Odel has a crossbow and refills his quiver too. We slip over the perimeter wall and move out. We are in a dense canopy of foliage. I see a layer of a bushy velvety lichen. Do I have Curing? Nope. I choose not to eat any since I have Huntmastery.

After a while we arrive at a decaying trunk. Odel tells me that just one league left. I use Pathsmanship and Tutelary. There is a hostile creature with a blowpipe waiting for us. I grab my bow and lance an arrow into a Agtah Sniper’s abdomen and it dies. Odel runs up to search its body. I can cover him or join him. I follow him. The blowpipe was made from a Meledorian Thighbone, and Odel is pissed.


Quote:

There is a moment of cold fear when you first set eyes on the burial grounds of Tolakos. An eerie blue glow, cast by clumps of bacterial fungi, illuminates a mist that seeps from the tombs and crypts of this ancient necropolis. The swirling vapour is contained by a wall which encircles the graveyard, although it is broken in many places where trees have displaced the mouldering stonework. With a weapon at the ready you follow Odel towards one such gap in the wall, which is overshadowed by a great mausoleum.

'This is the Vault of Sedron,' whispers Odel, as he clambers over the rubble and crouches beside its damp grey wall. 'Old King Kalon sleeps here.' He removes a throwing knife from his boot and with its tip he points to the other funereal landmarks of Tolakos and identifies them one by one. 'That's the Crypt of Juilor. Over there are the Graves of the Faithful, and there's Baylon's Tomb. The Chaos-master and his minions have kept us away from here for nearly a generation, but Lorkon is determined to wrest it from him and restore it to its past glory. Over there, near the centre, is the Grand Sepulchre. That's where the bloodline of the Ironheart clan are laid to rest.'

You stare at this macabre building and a powerful feeling electrifies your body. The Sepulchre is an imposing sight, yet it is not the grim splendour of its design that exhilarates you. You are ablaze with the realization that somewhere here, in the Grand Sepulchre of the Ironhearts, lie the last two Lorestones of Nyxator: the objects of your quest.


'I must search that tomb,' you say, staring fixedly at the huge door that dominates the Sepulchre's blue-grey sculptured facade. Odel frowns and casts his eyes nervously at the surrounding mist. 'I cannot enter,' he says. 'I am not of clan blood. If you choose to go through that door you must go alone.'

You sense that nothing will induce Odel to break his clan law, but you are anxious not to lose a valuable guide. 'When I enter the Grand Sepulchre will you wait for me here?', you ask, hoping he will agree. Silently he considers your request. 'Yes,' he says, without enthusiasm. 'But search swiftly. The creatures of chaos are close. I can feel it in my blood.'

You exchange stern smiles then hurry away through the knee-deep mists, towards the great door.

The portal is secured by a massive metallic lock, and engraved into its blackened surface is a quartered square. In three of the four quarters there are etched symbols, but the fourth quarter, which is formed of a soft, clay-like substance, remains blank. Your basic Kai instincts tell you that the symbols are a clue to a Meledorian code that unlocks the great door. By inscribing the correct symbols in the soft surface of the blank square, you will cause the portal to open. Study the sequence carefully:



I use Divination and it tells me that if I use the wrong symbol, it could be deadly. I have four options and easily find the right one. The door opens. I am in the center of the Sepulchre, with statues and such. I choose to enter the treasure room. Inside I find a very special Ironheart Broadsword.

Quote:

You leave the treasure vault and recommence your search for the Lorestones. You concentrate on the source of their radiant power and your eyes are drawn inexorably towards the ceiling. Nothing stirs in these shadowy reaches, yet you sense that the Lorestones are there. Then you notice the stairs and the circular portal and at once you realize that they must provide access to the flat roof of the Sepulchre. With your heart pounding in your chest you race up the steps, confident of finding the two objects of your quest waiting for you on the roof.

A lever operates the portal and, when you pull it, the circular hatch creaks open and a shaft of grey light washes over your head and shoulders. Your senses burn with expectation. You grip the rim and start to pull yourself through the hole, but a dark shadow and a cold wind sweep over you, making you flinch and fall back on the stairs. There is a loud crack, like a sharp clap of thunder, then a terrible scream of agony echoes through the forest. Fear and anger grip your senses as you realize that you have just heard the dying scream of Odel, your guide. Enraged, you leap for the portal and pull yourself on to the roof, where the Lorestones and an unexpected enemy await you.

Perched on a bough overhanging the roof is a gigantic black-winged bird. Seated on its back is a magnificent warrior dressed in scarlet silk and polished silver mail. His head is crowned by an elaborate helmet, its visor formed in the shape of a roaring dragon with jewelled eyes and fiery breath. The tangled branches prevent the bird from landing, but a rope ladder hangs from its saddle and the warrior uses it to climb down on to the roof. He leaps the last few feet and his landing disturbs the dense mist that carpets the surface, rolling it back to reveal two glowing golden spheres of crystal, each filled with fire, lying close to where he now stands. He crouches down and your stomach churns with dread as you see him reach out to grab the golden Lorestones.




I use a bow.

You draw an arrow and take aim as he stoops to snatch the Lorestones with his gloved hands. But he is covered in heavy mail and, even at such close range, there are few places where you can be sure that your arrow will pierce his armour.

I fire at his chest and try to penetrate the chain mail armor. Success and it goes deep, but the warrior just roars in pain and continues, grabbing the lorestones and putting them in a pouch. I draw a hand weapon and move forward.

Scarlet Warrior CS 25, EP 30.

I roll a 2 and a 0. I took three and I am instructed by the text to turn to a new page:

Quote

Breathless and bleeding, the warrior evades your skilful attacks by leaping for the rope ladder and holding fast. From there he shouts a command and the giant black bird takes to the air, lifting him off the roof. A wave of panic engulfs you. In desperation you leap up and strike a blow at the velvet sack swinging from his belt. He tries to fend off your attack but his position is precarious. Your blow strikes home, slitting open the velvet and gashing deep into the back of his gloved hand. He drops his sword and one of the two Lorestones tumbles from the sack and falls into the graveyard below, coming to rest close to the door of the Sepulchre. Yet he manages to save the second Lorestone from falling and, with a parting curse, you watch as he is lifted above the trees and carried away into the cold, grey sky.

Peering over the parapet, you try to locate the Lorestone, but it is impossible to see through the eerie blue carpet of grave mist. You are about to leave the roof when you hear a thrumming noise, like the sound of wild and discordant drumming. You peer in the direction of the noise and see a line of hulking shapes shambling towards the gaps in the perimeter wall. Instantly you recognize them--they are Agtah, the hideous creations of the Chaos-master.

Spurred on by anger and fear, you race through the inner sanctum of the Sepulchre and skid to a halt outside its great door. There, shrouded in mist, you discover the body of your guide, his chest torn open and blackened by a bolt of power that claimed his life. You kneel to close his sightless eyes and immediately sense that the Lorestone is close at hand. Guided by instinct you race towards the Lorestone but, as you are running past the entrance to a crypt, you are set upon by a pair of snarling chaos-creatures.


Agtah Scouts CS 26, EP 21

Immune to Mindblast, and Huntmastery prevents loss of CS due to their swift attack.

I roll a 2, 1 and 2. Ouch. I took 13, they took 11. I roll a 7. Them 9, me 1. I finish with a 0 and kill them. I took 14. I am at 21/37

Quote:

You leap over the bodies of the dead Agtah and press on with your search. Ahead you see a glimmer of gold in the pale blue luminescence and you thrust your hand towards it into the mist. A tingling sensation runs the length of your arm, filling your body with an incredible sense of strength and well being as you close your hand around the Lorestone and hold it up before your eyes.


Fully healed.

Quote:

The golden glow fades as the wisdom contained within the Lorestone is infused into your being. Your spirit soars, but you do not allow your euphoria to blind you to the danger that is closing on Tolakos. You turn and run back towards the entrance to the Grand Sepulchre, intending to seek sanctuary behind its door, but your foot catches on something sharp and sends you sprawling to the ground. The toe of your left boot is cut through but fortunately your foot has escaped without a scratch. Cautiously you try to locate what caused such a vicious cut and discover the scarlet warrior's curvy-bladed sword.

(I choose to keep it, and drop the Magi Mace)

You raise the sword and essay a cut or two to assess its worth. It is a fine weapon, skilfully crafted by an expert smith. Its hilt is bejewelled with emeralds and the curvy blade is engraved with a spectacular fiery dragon. At once you recognize the design and your hopes of retrieving the last Lorestone are revived. It is identical to the symbol you first saw in the Table of Visions: the mark that emblazoned the stone gate of Haagadar.

You focus your Kai skills on the blade and they confirm your suspicions. The scarlet warrior came from Haagadar, and it is to that distant city that his black-winged mount is now returning with the last Lorestone of the Kai.

From the depths of the Nahgoth Forest crawls a nightmare army of gibbering chaos-creatures. They are directed by one sinister being and all are obedient to his silent command. You run towards the Sepulchre with terror in your heart as their writhing shapes pour through the gaps in the perimeter wall in ever increasing numbers. You evade their spears and stones but, as you reach the great door, you are confronted by three tentacled horrors, wearing heavy armour strapped to their warty hides. Their bloated bodies fill the doorway and prevent you from entering.




(I use Pathsmanship)

Your senses tell you that Lorkon Ironheart's army is within a league of Tolakos and will be here within the hour. Until then you must find somewhere safe from the chaos-horde or you will be overwhelmed and destroyed by sheer weight of numbers. Quickly you scan the surrounding crypts and note that, with the exception of the Grand Sepulchre and Baylon's Tomb, they are all in a state of ruin.

I can fight here or run to Baylon’s Tomb. I run to Baylon;s Tomb. I have to do another of the lock things. I search the tomb and find nothing. I hear a sound and run to the top.

Quote:

As you look down from the parapet you are greeted by a stirring sight. Lorkon Ironheart's army is surging into Tolakos, transforming the chaos-choked grounds into a raging battlefield. At their head you see Lorkon, his silver armour and scarlet cloak tarnished with black blood, striking at the enemy with blurring speed and deadly accuracy. He leads a massive wedge of Meledorian warriors whose faces and armour are painted with magical runes to ward off the creatures of chaos. The Agtah melt before them, like ice before a fire, and flee in panic to the dark safety of the Nahgoth. The Meledorians give a rousing cheer of victory to speed the enemy's retreat. But their jubilant cries are soon stifled when, from the depths of the forest, they are answered by a thunderous roar.



Something huge and deadly is striding towards Tolakos. The ground trembles beneath its step and the air is filled with sounds of great destruction. The crack and groan of sundered trees and the thunderous growls of a gigantic beast grow steadily louder, driving many of Lorkon's soldiers to the brink of despair. Desperately he tries to rally them but his voice is lost in the deafening noise.

Suddenly a gap appears at the forest's edge as, effortlessly, a pair of stout trees are pushed apart by monstrous hands. Morbid terror grips the Meledorians and few stand their ground when they see the awesome visage of the Chaos-master looming thirty feet above. You look upon his massive, naked body and feel sickened by what you see. His features are in a constant state of flux, dissolving, merging, and melting into new and ever more hideous shapes. Only Lorkon appears unmoved by the dreadful sight; he raises his sword and challenges the evil being to single combat, but his brave words are met with a howl of derision.



'You would challenge a god?' speaks the Chaos-master, his mocking voice unbearably loud. Lorkon remains undaunted by his enemy and repeats his call to combat. The Chaos-master laughs. 'Ha! Then let us begin, for though our sport shall be but a brief affair, I will delight in killing such a righteous fool as thou, Lorkon.'

With terrifying ease the Chaos-master uproots a tree, pares away the branches with the edge of his hand, then wields it like a gigantic club. He strides forward, pursuing Lorkon in a grim game of cat and mouse that leaves a trail of destruction wherever they go. The Meledorian relies on luck and fleetness of foot to avoid the crushing blows, but his luck and skill do not last indefinitely. He slips and falls near the wall of the crypt on the roof of which you are crouching. The Chaos-master bellows with glee and strides forward, his club raised to crush Lorkon to an unrecognizable pulp. His loathsome shoulders draw level with the parapet and, as he steadies himself for the coup de grace, he comes within an arm's length of your position.

Do I have the Sommerswerd? The Ironheart Broadsword? I have the Ironheart Broadsword.

Quote:

Swiftly you draw the broadsword over your head and take aim at the Chaos-master's heart, yet even as you make your lunge he catches sight of you and twists to avoid your thrust. The sharp blade opens a fearful gash in his side but it misses its vital target. With a roar of agony the evil god staggers back, dropping his club as he clasps his side. Pain swiftly turns to a rage that fills him with a lust for vengeance and, with a hideous scream, he lunges at you with his gore-stained hands.

Chaos-Master CS 40, EP 58

I add 8 CS for the Ironheart Broadsword. He is immune to MB.

Here we go. I roll a lot, this will be a while. I get 6, 9, 4, 7, 9. He lost: 35. I lost: 15. I roll three more times: 3, 7, 6. He has lost 51. I have lost 25. I roll a 1. I have lost 31, him 52. I roll a 6. He dies and I am at 3/37.


I cleave his black heart in two. Awesome! His skin stops shifting.

(FYI, here is how hard the Sommerswerd fight is: CS 47, EP 68. That’s just nasty. It is the hardest Sommerswerd battle in the Magnakai game)

Quote:

Lorkon and his Meledorian troops are overjoyed to have witnessed the spectacular defeat of the Chaos-master, for your victory has rid them of their greatest enemy. They call to you to come down from the roof and, when you appear at the doorway, they shower you with praise.

'We owe you more than our lives, Aonian,' says Lorkon, his strange blue eyes aglow with admiration. 'Your great deed has saved our realm and put an end to the plague of chaos that would have corrupted us all. We are forever in your debt.'

As he shakes your hand he notices the blade with which you dispatched the Chaos-master. 'It is a good omen for my clan that the sword you used to banish the evil one was forged by my ancestors. I am doubly proud that it served you well. But now it must return to the Grand Sepulchre, for such is our law.'

It is with some reluctance that you return the Ironheart Broadsword to its rightful steward (delete this Special Item from your Action Chart), for never before have you wielded as fine a sword as this.


Lorkon orders that word of the victory be sent immediately to his people, and commands that a celebration be held in your honour. But the urgency of your quest prompts you to forego the festivities and begin your journey to Haagadar at once. Lorkon understands your need to make haste and offers to help you by assigning another scout to guide you through the Nahgoth to the Plain of Guakor.

I accept. It takes us 5 days to travel through the Nahgoth Forest. He leaves me at the Plain of Guakor. I am asked to roll a number, and it’s an 8.

I continue on, and while I rest after a while, an emaciated serpent writhes towards me. I use Animal Control. I have to roll a die since it is so close to death, but I manage to send it off.

After your encounter you stop to rest less frequently. Mile after mile you plod on mechanically, only half aware of the lifeless landscape through which you move. Fatigue dulls your senses and you cannot recall the exact moment you entered the Neverness; like a dream, it is as if you have always been here. Clouds swirl beneath your feet yet they support your weight. You float in a sea and sky of grey light without horizon or boundary, a limitless eternity of space. There are distant sounds, like muffled voices, but when you strive to understand them they fade and you cannot catch the words.

Time passes, yet time is meaningless, for you cannot tell the order in which events are taking place. From out of the swirling wisps of cloud three globes of darkness arise. They swim closer, hovering to and fro, evolving into the forms of black-hooded riders on demon steeds. Leering skulls peer from the shadow of their cloaks and you see your own eyes reflected in their bony sockets.

(I use Psi-Screen)

Blasts of psychic force shoot from the shadow creatures and hurtle towards your mind, but you sense the danger and raise a psychic defense to deflect the attack. The hostile energy buckles your thought-shield and leaves you shivering with psychic shock.

(I am a Scion-Kai)

You use your improved psychic skill to repair your thought-shield by catching and controlling part of the hostile energy being directed against you. The shadow creatures sense your psychic mastery and a whisper passes between them. They split up and the hooves of their steeds churn the cloud to a roiling ferment as they move at a gallop to surround you.

We engage in a psychic battle:

Shadow Reavers CS 25, EP 40

I do not gain bonuses for my shield, weapons or weapon mastery. I add +3 for the Psychic Ring, and +3 for the Grey Crystal Ring. I also get +5 for my rank. Alright, here we go:

I roll a 3 and a 0. They take 29 and me 1. I roll a 9 and they die. Awesome.

I kill them and then a sound lures me deeper into the Neverness.


Quote:

Slowly the clouds separate, and a tall tower of glistening white stone looms before you. A globe of golden light hangs suspended in mid-air above its conical roof, pulsating with heat and radiating power like a tiny, new-born sun.

Its comforting warmth draws you towards an open portal at the side of the tower. Beyond it you see a dark tunnel that descends towards a speck of misty yellow light.

(I do not have the Circle of the Spirit)

You find it impossible to resist the strange compulsion drawing you towards the light. Effortlessly you glide along the tunnel and emerge at the centre of a huge, transparent sphere suspended in a luminous yellow sea of oily liquid. Behind its seamless walls swim fish-like creatures, strange things with phosphorescent bodies and opalescent jaws. You stare in fascination as they swim around you, seemingly oblivious of your presence.

From the curved floor of this spherical chamber a billowing mist arises. It blurs your vision and numbs your senses. As if in a dream, you feel yourself lifted by the buoyant cloud and transported across a vast, shadowy terrain, where spirit-shapes, like wisps of white silk, swirl around you in continuous motion. At first you cannot discern the nature of these gossamer forms, but slowly they draw into focus until at last you are able to distinguish their features. A cold terror grips your mind when you realize exactly what it is you are looking at.

(I use Psi-Screen)

The ghostly forms possess the faces of every enemy you have ever slain. They twist and contort beneath your gaze, their empty eyes burning with cold blue flames as they return your stare. Frantically you draw on your psychic reserves and succeed in shielding your mind from the shock of this haunting confrontation.

The ghosts dissolve into the mists and a strange serenity soothes your tortured mind. New forms are taking shape now. They fill the scope of your vision with memories of events that occurred long ago. You see the smiling faces of your mother and father; the village of Dage, where you lived before you entered the Kai monastery; your sister Kari calling you in for supper at the close of a warm summer's day; and the sad memory of your brother Jen, who gave his life to save yours when, on your sixth birthday, you slipped and fell into the River Tor.

With amazement you watch as the patchwork parade of recollections continues to unfold, and slowly a realization of their meaning crystallizes in your mind. These people and events have all played their part, be it great or small, in the shaping of your destiny.

Suddenly the visions are obscured by a dazzling light which shines so brilliantly that you are forced to shield your eyes against the glare. Many moments pass before you can make out the shape of what looms above: it is the huge face of a mighty warrior, strong and wise, whose golden eyes stare down at you with supernatural majesty. A kindly smile softens his heroic features and a voice, deep and wondrous, rumbles from his throat.

'In this age of darkness you have been chosen to fulfil the quest of the Magnakai. Be true to the quest, for the greatness born within you can save your people and right the imbalance which threatens to destroy your world. Doubt not your purpose nor your strength, for inside you there burns a flame that can light the hopes of future men for all time.'

The divine radiance of his being and the gravity of his words fill you with wonderment, for your senses tell you that you are now in the presence of your creator--the immortal God Kai.


The vision of your maker shatters with breathtaking suddenness and, without any warning, you fall forwards and plummet into thick, swirling cloud. The scary sensation of this rapid descent leaves you gasping, but the initial shock is soon replaced by the calm certainty that your fall is being controlled by unseen hands. Then, as if awaking from a dream, you become aware that the cloud has faded and the welcome feel of firm ground has returned beneath your feet.

You stand at the foot of a massive sandstone cliff, its sheer wall pitted and scarred by fierce winds that whip across the surrounding rocky landscape. Perched at the top of the cliff is a walled city, whose grim outline and dragon gate you recognize immediately: it is Haagadar, the forgotten city of the Sandai. You stare up at the stronghold, pondering the near-impossible climb to its gate, and try to suppress your mounting fears. Nearby you see a stinking stream of foul water. You follow it to its source and discover that it pours from a grille set into the cliff wall. It must be a sewage channel that services the city above.


I can enter by sewer or climb the cliffs. I choose climb. I roll a die and add 4, due to rank and skills. I climb the wall easily.

I find myself in a street and after walking a bit I see the Scarlet Warrior’s steed and a temple beyond.



I can sense that the Lorestone is in that temple. I can try to climb to the top of a pyramid. I can cover my face and try to bluff my way past the guards. I think the first is a lot better. In the gloom, there is a noxious gas that make me choke and lose some EP unless I have Nexus. Ultimately, I find a lever and drop down the hatch at the top.

Quote:

Quickly you enter and follow a corridor that sweeps away in a smooth, curving arc. A line of doors, each one painted with the symbol of a writhing serpent, marches past on either side. The doors are invariably closed and their heavy iron drawbolts are locked in position. You ignore them and hurry on towards a distant staircase, for it is here that you sense that the power of the last Lorestone is at its strongest.

The staircase opens on to a balcony, which overlooks a large, circular hall. Here the floor is made of a polished, blue-black marble that gleams like the still waters of a lake. At one end stands a massive table cluttered with artefacts, scrolls, and many strange potions and powders that hint at the practice of alchemy. At the opposite end of the hall is a towering arch, its surface sculptured with all manner of creatures, many of which stir a deep loathing within you. Beneath the arch is a complete darkness: no light at all penetrates or reflects in this inky abyss, for this is the Shadow Gate of Sandai, the doorway back to your home world.

A sudden sound makes you spin on your heel and instinctively you crouch down ready for combat. A small group of people, dressed in costumes that look vaguely familiar, are marching along the corridor towards the balcony. To avoid them, you hurry down a narrow stair that leads to the hall below and take cover behind the overladen table. From your hiding place you observe the group make their entrance. There are six of them: four men, one woman, and one other who walks with a stoop at the centre of the group and whom you cannot see clearly. You concentrate on their clothing, for there is something about its cut and style that is definitely familiar, yet you cannot pinpoint what it is. Then suddenly you recognize it, and the shock makes you draw breath: they are wearing Sommlending costumes. The five visible faces are now all too familiar to you: Luvias Kort, the Poisoner of Tyso; Falco, highwayman and cut-throat; Aieta Nematah, the Wytch of the Kirlundin Isles; Porgron, murderer; and Gardor Vezh, Chief Druid of Malis Mound, necromancer and cannibal. These are five of Sommerlund's most notorious criminals, all of whom were sentenced to be thrown into the Shadow Gate of Toran for their crimes.

Five pairs of startled eyes glare at the table, alerted by your gasp, and the slick sound of blades leaving oiled scabbards soon follows. The four men and the woman, Aieta, raise their swords and step forward to challenge you. As they move apart you see the sixth member of their group clearly and an icy chill runs down your spine. Slowly you shake your head in disbelief as your stare is returned by the cold, malicious eyes of Vonotar the Traitor.




'Long have I waited for the chance to enact my revenge on you, Lone Wolf,' he hisses, his loathsome voice filling the hall with sibilant echoes, 'And now my time has come. Kill him!' he screams, maniacally, and the five spring forward, eager to obey his command.

Villains of Sommerlund CS 38, EP 46

I quaff the Alether +4.

This is the hard battle if you do not have the Sommerswerd.

Here we go. I roll a I roll 9, 0, 3, 6, 5. They lost 28 and me 13. I roll a 3, 2, 8. They have lost 40 and me 26. I roll a 8. They are dead and I lost 28. I am at 9/37.

Quote:

As the last of your enemies falls dead at your feet, the traitor vents a shrill cry of terror and scurries like a bloated spider towards the Shadow Gate. In his hand he clutches a banded, leaden box and, as he runs, he works feverishly at the lock. Suddenly the lid springs back and your senses burn as the power of the last Lorestone is uncovered. Now instinct alone guides your actions. You sprint towards him, determined to stop him from entering the Shadow Gate. He squeals with fear and turns to face you, his hand raised, a ring of blue fire pulsating on his finger. He screams a curse and a jet of cold fire lances your chest and slams you to the floor: lose 5 ENDURANCE points. As you stagger to your feet, the traitor runs forward to finish you with another blast. You dive aside and the blast tears open the floor but, before he can launch another, you leap forward and attack.






Vonotar the Traitor, with Power Ring. CS 30, EP 21

I quaff both Laumspur pots. I am at 12/37. I need to roll well. I still have the meal +3 EP if I need it. I need to roll very well, the Traitors tore me up. Luckily, low EP by my foe too.

I open with a 7. 7 to him, 2 to me. Good roll. I follow with a 5. 4 to each of us. He has ten left, me 6. I roll a 6. He is at 4, and me at 3. I eat the meal to go to 6. Only a 1 will kill me. A 4 or higher kills him this turn . I roll a 7. I am at 4, and him dead. Heh, I could have not eaten the meal. Ah well.

I grab the Power Ring so it can’t be used by anyone else.

Quote:

Vonotar lies dead on the black marble floor, his torn body oozing a blood that is thin and vile, like poisonous venom. You roll his corpse aside and take up the Lorestone in your trembling hands. Instantly an overwhelming wave of power is transfused into your being and you feel lifted, in mind and body, to a level of consciousness that transcends your mortal frame. You surrender to its power and under its guidance you are drawn inexorably towards the arch of the Shadow Gate. Willingly you step into the darkness and begin your triumphant return to the world where you were born.

Your quest has succeeded, for the essence of the remaining two Lorestones is now one with your body and spirit. But the final struggle has yet to be won, for the power of your mortal enemies--the Darklords of Helgedad--has waxed and grown strong during your time in the Daziarn. If you possess the courage of a true Kai Master, the ultimate battle awaits you in the final episode of the Magnakai quest, entitled:

The Masters of Darkness

Okay, review of The Prisoners of Time. This is the worst book in terms of branches. There are none. There is nothing you can do to make the book different in any meaningful way, your choices simply keep you on the path, deal some damage to you, find a few items, or kill you, and that’s it. That’s really annoying, and it means each time you play through, the book is harder. Note that this is an impossible book for a first timer. Can you imagine doing the Traitors + Vonotar back to back without extra help? Psi-Blast, Weaponmastery, 19 CS give you 27 against the Villains and you die. Vonotar is immune to Psi-Blast, so even if you manage to survive the -11 combat ratio and losing 2 EP a turn to Psi Blast, you then have to do 22 vs. 31. You are dying. Even with a +1 CS bonus for having Huntmastery and the Circle of Fire, you are still biting it. I barely won with a Shield, several lore-circles, +4 Alether, Silver Helmet and Bronin Warhammer and a +4 bonus to my Weaponmastery instead of +3, and Mindblast.

Plus, as I mentioned earlier, Joe Dever really expounds a lot on his world in this one. A lot.

Thus, of the Magnakai books, I have it better than 6, 7, and 8, and worse than 9, 10 and 12. Perhaps worse than 8 now that I think about it.

And we are about to hit up my favorite of the 12.


End the Prisoners of Time

The Masters of Darkness



The Story So 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, and upon 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 entitled The Book of the Magnakai. You found this lost Kai treasure and gave a solemn pledge to restore the Kai to their former glory, thereby ensuring the security of your land in the years to come. To fulfil your pledge, you embarked on the same quest that was undertaken by Sun Eagle over one thousand years ago: the search for the seven crystals of power that hold the power and wisdom of your ancestors.

Your quest was to take you far from your northern homeland. Following in the footsteps of the first Kai Grand Master you journeyed to Dessi and sought the help of the Elder Magi, the magicians who aided Sun Eagle on his quest long ago. There you learned that for centuries the Elder Magi had awaited your coming. An ancient Dessi legend told of the birth and rise to greatness of two koura-tas-kai, which means 'Sons of the Sun'. One was named Ikar, which means 'eagle', and the other was named Skarn, which means 'wolf'. A prophecy foretold that the Koura-tas-Kai would each come from out of the north to seek the counsel of the Elder Magi in order that they might fulfil a great quest. Although separated by several centuries, they would share one spirit, one purpose and one destiny--to triumph over the champions of darkness in an age of great peril. The Elder Magi knew that you were Skarn, the wolf of Dessi legend, and in keeping with their ancient vows they promised to help you complete the Magnakai quest.

In Elzian, the capital of Dessi, you were tutored an the histories of Magnamund and received lessons in lore that you would have learned from the Kai masters if only they, like you, had survived the murderous Darklord attack on the Kai monastery. You were eager to learn all that the Elder Magi could teach you in preparation for your quest, but war was to cut short your tuition. In the Darklands capital of Helgedad a struggle for power had been won by a Darklord called Gnaag. The other Darklords, fourteen an number, united behind their new leader and upon his command began to muster huge armies in preparation for the conquest of Magnamund. Swiftly their Giak legions grew in number, enabling Gnaag to launch a sweeping invasion that was to catch the freelands unprepared. His legions advanced unchecked until, at the momentous Battle of Tahou, you turned the tide of the war decisively against Gnaag by defeating his powerful ally, Zakhan Kimah, in mortal combat.

Victory at Tahou paved the way for the liberation of all the lands that Gnaag had taken by force. But the sweet taste of this victory was to turn sour when you discovered that he had captured the last three remaining Lorestones of Nyxator, and had vowed to avenge his defeat by destroying them and killing you. Alarmed by this news, the High Council of the Elder Magi helped you to formulate a plan of action. They had received news from allies in the west that the Lorestones were being held in the city-fortress of Torgar, where Gnaag's sorcerers--the Nadziranim--were searching for a means of destroying them. Fearing that they might achieve their goal, the Elder Magi made preparations for your secret passage to Torgar and, after a long and perilous journey, you arrived to find it besieged by the allied armies of Talestria and Palmyrion. During the many months of the Darklord invasion, hundreds of Talestrians were enslaved and sent to labour in the dungeons and sulphur mines deep within the bowels of Torgar. Their plight had seemed hopeless until the allied armies, under the command of Lord Adamas of Garthen, finally arrived to liberate them. Due in part your bravery and skill during the assault, Lord Adamas's troops were able to breach the great Torgar gate and storm its citadel. During this fierce battle you gained entry to the chamber at the heart of the citadel where the Nadziranim were attempting to destroy the Lorestones. Above a circular black pit the three radiant gems hung suspended in a fireball of negative energy, the focal point of several beams of power arising from crystals set around the edge of the pit. By means of a gantry you were able to climb above these energy beams and retrieve one of the three Lorestones. But, as you reached out for the remaining two, the terrible voice of Darklord Gnaag filled the chamber. 'Vengeance is mine!' he rasped, and in the next instant a bolt of blue lightning leapt from a crystal that he held in his fly-like hand. It sheared through the rusty iron gantry, creating a shock wave that sent the Lorestones tumbling Into the black pit. A second bolt ripped the gantry in two, and, with the ghastly laugh of Darklord Gnaag ringing in your ears, you fell headlong into a portal of total darkness--a Shadow Gate--which led to the twilight world of the Daziarn Plane.

When first you looked upon the desolate wastelands of the Daziarn, you recalled what little you had heard tell of this alien world. The magicians of Sommerlund believe it to be an astral corridor, connecting and binding the planet Magnamund to other planes of existence. By passing through a Shadow Gate--one of which is situated below their Guildhall in the city of Toran--a person could gain entry to the Daziarn. However, all those who had ever passed through the Shadow Gate of Toran had never been seen again, prompting the magicians to believe that the journey could only be made in one direction. It was said that from the Daziarn there was no escape.

Your vow to restore the Kai, and your stubborn will to survive against all odds, made you even more determined to recover the last two Lorestones and find a way of returning to your home world. In the course of your search you discovered that your fight against the forces of darkness was the focus of a greater conflict raging throughout all the planes of existence, and that the time had come when the actions of one individual would shape the future of every living thing. It came as a great revelation to discover that you were that individual.

Part of your destiny was fulfilled when you fought and defeated the Chaos-master, the leader of the evil force that threatened to conquer the Daziarn. You recovered one of the Lorestones and, with the help of a god-like creature called Serocca, you were able to find the location of a Shadow Gate that would return you to your own world. Here your quest culminated in a battle with your old enemy, Vonotar the Traitor, who had found the last Lorestone and who controlled the city wherein lay the Shadow Gate. He had intended to use the power of the Lorestone to enable him to return to Magnamund, but your bravery and determination put paid to his plans. In a desperate fight, on the very threshold of the Shadow Gate itself, you slew him and retrieved the last Lorestone, thereby completing the Magnakai Quest. Instantly an overwhelming wave of power was transfused into your being, lifting you to a level of consciousness that transcended your mortal frame. You surrendered to this power and, under its guidance, you were drawn inexorably towards the Shadow Gate. Willingly you stepped into the icy darkness and began your triumphant return to the world where you were born.

Map of the Darklands

Improved Disciplines:

Archmaster

Animal Control
Archmasters with this skill are able to command most animals to do their bidding, although effectiveness is diminished when attempting to control a hostile creature.

Curing
Archmasters are able to use their healing power to repair serious wounds sustained in battle. If, whilst in combat, their ENDURANCE is reduced to 6 points or less, they can use their skill to restore 20 ENDURANCE points. This ability can only be used once every 100 days.

Huntmastery
Archmasters who possess this ability benefit from greatly increased senses of hearing, smell, and night vision. These senses become even more acute upon attaining the rank of Kai Grand Master.

Psi-surge
When using their psychic ability to attack an enemy, Archmasters may add 6 points to their COMBAT SKILL instead of the usual 4 points. For every round in which Psi-surge is used, Archmasters need only deduct 1 ENDURANCE point. When using the weaker psychic attack--Mindblast--they may add 3 points to their COMBAT SKILL without loss of ENDURANCE points. Archmasters cannot use Psi-surge if their ENDURANCE score falls to 4 points or below.

Nexus
Archmasters with the skill of Nexus are able to withstand extremes of heat and cold, and possess limited immunity to harmful elements, such as flames, toxic gases, and corrosive liquids. The duration of this immunity increases greatly upon attaining Kai Grand Mastership.

I am taking Psi-Surge and adding Q Staff to my Weaponmastery. I complete the Circle of the Spirit.

Items:

I am given a Map of the Darklands, 16 gold crowns, Laumspur Pot, top off my quiver

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, The Danarg, Anari, Ghatan, Vhozada (Daziarn)
Fur Blanket
134 Gold Crowns
1 Meal
2 Potion of Laumspur - +5 EP
2 Potion of Laumspur - +4 EP
Fur Backpack
Bone Sword
Effigy
Concentrated Graveweed
Kalte Diamond
Ragadorn Dagger
Magic Spear
Holy Water
Brass Key
Iron Key
Whip
Sommlending Cavalry Spear (Normal)
Quarterstaff, Royal Guard (Normal)
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 (Normal)
3 Brass Whistle
Pink and Orange Waistcoast
Mirror
Bottle of Wine
Silver Key
Ticket to Eula
Chainmail Waistcoat
Rope
Lantern
Quivers w/ 11 arrows
Power Key
Red Robe
Gold Key (Kazan-Oud)
Glowing Dagger
Doomstaff
Kazan-Oud Diamond
Labyrinth Sword (Normal)
Kazan-Oud Fine Spear (Normal)
4 Sack of Silver
Silver Box
Helghast’s Sword (Normal)
Giak Scroll
Lord Adamas’s Pass
Vial of Gnadurn Poison
2 Flasks of Boza
Invitation to Chiban’s
Receipt for Horse, Tahou
Crystal Decanter
Silk Jacket
Silver Goblet
Silver Candlestick
Scroll of Honour
Jadin Anklets
Magi Dagger (Normal)
Sen. Chil’s Mace (Normal)
Dagger of Vashna
Black Key
Medal: Battle of Luoni
Drakkar Dagger (Normal)
Zagganozod Sword (Normal)
Silver Rod
Meledorian Dagger (Normal)
Scarlet Warrior’s Sword (Normal)
Power Ring (Vonotar)
Fireseeds: 9
Bronin Warhammer
Eruan Pathfinder Cloak
Kai Cloak





Items:

25 Gold Crowns
Crystal Star Pendant
Platinum Amulet
Blue Stone Triangle
Grey Crystal Ring
Psychic Ring
Silver Bow of Duadon
Sommerswerd
Firesphere
Map of Darklands
Shield
Silver Helmet
Chainmail Waistcoat
Padded Leather Waistcoat
Wrist and Finger Guards
Rope
2 Laumspur +4 EP
Quiver w/ 6 arrows
Toran Dagger


I grab a second potion of Laumspur from my Safekeeping, and the Sommerswerd. I toss in the Fireseeds and Warhammer. Special Items: Sommerswerd, Quiver, Bow, Shield, Helmet, Chainmail, Padded and there is some debate as to whether or not the Firesphere counts.

I’ll need a backup weapon. How about I take a Toran Dagger from Banedon, who is equipping me.

