One Kai Left: The Lone Wolf Dynasty - Page 9

Abe Sargent · 12-04-2009, 09:46 PM

As you hoped, the fire spreads quickly and, as you sprint across the frozen ground towards the forest's edge, you glance over your shoulder to see bright orange flames roaring from the open doorway, and a pall of black smoke rising into the steel-grey sky. You reach Prarg and together you hurry deeper into the forest. The fire covers your escape, but it also draws several Drakkarim patrols back to the encampment. You are forced to make a wide detour to the west in order to avoid these returning soldiers and your new route takes you across a steep and rugged part of the Tozaz forest previously unexplored by your guide.

The difficult terrain slows you down and you cover less than six miles before failing light and the increasing sightings of Drakkarim patrols force you to halt and make camp for the night. From the safety of a treetop, fifty feet above the forest floor, you rope yourself to the trunk before settling down to sleep. You are hungry and, unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

The night passes without incident and you awake to a bright dawn feeling refreshed by your long, uninterrupted sleep. Prarg, too, has slept well, and he feels eager to start the journey to Shugkona. Fresh snow has fallen during the night, and when you descend to the base of the tree, you discover several sets of footprints nearby. Your Pathsmanship senses tell you that they are little more than an hour old and were made by a Drakkarim patrol heading due north.

You set off towards the north east, following a frozen stream that winds its way through the forest like a glistening crystal serpent. Luck and your Kai skills keep you safe from the Drakkarim patrols, and by noon you find yourselves approaching the outskirts of Shugkona. From the cover afforded by a small wooden footbridge that crosses the icy stream, you are able to reconnoitre this heavily fortified Drakkarim town. Log-lined trenches encircle most of its perimeter, fronted by pits filled with sharpened stakes to counter attacks by enemy cavalry. Mantlets and wheeled barricades defend its four highway approaches, and the whole line is manned by squads of Drakkarim and Hammerland mercenaries. However, this formidable protection comprises just a first line of defence behind which there are more fieldworks, sharpened stakes and watchtowers, many bearing recent scars of war. The town itself lies within this second circle. It is constructed entirely of wood, and many of its outermost buildings have, over the years, been reduced to ash by Lencian firebombs. You learn from Prarg that Magnaarn's headquarters are located at the very centre, in a high tower which commands a clear view over the town and its defensive lines.

At first sight the Shugkona defences look impregnable, but after having carefully observed the perimeter lines you note two places where, with luck, you might enter the town without being observed. The first is close to the east road where an expanse of cleared ground is guarded only by a watchtower. The second is a section of the perimeter, further south, where only one line of trenches has been completed.

Abe Sargent · 12-04-2009, 09:57 PM

(I choose the east. Enemies of the Drakkar are to the south and west, so it makes sense to approach from a different direction if possible)

You abandon the shelter of the bridge and work your way slowly along the ice-filled ditch to a point directly in front of the tower. Here you settle to observe the Drakkarim guards who are dutifully keeping watch over the eastern approaches to the town. All you can see of them is their brutal faces peering out of the horizontal slit which runs the full circumference of the tower. After a while, three of the four Drakkarim leave the tower by a staircase at the side. Only one remains, and you decide that now would be the best time to make your move, before the three return or before their replacements show up for duty.

Prarg insists that he go first; he has crossed here once before and he knows a safe way through. The ground looks clear but there are concealed pits out there just waiting to snare the careless or unwary. You nod your agreement and, as soon as the guard turns his face away from the observation slit, Prarg makes his run. Crouching low, he half-runs, half-scampers across the clearing, keeping low and zig-zagging as he weaves a safe path through the pits. It takes him thirty seconds to reach the base of the tower, then he slips around the side and takes cover beneath the steps before beckoning you to follow.

You take a deep breath then launch yourself out into the open. With heart pounding you run towards the tower, following in Prarg's footsteps which are clearly visible in the snow. You are halfway across when suddenly the guard's face reappears at the observation slit. You pray your camouflage skills will keep you hidden for a few seconds longer, but then you see something that shakes your confidence. The guard raises a curious square of glass in front of his eyes, and at once you sense it possesses magical properties.

(I pick a number. I get a 3 and add 1 for my rank)

The guard's eyes, made unnaturally large by the lens, narrow as he stares intently across the snowy eastern approaches to the tower. Immediately you slow yourself to a halt, fall to the ground, then begin utilizing your camouflage skills to keep you hidden from his unblinking gaze.

With your cheek pressed flat to the snow, you glance firstly at the guard's face at the observation slit, then to Captain Prarg who is now climbing the stairs to tower door, his sword ready to hand. He reaches the door, throws it open, and disappears quickly inside. For a few moments there is complete silence, then he reappears, sheathes his bloodied blade, and beckons you to hurry to the tower.

Swiftly you rise up out of the snow and run to the tower where you meet up with Prarg at the foot of the wooden steps.

'That guard'll not be raising any alarms,' he says, cocking his thumb behind him towards the tower door. 'And they'll not find him too soon, neither.'

You smile knowingly. Then Prarg points to an alleyway that lies sandwiched between two burnt-out hovels at the edge of the town, and suggests you go that way.

'Lead on Captain,' you say, and follow as he runs towards the alley's shadowy entrance.

Abe Sargent · 12-04-2009, 10:06 PM

The dark alleyway leads to a square where, an age ago, the grand mansions of Lencian noblemen encircled a shrine dedicated to the Goddess Ishir, High Priestess of the Moon. But now this square, in common with the rest of the town, bears little resemblance to, or trace of, its Lencian origins. When the Drakkarim first captured Ferndour, as it was then called, all the houses and public buildings which had stood for centuries were demolished. In their place were erected ungainly dormitories and ugly communal dwellings made entirely of timber culled from the surrounding forest. The town's once-picturesque plazas and narrow, winding streets were replaced with coldly functional military avenues for the marching Drakkarim hordes.

From the shadows of a doorway, you and Prarg observe a small covered wagon and a troop of weary Drakkarim soldiers entering the square from the north. This small procession swings right and approaches an avenue which exits the square, leading off to the west towards the centre of the town. Magnaarn's headquarters are located in the middle of Shugkona and, with night fast approaching, Prarg suggests you follow the troop using the gathering darkness for cover. You are about to agree with him when suddenly the door of a nearby hovel swings open, and out into the alley step three burly, drunken Drakkarim.

Instinctively you both leap for cover to avoid being seen. Prarg drops down behind a stack of empty ale casks, whilst you dive behind a mound of rotten timbers. The moment you hit the ground you feel it sag beneath your weight, then, in a moment of terror, the ground collapses and you fall headlong into darkness. You have crashed through the rot-infested timbers of a trapdoor into a damp and dingy cellar.

(I roll a 1)

You land with a jolt, crashing down upon a stack of ale barrels which topple and fall, pinning you beneath them: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

Stunned by the fall, and with blood trickling into your eyes from a gash on your forehead, at first you feel totally unable to move. Then you hear sounds that immediately stir you into action. In the alleyway above, you hear the sounds of a struggle taking place: the Drakkarim have found Prarg and they are attempting to overpower him by force.

The sounds of the struggle cease abruptly and you hear gruff Drakkarim voices yelling and cursing in anger. A yellowy light flares up and grows brighter as it approaches the broken trapdoor. Then the face of a Drakkar appears, framed in the ragged hole, illuminated grotesquely by the guttering flames of a torch. The Drakkar thrusts the torch through the shattered door and peers into the cellar, his small piggy eyes probing into every corner. You keep completely still, and he fails to see you lying beneath the clutter of barrels and casks.

The moment the face and the torch disappear, you prise yourself free and then scramble up onto an upright barrel in order to reach the trapdoor. Prarg and the Drakkarim are no longer in the alleyway, yet as you pull yourself through the gaping hole, you catch sight of them in the square beyond. The Drakkarim have captured Prarg; they have tied his hands and they are marching him along the west avenue towards the centre of the town, towards Magnaarn's headquarters.

You clamber out of the cellar and set off after the Drakkarim with weapon in hand, determined to free your companion from their clutches, but as you hurry into the western avenue you see that they have already joined with the troops who are escorting the covered wagon. The wagon has halted and you count more than fifty Drakkarim jostling the helpless Prarg, bullying and cursing him vilely. More than one voice calls out in the Giak tongue--'Let's kill the Lencian spy!'

Fearful that they are going to beat him to death, you decide to charge headlong into the crowd in a desperate attempt to save him, despite the overwhelming odds against your success. But before you can act, a Drakkar officer on horseback appears and commands the troops to order. An uneasy silence descends on the group, then dutifully they step away from Prarg and form up in a column facing the officer and his mount. Prarg, who has been left lying on the ground, barely conscious, is bundled into the wagon. The officer raises his hand and the wagon trundles off along the avenue towards a distant square, with the troop of soldiers marching smartly in its wake.

You follow and observe, taking in every aspect, every detail that might help you to free your companion. When you reach the square at the end of the avenue, you discover that is dominated by a tall tower. It is Magnaarn's tower. His flag, emblazoned with the emblem of a black eagle clutching two fiery swords, flutters lazily from its slender wooden spire. The wagon draws up in front of a building adjacent to the tower and Prarg is dragged unceremoniously inside. Judging by the bars which adorn its windows, and the armed guards at its entrance, you hazard a guess that this is the Shugkona Gaol.

Patiently you watch the square for several minutes while you try to formulate a plan. Then the assembled troops are galvanized into action when an order from their officer sends them off in pairs to search the town for other spies. Several Drakkarim come towards your location and you are forced to seek somewhere to hide. Looking around you can see only two dwellings that may offer some hope of a safe haven. The first is a warehouse; the second a stables.

(I choose warehouse)

You enter the warehouse through a broken window and soon find a hiding place among hundreds of rolls of canvas that are being stored on the ground floor. Periodically, Drakkarim enter and search the length and breadth of this sprawling building, but they fail to detect you.

Abe Sargent · 12-04-2009, 10:21 PM

While you are hiding from their search parties, you consider your companion's plight and grow ever more fearful for his safety. You are also very anxious that, under torture, he will reveal your identity and the reason why you have come to this town. You are determined not to allow this to happen and so, as midnight approaches, you slip away from your hiding place and make your way stealthily towards the Shugkona Gaol.

The dark alleys and streets surrounding the gaol are illuminated by a hundred guttering brands. Magnaarn's soldiers are everywhere, casting their suspicious eyes over every section of the nighted town laid bare by their torches. Your Kai skills keep you hidden from sight and soon you reach the gaol, but only to discover that the entrance is now heavily guarded by a platoon of Drakkarim.

You abandon your hopes of entering by the front door and instead you circle around to an alley at the rear of the building where you discover a line of windows, each one criss-crossed with iron bars. Instinct leads you to the last in the line and you peer inside to see Captain Prarg lying on a bed of filthy straw. He looks in poor shape; both his eyes are bruised, his lips are swollen, and his bushy moustache is caked with dried blood. You whisper his name and wearily he turns his head towards the cell window. Then he sees you and suddenly his whole face lights up with renewed hope.

'Thank the Gods you are still free, Lone Wolf,' he says quietly, pressing his battered face to the bars. 'The Drakkarim have tried to make me talk but I have kept silent. They know nothing about the mission.'

You examine the cell window and reassure Prarg that you will soon spring him from this gaol, but he insists that you do not risk your life on his account.

'Listen, Sire. I have learned that Magnaarn isn't here in Shugkona. When the gaolers' beat me, I feigned unconsciousness and overheard them say that their leader is at a place called Antah. It's a ruined temple some forty miles away to the north. They talked of certain victory now that their warlord has found "the stone". Please, Lone Wolf, I beseech you to continue without me. Go to Antah and defeat Magnaarn, before it is too late.'

Then a yellowy flicker of torchlight at the end of the alley cuts short your conversation. It is a Drakkarim patrol. They turn the corner and come marching towards you with purposeful steps.

'Don't give up hope, Captain,' you say, as you make ready to run from the approaching patrol, 'I'll come back for you.'

This quarter of the town is now teeming with enemy soldiers, and as you hurry away from the cell window, you know that you are in grave danger of being caught unless you can find somewhere safe to hide.

At length you discover a refuge on the far side of the main square. It is an empty grain storage tower which overlooks Magnaarn's headquarters and the gaol, and it is here that you spend a sleepless night contemplating the mission and the fate of your captured companion. Now that it appears Magnaarn has found the Doomstone, you know you should do as Captain Prarg insisted; you should try to reach Antah and confront him before he can use his new-found power against the Lencians. But you are loath to abandon your guide. You have promised Prarg that you will help him escape, and a Kai Grand Master never breaks his word. The Captain has been captured as a spy, and as such, he can expect no mercy from the Drakkarim.

Soon after dawn you witness some activity in the main square which confirms your worst fears. A squad of Drakkarim engineers arrive and set to work constructing a raised wooden platform in the centre of the square.

An hour later, when their work is complete, a covered wagon arrives. The engineers unload a large lump of black oak which they place in the middle of the platform, and as you focus on this block, a shiver runs the length of your spine the moment you realize its grim purpose.

The solid lump of oak is an executioner's block. Its surface is cut and scarred by blows from a heavy axe, and its sides are stained dark with the blood of a hundred Lencian prisoners who have lost their lives upon it.

Abe Sargent · 12-04-2009, 10:31 PM

Suddenly your thoughts are disturbed by the rhythmic stamp of marching feet and your eyes are drawn to the avenue which runs alongside Magnaarn's headquarters. Down this thoroughfare come a regiment of Drakkarim. They file into the square and form up in three lines facing the platform. Then an open wagon, drawn by a brace of half-starved oxen, emerges from the alleyway beside the gaol. Captain Prarg is standing in the rear of the wagon with his hands tied behind his back. Despite the bumpy ride he stands rigidly at attention, proudly defiant in the face of imminent death. The wagon halts and the Captain is dragged up onto the platform by three brutish gaolers. He is made to kneel down before the block as a Drakkar officer hurriedly reads the contents of a scroll to the assembled troops. He is condemning the Captain to death for spying. When he finishes the reading, he takes a two-handed axe from one of the gaolers and walks slowly across the platform towards the block. Clearly he intends to carry out the execution personally.

(I choose not to use my bow)

You watch with mounting anxiety as the Drakkar officer approaches the execution block. He halts beside the helpless Captain and signals to the gaolers to step back, to give him room to enact the execution. Then he takes an oiled stone from his pocket and an ugly sneer spreads across his face as he proceeds to sharpen the blade of the great axe with slow deliberation.

(I use Kai-Alchemy)

Immediately below the window of the grain tower sits a Drakkar lancer astride his warhorse. He is one of a dozen troopers who have been posted around the perimeter of the square to guard its many exits, but he is more interested in watching the execution than carrying out his duty. His lance is sheathed in a tube-like scabbard fixed to the rear of his saddle, and all his attention is focused on the platform. He is unaware that you are hiding barely a few yards from where he sits.

The officer puts away his oiled stone and a murmur of expectation ripples through the assembled Drakkarim as he gets ready to raise the axe. Captain Prarg has no more than a few minutes left to live; you must act now if you are to save him. Using a Brotherhood spell Mind Charm you will the lancer to dismount from his horse, and at once he obeys your mental command. He climbs down, and as he wanders away, you leap from the open window and land in the empty saddle. Seizing the reins you spur the horse forward and it takes off across the square at a gallop. Then you unholster the lance and bring it to bear as you race headlong towards the backs of the Drakkarim soldiers who are standing between you and the platform.

You steer the horse towards the platform and the troops scatter before you. All, that is, save one. He is a Death Knight sergeant, an élite Drakkarim warrior. He curses his comrades for their cowardice and, as you bear down on him with your lance levelled at his chest, he draws his sword and gets ready to meet your attack head-on. Then the tip of your lance strikes his steel breastplate and you are forced back in your saddle with a jolt that leaves you breathless.

(I roll a 2 and add 2 for me EP)

The tip of your lance penetrates the Death Knight's armoured breastplate and kills him instantly. The force of the blow is such that it snaps the lance in two and nearly knocks you clean out of your saddle, but you manage to hold tight and quickly you recover. Moments later you reach the platform to see Captain Prarg struggling to break free from his gaolers. He succeeds and he comes running towards you. With a yell he leaps from the platform and lands astride the rump of your horse.

'Go, Lone Wolf, go!' he shouts, excitedly.

You dig your heels into the horse's flanks and take off through the confused mass of Drakkarim towards an avenue on the north side of the square. Prarg's hands are still tied behind his back and in order to stop himself from falling off the horse, he is forced to hang on to your cloak with his teeth.

You gallop out of the square and along the northern avenue which is flanked by barracks and hovels. Arrows come whistling from their windows but they are poorly aimed and fly wide of their mark. You glance over your shoulder and see that some Drakkarim horsemen are grouping up at the exit from the square in order to give chase. You urge the horse onwards, and as you speed towards a distant corner, you use your Magnakai skill of Nexus to loosen Prarg's bonds. Minutes later you turn the corner and see the road which leads out of Shugkona. Your spirits rise, but they are quickly dashed when you see that your route of escape is blocked.

A barricade has been thrown across the road which leads north out of Shugkona. The Drakkarim posted here have been alerted by the sounds of chaos coming from the square, and hurriedly they are trundling an armoured wagon across a gap at the centre of the barricade to seal off the exit completely. You slap your horse's rump and gallop towards this shrinking gap, but three spear-wielding guards see you approaching, and they rush forward to challenge you with their weapons held ready to strike.

(I use Kai-Alchemy)

You utter the words of the Brotherhood spell Lightning Hand and point your index finger at the trio of Drakkarim. A surge of crackling energy gushes from your hand and explodes in their midst, scattering them like rag dolls. Their comrades flee the wagon and, without slowing, you gallop through the gap in the barricade with barely inches to spare and race along the road beyond. You have passed successfully through the inner defensive line, but as Prarg quickly points out, you have yet to reach the outer defenses of Shugkona.

Abe Sargent · 12-04-2009, 10:49 PM

Uncertainty haunts your thoughts as you race across the desolate no man's land that lies between the inner and outer defenses of Shugkona. Soon you catch sight of these outer defenses. They comprise a line of man-sized wooden casks filled with earth, behind which there stands a squad of Drakkarim archers. Their bows are loaded and aimed, ready to fire.

Quickly you steer your horse away from the road and set off across rough, snowy ground towards a distant line of trenches. Fortunately, the defenses at the northern perimeter are much weaker than elsewhere. The trenches are empty, the guards having left earlier to watch Prarg's execution in the main square. However, the rough terrain soon takes its toll upon your already tired horse. It is near to exhaustion, and as you approach the trenches, you fear he is not strong enough to make the jump.

(I roll a 2 and add +3 for Animal mastery and +1 for my rank)

Bravely the horse attempts to clear the trench, but it is simply too exhausted to jump. Its forelegs buckle as it approaches the edge, and you and Prarg are thrown head-first into the trench. Luckily, you both land in deep snow and emerge unharmed by the fall.

You scramble to your feet to see that your horse is still close by. He is standing at the forest's edge, steam rising from his flanks as hungrily he swallows mouthfuls of snow to cool himself down. You call to the animal, using your Magnakai skills, and at once he responds obediently to your silent commands. Drakkarim archers are now running from the outer defences and you are in danger of being surrounded unless you can make a speedy escape. You and Prarg remount the horse and set off at a gallop along the forest's edge. Only when you are safely beyond the range of the enemy's bows do you rejoin the road and head off towards the north.

As you ride along this road of frozen earth, the sky begins to darken ominously and the weather closes in. What begins as a light flurry of snow soon deteriorates into an icy squall which cuts through you like a knife. Your Magnakai skills protect you from the cold, but Captain Prarg is not so fortunate. He utters not a word of complaint but you can sense that he is in great discomfort. Moreover, your horse, already tired from the exertions of the escape, is greatly weakened by the icy winds. Eventually it can carry you no further and you are forced to halt and dismount.

Your Kai senses warn you that enemy cavalry are in pursuit. You are a few miles ahead of them but their mounts are fresh and the distance between you is shrinking rapidly. You are about to suggest to Prarg that you abandon the horse altogether and seek shelter in the surrounding forest, when suddenly there is a lull in the storm and the falling snow thins out to reveal an unexpected sight.

You have stopped near the crest of a hill. Below you the forest road descends to a stone bridge which crosses a frozen stream. A rough log cabin stands beside this bridge, and a thin trail of wood smoke rises from its crooked chimney indicating that it is occupied. At the rear you see stables and at once you sense the presence of horses.

Abe Sargent · 12-04-2009, 10:57 PM

(I try to steal a new horse. Well, sort of exchange because I’m leaving behind our old horse for the owner)

Cautiously you descend the slippery hill track and make your approach to the bridge. The thick snow muffles your steps and you are able to reach the cabin without alerting its occupants. You motion to Prarg to take hold of the horse and keep lookout whilst you investigate the stables. Silently you slip alongside the cabin and pass beneath its solitary window.

Once inside the stable you discover two horses. One is old and lame, but the other is young and powerfully built. Using your powers of Animal Control, you subdue them and lead the younger horse, a grey mare, from its stall. As you leave the stable you see Prarg pointing frantically towards the crest of the hill. A troop of Drakkarim cavalry are descending towards the bridge.

Quickly you mount the mare and help Prarg to climb up upon her back. Then the enemy see you and immediately they sound a horn. Moments later an old Drakkar appears at the door to the cabin. He is holding a Bor musket, and when you fail to obey his command to halt, he levels his primitive gun at you and pulls the trigger.

(I roll a 4)

There is a loud bang and a great grey cloud billows from the muzzle of the musket. It startles the horse, but you swiftly control the animal and urge it forwards, out onto the road. Quickly you make your escape northwards, hidden from the eyes of your pursuing enemy by the acrid cloud of gunpowder smoke.

Your ears are ringing but otherwise you escape unharmed. Prarg however has not been so lucky. His arm and shoulder are bleeding from where he has been grazed by buckshot. You halt as soon as you can, and using your healing skills, you mend his wounds before continuing on your way. The use of your powers reduces your ENDURANCE points score by 3.

The mare is strong and sure-footed, and you quickly cover eight miles before you encounter something on the road ahead which makes you halt for a second time.

In the distance you see a makeshift roadblock. Several trees have been hacked down and they are strewn haphazardly across the road. Behind this obstruction stand several armoured Drakkarim, waiting eagerly for you to appear.

At once, you leave the road and take cover in the forest. The trees hereabouts are too dense to allow you to enter on horseback, so reluctantly you abandon the mare and enter on foot. Your instinct and Pathsmanship skills lead you in a westerly direction and you cover more than five miles before the trees begin to thin out. Then you emerge from the forest to be greeted by a spectacular sight.

Before you lies a vast frozen lake, more than a mile wide at the point at which you now stand. An icy wind whips across its glistening surface, stirring freshly fallen snow into eddies which whirl and dance like spinning tops. Silently you stare across the lake at the distant tree line and your mind is filled with doubt. The Temple of Antah lies beyond, of that you are sure, and the quickest way to reach it would be to traverse the lake, but there is no cover and no way of knowing if the ice is thick enough to support you all the way across. Yet, to go around the lake would delay you by hours, giving your pursuers ample time to catch up and attack.

At length you decide to take your chances and cross the lake. At first the going is smooth and you make easy progress, but as you near the centre, suddenly you sense that something is wrong.

(I have Grand Pathsmanship + Sun Knight)

Your super-keen senses warn you that Prarg is walking towards a patch of thin ice. At once you shout a warning and he halts in his tracks. Then, carefully, he retraces his steps and follows in your footsteps as you make a wide detour around this perilous section. An hour later you reach the far side of the lake and hurry into the forest beyond.

Abe Sargent · 12-04-2009, 11:07 PM

You move deeper into the forest, maintaining a steady pace. Here, in this part of the Tozaz, the snowfall underfoot is light because of the canopy of thick branches overhead, and you make good progress. You have been walking for an hour when a shivery rustle brings you abruptly to a halt. You look up and a miniature snowslide falls from a branch overhead, covering your face and shoulders with a deluge of powdery snow. Prarg laughs as he watches you spluttering, and as you wipe your eyes, you glimpse a grey-winged bird fluttering away to the west.

'By the Gods, I'm hungry,' exclaims Prarg, leaning weakly against a tree trunk. 'What I'd give for a side of beef and a plate of boiled beets.'

The Captain has not eaten since before you reached Shugkona and you can see that after the rigours of his capture and escape, he is sorely in need of food. Unless he eats soon he will be unable to go much further.

(I do not have a meal)

Using your Pathsmanship skills, you identify and gather up a handful of edible roots, fungi and berries from the forest floor which you then offer to Prarg. At first he thinks you are joking. Then, once you assure him that they are nutritious, he accepts this dubious selection and starts to eat.

'Damn rabbit food,' he mumbles, but you notice that he is careful not to waste a crumb. Meanwhile, you scan the surrounding forest, ever watchful for enemies. For the last hour you have had a growing suspicion that something has been watching you. Your senses detect the presence of a hostile enemy, closing from the east. Now the suspicion has become a sure belief, and the moment Prarg finishes his meal, you suggest that you be on your way as swiftly as possible.

During your trek through the forest, Prarg tells you a little about the history of this land. You learn that the whole of Nyras was once known as Northern Lencia until it was lost to the invading Drakkarim during the Darkdawn War. Many crusades and campaigns have been launched over the centuries to try and recapture this territory, but none, until now, have been successful. The Drakkarim built a fortress on the ruins of the Lencian capital, which was called Gamir, which they renamed Nagamir after their victory. But later, when the Drakkarim allied themselves to the Darklords of Helgedad, the capital was renamed Darke in their honour.

As dusk approaches, you happen by chance upon a forest trail and immediately your tracking skills tell you that it has only recently been constructed. Hoof prints frozen beneath the snow and several sets of footprints tell you that this trail has been used by more than a dozen riders and armoured foot soldiers within the last week.

(I have Kai-Alchemy)

Using the Brotherhood spell Sense Evil you scour the surrounding woodland and a powerful sensation alerts you to danger. It is not an immediate threat, yet you can feel the invisible waves of power which are radiating from its source. The power is strong, too strong to originate from Drakkarim or a hostile forest creature. You focus your senses in the direction of this power and at once you recognize its source: it is the Doomstone of Darke.

'What's wrong, Sire?' says Prarg.

'It's the Doomstone,' you reply quietly. 'We're close . . . I can feel it.'

Guided by your intuition, you set off with Prarg along the forest trail heading west, and soon your tracking skills warn you that you are nearing an enemy encampment. You signal your discovery to Prarg, and he follows as stealthily you enter the undergrowth and slip past a line of Drakkarim sentries. From the cover of the dense forest bracken you observe their camp. You count more than two dozen soldiers, plus horses, wagons and shelters. Prarg points to the emblem which adorns all of their uniforms and equipment: a black eagle clutching two fiery swords.

'These are the Tukodak--Warlord Magnaarn's personal guards,' he says in a hushed whisper. 'We would be wise to avoid them.'

Abe Sargent · 12-04-2009, 11:23 PM

You nod in agreement then together you slip away from the camp and head north through the trees. You are drawn in this direction by something your senses have detected. It is a strong aura of energy, an evil energy which you feel sure must be radiating from the Doomstone of Darke. Within a few minutes you stumble upon a clearing where stands the majestic ruins of an ancient temple. At once you know that this is the Temple of Antah, and you sense that the Doomstone is here, lying somewhere deep within the ruins.

From the cover of the forest's edge you observe the temple, taking in every detail, your eyes scouring every inch of its leprous grey exterior for a way of gaining entry without being detected. Much of the temple is derelict yet it is still an imposing edifice, especially the squat stone tower which stands intact at its centre. Its walls are covered with intricate designs that must have taken centuries to complete, yet while you admire the craftsmanship you find the embellishments wholly repulsive for they depict and glorify acts of great evil.

The ruins are deserted, except for a wide ramp of stone which leads to a pair of huge bronze doors set into the base of the tower. These doors are open, but they are guarded by two of Warlord Magnaarn's Tukodak.

(I do not have Assimilance)

The open doors to the tower appear to offer the only means of access to the temple. Because of this, you decide that you will try and overpower the two Tukodak who are standing guard there. Armed with your formidable Kai skills, and with dusk fast turning to darkness, you are confident you will succeed.

You tell Prarg, who is unarmed, to wait here at the forest's edge until you signal for him to join you. Then you stalk towards the tower, your approach masked by your camouflage skills. At first the way is easy, but the last twenty yards of ground to the stone ramp have been cleared of temple debris and this area is completely open, devoid of any cover.

(I roll a die and add three for my ranks. I get a 9)

Thanks to your Kai skills, the two Tukodak guards do not see you until it is too late. From the base of the stone ramp you launch a lightning attack which dispatches them both before they can attempt to raise the alarm.

(Have you noticed I’ve been in just one combat so far)

You step away from the two dead Tukodaks, sheathe your weapon, then signal to Prarg that the coast is now clear. He emerges from the trees and hurries to your side. He praises your combat skill and then he helps you to hide the bodies of the two slain guards beneath some undergrowth in the surrounding ruins. Before you leave, a quick search of their packs and pockets reveals the following items:

Enough food for 1 Meal
Dagger
2 Swords
Bow
4 Arrows

(I take the meal for Prarg, and a Tukodak Sword for me)

Abe Sargent · 12-04-2009, 11:33 PM

Beyond the doors you discover a large echoing hall, lit by a circle of torches which flare dimly in the moist gloom. The atmosphere is saturated with a malevolent power, an evil that is welling up from somewhere deep below ground. Immediately to your right you see a ladder which ascends to the upper floor of the tower, and to your left there is a wide staircase which leads down. Your senses scream a warning as you approach this staircase and begin to descend, but this time you choose to ignore your trusty instincts. The aura of evil which pervades this place has its source, and you are certain that it is the Doomstone of Darke, the very object you have sworn to destroy.

The staircase leads down to a winding torchlit hallway which passes through a series of narrow chambers, all empty and derelict. Eventually, you come to an iron portal and you stop for a few moments to examine the intricate engravings that embellish its age-blackened surface. Quickly you realize that the engravings are not mere decorations, they are part of a sophisticated combination lock which holds this door secure.

A host of writhing dragons are intertwined above a dial edged with ancient numerals. Each dragon has a number engraved upon its forehead, similar to those numbers which encircle the dial. Your senses inform you that the dragon numbers form a puzzle, and by solving this puzzle you will discover the 'key' to this door. Then, by turning the dial to this 'key' number, the lock will disengage and the door will open.

(The number I believe is 5. Each number is -1, -2, -3, the previous number)

There is a dull click and the great iron door swings slowly to reveal a dark chamber constructed entirely of polished black rock. Revealed in the torchlight is a throne of rough-hewn marble, upon which there rests the skeletal remains of a warrior clad in mouldering furs. Bare bone gleams dully through a clinging mass of muscle and sinew, now shrunken to an iron-hard texture, and upon its skull there rests a helm of solid gold. Set into the face of this helm is an emerald as large as your fist.

Prarg approaches the throne, tempted by the magnificent emerald, but he halts the moment you warn him that the helm is protected by a magical trap. You sense that a powerful spell of warding encircles the throne; to touch the crown would activate the spell, thereby unleashing a blast of destructive energy. The thought of being blown to atoms serves to dampen Prarg's curiosity and sheepishly he returns to your side. You give the booby-trapped throne a wide berth and leave the chamber by a smooth-walled tunnel in the far wall. But you have taken no more than a dozen steps when a chill of premonition runs like a trickle of icy cold water down your spine. You halt and reach for your weapon.

Then a loud voice booms out, destroying the silence.

'Welcome, Lone Wolf. Welcome to your tomb!'

Instinctively you know that it is the voice of Warlord Magnaarn.

(Ah yes, the second time a Big Bad is in the crypt/tomb place before I am and waits for me. Joe Dever, you are losing your touch)

The chilling echo of Magnaarn's voice is drowned by new sounds: the rattle of chains and the rumble of falling stone. You shout a warning to Prarg and he dives aside only just in time to avoid being crushed by a heavy portcullis. The great stone portal slams down, partitioning the passageway and separating you from the Captain. The dust has barely settled when a section of the passage wall slides open behind Prarg, and a trio of Magnaarn's Tukodak bodyguards leap out and seizes him. Your companion is unarmed and he is quickly and brutally overpowered. Anger floods your mind and you vow to get even with these cruel Drakkarim, but they are not impressed by your threat. They are aware of your exceptional skills yet they feel safe behind the portcullis. With a knife held to Prarg's throat they taunt you and dare you to retaliate.

(I use a bow)

You quickly draw an Arrow and take aim through a hole in the portcullis, but the Tukodaks cower behind Prarg, using him as a human shield. Again the, cruel voice booms out: 'Put down your bow, Lone Wolf, or I'll have my guards kill your companion.'

At once your anger subsides. You sense that this is no idle threat and, reluctantly, you obey the command.

Abe Sargent · 12-04-2009, 11:48 PM

From out of the shadows of the secret passage steps Warlord Magnaarn. He is a huge man--not much over six feet tall but massively built. His body is sheathed in finely crafted armour that fits his frame like a glove, and his features are coarse and foreboding, accentuated by a fresh battle scar which runs diagonally from the top his red-haired scalp to a point near the lobe of his left ear.

Arrogantly he approaches the portcullis and stares unblinkingly into your eyes. For a moment you consider attacking him, but your senses detect that he is surrounded by a field of energy so strong that already you feel it leeching your psychic powers. He reaches to a pocket inside his cloak and takes out a large black gemstone, which he holds level with his sneering face. Scarlet veins glow within the depths of this stone, swirling and undulating as if they are alive. Waves of dizziness force you to your knees as the evil power of the Doomstone of Darke washes over you, bleeding you of the strength and will to resist.

'I've been waiting for you, Lone Wolf,' says Magnaarn, with a condescending tone. 'I've known your plan ever since my spies told me of your arrival at Vadera. After all, there could be but one reason why the great Grand Master of the Kai would come to Lencia at this time. Yet, as you can see, Grand Master, you are already too late to stop me.'

Magnaarn turns to his Tukodak guards and orders them to take Prarg away. You try to protest but you cannot find strength enough to voice the words. The warlord smiles at your weakness.

'Know you this, Grand Master. Now that I possess the stone of power, nothing can stand in my way. You were the only threat to my victory, but now you're a threat no longer.'

With this he steps away from the portcullis and turns to follow his guards as they drag Prarg into the secret passage.

'Farewell,' he says, sardonically, before disappearing into the portal, 'and remember my first words to you: welcome to your tomb.'

With these chilling words echoing in your mind, you watch as he disappears into the passage and the wall closes behind him.

(I thought landing with a the big skyrider in open sight was a stupid plan.)

A few moments after the wall closes there is a sound like distant thunder. Then a shudder runs through the floor and clumps of dirt begin to fall from cracks in the ceiling. Your strength is returning, but before you can attempt to escape, there is an almighty explosion and a deluge of rock and damp earth cascades into the passageway. The ceiling and floor are being pulled in opposing directions, and with a grating cry of tortured stone, the heavy portcullis shatters in two. Quickly you crawl beneath a broken section which lies at an angle to the wall, and take cover as countless tons of rock and earth rain down from above.

Abe Sargent · 12-05-2009, 12:01 AM

When at last the destruction ceases you find yourself trapped in the narrow triangular space between the heavy portcullis and the wall. Your quick thinking has saved you from physical injury, but, as far as you can tell, you are now buried in a collapsed level of the temple, hundreds of feet below the surface. Confident in the knowledge that, at worse, your stamina and Kai skills alone can keep you alive for several days, you begin the slow and laborious task of digging your way out of this subterranean tomb.

For fifteen days you tunnel through a solid wall of earth and broken rock, using your weapons and bare hands, sustained all the while by little more than your indefatigable spirit and will to survive. You are near to giving up when, mid-way through the sixteenth day of your internment, you suddenly break through into a passageway that is free of debris. Weak but alive, you drag yourself into this empty tunnel and collapse on the damp, fungi-covered floor.

