Blazer

Blazer is a Kai Grand Master of the New Order Kai, and the second-in-command of the Kai on the Isle of Lorn. He is extremely gifted in the Mindforce. He is currently trapped in the Pit of Eternal Pain, after sacrificing himself either for Grey Star or Grand Master (depending on the actions of the player in The Dusk of Eternal Night).

Appearance, personality and skills

Kai Masters Black Hawk, Star Lynx, Blazer, and Steel Hand.

Blazer is red-haired. He is famous amongst the New Order Kai for his aptitude with Mindforce, Lone Wolf even remarking that someday, Blazer may develop abilities that are unknown to the Kai. Blazer was the youngest-known Kai Lord to master the Lore-circle of Fire. His mastery of Mindforce has given him a special form of Kai-surge that emerged under stress, called Blazing Surge. His favourite Old Kingdom spell is Power Word. He is also a skilled archer.

He is normally an enthusiastic person, preferring fighting to talking, with subtlety being his weakness. However, after his mission in Kalte, he has become haunted by his trauma of his psychic battles with the Ice Demons.

Biography

Rise to Kai Master

In his earlier days, an unfortunate incident in his past known only to himself, Lone Wolf and the people of Rockstarn occurred. His Kai name is derived from this event, as well as the speed at which he mastered the Lore-circle of Fire.

Blazer became one of New Order Kai, and quickly rose its ranks. During the events of Wolf's Bane, he is one of four Kai Masters (along with Black Hawk, Star Lynx and Steel Hand) assigned by Firestone (the second-most senior Kai warrior, after Lone Wolf) to apprehend Wolf's Bane. They successfully find Wolf's Bane, but are paralyzed by a powerful illusion conjured by the imposter. They were presumably released after Lone Wolf accepted Wolf's Bane's challenge to a duel.

Kai Grand Master

In MS 5088, the Isle of Lorn was given to the Order of the Kai. The construction of a Kai monastery on it finished in MS 5100, and Grand Master and Blazer were made its leaders. Grand Master was the senior of the two, but Blazer never contested their leadership.

By the events of The Storms of Chai, Blazer had risen to the level of a Kai Grand Master. In MS 5102, together with the other Kai Grand Masters, Lone Wolf assigned him to a dangerous mission to investigate the rise of the Agarashi in the Kraknalorg Chasm. Here, Blazer was ambushed by the Agarashi, but rescued by Dalla. After recovering, Blazer discovered a plot by Cener Druids and Yethgaw to raise an army of Kragnagrath Agarashi. Blazer also befriended a Brozt'luurga lizard, later named "Lurk", who helped Blazer traverse and escape the Kragnalorg Chasm. Blazer successfully disrupted the Cener Druids' plans and also destroyed the heart of Wulskor, the Risen Champion-King: Wulskor, a Kaum Giant and champion of Naar, would have become the leader of the Kragnagrath, as Agarashi need a leader to direct them.

The same year, Kaltese trappers reported that surviving Ice Demons and Nadziranim were mustering a new assault. Lone Wolf sent Kai Grand Master Swift Sword to end the conflict before it began, but Swift Sword was killed. In response, Lone Wolf sent Blazer to complete his mission. Blazer travelled to Ljuk, where he discovered that the Nadziranim had constructed a new stronghold, with breeding pits powered by Shianti artifacts. The Nadziranim had constructed new physical forms for Ice Demons to inhabit, in exchange for their allegiance. Blazer was captured by a Greater Ice Demon, and was psychically imprisoned and tortured. However, the psychic connection worked both ways — Blazer was able to read their minds and discovered their schemes to destroy Hammerdal using an elemental explosive, using ancient Shianti artifacts from the Caverns of Kalte. He also learnt how to overload the Shianti devices powering the breeding pits, which he did so to escape.

As the explosive was transported across the Kaltersee, Blazer successfully destroyed it and the same Greater Ice Demon who imprisoned him, stranding himself a few miles south of the city of Lor on the coast of Durenor, although he was rescued by Durenese fishermen. The trauma of this mission, however, left him taciturn and distant. Unbeknownst to Blazer, the Ice Demons had successfully implanted a crystal in Blazer's mind, allowing him to be controlled by the Naarvakim, in a plan hatched by Shasarak, trapped in the Pit of Eternal Pain.

Unwitting betrayal and redemption

In MS 5103, during the events of The Dusk of Eternal Night, Blazer was sent to defend Sommerlund during the Battle of the Ruanon Homelands, as the captain of Grand Master's forces, and witnessed the return of Archlord Vashna, who tore open the battlefield using the power of the Nengud-kor-Adez. Lone Wolf forced Vashna to retreat with the power of the Sommerswerd, but not before Vashna threatened to expand the Nengud-kor-Adez further, unless he was challenged deep under the ground at Zekgazad, where the Sommerswerd could not draw its power from the sun. However, Grey Star had also arrived in Ruanon, but bearing a more disturbing message: A Naarvakim plot to bring back Agarash the Damned, the true son of Naar.

