Zanbar Bone



Zanbar Bone the Night Prince is a highly powerful undead demon warlock, who serves as the primary antagonist and final enemy of the Fighting Fantasy gamebook City of Thieves. His title, the Night Prince, implies that he has an immense influence over the Evil of the world of Titan. Zanbar Bone is famous for being the villain of the book that introduces one of the most important and recurring elements of the Fighting Fantasy series: Port Blacksand, the eponymous City of Thieves.

Appearance
Zanbar Bone is described as a skeleton with shinning green eyes, wearing a golden crown and a black robe. Being a living skeleton wielding magic powers hints that he is some sort of undead-individual with possible demonic origins, and the crown is likely linked to his title; the Night Prince. The official illustrations of the books City of Thieves and Out of the Pit (a book that further describes many of the notable monsters of the Fighting Fantasy universe) depict him with many horns all over the skull, spikes around the neck, claws, and cat-like eyes, furthering the possibility of a demonic origin. He is also depicted with a diadem instead of a crown, and carrying a scythe which makes him look similar to the Grim Reaper.

Background
Zanbar Bone's past and rise to power was not described in the gamebook itself, which presents him as an evil Dark Lord exerting his evil influence all over Titan and feared by everyone. His origins are clearly defined in Titan the Fighting Fantasy World and Out of the Pit, though it is stated that only a few scholars know about it and that most people only care to know that he exists for as long as anyone can remember, clearly demonstrating the fear he induces in the heart of livings.

Zanbar Bone was born as a human in the prosperous city of Fang in Allansia, the most featured continent of the world of Titan. He was the son of two merchants from the highest social class, who secretly led a cult devoted to Myurr, one of the three most powerful Demon Princes of Titan, with whom Zanbar Bone seems to have some sort of link. Since the first day of his life, he always had eerie cat-like green eyes that revealed an immense demonic power, which manifested more and more frequently in harsh, intense spates of violence.

As he grew older, his parents grew irked by his increasing influence over their sect and sent him to the world's best school of magic in the Forest of Yore. There, Zanbar Bone's immense power, focus, intelligence and thirst for knowledge made a huge impression on his teachers, with the exception of the great archmage and school master Vermithrax Moonchaser, who kept watching him. (All this make Zanbar Bone's days in school similar to those of Lord Voldemort.) Zanbar Bone's magical prowesses were only rivaled by those of the three Star Pupils; three students who joined the school a few years after him, who were later to number among the greatest and most respected mages in the whole world of Titan: Arakor Nicodemus, Gereth Yaztromo and Pen Ty Kora the Healer. Zanbar Bone hated the three with passion and developped a bitter rivalry with Nicodemus, who like him was the son of rich merchants from Fang and who knew gloomy rumours about Zanbar Bone's parents' no-longer-so-secret cult, of which Zanbar Bone himself was unaware.

Over time, Zanbar Bone's evil nature became increasingly appearant and began to frighten teachers and pupils alike, as he often dwelled in darkness, where he claimed to feel safe, and also as he developped a huge interest in Elven Magic and especially Dark Elven Magic. One day, Arakor Nicodemus witnessed the murder of an elven student girl named Ellanor by the hand of Zanbar Bone, who likely killed her to perform some dark ritual. Zanbar Bone attacked Nicodemus with red tentacles of demonic fire, battled and quickly overpowered him. Nicodemus only owed his life to the intervention of Vermithrax Moonchaser himself, who rushed here alongside many pupils and wood elves alerted by the noise of the battle, and dispelled Zanbar Bone's magic. Furious, Zanbar Bone unleashed a tremendous onslaught of magical energy at the archmage, who managed to sent it back. This day marked both the most impressive display of magic ever seen in the Forest of Yore and a turning point in the school's history.

Severly wounded and reduced to a living human skeleton, Zanbar Bone disappeared into the night not to be seen for many decades. It is said that he returned to Fang and murdered his parents, taking over their wealth and their cult and using it for his own sinister agenda. He later willingly turned himself into a Lich, becoming the skeletal demon depicted in City of Thieves, and rose into power to become the formidable Night Prince, whose awful reputation and influence spread all over the world of Titan.

