The whirling shadow of Zorkaan is shrinking and condensing. It coalesces to form a funnel of choking black fog that hovers menacingly above the corpse of the necromancer. The narrowest part of this swirling cone of darkness pierces the dead sorcerer’s chest and, in the blink of an eye, Zorkaan takes control of Xaol’s lifeless cadaver
Possessed by Zorkaan, the corpse of Xaol rises up from the floor and extends its twisted arms towards you. An unholy fire blazes in the necromancer’s eyes as he moves across the hall with unnatural speed. You pray to the Goddess Ishir for her protection as this ghastly zombie leaps upon you and attempts to fix its corpse-cold hands around your throat.
Xaol Zombie (possessed by Zorkaan): COMBAT SKILL 55 ENDURANCE 43
This possessed creature is immune to psychic attack. If you are wielding ‘Alema’ or ‘Valiance’, you may add the appropriate bonus gained through their unique properties. You may reduce the total damage inflicted upon you by 5 ENDURANCE points due to the protection you gain from wearing the Platinum Amulet. However, unless you possess the Discipline of Kai-screen, you must reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 3 for the duration of this combat.
(I am at 55 for this battle with KS. Let's do it! I have 13 damage left over from other reductions. I toss a 5, 6, and 0. I took 3, he took 27. I have survived three rounds of battle with him)
Your third blow severs Xaol’s corpse at the waist and the two halves tumble to the floor. For a few moments the sundered legs and the upper torso writhe blindly forwards with maniacal intent, but then the shade of Zorkaan abandons its crippled host and the two halves collapse and lie still. The funnel of dark vapour that is Zorkaan escapes into the upper reaches of the hall, where it disappears among the vaulted stone rafters. You scour the ceiling with all of your senses, yet you are no longer able to detect your adversary.
You look to Lone Wolf and he holds your gaze; then he glances towards the crystal sphere and you sense that he is urging you to destroy it.
(I use KA)
You utter the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand and level your right arm at the crystal sphere. A crackling bolt of energy leaps from your palm and arcs towards the sorcerous orb, but before it strikes its mark, it is deflected away by a sudden gust of icy-cold wind. This supernatural draught takes hold of your fiery missile, spins it around in mid-air, and sends it speeding back towards your startled eyes!
(I use KA)
Hurriedly you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell Counterspell and point your right hand at the speeding bolt. There is a splash of sizzling sparks, and the deadly ball of energy evaporates within inches of your face.
The shock of having just nearly killed yourself with your own spell quickly turns to anger. You rush towards the sphere with the intention of kicking it from its pedestal but, as you bring back your foot in readiness to strike, suddenly the dark shadow of Zorkaan falls upon you and launches a massive psychic attack from close range.
(I still don;t have Kai-Screen
You are engulfed by a white-hot sheet of psychic fire that sears and blisters the fibres of your inner mind: lose 3 ENDURANCE points. Were it not for the protective effect of your Platinum Amulet, this assault would have been fatal.
The stunning effect of Zorkaan’s lightning attack has damaged a part of your mind that controls your Kai abilities. In addition to the physical damage sustained, you must also forfeit the use of one of your Grand Master Disciplines for the rest of this mission. (If you complete the mission successfully, you may restore your forfeited Discipline and use it again in a future Lone Wolf New Order adventure.)
(Since I haven;t needed it yet, I am picking Elementalism)
As you recover your senses, you look up to see Zorkaan looming above you, his swirling black form swelling in volume and menace as it prepares to deal you one final, devastating blow. Valiantly you struggle to resist, but you are fearful that you no longer possess the strength needed to counter this powerful foe. An evil laugh echoes in your mind as slowly the wispy mass of black vapour spirals down towards your face. Desperately you lash out at your mocking adversary, but you lose your balance and collapse to your knees. With a prayer to Ishir on your lips, you watch with growing horror as a glowing spike of radiant energy appears at the core of Zorkaan’s form. It hangs directly above you, like a sorcerous lance poised deliver a killing blow
You are engulfed by a sudden explosion of golden light. Zorkaan emits a deafening shriek as the supernatural fabric of his being is ripped asunder by the Sommerswerd—Lone Wolf’s divine blade. As the creature is engulfed in a blaze of golden fire, the Sommerswerd falls to the floor near your feet. You look down at the blade in stunned disbelief; then you raise your eyes and look to Lone Wolf who is slumped within the confines of his hovering prison-sphere. Slowly the enormity of what has happened begins to permeate through the turmoil that is raging in your mind. In a desperate bid to save you, Lone Wolf has used the last of his strength to hurl his magical blade through the wall of his sorcerous prison. This courageous act has destroyed Zorkaan and spared you your life.
As the last fragments of Zorkaan’s black shadow are consumed by the golden flames, you struggle to your feet and stumble towards Lone Wolf. You fear the worst, that your brave leader has sacrificed his own life for yours, but to your profound relief you soon discover that he is not dead but unconscious.
You retrieve the Sommerswerd from the ground and marvel at its craftsmanship and fine balance. Then you hurry to the prison-sphere and thrust the tip of the golden blade into a ragged tear that was made when Lone Wolf hurled the Sommerswerd at Zorkaan. Crimson sparks erupt from the rent in the sphere as determinedly you work the sword with a sawing motion. The split lengthens until you are able to reach in and grab hold of Lone Wolf’s tunic. Carefully you pull your unconscious leader out of his sorcerous cell, and then you sheathe the Sommerswerd in his scabbard before you heave his limp body over your shoulder. Fearing that Xaol’s absence may soon come to the attention of his minions, you cast your gaze around the necromancer’s hall in search of a way to escape. The doors by which you entered have been sealed shut, but your keen eyes and your Kai senses alert you to two other possible routes out of this chamber. The first is a narrow door located in the wall directly behind the throne of bones, and the other is an archway that is covered by a thin velvet tapestry
(Archway)
You pull aside the mouldering tapestry that covers the arch, and you discover a tunnel that leads to Xaol’s private chambers. The walls, ceiling, and floor are all constructed from dull volcanic stone, and several pieces of black wooden furniture are scattered haphazardly around the room. Beside a heavy wooden door there stands an ebony bookshelf that is filled with stoppered vials. Carefully you rest Lone Wolf down upon a divan before you examine the individual contents of these glass containers.
(I do not have Herbmastery)
Your Magnakai Discipline of Curing warns you that most of the substances stored in the vials are either poisons, narcotics, or sorcerous concoctions. From a total of eighty vials, you are able to identify only one that can be used to heal. It is Tortwich (a crystalline salt that will restore 3 ENDURANCE points when consumed after sustaining wounds in combat)
There is sufficient Tortwich in the vial to provide you with 2 doses. If you wish to keep this curative, remember to adjust your Action Chart accordingly.
Suddenly you hear the monotonous clang of an alarm bell echoing in some distant part of the citadel, and your Kai senses warn you that Xaol’s corpse has now been discovered. Some of his minions are searching the necromancer’s hall, and you are gripped by a fear that they will discover your trail and catch you before you can make good your escape. You take hold of Lone Wolf and lift him across your shoulder; then you pull open the wooden door and leave Xaol’s chambers as fast as you are able.
You pass along a tunnel that is lined with iron hooks and sputtering torches. Most of the hooks are bare, but some are festooned with weapons and clothing. Among the items are the following weapons and equipment:
Quiver
Rope
3 Arrows
Bow
Sword
Axe
Spear
Leather Tunic
Blanket (this item occupies 2 places in a Backpack)
(I take the Leather Tunic, Tortwich)