De Snel

Master De Snel is a trainer and the leader of the prestigious fighting academy, the Library of Scars, in Jhelom. The Avatar can encounter him in Ultima VII.

Description
De Snel had once served as the chief assassin of the Fellowship, disposing of those the group found politically or ideologically dangerous. While he was eventually succeeded by Hook in this bloody profession, the fighter's ruthless nature continued to manifest itself in his work as head of the Library of Scars, where he instructed his students in his methods of combat. The prestige which the academy held in Jhelom gave De Snel considerable political influence in the City of Valor, and the towne's Mayor, Joseph, would admit to the hero that he feared De Snel - feeling that attempts to directly intervene with the headstrong fighter would only result in his assassination, posed as a duel.

If questioned about the serpentine dagger found at a murder site in Minoc (whose style was emblematic of the Library), De Snel would claim that the weapon had been stolen from the academy. Recognizing that the hero might trace Hook's crimes back to him, he would then offer the Avatar a "demonstration" of his art, attacking the hero regardless of whether his offer was accepted.

Services

 * De Snel offered his training services for 40gp.
 * His training costs 2 training points and gives +2 Combat.

Trivia

 * De Snel's counterpart in reality is Dallas Snell, who was executive producer of Ultima VII. Snell also appears earlier in Martian Dreams as Dallas Garrett, a bodyguard hired by Nikola Tesla to accompany him on his rescue mission to Mars.
 * In Ultima Underworld II, Syria will reminisce about the hero's duel with De Snel, implying that questioning him about the serpentine dagger and killing him in the resultant battle in Ultima VII is canonical, even though it is an optional action within the game itself.
 * In the SNES Port of Ultima VII, De Snel is portrayed as less bloodthirsty, and is glad to resolve the affair with Sprellic, even knowing that the new honor flag being offered to the Library is a facsimile.