Bad Fruul

The banner of Bad Fruul.
Bad Fruul
Basic Information
Titles	Lord Fruul of the Greypeaks
Nicknames	Baddest of the Bad
Home	Greypeak Mountains, Northwest Faerûn
Sex	Male
Gender	Masculine
Race	Hill giant
Knownlanguage(s)	Giant
Rules Information
5th Edition Statistics
Alignment	Chaotic evil
Challenge Rating	Wizard 4

Bad Fruul was an unusually intelligent hill giant warlord of the late 15^th century DR who threatened the town of Parnast in the 1480s DR.

“

You underestimate me.

”

— Bad Fruul

Description

His symbol was the skull of a mammoth against a purple background, which he flew on a banner.

Abilities

Due to the headband of intellect he wore, Bad Fruul was highly intelligent for a hill giant. He had been taught to cast the spells fire bolt, shocking grasp, true strike, burning hands, shield, magic missile, hold person, and misty step. He could also throw rocks.

Possessions

Bad Fruul's defining possession was his headband of intellect, which contained the soul of the drow priestess Narcellia Varam'myr. From it, Narcellia influenced his decisions and taught him spells. It also had a special property that prevented it or him from being detected by scrying.

In battle, Bad Fruul wore plate armor that had been decorated with bones. The helmet was decorated with a huge skull. His weapon was a huge maul made from iron. His steed was a mammoth.

Activities

Bad Fruul sold his toenails, which could be used to make potions of giant strength.

Relationships

Bad Fruul commanded a powerful army. His forces included goblins, bugbears, hobgoblins, worgs, ogres, ettins, half-ogres, half-orcs, orcs (including those of the Spine Ripper Clan), orogs, manticores, aurochs, wolves, cave bears, owlbears, and giant bats.

His notable followers included the orc chiefs Kagrota Threeteeth and Kurglow Axebreaker

His army used blood hawks to carry messages.

History

At some point after the rise of the Cult of the Dragon and their attempted summoning of Tiamat, Bad Fruul came into possession of the enchanted headband containing the soul of Narcellia Varam'myr. He wore the headband and increased his intelligence. From inside the headband, Narcellia began orchestrating Bad Fruul's rise to power.

After the Ordning was broken, Bad Fruul called for other giants and giant-kin to join his army. Upon hearing of this, all but five of the half-ogres who worked for Mama Manyknuckles deserted her and joined Fruul's army.

Hobgoblins, bugbears, and goblins working for Bad Fruul set up a crude gate on the Black Road, two days out of Parnast. Under his banner, they charged tolls and attacked travelers. These goblinoids encountered a caravan of adventurers led by Azam, transporting a statue of Angharradh for the Shrine of Axes.

Fruul also sent some hobgoblins to the Marsh of Chelimber to find the ruins of the Wizard of the Crag's tower. He hoped to recover some powerful magic from there, but his hobgoblins were attacked and killed by a water weird that laired in the marsh. In an attempt to protect Parnast from Bad Fruul, SEER of the Lords' Alliance tasked adventurers with recovering manuscripts from the ruins of the wizard's tower.

Fruul tried to bully his rival, the ettin Gralm, into submission and to subsume his army. Azam sent adventurers from Parnast to convince Gralm not to join with Fruul.

As he amassed his armies to the south, Fruul sent Kagrota Threeteeth to Parnast with a force of goblins, orcs, and ogres. She attacked farms, and captured Parnasters as slaves. Raggnar Redtooth sent adventurers to stop Kagrota's efforts.

However, Fruul heard from these farmer slaves about the statue of Angharradh and Chandra Stol, the priestess at the Shrine of Axes. Fruul was influenced by the soul of Narcellia Varam'myr that inhabited his headband. She suspected that Chandra was a relative of Luistarra Stollereil, the one who imprisoned her in the headband. In response, Bad Fruul sent spies to Parnast and identified a pendant that Luistarra had owned now in the possession of Chandra. This confirmed the suspicions. Fruul resolved to attack Parnast, destroy the Shrine of Axes, and kill Chandra Stol.

While Fruul organized his forces, SEER hired adventurers to protect Chandra and the town. Bad Fruul sent the captive Parnasters Mazzy, Jarlor, and Larrish back into Parnast as spies. He was holding their families captive to blackmail them into his service. He also sent a non-blackmailed half-orc spy from the Spine Ripper Clan. Meanwhile Gralm, aware that Bad Fruul was mounting an attack, was deciding whether to abstain from the fighting or attack Bad Fruul outright.

After some days of preparation had passed, Bad Fruul began his attack on Parnast with a night raid. He sent orc devotees of Shargaas riding on giant bats to the Shrine of Axes to capture Chandra. Following this, Bad Fruul, riding his mammoth, led his armies in a siege of Parnast.

Appendix

Appearances

Organized Play & Licensed Adventures

Parnast Under Siege

Referenced only
The Black Road • Uninvited Guests • Beneath the Fetid Chelimber • Chelimber's Descent • Giant Diplomacy • Bad Business in Parnast