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18 Revision 1.3 2005/03/28 21:35:23 jonathan.blake
19 Fixed the "Section 200 chestnut" 7eacute;
21 Revision 1.2 2005/03/10 18:21:51 jonathan.blake
22 Removed link to old staff email address.
24 Revision 1.1 2004/11/08 01:29:12 jonathan.blake
25 Initial Freepository revision
28 //// RCS Revision Log ////
30 Revision 1.10 2003/01/27 22:11:39 jblake
31 Checkin prior to global footnote change
33 Revision 1.9 2003/01/04 17:15:05 jblake
36 Revision 1.8 2002/12/06 21:19:13 jblake
39 Revision 1.7 2002/11/12 18:49:50 jblake
40 Fix of interbook links.
42 Revision 1.6 2002/11/10 07:53:10 jblake
43 Updated publication date.
45 Revision 1.5 2002/11/04 21:00:00 jdougan
46 Inserted "Archmaster" into introductory text of Improved Disciplines
48 Revision 1.4 2002/10/30 06:45:29 jblake
49 Fixed some non-empty "br" nodes and other validity issues.
51 Revision 1.3 2002/10/27 03:59:18 jblake
54 Revision 1.2 2002/10/26 01:12:32 twolmer
55 Inserted the large illustrations and cleaned up markup.
57 Revision 1.1 2002/10/15 23:11:37 jblake
60 //////////////////////////
65 <title>The Masters of Darkness</title>
66 <creator class="short">Joe Dever and Brian Williams</creator>
67 <creator class="medium">Joe Dever<br/>Illustrated by Brian Williams</creator>
68 <creator class="long">
69 <p><strong>Joe Dever</strong>, the creator of the bestselling Lone Wolf adventure books and novels, has achieved world-wide recognition in three creative fields&emdash;as an award-winning author of international renown, as an acclaimed musician and composer, and as a games designer specialising in role-playing games.</p>
70 <p>On graduating from college in 1974, Joe Dever became a professional musician, and for several years, he worked in the music industry in Europe and the United States.</p>
71 <p>While working in Los Angeles in 1977 he discovered a then little-known game called <quote>Dungeons &ersand; Dragons</quote>. Although the game was in its infancy, Joe at once realised its huge potential and began designing his own role-playing games along similar conceptual lines. These first games were to form the basis of a fantasy world called Magnamund, which later became the setting for the Lone Wolf books.</p>
72 <p>Five years later, in 1982, Joe won the Advanced Dungeons &ersand; Dragons World Championships in Baltimore, an event held before 16,000 people. Inspired and encouraged by his success at Origins, Joe decided to quit the music business and devote his time to writing and games design.</p>
73 <p>In 1983, after a brief spell at Games Workshop in London, he wrote <cite>Flight from the Dark</cite>&emdash;the first Lone Wolf interactive gamebook. His manuscript immediately attracted a frenzy of interest from three major London publishing companies, all of whom bid for world rights. Joe accepted an offer of publication from Hutchinson's (later to become Century Hutchinson Ltd; now Random House UK) and <cite>Flight from the Dark</cite> was first published in 1984.</p>
74 <p>This first book sold more than 100,000 copies within its first month of publication, and overseas rights were snapped up by twelve countries (including the United States, France, Germany, Japan, Italy and Sweden). The success of Joe's first book laid the foundations for the future of the Lone Wolf series, which has sold millions of copies around the world.</p>
75 <p>The Lone Wolf series ended after 28 books and 14 years. Joe has continued to work in the games industry as script writer and games design consultant.</p>
76 <p><strong>Brian Williams</strong> was first noticed by Joe Dever for his work in White Dwarf magazine (circa issue 50) and the Real Life Adventure series by Jon Sutherland. Brian Williams was Joe's first choice of illustrators to replace Gary Chalk. Jon, being an old friend of Joe's, introduced the two. Brian was excited to work with Joe on the Lone Wolf series. He illustrated <cite>The Cauldron of Fear</cite> and almost every book about Magnamund since that time.</p>
78 <publisher>Project Aon</publisher>
79 <date class="publication"><year>2003</year><month>1</month><day>3</day></date>
80 <description class="blurb">
81 <p>The moment you draw the dagger from your belt, a blue flame courses the length of its twisted blade and the squealing flood of Crypt Spawn soar upward towards the roof in order to avoid you. They and their creator, Darklord Kraagenskûl, recognize the power you wield and both are in awe and terror of it. Freed from the threat of his loathsome summonations, you now advance upon Kraagenskûl with the dagger before you. He screams in anger and lunges at your head, his sword ablaze with tongues of black fire. You catch the blow on the tip of the dagger and both blades spark furiously as their terrible powers collide.&ellips;</p>
83 <description class="publication">
84 <p>Internet Edition published by <a href="&link.project.website;">Project Aon</a>. This edition is intended to reflect the complete text of the original version. Where we have made minor corrections, they will be noted in the <a idref="errata">Errata</a>.</p>
86 <rights class="copyrights">Text copyright © 1988 Joe Dever.<br/>Illustrations copyright © 1988 Brian Williams.</rights>
87 <rights class="license-notification">
88 <p>Text copyright © 1988 Joe Dever.<br/>Illustrations copyright © 1988 Brian Williams.<br/>Distribution of this Internet Edition is restricted under the terms of the <a idref="license">Project Aon License</a>.</p>
99 <title>Title Page</title>
100 <link class="next" idref="dedicate"/>
104 <section class="frontmatter" id="dedicate">
106 <title>Dedication</title>
107 <link class="prev" idref="title"/>
108 <link class="next" idref="acknwldg"/>
112 <p class="dedication">For Sophie and Ben</p>
113 <p class="dedication">With special thanks to<br/>Adrian Orr&emdash;creator of the <quote>Mind Reaper</quote>.</p>
117 <section class="frontmatter" id="acknwldg">
119 <title>Acknowledgements</title>
120 <link class="prev" idref="dedicate"/>
121 <link class="next" idref="tssf"/>
125 <p><quote>I would be especially pleased if my granting of the rights to distribute my books in this way was seen as my <quote>millennium gift</quote> to all those devoted readers who have kept the Kai flag flying high, through all the good times, and the not-so-good. It would make me very proud indeed if this enterprise laid the foundations of a lasting legacy, securing the longevity of Lone Wolf by making my creation freely and readily accessible to current and future online generations. For them, for us, for Sommerlund and the Kai.&ellips;</quote> <strong>Joe Dever</strong></p>
126 <p>Project Aon would first like to thank Joe Dever for making this generous offering of the books that we have all loved from the beginning. We would also like to acknowledge the following members of Project Aon for their diligent work:</p>
127 <section class="frontmatter" id="credits">
129 <title>Credits</title>
134 <dt>Transcription</dt>
135 <dd>Matthew Reynolds</dd>
136 <dt>Illustration Transcription</dt>
137 <dd>Jonathan Blake</dd>
139 <dd>Jonathan Blake<br/>Jeff Dougan<br />Thomas Wolmer</dd>
140 <dt>Alternate Illustrations</dt>
141 <dd>JC Alvarez (action charts)<br />Jonathan Blake (extramatter charts and tables)</dd>
142 <dt>Proofreading</dt>
143 <dd>Simon Osborne (front matter, Sections 36&endash;70, 106&endash;210, 246&endash;350)<br/>Matthew Reynolds (Sections 1&endash;35, 71&endash;105, 211&endash;245, 281&endash;350)</dd>
145 <dd>Jeff Dougan<br/>Ingo Klöcker<br/>Simon Osborne<br/>Thomas Wolmer</dd>
147 <dd>Jonathan Blake<br/>Ingo Klöcker</dd>
148 <dt>Coordination</dt>
149 <dd>Jonathan Blake</dd>
150 <dt>Special Thanks</dt>
151 <dd>Richard Chalk<br />Peter Smyth</dd>
158 <section class="frontmatter" id="tssf">
160 <title>The Story So Far&ellips;</title>
161 <link class="prev" idref="acknwldg"/>
162 <link class="next" idref="gamerulz"/>
166 <p>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&emdash;the Darklords of Helgedad.</p>
167 <p>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.</p>
168 <p>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 <foreign xml:lang="x-dessi">koura-tas-kai</foreign>, which means <quote>Sons of the Sun</quote>. One was named <foreign xml:lang="x-dessi">Ikar</foreign>, which means <quote>eagle</quote>, and the other was named <foreign xml:lang="x-dessi">Skarn</foreign>, which means <quote>wolf</quote>. A prophecy foretold that the <foreign xml:lang="x-dessi">Koura-tas-Kai</foreign> 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&emdash;to triumph over the champions of darkness in an age of great peril. The Elder Magi knew that you were <foreign xml:lang="x-dessi">Skarn</foreign>, the wolf of Dessi legend, and in keeping with their ancient vows they promised to help you complete the Magnakai quest.</p>
169 <p>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.</p>
170 <p>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&emdash;the Nadziranim&emdash;were searching for a means of destroying them. Fearing that they might achieve their goal, the Elder Magi made preparations for
171 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. <quote>Vengeance is mine!</quote> 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&emdash;a Shadow Gate&emdash;which led to the twilight world of the Daziarn Plane.</p>
172 <p>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&emdash;one of which is situated below their Guildhall in the city of Toran&emdash;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.</p>
173 <p>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.</p>
174 <p>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.</p>
178 <section class="frontmatter" id="gamerulz">
180 <title>The Game Rules</title>
181 <link class="prev" idref="tssf"/>
182 <link class="next" idref="discplnz"/>
186 <p>You keep a record of your adventure on the <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
187 <p>During your training as a Kai Master you have developed fighting prowess&emdash;<typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> and physical stamina&emdash;<typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ>. Before you set off on your adventure you need to measure how effective your training has been. To do this take a pencil and, with your eyes closed, point with the blunt end of it on to the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. If you pick 0 it counts as zero.</p>
188 <p>The first number that you pick from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> in this way represents your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ>. Add 10 to the number you picked and write the total in the <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> section of your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>. (i.e. if your pencil fell on the number 4 in the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> you would write in a <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> of 14.) When you fight, your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> will be pitted against that of your enemy. A high score in this section is therefore very desirable.</p>
