Fox Fire the New Order Series - Page 3

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 04:51 PM

(I hide and then follow)

Using your Kai camouflage skills, you slip away from the departing crowd unseen and hide behind a pillar where you wait until the hall is empty. You then emerge and hurry across to the north door through which Vandyan made his exit. This door is locked and you quickly determine that it is held secure by a combination lock, whose dials are on the other side. You place your ear to the smooth surface and concentrate on moving the lock’s delicate tumblers by the use of your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus.

(I don;t have G Nexus)

The three unseen dials prove very difficult to manipulate by the use of your Magnakai skill of Nexus alone. Drawing upon your Sixth Sense, you concentrate hard and try to visualize the correct numerical positions of the dials that will cause the lock to disengage. Slowly the dials take form in your mind’s eye, but the numbers engraved around their edges remain hazy and indistinct.

At length you determine that the correct position of the three dials is equivalent to the answers to the following three questions:

How many gate guards did you encounter when you first arrived at Duadon?
How many Grand Master Disciplines are achieved upon reaching the rank of Kai Grand Guardian?
How many bridges still remained intact at Quarlen when the New Order Kai entered the town?

When you have found the answers to the above questions, write them down in the correct order and then turn to the section of this book which is the same as that three-digit answer.

If you calculate incorrectly, or if you cannot answer the puzzle, turn instead to 248.

(Hmm... 2 guards for sure! 8 disciplines and weren't all bridges out? 280?)

The third tumbler clicks into position and the door swings open to reveal a vaulted corridor leading to a flight of iron steps.11 You enter, and the door closes silently behind you. There is a junction halfway along the corridor where another passage crosses from left to right. You hurry across and climb the metal steps but, as you are approaching the top of the stairs, you catch a glimpse of two armoured guards beyond. They are standing to attention before a large door that is engraved with mystic symbols. Your Sixth Sense detects that beyond this door lie the Runes of Agarash. Instinctively you duck below their line of sight, and then quietly you retreat to the junction. Here you detect the sound of footsteps approaching, and when you spin around to face them, you see a young kitchen attendant walking along the passageway towards you. He is carrying a tray laden with food and he stops abruptly when he sees you suddenly appear. Fearful that he may raise the alarm, you stride towards him and say in an accusing tone: ‘Why are you late, boy? Lord Vandyan has been kept waiting more than an hour for his food!’

‘But … but this is not for his lordship,’ answers the young man, clearly confused by your rebuke. ‘It’s for the guards at the door to the Rune Hall.’

‘What!’ you reply, feigning outrage. ‘You mean to say that you would put the feeding of two lowly guards before our master’s needs! This is intolerable!’

‘No … no … I mean, I was told by the cook to take this tray to the guards. Lord Vandyan ate a meal in his chambers some three hours ago. I’ve had no order to take him food since.’

‘Well, our master is hungry,’ you reply, ‘and you’d better go back to the kitchen and find him something suitable to eat this instant … if you value your hide, that is!’ Forcefully you snatch the tray from the bemused assistant, saying: ‘Go tell cook to prepare him something substantial, understand? He’s very hungry. I’ll deliver these scraps to the guards myself.’

The confused young assistant scratches his head and then he hurries away to deliver your order to the cook. You watch him until he turns a distant corner, and then you look down at the tray of cold meat and vegetables and an idea takes shape, an idea that may help you gain entry to the Rune Hall.

https://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/24rw/small9.png

(I put Gallowbrush in the food)

You retrieve the Potion of Gallowbrush from your pack and pour it carefully over the slices of cold meat. Then you cover the meat with vegetables and carry the tray to the guards on duty at the Rune Hall. They prop their halberds against the wall and raise the visors of their helmets as you approach.

‘Where’s Gragov?’ asks a guard, as you set the tray of food down on a small table beside the door.

‘He’s gone sick,’ you reply.

‘I hope it wasn’t something he ate!’ jokes the other guard.

You can hear the guards eating their food as you walk back along the corridor towards the iron stairs. When you reach the bottom step, you wait here to allow the potion to take effect. After a few minutes you hear a metallic crash, and when you peer over the top step you see that the potion has done its work. Both guards are now lying unconscious in front of the door.

You step over the guards’ bodies and press your shoulder to the door, letting the heavy portal swing open just a few inches. Cold air rushes out, chilling your face, and your Kai senses tingle when you feel the evil power of the runes bleeding from the hall beyond. Steeling yourself for what may lie ahead, you push against the door again and slip in through the widening gap.

Before you lies a magnificent chamber hewn from polished obsidian. Colossal columns rise along its curved walls, and iron cradles filled with glowing stones illuminate the jet-black surfaces. Away to your right you can see a metal staircase leading down to the bottom of a vast pit. At its centre there stands a great black bell-like object that is sheathed with crackling energies, sparking and fusing noisily. You take a step forward and gasp when you first see the line of Vorka that are emerging from the side of this belled chamber. Like scaly automatons, they march forth in an endless stream that disappears into an archway on the far side of the pit. You sense the presence of a rune and, when you scour the bell-chamber using your magnified vision, you glimpse the oblong of black stone embedded into its surface.

To your left, facing the stairs to the pit, there is another bell-chamber. It is identical in shape and size to the one below, yet this one is constructed from a clear, glass-like mineral. Within its core there stands a frozen column of black mist, and set into a hollow in its flared top you can see a second rune.

Your Sixth Sense tells you that there are three runes present in this great hall, yet it is not until you look up at the domed ceiling that you locate the third. On a wide circular platform suspended below an aperture at the top of the dome, you see Lord Vandyan. He is fixing the third rune into a saucer of crystal and he is so engrossed in this task that he fails to see that you are standing in the hall below. Through the aperture in the dome you can see the night sky. Cold winds howl and bolts of lightning flash and sizzle, ripping apart the clouds as the power of a supernatural storm builds to a frightening crescendo above Skull-Tor.

(I do not have Astrology)

You magnify your vision and look carefully at the three runes. They are made from oblong slivers of black stone and are no larger than your hand. Your senses tell you that within each of these runes is held immense power, yet each stone is remarkably fragile and vulnerable. If you were to smash the runes you would destroy the powers they contain

(I use KA)

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 04:58 PM

Before you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand you look around the hall and consider which of the three runes is to be your first target. The suspended platform on which Vandyan is standing obscures the rune in the domed roof of the hall; therefore you must choose one of the remaining two.
(The top one)

You recite the words of the spell and launch a bolt of energy that strikes the rune with devastating effect. There is a loud Crack! and a splash of fiery green sparks erupts as the evil stone is sundered in two. Moments later, the crystal chamber is torn apart and a terrible shriek assails your ears as the air is filled with hissing bolts of fire. Instinctively you turn away from the explosion and cover your head with your left arm as shards of broken crystal cascade around you, like a rain of deadly daggers. When this deluge ceases, you turn back and look with fearful expectation upon the devastated remains of the chamber. Flickering trails of green fire sputter and die among the scattered crystal shards, and the column of dark mist that inhabited its core now swirls around the debris like a small tornado. From its core there comes a hideous shriek and a lance of cold fear stabs at your heart when suddenly you recall having heard this terrible sound once before. This dark shadow is Zorkaan the Soultaker, the entity that you encountered at the clearing in the Grochod Forest, the evil presence that you disturbed as it fed upon the psychic remains of the innocent Slovian prisoners slain and buried there. The whirling shadow of Zorkaan gathers speed and, with a parting wail, it shoots upwards and disappears through the aperture in the hall’s domed ceiling, into the very eye of the raging storm.

The noise of the exploding bell-chamber and the hellish shriek of Zorkaan alerts Vandyan to your presence in the hall below. You see his face twisted with rage. He raises a glowing silver disc that is clasped tightly in the palm of his right hand, and then he spits out a vile curse that chills your blood.''

As Vandyan’s vile curse echoes around the hall, the procession of Vorka that are streaming from the bell-chamber suddenly slows to a halt. As if awakening from a walking sleep, they rub their eyes and take stock of their surroundings; then they come swarming towards the iron steps. They are quickly joined by others of their kind who pour back into the pit from the archway on the far side. These Vorka are armed with bladed weapons, and beyond the archway you glimpse the armoury whence they have returned.

As the first swarm of unarmed Vorka come lurching and scurrying up the steps, you realize that you must act quickly to stop them if you are to save yourself from being crushed by this reptilian horde.

(I do not have a Phosphor Bomb)

You rush to the head of the stairs and focus your gaze at the rune which is embedded into the side of the bell-chamber. Only by destroying this rune can you stem the onrushing tide of Vorka. Vandyan is also aware of this and he screams an order to those creatures that are closest to the chamber. In response, they close ranks and use their bodies to form a protective wall in front of the rune.

(I use KA)

You speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell Net and point your right hand at the bottom of the steps. A gout of sticky fluid gushes from your palm and you direct this stream between the metal banister rails, sealing off the stairs with several layers of sticky fibrous strands.

Your spell delays the Vorka, but it does not deter or prevent them from attacking you. Several hurl themselves face-down onto the gluey strands so that others can use their backs as springboards to vault over the net. The first three to do this successfully are armed with swords. As they come racing up the stairs, they rapidly blink their ghoulish eyes and clack their fanged jaws to unnerve you.

Frenzied Vorka: COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 44

If you wield the Kai Weapon ‘Spawnsmite’ or ‘Kaistar’, you will benefit from the additional combat bonus applicable to its unique properties.

(I have a +10 CS with KS. I toss a 4 and then a 9 and they auto die. I took 5)

You have successfully beaten back the first Vorka wave, but a larger group is now emerging from the distant archway. Each of these warriors wields a sword and is clad in chainmail armour. Fear grips your stomach when you realize that they are the advance guard of a whole Vorka regiment. Once more you turn your attention to the bell-chamber, for only by destroying the rune can you hope to defeat the entire horde.

You descend halfway down the stairs, and then leap over the banister and drop to the floor of the pit below. On landing, those unarmed Vorka who are defending the rune hiss at you vehemently. Their sibilant cry warns their armoured brothers of your intentions and you see them quicken their pace. Your pulse pounds loudly in your ears as you determine that the first of the armoured regiment can reach you in less than a minute. There is no time to hesitate—you must act at once. With your battle-cry upon your lips, you rush forward and attack the Vorka who are standing in a protective wall before the rune.

Vorka Rune Defenders: COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 35

If you wield the Kai Weapon ‘Spawnsmite’ or ‘Kaistar’, you will benefit from the additional combat bonus applicable to its unique properties.

(For these I have the full top CS without KS. I toss a 5, 5, and then 3. They took 39 and died. I took 4 more for 9 total damage)

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 05:07 PM

You cut through the wall of Vorka and strike the rune with devastating effect. There is a tremendous explosion and a splash of fiery green sparks erupts as your blade cleaves the evil stone in two. Then the bell-chamber is swallowed up by sheets of orange flame and you are thrown backwards to the floor as shards of broken stone whistle around you. When the rain of debris ceases, you pull yourself to your feet and look upon the devastated remains of the bell-chamber. Pools of fire burn among the shards that litter the floor of the pit, and all the Vorka that were spawned in its core now lie twisted and lifeless among the flaming ruins. The sight of this burning devastation is shocking to behold, yet you feel elated when you sense that the breaking of the rune has, at a single stroke, destroyed every Vorka that has ever emerged from the spawning chamber.

Vandyan is shocked to witness the defeat of Zorkaan and the destruction of his Vorka horde. But the storm is reaching its peak above Skull-Tor, and soon he will summon the Vaag to enact his revenge upon you. He cackles with mad glee as he raises into position the crystal saucer which contains the last remaining rune. Bolts of lightning are striking at the very edge of the aperture now; it is only a matter of minutes before the Vaag will be released.

Desperate to prevent this calamity, you rush up the stairs and across the hall to an iron ladder that is bolted to the obsidian wall. It ascends to the edge of Vandyan’s raised platform. As you climb towards this storm-lit platform, you pray to Kai to give you strength enough to defeat your wicked foe.

You pull yourself onto the platform and run at Vandyan with your weapon held poised to strike. Wild-eyed with manic excitement, he stares intently at the crystal saucer and seems not to notice that you are about to cut him down. But as you make your attack, he snatches up an iron staff that protrudes from a hole in the platform, and expertly he fends off your blow. The blade of your weapon trails a line of sparks as it scrapes along the length of his staff and clatters against the rail which encircles the platform. He stabs at you with its clawed tip and you dodge this vicious blow, but then you strike again and send the staff spinning from his hands. He emits a strangled cry of fear and frustration and backs away to the edge of the platform. Glancing to the crystal saucer, and then to the glinting weapon that you hold in your hands, suddenly his nerve breaks. He kicks a lever at the edge of the platform and a trapdoor springs open to reveal a dangling rope. Cursing you and vowing eternal revenge, he scrambles through the trapdoor and slides rapidly down the rope to the hall below. As he runs towards the door your first instinct is to pursue him, to prevent him from getting away. But your Kai senses warn you that the storm is peaking. Unless you smash the last remaining rune, the Vaag will materialize and Vandyan will have won.

You draw back your weapon and take aim at the rune which lies in its crystal saucer, surrounded by a glowing halo of dark energies. Crackling arcs of power leap across the storm-swept aperture, and in the hollow of the whirling clouds above, you glimpse a legion of bat-winged horrors spiralling down towards the hall. It is the Vaag: they have been summoned.'

You strike the rune a mighty blow that explodes it into a thousand fiery shards. At once there is a screeching cacophony of noise and the platform bucks like a wild stallion as the evil power of the rune is sucked out of the hall and into the heart of the raging storm. Desperately you cling to the floor as seething rays of electrical fire dance around the edges of the aperture and arc back and forth between the ceiling and the hall below. Then a ghastly shriek echoes above the deafening noise as the approaching Vaag are consumed by fire and lightning. As their dying cries fade, so the storm abates, and you are able to stagger to your feet and take hold of the parapet rail with both hands.

Gasping for breath in the dust-choked air, you look down and see a patrol of Eldenoran guardsmen come rushing through the door. Vandyan is with them, bellowing orders and threatening them with death if they should allow you to escape. The guards are armed with bows, and when they see you standing at the edge of the platform, they immediately take aim and open fire.

(I use my bow)

You draw an Arrow to your Bow and take aim at Vandyan. Enemy missiles whistle past within inches but you do not flinch. Coolly you release your shaft and it flies true, yet an unwitting guard runs in front of his master and it is he who perishes when your arrow pierces his heart. This close shave makes the cowardly Vandyan immediately take cover behind the hall door, from where he barks orders to his men to advance towards the platform. Fearful of being cut off, you shoulder your Bow and hurry towards the open trapdoor.

You scramble through the trapdoor and slide down the rope to the hall below. You have barely touched the floor when a snarling guardsman rushes forwards and swings his battle-axe at your legs. Instinctively you leap high and avoid his clumsy blow and, at the height of your jump, you lash out with your foot and catch the Eldenoran squarely under the chin. The force of your kick lifts him off his feet and leaves him sprawled unconscious on the floor.

Arrows zip past and one rips the cuff of your tunic. Before the archers can reload and fire again, you rush to the edge of the pit and leap over the rail. Your fall is broken by the body of a Vorka and you are able to rise quickly to your feet. As you race across the debris-strewn pit towards the archway in the far wall, you hear Vandyan screaming maniacally at his guards. Arrows whistle down and some pass dangerously close as you duck and weave your way towards the distant arch.

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

(I toss a 6 and get a 8)

You are within 5 feet of the archway when an arrow grazes your scalp and makes you stumble to the ground: lose 1 ENDURANCE point.

Immediately you scramble forwards on your hands and knees to the cover of the archway and, once you are hidden from Vandyan’s men, you leap up and make good your escape.

You run along a wide, low-ceilinged tunnel that is strewn with the corpses of Vorka, all of whom perished the moment you destroyed the rune which empowered their existence. The tunnel enters an armoury where furnaces now blaze unattended, and ends at a ramp that ascends to an open gate. Through this gate you glimpse the starry night sky and the rooftops of Duadon’s East Quarter. This is a welcome sight for it holds the promise of escape from Skull-Tor. As you reach the ramp you increase your pace and run swiftly towards the gate but, as you are nearing the top, your path is blocked by a hulking, blue-skinned giant. At once you recognize this creature to be an Ogron, a notoriously dull-witted breed but one much suited to hard labour. The Ogron who faces you now is an armourer and he is carrying a heavy double-handed warhammer. You order him to let you pass, but your command is angrily countermanded by Vandyan’s guards who have entered the tunnel behind you. They order the Ogron to attack you, and readily he raises his great warhammer and takes a swipe at your head.

Ogron (with Warhammer): COMBAT SKILL 42 ENDURANCE 42

( I don't use KS and from just Mindblast I have a 8. I toss 0. Autowin)

Your killing blow sends the Ogron tumbling down the ramp towards the onrushing guardsmen. They sidestep his body, and two of them let loose a parting arrow at your back as you disappear through the open gate which leads to Cillan Square, the paved thoroughfare surrounding the stronghold of Skull-Tor.

The worst of the storm has abated and the night sky is cloudless and clear, yet this does little to assist your escape from Vandyan’s dreaded fortress. The moon is full and the surrounding streets and houses are illuminated by its ashen rays. On reaching the square, you immediately turn to the north in the hope of finding a way to get back to the cooperage in Flank Street. The square is littered with the bodies of Vorka, and many Eldenoran citizens have left their beds to examine this disturbing spectacle. They huddle in groups on street corners and speculate in hushed tones about the likely demise of their leader.

You are hurrying along the northern flank of Cillan Square when suddenly you hear a sound that puts ice in your veins.

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 05:14 PM

From the battlements of Skull-Tor there arises a shrieking wail. At first this terrible sound reminds you of the ghastly howl emitted by the Vaag when they were consumed by the raging storm, but then you look to the fortress and quickly you determine that this is no supernatural sound: it is an alarm siren. Shortly after the shriek of this alarm is heard, you see the portcullis rise at Skull-Tor’s North Gate. A troop of cavalry gallops forth, and you note that each trooper is carrying a burning torch in one hand and a Bor pistol in the other. Fear returns to chill your blood when you sense that you have been spotted from the battlements, and this troop of cavalry has been dispatched to ride you down.

You break into a run and race along the paved avenue towards the western flank of Cillan Square. As you near the corner you see the saddle-maker’s shop where you and Hulsta first gained entry to the tunnel below Skull-Tor. You are sprinting across the avenue towards an alleyway that runs alongside the shop when the cavalry comes bearing down on you from behind. The captain screams an order to his men to open fire and the thunderous report of their pistols explodes in your ears.

You gasp with pain as a solid lead ball clips your right thigh, an inch above the knee: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.

Using your Kai healing skills, you easily staunch the trickle of blood from your wounded leg and you are able to reach the welcoming darkness of the alleyway without slowing your pace. You have good reason to curse your ill fortune at having been hit at all by this shot, for Bor pistols are notoriously inaccurate, especially when fired from the saddle. However, you can draw some comfort from the fact that the other twelve pistol balls that were discharged at your back all missed you by a wide mark.

You follow the alleyway to the rear of the saddle-maker’s shop where six passages converge from different directions. Here you rely upon your Magnakai Pathsmanship skills to find the one that leads back to Flank Street. The cavalry troopers are dismounting, and you can also hear foot soldiers marching at the double along Cillan Square; they have been sent by Vandyan to assist in hunting you down. They rush into the alleyway in hot pursuit but they quickly lose your trail upon entering the maze of passages that lie beyond.

You retrace your route through the passages and, as you turn the final corner, you are relieved to see that the alleyway behind Hulsta and Delissa’s shop is empty of troops.

You enter the rear yard of the cooperage and climb the stairs to the parlour above the workshop. Delissa hears your approaching footsteps and she opens the door as you reach it. Having heard only one set of footfalls on the stairs, she already suspects that something is wrong. But as soon as she sees the sadness in your eyes, her worst fears are confirmed.

You comfort Delissa as best you can and assure her that Hulsta’s sacrifice was not in vain. ‘The Vorka have been destroyed and the Runes of Agarash have been shattered,’ you tell her, ‘yet without Hulsta, this vital mission could not have been accomplished.’ Your thoughtful words ease her sorrow, but before she has had time to grieve the loss of her husband, she is suddenly confronted by a threat to her own survival.

You can hear soldiers with dogs running along the alleyway behind the yard. You wait for them to disappear, but to your shocked surprise, they suddenly stop and bang on the rear gate and demand to be let in.

‘Quick! Go and change into some of Hulsta’s clothes. You’ll find them in there,’ she says, and she points to a closet door. ‘I’ll go down to the yard and try to get rid of them.’

You do as she says and quickly you discard your Eldenoran tunic and breeches. You bundle them together with your Kai journeyman clothes, and then you dress quickly in a shirt, breeches, and jacket that you find in the closet. The clothes are a little too large but you do not mind. Only when you pull on a pair of Hulsta’s boots do you thank Ishir that they are a perfect fit. You are about to reach for one of Hulsta’s caps when suddenly you hear soldiers and dogs entering the yard.

(I stay where I am)

You hide your bundle of uniforms, your Weapons, and your equipment in the closet, and then you sit down at a table that is lit by a solitary candle. As you listen to the movements going on in the yard outside, you browse through one of several books that you find lying on the table.

Suddenly the parlour door is thrown open and in come two Eldenoran guards and a hunting dog. The dog sniffs the air and growls menacingly.

(I use Animal Mastery)

You draw upon your Discipline of Animal Mastery to subdue the dog, and the effect of your suggestion is immediate and irresistible. The dog stops growling and comes bounding towards you like a carefree puppy. You pat and stroke him, and he licks your hand affectionately.

‘Well I’ll be!’ exclaims one of the guardsmen. ‘You certainly ’ave a way with dogs. Ol’ Bloodfang don’t normally take to strangers.’

His companion looks at the playful hound and he shakes his head incredulously. ‘I’ve never seen him like this before,’ he says. ‘I’ve seen ’im bite a few hands off in his time, but I ain’t ever seen him lick one!’

Your control over the dog greatly impresses the two soldiers and they choose to forget about searching the parlour and its adjoining rooms. After a few minutes they put their dog on a leash and then they return to the yard. You stand in the doorway and watch as they, and four other guardsmen, make a thorough search of the barrels stored along the rear wall.

‘What’s all the fuss?’ you call out, much to Delissa’s surprise.

‘We’re looking for an enemy spy,’ retorts one of the soldiers.

‘He’s wearing a cavalry scout uniform,’ says another. ‘Have you seen or heard anything unusual tonight?’

‘No,’ you reply. ‘The storm kept us awake. We’ve heard nothing o’er that.’

The guards appear satisfied with your account and they call off their search. They bid you both goodnight and leave by the rear gate. When she is sure they have gone, Delissa quickly returns to the parlour and locks the door behind her.

‘Vandyan is out for revenge,’ says Delissa, as she hurries to her bookcase. ‘He must have sent every guard in the city out hunting for you this night.’ She opens the secret compartment that contains the plans of Skull-Tor, and removes a clear crystal sphere that lies beneath them. You recognize that this sphere is a seeing stone, for Gwynian possesses one that is identical. It is through the use of these seeing stones that he has maintained contact with his agents in Duadon. Delissa places the stone on a table and she recites the arcane words which activate it. A milky mist swirls at its core and then rapidly it dissipates to reveal Gwynian’s smiling face.

The wise sage congratulates you for the success of your mission. He tells you that the Vorka have been destroyed and the Eldenoran armies are retreating on every front. He is saddened to hear of Hulsta’s death and he consoles Delissa with the promise that her husband will be remembered and revered as a hero in the years to come. She is heartened by his kind words and she reaffirms her vow to help keep you safe until you are able to return to your homeland.

Gwynian informs you both that a rendezvous has been arranged to take place at dusk in three days’ time. You are to meet with Guildmaster Banedon aboard his flying ship Cloud-dancer at a place called ‘Xaitar’s Rock’. It is a landmark located in the hills 10 miles to the north of Duadon, close to the Luyen road. Delissa says that she knows it well.

‘Banedon will take you to Varetta where we shall meet again soon at the Halls of Learning,’ says the sage. ‘But until that glorious day, you must remain vigilant. You have dealt Vandyan a mortal blow. Now that his days are numbered, he will do everything in his power to avenge the destruction of the runes. Be warned, Grand Master. A viper is most dangerous when it knows it is doomed.’

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 05:22 PM

Delissa has already prepared the route by which you can escape from Duadon. One of the ancient tunnels of Skull-Tor passes directly below the city’s North Gate and it emerges in the middle of a coppice less than a mile from the city wall. She and Hulsta found a way to enter this tunnel through the cellar of a warehouse located less than half a mile from the cooperage. Hulsta scouted the tunnel before you arrived in the city, but Delissa is anxious to ensure that the way is still clear now that Vandyan’s troops are out hunting for you.

Shortly after dawn, she leaves the cooperage to scout the surrounding streets. When she returns an hour later, you sense that she is anxious and disappointed.

‘Vandyan’s men have discovered the tunnel,’ she says, despondently. ‘They have sealed it off and posted guards around the building. The watch on the battlements and at the city gates has been trebled, and a reward has been placed on your head.’ She takes a scroll from her pocket and gives it to you. When you unfurl it you see your own face depicted upon the parchment. Below is printed the sum of 10,000 Gold Crowns, and the words: ‘For delivery of this man’s body to Skull-Tor. Dead or Alive’.

‘They are posted on every street corner,’ she says, shaking her head. ‘It is not safe for you to leave the cooperage—everyone is looking for you. Duadon is awash with rumour. The Vorka have perished and the Eldenoran army is in retreat. The citizens fear retribution at the hands of those who were overrun by Vandyan’s horde, and as for Vandyan himself, they say he has gone mad with rage. He has ordered his most feared troops—the Sinistrari—to return to Duadon at once to lead the hunt for you. They are riding from Luyen and will arrive tomorrow.’

Delissa insists that you remain hidden in the parlour over the next two days. She hopes that Vandyan may begin to believe that you fled Duadon immediately after your escape from Skull-Tor, and that you are no longer to be found in the city. Her reasoning seems to be borne out by a reduction in the number of guards she sees patrolling the streets at the end of the second day. But when the third day arrives, you can no longer afford to lie low and wait for Vandyan to release his iron grip upon this city. You must reach Xaitar’s Rock before nightfall in order to rendezvous with Guildmaster Banedon.

Now that the tunnel can no longer be used, you formulate a new plan to escape from Duadon by way of the city’s North Gate. Delissa prepares a disguise for you, using theatrical make-up and a wig, and she also creates a convincing story to explain your departure from the city. You are to play the role of her cousin, and the two of you will be leaving Duadon bound for Luyen in order to tend to Delissa’s sister who has suddenly been taken ill. It is a bold plan, and as the hour of your departure draws closer, you offer up a prayer to Goddess Ishir in the hope that she will grant it her blessing. (Having rested for three days, you may now restore 9 ENDURANCE points to your current total.)

Delissa makes the final preparations before your departure from the cooperage. She dismisses the apprentices and closes the shop, and then she helps you to apply your disguise. When she is satisfied that you will pass for her cousin Jac, you leave the parlour and collect two saddled horses from a small stable at the rear of the workshop. You mount up and Delissa leads the way along an alley that gives access to Flank Street. At the end of the street you arrive at a plaza located before the city’s North Gate. It is late afternoon, a time when this square is normally crowded with people, yet as you ride towards the north gatehouse you can count the number of citizens that you see on the fingers of one hand.

On reaching the gate you are challenged by the spear-wielding guardsmen and told to dismount. Delissa protests, and she demands to see the Sergeant of the Guard. The sergeant arrives and greets Delissa with a wide smile. They are old friends. The sergeant listens sympathetically to her story that you are her cousin and together you are bound for Luyen to nurse her sick sister. When she has finished her tale, the sergeant nods his approval to a face that is peering out from a window of the gatehouse. Moments later you hear the rattle of heavy chains and the grinding noise of moving gears.

As you are waiting for the heavy gate to rise, the sergeant turns to you and asks: ‘Are you from Luyen?’ You nod your reply. ‘Ah, ’tis a fine place. I have a cousin there, myself. He’s an armourer by the name of Daliem. He has a shop in the centre of the city, at the Square of the Dragons. Perhaps you know him?’

(I use Telegnosis)

Your mastery of Telegnosis warns you that the sergeant is trying to trick you. There is no ‘Square of the Dragons’ in the centre of Luyen. You tell him this and suggest that he must be mistaking Luyen for some other city. He laughs: ‘Of course, of course. I meant Kron. My cousin Daliem lives in Kron, not Luyen.’

The rising gate reaches its full height and creaks to a halt. The sergeant bids you both a safe journey and his guardsmen move aside so that the way is clear for you to leave Duadon.

As you ride along the highway that heads north from Duadon, you see in the distance a pair of grassy hillocks. The highway passes between them before rising to a cultivated plateau which is crisscrossed with irrigation channels. You are drawing closer to the hillocks when you notice two units of armoured riders are stationed here, one unit on either side of the road. These horsemen are clad in fearsome suits of black armour, embellished with skulls and scarlet dragons, and their mounts are similarly protected by plates of burnished steel that shimmer like liquid fire in the light of the setting sun.

‘Sinistrari!’ whispers Delissa. ‘Ishir protect us!’

Coolly you steer your horse along the highway at a steady pace and pass beneath the watchful gaze of Vandyan’s élite troopers. The mounting tension draws beads of cold perspiration from your brow, but these enemy riders offer you no challenge and you are able to continue unhindered. As you emerge from the hillocks, you whisper to Delissa out of the side of your mouth. ‘Just keep riding … and don’t look back!’

It is not until you reach the safety of the plateau that you dare glance back over your shoulder at Vandyan’s horsemen, now five miles distant. Beyond them, silhouetted black against the darkening sky, you see the walls of Duadon and the domed peak of Skull-Tor. Now that you are safely beyond reach, you raise your fist and give voice to a defiant cry of victory.

‘For Sommerlund and the Kai!’

It is nearly dark when you enter the hills and ride with Delissa to your rendezvous at Xaitar’s Rock. Within minutes of arriving at this spire of weathered granite, you see a thin sliver of light in the darkening sky. You magnify your vision and your heart skips a beat when you see that this sliver is the sleek metal hull of Cloud-dancer—Guildmaster Banedon’s wondrous flying ship—fast approaching from the southwest.

Banedon brings his vessel to a halt directly above the spire of rock. Then a landing cage is winched down and a young Toranese crewman beckons you and your companion to step inside. Your stomach flutters as the cage is hoisted up to the deck of the flying ship where the Guildmaster himself is waiting to greet you and congratulate you upon the success of your mission.

Within minutes of your arrival aboard, a new route is charted and Cloud-dancer is set on course for the city of Varetta. The journey by air takes little more than two hours and, although darkness has fallen, Banedon has little difficulty locating the city. Its siege-damaged walls are ringed with beacons of fire that are visible from 50 miles. As you draw closer, you see the lifeless remains of the Vorka horde spread out across the plain surrounding Varetta, and the regiments of the Freeland Alliance marching proudly towards the city gates. The beacons guide Banedon’s craft towards the centre of the city where it is made to hover above the Halls of Learning. Swiftly you are lowered by cage to the grounds of this magnificent building where the New Order Kai are encamped. You are greeted by the thunderous cheer of your fellow kinsmen, and the proud embrace of Lone Wolf and Gwynian the Sage. It is a joyful and victorious reunion, one that will live forever in your memory and in the legends of the New Order Kai.

News of your arrival spreads quickly through Varetta and you are fêted by its grateful citizens. By your brave action, the cruel siege of their city was lifted. Following a night of celebration, Lone Wolf orders you to return in triumph to the Kai Monastery aboard Cloud-dancer the next day. He will ride home with the New Order and arrive with them in a week’s time. Gladly you obey your leader’s command, and shortly before noon you wave farewell to your proud brothers from the deck of Banedon’s magnificent flying ship.

Early the next day, you arrive at the Kai Monastery and deliver the glad news of your victory at Skull-Tor. Warmly the defenders praise your achievement and listen in awe when you recount the details of your perilous mission. You inform them that Lone Wolf and the Kai crusaders are returning from Varetta and will arrive at the monastery one week from today. You are now the highest ranking Kai present at the monastery and so you take charge and oversee preparations for their welcome home.

Five days pass and the preparations are completed ahead of schedule. Everyone is looking forward with eager anticipation to their return. It is late in the afternoon when a Kai scout named Gold Rain arrives unexpectedly at the monastery. His face and clothes are badly travel-stained, and it is clear from his state of near-exhaustion that he has ridden hard without rest. You are hoping that he brings glad tidings, but you soon learn the contrary. Gold Rain has grave and shocking news to impart.

You learn that Lone Wolf has disappeared. During an overnight encampment on the outskirts of Ruanon, your leader was abducted. Those who witnessed the abduction said that Lone Wolf was engulfed by a whirling black shadow that fell upon him from out of a stormy sky. So swift was the attack that your fellow Grand Masters were unable to prevent him from being carried away.

A cold chill runs down your spine when you listen to Gold Rain’s report. His description of the whirling black shadow is identical to the form adopted by Zorkaan the Soultaker. You are filled with a gnawing sense of doubt, a fear that the destruction of the rune used by Vandyan to summon Zorkaan did not bring about the fell creature’s demise. Instead, it has trapped Zorkaan on Magnamund. Immediately you suspect that Lone Wolf’s abduction is an act of revenge. Your Sixth Sense tells you that Lone Wolf is still alive and present somewhere upon Magnamund, but you cannot determine where that place is.

You have achieved a great victory at Duadon, but the shocking news of Lone Wolf’s disappearance casts a shadow of doubt over your triumph there. You fear that the loss of your illustrious leader is too high a price to pay for the defeat of Vandyan and his Vorka hordes. Your natural instinct is to do everything in your power to find Lone Wolf and release him from his shadowy abductor. But this will be a great and difficult task, one that is sure to test your bravery and skills to the limit. If you have the courage and resolve of a true Grand Master, the challenge of finding and freeing Lone Wolf awaits you in the next exciting adventure, entitled:

Trail of the Wolf

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 05:25 PM

Review of Rune War

This was the first gamebook of the series. The sections weren't loaded with 4 or 5 paragraphs each,it was shorter, and had loads more combat! I liked the throwback.

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 09:21 PM

Begin Trail of the Wolf

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 09:22 PM

The Story So Far …

You are a Grand Master of the New Order of the Kai—the warrior élite of Sommerlund.

It is autumn of the year MS 5083, thirty-three years after the First Order of the Kai was nearly wiped out by the Darklords of Helgedad. These champions of evil, who were sent by the Dark God Naar to destroy your fertile world of Magnamund, have since been destroyed. Lone Wolf, the leader of your illustrious fighting order, was the only survivor of the massacre. As a young Kai initiate he stood amidst the burning wreckage of the old Kai Monastery and vowed to avenge the slaughter of his comrades. In the year MS 5070 he kept his pledge when alone he infiltrated the foul domain of the Darklords and destroyed the infernal city of Helgedad, the base of their evil power.

With the fall of Helgedad, chaos befell the Darkland armies who had, until then, been poised to conquer all Magnamund. Quickly their disorder escalated into a mutinous civil war which allowed the Freeland Alliance armies of Magnamund time enough to recover and launch a successful counter-offensive. Against all odds, a swift and total victory was secured over the feuding armies of evil.

Following the demise of the Darklords, peace has reigned in your homeland of Sommerlund. Under the direction of Lone Wolf the ruined Monastery of the Kai was rebuilt and restored to its former glory, and the raising of a New Order of Kai warriors was swiftly established. You are one of this new generation of Kai recruits. You were born in Sommerlund in the year MS 5063, during the time of the war against the Darklords. When you were seven years old you were sent by your father to the Kai Monastery. There, under the tutelage of Lone Wolf, you developed your martial skills and honed the special Kai abilities which lay dormant within you. During the years that followed, your skills were nurtured and sharpened to perfection by long hours of study and rigorous training. Your exceptional talents have helped you to master all of the Kai and Magnakai Disciplines, and you have risen swiftly through the ranks of the New Order to become one of only five who now hold the high rank of Kai Grand Master. It is an achievement which has brought great honour upon you and your family.

In the year MS 5077 your skill and courage were put to the test when an attack was launched upon the Kai Monastery during Lone Wolf’s absence. By means of a Shadow Gate (an astral corridor between the physical world of Magnamund and the many ethereal domains which lie beyond it), Naar sent forth a host of dragon-creatures to besiege the monastery and lay waste to all Sommerlund. He had chosen his time well, yet his evil plan was thwarted by the tenacious defence that you and your brethren maintained until the siege was raised by Lone Wolf and the King’s Army of Sommerlund.

During the six years that have elapsed since the defeat of his minions, Naar has endeavoured to enact his vengeance upon the Kai. He commands many agents of evil upon Magnamund, and they wait quietly in the shadows for the day when they may serve their fell master. One such agent was Lord Vandyan of Eldenora. Guided by Naar, Vandyan sought and found three ancient runes of evil. Empowered by his discoveries, Vandyan summoned a vast army of reptilian warriors—the Vorka—and he used them to conquer and occupy the lands of his peaceful neighbours. Emboldened by his martial successes, Vandyan then carried the war further afield.

By mid-summer of this year his army had overrun much of central Magnamund, including the realm of Lyris—one of Sommerlund’s oldest allies. From war-torn Lyris there arrived at the Kai Monastery an old man called Gwynian the Sage. He was a learned scholar and was revered by the Kai for he had aided Lone Wolf on many occasions in the past. He entreated your leader to help save his country from Vandyan’s horde. Without hesitation, Lone Wolf pledged to mount a Kai crusade to raise the siege of Varetta, its capital city.

The Vorka had been the key to Vandyan’s military successes and he had a seemingly endless supply of these reptilian fighters. In order to defeat Vandyan and save Lyris, Lone Wolf knew that he had to cut off Vandyan’s supply of Vorka reinforcements at their source. Gwynian had agents in Duadon, the capital of Eldenora, who had sent word that thousands of Vorka were being created inside the city. This was the source of the enemy’s horde.

Gwynian’s agents in Duadon had confirmed that Vandyan’s runes were being kept in the city’s stronghold, a daunting fortress called Skull-Tor. Lone Wolf asked you to travel alone to Duadon to make contact with Gwynian’s agents. They knew a secret route into the fortress and would help you to gain entry. Once inside, you were to find and destroy the runes as quickly as possible. Upon completion of the mission, the agents would assist you to evade Vandyan’s troops. The thought of venturing hundreds of miles behind enemy lines to undertake such a dangerous quest filled you with a sense of foreboding. Yet, you also felt greatly honoured to have been chosen for the mission and you did not flinch from your duty.

Your journey to Duadon was fraught with many perils, yet you overcame them all and made contact with Gwynian’s agents. With their help you gained entry to Vandyan’s stronghold of Skull-Tor and destroyed the evil runes, thereby extinguishing the source of the power by which the Vorka horde were permitted to exist. Vandyan’s army dissolved and the Kai were then able to enter Lyris and raise the siege of Varetta.

During your mission in Skull-Tor, you discovered that the Vorka were not the only creatures that Vandyan had summoned by the power of the runes. A demonic entity called Zorkaan the Soultaker had also been brought to Magnamund from his lair upon the Plane of Darkness—the ethereal domain of Naar. Having fought and defeated this creature, you believed that he had perished forever when subsequently you smashed the runes. Sadly, this was not so.

Following your victory at Skull-Tor you were met by Guildmaster Banedon, the leader of Sommerlund’s Guild of Magicians, who spirited you away from Duadon aboard his flying ship Cloud-dancer. Within minutes of your arrival aboard, a route was charted and a course set for the city of Varetta. The journey by air took little more than two hours and, although darkness had fallen, Banedon’s skilled crewmen had little difficulty locating the city. Its siege-damaged walls were ringed with beacons of fire that were visible for fifty miles. As you drew closer, you saw the lifeless remains of the Vorka horde spread out across the plain surrounding Varetta, and the regiments of the allied armies marching proudly towards its gates. The beacons guided Banedon’s craft towards the centre of the city where it was made to hover above the Halls of Learning, Gwynian’s home. Swiftly you were lowered by cage to the grounds of this magnificent building where the New Order Kai were encamped. There you were greeted by the thunderous cheer of your fellow kinsmen, and the proud embrace of Lone Wolf and Gwynian the Sage. It was a joyful and victorious reunion, one that will live forever in your memory and in the legends of the New Order Kai.

News of your arrival spread quickly through Varetta and you were fêted by its grateful citizens. By your brave action, the cruel siege of their city had been lifted. Following a night of celebration, Lone Wolf ordered you to return in triumph to the Kai Monastery aboard Cloud-dancer. He chose to ride home with the New Order and was expected to arrive in a week’s time. Gladly you obeyed your leader’s command, and shortly before noon you waved farewell to your proud brethren from the deck of Banedon’s magnificent flying ship.

Early the next day, you arrived at the Kai Monastery and delivered the glad news of your victory at Skull-Tor. Warmly the garrison praised your achievement and listened in awe when you recounted the details of your perilous mission. You informed them that Lone Wolf and the Kai crusaders were returning from Varetta and would arrive at the monastery in seven days’ time. You were the highest ranking Kai present at the monastery and so you took charge and oversaw preparations for their welcome home.

Five days passed and the preparations were completed ahead of schedule. Everyone was looking forward with eager anticipation to their return. It was late that afternoon when a Kai scout called Gold Rain arrived unexpectedly at the monastery. His face and clothes were badly travel-stained, and it was clear from his state of near-exhaustion that he had ridden hard without rest. You were hoping that he had glad tidings, but you soon heard to the contrary; Gold Rain had grave and shocking news to impart.

You learned that Lone Wolf had disappeared. During an overnight encampment on the outskirts of Ruanon, your leader had been abducted. Those who witnessed the abduction said that Lone Wolf was engulfed by a whirling black shadow that fell upon him from out of a stormy sky. So swift was the attack that your fellow Grand Masters were unable to prevent him from being carried away.

A cold chill ran down your spine as you listened to Gold Rain’s report. His description of the whirling black shadow was identical to the form adopted by Zorkaan the Soultaker. You were filled with a gnawing sense of doubt, a dire fear that the destruction of the rune used by Vandyan to summon Zorkaan did not bring about the fell creature’s demise. Instead, it had trapped Zorkaan upon Magnamund. Immediately you suspected that Lone Wolf’s abduction was an act of revenge. Your Kai Sixth Sense told you that Lone Wolf was still alive and present somewhere upon Magnamund, but you could not determine exactly where that place was.

You had achieved a great victory at Duadon, but the shocking news of Lone Wolf’s disappearance cast a deep shadow over your triumph there. You feared that the loss of your illustrious leader was too high a price to pay for the defeat of Vandyan and his Vorka hordes. Your natural instinct was to do everything in your power to find Lone Wolf and release him from his shadowy abductor, but you knew not where to look.

Hurriedly you dispatched a rider to Toran and summoned Guildmaster Banedon to an emergency council at the Kai Monastery. He responded swiftly to your summons and arrived within hours aboard Cloud-dancer. He was accompanied by Lord Rimoah of Dessi, an Elder Magi magician who is also Lone Wolf’s oldest friend and advisor.

Rimoah confirmed your suspicions that Zorkaan had been summoned to Magnamund by the power of the runes. When you smashed the runes, this entity could not return to the Plane of Darkness from whence it had come. Inadvertently, your action had trapped Zorkaan upon Magnamund. The arrival upon your world of this powerful creature of evil had not gone unnoticed by the Elder Magi. From afar they had sensed Zorkaan’s presence and, through the use of their Old Kingdom magic, Rimoah and his fellow elders had charted his movements. For a short while, following the destruction of the runes, the creature had roamed the planet freely. But his freedom was soon curtailed.

Lord Rimoah then told you of an evil sorcerer called Xaol. He is a necromancer who dwells in hiding in Gazad Helkona, a former Darklord city-fortress located in the desolate wastes of northern Skaror. Xaol is also an agent of Naar who, since the demise of the Darklords, has patiently awaited the chance to serve his fell master. During the days before Lone Wolf’s abduction, Rimoah and the Elder Magi detected streams of psychic communication coursing between Gazad Helkona and the Plane of Darkness.

‘Naar was transmitting to Xaol the secrets of a Ritual of Binding by which the freed spirit of Zorkaan could once again be enslaved,’ said Rimoah. ‘We now know that this ritual was enacted successfully by Xaol in the stronghold of Gazad Helkona.’

‘Naar’s insatiable thirst for revenge is a menace that Lone Wolf has had to live with since the day he destroyed the Dark God’s champions,’ said Guildmaster Banedon. ‘He maintains his vigilance against the constant threat of assassination by the agents of Naar, yet it seems he’s been caught off-guard during the long march home to Sommerlund.’

‘Through the ritual enacted by Xaol, Naar has gained control over Zorkaan,’ replied Rimoah. ‘He sent this creature to assassinate Lone Wolf at a Kai encampment near Ruanon, yet the attempt was unsuccessful. Zorkaan failed to kill Lone Wolf … but he was able to subdue and abduct him.’

‘So where is Lone Wolf now?’ you asked, anxiously.

‘He is imprisoned in Gazad Helkona,’ replied Rimoah, ‘and he is in great peril. Only his Supreme Master Disciplines and the power of the Sommerswerd, his magical blade, have spared him from death by the hand of Naar’s foul creation. Your leader is brave and resourceful, but I fear that Zorkaan’s frequent attacks will weaken and eventually destroy Lone Wolf unless he is rescued quickly.’

Selflessly you volunteered to attempt such a rescue. Rimoah and Banedon were impressed by your courage and your confidence, and readily they agreed to help you achieve this difficult task. Rimoah informed you that Gazad Helkona is occupied by Xaol and his cohorts, which comprise Hammerland bandits and remnants of the army of Darklord Chlanzor, the former ruler of this city-fortress.

‘The stronghold is located in a remote volcanic region, surrounded by a petrified forest from which it takes its name. It is a difficult place to reach and assault by force,’ said Rimoah.

‘But where an army may fail, a single Kai may triumph,’ interjected Banedon, wisely.

At length you discussed the rescue and agreed upon a plan of action. Banedon will transport you aboard his flying ship Cloud-dancer to a valley in the Shezar Hills, situated fifty miles to the south of Gazad Helkona. Here you will disembark and then approach the fortress on foot. Banedon will remain aboard his flying ship, safely out of sight of Xaol’s lookouts, where he will await a telepathic signal from Lone Wolf to confirm his rescue. Upon receiving this signal, he will bring Cloud-dancer into the centre of Gazad Helkona in order to collect you both. If you are unable to complete your mission to set Lone Wolf free, you must make your own way back to the flying ship.

During your mission, Lord Rimoah and the Elder Magi will use their combined powers to disrupt the channel of communication that exists between Naar and his agent Xaol. Rimoah is confident that this action will serve to prevent Xaol from detecting the arrival of Cloud-dancer, and it will also help to keep secret your approach to his grim stronghold.

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 09:30 PM

Kai Grand Guardian

If you are a New Order Kai who has attained the rank of Kai Grand Guardian, you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:

Assimilance
Kai Grand Guardians who possess this skill are able to summon a cloud of fog-like vapour within 15 yards of their location. This fog will obscure both normal vision and infravision. The duration of the fog increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.

Herbmastery
Kai Grand Guardians who possess this Discipline are able to use their advanced knowledge of Herbmastery to produce explosive compounds from simple organic materials.

Elementalism
Through the use of this Discipline, Kai Grand Guardians are able to protect themselves from the effects of storm-force winds by creating a sphere of calm air around their bodies. Initially this protective bubble lasts for one minute, but duration steadily increases as a Grand Master ascends in Kai rank.

Grand Huntmastery
Kai Grand Guardians with this skill enjoy increased mobility when travelling across all types of terrain, whether on foot or on horseback. This improved ability can be very useful when used to outdistance a pursuing enemy.

Kai-surge
Kai Grand Guardians who possess mastery of this Discipline are able to attack up to three enemies in psychic combat simultaneously.

Kai-screen
Kai Grand Guardians who possess this Discipline are able to exercise a defensive psychic skill known as Mindblend. This cloaking ability enables a Kai Grand Guardian to protect their mind and also prevent it from being detected by a hostile psychic probe.

Magi-magic
Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian are able to use the following battle-spells of the Elder Magi:

Splinter—This causes breakable items such as bottles, jugs, mirrors, windows, etc., to shatter to pieces. The range of this spell increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.
Flameshaft—This causes the tip of any Arrow, or Arrow-like missile, to burn fiercely with a magical flame which cannot readily be extinguished by normal means.

I take Assimilance

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 09:34 PM

Sir Fox Fire, Kai Grand Guardian, Knight of Siyen

CS - 48/52/56
EP - 40

Grand Kai Disciplines:

1. Kai-Surge
2. Grand Weaponmastery with Axe, Bow, Dagger, Broadsword, Mace,
3. G. Pathsmanship
4. G. Huntmastery
5. Elementalism
6. Kai-Alchemy
7. Animal Mastery
8. Telegnosis
9. Assimilance

Special Items:

Kai Weapon Axe Alema, +5 normally and +7 vs undead
Temujan's Ring
Talisman of Defiance - +2 CS
Eye of Zhar - Allows control of snakes poisonous
Pouch of Seota Dust - +10 EP when eaten

Backpack:

Rope
Mealx2

Meals: 2

Weapons:

Bow

Crowns:

35

Arrows:

6

Safekeeping (Between game storage):

Scented Oil
Copper Cup
3 Candles
Lyre
Siyen Crown
Iron Skull
Shipwreck Dagger
Potion of Mustow
Potion of Aletherx3
Potion of Sedares
Potion of Laumspurx5
Silver-Inland Warhammer
90 Gold Crowns
Korlinium Sack
Dessi Bow
Silver Clasp
Nhang Doll
Bottle of Rice Wine
Bottle of Scava Liquor
Crystal Prism
Silver Mirror
Scroll of Introduction
Silver Signet Ring
Jeweled Knife
Stone Dagger
Siyenese Broad Sword
Battle Map
Flute
Hulsta's Hammer, Spike, and Saw
Eledoran Scout Uniform
Dungeon Keys
Skull-Tor Mace
Skull-Tor Wristband
Lantern

Note that I moved my two pots of Laumspur and my lantern from my backpack. I wasn't using them.

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 09:52 PM

You decide to begin your air voyage to the Shezar Hills at first light the following day. In the few hours which remain before dawn, both you and Banedon make final preparations for the long journey west. You summon to your chambers Winter Oak, a Kai Archmaster, and tell him of the mission you are about to undertake at daybreak. He is the most senior member of the garrison and you place him in command during your absence. The Kai crusaders are expected to arrive in two days’ time, and it will be his duty to inform them of your whereabouts and to keep the monastery safe until you and Lone Wolf return.

