Azalin's Familiar

[HuManBing]

IMC, the PCs succeeded in killing Skeever in FtS, which injured Azalin enough to make him beatable. After the Grand Conjunction collapsed, Azalin was back in Darkon, and his activities were spent primarily trying to regain his lost experience levels. (Remember, this is 2nd edition rules.)

From that time until the Grim Harvest, he did not have a familiar. I made it so Squalimous became his familiar after he reformed and continued to lead Darkon. IIRC, Squalimous is entirely a 3rd edition creation - he is not referenced before then and he is not the same as Skeever.

Yes, Azalin does go through the familiars fairly fastish. Not only that, but he also chews up the vassalich help quickly too. His first vassalich is Balipur, who appeared in Roots of Evil. Then Chilling Tales introduced an unnamed vassalich who took the identity of Werner Ruscheider (perhaps the brother of Harmon Ruschieder, van Richten's old friend who came to a bad end with a lich?). During the Grim Harvest, Azalin had another vassalich named Yako Vormoff, who survived his master after the Doomsday explosion levelled Il Aluk. In GazII, Azalin's vassalich is now a caliban named Foedus.

I suppose it's a bit like day trading. A powerful job if you can get it, but prone to career burnout.

[Spiteful Crow]

"By signing this document, I hereby clear Azalin of all rights or responsibilities should my existence be prematurely ended."

[Lord Cyclohexane]

IIRC, Squalimous is entirely a 3rd edition creation - he is not referenced before then and he is not the same as Skeever.

Exactly. In fact, before GazII he didn't even have a name (SotDR merely lists that Azalin has an imp familiar but there is no name) and GazII merely names him and goes no further. As Mangrum said above, Squalimous is named in Azalin's stat block, not even appearing in the text.

However, since Squalimous hasn't been defined in any canon books, that leaves it open for us fans to create whatever we should like without having to worry about contradicting anything. I still need to check Domains of Dread to see if Skeever is mentioned in Azalin's description there, but otherwise, it looks like Squalimous could have appeared anywhere between 740 BC (From the Shadows) and 758 (Azalin's stat block from GazII).

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

As far as I know, there's no restriction to having only one Vassalich at a time, like there is with familiars. I picture Azalin having multiple Vassaliches, pitting each against each other to advance. Each one trying to impress Az more than the others, to get the favor of his precious "life energy" (XP)

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

IIRC, Squalimous is entirely a 3rd edition creation - he is not referenced before then and he is not the same as Skeever.

Exactly. In fact, before GazII he didn't even have a name (SotDR merely lists that Azalin has an imp familiar but there is no name) and GazII merely names him and goes no further. As Mangrum said above, Squalimous is named in Azalin's stat block, not even appearing in the text.

However, since Squalimous hasn't been defined in any canon books, that leaves it open for us fans to create whatever we should like without having to worry about contradicting anything. I still need to check Domains of Dread to see if Skeever is mentioned in Azalin's description there, but otherwise, it looks like Squalimous could have appeared anywhere between 740 BC (From the Shadows) and 758 (Azalin's stat block from GazII).

Well, considering Azalin was trapped in the land between the Grim Harvest and 756, I think it's safe to assume that Squalimous is a recent summoning.

[Lord Cyclohexane]

Well, considering Azalin was trapped in the land between the Grim Harvest and 756, I think it's safe to assume that Squalimous is a recent summoning.

That leaves two periods for Squalimous to have appeared:
1) Pre-Requiem, between 740-750 BC.
2) After reconstitution, between 756-758.

Unless it is a given that familiars die when their masters do (which questions the whole existence of undead having familiars), there's nothing that makes #2 more likely than #1.

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

Well, considering Azalin was trapped in the land between the Grim Harvest and 756, I think it's safe to assume that Squalimous is a recent summoning.

That leaves two periods for Squalimous to have appeared:
1) Pre-Requiem, between 740-750 BC.
2) After reconstitution, between 756-758.

Unless it is a given that familiars die when their masters do (which questions the whole existence of undead having familiars), there's nothing that makes #2 more likely than #1.

Except that if Squamy was at the Hour of Ascension, he would have been blown up and killed.

[Lord Cyclohexane]

Except that if Squamy was at the Hour of Ascension, he would have been blown up and killed.

Which matches what Mr. Mangrum said above, which was

I pretty much wrote Squalimous [ed: he meant Skeever] off as a tarry stain somewhere as of the Requiem

Which is why I was surprised, as I mentioned above, to find no mentions of any imps around Il Aluk in Death Triumphant, as I'd assumed that there would be at least some imp helping to slow the PCs during their progression in the Grim Fastness. I just wasn't sure if that imp would be named or not; I was surprised to see that there wasn't one at all.

And so, your point is correct, "if Squamy was at the Hour of Ascension, he would have been blown up and killed." But the point remains that neither Squalimous nor Skeever nor any other imp was at the Hour of Ascension and so said imp was not blown up and killed. Now was there even an imp around to bring to the Requiem in the first place? That's completely unknown, but no imps were killed in the Requiem.

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

Except that if Squamy was at the Hour of Ascension, he would have been blown up and killed.

Which matches what Mr. Mangrum said above, which was

I pretty much wrote Squalimous [ed: he meant Skeever] off as a tarry stain somewhere as of the Requiem

Which is why I was surprised, as I mentioned above, to find no mentions of any imps around Il Aluk in Death Triumphant, as I'd assumed that there would be at least some imp helping to slow the PCs during their progression in the Grim Fastness. I just wasn't sure if that imp would be named or not; I was surprised to see that there wasn't one at all.

And so, your point is correct, "if Squamy was at the Hour of Ascension, he would have been blown up and killed." But the point remains that neither Squalimous nor Skeever nor any other imp was at the Hour of Ascension and so said imp was not blown up and killed. Now was there even an imp around to bring to the Requiem in the first place? That's completely unknown, but no imps were killed in the Requiem.

Well, if you go with the PCs of FtS and RoE killing Skeever, then perhaps Azalin simply didn't bother to summon another familiar until after the GH, when he might have needed the extra edge to unify Darkon again.

[Lord Cyclohexane]

Well, if you go with the PCs of FtS and RoE killing Skeever, then perhaps Azalin simply didn't bother to summon another familiar until after the GH, when he might have needed the extra edge to unify Darkon again.

Right, I think it's time for a summary of the thread to make things make more sense, perhaps with some poor comedy to make it easier to follow (forgive me, everybody)
-----------------------

LordCyclohexane: So, what was Azalin's familiar doing while Azalin was dead?
Mangrum: NOTHING, for I KEE-EELED him!
LC: Dang, cuz think of how cool a hell-taught imp who learned at Az's feet would be!
M: Perhaps, but Squal wasn't that kind of imp.
Hashmalum: Yah, imps rock but Squal fell from the stupid tree and hit every branch.
LC: Really? Dang. I wanna make a cool imp ex-familiar, didn't know there's existing canon...

Spiteful Crow: Was Squal the annoying nuisance in FtS?
Sorti: Yah, but his name's actually Skeever.
M: Oops, yeah, I was talking about Skeever above. Squal doesn't really exist b/c Skeever made me hate all imps by sucking so bad; Squal gets no writeup.

LC: Found canon references... Now to see if there's a way to put in supra-imp without breaking canon... Research time!

Spiteful: Azalin sure had a lot of familiars.
Gemathustra: Hoo, buddy.

LC:Rock! Research tells me I can kill Skeever early, add supra-imp pre-Requiem, and still be in canon!
LC:Wait! I don't have any reason to have supra-imp! Maybe I should do that first.

HuManBing: Duh, LC, RtS lets you kill Skeever. I did. Fun-fact: Azalin sure had a lot of vassaliches.
Spiteful: Hoo, buddy.

...

Drinnik: Az couldn't have summoned Squal when Az was dead; ergo, Squal summoned afterwards.
LC: Why not before death? Canon lets us do it, so I can build supra-imp.
D: B/C if before death, if supra-imp at Requiem, supra-imp dies.
LC: Yah, but canon tells us there were no imps at Requiem. So no imps die at Requiem. But supra-imp might not exist yet.
D: Supra-imp doesn't have to exist.
LC: I summarize thread now, to show that point of thread is to find a way to allow me to have supra-imp, not to find excuse to not have supra-imp!

[Le Noir Faineant]

...

[Ronia Sun]

You know...I think the confusion surrounding Azalin's familiar(s) stems from the very situation that made for a great gag in Order of the Stick: No one ever seems to remember their familiars, or if they do, they rarely use them.

I do it myself. I've got an Iron Kingdoms bodger with a mechagargoyle pet (not a familiar, but still...!) and as useful as Gears is I never can seem to remember he exists...

Maybe Azalin has the same problem. Perhaps it's all one familiar, but the wizard-king can't be bothered to remember its name. Which, if you consider, makes the familiar something like a summer intern...("Hey, you! Yeah, you. Get me some coffee!")

Anyhow, what that says to me is that Azalin's familiar is a blank slate, and the DM can go to town with it.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

Okay, now that I've read the stuff on Skeever from "From the Shadows" (downloaded from wizards.com), I see that he is nothing more than a silly nuisance. I really don't see how Azalin would have put up with him, however; it seems like someone as serious and stuffy as Azalin would have slain the thing.

Just because Azalin might've referred to Skeever as his "familiar" doesn't make it true. Why wouldn't the Big A have a ringer-imp hanging around Castle Avernus, specifically to draw attackers' attention away from his real familiar? Certainly, he's no slouch at planting cursed magic items, look-alike vassaliches, and phoney phylacteries in his enemies' paths! Skeever was a decoy, IMHO.

[Lord Cyclohexane]

Just because Azalin might've referred to Skeever as his "familiar" doesn't make it true. Why wouldn't the Big A have a ringer-imp hanging around Castle Avernus, specifically to draw attackers' attention away from his real familiar? Certainly, he's no slouch at planting cursed magic items, look-alike vassaliches, and phoney phylacteries in his enemies' paths! Skeever was a decoy, IMHO.

Unfortunately, From the Shadows does have Skeever as Azalin's real familiar, as killing Skeever drops Azalin by four levels. Although, mind you, since we're not writing the material, we don't have to follow canon.

But you make an interesting point above, certainly Azalin is no slouch. Most every single little thing he does is intentional. And since the end of FtS has Azalin actively trying to get himself killed, perhaps he summoned a complete waste like Skeever on purpose specifically for Skeever to get killed, make himself weaker, and thus not have to worry so much about accidentally killing the PCs and screwing up his own well-crafted plans! After all, when you're as powerful as Azalin, it gets hard to pull your punches that much, so a handicap might be in order.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

I think Skeever's incompetence is direct meddling from the Dark Powers. "You want a diabolic familiar? here you go!"

I had a (non-RL) PC like that once. Stern Elven badass Sheriff (Arcane Archer/Sor/Ftr/Rog). He asked the spirits of the woods for a familiar to aid him in his quest for vengeance.

He got a cute widdle hedgehog. He was so disgusted, he never even named it, and would never admit to having it. But sometimes, when he no one was looking, he could be seen petting it gently.