189 <p>The second number that you pick from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> represents your powers of <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ>. Add 20 to this number and write the total in the <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> section of your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>. (i.e. if your pencil fell on the number 6 on the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> you would have 26 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.)</p>
190 <p>If you are wounded in combat you will lose <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points. If at any time your <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points fall to zero or below, you are dead and the adventure is over. Lost <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points can be regained during the course of the adventure, but your number of <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points can never rise above the number you started with.</p>
191 <p><strong>If you have successfully completed any of the previous adventures in the Lone Wolf series</strong>, you can carry your current scores of <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> and <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points over to Book 12. You may also carry over any Weapons and Special Items you have in your possession at the end of your last adventure, and these should be entered on your new <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> (you are still limited to two Weapons and eight Backpack Items).</p>
192 <p>You many choose one bonus <a idref="discplnz">Magnakai Discipline</a> to add to your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> for every Lone Wolf Magnakai adventure you successfully complete (Books 6&endash;12).</p>
194 <section class="frontmatter-separate" id="discplnz">
196 <title>Magnakai Disciplines</title>
197 <link class="prev" idref="gamerulz"/>
198 <link class="next" idref="equipmnt"/>
202 <p>During your training as a Kai Lord, and in the course of the adventures that led to the discovery of <cite>The Book of the Magnakai</cite>, you have mastered all ten of the basic warrior skills known as the Kai Disciplines.</p>
203 <p>After studying <cite>The Book of the Magnakai</cite>, you have also reached the rank of Kai Master Superior, which means that you have learnt <em>three</em> of the Magnakai Disciplines listed below. It is up to you to choose which three skills these are. As all of the Magnakai Disciplines will be of use to you at some point on your adventure, pick your three with care. The correct use of a Magnakai Discipline at the right time can save your life.</p>
204 <p>The Magnakai skills are divided into groups, each of which is governed by a separate school of training. These groups are called <quote>Lore-circles</quote>. By mastering all of the Magnakai Disciplines in a particular Lore-circle, you can gain an increase in your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> and <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points score. (See the section <quote><a idref="lorecrcl">Lore-circles of the Magnakai</a></quote> for details of these bonuses.)</p>
205 <p>When you have chosen your three Magnakai Disciplines, enter them in the Magnakai Disciplines section of your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
206 <section class="frontmatter" id="wpnmstry">
208 <title>Weaponmastery</title>
212 <p>This Magnakai Discipline enables a Kai Master to become proficient in the use of all types of weapon. When you enter combat with a weapon you have mastered, you add 3 points to your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ>. The rank of Kai Master Superior, with which you begin the Magnakai series, means you are skilled in <em>three</em> of the weapons in the list below.</p>
213 <illustration class="inline">
215 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
217 <instance class="html" src="weapons.gif" width="386" height="310"/>
218 <instance class="pdf" src="weapons.pdf" width="386" height="310"/>
219 <instance class="text" src="none" width="none" height="none">
220 <ul class="unbulleted">
227 <li>Quarterstaff</li>
234 <p>If you choose this skill, write <quote>Weaponmastery: +3 <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> points</quote> on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>, and tick your chosen weapons on the weapons list. You cannot carry more than two weapons.</p>
238 <section class="frontmatter" id="anmlctrl">
240 <title>Animal Control</title>
244 <p>This Magnakai Discipline enables a Kai Master to communicate with most animals and to determine their purpose and intentions. It also enables a Kai Master to fight from the saddle with great advantage.</p>
245 <p>If you choose this skill, write <quote>Animal Control</quote> on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
249 <section class="frontmatter" id="curing">
251 <title>Curing</title>
255 <p>The possessor of this skill can restore 1 lost <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> point to his total for every numbered section of the book through which he passes, provided he is not involved in combat. (This can only be done after his <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> has fallen below its original level.) This Magnakai Discipline also enables a Kai Master to cure disease, blindness and any combat wounds sustained by others, as well as himself. Using the knowledge mastery of this skill provides will also allow a Kai Master to identify the properties of any herbs, roots and potions that may be encountered during the adventure.</p>
256 <p>If you choose this skill, write <quote>Curing: +1 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> point for each section without combat</quote> on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
260 <section class="frontmatter" id="invsblty">
262 <title>Invisibility</title>
266 <p>This Magnakai skill allows a Kai Master to blend in with his surroundings, even in the most exposed terrain. It will enable him to mask his body heat and scent, and to adopt the dialect and mannerisms of any town or city that he visits.</p>
267 <p>If you choose this skill, write <quote>Invisibility</quote> on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
271 <section class="frontmatter" id="hntmstry">
273 <title>Huntmastery</title>
277 <p>This skill ensures that a Kai Master will never starve in the wild; he will always be able to hunt for food, even in areas of wasteland and desert. It also enables a Kai Master to move with great speed and dexterity and will allow him to ignore any extra loss of <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> points due to a surprise attack or ambush.</p>
278 <p>If you choose this skill, write <quote>Huntmastery</quote> on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
282 <section class="frontmatter" id="pthmnshp">
284 <title>Pathsmanship</title>
288 <p>In addition to the basic skill of being able to recognize the correct path in unknown territory, the Magnakai skill of Pathsmanship will enable a Kai Master to read foreign languages, decipher symbols, read footprints and tracks (even if they have been disturbed), and detect the presence of most traps. It also grants him the gift of always knowing intuitively the position of north.</p>
289 <p>If you choose this skill, write <quote>Pathsmanship</quote> on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
293 <section class="frontmatter" id="psisurge">
295 <title>Psi-surge</title>
299 <p>This psychic skill enables a Kai Master to attack an enemy using the force of his mind. It can be used as well as normal combat weapons and adds 4 extra points to your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ>.</p>
300 <p>It is a powerful Discipline, but it is also a costly one. For every round of combat in which you use Psi-surge, you must deduct 2 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points. A weaker form of Psi-surge called Mindblast can be used against an enemy without losing any <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points, but it will add only 2 extra points to your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ>. Psi-surge cannot be used if your <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> falls to 6 points or below, and not all of the creatures encountered on your adventure will be affected by it; you will be told if a creature is immune.</p>
301 <p>If you choose this skill, write <quote>Psi-surge: +4 <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> points but −2 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points per round</quote> and <quote>Mindblast: +2 <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> points</quote> on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
305 <section class="frontmatter" id="psiscrn">
307 <title>Psi-screen</title>
311 <p>Many of the hostile creatures that inhabit Magnamund have the ability to attack you using their Mindforce. The Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen prevents you from losing any <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points when subjected to this form of attack and greatly increases your defence against supernatural illusions and hypnosis.</p>
312 <p>If you choose this skill, write <quote>Psi-screen: no points lost when attacked by Mindforce</quote> on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
316 <section class="frontmatter" id="nexus">
322 <p>Mastery of this Magnakai skill will enable you to withstand extremes of heat and cold without losing <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points and to move items by your powers of concentration alone.</p>
323 <p>If you choose this skill, write <quote>Nexus</quote> on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
327 <section class="frontmatter" id="dvnation">
329 <title>Divination</title>
333 <p>This skill may warn a Kai Master of imminent or unseen danger or enable him to detect an invisible or hidden enemy. It may also reveal the true purpose or intent of a stranger or strange object encountered in your adventure. Divination may enable you to communicate telepathically with another person and to sense if a creature possesses psychic abilities.</p>
334 <p>If you choose this skill, write <quote>Divination</quote> on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
340 <section class="frontmatter-separate" id="equipmnt">
342 <title>Equipment</title>
343 <link class="prev" idref="discplnz"/>
344 <link class="next" idref="cmbtrulz"/>
348 <p>Before you leave Toran and begin your fateful mission, Banedon gives you a <a idref="map">map</a> of the Darklands and a pouch of gold. To find out how much gold is in the pouch, pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. Add 10 to the number you have picked. The total equals the number of Gold Crowns inside the pouch, and you should now enter this number in the <quote>Gold Crowns</quote> section of your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