Given that Nicodemus, who first met Zanbar Bone when they both were teenagers, is a retired old man in City of Thieves, and considering that powerful mages can live over two centuries, it can be guessed that the Night Prince exerted his evil for many many decades. At some point, he seized a territory in the north of Allansia which he turned into a lifeless, accursed land, before building his Black Tower and surrounding himself with a court of monsters and demons. It is likely that Arakor Nicodemus kept opposing him without being able to fully take him down, given that the powerful mage is the only one who knows how to kill the Night Prince.

Present Days
When the gamebook City of Thieves takes place, Zanbar Bone is still based in his Black Tower. He controls many monsters, fiends and living-deads, which he frequently sends out for the simple tasks; and he gave birth to powerful kinds of creatures, like the frightful kind of living-deads known as the Spirit Stalkers, which he uses as messengers and entrusts with the most important missions, and the bloodthirsty Moondogs. Everyone in Allansia and very likely in Titan has heard of his frightening reputation and those who tried to destroy him all met a grisly end, likely serving now as his undead lackeys.

Zanbar Bone has no desire of conquest, but one can say that he does not need to conquer any land, as he already exerts his reign of terror even beyond the limits of his domain. Indeed, the fact that he sent his Spirit Stalkers in a town to demand a young citizen to be sent to his Black Tower in City of Thieves implies that he does this often, exposing those who refuse to dire consequences. This demonstrates that the Night Prince is used to demand everything he needs to anyone, and that people seldom resist in order to avoid his curse. No one knows what he plans to do with the people he abducts but, considering his past, it is fair to assume that he sacrifices them in some dark ritual, or some foul experiment on Dark Elven Magic.

Zanbar Bone rarely leaves his Tower, which while still being dark and gloomy, befitting a Dark Lord of his level, is much more luxurious, decorated and overall well kept than many other demonic hideouts, hinting that the Night Prince has very good taste and lives here like any wealthy human lord would.

Powers and Abilities
Zanbar Bone is a highly powerful Dark Lord, whose power was already enough to threaten an archmage while he was still a young human. Despite being one of the very few Fighting Fantasy villains who is never faced in a direct battle, it is clearly stated in Out of the Pit that he has a level of power of 14 skill points (2 points over the normal maximum) putting him on an equal footing with the Demon Princes themselves.

He masters Dark Magic and Necromancy to a very large extent and he is able to cast curses on objects, people or entire towns. He is able to shape-shift at will, and he apparently enjoys turning into a black cat given that the player meets a black cat at the very beginning of the gamebook and that there is a black cat among the illusions when the player enters his room. (Which does not sound like a coincidence.) He is also able to see and to talk where he is not physically present, though it is not known if he can do it anywhere or simply inside his tower. He can also summon demonic forces, cast illusions and create skeletons warriors by throwing his teeth to the ground.

Zanbar Bone's most prominent powers are his hypnotic gaze able to paralyze anyone, and his ability to absorb people's lifeforce by touching them, until they die and turn into one of his undead servants. It must also be noted that he cannot be killed in daytime, even when striking him with his weaknesses. When it comes to magic battles, Zanbar Bone's favourite means of attack are a demonic red fire which he can apparently shape at will, into tentacles for instance, and blasts of magical energy of variable might.

Role in City of Thieves
In City of Theves, the player is a famed adventurer and mercenary who enters the opulent city of Silverton. He or she finds the population tense and wary and remarks that the doors and windows have been renforced with iron bars. When the player enters a inn, the town's mayor Owen Carralif asks to speak with him/her, and explains that Zanbar Bone, the dreaded Night Prince, has cursed the town. One day, several Spirit Stalkers came into town and told Carralif that Zanbar Bone wanted Carralif's daughter Mirelle to be brought to his tower. Infuriated by Carralif's refusal, Zanbar Bone sends each night six fearsome Moondogs to Silverton, to kill as many people as possible, causing dozens of casualties. The population renforced their doors and windows but the situation is no longer bearable and some citizens began considering sending Mirelle to the Night Prince.

Carralif then hires the player to find the famed mage Arakor Nicodemus and ask his help to destroy Zanbar Bone and lift the curse. The problem is that Nicodemus retired himself in Port Blacksand, the infamous City of Thieves, inhabited by the worst kinds of scoundrells of the entire continent.

