Top-Notch Comics #4 - pt. 5

We're back for one last, short look at Kardak the Mystic Magician as he explores Atlant -- oops, no, this is Anderras, Atlantis' weird cousin. The unusual strain of mermen here are the underseas men; I'm thinking of giving them 2 Hit Dice and maybe a tail swipe attack, though I'm waiting to see them actually fight. 

Underseas men can be found in large numbers; I think I count 54 there? 

Kardak casts Protection from Missiles and Telekinesis, meaning he's at least 7th level.

It is SO hard to take these mocha men seriously, partly because they're horribly drawn and partly because of that ridiculous name. Are they part spider or part coffee bean? 

There are at least 27 mocha men here and the fact that the underseas men are still worried suggests the mocha men are physically tougher. The mocha men have up to four arms; one clearly has only three (maybe a war injury, suggesting he's a higher-level leader?). It's unclear if that band around their torsos is some natural part of their body or some kind of armored cummerbund. And some of them can ride giant spiders (which is pretty cool). 

What is the environment here? Why is there a giant cloud underwater? 

Kardak casts Wall of Fire, meaning he's at least 9th level.

Are the mocha men throwing hi-tech bombs? Maybe that's why they are winning the fight, because they are more technologically advanced than the underseas men? 

Kardak casts Earthquake, meaning he's -- oh, he's just ridiculously high level. 

What is the environment here again?? Are they under an air-filled dome? Is Kardak not concerned about his spell cracking it? 

Speaking of which, are underseas men completely amphibious, if they have air-filled domes? 

And how dumb is everybody if they keep thinking Lorna is casting the spells instead of Kardak? 

And don't think I've forgotten about the giant sea spiders. I'm thinking 3 HD? Maybe even 4? They do beat Kardak, after all. Kardak doesn't seem too worried about the sharks -- maybe they should have tossed him into a pit full of giant sea spiders instead?

 

The implication here seems to be that Kardak needs freedom of movement to cast spells, even though he seems to always be motionless when casting spells. 

Kardak has cast Fog Cloud and Levitate, seemingly at the same time, but he could have cast Fog Cloud first, waited for it to waft up into the room, and then levitated. 

Maybe the craziest part of this story is that Kardak wants to keep Lorna a prisoner down here. Crazy...or creepy? Is he waiting for Stockholm Syndrome to kick in so he has a chance with Lorna?

(Scans courtesy of Digital Comic Museum.)