Having completed your preparations, you sleep for a few hours and rise shortly before dawn. Lord Rimoah escorts you to the monastery training park where, hovering above, you see the sleek hull of Cloud-dancer glinting in the moonlight. Rimoah has chosen not to accompany you on the voyage. Instead, he will remain here at the monastery and maintain contact with Banedon by means of a seeing stone. One of the ship’s lookouts sees you crossing the park below and he orders a boarding cage to be lowered from the stern deck. As you wait for it to touch the ground, Rimoah takes from his pocket a sigil of platinum fixed upon a loop of braided twine. He presses the amulet into your hand and insists that you wear it at all times.

‘It is an artefact imbued with Old Kingdom magic,’ he says, sagely. ‘It has protective powers that may help you when you enter Gazad Helkona. Lone Wolf possesses a similar sigil, and I am sure that it has helped him to resist Zorkaan thus far.’

You accept the sigil and slip its braided noose over your head. (Record this Platinum Amulet on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you wear around your neck. You need not discard another Special Item in its favour if you already hold the maximum number permissible.)

Lord Rimoah wishes you good luck as you step into the boarding cage in readiness to be winched up to the flying ship. Banedon is waiting on the stern deck to meet you and together you wave farewell to Rimoah as Cloud-dancer gets underway. Rapidly the monastery recedes from view as the ship ascends into the clouds and forges a course across the grey Durncrag Mountains. You retire with Banedon to his quarters where together you study his navigational charts. The Shezar Hills lie a thousand miles away on a southwesterly bearing, and Banedon anticipates your arrival there within twelve hours. During the voyage, Banedon recalls the year MS 5075 when he was abducted by Nadziranim sorcerers and imprisoned in the Darklord fortress of Kaag. Had it not been for Lone Wolf’s brave and determined effort to save him, he would have surely perished there. Although anxious about Lone Wolf’s abduction, Banedon is also grateful to have been given this chance to help you save his friend from a similar predicament. ‘The task you’ve undertaken will be difficult and dangerous,’ he says, ‘but I beseech you, Grand Master, not to forswear your vow to save your master.’ Readily you reassure Banedon of your iron resolve to rescue Lone Wolf, no matter what difficulties lie ahead.

It is shortly before dusk when Cloud-dancer approaches its destination. This is a shallow valley at the northwestern edge of the Shezar Hills, close to its border with the petrified forest of Helkona. You heed the lookout’s cry and go up on deck to observe the sullen landscape from the port rail. Meanwhile, Banedon takes command of the ship’s helm in readiness for a landing. As the craft descends, you survey the surrounding deadlands with trepidation. To the west, beyond the barren hilltops, a dull orangey light glows amidst the dust-choked clouds, proclaiming the hour of sunset. There is a strong sulphurous smell, and the distant hiss and rumble of active volcanoes lend further menace to this bleak, inhospitable landscape.

Banedon brings Cloud-dancer gently to earth where it settles into the smooth, dusty soil. As his crewmen busy themselves securing its anchorage, he helps you to disembark.

‘Godspeed and good fortune, Grand Master,’ he says, as you get ready to descend to the ground by ladder. ‘I shall await Lone Wolf’s signal with optimism. Remember, when you have freed your master, he must speak to me telepathically. Only when I have received his mental command shall I approach Gazad Helkona. I will bring Cloud-dancer into the centre of the city-fortress and look for your signal. May Ishir protect you both.’

You heed Banedon’s words and bid him farewell before descending to the ground. Then, with a final wave, you turn and trek north across the barren valley floor. In the distance there is an undulating ridge of hills which lie between you and the petrified forest of Helkona. In order to reach your final destination, the fortress at the heart of this dead timberland, you must first traverse this range of hills. You stop for a few moments to observe the hills in the failing light and determine two places where you may be able to cross them. The first is a narrow gully that bisects the range, and the second is a winding, windswept trail that ascends to the peak.

(I choose the Hills by way of the gully)

A cold wind arises from the north as dusk gives way to darkness. It whips the sulphurous dust into whirling eddies that skitter across the valley floor and dissolve into the encroaching gloom. Determinedly you trudge towards the mouth of the gully, your head lowered and your cloak drawn close about you to counter the blasts of grit that sting your face and hands. On entering the dry ravine you discover that its walls provide some protection from the wind-borne dust, but your movements are hampered as you sink knee-deep into the fine yellowish powder that has pooled in the base of the gully.

(I do have G Hunt and the right rank)

You use your advanced fieldcraft skills to prevent yourself from sinking any deeper into the treacherous yellow dust. This action enables you to follow the base of the gully as it cuts a winding course through the dust-blasted hills. You are within a few hundred yards of reaching the gully’s end when you are lashed once more by the gritty wind. As you tug the hood of your cloak down to protect your eyes, you suddenly hear a loud screeching caw echoing in the dark stormy skies.

You magnify your vision and scan the brooding sky. Swooping and soaring among the clouds overhead you glimpse two bat-winged creatures with scaly grey-green hides and long serrated beaks. One of these beasts is carrying a large object clamped in its mouth which the other is trying hard to wrest from its grasp. It claws at its rival’s neck, forcing the creature to drop the object which plummets to the ground and splashes into the dust at the exit from the gully. The creatures continue to struggle, tearing maniacally at each other with beak and claw, until they drop from the sky, both mortally wounded. With grim fascination you watch as they tumble to the ground, still locked in deadly combat, and slam into the dusty soil

(I investigate)

You crouch beside the broken neck of the Kraan and discover a tube of hide attached by a chain to its collar. You flip open the end of the tube and discover that it contains a hollow metal pipe drilled with holes.

(I do not have Bardery)

The vile smell of the Kraan’s carcass is making you feel nauseous. The crude metal pipe appears to be of no real value and so you discard it before leaving the body.

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 10:04 PM

With fearful disquiet, you take your first faltering steps into the dead forest of Helkona. This timberland reeks of sulphurous decay, and the perpetual half-light of the Darklands lends it a fearsome aspect. Guided by your Kai tracking instincts, you forge a northerly course through this poisoned maze of twisted trunks and thorn-guarded scrub, until you are halted by a violent tremor that makes the ground heave and split. You grab at a knotted bough to stop yourself from falling, but the rotten wood crumbles in your hand and you are knocked off your feet. Close by, a fissure opens in the dusty ground, and from its depths there emerges a host of giant black flies. They take to the air and swarm above you, their ghost-grey wings buzzing loudly. You sense that they are hungry and are preparing to launch an attack.

You unsheathe your Kai Weapon and dig your heels into the dusty soil to steady yourself as the first of the huge swarm comes plummeting out of the sky to attack you.

Helkona Direflies: COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 35

If you possess the Kai Weapon ‘Kaistar’, or ‘Raumas’, you may add the appropriate bonus gained from its unique properties

(I have never gotten an Alema boost, by the by. I toss a 5 and then a 8 and kill them. I took 2)

he few direflies that have survived your deadly blows quickly disperse. As they disappear above the trees, you wipe and sheathe your Kai Weapon before continuing your trek northwards.

Soon you come to a section of the forest where the trees are blanketed with webs that are woven together to form a dense, impenetrable barrier. Creamy-white gossamer strands are wound tightly around the trunks, and loose threads dangle from their twisted branches to flutter in the breeze. Trapped amidst this web are scores of giant direflies. They hang suspended like chrysalises, cocooned in acres of silken thread.

Cold sweat trickles down your face as you contemplate what could have constructed such a large and intricate web. Then your heart skips a beat when suddenly you detect movement within it.

( I do have Grand Path)

Your advanced Kai senses warn you of an ambush, but the threat does not come from the web; the danger lurks behind you. Instantly you spin around in time to see a large section of the ground opening up like a great trapdoor. From its subterranean lair, there emerges a colossal black spider. Its vast bulk is squeezed by the sides of the opening as it hoists itself out and perches on the lip of the aperture. Swivelling on jointed legs, this titanic arachnid clacks its fanged maw as it fixes you with a cluster of crimson eyes that rotate and pulsate hypnotically.

( I do not have Kai-Screen)

An unexpected wave of fatigue washes over your body, leaving you feeling weak and sleepy. You draw upon your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen to counter the seductive effect of the spider’s hypnotic powers, and at once the creature senses your resistance. Fearing that you may escape its clutches, it raises its great hairy forelegs and squirts forth a jet of clear fluid from a vent below its maw. Desperately you attempt to dive aside as this stream of sticky liquid comes gushing towards your chest.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked.

(I toss a 2 for a 4)

he liquid splashes your legs and quickly sets, its gluey fibres pinning you to the ground. You unsheathe your Kai Weapon and strive desperately to cut yourself free from this web before the giant spider leaps upon you.

Three well-aimed blows from your Kai Weapon set you free from the sticky web. You roll away from the sundered strands and spring to your feet in time to meet the creature’s advance. With a frightening turn of speed, it comes scuttling forwards with its maw agape. You gasp with horror as you brace yourself to repel its swift, vengeful attack.

Skryza: COMBAT SKILL 48 ENDURANCE 40

If you possess the Kai Weapon ‘Kaistar’ you may add the appropriate bonus gained from its unique properties.

(I have a +8 with KS. I toss a 2 and a 5 and then another 2. It took 27. I'm at 11. A 7 follows with a 6 finishing it off. I took a total of 17.)

The Skryza shrieks a deafening cry as your Kai blade steals its life away. Its legs buckle and its gross body crashes down, staining the dusty soil with the dark ichor that pours from its many wounds. Its sprawling legs continue to twitch and convulse for several minutes, even after death has laid claim to its evil soul.

As you step back from the dead spider, you hear the buzzing of giant direflies. They are swarming in readiness to return. You suspect that they must be attracted by the bitter stench of the Skryza’s blood, but it is also the opportunity for vengeance that is drawing them here. For years the Skryza has trapped and consumed thousands of their kind, but now the time has come for them to wreak their revenge.

Before the direflies appear, you escape into the trees. The webs prevent you from heading directly north, towards Gazad Helkona, and so you are forced instead to go east and detour around them. For five hours you trek through the dead forest before stopping to rest on the trunk of a fallen tree. You must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points (you cannot use Grand Huntmastery in this instance, for there are no flora or fauna that you can forage for in the petrified forest of Helkona)

(I have one meal left)

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 10:11 PM

Feeling revived after your brief rest, you decide to climb the tallest of the nearby trees in the hope that you can pinpoint your present location. Your effort is rewarded when you see the uppermost towers of Gazad Helkona rising above the tree-line less than fifteen miles to the northeast. With luck you should reach the fortress within four hours.

It is only an hour later when you happen upon a broad track through the forest. Its loose surface is rutted with wagon tracks, and when you look more closely, you discover evidence of traffic having passed this way recently in both directions. Bordering upon this trail are several prickly shrubs which are covered with tiny purple buds.

(I examine the purple buds)

At first glance these purple buds resemble tiny blackberries with prickly leaves and clusters of small fleshy drupelets, but on closer inspection you discover that they give off a pungent aroma that makes your eyes water.

(I do not have Herbery)

While leaning over to examine the brambles, you accidentally brush the back of your left hand against a cluster of buds. Within seconds, the skin erupts into a mass of painful yellow blisters: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.

Fortunately, your Magnakai Discipline of Curing rapidly counters the effect of the poisonous irritant contained within the purple buds. Cursing the poisonous fruits of this desolate forest, you turn away from the brambles and follow the trail northwards towards Gazad Helkona.

As you trudge along the rutted trail, you become aware that the night sky is beginning to brighten. Somewhere high above the perpetual blanket of cloud that engulfs this hateful territory, day is breaking. At length, the trail arrives at a junction where another broad track joins it from the west. There are no signposts to mark the way, but your Kai sense of direction steers you towards the east where a long slope ascends to a treeless ridge. When you come to the crest of this ridge and look beyond, you catch your first glimpse of the imposing walls of Gazad Helkona.

The broad-based fortress squats in a basin of rock at the centre of the petrified forest. Its coal-black walls are cracked and crumbling like some fossilized relic that is riddled with decay. Within its curtain wall, with its decrepit watchtowers and great iron gate, there are scores of minarets and needle-spires that seem to scratch malevolently at the passing clouds. You magnify your vision and you see that the emblem of Darklord Chlanzor is still emblazoned upon the rust-red surface of the fortress gate. It resembles a great black spider perched upon the surface of a blazing sun. Chlanzor may no longer be the commander of this stronghold, but the legacy of his rule remains.

You observe the fortress for several minutes and take in every detail of its foul design. The great gate is secure and well guarded, but you note two places where you may be able to effect an entry without being seen. The first is a breach to the west of the gate, where the wall has been undermined by a fissure of lava. The second is a great mound of rubble to the east of the gate, the remains of the upper storeys of a collapsed watchtower. By climbing the mound you could gain access to the fortress through an arrow slit.

(Ruined Watchtower, maybe I'll find some stuffs there)

You leave the trail and make your final approach to the fortress under cover of the petrified trees. The perimeter around the base of Gazad Helkona has been cleared and levelled to provide an unobstructed field of fire for its defenders. To enter this area would have once brought a swift and certain death, but now the fortress garrison numbers but a fraction of the troops that used to patrol the battlements during the time of Darklord Chlanzor’s rule, and you are quietly confident that you can cross this killing zone and reach the fallen tower without being seen.

Aided by your Kai camouflage skills, you zigzag across the killing zone and take cover among the shattered blocks of stone lying strewn around the base of the damaged tower. When you are sure that your approach has gone unnoticed, you clamber up the mound of rubble towards an arrow slit 20 feet above. Here you crouch on a narrow ledge and peer into the dingy chamber that lies beyond the opening.

Seated on a block of wood to the left of the aperture is an ape-faced creature with leathery, gnarled skin. It is scooping a grey, paste-like gruel from out of a stone bowl which it swallows after having sucked it noisily through its jagged fangs. You recognize that this creature is a Krorn, a cruel and ungainly breed of Agarashi that hails from the Hammerlands. While the Krorn is hungrily devouring its breakfast, you contemplate how you can gain entry to the chamber without the creature raising an alarm.

(I use KA)

Silently you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell Mind Charm and focus the power of this spell at the seated Krorn. You command the creature to put down its bowl of gruel and lie upon the floor. It complies with your orders, and when you command it further to go to sleep, it curls up into a ball and begins to snore softly.

Having rendered the tower lookout unconscious, you squeeze through the arrow slit and jump down into the chamber unopposed.

The moment your feet touch down upon the flagstones, you hear a high-pitched squeak somewhere above your head. You glance up and a shadowy blur flashes before your eyes. Instinctively, you lash out with your fist and you feel your knuckles connect with something small and furry. Your punch rockets the object across the chamber and slams it against the far wall. There is a crack of breaking bones, and you see a furry, bat-like creature tumble limply to the floor.

Having successfully incapacitated both the Krorn and its vengeful pet, you make a swift search of the watchtower chamber and discover the following items:

Iron Key
Sword
Halberd (Spear)
Enough food for 1 Meal
2 Gold Crowns
2 Arrows

Having completed your search, you leave the chamber by an iron door and lock it behind you. A flight of spiral steps leads down to the ground level where you discover a second door. This one is also unlocked. Carefully you pull it open a few inches and peer through the gap.

( I take the Iron Key, Meal, and Halberd, and I now have 37 crowns)

Beyond the door you can see the flagstoned approaches that lie within the main gate. Hammerland bandits draw pails of dirty grey water from a well by the south wall, and a patrol of sour-faced Drakkarim marches past them with their spears couched untidily on their shoulders.

You scan the streets of this city-fortress and note that there are no individual dwellings here. The buildings of Gazad Helkona are grouped into four vast hexagonal blockhouse complexes, each topped by a cluster of minarets and spires. They are connected to one another by bridges that span the wide avenues between. At the centre of the stronghold is a massive octagonal citadel. A broad ramp leads to its portcullised gate which is guarded by fifty armoured sentries. As you observe the citadel, you sense a powerful concentration of evil lurking somewhere within its jet-black walls. Its highest level is dominated by a domed observatory which emits a pulsating crimson light. Your Sixth Sense tells you that Lone Wolf is being held captive somewhere within this edifice, and it hardens your resolve to rescue him.

You quickly determine that the citadel gate is too heavily defended for you to dare risk entering by such a direct route. Instead, you resolve to get into this stronghold by one of the bridges that connect it to the surrounding blockhouse complexes. The nearest blockhouse is 100 yards from the doorway, and you can see two possible ways to enter. There are a pair of iron doors at ground level, and a staircase which leads up to a balconied landing.

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 10:22 PM

(Staircase seems quieter)

You wait until the way is clear before you leave the doorway and hurry across the street towards the stairs

You are within ten feet of the steps when a leathery black dog appears from a shadowy alcove and moves to block your path. It growls at you menacingly and fixes you with its baleful eyes. At once you recognize that this dog is a young Akataz, a vicious breed of Drakkarim warhound.

(I use AM)

You call upon your advanced Kai skill to order the malevolent dog to go away. Its growling quickly transforms into a pathetic whimper, and then its nerve breaks and it takes off along the street at a run.

As it disappears from view, you climb the stairs to the first floor where you discover a wooden door banded with criss-crossing strips of enamelled iron. At its centre there is a polished black handle and a dial which is ringed with numbers. You examine the dial closely and determine that it controls a combination lock. By turning the dial to its correct numerical setting, you will cause the lock to disengage and the door will open.

Using your Kai Sixth Sense, you discover that the correct setting is the same as the distance in miles that you travelled aboard the Cloud-dancer, from the Kai Monastery to the Shezar Hills, divided by the 50 miles that you travelled on foot from the Shezar Hills to Gazad Helkona.

(20)

The lock disengages with a soft, well-oiled snick6 and you push open the door just enough to allow you to slip inside. Beyond the door you discover a pillared hall, its circular walls bedecked with battered shields and torn banners captured in battle. In the oily glow of a sputtering lantern you see two Drakkarim seated at a wooden table in the middle of the hall. They are playing dice and neither warrior notices you enter.

Quietly you close the door and then hide behind one of the pillars which encircle this hall. Beyond the Drakkarim, you can see an archway in the opposite wall which leads to a flight of stone steps. This appears to be the only other exit from the hall and you resolve to reach it without being seen.

(I use Assimilance)

You make good use of your advanced Kai camouflage skills to skirt around the perimeter of this entrance hall unseen. As you pass through the archway and ascend the steps to a landing on a level above, you can hear the sounds of the Drakkarim playing their game of dice in the hall below, oblivious to your presence

Beyond the landing lies the entrance to a foul-smelling chamber, its floor littered with bones and scraps of rotting meat. Its walls are embellished with bas-reliefs showing demonic heads and bestial faces, with several humanoid creatures dancing in the background. They are partnered by scaly serpents that rise up from fissures in a volcanic landscape. To the right of the chamber you can see the remains of a granite altar that has been split asunder by some great force. Its riven fragments lie heaped before the entrance to a shadowy alcove. To the left, you see a black iron door with a peephole drilled near its centre. On the floor beside this door is a large wooden chest

(I search the room)

Beyond the landing lies the entrance to a foul-smelling chamber, its floor littered with bones and scraps of rotting meat. Its walls are embellished with bas-reliefs showing demonic heads and bestial faces, with several humanoid creatures dancing in the background. They are partnered by scaly serpents that rise up from fissures in a volcanic landscape. To the right of the chamber you can see the remains of a granite altar that has been split asunder by some great force. Its riven fragments lie heaped before the entrance to a shadowy alcove. To the left, you see a black iron door with a peephole drilled near its centre. On the floor beside this door is a large wooden chest

(I take the Copper Key. I use Tele)

Your Kai Mastery warns you that this secret panel is guarded by a magical trap. Your Sixth Sense reveals a way you can open the panel, but in so doing you will trigger the spell that has been placed here to protect it.

(I use KA)

You utter the words of the Brotherhood Spell Counterspell and direct its energy at the secret panel. Instantly there is a crackling discharge of power as your spell neutralizes the destructive force of the evil magic that protects this alcove. As soon as you detect that the panel is no longer booby-trapped, you work the blade of your Kai Weapon into the dry mortar surround and lever it open. Behind it you discover a hollow which contains a shiny black amulet, engraved with the spider and blazing-sun emblem of Darklord Chlanzor. It feels unusually cold to the touch, as if this item has been kept packed in ice. (If you wish to keep this Black Amulet, record it on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you carry in the pocket of your tunic.)

There are no other items secreted in the hollow and so you replace the panel and leave the alcove. You are passing the iron door when you hear the sound of voices coming from somewhere on the other side. Suspicion and curiosity prompt you closer and cautiously you place your eye to the door’s peephole.

( I take the Black AMulet)

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 10:33 PM

Through the peephole you can see the central section of a large, torchlit chamber. Seated here around a refectory table are three swarthy bandits attired in mercenary garb. The eldest of the group gulps wine from a battered pewter goblet as he talks loudly with another who is polishing a rust-pitted sword.

You magnify your vision and see a short tunnel receding from an archway on the far side of this chamber. At its end you notice the gloomy grey light of the city pouring through a semicircular portal. You focus on this distant light and your pulse quickens when you are able to make out a section of a bridge that connects this blockhouse complex to the central citadel. You appear to have found a route to the citadel, but in order to reach it you must find a way past the bandits occupying the hall beyond. Carefully you push against the cold iron door and feel it move on its hinges; it is unlocked.

(I have Assimilance and a high enough rank)

You draw upon your improved Kai Mastery in order to conjure a mist in the hall beyond. Moments later, you hear the bandits cry out in shocked surprise as inexplicably their chamber begins to fill with a dense white fog. Then the iron door opens and the bandits stagger out of the billowing mist, coughing and gasping for air. Stealthily you slip past them and enter the hall. Guided by your infravision, you hurry across this chamber and enter the clearer air of the tunnel which leads to the citadel bridge.

You enter the tunnel and follow it to an open portal where an iron platform juts from the wall of the blockhouse complex. Fifty feet below the platform is a broad thoroughfare that is busy with the traffic of bandit columns and Hammerland wagons newly-arrived from Cragmantle. A narrow bridge spans the gap between the platform and another which juts from the side of the central citadel. There you can see a dark, semicircular portal in the citadel wall that is open and unguarded.

The narrow bridge arcs towards the citadel platform, but its smooth span is broken in the middle by a hinged drawbridge. It is open and it hangs down, creating a gap at the apex that is 15 feet wide. You observe that this banded iron flap is operated by two heavy chains that run beneath the span. You magnify your vision and trace their route back to the base of a plinth which stands on the blockhouse platform, close by the entrance to the bridge. A winch handle protrudes from this plinth, but when you attempt to crank the chains taut, you find that it will not budge: it is locked in position. A closer inspection of the winch spindle reveals a keyhole at its centre.

(I use the Copper Key)

You retrieve the Copper Key from your Backpack and insert it into the keyhole. It fits, and when you twist it anticlockwise, the winch handle unlocks. You take hold of the handle and hurriedly you wind it until the drawbridge is fully raised. Then you relock the winch and pocket the key as you hurry across the bridge. On reaching the opposite platform, you stop to check that the coast is clear before entering the citadel of Gazad Helkona.

You follow a short semicircular tunnel that leads to a wide gallery encircling the upper section of a colossal hall. Peering over the parapet of the gallery, you look down on the red granite floor of the hall 50 feet below. Here you see Drakkarim and Giaks standing in idle groups around the lip of a deep lava-filled pit that looks as if it could descend all the way to the molten core of Magnamund. Motes of rust-coloured dust cling to every surface and the scorching air reeks of molten metal and sulphur.

An unbroken line of fiery bronze statues encircle the gallery, depicting former loyal servants of Darklord Chlanzor. You are casting your eye along their line when suddenly you see two of Xaol’s henchmen. They emerge from a passageway located next to a spiral staircase on the far side of the gallery. Quickly you take cover behind the nearest statue and watch as those two men, accompanied by a wolfhound, come walking around the gallery towards your hiding place.

(I do not have any Dargose Buds)

As the bandits and the wolfhound approach, you use your Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility to mask your body scent. This precaution prevents the wolfhound from detecting your presence, and the group pass by your hiding place unawares. You watch them enter the tunnel that leads to the exterior platform, and as soon as they disappear from view, you leave the statue and hurry around the gallery to the staircase opposite.

A short flight of iron steps ascends to a long, low-ceilinged hall. Its plastered walls are decorated with frescoes that depict enslaved humans, bedecked with chains and heads bowed in defeat, parading in a line before a triumphant group of Drakkarim warlords. At the far end of this hall you discover three doors recessed into the wall.

(I use Telegnosis)

Your Kai Mastery informs you that Lone Wolf is somewhere nearby. Encouraged by this feeling of certainty, you close your eyes and take hold of the Platinum Amulet that Lord Rimoah gave you before you left the monastery. Its powers help to focus your concentration as you try to determine which of the three doors will lead you to your imprisoned leader. You feel the faint warmth of Lone Wolf’s aura, but it is too weak for you to be sure of the direction you should follow. All that you can determine is that your leader cannot be found behind the left door.

(I choose right)

This strong oak door is inlaid with fancy steel marquetry that surrounds a shiny silver lockplate. You are kneeling to examine the handle and keyhole when you notice something protruding from the gap beneath the door. Your pulse races when suddenly you recognize this object.

At first you think you have found a large coin wedged under the door, but when you hook it with your fingernails and drag it out, you discover that this gold-plated disc is a cloak brooch. It is embellished with the insignia of a wolf’s head on a radiant sun, and instantly you recognize this emblem. It is the personal mark of Lone Wolf. Elated by your discovery, you take the brooch and press it to your forehead. Your Kai senses confirm your suspicion that this item was not lodged beneath the door by accident. Lone Wolf purposefully hid the brooch here in the hope that it would assist those who might attempt to rescue him.

Confident now that you have found his trail, you pocket Lone Wolf’s brooch (record this Wolf Brooch on your Action Chart as a Special Item) and attempt to pick the lock that secures this door.

(I do not have G. Nexus)

By the use of your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus, you are able eventually to unlock this door. However, it is a tedious and difficult task that saps your mental strength: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.

When at last you hear the mortise click open, you twist the steel handle and silently the door swings open to reveal a hall beyond. You enter, and the door closes behind you with a dull boom.

You find yourself standing in a hall that is flanked on either side by a row of human skeletons. They stand at attention with their spines pressed against the stone wall, and clasped in their bony hands are rusty polearms of differing type and origin.

At the far end of this torchlit chamber, you can see a pair of stout wooden doors reinforced with strips of polished steel. Cautiously you advance along the hall under the sightless gaze of the flanking skeletons, and upon reaching the doors you discover that they are secured by a combination lock. A single dial with a brass pointer is mounted upon a circular plate that is numbered 0 to 200 around its bevelled edge. You place the palm of your hand against the door, and a tingle of excitement runs down your spine when you sense that Lone Wolf is being held captive on the other side of these doors.

With the help of your Kai Sixth Sense, you determine that the number which will open the combination lock is the same as the solution to the following puzzle.

If A=1, B=2, C=3 (and so on through the alphabet until you reach Z=26), what is the total numerical value of the fortress of ‘Gazad Helkona’?

When you think that you have calculated the total, turn to the section of this book that is the same as your answer.17

If you calculate incorrectly, or if you are unable to answer this puzzle, turn instead to 183.

(Let me grab my calculator.....105)

When the dial clicks into position,10 the heavy wooden doors swing open and a gust of putrid air makes you swallow hard before you take your first cautious step into the hall beyond. You cast a suspicious eye around this circular chamber for it is illuminated by tall candles that radiate a cold, cyanic light. The floor is strewn with bones and human cadavers in varying states of decomposition, and the walls are hung with great silken tapestries depicting horrific scenes that glorify the power of death and decay.

As your eagle eyes penetrate the gloom, your pulse races when they fall upon Lone Wolf. He sits cross-legged within a sphere of translucent grey light that hovers three feet above the floor. His divine blade, Sommerswerd, is cradled in his lap, and his head hangs limply against his chest. At first you believe he is unconscious; then your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen detects that he is engaged in a desperate mental battle against a host of invisible enemies who are seeking to enslave his soul.

The shadowy prison-sphere that entraps Lone Wolf hovers before a vile throne constructed entirely of human skulls and bones. Seated here is a thin man attired in black robes edged with gold and scarlet braid. His pale skin and feverish dark eyes are touched by the bluish glow of the surrounding candles, accentuating his sinister mien. With an extended right hand he grasps the surface of a large crystal sphere that is fixed to a pedestal beside his throne. This crystal is hollow, but its core is filled with swirling black vapours that radiate a deathly chill. The robed man stares fixedly at the sphere and appears to be mesmerized by it. You magnify your vision, and when you focus your gaze upon the sphere, suddenly you fathom the secret of the terrible power contained within.

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 10:38 PM

The crystal sphere is not an artefact of this world. It was forged in Dazganon, the dread fortress of the Dark God Naar, upon the ethereal Plane of Darkness. The supernatural forces that exist within this sphere enable Naar to exert total control over his agent Xaol. Your Kai senses inform you that the destruction of this sphere would deal a severe blow to the Dark God. It would rob him of a means by which his influence can prevail on Magnamund.

Suddenly Xaol cries out in alarm, as if the evil necromancer has awoken from the grip of a nightmare. He snatches his hand away from the crystal sphere and points it at you accusingly. His dark eyes glare with madness when he spits out his chilling threat: ‘Foolish Kai. You are doomed. You and your weak master will never leave my hall alive!’

In the next instant, the doors to the necromancer’s hall crash shut and you are assailed by a terrible sound that fills your head with pain.

(I don't rock Kai-Screen)

Desperately you draw upon your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen to protect the fabric of your inner mind from this powerful psychic assault. Your defences knit together and form a wall that repels this attack, but not before you have suffered a painful psychic trauma: lose 4 ENDURANCE points.

The screeching wall of noise ceases abruptly, and you open your eyes to see Xaol the Necromancer staring at you aghast. Frantically he snatches up a black iron staff that rests beside his throne of bones, and then he leaps from his seat with surprising agility. You reach for your Kai Weapon as he comes bounding towards you, his staff poised to thrust at your head. He lunges, not with a rod of iron but with a living serpent. The necromancer’s staff has transformed into a deadly, hissing black snake. Hastily you retreat as the serpent’s dripping fangs strike out for your throat.

Xaol the Necromancer (with Serpent Rod): COMBAT SKILL 50 ENDURANCE 40

If you possess the Kai Weapon ‘Spawnsmite’ or ‘Valiance’ you may add the bonus that you gain from its unique properties during this combat.

(I have a +6 with KS. I toss 9 and 4. Then a 2. He took 33. I took 9. I toss a 7 and slay him and took 11 total from battle. )

Your killing blow brings Xaol staggering to his knees, gasping hoarsely. He drops his serpent staff and the instant it leaves his grasp, it shrivels up into a tight ball that hisses, smokes, and bubbles. Xaol falls to one side, his gaunt shaven head striking the bone-littered floor with a dull thud. Through blood-flecked lips he utters a curse, vowing one day to return from beyond the grave to wreak bloody vengeance upon you and the Kai. Then his dark eyes flicker and glaze over, and his thin frame convulses for a moment and falls still.

You leap over the withered remains of the necromancer and his cursed staff, and rush towards Lone Wolf. Slowly your master raises his tousled head and fixes you with his steely blue eyes. You sense that he has been greatly weakened by his ordeal. He has suffered much since his abduction, yet he has found the strength within himself to resist his cruel tormentors. Inspired by his resolute courage, you ask how you can free him from the prison-sphere. Lone Wolf mouths a reply, but you cannot hear him. Using your Magnakai Discipline of Divination you try to detect telepathic communication, but you sense that it is futile. No mind speech can penetrate the milky grey walls of Lone Wolf’s hovering prison. Then your leader glowers at the crystal sphere that is fixed atop a pedestal beside the throne of bones, and instantly you fathom his meaning. Slowly you mouth the words: ‘Must I destroy the sphere?’ Lone Wolf nods approvingly. Fired up by his directive, you raise your Kai Weapon and approach the crystal sphere. But before you come to within striking distance, a powerful gust of freezing air hits you in the chest and sends you reeling backwards to the floor.

You crash down heavily among the bones and cadavers that litter the necromancer’s hall, and a sharp pain shoots through your skull when you strike the back of your head against the hard marble floor: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.

As you are struggling painfully to your feet, you suddenly become aware of the arrival of a new and powerful evil in this hall. Instinctively you look to the crystal sphere, and your heart sinks when you see that its swirling black vapours are now oozing through the glassy surface. These sinister wisps of darkness draw together and swirl around the throne of bones like a small tornado. Then from the core of this whirlwind there issues a loud and hideous shriek that makes your blood run cold.

(Yes I've been to Duadon)

Instantly, you recognize the chilling shriek of Zorkaan the Soultaker, and you recall in vivid detail the combat that took place between you and this foul entity just a week ago in the citadel of Skull-Tor. Wary of his psychic powers, you muster your mental defences in readiness to counter any attack that he may launch upon your mind.

(I do not have Kai-Screen)

You draw upon your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen to erect a defensive wall around the core of your mind; then you brace yourself in readiness to meet the anticipated attack. Despite your preparations, you are deeply shocked by the power and sheer ferocity of Zorkaan when he unleashes his psychic assault. You reel under the bombardment of his incorporeal powers as they batter your mental defences (lose 3 ENDURANCE points), but you refuse to submit to his will and you survive this terrifying assault. As the attacks wither and fade, you sense Zorkaan explode with anger and frustration at having been thwarted by your formidable resolve.

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 10:56 PM

The whirling shadow of Zorkaan is shrinking and condensing. It coalesces to form a funnel of choking black fog that hovers menacingly above the corpse of the necromancer. The narrowest part of this swirling cone of darkness pierces the dead sorcerer’s chest and, in the blink of an eye, Zorkaan takes control of Xaol’s lifeless cadaver

Possessed by Zorkaan, the corpse of Xaol rises up from the floor and extends its twisted arms towards you. An unholy fire blazes in the necromancer’s eyes as he moves across the hall with unnatural speed. You pray to the Goddess Ishir for her protection as this ghastly zombie leaps upon you and attempts to fix its corpse-cold hands around your throat.

Xaol Zombie (possessed by Zorkaan): COMBAT SKILL 55 ENDURANCE 43

This possessed creature is immune to psychic attack. If you are wielding ‘Alema’ or ‘Valiance’, you may add the appropriate bonus gained through their unique properties. You may reduce the total damage inflicted upon you by 5 ENDURANCE points due to the protection you gain from wearing the Platinum Amulet. However, unless you possess the Discipline of Kai-screen, you must reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 3 for the duration of this combat.

(I am at 55 for this battle with KS. Let's do it! I have 13 damage left over from other reductions. I toss a 5, 6, and 0. I took 3, he took 27. I have survived three rounds of battle with him)

Your third blow severs Xaol’s corpse at the waist and the two halves tumble to the floor. For a few moments the sundered legs and the upper torso writhe blindly forwards with maniacal intent, but then the shade of Zorkaan abandons its crippled host and the two halves collapse and lie still. The funnel of dark vapour that is Zorkaan escapes into the upper reaches of the hall, where it disappears among the vaulted stone rafters. You scour the ceiling with all of your senses, yet you are no longer able to detect your adversary.

You look to Lone Wolf and he holds your gaze; then he glances towards the crystal sphere and you sense that he is urging you to destroy it.

(I use KA)

You utter the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand and level your right arm at the crystal sphere. A crackling bolt of energy leaps from your palm and arcs towards the sorcerous orb, but before it strikes its mark, it is deflected away by a sudden gust of icy-cold wind. This supernatural draught takes hold of your fiery missile, spins it around in mid-air, and sends it speeding back towards your startled eyes!

(I use KA)

Hurriedly you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell Counterspell and point your right hand at the speeding bolt. There is a splash of sizzling sparks, and the deadly ball of energy evaporates within inches of your face.

The shock of having just nearly killed yourself with your own spell quickly turns to anger. You rush towards the sphere with the intention of kicking it from its pedestal but, as you bring back your foot in readiness to strike, suddenly the dark shadow of Zorkaan falls upon you and launches a massive psychic attack from close range.

(I still don;t have Kai-Screen

You are engulfed by a white-hot sheet of psychic fire that sears and blisters the fibres of your inner mind: lose 3 ENDURANCE points. Were it not for the protective effect of your Platinum Amulet, this assault would have been fatal.

The stunning effect of Zorkaan’s lightning attack has damaged a part of your mind that controls your Kai abilities. In addition to the physical damage sustained, you must also forfeit the use of one of your Grand Master Disciplines for the rest of this mission. (If you complete the mission successfully, you may restore your forfeited Discipline and use it again in a future Lone Wolf New Order adventure.)

(Since I haven;t needed it yet, I am picking Elementalism)

As you recover your senses, you look up to see Zorkaan looming above you, his swirling black form swelling in volume and menace as it prepares to deal you one final, devastating blow. Valiantly you struggle to resist, but you are fearful that you no longer possess the strength needed to counter this powerful foe. An evil laugh echoes in your mind as slowly the wispy mass of black vapour spirals down towards your face. Desperately you lash out at your mocking adversary, but you lose your balance and collapse to your knees. With a prayer to Ishir on your lips, you watch with growing horror as a glowing spike of radiant energy appears at the core of Zorkaan’s form. It hangs directly above you, like a sorcerous lance poised deliver a killing blow

You are engulfed by a sudden explosion of golden light. Zorkaan emits a deafening shriek as the supernatural fabric of his being is ripped asunder by the Sommerswerd—Lone Wolf’s divine blade. As the creature is engulfed in a blaze of golden fire, the Sommerswerd falls to the floor near your feet. You look down at the blade in stunned disbelief; then you raise your eyes and look to Lone Wolf who is slumped within the confines of his hovering prison-sphere. Slowly the enormity of what has happened begins to permeate through the turmoil that is raging in your mind. In a desperate bid to save you, Lone Wolf has used the last of his strength to hurl his magical blade through the wall of his sorcerous prison. This courageous act has destroyed Zorkaan and spared you your life.

As the last fragments of Zorkaan’s black shadow are consumed by the golden flames, you struggle to your feet and stumble towards Lone Wolf. You fear the worst, that your brave leader has sacrificed his own life for yours, but to your profound relief you soon discover that he is not dead but unconscious.

You retrieve the Sommerswerd from the ground and marvel at its craftsmanship and fine balance. Then you hurry to the prison-sphere and thrust the tip of the golden blade into a ragged tear that was made when Lone Wolf hurled the Sommerswerd at Zorkaan. Crimson sparks erupt from the rent in the sphere as determinedly you work the sword with a sawing motion. The split lengthens until you are able to reach in and grab hold of Lone Wolf’s tunic. Carefully you pull your unconscious leader out of his sorcerous cell, and then you sheathe the Sommerswerd in his scabbard before you heave his limp body over your shoulder. Fearing that Xaol’s absence may soon come to the attention of his minions, you cast your gaze around the necromancer’s hall in search of a way to escape. The doors by which you entered have been sealed shut, but your keen eyes and your Kai senses alert you to two other possible routes out of this chamber. The first is a narrow door located in the wall directly behind the throne of bones, and the other is an archway that is covered by a thin velvet tapestry

(Archway)

You pull aside the mouldering tapestry that covers the arch, and you discover a tunnel that leads to Xaol’s private chambers. The walls, ceiling, and floor are all constructed from dull volcanic stone, and several pieces of black wooden furniture are scattered haphazardly around the room. Beside a heavy wooden door there stands an ebony bookshelf that is filled with stoppered vials. Carefully you rest Lone Wolf down upon a divan before you examine the individual contents of these glass containers.

(I do not have Herbmastery)

Your Magnakai Discipline of Curing warns you that most of the substances stored in the vials are either poisons, narcotics, or sorcerous concoctions. From a total of eighty vials, you are able to identify only one that can be used to heal. It is Tortwich (a crystalline salt that will restore 3 ENDURANCE points when consumed after sustaining wounds in combat)

There is sufficient Tortwich in the vial to provide you with 2 doses. If you wish to keep this curative, remember to adjust your Action Chart accordingly.

Suddenly you hear the monotonous clang of an alarm bell echoing in some distant part of the citadel, and your Kai senses warn you that Xaol’s corpse has now been discovered. Some of his minions are searching the necromancer’s hall, and you are gripped by a fear that they will discover your trail and catch you before you can make good your escape. You take hold of Lone Wolf and lift him across your shoulder; then you pull open the wooden door and leave Xaol’s chambers as fast as you are able.

You pass along a tunnel that is lined with iron hooks and sputtering torches. Most of the hooks are bare, but some are festooned with weapons and clothing. Among the items are the following weapons and equipment:

Quiver
Rope
3 Arrows
Bow
Sword
Axe
Spear
Leather Tunic
Blanket (this item occupies 2 places in a Backpack)

(I take the Leather Tunic, Tortwich)

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 11:05 PM

The tunnel leads to a circular shaft which is lit intermittently by a pulsating crimson light flooding down from above. You ascend this shaft by means of a broad circular staircase, and you stop to rest when you come to a landing that is halfway from the top. Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points

When you look to the top of the shaft, you can see the huge domed panels of the citadel’s observatory windows. Confident that an escape onto the roof can be effected by this route, you resolve to reach the top of the stairs as quickly as you can. However, you are becoming increasingly concerned for Lone Wolf’s physical condition. His pulse is weak and his breathing is shallow, indicating to you that he is slipping from unconsciousness into coma. You are also anxious to revive him so that he may send a telepathic signal to Guildmaster Banedon, summoning him to your rescue. Unless this signal is transmitted soon, you fear that any attempt to reach the roof will ultimately be to no avail.

(I do not have Deliverance)

You use your Magnakai Curing skills in an urgent attempt to restore Lone Wolf to consciousness. You unbutton the front of his battle-tunic and place your hands on his chest; then you transfer the warmth of your healing powers directly into his body (this use of your Magnakai Discipline costs you 1 ENDURANCE point). After a few minutes you feel his heartbeat growing stronger, yet before you can complete the healing procedure, you hear the daunting sound of steel-shod boots echoing up the shaft from below. You risk a glance over the parapet of the stairs and you see a dozen armoured Drakkarim emerging from the tunnel at the base of the shaft. As they come running up the steps, you see that most are armed with loaded crossbows.

Reluctantly you are forced to abandon your attempt to revive Lone Wolf. You heave him across your shoulder and take to the stairs once more, climbing as fast as your aching legs will carry you both towards the observatory roof, 60 feet above.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

(I toss a 4)

Gasping for breath, you reach the top of the stairs and stagger onto a circular steel platform. Through the giant windows that encircle this observatory landing, you look out across the grim grey vista of Gazad Helkona and marvel at its terrible splendour. The surrounding acres of iron and stone are bathed by glowing waves of crimson light. These pulses emanate from a huge crystal set atop the observatory dome. It is a sorcerous gem and it was placed here by Darklord Chlanzor’s Nadziranim, his dark wizards, as a beacon to guide home his fearsome squadrons of Kraan. As you stare up at this evil stone, you draw some comfort from the thought that soon its radiant light may help guide Guildmaster Banedon’s flying ship to your rescue.

You place Lone Wolf behind the parapet near the top of the stairs; then you risk another look down into the shaft. You see that the Drakkarim have taken up a position on the landing below where they are waiting for you to present yourself as a target. The moment your head appears over the parapet, they reward your curiosity with a volley of crossbow bolts.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Assimilance, add 2 to the number you have picked. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 1. If your current ENDURANCE score is 15 or lower, deduct 2.

( I toss a 2 and get a 5 total)

The deadly bolts slam into the parapet and whistle past your head. One bolt passes so close that it skewers the collar of your tunic and grazes your throat: lose 1 ENDURANCE point.

Warm blood trickles down the side of your neck as instinctively you duck back behind the safety of the parapet. Your close brush with death tells you that these Drakkarim warriors are a determined enemy. You know that you must do everything in your power to prevent them from reaching the roof if you are to have any hope of escaping from Gazad Helkona alive.

You hear a gruff shout followed by the sound of heavy boots pounding up the stone stairs. Your stomach churns with the fear that the Drakkarim are about to storm the observatory platform, and again you risk your life by glancing over the parapet. Fortunately, this time you escape being used as a crossbow target, and you are able to catch a glimpse of a lone Drakkar ascending the stairs at a run. He is a barrel-chested Drakkarim assault-trooper clad in full battle-armour, with scarlet cape, plumed helm, and spiked shield. As he bounds up the steps two at a time, he curses loudly and slashes at the air with his serrated sword. His fearless charge is so recklessly courageous that it inspires his cautious comrades to leave the landing and follow in his wake.

(I use KA)

You listen to the Drakkar’s approaching footsteps as you prepare the Brotherhood Spell Net while remaining hidden from sight. If you can ensnare this assault trooper with your net spell, it may be enough to dissuade his comrades from pressing home their charge. Having recited all but the last word of the spell, you rise up from behind the parapet and point your right hand at the advancing Drakkar. You utter the final spell-word and a gout of sticky fluid gushes from your open palm towards the assault trooper’s face. The warrior sees the trail of fluid arcing towards him and hurriedly he tries to block it with his shield.

Your net hits the Drakkar’s shield and splashes across the broad staircase, blocking it with a latticework of gluey fibres. The assault trooper discards his shield and calls to his comrades to help him cut a path through your magical net. They respond eagerly, and as half their number race up the steps to hack at the sticky strands, the rest kneel down and open fire at you with their crossbows.

You retreat a few paces from the head of the stairs and unsheathe your Kai Weapon in readiness to defend the observatory platform from these determined foes. Then the assault trooper leader looms into view with his jagged black sword raised to strike. He pauses for a few moments to allow his comrades to catch up with him; then together they charge up the last remaining steps and hurl themselves upon you with a reckless fury.

Drakkarim Assault Squad: COMBAT SKILL 45 ENDURANCE 40

( I still have 7 damage from the other fights and the damage we got here and there. I take the +11 with KS. I toss a 6, and then a 8 and they die. I took 3 damage - 10 total)

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 11:10 PM

You fight with such ice-cool nerve and deadly precision that the few Drakkarim who survive the combat immediately break and flee, convinced that they face an immortal warrior. As you watch them scrambling headlong down the stairs, a sudden shriek echoes across the observatory platform, making you glance over your shoulder in fearful anticipation.

To your horror, you see a Kraan come gliding down onto an exterior platform that runs around the perimeter of the observatory dome. Astride its scaly back is a skull-faced reptilian that is swathed in ragged, funereal robes. It leaps down from the saddled Kraan and, as it crouches on the windswept platform, it levels a rod of glowing crystal at the transparent dome. A flash of sparkling light erupts at the tip of this rod, and a section of the glass wall explodes into a million razor shards. Instinctively you shield your face with your forearm as the deadly splinters of glass come hurtling through the air towards you, driven by the force of the explosion and the gale-force winds that rage around the observatory tower.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 1 to the number you have picked.

(8 into 9)

Your swift and timely reflexes save you from sustaining serious injuries to your face, legs, and torso: lose only 1 ENDURANCE point.

The fearsome reptilian smashes its way through the jagged hole in the dome and comes loping across the observatory platform towards you. Maniacally, it lashes out at you with its glowing rod, forcing you to back away to avoid being decapitated by its razor-sharp tip. You duck below its barrage of frenzied blows and launch a scything swipe at the creature’s torso. Your blade sunders its mouldering robes, but when it fails to cleave its flesh, your adversary comes back at you with a vengeance.

Urgaroh: COMBAT SKILL 42 ENDURANCE 40

This enemy is immune to Mindblast (but not Kai-surge). If you possess the Kai Weapon ‘Spawnsmite’ or ‘Valiance’, you may add the bonus gained from its unique properties during this combat.

(i have 6 left after a few passages from the last fight. +11 CS with KS. I toss a 0 and kill it and take 1)

Your killing blow lifts the Urgaroh and sends it tumbling backwards in a ragged somersault to fall ten feet away in a broken, untidy heap. Its ruined remains spontaneously ignite and burn fiercely, giving off a choking black smoke.

Above the noise of the wind that rushes through the shattered glass dome, you hear angry cries and the stomp of booted feet. The Drakkarim have regrouped and are storming the stairs once more, their numbers swelled by a score of Giaks and Hammerland bandits. Driven by instinct, you pick up the Urgaroh’s crystal rod which lies near your feet, and you rush to the head of the stairs. You can feel the evil power that is held within the rod’s slender shaft, but you are unsure how you may unleash it upon the enemy who are racing up the stairs.

(I use Telegnosis)

Your advanced Kai Discipline informs you that the only way you can release the evil power contained within this weapon is by breaking the shaft in two. Armed with this knowledge, you hurl the crystal rod at the advancing enemy troops who have reached the landing below.

The rod hits the landing and explodes with devastating effect. The advancing enemy are engulfed by a searing ball of yellow and orange flame; then an entire section of the landing and stairs is destroyed by a deafening explosion. You cover Lone Wolf with your body and protect him as fragments of masonry smash into the dome, and a shower of broken glass cascades onto the observatory platform. When finally the dust and debris clear, you struggle to your feet and survey the destruction.

The observatory platform is littered with chunks of rock and shattered glass. You peer over the parapet and, through the plume of grey smoke that is coiling up the shaft, you see that the lower landing no longer exists. Along with adjoining sections of the staircase, it has been transformed into a vast mound of rubble that lies heaped at the bottom of the shaft. The few enemy troops who have survived the explosion can no longer reach the observatory, but as you watch them attempting to recover the bodies of their fallen comrades, it crosses your mind that the explosion has also destroyed your only known exit from the roof.

You retreat from the parapet and resume your attempt to revive Lone Wolf. At first the signs are not good; his breathing is shallow and his skin has a sickly pallor. But then you notice that his eyes are moving beneath their closed lids and you sense that he is emerging from coma

(I still don;t have Deliverance)

You use your Magnakai Discipline of Curing to help Lone Wolf emerge from his coma and regain consciousness. It is a difficult procedure and it costs you 2 ENDURANCE points, but your sacrifice is not made in vain.

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 11:14 PM

Lone Wolf opens his eyes, and a faint smile creases his gaunt features when he sees your face looming before him.

‘So I’m still alive,’ he says, with a tone of gentle surprise. ‘Naar will be disappointed.’

He raises his arm and you take hold of it and help him rise unsteadily to his feet. He surveys the devastated observatory and you sense that his agile mind is scrutinizing every detail. He reaches for his scabbard and breathes a heavy sigh of relief when his hand closes around the hilt of the Sommerswerd.

‘I trust my blade found its mark?’ he asks.

