Night Dragon

The eponymous villain and final enemy of the Fighting Fantasy gamebook Night Dragon, the monumental Night Dragon is notable for being the most powerful enemy ever fought in any of the series' gamebooks. (Though it must be noted that there is one villain with a higer level of power, but he cannot be defeated with his primary stats, while the Night Dragon does.) The Night Dragon is an awesome ancient monster of unfathomable might, whom the player must destroy before he awakes, or else the entire world of Titan will be reduced to a wasteland.

Overall Presentation
The Night Dragon appeared even before Time itself, during the very beginning of the world of Titan, and was one of the very first dragons ever created. It is not known whether he was one of the dragons created by the Dragon God Kilanirax and was later corrupted by the forces of Evil; or was created directly by the High Lords of Evil and Chaos, the Demon Gods, in retaliation for the creation of the dragon kind. What is sure is that he numbers among the very few beings who dwarf the Demon Princes themselves, being second only to the Demon Gods.

The Night Dragon himself is a gargantuarian abomination over fourty meters long, with scales darker than night that glimmer with silvery reflections, a double spiked crest, and many spiky protrusions all over his monumental body. His head with black fangs as big as a human arm and piercing blue eyes colder than death itself is naught but a horned mask of purest terror. The Night Dragon himself was never heard speaking by human ears, but he surely has the ability to speak every existing language and the high intelligence befitting any other Ancient Dragon.

What is known for sure is that the Night Dragon is one of the very first dragons, that he does not fit in the regular dragonic species of Titan, (Gold, Silver, Black, White, Green, Red and Blue) and that he is much more powerful than the Great Dragons. (Who are the mightiest beings ever seen in Titan, and stand between 14 and 18 skill points: 2 to 6 points over the usual maximum of 12.) He is mostly seen breathing fire, (like the Gold, Green and Red Dragons) but he has also proven able to breathe cold flame and acidic fumes (like the Silver Dragons and the Black Dragons respectively). He might be able to use the breath of the other dragon kinds as well, (namely the ice breath of the White Dragons and the lightning breath of the Blue Dragons), the control over the forces of nature and the frightful gaze of the Great Dragons (who can easily shatter a strong spirit by merely staring at someone).

The Night Dragon also displayed incredible strength and magical powers, far superior to that of any other Ancient Dragon; as well as a formidable control over shadows and darkness. Moreover, he can enter and influence the Dreamtime (an oniric world made from the dreams of all living creatures), plaguing it with nightmares. Finally, being an Ancient Dragon, he is protected by the Unbreakable Oath, that prevents any dragon to act against the first ones of their kind (even indirectly) without dying.

History
Before time itself came to the word, bringing with it the mortal creatures, the forces of Good led by the Gods of Titan, and the forces of Evil led by the Demon Gods, Death, Disease and Decay (named after what humans consider the worst disasters in the world) fought in a long and cataclysmic war, remembered as the First Battle, during which the formidable Night Dragon fought as one of the most formidable champions of the forces of Evil. The Gods eventually won, and threw the Demon Gods along with most of their followers into the Void.

It is said that the Night Dragon was once defeated, (likely during the First Battle or its direct aftermath) thanks to the use of three mystical weapons crafted by the Gods themselves: a sword, a shield and a chainmail. Yet, the immortal beast survived the battle and entered a slumber, which was to last for all of eternity. Since then, most of the present-day living beings no longer remember anything about the formidable monster, contrary to many worshippers of Chaos. Now, many eons have passed since the First Battle. The Night Dragon is about to emerge from the Dreamtime, and all his worshippers are working towards this goal. If the antediluvian abomination were to reappear, everything alive would be blown away like dust under the icy northern winds, and the entire world of Titan would be reduced to a chaotic wasteland.

Role in the Gamebook
While the Night Dragon is the final enemy faced in the gamebook and the primary threat, he remains in his slumber during the major part of the story, and the player has to reach him and destroy him before he fully awakes. Because of this, the game's actual antagonist is the Cult of the Night Dragon, a doomsday cult formed by many worshippers of Chaos, who seek to accelerate the return of their demonic idol.

The story begins in the infamous Port Blacksand, the awful City of Thieves populated by the vilest kind of scoundrel ever seen in Titan. There the player meets a Black Elf, who warns him or her against the upcomming threat of the Night Dragon, and tells him/her that the legendary Conclave of Dragons is looking for a warrior brave and skilled enough to rise against the fearsome beast.

