One Kai Left: The Lone Wolf Dynasty

[Abe Sargent]

For items, I am given that Map of the Stornlands, 18 gold crowns, and I can select five items. I take:

Rope, Bow, Quiver w/ 6 arrows, 2 Meals


Here is my Safekeeping:


Golden Key
Prince Pelethar’s Sword
Kai Axe
Burrowcrawler Dagger
Warhammer from Farmhouse
Red Pass
Coach Ticket
Black Sword of Parsion
Map of Sommerlund, Kalte, Southlands, Vassagonia
Fur Blanket
62 Gold Crowns
1 Meal
2 Potion of Laumspur - +5 EP
2 Potion of Laumspur - +4 EP
Fur Backpack
Bone Sword
Effigy
Distilled Alether +4 CS
Concentrated Graveweed
Kalte Diamond
Ragadorn Dagger
Magic Spear
Holy Water
Brass Key
Iron Key
Whip
Sommlending Cavalry Spear
Quarterstaff, Royal Guard
Scroll of Prophecy
Shield
Jeweled Mace
Bottle of Kourshah - +4 EP
Copper Key
Gold Key
Black Sash
Prism
Barrakeesh Public Bath Towel
Jakan - Vassagonian Coastal Hunting Bow
Zakhan’s Quarterstaff
Brass Whistle
Pink and Orange Waistcoast




Keeping:

Crystal Star Pendant
Blue Stone Triangle
Sommerswerd
Dagger of Vashna
Firesphere
Map of Stornlands
Shield
Silver Helmet
Chainmail Waistcoat
Padded Leather Waistcoat
Rope
2 Meals
3 Potions of Laumspur: 4 EP
50 Gold Crowns

[Abe Sargent]

Lone Wolf, Kai Master Superior

CS 32
EP 32

Divination
Pathmanship
Weaponmastery



Here we go.

[Abe Sargent]

The courtyard of the Kai Monastery is strangely silent the morning you begin the quest. A blanket of frost sparkles on the battlements and the air is crisp and clear as you guide your horse down the steep hill track that disappears into the Fryelund Forest. It is only a little later when you look back to see the tall grey towers of your stronghold silhouetted against the sky. You bid a silent farewell before entering the densely packed trees. You do not look back again.

The long ride south is not without incident. On Raider's Road, the highway between the capital and the province of Ruanon, you are confronted by a ragged outlaw band. They demand gold but instead receive a harsh lesson in the powers of a Kai Master. You fight them and they flee in confusion, leaving three of their number dead on the highway. After this encounter, you are given a wide berth by all the other unsavoury characters of this bleak and desolate region.

In Ruanon, you are greeted with a hero's welcome by the lord of the land, Baron Vanalund. He and his people will never forget the debt they owe you, for it was your courage that once saved them from destruction at the hands of an evil renegade warlord. You are made so welcome by the Ruanese that your quest is in danger of being forgotten in the endless round of banquets and celebrations held in your honour. However, you cannot neglect your duty, and the time soon comes for you to leave the mining town and venture south once more.

Long ago, the highway from Ruanon to Quarlen was torn in two by a terrible earthquake that scarred the land for hundreds of miles. This deep crevasse became known as the Maakengorge--the Chasm of Doom--for its fathomless depths are cursed with a dreadful legacy. It was here, during the Age of the Black Moon, that King Ulnar killed the mightiest of the Darklords--Lord Vashna, whose body, along with the bodies of all his followers, was cast down into its bottomless reach. The legends say that his death-cry will echo through the gorge until he rises again to wreak his vengeance on Sommerlund and the House of Ulnar.

You are eager to avoid the Chasm of Doom and the long detour to the free city-state of Casiorn is a far better prospect than a visit to the ghost-city of Maaken. Gradually, the fertile plain of southern Ruanon gives way to the sparse vegetation on the borders of the Dry Main. There, like a jewel rising out of the desert, lies the city-state of Casiorn. Your stay in the City of Merchants is a brief but profitable one; a piece of luck helped by your Kai skills gives a profitable win at the gambling house of the Silver Sage. With the gold you win you replenish your supplies and purchase a fresh mount for your ride to Quarlen.



A week later, you arrive safely at the outskirts of Quarlen and, in the evening twilight, find yourself gazing upon the fortified wall that surrounds this river town. To reach Varetta you must cross the river--and only here, at Quarlen, is there a bridge that spans the fast-flowing waters of the Quarl. The highway divides as it approaches the town wall, for there are two gates that provide access to its east side.

I am going to miss the Sommerlund area in the Magnakai series. Joe Dever definitely likes to bring back people you have previously encountered like Captain D’Val, Baron Vanalund, Banedon, Vonotar, and more. Now I am leaving behind the Sommerlund area, and after this book, won’t even be close until Book 12.

[Abe Sargent]

Anyway, I can use Pathmanship, approach the north gate or south gate. I use Pathmanship, which tells me that the south gatehouse has the symbol of the army of Lyris above it. The north gate shows much more use. The border guards of Lyris have a poor reputation for hospitality so I go to the north gate.

There are some wagons and carts here. A guard arrives and demands a 3 gold crown levy to enter, which I pay. I enter a wide street with black lanterns hanging and providing light from various posts. There are many shops and houses in the area. The street approaches the River Quarl, which divides the city of Quarlen. This is the highest navigable point on the river, so this is where barges and ships berth and transfer goods to caravans and thus trade is Quarlen’s lifeblood.

I approach a wide stone bride that spans the Quarl and there is an impressive looking hostelry named the Barrel Bridge Tavern. I enter its courtyard and a stable boy takes my horse from me. I enter and it is crowded despite the early hour. Do I have Divination or Pathmanship? Yup. It tells me that the three soldiers next to the fireplace are mercenaries in the employ of Varetta. I can join the men and try to find out more about Varetta, visit the bar and ask about a room, or take a seat and order grub.

I need food first, so I order a meal. Perhaps the mercs later. Food is two crowns. I am smart and choose a table near the corner with food already on it and a view of the entire room. As I eat, the innkeeper comes by and asks for 3 crowns for a room, and I give them.

[Abe Sargent]

Suddenly there is a mighty crash as someone slams shut the tavern door. Into the tavern strides this super cocky young lordling wearing a crazy black and gold costume. He demands food and wine and three serving girls are required to serve him. His manner is so offensive and insulting that it is no wonder he bears many scars. He choose to seat himself at a table with a small, thin, inoffensive little man. Within seconds there is a loud burst as the lordling has kicked the man away and yelled at him for daring to sit with him. He draws his sword and moves to kill the man.



Bewildered and frightened, the man manages an apology, but the lordling’s is about to kill him. Do I have a bow? Yup. I nock an arrow immediately and it pierces the lordling’s forearm. He utters a cry towards me:

'Curse you, scum!' he shrieks. 'I am Roark, highborn of Amory. I shall have your life for this--mark my words!'

He is upset and leaves, stumbling into the night. I help the frail old man to his feet and he joins my table with his thanks. His name is Cyrilus and he is a magician. He dabbles in small tricks that earn him food and drink for the court of Varetta. As he mentions that, he notices my eyes light up. I can ask him about the Lorestone, or just bid him a good night.

[Abe Sargent]

I ask him about the Lorestone and he just tells me a minor legend. I can reveal my identity, or leave it at that. I reveal who I am.

Quote:

Cyrilus' eyes open with such surprise that you can see the startled whites around his mousy-brown pupils. 'Lone Wolf,' he whispers, incredulously, 'I should have known. Humble apologies, my lord. I thought that you sought the Lorestone for less than honourable reasons.'

Cyrilus talks at great length about the legend of the Lorestone. You learn that it remained in Varetta after Sun Eagle's quest, where it was set into the throne of Lyris in the Tower of the King. Hundreds of years ago, during the War of the Lorestone, it was stolen by a Salonese prince called Kaskor. He set the stone upon a gold sceptre and used it in battle to inspire his fanatical followers and crush his foes. He believed it made him invulnerable, but this was not so--he was killed on his royal barge during a battle at Rhem, and the Lorestone was lost when the gold sceptre fell from his hand into the depths of the River Storn. There were many accounts of the sceptre having been found, but they had always proved to be untrue or simply fanciful. It was said that whoever wielded the Lorestone was the rightful ruler of all the Stornlands. For this reason alone it was often sought by evil or unscrupulous warlords, and many had pursued the quest, all without success.

Cyrilus does not know where the Lorestone is, but he does know a man in Varetta who claims to know its exact whereabouts. 'Let me ride with you to Varetta; in return for the privilege I shall take you to this man.' Your basic Kai instincts tell you his offer is genuine. You nod your agreement and arrange to meet him in the tavern courtyard at dawn.

