Oldoran Zagor

Oldoran Zagor is a powerful dark wizard and the most emblematic villain of the successful series of gamebooks'' Fighting Fantasy. He is indeed the only Fighting Fantasy'' villain to appear in three differents books, and the villain of the first book of the series. (This is also one of the first gamebooks ever written, and sets the bases of the world of Titan, ancestor of sorts to the Warhammer universe itself.)

About Zagor
Oldoran Zagor is described as an evil, ambitious and malevolent wizard who cares little about anyone else than himself. He wants to take over Allansia, the most featured of the three continents of the world of Titan, and he would stop at nothing to fufill his goal. The only thing which interests him about other people is what they own that he could steal, or the way he could use them. Those who survive to an expedition in his labyrinth are often thrown in jail for the rest of their lives or tortured to death.

Zagor is also greedy and rapacious, given that he very likely took control of Firetop Mountain to gain his ancestor's wealth, and that he ransacked lots of riches from the populations around. Moreover, he always keeps a great deal of gold and jewels next to him and he crafted his own money coins, the "golden Zagors" with which he pays his troops.

Zagor appears as someone intelligent and patient who seems to wait for the outcome of the conflict between his two "friends" and fellow apprentices Balthus Dire and Zharradan Marr before claiming Allansia for himself. He does not really care about death, as he always casts a resurrection spell should the worst (for him) happen. Yet, in Legend of Zagor, he appears clearly irked to see that another hero has, once again, come to defeat him.

Surprisingly enough from such an evil being, Zagor displays on many occasions a real respect towards his enemies, to whom he speaks very politely, and a strict code of honour. In Return to Firetop Mountain, when you overcome his Chaotic Elementals, he acknowledges you as an equal and challenges you to a fair duel with no armour and a single dagger for weapon, when he could have destroyed you with a Thunderbolt spell. (He goes as far as giving you a dagger to fight with.)

This code of honour may be the reason why Zagor did not took part in the Trolltooth Wars, and only grudgingly helped the hero Chadda Darkmane, as he may have valued his friendly rivalry with his former fellow apprentices. He might even have helped Darkmane because of a debt of honour of some sort between the two.

Despite this, it is made clear that he is very confident in his abilities, and most importantly that should he lose, he knows that he will rise again. It is also clear that he values his own ambition more than his friendship with Balthus Dire and Zharradan Marr, whose common defeat in the Trolltooth Wars served his own interest.

Background
Very little is revealed about Oldoran Zagor's past and origins in the gamebooks that feature him (even his first name is not mentioned), but more is told in several additional sources about the Fighting Fantasy universe.

He is the great-grandson of the powerful wizard Gallan Zagor, who gained an immense fortune from his practice of magic and took over the gloomy caverns of Firetop Mountain to hide his treasure. Oldoran himself was born in the town of Zengis in Allansia. Some less reliable sources precise that his father, the merchant-wizard Gerlekus Zagor, wanted his son to be of demonic origins, so that he performed a ritual to bring into the earthly planes a female demon that would give birth to Oldoran.

It is explained in the gamebook Creature of Havoc that when Zagor was a child, he was sent to the wicked wizard Volgera Darkstorm to be taught the arts of magic. He numbered among Darkstorm's very best students, along with two fellow pupils who were his equals in terms of power and malevolence; Balthus Dire and Zharradan Marr. The three apprentices became friends and (mostly) rivals, and started calling themselves the Demonic Three.

They soon grew powerful and talented enough to frighten the aging Volgera Darkstorm, who began to fear their evil and thus limited the lessons he gave them, hoping that they wouldn't learn too much. Unfortunately for him, the Demonic Three grew tired of this and disposed of their now useless teacher with a Rain of Knives spell. They then ransacked Darkstorm's library and possessions before parting ways, likely entering a (not so) friendly competition to conquer Allansia before the others.