Lone Wolf, Kai Archmaster, Kor-Skarn, Fryearl, Warmartial of Sommerlund, Savior of Tahou

CS 32 (35 w/ Psi-Surge)
EP 40

Divination
Pathsmanship
Weaponmastery
Huntmastery
Animal Control
Invisibility
Nexus
Psi-Screen
Psi-Blast



Here we go folks, hold on to your hats, because Joe Dever is about to turn Tolkien on his head. Instead of going into the big bad land with the intent of destroying a ring and hiding because we are weak, we are going to go in there as a saboteur and assassin. Here we go!

Upon entering the Shadow Gate you are submerged in total darkness and fall into a lightless void. Relentlessly you are buffeted and numbed by an intense coldness that drains the strength from your body and fills your mind with strange, dream-like images. It is as if you are being sucked into the heart of a swirling black abyss, and, as your senses fade, you pray that you have enough strength to survive your return to Magnamund.

Barely a flicker of consciousness remains when the sensation of warmth returns to your frozen limbs. It revives you and slowly you become aware of a fluorescent mist and a pinpoint of light in the far distance. The sensation of falling is replaced by a smooth forward movement, as if you are gliding to a halt at the end of a steep slide. Rapidly the tiny light grows larger until suddenly you emerge from the darkness and find yourself standing in a place that you recognize immediately.


(I lose 1 Ep to the transit. I’ll regain that in one passage )

With your heart pounding in anticipation, you cast your gaze around the grey granite walls of a subterranean vault: your journey through the Shadow Gate has returned you to the land of your birth. You are standing in the Externment Chamber, a room located deep below the Guildhall of the Crystal Star in Toran. Facing you, and illuminated by the glow of several tall candles, is a line of throne-like seats. Two men, both attired in silken robes, are seated at the centre of the row, their heads bowed and their hands clasped in silent prayer. The sound of your footsteps stirs them from their meditations and, as they raise their heads, you recognize the face of your friend, Banedon, and your tutor, Lord Rimoah, speaker for the High Council of the Elder Magi.



'The gods be praised!' breathes Rimoah, his eyes wide with astonishment. 'Skarn has returned. The prophecy is fulfilled.'

Slowly they rise and step forward to greet you, their movements hesitant and uncertain, scarcely able to believe that you are alive. Calmly you assure them that they are not dreaming, that you have indeed survived your exile to the Daziarn Plane and have returned, more determined than ever to avenge yourself upon Darklord Gnaag.

Eagerly Rimoah and Banedon listen as you recount your experiences in the Daziarn and, when you have finished, they tell you what has befallen Magnamund during your absence. Although it seemed that you spent little more than a few days in the Daziarn, more than eight years have passed since Gnaag caused you to fall into the Shadow Gate of Torgar. 'He was quick to proclaim your death,' says Banedon, unfurling a map of Northern Magnamund upon the floor of the chamber. 'The news came as a terrible blow to us all.'
Lord Rimoah kneels and points at the map, indicating the city of Torgar with the tip of a slender crystal rod. 'After your disappearance, Lord Adamas was killed, and the allied armies were quickly ejected from Torgar.

Gnaag declared himself invincible, and in the wake of his victory the Darkland defeats were soon halted throughout central Magnamund. A terrible sense of hopelessness befell the allies, which was exploited to the full by the malevolent Gnaag. His sorcerers, the Nadziranim, created devices they call "Tanoz-tukor" to enable each of the Darklords to survive in territories outside their accursed realm. Previously they had been unable to survive beyond the Darklands for any great length of time and, during these rare, brief excursions, their powers were greatly reduced. Now they are able to lead their armies in battle personally, and they have been eager to exercise their new-found freedom.'

'The war against the Darklords is all but lost,' continues Banedon, his eyes cast down at the map, which is covered with black markers indicating the frightening number of countries Gnaag has added to his empire. 'With the help of our allies in Durenor, Sommerlund has so far resisted his attempts at invasion, but now we find ourselves cut off from Durenor's aid by a blockade of Darklord warships. Here,' he says, pointing to the Gulf of Helenag, 'is where Gnaag has constructed a huge naval base. It is called Argazad, and it is from here that he launches his fleet of ironclad warships to blockade our coast. The Sommlending navy is no match for these monstrous sea machines, and without the troops, food, and weapons we have been receiving by sea from Durenor, our days are numbered.'

Lord Rimoah rises to his feet and stares fixedly into your eyes. 'Your skill, bravery, and your vow to avenge the death of the Kai are the keys to our salvation. Only you, Lone Wolf, can save us now. You are our only hope in this hour of darkness.'

'Three months ago, on the day that you Sommlending celebrate your Feast of Fehmarn, I foresaw in a dream your return to this world, the place and the hour of your coming,' says Rimoah, reverently. 'I, and all my brothers, held this dream to be a sign from the god Kai that you had not died at Torgar, and since that day we have prepared for your return so that we may help you fulfil your vow and deliver us all from the tyranny of the Darklords. With the aid of Guildmaster Banedon we have conceived a plan that can secure a lasting victory. Defeat of the Darklords on the field of battle is now impossible; the allied armies are greatly outnumbered and are hard-pressed to protect what little remains of the freelands. The only way in which we can rid ourselves of this evil is by destroying Gnaag and the Transfusor--the device that transmits power to the Tanoz-tukor. Both of them are in Helgedad.'

To hear the name of that foul city spoken aloud is enough to send a shiver down your spine, and the thought of daring to venture there to destroy its ruler fills you with cold dread. 'It is a daunting task that we ask you to attempt, Lone Wolf,' says Banedon, sensing your anxiety, 'but only you have any hope of succeeding in this desperate mission. It may be of some comfort to learn that, with the Darklords leading their armies in the field, the defences of the Black City are now at their weakest. Only Gnaag and his second-in-command, Darklord Taktaal, reside there at present.'

'You spoke of a plan?' you say, returning your gaze to the wise face of Lord Rimoah. Without replying, he bends down and pulls out a leather sack from beneath the chair on which he sat when you entered the chamber. It contains what appears to be a mass of triangular crystals that are fused together. At once you recognize its purpose. It is a powerful charge, similar to the one which Lord Adamas used to destroy the Torgar Gate.

'This will put paid to the Transfusor,' says Rimoah, holding up the crystal explosive. He points to a shard that is longer than the others and informs you that the device is activated by withdrawing and re-inserting it tip-first into the core. 'It must be placed beneath the Transfusor and it will detonate exactly fifteen minutes after it is primed.' Carefully he replaces the explosive into the sack and offers it to you.

'But how am I to gain entry to Helgedad?' you ask, as you accept the deadly package tentatively.

'We have made preparations,' answers Banedon, pointing once more to the map. 'A caravel is anchored in Toran harbour. Under cover of darkness it will run the blockade, then head east to deceive the enemy into thinking that it is bound for Durenor. When safe to do so it will turn about and steer a course for Dejkaata. The shallows there are free of pack-ice at this time of the year and the captain should be able to land you on the coast close to the Aarnak Estuary. From there you must make your way on foot to the stronghold of Aarnak and seek out the Slavemaster. He is one of our agents and can be trusted. Make yourself known to him by saying the words, "Sommerlund is burning". He alone knows where in Helgedad the Transfusor is located, and he can arrange for your safe and secret passage into the city. Once inside, you must destroy Gnaag and the Transfusor as quickly as possible.'

'And once the task is complete, how then do I effect an escape?' you ask.

'You must make your way back to Aarnak. The demise of the Darklords will announce the success of your mission and we shall then mount an expedition to bring you safely home. But until then, no one must know your true identity, or the reason for your journey to Helgedad.'

Silently you contemplate the awesomeness of this mission, its dangers, and the terrible consequences that will befall Magnamund should you fail. At length you raise your eyes from the map and force a smile. 'When must I leave?' you ask, bravely.

'Tomorrow night,' Banedon replies. 'An hour after sunset.'

(I have the Sommerswerd)

'You wield a weapon imbued with great power, Lone Wolf,' says Rimoah, glancing at the Sommerswerd sheathed at your side. 'Be sure to use it well. Now that you possess the wisdom of the Lorestones, you will discover new strengths within its golden blade. It is the bane of the Darklords--the instrument of their destruction. Yet by the very nature of its power it can alert them to your presence and betray your identity.' He reaches to his waist and unbuckles a seemingly plain leather swordbelt and scabbard. 'I have prepared this scabbard from materials impregnated with korlinium. It will contain and keep hidden the powers of the Sommerswerd,' he says, handing you the accoutrements. 'Remember, to unsheathe the Sommerswerd inside the Darklands is to light a beacon of warning that Gnaag and his fell minions will surely see. Only when you have Gnaag within striking distance should you draw your blade to seal his doom.'



You pass the time prior to your departure resting and reviewing the mission in fine detail. Eventually the hour of your leaving arrives and Banedon and Rimoah escort you to Toran harbour and see you safely aboard the caravel Intrepid. Before they disembark, Banedon hands you a sealed envelope and a Golden Amulet on a chain.

'Wear this for your protection,' he says, as he fastens the chain around your neck. 'It will keep you safe from the heat and poisonous atmospheres that pervade your destination.' (Mark the Golden Amulet on your Action Chart as a Special Item--you need not discard another item in its favour if you already carry the maximum quota.)



'And the envelope?' you say, quizzically.

'Neither Captain Borse, nor his volunteer crew, are aware of your identity or the vital nature of your voyage. All they know is that they are expected to break through the blockade and carry you safely to Durenor. When you are clear of the enemy, hand this envelope to the captain. It contains his new orders to steer a course for the Aarnak Estuary. He is a fine captain: you can trust in his skill and the bravery of his crew to see you through the dangerous waters of the Kaltesee.'

Moments later the captain emerges from his cabin. A grey and grizzled old seaman, he sports a leather cloak that swings easily from his broad, muscular shoulders. He welcomes you aboard with a ready smile and firm handshake, then excuses himself in order to supervise the final preparations for the voyage. 'May the gods Kai and Ishir watch over you, Lone Wolf,' whispers Lord Rimoah, as he and Banedon make ready to disembark, 'and grant us a lasting victory over the forces of darkness.'



Okay, so I have a bunch of new trinkets, I’ve been told not to draw the Sommerswerd, I have a Crystal Explosive and an Amulet that will keep me alive and breathing in the Darklands’s poisonous atmosphere. Sounds good.

We put up every bit of canvas we have in order to approach the blockade with full speed. I offer my services as a lookout. I use Huntmastery + Archmaster. I see five squat ugly vessels on the horizon and we are on a direct course, so I tell the captain to change direction. I roll a number and add for Circle of the Spirit.

Quote:

Guided by your instructions, Captain Borse commands his helmsman to steer 'hard a' port', a manoeuvre that will take the Intrepid clear of the enemy line. Swiftly the ship changes course. You watch the Darkland ironclads looming larger with each passing minute, and note the formidable array of weapons aboard their steel-skinned decks. Huge, black funnels protrude from the middle of each craft, which emit clouds of choking, sulphurous smoke. As the Intrepid rounds the last ironclad in the line, this acrid smoke wafts across the water and engulfs the crew, causing them to cough and retch violently. The sound of their coughing alerts the enemy lookouts who immediately raise the alarm.




Suddenly, a flash of blue-white light illuminates the bow of the ironclad and a fiery projectile arcs across the sky towards the Intrepid.

I am asked to pick a number. I get a 1. I throw myself to the deck and the artificial meteor misses. The other ships try to bring their weapons to bear, but we are so fast that we have run the blockade before they can get turned around. That was easier than I had thought it would be.

I hand the letter to the captain, and he sets it aside, and we continue to make for Durenor. I leave to go to my cabin. I manage a few hours sleep. In the morning, the captain calls me in. He has read Banedon’s letter. He orders us to change direction and the crew do so without question, but not without rumor.

For two days and nights, our ship move towards The Darklands. We hit a dense patch of fog. Suddenly, a man cries out in surprise. I have Animal Control. We see a school of red carp.


Quote:

The still water is set to boiling by the shoal of glistening fish, as they swarm around the Intrepid. They have been drawn here by the warmth of the ship's hull, and as you stare down into the seething turmoil, you estimate that there must be hundreds of thousands of fish directly beneath the keel. You watch with fascination until you recall something about the sea carp that you learned when you were a novice at the Kai monastery, something that sends a tingle of premonition down your spine.

The tales and legends of the northern seas tell of the Xargath, a fearsome breed of giant reptilian sea creature that inhabits the black depths of the Kaltesee. Once, a century ago, the fishermen of Sommerlund trawled these waters and grew rich on the fruits of their labours, for the sea carp were plentiful and the markets of Sommerlund and Durenor paid highly for their catch. Trade thrived until the Xargath appeared and began to attack their boats. So devastating were the attacks, and so terrifying were the descriptions of the Xargath by those fortunate few who survived them, that all fishing in these waters was abandoned and has never been resumed.

A swarm of sea carp, as huge as that which now surrounds the Intrepid, is sure to attract a hungry Xargath. You turn to look for the captain, to warn him of the danger his ship is in, when suddenly the shoal cease their thrashing and fall silent and still.

From the crow's nest there comes a scream of abject horror. It echoes down the rigging, alerting all to a great scaly head that has broken through the surface twenty yards off the port bow. 'Xargath!' The lookout's cry is taken up by the crew as, one by one, they glimpse the fearful sight of this legendary terror of the Kaltesee.

'Ishir preserve us!' gasps Captain Borse, as the beast opens its jaws revealing the glitter of its jagged, razor-sharp fangs. For a moment he is stunned by the terrifying sight, but quickly he recovers and begins shouting urgent orders to his awestruck crew. 'Man the ballistas! Break out the billhooks! All hands stand by to defend the ship!'



The Xargath observes the commotion in silence, its hooded eyes aglow with baleful green fire as calmly it considers the moment to attack. Then, with an awful suddenness, it rises from the sea, roaring and hissing angrily, and lunges forward. Captain Borse gives the order to fire and a volley of ballista bolts sink into the monster's scaly throat. Undeterred, it presses its attack and falls upon the port beam with devastating effect. Tortured timbers bend and crack asunder. In seconds the deck is torn apart by huge claws, each as long as a mammoth's tusk. Then the cavernous, fang-filled mouth sweeps down through the fog to snap shut upon the forecastle. Screams of pain and terror fill the air as it with draws, soaring upward above the masts, jaws bulging with a dozen wriggling bodies. You take cover behind the ship's longboat with the captain and prepare to defend yourself as the Xargath returns for a second strike.


I can use a bow, the Sommerswerd, or a regular weapon. I choose bow. I take aim and it is swirling around. Do I have both Animal Control and Divination? Yup. I silence it for a second and fire. I roll the die. My arrow slides into its eye and disappears. It continues to fight for a few seconds, and then suddenly keels over into a big wave that rocks the ship.

The captain is bitch hammered. I take care of him but he is badly damaged. He turns over the ship to his first mate, and pulls out a chest with a couple of items and offers them to me. Silver Bracers and a Bronin Vest. The Silver Bracers gives me +2 CS< +1 EP. I put them on. The Bronin Vest cannot be worn with my Chainmail waistcoat, but it can with the padded. It gives me +3 CS and +1 EP. I would basically lose 3 EP off the chain mail to add three CS. Totally worth it. Without the Sommerswerd or the Bronin Warhammer, I have 37 CS, 40 with Mindblast. I drop the Chainmail Waistcoat. The captain has become unconscious. Over half of the crew are dead or injured. The mast is torn. The first mate tells me that we can continue, but if he hit a storm, the ship is done for.

For two days, the remaining crew patch the sails and fix some of the ship. We decide to steer towards the coast. That way, we are away from the deep sea in case a storm hits, and we can anchor and wait it out. However, we do risk being seen by the bad guys, but it is a risk we are willing to take.

We find land and the enemy at the exact same time. There are two enemy warships off the coast. We try to outrun them, but we are too damaged to go as quickly as we need and soon they have caught up. Their ironclads draw up to our ship. One of them tries to dice with me:

Drakkar Marine CS 23, EP 37

I roll an 8 and he is auto dead.

I leap over the body and the first mate is being attacked by three Drakkar so I rush to help him. I kill two of them easily. He kills the third and we move on. I find one barking command sto the others and race to face him

Drakkar Sergeant Marine CS 26, EP 30

I roll an 8 and he auto dies.


I’m not even using the Sommerswerd, and I could out here fine. I kill the officer and the soldiers are stunned for a bit, I charge into them, when the first mate tells me there is a sniper taking aim at me,. I roll a die and add a Huntmastery bonus. I easily dodge the arrow and the first mate finds the sniper and kills him.

Now that we have cleared the deck of the enemy, I need to steer us away as the second Ironclad is almost here and we don’t want to be the meat in an Ironclad sandwich. I roll a die and add my bonuses, but I fail. I try to get us out, but the grappling lines are holding us in. I yell at the crew to cut the lines and they don’t do it in time, and another onslaught of enemies comes at us. I draw my Dagger and charge at them.

Drakkar Marines Officer CS 27, EP 38

I roll a 9 and he auto dies. More Drakkar are coming and I choose to hold my ground.

Drakkarim Marines CS 29, EP 40

I roll a 8 and auto kill them. Wow. Fear me. But the ship is too many foes and the first mate tells us to abandon ship. I search the bodies first.

I take a Pouch of Herbs, and officer had a nice blue-black metal chain mail. I choose to look at it.

The chainmail vest is crafted from a metallic mineral called kagonite. It is as light as wood, yet ten times harder than steel. The Darklords use an alloy of kagonite in the manufacture of weapons used by their troops, and it is this alloy which gives the blades of their weapons their black appearance.

Wearing this Kagonite Chainmail beneath your tunic will increase your COMBAT SKILL by 3 points and your ENDURANCE by 1 point. Because it is so light, it can be worn beneath any padded or metallic body armour you may possess. Did I take the pouch of herbs? Yup.

At once you recognize the pungent aroma of Adgana leaves. Adgana is a powerful narcotic that increases strength and sharpens reflexes; it enhances fighting prowess when swallowed immediately prior to combat. There is sufficient Adgana in this pouch for one dose, which would be enough to increase your COMBAT SKILL by 6 points for the duration of a fight.

But be warned! Adgana is shunned by most warriors and its use is outlawed in Sommerlund because it is highly addictive. If you choose to keep and use this Dose of Adgana prior to combat, there is a chance that you could become addicted. As soon as combat is resolved, you must pick a number from the Random Number Table. If the number you pick is 0 or 1, you have become addicted and your ENDURANCE score must be reduced by 4 points immediately. If you have ever used Adgana in a previous Lone Wolf adventure, the risks of addiction are doubled should you decide to use this dose (you will become addicted if you pick a 0, 1, 2, or 3 on the Random Number Table). Also, the effects of the narcotic when used on a second or subsequent occasion are halved. You will be able to add only 3 points to your COMBAT SKILL, instead of 6). If you decide to keep this Dose of Adgana, note the hazardous side effects of its use in the margin of your Action Chart.

Sure that you have not overlooked any other items that could aid your perilous mission, you decide the time has come to leave.


I get ready to jump off when suddenly we are rammed. Roll a die. I got a 2. Instead of landing in the wate,r I land on the deck of the ironclad. I take 3 damage from the fall. A Drakkar sailor is charging at me:

Drakkar Marine CS 19, EP 24

Due to Huntmastery, my CS is not lowered. I roll a 3 and he takes 11 and me 2. I roll a 5 and he takes 14 and dies. I took 3. I knock another Drakkar into the water, but the rest of their crew has not noticed I am on their vessel yet. I can descend the stairs into their ship, shut the door and look for a place to hide from the on-deck sailors, or use Divination. It tells me that there are troops getting ready to head up the stairs any moment now, so I shut the door and look for another place to hide.

I see the Drakkar pointing to the ship I just left and shouting. I use Invisibility to understand their language, and they are going to shoot at it and finish it off. I wonder why, but then I see that they are intended to destroy the crew clinging to the flotsam around he ship, in order to kill them off. I grab my weapon and charge at the gunner.

Drakkarim Gunner CS 19, EP 25

I roll a 0 and auto dead.

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The deck is shrouded in smoke but the sound of heavy boots pounding steel plate warns you that a group of Drakkarim marines are approaching, drawn by their comrade's dying screams.

Acting on instinct, you grab the rear of the cannon and revolve it on its mounting until it points directly along the deck. A dozen angry marines emerge from the smoke and their faces freeze in terror when they find themselves staring into the muzzle of their own formidable weapon. 'Death to the Darklords!' you cry, and pull the firing lever

There is a loud bang and a wave of heat rolls over you as the cannon spits its deadly missile at the advancing Drakkarim. It bores through their ranks and slams into the wheelhouse with shuddering force. Jets of yellow flame roar from a jagged hole, illuminating the grim remains of what a moment before were enemy marines. Then the deck jumps up and slaps the soles of your feet. The missile has penetrated the ironclad's magazine, and, in an instant, the vessel is blown apart. The last thing you remember before darkness obliterates your senses is an eye-searing flash of white and scarlet fire.

Slowly, as though awakening from a dream, you return to consciousness. Through half-open eyes you stare at a darkening sky and feel the cold waves of the Kaltesee lapping at your feet. Every inch of your body aches viciously--it is as if your flesh were one vast bruise--but at once you know that your body is intact and that, miraculously, you have escaped serious injury.’

You are lying in a cup-shaped piece of wreckage that was once part of the ironclad's bow. On the horizon there is now only one ship--the ironclad that first attacked the Intrepid. It is silhouetted against the wall of oily flame that marks the place where its sister craft exploded. The tide has carried you away from the carnage, and, turning your head stiffly, you see that the shore lies less than a hundred yards away.


I use Huntmastery + Principalin. Using my telescopic vision, I can see a troop of Giaks patrolling the banks and looking for survivors. I paddle away from the patrol.


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Night has fallen swiftly, but there is a full moon by which to see. It pierces the darkness and bathes the landscape in its ghostly, ashen light. The tide bears you swiftly towards a shingle beach that is littered with huge, sea-smoothed boulders. The crashing surf and the screech of predatory seabirds echo all along this barren coastline. It is an unwelcoming sound, cold and hostile, a fitting reflection of the land itself.

Ten yards from the stony beach, you slip into the thigh-deep foam and wade ashore. Although you can see no sign of enemy patrols, you keep your head low as you scurry up the beach towards the base of a sheer cliff wall. By chance you happen upon a narrow path that clings precariously to the side of the cliff-face as it zig-zags its way to the top. The climb is long and arduous, and by the time you reach the summit the weather has taken a turn for the worse. An icy, rain-laden wind whips inland from the sea. Its chilling bite is accompanied by sheet lightning that illuminates the landscape before you. The blue-white flashes reveal a vast, dead world of pitted spurs and crags, where every tree is petrified and every rock looks like a dead man's skull. You pull your cape close about your shoulders and set off towards a ridge that is peppered with dark hollows, hoping that one of them will offer some shelter from the coming storm.

Upon reaching the ridge, you discover that most of the hollows are merely patches of dark earth sandwiched between the honeycombed rock. The rain has become torrential, and you are beginning to abandon all hope of finding dry shelter, when suddenly your tracking instincts alert you to a cave-like opening at the far end of the ridge. You investigate and discover that it is indeed the entrance to a cave, one that is both wind and water tight and, to your relief, quite empty. You are now very hungry and must eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

I use both Divination and Animal Control. I detect the lingering scent of an animal within the last 24 hours. I go in anyway. Forewarned, I keep watch while the storm rages, despite my fatigue, and I see the beast approach. I grab my bow and use it. I only manage to hit its shoulder and it lands, ready to take me out.



Egorgh CS 24, EP 30

It is 2x susceptible to psychic attacks. I roll a 3 and it takes 11 and me 2. I roll a 5 and it takes 14 and me 1. I roll a 2 and it dies. I took 5 total. I kill it and it’s large body and bulk are by the entrance, meaning it has sealed off most of the cave and making it warm, and providing a barrier to any animals wanting entrance. I curl up and go to sleep.

Dawn arrives and I see that I am too near the shore, I could be found by a patrol. There are mountains and 300 mile between me and the city I am suppose to meet the Slavemaster in.

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The track and the stream wind their way towards a narrow gap in the Durncrag Range. Fixedly you stare at this gap. The longer you gaze, the more certain you are that it is a mountain pass, allowing the path to continue through to Argazad. You decide to press on and traverse the pass. Hopefully, the track will lead to the naval base where you can attempt to steal, or stow away on, some means of transport that will carry you to Aarnak. The naval base must receive equipment from a Darkland city-fortress, and it is likely that Aarnak is one such source of supply.

It is nearly dusk when the stony path reaches the narrow, boulder-strewn approach to the pass. It has been a long and tiring trek, yet in spite of your fatigue your senses warn you in good time of the danger that lies ahead. The pass is blocked by a wall and a stone watchtower, both guarded by Giak soldiers. Carefully you leave the path and creep along the bank of the stream, remaining hidden from view as slowly you edge your way nearer to the Giak outpost. An iron-banded gate in the centre of the wall allows traffic to use the pass, but it is closed and guarded by sentries. As dusk turns to darkness, you continue to observe every detail of the outpost and the surrounding mountains, in the hope of finding a way through.





Try to find an alternate route through the mountains, or try and scale the wall. I try to scale the wall. I time my climb to their patrol and go. I roll a die and add some numbers for various skills. I make it easily. I find a shallow fissure in the wall and grab some sleep after walking for a bit by starlight.

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Shortly after dawn, a howling wind awakens you from your dreamless slumber. It sweeps along the pass from the west, carrying with it the briny smell of the sea. Resolutely you continue your trek, following the roadway through the pass until, at midday, you emerge from the mountains at a point that commands a clear view over the land beyond. There you stop and stare at an expanse of rocky terrain so fragmented that it might have been smashed by a giant hammer. It slopes down to the shores of a wide inlet--the Gulf of Helenag--where a line of Darkland ironclads are steaming northwards on their way to join the blockade. From where you are, they appear no larger than tiny black specks dotting the steel-grey sea, but the clouds of yellow smoke that pour from their funnels clearly identify them as enemy ships.

The track continues, snaking southwards across the barren landscape on its way to Argazad. For three hours you tread its uneven surface until you arrive at what appears to be the ruins of an ancient tower.

(I use Divination + Mentora. )

As you stare at the ruins, a strange feeling of unease engulfs your body; at the same time a nervous energy makes your skin tingle and fills your mind with disturbing images. Your highly developed mind skills are sensitive to the psychic residues of events that took place here two thousand years ago.

This land once belonged to a colony of creatures called the Nebora, a sentient race of winged men who evolved during the Golden Age of the Shianti. The city of Neboran, the core of their civilization, was located here on what was once a rich and fertile coastal plain. The demise of the Shianti heralded the rise of the Darklords in Northern Magnamund, and the beginning of the War of Desecration in which the Nebora, and many other races, were exterminated. This ruined tower is all that remains of the wondrous city of Neboran where, in the year MS3250, the entire Nebora race were trapped and slaughtered by the Darklords of Helgedad.

I search the ruins and find nothing of use. I keep going along the trail and I see nothing for a while. I notice something moving on the trail and I use Huntmastery + Principalin. It is a wagon laden with barrels and boxes, being driven by Giaks and led by oxen. There are also four Drakkarim scouts on horses accompanying it.


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You squeeze into a space between the rocks and listen to the grind of the wagon's wheels on the rough stone trail as it draws steadily nearer. Then a Drakkar voice cries out: 'Koga! Okim dag nadulheza!' The sound stops abruptly. You strain your ears for an indication of what the enemy are doing, but all you can hear are muffled voices and the jingle of bridles and bits. Then you hear the Drakkarim escorts leave the trail and dismount close to where you are hiding. Your pulse quickens as you realize that they are preparing to strike camp here overnight.

Fortunately, because they are deep inside their own territory, the Drakkarim do not bother to inspect their surroundings and your presence goes undetected. You listen intently to their conversations but discover little useful information except that they are from Argazad and are on their way to the outpost at the mouth of the Durncrag Pass. After eating, they settle down to a session of gambling. They have been playing for only a few minutes when one of the Drakkarim is accused of cheating. A violent argument breaks out and bloodshed is averted only when their commander, a sergeant, steps in to break it up. He finds a fistful of cards wedged up the accused Drakkar's sleeve. Angrily, he denounces the cheat and orders him to return to Argazad at first light. The game is brought to a close, and, as the disgruntled Drakkarim get ready to sleep, a bold plan springs into your mind that could make your journey through the Darklands and your entry into Argazad much easier.

Patiently you wait until the Drakkarim and Giaks are snoring soundly, then you leave your hiding place and slip away undetected. Your plan is to ambush the Drakkar who was caught cheating, at dawn when he rides back to Argazad alone. By discarding your cape and tunic in favour of his battle-armour it should be far easier to enter the naval base unnoticed, especially on horseback and with your face obscured by one of the grotesque battle-masks that all Drakkarim wear.

Three miles along the trail you find the ideal place to launch your ambush, where the stony track passes between a cluster of huge rocks. There you lie in wait for the dawn and with it the arrival of your victim. While you wait, you must eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

Shortly after dawn has brightened the eastern horizon, the Drakkar warrior appears, riding his steed unhurriedly along the trail to Argazad. As he approaches, you get ready to launch your ambush.

I use my bow. I take aim at its throat and….it hits and goes right through his neck and he dies. I drag him beside some rocks and grab his armor. I also take some gold from his corpse and refill my quiver. I grab his horse and use my Kai skill of Animal Kinship to calm it and to allow me to ride it. The day is almost through before I lay my eyes on the naval base of Argazad. It is nestled in the nook of a cliff and in this quay I can see a war fleet of at least 50 ironclads.

Before we reach the base, the trail joins a major highway, the one that leads to Kaag and Aarnak. Part of me wants to avoid the naval base, but I realize that I need to secure transit. After observing the fortress, there appears to be just one way in - through the main gate. I boldly ride towards the gate and present myself. I use Invisibility + Scion-kai to make my skin resemble the features of Drakkarim warrior and I am allowed to pass.

I can investigate the harbour, or the supply depot. I choose the supply depot.


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You follow a cobblestoned alleyway and soon arrive at a large square, flanked to the north, south and west by warehouses, yet dominated by a smaller building on the east side. Its granite walls are festooned with black flags bearing the emblem of a silver ship and fiery sword, and atop its flat roof there sits a huge, winged creature with mottled grey skin--an Imperial Zlanbeast. You watch with grim fascination as the beast feeds from a pile of horse carcasses stacked beside its perch. Then a daring thought comes to mind. If you could reach the roof of the building and steal the Zlanbeast, it would be possible to reach Aarnak by air in a matter of hours, rather than the days it would take by land or sea.

After riding once around the building to assess its defenses, you leave your horse tethered to a rail near a side entrance and approach the only door that appears to be unguarded. It is locked, but the crude drawbolt that secures it proves no match for your basic Kai skill of mind over matter. The bolt clicks back, the door swings open, and you enter the building unseen.

Beyond the door lies a corridor that leads to a narrow hall of stone. Its ceiling, flat and undomed, is supported by thick columns that march in rows down the sides of the walls. Between the columns are plain steel doors, the largest one guarded by Death Knights. From the safety of the shadows you watch as this great door swings open and a man, swathed in a voluminous scarlet robe, emerges into the corridor. He speaks at length with the two guards, who depart in haste when he has finished, as if running an important errand. Beyond the great door you can see a flight of stairs ascending into darkness. The man in red watches the Death Knights leave, then turns and ascends the stairs hurriedly, leaving the great steel door ajar.

Hoping that this staircase leads to the roof, you cross the corridor and follow the robed man, taking care not to be seen, as you stalk silently in his wake. Your Kai skills keep you hidden from view and enable you to gain entry to the chamber that occupies the entire top floor of this building. There you take cover behind one of many statues that encircle the floor, and witness a scene that chills you to the core.

On a throne of hewn granite, ringed by seven pillars of fire, sits a being whose form radiates pure evil. A loose grey robe shrouds his skeletal frame. It is drawn closely about a stringy throat that swells and shrinks repulsively as he sucks the sulphurous air. With a claw-like finger, he scrapes nervously at the blistered flesh that is stretched tightly across the swollen left side of his face, attempting in vain to hook the head of a snake-like parasite that has burrowed into his jaw. His eyes, deep-sunken and red-rimmed with the unbearable pain of his affliction, burn with sick fanaticism as he listens impatiently to the pleas and excuses being offered by two who stand before him--the man in red and one other, both humbly bowed.

The luckless mortals plead their case, speaking in the Vassagonian tongue--a language that you mastered long ago. They speak of delays in the construction of a mighty battleship, of shortages of material and of too little time in which to finish their work. Their words anger the seated one. He curses them, and the floor shudders beneath the weight of his unnatural voice. 'You would dare defy me?' he roars. 'You would court the anger of Kraagenskûl, Lord of Argazad? Fools! Know you this. If your work is not completed before the next moon, you shall wish yourselves truly dead. A thousand years of agony shall be the reward for your failure, a thousand years of undeath in the dungeons of Helgedad!'



Fired by his own rage, the corpse-like Darklord Kraagenskûl, rises from his throne and draws the sword that hangs sheathed at his side. The blade is unlike any that you have seen. It is wholly black, a black so dense that it appears entirely separate from the hilt, like a tear through which you glimpse the nightmare depths of space. He levels the sword at the cowering men to reinforce his threat, but the blade rebels. It twists in his hand and points accusingly at the place where you are hiding. The Darklord narrows his feral eyes and a wave of psychic shock buffets your mind.

I use Psi-Screen as Darklord Kraagenskûl assails me. I roll a die. Luckily, I roll a 7 and there is no damage dealt to me.

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The two Vassagonians unsheathe their rapier-thin swords and advance towards you, secretly thankful that they are no longer the target of Kraagenskûl's wrath. The Darklord orders them to halt and demands that you step within the circle of the fiery pillars and explain your intrusion. You sense that he has not detected your true identity, that his psychic skills are solely destructive, and that he is, for now, deceived by your Drakkarim disguise.

'I have come from the victorious army of Darklord Xog, the conqueror of Cloeasia, with vital information to impart, O Mighty Lord of Darkness,' you say, slavishly. You speak partly in Vassagonian and partly in Giak to maintain your deception. 'There is a traitor in your court. He has tried to send word to the enemy, to warn them of what is being constructed in Argazad. I know who he is and I carry proof of his treachery.'

'Speak!' commands Kraagenskûl. 'Speak or die!'

'I shall speak, O Invincible Lord of Death and Decay, but I crave your confidence. Can we not speak alone?' You cast an accusing glance at the two Vassagonians, and they return your look with fear and hatred blazing in their eyes.

'Leave us!' snarls Kraagenskûl, pointing to the stairs with his jet-black blade, 'but stray no further than the hall below, and do not disturb us until I call for you.'

Reluctantly, the Vassagonians leave, their heads bowed in reverence but their eyes still fixed murderously on you.

As you watch the Vassagonians leave, you edge nearer to Kraagenskûl and prepare yourself to launch a surprise attack. You will need all your speed and skill if you are to catch him off-guard. From the bottom of the stairs you hear the steel door click shut and immediately you spin around to face your enemy. But he has a plan of his own and it is he who catches you by surprise. A crackling arc of blue electrical fire surges from his hand and connects with your chest, shaking you like a helpless puppet on the tip of a fiery lance.

'Now tell me everything you know!' he growls, as he increases the current. It is a torture that he has employed countless times, and always it has elicited the truth from his human victims.

Your skin tingles and the charge causes you to shiver, yet you feel no pain. Staring down, you see that the crackling bolt is being drawn to the Golden Amulet that hangs around your chest: its magical properties are neutralizing the evil charge. Kraagenskûl senses that something is wrong. He breaks off his attack, his bulbous eyes filled with fearful suspicion. He steps back, then utters a curse in the dark tongue, which echoes like thunder around the walls. Black mist pours from his fingers, swirling into a cone that grows in his bony palm. Shadow-shapes writhe at the core, then gush towards you, engulfing you in a choking flood of deadly Crypt Spawn.

I can use the Sommerswerd, the Dagger of Vashna, or I have neither. I left the Dagger and I didn’t think I’d need it and I’ve been told not to draw the Sommerswerd. I should have brought the Dagger, just in case. Ah well. Gotta do this naturally.

Crypt Spawn Flood CS 30, EP 36

I roll a 5 and they take 11 and me 2. I roll a 9 and they take 18. I roll a 2 and they take 8 and die. I took 5 damage. 34/39.

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Kraagenskûl watches you step over the gore-stained bodies of his creations, then raises his black sword as you approach him boldly. 'Here lies your doom, fool!' he roars, waving his sword before his ghastly face. 'Come. Take it . . . if you dare!'

Cautiously you circle the Darklord, taking care to remain beyond the reach of his sorcerous blade, but he moves towards you with surprising speed. As you dive to avoid his attack, you seek a chance to turn the odds a little in your favour. With a mighty kick, you send one of the fiery pillars toppling towards your foe. He screams and dodges aside, but the column glances his shoulder as it slams to the granite floor with a crackling roar. The black sword spins from his hand and slides to a halt near the base of the throne. For a moment your eyes meet, then simultaneously you race to retrieve the blade.