Cyrilus is waiting with our horses at dawn, and we are ready to go. It’s a pretty day and Cyrilus expects us to be at the Halfway Inn by nightfall. As we go, Cyrilus tells me much of the history of the lands that flank the River Storn. The small nations here war with each other constantly as the petty rivalries and ambitions of princes and lords are bent to conquest or vengeance of imagined slights, rather than for the people. Currently, Lyris wars with Magador, Delden with Salony and Salony with Slovia. Battles are fought, death comes, and the crows and mercenaries thrive.

[Abe Sargent]

It is mid-afternoon when we pass by a small village with a an area by the road with many carts and wagons, plus a sign that reads:

ARCHERY TOURNAMENT
ENTRANCE FEE: 2 GOLD CROWNS
FIRST PRIZE: THE SILVER BOW OF DUADON

I choose to enter. Cyrilus offers to stay with the horses, probably to take a nap. I wait in line and pay my two gold crowns. Do I have a bow? Yup.



Okay, before we move to this, allow me to talk about Dever’s annoying writing for a bit. In his book he begins doing something which really annoys me. He changes the facts based on what you do. This isn’t the first time he’ll do it, but he does it in all sorts of ways. For example, in book 5, when you fight Darklord Haakon, if you drop your Sommerswerd and do not pick it up, or do not have it at all, the creature he summons to fight you is much weaker than if you pick up the Sommerswerd, but why? Wouldn’t he want to summon the most powerful creature he could, either way? But at least in that case, it’s based on what someone does, but Dever will start changing facts. For example, if you try to find the owner of the horse after the archery contest, the owner is the Judge if you lost and Altan if you win. Here’s another, if I do the archery tournament, then after all of the time to do the tournament, rounds, speech if you win, when you come out, Cyrilus is just being snatched. But if you skip, a mile down the road you go into a ruined castle and come out like ten or fifteen minutes later and Cyrilus is snatched, but it doesn’t even make that much sense for him not to come in with you. Here is another example, when they take Cyrilus, they take both of your horses from the archery, but only his at the Castle. It feels like the book is cheating.

Normally I don’t find out, or it’s not too bad, but I am about to miss out on the Bronin Warhammer from that castle, or if I skip the tourney to get it, miss the Silver Bow of Duadon. Grrr. Do I cheat the book a little, or just ignore and miss an item I really want? Sigh. I really want the Warhammer…wah…wah…wah. I have always taken the Silver Bow and missed the Bronin Warhammer, so I’ve never had it. Fine, I am taking the Warhammer just this time, but you will see me integrate it into the story.

[Abe Sargent]

Quote:

A small, flat-faced man dressed in a silver-braided jerkin enters the tent and calls for everyone's attention. Quickly, he explains the rules that govern the tournament and then ushers you onto the range. At the far end of the field is a line of targets, each with ten coloured rings marked 0-9. Each archer is given 3 arrows with which he must get a minimum score of 8 in order to qualify for the next round of the tournament.

I have to roll three times and add three for Weaponmastery with a bow. 18 total. I pass easily.


Your score qualifies you for a place in the final, for only one other archer has scored more than eight points. His name is Altan, a tall man with rugged features, a ranger from the mountains to the north. He wields a longbow of orange toa wood, and his skill with this weapon is formidable; it will be a difficult contest.




Altan: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE (TARGET points) 50

The tournament final is played out using the normal rules for combat. The only difference is that you begin with 50 ENDURANCE or TARGET points. Any ENDURANCE points that you may lose are deducted from these TARGET points (your normal ENDURANCE score remaining unchanged throughout the contest). The first one to lose all 50 of his TARGET points loses the tournament. (You need not erase any Arrows from your Action Chart during this tournament.)


I wanted to post the rules for the tournament for you. I start with 50 Target Points, as does Altan. He has a CS of 30. I have my normal 32, minus 8 for not using the Sommerswerd, and minus 2 because I am not allowed my shield. I am allowed everything else and I get +3 for Weaponmastery with a bow.

Okay, here we go. First three rolls are 2, 7, and 6. I lost 13 and him 12. I roll 5, 1, and 9. Totals: he has lost 24, and me 23. I roll 4, 8, 5. He has lost 38, and me 35. I roll a 4 and a 2. He has lost 42, and me 46. I roll a 7 and he is at 48, and me 49. I roll a 6 and he is at 53 and I am at 53. We both lose. This is not allowed. There are no rules for breaking the tie, so my first tiebreaker is whoever lost by more, but we are tied. Therefore, we will go to sudden death. One die throw. Whoever wins wins. I roll 5. We each lose 4. I roll again - 0. I win the tournament and the Silver Bow.

The crowd roars with a great finals tournament and they rush to celebrate me. I am tasked with making a speech, and I do so quickly and move to find Cyrilus to tell him about my good luck.

The Silver Bow of Duadon counts as a weapon-like special weapon. When I fire an arrow and am asked to pick a number, I can always add 3 if I use the Silver Bow of Duadon. Since I have Weaponmastery with a Bow, I add an extra 3, for 6.

[Abe Sargent]

When I return, I look around but I cannot find Cyrilus or my horses. Did he disappear to get drunk or something? However, soon I discover his oaken staff by the road. I climb up on a wagon to get a better view. I can see him, surrounded by 6 cavalrymen and they are galloping to the west. I can steal a horse and take it, or find the horse’s owner and try to buy it. I don’t want to steal someone’s horse, so I search for the owner. I am asked if I won the contest, which I did. The owner is Altan himself. I find him and we shake and the ranger congratulates. I tell him of my need for his horse, and he offers a trade for the Silver Bow, which I decline. He then makes an offer, two special items or 20 gold crowns. I pay the crownage.

As I give him the money, he tells me luck and hopes I find my companion. I grab the horse and it leaps away under my command.

I am a bit behind my foes because I had to find the owner, and then negotiate payment. After a mile I find a large ruined castle called Castle Tuanor. Are they hidden in there, or did they go along the road? I choose to inspect the Castle.

I dismount and quickly get to the Castle.



As I inspect the castle, I find a chapel, and suddenly I realize that I am not alone. Do I have Huntmastery? Nope. A shambling blunt-nosed horror arrives and it strikes me with its claws, knocking me down and I lose 3 EP. I have enough time for one shot fro my bow, if I want. I do. Do I fire at its eyes, heart, or legs? Legs. I automatically hit them with the Silver Bow of Duadon and its shrieks and falls. I draw a weapon and for the first two turns, I take no damage.

Yawshath CS 22, EP32

I roll a 1 and it takes 9. Then I roll an 8 and it dies. I kill the beast.

I choose to search the rest of the chapel before returning. I find the bones and rusted weapons and armor of may previous people. In one corner I discover a hole in the floor, and inside is a flooded chamber with many items and objects. Among these rusted and old objects is one that looks brand new. It is a gleaming bronze Warhammer. Do I have Nexus? A Rope? I do have a rope. I tie it into a noose. Roll a die. I get a 5. I maneuver the rope over the head of the Warhammer. It is made of a very fine metal called Bronin. It looks identical to bronze, but does not rust or decay. When I use it in combat, I get +1 CS. I go back out to the road and continue

[Abe Sargent]

Quote:

The chase takes you deep into the heart of the Varettian Hills. Soon the highway dips and twists, plunging into the valleys and hollows carved by fast-flowing streams, and climbing through the dense woodland that clings precariously to every precipice and crag. You often lose sight of the riders, but your basic Kai skills of tracking and hunting enable you to follow their trail with ease. It is not until you reach a tiny village perched on the edge of a tree-lined crag that their trail becomes indistinct. However, you notice that at the far side of the village, a stony hill track branches from the main highway and ascends into the trees

I can use Pathsmanship, so I do. I examine both paths, but it appears that they did not pass this way, so I can go back to the village or hide and wait for them. I hide. I do not have to wait long for them to arrive. As soon as they think I have gone, they leave an abandoned cottage and follow me. Cyrilus is still unconscious. I can attack with a bow, let them pass and hen follow them, or attack the last rider and recapture my friend. I choose to attack the last rider.

I wait for the enemy to pass, and then I snap out and attack him. I have killed him before he finishes raising his shield. I grab the reins and take the horse with Cyrilus in tow. My immediate peril has ended. I do not spend too much time wondering why Cyrilus was kidnapped but he males a bad target if you want money.

I reach the bottom of a crag and I spy a scar face young lordling astride a coal black charger. It is Roark, the lordling from the tavern, who swore revenge on me.