349 <p>Banedon also makes available a choice of equipment to help you survive in the hostile enemy heartland. For the voyage into the cold waters of the Kaltesee, you are given special fur-lined clothing, sturdy boots, and a hooded cape made from waterproof Kalkoth hide. You may also take six items from the following list, to add to any you may already possess. However, remember that you can carry a maximum of two Weapons and eight Backpack Items.</p>
350 <ul class="paragraphed">
351 <li><p>Sword (Weapons)</p></li>
352 <li><p>Bow (Weapons)</p></li>
354 <p>Quiver (Special Items) This contains six arrows. Tick them off as they are used.</p>
355 <illustration class="inline">
357 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
359 <instance class="html" src="quiver.gif" width="386" height="127"/>
360 <instance class="pdf" src="quiver.pdf" width="386" height="127"/>
364 <p>Rope (Backpack Items)</p>
365 <illustration class="inline">
367 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
369 <instance class="html" src="rope.gif" width="386" height="109"/>
370 <instance class="pdf" src="rope.pdf" width="386" height="109"/>
374 <p>Potion of Laumspur (Backpack Items) This potion restores 4 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points to your total when swallowed after combat. There is enough for only one dose.</p>
375 <illustration class="inline">
377 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
379 <instance class="html" src="potion.gif" width="386" height="167"/>
380 <instance class="pdf" src="potion.pdf" width="386" height="127"/>
384 <p>Lantern (Backpack Items)</p>
385 <illustration class="inline">
387 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
389 <instance class="html" src="lantern.gif" width="386" height="150"/>
390 <instance class="pdf" src="lantern.pdf" width="386" height="150"/>
394 <p>Mace (Weapons)</p>
395 <illustration class="inline">
397 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
399 <instance class="html" src="mace.gif" width="386" height="137"/>
400 <instance class="pdf" src="mace.pdf" width="386" height="137"/>
404 <p>4 Meals (Meals) Each Meal takes up one space in your Backpack.</p>
405 <illustration class="inline">
407 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
409 <instance class="html" src="food.gif" width="386" height="152"/>
410 <instance class="pdf" src="food.pdf" width="386" height="91"/>
414 <p>Dagger (Weapons)</p>
415 <illustration class="inline">
417 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
419 <instance class="html" src="dagger.gif" width="386" height="157"/>
420 <instance class="pdf" src="dagger.pdf" width="386" height="103"/>
423 <li><p>Quarterstaff (Weapons)</p></li>
424 <li><p>Axe (Weapons)</p></li>
426 <p>List the six items that you choose on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>, under the heading given in brackets, and make a note of any effect they may have on your <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points or <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ>.</p>
428 <section class="frontmatter" id="howcarry">
430 <title>How to Carry Equipment</title>
434 <p>Now that you have your equipment, the following list shows you how it is carried. You do not need to make notes, but you should refer back to this list in the course of your adventure.</p>
436 <li>Sword&emdash;carried in the hand.</li>
437 <li>Bow&emdash;carried in the hand.</li>
438 <li>Quiver&emdash;slung over your shoulder.</li>
439 <li>Rope&emdash;carried in the Backpack.</li>
440 <li>Potion of Laumspur&emdash;carried in the Backpack.</li>
441 <li>Lantern&emdash;carried in the Backpack.</li>
442 <li>Mace&emdash;carried in the hand.</li>
443 <li>Meals&emdash;carried in the Backpack.</li>
444 <li>Dagger&emdash;carried in the hand.</li>
445 <li>Quarterstaff&emdash;carried in the hand.</li>
446 <li>Axe&emdash;carried in the hand.</li>
451 <section class="frontmatter" id="howmuch">
453 <title>How Much Can You Carry?</title>
457 <dl class="paragraphed">
459 <dd><p>The maximum number of weapons that you may carry is two.</p></dd>
460 <dt>Backpack Items</dt>
461 <dd><p>These must be stored in your Backpack. Because space is limited, you may keep a maximum of only eight articles, including Meals, in your Backpack at any one time.</p></dd>
462 <dt>Special Items</dt>
464 <p>Special Items are not carried in the Backpack. When you discover a Special Item, you will be told how to carry it.</p>
465 <p>The maximum number of Special Items that can be carried on any adventure is twelve. Surplus Special Items may be left for safekeeping at your Kai monastery.</p>
468 <dd><p>These are always carried in the Belt Pouch. It will hold a maximum of fifty Crowns.</p></dd>
470 <dd><p>Food is carried in your Backpack. Each Meal counts as one item.</p></dd>
472 <p>Any item that may be of use and can be picked up on your adventure and entered on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> is given initial capitals (e.g. Gold Dagger, Magic Pendant) in the text. Unless you are told it is a Special Item, carry it in your Backpack.</p>
476 <section class="frontmatter" id="howuse">
478 <title>How to Use Your Equipment</title>
482 <dl class="paragraphed">
484 <dd><p>Weapons aid you in combat. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Weaponmastery and a correct weapon, it adds 3 points to your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ>. If you enter a combat with no weapons, deduct 4 points from your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> and fight with your bare hands. If you find a weapon during the adventure, you may pick it up and use it. (Remember that you can only carry two weapons at once.)</p></dd>
485 <dt>Bow and Arrows</dt>
487 <p>During your adventure there will be opportunities to use a bow and arrow. If you equip yourself with this weapon, and you possess at least one arrow, you may use it when the text of a particular section allows you to do so. The bow is a useful weapon, for it enables you to hit an enemy at a distance. However, a bow cannot be used in hand-to-hand combat, therefore it is strongly recommended that you also equip yourself with a close combat weapon, like a sword or mace.</p>
488 <p>In order to use a bow you must possess a quiver and at least one arrow. Each time the bow is used, erase an arrow from your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>. A bow cannot, of course, be used if you exhaust your supply of arrows, but the opportunity may arise during your adventure for you to replenish your stock of arrows.</p>
489 <p>If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Weaponmastery with a bow, you may add 3 to any number that you choose from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>, when using the bow. If you enter combat armed only with a bow, you must deduct 4 points from your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> and fight with your bare hands.</p>
491 <dt>Backpack Items</dt>
492 <dd><p>During your travels you will discover various useful items which you may wish to keep. (Remember you can only carry a maximum of eight items in your Backpack at anytime.) You may exchange or discard them at any point when you are not involved in combat.</p></dd>
493 <dt>Special Items</dt>
495 <p>Special Items are not carried in the Backpack. When you discover a Special Item, you will be told how to carry it. If you have successfully completed previous Lone Wolf books, you may already possess Special Items.</p>
496 <p>The maximum number of Special Items that a Kai Master can carry during an adventure is twelve. Surplus Special Items may be left in safekeeping at your
500 <dd><p>You will need to eat regularly during your adventure. If you do not have any food when you are instructed to eat a Meal, you will lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points. If you have chosen the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery as one of your skills, you will not need to tick off a Meal when instructed to eat.</p></dd>
501 <dt>Potion of Laumspur</dt>
502 <dd><p>This is a healing potion that can restore 4 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points to your total when swallowed after combat. There is enough for one dose only. If you discover any other potion during the adventure, you will be informed of its effect. All potions are Backpack Items.</p></dd>
509 <section class="frontmatter-separate" id="cmbtrulz">
511 <title>Rules for Combat</title>
512 <link class="prev" idref="equipmnt"/>
513 <link class="next" idref="levels"/>
517 <p>There will be occasions during your adventure when you have to fight an enemy. The enemy's <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> and <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points are given in the text. Lone Wolf's aim in the combat is to kill the enemy by reducing his <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points to zero while losing as few <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points as possible himself.</p>
518 <p>At the start of a combat, enter Lone Wolf's and the enemy's <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points in the appropriate boxes on the Combat Record section of your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
519 <p>The sequence for combat is as follows:</p>
520 <ol class="paragraphed">
521 <li><p>Add any extra points gained through your Magnakai Disciplines and Special Items to your current <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> total.</p></li>
523 <p>Subtract the <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> of your enemy from this total. The result is your Combat Ratio. Enter it on the <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
525 <p>Lone Wolf (<typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> 15) is attacked by a Nightstalker (<typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> 22). He is not given the opportunity to evade combat but must stand and fight as the creature leaps on him. Lone Wolf has the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-surge to which the Nightstalker is not immune, so Lone Wolf adds 4 points to his <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ>, giving a total <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> of 19.</p>
526 <p>He subtracts the Nightstalker's <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> from his own, giving a Combat Ratio of −3. (19 − 22 = −3). −3 is noted on the <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> as the Combat Ratio.</p>
528 <li><p><a id="stage3">When you have your Combat Ratio</a>, pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>.</p></li>