‘Aye, my lord,’ you reply. ‘Your timely action consigned Zorkaan to oblivion, and saved my life. For that I will be forever in your debt.’

‘And I in yours, Grand Master,’ he replies, earnestly. ‘I sense that I would not be drawing breath now if it were not for your bravery.’

Hurriedly you inform your leader that Guildmaster Banedon and his flying ship are presently hidden in the Shezar Hills, awaiting his telepathic signal. Silently he acknowledges your words with a nod of his blond head, and then he closes his eyes. You sense rapid bursts of powerful psychic energy surging away from Lone Wolf and, moments later, he reopens his eyes and smiles.

‘It is done,’ he says, confidently. ‘Banedon will be here shortly. Come, we must prepare for his arrival.’

Lone Wolf bids you follow as he steps through a shattered pane of the dome and climbs out onto the platform that encircles the observatory tower. The wild, sulphurous winds rip at your cloak and tunic, forcing you to crouch down and grasp the iron platform with both hands for fear of being blown over the edge. Yet these powerful winds do not seem to affect your leader. He stands erect and immobile, as if cast in solid stone. With an unblinking gaze he stares fixedly towards the southern horizon, his eagle eyes searching out Banedon’s skycraft.

Little more than twenty minutes have elapsed when Lone Wolf turns and looks down at your crouching form. Banedon approaches, he says, his silent words forming in your mind. You magnify your vision and scan the southern vista, but you are unable to discern a skyship among the roiling black clouds. Then you spot a sliver of light in the stormy sky, and your spirits rise. The Cloud-dancer is fast approaching.

Guided by the pulsating glow of the observatory’s crimson beacon, and Lone Wolf’s telepathic messages, Banedon is able to bring the Cloud-dancer to within 50 feet of the dome. But the fierce winds prevent him from making a landing, and so he has his crew lower the boarding cage. The moment it sets down upon the platform, you follow Lone Wolf inside and slam shut the gate. There is a jolt as the hawser tenses, and then you feel the cage swaying the moment it is hoisted off the platform. Despite the violent swaying of the cage, you feel elated when you look through the bars of the cage door and see the shattered dome of the observatory receding beneath you. Then the exhilaration of your escape from Gazad Helkona is shattered when you hear a hideous shriek rise above the roar of the wind.

To your shocked surprise, you see a score of Kraan come soaring up from the open roof of an adjoining blockhouse complex. They are ridden by Drakkarim armed with crossbows, and as the first of the scaly fliers swoops past the boarding cage, the riders let loose a volley of bolts. Fortunately, they are poorly aimed and none of them find their mark. Lone Wolf weaves a pattern with his hands and three of the Kraan come to an abrupt halt, as if the stormy air has suddenly turned to glass and imprisoned them. Meanwhile, you focus your attention upon a Kraan that is swooping down from the clouds above on a collision course with the cage. Its rider is carrying a smoking black orb fixed to a long length of chain. Impact looks imminent until, at the very last moment, the Drakkar tugs on the reins and the Kraan veers away. As it turns, the Drakkar releases the orb and sends it hurtling towards the boarding cage door.

(I use KA)

You shout out the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand and take aim with your right hand at the smoking orb. A crackling bolt of energy leaps from your palm and strikes the deadly device. The impact splits the orb asunder and ignites the explosive fluid contained within. The Kraan and its rider are caught by the ensuing blast, and they are consumed in a roaring ball of flame. With grim satisfaction you watch as they spiral down into an avenue that is crowded with Hammerland bandits, enticed from their barracks by the spectacle of your dramatic air escape.

Lone Wolf commends you on the swiftness of your action. Your quick and effective response to the threat has saved you both from being struck and killed by the Drakkar’s explosive orb.

The boarding cage is winched up through an aperture in the stern deck of the Cloud-dancer and, as it shudders to a halt, the gate is pulled open. Eager hands help you and Lone Wolf out onto the deck, and Guildmaster Banedon salutes you from his position at the ship’s helm. All along the port and starboard rails, his young crewmen are firing at the swooping Kraan with bows and Bor pistols. Their unerring marksmanship soon decimates the enemy’s squadron and forces the survivors to abandon their attack. Banedon pulls the helm hard about and, with a resounding cheer from his victorious crew, the Cloud-dancer soars over the fortified wall of Gazad Helkona and speeds away towards the east.

As soon as his ship is a safe distance beyond the walls of Gazad Helkona, Guildmaster Banedon hands control of the helm to his bo’sun and then hurries down to the main deck to greet you and Lone Wolf. He praises you heartily for the success of the rescue, and Lone Wolf in turn thanks you sincerely for saving him from the clutches of Naar’s fell disciples.

A swift course is set for the Kai Monastery and the voyage is completed within ten hours. You spend most of the journey home sleeping off the fatigue of your ordeal, but you awake in time to join Lone Wolf at the prow as Cloud-dancer approaches the monastery shortly after dawn.

Your arrival is greeted by a chorus of thunderous cheers from your fellow kinsmen. Every Kai who is present at the monastery rushes to the training park to celebrate the return of your leader. Banedon positions his craft above the park, and hawsers are dropped from stern and prow to anchor it in position. Then you join Lone Wolf in the boarding cage which is swiftly lowered to the ground.

Lord Rimoah appears among the excited throng of young Kai Lords who are gathered around the cage. With tears of joy welling in his eyes, he embraces you both and then offers up a prayer of thanksgiving to the Goddess Ishir for your safe return. He voices his hope that Lone Wolf’s abduction will serve as a poignant reminder to the Kai that they should be on their guard at all times, for Naar and his agents will always exploit an opportunity to damage or destroy your noble order.

Congratulations, Grand Master. You have met this difficult challenge and you have triumphed. Your brave and daring rescue of Lone Wolf will long be remembered in the legends of the New Order Kai. Yet the fight against evil goes ever on. Soon your courage and Kai skills will be put to the test again in a distant realm of Magnamund. The nature of the quest and the dangers that await you will be revealed in the next exciting Lone Wolf New Order adventure entitled:

The Fall of Blood Mountain

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 11:16 PM

Review of Trail of Lone Wolf

Again, that felt more like a gamebook to me than a reader. Notice that I had lots more options and a faster story. We had more battles too! Fun stuff was had by all! The book was good and felt fine. It was more like Captives of Kaag or Plague Lords from the previous series.

Good job!

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 11:17 PM

Beginning of Fall of Blood Mountain

The Story So Far …

You are a Grand Master of the New Order of the Kai—the warrior élite of Sommerlund.

It is early winter in the year MS 5084, thirty-four years since the First Order of the Kai was massacred by the Darklords of Helgedad. These champions of evil, who were sent by the Dark God Naar to destroy your fertile world of Magnamund, have since been destroyed. Lone Wolf, the supreme leader of your illustrious fighting order, was the only survivor of the Darklord attack upon the Kai. As a young initiate he stood amidst the burning wreckage of the old Kai Monastery and vowed to avenge the slaughter of his comrades. Twenty years later he kept his pledge when alone he infiltrated the foul domain of the Darklords and destroyed the infernal city of Helgedad, the base of their evil power.

With the destruction of Helgedad, chaos befell the Darkland armies who had, until then, been poised to conquer all Magnamund. Quickly their disorder escalated into a mutinous civil war which allowed the Freeland Alliance armies of Magnamund time enough to recover and launch a successful counter-offensive. Against all odds, a swift and total victory was secured over the feuding armies of evil.

Following the demise of the Darklords, peace has reigned in your homeland of Sommerlund. Under the direction of Lone Wolf the ruined Monastery of the Kai has been thoroughly rebuilt and restored to its former glory, and a New Order has been firmly established. You are one of this new generation of Kai recruits. You were born in Sommerlund in the year MS 5063, during the time of the war against the Darklords. When you were seven years old you were sent by your father to the Kai Monastery. There, under the tutelage of Lone Wolf, you developed your martial skills and honed the special Kai abilities which lay dormant within you. Over the years that followed, your skills were nurtured and sharpened to perfection by long hours of study and rigorous training. Your exceptional talents have helped you to master all of the Kai and Magnakai Disciplines, and you have risen swiftly through the ranks of the New Order to become one of only five who now hold the high rank of Kai Grand Master. It is an achievement that has brought great honour upon you and your family.

In the year MS 5077 your skill and courage were put to the test when an attack was launched upon the Kai Monastery during Lone Wolf’s absence. By means of a Shadow Gate (an astral corridor between the physical world of Sommerlund and the many ethereal domains which lie beyond it), Naar sent forth a host of dragon-creatures to besiege the monastery and lay waste to all Sommerlund. He had chosen his time well, yet his evil plan was thwarted by the tenacious defence that you and your brethren maintained until the siege was raised by Lone Wolf and the King’s Army of Sommerlund.1

During the seven years that have elapsed since the defeat of his minions, Naar has sought vengeance upon the Kai. He commands many agents of evil upon Magnamund, and quietly they wait in the shadows for the day when they may serve their fell master. One such agent was Lord Vandyan of Eldenora. Guided by Naar, Vandyan sought and found three ancient runes of evil. Empowered by his discoveries, Vandyan summoned a vast army of reptilian warriors—the Vorka—which he used to conquer and occupy the lands of his peaceful neighbours. Emboldened by his martial successes, Vandyan overran much of central Magnamund, including the realm of Lyris—one of Sommerlund’s oldest allies. In response to a plea for help from Lyris, Lone Wolf mounted a Kai crusade to raise the Vorka siege of Varetta, its capital city.

During this crusade, you undertook a vital mission behind enemy lines that turned the tide of the whole campaign. Alone, you infiltrated Vandyan’s daunting fortress of Skull-Tor and destroyed the three runes, thereby extinguishing the source of the power by which the Vorka horde were permitted to exist. Vandyan’s army dissolved on the battlefield and the Kai were able to raise the siege of Varetta.2

During your mission in Skull-Tor, you discovered that the Vorka were not the only creatures that Vandyan had summoned by the power of the runes. A demonic entity called Zorkaan the Soultaker had also been brought to Magnamund from its lair upon the Plane of Darkness—the ethereal domain of Naar. Having fought and defeated this creature, you believed that it had perished forever when subsequently you smashed the runes. Sadly, this was not so. After celebrating the battlefield victory at Varetta, Lone Wolf ordered you to return in triumph to the Kai Monastery aboard the flying ship Cloud-dancer. He chose to ride with his New Order crusaders and they were expected to arrive home a week later.

After five days, a Kai scout arrived unexpectedly at the monastery with shocking news to impart. Lone Wolf had disappeared. Those who witnessed the abduction said that he was engulfed by a whirling black shadow that fell upon him from out of a stormy sky. So swift was the attack that your fellow Grand Masters were unable to prevent him from being carried away. The scout’s description of the whirling black shadow was identical to the form adopted by Zorkaan the Soultaker. The destruction of the rune used by Vandyan to summon Zorkaan had not brought about the creature’s demise after all: it had trapped the creature upon Magnamund.

You had achieved a great victory at Skull-Tor, but the shocking news of Lone Wolf’s abduction cast a shadow over your triumph there. Hurriedly you summoned Guildmaster Banedon, the leader of Sommerlund’s Guild of Magicians, to an emergency council at the Kai Monastery. He responded swiftly to your summons and arrived within hours aboard his flying craft Cloud-dancer. He was accompanied by Lord Rimoah of Dessi, an Elder Magi magician who is also Lone Wolf’s oldest friend and advisor.

Rimoah informed you that Zorkaan’s arrival upon Magnamund had not gone unnoticed by the Elder Magi. From afar they had sensed the creature’s presence and, through the use of their Old Kingdom magic, Rimoah and his fellow elders had charted its movements. Rimoah told you of an evil sorcerer called Xaol who was in hiding in Gazad Helkona, a former Darklord city-fortress located in the desolate wastes of northern Skaror. This vile necromancer was a known agent of Naar. During the days before Lone Wolf’s abduction, Rimoah and the Elder Magi had detected streams of psychic communication coursing between Gazad Helkona and the Plane of Darkness.

‘Naar was transmitting to Xaol the secrets of a Ritual of Binding by which the freed spirit of Zorkaan could be enslaved,’ said Rimoah. ‘This ritual was enacted successfully in the stronghold of Gazad Helkona. Through Xaol, Naar has gained control over Zorkaan. He sent this creature to assassinate Lone Wolf, yet the attempt was unsuccessful. Zorkaan failed to kill Lone Wolf … but he was able to subdue and kidnap him.’

Rimoah informed you that your leader was being held prisoner in Gazad Helkona. By the use of his Supreme Master Disciplines and the power of the Sommerswerd, his magical blade, Lone Wolf had survived death at the hand of Naar’s foul creation. ‘Your leader is brave and resourceful,’ he said, ‘but I fear that Zorkaan’s frequent attacks will weaken and eventually destroy him unless he is rescued quickly.’

Selflessly you volunteered to attempt the rescue. Rimoah and Banedon, impressed by your courage and your confidence, readily agreed to help you achieve your difficult mission and together you formulated a plan of action. Banedon transported you aboard Cloud-dancer to a remote valley south of Gazad Helkona, from where you approached the fortress on foot. Despite great adversity you were able to gain entry to Xaol’s fortress and save your leader from the clutches of Naar’s agent.3 During your daring mission, you fought and defeated both Xaol and Zorkaan before Banedon arrived to snatch both you and Lone Wolf from the clutches of Xaol’s angry minions.

A year has elapsed since your triumph at Gazad Helkona. It has been a peaceful and rewarding time for you at the Kai Monastery, a period in which you have devoted yourself to the training of new recruits. Such has been the success of your tutelage that you have come to be greatly revered by your students and your peers. Yet, lately, you have felt a longing to venture abroad once more, to test your courage and your battle skills in the ineluctable war against Evil.

Early one morning, you glimpsed a golden eagle leave its nest in the frost-covered timberland that stretches beyond the window of your private chamber. As you watched this majestic creature soar above the tree-line, you were reminded of the daring aerial escape that you had made from Gazad Helkona aboard Banedon’s skycraft. Then you felt a tingle of premonition at the nape of your neck when you noticed a distant speck in the clear azure sky. This speck grew larger until you were able to discern the distinctive outline of Cloud-dancer approaching from the north. Hurriedly you left your chamber and went to the monastery training park where a small group of Kai Lords had gathered in expectation. As the sleek skyship was made to hover overhead, a boarding cage was lowered to the frost-hardened ground and out stepped an unexpected visitor—Lord Rimoah of Dessi. You exchanged greetings and he requested an immediate audience with Lone Wolf. From his sombre expression you could tell that he had grave and urgent news to impart.

You escorted Lord Rimoah personally to Lone Wolf’s chambers, located beneath the Tower of the Sun, the monastery’s commanding citadel. Before you could excuse yourself and leave the vault, Lone Wolf asked you to stay to listen to what the venerable magician had come to say. Lord Rimoah nodded his benign approval.

‘Dwarf King Ryvin of Bor is in desperate need of our aid, my lords,’ began Rimoah, earnestly. ‘An ancient horror has been awoken in the depths of his subterranean kingdom, and now it threatens to destroy his realm. The Drodarin race may be doomed unless we are able to overcome this creature … and swiftly.’

Lord Rimoah informed you that recent excavations in the lowest levels of the vast underground kingdom of Bor had disturbed the Shom’zaa. This powerful entity was entombed by the Elder Magi during their 1,000-year war against Agarash the Damned—Naar’s first champion of evil. Lone Wolf lowered his eyes and shook his head in disbelief upon hearing Rimoah’s words.

‘I understood that dwarf lore expressly forbade such deep mining, for fear that the Shom’zaa and its minions might be released. How could such a thing have been allowed to occur?’ he said.

‘Greed is to blame, my lord,’ replied Rimoah, sadly, ‘… the greed of King Ryvin’s elder son, the Crown Prince Leomin. He alone was responsible for the excavations that opened the way to this ancient horror.’

Lord Rimoah informed you that only five days have elapsed since the Shom’zaa was released, yet already the creature and its Agarashi minions have taken control of the lower levels of the kingdom. ‘Bitter fighting rages in the tunnels and chambers of Bor as King Ryvin’s army struggles to contain the Shom’zaa and its horde,’ he said. ‘They are being sorely pressed, for the enemy have captured their armouries and equipped themselves for the fight. Ryvin has lost control of the tunnels leading to his throne chamber, where Leomin and his younger brother, Prince Torfan, are now trapped and besieged, along with the remnants of their personal guard.’

Lone Wolf was disturbed to hear that the Throne Chamber of Bor was under attack, for it houses the fabled Throne of Andarin. This grand seat contains a gem of power that was bestowed upon the Drodarin dwarves of Bor by the Goddess Ishir. Its divine radiance provides the dwarves with a unique energy that enables them to grow their crops deep underground, without the need for direct sunlight. If the Throne of Andarin is destroyed then the crops will surely fail and famine will beset Bor, with disastrous consequences.

‘Repeated attempts to break the siege of the throne chamber have failed, and the morale of Ryvin’s army is now dangerously low,’ said Rimoah. ‘I’ve heard tell that even the Dwarf Lords and the War-thanes, the élite of Ryvin’s army, hold that Prince Leomin’s greed has sealed their fate. If such talk is true, and the Shom’zaa conquers Bor, then our hopes for a lasting peace in Magnamund will be ruined. The fall of Bor will give Naar a base of power at the very heart of Magnamund. There he will be able to muster his agents, spawn his vile abominations, and attempt once more to conquer our world.’

‘But what can be done to save Bor before it is too late?’ asked Lone Wolf, anxiously.

‘King Ryvin lacks the means to destroy this enemy,’ replied Rimoah, gravely. ‘Nevertheless, the means exist. The Shom’zaa is especially vulnerable to magic of the Old Kingdom. It is the magic that we used to entrap and entomb the creature millennia ago.’

From a pocket of his flowing robes, Rimoah took out a spherical crystal and held it in the cupped palm of his hand. Its multi-faceted surface radiated beams of golden light which shimmered and sparkled with a supernatural brilliance.

‘A Sun-crystal,’ said Lone Wolf.

‘Yes, my lord,’ replied Rimoah, reverently. ‘By the skilful use of the power contained within this sphere it is possible that we may defeat the Shom’zaa and its minions, and thereby spare the kingdom of Bor from the tyrannical rule of Naar. We of the Elder Magi have crafted the means to defeat the Shom’zaa, but in all Magnamund only the Kai have the ability and courage that is needed to take this goodly weapon and use it to its full effect.’

Lone Wolf approached Rimoah and took the Sun-crystal from his outstretched palm. Then he turned to face you.

‘We have been called upon to undertake a difficult and dangerous mission, Grand Master,’ he said. ‘You have proven your bravery and skill beyond all doubt, and truly you have earned the right to refuse this quest with honour. Yet I sense that you hunger for the heat of battle and the challenge of the quest, and so I offer this mission to you. Will you venture to Bor and confront the bane that now threatens to destroy our dwarven allies?’

‘Yes, my lord, I will,’ you replied, without a moment’s hesitation. ‘For the greater glory of Sommerlund and the Kai, I am proud to accept the quest.’

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 11:24 PM

I like that! Help the dwarves against a Balrog they uncovered! We've never had an underground adventure before.

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 11:24 PM

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 11:26 PM

Sun Knight

If you are a New Order Kai who has attained the rank of Sun Knight, you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:

Grand Weaponmastery
Sun Knights with this Discipline are able to wield two-handed weapons (i.e. Broadsword, Quarterstaff, and Spear) with full effect using only one hand.

Grand Pathsmanship
Kai Sun Knights with this skill are able to repel at will all normal-sized insects within a radius of three yards. The range and number of insects so affected increase considerably as a Grand Master rises in rank.

Deliverance
Sun Knights who possess this skill are able to repair serious wounds sustained by creatures other than themselves. By the laying of hands upon the affected creature’s body, a Sun Knight can cause an open wound (or other serious injury) to mend itself. The speed at which this healing process takes place increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.

Telegnosis
Sun Knights who possess this Discipline are able to communicate telepathically over great distances. Initially the range of this ability is approximately 100 miles, but this distance increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.

Grand Nexus
Sun Knights who possess Mastery of this Discipline are able to feign death. By placing themselves into a state of suspended animation, outwardly they are able to achieve all semblance of being truly dead. However, whilst in this state, the only sense that a Sun Knight retains is the ability to hear.

Astrology
Sun Knights who have this Discipline are skilled in the art of chiromancy—the ability to tell fortunes from the skin creases and patterns found on the palms of hands.

Bardsmanship
Sun Knights who possess mastery of this Discipline are able to use their musical skills to launch sonic attacks against any individual within audible range. The effect of a sonic attack is dependent upon the target creature’s sensitivity to sound (i.e. a deaf creature would be unaffected by such an attack).

Kai-alchemy
Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Sun Knight are able to use the following Brotherhood Spells:

Halt Missile—This causes any projected or hurled missile (e.g. arrows, axes, crossbow bolts) which may pose an immediate threat to the life of a Sun Knight, to cease its flight and remain stationary in mid-air. The effect of the spell lasts for 2–3 seconds, allowing the Sun Knight time in which to move away from the missile’s line of flight. Initially only one missile can be affected by this spell, but the number increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.
Strength—By casting this spell, a Sun Knight is able to greatly increase his or her physical strength for a short duration. It can be used to lift or move heavy objects, or to effect a temporary increase in COMBAT SKILL and ENDURANCE scores whilst fighting an enemy.

Which would I prefer? Kai-Screen or G Nexus? G Nexus!

Abe Sargent · 04-17-2020, 11:29 PM

Sir Fox Fire, Sun Knight, Knight of Siyen

CS - 49/53/57
EP - 42

Grand Kai Disciplines:

1. Kai-Surge
2. Grand Weaponmastery with Axe, Bow, Dagger, Broadsword, Mace, Warhammer,
3. G. Pathsmanship
4. G. Huntmastery
5. Elementalism
6. Kai-Alchemy
7. Animal Mastery
8. Telegnosis
9. Assimilance
10. Grand Nexus

Special Items:

Kai Weapon Axe Alema, +5 normally and +7 vs undead
Temujan's Ring
Talisman of Defiance - +2 CS
Eye of Zhar - Allows control of snakes poisonous
Pouch of Seota Dust - +10 EP when eaten
Platinum Amulet

Backpack:

Rope
Mealx2

Meals: 2

Weapons:

Bow

Crowns:

35

Arrows:

6

Safekeeping (Between game storage):

Scented Oil
Copper Cup
3 Candles
Lyre
Siyen Crown
Iron Skull
Shipwreck Dagger
Potion of Mustow
Potion of Aletherx3
Potion of Sedares
Potion of Laumspurx6
Silver-Inland Warhammer
111 Gold Crowns
Korlinium Sack
Dessi Bow
Silver Clasp
Nhang Doll
Bottle of Rice Wine
Bottle of Scava Liquor
Crystal Prism
Silver Mirror
Scroll of Introduction
Silver Signet Ring
Jeweled Knife
Stone Dagger
Siyenese Broad Sword
Battle Map
Flute
Hulsta's Hammer, Spike, and Saw
Eledoran Scout Uniform
Skull-Tor Mace
Skull-Tor Wristband
Lantern
Keys - Copper, Iron, Dungeon,
Halberd
Blanket
Black Amulet
Leather Tunic
Vial of Tortwig, +6 EP when eaten
Wolf Brooch

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 08:33 AM

Here is teh equipment section. I am making a change:

Equipment

Before you leave the Kai Monastery and begin your journey to Bor, you equip yourself with a map of Bor and its surrounding territories and a pouch of gold. To find out how much gold is in the pouch, pick a number from the Random Number Table and add 20 to the number you have picked. The total equals the number of Gold Crowns inside the pouch, and you should now enter this number in the ‘Gold Crowns’ section of your Action Chart. If you have successfully completed previous New Order adventures (Books 21–25), you may add this sum to the number of Crowns you already possess. Fifty is the maximum number of Gold Crowns you can carry in your pouch at any time. You may also select five items from the list below, only two of which may be Weapons.

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Broadsword (Weapons)

[illustration]

Sword (Weapons)

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Quiver (Special Items) This contains six Arrows; record them on your Action Chart.

[illustration]

Flute (Backpack Item)

[illustration]

Dagger (Weapons)

[illustration]

Axe (Weapons)

[illustration]

Bow (Weapons)

[illustration]

2 Meals (Meals) Each Meal takes up one space in your Backpack.

[illustration]

Rope (Backpack Item)

[illustration]

Potion of Laumspur (Backpack Item) This potion restores 4 ENDURANCE points to your total when swallowed after combat. There is enough for only one dose.

[illustration]

List the five items that you have chosen on your Action Chart, under the appropriate headings, and make a note of any effect that they may have on your ENDURANCE points and/or COMBAT SKILL.

Kai Weapons

Upon reaching the ultimate rank of Kai Supreme Master, Lone Wolf received as a reward from the God Kai many new skills and abilities. One of these skills was Kai Weaponcraft. Using his newfound mastery, Lone Wolf forged ten weapons of magical power in the armoury furnaces of the Kai Monastery. These magical weapons are reserved for the élite of the New Order Kai who attain the rank of Grand Master.

In recognition of your rank and achievement, you may choose your own Kai Weapon from the table below or, if you prefer, you can generate one at random. To generate a Kai Weapon, pick a number from the Random Number Table and consult the first column. The magical Axe, Sword, or Broadsword which corresponds to the number you have picked will be your own personal Kai Weapon. Record this magical weapon and its unique properties in the Kai Weapon section of the Special Items List.6

Example

Say you choose the number 1 from the Random Number Table, your Kai Weapon will be the Axe ‘Alema’.

When using this Kai Weapon in normal combat you may add +5 points to your COMBAT SKILL. Each Kai Weapon has a unique property. When you use your Kai Weapon in combat against the type of enemy that matches its unique property, or use it at the optimum time or location, then you may add the higher bonus to your COMBAT SKILL (these bonuses are not cumulative).

Example

If you were to use ‘Alema’ in combat against an undead enemy, you could add the higher bonus of +7 to your COMBAT SKILL. If you were to fight a living enemy using this weapon then the bonus to your COMBAT SKILL would remain at +5.
Kai Weapon Table
RN Weapon Type Weapon Name CS Unique Properties CS
0 Axe ‘Spawnsmite’ +5 versus reptilian enemies +6
1 Axe ‘Alema’ +5 versus undead enemies +7
2 Axe ‘Magnara’ +5 versus rock or stone +8
3 Sword ‘Sunstrike’ +5 when used in daylight +6
4 Sword ‘Kaistar’ +5 when used at night +7
5 Sword ‘Valiance’ +5 when used against magicians or creatures born of magic +8
6 Sword ‘Ulnarias’ +5 when used underwater +9
7 Broadsword ‘Raumas’ +5 versus winged enemies +6
8 Broadsword ‘Illuminatus’ +5 when used underground +7
9 Broadsword ‘Firefall’ +5 versus fire-emitting enemies +8
RN = Random Number CS = COMBAT SKILL
Equipment—How to use it

Weapons
The maximum number of Weapons that you can carry is two. Weapons aid you in combat. If you have the Grand Master Discipline of Grand Weaponmastery and a correct Weapon, it adds 5 points to your COMBAT SKILL. If you find a Weapon during your adventure, you may pick it up and use it. You may only use one Weapon at a time in combat.

Bows and Arrows
During your adventure there will be opportunities to use a Bow and Arrow. If you equip yourself with this Weapon, and you possess at least one Arrow, you may use it when the text of a particular section allows you to do so. The Bow is a useful Weapon, for it enables you to hit an enemy at a distance. However, a Bow cannot be used in hand-to-hand combat; therefore it is best to equip yourself also with a close combat Weapon, such as a Sword or an Axe.

In order to use a Bow you must possess a Quiver and at least one Arrow. Each time the Bow is used, erase an Arrow from your Action Chart. A Bow cannot, of course, be used if you exhaust your supply of Arrows, but the opportunity may arise during your adventure for you to replenish your stock of Arrows.

Backpack Items
These must be stored in your Backpack. Because space is limited, you may keep a maximum of ten articles, including Meals, in your Backpack at any one time. You may only carry one Backpack at a time. During your travels you will discover various useful items which you may decide to keep. You may exchange or discard them at any point when you are not involved in combat.

Any item that may be of use, and which can be picked up on your adventure and entered on your Action Chart, is given either initial capitals (e.g. Silver Mirror, Gold Key), or is clearly identified as a Backpack Item. Unless you are told that it is a Special Item, carry it in your Backpack.

Special Items
Special Items are not carried in the Backpack. When you discover a Special Item, you will be told how or where to carry it. The maximum number of Special Items that can be carried on any adventure is 12.

Kai Weapon
Your Kai Weapon is a Special Item and it can be carried and used in addition to two normal Weapons. If you possess the Discipline of Grand Weaponmastery for a weapon type which is the same as your unique Kai Weapon, you may add the Grand Weaponmastery bonus of +5 to your COMBAT SKILL. This is in addition to the bonus gained when you use your Kai Weapon in combat.

Food
Food is carried in your Backpack. Each Meal counts as one item. You will need to eat regularly during your adventure. If you do not have any food when you are instructed to eat a Meal, you will lose 3 ENDURANCE points. However, if you have chosen Grand Huntmastery as one of your five Disciplines, then you will not need to tick off a Meal when instructed to eat.

Potion of Laumspur
This is a healing potion that can restore 4 ENDURANCE points to your total when swallowed after combat. It cannot be used to increase ENDURANCE points immediately prior to a combat. There is enough for one dose only. If you discover any other potion during the adventure, you will be informed of its effect. All potions are Backpack Items.

Gold Crowns
The currency of Bor is the Ain, though Gold Crowns are readily accepted. 1 Ain equals 1 Gold Crown. These coins are always carried in the Belt Pouch. It will hold a maximum of fifty Crowns.

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 08:36 AM

It appears that I can swap my Kai Weapon over. Since this is mostly likely all underground, and I know the Broadsword, I am swapping over to Illumninatus for this mission with it's likely higher chance of working.

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 10:33 AM

Lone Wolf places the Sun-crystal in the palm of your hand, and then he closes your fingers around is multi-faceted surface. At once you sense that the gentle warmth of this artefact belies a tremendous power that is locked within its core. (Record the Sun-crystal on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you keep in the pocket of your tunic. You must discard another item in its favour if you already possess the maximum number of Special Items permissible.)

The Sun-crystal will do you no harm, Grand Master. Only Shom’zaa need have fear of its power,’ says Lord Rimoah, reassuringly.

‘How is this so?’ you ask.

‘The energy that permits the demon to exist in our world is drawn directly from the Plane of Darkness,’ explains Rimoah. ‘There is an open channel between the creature and Naar’s evil domain. It is a slender, ethereal link. This invisible conduit has kept the creature alive during its long entombment, yet soon it may prove to be its undoing, for it is this link to the Plane of Darkness that will trigger the Sun-crystal’s cleansing powers. The merest touch of the crystal upon Shom’zaa’s foul hide will be enough to consign it to oblivion.’

With your briefing now complete, Lone Wolf orders you to return to your chamber to make swift preparations for an immediate voyage to Bor. You collect your equipment and your Kai Weapon, say a hurried farewell to your fellow Grand Masters, and then race to the training park where Lord Rimoah is awaiting you in the boarding cage. Lone Wolf bids you good luck and godspeed as you step inside, and proudly you return his salute as the cage is winched up to the stern deck of Cloud-dancer. Rimoah gives the crew the command to depart and, as the great craft gets underway, you stand at the aft rail and watch as the frosted walls and towers of the Kai Monastery swiftly recede into the distance.

Lord Rimoah invites you to accompany him to the captain’s quarters where, to your surprise, you discover the cabin is empty; Banedon is not aboard. ‘The Guildmaster is unable to travel with us,’ explains Rimoah, ‘but he has placed his skyship and crew entirely at our disposal. We owe him a debt of gratitude, for time is against us and there can be no swifter way for us to reach our destination.’

During the fourteen hours that it takes to travel by skycraft to Bor, Lord Rimoah tells you much about the kingdom of the dwarves, their long history, and their proud legends. You also learn that your destination is Boradon, the principal city of Bor, and you are intrigued to discover that in your native language this ancient Drodarin name has a somewhat evocative meaning: ‘the Mountain of Blood’.

Shortly before your arrival at Boradon, Lord Rimoah talks with you about the quest you are about to undertake and he offers some valuable counsel.

‘When the moment comes for you to use the Sun-crystal,’ he says, warningly, ‘you must do so with great care. When the opportunity presents itself, I advise you to throw the crystal at Shom’zaa, or cause the creature to touch it unwittingly. It is vital that you maintain your distance, for when the power of the crystal is released there will be a great implosion. If you are too close to your enemy at this crucial moment, you will risk being sucked into the vortex that the implosion will create.’

As you promise to heed Rimoah’s words of warning, you hear the crew cry out across the decks: ‘Boradon ho!’

You follow Lord Rimoah out onto the windswept deck and look down in awe at the mighty city of Boradon. Rooted directly in the granite escarpment of Andar, the highest mountain of the Great Bor Range, its fortifications and turrets are barely distinguishable from the rugged copper-red cliffs surrounding them. Night has fallen and the moonless sky is as black as jet, yet the crew of the Cloud-dancer have no difficulty in locating the approach to this ancient mountain metropolis. Torches burn in every turret and arrow slit, and blazing beacons illuminate a safe passage through the snow-capped peaks to the city’s central square.

A unit of King Ryvin’s élite War-thanes have been stationed in the main square in anticipation of your arrival. Their captain, a robust-looking dwarf with a plaited beard and a shock of bright red hair, offers you both a hearty welcome when you step from the boarding cage. He says that King Ryvin is waiting and he bids you accompany him without delay. His torch-bearing warriors escort you along a winding path that ends at a stone bridge which arches across a deep, natural moat. Beyond the bridge is a great bronze portal set into the mountainside. A horn sounds as you approach and the huge door swings open to reveal a wondrous sight.

The open portal reveals a great stone staircase that descends to a magnificent marble hall. Vast columns brace the sculptured ceiling and tall silvery mirrors line the walls, creating the illusion that this cavernous chamber is even larger. Seated upon a chair in the centre of the echoing hall is King Ryvin, clad in his golden battle-armour and wolfskin cape. Surrounding him are members of his royal family and other high-ranking Drodarin nobility. They are greatly distressed and several are weeping openly. A herald announces your arrival and the crowd parts as you approach the foot of Ryvin’s chair.

Praise Ishir!’ booms the dwarf king. ‘We have prayed that you would return to aid us, Lord Rimoah. And I see you bring a Kai champion. We are doubly glad. You’ve arrived not a moment too soon.’

King Ryvin rises from his chair and motions to you and Rimoah to accompany him into an antechamber. In the privacy of this adjoining room, he tells of the nightmare that has engulfed his kingdom following the release of Shom’zaa. The creature and its horde of mutant spawn have spread like a voracious plague throughout the chambers and tunnels of his vast subterranean realm. All contact with the Drodarin communities surrounding Boradon has been severed, the lower levels of the kingdom have been lost to the enemy, and more than half of his army are unaccounted for.

‘So many have been slain,’ he says, his deep voice cracking with emotion. ‘Only the swift destruction of Shom’zaa can save us now. But all is not yet lost. I draw strength from the certain knowledge that my sons—Leomin and Torfan—are still alive, and the Throne of Andarin is intact.’

Suspended upon a chain around his neck is a bloodstone amulet which is divided along its centre. One half of this gemstone glows faintly crimson, the other half pale amber.

‘This is the Andarin Bloodstone,’ he says. ‘It contains the crimson light of Leomin and the amber light of Torfan. These lights will remain aglow so long as my sons shall live.’

Then he points to a flowering shrub that stands in a copper urn beside the chamber door. ‘That Xanthoa is evidence that the throne of my ancestors has not been destroyed, for it would wither in an instant if the throne were sundered. From these signs, and the eternal mercy of Ishir, I draw strength.’

For more than an hour you deliberate how best to defeat Shom’zaa and save the Throne of Andarin, and finally you agree upon a plan of action that could save this beleaguered realm from total destruction.

King Ryvin summons Vagel, the red-haired captain of his Royal War-thanes, and assigns him to be your guide. Vagel knows a way to reach the throne chamber where the princes were last seen together. They and their bodyguards are believed to be trapped in the chamber, stoically defending the precious throne from capture by the horde. Vagel also knows the location of Shom’zaa’s lair. The creature is known to return there frequently.

To help you further, the King gives you the Andarin Bloodstone. (Record this on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you keep on a chain around your neck. You need not discard another item in its favour if you already possess the maximum number of Special Items permissible.) He informs you that the colours of the amulet will deepen as you draw closer to his sons.

Lord Rimoah will stay in the great hall and assist King Ryvin in drawing together the remnants of his scattered army. They will then attempt to break through to the lower levels and secure the throne chamber. Having agreed the plan, you bid farewell to Rimoah and get ready to set off at once with the captain. Before you leave the great hall, Vagel offers you the chance to visit the Royal War-thane armoury.

Vagel escorts you through the great hall and into an adjoining chamber that is stacked to the ceiling with weapons and martial equipment. The barrel-chested dwarf beams with pride as he encourages you to take whatever you wish from his regimental weapons store. From among the polished racks of arms and armour, the following items catch your discerning eye:

Warhammer
Quarterstaff
Spear
Axe
Bow
Arrows (6)
Quiver (counts as a Special Item if you choose this in addition to any Quiver you may already possess)

If you decide to keep any of the above items, adjust your Action Chart accordingly.

(I take the Bor Warhammer, you'll note that I just added Warhammers to my G. Weapon list.)

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 10:38 AM

You follow the stocky Drodarin warrior out of the great hall and along a passageway that leads to the entrance of a vast, lantern-lit tunnel. Four large wolves are harnessed to a chariot parked alongside the tunnel wall, and these great grey beasts whine excitedly when they see Vagel appear. The captain leaps into the chariot and beckons you to join him. As soon as you are safely aboard, he grabs the wide leather reins and sets the wolves running.

From here on, you will be underground, so if you possess the Kai Weapon ‘Illuminatus’, you will benefit from its unique properties (you may add 7 to your COMBAT SKILL instead of 5).

(This Vagel guy is going to die. You heard it here first. Once again, it is the Joe Dever Method of Writing to have the expert in the area die.)

Tenaciously you cling to the chariot’s rail as Vagel hurls his two-wheeled transport through a seemingly endless succession of titanic caverns, and you marvel at the scale and diversity of this subterranean kingdom, for it is far greater than you had ever imagined possible. You see farmsteads with cattle and crops, rivers laden with fish, mines rich with silver and rare minerals, and wells brimming with oil to fuel the great lanterns of this vast underground realm. But among the many wonders of Bor you also see some of the tragedy that has befallen the Drodarin race. Many of the dwellings you pass have been destroyed or abandoned, and groups of battle-weary dwarf warriors sit huddled and dejected in their ruins, nursing their wounds.

Beyond the smoking shell of a house, you arrive at the entrance to a sloping tunnel that descends to a quarry and copper mine. The site looks abandoned, but when you emerge from the tunnel, your Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship screams a warning that you are heading into an ambush. You shout at Vagel to turn the chariot about, but before he can obey your command, a volley of arrows whistle down from the surrounding rocks. One of the wolves is killed instantly, causing the chariot to swerve out of control. Then the left wheel shatters upon hitting a boulder, and in the blink of an eye you are sent tumbling headlong through the air.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked.

(I toss a 5 for a 7)

You hit the ground and tumble head over heels across the rocky red soil until an ore wagon brings you to a sudden and painful halt. The collision opens a wound above your right ear that leaves you stunned and bleeding: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

Your vision swims in and out of focus as you stagger drunkenly to your feet. Drawing upon your Magnakai curing skills, you staunch the flow of blood that is trickling into your eyes from your wounded scalp. As your sight clears, you see Captain Vagel lying trapped beneath the overturned chariot. Arrows thud into the ground as you scramble to his side and attempt to drag him free. But your valiant effort is in vain; he is mortally injured and close to death. You place your hands upon his chest and use your healing skills in a final effort to save his life. Briefly he responds. His eyelids flicker open and he raises a broken hand to point towards the north wall of the quarry.

‘Go that way … throne chamber … ten miles … ’ he gasps. These are his final words.

You magnify your vision and see the entrance to a vertical pit shaft located at the base of the quarry wall. It is partially hidden by a heap of sawn timbers.

(He ALREADY died! OMG How Dever-ish of Dever!)

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 10:49 AM

Suddenly an arrow punches through the wooden side of the chariot and passes within inches of your head. This near miss makes you roll away and scramble for the safety of harder cover. You take refuge behind a cluster of boulders where you listen to the harsh gurgling sound of your attackers’ voices as they call to each other excitedly. Peering through a gap in the rocks, you see your ambushers emerge from their hiding places and begin to close in. They are minions of Shom’zaa, and your first sight of them sends a cold shiver coursing down your spine.

At a distance these man-sized creatures appear lithe and reptilian. All have lidless black eyes and scaly green hides that glisten as they move. But as they draw closer you see that each one is grotesquely different. Some have whip-like tentacles, some have spindly limbs and bulbous skulls, and some have rubbery necks and crooked spines that are studded with talons. They are all armed with captured Drodarin weapons and led by a tall creature with a lizard-like face. It gurgles to its fearsome followers, commanding them to attack your position and finish you off.

(I use KA)

You speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand and take aim with your right arm at the lizard-faced creature. A tingle of energy runs down your arm and a flash of blue light explodes from your fingertips. A bolt of electrical power surges from your hand and hits the beast in the torso, hurling it backwards to the ground. As it falls, it strikes its head on a protruding rock and is knocked unconscious.

Its followers freeze in their tracks and look to their fallen leader with shocked surprise. When he fails to rise, they are gripped by a sudden panic that makes them drop their weapons and run. You seize this chance to break cover and race towards the pit shaft at the base of the quarry’s north wall.

When you arrive at the pit, you quickly pull aside the planks that lie strewn across the opening. Peering down into the darkness, you glimpse the tangled wreckage of a cage lying at the bottom of the shaft, 60 feet below. Some of the Shom’zaa minions have now recovered their nerve and have regrouped at the edge of the quarry. Cautiously they begin to advance towards you, firing arrows as they move closer.

(I use KA again)

You speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell Levitation and step into the yawning pit. The spell prevents you from falling and, for a few moments, you stand suspended in mid-air. Then you begin to rise as the spell takes full effect. Immediately you recite the arcane words which counter it and, by so doing, you are able to make a controlled descent to the base of the pit shaft.

When your feet alight upon the roof of the elevator cage, you cancel the spell and jump to the floor of a small cavern. The alien sound of your attackers’ voices can be heard echoing down the shaft from above. They have reached the edge of the pit and some are loosing off arrows in the hope of hitting you by chance. Promptly you step away from the cage as the first of their missiles ricochet off its buckled iron roof.

After a few minutes the minions cease firing and the pit shaft echoes to the sound of their distant, gurgling laughter. Cautiously you move to the middle of the chamber, to where a line of empty ore wagons stand on a sleepered track. This track curves in the centre and exits the chamber through brick-lined tunnels in the north and east walls. Beside the north tunnel exit you see an iron door with a broken lock.

You unbutton the neck of your tunic and look at the Andarin Bloodstone in the hope it may help you choose the best route to follow. Its amber and crimson halves are glowing a little brighter now, but when you point the gemstone at each tunnel exit in turn, there is no variation. Looking down, you see that there are many tracks in the dusty ground. Some have been made by booted Drodarin feet, but mostly they are the clawed footprints of Shom’zaa’s minions. Then you apply your Kai Sixth Sense and you detect danger lurking along both tunnels.

(I examine the door)

You push open the rusty iron door and enter a storage room which contains mining tools and heavy excavation equipment. This store has recently been ransacked by Shom’zaa’s minions and little has survived intact. Amidst the heaped and broken wreckage you find only two unbroken items: a Shovel and a Pick.

When you turn to leave the store room, you notice a tattered leather jerkin hanging on a hook behind the door. In a pocket you discover a Bronze Disc that is stamped with the Drodarin numerals ‘3–2–1’. You sense that the disc could be useful and so you slip it into your pocket before leaving the store room. (Record this Bronze Disc as a Special Item. You need not discard any other item in its favour if you already possess the maximum number of items permissible.)

(I take the Bronze Disc and the Bor Pick)

(I head north)

You follow this brick-lined tunnel for a mile before you reach a cavern that is filled with heat and noise. At its centre there stands a huge smelting furnace belching scarlet fire and evil-smelling gases. Great iron chutes feed the furnace with a stream of crushed ore, and from a vent at its base you see a river of molten copper flowing away along a great stone channel. The wagon track enters the cavern and passes beneath the channel before disappearing into a tunnel in the far wall.

Twenty of Shom’zaa’s minions occupy this smelting chamber where, with wicked glee, they amuse themselves by torturing dwarven warriors whom they have captured in battle. A wretched prisoner is hung from a chain and dangled above the blazing furnace until he succumbs to the heat and poisonous fumes. Then the body is fed to the fires and another is hoisted aloft to take his place.

To the left of the entrance archway you can see an iron prison cage. It contains more than fifty dwarves destined for the furnace.

(I try to release the prisoners! Duh!)

You creep into the cavern and take cover behind an ore wagon that is parked directly opposite the prison cage. From here you are able to get a better view of the two guards, and you note that they are both wearing captured chainmail armour strapped to their scaly torsos. You also notice that the gate to the prison cage is secured by a simple iron bolt.

(I use KA)

You take aim with your right hand at the two guards before uttering the words of the Brotherhood Spell Net. A gout of thick fluid gushes from your palm and engulfs the creatures, glueing them together with its sticky strands. They struggle to free themselves but, in their desperation, they fall over and become stuck firmly to the ground.

The dwarves seize their chance to escape from the cage. A hand reaches through the bars and the bolt is pulled. Then the door bursts open and out they pour with a blood-curdling yell as they run to the ore wagons to arm themselves with rocks and tools. The torturers, alerted by the dwarf-yell, abandon their grisly work and come running towards the prison cage with their weapons raised. Suddenly two of these minions appear beside your wagon. Hurriedly you reach to your Kai Weapon as they launch a frenzied attack.

Shom’zaa minions: COMBAT SKILL 33 ENDURANCE 38

You are unable to inflict any ENDURANCE loss on this enemy for the first two rounds of combat, due to the surprise and ferocity of their attack.

(I have a +11+. I toss a 3 and a 6. I take 3. Then I toss a 2 and a 5. They have taken 26 to my 6 total. A 6 follows and they die and I took 7 damage total)

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 11:01 AM

You leap across the bodies of your slain foes and run along the line of ore wagons towards the tunnel exit. A battle is now raging in the smelting cavern as the freed dwarves take their revenge upon their alien captors. In the chaos of this combat, you reach the stone channel at the point where it crosses the wagon track, and you duck behind a supporting pillar to avoid colliding with a trio of minions that are racing to join the battle. The exit is just 20 yards ahead and it appears to be open and unguarded.

(why am I hiding from them?)

You escape along the dark tunnel at a run, your footsteps pounding in time to the beat of your heart as you race to put distance between yourself and the smelting cavern. Then a great bronze portal looms out of the darkness ahead, blocking the passage. It creaks open as you approach it and four muscular minions appear, framed in the glow of the torchlit tunnel that lies beyond. These creatures are larger than those you have encountered so far, and their reptilian eyes glint with a malevolent light that betrays their intelligence and ruthless cunning. They snicker with delight as they unsheathe their bladed weapons and rush forward to cut you down.

Shom’zaa Agarashi: COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 44

(Let's fight! I have a 9 CS without KS. I toss a 9 and auto kill them)

As the last of these Agarashi falls dead at your feet, you wipe your ichor-stained Weapon and sheathe it in your belt. Then you search the slain minions and discover the following Weapons and items:

Sword
2 Axes
Dagger
Bow
3 Arrows
Tinderbox

On passing through the portal, you pause to pull it shut and lock it behind you. The tunnel continues and you follow its central wagon track as gently it descends through the ore-rich rock. After several minutes, you detect a noise like distant thunder rumbling in the passageway ahead. You proceed with caution now, and gradually this low, thunderous noise becomes a series of separate concussive bangs. Soon you catch sight of a lantern-lit hall in the far distance. You stop to magnify your vision, and then you see at once that it harbours the source of the loud explosions.

(I take the Tinderbox)

The dwarves of Bor are famed throughout Magnamund for their devotion to the technology of warfare. Drodarin engineers have for centuries produced ingenious weapons that utilize the power of explosive powders and inflammable fluids. The distant hall is one of King Ryvin’s weapons laboratories, and it contains a vast assortment of bombards, siege engines, and other mechanical devices of war. It also contains a host of Shom’zaa Agarashi who appear to be conducting experiments of their own, with devastatingly lethal results.

The tunnel shakes with the force of another explosion as you cautiously approach the entrance to the laboratory. Standing atop a wooden platform at the far side of the chamber, you see a thin skeletal creature, with charcoal-black skin and iridescent eyes. Like an orchestral conductor it issues directions to its minions scattered about the hall below. Many are killed carrying out the orders, yet they seem more afraid of incurring the creature’s wrath than of being blown apart by their inept handling of Drodarin explosives. Below the platform you can see an archway with a stone ramp that descends to a lower level. This exit from the laboratory is protected by a heavy wooden portcullis, yet the gate is raised and the archway is clear. You note that the portcullis is operated by a single rope and pulley.

Before you attempt to enter the hall, you consult the Bloodstone Andarin and see that the colours have become stronger since the last time you looked. Your Kai senses and the lights of this glowing gemstone both confirm that you are getting nearer to finding King Ryvin’s sons.

(I use Telegnosis)

Your Grand Master Discipline reveals to you that the skeletal creature possesses strong psychic and some magical abilities. Armed with this knowledge, you call upon your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen to shield your mind from psychic detection.

Patiently you wait at the entrance to the weapons laboratory, where you observe the enemy attempting in vain to master the deadly devices they have discovered here. The portcullised arch offers the only way out of this hall, and you decide that you must attempt to reach it at the first opportunity. Your chance comes after a few minutes when one of the Shom’zaa minions naïvely scoops a clawful of sodium from a sealed clay pot, and then drops it into a pitcher of water. The resulting explosion decapitates the spawn-creature and creates a dense cloud of choking white smoke.

Under cover of the smoke, you enter the hall and steal past the enemy undetected. You are able to reach the middle of the laboratory before you are forced to take cover among a stack of oak barrels to avoid the gaze of the creature on the platform.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Assimilance, add 2 to the number you have picked. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 1.

