The Fall of A King

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[ 50] Lorna: The Fall of a King
Sun Dec 5 04:26:37 1999
To: All

Ebencaleneezer, King of Demons, Lord of Demon Realm, has earned the attentions of a few immortals, myself included.

Ebencaleneezer insulted all mortals. He called you all incompetent, worm-ridden hunks of flesh. He referred to one of the more (in)famous heroes of the realm as meat to carpet his throne room. He said that all mortals cowered in fear to their gods for protection from his demonic hordes.

Such things are of little concern to me. Then the Demon who calls himself King made a mistake. He mocked Chance.

I have made a wager - a bet that Ebencaleneezer would be slain in his own realm, in his throne room, that a mark of Chance (which is now seared into his demonic flesh, to be removed only by those who slay him) will be placed upon his emptied throne, and that his slayer(s) will survive to walk out of Demon Realm. The bet is that all this will occur before the end of the outworld month (BEFORE December 31st - I cannot attend TFC on the last day of the year due to work requirements), by mortals.

I am providing some incentive to see this happen before the end of the month. In essence, a bounty has been placed upon Ebencaleneezer's throne.

Prizes: The following will be awarded to the first individual, or group, who fights their way through demon realm to reach Ebencaleneezer, slay his guards, the Princes, and Ebencaleneezer himself, to claim the Mark of Chance he bears, then survive to walk out of demon realm without the aid of magical transport:

Pride Items unparalleled in worth.

Gold.

Enchantable average 10 weapons of demon-slaying.

The secret to the use of Chance coins.

Molo the Arch-Lich has proposed a side bet, which I have accepted. He bets that his Conclave will be the first to slay Ebencaleneezer in his realm, per the terms outlined. If a Good party of adventurers slays Ebencaleneezer and walks out of Demon Realm before his Conclave, he will provide a simple ring, enchanted against evil, from his own inventory.

Not to be outdone by the Patron of the Dark Arts, I will provide additional incentive for Non-evils, and non-Nashites to defeat the King of Demons. If the first group to slay Ebencaleneezer, and walk out of the demon realm, is not Nashite and not evil, I will bestow Major Amulets of Blocking, Health, or Anti-theft upon the members.

The "fine print": no shortcuts into Demon Realm - entry must be by the "main entrance," beyond the guardian daemons and the gnome. Ebencaleneezer, his guardians, and the Demon Princes must all be slain. The group (or individual) must then leave Demon Realm without using magical transport - no recall, portal, teleport, summon, or other such methods - walk out. Yes, that is possible. The prizes and the prestige for vanquishing Ebencaleneezer go only to the FIRST group or individual to do so. For the additional incentives of the amulets, the group must NOT contain a single Nashite or Evil character, at any point through the task. The secret of using Chance coins will carry additional conditions that will be imparted to the winners, if any, when they are told. Only those group members who are alive during the battle with Ebencaleneezer, survive that battle, and remain alive until the group walks out of Demon Realm will be considered "winners."

A WARNING: If you choose to attempt this, you are accepting the risks entailed. Demon realm is a very dangerous place. You might die. You might lose your equipment. Other people might be trying to kill or otherwise impair you or your group as a means of aiding the success of their own group or side. If you choose to participate in this adventure, and something really nasty happens to you, do not be surprised, and remember that it was YOUR choice. Finally, beware, the regenerative abilities of Demons are significant.

Lorna, Goddess of Chance
< Wager begun: Thursday, December 2nd, 1999.



[ 49] Tynian: Long live the king
Fri Dec 3 10:29:37 1999
To: all

Regarding Lorna's quest: I'm betting on Ebencaleneezer and the demons. I mean no offense, but I don't believe there is anyone left in the mortal world with a strong enough spirit to totally destroy one's enemy, let alone the physical prowess necessary to accomplish the task.

Perhaps I can be proven wrong. If the quest that Lorna has outlined is completed to Lorna's satisfaction, I will see to it that those avg 10 demon-slayers are enchanted as +5/+8 weapons. I will do this regardless of the alignment of those that first succeed in this quest, since surely the slaying of Ebencaleneezer and his minions is an unparalleled act of Good.

Good luck to anyone who believes themselves to be among the most powerful mortals that this world has seen... if there are any left.

See Lorna's FYI for conditions and exclusions. Some restrictions may apply. Not available in all areas. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Limited time and quantity only.


Post-Challenge Notes

[ 8] Vecna: The Log of the Demon Realm Throne Room Battle
Sun Dec 5 09:42:12 1999
To: all
If you hadn't heard, King Ebencaleneezer has been defeated in his own realm. If you care, you can view the log at: The Throne Battle. Vecna, Lord Arch-Mage of the Grey Vortex

(note: that link is no longer valid. Contact Cordir for a copy of Stoutbound's log, which is a zip file of over 400 pages in length.)

[ 9] Hornblower: The Fall of a King
Sun Dec 5 10:52:12 1999
To: all
Let me congratulate the group of Vecna, Chronic, Rocky, Craige, Liam, Uukrul, and Stouthbound.
I must be honest and say that the log of the battle looked easier than expected :)
Again, awesome work.
Hornblower and Teina (chirp)

[ 11] Pez: Vecna, Conclave, and The King
Mon Dec 6 08:00:10 1999
To: all
Congratz are in order for this group of adventurers However, let me be blunt: there was little doubt in my mind that it would be these folks who would accomplish such a deed.
Who else in this land has such power, other than the Gods themselves? It is clearly obvious to me that Molo's bet was a well placed one.

It has been a long time indeed since a cohesive group had the power to challenge The Conclave. Certainly, there may be individuals with the ability to put up an excellent fight and win on a one on one basis. But no group or following operates as such a well oiled machine. Even I, King of All Trivia, Master Confectioner, and Keeper of the Mirth, must bow in deference until another more powerful group comes along. I fear I will have quite a long wait.

Vecna, as leader of this group, has shown himself once again to be a giant among men. He is the epitome of the rugged individualist, a man of legend and myth. He belongs to no following, which makes them all the weaker for his absence.

Therefore, while my congratulations are given to those members of the Conclave who comprised the backbone of this group, my greatest accolade is hereby bestowed upon Vecna:
The Galactic Center Pez
This one of a kind candy has a taste that is indescribable, and everlasting.
All other Pez pale in comparison.
Sincerely,
Pez, the Phrozen Phricaseed Pharoah of Phairlington Pharm