A forum user pointed out that the King ought to be using...

...the royal house's pocket cannon (the Sceptre of Fire) during the
siege situations in EI.  Since the user already has some undetermined
number of has high-level mages (e.g. firecasters) at this point, this
addition shouldn't be unbalancing.

data/campaigns/Eastern_Invasion/scenarios/16_Weldyn_under_Attack.cfg

@@ -214,8 +214,19 @@
             x=21
             y=20
         [/unit]
+        [object]
+            id=sceptre of fire
+            silent=yes
+            duration=forever
+
+            [filter]
+                id=Konrad
+            [/filter]
+
+            {SCEPTRE_OF_FIRE_EFFECT}
+        [/object]
         [message]
-            speaker=Gweddry
+        speaker=Gweddry
             message= _ "We will fight soon, my lord. Look, night approaches; they will soon attack. I hope we can hold them off."
         [/message]
         [message]

data/campaigns/Eastern_Invasion/scenarios/17b_Weldyn_Besieged.cfg

@@ -168,6 +168,10 @@
                 description= _ "Death of Owaec"
                 condition=lose
             [/objective]
+            [objective]
+                description= _ "Death of Konrad"
+                condition=lose
+            [/objective]
             [objective]
                 description= _ "Letting any enemy unit on to your keep"
                 condition=lose
@@ -188,11 +192,9 @@
         [recall]
             id=Grug
         [/recall]
-
-        # We don’t want him to appear on the recall list
-        [kill]
+        [recall]
             id=Konrad
-        [/kill]
+        [/recall]
 
         [message]
             speaker=Mal-Drakanal
@@ -344,5 +346,22 @@
         [/endlevel]
     [/event]
 
+    # King gets killed
+
+    [event]
+        name=last breath
+        [filter]
+            id=Kpnrad
+        [/filter]
+        [message]
+            speaker=Konrad
+            message= _ "The Kingdom of Wesnoth dies with me!"
+        [/message]
+        [endlevel]
+            result=defeat
+            save=no
+        [/endlevel]
+    [/event]
+
     {LATE_DEFEAT}
 [/scenario]

data/campaigns/Sceptre_of_Fire/scenarios/8_The_Dragon.cfg

@@ -428,37 +428,7 @@
                     id=Thursagan
                 [/filter]
 
-                [effect]
-                    apply_to=new_attack
-                    name=sceptre of fire
-                    description= _ "sceptre of fire"
-                    icon=attacks/fireball.png
-                    type=fire
-                    range=ranged
-                    [specials]
-                        {WEAPON_SPECIAL_MAGICAL}
-                    [/specials]
-                    damage=14
-                    number=4
-                [/effect]
-
-                [effect]
-                    apply_to=new_animation
-
-                    [attack_anim]
-                        [filter_attack]
-                            name=sceptre of fire
-                        [/filter_attack]
-
-                        {MISSILE_FRAME_FIREBALL}
-
-                        [frame]
-                            begin=-200
-                            end=0
-                            sound=fire.wav
-                        [/frame]
-                    [/attack_anim]
-                [/effect]
+                {SCEPTRE_OF_FIRE_EFFECT}
             [/object]
             [message]
                 speaker=Thursagan

data/core/macros/items.cfg

@@ -537,3 +537,37 @@
     )}
 #enddef
 #wmllint: markcheck on
+
+#define SCEPTRE_OF_FIRE_EFFECT
+   [effect]
+        apply_to=new_attack
+        name=sceptre of fire
+        description= _ "sceptre of fire"
+        icon=attacks/fireball.png
+        type=fire
+        range=ranged
+        [specials]
+            {WEAPON_SPECIAL_MAGICAL}
+        [/specials]
+        damage=14
+        number=4
+    [/effect]
+
+    [effect]
+        apply_to=new_animation
+
+        [attack_anim]
+            [filter_attack]
+                name=sceptre of fire
+            [/filter_attack]
+
+            {MISSILE_FRAME_FIREBALL}
+
+            [frame]
+                begin=-200
+                end=0
+                sound=fire.wav
+            [/frame]
+        [/attack_anim]
+    [/effect]
+#enddef