Tartuk

Level 7 Dragon Mage

### Relationships

The Sootscale Kobolds (Victims), The Kingmakers (Enemies), The Candlemere Iruxi (Victims), King Vesket (Lackey), Hargulka (Lord)

### Died

4711 AR (Candlemere, slain by Alden's blade)

## Campaign

### First Appearance

Kingmaker Episode 03: Mites & Mayhem

*"Oh, do you hear that? I can hear Old Sharptooth's voice. He's sayin' Nakpik is next to be sacrificed."*

*-Tartuk, punishing Nakpik for letting 'big folk' into the village*

Tartuk was a villainous Kobold with a seething hatred for others of his kind. By moving from village to village with a statuette of a dragon, he aimed to infiltrate Kobold Villages and tear them from the inside out with orders he claimed were sent by the gods... until his ruse was discovered by a trio of budding explorers.

## Description

Tartuk was a purple scaled Kobold. He often dressed in an exaggerated shamanistic style in a bid to sell his role more to his victims. As a Kobld, he was short, standing at about 3 feet tall, with a draconic snout, tail and clawed hands and feet. Unlike most other Kobolds, Tartuk's voice was deep and silky, with a strong southern accent, hinting at his true nature.

## Personality

Tartuk was a cruel, manipulative liar who twisted the simpler minds around him to do as he ordered through a mixture of false religion and intimidation. He took glee in corrupting settlements and sending innocents to their doom. He was known to be extremely vindictive and clung to grudges for a long time, and was like, super racist, too.

## History

Many years ago, Tartuk was actually a Gnome by the name of Tartuccio. Tartuccio's village was invaded by Orcs, and in a bid to save his own skin, he approached them with the intent of selling his people out in exchange for his life. The Orcs responded by crushing him with a club, killing him instantly. This, however, bought the village enough time to mount their defenses and repel the Orcs. Seeing Tartuccio's death as a noble sacrifice, the village pooled together and purchased a Scroll of Reincarnation, bringing him back to life-- in the form of a Kobold. Furious at his new form, and spiteful of the village which turned him into it, Tartuccio- now going by the name of Tartuk- manipulated the village into destroying itself, before setting off to do the same to Kobolds throughout the River Kingdoms. He acquired a statuette of a dragon, naming it Old Sharptooth, and started life as a Charlatan.

Tartuk went to many Kobold Settlements, claiming to be a Shaman with messages from a Draconic God. The messages he brought would send Kobolds to their doom, be it on the sacrificial altar or at the hands of stronger enemies. This continued until early 4710, whereupon he cornered the Sootscale Kobolds. While trying to destroy this community, he angered the Old Sycamore Mites, who promptly raided the settlement and stole Old Sharptooth's statuette. Tartuk ordered a counter-raid. This raid all but failed, with a single survivor-- Mikimek, who was rescued by The Kingmakers. The Kingmakers became aware of the general discomfort surrounding Tartuk, who they confronted. When Old Sharptooth was given to Chief Sootscale, the Kobold Leader shattered it on the floor and had his people jump him. Tartuk was badly wounded, but with a quick casting of Invisibility, he escaped... but swore to have revenge on the Kingmakers for interfering with his plan.

A year later, Tartuk was approached by Hargulka, who offered him the position of Viceroy in the Kingdom of Kongerike. Tartuk accepted, infiltrating the Candlemere Lizardfolk and once again using his skills as a Charlatan to manipulate the local leaders into doing his bidding. By stoking the egos of King Vesket, a towering Iruxi Warlord, and posing as the spirit of an ancient Iruxi Ancestor-Spirit named Stisahk (which he conjured with a casting of Illusory Creature while hiding in a burrow in Vesket's fireplace), Tartuk gained firm control of the settlement. He had the usually peaceful Iruxi leave the swamp and stalk the hinterlands of Kilcela dressed in armour made to resemble Kobolds, stirring rumours of "Giant Kobolds" in the area. This culminated in the kidnapping of Tyg Tannerson as a direct challenge to the Kingmakers. The Kingmakers arrived, disguising themselves as two lizardfolk and their prisoners, with Kaska Tanavin and Ichor Eteocles meeting in private with Vesket, who brought them before Stisahk. Tartuk revealed their identities and dispelled their disguises, revealing his own identity to them in the process. A fight broke out, one which left Tartuk mortally wounded by a sword strike from Alden Felstad. In his dying words, Tartuk warned them of Kongerike, dying in the middle of a speech by Ichor.

4 years later, an image of Tartuk was shown in the death throes of the Fable as one of the summonable entities used by the mask of Hargulka.

## Relationships

### Chief Sootscale

Though Chief Sootscale was the leader of the Sootscale Clan, he was effectively overtaken by Tartuk. Tartuk was able to use threats of a non-existant deity to keep him in line, leaving Chief Sootscale fearing him and hating him both. Eventually, when given the chance, it was Sootscale who grew a spine and had the Sootscale Kobolds attack Tartuk.

### Hargulka

Though we never see the two interact, we can infer that Tartuk and Hargulka were allies, with Tartuk manipulating the Iruxi into joining Kongerike in order to please Hargulka. Tartuk ultimately saw Kongerike as a way of getting revenge on the Kingmakers, whom he despised. In due time, Tartuk may have attempted to manipulate Hargulka, too-- though the canny Troll King would have been more of a tough adversary than his other weak-willed targets.

### King Vesket

Another of Tartuk's victims, King Vesket was already a commandeering bully and brute, thanks to his massive size. When Tartuk manipulated him into behaving more violently and cruelly than the other Iruxi were comfortable with, the seeds of dissent were sewn in Candlemere, unwittingly leading to their eventual joining of Kilcela, much like his actions with the Sootscale Kobolds before them.

## Trivia

* Tartuk had planned his own death in the event of him losing interest in his charlatan ways; using a Scroll of Fly and flying directly upwards until the spell duration ran out, spiraling him back down to the earth in a fatal fall. This is fucked up.
* Tartuk was a summonable entity by the Hargulka-Fable. The Tartuk-Fable could cast Scintillating Pattern on the Kingmakers, a powerful Illusion Spell which can confuse groups of opponents for several rounds. Derry intended on flavouring this confusion as the Kingmakers being forced to see floating masks of Tartuk taunting them with imagery of Old Sharptooth and Stisahk surrounding them. Unfortunately, the Fable was destroyed before it had a chance to summon Tartuk.