(I toss a 1 got a 4)

Despite your forewarnings and the precautions you have taken, the creature on the platform sees you moving towards the barrels, and it emits a hellish shriek. A fiery pain wells up inside your skull as this servant of Shom’zaa directs a powerful stream of destructive psychic energy into your mind.

(I do not have Kai-Screen)

Rapidly the pressure builds in your head until your skull feels fit to burst. Your vision is clouded by a scarlet haze, and you are unable to stifle a cry of pain as you collapse to your knees: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

Desperately you struggle to erect a defensive wall around the core of your mind, using your power of Psi-screen. Slowly, as your mental defences lock together, the pain eases and your vision clears. Through the receding red mist you see a group of Shom’zaa Agarashi closing in on you with their swords drawn. You force yourself to stand, and you unsheathe your Kai Weapon just in time to meet their determined attack.

Shom’zaa Agarashi: COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 30

(I have a +13 with Mindblast. I toss a 2, then a 7 and finally a 4. It dies. I took 5 total damage)

Your swift dispatch of the Shom’zaa Agarashi sends a shock wave through the others. Nervously they back away, despite the hysterical shrieking of their cadaverous commander who orders them to attack you en masse. Before they can rally themselves and carry out the order, you steal away into a section of the vast laboratory that is crowded with siege machinery and engines of war. Here you take cover behind a large shield on wheels and observe the Shom’zaa minions as they mill about in confusion.

Suddenly their commander recaptures their attention by freezing two luckless minions to death with an icy blast. When he then commands the portcullis to be lowered to prevent your escape, a zealous minion rushes forward and begins hacking at its securing rope with a battle-axe. The rope snaps, and you watch with horror as the portcullis comes crashing down to seal off the exit.

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 11:09 AM

You remain hidden behind the large shield as the enemy come searching for you among the Drodarin war machines. Through a peephole in the shield’s timbers, you observe the Agarashi commander climbing down from the platform to join in the hunt. It shrieks incessantly at its scurrying minions, and looses off random blasts of icy death as it searches for you like a hungry predator.

The tunnel by which you entered the hall has been sealed off, and the portcullis can no longer be raised now that its hoisting rope has been severed. Your hopes of escaping are fading fast, until you see something nearby that revives your flagging spirits.

Your eye falls upon a two-wheeled field cannon which stands 20 yards from the portcullis. Its bronze muzzle is fashioned in the likeness of a dragon’s mouth, with a serpent-like tail that winds back along its barrel to the touch-hole. You magnify your vision and you are able to see that the cannon is primed, loaded, and set ready to fire. If you could reach the cannon and set a light to its touch-hole, it would discharge its shot straight at the portcullis.

(I do have a Tinderbox, although it's not an option, I would think Elementalism would work here to start a fire)

You remove the Tinderbox from your Backpack and grip it tightly in your fist. As soon as the way is clear, you leap out from behind the shield and dash towards the cannon. The Agarashi commander sees you breaking cover; it halts and turns. Then, with a disdainful laugh, it raises its clawed hand and takes careful aim at your fleeing form.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked.

(I toss a 4 into a 6)

The Agarashi commander fires an icy blast at your head, but he mistimes the shot and it fails to stop you from setting your light to the touch-hole. As his deadly missile whooshes past within inches of your scalp, the powder ignites and a tongue of flame roars from the muzzle of the cannon.'

The cannon’s shell hits the portcullis and explodes, tearing a great hole in the timbers. Smouldering fragments of the gate are scattered widely about the hall, and they set off a chain-reaction of smaller explosions when they settle on powder kegs and jars of inflammable liquids.

The enemy are thrown into a state of confusion and you seize upon the chance to make good your escape. You run to the portcullis and dive head-first through the ragged hole. With the Agarashi commander’s cries of anger and frustration ringing in your ears, you scramble to your feet and hurry down a stone ramp that leads to the level below.

The stone ramp leads to a titanic, lantern-lit cavern, where acres of wheat and barley are ripening in fields of fertile soil. You are amazed that such rich arable land can exist so deep below the surface of Magnamund, where rain has never fallen and the sun has never shone. Truly the Goddess Ishir gave the Drodarin a wondrous gift when she bestowed upon them the Throne of Andarin, for its powers alone permit this miracle to exist.

You leave the ramp and follow a rutted cart track. It borders upon a field of tall wheat, swaying gently in a cooling breeze. As you walk along, you magnify your vision and attempt to judge the distance to the far wall of the cavern. You have just concluded that it lies more than two miles ahead when suddenly you see something in the middle distance that makes you freeze in your tracks. A group of six large, two-footed creatures have emerged from the wheat field. At first glance they remind you of the guanza, the racing lizards bred in the Southlands, but when you take a closer look you see that these grey-skinned mounts are not born of natural stock. Astride their scaly backs sit Shom’zaa minions armed with spears and lances. The leading rider sights you on the track and immediately the group comes speeding towards you with a loose, loping gait.

Hurriedly you leave the track and leap through the tall crops, pitching and stumbling among the tough stalks as you struggle to get away from the approaching riders. Within a minute of first sighting you the riders are able to pick up your trail.

The sound of them crashing through the wheat alerts you to the need for you to hide your tracks. You change direction repeatedly, and use your Kai skills to weave through the crops without leaving any sign of your passing. This tactic throws most of them off your scent, but one rider follows his instincts and he homes in on you with uncanny precision.

Shom’zaa Agarashi Lancer: COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 30

(I have a 9 with MB alone. I toss a 6 and a 4. They took 22 to my 3. A 2 finishes them, but I have taken 6. I had 5 damage left from other battles and such, and am at 11 damage taken thus far)

Your killing blow pitches the Shom’zaa lancer out of its saddle and sends its lifeless body tumbling into the wheat, trailing a stream of black ichor. As its steed flees through the tall crops, you notice a bulb-like object fall from its saddlebag. You take a closer look and discover that it is an unexploded Phosphor Bomb. (If you wish to keep this item, record it on your Action Chart as a Backpack Item.) Then you hear the sound of the other riders approaching, and quickly you dive into the tall crops and hurry away towards the north to avoid them.

After a few minutes, when you can no longer hear the lancers crashing through the wheat, you begin to feel confident that they have lost your trail for good. You have just crossed into an adjoining crop of barley when suddenly a barrier of piercing light erupts in front of you as first one explosion and then two more detonate among the plants. In a desperate attempt to flush you out, the riders are hurling phosphor bombs into the fields. Within seconds the tinder-dry crops are ablaze, fanned by a stiff breeze. You retreat to the wheat field to avoid the roaring flames but, as you retrace your steps, your Sixth Sense tells you that you are being forced back into a trap.

( I take the Phosphor Bomb)

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 11:15 AM

he blazing wall of flame is being fuelled by powerful Drodarin incendiaries, and the temperatures they are generating are far higher than your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus can withstand.

(I use G. Nexus)

You draw upon your Grand Mastery of Nexus to protect your body as you get ready to attempt to forge a way through this white-hot wall of fire. With fear running cold in your veins, you close your eyes, lower your head, and then sprint towards the roaring fire like a charging bull. You hit the flaming wall and you are consumed by its terrible, searing heat. But you do not falter or lose your footing, and within a few seconds, you emerge from it and crash headlong into a sea of soft, cool barley.

Physically, you have survived your ordeal unscathed, but when you prise open your eyes and take stock of your equipment, you quickly discover that your tunic and Backpack are on fire.

(I use Elementalism with a high rank)

You utilize your improved Discipline of Elementalism to condense water out of the surrounding air with which to douse the flames that are feeding hungrily on your clothes and equipment. Your speedy action extinguishes the fire and saves your tunic and Backpack from ruin.

Having successfully reached the far side of the wall of fire, you hurry away towards the north in case the Shom’zaa lancers should attempt to outflank you. Soon you come to a muddy ditch which marks the boundary between two neighbouring fields of barley. In the field ahead the plants are younger and shorter, and you are able to see the roof of a Drodarin farmhouse less than 50 yards distant.

(I choose to investigate the farmhouse)

As you approach the stone-built farmhouse, your Kai tracking skills detect that the Shom’zaa lancers have already paid this dwelling a visit. Its oak door is hanging off its hinges, its windows are broken, and splintered furniture lies scattered throughout the rooms of the ground floor. Few items of any value remain intact.

Among the wreckage of the kitchen you discover enough food for 2 Meals, a Jug of Vinegar, and a Candle. You also discover a concealed drawer beneath its refectory table. This compartment contains 2 Potions of Laumspur (they each restore 4 ENDURANCE points when swallowed following combat).

You are preparing to leave when suddenly your keen ears detect a faint bubbling sound. It is coming from beneath a trapdoor set into the middle of the kitchen floor.

(I take a Jug of Vinegar and a Laumspur Pot, I have two backpack slots free)

You pull open the trapdoor and descend a ladder to a cool cellar. The floor is stacked high with corked bottles, and the walls are lined with shelves that sag beneath the weight of a hundred glass flagons, each one filled with a dark bubbling liquid. The pungent smell of fermenting ale assails your nostrils, and your suspicions are confirmed when you risk a sip of the heady home brew.

The flagons contain Bor Brew, a notoriously potent ale. If you wish to take some of this beer, you can fill an empty bottle and store it in your pack (a Bottle of Bor Brew = 1 Backpack Item).

(Nevermind, i take two flagons)

You leave the farm and trek across five fields of barley before you come to the far side of this titanic cavern. Several cart tracks converge at the approach to a wide stone ramp that ascends to the mouth of an unguarded tunnel in the cavern wall. You climb the ramp and, as you enter this torchlit tunnel, you discover a number of broken weapons lying discarded on the ground. Among them you find 1 Arrow and a Sword that are still serviceable. (If you decide to keep them, adjust your Action Chart accordingly.)

You follow the tunnel for several hundred yards until you come to a junction where a smaller passageway leads off to the right. A stone plaque that once indicated the name of this passage lies smashed in pieces. You are trying to put the pieces back together when suddenly you hear the sound of Brozal riders approaching along the main tunnel. Quickly you move into the shadowy passageway and use your camouflage skills to hide there as you wait for the riders to pass.

While you are waiting, unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

You hear the Brozal slowing as they draw near to the junction, and your skin prickles with a premonition of danger. Your Kai senses detect the approach of a malevolent entity, a creature in their company that is exuding a powerful aura of evil. Fearing that you may be discovered if you stay here, you silently slip away along the passage.

Soon you arrive at a great bronze door. It is inlaid with ancient Drodarin runes and embellished with gold leaf. Gently you push against its cold surface, and the portal swings open to reveal a gloomy chamber. You sense no threat here and so you enter and then push the door closed behind you.

The walls of this chamber are lined with alcoves which are filled with ornate burial urns. Some have been smashed, and their powdery contents lie scattered upon the marble floor. You quickly determine that you have entered a Drodarin cinerarium—a place where the cremated remains of dwarven warriors are laid to rest. Such chambers are considered sacred by the Drodarin, and it saddens you to see that this one has been wantonly desecrated by Shom’zaa minions.

A large tomb dominates the centre of the chamber. Its lid is cracked and holed where the minions have attempted to force an entry. Drodarin script embellishes its dusty surfaces, and when you make a closer inspection, your pulse quickens. This is the tomb of Andarin—the first King of Bor. Through a small hole that punctures the tomb’s lid, you can see part of the king’s burial urn. It is lit by the supernatural glow of a golden warhammer that rests beside it. Your Kai senses detect that this is a powerful, magical weapon.

(I try and open it)

You examine the lid of the tomb and find that it is cemented firmly into position by centuries of grime. In order for you to lift the lid, you will first have to break through these layers of encrusted sediment.

(I use KA)

You speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell Strength and as it begins to take effect, you feel an invigorating surge of power flowing through every muscle of your body. Electrified by this energy, you take hold of the tomb’s lid and force it aside. There is a loud Crack! as the seal of grime is broken; then a flood of golden light washes over you when you swing the lid aside and tip it over onto the floor.

With a growing sense of awe, you take hold of the golden warhammer and raise it aloft. You admire its finely-crafted lines and perfect balance, and you sense that it was forged by magical fires.

If you wish to keep the Andarin Warhammer, record it on your Action Chart as a Special Item. In combat against any enemy it will give you a bonus of +5 to your COMBAT SKILL. You may use this magical warhammer as an alternative to your Kai Weapon.

(Woot)

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 11:27 AM

Prompted by curiosity, you leave Andarin’s tomb and go to look at the alcoves which encircle the walls of this chamber. Only a few urns remain wholly intact within the arched recesses, and each of these is engraved with the likeness of the Drodarin lord whose ashes they contain. Your eye is drawn to one in particular—the cinerary urn of War-thane Svann. Yet it is not the urn itself that captures your interest; it is the small bronze lever concealed behind it.

Carefully you remove Svann’s urn and examine the lever. Immediately your Kai senses inform you that it operates a secret panel in the wall.

(I use KA)

Prompted by the warnings of your Kai Sixth Sense, you speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell Sense Evil and focus your powers upon the lever, the alcove, and its surrounding wall. You detect that there is indeed a concentration of evil nearby, but suddenly you realize that it is nowhere near the alcove wall. The evil is in the passageway leading to the door of the chamber … and it is approaching fast

(I use the lever)

The lever clicks down and a secret panel in the wall slides open to reveal a narrow passage. As you are peering along this gloomy tunnel, suddenly the heavy chamber door bursts open and slams against the wall.

An icy trickle of fear runs down your back when you turn to look upon the squat creature that is now framed in the doorway. It has a bloated, veined body and waxy skin that is as pale as a frozen corpse. From its fanged mouth there flickers a forked tongue, and its scarlet eye-slits radiate an evil light that chills you to the bone. It advances into the chamber with its arms outstretched, as if it is walking in its sleep. Then it turns and points its arms at you, and its clenched fists begin to glow like two balls of red-hot plasma.

You take hold of the stonework that frames the secret panel and pull yourself towards the narrow passageway. You are only halfway through the opening when two orbs of living flame leap from the creature’s glowing fists and come arcing towards your spine.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked. If you possess Assimilance, add 1

(I autopass)

The speeding fireballs explode harmlessly in the entrance as you make good your escape along this cobwebbed passage. In the distance, you glimpse the opening to a chamber that is crowded with objects that glitter enticingly in the half-light. When you magnify your vision, you realize with some amazement that you are running towards a secret Drodarin treasure vault.

The sound of falling masonry alerts you to a renewed danger: the creature is attempting to pursue you. Chunks of crumbling plaster are being dislodged from the walls as the creature forces its bloated body along the narrow passageway.

(I have Grand Path)

Your Kai Mastery warns you that you are running towards a deadly trap. One of the dusty stone slabs which pave this narrow passageway is set to trigger the trap when a weight is placed upon it. Your Kai Sixth Sense helps you to identify the slab, and as you get nearer, you increase your speed in preparation to jump over it.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked. If your current ENDURANCE score is 16 or lower, deduct 2.

(I toss a 3 and get a 7)

You clear the slab, and as you race towards the treasure vault, the passageway is filled with the terrible roar of a fireball. The instant you pass through the vault’s archway, you dodge to one side and cover your head with your hands. This timely action saves you from being scorched by the searing heat of the missile as it whooshes past and explodes among the treasures stored in this chamber.

As the fire dies out, you hear another sound—the dull clunk! of a trap being activated. You glance back into the passageway and see that your pursuer has stepped on a weighted floor slab, triggering a volley of deadly arrows. Unable to turn in the narrow confines of the passage, it is skewered by more than a dozen of these bone-tipped shafts. With a hellish shriek, the creature’s corpulent body erupts into a great ball of flame that burns with such fierce intensity that the beast is quickly reduced to a heap of white-hot ash.

(Nice. I m fully healed at this passage by the by)

Now that the creature is no longer a threat, you turn away from the scorching heat that is radiating from its ashes, and you begin to explore this mysterious treasure chamber.

The walls of the vault are decorated with murals that glorify the Goddess Ishir. Great carved tables, heaped with dusty gems and ingots of precious metal, form a circle around a golden statue of the goddess which stands upon a crystal dais in the middle of the chamber. Resting against the dais are several ancient artefacts of special value. Three of these items in particular catch your eye:

Korlinium Chainmail Vest (This Special Item can be worn beneath your tunic. It adds +2 to your COMBAT SKILL.)
Drodarin Bag of Holding (This Backpack Item can be used to store five additional Backpack Items, although the Bag itself occupies only one space.)
‘Sunderer’ (This Drodarin battle-axe is a Special Item. In combat against any enemy it will give you a bonus of +5 to your COMBAT SKILL. You may use this magical axe as an alternative to your existing Kai Weapon.)

If you choose to take and keep any of the above Special Items, make the necessary adjustments to your Action Chart.

To continue, turn to 95.

(I take all three, I move my meals inside the Bag along with the Bor Brew and Tinderbox)

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 11:37 AM

Carefully you examine the walls and floor and detect no other exits, other than the passage by which you entered the treasure vault. But that way is now impassable. Following its destruction, the ashes of the slain creature have become steadily hotter. A searing radiation fills the passageway, and this deadly energy forces you to abandon all hope of making an escape by that route.

You are beginning to fear that you may be trapped, until you notice that the vault’s domed ceiling is obscured by a cloud of steam. Using your Kai skills, you peer through the vapours and detect a hole at the apex of the dome through which the steam is emerging. By climbing onto the statue of Ishir and raising both arms, you are able to take hold of a metal flange encircling the hole. Confident that you have found a way out, you haul yourself up and begin climbing along a rough stone duct. This slippery conduit leads to another hole, located in the roof of a rocky cavern where steam is bubbling from the surface of a hot spring.

Gingerly you drop down to the floor of this humid cavern and take stock of your new surroundings.

Through the thick, billowing vapours you glimpse an underground river which divides the cavern in two. Its warm waters enter through a fissure in the south wall, and flow away through a natural tunnel in the west wall. You are approaching the muddy bank when suddenly a huge dark shape comes looming out of the steam. You can barely stifle a scream of terror when you find yourself staring into the venomous maw of a gigantic steamspider.

( I have a Jar of Vinegar)

Suddenly you recall something you learned at the Kai Monastery many years ago. Steamspiders are commonly found in the hot and humid regions of Magnamund, though few ever grow to the size of the gigantic specimen that confronts you here. The smaller ones are especially vulnerable to acetic acid, and nests of steamspiders are usually destroyed with a liberal sprinkling of vinegar.

Armed with this knowledge, you pull the Jug of Vinegar from your Backpack. Then you hurl it at the giant arachnid as it tenses itself in readiness to attack.

The Jug of Vinegar strikes the giant spider’s bony fangs and shatters, drenching its maw and belly. Then the creature emits a hideous shriek as the wine vinegar eats into its body like a powerful, corrosive acid. It rears up on its hairy legs and topples backwards to fall limply into the river. For a few moments its loathsome carcass is buoyed along on the current; then slowly it sinks beneath the foaming waters and disappears from view.

(Noise!)

You unsheathe your Weapon and hold it ready as cautiously you explore the cavern. You are wary that there may be other creatures lurking in the depths of its craggy hollows, waiting patiently to attack. However, you soon discover that the cavern had only one occupant and it is now empty.

The only exit from this place is the natural tunnel in the west wall, through which the underground river flows away. Carefully you test the water and discover that it is hot, although not unbearably so. You resolve to try to escape from the cavern by way of this river, and before you lower yourself into its steamy water, you make sure that all of your Weapons and equipment are secure. Upon entering the river you are carried away by the swift current and swept beneath the tunnel’s low arch.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

(I toss a 7)

For more than a mile you ride the torrid waters of this underground river. Its swift current takes you through a series of low, dark caverns, and steeply-sloping chutes, until you reach a place where it flows into a deeper, colder channel. Where the two rivers meet, the waters boil and seethe as they collide with a line of jagged, razor-edged rocks. Frantically you battle against the current as you are swept inexorably nearer to this treacherous reef.

(I use Elementalism)

You harness the force of your elemental powers to help steer you away from the jagged granite reef. You pass within a few yards of these deadly rocks, and then the cold water currents swirl you around and wash you onto a shingle bank.

Aching and bedraggled after your punishing ordeal in the water, you crawl up the stony river bank and rest beside a mossy boulder. Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

After surveying your new surroundings, you determine that you have arrived at the base of a deep fissure eroded by the rivers which converge near this point. Your keen eyes spot a black opening in the granite cliff-face overhanging the shingle bank, and when you go to investigate, you discover that it is the entrance to a long and winding tunnel. Growing out of the walls of this dank passage are several scarlet-capped toadstools.

(I dont have Herbery)

You continue for several miles in complete silence and darkness until you hear a noise faintly in the distance. You stop to concentrate your aural abilities and gradually you are able to identify the distinctive, familiar sounds of battle. The clash of blades, the dull report of Bor pistols, and the dying shrieks of men and monsters can be heard seeping through the cracked walls of this tunnel.

You press on for a further mile until the tunnel tapers and comes to a dead end. A wedge of lantern-light is pouring through a wide hole near the floor, and when you peer through it, you see a wider tunnel which passes at a right angle to the one you occupy. Lying on the floor of this new passageway are the bloodstained bodies of Drodarin warriors, entwined with Shom’zaa minions and Agarashi.

You watch and listen for several minutes. When you are sure that you can detect nothing moving in the tunnel below, you remove your Backpack and push it through the hole. Then you wriggle through this narrow gap and drop down onto the body-strewn floor. You are replacing your Backpack when suddenly your Kai senses alert you to an approaching danger.

(I do have a high rank and G. Nexus)

Your Kai Sixth Sense warns you that a large group of Shom’zaa Agarashi are approaching, and your Magnakai Discipline of Divination detects the presence of a creature among them who possesses magical abilities. A cursory look in the opposite direction tells you that this smooth-walled, lantern-lit passage offers very few places in which to hide. Having coolly assessed the situation, you call upon your improved mastery of Nexus to help you survive it.

You curl up on the floor and cover your head with your left arm to keep your Sommlending features hidden from view. Then you place yourself into a state of suspended animation, convincingly feigning death. Minutes later, a dozen Shom’zaa Agarashi come creeping along the tunnel. They are led by a thin creature with ebony skin and iridescent eyes. Without paying you a second glance, they pass by and disappear into the distance.

When you can no longer hear the rasping sound of their clawed feet scraping the tunnel floor, you bring yourself out of the trance and get to your feet.

(I search the bodies)

Your search uncovers the following items and Weapons:

Sword
Axe
Spear
Dagger
Enough food for 2 Meals
Bottle of Bor Brew
Copper Key
3 Arrows
Bow
Quiver

If you choose to keep any of the above items, make the appropriate adjustments to your Action Chart.

(I take another Bor Brew! I also take the Copper Key)

You follow the tunnel to a cavern where seven other passages converge. A granite obelisk, carved with a single rune, stands in the middle of this circular chamber. You recognize the rune: it is the Drodarin symbol for ‘hub’, the centre part of a wheel. The dwarves of Bor have named this cavern ‘The Hub’, because the tunnels that meet here resemble the spokes of a gigantic wheel.

You take the Andarin Bloodstone from around your neck. Then you observe its glowing colours as you walk around the perimeter of the cavern, pointing it at each tunnel entrance in turn. When you come before the north tunnel, the colours glow brighter. You are sure you have found the way that will lead you to Prince Leomin and Prince Torfan when you discover a stone plaque fixed to the wall. Its runic symbols tell you that this broad passage leads to the Throne Chamber of Andarin.

The sounds of fighting grow louder as you explore the depths of this tunnel. Frequently you have to hide in the shadows to avoid colliding with ragged groups of wounded Agarashi retreating from battle. But at length you come to a large cavern that serves as the anteroom to the throne chamber of Andarin.

From the cover of a stone column beside the tunnel exit, you observe the deadly struggle that is taking place in this smoke-filled cavern. Scores of dead Agarashi are heaped before the entrance to the distant throne chamber. Its great double doors have been torn from their hinges, yet entry has been denied to the Shom’zaa horde. A barricade fills the open doorway, and this makeshift wall is being skilfully defended by the War-thanes of Prince Leomin and Prince Torfan.

An assault on the throne chamber is about to take place. You watch with grim fascination as the Agarashi rise up from positions they have dug around the perimeter of the cavern, and wait for their commander to shriek the order to attack. A wailing cry echoes around the cavern as the horde rushes headlong towards the barricade. They come to within a few paces of the wall before the leading ranks are obliterated by a cannon’s shell and a deafening volley of Bor pistols. There is a brief clash of swords and spears, followed by an ominous silence. From out of the smoke and carnage, the few who have survived the attack come crawling back to their trenches to lick their wounds and await the next assault.

Soon you hear the approach of enemy reinforcements, their ill-fitting armour rattling as they come running along the tunnel. You are forced to move away from the column for fear of being seen when they arrive but, as you scurry to the cover of an empty powder barrel, you are spotted by a group of Shom’zaa minions in a trench near the cavern wall. They cry out to their comrades, alerting them of your presence as they fumble to load their captured crossbows.

(I use Assimilance with a high rank)

You call upon your improved mastery of Assimilance to conjure a thick mist from the bottom of the enemy trench. Seconds later, the Shom’zaa minions shriek with fear as they are engulfed in a dense white fog.

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 11:49 AM

You are spotted by the reinforcements as they enter the cavern, and the leading Shom’zaa Agarashi come rushing towards you with their spears raised. To stand and fight them would be suicidal for they total more than a hundred in number; your only hope is to reach the barricade.

As you sprint across the body-strewn cavern towards the distant throne chamber, the dwarven defenders see you approaching. Some of them recognize you are a Kai Lord by the cut and colour of your tunic, and a hearty cheer arises from the barricade. Arrows and crossbow bolts whistle past as the Shom’zaa horde attempts to prevent you from reaching the throne chamber alive. Then you hear the loud report of muskets and pistols as Drodarin marksmen give covering fire from their barricade.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked. If your current ENDURANCE points score is 20 or less, deduct 2.

( 6 into 8)

You are within a dozen yards of the barricade, when a missile hits you forcefully in the back and sends you sprawling to the ground.

You scramble to your feet and climb across the corpses of the slain Shom’zaa minions that are heaped before the barricade. Strong Drodarin hands reach out and grab you by the arms, and you are hauled bodily over the tangle of barrels and planks.

‘You sure ran pretty!’ says a bearded War-thane, as he slaps you heartily on the shoulder.

‘You just lost me ten Ain,’ says another, jokingly. ‘I bet old Borin that y’wouldn’t make it!’

These battle-hardened defenders are clearly impressed by your courage, and they are not too proud to show it. But then a gruff cry from the far end of the line sends them hurrying back to their positions: ‘Here they come again!’

A grey-bearded warrior, his arm bandaged in a makeshift sling, takes hold of your sleeve and pulls you away from the barricade as the Shom’zaa Agarashi launch another assault. He ushers you into the Throne Chamber of Andarin and, as you accompany him, he tugs something from your Backpack: it is the shaft of an enemy arrow. Your pack prevented this missile from penetrating your spine. (The arrow damaged one item. Erase any item of your choosing from your list of Backpack Items.)

(I lose a meal and have just one left, one of the reasons I carry meals, sometimes you need to give them out, sometimes you are in a petrified forest and can't hunt, and sometimes you have to lose something and it covers for better days ahead.)

Upon entering the chamber, you see a huge throne of silver adorned with hundreds of precious gems. It rests upon a dais of marble and it dominates the centre of this circular hall. A halo of golden light surrounds the Throne of Andarin, and when these rays wash over your body, you feel cleansed and invigorated (restore 5 ENDURANCE points).

As you approach the fabled throne, you see many injured Drodarin warriors seated around its base. Some have suffered grievous battle-wounds, yet the goodly light of the throne is healing their torn flesh and broken bones. Your grey-bearded escort ushers you to a corner of the chamber where two warriors are engaged in a heated debate. From the colour of their armour and the royal crests of Bor emblazoned upon their surcoats, you deduce that they are King Ryvin’s missing sons: Prince Leomin and Prince Torfan.

The two princes cease their argument when they see you approach. Torfan comes bounding forward to greet you, offering his hand in friendship, yet his elder brother appears sullen and dejected. You introduce yourself to the princes and give an account of the events that have brought you to this meeting. When you show them the Sun-crystal and tell of your mission to destroy Shom’zaa, a glimmer of hope shines in Prince Leomin’s red-rimmed eyes. You sense that he has been racked with remorse since the escape of Shom’zaa and its vile minions. He longs for the chance to redeem his foolish actions, and readily he offers to help you destroy the creature and its hordes.

You learn that the princes and their bodyguard of War-thanes have held the throne chamber for six days. They have no food or water, and it is only the radiant power of the throne that has sustained them. Prince Leomin knows the precise location of Shom’zaa’s lair and he will lead you to it. You agree to go with him while Prince Torfan remains here to command the defence of the throne chamber.

Leomin takes you to a stone door set flush into the curving marble wall. A grizzled old warrior sits guard at this portal, and clutched in his vein-covered hands is a glowing runestone. Your Kai senses detect that this door is sealed by an Old Kingdom Spell that has prevented Shom’zaa’s horde from gaining entry to the chamber by this way. Prince Leomin unsheathes his battle-axe and motions you to draw your Weapon before the door is opened.

‘Shom’zaa abandoned his attempt to batter down this portal two days past,’ he says. ‘But there may be some of his spawn-kind waiting in the corridor outside. Best be on our guard, Kai Lord.’

Leomin nods to the old warrior and he responds by touching the runestone to the door. There is a faint tinkling sound, and then the portal slides open and you follow the prince as he steps through the opening into the darkened passageway beyond. The portal slides shut behind your back with hardly a sound. Instinctively you scan your new surroundings for signs of the enemy, and quickly discover that Leomin was right to be cautious. More than a dozen Shom’zaa Agarashi have been left here to guard the portal. Only by chance have you chosen a time to leave the chamber when these creatures are asleep.

Leomin points to the end of the wide corridor, to a place where a circular shaft descends to a lower level. A large basket, suspended by a rope and pulley, hangs above this shaft. The prince beckons you to follow as he tiptoes around the sleeping creatures and approaches the basket. You are halfway along the corridor when suddenly one of the Shom’zaa Agarashi awakens and shrieks in alarm. You respond by racing towards the distant shaft, but within a matter of seconds, all of the sleeping creatures are on their feet and rushing from all sides to block your escape. You must fight them.

Shom’zaa Agarashi: COMBAT SKILL 42 ENDURANCE 44

You may add 5 to your COMBAT SKILL for the duration of this combat, for Prince Leomin is fighting by your side.

(I toss an 0 and auto kill them)

As the last of the Shom’zaa Agarashi falls to your deadly blows, you sheathe your Weapon and hurry to join Prince Leomin at the far end of the corridor. Together you climb into the hanging basket and he takes hold of its supporting rope. By feeding the rope slowly through the pulley, he is able to lower the basket towards the base of the shaft.

(I have Grand Path and a high enough rank)

As you descend, you hear a faint buzzing sound resonating from the rock-face. Rapidly this sound becomes an angry drone when the basket draws level with a cavity in the wall. Suddenly, a swarm of large wasp-like insects pour out of this hole and encircle the basket. The lower stripy sections of their bodies begin to glow as they gather together in a cloud and hover menacingly above you.

‘Antah wasps!’ exclaims Leomin, as he frantically works the rope and drops the basket at a stomach-churning speed. The wasps give chase, but when you call upon your improved Discipline of Pathsmanship and command them to disperse, they return immediately to their nest in the wall of the shaft.

Prince Leomin is impressed and, for the first time in many days, a smile creases his sullen face. He commends your skill as he slows the rope and lowers the basket gently to the base of the shaft.

(Which feels more like Animal Mastery to me, but whatever Dever)

The basket lands at the base of the shaft and you see a freshly-excavated tunnel stretching away to the east. You leave the basket and, as you follow the prince, you notice that the walls of this passage are layered with a fibrous mineral that shimmers like strands of polished silver. Now you understand what tempted Leomin to defy ancient Drodarin lore and mine the lower levels of Bor, for these are strands of pure korlinium—the rarest of minerals. You feel its raw energy revitalizing you as you walk along the tunnel (restore 3 ENDURANCE points), yet you cannot help but conclude how foolish it was of Leomin to succumb to his temptation. For centuries the goodly power of this mineral has acted like the bars of a prison, keeping Shom’zaa and its horde secure.

At length you arrive at a small cavern where a section of wall has collapsed.

‘That is where the Shom’zaa horde emerged,’ says Leomin, pointing to the gaping hole. Mining tools litter the floor of this chamber, and you see a wider passage leading off to the south. It is laid with track for wagons to carry away the korlinium ore. When you magnify your vision, you see a group of Shom’zaa Agarashi at the far end of this passage

(I use KA)

You recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell Sense Evil and instantly you detect the presence of Shom’zaa. The fell creature is lurking somewhere beyond the hole in the cavern wall. You try to focus the spell, to determine where exactly he can be found, but all your efforts are in vain. The energy of the raw korlinium is disrupting the power of your spell.

Patiently you wait until the Shom’zaa Agarashi have disappeared from the passage; then you draw your Kai Weapon and steel yourself to enter the hole. Leomin keeps lookout as you duck your head and step through its jagged opening.

As your eyes adjust to the gloom, you gasp with horror at what you see in the cavern before you. Hanging from the slime-stained ceiling are hundreds of large, grey cocoons. Through the wiry threads that form their fibrous shell cases, you can see the faces and features of Drodarin warriors. Your throat tightens when you realize that their corpses are being kept here to provide future food for Shom’zaa and his horde.

( I do have Grand Path)

Your senses warn you that the creature responsible for spinning these cocoons is clinging to the ceiling directly above your head … and it is getting ready to drop!

(I attack the ceiling)

You spin on your heel and launch a mighty swipe at the ceiling, but the blade of your Kai Weapon glances harmlessly off a steel-hard shell. You look up and see a large creature affixed to the rough surface. It resembles a huge black beetle, with mandibles and a shiny shell that covers a pair of membranous hind wings. From a bony tube beneath this horror’s gaping mouth comes a thin length of thread. It whips around your legs and yanks you to the ground. As you fall, another thread loops around your body, making you gasp for air as it is pulled tighter and tighter.

The creature spins another loop of thread around your chest, and your vision fades as the last of the air is expelled from your lungs: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

You are beginning to lose consciousness when the crushing coils of thread are suddenly loosened. As you gasp air into your burning lungs, your vision begins to clear and you see the reason why the torture has stopped.

Prince Leomin tugs his battle-axe free from the beetle-creature’s sundered skull, and the chittering horror loses its grip on the ceiling and comes crashing down upon the cavern floor.

Quickly the prince hooks the blade of his great axe behind the wiry threads that constrict and bind you, and with one swift pull, he severs them and releases you. As your strength slowly returns, you thank Leomin for his timely rescue and take stock of the damage the lassos of thread have caused.

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 12:01 PM

With Prince Leomin watching your back, you cautiously explore this stinking hive. Beyond the cocoons you come to an adjoining cavern where a rough stone ramp descends to a sunken floor, ankle-deep in brackish slime. Clusters of large grey eggs are attached to conical stalagmites, and the surface of the mire is littered with the remnants of these leathery grey sacs. Your Kai Sixth Sense tells you that these torn egg pouches once contained the creatures that are now wreaking havoc in the dwarven kingdom.

You approach the edge of the stone ramp and come to an abrupt halt when you detect an overpowering aura of evil. You cast your eye across the field of stalagmites and your blood runs cold when you catch your first glimpse of Shom’zaa lurking in the darkness. He is a four-legged being, and his great head is triangular in form. Two pale green, radiant eyes are set above a three-cornered mouth filled with crystalline fangs. Below his jaw protrudes a slender proboscis, and from the crown of his bony skull sprout antenna tipped with barbed spikes. Slime drips from his every pore, sheening his leprous hide.

At first Shom’zaa appears not to have sensed your presence in his lair. Busily he tends to a batch of Agarashi eggs, injecting them with fluid from his proboscis to encourage them to hatch. But when you remove the Sun-crystal from your pocket and get ready to hurl it at his loathsome form, suddenly he senses danger and retreats among the stalagmites. As he withdraws, he emits a sound that is beyond the range of human hearing.

(I do not have Kai-Screen or Bardsmanship)

A piercing pain lances through your head as Shom’zaa’s inaudible cry invades your mind: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

Hurriedly, you call upon your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen to erect a defensive wall against this sonic attack, and gradually the pain subsides.

Your Kai senses tell you that Shom’zaa’s cry was not a sonic attack launched intentionally against you and Prince Leomin: it was a summoning call to his protectors. You encountered one of his protectors when first you entered his hive, and the memory of the beetle-creature is still painfully fresh in your mind. But Shom’zaa has one other bodyguard, and a sudden noise from the wall of the chamber behind you draws your attention to its daunting presence.

You spin around to see the slime-smeared rock-face rippling and undulating, as if a wave is passing through it. Then, in stunned disbelief, you watch the rocks move and take form. From out of the wall steps a creature formed wholly of stone. It has taken the shape of a large human, with fists that resemble two great hammers. It pounds the ground as it comes lumbering towards you, pulverising the surface. Bravely, Prince Leomin raises his axe, and with his battle-cry upon his lips, he lands a flurry of heavy blows upon the creature’s chest and neck. The rock beast retaliates with a backhanded swipe. It connects with Leomin’s head and leaves him sprawled upon the floor, unconscious and bleeding. Hurriedly you slip the Sun-crystal back into your pocket as the lumbering beast advances upon you.

The rock creature stops in mid-stride and turns towards Prince Leomin. As his crushing feet tread a slow, deliberate path towards the prince’s head, you unsheathe your Kai Weapon and rush forward in a desperate attempt to halt the creature.

Rock Golem: COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 70

This being is immune to all psychic attacks. If the Kai Weapon you wield is ‘Magnara’, you will benefit from the bonus gained due to its unique properties

(My CS without any psychics is 53 with the +4 I have for my new armor and the +2 I get for the underground weapon. +13. I toss a 6, then a 2, then a 4, then a 9 and it'll auto-die. I took 5 total)

As the rock golem crumbles to dust, you rush to Prince Leomin’s side and try to revive him with your Magnakai Curing skills. The healing warmth of your powers pass through your hands and into his body, and his eyelids flicker open as his consciousness stirs. (The healing of Leomin’s wounds costs you 2 ENDURANCE points.)

When his senses return, firstly he retrieves his battle-axe from the floor, and then he turns to offer you his thanks. Suddenly his eyes widen and he gasps with shock: Shom’zaa is approaching silently behind you. Leomin grabs you by the tunic and pulls you aside as he raises his battle-axe in readiness to hurl it at Shom’zaa’s hideous form. But before he can release the axe, he is felled by a stream of clear fluid intended for you. It strikes his chest and boils as it eats through his crimson breastplate. With a heart-rending scream he collapses to the ground, mortally wounded.

You wrench the Sun-crystal from your pocket and turn to confront Shom’zaa, your arm poised ready to throw your deadly device. But already the fell creature has retreated and taken cover among the stalagmites. You run to the stone ramp to scan the cavern, and your Kai Sixth Sense alerts you to his hiding place. His body is hidden, but the top of his ghastly head can be seen protruding above a stalagmite less than 30 feet from where you stand.

( I toss it at his head)

You call upon Ishir to guide your arm as you draw back the crystal and hurl it at Shom’zaa’s head.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If your current ENDURANCE points score is 20 or lower, deduct 1 from the number you have picked. If your current ENDURANCE points score is 30 or higher, add 1.

(I toss a 3)

The Sun-crystal hits the rocky tip of the stalagmite and is deflected away from Shom’zaa’s head. Your heart sinks as you watch the glowing crystal bounce off a cluster of grey egg sacs, and then splash into the shallow slime that covers the floor.

You are gripped by the sudden fear that you may have lost the only weapon capable of destroying Shom’zaa, and hurriedly you leap off the stone ramp and race to retrieve it. Your Kai Sixth Sense guides you directly to its location, but as you pluck it from the slime and turn to face Shom’zaa’s hiding place, suddenly you recall Lord Rimoah’s words of warning. You must not be too close to the creature when the Sun-crystal touches his body, or you will risk being consumed when the crystal’s energy is released.

The memory of his wise words makes you pause and reconsider your actions. You focus on the stalagmite, now little more than 10 feet away, and you sense that something is very wrong. You look again, and the glimpse that you can see of Shom’zaa’s head begins to shimmer and fade. Your throat tightens when you realize that you have been duped by an illusion. As you turn back towards the ramp, you are suddenly struck in the back by a terrific force.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

( I toss another 3)

The blow hurls you forward and you strike your forehead on a stalagmite before splashing into the mire: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

Your senses are screaming ‘Danger!’ as you struggle to your knees and wipe the slime from your bloodied nose and mouth. You reach for your Kai Weapon, but its blade is barely out of the scabbard when Shom’zaa leaps upon you and rakes you with his terrible claws.

Shom’zaa: COMBAT SKILL 56 ENDURANCE 50

This creature is immune to Mindblast (but not Kai-surge).

(I have a 61 with KS so I get a +5. I toss a 3 and then an 8. He took 18 and I have taken 8 including the damage earlier in this passage. 9 and 4 follow. He's at He took 43 to my 12. Then my 4 finishes him and I have taken 15 damage)

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 12:07 PM

Shom’zaa clutches at the deep wounds you have inflicted, and he staggers and falls backwards into the slime. You have slain this formidable foe, yet you sense that his death is but a temporary state, for the link between his body and the Plane of Darkness remains intact. Even as you gaze upon his loathsome corpse you detect the flow of an evil reviving power.

You return to where Prince Leomin lies, and you call upon Ishir to guide your arm as you take the Sun-crystal from your pocket and hurl it at Shom’zaa’s body. It strikes him and instantly there is a blinding flash. This searing light is followed by a deafening implosion which sucks a whirlwind of air and loose rock into its spinning core. You throw yourself upon Prince Leomin and pin him to the ground, as air and slime and debris are sucked from this cavern into the whirling vortex of the implosion''

Gradually the whirling vortex of the implosion grows smaller and smaller as its power collapses and fades. Then, with a loud Crack! it is gone completely. The gloom is lifted and a serene calmness envelops the chamber. You sense that Shom’zaa’s link to the Plane of Darkness has been severed, and all trace of the Evil that was imprisoned here for so long has now been swept away.

You cradle Prince Leomin’s head in the crook of your arm and attempt to heal the terrible wounds that the corrosive fluid has inflicted. Sadly, you discover it is too late to save him.

It was Leomin’s greed that caused the release of Shom’zaa and its ravening horde, yet he was a brave warrior nonetheless. His last courageous act saved your life, and for that you will always be grateful. You lay his head gently upon the ground and offer up a prayer to Ishir to watch over his soul. Perhaps, one day, his kinsfolk will forgive and forget his weaknesses and come to honour the memory of this brave warrior prince.

You resolve to return at once to the Throne Chamber of Andarin. You have completed one vital part of your mission—the destruction of Shom’zaa. Now you must help secure the remaining goal—the protection of the Throne of Andarin. With this aim in mind, you leave Shom’zaa’s lair and hurry back to the hole through which you entered the hive. Here you stop to scan the cavern beyond before venturing any further.

The narrow tunnel, along which you first entered the cavern, is silent and empty. By contrast, the wagon-tracked passage leading off to the south now echoes to the sound of anguished cries. They are the shrieks of Shom’zaa’s minions. The death of their master has been felt among their ranks, and although they survive for now, they know that without his power they are ultimately doomed.

( I retrace my steps)

You return along the tunnel to the basket at the base of the shaft. Wary of the Antah wasps that you encountered during your descent, you draw your Kai Weapon and keep it close to hand as you winch yourself up the shaft to the corridor above. The wasps are nowhere to be seen, and you are able to make your way back to the throne chamber’s sealed door with little difficulty. However, upon arriving here, you are confronted with the problem of how to gain entry to this magically-secured portal.

(I use KA)

You recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell Strength and as it begins to take effect, you feel a surge of power flowing through every muscle of your body. Electrified by this energy, you wedge the blade of your Kai Weapon into the crack of the portal and attempt to lever it open.

For more than an hour you struggle in vain to open the door, until you are forced to admit defeat. The portal cannot be opened without its crystal key. Reluctantly you return to the basket and make your way back to the cavern at the entrance to Shom’zaa’s hive.

Upon returning to the cavern, you enter the south tunnel and follow the newly-laid wagon track to a junction where a smaller passage leads off to the right. The entrance to this smaller tunnel is blocked by a criss-cross of timbers. An iron sign is fixed to one of the planks, but its Drodarin runescript has been eaten away by acid. When you look closer, you determine that the sign was defaced by Shom’zaa himself. Traces of the acid are identical to the corrosive fluid that ate through Prince Leomin’s armour.

(I do not have Deliverance)

You peer through the criss-cross of timbers, but you can detect no signs of life in the passage that stretches beyond.

(I explore the passage)

You insert your Kai Weapon between the timbers and prise one loose. Then you climb through the gap and explore the dark passage beyond. Soon you arrive at a small excavation chamber. It is lit by the glow of a rich seam of korlinium which permeates the walls. New mining equipment lies discarded on the floor, and beneath an overturned packing case you discover a dead bird in a cage.

(I have Grand Nexus)

Your mastery of Nexus enables you to detect that this chamber is filled with Zaxx—an invisible, scentless, highly poisonous gas. It forms in pockets within the granite mountains of Bor and Boden, and for centuries it has been the bane of all Drodarin miners. Your Discipline is slowing its insidious effects, but you are not immune to its toxins. Forewarned, you leave the chamber and return quickly to the main tunnel.

You follow the newly-laid wagon track along the tunnel until you are brought to a halt by the sound of enemy activity in a cavern ahead. Cautiously you make your approach, using the cover afforded by pit props which support the roof of this recent excavation. Rows of ore wagons are parked here, each filled with precious korlinium ore. A large group of more than 50 Shom’zaa Agarashi are standing around them, shrieking and gesticulating at each other. They have no commander to keep them in order, and they have been left in a state of panic and confusion following the destruction of Shom’zaa.

Aided by your Kai camouflage skills, you have little difficulty slipping past these creatures and continuing along a tunnel in the opposite wall. This wide passageway brings you back to ‘The Hub’, but as you approach this familiar cavern, your blood is chilled by the sight of what awaits you there.

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 12:15 PM

The centre of ‘The Hub’ is filled with Shom’zaa Agarashi and many lesser minions. They are being rallied here by their commanders in preparation for a final assault upon the throne chamber of Andarin. By the use of dark magics, the commanders have whipped their troops into a maniacal frenzy. Many claw and bite each other as the sorcery-induced bloodlust eats away their minds.

You know that you must reach the throne chamber and warn Prince Torfan of what awaits him and his brave defenders. Unless they are prepared for the attack, they could be overrun by the sheer suicidal fury of this maniacal horde.

(I use Telegnosis with a certain rank)

You close your eyes and concentrate upon your telepathic powers in an attempt to make contact with Lord Rimoah. The image of the magician’s face swims in and out of focus, and you sense that your efforts to communicate with him are being disrupted by the sheer density of the granite that separates you both. Briefly you connect, and in these few fleeting seconds you learn that he is aware of Shom’zaa’s destruction. He tells you that King Ryvin’s army is battling through the middle levels of the kingdom in a determined effort to reach the throne chamber.

You must hold the chamber until the King’s warriors arrive … These are the last mind-words you hear from Rimoah before your telepathic link weakens and fades.

As you watch the manic behaviour of the Shom’zaa Agarashi, you resolve to make an immediate attempt to reach the north tunnel on the far side of ‘The Hub’. The vast numbers of the enemy gathered here will make the task a difficult one, yet their crazed state of mind may yet be to your advantage.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Assimilance, add 3 to the number you have picked. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2. If you possess Kai-screen, add 1.

( 5 into 10)

You call upon your mastery of Kai camouflage skills to help keep you hidden, and then you enter the chamber and steal around the perimeter of the horde. You reach the north tunnel undetected and hurry along the tunnel towards the distant cavern. To your dismay, your swift progress is brought to a halt when you see that the entrance to the cavern is guarded by a group of spear-wielding Shom’zaa Agarashi.

You leave the cover of the shadows and set off towards the archway at a run, building speed rapidly as you draw closer. You are within a dozen yards of the enemy when you unsheathe your Weapon and give vent to your battle-cry: ‘For Sommerlund and the Kai!’

Shom’zaa Agarashi (with spears): COMBAT SKILL 42 ENDURANCE 40

( I have best best ratio. 7 and then 9. Dead.)

As you land the killing blow upon the last of the Shom’zaa Agarashi guards, you leap over its falling body and run towards the barricade. You are halfway across the chamber when, to your surprise and relief, you note that the only Shom’zaa minions who now occupy this hall are those lying dead on the ground around you.

Your Kai Sixth Sense tells you that you are no longer in any immediate danger, and you slow your pace as you approach the throne chamber barricade.

The Drodarin War-thanes twirl their battle-helms upon the muzzles of their muskets and cheer loudly as you reach the barricade. They are in jubilant mood after six days of siege, for they believe that the retreat of their enemy from around the throne chamber signals the end of their long ordeal. Prince Torfan offers you his hand and helps lift you over the wall, and then he asks after his brother Leomin. You answer with a shake of your bowed head.

Torfan is saddened by the news of the loss of his brother, but as you accompany him into the throne chamber, he is greatly comforted to hear that you owe him your life.

‘Without your brother’s brave sacrifice, Shom’zaa would have slain us both,’ you tell him.

‘He has paid a grave price for his foolishness,’ says Torfan, wistfully, ‘but he has died with honour. He will not be forgotten.’

The healing rays of the Throne of Andarin restore 5 ENDURANCE points. However, unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

ou warn Prince Torfan that, following the destruction of Shom’zaa, the horde besieging the throne chamber did not go into hiding. He and his bodyguard of War-thanes are deeply shocked to learn that they are now in ‘The Hub’, preparing for a final assault upon the Throne of Andarin.

‘It is vital that you hold the throne chamber until your father’s army arrives to raise the siege,’ you tell them, earnestly. ‘Take heart, brave Drodarin. Elsewhere in your kingdom the horde is melting away in chaos. It will not be long before your ordeal is over.’

Suddenly a cry from the barricade warns that the Shom’zaa horde is returning. Torfan orders every War-thane to arms in readiness to meet the enemy. Then he raises his brother’s battle-standard and takes up his position beside the cannon, and the stirring sight inspires Prince Leomin’s bodyguards to give voice to a rousing cheer.

You take up a position close to Prince Torfan, and watch with grim fascination as the enemy come pouring into the cavern. Then, with a hellish shriek, the horde raise their weapons and come thundering like a tidal wave towards the barricade.