(I set my current EP to 15, I ate all meals in my pack, plus used my Laumspur)

Many hours pass before you regain consciousness, and although your terrible ordeal has left you physically weakened, your mind is still as sharp and resolute as ever. You are determined to find a route to the surface and continue your quest, for even though Magnaarn now has Captain Prarg and the Doomstone of Darke, there may yet be a way you can defeat him. Before he entombed you in the passage he admitted that you alone posed a threat to his quest for victory over Lencia. Now that he thinks you dead and buried, you feel sure you can turn this to your advantage.

You stagger to your feet and peer along the gloomy passageway in either direction, east and west. You are anxious to pursue a route that will lead you quickly to the surface, and when you detect cold, damp air wafting from the west, you hurry this way. But you are soon disappointed. The passageway ends abruptly at the edge of a vast chasm, formed by the same destructive powers which buried you alive. At the bottom of this great fissure is a river of black water, and high above, you glimpse a few rays of winter daylight filtering through a tiny rent in the darkness. It looks so far distant that you abandon any thought of reaching it from here and return along the passageway.

A few hundred yards beyond where you emerged, you discover an octagonal chamber that is bathed by an eerie green light. This light is emitted by fungi which blanket the walls and ceiling and illuminate a strange circular door that has an octagonal lock. You have been in the chamber for no more than a few seconds when your senses detect something is wrong. Invisible fumes are rising from the fungi, which, in your weakened state, are making you feel dizzy and nauseous.

(I’ve destroyed a wielder of a Doomstone before, in Kazan-Oud, and then his stone)

(I do not have Grand Nexus)

You feel yourself awakening; all you wish for is to sleep. But your senses warn you that to fall asleep here could prove fatal. You know you must do something, and quickly, if you are to avoid unconsciousness.

(I do not have Oede or Sabito)

Fearful of what may happen if your stay in this chamber any longer, you retrace your steps and make your way swiftly to the place where you first emerged from the collapsed passage. You pause here to catch your breath, then you continue along the tunnel until, once more, you find yourself standing at the edge of the chasm. You scan this vast and dismal fissure, hoping to find a means of escape from this grim subterranean prison.

(I use Kai-Alchemy)

After several minutes you notice a ledge which juts out from the chasm wall. It is located fifty feet or so directly above the place where you are currently standing. Close to this ledge you see a dark shadow. It marks the entrance to another tunnel, one that hopefully may lead all the way to the surface.

With renewed optimism, you recite the words of the Brotherhood spell Levitation and at once you feel gravity losing its grasp. Assisted by this magic, you climb the rough chasm wall with ease and quickly reach the ledge above. Here you cancel the spell before hurrying into the new tunnel in search of a clear route to the surface.

Abe Sargent · 12-05-2009, 12:13 AM

Your hopes of finding a clear route out of here are soon dashed when you arrive at a ruined staircase. It leads to a landing where you are confronted by the corpse of a Drakkarim guard, slumped beside a mound of rubble which is blocking the stairs to the level above. A quick examination of the dead body reveals that both arms are broken. Injured and trapped here by the falling rocks, it appears that this guard eventually died of thirst.

(I search further)

You empty the dead Drakkar's pockets and pouches, and discover the following items:

Dagger
Sword
Bottle (empty)
Bow
2 Arrows
Ball of String
40 Kika (equivalent to 4 Gold Crowns)

You are about to abandon the body when suddenly you notice something gleaming in the top of its left boot. It is a rod of silver, plain and unmarked, and little more than four inches in length. If you wish to keep this Silver Rod, mark it on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you carry in your pocket.

Satisfied that you have overlooked nothing of worth, you turn your attention to clearing the rockfall which is blocking your escape from this landing.

(I take Ball of String, Kika, and empty bottle, plus Silver Rod)

With stoic determination you begin the laborious task of clearing away the rock and rubble which fills this stairwell. You are fearful that it may take you several days to reach the next level, and so it comes as a welcome surprise when, after just a few minutes work, you see a gap appearing at the top of the mound. A gust of cold, wintery air wafts through this breach, rekindling your hopes of reaching the surface. Revived by the cold clean air, you attack the rubble with renewed vigour. But then your hopes are shaken when you hear a sinister sound; behind you, something is climbing the stairs to the landing.

(I have Kai-Alchemy + Sun-Knight)

You pause to incant the words of the Brotherhood spell Strength and within seconds you feel the fatigue disappear from your aching muscles. A vibrant sense of power and well-being infuses your whole body, enabling you to attack the rockfall with increased effect. Soon you have removed enough debris to enable you to squeeze through the gap to a clear section of the stairwell beyond. Once here, you block the opening behind you, and then race up the steps to the level above.

Quickly you climb the stairs, spurred on by the wintery chill which grows steadily colder as you ascend. You count one hundred and fifty steps before you arrive at a chamber which is heaped with rubble. Its only door is blocked by debris and huge slabs of marble, making an immediate exit impossible. But it is not the door which commands your attention; it is a narrow circular shaft which is set into the middle of the ceiling. It is the source of the cold, wintery draft.

Expectantly, you step closer and investigate this shaft. For the most part it is dark, but you can see glimmers of grey daylight high above, and you can hear the whistling of the wind. But you can also hear another sound, one that is quite unexpected. It is a buzzing, insectile noise. You focus upon the darkness and suddenly you see that the noises come from nests of winged insects which are fixed to the inside of the shaft.

(I have Grand Pathsmanship + Sun Knight)

You stand directly below the shaft and focus your Kai power on the basket-sized nests that are fixed along its walls. The incessant buzzing grows steadily louder, then several lines of large wasp-like insects emerge from the nests and escape towards the sky at the top of the shaft, driven away by your mental command.

When you feel sure that the nests are empty, you reach up and take a grip of the rough brick which lines the shaft. It offers good purchase for your fingers and toes, enabling you to climb past the nests and reach the top of the shaft in a matter of minutes.

Abe Sargent · 12-05-2009, 12:27 AM

From the top of the shaft you look out across the sprawling ruins of Antah. You have emerged upon the flat roof of a mouldering stone crypt situated a few hundred yards from the tower by which you first entered the subterranean temple. A chill wind howls in the surrounding trees and overhead the darkening winter sky warns that night is fast approaching.

The ruins are completely deserted. The undisturbed blanket of snow which lies thick upon the ground, hiding all tracks, sorely reminds you that fifteen precious days have elapsed since your internment. You think of Captain Prarg and wonder if he is still alive, and an empty feeling gnaws at your stomach when you pause to consider the fate which may have befallen him and his Lencian countrymen now that Magnaarn is in possession of the Doomstone. You are fearful, but you are not entirely without hope. Magnaarn believes you to be dead; it is a belief that you could use to your advantage. After all, by his own admission, did he not say that you were the only threat to his victory?

Carefully you descend from the roof of the crypt and make your way through the forest to where, two weeks earlier, Magnaarn's Tukodak guards were encamped. In this clearing there are no visible remains of their campsite, but diligently you sift through the ankle-deep snow, looking for clues to where they may have gone.

(I have Grand Pathsmanship)

Aided by your Kai skills, you uncover some tracks frozen beneath the snow. They were made by horses and wagons and are a little over a week old. There are far more than you expected to find here, and you can tell at once that they were not all made by Magnaarn's entourage. Before he left this site and headed west, he was joined by several hundred reinforcements.

During your search you also discover some scraps of food which you eat immediately: restore 3 ENDURANCE points. Having satisfied your curiosity, and your rumbling stomach, you decide to leave the campsite and follow the tracks westward.

(I possess Animal Mastery AND Grand Guardian)

Having decided to follow Magnaarn's tracks, you are now faced with the unwelcome prospect of a tiring foot-slog through the Tozaz forest, unless, of course, you can find some other means of speeding your journey. Using your Kai mastery, you scan the surrounding woodland and send out a silent call for help A few minutes pass, then a wild dog appears. He is soon joined by a handful of other creatures: a young grey-skinned boar, two feral snow-cats and an ape-like Rhudun. Unfortunately, none are large or sturdy enough to carry you any great distance.

Then, from out of the snow-laden undergrowth, bursts forth a wild stag. It is a magnificent animal, as large and as strong as any stallion. Subdued by your commands, it approaches and tilts it antlered head to allow you to climb upon its back. Obediently it responds as you steer it through forest, heading westwards in the wake of Magnaarn's troops.

Shortly after dusk you come to the banks of the River Shug, close by a small settlement of log huts which are grouped around a derelict ferry post. You dismount, and with a slap to its rump, you send the stag trotting back to its forest home. You watch him disappear towards the distant tree-line, then you turn back to the river and approach the huts on foot.

Abe Sargent · 12-05-2009, 04:36 AM

The tracks end at a wooden jetty which juts precariously into the deep, fast-flowing waters of the River Shug. Carefully you examine the ground around this landing area, and aided by your exceptional tracking skills, you make two important discoveries. You deduce that Magnaarn and his troops boarded a barge here and headed downstream towards Darke. Also, you discover that this area was used as a mustering place for a second, far larger unit of troops. Doomwolf droppings and a Giak tooth hint at the identity of these troops, but your suspicions are confirmed when you find a bronze belt buckle which is engraved with the symbol of a fortress and a full moon. It is the symbol of the old Darklord city-fortress of Kagorst. It confirms your fears that Magnaarn has at last persuaded Kagorst to join his cause.

You are tired after your long trek. Rather than attempt to go any further, you decide instead to rest here in one of the empty cabins overnight and continue your journey at dawn.

You awake at first light and make a search of all the cabins, but they have either been despoiled by Giaks or stripped bare and you discover nothing of practical use. However, you do uncover enough scraps of food, preserved by the cold, to make quite a decent breakfast: restore 3 ENDURANCE points.

After your meal, you gather together your equipment and set off along the river bank, heading west. The surrounding landscape is a harsh black and white desolation, devoid of all colour. The bleakness is deepened by the constant moaning wind and the occasional cawing of distant carrion crows. Five miles downstream you happen upon a hut at the edge of the river. You are expecting it to be empty, like the others at the ferry stage, so it comes as a welcome surprise to find it contains a rowboat and a pair of oars, both in good condition. Heartened by your discovery, you launch the boat into the water and begin your voyage towards Darke.

(I need to find out my current EP. 37/46)

The journey downstream is swift and easy. The icy river cuts a direct path across the frozen plain before it wends its way through an expanse of low, rolling hills, blackened and scarred by war. Ruined hovels smoulder on the horizon and scores of snow-covered corpses, human and otherwise, lie where they died in a running battle that has swept like wildfire across this land.

Shortly after midday, you see something in the distance that sets your nerves on edge. It is a group of figures, huddled together on the river bank. You magnify your vision and identify them to be Drakkarim, possibly deserters from Magnaarn's army, who are attempting to catch fish from the river.

(I wish to hide in the bottom of the boat and let the current carry me by)

You flatten yourself against the bottom of the rowboat and listen to the gruff voices of the Drakkarim as you draw closer to their position. You hear splashes, then suddenly there is a loud thud and the rusty tip of an arrow punches its way through the side of the boat, stopping barely inches in front of your face. You hear the enemy's coarse laughter and you realize that they are simply using your boat for a spot of target practice. They are unaware that you are hiding inside. As you drift past them they rapidly lose interest in your craft. They put down their bows, pick up their makeshift fishing lines, and resume their efforts to catch themselves something to stave off their hunger.

It is late afternoon when you catch sight of a town on the horizon. You check your map and discover it to be Konozod, a fortified Drakkarim stronghold. As the river carries you closer, you magnify your vision and see that it is built upon the left bank of the Shug. A huge stone bridge spans the river, and beneath this you see that the waterway is blocked by a barrier of chained logs.

(I get off here)

You steer the boat towards the river bank and as soon as the prow embeds itself in the mud, you disembark and make your way quickly towards two lines of ramshackle huts which are standing near the water's edge. A narrow alley separates these hovels, and it is from here that you observe the town's defenses and try to assess how many Drakkarim are stationed within this stronghold.

Abe Sargent · 12-05-2009, 04:49 AM

The town itself comprises a sorry collection of battle-damaged buildings, ringed by a perimeter wall of logs which is shored up in many places. Several long and bitter battles have been fought here over the past year, and everywhere you look the vivid scars of war are plain to see. The town is strangely quiet and it appears to be weakly protected. The Drakkarim garrison are few in number, and those that you have seen so far appear to be either young, old, or walking wounded.

Night is beginning to draw in. The Drakkarim are lighting the torches which line the perimeter wall, and a change of guard is taking place at the main gate. You are considering leaving this town and continuing on your way towards Darke, when suddenly you see something which makes you change your mind.

A ragged line of Lencian prisoners are crossing the stone bridge, escorted by a dozen Drakkarim armed with crossbows and spears. The main gates swing open to admit them, and, as the Lencians file through with their heads bowed in defeat, you see that the central square of this town has been turned into a large prisoner-of-war compound. It is enclosed by a crude fence of wire and sharpened stakes, which is patrolled by sentries and Akataz war-dogs. From what little you can see you estimate at least two hundred Lencians are being held captive here.

The conditions are shocking. The men are being kept out in the open, without shelter or heat of any kind, and judging by the state of those already here, it looks as if the Drakkarim are purposefully starving them to death.

Your shock soon turns to anger, and you vow to do something to help these prisoners. But before you can think through a plan of action, your Kai senses warn you of approaching footsteps. Two of the Drakkarim escort have slipped away from the line and they are now walking briskly towards the alleyway. One has a large canvas sack slung over his shoulder, and as they draw closer, you are forced to take cover in a shadowy doorway to avoid being seen.

(I roll an 8)

The two escorts enter the alleyway and, although you are less than ten feet away from them, they fail to see you hiding in the shadowy doorway. You watch as they open the sack and proceed to pick over and divide its contents. It is filled with the spoils of battle: items of value which they have taken from prisoners or stolen from the dead.

They laugh greedily until they hear the gruff shouts of their sergeant who is standing at the main gates, shouting out their names. Quickly they hide their booty in a hole beneath an empty horse trough, then they leave the alleyway and hurry back to the town.

I uncover it and search)

You uncover the sack and sift through its contents. Gleaming in the dim light you see a mass of coins, silver plates and candlesticks, jewellery and all manner of precious and semi-precious stones. There are countless gold teeth, pulled no doubt from the mouths of fallen Lencian knights, and scores of trinkets and other mementoes taken from less noble corpses. One item you sense possesses magical properties. You pull it out and, on closer inspection, you discover it to be a polished Jadin Amulet which is fixed to a gold neckchain.

If you decide to keep this Jadin Amulet, record it on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you wear around your neck. It adds +1 to your score should you be instructed to pick a number from the Random Number Table to check against normal missiles (arrows, bolts, darts, etc.).

Having replaced the sack in its hole, you draw your cloak about you and approach the main gates. The guards are busy admitting the latest batch of prisoners and, helped by your camouflage skills, they do not give you a second glance as you stride confidently into the town.

Abe Sargent · 12-05-2009, 05:07 AM

Once inside, you head towards a dark, deserted alleyway which is sandwiched between a stables and an armoury. From here you observe the compound with a growing anger and pity for those trapped inside. Stirred by their plight, you vow to help these starving men. Patiently you watch and wait for the patrols to pass, then you scurry towards the compound fence to make contact with the Lencians.

Huddled together in a corner of the compound, away from the other prisoners, is a small group of men-at-arms. The fronts of their tattered blue coats bear the emblem of a crown set above the crest of Vadera identifying them to be of the same regiment--the Imperial Vadera Guard--one of Lencia's finest. Using your Magnakai skills to avoid detection, you make your way to the fence and try to attract their attention. One of their number, a Captain, sees you and is immediately suspicious. You signal to him to come closer and, reluctantly at first, he crawls towards the fence.

'You're not Drakkarim or Lencian. Who are you? What do you want?' he hisses, through cracked lips that are blue with hunger and cold. 'Is this another Drakkar trick devised to torment us?'

'This is no trick,' you whisper in reply, trying hard to reassure him, 'I'm an ally in the service of your King. I want to help you and your men to escape.'

He holds you with his steely-grey eyes and slowly shakes his head.

'It's too late to help us,' he says, sadly. 'We're too weak to resist. Some have tried and they've all died in the jaws of the dogs. No, you save yourself, stranger. Forget us.'

'But if you stay here you'll starve to death,' you retort. 'Surely it's better to die fighting than waste away. The garrison here is small, barely forty in number. I could cause a diversion and draw their dogs away. Your men may be weakened but still they outnumber the enemy five times over. For Ishir's sake, man, have you lost the will to live?'

The Lencian Captain glances over his shoulder at his starving comrades and, when he turns to face you once more, you see a faint glimmer of hope in his eyes.

'All of these men have been more than a week without food or shelter. Many have died, many are near to death. I fear they are too weak to fight an enemy who has food in his belly and a sword in his hand. Perhaps . . . if we had weapons . . .'

'If you do as I say, you'll have weapons enough to pluck this town from under their very noses,' you reply, earnestly.

The Lencian narrows his eyes, and for a moment, the trace of a smile softens his gaunt features.

'Very well, stranger. Tell me your plan.'

'I'll prepare a diversion. When the guards and their dogs are drawn away from the perimeter fence, you must act quickly. You and your men must storm the gates. Once you are free, make your way to the armoury with all haste. You'll find your weapons there.'

'That's all very well,' replies the Captain, sceptically, 'but how do you propose we get into the armoury? It's the most secure building in the town.'

'Don't worry about that,' you say, with confidence. 'I shall be inside, waiting to let you in.'

For a few moments the Captain considers your plan in silence. Then, with a nod, he finally agrees.

'Very well, so be it. I'll pass the word.'

Abe Sargent · 12-05-2009, 05:23 AM

You watch as he returns to his men, then you leave the fence and retrace your steps to the darkened alleyway.

When the coast is clear, you enter the stables and set a fire in the straw loft. Then, as you are leaving, you open each of the stalls so that the horses will be able to escape once the fire has taken hold. On returning to the alleyway you run to the rear of the armoury building and locate a window through which you can force an entry. It is shuttered and barred, but aided by your innate Kai skills, you are able to break it open. Unfortunately, the noise of your forced entry alerts the two Drakkarim who are on guard inside the building and, as you are squeezing through the narrow window, they attack you with their black-bladed swords.

Armoury Guards CS 32, EP 40

I roll a 8 and they are auto-dead

As you step away from the dead guards, you hear shouts of alarm outside the building: the roof of the stables has just erupted into a sheet of flame. The garrison is thrown into a state of near-panic as they try to fight the fire and contain the horses which are stampeding through the streets.

You run the length of the armoury and hurriedly lift the massive drawbar which holds the main doors closed. Outside, you see the perimeter guards are abandoning their posts in order to fight the fire now raging through the stables. The Lencians are on their feet. They are grouped by the entrance to the compound and, as the last of the guards leaves, they rush forward and barge open the gates. Led by the Captain, they come streaming across the flagstoned square towards the armoury, sweeping aside any Drakkarim foolish enough to try to turn this vengeful tide. With a cheer they pour into the armoury and equip themselves with weapons from its many racks of spears and swords.

'Let's take this town!' shouts the Captain, and amid stirring battle-cries of 'Lencia' and 'For the House of Sarnac', the starving Lencians set off to obey his command.

You try to reach the Captain, whose name you learn is Schera, but before you reach him you are swept out into the street and carried along by this crowd of battle-hungry soldiers.

The fight for control of Konozod is swift and bloody. Within the hour the town is under Lencian control, its Drakkarim garrison having been put mercilessly to the sword. However, not all of the enemy perish in the battle. To Captain Schera's dismay, several manage to escape across the river and flee to the west on horseback. He is anxious that they may return with reinforcements to retake the town.

A food store is discovered and, whilst the starving Lencians satiate their hunger, you talk with Captain Schera about the events of the last few weeks which have led to this meeting. Your learn from him that after you were interred in the Temple of Antah, Warlord Magnaarn waged a major offensive against the Lencian army. Having reunited the Doomstone with the Nyras Sceptre, he has, as King Sarnac feared, forced the Nadziranim sorcerers of Kagorst and Akagazad to help him. Their combined skills have wrought great destruction. They attacked and drove through the Lencian lines like demons in an offensive which was swift and deadly. A week ago, Captain Schera and his regiment were cut off and captured in the fighting around Hokidat, after which they were marched here and imprisoned. He considers himself lucky to be alive, for the Drakkarim rarely take prisoners. Then you ask what news he has heard about the war since he came here.

'There's much confusion,' he says, wearily. 'I've heard talk that most of the mercenaries in Sarnac's pay have deserted us. Some have even joined the enemy. The Drakkarim taunted us, saying that our army had been smashed. They said the remnants had been pushed into the Tentarias, but I dismissed this as lies. One thing is sure, though: Magnaarn intends to raise the siege of Darke. It has become his battle call--"On to Darke!" This cry was on the lips of his troops during the battle at Hokidat. I saw him during this battle. He was leading his army personally, and he was wielding his accursed sceptre, dealing death to all who tried to stand in his way. He possesses a great and terrible power, and I fear that we may now be unable to put an end to his evil ambitions.'

Abe Sargent · 12-05-2009, 05:31 AM

(I ask him about Prarg)

Schera considers your question, then he replies:

'I'm sorry, I've heard nothing. There have been so many men lost, killed, or captured since Magnaarn attacked. I know of this officer, and though we've never met, I've heard tell that he is a good and brave man. All I can tell you is that I have not seen him here in Konozod.'

Captain Schera musters his men, and posts lookouts around the town wall as a precaution in case the Drakkarim return during the night with reinforcements. He then oversees the care of the sick and wounded. You are impressed by his devotion to the men under his command and, once his duties are completed, you return with him to the armoury to formulate a plan of action. It is decided that it is too dangerous to remain here and you agree that you should leave at first light. Schera says there are sufficient boats to transport everyone downriver to Darke, but there is a risk that you could run foul of Magnaarn's troops. However, he is determined to rejoin his army. If the Lencians are still resisting Magnaarn, then he reasons that the city of Darke is where the battle is most likely to be taking place.

Before you settle down to sleep, one of Schera's men brings you some food and ale: restore 3 ENDURANCE points.

Schera wakes you shortly before dawn and wearily you rise from your makeshift bed. Mindful of the journey ahead, you make a brief search of the armoury and discover a few weapons, and other items which could prove useful:

6 Arrows
Quiver
Dagger
Sword
Spear

If you wish to keep any of these items, remember to adjust your Action Chart accordingly.

The captain sends word to his men to find boats for the voyage downstream. The order is duly carried out and, within the hour, twenty small craft have been brought to the icy river on the west side of the stone bridge. Schera appoints ten men to each craft, then you and he step aboard the first boat, cast off, and begin a voyage that will take you towards the coastal city of Darke.

The current is strong and the river is free of obstructions, enabling your flotilla to make swift progress downstream. Much of the riverbank is lightly wooded and Schera commands everyone to remain vigilant in case there are Drakkarim among the trees, lying in ambush. You pass through the woods without incident, and shortly before noon, you see the ruined town of Odnenga in the distance. Every building has been razed to the ground and a pall of wood smoke hangs above the town, fed by fires still smouldering from a battle that took place here several days ago. The river here is blocked by debris and you are forced to put ashore. Schera's men set to work clearing a passage, while you and the Captain scout the ruins in search of information.

A soot-blackened road, running east to west, divides this shattered town into two halves. Schera suggests that you split up and search one half each and you nod in agreement.

(I didn’t take anything except I think I needed an arrow. I take the south road)

Abe Sargent · 12-05-2009, 05:40 AM

Slowly you wander through the smouldering ruins but discover little that has survived the fire which, at its height, must have transformed this whole town into a blazing inferno. The charred bones and skulls of those who died in the battle are strewn everywhere, and no attempt has been made to gather and bury them. You are examining the twisted remains of an iron axe when suddenly you sense that someone is nearby. You can tell that they are weak and in pain.

Instinct leads you to the ruins of an inn, and as you enter what was once its front door, you stop to listen. You can hear someone breathing. You detect they are somewhere below ground and you call out to Captain Schera to come quickly.

'What is it?' he says, as he enters the ruined inn.

'There's someone alive here,' you reply. 'They're somewhere beneath the floor.'

Schera helps you to lift away some charred beams and you discover a trapdoor. You pull it open and slowly descend a flight of stone steps leading down into a cold, dank cellar. The sound of breathing has stopped but your suspicions are soon confirmed. There is somebody here.

In a corner of the cellar you see two booted and bloodstained feet protruding from beneath a mass of collapsed flooring. You move closer and discover they belong to a Lencian soldier who is badly wounded and barely conscious. Schera helps you to clear away the charred timbers that are pinning him to the ground and, using your Kai healing skills, you attend to the man's wounds. After a few minutes he recovers consciousness just long enough to tell you his name--Hul Sendal.

You both carry the man back to the river and place him carefully into your boat. The Captain's men have managed to clear a passage wide enough for the flotilla to pass through in single file, and as you continue your journey down-river, you spend some time nursing the injured soldier back to consciousness. He tells you of the battle that destroyed his regiment, of how Magnaarn used his sceptre to set the town ablaze, and of how he has survived the last six days sustained by nothing more than a few handfuls of snow. His account of the battle is chilling and it leaves you with a gnawing fear that maybe it is already too late to prevent Warlord Magnaarn from regaining control of Darke.

West of Odnenga, the river meanders very little as it crosses the snow-swept plain of Southern Nyras. It is a deserted landscape, yet Captain Schera cautions his men to remain watchful, doubly so whenever the boats pass an occasional copse of fir or stunted pine. Late in the afternoon, as the light is beginning to fade, you come to a forested part of the river where the banks are steeply undercut. Trees are growing at the very edge of the overhanging banks and their roots are clearly visible, hanging down like clusters of vines into the icy waters of the Shug. You are watching the left bank when suddenly your Pathsmanship senses alert you to the threat of ambush. You warn the Captain and he signals to the following boats to put ashore at once.

Abe Sargent · 12-05-2009, 05:58 AM

Having sensed the threat, you volunteer to go forward and scout the woods to find out who, or what, is there. Schera agrees, and he calls for three of his men, all trained army scouts, to accompany you. He and the rest of his command will remain here with the boats and wait for you to return.

(I roll a 6 and add 3 for Grand Huntmastery)

You brief the three Lencians to spread out into an extended line and to watch carefully for your signals before you scale the river bank and make your approach to the trees. They all seem to be competent scouts but you have your reservations. Had it not been for Schera's insistence, you would have preferred to have reconnoitred this copse alone.

Silently you creep forward through the snow, using the sparse undergrowth to your advantage wherever possible. You are less than a hundred yards into the copse when you spy a small cabin hidden among the trees. It comprises four white canvas tents attended by a dozen lean and hungry-looking human soldiers armed with longbows. A furled battle-flag stands propped against one of the tents and you signal to your nearest scout to join you, hoping he will be able to identify its chequered black-and-white design.
'They're League-landers of Ilion,' whispers the scout, staring at the campsite. 'I know that flag well. They're good mercenaries, these men, loyal to the King. We fought alongside them at Hokidat.'

You are anxious about going forward and making contact with the mercenaries. If they are as good as your scout claims, there is a real danger that they will fire first and ask questions later. You tell your companion of your fears and he smiles.

'Don't worry, Sire,' he says, 'I know how to contact them.'

The scout places two fingers to his lips and gives a long, warbling whistle. The sound makes the mercenaries turn and stare in your direction, and you hear one of them whistle twice in reply. Your scout then calls out a request that you be allowed to enter their camp. There is a long pause, then a heavily-accented voice replies:

'Show yourselves.'

Relief that you are human, and not Drakkarim, is displayed clearly on the faces of these League-landers when the four of you stand up and walk towards their camp. You receive a warm welcome from these soldiers of fortune, and two of them offer to escort you to their leader--Baron Maquin.

You and your scouts are taken to a lookout post on the banks of the river where you meet with Baron Maquin, the leader of this mercenary band. He is a tall man, clad from neck to toe in furs that are caked with frost. A battered silver helm hides much of his battle-scarred face, but you can see enough of his distinctly Ilionian features to know at once that he is a brave man, a man of honour. He regards you with a sceptical eye, having never before met a Sommlending lord, let alone one such as you. He questions you at length, and upon hearing your story, you sense that he is greatly impressed. In return he tells you briefly of how he and his men have come to find themselves here.

'This regiment is still loyal to King Sarnac,' he says, proudly, 'unlike the cowardly Stornlanders. They have broken their pact and now they fight 'gainst Lencia, alongside the enemy.' The Baron spits at the ground in a show of contempt for these treacherous regiments. 'My command has been left here to fight as a rear-guard. Our orders are to ambush any Drakkarim that may try to reach Darke by river. We believe there to be many enemy reinforcements at Konozod and our task is to prevent them from joining with Magnaarn.'

You remind the Baron that you have just come from Konozod and that it is virtually empty. There are no enemy reinforcements there. Respectfully you suggest that he and his men join with you in an attempt to reach Darke, where he could join once more with the Lencian army. He considers your suggestion, and after discussing it with his men, finally he agrees.

'But first,' he says, as he shakes your hand in friendship, 'you must summon your men to my humble camp. It will soon be dark and it is much too dangerous to travel this river at night. You could be ambushed!'

You send one of the scouts to summon Captain Schera and his men, and when they arrive they are treated most hospitably by the mercenaries who, despite their own hunger, unselfishly share out their meagre rations.

You stay here overnight and break camp at dawn. The Baron's regiment has suffered heavily in battle and now totals little more than forty men, and so you have no difficulty in finding room for them in the boats. Captain Schera is especially pleased to have these warriors aboard. Despite their losses, they are a cheerful group and they help lift the morale of his men.

Abe Sargent · 12-05-2009, 06:08 AM

The journey downstream passes swiftly and without incident until, shortly before noon, the sky grows steadily darker. An orange glow illuminates the distant horizon, and you can see many pinpoints of fire spread all across the land. An eerie silence descends on the flotilla as it draws nearer to the city of Darke. Shortly after, you see lines of troops marching towards the glowing skyline. Then you witness isolated actions taking place in the surrounding fields as groups of Lencian knights, cut off during the retreat, fight desperate hand-to-hand battles with Drakkarim cavalry. Some Drakkarim horse scouts have reached the river bank, and as you pass them, they open fire at you with their bows. But the swift current soon carries the flotilla away and there are few casualties.

It is an hour past noon when you first see the forbidding city of Darke. A great battle is raging around its mighty walls and bastions, and the noise and stench of this fierce conflict comes gusting towards you on the chill winter wind. The river current is getting stronger as it approaches the sea, and so you signal to the other boats to row for the bank. You put ashore on the right bank and both Captain Schera and Baron Maquin have their men take up defensive positions here. There is a road close by, running parallel to the river, and beyond it lies a snowy expanse of open plain on which many regiments of Drakkarim, and some Giaks, are marching towards the city. You are observing the distant battle when a large black carrion crow lands on a nearby log and stares at you with a cold, beady eye.

(I use Animal Mastery)

You hold the bird with a mental command and use your skill to converse with it. Its response is rudimentary, but you are able to understand that many warriors, dressed in metal and riding horses, are approaching the river from the north.

You tell Captain Schera and Baron Maquin of what you have gleaned from the bird, and the Baron says, 'It sounds to me that a troop of Drakkarim cavalry are coming this way.'

The Captain agrees, and both commanders pass the word to their men to stay hidden and keep completely silent.

(What I think is funny is that Animal Kinship, a LONG, time ago gave me the ability to converse with animals, and I’ve just regained it with Animal Mastery. There is actually a conversation between you a mouse-like creature in Fire on the Water)

Patiently you keep watch to the north, expecting to see the appearance of enemy cavalry at any moment. You do not have to wait too long, for within minutes of deciphering the crow's warning, you see the first few outriders of a Drakkarim platoon crest the horizon. You magnify your vision and recognize them to be part of Magnaarn's own army. They are carrying lances topped with pennants that bear Magnaarn's personal emblem: an eagle clasping two fiery swords. Steadily these cavalry scouts draw closer. They are riding directly towards the river.

(I roll a 0)

With bated breath you watch as the cavalry approaches. You recognize them to be Zagganozod, a unit of armoured Drakkarim cavalry of a type you once encountered many years ago, during a quest that took you to the land of Eru.

The enemy horsemen reach the road where they draw their mounts to a halt. They exchange a few words, then they turn their horses towards Darke and gallop away towards the battle that is raging around its walls. As soon as they are out of earshot, Schera and Maquin's men let out a collective sigh of relief.

Abe Sargent · 12-05-2009, 06:14 AM

An ominous noise comes rolling across the plain from the city of Darke, a thunderous boom that shakes the very ground on which you lie. You look towards the city and see that the battle is growing ever fiercer. But now there is a new and sinister aspect. Flickerings of magical fire can be seen dancing along battlements, engulfing friend and foe alike. You sense that it is the work of Magnaarn; he and his Nadziranim allies are responsible for this.

Then, through the smoke of battle, you see a Lencian flag flying proudly amidst the carnage that is taking place on the coastal plain to the south of the city. Here, King Sarnac's crusaders have turned an enemy flank and are storming its weakened centre. Maquin and Schera see the flag and, encouraged by the cheers of their own men, they decide to march at once in support of the crusaders' brave attack.

You wish them both good fortune, for you know the time has come to part company with these brave men. Their destiny awaits them on the field of battle; yours will be found inside the city of Darke itself where, if you are to fulfil your quest, you must confront Warlord Magnaarn.

You bid them farewell and watch as they lead their men in a marching column along the river road towards the field of battle. When they are a mile distant, you set off alone across the plain towards the hamlet, which lies en route to the gates of Darke.

You reach the hamlet and hurry along its solitary road. Flanking you are two rows of low cottages, their thick-thatched roofs still intact despite the fiery carnage that has swept so near. Off to the right you see a barn-like building standing with its door ajar. A brazier of coals, an anvil and a scattering of iron strips prove it to have once been a busy smithy. But now, like the surrounding buildings, it is seemingly deserted.

You are passing the open door when suddenly you hear a man's voice. He has a strong Lencian accent and he is cursing you, thinking you to be a turncoat Stornland mercenary. As you turn to face the smithy door, a Lencian Crusader comes rushing out into the road, brandishing a heavy steel mace in his left hand. You yell at him that you are loyal to King Sarnac, but he ignores your plea and swings his weapon wildly at your head.

Lencian Crusader CS34, EP36

Idiot. I roll a 7 and he takes 18. I roll another 7 and he is out.

Abe Sargent · 12-05-2009, 06:22 AM

The misguided knight falls unconscious at your feet. Before he recovers, you take to your heels and continue on across the plain which leads inexorably towards the gates of Darke.

As you approach the city, the din of battle fills your ears. The shouts of angry men, the neighs of galloping steeds, the clang of riven steel and the terrible screams of the slain buffet you remorselessly. Then, all of a sudden, you are plunged into the battle and to survive you are forced to cleave your way through a seemingly endless wall of enemy troops. It is as if they are gladly willing to sacrifice themselves in order to prevent you from reaching the apex of the slope that ascends to the shattered gates of the city.

Undeterred, you forge a bloody path through this Drakkarim horde, wielding your weapon with deadly precision, every blow claiming an enemy soul. It is not until you are standing upon the very threshold of the gates that you encounter more formidable defenders. The breached gates are being held by a trio of blood-spattered Tukodaks. They are in a state of battle-frenzy which you sense has been magically induced. Wild-eyed with savage bloodlust, they scream maniacally as they rush at you with their bloodied blades.

'For Sommerlund!' you cry, as you steel yourself to meet their attack.

3 Tukoduk Guardians CS 44, EP 44

While am I using a battle cry that out of place. I want to be kept a secret, and yet I cry out that? That’s dumb. Sometimes I’m stupid. I use Kai-Surge.

I rock a 3. They lose 10 and me 3. I roll a 8. They lose 18 and me 1. A 6 follows. They lost 14 and me 2. I roll a 7. They die. I took 7.

You clamber over the bodies that are heaped chest-high around the shattered city gates, then you begin to fight your way steadily towards the centre of this terrible stronghold. Beyond the entrance you see that a wild battle is raging through the streets. A regiment of Lencian Crusaders are fighting to wrestle possession of the keep from a determined horde of Magnaarn's Drakkarim. The tide turns against the Lencians and as they are driven back towards the gates, you are forced to climb a stair which leads to the battlements in order to avoid being lost in the crush. Halfway up the steps you are attacked by a Drakkar armed with sword and shield. You duck his clumsy swipe and lash out at his chest. He catches your blow on his shield, but the sheer force of your attack hurls him down on the steps where he remains, cradling his broken arm, tears streaming down his soot-blackened face.