Zagor headed to Firetop Mountain, which had been occupied by a tribe of dwarves since Gallan Zagor's death. The mountain had repeatedly appeared in his dreams and he grew convinced that his destiny was bound to it. He was also was very likely driven by the desire to obtain what was left of Gallan's treasure, which he regarded as his rightful inheritance. Zagor quickly raised an army of monsters, chaotics and undeads - including Slytherghach, his tamed Red Dragon - with which he slaughtered the dwarves and took over the caverns of Firetop Mountain, which he turned into a cursed place.

He expanded his armies, sending them on the neighbouring towns and villages on a regular basis, to abduct the guinea pigs he needed for his experiments and to steal riches to gain more wealth. It is even said that he cursed the surroundings of Firetop Mountain to turn those who die here into his undead servants. Zagor first displayed no apparent desire for conquest, but he may simply have waited for Balthus Dire and Zharradan Marr to fight to the death before making his move.

In the novel Trolltooth Wars, which retconnects the events described in Citadel of Chaos and Creature of Havoc, it is said that the famed salamonian hero Chadda Darkmane ventured into Firetop Mountain and came to an uneasy agreement with Zagor, who grudgingly accepted to help him reach Zharradan Marr, whom Darkmane eventually defeated.

Powers and Abilities
Oldoran Zagor is described by the great mage Gereth Yaztromo as one of the most powerful wizards ever seen on Titan. He mostly specialises in Elemental magic, as he is seen using element-based attack spells, commanding vegetal beings and crafting spells that can create fissures on the ground, but most importantly summoning Elementals (immensely powerful creatures made of a distinct element) to serve him. Zagor is also well versed in Demonology, as well as Necromancy, though to a lesser extent. He can raise living-deads and cast his signature resurrection spell, which can revive him long after his demise, as long as a part of his body remains. He can also summon many kinds of powerful demonic beings and cast curses.

Zagor has displayed the magical abilities to shape-shift, to teleport, to perform levitation and telekynesis, to hypnotise people, to cast generic illusions, to see and talk where he is not physically present through a picture which represents him, and to cause plagues and disasters. Inside the caverns of Firetop Mountain, the player can find animated objects which move as if used by someone invisible to perform a distinct task, or who animate themselves to attack any passer by; drawings that become real things or drawings that cast a spell on those who see them; writtings that cast a deadly curse on those who read them and a gem that transforms into a very powerful warrior made of carved crystal. All this being caused by Zagor's powerful magic.
 * In Warlock of Firetop Mountain, Zagor's power is rumoured to reside in his treasured deck of bewitched cards. A rumour that eventually proves true, as you can destroy the cards to drastically decrease the warlock’s might. This numbers among the possibilities to avoid the final battle or to make it easier, should the final enemy prove too strong for you. In the other two gamebooks, Zagor’s deck reappears, still carrying powerful magic but without further incidence on Zagor’s powers.
 * Return to Firetop Mountain focuses on Zagor's Elemental powers. Zagor's magic once gives birth to a flaming spirit and Zagor's surgeon-mages cast a spell very likely devised by the warlock himself, to open a huge fissure on the ground to trap you inside before closing it. Before the final battle, Zagor will summon four Chaotic Elementals to fight you.
 * In Legend of Zagor, the mighty warlock is accidently transported to another world, where he gets fused with a high-ranking demon and transforms into an incredibly powerful demon warlock. Because of this transformation, Zagor's power gradually increases, and he would have become unfathomably powerful and invincible, had you not reached him before the final stage of the metamorphosis. During the final battle, Zagor's magical might, physical strength and overall power are already far beyond the limit of any fighter, and you must decrease it to stand a chance against him. Zagor has also gained the demon's foul ability to corrupt people's spirit and has become virtually immortal, as even when you kill him he awakes after a determinded length of time.

Zagor is also able to fight with a dagger, which he wields with remarkable proficiency.

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain
Being the first gamebook of the series, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain focuses more on the situations encountered by the player than the characters' personalities and backgrounds. Oldoran Zagor himself is almost never referred by his name, which is only mentioned when you "meet" him through a painting, and when you venture into the Maze of Zagor. Even during the battle against him, the narration refers to him as "Warlock" when his skill (level of power) and stamina (life-points) are displayed.

