After five minutes of climbing, I reach the next level and a tunnel heads off towards the south. I take it, and go a short distance when I discover a lever in the wall and hear a sudden noise in the distance as a guard moves down the tunnel toward me. I pull the lever, enter the secret tunnel, the door closes, and after the guard passes by, I notice I cannot get back out so I have no choice but to follow this path.

The tunnel emerges into a large path. A dark skinned warrior guards the entrance to a ratty old bridge. On the other side of the bridge is another tunnel continuing. The guard is distracted by whittling. I can use Camouflage, use Mind Over Matter, or just attack. I use Camouflage. As I move, the guard turns his back to me for a split second, and I launch an ambush. I pick a number and add 3 if I have Hunting or I am Guardian Rank. I get an 11. I kill the guard, and find 3 crowns, a sword and a meal. I take the crowns, eat the meal hurriedly, and move on.

I hear some movement behind me and I dash across the bridge and down the tunnel. I find a lever in the all and suspicious, I check it for traps but find none. I pull it and a portcullis crashes down behind me and I break the lever with a rock.

I am hungry and must eat a meal, but since I did about five minutes ago, I am counting that. Plus, the text never says I can’t use Hunting in caves and mines, although it might be poor form to think I can. After eating I follow the tunnel for several miles before it arrives and a long, deserted gallery.

A line of empty ore wagons are parked along a stretch of mine. Above the arched tunnel is a flight of wooden stairs. I am hidden in the shadow and watch the gallery for 30 minutes and am sure no one is here. I can use the wagon track, climb the stairs or use Tracking AND reached the rank of Aspirant. I do that and it tells me that the condition of the track, ore carts and floor mean this is a regularly used section of the mine. I can feel a fresh breeze and thus I determine that Ruanon is west. I follow the wagon track west.

I pass several ore wagons that have a familiar mark on them.



This is the mark of Baron Oren Vanalund, of Ruanon. This confirms I am going in the right direction. As I continue I hear whip cracks in the distance. I can hide in the shadows of the tunnel wall or duck into an ore cart. I hide in the shadows, so I can run back if I am spotted and have better view of the area. Various bandit warriors arrive and lead slaves. The slaves take the ore carts and move them back, so I am glad I wasn‘t in one. I wait for awhile until they are gone from view. I follow the track and emerge into the light as I leave the Maaken Mines behind and reenter the Ruanon Forest.

And thus begins one of my favorite sections of passages in all of the series. Instead of my normal paraphrasing, expect me to quote them all, much like I think Izulde has been doing with Grey Star.

The trees are alive with bandit patrols, but your quick wits and Kai skills prevent you from being seen by them. Eventually you reach the edge of the copse. You find yourself staring out across an expanse of open plain towards Ruanon. The sight that lies before you is very disquieting.

Much of the mining town has been burnt to the ground. The blackened ruins of what were once shops, cottages and taverns are now little more than smouldering mounds of charcoal. You are beginning to fear the worst, that Ruanon has been totally destroyed, when a gentle breeze clears the haze of wood smoke hanging like a grey curtain over the ruins. Inside the perimeter of ruined buildings, a barricade has been thrown up around a tower of stone. Above the tower, a tattered flag still flies bringing renewed hope; it is the sun-flag of Sommerlund edged with a band of white braid--the cavalry standard of the King's Guard Regiment.



The sudden crack of a twig makes you freeze. You glance behind to see three bandits creeping through the trees towards you. The wide steel tips of their spears glint. They seem to be coated with a clear, sticky fluid.


(I use Hunting to identify what is on the tips of their spears.)



You recognize gnadurn sap dripping from their spears. It is a deadly poison. You dare not risk engaging in combat with these bandits, for the merest graze from one of their tainted weapons could be fatal. Leaping to your feet, you race away from the trees and run towards Ruanon.

From all along the forest edge, groups of bandits emerge from the trees, whipped and scolded by their bullying sergeants for allowing you to escape. This spurs you to quicken your pace, and you cover the first hundred yards with ease. Then arrows begin to fall around you. You duck and weave, making yourself a difficult target for the archers, and gradually the falling shafts dwindle in number. You smile at their futile attempts to stop you, but your confidence is soon shaken by a pack of snarling Warhounds breaking out of the woods to your right; they are off the leash and hungry for blood. You are less than five hundred yards from Ruanon, but the Warhounds are closing in.


(I can fight or try and run faster. Outrun Warhounds. Well, might as well try, I can always turn back and fight if it fails.)

You try to ignore your aching legs and the fear that knots your stomach by forcing your concentration on the sun-flag, a fluttering symbol of hope in the distance. Your face is streaked with sweat, and your lungs feel as though they will burst, but you dare not slacken your pace; the thought of Warhound fangs closing and tugging on your skin is all you need to drive you forward.

At four hundred yards, you can see that the barricade and watchtower are inhabited, but at this distance the faces you can see are only a line of small, pink dots on the walls. At three hundred yards, you run into some gruesome remains, where the corpses of bandits lie twisted on the ground, most killed by arrows. Many have lain in the open for weeks; a flock of startled carrion crows rise shrieking from their feast as you race through the bodies. You turn away in disgust.

Suddenly a new sound drifts across the plain: the sound of cheering. The beleaguered defenders have spotted you and recognized your green Kai cloak. Two hundred yards to go. You have just passed the ruins of a burnt-out cottage when you feel an agonizing pain tear through your left thigh. An arrow has pierced your leg, and you pitch forward into the mud and ash.

Crouched in the ruined cottage, a bandit sniper raises his bow and takes careful aim at your head.

(I pick a number and roll a 9)

A scream of pain and terror fills the air. The sniper crashes to the ground as the jaws of a Warhound clamp tightly around his neck. Other hounds are drawn by his ghastly screams, and he is soon ripped to pieces. You look up to see a man running towards you from the barricade. He has a shield in one hand and a longbow in the other; it is Captain D'Val.



He reaches you, breathless from his run, and draws an arrow from his quiver. The Warhounds, tired of their victim, are in search of fresh sport and are turning their attentions on you. D'Val aims and fires, drawing another arrow as soon as his bow is empty. Warhounds tumble and crash to the ground around you, felled by D'Val's deadly shafts. The captain grabs you by the arm and swings you over his shoulder in one swift movement, before carrying you back to the barricade. Others run forward to help him, but the bandit archers are now in range and the men are forced back by a hail of arrows. The red shafts whistle past on all sides. Finally you reach the barricade; a wagon is pulled aside and you are carried through the open gap. Captain D'Val is close to exhaustion; he staggers and his men rush to catch him before he drops you to the ground.

A circle of unshaven faces are staring down at you. A soldier cradles your leg as another snaps the shaft buried deeply in your thigh. But before you can even cry out in pain, he has drawn the arrow from your leg with one swift tug. 'You are very lucky, Kai Lord,' he says, as he bandages a handful of Laumspur to your aching limb. 'The wound is clean, and the bleeding is but slight.'

You lose 4 ENDURANCE points, but the soldier's quick thinking and skill has saved your leg from infection. With great care the soldiers carry both you and Captain D'Val into the stone watchtower.



Man I just love that section.

Anyway, as I normally do, here is the quoted section that gives away massive parts of the plot, like I did with the Loi-Kymar section in the third book or the King Alin in the second book:



I was hoping the King would send a large search party,' says Captain D'Val wryly, now having fully recovered from his exhaustion. 'I was beginning to tire of this town.'

You rise from your straw bed, and offer your thanks to the captain. His brave and timely action saved you from certain death. ''Tis nothing to compare with you, Lone Wolf. Your bravery is legend. Your presence here is worth a hundred men.'

He asks you about your mission, and you recount the events that have led you to this meeting; the ride south, the loss of your company, your passage through the Maaken mines and the bandits.

'Yes, the bandits--Barraka's men,' retorts D'Val, his gruff voice conveying his contempt for them and their leader. 'It seems we have both suffered at his hand. A month ago, he and his Vassagonian renegades ambushed my troop on the Ruanon Pike. We were sorely outnumbered and the fight was indeed bitter. But we broke free from them and escaped here to Ruanon. We have been beleaguered ever since and praying for help to arrive. We have enough weapons to resist them, but we have barely enough food and water to survive.'

You ask what has become of the people of Ruanon. 'Most are now slaves. Barraka has taken the mines and he uses the Ruanese as forced labour. Other than yourself, only one man has escaped from the mines and survived the Warhounds and the bandit snipers. That man is Baron Oren Vanalund. Come, I shall take you to him.'

D'Val leads you to the topmost chamber of the watchtower and pushes open an iron-shod door. The sight that greets you fills your heart with sorrow and pity

As you can tell, the Baron has been deeply affected by this. He has lost everything, his castle, his lands, his family, his people and more. His sons were killed and daughter taken captive. Here is one of his sons, dead.




The pathetic man just says the same two lines over and over again:


When a fair royal maid on the altar dies,
The dead of Maakengorge shall rise.


If I have a Scroll, I am to go to a certain passage, so I do. I read the scroll out loud, and as I do, the Baron stands and intones it with me:

When the full moon shines o'er the temple deep,
A sacrifice will stir from sleep
The legions of a long forgotten lord.
When a fair royal maid on the altar dies,
The dead of Maakengorge shall rise
To claim their long-awaited reward.


The Baron looks at me and implores me to save her. I must prevent the sacrifice. Captain D’Val is way behind and is asking a lot of questions. “Save who? Who is he talking about?”


Quote, and the last one for a while, I swear:

'My daughter, Madelon. Barraka has found the Dagger of Vashna. He plans to sacrifice my daughter upon the altar of Maaken to release the undead of Maakengorge.'

The Baron explains that during the Age of the Black Moon, King Ulnar of Sommerlund killed the mightiest of all the Darklords, Vashna, with the Sommerswerd, the sword of the sun. His body and the bodies of all his soldiers were hurled into the bottomless abyss of Maakengorge. 'He plans to lead the dead to victory first to conquer Sommerlund and then all of the Lastlands,' he says in despair.

You stare at the Baron in stunned silence. If Barraka completes the sacrifice, all is lost. What mortal army can stand against a legion of the dead?

Captain D'Val ushers you from the chamber and closes the door. 'I feared he was insane, but your Scroll confirms my worst nightmare. He speaks the truth!'

As the dreadful significance of the verse begins to sink in, your thoughts are broken by the shrill blast of a war-horn. Captain D'Val strides over to an arrow slit and peers out across the plain. As he turns to speak, you notice that his face is ashen grey. 'The bandits . . . they're launching an attack!'