You stride up the steps towards the battlements where a group of Lencians are locked in combat with two Death Knights. The Crusaders slay their enemies, but they, in turn, are slain when a bolt of crackling crimson energy rips through their shiny steel armour, fired from the tip of a wizard's staff. Their lifeless bodies come tumbling down the steps, knocking you flat on your back and pinning you down beneath the weight of their armour. You struggle to get free, but you are being observed by the one who slayed the knights: an evil Nadziranim wizard. He levels his staff at your head and a swirling trail of sparks ignites at its tip. With imminent death staring you full in the face, you steel yourself to meet your maker.

Suddenly the evil wizard cries out in pained surprise and throws his claw-tipped hands into the air. A sparkling bolt, which was destined to seal your doom, arcs from his staff and blows a man-sized hole in the wall of the fortress. As the resultant smoke and dust slowly clears, you see Captain Prarg standing over the body of the slain wizard with a bloodied sword held in his hand. With a cry of victory, he leaps over the crumpled corpse and comes rushing down the steps to help free you from the tangle of bodies.

‘Well met, Sire,' he says excitedly. 'I feared you were dead and buried at the Temple of Antah.'

'I, too, thought you dead, Prarg,' you reply, thankful to see him still alive. 'Yet it seems that fate has decreed otherwise.'

'I was lucky,' he says, 'I escaped from Magnaarn. But come, Sire. There's no time for tales now. We must away from here. Follow me, I know where the Warlord is hiding.'

(I would like to point out that I would have killed the Nadziranim, I was not about to die)

Abe Sargent · 12-05-2009, 06:29 AM

You follow Prarg to the top of the steps, and as you race along the body-strewn battlements, you see the fighting which is raging both inside and outside the city. The battlements end at a tower where a flight of spiral steps ascend to a circular landing. Here you wait in the shadows until a troop of Drakkarim pass by. While you are waiting for them to disappear, you look out of the tower through an arrow slit and see the waters of the Gulf of Lencia, and the conflict that is raging across the coastal plain.

'The King's Crusaders breached the city gate three days ago,' whispers Prarg. 'They were close to taking the city when Magnaarn and his armies arrived. His new-found power shattered the Crusaders, but even though they were broken by it, not all were ejected from the city. Those you saw fighting at the keep are trying to hold on until our allies arrive from Kasland. The fleet is expected at any time. Magnaarn must be slain. He and the sceptre have become one entity--he is now a puppet of a far greater evil.'

A shudder runs down your spine as, for the first time since you entered Darke, you feel the presence of the Doomstone. Fear returns to haunt you, the fear that the evil gem will sap your strength, as it did when first you encountered it at the Temple of Antah. If this is still so then Magnaarn may prove impossible to defeat.

Prarg senses your anxiety and he offers some words of advice and hope: 'The taking of Darke has weakened the Warlord--he's paid a terrible price. He has been forced to retire from the battle in order to recover his strength and he is presently at his weakest. Now, Sire, is the time to strike.'

Beyond the landing lies a corridor which leads to a junction where another passageway crosses from left to right. You look to the right and see that the way is blocked by a heavy steel door. Prarg utters a curse under his breath, then he explains his anger.

'That way leads directly to the Palace Tower. Magnaarn is hiding there, in its uppermost chamber.'

Anxiously he glances along the opposite passage and furrows his brow. 'Perhaps we can get there by another route,' he muses.

(I investigate the closed door)

You hurry to the door and examine the lock. It is a unique design, quite unlike any you have seen before. It appears be made entirely of silver with a keyhole that is smooth and circular in shape.

(I insert the Silver Rod)

Guided by your instincts, you take the Silver Rod from your pocket and insert it into the lock. It is a perfect fit. Silently the lock disengages and the door swings open to reveal two Tukodak guards, both standing with their backs to you. One feels a draft and glances over his shoulder, but before he can draw a weapon or warn his comrade, you leap forward and silence them with two swift and deadly open-handed blows to the napes of their necks.

(Am I Spock? Two open handed blows to their neck)

You detect a strong presence of evil lurking somewhere nearby and you warn Prarg of what you sense. Cautiously, the two of you leave this chamber by a passage which leads to a flight of black stone steps. You ascend the steps to a domed chamber which is sheathed with dull black stone. Heavy velvet hangings of ebony hue cover most of the walls, and all of the furnishings are upholstered with the same morbid cloth. The sensation of evil is stronger here, so strong that you feel as if you are slowly suffocating.

'It's here . . .' you whisper, your hand reaching for your weapon, 'The Doomstone. I can feel its presence!'

Abe Sargent · 12-05-2009, 06:44 AM

Suddenly there is a movement away to your left and a blast of white-hot energy comes roaring towards your face. You dive aside in time to avoid it, but the bolt rebounds from the steel-hard wall and glances off the back of Prarg's head, knocking him unconscious.

You kneel beside Prarg and check that he is still breathing. He is fortunate that the bolt struck him a glancing blow; had it hit him squarely it would have killed him outright. Then you hear a movement over on the far side of the chamber, and when you look up, you see Warlord Magnaarn emerging from behind one of the many hanging black drapes. An aura of evil surrounds his body like a shimmering grey cocoon, and his features no longer appear as they did when first you encountered him in the subterranean labyrinths of the Temple of Antah. Now his body is twisted and mummy-like, and feverish eyes burn from black sockets within a bald skull of a face. You sense that he is wholly possessed by the object he holds clenched in his shrunken hand--the Nyras Sceptre.

The dread sceptre hums with the power of the Doomstone that is set upon its platinum shaft. Magnaarn utters an evil laugh and points the sceptre at you, but curiously you feel no weakness or leeching of strength, as occurred at Antah. The Warlord's sick eyes widen with surprise and you sense that he is fearful. He threatens you with death, but his voice is wavering. He is unsure of his power. Then you sense another presence, a magical presence. A wispy shape emerges from behind another curtain, summoned forth by Magnaarn, and at once you recognize it to be the formless life-force of a Nadziranim sorcerer. You hear Magnaarn issue a psychic command, ordering the creature to slay you, and immediately it responds. Swiftly it moves across the chamber, changing shape as it draws closer. It is no more than ten feet distant when it solidifies into a form which is truly horrifying to behold.

The Nadziranim sorcerer has taken on the visage of a great snuffling beast which creeps towards you on six long-clawed feet. A vile, bulbous head is perched uneasily on its immense shoulders and its baleful, milky-coloured eyes roll like balls of mist within its scabrous head. The reeking fur of its body seems to bristle as slowly, with ponderous steps, it draws closer and closer.

(I have the Sommerswerd)

The creature opens its great jaws and from the depths of its throat it coughs forth a guttering ball of flame. Immediately, your senses alert you to the fact that this is no ordinary fireball; it is wholly psychic in nature. It comes roaring towards you like a mini-sun trailing fiery orange sparks. You strike at it with the Sommerswerd, and as your divine blade connects, the fiery ball suddenly explodes into a million motes of light which rapidly dissolve.

The sudden jolt of contact knocks you backwards. Before you fully recover your footing, the creature seizes its advantage and comes leaping through the air towards your chest.

Desperately you roll across the black stone floor to avoid the creature's initial attack. Your swift reactions save you from its razor claws, but it, too, possesses lightning reflexes. It leaps once more and you barely have enough time to unsheathe your weapon before it lands upon you and slams you to the ground.

Tarhdemon (Polymorphed Nadziranim) CS 42, EP 42

I do use Kai-Surge. I roll a 1. I take 4 and it 9. I roll another 1, follow by an 8 and it dies. I took 9 altogether.

The moment you strike your killing blow, the creature explodes with a flash of brilliant white light. As the glare fades, you see that nothing whatsoever remains of either its body or spirit. Magnaarn witnesses the death of his servant with a look of pure terror. He screams, and in a moment of panic, he touches the head of the Nyras Sceptre to the floor. There is a tremendous boom, and the floor shudders violently as it is torn wide open by a massive quake.

Abe Sargent · 12-05-2009, 06:47 AM

Hurriedly, Magnaarn makes his escape through a curtained archway. Determined not to allow him to escape, you get ready to leap across the fissure which has opened up the chamber floor. It is no less than twenty feet wide at its narrowest point.

(I roll a 6. I add 2 to make it 8)

You clear the gap with one bound, and even manage to stay on your feet when you land on the far side of the fissure. Hungry for victory and vengeance, you tear aside the curtain through which Magnaarn disappeared and discover a short flight of steps which emerge at a turret at the very top of the Palace Tower, the highest point in the city of Darke.

Here you find Magnaarn, cowering with his crooked back pressed hard against the frost-covered wall. You sense that he has very nearly succumbed to the evil power of the Doomstone; he is treading a fine line between life and undeath. Yet, even though he is but a whisker away from eternal damnation, he musters enough spite to challenge you to a fight to the death.

'Very well, Drakkar,' you reply. 'Let battle commence.'

Warlord Magnaarn (With Nyras Sceptre) CS 50, EP 36

I use Kai-Surge. I get a 4 and he takes 8 and me 3. A 5 follows, 9 and 3. Then a 2. 6 and 4. 8; 12 and 1. I finish with a 4. He dies and I took 14.

Abe Sargent · 12-05-2009, 06:53 AM

The moment you strike your killing blow, the Nyras Sceptre explodes with a brilliant flash and you are knocked down by the sudden release of energy. For several minutes you lie unconscious on the floor of this wind-swept turret, until you are found and revived by your guide and companion, Captain Prarg. Nothing remains of either Warlord Magnaarn or the Nyras Sceptre; both have been utterly destroyed. Prarg helps you to your feet, and as you look out across the battle-torn landscape, you witness a wondrous event. The Gulf of Lencia is dotted with scores of square-rigged men o' war. They are the ships of the Kasland fleet: at last Lencia's allies have arrived.

Thanks to your bravery and determination, the power which has so devastated this land is now no more. The destruction of the Nyras Sceptre heralds a turning of the tides of war in the west. The Nadziranim and their armies flee the field of battle and are pursued by the allies all the way back to their strongholds in the north. The remnants of Magnaarn's army are routed and swept out of Nyras, and after many centuries, this country finally returns to its rightful heirs.

In recognition of your victory over Warlord Magnaarn, King Sarnac of Lencia and Archduke Chalamis of Kasland hold a royal banquet in Vadera in your honour. You are heaped with praise and you receive the thanks and warm congratulations of a grateful populace.

Well done, Lone Wolf. Once again you have achieved a victory over the forces of darkness and proved yourself to be worthy of the title 'Kai Grand Master'. Yet the fight against Evil goes ever on. On your return to your homeland you will be faced with a new and deadly challenge that will test your remarkable skills and unquestionable bravery. The nature of this challenge can be found in the next Grand Master adventure, which is entitled:

The Legacy of Vashna

Abe Sargent · 12-05-2009, 07:09 AM

Review of The Darke Crusade.

Man, this thing was looooooong, and I didn’t have much combat. I think I spent almost 4 hours playing it through. I actually liked it the more I read it. At least my companion didn’t die. Kai-Alchemy worked like a charm in this one. I don’t think I was asked for some disciplines that much in this one, Magi-Magic, Kai-Screen, Assimilance, Telegnosis, Grand Nexus, and Deliverance. Assimilance was only asked for once, and I as able to pass by with a die roll and the numbers very much in my favor. That’s not very powerful.

Not much combat, which makes it a bit Cauldron of Fear-y. I thought it was over at that temple, and then again at that city. Nicely done. However, I have to think that the length means the branches are not there on this one, and it’s pretty mono-path like other books. Oh, and I got a nice new Special Item, so yay on the Jadin Amulet.

End of The Darke Crusade

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2016, 11:15 AM

Alright let's continue this thing!

Now I neither own, nor have I played, the next book, the Legacy of Vashna. But I did pick up 17-20 at a old used bookstore here in Mobile recently, and I wanted to pick this up at some point in time, and this seemed as good as any!

As a reminder, we are playing these books over on Project Aon.

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2016, 11:17 AM

The Legacy of Vashna

You are Grand Master Lone Wolf, last of the Kai Lords of Sommerlund and sole survivor of a massacre that wiped out the First Order of your élite warrior caste.

It is the year MS 5077 and twenty-seven years have passed since your brave kinsmen perished at the hands of the Darklords of Helgedad. These champions of evil, who were sent forth by Naar, the King of the Darkness, to destroy the fertile world of Magnamund, have themselves since been destroyed. You vowed to avenge the murder of the Kai and you kept your pledge, for it was you who brought about their downfall when alone you infiltrated their foul domain--the Darklands--and caused the destruction of their leader, Archlord Gnaag, and the seat of his power that was the infernal city of Helgedad.

In the wake of their destruction, chaos befell the Darkland armies who, until then, had been poised to conquer all of Magnamund. Some factions which comprised this huge army, most notably the barbaric Drakkarim, began to fight with the others for control. This disorder quickly escalated into an all-out civil war, which allowed the Freeland armies of Magnamund time in which to recover and launch a counter-offensive. Skilfully their commanders exploited the chaos and secured a swift and total victory over an enemy far superior in numbers.

For seven years now peace has reigned in Sommerlund. Under your direction, the once-ruined monastery of the Kai has been thoroughly rebuilt and restored to its former glory, and the task of teaching a Second Order of Kai warriors the skills and proud traditions of your ancestors is also well under way. The new generation of Kai recruits, all of whom were born during the era of war against the Darklords, possess latent Kai skills and show exceptional promise. These skills will be nurtured and honed to perfection during their time at the Monastery so that they may teach and inspire future generations, thereby ensuring the continued security of your homeland in future years.

Your attainment of the rank of Kai Grand Master brought with it great rewards. Some, such as the restoration of the Kai and the undying gratitude of your fellow Sommlending, could have been anticipated. Yet there have also been rewards which you could not possibly have foreseen. The discovery that within you lay the potential to develop Kai Disciplines beyond those of the Magnakai, which, until now, were thought to be the ultimate that a Kai Master could aspire to, was truly a revelation. Your discovery has inspired you to set out upon a new and previously unknown path in search of the wisdom and power that no Kai Lord before you has ever possessed. In the name of your creator, the God Kai, and for the greater glory of Sommerlund and the Goddess Ishir, you have vowed to reach the very pinnacle of Kai perfection--to attain all of the Grand Master Disciplines and become the first Kai Supreme Master.

With diligence and determination you set about the restoration of the Kai Monastery and organized the training of the Second Order recruits. Your efforts were soon rewarded and, within the space of two short years, the first raw recruits had graduated to become a cadre of gifted Kai Masters who, in turn, were able to commence the teaching of their skills to subsequent intakes of Kai novices. Readily the Kai Masters rose to their newfound responsibilities, leaving you free to devote more of your time to the pursuit and perfection of the Grand Master Disciplines. During this period you also received expert tutelage in the ways of magic from two of your most trusted friends and advisors: Guildmaster Banedon, leader of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star, and Lord Rimoah, speaker for the High Council of the Elder Magi.

In the deepest subterranean level of the Monastery, a hundred feet below the Tower of the Sun, you ordered the excavation and construction of a special vault. In this magnificent chamber wrought of granite and gold, you placed the seven Lorestones of Nyxator, the gems of Kai power which you had recovered during your quest for the Magnakai. It was here, bathed in the golden light of those radiant gems, that you spent countless hours in pursuit of perfection. Sometimes alone, sometimes in the company of your two able advisors--Banedon and Rimoah--you worked hard to develop your innate Grand Master Disciplines, and grasp the fundamental secrets of Left-handed and Old Kingdom magic. During this time you noticed many remarkable changes taking place within your body: you became physically and mentally stronger, your five primary senses sharpened beyond all that you had experienced before, and, perhaps most remarkably, your body began to age at a much slower rate. Now, for every five years that elapse you age but one year.

At this time many changes were occurring beyond the borders of Sommerlund. In the regions to the northeast of Magador and the Maakengorge, the Elder Magi of Dessi and the Herbwardens of Bautar were working together in an effort to restore the dusty volcanic wasteland to its former fertile state. It was the first tentative step towards the reclamation of all the Darklands. However, their progress was painfully slow, and both parties were resigned to the fact that their efforts to undo the damage caused by the Darklords would take centuries to complete.

Following the destruction of the Darklords of Helgedad, the Giaks, the most numerous of all Gnaag's troops, fled into the Darklands and sought refuge in the gigantic city-fortresses of Nadgazad, Aarnak, Gournen, Akagazad and Kaag. Within each of these hellish strongholds, fierce fighting broke out as remnants of the Xaghash (lesser Darklords) and the Nadziranim (evil practitioners of Right-handed magic who once aided individual Darklord masters) fought for control. It is widely believed that by the time the Elder Magi and the Herbwardens reach the walls of these strongholds they will encounter no resistance; the occupants will have long since brought about their own extinction.

Elsewhere, throughout Northern Magnamund, peace reigns victorious and the peoples of the Free Kingdoms rejoice in the knowledge that the age of the Darklords has finally come to an end. Readily men have exchanged their swords for hoes and their shields for ploughs, and now the only marching they do is along the ruts of their freshly furrowed fields. Few are the watchful eyes that scan the distant horizon in fear of what may appear, although there are still those who maintain their vigilance, for the agents of Naar come in many guises and there are those in Magnamund who wait quietly in the shadows for the chance to do his evil bidding.

Already your newfound skills have been tested against Naar's agents and you have, on each such occasion, acquitted yourself admirably. But your continuing victories against his minions have enraged the Dark God, and rarely has his lust for vengeance been greater than it is at present. Recently, Lord Rimoah has counselled you to be extra vigilant, for he fears that Naar is getting ready to strike at Sommerlund anew. The Elder Magi have received warnings from President Kadharian of Magador that something strange is taking place in the north of his country, in the mountainous territory which borders upon the Maakengorge. Freak storms and unseasonal weather have swept this remote region, and the night skies over Lake Vorndarol have, for several weeks now, been illuminated by eerie, inexplicable lights.

Lord Rimoah fears that Naar is plotting to revive Vashna, the greatest of all the Darklords, whose spirit is trapped deep within the fathomless reaches of the Maakengorge. It has remained there, in uneasy entombment, ever since the day the Darklord was defeated in battle by King Ulnar I of Sommerlund. Vashna's body, along with those of his loathsome troops, was hurled into the abyss, hopefully never to be seen again. Legend has it that the Darklord's body was destroyed but his spirit still lives on. He is said to be awaiting the day when he shall be made to rise, at the head of a vast army of undead warriors, and set loose to wreak his revenge upon Sommerlund and the house of Ulnar.

'If it is Naar's intention to resurrect Vashna and his army from the depths of the Maakengorge,' said an anxious Lord Rimoah, as you and he discussed the situation in the secure privacy of your vault below the Kai Monastery, 'then no free realm upon the face of Magnamund will be safe. It has always been Sommerlund's misfortune that Ulnar's victory over Vashna was never total. I have always feared that the legacy of the Maakengorge would one day awaken and confront us . . . and I fear, unless we act swiftly, that that day is about to dawn.'

For several hours, you and your learned advisor deliberated what could be done to prevent such a catastrophe. You decided that the exact nature of the threat had first to be determined if you were to combat it effectively. You were confident that your Grand Master Disciplines would enable you to unravel this mystery quickly, and so you volunteered to journey to northern Magador and investigate the strange incidents at first hand. After all, there could be a perfectly innocent explanation for them.

'Let us hope it is so, Grand Master,' said Lord Rimoah, earnestly, 'but, nevertheless, do not forget what could confront you there. I shall pray to Kai and Ishir to watch over and guide you on the journey ahead, Lone Wolf, and bring you home, swiftly, safely and victoriously.'

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2016, 11:25 AM

Map of the Maakengorge

These are all around places I've been before, like Kaag in book 14, or southern Summerland and Ruanon in book 4 or Varetta in Book 6.

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2016, 11:36 AM

Improved Disciplines:

Sun Lord

If you are a Grand Master who has reached the rank of Sun Lord (7 Disciplines), you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:

Grand Weaponmastery

Sun Lords with this Discipline are able to cause the metal edge of any non-magical weapon to ignite and burn fiercely. When a weapon thus affected is used in combat, it inflicts an additional 1 ENDURANCE point loss upon an enemy in every successful round of combat. This ability cannot be used with a wholly wooden weapon such as a quarterstaff.

Assimilance

Sun Lords who possess this skill are able to cause the outline of their bodies to become blurred and indistinct. By so doing, they can greatly increase their chances of avoiding magical and/or non-magical missiles directed at them.

Grand Huntmastery

Kai Sun Lords with this skill are able to see, with acute accuracy, light in the infrared spectrum, i.e. they can see complex patterns generated by heat in near or total darkness. They can also see light in the ultraviolet spectrum.

Kai-surge

Sun Lords who possess mastery of this Discipline are able to launch a Kai-blast--a pulse of intense psychic energy which is capable of affecting both psychically active and inactive enemies. This form of psychic attack is very effective, more so than a usual Kai-surge, Psi-surge or Mindblast. It can cause an enemy to lose between 2 and 18 ENDURANCE points in one attack. A Kai Sun Lord using Kai-blast determines the damage inflicted on an enemy by picking two numbers from the Random Number Table. These numbers should be added together (a '0' = 1) and the resultant total equals the damage inflicted. However, use of a Kai-blast will reduce a Sun Lord's ENDURANCE points total by 4. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other form of psychic attack.

Telegnosis

Sun Lords who possess this Discipline are able to alter their body weight in order to walk successfully upon different kinds of surfaces, e.g. water, mud, lava, and quicksand. Time duration and degree of surface difficulty increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.

Magi-magic

Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Sun Lord are able to use the following battle-spells of the Elder Magi:

Penetrate--This increases the penetrative energy of any Arrow or Arrow-like missile, launched by a Sun Lord.
Energy Grasp--This spell enables a Sun Lord to discharge a powerful electrical force into anything he or she touches. It is similar in effect to the Brotherhood spell Lightning Hand, but differs in that it is easier to control and channel the resulting energy. It also requires the actual touching of an object or an enemy to effect the spell.

Alright, here are the Disciplines I do not already have: Magi-Magic, Assimilance, Telegnosis, Grand Nexus, Grand Weaponmastery, Deliverance. Of these, which do I want the most? Kai-Blast looks really powerful, I’ll need to read the rules on it in the forums. Does it replace an attack or is it before combat, once per combat, every round? The new Grand Weaponmastery ability rocks, but is not used for me so it’s just another way of pumping up new players.

I’m between Telegnosis and Grand Weaponmastery. Yeah, Grand Weaponmastery. I take sword and dagger as my two weapons.

I take the Map of the Maakengorge, 26 crowns, top off my quiver, and Laumspur. Like normal.

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2016, 11:37 AM

Lone Wolf, Kai Sun Lord

Kor-Skarn, Fryearl, Warmartial of Sommerlund, Savior of Tahou, 'Golden Star of Palmyrion'

CS 56
EP 48

Grand Pathsmanship
Grand Huntmastery
Animal Mastery
Kai-Surge
Kai-Screen
Kai-Alchemy
Grand Weaponmastery

I cannot believe Lencia didn’t give me an official title. How cheap.

Just did some research on Kai-Blast. I can use it every turn, and it replaces Kai-Surge or Mindblast (or Psi-Surge).

Safekeeping:

Golden Key (Graveyard of the Ancients)
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, The Danarg, Anari, Ghatan, Vhozada (Daziarn), Darklands, Ruel, Mogaruith, Updated Darklands, Western Tentarias
Fur Blanket
240 Gold Crowns
1 Meal
2 Potion of Laumspur - +5 EP
6 Potion of Laumspur - +4 EP
Fur Backpack
Bone Sword
Effigy
Concentrated Graveweed
Kalte Diamond
Ragadorn Dagger
Magic Spear
Holy Water
Brass Key (Ruanon Mines)
Iron Key (Ruanon Mines)
Whip
Sommlending Cavalry Spear (Normal)
Quarterstaff, Royal Guard (Normal)
Scroll of Prophecy
Shield
Jeweled Mace
Bottle of Kourshah - +4 EP
Copper Key (Barrakeesh)
Gold Key (Barrakeesh)
Black Sash
Prism
Barrakeesh Public Bath Towel
Jakan - Vassagonian Coastal Hunting Bow
Zakhan’s Quarterstaff (Normal)
3 Brass Whistle
Pink and Orange Waistcoast
2 Mirror
2 Bottle of Wine
Silver Key (Stornlands)
Ticket to Eula
Chainmail Waistcoat
2 Rope
2 Lantern
3 Quiver w/ 18 arrows
Power Key
Red Robe
Gold Key (Kazan-Oud)
Glowing Dagger
Doomstaff
Kazan-Oud Diamond
Labyrinth Sword (Normal)
Kazan-Oud Fine Spear (Normal)
4 Sack of Silver
Silver Box
Helghast’s Sword (Normal)
Giak Scroll
Lord Adamas’s Pass
Vial of Gnadurn Poison
2 Flasks of Boza
Invitation to Chiban’s
Receipt for Horse, Tahou
Crystal Decanter
Silk Jacket
Silver Goblet
Silver Candlestick
Scroll of Honour
Jadin Anklets
Magi Dagger (Normal)
Sen. Chil’s Mace (Normal)
Dagger of Vashna
Black Key (Anari)
Medal: Battle of Luoni
Drakkar Dagger (Normal)
Zagganozod Sword (Normal)
2 Silver Rod
Meledorian Dagger (Normal)
Scarlet Warrior’s Sword (Normal)
Power Ring (Vonotar)
Fireseeds: 9
Bronin Warhammer
Eruan Pathfinder Cloak
Kai Cloak
Cagath’s Liganim Robe
Takataal’s Mace
Toran Dagger (Normal)
Platinum Amulet (Kazan-Oud)
Blue Stone Triangle
Grey Crystal Ring
Psychic Ring
Wrist and Finger Guards
Firesphere
Green Mask
Golden Amulet
Iron Key (Aarnak)
Black Key (Helgedad)
Pouch of Tobacco
Pipe
Zejar-Deluga
Nadazgada
Pouch of Herbs - Adgana
Cener Mask
Cener Robe
Sabito - 2 doses
Oede Herb
Gallowbrush (2 doses)
Gold Key (Ruel)
Copper Key (Ruel)
Cener Dagger (Normal)
Kaag Broadsword (Normal)
Silver Bowl
Whistle
Brass Key (Kaag)
Black Key (Kaag)
Hammer
Alether +2 CS (4 doses)
Laumspur +4 EP (with 5 doses)
Kai Monastery Spear (Normal)
Drakkarim Commander’s Dagger (Normal)
Signet Ring
Empty Bottle
Hourglass
Ball of String
Brass Key (Nyras)
Tukodak Sword (Normal)

Keeping:

29 Gold Crowns

Crystal Star Pendant
Jadin Amulet +1 vs. missiles
Silver Bow of Duadon +3 when using bow
Sommerswerd +8 CS
Korlinum Scabbard
Dagger of Vashna
Map of Western Tentarias
Shield +2 CS
Silver Helmet +2 CS
Padded Leather Waistcoat +2 EP
Bronin Vest +3 CS, +1 EP (Cannot be worn with Normal Chainmail)
Silver Bracers +2 CS, +1 EP
Kagonite Chain mail +3 CS, +1 EP (Can be worn with other armors)

Backpack:

Rope
Laumspur
Laumwort +2 EP (3 doses)

Quiver w/ 6 arrows
Kai Monastery Dagger

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2016, 11:43 AM

Anyway, here we go:

The hours leading up to your departure from the Kai Monastery are spent in the company of your able advisor, Lord Rimoah. Having discussed the mission at great length, you busy yourself now with the practical preparations for your long journey to Magador. He gives you a Scroll which contains a written invitation from President Kadharian to attend his senate to 'discuss trade between Sommerlund and Magador'. It will provide a cover for you should the need arise to justify your journey. Also, in the interests of secrecy, you decide it best to discard your formal Kai robes in favour of less conspicuous garments, and you choose instead to wear the simple clothes of a guildsman--woollen breeches, leather tunic, and a cloak. Dressed thus, and aided by your innate Kai skills of invisibility, you feel confident you will be able to travel the road to Helgor, the Magadorian capital, without drawing undue attention to yourself or your purpose.

By horse, the journey to Helgor could be expected to take five weeks. Your initial thought had been to send word to your friend, Guildmaster Banedon, requesting that he allow you use of his magical skyship, Skyrider. However, on this occasion you will have to forego the speedy comfort of his wondrous craft, for Banedon is using it himself on a quest to the distant land of Bhanar in southern Magnamund, and he is not expected to return to Sommerlund before the year's end.

Your second choice was also to prove unsuitable. Having resigned yourself to a long journey on horseback, you immediately sent an order to the monastery stables for your horse, Storm, to be saddled and made ready. This fine Slovarian stallion had been a gift to you from Elector Manatine of Palmyrion, in gratitude for the crucial part you played in the victory over the evil Cener Druids of Ruel. His strength, intelligence, and indomitable spirit had reminded you so much of your old Kai tutor--Storm Hawk--that you chose to name the horse Storm in his memory. But, as Rimoah quickly pointed out, such a magnificent horse would be sure to attract suspicion, especially if it was ridden by what appeared to be a humble guildsman. And so, albeit reluctantly, you had the stables prepare you another horse, a strong but less exceptional mount called Bracer.

The journey to Helgor takes you south to the City-state of Casiorn, then west to the Lyrisian capital of Varetta--a road you once travelled several years ago during your Magnakai quest. In the main, your ride is peaceably uneventful. By choice you keep to yourself and avoid staying too long in any one place. It is not until you reach Vakovar that the uncertain politics of this region give rise for concern. This squalid, lawless city is home to some of the Stornlands' most notorious criminals and robber-barons. It is common knowledge that travellers who value their wealth and health wisely avoid Vakovar whenever possible. Forewarned by these rumours you choose not to dwell here, but ride swiftly through the city and press on to Helgor. Yet while you are within the city walls of Vakovar no less than a dozen separate attempts are made to relieve you of your money pouch and horse. There are no witnesses to these attacks, which is just as well, for when you ride out of Vakovar you leave a score of dead robbers littering the cobblestones.

It is early evening when you eventually crest a hill and catch your first disappointing glimpse of Helgor. It is a damp and unwholesome-looking city, ringed by a rampart of mouldering rubble, the remains of a curtain wall which was destroyed during the war against the Darklords. Through the many gaps in this rampart you can see the thick fog that swirls through Helgor's brick streets and crooked, filthy alleys. At first sight it seems that the Magadorian capital is little more than a beggar-city, a vast hotchpotch of slums and hovels, but as you ride nearer you notice several grand towers piercing the rolling grey mist.

The main approach to Helgor is patrolled by presidential guards, heavily armed with crossbows and spears, who are checking everyone attempting to enter by road. They are dressed in flamboyant tunics of green, scarlet, and black calf hide, which seem too lavish for the garrison of such a squalid city. When asked your business, you show them the scroll given to you by Rimoah. They are impressed by the invitation and insist that an armed escort be provided to take you directly to the President's palace. After your experience at Vakovar you welcome their offer.

Despite the overwhelming squalor of Helgor's dingy tenements and streets, you were expecting the President's palace to be the exception. To your disappointment, it turns out to be little more than a fortified chateau situated at the centre of the city, atop a hill known as the Vanagrom Knoll. You are welcomed into the palace's senate hall by an official called Stepona, a dour man who looks older than his thirty years. He sees to it that your horse is stabled, and that you are given refreshments while you await your audience with the President. An hour passes before the doors to the senate hall swing open and, without formal announcement, in strides President Kadharian of Magador.

(I have visited Aarnak before)

Immediately you recognize the tall, muscular man who stands before you now; he was once known as the Slavemaster of Aarnak. He was an agent of the Elder Magi based in the Darklands who, seven years earlier, helped you to enter the dread city of Helgedad and bring about the downfall of the Darklords. Now he is known by a different name--President Kadharian of Magador.

'Welcome, Grand Master,' he says, smiling warmly, 'it seems we have both come a long way since our last meeting.'

The President is amused by your expression of surprise and offers an explanation of how he came to be leader of this rough republic. After the fall of Helgedad, the Elder Magi arranged for his safe passage to the Stornlands where he was granted a command in the army of Lyris. He distinguished himself in battle and later, once the remains of the Darkland armies had been vanquished, he returned to his native Magador and led an uprising against King Vanagrom VI, who had long been a puppet of the Darklords. The revolt ended with the King's death and the abolition of the monarchy. Magador became a republic and the Slavemaster, whose given name was Kadharian, became its first elected leader.

'And now to the reasons why I have requested your help, Grand Master,' he says, as he pushes open the door to a smaller room which adjoins the senate hall.

You follow the President into the chamber, your footsteps echoing as you walk across the mosaic marble floor. At the far end of the room a wiry wolfhound lies snoozing in front of a log fire which is crackling in an iron grate. The flames illuminate the chamber with a warm glow, casting flickering shadows across countless shelves stacked with thick rolls of parchment and papyrus. At the centre there stands a large table heaped with sand. The sand has been shaped to depict the topography of Magador, its towns, cities, mountains, hills and rivers. The attention to detail is most impressive.

'Somewhere, here, I fear there is a great evil at work,' says Kadharian, pointing to a section of the table which depicts the territory north of Lake Vorndarol, an area uncomfortably close to the deep furrow which represents the Maakengorge.

'Three moons ago, the lakeside hamlet of Vorn was reportedly destroyed by an unnatural storm, the first of many that have continuously swept the region. I dispatched a troop of my guards to investigate but they never returned. Since then, a second troop has also disappeared without trace.'

'But what makes you think that a plot to resurrect Vashna is afoot?' you reply, trying not to sound overly sceptical. 'With due respect, President, this is a notorious region infested with renegades and brigands. There may be a far simpler explanation for the destruction of Vorn and the disappearance of your troops.'

'Aye, 'tis so,' retorts Kadharian. 'At first, I too made the same assumption. But then I came into the possession of something which made me believe otherwise.'

From a leather pouch hanging from his sword belt, Kadharian takes an item which is neatly wrapped in a square of patterned silk.

'Here, Grand Master,' he says, offering it to you, 'I'll let you draw your own conclusions from this.'

You accept the package and carefully unfold its silken wrapper to reveal an amulet, oblong in shape, strung upon a length of crude twine. It has been carved from coal-black stone, flecked with grains of metal, which sparkle in the firelight.

'Where was this found?' you ask.

'In the ruins of Vorn,' replies Kadharian, ominously.

(I do not possess Telegnosis + Sun Knight)

On closer examination you discover that one side of the amulet is covered by a detailed engraving which depicts a sinister scene. It portrays the rising up of a monstrous creature from the depths of a great gorge, flanked on all sides by a horde of skeletal warriors. At once you recognize it to be a portrayal of Darklord Vashna and his minions, arising from the depths of the Maakengorge.

‘Who found this amulet?' you ask.

'A rogue, one who goes by the name of Smudd,' answers Kadharian. 'A patrol found him in the mountains close by the River Storn, a few days after the second troop went missing. When he couldn't give a good reason for being there, they arrested him and brought him back to Helgor for questioning.'

Kadharian's emphasis on the word 'questioning' leaves you in no doubt that Smudd's interrogation probably involved some degree of torture.

'Where is he now?' you ask. 'I'd like to, er, question him myself.'

'He's in Helgor. He stays at the Crooked Sage, an inn in the north quarter of the city. I'd willingly send a detachment of Palace Guards to fetch him here but that quarter of Helgor is rife with villains. Word would be sure to get out and he'd go to ground. My men would never find him. No, I'm afraid the only likely way you'll get to speak to Smudd is by going to the Crooked Sage in person.'

'Very well, President,' you reply, 'then that is exactly what I shall do.'

Do you mind if I keep this?' you ask, motioning to the amulet.

'I've no objection,' replies Kadharian. 'I hope it helps you to discover what is truly going on in the north.'

Carefully you rewrap the talisman and slip it into the pocket of your tunic (record this Black Amulet as a Special Item on your Action Chart--you need not discard another item in its favour if you already possess the maximum allowed). Then, after a meal and a soothingly hot bath, you bid farewell to the President and take your leave of the palace by way of the stables.