There are three special rules in the game. The first one is Honour, which measure the player's good deeds, the second one is Time Track (the more time the player spends, the stronger the Night Dragon will be during the final battle), and the third one is called Nemesis and measures the Cult's wariness towards the player. The higher it is, the more determined the cultists will be to kill the player and the more dangerous the game will become.

Unfortunately, the Cult has spies everywhere and they regularly kills the player's contacts and try to get rid of him/her. Among the monsters controlled by the Cult, the most dangerous are the horrid Stalkers: powerful mutants created from dragons' eggs through the use of Dark Magic, who fight with poisoned weapons and claws that inflict additional damage.

Thanks to the help of the Black Elves, (who might be an evil race but do not want life to be wiped out) the player reaches the Conclave of Dragons, a meeting of the elders of the six major dragon races, who admit that they are powerless before the Old One, who in spite of his evil nature is protected by the Unbreakable Oath. They tell the player about the Divine Sword, Shield and Chainmail that the player must find in order to stand a chance against the Old One, and about the Lore Master, the immortal mage who watches over the Dreamtime whom the player must meet.

The player can search for the three divine relics in any order he/she wants and can also visit two nearby towns, Ismater and Carnex during his quest. Carnex is a very dangerous town which the Cult has taken over; controlling the townsfolk through a potion they put in their food. If the player ventures in Carnex and manages to slay Scalmagzaprin the Cult's High Priest, the Nemesis score will decrease significantly and the player will gain an extremely valuable Grimoire.
 * The High Priest is a very powerful and dangerous enemy with 11 in skill (level of power) and 15 in stamina, (life-points) who wields a flaming scimitar and a magic wand. During the first four turns, he can strike the player with a magical bolt from his wand that cost 4 stamina points and his bewitched blade costs 3 stamina points instead of the regular 2.

The player needs to visit a tribe of Mountain Giants and buy the Shield; (or gain him after a difficult battle against the mighty son of the tribe's chief) to explore an ancient crypt, in which dwell both a powerful but noble and honourable Undead Lord and a dangerous Wraith Wizard, to gain the Sword; and an ancient dwarven mine haunted by a Basilisk, who turned its entire population into stone, something only reflecting the Basilisk' petrifying gaze with the Magic Mirror can undo, to gain the Chainmail. Having the three divine weapons is not compulsory but it still proves highly useful against the many powerful monsters encountered.

Then, the player meets the Lore Master, who sends him/her into the Dreamtime where he/she might face an oniric image of the Night Dragon himself, far weaker than the original one but still very dangerous.
 * The Dream Dragon has 12 in skill (the regular maximum) and 16 in stamina, and breathes cold flame that might cost 6 stamina points before fighting. It must be noted that if the player uses the Divine Shield to deflect the Dream Dragon's breath it will not be able to withstand the breath of the real dragon, so it is better to try to dodge it.

If the player manages to defeat his oniric avatar, the Old One will lose 1 skill point and 2 stamina points for the final battle. The player can also gain powerful magical artifacts that will prove extremely useful; the Magic Mirror, the Light Sphere and the Winged Boots being the most useful ones. However, gaining those items is not without risk, as the Night Dragon swarmed the Dreamtimes with monsters and obstacles.

After exiting the Dreamtime, the player must head to the Dragon Reeches in the Icefinger Mountains, and sneak into the Dragon Caves, the lair of the Cult where the fearsome Old One is resting. The player must face many traps and vile high-ranking members of the Cult, including a powerful and treacherous Red Wizard who can provide precious information if the player spares his life but must not be allowed to flee; and above all its supreme leader, the Bone Stalker Mage (a fanatic wizard who relinquished his humanity and turned himself into a horrendous half-human half-dragon chimera, and who guards the door leading to the Night Dragon's cave).
 * The Red Wizard has 11 in skill and 15 in stamina and first tries to unleash a swarm of winged skulls, then fights with energy balls that cost 4 stamina points and a poisoned dagger that inflicts additional damage.

