View source for Nektosh the One-Horned

{{Guardian
|game_version=Embers of Rage 1.1.10
|name=Nektosh the One-Horned
|image=Undead_minotaur_nektosh_the_one_horned.png
|location=Krimbul Territory
|level=18+
|description=
A withered Whitehoof, with two horns that curve over his head and spiral into a cone.<br>
The tip of his "horn" glows intensely, but is slowly fading;<br>
he acts confident, but his darting, wild eyes reveal panic behind them.
|str=15
|dex=12
|cun=12
|mag=16
|con=15
|autolevel=warrior
|abilities=<span>
 {{t|Blurred Mortality}} (2-6)
 {{t|Ice Shards}} (1-5)
 {{t|Gloom}} (2-12)
 {{t|Heavy Armour Training}} (1)
 {{t|Weakness}} (2-10)
 {{t|Willful Strike}} (2-10)
 {{t|Blood Spray}} (2-10)
 {{t|Blood Boil}} (2-10)
 
 {{t|Combat Accuracy}} (1-6)
 {{t|Weapons Mastery}} (1-6)
 
 {{t|Whitehooves}} (0-5)
 {{t|Dead Hide}} (0-5)
 {{t|Lifeless Rush}} (0-5)
 {{t|Essence Drain}} (0-5)
 
 2 random runes
* Life: {{LL|300|4|18|16}}+
* Undead
* Doesn't need to breathe
* 100% poison and bleeding immunity
* 50% silence immunity
* 120% global speed
* 15 armor, 25 defense
* Wields a staff
* Initially accompanied by 1 Whitehoof follower
* Has a beam attack - see main text
</span>
}}
{{Spoilers}}

'''Nektosh the One-Horned''' is the [[Guardians|Guardian]] (boss) of [[Krimbul Territory]] in the [[Embers of Rage campaign]]. Defeating him is the goal of the quest [[Clan of the Unicorn]].

Killing Nektosh and completing the quest unlocks [[Whitehooves]] as a playable race.

== Story ==
Nektosh the One-Horned is an elder of the [[Krimbul Clan]] of Whitehooves (undead minotaurs). He has acquired an incredible magical force, capable of producing a beam from his horn that can blast a hole all the way through a mountain, and he has gone mad with power. With persuasion and intimidation, he has convinced some of the Krimbul to go along with his plans to conquer [[Eyal]], starting with [[Kruk Pride]]. He claims to be descended from unicorns. In the quest '''Clan of the Unicorn''', the goal is to defeat Nektosh and thereby stop the attack on Kruk Pride and free the Krimbul Clan.

In truth, Nektosh has two horns curved into a spiral, making a single cone-shaped "horn". The source of Nektosh's newfound magical force was a wand that he found in a crashed, sunken airship and inserted into his horn. When he discovered that the wand was running out of power, he panicked and tried to stall the conquest, recognizing that he could not win against the [[steam giant]]s like this. When he heard of the war between the steam giants and the [[orc]]s, he decided to attack Kruk Pride in hopes that the steam giants would be grateful and do something to keep his people happy and prevent them from attacking him when they realize he couldn't live up to his outlandish claims.

== Beam Attack ==
Apart from the talents listed in Nektosh's infobox (and on his character sheet), Nektosh also has one other attack. Each time Nektosh would take an action, if he has a target (i.e. his enemy in combat) and that target is not himself, there is a 1-in-3 chance that Nektosh will begin aiming a powerful beam at them. This is announced with big text on the screen, which tells the player to move out of the way. The beam's path is visible as a glowing path of light. Once Nektosh has started aiming, he doesn't adjust the beam if the target moves out of the path, and he doesn't take any other actions until he fires. The beam is 10 tiles long and 1 tile wide, and it takes 3 turns to aim before the beam fires. The beam is very strong at first, but it deals less and less damage as Nektosh runs out of power. It deals {{arcane}} damage, and the beams do 5000, 500, 100, and 50 damage in that order. The first, 5000-damage beam digs out all tiles in its path, but the subsequent beams do not. After firing the 50-damage beam, Nektosh is out of power and will not fire any more beams (or waste time aiming).

After firing the beam each time, Nektosh summons 2 of his Whitehoof followers, then blinks away randomly within 4 range.

The contraption from the [[tinkers|tinker]] Fatal Attractor is useful against Nektosh. If it has taunted Nektosh and he is targeting it, he will aim the beam at it instead of the player. If Nektosh has already aimed at the player, they can move out of the beam's path and then summon the contraption in the beam's path. If Nektosh hits the contraption with his initial 5000-damage beam, the damage it reflects at him will be a significant portion of his total life (at least on Normal difficulty).

== Achievements ==
There are 3 [[achievement]]s relating to Nektosh's beam attack.
* If Nektosh kills one of his own people (i.e. someone from the Whitehooves faction, which also includes their summons), then the player earns the achievement '''I did not want that!'''
* If the player dies to Nektosh's beam without being pinned, stunned, asleep, dazed, or confused, then the player earns the achievement '''We weren't kidding!'''
* If the player makes Nektosh use up the last of his power (by waiting until he fires all 4 beams), and then leaves the area and ignores him, they will earn the achievement '''Make Him Squirm''' upon beating the campaign.

== Drops ==
* 3 high-quality items
* [[Visage of Nektosh]]
* [[Lore]]: personal journal of Nektosh the One-Horned

[[Category: Embers of Rage]]