Valkhel Blightscorn

Valkhel Blightscorn is a main character in Menune, and a boss that players can battle in the Wrath of the Dragon campaign. Valkhel is a necromancer of the Hetzudoxian cult: Followers of the First, and has a particular power over manipulating and controlling soul energy and the souls of the dead.

**Lore**

Valkhel is a long-term member of the Followers of the First, an ancient Hetzudoxian cult that was long thought to be inactive until very recently. Valkhel is a high-ranking member of the Cult, and takes direct orders from the cult's current leader: Sorgev the Ugly. Valkhel has been given the mission of finding 'something' in the lands of Cendall, that is buried within the Brotherhood Tombs. What he is looking for exactly no one can say, but it's safe to assume that whatever they are looking for is better off out of the cult's hands.

Valkhel is known as the 'Soul Breaker' among his kin, for the power he has over controlling both soul energy and the souls of the deceased. Blightscorn is capable of directly draining the soul essence of a being under certain circumstances, and is able to temporarily tear the veil between the living realm and the realm of the dead, and break lesser souls into his complete control. On top of this, Valkhel also has a decent mastery over both shadow and plague magic, capable of unleashing deadly barrages of each. The Soul Breaker is also an adept animator, capable of giving 'life' back to the corpses of most creatures. This, combined with his mastery over souls allows the necromancer to reanimate the deceased with their souls still intact, binding them to his service while still being conscious of their own actions.

During the Wrath of the Dragon campaign, this is exactly what he does to the body of Lord Kormac Tyberius within the Brotherhood Tomb. Valkhel raises the First Lord in an attempt to slow down his pursuer; Geir the Righteous, while he searches the tomb for what he is after. Geir eventually catches up to Blightscorn, and the two battle it out in the deepest chamber of the tomb. Geir eventually overpowers the Necromancer, and Valkhel submits to the Paladin in an attempt to save his own life. The Necromancer's plan works, and Geir takes him into custody and the pair return to the Brotherhood Monastery, just north of Midscott. However, when they reach the Monastery, it is under attack by a group of the Dragon Lord Vesolath's forces. A battle ensues at the monastery, and Blightscorn manages to escape in the commotion.

**Boss Battles**

Valkhel is first fought by the player in the Wrath of the Dragon campaign, as the final boss of Geir the Righteous' introduction levels. The Necromancer uses a combination of shadow magic, soul magic and mind games against the player in an attempt to defeat them. This battle is not a particularly difficult one if the player is a quick learner, but can quickly spiral out of control if the player isn't prepared. Valkhel will periodically teleport around the room and shoot barrages of dark magic at Geir, the player must react quickly and learn the boss' attack patterns to survive. As well as this, Valkhel will call upon the spirits of the tomb as he reaches 50% health, in an attempt to gain more power. If any of the summoned spirits reach Blightscorn, he will gain an extra ability for the rest of the fight depending on which spirits he successfully absorbs. These adds must be dealt with very quickly in order for the player to not become overwhelmed for the remainder of the fight.