Three magical devices used to restore the Old One's power are located into the gloomy caves. There is a magical, sentient Pyramidal Cell surrouded by Chill Shadows, which replenishes the Night Dragon's magic. There is also the Furnace which strengthens the beast and an animated Dragon Statue which restores his energy. The more devices the player destroys the easier the final battle will be, but they are protected by powerful and dangerous guards.
 * The Pyramidal Cell is a bizarre yet dangerous enemy surrounded by many ghostly Chill Shadows that must be destroyed before reaching it. (They can't be destroyed without a magic weapon) It has 10 in skill and 11 in stamina and whenever it wins an attack-round, it can either raise its skill total or strike the player with magical energy.
 * The Bone Stalker Champion who guards the Furnace is a very powerful enemy with 11 in skill and 14 in stamina, who fights with a poisoned blade that costs 4 stamina points.
 * The Dragon Statue itself is a very dangerous Stone Juggernaut with 11 in skill and 18 in stamina, whose blows cost 3 (and might even cost 6) stamina points.

Destroying the Pyramid with the Light Sphere will prevent the Night Dragon from spellcasting; destroying the Furnace with the Magic Mirror will cost him 1 skill point; and destroying the Dragon Statue will cost him 3 stamina points.

Fighting the Bone Stalker Mage
The Bone Stalker Mage is protected by an invisible magical barrier that the player must destroy to reach him. The only safe way to overcome this is to throw the Magic Mirror at the Mage. Attacking at long range can work but leaves the player open for a dangerous spell of fire threads that cost 4 stamina points and one skill point for the battle against the Mage, should the player be hit. If the player charges at his/her enemy without caution the collision will cost him 3 stamina points and the Mage's spell will strike without fail.

The Bone Stalker Mage is a very powerful enemy with 13 in skill and 16 in stamina. As if it was not enough, his awful smell costs the player one skill point for the battle and his attacks are dangerous. He attacks for the first two turns by summoning snakes of red energy that cost 4 stamina points, before fighting with a poisoned blade that cost 4 stamina points for three turns, then 2 stamina points when the poison vanishes. Fortunately, if the player wields the Divine Weapons, even the wretched Cult Leader will not even be a match for him/her. As for the Night Dragon himself, that's another story.

Fighting the Night Dragon
When the player finally encounters the Night Dragon, the monumental beast is not fully awake and has yet to regain his full power. Despite this, the he still surpasses any monster ever fought in a Fighting Fantasy gamebook. Shooting arrows at the Old One invariably misses and the abomination retaliates with a spell that reduces the power boost granted by the Divine Chainmail. If the player climbs down the stairs towards the Night Dragon, he will conjure shadowy threads which might cost 4 stamina points and 1 skill point. Then, he casts a spell to surround himself in shadows and gains an advantage in the upcoming battle. If the player can grow a magical plant, he/she will avoid the first spell; and if he/she wears winged boots he/she will be able to fly into the abyss faster than the half-asleep Dragon can react and engage a fight directly. If the player has destroyed the Pyramidal Cell, he/she has nothing to fear from the Old One's magic.

The divine Shield is the only thing that can withstand the Night Dragon’s fearsome flaming breath. Without it, the player loses 6 stamina points no matter what weapon he/she tries to use, as the dragon’s breath is impossible to dodge. The Night Dragon has 17 in skill (5 points over the regular maximum) and 32 in stamina no less. The Night Dragon's stamina will also be increased depending on the amount of time the player spent to reach him. The player needs the Divine Weapons to face this formidable and immensely powerful enemy. If the player has no Divine Weapon, he/she is as good as dead. Only one weapon is far from enough, but with the three the battle will be much easier. If the player wields the divine weapons and managed to weaken the Old One during the course of the game, he/she is almost sure to win. Be careful though, as each blow from the Night Dragon costs 3 stamina points instead of the regular 2. Moreover, if the dragon cast a spell to hide himself in shadows the player's blows will miss him 1 in 6 times, unless he/she owns a Sphere of Light. Should the player run short of stamina, he/she can sacrifice the Divine Shield to regain 10 points, but at the cost of the power boost it grants.

When the Night Dragon is slain, the battle is not over yet, as the beast's severed head animates itself and attacks the player one last time. The acid-breathing Night Dragon Skull has 11 in skill and 12 in stamina, but in spite of its high level of power, it is hardly a match for someone who defeated the nightmarish, antediluvian monster and shall be slain quickly. However, after slaying the beast for good, the player will have to exit the Dragon's Caves safely to fully finish the game.