Zagor is surrounded in mystery and rumours, (who are not always false) as very few have met him in person and lived to tell the tale. He is not presented as someone malevolent or ambitious, though his commanding monsters and having prisoners tortured without reason give enough indication of his alignment. What is known for sure is that Zagor guards an immense treasure which you want to steal, should you do it over the warlock’s dead body. Paradoxically, Zagor appears as a sort of victim who stands to protect his legitimate property and even his life.

You must explore the caverns of Firetop Mountain, and later find your way through the Maze (which sure deserves his name) within the innermost sanctum, while overcoming many obstacles, deadly traps and more or less dangerous monsters (including a strong iron golem, a dangerous wight and a powerful vampire). You must also collect many items, including the keys that can open the treasure chest at the end of the gamebook. Without the right keys, the game ends in a failure even if you succeeded in finding and killing Zagor.
 * Zagor's quarters are protected by a powerful dragon with 10 in skill and 15 in stamina. (Ironically, when the Fighting Fantasy universe further developped, these statistics came to prove ridiculously weak for a dragon.) You can defeat the dragon without fighting it, if you can cast a special incantation.

Facing Zagor
Zagor is a powerful enemy with 11 in skill (with the maximum being 12) and 18 in stamina. You can try using some items against him before fighting, but if the item proves useless, Zagor retaliates with flames that cost 3 stamina points. If you own magical gem Eye of Cyclops, it will reduce Zagor to dust without fight. You can also destroy his bewitched playing cards, reducing Zagor to 7 in skill and 12 in stamina and making the final battle way easier.

The ending paragraph states that you can choose to use Zagor’s book of magic to become the new lord of Firetop Mountain, but the canon later retconnected the story to fit his return, stating that the hero took the treasure and left.

Return to Firetop Mountain
Return to Firetop Mountain makes clear that Oldoran Zagor was an evil warlock who spread fear and misery all over the land, and that his victor is hailed as a hero. Ten years after Zagor’s demise. Everyone knows that he is dead and his name no longer frightens people.

Alas, Zagor cast a resurrection spell before being slain. He rises from the grave and causes a plague in the city of Kaad, before starting a second reign of terror even worse than the previous one. Also, given that Zagor resurrected without regaining his decayed body he has his monsters abduct people everywhere, using their bodies to rebuild his own. As such, he is now covered in scars but retains his face.

You play as an adventurer looking for fame and riches, who arrives in a small village and offers to get rid of Zagor. Unfortunately, Zagor has spies in every nearby village and you must track down those who heard about his mission. You can either go to the city of Kaad to ask for the great mage Yaztromo's help or directly head to Firetop Mountain. However, if you choose the latter, you will lack informations and items needed to succeed and will surely lose the game.

Upon arriving to Kaad, and even if Zagor's spies were killed, the warlock sends a dangerous ghostly doppelganger who impersonates Yaztromo to dispose of you. Yaztromo cannot leave the city, as he is busy curing the victims of the plague, but he provides precious indications and directs you to a shop where you can buy extremely useful (if not mandatory) items, and to a half-elf owning a giant eagle that would take you to Firetop Mountain. (The half-elf is later captured and tortured, and eventually meets his demise after helping you one last time.)

The caverns of Firetop Mountain are quite the same as in the first book. The player can even find elements of the previous adventure, such as empty boxes which contained items back then, and skeletons of monsters once slain. (who rise again and attack the player) However, the place is now much gloomier and there is more monsters (stronger than in the previous book) and more traps. The player must survive the encounters with Zagor's wizard servants and the trials they put, and find four golden dragon teeth and learn the incantation and numbers linked to them, if he/she wants to survive the confrontation with Zagor.


 * There is no longer neither the Maze nor the dragon but Zagor's quarters are now guarded by a much more powerful monster, a Mutant of Chaos created by Zagor himself. (The player needs to find a way to avoid the fight, as the creature has 12 in skill and 13 in stamina, and if it strikes the player twice, it rises to 14 in skill and 14 in stamina. Given the Mutant's strength, the metamorphosis is unavoidable, and there is no way the player can hold his/her own against 14 skill points, which is 2 points over the maximum available.) Then, the player must escape from Zagor's surgeon wizards.

Facing Zagor
Zagor himself greets the player, stating that he needs his/her left arm to complete his body and summons four Chaotic Elementals, one after another. If the player has the four dragon teeth, the incantation and the corresponding numbers, he/she will be able to summon his/her own Elementals to counter them. Fire being countered by Water, Water by Wind, Wind by Earth and Earth by Fire. (The player also needs a throwing dagger to kill a rat that steals one of the golden teeth before it touches the ground.) Zagor then challenges the player into a fair fight. Once again, the mighty warlock has 11 in skill and 18 in stamina but this time, fighting is the only way to kill him.

Despite the player's best efforts, the ending paragraph states that Zagor will resurrect again.

Legend of Zagor
Given that a third trip to Firetop Mountain would have proven uninteresting, Zagor's third return takes place in another world very similar to Titan, in a kingdom called Amarillia.

The book's introduction states that five years ago, the populations of Amarillia scarcely managed to win the war against the fearsome Demon Bone and his armies of monsters, when the Demon Bone himself was trapped into the magical Casket of Souls, banishing him outside of the world. However, the monsters continue to plague the land and the kingdom is on the verge of collapsing.

Worse, it happens that the magic that expelled the Demon Bone from this world accidentaly dragged Oldoran Zagor, who had just resurrected for the second time, inside it. Both demonic beings were trapped in the same in-between limbo, where they merged into one demon warlock of unfathomable power. The newly-turned-demon Zagor came into Amarillia and took shelter in the Castle Argent, the former castle of the Amarillian kings, which the Demon Bone's armies invaded and ransacked. There, Zagor spread his evil influence over the castle and the entire land. Given that Zagor and the Demon Bone are now one and the same, (though Zagor's personality prevailed) he had no difficulties in gathering the Demon's surviving monsters under his command. Zagor's power is slowly but surely increasing and he is close to gain unprecedented and unstoppable might. Should this happen, he would effortlessly reform the Demon Bone's entire armies and invade Amarillia once again. And this time, the exhausted nation would not be able to resist.

Fortunately, the great mage Gereth Yaztromo managed to sense Zagor's disappearance and to establish a contact with Amarillia, warning the boy-king Irian of the upcoming threat. Irian, whose entire armies are busy keeping the kingdom stable, hires the player to destroy Zagor before he reaches his full power. (The book's major innovation enables the player to choose between four different characters to lead the adventure.) The player must venture into the Castle Argent and fight his way to the demon warlock. Needless to say, the castle is full of monsters, traps, riddles and obstacles; even worse, the player might catch several kind of plagues that would hinder him/her greatly. The player must gather as many Talismans of Gold and Silver Daggers as he/she can, and find a powerful magical weapon (a distinct one for each character) to stand a chance against Zagor.

The player can also buy several useful items from the merchant "Three-Eyes" Haag (a cameo of the author Ian Livingstone) and the elven Thief Prince Elranel, enlist the help of a young thief, and finally find two relics that will prove extremely useful: a powerful Onyx Staff guarded by a very powerful and dangerous Air Elemental with 12 in skill (the regular maximum) and 16 in stamina, and a enchanted orc-slaying sword.

Legend of Zagor contains many references to the previous books, and once again the player can "meet" Zagor through a bewitched painting or find his bewitched cards. Also, once again Zagor's last line of defence is a powerful dragon, only weaker that him by a single skill point.

The player will have to fight Zagor's mighty generals:
 * Thulu the Orc King, is surrounded with a court of monsters that must be destroyed first. Weapons that can strike several targets and the orc-slaying sword will make the battle easier. Thulu himself is pretty strong, as he has 9 in skill and 17 in stamina.
 * The Dark Knight is a powerful enemy with 11 in skill and 17 in stamina. With the Onyx Staff, the player can summon a red lion that will inflict constant damages and decrease his skill by 2 points, making the fight way easier.
 * Grool the mutant ogre is a clever and troublesome enemy with 9 in skill and 22 in stamina. Using the Onyx Staff can decrease his stamina by 10 but when wounded enough, he uses a magic ring to teleport atop the tower, and fire with a ballista that can cause a loss of 10 stamina points! If the player manages to reach the top of the tower while dodging the rocks he throws, Grool will try to drink a healing potion before restarting the battle.
 * The Champion of the Hellhorns (powerful demons summoned by Zagor) has 10 in skill and 16 in stamina. He uses his poisonous breath to decrease the player's skill and fights with poisoned horns and whips that cost from 1 to 4 stamina points and can even decrease the player's skill. The Onyx Staff can inflict him huge damages before starting the fight.

But the most dangerous of Zagor's many generals is none other that the second-to-last enemy of the game, the most powerful of the fearsome War Dragons, a mighty kind of dragon wizards.

Facing the War Dragon
Without the Onyx Staff which can decrease his skill by 3 points, or a special relic that can increase the player's skill for one fight, the War Dragon is virtually invincible, as he has 15 in skill (3 points over the maximum) and 20 in stamina. Worse, he can only be harmed with magic weapons and spells and he can attack with his bites and his flaming breath, which cost respectively 3 and 4 stamina points, in addition to his claws. Upon defeating the mighty beast, the player can tap into his treasure and gain priceless items. Then the only threat left will be none other than the dreadful Oldoran Zagor himself.

Facing Zagor
In this book, Zagor is a truly formidable enemy, with 16 in skill and 20 in stamina no less! This makes him one of the most powerful Fighting Fantasy villains ever. Every Talisman of Gold that the player owns will cost him 1 skill point and every Silver Dagger will cost him 2 stamina points. If the player hasn't got at least three Talismans, he/she is as good as dead. (If the player has ten Silver Daggers, Zagor's stamina will fall to 0 without fight but this almost never happens.) Before fighting, the player can try to attack Zagor at distance with special items but the mighty demon warlock can only be harmed by magic weapons or spells, and if he was to gain the upper hand, his spell would cost 1 skill point and 2 stamina point. Zagor can also summon a beast to fight the player and regain stamina during the battle.

During the battle against Zagor, the player can use any weapon, as long as it's a magic one. But Zagor also uses very powerful attacks. In the first turn, he casts a Lightning Spell that costs 7 stamina points; in the second a Fireball spell that costs 5 stamina points; in the third a Life-Absorbing spell that costs 1 skill point and 2 stamina points; in the fourth and fifth, he attacks with a poisoned dagger that costs 3 stamina points; and in the following ones, he attacks with his claws and fists that cost the regular 2 stamina points. Therefore, the player has better win at least the first three turns to avoid his most dangerous attacks.

When Zagor is defeated, the player has a limited amount of time to drag his corpse to the magical Heartfire located in the caverns below Castle Argent, and throw it into the flames in order to destroy him once and for all. The player must by no means lose any second, because after a certain amount of time, Zagor partially awakes and grabs the player, drastically slowing him/her down. After another (shorter) amount of time, he fully awakes and kills the player. The player also needs to have more than 4 stamina point left when Zagor is thrown into the fiery pit, or else he/she will fall as well.

Other

 * Legend of Zagor was adapted in a boardgame and a series of three novels, co-written by Ian Livingstone, co-creator of the Fighting Fantasy series and by Carl Sargent, best known by fans under his nom de plume Keith Martin.
 * The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is about to be released as a video game on Nintendo DS.
 * Oldoran Zagor's page on Titannica the Fighting Fantasy Wiki http://fightingfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Oldoran_Zagor