Your pulse races as you watch the mass of shrieking, wild-eyed horrors come charging across the cavern towards the Drodarin line. Their raw fury stands in stark contrast to the cool discipline of the War-thanes who wait to greet them with musket, cannon, and axe. Suddenly your eye is caught by a flash of blue light near the middle of the attacking horde, and your stomach heaves when you see an icy bolt of energy come streaking directly towards your section of the barricade.

(I use KA)

ou raise your hands and hurriedly intone the words of the Brotherhood Spell Counterspell. The air shimmers as the spell takes effect, and when the deadly blast of ice passes through this scorching air, it is transformed into a spray of warm water

You unsheathe your Kai Weapon as the first wave of the Shom’zaa horde reaches the barricade. The War-thanes fight with ruthless efficiency, felling ten of the enemy for every Drodarin who falls. But the horde are gripped by a battle-frenzy that drives them like demons, and you are hard-pressed to keep them from breaking through the barricade.

Shom’zaa Horde (in battle-frenzy): COMBAT SKILL 47 ENDURANCE 45

This enemy is immune to Mindblast (but not Kai-surge).

(I have to use KS. I toss a 1 and then a 3. Then a 8 autokills. I took 8)

A cheer erupts to your left as the Shom’zaa horde falters and falls back in confusion on that flank. Drodarin marksmen hastily reload their muskets and let loose a parting volley to speed them on their way. But as the smoke from their firearms clears, you see that the battle is going against Prince Torfan’s War-thanes on the right flank of the barricade. The cannon, and Leomin’s battle-standard, have both been captured by a dozen Shom’zaa Agarashi. You watch with mounting horror as the enemy turn the captured cannon around and point it at the Throne of Andarin, and your fears are compounded when you sense that the gun is primed, loaded, and set ready to fire.

(I use Elementalism)

You draw upon your Kai powers of Elementalism to cause a gust of air to blow away the priming powder from the cannon’s touch-hole. One of the enemy places a burning taper to the hole, confident that the Throne of Andarin is about to be obliterated, but the cannon fails to fire when the primer does not ignite.

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 12:18 PM

Your speedy action has countered the immediate threat, but the enemy are determined to destroy the fabled throne and the missing priming powder is quickly replaced. An icy clarity fills your mind, and suddenly you realize that you alone must seize the initiative if you are to save the throne from destruction.

You raise your Kai Weapon and give voice to your proud battle-cry: ‘For Sommerlund and the Kai!’ Your valiant shout inspires the surrounding War-thanes, and they rally to your command as you mount a counterattack to recapture the cannon. Boldly you lead the charge, sweeping aside any Shom’zaa Agarashi that are foolish or unfortunate enough to stand in your way. Upon reaching the cannon, you seize back Prince Leomin’s flag and bear it aloft as you engage the fanatical horde.

Shom’zaa Agarashi (assault group): COMBAT SKILL 48 ENDURANCE 42

This enemy is immune to all forms of psychic attack.

(All forms? Okay I have a +5. I have taken 6 damage from the previous fight that wasn't healed. Let's do it to it. 6 and 8. they have taken 27 to my 1. 2 and 5 They are dead, and I have taken 12 total damage left.)

As you sweep the remnants of the Shom’zaa horde from the barricade, the sound of a bronze war-horn echoes around the battle-torn cavern. Prince Torfan and his War-thanes cheer loudly in response, for they recognize immediately the bugle call of King Ryvin’s advance guard

The War-thanes of King Ryvin’s army capture ‘The Hub’ and smash the Shom’zaa horde as it flees there in chaos from its defeat at the barricade. Then the army arrives, marching in double file through the north tunnel and into the cavern. Prince Torfan orders the barricade to be opened, and a joyful reunion of brother-warriors takes place before the Throne of Andarin.

Lord Rimoah emerges from among the ranks of the Drodarin, and he beams with joy when he sees that you are alive. Warmly he clasps your hand in friendship and respect, and he praises you for the success of your mission.

‘The Kai should be proud to count you among their number,’ he says, reverently. ‘Your victory here has brought great honour upon you, your country, and your noble order.’

A special escort is provided for you and Lord Rimoah. In the company of Prince Torfan, you are taken by carriage to the Grand Hall where a magnificent reception awaits you. Formally you are presented to King Ryvin and you receive his praise and heartfelt thanks for the victory you have secured for his beleaguered kingdom. You return to him the Andarin Bloodstone, and he awards to you the Cross of Boradon—the highest accolade for courage and gallantry in the Kingdom of Bor. During the informal celebrations that take place shortly afterwards, you are further awarded the freedom of Bor and the honorary rank and title of War-thane—a rare privilege for one not born of Drodarin stock. (Erase the Andarin Bloodstone from your Action Chart.)

After a day of rest, you and Lord Rimoah make a triumphant return to Sommerlund aboard Cloud-dancer. The news of your victory has travelled ahead of you and your arrival at the monastery is greeted by the appreciative cheers of your fellow kinsmen. For your triumph over Shom’zaa, and the preservation of the Throne of Andarin, you receive special praise and admiration from Supreme Master Lone Wolf himself.

Congratulations, Grand Master. You have met this testing quest and you have triumphed. Your brave and courageous actions in Bor will long be remembered in the legends of the New Order Kai. Yet the fight against Evil has not yet ended. Soon your courage and Kai skills will be put to the test again, in a distant realm of Magnamund. The nature of the quest and the dangers that await you will be revealed in the next exciting Lone Wolf New Order adventure entitled:

Vampirium

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 12:26 PM

Review - That was my favorite of the New Order Series. It was arguably the one that was the most D&D like too. Dwarves whose greed led them to dip too deeply, a Bag of Holding, a Rock Golem. But that's fine, it went into a new place.

Most of the Books are one of two types of stories:

Story 1 Archetype - Penetrate a place of Evil. Examples includes The Caverns of Kalte in Book 3, Castle Death in Book 7., Captives of Kaag and Plague Lords of Ruel in Books 13 and 14, Rune War in this series, and so forth.

Story 2 Archetype - Go from Place A to Place B. Examples include Flight from the Dark in Book 1, Fire on the Water gently spinning it to come back again, Book 6 The Kingdoms of Terror, Book 8 The Jungle of Horror, Book 18 Dawn of the Dragons, and even in this series the first three books.

But this was different. It was neither archetype, and I enjoy that. It was what Wolf's Bane could have been if it were actually to have taken the central idea and build around it.

Anways, loved the story!

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 12:28 PM

Begin Vampirium

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 12:28 PM

The Story So Far …

It is spring in the year MS 5085 and you are a Grand Master of the New Order of the Kai, the warrior élite of Sommerlund.

Thirty-five years ago, the First Order of the Kai was massacred by the Darklords of Helgedad, a host of powerful creatures sent by the evil God Naar to destroy the world of Magnamund. Lone Wolf, the supreme leader of your illustrious fighting order, was the only survivor of their attack upon the Kai. As a young initiate he stood amid the burning wreckage of the old Kai Monastery and vowed to avenge the slaughter of his comrades. Twenty years later he kept his pledge when alone he infiltrated the foul domain of the Darklords and destroyed the infernal city of Helgedad, the base of their evil power.

With the destruction of Helgedad, chaos befell the Darkland armies who had, until then, been poised to conquer all Magnamund. Quickly, their disorder escalated into a mutinous civil war, allowing the Freeland Alliance armies of Magnamund time enough to recover and launch a successful counter-offensive. Against all odds, a swift and total victory was secured over the feuding armies of evil.

Following the demise of the Darklords, peace reigned in your homeland of Sommerlund. Under the direction of Lone Wolf the ruined Monastery of the Kai was rebuilt and restored to its former glory, and a New Order was established. You are one of this new generation of Kai recruits. You were born in Sommerlund in the year MS 5063, during the time of the war against the Darklords. When you were seven years old, you were sent by your father to the Kai Monastery. There, under the tutelage of Lone Wolf, you developed your martial skills and honed the special Kai abilities which lay dormant within you. Your skills were nurtured and sharpened to perfection by years of study and rigorous training. Your exceptional talents helped you to master all of the Kai and Magnakai Disciplines, and swiftly you rose through the ranks of the New Order to become one of only five who now hold the high rank of Kai Grand Master. It is an achievement that has brought great honour upon you and your family.

In the year MS 5077 your skill and courage were put to the test when an attack was launched upon the Kai Monastery during Lone Wolf’s absence. By means of a Shadow Gate (an astral corridor between the physical world of Sommerlund and the many ethereal domains which lie beyond it), Naar sent forth a host of dragon-creatures to besiege the monastery and lay waste to all Sommerlund. He had chosen his time well, yet his evil plan was thwarted by the tenacious defence that you and your fellow warriors maintained until the siege was raised by Lone Wolf and the King’s Army of Sommerlund.1

During the seven years since the defeat of his minions, Naar has sought vengeance upon the Kai. He commands many agents of evil upon Magnamund, and they wait quietly in the shadows for the chance to serve their fell master.

You have recently returned to the monastery after successfully completing a dangerous mission in the Kingdom of Bor.2 The vast underground realm of Bor is home to the Drodarin dwarves, the oldest allies of the Kai. Forbidden excavations in the lowest levels of the kingdom had awoken and released the Shom’zaa—a supernatural creature entombed by Magnamund’s earliest magicians, the Elder Magi, during their ancient war against Naar’s legendary champion: Agarash the Damned.

Lord Rimoah, speaker for the High Council of the Elder Magi, travelled with you to Bor aboard a wondrous flying ship called Cloud-dancer and, with his help, you were able to defeat the Shom’zaa and save your Drodarin allies from destruction.

Three months after you returned from Bor, Lord Rimoah came to the Kai Monastery aboard Cloud-dancer. His visit was unexpected and you sensed at once that something was wrong. Lone Wolf summoned you to his chamber where, with mounting dread, you listened to Lord Rimoah’s account of events in Southern Magnamund that threaten to destroy the fragile peace of that continent.

The Elder Magi had received word from King Karvas of Siyen that Autarch Sejanoz, the evil ruler of Bhanar, had secretly dispatched a squad of his Imperial Guards into the Doomlands of Naaros. At first, neither the King nor the Elders could fathom a reason why the Autarch had done this. The Doomlands are one of the most inhospitable regions in all of Magnamund, a barren wasteland of ash and cinders that once was the domain of Agarash the Damned. At its centre stood his mighty fortress-city of Naaros. Yet, following his defeat by the Elder Magi, all that remains of it now is a titanic chasm of molten lava and heat-fused rock.

Fearing for the security of his southern borderlands, King Karvas sent a group of élite Siyenese rangers into the Doomlands to spy on the Autarch’s men in the hope of discovering their true purpose. When, after six weeks, nothing was heard from the group, the King and his court assumed they had perished. Then a few days later, Karvas received word unexpectedly from his missing men. They had tracked the squad of the Autarch’s Imperial Guard deep into the Doomlands, and they had observed them excavating an unmarked burial mound near to the ruins of Naaros. And it was here that they were to witness a chilling discovery, for buried beneath the mound lay the Claw of Naar.

The Claw of Naar is an ancient wand of power that was crafted by the evil God himself, and used by Agarash the Damned during his conquest of Magnamund. Legend held that it had been lost forever in the molten ruin of Naaros, but now it had resurfaced, and its return boded trouble for the peaceable nations bordering upon the Autocracy of Bhanar.

The rangers reported that the Autarch’s squad were returning to Bhanar with the Claw in their possession. Their chosen route would take them through the Southern Dammerdon Mountains and so the rangers went ahead to hide themselves in Sunderer Pass where they intended to await their arrival. Their plan was to ambush the squad in the narrow confines of the pass and steal away the Claw. However, the ranger leader was fearful that the power of the Claw might overwhelm his small group. He requested of his King that help be sent urgently. Karvas responded to his plea by seeking the aid of the Elder Magi, and upon hearing of the situation, Lord Rimoah readily agreed to assist.

‘In turn, Lone Wolf, I have come this day to ask for the help of the Kai,’ said Rimoah. ‘We of the Elder Magi have the power and the means to destroy the Claw of Naar, but only when we have that accursed object in our possession. To secure the Claw will require skills and courage that only the Kai possess. And so, I come here seeking your aid, Supreme Master.’

‘It will not be an easy task,’ replied Lone Wolf, thoughtfully, ‘but we have the advantage of both speed and surprise. Sunderer Pass is no more than a day’s journey away by skyship.’

‘Aye,’ replied Rimoah, ‘but we must depart this afternoon if we are to be certain of reaching the pass before the arrival of the Autarch’s squad.’

Lone Wolf slowly turned to face you. ‘I am tempted to accept this challenge myself, Grand Master,’ he said, as he held you with his unblinking gaze. ‘But, alas, I must attend a War Council tomorrow at the King’s Court in Holmgard. Will you journey to Bhanar in my stead and help Lord Rimoah to capture the Claw of Naar?’

‘Yes, my lord,’ you replied, without hesitation. ‘For the greater glory of Sommerlund and the Kai, I am proud to accept this task.’

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 12:35 PM

Sun Lord

If you are a New Order Kai who has attained the rank of Sun Lord, 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.

Herbmastery
Sun Lords who possess this Discipline are able to cause living plants, e.g. grasses, bushes, flowers, weeds, rushes, to entwine themselves around the limbs of hostile creatures, thereby hampering their free movement. Sun Lords are able to target only one creature in this way. An additional creature can be affected for every level a Grand Master rises above the rank of Sun Lord.

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 the 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 surface, 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. It differs in that it is easier to control and channel the resulting energy. It also requires the actual touching of an object or enemy to effect the spell.

Bardsmanship
Kai Sun Lords with this skill are able to direct their musical abilities to disrupt the structure of inanimate breakable objects, e.g. glass, ceramics, urns, flasks, causing them to explode violently. Any person or creature in close proximity to the destroyed object risks injury from flying fragments.

The nature of additional improvements and how they affect your existing Grand Master Disciplines will be noted in the Improved Grand Master Disciplines section of future Lone Wolf New Order books.

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 12:40 PM

Sir Fox Fire, Sun Lord, Knight of Siyen, War-Thane of Bor

CS - 52/56/60
EP - 44

Grand Kai Disciplines:

1. Kai-Surge
2. Grand Weaponmastery with Axe, Bow, Dagger, Broadsword, Mace, Warhammer, Quarterstaff
3. G. Pathsmanship
4. G. Huntmastery
5. Elementalism
6. Kai-Alchemy
7. Animal Mastery
8. Telegnosis
9. Assimilance
10. Grand Nexus
11. Kai-Screen

Special Items:

Kai Weapon Axe Alema, +5 normally and +7 vs undead
Temujan's Ring
Talisman of Defiance - +2 CS
Eye of Zhar - Allows control of snakes poisonous
Pouch of Seota Dust - +10 EP when eaten
Platinum Amulet
Andaran Warhammer - +5 CS
"Sunderer", Axe, +5 CS
Korlinium Chainmail, +2 CS

Backpack:

Rope
Mealx3
Bag of Holding

Meals: 3

Weapons:

Bow

Crowns:

40

Arrows:

6

Safekeeping (Between game storage):

Scented Oil
Copper Cup
3 Candles
Lyre
Siyen Crown
Iron Skull
Shipwreck Dagger
Potion of Mustow
Potion of Aletherx3
Potion of Sedares
Potion of Laumspurx6
Silver-Inland Warhammer
122 Gold Crowns
Korlinium Sack
Dessi Bow
Silver Clasp
Nhang Doll
Bottle of Rice Wine
Bottle of Scava Liquor
Crystal Prism
Silver Mirror
Scroll of Introduction
Silver Signet Ring
Jeweled Knife
Stone Dagger
Siyenese Broad Sword
Battle Map
Flute
Hulsta's Hammer, Spike, and Saw
Eledoran Scout Uniform
Skull-Tor Mace
Skull-Tor Wristband
Lantern
Keys - Copperx2, Iron, Dungeon,
Halberd
Blanket
Black Amulet
Leather Tunic
Vial of Tortwig, +6 EP when eaten
Wolf Brooch
Bor Brewx3
Bor Pick
Bor Shovel
Bor Warhammer
Phosphor Bomb
Bronze Disc

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 12:44 PM

You can see I am back to using "Alemma" and I have taken Kai-Screen to help against the mind-numbery. It's not used as much in this series as the previous one, maybe twice an adventure, and it only saves you XP. In the other one if you had higher ranks where you could use it to hide from encounters, which was cool.

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 04:14 PM

Within the hour, you find yourself standing beside Lord Rimoah at the deck-rail of the sleek flying ship Cloud-dancer, watching the Kai Monastery melt away into the distance as the craft soars into an azure sky. The weather is fresh and clear, and you are blessed with a strong tail wind that will assist your long journey south to the land of Bhanar.

Rimoah has already charted a course for Sunderer Pass, and as his young Toranese crew attend to the running of the skyship, you settle back into the plush comfort of the captain’s cabin and discuss with him the details of your mission. After a delicious supper, you retire early and rise late in order to be best prepared for the task ahead.

By noon of the next day, you have already crossed the Tentarias and entered into Southern Magnamund. You spend much of the early afternoon standing at the bow rail, lost in your thoughts as an endless panoply of rolling hills and grasslands pass silently beneath Cloud-dancer’s gleaming keel.

When the forbidding peaks of the Darkwall Mountains are sighted on the horizon, Rimoah takes charge of the helm and steers the skyship on a southeasterly bearing to avoid them. These mountains mark the northern boundary of the Doomlands of Naaros, and Rimoah is anxious to avoid this notoriously stormy region. Skilfully he navigates a course around the eastern boundary of the Doomlands until, late in the afternoon, you see the snow-capped tips of the Southern Dammerdon Mountains soar into view.

Rimoah passes the helm back to his bo’sun, and then he hurries to join you at the bow rail. ‘Keep your eyes peeled, Grand Master,’ he says. ‘Sunderer Pass is a narrow gorge. It’ll be hard to spot from here.’ Aided by your ability to magnify your vision, you are the first one to see the tiny pass. Rimoah praises your keen sight and he signals to the bo’sun to bring Cloud-dancer around to the southern slopes of the Dammerdons, to a place where the pass emerges from the mountain range. Here you notice a pale cross of sun-bleached boulders laid out on the dark, dusty ground. It is a sign Rimoah has been hoping for, and excitedly he calls for the bo’sun to steer the skycraft towards it.

Cloud-dancer is brought to hover directly above the cross. You leave the rail and accompany Rimoah into a boarding cage located at the stern, and together you are winched to the ground. As the cage touches down, you push open its iron gate and step out. Your pulse quickens when suddenly you see four shadowy figures emerging from the surrounding rocks.

Instinctively you reach for the hilt of your Kai Weapon, but Rimoah stays your hand. ‘Hold, Grand Master. These are not our enemies—they’re our friends.’

The four gaunt, grey, grime-encrusted figures leave their hiding places and move slowly towards the cage. It is not until their leader smiles and reveals his white teeth that you realize they are human. The many weeks that these Siyenese rangers have spent in the hell of the Doomlands have exacted upon them a heavy toll.

‘Greetings, Lord Rimoah,’ says the leader. ‘I am Captain Gildas of the King’s Ranger Regiment, and these are my men—Sergeant Paviz, Ranger Durasso, and Ranger Yalin. We’re glad you’ve arrived before the enemy, though by no more than a few hours at best.’

Captain Gildas looks at you and bows his head reverently. ‘We’re honoured by your presence, Sir Kai. I was lucky to be in Seroa last year when Karvas was crowned King, and I witnessed your knighthood in the Palace Square. We Siyenese will be forever in your debt for ridding us of that usurper—Baron Sadanzo.’

You thank the Ranger Captain for his compliment and tell him that you have come here with Lord Rimoah to help capture the Claw of Naar. ‘It is vital that Sejanoz be denied the Claw,’ you say earnestly, ‘… at all costs.’

‘Fear not, Sir Kai,’ he replies with confidence. ‘We have laid a trap to ensnare the enemy and their foul relic. They’ll not get out of Sunderer Pass. Come, we shall show you what we have prepared, but first you must conceal your skyship before the enemy arrive. Look over there, Lord Rimoah,’ says Gildas, pointing to a distant ravine. ‘That gully is deceptively deep. It will swallow your ship without trace. You must hide it there. But first, may ask a favour?’

Rimoah nods in reply.

‘Our provisions are exhausted. We have some water, but we’ve had nothing to eat for days. Can you spare some food before you depart?’

‘Of course, Captain,’ replies Rimoah. ‘I’ll have the bo’sun drop provisions this instant.’

Rimoah climbs into the boarding cage and is winched up to the rear deck of Cloud-dancer. Within minutes, the cage descends once more, laden with food and water. With a gleeful cry, Gildas throws open the cage door and he and his men leap upon the provisions like ravenous wolves. What little they fail to consume immediately they stow away in their empty backpacks for later.

As Cloud-dancer moves off to seek cover in the distant ravine, Captain Gildas leads you to the mouth of Sunderer Pass and shows you the preparations that he had his men have made in readiness to ambush the enemy squad

Above the narrowest section of the mountain pass, the rangers have rigged a great wooden platform heaped with boulders and rocks. A length of rope has been tied to a prop which supports this platform, and it trails back to a hiding place overlooking the pass. ‘One pull on this rope,’ says Sergeant Paviz, flashing a wicked grin, ‘and the whole lot’ll come tumblin’ down on their heads!’

Captain Gildas tells you that the enemy squad is expected to traverse the pass before nightfall. He posts Ranger Durasso as lookout atop a high peak, and while you wait for the enemy to show, you pass the time in conversation with the captain.

Slowly the sun sets beyond the western horizon and a blanket of cloud rolls across the sky from the north, bringing with it a chill night wind. Then you hear Durasso whistling: it is the signal that the enemy have been sighted. Quickly you look down into the pass below and notice a group of dark figures moving along the mountain track.

(I use Grand Hunting)

You magnify your vision and see that the approaching figures are Bhanarians. Armed with swords and spears, they are all clad in black quilted tunics edged with gold braid and emblazoned with the tiger’s-head emblem of Autarch Sejanoz. They are clearly a unit of Imperial Guards from the Autarch’s court in Otavai. As the squad of twelve guardsmen draws nearer, your Kai Sixth Sense tells you that something is wrong. These are élite soldiers of the Autarch’s personal bodyguard, yet they seem to have forgotten basic military practice: they have placed no scouts at the head of their squad to check that the way ahead is clear

(I have Grand Hunt with a high enough rank)

You draw upon your improved Discipline of Grand Huntmastery and focus your vision upon the advancing squad, but you cannot detect anything unusual there. It is not until you cast your eyes to the blanket of cloud above that you discover the cause of your disquiet. Hidden from plain sight, yet clear to your improved infravision, you see a host of flying creatures soaring overhead. The sight makes you swallow hard. They have lean and sinewy bodies that are studded with hundreds of spikes, and their slitted eyes emit a cold, bilious light.

You warn the rangers of their presence and swiftly they take cover among the boulders, hiding themselves from above. Your swift action saves you from being detected by the winged beasts, but as the last of their number passes overhead, you witness something that makes your heart skip a beat

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 04:22 PM

As the host of flying creatures emerges from the pass, the leading beast veers away to the east and draws its foul brethren towards the ravine where Cloud-dancer is hidden. They swarm above the steep gully and emit a hellish chorus of cackling shrieks as they prepare to attack the skyship.

You cast a glance down into the pass and see that the squad of Imperial Guards has now halted on the narrow mountain trail. You sense that they are waiting for their winged escorts to return before they dare to venture a step further.

(I head back to help the likely unprepared ship)

Stay here, Captain,’ you whisper. ‘I will return soon.’

With these words, you slip away from your hiding place and make your way back to the rocky mouth of the pass, using your Kai camouflage skills to keep yourself hidden from the enemy. As you approach the ravine, you hear the sounds of fierce fighting and see intermittent flashes of magical energy piercing the gloom. The winged horde are making a determined attack upon the grounded skyship, but Lord Rimoah and his young crewmen are putting up a spirited defence.

When you reach the edge of the ravine, you are confronted by the unexpected sight of Cloud-dancer rising rapidly into the darkening sky. A bloody battle is raging along her decks as the winged beasts attempt to wrest control of the skyship from the crew. You magnify your vision and catch sight of Lord Rimoah standing at the craft’s stern, near to the boarding cage. For a few moments your eyes meet and you make a telepathic link. He hurls a metallic tube in your direction and you hear his voice in your mind, urging you to retrieve it. Then the link is broken when he is forced to defend himself from a determined attacker. You watch the tube strike a rock at the edge of the ravine, and then it disappears from sight. With fear running cold in your veins, you watch helplessly as the beleaguered skyship powers away towards the east, pursued by the flying swarm of ravening beasts.

(I stay hidden)

Patiently, you watch and wait until the skyship and its attackers have disappeared from view before you break cover and search for the metallic tube. After several minutes, you discover it lodged in a jagged outcrop protruding from the wall of the ravine, some 6 yards below the rim.

Aided by your tracking skills and natural agility, you descend the steep gully wall and retrieve the steel tube. You tuck it into your belt and then climb back to the top of the ravine before you examine what the tube contains

You flip open the tube’s hinged lid and shake a rolled piece of papyrus into your palm. On this scrap of material is a hastily-written message from Rimoah, telling you that the Claw of Naar must not be allowed to fall into the hands of Autarch Sejanoz. He urges you to find and destroy it. If that should prove impossible, you must take it to the city of Pensei. There you should make contact with Lord Ghadra, the Dessian envoy, and he will see to its destruction. He will also help you to return home to Sommerlund.

You tear the scrap of papyrus into small pieces and swallow them to ensure that Rimoah’s message will not be discovered by the enemy. Then you return to the mountain pass to rejoin Captain Gildas and his men, but upon arriving there you discover that his ambush has failed. Gildas triggered a rockfall to block the pass, but the Autarch’s men used the Claw of Naar to blow their way through the resulting obstruction. In the ensuing fight, Ranger Durasso was killed and Sergeant Paviz was wounded in the shoulder. You use your Kai healing skills to numb the sergeant’s pain, and then you scan the trail leading south from the pass for signs of the enemy squad. In the failing light you glimpse their black-clad forms hurrying away along the trail which leads towards the Bhanarian Plain.

Gildas and his rangers are too shocked after their deadly encounter with Autarch Sejanoz’s guards to attempt an immediate pursuit. You inform the dazed captain that Lord Rimoah was forced to flee in order to save Cloud-dancer and his crew from the attacking horde, and he nods his head in silence. You also tell him of the message that Rimoah left behind. Then you hear Ranger Yalin shouting a warning: the flying creatures are returning. Hurriedly you take cover among the rocks and watch as they circle above the pass. Your Kai instincts tell you that these beasts cannot survive for long beyond the mountain borders of the Doomlands, and soon you see them returning north to Naaros. When the last of the creatures has disappeared, you beckon Gildas and his men to follow you down onto the mountain trail. Here you discover the bodies of two Imperial Guards who were caught by the rockslide ambush and crushed to death.

(i search)

Your search of the guards’ pockets and packs uncovers the following Weapons, money, and Backpack Items:

Dagger
Sword
Spear
50 Ren (equivalent to 5 Gold Crowns)
Mirror
Rope
Food (enough for 2 Meals)
Comb

You also discover a gleaming talisman that is engraved with the tiger’s-head emblem of Autarch Sejanoz. It is strung upon a braided cord. (If you wish to keep this Gold Talisman, record it on your Action Chart as a Special Item. You may wear it around your neck.)

(I take the money and have 45 crowns, the Comb, Mirror and Gold Talisman)

You leave Sunderer Pass and follow the trail through the foothills to the edge of the Bhanarian Plain. Shortly before midnight, you stop and make camp for the night. Sergeant Paviz volunteers to sit watch, and before you settle down to sleep alongside the others, you resolve to set off after the Imperial Guards at first light.

Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

You rise at daybreak and ready yourself for a long march south across the vast Bhanarian Plain. Using your Kai tracking skills, you have no difficulty following the trail that has been left by the Imperial Guards. Their footprints can clearly be seen upon the surface of a dusty track that cuts across the rolling grasslands.

As you march along this derelict plains road, you are bathed by the warm rays of the rising sun. It is a beautiful day, yet you notice that your companions are in a sad and sombre mood. They are mourning the loss of their comrade, Durasso, and they do not feel much like talking.

Fifteen miles from the Dammerdon foothills, you come to a wooden bridge that crosses a stream of sparkling water. Here you lose your enemy’s trail for the track has been freshly churned by dozens of hoof prints. You magnify your vision and scan the far horizon, but all that you see are a few roving black Bhanarian stallions. You check the trail once more, and then your heart sinks when suddenly you realize that your enemy must have captured some of these fine wild horses. If they are now travelling on horseback, your only hope of catching them will rest on your ability to capture four wild stallions for yourselves.

Abe Sargent · 04-18-2020, 04:35 PM

(I have Animal Mastery)

You inform Gildas and the others of your discovery, and tell them to rest awhile beneath the wooden bridge while you attempt to lure a distant group of stallions towards the stream. By the use of your Animal Mastery, you are soon able to entice four horses to approach the bridge. At first they are nervous, for they can detect the vile stench of the Doomlands’ dust which impregnates the rangers’ tunics. But they are also thirsty and they cannot resist the temptation of the sparkling stream.

You allow them to drink at the stream for several minutes and, as they settle, you use your Kai Mastery to subdue their natural instincts. At your command, Gildas and the others emerge from beneath the bridge and each man chooses a stallion. They are all expert horsemen, and they are able to make bridles and saddlecloths from ropes and blankets that they carry in their packs, Within the hour, all four of you are ready to leave the bridge and ride south in pursuit of the Imperial Guards.

Before you set off, unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points

or most of the day you ride across a seemingly endless expanse of grassland without once catching sight of the enemy you are pursuing. It is nearly dusk before your keen eyes detect a column of wood smoke on the horizon, rising vertically in the still evening air. You call the rangers to a halt and then magnify your vision to take a closer look at the source of the smoke. It rises from a small copse of trees and you suspect that the enemy have set up a camp there for the night. The smoke tells you that they are cooking food, confident in the false belief that they have safely outdistanced you and your companions.

You inform the others of what you have seen before continuing your ride along the plains road. When you are within a mile of the copse, you leave the trail and dismount. Sergeant Paviz and Ranger Yalin are told to stay and hold the horses while you and the captain go forward to scout the enemy encampment.

Together you crawl towards the copse, side by side, concealed by the approaching darkness and the waist-high grass. You are within 100 yards of the enemy campfire when Gildas makes a sharp intake of breath. You glance at him and your blood freezes when you see that his face is inches from a grey conda—a deadly Bhanarian plains snake. The serpent’s neck is raised and its wedge-shaped head is drawn to strike at your companion’s eyes.

(I both have AM and I have the Eye of Lhaz)

You command the snake to hold its attack. The conda hesitates, and Gildas reaches for his sword. With one swift and deadly swipe, his blade decapitates the serpent and sends its fanged head spinning through the air, trailing a stream of greenish-yellow venom.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Gildas wipes his blade on the grubby sleeve of his tunic before slipping it silently into his scabbard.

Cautiously you continue your approach towards the enemy encampment. Upon reaching the edge of the copse, you catch sight of the Imperial Guards gathered around a campfire. They are eating the remnants of a roasted fanji, and their horses are tethered by silken ropes to the bough of a chestnut tree some distance away from the crackling fire. A few of the warriors are already asleep, including their leader. You observe him carefully and your Kai Sixth Sense tells you that the Claw of Naar is wrapped in the blanket roll he is using as a pillow. Having committed the details of the encampment to memory, you signal to Captain Gildas to follow as silently you slip away and return to your waiting companions.

Upon your safe return, you tell Paviz and Yalin of what you observed at the copse.

‘They’re unaware we’ve caught up with them,’ says Captain Gildas, smiling slyly.

‘Yes, and we must exploit our advantage to the full,’ you reply. ‘You and your men must untie their horses and scatter them so that they cannot pursue us when I snatch the Claw of Naar, literally, from beneath their leader’s nose.’

The rangers approve of your plan and they are eager to put it into action. Gildas and his men mount up and skirt around the copse in a wide arc until they are in position on the far side, within sight of the enemy’s unguarded mounts. They take your horse in tow, for your plan is to rejoin them and make a speedy escape as soon as you have retrieved the Claw. Meanwhile, you approach the copse and halt within sight of the campfire. Only one of the Imperial Guardsmen is still awake, and although he has been posted to stand watch, you see that he is having difficulty keeping his eyes open. The squad leader is tossing and turning in his sleep, as if he is having a bad dream, and as you inch closer to him you fear that he could awaken at any moment.

(I use KA)

You whisper the words of the Brotherhood Spell Silence and cast it upon the area around the campfire to help you reach the sleeping squad leader undetected. Then, with great care, you stalk forward and stretch out your hand to take hold of the blanket roll containing the Claw. The leader is oblivious to your presence, but as your fingers close around his pillow, your stomach heaves and your pulse begins to race. You feel a tremendous concentration of evil radiating from the artefact, and its sudden assault upon your senses makes you gasp with shock. Suddenly the Silence spell is broken and the squad leader awakes with a start. Before he can react, you snatch the blanket roll from beneath his head and leap forwards.

Your heart is pounding wildly in your chest as you race towards the rangers on the far side of the copse. They have dispersed the Bhanarians’ horses and they are waiting anxiously for you to appear. As you rush through the trees, you hear the squad leader screaming at his men to wake up and give chase.

The Autarch’s men react swiftly to their squad leader’s call, and soon they are following closely on your heels as you race through the copse. When you break from the cover of the trees, the nearest enemy warrior hurls his dagger at your fleeing back. Your Kai Sixth Sense alerts you to the flying missile and you dodge aside, but the tip of the knife grazes your side and makes you stumble and fall into the long grass: lose 1 ENDURANCE point.

04-17-2020, 04:51 PM	#101
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	(I hide and then follow) Using your Kai camouflage skills, you slip away from the departing crowd unseen and hide behind a pillar where you wait until the hall is empty. You then emerge and hurry across to the north door through which Vandyan made his exit. This door is locked and you quickly determine that it is held secure by a combination lock, whose dials are on the other side. You place your ear to the smooth surface and concentrate on moving the lock’s delicate tumblers by the use of your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus. (I don;t have G Nexus) The three unseen dials prove very difficult to manipulate by the use of your Magnakai skill of Nexus alone. Drawing upon your Sixth Sense, you concentrate hard and try to visualize the correct numerical positions of the dials that will cause the lock to disengage. Slowly the dials take form in your mind’s eye, but the numbers engraved around their edges remain hazy and indistinct. At length you determine that the correct position of the three dials is equivalent to the answers to the following three questions: How many gate guards did you encounter when you first arrived at Duadon? How many Grand Master Disciplines are achieved upon reaching the rank of Kai Grand Guardian? How many bridges still remained intact at Quarlen when the New Order Kai entered the town? When you have found the answers to the above questions, write them down in the correct order and then turn to the section of this book which is the same as that three-digit answer. If you calculate incorrectly, or if you cannot answer the puzzle, turn instead to 248. (Hmm... 2 guards for sure! 8 disciplines and weren't all bridges out? 280?) The third tumbler clicks into position and the door swings open to reveal a vaulted corridor leading to a flight of iron steps.11 You enter, and the door closes silently behind you. There is a junction halfway along the corridor where another passage crosses from left to right. You hurry across and climb the metal steps but, as you are approaching the top of the stairs, you catch a glimpse of two armoured guards beyond. They are standing to attention before a large door that is engraved with mystic symbols. Your Sixth Sense detects that beyond this door lie the Runes of Agarash. Instinctively you duck below their line of sight, and then quietly you retreat to the junction. Here you detect the sound of footsteps approaching, and when you spin around to face them, you see a young kitchen attendant walking along the passageway towards you. He is carrying a tray laden with food and he stops abruptly when he sees you suddenly appear. Fearful that he may raise the alarm, you stride towards him and say in an accusing tone: ‘Why are you late, boy? Lord Vandyan has been kept waiting more than an hour for his food!’ ‘But … but this is not for his lordship,’ answers the young man, clearly confused by your rebuke. ‘It’s for the guards at the door to the Rune Hall.’ ‘What!’ you reply, feigning outrage. ‘You mean to say that you would put the feeding of two lowly guards before our master’s needs! This is intolerable!’ ‘No … no … I mean, I was told by the cook to take this tray to the guards. Lord Vandyan ate a meal in his chambers some three hours ago. I’ve had no order to take him food since.’ ‘Well, our master is hungry,’ you reply, ‘and you’d better go back to the kitchen and find him something suitable to eat this instant … if you value your hide, that is!’ Forcefully you snatch the tray from the bemused assistant, saying: ‘Go tell cook to prepare him something substantial, understand? He’s very hungry. I’ll deliver these scraps to the guards myself.’ The confused young assistant scratches his head and then he hurries away to deliver your order to the cook. You watch him until he turns a distant corner, and then you look down at the tray of cold meat and vegetables and an idea takes shape, an idea that may help you gain entry to the Rune Hall. https://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/24rw/small9.png (I put Gallowbrush in the food) You retrieve the Potion of Gallowbrush from your pack and pour it carefully over the slices of cold meat. Then you cover the meat with vegetables and carry the tray to the guards on duty at the Rune Hall. They prop their halberds against the wall and raise the visors of their helmets as you approach. ‘Where’s Gragov?’ asks a guard, as you set the tray of food down on a small table beside the door. ‘He’s gone sick,’ you reply. ‘I hope it wasn’t something he ate!’ jokes the other guard. You can hear the guards eating their food as you walk back along the corridor towards the iron stairs. When you reach the bottom step, you wait here to allow the potion to take effect. After a few minutes you hear a metallic crash, and when you peer over the top step you see that the potion has done its work. Both guards are now lying unconscious in front of the door. You step over the guards’ bodies and press your shoulder to the door, letting the heavy portal swing open just a few inches. Cold air rushes out, chilling your face, and your Kai senses tingle when you feel the evil power of the runes bleeding from the hall beyond. Steeling yourself for what may lie ahead, you push against the door again and slip in through the widening gap. Before you lies a magnificent chamber hewn from polished obsidian. Colossal columns rise along its curved walls, and iron cradles filled with glowing stones illuminate the jet-black surfaces. Away to your right you can see a metal staircase leading down to the bottom of a vast pit. At its centre there stands a great black bell-like object that is sheathed with crackling energies, sparking and fusing noisily. You take a step forward and gasp when you first see the line of Vorka that are emerging from the side of this belled chamber. Like scaly automatons, they march forth in an endless stream that disappears into an archway on the far side of the pit. You sense the presence of a rune and, when you scour the bell-chamber using your magnified vision, you glimpse the oblong of black stone embedded into its surface. To your left, facing the stairs to the pit, there is another bell-chamber. It is identical in shape and size to the one below, yet this one is constructed from a clear, glass-like mineral. Within its core there stands a frozen column of black mist, and set into a hollow in its flared top you can see a second rune. Your Sixth Sense tells you that there are three runes present in this great hall, yet it is not until you look up at the domed ceiling that you locate the third. On a wide circular platform suspended below an aperture at the top of the dome, you see Lord Vandyan. He is fixing the third rune into a saucer of crystal and he is so engrossed in this task that he fails to see that you are standing in the hall below. Through the aperture in the dome you can see the night sky. Cold winds howl and bolts of lightning flash and sizzle, ripping apart the clouds as the power of a supernatural storm builds to a frightening crescendo above Skull-Tor. (I do not have Astrology) You magnify your vision and look carefully at the three runes. They are made from oblong slivers of black stone and are no larger than your hand. Your senses tell you that within each of these runes is held immense power, yet each stone is remarkably fragile and vulnerable. If you were to smash the runes you would destroy the powers they contain (I use KA) __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-17-2020, 04:58 PM	#102
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Before you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand you look around the hall and consider which of the three runes is to be your first target. The suspended platform on which Vandyan is standing obscures the rune in the domed roof of the hall; therefore you must choose one of the remaining two. (The top one) You recite the words of the spell and launch a bolt of energy that strikes the rune with devastating effect. There is a loud Crack! and a splash of fiery green sparks erupts as the evil stone is sundered in two. Moments later, the crystal chamber is torn apart and a terrible shriek assails your ears as the air is filled with hissing bolts of fire. Instinctively you turn away from the explosion and cover your head with your left arm as shards of broken crystal cascade around you, like a rain of deadly daggers. When this deluge ceases, you turn back and look with fearful expectation upon the devastated remains of the chamber. Flickering trails of green fire sputter and die among the scattered crystal shards, and the column of dark mist that inhabited its core now swirls around the debris like a small tornado. From its core there comes a hideous shriek and a lance of cold fear stabs at your heart when suddenly you recall having heard this terrible sound once before. This dark shadow is Zorkaan the Soultaker, the entity that you encountered at the clearing in the Grochod Forest, the evil presence that you disturbed as it fed upon the psychic remains of the innocent Slovian prisoners slain and buried there. The whirling shadow of Zorkaan gathers speed and, with a parting wail, it shoots upwards and disappears through the aperture in the hall’s domed ceiling, into the very eye of the raging storm. The noise of the exploding bell-chamber and the hellish shriek of Zorkaan alerts Vandyan to your presence in the hall below. You see his face twisted with rage. He raises a glowing silver disc that is clasped tightly in the palm of his right hand, and then he spits out a vile curse that chills your blood.'' As Vandyan’s vile curse echoes around the hall, the procession of Vorka that are streaming from the bell-chamber suddenly slows to a halt. As if awakening from a walking sleep, they rub their eyes and take stock of their surroundings; then they come swarming towards the iron steps. They are quickly joined by others of their kind who pour back into the pit from the archway on the far side. These Vorka are armed with bladed weapons, and beyond the archway you glimpse the armoury whence they have returned. As the first swarm of unarmed Vorka come lurching and scurrying up the steps, you realize that you must act quickly to stop them if you are to save yourself from being crushed by this reptilian horde. (I do not have a Phosphor Bomb) You rush to the head of the stairs and focus your gaze at the rune which is embedded into the side of the bell-chamber. Only by destroying this rune can you stem the onrushing tide of Vorka. Vandyan is also aware of this and he screams an order to those creatures that are closest to the chamber. In response, they close ranks and use their bodies to form a protective wall in front of the rune. (I use KA) You speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell Net and point your right hand at the bottom of the steps. A gout of sticky fluid gushes from your palm and you direct this stream between the metal banister rails, sealing off the stairs with several layers of sticky fibrous strands. Your spell delays the Vorka, but it does not deter or prevent them from attacking you. Several hurl themselves face-down onto the gluey strands so that others can use their backs as springboards to vault over the net. The first three to do this successfully are armed with swords. As they come racing up the stairs, they rapidly blink their ghoulish eyes and clack their fanged jaws to unnerve you. Frenzied Vorka: COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 44 If you wield the Kai Weapon ‘Spawnsmite’ or ‘Kaistar’, you will benefit from the additional combat bonus applicable to its unique properties. (I have a +10 CS with KS. I toss a 4 and then a 9 and they auto die. I took 5) You have successfully beaten back the first Vorka wave, but a larger group is now emerging from the distant archway. Each of these warriors wields a sword and is clad in chainmail armour. Fear grips your stomach when you realize that they are the advance guard of a whole Vorka regiment. Once more you turn your attention to the bell-chamber, for only by destroying the rune can you hope to defeat the entire horde. You descend halfway down the stairs, and then leap over the banister and drop to the floor of the pit below. On landing, those unarmed Vorka who are defending the rune hiss at you vehemently. Their sibilant cry warns their armoured brothers of your intentions and you see them quicken their pace. Your pulse pounds loudly in your ears as you determine that the first of the armoured regiment can reach you in less than a minute. There is no time to hesitate—you must act at once. With your battle-cry upon your lips, you rush forward and attack the Vorka who are standing in a protective wall before the rune. Vorka Rune Defenders: COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 35 If you wield the Kai Weapon ‘Spawnsmite’ or ‘Kaistar’, you will benefit from the additional combat bonus applicable to its unique properties. (For these I have the full top CS without KS. I toss a 5, 5, and then 3. They took 39 and died. I took 4 more for 9 total damage) __________________ 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 : 04-17-2020 at 04:58 PM.