Night has thickened the blanket of mist which lines the narrow streets and alleys of Helgor. Guided by your Kai instincts, you set off northwards, but soon you have cause to regret not having thought of asking Kadharian for directions to the Crooked Sage Inn. Helgor is an old city and its chaotic streets follow no logical plan. After several wrong turns you come upon a square where the vanes of a rotting signpost point to three exits. Slumped at its base there sits a dishevelled fat man with a yellow streaked beard, who is gulping mouthfuls of cheap ale from a filthy stone pitcher. You attempt to use your Kai Pathsmanship skill to read the signpost but with no success--it is completely illegible.

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2016, 11:55 AM

(North, east, west or ask)

(When in a new town, and doing things I haven’t done before, why not ask?)

Dude wants 10 gold crowns to tell him. No thanks, I’m good.

You flick your heel against Bracer’s flank and urge him towards the dingy street. Here, only a few houses show any light, and this through the knotholes and cracks of their bolted shutters. At length you come to a junction illuminated by a solitary street lantern. You are trying to decide which way to turn when your eye is distracted by something moving in the shadows. From out of a darkened doorway steps a pale-skinned woman wrapped in a black velvet cloak, edged with scarlet silk.

‘ ’Tis no night to be out ridin’,’ she says, her voice syrupy and seductive, ‘not ’less you be lookin’ for company.’

You tell her you have no need for her company and turn your horse to leave, but suddenly you find yourself transfixed by the woman’s eyes and unable to move. They seem unnaturally vibrant, as if filled with a flickering green fire; she is using magic in an attempt to charm you. Instinctively, you draw on your innate psychic Kai powers to try to dispel the charm, but her magic is unusually strong.

(Do I have Kai-Screen? I sure do!)

Using your formidable mind skill, you create a protective wall around your will which deflects the woman’s psychic power-charm. Her spell rebounds and the suddenness of this reversal completely overwhelms her senses. In an instant the light vanishes from her eyes and her face becomes blank and expressionless, like that of a mask of a mindless automaton.

You command her to raise her right hand and she does so without hesitation. On her index finger you notice a platinum ring which you sense at once is magical; it is the source of her psychic power. The ring is fused to her hand and cannot be removed. Having no wish to sever her finger, you command her to lower her hand and tell you where you may find the Crooked Sage Inn. Obediently, she gives you clear directions to Tavern Lane, the street where the inn is situated, and less than ten minutes later you find yourself at a signpost which marks the entrance to this narrow thoroughfare.

You ride slowly through the clammy fog which carpets the cobblestones of this ill-smelling lane. Clamped against the walls of the surrounding buildings are oil-soaked torches which serve to illuminate the signs of wine shops and taverns. They are crudely painted with emblems—a bloodied battle-axe, a winged horse, a watery sun rising from a broken skull. There is not one that resembles a crooked sage and you are beginning to lose heart when suddenly you hear the sound of drunken revelry coming from a two-storey building at the end of the street. Its oaken doors hang open and the vivid orange glare of its roaring hearth spills invitingly into the dank night gloom. Although it has no painted emblem, you sense at once that you have at last found the Crooked Sage Inn.

At your approach, a sallow-faced stable boy limps from a wooden hut which is leaning precariously against the side of the tavern wall. For one Gold Crown (erase this from your Action Chart), he takes charge of your horse and shows you to the taproom door.

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2016, 12:19 PM

You enter the open doorway, and the hubbub of laughter and conversation dies momentarily as all eyes turn to stare in your direction. They consider you for a few moments; then the chatter and noise begin anew and the eyes return to other matters. After descending a flight of steps to the sunken floor of the taproom, you make your way through the noisy crowd to the beer-soaked counter. A husky serving wench thuds a pewter tankard down on the bar before you and fills it with frothing ale.

‘First one’s on the ’ouse,’ she says, with a snarl, ‘the rest y’ pays for, understand?’ You nod your reply and, as you sip the watery brew, you take stock of the inn’s villainous clientele. They are not a pretty crowd. The Crooked Sage is a tavern with an ill reputation, even in the brawling turmoil of Helgor’s north quarter. The city guard never patrol here; a weekly donation to the guard captain guarantees that they are always somewhere else. Order, and what passes for law, is kept by Chegga, the owner of the inn, and his two brutish sons—Zhola and Gorgan.
You finish your ale and the serving wench returns to refill your tankard.
‘That’ll be one Gold Crown,’ she says, thrusting out a calloused palm. You place the crown on the bar and, as she goes to pick it up, you take hold of her wrist to prevent her from moving away.
‘Where’s Smudd? Is he here tonight?’ you ask.
‘Over there,’ she growls, pointing to a shadowy alcove at the rear of the taproom. ‘Now let go o’ me or I’ll call Chegga.’
Calmly you release her, take up your ale, and walk slowly towards the place where Smudd is seated. He is in the company of a giggling bar-girl and does not notice that you are standing beside him until you thump your tankard down on his table. The sound startles him and immediately he reaches for his sword.
He has a desperate look about him which reminds you of a cornered rat. If you are to avoid a confrontation, you must do or say something to assuage his fear.
(I possess Kai-Alchemy)

You whisper the words of the Brotherhood Spell Mind Charm and, at once, you see Smudd relaxing under its influence. He removes his hand from his sword and the scowl of fearful suspicion softens to a smile as he lowers himself back into his seat. With a flick of his hand he dismisses the bar-girl. She leaves without protest and as you watch her walk away, he leans across the table and says, ‘How can I help you, stranger?’
‘What do you know about a little hamlet called Vorn?’ you say, quietly.
For a moment the look of suspicion returns to his beady eyes; then he sneers and says, ‘I know it no longer exists, that’s what I know. There’s rumour on the street that it was destroyed by the storms, but there’s more to it than that. More than I care to remember.’
You show him the Black Amulet that President Kadharian gave to you and once more you repeat your question. Now he refuses to answer, fearing that you are one of Kadharian’s agents out to arrest him. He kicks back his chair and tries to stand, but he does not make it.
He is halfway out of his seat when suddenly his chest is transfixed by a crystal arrow. Wide-eyed with pain and shocked surprise, he crashes to the floor amid a spray of blood and spilt ale.
A wave of panic sweeps through the crowded inn. Women shriek hysterically and gruff voices shout in anger and confusion, demanding Smudd’s killer be found. You back away from the alcove and, as you turn towards the counter, you catch a glimpse of a figure running along the gallery which overlooks the taproom floor. He is clad from head to toe in a close-fitting black tunic and he is carrying a bow. You watch helplessly as he disappears through a door which leads off the gallery.

(I choose to climb a staircase to give chase)

You race up the staircase and kick open the door through which the black-clad archer disappeared. Inside, you discover a group of gamblers standing at a circular table with playing cards in their hands. They have all risen from their seats to look at something on the far side of the room. When you follow their gaze, you see it is the archer; he is climbing through an open window onto a balcony outside.

(I choose to use my Bow – I toss a 7 and get +3 from the Silver Bow, and make it)

The tip of your Arrow clips the man’s calf and you hear him yelp with pain. But the wound is superficial and it does not prevent him from making his escape out onto the balcony.
With weapon in hand, you climb out of the window. You are expecting the archer to attack you the moment you appear but the balcony is deserted: he has disappeared. Then your keen eyes notice fresh bloodstains on the balcony rail and you catch a glimpse of movement on the roof of the building opposite. It is the archer. Despite his wounded leg he has leapt across the narrow street and is now making his escape across the rooftops of the north quarter.
With the grace of a panther you spring onto the balcony rail and leap across to the roof opposite. Without breaking your stride, you set off after the fleeing assassin and pursue him to the edge of a flat-topped warehouse at the end of Tavern Lane. Here a plank of wood has been laid down to span the gap of fifty feet to the rooftop opposite. The man limps across the plank, and then kicks it away to prevent you from following him.
(I try to jump it. My skills, if you’ll recall, can help me here. I toss a 5).

You make it across the street to the roof, but you twist your ankle on landing and crash heavily against the corrugated tiles: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.
Painfully you limp to your feet and watch as the assassin makes good his escape. For a moment he halts beside a tall chimney stack and turns to look in your direction. Then three other shadowy figures emerge from behind the stack and stand at his shoulder. They stare at you silently for a few moments before turning and melting away into the night.
Cautiously, you approach the chimney stack where you find, lying at its base, a palm-sized coin of black metal engraved with runes. You pick up this disc and slip it into the pocket of your tunic. (Record this Runic Disc on your Action Chart as a Special Item. You must discard an item in its favour if you already carry the maximum number permissible.)

Having lost sight of the four shadowy figures, you decide now to call off the chase. Wearily you make your way down from the roof and retrace your steps back to the stables of the Crooked Sage in order to collect your horse.

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2016, 12:30 PM

As soon as the stable boy has saddled Bracer, you mount up and leave the inn at a gallop. You decide to forgo sleep this night and begin your journey north without further delay. Shortly past midnight, you pass through Helgor’s ruined East Gate and head off along a rutted track that winds a northeasterly route towards the River Storn. The moon is full and this rough trail is illuminated clearly by its cold, ashen light. Far to the north an electrical storm is brewing. Flashes of forked lightning light up the horizon and the sky, and the hills echo to the rumble of distant thunder.

You have covered little more than ten miles when the trail gradually peters out. You continue on across soft heathland for a few miles further until you find another trail, muddier than the first. Fresh tracks are imprinted in its surface, leading off towards the northeast. Curious as to their origin, you dismount and take a closer look.

(I have Grand Huntmastery and make a random roll)

Your advanced Kai skills and the mud make it easy for you to tell that these tracks were made by humans travelling on foot. You count eight different pairs of footprints: six made by sandalled feet, and two by heavy hobnailed boots. The tracks are two days old and they are all heading in a northeasterly direction.

The muddy track climbs to the peak of a ridge and then makes a twisting descent to a copse of sickly-looking trees clustered at the base of a gully. You have noticed that the night wind has gradually been getting warmer and, as you reach the copse, a few drops of rain begin to spatter the shoulders of your cloak. Within minutes this gentle shower is transformed into a torrential downpour. Suddenly, thunder booms overhead and forks of white lightning streak down to explode among the surrounding trees, setting them on fire. Fearful of the danger, you peer through the wall of rain in search of safer shelter.

Aided by your Kai senses, you detect two possible refuges from the storm: an overhanging ledge of rock, and the entrance to an old mine shaft.
(Mine Shaft sounds big enough to count)

You urge Bracer up a treacherously slick path that leads to the entrance. Without once faltering on the difficult ascent, he carries you to the top of the path where two rusty wagon rails disappear into the mine shaft’s shadowy maw. You approach, and the instant you are out of the rain, your keen Sixth Sense alerts you to the fact that you are not the only ones seeking shelter here. The scent of greasy fur and the glint of two grey-green eyes in the gloom tell you that you have stumbled upon the lair of a mountain wolf.

The wolf growls menacingly and Bracer backs away in fright. Quickly you prepare to use your Magnakai skill of Animal Control to calm this beast before its hunger or its fear make it attack.

(I do in fact have Animal Mastery, so……)

You utilize your powers to subdue the growling wolf and immediately he becomes calm and docile. Within a few minutes you exact a transformation that turns this creature from a wild animal into a loyal and friendly ally.

While you settle down to rest, the wolf watches over you and Bracer, attentively standing guard at the entrance to the mine shaft.

(I heal myself with the restful sleep)

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2016, 12:41 PM

The first light of dawn brings with it a dramatic change in the weather. The storm has ended and the sky is now bright and clear, but on the distant horizon you can still see flashes of lightning and hear thunder rumbling in the mountains.

You leave the old mine and urge Bracer down the muddy slope towards the track, most of which you discover has been washed away by last night’s storm. The damp earth is steaming in the unusual heat of the morning sun and the air crackles with an eerie residue of static electricity.
You continue your ride through the hills without stopping until, shortly after midday, you come to a derelict hovel which stands at the edge of a marshy peat bog. Your Kai senses inform you that there is somebody inside and, spurred on by curiosity, you resolve to find out who they are. You dismount and leave Bracer to feed on the marsh grass while you go forward to investigate the hovel on foot. You are twenty feet away from its rotting wooden door when suddenly it creaks open and you see an old man standing in the doorway. He is smiling at you.

(I have been to a hut on a Ruanon Pike before)

Immediately you recognize the man: he is Gwynian, the Sage of Varetta.

“Welcome, Grand Master. It has been a long time since we last met. Come, step into my humble abode. The time has come once more for us to discuss the future.’

Gwynian leads you into the derelict hovel and offers you a seat next to an ancient table carved from stone. Then he lowers himself carefully into a chair opposite and looks deeply into your eyes.

‘Lord Rimoah sent word to me in Varetta that you were on your way here,’ he says, taking a parchment envelope from the folds of his robes. ‘I, and my fellow sages, have been observing the skies in this region for many months, and we are sure that an event of great and terrible importance is close at hand. The stars and the storms portend that an evil power is soon to appear on Magnamund.’

‘Could it be the rising of Vashna?’ you ask, daring to voice your fear.

‘Yes, we believe it to be Vashna. Unless you can prevent it, Lone Wolf, the Darklord and his army will rise from the Maakengorge.’

(I show him the Black Amulet)

You remove the Amulet from your pocket and hand it to the old sage.
‘President Kadharian gave me this. It was found on the shore of Lake Vorndarol, near the ruins of Vorn, by a rogue who went by the name of Smudd. I tracked him to a tavern in Helgor but he was assassinated before he could tell me anything more about it. Can you?’

Gwynian holds the Amulet close to his myopic eyes and examines the engravings with great care.

After a short while he says, ‘It is a seal. It’s an amulet of fealty worn by the Acolytes of Vashna,’ he says sadly. ‘It would seem to confirm our fears. I have seen amulets such as this before, but none crafted from such a metal. This is a metal not of this world.’

Gwynian hands back the Amulet and you return it to your pocket.
Gwynian opens his envelope and removes a time-yellowed parchment which he spreads upon the smooth stone table: it is a map of northern Magador. He points to Lake Vorndarol and tells you that the eye of the strange storms which have swept this region has been calculated to be within a few miles of the lake’s eastern shore, close to the Maakengorge. The hamlet of Vorn, or what is left of it, is located on the southern shore, near to a tributary of the River Storn. He counsels you to be on your guard at all times and, to help you succeed, he gives you an amulet of his own.

‘Wear this, Grand Master,’ he says as he places the corded platinum disc around your neck. ‘It will keep you safe from some of the perils that may await you at the Maakengorge.’

(Record this Platinum Amulet, which you wear on a cord around your neck, as a Special Item on your Action Chart. You need not discard another item in its favour if you are already carrying the maximum number permissible.)

You thank Gwynian for his help and he waves farewell as you leave the hovel and walk back to your horse.

‘Good luck, Grand Master,’ he calls out. ‘My hopes and my prayers go with you.’

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2016, 12:54 PM

By nightfall you have covered twenty miles of rough terrain and have been assailed by extremes of weather. From a desert-like heat at mid-afternoon the temperature plummeted, causing a sub-zero squall which left you and Bracer blanketed with frost. But now, as darkness draws its cloak over this troubled land, the temperature quickly rises. This heralds the return of the rain, and the thunder and the violent lightning strikes.

Helped by your tracking skills, you discover a shallow cave where you can take shelter from the storm. You are tired and hungry, and unless you possess Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

(I do have it)

(Do I have Animal Mastery? I do, I turn to a certain section)

Your spine tingles with the presentiment of danger. Your senses warn that something evil is abroad this night and you are fearful that it will come upon you while you are sleeping. With this worry foremost in your mind, you stand at the mouth of the cave and use your Kai Mastery to summon a woodland creature. A few minutes pass; then you sight a wildcat and its cub emerging from the pines. They have answered your call and obediently they submit to your will. You command them to guard the cave mouth; then you settle down to rest, confident in the knowledge that they will wake you at the first sign of trouble.

You are awoken in the middle of the night by the she-cat’s nervous growl. At first you think that a new day must already have dawned for the cave is awash with bright light, but when you look out at the surrounding landscape you see that the light has a far more sinister origin.

The sky is alive with hordes of glowing, wraith-like phantoms. They swoop down from the roiling storm clouds and skim the treetops, howling and screeching like angry banshees. A trio of these ghastly apparitions passes within a few yards of the cave mouth and startle the wild cat and her mewing cub. Terrified, they flee the cave and disappear into the pines.

(Do I have Kai-Screen and a certain rank? I do!)

The three phantoms swoop down into the trees as if to pursue the fleeing cats, but then they break off their attack and come speeding once more towards the mouth of the cave.

You sense a hostile psychic presence about them, an evil mind energy which is growing stronger as they draw nearer. You draw on your own formidable psychic skills and erect a defensive wall around your mind which keeps you safe from their first bombardment. Having encountered unexpected resistance, they veer upwards and vanish into the clouds. They have gone, but not for long. Within minutes they return with seven more of their ghostly brothers in train.

(Do I have Kai-Surge and Sun Lord rank? Yup!)

You open the depths of your mind and summon forth a glowing ball of Kai energy which you project at the leading phantom. This fiery ball of psychic power rips into the creature’s ghostly form and causes it to shriek with agony. Your devastating blast has wounded this entity, but it has not stopped its attack. It gathers itself and swoops down upon you, like a hungry vulture descending on a corpse.

Vortexi (weakened by psychic attack): COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 22

For every level of Kai rank you have attained above that of Kai Grand Guardian, you may add 2 to your COMBAT SKILL for the duration of this fight. If you possess the Sommerswerd, restore 5 points to your ENDURANCE score.

(I have 56 CS right now, so we are good. I toss an 3 and an 8. It dies and I took 2 damage.)

You have destroyed all of the ghostly creatures that were attacking you, but you are mindful that there are still hundreds of these malevolent spirits circling the area. You stand with your horse at the rear of the shallow cave, your weapon ready in hand, and pray to Kai and Ishir to keep you both safely hidden. Gleefully, the Vortexi ride the raging storm for more than an hour until eventually it dies and they slowly disappear.
An uneasy calm descends upon the land. You sense that the danger has passed and try to get some rest, but the recent memory of your ghastly confrontation is still vivid in your mind which makes it impossible for you to sleep: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
Furthermore, unless you possess Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose an additional 3 ENDURANCE points.

(So now I’m at -4 EP, as a reminder, I keep my skills from previous books, so I can still gain +1 EP for each section where there’s no combat due to my healing)

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2016, 01:13 PM

You leave the cave at first light and continue your lonely trek towards Lake Vorndarol. Before dawn, an icy wind swept down from the north and spread a thick blanket of frost on the trail, freezing the mud beneath. To your surprise, the going is easier and swifter than expected and, by noon, you find you have covered more than thirty miles.

During your ride you have watched the land slowly changing. The trail is now steeper and granite outcroppings have begun to appear, tinged with moss and interspersed with pine trees and grey-green underbrush. You are approaching an area littered with huge granite boulders when suddenly your Magnakai Pathsmanship skills alert you to danger; you sense there is an ambush ahead.

(I roll a 4)

Hurriedly you leave the trail, steering Bracer through the undergrowth towards the cover of a dense pine copse. Here, you quickly dismount and tie his reins to a tree before going forward to see what you can find.

You soon discover that a gang of brigands are lying in ambush, well hidden among the boulders that line both sides of the trail. Your Kai hunting skills enable you to circle around and get behind them without being seen and, from a high vantage point among the boulders, you observe their leader and three of his henchmen hiding behind the bough of a fallen tree.

(I can try to shoot the leader with a box, use Kai-Alchemy to charm him, or just wait to see what happens. I choose Kai-Alchemy)

You focus on the brigand leader as you whisper the words of the Brotherhood Spell Mind Charm. You will him to send away his henchmen and, when he is alone, you close in on him from behind without making a sound.

Like a fleeting shadow, you move through the undergrowth towards the brigand leader. As you draw closer, you hear him cursing the incompetence of his men and you see him beating his clenched fist on the trunk of the fallen bough in frustration. Then you leap upon him, covering his mouth with one hand and locking his arm behind his back with the other. He growls and struggles like an angry bear to break free from your grip, but when you whisper a threat in his ear he quickly ceases to resist. Suddenly his nerve seems to break and he begins to whimper like a frightened puppy. You ease your hand away from his mouth just enough so that he can speak and at once he pleads with you not to kill him. He offers you the contents of his satchel and free passage away from here if you will promise not to harm him.

(I choose to question him first)

You hold the brigand in a vice-tight armlock and demand to know who sent him here to ambush you.

‘No one sent me,’ he pleads, ‘no one … no one at all. I was plannin’ on robbin’ me a few acolytes, that’s all. Some of ’em has gold and trinkets that’s worth cash in Vakovar. This trail’s been good to me. It’s netted me some rich pickin’s in the past month or so. We weren’t after you in partic’lar … No, you jus’ happened to come ridin’ past, that’s all.’

Your Kai senses inform you that he is speaking the truth. He and his band of robbers have been waylaying Acolytes of Vashna who have travelled this route over the past few weeks. Without slackening your grip, you ask him what he knows about them.

‘They been preparin’ something, over on the … ’ he says, but he ceases to speak the moment he sees a group of his men emerge from the surrounding pines.

‘You’re in for it now,’ he hisses. ‘My men are goin’ to do for you good an’ proper.’

Another six of the captain’s men step from out of the trees and begin to move towards you, their swords held ready to strike. Rather than stay and fight them, you shove the captain away and take to your heels, pausing only to snatch up his satchel as you make your escape.

Screaming curses and promising you a slow death, the captain scrambles to his feet and leads his men in a chase, but you are soon lost among the dense pines and, reluctantly, he orders his henchmen to give up the pursuit.

When you sense it is safe to do so, you stop to catch your breath and examine the contents of the satchel, which you empty out onto the ground. It contains the following items:

• 80 Gold Crowns
• Enough food for 3 Meals
• Quiver (containing 3 Arrows)
• Bottle of Wine
• Spyglass
• Ruby Ring

If you wish to keep any of the above, remember to adjust your Action Chart accordingly.

(I take -1 arrow, top myself to the max 50 crowns, Ruby Ring, Spyglass, and Wine)

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2016, 01:19 PM

The area is alive with bandits and you are forced to flee northwards, away from the place where you left Bracer tethered to a tree. You are anxious for his safety and mindful that there are still many miles to be covered before you reach Lake Vorndarol, but you dare not turn back for him. Then you hear something that makes you halt in your tracks: it is the sound of a horse whinnying.

Your keen Kai senses detect the warm scent of horse flesh on the air, mingling with the sharp tang of the surrounding pine trees. Hopeful that it is Bracer, escaped from the brigands and come to find you, you push through the densely-packed trees until you stumble upon a clearing. Here you discover that it is not Bracer after all; you have found the brigands’ horses.

They are unguarded and you cannot sense their owners close by, but even so you take every care not to startle them. Silently you untether one of the stallions and lead him away from the rest of the horses, along a trail which is covered with fresh tracks, and soon you come to a wider trail which winds away to the north. Here you mount the horse and set off along this rocky trail, but you have gone little more than half a mile when you smell something that makes you rein your new horse to a halt. From a wooded gully away to your right you detect the scent of death being carried on the afternoon breeze.

(Duh. I check it out)

The horse refuses to approach the trees so you dismount and tether him to a boulder before investigating the wooded gully on foot. Beyond the perimeter of trees you discover a clearing where a score of shallow graves are clustered in a circle. You scrape away some of the stones and earth from the nearest grave and uncover the corpse of a man clad in mouldering red robes. A black hood trimmed with skeletal insignia identifies him to have once been an Acolyte of Vashna. He and his brothers were attacked, robbed, and murdered by the brigands when they passed this way some weeks earlier. This clearing is where they disposed of the bodies.

(Duh. Of course I search)

With your teeth clenched tightly against the fearful stench that is arising from the grave, you scrape away the remaining earth and stones and begin to search through the corpse’s robes. There is little of value to be found here, nothing that the brigands have not already picked over. You are about to abandon this unpleasant task when suddenly you notice something protruding from the corpse’s boot. It is a hexagonal token engraved with strange symbols, and it is made from the same black, metallic substance as the amulet given to you by President Kadharian.
You decide to keep this item. (Record this Special Item on your Action Chart as a Black Token which you carry in your pocket. If you already carry the maximum number of Special Items permissible, you must discard one in its favour.) Having satisfied your curiosity, you leave the gravesite and return to your horse, eager to continue your journey as quickly as you can.

Throughout the afternoon, the rocky trail descends through an unlovely landscape of shale hills and crags topped with thorny brambles. It is difficult terrain but your ride passes without incident. Shortly before dusk, you come to the top of a ridge and catch your first glimpse of the River Storn and the snow-capped peaks of the southern Durncrags beyond. The elation of having come this far is sobered when you see that the distant sky is changing rapidly, and only a slender streak of light fringes the horizon. A storm is closing in.

As you make the long, gradual descent towards the river, the air becomes humid and dark clouds appear overhead. The turmoil of moisture quickly charges the atmosphere. Lightning flashes without warning from the clouds to the earth and arcs skyward again, its energy echoing in a slow roll of thunder. Then the heavens open and a deluge of rain saturates the land. You calm your startled horse and urge him through the pouring rain, praying all the while that you will be able to find shelter before night closes in.

You are within a mile of the river when the darkness is almost complete. Yet, aided by your keen vision, you are able to make out two places that can offer some degree of shelter from the storm. The first is a cone-shaped stone hut, perched near the river’s edge; the second is a rocky hollow close to the trail.

(I head to the hut – it sounds more waterproof)

The hut has long been deserted but it still offers you and your horse good protection against the elements. It is watertight and there is sufficient straw on the floor to feed your mount and keep you warm during the night.

Before you settle down to rest, unless you possess Grand Huntmastery, you must eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

Sheltered from the foul storm, you are able to get a good night’s rest. You awake the following morning feeling invigorated: restore 3 ENDURANCE points.

In the cold light of dawn you see that the River Storn is too deep and fast-flowing to be fordable at this point. The trail follows the river downstream so you decide to follow it in the hope of finding somewhere to cross. Two miles later, you happen upon such a place.

At a point where the river slows and widens, you find a crude rope ferry has been erected. It comprises two rafts attached to two long lengths of rope which are suspended above the river. A crossing can be achieved by boarding a raft and pulling on its guide rope to haul it across to the opposite bank.

You wait and observe that area for a few minutes. When you feel sure that it is safe to proceed, you place your horse aboard a raft and begin the laborious task of pulling yourself across to the distant shore.

(I toss an odd number, 9)

You are nearing the middle of the river when your acute hearing detects the cawing of birds in the far distance. At first you dismiss the sounds, thinking they are probably birds of prey feeding somewhere high in the mountains, but when the cawing rapidly grows louder you look upwards to try to detect where it is coming from. You do not have to look very far.
One thousand feet above you, a flock of ugly black birds are cawing excitedly as they ride a thermal air current. You recognize them to be Durncrag Scavengers, cruel predators native only to these mountains.

Then, with an awful suddenness, they come diving towards you, screeching like demons as they prepare to strike with beak and claw.

(I sure do have Animal Mastery and some rank)

You focus your power of Animal Control on the leader of this predatory flock and will him to abandon his attack. The speed of his descent is making it difficult for you to target him, but your persistence and your Kai skills overcome this. At the last moment the ugly black bird banks away, cawing frantically, and the remainder of his flock follow suit without pressing home their attack. You watch with grim satisfaction as the flock return to the mountains, cawing with frustration, their hunger unsatiated.

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2016, 01:28 PM

You manage to regain control of the raft and, at length, you reach the far side of the river and disembark safely. A stony trail runs along the bank, heading north, and you follow it with high hopes of reaching Lake Vorndarol before sunset. All day the sun blazes supreme in a cloudless sky and waves of heat create a shimmering, distorted view of the trail ahead. The distant horizon is streaked with myriad colours and the dry air crackles with electricity, a legacy of last night’s violent storm. Late in the afternoon you come to the ruins of an ancient settlement and stop here to allow your horse to rest awhile in the shade.

(Yes, I have Grand Pathsmanship)

You sense that you are not alone; you can feel the presence of another living creature close by. Silently you draw your weapon and set off on foot to investigate. Your Kai senses lead you directly to a derelict hut on the perimeter of this ancient settlement. You call out, demanding whoever is inside to show himself, but there is no reply. You repeat your demand but again it goes unanswered. With weapon raised you rush in through the door, expecting to have to fight a skulking brigand or an Acolyte of Vashna, but you find neither. You are confronted instead by something wholly unexpected.

In the far corner of this hovel are a man and a woman. They are huddled close together, wide-eyed and shivering with fear. Their once-fine clothes are tattered and caked with mud, and in their midst you see that they are cradling an infant who is clearly sick with fever. You lower your weapon and offer them an assurance that you mean them no harm but, even though you can tell that they understand your words, they still look at you with terror in their eyes.

You sheathe your weapon and hold out your open palms to show that you have no intention of harming them. They seem to respond to this gesture and they allow you to approach and examine their sickly child. You tell them that you can help their son and, using your innate healing skills, you place your hands upon the boy’s chest and let your Kai power flow through into his fever-wracked body. Within a few moments he stirs to consciousness and gives a healthy cry; you have saved his life.

Tearful with gratitude, the boy’s parents kiss your hands and thank you with all their hearts for saving their child’s life. The man asks if there is anything they can do to help you in return and you respond by asking who they are, and how they came to be hiding here.

You learn that they once lived in the hamlet of Vorn where the man, whose name is Bayan, made a humble but honest living fishing the waters of Lake Vorndarol. Then one fateful night, some weeks ago, the Acolytes of Vashna came and destroyed Vorn. They managed to escape with their lives but they fear that the rest of their community were slaughtered in the attack, or perished in the dreadful storms which followed. For the past few weeks they have been hiding in the hills to avoid the acolytes and the marauding bands of robbers who have come from Vakovar looking for loot.

You tell them that you have been sent here by President Kadharian to find out what is going on at Lake Vorndarol. Bayan replies that he knows a safe route through the hills which leads directly to the ruins of his old home. He says he is willing to act as your guide and you accept his offer gratefully.

(DO NOT ACCEPT THAT OFFER, ALL OF MY GUIDES DIE. Ah well)

Bayan says farewell to his wife, warning her to stay hidden here with the child until he returns. She thanks you once more for curing her son and she wishes you a safe journey; then Bayan leads you to another hovel where he has hidden a donkey. It is a stubborn, flea-bitten old ass, but it serves Bayan well as the two of you follow his secret trail into the foothills of the southern Durncrags.

It is a long and tortuous route but it is also a safe one. At dusk you come to a cave whose entrance is hidden by clumps of loose brushwood. Bayan and his family have used it several times over in the past few weeks and they have stocked it with a buried cache of roots and berries. These, together with some live game which you catch at a nearby stream, make for a filling and nutritious meal which you both enjoy before settling down to a long sleep.

You strike camp and set off shortly after dawn. Come mid-morning, you arrive at a high pass from where you see Lake Vorndarol for the first time. You call on your Magnakai skill of Huntmastery to intensify your vision and, as your view of the lake grows sharper and clearer, you make out the ruins of Vorn on the southern shore. The hamlet is blackened and desolate, but it is not without signs of life. There are men moving around in the streets, and a square-rigged boat is moored at the quay.

Bayan is anxious for his family’s safety and keen to return to them now that he has guided you to within sight of Vorn. You thank him for his help and offer him some money which he gratefully accepts. Pick a number from the Random Number Table (0=10). The number you have chosen is equal to the number of Gold Crowns you give to Bayan. If you have insufficient money, you must give him all the Gold Crowns you have, plus an item from your Backpack.

(I rolled 16 crowns, I have 34 left)

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2016, 01:57 PM

You have ridden to within five miles of the hamlet when you are forced to leave the trail and take cover. Ahead, you see a group of Vakovarian bandits encamped on a bridge which carries the trail across a fast-flowing stream. Rather than risk a confrontation, you follow this tributary of the River Storn a mile downstream until you happen upon a shallow bend where the water is fordable on horseback. You cross here, make a wide detour, and then return to the trail a mile beyond the Vakovarian’s encampment.

The trail gradually descends towards the burnt and derelict hovels of Vorn, clustered in squalid disarray around a greystone quay. Vakovarian bandits occupy the ruined hamlet and you decide it wise to leave the trail in case they have posted a lookout. A copse of stunted firs offers you a good hiding place for your horse. You tether him here, and then gather some grasses and roots for him to eat while you are away scouting the hamlet.

You have no difficulty entering Vorn unseen. From the first-floor ruins of a burnt-out inn on the outskirts of the hamlet you make a careful observation of the Vakovarians. They seem to be systematically looting the ruins and transporting their ill-gotten booty to a fishing boat which is moored at the quay. You are watching this boat closely when suddenly your concentration is broken by the sound of a yapping dog.

(Yes, I have Animal Mastery. Man, it that skill needed a lot here!)

A one-eyed mongrel is standing in front of the inn, its head cocked defiantly at the first-floor window through which you are observing the Vakovarians.

Mentally you command it to cease its infernal yapping and it responds by running away along the street, whimpering pathetically, as if it has just seen a ghost.

Most of the bandit activity appears to be going on around the quay. In order to get a better view, you leave the inn and make your way down through the ruins towards the lake, taking care to avoid those Vakovarians who are out looting. The burnt-out shell of a meeting hall offers you an unobstructed view of the quay and its flagstoned square. You hide here, invisible among the charred roof timbers, and watch as a curious scene unfolds on the quayside.

Tied to a stone obelisk in the centre of the quay square are three Acolytes of Vashna. They are guarded by two Vakovarian brigands who keep themselves amused by bullying and tormenting them.

For the past hour the sky overhead has become increasingly grey and thundery, with occasional storm flashes illuminating the northern shore. Now this storm is crossing the lake and the lightning is beginning to strike dangerously close to the quay. The brigands seemingly ignore this danger, so preoccupied are they with their petty cruelties, but then something appears on the surface of the lake which commands their attention.

(I do like the idea of bandits going after the Acolytes hard here)

A massive bank of grey-white fog is rolling across the water towards the quay at an unnatural pace. When it is just a few hundred yards from the shore, a volley of lightning bolts comes hurtling from its core to explode against the quayside wall with devastating effect. Several brigands are incinerated where they stand, leaving nothing but glowing piles of ash to mark their passing. Then, suddenly, a massive longboat emerges from the wall of fog and comes speeding towards the quay. Glowing bolts of energy dart from its prow to explode upon the deck of the Vakovarian ship. One of these bolts passes high between the masts and arcs through the air towards the quay. You watch with mounting horror as it comes speeding directly towards you.

(Yes, I do have the Sommerswerd)

You unsheathe the sun-sword and strike out at the approaching bolt in a desperate attempt to deflect it away. It strikes the edge of the blade and you are blinded by an eruption of searing white light. The Sommerswerd has negated the force of the bolt, rendering it harmless, but the shock of the impact sends you reeling backwards. As you fall you knock your head on a charred timber: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.
You stagger to your feet and shake your head to clear your blurred vision. The first thing you see when your sight returns to normal is the attacking longboat as it collides with the Vakovarian ship. With a deafening screech of twisting metal and shearing timbers, it shudders along the length of the starboard side, sending the brigands who are aboard cartwheeling helplessly across the deck. Grappling lines are cast and boarding planks lowered, and before the Vakovarians can recover, a screaming horde of red-robed acolytes are amongst them, slaying all without quarter.

On the quayside the Vakovarians are gripped by panic. Many flee to the ruins, but there is a core of battle-hardened ex-mercenaries who band together and attempt a counterattack. Bloody fighting rages along the quayside as the acolytes try to recapture the three who are tied to the stone obelisk. The prisoners are eventually saved by a trio of Acolyte Elders, each of whom is armed with a glowing wand that discharges an incinerating blast of energy against any brigand foolish enough to stand in their way. The Elders retreat to the long boat with the freed prisoners, but the fighting has started to spread beyond the quay. There is a sudden noise to your left, and when you turn to face it, you see two Acolytes of Vashna racing along the street towards you with bloodied swords held ready to strike you down.

