Where can I find the story of Kalak's death? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Where can I find the story of Kalak's death?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
shillelagh101
Oct 03, 2010 17:39:41 From what I've seen, he was killed by a spear, but by whom and the story behind it are not discussed. From a picture in the dscs it looks like a gladiator or arena champion. I'm a little leery of what I understand as a sorcerer king falling to relatively mundane circumstances.
#2
pavek
Oct 03, 2010 17:46:01 www.amazon.com/Verdant-Passage-Prism-Pen...
#3
onionkid
Oct 03, 2010 18:09:56 Exactly, the story is in the first book of the Prism Pentad by Troy Denning. I like it, any Dark Sun fan should check it out.

But, here's a summary of Kalak's end. GIANT SPOILAZ ahoy!

Kalak was always a brutal sorceror king, but in his later years he became even worse as he was obsessed with building the giant ziggurat which has obsidion orbs and a throne inside which was supposed to speed his transformation into becoming the 2nd Dragon of Tyr. His plan was to cast the ultimate defiling ritual during grand gladiatorial games and kill everyone in Tyr to power his spell.

The Veiled Alliance, some nobles, and Tithian the high templar learned of this plot. Agis a noble, Sadira a veiled Alliance sorceress, and Rikus and Neeva the gladiators went to a halfling chief in the jungle and were given the "Heartwood Spear" an artifact of amazing primal power.

During the games, Rikus hurled the spear and stabbed Kalak, but he didn't die there. Kalak retreated into his ziggurat and the heroes of the story fought Kalak while he was in a "larval" stage of half human, half dragon. Basically he was at his weakest point so the party of heroes (who were probably mid paragon tier) were able to kill the weakened sorceror king since he was a level 16 solo or so. To put it in game terms.
#4
603
Oct 03, 2010 21:10:39 A version for parties who wanted to be part of the action but not intrude on Rikus and company's glory was presented in the module Freedom. Don't have it with me, though.

Personally, it reads a lot like the Dragonlance novels and kinda gives the feeling that the only stories to tell on Athas were those of Rikus and co., and there's nothing left. Kinda like how some people feel about pre-5th Age Dragonlance.
#5
shillelagh101
Oct 04, 2010 19:12:04 Thanks for the info. I have to laugh, because on my own I was planning to tell the players, "The rumors about a spear felling Kalak are just that rumors covering the real story". The real story being that Kalak was slowly killing every one, and that Tithian intervened.

All in all, I guess I'll have to read the Denning books for flavor. They've been on my 'to read' list for a while now. Oh and I like Denning's version, even your summary of events, much better than anything I could have put together.
#6
tentagil
Oct 04, 2010 20:15:16 For my campaign Kalak's death is yet to be written, I set it starting about a year or so before his death. Depending on how thigns go I might have the party take him on alongside Rikus and the rest, of course that will not be till at least the mid teens.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 shillelagh101 Oct 03, 2010 17:39:41	From what I've seen, he was killed by a spear, but by whom and the story behind it are not discussed. From a picture in the dscs it looks like a gladiator or arena champion. I'm a little leery of what I understand as a sorcerer king falling to relatively mundane circumstances.
#2 pavek Oct 03, 2010 17:46:01	www.amazon.com/Verdant-Passage-Prism-Pen...
#3 onionkid Oct 03, 2010 18:09:56	Exactly, the story is in the first book of the Prism Pentad by Troy Denning. I like it, any Dark Sun fan should check it out. But, here's a summary of Kalak's end. GIANT SPOILAZ ahoy! Kalak was always a brutal sorceror king, but in his later years he became even worse as he was obsessed with building the giant ziggurat which has obsidion orbs and a throne inside which was supposed to speed his transformation into becoming the 2nd Dragon of Tyr. His plan was to cast the ultimate defiling ritual during grand gladiatorial games and kill everyone in Tyr to power his spell. The Veiled Alliance, some nobles, and Tithian the high templar learned of this plot. Agis a noble, Sadira a veiled Alliance sorceress, and Rikus and Neeva the gladiators went to a halfling chief in the jungle and were given the "Heartwood Spear" an artifact of amazing primal power. During the games, Rikus hurled the spear and stabbed Kalak, but he didn't die there. Kalak retreated into his ziggurat and the heroes of the story fought Kalak while he was in a "larval" stage of half human, half dragon. Basically he was at his weakest point so the party of heroes (who were probably mid paragon tier) were able to kill the weakened sorceror king since he was a level 16 solo or so. To put it in game terms.
#4 603 Oct 03, 2010 21:10:39	A version for parties who wanted to be part of the action but not intrude on Rikus and company's glory was presented in the module Freedom. Don't have it with me, though. Personally, it reads a lot like the Dragonlance novels and kinda gives the feeling that the only stories to tell on Athas were those of Rikus and co., and there's nothing left. Kinda like how some people feel about pre-5th Age Dragonlance.
#5 shillelagh101 Oct 04, 2010 19:12:04	Thanks for the info. I have to laugh, because on my own I was planning to tell the players, "The rumors about a spear felling Kalak are just that rumors covering the real story". The real story being that Kalak was slowly killing every one, and that Tithian intervened. All in all, I guess I'll have to read the Denning books for flavor. They've been on my 'to read' list for a while now. Oh and I like Denning's version, even your summary of events, much better than anything I could have put together.
#6 tentagil Oct 04, 2010 20:15:16	For my campaign Kalak's death is yet to be written, I set it starting about a year or so before his death. Depending on how thigns go I might have the party take him on alongside Rikus and the rest, of course that will not be till at least the mid teens.