I roll a die and add 5. I win easily. I grab the sword, Helshezag first. I raise it and feel a dark cold power enter me. It will me forward, to take the now cowering Darklord and kill it.


Darklord Kraagenskûl CS 35, EP 38

I add 7 to my CS for fighting with Helshezag. He is immune to MB. That makes my CS 44 without Psi Surge, and I push it to 50 with Psi Surge.

I roll a 5 and he takes 14 and me 2 (one damage, one Psi-Surge). I roll a 1 and he takes 9 and me 4. I follow with a 7, 18 to him, me for 1. He is dead and I took 7. That is three Darklords I have personally killed in my lifetime.


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Your killing blow draws a howl from Darklord Kraagenskûl, so loud that it shakes the very foundations of the building. He falls, yet as he does so, his withered frame vanishes before your eyes, leaving only a tattered grey robe and a black sword to mark his passing.

If you wish to keep Helshezag, the sword of Darklord Kraagenskûl, mark it on your Action Chart as a Special Item. (You wrap this sword in the remains of the Darklord's grey robe and carry it vertically, tied behind your Backpack) When used in combat, it will add 5 points to your COMBAT SKILL, and 7 points when used against a Darklord of Helgedad. However, prolonged use of this evil blade will weaken your ENDURANCE score. In the second and subsequent rounds of every combat in which you use the sword, you must reduce your ENDURANCE level by 1 point.

Having recovered from your combat, you quickly leave the chamber by a stair that leads to the roof. There you discover the Zlanbeast, Kraagenskûl's personal winged mount, perched on a raised log. Standing nearby is a Death Knight armed with a spear, staring absent-mindedly over the parapet at the harbour lights below. The Zlanbeast sniffs the air and shuffles along its perch with a nervous, rolling gait. It senses that you are its natural enemy and it is becoming agitated in your presence. You must act quickly and with skill if you are to use this beast to escape from Argazad.

I use a bow and kill him easily. I search his corpse and find Iron Key, 6 crowns in Kika, Bottle of Wine, Pouch of tobacco and pipe. You never know when you might want tobacco to blend in or a bottle of wine as a bribe.

I approach the Imperial Zlanbeast. It is huge and nasty. I roll a number and add 4 for Animal Control + Archmaster. I win. It will accept me. It recognizes me as its new master. I climb on its back and take the gem encrusted reins. We lift off.


I would have been dead within an hour but the Golden Amulet has kept me alive. I am nervous about what I might find in Aarnak. Luckily, news of Kraagenskûl’s death won’t make it to Aarnak before I do, unless they have magical communication. Therefore, I may have the time needed for some subterfuge. The Darklands are nasty, and I pass electrical storms, volcanoes, noxious gases, and more. A few hours into the next day and I catch my first glimpse of Aarnak. It is a mass of steel buildings, but so old they look rusted. I begin to search for a place to land my Zlanbeast. I suspect that if I act all official, I will be totally accepted as such with little suspicion. I doubt many would suspect the last Kai Lord long thought dead hidden in Drakkar armor killing a Darklord and stealing his Zlanbeast.

I use Huntmastery + Principalin. The streets are full of refuse. I see a tall unbent tower clean and free of debris and I aim the Zlanbeast there. A Giak bows to me as I land and takes the reins of my steed. This is such a great cover, I wonder why I do not use it to enter Helgedad.

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A curved steel door slides shut, sealing the entrance, and plunging the gloomy chamber into total darkness. Then a narrow column of yellowy light pours on to your head, and a man's voice, loud and full of arrogance, shatters the silence.

'What brings you here, Drakkar?' he booms, filling the chamber with resounding echoes. He speaks a curious dialect of Giak that sounds vaguely familiar. It is a dialect common in Magador, a border territory now occupied by Darkland armies. 'I seek the Slavemaster,' you answer. 'I have come from Argazad to report that Sommerlund is burning!'

'That is welcome news indeed,' comes the reply, in a tone far less severe.

The steel door slides open and your Giak escort are dismissed. As it clangs shut behind them, the light grows brighter until you can see clearly the man to whom you have just spoken.


Before you stands a magnificent warrior, tall and broad-shouldered, clad in purple satin and shiny steel mail. He holds you with his jade-green eyes and says: 'I am the Slavemaster. Remove your mask, Drakkar, and reveal your true self.'




Your Kai senses tell you that he speaks the truth: he is the Slavemaster of Aarnak, and he has recognized the words that identify you as a fellow-agent of the Elder Magi. But the many years he has spent as a servant of the Darklords has taught him to be wary of their subterfuge, and not until you remove your battle-mask and he looks upon your unmistakably Sommlending features does he accept you as genuine. 'Long have I waited for this moment,' he says, quietly. 'I know why you have come and I will help you all I can.'

'But why?' you reply, now suspicious of his true motives. 'Why do you desire to betray your masters? Have they not given you the power you crave?'

'Aye! That they have, but at a grievous price. Since the war began, they have demanded that the foundries and ore pits of Aarnak produce ever-increasing supplies of black steel. The quotas are impossible and I fear that the day is close when I will be of no more use to them. Ultimately, the Darklords destroy everything over which they have control--cities, land, races, even their own kind. The Elder Magi have promised me sanctuary in return for my help, and help I shall, for my life is dependent on your success.' He smiles, amused by the irony of his situation, then he bids you follow him to an adjoining chamber. 'Come, you must prepare for your journey to the Black City.'


You follow the Slavemaster into a chamber filled with marvellous treasures, furniture, and rich trappings, which seem anachronistic here in this foul city. He advises you to take off your Drakkar armour and wear instead a hooded robe woven from a strange, silver-grey material. He comments favourably on the Golden Amulet you wear, assuring you that its protection will be essential for your survival in Helgedad. As you are about to don the robe, he insists that you wear your Backpack underneath it. 'The creature who donated this garment, albeit it reluctantly, was tall but possessed a severely crooked spine. In order to gain entry to Helgedad you must pretend to be that creature. The pack will help to complete your disguise.'

You ask the identity of the creature, and what has become of him. 'He was one of the Liganim, those who assist the Nadziranim sorcerers with their black arts,' replies the Slavemaster. 'This particular Liganim came here to Aarnak to fetch a quantity of special grade ore for his master's experiments, but the unfortunate creature met with a fatal accident, here in this very chamber.' The trace of a smile on the Slavemaster's face suggests that the accident may not have been quite so accidental.

'How am I to get into Helgedad?' you ask, hoping he has planned for this as well.

'You will be told in good time, but first I must give you some other information that is vital to the success of your quest.'

'The Transfusor, which you must destroy to ensure the end of the Darklords who are now outside the boundaries of this realm, is located in the uppermost chamber of the Tower of the Damned. You will find this tower in a part of the city known as the Imperial Sector. But be warned! This sector is the most heavily guarded area of the city, for it is here that Gnaag himself resides.'

The Slavemaster takes a strange mask from a nearby table and offers it to you. It is made of a green, glass-like mineral and is shaped into a hideous visage. 'Wear this always. It will keep safe your identity from any casual inspection.' You accept the Green Mask (mark this as a Special Item on your Action Chart--you need not discard any other item in its favour if you already hold the maximum), and listen carefully as the Slavemaster concludes your briefing.

'Be on your guard at all times,' he says, solemnly. 'The lesser creatures of Helgedad are a ruthlessly treacherous breed, forever preoccupied with their complex political intrigues. You will need to be doubly cunning if you are not to fall foul of their willful machinations. The robe you wear marks you as one of Darklord Ghanesh's minions. He is far away at present, leading his horde in distant Lencia, but his absence will be of little help to you. Avoid all who wear robes of green and scarlet, for they are followers of Xog and Taktaal, Ghanesh's closest rivals. But above all, avoid those who wear silver-grey, the same colour as yourself, for they know their own kind and are sure to see through your disguise.'

He walks across the chamber and picks up a curious-looking device by which he is able to tell the time of day. 'Come, follow me. Now you will learn how you are to breach the defences of Helgedad.'

The Slavemaster dons a mask that covers his nose and mouth, through which he is able to breath safely the noxious air that swirls outside his tower. He takes you to the outskirts of Aarnak in his personal chariot, to a vast, open-cast quarry. The means of your transportation to Helgedad waits at the edge of the quarry's vast crater. Your jaw opens in amazement when you set eyes on the vehicle, for it is gigantic, by far the largest vehicle you have ever seen on dry land.



‘It is a Lajakeka, a "stone-taker",' says the Slavemaster, clearly amused by your awed reaction to this wheeled leviathan. 'It is filled with ore, mined here at this crater, that is destined for the furnaces of Helgedad. You are to be a passenger on its return journey to the Black City. However, you will not be travelling alone. There are several Liganim, and some others besides, who will be fellow travellers. Be wary of them and remember all that I have said.'

Then he bids you farewell, and watches as you climb the wide ramp that leads into the belly of the steel beast. Inside it is not unlike a ship, with cabins for the travellers and crew, and interconnecting passages that service the vast cargo holds full of ore. Giak crew allocate cabins at random, and once you are safely inside yours, you pull the drawbolt and try to make yourself comfortable on an unpadded steel bunk. Then the screech of metal on metal and the dull throbbing of the Lajakeka's engines fill your ears. The bunk shudders and your pulse quickens: your journey to Helgedad is underway.

You have been travelling for less than an hour when you hear a knock on your cabin door.

I use Divination + Mentora. All it tells me is that the person outside is magical and is not hostile. I open the door. He invites me to join him and his master in entertainment. He calls me Cagath, so that is obviously the name of the person I am impersonating. I choose to go, since I don‘t want to be suspicious.

There are many Liganim, Giaks, Drakkar, Nadziranim, and others in a large area around a gladiatorial combat pit. People bet on the combats, and then win or lose. An orange skinned reptilian and a blue-skinned humanoid move out to attack each other and I am asked to bet, but I decline.



The reptilian wins by attacking before the bell is rung and killing the unprepared humanoid in one strike. The crowd cheers. The next contest is about to begin when a whistle blows signaling that we have sighted Helgedad. I choose to look out a porthole.


Quote:

With trepidation, you peer through the thick and grimy glass of a hull porthole and gaze upon the awesome spectacle that is Helgedad. Perched upon an isle of granite at the centre of a vast, fiery chasm stands the mighty city-fortress, the very core of a cancer that threatens to infect and destroy all that is good in Magnamund. Great walls of black steel encircle it, giving rise to a thousand spiky towers and turrets which harbour the masters and the minions of darkness. Above the city hovers a seething pall of black smoke that keeps it forever in shadow. Fed by the fumes from the volcanic craters of the Naogizaga, this cloud is made all the more noisome by the foul discharges of the Nadziranim laboratories, the weapon furnaces, and the hellish breeding pits at the base of the chasm.



Irregularly the darkness is lit by fireballs that seem to form spontaneously among the black vapours. They spin and soar above the city like demonic meteors, before exploding or simply melting away in a rain of sparks. A bridge of twisted black steel joins Helgedad to the wastelands beyond, and as the Lajakeka slowly grinds its way across this span, you look down into the fiery depths of the Nengud-kor-Adez, the Lake of Blood, and your courage quails at the terrible sight that meets your gaze.

A thousand feet below, at the heart of the chasm, a seething carpet of nightmare shapes crawl and slither amid rivers of molten rock. They appear to your horrified eyes to be writhing in perpetual agony, and your psychic senses confirm that this is the case: it is their pain, not their bodies, that feed this raging sea of supernatural flame.

The gates of the Black City open and the Lajakeka passes into this terrible realm of evil, along a vast avenue of steel, flanked by buildings of hellish grandeur and purpose. You can see red flames glaring at peaked gothic windows, and innumerable barred gates that appear like the grinning jaws of dragons. At length, the vehicle grinds to a halt at a place where a huge chute burrows deep into the ground. The crew make preparations to unload their cargo directly into this funnel-shaped hole whilst you and the other passengers disembark. With fear running ice-cold in your veins, you scan the fire-swept street and notice that all the other passengers are scurrying towards a tunnel.

(I can follow them or explore the street. I follow everybody. When in Helgedad.)

The walls of the tunnel shimmer with reddish reflections, as though somewhere in its unknown depths a great fire is blazing. With the fear of being caught making your heart pound in your chest, you look around you, taking in every detail of your surroundings.

One thing you notice immediately is that the other Liganim all move with a pronounced limp. You take care to copy this strange, irregular gait in order not to attract suspicion. None appears to show you any undue interest until you reach a semicircular chamber at the tunnel's end. There the passengers split up and enter numerous smaller passages that burrow beneath the city in all directions. One group, however, remains in the chamber. They huddle close together and whisper among themselves whilst casting glances at you.

(I use Huntmastery + Archmaster.)

Using your advanced Kai skill, you focus your hearing on what is being said by the suspicious-looking group. To your dismay you hear them plotting to ambush and kill you. They are followers of Darklord Taktaal, arch-rival of Darklord Ghanesh, whose colours you are wearing. They plan to murder you in retaliation for the death of one of their own, who was poisoned by Ghanesh's minions.

You watch them out of the corner of your eye, and, as soon as they turn away their heads, you hurry into a tunnel that has been avoided by the other passengers. The speed of your action catches the group by surprise; none of them sees which tunnel you take and you escape with ease.

The tunnel grows darker and dirtier the further down it you venture. You are beginning to suspect that you have entered an abandoned passage when the unmistakable stench of decaying meat wafts past you on a sulphurous breeze. Then two misshapen creatures loom out of the darkness, and your stomach churns at the sight of their hideously swollen faces. Their eyes are slits, the lids sewn down against the putrid flesh of their cheeks by lengths of coarse, black thread. They stagger towards you, their hooked claws scrabbling the air and their long, snake-like tongues flickering from their lipless mouths as hungrily they savour the scent of your flesh.



Do I use the Sommerswerd? Nope. I just use that Dagger I got from Banedon.

Helgedad Ghouls - CS 23, EP 32

Immune to psychic attack. I rolls a 9 and auto kill them. I try to put some distance between me and them. The tunnel branches off and I can go up or down. I keep going down. There are beetle sized gems that glow in the walls, providing light as I go. Suddenly I sense a grey clad Liganim approaching me. I try to bluff it. He easily discovers I am an imposter and attacks. He is attacking me mentally, but I block it with Psi-Screen.

Liganim - CS 25, EP 26.

I swing my dagger. I roll a 3 and he takes 11 and me 2. I roll a 0 and he dies.

I find a Black Key on his corpse and take it.

Quote:

You follow the passage for nearly an hour before you happen upon something that raises your flagging spirits. At a junction with two other tunnels your eye is drawn to a large emblem that has been chiselled skilfully out of the granite wall. It is a depiction of a snake's skull with two fly-like eyes, surrounded by a circle of fire. At once you recognize this carving: it is the personal emblem of Darklord Gnaag. You study the sign: it must mark the start of a tunnel that leads to the Imperial Sector of the city.

With your pulse racing, you set off along the torchlit tunnel. You have not gone very far when you see that it ends at a large steel door, guarded by two monstrous creatures clad in heavy plate mail. A smaller door appears to your left, and, as you draw level with it, you reach out and turn its handle. The door is locked.

(I use the Black Key)

You insert the key and twist it. The lock clicks and the door swings open silently to reveal a stunning sight. A large, low-ceiling room lies beyond, filled with colossal tanks of glass that bubble and seethe with all manner of sorcerous fluids. Glass tubes loop and contort in curious shapes, connecting the tanks and enabling their contents to flow from one to another. The air is heavy with the stench of acids and harsh chemicals, and the walls are lined from ceiling to floor with stoppered jars, each one filled with a brightly coloured powder, liquid or gas.



On one workbench a curious, arrow-shaped rod is suspended in a field of electrical energy. The crackling fire arcs between two vertical plates of metal, making the arrow glow with a strange phosphorescent light. You take a closer look and see that a lever protruding from the bench itself controls the flow of power. Then you notice that behind the bench there is another door.


(I take a closer look at the rod)

The rod is a Zejar-dulaga, a poisonous arrow imbued with magical accuracy. If you wish to turn off the power and take this Zejar-dulaga, mark it on your Action Chart as a Special Item, which you carry in your quiver.



Having satisfied yourself that there is nothing else of practical use in this laboratory, you decide to leave

I leave through the door in the back)

The door is not locked, and beyond it you discover another hall equally as impressive as the laboratory. It is the Imperial Armoury, and it is filled with row upon row of fearsome weapons.

You walk through the armoury, and past an arsenal of fiendish devices that have yet to be unleashed on the allied armies of the freelands, but are destined soon to be shipped to the battle front to speed Gnaag's conquest of Magnamund. A passage at the far end of the hall takes you past a barracks-like room where Nadziranim sorcerers are busily engaged in the testing of new psychic weapons upon a group of grey-skinned slaves, mindless Grolth from the swamps of the Tadatizaga. Their pitiful screams of agony make your blood run cold, yet you dare not intervene to prevent their torture for fear of jeopardizing your mission. Hurriedly you climb a staircase that emerges at the foot of a monstrous tower, as black as death itself. Two fireballs split open the rolling black clouds and in the brilliance of their explosions you see a huge metallic flag flying from the tower's crystal spire. It is emblazoned with the emblem of Darklord Gnaag, and at once you know that you have found what you are looking for: the Tower of the Damned.





As your eyes move down the tower, you notice a large oval platform jutting out from the black steel wall. Perched on this platform is an Imperial Zlanbeast, similar to the one that bore you to Aarnak. It, too, bears Gnaag's sign, branded deep in its leathery hide. Its presence suggests that its master is in residence, and as you cross the courtyard and walk towards the tower door, your senses tingle in anticipation of the confrontation that awaits you within.

As you climb the steps that lead to the door, it slides open to reveal the outline of a guard silhouetted against a background of scarlet fire. In a claw-tipped hand he holds several slivers of crystal, each a different colour, and, as you reach the top of the steps, he draws a silvery-grey one and points it at your face. 'State your name, minion of Ghanesh!' he commands, 'or begone from the Tower of the Damned.'

You sense that the guard does not suspect you of being an imposter, he is merely performing a routine check on all who visit the tower. To have come this far into the Imperial Sector means that you have passed through several checkpoints already, and so the guard does not regard you as a threat to his master's safety. In order to be allowed to pass, you must state the name of the Liganim whose identity and robe you are using as a disguise.


(I say Cagath)


The crystal shard emits a tinkling, bell-like sound, and the guard moves aside to allow you to enter the Tower of the Damned. He points to a column of bright blue light, descending from the darkness above, and tells you to step into its shimmering rays. You hesitate, and he laughs mockingly at your indecision.

'Go on, step in. It's quicker than climbing the stairs.' Your Kai senses tell you that the column is a beam of partial gravity, a transportation device that will draw you slowly towards the top of the tower.

You step into the light and feel yourself rising. Minutes later, the sensation stops and you step from the beam into a huge, domed chamber. The polished walls and floor glisten like the mirrored surfaces of a black lake. The aura of evil hangs everywhere like a thick mist. It closes your throat and threatens to suffocate you. Your heart pounds loudly as you move towards a dais at the centre of the chamber, where a machine rests that matches the description of the Transfusor that Lord Rimoah gave you before leaving Toran. You reach for your Backpack, but before you can lift your robe and unshoulder it, the chamber is filled with a roaring growl.

'What brings you here, vermin of Ghanesh?'

It is the voice of Darklord Taktaal. From the shadows of an archway, he slithers towards the dais, his smooth, ice-white head swaying upon a fur-covered snake body, riddled with disease. Your stomach turns as you watch a muzzle distend from his face, then split open to reveal a row of razor-sharp fangs. Seemingly you are a lowly follower of his hated rival, Darklord Ghanesh, and you know that if you are to survive you must answer his command convincingly.


(I tell him I wish to defect)

The Darklord laughs and the chamber vibrates to the sound of his ghastly glee.

'So, the worm-master's minion wishes to serve a lord with true power, does he? Very well, you treacherous slime, but first you will have to prove yourself worthy of my lordship.'

He moves towards the Transfusor, in doing so turning his back on you.

(I choose to launch a surprise attack)

I have four options - Sommerswerd, Zejar-dulaga arrow, Dagger of Vashna or Helshezag, or nothing.

(I draw Helshezag and strike)


Wielding a weapon of the Darklords, you strike Taktaal a grievous blow that wounds him deeply. Shrieking an unearthly cry of pain, he retreats from the Transfusor and unhooks a mace, carved from a solid chunk of black crystal, from a chain around his putrescent neck. As he raises it, you move forward to strike again.


Darklord Taktaal (Wounded) CS 36, EP 40

He is immune to MB but not Psi-Surge. Helshezag is +7 vs. Darklords. I have a CS of 44 without Psi-Surge. I use it to bump me to 50. I roll 6 and deal 16 and take 2. I roll a 3 and deal 11 and take 4 (from Psi-Surge + Helshezag). Another 6 follows and 16 more to Taktaal and 3 more to me. Taktaal is dead and I took 9. (30/39)

Quote:

As you strike the killing blow that punctures Taktaal's heart, he shrieks and convulses like a thrashing snake before collapsing at the edge of the dais. A foul black gas hisses from the gaping wound, and his body fades rapidly until all that is left is a dull grey stain on the shiny black steel floor.

'Ghanesh will be proud of you!' comes a voice from the shadows, full of malevolence. It is a sound that strikes terror in your heart, for instantly you recognize the rasping tone of your most hated foe--Darklord Gnaag, the Archlord of the Darklands.

You spin around to see the ghastly form of Darklord Gnaag emerge from a shadowy archway, his composite eyes glittering evilly. You stiffen at his approach, your muscles locked like coiled springs. Your whole life's struggle is concentrated into this moment; at last the time has come to avenge the Kai and rid your world of these evil masters of darkness forever. You feel a transformation taking place deep within you, a growing strength and sharpness of mind. It breathes new life into your battle-weary body and fills you with the certain knowledge that your destiny is about to be fulfilled (restore your ENDURANCE score to its original level).



The chamber echoes to a loud, rasping snarl, full of anger and fear, as Gnaag becomes aware of your true identity. You move forward, confident in your strength. But before you can attack, Gnaag fades from sight and a shimmering haze rises from the floor. The mist draws into focus and an eerie cadence, like a distant scream, fills your ears.

The phantom mist crystallizes into the shape of a winged beast with glowing ghost-eyes. It opens its fang-filled mouth and your mind screams an alarm.

(I use Divination)

Your senses warn you that this creature has been summoned in Gnaag's defense. Its ghostly body is growing stronger every second, and you realize quickly that it is feeding on your fear. Drawing on your psychic reserves, you try to erect a mental barrier to prevent this psychic parasite from gorging on your fears.

(I pick a # and add 5 for the Lore Circle of the Spirit. I get an 8)

You sense the creature weaken as your psychic barrier prevents your fear, that it needs in order to maintain its strength, from escaping. It howls its ghostly frustration and launches itself at your throat.


Mind Reaper CS 24, EP 32

I roll a 0 and it auto-dies.

As you strike the blow that seals the creature's doom, it disappears, leaving no trace whatsoever. Gnaag roars his anger and lopes awkwardly towards the Transfusor, desperate to recall his fellow Darklords to the Black City. You block his path and feel an eerie force--a tingling electric coldness--pass between you. With an unholy scream, Darklord Gnaag unsheathes his sword, Nadazgada, and prepares to engage you in a battle that will determine the destiny of Magnamund.

(I use the Sommerswerd)

You unsheathe the Sommerswerd and the shadowy chamber is flooded with blinding golden light, as if a sun had flared into being beneath its black dome. The steel walls vibrate, then buckle beneath an onslaught of pure energy that is radiating from the sword's blade. Until now the power of the sun-sword has been held in check, locked and subdued within its divinely crafted blade. Even the surge of power that destroyed Darklord Zagarna at the walls of Holmgard was but a candle flicker compared to the searing radiance that is now pouring from its tip.

For an instant you see panic blaze madly in Gnaag's fly-like eyes, before he is consumed by the power of the Sommerswerd and vapourized to sightless atoms. With a cry of victory, you sheathe the sun-sword and stare at the place where, only seconds before, your arch-enemy confronted you.

(I grab Nadazgada, and Taktaal’s Mace, so that they do not fall into other hands)

Only a circle of fire-scorched steel marks the spot where Darklord Gnaag finally met his doom. You look upon this patch of twisted metal and your spirits soar with the realization that you have defeated your arch-enemy in mortal combat. But your mission is yet to be completed. Quickly you remove the Crystal Explosive from your Backpack and approach the Transfusor. You place it in position, next to a shaft connected to the Lake of Blood from which the device draws its power. Once the crystal is primed, you hurry out of the chamber through the archway by which Gnaag entered. Guided by your instincts, you find your way around the tower to the oval landing platform, and to the means of escape from the Black City which awaits you there--Gnaag's Imperial Zlanbeast.

You are high above the city, steering the reluctant Zlanbeast eastwards to Aarnak, when the crystal detonates. Within moments it starts a chain reaction, which destroys the Transfusor, reduces Helgedad to a fiery holocaust of shattered granite and twisted steel, and brings about the rapid demise of the Darklords and their armies scattered throughout Magnamund.

Your victory is total. At last you have fulfilled your destiny to avenge the Kai and rid your land of the evil that has threatened her for thousands of years. You return to Sommerlund a conquering hero, and, as Kai Grand Master, you begin the task of restoring the Kai to their former glory. The chronicle of your struggle against the Darklords will pass into legend, inspiring future generations of Kai warriors to keep alive your ideals of bravery, skill and selfless courage. Yet the saga that is the story of your life does not end here. In future times the chronicle will tell of the adventures you undertook during your Kai Grand Mastership. Until the time comes for their telling, may the Gods Ishir and Kai watch over you, Grand Master Lone Wolf, hero and saviour of Sommerlund.

Review of The Masters of Darkness

Well, it’s over. The first 12 books are done, and the Darklords are dead. The book is interesting because in it you are a super powerful assassin and saboteur, and you left behind your days of Ranger-ing long ago. You are the elite strike force of Magnamund. I think it would have been cool if instead of destroying all of the Darklords, you had to spend the next few books finding them and taking them down.

Anyway, story wise - awesome. Game wise, interesting. It’s just as mono-path as the previous book, and that is a strike against it. However, it is quite winnable with an original character. You can get the Adgana leaves for a +6 CS bonus in one fight, the Bracers, Bronin Vest and Kagonite Chainmail. You can wrest Helshezag from Kraagenskul and then kill him. Grab the Zeluga arrow and you can auto kill Taktaal with it, and then Helshezag Gnaag and Helshezag has a +12 when used against a Darklord in Helgedad. Very winnable, unlike the previous book. I still wonder why you just don’t fly your Imperial Zlanbeast to Gnaag’s Tower and kill him immediately. You have a Darklord’s personal Zlanbeast so you’d be able to land.

It’s one of the few later Magnakai books that’s winnable without having played the previous ones. I’ve actually done it before. Alright, awesome, and the next series of books will open up soon. I have not played through these as much. I only had the abridged versions of Books 13-15. I have never read past them, and I think I’ve read 13 three times, 14 twice and 15 once. It will be new for me.


Anyway, awesome.


End of The Masters of Darkness

The Plague Lords of Ruel


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

It is the year MS 5075 and twenty-five years have passed since your brave kinsmen perished at the hands of the Darklords of Helgedad. These champions of evil, who were sent forth by Naar, the King of the Darkness, to destroy the fertile world of Magnamund, have themselves since been destroyed. You vowed to avenge the murder of the Kai and you kept your pledge, for it was you who brought about their downfall when alone you infiltrated their foul domain--the Darklands--and caused the destruction of their leader, Archlord Gnaag, and the core of their cancerous power that was the infernal city of Helgedad.

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

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

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

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

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

At this time many changes were also occurring beyond the borders of Sommerlund. In the regions to the north-east of Magador and the Maakengorge, the Elder Magi of Dessi and the Herbwardens of Bautar were working together in an effort to restore the dusty volcanic wasteland to its former fertile state. It was the first tentative step towards the reclamation of all the Darklands. However, although they had had notable successes in these regions, generally their progress was painfully slow and both parties were resigned to the fact that their efforts to undo the damage caused by the Darklords would take not years but centuries to complete.

In the far west, the Drakkarim had retreated to their homelands and were engaged in a bloody war against the Lencians. Much of Nyras had been reclaimed by the armies of King Sarnac, the Lencian commander, and his flag now flew over a land which, two thousand years ago, had once been part of Lencia.

Following the destruction of the Darklords of Helgedad, the Giaks, the most prolific in number of all of Gnaag's troops, fled into the Darklands and sought refuge in the gigantic city-fortresses of Nadgazad, Aarnak, Gournen and Kaag. Within each of these hellish strongholds there exists now a state of frenzied civil war as remnants of the Xaghash (lesser Darklords) and the Nadziranim (evil practitioners of right-handed magic who once aided individual Darklord masters) fight for control. By virtue of their geographic locations, and the struggles taking place within them, each of these city-fortresses is isolated from the next and poses no immediate threat to the peoples of the Free Kingdoms. It is widely believed that by the time the Elder Magi and the Herbalish reach the walls of these strongholds the occupants will have long since brought about their own extinction.

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

Often, over the past two years, Lord Rimoah has warned you to be wary of one such group. They are known as the Cener Druids and they occupy a small forested realm to the south of the Stornlands called Ruel, which they have made virtually impregnable to invasion through the use of evil herbcraft. Once, long ago, after the defeat of Naar's greatest champion--Agarash the Damned--they were used by Naar as agents of revenge. Then they formulated and released a plague that decimated the Elder Magi and left the way open for their conquest of Magnamund. Now the Elder Magi fear that, as before, Naar will use them again to enact revenge for the defeat of his champions. They fear that they will seek to destroy the Second Order of the Kai before it becomes too strong, for your quest for mastery of the Grand Master Disciplines has opened a door to such goodly power that even Naar himself may be unable to counter it. Unless he closes that door, others of your kind could soon be following in your footsteps.

Already the Elder Magi have petitioned the courts of all the Freeland rulers, beseeching them to act immediately and destroy the Cenerese before it is too late. Many of the kingdoms they have visited unwittingly harboured secret sects of Cener Druids who practised their vile herbcraft, often in remote areas. Sommerlund was one such land. Only a year ago, a sect of Cenerese was found in the foothills of the Durncrags engaging in blood rituals at a site less than a day's ride from the Kai monastery. News of this prompted action which brought about a scourge of the Lastlands and forced many Cenerese sects to flee to the safety of Ruel. The regular armies of three nations--Palmyrion, Lourden, and Slovia--are now encamped around its border in an attempt to contain the Cener threat. They remain watchful, but that is all they can hope to do. The Cenerese are too powerful within their own domain for the Freeland armies to dare launch an invasion. One such attempt has already ended in disaster. Six months ago an allied force numbering seven thousand men entered the Forest of Ruel, intent on storming the Cenerese fortress of Mogaruith and razing it to the ground. Seven thousand men went into the forest; only seventy returned alive.

Despite the vigilance of the three Freeland armies, the containment of the Cenerese threat within Ruel has not been entirely successful. To the south, the Cenerese can enter and leave their realm by means of tunnels which honeycomb the Skardos Mountains. These secret passages emerge in the free state of Caron, at the northern edge of the Rootstrangle Swamp which, in due course, drains into the Tentarias (the great waterway which divides the northern and southern continents of Magnamund). Once access to the Tentarias has been achieved, the Cenerese are virtually free to sail to any port or country of their choosing. Caron is helpless to prevent the Cenerese from using this route through their land. They are a poor nation with few resources, and the Rootstrangle Swamp is one of the most difficult places to patrol. It comprises a constantly shifting morass of mud flats and rotting vegetation, inhabited only by Tzargs--a carnivorous race of frog-like animals originally bred by the Cenerese for the sole purpose of guiding them through the swamp's ever-shifting channels.

On midsummer's day, Lord Rimoah arrived at the monastery without, as was customary on such occasions, any forewarning of his visit. His unexpected appearance surprised the other Kai and caused them to speculate in whispers about the reasons for his journey. Yet his coming was of no surprise to you. For days you had experienced a feeling of unease, a presentiment that your orderly life at the monastery was about to undergo a dramatic change. Rimoah brought with him a glass phial of pale green liquid, a liquid that was proof-positive that the Cenerese were indeed preparing to enact Naar's revenge upon the Free Kingdoms of Magnamund.

The phial had been found among the possessions of a Cener Druid who had been caught in the city of Ragadorn after having been followed there by a watchful Herbwarden from Bautar. Under interrogation, the Cener revealed that he had been sent to Ragadorn by Arch Druid Cadak, the ruler of Ruel, to distribute the phials of this liquid to agents sympathetic to the Cenerese cause. The Herbwarden had sent the phial to Dessi where the Elder Magi, upon analysing the liquid, discovered it to be a powerful vaccine against a new and complex plague virus. Judging by the composition of the vaccine, this plague virus would prove to be several times more lethal than the Great Plague which had so devastated their race thousands of years ago. The Cener succeeded in taking his own life before he revealed further details, but, judging from the evidence in their possession, the Elder Magi were convinced that the Cenerese are getting ready to unleash an airborne plague virus that could kill all the living creatures of Magnamund, save those that had ingested the vaccine.

Rimoah informs you that the Elder Magi are unable to replicate the vaccine in huge quantities, and even if they were so able, to distribute it to every living creature on Magnamund would be an impossible task.

'The Herbwardens are sure that the Cener they found in Ragadorn was one of the first of those sent out of Mogaruith to distribute this vaccine,' said Rimoah, his voice uncharacteristically sombre. 'Therefore we must act quickly if we are to destroy the virus before Cadak is ready to release it into the atmosphere. Someone must enter Mogaruith. They must find and destroy the plague virus, and they must ensure that this evil work can never again be resumed.'

For a long moment you stood in silence staring into Rimoah's unblinking eyes. Then, with a nod of your head, you acknowledged what had to be done. Only a Kai Grand Master possesses the skills and experience that would be essential to the success of this vital mission . . . and there is only one Kai Grand Master.

Map of Ruel

Okay, we have to talk. Here are my stats. I initially rolled a 15. I then got +5 from the Circles. So my base CS is 20. I initially rolled a 26 EP. I then added 11 from the circles for 37 EP. My unaugmented CS and EP are 20 and 37. Now, here are my bonuses for skills and equipment:

Mindblast +3 CS
Weapon mastery +4 CS
Psi-Blast +3 CS

So, with Psi-Blast, my CS is 30. That’s with all of my skills, it is not something I can augment much more. Kai-Surge + Grand Weaponmastery will only add 3 CS more to my total, so I can only get to 33 with the skills available to me.

My Items:

Shield +2 CS
Silver Helmet +2 CS
Silver Bracers +2 CS, +1 EP
Bronin Vest +3 CS, +1 EP
Kagonite Chainmail +3CS, +1 EP
Padded Waistcoat +2 EP


That means my total CS, with Psi-Surge, is 42. With the Sommerswerd, I can jump that to 50. However, note that it is unable to go much higher.

Okay, here is why this is an issue at all. In this series, starting characters roll one die for CS and EP, and then add 25 and 30. Now, the 30 for EP is no big deal, that’s exactly what you would expect for the Lore Circles. However, having a CS of 25-34 starting out is a big deal. You can take Kai-Surge and Grand Weaponmastery, as a beginning character with a 5 rolled, and have a CS of 43 against foes that can be hit with mental attacks. Think about that. A beginning character with the exact same roll as me, can have a better CS that me (minus the Sommerswerd) without a single one of these items.

Now, here’s the issue. Technically, here are the only Special Items I can bring into Book 13:

Crystal Star Pendant
Sommerswerd
Silver Helm
Dagger of Vashna
Silver Bracers
Jewelled Mace
Silver Bow of Duadon
Helshezag
Kagonite Chainmail
Korlinium Scabbard
Bronin Warhammer


Note no Bronin Vest, and no Shield and no Chainmail and Padded Waistcoats. That means my CS coming into the series, without the Sommerswerd, is just 37, and 45 with the Sommerswerd. That means my CS is virtually identical to a starting character’s, only I have to spend space on all of this stuff.

Obviously, this causes some problems.

Now look, I agree with Joe’s attempts to stop trying to balance every book for both newbs and vets. I’m totally okay with that. However, I think he went way over, because I have to spend a bunch of special item slots just to get up to speed. Now, many argue that the Magnakai Disciplines I keep, like Huntmastery and meals, Curing and the +1 per section, Psi-Surge, Weaponmastery, are worth it. Plus I may have other items like the Silver Bow of Duadon. But, I should. I should be better. That’s the whole point. I don’t need to be super better like the Magnakai series, but I should be better For example, there is a monster in Book three you may face along the river, with a CS of 46. Just a generic monster, big. The newb with the two skills has a 43, and I have a 45 with 4 special item slots of 12. This is not a good thing.

So, there are some proposed solutions, however, mine is simple. I will take any of the armor special items that I want, and they do not count towards my special item count. My CS is still really limited, but at least I won’t have a bunch if item slots taken up. I know a lot of other items are not used, like the Psychic Ring, so I’m letting them go, but I’ll miss them.

My CS and EP coming in are 50 with the Sommerswerd and my EP is 42.

I gained Curing and its powers at the end of Masters of Darkness, so I can gain 1 EP a section without combat even if it was lost to non-combat damage. I can also once an adventure, when my EP goes lower than 6, add 20 EP immediately.

Alright, let’s look at the new Disciplines:


In the years following the demise of the Darklords you have reached the rank of Kai Grand Defender, which means that you have mastered four of the Grand Master Disciplines listed below. It is up to you to choose which four Disciplines these are. As all of the Grand Master Disciplines will be of use to you at some point during your adventure, pick your four skills with care. The correct use of a Grand Master Discipline at the right time could save your life.

When you have chosen your four Disciplines, enter them in the Grand Master Disciplines section of your Action Chart.

Grand Weaponmastery

This Discipline enables a Grand Master to become supremely efficient in the use of all weapons. When you enter combat with one of your Grand Master weapons, you add 5 points to your COMBAT SKILL. The rank of Kai Grand Defender, with which you begin the Grand Master series, means you are skilled in two of the weapons listed below.




Animal Mastery

Grand Masters have considerable control over hostile, non-sentient creatures. Also, they have the ability to converse with birds and fishes, and use them as guides.

Deliverance

Grand Masters are able to use their healing power to repair serious battle wounds. If, whilst in combat, their ENDURANCE is reduced to 8 points or less, they can draw upon their mastery to restore 20 ENDURANCE points. This ability can only be used once every 20 days.

Assimilance

Grand Masters are able to effect striking changes to their physical appearance, and maintain these changes over a period of a few days. They have also mastered advanced camouflage techniques that make them virtually undetectable in an open landscape.

Grand Huntmastery

Grand Masters are able to see in total darkness, and have greatly heightened senses of touch and taste.

Grand Pathsmanship

Grand Masters are able to resist entrapment by hostile plants, and have a super-awareness of ambush, or the threat of ambush, in woods and dense forests.

Kai-surge

When using their psychic ability to attack an enemy, Grand Masters may add 8 points to their COMBAT SKILL. For every round in which Kai-surge is used, Grand Masters need only deduct 1 ENDURANCE point. When using the weaker psychic attack--Mindblast--they may add 4 points without loss of ENDURANCE points. (Kai-surge, Psi-surge, and Mindblast cannot be used simultaneously.)

Grand Masters cannot use Kai-surge if their ENDURANCE score falls to 6 points or below.

Kai-screen

In psychic combat, Grand Masters are able to construct mind fortresses capable of protecting themselves and others. The strength and capacity of these fortresses increases as a Grand Master advances in rank.

Grand Nexus

Grand Masters are able to withstand contact with harmful elements, such as flames and acids, for upwards of an hour in duration. This ability increases as a Grand Master advances in rank.

Telegnosis

This Discipline enables a Grand Master to spirit-walk for far greater lengths of time, and with far fewer ill effects. Duration, and the protection of his inanimate body, increases as a Grand Master advances in rank.

Magi-magic

Under the tutelage of Lord Rimoah, you have been able to master the rudimentary skills of battle magic, as taught to the Vakeros--the native warriors of Dessi. As you advance in rank, so will your knowledge and mastery of Old Kingdom magic increase.

Kai-alchemy

Under the tutelage of Guildmaster Banedon, you have mastered the elementary spells of left-handed magic, as practised by the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star. As you advance in rank, so will your knowledge and mastery of left-handed magic increase, enabling you to craft new Kai weapons and artifacts.

I have no clue what is useful here or not. There was no question that Huntmastery, Pathsmanship and Divination were the most commonly used before. You no longer have a Sixth Sense or Divination. Telegnosis seems pretty weak compared to its predecessors. Grand Nexus doesn’t allow Mind Over matter or Nexus moving of things with your mind. It would be cool if Grand Nexus could move arrows that are fired at you or push a sword stroke aside Therefore, it seems like a lot of these skills are less general and more specific


Grand Pathsmanship is good I suppose so I’ll take it. I’ve never been without Tracking. I want to take Telegnosis for the same reason, but it looks minor here. Just in case it is still mega-useful, I’m taking Grand Huntmastery. Let’s add Assimilance because it looks cool. I want to add Animal Mastery, but Animal Kinship and Animal Control were always of more limited uses. I think books 5 and 7 are the only ones where having it is really helpful. Ah, let’s take it anyway. The other one I was looking at as Kai-Surge.


Grand Pathsmanship
Grand Huntmastery
Assimilance
Animal Mastery


Just like the previous series, there are improvements to disciplines as time passes, but there are no lore circles. You also get +1 CS and +2 EP for each book you finish.

I am given a Map of Ruel, a gold pouch with 29 gold crowns, and five items of my choice. Laumspur, full quiver, spear from the new Kai Monastery. Nothing else is needed.


Here we go:


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, The Danarg, Anari, Ghatan, Vhozada (Daziarn), Darklands
Fur Blanket
163 Gold Crowns
1 Meal
2 Potion of Laumspur - +5 EP
3 Potion of Laumspur - +4 EP
Fur Backpack
Bone Sword
Effigy
Concentrated Graveweed
Kalte Diamond
Ragadorn Dagger
Magic Spear
Holy Water
Brass Key
Iron Key
Whip
Sommlending Cavalry Spear (Normal)
Quarterstaff, Royal Guard (Normal)
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 (Normal)
3 Brass Whistle
Pink and Orange Waistcoast
Mirror
2 Bottle of Wine
Silver Key
Ticket to Eula
Chainmail Waistcoat
Rope
Lantern
Quivers w/ 11 arrows
Power Key
Red Robe
Gold Key (Kazan-Oud)
Glowing Dagger
Doomstaff
Kazan-Oud Diamond
Labyrinth Sword (Normal)
Kazan-Oud Fine Spear (Normal)
4 Sack of Silver
Silver Box
Helghast’s Sword (Normal)
Giak Scroll
Lord Adamas’s Pass
Vial of Gnadurn Poison
2 Flasks of Boza
Invitation to Chiban’s
Receipt for Horse, Tahou
Crystal Decanter
Silk Jacket
Silver Goblet
Silver Candlestick
Scroll of Honour
Jadin Anklets
Magi Dagger (Normal)
Sen. Chil’s Mace (Normal)
Dagger of Vashna
Black Key
Medal: Battle of Luoni
Drakkar Dagger (Normal)
Zagganozod Sword (Normal)
Silver Rod
Meledorian Dagger (Normal)
Scarlet Warrior’s Sword (Normal)
Power Ring (Vonotar)
Fireseeds: 9
Bronin Warhammer
Eruan Pathfinder Cloak
Kai Cloak
Cagath’s Liganim Robe
Takataal’s Mace
Toran Dagger (Normal)
Platinum Amulet
Blue Stone Triangle
Grey Crystal Ring
Psychic Ring
Wrist and Finger Guards
Firesphere
Green Mask
Golden Amulet
Iron Key
Black Key (Helgedad)
Pouch of Tobacco
Pipe
Zejar-Deluga
Nadazgada




Keeping:


Items:

25 Gold Crowns
Crystal Star Pendant
Silver Bow of Duadon
Sommerswerd
Korlinum Scabbard
Map of Ruel
Shield
Silver Helmet
Padded Leather Waistcoat
Bronin Vest
Silver Bracers
Kagonite Chainmail
Pouch of Herbs - Adgana
Rope
2 Laumspur +4 EP
Quiver w/ 6 arrows
Kai Monastery Spear

Note that my backpack can now carry ten items.

Lone Wolf, Kai Grand Defender, Kor-Skarn, Fryearl, Warmartial of Sommerlund, Savior of Tahou

CS 50
EP 42


Grand Pathsmanship
Grand Huntmastery
Assimilance
Animal Mastery


Here we go.

''Grand Master . . . the quest must begin without delay for time is not our ally,' says Lord Rimoah, as he paces nervously back and forth across the flagstoned floor of your monastery chamber. You voice your agreement and call upon your wise friend to counsel you as best he can about the mission you have undertaken. Not entirely to your surprise, you learn that he has already made preparation, confident in the knowledge that you would agree to this dangerous quest. He has arranged for you to travel to the Freeland of Palmyrion where a guide is waiting to escort you to Ruel. The guide can guarantee safe passage to the borders of the dark realm, but no further.

Rimoah tells you that little is known of Ruel, save that the unnatural forest which surrounds and protects the Cenerese stronghold of Mogaruith harbours creatures that are the stuff of nightmares. Some almost defy description. The poor wretches who survived the last ill-conceived, ill-fated invasion of Ruel, spoke of their encounters with gigantic, acid-spitting worms that rose up out of the ground without warning and devoured whole regiments of their comrades at a single stroke. They told also of the battles that were waged against ferocious packs of disease-ridden rat-creatures they called 'Vazhag'. The Cenerese breed these sentient vermin in warrens deep below Mogaruith, then release them into the forest to patrol and gather food for even viler abominations that rarely venture beyond the walls of their stronghold.

'Truly I wish that I were able to tell you more, Lone Wolf, but so little is known of Ruel. It is a dark and sinister place. Yet, there is something else, something that I can give you which will aid your quest,' says Rimoah, and he holds out his hand. In his palm is the phial of green liquid, the vaccine that will, at least, protect you from the plague which threatens to destroy so much of your beloved world. You take it, uncork it, then quickly swallow the bitter contents. Unexpectedly your stomach rebels and a wave nausea rises up which makes you slap a hand over your mouth. A few moments later the nausea fades and you are able to remove your hand and speak.

'How long will it protect me?' you ask, queasily.

Rimoah smiles. 'Oh, I'm sure you will be safe for some considerable time, Lone Wolf. I'm afraid I forgot to mention that the phial contained a concentrated vaccine, more than sufficient to protect a hundred men!'

Within the space of a few short hours you are ready to begin your long journey south to Palmyrion. Having entrusted the monastery to the care of your Kai Masters, you and Lord Rimoah leave by means of a secret tunnel, one of several that you have had constructed to enable you to enter and leave the monastery unobserved. You emerge in a clearing at the heart of the Fryelund forest, at a place where Guildmaster Banedon is waiting patiently to welcome you aboard Skyrider, his flying ship. Here you take time to bid farewell to Lord Rimoah, who will await your return at the monastery, before climbing aboard and placing yourself in the charge of your old friend Banedon.

Banedon issues the order to his dwarven crew to set a course for Palmyrion. Then, as the hum of the craft's powerful engine rises in pitch, he ushers you into his cabin where a welcoming meal awaits. Effortlessly the Skyrider ascends into the moonless sky and speeds southwards across Sommerlund's forested heartland, while you endeavour to enjoy your friend's good food and company and try not to dwell too much on the daunting task that lies ahead. Together you reminisce about past times spent aboard the Skyrider, and recall the adventures you shared in the far-away lands of Anari and Vassagonia.

A few hours later, as your airborne voyage is nearing completion, the conversation turns to the quest in hand. Banedon tells you that you are bound for the Palmyrion city of Holona where your guide, Captain Cearmaine, is patiently awaiting your arrival. At once you recognize the name; you recall having heard tell of the Captain's feats of bravery during the Darklands War where his actions won more than a single battle and earned him commendations from more than a dozen Freeland nations. Lord Rimoah has served you well, for in all of central Magnamund you could not have wished for a better guide than Cearmaine.

It is an hour after midnight when the Skyrider passes over the glimmering waters of the River Reloni and descends towards the flat-roofed Canatarium, the largest of Holona's eight municipal halls. There you are greeted by the Captain, a man whose proud face bears the scars of his many battles. He offers his hand in friendship and you are mildly shocked when your fingers close around a palm crafted of cold steel.

'A keepsake from the Battle of Vellino,' he says, raising his metal hand so that you may inspect it in the light of the Skyrider's bow lanterns. 'Alas, the first was stole away by a Drakkar's axe.'

Captain Cearmaine is eager to leave Holona before sunrise. His carriage awaits to take you south to his command at Stonewatch, a military fortification which stands within sight of the Forest of Ruel. Before you leave, Banedon wishes you success and godspeed. He and his crew will be awaiting you here in Holona in readiness to return you to Sommerlund once the quest has been accomplished. You bid your old friend a fond farewell then settle yourself down into the plush comfort of the Captain's carriage.

For four hours you are lost in dreamless slumber as the carriage wends its way across a hundred miles of open grassland trail. When next you open your eyes it is to the sight of a grey dawn breaking over the Palmyrion plain, and the sound of a sentry's war-horn announcing your arrival at Stonewatch. A company of horsemen, each clad like the Captain in ring-mail armour and a flowing chequered tunic of crimson and blue, emerge from the outpost and ride forward to meet the carriage. The Captain acknowledges their salute and watches with pride as faultlessly they change formation to escort the carriage through the outpost's stout wooden gate. Beyond lies a drill square that, even at this early hour, resounds to the shouts of command and the measured stamp of soldiers' feet. You disembark near a watchtower and swiftly the Captain ushers you inside and leads you to his quarters on the uppermost level.

You spend the day in his company and together you discuss your approach to Mogaruith while you wait for night to fall. After careful study of his maps, the Captain proposes two possible routes by which you can reach the Cenerese stronghold. The most direct way is to enter the Forest of Ruel and journey due east. This is by far the shortest way, but it could also prove to be the most perilous. You recall Rimoah's account of what lurks in this dread forest and the memory alone is enough to send a shiver coursing down your spine. The alternative is to journey southwards into the Skardos Mountains and enter one of the many subterranean passages that pass through that range. If you can find your way to the Skardos trail, the secret route by which the Cenerese enter and leave their realm, you should be able to follow it all the way to Mogaruith. Consult the map before making your decision.

(Let’s rock the forest.)


Shortly before midnight, you and the Captain ride out of Stonewatch on two fine Slovarian steeds. It is another moonless night and the plain is shrouded by darkness, yet you have no difficulty in seeing the terrain that lies ahead. Using your natural Magnakai skill of Huntmastery, every flowing contour of the grassy plain is revealed to you. The Captain is not so gifted, but the special spectacles he wears fully compensate for his lack of night vision. They were a token of gratitude from the Arch-Chief of Chaman for his services in defense of the city of Gleesh during the war against the Darklords, and often they have been of use to the Captain when scouting his country's border with Ruel.

In less than an hour you arrive at a grassy knoll which overlooks the dense, forbidding wall of trees that is the Forest of Ruel. You are dismounting when something causes you to halt mid-way. You perceive a scent being carried on the night air: it is the heavy, cloying stench of decay.

'There is great evil here,' says the Captain, observing your reaction. 'You would not be thought faint-hearted were you to return with me to Stonewatch.'


'I will return to your fortress, Captain,' you reply, your voice quietly resolute, 'but not until my task at Mogaruith has been completed.'

The Captain smiles and raises his steely hand in a salute to your brave determination. 'Very well, my lord. So be it. Until that glad day dawns I shall pray for your safety and success.'

Then he brings his horse about, takes yours by the reins, and bids you a final farewell before heading back to Stonewatch. 'May the gods watch over you and deliver us swiftly from the darkness of Mogaruith.'
You return his salute and watch as he gallops away with your steed in tow. Then, when finally he disappears, you turn to observe the gloomy forest perimeter. At first, the tangle of underbrush and trees appear to be so interwoven that they form an impregnable wall. Yet, at length, you see that there are two points where entry is possible. The first is where a sickly stream emerges from the forest to feed a stagnant, scum-encrusted pond; the second is where a tree has fallen and torn a hole in the thorny briars.

(Let’s take the creek. )

Cautiously you advance to the edge of the stagnant pool, your super-sharp senses alert to the slightest hint of danger. Using your innate Magnakai skill of Invisibility you take care to mask your body heat and scent least they should stir the unwanted attentions of any keen-nosed denizens of Ruel. You pause at the pool's edge for a moment where, using your powers of Divination, you scan the surrounding darkness for invisible or hidden enemies. Sensing no threat, you continue to skirt the fetid pond and follow the stream to where it trickles out of the forest. There you are greeted by an unwholesome warmth. It rises from a decaying mulch of roots and fungi that squelch repulsively underfoot. Silently you offer up a prayer to Ishir before venturing further into this inhospitable domain.

For several miles you trudge through the slime that borders the stream. This sickly strip of mud forms a narrow pathway that is, in turn, bordered by the tall trunks and thorny briars of the forest. So dense is this tangle of trees and brush that you feel sure it could only be the result of evil herbcraft.

At length the stream widens and the forest begins to thin out. Soon you are able to leave the foul-smelling brook and enter the forest proper, where after a short while you happen upon the remnants of a track. It descends towards a bog from which arises a cloak of misty vapour. Warily you approach, for the fog clings to the morass and masks its dangers.

Now your senses tingle: there is evil all around. At once you reach for your weapon and, as your hand closes upon it, you feel something snake-like coiling around your left foot.

(I do have Grand Pathsmanship)

You look down to see that a leafy vine is spiralling upwards around your leg. You summon your powers to repel the plant but your commands appear to have no effect. Then the fearful realization hits you that this is not a vine at all: it is the limb of a bog creature.

You attack and sever the plant-like tendril, but immediately there is another, then another. With the speed of striking snakes they ensnare your legs and wrench you into the morass. You fight desperately to free yourself as you are dragged deeper into the foul-smelling mire. Repeatedly you strike out below the surface in the hope of dealing your attacker a mortal wound. You feel something burst upon your weapon's tip and, momentarily, the creature's grip falters, but only to recover with renewed strength and tenacity.

Then sharp pain lances through your thighs as row upon row of barbed claws spring out from the unseen creature's tendrils and puncture your skin. You scream in agony and your cry is echoed from beneath the surface of the muddy pool by the sound of a malicious bubbling laugh.


(I do possess Animal Mastery)

You draw upon your Kai power to repel the creature, to force it away by the strength of your will alone, and instantly it responds as if you had run it through with a red hot sword. The creature retreats towards the depths of its slimy pool, but its barbs are snagged in your tunic and, as it slinks away, you are drawn deeper into the mire. If you are to survive this encounter you must cut yourself free.

Plaghatar CS 24, EP 30

The creature takes much less damage from hammers, maces and staffs. It takes 18 from my 7. Then another 16 from my 6 and it is dead. I took one.

Well, that was great. I’ve already used two of my disciplines in the first encounter. One didn’t even do anything.

Quote:

For an hour you follow the muddy track as it twists a tortuous route through the trees of this accursed realm. Baleful eyes observe your passing yet you choose to ignore them for you sense that these watchers pose no real threat to your safety. They are lowly animals that possess little intelligence and even less courage (though you fancy the latter would not be so if you were weak or wounded). The path ascends a ridge, then drops steeply towards the floor of a mist-enshrouded valley where you happen upon something that brings you to a halt.

A moss-grown skull lies on the path ahead, its jawbone agape as if uttering a silent scream. Beyond it lie two skeletons in rotting mail, half-buried in a nest of saw-toothed briar. Then, through the mist, you see weapons, rusted and mouldering, and the grisly remains of a warhorse, its armoured rider slumped astride its ruined back. You are advancing towards the horse when you hear a sound that draws your eyes away to the east. It is a busy, squeaking noise, muffled by the dense undergrowth.

You leave the path and melt into the tangled trees. With careful steps you edge towards the noise, your senses straining to extract information from your surroundings until you become almost a part of the forest itself. Then you detect movement ahead and, from the cover of a thorny bough, you draw your weapon and wait in readiness.

A line of rat-like creatures, each as tall as a youth, is wending its way along the forest path. They are armed with crude and rusty weapons and clothed in rags that once were worn by human soldiers. Your keen sense of smell detects the vile aroma of disease which hangs heavy about these loathsome rat-men, and at once you realize that these must be the Vazhag that Rimoah spoke about. Shielded by your Magnakai skills, you watch in silence as they file past your hiding place and slowly disappear. When you are sure they have gone, you sheathe your weapon and continue your trek towards Mogaruith.

Dawn breaks and the sun appears through a rent in the ominous mass of grey cloud that is swirling overhead. You stop and tilt back your head to enjoy the warmth of its life-giving rays upon your face. It is a brief respite, for within minutes the clouds close ranks and you find yourself immersed once more in the forest's gloom.

During the night the track has led you out of the valley and up a steady rise towards a plateau where a jutting spur of slate-grey rock stands surmounted by a score of lightning-blasted trees. There, in the shadow of the rock, your eagle-eyes detect three dark pits which have been dug side by side. You cannot see what lies at the bottom of these excavations, but you can sense that they radiate a powerful aura of evil.

(I use Divination to see if there is any psychic residue)

You focus upon the three distant pits and allow your consciousness to pass into the trance-like state that must be achieved to allow your Discipline to work. A tingling sensation runs along your limbs and gradually an image takes form in your mind.

From out of a swirling mist there comes into focus a moving scene that is terrible to behold. A vast procession of partially-clad soldiers are being herded into the pits by packs of blood-hungry Vazhag. They are bound with ropes and many are grievously wounded. They plead for mercy but their pitiful cries go unheeded as the snarling, savage rat-men stab them to death with their cruelly-fashioned spears before casting them down into the three yawning abysses.

Gradually the image fades and, as you return to consciousness, you discover that you are lying face down upon the ground. Your limbs shake uncontrollably and your forehead and chest are bathed in a cold sweat. You have tapped into the powerful residue of psychic force that pervades this site and the experience has left you in a state of psychic shock: lose 6 ENDURANCE points.

Slowly you recover from the trauma and pull yourself to your feet. Ahead the track crosses the plateau and passes within a few yards of the pits before continuing into a tunnel-like gap in the trees beyond. You advance, but every step that brings you nearer to the site causes your psychic senses to rebel. The images you saw, and the aura of evil that lingers here, are so strong that you find it difficult to step closer. You resolve to reach the gap at a run but a sudden noise from behind arrests you in mid-step.

Shambling out of the forest come a horde of monstrous shapes, corpse-like beings that exist in a twilight between life and death. Perched atop their withered bodies are hairless heads bearing lidless, red eyes and gaping maws, rimmed with hundreds of needle-thin fangs. As one they utter a deathly groan and you feel an icy chill electrify your spine.

Fighting to suppress your mounting horror, you turn and run towards the gap. You are within a few yards of the rocky spur when a dozen or more of these fearful creatures appear from the shadows to block your escape. Once more they utter their cadaverous cry and advance upon you from both sides.

Desperately you survey the plateau for another means of escape, but there is none: you are trapped. The only choice you have is to face the creatures or retreat towards the pits.

(I choose to fight)

Marching shoulder to grisly shoulder the ghoulish horde advances, hungry for flesh untainted by disease and decay. Hurriedly you draw your weapon and breathe a prayer to the sun god Kai to protect you in this moment of truth. Then, with a rush, the first wave fall upon you with a mindless fury. With blurring speed you deal them blows that would consign any mortal to its doom, but the grievous wounds draw neither blood nor ichor.

Tirelessly you slash and sever their grasping arms to prevent them from clawing you to the ground. They howl, but not in pain; these ghastly cries are joyous and triumphant. For no matter how skillfully you fight, you cannot resist their weight of numbers and, inch by relentless inch, they are forcing you ever nearer to the pits. As soon as you recognize their strategy you change your method of attack, and direct your blows at those parts of the creatures which pass for legs. Yet even now those parted from their limbs still advance, hunching and clawing their way forwards on their bellies whilst those that were once behind trample them underfoot.

Suddenly the advance falters and the howling ceases. The grim wall of creatures draw back a few yards and close their ranks in readiness, perhaps, for a final attack. Then, as one, they open their mouths and give vent to laughter, the like of which you have never heard before. Knots of pain build at your temples and frantically you draw upon your mind defenses to repel this tidal wave of evil psychic energy. I do not have Kai-Screen.

Your Magnakai defenses are too weak to resist the wave of psychic energy directed against your mind. It tears through your shields and explodes like a fiery ball of white hot plasma deep within your brain. Every nerve in your body is scorched by the blast and, as you fight to remain conscious, your body is contorted by excruciating pain: lose 12 ENDURANCE points.

As the agony fades and your powers of cohesive thought return, you are dimly aware of another hostile entity drawing closer, attracted by your psychic screams. Then, from out of the black shadows of the pits, you hear a dreadful, rumbling roar. Something huge is stirring deep within each of those dark forbidding shafts. As the ghoulish laughter of the horde reaches its pitch, you turn to see three giant, misshapen cat-like heads rise up into the light, each perched atop a snaky body as thick as the trunk of a tree. They bare their fangs and shake off the tangle of human bones that cling to their stinking, corpse-green manes.

The sight of these unholy creatures makes you reel back in shock and utter a cry of disbelief. Your cry is lost among the barrage of screeching howls, yet the cat-things react as if they hear it and, together, they come oozing out from their dark, noisome lairs and glide slowly towards where you stand.

(I do not possess Kai-Surge)

With a terrifying wail the three creatures rise above you and stretch wide their powerful jaws. Defiantly you face them as they flex their coils and steady themselves to strike.

3 Ruel Giganite CS 50, EP 80

I use Psi-Surge against them. I have 28 hp vs. their 80. That’s not a good number. I can’t even evade until they are down to 36. Alright, let’s see if I win or lose.

I roll a 1 and take 6, and them 3. I rock a 7 Them 9, me 2. 4. Them 6, me 4. 9. Them 11, me 1. They have lost 29, and me 13. I roll 1, 3, and 3. I have lost 16 more. I die.

Well, that officially sucked.

Well, shit

CS 50, EP 80 for a random set of creatures? Sheesh.

Also, with the caveat that I've never read these books and that the description was vague, I liked the sound of Magi-magic as a skill choice.

Yeah, I'm going to tweak my character and try again from the beginning of Book 13. Probably tonight during the game.

Okay, so let’s start this book called The Plague Lords of Ruel. This time I am swapping Assimilance for Kai-Surge, which I was looking at anyway.

That makes my CS 52.



Okay, let’s start again just like before, only now I have Kai-Surge instead of Assimilance. I also will take the forest like before, but this time, the fallen tree entrance instead of the creek entrance.


Quote:

Using your innate Magnakai skill of Invisibility, you take care to mask your body heat and scent lest they should stir the curiosity of any keen-nosed denizens of Ruel. Then, with caution guiding your every step, you advance through the knee-high grasses towards the fallen tree. As you approach, you focus your powers of Divination and scan the surrounding darkness for invisible or hidden enemies. Sensing no immediate threat, you continue to the forest's edge where you are greeted by an unwholesome warmth. It rises out of a mulch of insects and fungi that are feasting upon the corpse of the tree. Silently you offer up a prayer to Ishir before venturing a step further this inhospitable domain.

Beyond the dead tree you find a muddy track which is bordered on both sides by the tall trunks and thorny briars of the forest. So dense is this tangle of trees and brush that it is impossible to leave the track. You feel as if you are walking along an endless passage, one so unnatural that its construction could only be the result of evil herbcraft.

At length the track widens and the trees begin to thin out. Ahead you see a clearing and at once your senses tingle: it is a warning that you are not alone. Instinctively you reach for your weapon and, as your hand closes upon it, you see that the floor of the clearing is alive with a carpet of loathsome scuttling creatures. At once you attempt to use your Magnakai powers of Animal Control, to determine if these creature are hostile, but your efforts go unrewarded.

(I use Animal Mastery)

You focus your power upon the scuttling horde and try to bring them under your control. They do not respond to your commands and, at once, you sense that they are under a spell that has robbed them of all free will. You draw on your inner strength and attempt to break this spell, and the creatures cease their frenzied movement with an abruptness you find unnerving; it is as if they have suddenly turned to stone. Now that you can see them clearly they remind you of beetles, save that they are far larger and have long, rat-like tails. You observe them for a few moments longer, then take a tentative step forwards. Instantly they burst into life, only this time they do not confine themselves to the forest floor.

With a sound like a thousand squeaky door hinges, they sprout wings and soar into the air in a formation which resembles a small black cloud. Soon they have left the clearing, and as you watch the last of them disappear over the tops of the trees, you can only hope that they are not some form of lookout employed by the Cenerese.

On the far side of the clearing you discover that the trail continues deeper into the forest. You follow it for nearly an hour until your keen senses warn of danger ahead and immediately you halt in your tracks. You hear a movement: it is above and behind you. With incredible speed you spin on your heel and raise your weapon to parry a possible attack. Your reactions are fast, but they may not be quick enough to protect you from what lurks in the canopy of branches high above.

From out of the darkness there falls a wriggling mass of thorny creepers that come snaking towards your head as if driven by a single mind.

(Yes, I have Grand Pathsmanship, I think I know where this is going…)

Forewarned by your powerful senses, you are able to avoid the wriggling creepers by diving and rolling across the spongy forest floor. As you begin to rise to your feet, you fix your eyes on those vines and suddenly you realize that they are not plants after all--they belong to a creature that is hiding in the canopy above. The creeper-like tendrils are part of its natural camouflage.

Suddenly another mass of the tendrils descend and spread out in an attempt to locate you. One brushes against your foot and immediately the others hone in on your position like a swarm of hungry eels. You raise your weapon and strike a mighty blow which tears away a great swath of the creature's wriggling limbs. A fountain of ichor erupts from every severed end and, from somewhere above the canopy of branches, you hear an unearthly roar of pain. Once more the remaining tendrils seek you out; this time they are no longer soft and fibrous, but stiff and studded with barbed thorns.

The swirling mass strikes out for your throat. Desperately you hack at them with devastating effect yet more and more emerge from above to replace them.

(I choose to evade. This one is in a tree.)

You duck to avoid the sweeping tendrils, then turn and begin to run towards the clearing. You have taken but a few steps when a barbed limb lashes out and rakes the back of your legs (lose 4 ENDURANCE points).

You cry out at the sudden pain and stumble to your knees, but quickly you regain your footing and manage to escape without sustaining further injury. Without looking back, you cross the clearing and press on towards the east.




I am back at the area with the moldering skull, and from here it is all the same, except I don’t use Divination on the pits this time. Until…

Quote:

The grim horde shambles nearer and close ranks, in readiness, perhaps, for a concerted attack. But combat is not their intent. As one, they open their mouths and give vent to a ghastly sound that is akin to mocking laughter, the like of which you have never heard before.

As if in answer to their gleeful cacophony there arises, from out of the black shadows of the pits, a dreadful rumbling roar. Something huge is stirring deep within each of those dark forbidding shafts. As the ghoulish laughter reaches its pitch, three giant, misshapen cat-like heads rise up into the light, each perched atop a snaky body as thick as the trunk of a tree. They bare their fangs and shake off the tangle of human bones that cling to their stinking, corpse-green manes.

The sight of these unholy creatures makes you reel back in shock and utter a cry of disbelief. Your cry is lost among the barrage of screeching howls, yet the cat-things react as if they hear it and, together, they come oozing out from their dark, noisome lairs and glide slowly towards where you stand.

(I use Kai-Surge this time, and since I retreated to the pits, I never lost all of that EP to the mental attack)

In desperation you draw upon your reserves of psychic strength to shape a ball of energy, then you hurl it at the nearest abomination. It strikes its subconscious and the beast's eyes shut tight in pain as the force of your mind-strike bites deep into its unshielded cortex.

The attack is successful; the creature is wounded and it slithers back into the safety of its pit. Yet, despite seeing what has befallen their brother, the remaining two creatures continue to advance undaunted.

2 Ruel Giganite CS 38, EP 60

Much more doable. Okay, with just MB, I have +10 CS to I’m sticking with that. I roll a 6 and a 3 and a 1. They take 32 and me 6. An 8 deals 18 more. A 5 adds 12 and they are dead. I took 8 and I am at 33/42

The instant you slay the last creature an eerie silence envelops the site. The howling horde have ceased their dreadful caterwauling and now their mindless faces contort with sorrow as they stare at the sundered remains of the pit beasts, twitching and convulsing in the last throes of death.

You spin around to face the horde, your steely gaze taunting them to approach you if they dare. But none possesses the will to continue and slowly, one by one, they turn and melt away into the surrounding trees, like phantoms into a mist. Lying on the gore-stained ground close to the pit's edge, you notice a coil of fine copper chain. You pick it up and, in doing so, discover that it is attached to a key embedded in the mud. You can sense no aura of evil surrounding this key, and its cut and crude markings tell you nothing about its origins.

If you wish to keep this Copper Key, remember to record it on your Action Chart.

You leave the pits and hurry on your way along the leafy tunnel. For several miles you progress in a near-darkness that is broken only by a few scattered rays of grey light creeping through the ceiling above. At length the tunnel ends and you emerge into a clearing where stand the derelict remains of an ancient stone dwelling. You approach it warily, sensing the presence of magic, yet inside its shattered walls you find nothing but mould and clumps of sickly black grass. Then your skills of divination tingle afresh as the presentiment of sorcery increases. Suddenly you realize that the source is not here in this ruined hut: it is approaching the hut.

Through a crack in the stones you see a gap appear in the wall of trees opposite and a group of Vazhag enter the clearing, their ratty faces sniffing at the heavy, humid air. Among their number is one who is not of their breed. He is human in size and stature, though his hooded scarlet robes make it difficult to be sure. For a moment you catch a glimpse of the glassy green mask covering his face and at once you know that this being is a Cener Druid. In his hand he carries a rod of gold that is radiating the aura of magic which you detected when first you entered the clearing.

The Cener calls his pack to a halt. They cease all movement and watch in quiet awe as he raises his golden rod and uses it to make a slow, deliberate sweep of the clearing. Hurriedly you draw on your Magnakai skills of Invisibility and Pathsmanship to shield you from detection as the Cener sweeps back the rod and levels it directly at the derelict hut.

Waves of psychic energy flow across your mind. Steadily they grow in intensity, probing and testing your defenses to breaking point.

(Do I have Kai-Screen? Nope)

I take 4 Ep and I have been detected! He fires some energy from his rod and it causes nearby rocks to break and I take 2 from flying rocks. He is about to launch another mystical attack. Do I have the Sommerswerd? Yup.

Quote:

You unsheathe the sun-sword and point the tip of its golden blade at the red-robed druid. From his rod leaps a second charge, a lance of crackling fire that spirals through the hole in the wall and fixes itself to the Sommerswerd like a ravenous vampire let loose upon a maiden's throat. Instantly there is a sizzling splash of blue-white sparks and flashing webs of electrical power run back and forth along your arm. Yet you experience no pain; the dark power of the druid's rod is no match for the goodly might of the Sommerswerd.



Slowly and deliberately you draw back your sword then cast away its unwelcome sheath of fire. The ball of crackling fire arcs across the clearing and scythes through a pair of trees with a splintering roar. The severed trunks teeter for a moment, then come crashing to the ground, narrowly missing the Cener. The druid screams in fury and frustration. He curses you, then he shouts at his Vazhag minions, commanding them to attack and rip you to shreds.

With hatred blazing in their blood-red eyes, the Vazhag advance towards the ruins, each with a rusty weapon poised for the kill.


(I choose to stand and fight)

With a foul, snickering cry the Vazhag swarm into the derelict hut. You sidestep into a corner to prevent them from getting behind you, then raise your weapon in readiness to meet their attack. The leading rat-men throw themselves upon you in a blood-crazed frenzy, hacking and stabbing with their rusty blades, yet you dispatch them in seconds with such precision and economy of movement that it would appear to an onlooker that you had hardly moved at all.

But for every Vazhag that falls, three more take its place, and within minutes you are in danger of being suffocated to death by the press of their loathsome bodies.

Vazhag Pack CS 34, EP 44

I roll a 0 and they are autodead.

I see the Cener Druid running away. I can use a Bow, Magi-Magic, Kai-Alchemy, or none of these. I use my bow. My arrow skewers his heart in the back. Dead Cener. I run up to him and search his corpse.

Here is what I found:

Dagger
Cener Robe (If kept, this item will occupy 2 spaces in your Backpack)
Cener Mask
20 Lune (equivalent to 5 Gold Crowns)

I take everything. The golden rod’s powers vanished when its user died. It disintegrated as soon as I touched it.

Quote:

Warily you follow the track into the deepening gloom, your senses alive to the evil that permeates every root and branch of this forbidding forest. As darkness closes in there arises from out of the mire a mist, grey-green and sickly, which smothers the ground. Its corpse-like chill leaves you shivering, despite all your efforts to shield yourself from its clammy touch.

Night no longer restricts your vision and, as the track ascends towards a wooded peak, you see the outline of a ruined stone watchtower perched atop a rocky knoll. You sense that the tower is deserted and, keen to escape from the mist, you climb towards a crack in its granite base. You crouch to enter the jagged breach and, in doing so, you disturb a host of crab-creatures nesting within. In a frenzy they scuttle away from the tower, disappearing among the surrounding rocks in the blink of an eye.

Aching with fatigue, and mindful of the perils which still lie ahead, you settle yourself into a corner of the rubble-strewn tower and try to snatch a few hours of sleep. This night your slumber is disturbed by strange and unwholesome dreams, formed from the fears suppressed by your conscious mind. You are haunted by phantom shapes which take the form of friends and fellow countrymen. Kai initiates under your tutorage and simple Sommlending folk, their heads bowed and their faces pitted and disfigured by plague, drift past you in a seemingly endless procession.

You awake with a start, your pulse racing and your forehead glistening with beads of sweat. At first a sense of hopelessness washes over you, brought on by the vivid memory of your nightmare but, as your consciousness returns, so too does your inner strength. You perceive the dreams as a warning of what will happen should your quest fail, and this realization strengthens your resolve to reach Mogaruith and thwart the Cener's evil plan.

You have slept for several hours and, physically at least, you feel refreshed (restore 3 ENDURANCE points). In the half-light of early morning you gather together your equipment and weapons in readiness to resume your perilous journey to Mogaruith.

You decide that to travel openly along the track would be too risky. Rather than chance falling foul of a Vazhag patrol, you set off through the forest, using the trees for cover, but all the while keeping the trail in sight as you trek north-eastwards toward the Cenerese stronghold.

Your decision is soon justified. Within a few minutes you are forced to hide when a rickety wagon, laden with casks and escorted by a dozen Vazhag, appears on the trail ahead. Unaware of your presence, the detachment passes within yards of your position before continuing on its way southwards.

It is an hour past noon when the trees thin out and you catch your first glimpse of Mogaruith. Crouching at the forest's edge, you stare awestricken by the sight of its slime-green walls and towers. This vast Cenerese fortress, rising out of the land like the thrusting fist of some vile volcanic demon, bristles with formidable defenses. Turrets and bastions punctuate its sheer stone walls, and its base is ringed by a moat of bubbling water. A single drawbridge spans this moat, providing sole access to an archway lined with iron spikes, which gives the entrance a monstrous appearance, like that of a gigantic fanged maw.



Two muddy tracks lead away from the drawbridge. One is the Skardos Trail, the track that brought you here, and the other heads due east. You consult your map and discover that it leads to the River Storn, less than five miles distant. There a bridge spans this mighty waterway, connecting Ruel to the realm of Slovia. A small army of Vazhag, accompanied by a host of other creatures of doubtful origin, are marching away from Mogaruith in a column. Judging by their numbers, and the wagonloads of equipment they trundle in their wake, you suspect that they are marching to battle with the Freeland army of Slovia.

In order to destroy the plague virus and fulfil your vital quest, you know you must gain entry to this stronghold. Anxiously you let the minutes pass as you scan the interminable lines of marching Vazhag, and the fortress walls, in the hope of spotting a means by which you could enter Mogaruith undetected.

(I do have both a Cener Mask and Robe)

Quickly you unshoulder your pack and remove the Cener Robe and Mask. The garment and the mask still bear the vile smell of the creature that once owned them, making you hesitate before puffing them on, but you are determined to enter Mogaruith undetected and, by wearing this Cenerese outfit, you hope to achieve that aim.

Once you have donned your disguise, you crawl to a clump of dense foliage at the edge of the forest and wait patiently for your opportunity to act. Eventually your patience is rewarded when you spy two Vazhag approaching Mogaruith from the Skardos Trail. They are leading on a chain what appears at first glance to be a man, although this impression is soon dispelled when they draw closer to your hiding place.

Trailing behind the Vazhag is a creature with no free will of its own, a being that was once human but is now consigned to the twilight world of the undead. The sight of this stiff-limbed zombie, propelling itself forward on withered grey limbs, fills you with revulsion and pity. With difficulty you suppress your anger at the creatures who have caused this transformation and, as the Vazhag draw level, you emerge from the foliage and order them to stop. At once the rat-men obey, deceived by your disguise and your command of the Cenerese dialect. Nervously their red eyes regard you and they shuffle uneasily as they wait for your next command.

The Vazhag inform you that they are returning from a place called the Temple of Dzenya. Brother Hoylez, the druid in charge of the temple, recently resurrected this human from the temple's grave-pits. They have been ordered to deliver it to Brother Croumah at the Hall of Sacrifice in Mogaruith.

'Excellent!' you reply, convincingly. 'I myself am on my way to seek council with Brother Croumah this very instant. You will escort me there. Now, lead on!'

The Vazhag appear to relax upon hearing your order, as if they had half-expected you to punish them, and they set off readily towards the drawbridge with you following close behind.

Walking across the age-blackened drawbridge towards the spiky arched tower of Mogaruith is an unnerving experience. It is as if you are walking along a blackened tongue towards the gaping throat of some gigantic dragon. On either side the bubbling moat releases foul fumes which fill your nostrils with a terrible sugary stench that clogs your lungs and blurs your vision. You draw upon your Magnakai skills and your vision clears, but the sight which lies ahead looks no more inviting than it did before.

At the tower you are challenged by a troop of Vazhag guards. Using your Magnakai Disciplines of Animal Control and Pathsmanship to aid your deception, you inform them that you have come to deliver the zombie to Brother Croumah at the Hall of Sacrifice. Immediately, the guards scurry aside, bowing subserviently as they part to allow you entry to the great keep of Mogaruith.

The great flagstoned square echoes with the rhythmic thump of marching troops and the squealed commands of their Vazhag sergeants. Your first concern is to part company with your undead companion as soon as you can, for his presence is already attracting attention from the passing Vazhag. An empty storehouse becomes his new home and, after you have paused to bolt the door, you make your way stealthily towards a staircase which descends to a grand portal set into the base of the stronghold's citadel.

You have reached the north side of the keep when you are unexpectedly confronted by three Cener Druids, who turn a corner and come walking towards you in a line abreast. To avoid them you are forced to sidestep quickly into a shadowy doorway.

From the darkened doorway you watch the activity taking place in the keep, hoping to see something that will help you locate where in Mogaruith the Cenerese are producing their deadly plague viruses.

From out of the milling crowds of Vazhag there suddenly appears a small group of red-robed Cener Druids. They are talking to each other as they walk towards your hiding place.

Quickly you pull away from the open doorway and retreat deeper into the building. A narrow corridor takes you to a flight of steps which descends to where a passage crosses your path. An ornately painted sign, written in Cenerese, indicates what may be found at the end of each passage.



Your Magnakai skills enable you to read this sign. The arrow pointing to the left reads 'Library'; the arrow pointing to the right reads 'Laboratory'.


(Both hold value. Let’s start with the library,)

The corridor makes a gradual descent towards a single wooden door shod with heavy iron fittings. You press the handle carefully and, to your surprise, the door opens inwards without a sound. You enter and push the door closed before beginning your exploration of this archive.

The library contains thousands of books and time-yellowed parchments, stacked in uneven rows upon shelves that line every wall. The air is heavy with their odour and your senses prickle with the sensation that you are in the presence of works of great evil. Silently you pass from one chamber to the next until you spy two druids seated at a table in an adjoining room. They are studying a large tome which is bound in a pale-coloured leather. A wave of nausea makes you swallow hard the instant you realize that the book is covered with human skin. The two druids, who appear to be little older than a dozen years apiece, are chattering to each other excitedly. You move closer to the room and eavesdrop on their conversation.



After a few minutes you learn that their names are Noraa and Monad. They are novices who were brought into the sect by Cenerese agents after having been orphaned in their native land of Lourden. They seem devoted to studying the lore of their evil brotherhood, and as they read they ruminate at length about a great 'day of retribution' that the Cenerese will enjoy before the year ends.

At length they finish their studies and rise from the table. As Monad restores the book to its shelf, Noraa says:

'Hurry up. We'll be late for Kadrian's sermon.'

Monad nods apologetically, and hurries to join his brother as he leaves the library by another door. As the latch clicks shut, you emerge from your listening place and enter the room.

(I choose to search the room)

You scan the walls of this reading room and as your eye passes over the books and scrolls stored upon its shelves, you feel an almost uncontrollable urge to tear every one of them to pieces. The wickedness they contain, gleaned after thousands of years of perpetrating the vilest herbcraft known to Magnamund, is so potent that you feel your Kai strength waning in their presence (lose 2 ENDURANCE points).



Mindful of the insidious effect of these books you search as quickly as you can. On one of the lower shelves you notice an ornately carved wooden box, banded with gold and inlaid with precious gemstones. You carry it to the main table where the light is brightest and, as you place it there, you hear a riddle emanating from a design engraved on its lid. It speaks in the Cenerese tongue but you instantly recognize the words:

'My treasure is hidden from view
But I'll open myself for you,
If you ponder this puzzle then state
The right answer to determine my fate.
Divide 80 by one half,
Then examine what you see.
From this number take 14,
What remains will open me.'

Your Kai senses tell you that by solving the riddle, then speaking the answer aloud, you will cause the lid of the box to open.

When you think you have solved this riddle, turn to the page number which is the same as your answer.

(160-14 =146, should be the answer. Let’s see).

All that is inside is a Map of Mogaruith, which I take. I hear someone else enter the library, so it’s time I made my leaves.

Quote:

You hurry out of the library and follow a series of corridors which end at a large antechamber. This domed hall is decorated with tapestries which depict Cenerese legends, ignoble and infamous deeds that were perpetrated during the Age of the Old Kingdoms, when, for nearly a thousand years, the Cenerese tyrannized Northern Magnamund.

A single heavy oaken door in the opposite wall offers the only exit from the antechamber. As you approach it you notice that it is slightly ajar. Suddenly you hear the doleful sound of chanting emanating from beyond this door. Curiosity coaxes you nearer. You approach and peer through its narrow opening, and a chill runs the length of your spine when you see what lies beyond.

Beyond the door lies a secret Cenerese prayer hall, a chapel of evil where the druids worship and make sacrifice to their foul gods. Kneeling in pews before a blood-red alter are dozens of figures. They chant a soulless dirge as they read from books bound in black cloth. Around the walls hang grim decorations: skulls, flayed skins, tattered baffle banners, and other ugly tributes to the power that is worshipped and coveted here--the power of death, disease and decay.



You look with loathing at the congregation. In the main they are Cenerese, but there are others among them, old adversaries whose origins you recognize immediately. Acolytes of Vashna, Drakkarim, Vassagonian outlaws, Hammerlanders, and even a few Giaks. No doubt the remnants of the Darkland armies found sanctuary here after their masters' demise.

A noise in the corridor behind warns that someone is approaching the antechamber. To avoid them, you slip inside the prayer hall and hide in the shadows cast by a column which supports the roof. Moments later, three druids enter the hall and close the door before taking their places among the congregation.

In case there are any among the congregation who have the power to sense your presence, you draw upon your Disciplines of camouflage and mental defense to minimize the risks of being detected.

A few uneventful minutes pass until another druid enters the hall, ascending from a circular stairwell to your left. He is a tall, imposing figure, dressed in glittering blue robes edged with black velvet. The congregation rises as he walks to the altar, where he turns to face them.



'Be seated my brothers,' he commands, in a voice that is deep and resonant. At once you suspect that he is Arch Druid Cadak himself, but his opening address soon dispels this idea.

'The battle against the Slovians goes in our favour. We have repulsed their puny attacks and our defenses along the Storn remain intact. The Slovians are beaten. They are too weak to threaten us again. I, Kadrian, have seen the great river running red with the blood of their slain.'

Upon hearing this the congregation screech their approval until Kadrian calls for silence. Then, from a tome lying on the altar, he begins to read the opening passages of a service dedicated to Xuzargha, the Cenerese god of pestilence. The gathering fall to their knees, raise the hoods of their robes, and close their eyes in reverence as they listen devoutly to Brother Kadrian's sonorous voice.

Anxious to leave this hall, you look around for a means of escape. Two opportunities present themselves: the circular stairwell by which Brother Kadrian entered the hall, and a door to your right marked 'Vestibule'.

(I choose Vestibule)

Once inside, you close the door gently and breathe a sigh of relief. You find yourself alone in a small room which reeks of a heady mixture of incense and sulphur. Scarlet robes line the walls, hanging from wooden pegs driven into the crumbling plaster, and upon a solitary table are heaped a pile of green masks, fashioned from a glass-like mineral.

(I have a Robe and Mask)

A sudden noise startles you and you spin around to face it. A section of the wall is moving inwards, carrying with it the robes that are hanging there. A figure, dressed in a hooded purple cloak and clasping a large leather-bound book, appears in the opening. As he steps into the room the section of wall closes behind him.

'What are you doing here, brother?' he asks, his voice heavy with suspicion. You sense that he is a druid of high rank and you know your answer must be convincing if you are to avoid his wrath.

(I say I’ve been sent to help you)

'Mmmm . . . I did not request an attendant to assist me during devotions,' he says, narrowing his cruel grey eyes. 'Who ordered you here? Was it Brother Jhordax?'

You hesitate, but he does not seem to be expecting a reply.

'That fool Jhordax. This is not the first time that he has failed to observe the protocol of this hall. You can tell your master that I am not impressed by his incompetence. He will have to answer to Him if this ever occurs again.'

The cloaked druid sweeps past you, opens the door to the prayer hall, then slams it shut behind him to reinforce his displeasure.

Mindful of how near you have just come to being detected, you hurry to the section of wall from where the druid appeared and search for a way to make it open once more. You discover a lever and, within seconds of pulling it, the concealed panel glides inwards allowing you access to a secret passage.

The narrow passageway descends by steps and slopes to a chamber which is lit by two large black candles, fixed into holes in the surface of a marble slab. On a nearby table lie the following items:

2 Arrows
Enough food for 2 Meals
2 Daggers
1 Sword
Mirror
Rope

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

Opposite the slab there is a door which opens into a narrow corridor. You step through and follow this corridor to a room where stands an imposing door made of sheeted copper, inlaid with a filigree of gold and silver. It is the only exit from an otherwise drab and gloomy chamber.

A closer inspection of the door reveals that it is surrounded by an airtight seal. Furthermore, there is no keyhole, drawbolt, or handle. However, your keen eyesight is drawn to a pattern in the door's centre panel which, thanks to past experience, you recognize to be a sophisticated combination lock.

The gold inlays form three rows of three numbers within a grid of silver lines.



Below these numbers, in ancient Cenerese script, is carved the message:

'Declare ye the true number to pass this way'

Study the grid of numbers. When you think you know the answer to the riddle, turn to the entry which bears the same number as your answer


(Note that I took two arrows and a mirror. I believe the number is 15. 4+9+2 = 15. So do each of the next two.)

It works and the door opens. I slip through. After a short jaunt, the tunnel ends at a door and stairs down. I choose the door. I find a second Copper Key in this bedroom, and nothing else. I take the stairs down now. It hit’s a door, and guess what, I have a key for it. I have two.

Quote:

Before you stretches a cavernous hall, lit by the glow from fire-filled orbs hanging by chains from the ceiling. Facing each other are two rows of stone statues which form a grotesque corridor leading to an archway on the far side. A flicker of fear chills your heart when you notice that the expressions frozen upon their misshapen faces are those of pain and despair.

Cautiously you advance. You are wary of the statues and your body is tensed to react should they show the slightest hint of animation. Then you detect something which makes you freeze in mid-step. Your Kai senses warn you that something is sleeping in a shadowy alcove close to the distant archway. Anxious not to disturb whatever is resting there, you call upon your camouflage skills to mask your presence before moving any nearer.

(I roll a die. I roll a one. Uh oh.)

You are within twenty feet of the archway when suddenly a tremendous roar echoes around the hall. You start to run, hoping to make it through the arch and escape a confrontation, but almost immediately you are brought skidding to a halt by a terrifying sight.

Advancing from the alcove is a creature whose ghastly visage is the very stuff of nightmares. From its bear-like torso there protrude four tentacles and two powerful legs, all sheathed in shaggy scales. The limbs are surmounted with horny talons which glint menacingly, and its head, set with huge fishy eyes, is bulbous and disfigured by disease. It rests awkwardly upon a crooked neck which wobbles with every movement the lumbering beast makes. A livid crimson gash just below the eyes serves as its mouth, and a long tail with sharp spines swishes behind it, gouging furrows in the surface of the marble floor.

With surprising speed the beast is suddenly upon you, stabbing and slashing at your body with its sword-sharp talons.

Degradon CS 49, EP 36.

I use Kai-Surge. It is immune to Psi-Surge or Mindblast. I roll a 0 and it takes 16 and me 1. I rock a 6 and it takes 10 and me 3. A 7 follows. It dies and I took a total of 6.


Quote:

With a roar of agony, the Degradon crashes forward, forcing you to leap aside to avoid being pinned beneath its loathsome carcass. Breathless and shaking with the fatigue of this deadly combat, you lean against the wall and survey your surroundings.

Before you stretches a cavernous hall, lit by the glow from fire-filled orbs hanging by chains from the ceiling. Facing each other are two rows of stone statues which form a grotesque corridor leading to an archway on the far side. Although they are human in shape, extreme expressions of pain and despair twist and contort their faces.

You advance cautiously. You are wary of the statues and your body is tensed to react should they show the slightest hint of animation. Fortunately your caution is unnecessary and you are able to reach the archway and leave the hall without further incident. A short passage leads to a junction where a wider corridor crosses from left to right. Your skin prickles in reaction to the concentration of evil you detect in this subterranean part of Mogaruith, and silently you call upon your creator, the noble god Kai, for protection and guidance before continuing.

Instinct prompts you to turn left, and within a few minutes you arrive at a chamber where a vast staircase of black marble ascends to many levels, lost in the gloom above. Opposite this grand staircase stands a large door, carved from a solid sheet of strange green metal, the like of which you have never seen before. It gives off a pulsating radiance which washes over the empty chamber, illuminating symbols carved into the walls and floor. You focus on these symbols and, in a chilling moment of realization, you decipher their meaning.


The symbols form concentric circles which spell out a grim message:

'Humble thyself for thou art worthless like the dust before He who dwells herein. Pay homage to the emissary of the Lords of Decay for He is the instrument of their intention. Abase thyself afore His power. Hail, mighty Cadak of Mogaruith!'

Fear and uncertainty knot your stomach as you stand and stare at the door to Arch Druid Cadak's throne hall. Your senses scream at you to turn and run from this place for the air is so heavy with evil that you feel as if you are being slowly suffocated to death. But on this occasion you resist your instincts, for you have yet to discover where the Cenerese are cultivating their deadly plague virus and you know that the answer to that question can most likely be found here.

With fear running cold in your veins, you steel yourself and step towards the glowing door. As you come within a few feet of its pulsating surface, a band of intense light washes over you from head to toe.

(I do not have Kai-Screen)

A sudden rush of pain and nausea makes you drop to your knees (lose 3 ENDURANCE points), leaving you shivering fitfully. Your psychic Magnakai Disciplines were insufficient to protect you against the physical effects of the powerful mind probe which you have just experienced, but they were at least able to shield your true identity.

The light, reflected from the Cener Mask you are wearing, activates a sensor and as you rise to your feet you see the great metal door begin to slide open.

Beyond the door awaits an echoing hall which reeks of decay. Its walls are adorned with gruesome paintings which depict terrible scenes of human slaughter. One in particular catches your eye and, although you try hard to ignore it, you find you cannot turn your head away. It shows a pit of helpless humans, writhing and screaming in anguish as they are slowly consumed by packs of wild-eyed plague dogs. The scene shocks you deeply for the doomed humans all have distinct Sommlending features.

With difficulty you tear your eyes away and force yourself to look elsewhere in this unfriendly hall. You see columns rising to the roof, each wound round with creepers and fungi which give off an unwholesome, pallid light. Ahead you see another door, identical to that by which you have entered, and before it there stands a desk on top of a plinth of green stone. A creature sits at the desk, huddled over the open pages of a ledger upon which it is writing with a feathered quill pen. As you draw closer it stops scrawling and places its quill into a nearby pot of ink, fashioned from the crown of a human skull. The creature raises its hairless head and stares at you unblinkingly with its solitary eye.



‘Who seeks an audience with He?' it croaks, hoarsely. 'State your name, brother, and your purpose here.'

You are standing in the antechamber of Arch Druid Cadak's throne hall. To enter the hall itself and, hopefully, discover where the deadly virus is being cultivated, you know that you must first persuade this creature to allow you to pass.

(My options are to say I came from the battlefront with urgent news, I am an agent from the last lands with urgent news, or use Animal Mastery, which I do)

It resists. I roll a number and get a 3, which would normally fail, but I add 3 for Kai-Surge and 2 for having more than 20 EP right now. It defeats my control, but it is dazed, and reaching for a magical item. I choose to use my bow. It dies from the arrow. I search the desk and papers but find nothing but a lever to enter the throne room door. Alright, here we go.

Quote:

You flick the lever and turn to approach the throne room door. There is a faint rumble and the great metallic portal slowly glides open to reveal Arch Druid Cadak's private domain.

The room is little larger than the antechamber, however its furnishings and appointments are lavish in the extreme. Ornately carved furniture, inlayed with gold and precious gems, lines walls hung with priceless tapestries and paintings. At the centre of the chamber stands a great black chair, sculpted to display demonic creatures paying homage to the Cenerese. Glowing orbs hang suspended from the ceiling, bathing the chamber in a multi-hued light which is continually changing in colour and intensity.



Although your eyes and your Kai senses tell you that the chamber is empty, you are reluctant to pass through the door. A stench of pure evil is flooding out from this room, wafting over you like an invisible sea that seeks to soil and corrupt all it touches. Fighting back your nausea, you force yourself to cross the threshold and search the chamber before its owner returns.

Of all the precious items which crowd this room, your eye is attracted to three that seem to stand out from the rest. The first is a large crystal sphere which rests on a table beside the great chair. The second is a tapestry, the largest of them all, which hangs directly opposite the door. And the third is a gold statuette which rests on a shelf to your left.

(I do not have Telegnosis)

You are sorely aware that time is running out. It can not be long before either Cadak returns to his chamber or the Cenerese discover that they have an intruder in their midst. With this thought in mind you set about searching the throne room for clues that could reveal the whereabouts of the lethal plague virus you have come to destroy.

(Which do I search, the globe, the tapestry, or the statue? I choose the statue and find a Gold Key, which I pocket)

You spin around to see a figure standing in the doorway. He is tall and his sharp features are framed by a mane of flowing platinum hair. In his left hand he carries a wizard's staff and in his right he holds a feathered quill, the pen of the creature who was once his scribe.



‘Was it you who murdered Cordask?' he asks, his powerful voice devoid of the slightest emotion. But when you do not answer him immediately his voice and his expression undergo a dramatic change. His eyes radiate an unearthly glow and your skin tingles as you feel his psychic energies probing at your mind.

'You are not a brother,' he growls, like a rabid dog, and casts the quill aside.

'Take off your mask and show your true self . . . assassin!'

And with that he advances towards you with his staff pointing straight at your heart. You raise your weapon defensively and, in the blink of an eye, a crackling flame lights at the tip of his staff and comes roaring towards your chest.

(I do have the Sommerswerd)

You raise the Sommerswerd and catch the magical fire upon the flat of its blade. There is a deafening crack and you feel an electrifying jolt run the length of your sword arm as the flame is deflected and set roaring back towards its caster. He regards the rebounding fireball with a look of cool indifference and proceeds to sheathe himself in a glowing cocoon of pale blue light. The flames split apart as they collide with this protective shell, flowing harmlessly around his body to disappear into the antechamber beyond.

'There is only one who wields such a blade,' he spits, pointing at the Sommerswerd with his flame-tipped staff.

'And I'll see that you perish upon it, Cadak!' you shout in defiant reply.

'Ha!' he sneers, 'I rejoice that fate has brought you here to me, Lone Wolf, for it is you who will perish. Turn around and meet your nemesis!'

You sense that Cadak's command is no simple trick for you can feel another presence in the room, moving towards your back. You sidestep to your left and turn, keeping the Arch Druid still in sight as you glance across your shoulder at the rest of the chamber.

You had been half-expecting to see one of Cadak's henchmen sneaking forward with a dagger in his hand, and so the terrible sight which greets your gaze now is doubly shocking.

Stepping from out of the tapestry which covers the wall is a gigantic, bull-like creature, with the head and face of a man. Two needle-sharp fangs protrude from its bloodstained upper lip, and its eyes gleam with a murderous lust that chills your soul. What had once, only minutes before, been woven into the fabric of the tapestry, now strides towards you with slow purposeful steps, its taloned hands outstretched in eager readiness to tear you apart.



Exterminus CS 50, EP 50

I use Kai Blast. I roll a 8, 1, 2, 5, and 7. He has taken 38, and I 17. I roll a 3 and a 9. He is dead and I took 22 total (19/42)

The demonic Exterminus screams in agony as your killing blow pierces its heart. It sways for a moment, defying gravity, then reels backwards and crashes down upon the table which stands beside Cadak's black chair. The awesome bulk of the creature's body crushes the table to matchwood and breaks open the crystal sphere that rested upon it. Immediately there is a loud boom and a tremendous rush of putrid air knocks you down. A funnel of darkness engulfs the body of Exterminus and, with stunning suddenness, there is silence. Both the creature and the shattered remnants of the sphere have vanished completely.

You stagger to your feet and turn to face the Arch Druid. The shock of what he has witnessed has left him open-mouthed and drained of colour. He is mumbling incoherently and trembling with fear. You take up your weapon and advance towards him, determined to rid Magnamund of this vile druid once and for all, but the sight of you drawing closer snaps him out of his trauma and galvanizes him into action. He weaves his hands before his face and, in an instant, he is shrouded in a cocoon of light. You strike out at the light but your weapon passes clean through it, meeting with no resistance. Then the light fades and you are left standing alone in the druid's empty throne room.

The overpowering aura of evil that filled this room has now vanished. You close your eyes and, for a few seconds, you allow your Magnakai sense of Divination to analyze the psychic residues lingering at the place where Exterminus disappeared. Shapes take form in your mind and, in a moment of chilling discovery, you fathom the secret of the crystal sphere.

The sphere was not of this world. It was fashioned in the Plain of Darkness, the domain of Naar, King of all that is Evil. Through the sphere the Dark God maintained contact with Arch Druid Cadak, directing him to fulfil his schemes of vengeance. The destruction of the sphere has rid your world of a terrible device, a channel through which the concentrated Evil of Naar had been allowed to pour unchecked.

You open your eyes once more and a feeling of well-being envelops your senses, as if you have just awoken after a deep and refreshing sleep (restore 8 ENDURANCE points). A rustling sound draws your keen eyes towards the tapestry from where Exterminus appeared; it is crumbling to pieces. As the rotting scraps of material fall away, a portal is revealed through which you glimpse a scene that revives your hopes for your quest's success.

Through the wide opening in the chamber wall there is a gallery which overlooks a vast windowless hall. You approach the gallery's railed parapet and stare down at a score of druids who are working at tiled tables positioned in rows across the floor. Upon some tables rest porcelain troughs filled with oily fluids which seethe beneath a constant shower of electrical sparks. Other tables support dozens of glass boxes of differing sizes. The smallest contain rats; the largest contain horses. Hundreds of pipes and tubes run around the walls, feeding a supply of fluids and gasses to the experiment tables. The fumes rising from this diabolical laboratory sting your eyes, but you ignore the discomfort and continue your observations, eager to take in every detail of the evil work which is taking place below. It is not long before you recognize that this hall is where the deadly plague virus, and its vaccine, are being produced.




You know that you must act with all haste for Arch Druid Cadak is still alive and, wherever he is at present, you can be sure he is plotting to capture or kill you, probably both. Below lies that which you have come here to destroy. But how will you accomplish your task? Relentlessly the seconds tick by as you try to formulate a plan. Then you see something which sparks an idea. The pipes that feed fluids to the laboratory's disposal tanks are connected to a massive cauldron suspended from the ceiling by a winch and chains. You focus upon a plaque fixed to the side of this great vat and magnify your vision until you can read what has been engraved upon it. With grim satisfaction you read the words: 'Danger--Concentrated Acid'.

Here is the key to the destruction of the virus. If you can cause the cauldron to tilt over far enough it will discharge its contents into the hall below, flooding the virus-laden tables with thousands of gallons of concentrated acid.

Elated by your daring plan, you look for a way to reach the winch which controls the angle at which the cauldron hangs from the ceiling. It is positioned high upon a platform atop an iron gantry, which is accessible only by ladder. Fortunately this ladder begins on the far side of the gallery.

Confident in your purpose you hurry around the gallery towards the ladder. You are within twenty paces when suddenly the harsh clang of an alarm bell fills the hall. You have been seen.

Screams of 'Intruder!' echo from below as you run headlong towards the ladder. You reach it and begin your climb towards a secondary platform, located directly below the one which supports the winch.

You are only six rungs away from the platform when suddenly the faces of two Acolytes of Vashna appear over the edge. They curse and spit on you as they try to stab you with their spears.

(Do I have Magi-Magic? Nope. Kai-Alchemy? Nope.)

I have to face them together, and one has a Medallion of Protection

Acolytes of Vashna CS 36, EP 50.

I roll a 0 and kill them both automatically.

All eyes in the hall have seen me, and as I move to the platform, they figure out what I am going to do. Vazhag archer starts firing bolts at me. I roll a number and add a Grand Huntmastery bonus. I roll a 5 which becomes an 8. They all miss.

Quote:

You reach the top of the ladder and haul yourself on to the winch platform. Now the whistling shafts strike and splinter uselessly against the underside of this metal floor which hides you from the archers' view.

You run to the winch and examine the gears and chains, trying at once to understand their workings and find a way to cause the cauldron to discharge its corrosive contents into the hall below. But the device is designed to prevent the chance of this occurring. The only way you can make the cauldron spill its deadly load is by severing a thick metal pin which secures the heavy chain to its rim.

Anxiously you glance over the edge of the platform at the confusion raging in the hall below. Three druids, having recognized your intentions, are trying desperately to gather together virus samples from their cultivation vats. The vats are fixed to the tables, triple-sealed with protective glass to prevent accidental leaks, and it is precisely this elaborate protection which now confounds the druids' frantic efforts to save their plague cultures.



Out of the corner of your eye you notice that the first of the Vazhag archers is now climbing the ladder to the winch platform, and you know you must act swiftly and effectively if you are to fulfil your quest.

(I do not have Kai Alchemy or Grand Nexus)

I draw the Sommerswerd and try to pull the pin. Roll a number. Got a 9. The support pin has popped out. The chain is falling and I have to roll a die. Got a 2. The chain glances off me and I take 3 EP. There was no Grand Huntmastery bonus to the roll, weird.


Quote

The cauldron smashes down into the centre of the hall and explodes with devastating effect, spewing its deadly contents in all directions. A tidal wave of acid engulfs the tables, submerging and burning everything not made of stone, porcelain or glass. The pitiful screams of the druids rise above the thunderous din as they and their deadly work are consumed by a merciless sea of corrosive.

Suddenly an arrow passes within a few inches of your face. The Vazhag archers have reached the top of the ladder and are poised to rush on to the platform itself. Anxiously you look around for some means of escape, but when none readily appears you fear you are trapped. Then you notice an observation platform jutting out of the wall. It is over on the far side of the hall, more than thirty yards away, and lies some ten feet below your present position.

A daring escape plan forms in your mind's eye and hurriedly you cast off your Cener Robe and Mask, a disguise which is now redundant, and prepare to enact your vision. (I put them back in my backpack.) You reach out and grab hold of the chain which once supported the cauldron. Then, using all your strength, you draw it back and leap into the air as the momentum carries you off the platform.

Your stomach churns as you swing across the hall and glance down at the dreadful carnage taking place a hundred feet below. Angry squeals and a clutch of arrows follow in your wake as the Vazhag archers try desperately to prevent you from getting away. Grimly you cling to the chain as it nears the end of its arc, and try to ignore the arrows that are whistling by on either side.

(I roll a 7 and add 2 for Grand Huntmastery. There it is)

My jump was perfect and I have arrived. Beyond a doorway is a flight of steps and I go up until I hit a fork. West or east? East.


Quote:

You follow this dark passage for several minutes before arriving at what appears to be a dead end. You are about to turn around and retrace your steps when suddenly your senses alert you to an ornately carved brick in the facing wall. On closer examination you discover a keyhole, and a Cenerese engraving which bears the seal of Arch Druid Cadak.

(I use a Gold Key)

You insert the gleaming key into the keyhole and twist it clockwise. There is a faint click and, as you push, the wall glides inwards then moves away to your right. It reveals a small well-kept chamber, its walls lined with shelves containing hundreds of stoppered jars, each one neatly labelled.

The jars contain all manner of compounds and elements, from worthless dirt to precious gold dust, and many herbs besides. You search along the shelves and take down half a dozen jars whose contents you recognize:

Laumspur (Enough for 5 doses) Restores 4 ENDURANCE points when swallowed after combat.
Alether (Enough for 4 doses) Increases COMBAT SKILL by 2 points for duration of one fight only.
Gallowbrush (Enough for 2 doses) Induces 10 hours' sleep and loss of 2 ENDURANCE points per dose.
Sabito (Enough for 2 doses) Enables user to breathe underwater.
Laumwort (Enough for 3 doses) Restores 2 ENDURANCE points if swallowed before or after combat.
Oede (Enough for 1 dose) Very rare and valuable. Many healing properties. Cures serious diseases.

If you wish to keep one or more of the above jars, remember to record your choice on your Action Chart. All of these jars are Backpack Items.


This is the money. Each bottle takes up one space, and some of these have a ton of doses. Here is what I have in my Backpack:

Mirror, Cener Mask, Cener Robex2, Rope, 2x Laumpsur. I have three spaces. I take the Laumpur uber-bottle, Alether uber-bottle, and Oede. I put the Cener Robe and Mask back on screw this. I grab everything else too.

There is a secret door in the back of the room that I take.


Quote:

You follow the narrow passageway which gradually ascends towards the north. The clanging of a distant alarm bell reminds you that all of Mogaruith has been alerted to your presence and, in light of the devastation you have caused, you know better than to expect mercy from the Cenerese if they should catch you now.

After a few minutes the passage arrives at a hall where a railed balcony overlooks a deep circular shaft. A broad stone staircase at the north wall ascends to the next level and you stride swiftly towards it. As you pass the balcony you pause for a moment to stare down at a fascinating sight. Hundreds of feet below, at the base of the shaft, huge vats filled with a sickly brown fluid bubble and seethe as if they are boiling on a hob. You notice scores of robed druids standing on a great iron gantry suspended above these vats, each one equipped with what appears to be a gigantic butterfly net. They are busily scooping up large brown objects which keep bobbing to the surface of the morass. You use your Magnakai skills to magnify your vision and, as the scene looms larger, you see that the objects are alive. Your stomach churns with revulsion when you suddenly realize what it is that you are looking at. These are the spawning vats in which the Ceners create their loathsome, disease-ridden Vazhag.



A noise from the staircase attracts your attention; it is the sound of shuffling footfalls descending the stairs. Moments later your keen sense of smell identifies the threat: a Vazhag patrol is hurrying towards the hall.

I choose to hide)

Quickly you crouch down and take cover beside the staircase, hidden from view by the shadows and your Kai camouflage skills. Within seconds the Vazhag appear, but they are not alone. They are being led by a frog-like Tzarg which they have tethered on a chain. The Tzarg has its face pressed close to the steps and it is snuffling and snorting like a bloodhound as it tries to locate your scent.

(I use Animal Mastery)

You focus your power at the Tzarg and will it to leave the hall along the passage by which you entered. At first you sense resistance to your command but this soon collapses and the Tzarg obeys. It waddles into the passageway with an excited group of Vazhag close on its heels, all of them now convinced by the Tzarg's reaction that it has picked up your trail.

Patiently you wait until the sound of their footsteps has faded before you emerge from your hiding place and leave the hall by the stairs.

The stairs lead to another hall on a level fifty feet higher. Here, two staircases ascend to the left and right, and a gloomy tunnel disappears directly ahead of you. Your senses pick up something moving at the end of the tunnel and, when you focus your infravision along this dark passageway, you see another Vazhag patrol heading straight towards you. This one is being led by two Acolytes of Vashna and a pack of Ruel war-dogs.

Eager to evade these enemies, you glance at both staircases and try to decide which one to climb.


(Left or right? Left, always left)

At the top is a rubbish room with a table and some weapons on it. I refill my quiver.

Quote:

You run through a maze of corridors and narrow passageways, up flights of stairs and across dingy halls and chambers. On several occasions you are forced to hide when a Vazhag patrol passes within a few feet, but your wits and your camouflage skills keep you safe and undetected.

At length you reach a pillared hall on the surface level where you hide from the patrols until the coast is clear. Daylight is streaming in through the hall door, and from where you are hiding you can see the keep and tower beyond. Your hopes rise when you notice that the keep is deserted and the drawbridge is still lowered, tempting you with a direct escape route out of Mogaruith.

Suddenly another bell tolls, adding to the persistent din of the alarm. It is coming from the tower and it signifies that the portcullis is being lowered.


(I can run for the Portcullis or try to find another way. I look for another way.)

Quietly you contemplate your next move as the portcullis slams down, sealing off the main exit from Mogaruith. Within a few moments your thoughts are disturbed by the sound of a large troop of Vazhag ascending the stairs by which you entered this hall. Their approach prompts you to leave by the main door and look for another hiding place outside in the keep.

From the shadows of a disused storeroom doorway, you scour the surrounding battlements and walkways, hoping to see an opportunity for escape. However, it does not take too long to discover that the tower offered the only easy route out of this stronghold, one that is now blocked by the portcullis.

Suddenly you hear an angry squeal and turn to see a rat-man's snout protruding from the window of a turret high up to your left. It has seen you and it is informing its confederates of your hiding place. You are forced to abandon the doorway and run into a nearby alley as a score of Vazhag guards come charging across the keep in hot pursuit. The alley is a dead end, but you find a stone stairway which ascends to the battlements and you take it in order to keep ahead of the bloodthirsty pack.

At the top of the stairs you find yourself sandwiched between two converging Vazhag patrols which are racing along the battlements from both directions. To stand and fight would be futile; you would kill many but you would eventually be overcome by the sheer weight of their numbers.

Now there is only one option left and the very thought of it sends a chill racing down your spine. Steeling yourself for what must be done, you sheathe your weapon, take a deep breath, then launch yourself over the battlements towards the bubbling moat.

You hit the surface with a mighty splash and sink like a stone. Foul fluids fill your nose and mouth, causing you to cough and retch as you struggle to rise to the surface. You are submerged in a deadly cocktail of acids and toxic wastes from the dungeons of Mogaruith and, were it not for your Magnakai Disciplines of Nexus and Curing, you would have perished within seconds of entering the moat.

The Vazhag on the battlements are squealing in triumph for they are certain that you have jumped to your doom. They leave the wall and return to their duties for, in their experience, no living thing has ever survived a dip in the moat. When you do break the surface and strike out for the bank, you do so unseen. It is not until you are pulling yourself out of the moat that your luck suddenly fails you.

You are spotted by a group of three Vazhag returning from battle. Two are armed with spears and they face you on foot, but the third sits astride a captured Slovian steed. It is wielding a cavalry lance and you can tell by the way the rat-man balances it that it is skilled in its use. The two spear-wielders squeal their battle-cry and attack you simultaneously. However, this cry is quickly transformed into a duet of pain when you strike out and kill them instantly. They drop to the ground and almost immediately the rider is upon you, jabbing at your chest with the tip of its lance. You duck the first thrust, and steady yourself to meet the second as the Vazhag lancer turns and bears down on you once more.





Vazhag Lancer CS 32, EP 20. I roll a 1 and then a 8 with auto death. I took 3.

The Vazhag lancer tumbles lifelessly to the ground startling its horse which turns and bolts towards the forest. Instantly you act to prevent its escape by using your Magnakai ability of Animal Control. Your powers soothe the creature and coax it to return.

Quickly you mount the steed and head off along the trail which leads to the River Storn. You are less than five miles from the bridge where you hope to finally make good your escape to the Freeland of Slovia. By keeping to the forest's edge you avoid the traffic of Vazhag troops moving back and forth along the trail and, by the time you reach the banks of the mighty Storn, your spirits are high. Unfortunately, when you do catch your first sight of the bridge, your hopes of making a crossing here are soon dashed.

A fierce and bloody battle is raging upon the Ghardoz, the formidable stone bridge that joins together the lands of Ruel and Slovia across the River Storn. Its central span is wreathed with smoke and flame, and the approaches are heaped with the dead of both armies.




On the far side of the river, over three hundred yards away, you can see the scarlet battle banners of Slovia fluttering in the soot-laden air. Regiments of foot soldiers are positioned on the bank, waiting nervously for their orders to assault the bridge. You stare at the fast-flowing waters of the Storn and, after careful thought, you decide to brave the currents and attempt to swim across.

You send your horse away into the forest and then wade into the icy waters. You are only waist-deep in the Storn when the currents catch you and swiftly bear you away downstream, towards the bridge and the battle. You are passing beneath the central span when suddenly a section of the parapet collapses, showering you with rocks and flame.


I roll a number I get a 5 (A 3 or less is death here, sucky Joe D to have auto death at the end from a random roll).

Drawing upon your very last reserves of strength, you fight against the powerful current and succeed in avoiding being hit by the deluge of rocks and flames. As your strength subsides, you are swept under the bridge and, minutes later, you find yourself washed up on the west bank of the Storn. A company of Slovian archers drag you from the icy water and, fearing you to be a Cenerese spy, they take you to their Captain. Fortunately he recognizes your Kai cloak and tunic, and at once you are afforded the treatment and respect which befits one who holds the title of Kai Grand Master.

The Captain sends word of your survival to the Palmyrions at Holona where, the following day, you are reunited with Captain Cearmaine and Guildmaster Banedon. Later that same day, the president of Palmyrion--Elector Manatine--arrives with his entourage and, upon learning of the success of your daring mission, he orders that an official celebration take place throughout the republic. You receive the thanks of a grateful nation and, in recognition of your bravery, the Elector presents you with the 'Golden Star of Palmyrion', the highest award his country can bestow upon a warrior.

Congratulations Lone Wolf!--you have won a major victory over the Cenerese and removed a threat which could have devastated all of Magnamund. Yet the struggle against Evil goes on. Within a few months of your triumphant return to Sommerlund a grave situation develops, a situation which threatens the life of your closest friend--Guildmaster Banedon.

Review of the Plague Lords of Ruel

Everything is harder than the Magnakai, and sometimes it feels like enemy creep. I did stop their plague operations, but what is to hinder them from restarting? I didn’t kill the head guy, and I didn’t destroy the fortress or anything. This is not a major victory. It’s not as if the Cener are ended as a threat, like I did to the Darklords.

The adventure was okay, it still had a few clichés like swinging on a chain to get from one platform to another. I mentioned how sucky it is to have a 40% chance of death the section before the end by random number. You do get a +3 on it if you have both Assimilance and Grand Huntmastery. I never even used Curing’s +20 EP (and I forgot too vs. the Triple bad guys at he beginning). It the first time I’ve lost in a while at Lone Wolf.

Once I play through a few more Grand Master books, I’ll get a better handle on each of them, how they work, and can compare them.

This book had a weird feel with a lot of modern day concepts like virus and bacteria, vaccine, and some pictures that made it look very industrial age. Not for the first time either, as Joe D has had Ironclads and guns and such. Still, the whole book here felt weird and the plotline I think is much more suited for James Bond than Lone Wolf. “We are creating a disease to kill the whole world except our people, who have the vaccine. Mua-hah-hah-hah!”

End of The Plague Lords of Ruel.

The Captives of Kaag


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

It is the year MS 5075 and twenty-five years have passed since your brave kinsmen perished at the hands of the Darklords of Helgedad. These champions of evil, who were sent forth by Naar, the King of the Darkness, to destroy the fertile world of Magnamund, have themselves since been destroyed. You vowed to avenge the murder of the Kai and you kept your pledge, for it was you who brought about their downfall when alone you infiltrated their foul domain--the Darklands--and caused the destruction of their leader, Archlord Gnaag, and the seat of his power that was the infernal city of Helgedad.

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

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

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

With diligence and determination you set about the restoration of the Kai monastery and organized the training of the Second Order recruits. Your efforts were soon rewarded and, within the space of two short years, the first raw recruits had graduated to become a cadre of gifted Kai Masters who, in turn, were able to commence the teaching of their skills to subsequent intakes of Kai novices. Readily the Kai Masters rose to their new-found responsibilities, leaving you free to devote more of your time to the pursuit and perfection of the Grand Master Disciplines.

During this period you also received expert tutelage in the ways of magic from two of your most trusted friends and advisors: Guildmaster Banedon, leader of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star, and Lord Rimoah, speaker for the High Council of the Elder Magi.

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

At this time many changes were occurring beyond the borders of Sommerlund. In the regions to the northeast of Magador and the Maakengorge, the Elder Magi of Dessi and the Herbwardens of Bautar were working together in an effort to restore the dusty volcanic wasteland to its former fertile state. It was the first tentative step towards the reclamation of all the Darklands. However, their progress was painfully slow and both parties were resigned to the fact that their efforts to undo the damage caused by the Darklords would take not years but centuries to complete.

In the far west, the Drakkarim had retreated to the homelands and were engaged in a bloody war again the Lencians. Much of Nyras had been reclaimed by the armies of King Sarnac, the Lencian commander, and his flag now flew over territory which, two thousand years ago, had once been part of Lencia.

Following the destruction of the Darklords of Helgedad, the Giaks, the most prolific in number of all of Gnaag's troops, fled into the Darklands and sought refuge in the gigantic city-fortresses of Nadgazad, Aarnak, Gourmen and Kaag. Within each of these hellish strongholds fierce fighting broke out as remnants of the Xaghash (lesser Darklords) and the Nadziranim (evil practitioners of Right-handed magic who once aided individual Darklord masters) fought for control. It is widely believed that by the time the Elder Magi and the Herbwardens reach the walls of these strongholds the occupants will have long since brought about their own extinction.

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

Only six months ago the evil Cener Druids of Ruel attempted to enact Naar's revenge. Secretly, in the laboratories of their foul stronghold of Mogaruith, they had laboured to create a virulent plague virus capable of killing every living creature upon Magnamund, save their own kind. Word of their terrible plan reached Lord Rimoah who immediately urged the rulers of the Freelands to raise armies and invade Ruel. Hurriedly they complied, but the invasion ended in disaster. Seven thousand fighting men entered Ruel intent on storming the fortress of Mogaruith and razing it to the ground. Seven thousand marched into the dark realm; only seventy emerged alive. The Ceners were within days of perfecting their ultimate weapon when you took up the challenge and ventured alone into Mogaruith. Despite overwhelming odds you thwarted their evil plan by destroying the virus and the means by which it was created.

After emerging from Ruel triumphant, your quest fulfilled, you returned home to Sommerlund and the Kai monastery where you resumed your duties as Grand Master. Three months later, on the day that saw the first fall of winter snow, you were visited by Lord Rimoah. Once again he found himself the reluctant bearer of ill news. Your friend Guildmaster Banedon, whilst helping with the reclamation of wastelands close to the Maakengorge, had been abducted by a war-band of Giaks under the command of Nadziranim sorcerers. A rescue was attempted, but ruthlessly the Nadziranim obliterated those who tried to follow their escape into the Darklands.

'The Nadziranim have grown bold of late,' said Lord Rimoah, his words tinged with fear and bitterness.
'They have a new-found power and are keen to exercise it. It would have taken considerable skill and energy to ensnare one as gifted as Banedon.'

'But why Banedon?' you asked, trying at once to comprehend and come to terms with the loss of your trusted friend.

'I fear that the Nadziranim seek to extract from him the secrets of Left-handed magic, so that they may be able to marry it to their own foul sorcery. Such an outcome would give them extraordinary power. It could herald the rebirth of the Darklands.'

At once you recalled how such an attempt to unite the two paths of magic had resulted in catastrophe for Sommerlund. Vonotar the Traitor, a magician from the same guild as Banedon, had betrayed his homeland in exchange for the promise of Nadziranim power. It was his act of treachery that brought about the invasion of Sommerlund and the destruction of the First Order of the Kai.

'What can be done?' you asked of Rimoah, fearful that it may already be too late to save your friend.

'Banedon is still alive, of that I'm sure. The Nadziranim have taken him to the old Darklord city-fortress of Kaag. His life is in deadly danger but they will not kill him until they have succeeded in extracting the knowledge they crave. We can only pray that he is strong enough to resist them until . . .' Lord Rimoah held you with his eyes, words no longer necessary. It was clear that all hope for Banedon's survival depended upon his swift rescue from Kaag, and there was only one who could effect such a perilous quest with any hope of success.

'So be it,' you said, resolutely, 'I accept the mission. I alone will go to Kaag and secure his release . . . or die valiantly in the attempt.'

Map of Sommerlund and the Darklands:

Here are the improved Disciplines for the new rank:

Kai Grand Guardian

If you are a Grand Master who has reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian (5 Disciplines), you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:

Animal Mastery
Kai Grand Guardians with this Discipline are able to summon a limited number of forest animals to their location. The creatures so summoned will become loyal and willing allies, willing to do the Kai Grand Guardian's bidding. This ability can only be used in an outdoor setting.

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

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

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

Kai-screen
Kai Grand Guardians who possess this Discipline are able to exercise a defensive psychic skill known as Mindblend. This cloaking ability enables them to both protect and hide their minds from being detected by a hostile psychic probe.

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

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

I want to grab Kai-Screen, Assimilance, Kai _Alchemy or Magi-Magic. Flameshaft makes me happy. I take Kai-Screen.

I take the map, fill up my quiver, and grab Laumspur. 24 more crowns come my way.


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, The Danarg, Anari, Ghatan, Vhozada (Daziarn), Darklands, Ruel, Mogaruith
Fur Blanket
192 Gold Crowns
1 Meal
2 Potion of Laumspur - +5 EP
5 Potion of Laumspur - +4 EP
Fur Backpack
Bone Sword
Effigy
Concentrated Graveweed
Kalte Diamond
Ragadorn Dagger
Magic Spear
Holy Water
Brass Key
Iron Key
Whip
Sommlending Cavalry Spear (Normal)
Quarterstaff, Royal Guard (Normal)
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 (Normal)
3 Brass Whistle
Pink and Orange Waistcoast
2 Mirror
2 Bottle of Wine
Silver Key
Ticket to Eula
Chainmail Waistcoat
2 Rope
Lantern
Quivers w/ 11 arrows
Power Key
Red Robe
Gold Key (Kazan-Oud)
Glowing Dagger
Doomstaff
Kazan-Oud Diamond
Labyrinth Sword (Normal)
Kazan-Oud Fine Spear (Normal)
4 Sack of Silver
Silver Box
Helghast’s Sword (Normal)
Giak Scroll
Lord Adamas’s Pass
Vial of Gnadurn Poison
2 Flasks of Boza
Invitation to Chiban’s
Receipt for Horse, Tahou
Crystal Decanter
Silk Jacket
Silver Goblet
Silver Candlestick
Scroll of Honour
Jadin Anklets
Magi Dagger (Normal)
Sen. Chil’s Mace (Normal)
Dagger of Vashna
Black Key
Medal: Battle of Luoni
Drakkar Dagger (Normal)
Zagganozod Sword (Normal)
Silver Rod
Meledorian Dagger (Normal)
Scarlet Warrior’s Sword (Normal)
Power Ring (Vonotar)
Fireseeds: 9
Bronin Warhammer
Eruan Pathfinder Cloak
Kai Cloak
Cagath’s Liganim Robe
Takataal’s Mace
Toran Dagger (Normal)
Platinum Amulet
Blue Stone Triangle
Grey Crystal Ring
Psychic Ring
Wrist and Finger Guards
Firesphere
Green Mask
Golden Amulet
Iron Key
Black Key (Helgedad)
Pouch of Tobacco
Pipe
Zejar-Deluga
Nadazgada
Pouch of Herbs - Adgana
Cener Mask
Cener Robe
Sabito - 2 doses
Laumspur +4 EP (with 5 doses)
Alether +2 CS (4 doses)
Oede Herb
Gallowbrush (2 doses)
Gold Key (Ruel)
Copper Key (Ruel)
Cener Dagger (Normal)




Keeping:


25 Gold Crowns
Crystal Star Pendant
Silver Bow of Duadon
Sommerswerd
Korlinum Scabbard
Dagger of Vashna
Map of Sommerlund/Darklands
Shield
Silver Helmet
Padded Leather Waistcoat
Bronin Vest
Silver Bracers
Kagonite Chainmail
Rope
2 Laumspur +4 EP
Laumwort +2 EP (3 doses)
Quiver w/ 6 arrows
Kai Monastery Spear


I have 4 slots used in my backpack out of 10, 3 special item slots out of 12, and one weapon slot, plus 25 of 50 gold crowns.

Lone Wolf, Kai Grand Guardian

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


CS 53
EP 44


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


Here we is.

Preparations for the quest take no more than a day to complete. The following morning, shortly before dawn, you and Lord Rimoah leave the Kai monastery by a secret route which takes you to a clearing deep in the heart of the Fryelund forest. There awaits the means by which you will travel swiftly to Kaag.

Your journey to the Darklands will be made aboard Guildmaster Banedon's airship--the Skyrider. This magical craft has borne you on many quests to distant lands, yet never before without your friend and companion at its helm. Now, in his absence, the stewardship of the Skyrider has passed to its bo'sun--Nolrim of Bor.




'Welcome aboard, Grand Master,' says Nolrim, proud to be serving under your command. You clasp his strong hand in friendship and compliment him and the crew for the pristine condition of their craft. There is no doubting that he and his company of dwarves are sorely grieved by the absence of their Captain, yet they have not allowed their anguish to give way to hopelessness or despair. These sturdy warriors are renowned for their formidable fighting spirit and you know they willingly risk their lives to help you rescue Banedon from the minions of darkness.

Soon the frost-laden fir trees are receding beneath the Skyrider's bow as Nolrim steers a westward course towards the grey, snow-capped peaks of the Durncrag mountains. You spend the flight inside the Captain's cabin, where you and Lord Rimoah discuss your dangerous mission. The plan is to traverse the Durncrag Range and enter the Darklands under cover of a dust storm which is currently sweeping southwards towards Kaag. A landing will be made ten miles to the north-east of the city-fortress, beyond a ridge of hills that will keep the Skyrider hidden from the eyes of Kaag's watchful lookouts. From there you are to make your way to the fortress on foot, enter as best you can, locate and rescue Banedon, then return with him to the Skyrider which will carry you back to the safety of Sommerlund. You will have 48 hours in which to complete your mission. If, after the two days have elapsed, you have not returned, Rimoah will be forced to assume that you and the Guildmaster have perished. The dust storm will not last for more than two days, after which time there is a grave danger that the Skyrider will be spotted and attacked by the Kraan and Zlanbeasts which are known to patrol the skies around Kaag.

In a little under two hours you reach your destination where the weather conditions are atrocious. A fierce, dust-choked wind buffets the craft mercilessly during the final descent and visibility is no more than a dozen yards at best. Yet, despite these terrible conditions, Nolrim brings the Skyrider in for a faultless landing behind the ridge. The moment the keel beds into the soft ground, the crew leap into action with ropes and chains. Nolrim soon enters the cabin to inform you that the craft is secure and, with trepidation, you get ready to set off for Kaag.

'Godspeed, Lone Wolf,' says Rimoah, with a smile of encouragement. 'I shall pray to Kai and Ishir for your safety and success. May their light guide you on your journey into darkness.'

You acknowledge his blessing gratefully before bidding him, and Nolrim, farewell. Then, without looking back, you pull your warm cloak tight about you and set off into the storm.

You lower your head and force yourself to trudge uphill against the storm, your feet sinking ankle-deep into the barren volcanic dust with every laboured step. Keeping your eyes shut tight against the stinging, gritty winds, you trust solely to your Magnakai senses to steer you on the correct course towards the Darkland city. Only when you reach the top of the ridge do you attempt to look around at the bleak domain. The Skyrider is lost from sight, shrouded by the swirling grey clouds. Kaag, too, remains hidden for some minutes until a sudden lull in the storm clears the southern vista. Then, what you see makes your blood run cold.

In your lifetime you have gazed upon many awe-inspiring cities, but few compare with the enormous size and monstrous grandeur of Kaag. A coal-black curtain-wall constructed of massive blocks of smooth, featureless stone, encircles this city, forty miles wide. At its centre there arises a gigantic citadel of black marble, pyramid-shaped and slitted with numerous vents to allow what passes for air to circulate within. Its highest point towers two miles above the desolate plain. Thunder booms and streaks of blue-white lightning earth themselves against its walls, drawn from the rolling storm clouds gathered menacingly overhead.



At first the fortress seems wholly impregnable, then you notice that the outer wall is not entirely intact. Illuminated by the infrequent electrical flashes, you see that a vast section of the battlements, close to the North Gate, have collapsed. Also, away to the east, a mile-long section has fallen outwards to litter the plain with huge black cubes of stone. You are surprised to note that no attempt has been made to repair these breaches and, consequently, access to the city could be effected at either place with relative ease.

(I can choose a breach in the north or east wall, my choice. I go with east.)

Drawing on your inner strength to quell your fears of what may lie ahead, you descend the ridge and approach the great, frowning bastions of Kaag. Through the swirling dust you see a pitted road which leads to the East Gate. Its storm-blown surface is littered with corpses, bleached bones, rusted weapons and armour. Crab-like scavengers scuttle among the debris, fighting for scraps to feed their young which nest in thousands of empty Giak skulls half-buried in the ground.



Shielded from detection by the storm and your Kai skills, you reach the breached east wall unobserved.

Swiftly you climb over the rubble, which is heaped between the huge cubes of marble that once comprised this section of Kaag's curtain-wall, and find yourself in a street lined with decaying halls and slum dwellings. A dun pall of choking smoke hovers above this quarter, which reeks of iron and sulphur. Moving among the ruins you see a ragged group of Giaks, led by a Gourgaz clad in a shirt of mail. They halt for a few moments, then the Gourgaz hisses an order and they continue at a lumbering pace, heading south. You notice that their tattered blue-green uniforms all bear the emblem of a broken skull.


(Follow them or head in the opposite direction. Opposite)

Expecting the unexpected, you enter a rubble-strewn alley which takes you deeper into the black heart of Kaag. A mile later you reach a broader street, partially submerged by brackish, ankle-deep slime. Beyond it, at a deserted square, you see a tangle of rusty iron pipes spilling out from a circular shaft in the ground. Jets of steam hiss skywards from a thousand tiny cracks in these corroded conduits. Nearby, in the ruins, a guttering fire casts an eerie yellow light over the area. Shadows play upon the surrounding walls, cast not only by the fire but also by the winged Kraan which swoop back and forth across this square, dousing themselves in the jets of scalding-hot steam.

You are watching the Kraan diving and twisting above the rooftops when suddenly your Magnakai sense of Divination alerts you to imminent danger. You can sense the approach of a hostile creature, one which is using its psychic power to scan the surrounding area.




(I can run or enter a building to hide. I choose building)

You climb across the shattered masonry and take cover near an empty window which overlooks the square. Minutes later you see a thin figure clad in red robes, accompanied by six grime-smeared Giaks, enter the square from an alley on the far side. At once you recognize the skeletal features of the robed one: it is a Vordak, an undead spawn of the Darklords.

The Vordak raises a bony hand and immediately its companions halt. Then, with a sweep of its arm, it slowly scans the ruins bordering the square.


I use Kai-Screen + Grand Guardian. It fails to find me. I choose to explore the ruins further. How, I find that the ground here is unsafe. A section gives way into an old basement. I roll a die and add Grand Huntmastery bonus. I get a 4, which becomes a 6, which just makes it. I lose two EP from timbers hitting my arm, but I manage to haul myself out of the cellar with ease. I see an area with a street battle fought recently, and over a dozen Giak corpses on the street. I choose to investigate a crypt...

Quote:

Once the coast is clear, you run across the street and down the short flight of stone steps leading to the crypt door. Hurriedly you press your shoulder to the cold iron and the portal creaks open to reveal a cramped, rough-walled chamber, dominated by a massive wooden chair, its back mostly destroyed by fire. Through the blackened timbers you see a mouldy tapestry covering part of the rear wall. The crypt is otherwise empty.


(I do not have both Telegnosis and Grand Pathsmanship)

Your sixth sense prickles with the presentiment of danger. You can feel the presence of a hostile magical being who, although not in this chamber, is somewhere very near. Fearful of the risk of being trapped in this dingy crypt, you unsheathe your weapon and back slowly towards the door, your eyes scanning all around for the merest hint of movement. Then, suddenly, the heavy portal slams shut with a mighty crash that reverberates in your ears. Before you have time to take a breath there is another sound, stone grating on stone, which draws your eyes to the fire-blackened chair.

Behind the chair, the tapestry is suddenly torn aside and you find yourself staring at a creature swathed in a hooded orange cloak. It sidesteps the chair and shrieks a defiant curse as it raises a warty, taloned fist. In the next instant you see it hurl a cube of shiny black stone, which comes streaking through the air towards your face.

(I dodge the cube, which I’ve seen explode before)


You duck your head and the cube passes harmlessly over your shoulder to smash against the wall behind. On impact there is a tremendous flash and an explosion which releases a gout of searing flame. Needle-sharp slivers of stone pepper your back, but your quick reflexes have saved you from sustaining fatal injuries. Lose 4 ENDURANCE points.

(See?)

Painfully you stagger to your feet and shake your head in a vain attempt to be rid of the loud ringing that now fills your ears. Through the smoke and dust generated by the explosion, you glimpse the hooded creature creeping towards you. He holds a rod before him which radiates a ghostly green light. You snatch up your weapon and prepare to do battle as your robed enemy raises this rod in readiness to strike you down. Then there is a crack of energy and, as the rod whistles towards your chest, the tip transforms itself into a fiery spiked ball.



Liganim with Ziranakag CS 44, EP 32

I use Kai Surge. I roll a 0 and it auto dies and I took 1.


I leave the Ziranakag behind when I see it consume its body with hot fire. Fearful of what else may be behind the tapestry, I force open the crypt door and bound back into the Kaag street. I find a nice hiding place in a ruined building and rest there for a bit before trying to come up with a new plan.

Quote:

Your rest is disturbed by the sudden arrival in the plaza of a score of battle-weary Giaks, some Drakkarim, and a Gourgaz who is nursing a wounded arm. You watch them make camp and notice that they are so fatigued that they neglect to post any sentries.

The pall of smoke which has covered this section of the city begins to thin out, and in the middle distance you can see the base of the great citadel. It is a truly awesome sight, a pyramid of jet-black stone which rises to a needle-sharp peak more than ten thousand feet above the streets of Kaag.

Soon a rickety wooden cart, drawn by two ugly, ox-like creatures in harness, trundles into the plaza. It halts and its Giak driver pulls back the tarpaulin which is covering its cargo, revealing haunches of grey-green meat stacked in a pile. Unceremoniously, he tosses them to the exhausted soldiers who devour them with obvious relish. It is an unwholesome sight, made even more so when you realize that what they are eating is freshly slaughtered Giak meat.

The troops have almost finished their grisly meal when a figure, clad in flowing grey robes and a helm of brightly polished steel, swoops down from out of the brooding sky upon the back of a Zlanbeast. He screams orders to the Gourgaz who immediately responds by cursing and slapping his tired troops into line. The grey rider berates the sorry-looking squad before finally taking to the skies once more. Stung into action by his harsh words, the Gourgaz officer leads his unit away at the double.

Curiosity prompts you to follow them, although you take care to remain hidden from view. They zig-zag through a maze of back streets before arriving at the approach road to a large hall. Here a pitched battle is taking place between two warring factions: one side wearing uniforms of orange cloth, the other clad in blue-green.



For several minutes you observe the carnage taking place as the two groups fight for control of the hall. The fighting soon escalates to the surrounding ruins and wisely you decide it best to leave this area before you, too, become caught up in the fighting.

You notice a road away to your right which leads directly to the citadel. It is virtually deserted and seems to offer the best escape route from the battle zone. However, you have covered barely a hundred yards when you are suddenly confronted by a unit of Drakkarim Death Knights, reinforcements freshly arrived from the citadel itself.

Quickly you dive into a side street and run as fast as you can, but the Death Knights have seen you and, despite their heavy armour, they give chase determinedly.

The street soon ends at a junction where two roads branch away, one to the left, the other to the right.

(I use Grand Huntmastery)

Your Magnakai senses warn you that the left road leads to a dead end. Without hesitation, you turn right and take off along the street at a steady pace.

Although the Death Knights are hot on your heels, you are confident that you will soon outrun them. However, your confidence is severely shaken when you see that the way ahead is blocked by a hill of rubble, the remains of a collapsed watchtower.

(I use Grand Hunt mastery + Grand Guardian)

You race across the mound of jagged rubble, barely slowing your stride as you surmount this obstacle easily. The pursuing Death Knights, handicapped by their weighty armour and lack of special skills, can only watch in astonishment as you disappear from view.

The street continues beyond the mound, heading due south towards the great citadel, the shadow of this edifice looming ever larger. Soon the street opens out to a wide concourse which encircles the citadel and offers access to its great northern door. The entire door is made of black iron and streaked with rust. Turrets jut from either side, on top of which you see giant cannon-like weapons, similar to those once employed by the Darklords aboard their ironclad fleets.



From the cover of a ruined house, you watch the traffic of Giaks and Drakkarim, all clad in orange uniforms bearing the mark of a bloodied scythe. The more you stare at the citadel, the more you are sure that this is where Banedon is being held prisoner. However, entry into the citadel itself looks to be impossible, until, that is, an opportunity unexpectedly presents itself.

Directly across the street from where you are hiding, you see a square, flat-roofed tower, one of several which encircle the outer edge of the concourse. A flock of screeching Kraan are feeding on slabs of maggoty meat which have been left there by the Drakkarim guards. Once they have eaten their fill, they take to the air and return to their cave-like pens, located high up on the citadel's outer wall. Some of the returning Kraan are ridden by Drakkarim and other guards who steer their mounts towards landing platforms which jut like great steel tongues from the entrances to the pens.

It occurs to you that if you were able to mount one of the feeding Kraan, you could attempt to enter the citadel by the very same route.

Emboldened by your plan, you resolve to put it into action. Patiently you survey the feeding tower opposite and note that there are two ways to gain access to its roof. You could climb a staircase that runs directly from the street to the roof, or you could attempt to scale its wall.

(I use Grand Pathsmanship)


Your senses warn you that the tower stairs, although they look empty, are in fact guarded by Drakkarim stationed inside the tower. They offer the most convenient route to the roof, but it could also be the most perilous.

(I choose the wall)

You move quietly to a new position, directly opposite the tower, and wait for the traffic of Giaks and Drakkarim to disperse. The street is soon empty and you get ready to make your move.

You sprint across the now-empty street and crouch at the base of the tower wall. The brick surface is plastered with powdery grey cement and, as you look up at the roof twenty feet above, you steel yourself for what could prove to be a difficult climb.

(I roll a 7 and add 1 for having a rope and 2 for Grand Huntmastery)

Despite the treacherous condition of the tower wall, your natural skill and agility see you safely to the top. In less than a minute you manage to reach the level of the tower parapet.

You pull yourself over the parapet, only to be confronted immediately by a Drakkar guard. Unbeknown to you he has been sitting on the tower roof, quietly watching the spectacle of the feeding Kraan.

He grabs you by the throat and attempts to throw you off the tower. You counter this clumsy attack easily by turning his hand aside and grabbing hold of his battle tunic. A swift twist of your body sends him sailing over your shoulder to land, head first, in the street below.

The guard, his neck broken, is no longer a threat to anyone, so you turn your attention to the five Kraan which are feeding on the roof. Gingerly you approach them, hoping not to startle them into flight, but the commotion, and your presence, has made them very uneasy.

(I use Animal Mastery)

Using your Kai mastery, you focus upon one of the five feeding Kraan, the only one which is equipped with a saddle and reins. The other four abandon their feast and take to the air as you approach, but the target of your attention remains on the roof, cowed and submissive to your psychic command.

You approach this scaly beast confidently and climb into its saddle. Obediently it obeys when, with a kick of your heels, you urge it skywards. Its powerful wings bear you speedily towards the landing platforms situated high above the great north door and, as you fly closer to your destination, you see two which are open and unguarded. One has an arch-shaped portal, the other a wider, oblong-shaped entrance.

(I choose the oblong one)

The Kraan glides towards the semi-ovoid platform and you swing one leg over its neck in readiness to leap from the saddle the moment it lands. With graceful agility, you jump the last few feet on to the platform and run through the open entrance. A Giak Kraan-handler suddenly appears before you, but your quick wits and Kai camouflage skills keep you from being seen. As he shuffles out on to the platform to tend to the screeching Kraan, you run towards the rear of the pen where there are two exits: one to the south, the other to the west.

(I go south)

Beyond the archway, a passage leads to a pair of stout steel-sheathed doors. The lock that secures them is inlaid with a series of numbers and you immediately recognize that they are part of a combination lock. One number in the sequence is missing. By tapping the correct number upon the blank square, you will cause the lock to disengage.

Study the following sequence of numbers carefully. When you think you know what the missing number is, turn to the page that is identical to your answer.




Obviously 20. Behind is a small armory. I take an extra quiver and 4 arrows. I also nab a Kaag Broadsword. There is a spiral staircase back here. I choose to go up. Here a weird thing:

You climb the stairs and emerge in the centre of a hall on the level above. This vault-like room contains a wealth of grim exhibits, hung upon the walls and displayed in glass-fronted cases. The skulls of rare creatures are displayed beside tanned hides and jewel-encrusted bones. One item in particular catches your eye: it is a statuette, fashioned in the likeness of Darklord Zagarna.

If you wish to keep this Statuette of Zagarna, mark it on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you keep in your Backpack. If you already carry your maximum quota, you must discard one item in its favour.


Okay, so how do you keep a Special Item in your Backpack and it not be a Backpack Item? I keep going up and end up in a cold room that doles out 5 EP unless I have Grand Nexus.

Quote:

The tunnel ends at a huge, echoing hall. It was once a place of worship dedicated to Zagarna, Darklord of Kaag. Now, however, it lies in total ruin, having been ransacked and destroyed by those who took command following his destruction, by your hand, at the raising of the Siege of Holmgard.

In the alcoves and grottoes that adjoin this hall, where once stood effigies of Zagarna, there now stand likenesses of Darklord Slûtar. Behind one such tribute you notice something very unusual, yet familiar. A column of shimmering blue light descends into the alcove from a hole in the middle of the roof and passes through a similar hole in the floor. Your senses tingle as you gaze at this column, for you immediately recognize its purpose. Within the confines of the light, gravity is greatly reduced. It is used as a means of transportation, an elevator that can take you to other levels of Kaag, either above or below. The last time you saw one of these devices was in Helgedad, the former principal stronghold of the Darklands.

(I step into the teleporter beam)

You step warily into the glimmering column of light and immediately feel yourself begin to rise. Bands of darkness flick past with growing rapidity, each one marking a passing level of this mountainous citadel. Then you feel yourself slowing to a halt. The column fades and you find yourself standing on a metal dais in the centre of a domed chamber. Ahead you see a great door, forged of Kagonite, and beside it there is a narrow staircase leading downwards.

As you approach the door, you notice the lock which secures it. It is inlaid with a series of numbers and, at once, you recognize that they are component parts of a combination lock. One number in the sequence is missing. By tapping the correct number upon the blank square, you will cause the lock to disengage.
Study the following sequence of numbers carefully. When you think you know what the missing number is, turn to the page that is identical to your answer.



(Obviously 3.)


The dark tunnel descends to a titanic circular hall which is lit by a lava-filled vent at its centre. Tunnels radiate from this hall in every direction, like the spokes of an infernal wheel, their destinations mere pinpoints of flame in the far distance. The air here is thick and cloying. It is choked by sulphur and other foul discharges of noisy engines located deep in the bowels of Kaag. The pressure of this tainted atmosphere is forever changing, causing you momentarily to lose your balance and stumble when first you enter the central hall.



Before you, astride the vent, a colossal idol looms up against the crimson light like some supernatural giant forged of steel and stone. Warily you pass beside one of its huge, taloned feet, half expecting it to animate suddenly and come crashing down upon you as if you were a lowly insect. Fortunately, the foot remains immobile and you are able to leave by a triangular-shaped tunnel, the largest of those which radiate from this hall.

Other passages branch off this tunnel, spaced at regular intervals of one hundred paces. You detect movement taking place in several of these sub-tunnels and, when at last your natural curiosity prompts you to stop and observe one (using your Magnakai skills to magnify your vision), you detect that it is occupied by Nadziranim. These mysterious sorcerers are gifted in the black arts of Right-handed magic and, before their demise, they slavishly assisted the Darklords of Helgedad. These particular Nadziranim are busy at slime-filled vats, engaged in the harvesting of Giak spawn, a process that at first fascinates then rapidly repulses you. Sickened by what you have seen, you hurry away towards a distant junction where a narrower tunnel crosses from left to right. As you approach the junction, you feel the skin on your arms and the nape of your neck tingle with a premonition of peril. The sensation soon passes, but you are left with an awareness that a greater danger lurks somewhere nearby.

(Go left or right at the junction. Left)

The floor of the tunnel is gently sloped and, as it ascends, you notice the temperature steadily becoming much cooler. At length it opens out into a dimly-lit chamber where the stone floor is strewn with wood-shavings soiled by dung and dried blood. As you enter, you hear an inhuman snickering sound coming from among the maze of stout pillars that support the roof. The sound causes you immediately to draw your weapon; you have heard this cry once before, and although it was several years ago, you have not forgotten the creature who made it.