[Abe Sargent]

Quote:

Suddenly, the riders appear and spread out in a semicircle to surround you. 'We have a debt to settle, Northlander,' hisses Roark, his lips drawn back from his teeth in a contemptuous sneer. 'I demand payment in full!'

Madness flashes in his glaring eyes as he removes an amulet from around his neck and holds it high in the air.

'Come, come Tagazin, I summon thee. From the pit of eternal pain, I summon thee!'

The skin on your arms and neck prickles with dread at the sound of Roark's terrible invocation, and you cast your eyes around you for an escape route. Only the churchyard offers a way past Roark and his men, but as you spur your horse through the stone gateway, you are suddenly frozen with terror by what you see before you.

Above the church, a whirlpool of darkness is taking form, casting a tomb-like chill on everything beneath. Frost crystallizes on the grass and flowers, and a terrible sound fills the air as the earth begins to shake. Cracks appear in the ground beneath you and suddenly a score of fleshless hands burst through the frozen soil to grab your horse. Shrieking with terror, it rears up and you are thrown into the waiting arms of the waking dead.



Due to the surprise of the attack, deduct 2 points from your COMBAT SKILL for the first two rounds of combat, unless you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery. The undead are immune to Psi-surge and Mindblast. Also, unless you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Nexus, you must deduct 2 ENDURANCE points for every round of combat you fight, due to the intense cold.


Undead Summoning - CS 18, EP 35

Because they are undead, they take 2x damage from the Sommerswerd. I roll a 2 and they take 9x2 while I take 5 from cold + damage. I roll a 0 and they are killed. I lost 7 EP.

[Abe Sargent]

As you destroy the last of the fleshless skeletons, you see that the struggle has spread beyond the walls of the churchyard. From the depths of an open crypt, a shambling mass of zombies are hurling themselves at the riders, tearing the terrified warriors from their saddles. Roark's summonation has gone horribly out of control; no living creature is safe from the terror he has unleashed.

The lordling turns and gallops away in blind panic, leaving his followers to their grisly deaths. As he disappears, the swirling funnel of darkness slowly fades, and the undead stagger and fall, crumbling into dust, which is carried away on the evening breeze.

You rush to the aid of the old magician, who lies, mortally wounded, pinned beneath the body of his dead horse. As you cradle his head in your hands, his eyes flicker and open and he forces a whisper from his blood-flecked lips:

'Brass . . . Street . . .'

A trickle of blood seeps from the corner of the old man's mouth as his eyes flicker and close. He is dead. You bury him in the graveyard of the church where he fell and say a silent prayer to the spirits of the Kai to watch over him on his final journey. A sadness fills your heart, and you take one last look at the oaken staff that marks his grave before setting off on the highway to Varetta.

[Abe Sargent]

Cyrilus has died, and that upsets me. Many of those who accompany me pass away, and Cyrilus was with me for just a day, and now I am saddened. The 50 rangers in our trek to Ruanon to help D’Val mostly died, the three guides in Kalte usually die but I took a way that they do not. Lord-lieutenant Rhygar died. Cyrilus died. Who did not die? Banedon from Book 5, and Loi-Kymar from Book 3 and that’s it.

It is just past dark when I arrive at The Halfway Inn, just as Cyrilus predicted. I enter and see a conjurer performing tricks for the customers. Watch the conjurer or inquire about a room? I watch the conjurer, as an homage to Cyrilus.

The conjurer is about to do a trick. I will quote it:

Having removed a bunch of flowers from the ear of a startled merchant and a clucking hen from the petticoat of the merchant's wife, the flamboyantly dressed conjurer calls for silence from his cheering audience before announcing his next trick. Two children shuffle onto the stage, their bodies and faces completely hidden by long black gowns that are tied at their foreheads. Only their hair, blond and black is visible.

'I'm a boy,' says the one with black hair.

'I'm a girl,' says the one with blond hair, the voice identical to the first.

The conjurer steps forward and says that they are a boy and a girl but at least one of them is lying. He asks which is which and invites the audience to bet on the answer. I choose to bet 23 gold crowns - all I have left. I believe they are both lying and turn to that passage. I am correct and win 23 crowns, yay! I pay 4 crowns for a room, stabling, and a meal.

[Abe Sargent]

Night is good, but I wake up and find a hole in my backpack. Rats bored in and ate all of my meals. I have none left. Our day begins fine and the journey is going smoothly. As I continue, we near a shrine with a group of old women tending to some orange berries. I can stop, use Curing, or keep going. I stop.

They tell me these are Alether berries. I can buy a bunch for 3 gold crowns, and then swallow hem before combat for a +2 CS combat bonus. I buy one.

It is late afternoon when I arrive at Varetta. It has been built on a giant plateau, and one of the oldest cities in Magnamund looks it. It is magnificent. Thy walls are red, there are carvings into them, this is a city proud of itself.

[Abe Sargent]

The sun sets and the guards do not block my entrance, so I pass into Varetta. I have four options - Helin Way, Coachcourse, Flute Street and I can continue eat along the street I entered on. I decide to continue on my way. I see a Guild of the City Criers and decide to skip it. I can go north or south, and I choose south. I see a really nice Taxidermist shop. I have no desire to enter so instead I choose to continue on. Eventually I arrive at a tavern called the Inn of the Crossed Swords. I stable my horse and enter the tavern.

As I enter, I spy this weird game being played in the courtyard. There are soldiers with fruits on their head, and someone on a horse is galloping towards them with a lance. These are solider accused of cowardice in battle, and now their follow soldiers try to skewer the fruit. If they miss, dead solider. People are gambling on them. I can gamble, sit at a table, or go in to the bar.



I have no intention on betting on this. I choose to sit at a table. As I close to one, I feel the prick of a knife in my back. There are two people telling to give them my purse, or my life. Do I have Huntmastery? Nope, so I can give them my gold, or refuse and fight. I choose the later. I spin and draw a weapon and their dagger dealt me a damage. I fight both of these idiots as one:

Backstabbers - 18 CS, 25 EP

I roll a 4 and they take 12 and me 2. I roll an 8 and they die. I took 3 total. All dead. I earned 5 crowns off their corpses and the respect of various mercenary captains here. One offers me to buy a drink and I sense his offer is genuine, so I accept.

[JAG]

Still reading along, good stuff.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by JAG

Still reading along, good stuff.

Thanks!

[Abe Sargent]

Quote:

The captain is an imposing man, tall, muscular, with a strong-jawed face, unmarked by battle or disease. His blond hair is cropped close to his head, and likewise, his beard and moustache are trimmed close to his tanned skin. You are invited to join his company, and as you drink your ale, you listen to their proud talk of war, of victories, of loot and wages--but never of defeat.

The captain and his men have grown tired of the war in the north. Prince Janveal of Helin is close to ruin, having sold all he owns to pay for a war against Baron Maghao of Karkaste that he cannot hope to win. The prince's troops are demoralized and his mercenaries desert him at the first opportunity. You learn that the captain is recruiting men for a campaign in the south. The war between Salony and Slovia has reached boiling point, and there is much gold to be had in the service of the Salonese Prince Ewevin while he besieges the city of Tekaro.

'You have the mien of a skilful warrior,' says the captain, his steel-blue eyes cold and unblinking. 'Why not join my company? I have need of fighters, and I pay with gold, not promises. We leave for Tekaro at dawn--will you ride with us?'



Politely you refuse the captain's offer, saying that you have come to Varetta on other business.

'What business is there for a warrior other than war?' retorts the captain, to the raucous delight of his men. You finish your ale and bid the captain and his company goodnight.

'If you change your mind, join us at Soren. We sail the river from there in two days' time.'

[Abe Sargent]

I need to find Brass Street, so I can ask a merchant, distinguished looking man, or the barkeep. Since this is the barkeep’s actual job, I approach him. She stops cracking skulls for a moment to draw with a grease pencil on a greasier paper a crude map to Brass Street and I think him.

My choices for the night are dorm, single room and single room with hot bath. I choose the single and pay 3 crowns. The room is just a small lockable room, with nothing else save a straw pile for a mattress so my backpack is my pillow and my cloak a blanket, and yet the rest was good and I get an EP back. Morning is annoyingly bright and cheerful. I leave the Inn and begin making for the west side of town and Brass Street.

The city square are polished crystal slabs, which are nice. I find Brass Street and move down it. This is the Street of Sages. There are old people in brown and blue robes, and the street is much quieter. I arrive at an enclosed courtyard and three buildings here scratch my itch - temple, library, and observatory. To me, the obvious place for knowledge is a library. So I go there.