04-17-2020, 05:07 PM	#103
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	You cut through the wall of Vorka and strike the rune with devastating effect. There is a tremendous explosion and a splash of fiery green sparks erupts as your blade cleaves the evil stone in two. Then the bell-chamber is swallowed up by sheets of orange flame and you are thrown backwards to the floor as shards of broken stone whistle around you. When the rain of debris ceases, you pull yourself to your feet and look upon the devastated remains of the bell-chamber. Pools of fire burn among the shards that litter the floor of the pit, and all the Vorka that were spawned in its core now lie twisted and lifeless among the flaming ruins. The sight of this burning devastation is shocking to behold, yet you feel elated when you sense that the breaking of the rune has, at a single stroke, destroyed every Vorka that has ever emerged from the spawning chamber. Vandyan is shocked to witness the defeat of Zorkaan and the destruction of his Vorka horde. But the storm is reaching its peak above Skull-Tor, and soon he will summon the Vaag to enact his revenge upon you. He cackles with mad glee as he raises into position the crystal saucer which contains the last remaining rune. Bolts of lightning are striking at the very edge of the aperture now; it is only a matter of minutes before the Vaag will be released. Desperate to prevent this calamity, you rush up the stairs and across the hall to an iron ladder that is bolted to the obsidian wall. It ascends to the edge of Vandyan’s raised platform. As you climb towards this storm-lit platform, you pray to Kai to give you strength enough to defeat your wicked foe. You pull yourself onto the platform and run at Vandyan with your weapon held poised to strike. Wild-eyed with manic excitement, he stares intently at the crystal saucer and seems not to notice that you are about to cut him down. But as you make your attack, he snatches up an iron staff that protrudes from a hole in the platform, and expertly he fends off your blow. The blade of your weapon trails a line of sparks as it scrapes along the length of his staff and clatters against the rail which encircles the platform. He stabs at you with its clawed tip and you dodge this vicious blow, but then you strike again and send the staff spinning from his hands. He emits a strangled cry of fear and frustration and backs away to the edge of the platform. Glancing to the crystal saucer, and then to the glinting weapon that you hold in your hands, suddenly his nerve breaks. He kicks a lever at the edge of the platform and a trapdoor springs open to reveal a dangling rope. Cursing you and vowing eternal revenge, he scrambles through the trapdoor and slides rapidly down the rope to the hall below. As he runs towards the door your first instinct is to pursue him, to prevent him from getting away. But your Kai senses warn you that the storm is peaking. Unless you smash the last remaining rune, the Vaag will materialize and Vandyan will have won. You draw back your weapon and take aim at the rune which lies in its crystal saucer, surrounded by a glowing halo of dark energies. Crackling arcs of power leap across the storm-swept aperture, and in the hollow of the whirling clouds above, you glimpse a legion of bat-winged horrors spiralling down towards the hall. It is the Vaag: they have been summoned.' You strike the rune a mighty blow that explodes it into a thousand fiery shards. At once there is a screeching cacophony of noise and the platform bucks like a wild stallion as the evil power of the rune is sucked out of the hall and into the heart of the raging storm. Desperately you cling to the floor as seething rays of electrical fire dance around the edges of the aperture and arc back and forth between the ceiling and the hall below. Then a ghastly shriek echoes above the deafening noise as the approaching Vaag are consumed by fire and lightning. As their dying cries fade, so the storm abates, and you are able to stagger to your feet and take hold of the parapet rail with both hands. Gasping for breath in the dust-choked air, you look down and see a patrol of Eldenoran guardsmen come rushing through the door. Vandyan is with them, bellowing orders and threatening them with death if they should allow you to escape. The guards are armed with bows, and when they see you standing at the edge of the platform, they immediately take aim and open fire. (I use my bow) You draw an Arrow to your Bow and take aim at Vandyan. Enemy missiles whistle past within inches but you do not flinch. Coolly you release your shaft and it flies true, yet an unwitting guard runs in front of his master and it is he who perishes when your arrow pierces his heart. This close shave makes the cowardly Vandyan immediately take cover behind the hall door, from where he barks orders to his men to advance towards the platform. Fearful of being cut off, you shoulder your Bow and hurry towards the open trapdoor. You scramble through the trapdoor and slide down the rope to the hall below. You have barely touched the floor when a snarling guardsman rushes forwards and swings his battle-axe at your legs. Instinctively you leap high and avoid his clumsy blow and, at the height of your jump, you lash out with your foot and catch the Eldenoran squarely under the chin. The force of your kick lifts him off his feet and leaves him sprawled unconscious on the floor. Arrows zip past and one rips the cuff of your tunic. Before the archers can reload and fire again, you rush to the edge of the pit and leap over the rail. Your fall is broken by the body of a Vorka and you are able to rise quickly to your feet. As you race across the debris-strewn pit towards the archway in the far wall, you hear Vandyan screaming maniacally at his guards. Arrows whistle down and some pass dangerously close as you duck and weave your way towards the distant arch. Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Assimilance, add 3 to the number you have picked. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2. (I toss a 6 and get a 8) You are within 5 feet of the archway when an arrow grazes your scalp and makes you stumble to the ground: lose 1 ENDURANCE point. Immediately you scramble forwards on your hands and knees to the cover of the archway and, once you are hidden from Vandyan’s men, you leap up and make good your escape. You run along a wide, low-ceilinged tunnel that is strewn with the corpses of Vorka, all of whom perished the moment you destroyed the rune which empowered their existence. The tunnel enters an armoury where furnaces now blaze unattended, and ends at a ramp that ascends to an open gate. Through this gate you glimpse the starry night sky and the rooftops of Duadon’s East Quarter. This is a welcome sight for it holds the promise of escape from Skull-Tor. As you reach the ramp you increase your pace and run swiftly towards the gate but, as you are nearing the top, your path is blocked by a hulking, blue-skinned giant. At once you recognize this creature to be an Ogron, a notoriously dull-witted breed but one much suited to hard labour. The Ogron who faces you now is an armourer and he is carrying a heavy double-handed warhammer. You order him to let you pass, but your command is angrily countermanded by Vandyan’s guards who have entered the tunnel behind you. They order the Ogron to attack you, and readily he raises his great warhammer and takes a swipe at your head. Ogron (with Warhammer): COMBAT SKILL 42 ENDURANCE 42 ( I don't use KS and from just Mindblast I have a 8. I toss 0. Autowin) Your killing blow sends the Ogron tumbling down the ramp towards the onrushing guardsmen. They sidestep his body, and two of them let loose a parting arrow at your back as you disappear through the open gate which leads to Cillan Square, the paved thoroughfare surrounding the stronghold of Skull-Tor. The worst of the storm has abated and the night sky is cloudless and clear, yet this does little to assist your escape from Vandyan’s dreaded fortress. The moon is full and the surrounding streets and houses are illuminated by its ashen rays. On reaching the square, you immediately turn to the north in the hope of finding a way to get back to the cooperage in Flank Street. The square is littered with the bodies of Vorka, and many Eldenoran citizens have left their beds to examine this disturbing spectacle. They huddle in groups on street corners and speculate in hushed tones about the likely demise of their leader. You are hurrying along the northern flank of Cillan Square when suddenly you hear a sound that puts ice in your veins. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-17-2020, 05:14 PM	#104
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	From the battlements of Skull-Tor there arises a shrieking wail. At first this terrible sound reminds you of the ghastly howl emitted by the Vaag when they were consumed by the raging storm, but then you look to the fortress and quickly you determine that this is no supernatural sound: it is an alarm siren. Shortly after the shriek of this alarm is heard, you see the portcullis rise at Skull-Tor’s North Gate. A troop of cavalry gallops forth, and you note that each trooper is carrying a burning torch in one hand and a Bor pistol in the other. Fear returns to chill your blood when you sense that you have been spotted from the battlements, and this troop of cavalry has been dispatched to ride you down. You break into a run and race along the paved avenue towards the western flank of Cillan Square. As you near the corner you see the saddle-maker’s shop where you and Hulsta first gained entry to the tunnel below Skull-Tor. You are sprinting across the avenue towards an alleyway that runs alongside the shop when the cavalry comes bearing down on you from behind. The captain screams an order to his men to open fire and the thunderous report of their pistols explodes in your ears. You gasp with pain as a solid lead ball clips your right thigh, an inch above the knee: lose 2 ENDURANCE points. Using your Kai healing skills, you easily staunch the trickle of blood from your wounded leg and you are able to reach the welcoming darkness of the alleyway without slowing your pace. You have good reason to curse your ill fortune at having been hit at all by this shot, for Bor pistols are notoriously inaccurate, especially when fired from the saddle. However, you can draw some comfort from the fact that the other twelve pistol balls that were discharged at your back all missed you by a wide mark. You follow the alleyway to the rear of the saddle-maker’s shop where six passages converge from different directions. Here you rely upon your Magnakai Pathsmanship skills to find the one that leads back to Flank Street. The cavalry troopers are dismounting, and you can also hear foot soldiers marching at the double along Cillan Square; they have been sent by Vandyan to assist in hunting you down. They rush into the alleyway in hot pursuit but they quickly lose your trail upon entering the maze of passages that lie beyond. You retrace your route through the passages and, as you turn the final corner, you are relieved to see that the alleyway behind Hulsta and Delissa’s shop is empty of troops. You enter the rear yard of the cooperage and climb the stairs to the parlour above the workshop. Delissa hears your approaching footsteps and she opens the door as you reach it. Having heard only one set of footfalls on the stairs, she already suspects that something is wrong. But as soon as she sees the sadness in your eyes, her worst fears are confirmed. You comfort Delissa as best you can and assure her that Hulsta’s sacrifice was not in vain. ‘The Vorka have been destroyed and the Runes of Agarash have been shattered,’ you tell her, ‘yet without Hulsta, this vital mission could not have been accomplished.’ Your thoughtful words ease her sorrow, but before she has had time to grieve the loss of her husband, she is suddenly confronted by a threat to her own survival. You can hear soldiers with dogs running along the alleyway behind the yard. You wait for them to disappear, but to your shocked surprise, they suddenly stop and bang on the rear gate and demand to be let in. ‘Quick! Go and change into some of Hulsta’s clothes. You’ll find them in there,’ she says, and she points to a closet door. ‘I’ll go down to the yard and try to get rid of them.’ You do as she says and quickly you discard your Eldenoran tunic and breeches. You bundle them together with your Kai journeyman clothes, and then you dress quickly in a shirt, breeches, and jacket that you find in the closet. The clothes are a little too large but you do not mind. Only when you pull on a pair of Hulsta’s boots do you thank Ishir that they are a perfect fit. You are about to reach for one of Hulsta’s caps when suddenly you hear soldiers and dogs entering the yard. (I stay where I am) You hide your bundle of uniforms, your Weapons, and your equipment in the closet, and then you sit down at a table that is lit by a solitary candle. As you listen to the movements going on in the yard outside, you browse through one of several books that you find lying on the table. Suddenly the parlour door is thrown open and in come two Eldenoran guards and a hunting dog. The dog sniffs the air and growls menacingly. (I use Animal Mastery) You draw upon your Discipline of Animal Mastery to subdue the dog, and the effect of your suggestion is immediate and irresistible. The dog stops growling and comes bounding towards you like a carefree puppy. You pat and stroke him, and he licks your hand affectionately. ‘Well I’ll be!’ exclaims one of the guardsmen. ‘You certainly ’ave a way with dogs. Ol’ Bloodfang don’t normally take to strangers.’ His companion looks at the playful hound and he shakes his head incredulously. ‘I’ve never seen him like this before,’ he says. ‘I’ve seen ’im bite a few hands off in his time, but I ain’t ever seen him lick one!’ Your control over the dog greatly impresses the two soldiers and they choose to forget about searching the parlour and its adjoining rooms. After a few minutes they put their dog on a leash and then they return to the yard. You stand in the doorway and watch as they, and four other guardsmen, make a thorough search of the barrels stored along the rear wall. ‘What’s all the fuss?’ you call out, much to Delissa’s surprise. ‘We’re looking for an enemy spy,’ retorts one of the soldiers. ‘He’s wearing a cavalry scout uniform,’ says another. ‘Have you seen or heard anything unusual tonight?’ ‘No,’ you reply. ‘The storm kept us awake. We’ve heard nothing o’er that.’ The guards appear satisfied with your account and they call off their search. They bid you both goodnight and leave by the rear gate. When she is sure they have gone, Delissa quickly returns to the parlour and locks the door behind her. ‘Vandyan is out for revenge,’ says Delissa, as she hurries to her bookcase. ‘He must have sent every guard in the city out hunting for you this night.’ She opens the secret compartment that contains the plans of Skull-Tor, and removes a clear crystal sphere that lies beneath them. You recognize that this sphere is a seeing stone, for Gwynian possesses one that is identical. It is through the use of these seeing stones that he has maintained contact with his agents in Duadon. Delissa places the stone on a table and she recites the arcane words which activate it. A milky mist swirls at its core and then rapidly it dissipates to reveal Gwynian’s smiling face. The wise sage congratulates you for the success of your mission. He tells you that the Vorka have been destroyed and the Eldenoran armies are retreating on every front. He is saddened to hear of Hulsta’s death and he consoles Delissa with the promise that her husband will be remembered and revered as a hero in the years to come. She is heartened by his kind words and she reaffirms her vow to help keep you safe until you are able to return to your homeland. Gwynian informs you both that a rendezvous has been arranged to take place at dusk in three days’ time. You are to meet with Guildmaster Banedon aboard his flying ship Cloud-dancer at a place called ‘Xaitar’s Rock’. It is a landmark located in the hills 10 miles to the north of Duadon, close to the Luyen road. Delissa says that she knows it well. ‘Banedon will take you to Varetta where we shall meet again soon at the Halls of Learning,’ says the sage. ‘But until that glorious day, you must remain vigilant. You have dealt Vandyan a mortal blow. Now that his days are numbered, he will do everything in his power to avenge the destruction of the runes. Be warned, Grand Master. A viper is most dangerous when it knows it is doomed.’ __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-17-2020, 05:22 PM	#105
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Delissa has already prepared the route by which you can escape from Duadon. One of the ancient tunnels of Skull-Tor passes directly below the city’s North Gate and it emerges in the middle of a coppice less than a mile from the city wall. She and Hulsta found a way to enter this tunnel through the cellar of a warehouse located less than half a mile from the cooperage. Hulsta scouted the tunnel before you arrived in the city, but Delissa is anxious to ensure that the way is still clear now that Vandyan’s troops are out hunting for you. Shortly after dawn, she leaves the cooperage to scout the surrounding streets. When she returns an hour later, you sense that she is anxious and disappointed. ‘Vandyan’s men have discovered the tunnel,’ she says, despondently. ‘They have sealed it off and posted guards around the building. The watch on the battlements and at the city gates has been trebled, and a reward has been placed on your head.’ She takes a scroll from her pocket and gives it to you. When you unfurl it you see your own face depicted upon the parchment. Below is printed the sum of 10,000 Gold Crowns, and the words: ‘For delivery of this man’s body to Skull-Tor. Dead or Alive’. ‘They are posted on every street corner,’ she says, shaking her head. ‘It is not safe for you to leave the cooperage—everyone is looking for you. Duadon is awash with rumour. The Vorka have perished and the Eldenoran army is in retreat. The citizens fear retribution at the hands of those who were overrun by Vandyan’s horde, and as for Vandyan himself, they say he has gone mad with rage. He has ordered his most feared troops—the Sinistrari—to return to Duadon at once to lead the hunt for you. They are riding from Luyen and will arrive tomorrow.’ Delissa insists that you remain hidden in the parlour over the next two days. She hopes that Vandyan may begin to believe that you fled Duadon immediately after your escape from Skull-Tor, and that you are no longer to be found in the city. Her reasoning seems to be borne out by a reduction in the number of guards she sees patrolling the streets at the end of the second day. But when the third day arrives, you can no longer afford to lie low and wait for Vandyan to release his iron grip upon this city. You must reach Xaitar’s Rock before nightfall in order to rendezvous with Guildmaster Banedon. Now that the tunnel can no longer be used, you formulate a new plan to escape from Duadon by way of the city’s North Gate. Delissa prepares a disguise for you, using theatrical make-up and a wig, and she also creates a convincing story to explain your departure from the city. You are to play the role of her cousin, and the two of you will be leaving Duadon bound for Luyen in order to tend to Delissa’s sister who has suddenly been taken ill. It is a bold plan, and as the hour of your departure draws closer, you offer up a prayer to Goddess Ishir in the hope that she will grant it her blessing. (Having rested for three days, you may now restore 9 ENDURANCE points to your current total.) Delissa makes the final preparations before your departure from the cooperage. She dismisses the apprentices and closes the shop, and then she helps you to apply your disguise. When she is satisfied that you will pass for her cousin Jac, you leave the parlour and collect two saddled horses from a small stable at the rear of the workshop. You mount up and Delissa leads the way along an alley that gives access to Flank Street. At the end of the street you arrive at a plaza located before the city’s North Gate. It is late afternoon, a time when this square is normally crowded with people, yet as you ride towards the north gatehouse you can count the number of citizens that you see on the fingers of one hand. On reaching the gate you are challenged by the spear-wielding guardsmen and told to dismount. Delissa protests, and she demands to see the Sergeant of the Guard. The sergeant arrives and greets Delissa with a wide smile. They are old friends. The sergeant listens sympathetically to her story that you are her cousin and together you are bound for Luyen to nurse her sick sister. When she has finished her tale, the sergeant nods his approval to a face that is peering out from a window of the gatehouse. Moments later you hear the rattle of heavy chains and the grinding noise of moving gears. As you are waiting for the heavy gate to rise, the sergeant turns to you and asks: ‘Are you from Luyen?’ You nod your reply. ‘Ah, ’tis a fine place. I have a cousin there, myself. He’s an armourer by the name of Daliem. He has a shop in the centre of the city, at the Square of the Dragons. Perhaps you know him?’ (I use Telegnosis) Your mastery of Telegnosis warns you that the sergeant is trying to trick you. There is no ‘Square of the Dragons’ in the centre of Luyen. You tell him this and suggest that he must be mistaking Luyen for some other city. He laughs: ‘Of course, of course. I meant Kron. My cousin Daliem lives in Kron, not Luyen.’ The rising gate reaches its full height and creaks to a halt. The sergeant bids you both a safe journey and his guardsmen move aside so that the way is clear for you to leave Duadon. As you ride along the highway that heads north from Duadon, you see in the distance a pair of grassy hillocks. The highway passes between them before rising to a cultivated plateau which is crisscrossed with irrigation channels. You are drawing closer to the hillocks when you notice two units of armoured riders are stationed here, one unit on either side of the road. These horsemen are clad in fearsome suits of black armour, embellished with skulls and scarlet dragons, and their mounts are similarly protected by plates of burnished steel that shimmer like liquid fire in the light of the setting sun. ‘Sinistrari!’ whispers Delissa. ‘Ishir protect us!’ Coolly you steer your horse along the highway at a steady pace and pass beneath the watchful gaze of Vandyan’s élite troopers. The mounting tension draws beads of cold perspiration from your brow, but these enemy riders offer you no challenge and you are able to continue unhindered. As you emerge from the hillocks, you whisper to Delissa out of the side of your mouth. ‘Just keep riding … and don’t look back!’ It is not until you reach the safety of the plateau that you dare glance back over your shoulder at Vandyan’s horsemen, now five miles distant. Beyond them, silhouetted black against the darkening sky, you see the walls of Duadon and the domed peak of Skull-Tor. Now that you are safely beyond reach, you raise your fist and give voice to a defiant cry of victory. ‘For Sommerlund and the Kai!’ It is nearly dark when you enter the hills and ride with Delissa to your rendezvous at Xaitar’s Rock. Within minutes of arriving at this spire of weathered granite, you see a thin sliver of light in the darkening sky. You magnify your vision and your heart skips a beat when you see that this sliver is the sleek metal hull of Cloud-dancer—Guildmaster Banedon’s wondrous flying ship—fast approaching from the southwest. Banedon brings his vessel to a halt directly above the spire of rock. Then a landing cage is winched down and a young Toranese crewman beckons you and your companion to step inside. Your stomach flutters as the cage is hoisted up to the deck of the flying ship where the Guildmaster himself is waiting to greet you and congratulate you upon the success of your mission. Within minutes of your arrival aboard, a new route is charted and Cloud-dancer is set on course for the city of Varetta. The journey by air takes little more than two hours and, although darkness has fallen, Banedon has little difficulty locating the city. Its siege-damaged walls are ringed with beacons of fire that are visible from 50 miles. As you draw closer, you see the lifeless remains of the Vorka horde spread out across the plain surrounding Varetta, and the regiments of the Freeland Alliance marching proudly towards the city gates. The beacons guide Banedon’s craft towards the centre of the city where it is made to hover above the Halls of Learning. Swiftly you are lowered by cage to the grounds of this magnificent building where the New Order Kai are encamped. You are greeted by the thunderous cheer of your fellow kinsmen, and the proud embrace of Lone Wolf and Gwynian the Sage. It is a joyful and victorious reunion, one that will live forever in your memory and in the legends of the New Order Kai. News of your arrival spreads quickly through Varetta and you are fêted by its grateful citizens. By your brave action, the cruel siege of their city was lifted. Following a night of celebration, Lone Wolf orders you to return in triumph to the Kai Monastery aboard Cloud-dancer the next day. He will ride home with the New Order and arrive with them in a week’s time. Gladly you obey your leader’s command, and shortly before noon you wave farewell to your proud brothers from the deck of Banedon’s magnificent flying ship. Early the next day, you arrive at the Kai Monastery and deliver the glad news of your victory at Skull-Tor. Warmly the defenders praise your achievement and listen in awe when you recount the details of your perilous mission. You inform them that Lone Wolf and the Kai crusaders are returning from Varetta and will arrive at the monastery one week from today. You are now the highest ranking Kai present at the monastery and so you take charge and oversee preparations for their welcome home. Five days pass and the preparations are completed ahead of schedule. Everyone is looking forward with eager anticipation to their return. It is late in the afternoon when a Kai scout named Gold Rain arrives unexpectedly at the monastery. His face and clothes are badly travel-stained, and it is clear from his state of near-exhaustion that he has ridden hard without rest. You are hoping that he brings glad tidings, but you soon learn the contrary. Gold Rain has grave and shocking news to impart. You learn that Lone Wolf has disappeared. During an overnight encampment on the outskirts of Ruanon, your leader was abducted. Those who witnessed the abduction said that Lone Wolf was engulfed by a whirling black shadow that fell upon him from out of a stormy sky. So swift was the attack that your fellow Grand Masters were unable to prevent him from being carried away. A cold chill runs down your spine when you listen to Gold Rain’s report. His description of the whirling black shadow is identical to the form adopted by Zorkaan the Soultaker. You are filled with a gnawing sense of doubt, a fear that the destruction of the rune used by Vandyan to summon Zorkaan did not bring about the fell creature’s demise. Instead, it has trapped Zorkaan on Magnamund. Immediately you suspect that Lone Wolf’s abduction is an act of revenge. Your Sixth Sense tells you that Lone Wolf is still alive and present somewhere upon Magnamund, but you cannot determine where that place is. You have achieved a great victory at Duadon, but the shocking news of Lone Wolf’s disappearance casts a shadow of doubt over your triumph there. You fear that the loss of your illustrious leader is too high a price to pay for the defeat of Vandyan and his Vorka hordes. Your natural instinct is to do everything in your power to find Lone Wolf and release him from his shadowy abductor. But this will be a great and difficult task, one that is sure to test your bravery and skills to the limit. If you have the courage and resolve of a true Grand Master, the challenge of finding and freeing Lone Wolf awaits you in the next exciting adventure, entitled: Trail of the Wolf __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-17-2020, 05:25 PM	#106
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Review of Rune War This was the first gamebook of the series. The sections weren't loaded with 4 or 5 paragraphs each,it was shorter, and had loads more combat! I liked the throwback. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-17-2020, 09:21 PM	#107
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Begin Trail of the Wolf __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-17-2020, 09:22 PM	#108
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	The Story So Far … You are a Grand Master of the New Order of the Kai—the warrior élite of Sommerlund. It is autumn of the year MS 5083, thirty-three years after the First Order of the Kai was nearly wiped out by the Darklords of Helgedad. These champions of evil, who were sent by the Dark God Naar to destroy your fertile world of Magnamund, have since been destroyed. Lone Wolf, the leader of your illustrious fighting order, was the only survivor of the massacre. As a young Kai initiate he stood amidst the burning wreckage of the old Kai Monastery and vowed to avenge the slaughter of his comrades. In the year MS 5070 he kept his pledge when alone he infiltrated the foul domain of the Darklords and destroyed the infernal city of Helgedad, the base of their evil power. With the fall of Helgedad, chaos befell the Darkland armies who had, until then, been poised to conquer all Magnamund. Quickly their disorder escalated into a mutinous civil war which allowed the Freeland Alliance armies of Magnamund time enough to recover and launch a successful counter-offensive. Against all odds, a swift and total victory was secured over the feuding armies of evil. Following the demise of the Darklords, peace has reigned in your homeland of Sommerlund. Under the direction of Lone Wolf the ruined Monastery of the Kai was rebuilt and restored to its former glory, and the raising of a New Order of Kai warriors was swiftly established. You are one of this new generation of Kai recruits. You were born in Sommerlund in the year MS 5063, during the time of the war against the Darklords. When you were seven years old you were sent by your father to the Kai Monastery. There, under the tutelage of Lone Wolf, you developed your martial skills and honed the special Kai abilities which lay dormant within you. During the years that followed, your skills were nurtured and sharpened to perfection by long hours of study and rigorous training. Your exceptional talents have helped you to master all of the Kai and Magnakai Disciplines, and you have risen swiftly through the ranks of the New Order to become one of only five who now hold the high rank of Kai Grand Master. It is an achievement which has brought great honour upon you and your family. In the year MS 5077 your skill and courage were put to the test when an attack was launched upon the Kai Monastery during Lone Wolf’s absence. By means of a Shadow Gate (an astral corridor between the physical world of Magnamund and the many ethereal domains which lie beyond it), Naar sent forth a host of dragon-creatures to besiege the monastery and lay waste to all Sommerlund. He had chosen his time well, yet his evil plan was thwarted by the tenacious defence that you and your brethren maintained until the siege was raised by Lone Wolf and the King’s Army of Sommerlund. During the six years that have elapsed since the defeat of his minions, Naar has endeavoured to enact his vengeance upon the Kai. He commands many agents of evil upon Magnamund, and they wait quietly in the shadows for the day when they may serve their fell master. One such agent was Lord Vandyan of Eldenora. Guided by Naar, Vandyan sought and found three ancient runes of evil. Empowered by his discoveries, Vandyan summoned a vast army of reptilian warriors—the Vorka—and he used them to conquer and occupy the lands of his peaceful neighbours. Emboldened by his martial successes, Vandyan then carried the war further afield. By mid-summer of this year his army had overrun much of central Magnamund, including the realm of Lyris—one of Sommerlund’s oldest allies. From war-torn Lyris there arrived at the Kai Monastery an old man called Gwynian the Sage. He was a learned scholar and was revered by the Kai for he had aided Lone Wolf on many occasions in the past. He entreated your leader to help save his country from Vandyan’s horde. Without hesitation, Lone Wolf pledged to mount a Kai crusade to raise the siege of Varetta, its capital city. The Vorka had been the key to Vandyan’s military successes and he had a seemingly endless supply of these reptilian fighters. In order to defeat Vandyan and save Lyris, Lone Wolf knew that he had to cut off Vandyan’s supply of Vorka reinforcements at their source. Gwynian had agents in Duadon, the capital of Eldenora, who had sent word that thousands of Vorka were being created inside the city. This was the source of the enemy’s horde. Gwynian’s agents in Duadon had confirmed that Vandyan’s runes were being kept in the city’s stronghold, a daunting fortress called Skull-Tor. Lone Wolf asked you to travel alone to Duadon to make contact with Gwynian’s agents. They knew a secret route into the fortress and would help you to gain entry. Once inside, you were to find and destroy the runes as quickly as possible. Upon completion of the mission, the agents would assist you to evade Vandyan’s troops. The thought of venturing hundreds of miles behind enemy lines to undertake such a dangerous quest filled you with a sense of foreboding. Yet, you also felt greatly honoured to have been chosen for the mission and you did not flinch from your duty. Your journey to Duadon was fraught with many perils, yet you overcame them all and made contact with Gwynian’s agents. With their help you gained entry to Vandyan’s stronghold of Skull-Tor and destroyed the evil runes, thereby extinguishing the source of the power by which the Vorka horde were permitted to exist. Vandyan’s army dissolved and the Kai were then able to enter Lyris and raise the siege of Varetta. During your mission in Skull-Tor, you discovered that the Vorka were not the only creatures that Vandyan had summoned by the power of the runes. A demonic entity called Zorkaan the Soultaker had also been brought to Magnamund from his lair upon the Plane of Darkness—the ethereal domain of Naar. Having fought and defeated this creature, you believed that he had perished forever when subsequently you smashed the runes. Sadly, this was not so. Following your victory at Skull-Tor you were met by Guildmaster Banedon, the leader of Sommerlund’s Guild of Magicians, who spirited you away from Duadon aboard his flying ship Cloud-dancer. Within minutes of your arrival aboard, a route was charted and a course set for the city of Varetta. The journey by air took little more than two hours and, although darkness had fallen, Banedon’s skilled crewmen had little difficulty locating the city. Its siege-damaged walls were ringed with beacons of fire that were visible for fifty miles. As you drew closer, you saw the lifeless remains of the Vorka horde spread out across the plain surrounding Varetta, and the regiments of the allied armies marching proudly towards its gates. The beacons guided Banedon’s craft towards the centre of the city where it was made to hover above the Halls of Learning, Gwynian’s home. Swiftly you were lowered by cage to the grounds of this magnificent building where the New Order Kai were encamped. There you were greeted by the thunderous cheer of your fellow kinsmen, and the proud embrace of Lone Wolf and Gwynian the Sage. It was a joyful and victorious reunion, one that will live forever in your memory and in the legends of the New Order Kai. News of your arrival spread quickly through Varetta and you were fêted by its grateful citizens. By your brave action, the cruel siege of their city had been lifted. Following a night of celebration, Lone Wolf ordered you to return in triumph to the Kai Monastery aboard Cloud-dancer. He chose to ride home with the New Order and was expected to arrive in a week’s time. Gladly you obeyed your leader’s command, and shortly before noon you waved farewell to your proud brethren from the deck of Banedon’s magnificent flying ship. Early the next day, you arrived at the Kai Monastery and delivered the glad news of your victory at Skull-Tor. Warmly the garrison praised your achievement and listened in awe when you recounted the details of your perilous mission. You informed them that Lone Wolf and the Kai crusaders were returning from Varetta and would arrive at the monastery in seven days’ time. You were the highest ranking Kai present at the monastery and so you took charge and oversaw preparations for their welcome home. Five days passed and the preparations were completed ahead of schedule. Everyone was looking forward with eager anticipation to their return. It was late that afternoon when a Kai scout called Gold Rain arrived unexpectedly at the monastery. His face and clothes were badly travel-stained, and it was clear from his state of near-exhaustion that he had ridden hard without rest. You were hoping that he had glad tidings, but you soon heard to the contrary; Gold Rain had grave and shocking news to impart. You learned that Lone Wolf had disappeared. During an overnight encampment on the outskirts of Ruanon, your leader had been abducted. Those who witnessed the abduction said that Lone Wolf was engulfed by a whirling black shadow that fell upon him from out of a stormy sky. So swift was the attack that your fellow Grand Masters were unable to prevent him from being carried away. A cold chill ran down your spine as you listened to Gold Rain’s report. His description of the whirling black shadow was identical to the form adopted by Zorkaan the Soultaker. You were filled with a gnawing sense of doubt, a dire fear that the destruction of the rune used by Vandyan to summon Zorkaan did not bring about the fell creature’s demise. Instead, it had trapped Zorkaan upon Magnamund. Immediately you suspected that Lone Wolf’s abduction was an act of revenge. Your Kai Sixth Sense told you that Lone Wolf was still alive and present somewhere upon Magnamund, but you could not determine exactly where that place was. You had achieved a great victory at Duadon, but the shocking news of Lone Wolf’s disappearance cast a deep shadow over your triumph there. You feared that the loss of your illustrious leader was too high a price to pay for the defeat of Vandyan and his Vorka hordes. Your natural instinct was to do everything in your power to find Lone Wolf and release him from his shadowy abductor, but you knew not where to look. Hurriedly you dispatched a rider to Toran and summoned Guildmaster Banedon to an emergency council at the Kai Monastery. He responded swiftly to your summons and arrived within hours aboard Cloud-dancer. He was accompanied by Lord Rimoah of Dessi, an Elder Magi magician who is also Lone Wolf’s oldest friend and advisor. Rimoah confirmed your suspicions that Zorkaan had been summoned to Magnamund by the power of the runes. When you smashed the runes, this entity could not return to the Plane of Darkness from whence it had come. Inadvertently, your action had trapped Zorkaan upon Magnamund. The arrival upon your world of this powerful creature of evil had not gone unnoticed by the Elder Magi. From afar they had sensed Zorkaan’s presence and, through the use of their Old Kingdom magic, Rimoah and his fellow elders had charted his movements. For a short while, following the destruction of the runes, the creature had roamed the planet freely. But his freedom was soon curtailed. Lord Rimoah then told you of an evil sorcerer called Xaol. He is a necromancer who dwells in hiding in Gazad Helkona, a former Darklord city-fortress located in the desolate wastes of northern Skaror. Xaol is also an agent of Naar who, since the demise of the Darklords, has patiently awaited the chance to serve his fell master. During the days before Lone Wolf’s abduction, Rimoah and the Elder Magi detected streams of psychic communication coursing between Gazad Helkona and the Plane of Darkness. ‘Naar was transmitting to Xaol the secrets of a Ritual of Binding by which the freed spirit of Zorkaan could once again be enslaved,’ said Rimoah. ‘We now know that this ritual was enacted successfully by Xaol in the stronghold of Gazad Helkona.’ ‘Naar’s insatiable thirst for revenge is a menace that Lone Wolf has had to live with since the day he destroyed the Dark God’s champions,’ said Guildmaster Banedon. ‘He maintains his vigilance against the constant threat of assassination by the agents of Naar, yet it seems he’s been caught off-guard during the long march home to Sommerlund.’ ‘Through the ritual enacted by Xaol, Naar has gained control over Zorkaan,’ replied Rimoah. ‘He sent this creature to assassinate Lone Wolf at a Kai encampment near Ruanon, yet the attempt was unsuccessful. Zorkaan failed to kill Lone Wolf … but he was able to subdue and abduct him.’ ‘So where is Lone Wolf now?’ you asked, anxiously. ‘He is imprisoned in Gazad Helkona,’ replied Rimoah, ‘and he is in great peril. Only his Supreme Master Disciplines and the power of the Sommerswerd, his magical blade, have spared him from death by the hand of Naar’s foul creation. Your leader is brave and resourceful, but I fear that Zorkaan’s frequent attacks will weaken and eventually destroy Lone Wolf unless he is rescued quickly.’ Selflessly you volunteered to attempt such a rescue. Rimoah and Banedon were impressed by your courage and your confidence, and readily they agreed to help you achieve this difficult task. Rimoah informed you that Gazad Helkona is occupied by Xaol and his cohorts, which comprise Hammerland bandits and remnants of the army of Darklord Chlanzor, the former ruler of this city-fortress. ‘The stronghold is located in a remote volcanic region, surrounded by a petrified forest from which it takes its name. It is a difficult place to reach and assault by force,’ said Rimoah. ‘But where an army may fail, a single Kai may triumph,’ interjected Banedon, wisely. At length you discussed the rescue and agreed upon a plan of action. Banedon will transport you aboard his flying ship Cloud-dancer to a valley in the Shezar Hills, situated fifty miles to the south of Gazad Helkona. Here you will disembark and then approach the fortress on foot. Banedon will remain aboard his flying ship, safely out of sight of Xaol’s lookouts, where he will await a telepathic signal from Lone Wolf to confirm his rescue. Upon receiving this signal, he will bring Cloud-dancer into the centre of Gazad Helkona in order to collect you both. If you are unable to complete your mission to set Lone Wolf free, you must make your own way back to the flying ship. During your mission, Lord Rimoah and the Elder Magi will use their combined powers to disrupt the channel of communication that exists between Naar and his agent Xaol. Rimoah is confident that this action will serve to prevent Xaol from detecting the arrival of Cloud-dancer, and it will also help to keep secret your approach to his grim stronghold. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-17-2020, 09:30 PM	#109
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Kai Grand Guardian If you are a New Order Kai who has attained the rank of Kai Grand Guardian, you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines: Assimilance Kai Grand Guardians who possess this skill are able to summon a cloud of fog-like vapour within 15 yards of their location. This fog will obscure both normal vision and infravision. The duration of the fog increases as a Grand Master rises in rank. Herbmastery Kai Grand Guardians who possess this Discipline are able to use their advanced knowledge of Herbmastery to produce explosive compounds from simple organic materials. Elementalism Through the use of this Discipline, Kai Grand Guardians are able to protect themselves from the effects of storm-force winds by creating a sphere of calm air around their bodies. Initially this protective bubble lasts for one minute, but duration steadily increases as a Grand Master ascends in Kai rank. Grand Huntmastery Kai Grand Guardians with this skill enjoy increased mobility when travelling across all types of terrain, whether on foot or on horseback. This improved ability can be very useful when used to outdistance a pursuing enemy. Kai-surge Kai Grand Guardians who possess mastery of this Discipline are able to attack up to three enemies in psychic combat simultaneously. Kai-screen Kai Grand Guardians who possess this Discipline are able to exercise a defensive psychic skill known as Mindblend. This cloaking ability enables a Kai Grand Guardian to protect their mind and also prevent it from being detected by a hostile psychic probe. Magi-magic Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian are able to use the following battle-spells of the Elder Magi: Splinter—This causes breakable items such as bottles, jugs, mirrors, windows, etc., to shatter to pieces. The range of this spell increases as a Grand Master rises in rank. Flameshaft—This causes the tip of any Arrow, or Arrow-like missile, to burn fiercely with a magical flame which cannot readily be extinguished by normal means. I take Assimilance __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-17-2020, 09:34 PM	#110
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Sir Fox Fire, Kai Grand Guardian, Knight of Siyen CS - 48/52/56 EP - 40 Grand Kai Disciplines: 1. Kai-Surge 2. Grand Weaponmastery with Axe, Bow, Dagger, Broadsword, Mace, 3. G. Pathsmanship 4. G. Huntmastery 5. Elementalism 6. Kai-Alchemy 7. Animal Mastery 8. Telegnosis 9. Assimilance Special Items: Kai Weapon Axe Alema, +5 normally and +7 vs undead Temujan's Ring Talisman of Defiance - +2 CS Eye of Zhar - Allows control of snakes poisonous Pouch of Seota Dust - +10 EP when eaten Backpack: Rope Mealx2 Meals: 2 Weapons: Bow Crowns: 35 Arrows: 6 Safekeeping (Between game storage): Scented Oil Copper Cup 3 Candles Lyre Siyen Crown Iron Skull Shipwreck Dagger Potion of Mustow Potion of Aletherx3 Potion of Sedares Potion of Laumspurx5 Silver-Inland Warhammer 90 Gold Crowns Korlinium Sack Dessi Bow Silver Clasp Nhang Doll Bottle of Rice Wine Bottle of Scava Liquor Crystal Prism Silver Mirror Scroll of Introduction Silver Signet Ring Jeweled Knife Stone Dagger Siyenese Broad Sword Battle Map Flute Hulsta's Hammer, Spike, and Saw Eledoran Scout Uniform Dungeon Keys Skull-Tor Mace Skull-Tor Wristband Lantern Note that I moved my two pots of Laumspur and my lantern from my backpack. I wasn't using them. __________________ 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 : 04-17-2020 at 10:57 PM.

04-17-2020, 09:52 PM	#111
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	You decide to begin your air voyage to the Shezar Hills at first light the following day. In the few hours which remain before dawn, both you and Banedon make final preparations for the long journey west. You summon to your chambers Winter Oak, a Kai Archmaster, and tell him of the mission you are about to undertake at daybreak. He is the most senior member of the garrison and you place him in command during your absence. The Kai crusaders are expected to arrive in two days’ time, and it will be his duty to inform them of your whereabouts and to keep the monastery safe until you and Lone Wolf return. Having completed your preparations, you sleep for a few hours and rise shortly before dawn. Lord Rimoah escorts you to the monastery training park where, hovering above, you see the sleek hull of Cloud-dancer glinting in the moonlight. Rimoah has chosen not to accompany you on the voyage. Instead, he will remain here at the monastery and maintain contact with Banedon by means of a seeing stone. One of the ship’s lookouts sees you crossing the park below and he orders a boarding cage to be lowered from the stern deck. As you wait for it to touch the ground, Rimoah takes from his pocket a sigil of platinum fixed upon a loop of braided twine. He presses the amulet into your hand and insists that you wear it at all times. ‘It is an artefact imbued with Old Kingdom magic,’ he says, sagely. ‘It has protective powers that may help you when you enter Gazad Helkona. Lone Wolf possesses a similar sigil, and I am sure that it has helped him to resist Zorkaan thus far.’ You accept the sigil and slip its braided noose over your head. (Record this Platinum Amulet on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you wear around your neck. You need not discard another Special Item in its favour if you already hold the maximum number permissible.) Lord Rimoah wishes you good luck as you step into the boarding cage in readiness to be winched up to the flying ship. Banedon is waiting on the stern deck to meet you and together you wave farewell to Rimoah as Cloud-dancer gets underway. Rapidly the monastery recedes from view as the ship ascends into the clouds and forges a course across the grey Durncrag Mountains. You retire with Banedon to his quarters where together you study his navigational charts. The Shezar Hills lie a thousand miles away on a southwesterly bearing, and Banedon anticipates your arrival there within twelve hours. During the voyage, Banedon recalls the year MS 5075 when he was abducted by Nadziranim sorcerers and imprisoned in the Darklord fortress of Kaag. Had it not been for Lone Wolf’s brave and determined effort to save him, he would have surely perished there. Although anxious about Lone Wolf’s abduction, Banedon is also grateful to have been given this chance to help you save his friend from a similar predicament. ‘The task you’ve undertaken will be difficult and dangerous,’ he says, ‘but I beseech you, Grand Master, not to forswear your vow to save your master.’ Readily you reassure Banedon of your iron resolve to rescue Lone Wolf, no matter what difficulties lie ahead. It is shortly before dusk when Cloud-dancer approaches its destination. This is a shallow valley at the northwestern edge of the Shezar Hills, close to its border with the petrified forest of Helkona. You heed the lookout’s cry and go up on deck to observe the sullen landscape from the port rail. Meanwhile, Banedon takes command of the ship’s helm in readiness for a landing. As the craft descends, you survey the surrounding deadlands with trepidation. To the west, beyond the barren hilltops, a dull orangey light glows amidst the dust-choked clouds, proclaiming the hour of sunset. There is a strong sulphurous smell, and the distant hiss and rumble of active volcanoes lend further menace to this bleak, inhospitable landscape. Banedon brings Cloud-dancer gently to earth where it settles into the smooth, dusty soil. As his crewmen busy themselves securing its anchorage, he helps you to disembark. ‘Godspeed and good fortune, Grand Master,’ he says, as you get ready to descend to the ground by ladder. ‘I shall await Lone Wolf’s signal with optimism. Remember, when you have freed your master, he must speak to me telepathically. Only when I have received his mental command shall I approach Gazad Helkona. I will bring Cloud-dancer into the centre of the city-fortress and look for your signal. May Ishir protect you both.’ You heed Banedon’s words and bid him farewell before descending to the ground. Then, with a final wave, you turn and trek north across the barren valley floor. In the distance there is an undulating ridge of hills which lie between you and the petrified forest of Helkona. In order to reach your final destination, the fortress at the heart of this dead timberland, you must first traverse this range of hills. You stop for a few moments to observe the hills in the failing light and determine two places where you may be able to cross them. The first is a narrow gully that bisects the range, and the second is a winding, windswept trail that ascends to the peak. (I choose the Hills by way of the gully) A cold wind arises from the north as dusk gives way to darkness. It whips the sulphurous dust into whirling eddies that skitter across the valley floor and dissolve into the encroaching gloom. Determinedly you trudge towards the mouth of the gully, your head lowered and your cloak drawn close about you to counter the blasts of grit that sting your face and hands. On entering the dry ravine you discover that its walls provide some protection from the wind-borne dust, but your movements are hampered as you sink knee-deep into the fine yellowish powder that has pooled in the base of the gully. (I do have G Hunt and the right rank) You use your advanced fieldcraft skills to prevent yourself from sinking any deeper into the treacherous yellow dust. This action enables you to follow the base of the gully as it cuts a winding course through the dust-blasted hills. You are within a few hundred yards of reaching the gully’s end when you are lashed once more by the gritty wind. As you tug the hood of your cloak down to protect your eyes, you suddenly hear a loud screeching caw echoing in the dark stormy skies. You magnify your vision and scan the brooding sky. Swooping and soaring among the clouds overhead you glimpse two bat-winged creatures with scaly grey-green hides and long serrated beaks. One of these beasts is carrying a large object clamped in its mouth which the other is trying hard to wrest from its grasp. It claws at its rival’s neck, forcing the creature to drop the object which plummets to the ground and splashes into the dust at the exit from the gully. The creatures continue to struggle, tearing maniacally at each other with beak and claw, until they drop from the sky, both mortally wounded. With grim fascination you watch as they tumble to the ground, still locked in deadly combat, and slam into the dusty soil (I investigate) You crouch beside the broken neck of the Kraan and discover a tube of hide attached by a chain to its collar. You flip open the end of the tube and discover that it contains a hollow metal pipe drilled with holes. (I do not have Bardery) The vile smell of the Kraan’s carcass is making you feel nauseous. The crude metal pipe appears to be of no real value and so you discard it before leaving the body. __________________ 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 : 04-17-2020 at 09:56 PM.

04-17-2020, 10:04 PM	#112
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	With fearful disquiet, you take your first faltering steps into the dead forest of Helkona. This timberland reeks of sulphurous decay, and the perpetual half-light of the Darklands lends it a fearsome aspect. Guided by your Kai tracking instincts, you forge a northerly course through this poisoned maze of twisted trunks and thorn-guarded scrub, until you are halted by a violent tremor that makes the ground heave and split. You grab at a knotted bough to stop yourself from falling, but the rotten wood crumbles in your hand and you are knocked off your feet. Close by, a fissure opens in the dusty ground, and from its depths there emerges a host of giant black flies. They take to the air and swarm above you, their ghost-grey wings buzzing loudly. You sense that they are hungry and are preparing to launch an attack. You unsheathe your Kai Weapon and dig your heels into the dusty soil to steady yourself as the first of the huge swarm comes plummeting out of the sky to attack you. Helkona Direflies: COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 35 If you possess the Kai Weapon ‘Kaistar’, or ‘Raumas’, you may add the appropriate bonus gained from its unique properties (I have never gotten an Alema boost, by the by. I toss a 5 and then a 8 and kill them. I took 2) he few direflies that have survived your deadly blows quickly disperse. As they disappear above the trees, you wipe and sheathe your Kai Weapon before continuing your trek northwards. Soon you come to a section of the forest where the trees are blanketed with webs that are woven together to form a dense, impenetrable barrier. Creamy-white gossamer strands are wound tightly around the trunks, and loose threads dangle from their twisted branches to flutter in the breeze. Trapped amidst this web are scores of giant direflies. They hang suspended like chrysalises, cocooned in acres of silken thread. Cold sweat trickles down your face as you contemplate what could have constructed such a large and intricate web. Then your heart skips a beat when suddenly you detect movement within it. ( I do have Grand Path) Your advanced Kai senses warn you of an ambush, but the threat does not come from the web; the danger lurks behind you. Instantly you spin around in time to see a large section of the ground opening up like a great trapdoor. From its subterranean lair, there emerges a colossal black spider. Its vast bulk is squeezed by the sides of the opening as it hoists itself out and perches on the lip of the aperture. Swivelling on jointed legs, this titanic arachnid clacks its fanged maw as it fixes you with a cluster of crimson eyes that rotate and pulsate hypnotically. ( I do not have Kai-Screen) An unexpected wave of fatigue washes over your body, leaving you feeling weak and sleepy. You draw upon your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen to counter the seductive effect of the spider’s hypnotic powers, and at once the creature senses your resistance. Fearing that you may escape its clutches, it raises its great hairy forelegs and squirts forth a jet of clear fluid from a vent below its maw. Desperately you attempt to dive aside as this stream of sticky liquid comes gushing towards your chest. Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked. (I toss a 2 for a 4) he liquid splashes your legs and quickly sets, its gluey fibres pinning you to the ground. You unsheathe your Kai Weapon and strive desperately to cut yourself free from this web before the giant spider leaps upon you. Three well-aimed blows from your Kai Weapon set you free from the sticky web. You roll away from the sundered strands and spring to your feet in time to meet the creature’s advance. With a frightening turn of speed, it comes scuttling forwards with its maw agape. You gasp with horror as you brace yourself to repel its swift, vengeful attack. Skryza: COMBAT SKILL 48 ENDURANCE 40 If you possess the Kai Weapon ‘Kaistar’ you may add the appropriate bonus gained from its unique properties. (I have a +8 with KS. I toss a 2 and a 5 and then another 2. It took 27. I'm at 11. A 7 follows with a 6 finishing it off. I took a total of 17.) The Skryza shrieks a deafening cry as your Kai blade steals its life away. Its legs buckle and its gross body crashes down, staining the dusty soil with the dark ichor that pours from its many wounds. Its sprawling legs continue to twitch and convulse for several minutes, even after death has laid claim to its evil soul. As you step back from the dead spider, you hear the buzzing of giant direflies. They are swarming in readiness to return. You suspect that they must be attracted by the bitter stench of the Skryza’s blood, but it is also the opportunity for vengeance that is drawing them here. For years the Skryza has trapped and consumed thousands of their kind, but now the time has come for them to wreak their revenge. Before the direflies appear, you escape into the trees. The webs prevent you from heading directly north, towards Gazad Helkona, and so you are forced instead to go east and detour around them. For five hours you trek through the dead forest before stopping to rest on the trunk of a fallen tree. You must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points (you cannot use Grand Huntmastery in this instance, for there are no flora or fauna that you can forage for in the petrified forest of Helkona) (I have one meal left) __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-17-2020, 10:11 PM	#113
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Feeling revived after your brief rest, you decide to climb the tallest of the nearby trees in the hope that you can pinpoint your present location. Your effort is rewarded when you see the uppermost towers of Gazad Helkona rising above the tree-line less than fifteen miles to the northeast. With luck you should reach the fortress within four hours. It is only an hour later when you happen upon a broad track through the forest. Its loose surface is rutted with wagon tracks, and when you look more closely, you discover evidence of traffic having passed this way recently in both directions. Bordering upon this trail are several prickly shrubs which are covered with tiny purple buds. (I examine the purple buds) At first glance these purple buds resemble tiny blackberries with prickly leaves and clusters of small fleshy drupelets, but on closer inspection you discover that they give off a pungent aroma that makes your eyes water. (I do not have Herbery) While leaning over to examine the brambles, you accidentally brush the back of your left hand against a cluster of buds. Within seconds, the skin erupts into a mass of painful yellow blisters: lose 2 ENDURANCE points. Fortunately, your Magnakai Discipline of Curing rapidly counters the effect of the poisonous irritant contained within the purple buds. Cursing the poisonous fruits of this desolate forest, you turn away from the brambles and follow the trail northwards towards Gazad Helkona. As you trudge along the rutted trail, you become aware that the night sky is beginning to brighten. Somewhere high above the perpetual blanket of cloud that engulfs this hateful territory, day is breaking. At length, the trail arrives at a junction where another broad track joins it from the west. There are no signposts to mark the way, but your Kai sense of direction steers you towards the east where a long slope ascends to a treeless ridge. When you come to the crest of this ridge and look beyond, you catch your first glimpse of the imposing walls of Gazad Helkona. The broad-based fortress squats in a basin of rock at the centre of the petrified forest. Its coal-black walls are cracked and crumbling like some fossilized relic that is riddled with decay. Within its curtain wall, with its decrepit watchtowers and great iron gate, there are scores of minarets and needle-spires that seem to scratch malevolently at the passing clouds. You magnify your vision and you see that the emblem of Darklord Chlanzor is still emblazoned upon the rust-red surface of the fortress gate. It resembles a great black spider perched upon the surface of a blazing sun. Chlanzor may no longer be the commander of this stronghold, but the legacy of his rule remains. You observe the fortress for several minutes and take in every detail of its foul design. The great gate is secure and well guarded, but you note two places where you may be able to effect an entry without being seen. The first is a breach to the west of the gate, where the wall has been undermined by a fissure of lava. The second is a great mound of rubble to the east of the gate, the remains of the upper storeys of a collapsed watchtower. By climbing the mound you could gain access to the fortress through an arrow slit. (Ruined Watchtower, maybe I'll find some stuffs there) You leave the trail and make your final approach to the fortress under cover of the petrified trees. The perimeter around the base of Gazad Helkona has been cleared and levelled to provide an unobstructed field of fire for its defenders. To enter this area would have once brought a swift and certain death, but now the fortress garrison numbers but a fraction of the troops that used to patrol the battlements during the time of Darklord Chlanzor’s rule, and you are quietly confident that you can cross this killing zone and reach the fallen tower without being seen. Aided by your Kai camouflage skills, you zigzag across the killing zone and take cover among the shattered blocks of stone lying strewn around the base of the damaged tower. When you are sure that your approach has gone unnoticed, you clamber up the mound of rubble towards an arrow slit 20 feet above. Here you crouch on a narrow ledge and peer into the dingy chamber that lies beyond the opening. Seated on a block of wood to the left of the aperture is an ape-faced creature with leathery, gnarled skin. It is scooping a grey, paste-like gruel from out of a stone bowl which it swallows after having sucked it noisily through its jagged fangs. You recognize that this creature is a Krorn, a cruel and ungainly breed of Agarashi that hails from the Hammerlands. While the Krorn is hungrily devouring its breakfast, you contemplate how you can gain entry to the chamber without the creature raising an alarm. (I use KA) Silently you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell Mind Charm and focus the power of this spell at the seated Krorn. You command the creature to put down its bowl of gruel and lie upon the floor. It complies with your orders, and when you command it further to go to sleep, it curls up into a ball and begins to snore softly. Having rendered the tower lookout unconscious, you squeeze through the arrow slit and jump down into the chamber unopposed. The moment your feet touch down upon the flagstones, you hear a high-pitched squeak somewhere above your head. You glance up and a shadowy blur flashes before your eyes. Instinctively, you lash out with your fist and you feel your knuckles connect with something small and furry. Your punch rockets the object across the chamber and slams it against the far wall. There is a crack of breaking bones, and you see a furry, bat-like creature tumble limply to the floor. Having successfully incapacitated both the Krorn and its vengeful pet, you make a swift search of the watchtower chamber and discover the following items: Iron Key Sword Halberd (Spear) Enough food for 1 Meal 2 Gold Crowns 2 Arrows Having completed your search, you leave the chamber by an iron door and lock it behind you. A flight of spiral steps leads down to the ground level where you discover a second door. This one is also unlocked. Carefully you pull it open a few inches and peer through the gap. ( I take the Iron Key, Meal, and Halberd, and I now have 37 crowns) Beyond the door you can see the flagstoned approaches that lie within the main gate. Hammerland bandits draw pails of dirty grey water from a well by the south wall, and a patrol of sour-faced Drakkarim marches past them with their spears couched untidily on their shoulders. You scan the streets of this city-fortress and note that there are no individual dwellings here. The buildings of Gazad Helkona are grouped into four vast hexagonal blockhouse complexes, each topped by a cluster of minarets and spires. They are connected to one another by bridges that span the wide avenues between. At the centre of the stronghold is a massive octagonal citadel. A broad ramp leads to its portcullised gate which is guarded by fifty armoured sentries. As you observe the citadel, you sense a powerful concentration of evil lurking somewhere within its jet-black walls. Its highest level is dominated by a domed observatory which emits a pulsating crimson light. Your Sixth Sense tells you that Lone Wolf is being held captive somewhere within this edifice, and it hardens your resolve to rescue him. You quickly determine that the citadel gate is too heavily defended for you to dare risk entering by such a direct route. Instead, you resolve to get into this stronghold by one of the bridges that connect it to the surrounding blockhouse complexes. The nearest blockhouse is 100 yards from the doorway, and you can see two possible ways to enter. There are a pair of iron doors at ground level, and a staircase which leads up to a balconied landing. __________________ 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 : 04-17-2020 at 10:13 PM.