Slowly, from out of the shadows come three hulking beasts, their yellow cat-like eyes glinting malevolently. Your fears are confirmed: they are Egorghs, massive wild bear-like creatures native to the stormy northern coasts of the Darklands. Stirred by the promise of fresh meat, they advance towards you and make ready to launch an attack with fang and claw.

(I use Animal Mastery)

Calling upon your Grand Mastery, mentally you command the three lumbering beasts to halt and, simultaneously, all three freeze in their tracks. Bewildered and frightened by the strange feelings that are coursing through their bodies, the three creatures back away into the shadows, whimpering grotesquely as they retreat like a litter of sick pups.

Immediately you seize the chance to escape and hurry past them, running through the chamber towards an open passage beyond.

You enter the passage and follow it for several minutes before arriving at an empty circular room. The only feature here is a rusty iron ladder, fixed precariously to the wall, which ascends through a hole in the ceiling to a level above. There is no other exit from this chamber and so, with caution guiding your every move, you climb the rust-eaten rungs.

You rise through the hole to find yourself in a corridor which is strewn with human bones. Skeletons lie mixed in tangled heaps and many of the skulls and loose bones seem to have been gnawed. The psychic residues of pain and terror left by these luckless victims presses in upon your senses, making you feel queasy and claustrophobic. With pounding heart you advance along the bone-choked passage, stepping carefully through the skeletons to avoid making a sound. But you have taken less than a dozen steps when something unexpected makes you freeze in your tracks.

In the dim distance you see a score of creatures stumbling along the tunnel. You magnify your gaze and discern that they are vaguely human in form, although hairless, lean and stringy as if from starvation. Their toes and fingers end in horny, hooked claws and their large eyes are deep set in skeletal faces, etched by untold years of pain and anguish. You bring to bear your innate psychic skills and are shocked by what you discover.

Your senses reveal that these creatures were once human soldiers in the armies of the Freeland Alliance. Captured in battle and brought to Kaag long ago, they have endured unspeakable experiments at the hands of the Nadziranim. Now, no longer of use to those evil magicians, these pitiful victims have been left to wander the forgotten passages of this foul city, united in undeath.



When the undead soldiers are twenty yards distant you attempt to communicate with them telepathically. You sense that the one who is leading the group radiates a faint psychic aura and you hope that he may know the whereabouts of your captive friend Banedon. At first your questions elicit no reply, then, when your eyes meet, you feel a wave of despair wash over you as suddenly you tap into the agony of this creature's existence. (Lose two ENDURANCE points due to psychic shock.) As the effects of the shock fade, you hear a ghostly voice echoing thinly in your mind.

Yes . . . I know of whom you seek . . . it croaks. The Sommlending wizard is imprisoned here in Kaag . . . in Zagarna's courtroom . . .

You ask the wretched zombie for directions to Zagarna's courtroom but the only help he can offer is to tell you that it is 'many levels above'.

The pitiful group part in two to allow you to pass. As you move through them, your hatred of the Nadziranim blazes anew when you see upon the bodies of these once-human soldiers the terrible scars left by the cruel experiments. Filled with anger and remorse you hurry away, silently fearful that Banedon may already have suffered a similar fate.

After a few minutes the tunnel ascends by steps to a cavern-like chamber where the walls are mildewed and damp. A sloping passage leads away to your left, descending towards a distant pit which reeks of vermin and decay. You shun this exit and turn your attentions instead to an iron door set into the far wall. Although it is locked, you experience no difficulty picking it.

On the other side of the door you discover a torchlit corridor leading off to the left and right.

(Left)

The corridor wends a tortuous route through a series of interconnecting caverns and chambers. Some are occupied by lowly Giak slaves engaged in menial tasks, none of whom notice your stealthy passing.

After nearly an hour you arrive at a large hall which is littered with stout trestle tables and wooden benches. A squad of thirty Drakkarim are seated around the largest table, hungrily devouring a foul-smelling feast of meat and wine. You note that most are unarmed, their weapons having been heaped upon an adjoining table prior to the feasting.

From the shadowy cover of an alcove you listen to their idle chatter, hoping to glean clues as to the location of Zagarna's courtroom, but, unfortunately, your patience goes unrewarded. These troops seem preoccupied with exaggerating the success of ambushes which they have launched recently upon their enemies in the streets around the citadel. However, from this barrack-room talk you do learn two interesting facts about the struggle taking place within Kaag. The two warring factions are fighting principally for control over the Giak spawning vats located in the dungeons of the citadel. The vats are the key to power here; they produce both an unending supply of fresh troops and a source of raw food for whoever controls them.

Anxious to continue your quest, you resolve to leave the hall by an archway on the far side. Although confident that your camouflage skills will keep you hidden from the Drakkarim, the hall is well-lit and there is a slim chance that you could be seen.

(I roll a die and add numbers for Grand Huntmastery that make failure impossible)

You are within a few yards of the passage that leads out of the mess hall when suddenly four Drakkarim turn a corner and come striding up the passage towards you. Hurriedly you flatten yourself against the nearest wall and muster your Kai camouflage skills in an attempt to stay hidden.

The four stride past within an arm's length of your position yet they fail to detect your presence. Once they are inside the hall you peel yourself away from the wall and quickly escape into the passage.

Fifty yards on, the passage turns sharply to the left and you find yourself staring at an iron-banded door. Luckily this portal is unlocked and you hurry through it, pausing only for a few seconds to bolt it shut behind you before continuing on your way.

Shortly you arrive at a deserted stairwell where you begin a long and laborious ascent. You climb more than sixty levels of the citadel before reaching the top. During your climb, unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

Directly opposite the landing at the top of the stairs is a massive bronze portal, its surface inlaid with intricate symbols cast in silver and gleaming gold. A sleeping Drakkar sentry is seated beside this huge door. He snores softly, his leather-helmeted head tilted to his shoulder and his spear lying uselessly at his feet. He is oblivious to your presence as you glide past him and silently push open the great door.

Beyond the portal lies a massive circular hall, its walls lined with slabs of smooth black rock. Its domed ceiling rises more than a hundred feet to point directly above a dais positioned at the centre of the chamber. A flame-filled moat surrounds this circular platform whereupon lies the unconscious body of a blond-haired man clad in silken blue robes. Your spirits soar when you recognize the designs embroidered upon the robe for they are the symbols of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star--the magician's guild of Sommerlund. For a moment your joy at having found your friend is dampened when your Magnakai senses warn that great danger is close at hand. Prompted by this presentiment you hurry towards the moat, to where an iron drawbridge stands raised, and begin to crank its handle in order to lower it across the fiery divide.

(Do I have Kai-Alchemy? Telegnosis? Nope)

The moment the heavy iron bridge crashes down across the moat you leap upon it and race towards the dais. But as you near its centre a wall of sparkling magical flame erupts at either end, sealing off both routes completely. In desperation you call telepathically to Banedon, hoping to awaken him to consciousness, but you are unable to make contact. Then, unexpectedly, your psychic calls are answered by a blood-chilling scream.

Horror floods your mind when you realize that the person on the dais is not your friend Banedon--it is a Helghast. As the creature rises and its features twist and distort before your gaze, you cast an anxious glance back across the bridge towards the great door. Standing there now are two Drakkarim guards with a slavering boar-like beast which is straining on its leash. Suddenly the magical flame vanishes and, with relish, they release the creature and send it bounding towards you.

(I use my bow and roll a die)

Your Arrow penetrates the beast's skull and kills it instantaneously, although the momentum of its attack carries its hulking body forward for several yards before it finally crashes snout-first into the iron drawbridge floor, and tumbles head over heels.

You watch as the body of the slain Gnagusk slowly rolls off the drawbridge and plummets into the flaming moat. This victory fills you with renewed confidence, but the feeling is all too short-lived. Suddenly, two steely hands fix themselves around your throat, crushing your windpipe. The Helghast is attacking you from behind and, as you struggle to break free, its iron-hard fingers close ever tighter: lose 4 ENDURANCE points.

The two Drakkarim cackle at your plight as they approach the drawbridge, their swords drawn ready to avenge the death of their pet.

(Do I have the Sommerswerd? Yup.)

You reach to your belt and unsheathe the sun-sword. At once a golden halo of flame bursts from its polished blade, causing the Helghast to shriek in alarm as it recognizes the power you wield. It loosens its terrible grip upon your throat, enabling you to thrust the hilt of the Sommerswerd into its midriff and force it away. The Helghast emits a wailing cry and a wave of psychic energy assails your mind. But your Magnakai defenses are more than sufficient to repel this weak attack and, with one fell sweep of your arm, you cleave the demonic creature cleanly in two.

The sundered halves of the Helghast fall from the bridge to be consumed by the hungry flames. Open-mouthed, the two Drakkarim stumble to a halt and stare down into the moat. Nervously they glance at each other, fearful of suffering a similar fate, then they turn and run towards the open door. Determined not to let them escape, you give chase and catch up with them within a few yards of the entrance.


Drakkarim CS 26, EP 35

I roll an 8. Auto death


Breathless from combat, you step away from the two dead Drakkarim, sheathe your weapon, and wipe your blood-spattered brow with the back of your hand. Then, in order to leave no trace, you drag both of the corpses to the edge of the moat and consign them, and their weapons, to the hungry flames.

A narrow passage near the main door provides an exit from this hall. This leads into a wider tunnel which is flanked on both sides by cages, all empty but showing signs of having recently been occupied by war-dogs and the like. Beyond the cells you discover a chamber strewn with wooden boxes, trunks, sacks and several oak casks. It, too, is empty, although in the far wall there is a stout door with a spy-hole drilled at its centre. Your keen Kai senses detect the faint sound of squealing coming from the other side of this door.


I search the chamber and find:

Rope
Lantern
Silver Bowl
Whistle
Brass Key
Black Key
Hammer
Enough food for 2 Meals


(I take Lantern, Silver Bowl, Whistle, Brass Key, Black Key, and Hammer)

Intrigued by the squealing, you approach the door cautiously and place your eye to the spy-hole. Your fears soon melt away when you see two ragged-eared rats in a corridor beyond, fighting over a meaty bone. You chuckle as the smaller of the two unexpectedly wins the dispute and proudly drags away his prize. Your eyes follow the rat as it disappears towards a distant hallway where you spy something else that makes your pulse quicken in anticipation.

Using your Magnakai skills to magnify your vision, you see a pair of massive doors at the far side of the thoroughfare, guarded by two warriors clad in polished silver armour. A steady traffic of Drakkarim and Giaks passes to and fro before the doors, but none enter. You judge the hall to be over a hundred yards away, but even at this distance you can sense a great power is being contained behind the doors.

After a short while the traffic in the hallway subsides. Then two wispy, ghost-like figures glide into view, each clad in shimmering semi-transparent robes, and at once you recognize them to be Nadziranim--masters of evil magic. The guards step aside and, as the great doors part to allow the sorcerers entry, a flood of blinding purplish light pours from out of the room beyond. Suddenly your senses tingle with a premonition that your friend Banedon is close at hand. Convinced that you will find him somewhere beyond the doors, you resolve to gain entry as quickly as you can, but if you are to get past the two guards you must first create a diversion.

(I can put on a Drakkar uniform on the floor, or start a fire here in this storeroom)

You pull the door slightly ajar then quickly gather up some sacks and boxes which you stack in a heap near the opening. The guttering wall torch that illuminates this chamber provides the flame to set this little makeshift bonfire alight. Soon the tinder-dry pile is ablaze, sending clouds of acrid blue-grey smoke billowing along the corridor towards the guards.

(I roll a die and get 4)

The guards see the approaching clouds of smoke and immediately raise the alarm. Aided by a passing group of Drakkarim and Giaks, the two silver-clad guardians come thundering along the corridor and skid to a halt outside the door. You hear them coughing and cursing, then the door flies open and two luckless Giaks are thrust into the smoky room with orders to put out the blaze.

Utilizing your Magnakai camouflage skills, and helped by the smoke and confusion, you manage to slip past the Giaks and the others and hurry along the corridor towards the distant doors. To your surprise, the two massive portals open as you approach them. A purple glare blinds you momentarily, forcing you to raise your hand to shield your eyes, but still you keep running until you have passed through the doors.

The purplish glare is generated by a glassy opaque sphere which hangs suspended above the doors. It pours forth a blinding curtain of light which fills the entrance, but this quickly fades once you have passed through into the chamber beyond.

As your eyes adjust to the gloomy interior, you find yourself standing in a small temple. A plain stone altar dominates the chamber, around which are positioned a ring of twenty black candles. The candles are fixed into elaborately carved holders fashioned to resemble each of the twenty Darklords sent long ago by Naar, King of the Darkness, to conquer Magnamund. Their flames burn brightly scarlet and they give off a rancid, greasy smell that, despite your attempts to block it, makes you feel lightheaded and nauseous.

Hurriedly you move to leave this temple through an archway opposite, for there is an extraordinary saturation of evil contained within these walls and you feel it leeching your mental and physical strength.

(Unless you possess Kai-screen, deduct 3 ENDURANCE points due to its insidious effects.)

You are near the centre of the temple when you notice something strange resting in a hollow in the surface of the altar.

(Have I ever been to Mogaruith? Yup)

At once you recognize the glassy orb which rests upon the altar. It is identical to the sphere you saw in the chamber of Arch Druid Cadak in Mogaruith, the sphere by which he communicated with the master of all evil--the evil God Naar. With dread, you look upon the surface of the orb and your blood runs cold; it is as if the eye of the Dark God himself were gazing upon you.

(I choose to destroy it)

You take up one of the heavy black candlesticks and raise it above your head, steadying yourself as you get ready to hurl it at the sphere. Then a wave of dark energy comes coursing from the orb and you swoon as it washes over your body. You are in danger of dropping the candlestick upon your own head until, with a defiant cry, you draw on your psychic strength to counter the power of the orb.

As your mind clears and your strength returns, you launch the candlestick at the altar and smash the orb into hundreds of tiny shards. Instantly there is a tremendous implosion and a rush of air as the evil within this chamber is sucked back to its source. The stench that permeated the air has now gone and you feel a sense of well-being infuse your body: add 3 ENDURANCE points to your current score.

Anxious to make up for lost time, you turn away from the altar and hurry through the archway opposite. Beyond lies an icy-cold corridor where the walls and ceilings are carved with many strange spatial designs. As you follow this passage, you notice that the theme of planets and stars gradually changes to one of volcanoes and lava fissures. As if to mirror this the temperature also changes, becoming steadily hotter and drier until, by the time you finally near the corridor's end, the heat has become almost furnace-like in intensity. Breathless and bathed with sweat, you stare through the shimmering air and see a great iron door at the end of the passage.

Due to the excessive heat, unless you possess the Disciplines of Grand Huntmastery and Grand Nexus, you must now consume a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.


You increase your speed as you approach the iron door and get ready to push against it, expecting great resistance but, to your complete surprise, the heavy portal swings open the instant you reach out to touch it. A gust of cooling air wafts in your face, encouraging you to step into the hall which lies beyond. Swiftly the iron door slams shut behind you but you pay it no heed. The refreshing coolness and the awesome spectacle of the hall itself commands your complete attention.

Tiers of glittering gold-veined marble descend to a circular hall where a ring of fluted copper pillars support a platform, shaped like the foredeck of some great ship. Multicoloured rays stream from a crystal sphere suspended above this platform, creating a cage of flickering light at its centre. Sitting in this radiant cage is a pale-skinned man with long blond hair. His knees are drawn up to his chin and his eyes are closed, as if asleep. You recognize him to be Banedon, but still mindful of your encounter with the Helghast, you reserve your judgement.

A narrow staircase, its hand-rails carved and fashioned from the tusks of Kalte mammoths, leads directly to the platform. Cautiously you descend the tiers, cross the floor, and advance towards these stairs, stopping only when you reach a granite throne positioned directly opposite the staircase. The back and arms of this crude seat have been chiselled to resemble a lion-like creature sitting on its haunches, and it is from here that you attempt to communicate telepathically with the sleeping man.



At first there is no response. Then, wearily, he raises his head and forces open his eyes. His face is haggard and lined with fatigue, but the look of extreme tiredness slowly changes to a smile of recognition when he sees you.

Lone Wolf . . . the words form slowly in your mind, thank Ishir you've found me . . .

Convinced now that he truly is your friend Banedon, you rush towards the steps, eager to free him from his prison. Then you sense something is wrong and you skid to a halt at the foot of the steps. Banedon's weary smile has changed to a wide-eyed look of fear.

A sudden noise makes you spin around, half-crouched, your weapon ready to hand for your defense. At first you see nothing, then a faint shadow moving at the corner of your eye draws your attention to an alcove on the other side of the hall. Suddenly you hear Banedon's voice echoing faintly in your head. You cannot understand what he is saying but you sense that it is a warning. You glance over your shoulder and notice that he is pointing at the granite throne. To your horror you see that the throne's fanged mouth is opening wider and wider.



(I have Kai-Screen)

A ghostly mist issues from the parting jaws of the throne-statue. You step back, your weapon raised, but it does nothing to protect you from the piercing screech which suddenly fills your head. Fortunately, your powerful mind defenses are protection enough against this violent psychic attack, and soon the screech fades to a more tolerable volume.


From out of the mist-filled jaw there emerges a small black creature covered in shaggy fur. Its head is white, cut with dark bony ridges and studded with running sores that encircle its flaming red eyes.



You raise your weapon and get ready to strike as it stalks nearer, but your concentration is momentarily broken when you notice a wispy shadow emerging from the alcove on the far side of the hall. It is a Nadziranim sorcerer. Fearful of its purpose, you turn away from the furry creature and make a dash towards the ivory staircase, intent on reaching Banedon as quickly as possible. The stalking creature, thinking that you are running in fear, immediately gives chase and comes bounding towards you, determined to intercept you before you reach the steps.


(I use my bow)

You sheathe your weapon and unshoulder your Bow as you run towards the stairs. Once there, you draw an Arrow and take aim at the advancing creature. It halts, snarling defiantly, then, to your utter amazement, its furry chest undergoes a rapid metamorphosis. What was fur only a few seconds ago is now a shiny steel-hard shell.

(I aim at its head. I roll a 8 and then add 8. )

The creature tries to dodge your speeding shaft but it is too slow. The Arrow skewers its lower jaw, causing the beast to shriek out loudly in pained surprise. However, despite this fearful wounding, it does not break off its attack. With chilling disregard for pain, it wrenches the Arrow from its jaw and hurls it aside. Unnerved by this display of bravado, you shoulder your Bow as, with a gurgling shriek, the beast comes bounding forwards. You get ready to meet its advance yet, when it is but ten feet away, it suddenly opens its bloodstained mouth wide and spews forth a stream of white-hot liquid fire.

(I do not have Grand Nexus. I try to dodge and roll a die. 5 + 3 for Grand Huntmastery)

Your lightning-fast reflexes save you from being hit by the searing stream of liquid fire. Several droplets splash your tunic and it catches alight (lose 1 ENDURANCE point), but you quickly extinguish the flames. Coolly you raise your weapon and stare the creature defiantly in the eye as it gets ready to pounce.

Talons spring from the creature's forepaws and its sharp teeth glint like polished knives as it comes leaping through the air towards you.

Vodak: CS 44, EP 52

I use Kai-Surge. I roll a 4. It takes 12 and me 3. I rock a 7 and it takes 18 and me 1. A 2 follows and I hit for 10 and take 3. Then I roll a 7 again and it is rocked for another 18. It dies and I took 8.

Slowly a brooding, malignant vapour arises from the creature's corpse to hover in the air above it. You sense a powerful magical aura radiating from this sinister shadow and, as you back away from it, a mass of swirling sparks begin flickering at its core. Banedon calls for your help, his cry echoing faintly in your mind. You spin around and see him falling sideways to the floor of the platform, unconscious and unmoving. Fear runs cold in your veins, a fear that grows wilder when you glance once more at the hovering shadow, for now it has descended to the ground and from beneath its curtain-like base there pours a seething tide of black-bodied insects, some as large as mice.



Biting back your fears, you raise your weapon and focus on the advancing swarm. Suddenly your psychic senses tingle. These are no ordinary insects; in fact these are not insects at all. Your sixth sense detects that they are merely a clever illusion created to deceive you. Confident in this knowledge you stand your ground and allow the tide of creepy-crawlies to wash over your feet. Within a matter of seconds the insect horde fades and vanishes, dispelled by your disbelief in their existence.

The hovering shadow is changing shape once more. It expands and thickens, its misty outline now becoming hard and clearly defined. Your heart quickens when the transformation is complete for now you see before you a scaly dragon, with frosty-white skin and eyes as black as deep space. It fixes you with a murderous gaze and opens a mouth that is packed with razor-sharp fangs. Then a chilling gust of super-cold breath blows over you, leaving you shivering. Your Magnakai skills save you from being instantly frozen to death by this icy blast, but they will not keep you safe from the creature's fangs, its horny tail, or its sword-like claws. With a hungry growl, the dragon comes stalking forwards. Its jaw hangs open in expectation of an easy feast.





Ice Dragon (Polymorphed Nadziranim) CS 48, EP 52

I use Kai Surge. I roll 4, 8, 2, and 6. It has taken 36 and me 11. I roll a 6 and 0. It have taken exactly 52. I took a total of 15. 23/44


The moment you strike your killing blow, the body of the Ice Dragon becomes transparent, as if it was made wholly of glass, then slowly this form melts away to a steamy vapour which quickly evaporates, leaving no trace of the creature's existence.

A deathly silence fills the hall, broken only by the sound of Banedon's laboured breathing. Fearful of his condition, you climb the ivory staircase and rush to his side. However, you are prevented from touching your friend by the encircling wall of energy in which he is held prisoner. You sense that the power which keeps him here against his will is being generated by the crystal sphere which hangs suspended in the air directly above him. You gaze at this sphere and the thought occurs that if you could disrupt it in some way, by breaking or dislodging it, it might cause the power wall to fail.

(I can use a bow, Kai_Alchemy, or Magi-Magic. I use my bow, it works.)

You rush forwards and try to revive Banedon but he is deeply unconscious and does not respond. Taking hold of your friend by the arm, you lift him across your shoulders, then carefully begin your descent from the platform. Once you are safely at the bottom of the steps, you cast your eyes around the hall for a means of escape. There are only two exits visible: the light-filled doors by which you entered, and a tunnel in the north wall.

(Tunnel in the north wall)

Holding Banedon firmly in place across your shoulders, you climb the tiered steps towards the tunnel. The cold dark passage looks most uninviting, but when you hear the sound of a patrol approaching the main doors, you forget your reticence and hurry along the passage to avoid him.

The dingy passage descends by slope and stair to a rectangular hall which is lined with ancient stone statues, their features made unrecognizable by age. Tar-soaked torches fixed to the two longest walls illuminate this musty chamber with a flickering amber light, and the air is heavy with their oily stench. In the distance you see an archway and the passage continuing away into darkness.

(I choose to stop and try to revive Banedon)

You lower Banedon to the floor and make him as comfortable as you can by propping him in a sitting position with his back against one of the statues. Then, despite your own fatigue, you use your innate healing skills in an attempt to revive him to consciousness. His pulse is weak and his skin is cold to the touch, and you can tell by his poor physical condition that he has been starved and beaten during his imprisonment here in Kaag. Placing your hands upon his brow, you feel some of your body warmth draining away as you concentrate on transmitting your healing powers to your injured friend. Slowly he responds, and although he is still too weak to speak, he manages to open his eyes and communicate with you telepathically.

I know this chamber . . . he says, . . .I have been here before. Look there, at the statue opposite. You'll find a lever concealed at its side. It opens a hidden door.

Guided by Banedon's messages you discover that there is indeed a lever as he described. You pull it and a panel in the stone wall glides open to reveal a secret alcove and flight of steps leading downwards. Noises in the tunnel warn you that Drakkarim are approaching and so, without hesitation, you shoulder your friend once more and hurry into the alcove to avoid them.

The panel glides shut behind you and keeps you hidden from the enemy. Through the wall you hear cries of surprise and some curses when they enter the chamber to discover that you have seemingly disappeared into thin air. Mindful that they might find your hiding place, you descend the stairs and arrive at a vault which is lavishly equipped with all manner of elaborate laboratory apparatus. Several large tables line one wall, many stained with blood.

You sense that Banedon is disturbed by the sight of these tables and, when you ask him what is wrong, he tells you that this chamber is where the Nadziranim subjected him to hours of brutal interrogation in a futile attempt to extract the magical secrets of the Brotherhood.

Despite all their fiendish tortures, he says, his mind-voice weak yet full of pride, they learned nothing.

You search for a way out of this vault and soon discover a steel door which is secured by a curious combination lock. It comprises three raised blocks, each block divided into four equal squares. In each square, bar one, there is a number. You ask Banedon if he knows how the lock operates and he recalls once seeing a Nadziranim tapping the empty square several times in order to make the door open.

Consider the following grids of numbers. When you think you know what the missing number is, turn to the entry that bears the same number as your answer






Each number is multiplied by two. The missing number is 8. It works. We arrive in a passage and I can go left or right. I go to ask Banedon but he is unconscious again. I choose left. I run into a door and use my Brass Key.

Quote:

Beyond the door awaits a sumptuous chamber dominated by a magnificent fireplace crafted from blocks of glassy rock. The walls are hung with fine tapestries, looted from the Stornlands during times of war, and you note that the furniture is carved from best Durenese oak.

You pass through the chamber into an adjoining passage which leads to a library. As you enter, you disturb a robed creature seated at a lectern. Before it can rise or raise the alarm, you draw your weapon and silence it with a swift blow to the base of its skull. Pulling back its hood reveals it to be a Liganim, a thrall of the Nadziranim sorcerers.




Suddenly you hear movement and glance up to see another Liganim peering over the parapet of a gallery which encircles the upper level of this library. The creature, having witnessed the slaying of its companion, lets out a horrified squeal and turns to run towards an archway on the far side of the gallery. Determined to prevent his escape, you lower Banedon to the floor then rush towards a flight of wooden stairs that also lead to the archway. However, as you near the landing at the top of these stairs, two more of the creatures appear from either side, with wands gripped in their clawed hands. They shout a spell-word in the dark tongue and a crackling curtain of energy flares between the two rods, blocking your path. The power-wall looks formidable, but you sense at once that it is really quite weak.

(I do not have Kai-Alchemy)

You charge through the power-wall and your senses reel as your body earths the electrical energy: lose 3 ENDURANCE points. But, despite the momentary pain, you quickly recover and dispatch the two wand-wielding Liganim before they, too, attempt to run from the library.

The noise of their dying screams freezes the escaping Liganim dead in his tracks. He spins around in the archway, his ugly face transfixed into a mask of sheer terror as he watches you come racing towards him with your weapon poised to strike. However, the sight is too much for his weak heart which ceases to beat moments before you land your blow.

You return to collect Banedon, then, once he is safely across your shoulders, you climb the stairs and hurry through the archway. A tunnel lined with rich wood panelling leads to a chamber where eight smaller passages disappear off in all directions. You scan these exits and a familiar fear returns to haunt you, a fear that you will never find your way out off Kaag alive.

Using your innate healing skills, you try once more to revive Banedon. You remember once, during a tutorial at the Kai monastery, that Banedon conjured up a vision of the monastery and its surrounding estates. You were able to see yourself in miniature, standing in your chambers as if you were a tiny animated doll in a doll's house. If he were well enough to perform that spell here in Kaag, you might be able to locate your position and plan a route of escape.

Mustering your skills, you place your hands on Banedon's chest and transmit your power directly into his heart. (Reduce your ENDURANCE by 3 points.) Gradually Banedon stirs to consciousness and, as his strength returns, rekindled by your healing power, he is able to grant your request. On the floor of the chamber he calls forth a living, three-dimensional vision of Kaag. Gradually this vision expands until you are looking at yourselves, kneeling on the floor of a chamber on one of the upper levels of the central citadel. The vision blurs and fades, but not before you are able to trace the quickest way out of this dreadful place.

The passage which heads due south from this chamber leads directly to the Zlanbeast pens and landing platforms situated on the exterior wall of the citadel, high above the great South Gate. It is from here that you plan to escape, leaving the citadel by the same way you entered it: by air.

Confident that the success of your quest is now within your grasp, you help Banedon to his feet and support him as you make your way along the south passage.

With trepidation you follow the passage, praying all the while that Banedon's vision proves to be correct. Then at last your prayers are answered when, in the distance, you catch your first glimpse of the Zlanbeast pens.

You soon arrive at the entrance to the pens, where, from the safety of the shadows, you stop to observe the activity taking place inside. Lining the walls of the chamber you count more than a dozen cages, each holding a Zlanbeast or several smaller Kraan. Most are feeding, but there are some saddled ready for flight. One of these saddled Zlanbeast is perched nearby on a landing platform from where it casts its idle gaze upon the city far below.

You are contemplating how long it will take you and Banedon to reach the platform and climb aboard the waiting Zlanbeast, when suddenly you notice something strange that arouses your suspicions: there are no handlers or guards on duty in the pen.

(I use Grand Pathsmanship)

You bring your advanced tracking senses to bear and, almost at once, you detect an ambush has been laid for you in this pen. An elaborate magical screen has been erected to camouflage and keep hidden the warriors who are, at this very moment, lying in wait for you and Banedon to appear.

Anxiously, you peer into the pen, scrutinizing every shadow for some clue to the ambushers' whereabouts, but you are unable to spot their positions. The saddled Zlanbeast looks so inviting, yet your hopes of escape are tempered by the desire to keep yourself and Guildmaster Banedon alive.

(I risk the ambush)

You draw your weapon and support your friend with your free hand. You tell him what you have sensed, that there is a strong chance that an ambush awaits you in the pen, but he agrees with you that a sudden rush towards the landing platform stands a good chance of success. Then, with a nod of your head, you indicate the Zlanbeast that is perched outside on the platform and whisper to Banedon that that particular creature is the one that will soon be carrying you out of Kaag. He nods his approval and you get ready to enter the pen.

You have taken less than five steps towards the platform when an unexpected sound makes you look up. To your horror, you see a weighted net falling from the ceiling directly on to your heads.

(I roll a 2 and add 3 for Grand Huntmastery)

Hastily you push Banedon aside then dive to avoid the falling net, the sheer speed with which you react saving you both from becoming trapped like two foxes in a snare. Quickly you spring to your feet and rush to help your fallen companion. As you stoop to lift him, you hear a deep voice cursing you quietly in the shadows. You turn to face the voice, weapon in hand, ready to cut him down. But you are shocked to the core when you see who it is who emerges into the grey light of the pen.

'So we meet again, Lone Wolf.'

The words, full of hatred, are spoken by a tall, ancient figure, whose gaunt face is framed by a shock of platinum hair. It is Arch Druid Cadak, ruler of Mogaruith, the leader of the Cener Druids of Ruel.

'What is your purpose here, Cadak?' you growl in reply, your weapon raised in case he or his minions should attempt to rush you.

'I am ruler of this city now. After all, is it not fitting that I should inherit the legacy of the Darklords?' Cadak's whimsical mood seems to change for the worse, a change reflected in his voice.

'Your meddlesome intrusions have cost me dear, Kai Lord,' he hisses. 'We have a debt to settle and I intend to make you pay what you owe. I brought you here. It was my purpose. I have no interest in the inferior magic of this fool you call friend,' he says, sneering at Banedon, 'yet I knew he would be bait enough to lure you.'

Slowly he steps towards the shadows and you tense yourself, fearing an imminent attack.

'Now you will settle your debt . . .' he says, almost in a whisper, 'once and for all!'

He snaps his fingers and you hear the creak of a heavy iron door slowly opening. Then a low, snorting noise echoes through the pen, stirring the caged Kraan and Zlanbeast to sudden frenzy. You steel yourself and cast your eyes around in a desperate attempt to see what it is that is responsible for this sudden uproar. Then the cause emerges into the light and your blood runs ice cold in your veins when you look upon its terrible face.


Emerging from the shadows with slow purposeful steps comes a huge rodent-like creature. Its mustard-coloured body and its six claw-tipped legs are thick and powerful, corded with muscle that ripples as it moves. Its head is monstrous, the jaw seeming too large for the skull. This entire bony structure extends beyond the lips and is studded with large spade-like teeth.



I can use magi-Magic, Kai Alchemy, a bow. The bow does nothing, so I grab my weapon.


Zavaghar CS 52, EP 60.

If my EP ever falls beneath 12, we instead stop the fight. I use Kai Blast

I roll a 8, 3, 2, and 7. I took 12. I am at 23/44. I dealt 32. I roll a 9, 1, and 7. I deal 26. That’s 58. I took 9. I am at 14/44, so I don’t stop the fight yet. I roll again. 4. It dies and I am at 10./44

Quote:


The Zavaghar shrieks in agony and comes crashing to the floor, its limbs flailing and its jaw chattering wildly as it ekes out the last throes of death.

'No! No! No!' screams Arch Druid Cadak, his voice filled with anger and bitter frustration. 'It cannot be! It cannot be!'

Madly he rushes across the pen and stares with open-mouthed incredulity at the carcass of the huge Zavaghar, his eyes wide with disbelief. Meanwhile, you have helped Banedon to his feet and the two of you have begun to hurry towards your means of escape which is still perched on the landing platform.

Suddenly, Cadak recovers from his shock and, seeing the two of you escaping, screams an order to his remaining Drakkarim to prevent you from getting away.

You reach the winged creature and, using your Magnakai skills, you manage to subdue it to your command. Arrows and crossbow bolts fly past, dangerously close, fired by those Drakkarim who have responded to Cadak's order. You try to ignore these missiles as you mount the Zlanbeast and heave Banedon roughly across its great scaly neck.

With a sharp kick, you urge the Zlanbeast into the air and, as it soars away from the platform, you glance back to see Cadak shaking his fist and screaming vile curses.




You laugh at his displeasure, but your laughter chokes in your throat when you notice a battery of heavy bolt-throwers lining the battlements above the pens. They are manned by Giak soldiers, and, as you fly past them, they discharge a cloud of deadly missiles.


(I roll a 3, we dodge the bolts)


Below you is the South Gate of Kaag. Its surface is covered by the hide of Nyxator, preserved by the Darklords as a trophy of Naar's evil power. Nyxator was the first servant of the God Kai to appear on Magnamund and the form he chose to adopt was that of a great dragon. He was the first recipient of Kai's wisdom, a wisdom he encapsulated in the Lorestones for the future good of all who follow the way of Kai.



You stare down at the face of your ancient ancestor and, for a fleeting moment, you detect the trace of a smile upon its fossilized lips. Then, in the next instant, you plunge into a bank of stormy grey cloud and the dread city of Kaag is lost to view.

By the time you find your way back to the Skyrider, the storm has blown itself out. Your return is met with cheers and joyous celebration for your quest has been a great success. Lord Rimoah is especially pleased and he praises you warmly:

'Against all odds,' he says, his voice filled with pride, 'you have rescued our friend from the nightmare fortress of Kaag and delivered him safely into the arms of his loyal crew.'

Congratulations, Grand Master Lone Wolf. You have triumphed once again, proving beyond doubt that you embody the ideals of the Kai. You have saved your closest friend from the clutches of the evil druid Cadak and confounded his plans.

Yet the fight against Evil goes ever on. Soon your courage and skills will be put to the test again, this time in a far distant realm of Magnamund. The nature of the quest and the perils that await you can be found in the next Grand Master adventure entitled:

The Darke Crusade

Review of The Captives of Kaag. This story was just off. There are many times when I felt the passage as asking for the wrong skill, like Hunting for Tracking, Hunting for Camouflage and so forth. It’s off. I rescued a guy. Still not a major thing. I also like how a simple Zadziranim can be harder to kill than a Darklord.


I know that in each series you have problems. In order to place you in danger, and to give you some difficulty, they have to require certain skills, which you already had in previous adventures to do the same thing. For example, in Shadow on the Sand, while fleeing from Maouk, you use Tracking and sense that a road has a dead end. Tracking. Not even Pathsmanship, but tracking. Yet you cannot tell that a path here has a dead end unless you use Grand Huntmastery. You regularly wind up in places where you have no idea of which direction to go, but that happened very rarely in the previous series because you almost always had Tracking, Pathsmanship, Sixth Sense or Divination as a help. Here you rarely have any help at all. His happens all of the time for game reasons, but it makes for a bad story. Oh, and Joe Dever lied He said Telegnosis helped with spirit-walk, but it appears to be the same Sixth Sense skill as before. And Grand Nexus helps in Mind Over Matter despite the fact that the skill’s description has no such mention.

Why didn’t I need the Golden Amulet to survive the Darklands? Isn’t that a bit of a plot hole?


End of The Captives of Kaag

The Darke Crusade:


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

It is the year MS 5076 and twenty-six years have passed since your brave kinsmen perished at the hands of the Darklords of Helgedad. These champions of evil, who were sent forth by Naar, the King of the Darkness, to destroy the fertile world of Magnamund, have themselves since been destroyed. You vowed to avenge the murder of the Kai and you kept your pledge, for it was you who brought about their downfall when alone you infiltrated their foul domain--the Darklands--and caused the destruction of their leader, Archlord Gnaag, and the seat of his power that was the infernal city of Helgedad.

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

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

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

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

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

At this time many changes were occurring beyond the borders of Sommerlund. In the regions to the northeast of Magador and the Maakengorge, the Elder Magi of Dessi and the Herbwardens of Bautar were working together in an effort to restore the dusty volcanic wasteland to its former fertile state. It was the first tentative step towards the reclamation of all the Darklands. However, their progress was painfully slow, and both parties were resigned to the fact that their efforts to undo the damage caused by the Darklords would take not years but centuries to complete.

In the far west, the Drakkarim had retreated to their homelands and were engaged in a bloody war against the Lencians. Much of southern Nyras had been reclaimed by the armies of King Sarnac, the Lencian commander, and his flag now flew over territory which, two thousand years ago, had once been part of Lencia.

Following the destruction of the Darklords of Helgedad, the Giaks, the most prolific in number of all of Gnaag's troops, fled into the Darklands and sought refuge in the gigantic city-fortresses of Nadgazad, Aarnak, Gournen, Akagazad and Kaag. Within each of these hellish strongholds fierce fighting broke out as remnants of the Xaghash (lesser Darklords) and the Nadziranim (evil practitioners of Right-handed Magic who once aided individual Darklord masters) fought for control. It is widely believed that by the time the Elder Magi and the Herbwardens reach the walls of these strongholds they will encounter no resistance; the occupants will have long since brought about their own extinction. Elsewhere, throughout Northern Magnamund, peace reigns victorious and the peoples of the Free Kingdom rejoice in the knowledge that the age of the Darklords has finally come to an end. Readily men have exchanged their swords for hoes and their shields for ploughs, and now the only marching they do is along the ruts of their freshly furrowed fields. Few are the watchful eyes that scan the distant horizon in fear of what may appear, although there are still those who maintain their vigilance, for the agents of Naar come in many guises and there are those upon Magnamund who wait quietly in the shadows for the chance to do his evil bidding.

Only a year ago the evil Cener Druids of Ruel attempted to enact Naar's revenge. Secretly, in the laboratories of their foul stronghold of Mogaruith, they had laboured to create a virulent plague virus capable of killing every living creature upon Magnamund, save their own kind. Word of their terrible plan reached Lord Rimoah who immediately urged the rulers of the Freelands to raise armies and invade Ruel. Hurriedly they complied, but the invasion ended in disaster. Seven thousand fighting men entered Ruel intent on storming the fortress of Mogaruith and razing it to the ground. Seven thousand marched into the dark realm; only seventy emerged alive. The Ceners were within days of perfecting their ultimate weapon when you took up the challenge and ventured alone into Mogaruith.

Despite overwhelming odds you thwarted their evil plan by destroying the virus and the means by which it was created.

After emerging from Ruel triumphant, your quest fulfilled, you returned home to Sommerlund and the Kai monastery where you resumed your duties as Grand Master. Three months later, on the day that saw the first fall of winter snow, you were visited by Lord Rimoah. Once again he found himself the reluctant bearer of ill news. Your friend Guildmaster Banedon, whilst helping with the reclamation of wastelands close to the Maakengorge, had been abducted by a war-band of Giaks under the command of Nadziranim sorcerers. A rescue was attempted, but ruthlessly the Nadziranim obliterated those who tried to follow their escape into the Darklands. It was feared that the Nadziranim would try to extract from Banedon the secrets of Left-Handed Magic, so that they might marry it to their own foul sorcery. Such an outcome would have given them extraordinary power, power enough to revive the Darklands. A previous attempt to unite the two paths of Magic had resulted in catastrophe for Sommerlund. In the year MS 5050, Vonotar the Traitor, a magician from the same guild as Banedon, had betrayed his homeland in exchange for the promise of Nadziranim power. It was his act of treachery which brought about the invasion of Sommerlund and the destruction of the First Order of the Kai.

Banedon's survival depended upon a swift rescue from Kaag. Mindful of all that was at stake, courageously you volunteered to enter the city-fortress alone in an attempt to save your friend.

Despite fierce odds you gained entry to Kaag, located Banedon, then snatched him from the foul denizens of that city by way of a daring aerial escape from the upper levels of their great citadel. Banedon was severely weakened by his ordeal at the hands of the Nadziranim and, had it not been for your timely intervention, he would certainly have perished in that grim city-fortress.

The rescue of Guildmaster Banedon and his safe return to Sommerlund was cause for much celebration, especially in the streets and guildhalls of his native city of Toran. For several days you allowed yourself to be fêted by the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star before returning to your monastery where, with a feeling of quiet satisfaction, you gladly resumed your duties as Kai Grand Master.

So the year ended and another began, yet even before the snows of winter had begun to thaw, once again your unique skills were being sought in the relentless struggle against Evil. This time the plea for help arrived by way of a foreign ambassador, a special envoy who had travelled thousands of miles from the court of King Sarnac of Lencia. Their war against the Drakkarim, who were under the command of Magnaarn, the High Warlord of Darke, had stagnated ever since the onset of winter and recently the whole campaign had taken a turn for the worse. The Lencians learned that Magnaarn had undertaken a quest for the Doomstone of Darke, an artefact of legendary evil. It was said that this gem was the most powerful of all the Doomstones created by Agarash the Damned during the Age of Eternal Night. Before the demise of the Darklords, this Doomstone had rested in the head of the Nyras Sceptre, a magical weapon wielded by Darklord Dakushna, Lord of Kagorst. In the chaos that followed the wake of Dakushna's destruction, the Nyras Sceptre was lost, though many secretly believed it to have been stolen by one of Dakushna's Nadziranim sorcerers. Some months later during the war in Nyras the sceptre reappeared, but the Doomstone was missing from its setting atop the sceptre's platinum haft.

'We fear that Magnaarn is close to finding the Doomstone of Darke,' said the Lencian envoy. 'Already he possesses the sceptre's haft. My liege, King Sarnac, beseeches you, Grand Master Lone Wolf, to come to our aid. Help us find the Doomstone and thwart Magnaarn's plan, for if he successfully reunites the Doomstone and the Nyras sceptre he will command a power capable of our undoing.'

'With respect, my lord, surely this one weapon, however evil it may be, is no match when pitted against all the armoured might of Lencia?' you replied diplomatically, as yet unconvinced by the envoy's plea.

'Perhaps so, Grand Master,' he replied, 'Were the nature of the threat merely the weapon alone. Sadly this is not the only issue here. Until now, the Nadziranim sorcerers who control the strongholds of Kagorst and Akagazad have refused to aid Magnaarn in his war against us. Many times he has begged them for help, for within those fortress walls are thousands of Giaks and other breeds who sought sanctuary there after the defeat of the Darklords. They still possess their weapons and they would make a formidable enemy if ever they were mustered against us. Magnaarn's possession of the Doomstone of Darke will most certainly influence the Nadziranim. Its power is such that Magnaarn could simply force them to obey his every command. Their refusal would result in their immediate destruction.'

Politely you dismissed the envoy whilst you considered your response to his plea. In the solitude of your chamber you pondered the problem, weighing plight of Lencia against your duties and responsibilities there at the Kai monastery. At length, after careful deliberation, you reached your decision.

'Well my Lord?' enquired the envoy, nervously, upon re-entering your chamber. 'Will you help us thwart Magnaarn?'

'Once, not so very long ago, your King and his army aided me during my quest for the Magnakai,' you replied. 'Perhaps now the time has come for me to repay my debt of gratitude. Yes, I shall help you. I shall return with you to Lencia and champion your cause. I vow that I shall do all in my power to thwart Magnaarn's quest.

Map:

Of the first three Grand Master books, this one feels the most like Lone Wolf. Who cares about rescuing a friend? The plague, virus vacceine thing felt very un-Lone Wolf. taking out a wardlord who is tryoing to find a Doomstone, now that's Lone Wolf. I've already destroyed one tyrant with a Doomstone in Castle Death, and you have a chance to find a second in Ikaya, in Book 3, when you get the Effigy, if you push the buttons differently - Doomstone. You just toss it out when you are told what it is. Imagine if Vonotar had found that!

Okay, here are the improved disciplines for this level:

Sun Knight

If you are a Grand Master who has reached the rank of Sun Knight (6 Disciplines), you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:

Grand Weaponmastery

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

Deliverance

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

Grand Pathsmanship

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

Grand Nexus

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

Telegnosis

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

Kai-alchemy

Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Sun Knight are able to use the following Brotherhood spells:

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



Options for a new Discipline - Telegnosis to give me the Sixth Sense ability back, Kai-Alchemy or Magi-Magic to give me something new, that’s pretty much it. I’m choosing the better named Kai-Alchemy. Magi-Magic is a dumb name.

I get a Map of Western Tentarias, 22 crowns, Laumspur. It’s the same dumb items to choose from each time.




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




Keeping:



25 Gold Crowns
Crystal Star Pendant
Silver Bow of Duadon
Sommerswerd
Korlinum Scabbard
Dagger of Vashna
Map of Western Tentarias
Shield
Silver Helmet
Padded Leather Waistcoat
Bronin Vest
Silver Bracers
Kagonite Chainmail
Rope
Laumspur
Laumwort +2 EP (3 doses)
Quiver w/ 6 arrows
Kai Monastery Spear


I dropped the extra quiver and most of the rest.

Lone Wolf, Kai Sun Knight

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


CS 54
EP 46


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


Alright, time for book 15. This book has only been read by me once, a long time ago. I don’t remember anything from it. Heck, I didn’t remember anything from 14 except a couple of pictures.

Having pledged your help, you commence preparations for your long journey to Lencia. You have many things you wish to attend to before you depart and so you invite Lord Floras, the Lencian envoy, to enjoy the hospitality of the monastery for a few days in order that you can settle your most pressing obligations. To your surprise he declines your invitation and insists that you leave at once, for he is anxious to return immediately to his distant homeland. Respectfully he reminds you that time does not favour your quest. By ship and by horse his journey to the monastery took more than a month to complete, and with Magnaarn already so near to finding the Doomstone of Darke, he fears that further delays could prove disastrous.

Mindful of the great distance which needs to be traversed you hurriedly dispatch a journeyman to Toran. He carries your request for help which is addressed to Lord Rimoah, your most trusted friend and advisor, who is presently attending to Guildmaster Banedon in his convalescence. Early next morning Lord Rimoah arrives at the monastery in person, aboard the vessel that is to be the answer to your dilemma: Skyrider--Banedon's flying ship.

Warmly you greet your old friend, then you introduce him formally to Lord Floras. The two talk at length about the war in the west, and Rimoah concludes the discussion by voicing his approval of your decision to go to King Sarnac's aid. Then he offers some words of warning.

'Be in no doubt, Grand Master,' he says, 'This mission you have chosen to fulfil will be as perilous as any you have undertaken in the past. Magnaarn is a cunning adversary and this stone he seeks is possessed of a deadly evil. Do not underestimate your enemy. If he should succeed in his quest then I fear the lands of the Western Tentarias will never be at peace.'


Within the hour the final preparations for your airborne voyage to Lencia are completed, and Lord Floras and you are piped aboard the Skyrider by Bo'sun Nolrim and his cheerful crew of dwarves. You exchange a few reminiscences with each of the jovial crewmen and cannot help but smile when they tell you how proud they feel to have been given the chance to serve you once more.

Nolrim takes the helm and you sense a vibration run down the length of the deck as he coaxes the craft's powerful engine to life. Lord Floras joins you at the prow and together you wave a farewell to Rimoah and your fellow Kai as, steadily, the Skyrider ascends into the crisp, wintery sky. Then, with a sudden surge of power, the keel clears the battlements of the Tower of the Sun and swiftly the monastery and its inhabitants recede into the distance.

You and your companion are escorted to a warm cabin at the bow which has been prepared especially for your passage. It is well stocked with provisions and, spread out across a grand oak table, you find several maps of Northern Magnamund. Aided by Lord Floras, you study these maps and use them to chart your course to the Lencian city-port of Vadera. Bo'sun Nolrim is informed of your chosen route and, as he sets about implementing your course, you settle back to enjoy what will be a long voyage. By your calculations, it will take thirty hours for the Skyrider to reach its destination.

During your voyage, Lord Floras recounts the dramatic events which have taken place in the Western Tentarias since the demise of the Darklords. Prior to their fall, the Drakkarim nations had for many centuries kept the Lencians at bay. Countless crusades had been undertaken to recapture their former lands but all had ended in costly defeat for the House of Sarnac. Then, two years ago, the tide finally turned when the King launched an invasion across the Gulf of Lencia into the lands of Zaldir and Nyras. The boldness of his strategy and the unpreparedness of his enemies combined to win for him many victories in the early months of the war. Much of Zaldir and all of southern Nyras were taken and held by his conquering knights, and now the lines of battle are drawn diagonally across the centre of Nyras, from Lake Lenag in the north to the marshland fortress of Lozonzee in the east. However, King Sarnac cannot lay claim to total victory in the south, for the cities of Shpyder and Darke have defied all his attempts at capture. Their Drakkarim garrisons have steadfastly held on to these important strongholds and, although they have been surrounded and besieged for more than a year, still they refuse to surrender.

'At present, the war is focused around the towns of Hokidat and Konozod,' says Lord Floras, tracing a circle around their location on the map with the tip of his index finger. 'Many battles have been fought here but victory has, as yet, eluded us. Now, with the onset of a cruel winter, our advance has ground to a halt. Maintaining the sieges at Shpyder and Darke has drained us of troops and resources that would have been put to better use in the north. To compensate for this shortage, the King has employed many companies of foreign mercenaries to reinforce his armies in the field, but their services are expensive and the campaign has already proved costly, both in revenue and lives. The King is hard pressed to pay for their continued loyalty and already several regiments have deserted. If Magnaarn were to complete his quest and strike now, whilst our battle lines are weakened, his counterattack could push us all the way back to the sea.'

Lord Floras' report is sobering, yet it serves to strengthen your determination to thwart Magnaarn's quest. Later, shortly before nightfall, you leave the cabin and go up to the stern deck for a breath of fresh air. In quiet solitude you see the great expanse of the Slovarian plain passing by more than a mile beneath the craft and, as you watch, you lose yourself in thoughts of what may await your arrival in Lencia. The night sky is clear and laced with twinkling stars. As you return to the cabin to sleep, you draw comfort from the thought that the weather and the stars have seen fit to help speed your night passage to Vadera.

You rise at dawn and peer out of the cabin porthole to be greeted by a wondrous sight, for the Skyrider is now flying west along the Tentarias, the great divide that parts the two continents of Magnamund. You are soaring more than a mile above blue-green waters which shimmer in the early morning sun. Sunlight is also reflecting from the snow-capped mountain peaks of the Great Bor and Boradon mountains which rise up on either side to form a gigantic corridor of unyielding stone. Fondly the crew cast their eyes across the northern landscape, for this is the magnificent realm of Bor, the place of their birth, and many years have elapsed since they last visited their native land.

The weather remains clear and swift progress is made as the Skyrider follows its course along the Tentarias towards the Gulf of Lencia. By mid-morning you pass within a few miles of Humbold, capital of Eru, then emerge from the mountain corridor to a less enchanting sight. To the north, as far as the eye can see, stretches a dull and sickly mire. It is the infamous Hellswamp, an infernal morass of twisted vegetation and treacherous, shifting mudflats. Slowly the hours pass and the anticipation of your arrival at Vadera steadily grows. Then, at two hours past noon, the lookout catches first sight of the city-port nestling in its protected bay along the Lencian coast. You join Nolrim at the prow as skillfully he begins a descent towards the main square, the only place large enough to accommodate the craft in the closely packed quarters of this populous city.

At first, the sight of the Skyrider gliding towards their city causes a wave of panic among the Vaderans, who mistake it for a Drakkarim machine of war. But this initial fear is soon assuaged when the tower lookouts pass word that your mast bears a Sommlending flag. Upon landing, masses of curious citizens surge from out of the surrounding streets to form a ring of bodies around the airship's keel. Then a troop of armoured guardsmen push through the crowds and the air is filled with the buzz of their excited speculation. After a brief consultation with Lord Floras, they escort you both to the Vadera Citadel for an immediate audience with King Sarnac.

(Subtle)

You are ushered into a lavish chamber that is hung with Lencian flags and decorated with exotic fineries from the far-flung corners of Magnamund. All around guardsmen stand rigidly to attention, their eyes watchful and unblinking behind their silver visors as you approach the high-backed throne which dominates the centre of the room. There before you sits King Sarnac, his silver-grey hair framing a benign face that is still lean and firm despite advancing years.

'Welcome, Grand Master,' he says, as he rises from his throne and offers his hand in friendship. 'I prayed that you would come to Lencia, to help in the defeat of that cur, Magnaarn, but I did not imagine that you would arrive so soon. You are most welcome.'

Gladly you acknowledge the King's greeting and, after he has commended and dismissed Lord Floras, you adjourn with him to an antechamber where he tells you about the mission ahead.

'Latest reports from my spies and scouts in the north say that Magnaarn is presently at his army headquarters in Shugkona. Drakkarim have been seen combing a region of the Tozaz forest fifty miles to the north of his headquarters. We think that this is where he believes he'll find the Doomstone of Darke. There are many ancient temples in this area . . . perhaps one is harbouring that evil gem.'

The King pauses for a few moments to take some refreshment. From a jewel-encrusted pitcher, he pours two glasses of wine and proffers one to you before continuing. Gratefully you accept and politely you sip the rare vintage whilst listening to the King's plan of action.

'Grand Master,' he says, fixing you with his powerful gaze, 'if you are to thwart Magnaarn you must travel to Shugkona and seek him out. He must be killed, or failing this, the infernal Doomstone must be destroyed before he can use it against us. Secrecy is paramount if your mission is to succeed, therefore no attempt to approach Shugkona directly can be made. The lines of battle are drawn up to within fifty miles of that stronghold and the region is alive with Drakkarim. Yet there is still one means of approach that the enemy will not be guarding. I have made provision for a boat to take you to a place we call "Bear Rock". It lies on the River Gourneni and is only thirty miles from Magnaarn's headquarters. However, there is one complication . . . to reach the river you must first enter the Hellswamp.'

The thought of venturing into that terrible mire fills you with a cold dread, for the Hellswamp is notoriously perilous. King Sarnac recognizes your apprehension and quickly he tries to assuage your fears.

'I understand your anxiety, Grand Master, but rest assured that you will not be entering alone. One of my finest officers will be your guide throughout this mission. He has scouted this route before and he knows how to avoid its many dangers. Once you reach Bear Rock he will guide you through the forest to Shugkona. There you must find out where Magnaarn is and do whatever is necessary to foil his quest. Once your mission has been accomplished, my officer will bring you through our battle lines and see you safely back here to Vadera.'

The king reaches for a cord which hangs from a hole in the domed ceiling. He tugs it and a bell tinkles in a distant part of the citadel.

'Now, Grand Master,' he says, turning to face the door of the antechamber, 'the time has come for me to introduce your guide.'

Through the open archway comes a Lencian soldier attired in the parade tunic and breeches of a Court Captain. He is unusually tall, but his most striking feature is his close-set eyes which are bright above his thin, hawk-like nose and bushy black moustache. At once you recognize this officer, for he is Captain Prarg. During the fighting at Cetza you and he led Prince Graygor's reserves in a decisive action that helped save the Eruan Guards and turn the tide of the battle in your favour.

'Well met, Sire!' he says, with a smile, ''Tis an honour to have been chosen to guide you on your noble quest.'


(Can we have a guide not die? At least once? Or how about if I find out he was a spy for the enemy all along or something)

'You will commence your mission at midnight,' says the King, motioning you towards a small window which overlooks the busy harbour of Vadera. He points to a ship, one of several moored at the quayside, but one that is readily identifiable for it is the only vessel not in military service.

'That trading sloop will carry you and the Captain to the small island you can see in the distance. That is Battle Isle. There you will find a sailing boat with enough provisions for your mission. The Captain knows where it is hidden and he will be responsible for your safe passage once you set sail for the Hellswamp. Remember, secrecy is vital to the success of your mission. Trust nobody save Captain Prarg.'

The King voices his fear that Drakkarim spies are operating in the harbour and he expresses his concern that your unexpected arrival by air may have already alerted them to your presence here in Vadera. However, it is too late to change the plan; it is a risk you must accept.

Having concluded your briefing, King Sarnac sends for an escort to take you to a private chamber where you can rest and reflect upon the mission ahead. Later that evening, you and Captain Prarg are smuggled out of the citadel via a secret passage which leads directly to the harbour. Quietly you board the sloop and hide yourselves amongst its cargo of supplies which are destined for the garrison on Battle Isle. The ship sets sail on the first strike of midnight and, after a smooth and uneventful voyage it moors at a jetty on the southern coast of Battle Isle, three hours later.

The crew of the sloop are unaware that you are aboard and, in order to safeguard your secrecy, you await your chance to disembark without being seen. Soon the opportunity presents itself. As the crew go in search of help to unload the cargo, the two of you leave the sloop and hurry off along the beach, heading north towards the place where your sailing boat awaits. There is no cloud and a near-full moon illuminates the rocky beach, making it easy for you to progress despite the difficult terrain.


(Told ya it wasn’t subtle. I have Grand Pathsmanship)

Your super-keen senses alert you to something on the brow of a hill which overlooks this stretch of beach. You detect the faint glint of moonlight on steel and at once you whisper a warning to Prarg. Instantly he takes cover among the rocks and together you watch with bated breath as two inquisitive Lencian lookouts leave their post and come down to the sea's edge. They scan the beach then, shaking their heads, they turn and retrace their steps, pausing to skewer a few clumps of seaweed with their spears as they trek back to their post.

As the lookouts climb the hill, you and Prarg hurry away whilst they have their backs turned.

Shortly you reach a small secluded cove where Captain Prarg discovers a rusty anchor. It is a landmark, left on purpose by agents of King Sarnac to point the way to the cave where they have left your boat and provisions. You find the cave and together you haul the boat down the beach and raise its coal-black sail before pushing it out into the icy waters of the Tentarias.

Once aboard, you trim the sail whilst Prarg takes charge of the rudder. There is a good wind and within minutes your tiny craft is bobbing towards the far western channel of the Hellswamp, twenty miles distant. You ask Prarg if this dark estuary has a name, and he replies, 'Yes. The Drakkarim call it "Dakushna's Channel" after the Darklord who once commanded the city-fortress of Kagorst. They say it is a fitting dedication, for the waterway is as deadly and as treacherous as the being after whom it is named.'

Dawn breaks as you sail into the estuary of Dakushna's Channel. Prarg keeps the boat in the centre of the wide waterway, where the slimy water is deepest and the ever-present risk of grounding upon submerged debris is less likely to befall you.

Soon you are enveloped by the chaotic wilderness of the Hellswamp and you feel your spirits drop, as if they are being leeched by some unseen vampire. The monotonous view of slime-laden mudflats extends seemingly forever on every side, broken only occasionally by a dead, vine-strangled tree. You both take some comfort in the fact that there is a wind and it is blowing in a favourable direction. Despite the depressing scenery you make good progress until, late in the afternoon, you are forced to lower your sail when you reach a point where unexpectedly the channel splits in two. Prarg says that this split must have occurred recently, for it was not present the last time he sailed this way. Reluctantly he admits that he is not sure which way to go.

Upon the edge of the left bank, in the middle distance, you see a circle of mud huts perched close to the channel's edge. You magnify your vision, but you are unable to discern any signs of life.

(Left, normally I’d want to steer clear of habitation, but that seems the right way to get where we want to go)

Without a rigged sail, the stinking marsh wind propels your boat along the channel at a far slower rate. Gradually you approach the cluster of huts and, as you pass before them, you see eight dwellings, each built of mud-daubed roots and thatched with rotting vegetation. They are empty but they have not been deserted. The shoreline is littered with bones, the remnants of past meals, and nearby is a crude wooden frame on which the skins of a snake and a lizard have been stretched out to dry.

'It's a Ciquali camp,' whispers Prarg nervously, his eyes scouring the surrounding waters for the slightest sign of movement. During your travels you have heard tales about the Ciquali, none of which were favourable. They are the bane of the Hellswamp--a breed of vicious amphibians, intelligent and cunning, with a taste for human flesh that makes them especially dangerous.

'Our luck's good, Lone Wolf,' says Prarg, as gradually the wind carries you beyond the huts. 'The camp's empty--they must be away hunting. Truly we're fortunate to have come this way this time.'

As soon as you lose sight of the settlement, you hoist the sail and catch the prevailing wind which propels you northwards along Dakushna's Channel. You are hungry, and unless you possess Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.


Gradually, over the next few hours, the level of the water rises until it covers most of the surrounding mud flats. Here and there, clumps of wire-hard briar stand isolated on tiny islands which are almost flush with the surface. They are the only features to break the dreary landscape.

As sunset approaches, so the wind dies until there is barely enough breeze to ruffle the canvas. Stoically Prarg gathers in the mainsail and you ship the oars, then together you pull back against the scum-darkened water and continue on your way. You are watchful of the current, for this will indicate your approach to the River Gourneni, but the water is so thick with silt and slime that neither of you can be certain of its direction, or even of its existence.

It is almost dark when finally you reach the outflow of the Gourneni. It is a sluggish confluence, jammed with deadwood and silt-banks which obstruct most of its fifty-yard width. You both realize that an attempt to navigate this river at night would be foolish, and so you decide to set up camp at the river's edge and wait until first light before continuing.

Using your Kai skills of detection, you scan the two river banks to determine which would be a safer place to set up camp. Unfortunately you sense little difference between the two; neither east nor west looks very inviting.

(The west bank is closer to the Gourneni, which means it is away from the Hellswamp‘s center)

Within ten yards of the west bank the boat stops abruptly when it runs aground in the silted shallows.

'Curse our fortunes,' grumbles Prarg, peering over the side. 'I was a'hoping we'd be lucky enough t'keep our feet dry.' Wearily he searches through the provisions and produces a heavy rope, one end of which he proceeds to tie around the bowhead while you stow away the oars. Then, together, you slip into the cold knee-deep mud and begin the laborious task of hauling the boat towards dry ground.

You encamp on a strip of frozen loam and use the upturned boat as a shelter from the elements. As night falls, so, too, does the temperature. You cast your experienced eye across the darkening skies and see banks of cloud, heavy with snow, scudding the distant horizon. They are an unwelcome sight, the precursors to a winter storm.

Prarg volunteers to sit the first watch but, mindful that his need for rest is greater than yours, you insist that he be the first to get some sleep. For four hours you sit and scan the bleak horizon, your mind filled with unanswered questions about the mission and the dangers you have yet to face. While you ponder what may await you in the future, you remain watchful and alert, for the risk of an attack by the denizens of this swamp is ever present. Fortunately, the cold dissuades them from leaving their lairs this night and your watch passes without incident. Then the time comes for you to awaken Prarg. With a distinct lack of enthusiasm he takes over whilst you settle down to catch a few hours of much-needed sleep.

Prarg awakens you shortly before dawn. It has been snowing during the night and the boat is covered with a thin layer of crisp white flakes. As you open your eyes, the cold air brings you swiftly to your senses, its sudden unexpected chill making you shiver violently. However, this discomfort is momentary; your Magnakai skill of Nexus rights the imbalance and a comfortable warmth returns to your frozen limbs.

Carefully you step from beneath the boat and cast your eyes across the marsh which borders the river, now completely white. Tracks in the snow betray the nocturnal passage of several swamp creatures, but none are too large as to cause you undue concern. Prarg unpacks some provisions and, after a breakfast of dried meat, potatoes, ale and blue cheese, you prepare the boat for your long voyage north up the Gourneni river to Bear Rock.

By mid-morning the snow has returned and your progress is soon hampered by a whipping wind that blows persistently in your faces. Shielded by your innate skills, the sub-zero temperatures cause you little concern as tirelessly you work the oars. But Prarg is not so fortunate and, as the hours pass, the cold saps his strength until he is unable to continue rowing. Single-handedly you take over the oars whilst your guide, swathed in blankets, mans the rudder and acts as your pilot through the narrower sections of the Gourneni.

You reach Bear Rock shortly before dusk. The landmark is a massive granite boulder, weather-worn into the shape of a huge bear standing upright with its forepaws extended. It is positioned on the west side of the Gourneni and overshadows a sheltered cove formed where, over the centuries, the river has undercut the bank. Here you bring the boat ashore and make camp for the night.

Over your evening meal you discuss the next leg of your mission. In the morning you will hide the boat before setting off cross-country towards Magnaarn's headquarters at Shugkona. Fifty miles of dense timberland separate you from this town and, in current conditions, you estimate it will take at least two days to reach.

(I have Animal Mastery + Grand Guardian)

After your meal, you leave Prarg and climb to the top of the river bank. Here, using your Grand Mastery, you send forth a mental command into the surrounding forest, summoning creatures to your aid. At first there is no response, then a pair of white Nyras Timberwolves appear at the forest's edge and, upon your command, they approach you. Normally these wolves are wild and feral creatures, slave to nothing save their natural instincts, yet your mastery over them is total; they are utterly compliant to your will.

You command the two wolves to guard your camp while you and Prarg are sleeping. With a blink of their eyes they acknowledge your order and settle themselves on their haunches. You return to the boat and tell Prarg what you have done. At first he is skeptical, but having already witnessed some of your powers in action, he does not protest too hard, especially as he can now look forward to a long sleep without having to stand watch. Unfortunately for Prarg, his hopes for an uninterrupted night's rest are soon shattered.

Shortly after midnight you are awoken by the sound of wolves howling. Within a few moments you are on your feet, your weapon in hand as you race up the bank towards the place where you stationed your timberwolf guards. As you crest the bank you see them pacing back and forth, their eyes fixed on the forest's edge, their thick white fur standing on end with anxiety and fear. You scour the tree-line and at once you see the cause of their concern: Akataz. A dozen of the leathery black war-dogs are slinking in the shadows, waiting for the chance to attack. These ferocious wild dogs are often used by the Drakkarim and you have encountered them before on several occasions. Mindful of past experiences, you recall a weakness of the breed: they are particularly susceptible to psychic attacks.

Armed with this knowledge, you focus your Magnakai skill of Psi-surge upon the pack and launch a sharp blast of psychic energy in their direction. The effect is immediate: the Akataz are traumatized by this sudden assault. Shrieking with fright; the dogs flee from the bank and seek refuge in the dark safety of the Tozaz Forest. Confident that they will not be back, affectionately you pat your two loyal guards then return to the boat to resume your night's rest.


You wake with the dawn and fix a hasty breakfast before breaking camp. Within the hour you are ready to begin your trek towards Magnaarn's stronghold at Shugkona, but first you must dispose of your boat. Prarg takes what provisions he needs, then, with his sword, he pierces several holes in the keel. You launch the boat towards the centre of the river and watch as slowly it sinks beneath the surface. The moment it disappears, you leave the river's edge and set off into the trees.

Deep in the forest the snowfall is light underfoot, because of the thick canopy of branches overhead, and you find the going much easier than expected. You are struck by the unexpected beauty of this dense timberland in winter, by the intricate webs of frost that trail between its blue-green branches, and by its frozen streams and waterfalls. But even as you admire it, you remain ever conscious of its dangers. Prarg leads the way, and swiftly you progress from one concealed marker to another, all having been placed by him on previous missions behind enemy lines. By using his system of hidden signposts he is able to guide you safely through a maze of Drakkarim outposts and patrol routes that riddle this timberland.

It is nearing noon and you have covered more than twenty miles when Prarg motions you to halt: he has found something unexpected. Nailed to a trunk is a small rectangle of orange-coloured metal.

'This is a Drakkarim marker,' he says, after closer examination. 'They use them to mark the perimeter boundaries of their forest camps. It wasn't here the last time I came this way which means there must be a new outpost here, somewhere close.'

'How close?' you ask.

'Within half a mile at most.'

For a few moments you stop and listen to the silence of the forest. You close your eyes and concentrate, and through the use of your aural skills, you detect noises away to the north. The sounds are mixed and many, and you are unable to discern their exact cause.


(I choose to investigate. We need info about where the Doomstone is, if the quest has been completed, etc)

Prarg has reservations about your decision; he fears that your curiosity could be leading you both straight into the arms of the enemy. You understand his anxiety but you stand by your decision. Time is running against you and some risks must be taken if you are to discover quickly the location of Magnaarn and the Doomstone. With a nod of his head Prarg accepts the logic of your argument. Then, as if to reaffirm his loyalty, he draws his sword and offers to lead the way.

Cautiously you follow him through the dense trees, your nerves as taught as bowstrings. As you draw closer, you are able to make out the sounds of wood being chopped, gruff voices and the jingle of horse bridles. Your suspicions are confirmed when you reach the edge of a clearing and see a Drakkarim encampment in the centre of recently cleared ground. Three log cabins, two only partially completed, stand in the middle of a circular ditch which is backed in turn by a chest-high wall of sharpened stakes. You count more than a hundred Drakkarim labouring to complete this forest outpost, while another fifty or so stand guard along its perimeter wall. They look well-equipped; all are clad in thick furs and studded leather armour, and they wield weapons which are unmistakably fresh from the forge.

Slowly you edge your way around the clearing until you are on the north side of the encampment. Here the perimeter wall has yet to be completed, affording you an unobstructed view of the cabins. You settle yourself behind a fallen tree and patiently you observe the main hut. Suddenly the door swings open, and a Drakkarim officer strides out into the snow. He pulls on his iron helm and draws his wolfskin cloak close about him as he goes off to inspect his men's work. The door swings shut, but before it closes, you catch a glimpse of something that sparks your curiosity anew.

Before the door closed you caught sight of a map spread out across a trestle table in the centre of the cabin. You whisper to Prarg what you have seen, then you tell him to wait for you here while you try to get a closer look at that map. It may contain a clue to Magnaarn's whereabouts.

Slowly you work your way across the snowy ground towards the ditch which encircles the camp. Your camouflage skills keep you from being seen by the Drakkarim sentries and you are able to reach the cover of this shallow, ice-filled trench with little difficulty. While you wait here for the chance to make a dash for the cabin, you notice two points of entry: the main door and a side window.

(I go through door)

As soon as the coast is clear, you leap from the ditch and sprint through a gap in the log wall. You are within a few yards of the cabin when suddenly you see two Drakkarim on horseback come galloping along a newly-laid forest track which leads to the encampment. You are in danger of being seen by them, so the moment you reach the cabin door you thrust it open and rush in.

Your sudden entrance startles a Drakkarim sergeant who is secretly sneaking a gulp of wine from his Captain's private stock. The bristle-bearded soldier chokes on his mouthful of ruby-red claret when he hears the door open, but his fear soon turns to anger when he sees it is you, and not his commander, who is standing in the doorway. He spits out the wine and hurls the half-empty bottle at your head. You dodge this missile with ease, but it has served its purpose; it has bought the sergeant the time he needs to unsheathe his heavy-bladed sword. He sneers, and your heart skips a beat when you see him get ready to shout for help. You must silence him quickly or he will alert the entire camp to your presence.


(I use Kai-Alchemy)

You utter the words of the Brotherhood spell 'Silence' and within the confines of the cabin all sound ceases. The Drakkarim sergeant screams for help, but to his amazement, he finds he has suddenly been struck dumb. You unsheathe your weapon and rush forward to strike him down, determined to finish him before the effects of the spell wear off.

Drakkarim Sergeant CS 30, EP 29

I roll a 5 and he takes 14. I take nothing because of the speed of my attack. I roll a 7 and he is dead from the additional 18 damage.

The Drakkar shudders as you land your killing blow. With an open-mouthed look of surprise, he clasps his chest then drops lifelessly to the floor. Quickly you step over his corpse and hurry to the table to study the map. To your disappointment, the map turns out to be merely a construction plan of the encampment. It offers no clues to Magnaarn's present location.



(I search the cabin more)

You sift through the items stacked upon the shelves, packed in cases and hidden in the personal bags of the Drakkarim commander, and discover the following which may be of use to you during your mission:

Dagger
Sword
2 potions of Laumspur (each restores 4 ENDURANCE points)
Hourglass
Signet Ring
Bow
3 Arrows
Brass Key

(I take the Brass Key, pots of Laumspur, Dagger, Hourglass, and Signet Ring)


As you are about to leave the cabin, you notice a lantern hanging on a hook beside the door. You take it down, flip up its glass cover, then cast it into the corner where it immediately sets fire to a heap of clothes. The fire will cover your tracks and, hopefully, cause enough of a diversion to enable you to escape from the encampment unchallenged.