The library is largely deserted and there are tons of books in here. I choose to look around and since they are filed alphabetically, I quickly find the section of the Lorestone of Varetta, but they have all been removed recently. Alright, no help with the library. Let’s do the observatory next.

[Abe Sargent]

Quote:

The door clicks shut behind you. It takes a few seconds for your eyes to grow accustomed to the dimly lit interior, but the room appears to be the antechamber of a larger hall. Following the faint sound of voices, you pass through an archway, along a corridor, and into the main hall. Gathered about a circular table of gleaming steel, a group of elderly men are poring over books, star charts, and astral maps, engrossed in discussion. Globes of blue-white fire hang motionless in the air above them to illuminate their work. The old men do not see you until you are close to their steel table. Their reaction to your sudden appearance is astonishing--they look as though they have seen a ghost. There are yelps of shock and startled expressions; sweat forms on their brows. The sight is too much for one old man, who swoons and faints, falling limply across his books and maps. Only one man remains calm and collected.




(I am asked if I have ever visited a hut on Raider’s Road, and I have.)

Instantly, you recognize the old man who stands before you now, calm and smiling. It is the same old man whom you encountered in a hut on the road to Ruanon some years ago; the same man who handed you a scroll that foretold the dangers of the Chasm of Doom.

'Welcome, Lone Wolf,' he says. 'Once again the stars have dictated that our paths would cross

Calm yourselves, my brothers. It is he--it is the Kai Lord.'

Slowly, as the startled old men regain their composure, their shocked expressions change to ones of awe and reverence.

'I am Gwynian,' says their leader. 'We have been expecting your arrival.' He points to the charts that cover the table and to a massive telescope that is fixed to a platform in the domed ceiling.

'The stars divine the shape of things to come--they are our advisors. We know of your quest for the Lorestone. We know that it is the true quest and we pledge our help, but there are many of our brethren who fear its power. They choose to ignore the wisdom of the stars and they have pledged themselves to a foolish and dangerous vow to keep hidden the location of the Lorestone and to kill all who seek it, for fear they would use it for their own ends.'

[Travis]

Really enjoying this. Never played these when I was younger, wishing I had run across them after reading this.

[Abe Sargent]

Suddenly, his words are cut short by the beating of fists against the observatory door: your horse has been discovered.

'Give him to us!' shouts a chorus of angry voices.

'Quickly, we must leave,' says Gwynian, and he ushers you into a smaller room. A hidden catch is pulled, and a secret panel opens to reveal a passage. As you follow the sage and his companions into the darkness, you hear the door to the observatory splinter and break.

The passage leads to a vaulted cellar, as cold and as silent as a tomb. Gwynian talks with his brothers who then hurry off towards a distant portal. As they disappear into the dark, he returns to your side, his face sombre but composed.

'The Lorestone of Varetta is hidden in the crypt of the cathedral of Tekaro. This key will unlock the tomb in which it lies.' He produces a Silver Key from his sleeve and gives it to you.

'My brothers will provide a swift horse for your journey. When the observatory clock strikes midnight, enter the portal and follow the passage to the end. It passes beneath the city wall, and your horse will be waiting where the passage comes to the surface. You are welcome to take any items you require from this cellar that may be of use to you on your quest. May the gods protect you, Lone Wolf.' You nod your thanks and watch as Gwynian disappears into the portal.

The cellar is well stocked with provisions and you find the following items that could be of use on your journey to Tekaro:

Quarterstaff
Enough food for 3 Meals
Mace
Brass Whistle
Rope
Short Sword

Together with the Silver Key that Gwynian gave you (mark this as a Special Item that you keep in your pocket), you collect together all the items you wish to keep and settle down for the long wait till midnight.


(I grab some meals - 2 in fact. I take the Brass Whistle, just in case I need it in this adventure (I can’t recall).

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Travis

Really enjoying this. Never played these when I was younger, wishing I had run across them after reading this.

Glad you like it!

[Abe Sargent]

When the observatory clock strikes twelve, you are poised and ready to enter the portal. You follow a dry stone passageway until you arrive at an iron door. It opens with a grating squeal and a gust of damp, earthy air, mixed with a strange sweetness, billows out. Before you, a narrow stone stairway twists away into the darkness. You are forced to tread carefully on the green and slippery steps. At the bottom of the stairs a rough-hewn tunnel disappears to the west. You press on and eventually arrive at another iron door. Gwynian has kept his word, for beyond the door awaits a fine liver chestnut mare, saddled and ready to ride.

You are in a small copse close to a highway junction. In the light of the moon you can see a signpost that indicates two destinations--Amory and Soren. Consult the map before deciding which way to go.

I have someone waiting for me in Soren, so that just makes sense. Let’s go that way. The night passes without sleep and I arrive at a small village. There is a bronze statue in front of a blacksmith’s shop so I decide to stop and take a look. It’s a local hero I can sacrifice to, but I choose not to. I have my god, Kai. I eat a meal.

Just before noon I approach a deserted village with a few bodies and ruins. I find a man in the graveyard wounded and crying for help. I can use Curing, go help him, or ignore him. I choose to help. These things are usually traps but you never know. The wounded man straightens himself and draws a rusty scimitar. A group of men pop out from the shadows and they all attack me at once:

Grave Robbers CS 17, EP 23

I can only evade in the first round, so I fight. I roll a 5. 14 to them, 1 to me. I roll a 6. 16 to them and 1 to me. They die and I took two.

I inspect their corpses and find 27 gold, a bottle of wine and a mirror. I top off my pouch and for fun toss both in my backpack since I have the space. I now have a full BP (one meal, Alether, rope, 3 Laumspur, bottle, mirror)

[Abe Sargent]

I arrive at a sign that tells me Soren is just 25 miles away and instead of sleeping, I decide to keep on pressing.

Night has fallen by the time I reach Soren. I ride the main street for a bit and arrive at the docks. I can buy a ticket, and here are my options:

LUYEN--10 Gold Crowns
RHEM--15 Gold Crowns
EULA--20 Gold Crowns

A fourth destination--Tekaro--has been crossed out and scribbled beside it is: 'Cancelled due to war'.

I choose Eula because it is right there by Tekaro (check the map). They leave at midnight, so I go ahead and get on board after paying and collecting my ticket. After I put my mare in the hold and get her some feed, I come across the mercenary captain. He welcomes me to his unit, assuming I am joining him, and he is too drunk to care (same with his men).

My room is a very small room by the bow, but it is very comfortable with feather pillow and such. I fall asleep. The morning brings a cold drizzle. Then the boat lurches forward and I take 2 EP. We hit something! It looks like we hit a boom - a line of logs across the river.

[Abe Sargent]

Grapnels and ropes hit the boat, and it appears we are under attack by river pirates. Some knives are thrown at us, and the boat captain orders his men to battle. One of the pirates comes over the rail and looks at me. I choose to use a bow. I imbed the arrow so tightly in his chest that only the feathers can be seen. He screams and is knocked back into the river.

Leaping over a few pirate corpses, I reach the place where the mercenary captain is fighting against five pirates. He is doing well when a war-horn from the pirates greats a new wave. I move to protect the captain’s rear.



Pirate Berserkers, CS 20, EP 30

I roll a 9 and auto kill them.

We begin to get the advantage, and soon the pirates are retreating leaving many of their dead on the deck. The boat’s crew has been decimated but the mercenaries did fine. The mercenary captain takes command, ordering repairs, marshalling the remaining crew, and more.

[Abe Sargent]

After some time, we arrive at Luyen, city of flowers. The captain needs to purchase some provisions and his men can acquire equipment to finish repairs that were not aboard the vessel. One of the captain‘s duties is to so some shopping and he invites me along. The main place we visit is an apothecary. I decide to look and see what the Apothecary has for sale:


Potion of Laumspur (restores 4 ENDURANCE points per dose)--5 Gold Crowns
Potion of Gallowbrush (induces sleep for 1-2 hours per dose)--2 Gold Crowns
Rendalim's Elixir (restores 6 ENDURANCE points per dose)--7 Gold Crowns
Potion of Alether (increases COMBAT SKILL by 2 for the duration of one combat)--4 Gold Crowns
Graveweed Concentrate (causes death if swallowed)--4 Gold Crowns


The interesting thing here is Rendalim’s Elixir. I don’t have the backpack space for it, and I have three Laumspur pots.

I choose to check out the other shops while the captain is being served. I find a weapon shop and enter. I sell my extra bow for 6 crowns. (the one I started with). That frees up a weapon spot. I buy some arrows for a crown. Afterwards, I find a shop selling maps and I purchase a Map of Tekaro for 4 crowns. I help the captain on his return and the men have done a good job with the rest of the repairs. We set off for Rhem. By nightfall, we have arrived at Rhem.

[Abe Sargent]

Two days later, after seeing the war camps at Rhem, we arrive at Eula. Because I have a ticket, I have two choices. I can part ways with the captain and make my own way to Tekaro, or I can join him.

The city in which the Lorestone of Varetta lies is under siege. I can try to sneak in or join the assault and fight my way in. I decide to try my chances by myself, so I bid the captain farewell and good luck. Like Rhem, Eula is a major warcamp.



Sure, I am at the junction of the Rivers Quarl and Storn, but this war may end everything. Better to try it alone. I take some muddy paths to Tekaro and along the way I pass by a station set up for wounded soldiers. If I have Curing, I can choose to stop and help, otherwise I have to continue.

I reach the junction of the two rivers and I am right by Tekaro. There are large blueskinned humanoids setting up defenses and pontoons for the siege. They are called Ogrons. I choose to ask them about the this sewer outfall and they tell me there are strange noises heard here and none of the scouts sent there returned. I ask if I can use one of their pontoons and they tell me no, they get 100 lashes if they lose one, so instead of trying to steal one, I’ll just jump in the water and swim from here.

[Abe Sargent]

The water is very cold and it saps my strength. I lose an EP unless I have Nexus. I reach the rocky bank. I find a gaping hole in a grille and enter the sewers. Once again, in sewers. The sewage and refuse here is great for vermin and scavengers but I notice none. Never a good sign. I arrive at a major junction, and I can…go straight, go left, go right, look at my map. The map says to keep going straight, so I do.

100 yards later I spy a trapdoor or I can continue along the sewer. I go to the trapdoor. It goes to a major square teeming with guard,s but I managed to glimpse the cathedral of Tekaro, where I suspect the Lorestone to be. It was about 200 yards further.

About 50 yards later I hit a branch. The cathedral is 200 yards straight, so let’s keep going straight for now. About where I think the Cathedral should be I spy an old rusted ladder leading to a closed stone door. I can keep going or climb. I go up. The door is crusted with lime. Do I have nexus or psi-surge? Nope. I have to fight it then.

Sewer Door, CS 13, EP 35. Any endurance I lose represents strain. I roll a one and dole out 9 while taking 3. A 9 follows and it is destroyed.

[Abe Sargent]

Quote:

The old stone door creaks slowly open, and as the dust settles, you find yourself staring into the crypt of Tekaro Cathedral. Stepping into the chill, stale air, your heart begins to pound in your chest; the Lorestone is here--you can feel it.

Beams of ashen moonlight filter into the crypt, illuminating a line of sombre granite tombs that lie like sleeping giants under the earth. Clutching the Silver Key, you examine them one by one for the lock that guards the legendary Lorestone.

You find the lock and insert the key but you are suddenly distracted, on the brink of discovery, by the creature that is advancing through the sewer door.


A huge, lumbering monster stalks towards you. It is over ten feet high with thick, twisted, hairy limbs and eight-fingered hands tipped by razor-sharp talons. Baleful, monstrous eyes protrude from yellow slits in its glistening head, and a long reptilian tail whips behind it. Its hideous and peculiar gibbering fills the moonlit crypt as it draws nearer and nearer.


(I choose to use a bow)

Trembling with fear, you draw the bowstring and fire. The Arrow glances off its armoured head and shatters against the crypt wall. There is no time for a second shot. You discard your Bow and prepare for close combat as the creature moves in to strike.


I am facing the:

Dakomyd CS 25, EP 50.

If I reduce it’s EP to 25 or less I am to cease the combat. Also, it is immune to mind stuff.

I roll a 7 and deal 12 to it. A 2 deals 7 more and I take 3. An 8 takes it below 25. I turn to the indicated section.

[Abe Sargent]

Quote:

The crypt floor is crawling with the severed remains of the monster, which still writhe blindly forward with maniacal intent. Spider-like, a severed hand climbs your leg and embeds its talons in your flesh. (You lose 2 ENDURANCE points.) As you fight to free yourself from its vice-like grip, the torn pieces of the Dakomyd's body gather themselves together for another attack

(I can unlock the tomb and grab the Lodestone or strike again at the Dakomyd. Well, if this thing reforms, I might as well get the stone now while I can. )

As the door creaks open, a sun-like radiance pours from the tomb and floods the crypt with golden light, its searing intensity paralysing the Dakomyd. You grasp the Lorestone and your senses reel with newfound wisdom and strength. Instinctively, you raise your weapon and strike the monster at the base of its hideous skull. It shrieks and dies instantly.

Before your eyes the Dakomyd's skin ripples as if a wave were washing beneath its skin. Suddenly a criss-cross of wrinkles appears, and layers of transparent bone peel and fall from its shell-like skull. Its body becomes hunched, shrinking and folding by the second, until all that is left is a film of dust on the floor of the crypt. Time has at last caught up with this ancient terror.





As the golden light begins to fade, you stare at the object of your quest--the Lorestone of Varetta. But all that you hold in your hand is a hollow sphere of glass, transparent and unremarkable to look at.

Your quest has succeeded, for the power of the Lorestone has been transfused into your body and mind. Its strength and wisdom is now a part of you, and the transfusion signals the beginning of a new and deadly challenge on your quest for the Magnakai.

But be warned! The quest will draw you into a sinister realm where a malicious and terrible evil has grown in power since Sun Eagle first completed the Magnakai quest. If you possess the courage of a true Kai Master, the challenge and the quest await you in Book 7 of the Lone Wolf series entitled: Castle Death

[Abe Sargent]

Review of The Kingdoms of Terror.

Not my favorite book by any stretch of the imagination. For example, in the sewers, if you take any of the side branches or go past the entrance to the cathedral, you die. That’s an odd punishment for simply taking the wrong path, especially so close to the end of the book. I’ve talked before about how I hate the whole “Facts change based on what you do,” thing. Annoying.

The plot isn’t as good - it’s just moving from point A to B to C to D to E, etc. Go to a town, spend two minutes there, go to a town, spend three minutes there, etc. Feels like Fire on the Water. Just move until you get to the uber-powerful item. It’s going to be the plot a lot from here on out, until books 11 and 12. Well, and 7, which has a lot less moving. The subplots are just okay. Killing your companion on the first day means you don’t have much of a chance to feel attached, and you never get a chance to get vengeance on Roark.


End of The Kingdoms of Terror.

[Abe Sargent]

Say hello to Castle Death



Here is the story thus far:


You are the warrior, Lone Wolf, last of the Kai Masters of Sommerlund and sole survivor of the massacre that destroyed your kinsmen during a bitter war with your age-old enemies, the Darklords of Helgedad.

Many centuries have passed since Sun Eagle, the first of your kind, established the Order of the Kai. Aided by the magicians of Dessi, he completed a perilous quest to find seven crystals of power known as the Lorestones of Nyxator. With their discovery he unlocked a wisdom and strength that lay within both the Lorestones and himself. He recorded the nature of his discoveries and his experiences in a great tome called The Book of the Magnakai. You have discovered this lost Kai treasure and have given a solemn pledge to restore the Kai to their former glory, ensuring the security of your land in the years to come. However, your diligent study of this ancient book has enabled you to master only three of the ten Magnakai Disciplines. To fulfill your pledge, you must complete the quest first undertaken by Sun Eagle over one thousand years ago. By doing so successfully, you too, will acquire the power and wisdom of the Magnakai that is held within the Lorestones' crystal forms.

Much of Sun Eagle's script had faded with the passing years and little remained to help you find the seven Lorestones of Nyxator. Guided by the few words that could still be deciphered, you set out upon a journey that took you to the war-torn city of Tekaro in the hostile land of Slovia. There, hidden deep in the crypt of the city's cathedral, you found the first Lorestone of Varetta. As you held the crystal triumphantly in your hand, its power was transfused into your being, and the location of the second stone formed slowly in your mind--Herdos.

The remote township of Herdos stands upon the shore of Lake Khor, high in the Xulun Mountains of Dessi. Here the Elder Magi, the magicians who rule the land, helped Sun Eagle on his quest long ago. Time has turned full circle, and once more their aid is sought by a warrior of the Kai.

'Fate has brought you to us, Lone Wolf,' intones Rimoah, speaker for the High Council of the Elder Magi, as you stand before them in the Tower of Truth at Elzian. 'And our fate is bound to your quest.'

His clear voice fills the great cylindrical council chamber and the white-robed elders gathered around you respond with one voice, 'It is so.'

Rimoah leads you to a circular dais, set like a deep well into the green marble floor. Carefully, he kneels and touches its liquid metal surface with his gloved hand. A current flows through the shimmering metal and, within its mirror-like depths, a strange vision slowly takes shape. You see a black-walled fortress set upon a rocky isle, its deep purple shadows reflecting in the dark waters of a moonlit lake.

'You see before you Kazan-Oud. The Lorestone of Herdos rests in this castle, deep within its accursed halls. We will take you to this fortress, Lone Wolf, but you must enter alone, for our powers hold no sway over the forces that command this terrible place. In the years that have passed since Sun Eagle first came to this land, a great evil has consumed Kazan-Oud. We lack the means to destroy this evil but we have laboured to contain it, to prevent it from spreading beyond the Isle of Khor. Some of the bravest warriors of Magnamund have tried at our behest to defeat the power of Kazan-Oud, yet all have perished. But fate now brings us a Kai Master and our hearts rejoice, for the success of your quest will defeat the bane of Kazan-Oud and deliver us all from its evil shadow.'

A ripple of hopeful whispers arises from the circle of Elders when they hear you state that you will go to Kazan-Oud. As they accompany you from the council chamber to equip you for the dangerous mission that lies ahead, you ask the meaning of the words 'Kazan-Oud'. An uneasy silence descends on the dignified company and all eyes turn to Rimoah.

'In the language of the Sommlending,' he says, his voice wavering, 'Castle Death.'



In my opinion, this book should totally have been named The Castle of Death to match the naming titles of every other Magnakai book.

[Abe Sargent]

Here is the Map I am given:







As you can see, we are on the other side of Vassagonia.

[Abe Sargent]

Safekeeping:



Golden Key
Prince Pelethar’s Sword
Kai Axe
Burrowcrawler Dagger
Warhammer from Farmhouse
Red Pass
Coach Ticket
Black Sword of Parsion
Map of Sommerlund, Kalte, Southlands, Vassagonia, Stornlands, Tekaro
Fur Blanket
94 Gold Crowns
1 Meal
2 Potion of Laumspur - +5 EP
3 Potion of Laumspur - +4 EP
Fur Backpack
Bone Sword
Effigy
Distilled Alether +4 CS
Concentrated Graveweed
Kalte Diamond
Ragadorn Dagger
Magic Spear
Holy Water
Brass Key
Iron Key
Whip
Sommlending Cavalry Spear
Quarterstaff, Royal Guard
Scroll of Prophecy
Shield
Jeweled Mace
Bottle of Kourshah - +4 EP
Copper Key
Gold Key
Black Sash
Prism
Barrakeesh Public Bath Towel
Jakan - Vassagonian Coastal Hunting Bow
Zakhan’s Quarterstaff
2 Brass Whistle
Pink and Orange Waistcoast
Mirror
Bottle of Wine
Silver Key
Ticket to Eula
Rope
Lantern
Quiver w/ 6 arrows
Sommerswerd



Keeping:


30 Gold Crowns
Crystal Star Pendant
Blue Stone Triangle
Dagger of Vashna
Bronin Warhammer
Silver Bow of Duadon
Firesphere
Map of Dessi
Shield
Silver Helmet
Chainmail Waistcoat
Padded Leather Waistcoat
Rope
Quiver w/ 5 arrows
3 Potions of Laumspur: 4 EP
Alether Berries - +2 CS

[Abe Sargent]

Okay, I have decided, for the first time ever, to leave behind the Sommerswerd. Perhaps I should have done it one adventure earlier. The Sommerswerd can only be used by a Kai Lord, and if anyone else, ever, uses it in combat, its magic is gone. Now, before, I was the last of the Kai, so it made sense I carry the Sommerswerd everywhere. It’s not like there would be anyone to come after that could use it. However, now that I have discovered the Book of the Magnakai, if I were to die, it is possible someone else could carry on, and learn the Kai ways, rebooting the order. With that in mind, why am I risking the Sommerswerd. This sword is Sommerlund’s only hope against the Darklords. It doesn’t make sense that I risk it in every combat I am in. Now that I have the Magi to guide me, and I am about to enter a really nasty dungeon, it makes sense to leave the sword behind, so that if I do die, everything doesn’t go up in smoke with me. Thus, I am leaving the Sommerswerd behind, and will be used the Bronin Warhammer with its +1 CS. Now, I’ll grab the sword again when it is really needed, I suspect. For now? No Sun Sword.

[Abe Sargent]

Lone Wolf, Kai Primate

26 CS
34 EP

Divination
Pathsmanship
Weaponmastery
Huntmastery



Let’s go.

[Abe Sargent]

The hours leading up to your departure from Elzian are spent checking and double-checking your equipment and provisions. But, no matter how hard you try to concentrate on these preparations, your mind is constantly invaded by the shadowy image of Kazan-Oud, an image identical to the vision that appeared the previous evening in the well of the council chamber. You are filled with a deep dread, as you contemplate the probable site of your own grave. However, coupled to this terrible sense of foreboding is a far greater and irresistible desire to discover the Lorestone of Herdos.

Shortly before dawn, your thoughts are disturbed by a knock at the door of your chamber: it is Rimoah. The time has come for your mission to begin. You follow him through halls and galleries to a rooftop platform nestling among the crimson towers of the Temple of Truth. Here you are greeted by a young man. He is tall and dark-skinned, with plaited flaxen hair and sharp, cat-like eyes, and he wears the gold and scarlet tunic of a Vakeros--a warrior-magician of Dessi. 'Hail, Paido!' says Rimoah, bowing to this proud young man.

'Hail, my Lord Rimoah,' he replies, respectfully. 'We are ready to sail.'

The first rays of the dawn light shimmer along the golden hull of a magnificent sky-ship that hovers above the rooftop platform. As the hum of its powerful engine rises, you thank Rimoah and bid him farewell before following Lord Paido to the boarding ladder at the edge of the platform. Once safely on board, the sky-ship rises into the chill dawn air, and Lord Rimoah and the Tower of Truth shrink swiftly beneath its golden keel. You look down with growing fascination as the sleek, bat-winged craft passes over the circling waters of the Elzian Canal and speeds northwards above the jungle of central Dessi. As the grey Chasm of Gorgoron looms into view, splitting the emerald-green land like a deep and terrible wound, Lord Paido joins you at the rail. Time passes in conversation, and you learn much about the people of this untamed land and their history. You learn that the Elder Magi are all that remain of a race of great magicians who ruled central Magnamund many thousands of years ago. They were wise and powerful, and their leadership was great until their numbers were decimated by a plague that swept across the world. Those who survived sought refuge in Dessi and have lived here, in the mountains and the jungle, ever since. The Vakeros are native soldiers of Dessi who have been taught the art of battle-magic by the Elder Magi to help them defend the northern border against invasion by the war-like Vassagonians.

When you tell Lord Paido of your own past battles with the desert warriors, you sense a sadness within him. 'How I wish my brother Kasin were here with us now,' he says, staring thoughtfully towards the distant horizon. 'He could tell many a brave tale of the great desert wars.' You ask what has become of his brother. There is a long pause before he replies solemnly: 'Kazan-Oud.'
The land of Dessi is now spread out beneath you like a gigantic map. To the northwest you can see the foothills of the Carcos Range and a faint ribbon-like glimmer that is the River Doi; to the east, a bank of grey storm clouds advances unchecked across a sea of jungle vegetation. Shortly before noon you sight your destination. The low-domed buildings of Herdos appear on the horizon, followed by the waters of Lake Khor and a blackened finger of rock upon which sits Kazan-Oud. Even at this great distance, the awesome sight of the terrible fortress sends a chill along your spine.

Lord Paido orders his crew to prepare for landing, and within the hour, the great sky-ship is casting its shadow upon the flagstones of the Plaza of Herdos. You are welcomed by Lord Ardan, Elder of Herdos, and a detachment of his Vakeros guards. They escort you through the streets of the ancient town, past the tiny stone-walled dwellings of fishermen and miners, to a quay where a glass-domed tower several storeys high commands access to the busy harbour. As you enter the tower, you notice that the glass dome radiates a greenish light that, in spite of the blinding glare of the midday sun, can be seen quite clearly.

Later, as the sun sinks slowly behind the peaks of the mountains, the light emanating from the tower becomes more visible, covering Lake Khor with an umbrella of ghostly luminescence. Lord Ardan explains: 'This tower, together with five others that encircle the lake, generates a shield of magical energy that imprisons the evil of Kazan-Oud. No creature, living or dead, can enter or leave the Isle of Khor so long as our shield remains intact. We dare not lower our guard, and, to allow you to land on the island, we have devised a means by which you may pass through the shield unharmed.' He takes a gem the size of a small apple from the pocket of his silken robe and places it in your hand. It is a dull translucent red, but within its core a swirling mist of glittering sparks flickers with gold and silver fire.

'It is a Power-key. Guard it well, for so long as you possess it you may fulfill your quest; lose it and you will never escape from the Isle of Khor.' (Mark the Power-key on your Action Chart as a Special Item, which you carry in the pocket of your tunic.) 'At midnight, my Vakeros will take you by boat to the edge of the shield. On board is a small coracle in which you can pass through the shield and make your way to the Isle of Khor. We shall pray for you, Lone Wolf.'

Midnight finds you standing on the deck of a square-rigged fishing boat. The sighing night wind and the creak of rope and timber are the only sounds that accompany you across the black waters of Lake Khor. You arrive at a wall of shimmering, green light: the power-shield. The Vakeros whisper their goodbyes, and you paddle through the wall, drawing closer with every stroke to the sinister island fortress.

Two hundred yards from the glistening black shoreline, you note two places where you can make a landing.



I can land at a stone jetty to the west of Kazan-Oud, or I can land at a sheltered bay to the east of it.

[Abe Sargent]

Let’s go with the bay. The jetty is too obvious and might be guarded. Lighting and thunder mark the evening – nice and ominous. As I near the bay I make out some odd small red lights moving about to and fro. As I land my boat at a hollow in the bay, I realize those are not lights. It is a swarm of rats that is moving towards me quickly, like an angry carpet. Each is the size of a puppy and they all look ravenous. I can stand and fight, run across some rocks, or take my boat back out. The boat may be too slow, so let’s run.


The rats reach my boat and devour it within a few moments while I run across the rocks and now an empty beach. They are chasing me and hot on my trail when suddenly they decide to back off. That’s never a good sign. They have stopped as if at some invisible barrier, snapping their teeth and looking at me hungrily. I continue on for a moment before I come across a great toad-like face on a long lizard body. This huge lizard is now in my way, and seeks to eat me.







This Zagothal can be evaded at any time with Invisibility and no loss of EP, after two rounds, or I can fight to the death.



Zagothal CS 29, EP 28


I roll 5, 7 and 6. It has taken 18 and I have taken 9. I roll a 0. It takes 10 and dies.

[Abe Sargent]

Can you imagine starting a book with a CS 29 guy with your initial 1d10 + CS? Sucky. At least you could evade it. It lets out a huge cry, and I discover a gold key in its claws. I grab it, but the horde of rats is coming. I start running and come across a very narrow stone bridge that spans a deep gully. I can try the bridge, try to swim across it, or use Divination. Divination tells me that the bridge is just strong enough to allow me to cross, but not too much more than that. I take it.


The rats are right behind me and as I reach the center of the bridge, they reach the bridge itself, so I turn and face them her on the narrow bridge, where they cannot use their large numbers against me. I swing and kill some, knocking others to their death far below. Suddenly, the bridge cracks and I leap to the other shore. The bridge breaks and the rats on it fall with it to the gully below, while the others are trapped on the other side.

There is a fallen tower here and the stone blocks look like the vertebrae of a giant beast. I arrive at the battlements of Kazan-Oud. I can try to penetrate the fortress through the fallen tower, or continue on. Let’s continue on. I can always come back. In a bit I arrive at another stone staircase, this one much more intact. I cannot go farther because the beach collides with the castle. I climb up the large stairs and a storm has broken. The only source o flight is the green power-shield. There is an entrance here, and it is very dark. Do I have a tinderbox and torch, or a lantern, or a Firesphere? I use it.

I notice that the uneven floor is marked with uneven stones and spatters of blood. More ominous. I am about to move in when my Kai instincts of Sixth Sense kick in and I am alerted to a small square panel in the floor. I can prod it with a weapon, jump across, or walk across. I choose to prod it.

No matter how hard I prod, I cannot move it, but my prodding knocks away old dirt and reveals the number 123 in the center of some scaly creature. Jump or walk. I jump. I begin to feel a warm damp wind coming from in front of me. For over an hour I walk down the tunnel and leap over small fissures, and take care not to mess with the worms and other creatures that inhabit these depths.

[Abe Sargent]

The tunnel opens into an oval chamber and I see a staircase going to a trapdoor in the ceiling, the tunnel continues, and there is the remains of a dead adventurer. I choose to investigate the remains and find 6 gold crowns, a red robe, and a rope. Since I have the space, for now I take all three. Continue.

The tunnel twists and I notice an iron door in the wall. I can check it out or continue. I check it out and find a shield, short sword on a table. I grab the short sword. I choose to search the room further. I find a map case and open it up. Inside is a diamond and a piece of parchment with the 123 number on it. I take the diamond. The tunnel begins to descend.

I hit a door with the following symbol on it:



Set around it, like the numbers on a clock, is a dial with the numbers 1 - 40. I use Divination and it tells me there is a trap if I use the wrong number, I use Pathsmanship and it tells me that I need to count the number of triangles and turn to that section. It’s 13 so I go there.

[Abe Sargent]

The door begins to raise and I head through. Rats flee before me but I hear a squeaking noise in the distance that is similar to the rats, and yet different. As I move, I start going down some stairs, and as I do, a group of bats swerves near me.



Do I have either Animal Control or Psi-Surge. Nope. We fight.

I will double all EP lost by me due to the bat’s poisonous saliva unless I have Curing. No Curing.

Vampire Bats: 19 CS, 32 EP

I roll a 8, and deal 16. I roll a 0 and they are auto killed.

Dead bats. The few that survived fly off rather quickly. Wimps. I arrive at a small stone room that has just a broadsword and spear on some weapon racks. I can go north, east, or use Pathsmanship. I take the Spear. Pathsmanship tells me that the north tunnel is used by a bunch of animals. The east tunnel, not so much. I can choose, east or north. Let’s take the north tunnel, because the east is screaming trap to me.

[Abe Sargent]

The tunnel descends into a vast hall. Yellow smoke wafts overhead. There is a narrow stone walkway I must follow and to each is some dark and sulfurous. I arrive at a junction in this narrow walkway and another. I begin to hear running feet to my right and I look and see a warrior running towards me, weapon in hand. I can use a bow, draw my Bronin Warhammer, or use Divination. I use it. It tells me the man is petrified with fear from something else. There is such a strong aura of evil I can’t tell if the warrior is evil or not. Bow, weapon, or avoid. I choose draw a weapon. Perhaps I can help the solider.

The warrior is close and he shouts to me to run with him, but I choose instead to hold my ground and confront whatever he is running from. Three jackal-like creatures arrive and I have to fight them as one:




Dhax CS 27, EP 35

I roll a 9, 6, 4, and 1. I have taken 11 and the Dhax 24. I roll a 4 and I take 4 and them 5. I roll an 8 and they take 9 and I take 1. They are dead that I took 16 EP.

I wipe the sweat and blood from my face. I stumble over something gin the path. In the hand of one of the Dhax is a small, gentle mace looking thing. No, on closer inspection, it is a Silver Sceptre. Pick it up, leave it there, or have I completed the Lore Circle of the Spirit? I pick it up. Suddenly a crashing searing pain tears through my head and I fall unconscious.

[Abe Sargent]

Quote:

You awake to such an astounding sight that you feel sure you must be dreaming. Before you lies a titanic, circular hall of glittering marble, rising tier on tier like a gigantic amphitheatre. A vast pit fills the centre, from which arises a pinnacle of black iron, which is licked by sheets of flame that roar up from the depths below. Scores of seated creatures crowd the tiers, every one of them staring at you, their eyes like pinpoints of fire gleaming coldly from the shadows of their hooded robes. You hear the rustle of their mocking laughter, and your skin prickles with eerie premonition. A great gong booms in the distance, and a doleful chant arises from the crowded tiers. An urge to run from this evil place grips you like a fever, but your wrists are manacled securely to a bronze ring fixed to the wall above your head.



'Let the trial commence!' commands a mighty voice, filling the hall with clamouring echoes. As one, the robed spectators rise from their seats as a shaft of light pours down upon the pinnacle, illuminating the outline of a man, white-haired and gaunt, seated on a massive throne of solid, gleaming gold. Suspended in the air above his head are two crystals: one as clear as a polished diamond; the other as black as the grave. A crackling arc of energy travels between the two, and its flickering blue light sheds a ghostly shadow on the face of the seated lord.

'Intruder,' he says, his voice soft yet chilling, 'you have come to Kazan-Oud with murder in your heart. Have not the cowards of Elzian promised to reward you for my destruction?'

A drone of dissent surges from the crowded tiers, drowning any answer that you offer in your defense. The lord rises slowly from the throne and turns to his baying minions, his hands outstretched as if to receive the adulation. As their ghastly drone grows louder, your eye is drawn to the clear crystal that hovers above the throne. A golden light now glows at its core. In a flash of understanding you recognize the object of your quest: here is the Lorestone of Herdos.

'Your verdict, my children?' cries the wild-eyed man, his voice now harsh and angry.

'Guilty, Lord Zahda,' the crowd howls in reply.

'The sentence?' retorts their master.

'The maze!' they scream. 'The maze!'


Do I have the Sommerswerd or not? Not. My weapons and weapon-like special items are removed by a small dwarf-like creature. I am escorted to the maze.

[Abe Sargent]

Quote:

An escort of armoured guards forces you along a steel passageway lined by a crowd of jeering minions. They punch and spit as you pass between them, and their foul curses ring in your ears. The guards halt before a huge door of iron and unlock the manacles that encase your bruised and bloodied wrists. The points of their spears never wander far from your throat, discouraging any attempt at escape. The door rumbles open, and a cheer goes up as you are pushed head-first into a foul-smelling pit.

'Welcome to the maze,' sneers the chilling voice of Lord Zahda from somewhere high above your head. You struggle to your feet and peer up at a ceiling of swirling mist. A faint glow is gradually taking shape, condensing and forming into the likeness of a human skull. Baleful green eyes stare down at you from bony sockets, and a powdered wig, like that of a high court judge, sits squarely upon its fleshless head.

'You came here to kill but your plans have been foiled and now you must face the consequence,' echoes a voice in the skull. 'You have been sentenced to enter the Maze of Zahda. If you escape, your life may be spared; if you fail then you will surely die--a fitting end for one who came here in search of death.'

The skull retreats into the mist, and a deathly silence fills the pit. A semicircular shadow forms on the wall ahead; it grows larger and darker until it resembles the mouth of a cave or tunnel. Suddenly a gust of chill air whistles from out of this darkness, and you realize that you are staring at the entrance to the maze.

'Enter!' orders the voice. 'Enter or die where you stand!' It is no idle threat. A crossbow bolt slams into the sand barely inches from your feet, and the click of a steel drawstring warns that another could follow if you disobey the command. Reluctantly, you step forward and enter the Maze of Zahda.

[Abe Sargent]

I have everything but my weapons, gold crowns, special items, and backpack items. I walk along a passage and come across a sword upon a block of marble at a fork. I can use Divination or Psi-Screen, pick up the sword, go left or go right. My skill tells me that the sword is just a steel sword, but the block is highly magical. Do I have Nexus? Would I like to use a rope? Go left, go right. I use a rope.

I lasso it easily and grab the sword, in which I have Weaponmaster, fyi. Awesome. Left or right? Let’s go left. After a few hundred yards I come across some giant bubbles being blown by a gentle breeze. I can go back and take the other route, push past them, or sword them. I sword them and the pop harmlessly. I feared they had a gas inside them or something, but everything looks okay. The tunnel turns to the right sharply. I arrive at a deep dark pit that stretches into another corridor at the other end. The maze’s disembodied head appears and tells me:

'The path across defies your sight;
Find the path or stay and fight.'

Do I have Divination or Psi-Screen? It tells me there is an invisible bridge here that will take me across. I start checking with my sword. However, I hear a threatening noise in the passage behind me. I need to pick a number. I get a 4. I find the bridge but just then I feel a crack like a great whip. I lose 2 EP. I can get on the bridge or stay and find an invisible creature. I go to the bridge. I am several steps in when another crack of a whip arrives. Roll a number and add two if I have Huntmastery. I rolled a 1 and get a 3. Since a 0-2 here would have killed me, I would have died without Huntmastery,

I slip but keep my balance and manage to make it across (lose another 3 EP). Zahda yells out his happiness but wonders if I am smart in addition to strong. The passage takes a strong turn.

[Abe Sargent]

Quote:

You enter a chamber where a tall bronze statue stands. You recognize its distinctive head-dress and robes immediately: it is a Zakhan, a ruler of the desert empire of Vassagonia. The statue looks most distressed: its arms are outstretched in a gesture of hopelessness, and the expression on its face is one of sorrow and despair. Beyond the statue, an oval-shaped door is set flush in the wall but you discover that it is locked.




The mist grows brighter. Once more the skull appears and speaks, its voice as comforting as a raven's croak:

'Listen to the Zakhan,
Ponder what you hear;
Give the correct answer,
For fear he sheds a tear.'

The skull disappears into the misty ceiling, and you watch amazed as the dull bronze lips of the statue begin to move. A harsh voice echoes from deep within its hollow metal body:

'My daughter has many sisters, as many sisters as she has brothers, but each of her brothers has twice as many sisters as brothers. So answer me this, wise warrior, how many sons and daughters do I have?'


Consider your answer carefully and, when you have decided, write down first the number of sons the Zakhan has and then, immediately next to it, the number of daughters. Now turn to the entry which bears the same number as your answer.

If I can’t figure it out, I can give up. 34. 3 sons and 4 daughters. Its the only possible answer. One daughter has two sisters and two brothers. One brother has 2 brothers and four sisters - double. It is the correct answer. The oval door clicks open. I start heading down a ramp with these weird cocoon like structures.

[Abe Sargent]

In the corridor ahead I can make out a huge worm like creature writhing towards me. Do I have Invisibility? A Silver Whistle? Animal Control? Otherwise, time to fight.

This creature is doubly affected by Mindblast or Psi-Surge.

Oudagorg - CS 17, EP 17

I roll a 1 and it takes 8 and me 3. I roll a 3 and 10 more to it and 2 more to me. It’s dead.

I have 12 EP lost right now and am at 22/34. (Healing helps from my Kai days)

[Abe Sargent]

My death blow cracks the worms back on its self and its death throes have damage the ceiling. I can continue along the corridor or climb the corpse and see what’s up. I pull myself up and I can see the maze laid out before me. Each chamber has a trap or a creature to face. Above them is a criss-crossing section of pathways. As I move, I hear an alarm bell ring. Obviously my escape has not gone unnoticed. I pass through an arch and there is a corridor beyond. Go left, right, or use Pathsmanship. Left is prison cells, right torture chamber.

I’d prefer jailers to torturers, so I go left. Here are the slaves of Kazan-Oud. I spy a human prisoner in one of the last cells, and I can release him or continue. I release him. He looks up at me with glass coated eyes. Do I have Curing? Nope. I tell him he need not fear me, and he asks if the Elder Magi sent me. I decide to answer him.

Quote:

You tell him of your quest and the help the Elder Magi have given to enable you to enter Kazan-Oud. When you recount your air voyage to Herdos aboard Lord Paido's skyship, you notice a tear trickle from the blind man's eye. 'My name is Kasin,' he says, sorrowfully. 'Lord Paido is my brother.'

Pity fills your heart for this unfortunate warrior, for you know that he is doomed to die. Blindness occurs in the final stage of takadea, the disease that is ravaging his body. 'I am beyond help,' he says, his face lined with pain, 'but I can and will help your quest, Kai Lord. Listen to me carefully. There are stairs at the end of the corridor that lead down to the throne-hall of Zahda. At the entrance to the hall there is a tapestry behind which there is a secret passage. It leads to Zahda's throne. Above the throne is the Lorestone you seek, but beware. Zahda has coupled its power to a Doomstone from the realm of Naaros--Zahda draws all his power from this accursed gem. If you are to succeed, you must first destroy the gem or you will surely perish. Sadly I cannot help you escape from Kazan-Oud, for I myself was captured long before I reached the surface, but if you reach the beach, make your way to the old stone jetty. Beneath the steps is the place where I hid my boat.'

He grips your hand in friendship, his face now calm and peaceful. 'When you return to Elzian, tell my brother that my death was not in vain. May the gods protect you, Lone Wolf.'

The sound of approaching guards forces you to leave the cell. As you close the door, you promise that his bravery will live forever in the legends of the Vakeros--his warrior kin.

[Abe Sargent]

At the end of the cellblock is a grim-faced guard.




CS 17, EP 22

I roll a 2 and a 5 and he has taken 19 while I took 5. I roll a 6 and he dies and I took another. I roll over his body and find 2 crowns, and axe, short sword and dagger. I leave behind the weapons. I run down some stairs into a room with a fountain and an enemy aiming a crossbow at my chest. Pick a number and add 3 if I have Huntmastery. I automatically win. I twist aside to dodge the bolt and I pull my sword at him.

Throne-Hall Guard CS 14, EP 22

I roll a 5 and he takes 14 and me 1. I roll a 3 and he is dead while I take 2 more.