04-17-2020, 10:22 PM	#114
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	(Staircase seems quieter) You wait until the way is clear before you leave the doorway and hurry across the street towards the stairs You are within ten feet of the steps when a leathery black dog appears from a shadowy alcove and moves to block your path. It growls at you menacingly and fixes you with its baleful eyes. At once you recognize that this dog is a young Akataz, a vicious breed of Drakkarim warhound. (I use AM) You call upon your advanced Kai skill to order the malevolent dog to go away. Its growling quickly transforms into a pathetic whimper, and then its nerve breaks and it takes off along the street at a run. As it disappears from view, you climb the stairs to the first floor where you discover a wooden door banded with criss-crossing strips of enamelled iron. At its centre there is a polished black handle and a dial which is ringed with numbers. You examine the dial closely and determine that it controls a combination lock. By turning the dial to its correct numerical setting, you will cause the lock to disengage and the door will open. Using your Kai Sixth Sense, you discover that the correct setting is the same as the distance in miles that you travelled aboard the Cloud-dancer, from the Kai Monastery to the Shezar Hills, divided by the 50 miles that you travelled on foot from the Shezar Hills to Gazad Helkona. (20) The lock disengages with a soft, well-oiled snick6 and you push open the door just enough to allow you to slip inside. Beyond the door you discover a pillared hall, its circular walls bedecked with battered shields and torn banners captured in battle. In the oily glow of a sputtering lantern you see two Drakkarim seated at a wooden table in the middle of the hall. They are playing dice and neither warrior notices you enter. Quietly you close the door and then hide behind one of the pillars which encircle this hall. Beyond the Drakkarim, you can see an archway in the opposite wall which leads to a flight of stone steps. This appears to be the only other exit from the hall and you resolve to reach it without being seen. (I use Assimilance) You make good use of your advanced Kai camouflage skills to skirt around the perimeter of this entrance hall unseen. As you pass through the archway and ascend the steps to a landing on a level above, you can hear the sounds of the Drakkarim playing their game of dice in the hall below, oblivious to your presence Beyond the landing lies the entrance to a foul-smelling chamber, its floor littered with bones and scraps of rotting meat. Its walls are embellished with bas-reliefs showing demonic heads and bestial faces, with several humanoid creatures dancing in the background. They are partnered by scaly serpents that rise up from fissures in a volcanic landscape. To the right of the chamber you can see the remains of a granite altar that has been split asunder by some great force. Its riven fragments lie heaped before the entrance to a shadowy alcove. To the left, you see a black iron door with a peephole drilled near its centre. On the floor beside this door is a large wooden chest (I search the room) Beyond the landing lies the entrance to a foul-smelling chamber, its floor littered with bones and scraps of rotting meat. Its walls are embellished with bas-reliefs showing demonic heads and bestial faces, with several humanoid creatures dancing in the background. They are partnered by scaly serpents that rise up from fissures in a volcanic landscape. To the right of the chamber you can see the remains of a granite altar that has been split asunder by some great force. Its riven fragments lie heaped before the entrance to a shadowy alcove. To the left, you see a black iron door with a peephole drilled near its centre. On the floor beside this door is a large wooden chest (I take the Copper Key. I use Tele) Your Kai Mastery warns you that this secret panel is guarded by a magical trap. Your Sixth Sense reveals a way you can open the panel, but in so doing you will trigger the spell that has been placed here to protect it. (I use KA) You utter the words of the Brotherhood Spell Counterspell and direct its energy at the secret panel. Instantly there is a crackling discharge of power as your spell neutralizes the destructive force of the evil magic that protects this alcove. As soon as you detect that the panel is no longer booby-trapped, you work the blade of your Kai Weapon into the dry mortar surround and lever it open. Behind it you discover a hollow which contains a shiny black amulet, engraved with the spider and blazing-sun emblem of Darklord Chlanzor. It feels unusually cold to the touch, as if this item has been kept packed in ice. (If you wish to keep this Black Amulet, record it on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you carry in the pocket of your tunic.) There are no other items secreted in the hollow and so you replace the panel and leave the alcove. You are passing the iron door when you hear the sound of voices coming from somewhere on the other side. Suspicion and curiosity prompt you closer and cautiously you place your eye to the door’s peephole. ( I take the Black AMulet) __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-17-2020, 10:33 PM	#115
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Through the peephole you can see the central section of a large, torchlit chamber. Seated here around a refectory table are three swarthy bandits attired in mercenary garb. The eldest of the group gulps wine from a battered pewter goblet as he talks loudly with another who is polishing a rust-pitted sword. You magnify your vision and see a short tunnel receding from an archway on the far side of this chamber. At its end you notice the gloomy grey light of the city pouring through a semicircular portal. You focus on this distant light and your pulse quickens when you are able to make out a section of a bridge that connects this blockhouse complex to the central citadel. You appear to have found a route to the citadel, but in order to reach it you must find a way past the bandits occupying the hall beyond. Carefully you push against the cold iron door and feel it move on its hinges; it is unlocked. (I have Assimilance and a high enough rank) You draw upon your improved Kai Mastery in order to conjure a mist in the hall beyond. Moments later, you hear the bandits cry out in shocked surprise as inexplicably their chamber begins to fill with a dense white fog. Then the iron door opens and the bandits stagger out of the billowing mist, coughing and gasping for air. Stealthily you slip past them and enter the hall. Guided by your infravision, you hurry across this chamber and enter the clearer air of the tunnel which leads to the citadel bridge. You enter the tunnel and follow it to an open portal where an iron platform juts from the wall of the blockhouse complex. Fifty feet below the platform is a broad thoroughfare that is busy with the traffic of bandit columns and Hammerland wagons newly-arrived from Cragmantle. A narrow bridge spans the gap between the platform and another which juts from the side of the central citadel. There you can see a dark, semicircular portal in the citadel wall that is open and unguarded. The narrow bridge arcs towards the citadel platform, but its smooth span is broken in the middle by a hinged drawbridge. It is open and it hangs down, creating a gap at the apex that is 15 feet wide. You observe that this banded iron flap is operated by two heavy chains that run beneath the span. You magnify your vision and trace their route back to the base of a plinth which stands on the blockhouse platform, close by the entrance to the bridge. A winch handle protrudes from this plinth, but when you attempt to crank the chains taut, you find that it will not budge: it is locked in position. A closer inspection of the winch spindle reveals a keyhole at its centre. (I use the Copper Key) You retrieve the Copper Key from your Backpack and insert it into the keyhole. It fits, and when you twist it anticlockwise, the winch handle unlocks. You take hold of the handle and hurriedly you wind it until the drawbridge is fully raised. Then you relock the winch and pocket the key as you hurry across the bridge. On reaching the opposite platform, you stop to check that the coast is clear before entering the citadel of Gazad Helkona. You follow a short semicircular tunnel that leads to a wide gallery encircling the upper section of a colossal hall. Peering over the parapet of the gallery, you look down on the red granite floor of the hall 50 feet below. Here you see Drakkarim and Giaks standing in idle groups around the lip of a deep lava-filled pit that looks as if it could descend all the way to the molten core of Magnamund. Motes of rust-coloured dust cling to every surface and the scorching air reeks of molten metal and sulphur. An unbroken line of fiery bronze statues encircle the gallery, depicting former loyal servants of Darklord Chlanzor. You are casting your eye along their line when suddenly you see two of Xaol’s henchmen. They emerge from a passageway located next to a spiral staircase on the far side of the gallery. Quickly you take cover behind the nearest statue and watch as those two men, accompanied by a wolfhound, come walking around the gallery towards your hiding place. (I do not have any Dargose Buds) As the bandits and the wolfhound approach, you use your Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility to mask your body scent. This precaution prevents the wolfhound from detecting your presence, and the group pass by your hiding place unawares. You watch them enter the tunnel that leads to the exterior platform, and as soon as they disappear from view, you leave the statue and hurry around the gallery to the staircase opposite. A short flight of iron steps ascends to a long, low-ceilinged hall. Its plastered walls are decorated with frescoes that depict enslaved humans, bedecked with chains and heads bowed in defeat, parading in a line before a triumphant group of Drakkarim warlords. At the far end of this hall you discover three doors recessed into the wall. (I use Telegnosis) Your Kai Mastery informs you that Lone Wolf is somewhere nearby. Encouraged by this feeling of certainty, you close your eyes and take hold of the Platinum Amulet that Lord Rimoah gave you before you left the monastery. Its powers help to focus your concentration as you try to determine which of the three doors will lead you to your imprisoned leader. You feel the faint warmth of Lone Wolf’s aura, but it is too weak for you to be sure of the direction you should follow. All that you can determine is that your leader cannot be found behind the left door. (I choose right) This strong oak door is inlaid with fancy steel marquetry that surrounds a shiny silver lockplate. You are kneeling to examine the handle and keyhole when you notice something protruding from the gap beneath the door. Your pulse races when suddenly you recognize this object. At first you think you have found a large coin wedged under the door, but when you hook it with your fingernails and drag it out, you discover that this gold-plated disc is a cloak brooch. It is embellished with the insignia of a wolf’s head on a radiant sun, and instantly you recognize this emblem. It is the personal mark of Lone Wolf. Elated by your discovery, you take the brooch and press it to your forehead. Your Kai senses confirm your suspicion that this item was not lodged beneath the door by accident. Lone Wolf purposefully hid the brooch here in the hope that it would assist those who might attempt to rescue him. Confident now that you have found his trail, you pocket Lone Wolf’s brooch (record this Wolf Brooch on your Action Chart as a Special Item) and attempt to pick the lock that secures this door. (I do not have G. Nexus) By the use of your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus, you are able eventually to unlock this door. However, it is a tedious and difficult task that saps your mental strength: lose 2 ENDURANCE points. When at last you hear the mortise click open, you twist the steel handle and silently the door swings open to reveal a hall beyond. You enter, and the door closes behind you with a dull boom. You find yourself standing in a hall that is flanked on either side by a row of human skeletons. They stand at attention with their spines pressed against the stone wall, and clasped in their bony hands are rusty polearms of differing type and origin. At the far end of this torchlit chamber, you can see a pair of stout wooden doors reinforced with strips of polished steel. Cautiously you advance along the hall under the sightless gaze of the flanking skeletons, and upon reaching the doors you discover that they are secured by a combination lock. A single dial with a brass pointer is mounted upon a circular plate that is numbered 0 to 200 around its bevelled edge. You place the palm of your hand against the door, and a tingle of excitement runs down your spine when you sense that Lone Wolf is being held captive on the other side of these doors. With the help of your Kai Sixth Sense, you determine that the number which will open the combination lock is the same as the solution to the following puzzle. If A=1, B=2, C=3 (and so on through the alphabet until you reach Z=26), what is the total numerical value of the fortress of ‘Gazad Helkona’? When you think that you have calculated the total, turn to the section of this book that is the same as your answer.17 If you calculate incorrectly, or if you are unable to answer this puzzle, turn instead to 183. (Let me grab my calculator.....105) When the dial clicks into position,10 the heavy wooden doors swing open and a gust of putrid air makes you swallow hard before you take your first cautious step into the hall beyond. You cast a suspicious eye around this circular chamber for it is illuminated by tall candles that radiate a cold, cyanic light. The floor is strewn with bones and human cadavers in varying states of decomposition, and the walls are hung with great silken tapestries depicting horrific scenes that glorify the power of death and decay. As your eagle eyes penetrate the gloom, your pulse races when they fall upon Lone Wolf. He sits cross-legged within a sphere of translucent grey light that hovers three feet above the floor. His divine blade, Sommerswerd, is cradled in his lap, and his head hangs limply against his chest. At first you believe he is unconscious; then your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen detects that he is engaged in a desperate mental battle against a host of invisible enemies who are seeking to enslave his soul. The shadowy prison-sphere that entraps Lone Wolf hovers before a vile throne constructed entirely of human skulls and bones. Seated here is a thin man attired in black robes edged with gold and scarlet braid. His pale skin and feverish dark eyes are touched by the bluish glow of the surrounding candles, accentuating his sinister mien. With an extended right hand he grasps the surface of a large crystal sphere that is fixed to a pedestal beside his throne. This crystal is hollow, but its core is filled with swirling black vapours that radiate a deathly chill. The robed man stares fixedly at the sphere and appears to be mesmerized by it. You magnify your vision, and when you focus your gaze upon the sphere, suddenly you fathom the secret of the terrible power contained within. __________________ 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 : 04-17-2020 at 10:34 PM.

04-17-2020, 10:38 PM	#116
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	The crystal sphere is not an artefact of this world. It was forged in Dazganon, the dread fortress of the Dark God Naar, upon the ethereal Plane of Darkness. The supernatural forces that exist within this sphere enable Naar to exert total control over his agent Xaol. Your Kai senses inform you that the destruction of this sphere would deal a severe blow to the Dark God. It would rob him of a means by which his influence can prevail on Magnamund. Suddenly Xaol cries out in alarm, as if the evil necromancer has awoken from the grip of a nightmare. He snatches his hand away from the crystal sphere and points it at you accusingly. His dark eyes glare with madness when he spits out his chilling threat: ‘Foolish Kai. You are doomed. You and your weak master will never leave my hall alive!’ In the next instant, the doors to the necromancer’s hall crash shut and you are assailed by a terrible sound that fills your head with pain. (I don't rock Kai-Screen) Desperately you draw upon your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen to protect the fabric of your inner mind from this powerful psychic assault. Your defences knit together and form a wall that repels this attack, but not before you have suffered a painful psychic trauma: lose 4 ENDURANCE points. The screeching wall of noise ceases abruptly, and you open your eyes to see Xaol the Necromancer staring at you aghast. Frantically he snatches up a black iron staff that rests beside his throne of bones, and then he leaps from his seat with surprising agility. You reach for your Kai Weapon as he comes bounding towards you, his staff poised to thrust at your head. He lunges, not with a rod of iron but with a living serpent. The necromancer’s staff has transformed into a deadly, hissing black snake. Hastily you retreat as the serpent’s dripping fangs strike out for your throat. Xaol the Necromancer (with Serpent Rod): COMBAT SKILL 50 ENDURANCE 40 If you possess the Kai Weapon ‘Spawnsmite’ or ‘Valiance’ you may add the bonus that you gain from its unique properties during this combat. (I have a +6 with KS. I toss 9 and 4. Then a 2. He took 33. I took 9. I toss a 7 and slay him and took 11 total from battle. ) Your killing blow brings Xaol staggering to his knees, gasping hoarsely. He drops his serpent staff and the instant it leaves his grasp, it shrivels up into a tight ball that hisses, smokes, and bubbles. Xaol falls to one side, his gaunt shaven head striking the bone-littered floor with a dull thud. Through blood-flecked lips he utters a curse, vowing one day to return from beyond the grave to wreak bloody vengeance upon you and the Kai. Then his dark eyes flicker and glaze over, and his thin frame convulses for a moment and falls still. You leap over the withered remains of the necromancer and his cursed staff, and rush towards Lone Wolf. Slowly your master raises his tousled head and fixes you with his steely blue eyes. You sense that he has been greatly weakened by his ordeal. He has suffered much since his abduction, yet he has found the strength within himself to resist his cruel tormentors. Inspired by his resolute courage, you ask how you can free him from the prison-sphere. Lone Wolf mouths a reply, but you cannot hear him. Using your Magnakai Discipline of Divination you try to detect telepathic communication, but you sense that it is futile. No mind speech can penetrate the milky grey walls of Lone Wolf’s hovering prison. Then your leader glowers at the crystal sphere that is fixed atop a pedestal beside the throne of bones, and instantly you fathom his meaning. Slowly you mouth the words: ‘Must I destroy the sphere?’ Lone Wolf nods approvingly. Fired up by his directive, you raise your Kai Weapon and approach the crystal sphere. But before you come to within striking distance, a powerful gust of freezing air hits you in the chest and sends you reeling backwards to the floor. You crash down heavily among the bones and cadavers that litter the necromancer’s hall, and a sharp pain shoots through your skull when you strike the back of your head against the hard marble floor: lose 2 ENDURANCE points. As you are struggling painfully to your feet, you suddenly become aware of the arrival of a new and powerful evil in this hall. Instinctively you look to the crystal sphere, and your heart sinks when you see that its swirling black vapours are now oozing through the glassy surface. These sinister wisps of darkness draw together and swirl around the throne of bones like a small tornado. Then from the core of this whirlwind there issues a loud and hideous shriek that makes your blood run cold. (Yes I've been to Duadon) Instantly, you recognize the chilling shriek of Zorkaan the Soultaker, and you recall in vivid detail the combat that took place between you and this foul entity just a week ago in the citadel of Skull-Tor. Wary of his psychic powers, you muster your mental defences in readiness to counter any attack that he may launch upon your mind. (I do not have Kai-Screen) You draw upon your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen to erect a defensive wall around the core of your mind; then you brace yourself in readiness to meet the anticipated attack. Despite your preparations, you are deeply shocked by the power and sheer ferocity of Zorkaan when he unleashes his psychic assault. You reel under the bombardment of his incorporeal powers as they batter your mental defences (lose 3 ENDURANCE points), but you refuse to submit to his will and you survive this terrifying assault. As the attacks wither and fade, you sense Zorkaan explode with anger and frustration at having been thwarted by your formidable resolve. __________________ 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 : 04-17-2020 at 10:41 PM.

04-17-2020, 10:56 PM	#117
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	The whirling shadow of Zorkaan is shrinking and condensing. It coalesces to form a funnel of choking black fog that hovers menacingly above the corpse of the necromancer. The narrowest part of this swirling cone of darkness pierces the dead sorcerer’s chest and, in the blink of an eye, Zorkaan takes control of Xaol’s lifeless cadaver Possessed by Zorkaan, the corpse of Xaol rises up from the floor and extends its twisted arms towards you. An unholy fire blazes in the necromancer’s eyes as he moves across the hall with unnatural speed. You pray to the Goddess Ishir for her protection as this ghastly zombie leaps upon you and attempts to fix its corpse-cold hands around your throat. Xaol Zombie (possessed by Zorkaan): COMBAT SKILL 55 ENDURANCE 43 This possessed creature is immune to psychic attack. If you are wielding ‘Alema’ or ‘Valiance’, you may add the appropriate bonus gained through their unique properties. You may reduce the total damage inflicted upon you by 5 ENDURANCE points due to the protection you gain from wearing the Platinum Amulet. However, unless you possess the Discipline of Kai-screen, you must reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 3 for the duration of this combat. (I am at 55 for this battle with KS. Let's do it! I have 13 damage left over from other reductions. I toss a 5, 6, and 0. I took 3, he took 27. I have survived three rounds of battle with him) Your third blow severs Xaol’s corpse at the waist and the two halves tumble to the floor. For a few moments the sundered legs and the upper torso writhe blindly forwards with maniacal intent, but then the shade of Zorkaan abandons its crippled host and the two halves collapse and lie still. The funnel of dark vapour that is Zorkaan escapes into the upper reaches of the hall, where it disappears among the vaulted stone rafters. You scour the ceiling with all of your senses, yet you are no longer able to detect your adversary. You look to Lone Wolf and he holds your gaze; then he glances towards the crystal sphere and you sense that he is urging you to destroy it. (I use KA) You utter the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand and level your right arm at the crystal sphere. A crackling bolt of energy leaps from your palm and arcs towards the sorcerous orb, but before it strikes its mark, it is deflected away by a sudden gust of icy-cold wind. This supernatural draught takes hold of your fiery missile, spins it around in mid-air, and sends it speeding back towards your startled eyes! (I use KA) Hurriedly you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell Counterspell and point your right hand at the speeding bolt. There is a splash of sizzling sparks, and the deadly ball of energy evaporates within inches of your face. The shock of having just nearly killed yourself with your own spell quickly turns to anger. You rush towards the sphere with the intention of kicking it from its pedestal but, as you bring back your foot in readiness to strike, suddenly the dark shadow of Zorkaan falls upon you and launches a massive psychic attack from close range. (I still don;t have Kai-Screen You are engulfed by a white-hot sheet of psychic fire that sears and blisters the fibres of your inner mind: lose 3 ENDURANCE points. Were it not for the protective effect of your Platinum Amulet, this assault would have been fatal. The stunning effect of Zorkaan’s lightning attack has damaged a part of your mind that controls your Kai abilities. In addition to the physical damage sustained, you must also forfeit the use of one of your Grand Master Disciplines for the rest of this mission. (If you complete the mission successfully, you may restore your forfeited Discipline and use it again in a future Lone Wolf New Order adventure.) (Since I haven;t needed it yet, I am picking Elementalism) As you recover your senses, you look up to see Zorkaan looming above you, his swirling black form swelling in volume and menace as it prepares to deal you one final, devastating blow. Valiantly you struggle to resist, but you are fearful that you no longer possess the strength needed to counter this powerful foe. An evil laugh echoes in your mind as slowly the wispy mass of black vapour spirals down towards your face. Desperately you lash out at your mocking adversary, but you lose your balance and collapse to your knees. With a prayer to Ishir on your lips, you watch with growing horror as a glowing spike of radiant energy appears at the core of Zorkaan’s form. It hangs directly above you, like a sorcerous lance poised deliver a killing blow You are engulfed by a sudden explosion of golden light. Zorkaan emits a deafening shriek as the supernatural fabric of his being is ripped asunder by the Sommerswerd—Lone Wolf’s divine blade. As the creature is engulfed in a blaze of golden fire, the Sommerswerd falls to the floor near your feet. You look down at the blade in stunned disbelief; then you raise your eyes and look to Lone Wolf who is slumped within the confines of his hovering prison-sphere. Slowly the enormity of what has happened begins to permeate through the turmoil that is raging in your mind. In a desperate bid to save you, Lone Wolf has used the last of his strength to hurl his magical blade through the wall of his sorcerous prison. This courageous act has destroyed Zorkaan and spared you your life. As the last fragments of Zorkaan’s black shadow are consumed by the golden flames, you struggle to your feet and stumble towards Lone Wolf. You fear the worst, that your brave leader has sacrificed his own life for yours, but to your profound relief you soon discover that he is not dead but unconscious. You retrieve the Sommerswerd from the ground and marvel at its craftsmanship and fine balance. Then you hurry to the prison-sphere and thrust the tip of the golden blade into a ragged tear that was made when Lone Wolf hurled the Sommerswerd at Zorkaan. Crimson sparks erupt from the rent in the sphere as determinedly you work the sword with a sawing motion. The split lengthens until you are able to reach in and grab hold of Lone Wolf’s tunic. Carefully you pull your unconscious leader out of his sorcerous cell, and then you sheathe the Sommerswerd in his scabbard before you heave his limp body over your shoulder. Fearing that Xaol’s absence may soon come to the attention of his minions, you cast your gaze around the necromancer’s hall in search of a way to escape. The doors by which you entered have been sealed shut, but your keen eyes and your Kai senses alert you to two other possible routes out of this chamber. The first is a narrow door located in the wall directly behind the throne of bones, and the other is an archway that is covered by a thin velvet tapestry (Archway) You pull aside the mouldering tapestry that covers the arch, and you discover a tunnel that leads to Xaol’s private chambers. The walls, ceiling, and floor are all constructed from dull volcanic stone, and several pieces of black wooden furniture are scattered haphazardly around the room. Beside a heavy wooden door there stands an ebony bookshelf that is filled with stoppered vials. Carefully you rest Lone Wolf down upon a divan before you examine the individual contents of these glass containers. (I do not have Herbmastery) Your Magnakai Discipline of Curing warns you that most of the substances stored in the vials are either poisons, narcotics, or sorcerous concoctions. From a total of eighty vials, you are able to identify only one that can be used to heal. It is Tortwich (a crystalline salt that will restore 3 ENDURANCE points when consumed after sustaining wounds in combat) There is sufficient Tortwich in the vial to provide you with 2 doses. If you wish to keep this curative, remember to adjust your Action Chart accordingly. Suddenly you hear the monotonous clang of an alarm bell echoing in some distant part of the citadel, and your Kai senses warn you that Xaol’s corpse has now been discovered. Some of his minions are searching the necromancer’s hall, and you are gripped by a fear that they will discover your trail and catch you before you can make good your escape. You take hold of Lone Wolf and lift him across your shoulder; then you pull open the wooden door and leave Xaol’s chambers as fast as you are able. You pass along a tunnel that is lined with iron hooks and sputtering torches. Most of the hooks are bare, but some are festooned with weapons and clothing. Among the items are the following weapons and equipment: Quiver Rope 3 Arrows Bow Sword Axe Spear Leather Tunic Blanket (this item occupies 2 places in a Backpack) (I take the Leather Tunic, Tortwich) __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-17-2020, 11:05 PM	#118
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	The tunnel leads to a circular shaft which is lit intermittently by a pulsating crimson light flooding down from above. You ascend this shaft by means of a broad circular staircase, and you stop to rest when you come to a landing that is halfway from the top. Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points When you look to the top of the shaft, you can see the huge domed panels of the citadel’s observatory windows. Confident that an escape onto the roof can be effected by this route, you resolve to reach the top of the stairs as quickly as you can. However, you are becoming increasingly concerned for Lone Wolf’s physical condition. His pulse is weak and his breathing is shallow, indicating to you that he is slipping from unconsciousness into coma. You are also anxious to revive him so that he may send a telepathic signal to Guildmaster Banedon, summoning him to your rescue. Unless this signal is transmitted soon, you fear that any attempt to reach the roof will ultimately be to no avail. (I do not have Deliverance) You use your Magnakai Curing skills in an urgent attempt to restore Lone Wolf to consciousness. You unbutton the front of his battle-tunic and place your hands on his chest; then you transfer the warmth of your healing powers directly into his body (this use of your Magnakai Discipline costs you 1 ENDURANCE point). After a few minutes you feel his heartbeat growing stronger, yet before you can complete the healing procedure, you hear the daunting sound of steel-shod boots echoing up the shaft from below. You risk a glance over the parapet of the stairs and you see a dozen armoured Drakkarim emerging from the tunnel at the base of the shaft. As they come running up the steps, you see that most are armed with loaded crossbows. Reluctantly you are forced to abandon your attempt to revive Lone Wolf. You heave him across your shoulder and take to the stairs once more, climbing as fast as your aching legs will carry you both towards the observatory roof, 60 feet above. Pick a number from the Random Number Table. (I toss a 4) Gasping for breath, you reach the top of the stairs and stagger onto a circular steel platform. Through the giant windows that encircle this observatory landing, you look out across the grim grey vista of Gazad Helkona and marvel at its terrible splendour. The surrounding acres of iron and stone are bathed by glowing waves of crimson light. These pulses emanate from a huge crystal set atop the observatory dome. It is a sorcerous gem and it was placed here by Darklord Chlanzor’s Nadziranim, his dark wizards, as a beacon to guide home his fearsome squadrons of Kraan. As you stare up at this evil stone, you draw some comfort from the thought that soon its radiant light may help guide Guildmaster Banedon’s flying ship to your rescue. You place Lone Wolf behind the parapet near the top of the stairs; then you risk another look down into the shaft. You see that the Drakkarim have taken up a position on the landing below where they are waiting for you to present yourself as a target. The moment your head appears over the parapet, they reward your curiosity with a volley of crossbow bolts. Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Assimilance, add 2 to the number you have picked. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 1. If your current ENDURANCE score is 15 or lower, deduct 2. ( I toss a 2 and get a 5 total) The deadly bolts slam into the parapet and whistle past your head. One bolt passes so close that it skewers the collar of your tunic and grazes your throat: lose 1 ENDURANCE point. Warm blood trickles down the side of your neck as instinctively you duck back behind the safety of the parapet. Your close brush with death tells you that these Drakkarim warriors are a determined enemy. You know that you must do everything in your power to prevent them from reaching the roof if you are to have any hope of escaping from Gazad Helkona alive. You hear a gruff shout followed by the sound of heavy boots pounding up the stone stairs. Your stomach churns with the fear that the Drakkarim are about to storm the observatory platform, and again you risk your life by glancing over the parapet. Fortunately, this time you escape being used as a crossbow target, and you are able to catch a glimpse of a lone Drakkar ascending the stairs at a run. He is a barrel-chested Drakkarim assault-trooper clad in full battle-armour, with scarlet cape, plumed helm, and spiked shield. As he bounds up the steps two at a time, he curses loudly and slashes at the air with his serrated sword. His fearless charge is so recklessly courageous that it inspires his cautious comrades to leave the landing and follow in his wake. (I use KA) You listen to the Drakkar’s approaching footsteps as you prepare the Brotherhood Spell Net while remaining hidden from sight. If you can ensnare this assault trooper with your net spell, it may be enough to dissuade his comrades from pressing home their charge. Having recited all but the last word of the spell, you rise up from behind the parapet and point your right hand at the advancing Drakkar. You utter the final spell-word and a gout of sticky fluid gushes from your open palm towards the assault trooper’s face. The warrior sees the trail of fluid arcing towards him and hurriedly he tries to block it with his shield. Your net hits the Drakkar’s shield and splashes across the broad staircase, blocking it with a latticework of gluey fibres. The assault trooper discards his shield and calls to his comrades to help him cut a path through your magical net. They respond eagerly, and as half their number race up the steps to hack at the sticky strands, the rest kneel down and open fire at you with their crossbows. You retreat a few paces from the head of the stairs and unsheathe your Kai Weapon in readiness to defend the observatory platform from these determined foes. Then the assault trooper leader looms into view with his jagged black sword raised to strike. He pauses for a few moments to allow his comrades to catch up with him; then together they charge up the last remaining steps and hurl themselves upon you with a reckless fury. Drakkarim Assault Squad: COMBAT SKILL 45 ENDURANCE 40 ( I still have 7 damage from the other fights and the damage we got here and there. I take the +11 with KS. I toss a 6, and then a 8 and they die. I took 3 damage - 10 total) __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-17-2020, 11:10 PM	#119
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	You fight with such ice-cool nerve and deadly precision that the few Drakkarim who survive the combat immediately break and flee, convinced that they face an immortal warrior. As you watch them scrambling headlong down the stairs, a sudden shriek echoes across the observatory platform, making you glance over your shoulder in fearful anticipation. To your horror, you see a Kraan come gliding down onto an exterior platform that runs around the perimeter of the observatory dome. Astride its scaly back is a skull-faced reptilian that is swathed in ragged, funereal robes. It leaps down from the saddled Kraan and, as it crouches on the windswept platform, it levels a rod of glowing crystal at the transparent dome. A flash of sparkling light erupts at the tip of this rod, and a section of the glass wall explodes into a million razor shards. Instinctively you shield your face with your forearm as the deadly splinters of glass come hurtling through the air towards you, driven by the force of the explosion and the gale-force winds that rage around the observatory tower. Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 1 to the number you have picked. (8 into 9) Your swift and timely reflexes save you from sustaining serious injuries to your face, legs, and torso: lose only 1 ENDURANCE point. The fearsome reptilian smashes its way through the jagged hole in the dome and comes loping across the observatory platform towards you. Maniacally, it lashes out at you with its glowing rod, forcing you to back away to avoid being decapitated by its razor-sharp tip. You duck below its barrage of frenzied blows and launch a scything swipe at the creature’s torso. Your blade sunders its mouldering robes, but when it fails to cleave its flesh, your adversary comes back at you with a vengeance. Urgaroh: COMBAT SKILL 42 ENDURANCE 40 This enemy is immune to Mindblast (but not Kai-surge). If you possess the Kai Weapon ‘Spawnsmite’ or ‘Valiance’, you may add the bonus gained from its unique properties during this combat. (i have 6 left after a few passages from the last fight. +11 CS with KS. I toss a 0 and kill it and take 1) Your killing blow lifts the Urgaroh and sends it tumbling backwards in a ragged somersault to fall ten feet away in a broken, untidy heap. Its ruined remains spontaneously ignite and burn fiercely, giving off a choking black smoke. Above the noise of the wind that rushes through the shattered glass dome, you hear angry cries and the stomp of booted feet. The Drakkarim have regrouped and are storming the stairs once more, their numbers swelled by a score of Giaks and Hammerland bandits. Driven by instinct, you pick up the Urgaroh’s crystal rod which lies near your feet, and you rush to the head of the stairs. You can feel the evil power that is held within the rod’s slender shaft, but you are unsure how you may unleash it upon the enemy who are racing up the stairs. (I use Telegnosis) Your advanced Kai Discipline informs you that the only way you can release the evil power contained within this weapon is by breaking the shaft in two. Armed with this knowledge, you hurl the crystal rod at the advancing enemy troops who have reached the landing below. The rod hits the landing and explodes with devastating effect. The advancing enemy are engulfed by a searing ball of yellow and orange flame; then an entire section of the landing and stairs is destroyed by a deafening explosion. You cover Lone Wolf with your body and protect him as fragments of masonry smash into the dome, and a shower of broken glass cascades onto the observatory platform. When finally the dust and debris clear, you struggle to your feet and survey the destruction. The observatory platform is littered with chunks of rock and shattered glass. You peer over the parapet and, through the plume of grey smoke that is coiling up the shaft, you see that the lower landing no longer exists. Along with adjoining sections of the staircase, it has been transformed into a vast mound of rubble that lies heaped at the bottom of the shaft. The few enemy troops who have survived the explosion can no longer reach the observatory, but as you watch them attempting to recover the bodies of their fallen comrades, it crosses your mind that the explosion has also destroyed your only known exit from the roof. You retreat from the parapet and resume your attempt to revive Lone Wolf. At first the signs are not good; his breathing is shallow and his skin has a sickly pallor. But then you notice that his eyes are moving beneath their closed lids and you sense that he is emerging from coma (I still don;t have Deliverance) You use your Magnakai Discipline of Curing to help Lone Wolf emerge from his coma and regain consciousness. It is a difficult procedure and it costs you 2 ENDURANCE points, but your sacrifice is not made in vain. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-17-2020, 11:14 PM	#120
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Lone Wolf opens his eyes, and a faint smile creases his gaunt features when he sees your face looming before him. ‘So I’m still alive,’ he says, with a tone of gentle surprise. ‘Naar will be disappointed.’ He raises his arm and you take hold of it and help him rise unsteadily to his feet. He surveys the devastated observatory and you sense that his agile mind is scrutinizing every detail. He reaches for his scabbard and breathes a heavy sigh of relief when his hand closes around the hilt of the Sommerswerd. ‘I trust my blade found its mark?’ he asks. ‘Aye, my lord,’ you reply. ‘Your timely action consigned Zorkaan to oblivion, and saved my life. For that I will be forever in your debt.’ ‘And I in yours, Grand Master,’ he replies, earnestly. ‘I sense that I would not be drawing breath now if it were not for your bravery.’ Hurriedly you inform your leader that Guildmaster Banedon and his flying ship are presently hidden in the Shezar Hills, awaiting his telepathic signal. Silently he acknowledges your words with a nod of his blond head, and then he closes his eyes. You sense rapid bursts of powerful psychic energy surging away from Lone Wolf and, moments later, he reopens his eyes and smiles. ‘It is done,’ he says, confidently. ‘Banedon will be here shortly. Come, we must prepare for his arrival.’ Lone Wolf bids you follow as he steps through a shattered pane of the dome and climbs out onto the platform that encircles the observatory tower. The wild, sulphurous winds rip at your cloak and tunic, forcing you to crouch down and grasp the iron platform with both hands for fear of being blown over the edge. Yet these powerful winds do not seem to affect your leader. He stands erect and immobile, as if cast in solid stone. With an unblinking gaze he stares fixedly towards the southern horizon, his eagle eyes searching out Banedon’s skycraft. Little more than twenty minutes have elapsed when Lone Wolf turns and looks down at your crouching form. Banedon approaches, he says, his silent words forming in your mind. You magnify your vision and scan the southern vista, but you are unable to discern a skyship among the roiling black clouds. Then you spot a sliver of light in the stormy sky, and your spirits rise. The Cloud-dancer is fast approaching. Guided by the pulsating glow of the observatory’s crimson beacon, and Lone Wolf’s telepathic messages, Banedon is able to bring the Cloud-dancer to within 50 feet of the dome. But the fierce winds prevent him from making a landing, and so he has his crew lower the boarding cage. The moment it sets down upon the platform, you follow Lone Wolf inside and slam shut the gate. There is a jolt as the hawser tenses, and then you feel the cage swaying the moment it is hoisted off the platform. Despite the violent swaying of the cage, you feel elated when you look through the bars of the cage door and see the shattered dome of the observatory receding beneath you. Then the exhilaration of your escape from Gazad Helkona is shattered when you hear a hideous shriek rise above the roar of the wind. To your shocked surprise, you see a score of Kraan come soaring up from the open roof of an adjoining blockhouse complex. They are ridden by Drakkarim armed with crossbows, and as the first of the scaly fliers swoops past the boarding cage, the riders let loose a volley of bolts. Fortunately, they are poorly aimed and none of them find their mark. Lone Wolf weaves a pattern with his hands and three of the Kraan come to an abrupt halt, as if the stormy air has suddenly turned to glass and imprisoned them. Meanwhile, you focus your attention upon a Kraan that is swooping down from the clouds above on a collision course with the cage. Its rider is carrying a smoking black orb fixed to a long length of chain. Impact looks imminent until, at the very last moment, the Drakkar tugs on the reins and the Kraan veers away. As it turns, the Drakkar releases the orb and sends it hurtling towards the boarding cage door. (I use KA) You shout out the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand and take aim with your right hand at the smoking orb. A crackling bolt of energy leaps from your palm and strikes the deadly device. The impact splits the orb asunder and ignites the explosive fluid contained within. The Kraan and its rider are caught by the ensuing blast, and they are consumed in a roaring ball of flame. With grim satisfaction you watch as they spiral down into an avenue that is crowded with Hammerland bandits, enticed from their barracks by the spectacle of your dramatic air escape. Lone Wolf commends you on the swiftness of your action. Your quick and effective response to the threat has saved you both from being struck and killed by the Drakkar’s explosive orb. The boarding cage is winched up through an aperture in the stern deck of the Cloud-dancer and, as it shudders to a halt, the gate is pulled open. Eager hands help you and Lone Wolf out onto the deck, and Guildmaster Banedon salutes you from his position at the ship’s helm. All along the port and starboard rails, his young crewmen are firing at the swooping Kraan with bows and Bor pistols. Their unerring marksmanship soon decimates the enemy’s squadron and forces the survivors to abandon their attack. Banedon pulls the helm hard about and, with a resounding cheer from his victorious crew, the Cloud-dancer soars over the fortified wall of Gazad Helkona and speeds away towards the east. As soon as his ship is a safe distance beyond the walls of Gazad Helkona, Guildmaster Banedon hands control of the helm to his bo’sun and then hurries down to the main deck to greet you and Lone Wolf. He praises you heartily for the success of the rescue, and Lone Wolf in turn thanks you sincerely for saving him from the clutches of Naar’s fell disciples. A swift course is set for the Kai Monastery and the voyage is completed within ten hours. You spend most of the journey home sleeping off the fatigue of your ordeal, but you awake in time to join Lone Wolf at the prow as Cloud-dancer approaches the monastery shortly after dawn. Your arrival is greeted by a chorus of thunderous cheers from your fellow kinsmen. Every Kai who is present at the monastery rushes to the training park to celebrate the return of your leader. Banedon positions his craft above the park, and hawsers are dropped from stern and prow to anchor it in position. Then you join Lone Wolf in the boarding cage which is swiftly lowered to the ground. Lord Rimoah appears among the excited throng of young Kai Lords who are gathered around the cage. With tears of joy welling in his eyes, he embraces you both and then offers up a prayer of thanksgiving to the Goddess Ishir for your safe return. He voices his hope that Lone Wolf’s abduction will serve as a poignant reminder to the Kai that they should be on their guard at all times, for Naar and his agents will always exploit an opportunity to damage or destroy your noble order. Congratulations, Grand Master. You have met this difficult challenge and you have triumphed. Your brave and daring rescue of Lone Wolf will long be remembered in the legends of the New Order Kai. Yet the fight against evil goes ever on. Soon your courage and Kai skills will be put to the test again in a distant realm of Magnamund. The nature of the quest and the dangers that await you will be revealed in the next exciting Lone Wolf New Order adventure entitled: The Fall of Blood Mountain __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-17-2020, 11:16 PM	#121
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Review of Trail of Lone Wolf Again, that felt more like a gamebook to me than a reader. Notice that I had lots more options and a faster story. We had more battles too! Fun stuff was had by all! The book was good and felt fine. It was more like Captives of Kaag or Plague Lords from the previous series. Good job! __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-17-2020, 11:17 PM	#122
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Beginning of Fall of Blood Mountain The Story So Far … You are a Grand Master of the New Order of the Kai—the warrior élite of Sommerlund. It is early winter in the year MS 5084, thirty-four years since the First Order of the Kai was massacred by the Darklords of Helgedad. These champions of evil, who were sent by the Dark God Naar to destroy your fertile world of Magnamund, have since been destroyed. Lone Wolf, the supreme leader of your illustrious fighting order, was the only survivor of the Darklord attack upon the Kai. As a young initiate he stood amidst the burning wreckage of the old Kai Monastery and vowed to avenge the slaughter of his comrades. Twenty years later he kept his pledge when alone he infiltrated the foul domain of the Darklords and destroyed the infernal city of Helgedad, the base of their evil power. With the destruction of Helgedad, chaos befell the Darkland armies who had, until then, been poised to conquer all Magnamund. Quickly their disorder escalated into a mutinous civil war which allowed the Freeland Alliance armies of Magnamund time enough to recover and launch a successful counter-offensive. Against all odds, a swift and total victory was secured over the feuding armies of evil. Following the demise of the Darklords, peace has reigned in your homeland of Sommerlund. Under the direction of Lone Wolf the ruined Monastery of the Kai has been thoroughly rebuilt and restored to its former glory, and a New Order has been firmly established. You are one of this new generation of Kai recruits. You were born in Sommerlund in the year MS 5063, during the time of the war against the Darklords. When you were seven years old you were sent by your father to the Kai Monastery. There, under the tutelage of Lone Wolf, you developed your martial skills and honed the special Kai abilities which lay dormant within you. Over the years that followed, your skills were nurtured and sharpened to perfection by long hours of study and rigorous training. Your exceptional talents have helped you to master all of the Kai and Magnakai Disciplines, and you have risen swiftly through the ranks of the New Order to become one of only five who now hold the high rank of Kai Grand Master. It is an achievement that has brought great honour upon you and your family. In the year MS 5077 your skill and courage were put to the test when an attack was launched upon the Kai Monastery during Lone Wolf’s absence. By means of a Shadow Gate (an astral corridor between the physical world of Sommerlund and the many ethereal domains which lie beyond it), Naar sent forth a host of dragon-creatures to besiege the monastery and lay waste to all Sommerlund. He had chosen his time well, yet his evil plan was thwarted by the tenacious defence that you and your brethren maintained until the siege was raised by Lone Wolf and the King’s Army of Sommerlund.1 During the seven years that have elapsed since the defeat of his minions, Naar has sought vengeance upon the Kai. He commands many agents of evil upon Magnamund, and quietly they wait in the shadows for the day when they may serve their fell master. One such agent was Lord Vandyan of Eldenora. Guided by Naar, Vandyan sought and found three ancient runes of evil. Empowered by his discoveries, Vandyan summoned a vast army of reptilian warriors—the Vorka—which he used to conquer and occupy the lands of his peaceful neighbours. Emboldened by his martial successes, Vandyan overran much of central Magnamund, including the realm of Lyris—one of Sommerlund’s oldest allies. In response to a plea for help from Lyris, Lone Wolf mounted a Kai crusade to raise the Vorka siege of Varetta, its capital city. During this crusade, you undertook a vital mission behind enemy lines that turned the tide of the whole campaign. Alone, you infiltrated Vandyan’s daunting fortress of Skull-Tor and destroyed the three runes, thereby extinguishing the source of the power by which the Vorka horde were permitted to exist. Vandyan’s army dissolved on the battlefield and the Kai were able to raise the siege of Varetta.2 During your mission in Skull-Tor, you discovered that the Vorka were not the only creatures that Vandyan had summoned by the power of the runes. A demonic entity called Zorkaan the Soultaker had also been brought to Magnamund from its lair upon the Plane of Darkness—the ethereal domain of Naar. Having fought and defeated this creature, you believed that it had perished forever when subsequently you smashed the runes. Sadly, this was not so. After celebrating the battlefield victory at Varetta, Lone Wolf ordered you to return in triumph to the Kai Monastery aboard the flying ship Cloud-dancer. He chose to ride with his New Order crusaders and they were expected to arrive home a week later. After five days, a Kai scout arrived unexpectedly at the monastery with shocking news to impart. Lone Wolf had disappeared. Those who witnessed the abduction said that he was engulfed by a whirling black shadow that fell upon him from out of a stormy sky. So swift was the attack that your fellow Grand Masters were unable to prevent him from being carried away. The scout’s description of the whirling black shadow was identical to the form adopted by Zorkaan the Soultaker. The destruction of the rune used by Vandyan to summon Zorkaan had not brought about the creature’s demise after all: it had trapped the creature upon Magnamund. You had achieved a great victory at Skull-Tor, but the shocking news of Lone Wolf’s abduction cast a shadow over your triumph there. Hurriedly you summoned Guildmaster Banedon, the leader of Sommerlund’s Guild of Magicians, to an emergency council at the Kai Monastery. He responded swiftly to your summons and arrived within hours aboard his flying craft Cloud-dancer. He was accompanied by Lord Rimoah of Dessi, an Elder Magi magician who is also Lone Wolf’s oldest friend and advisor. Rimoah informed you that Zorkaan’s arrival upon Magnamund had not gone unnoticed by the Elder Magi. From afar they had sensed the creature’s presence and, through the use of their Old Kingdom magic, Rimoah and his fellow elders had charted its movements. Rimoah told you of an evil sorcerer called Xaol who was in hiding in Gazad Helkona, a former Darklord city-fortress located in the desolate wastes of northern Skaror. This vile necromancer was a known agent of Naar. During the days before Lone Wolf’s abduction, Rimoah and the Elder Magi had detected streams of psychic communication coursing between Gazad Helkona and the Plane of Darkness. ‘Naar was transmitting to Xaol the secrets of a Ritual of Binding by which the freed spirit of Zorkaan could be enslaved,’ said Rimoah. ‘This ritual was enacted successfully in the stronghold of Gazad Helkona. Through Xaol, Naar has gained control over Zorkaan. He sent this creature to assassinate Lone Wolf, yet the attempt was unsuccessful. Zorkaan failed to kill Lone Wolf … but he was able to subdue and kidnap him.’ Rimoah informed you that your leader was being held prisoner in Gazad Helkona. By the use of his Supreme Master Disciplines and the power of the Sommerswerd, his magical blade, Lone Wolf had survived death at the hand of Naar’s foul creation. ‘Your leader is brave and resourceful,’ he said, ‘but I fear that Zorkaan’s frequent attacks will weaken and eventually destroy him unless he is rescued quickly.’ Selflessly you volunteered to attempt the rescue. Rimoah and Banedon, impressed by your courage and your confidence, readily agreed to help you achieve your difficult mission and together you formulated a plan of action. Banedon transported you aboard Cloud-dancer to a remote valley south of Gazad Helkona, from where you approached the fortress on foot. Despite great adversity you were able to gain entry to Xaol’s fortress and save your leader from the clutches of Naar’s agent.3 During your daring mission, you fought and defeated both Xaol and Zorkaan before Banedon arrived to snatch both you and Lone Wolf from the clutches of Xaol’s angry minions. A year has elapsed since your triumph at Gazad Helkona. It has been a peaceful and rewarding time for you at the Kai Monastery, a period in which you have devoted yourself to the training of new recruits. Such has been the success of your tutelage that you have come to be greatly revered by your students and your peers. Yet, lately, you have felt a longing to venture abroad once more, to test your courage and your battle skills in the ineluctable war against Evil. Early one morning, you glimpsed a golden eagle leave its nest in the frost-covered timberland that stretches beyond the window of your private chamber. As you watched this majestic creature soar above the tree-line, you were reminded of the daring aerial escape that you had made from Gazad Helkona aboard Banedon’s skycraft. Then you felt a tingle of premonition at the nape of your neck when you noticed a distant speck in the clear azure sky. This speck grew larger until you were able to discern the distinctive outline of Cloud-dancer approaching from the north. Hurriedly you left your chamber and went to the monastery training park where a small group of Kai Lords had gathered in expectation. As the sleek skyship was made to hover overhead, a boarding cage was lowered to the frost-hardened ground and out stepped an unexpected visitor—Lord Rimoah of Dessi. You exchanged greetings and he requested an immediate audience with Lone Wolf. From his sombre expression you could tell that he had grave and urgent news to impart. You escorted Lord Rimoah personally to Lone Wolf’s chambers, located beneath the Tower of the Sun, the monastery’s commanding citadel. Before you could excuse yourself and leave the vault, Lone Wolf asked you to stay to listen to what the venerable magician had come to say. Lord Rimoah nodded his benign approval. ‘Dwarf King Ryvin of Bor is in desperate need of our aid, my lords,’ began Rimoah, earnestly. ‘An ancient horror has been awoken in the depths of his subterranean kingdom, and now it threatens to destroy his realm. The Drodarin race may be doomed unless we are able to overcome this creature … and swiftly.’ Lord Rimoah informed you that recent excavations in the lowest levels of the vast underground kingdom of Bor had disturbed the Shom’zaa. This powerful entity was entombed by the Elder Magi during their 1,000-year war against Agarash the Damned—Naar’s first champion of evil. Lone Wolf lowered his eyes and shook his head in disbelief upon hearing Rimoah’s words. ‘I understood that dwarf lore expressly forbade such deep mining, for fear that the Shom’zaa and its minions might be released. How could such a thing have been allowed to occur?’ he said. ‘Greed is to blame, my lord,’ replied Rimoah, sadly, ‘… the greed of King Ryvin’s elder son, the Crown Prince Leomin. He alone was responsible for the excavations that opened the way to this ancient horror.’ Lord Rimoah informed you that only five days have elapsed since the Shom’zaa was released, yet already the creature and its Agarashi minions have taken control of the lower levels of the kingdom. ‘Bitter fighting rages in the tunnels and chambers of Bor as King Ryvin’s army struggles to contain the Shom’zaa and its horde,’ he said. ‘They are being sorely pressed, for the enemy have captured their armouries and equipped themselves for the fight. Ryvin has lost control of the tunnels leading to his throne chamber, where Leomin and his younger brother, Prince Torfan, are now trapped and besieged, along with the remnants of their personal guard.’ Lone Wolf was disturbed to hear that the Throne Chamber of Bor was under attack, for it houses the fabled Throne of Andarin. This grand seat contains a gem of power that was bestowed upon the Drodarin dwarves of Bor by the Goddess Ishir. Its divine radiance provides the dwarves with a unique energy that enables them to grow their crops deep underground, without the need for direct sunlight. If the Throne of Andarin is destroyed then the crops will surely fail and famine will beset Bor, with disastrous consequences. ‘Repeated attempts to break the siege of the throne chamber have failed, and the morale of Ryvin’s army is now dangerously low,’ said Rimoah. ‘I’ve heard tell that even the Dwarf Lords and the War-thanes, the élite of Ryvin’s army, hold that Prince Leomin’s greed has sealed their fate. If such talk is true, and the Shom’zaa conquers Bor, then our hopes for a lasting peace in Magnamund will be ruined. The fall of Bor will give Naar a base of power at the very heart of Magnamund. There he will be able to muster his agents, spawn his vile abominations, and attempt once more to conquer our world.’ ‘But what can be done to save Bor before it is too late?’ asked Lone Wolf, anxiously. ‘King Ryvin lacks the means to destroy this enemy,’ replied Rimoah, gravely. ‘Nevertheless, the means exist. The Shom’zaa is especially vulnerable to magic of the Old Kingdom. It is the magic that we used to entrap and entomb the creature millennia ago.’ From a pocket of his flowing robes, Rimoah took out a spherical crystal and held it in the cupped palm of his hand. Its multi-faceted surface radiated beams of golden light which shimmered and sparkled with a supernatural brilliance. ‘A Sun-crystal,’ said Lone Wolf. ‘Yes, my lord,’ replied Rimoah, reverently. ‘By the skilful use of the power contained within this sphere it is possible that we may defeat the Shom’zaa and its minions, and thereby spare the kingdom of Bor from the tyrannical rule of Naar. We of the Elder Magi have crafted the means to defeat the Shom’zaa, but in all Magnamund only the Kai have the ability and courage that is needed to take this goodly weapon and use it to its full effect.’ Lone Wolf approached Rimoah and took the Sun-crystal from his outstretched palm. Then he turned to face you. ‘We have been called upon to undertake a difficult and dangerous mission, Grand Master,’ he said. ‘You have proven your bravery and skill beyond all doubt, and truly you have earned the right to refuse this quest with honour. Yet I sense that you hunger for the heat of battle and the challenge of the quest, and so I offer this mission to you. Will you venture to Bor and confront the bane that now threatens to destroy our dwarven allies?’ ‘Yes, my lord, I will,’ you replied, without a moment’s hesitation. ‘For the greater glory of Sommerlund and the Kai, I am proud to accept the quest.’ __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-17-2020, 11:24 PM	#123
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	I like that! Help the dwarves against a Balrog they uncovered! We've never had an underground adventure before. __________________ 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 : 04-17-2020 at 11:24 PM.

04-17-2020, 11:24 PM	#124
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	__________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-17-2020, 11:26 PM	#125
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Sun Knight If you are a New Order Kai who has attained the rank of Sun Knight, you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines: Grand Weaponmastery Sun Knights with this Discipline are able to wield two-handed weapons (i.e. Broadsword, Quarterstaff, and Spear) with full effect using only one hand. Grand Pathsmanship Kai Sun Knights with this skill are able to repel at will all normal-sized insects within a radius of three yards. The range and number of insects so affected increase considerably as a Grand Master rises in rank. Deliverance Sun Knights who possess this skill are able to repair serious wounds sustained by creatures other than themselves. By the laying of hands upon the affected creature’s body, a Sun Knight can cause an open wound (or other serious injury) to mend itself. The speed at which this healing process takes place increases as a Grand Master rises in rank. Telegnosis Sun Knights who possess this Discipline are able to communicate telepathically over great distances. Initially the range of this ability is approximately 100 miles, but this distance increases as a Grand Master rises in rank. Grand Nexus Sun Knights who possess Mastery of this Discipline are able to feign death. By placing themselves into a state of suspended animation, outwardly they are able to achieve all semblance of being truly dead. However, whilst in this state, the only sense that a Sun Knight retains is the ability to hear. Astrology Sun Knights who have this Discipline are skilled in the art of chiromancy—the ability to tell fortunes from the skin creases and patterns found on the palms of hands. Bardsmanship Sun Knights who possess mastery of this Discipline are able to use their musical skills to launch sonic attacks against any individual within audible range. The effect of a sonic attack is dependent upon the target creature’s sensitivity to sound (i.e. a deaf creature would be unaffected by such an attack). Kai-alchemy Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Sun Knight are able to use the following Brotherhood Spells: Halt Missile—This causes any projected or hurled missile (e.g. arrows, axes, crossbow bolts) which may pose an immediate threat to the life of a Sun Knight, to cease its flight and remain stationary in mid-air. The effect of the spell lasts for 2–3 seconds, allowing the Sun Knight time in which to move away from the missile’s line of flight. Initially only one missile can be affected by this spell, but the number increases as a Grand Master rises in rank. Strength—By casting this spell, a Sun Knight is able to greatly increase his or her physical strength for a short duration. It can be used to lift or move heavy objects, or to effect a temporary increase in COMBAT SKILL and ENDURANCE scores whilst fighting an enemy. Which would I prefer? Kai-Screen or G Nexus? G Nexus! __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-17-2020, 11:29 PM	#126
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Sir Fox Fire, Sun Knight, Knight of Siyen CS - 49/53/57 EP - 42 Grand Kai Disciplines: 1. Kai-Surge 2. Grand Weaponmastery with Axe, Bow, Dagger, Broadsword, Mace, Warhammer, 3. G. Pathsmanship 4. G. Huntmastery 5. Elementalism 6. Kai-Alchemy 7. Animal Mastery 8. Telegnosis 9. Assimilance 10. Grand Nexus Special Items: Kai Weapon Axe Alema, +5 normally and +7 vs undead Temujan's Ring Talisman of Defiance - +2 CS Eye of Zhar - Allows control of snakes poisonous Pouch of Seota Dust - +10 EP when eaten Platinum Amulet Backpack: Rope Mealx2 Meals: 2 Weapons: Bow Crowns: 35 Arrows: 6 Safekeeping (Between game storage): Scented Oil Copper Cup 3 Candles Lyre Siyen Crown Iron Skull Shipwreck Dagger Potion of Mustow Potion of Aletherx3 Potion of Sedares Potion of Laumspurx6 Silver-Inland Warhammer 111 Gold Crowns Korlinium Sack Dessi Bow Silver Clasp Nhang Doll Bottle of Rice Wine Bottle of Scava Liquor Crystal Prism Silver Mirror Scroll of Introduction Silver Signet Ring Jeweled Knife Stone Dagger Siyenese Broad Sword Battle Map Flute Hulsta's Hammer, Spike, and Saw Eledoran Scout Uniform Skull-Tor Mace Skull-Tor Wristband Lantern Keys - Copper, Iron, Dungeon, Halberd Blanket Black Amulet Leather Tunic Vial of Tortwig, +6 EP when eaten Wolf Brooch __________________ 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 : 04-18-2020 at 09:45 AM.

04-18-2020, 08:33 AM	#127
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Here is teh equipment section. I am making a change: Equipment Before you leave the Kai Monastery and begin your journey to Bor, you equip yourself with a map of Bor and its surrounding territories and a pouch of gold. To find out how much gold is in the pouch, pick a number from the Random Number Table and add 20 to the number you have picked. The total equals the number of Gold Crowns inside the pouch, and you should now enter this number in the ‘Gold Crowns’ section of your Action Chart. If you have successfully completed previous New Order adventures (Books 21–25), you may add this sum to the number of Crowns you already possess. Fifty is the maximum number of Gold Crowns you can carry in your pouch at any time. You may also select five items from the list below, only two of which may be Weapons. . Broadsword (Weapons) [illustration] Sword (Weapons) [illustration] Quiver (Special Items) This contains six Arrows; record them on your Action Chart. [illustration] Flute (Backpack Item) [illustration] Dagger (Weapons) [illustration] Axe (Weapons) [illustration] Bow (Weapons) [illustration] 2 Meals (Meals) Each Meal takes up one space in your Backpack. [illustration] Rope (Backpack Item) [illustration] Potion of Laumspur (Backpack Item) This potion restores 4 ENDURANCE points to your total when swallowed after combat. There is enough for only one dose. [illustration] List the five items that you have chosen on your Action Chart, under the appropriate headings, and make a note of any effect that they may have on your ENDURANCE points and/or COMBAT SKILL. Kai Weapons Upon reaching the ultimate rank of Kai Supreme Master, Lone Wolf received as a reward from the God Kai many new skills and abilities. One of these skills was Kai Weaponcraft. Using his newfound mastery, Lone Wolf forged ten weapons of magical power in the armoury furnaces of the Kai Monastery. These magical weapons are reserved for the élite of the New Order Kai who attain the rank of Grand Master. In recognition of your rank and achievement, you may choose your own Kai Weapon from the table below or, if you prefer, you can generate one at random. To generate a Kai Weapon, pick a number from the Random Number Table and consult the first column. The magical Axe, Sword, or Broadsword which corresponds to the number you have picked will be your own personal Kai Weapon. Record this magical weapon and its unique properties in the Kai Weapon section of the Special Items List.6 Example Say you choose the number 1 from the Random Number Table, your Kai Weapon will be the Axe ‘Alema’. When using this Kai Weapon in normal combat you may add +5 points to your COMBAT SKILL. Each Kai Weapon has a unique property. When you use your Kai Weapon in combat against the type of enemy that matches its unique property, or use it at the optimum time or location, then you may add the higher bonus to your COMBAT SKILL (these bonuses are not cumulative). Example If you were to use ‘Alema’ in combat against an undead enemy, you could add the higher bonus of +7 to your COMBAT SKILL. If you were to fight a living enemy using this weapon then the bonus to your COMBAT SKILL would remain at +5. Kai Weapon Table RN Weapon Type Weapon Name CS Unique Properties CS 0 Axe ‘Spawnsmite’ +5 versus reptilian enemies +6 1 Axe ‘Alema’ +5 versus undead enemies +7 2 Axe ‘Magnara’ +5 versus rock or stone +8 3 Sword ‘Sunstrike’ +5 when used in daylight +6 4 Sword ‘Kaistar’ +5 when used at night +7 5 Sword ‘Valiance’ +5 when used against magicians or creatures born of magic +8 6 Sword ‘Ulnarias’ +5 when used underwater +9 7 Broadsword ‘Raumas’ +5 versus winged enemies +6 8 Broadsword ‘Illuminatus’ +5 when used underground +7 9 Broadsword ‘Firefall’ +5 versus fire-emitting enemies +8 RN = Random Number CS = COMBAT SKILL Equipment—How to use it Weapons The maximum number of Weapons that you can carry is two. Weapons aid you in combat. If you have the Grand Master Discipline of Grand Weaponmastery and a correct Weapon, it adds 5 points to your COMBAT SKILL. If you find a Weapon during your adventure, you may pick it up and use it. You may only use one Weapon at a time in combat. Bows and Arrows During your adventure there will be opportunities to use a Bow and Arrow. If you equip yourself with this Weapon, and you possess at least one Arrow, you may use it when the text of a particular section allows you to do so. The Bow is a useful Weapon, for it enables you to hit an enemy at a distance. However, a Bow cannot be used in hand-to-hand combat; therefore it is best to equip yourself also with a close combat Weapon, such as a Sword or an Axe. In order to use a Bow you must possess a Quiver and at least one Arrow. Each time the Bow is used, erase an Arrow from your Action Chart. A Bow cannot, of course, be used if you exhaust your supply of Arrows, but the opportunity may arise during your adventure for you to replenish your stock of Arrows. Backpack Items These must be stored in your Backpack. Because space is limited, you may keep a maximum of ten articles, including Meals, in your Backpack at any one time. You may only carry one Backpack at a time. During your travels you will discover various useful items which you may decide to keep. You may exchange or discard them at any point when you are not involved in combat. Any item that may be of use, and which can be picked up on your adventure and entered on your Action Chart, is given either initial capitals (e.g. Silver Mirror, Gold Key), or is clearly identified as a Backpack Item. Unless you are told that it is a Special Item, carry it in your Backpack. Special Items Special Items are not carried in the Backpack. When you discover a Special Item, you will be told how or where to carry it. The maximum number of Special Items that can be carried on any adventure is 12. Kai Weapon Your Kai Weapon is a Special Item and it can be carried and used in addition to two normal Weapons. If you possess the Discipline of Grand Weaponmastery for a weapon type which is the same as your unique Kai Weapon, you may add the Grand Weaponmastery bonus of +5 to your COMBAT SKILL. This is in addition to the bonus gained when you use your Kai Weapon in combat. Food Food is carried in your Backpack. Each Meal counts as one item. You will need to eat regularly during your adventure. If you do not have any food when you are instructed to eat a Meal, you will lose 3 ENDURANCE points. However, if you have chosen Grand Huntmastery as one of your five Disciplines, then you will not need to tick off a Meal when instructed to eat. Potion of Laumspur This is a healing potion that can restore 4 ENDURANCE points to your total when swallowed after combat. It cannot be used to increase ENDURANCE points immediately prior to a combat. There is enough for one dose only. If you discover any other potion during the adventure, you will be informed of its effect. All potions are Backpack Items. Gold Crowns The currency of Bor is the Ain, though Gold Crowns are readily accepted. 1 Ain equals 1 Gold Crown. These coins are always carried in the Belt Pouch. It will hold a maximum of fifty Crowns. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-18-2020, 08:36 AM	#128
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	It appears that I can swap my Kai Weapon over. Since this is mostly likely all underground, and I know the Broadsword, I am swapping over to Illumninatus for this mission with it's likely higher chance of working. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-18-2020, 10:33 AM	#129
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Lone Wolf places the Sun-crystal in the palm of your hand, and then he closes your fingers around is multi-faceted surface. At once you sense that the gentle warmth of this artefact belies a tremendous power that is locked within its core. (Record the Sun-crystal on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you keep in the pocket of your tunic. You must discard another item in its favour if you already possess the maximum number of Special Items permissible.) The Sun-crystal will do you no harm, Grand Master. Only Shom’zaa need have fear of its power,’ says Lord Rimoah, reassuringly. ‘How is this so?’ you ask. ‘The energy that permits the demon to exist in our world is drawn directly from the Plane of Darkness,’ explains Rimoah. ‘There is an open channel between the creature and Naar’s evil domain. It is a slender, ethereal link. This invisible conduit has kept the creature alive during its long entombment, yet soon it may prove to be its undoing, for it is this link to the Plane of Darkness that will trigger the Sun-crystal’s cleansing powers. The merest touch of the crystal upon Shom’zaa’s foul hide will be enough to consign it to oblivion.’ With your briefing now complete, Lone Wolf orders you to return to your chamber to make swift preparations for an immediate voyage to Bor. You collect your equipment and your Kai Weapon, say a hurried farewell to your fellow Grand Masters, and then race to the training park where Lord Rimoah is awaiting you in the boarding cage. Lone Wolf bids you good luck and godspeed as you step inside, and proudly you return his salute as the cage is winched up to the stern deck of Cloud-dancer. Rimoah gives the crew the command to depart and, as the great craft gets underway, you stand at the aft rail and watch as the frosted walls and towers of the Kai Monastery swiftly recede into the distance. Lord Rimoah invites you to accompany him to the captain’s quarters where, to your surprise, you discover the cabin is empty; Banedon is not aboard. ‘The Guildmaster is unable to travel with us,’ explains Rimoah, ‘but he has placed his skyship and crew entirely at our disposal. We owe him a debt of gratitude, for time is against us and there can be no swifter way for us to reach our destination.’ During the fourteen hours that it takes to travel by skycraft to Bor, Lord Rimoah tells you much about the kingdom of the dwarves, their long history, and their proud legends. You also learn that your destination is Boradon, the principal city of Bor, and you are intrigued to discover that in your native language this ancient Drodarin name has a somewhat evocative meaning: ‘the Mountain of Blood’. Shortly before your arrival at Boradon, Lord Rimoah talks with you about the quest you are about to undertake and he offers some valuable counsel. ‘When the moment comes for you to use the Sun-crystal,’ he says, warningly, ‘you must do so with great care. When the opportunity presents itself, I advise you to throw the crystal at Shom’zaa, or cause the creature to touch it unwittingly. It is vital that you maintain your distance, for when the power of the crystal is released there will be a great implosion. If you are too close to your enemy at this crucial moment, you will risk being sucked into the vortex that the implosion will create.’ As you promise to heed Rimoah’s words of warning, you hear the crew cry out across the decks: ‘Boradon ho!’ You follow Lord Rimoah out onto the windswept deck and look down in awe at the mighty city of Boradon. Rooted directly in the granite escarpment of Andar, the highest mountain of the Great Bor Range, its fortifications and turrets are barely distinguishable from the rugged copper-red cliffs surrounding them. Night has fallen and the moonless sky is as black as jet, yet the crew of the Cloud-dancer have no difficulty in locating the approach to this ancient mountain metropolis. Torches burn in every turret and arrow slit, and blazing beacons illuminate a safe passage through the snow-capped peaks to the city’s central square. A unit of King Ryvin’s élite War-thanes have been stationed in the main square in anticipation of your arrival. Their captain, a robust-looking dwarf with a plaited beard and a shock of bright red hair, offers you both a hearty welcome when you step from the boarding cage. He says that King Ryvin is waiting and he bids you accompany him without delay. His torch-bearing warriors escort you along a winding path that ends at a stone bridge which arches across a deep, natural moat. Beyond the bridge is a great bronze portal set into the mountainside. A horn sounds as you approach and the huge door swings open to reveal a wondrous sight. The open portal reveals a great stone staircase that descends to a magnificent marble hall. Vast columns brace the sculptured ceiling and tall silvery mirrors line the walls, creating the illusion that this cavernous chamber is even larger. Seated upon a chair in the centre of the echoing hall is King Ryvin, clad in his golden battle-armour and wolfskin cape. Surrounding him are members of his royal family and other high-ranking Drodarin nobility. They are greatly distressed and several are weeping openly. A herald announces your arrival and the crowd parts as you approach the foot of Ryvin’s chair. Praise Ishir!’ booms the dwarf king. ‘We have prayed that you would return to aid us, Lord Rimoah. And I see you bring a Kai champion. We are doubly glad. You’ve arrived not a moment too soon.’ King Ryvin rises from his chair and motions to you and Rimoah to accompany him into an antechamber. In the privacy of this adjoining room, he tells of the nightmare that has engulfed his kingdom following the release of Shom’zaa. The creature and its horde of mutant spawn have spread like a voracious plague throughout the chambers and tunnels of his vast subterranean realm. All contact with the Drodarin communities surrounding Boradon has been severed, the lower levels of the kingdom have been lost to the enemy, and more than half of his army are unaccounted for. ‘So many have been slain,’ he says, his deep voice cracking with emotion. ‘Only the swift destruction of Shom’zaa can save us now. But all is not yet lost. I draw strength from the certain knowledge that my sons—Leomin and Torfan—are still alive, and the Throne of Andarin is intact.’ Suspended upon a chain around his neck is a bloodstone amulet which is divided along its centre. One half of this gemstone glows faintly crimson, the other half pale amber. ‘This is the Andarin Bloodstone,’ he says. ‘It contains the crimson light of Leomin and the amber light of Torfan. These lights will remain aglow so long as my sons shall live.’ Then he points to a flowering shrub that stands in a copper urn beside the chamber door. ‘That Xanthoa is evidence that the throne of my ancestors has not been destroyed, for it would wither in an instant if the throne were sundered. From these signs, and the eternal mercy of Ishir, I draw strength.’ For more than an hour you deliberate how best to defeat Shom’zaa and save the Throne of Andarin, and finally you agree upon a plan of action that could save this beleaguered realm from total destruction. King Ryvin summons Vagel, the red-haired captain of his Royal War-thanes, and assigns him to be your guide. Vagel knows a way to reach the throne chamber where the princes were last seen together. They and their bodyguards are believed to be trapped in the chamber, stoically defending the precious throne from capture by the horde. Vagel also knows the location of Shom’zaa’s lair. The creature is known to return there frequently. To help you further, the King gives you the Andarin Bloodstone. (Record this on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you keep on a chain around your neck. You need not discard another item in its favour if you already possess the maximum number of Special Items permissible.) He informs you that the colours of the amulet will deepen as you draw closer to his sons. Lord Rimoah will stay in the great hall and assist King Ryvin in drawing together the remnants of his scattered army. They will then attempt to break through to the lower levels and secure the throne chamber. Having agreed the plan, you bid farewell to Rimoah and get ready to set off at once with the captain. Before you leave the great hall, Vagel offers you the chance to visit the Royal War-thane armoury. Vagel escorts you through the great hall and into an adjoining chamber that is stacked to the ceiling with weapons and martial equipment. The barrel-chested dwarf beams with pride as he encourages you to take whatever you wish from his regimental weapons store. From among the polished racks of arms and armour, the following items catch your discerning eye: Warhammer Quarterstaff Spear Axe Bow Arrows (6) Quiver (counts as a Special Item if you choose this in addition to any Quiver you may already possess) If you decide to keep any of the above items, adjust your Action Chart accordingly. (I take the Bor Warhammer, you'll note that I just added Warhammers to my G. Weapon list.) __________________ 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 : 04-18-2020 at 10:33 AM.

04-18-2020, 10:38 AM	#130
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	You follow the stocky Drodarin warrior out of the great hall and along a passageway that leads to the entrance of a vast, lantern-lit tunnel. Four large wolves are harnessed to a chariot parked alongside the tunnel wall, and these great grey beasts whine excitedly when they see Vagel appear. The captain leaps into the chariot and beckons you to join him. As soon as you are safely aboard, he grabs the wide leather reins and sets the wolves running. From here on, you will be underground, so if you possess the Kai Weapon ‘Illuminatus’, you will benefit from its unique properties (you may add 7 to your COMBAT SKILL instead of 5). (This Vagel guy is going to die. You heard it here first. Once again, it is the Joe Dever Method of Writing to have the expert in the area die.) Tenaciously you cling to the chariot’s rail as Vagel hurls his two-wheeled transport through a seemingly endless succession of titanic caverns, and you marvel at the scale and diversity of this subterranean kingdom, for it is far greater than you had ever imagined possible. You see farmsteads with cattle and crops, rivers laden with fish, mines rich with silver and rare minerals, and wells brimming with oil to fuel the great lanterns of this vast underground realm. But among the many wonders of Bor you also see some of the tragedy that has befallen the Drodarin race. Many of the dwellings you pass have been destroyed or abandoned, and groups of battle-weary dwarf warriors sit huddled and dejected in their ruins, nursing their wounds. Beyond the smoking shell of a house, you arrive at the entrance to a sloping tunnel that descends to a quarry and copper mine. The site looks abandoned, but when you emerge from the tunnel, your Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship screams a warning that you are heading into an ambush. You shout at Vagel to turn the chariot about, but before he can obey your command, a volley of arrows whistle down from the surrounding rocks. One of the wolves is killed instantly, causing the chariot to swerve out of control. Then the left wheel shatters upon hitting a boulder, and in the blink of an eye you are sent tumbling headlong through the air. Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked. (I toss a 5 for a 7) You hit the ground and tumble head over heels across the rocky red soil until an ore wagon brings you to a sudden and painful halt. The collision opens a wound above your right ear that leaves you stunned and bleeding: lose 3 ENDURANCE points. Your vision swims in and out of focus as you stagger drunkenly to your feet. Drawing upon your Magnakai curing skills, you staunch the flow of blood that is trickling into your eyes from your wounded scalp. As your sight clears, you see Captain Vagel lying trapped beneath the overturned chariot. Arrows thud into the ground as you scramble to his side and attempt to drag him free. But your valiant effort is in vain; he is mortally injured and close to death. You place your hands upon his chest and use your healing skills in a final effort to save his life. Briefly he responds. His eyelids flicker open and he raises a broken hand to point towards the north wall of the quarry. ‘Go that way … throne chamber … ten miles … ’ he gasps. These are his final words. You magnify your vision and see the entrance to a vertical pit shaft located at the base of the quarry wall. It is partially hidden by a heap of sawn timbers. (He ALREADY died! OMG How Dever-ish of Dever!) __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-18-2020, 10:49 AM	#131
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Suddenly an arrow punches through the wooden side of the chariot and passes within inches of your head. This near miss makes you roll away and scramble for the safety of harder cover. You take refuge behind a cluster of boulders where you listen to the harsh gurgling sound of your attackers’ voices as they call to each other excitedly. Peering through a gap in the rocks, you see your ambushers emerge from their hiding places and begin to close in. They are minions of Shom’zaa, and your first sight of them sends a cold shiver coursing down your spine. At a distance these man-sized creatures appear lithe and reptilian. All have lidless black eyes and scaly green hides that glisten as they move. But as they draw closer you see that each one is grotesquely different. Some have whip-like tentacles, some have spindly limbs and bulbous skulls, and some have rubbery necks and crooked spines that are studded with talons. They are all armed with captured Drodarin weapons and led by a tall creature with a lizard-like face. It gurgles to its fearsome followers, commanding them to attack your position and finish you off. (I use KA) You speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand and take aim with your right arm at the lizard-faced creature. A tingle of energy runs down your arm and a flash of blue light explodes from your fingertips. A bolt of electrical power surges from your hand and hits the beast in the torso, hurling it backwards to the ground. As it falls, it strikes its head on a protruding rock and is knocked unconscious. Its followers freeze in their tracks and look to their fallen leader with shocked surprise. When he fails to rise, they are gripped by a sudden panic that makes them drop their weapons and run. You seize this chance to break cover and race towards the pit shaft at the base of the quarry’s north wall. When you arrive at the pit, you quickly pull aside the planks that lie strewn across the opening. Peering down into the darkness, you glimpse the tangled wreckage of a cage lying at the bottom of the shaft, 60 feet below. Some of the Shom’zaa minions have now recovered their nerve and have regrouped at the edge of the quarry. Cautiously they begin to advance towards you, firing arrows as they move closer. (I use KA again) You speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell Levitation and step into the yawning pit. The spell prevents you from falling and, for a few moments, you stand suspended in mid-air. Then you begin to rise as the spell takes full effect. Immediately you recite the arcane words which counter it and, by so doing, you are able to make a controlled descent to the base of the pit shaft. When your feet alight upon the roof of the elevator cage, you cancel the spell and jump to the floor of a small cavern. The alien sound of your attackers’ voices can be heard echoing down the shaft from above. They have reached the edge of the pit and some are loosing off arrows in the hope of hitting you by chance. Promptly you step away from the cage as the first of their missiles ricochet off its buckled iron roof. After a few minutes the minions cease firing and the pit shaft echoes to the sound of their distant, gurgling laughter. Cautiously you move to the middle of the chamber, to where a line of empty ore wagons stand on a sleepered track. This track curves in the centre and exits the chamber through brick-lined tunnels in the north and east walls. Beside the north tunnel exit you see an iron door with a broken lock. You unbutton the neck of your tunic and look at the Andarin Bloodstone in the hope it may help you choose the best route to follow. Its amber and crimson halves are glowing a little brighter now, but when you point the gemstone at each tunnel exit in turn, there is no variation. Looking down, you see that there are many tracks in the dusty ground. Some have been made by booted Drodarin feet, but mostly they are the clawed footprints of Shom’zaa’s minions. Then you apply your Kai Sixth Sense and you detect danger lurking along both tunnels. (I examine the door) You push open the rusty iron door and enter a storage room which contains mining tools and heavy excavation equipment. This store has recently been ransacked by Shom’zaa’s minions and little has survived intact. Amidst the heaped and broken wreckage you find only two unbroken items: a Shovel and a Pick. When you turn to leave the store room, you notice a tattered leather jerkin hanging on a hook behind the door. In a pocket you discover a Bronze Disc that is stamped with the Drodarin numerals ‘3–2–1’. You sense that the disc could be useful and so you slip it into your pocket before leaving the store room. (Record this Bronze Disc as a Special Item. You need not discard any other item in its favour if you already possess the maximum number of items permissible.) (I take the Bronze Disc and the Bor Pick) (I head north) You follow this brick-lined tunnel for a mile before you reach a cavern that is filled with heat and noise. At its centre there stands a huge smelting furnace belching scarlet fire and evil-smelling gases. Great iron chutes feed the furnace with a stream of crushed ore, and from a vent at its base you see a river of molten copper flowing away along a great stone channel. The wagon track enters the cavern and passes beneath the channel before disappearing into a tunnel in the far wall. Twenty of Shom’zaa’s minions occupy this smelting chamber where, with wicked glee, they amuse themselves by torturing dwarven warriors whom they have captured in battle. A wretched prisoner is hung from a chain and dangled above the blazing furnace until he succumbs to the heat and poisonous fumes. Then the body is fed to the fires and another is hoisted aloft to take his place. To the left of the entrance archway you can see an iron prison cage. It contains more than fifty dwarves destined for the furnace. (I try to release the prisoners! Duh!) You creep into the cavern and take cover behind an ore wagon that is parked directly opposite the prison cage. From here you are able to get a better view of the two guards, and you note that they are both wearing captured chainmail armour strapped to their scaly torsos. You also notice that the gate to the prison cage is secured by a simple iron bolt. (I use KA) You take aim with your right hand at the two guards before uttering the words of the Brotherhood Spell Net. A gout of thick fluid gushes from your palm and engulfs the creatures, glueing them together with its sticky strands. They struggle to free themselves but, in their desperation, they fall over and become stuck firmly to the ground. The dwarves seize their chance to escape from the cage. A hand reaches through the bars and the bolt is pulled. Then the door bursts open and out they pour with a blood-curdling yell as they run to the ore wagons to arm themselves with rocks and tools. The torturers, alerted by the dwarf-yell, abandon their grisly work and come running towards the prison cage with their weapons raised. Suddenly two of these minions appear beside your wagon. Hurriedly you reach to your Kai Weapon as they launch a frenzied attack. Shom’zaa minions: COMBAT SKILL 33 ENDURANCE 38 You are unable to inflict any ENDURANCE loss on this enemy for the first two rounds of combat, due to the surprise and ferocity of their attack. (I have a +11+. I toss a 3 and a 6. I take 3. Then I toss a 2 and a 5. They have taken 26 to my 6 total. A 6 follows and they die and I took 7 damage total) __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-18-2020, 11:01 AM	#132
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	You leap across the bodies of your slain foes and run along the line of ore wagons towards the tunnel exit. A battle is now raging in the smelting cavern as the freed dwarves take their revenge upon their alien captors. In the chaos of this combat, you reach the stone channel at the point where it crosses the wagon track, and you duck behind a supporting pillar to avoid colliding with a trio of minions that are racing to join the battle. The exit is just 20 yards ahead and it appears to be open and unguarded. (why am I hiding from them?) You escape along the dark tunnel at a run, your footsteps pounding in time to the beat of your heart as you race to put distance between yourself and the smelting cavern. Then a great bronze portal looms out of the darkness ahead, blocking the passage. It creaks open as you approach it and four muscular minions appear, framed in the glow of the torchlit tunnel that lies beyond. These creatures are larger than those you have encountered so far, and their reptilian eyes glint with a malevolent light that betrays their intelligence and ruthless cunning. They snicker with delight as they unsheathe their bladed weapons and rush forward to cut you down. Shom’zaa Agarashi: COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 44 (Let's fight! I have a 9 CS without KS. I toss a 9 and auto kill them) As the last of these Agarashi falls dead at your feet, you wipe your ichor-stained Weapon and sheathe it in your belt. Then you search the slain minions and discover the following Weapons and items: Sword 2 Axes Dagger Bow 3 Arrows Tinderbox On passing through the portal, you pause to pull it shut and lock it behind you. The tunnel continues and you follow its central wagon track as gently it descends through the ore-rich rock. After several minutes, you detect a noise like distant thunder rumbling in the passageway ahead. You proceed with caution now, and gradually this low, thunderous noise becomes a series of separate concussive bangs. Soon you catch sight of a lantern-lit hall in the far distance. You stop to magnify your vision, and then you see at once that it harbours the source of the loud explosions. (I take the Tinderbox) The dwarves of Bor are famed throughout Magnamund for their devotion to the technology of warfare. Drodarin engineers have for centuries produced ingenious weapons that utilize the power of explosive powders and inflammable fluids. The distant hall is one of King Ryvin’s weapons laboratories, and it contains a vast assortment of bombards, siege engines, and other mechanical devices of war. It also contains a host of Shom’zaa Agarashi who appear to be conducting experiments of their own, with devastatingly lethal results. The tunnel shakes with the force of another explosion as you cautiously approach the entrance to the laboratory. Standing atop a wooden platform at the far side of the chamber, you see a thin skeletal creature, with charcoal-black skin and iridescent eyes. Like an orchestral conductor it issues directions to its minions scattered about the hall below. Many are killed carrying out the orders, yet they seem more afraid of incurring the creature’s wrath than of being blown apart by their inept handling of Drodarin explosives. Below the platform you can see an archway with a stone ramp that descends to a lower level. This exit from the laboratory is protected by a heavy wooden portcullis, yet the gate is raised and the archway is clear. You note that the portcullis is operated by a single rope and pulley. Before you attempt to enter the hall, you consult the Bloodstone Andarin and see that the colours have become stronger since the last time you looked. Your Kai senses and the lights of this glowing gemstone both confirm that you are getting nearer to finding King Ryvin’s sons. (I use Telegnosis) Your Grand Master Discipline reveals to you that the skeletal creature possesses strong psychic and some magical abilities. Armed with this knowledge, you call upon your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen to shield your mind from psychic detection. Patiently you wait at the entrance to the weapons laboratory, where you observe the enemy attempting in vain to master the deadly devices they have discovered here. The portcullised arch offers the only way out of this hall, and you decide that you must attempt to reach it at the first opportunity. Your chance comes after a few minutes when one of the Shom’zaa minions naïvely scoops a clawful of sodium from a sealed clay pot, and then drops it into a pitcher of water. The resulting explosion decapitates the spawn-creature and creates a dense cloud of choking white smoke. Under cover of the smoke, you enter the hall and steal past the enemy undetected. You are able to reach the middle of the laboratory before you are forced to take cover among a stack of oak barrels to avoid the gaze of the creature on the platform. Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Assimilance, add 2 to the number you have picked. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 1. (I toss a 1 got a 4) Despite your forewarnings and the precautions you have taken, the creature on the platform sees you moving towards the barrels, and it emits a hellish shriek. A fiery pain wells up inside your skull as this servant of Shom’zaa directs a powerful stream of destructive psychic energy into your mind. (I do not have Kai-Screen) Rapidly the pressure builds in your head until your skull feels fit to burst. Your vision is clouded by a scarlet haze, and you are unable to stifle a cry of pain as you collapse to your knees: lose 3 ENDURANCE points. Desperately you struggle to erect a defensive wall around the core of your mind, using your power of Psi-screen. Slowly, as your mental defences lock together, the pain eases and your vision clears. Through the receding red mist you see a group of Shom’zaa Agarashi closing in on you with their swords drawn. You force yourself to stand, and you unsheathe your Kai Weapon just in time to meet their determined attack. Shom’zaa Agarashi: COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 30 (I have a +13 with Mindblast. I toss a 2, then a 7 and finally a 4. It dies. I took 5 total damage) Your swift dispatch of the Shom’zaa Agarashi sends a shock wave through the others. Nervously they back away, despite the hysterical shrieking of their cadaverous commander who orders them to attack you en masse. Before they can rally themselves and carry out the order, you steal away into a section of the vast laboratory that is crowded with siege machinery and engines of war. Here you take cover behind a large shield on wheels and observe the Shom’zaa minions as they mill about in confusion. Suddenly their commander recaptures their attention by freezing two luckless minions to death with an icy blast. When he then commands the portcullis to be lowered to prevent your escape, a zealous minion rushes forward and begins hacking at its securing rope with a battle-axe. The rope snaps, and you watch with horror as the portcullis comes crashing down to seal off the exit. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent

04-18-2020, 11:09 AM	#133
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	You remain hidden behind the large shield as the enemy come searching for you among the Drodarin war machines. Through a peephole in the shield’s timbers, you observe the Agarashi commander climbing down from the platform to join in the hunt. It shrieks incessantly at its scurrying minions, and looses off random blasts of icy death as it searches for you like a hungry predator. The tunnel by which you entered the hall has been sealed off, and the portcullis can no longer be raised now that its hoisting rope has been severed. Your hopes of escaping are fading fast, until you see something nearby that revives your flagging spirits. Your eye falls upon a two-wheeled field cannon which stands 20 yards from the portcullis. Its bronze muzzle is fashioned in the likeness of a dragon’s mouth, with a serpent-like tail that winds back along its barrel to the touch-hole. You magnify your vision and you are able to see that the cannon is primed, loaded, and set ready to fire. If you could reach the cannon and set a light to its touch-hole, it would discharge its shot straight at the portcullis. (I do have a Tinderbox, although it's not an option, I would think Elementalism would work here to start a fire) You remove the Tinderbox from your Backpack and grip it tightly in your fist. As soon as the way is clear, you leap out from behind the shield and dash towards the cannon. The Agarashi commander sees you breaking cover; it halts and turns. Then, with a disdainful laugh, it raises its clawed hand and takes careful aim at your fleeing form. Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked. (I toss a 4 into a 6) The Agarashi commander fires an icy blast at your head, but he mistimes the shot and it fails to stop you from setting your light to the touch-hole. As his deadly missile whooshes past within inches of your scalp, the powder ignites and a tongue of flame roars from the muzzle of the cannon.' The cannon’s shell hits the portcullis and explodes, tearing a great hole in the timbers. Smouldering fragments of the gate are scattered widely about the hall, and they set off a chain-reaction of smaller explosions when they settle on powder kegs and jars of inflammable liquids. The enemy are thrown into a state of confusion and you seize upon the chance to make good your escape. You run to the portcullis and dive head-first through the ragged hole. With the Agarashi commander’s cries of anger and frustration ringing in your ears, you scramble to your feet and hurry down a stone ramp that leads to the level below. The stone ramp leads to a titanic, lantern-lit cavern, where acres of wheat and barley are ripening in fields of fertile soil. You are amazed that such rich arable land can exist so deep below the surface of Magnamund, where rain has never fallen and the sun has never shone. Truly the Goddess Ishir gave the Drodarin a wondrous gift when she bestowed upon them the Throne of Andarin, for its powers alone permit this miracle to exist. You leave the ramp and follow a rutted cart track. It borders upon a field of tall wheat, swaying gently in a cooling breeze. As you walk along, you magnify your vision and attempt to judge the distance to the far wall of the cavern. You have just concluded that it lies more than two miles ahead when suddenly you see something in the middle distance that makes you freeze in your tracks. A group of six large, two-footed creatures have emerged from the wheat field. At first glance they remind you of the guanza, the racing lizards bred in the Southlands, but when you take a closer look you see that these grey-skinned mounts are not born of natural stock. Astride their scaly backs sit Shom’zaa minions armed with spears and lances. The leading rider sights you on the track and immediately the group comes speeding towards you with a loose, loping gait. Hurriedly you leave the track and leap through the tall crops, pitching and stumbling among the tough stalks as you struggle to get away from the approaching riders. Within a minute of first sighting you the riders are able to pick up your trail. The sound of them crashing through the wheat alerts you to the need for you to hide your tracks. You change direction repeatedly, and use your Kai skills to weave through the crops without leaving any sign of your passing. This tactic throws most of them off your scent, but one rider follows his instincts and he homes in on you with uncanny precision. Shom’zaa Agarashi Lancer: COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 30 (I have a 9 with MB alone. I toss a 6 and a 4. They took 22 to my 3. A 2 finishes them, but I have taken 6. I had 5 damage left from other battles and such, and am at 11 damage taken thus far) Your killing blow pitches the Shom’zaa lancer out of its saddle and sends its lifeless body tumbling into the wheat, trailing a stream of black ichor. As its steed flees through the tall crops, you notice a bulb-like object fall from its saddlebag. You take a closer look and discover that it is an unexploded Phosphor Bomb. (If you wish to keep this item, record it on your Action Chart as a Backpack Item.) Then you hear the sound of the other riders approaching, and quickly you dive into the tall crops and hurry away towards the north to avoid them. After a few minutes, when you can no longer hear the lancers crashing through the wheat, you begin to feel confident that they have lost your trail for good. You have just crossed into an adjoining crop of barley when suddenly a barrier of piercing light erupts in front of you as first one explosion and then two more detonate among the plants. In a desperate attempt to flush you out, the riders are hurling phosphor bombs into the fields. Within seconds the tinder-dry crops are ablaze, fanned by a stiff breeze. You retreat to the wheat field to avoid the roaring flames but, as you retrace your steps, your Sixth Sense tells you that you are being forced back into a trap. ( I take the Phosphor Bomb) __________________ 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 : 04-18-2020 at 11:10 AM.

04-18-2020, 11:15 AM	#134
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	he blazing wall of flame is being fuelled by powerful Drodarin incendiaries, and the temperatures they are generating are far higher than your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus can withstand. (I use G. Nexus) You draw upon your Grand Mastery of Nexus to protect your body as you get ready to attempt to forge a way through this white-hot wall of fire. With fear running cold in your veins, you close your eyes, lower your head, and then sprint towards the roaring fire like a charging bull. You hit the flaming wall and you are consumed by its terrible, searing heat. But you do not falter or lose your footing, and within a few seconds, you emerge from it and crash headlong into a sea of soft, cool barley. Physically, you have survived your ordeal unscathed, but when you prise open your eyes and take stock of your equipment, you quickly discover that your tunic and Backpack are on fire. (I use Elementalism with a high rank) You utilize your improved Discipline of Elementalism to condense water out of the surrounding air with which to douse the flames that are feeding hungrily on your clothes and equipment. Your speedy action extinguishes the fire and saves your tunic and Backpack from ruin. Having successfully reached the far side of the wall of fire, you hurry away towards the north in case the Shom’zaa lancers should attempt to outflank you. Soon you come to a muddy ditch which marks the boundary between two neighbouring fields of barley. In the field ahead the plants are younger and shorter, and you are able to see the roof of a Drodarin farmhouse less than 50 yards distant. (I choose to investigate the farmhouse) As you approach the stone-built farmhouse, your Kai tracking skills detect that the Shom’zaa lancers have already paid this dwelling a visit. Its oak door is hanging off its hinges, its windows are broken, and splintered furniture lies scattered throughout the rooms of the ground floor. Few items of any value remain intact. Among the wreckage of the kitchen you discover enough food for 2 Meals, a Jug of Vinegar, and a Candle. You also discover a concealed drawer beneath its refectory table. This compartment contains 2 Potions of Laumspur (they each restore 4 ENDURANCE points when swallowed following combat). You are preparing to leave when suddenly your keen ears detect a faint bubbling sound. It is coming from beneath a trapdoor set into the middle of the kitchen floor. (I take a Jug of Vinegar and a Laumspur Pot, I have two backpack slots free) You pull open the trapdoor and descend a ladder to a cool cellar. The floor is stacked high with corked bottles, and the walls are lined with shelves that sag beneath the weight of a hundred glass flagons, each one filled with a dark bubbling liquid. The pungent smell of fermenting ale assails your nostrils, and your suspicions are confirmed when you risk a sip of the heady home brew. The flagons contain Bor Brew, a notoriously potent ale. If you wish to take some of this beer, you can fill an empty bottle and store it in your pack (a Bottle of Bor Brew = 1 Backpack Item). (Nevermind, i take two flagons) You leave the farm and trek across five fields of barley before you come to the far side of this titanic cavern. Several cart tracks converge at the approach to a wide stone ramp that ascends to the mouth of an unguarded tunnel in the cavern wall. You climb the ramp and, as you enter this torchlit tunnel, you discover a number of broken weapons lying discarded on the ground. Among them you find 1 Arrow and a Sword that are still serviceable. (If you decide to keep them, adjust your Action Chart accordingly.) You follow the tunnel for several hundred yards until you come to a junction where a smaller passageway leads off to the right. A stone plaque that once indicated the name of this passage lies smashed in pieces. You are trying to put the pieces back together when suddenly you hear the sound of Brozal riders approaching along the main tunnel. Quickly you move into the shadowy passageway and use your camouflage skills to hide there as you wait for the riders to pass. While you are waiting, unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points. You hear the Brozal slowing as they draw near to the junction, and your skin prickles with a premonition of danger. Your Kai senses detect the approach of a malevolent entity, a creature in their company that is exuding a powerful aura of evil. Fearing that you may be discovered if you stay here, you silently slip away along the passage. Soon you arrive at a great bronze door. It is inlaid with ancient Drodarin runes and embellished with gold leaf. Gently you push against its cold surface, and the portal swings open to reveal a gloomy chamber. You sense no threat here and so you enter and then push the door closed behind you. The walls of this chamber are lined with alcoves which are filled with ornate burial urns. Some have been smashed, and their powdery contents lie scattered upon the marble floor. You quickly determine that you have entered a Drodarin cinerarium—a place where the cremated remains of dwarven warriors are laid to rest. Such chambers are considered sacred by the Drodarin, and it saddens you to see that this one has been wantonly desecrated by Shom’zaa minions. A large tomb dominates the centre of the chamber. Its lid is cracked and holed where the minions have attempted to force an entry. Drodarin script embellishes its dusty surfaces, and when you make a closer inspection, your pulse quickens. This is the tomb of Andarin—the first King of Bor. Through a small hole that punctures the tomb’s lid, you can see part of the king’s burial urn. It is lit by the supernatural glow of a golden warhammer that rests beside it. Your Kai senses detect that this is a powerful, magical weapon. (I try and open it) You examine the lid of the tomb and find that it is cemented firmly into position by centuries of grime. In order for you to lift the lid, you will first have to break through these layers of encrusted sediment. (I use KA) You speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell Strength and as it begins to take effect, you feel an invigorating surge of power flowing through every muscle of your body. Electrified by this energy, you take hold of the tomb’s lid and force it aside. There is a loud Crack! as the seal of grime is broken; then a flood of golden light washes over you when you swing the lid aside and tip it over onto the floor. With a growing sense of awe, you take hold of the golden warhammer and raise it aloft. You admire its finely-crafted lines and perfect balance, and you sense that it was forged by magical fires. If you wish to keep the Andarin Warhammer, record it on your Action Chart as a Special Item. In combat against any enemy it will give you a bonus of +5 to your COMBAT SKILL. You may use this magical warhammer as an alternative to your Kai Weapon. (Woot) __________________ 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 : 04-18-2020 at 11:18 AM.

04-18-2020, 11:27 AM	#135
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Prompted by curiosity, you leave Andarin’s tomb and go to look at the alcoves which encircle the walls of this chamber. Only a few urns remain wholly intact within the arched recesses, and each of these is engraved with the likeness of the Drodarin lord whose ashes they contain. Your eye is drawn to one in particular—the cinerary urn of War-thane Svann. Yet it is not the urn itself that captures your interest; it is the small bronze lever concealed behind it. Carefully you remove Svann’s urn and examine the lever. Immediately your Kai senses inform you that it operates a secret panel in the wall. (I use KA) Prompted by the warnings of your Kai Sixth Sense, you speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell Sense Evil and focus your powers upon the lever, the alcove, and its surrounding wall. You detect that there is indeed a concentration of evil nearby, but suddenly you realize that it is nowhere near the alcove wall. The evil is in the passageway leading to the door of the chamber … and it is approaching fast (I use the lever) The lever clicks down and a secret panel in the wall slides open to reveal a narrow passage. As you are peering along this gloomy tunnel, suddenly the heavy chamber door bursts open and slams against the wall. An icy trickle of fear runs down your back when you turn to look upon the squat creature that is now framed in the doorway. It has a bloated, veined body and waxy skin that is as pale as a frozen corpse. From its fanged mouth there flickers a forked tongue, and its scarlet eye-slits radiate an evil light that chills you to the bone. It advances into the chamber with its arms outstretched, as if it is walking in its sleep. Then it turns and points its arms at you, and its clenched fists begin to glow like two balls of red-hot plasma. You take hold of the stonework that frames the secret panel and pull yourself towards the narrow passageway. You are only halfway through the opening when two orbs of living flame leap from the creature’s glowing fists and come arcing towards your spine. Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked. If you possess Assimilance, add 1 (I autopass) The speeding fireballs explode harmlessly in the entrance as you make good your escape along this cobwebbed passage. In the distance, you glimpse the opening to a chamber that is crowded with objects that glitter enticingly in the half-light. When you magnify your vision, you realize with some amazement that you are running towards a secret Drodarin treasure vault. The sound of falling masonry alerts you to a renewed danger: the creature is attempting to pursue you. Chunks of crumbling plaster are being dislodged from the walls as the creature forces its bloated body along the narrow passageway. (I have Grand Path) Your Kai Mastery warns you that you are running towards a deadly trap. One of the dusty stone slabs which pave this narrow passageway is set to trigger the trap when a weight is placed upon it. Your Kai Sixth Sense helps you to identify the slab, and as you get nearer, you increase your speed in preparation to jump over it. Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked. If your current ENDURANCE score is 16 or lower, deduct 2. (I toss a 3 and get a 7) You clear the slab, and as you race towards the treasure vault, the passageway is filled with the terrible roar of a fireball. The instant you pass through the vault’s archway, you dodge to one side and cover your head with your hands. This timely action saves you from being scorched by the searing heat of the missile as it whooshes past and explodes among the treasures stored in this chamber. As the fire dies out, you hear another sound—the dull clunk! of a trap being activated. You glance back into the passageway and see that your pursuer has stepped on a weighted floor slab, triggering a volley of deadly arrows. Unable to turn in the narrow confines of the passage, it is skewered by more than a dozen of these bone-tipped shafts. With a hellish shriek, the creature’s corpulent body erupts into a great ball of flame that burns with such fierce intensity that the beast is quickly reduced to a heap of white-hot ash. (Nice. I m fully healed at this passage by the by) Now that the creature is no longer a threat, you turn away from the scorching heat that is radiating from its ashes, and you begin to explore this mysterious treasure chamber. The walls of the vault are decorated with murals that glorify the Goddess Ishir. Great carved tables, heaped with dusty gems and ingots of precious metal, form a circle around a golden statue of the goddess which stands upon a crystal dais in the middle of the chamber. Resting against the dais are several ancient artefacts of special value. Three of these items in particular catch your eye: Korlinium Chainmail Vest (This Special Item can be worn beneath your tunic. It adds +2 to your COMBAT SKILL.) Drodarin Bag of Holding (This Backpack Item can be used to store five additional Backpack Items, although the Bag itself occupies only one space.) ‘Sunderer’ (This Drodarin battle-axe is a Special Item. In combat against any enemy it will give you a bonus of +5 to your COMBAT SKILL. You may use this magical axe as an alternative to your existing Kai Weapon.) If you choose to take and keep any of the above Special Items, make the necessary adjustments to your Action Chart. To continue, turn to 95. (I take all three, I move my meals inside the Bag along with the Bor Brew and Tinderbox) __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent