| Crusaders of Serakub | |
|---|---|
| |
| Homeland | Serakub, on the world of Orb |
| Race/Species | Human |
| Gender | male (Paladin, Wizard, Priest), female (Shieldmaiden) |
| Alignment | Good |
The Crusaders of Serakub are a group of adventurers and denizens of the world of Orb appearing in the gamebook Talisman of Death.
Known members[]
- The Shieldmaiden
- The only known female member of the group, she is a warrior clad in chainmail and armed with a crossbow.[1]
- The Paladin
- A tall man clad in silver plate armor and wielding a Holy Sword.[1]
- The Wizard
- A man clad in flowing, gold-colored robes.[1] Underneath the smiling golden mask he wears, his face is disfigured by burns.[2]
- The Priest
- A stocky man wearing chainmail under a white surcoat, which is adorned with a red cross, and using a mace as his weapon.[1] He is a follower of Avatar.[3]
Description[]
Talisman of Death[]
The Crusaders are a team of adventurers hired by the Loremasters of Serakub to recover the Talisman of Death, a vile artefact created by the servants of the Fleshless King to bring death and ultimate devastation to Orb, thus allowing the dark god Death to reign supreme. The Loremasters discerned the existence of the Talisman and its location in the bowels of Orb, and hired a group of adventurers to recover it before the Fleshless King could make use of it.[4]
However, the expedition was costly, and of their original number only four Crusaders survived.[1][4] Fleeing back to the surface with the Talisman, they found their way blocked, but also encountered a human from the world of Earth, whom the Orbian gods Fate and Time had chosen to take the Talisman back to his own world, to keep it out of the Fleshless King's reach.[4] Just as the Wizard prepared to use the last of his power to transport the Talisman's bearer to the surface, an army of the servants of Death attacked the party. The Shieldmaiden fell quickly, but just before the rest of them could be overwhelmed too, the spell succeeded and the bearer was transported away.[5]
Way of the Tiger[]
In the gamebook spin-off to Talisman of Death, Way of the Tiger, the ultimate fate of the remaining Crusaders is disclosed. During a quest to save two of his friends from the bowels of Orb, the ninja Avenger infiltrates a temple of the spider goddess Nullaq, the Black Widow, where he finds one of his friends and the Crusaders trapped in ice pods and subjected to eternal torment by the Daughters of Nullaq, tiny spiders inserted into their brains.[6] When Avenger revives them, the Paladin briefly awakes, virtually possessed, before he is killed by the Daughters of Nullaq in his head; and the Priest remains in stasis, his faith fending off the influence of the Daughters.[7] The Wizard is dying from the poison of Nullaq he was forced to ingest before his imprisonment, but he is able to muster enough power to transport Avenger and his friend to safety before expiring.[8]
Appearances[]
Adventures
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Talisman of Death - 12
- ↑ Way of the Tiger #7: Redeemer! - 302
- ↑ Way of the Tiger #7: Redeemer! - 312
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Talisman of Death - 100
- ↑ Talisman of Death - 125
- ↑ Way of the Tiger #7: Redeemer! - 360
- ↑ Way of the Tiger #7: Redeemer! - 292, 312
- ↑ Way of the Tiger #7: Redeemer! - 302, 332