530 <p>Turn to the <a idref="crtable">Combat Results Table</a>. Along the top of the chart are shown the Combat Ratio numbers. Find the number that is the same as your Combat Ratio and cross-reference it with the random number that you have picked (the random numbers appear on the side of the chart). You now have the number of <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points lost by both Lone Wolf and his enemy in this round of combat. (E represents points lost by the enemy; LW represents points lost by Lone Wolf.)</p>
532 <p>The Combat Ratio between Lone Wolf and the Nightstalker has been established as −3. If the number taken from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> is a 6, then the result of the first round of combat is:</p>
534 <li>Lone Wolf loses 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points (plus an additional 2 points for using Psi-surge)</li>
535 <li>Nightstalker loses 6 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points</li>
538 <li><p>On the <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>, mark the changes in <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points to the participants in the combat.</p></li>
539 <li><p>Unless otherwise instructed, or unless you have an option to evade, the next round of combat now starts.</p></li>
540 <li><p>Repeat the sequence from <a idref="stage3">Stage 3</a>.</p></li>
542 <p>This process of combat continues until the <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points of either the enemy or Lone Wolf are reduced to zero, at which point the one with the zero score is declared dead. If Lone Wolf is dead, the adventure is over. If the enemy is dead, Lone Wolf proceeds but with his <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points reduced.</p>
543 <p>A <a idref="crsumary">summary of Combat Rules</a> appears in the back of this book.</p>
544 <section class="frontmatter" id="evasion">
546 <title>Evasion of Combat</title>
550 <p>During your adventure you may be given the chance to evade combat. If you have already engaged in a round of combat and decide to evade, calculate the combat for that round in the usual manner. All points lost by the enemy as a result of that round are ignored, and you make your escape. Only Lone Wolf may lose <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points during that round, but then that is the risk of running away! You may only evade if the text of the particular section allows you to do so.</p>
556 <section class="frontmatter-separate" id="levels">
558 <title>Levels of Magnakai Training</title>
559 <link class="prev" idref="cmbtrulz"/>
560 <link class="next" idref="lorecrcl"/>
564 <p>The following table is a guide to the rank and titles that are achieved by Kai Masters at each stage of their training. As you successfully complete each adventure in the Lone Wolf Magnakai series, you will gain an additional Magnakai Discipline and progress towards the ultimate distinction of a Kai Warrior&emdash;Kai Grand Mastership.</p>
567 <li>Kai Master Senior</li>
568 <li>Kai Master Superior&emdash;<em>You begin the Lone Wolf Magnakai adventures with this level of training</em>.</li>
575 <li>Kai Grand Master</li>
580 <section class="frontmatter-separate" id="lorecrcl">
582 <title>Lore-circles of the Magnakai</title>
583 <link class="prev" idref="levels"/>
584 <link class="next" idref="imprvdsc"/>
588 <p>In the years before their massacre, the Kai Masters of Sommerlund devoted themselves to the study of the Magnakai. These skills were divided into four schools of training called <quote>Lore-circles</quote>. By mastering all of the Magnakai Disciplines of a Lore-circle, the Kai Masters developed their fighting prowess (<typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ>), and their physical and mental stamina (<typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ>) to a level far higher than any mortal warrior could otherwise attain.</p>
589 <p>Listed below are the four Lore-circles of the Magnakai and the skills that must be mastered in order to complete them.</p>
591 <dt>Circle of Fire</dt>
592 <dd>Weaponmastery &ersand; Huntmastery</dd>
593 <dt>Circle of Light</dt>
594 <dd>Animal Control &ersand; Curing</dd>
595 <dt>Circle of Solaris</dt>
596 <dd>Invisibility, Huntmastery &ersand; Pathsmanship</dd>
597 <dt>Circle of the Spirit</dt>
598 <dd>Psi-surge, Psi-screen, Nexus &ersand; Divination</dd>
600 <p>By completing a Lore-circle, you may add to your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> and <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> the extra bonus points that are shown below.</p>
601 <section class="frontmatter" id="lcbonus">
603 <title>Lore-circle Bonuses</title>
608 <dt>Circle of Fire</dt>
609 <dd>+1 <typ class="attribute">CS</typ> +2 <typ class="attribute">EP</typ></dd>
610 <dt>Circle of Light</dt>
611 <dd>0 <typ class="attribute">CS</typ> +3 <typ class="attribute">EP</typ></dd>
612 <dt>Circle of Solaris</dt>
613 <dd>+1 <typ class="attribute">CS</typ> +3 <typ class="attribute">EP</typ></dd>
614 <dt>Circle of the Spirit</dt>
615 <dd>+3 <typ class="attribute">CS</typ> +3 <typ class="attribute">EP</typ></dd>
617 <p>All bonus points that you acquire by completing a Lore-circle are additions to your basic <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> and <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> scores.</p>
623 <section class="frontmatter-separate" id="imprvdsc">
625 <title>Improved Disciplines</title>
626 <link class="prev" idref="lorecrcl"/>
627 <link class="next" idref="kaiwisdm"/>
631 <p>As you rise through the higher levels of Magnakai training you will find that some of your skills will steadily improve. If you have reached the rank of Primate (four skills), Tutelary (five skills), Principalin (six skills), Mentora (seven skills), Scion-kai (eight skills) or Archmaster (nine skills), you will now benefit from improvements to the following Magnakai Disciplines:</p>
632 <section class="frontmatter" id="primate">
634 <title>Primate</title>
639 <dt>Animal Control</dt>
640 <dd>Primates with this Magnakai Discipline are able to repel an animal that is intent on harming them by blocking its sense of taste and smell. The level of success is dependent on the size and ferocity of the animal.</dd>
642 <dd>Primates with this skill have the ability to delay the effects of poisons, including venoms, that they may come into contact with. Although a Kai Primate with this skill is not be able to neutralize a poison he is able to slow its effect, giving him more time to find an antidote or cure.</dd>
644 <dd>Primates with this skill have a greatly increased agility and be able to climb without the use of climbing aids, such as ropes, etc.</dd>
646 <dd>Primates with the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-surge will, by concentrating their psychic powers upon an object, be able to set up vibrations that may lead to the disruption or destruction of the object.</dd>
648 <dd>Primates with the skill of Nexus will be able to offer a far greater resistance than before to the effects of noxious gases and fumes.</dd>
653 <section class="frontmatter" id="tutelary">
655 <title>Tutelary</title>
660 <dt>Weaponmastery</dt>
661 <dd>Tutelaries are able to use defensive combat skills to great effect when fighting unarmed. When entering combat without a weapon, Tutelaries lose only 2 points from your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ>, instead of the usual 4 points.</dd>
662 <dt>Invisibility</dt>
663 <dd>Tutelaries are able to increase the effectiveness of their skill when hiding from an enemy by drawing the enemy's attention to a place other than that in which they are hiding. The effectiveness of this ability increases as a Kai Master rises in rank.</dd>
664 <dt>Pathsmanship</dt>
665 <dd>Tutelaries with this skill can detect an enemy ambush within 500 yards of their position unless their <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> score is low due to wounds sustained or lack of food.</dd>
667 <dd>Tutelaries with this skill develop mental defences against magical charms and hostile telepathy. These defences increase in strength as a Kai Master rises in rank.</dd>
669 <dd>Tutelaries who possess this Magnakai Discipline are able to recognize objects or creatures with magical skills or abilities. However, this improved Discipline can be negated if the creature or object is shielded from detection.</dd>
674 <section class="frontmatter" id="prncpln">
676 <title>Principalin</title>
681 <dt>Animal Control</dt>
682 <dd>Principalins with this skill are able to call on a woodland animal (if nearby) to aid them, either in combat, or to act as a messenger or guide. The number of animals that can be summoned increases as a Kai Master rises in rank.</dd>
683 <dt>Invisibility</dt>
684 <dd>Principalins are able to mask any sounds made by their movements while using this skill.</dd>
686 <dd>Principalins with this Magnakai Discipline are able to intensify their eyesight at will, giving them telescopic vision.</dd>
688 <dd>Principalins using this skill in combat are able to confuse an enemy by planting seeds of doubt in its mind. The effectiveness of this ability increases as a Kai Master rises in rank.</dd>
690 <dd>Principalins with this ability can extinguish fires by force of will alone. The size of the fire, and the number that can be extinguished using Nexus increases as a Kai Master rises in rank.</dd>
695 <section class="frontmatter" id="mentora">
697 <title>Mentora</title>
702 <dt>Weaponmastery</dt>
703 <dd>Mentoras skilled in Weaponmastery are more accurate when using all missile weapons, whether fired (e.g. a bow) or thrown (e.g. a dagger). When using a bow or thrown weapon and instructed to pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>, add 2 to the number picked if you are a Mentora with the Magnakai Discipline of Weaponmastery.</dd>
705 <dd>Mentoras with this skill are able to neutralize the effects of any poisons, venoms or toxins with which they come into contact.</dd>
706 <dt>Pathsmanship</dt>
707 <dd>Mentoras who possess this Magnakai Discipline are able to cross any kind of terrain on foot without leaving any tracks, even if the ground is covered in snow.</dd>
709 <dd>Mentoras with this ability can protect themselves from evil spirits and other non-corporeal beings that attack with psychic energy. The effectiveness of this ability increases as a Kai Master rises in rank.</dd>
711 <dd>Mentoras who possess this skill are able to detect psychic residues lingering in a place where a dramatic event, such as a battle, a murder, a ritual sacrifice or a ritual ceremony, has taken place. By meditating at the scene of the incident, a Kai Mentora is able to visualize the event, even though it may have occurred in the distant past.</dd>
716 <section class="frontmatter" id="scion">
718 <title>Scion-kai</title>
723 <dt>Weaponmastery</dt>
724 <dd>When entering combat with a weapon they have mastered, Scion-kai may add 4 points (instead of the usual 3 points) to their <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ>. Also, when in combat without a weapon they lose only 1 point from their <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ>.</dd>
725 <dt>Invisibility</dt>
726 <dd>Scion-kai are able to alter their physical appearance at will in order to deceive an enemy. The duration and effectiveness of this deception increases as a Kai Master rises in rank.</dd>
727 <dt>Pathsmanship</dt>
728 <dd>Scion-kai with this ability are able to converse with any sentient creature. They are also able to make themselves invisible when subjected to any psychic or magical spells of detection.</dd>
730 <dd>When engaging in psychic combat Scion-kai are able to absorb and control some of the energies directed at them. By deflecting or inducing the hostile energy they can either reduce the damage they sustain, or increase the power of their own psychic attacks.</dd>
732 <dd>Scion-kai are able to leave their body in a state of suspended animation and, in spirit form, explore their immediate surroundings unhindered by physical limitations. This ability is called <quote>spirit walking</quote>. The length of time a Kai Master can spirit walk increases as he rises in rank. When the spirit is separated from the body in this fashion, the body remains inanimate and vulnerable to attack. If a Kai Master's body is killed whilst he is spirit walking, his spiritual self will also cease to exist, and vice versa.</dd>
737 <section class="frontmatter" id="archmstr">
739 <title>Archmaster</title>
744 <dt>Animal Control</dt>
745 <dd>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.</dd>
747 <dd>Archmasters are able to use their healing power to repair serious wounds sustained in battle. If, whilst in combat, their <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> is reduced to 6 points or less, they can use their skill to restore 20 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points. This ability can only be used once every 100 days.</dd>
749 <dd>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.</dd>
751 <dd>When using their psychic ability to attack an enemy, Archmasters may add 6 points to their <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> instead of the usual 4 points. For every round in which Psi-surge is used, Archmasters need only deduct 1 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> point. When using the weaker psychic attack&emdash;Mindblast&emdash;they may add 3 points to their <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> without loss of <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points. Archmasters cannot use Psi-surge if their <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> score falls to 4 points or below.</dd>
753 <dd>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.</dd>
762 <section class="frontmatter" id="kaiwisdm">
764 <title>Magnakai Wisdom</title>
765 <link class="prev" idref="imprvdsc"/>
766 <link class="next" idref="sect1"/>
770 <p>Your mission to destroy Darklord Gnaag will be fraught with awesome dangers. Be secretive and be on your guard at all times, for the creatures of the Darklands will stop at nothing to destroy you should your return to Magnamund become known to them.</p>
771 <p>Some of the things that you will find during your mission will be of use to you, and some may be red herrings of no real value at all, so be selective in what you decide to keep.</p>
772 <p>If this is your first Magnakai adventure be sure to choose your three Magnakai Disciplines with care, for a wise choice enables any player to complete the quest, no matter how weak their initial <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> and <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points scores. Successful completion of previous Lone Wolf adventures, although an advantage, is not essential for the completion of this Magnakai adventure.</p>
773 <p>At last the chance to avenge the massacre of the Kai is within your grasp. The restoration of your warrior brotherhood and the future of Magnamund depend on your success. May the spirit of your ancestors and the wisdom of the great god Kai guide you to victory and the fulfilment of your destiny.</p>
777 <section class="numbered" id="numbered">
779 <title>Numbered Sections</title>
783 <section class="numbered" id="sect1">
789 <p>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.</p>
790 <p>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.</p>
791 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> (if you pick a 0 it counts as 10). The number you have picked represents the number of <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points you have lost during your passage through the Shadow Gate. Deduct this number of points from your <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> score.</p>
792 <choice idref="sect94"><link-text>Turn to 94</link-text>.</choice>
796 <section class="numbered" id="sect2">
802 <p>You unsheathe your weapon and brace yourself to avoid the creature's leap. It springs forward and you roll aside, striking upwards as it blocks out the light. It shrieks as your blow tears deep into its shoulder, then it hits the ground, which shudders beneath the vast stone weight. You jump to your feet and prepare to strike another blow as the creature, squealing pitifully from the pain of its wound, draws itself up and leaps again.</p>
804 <enemy>Egorgh</enemy>
805 <enemy-attribute class="combatskill">22</enemy-attribute>
806 <enemy-attribute class="endurance">27</enemy-attribute>
808 <p>This creature is particularly susceptible to psychic attack; double all bonuses you would normally be entitled to if using Mindblast or Psi-surge during the combat.</p>
809 <choice idref="sect153">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 153</link-text>.</choice>
813 <section class="numbered" id="sect3">
819 <p>You unsheathe a weapon and attempt to parry Gnaag's sword, but the supernatural blade shears straight through it and buries itself deep in your chest. An icy chill engulfs your body and you feel your chest constrict as Gnaag withdraws his hellblade. Darkness engulfs your vision and your ears are filled with a ghastly sound&emdash;the mocking laughter of Darklord Gnaag. He raises his infernal sword, Nadazgada, and prepares to deliver the blow that will seal your doom and destroy the hopes of those who oppose the empire of the Darklands.</p>
820 <choice>Your life and your mission end here.</choice>
824 <section class="numbered" id="sect4">
830 <p>Your senses tingle: someone is about to attack you from behind. Without turning to see who is approaching, you twist aside, and your would-be attacker crashes chest-first against the rail. He is a Drakkarim marine armed with a stiletto dagger, whose needle-thin blade glows wetly crimson in the flickering light of the fire. Maddened by the pain of the fearful burns he has sustained on his face and hands, he screams a curse and leaps at you wildly, determined to drive his dagger into your chest.</p>
832 <enemy>Drakkarim Marine</enemy>
833 <enemy-attribute class="combatskill">19</enemy-attribute>
834 <enemy-attribute class="endurance">23</enemy-attribute>
836 <p>Owing to the frenzy of his attack, he is immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge).</p>
837 <choice idref="sect58">You can evade combat after two rounds by leaping into the sea: <link-text>turn to 58</link-text>.</choice>
838 <choice idref="sect91">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 91</link-text>.</choice>
842 <section class="numbered" id="sect5">
848 <footnote id="sect5-1-foot" idref="sect5-1">
849 <p>Be aware that these choices originally read <quote>three rounds or less&ellips;</quote> and <quote>longer than four rounds&ellips;</quote>. We've arbitrarily changed the first choice to read <quote>four rounds or less&ellips;</quote>, erring in the reader's favour.</p>
854 <p>Your adversary is little more than a few feet away when you release your bowstring to send an arrow streaking towards his chest. It hits with terrific force but, to your utter amazement, it fails to penetrate his flesh; the shaft shatters into a dozen harmless shards. With a scream of gleeful vengeance, the Drakkar officer swings his scimitar down to cleave your neck in two. Instinct alone saves you from its razor-sharp edge. Immediately, he strikes again, swinging his blade back in a vicious arc that is aimed at your throat. You block the blow but it costs you your bow, chopped almost in half as it stops the blade barely inches from your chin (remember to delete this weapon from your Weapons list). Hurriedly you fumble for a hand weapon as he steadies himself to strike again.</p>
856 <enemy>Drakkar Marine Officer</enemy>
857 <enemy-attribute class="combatskill">27</enemy-attribute>
858 <enemy-attribute class="endurance">38</enemy-attribute>
860 <p>You are unable to draw a weapon until the beginning of the second round of the combat, and must fight the first round unarmed.</p>
861 <choice idref="sect232">If you win, and the fight lasts four rounds or less, <link-text>turn to 232</link-text>. <a id="sect5-1" idref="sect5-1-foot" class="footnote"/>
863 <choice idref="sect148">If you win, and the fight lasts longer than four rounds, <link-text>turn to 148</link-text>.</choice>
867 <section class="numbered" id="sect6">
873 <p>As you sunder the last of the Crypt Spawn, Kraagenskûl reaches out to touch the surface of a bowl that rests on a plinth beside his throne. It is filled with a bright, silvery liquid and at once you sense its purpose. It is a communicator, a device that enables him to speak with his leader, Darklord Gnaag. The Sommerswerd had betrayed your identity and Kraagenskûl is about to warn his master that you have returned from the Daziarn and are here in Argazad. As his bony fingers dip to within inches of the shimmering surface, your only hope of stopping him is to hurl the Sommerswerd at his back.</p>
874 <illustration class="inline">
876 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
878 <instance class="html" src="small10.gif" width="386" height="200" />
879 <instance class="pdf" src="small10.pdf" width="386" height="200" />
881 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. If you have completed the Lore-circle of Solaris, add 2 to the number you have picked. If you have completed the Lore-circle of Solaris and the Lore-circle of Fire, add another 1 to the number.</p>
882 <choice idref="sect275">If your total is now 0&endash;5, <link-text>turn to 275</link-text>.</choice>
883 <choice idref="sect75">If it is 6 or more, <link-text>turn to 75</link-text>.</choice>
887 <section class="numbered" id="sect7">
893 <p>You pull away from your adversary and retreat towards the middle of the ship. There, a group of Kirlundins have drawn up in a circle and are holding their ground behind a wall of shields. You join them and take command as a second wave of Drakkarim clamber over the side and come howling across the deck. With a noise like thunder they fall upon the group, their swords and axes drawing sparks as they rain down upon the shield-wall with numbing force. The shock of their impact drives the Kirlundins back, opening gaps in their defence through which the strongest Drakkarim hurl themselves recklessly. One breaks through close to where you stand and stabs at your neck with his blunted sword.</p>
894 <illustration class="float">
896 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
897 <description>A Drakkar Marine stabs at<br />your neck with his sword</description>
899 <instance class="html" src="ill1.gif" width="386" height="662"/>
900 <instance class="pdf" src="ill1.pdf" width="386" height="662"/>
903 <enemy>Drakkar Marine</enemy>
904 <enemy-attribute class="combatskill">23</enemy-attribute>
905 <enemy-attribute class="endurance">27</enemy-attribute>
907 <p>Owing to his state of battle-frenzy, this foe is immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge).</p>
908 <choice idref="sect294">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 294</link-text>.</choice>
912 <section class="numbered" id="sect8">
918 <p><foreign xml:lang="x-giak"><quote>Ok zee okak!</quote></foreign> whispers a Giak scout, a sneer spreading slowly across his ugly grey face. He has scrambled on to a boulder and, using his infra-vision (the ability to see warm objects radiating in the dark), he has caught sight of you crawling towards the cliffs. Your sixth sense informs you that you have been spotted. To continue to crawl is futile, so you scramble to your feet aid sprint towards a V-shaped cleft that marks the start of a steep trail. You have taken less than a dozen strides when three squat shapes loom out of the shadows ahead: they are Giaks, armed and ready for combat.</p>
921 <enemy-attribute class="combatskill">19</enemy-attribute>
922 <enemy-attribute class="endurance">27</enemy-attribute>
924 <p>Unless you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery or Divination, deduct 2 points from your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> for the first two rounds of the fight.</p>
925 <choice idref="sect311">If you win and the fight lasts three rounds or less, <link-text>turn to 311</link-text>.</choice>
926 <choice idref="sect252">If you win, and the fight lasts four rounds or more, <link-text>turn to 252</link-text>.</choice>
930 <section class="numbered" id="sect9">
936 <p>You dive aside, but you are hit by the whirring tip of the sword, which slices through your cape and lays open your shoulder: lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
937 <p>Gritting your teeth against the sharp pain, you grab the rear of the cannon and revolve it on its mounting until it points directly at the advancing Drakkarim marines. Their faces freeze with terror when they find themselves staring into the muzzle of their own formidable weapon. <quote>Death to the Darklords!</quote> you cry, and pull the firing lever.</p>
938 <choice idref="sect285"><link-text>Turn to 285</link-text>.</choice>
942 <section class="numbered" id="sect10">
948 <p>The day is but an hour old when suddenly it begins to get darker. A ceiling of black cloud spreads across the sky, fed by billowing plumes of noxious gases that pour from the cracks and craters of the southern wastes. Violent electrical storms rage in these plumes and a thunderous rumbling, like the growling of an angry giant disturbed from sleep, echoes in the bowels of the lifeless earth.</p>
949 <p>A redness in the clouds grows stronger as the Zlanbeast flies westwards. It fills the horizon, setting your pulse racing as you sense that Nengud-kor-Adez, the chasm of fire that surrounds Helgedad, is the source of the scarlet glow. You correct your course, steering the Zlanbeast away to the north, and within minutes you catch your first glimpse of Aarnak.</p>
950 <p>It is a grim spectacle, a mass of huge steel buildings grouped haphazardly around the mouth of a frigid estuary, surrounded in turn by a defensive ring of spike-topped earthworks. Everything appears to be eaten by rust, aggravated by clouds of corrosive steam that arise from rivulets of black water criss-crossing the ground. It strikes you as an uninhabitable place, yet its murky thoroughfares are teeming with thousands of grey-skinned creatures all pulling or pushing great iron carts filled with ore. As the Zlanbeast speeds towards the city, you search for somewhere suitable to land.</p>
951 <choice idref="sect127">If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, and have reached the Kai rank of Principalin or more, <link-text>turn to 127</link-text>.</choice>
952 <choice idref="sect301">If you do not possess this skill, or have yet to reach this level of Kai training, <link-text>turn to 301</link-text>.</choice>
956 <section class="numbered" id="sect11">
962 <p>Using your Kai skill, you will the Zlanbeast to cease its incessant caw. Immediately it obeys your psychic command and shuffles to the end of its perch, its head bowed and its eyes half closed. The Death Knight starts to turn away from the parapet, but his movements are slow and relaxed, and he is totally unprepared to receive your attack. Like a striking viper you lash out at his chest with deadly effect.</p>
963 <choice idref="sect139"><link-text>Turn to 139</link-text>.</choice>
967 <section class="numbered" id="sect12">
973 <p>The great sea beast roars, and a blast of putrid breath blows you away from the longboat, rolling you over and over like a leaf in a storm. Pain lances through your shoulder as you glance off the main mast and crash against the ship's starboard rail: lose 2 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
974 <p>Your bow is still gripped firmly in your hand, and, as you struggle to your feet, you draw a fresh arrow and take aim once more at the monster's head.</p>
975 <choice idref="sect82">If you wish to fire at the creature's eye, <link-text>turn to 82</link-text>.</choice>
976 <choice idref="sect236">If you wish to fire into the creature's mouth, <link-text>turn to 236</link-text>.</choice>
977 <choice idref="sect135">If you decide to fire at the creature's ear, <link-text>turn to 135</link-text>.</choice>
981 <section class="numbered" id="sect13">
987 <p>Desperately, you draw on your inner strength to fight the poison that is coursing through your veins. Your Kai skill of Curing blocks the deadly effects of this viral poison, and quickly eradicates it from your system, but at a loss of 5 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
988 <p>Gritting your teeth against the pain, you wrench the evil shaft from your shoulder and cast it aside as you run for the safety of the shadows.</p>
989 <choice idref="sect48"><link-text>Turn to 48</link-text>.</choice>
993 <section class="numbered" id="sect14">
999 <p>The tide bears you swiftly towards a shingle beach, which is littered with huge, sea-smoothed boulders. The hissing surf and the screech of the loathsome sea-scavengers echo all along this barren coastline. It is an unwelcoming sound&emdash;cold and hostile&emdash;a fitting reflection of the land itself.</p>
1000 <p>Ten yards from the stony beach you slip into the thigh-deep foam and wade ashore. 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. Crouching low, you scurry up the beach, using the boulders as cover as you head towards the base of a sheer cliff wall. You are nearing your goal when the sounds of footsteps and gruff voices stop you dead in your tracks: it is a patrol of Giak soldiers. Drawn from their clifftop encampment, having witnessed the battle at sea, they are searching the water's edge for survivors. The tips of their spears glint wetly crimson in the moonlight, alerting you to the fate that has befallen those of Davan's crew who managed to swim ashore.</p>
1001 <p><foreign xml:lang="x-giak"><quote>Ok zee orgadak!</quote></foreign> growls one of the leading scouts, pointing in your direction.</p>
1002 <choice idref="sect215">If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility, and have reached the Kai rank of Tutelary or more, <link-text>turn to 215</link-text>.</choice>
1003 <choice idref="sect111">If you do not possess this skill, or have yet to reach this level of Kai training, <link-text>turn to 111</link-text>.</choice>
1007 <section class="numbered" id="sect15">
1013 <p>You are in combat with an alert Vladoka&emdash;an élite Nadziranim temple guard. You cannot evade this combat and must fight your adversary to the death.</p>
1015 <enemy>Vladoka</enemy>
1016 <enemy-attribute class="combatskill">28</enemy-attribute>
1017 <enemy-attribute class="endurance">35</enemy-attribute>
1019 <p>Owing to the power of the weapon he wields, this being is immune to Mindblast and Psi-surge.</p>
1020 <choice idref="sect308">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 308</link-text>.</choice>
1024 <section class="numbered" id="sect16">
1030 <p>You are expecting the sudden chill of cold water, so it comes as a great shock when you slam down upon the moving steel deck of the Darkland ironclad. Your legs buckle and your knees hit your chest, forcing the air from your lungs and leaving you gasping like a fish out of water: lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points. You have barely recovered when a Drakkar sailor, armed with a billhook, looms out of the smoke and lunges at your head.</p>
1032 <enemy>Drakkar Sailor</enemy>
1033 <enemy-attribute class="combatskill">19</enemy-attribute>
1034 <enemy-attribute class="endurance">24</enemy-attribute>
1036 <p>Unless you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, reduce your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> by 4 points for the first two rounds of this fight, owing to the shock of your landing and the surprise of your enemy's attack.</p>
1037 <choice idref="sect243">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 243</link-text>
1042 <section class="numbered" id="sect17">
1048 <p>When you fail to answer, the burly sergeant strides forward and repeats his command impatiently. You meet his cold stare and project a surge of psychic energy directly into his brain. He begins to shiver, his cruel eyes widening as your attack erodes his ability to concentrate. You will him to allow you to pass, and mechanically he turns around to face his troops. <foreign xml:lang="x-giak"><quote>Agna tok!</quote></foreign> he says. <foreign xml:lang="x-giak"><quote>Dok lug shad.</quote></foreign></p>
1049 <p>As the armoured soldiers stand aside, you ride quickly through the gate and along a shadowy street that leads down to the quay. At the end of the street is a sign that indicates the way to the two main areas of Argazad: the ironclad harbour and the supply depot.</p>
1050 <choice idref="sect295">If you wish to investigate the harbour, <link-text>turn to 295</link-text>.</choice>
1051 <choice idref="sect328">If you wish to investigate the supply depot, <link-text>turn to 328</link-text>.</choice>
1055 <section class="numbered" id="sect18">
1061 <p>Despite your fatigue, you will yourself to stay awake and watchful. The hours crawl by but your caution finally pays off when, at the height of the storm, a hulking shape appears at the entrance, its shaggy bulk silhouetted by the constant lightning. Sensing your presence in its lair, the creature emits a hungry growl and gets ready to leap at your chest.</p>
