a brief period of peace which bolstered the kingdom.
The Return of Krill
Krill’s malice was thought to have been forever ended with his defeated
at the hands of Syovar the Strong, and his reign of terror but a dim
and frightful memory. But Krill went to dwell in the deserted castle
Largoneth in Frobozz. Here he remained dormant, in preparation to
launch an evil plan to overthrow the Circle of Enchanters and to
enslave that corner of the kingdom, and finally become ruler of all
Quendor.
He and his misshapen, hairy followers renovated the ruins of the castle
that had been leftover (or reconstructed afterwards) when the structure
itself was moved by Pseudo-Duncanthrax to Egreth in 660 GUE. They
erected a primitive temple, and fashioned within an enormous idol of a
loathsome demon, dark and vile, with dripping fangs and razor-sharp
talons. Krill and his hundreds of minions regularly engaged in human
sacrifice to this demon, and it is most likely that this demon had
always been the source of his immense powers. Others believe that his
magic flowed from the Great Terror living beneath the castle, while
others venture that both the demon of the idol and Terror were one and
the same.
Krill also protected the room of the northeast tower of Largoneth
Castle
with an incredibly frightful illusion: its massive lock was wrapped in
a dozen six-inch thick iron chains. In addition, a certain five-headed
monster sporting razor-sharp spears for tongues seemed to be imbedded
within its heavy oak frame. One is almost embarrassed to mention the
gargoyles spewing flame and sulphurous ash which ornamented either side
of the door, or the ninety-seven slimy groping tentacles which taunted
the Enchanter ever closer to certain death. A sign, which floated
serenely above the door and glowed hideously in purple letters, offered
the following rude understatement: “Don’t Bother”. The winding
staircase at the base of the warlock’s tower was also protected with an
enchantment so that steps flowed infinitely in either direction.
The evil warlock quickly subjugated the lands surrounding Largoneth to
his power. The once peaceful regions were held in thrall by the
pestilence that had been loosed upon the land. But the Circle was not
ignorant. News of the unholy sacrificial rites, the odd disappearances,
the mysterious dissolution of regions sacred to the Circle, the
lessening of the Powers – they knew that these could only be his
handiwork. Many dared to oppose him, all had failed. He was so powerful
that he was able to detect and destroy even the strongest opponents who
entered his domain. It appeared that Krill was able to read minds and
if there was the slightest threat an invisible barrier would surround
the castle. Thus the land was threatened with generations of brutal
subjugation by the evil warlock. If he was not stopped, the entire
world would be oppressed by one final potent spell he was preparing,
and eternal night would fall over all the land, permitting Krill and
his creatures to freely roam the entirety of Zork.
The Circle of Enchanters, the last hope of defense, felt that none of
their number could escape detection long enough to locate and destroy
Krill. They gathered at the Accardi chapter of the Guild of Enchanters
in 956 GUE
where Belboz revealed to them an ancient prophecy which spoke of a
brave and cunning novice enchanter, someone guileless and insignificant
enough to slip past the watchful warlock unnoticed and conquer him by
means of rudimentary magic and spells discovered during the quest. His
idea was to send a novice Enchanter, because, to put it in Belboz’s
words, “Anybody with the brains of a drelb (later to be known as a
dodo), should be able to approach the castle without posing a threat to
Krill.” Although the Circle was reluctant, the only hope for the future
was this enchanter, lest their great works would be overthrown. Thus an
anoynomous enchanter was dispatched by the Guild of Enchanters to
single-handedly vanquish their foe, the evil warlock Krill and to
prevent the ruination of the land.
When this enchanter REZROVed, then passed through the gate into
Largoneth, his mind felt as though it was being probed. After a moment,
it was released, or perhaps discarded as uninteresting. It is unknown
if this was something of Krill's doing or the Great Terror seeking him
out. In the process of sneaking about the castle and obtaining a rare
GUNCHO scroll withwhich to defeat the warlock with, the Enchanter
unwittingly released the Great Terror in the passages below. Krill knew
that the Terror had been released, and desired to use it to his
purposes. The two powerful evil forces searched each other out, but
this Enchanter was able to once again imprison the Great Terror in the
passages beneath the castle (at least temporarily).
But before the Enchanter could ascend to the warlock’s tower, a host of
hunched and hairy shapes detained him in their arms and escorted him to
a cell in the sacrificial temple. Outside the host of hideous shapes
chanted in unison. Fearing that he might be destroyed, the Enchanter
incanted the OZMOO spell (“survive unnatural death”) over himself. When
the host of hunched and hairy shaped came for him, they marched the
Enchanter solemnly to the temple, and from there, up the steps to the
altar. The large, black figure of Krill, who was completely wrapped in
a cloak, approached menacingly. He reached into his cloak and pulled
out a great, glowing dagger. He pulled the Enchanter onto the altar,
and with a murmur of approval from the throne, he plunged the blade
into his heart. Leaving the Enchanter on the altar, Krill departed. But
due to the effects of the OZMOO spell, the Enchanter was revived.
Using his cleverness, the Enchanter arrived within the secret chamber
of Krill; its powerful illusions had been broken. Krill had been
engaged in the casting of some complex and horrific magic. He
turned to face the enchanter, surprised and annoyed by the intrusion.
He spoke, “Fool! Parlor magician! You dare you defile my chamber with
your worm-like presence. I shall not waste words with you. Goodbye,
spell-monger!” He snapped his fingers loudly and a giant dragon
appeared, breathing gouts of flame. He moved ever closer, red eyes
bulging with malice.
Having prepared some spells beforehand, the enchanter unleashed GONDAR
(“quench an open flame”).
The dragon’s flame was doused in a torrent of water and disappeared
with a torturous scream.
Krill was somewhat amused. “A fine spell, wizard-worm, but your luck
has ended!” With another snap of his fingers, he summoned a being whose
essence was evil. It had a shape which was masked by its blackness and
exuded a foul, fetid odor. In its hand was a large battle axe. At a
single from Krill, it advanced.
With a well-timed CLEESH, (“change a creature into a small amphibian”)
the monster hesitated, trembled, then turned
into a newt. The poor creature’s battle axe, now unsupported, fell on
it, slicing it neatly in half.
Krill lost his patience. “I am through playing games,
carnival-clown! You shall return to your Circle, but I am afraid that
all the little pieces will prove hard to reassemble!” He laughed
hideously and started a guttural chant which shook the very tower.
The young enchanter decided that now was the time to recite the GUNCHO
scroll. Krill recoiled as he heard the first words of the spell. For a
few seconds he continued with the spell he had been casting, trying to
finish it before the human. He fumbled some syllables! Then he stepped
back and, with his hands outstretched toward the Enchanter, let out a
bloodcurdling scream. His face was twisted, and with his body vibrating
with the effort of resisting the enchantment, he uttered a spell of
power, and was gone. The evil warlock had been banished to an alternate
dimension.
After a quiet moment, a rumble began deep in the earth. It strengthened
as the tower started to sway. The floor gave way beneath the Enchanter,
and he tumbled down towards the sea before being surrounded by a burst
of light. Thus Krill, in his arrogance, overlooked the source of his
downfall.
DESCRIPTION OF KRILL
In the days of the war against Syovar, Krill was described as a tall,
dark and evil figure with hatred shining from his blood-red eyes.
This ugly creature with bony arms and talons for fingers, was robed in
black and radiatied evil. He roared with a deep, rumbling laugh. His
powers enabled him to magnify himself to become larger than life, a
horrible dark cloud before the sun.
After his first defeat, the master magician always was seen wearing
black. His yellow eyes were the
only visible part of his body. His voice was as deep as the great
caverns of the earth. When he grinned, the sight was ghastly.
POWERS OF KRILL
Krill had many powers, many of which remain unknown. In his war on the
Aragain Province, he was able to force captives to serve under him with
a magic spell, making them fight in battle after battle to live in
squalor. He also was able to use magic to transform himself into the
identical image of another, as well as his entire army seemingly
simultaneously. Krill was able to protect his Largoneth estate with
powerful illusions, including an infinite stairwell (see above), and
summon powerful creatures to aide him, such as dragons, with the simple
snap of his fingers.
Apart from his abilities as an Enchanter, his sword skills were
outstanding. He coupled his swordplay with a variety of tricks and
pyrotechnics to distract his opponent.
KRILL'S WARLOCKS
Krill's warlocks were powerful and deceptive. Many times, they took on
a comely form in simple garb, a facade seeming both harmless and
friendly. One of his warlocks had the power to transform into a deadly
bird of prey: "black as midnight with talons as large as elephant
tusks. Enormous
wings, dripping with unwholesome slime. The fetid odor of evil in the
air, is of tremendous fangs dripping with thick black poison."