The player must then venture illegaly into the heavily guarded town to meet the legendary mage. He/She eventually finds Nicodemus, who explains to him/her how to destroy Zanbar Bone. The player first needs to make a silver arrow to pierce the Night Prince's heart, then get the hair of a witch, some black pearls and some lotus flowers to create the compound that would kill the dreaded demon. The player musts also get tatooed with the picture of a white unicorn on a yellow sun, to be protected against Zanbar Bone's hypnotic gaze.

The player then sets out into the labyrintic town, dealing with countless thieves, crooks, pirates, monsters, corrupt guards and troll mercenaries to gather everything he/she needs. The player can fight against a witch in the sewers of the city, and if he/she manages to overcome the spell she casts, he/she will get some of her hair. The black pearls are found in a pirate ship in the port, and must be taken from a sleeping pirate without waking him up. The lotus flower are found in the city's small public garden, the silver arrow can be made by the city's goldsmith and the tatoo is the last element gathered. At some point, the player will be involved in a fight with Fatnose and Sourbelly, two trolls from the city guard, forcing him/her to flee the town.


 * These troll guards are powerful enemies with 10 and 11 in skill (level of power) and around 12 in stamina. (life points) The player can flee from the battle after killing Sourbelly, which given the trolls' might can prove quite wise.

If the player gets caught by the trolls or has not collected all the artifacts he/she needs before leaving the town, the game is lost.

The player then ventures into the Night Prince's domain, marked by evil where the nature is dead and withered and where dwell many monsters at Zanbar Bone's command. There, he/she gets a message from Nicodemus, stating that only two of the three ingredients are needed for the magic compound. He/She later heads to Zanbar Bone's gloomy Black Tower, filled with many demons, ghosts, deadly traps and even a vampire lady.


 * Two powerful Moondogs, with 9 and 11 in skill and around 10 in stamina guards the tower.


 * Then, a dangerous Spirit Stalker, who can only be destroyed with a silver arrow, is fought in the tower's hall. The mere contact of its hands decays the living flesh, so don't lose any time in useless attempts and immediately strike with the silver arrow.

After killing the Spirit Stalker the player can take one of the two shields exposed here. One of them has been cursed by Zanbar Bone and will harm the player, while the other belonged to a hero who got killed by Night Prince and increases its owner's strength. The player must not spend the night sleeping in the tower, nor entering the room where lives the vampire without garlic, or else the game is lost.

Zanbar Bone is located in the room with a black door on the fourth floor, and his voice is heard out of nowhere, taunting the player as he/she comes near. However, the player can explore further before reaching Zanbar Bone, and set free a magic-wielding dwarf locked inside a glass orb on the tower's roof, to get fully healed in prevision of the upcoming battle. Finally, the player must fight a mummy to obtain the Ring of the Golden Eye, a magical artifact needed to defeat the Night Prince.

The Final Battle
Upon entering Zanbar Bone's room, the player needs the Ring of the Golden Eye to overcome a trap of illusions, otherwise he/she gets killed immediately. Zanbar Bone then summons three skeleton warriors that the player must defeat before challenging his/her enemy at last. Fortunately, the skeletons don't pose a big threat.

Zanbar Bone has no defined statistic. Defeating him involves gaining tests with dices and guessing right. First, the player must win a test of luck to shoot Zanbar Bone in the heart with a silver arrow. Then the player must choose one of the three possible magic compounds, which he/she will put on his eyes to destroy him and win the game. If the player misses Zanbar Bone's heart or choses a wrong compound, the Night Prince will turn him/her into his undead servant with his life-absorbing touch and win the fight. This means that the first try will be very risky, but that completing the game again will be much easier, now that the player knows which compound is needed.

Trivia

 * Zanbar Bone shares two characteristics with another villain created by the same author Ian Livingstone, (the co-creator of the Fighting Fantasy series) Razaak the necromancer. These characteristic are the need for the player to wear a ring of truth before facing them and the life absorbing touch.


 * Zanbar Bone's page on Titannica the Fighting Fantasy Wiki: http://fightingfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Zanbar_Bone

Balthus Dire 11:54, July 15, 2010 (UTC)