1062 <choice idref="sect264">If you have a bow and wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 264</link-text>.</choice>
1063 <choice idref="sect2">If you do not, <link-text>turn to 2</link-text>.</choice>
1067 <section class="numbered" id="sect19">
1073 <p>As the name leaves your lips, the tip of the crystal shard glows bright amber. Instantly the guard reaches for a lever in the wall, and before you can prevent him, he pulls it, setting an alarm bell clanging. In a matter of seconds, the courtyard is awash with a nightmare legion of snarling, screaming, snapping horrors. They fall upon you, and although you slay many, they overpower you eventually and haul you in chains before Darklord Gnaag. With cruel glee, he orders you to be cast into the Lake of Blood, where your endless suffering will feed its unholy flames for all eternity.</p>
1074 <choice>Tragically, on the threshold of victory, your natural life and mission end here.</choice>
1078 <section class="numbered" id="sect20">
1084 <p>You throw yourself to the deck as the missile drops like a meteor from the sky. It passes overhead, between the main and mizzen masts, then hits the water with a tremendous splash. The other enemy vessels start to turn to bring their weapons to bear, but the heavy iron ships are slow and cumbersome, and by the time they have altered position, the Intrepid is out of range and sailing at speed into the dully gleaming waters of the Kaltesee.</p>
1085 <choice idref="sect71"><link-text>Turn to 71</link-text>.</choice>
1089 <section class="numbered" id="sect21">
1095 <p>Desperately you draw on your psychic defences, erecting a shield to deflect the surge of mental energy that is coursing through your mind.</p>
1096 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. For every Magnakai Discipline you possess, including your initial three skills, add 1 to the number you have picked.</p>
1097 <choice idref="sect244">If your total is now 0&endash;6, <link-text>turn to 244</link-text>.</choice>
1098 <choice idref="sect152">If it is 7 or more, <link-text>turn to 152</link-text>.</choice>
1102 <section class="numbered" id="sect22">
1108 <p>You are pulling yourself over the parapet when the silence is shattered by the piercing clang of a bell.</p>
1109 <p><foreign xml:lang="x-giak"><quote>Ok zee orgadak iak zordak tozaz!</quote></foreign> screams a Giak sentry, leaning out of the watchtower window. With one hand he is pointing at you with a sword and with the other he is tugging frantically at the cord of an alarm bell. You curse your luck as you turn to face the two sentries who are now rushing along the battlements their spears held ready to stab you to death.</p>
1111 <enemy>Giak Sentries</enemy>
1112 <enemy-attribute class="combatskill">17</enemy-attribute>
1113 <enemy-attribute class="endurance">22</enemy-attribute>
1115 <choice idref="sect247">If you possess the Sommerswerd, and wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 247</link-text>.</choice>
1116 <choice idref="sect96">You can evade combat at any time by leaping from the battlements to the ground below, a jump of over twenty feet: <link-text>turn to 96</link-text>.</choice>
1117 <choice idref="sect349">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 349</link-text>.</choice>
1121 <section class="numbered" id="sect23">
1127 <p>Your lightning-fast reflexes save you from the small, jelly-like creature that is plummeting towards your head. You sidestep and it hits the floor with a splat like a handful of falling mud. Immediately it springs towards your face, forcing you to defend yourself as best you can.</p>
1128 <illustration class="float">
1130 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
1131 <description>The Plaak springs from the<br />floor towards your face</description>
1133 <instance class="html" src="ill2.gif" width="386" height="679"/>
1134 <instance class="pdf" src="ill2.pdf" width="386" height="679"/>
1137 <enemy>Plaak</enemy>
1138 <enemy-attribute class="combatskill">30</enemy-attribute>
1139 <enemy-attribute class="endurance">10</enemy-attribute>
1141 <p>This creature is immune to Mindblast and Psi-surge. Owing to the speed of its attack, unless you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, you are unable to draw a weapon and must fight the first round of combat unarmed.</p>
1142 <choice idref="sect312">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 312</link-text>.</choice>
1146 <section class="numbered" id="sect24">
1152 <p>The mate leads you through the bowels of the ship to your quarters near the stern. You are hoping for some degree of comfort but the cabin turns out to be cramped and smelly, sandwiched between the galley and the bilge. Despite the lack of space, and a stomach-churning smell redolent of dead fish, you manage to catch a few hours' sleep before the grey dawn haze filters through the glass of the cabin's solitary porthole.</p>
1153 <p>Desperate for fresh air, you make your way up to the forecastle where you find the captain, standing alone at the rail, reading the contents of the envelope. <quote>'Tis a brave risky adventure you've committed yourself to, comrade,</quote> he says, without raising his eyes from the parchment clutched in his gloved hands. <quote>Yet these be risky times. I can only guess at what lies beyond your journey to Dejkaata, but of one thing you can be sure&emdash;I will do all in my power to see you safely there.</quote> Immediately, he issues orders to turn the ship about and steer a new course&emdash;north-by-north west. The crew react to the sudden change of plan with great speculation, yet, despite the dangers they know they may have to face, none challenge their captain's decision or voice dissent.</p>
1154 <choice idref="sect241"><link-text>Turn to 241</link-text>.</choice>
1158 <section class="numbered" id="sect25">
1164 <p>The harrowing howls of your pursuers are growing louder with each passing second. The ghastliness of the sound makes you shiver involuntarily and ruins your aim. The arrow misses the guard and shatters against the wall of the tower, its steel tip drawing sparks, which causes the creature to give a yell of shocked surprise. Fearful that his cry will alert those who are following you, you shoulder your bow hurriedly and draw a hand weapon. Then you sprint towards the startled guard, grimly determined to finish him before he raises the alarm.</p>
1165 <choice idref="sect208">If you possess the Sommerswerd and wish to use it to slay this creature, <link-text>turn to 208</link-text>.</choice>
1166 <choice idref="sect15">If you do not possess this Special Item, or do not wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 15</link-text>.</choice>
1170 <section class="numbered" id="sect26">
1176 <p>Your Kai sense informs you that the stairs descend to the control cabin and crew's quarters then on to the cargo sections which house huge tanks filled with sulphur, used as fuel for the engine of this strange craft. The sudden appearance of the sailor's body has started a commotion, and the sound of heavy boots grating on metal warns you that more Drakkarim are ascending the stairs to investigate what, or who, caused their comrade's death. To attempt to descend the stairs could prove fatal, so hurriedly you slam shut the door and look for another place to hide.</p>
1177 <choice idref="sect169"><link-text>Turn to 169</link-text>.</choice>
1181 <section class="numbered" id="sect27">
1187 <p><foreign xml:lang="x-giak"><quote>Kuzoknar jeg okak eg?</quote></foreign> bellows the Giak, angrily. <foreign xml:lang="x-giak"><quote>Okak nenrak! Okak gaj!</quote></foreign> He is clearly unimpressed by your demand, and, as he and his two subordinates draw their swords, you decide that the time for talk is over.</p>
1189 <enemy>Aarnak Giaks</enemy>
1190 <enemy-attribute class="combatskill">23</enemy-attribute>
1191 <enemy-attribute class="endurance">27</enemy-attribute>
1193 <choice idref="sect322">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 322</link-text>.</choice>
1197 <section class="numbered" id="sect28">
1203 <p>The Drakkarim lie entangled at your feet, their heaped bodies a grim testimony to the deadly art of a Kai lord in battle. You step back from your lifeless foes, grabbing the ship's rail as the deck lists heavily to starboard. The Intrepid is sinking fast.</p>
1204 <p><quote>Abandon ship!</quote> cries Davan, his voice carrying above the clangour of striking swords and dying men. As he rushes past you, followed closely by two blood-spattered Kirlundins, he urges you to save yourself before the ship goes down.</p>
1205 <choice idref="sect110">If you wish to follow Davan, and abandon ship, <link-text>turn to 110</link-text>.</choice>
1206 <choice idref="sect317">If you decide to search the bodies of your dead enemies first, <link-text>turn to 317</link-text>.</choice>
1210 <section class="numbered" id="sect29">
1216 <p>Boldly you approach the two bovine guards, confident that your disguise will deceive them into letting you pass. Using the Giak language, you request that they open the door. <foreign xml:lang="x-giak"><quote>Tok etaar!</quote></foreign> you say, in a commanding tone. The guards are unimpressed. Slowly one of them reaches to his belt pouch and removes a strange, box-shaped device fashioned from silvery crystal. He flicks it open and it emits a loud humming noise.</p>
1217 <choice idref="sect141">If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen, and have attained the Kai rank of Scion-kai or more, <link-text>turn to 141</link-text>.</choice>
1218 <choice idref="sect291">If you do not possess this skill, or have yet to reach this level of Kai training, <link-text>turn to 291</link-text>.</choice>
1222 <section class="numbered" id="sect30">
1228 <p>Using your advanced Kai skills, you lower yourself over the edge of the path and begin a perilous descent to the beach below. Twice your fingers lose their grip, but on both occasions your reflexes save you from falling backwards to your doom. Above, you hear angry shouts as the two Giak search parties converge and discover you gone. They blame each other for allowing you to escape, and, in the ensuing scuffle, more than one screaming body falls past you to crash on the rocks below. Arrows begin to fall from the cliff's edge, but they are poorly aimed and few come within an arm's length of hitting you. Order returns and the Giaks start to descend the steep path, but by then it is too late for them to catch you, as you escape northwards along the shore.</p>
1229 <choice idref="sect157"><link-text>Turn to 157</link-text>.</choice>
1233 <section class="numbered" id="sect31">
1239 <p>Your Kai senses warn you that if you were to invert the tube, the acceleration of power inside the orange tank would lead to an immediate and devastating explosion. Rather than risk your life and your mission by tampering with the tube, you decide instead to remove some of the fabric that insulates the cables running close to the tank. The effects of this sabotage may not be felt until the vessel has been at sea for some time, but when the cables eventually disintegrate, it will rob the juggernaut of all its power. Should this happen during one of the Kaltesee's frequent storms, then an iron-hulled craft this large would be sure to capsize and sink without trace.</p>
