Baron Shinzar (MS 4080[1] – MS 5062), also known as Baron Shinzar the Ravager, was the ruler of the Hammerlands, which he ruled for over 400 years.
Appearance[]
- An illustration of Shinzar is available at The Dungeons of Torgar: §113.
Baron Shinzar was a swarthy giant of a man with a shiny bald head and a short black beard. He wielded Ogg-kor-kaggaz.[2]
Biography[]
Baron Shinzar was a warlord who has ruled the Hammerlands for over 400 years. His long lifespan, nearly a thousand years, was fueled by the power of his weapon, the Ogg-kor-kaggaz. He stole this weapon from the Guild of Thieves in Helgor, which originated from Darklord Vashna himself, forged using the same power that would create the Nengud-kor-Adez.[3]
In MS 5060, he attacked Eru, overrunning the city of Luomi and burning the city to the ground. Crucially, he also captured the Lorestone of Luomi, which was sent to and locked in Torgar. Two years later, during the events of The Dungeons of Torgar, Baron Shinzar's forces were finally driven back to Cetza.[4] In the Battle of Cetza, against Eruan forces and their Lencian allies, Baron Shinzar was defeated, and was either killed (depending on the actions of the player) by Lone Wolf[5] or King Sarnac of Lencia.[6]
In the gamebooks[]
Baron Shinzar is encountered by the player in The Dungeons of Torgar if they choose the Cetza route at the start of the book. Lone Wolf will take part in the Battle of Cetza, and eventually come across Baron Shinzar.[7] The player will be given the option to fire an Arrow, but it has no impact on subsequent events even if it connects.
If the player does not have the Sommerswerd, Baron Shinzar will order a pack of Krorn to attack.
- Krorn Pack
Combat Skill 23, Endurance 60
↪The Dungeons of Torgar: §126
What happens next depends on how long the fight takes. Unusually, it is actually better to take a long time here. If the fight lasts four rounds or less, Baron Shinzar will attack Lone Wolf, who will parry the Ogg-kor-kaggaz with his weapon, but the power of the Baron's weapon destroys it.[8][note 1] Baron Shinzar will then attempt to kill the prone Lone Wolf, dealing 8 Endurance points of damage if the Random Number Roll is failed.
This skirmish (or if the fight takes longer than four rounds) is interrupted by the arrival of Prince Graygor and his army, who swarm the Hammerland rebels.[9] Baron Shinzar meets his end at the tip of the lance of King Sarnac of Lencia.[6]
If the player possesses the Sommerswerd, Baron Shinzar will instead engage Lone Wolf directly. Combat may be evaded after 3 rounds.
- Baron Shinzar (with Ogg-kor-kaggaz)
Combat Skill 40, Endurance 50
Immune to: Mindblast
↪The Dungeons of Torgar: §113
Regardless of how Baron Shinzar dies, Lone Wolf will then proceed through the Moggador Forest towards Torgar.
Notes[]
- ↑ The Project Aon errata suggests that if the weapon used to parry the Ogg-kor-kaggaz is a Special Item (such as the Dagger of Vashna), and it is your only weapon (Special Item or otherwise), it is not destroyed, using precedent in Lone Wolf Club Newsletter No.6. See the footnotes for §11 on Project Aon for more information.
References[]
- ↑ Jonathan Stark and August Hahn (2024-08-01). Episode 22: The Plague Lords of Ruel (Book 1 of Grandmaster). Journeys Through Magnamund. Holmgard Press. Timestamp: 45:19
- ↑ The Dungeons of Torgar: §113
- ↑ Vincent Lazzari (2024-07-06). Vincent Lazzari on Discord on the origins of the Ogg-kor-kaggaz."You'll be interested to learn that Baron Shinzar long ago stole from the Guild of Thieves of Helgor the Ogg-kor-kaggaz, a Darkland weapon rumored to have belonged to one of the Drakkarim Warlords who signed the Treaty of Darke in MS 3150 and received this weapon from Darklord Vashna himself. The Ogg-kor-Kaggaz thus predates Helgedad itself (initiated in MS 3262!), but it doesn't mean it wasn't forged in the Nengud-kor-Adez - the dark energies of the Lake of Blood were indeed used to make it, empowering it to the point this terrifying weapon increases its owner lifespan (Shinzar being more than 400 years old when he is defeated)."
- ↑ The Dungeons of Torgar: §1
- ↑ The Dungeons of Torgar: §300
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Dungeons of Torgar: §110
- ↑ The Dungeons of Torgar: §155
- ↑ The Dungeons of Torgar: §11
- ↑ The Dungeons of Torgar: §321