With Vashna's threat being more immediate, Lone Wolf decided that he and Steel Hand would fight Vashna, whilst Blazer and Grand Master would help Grey Star investigate the Naarvakim. With Grand Master, Blazer investigated the Crypt of Agarash, then either (depending on the actions of the player) the Kelderwood Forest, Shasarak's old lair in Taklakot, or Sejanoz's palace in Otavai to investigate how to open a Gate of Doom. Blazer, however, unwittingly provided the Naarvakim with their plans and locations, due to the implanted ice crystal. As the party flew to Naaros to stop the Gate of Doom from being opened, Grey Star and Blazer were separated from the rest, forcing Grand Master to make their own way up the Night Spire themselves.

At the top of the Night Spire, Blazer's betrayal became apparent, as he delivered Grey Star into the Gate of Doom, feigning despair. However, Shasarak had fooled everyone from beyond the Pit of Eternal Pain, as he was released instead of Agarash, much to the dismay and surprise of the Naarvakim. Despite this, Agarash threatened Shasarak, who pointed out that a Kai Grand Master — either Grand Master or Blazer — would be exchanged for him.

Depending on the actions of the player:

• If Grand Master suspects Blazer is a traitor, Grand Master will attack Blazer, and succeed in temporarily breaking his possession. Shasarak will then cast Grand Master into the Gate of Doom, but be blocked by Blazer in atonement for his actions. Blazer will fall into the Gate of Doom, releasing Agarash. Grand Master will then duel Shasarak, and cast him into the Gate of Doom, where Blazer will refuse to return, insisting Grey Star does in his stead.
• If Grand Master attacks Shasarak, Blazer will betray Grand Master, and Shasarak and Blazer will combine their powers to cast Grand Master into the Gate of Doom, releasing Agarash. Blazer, as the Ice Demon, will then request Agarash to fight Shasarak for enslaving his race, which Agarash agrees to. Blazer will then awaken and join forces temporarily with the Ice Demon, to fight a common foe in Shasarak, and succeed in casting him into the Gate of Doom, freeing Grand Master. Blazer will then sacrifice himself willingly to bring Grey Star back.

After Agarash's return, he sent the Vaag to attack the New Order Kai on the Isle of Lorn. Here, Grand Master received the blessing of Kai, and was raised to Kai Supreme Master, defeating Vaagarash, the possessed leader of the Vaag, and scattering the Vaag. A funeral was later held to mourn the dead of the battle, but Grand Master (now Supreme Master) refused to include Blazer, vowing to rescue him from the Pit of Eternal Pain.

In the gamebooks

Blazer appears in Wolf's Bane, The Storms of Chai, Dead in the Deep and The Dusk of Eternal Night. although he is only a background character in all the books besides the last, where he is the deuteragonist for most of the book.

Blazer also has his own adventure, Kaum Before The Storm, which is a bonus adventure in Dead in the Deep. This adventure expands on Blazer's mission in the Kragnalorg Chasm. In this adventure, Blazer also has his own upgraded version of Kai-Surge: Blazing Surge, reflecting his mastery of the Mindforce.

In The Dusk of Eternal Night, Blazer may be fought by Grand Master while possessed by an Ice Demon (this combat may be evaded by usage of an M'lare Crystal), or fought by Shasarak after the Ice Demon requests that Agarash let them duel as revenge for killing the Ice Demon's kind.

If Blazer (possessed by a Greater Ice Demon) is fought, he has the following attributes:

• Combat Skill: 56
• Endurance: 55

Blazer is immune to all psychic attacks except Kai-blast and Kai-ray. Blazer also attacks with his Mindforce, reducing Grand Master's Combat Skill by 3 unless they possess Kai-screen or a Grey Crystal Ring. The Greater Ice Demon exudes a supernatural coldness that drains 1 Endurance point per round, unless Grand Master has Grand Nexus or a Platinum Amulet. However, the Greater Ice Demon is weak to fire, so if Grand Master has Grand Weaponmastery, reached the rank of Sun Lord or higher, and possesses a metallic weapon, they can ignite their weapon and deal double damage; additionally, if Grand Master possesses Elementalism, Blazer's Combat Skill is reduced by 4. The combat ends when Blazer's Endurance is reduced to 10 or below.

If Grand Master does not see Blazer's betrayal, they will be cast into the Gate of Doom to release Agarash, but if Grand Master possesses Grand Nexus, Grand Huntmastery, and has reached Sun Prince, they can spirit-walk and slow their descent into the Pit of Eternal Pain (if not, they will be trapped forever). The possessed Blazer will then request of Agarash to duel Shasarak, and Grand Master can possibly take part in this duel in their spirit form, to help Blazer.

In this duel, Blazer has 40 Endurance points, and Shasarak has 50. The Combat Ratio is -6. If Grand Master possesses Telegnosis or a Mind Gem, they can influence the battle as follows:

• If Grand Master has Kai-surge, Kai-blast or Kai-ray may be used as normal
• If Grand Master has Kai-alchemy, they can cast Strength and increase the Combat Ratio by +2
• If Grand Master has Astrology, they can summon a flare from the sun and increase the Combat Ratio by +2
• If Grand Master has Deliverance, they can restore 10 Endurance points to Blazer when he falls to 8 Endurance points or less

However, every round of combat, Grand Master loses 3 Endurance points due to the strain of spirit-walking in such extreme conditions.

If Shasarak's Endurance is reduced to 5 or below, Blazer wins the duel. Blazer will cast Shasarak into the Gate of Doom, releasing Grand Master. If, however, Blazer loses the duel, Grand Master is condemned to the Pit of Eternal Pain forever.