1240 <choice idref="sect223"><link-text>Turn to 223</link-text>.</choice>
1244 <section class="numbered" id="sect32">
1250 <p>Drawing on your advanced Magnakai skills, you cause your facial characteristics to become harder and more brutal in appearance.</p>
1251 <p><foreign xml:lang="x-giak"><quote>Loga ok okak sheg!</quote></foreign> (Free me you dog!) you growl in Giak, mimicking the Drakkarim accent to perfection. In the confines of the corridor, your assailant is easily deceived into thinking that he has assaulted one of his fellow marines by mistake. The moment he releases his grip, you spin around and attack with your bare but deadly hands.</p>
1253 <enemy>Drakkar (surprise attack)</enemy>
1254 <enemy-attribute class="combatskill">12</enemy-attribute>
1255 <enemy-attribute class="endurance">26</enemy-attribute>
1257 <p>You must fight the first two rounds of combat unarmed. Only at the start of the third round are you able to unsheathe a hand weapon.</p>
1258 <choice idref="sect253">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 253</link-text>.</choice>
1262 <section class="numbered" id="sect33">
1268 <p>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.</p>
1269 <p>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.</p>
1270 <choice idref="sect170"><link-text>Turn to 170</link-text>.</choice>
1274 <section class="numbered" id="sect34">
1280 <p>Your greatly enhanced ability to see into the distance, and in the dark, enables you to recognize at once that the cave-like opening in the side of the mountain is a perfectly smooth archway. It has been carved from the rock purposefully, and is not a natural fissure or fault.</p>
1281 <choice idref="sect143">If you wish to inspect the opening more closely, <link-text>turn to 143</link-text>.</choice>
1282 <choice idref="sect86">If you decide instead to return to the Giak outpost and attempt to gain entry, <link-text>turn to 86</link-text>.</choice>
1286 <section class="numbered" id="sect35">
1292 <p>You swing clear of the rigging and leap astride the Xargath's neck, but it senses your presence and twists and bucks like a wild stallion to unseat you. Grimly you cling to its scaly hide, stabbing repeatedly at its ears and spine in the hope of disabling it before it breaks free. In desperation it tries to dislodge you, using its massive foreclaws to scratch at its neck in an attempt to hook you away.</p>
1294 <enemy>Xargath</enemy>
1295 <enemy-attribute class="combatskill">10</enemy-attribute>
1296 <enemy-attribute class="endurance">10</enemy-attribute>
1298 <p>This creature is immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge).</p>
1299 <choice idref="sect277">You can evade combat at any time by climbing the main mast and hiding in the crow's nest: <link-text>turn to 277</link-text>.</choice>
1300 <choice idref="sect66">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 66</link-text>
1305 <section class="numbered" id="sect36">
1311 <p>Icy winds tear at your mask and armour as you soar thousands of feet above the southern foothills of the Gourdanak Mountain Range. Were it not for the protection of your Golden Amulet, the bitter fury of these winds would have frozen you to death within an hour of leaving Argazad, yet you feel nothing, save exhilaration and a nagging fear of what awaits you in Aarnak.</p>
1312 <illustration class="inline">
1314 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
1316 <instance class="html" src="small8.gif" width="386" height="152" />
1317 <instance class="pdf" src="small8.pdf" width="386" height="152" />
1319 <p>Dawn breaks during the second hour of your flight, and in its dull grey light you glimpse the landscape as it speeds past below. To the south lies the Naogizaga, a vast plain of ash and slime-filled rifts; to the north lie the snow-capped peaks of the Gourdanak Mountains; and ahead lies an unwelcoming vista, a desolation of stunted, poisonous vegetation and hilly crags. You are tired and hungry after your perilous ordeal in Argazad, and must now eat a Meal or lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
1320 <choice idref="sect10">To continue, <link-text>turn to 10</link-text>.</choice>
1324 <section class="numbered" id="sect37">
1330 <p>Through narrowed eyes you watch as the shape draws slowly nearer. A tingle of apprehension chills your skin when you recognize it. Emerging out of the twilight gloom comes a wagon laden with barrels and boxes, drawn by six ox-like creatures. Two Giak soldiers sit on the front seat&emdash;a driver and a guard. Behind them ride four horsemen&emdash;Drakkarim escorts, judging by their size and the cut of their black leather armour. The driver cracks his whip and you notice his eyes fix on the place where you are hiding.</p>
1331 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility, add 4 to the number you have picked.</p>
1332 <choice idref="sect118">If your total score is now 0&endash;3, <link-text>turn to 118</link-text>.</choice>
1333 <choice idref="sect304">If it is 4 or more, <link-text>turn to 304</link-text>.</choice>
1337 <section class="numbered" id="sect38">
1343 <p>With breathtaking suddenness, the pain in your shoulder melts away and you feel yourself falling into an inky black void. You fight to remain conscious, but it is a fight you cannot hope to win, for the deadly viral poison has worked its way into your heart and its insidious effect has committed you to an everlasting sleep.</p>
1344 <choice>Tragically, your life and your mission end here on the streets of Helgedad.</choice>
1348 <section class="numbered" id="sect39">
1354 <p>You brace yourself to receive the enemy as they swarm around you, howling with primal fury, their teeth bared and their faces contorted with rage. The Drakkar officer screams, <foreign xml:lang="x-giak"><quote>Darg!</quote></foreign> and they hurl themselves recklessly upon you.</p>
1356 <enemy>Drakkarim Assault Squad</enemy>
1357 <enemy-attribute class="combatskill">33</enemy-attribute>
1358 <enemy-attribute class="endurance">48</enemy-attribute>
1360 <choice idref="sect28">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 28</link-text>.</choice>
1364 <section class="numbered" id="sect40">
1370 <p>The Black Cube is a Nadziranim power crystal, a deadly explosive charge devised by the Darkland sorcerers. Since you picked it up, the cube has become increasingly unstable, and now, as you take your first steps into the Imperial Armoury, it explodes with devastating effect. The blast triggers the Crystal Explosive that you had intended to use to destroy the Transfusor, and, in the resulting explosion, you, and this entire section of Helgedad, are blown to smithereens.</p>
1371 <choice>Your life and your mission end here.</choice>
1375 <section class="numbered" id="sect41">
1381 <p>The first mate, whose name is Davan, helps you to splint the captain's broken legs and construct a makeshift stretcher on which to carry him to his cabin. Having done what you can to make the captain comfortable, you return on deck to survey the damage.</p>
1382 <p>Over half the crew have been killed or injured in the attack, and the ship itself is badly mauled. The main mast is down, the sails are shredded, and there is a gaping hole that stretches along the port beam to within a few feet of the waterline.</p>
1383 <p><quote>We can patch up the sails and work the ship on a skeleton crew,</quote> says Davan, peering over the shattered rail, <quote>but if we catch a storm this far out to sea, we're done for.</quote></p>
1384 <choice idref="sect330"><link-text>Turn to 330</link-text>.</choice>
1388 <section class="numbered" id="sect42">
1394 <p>A section of the boomsail strikes your face, opening a nasty gash across your forehead: lose 4 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points. Stunned by the blow, you react sluggishly to the burning canvas now draped over your body. In a matter of seconds the flames and smoke have completely engulfed you, yet your clothes do not ignite and you feel absolutely no pain, save the wound to your head. Without haste or urgency you cast the blazing sail aside and emerge unburned.</p>
1395 <choice idref="sect101"><link-text>Turn to 101</link-text>.</choice>
1399 <section class="numbered" id="sect43">
1405 <p>The Giak snatches the coins from your hand and grunts his approval. <foreign xml:lang="x-giak"><quote>Dez ar ok!</quote></foreign> he says, and leads the way. (Delete from your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> half of the Kika you possess.)</p>
1406 <p>You follow him through a maze of garbage-choked streets, past rusting tenements and squalid huts, to an iron tower at the heart of the city. Unlike all else, this tower appears to have been unaffected by the corrosive atmosphere: its surface is dull yet free from decay. The Giak speaks with another who guards its open entrance and immediately he stands aside, allowing you to enter the tower's gloomy ground floor.</p>
1407 <choice idref="sect346"><link-text>Turn to 346</link-text>.</choice>
1411 <section class="numbered" id="sect44">
1417 <p>You are within a few feet of the crevasse, craning your neck to see into its lightless depths, when suddenly a thin, snaky tendril rises out of the darkness and stabs at your chest. There is a flash and a terrible pain spreads through your body, radiating to your limbs and leaving you numb and nerveless: lose 6 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
1418 <choice idref="sect55">If you survive the attack, <link-text>turn to 55</link-text>.</choice>
1422 <section class="numbered" id="sect45">
1428 <p><foreign xml:lang="x-giak"><quote>Orgadak dik!</quote></foreign> growls the leading Drakkar, when first you appear before them. Then he glances at his men and hisses the command: <foreign xml:lang="x-giak"><quote>Taag dok!</quote></foreign> They leap forward and attack you simultaneously.</p>
1430 <enemy>Drakkarim Escorts</enemy>
1431 <enemy-attribute class="combatskill">26</enemy-attribute>
1432 <enemy-attribute class="endurance">34</enemy-attribute>
1434 <choice idref="sect182">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 182</link-text>.</choice>
1438 <section class="numbered" id="sect46">
1444 <p>You press yourself against the wall. Keeping to the shadows and using your camouflage expertise, you hide from the approaching Liganim.</p>
1445 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. If you possess the Magnakai Disciplines of Invisibility and Psi-screen, add 4 to the number you have picked.</p>
1446 <choice idref="sect348">If your total is now 0&endash;5, <link-text>turn to 348</link-text>.</choice>
1447 <choice idref="sect70">If it is 6 or more, <link-text>turn to 70</link-text>.</choice>
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