I am offered a chance to return D’Val’s sword and I choose to do so. He is excited and takes it. He proclaims it is a sign of good fortune for the coming battle. Okay, here we go. Another of my favorite sections of the books is about to begin.

I follow D’Val down to the battle site. A rolling sound like thunder fills the air. Vassagonian Cavalry are pouring onto the Ruanese plain. In front of the troops, they have rows of the Ruanese peasants, and D’Val’s men simply cannot fire their arrows at the enemy because they are being used as a shield. Suddenly a hidden catapult launches a massive black rock which explodes in the air and bursts into flame raining fire and tar onto the Sommlending soldiers. Many of our soldiers are killed before the fires are put out.



The barricade is poorly defended because the fire rain split the defenders. I hear D’Val call out my name and see his cloak and tunic ablaze. I have three options, help D’Val, help the defenders, or if I have the rank of Warmarn, I turn to a certain section. I am a Warmarn.

My experience tells me that we have to rally the defenders or all is lost. I order two soldiers to help the captain while I head out to stop the gap myself. The attackers have already reached the perimeter of Ruanon. They are creeping forward under cover of broken walls. I order D‘Val’s men to defend the barricade, but the enemy is so close.

The bandits break cover and charge. I give the order to fire. Arrows from the King‘s Royal Guard tear into Vassagonian troops. In many places the bandits are turned back, but in others, they reach the battlements and I charge forward to attack and Vassagonian Warrior.

Vassagonian Warrior - CS 18, EP25

I roll a 2 and deal 10 and take 2. I roll a 6 and deal 16 and take just 1. Dead Vassagonian.

D’Val runs past me and leads a group of men into the Vassagonians. He drives the enemy back. We shout out a victory chant when another sight is seen.

A mantlet is being pushed across the battlefield. Arrow shaft soon decorate it like a pincushion, but it continues to advance.





Suddenly a robed figure dashes out from behind the mantlet fires a spell off just before being taken out by an arrow. A guttering ball of flame engulfs the compound hurtling bodies of defenders and attackers alike in every direction. Behind it the enemy cavalry is using it as a edge to charge in and drive us apart.

They have poured past our barricade and into the compound and one is charging at me.

I choose to stand and fight.

Vassagonian Horseman CS 20, EP 28

I get just one round. I roll an 8 and kill him. The book tells me if I deal more than I take to turn to a certain passage. The text says I unhorsed the horseman, so I am going to assume that I killed the horse. He staggers to his feet and sees me and charges leading with a scimitar. I can flee or fight. I choose fight.

Bandit Horseman CS 17, EP 24

I roll a 4 and deal out 12 while taking 2. A second four follow and I take a total of 4 damage while killing the horseman.

I run half crouched to the barricade and I grab a bow from the corpse of a dead soldier. I have spotted the leader of this thrust, a swarthy Vassagonian officer. He is barking out orders to his men and they are rallying. I need to take him out.




I pull back the bow and aim. Roll a die. Add 2 if I have Weaponskill. I get a 6. The arrow flies true and hits, but misses vital organs piercing his shoulder. He screams loudly, but is still alive. I move to nock another arrow but the dead soldiers quiver is empty. I run to a sergeant-at-arms still firing his bow and instruct him to shoot the leader. The arrow kills the bandit leader and their cavalry leader dies.

We hear Captain D’Val’s booming voice crying for a rally. He has gathered a wedge of soldiers and pushes back into to the Vassagonian forces. The shield-wedge of the Sommlending hews through the enemy and the remaining soldiers join it increasing its size and power. Finally a Vassagonian herald breaks free and sounds the retreat.



Their forces in retreat, we manage to kill many of their number with bow and sword, axe and hammer. The enemy has withdrawn and we hold the ground. We begin the task of rebuilding the barricade and tending to the wounded. My own wounds are tended to, though they be minor.

However, Captain D’Val and I know that this is but a temporary victory. The real battle is at Maakengorge and in stopping the sacrifice of the Baron’s daughter. In three days’ time, when the moon is full, Barraka will sacrifice the woman.

50 miles south of Ruanon lies the gorge. Before I leave, I am offered some small items. I take a rope that only takes one space in the backpack in exchange for my current one, a spear, and Laumspur, giving me four doses.

The good news is that with the enemy in retreat and chaos, the chance of me sneaking to Maakengorge is much higher. Dusk arrives at Ruanon. I use the cover of darkness to make my way from the broken city. The highway is choked with soldiers. I can go through the trees on the right or left of the highway. I choose left.

The guards are not much interested in guarding, and I move about fairly well. As I do, I come across a hut. I can go it, or keep going south. I choose to skip it. Why bother with exploring. I have a mission that is amazingly time sensitive.

I press on through the trees. By morning, I have reached the edge of trees and move into a large plain with wheat growing. Flying insects flit about the crops. I spy some Vassagonians moving down the road and I have three options, do I have an Onyx Medallion, do I have Camouflage AND Guardian rank, I can just try to hide. I use my skill since I do not have the Medallion.

I part the crops carefully and allow them to close over me and I lay on the ground. I have completely vanished from sight. The Vassagonians pass mere inches from me and never notice.

I bypass a village in order to keep out of sight. Like in Ikaya, stealth is called for. I enter a small copse of woods again and drink from a stream. I use Hunting to find a meal and I keep going.

As night falls, I enter the city of Maaken, the ruins of the old city where Ulnar slew Vashna with the Sommerswerd. I can hear the cry of Maakengorge in my ears, as the lost here cry for freedom. I haven’t slept in almost two days, so I sneak a little now since I arrived one day early.

I awaken and it is drizzling. Dawn has arrived. I spend five hours investigating and observing until I have figured out just tow possible entrances. There is a door to a crypt that is guarded by two soldiers. There is also am unguarded marble stairs. Since I have plenty of time, I decide to take the unguarded stairs, in order to keep up my unknown presence.

The rain makes the area dark and there is mould everywhere. I am asked for a torch, the Firesphere, or I can leave or push forward into the black. I use my Firesphere. I gasp as I spot a Daemonok, a vile and powerful evil creature that was watching me and now decides to swoop down and attack me.



I am asked if I have the Sommerswerd. I do. (If you do not, you die, fyi). As the light of my sword lights up the room more, a look of terror lights across it. I swing and it is all it can do to avoid my blow and fly out of the room through a hole in the ceiling. It does not return.

I can continue along a corridor or leave and go back to the guarded entrance. I decide to continue now that the watchdog is out. The corridor ends at a flight of steps and at the bottom of that, a short passage leads north. There appears to be a cavern just past the passage, and there is a balcony here that overlooks the cavern. I can go to the balcony, or go to the cavern. Always look before you leap, so I go to the balcony.

Quote:

An empty feeling grips your stomach as you stare upon the altar and inner sanctum of the subterranean temple. Your Kai senses burn as if every nerve in your body is screaming a warning to flee from this evil chamber. Huge braziers of molten metal encircle a black altar upon which lies fair Madelon, the daughter of Baron Vanalund. She seems to be entranced--her breathing is slow and shallow. Beyond the altar lie two massive doors, a gigantic skull engraved upon their black stone surface. Out of your view, another door opens, and a procession of red-cloaked priests enter the temple. Their heads are covered and they each carry strange amulets of black stone. They file past the altar, depositing the amulets in a circle around the young girl's body and then file out again in total silence. Then you hear the sound of a distant drumbeat; it grows louder and nearer. The measured steps of steel-shod boots resound in its wake. Barraka is approaching.






Barraka carries the stench of death and decay about him. He strides into the temple, his boots of Gourgaz hide covering both legs and feet, and slams shut the huge stone door with frightening ease. He stands in silence before pushing open the huge black doors engraved with the menacing skulls. Suddenly a gale force wind sweeps through the temple and your ears are filled by a terrible scream. Beyond the open doors, a pier of stone juts into the abyss of Maakengorge: you are staring into the chasm of doom.

Barraka turns away from the windswept pier and walks slowly towards the altar. From a hidden scabbard he removes a twisted black dagger and holds its stiletto blade to the light. An evil blue flame runs up and down the black steel spike, flickering in the ice-cold winds of Maakengorge. The sacrifice is about to begin.

I can draw my weapon and attack, or try and distract him. I choose to distract him. I tell him to hold his blade. Barraka turns around surprised at first and then laughs, giving me time to close. He moves towards me with the enchanted dagger. I draw my weapon. I need to kill Barraka and who knows what he can do to me while my attention is turned. I am asked if I have the Sommerswerd, and I do.

As I raise it, the howling wind from the Gorge increases in intensity. They can feel it end. Barraka draws a long and sharp scimitar. He manages to cut my cheek and I lose an EP> Then he launches a deadly Mindblast, but I have Mindshield. Otherwise I would have lost 4 CS for the combat. Barraka is immune to Mindblast:

Barraka CS 25, EP 29

I have just a difference of +2. I roll a 1 and he takes 4 and me 5. I follow with a 7 and he takes 10 and me 1. A 5 is next with 8 and 2. I roll a 6 and he takes 9 and I take 2. Barraka falls to the Sommerswerd. As Vashna fell here to the Sommerswerd long ago, so does him who would bring back Vashna.



Quote:

As Barraka dies, the wind suddenly rises in pitch and intensity, filling the temple with a mournful cry of despair. You feel the chill, malevolent spirit of Darklord Vashna engulfing you in an icy embrace, but you sense that he is powerless to harm you. The sacrifice has been foiled; he is doomed to lament for a victory that might have been.

Lying on the black temple floor is the Dagger of Vashna. As you pick it up and tuck it into your belt (mark this on your Action Chart as a Special Item), the evil blue flame flickers and dies. As long as you possess this evil blade, Darklord Vashna and his legion of dead warriors will remain imprisoned in the chasm of doom.

You free fair Madelon from the altar and carry her through the corridors of the temple that lead up to the surface. As you emerge into the moonlit ruins, an astounding sight greets your eyes. Barraka's warriors are running from the ghost city in all directions, closely pursued by an army of cavalrymen. The light of the full moon and the guttering torches that these horsemen carry, illuminates the sun-crest that bedecks their tunics. Word must have reached Holmgard for they are the Sommlending army, led by King Ulnar himself. Your countrymen praise your courage and daring, their strident cheers drowning the cry of Maakengorge, for once again you have proved yourself a true hero of Sommerlund. As you deliver Madelon into the waiting arms of her father, his overwhelming joy fills you with a sense of great achievement. You are indeed worthy of the title 'Kai Lord'. You have succeeded in your perilous quest, but the epic saga of Lone Wolf--last of the Kai Lords--is far from complete. A new and deadly challenge awaits you in Book 5 of the Lone Wolf series entitled: Shadow on the Sand.

Okay, review of The Chasm of Doom, which is by far the best book in the series so far, although with a caveat. Well two. First, it still has random syndrome. For example, if you have not played through the previous books, you can kill Barraka with the Holy Water. However, you only get the Holy Water if you A) choose to camp at the Temple Ruins and B) choose to be friendly to the black robed monks instead of killing or capturing them. That’s not easy to get. Also, all of the combats here are hard. There was no fight where they had a CS of less than 17, and many had higher. Imagine starting and rolling a 14 CS. Ouch. Killing Barraka would have been nigh impossible.

I love this story for he most part, but this book, while the best with the coolest parts like the siege and the running from the caves and the rhyme, and great building tension, it also has the most typical plot lines. Sacrificing on an alter? With a magical dagger? Has to be a princess? At a full moon? I throw a rock to distract a guard? The non-white guys are all bad? An disappearing sage who leaves a cryptic message? There are times when plot points feel very conventional.

So yes, best book so far by far, but it still has issues.


End of The Chasm of Doom

I love Shadow on the Sand, and it is better than Chasm in several ways, with better plots, story, and really fun stuff happening. I love it.

Here’s the Shadow on the Sand story

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

It is midwinter in your northern homeland and a mantle of snow lies knee-deep in the streets of Holmgard--the capital--when you are summoned from your monastery in the hills by a messenger bearing a scroll, signed and sealed by the hand of King Ulnar. You are surprised to read the King's message, for it is a request for your help in solving an urgent problem of what he describes as 'great diplomatic importance'. It seems a strange request to make of a warrior lord, whose skills are better suited to the field of battle than to parleying with foreign envoys. However, you obey the summons and upon your arrival at the capital, all is made clear.

The Zakhan of Vassagonia, the imperial ruler of this desert empire, has sent his most trusted envoy to seek a treaty of peace between your two countries, and you have been asked to sign the treaty on behalf of your country. The reason for this is easily apparent.

Less than a year ago, a renegade noble of Vassagonia called Barraka led his army of bandits in an attack upon the Sommlending province of Ruanon. This mining town and much of the surrounding land was overrun and destroyed. Many Sommlending lost their lives, and many more were enslaved and forced to labour in the mines of the Maaken Range. When the regular convoy from Ruanon failed to arrive at the capital, the king sent you to investigate. A great battle ensued in which you defeated Barraka in mortal combat. Without your courage and skill, the safety of Sommerlund and all of the Lastlands would have been placed in grave peril.

'Your majesty, the Zakhan is gravely embarrassed by Barraka's foul treachery, and is most anxious that our friendship and trust be restored. He begs that you send the Kai warrior, Lone Wolf, to sign a treaty of peace with him at the Grand Palace in Barrakeesh,' whimpers the Zakhan's emissary, as he kneels at the feet of King Ulnar.

The king rises from his throne, barely able to conceal his distaste for the fawning envoy. He turns his gaze to you and bids you follow him to the privacy of an antechamber.

'I have no liking for this desert realm, Lone Wolf, but I like the prospect of war even less. The Zakhan is old and frail, and has no son to claim his throne when he dies. Barraka was but one of many ruthless nobles who wait like jackals for the chance to seize power, and I fear they grow too impatient to allow the Zakhan to die a natural death. The treaty may not guarantee peace with Vassagonia once the Zakhan is dead, but it will at least buy us precious time to strengthen our southern border.'

The king leads you to a window and points towards the harbour, barely visible through the falling snow. A Vassagonian galley lies anchored close to the harbour wall.

'Go to Vassagonia, Lone Wolf. Sign the treaty and return quickly. Even with the promise of peace, I fear the shadow of war will fall upon us before the year is out.'

You wave farewell to Holmgard on this bleak midwinter's day, feeling sure you will return before the thaw. But as you watch the spires of Holmgard disappear in the falling snow, you have no inkling of the shadow that awaits you in Vassagonia.

The Chasm of Doom was the final book to take place in Sommerlund. Now you are going to Vassagonia, and you will journey father and farther out with each new book.

I begin with, you guessed it, a Map of Vassagonia

I decide to rock Animal Kinship as my 9th and final Discipline. I take an extra Shield for Safekeeping, potion of Laumspur, and 2 meals and I gain 11 gold.



Safekeeping:

Golden Key
Prince Pelethar’s Sword
Kai Axe
Burrowcrawler Dagger
Warhammer from Farmhouse
Red Pass
Coach Ticket
Black Sword of Parsion
Map of Sommerlund, Kalte, Southlands
Fur Blanket
60 Gold Crowns
1 Meal
2 Potion of Laumspur - +5 EP
2 Potion of Laumspur - +4 EP
Fur Backpack
Bone Sword
Effigy
Distilled Alether +4 CS
Concentrated Graveweed
Kalte Diamond
Ragadorn Dagger
Magic Spear
Holy Water
Brass Key
Iron Key
Whip
Sommlending Cavalry Spear
Quarterstaff, Royal Guard
Scroll of Prophecy
Shield




Keeping:

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

Lone Wolf, Savant Kai Lord


29 CS
32 EP


Sixth Sense
Healing
Tracking
Weaponskill
Mindblast
Mindshield
Camouflage
Hunting
Animal Kinship



Here we go

For 25 days the galley that left Port Bax sails until it nears Barrakeesh, the capital of Vassagonia. During my time on the ship I have learned the Vassagonian language very well, and also regaled the Vassagonian sailors with tales of my deeds as the Last of the Kai. I have earned their trust and respect by the time we arrive.

The envoy for the Zakhan is proud of his city and hands me a spyglass to observe the spires and bannerets of their city. Everything is as he describes it, but I see many black banners flapping over the town.





I am him what they signify, and in shock, the envoy grabs the spyglass from my hand. The envoy curses, and then tells me that the Zakhan is dead. The bad news passes through the ship quickly.

We arrive and the harbor is largely deserted except for a few citizens wearing black. I can hear the toll of a funeral bell. A horse-drawn carriage arrives and moves to the ship. It halts, and several of the Palace Guard emerge as well as a man in turquoise robes.

'A thousand greetings, Lone Wolf, I am Maouk, and I welcome you to our city on behalf of my master, his most sublime magnificence, Zakhan Kimah.'

Upon hearing the name of the new Zakhan, the envoy gasps and turns to me. He starts to tell me it is a trap, but Maouk’s dagger pierces his chest and he is killed before my eyes. Suddenly, dozens of troops begin to appear from the various shops and alleys nearby. The trap has been sprung. I have three options: I can stand and fight against overwhelming odds, surrender, or retreat back to the ship.

Now, the first half of Shadow on the Sand is basically following one of two paths. You are captured or surrender, escape and find Kimah. Or, you run free for a while, shake any pursuit, then something happens to force you to break into the palace, and you find Kimah. Both are fun. One is a lot faster. I am going to play this with fun.

I choose to run back on the ship.

Maouk shouts to take me alive. The men on the ship have yet to see what is happening. I don’t want to get them in trouble, so I choose to dive overboard immediately. I stay submerged for as long as I can, until my lungs are about to burst. I can see their troops, Sharnazim, moving about all over the place. I gulp another breath and dive, swimming fifty yards under the water.

As I move, I spy a lot of refuse here. Clinging to one of them is a Bloodlug, a gelatinous underwater creature of some power. I am asked if I have Animal Kinship, which I do. Using my discipline, I am able to send the Bloodlug elsewhere so that I do not have to fight underwater. I watch as it devours a small squid.

I surface near a covered skiff. I doubt the Bloodlug was the only scavenger in the water in this junked harbor. I haul myself aboard the skiff and hide under the leather cover and woven rushes. The swim has me breathless from holding my breath for so long. The Sharnazim are searching the water for any sign of life. I need a diversion. If I have Mind Over Matter, I can provide one. Otherwise, I cannot easily.

Looking for another way, I search the baskets and items on the boat until I find a nice wooden case, and inside is a Jakan, a bow used for coastal hunting. I nock the only arrow and raise the Jakan. I spy a small, white-walled shop with a row of green glass items. I take careful aim and fire. I roll a die and add 2 for having Weaponskill. I get a 9.

The plan works The arrow cuts through the air. The smashing glass echoes throughout the harbor. I decide to take the Jakan with me, in case I can find more arrows. Several of the black-clad troops are ordered to search the area, pulling them off harbor survey and scanning. I creep from one boat to the next until I reach a stone flight of steps. At the top I enter a maze of crooked alleyways. I am about 20 feet from safety when someone notices me and shouts out.

I sprint along the deserted alleyway and make for freedom. I climb a staircase, dash across a square, and continue to try to put distance between me and Maouk’s men. As I race across the square, I see three exits, and I need to pick one - I can enter a gate, an alleyway, or take a straight pathway through the arch. I can also use Tracking, which I do. It tells me that the alley is a dead end. The gate could be locked, you never know, so I take the path.

I enter a wide street and find myself in one of the markets. The market is crowded with people, unlike the section I just left. Everybody is wearing black sashes, and I pass by a stall where they are selling them, so I buy one for two crowns and put it on. When in Barrakeesh, do as they do. I dodge into a narrow passage with eating halls and taverns, and the smell of food is overpowering and delicious. I spy a poster than reads The Zakhan is Dead - Long Live the Zakhan. I can stop to read the rest, or continue along the passage. I need info, so I pause.

The poster is written in Vassagonian script, but I can read it. It says:


His most illustrious majesty, Zakhan Moudalla the Exalted, has passed into the realm of the Majhan. May his spirit never die! By the grace of the Council of Kadi, the Funtal of Kara Kala and the Judicar of Barrakeesh, it is decreed that Kimah, Emir of Ferufezan, Protector of the Dry Main, shall by right claim the throne of Vassagonia. Through the unity of the Seven Cities, he will lead his people to greatness.

Long may he reign!


I witness some soldiers pushing and following me and they knock over a fruit cart. The owner curses the soldiers and their clumsiness and the soldiers take off his head right there. Well, now I know they are the bad guys and not just people following orders. I will have no compunction killing them.

I turn and run down the passage. It ends at a tree lined plaza. My fair skin and green Kai cloak are a bit of a sore thumb, so I need to find some cover. To my left is a small dwelling with a curious wooden sign over the door with the sign of the fish. To my right is a tavern called The Hunted Lord, which strikes me as appropriate. I can go to one, the other, or use Healing. Healing tells me that the dwelling is a home dedicated to The Redeemers, a group of monks and pilgrims I met before. The Redeemers helped me once before, perhaps they will do so again.

The house smells strongly of incense. There is a narrow hallway lined with cushions for meditation and introspection. A man dressed in head to toe in black appears and walks towards me. Suddenly, I hear Maouk’s men enter the plaza outside and quickly turn around. The Redeemer sees my glance and points me to a cellar door. I choose to enter it. I have no other options, although I prefer to leave myself an out when possible.

I rush into the cellar and bolt the door. I see some rope and a tinderbox here and I can take either, but I have rope and a Firesphere, so nah. The Sharnazim have entered the building and begun searching everywhere. It is only a matter of time before they find the cellar door and me. I look around and see an iron grille in the center of the room with a stench arising from it. I decide to pull off the grille and jump down.

Quote:

A slippery ladder disappears into the dark, stench-filled shaft. You gulp a lungful of air and climb down, locking the trapdoor behind you. When you finally reach the bottom of the shaft, your worst fears are confirmed.

You have entered the Baga-darooz, the main drainage sewer of Barrakeesh. You recall one of the crewmen aboard the galley, an old man nicknamed 'The Stink' because he smelled so much, having been sentenced to one year's imprisonment in the Baga-darooz for a crime he did not commit. Peering along the gloomy tunnels, you wonder how he survived for so long in this dank, filthy sewer.

Suddenly your thoughts are disturbed by the sound of splintering wood. Chunks of shattered timber rain down upon you as the Sharnazim force open the trapdoor. The heavy iron grille glances off your shoulder as it falls; you stifle a cry of pain, but you lose 1 ENDURANCE point due to the wound.

This section of the Baga-darooz is a junction where three channels meet. You must quickly decide which channel to take, for Maouk's men are now descending the ladder.

I have three options. Left, right, straight, or use Tracking. Tracking tells me that the right channel is sluggish, suggesting it is going north. The vast tide of sewage goes to the coast and the sea, so north for right, and the coast. Left, then, goes south and back into Barrakeesh proper. I should be able to find many ways out of the Baga-darooz and into the streets. Straight is west. It is the least fetid and cleanest of the three channels. The west channel leads to an aqueduct that provides fresh and clean water to the city. So, south, north, or west.

I choose west. Clean is good for me. As I go, I see huge cockroaches through the ceiling, and it is still thick with grime and debris. I hear some sudden splashes behind me that suggest that Maouk’s men are here. I suddenly hear a strange sound I had not expected to hear here. The sound of scaled skin slithering over stone. I can just make out the creature coming toward me. I can use Animal Kinship and do.

It tells me the reptile is a Kwarez, a giant creeping reptile. They are native to the Maakenmire swamp leagues away from here, but it must find the sewers close to its home environment. It’s giant claws are getting closer. It is very susceptible to psychic attacks. My Animal Kinship quickly persuades it that I am not appetizing at all, and it loses interest in me. It turns and keeps moving towards where Maouk’s men are. I keep going, and I hear the scream of one of his men dying.

After a long time of pushing through the mire, the smell begins to subside. Eventually I reach a junction where a larger tunnel crosses my path. I can go forward, left, right or use Sixth Sense. It tells me a lair of Kwarez is to the north. I can go forward, or turn south. I choose to turn south in order to throw off my pursuers again.

I reach a domed sewer-vault. I chute descends from above into the vault. I keep advancing when suddenly I notice that the floor disappears. I can try to swim in this very filthy water or I can try to catch my rope on a long bar on the side of the chute and swing across. If I do that, I lose my rope, and I don’t want to lose it yet, I may need it later.

As I dive through and into the putrid water, the oily refuse begins to fill up my nose and ears. I eventually make my way through the sewage to the other side, but that was very uncomfortable. I begin to shiver, but it is not the filth that has shot fear into my heart. I cannot feel my left arm. The whole arm is numb and lifeless.

I have contracted Limbdeath. The wound has become infected with the Limbdeath microbes, one of many deadly diseases found in the Baga-Darooz. None of my Kai skills can stop the loss of my arm. In 24 hours, it will be destroyed. Only one cure in the world will help, the Oede Herb. I lose 3 CS permanently until I can fix my arm. Additionally, although the text does not tell me too, I cannot use a Shield either, so I really lose 5 CS. I press on. I have too

The temperature rises steadily as I continue to advance and soon I am sweating profusely. Am I nearing a forge? I see a chamber ahead filled with steam and I notice that the floor gives way after just a few yards. Below is a tar-sorkh, a mud geyser quite common in Vassagonia. It looks like this geyser has been pout to good use, proving steam to heat a large number of homes in two giant circular chimneys heading into the ceiling. The only way out is those chimneys. I can try to climb the right one, or the left. I choose the left.

I start moving up but the scalding steam hurts my skins and lungs and I lose an EP. I hook my fingers into a jagged crack and try to draw myself upwards, when a bolt of fear hits me. I have disturbed a nest of Steamspiders.



Steamspiders - CS 10, EP 25.

I cannot attack them due to the lack of am arm, so I have to just crawl past. I take 6 damage in doing so.


I reach a point where the shaft stops being vertical and has begin to curve. The steam has cleared, but the heat is still oppressive. My entire body is very sensitive. All hope of signing a peace treaty with the new Zakhan is gone. My concern is merely to escape. I notice a square vent badly rusted and decide to kick it in. Success after a few kicks and I leap through.

Then I laugh. I arrive at the one place I most needed to be. The public baths of Barrakeesh.


I enter a large vestibule and a man in white robes reading hears me approach and squints his nose.



'By the Majhan!' he cries. 'You smell worse than a Baknar!' He hurls a towel at you and points to the door. 'Take my advice,' he whines, his fingers pinching shut his nostrils. 'Don't get undressed--your clothes need the bath as much as you.'

I wince as I expect him to notice I am not a local, but he just goes back to reading. He is apparently bad enough in the eyesight that he does not even notice. There are many open chambers with perfumed water, heated, splashing in and out. I jump straight into the cool water with my clothes on. I notice a large perfumed jar of purple oil. I can swallow it, rub it, ignore it, or use Healing. Healing tells me it is Larnuma oil and I rub it on my skin and it is nice and relaxing and I heal 2 EP. I am fully healed.

I head out into a hot and arid ante chamber and my clothes dry very quickly. I find a hall with many people assembled and taking. This is the public forum of Barrakeesh as he people here are very proud of their public baths. They are mostly talking about the new Zakhan, and few favorably. I can see why.

I keep the towel in my backpack.

Hurrying down the steps away from the Bath Hall, I enter the Saadi-tas-Ouda, or the Square of the Dead. The flagstones are jet black and various pikes across the square have heads in varying states of decay of criminals along with the crime committed. There are thieves, pirates, murderers and traitors. However, I see a sight that chills me.



Impaled on a pole in the head of the Vassagonian envoy whose only crime was, um, nothing. Around him I see the heads of the entire galley crew that brought me here from Port Bax. On every one of their foreheads is branded the word Traitor.

Anger roils inside of me. Despite my current condition, I intend to see justice done.

As I continue, I see a sign that marks an Herb Warden. Since I need Oede, I decide to head in.

She welcome me and asks how I can help. My arm is beginning to turn a blue tinge. I say I need Oede herb, and she looks sadly at my arm.

I cannot help you,' she says sorrowfully. 'Oede is now a very rare and precious herb. I would have to sell my shop and all my possessions in order to buy just one small pouch of Oede. There is only one man in Barrakeesh rich enough to possess this herb--the Zakhan.'

She tells me that the north gate guards can be bribed, but only the Zakhan has it. She pulls out some healing items to see if I want any. I do not, I have four Laumspur pots already. I thank her, and she wishes me luck.

Quote:


Your desire to leave this treacherous city is overcome by your fear of losing your arm. You must get the Oede herb, even though it means you will have to enter the very place you are most anxious to avoid--the Grand Palace.

The alley follows a tortuous route through the Mikarum, finally leading you to the 'Horm-tas-Lallaim': the Tomb of the Princesses. Beyond the tomb, the Grand Palace rises like a massive white pantheon.

You suddenly recall a legend told to you by your Kai masters long ago: 'The Nemesis of the Black Zakhan'. The Black Zakhan was a brutal tyrant, the cruelest of an evil lineage that ruled over the desert empire long ago. The barbaric excesses of his reign have never been forgotten in the Lastlands. The Grand Palace was built by his army of slaves, prisoners from countries he had conquered in war. The palace became his obsession; he personally oversaw its entire construction and punished the workers personally if there was the slightest delay. He butchered his subjects indiscriminately and in the most terrible fashion. His favourite form of execution was for the victim to be sawn in half from head to foot until the body fell in two pieces. However, it was the mass execution of the slaves who built the Grand Palace that made him infamous. He slaughtered every slave worker so that his enemies could never learn of the secret treasure chambers he had had constructed. Among the slaves were his only daughters, Kebilla and Sousse, who openly opposed their father's cruelty and tried to prevent the executions. In a blind rage, he ordered that they should be the first to die.

It would have been better for the Zakhan, and for Vassagonia, if he himself had died that day. He lived for another two years, but his mind was unhinged by guilt, and he was tortured by self-loathing and despair. In the Grand Palace, the silence of the night was frequently broken by the Zakhan's moans and cries, as he wandered from room to room looking for his daughters. When he died, he was laid beside them, here, in the Tomb of the Princesses.

From where you stand, you can see two entrances to the Grand Palace; a spike-topped gate in the north wall, and an arch in the west wall, blocked by an iron portcullis. The palace is usually heavily guarded, but there are very few guards today; most are searching for you in the city.

Joe Dever regularly spends a few sentences or a paragraph fleshing out his world, so I thought I’d show you one here. I choose the north gate. I keep in the shadows and approach. I have three options. If I have both Camouflage AND Hunting, I can use them in tandem. Otherwise I can try to attack or bribe. I decide to use my skills.

I manage to slip by and enter the palace gardens. I have to eat a meal now, so I do. No Hunting in the palace and the city. I have one meal left. I pass through exotic plants and herbs. There appear to be two paths from the gardens into the palace - the Palace Kitchens or the Vizu-Diar, the trophy hall. I can also use Tracking and/or Sixth Sense, which I do. They tell me the Kitchens is the slave part of the palace, so go to the Vizu-Diar.

I reach it without being seen. In here are souvenirs of Royal Hunts, and most are reptilian, to reflect the harsh desert environment of Vassagonia. I hurry out the other side into a finely decorated corridor. It leads to a large hall with several guards. I manage to hide behind some statues and then sprint stealthily up a distant stair. At the top I see two doors - one with a book on the right and one with a mortar and pestle of the left.

I do the book first, and hope for info while I am here. Instead, I find a library with a Copper Key and a Prism. I take both. I then go to the other door because there are no other exits from this library. I open it up and begin to survey the interior. I am so taken with the search for Oede that I totally miss the giant cat-creature and its normal hissing steam sound. The Elix pounces and I draw the Sommerswerd. I have fought Elixes before, so I get +2 to my CS. I roll a 9 and kill it automatically.

The exertion of combat is more than it should be. Limbdeath is taking over. I see a Gold Key on the Elix’s neck and I take it. It opens a strong room. I enter it, and on top of a shelf is a box with the precious and very rare Oede Herb. I press the beautiful golden leaves against my shoulder, and it beings to heal within seconds. In under a minute, my arm is healed. I have enough Oede for another dose. I exchange it for a meal.

Oede Herb can heal a lot of injuries that usually have few to no cures. It can also be ingested for a 10 EP life gain to heal some mega damage. I pull the Elix corpse into the Strongroom and notice there is a door on the other side, and the Gold Key opens it too.

The door is a secret passage to the bedchambers of the Zakhan. The place is opulent with platinum and opal and a door of solid amethyst. I see a Quarterstaff, and I can take it. It is very fine, and I would guess it is the Zakhan’s Quarterstaff. I grab it for my other weapon slot. After moving through a few rooms, I arrive at a landing that overlooks a massive room that occupies much of the lower palace. From the top of the landing, I see a sight that is indescribable:



Quote:


Upon a raised platform, carpeted with scarlet fur, sits the Vassagonian Emperor, Zakhan Kimah. He is robed in gold but devoid of all ornamentation. In his hand is an orb of black metal, and in his eye an ice-cold cruelty that chills your spine. The Zakhan is a man of awesome countenance, but he pales in the shadow of his companion.

Before him stands the cause of your terror. A helm as black as death itself hides the face, but the stench of decay and a hideous sepulchral voice betray the identity.

'Give me Lone Wolf!'

It is the fell voice of a mortal enemy--a Darklord of Helgedad. As the Zakhan rises to his feet, you notice a flicker of doubt, or perhaps of fear, dim his cruel gaze, but he is quick to mask it. 'He will be brought to you at sunset in exchange for the Orb of Death. It is agreed.'

'You have the Orb,' echoes the chilling voice. 'Give me Lone Wolf!'

The Zakhan hides his fear well, but time is not on his side. The game of bluff he is playing is deadly. However, the fact that he has not yet been discovered is evidence of his powerful will, for you sense the Darklord is persistently clawing and probing at his mind.

'You will get your Northlander, Lord Haakon,' says the Zakhan, his voice curt with anger, 'when you tell me why your servants defile the Tomb of the Majhan. You claim to have no need for gold and jewels--why then do you plunder the graves of our ancestors?'

A deathly quiet fills the hall; only the unnatural hiss of the Darklord's breath disturbs the silence. 'This land, this insignificant speck of sand, harbors two small thorns that prick our skin. We seek to remove them both--forever. The fledgling Kai, Lone Wolf, is the thorn that denies us Sommerlund. The Tomb of the Majhan hides the other thorn that threatens us--the accursed Book of the Magnakai.'

Your heart pounds as the words echo in your head. The Book of the Magnakai! Suddenly, the reason why you have been enticed into a deadly trap becomes clear, and the sinister truth is revealed.

The Book of the Magnakai is one of the oldest legends of Sommerlund. With the wisdom of the Magnakai, Sun Eagle, the first Kai Grand Master, instilled the disciplines into the warriors of the House of Ulnar, the bloodline of your king, that were to save your land from devastation at the hands of the Darklords. The Book of the Magnakai was lost hundreds of years ago, but its wisdom was kept alive, handed down through generations of Sommlending warriors so that they could share the strength to resist their eternal enemies, the Darklords of Helgedad.

If the Darklords discover and destroy the Book of the Magnakai, the secrets will be lost forever, and when you die, the Kai will become extinct. However, if you discover the Book of the Magnakai first and deny the Darklords their prize, all the wisdom of the Magnakai will be revealed to you. Through its wisdom you will become strong, strong enough to reach the ultimate achievement for a Sommlending warrior--to become a Kai Grand Master.


Now we begin the second part. Shadow on the Sand actually has two parts, and we have finished Book I. Now we enter Book II.

Suddenly I catch sight of two Drakkar soldiers clad in black armor who have spotted me. One is holding the leash of a razor-fanged Akataz, a nasty leathery war-dog. He releases it at me. I can fight or run. Normally, I’m all over fighting, but I’ve got the Zakhan AND a Darklord down there, so I’m, thinking running is the right thing to do here.

As I tear out of there, I hear a terrible cry from the Darklord to Kill Me! The Drakkarim are running at me and I near some stairs. The Akataz has almost reached me but as it lunges I move and it hits a pillar and I kill it while it is distracted. Darklord Haakon raises his fist and launches an eldritch bolt of power at me. Meanwhile, one of the Drakkar has arrived and moves to attack. He lunges and hits me for 2 EP but gets fried by the bolt.




At the end of the hallway are stairs up and an archway. I choose the stairs. I need to get off this floor. The stairs ascend to a parapeted walkway with a door in the tower. Suddenly a guardsman comes out of the door fumbled for his sword. I can cut him down or push him aside and move on. I attack him. I grab him and toss him over the wall. I can continue to climb or enter the door the guard came out of. I choose to go through the guard door.

I am in a narrow corridor. All of the palace guards AND the Drakkarim are searching for me intently. I reach a door on the other end that opens into a balcony. There is a stair that descends to a bridge that goes over to another tower. I can descend the stairs to the gardens or to the bridge. I choose the bridge, because I bet the grounds are the first places to get searched right now.

I arrive at the small marble tower. Two flights of marble stairs meet me. I see Drakkarim entering the bridge. I have to go up, down or use Sixth Sense. My sense tells me that palace guards are coming up the stairs to my landing, so I go up.

The stairs are high and steep. The Drakkarim are just a dozen or so steps behind me, so I push myself. I get to a platform where a huge kettledrum is used by the palace guards to send messages. I can try to roll it down the stairs or just keep going. I choose to send it back. The copper drum crashes down easily, it was not supported well. It makes a big noise as the enemy screams and squelches. I scattered my pursuers and yet I am trapped at the top of this tower. I am asked if I have rope. I do.

I try to lower myself to the gardens, it’s the only thing I can do. As I lower myself, a few enemy soldiers get to the top of the tower and saw my rope in half, and I drop into the gardens. I am instructed to pick a number and I get a 4. I fall okay, into some water. It is a sculptured pool. Everybody watched me fall and are converging on the gardens. I can follow a winding path, climb the stairs to a small door or use Tracking. Tracking tells me the path goes to the Zakhan’s private Arboretum, while the portal goes to a private chamber in the upper palace. I decide to stay on ground level and head to the Arboretum.

The track here goes deeper and deeper and I escape notice for a while. However, I soon spy a party of Drakkarim led by a figure in red. I am asked if I have the rank of Warmarn or more, which I do. It tells me the creatures is a Vordak, a undead lieutenant of the Darklords with mental powers. It begins to search for me with its mind. I am to roll a number and add 2 if I have Camouflage and 3 if I have Mindshield. I roll a one and get a 6 result.

I have been detected. The Vordak shrieks and points to me while the Drakkarim charge me. Do I have the Sommerswerd? Yup. I run a bit, and then run into the Vordak, and I raise my blade. I strike one blow shattering the Vordak’s skull. The Drakkar hesitate and I charge them and cut them down. All dead.

I run to put some distance between myself and the group I just killed, for when they are invariably discovered. Soon I find a group of vines that go up. There appears to be no obvious exit from the Arboretum. I can keep looking, or just climb the thick vines up to a walkway above me. I choose the vines. I need to put distance between the Arboretum and me since I left behind a gift.

I arrive a corridor leading to a grand stairway. Up the stairs is a statue of the obese ex-Zakhan Moudalla, who’s girth allows me to hide as some soldiers come by. I continue and I discover a hatch with roof access. I decide to head up and hopefully get away from these patrols. I might get a vantage point to see how to get away.

However, as I see through a bell-tower, I see a very good escape plan, maybe. Perhaps. I have found a line of Itikar pens. Itikar are large black bird steeds used by Vassagonians as flying steeds. I watch as a rider and Itikar land, the slaves take the rope, and more. I am asked if I have a blowpipe and sleep dart, but I do not. I leave the shelter of the bell-tower and make my way towards the Itikar. At first, sneaking around is easy but the roof loses a lot of its cover as we get nearer.

I must cross the final section unseen. I am asked if I have Mind Over Matter, and I do not, so I have to roll a die. I get a 13 after adding for Camouflage and Warmarn. I kill him easy. I choose to search his body and find 8 crowns and Brass Whistle, which I take. Drakkarim have arrived on the roof, so I need to finish this.

I get to the saddle of the Itikar and it flashes its large talons at me. I am asked if I have Animal Kinship, or if I have an Onyx Medallion. I do have Animal Kinship, so I use it. I am able to communicate with it easily and assure it I am no harm. It will let me ride it. I undo the anchor rope and begin to fly away.

It does not take long before I’ve gotten the hang of ringing the Itikar when you add my Animal Kinship to the mix. One Drakker is slashed in two by the Itika’s talons as we leave:



We quickly leave Barrakeesh behind. That’s not a problem. However, we do have problems. A group of Kraan with Drakkarim on their backs is closing in. See, the Darklords have Kraan and the Vassagonians have Itikar, so simply having a flying steed is not as much as you might think. They are over a mile back but closing quickly. I am currently over Lake Inrahim. There is about an hour left in the day. I can head south or east. I choose east. I want to put maximum distance between Barrakeesh, not turn parallel to it.

I see and follow the main road that leaves to Chula, because I want to get there. It makes for a nice base. I am about five miles away when a Kraan and Drakkar get close enough to me to make a pass. We will have one round of combat:

Drakkar Kraan-Rider - CS 20, EP 28 I roll a 7 and deal 18 and take none. Because I dealt more than I received, I turn to a section that says I slice into both mount and rider and the fall back to the ground after spinning wildly. They managed to wound my Itikar and it is losing blood badly. We could crash any minute. Then I see a sight that renews my faith in miracles

Quote:

Emerging from a bank of clouds on the skyline is a flying ship. It is a small craft, no bigger than an Unoram river barge, with two triangular sails swept back either side of its curving prow. In the fading twilight you can make out a long pennant that flutters from its mast. A faint humming reaches your ears. Your first reaction is disbelief; what you are seeing must be a trick of the light or some fiendish illusion created by the Darklords. However, as the ship floats nearer, your senses tell you that it is indeed quite real.


(I am asked if I have the Crystal Star Pendant, which I do)


Standing at a fortified platform in the centre of the strange craft is a blond-haired young man with deep, brooding eyes. Instantly you recognize him: it is Banedon, the young Sommlending magician who gave you the Crystal Star Pendant at the ruins of Raumas, after you saved his life in a Giak ambush.

You are so stunned by his unexpected appearance that you fail to notice the blood seeping from the Itikar's mouth; the creature is near to death. Suddenly, the great bird lets out a pitiful and agonized caw, its wings stiffen and its head falls limp as the last flicker of life escapes from its torn body. It pitches you forward, and your stomach heaves as you plummet towards Lake Inrahim.

(I am asked to pick a number, I get 2.)

As you tumble earthwards, a blur of colour flashes before your eyes as the Kraan-riders, the sky-ship and the distant horizon all melt into a kaleidoscope of shapes and images, which you fear will be the last things you will ever see.

You have prepared yourself for death and are calm and relaxed, when suddenly you feel your body entwined by a mass of sticky fibres. There is a terrific jolt, which leaves you breathless and stunned. The impossible is happening; you are no longer falling, but rising!

A net of clinging strands has caught you like a fly in a web. You rise up into the sky towards the flying ship as quickly as you fell. Three bearded dwarves clad in bright, padded battle-jerkins pull you aboard an outrigger that runs the length of the hull. However, there is no time to express your gratitude, for the small sky-ship is under attack from the Kraan-riders.

At the end of the outrigger, a dwarf is engaged in hand-to-hand combat with a snarling Drakkar. He is obviously losing. As you rush to his aid, another of the evil warriors lands in the centre of the craft, on top of the fortified platform.

I can choose to help the dwarf or leap to the platform. I choose to help. As I near him, he sees me and simply tosses the dwarf overboard. Angered, I pull my sword and engage.

Drakkar CS 18, EP 25

I roll a 0 and auto kill the bastard.

I find out the dwarf, unconscious, is hanging in the same netting that captured me so I pull him back aboard.

I look around and see Banedon skewered by a spear in his left arm. I run to help him.

Drakkar CS 18, EP 25

I roll a 2 and he takes 10 and me 2. I roll a 3 and he takes 11 and me 2. I roll and 2 and kill him. I took 6.

As I kill him, another Kraan-Rider swoops in to attack and fires a crossbow aimed at my body, but I hear a sharp metallic sound as Banedon erects a shield around us and the bolt is deflected. I free the spear that pins him. It appears he has been promoted to Journeymaster based on his new robes. I take him to the helm - a crystal sphere with hundreds of facets set on a slim and glowing silver rod. I hear an explosion.



The smoke clears on deck and I see a smiling dwarf with a tube of smoking steel and a Kraan with a hole in its wing flies off. At first I think them magical staves but then I notice all of the dwarves are carrying them. The noise and smoke scares off the remaining Kraan. These are the dwarves from the mountain kingdom of Bor, famed for its inventions.

Banedon steers the ship to the Dahir Pass and I am asked to pick a number, which is 5. As the Bor dwarves begin to throw off the corpses of the dead, one Drakkar jumps to life and screams and charges at me, weapon drawn. He throws his axe at me and then follows it. If I have Hunting or Sixth Sense, I am to go to a certain passage that tells me my skill enabled me to dodge. He is shot by a dwarf’s stick and pushed off the edge of the ship.

Thunder crackles and I see Banedon is looking weak. Do I have Healing? Yup. I mend some of his muscle and bone with my skill, and he feels much better. The dwarves claim to help him the rest of the way. They put some new bandages and tonic on Banedon’s arm. I begin to tell him my story.


Quote:


'The future of Sommerlund rests in our hands, Lone Wolf. We must stop Darklord Haakon from destroying the Book of the Magnakai. I have heard tell of the Tomb of the Majhan from the nomads of the Dry Main. They say it is a terrible place, a place of horror and death--for what little there is left to die there. It lies beyond the Dahir, near the oasis of Bal-loftan. That is all I know, for the Majhan hid their tombs well and what few traces remained have long since disappeared beneath the shifting sands of the Dry Main.'

Your face conveys the disappointment you feel upon hearing these words.

'However, all is not lost,' says Banedon, undaunted. 'There is a man who can guide us there. His name is Tipasa Edarouk--'Tipasa the Wanderer'. It is he who we must seek, for he is the only man who has ever entered the Tomb of the Majhan and lived to tell the tale.'

Banedon takes over the helm as his extraordinary ship, the Skyrider, as the dwarves call it, speeds through the gathering darkness towards the Dahir Pass. Visibility diminishes with each passing minute until, finally, you can see no further than the outriggers. You feel uneasy; if the Skyrider veers but a fraction off course, you will be smashed to pieces against the mountainside.

'Do not worry, Lone Wolf,' says Nolrim, the dwarf with the velvet satchel. 'The Captain will see us through.'

Banedon stands with his hand resting lightly on the glowing crystal, relaxed as if in a trance. His eyes are closed and a crackle of energy, like fine white lightning, traces an intricate pattern over his forehead and temples.

Okay, so I have some nice info here, and we have a plan to get to the Tomb of the Majhan. I join the dwarves for dinner and I gain 3 EP from the delicious repast. I am offered some of their notorious brew, I decline and they are not offended because they have seen the effects of their Bor-Brew on men before.

I ask them how they came to be with Banedon.


Quote:

You learn that the dwarves were once the crew of a more conventional vessel, a merchantman that sailed the Tentarias of southern Magnamund. The Tentarias is a vast expanse of lakes and land-locked seas, which connect to form a continuous canal stretching nearly three thousand miles. They were created, as was the Rymerift of Durenor, by a massive landslide. Three years ago, the dwarves' former captain, a dwarf named Quan, lost his ship, cargo, and crew whilst gambling at cards; it seems the unfortunate captain was unaware of Banedon's true profession until it was far too late. As a result, Banedon became the dwarves' captain, and ever since they have adventured with him across the lands and skies of Southern Magnamund. The Skyrider itself was given to Banedon by the Magicians of Dessi, in return for his help in defeating the Gagadoth--a monstrous creature that terrorized their land, over which their own sorcery could not prevail.

The Skyrider was traveling from Dessi on its way to Barrakeesh when you appeared. The dwarves have overheard your talk with Banedon and are excited by the prospects of a new adventure. They seem undaunted by the deadly dangers that it will certainly involve.

I finally fall asleep in a bed way too small for me, but the rest is peaceful and relaxing, so I gain 2 EP but I am at full. I gather my belongings, go on deck and I am pointed to some Kraan-Riders. We are in a mountain valley and surrounded by rocks. I am asked if I have a Black Crystal Cube, and I do not. We manage to outrun the Kraan with Banedon as the navigator and pilot. Finally, we arrive at Ikaresh. This is the home of Tipasa the Wanderer. We land, and Banedon and I move out together to find Tipasa. I roll a 6.

We pass by a cave and I ask that we enter. Inside we find a beautiful caving system, and at the end is an emaciated figure in a blanket. As we near him, the man raises his face to look at me. No one has entered his cave for quite some time, I use Healing to find out more about him. His face is full of green putrescent sores and sallow yellow eyes and baggy grey lips. He has vaxelus, a disease of withering and death that attacks the pores and the skin and the nerves themselves. He has been banished. I have two choices, and I choose to place the second dose of Oede Herb on the ground between me and him.

He is quite suspicious at first, but soon he recognizes the leaves of the rare herb. He breaks down in joy and asks how he can ever repay me. I tell him no repayment is necessary and we move to go, but he searches in his rags for someone and pulls out a beautiful jewel-encrusted mace and beseeches me to take it. I mark is as a special item.

We pass by a house on our way to the city and pass by a house where a man touches his head as a sign of welcome and bids us to enter his house. I agree after using Sixth Sense which tells me his offer of welcome is genuine.

The man welcomes us, introduces himself, and pours three cups of a green wine and tells us to drink. I choose to do so and the warming effect of this Kourshah restores my EP. He sees my expression and offers to sell me a bottle. I buy one for 5 crowns. +4 Ep when I drink it.

We leave his house and arrive at Ikaresh. We arrive at a square from where there are three exits: Dougga Market, Avenue of Eagles, or go west towards the main square. I take the fun sounding Avenue of Eagles. We pass by an eating-house, and I can go in or continue. I decide to continue. I am asked by a woman for a coin and I decide to give it to her. She tells us where Tipasa is but my Sixth Sense tells me she is lying. I challenge her and she runs.

We continue along the Avenue of Eagles and pass a weapons shop where I can buy a Sword, dagger or broadsword. I pass. I have something a little better already. We arrive at a fork and I go right. We arrive at Dougga Market. There is a tavern here or we can keep going, so I keep going. We pass under an arch and the street widens and there are stables, merchants and we can continue. I ask a merchant and he makes it clear that I have to buy a pink and orange sackcloth waistcoat for 5 crowns. We get directions.

It’s a plot page, so here is it is in quotes:


There is no reply to your first knock. You are about to knock again when the door opens a few inches and the red-rimmed eyes of an old woman stare out from the darkness. 'Banedon!' she exclaims, her voice hoarse and shaky. 'Thank the gods it is you.'

She ushers you both inside and locks the door. The house is sparsely furnished and what little is there is either damaged or broken. 'They have taken him, Banedon, they have taken my husband--the men with the faces of the dead. Ten days ago. They came like shadows in the night.'

She breaks down, her frail body wracked by sobs. Banedon comforts her as best he can, but you sense he shares her bitter loss. The Drakkarim have taken Tipasa, of that there is little doubt. By now they will have made him tell everything he knows about the Tomb of the Majhan.

'We will find him, I promise,' says Banedon, wiping the tears from the old woman's face, 'but you must try to help us if you can. Tipasa always kept a diary of his travels--do you have it still?'

A flicker of hope shines in the old woman's eyes. 'Yes, it is here. He told me to hide it when the evil men came for him.'

She kneels at an empty fireplace and pries a loose brick from the chimney; a leather-bound book drops from its hiding place into her hand. She gives it to Banedon who studies the yellowed pages, his face lined in thought. You notice that the book is full of cryptic symbols, numbers and pictograms.

'They are drawn by the night stars,' says Banedon, tracing his finger along the astronomical drawings. 'They hold the secret, I know, but without my star charts we cannot hope to find the tomb. We must return to the Skyrider at first light. There I shall be able to make some sense of this book.'




You have little sleep that night as you lie thinking about the quest that lies before you, haunted by the fear that the Darklords may already have found the Book of the Magnakai.

You rise before dawn and breakfast on a meal of sheep's butter and dried milk cake, before bidding farewell to Tipasa's wife. The trek back to the Skyrider passes uneventfully, and by noon you have reached the rocky crag where the craft is moored. Nolrim is the first to greet you, but he cannot hide his disappointment that you have returned unaccompanied.

'Do not worry--the answer lies here,' says Banedon, holding up Tipasa's diary. 'Prepare to set sail.'

As the Skyrider rises into the clear blue sky, Banedon hands over the helm to Nolrim and bids you follow him to his quarters at the prow. For three hours he pores over his charts, making calculations, checking instrument readings, and racking his brain for the solution that will pinpoint the Tomb of the Majhan.
'It's no use,' he says, tired and exasperated. 'I cannot fathom these numbers.'

As you peer at the pages of Tipasa's diary, suddenly you realize that they are written in code. What Banedon had assumed to be positions of stars is a code to three numbers that give the precise location of the Tomb.
Consult the map to help you discover the location of the Tomb of the Majhan.

The first of the three numbers is equal to the number of oases on the trail between Ikaresh and Bir Rabalou. The second number is equal to the number of cities in Vassagonia. The third number is equal to the number of islands off the coast of Cape Kabar.

When you have broken the code, write the numbers in order and turn to the entry number that they indicate

The first number is obviously 3. As is the last number.

Assuming that if the map, a flag is a city, the middle number is 6. Let’s try 363.

Nope. The next guess is a 7 because Kuchek is much bigger than the other markers for towns, so let’s say it is a city too.

Yes, 373 is it.

We will be there before dawn. Once again, we set the Skyrider down and Banedon and I make off to try and get the Book of the Magnakai.

I have to eat a meal on our way, and its my last.

Quote:

You and Banedon set off before the dawn, anxious not to waste either time or the protective cover of darkness. Now, as the great golden disc of the sun rises in the sky, for the first time you can see your goal. A massive excavation has exposed the heart of this scorched land, delving deep around the tombs of its forgotten ancestors. Thousands of Giaks, spiteful and malicious servants of the Darklords, labor unceasingly to remove rock and sand from this quarry, forced by Drakkarim to drag their backbreaking loads up ramps to the rim of the crater.

Close to the edge of the crater, an encampment of black tents surrounds a large domed canopy. Lying in the shade of this construction is a huge flying creature--an Imperial Zlanbeast. Its presence here can only mean one thing: Darklord Haakon has arrived. The thought chills your blood, but you draw comfort from the labor of his slaves. That they continue to labor is a sign that their mission has yet to be completed: the Book of the Magnakai has yet to be found.

It is impossible to approach the crater unseen; you will have to wait for darkness before you attempt to enter the Tomb. During the long wait, it is agreed that Banedon should attempt to find Tipasa. It is likely that he is being held captive inside the encampment--the Darklords would be unlikely to kill him before discovering the treasure they seek.


We wait until cover of night. I easily sneak past a few Giaks here and there, since they are overworked. I arrive and see a Drakkar on guard. I am asked if I have Mind Over Matter at the main entrance to the tomb. I do not. I am asked if I have Graveweed, and no I did not carry any from Kalte. So, I have to creep up and overpower him. I roll a number and add for various skills. I get a 5 which turns into 10. I snap his neck and succeed.


Quote:

As far as the eye can see, a long, straight, sandstone corridor slopes away into the distance. Torches crackle and splutter on the walls, illuminating the pictograms engraved in the yellow stone.

At regular intervals, rough-edged slabs protrude into the main corridor. You stop to take a close look at one of these slabs and the floor beneath it and come to a frightening conclusion. They are obviously traps, no doubt set off by the Giaks when they cleared this corridor of sand. Rather than instructing the Giaks to avoid them, the Darklords must have deliberately used their slaves to set them off. Once the traps had been sprung, the squashed bodies were cleared away and the slabs chiselled through to the next section. Pit traps in the floors seem to have been neutralized in the same way. Set off by luckless Giaks, they would have been filled in with the dead bodies and levelled off with sand. The thought of this heartless barbarity fills you with revulsion.

Just over a mile along the corridor, you eventually arrive at a large stone door. The stone surround bears evidence of chisel-work, but the door itself is rock solid.

You notice a faint beam of light descending from a hole in the ceiling. It creates a small circular pool of light, a little to one side of a similar hole in the floor. In the wall near to the door there is a triangular indentation, no larger than a Gold Crown.

I have both a Prism and a Blue Stone Triangle. I insert the Blue Stone Triangle and it is a perfect fit. The stone opens and I pass in.

Quote:

The throne begins to revolve. A terrible howling fills your ears, changing almost instantaneously to the growling of a harsh guttural language, the like of which you have never heard before. Words and sounds that the mouths of men could never be shaped to speak roll through the chamber like thunder. It is the dark tongue, spoken by Haakon, Lord of Aarnak, Darklord of Helgedad.

He rises from the throne, the ghastly voice still echoing from his unnatural mouth. A spiked fist opens to reveal a glowing stone; blue flame smoulders around its surface, and you can feel the currents of power that radiate from its core. Suddenly, his words change and you hear a tongue you know so well--Sommlending.

'Look on your doom, Kai Lord!'

There is a deafening crack, a surge of power, and a fireball of blue flame hurtles towards your head.


Do I have the Sommerswerd? Yup. I deflect the bolt of energy but the blade is impacted from my hand and flies away. I can try and retrieve it, stay where I am, or try to move to a new hiding place. I choose the latter. I don’t want to go where he can just fire bolts at me until doomsday. He blasts a pillar while I dodge and I take 3 EP from the blast. I have 29 left. I am attacked by a powerful Mindblast. Do I have Mindshield? Yup.

He stops attacking me when he sees me protected, and he summons a foe from mists and magicks.



This is a Dhorgaan, a mystical snake of energy. My Jeweled Mace is patricianly good against this foe and gives me +5 CS for this fight.

Dhorgaan CS 20, EP 40

Looks like Mindblast does work on it, a surprise. I have a +6 bonus. I roll a 6 and it takes 11 and me 1. I roll another 6, 22 and 2. A 4 follows, 31 and 4. A 1, 37 and 8, and finally a 2. I am down to 18 EP. I rolled poorly.

As I kill the Dhorgaan, Darklord Haakon reels as if he was struck himself and he drops his stone. I use Sixth Sense. The stone is radiating pure evil, but if I can turn it against Haakon…

Quote:

With the leap of a tiger, you snatch the glowing gem barely a second before Haakon's spiked fist slams into the floor where the jewel lay. You turn to face your enemy, the gem held high in your hand, its blue beam glinting on the Darklord's black armour. He shrinks beneath its glare and falls to his knees, a repulsive sucking noise issuing from his helm as he slowly begins to fade.

A sudden crack makes you start with shock, but you are no longer in danger. The glowing gem has vanished from your hand; like its master it has left this dimension, never to return.

You examine the floor where Darklord Haakon fell, but there are no signs of his body. The atmosphere is strangely calm and peaceful, as if a great and evil shadow has been lifted.

You turn and walk to the throne where Haakon sat, waiting for you to appear. Beyond it lies a portal, an ancient inscription carved deep into the blood-red stone. Below the carving is set the impression of a human hand. Instinct and intuition guide your hand to the door; the carving fits around it like a glove.



Silently the portal slides back to reveal your destiny--the Book of the Magnakai. Set on a pedestal, the book lies open, its secrets revealed to your eyes alone. As you lift the sacred book, the very air throbs with the vibration of the force locked within its sun-gold cover. With a pounding heart you close the book and hurry from the chamber.

By the time you reach the foothills of the Koneshi, Banedon has successfully completed his mission; he and Tipasa are waiting for you. As they see you appear, clutching the Book of the Magnakai, they can barely contain their excitement.

'This night of triumph,' says Banedon, jubilantly, 'will herald a new dawn of hope for Sommerlund. The Kai are reborn.'

The quest is now over. You have found the Book of the Magnakai and freed Magnamund from the shadow of Darklord Haakon. But for you, Kai Master Lone Wolf, the story has only just begun.

Okay, let’s review my favorite of the 5 Kai books, Shadow of the Sand.


Now, sure it does have a few plot points that are a bit cliché like the whole Treasure in an Ancient Vault, or The Guide is Not There and His Wife Gives Us His Journal. However, it is a lot fresher than what you would normally expect from heroic fantasy. They flip the script in the first section, and then flip it again midway, and the result is something neat. It’s very long, at 400 sections, and gives you a great long story. It also uses all of the disciplines well. I never had Mind Over Matter, but here I wish I did, because you used it so many times, as well as Animal Kinship, Mindshield, Camouflage, Tracking, Sixth Sense, Healing, Weaponskill, Hunting, etc. Only Mindblast is never used in text, but it is used in fights.

Anyways, TOUGH for beginners, even if you do have a Jeweled Mace. However, too easy for those who have the Sommerswerd. The final battle, I remembered after I won and I went back and looked, is actually harder if you have the Sommerswerd because Haakon summons something more powerful and then you have to fight Haakon instead of just zapping him. However you kill him, instead of banishing him.

I am not a fan of the introduction of dwarves to Magnamund. Every other creature is a unique creation of Joe Dever except for dwarves (and eventually dragons and vampires too). I’d prefer he keep away from the clichéd creatures like dwarves, since he does with almost everything else.


Anyway, great book, probably my fave of the series in terms of skill balance and plot and such.

End of Shadow on the Sand

Say hello, not just to the next book, but to the next series, the Magnakai series, books 6 - 12. Say hello to the Kingdoms of Terror.




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

Three years have passed since your triumph over the Darklord Haakon at the Tomb of the Majhan, and for the northern realm of Sommerlund, these have been three years of peace and prosperity. Since Haakon's defeat, the power of the Darklords has waned. Rumours abound that a civil war rages in Helgedad, as the lesser Darklords fight for power and dominion over the city. However, it is a widely held belief in Sommerlund that your discovery of the lost Sommlending treasure, The Book of the Magnakai, is the real reason for their power struggle.

The Book of the Magnakai is legendary in Sommerlund. With the wisdom of the Magnakai, Sun Eagle, the first Kai Grand Master, instilled the disciplines into the warriors of Sommerlund that were to protect your land from devastation at the hands of the Darklords. The Book of the Magnakai was lost hundreds of years ago, but its wisdom was kept alive, handed down through generations of Kai so that they too could share the strength to resist their eternal enemies.

When you discovered The Book of the Magnakai, you gave a solemn pledge to restore the Kai to their former glory and so ensure the security of your land in the years to come. You returned to your homeland and, in the seclusion of your monastery in the hills, set about the study of the Magnakai Disciplines. It was an exacting task--a trial of physical strength and mental fortitude. The seasons came and went, but you were unaware of the passage of time, lost in your quest for the knowledge and the skills of your warrior kin. Three years of determined study pass, revealing the secrets of three of the Magnakai Disciplines. However, the others cannot be learnt by study alone, and in order to fulfill your pledge to restore the Kai, you must complete the quest first made by Sun Eagle over a thousand years ago. When he had finally completed his quest, he recorded all his experiences in The Book of the Magnakai, but the script has faded with the passing years and now few words remain to guide you.

'Seek and find the Lorestone of Varetta, for this alone holds the power and the wisdom . . .' are the few words you can still decipher of the Grand Master's chronicle.

Although the verse is brief you are not without hope, for you recognize the name Varetta. It is one of the oldest cities of Magnamund, lying in the Stornlands beyond the Maakengorge, far to the south of Sommerlund. You realize that you must set out upon the quest without delay, for the war in Helgedad will not last indefinitely, and the Darklords swore long ago to conquer your country and destroy your people. As soon as their civil strife is resolved, the victorious lords of evil will turn on Sommerlund and summon the creatures of the Dark Realm to thwart your quest. You must therefore act quickly and with secrecy, for your life and the future of Sommerlund depends on your success.

And so, guided by the words of your ancient mentor and with the shadow of the Darklords ever present, you set out on the quest for the Lorestone of Varetta, unaware of the wonders and the horrors that await you in the Stornlands.

Here is the map of the Stornlands:

Magnakai Disciplines:

Unlike the previous books, I begin the adventure only knowing 3 of these skills. I am going to cut and paste them for you:

Weaponmastery

This Magnakai Discipline enables a Kai Master to become proficient in the use of all types of weapon. When you enter combat with a weapon you have mastered, you add 3 points to your COMBAT SKILL. The rank of Kai Master Superior, with which you begin the Magnakai series, means you are skilled in three of the weapons in the list below.




The fact that you are skilled with three weapons does not mean that you begin the adventure carrying any of them. However, you will have opportunities to acquire weapons during your adventure. For every Lone Wolf book that you complete in the Magnakai series, you may add an additional weapon to your list.

Animal Control

This Magnakai Discipline enables a Kai Master to communicate with most animals and to determine their purpose and intentions. It also enables a Kai Master to fight from the saddle with great advantage.


Curing

The possessor of this skill can restore 1 lost ENDURANCE point to his total for every numbered section of the book through which he passes, provided he is not involved in combat. (This can only be done after his ENDURANCE has fallen below its original level.) This Magnakai Discipline also enables a Kai Master to cure disease, blindness and any combat wounds sustained by others, as well as himself. Using the knowledge that mastery of this skill provides will also allow a Kai Master to identify the properties of any herbs, roots and potions that may be encountered during the adventure.

Invisibility

This Magnakai skill allows a Kai Master to blend in with his surroundings, even in the most exposed terrain. It will enable him to mask his body heat and scent, and to adopt the dialect and mannerisms of any town or city that he visits.


Huntmastery

This skill ensures that a Kai Master will never starve in the wild; he will always be able to hunt for food, even in areas of wasteland and desert. It also enables a Kai Master to move with great speed and dexterity and will allow him to ignore any extra loss of COMBAT SKILL points due to a surprise attack or ambush.


Pathsmanship

In addition to the basic skill of being able to recognize the correct path in unknown territory, the Magnakai skill of Pathsmanship will enable a Kai Master to read foreign languages, decipher symbols, read footprints and tracks (even if they have been disturbed), and detect the presence of most traps. It also grants him the gift of always knowing intuitively the position of north.


Psi-surge

This psychic skill enables a Kai Master to attack an enemy using the force of his mind. It can be used as well as normal combat weapons and adds 4 extra points to your COMBAT SKILL. It is a powerful Discipline, but it is also a costly one. For every round of combat in which you use Psi-surge, you must deduct 2 ENDURANCE points. A weaker form of Psi-surge called Mindblast can be used against an enemy without losing any ENDURANCE points, but it will add only 2 extra points to your COMBAT SKILL. (Psi-surge and Mindblast cannot be used simultaneously.) Psi-surge cannot be used if your ENDURANCE falls to 6 points or below, and not all of the creatures encountered on your adventure will be affected by it; you will be told if a creature is immune.


Psi-screen

Many of the hostile creatures that inhabit Magnamund have the ability to attack you using their Mindforce. The Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen prevents you from losing any ENDURANCE points when subjected to this form of attack and greatly increases your defence against supernatural illusions and hypnosis.


Nexus

Mastery of this Magnakai skill will enable you to withstand extremes of heat and cold without losing ENDURANCE points and to move items by your powers of concentration alone.


Divination

This skill may warn a Kai Master of imminent or unseen danger or enable him to detect an invisible or hidden enemy. It may also reveal the true purpose or intent of a stranger or strange object encountered in your adventure. Divination may enable you to communicate telepathically with another person and to sense if a creature possesses psychic abilities.

Additionally, there are Lore-Circles. Let me quote that for you:

Lore-circles of the Magnakai

In the years before their massacre, the Kai Masters of Sommerlund devoted themselves to the study of the Magnakai. These skills were divided into four schools of training called 'Lore-circles'. By mastering all of the Magnakai Disciplines of a Lore-circle, the Kai Masters developed their fighting prowess (COMBAT SKILL), and their physical and mental stamina (ENDURANCE) to a level far higher than any mortal warrior could otherwise attain.

Listed below are the four Lore-circles of the Magnakai and the skills that must be mastered in order to complete them.

Circle of Fire: Weaponmastery & Huntmastery

Circle of Light: Animal Control & Curing

Circle of Solaris: Invisibility, Huntmastery & Pathsmanship

Circle of the Spirit: Psi-surge, Psi-screen, Nexus & Divination

By completing a Lore-circle, you may add to your COMBAT SKILL and ENDURANCE the extra bonus points that are shown below.

Lore-circle Bonuses

Circle of Fire: +1 CS +2 EP

Circle of Light: 0 CS +3 EP

Circle of Solaris: +1 CS +3 EP

Circle of the Spirit: +3 CS +3 EP

All bonus points that you acquire by completing a Lore-circle are additions to your basic COMBAT SKILL and ENDURANCE scores.

This adds a new element to the game, as does this:


Improved Disciplines

As you rise through the higher levels of Magnakai training you will find that each of your skills will steadily improve. For example, if you possess the Discipline of Divination when you reach the Magnakai rank of Scion-kai, you will be able to 'Spirit Walk' and leave your body in a state of suspended animation as you explore your immediate surroundings unhindered by physical limitations.

The nature of these additional improvements and how they affect your Magnakai Disciplines will be noted in the Improved Disciplines section of future Lone Wolf books.


In later books, getting improved disciplines will make some of these skills a lot better. For example, Nexus will be able to extinguish fires by will of mind alone or Curing can neutralize all poisons, venoms and toxins or Animal Control can summon woodland animals to serve as guides or to attack their foes.

What do I take?

I can still use my old skills. I still can use Mindblast, Weaponskill with a QStaff, Healing and Hunting. With that in mind, here are the ones I most want: Pathsmanship, Divination, Weaponmastery, and Huntmastery. Psi-Surge is too limiting with it’s negative life loss. Psi-Screen is too weak. Nexus and Animal Control are iffy. Invisibility is not on my radar right now, and Curing is too similar to Healing. Weaponmastery will jump my CS by three because I can finally use the Sommerswerd with mastery. It does not stack with Weaponskill. I can take Weaponmastery with Bow, Sword and Dagger, and all three weapons I have I am skilled in. Divination and Pathsmanship are great at getting information and always have been. Huntmastery allows me to leave behind meals forever, and that’s cool. Plus, it makes me good at avoiding ambushes and such.

After consideration, I decide to take Weaponmastery, Pathsmanship and Divination.

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

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


Here is my Safekeeping:


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




Keeping:

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

Lone Wolf, Kai Master Superior

CS 32
EP 32

Divination
Pathmanship
Weaponmastery



Here we go.

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

Quote:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

Quote:

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

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


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




Altan: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE (TARGET points) 50

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I dismount and quickly get to the Castle.



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

Yawshath CS 22, EP32

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

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

Quote:

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

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

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

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

Quote:

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

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

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

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

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



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


Undead Summoning - CS 18, EP 35

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

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

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

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

'Brass . . . Street . . .'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

Backstabbers - 18 CS, 25 EP

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

Still reading along, good stuff.

Thanks!

Quote:

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quote:

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




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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Glad you like it!

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

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

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

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

Grave Robbers CS 17, EP 23

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



Pirate Berserkers, CS 20, EP 30

I roll a 9 and auto kill them.

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

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


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


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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

Quote:

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

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

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


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


(I choose to use a bow)

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


I am facing the:

Dakomyd CS 25, EP 50.

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

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

Quote:

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

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

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

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





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

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

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

Review of The Kingdoms of Terror.

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

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


End of The Kingdoms of Terror.

Say hello to Castle Death



Here is the story thus far:


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

Here is the Map I am given:







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

Safekeeping:



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



Keeping:


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

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

Lone Wolf, Kai Primate

26 CS
34 EP

Divination
Pathsmanship
Weaponmastery
Huntmastery



Let’s go.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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


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







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



Zagothal CS 29, EP 28


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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

I hit a door with the following symbol on it:



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

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



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

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

Vampire Bats: 19 CS, 32 EP

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

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

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

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




Dhax CS 27, EP 35

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

'The sentence?' retorts their master.

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

Oudagorg - CS 17, EP 17

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




CS 17, EP 22

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

Throne-Hall Guard CS 14, EP 22

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