(I can use Kai-Alchemy, Magi-Magic, or fire a bow if I want)

(I don’t have Magi-Magic, so K-A it is.)

You whisper the words of the Brotherhood spell Lightning Hand and point at the onrushing acolytes. A tingling sensation runs down the length of your arm which culminates with a bolt of blue-white energy. It shoots from your index finger and explodes between them, killing them instantly.

Suddenly a piercing note blares out above the din of battle: it is a war-horn and it is sounding the recall to the acolyte longboat. You see those Acolytes of Vashna who are fighting in the ruins suddenly break off their combat and race back to the quay in answer to this command. Their mission has been achieved. They have recaptured their three brothers and now the time has come for them to depart.

As you watch them streaming along the body-strewn quay, a bold plan springs to mind, a plan that could enable you quickly to discover the truth about what is happening at the Maakengorge. If you were to don a red robe from one of the acolytes you have slain, you could infiltrate the ranks of those acolytes who are now fleeing back to the longboat.

(So which do I choose? Don the red robe and head to the boat? Or stay on the shore? This is the first major choice in the game. This is probably where the main plotlines diverge. Read one this time, do the other later. In the past, I have pulled off infiltrating the Cener Druids, the Darklands, and Vassagonia. I think I can do this here too. Plus I think my skill set, which include Kai-Screen, is liable to get me through)

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2016, 02:29 PM

You don a red robe, taken from one of the dead acolytes, and raise its black hood to keep your face hidden. The folds of this voluminous garment cover your weapons as well as your clothing, and a haversack taken from another acolyte battle-corpse is large enough to conceal your Backpack. Confident that you can pass for one of them, you run to the quayside and join with those acolytes who are now climbing aboard the longboat.

When your turn comes, you leap from the quay onto the deck of the ship. You land very close to the sandalled feet of one of the three Acolyte Elders and he glares at you angrily, though he does not see through your disguise. You take your place on a bench alongside the others and use your Kai camouflage skills to avoid their attention. You notice that a bank of oars stands upright in the gunwales of the boat, and it strikes you as odd that no order has been given to man them.
When the last of the acolytes are safely aboard, you discover why.

With the returning acolytes aboard, an Elder gives the order that the grappling lines and planks—which hold the longboat secure to the Vakovarian ship—be cut and tossed into the lake. The moment this is done, the three Elders raise their glowing wands of power and touch them together to form a triangle.

There is a flash of greenish light and a swirling cone of vapour coils into the sky, pouring from the tip of this triangle. It creates a howling wind which fills the sails and catapults the longboat away from the quayside at tremendous speed. It takes just a few minutes for the ruins of Vorn to disappear over the horizon.

Aboard the longboat the victorious acolytes busy themselves as the cold waters of Lake Vorndarol speed by beneath the keel. Some are attending to those who were wounded in the battle; others are chanting a sombre dirge or sitting quietly with their heads bowed, lost in unholy prayer; the remainder clean their weapons or stare vacantly at the distant mountains.

You keep your head bowed and pretend to be praying. The deception seems to be working until a hand suddenly grips your shoulder and you hear a gruff voice bark a command in a language you do not readily understand.

(Yes, I have Grand Pathsmanship)

You turn your head slightly and see a pair of sandalled feet standing on the deck by your side. They belong to the Elder whom you almost collided with when you jumped aboard the longboat. He repeats his command and this time, aided by your Kai Mastery, you understand what he says. He is commanding you to get up and go forward to the bow and help with the carrying of some wounded acolytes to the stern.

You nod to signify you acknowledge his order yet you do not raise your head—to do so would risk him seeing your face. Unfortunately, as you rise from the bench, your robe gets snagged on a splinter and is pulled up to reveal your boots and scabbard. The Elder becomes suspicious and he demands to know how you came to be in possession of these items.

(I do have the Runic Disc, the black metal coin I took)

You show the Runic Disc and immediately the Elder’s temper cools. He recognizes it to be the mark of the Guild of Rhem, the most feared brotherhood of assassins in all of northern Magnamund. He is aware that some guild assassins have been employed as agents to carry out missions for the acolytes, and he assumes at once that you are such an agent.

He backs away a few paces, bows his head, and leaves to attend to other matters at the bow of the boat. Those seated around you have now become uncomfortably curious. To avoid their attentions, you get up and move to the stern where a score of acolytes are kneeling in prayer.
You kneel between two praying acolytes and begin to mumble along with their sonorous prayer-dirge. A shiver runs along your spine and you begin to feel queasy; a strong aura of evil surrounds the group and your psychic senses are struggling to shield your mind from its insidious influence.

You notice that some of the acolytes are shaking uncontrollably, and sweat drips from their faces despite the icy wind which howls across the deck. You recognize that they are suffering the after-effects of using Adgana, a potent and highly addictive potion which increases skill and ferocity in combat. You hazard a guess that many of the acolytes were made to take this narcotic before the assault on the quay, to stir them into battle-frenzy.

You have been kneeling among the praying acolytes for barely a minute when suddenly the war-horn blares a long, discordant tone. All eyes turn to the east where the shoreline can now be seen on the horizon. The longboat is speeding towards the wooden jetty where a large group of red-robed figures are awaiting its return. The prayer-dirge ceases and everyone gets to their feet in readiness to disembark as soon as the boat docks at the jetty.

The longboat glides to a halt beside the jetty and attendant acolytes make it secure with ropes and hawsers. An Elder oversees the disembarkation, allowing the wounded off first, followed by the rest in descending order of rank and superiority. You join in the queue with the lowly initiates and follow the line as it files off the jetty and up a torchlit hill track to a hall of stone. It is a grand building which shows signs of having only recently been constructed.

The interior of the hall is a dark and forbidding place, decorated with the ritualistic trappings of the Acolytes of Vashna. Spluttering candles dimly illuminate a central altar and a sickly-smelling incense saturates the air. The acolytes encircle the altar several ranks deep and listen intently as two of their Elders conduct a liturgy in praise of Darklord Vashna, and the victory he has seen fit to grant them. They conclude their sinister ceremony by crying out the words, ‘We celebrate this eve of the “Great Welcoming”. May Lord Vashna, our master, vanquish his enemies and rule unchallenged ever more!’

The acolytes respond spontaneously by repeatedly chanting their master’s name. ‘Vashna! Vashna! Vashna!’ they cry, as they slowly shuffle out of the hall in single file. At the door, each acolyte is handed a burning torch and made to parade past the Elders who give them their unholy blessing. You take care to keep your face concealed within the raised hood of your robe as your turn comes to pass before them.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Kai-alchemy, Kai-screen, or Assimilance, add 2 to the number you have picked (these bonuses are cumulative).
Also, if you possess a Runic Disc, add 1; if you possess the Sommerswerd, deduct 3; and for every rank you have attained above that of Kai Grand Guardian, add 1.

(Okay, that means my total for this roll is 1+3+2-3 - +3. But I’m not sure about the Sommerswerd. In book 12, you get an item called the Korlinium Scabbard. It’s also on the may-carry-over list from the first 12 books. So why isn’t here? It was created and given to me to hide the Sommerswerd’s good aura while sheathed, so it cannot be detected. That’s how I was able to traipse all over the Darklands with it in tow. And I have it here. So why is the Sommersword acting against me as a beacon of “Here I Am!”? Well, I toss a 6 and it doesn’t matter. I’m through)

You pass before the Elders without incident and follow the procession as it winds its way through the settlement. As it nears the perimeter, you pass beside some smaller huts where a few of the doors are open. Most of the huts are empty, but you notice one where a table near the door is stacked with captured weapons.

(Yes, I slip from the procession to enter the weapons hut! Duh! I checked it out, and it had nothing good.)

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2016, 02:52 PM

Beyond the perimeter of the settlement the path steadily gets steeper as it ascends into the hills. The torch-bearing line of acolytes illuminates the rocky landscape with flickering shadows as slowly they zigzag their way eastwards. Another storm is brewing; the eastern sky is alive with electrical activity and thunder booms beyond the horizon. Your ears pop as the air pressure fluctuates wildly and the howl of the wind seems to be growing ever louder. Then you notice something strange. Your torch does not seem to be affected by the storm; it is burning as smoothly as if you were in an enclosed room. You glance over your shoulder and see that the same is true of every other torch. It is as if the procession is being protected from the outside elements by an invisible tunnel.

Two miles from the settlement you pass a group of acolyte youths, all in their early teens, who are calling encouragement, chanting, and waving the line onwards. Then the path bends and you see a wayside altar and a large marble trough filled with stagnant green water. As they file past, every acolyte dips his right hand into the trough and touches it to his heart.

(I do possess the Black Token)

As you approach the trough, you feel the token getting hotter in your pocket. Your Magnakai skill of Nexus protects you from the heat, yet it does not prevent the glowing token from setting your tunic alight. Immediately you smother the flames but the resulting smoke causes a commotion among the acolytes following behind.

(Use Kai-Alchemy? Grand Huntmastery and a high level of rank? Neither?)

Using your advanced Kai Mastery you can tell that, along with the heat, the token is giving off intense ultraviolet radiation. It is a cursed relic which has been activated by its proximity to the pool of stagnant water. The closer you get to the pool, the hotter and more reactive the relic becomes. Another few steps and it will explode. Knowing this, you fumble to retrieve it from the smoking pocket of your tunic, and hurl it away.

You cast the glowing Token into the darkness and it explodes with a dull boom among the boulders, showering the path with dirt and slivers of stone.

(Erase this Special Item from your Action Chart.)

The sudden flash and bang cause a moment of panic among the acolytes. They fear that they are being attacked by Vakovarians and many of them drop their torches and run back along the path, screaming excitedly. Using this confusion to your advantage, you attempt to tag on to the end of the line of acolytes who are still advancing up the path.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Assimilance, add 3 to the number you have picked. If you possess Kai-screen, add 2.

(I roll too low, just a 1+2 for a 3)

As you hurry towards the end of the procession, an Elder steps out from behind a boulder and grabs you by the shoulder, commanding you to halt. Then you feel a tingling sensation, as if a horde of spiders were crawling in a line from your shoulder to the nape of your neck; the Elder has psychic abilities and he is attempting to probe your mind.

(Yes, I have Kai-Screen)

Drawing on your mastery of psychic defence, you are able to construct a shield around your mind which absorbs the Elder’s probe. He learns nothing from his attempt to read your psyche and, rather than admit to failure, he dismisses you as an empty-headed cretin.

With a growl of disdain, he orders you to rejoin the end of the procession and pushes you out of his way as he strides back to rally those acolytes who are fleeing down the path.

For three miles you trek stolidly through the hills towards a deep magenta glow that is bathing the horizon. Then as you round a knoll of rock shaped like an accusing skeletal finger, you are confronted by a spectacle which leaves you staring open-mouthed with awe and horror.

An expanse of dead land, littered with cracked and shattered rocks, slopes down to the edge of an immense chasm that stretches more than a mile from rim to rim. It is the Maakengorge. Hordes of screeching Vortexi ride a violent electrical storm which rages in the clouds above this vast abyss, and the earth shudders in echoing response to the booming thunder. Near the rim of the chasm there stands a towering arch, hewn of stone, that shimmers with such a supernatural brilliance that you cannot fully focus upon it. Peering closer you see before the arch an elaborate, multi-tiered dais constructed entirely of crystal. Around it kneel hundreds of acolytes who are chanting devoutly. Their dreary voices add to the dreadful noise.

You follow the procession as it winds its way towards the dais and soon you see that a solitary figure is standing upon its uppermost tier. He faces the shimmering arch, his hands outstretched, and with every movement of his fingers there is a subtle shift in the spectrum of colours within the angry clouds above. It is as if he is manipulating the storm as a conductor would an orchestra. With a grand sweep of his arms he calms the turbulent sky; then he turns to face his kneeling congregation.

(Yes, I have been to either Kaag or Mogaruith)

You intensify your vision and focus upon the figure who commands the crystal dais. Shock freezes your spine when you recognize at once the face and flowing platinum hair of Arch Druid Cadak, ruler of Mogaruith, the usurper lord of Kaag. He has grown strong since your last fateful encounter, and now it seems that he is poised to fulfil the Dark God Naar’s lust for vengeance by releasing Vashna and his hordes from the depths of the Maakengorge.

You take your place among the throng kneeling before the dais, and hear Cadak’s voice ring out above the howling storm.

‘I summon forth from the Vortex of the Planes the Deliverer of Vashna, Mighty Lord of Darkness, Prince of the Legions of the Restless Dead. Come to us. Come to us now and fulfil our destiny. We, the worthy, now prove our faith in the undying power of Vashna.’

With these words, the acolytes utter a chilling cry of affirmation and rise to their feet. By rank they follow the Elders in single file towards a smaller, shimmering metallic arch which stands to one side of the crystal dais, almost obscured by the glare of the larger one. One by one they file through this archway, under the watchful gaze of Cadak, and then return to their places where they kneel and pray.

As you approach the smaller arch, you sense a curtain of power drawn across it. Anxiously you pray to the Gods Kai and Ishir to protect you as you prepare to pass through this invisible barrier.

(Sigh. Yes, I possess the Sommerswerd. Come on now, I HAVE THE SCABBARD! Ah well)

The moment you step through the archway you feel an electrifying jolt run through your body, and snake-like tendrils of blue-white energy arc from the rim of the arch to the hilt of the Sommerswerd. A gasp of astonishment arises from the acolytes, audible even above the howling wind.
‘We have an intruder in our midst!’ screams Cadak, levelling his wizard’s staff at you accusingly. You fight the paralysing effect of the current and tug the sun-sword free of its scabbard. For a moment the current weakens as it is absorbed and neutralized by the Sommerswerd’s divine energy, but then the tip of Cadak’s staff ignites with a crimson flame and the current intensifies anew, numbing your limbs with its insidious effect.

‘Ha! I know you, intruder,’ yells Cadak maniacally. ‘You are Lone Wolf, the doomed hero of a doomed realm. You are a fool to come here, Kai Lord. Your powers are no match for those of Naar, the King of the Darkness.’

With this he turns to the acolytes and throws up his hands triumphantly.

‘This night we shall celebrate a double victory, my brethren. The resurrection of Lord Vashna and the destruction of Grand Master Lone Wolf!’
The acolytes scream their approval, but their cheer is drowned by the ever-increasing noise of the storm. Then you see that the storm itself is changing. A huge vortex of whirling cloud is descending from the heavens, a tornado whose deadly funnel is reaching down towards you. Then the tip of the roaring plume touches the ground at your feet and, with a terrifying suddenness, you are torn from the energy curtain and sent hurtling through the air towards the dark centre of the towering arch.

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2016, 03:09 PM

For countless minutes you hurtle into a whirling abyss of darkness and howling gales, torn by freezing winds that cut to the marrow despite your Magnakai protections. Then, as if waking from a dream, the sensation of falling abruptly ceases and you find yourself standing on a plateau of black volcanic rock, cratered and split by rivers of blazing lava. You take a tentative step forwards and feel the ground sag beneath your feet. The thin crust of cooled lava wrinkles and tears, and a jet of flickering yellow flame shoots upwards to engulf your legs,

Your Nexus skills are sufficiently developed to protect you from the flames and hellish temperature, but you are amazed that your boots and clothing have not ignited. Then you sense that your entirety is being protected by a field of energy radiating from the Platinum Amulet given you by Gwynian the Sage. Silently you thank him for his gift, for you suspect now that even your Kai skills would be hard-pressed to keep you safe in this alien domain.

(I am now in the Plane of Darkness. The Sommerswerd gives you an addition +4 CS on here).

With difficulty you cross the semi-molten terrain and reach an island of blue-grey basalt rock, strewn with cubes of obsidian and jet. At the island’s centre you discover a huge, untidy pile of cubes which make a crude temple. There is a yawning hollow at its base and, as you draw closer, you sense something is lurking there. Suddenly, a trio of horny-skinned creatures emerge from the dark hollow and take to the air on wings that glimmer like burnished gold. You watch them ascend, but you have difficulty following their flight when their bodies begin to flicker in and out of existence.

(I have both Grand Huntmastery and Sun Lord rank)

You scan the brooding sky, using your ability to see in the ultraviolet and infrared light spectrums. Your advanced Kai skills enable you to see and track the flying creatures as they circle slowly around their lair and come swooping down to attack you.

You draw your weapon and, in the ultraviolet spectrum, you detect that an aura of protection is sheathing it from the extreme temperature of this domain. Then a hideous shriek splits the air as the first of the beasts dives upon you.

Lavas: COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 42

(Even without the +4 bonus to the CS from the plane, I’m at +8 versus these dorks, which would be basically game over – let’s toss some dice I roll an 8 which is an auto win).

The moment you slay the first two of these strange creatures, their bodies dissolve into a swirling cloud of steamy vapour. Now, upon the death of the third beast, the vapours unite and expand with breathtaking speed until the basalt island and the entire fiery plain beyond are engulfed by a thickening grey fog.

You walk through this sea of mist for what seems like an eternity until your senses detect that something is circling high above you. At first you suspect that more of the golden-winged creatures have come hunting for you, but then you detect that it is something completely different. There is only one creature, and you sense that it is using a highly-developed psychic probe in order to seek you out.

(I do not have Grand Nexus and Sun Knight)

You draw on your psychic defences to keep you hidden from this creature. You cannot see it in the dense fog but you can hear it swooping down, and you are nearly flattened by the draught of its mighty wings as it roars past close overhead.

As first it seems to be going away into the distance, but then you sense it turn about and come gliding back for a second pass. Suddenly you realize that your psychic defences are not hiding you from this creature at all; it is locking on to your life-force, not your mind.

(I use a bow)

You draw an Arrow and take aim in the direction you can hear the beast approaching from. It sounds as if it is no more than twenty yards away when you release the straining bowstring and send the Arrow streaking into the fog. The shaft has travelled barely a few yards when it ignites with a flash and is instantly transformed into a line of glowing splinters which float away on the mist.

As soon as the Arrow passed beyond the perimeter of the protection of your Platinum Amulet, it was subjected to the true temperature of this domain: a temperature which reduced it to glowing embers in less than a second.

(That is a cool effect!)

Suddenly, with a deafening roar, the unseen beast is upon you. You drop your Bow and unsheathe your weapon as it tries to rake you unmercifully with fang and claw.

Zarthyn: COMBAT SKILL 48 ENDURANCE 50

(Alright, my CS is normally 56, and 60 here on this plane. I toss a 1. It takes 9, and me 3. It takes another 1 due to my Grand Weaponmastery. I toss a 6 and it takes 17 and me 1. Then a 2 and 11 and 2. Then a 7 and 19 more and it dies)

The great winged beast ekes out its death-throes for several minutes after you strike the fatal blow. Aching with the fatigue of your combat, you stagger away from its carcass and stumble blindly through the fog. Soon you sense the temperature beginning to drop, and the great grey wall of fog gradually condenses and falls as rain. This rain freezes and you quickly find yourself surrounded by a wall of glittering ice which stretches like a range of jagged glass mountains from horizon to horizon.

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2016, 03:33 PM

In the distance you see a dim light flickering and twinkling at the heart of these ice mountains. You strike out towards it, across the frost-encrusted ground, and find yourself covering the distance far quicker than would ever be possible on Magnamund. A mile slips by at a single step and the surrounding terrain becomes impossible to focus on. Suspecting that you are the victim of some powerful illusion, you stride up to the flickering ice wall and thrust your hand against it. Effortlessly, your palm sinks into the glassy blue surface and you fall headlong into the icy mountainside.

You are standing inside a mountain of ice. A dim, blue vista stretches away in every direction, and here the light appears bent and fractured by the myriad frozen facets of the water. You are encased yet you can still move; you are able to stride forwards through the seemingly solid walls as if you are moving through air.

Confidently you walk through the strange and terrible beauty of this crystal world, striding on towards the distant dim, twinkling light that first drew you to the mountains. Slowly the icy vastness begins to change and you see new wonders. There are treasures—veins of gold, raw gemstones, chests of coins, pearls, and rubies. And there are graves and lost tombs, where corpses watch your passing with burning eyes. Their ghastly stares bleed the warmth from your body and leave you shivering with psychic shock: lose 4 ENDURANCE points.

At length you pass beyond the ice and emerge into the shadowy recesses of a vast cavern. Here you discover the source of the light, and in its dim glow, you witness a scene that makes you tremble with fear.
Before you stretches a gigantic cavern. Its walls of ancient obsidian rise to a high-arched roof where hangs a circle of stalactites—twelve huge luminescent spears of lime-green stone. Bathed in their pulsating glow is a many-tiered crystal dais, identical to the one on which Arch Druid Cadak stood before the great shimmering archway at the edge of the Maakengorge. To the right of this dais you see a dark tunnel. The entrance appears like a black semicircular shadow upon the cavern wall.
Standing upon the uppermost tier of the dais is a creature which both mesmerizes and repulses you. It has the semblance of a human female, yet she stands more than twenty feet tall. She is strikingly beautiful but you sense at once that she is also wholly evil. Her skin has a deathly, corpse-like pallor and she is clad in a flowing black costume which trails thin wisps of smoke. Cloaked figures scurry around the lower tiers of the dais, carrying out their mistress’s commands and attending to her every whim. If they fail or displease her she crushes them like lowly insects in her elegant, deadly hands.

You watch in silent fascination as this demonic creature makes preparations, as if for a long journey. Then, in a flash of a sudden realization, you know her purpose. She is getting ready to enter the tunnel, a tunnel which will transport her to the archway at the edge of the Maakengorge. She is the deliverer of Vashna of whom Cadak spoke, the one who will raise the spirit of Lord Vashna from the Chasm of Doom!

Suddenly you are aware that someone is standing behind you. Instantly, you unsheathe your weapon and spin around to face them, half-expecting to see the grotesque face of a demonic minion. Instead, you find yourself looking into the impish face of a young, teenage girl.

The young woman smiles at you and begins to laugh.

‘You can’t harm me, Lone Wolf,’ she says, full of confidence. ‘You may as well sheathe that weapon for now, though you’ll be needing it later I fancy.’

‘Who are you? What do you want?’ you hiss, still clutching your weapon defensively. ‘Are you some cursed illusion, some mind-trick of Naar’s sent to entrap me? Well, demon, maybe this will wipe the smile off your face.’
You strike the young woman a savage blow to the head but to no effect. She laughs again and says, with a mocking tone, ‘Now do you believe me?’

You back away, looking to either side for a way of escaping this creature, but there is none. She advances, and you regard her with fearful caution. She is wearing a worn leather jerkin and ragged trousers which are cut short at the knees, and does not appear to be armed with a weapon.

‘You should be more respectful,’ she says. ‘After all, if I should decide to leave, who’ll keep you hidden from the gaze of Shamath?’ She points to the giant Demoness to illustrate who she means. ‘Trinket or no,’ she continues, motioning to the Platinum Amulet you wear, ‘you wouldn’t last long against her without my help.’

‘What do you want from me?’ you reply, uneasily.

‘Your attention would be a good start. Strange as it may seem, I wish to help you, Lone Wolf.’

(I do not have Telegnosis)

‘Very well,’ you say. ‘How do you intend to help me?’

The young woman begins by confirming your suspicions. The Demoness Shamath is indeed preparing to go to the Maakengorge in response to Cadak’s summons. She will make the journey by entering the tunnel; it is a Shadow Gate which will transport her from this plane of existence to Magnamund, to the great shimmering archway through which you were hurled by the storm. She will take with her an artefact of great evil—the Deathstaff—a device forged by the Dark God Naar himself and imbued with the power to resurrect the spirit of his long-lost champion, Lord Vashna, from the depths of the Chasm of Doom.

‘Naar has laboured long and hard to create the Deathstaff,’ says the young woman. She points once more towards the crystal dais and says, ‘Can you see, Lone Wolf? It is there, resting beside Shamath’s feet.’

You look towards the dais and see a staff of twisted black metal. Its six-foot length looks insignificant lying beside the huge, booted foot of the Demoness.

‘The time has nearly come for the transference,’ says the young woman. ‘Shamath must be stopped, and only you can stop her.’

‘But how?’ you reply, bemused.

‘Simple! You must steal the Deathstaff and enter the Shadow Gate before her. Use the staff to destroy Cadak’s crystal dais—this will close the gate and prevent the Demoness from entering Magnamund. But I warn you, Lone Wolf. You will have precious little time to accomplish this, so do not delay once you return to your world. You must destroy Cadak’s dais as quickly as possible or Shamath will get through. She has great strength and power here, but on Magnamund her powers would make her invincible.’

The young woman looks over her shoulder, as if she is being pursued by some invisible hunter. ‘I wish I could help you more, Lone Wolf,’ she says, anxiously, ‘but I have my own battle to fight. Be brave, Grand Master, but most of all—be swift!’

And with these words she begins to fade before your eyes. The moment she vanishes completely, the cavern echoes to a deafening roar. It is the angry cry of Shamath. She has seen you!

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2016, 03:57 PM

The dreadful gaze of Shamath falls upon you and your blood runs cold. She points a black-gloved finger at your hiding place and speaks a thunderous phrase in the Dark Tongue that rings like metallic thunder throughout the vaulted cavern. Then, slowly, she raises her other hand and levels it beside the first. A crackling mass of electrical energy explodes into being, arcing between her outstretched palms. She flicks her massive wrists and the sparking coils of power come writhing towards you. Before you can dodge them, they swirl around and encircle your body, imprisoning you in a cage of living energy.

Shamath throws back her head and the floor shudders rhythmically beneath the weight of her laughter. You peer through the gaps in the swirling force field and see that her attendants are now rushing towards you.

Shamath’s laughter becomes a hideous screech. She mouths a word of power and a flood of psychic energy comes washing across the cavern towards you. Fortunately, it hits the force field and breaks like a wave against it, sparing you from its full effect. Even so, the residue which penetrates the wall is enough to leave you stunned and gasping for breath: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

The Demoness flicks her fingers and instantly the wall is gone. But now you see that you are surrounded by a ring of her sinister, robed attendants.

(Yes I have the Sommerswerd)

You unsheathe the Sommerswerd and a halo of golden light engulfs its god-crafted blade. The dim, shadowy cavern is flooded with its goodly glow and the attendants of the Demoness Shamath waver before it. The hilt is warm in your hands and a strange feeling of miraculous ecstasy floods up your arms and courses through your body. You no longer feel as if you are wielding the sword; you are acting in concert with it. Restore 5 ENDURANCE points.

At Shamath’s command, the attendants draw slivers of steel and come rushing to hack you down. You essay a wide sweep of the sword and scythe the front rank down as easily as if they were ripened corn. Your sword strokes feel effortless; it is as if you are merely holding the Sommerswerd and the blade itself is fighting of its own accord. Within the space of a few minutes you have slain every last one of Shamath’s attendants, over a hundred in number.

Slowly the cavern begins to darken and the towering body of the Demoness shimmers and changes into a new and totally repugnant form: she has taken on the guise of a huge crawling worm. Her slimy flanks are studded with a multitude of tiny tendrils, and her head is equipped with a sphincter-like maw which drips loathsome green saliva. She slithers closer and, in the half-light, you catch sight of her ghastly face. It is like that of an infant, wholly black, save for the eyes which are aglow with a hellish red fire.

The worm-thing rears up and, as the head sweeps past your eyes a second time, you suddenly recognize the facial features and a paralysing blast of psychic shock rips through your mind. It has the face of your long-dead brother Jen.

(Yes I have Kai-Screen)

The unexpected sight of your dead brother’s face leaves you dry-mouthed and shaking, but fortunately your Kai Mastery of psychic defence protects your mind from the full effects of this psychic shock: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.

The face of the worm is changing. It no longer resembles your brother Jen; it has taken on the haughty visage of the Demoness Shamath.

‘Ha!’ she snorts. ‘How puny and insignificant you mortals are. There can be no sport for me in the easy slaying of your kind, for it is too easy. There is no challenge. Therefore I, Shamath, Mistress of the Gates of Darkness, shall devise one. I challenge you to a duel … a duel of intellect!’

The great worm-thing retreats towards the dais and the darkened walls of the cavern are suddenly illuminated by a thousand jets of flame, which roar from jets set into the smooth, glassy floor.

‘Very well,’ she says, fixing you with her supernatural eyes. ‘Let the combat begin.’

‘Attend with care to what I say, mortal,’ says the face of Shamath. ‘When I have finished, I shall ask you this question: “While I am here to do Naar’s bidding, how many loyal servants guard my throne of power?” ’
Shamath notes the look of concentration on your face and she allows herself a sneering laugh at your expense before she continues. She is confident that you will not defeat her in this intellectual contest. She begins:

‘I possess two Dwellers of the Abyss. My loyal servants are equal in number to the months in a Magnamund year, less the number of my Dwellers of the Abyss.’
‘When the loyal servants and the Dwellers of the Abyss were counted together, their total number was doubled when my Lieutenants of Night arrived.’
‘But when my Lieutenants of Night arrived, the Dwellers of the Abyss had to leave.’
‘Exactly half of the remaining number also departed, for they were beholden to the Dwellers.’
‘From the remainder I picked the loyal servants to guard my throne of power. I chose them all, except for one who was known to me as a traitor. I executed the traitor before I set my loyal servants to guard my throne.’
‘So, mortal, answer my question: while I am here to do Naar’s bidding, how many loyal servants guard my throne of power?’
Study the words of Shamath’s riddle carefully. When you think you have the answer, turn to the entry which bears the same number as your answer

(2: 12-2 is 10 loyal servants total 12x2 are 24. -2 is 22. ½ of that is 11. -1 is 10 that’s the answer)

Upon hearing you utter the correct solution to her riddle, Shamath recoils in horror.5 You have beaten her challenge and the humiliation she feels cuts her as sharply as any sword.

She begins to whimper. Then, quite suddenly, a geyser of flame shoots from the floor and engulfs her wormlike body. You watch with disbelief as the tendrilled flesh blackens and flakes away in a matter of seconds, to leave nothing but a coiled heap of glowing cinders.

The blazing cavern walls grow dim, and shimmering waves of the crimson light begin to sweep across the floor towards the crystal dais. Suddenly Shamath reappears in her female form at the base of the dais. In front of her booted legs there stand a dozen powerful warriors, armoured and helmeted as if for war, but their stern faces have no eyes and their mouths have no lips. Behind her, a score of new attendants emerge from the shadows carrying large pieces of shiny black armour. She begins to strap this armour to her limbs and, by the sluggishness of her movements, you can tell that she must have been weakened by your earlier conflict.

With a single word she commands the warriors to attack you. They raise their short swords and come marching slowly forwards, their movements stiff and machine-like. Beyond their advancing line you catch sight of the Deathstaff still lying near the base of the dais, and a bold plan springs to mind. If you could evade the oncoming line of automatons, you could reach the dais. Then you would be able to take the Deathstaff and enter the Shadow Gate before Shamath recovers her strength.

Inspired by your plan, you run towards the advancing line of automatons, taking care to keep a watchful eye on Demoness Shamath, and your goal—the distant Deathstaff.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

If you possess Assimilance, add 2 to the number you have picked. If you possess Grand Pathsmanship, add 1. If you possess Telegnosis, add 1. Also, for every level of Kai Mastery you have attained above the rank of Kai Grand Defender, add 1.

(I get +4. I toss a 4 for a 8 total. Yay me!

Swiftly you sidestep the oncoming wave of automatons and leave them hacking uselessly at the air with their swords. The Demoness is putting on an armoured breastplate of varnished black steel, and she is kneeling to allow her attendants to fasten the straps. They are clumsy, and she is distracted and does not see you approaching dangerously close to the dais and the Deathstaff until it is too late. You grab the staff’s cold, metallic haft and instantly you feel the terrible power that is locked within its core.

(I do have, but I didn’t bring with me, Helshezag. So I can’t turn to that place)

You wrench the Deathstaff from the dais and sag beneath its unnatural weight. The moment you raise it into the air, the Demoness spins around to stare at you, sending her attendants flying in all directions. She screams with unholy anger and the noise of her wrath lifts you bodily and sends you skidding across the floor.

Desperately you fight to maintain your grip on the Deathstaff as the furious Shamath gets to her feet. She comes striding towards you, bolts of energy darting from her fingertips to rip open the ground as you stumble away towards the yawning black tunnel. The deafening shriek of Shamath’s voice rings in your ears as you clutch the Deathstaff to your chest and leap head-first into the oblivion of the Shadow Gate.
The screaming winds of the abyss rip and tear at you unmercifully as you are sucked through the heart of this whirling black vortex. All the while you cling to the Deathstaff, although its chill touch is far colder than even the frigid gales of the void and it drains you of warmth like some evil vampire (lose 5 ENDURANCE points).

Abe Sargent · 07-31-2016, 04:15 PM

Time passes and you sense flashing motes of light streaking past your closed eyes, and faint far away sounds come dimly to your ears through the howling wind. Then, as suddenly as it began, the sensation of falling ceases and you feel yourself lurching forwards onto wet, rocky soil. Rain spatters your face and, when you open your eyes, you see that you have returned to Magnamund … and to terrible danger.

‘Kill him!’ It is the voice of Arch Druid Cadak. You have emerged from the Shadow Gate and now you lie on the ground between the great shimmering arch and Cadak’s crystal dais. You have only just found your feet when a growling horde of vengeful acolytes close in upon you, eager to fulfil their leader’s wish.

Acolytes of Vashna: COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 45

I blow through them. I use Kai-Surge to lose 4 EP and to do…9 to them. Then we fight. These are weird unpowered troops. Remember the 50 cs 80 EP force early on in Plague Lords? Now you have this weak Acolytes late? Even without the Sommerswerd, I have 48 vs them in a final battle. That seems really strong. I toss a 9, and that’s 18/0 on a +8 ratio. +1 for my fire stuff. Then I toss a 6 and its 12 and 1. Then a 4 and they die. I took 7 total EP damage (Let’s say I used my nonmagical dagger to show off)

I can choose to use the Deathstaff as your weapon during this fight, you may add 10 to your COMBAT SKILL. By the by.

The few acolytes who survive the fight count themselves lucky and flee for their lives. ‘Fools!’ screams Cadak, at his routing acolytes. ‘Must I do everything myself!’

With these words he bangs the tip of his staff three times against the floor of the dais and a gout of crackling energy arcs through the rain-laden air towards you. Instinctively, you raise the Deathstaff and catch the arcing bolt on its haft. There is a flash of sparks; then the crackling energy flickers and disappears.

Cadak curses loudly and promises that you are about to die, but for all his bravado you sense that he is scared. He recognizes the Deathstaff for what it is and he fears that, in your hands, it could lay waste to all his meticulous plans. The aged druid looks to the stormy clouds and screams a command to the circling Vortexi to help him finish you once and for all.
The howling phantoms come swirling out of the storm. They encircle the great shimmering arch in a long, unbroken chain, and then, one by one, they peel away to dive at the place where you are standing.

Your Kai instincts inform you that the Deathstaff possesses the power to repel these psychic phantoms, if you have the courage to use it. You also sense that there will inevitably be a price to pay if you use a weapon forged by the King of all Darkness.

(I am not using the Deathstaff. Go away)

You resist the urge to make use of the Deathstaff to ward off the approaching Vortexi horde. You would rather trust in your own goodly powers than use a weapon forged of evil.

Lashed by the wind and the rain, you steel yourself as the screaming phantoms come swooping down to attack.

(Do I have….Kai Screen and Grand Guardian rank? Assimilance and the same? I do have the first)

You draw on your defensive skill of Mindblend to protect and keep hidden your psyche from the attacking horde. The Vortexi are psychic creatures who actively seek out their prey by the strength of their mind waves. Your Discipline disrupts this homing process and many, in the final few hundred yards of their dive, fail to lock on to your location and waste their attack.

But there are still those among the horde who sense accurately where you are. When they attack, you are forced to defend yourself vigorously.

Vortexi: COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 22

For every level of Kai rank you have attained above that of Kai Grand Guardian, you may add 2 to your COMBAT SKILL for the duration of this fight. If you possess the Sommerswerd, restore 5 points to your ENDURANCE points score.

(So again, with a nonmagical dagger, and the + to my ranks, I am getting enough of a bonus to get a hugh +11 or more ratio. I toss a 1 and take 3 and deal 10. Then a 4 follows and they die. I took 4 more. I healed 3 in the passages between here, so I’m at -8 right now)

You have destroyed the power of the Vortexi horde. They shrink and fade, and their faint, wispy remains are whipped up and dispersed by the winds of the raging storm. For a few moments there is a break in the roiling clouds and a few rays of sunlight burst through to bathe you in a warm, yellow glow. This warmth greatly invigorates your body and your mind: restore your ENDURANCE points score to its original level.

(So yay, healing! At least one more battle is coming!)

12-04-2009, 09:46 PM	#401
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	As you hoped, the fire spreads quickly and, as you sprint across the frozen ground towards the forest's edge, you glance over your shoulder to see bright orange flames roaring from the open doorway, and a pall of black smoke rising into the steel-grey sky. You reach Prarg and together you hurry deeper into the forest. The fire covers your escape, but it also draws several Drakkarim patrols back to the encampment. You are forced to make a wide detour to the west in order to avoid these returning soldiers and your new route takes you across a steep and rugged part of the Tozaz forest previously unexplored by your guide. The difficult terrain slows you down and you cover less than six miles before failing light and the increasing sightings of Drakkarim patrols force you to halt and make camp for the night. From the safety of a treetop, fifty feet above the forest floor, you rope yourself to the trunk before settling down to sleep. You are hungry and, unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points. The night passes without incident and you awake to a bright dawn feeling refreshed by your long, uninterrupted sleep. Prarg, too, has slept well, and he feels eager to start the journey to Shugkona. Fresh snow has fallen during the night, and when you descend to the base of the tree, you discover several sets of footprints nearby. Your Pathsmanship senses tell you that they are little more than an hour old and were made by a Drakkarim patrol heading due north. You set off towards the north east, following a frozen stream that winds its way through the forest like a glistening crystal serpent. Luck and your Kai skills keep you safe from the Drakkarim patrols, and by noon you find yourselves approaching the outskirts of Shugkona. From the cover afforded by a small wooden footbridge that crosses the icy stream, you are able to reconnoitre this heavily fortified Drakkarim town. Log-lined trenches encircle most of its perimeter, fronted by pits filled with sharpened stakes to counter attacks by enemy cavalry. Mantlets and wheeled barricades defend its four highway approaches, and the whole line is manned by squads of Drakkarim and Hammerland mercenaries. However, this formidable protection comprises just a first line of defence behind which there are more fieldworks, sharpened stakes and watchtowers, many bearing recent scars of war. The town itself lies within this second circle. It is constructed entirely of wood, and many of its outermost buildings have, over the years, been reduced to ash by Lencian firebombs. You learn from Prarg that Magnaarn's headquarters are located at the very centre, in a high tower which commands a clear view over the town and its defensive lines. At first sight the Shugkona defences look impregnable, but after having carefully observed the perimeter lines you note two places where, with luck, you might enter the town without being observed. The first is close to the east road where an expanse of cleared ground is guarded only by a watchtower. The second is a section of the perimeter, further south, where only one line of trenches has been completed. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-04-2009, 09:57 PM	#402
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	(I choose the east. Enemies of the Drakkar are to the south and west, so it makes sense to approach from a different direction if possible) You abandon the shelter of the bridge and work your way slowly along the ice-filled ditch to a point directly in front of the tower. Here you settle to observe the Drakkarim guards who are dutifully keeping watch over the eastern approaches to the town. All you can see of them is their brutal faces peering out of the horizontal slit which runs the full circumference of the tower. After a while, three of the four Drakkarim leave the tower by a staircase at the side. Only one remains, and you decide that now would be the best time to make your move, before the three return or before their replacements show up for duty. Prarg insists that he go first; he has crossed here once before and he knows a safe way through. The ground looks clear but there are concealed pits out there just waiting to snare the careless or unwary. You nod your agreement and, as soon as the guard turns his face away from the observation slit, Prarg makes his run. Crouching low, he half-runs, half-scampers across the clearing, keeping low and zig-zagging as he weaves a safe path through the pits. It takes him thirty seconds to reach the base of the tower, then he slips around the side and takes cover beneath the steps before beckoning you to follow. You take a deep breath then launch yourself out into the open. With heart pounding you run towards the tower, following in Prarg's footsteps which are clearly visible in the snow. You are halfway across when suddenly the guard's face reappears at the observation slit. You pray your camouflage skills will keep you hidden for a few seconds longer, but then you see something that shakes your confidence. The guard raises a curious square of glass in front of his eyes, and at once you sense it possesses magical properties. (I pick a number. I get a 3 and add 1 for my rank) The guard's eyes, made unnaturally large by the lens, narrow as he stares intently across the snowy eastern approaches to the tower. Immediately you slow yourself to a halt, fall to the ground, then begin utilizing your camouflage skills to keep you hidden from his unblinking gaze. With your cheek pressed flat to the snow, you glance firstly at the guard's face at the observation slit, then to Captain Prarg who is now climbing the stairs to tower door, his sword ready to hand. He reaches the door, throws it open, and disappears quickly inside. For a few moments there is complete silence, then he reappears, sheathes his bloodied blade, and beckons you to hurry to the tower. Swiftly you rise up out of the snow and run to the tower where you meet up with Prarg at the foot of the wooden steps. 'That guard'll not be raising any alarms,' he says, cocking his thumb behind him towards the tower door. 'And they'll not find him too soon, neither.' You smile knowingly. Then Prarg points to an alleyway that lies sandwiched between two burnt-out hovels at the edge of the town, and suggests you go that way. 'Lead on Captain,' you say, and follow as he runs towards the alley's shadowy entrance. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-04-2009, 10:06 PM	#403
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	The dark alleyway leads to a square where, an age ago, the grand mansions of Lencian noblemen encircled a shrine dedicated to the Goddess Ishir, High Priestess of the Moon. But now this square, in common with the rest of the town, bears little resemblance to, or trace of, its Lencian origins. When the Drakkarim first captured Ferndour, as it was then called, all the houses and public buildings which had stood for centuries were demolished. In their place were erected ungainly dormitories and ugly communal dwellings made entirely of timber culled from the surrounding forest. The town's once-picturesque plazas and narrow, winding streets were replaced with coldly functional military avenues for the marching Drakkarim hordes. From the shadows of a doorway, you and Prarg observe a small covered wagon and a troop of weary Drakkarim soldiers entering the square from the north. This small procession swings right and approaches an avenue which exits the square, leading off to the west towards the centre of the town. Magnaarn's headquarters are located in the middle of Shugkona and, with night fast approaching, Prarg suggests you follow the troop using the gathering darkness for cover. You are about to agree with him when suddenly the door of a nearby hovel swings open, and out into the alley step three burly, drunken Drakkarim. Instinctively you both leap for cover to avoid being seen. Prarg drops down behind a stack of empty ale casks, whilst you dive behind a mound of rotten timbers. The moment you hit the ground you feel it sag beneath your weight, then, in a moment of terror, the ground collapses and you fall headlong into darkness. You have crashed through the rot-infested timbers of a trapdoor into a damp and dingy cellar. (I roll a 1) You land with a jolt, crashing down upon a stack of ale barrels which topple and fall, pinning you beneath them: lose 3 ENDURANCE points. Stunned by the fall, and with blood trickling into your eyes from a gash on your forehead, at first you feel totally unable to move. Then you hear sounds that immediately stir you into action. In the alleyway above, you hear the sounds of a struggle taking place: the Drakkarim have found Prarg and they are attempting to overpower him by force. The sounds of the struggle cease abruptly and you hear gruff Drakkarim voices yelling and cursing in anger. A yellowy light flares up and grows brighter as it approaches the broken trapdoor. Then the face of a Drakkar appears, framed in the ragged hole, illuminated grotesquely by the guttering flames of a torch. The Drakkar thrusts the torch through the shattered door and peers into the cellar, his small piggy eyes probing into every corner. You keep completely still, and he fails to see you lying beneath the clutter of barrels and casks. The moment the face and the torch disappear, you prise yourself free and then scramble up onto an upright barrel in order to reach the trapdoor. Prarg and the Drakkarim are no longer in the alleyway, yet as you pull yourself through the gaping hole, you catch sight of them in the square beyond. The Drakkarim have captured Prarg; they have tied his hands and they are marching him along the west avenue towards the centre of the town, towards Magnaarn's headquarters. You clamber out of the cellar and set off after the Drakkarim with weapon in hand, determined to free your companion from their clutches, but as you hurry into the western avenue you see that they have already joined with the troops who are escorting the covered wagon. The wagon has halted and you count more than fifty Drakkarim jostling the helpless Prarg, bullying and cursing him vilely. More than one voice calls out in the Giak tongue--'Let's kill the Lencian spy!' Fearful that they are going to beat him to death, you decide to charge headlong into the crowd in a desperate attempt to save him, despite the overwhelming odds against your success. But before you can act, a Drakkar officer on horseback appears and commands the troops to order. An uneasy silence descends on the group, then dutifully they step away from Prarg and form up in a column facing the officer and his mount. Prarg, who has been left lying on the ground, barely conscious, is bundled into the wagon. The officer raises his hand and the wagon trundles off along the avenue towards a distant square, with the troop of soldiers marching smartly in its wake. You follow and observe, taking in every aspect, every detail that might help you to free your companion. When you reach the square at the end of the avenue, you discover that is dominated by a tall tower. It is Magnaarn's tower. His flag, emblazoned with the emblem of a black eagle clutching two fiery swords, flutters lazily from its slender wooden spire. The wagon draws up in front of a building adjacent to the tower and Prarg is dragged unceremoniously inside. Judging by the bars which adorn its windows, and the armed guards at its entrance, you hazard a guess that this is the Shugkona Gaol. Patiently you watch the square for several minutes while you try to formulate a plan. Then the assembled troops are galvanized into action when an order from their officer sends them off in pairs to search the town for other spies. Several Drakkarim come towards your location and you are forced to seek somewhere to hide. Looking around you can see only two dwellings that may offer some hope of a safe haven. The first is a warehouse; the second a stables. (I choose warehouse) You enter the warehouse through a broken window and soon find a hiding place among hundreds of rolls of canvas that are being stored on the ground floor. Periodically, Drakkarim enter and search the length and breadth of this sprawling building, but they fail to detect you. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-04-2009, 10:21 PM	#404
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	While you are hiding from their search parties, you consider your companion's plight and grow ever more fearful for his safety. You are also very anxious that, under torture, he will reveal your identity and the reason why you have come to this town. You are determined not to allow this to happen and so, as midnight approaches, you slip away from your hiding place and make your way stealthily towards the Shugkona Gaol. The dark alleys and streets surrounding the gaol are illuminated by a hundred guttering brands. Magnaarn's soldiers are everywhere, casting their suspicious eyes over every section of the nighted town laid bare by their torches. Your Kai skills keep you hidden from sight and soon you reach the gaol, but only to discover that the entrance is now heavily guarded by a platoon of Drakkarim. You abandon your hopes of entering by the front door and instead you circle around to an alley at the rear of the building where you discover a line of windows, each one criss-crossed with iron bars. Instinct leads you to the last in the line and you peer inside to see Captain Prarg lying on a bed of filthy straw. He looks in poor shape; both his eyes are bruised, his lips are swollen, and his bushy moustache is caked with dried blood. You whisper his name and wearily he turns his head towards the cell window. Then he sees you and suddenly his whole face lights up with renewed hope. 'Thank the Gods you are still free, Lone Wolf,' he says quietly, pressing his battered face to the bars. 'The Drakkarim have tried to make me talk but I have kept silent. They know nothing about the mission.' You examine the cell window and reassure Prarg that you will soon spring him from this gaol, but he insists that you do not risk your life on his account. 'Listen, Sire. I have learned that Magnaarn isn't here in Shugkona. When the gaolers' beat me, I feigned unconsciousness and overheard them say that their leader is at a place called Antah. It's a ruined temple some forty miles away to the north. They talked of certain victory now that their warlord has found "the stone". Please, Lone Wolf, I beseech you to continue without me. Go to Antah and defeat Magnaarn, before it is too late.' Then a yellowy flicker of torchlight at the end of the alley cuts short your conversation. It is a Drakkarim patrol. They turn the corner and come marching towards you with purposeful steps. 'Don't give up hope, Captain,' you say, as you make ready to run from the approaching patrol, 'I'll come back for you.' This quarter of the town is now teeming with enemy soldiers, and as you hurry away from the cell window, you know that you are in grave danger of being caught unless you can find somewhere safe to hide. At length you discover a refuge on the far side of the main square. It is an empty grain storage tower which overlooks Magnaarn's headquarters and the gaol, and it is here that you spend a sleepless night contemplating the mission and the fate of your captured companion. Now that it appears Magnaarn has found the Doomstone, you know you should do as Captain Prarg insisted; you should try to reach Antah and confront him before he can use his new-found power against the Lencians. But you are loath to abandon your guide. You have promised Prarg that you will help him escape, and a Kai Grand Master never breaks his word. The Captain has been captured as a spy, and as such, he can expect no mercy from the Drakkarim. Soon after dawn you witness some activity in the main square which confirms your worst fears. A squad of Drakkarim engineers arrive and set to work constructing a raised wooden platform in the centre of the square. An hour later, when their work is complete, a covered wagon arrives. The engineers unload a large lump of black oak which they place in the middle of the platform, and as you focus on this block, a shiver runs the length of your spine the moment you realize its grim purpose. The solid lump of oak is an executioner's block. Its surface is cut and scarred by blows from a heavy axe, and its sides are stained dark with the blood of a hundred Lencian prisoners who have lost their lives upon it. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-04-2009, 10:31 PM	#405
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Suddenly your thoughts are disturbed by the rhythmic stamp of marching feet and your eyes are drawn to the avenue which runs alongside Magnaarn's headquarters. Down this thoroughfare come a regiment of Drakkarim. They file into the square and form up in three lines facing the platform. Then an open wagon, drawn by a brace of half-starved oxen, emerges from the alleyway beside the gaol. Captain Prarg is standing in the rear of the wagon with his hands tied behind his back. Despite the bumpy ride he stands rigidly at attention, proudly defiant in the face of imminent death. The wagon halts and the Captain is dragged up onto the platform by three brutish gaolers. He is made to kneel down before the block as a Drakkar officer hurriedly reads the contents of a scroll to the assembled troops. He is condemning the Captain to death for spying. When he finishes the reading, he takes a two-handed axe from one of the gaolers and walks slowly across the platform towards the block. Clearly he intends to carry out the execution personally. (I choose not to use my bow) You watch with mounting anxiety as the Drakkar officer approaches the execution block. He halts beside the helpless Captain and signals to the gaolers to step back, to give him room to enact the execution. Then he takes an oiled stone from his pocket and an ugly sneer spreads across his face as he proceeds to sharpen the blade of the great axe with slow deliberation. (I use Kai-Alchemy) Immediately below the window of the grain tower sits a Drakkar lancer astride his warhorse. He is one of a dozen troopers who have been posted around the perimeter of the square to guard its many exits, but he is more interested in watching the execution than carrying out his duty. His lance is sheathed in a tube-like scabbard fixed to the rear of his saddle, and all his attention is focused on the platform. He is unaware that you are hiding barely a few yards from where he sits. The officer puts away his oiled stone and a murmur of expectation ripples through the assembled Drakkarim as he gets ready to raise the axe. Captain Prarg has no more than a few minutes left to live; you must act now if you are to save him. Using a Brotherhood spell Mind Charm you will the lancer to dismount from his horse, and at once he obeys your mental command. He climbs down, and as he wanders away, you leap from the open window and land in the empty saddle. Seizing the reins you spur the horse forward and it takes off across the square at a gallop. Then you unholster the lance and bring it to bear as you race headlong towards the backs of the Drakkarim soldiers who are standing between you and the platform. You steer the horse towards the platform and the troops scatter before you. All, that is, save one. He is a Death Knight sergeant, an élite Drakkarim warrior. He curses his comrades for their cowardice and, as you bear down on him with your lance levelled at his chest, he draws his sword and gets ready to meet your attack head-on. Then the tip of your lance strikes his steel breastplate and you are forced back in your saddle with a jolt that leaves you breathless. (I roll a 2 and add 2 for me EP) The tip of your lance penetrates the Death Knight's armoured breastplate and kills him instantly. The force of the blow is such that it snaps the lance in two and nearly knocks you clean out of your saddle, but you manage to hold tight and quickly you recover. Moments later you reach the platform to see Captain Prarg struggling to break free from his gaolers. He succeeds and he comes running towards you. With a yell he leaps from the platform and lands astride the rump of your horse. 'Go, Lone Wolf, go!' he shouts, excitedly. You dig your heels into the horse's flanks and take off through the confused mass of Drakkarim towards an avenue on the north side of the square. Prarg's hands are still tied behind his back and in order to stop himself from falling off the horse, he is forced to hang on to your cloak with his teeth. You gallop out of the square and along the northern avenue which is flanked by barracks and hovels. Arrows come whistling from their windows but they are poorly aimed and fly wide of their mark. You glance over your shoulder and see that some Drakkarim horsemen are grouping up at the exit from the square in order to give chase. You urge the horse onwards, and as you speed towards a distant corner, you use your Magnakai skill of Nexus to loosen Prarg's bonds. Minutes later you turn the corner and see the road which leads out of Shugkona. Your spirits rise, but they are quickly dashed when you see that your route of escape is blocked. A barricade has been thrown across the road which leads north out of Shugkona. The Drakkarim posted here have been alerted by the sounds of chaos coming from the square, and hurriedly they are trundling an armoured wagon across a gap at the centre of the barricade to seal off the exit completely. You slap your horse's rump and gallop towards this shrinking gap, but three spear-wielding guards see you approaching, and they rush forward to challenge you with their weapons held ready to strike. (I use Kai-Alchemy) You utter the words of the Brotherhood spell Lightning Hand and point your index finger at the trio of Drakkarim. A surge of crackling energy gushes from your hand and explodes in their midst, scattering them like rag dolls. Their comrades flee the wagon and, without slowing, you gallop through the gap in the barricade with barely inches to spare and race along the road beyond. You have passed successfully through the inner defensive line, but as Prarg quickly points out, you have yet to reach the outer defenses of Shugkona. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-04-2009, 10:49 PM	#406
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Uncertainty haunts your thoughts as you race across the desolate no man's land that lies between the inner and outer defenses of Shugkona. Soon you catch sight of these outer defenses. They comprise a line of man-sized wooden casks filled with earth, behind which there stands a squad of Drakkarim archers. Their bows are loaded and aimed, ready to fire. Quickly you steer your horse away from the road and set off across rough, snowy ground towards a distant line of trenches. Fortunately, the defenses at the northern perimeter are much weaker than elsewhere. The trenches are empty, the guards having left earlier to watch Prarg's execution in the main square. However, the rough terrain soon takes its toll upon your already tired horse. It is near to exhaustion, and as you approach the trenches, you fear he is not strong enough to make the jump. (I roll a 2 and add +3 for Animal mastery and +1 for my rank) Bravely the horse attempts to clear the trench, but it is simply too exhausted to jump. Its forelegs buckle as it approaches the edge, and you and Prarg are thrown head-first into the trench. Luckily, you both land in deep snow and emerge unharmed by the fall. You scramble to your feet to see that your horse is still close by. He is standing at the forest's edge, steam rising from his flanks as hungrily he swallows mouthfuls of snow to cool himself down. You call to the animal, using your Magnakai skills, and at once he responds obediently to your silent commands. Drakkarim archers are now running from the outer defences and you are in danger of being surrounded unless you can make a speedy escape. You and Prarg remount the horse and set off at a gallop along the forest's edge. Only when you are safely beyond the range of the enemy's bows do you rejoin the road and head off towards the north. As you ride along this road of frozen earth, the sky begins to darken ominously and the weather closes in. What begins as a light flurry of snow soon deteriorates into an icy squall which cuts through you like a knife. Your Magnakai skills protect you from the cold, but Captain Prarg is not so fortunate. He utters not a word of complaint but you can sense that he is in great discomfort. Moreover, your horse, already tired from the exertions of the escape, is greatly weakened by the icy winds. Eventually it can carry you no further and you are forced to halt and dismount. Your Kai senses warn you that enemy cavalry are in pursuit. You are a few miles ahead of them but their mounts are fresh and the distance between you is shrinking rapidly. You are about to suggest to Prarg that you abandon the horse altogether and seek shelter in the surrounding forest, when suddenly there is a lull in the storm and the falling snow thins out to reveal an unexpected sight. You have stopped near the crest of a hill. Below you the forest road descends to a stone bridge which crosses a frozen stream. A rough log cabin stands beside this bridge, and a thin trail of wood smoke rises from its crooked chimney indicating that it is occupied. At the rear you see stables and at once you sense the presence of horses. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-04-2009, 10:57 PM	#407
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	(I try to steal a new horse. Well, sort of exchange because I’m leaving behind our old horse for the owner) Cautiously you descend the slippery hill track and make your approach to the bridge. The thick snow muffles your steps and you are able to reach the cabin without alerting its occupants. You motion to Prarg to take hold of the horse and keep lookout whilst you investigate the stables. Silently you slip alongside the cabin and pass beneath its solitary window. Once inside the stable you discover two horses. One is old and lame, but the other is young and powerfully built. Using your powers of Animal Control, you subdue them and lead the younger horse, a grey mare, from its stall. As you leave the stable you see Prarg pointing frantically towards the crest of the hill. A troop of Drakkarim cavalry are descending towards the bridge. Quickly you mount the mare and help Prarg to climb up upon her back. Then the enemy see you and immediately they sound a horn. Moments later an old Drakkar appears at the door to the cabin. He is holding a Bor musket, and when you fail to obey his command to halt, he levels his primitive gun at you and pulls the trigger. (I roll a 4) There is a loud bang and a great grey cloud billows from the muzzle of the musket. It startles the horse, but you swiftly control the animal and urge it forwards, out onto the road. Quickly you make your escape northwards, hidden from the eyes of your pursuing enemy by the acrid cloud of gunpowder smoke. Your ears are ringing but otherwise you escape unharmed. Prarg however has not been so lucky. His arm and shoulder are bleeding from where he has been grazed by buckshot. You halt as soon as you can, and using your healing skills, you mend his wounds before continuing on your way. The use of your powers reduces your ENDURANCE points score by 3. The mare is strong and sure-footed, and you quickly cover eight miles before you encounter something on the road ahead which makes you halt for a second time. In the distance you see a makeshift roadblock. Several trees have been hacked down and they are strewn haphazardly across the road. Behind this obstruction stand several armoured Drakkarim, waiting eagerly for you to appear. At once, you leave the road and take cover in the forest. The trees hereabouts are too dense to allow you to enter on horseback, so reluctantly you abandon the mare and enter on foot. Your instinct and Pathsmanship skills lead you in a westerly direction and you cover more than five miles before the trees begin to thin out. Then you emerge from the forest to be greeted by a spectacular sight. Before you lies a vast frozen lake, more than a mile wide at the point at which you now stand. An icy wind whips across its glistening surface, stirring freshly fallen snow into eddies which whirl and dance like spinning tops. Silently you stare across the lake at the distant tree line and your mind is filled with doubt. The Temple of Antah lies beyond, of that you are sure, and the quickest way to reach it would be to traverse the lake, but there is no cover and no way of knowing if the ice is thick enough to support you all the way across. Yet, to go around the lake would delay you by hours, giving your pursuers ample time to catch up and attack. At length you decide to take your chances and cross the lake. At first the going is smooth and you make easy progress, but as you near the centre, suddenly you sense that something is wrong. (I have Grand Pathsmanship + Sun Knight) Your super-keen senses warn you that Prarg is walking towards a patch of thin ice. At once you shout a warning and he halts in his tracks. Then, carefully, he retraces his steps and follows in your footsteps as you make a wide detour around this perilous section. An hour later you reach the far side of the lake and hurry into the forest beyond. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-04-2009, 11:07 PM	#408
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	You move deeper into the forest, maintaining a steady pace. Here, in this part of the Tozaz, the snowfall underfoot is light because of the canopy of thick branches overhead, and you make good progress. You have been walking for an hour when a shivery rustle brings you abruptly to a halt. You look up and a miniature snowslide falls from a branch overhead, covering your face and shoulders with a deluge of powdery snow. Prarg laughs as he watches you spluttering, and as you wipe your eyes, you glimpse a grey-winged bird fluttering away to the west. 'By the Gods, I'm hungry,' exclaims Prarg, leaning weakly against a tree trunk. 'What I'd give for a side of beef and a plate of boiled beets.' The Captain has not eaten since before you reached Shugkona and you can see that after the rigours of his capture and escape, he is sorely in need of food. Unless he eats soon he will be unable to go much further. (I do not have a meal) Using your Pathsmanship skills, you identify and gather up a handful of edible roots, fungi and berries from the forest floor which you then offer to Prarg. At first he thinks you are joking. Then, once you assure him that they are nutritious, he accepts this dubious selection and starts to eat. 'Damn rabbit food,' he mumbles, but you notice that he is careful not to waste a crumb. Meanwhile, you scan the surrounding forest, ever watchful for enemies. For the last hour you have had a growing suspicion that something has been watching you. Your senses detect the presence of a hostile enemy, closing from the east. Now the suspicion has become a sure belief, and the moment Prarg finishes his meal, you suggest that you be on your way as swiftly as possible. During your trek through the forest, Prarg tells you a little about the history of this land. You learn that the whole of Nyras was once known as Northern Lencia until it was lost to the invading Drakkarim during the Darkdawn War. Many crusades and campaigns have been launched over the centuries to try and recapture this territory, but none, until now, have been successful. The Drakkarim built a fortress on the ruins of the Lencian capital, which was called Gamir, which they renamed Nagamir after their victory. But later, when the Drakkarim allied themselves to the Darklords of Helgedad, the capital was renamed Darke in their honour. As dusk approaches, you happen by chance upon a forest trail and immediately your tracking skills tell you that it has only recently been constructed. Hoof prints frozen beneath the snow and several sets of footprints tell you that this trail has been used by more than a dozen riders and armoured foot soldiers within the last week. (I have Kai-Alchemy) Using the Brotherhood spell Sense Evil you scour the surrounding woodland and a powerful sensation alerts you to danger. It is not an immediate threat, yet you can feel the invisible waves of power which are radiating from its source. The power is strong, too strong to originate from Drakkarim or a hostile forest creature. You focus your senses in the direction of this power and at once you recognize its source: it is the Doomstone of Darke. 'What's wrong, Sire?' says Prarg. 'It's the Doomstone,' you reply quietly. 'We're close . . . I can feel it.' Guided by your intuition, you set off with Prarg along the forest trail heading west, and soon your tracking skills warn you that you are nearing an enemy encampment. You signal your discovery to Prarg, and he follows as stealthily you enter the undergrowth and slip past a line of Drakkarim sentries. From the cover of the dense forest bracken you observe their camp. You count more than two dozen soldiers, plus horses, wagons and shelters. Prarg points to the emblem which adorns all of their uniforms and equipment: a black eagle clutching two fiery swords. 'These are the Tukodak--Warlord Magnaarn's personal guards,' he says in a hushed whisper. 'We would be wise to avoid them.' __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-04-2009, 11:23 PM	#409
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	You nod in agreement then together you slip away from the camp and head north through the trees. You are drawn in this direction by something your senses have detected. It is a strong aura of energy, an evil energy which you feel sure must be radiating from the Doomstone of Darke. Within a few minutes you stumble upon a clearing where stands the majestic ruins of an ancient temple. At once you know that this is the Temple of Antah, and you sense that the Doomstone is here, lying somewhere deep within the ruins. From the cover of the forest's edge you observe the temple, taking in every detail, your eyes scouring every inch of its leprous grey exterior for a way of gaining entry without being detected. Much of the temple is derelict yet it is still an imposing edifice, especially the squat stone tower which stands intact at its centre. Its walls are covered with intricate designs that must have taken centuries to complete, yet while you admire the craftsmanship you find the embellishments wholly repulsive for they depict and glorify acts of great evil. The ruins are deserted, except for a wide ramp of stone which leads to a pair of huge bronze doors set into the base of the tower. These doors are open, but they are guarded by two of Warlord Magnaarn's Tukodak. (I do not have Assimilance) The open doors to the tower appear to offer the only means of access to the temple. Because of this, you decide that you will try and overpower the two Tukodak who are standing guard there. Armed with your formidable Kai skills, and with dusk fast turning to darkness, you are confident you will succeed. You tell Prarg, who is unarmed, to wait here at the forest's edge until you signal for him to join you. Then you stalk towards the tower, your approach masked by your camouflage skills. At first the way is easy, but the last twenty yards of ground to the stone ramp have been cleared of temple debris and this area is completely open, devoid of any cover. (I roll a die and add three for my ranks. I get a 9) Thanks to your Kai skills, the two Tukodak guards do not see you until it is too late. From the base of the stone ramp you launch a lightning attack which dispatches them both before they can attempt to raise the alarm. (Have you noticed I’ve been in just one combat so far) You step away from the two dead Tukodaks, sheathe your weapon, then signal to Prarg that the coast is now clear. He emerges from the trees and hurries to your side. He praises your combat skill and then he helps you to hide the bodies of the two slain guards beneath some undergrowth in the surrounding ruins. Before you leave, a quick search of their packs and pockets reveals the following items: Enough food for 1 Meal Dagger 2 Swords Bow 4 Arrows (I take the meal for Prarg, and a Tukodak Sword for me) __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-04-2009, 11:33 PM	#410
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Beyond the doors you discover a large echoing hall, lit by a circle of torches which flare dimly in the moist gloom. The atmosphere is saturated with a malevolent power, an evil that is welling up from somewhere deep below ground. Immediately to your right you see a ladder which ascends to the upper floor of the tower, and to your left there is a wide staircase which leads down. Your senses scream a warning as you approach this staircase and begin to descend, but this time you choose to ignore your trusty instincts. The aura of evil which pervades this place has its source, and you are certain that it is the Doomstone of Darke, the very object you have sworn to destroy. The staircase leads down to a winding torchlit hallway which passes through a series of narrow chambers, all empty and derelict. Eventually, you come to an iron portal and you stop for a few moments to examine the intricate engravings that embellish its age-blackened surface. Quickly you realize that the engravings are not mere decorations, they are part of a sophisticated combination lock which holds this door secure. A host of writhing dragons are intertwined above a dial edged with ancient numerals. Each dragon has a number engraved upon its forehead, similar to those numbers which encircle the dial. Your senses inform you that the dragon numbers form a puzzle, and by solving this puzzle you will discover the 'key' to this door. Then, by turning the dial to this 'key' number, the lock will disengage and the door will open. (The number I believe is 5. Each number is -1, -2, -3, the previous number) There is a dull click and the great iron door swings slowly to reveal a dark chamber constructed entirely of polished black rock. Revealed in the torchlight is a throne of rough-hewn marble, upon which there rests the skeletal remains of a warrior clad in mouldering furs. Bare bone gleams dully through a clinging mass of muscle and sinew, now shrunken to an iron-hard texture, and upon its skull there rests a helm of solid gold. Set into the face of this helm is an emerald as large as your fist. Prarg approaches the throne, tempted by the magnificent emerald, but he halts the moment you warn him that the helm is protected by a magical trap. You sense that a powerful spell of warding encircles the throne; to touch the crown would activate the spell, thereby unleashing a blast of destructive energy. The thought of being blown to atoms serves to dampen Prarg's curiosity and sheepishly he returns to your side. You give the booby-trapped throne a wide berth and leave the chamber by a smooth-walled tunnel in the far wall. But you have taken no more than a dozen steps when a chill of premonition runs like a trickle of icy cold water down your spine. You halt and reach for your weapon. Then a loud voice booms out, destroying the silence. 'Welcome, Lone Wolf. Welcome to your tomb!' Instinctively you know that it is the voice of Warlord Magnaarn. (Ah yes, the second time a Big Bad is in the crypt/tomb place before I am and waits for me. Joe Dever, you are losing your touch) The chilling echo of Magnaarn's voice is drowned by new sounds: the rattle of chains and the rumble of falling stone. You shout a warning to Prarg and he dives aside only just in time to avoid being crushed by a heavy portcullis. The great stone portal slams down, partitioning the passageway and separating you from the Captain. The dust has barely settled when a section of the passage wall slides open behind Prarg, and a trio of Magnaarn's Tukodak bodyguards leap out and seizes him. Your companion is unarmed and he is quickly and brutally overpowered. Anger floods your mind and you vow to get even with these cruel Drakkarim, but they are not impressed by your threat. They are aware of your exceptional skills yet they feel safe behind the portcullis. With a knife held to Prarg's throat they taunt you and dare you to retaliate. (I use a bow) You quickly draw an Arrow and take aim through a hole in the portcullis, but the Tukodaks cower behind Prarg, using him as a human shield. Again the, cruel voice booms out: 'Put down your bow, Lone Wolf, or I'll have my guards kill your companion.' At once your anger subsides. You sense that this is no idle threat and, reluctantly, you obey the command. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-04-2009, 11:48 PM	#411
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	From out of the shadows of the secret passage steps Warlord Magnaarn. He is a huge man--not much over six feet tall but massively built. His body is sheathed in finely crafted armour that fits his frame like a glove, and his features are coarse and foreboding, accentuated by a fresh battle scar which runs diagonally from the top his red-haired scalp to a point near the lobe of his left ear. Arrogantly he approaches the portcullis and stares unblinkingly into your eyes. For a moment you consider attacking him, but your senses detect that he is surrounded by a field of energy so strong that already you feel it leeching your psychic powers. He reaches to a pocket inside his cloak and takes out a large black gemstone, which he holds level with his sneering face. Scarlet veins glow within the depths of this stone, swirling and undulating as if they are alive. Waves of dizziness force you to your knees as the evil power of the Doomstone of Darke washes over you, bleeding you of the strength and will to resist. 'I've been waiting for you, Lone Wolf,' says Magnaarn, with a condescending tone. 'I've known your plan ever since my spies told me of your arrival at Vadera. After all, there could be but one reason why the great Grand Master of the Kai would come to Lencia at this time. Yet, as you can see, Grand Master, you are already too late to stop me.' Magnaarn turns to his Tukodak guards and orders them to take Prarg away. You try to protest but you cannot find strength enough to voice the words. The warlord smiles at your weakness. 'Know you this, Grand Master. Now that I possess the stone of power, nothing can stand in my way. You were the only threat to my victory, but now you're a threat no longer.' With this he steps away from the portcullis and turns to follow his guards as they drag Prarg into the secret passage. 'Farewell,' he says, sardonically, before disappearing into the portal, 'and remember my first words to you: welcome to your tomb.' With these chilling words echoing in your mind, you watch as he disappears into the passage and the wall closes behind him. (I thought landing with a the big skyrider in open sight was a stupid plan.) A few moments after the wall closes there is a sound like distant thunder. Then a shudder runs through the floor and clumps of dirt begin to fall from cracks in the ceiling. Your strength is returning, but before you can attempt to escape, there is an almighty explosion and a deluge of rock and damp earth cascades into the passageway. The ceiling and floor are being pulled in opposing directions, and with a grating cry of tortured stone, the heavy portcullis shatters in two. Quickly you crawl beneath a broken section which lies at an angle to the wall, and take cover as countless tons of rock and earth rain down from above. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-05-2009, 12:01 AM	#412
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	When at last the destruction ceases you find yourself trapped in the narrow triangular space between the heavy portcullis and the wall. Your quick thinking has saved you from physical injury, but, as far as you can tell, you are now buried in a collapsed level of the temple, hundreds of feet below the surface. Confident in the knowledge that, at worse, your stamina and Kai skills alone can keep you alive for several days, you begin the slow and laborious task of digging your way out of this subterranean tomb. For fifteen days you tunnel through a solid wall of earth and broken rock, using your weapons and bare hands, sustained all the while by little more than your indefatigable spirit and will to survive. You are near to giving up when, mid-way through the sixteenth day of your internment, you suddenly break through into a passageway that is free of debris. Weak but alive, you drag yourself into this empty tunnel and collapse on the damp, fungi-covered floor. (I set my current EP to 15, I ate all meals in my pack, plus used my Laumspur) Many hours pass before you regain consciousness, and although your terrible ordeal has left you physically weakened, your mind is still as sharp and resolute as ever. You are determined to find a route to the surface and continue your quest, for even though Magnaarn now has Captain Prarg and the Doomstone of Darke, there may yet be a way you can defeat him. Before he entombed you in the passage he admitted that you alone posed a threat to his quest for victory over Lencia. Now that he thinks you dead and buried, you feel sure you can turn this to your advantage. You stagger to your feet and peer along the gloomy passageway in either direction, east and west. You are anxious to pursue a route that will lead you quickly to the surface, and when you detect cold, damp air wafting from the west, you hurry this way. But you are soon disappointed. The passageway ends abruptly at the edge of a vast chasm, formed by the same destructive powers which buried you alive. At the bottom of this great fissure is a river of black water, and high above, you glimpse a few rays of winter daylight filtering through a tiny rent in the darkness. It looks so far distant that you abandon any thought of reaching it from here and return along the passageway. A few hundred yards beyond where you emerged, you discover an octagonal chamber that is bathed by an eerie green light. This light is emitted by fungi which blanket the walls and ceiling and illuminate a strange circular door that has an octagonal lock. You have been in the chamber for no more than a few seconds when your senses detect something is wrong. Invisible fumes are rising from the fungi, which, in your weakened state, are making you feel dizzy and nauseous. (I’ve destroyed a wielder of a Doomstone before, in Kazan-Oud, and then his stone) (I do not have Grand Nexus) You feel yourself awakening; all you wish for is to sleep. But your senses warn you that to fall asleep here could prove fatal. You know you must do something, and quickly, if you are to avoid unconsciousness. (I do not have Oede or Sabito) Fearful of what may happen if your stay in this chamber any longer, you retrace your steps and make your way swiftly to the place where you first emerged from the collapsed passage. You pause here to catch your breath, then you continue along the tunnel until, once more, you find yourself standing at the edge of the chasm. You scan this vast and dismal fissure, hoping to find a means of escape from this grim subterranean prison. (I use Kai-Alchemy) After several minutes you notice a ledge which juts out from the chasm wall. It is located fifty feet or so directly above the place where you are currently standing. Close to this ledge you see a dark shadow. It marks the entrance to another tunnel, one that hopefully may lead all the way to the surface. With renewed optimism, you recite the words of the Brotherhood spell Levitation and at once you feel gravity losing its grasp. Assisted by this magic, you climb the rough chasm wall with ease and quickly reach the ledge above. Here you cancel the spell before hurrying into the new tunnel in search of a clear route to the surface. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-05-2009, 12:13 AM	#413
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Your hopes of finding a clear route out of here are soon dashed when you arrive at a ruined staircase. It leads to a landing where you are confronted by the corpse of a Drakkarim guard, slumped beside a mound of rubble which is blocking the stairs to the level above. A quick examination of the dead body reveals that both arms are broken. Injured and trapped here by the falling rocks, it appears that this guard eventually died of thirst. (I search further) You empty the dead Drakkar's pockets and pouches, and discover the following items: Dagger Sword Bottle (empty) Bow 2 Arrows Ball of String 40 Kika (equivalent to 4 Gold Crowns) You are about to abandon the body when suddenly you notice something gleaming in the top of its left boot. It is a rod of silver, plain and unmarked, and little more than four inches in length. If you wish to keep this Silver Rod, mark it on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you carry in your pocket. Satisfied that you have overlooked nothing of worth, you turn your attention to clearing the rockfall which is blocking your escape from this landing. (I take Ball of String, Kika, and empty bottle, plus Silver Rod) With stoic determination you begin the laborious task of clearing away the rock and rubble which fills this stairwell. You are fearful that it may take you several days to reach the next level, and so it comes as a welcome surprise when, after just a few minutes work, you see a gap appearing at the top of the mound. A gust of cold, wintery air wafts through this breach, rekindling your hopes of reaching the surface. Revived by the cold clean air, you attack the rubble with renewed vigour. But then your hopes are shaken when you hear a sinister sound; behind you, something is climbing the stairs to the landing. (I have Kai-Alchemy + Sun-Knight) You pause to incant the words of the Brotherhood spell Strength and within seconds you feel the fatigue disappear from your aching muscles. A vibrant sense of power and well-being infuses your whole body, enabling you to attack the rockfall with increased effect. Soon you have removed enough debris to enable you to squeeze through the gap to a clear section of the stairwell beyond. Once here, you block the opening behind you, and then race up the steps to the level above. Quickly you climb the stairs, spurred on by the wintery chill which grows steadily colder as you ascend. You count one hundred and fifty steps before you arrive at a chamber which is heaped with rubble. Its only door is blocked by debris and huge slabs of marble, making an immediate exit impossible. But it is not the door which commands your attention; it is a narrow circular shaft which is set into the middle of the ceiling. It is the source of the cold, wintery draft. Expectantly, you step closer and investigate this shaft. For the most part it is dark, but you can see glimmers of grey daylight high above, and you can hear the whistling of the wind. But you can also hear another sound, one that is quite unexpected. It is a buzzing, insectile noise. You focus upon the darkness and suddenly you see that the noises come from nests of winged insects which are fixed to the inside of the shaft. (I have Grand Pathsmanship + Sun Knight) You stand directly below the shaft and focus your Kai power on the basket-sized nests that are fixed along its walls. The incessant buzzing grows steadily louder, then several lines of large wasp-like insects emerge from the nests and escape towards the sky at the top of the shaft, driven away by your mental command. When you feel sure that the nests are empty, you reach up and take a grip of the rough brick which lines the shaft. It offers good purchase for your fingers and toes, enabling you to climb past the nests and reach the top of the shaft in a matter of minutes. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-05-2009, 12:27 AM	#414
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	From the top of the shaft you look out across the sprawling ruins of Antah. You have emerged upon the flat roof of a mouldering stone crypt situated a few hundred yards from the tower by which you first entered the subterranean temple. A chill wind howls in the surrounding trees and overhead the darkening winter sky warns that night is fast approaching. The ruins are completely deserted. The undisturbed blanket of snow which lies thick upon the ground, hiding all tracks, sorely reminds you that fifteen precious days have elapsed since your internment. You think of Captain Prarg and wonder if he is still alive, and an empty feeling gnaws at your stomach when you pause to consider the fate which may have befallen him and his Lencian countrymen now that Magnaarn is in possession of the Doomstone. You are fearful, but you are not entirely without hope. Magnaarn believes you to be dead; it is a belief that you could use to your advantage. After all, by his own admission, did he not say that you were the only threat to his victory? Carefully you descend from the roof of the crypt and make your way through the forest to where, two weeks earlier, Magnaarn's Tukodak guards were encamped. In this clearing there are no visible remains of their campsite, but diligently you sift through the ankle-deep snow, looking for clues to where they may have gone. (I have Grand Pathsmanship) Aided by your Kai skills, you uncover some tracks frozen beneath the snow. They were made by horses and wagons and are a little over a week old. There are far more than you expected to find here, and you can tell at once that they were not all made by Magnaarn's entourage. Before he left this site and headed west, he was joined by several hundred reinforcements. During your search you also discover some scraps of food which you eat immediately: restore 3 ENDURANCE points. Having satisfied your curiosity, and your rumbling stomach, you decide to leave the campsite and follow the tracks westward. (I possess Animal Mastery AND Grand Guardian) Having decided to follow Magnaarn's tracks, you are now faced with the unwelcome prospect of a tiring foot-slog through the Tozaz forest, unless, of course, you can find some other means of speeding your journey. Using your Kai mastery, you scan the surrounding woodland and send out a silent call for help A few minutes pass, then a wild dog appears. He is soon joined by a handful of other creatures: a young grey-skinned boar, two feral snow-cats and an ape-like Rhudun. Unfortunately, none are large or sturdy enough to carry you any great distance. Then, from out of the snow-laden undergrowth, bursts forth a wild stag. It is a magnificent animal, as large and as strong as any stallion. Subdued by your commands, it approaches and tilts it antlered head to allow you to climb upon its back. Obediently it responds as you steer it through forest, heading westwards in the wake of Magnaarn's troops. Shortly after dusk you come to the banks of the River Shug, close by a small settlement of log huts which are grouped around a derelict ferry post. You dismount, and with a slap to its rump, you send the stag trotting back to its forest home. You watch him disappear towards the distant tree-line, then you turn back to the river and approach the huts on foot. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-05-2009, 04:36 AM	#415
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	The tracks end at a wooden jetty which juts precariously into the deep, fast-flowing waters of the River Shug. Carefully you examine the ground around this landing area, and aided by your exceptional tracking skills, you make two important discoveries. You deduce that Magnaarn and his troops boarded a barge here and headed downstream towards Darke. Also, you discover that this area was used as a mustering place for a second, far larger unit of troops. Doomwolf droppings and a Giak tooth hint at the identity of these troops, but your suspicions are confirmed when you find a bronze belt buckle which is engraved with the symbol of a fortress and a full moon. It is the symbol of the old Darklord city-fortress of Kagorst. It confirms your fears that Magnaarn has at last persuaded Kagorst to join his cause. You are tired after your long trek. Rather than attempt to go any further, you decide instead to rest here in one of the empty cabins overnight and continue your journey at dawn. You awake at first light and make a search of all the cabins, but they have either been despoiled by Giaks or stripped bare and you discover nothing of practical use. However, you do uncover enough scraps of food, preserved by the cold, to make quite a decent breakfast: restore 3 ENDURANCE points. After your meal, you gather together your equipment and set off along the river bank, heading west. The surrounding landscape is a harsh black and white desolation, devoid of all colour. The bleakness is deepened by the constant moaning wind and the occasional cawing of distant carrion crows. Five miles downstream you happen upon a hut at the edge of the river. You are expecting it to be empty, like the others at the ferry stage, so it comes as a welcome surprise to find it contains a rowboat and a pair of oars, both in good condition. Heartened by your discovery, you launch the boat into the water and begin your voyage towards Darke. (I need to find out my current EP. 37/46) The journey downstream is swift and easy. The icy river cuts a direct path across the frozen plain before it wends its way through an expanse of low, rolling hills, blackened and scarred by war. Ruined hovels smoulder on the horizon and scores of snow-covered corpses, human and otherwise, lie where they died in a running battle that has swept like wildfire across this land. Shortly after midday, you see something in the distance that sets your nerves on edge. It is a group of figures, huddled together on the river bank. You magnify your vision and identify them to be Drakkarim, possibly deserters from Magnaarn's army, who are attempting to catch fish from the river. (I wish to hide in the bottom of the boat and let the current carry me by) You flatten yourself against the bottom of the rowboat and listen to the gruff voices of the Drakkarim as you draw closer to their position. You hear splashes, then suddenly there is a loud thud and the rusty tip of an arrow punches its way through the side of the boat, stopping barely inches in front of your face. You hear the enemy's coarse laughter and you realize that they are simply using your boat for a spot of target practice. They are unaware that you are hiding inside. As you drift past them they rapidly lose interest in your craft. They put down their bows, pick up their makeshift fishing lines, and resume their efforts to catch themselves something to stave off their hunger. It is late afternoon when you catch sight of a town on the horizon. You check your map and discover it to be Konozod, a fortified Drakkarim stronghold. As the river carries you closer, you magnify your vision and see that it is built upon the left bank of the Shug. A huge stone bridge spans the river, and beneath this you see that the waterway is blocked by a barrier of chained logs. (I get off here) You steer the boat towards the river bank and as soon as the prow embeds itself in the mud, you disembark and make your way quickly towards two lines of ramshackle huts which are standing near the water's edge. A narrow alley separates these hovels, and it is from here that you observe the town's defenses and try to assess how many Drakkarim are stationed within this stronghold. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-05-2009, 04:49 AM	#416
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	The town itself comprises a sorry collection of battle-damaged buildings, ringed by a perimeter wall of logs which is shored up in many places. Several long and bitter battles have been fought here over the past year, and everywhere you look the vivid scars of war are plain to see. The town is strangely quiet and it appears to be weakly protected. The Drakkarim garrison are few in number, and those that you have seen so far appear to be either young, old, or walking wounded. Night is beginning to draw in. The Drakkarim are lighting the torches which line the perimeter wall, and a change of guard is taking place at the main gate. You are considering leaving this town and continuing on your way towards Darke, when suddenly you see something which makes you change your mind. A ragged line of Lencian prisoners are crossing the stone bridge, escorted by a dozen Drakkarim armed with crossbows and spears. The main gates swing open to admit them, and, as the Lencians file through with their heads bowed in defeat, you see that the central square of this town has been turned into a large prisoner-of-war compound. It is enclosed by a crude fence of wire and sharpened stakes, which is patrolled by sentries and Akataz war-dogs. From what little you can see you estimate at least two hundred Lencians are being held captive here. The conditions are shocking. The men are being kept out in the open, without shelter or heat of any kind, and judging by the state of those already here, it looks as if the Drakkarim are purposefully starving them to death. Your shock soon turns to anger, and you vow to do something to help these prisoners. But before you can think through a plan of action, your Kai senses warn you of approaching footsteps. Two of the Drakkarim escort have slipped away from the line and they are now walking briskly towards the alleyway. One has a large canvas sack slung over his shoulder, and as they draw closer, you are forced to take cover in a shadowy doorway to avoid being seen. (I roll an 8) The two escorts enter the alleyway and, although you are less than ten feet away from them, they fail to see you hiding in the shadowy doorway. You watch as they open the sack and proceed to pick over and divide its contents. It is filled with the spoils of battle: items of value which they have taken from prisoners or stolen from the dead. They laugh greedily until they hear the gruff shouts of their sergeant who is standing at the main gates, shouting out their names. Quickly they hide their booty in a hole beneath an empty horse trough, then they leave the alleyway and hurry back to the town. I uncover it and search) You uncover the sack and sift through its contents. Gleaming in the dim light you see a mass of coins, silver plates and candlesticks, jewellery and all manner of precious and semi-precious stones. There are countless gold teeth, pulled no doubt from the mouths of fallen Lencian knights, and scores of trinkets and other mementoes taken from less noble corpses. One item you sense possesses magical properties. You pull it out and, on closer inspection, you discover it to be a polished Jadin Amulet which is fixed to a gold neckchain. If you decide to keep this Jadin Amulet, record it on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you wear around your neck. It adds +1 to your score should you be instructed to pick a number from the Random Number Table to check against normal missiles (arrows, bolts, darts, etc.). Having replaced the sack in its hole, you draw your cloak about you and approach the main gates. The guards are busy admitting the latest batch of prisoners and, helped by your camouflage skills, they do not give you a second glance as you stride confidently into the town. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-05-2009, 05:07 AM	#417
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Once inside, you head towards a dark, deserted alleyway which is sandwiched between a stables and an armoury. From here you observe the compound with a growing anger and pity for those trapped inside. Stirred by their plight, you vow to help these starving men. Patiently you watch and wait for the patrols to pass, then you scurry towards the compound fence to make contact with the Lencians. Huddled together in a corner of the compound, away from the other prisoners, is a small group of men-at-arms. The fronts of their tattered blue coats bear the emblem of a crown set above the crest of Vadera identifying them to be of the same regiment--the Imperial Vadera Guard--one of Lencia's finest. Using your Magnakai skills to avoid detection, you make your way to the fence and try to attract their attention. One of their number, a Captain, sees you and is immediately suspicious. You signal to him to come closer and, reluctantly at first, he crawls towards the fence. 'You're not Drakkarim or Lencian. Who are you? What do you want?' he hisses, through cracked lips that are blue with hunger and cold. 'Is this another Drakkar trick devised to torment us?' 'This is no trick,' you whisper in reply, trying hard to reassure him, 'I'm an ally in the service of your King. I want to help you and your men to escape.' He holds you with his steely-grey eyes and slowly shakes his head. 'It's too late to help us,' he says, sadly. 'We're too weak to resist. Some have tried and they've all died in the jaws of the dogs. No, you save yourself, stranger. Forget us.' 'But if you stay here you'll starve to death,' you retort. 'Surely it's better to die fighting than waste away. The garrison here is small, barely forty in number. I could cause a diversion and draw their dogs away. Your men may be weakened but still they outnumber the enemy five times over. For Ishir's sake, man, have you lost the will to live?' The Lencian Captain glances over his shoulder at his starving comrades and, when he turns to face you once more, you see a faint glimmer of hope in his eyes. 'All of these men have been more than a week without food or shelter. Many have died, many are near to death. I fear they are too weak to fight an enemy who has food in his belly and a sword in his hand. Perhaps . . . if we had weapons . . .' 'If you do as I say, you'll have weapons enough to pluck this town from under their very noses,' you reply, earnestly. The Lencian narrows his eyes, and for a moment, the trace of a smile softens his gaunt features. 'Very well, stranger. Tell me your plan.' 'I'll prepare a diversion. When the guards and their dogs are drawn away from the perimeter fence, you must act quickly. You and your men must storm the gates. Once you are free, make your way to the armoury with all haste. You'll find your weapons there.' 'That's all very well,' replies the Captain, sceptically, 'but how do you propose we get into the armoury? It's the most secure building in the town.' 'Don't worry about that,' you say, with confidence. 'I shall be inside, waiting to let you in.' For a few moments the Captain considers your plan in silence. Then, with a nod, he finally agrees. 'Very well, so be it. I'll pass the word.' __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-05-2009, 05:23 AM	#418
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	You watch as he returns to his men, then you leave the fence and retrace your steps to the darkened alleyway. When the coast is clear, you enter the stables and set a fire in the straw loft. Then, as you are leaving, you open each of the stalls so that the horses will be able to escape once the fire has taken hold. On returning to the alleyway you run to the rear of the armoury building and locate a window through which you can force an entry. It is shuttered and barred, but aided by your innate Kai skills, you are able to break it open. Unfortunately, the noise of your forced entry alerts the two Drakkarim who are on guard inside the building and, as you are squeezing through the narrow window, they attack you with their black-bladed swords. Armoury Guards CS 32, EP 40 I roll a 8 and they are auto-dead As you step away from the dead guards, you hear shouts of alarm outside the building: the roof of the stables has just erupted into a sheet of flame. The garrison is thrown into a state of near-panic as they try to fight the fire and contain the horses which are stampeding through the streets. You run the length of the armoury and hurriedly lift the massive drawbar which holds the main doors closed. Outside, you see the perimeter guards are abandoning their posts in order to fight the fire now raging through the stables. The Lencians are on their feet. They are grouped by the entrance to the compound and, as the last of the guards leaves, they rush forward and barge open the gates. Led by the Captain, they come streaming across the flagstoned square towards the armoury, sweeping aside any Drakkarim foolish enough to try to turn this vengeful tide. With a cheer they pour into the armoury and equip themselves with weapons from its many racks of spears and swords. 'Let's take this town!' shouts the Captain, and amid stirring battle-cries of 'Lencia' and 'For the House of Sarnac', the starving Lencians set off to obey his command. You try to reach the Captain, whose name you learn is Schera, but before you reach him you are swept out into the street and carried along by this crowd of battle-hungry soldiers. The fight for control of Konozod is swift and bloody. Within the hour the town is under Lencian control, its Drakkarim garrison having been put mercilessly to the sword. However, not all of the enemy perish in the battle. To Captain Schera's dismay, several manage to escape across the river and flee to the west on horseback. He is anxious that they may return with reinforcements to retake the town. A food store is discovered and, whilst the starving Lencians satiate their hunger, you talk with Captain Schera about the events of the last few weeks which have led to this meeting. Your learn from him that after you were interred in the Temple of Antah, Warlord Magnaarn waged a major offensive against the Lencian army. Having reunited the Doomstone with the Nyras Sceptre, he has, as King Sarnac feared, forced the Nadziranim sorcerers of Kagorst and Akagazad to help him. Their combined skills have wrought great destruction. They attacked and drove through the Lencian lines like demons in an offensive which was swift and deadly. A week ago, Captain Schera and his regiment were cut off and captured in the fighting around Hokidat, after which they were marched here and imprisoned. He considers himself lucky to be alive, for the Drakkarim rarely take prisoners. Then you ask what news he has heard about the war since he came here. 'There's much confusion,' he says, wearily. 'I've heard talk that most of the mercenaries in Sarnac's pay have deserted us. Some have even joined the enemy. The Drakkarim taunted us, saying that our army had been smashed. They said the remnants had been pushed into the Tentarias, but I dismissed this as lies. One thing is sure, though: Magnaarn intends to raise the siege of Darke. It has become his battle call--"On to Darke!" This cry was on the lips of his troops during the battle at Hokidat. I saw him during this battle. He was leading his army personally, and he was wielding his accursed sceptre, dealing death to all who tried to stand in his way. He possesses a great and terrible power, and I fear that we may now be unable to put an end to his evil ambitions.' __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-05-2009, 05:31 AM	#419
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	(I ask him about Prarg) Schera considers your question, then he replies: 'I'm sorry, I've heard nothing. There have been so many men lost, killed, or captured since Magnaarn attacked. I know of this officer, and though we've never met, I've heard tell that he is a good and brave man. All I can tell you is that I have not seen him here in Konozod.' Captain Schera musters his men, and posts lookouts around the town wall as a precaution in case the Drakkarim return during the night with reinforcements. He then oversees the care of the sick and wounded. You are impressed by his devotion to the men under his command and, once his duties are completed, you return with him to the armoury to formulate a plan of action. It is decided that it is too dangerous to remain here and you agree that you should leave at first light. Schera says there are sufficient boats to transport everyone downriver to Darke, but there is a risk that you could run foul of Magnaarn's troops. However, he is determined to rejoin his army. If the Lencians are still resisting Magnaarn, then he reasons that the city of Darke is where the battle is most likely to be taking place. Before you settle down to sleep, one of Schera's men brings you some food and ale: restore 3 ENDURANCE points. Schera wakes you shortly before dawn and wearily you rise from your makeshift bed. Mindful of the journey ahead, you make a brief search of the armoury and discover a few weapons, and other items which could prove useful: 6 Arrows Quiver Dagger Sword Spear If you wish to keep any of these items, remember to adjust your Action Chart accordingly. The captain sends word to his men to find boats for the voyage downstream. The order is duly carried out and, within the hour, twenty small craft have been brought to the icy river on the west side of the stone bridge. Schera appoints ten men to each craft, then you and he step aboard the first boat, cast off, and begin a voyage that will take you towards the coastal city of Darke. The current is strong and the river is free of obstructions, enabling your flotilla to make swift progress downstream. Much of the riverbank is lightly wooded and Schera commands everyone to remain vigilant in case there are Drakkarim among the trees, lying in ambush. You pass through the woods without incident, and shortly before noon, you see the ruined town of Odnenga in the distance. Every building has been razed to the ground and a pall of wood smoke hangs above the town, fed by fires still smouldering from a battle that took place here several days ago. The river here is blocked by debris and you are forced to put ashore. Schera's men set to work clearing a passage, while you and the Captain scout the ruins in search of information. A soot-blackened road, running east to west, divides this shattered town into two halves. Schera suggests that you split up and search one half each and you nod in agreement. (I didn’t take anything except I think I needed an arrow. I take the south road) __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-05-2009, 05:40 AM	#420
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Slowly you wander through the smouldering ruins but discover little that has survived the fire which, at its height, must have transformed this whole town into a blazing inferno. The charred bones and skulls of those who died in the battle are strewn everywhere, and no attempt has been made to gather and bury them. You are examining the twisted remains of an iron axe when suddenly you sense that someone is nearby. You can tell that they are weak and in pain. Instinct leads you to the ruins of an inn, and as you enter what was once its front door, you stop to listen. You can hear someone breathing. You detect they are somewhere below ground and you call out to Captain Schera to come quickly. 'What is it?' he says, as he enters the ruined inn. 'There's someone alive here,' you reply. 'They're somewhere beneath the floor.' Schera helps you to lift away some charred beams and you discover a trapdoor. You pull it open and slowly descend a flight of stone steps leading down into a cold, dank cellar. The sound of breathing has stopped but your suspicions are soon confirmed. There is somebody here. In a corner of the cellar you see two booted and bloodstained feet protruding from beneath a mass of collapsed flooring. You move closer and discover they belong to a Lencian soldier who is badly wounded and barely conscious. Schera helps you to clear away the charred timbers that are pinning him to the ground and, using your Kai healing skills, you attend to the man's wounds. After a few minutes he recovers consciousness just long enough to tell you his name--Hul Sendal. You both carry the man back to the river and place him carefully into your boat. The Captain's men have managed to clear a passage wide enough for the flotilla to pass through in single file, and as you continue your journey down-river, you spend some time nursing the injured soldier back to consciousness. He tells you of the battle that destroyed his regiment, of how Magnaarn used his sceptre to set the town ablaze, and of how he has survived the last six days sustained by nothing more than a few handfuls of snow. His account of the battle is chilling and it leaves you with a gnawing fear that maybe it is already too late to prevent Warlord Magnaarn from regaining control of Darke. West of Odnenga, the river meanders very little as it crosses the snow-swept plain of Southern Nyras. It is a deserted landscape, yet Captain Schera cautions his men to remain watchful, doubly so whenever the boats pass an occasional copse of fir or stunted pine. Late in the afternoon, as the light is beginning to fade, you come to a forested part of the river where the banks are steeply undercut. Trees are growing at the very edge of the overhanging banks and their roots are clearly visible, hanging down like clusters of vines into the icy waters of the Shug. You are watching the left bank when suddenly your Pathsmanship senses alert you to the threat of ambush. You warn the Captain and he signals to the following boats to put ashore at once. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-05-2009, 05:58 AM	#421
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Having sensed the threat, you volunteer to go forward and scout the woods to find out who, or what, is there. Schera agrees, and he calls for three of his men, all trained army scouts, to accompany you. He and the rest of his command will remain here with the boats and wait for you to return. (I roll a 6 and add 3 for Grand Huntmastery) You brief the three Lencians to spread out into an extended line and to watch carefully for your signals before you scale the river bank and make your approach to the trees. They all seem to be competent scouts but you have your reservations. Had it not been for Schera's insistence, you would have preferred to have reconnoitred this copse alone. Silently you creep forward through the snow, using the sparse undergrowth to your advantage wherever possible. You are less than a hundred yards into the copse when you spy a small cabin hidden among the trees. It comprises four white canvas tents attended by a dozen lean and hungry-looking human soldiers armed with longbows. A furled battle-flag stands propped against one of the tents and you signal to your nearest scout to join you, hoping he will be able to identify its chequered black-and-white design. 'They're League-landers of Ilion,' whispers the scout, staring at the campsite. 'I know that flag well. They're good mercenaries, these men, loyal to the King. We fought alongside them at Hokidat.' You are anxious about going forward and making contact with the mercenaries. If they are as good as your scout claims, there is a real danger that they will fire first and ask questions later. You tell your companion of your fears and he smiles. 'Don't worry, Sire,' he says, 'I know how to contact them.' The scout places two fingers to his lips and gives a long, warbling whistle. The sound makes the mercenaries turn and stare in your direction, and you hear one of them whistle twice in reply. Your scout then calls out a request that you be allowed to enter their camp. There is a long pause, then a heavily-accented voice replies: 'Show yourselves.' Relief that you are human, and not Drakkarim, is displayed clearly on the faces of these League-landers when the four of you stand up and walk towards their camp. You receive a warm welcome from these soldiers of fortune, and two of them offer to escort you to their leader--Baron Maquin. You and your scouts are taken to a lookout post on the banks of the river where you meet with Baron Maquin, the leader of this mercenary band. He is a tall man, clad from neck to toe in furs that are caked with frost. A battered silver helm hides much of his battle-scarred face, but you can see enough of his distinctly Ilionian features to know at once that he is a brave man, a man of honour. He regards you with a sceptical eye, having never before met a Sommlending lord, let alone one such as you. He questions you at length, and upon hearing your story, you sense that he is greatly impressed. In return he tells you briefly of how he and his men have come to find themselves here. 'This regiment is still loyal to King Sarnac,' he says, proudly, 'unlike the cowardly Stornlanders. They have broken their pact and now they fight 'gainst Lencia, alongside the enemy.' The Baron spits at the ground in a show of contempt for these treacherous regiments. 'My command has been left here to fight as a rear-guard. Our orders are to ambush any Drakkarim that may try to reach Darke by river. We believe there to be many enemy reinforcements at Konozod and our task is to prevent them from joining with Magnaarn.' You remind the Baron that you have just come from Konozod and that it is virtually empty. There are no enemy reinforcements there. Respectfully you suggest that he and his men join with you in an attempt to reach Darke, where he could join once more with the Lencian army. He considers your suggestion, and after discussing it with his men, finally he agrees. 'But first,' he says, as he shakes your hand in friendship, 'you must summon your men to my humble camp. It will soon be dark and it is much too dangerous to travel this river at night. You could be ambushed!' You send one of the scouts to summon Captain Schera and his men, and when they arrive they are treated most hospitably by the mercenaries who, despite their own hunger, unselfishly share out their meagre rations. You stay here overnight and break camp at dawn. The Baron's regiment has suffered heavily in battle and now totals little more than forty men, and so you have no difficulty in finding room for them in the boats. Captain Schera is especially pleased to have these warriors aboard. Despite their losses, they are a cheerful group and they help lift the morale of his men. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-05-2009, 06:08 AM	#422
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	The journey downstream passes swiftly and without incident until, shortly before noon, the sky grows steadily darker. An orange glow illuminates the distant horizon, and you can see many pinpoints of fire spread all across the land. An eerie silence descends on the flotilla as it draws nearer to the city of Darke. Shortly after, you see lines of troops marching towards the glowing skyline. Then you witness isolated actions taking place in the surrounding fields as groups of Lencian knights, cut off during the retreat, fight desperate hand-to-hand battles with Drakkarim cavalry. Some Drakkarim horse scouts have reached the river bank, and as you pass them, they open fire at you with their bows. But the swift current soon carries the flotilla away and there are few casualties. It is an hour past noon when you first see the forbidding city of Darke. A great battle is raging around its mighty walls and bastions, and the noise and stench of this fierce conflict comes gusting towards you on the chill winter wind. The river current is getting stronger as it approaches the sea, and so you signal to the other boats to row for the bank. You put ashore on the right bank and both Captain Schera and Baron Maquin have their men take up defensive positions here. There is a road close by, running parallel to the river, and beyond it lies a snowy expanse of open plain on which many regiments of Drakkarim, and some Giaks, are marching towards the city. You are observing the distant battle when a large black carrion crow lands on a nearby log and stares at you with a cold, beady eye. (I use Animal Mastery) You hold the bird with a mental command and use your skill to converse with it. Its response is rudimentary, but you are able to understand that many warriors, dressed in metal and riding horses, are approaching the river from the north. You tell Captain Schera and Baron Maquin of what you have gleaned from the bird, and the Baron says, 'It sounds to me that a troop of Drakkarim cavalry are coming this way.' The Captain agrees, and both commanders pass the word to their men to stay hidden and keep completely silent. (What I think is funny is that Animal Kinship, a LONG, time ago gave me the ability to converse with animals, and I’ve just regained it with Animal Mastery. There is actually a conversation between you a mouse-like creature in Fire on the Water) Patiently you keep watch to the north, expecting to see the appearance of enemy cavalry at any moment. You do not have to wait too long, for within minutes of deciphering the crow's warning, you see the first few outriders of a Drakkarim platoon crest the horizon. You magnify your vision and recognize them to be part of Magnaarn's own army. They are carrying lances topped with pennants that bear Magnaarn's personal emblem: an eagle clasping two fiery swords. Steadily these cavalry scouts draw closer. They are riding directly towards the river. (I roll a 0) With bated breath you watch as the cavalry approaches. You recognize them to be Zagganozod, a unit of armoured Drakkarim cavalry of a type you once encountered many years ago, during a quest that took you to the land of Eru. The enemy horsemen reach the road where they draw their mounts to a halt. They exchange a few words, then they turn their horses towards Darke and gallop away towards the battle that is raging around its walls. As soon as they are out of earshot, Schera and Maquin's men let out a collective sigh of relief. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-05-2009, 06:14 AM	#423
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	An ominous noise comes rolling across the plain from the city of Darke, a thunderous boom that shakes the very ground on which you lie. You look towards the city and see that the battle is growing ever fiercer. But now there is a new and sinister aspect. Flickerings of magical fire can be seen dancing along battlements, engulfing friend and foe alike. You sense that it is the work of Magnaarn; he and his Nadziranim allies are responsible for this. Then, through the smoke of battle, you see a Lencian flag flying proudly amidst the carnage that is taking place on the coastal plain to the south of the city. Here, King Sarnac's crusaders have turned an enemy flank and are storming its weakened centre. Maquin and Schera see the flag and, encouraged by the cheers of their own men, they decide to march at once in support of the crusaders' brave attack. You wish them both good fortune, for you know the time has come to part company with these brave men. Their destiny awaits them on the field of battle; yours will be found inside the city of Darke itself where, if you are to fulfil your quest, you must confront Warlord Magnaarn. You bid them farewell and watch as they lead their men in a marching column along the river road towards the field of battle. When they are a mile distant, you set off alone across the plain towards the hamlet, which lies en route to the gates of Darke. You reach the hamlet and hurry along its solitary road. Flanking you are two rows of low cottages, their thick-thatched roofs still intact despite the fiery carnage that has swept so near. Off to the right you see a barn-like building standing with its door ajar. A brazier of coals, an anvil and a scattering of iron strips prove it to have once been a busy smithy. But now, like the surrounding buildings, it is seemingly deserted. You are passing the open door when suddenly you hear a man's voice. He has a strong Lencian accent and he is cursing you, thinking you to be a turncoat Stornland mercenary. As you turn to face the smithy door, a Lencian Crusader comes rushing out into the road, brandishing a heavy steel mace in his left hand. You yell at him that you are loyal to King Sarnac, but he ignores your plea and swings his weapon wildly at your head. Lencian Crusader CS34, EP36 Idiot. I roll a 7 and he takes 18. I roll another 7 and he is out. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-05-2009, 06:22 AM	#424
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	The misguided knight falls unconscious at your feet. Before he recovers, you take to your heels and continue on across the plain which leads inexorably towards the gates of Darke. As you approach the city, the din of battle fills your ears. The shouts of angry men, the neighs of galloping steeds, the clang of riven steel and the terrible screams of the slain buffet you remorselessly. Then, all of a sudden, you are plunged into the battle and to survive you are forced to cleave your way through a seemingly endless wall of enemy troops. It is as if they are gladly willing to sacrifice themselves in order to prevent you from reaching the apex of the slope that ascends to the shattered gates of the city. Undeterred, you forge a bloody path through this Drakkarim horde, wielding your weapon with deadly precision, every blow claiming an enemy soul. It is not until you are standing upon the very threshold of the gates that you encounter more formidable defenders. The breached gates are being held by a trio of blood-spattered Tukodaks. They are in a state of battle-frenzy which you sense has been magically induced. Wild-eyed with savage bloodlust, they scream maniacally as they rush at you with their bloodied blades. 'For Sommerlund!' you cry, as you steel yourself to meet their attack. 3 Tukoduk Guardians CS 44, EP 44 While am I using a battle cry that out of place. I want to be kept a secret, and yet I cry out that? That’s dumb. Sometimes I’m stupid. I use Kai-Surge. I rock a 3. They lose 10 and me 3. I roll a 8. They lose 18 and me 1. A 6 follows. They lost 14 and me 2. I roll a 7. They die. I took 7. You clamber over the bodies that are heaped chest-high around the shattered city gates, then you begin to fight your way steadily towards the centre of this terrible stronghold. Beyond the entrance you see that a wild battle is raging through the streets. A regiment of Lencian Crusaders are fighting to wrestle possession of the keep from a determined horde of Magnaarn's Drakkarim. The tide turns against the Lencians and as they are driven back towards the gates, you are forced to climb a stair which leads to the battlements in order to avoid being lost in the crush. Halfway up the steps you are attacked by a Drakkar armed with sword and shield. You duck his clumsy swipe and lash out at his chest. He catches your blow on his shield, but the sheer force of your attack hurls him down on the steps where he remains, cradling his broken arm, tears streaming down his soot-blackened face. You stride up the steps towards the battlements where a group of Lencians are locked in combat with two Death Knights. The Crusaders slay their enemies, but they, in turn, are slain when a bolt of crackling crimson energy rips through their shiny steel armour, fired from the tip of a wizard's staff. Their lifeless bodies come tumbling down the steps, knocking you flat on your back and pinning you down beneath the weight of their armour. You struggle to get free, but you are being observed by the one who slayed the knights: an evil Nadziranim wizard. He levels his staff at your head and a swirling trail of sparks ignites at its tip. With imminent death staring you full in the face, you steel yourself to meet your maker. Suddenly the evil wizard cries out in pained surprise and throws his claw-tipped hands into the air. A sparkling bolt, which was destined to seal your doom, arcs from his staff and blows a man-sized hole in the wall of the fortress. As the resultant smoke and dust slowly clears, you see Captain Prarg standing over the body of the slain wizard with a bloodied sword held in his hand. With a cry of victory, he leaps over the crumpled corpse and comes rushing down the steps to help free you from the tangle of bodies. ‘Well met, Sire,' he says excitedly. 'I feared you were dead and buried at the Temple of Antah.' 'I, too, thought you dead, Prarg,' you reply, thankful to see him still alive. 'Yet it seems that fate has decreed otherwise.' 'I was lucky,' he says, 'I escaped from Magnaarn. But come, Sire. There's no time for tales now. We must away from here. Follow me, I know where the Warlord is hiding.' (I would like to point out that I would have killed the Nadziranim, I was not about to die) __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-05-2009, 06:29 AM	#425
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	You follow Prarg to the top of the steps, and as you race along the body-strewn battlements, you see the fighting which is raging both inside and outside the city. The battlements end at a tower where a flight of spiral steps ascend to a circular landing. Here you wait in the shadows until a troop of Drakkarim pass by. While you are waiting for them to disappear, you look out of the tower through an arrow slit and see the waters of the Gulf of Lencia, and the conflict that is raging across the coastal plain. 'The King's Crusaders breached the city gate three days ago,' whispers Prarg. 'They were close to taking the city when Magnaarn and his armies arrived. His new-found power shattered the Crusaders, but even though they were broken by it, not all were ejected from the city. Those you saw fighting at the keep are trying to hold on until our allies arrive from Kasland. The fleet is expected at any time. Magnaarn must be slain. He and the sceptre have become one entity--he is now a puppet of a far greater evil.' A shudder runs down your spine as, for the first time since you entered Darke, you feel the presence of the Doomstone. Fear returns to haunt you, the fear that the evil gem will sap your strength, as it did when first you encountered it at the Temple of Antah. If this is still so then Magnaarn may prove impossible to defeat. Prarg senses your anxiety and he offers some words of advice and hope: 'The taking of Darke has weakened the Warlord--he's paid a terrible price. He has been forced to retire from the battle in order to recover his strength and he is presently at his weakest. Now, Sire, is the time to strike.' Beyond the landing lies a corridor which leads to a junction where another passageway crosses from left to right. You look to the right and see that the way is blocked by a heavy steel door. Prarg utters a curse under his breath, then he explains his anger. 'That way leads directly to the Palace Tower. Magnaarn is hiding there, in its uppermost chamber.' Anxiously he glances along the opposite passage and furrows his brow. 'Perhaps we can get there by another route,' he muses. (I investigate the closed door) You hurry to the door and examine the lock. It is a unique design, quite unlike any you have seen before. It appears be made entirely of silver with a keyhole that is smooth and circular in shape. (I insert the Silver Rod) Guided by your instincts, you take the Silver Rod from your pocket and insert it into the lock. It is a perfect fit. Silently the lock disengages and the door swings open to reveal two Tukodak guards, both standing with their backs to you. One feels a draft and glances over his shoulder, but before he can draw a weapon or warn his comrade, you leap forward and silence them with two swift and deadly open-handed blows to the napes of their necks. (Am I Spock? Two open handed blows to their neck) You detect a strong presence of evil lurking somewhere nearby and you warn Prarg of what you sense. Cautiously, the two of you leave this chamber by a passage which leads to a flight of black stone steps. You ascend the steps to a domed chamber which is sheathed with dull black stone. Heavy velvet hangings of ebony hue cover most of the walls, and all of the furnishings are upholstered with the same morbid cloth. The sensation of evil is stronger here, so strong that you feel as if you are slowly suffocating. 'It's here . . .' you whisper, your hand reaching for your weapon, 'The Doomstone. I can feel its presence!' __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-05-2009, 06:44 AM	#426
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Suddenly there is a movement away to your left and a blast of white-hot energy comes roaring towards your face. You dive aside in time to avoid it, but the bolt rebounds from the steel-hard wall and glances off the back of Prarg's head, knocking him unconscious. You kneel beside Prarg and check that he is still breathing. He is fortunate that the bolt struck him a glancing blow; had it hit him squarely it would have killed him outright. Then you hear a movement over on the far side of the chamber, and when you look up, you see Warlord Magnaarn emerging from behind one of the many hanging black drapes. An aura of evil surrounds his body like a shimmering grey cocoon, and his features no longer appear as they did when first you encountered him in the subterranean labyrinths of the Temple of Antah. Now his body is twisted and mummy-like, and feverish eyes burn from black sockets within a bald skull of a face. You sense that he is wholly possessed by the object he holds clenched in his shrunken hand--the Nyras Sceptre. The dread sceptre hums with the power of the Doomstone that is set upon its platinum shaft. Magnaarn utters an evil laugh and points the sceptre at you, but curiously you feel no weakness or leeching of strength, as occurred at Antah. The Warlord's sick eyes widen with surprise and you sense that he is fearful. He threatens you with death, but his voice is wavering. He is unsure of his power. Then you sense another presence, a magical presence. A wispy shape emerges from behind another curtain, summoned forth by Magnaarn, and at once you recognize it to be the formless life-force of a Nadziranim sorcerer. You hear Magnaarn issue a psychic command, ordering the creature to slay you, and immediately it responds. Swiftly it moves across the chamber, changing shape as it draws closer. It is no more than ten feet distant when it solidifies into a form which is truly horrifying to behold. The Nadziranim sorcerer has taken on the visage of a great snuffling beast which creeps towards you on six long-clawed feet. A vile, bulbous head is perched uneasily on its immense shoulders and its baleful, milky-coloured eyes roll like balls of mist within its scabrous head. The reeking fur of its body seems to bristle as slowly, with ponderous steps, it draws closer and closer. (I have the Sommerswerd) The creature opens its great jaws and from the depths of its throat it coughs forth a guttering ball of flame. Immediately, your senses alert you to the fact that this is no ordinary fireball; it is wholly psychic in nature. It comes roaring towards you like a mini-sun trailing fiery orange sparks. You strike at it with the Sommerswerd, and as your divine blade connects, the fiery ball suddenly explodes into a million motes of light which rapidly dissolve. The sudden jolt of contact knocks you backwards. Before you fully recover your footing, the creature seizes its advantage and comes leaping through the air towards your chest. Desperately you roll across the black stone floor to avoid the creature's initial attack. Your swift reactions save you from its razor claws, but it, too, possesses lightning reflexes. It leaps once more and you barely have enough time to unsheathe your weapon before it lands upon you and slams you to the ground. Tarhdemon (Polymorphed Nadziranim) CS 42, EP 42 I do use Kai-Surge. I roll a 1. I take 4 and it 9. I roll another 1, follow by an 8 and it dies. I took 9 altogether. The moment you strike your killing blow, the creature explodes with a flash of brilliant white light. As the glare fades, you see that nothing whatsoever remains of either its body or spirit. Magnaarn witnesses the death of his servant with a look of pure terror. He screams, and in a moment of panic, he touches the head of the Nyras Sceptre to the floor. There is a tremendous boom, and the floor shudders violently as it is torn wide open by a massive quake. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-05-2009, 06:47 AM	#427
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Hurriedly, Magnaarn makes his escape through a curtained archway. Determined not to allow him to escape, you get ready to leap across the fissure which has opened up the chamber floor. It is no less than twenty feet wide at its narrowest point. (I roll a 6. I add 2 to make it 8) You clear the gap with one bound, and even manage to stay on your feet when you land on the far side of the fissure. Hungry for victory and vengeance, you tear aside the curtain through which Magnaarn disappeared and discover a short flight of steps which emerge at a turret at the very top of the Palace Tower, the highest point in the city of Darke. Here you find Magnaarn, cowering with his crooked back pressed hard against the frost-covered wall. You sense that he has very nearly succumbed to the evil power of the Doomstone; he is treading a fine line between life and undeath. Yet, even though he is but a whisker away from eternal damnation, he musters enough spite to challenge you to a fight to the death. 'Very well, Drakkar,' you reply. 'Let battle commence.' Warlord Magnaarn (With Nyras Sceptre) CS 50, EP 36 I use Kai-Surge. I get a 4 and he takes 8 and me 3. A 5 follows, 9 and 3. Then a 2. 6 and 4. 8; 12 and 1. I finish with a 4. He dies and I took 14. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-05-2009, 06:53 AM	#428
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	The moment you strike your killing blow, the Nyras Sceptre explodes with a brilliant flash and you are knocked down by the sudden release of energy. For several minutes you lie unconscious on the floor of this wind-swept turret, until you are found and revived by your guide and companion, Captain Prarg. Nothing remains of either Warlord Magnaarn or the Nyras Sceptre; both have been utterly destroyed. Prarg helps you to your feet, and as you look out across the battle-torn landscape, you witness a wondrous event. The Gulf of Lencia is dotted with scores of square-rigged men o' war. They are the ships of the Kasland fleet: at last Lencia's allies have arrived. Thanks to your bravery and determination, the power which has so devastated this land is now no more. The destruction of the Nyras Sceptre heralds a turning of the tides of war in the west. The Nadziranim and their armies flee the field of battle and are pursued by the allies all the way back to their strongholds in the north. The remnants of Magnaarn's army are routed and swept out of Nyras, and after many centuries, this country finally returns to its rightful heirs. In recognition of your victory over Warlord Magnaarn, King Sarnac of Lencia and Archduke Chalamis of Kasland hold a royal banquet in Vadera in your honour. You are heaped with praise and you receive the thanks and warm congratulations of a grateful populace. Well done, Lone Wolf. Once again you have achieved a victory over the forces of darkness and proved yourself to be worthy of the title 'Kai Grand Master'. Yet the fight against Evil goes ever on. On your return to your homeland you will be faced with a new and deadly challenge that will test your remarkable skills and unquestionable bravery. The nature of this challenge can be found in the next Grand Master adventure, which is entitled: The Legacy of Vashna __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

12-05-2009, 07:09 AM	#429
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Review of The Darke Crusade. Man, this thing was looooooong, and I didn’t have much combat. I think I spent almost 4 hours playing it through. I actually liked it the more I read it. At least my companion didn’t die. Kai-Alchemy worked like a charm in this one. I don’t think I was asked for some disciplines that much in this one, Magi-Magic, Kai-Screen, Assimilance, Telegnosis, Grand Nexus, and Deliverance. Assimilance was only asked for once, and I as able to pass by with a die roll and the numbers very much in my favor. That’s not very powerful. Not much combat, which makes it a bit Cauldron of Fear-y. I thought it was over at that temple, and then again at that city. Nicely done. However, I have to think that the length means the branches are not there on this one, and it’s pretty mono-path like other books. Oh, and I got a nice new Special Item, so yay on the Jadin Amulet. End of The Darke Crusade __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

07-31-2016, 11:15 AM	#430
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Alright let's continue this thing! Now I neither own, nor have I played, the next book, the Legacy of Vashna. But I did pick up 17-20 at a old used bookstore here in Mobile recently, and I wanted to pick this up at some point in time, and this seemed as good as any! As a reminder, we are playing these books over on Project Aon. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent Last edited by Abe Sargent : 07-31-2016 at 11:17 AM.

07-31-2016, 11:17 AM	#431
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	The Legacy of Vashna You are Grand Master Lone Wolf, last of the Kai Lords of Sommerlund and sole survivor of a massacre that wiped out the First Order of your élite warrior caste. It is the year MS 5077 and twenty-seven years have passed since your brave kinsmen perished at the hands of the Darklords of Helgedad. These champions of evil, who were sent forth by Naar, the King of the Darkness, to destroy the fertile world of Magnamund, have themselves since been destroyed. You vowed to avenge the murder of the Kai and you kept your pledge, for it was you who brought about their downfall when alone you infiltrated their foul domain--the Darklands--and caused the destruction of their leader, Archlord Gnaag, and the seat of his power that was the infernal city of Helgedad. In the wake of their destruction, chaos befell the Darkland armies who, until then, had been poised to conquer all of Magnamund. Some factions which comprised this huge army, most notably the barbaric Drakkarim, began to fight with the others for control. This disorder quickly escalated into an all-out civil war, which allowed the Freeland armies of Magnamund time in which to recover and launch a counter-offensive. Skilfully their commanders exploited the chaos and secured a swift and total victory over an enemy far superior in numbers. For seven years now peace has reigned in Sommerlund. Under your direction, the once-ruined monastery of the Kai has been thoroughly rebuilt and restored to its former glory, and the task of teaching a Second Order of Kai warriors the skills and proud traditions of your ancestors is also well under way. The new generation of Kai recruits, all of whom were born during the era of war against the Darklords, possess latent Kai skills and show exceptional promise. These skills will be nurtured and honed to perfection during their time at the Monastery so that they may teach and inspire future generations, thereby ensuring the continued security of your homeland in future years. Your attainment of the rank of Kai Grand Master brought with it great rewards. Some, such as the restoration of the Kai and the undying gratitude of your fellow Sommlending, could have been anticipated. Yet there have also been rewards which you could not possibly have foreseen. The discovery that within you lay the potential to develop Kai Disciplines beyond those of the Magnakai, which, until now, were thought to be the ultimate that a Kai Master could aspire to, was truly a revelation. Your discovery has inspired you to set out upon a new and previously unknown path in search of the wisdom and power that no Kai Lord before you has ever possessed. In the name of your creator, the God Kai, and for the greater glory of Sommerlund and the Goddess Ishir, you have vowed to reach the very pinnacle of Kai perfection--to attain all of the Grand Master Disciplines and become the first Kai Supreme Master. With diligence and determination you set about the restoration of the Kai Monastery and organized the training of the Second Order recruits. Your efforts were soon rewarded and, within the space of two short years, the first raw recruits had graduated to become a cadre of gifted Kai Masters who, in turn, were able to commence the teaching of their skills to subsequent intakes of Kai novices. Readily the Kai Masters rose to their newfound responsibilities, leaving you free to devote more of your time to the pursuit and perfection of the Grand Master Disciplines. During this period you also received expert tutelage in the ways of magic from two of your most trusted friends and advisors: Guildmaster Banedon, leader of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star, and Lord Rimoah, speaker for the High Council of the Elder Magi. In the deepest subterranean level of the Monastery, a hundred feet below the Tower of the Sun, you ordered the excavation and construction of a special vault. In this magnificent chamber wrought of granite and gold, you placed the seven Lorestones of Nyxator, the gems of Kai power which you had recovered during your quest for the Magnakai. It was here, bathed in the golden light of those radiant gems, that you spent countless hours in pursuit of perfection. Sometimes alone, sometimes in the company of your two able advisors--Banedon and Rimoah--you worked hard to develop your innate Grand Master Disciplines, and grasp the fundamental secrets of Left-handed and Old Kingdom magic. During this time you noticed many remarkable changes taking place within your body: you became physically and mentally stronger, your five primary senses sharpened beyond all that you had experienced before, and, perhaps most remarkably, your body began to age at a much slower rate. Now, for every five years that elapse you age but one year. At this time many changes were occurring beyond the borders of Sommerlund. In the regions to the northeast of Magador and the Maakengorge, the Elder Magi of Dessi and the Herbwardens of Bautar were working together in an effort to restore the dusty volcanic wasteland to its former fertile state. It was the first tentative step towards the reclamation of all the Darklands. However, their progress was painfully slow, and both parties were resigned to the fact that their efforts to undo the damage caused by the Darklords would take centuries to complete. Following the destruction of the Darklords of Helgedad, the Giaks, the most numerous of all Gnaag's troops, fled into the Darklands and sought refuge in the gigantic city-fortresses of Nadgazad, Aarnak, Gournen, Akagazad and Kaag. Within each of these hellish strongholds, fierce fighting broke out as remnants of the Xaghash (lesser Darklords) and the Nadziranim (evil practitioners of Right-handed magic who once aided individual Darklord masters) fought for control. It is widely believed that by the time the Elder Magi and the Herbwardens reach the walls of these strongholds they will encounter no resistance; the occupants will have long since brought about their own extinction. Elsewhere, throughout Northern Magnamund, peace reigns victorious and the peoples of the Free Kingdoms rejoice in the knowledge that the age of the Darklords has finally come to an end. Readily men have exchanged their swords for hoes and their shields for ploughs, and now the only marching they do is along the ruts of their freshly furrowed fields. Few are the watchful eyes that scan the distant horizon in fear of what may appear, although there are still those who maintain their vigilance, for the agents of Naar come in many guises and there are those in Magnamund who wait quietly in the shadows for the chance to do his evil bidding. Already your newfound skills have been tested against Naar's agents and you have, on each such occasion, acquitted yourself admirably. But your continuing victories against his minions have enraged the Dark God, and rarely has his lust for vengeance been greater than it is at present. Recently, Lord Rimoah has counselled you to be extra vigilant, for he fears that Naar is getting ready to strike at Sommerlund anew. The Elder Magi have received warnings from President Kadharian of Magador that something strange is taking place in the north of his country, in the mountainous territory which borders upon the Maakengorge. Freak storms and unseasonal weather have swept this remote region, and the night skies over Lake Vorndarol have, for several weeks now, been illuminated by eerie, inexplicable lights. Lord Rimoah fears that Naar is plotting to revive Vashna, the greatest of all the Darklords, whose spirit is trapped deep within the fathomless reaches of the Maakengorge. It has remained there, in uneasy entombment, ever since the day the Darklord was defeated in battle by King Ulnar I of Sommerlund. Vashna's body, along with those of his loathsome troops, was hurled into the abyss, hopefully never to be seen again. Legend has it that the Darklord's body was destroyed but his spirit still lives on. He is said to be awaiting the day when he shall be made to rise, at the head of a vast army of undead warriors, and set loose to wreak his revenge upon Sommerlund and the house of Ulnar. 'If it is Naar's intention to resurrect Vashna and his army from the depths of the Maakengorge,' said an anxious Lord Rimoah, as you and he discussed the situation in the secure privacy of your vault below the Kai Monastery, 'then no free realm upon the face of Magnamund will be safe. It has always been Sommerlund's misfortune that Ulnar's victory over Vashna was never total. I have always feared that the legacy of the Maakengorge would one day awaken and confront us . . . and I fear, unless we act swiftly, that that day is about to dawn.' For several hours, you and your learned advisor deliberated what could be done to prevent such a catastrophe. You decided that the exact nature of the threat had first to be determined if you were to combat it effectively. You were confident that your Grand Master Disciplines would enable you to unravel this mystery quickly, and so you volunteered to journey to northern Magador and investigate the strange incidents at first hand. After all, there could be a perfectly innocent explanation for them. 'Let us hope it is so, Grand Master,' said Lord Rimoah, earnestly, 'but, nevertheless, do not forget what could confront you there. I shall pray to Kai and Ishir to watch over and guide you on the journey ahead, Lone Wolf, and bring you home, swiftly, safely and victoriously.' __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

07-31-2016, 11:25 AM	#432
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Map of the Maakengorge These are all around places I've been before, like Kaag in book 14, or southern Summerland and Ruanon in book 4 or Varetta in Book 6. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent Last edited by Abe Sargent : 07-31-2016 at 11:28 AM.

07-31-2016, 11:36 AM	#433
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Improved Disciplines: Sun Lord If you are a Grand Master who has reached the rank of Sun Lord (7 Disciplines), you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines: Grand Weaponmastery Sun Lords with this Discipline are able to cause the metal edge of any non-magical weapon to ignite and burn fiercely. When a weapon thus affected is used in combat, it inflicts an additional 1 ENDURANCE point loss upon an enemy in every successful round of combat. This ability cannot be used with a wholly wooden weapon such as a quarterstaff. Assimilance Sun Lords who possess this skill are able to cause the outline of their bodies to become blurred and indistinct. By so doing, they can greatly increase their chances of avoiding magical and/or non-magical missiles directed at them. Grand Huntmastery Kai Sun Lords with this skill are able to see, with acute accuracy, light in the infrared spectrum, i.e. they can see complex patterns generated by heat in near or total darkness. They can also see light in the ultraviolet spectrum. Kai-surge Sun Lords who possess mastery of this Discipline are able to launch a Kai-blast--a pulse of intense psychic energy which is capable of affecting both psychically active and inactive enemies. This form of psychic attack is very effective, more so than a usual Kai-surge, Psi-surge or Mindblast. It can cause an enemy to lose between 2 and 18 ENDURANCE points in one attack. A Kai Sun Lord using Kai-blast determines the damage inflicted on an enemy by picking two numbers from the Random Number Table. These numbers should be added together (a '0' = 1) and the resultant total equals the damage inflicted. However, use of a Kai-blast will reduce a Sun Lord's ENDURANCE points total by 4. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other form of psychic attack. Telegnosis Sun Lords who possess this Discipline are able to alter their body weight in order to walk successfully upon different kinds of surfaces, e.g. water, mud, lava, and quicksand. Time duration and degree of surface difficulty increases as a Grand Master rises in rank. Magi-magic Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Sun Lord are able to use the following battle-spells of the Elder Magi: Penetrate--This increases the penetrative energy of any Arrow or Arrow-like missile, launched by a Sun Lord. Energy Grasp--This spell enables a Sun Lord to discharge a powerful electrical force into anything he or she touches. It is similar in effect to the Brotherhood spell Lightning Hand, but differs in that it is easier to control and channel the resulting energy. It also requires the actual touching of an object or an enemy to effect the spell. Alright, here are the Disciplines I do not already have: Magi-Magic, Assimilance, Telegnosis, Grand Nexus, Grand Weaponmastery, Deliverance. Of these, which do I want the most? Kai-Blast looks really powerful, I’ll need to read the rules on it in the forums. Does it replace an attack or is it before combat, once per combat, every round? The new Grand Weaponmastery ability rocks, but is not used for me so it’s just another way of pumping up new players. I’m between Telegnosis and Grand Weaponmastery. Yeah, Grand Weaponmastery. I take sword and dagger as my two weapons. I take the Map of the Maakengorge, 26 crowns, top off my quiver, and Laumspur. Like normal. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

07-31-2016, 11:37 AM	#434
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Lone Wolf, Kai Sun Lord Kor-Skarn, Fryearl, Warmartial of Sommerlund, Savior of Tahou, 'Golden Star of Palmyrion' CS 56 EP 48 Grand Pathsmanship Grand Huntmastery Animal Mastery Kai-Surge Kai-Screen Kai-Alchemy Grand Weaponmastery I cannot believe Lencia didn’t give me an official title. How cheap. Just did some research on Kai-Blast. I can use it every turn, and it replaces Kai-Surge or Mindblast (or Psi-Surge). Safekeeping: Golden Key (Graveyard of the Ancients) 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, The Danarg, Anari, Ghatan, Vhozada (Daziarn), Darklands, Ruel, Mogaruith, Updated Darklands, Western Tentarias Fur Blanket 240 Gold Crowns 1 Meal 2 Potion of Laumspur - +5 EP 6 Potion of Laumspur - +4 EP Fur Backpack Bone Sword Effigy Concentrated Graveweed Kalte Diamond Ragadorn Dagger Magic Spear Holy Water Brass Key (Ruanon Mines) Iron Key (Ruanon Mines) Whip Sommlending Cavalry Spear (Normal) Quarterstaff, Royal Guard (Normal) Scroll of Prophecy Shield Jeweled Mace Bottle of Kourshah - +4 EP Copper Key (Barrakeesh) Gold Key (Barrakeesh) Black Sash Prism Barrakeesh Public Bath Towel Jakan - Vassagonian Coastal Hunting Bow Zakhan’s Quarterstaff (Normal) 3 Brass Whistle Pink and Orange Waistcoast 2 Mirror 2 Bottle of Wine Silver Key (Stornlands) Ticket to Eula Chainmail Waistcoat 2 Rope 2 Lantern 3 Quiver w/ 18 arrows Power Key Red Robe Gold Key (Kazan-Oud) Glowing Dagger Doomstaff Kazan-Oud Diamond Labyrinth Sword (Normal) Kazan-Oud Fine Spear (Normal) 4 Sack of Silver Silver Box Helghast’s Sword (Normal) Giak Scroll Lord Adamas’s Pass Vial of Gnadurn Poison 2 Flasks of Boza Invitation to Chiban’s Receipt for Horse, Tahou Crystal Decanter Silk Jacket Silver Goblet Silver Candlestick Scroll of Honour Jadin Anklets Magi Dagger (Normal) Sen. Chil’s Mace (Normal) Dagger of Vashna Black Key (Anari) Medal: Battle of Luoni Drakkar Dagger (Normal) Zagganozod Sword (Normal) 2 Silver Rod Meledorian Dagger (Normal) Scarlet Warrior’s Sword (Normal) Power Ring (Vonotar) Fireseeds: 9 Bronin Warhammer Eruan Pathfinder Cloak Kai Cloak Cagath’s Liganim Robe Takataal’s Mace Toran Dagger (Normal) Platinum Amulet (Kazan-Oud) Blue Stone Triangle Grey Crystal Ring Psychic Ring Wrist and Finger Guards Firesphere Green Mask Golden Amulet Iron Key (Aarnak) Black Key (Helgedad) Pouch of Tobacco Pipe Zejar-Deluga Nadazgada Pouch of Herbs - Adgana Cener Mask Cener Robe Sabito - 2 doses Oede Herb Gallowbrush (2 doses) Gold Key (Ruel) Copper Key (Ruel) Cener Dagger (Normal) Kaag Broadsword (Normal) Silver Bowl Whistle Brass Key (Kaag) Black Key (Kaag) Hammer Alether +2 CS (4 doses) Laumspur +4 EP (with 5 doses) Kai Monastery Spear (Normal) Drakkarim Commander’s Dagger (Normal) Signet Ring Empty Bottle Hourglass Ball of String Brass Key (Nyras) Tukodak Sword (Normal) Keeping: 29 Gold Crowns Crystal Star Pendant Jadin Amulet +1 vs. missiles Silver Bow of Duadon +3 when using bow Sommerswerd +8 CS Korlinum Scabbard Dagger of Vashna Map of Western Tentarias Shield +2 CS Silver Helmet +2 CS Padded Leather Waistcoat +2 EP Bronin Vest +3 CS, +1 EP (Cannot be worn with Normal Chainmail) Silver Bracers +2 CS, +1 EP Kagonite Chain mail +3 CS, +1 EP (Can be worn with other armors) Backpack: Rope Laumspur Laumwort +2 EP (3 doses) Quiver w/ 6 arrows Kai Monastery Dagger __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

07-31-2016, 11:43 AM	#435
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Anyway, here we go: The hours leading up to your departure from the Kai Monastery are spent in the company of your able advisor, Lord Rimoah. Having discussed the mission at great length, you busy yourself now with the practical preparations for your long journey to Magador. He gives you a Scroll which contains a written invitation from President Kadharian to attend his senate to 'discuss trade between Sommerlund and Magador'. It will provide a cover for you should the need arise to justify your journey. Also, in the interests of secrecy, you decide it best to discard your formal Kai robes in favour of less conspicuous garments, and you choose instead to wear the simple clothes of a guildsman--woollen breeches, leather tunic, and a cloak. Dressed thus, and aided by your innate Kai skills of invisibility, you feel confident you will be able to travel the road to Helgor, the Magadorian capital, without drawing undue attention to yourself or your purpose. By horse, the journey to Helgor could be expected to take five weeks. Your initial thought had been to send word to your friend, Guildmaster Banedon, requesting that he allow you use of his magical skyship, Skyrider. However, on this occasion you will have to forego the speedy comfort of his wondrous craft, for Banedon is using it himself on a quest to the distant land of Bhanar in southern Magnamund, and he is not expected to return to Sommerlund before the year's end. Your second choice was also to prove unsuitable. Having resigned yourself to a long journey on horseback, you immediately sent an order to the monastery stables for your horse, Storm, to be saddled and made ready. This fine Slovarian stallion had been a gift to you from Elector Manatine of Palmyrion, in gratitude for the crucial part you played in the victory over the evil Cener Druids of Ruel. His strength, intelligence, and indomitable spirit had reminded you so much of your old Kai tutor--Storm Hawk--that you chose to name the horse Storm in his memory. But, as Rimoah quickly pointed out, such a magnificent horse would be sure to attract suspicion, especially if it was ridden by what appeared to be a humble guildsman. And so, albeit reluctantly, you had the stables prepare you another horse, a strong but less exceptional mount called Bracer. The journey to Helgor takes you south to the City-state of Casiorn, then west to the Lyrisian capital of Varetta--a road you once travelled several years ago during your Magnakai quest. In the main, your ride is peaceably uneventful. By choice you keep to yourself and avoid staying too long in any one place. It is not until you reach Vakovar that the uncertain politics of this region give rise for concern. This squalid, lawless city is home to some of the Stornlands' most notorious criminals and robber-barons. It is common knowledge that travellers who value their wealth and health wisely avoid Vakovar whenever possible. Forewarned by these rumours you choose not to dwell here, but ride swiftly through the city and press on to Helgor. Yet while you are within the city walls of Vakovar no less than a dozen separate attempts are made to relieve you of your money pouch and horse. There are no witnesses to these attacks, which is just as well, for when you ride out of Vakovar you leave a score of dead robbers littering the cobblestones. It is early evening when you eventually crest a hill and catch your first disappointing glimpse of Helgor. It is a damp and unwholesome-looking city, ringed by a rampart of mouldering rubble, the remains of a curtain wall which was destroyed during the war against the Darklords. Through the many gaps in this rampart you can see the thick fog that swirls through Helgor's brick streets and crooked, filthy alleys. At first sight it seems that the Magadorian capital is little more than a beggar-city, a vast hotchpotch of slums and hovels, but as you ride nearer you notice several grand towers piercing the rolling grey mist. The main approach to Helgor is patrolled by presidential guards, heavily armed with crossbows and spears, who are checking everyone attempting to enter by road. They are dressed in flamboyant tunics of green, scarlet, and black calf hide, which seem too lavish for the garrison of such a squalid city. When asked your business, you show them the scroll given to you by Rimoah. They are impressed by the invitation and insist that an armed escort be provided to take you directly to the President's palace. After your experience at Vakovar you welcome their offer. Despite the overwhelming squalor of Helgor's dingy tenements and streets, you were expecting the President's palace to be the exception. To your disappointment, it turns out to be little more than a fortified chateau situated at the centre of the city, atop a hill known as the Vanagrom Knoll. You are welcomed into the palace's senate hall by an official called Stepona, a dour man who looks older than his thirty years. He sees to it that your horse is stabled, and that you are given refreshments while you await your audience with the President. An hour passes before the doors to the senate hall swing open and, without formal announcement, in strides President Kadharian of Magador. (I have visited Aarnak before) Immediately you recognize the tall, muscular man who stands before you now; he was once known as the Slavemaster of Aarnak. He was an agent of the Elder Magi based in the Darklands who, seven years earlier, helped you to enter the dread city of Helgedad and bring about the downfall of the Darklords. Now he is known by a different name--President Kadharian of Magador. 'Welcome, Grand Master,' he says, smiling warmly, 'it seems we have both come a long way since our last meeting.' The President is amused by your expression of surprise and offers an explanation of how he came to be leader of this rough republic. After the fall of Helgedad, the Elder Magi arranged for his safe passage to the Stornlands where he was granted a command in the army of Lyris. He distinguished himself in battle and later, once the remains of the Darkland armies had been vanquished, he returned to his native Magador and led an uprising against King Vanagrom VI, who had long been a puppet of the Darklords. The revolt ended with the King's death and the abolition of the monarchy. Magador became a republic and the Slavemaster, whose given name was Kadharian, became its first elected leader. 'And now to the reasons why I have requested your help, Grand Master,' he says, as he pushes open the door to a smaller room which adjoins the senate hall. You follow the President into the chamber, your footsteps echoing as you walk across the mosaic marble floor. At the far end of the room a wiry wolfhound lies snoozing in front of a log fire which is crackling in an iron grate. The flames illuminate the chamber with a warm glow, casting flickering shadows across countless shelves stacked with thick rolls of parchment and papyrus. At the centre there stands a large table heaped with sand. The sand has been shaped to depict the topography of Magador, its towns, cities, mountains, hills and rivers. The attention to detail is most impressive. 'Somewhere, here, I fear there is a great evil at work,' says Kadharian, pointing to a section of the table which depicts the territory north of Lake Vorndarol, an area uncomfortably close to the deep furrow which represents the Maakengorge. 'Three moons ago, the lakeside hamlet of Vorn was reportedly destroyed by an unnatural storm, the first of many that have continuously swept the region. I dispatched a troop of my guards to investigate but they never returned. Since then, a second troop has also disappeared without trace.' 'But what makes you think that a plot to resurrect Vashna is afoot?' you reply, trying not to sound overly sceptical. 'With due respect, President, this is a notorious region infested with renegades and brigands. There may be a far simpler explanation for the destruction of Vorn and the disappearance of your troops.' 'Aye, 'tis so,' retorts Kadharian. 'At first, I too made the same assumption. But then I came into the possession of something which made me believe otherwise.' From a leather pouch hanging from his sword belt, Kadharian takes an item which is neatly wrapped in a square of patterned silk. 'Here, Grand Master,' he says, offering it to you, 'I'll let you draw your own conclusions from this.' You accept the package and carefully unfold its silken wrapper to reveal an amulet, oblong in shape, strung upon a length of crude twine. It has been carved from coal-black stone, flecked with grains of metal, which sparkle in the firelight. 'Where was this found?' you ask. 'In the ruins of Vorn,' replies Kadharian, ominously. (I do not possess Telegnosis + Sun Knight) On closer examination you discover that one side of the amulet is covered by a detailed engraving which depicts a sinister scene. It portrays the rising up of a monstrous creature from the depths of a great gorge, flanked on all sides by a horde of skeletal warriors. At once you recognize it to be a portrayal of Darklord Vashna and his minions, arising from the depths of the Maakengorge. ‘Who found this amulet?' you ask. 'A rogue, one who goes by the name of Smudd,' answers Kadharian. 'A patrol found him in the mountains close by the River Storn, a few days after the second troop went missing. When he couldn't give a good reason for being there, they arrested him and brought him back to Helgor for questioning.' Kadharian's emphasis on the word 'questioning' leaves you in no doubt that Smudd's interrogation probably involved some degree of torture. 'Where is he now?' you ask. 'I'd like to, er, question him myself.' 'He's in Helgor. He stays at the Crooked Sage, an inn in the north quarter of the city. I'd willingly send a detachment of Palace Guards to fetch him here but that quarter of Helgor is rife with villains. Word would be sure to get out and he'd go to ground. My men would never find him. No, I'm afraid the only likely way you'll get to speak to Smudd is by going to the Crooked Sage in person.' 'Very well, President,' you reply, 'then that is exactly what I shall do.' Do you mind if I keep this?' you ask, motioning to the amulet. 'I've no objection,' replies Kadharian. 'I hope it helps you to discover what is truly going on in the north.' Carefully you rewrap the talisman and slip it into the pocket of your tunic (record this Black Amulet as a Special Item on your Action Chart--you need not discard another item in its favour if you already possess the maximum allowed). Then, after a meal and a soothingly hot bath, you bid farewell to the President and take your leave of the palace by way of the stables. Night has thickened the blanket of mist which lines the narrow streets and alleys of Helgor. Guided by your Kai instincts, you set off northwards, but soon you have cause to regret not having thought of asking Kadharian for directions to the Crooked Sage Inn. Helgor is an old city and its chaotic streets follow no logical plan. After several wrong turns you come upon a square where the vanes of a rotting signpost point to three exits. Slumped at its base there sits a dishevelled fat man with a yellow streaked beard, who is gulping mouthfuls of cheap ale from a filthy stone pitcher. You attempt to use your Kai Pathsmanship skill to read the signpost but with no success--it is completely illegible. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent