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15 <title>The Legacy of Vashna</title>
16 <creator class="author" sort-name="Dever, Joe">Joe Dever</creator>
17 <creator class="illustrator" sort-name="Williams, Brian">Brian Williams</creator>
18 <creator class="short">Joe Dever and Brian Williams</creator>
19 <creator class="medium">
20 <line>Joe Dever</line>
21 <line>Illustrated by Brian Williams</line>
23 <creator class="long">
24 &inclusion.joe.dever.bio.lw;
25 &inclusion.brian.williams.bio.lw;
27 <publisher>Project Aon</publisher>
28 <date class="publication"><year>2012</year><month>10</month><day>28</day></date>
29 <description class="blurb">
30 <p>You are Lone Wolf<ch.emdash/>Kai Grand Master of Sommerlund. The spirit of Vashna, greatest of all the Darklords, is imprisoned deep within the fathomless reaches of the Maakengorge. For centuries, servants of darkness have tried to summon him to do their bidding but always they have failed<ch.ellips/>until now!</p>
31 <p>In <strong><cite>The Legacy of Vashna</cite></strong>, you must locate and defeat the Darklord<ch.apos/>s minions before they can complete the resurrection of their master<ch.emdash/>the most powerful Lord of Evil your world has ever known. Will you succeed in your quest? Or will you and your fragile world perish in the wrath of Vashna?</p>
33 <description class="publication">
34 <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>
36 <rights class="copyrights">
37 <line>Text copyright <ch.copy/> 1991 Joe Dever.</line>
38 <line>Illustrations copyright <ch.copy/> 1991 Brian Williams.</line>
40 <rights class="license-notification">
42 <line>Text copyright <ch.copy/> 1991 Joe Dever.</line>
43 <line>Illustrations copyright <ch.copy/> 1991 Brian Williams.</line>
44 <line>Distribution of this Internet Edition is restricted under the terms of the <a idref="license">Project Aon License</a>.</line>
56 <title>Title Page</title>
57 <link class="next" idref="dedicate" />
62 <section class="frontmatter" id="dedicate">
64 <title>Dedication</title>
65 <link class="prev" idref="title" />
66 <link class="next" idref="acknwldg" />
71 <p class="dedication">To Margaret Foden</p>
76 <section class="frontmatter" id="acknwldg">
78 <title>Acknowledgements</title>
79 <link class="prev" idref="dedicate" />
80 <link class="next" idref="tssf" />
85 &inclusion.joe.dever.endowment;
87 <section class="frontmatter" id="credits">
88 <meta><title>Credits</title></meta>
92 <dt>Transcription</dt>
94 <dt>Illustration Transcription</dt>
95 <dd>Jonathan Blake</dd>
98 <line>Jonathan Blake</line>
99 <line>Simon Osborne</line>
101 <dt>Action Charts</dt>
103 <line>JC Alvarez</line>
104 <line>Jonathan Blake</line>
106 <dt>Proofreading</dt>
108 <line>Michael Davies (Sections 71<ch.endash/>140)</line>
109 <line>Jeff Dougan (Frontmatter)</line>
110 <line>Markus Eisensehr (Sections 141<ch.endash/>210)</line>
111 <line>Brett Taylor (Sections 1<ch.endash/>70 and 211<ch.endash/>350)</line>
115 <line>David Davis</line>
116 <line>Ingo Kl<ch.ouml/>cker</line>
117 <line>Chris Lundgren</line>
118 <line>Neil McGrory</line>
119 <line>Timothy Pederick</line>
120 <line>Simon Osborne</line>
121 <line>Keith Sheldon</line>
122 <line>Jennifer Sigman</line>
124 <dt>Coordination</dt>
125 <dd>Jonathan Blake</dd>
126 <dt>Special Thanks</dt>
127 <dd>Jan Charv<ch.aacute/>t, David Davis, Laurence Leach, Timothy Pederick, Christopher Turner, Jeremy Welker</dd>
135 <section class="frontmatter" id="tssf">
137 <title>The Story So Far<ch.ellips/></title>
138 <link class="prev" idref="acknwldg" />
139 <link class="next" idref="gamerulz" />
143 <p>You are Grand Master Lone Wolf, last of the Kai Lords of Sommerlund and sole survivor of a massacre that wiped out the First Order of your <ch.eacute/>lite warrior caste.</p>
144 <p>It is the year MS 5077, and twenty-seven years have passed since your brave kinsmen perished at the hands of the Darklords of Helgedad. These champions of evil, who were sent forth by Naar, the King of the Darkness, to destroy the fertile world of Magnamund, have themselves since been destroyed. You vowed to avenge the murder of the Kai and you kept your pledge, for it was you who brought about their downfall when alone you infiltrated their foul domain<ch.emdash/>the Darklands<ch.emdash/>and caused the destruction of their leader, Archlord Gnaag, and the seat of his power that was the infernal city of Helgedad.</p>
145 <p>In the wake of their destruction, chaos befell the Darkland armies who, until then, had been poised to conquer all of Magnamund. Some factions which were part of this huge army, most notably the barbaric Drakkarim, began to fight with the others for control. This disorder quickly escalated into an all-out civil war, which allowed the Freeland armies of Magnamund time in which to recover and launch a counter-offensive. Skilfully their commanders exploited the chaos and secured a swift and total victory over an enemy far superior in numbers.</p>
146 <p>For seven years now peace has reigned in Sommerlund. Under your direction, the once-ruined Monastery of the Kai has been thoroughly rebuilt and restored to its former glory, and the task of teaching a Second Order of Kai warriors the skills and proud traditions of your ancestors is also well under way. The new generation of Kai recruits, all of whom were born during the era of war against the Darklords, possess latent Kai skills and show exceptional promise. These skills will be nurtured and honed to perfection during their time at the monastery so that they may teach and inspire future generations, thereby ensuring the continued security of your homeland in future years.</p>
147 <p>Your attainment of the rank of Kai Grand Master brought with it great rewards. Some, such as the restoration of the Kai and the undying gratitude of your fellow Sommlending, could have been anticipated. Yet there have also been rewards which you could not possibly have foreseen. The discovery that within you lay the potential to develop Kai Disciplines beyond those of the Magnakai, which, until now, were thought to be the ultimate that a Kai Master could aspire to, was truly a revelation. Your discovery has inspired you to set out upon a new and previously unknown path in search of the wisdom and power that no Kai Lord before you has ever possessed. In the name of your creator, the God Kai, and for the greater glory of Sommerlund and the Goddess Ishir, you have vowed to reach the very pinnacle of Kai perfection<ch.emdash/>to attain all of the Grand Master Disciplines and become the first Kai Supreme Master.</p>
148 <p>With diligence and determination you set about the restoration of the Kai Monastery and organized the training of the Second Order recruits. Your efforts were soon rewarded and, within the space of two short years, the first raw recruits had graduated to become a cadre of gifted Kai Masters who, in turn, were able to commence the teaching of their skills to subsequent intakes of Kai novices. Readily the Kai Masters rose to their newfound responsibilities, leaving you free to devote more of your time to the pursuit and perfection of the Grand Master Disciplines. During this period you also received expert tutelage in the ways of magic from two of your most trusted friends and advisors: Guildmaster Banedon, leader of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star, and Lord Rimoah, speaker for the High Council of the Elder Magi.</p>
149 <p>In the deepest subterranean level of the monastery, a hundred feet below the Tower of the Sun, you ordered the excavation and construction of a special vault. In this magnificent chamber wrought of granite and gold, you placed the seven Lorestones of Nyxator, the gems of Kai power which you had recovered during your quest for the Magnakai. It was here, bathed in the golden light of those radiant gems, that you spent countless hours in pursuit of perfection. Sometimes alone, sometimes in the company of your two able advisors<ch.emdash/>Banedon and Rimoah<ch.emdash/>you worked hard to develop your innate Grand Master Disciplines, and grasp the fundamental secrets of Left-handed and Old Kingdom magic. During this time you noticed many remarkable changes taking place within your body: you became physically and mentally stronger, your five primary senses sharpened beyond all that you had experienced before, and, perhaps most remarkably, your body began to age at a much slower rate. Now, for every five years that elapse you age but one year.</p>
150 <p>At this time many changes were occurring beyond the borders of Sommerlund. In the regions to the northeast of Magador and the Maakengorge, the Elder Magi of Dessi and the Herbwardens of Bautar were working together in an effort to restore the dusty volcanic wasteland to its former fertile state. It was the first tentative step towards the reclamation of all the Darklands. However, their progress was painfully slow, and both parties were resigned to the fact that their efforts to undo the damage caused by the Darklords would take centuries to complete.</p>
151 <p>Following the destruction of the Darklords of Helgedad, the Giaks, the most numerous of all Gnaag<ch.apos/>s troops, fled into the Darklands and sought refuge in the gigantic city-fortresses of Nadgazad, Aarnak, Gournen, Akagazad, and Kaag. Within each of these hellish strongholds, fierce fighting broke out as remnants of the Xaghash (lesser Darklords) and the Nadziranim (evil practitioners of Right-handed magic who once aided individual Darklord masters) fought for control. It is widely believed that by the time the Elder Magi and the Herbwardens reach the walls of these strongholds they will encounter no resistance; the occupants will have long since brought about their own extinction.</p>
152 <p>Elsewhere, throughout Northern Magnamund, peace reigns victorious and the peoples of the Free Kingdoms rejoice in the knowledge that the age of the Darklords has finally come to an end. Readily men have exchanged their swords for hoes and their shields for ploughs, and now the only marching they do is along the ruts of their freshly furrowed fields. Few are the watchful eyes that scan the distant horizon in fear of what may appear, although there are still those who maintain their vigilance, for the agents of Naar come in many guises and there are those in Magnamund who wait quietly in the shadows for the chance to do his evil bidding.</p>
153 <p>Already your newfound skills have been tested against Naar<ch.apos/>s agents and you have, on each such occasion, acquitted yourself admirably. But your continuing victories against his minions have enraged the Dark God, and rarely has his lust for vengeance been greater than it is at present. Recently, Lord Rimoah has counselled you to be extra vigilant, for he fears that Naar is getting ready to strike at Sommerlund anew. The Elder Magi have received warnings from President Kadharian of Magador that something strange is taking place in the north of his country, in the mountainous territory which borders upon the Maakengorge. Freak storms and unseasonal weather have swept this remote region, and the night skies over Lake Vorndarol have, for several weeks now, been illuminated by eerie, inexplicable lights.</p>
154 <p>Lord Rimoah fears that Naar is plotting to revive Vashna, the greatest of all the Darklords, whose spirit is trapped deep within the fathomless reaches of the Maakengorge. It has remained there, in uneasy entombment, ever since the day the Darklord was defeated in battle by King Ulnar I of Sommerlund. Vashna<ch.apos/>s body, along with those of his loathsome troops, was hurled into the abyss, hopefully never to be seen again. Legend has it that the Darklord<ch.apos/>s body was destroyed but his spirit still lives on. He is said to be awaiting the day when he shall be made to rise, at the head of a vast army of undead warriors, and set loose to wreak his revenge upon Sommerlund and the house of Ulnar.</p>
155 <p><quote>If it is Naar<ch.apos/>s intention to resurrect Vashna and his army from the depths of the Maakengorge,</quote> said an anxious Lord Rimoah, as you and he discussed the situation in the secure privacy of your vault below the Kai Monastery, <quote>then no free realm upon the face of Magnamund will be safe. It has always been Sommerlund<ch.apos/>s misfortune that Ulnar<ch.apos/>s victory over Vashna was never total. I have always feared that the legacy of the Maakengorge would one day awaken and confront us<ch.ellips/>and I fear, unless we act swiftly, that that day is about to dawn.</quote></p>
156 <p>For several hours, you and your learned advisor deliberated what could be done to prevent such a catastrophe. You decided that the exact nature of the threat had first to be determined if you were to combat it effectively. You were confident that your Grand Master Disciplines would enable you to unravel this mystery quickly, and so you volunteered to journey to northern Magador and investigate the strange incidents at first hand. After all, there could be a perfectly innocent explanation for them.</p>
157 <p><quote>Let us hope it is so, Grand Master,</quote> said Lord Rimoah, earnestly, <quote>but, nevertheless, do not forget what could confront you there. I shall pray to Kai and Ishir to watch over and guide you on the journey ahead, Lone Wolf, and bring you home, swiftly, safely, and victoriously.</quote></p>
161 <section class="frontmatter" id="gamerulz">
163 <title>The Game Rules</title>
164 <link class="prev" idref="tssf" />
165 <link class="next" idref="discplnz" />
169 <footnote id="gamerulz-1-foot" idref="gamerulz-1">
170 <p>The Discipline bonuses mentioned do not affect your permanent scores. If you have completed previous adventures, the Disciplines that you have mastered may still be beneficial. See the Grand Master Rules section of the <a href="&link.rh;">Readers<ch.apos/> Handbook</a> for details.</p>
172 <footnote id="gamerulz-2-foot" idref="gamerulz-2">
173 <p>If you have completed any previous <cite>Lone Wolf Grand Master</cite> adventures, remember to choose an additional Grand Master Discipline and add +1 to your basic <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> and +2 to your basic <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> for each adventure you successfully completed (cf. <a idref="discplnz">Grand Master Disciplines</a>).</p>
178 <p>You keep a record of your adventure on the <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
179 <p>For more than six years, ever since the demise of the Darklords of Helgedad, you have devoted yourself to developing further your fighting prowess<ch.emdash/><typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ><ch.emdash/>and physical stamina<ch.emdash/><typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ>. Before you begin this Grand Master 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 onto the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. If you pick a 0 it counts as zero.</p>
180 <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 25 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 6 in the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> you would write in a <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> of 31). 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>
181 <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 30 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 7 on the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> you would have 37 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points).</p>
182 <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 have when you start an adventure.</p>
183 <p>If you have successfully completed any of the previous adventures in the <cite>Lone Wolf</cite> series (Books 1<ch.endash/>15), you can carry your current scores of <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> and <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points over to Book 16. These scores may include Weaponmastery, Curing, and Psi-surge bonuses obtained upon completion of <cite>Lone Wolf Kai</cite> (Books 1<ch.endash/>5) or <cite>Magnakai</cite> (Books 6<ch.endash/>12) adventures.<footref id="gamerulz-1" idref="gamerulz-1-foot"/> Only if you have completed these previous adventures will you benefit from the appropriate bonuses in the course of the <cite>Lone Wolf Grand Master</cite> series.<footref id="gamerulz-2" idref="gamerulz-2-foot"/> You may also carry over any Weapons and Backpack Items you had in your possession at the end of your last adventure, and these should be entered on your new Grand Master <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>. (You are still limited to two Weapons, but you may now carry up to ten Backpack Items.)</p>
184 <p>However, only the following Special Items may be carried over from the <cite>Lone Wolf Kai</cite> (Books 1<ch.endash/>5) and <cite>Magnakai</cite> (Books 6<ch.endash/>12) series to the <cite>Lone Wolf Grand Master</cite> series (Books 13-onwards):</p>
186 <li>Crystal Star Pendant</li>
189 <li>Dagger of Vashna</li>
190 <li>Silver Bracers</li>
191 <li>Jewelled Mace</li>
192 <li>Silver Bow of Duadon</li>
194 <li>Kagonite Chainmail</li>
195 <li>Korlinium Scabbard</li>
198 <section class="frontmatter-separate" id="discplnz">
200 <title>Grand Master Disciplines</title>
201 <link class="prev" idref="gamerulz" />
202 <link class="next" idref="equipmnt" />
206 <footnote id="discplnz-1-foot" idref="discplnz-1">
207 <p>Weaponmastery bonuses are replaced by Grand Weaponmastery bonuses, not added cumulatively (cf. <a href="http://www.projectaon.org/en/ReadersHandbook/NewsletterExcerpts#lwcn28">Lone Wolf Club Newsletter 28</a>).</p>
208 <p>If you have completed previous adventures, already possess the Magnakai Discipline of Weaponmastery with Bow, and have reached the rank of <bookref book="12tmod" section="imprvdsc">Mentora</bookref>, it seems that you should already be able to add 5 to numbers picked from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> (i.e. the basic Weaponmastery with Bow bonus of 3 added to the Mentora bonus of 2 for all missile weapons). Likely, the author intended the Weaponmastery bonus at the Mentora rank to be a <quote>hidden loyalty bonus</quote> (cf. <a href="http://www.projectaon.org/en/ReadersHandbook/NewsletterExcerpts#lwcn28">Lone Wolf Club Newsletter 28</a>). In view of this, the +2 Mentora bonus is therefore <em>not</em> cumulative with Grand Weaponmastery with Bow.</p>
209 <p>Certain sections direct the reader to use different bonuses when using a Bow, ranging from 3 to 5, if you have Grand Weaponmastery with Bow. This may be the author adjusting the Grand Weaponmastery bonus on a case-by-case basis (and therefore this bonus should be used instead of the standard bonus) or an error (and therefore all of these bonuses should be 5). It is up to you to decide, but it seems most reasonable to follow the first alternative, to replace the Grand Weaponmastery bonus with whatever bonus is mentioned in that section.</p>
215 <section class="frontmatter" id="mksumary">
217 <title>Kai <ch.ampersand/> Magnakai Disciplines</title>
221 <p>During your distinguished rise to the rank of Kai Grand Master you have become proficient in all of the basic Kai and Magnakai Disciplines. These Disciplines have provided you with a formidable arsenal of natural abilities which have served you well in the fight against the agents and champions of Naar, King of the Darkness. A brief summary of your skills is given below.</p>
224 <dt>Weaponmastery</dt>
225 <dd>Proficiency with all close combat and missile weapons. Master of unarmed combat; no <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> loss when fighting bare-handed.</dd>
226 <dt>Animal Control</dt>
227 <dd>Communication with most animals; limited control over hostile creatures. Can use woodland animals as guides and can block a non-sentient creature<ch.apos/>s sense of taste and smell.</dd>
229 <dd>Steady restoration of lost <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points (to self and others) as a result of combat wounds. Neutralization of poisons, venoms, and toxins. Repair of serious battle-wounds.</dd>
230 <dt>Invisibility</dt>
231 <dd>Mask body heat and scent; hide effectively; mask sounds during movement; minor alterations of physical appearance.</dd>
233 <dd>Effective hunting of food in the wild; increased agility; intensified vision, hearing, smell, and night vision.</dd>
234 <dt>Pathsmanship</dt>
235 <dd>Read languages, decipher symbols, read footprints and tracks. Intuitive knowledge of compass points; detection of enemy ambush up to 500 yards; ability to cross terrain without leaving tracks; converse with sentient creatures; mask self from psychic spells of detection.</dd>
237 <dd>Attack enemies using the powers of the mind; set up disruptive vibrations in objects; confuse enemies.</dd>
239 <dd>Defence against hypnosis, supernatural illusions, charms, hostile telepathy, and evil spirits. Ability to divert and re-channel hostile psychic energy.</dd>
241 <dd>Move small items by projection of mind power; withstand extremes of temperature; extinguish fire by force of will; limited immunity to flames, toxic gases, and corrosive liquids.</dd>
243 <dd>Sense imminent danger; detect invisible or hidden enemy; telepathic communication; recognize magic-using and/or magical creatures; detect psychic residues; limited ability to leave body and spirit-walk.</dd>
248 <p>Now, through the pursuit of your new skills and the further development of your innate Kai abilities, you have set out upon a path of discovery that no other Kai Grand Master has ever attempted with success. Your determination to become the first Kai Supreme Master, by acquiring total proficiency in all twelve of the Grand Master Disciplines, is an awe-inspiring challenge. You will be venturing into the unknown, pushing back the boundaries of human limitation in the pursuit of greatness and the cause of Good. May the blessings of the Gods Kai and Ishir go with you as you begin your brave and noble quest.</p>
249 <p>In the years following the demise of the Darklords you have reached the rank of Kai Grand Defender, which means that you have mastered <em>four</em> of the Grand Master Disciplines listed below. It is up to you to choose which four Disciplines these are. As all of the Grand Master Disciplines may be of use to you at some point during your adventure, pick your four skills with care. The correct use of a Grand Master Discipline at the right time could save your life.</p>
250 <p>When you have chosen your four Disciplines, enter them in the Grand Master Disciplines section of your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
252 <section class="frontmatter" id="wpnmstry">
253 <meta><title>Grand Weaponmastery</title></meta>
256 <illustration class="inline">
258 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
260 <instance class="html" src="wpnmast.png" width="386" height="54" mime-type="image/png"/>
261 <instance class="html-compatible" src="wpnmast.gif" width="386" height="54" mime-type="image/gif"/>
262 <instance class="pdf" src="wpnmast.pdf" width="386" height="54" />
265 <p>This Discipline enables a Grand Master to become supremely efficient in the use of all weapons. When you enter combat with one of your Grand Weaponmastery weapons, you add 5 points to your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ>. The rank of Kai Grand Defender, with which you begin the <cite>Lone Wolf Grand Master</cite> series, means you are supremely efficient in the use of <em>two</em> of the weapons listed below. For each book that you complete in the <cite>Lone Wolf Grand Master</cite> series (Books 13<ch.endash/>20), you will gain mastery of an additional weapon. For example, if you complete <cite>The Plague Lords of Ruel</cite> and have the Grand Master Discipline of Grand Weaponmastery at the beginning of the next <cite>Lone Wolf Grand Master</cite> book, you may choose an additional Weapon to gain mastery of.</p>
266 <illustration class="inline">
268 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
270 <instance class="html" src="weapons.png" width="386" height="310" mime-type="image/png"/>
271 <instance class="html-compatible" src="weapons.gif" width="386" height="310"/>
272 <instance class="pdf" src="weapons.pdf" width="386" height="310"/>
273 <instance class="text" src="none" width="none" height="none" >
274 <ul class="unbulleted">
281 <li>Quarterstaff</li>
288 <p>If you have the Discipline of Grand Weaponmastery with Bow, you may add 5 to any number that you pick from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>, when using the Bow.<footref id="discplnz-1" idref="discplnz-1-foot"/></p>
292 <section class="frontmatter" id="anmlmstr">
293 <meta><title>Animal Mastery</title></meta>
296 <illustration class="inline">
298 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
300 <instance class="html" src="anmlmast.png" width="386" height="53" mime-type="image/png"/>
301 <instance class="html-compatible" src="anmlmast.gif" width="386" height="53" mime-type="image/gif"/>
302 <instance class="pdf" src="anmlmast.pdf" width="386" height="53" />
305 <p>Grand Masters have considerable control over hostile, non-sentient creatures. Also, they have the ability to converse with birds and fishes, and use them as guides.</p>
309 <section class="frontmatter" id="deliver">
310 <meta><title>Deliverance (Advanced Curing)</title></meta>
313 <illustration class="inline">
315 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
317 <instance class="html" src="delvrance.png" width="386" height="53" mime-type="image/png"/>
318 <instance class="html-compatible" src="delvrance.gif" width="386" height="53" mime-type="image/gif"/>
319 <instance class="pdf" src="delvrance.pdf" width="386" height="53" />
322 <p>Grand Masters are able to use their healing power to repair serious battle-wounds. If, whilst in combat, their <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> is reduced to 8 points or less, they can draw upon their mastery to restore 20 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points. This ability can only be used once every 20 days.</p>
326 <section class="frontmatter" id="assimila">
327 <meta><title>Assimilance (Advanced Invisibility)</title></meta>
330 <illustration class="inline">
332 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
334 <instance class="html" src="assmlnce.png" width="386" height="53" mime-type="image/png"/>
335 <instance class="html-compatible" src="assmlnce.gif" width="386" height="53" mime-type="image/gif"/>
336 <instance class="pdf" src="assmlnce.pdf" width="386" height="53" />
339 <p>Grand Masters are able to effect striking changes to their physical appearance, and maintain these changes over a period of a few days. They have also mastered advanced camouflage techniques that make them virtually undetectable in an open landscape.</p>
343 <section class="frontmatter" id="hntmstry">
344 <meta><title>Grand Huntmastery</title></meta>
347 <illustration class="inline">
349 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
351 <instance class="html" src="huntmstr.png" width="386" height="54" mime-type="image/png"/>
352 <instance class="html-compatible" src="huntmstr.gif" width="386" height="54" mime-type="image/gif"/>
353 <instance class="pdf" src="huntmstr.pdf" width="386" height="54" />
356 <p>Grand Masters are able to see in total darkness and have greatly heightened senses of touch and taste. If you have chosen the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery as one of your skills, you will not need to tick off a Meal when instructed to eat.</p>
360 <section class="frontmatter" id="pthmnshp">
361 <meta><title>Grand Pathsmanship</title></meta>
364 <illustration class="inline">
366 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
368 <instance class="html" src="pathsmn.png" width="386" height="53" mime-type="image/png"/>
369 <instance class="html-compatible" src="pathsmn.gif" width="386" height="53" mime-type="image/gif"/>
370 <instance class="pdf" src="pathsmn.pdf" width="386" height="53" />
373 <p>Grand Masters are able to resist entrapment by hostile plants and have a super-awareness of ambush, or the threat of ambush, in woods and dense forests.</p>
377 <section class="frontmatter" id="kaisurge">
378 <meta><title>Kai-surge</title></meta>
381 <illustration class="inline">
383 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
385 <instance class="html" src="ksurge.png" width="386" height="53" mime-type="image/png"/>
386 <instance class="html-compatible" src="ksurge.gif" width="386" height="53" mime-type="image/gif"/>
387 <instance class="pdf" src="ksurge.pdf" width="386" height="53" />
390 <p>When using their psychic ability to attack an enemy, Grand Masters may add 8 points to their <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ>. For every round in which Kai-surge is used, Grand Masters need only deduct 1 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> point. When using the weaker psychic attack<ch.emdash/>Mindblast<ch.emdash/>they may add 4 points without loss of <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points. (Kai-surge, Psi-surge, and Mindblast cannot be used simultaneously.)</p>
391 <p>Grand Masters cannot use Kai-surge if their <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> score falls to 6 points or below.</p>
395 <section class="frontmatter" id="kaiscrn">
396 <meta><title>Kai-screen</title></meta>
399 <illustration class="inline">
401 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
403 <instance class="html" src="kscreen.png" width="386" height="53" mime-type="image/png"/>
404 <instance class="html-compatible" src="kscreen.gif" width="386" height="53" mime-type="image/gif"/>
405 <instance class="pdf" src="kscreen.pdf" width="386" height="53" />
408 <p>In psychic combat, Grand Masters are able to construct mind fortresses capable of protecting themselves and others. The strength and capacity of these fortresses increase as a Grand Master advances in rank.</p>
412 <section class="frontmatter" id="nexus">
413 <meta><title>Grand Nexus</title></meta>
416 <illustration class="inline">
418 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
420 <instance class="html" src="nexus.png" width="386" height="54" mime-type="image/png"/>
421 <instance class="html-compatible" src="nexus.gif" width="386" height="54" mime-type="image/gif"/>
422 <instance class="pdf" src="nexus.pdf" width="386" height="54" />
425 <p>Grand Masters are able to withstand contact with harmful elements, such as flames and acids, for upwards of an hour in duration. This ability increases as a Grand Master advances in rank.</p>
429 <section class="frontmatter" id="gnosis">
430 <meta><title>Telegnosis (Advanced Divination)</title></meta>
433 <illustration class="inline">
435 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
437 <instance class="html" src="telegnss.png" width="386" height="54" mime-type="image/png"/>
438 <instance class="html-compatible" src="telegnss.gif" width="386" height="54" mime-type="image/gif"/>
439 <instance class="pdf" src="telegnss.pdf" width="386" height="54" />
442 <p>This Discipline enables a Grand Master to spirit-walk for far greater lengths of time, and with far fewer ill effects. Duration and the protection of his inanimate body increase as a Grand Master advances in rank.</p>
446 <section class="frontmatter" id="magi">
447 <meta><title>Magi-magic</title></meta>
450 <illustration class="inline">
452 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
454 <instance class="html" src="magimagc.png" width="386" height="54" mime-type="image/png"/>
455 <instance class="html-compatible" src="magimagc.gif" width="386" height="54" mime-type="image/gif"/>
456 <instance class="pdf" src="magimagc.pdf" width="386" height="54" />
459 <p>Under the tutelage of Lord Rimoah, you have been able to master the rudimentary skills of battle-magic, as taught to the Vakeros<ch.emdash/>the native warriors of Dessi. These skills include the basic use of Old Kingdom Spells such as <spell>Shield</spell>, <spell>Power Word</spell>, and <spell>Invisible Fist</spell>. As you advance in rank, so will your knowledge and mastery of Old Kingdom magic increase.</p>
463 <section class="frontmatter" id="alchemy">
464 <meta><title>Kai-alchemy</title></meta>
467 <illustration class="inline">
469 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
471 <instance class="html" src="alchemy.png" width="386" height="54" mime-type="image/png"/>
472 <instance class="html-compatible" src="alchemy.gif" width="386" height="54" mime-type="image/gif"/>
473 <instance class="pdf" src="alchemy.pdf" width="386" height="54" />
476 <p>Under the tutelage of Guildmaster Banedon, you have mastered the elementary spells of Left-handed magic, as practised by the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star. These spells include <spell>Lightning Hand</spell>, <spell>Levitation</spell>, and <spell>Mind Charm</spell>. As you advance in rank, so will your knowledge and mastery of Left-handed magic increase, enabling you to craft new Kai weapons and artefacts.</p>
480 <p>If you successfully complete the mission as set in Book 16 of the <cite>Lone Wolf Grand Master</cite> series, you may add a further Grand Master Discipline of your choice to your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> in <bookref series="lw" book="17tdoi">Book 17</bookref>.</p>
482 <p>For every Grand Master Discipline you possess, in excess of the original four Disciplines you begin with, you may add 1 point to your basic <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> score and 2 points to your basic <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points score. These bonus points, together with your extra Grand Master Discipline(s), your original four Grand Master Disciplines, and any Special Items that you have found and been able to keep during your adventures, may then be carried over and used in the next <cite>Lone Wolf Grand Master</cite> adventure, which is called <bookref series="lw" book="17tdoi"><cite>The Deathlord of Ixia</cite></bookref>.</p>
486 <section class="frontmatter-separate" id="equipmnt">
488 <title>Equipment</title>
489 <link class="prev" idref="discplnz"/>
490 <link class="next" idref="cmbtrulz"/>
494 <p>Before you set off on your long journey to Magador, you take with you a <a idref="map">map of the Maakengorge and surrounding territories</a> 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> and add 20 to the number you have picked. The total equals the number of Gold Crowns inside the pouch, and you should now enter this number in the <quote>Gold Crowns</quote> section of your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
495 <p>If you have successfully completed any of the previous <cite>Lone Wolf</cite> adventures (Books 1<ch.endash/>15), you may add this sum to the total sum of Crowns you already possess. Fifty Crowns is the maximum you can carry, but additional Crowns can be left in safekeeping at your monastery.</p>
496 <p>You can take four items from the list below, again adding to these, if necessary, any you may already possess from previous adventures (remember, you are still limited to two Weapons, but you may now carry a maximum of ten Backpack Items).</p>
497 <ul class="paragraphed">
498 <li><p>Sword (Weapons)</p>
499 <illustration class="inline">
501 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
503 <instance class="html" src="sword.png" width="386" height="69" mime-type="image/png"/>
504 <instance class="html-compatible" src="sword.gif" width="386" height="69" mime-type="image/gif"/>
505 <instance class="pdf" src="sword.pdf" width="386" height="69"/>
508 <li><p>Bow (Weapons)</p>
509 <illustration class="inline">
511 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
513 <instance class="html" src="bow.png" width="386" height="64" mime-type="image/png"/>
514 <instance class="html-compatible" src="bow.gif" width="386" height="64" mime-type="image/gif"/>
515 <instance class="pdf" src="bow.pdf" width="386" height="64"/>
519 <p>Quiver (Special Items) This contains six Arrows: record them on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
520 <illustration class="inline">
522 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
524 <instance class="html" src="quiver.png" width="386" height="127" mime-type="image/png"/>
525 <instance class="html-compatible" src="quiver.gif" width="386" height="127" mime-type="image/gif"/>
526 <instance class="pdf" src="quiver.pdf" width="386" height="127" />
529 <li><p>Axe (Weapons)</p>
530 <illustration class="inline">
532 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
534 <instance class="html" src="axe.png" width="386" height="112" mime-type="image/png"/>
535 <instance class="html-compatible" src="axe.gif" width="386" height="112" mime-type="image/gif"/>
536 <instance class="pdf" src="axe.pdf" width="386" height="112"/>
540 <p>2 Meals (Meals) Each Meal takes up one space in your Backpack.</p>
541 <illustration class="inline">
543 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
545 <instance class="html" src="food.png" width="386" height="150" mime-type="image/png"/>
546 <instance class="html-compatible" src="food.gif" width="386" height="150" mime-type="image/gif"/>
547 <instance class="pdf" src="food.pdf" width="386" height="150" />
551 <p>Rope (Backpack Item)</p>
552 <illustration class="inline">
554 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
556 <instance class="html" src="rope.png" width="386" height="109" mime-type="image/png"/>
557 <instance class="html-compatible" src="rope.gif" width="386" height="109" mime-type="image/gif"/>
558 <instance class="pdf" src="rope.pdf" width="386" height="109" />
562 <p>Potion of Laumspur (Backpack Item) 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>
563 <illustration class="inline">
565 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
567 <instance class="html" src="potion.png" width="386" height="167" mime-type="image/png"/>
568 <instance class="html-compatible" src="potion.gif" width="386" height="167" mime-type="image/gif"/>
569 <instance class="pdf" src="potion.pdf" width="386" height="167" />
572 <li><p>Quarterstaff (Weapons)</p>
573 <illustration class="inline">
575 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
577 <instance class="html" src="qurtstff.png" width="386" height="45" mime-type="image/png"/>
578 <instance class="html-compatible" src="qurtstff.gif" width="386" height="45" mime-type="image/gif"/>
579 <instance class="pdf" src="qurtstff.pdf" width="386" height="45" />
583 <p>Dagger (Weapons)</p>
584 <illustration class="inline">
586 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
588 <instance class="html" src="dagger.png" width="386" height="150" mime-type="image/png"/>
589 <instance class="html-compatible" src="dagger.gif" width="386" height="150" mime-type="image/gif"/>
590 <instance class="pdf" src="dagger.pdf" width="386" height="150" />
595 <p>List the four items that you choose on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>, under the appropriate headings, 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>
597 <section class="frontmatter" id="howuse">
599 <title>How to Use Your Equipment</title>
603 <dl class="paragraphed">
605 <dd><p>The maximum number of Weapons that you can carry is <em>two</em>. Weapons aid you in combat. If you have the Grand Master Discipline of Grand Weaponmastery and a correct weapon, it adds 5 points to your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ>. If you find a Weapon during your adventure, you may pick it up and use it. You may only use one Weapon at a time in combat.</p></dd>
606 <dt>Bows and Arrows</dt>
608 <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, such as a Sword or an Axe.</p>
609 <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>
611 <dt>Backpack Items</dt>
613 <p>These must be stored in your Backpack. Because space is limited, you may keep a maximum of ten articles, including Meals, in your Backpack at any one time. You may only carry one Backpack at a time. During your travels you will discover various useful items which you may decide to keep. You may exchange or discard them at any point when you are not involved in combat.</p>
614 <p>Any item that may be of use, and which can be picked up on your adventure and entered on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> is given either initial capitals (e.g. Gold Dagger, Magic Pendant), or is clearly labelled as a Backpack Item. Unless you are told that it is a Special Item, carry it in your Backpack.</p>
616 <dt>Special Items</dt>
618 <p>Special Items are not carried in the Backpack. When you discover a Special Item, you will be told how or where to carry it. The maximum number of Special Items that can be carried on any adventure is twelve.</p>
622 <p>The currency of Magador is the Gold Crown. These are always carried in the Belt Pouch. It will hold a maximum of fifty Crowns.</p>
625 <dd><p>Food is carried in your Backpack. Each Meal counts as one item. You will need to eat regularly during your adventure. If you do not have any food when you are instructed to eat a Meal, you will lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points. If you have chosen the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery as one of your skills, you will not need to tick off a Meal when instructed to eat.</p></dd>
626 <dt>Potion of Laumspur</dt>
627 <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>
634 <section class="frontmatter-separate" id="cmbtrulz">
636 <title>Rules for Combat</title>
637 <link class="prev" idref="equipmnt" />
638 <link class="next" idref="levels" />
642 <p>There will be occasions during your adventure when you have to fight an enemy. The enemy<ch.apos/>s <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> and <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points are given in the text. Lone Wolf<ch.apos/>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>
643 <p>At the start of a combat, enter Lone Wolf<ch.apos/>s and the enemy<ch.apos/>s <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points in the appropriate boxes on the Combat Record section of your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>. The sequence for combat is as follows:</p>
644 <ol class="paragraphed">
645 <li><p>Add any extra points gained through your Grand Master Disciplines and Special Items to your current <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> total.</p></li>
647 <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>
649 <p>Lone Wolf (<typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> 27) is attacked by a pack of Doomwolves (<typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> 30). He is taken by surprise and is not given the opportunity of evading their attack. Lone Wolf has the Grand Master Discipline of Kai-surge to which the Doomwolves are not immune, so Lone Wolf adds 8 points to his <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ>, giving him a total <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> of 35.</p>
650 <p>He subtracts the Doomwolf pack<ch.apos/>s <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> from his own, giving a Combat Ratio of +5. (35<ch.minus/>30 = +5). +5 is noted on the <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> as the Combat Ratio.</p>
652 <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>
654 <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>
656 <p>The Combat Ratio between Lone Wolf and the Doomwolf Pack has been established as +5. If the number picked from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> is a 2, then the result of the first round of combat is:</p>
658 <li>Lone Wolf loses 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points (plus an additional 1 point for using Kai-surge).</li>
659 <li>Doomwolf Pack loses 7 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</li>
662 <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>
663 <li><p>Unless otherwise instructed, or unless you have an option to evade, the next round of combat now starts.</p></li>
664 <li><p>Repeat the sequence from <a idref="stage3">Stage 3</a>.</p></li>
667 <p>This process of combat continues until <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points of either the enemy or Lone Wolf are reduced to zero or below, at which point that combatant 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 possibly reduced.</p>
668 <p>A <a idref="crsumary">summary of Combat Rules</a> appears in the back of this book.</p>
670 <section class="frontmatter" id="evasion">
671 <meta><title>Evasion of Combat</title></meta>
674 <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 evade only if the text of the particular section allows you to do so.</p>
680 <section class="frontmatter-separate" id="levels">
682 <title>Levels of Kai Grand Mastership</title>
683 <link class="prev" idref="cmbtrulz" />
684 <link class="next" idref="imprvdsc" />
688 <p>The following table is a guide to the ranks and titles you can achieve at each stage of your journey along the road of Kai Grand Mastership. As you successfully complete each adventure in the <cite>Lone Wolf</cite> Grand Master series, you will gain an additional Grand Master Discipline and progress towards the pinnacle of Kai perfection<ch.emdash/>to become a Kai Supreme Master.</p>
691 <li>Kai Grand Master Senior</li>
692 <li>Kai Grand Master Superior</li>
693 <li>Kai Grand Sentinel</li>
694 <li>Kai Grand Defender<ch.emdash/><em>You begin the <cite>Lone Wolf Grand Master</cite> adventures at this level of Mastery</em></li>
695 <li>Kai Grand Guardian</li>
702 <li>Kai Supreme Master</li>
707 <section class="frontmatter-separate" id="imprvdsc">
709 <title>Improved Grand Master Disciplines</title>
710 <link class="prev" idref="levels" />
711 <link class="next" idref="kaiwisdm" />
715 <p>As you rise through the higher levels of Kai Grand Mastery, you will find that your Disciplines will steadily improve. For example, if you possess the Discipline of Grand Nexus when you reach the Grand Master rank of Grand Thane, you will be able to pass freely through Shadow Gates and explore the nether realms of Aon and the Daziarn Plane.</p>
717 <section class="frontmatter" id="guardian">
718 <meta><title>Kai Grand Guardian</title></meta>
720 <p>If you are a Grand Master who has reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian (5 Disciplines), you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:</p>
721 <dl class="paragraphed">
722 <dt>Animal Mastery</dt>
723 <dd><p>Kai Grand Guardians with this Discipline are able to summon a limited number of forest animals to their location. The creatures so summoned will become loyal and willing allies, willing to do the Kai Grand Guardian<ch.apos/>s bidding. This ability can only be used in an outdoor setting.</p></dd>
725 <dd><p>Kai Grand Guardians who possess this skill are able to create a cloud of fog-like vapour within 15 yards of their location. This fog will obscure both normal and infravision. The duration of the fog increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.</p></dd>
726 <dt>Grand Huntmastery</dt>
727 <dd><p>Kai Grand Guardians with this skill enjoy increased mobility when travelling across all types of terrain, whether on foot or on horseback. This improved ability is very useful when used to outdistance a pursuing enemy.</p></dd>
729 <dd><p>Kai Grand Guardians who possess mastery of this Discipline are able to attack up to three enemies in psychic combat simultaneously.</p></dd>
731 <dd><p>Kai Grand Guardians who possess this Discipline are able to exercise a defensive psychic skill known as Mindblend. This cloaking ability enables them to both protect and hide their minds from being detected by a hostile psychic probe.</p></dd>
734 <p>Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian are able to use the following battle-spells of the Elder Magi:</p>
736 <li><spell>Splinter</spell><ch.emdash/>This causes breakable items such as bottles, jugs, mirrors, windows, etc., to shatter to pieces. The range of this spell increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.</li>
737 <li><spell>Flameshaft</spell><ch.emdash/>This causes the tip of any Arrow or Arrow-like missile, to burn fiercely with a magical flame which cannot readily be extinguished by normal means.</li>
744 <section class="frontmatter" id="sunkght">
745 <meta><title>Sun Knight</title></meta>
747 <p>If you are a Grand Master who has reached the rank of Sun Knight (6 Disciplines), you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:</p>
748 <dl class="paragraphed">
749 <dt>Grand Weaponmastery</dt>
750 <dd><p>Sun Knights with this Discipline are able to wield two-handed weapons (i.e. Broadsword, Quarterstaff, and Spear) with full effect, using only one hand.</p></dd>
752 <dd><p>Sun Knights who possess this skill are able to repair serious wounds sustained by creatures other than themselves. By the laying of hands upon the affected creature<ch.apos/>s body, a Sun Knight can cause an open wound (or other serious injury) to mend itself. The speed at which this healing takes place increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.</p></dd>
753 <dt>Grand Pathsmanship</dt>
754 <dd><p>Kai Sun Knights with this skill are able to repel at will all normal-sized insects within a radius of three yards. The range and number of insects so affected increase considerably as a Grand Master rises in rank.</p></dd>
756 <dd><p>Sun Knights who possess Mastery of this Discipline are able to feign death. By placing themselves into a state of suspended animation, outwardly they are able to achieve all semblance of being truly dead. However, whilst in this state the only sense that a Sun Knight retains is the ability to hear.</p></dd>
758 <dd><p>Sun Knights who possess this Discipline are able to communicate telepathically over great distances. Initially the range of this ability is approximately 100 miles, but this distance increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.</p></dd>
761 <p>Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Sun Knight are able to use the following Brotherhood Spells:</p>
763 <li><spell>Halt Missile</spell><ch.emdash/>This causes any projected or hurled missile (e.g. arrows, axes, crossbow bolts) which may pose an immediate threat to the life of a Sun Knight, to cease its flight and remain stationary in mid-air. The effect of the spell lasts for 2<ch.endash/>3 seconds, allowing the Sun Knight sufficient time to move away from its line of flight. Initially only one missile can be affected by this spell, but the number increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.</li>
764 <li><spell>Strength</spell><ch.emdash/>By casting this spell, a Sun Knight is able to greatly increase his or her physical strength for a short duration. It can be used to lift or move heavy objects, or to effect a temporary increase in <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> and <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> scores whilst fighting an enemy.</li>
771 <section class="frontmatter" id="sunlord">
772 <meta><title>Sun Lord</title></meta>
774 <p>If you are a Grand Master who has reached the rank of Sun Lord (7 Disciplines), you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:</p>
775 <dl class="paragraphed">
776 <dt>Grand Weaponmastery</dt>
777 <dd><p>Sun Lords with this Discipline are able to cause the metal edge of any non-magical weapon to ignite and burn fiercely. When a weapon thus affected is used in combat, it inflicts an additional 1 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> point loss upon an enemy in every successful round of combat. This ability cannot be used with a wholly wooden weapon such as a quarterstaff.</p></dd>
779 <dd><p>Sun Lords who possess this skill are able to cause the outline of their bodies to become blurred and indistinct. By so doing, they can greatly increase their chances of avoiding magical and/or non-magical missiles directed at them.</p></dd>
780 <dt>Grand Huntmastery</dt>
781 <dd><p>Kai Sun Lords with this skill are able to see, with acute accuracy, light in the infrared spectrum, i.e. they can see complex patterns generated by heat in near or total darkness. They can also see light in the ultraviolet spectrum.</p></dd>
783 <dd><p>Sun Lords who possess mastery of this Discipline are able to launch a Kai-blast<ch.emdash/>a pulse of intense psychic energy which is capable of affecting both psychically active and inactive enemies. This form of psychic attack is very effective, more so than a usual Kai-surge, Psi-surge, or Mindblast. It can cause an enemy to lose between 2 and 18 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points in one attack. A Kai Sun Lord using Kai-blast determines the damage inflicted on an enemy by picking two numbers from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. These numbers should be added together (a <quote>0</quote> = 1) and the resultant total equals the damage inflicted. However, use of a Kai-blast will reduce a Sun Lord<ch.apos/>s <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points total by 4. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other form of psychic attack.</p></dd>
785 <dd><p>Sun Lords who possess this Discipline are able to alter their body weight in order to walk successfully upon different kinds of surfaces, e.g. water, mud, lava, and quicksand. Time duration and degree of surface difficulty increase as a Grand Master rises in rank.</p></dd>
788 <p>Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Sun Lord are able to use the following battle-spells of the Elder Magi:</p>
790 <li><spell>Penetrate</spell><ch.emdash/>This increases the penetrative energy of any Arrow or Arrow-like missile, launched by a Sun Lord.</li>
791 <li><spell>Energy Grasp</spell><ch.emdash/>This spell enables a Sun Lord to discharge a powerful electrical force into anything he or she touches. It is similar in effect to the Brotherhood Spell <spell>Lightning Hand</spell>, but differs in that it is easier to control and channel the resulting energy. It also requires the actual touching of an object or an enemy to effect the spell.</li>
800 <p>The nature of any additional improvements and how they affect your Grand Master Disciplines will be noted in the Improved Grand Master Disciplines section of future <cite>Lone Wolf</cite> books.</p>
805 <section class="frontmatter" id="kaiwisdm">
807 <title>Grand Master<ch.apos/>s Wisdom</title>
808 <link class="prev" idref="imprvdsc" />
809 <link class="next" idref="sect1" />
813 <p>Northern Magador, which borders upon the Maakengorge, is a notoriously wild and treacherous region. Be wary and on your guard at all times, for you can expect little help from the outlaws and fell creatures who dwell in this area.</p>
814 <p>Some of the things that you will encounter during your mission will be of use to you in this and future <cite>Lone Wolf</cite> books, while others may be red herrings of no real value at all. If you discover any items, be selective in what you choose to keep.</p>
815 <p>Pick your Grand Master Disciplines with care, for a wise choice will enable any player to complete the mission, no matter how weak their initial <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> and <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> scores may be. Successful completion of previous <cite>Lone Wolf</cite> adventures, although an advantage, is not essential for the completion of this Grand Master adventure.</p>
816 <p>May the light of Kai and Ishir be your guide as you venture into the unknown.</p>
817 <p>For Sommerlund and the Kai!</p>
821 <section class="numbered" id="numbered">
822 <meta><title>Numbered Sections</title></meta>
826 <section class="numbered" id="sect1">
827 <meta><title>1</title></meta>
830 <p>The hours leading up to your departure from the Kai Monastery are spent in the company of your able advisor, Lord Rimoah. Having discussed the mission at great length, you busy yourself now with the practical preparations for your long journey to Magador. He gives you a Scroll which contains a written invitation from President Kadharian to attend his senate to <quote>discuss trade between Sommerlund and Magador</quote>. It will provide a cover for you should the need arise to justify your journey. (Record this Scroll as a Special Item that does not take up any space on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.) Also, in the interests of secrecy, you decide it best to discard your formal Kai robes in favour of less conspicuous garments, and you choose instead to wear the simple clothes of a guildsman<ch.emdash/>woollen breeches, leather tunic, and a cloak. Dressed thus, and aided by your innate Kai skills of Invisibility, you feel confident you will be able to travel the road to Helgor, the Magadorian capital, without drawing undue attention to yourself or your purpose.</p>
831 <p>By horse, the journey to Helgor could be expected to take five weeks. Your initial thought had been to send word to your friend, Guildmaster Banedon, requesting that he allow you use of his magical skyship, <cite>Skyrider</cite>. However, on this occasion you will have to forego the speedy comfort of his wondrous craft, for Banedon is using it himself on a quest to the distant land of Bhanar in southern Magnamund, and he is not expected to return to Sommerlund before the year<ch.apos/>s end.</p>
832 <p>Your second choice was also to prove unsuitable. Having resigned yourself to a long journey on horseback, you immediately sent an order to the monastery stables for your horse, Storm, to be saddled and made ready. This fine Slovarian stallion had been a gift to you from Elector Manatine of Palmyrion, in gratitude for the crucial part you played in the victory over the evil Cener Druids of Ruel. His strength, intelligence, and indomitable spirit had reminded you so much of your old Kai tutor<ch.emdash/>Storm Hawk<ch.emdash/>that you chose to name the horse Storm in his memory. But, as Rimoah quickly pointed out, such a magnificent horse would be sure to attract suspicion, especially if it was ridden by what appeared to be a humble guildsman. And so, albeit reluctantly, you had the stables prepare you another horse, a strong but less exceptional mount called Bracer.</p>
833 <choice idref="sect105"><link-text>Turn to 105</link-text>.</choice>
837 <section class="numbered" id="sect2">
838 <meta><title>2</title></meta>
841 <p>An ugly, one-eyed mongrel is standing in front of the inn, barking defiantly at the first-floor window through which you are observing the Vakovarians. You curse it under your breath and mentally you command it to go away, using your innate Kai skill of Animal Kinship. The hound ceases its infernal yapping and runs off, whimpering pathetically, but its noise has already attracted the unwanted attention of some brigands who are looting the ruins nearby. They surround and enter the ground floor of the inn, eager to discover what it was that made the dog run away so abruptly.</p>
842 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. If have the Grand Master Discipline of Assimilance, add 3 to the number you have picked.</p>
843 <choice idref="sect329">If your total score is now 9 or less, <link-text>turn to 329</link-text>.</choice>
844 <choice idref="sect211">If it is 10 or more, <link-text>turn to 211</link-text>.</choice>
848 <section class="numbered" id="sect3">
849 <meta><title>3</title></meta>
852 <p>The moment you slay the first two of these strange creatures, their bodies dissolve into a swirling cloud of steamy vapour. Now, upon the death of the third beast, the vapours unite and expand with breathtaking speed until the basalt island and the entire fiery plain beyond are engulfed by a thickening grey fog.</p>
853 <p>You walk through this sea of mist for what seems like an eternity until your senses detect that something is circling high above you. At first you suspect that more of the golden-winged creatures have come hunting for you, but then you detect that it is something completely different. There is only one creature, and you sense that it is using a highly-developed psychic probe in order to seek you out.</p>
854 <choice idref="sect31">If you possess Grand Nexus and have reached the Kai rank of Sun Knight or higher, <link-text>turn to 31</link-text>.</choice>
855 <choice idref="sect106">If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery, <link-text>turn to 106</link-text>.</choice>
859 <section class="numbered" id="sect4">
860 <meta><title>4</title></meta>
863 <p>One of the bolts hits your Backpack. The force of the impact lifts you off your feet and sends you tumbling backwards across the floor. (Erase three items from your Backpack List and reduce your <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> by 2 points.)</p>
864 <choice idref="sect157"><link-text>Turn to 157</link-text>.</choice>
868 <section class="numbered" id="sect5">
869 <meta><title>5</title></meta>
872 <p>You reach the cover of a dense pine copse and quickly dismount. Having secured Bracer<ch.apos/>s reins to a tree, you move to the edge of the copse to try to catch a glimpse of your attackers. You have no difficulty seeing them: a dozen brigands, armed with crossbows and swords, are rushing through the undergrowth towards your hiding place.</p>
873 <choice idref="sect330">If you possess a Bow and wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 330</link-text>.</choice>
874 <choice idref="sect136">If you do not, <link-text>turn to 136</link-text>.</choice>
878 <section class="numbered" id="sect6">
879 <meta><title>6</title></meta>
882 <footnote id="sect6-1-foot" idref="sect6-1">
883 <p>This is the correct answer to the crystal dais grid in <a idref="sect164">Section 164</a>.</p>
888 <p>The instant you correctly complete the sequence, a deep hum resonates from inside the upper tier, and slowly it opens to reveal a hexagonal crystal plinth with a circular hole at its centre.<footref id="sect6-1" idref="sect6-1-foot"/> Your Kai senses inform you that by inserting the tip of the Deathstaff into the hole, you will cause the Shadow Gate beneath the great arch to close.</p>
890 <illustration class="inline">
892 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
894 <instance class="html" src="small6.png" width="386" height="128" mime-type="image/png"/>
895 <instance class="html-compatible" src="small6.gif" width="386" height="128" mime-type="image/gif"/>
896 <instance class="pdf" src="small6.pdf" width="386" height="128" />
899 <p>Trembling with fear and exhilaration, you raise the Deathstaff above your head and bring it down with one mighty thrust, driving it deep into the hole.</p>
900 <choice idref="sect246"><link-text>Turn to 246</link-text>.</choice>
904 <section class="numbered" id="sect7">
905 <meta><title>7</title></meta>
908 <p>You dive over the mounds of charred timbers, aiming to land in the cobblestoned street outside the hut, but the bolt hits the building whilst you are in mid-air and the force of the concussion sends you twisting away in another direction.</p>
909 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked. If you possess Grand Huntmastery <em>and</em> Assimilance, add another 2.</p>
910 <choice idref="sect299">If your total score is now 6 or less, <link-text>turn to 299</link-text>.</choice>
911 <choice idref="sect266">If it is 7 or more, <link-text>turn to 266</link-text>.</choice>
915 <section class="numbered" id="sect8">
916 <meta><title>8</title></meta>
919 <p>You have ridden to within five miles of the hamlet when you are forced to leave the trail and take cover. Ahead, you see a group of Vakovarian bandits encamped on a bridge which carries the trail across a fast-flowing stream. Rather than risk a confrontation, you follow this tributary of the River Storn a mile downstream until you happen upon a shallow bend where the water is fordable on horseback. You cross here, make a wide detour, and then return to the trail a mile beyond the Vakovarian<ch.apos/>s encampment.</p>
920 <p>The trail gradually descends towards the burnt and derelict hovels of Vorn, clustered in squalid disarray around a greystone quay. Vakovarian bandits occupy the ruined hamlet and you decide it wise to leave the trail in case they have posted a lookout. A copse of stunted firs offers you a good hiding place for your horse. You tether him here, and then gather some grasses and roots for him to eat while you are away scouting the hamlet.</p>
921 <p>You have no difficulty entering Vorn unseen. From the first-floor ruins of a burnt-out inn on the outskirts of the hamlet you make a careful observation of the Vakovarians. They seem to be systematically looting the ruins and transporting their ill-gotten booty to a fishing boat which is moored at the quay. You are watching this boat closely when suddenly your concentration is broken by the sound of a yapping dog.</p>
923 <illustration class="inline">
925 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
927 <instance class="html" src="small10.png" width="386" height="150" mime-type="image/png"/>
928 <instance class="html-compatible" src="small10.gif" width="386" height="150" mime-type="image/gif"/>
929 <instance class="pdf" src="small10.pdf" width="386" height="150" />
932 <choice idref="sect281">If you possess Animal Mastery, <link-text>turn to 281</link-text>.</choice>
933 <choice idref="sect2">If you do not possess this Discipline, <link-text>turn to 2</link-text>.</choice>
937 <section class="numbered" id="sect9">
938 <meta><title>9</title></meta>
941 <p>With weapon in hand, you climb out of the window. You are expecting the archer to attack you the moment you appear, but the balcony is deserted: he has disappeared. Then your keen eyes catch a glimpse of movement on the roof of a building opposite. It is the archer. He has leapt the narrow street from the rail of the balcony and he is now making his escape across the rooftops of the north quarter.</p>
942 <p>With the grace of a springing panther, you leap from the balcony and land on the roof opposite. Without breaking your stride, you set off after the fleeing assassin and pursue him to the edge of a flat-topped warehouse at the end of Tavern Lane. Here a plank of wood had been laid down to span the gap of ten yards to the rooftop opposite. The man makes a sure-footed escape across the plank, and then kicks it away to prevent you from following him.</p>
943 <choice idref="sect42">If you are determined to follow him and wish to try to leap across the gap, <link-text>turn to 42</link-text>.</choice>
944 <choice idref="sect191">If you do not wish to make the jump, <link-text>turn to 191</link-text>.</choice>
948 <section class="numbered" id="sect10">
949 <meta><title>10</title></meta>
952 <footnote id="sect10-1-foot" idref="sect10-1">
953 <p>This is the correct answer to Shamath<ch.apos/>s riddle in <a idref="sect189">Section 189</a>.</p>
958 <p>Upon hearing you utter the correct solution to her riddle, Shamath recoils in horror.<footref id="sect10-1" idref="sect10-1-foot"/> You have beaten her challenge and the humiliation she feels cuts her as sharply as any sword.</p>
959 <p>She begins to whimper. Then, quite suddenly, a geyser of flame shoots from the floor and engulfs her wormlike body. You watch with disbelief as the tendrilled flesh blackens and flakes away in a matter of seconds, to leave nothing but a coiled heap of glowing cinders.</p>
960 <choice idref="sect261"><link-text>Turn to 261</link-text>.</choice>
964 <section class="numbered" id="sect11">
965 <meta><title>11</title></meta>
968 <p>Cautiously you approach the circle of boulders, leading your frozen horse by the reins. Through a gap in the boulders you see a pack of eight ridge-backed Jackals feeding on the carcass of a Durncrag Scavenger, a vulture-like bird of prey. They are engrossed with their meal until they suddenly detect the scent of their most favoured food: live horsemeat.</p>
970 <illustration class="float">
972 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
973 <description>With a frenzied howl the wild Jackals abandon the feathery carcass and come streaming through the gap in the boulders.</description>
975 <instance class="html" src="ill1.png" width="386" height="634" mime-type="image/png"/>
976 <instance class="html-compatible" src="ill1.gif" width="386" height="634" mime-type="image/gif"/>
977 <instance class="pdf" src="ill1.pdf" width="386" height="634" />
980 <p>With a frenzied howl the wild Jackals abandon the feathery carcass and come streaming through the gap in the boulders, drawn by the scent of your horse. They seem to know that he is in a weakened state, and this fuels their fury. Your horse takes fright and tries to pull away, his hooves flailing the air perilously close to your skull, and as the first of the Jackals makes its attack, you find yourself struggling to hold on to the reins with one hand and fight them off with the other.</p>
981 <combat><enemy>Vorndarol Jackals</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">42</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">38</enemy-attribute></combat>
982 <p>Unless you possess Grand Weaponmastery and have reached the rank of Sun Knight or higher, you must reduce your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> by 5 for the duration of this combat.</p>
983 <choice idref="sect222">You may evade combat after four rounds by <link-text>turning to 222</link-text>.</choice>
984 <choice idref="sect347">If you win this fight, <link-text>turn to 347</link-text>.</choice>
988 <section class="numbered" id="sect12">
989 <meta><title>12</title></meta>
992 <p>The first light of dawn brings with it a dramatic change in the weather. The storm has ended and the sky is now bright and clear, but on the distant horizon you can still see flashes of lightning and hear thunder rumbling in the mountains.</p>
994 <illustration class="inline">
996 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
998 <instance class="html" src="small9.png" width="386" height="150" mime-type="image/png"/>
999 <instance class="html-compatible" src="small9.gif" width="386" height="150" mime-type="image/gif"/>
1000 <instance class="pdf" src="small9.pdf" width="386" height="150" />
1003 <p>After drying out your equipment and tending to the minor cuts and abrasions that Bracer sustained last night, you climb into the saddle and set off along the muddy track, most of which you discover has been washed away by the flood. The damp earth is steaming in the unusual heat of the morning sun, and the air crackles with an eerie residue of static electricity.</p>
1004 <p>You continue your ride through the hills without stopping until, shortly after midday, you come to a derelict hovel which stands at the edge of a marshy peat bog. Your Kai senses inform you that there is somebody inside and, spurred on by curiosity, you resolve to find out who they are. You dismount and leave Bracer to feed on the marsh grass while you go forward to investigate the hovel on foot. You are six yards away from its rotting wooden door when suddenly it creaks open and you see an old man standing in the doorway. He is smiling at you.</p>
1005 <choice idref="sect220">If you have ever visited the city of Varetta, the city of Tahou, or a hut on the Ruanon Pike in a previous <cite>Lone Wolf</cite> adventure, <link-text>turn to 220</link-text>.</choice>
1006 <choice idref="sect53">If you have never visited any of these places, <link-text>turn to 53</link-text>.</choice>
1010 <section class="numbered" id="sect13">
1011 <meta><title>13</title></meta>
1014 <p>The man makes a slow, sure-footed descent to within ten feet of where you are standing, during which time his weapon<ch.apos/>s sights never leave your chest. You can tell immediately that he is a skilled hunter and, judging by his furs and his beautifully crafted crossbow, he is a successful one too.</p>
1015 <p>Your muscles are tense and coiled like springs, ready to propel you out of the path of his crossbow bolt in case he fires. But then he says something which makes you realize that, maybe, he has no intentions of killing you after all.</p>
1016 <choice idref="sect340"><link-text>Turn to 340</link-text>.</choice>
1020 <section class="numbered" id="sect14">
1021 <meta><title>14</title></meta>
1024 <p>You approach the brigand leader stealthily, without making a sound. As you draw closer, you hear him cursing the incompetence of his men and you see him beating his clenched fist on the trunk of the fallen bough in frustration. Then, without warning, he turns around to retrieve something from a satchel lying on the ground nearby and his keen eyes catch sight of you creeping up on him. In an instant his sword is in his hand. You rush forward and launch your attack but you have lost the element of surprise. As he parries your first blow, he screams for his men to come to his aid.</p>
1025 <combat><enemy>Vakovarian Brigand Captain</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">33</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">32</enemy-attribute></combat>
1026 <choice idref="sect312">You may evade this combat after two rounds by <link-text>turning to 312</link-text>.</choice>
1027 <choice idref="sect25">If you win and the fight lasts five rounds or less, <link-text>turn to 25</link-text>.</choice>
1028 <choice idref="sect145">If the fight lasts into the sixth round, do not continue, but <link-text>turn immediately to 145</link-text>.</choice>
1032 <section class="numbered" id="sect15">
1033 <meta><title>15</title></meta>
1036 <p>Using your Kai Mastery, you attempt to stop the creature dead in its tracks with a sharp psychic command. The beast shudders, its instincts confused, but it possesses an unusually strong will, and you can sense that it may overcome your mental suggestion.</p>
1037 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. For every Grand Master rank you have attained above that of Kai Grand Defender, add 1 to the number you have picked.</p>
1038 <choice idref="sect336">If your total score is now 5 or less, <link-text>turn to 336</link-text>.</choice>
1039 <choice idref="sect306">If it is 6 or more, <link-text>turn to 306</link-text>.</choice>
1043 <section class="numbered" id="sect16">
1044 <meta><title>16</title></meta>
1047 <p>You flick your heel against Bracer<ch.apos/>s flank and urge him towards the dingy street. Here, only a few houses show any light, and this through the knotholes and cracks of their bolted shutters. At length you come to a junction illuminated by a solitary street lantern. You are trying to decide which way to turn when your eye is distracted by something moving in the shadows. From out of a darkened doorway steps a pale-skinned woman wrapped in a black velvet cloak, edged with scarlet silk.</p>
1048 <p><quote><ch.thinspace/><ch.apos/>Tis no night to be out ridin<ch.apos/>,</quote> she says, her voice syrupy and seductive, <quote>not <ch.apos/>less you be lookin<ch.apos/> for company.</quote></p>
1049 <p>You tell her you have no need for her company and turn your horse to leave, but suddenly you find yourself transfixed by the woman<ch.apos/>s eyes and unable to move. They seem unnaturally vibrant, as if filled with a flickering green fire; she is using magic in an attempt to charm you. Instinctively, you draw on your innate psychic Kai powers to try to dispel the charm, but her magic is unusually strong.</p>
1050 <choice idref="sect346">If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Kai-screen, <link-text>turn to 346</link-text>.</choice>
1051 <choice idref="sect290">If you do not possess this skill, <link-text>turn to 290</link-text>.</choice>
1055 <section class="numbered" id="sect17">
1056 <meta><title>17</title></meta>
1059 <p>You make a slow descent to the clearing, trusting to your camouflage skills to keep you hidden as you move from one boulder to the next. You are less than ten yards from the carcass when you hear the faint scrape of leather on stone. You turn to look and a man<ch.apos/>s voice growls, <quote>Don<ch.apos/>t move!</quote></p>
1060 <p>Standing between two boulders away to your left is a grey-bearded man, clad in furs and clutching a loaded crossbow. The weapon is pointing at your heart.</p>
1061 <choice idref="sect201">If you possess the Discipline of Telegnosis and wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 201</link-text>.</choice>
1062 <choice idref="sect280">If you do not possess this skill or choose not to use it, <link-text>turn to 280</link-text>.</choice>
1066 <section class="numbered" id="sect18">
1067 <meta><title>18</title></meta>
1070 <p>Beyond the plateau the trail descends steeply towards a thick pine wood. Milky-white pools of water punctuate this section of the track, some deceptively deep, making the descent difficult and tiring. By the time you reach the wood your horse is in need of rest.</p>
1071 <p>You dismount to take the weight off his back and, as you gather his reins together, you notice that the flap of your Backpack is undone. On checking the contents you discover that one of your possessions is missing. (Erase the second item on your list of Backpack Items. If you have only one item on your list, erase that one instead.)</p>
1072 <p>As soon as your horse is rested, you remount him and set off through the pine wood, heading east.</p>
1073 <choice idref="sect300"><link-text>Turn to 300</link-text>.</choice>
1077 <section class="numbered" id="sect19">
1078 <meta><title>19</title></meta>
1081 <p>The three phantoms swoop down into the trees as if to pursue the fleeing cats, but then they break off their attack and come speeding once more towards the mouth of the cave.</p>
1082 <p>You sense a hostile psychic presence about them, an evil mind-energy which is growing stronger as they draw nearer. You use your Magnakai skills to erect a Psi-screen to protect your mind, but they launch a sudden, massive bolt of their energy which buckles your hasty shield: lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
1083 <choice idref="sect205"><link-text>Turn to 205</link-text>.</choice>
1087 <section class="numbered" id="sect20">
1088 <meta><title>20</title></meta>
1091 <p>The instant you step through the archway you feel an electrifying jolt run through your body, and snake-like tendrils of blue-white energy writhe from the rim of the arch to the hilt of Vashna<ch.apos/>s Dagger. A gasp of astonishment arises from the acolytes, audible even above the howling wind.</p>
1092 <p><quote>We have an intruder in our midst,</quote> screams Cadak, levelling his wizard<ch.apos/>s staff at you accusingly. You fight the paralysing effect of the current and tug the dagger free of its scabbard. For a moment the current weakens as it is absorbed and neutralized by the dark blade<ch.apos/>s unholy energy, but then the tip of Cadak<ch.apos/>s staff ignites with a crimson flame and the current intensifies anew, numbing your limbs with its insidious effect.</p>
1093 <choice idref="sect228"><link-text>Turn to 228</link-text>.</choice>
1097 <section class="numbered" id="sect21">
1098 <meta><title>21</title></meta>
1101 <footnote id="sect21-1-foot" idref="sect21-1">
1102 <p>If you have already spent all of your money, you have a choice: you may either give her an item of comparable or greater value, or you may simply disregard this cost.</p>
1107 <p>You enter the open doorway, and the hubbub of laughter and conversation dies momentarily as all eyes turn to stare in your direction. They consider you for a few moments; then the chatter and noise begin anew and the eyes return to other matters. After descending a flight of steps to the sunken floor of the taproom, you make your way through the noisy crowd to the beer-soaked counter. A husky serving wench thuds a pewter tankard down on the bar before you and fills it with frothing ale.</p>
1109 <illustration class="float">
1111 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
1112 <description>A husky serving wench thuds a pewter tankard down on the bar before you.</description>
1114 <instance class="html" src="ill2.png" width="386" height="633" mime-type="image/png"/>
1115 <instance class="html-compatible" src="ill2.gif" width="386" height="633" mime-type="image/gif"/>
1116 <instance class="pdf" src="ill2.pdf" width="386" height="633" />
1119 <p><quote>First one<ch.apos/>s on the <ch.apos/>ouse,</quote> she says, with a snarl, <quote>the rest y<ch.apos/> pays for, understand?</quote> You nod your reply and, as you sip the watery brew, you take stock of the inn<ch.apos/>s villainous clientele. They are not a pretty crowd. The Crooked Sage is a tavern with an ill reputation, even in the brawling turmoil of Helgor<ch.apos/>s north quarter. The city guard never patrol here; a weekly donation to the guard captain guarantees that they are always somewhere else. Order, and what passes for law, is kept by Chegga, the owner of the inn, and his two brutish sons<ch.emdash/>Zhola and Gorgan.</p>
1120 <p>You finish your ale and the serving wench returns to refill your tankard.</p>
1121 <p><quote>That<ch.apos/>ll be one Gold Crown,</quote> she says, thrusting out a calloused palm. You place the crown on the bar and, as she goes to pick it up, you take hold of her wrist to prevent her from moving away.<footref id="sect21-1" idref="sect21-1-foot"/></p>
1122 <p><quote>Where<ch.apos/>s Smudd? Is he here tonight?</quote> you ask.</p>
1123 <p><quote>Over there,</quote> she growls, pointing to a shadowy alcove at the rear of the taproom. <quote>Now let go o<ch.apos/> me or I<ch.apos/>ll call Chegga.</quote></p>
1124 <p>Calmly you release her, take up your ale, and walk slowly towards the place where Smudd is seated. He is in the company of a giggling bar-girl and does not notice that you are standing beside him until you thump your tankard down on his table. The sound startles him and immediately he reaches for his sword.</p>
1125 <p>He has a desperate look about him which reminds you of a cornered rat. If you are to avoid a confrontation, you must do or say something to assuage his fear.</p>
1126 <choice idref="sect294">If you possess Kai-alchemy, <link-text>turn to 294</link-text>.</choice>
1127 <choice idref="sect169">If you wish to offer him some money, <link-text>turn to 169</link-text>.</choice>
1128 <choice idref="sect108">If you choose to offer him one of your Backpack Items, <link-text>turn to 108</link-text>.</choice>
1132 <section class="numbered" id="sect22">
1133 <meta><title>22</title></meta>
1136 <p>The Elder<ch.apos/>s suspicion swiftly turns to anger. He grabs your robe and pulls it open, revealing your leather tunic and breeches. Recognizing them at once to be Sommlending in origin, he gasps with shock as he guesses at your true identity.</p>
1137 <choice idref="sect314"><link-text>Turn to 314</link-text>.</choice>
1141 <section class="numbered" id="sect23">
1142 <meta><title>23</title></meta>
1145 <p>The cave offers adequate protection but you are plagued by a feeling of unease. A familiar tingling sensation runs up and down your spine; it is your Sixth Sense, warning you that danger lurks close by. You stand in the mouth of the cave and scan the surrounding storm-swept hills, but when you are unable to detect any obvious threat, you shrug it off and step back into the dry. Fatigue, and this strange weather, must have begun to affect your senses.</p>
1146 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. If you possess Grand Pathsmanship, for every level you have attained above the rank of Kai Grand Guardian add 1 to the number you have picked.</p>
1147 <choice idref="sect264">If your total score is now 5 or less, <link-text>turn to 264</link-text>.</choice>
1148 <choice idref="sect125">If it is 6 or more, <link-text>turn to 125</link-text>.</choice>
1152 <section class="numbered" id="sect24">
1153 <meta><title>24</title></meta>
1156 <p>You slip out of the line and enter the hut unseen. Inside you discover the following weapons:</p>
1160 <li>Short Sword</li>
1165 <li>Quarterstaff</li>
1167 <p>If you wish to keep any of the above, remember to make the appropriate adjustments to your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.</p>
1168 <p>Having satisfied your curiosity, you leave the hut and rejoin the procession as it leaves the settlement.</p>
1169 <choice idref="sect218"><link-text>Turn to 218</link-text>.</choice>
1173 <section class="numbered" id="sect25">
1174 <meta><title>25</title></meta>
1177 <p>The brigand captain screams aloud and clutches at the fatal wound you have dealt him. His eyes glaze over, and as he falls dead at your feet, you see some of his men emerging from the surrounding pines. Rather than fight them, you decide it better to escape whilst you still can. You take to your heels, pausing only to snatch up the captain<ch.apos/>s satchel as you leave. The brigands give chase, but they soon lose you among the dense pines and give up the pursuit.</p>
1178 <choice idref="sect247"><link-text>Turn to 247</link-text>.</choice>
1182 <section class="numbered" id="sect26">
1183 <meta><title>26</title></meta>
1186 <p>The few acolytes who survive the combat count themselves lucky as they turn and flee for their lives. The effects of the Deathstaff upon those who fell to your blows are gruesome to look upon. Each one is drained of all blood, leaving nothing but an untidy heap of loose skin and bones. You have won the fight but not without cost. In addition to any <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points lost during the combat, you now lose a further 5 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points, due to the vampiric effects of the Deathstaff.</p>
1187 <choice idref="sect278">If your <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points total is still above 0, <link-text>turn to 278</link-text>.</choice>
1191 <section class="numbered" id="sect27">
1192 <meta><title>27</title></meta>
1195 <p>You let fly your shaft but it is poorly aimed. It thuds harmlessly into the window frame as the archer escapes onto the balcony.</p>
1196 <choice idref="sect9">If you wish to pursue the man, <link-text>turn to 9</link-text>.</choice>
1197 <choice idref="sect231">If you decide to let him go, you can leave the inn by the front door by <link-text>turning to 231</link-text>.</choice>
1201 <section class="numbered" id="sect28">
1202 <meta><title>28</title></meta>
1205 <p>Your refusal to pass through the arch is looked on with grave suspicion. An Elder steps forward and pushes you, telling you to affirm your vows <quote>like a true believer</quote>. When you resist, he draws a dagger and curses your insubordination. Instinctively, you grab the Elder by the wrist and disarm him, but he screams in anger and Cadak responds to his cry. A gout of dark red electrical energy leaps from his staff and connects with your spine, paralysing you from neck to toe: lose 8 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
1206 <choice idref="sect239">If you have survived this wounding, <link-text>turn to 239</link-text>.</choice>
1210 <section class="numbered" id="sect29">
1211 <meta><title>29</title></meta>
1214 <p>Gradually, the clouds knit together and shut out the sun, and once again you are plunged into the teeth of the storm. You hear a low scream carried on the wind and turn to see Cadak, blazing with anger, come striding down from his crystal dais, wielding his staff like a fiery lance. He approaches to within twenty paces and bangs the butt down twice upon the rain-drenched earth. On the second strike, an umbrella of spectral light explodes overhead and falls to earth to encompass you both.</p>
1215 <p><quote>Nothing can stop the arrival of Shamath!</quote> screams Cadak, his eyes bright with madness. <quote>You have delayed her, Lone Wolf, that is all. You have not stopped her. Soon she will set foot upon the soil of Magnamund and Lord Vashna will have his revenge!</quote></p>
1216 <p>You scan the flickering walls of this rainbow-coloured prison of light, searching for a chink in its armour through which you can escape.</p>
1217 <p><quote>You will not escape this time!</quote> shouts Cadak, as if he has been reading your mind. <quote>Not while I am alive!</quote></p>
1218 <choice idref="sect135">If you possess the Sommerswerd, <link-text>turn to 135</link-text>.</choice>
1219 <choice idref="sect213">If you wish to attack Arch Druid Cadak using the Deathstaff, <link-text>turn to 213</link-text>.</choice>
1220 <choice idref="sect109">If you wish to attack Cadak with a Bow and Arrow, <link-text>turn to 109</link-text>.</choice>
1221 <choice idref="sect252">If you wish to do none of the above, <link-text>turn to 252</link-text>.</choice>
1225 <section class="numbered" id="sect30">
1226 <meta><title>30</title></meta>
1229 <p>You sense a hostile psychic presence about them, an evil mind-energy which is growing stronger as they draw nearer.</p>
1230 <choice idref="sect229">If you possess Kai-surge and have reached the rank of Sun Lord, <link-text>turn to 229</link-text>.</choice>
1231 <choice idref="sect142">If you do not possess this Discipline, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai rank, <link-text>turn to 142</link-text>.</choice>
1235 <section class="numbered" id="sect31">
1236 <meta><title>31</title></meta>
1239 <p>You stand perfectly still and concentrate on attaining the trance state needed in order to effect your transition from consciousness to suspended animation. You feel as if you are drifting off to sleep, although you have entered a state in which you appear, to any outside observer, to be dead.</p>
1240 <p>High above you, the unseen creature probes the fog for evidence of life-force. Unable to detect any, it trails away to another part of this hellish plane in search of prey with which to feed its young. You hear the winged beast departing and you bring yourself out of the death-trance, awaking with a start.</p>
1241 <choice idref="sect233"><link-text>Turn to 233</link-text>.</choice>
1245 <section class="numbered" id="sect32">
1246 <meta><title>32</title></meta>
1249 <p>The shoreline trail winds away from Lake Vorndarol and slowly ascends to a chalky plateau which is covered with dense scrub. Small groups of ragged-looking birds are perched on this foliage, feeding on its brightly coloured blooms. As you pass by, you reach out and grab a handful of these yellow flowers which smell sickly-sweet.</p>
1250 <choice idref="sect293">If you wish to taste these blooms, <link-text>turn to 293</link-text>.</choice>
1251 <choice idref="sect18">If you decide to discard them and continue your ride, <link-text>turn to 18</link-text>.</choice>
1255 <section class="numbered" id="sect33">
1256 <meta><title>33</title></meta>
1259 <p>The alley is pitch dark but this causes you little difficulty. Using your Magnakai skill of Huntmastery, you can pick out the way ahead with ease. Your horse is not so gifted, but he trusts to your guiding hand to avoid the stinking debris and broken glass which lie strewn across the cobblestones. You are nearing a street at the alley<ch.apos/>s end when you hear the <onomatopoeia>click</onomatopoeia> of a door latch. You halt, and from an archway to your left you see two men emerge. One is a wiry figure, partially bald; the other, a swarthy-faced villain with ragged ears and greasy blond hair. Daggers gleam dully in their hands as they advance towards you with murder in their eyes.</p>
1260 <p>Silently you unsheathe your weapon. A few moments later, when you re-sheathe it, it is slick with the blood of these two footpads. A search of their pockets nets you six Gold Crowns and enough food for one Meal. (Remember to adjust your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> accordingly.)</p>
1261 <p>Anxious to leave, you remount your horse and turn him to face the street at the end of the alley.</p>
1262 <choice idref="sect16"><link-text>Turn to 16</link-text>.</choice>
1266 <section class="numbered" id="sect34">
1267 <meta><title>34</title></meta>
1270 <p>Swiftly you sidestep the oncoming wave of automatons and leave them hacking uselessly at the air with their swords. The Demoness is putting on an armoured breastplate of varnished black steel, and she is kneeling to allow her attendants to fasten the straps. They are clumsy, and she is distracted and does not see you approaching dangerously close to the dais and the Deathstaff until it is too late. You grab the staff<ch.apos/>s cold, metallic haft and instantly you feel the terrible power that is locked within its core.</p>
1271 <choice idref="sect94">If you possess Helshezag<ch.emdash/>the sword of Darklord Kraagensk<ch.ucirc/>l, <link-text>turn to 94</link-text>.</choice>
1272 <choice idref="sect225">If you do not possess this Special Item, <link-text>turn to 225</link-text>.</choice>
1276 <section class="numbered" id="sect35">
1277 <meta><title>35</title></meta>
1280 <p>Bloodied and breathless from the exertion of combat, you break off the fight and take to your heels. The remaining brigands give chase, but they soon lose you among the dense pines and call off their pursuit. The area is alive with bandits and you are forced to flee northwards, away from the place where you left Bracer tethered to a tree. You are anxious for his safety and mindful that there are still many miles to be covered before you reach Lake Vorndarol, but you dare not turn back for him. Then you hear something that makes you halt in your tracks: it is the sound of a horse whinnying.</p>
1281 <choice idref="sect223"><link-text>Turn to 223</link-text>.</choice>
1285 <section class="numbered" id="sect36">
1286 <meta><title>36</title></meta>
1289 <p>You draw on your defensive skill of Mindblend to protect and keep hidden your psyche from the attacking horde. The Vortexi are psychic creatures who actively seek out their prey by the strength of their mind waves. Your Discipline disrupts this homing process and many, in the final few hundred yards of their dive, fail to lock on to your location and waste their attack.</p>
1290 <p>But there are still those among the horde who sense accurately where you are. When they attack, you are forced to defend yourself vigorously.</p>
1291 <combat><enemy>Vortexi</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">40</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">22</enemy-attribute></combat>
1292 <p>For every level of Kai rank you have attained above that of Kai Grand Guardian, you may add 2 to your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> for the duration of this fight. If you possess the Sommerswerd, restore 5 points to your <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points score.</p>
1293 <choice idref="sect46">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 46</link-text>.</choice>
1297 <section class="numbered" id="sect37">
1298 <meta><title>37</title></meta>
1301 <p>In your desperation to prevent the Elder from sounding the alarm, you lash out with your clenched fist and punch him squarely on the jaw.</p>
1302 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>.</p>
1303 <choice idref="sect333">If the number you have picked is 0<ch.endash/>4, <link-text>turn to 333</link-text>.</choice>
1304 <choice idref="sect134">If it is 5<ch.endash/>9, <link-text>turn to 134</link-text>.</choice>
1308 <section class="numbered" id="sect38">
1309 <meta><title>38</title></meta>
1312 <p>You survive the fall to the street without breaking any bones, but you are knocked unconscious when your head strikes the wet cobblestones. For more than an hour you lie there until you regain consciousness. Bruised, bloodied, and with a sorely aching head, you are further dismayed to discover that while you have been lying in the street, you have also been robbed.</p>
1313 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> (0=10). The number you have picked is equal to the number of <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points lost as a result of the fall. It is also equal to the number of Gold Crowns which have been stolen from your Belt Pouch, and the number of items which have gone missing from your Backpack (adjust your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> accordingly).</p>
1314 <p>Cursing your luck and the thieves of this foul city, you wearily retrace your steps back to the stables of the Crooked Sage in order to collect your horse.</p>
1315 <choice idref="sect341"><link-text>Turn to 341</link-text>.</choice>
1319 <section class="numbered" id="sect39">
1320 <meta><title>39</title></meta>
1323 <p>You use your Magnakai Curing skills to staunch the flow of blood pouring from your gashed neck, and to mend torn muscle, but it takes several minutes before you feel the blood flow and the pain subsiding. Strength is beginning to return to your aching limbs when half a dozen loutish brigands come rushing across the rocks towards you, brandishing swords and daggers in their hands. You pull yourself wearily to your feet and unsheathe your weapon as they rush at you, stabbing and hacking with their gleaming blades.</p>
1324 <combat><enemy>Vakovarian Brigands</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">38</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">38</enemy-attribute></combat>
1325 <p>Due to your wound and the speed of their attack, unless you possess Grand Huntmastery you must reduce your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> by 5 for the first three rounds of this combat.</p>
1326 <choice idref="sect59">You may evade combat after six rounds by <link-text>turning to 59</link-text>.</choice>
1327 <choice idref="sect348">If you win the fight, <link-text>turn to 348</link-text>.</choice>
1331 <section class="numbered" id="sect40">
1332 <meta><title>40</title></meta>
1335 <p>You whisper the words of the Brotherhood spell <spell>Lightning Hand</spell> and point at the onrushing acolytes. A tingling sensation runs down the length of your arm which culminates with a bolt of blue-white energy. It shoots from your index finger and explodes between them, killing them instantly.</p>
1336 <choice idref="sect325"><link-text>Turn to 325</link-text>.</choice>
1340 <section class="numbered" id="sect41">
1341 <meta><title>41</title></meta>
1344 <p>You hurry up the path and join the end of the procession. Moments later, two Elders go rushing past you on either side, screaming and cursing in an attempt to rally those acolytes who are fleeing down the track in confusion. You allow yourself a wry smile as you adjust the hood on your robe and raise your torch on high.</p>
1345 <choice idref="sect250"><link-text>Turn to 250</link-text>.</choice>
1349 <section class="numbered" id="sect42">
1350 <meta><title>42</title></meta>
1353 <p>You sheathe your weapon, run to the edge of the warehouse, and launch yourself towards the roof of the building opposite.</p>
1354 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. If you possess Grand Huntmastery <em>and</em> have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian or higher, add 3 to the number you have picked.</p>
1355 <choice idref="sect154">If your total score is now 3 or less, <link-text>turn to 154</link-text>.</choice>
1356 <choice idref="sect310">If it is 4<ch.endash/>7, <link-text>turn to 310</link-text>.</choice>
1357 <choice idref="sect70">If it is 8 or higher, <link-text>turn to 70</link-text>.</choice>
1361 <section class="numbered" id="sect43">
1362 <meta><title>43</title></meta>
1365 <p>The Elder<ch.apos/>s probe breaks through your mind shield and he suddenly realizes that you are an intruder. He pulls at your robe and tears it open, revealing your leather tunic and breeches. Recognizing them at once to be Sommlending in origin, he gasps with shock as he guesses at your true identity.</p>
1366 <p><quote>Seize him!</quote> he bellows, and a score of acolytes turn around and run forward to obey the command. You draw your weapon and fight them with breathtaking skill and valour, but eventually you are overcome by their numbers. By the time they have disarmed you and pinned you to the rocky ground, more than thirty of them lie slain or seriously injured in a heaped circle around where you lie.</p>
1367 <p>You stare back defiantly at the ring of grim torchlit faces that loom over you. Then the face of the Elder comes into view and he sneers with disdain. He places the tip of a glowing wand to your forehead and suddenly there is an explosion of white light. Sadly for you, it is the last sensation you will ever experience.</p>
1368 <p>Your life and your quest end here, on the trail to the Maakengorge.</p>
1372 <section class="numbered" id="sect44">
1373 <meta><title>44</title></meta>
1376 <p>You are standing inside a mountain of ice. A dim, blue vista stretches away in every direction, and here the light appears bent and fractured by the myriad frozen facets of the water. You are encased yet you can still move; you are able to stride forwards through the seemingly solid walls as if you are moving through air.</p>
1377 <p>Confidently you walk through the strange and terrible beauty of this crystal world, striding on towards the distant dim, twinkling light that first drew you to the mountains. Slowly the icy vastness begins to change and you see new wonders. There are treasures<ch.emdash/>veins of gold, raw gemstones, chests of coins, pearls, and rubies. And there are graves and lost tombs, where corpses watch your passing with burning eyes. Their ghastly stares bleed the warmth from your body and leave you shivering with psychic shock: lose 4 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
1378 <p>At length you pass beyond the ice and emerge into the shadowy recesses of a vast cavern. Here you discover the source of the light, and in its dim glow, you witness a scene that makes you tremble with fear.</p>
1379 <choice idref="sect327"><link-text>Turn to 327</link-text>.</choice>
1383 <section class="numbered" id="sect45">
1384 <meta><title>45</title></meta>
1387 <p>Gwynian opens his envelope and removes a time-yellowed parchment which he spreads upon the smooth stone table: it is a map of northern Magador. He points to Lake Vorndarol and tells you that the eye of the strange storms which have swept this region has been calculated to be within a few miles of the lake<ch.apos/>s eastern shore, close to the Maakengorge. The hamlet of Vorn, or what is left of it, is located on the southern shore, near to a tributary of the River Storn. He counsels you to be on your guard at all times and, to help you succeed, he gives you an amulet of his own.</p>
1388 <p><quote>Wear this, Grand Master,</quote> he says as he places the corded platinum disc around your neck. <quote>It will keep you safe from some of the perils that may await you at the Maakengorge.</quote></p>
1389 <p>(Record this Platinum Amulet, which you wear on a cord around your neck, as a Special Item on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>. You need not discard another item in its favour if you are already carrying the maximum number permissible.)</p>
1390 <choice idref="sect297"><link-text>Turn to 297</link-text>.</choice>
1394 <section class="numbered" id="sect46">
1395 <meta><title>46</title></meta>
1398 <p>You have destroyed the power of the Vortexi horde. They shrink and fade, and their faint, wispy remains are whipped up and dispersed by the winds of the raging storm. For a few moments there is a break in the roiling clouds and a few rays of sunlight burst through to bathe you in a warm, yellow glow. This warmth greatly invigorates your body and your mind: restore your <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points score to its original level.</p>
1399 <choice idref="sect29">To continue, <link-text>turn to 29</link-text>.</choice>
1403 <section class="numbered" id="sect47">
1404 <meta><title>47</title></meta>
1407 <p>In the far corner of this hovel are a man and a woman. They are huddled close together, wide-eyed and shivering with fear. Their once-fine clothes are tattered and caked with mud, and in their midst you see that they are cradling an infant who is clearly sick with fever. You lower your weapon and offer them an assurance that you mean them no harm but, even though you can tell that they understand your words, they still look at you with terror in their eyes.</p>
1408 <choice idref="sect122">If you possess some food and wish to offer it to them, <link-text>turn to 122</link-text>.</choice>
1409 <choice idref="sect217">If you do not have any food, <link-text>turn to 217</link-text>.</choice>
1413 <section class="numbered" id="sect48">
1414 <meta><title>48</title></meta>
1417 <p>The creature roars with pain as your Arrow clips its shoulder. Unfortunately, it is just a flesh wound and it does not stop the beast from advancing. You shoulder your Bow and draw your weapon, bringing your horse about with your knees as you get ready to face the beast. But the instant he sees the creature, he panics and rears up on his hind legs, neighing with fright, his hooves scrabbling frantically at the air. You bring him under control using your innate Kai skills, but in doing so your attention is diverted momentarily from the attacking beast as it moves in and swipes at you with its clawed paw.</p>
1419 <illustration class="float">
1421 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
1422 <description>The creature roars with pain as your Arrow clips its shoulder.</description>
1424 <instance class="html" src="ill3.png" width="386" height="576" mime-type="image/png"/>
1425 <instance class="html-compatible" src="ill3.gif" width="386" height="576" mime-type="image/gif"/>
1426 <instance class="pdf" src="ill3.pdf" width="386" height="576" />
1429 <combat><enemy>Black Corvayl</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">44</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">52</enemy-attribute></combat>
1430 <p>Reduce your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> by 10 for the first round of this fight only.</p>
1431 <choice idref="sect210">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 210</link-text>.</choice>
1435 <section class="numbered" id="sect49">
1436 <meta><title>49</title></meta>
1439 <p>On closer examination you discover that one side of the amulet is covered by a detailed engraving which depicts a sinister scene. It portrays the rising up of a monstrous creature from the depths of a great gorge, flanked on all sides by a horde of skeletal warriors. At once you recognize it to be a portrayal of Darklord Vashna and his minions, arising from the depths of the Maakengorge.</p>
1440 <choice idref="sect238"><link-text>Turn to 238</link-text>.</choice>
1444 <section class="numbered" id="sect50">
1445 <meta><title>50</title></meta>
1448 <p>The dreadful gaze of Shamath falls upon you and your blood runs cold. She points a black-gloved finger at your hiding place and speaks a thunderous phrase in the Dark Tongue that rings like metallic thunder throughout the vaulted cavern. Then, slowly, she raises her other hand and levels it beside the first. A crackling mass of electrical energy explodes into being, arcing between her outstretched palms. She flicks her massive wrists and the sparking coils of power come writhing towards you. Before you can dodge them, they swirl around and encircle your body, imprisoning you in a cage of living energy.</p>
1449 <p>Shamath throws back her head and the floor shudders rhythmically beneath the weight of her laughter. You peer through the gaps in the swirling force field and see that her attendants are now rushing towards you.</p>
1450 <choice idref="sect273">If you possess the Dagger of Vashna, <link-text>turn to 273</link-text>.</choice>
1451 <choice idref="sect179">If you do not possess this Special Item, <link-text>turn to 179</link-text>.</choice>
1455 <section class="numbered" id="sect51">
1456 <meta><title>51</title></meta>
1459 <p>You are left stunned and smouldering by the impact of the lightning ball. Drunkenly, you stagger to your feet and use your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus to extinguish those parts of your cloak and tunic ignited by the blast. Then you draw the Sommerswerd and examine the hilt, but to your amazement, there is no sign of any damage whatsoever.</p>
1460 <p>Your terrified horse has halted at the river<ch.apos/>s edge and you call to him, using your natural Kai skills to calm and control his fear. He responds at once and returns to collect you. Swiftly you climb back into the saddle and gallop away along the river trail, anxious to put distance between you and this deadly storm.</p>
1461 <choice idref="sect80"><link-text>Turn to 80</link-text>.</choice>
1465 <section class="numbered" id="sect52">
1466 <meta><title>52</title></meta>
1469 <p>Suddenly they flicker and disappear altogether from view. Frantically, you scan the brooding sky for some sign of where the creatures have gone, but it is not until you use your psychic abilities that you detect them.</p>
1470 <p>With your eyes closed you can picture them in your mind<ch.apos/>s eye. You see them circling their lair; then they break away and come swooping down to attack you.</p>
1471 <p>You draw your weapon and detect that an aura of protection is sheathing it from the extreme temperatures of this domain. Then a hideous shriek splits the air, and you find yourself fighting the urge to open your eyes as the first of the beasts dives upon you.</p>
1472 <combat><enemy>Lavas</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">48</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">42</enemy-attribute></combat>
1473 <choice idref="sect276">You may evade this combat after six rounds by <link-text>turning to 276</link-text>.</choice>
1474 <choice idref="sect3">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 3</link-text>.</choice>
1478 <section class="numbered" id="sect53">
1479 <meta><title>53</title></meta>
1482 <p><quote>Welcome, Grand Master. I am Gwynian of Varetta,</quote> says the grey-haired old man, in a clear voice which belies his age. <quote>Come and talk with me a while. Your purpose is known to me and I have something which will help your quest. Come, do not be afraid. I am a friend.</quote></p>
1484 <illustration class="inline">
1486 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
1488 <instance class="html" src="small11.png" width="386" height="150" mime-type="image/png"/>
1489 <instance class="html-compatible" src="small11.gif" width="386" height="150" mime-type="image/gif"/>
1490 <instance class="pdf" src="small11.pdf" width="386" height="150" />
1493 <p>You are shocked that he knows your true identity, but your Kai senses confirm that he is no threat to your safety. He speaks the truth.</p>
1494 <choice idref="sect178"><link-text>Turn to 178</link-text>.</choice>
1498 <section class="numbered" id="sect54">
1499 <meta><title>54</title></meta>
1502 <p>With loathing in your heart, you advance upon your despised enemy, but he weaves his hands before his face and his image fades. He is using a spell of invisibility, yet it does not keep him entirely hidden: you can still see the outline of his staff and his body flickering as he moves against the background wall of light.</p>
1503 <combat><enemy>Arch Druid Cadak</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">50</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">35</enemy-attribute></combat>
1504 <p>Arch Druid Cadak is immune to Mindblast and Psi-surge, but he is vulnerable to Kai-surge.</p>
1505 <choice idref="sect298">If you win this combat, <link-text>turn to 298</link-text>.</choice>
1509 <section class="numbered" id="sect55">
1510 <meta><title>55</title></meta>
1513 <p>You show the Runic Disc and immediately the Elder<ch.apos/>s temper cools. He recognizes it to be the mark of the Guild of Rhem, the most feared brotherhood of assassins in all of northern Magnamund. He is aware that some guild assassins have been employed as agents to carry out missions for the acolytes, and he assumes at once that you are such an agent.</p>
1514 <p>He backs away a few paces, bows his head, and leaves to attend to other matters at the bow of the boat. Those seated around you have now become uncomfortably curious. To avoid their attentions, you get up and move to the stern where a score of acolytes are kneeling in prayer.</p>
1515 <choice idref="sect124"><link-text>Turn to 124</link-text>.</choice>
1519 <section class="numbered" id="sect56">
1520 <meta><title>56</title></meta>
1523 <p>You push your way through the jostling crowd and stumble out into the street. As you turn towards the stables to go and retrieve your horse, your eagle-eyes catch a glimpse of movement on a second storey balcony. It is the archer you saw a few minutes ago, the man in black who fled from the gallery.</p>
1524 <p>With bated breath you watch as he climbs onto the balcony rail and leaps across the narrow street onto the roof of the building opposite.</p>
1525 <choice idref="sect120">If you possess a Bow and wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 120</link-text>.</choice>
1526 <choice idref="sect274">If you do not, <link-text>turn to 274</link-text>.</choice>
1530 <section class="numbered" id="sect57">
1531 <meta><title>57</title></meta>
1534 <footnote id="sect57-1-foot" idref="sect57-1">
1535 <p>If you already carry the maximum number of Special Items permissible, you must discard one in favour of the Deathstaff. If you possess Helshezag, the sword of Darklord Kraagensk<ch.ucirc/>l, it is now destroyed, obliterated by the power of the Deathstaff, and you must erase it from your <a idref="action">Special Items list</a>. <a idref="sect94">Section 94</a> also implies a loss of 5 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points in this incident.</p>
1540 <p>You utter the words of the Brotherhood Spell <spell>Net</spell> and point your right hand at the snarling Demoness. A fluid gush of sticky strands shoots from your fingers and ensnare her legs, buying you the few precious seconds you need in order to reach the dais.</p>
1541 <p>You wrench the Deathstaff from the lower tier and sag beneath its unnatural weight. In the same moment, the Demoness bursts free of the sticky net and screams with unholy anger, the noise lifting you bodily and sending you skidding across the floor.<footref id="sect57-1" idref="sect57-1-foot"/></p>
1542 <p>Desperately, you fight to maintain your grip on the Deathstaff as the furious Shamath comes striding towards you. The deafening shriek of her voice rings once more in your ears as you clutch the staff to your chest and take a running leap into the dark oblivion of the Shadow Gate.</p>
1543 <choice idref="sect270"><link-text>Turn to 270</link-text>.</choice>
1547 <section class="numbered" id="sect58">
1548 <meta><title>58</title></meta>
1551 <p>You unsheathe the Sommerswerd and a halo of golden light engulfs its god-crafted blade. The dim, shadowy cavern is flooded with its goodly glow and the attendants of the Demoness Shamath waver before it. The hilt is warm in your hands and a strange feeling of miraculous ecstasy floods up your arms and courses through your body. You no longer feel as if you are wielding the sword; you are acting in concert with it. Restore 5 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
1552 <choice idref="sect85">To continue, <link-text>turn to 85</link-text>.</choice>
1556 <section class="numbered" id="sect59">
1557 <meta><title>59</title></meta>
1560 <p>Bloodied and breathless from the exertion of combat, you break off the fight and take to your heels. The remaining brigands give chase, but they soon lose you among the boulders and undergrowth and are forced to call off their pursuit. The area is alive with bandits, and you have to flee northwards, away from the copse where you left Bracer tethered. You are anxious for his safety and mindful that there are still many miles to be covered before you reach Lake Vorndarol, but you dare not turn back for him. Then you hear something that makes you halt in your tracks: it is the sound of a horse whinnying.</p>
1561 <choice idref="sect223"><link-text>Turn to 223</link-text>.</choice>
1565 <section class="numbered" id="sect60">
1566 <meta><title>60</title></meta>
1569 <footnote id="sect60-1-foot" idref="sect60-1">
1570 <p>You are now on the Plane of Darkness (cf. <a idref="sect72">Section 72</a>). If you possess the Sommerswerd, <bookref series="lw" book="18dotd" section="sect98">Section 98</bookref> of <bookref series="lw" book="18dotd"><cite>Dawn of the Dragons</cite></bookref> suggests that you may be able to add 4 to your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> when using it in the Plane of Darkness (in addition to all other combat bonuses for this Special Item).</p>
1575 <p>For countless minutes you hurtle into a whirling abyss of darkness and howling gales, torn by freezing winds that cut to the marrow despite your Magnakai protections. Then, as if waking from a dream, the sensation of falling abruptly ceases and you find yourself standing on a plateau of black volcanic rock, cratered and split by rivers of blazing lava. You take a tentative step forwards and feel the ground sag beneath your feet. The thin crust of cooled lava wrinkles and tears, and a jet of flickering yellow flame shoots upwards to engulf your legs.<footref id="sect60-1" idref="sect60-1-foot"/></p>
1576 <p>Your Nexus skills are sufficiently developed to protect you from the flames and hellish temperature, but you are amazed that your boots and clothing have not ignited. Then you sense that your entirety is being protected by a field of energy radiating from the Platinum Amulet given you by Gwynian the Sage. Silently you thank him for his gift, for you suspect now that even your Kai skills would be hard-pressed to keep you safe in this alien domain.</p>
1578 <illustration class="float">
1580 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
1581 <description>Suddenly, a trio of horny-skinned creatures emerge from the dark hollow.</description>
1583 <instance class="html" src="ill4.png" width="386" height="594" mime-type="image/png"/>
1584 <instance class="html-compatible" src="ill4.gif" width="386" height="594" mime-type="image/gif"/>
1585 <instance class="pdf" src="ill4.pdf" width="386" height="594" />
1588 <p>With difficulty you cross the semi-molten terrain and reach an island of blue-grey basalt rock, strewn with cubes of obsidian and jet. At the island<ch.apos/>s centre you discover a huge, untidy pile of cubes which make a crude temple. There is a yawning hollow at its base and, as you draw closer, you sense something is lurking there. Suddenly, a trio of horny-skinned creatures emerge from the dark hollow and take to the air on wings that glimmer like burnished gold. You watch them ascend, but you have difficulty following their flight when their bodies begin to flicker in and out of existence.</p>
1589 <choice idref="sect158">If you possess Grand Huntmastery and have reached the rank of Sun Lord, <link-text>turn to 158</link-text>.</choice>
1590 <choice idref="sect52">If you do not possess this Discipline, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai rank, <link-text>turn to 52</link-text>.</choice>
1594 <section class="numbered" id="sect61">
1595 <meta><title>61</title></meta>
1598 <p>Your ascent into the foothills is slowed by the difficult terrain. Thousands of huge granite boulders litter the hillside, forcing the trail to zigzag constantly on its way towards a wooded peak, less than five miles distant. The weather turns bitterly cold as you make the climb and, although you are protected by your innate ability of Nexus, your horse is not so fortunate. It takes you over two hours to reach the wooded peak, but you are rewarded with a spectacular view of Lake Vorndarol.</p>
1599 <p>The descent from the peak is far easier. The trail is wide and less tortuous, and the peak itself protects you and your horse from the icy winds that are blowing in off the lake. You have gone a little over a mile when suddenly your Pathsmanship skills alert you to danger; you sense that there is an ambush ahead. You turn off the trail and dismount, leaving your horse tied to a boulder, while you scout the way ahead on foot. You draw your weapon and keep it to hand in case you should happen once more upon some skulking brigands.</p>
1600 <p>Soon you arrive at a granite outcrop which overlooks a small clearing among the boulders below. In the centre of this clearing lies the carcass of a wild boar.</p>
1601 <choice idref="sect17">If you wish to descend to the clearing and examine the carcass more closely, <link-text>turn to 17</link-text>.</choice>
1602 <choice idref="sect88">If you would rather wait here and observe the clearing from a distance, <link-text>turn to 88</link-text>.</choice>
1606 <section class="numbered" id="sect62">
1607 <meta><title>62</title></meta>
1610 <p>The fat drunkard can hardly believe his luck when you reach to your Belt Pouch and count out ten Gold Crowns into his grubby hand.</p>
1611 <p><quote>May the gods bless y<ch.apos/> boots, sir!</quote> he cackles, as he stuffs the gleaming crowns into his pocket. <quote>If it<ch.apos/>s the Crooked Sage you be a<ch.apos/>wantin<ch.apos/> to visit, you be needin<ch.apos/> Tavern Lane, o<ch.apos/>er there,</quote> he says, enthusiastically pointing to the street which leads off to the east.</p>
1612 <p>With the drunkard<ch.apos/>s gleeful laughter echoing in your ears, you spur Bracer to a canter and enter this foul-smelling street. Clamped against the walls of the surrounding buildings are oil-soaked torches which serve to illuminate the signs of wine shops and taverns. They are crudely painted with emblems<ch.emdash/>a bloodied battle-axe, a winged horse, a watery sun rising from a broken skull. There is not one which resembles a crooked sage and you are beginning to suspect you have been duped, when suddenly you hear the sound of drunken revelry coming from a two-storey building at the end of the street. Its oaken doors hang open and the vivid orange glare of its roaring hearth spills invitingly into the dank night gloom. Although it has no painted emblem, you sense at once that you have come to the Crooked Sage Inn.</p>
1614 <illustration class="inline">
1616 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
1618 <instance class="html" src="small2.png" width="386" height="150" mime-type="image/png"/>
1619 <instance class="html-compatible" src="small2.gif" width="386" height="150" mime-type="image/gif"/>
1620 <instance class="pdf" src="small2.pdf" width="386" height="150" />
1623 <p>At your approach, a sallow-faced stable boy limps from a wooden hut which is leaning precariously against the side of the tavern wall. For a Gold Crown (erase this from your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>), he takes charge of your horse and shows you to the taproom door.</p>
1624 <choice idref="sect21"><link-text>Turn to 21</link-text>.</choice>
1628 <section class="numbered" id="sect63">
1629 <meta><title>63</title></meta>
1632 <p>You look towards the dais and see a staff of twisted black metal. Its six-foot length looks insignificant lying beside the huge, booted foot of the Demoness.</p>
1634 <illustration class="inline">
1636 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
1638 <instance class="html" src="small6.png" width="386" height="128" mime-type="image/png"/>
1639 <instance class="html-compatible" src="small6.gif" width="386" height="128" mime-type="image/gif"/>
1640 <instance class="pdf" src="small6.pdf" width="386" height="128" />
1643 <p><quote>The time has nearly come for the transference,</quote> says the young woman. <quote>Shamath must be stopped, and only you can stop her.</quote></p>
1644 <p><quote>But how?</quote> you reply, bemused.</p>
1645 <p><quote>Simple! You must steal the Deathstaff and enter the Shadow Gate before her. Use the staff to destroy Cadak<ch.apos/>s crystal dais<ch.emdash/>this will close the gate and prevent the Demoness from entering Magnamund. But I warn you, Lone Wolf. You will have precious little time to accomplish this, so do not delay once you return to your world. You must destroy Cadak<ch.apos/>s dais as quickly as possible or Shamath will get through. She has great strength and power here, but on Magnamund her powers would make her invincible.</quote></p>
1646 <p>The young woman looks over her shoulder, as if she is being pursued by some invisible hunter. <quote>I wish I could help you more, Lone Wolf,</quote> she says, anxiously, <quote>but I have my own battle to fight. Be brave, Grand Master, but most of all<ch.emdash/>be swift!</quote></p>
1647 <p>And with these words she begins to fade before your eyes. The moment she vanishes completely, the cavern echoes to a deafening roar. It is the angry cry of Shamath. She has seen you!</p>
1648 <choice idref="sect50"><link-text>Turn to 50</link-text>.</choice>
1652 <section class="numbered" id="sect64">
1653 <meta><title>64</title></meta>
1656 <p>You strike camp and set off shortly after dawn. Come mid-morning, you arrive at a high pass from where you see Lake Vorndarol for the first time. You call on your Magnakai skill of Huntmastery to intensify your vision and, as your view of the lake grows sharper and clearer, you make out the ruins of Vorn on the southern shore. The hamlet is blackened and desolate, but it is not without signs of life. There are men moving around in the streets, and a square-rigged boat is moored at the quay.</p>
1657 <p>Bayan is anxious for his family<ch.apos/>s safety and keen to return to them now that he has guided you to within sight of Vorn. You thank him for his help and offer him some money which he gratefully accepts. Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> (0=10). The number you have chosen is equal to the number of Gold Crowns you give to Bayan. If you have insufficient money, you must give him all the Gold Crowns you have, plus an item from your Backpack.</p>
1658 <choice idref="sect8">To continue, <link-text>turn to 8</link-text>.</choice>
1662 <section class="numbered" id="sect65">
1663 <meta><title>65</title></meta>
1666 <p>The howling phantoms come swirling out of the storm. They encircle the great shimmering arch in a long, unbroken chain, and then, one by one, they peel away to dive at the place where you are standing.</p>
1667 <p>Your Kai instincts inform you that the Deathstaff possesses the power to repel these psychic phantoms, if you have the courage to use it. You also sense that there will inevitably be a price to pay if you use a weapon forged by the King of all Darkness.</p>
1668 <choice idref="sect263">If you wish to use the Deathstaff, <link-text>turn to 263</link-text>.</choice>
1669 <choice idref="sect83">If you decide not to use this weapon, <link-text>turn to 83</link-text>.</choice>
1673 <section class="numbered" id="sect66">
1674 <meta><title>66</title></meta>
1677 <p>You awake shortly after dawn to the smell of freshly-brewed jala. Fyrad has already risen and is busy preparing breakfast. He hands you a steaming mug and you look out over the damp hillside, contemplating the quest whilst sipping this delicious beverage.</p>
1678 <p>After breakfast, Fyrad tells you of a pass which leads directly to the east shore; then he gathers his equipment and furs and loads them onto his mule. He is tired of dodging brigands and storms and has decided to strike camp and abandon his hunt in the mountains. You bid each other good luck before saying your final farewells. On leaving the cave, you turn to the east and Fyrad to the south.</p>
1679 <p>The hunter<ch.apos/>s directions are accurate and useful. You find the pass and by noon you have reached a chalky plateau on the far side, which is covered with dense scrub. Small groups of ragged-looking birds are perched on this foliage, feeding on its brightly coloured blooms. As you pass by, you reach out and grab a handful of these yellow flowers which smell sickly-sweet.</p>
1680 <choice idref="sect293">If you wish to taste these blooms, <link-text>turn to 293</link-text>.</choice>
1681 <choice idref="sect18">If you decide to discard them and continue your ride, <link-text>turn to 18</link-text>.</choice>
1685 <section class="numbered" id="sect67">
1686 <meta><title>67</title></meta>
1689 <p>The muddy track climbs to the peak of a ridge and then makes a twisting descent to a copse of sickly-looking trees clustered at the base of a gully. You have noticed that the night wind has gradually been getting warmer and, as you reach the copse, a few drops of rain begin to spatter the shoulders of your cloak. Within minutes this gentle shower is transformed into a torrential downpour. Suddenly, thunder booms overhead and forks of white lightning streak down to explode among the surrounding trees, setting them on fire. Fearful of the danger, you peer through the wall of rain in search of safer shelter.</p>
1690 <p>Aided by your Kai senses, you detect two possible refuges from the storm: an overhanging ledge of rock, and the entrance to an old mine shaft.</p>
1691 <choice idref="sect209">If you wish to take shelter under the ledge, <link-text>turn to 209</link-text>.</choice>
1692 <choice idref="sect128">If you decide to seek shelter in the old mine shaft <link-text>turn to 128</link-text>.</choice>
1696 <section class="numbered" id="sect68">
1697 <meta><title>68</title></meta>
1700 <p>The unexpected sight of your dead brother<ch.apos/>s face leaves you dry-mouthed and shaking, but fortunately your Kai Mastery of psychic defence protects your mind from the full effects of this psychic shock: lose 2 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
1701 <choice idref="sect195"><link-text>Turn to 195</link-text>.</choice>
1705 <section class="numbered" id="sect69">
1706 <meta><title>69</title></meta>
1709 <p>Instinctively, you dodge your head to one side to avoid being hit in the face by this deadly missile.</p>
1710 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked.</p>
1711 <choice idref="sect271">If your total score is now 3 or less, <link-text>turn to 271</link-text>.</choice>
1712 <choice idref="sect165">If it is 4 or more, <link-text>turn to 165</link-text>.</choice>
1716 <section class="numbered" id="sect70">
1717 <meta><title>70</title></meta>
1720 <p>You make the jump look effortless as you glide through the air and make a perfect landing on the opposite roof. For a moment the black-clad archer halts beside a tall chimney stack and turns around to look at you. He is clearly worried by how efficiently you are pursuing him. Then, three other shadowy figures emerge from behind the stack and stand at his shoulder. Silently they stare at you for a few moments before one of their number raises his hand and hurls a glassy sphere in your direction.</p>
1721 <p>The sphere shatters at your feet and, in an instant, your legs are engulfed by a writhing mass of magical vines. By the time you have freed yourself, you discover that the assassin and his confederates are nowhere to be seen. Cautiously, you approach the chimney stack where you find, lying at its base, a palm-sized coin of black metal engraved with runes. You pick up this disc and slip it into the pocket of your tunic. (Record this Runic Disc on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> as a Special Item. You must discard an item in its favour if you already carry the maximum number permissible.)</p>
1722 <p>Having lost sight of the four shadowy figures, you decide now to call off the chase. Wearily you make your way down from the roof and retrace your steps back to the stables of the Crooked Sage in order to collect your horse.</p>
1723 <choice idref="sect341"><link-text>Turn to 341</link-text>.</choice>
1727 <section class="numbered" id="sect71">
1728 <meta><title>71</title></meta>
1731 <p>Hurriedly, you recite the words that trigger the Brotherhood Spell <spell>Counterspell</spell>. To your sudden horror you discover that the spell is ineffective against this energy bolt and, with a blinding eruption of white light, it explodes among the charred timbers. The blast and concussion send you reeling backwards to slam against a soot-blackened wall: lose 12 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
1732 <choice idref="sect200">If you are still alive, <link-text>turn to 200</link-text>.</choice>
1736 <section class="numbered" id="sect72">
1737 <meta><title>72</title></meta>
1740 <p>The umbrella of light quickly fades to leave you standing in a torrential rain-storm, close to the base of the crystal dais. Through the downpour, you can see that the acolytes are slowly returning. They are anxious for the safety of their leader and hungry for the successful summoning of their banished lord.</p>
1741 <p>Despite the chill, you tighten your grip on the icy cold Deathstaff and climb the tiers to the top of the dais. You sense that the crystal dais commands the opening and closing of the Shadow Gate, and you know you must try to close the gate before Shamath appears. In frustration, you raise the Deathstaff and bring it crashing down upon the floor of the upper tier, but it does little damage. It could take forever to destroy the dais this way.</p>
1742 <p>Then a wave of electrical energy crackles around the rim of the great arch and your blood runs cold, for you know that in a dim and distant cavern upon the Plane of Darkness, the Demoness Shamath has just stepped into a Shadow Gate. Her journey to Magnamund has begun!</p>
1743 <choice idref="sect164"><link-text>Turn to 164</link-text>.</choice>
1747 <section class="numbered" id="sect73">
1748 <meta><title>73</title></meta>
1751 <p>You dig your heels into Bracer<ch.apos/>s flanks to make him gallop along the track, away from the rocky ledge and the onrushing wall of water which threatens to drown you both. Unfortunately, you have covered no further than a few dozen yards when you are caught and overrun by the raging flood.</p>
1752 <p>For countless minutes you hurtle along the gully, propelled by the torrential flood waters. Your terrifying experience comes to an end when you are deposited on a tiny island of rock in the centre of the raging flow. A few minutes later you catch sight of Bracer; he is standing on a ridge of high ground near the edge of the gully. He is clearly frightened but he looks to be physically unharmed by his ordeal. You spend a long and miserable night on this rock, waiting for the flood waters to subside. Due to injuries sustained in the flood, you lose 5 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
1753 <choice idref="sect12"><link-text>Turn to 12</link-text>.</choice>
1757 <section class="numbered" id="sect74">
1758 <meta><title>74</title></meta>
1761 <p>You draw on your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen to keep safe your identity from the Elder<ch.apos/>s mind probe. You sense that his psychic power is strong, and you fear that your defences may not be sufficient to repel him.</p>
1762 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. If you possess Assimilance, add 3 to the number you have picked. Also, if you possess Grand Nexus, add 3; and if you possess Kai-alchemy, add 2.</p>
1763 <choice idref="sect43">If your total score is now 9 or less, <link-text>turn to 43</link-text>.</choice>
1764 <choice idref="sect258">If it is 10 or more, <link-text>turn to 258</link-text>.</choice>
1768 <section class="numbered" id="sect75">
1769 <meta><title>75</title></meta>
1772 <p>You hold the brigand in a vice-tight armlock and demand to know who sent him here to ambush you.</p>
1773 <p><quote>No one sent me,</quote> he pleads, <quote>no one<ch.ellips/>no one at all. I was plannin<ch.apos/> on robbin<ch.apos/> me a few acolytes, that<ch.apos/>s all. Some of <ch.apos/>em has gold and trinkets that<ch.apos/>s worth cash in Vakovar. This trail<ch.apos/>s been good to me. It<ch.apos/>s netted me some rich pickin<ch.apos/>s in the past month or so. We weren<ch.apos/>t after you in partic<ch.apos/>lar<ch.ellips/>No, you jus<ch.apos/> happened to come ridin<ch.apos/> past, that<ch.apos/>s all.</quote></p>
1774 <p>Your Kai senses inform you that he is speaking the truth. He and his band of robbers have been waylaying Acolytes of Vashna who have travelled this route over the past few weeks. Without slackening your grip, you ask him what he knows about them.</p>
1775 <p><quote>They been preparin<ch.apos/> something, over on the<ch.ellips/></quote> he says, but he ceases to speak the moment he sees a group of his men emerge from the surrounding pines.</p>
1776 <p><quote>You<ch.apos/>re in for it now,</quote> he hisses. <quote>My men are goin<ch.apos/> to do for you good an<ch.apos/> proper.</quote></p>
1777 <p>Another six of the captain<ch.apos/>s men step from out of the trees and begin to move towards you, their swords held ready to strike. Rather than stay and fight them, you shove the captain away and take to your heels, pausing only to snatch up his satchel as you make your escape.</p>
1778 <p>Screaming curses and promising you a slow death, the captain scrambles to his feet and leads his men in a chase, but you are soon lost among the dense pines and, reluctantly, he orders his henchmen to give up the pursuit.</p>
1779 <choice idref="sect247"><link-text>Turn to 247</link-text>.</choice>
1783 <section class="numbered" id="sect76">
1784 <meta><title>76</title></meta>
1787 <p>You don a red robe, taken from one of the dead acolytes, and raise its black hood to keep your face hidden. The folds of this voluminous garment cover your weapons as well as your clothing, and a haversack taken from another acolyte battle-corpse is large enough to conceal your Backpack. Confident that you can pass for one of them, you run to the quayside and join with those acolytes who are now climbing aboard the longboat.</p>
1788 <p>When your turn comes, you leap from the quay onto the deck of the ship. You land very close to the sandalled feet of one of the three Acolyte Elders and he glares at you angrily, though he does not see through your disguise. You take your place on a bench alongside the others and use your Kai camouflage skills to avoid their attention. You notice that a bank of oars stands upright in the gunwales of the boat, and it strikes you as odd that no order has been given to man them. When the last of the acolytes are safely aboard, you discover why.</p>
1789 <choice idref="sect93"><link-text>Turn to 93</link-text>.</choice>
1793 <section class="numbered" id="sect77">
1794 <meta><title>77</title></meta>
1797 <p>You leave the furriers<ch.apos/> shop and remount your horse to continue your search for the Crooked Sage Inn. You have ridden less than twenty yards when a sudden gust of wind thins out the cloying fog, revealing the dark entrance to an alleyway off to your right.</p>
1798 <choice idref="sect33">If you wish to explore this alley, <link-text>turn to 33</link-text>.</choice>
1799 <choice idref="sect147">If you decide to ignore it and continue on your way along this street, <link-text>turn to 147</link-text>.</choice>
1803 <section class="numbered" id="sect78">
1804 <meta><title>78</title></meta>
1807 <p>Drawing on your mastery of psychic defence, you are able to construct a fortress wall around your mind which absorbs the Elder<ch.apos/>s probe. He learns nothing from his attempt to read your psyche and, rather than admit to failure, he dismisses you as an empty-headed cretin.</p>
1808 <p>With a growl of disdain, he orders you to rejoin the procession and pushes you out of his way as he strides back to his position beside the altar.</p>
1809 <choice idref="sect250"><link-text>Turn to 250</link-text>.</choice>
1813 <section class="numbered" id="sect79">
1814 <meta><title>79</title></meta>
1817 <p>As you slay the last of the ghastly spawn, you feel the floor beginning to harden. Hurriedly, you stretch out and grab the rough cavern wall and pull your feet free before the floor sets and you are held fast forever.</p>
1818 <p>The automatons have ceased to move. They stand like frozen statues in a line across the cavern. You seize your chance and race towards the dais, but the Demoness is watching you and now she is aware of your plan. She has no intention of allowing you anywhere near the dais or the Deathstaff.</p>
1819 <choice idref="sect57">If you possess Kai-alchemy, <link-text>turn to 57</link-text>.</choice>
1820 <choice idref="sect282">If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline, <link-text>turn to 282</link-text>.</choice>
1824 <section class="numbered" id="sect80">
1825 <meta><title>80</title></meta>
1828 <p>The rumble and crack of repeated lightning ball strikes echo in your wake as you make your hurried escape along the river trail. It is not until you traverse a high pass, where the River Storn flows through the mountain foothills, that the sound eventually disappears. Your senses tingle with the conviction that the storm was no accident; you feel sure that a malevolent elemental force is at work here.</p>
1829 <p>Shortly before dusk, you emerge from the pass and see Lake Vorndarol for the first time. You call on your Magnakai skill of Huntmastery to intensify your vision and, as your view of the lake grows sharper and clearer, you make out the ruins of Vorn on the southern shore. The hamlet is blackened and desolate, but it is not without signs of life. There are several pinpoints of light, campfires judging by their colour, and you can see a square-rigged mainsail: there is a boat moored at the quay.</p>
1830 <choice idref="sect203">If you wish to attempt to reach Vorn before nightfall, <link-text>turn to 203</link-text>.</choice>
1831 <choice idref="sect117">If you decide to try to spend the night in the hills and then approach the hamlet in the morning, <link-text>turn to 117</link-text>.</choice>
1835 <section class="numbered" id="sect81">
1836 <meta><title>81</title></meta>
1839 <p>The instant you step through the archway you feel an electrifying jolt run through your body, and a writhing snake of blue-white energy arcs from the rim of the arch to the hilt of the sword Helshezag. A gasp of astonishment arises from the acolytes, audible even above the howling wind.</p>
1840 <p><quote>We have an intruder in our midst,</quote> screams Cadak, levelling his wizard<ch.apos/>s staff at you accusingly. You fight the paralysing effect of the current and tug the sword free of its scabbard. For a moment the current weakens as it is absorbed and neutralized by the dark energy of Helshezag, but then the tip of Cadak<ch.apos/>s staff ignites with a crimson flame and the current intensifies anew, numbing your limbs with its insidious effect.</p>
1841 <choice idref="sect228"><link-text>Turn to 228</link-text>.</choice>
1845 <section class="numbered" id="sect82">
1846 <meta><title>82</title></meta>
1849 <p>The Elder becomes angry. He scolds you for taking a <quote>forbidden</quote> weapon and he orders you to hand it over to him at once. Aware that most of the acolytes in this section of the boat are watching you, and that any resistance would be sure to lead to the revealing of your true identity, you reach inside your robe and undo the buckle of your weapon<ch.apos/>s belt. It clatters to the deck, and the Elder snatches it up and hurls it into the lake. (Erase from your <a idref="action">Weapons List</a> any hand weapons you possess. If you have a Bow, you may still keep it.)</p>
1850 <p>Still fuming, the Elder orders you to go to the rear of the ship where a score of acolytes are kneeling in prayer, and plead to the spirit of Vashna for forgiveness.</p>
1851 <choice idref="sect124"><link-text>Turn to 124</link-text>.</choice>
1855 <section class="numbered" id="sect83">
1856 <meta><title>83</title></meta>
1859 <p>You resist the urge to make use of the Deathstaff to ward off the approaching Vortexi horde. You would rather trust in your own goodly powers than use a weapon forged of evil.</p>
1860 <p>Lashed by the wind and the rain, you steel yourself as the screaming phantoms come swooping down to attack.</p>
1861 <choice idref="sect103">If you possess Assimilance and have attained the rank of Kai Grand Guardian or higher, <link-text>turn to 103</link-text>.</choice>
1862 <choice idref="sect36">If you possess Kai-screen and have attained the rank of Kai Grand Guardian or higher, <link-text>turn to 36</link-text>.</choice>
1863 <choice idref="sect144">If you do not possess these skills, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery, <link-text>turn to 144</link-text>.</choice>
1867 <section class="numbered" id="sect84">
1868 <meta><title>84</title></meta>
1871 <p><quote>Do you mind if I keep this?</quote> you ask, motioning to the amulet.</p>
1872 <p><quote>I<ch.apos/>ve no objection,</quote> replies Kadharian. <quote>I hope it helps you to discover what is truly going on in the north.</quote></p>
1873 <p>Carefully you re-wrap the talisman and slip it into the pocket of your tunic (record this Black Amulet as a Special Item on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a><ch.emdash/>you need not discard another item in its favour if you already possess the maximum allowed). Then, after a meal and a soothingly hot bath, you bid farewell to the President and take your leave of the palace by way of the stables.</p>
1875 <illustration class="float">
1877 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
1878 <description>A dishevelled fat man with a yellow-streaked beard.</description>
1880 <instance class="html" src="ill5.png" width="386" height="619" mime-type="image/png"/>
1881 <instance class="html-compatible" src="ill5.gif" width="386" height="619" mime-type="image/gif"/>
1882 <instance class="pdf" src="ill5.pdf" width="386" height="619" />
1885 <p>Night has thickened the blanket of mist which lines the narrow streets and alleys of Helgor. Guided by your Kai instincts, you set off northwards, but soon you have cause to regret not having thought of asking Kadharian for directions to the Crooked Sage Inn. Helgor is an old city and its chaotic streets follow no logical plan. After several wrong turns you come upon a square where the vanes of a rotting signpost point to three exits. Slumped at its base there sits a dishevelled fat man with a yellow-streaked beard, who is gulping mouthfuls of cheap ale from a filthy stone pitcher. You attempt to use your Kai Pathsmanship skill to read the signpost but with no success<ch.emdash/>it is completely illegible.</p>
1886 <choice idref="sect16">If you wish to leave the square by the north exit, <link-text>turn to 16</link-text>.</choice>
1887 <choice idref="sect332">If you wish to leave the square by the east exit, <link-text>turn to 332</link-text>.</choice>
1888 <choice idref="sect161">If you wish to leave the square by the west exit, <link-text>turn to 161</link-text>.</choice>
1889 <choice idref="sect287">If you decide to ask the fat man for directions to the Crooked Sage Inn, <link-text>turn to 287</link-text>.</choice>
1893 <section class="numbered" id="sect85">
1894 <meta><title>85</title></meta>
1897 <p>At Shamath<ch.apos/>s command, the attendants draw slivers of steel and come rushing to hack you down. You essay a wide sweep of the sword and scythe the front rank down as easily as if they were ripened corn. Your sword strokes feel effortless; it is as if you are merely holding the Sommerswerd and the blade itself is fighting of its own accord. Within the space of a few minutes you have slain every last one of Shamath<ch.apos/>s attendants, over a hundred in number.</p>
1898 <choice idref="sect242"><link-text>Turn to 242</link-text>.</choice>
1902 <section class="numbered" id="sect86">
1903 <meta><title>86</title></meta>
1906 <p>Using the Brotherhood Spell <spell>Sense Evil</spell> you determine that the token is a cursed relic which has been activated by its proximity to the pool of stagnant water. The closer you get to the pool, the hotter the relic becomes. Another few steps and it will explode. Desperately, you fumble to retrieve it from the smoking pocket of your tunic, and hurl it away.</p>
1907 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>.</p>
1908 <choice idref="sect96">If the number you have picked is 0<ch.endash/>3, <link-text>turn to 96</link-text>.</choice>
1909 <choice idref="sect316">If it is 4<ch.endash/>9, <link-text>turn to 316</link-text>.</choice>
1913 <section class="numbered" id="sect87">
1914 <meta><title>87</title></meta>
1917 <p>You are nearing the middle of the river when your acute hearing detects the cawing of birds in the far distance. At first you dismiss the sounds, thinking they are probably birds of prey feeding somewhere high in the mountains, but when the cawing rapidly grows louder you look upwards to try to detect where it is coming from. You do not have to look very far.</p>
1918 <p>One thousand feet above you, a flock of ugly black birds are cawing excitedly as they ride a thermal air current. You recognize them to be Durncrag Scavengers, cruel predators native only to these mountains. Then, with an awful suddenness, they come diving towards you, screeching like demons as they prepare to strike with beak and claw.</p>
1920 <illustration class="inline">
1922 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
1924 <instance class="html" src="small5.png" width="386" height="150" mime-type="image/png"/>
1925 <instance class="html-compatible" src="small5.gif" width="386" height="150" mime-type="image/gif"/>
1926 <instance class="pdf" src="small5.pdf" width="386" height="150" />
1929 <choice idref="sect249">If you possess Animal Mastery and have reached the rank of Sun Knight or higher, <link-text>turn to 249</link-text>.</choice>
1930 <choice idref="sect180">If you do not possess this Discipline, or if you have yet to attain this level of Grand Mastery, <link-text>turn to 180</link-text>.</choice>
1934 <section class="numbered" id="sect88">
1935 <meta><title>88</title></meta>
1938 <p>For half an hour you crouch among the boulders, your eyes scanning every inch of the terrain which surrounds the clearing, but you detect nothing untoward. Then the silence is broken by a sharp <onomatopoeia>clack!</onomatopoeia> and a small rock comes tumbling down the slope. You catch sight of movement among some bushes at the top of the slope, and you sense at once that someone is hiding there.</p>
1939 <choice idref="sect227">If you possess a Bow and wish to fire an Arrow into the bushes, <link-text>turn to 227</link-text>.</choice>
1940 <choice idref="sect320">If you do not, <link-text>turn to 320</link-text>.</choice>
1944 <section class="numbered" id="sect89">
1945 <meta><title>89</title></meta>
1948 <p>You utilize your powers to subdue the growling wolf and immediately he becomes calm and docile. Within a few minutes you exact a transformation that turns this creature from a wild animal into a loyal and friendly ally.</p>
1949 <p>While you settle down to rest, the wolf watches over you and Bracer, attentively standing guard at the entrance to the mine shaft.</p>
1950 <choice idref="sect279">Restore 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points and <link-text>turn to 279</link-text>.</choice>
1954 <section class="numbered" id="sect90">
1955 <meta><title>90</title></meta>
1958 <p>The great winged beast ekes out its death-throes for several minutes after you strike the fatal blow. Aching with the fatigue of your combat, you stagger away from its carcass and stumble blindly through the fog. Soon you sense the temperature beginning to drop, and the great grey wall of fog gradually condenses and falls as rain. This rain freezes and you quickly find yourself surrounded by a wall of glittering ice which stretches like a range of jagged glass mountains from horizon to horizon.</p>
1959 <choice idref="sect187"><link-text>Turn to 187</link-text>.</choice>
1963 <section class="numbered" id="sect91">
1964 <meta><title>91</title></meta>
1967 <p>The hollow is damp and draughty and offers poor protection against the elements. There is little foliage on which to feed your mount and the incessant storm winds howl through the gaps in the rocks, making it impossible for you to sleep. During this long and uncomfortable night, unless you possess Grand Huntmastery you must eat a Meal or lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
1968 <p>Shortly before dawn, the storm dies down and you are able to snatch an hour<ch.apos/>s sleep. Unfortunately, it is insufficient rest to refresh you fully: lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
1969 <choice idref="sect285">To continue, <link-text>turn to 285</link-text>.</choice>
1973 <section class="numbered" id="sect92">
1974 <meta><title>92</title></meta>
1977 <footnote id="sect92-1-foot" idref="sect92-1">
1978 <p>If you already carry the maximum number of Special Items permissible, you must discard one in favour of the Deathstaff. If you possess Helshezag, the sword of Darklord Kraagensk<ch.ucirc/>l, it is now destroyed, obliterated by the power of the Deathstaff, and you must erase it from your <a idref="action">Special Items list</a>. <a idref="sect94">Section 94</a> also implies a loss of 5 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points in this incident.</p>
1983 <p>One of the bolts hits your Backpack (erase 2 items from your Backpack List) but you manage to stay on your feet and reach the dais. You wrench the Deathstaff from the floor of the lower tier and sag beneath its unnatural weight.<footref id="sect92-1" idref="sect92-1-foot"/> The Demoness spins around and emits a terrible scream when she sees what you are holding. The noise of her wrath lifts you bodily and sends you skidding helplessly across the floor.</p>
1984 <p>Desperately, you fight to maintain your grip on the Deathstaff as the furious Shamath comes striding towards you. The deafening shriek of her voice rings once more in your ears as you clutch the Deathstaff to your chest and take a running leap into the dark oblivion of the Shadow Gate.</p>
1985 <choice idref="sect270"><link-text>Turn to 270</link-text>.</choice>
1989 <section class="numbered" id="sect93">
1990 <meta><title>93</title></meta>
1993 <footnote id="sect93-1-foot" idref="sect93-1">
1994 <p>Kai Masters who have attained the rank of Scion-kai are <quote>able to converse with any sentient creature</quote> (cf. <cite><bookref book="12tmod" section="imprvdsc">The Masters of Darkness</bookref></cite>). Therefore, if you have successfully completed previous <cite>Lone Wolf</cite> adventures, possessed the Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship, and attained the rank of Scion-kai, you may also turn to <a idref="sect243">Section 243</a>.</p>
1999 <p>With the returning acolytes aboard, an Elder gives the order that the grappling lines and planks<ch.emdash/>which hold the longboat secure to the Vakovarian ship<ch.emdash/>be cut and tossed into the lake. The moment this is done, the three Elders raise their glowing wands of power and touch them together to form a triangle.</p>
2000 <p>There is a flash of greenish light and a swirling cone of vapour coils into the sky, pouring from the tip of this triangle. It creates a howling wind which fills the sails and catapults the longboat away from the quayside at tremendous speed. It takes just a few minutes for the ruins of Vorn to disappear over the horizon.</p>
2001 <p>Aboard the longboat the victorious acolytes busy themselves as the cold waters of Lake Vorndarol speed by beneath the keel. Some are attending to those who were wounded in the battle; others are chanting a sombre dirge or sitting quietly with their heads bowed, lost in unholy prayer; the remainder clean their weapons or stare vacantly at the distant mountains.</p>
2002 <p>You keep your head bowed and pretend to be praying. The deception seems to be working until a hand suddenly grips your shoulder and you hear a gruff voice bark a command in a language you do not readily understand.</p>
2003 <choice idref="sect243">If you possess Grand Pathsmanship,<footref id="sect93-1" idref="sect93-1-foot"/> <link-text>turn to 243</link-text>.</choice>
2004 <choice idref="sect184">If you do not possess this Discipline, <link-text>turn to 184</link-text>.</choice>
2008 <section class="numbered" id="sect94">
2009 <meta><title>94</title></meta>
2012 <p>There is a thunderous <onomatopoeia>crack!</onomatopoeia> as a bolt of white lightning leaps from the Deathstaff and connects with the hilt of Helshezag. You feel an agonizing pain wrack your body from skull to toe: lose 5 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points. Then, with a breathtaking suddenness, the pain ceases.</p>
2014 <illustration class="inline">
2016 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
2018 <instance class="html" src="small6.png" width="386" height="128" mime-type="image/png"/>
2019 <instance class="html-compatible" src="small6.gif" width="386" height="128" mime-type="image/gif"/>
2020 <instance class="pdf" src="small6.pdf" width="386" height="128" />
2023 <p>You open your eyes and look down, and to your astonishment you see the scorched remains of Helshezag lying at the foot of the dais, the sword obliterated by the power of the Deathstaff (erase Helshezag from your Special Items list).</p>
2024 <choice idref="sect318">To continue, <link-text>turn to 318</link-text>.</choice>
2028 <section class="numbered" id="sect95">
2029 <meta><title>95</title></meta>
2032 <p>You are nearing the top of the steps when three shadowy figures emerge from behind a chimney stack and block your path to the approaching archer. One of them has something in his hand which he hurls in your direction: it is a small glass sphere.</p>
2033 <p>The sphere shatters upon the iron steps and, in an instant, your feet and legs are engulfed by a writhing mass of magical vines. By the time you have freed yourself from their vice-like grip, you discover that the archer and his confederates are nowhere to be seen. Having lost sight of the four shadowy figures, you decide to call off the chase. Wearily you make your way down from the roof and retrace your steps back to the stables of the Crooked Sage in order to collect your horse.</p>
2034 <choice idref="sect341"><link-text>Turn to 341</link-text>.</choice>
2038 <section class="numbered" id="sect96">
2039 <meta><title>96</title></meta>
2042 <p>You throw the red-hot token away, but it hits a boulder and rebounds directly into the trough. There is a dreadful moment of silence; then the whole area is lit up by a blinding flash of yellow flame. Suddenly everything seems to be happening in slow motion. You see acolytes tumbling backwards, screaming, their robes sprouting tongues of flame, and chunks of marble from the trough hurtling skywards like fiery meteors. Then the heat and the shock of the explosion rip into your face and chest, sending you cartwheeling backwards into a black, unfeeling oblivion.</p>
2043 <p>Tragically, your life and your quest end here, on the trail to the Maakengorge.</p>
2047 <section class="numbered" id="sect97">
2048 <meta><title>97</title></meta>
2051 <p>At Shamath<ch.apos/>s command, the attendants draw vicious-looking slivers of steel from scabbards hidden inside their robes, and come rushing forwards to hack you down.</p>
2053 <illustration class="float">
2055 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
2056 <description>The attendants draw vicious-looking slivers of steel from scabbards hidden inside their robes.</description>
2058 <instance class="html" src="ill6.png" width="386" height="592" mime-type="image/png"/>
2059 <instance class="html-compatible" src="ill6.gif" width="386" height="592" mime-type="image/gif"/>
2060 <instance class="pdf" src="ill6.pdf" width="386" height="592" />
2063 <combat><enemy>Cheghath</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">37</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">40</enemy-attribute></combat>
2064 <p>These beings are gifted with strong psychic defences. Halve all bonuses you would normally receive if you choose to use a psychic attack (including Kai-blast) during this combat.</p>
2065 <choice idref="sect303">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 303</link-text>.</choice>
2069 <section class="numbered" id="sect98">
2070 <meta><title>98</title></meta>
2073 <p>After a few minutes it is clear that the brigands have no idea where you are. The leader is furious; he turns to his henchmen and orders them to find you at once. One by one, his brutish sidekicks scurry away into the surrounding trees until the leader is left all alone.</p>
2074 <choice idref="sect14">If you wish to launch a surprise attack on the brigand leader, <link-text>turn to 14</link-text>.</choice>
2075 <choice idref="sect291">If you wish to creep forward and attempt to take him hostage, <link-text>turn to 291</link-text>.</choice>
2079 <section class="numbered" id="sect99">
2080 <meta><title>99</title></meta>
2083 <p>The Jackals are gaining too quickly for you to outrun them; your only hope now is to fight them off. You rein your exhausted horse to a halt and slip out of the saddle, drawing your weapon as you touch the ground. The Jackals spread out and surround you, howling maniacally as they savour the scent of your frightened horse. Then, as if responding to a silent signal, they slink forward to tighten the circle. Your horse rears up and tries to pull away, his hooves flailing the air perilously close to your skull.</p>
2084 <p>As the first of the Jackals makes its attack, you find yourself struggling to hold on to the reins with one hand and fight the Jackals off with the other.</p>
2085 <combat><enemy>Vorndarol Jackals</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">42</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">38</enemy-attribute></combat>
2086 <p>Unless you possess Grand Weaponmastery and have reached the rank of Sun Knight or higher, you must reduce your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> by 5 for the duration of this combat.</p>
2087 <choice idref="sect222">You may evade combat after four rounds by <link-text>turning to 222</link-text>.</choice>
2088 <choice idref="sect347">If you win this fight, <link-text>turn to 347</link-text>.</choice>
2092 <section class="numbered" id="sect100">
2093 <meta><title>100</title></meta>
2096 <p>You follow the President into the chamber, your footsteps echoing as you walk across the mosaic marble floor. At the far end of the room a wiry wolfhound lies snoozing in front of a log fire which is crackling in an iron grate. The flames illuminate the chamber with a warm glow, casting flickering shadows across countless shelves stacked with thick rolls of parchment and papyrus. At the centre there stands a large table heaped with sand. The sand has been shaped to depict the topography of Magador, its towns, cities, mountains, hills, and rivers. The attention to detail is most impressive.</p>
2097 <p><quote>Somewhere, here, I fear there is a great evil at work,</quote> says Kadharian, pointing to a section of the table which depicts the territory north of Lake Vorndarol, an area uncomfortably close to the deep furrow which represents the Maakengorge.</p>
2098 <p><quote>Three moons ago, the lakeside hamlet of Vorn was reportedly destroyed by an unnatural storm, the first of many that have continuously swept the region. I dispatched a troop of my guards to investigate but they never returned. Since then, a second troop has also disappeared without trace.</quote></p>
2099 <p><quote>But what makes you think that a plot to resurrect Vashna is afoot?</quote> you reply, trying not to sound overly sceptical. <quote>With due respect, President, this is a notorious region infested with renegades and brigands. There may be a far simpler explanation for the destruction of Vorn and the disappearance of your troops.</quote></p>
2100 <p><quote>Aye, <ch.apos/>tis so,</quote> retorts Kadharian. <quote>At first, I too made the same assumption. But then I came into the possession of something which made me believe otherwise.</quote></p>
2101 <p>From a leather pouch hanging from his sword belt, Kadharian takes an item which is neatly wrapped in a square of patterned silk.</p>
2102 <p><quote>Here, Grand Master,</quote> he says, offering it to you, <quote>I<ch.apos/>ll let you draw your own conclusions from this.</quote></p>
2103 <choice idref="sect133"><link-text>Turn to 133</link-text>.</choice>
2107 <section class="numbered" id="sect101">
2108 <meta><title>101</title></meta>
2111 <p>You are so stunned by the image of your dead brother<ch.apos/>s face that your mind enters a deep state of psychic shock: lose 8 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
2112 <choice idref="sect195">If you survive the effects of this trauma, <link-text>turn to 195</link-text>.</choice>
2116 <section class="numbered" id="sect102">
2117 <meta><title>102</title></meta>
2120 <p>You sense that you are not alone; you can feel the presence of another living creature close by. Silently you draw your weapon and set off on foot to investigate. Your Kai senses lead you directly to a derelict hut on the perimeter of this ancient settlement. You call out, demanding whoever is inside to show himself, but there is no reply. You repeat your demand but again it goes unanswered. With weapon raised you rush in through the door, expecting to have to fight a skulking brigand or an Acolyte of Vashna, but you find neither. You are confronted instead by something wholly unexpected.</p>
2121 <choice idref="sect47"><link-text>Turn to 47</link-text>.</choice>
2125 <section class="numbered" id="sect103">
2126 <meta><title>103</title></meta>
2129 <p>You draw on your Kai Mastery to conjure up a dense fog to surround you, in the hope that it will hamper the attacking horde. However, the Vortexi are psychic creatures who actively seek out their prey by the strength of their mind waves. Your Discipline disrupts this homing process to some extent, but there are still many among the phantom horde who sense accurately where you are. When they attack, you are forced to defend yourself vigorously.</p>
2130 <combat><enemy>Vortexi</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">44</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">30</enemy-attribute></combat>
2131 <p>For every level of Kai rank you have attained above that of Kai Grand Guardian, you may add 2 to your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> for the duration of this fight. If you possess the Sommerswerd, restore 5 points to your <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> score.</p>
2132 <choice idref="sect46">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 46</link-text>.</choice>
2136 <section class="numbered" id="sect104">
2137 <meta><title>104</title></meta>
2140 <p>You dig your heels into Bracer<ch.apos/>s flanks and gallop along the track, steering him away from the rocky ledge and the onrushing wall of water which threatens to drown you both. Helped by your Kai Mastery, you make him leave the track and ascend a difficult slope that leads to higher ground. He obeys your command and, with barely seconds to spare, you avoid being caught by the flood as it careers along the gully.</p>
2141 <p>The remaining few hours before sunrise are spent on a tiny island of rock, waiting for the flood waters to subside. It is a long and uncomfortable wait: lose 2 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
2142 <choice idref="sect12"><link-text>Turn to 12</link-text>.</choice>
2146 <section class="numbered" id="sect105">
2147 <meta><title>105</title></meta>
2150 <p>The journey to Helgor takes you south to the City-state of Casiorn, and then west to the Lyrisian capital of Varetta<ch.emdash/>a road you once travelled several years ago during your Magnakai quest. In the main, your ride is peaceably uneventful. By choice you keep to yourself and avoid staying too long in any one place. It is not until you reach Vakovar that the uncertain politics of this region give cause for concern. This squalid, lawless city is home to some of the Stornlands<ch.apos/> most notorious criminals and robber-barons. It is common knowledge that travellers who value their wealth and health wisely avoid Vakovar whenever possible. Forewarned by these rumours you choose not to dwell here, but ride swiftly through the city and press on to Helgor. Yet while you are within the city walls of Vakovar no less than a dozen separate attempts are made to relieve you of your money pouch and horse. There are no witnesses to these attacks, which is just as well, for when you ride out of Vakovar you leave a score of dead robbers littering the cobblestones.</p>
2151 <p>It is early evening when you eventually crest a hill and catch your first disappointing glimpse of Helgor. It is a damp and unwholesome-looking city, ringed by a rampart of mouldering rubble, the remains of a curtain wall which was destroyed during the war against the Darklords. Through the many gaps in this rampart you can see the thick fog that swirls through Helgor<ch.apos/>s brick streets and crooked, filthy alleys. At first sight it seems that the Magadorian capital is little more than a beggar-city, a vast hotchpotch of slums and hovels, but as you ride nearer you notice several grand towers piercing the rolling grey mist.</p>
2153 <illustration class="inline">
2155 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
2157 <instance class="html" src="small12.png" width="386" height="150" mime-type="image/png"/>
2158 <instance class="html-compatible" src="small12.gif" width="386" height="150" mime-type="image/gif"/>
2159 <instance class="pdf" src="small12.pdf" width="386" height="150" />
2162 <p>The main approach to Helgor is patrolled by presidential guards, heavily armed with crossbows and spears, who are checking everyone attempting to enter by road. They are dressed in flamboyant tunics of green, scarlet, and black calf hide, which seem too lavish for the garrison of such a squalid city. When asked your business, you show them the scroll given to you by Rimoah. They are impressed by the invitation and insist that an armed escort be provided to take you directly to the President<ch.apos/>s palace. After your experience at Vakovar you welcome their offer.</p>
2163 <p>Despite the overwhelming squalor of Helgor<ch.apos/>s dingy tenements and streets, you were expecting the President<ch.apos/>s palace to be the exception. To your disappointment, it turns out to be little more than a fortified chateau situated at the centre of the city, atop a hill known as the Vanagrom Knoll. You are welcomed into the palace<ch.apos/>s senate hall by an official called Stepona, a dour man who looks older than his thirty years. He sees to it that your horse is stabled, and that you are given refreshments while you await your audience with the President. An hour passes before the doors to the senate hall swing open and, without formal announcement, in strides President Kadharian of Magador.</p>
2164 <choice idref="sect315">If you have ever visited the city of Aarnak in a previous <cite>Lone Wolf</cite> adventure, <link-text>turn to 315</link-text>.</choice>
2165 <choice idref="sect202">If you have never been to Aarnak, <link-text>turn to 202</link-text>.</choice>
2169 <section class="numbered" id="sect106">
2170 <meta><title>106</title></meta>
2173 <p>You draw on your psychic defences to keep you hidden from this creature. You cannot see it in the dense fog but you can hear it swooping down, and you are nearly flattened by the draught of its mighty wings as it roars past close overhead.</p>
2174 <p>As first it seems to be going away into the distance, but then you sense it turn about and come gliding back for a second pass. Suddenly you realize that your psychic defences are not hiding you from this creature at all; it is locking on to your life-force, not your mind.</p>
2175 <choice idref="sect254">If you have a Bow and wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 254</link-text>.</choice>
2176 <choice idref="sect152">If you do not possess this Weapon or do not wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 152</link-text>.</choice>
2180 <section class="numbered" id="sect107">
2181 <meta><title>107</title></meta>
2184 <p>You recite the words of the battle-spell <spell>Invisible Fist</spell> and suddenly you feel a powerful gust of wind sweep past your face. It punches the Elder squarely in the stomach, lifts him off his feet, and sends him tumbling over the side of the boat.</p>
2185 <p>A cry goes up along the deck, a shout of alarm that one of the Elders has fallen overboard. Scores of acolytes rush to the rail in response but there is nothing they can do. The longboat is travelling so fast that the Elder is already hundreds of yards behind the stern and cannot be seen amidst the churning water.</p>
2186 <p>Those who were seated near you have now become uncomfortably curious about who you are. To avoid their attentions, you move to the stern where a score of acolytes are kneeling in prayer.</p>
2187 <choice idref="sect124"><link-text>Turn to 124</link-text>.</choice>
2191 <section class="numbered" id="sect108">
2192 <meta><title>108</title></meta>
2195 <p><quote>Calm yourself, Smudd,</quote> you say, purposefully letting your hands drift away from your weapons, <quote>I mean you no harm. I just want to talk with you awhile, that<ch.apos/>s all.</quote></p>
2196 <p>The scrawny-faced knave stares at you with deep suspicion. Cold sweat beads upon his brow and his hand tightens on the hilt of his rapier.</p>
2197 <p><quote>Look,</quote> you say, reaching to your Backpack, <quote>I<ch.apos/>m even prepared to compensate you for the privilege.</quote></p>
2198 <p>Slowly you unshoulder your Backpack, unbuckle the flap, and offer him any item of his choosing. After some hesitation, he picks the item which is listed at the top of your Backpack List. (Erase this item from your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>.)</p>
2199 <choice idref="sect323">To continue, <link-text>turn to 323</link-text>.</choice>
2203 <section class="numbered" id="sect109">
2204 <meta><title>109</title></meta>
2207 <p>You raise your Bow and draw an Arrow, but the instant the feathers touch your lips, both the Bow and the Arrow burst into flames: lose 2 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
2208 <p>Cadak cackles with glee at the success of his spell. <quote>You are doomed, Lone Wolf. Why don<ch.apos/>t you admit it,</quote> he says, sneering. <quote>You were doomed the moment you returned from the great arch.</quote></p>
2209 <choice idref="sect252"><link-text>Turn to 252</link-text>.</choice>
2213 <section class="numbered" id="sect110">
2214 <meta><title>110</title></meta>
2217 <footnote id="sect110-1-foot" idref="sect110-1">
2218 <p>This is the correct answer to the second sequence of numbers on the crystal dais grid in <a idref="sect235">Section 235</a>.</p>
2223 <p>The instant you correctly complete the second sequence, a deep hum resonates from inside the upper tier and slowly it opens to reveal a hexagonal crystal plinth with a circular hole at its centre.<footref id="sect110-1" idref="sect110-1-foot"/> Your Kai senses inform you that by inserting the tip of the Deathstaff into the hole, you will cause the Shadow Gate beneath the great arch to close.</p>
2225 <illustration class="inline">
2227 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
2229 <instance class="html" src="small6.png" width="386" height="128" mime-type="image/png"/>
2230 <instance class="html-compatible" src="small6.gif" width="386" height="128" mime-type="image/gif"/>
2231 <instance class="pdf" src="small6.pdf" width="386" height="128" />
2234 <p>Trembling with fear and exhilaration, you raise the Deathstaff above your head and bring it down with one mighty thrust, driving it deep into the hole.</p>
2235 <choice idref="sect246"><link-text>Turn to 246</link-text>.</choice>
2239 <section class="numbered" id="sect111">
2240 <meta><title>111</title></meta>
2243 <p>You sense a hostile psychic presence about them, an evil mind-energy which is becoming stronger as they draw nearer. You draw on your own formidable psychic skills and erect a defensive wall around your mind which keeps you safe from their first bombardment. They veer upwards and vanish into the clouds for a few moments, but then they reappear and come swooping down for another attack.</p>
2244 <choice idref="sect229">If you possess Kai-surge and have reached the rank of Sun Lord, <link-text>turn to 229</link-text>.</choice>
2245 <choice idref="sect142">If you do not possess this Discipline, of if you have yet to attain this level of Kai rank, <link-text>turn to 142</link-text>.</choice>
2249 <section class="numbered" id="sect112">
2250 <meta><title>112</title></meta>
2253 <p>Using your Kai Mastery, you steer your exhausted horse across this difficult terrain with incredible skill. You manage to keep him ahead of the Jackals just long enough to reach firmer ground, where he is then able to increase his pace and escape from the howling pack.</p>
2254 <p>The Jackals command the shore, and you are forced to retrace your steps all the way back to the fork in the trail and take the other path that leads into the foothills. By the time you arrive here, you are tired and very hungry. Unless you possess Grand Huntmastery, you must eat 2 meals or lose 6 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points. If you are able to only eat 1 Meal, you lose only 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
2255 <choice idref="sect61">To continue, <link-text>turn to 61</link-text>.</choice>
2259 <section class="numbered" id="sect113">
2260 <meta><title>113</title></meta>
2263 <p>You stretch out with your right foot and kick open the satchel, but in doing so you place yourself off balance. The brigand captain senses this and uses the opportunity to break free. He scurries away for the safety of the trees, screaming all the while for his men to come and save him. Then you see the first of them emerging from the surrounding pines. Rather than fight them, you decide it better to escape whilst you still can, and so you take to your heels pausing only to snatch up the captain<ch.apos/>s satchel as you leave. The brigands give chase, but they soon lose you among the dense pines and call off their pursuit.</p>
2264 <choice idref="sect247"><link-text>Turn to 247</link-text>.</choice>
2268 <section class="numbered" id="sect114">
2269 <meta><title>114</title></meta>
2272 <p>You recover quickly from the unexpected shock and manage to keep your place in the line as it moves up the hillside, away from the poisoned trough, without displaying any discomfort.</p>
2273 <choice idref="sect250"><link-text>Turn to 250</link-text>.</choice>
2277 <section class="numbered" id="sect115">
2278 <meta><title>115</title></meta>
2281 <p>You command her to raise her right hand and she does so without hesitation. On her index finger you notice a platinum ring which you sense at once is magical; it is the source of her psychic power. The ring is fused to her hand and cannot be removed. Having no wish to sever her finger, you command her to lower her hand and tell you where you may find the Crooked Sage Inn. Obediently, she gives you clear directions to Tavern Lane, the street where the inn is situated, and less than ten minutes later you find yourself at a signpost which marks the entrance to this narrow thoroughfare.</p>
2282 <choice idref="sect332"><link-text>Turn to 332</link-text>.</choice>
2286 <section class="numbered" id="sect116">
2287 <meta><title>116</title></meta>
2290 <p>The Elder scolds you for more than a minute before he loses his patience and stalks off, dismissing you as unworthy of his time. Those seated around you have now become uncomfortably curious about who you are. To avoid their attentions, you get up and move to the stern where a score of acolytes are kneeling in prayer.</p>
2291 <choice idref="sect124"><link-text>Turn to 124</link-text>.</choice>
2295 <section class="numbered" id="sect117">
2296 <meta><title>117</title></meta>
2299 <p>You find shelter in a wooded grove, close to the trail, where you are able to make camp for the night. Darkness descends, but the surrounding trees are kept illuminated by a spectacular host of twinkling lights which swoop and soar above the hills. It is a wondrous display but you are not deceived into thinking that all is well. There is a great and evil magic at work here; you can sense it.</p>
2300 <p>The storms stay away this night and you are able to get several hours<ch.apos/> uninterrupted sleep<ch.emdash/>restore 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points. You rise with the dawn and breakfast on roots and berries which are in plentiful supply (there is sufficient surplus for 2 Meals). Then you break camp and continue your ride towards Vorn.</p>
2301 <choice idref="sect8"><link-text>Turn to 8</link-text>.</choice>
2305 <section class="numbered" id="sect118">
2306 <meta><title>118</title></meta>
2309 <p>You raise the sun-sword and strike out with unerring accuracy as the first of the Vortexi engulf you.</p>
2310 <combat><enemy>Vortexi</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">49</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">48</enemy-attribute></combat>
2311 <p>For possessing the Sommerswerd, restore 5 points to your <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> score. For every level of Kai rank you have attained above that of Kai Grand Guardian, you may add a further 2 to your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> for the duration of this fight.</p>
2312 <choice idref="sect46">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 46</link-text>.</choice>
2316 <section class="numbered" id="sect119">
2317 <meta><title>119</title></meta>
2320 <p>Like a fleeting shadow, you move through the undergrowth towards the brigand leader. As you draw closer, you hear him cursing the incompetence of his men and you see him beating his clenched fist on the trunk of the fallen bough in frustration. Then you leap upon him, covering his mouth with one hand and locking his arm behind his back with the other. He growls and struggles like an angry bear to break free from your grip, but when you whisper a threat in his ear he quickly ceases to resist. Suddenly his nerve seems to break and he begins to whimper like a frightened puppy. You ease your hand away from his mouth just enough so that he can speak and at once he pleads with you not to kill him. He offers you the contents of his satchel and free passage away from here if you will promise not to harm him.</p>
2321 <choice idref="sect113">If you wish to see what he has in his satchel, <link-text>turn to 113</link-text>.</choice>
2322 <choice idref="sect75">If you wish to question him about why he has laid an ambush for you, <link-text>turn to 75</link-text>.</choice>
2326 <section class="numbered" id="sect120">
2327 <meta><title>120</title></meta>
2330 <p>Swiftly you unshoulder your Bow, draw an Arrow to your lips, and take hurried aim as the man in black makes his daring leap across the street.</p>
2331 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. If you possess the Discipline of Grand Weaponmastery with Bow, add 3 to the number you have picked.</p>
2332 <choice idref="sect139">If your total score is now 6 or less, <link-text>turn to 139</link-text>.</choice>
2333 <choice idref="sect328">If it is 7 or more, <link-text>turn to 328</link-text>.</choice>
2337 <section class="numbered" id="sect121">
2338 <meta><title>121</title></meta>
2341 <p>Soon it is your turn to dip your hand into the trough. As you come to within a few yards of the foul water, you sense that it has been cursed by powerful necromantic spells. The evil surrounding it is strong, and nausea rises up from the pit of your stomach as you dip your fingers into this cursed brine.</p>
2342 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> (0=10). The number you have picked is equal to the number of <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points you lose as a result of touching this cursed water.</p>
2343 <choice idref="sect265">If your <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points total is now 20 or less, <link-text>turn to 265</link-text>.</choice>
2344 <choice idref="sect114">If your <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points total is now 21 or more, <link-text>turn to 114</link-text>.</choice>
2348 <section class="numbered" id="sect122">
2349 <meta><title>122</title></meta>
2352 <p>You place the food before their feet and step away, but they do not touch it until you sheathe your weapon and taste it yourself to prove that it has not been poisoned (erase this Meal from your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>). Ravenously they consume the humble meal in seconds and, when they have finished, they allow you to approach and examine their sickly child. You tell them that you can help their son. Using your innate healing skills, you place your hands upon the boy<ch.apos/>s chest and let your Kai power flow through into his fever-wracked body. Within a few moments he stirs to consciousness and gives a healthy cry; you have saved his life.</p>
2353 <choice idref="sect277"><link-text>Turn to 277</link-text>.</choice>
2357 <section class="numbered" id="sect123">
2358 <meta><title>123</title></meta>
2361 <p>You whisper the words of the Brotherhood Spell <spell>Lightning Hand</spell> and point your finger at the Arch Druid. A tingling sensation runs down the length of your arm which culminates with a bolt of blue-white energy that arcs from your index finger and explodes against the haft of Cadak<ch.apos/>s staff.</p>
2362 <p>Your sudden and unexpected use of magic caught the Arch Druid off-guard. He defended himself, but you sense that the bolt has weakened him. Seizing this opportunity, you draw your weapon and rush forwards to attack him before he fully recovers.</p>
2363 <combat><enemy>Arch Druid Cadak</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">48</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">32</enemy-attribute></combat>
2364 <p>Arch Druid Cadak is immune to Mindblast and Psi-surge, but he is vulnerable to Kai-surge.</p>
2365 <choice idref="sect298">If you win this combat, <link-text>turn to 298</link-text>.</choice>
2369 <section class="numbered" id="sect124">
2370 <meta><title>124</title></meta>
2373 <p>You kneel between two praying acolytes and begin to mumble along with their sonorous prayer-dirge. A shiver runs along your spine and you begin to feel queasy; a strong aura of evil surrounds the group and your psychic senses are struggling to shield your mind from its insidious influence.</p>
2374 <p>You notice that some of the acolytes are shaking uncontrollably, and sweat drips from their faces despite the icy wind which howls across the deck. You recognize that they are suffering the after-effects of using Adgana, a potent and highly addictive potion which increases skill and ferocity in combat. You hazard a guess that many of the acolytes were made to take this narcotic before the assault on the quay, to stir them into battle-frenzy.</p>
2375 <p>You have been kneeling among the praying acolytes for barely a minute when suddenly the war-horn blares a long, discordant tone. All eyes turn to the east where the shoreline can now be seen on the horizon. The longboat is speeding towards the wooden jetty where a large group of red-robed figures are awaiting its return. The prayer-dirge ceases and everyone gets to their feet in readiness to disembark as soon as the boat docks at the jetty.</p>
2376 <choice idref="sect150"><link-text>Turn to 150</link-text>.</choice>
2380 <section class="numbered" id="sect125">
2381 <meta><title>125</title></meta>
2384 <p>You are awoken in the middle of the night by a tremendous clap of thunder which shakes the ground and startles Bracer. At first you think that a new day must already have dawned, for the cave is awash with bright light. But when you prise open your sleep-clogged eyes and look out over the surrounding landscape, you see that the light has a far more sinister origin.</p>
2385 <p>The sky is alive with hordes of glowing, wraith-like phantoms. They swoop down from the roiling storm clouds and skim the treetops, howling and screeching like insane banshees. A trio of these ghastly apparitions pass within a few yards of the cave mouth and suddenly your head is gripped by a crushing pain. You use your Magnakai skills to erect a Psi-screen to protect your mind from this psychic attack, but your reflexes are sleep-dulled and you lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points before your defence is intact.</p>
2386 <choice idref="sect326"><link-text>Turn to 326</link-text>.</choice>
2390 <section class="numbered" id="sect126">
2391 <meta><title>126</title></meta>
2394 <p>Drawing on your mastery of psychic defence, you are able to construct a shield around your mind which absorbs the Elder<ch.apos/>s probe. He learns nothing from his attempt to read your psyche and, rather than admit to failure, he dismisses you as an empty-headed cretin.</p>
2395 <p>With a growl of disdain, he orders you to rejoin the end of the procession and pushes you out of his way as he strides back to rally those acolytes who are fleeing down the path.</p>
2396 <choice idref="sect250"><link-text>Turn to 250</link-text>.</choice>
2400 <section class="numbered" id="sect127">
2401 <meta><title>127</title></meta>
2404 <p>Using the Brotherhood Spell <spell>Levitation</spell> you are able to rise in the air and glide over this soft section of the cavern floor until you reach firmer ground. With ease, you are then able to slip past the end of the line of automatons and race towards the dais.</p>
2405 <p>During your flight across the sagging floor, the Demoness was putting on an armoured breastplate of varnished black steel and was otherwise distracted. But she saw you get around the flank of her automatons and now she is aware of your plan.</p>
2406 <p>It is clear by the anger on her face that she has no intention of allowing you anywhere near the dais or the Deathstaff.</p>
2407 <choice idref="sect57"><link-text>Turn to 57</link-text>.</choice>
2411 <section class="numbered" id="sect128">
2412 <meta><title>128</title></meta>
2415 <p>You urge Bracer up a treacherously slick path that leads to the entrance. Without once faltering on the difficult ascent, he carries you to the top of the path where two rusty wagon rails disappear into the mine shaft<ch.apos/>s shadowy maw. You approach, and the instant you are out of the rain, your keen Sixth Sense alerts you to the fact that you are not the only ones seeking shelter here. The scent of greasy fur and the glint of two grey-green eyes in the gloom tell you that you have stumbled upon the lair of a mountain wolf.</p>
2417 <illustration class="float">
2419 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
2420 <description>The scent of greasy fur and the glint of two grey-green eyes in the gloom<ch.ellips/></description>
2422 <instance class="html" src="ill7.png" width="386" height="577" mime-type="image/png"/>
2423 <instance class="html-compatible" src="ill7.gif" width="386" height="577" mime-type="image/gif"/>
2424 <instance class="pdf" src="ill7.pdf" width="386" height="577" />
2427 <p>The wolf growls menacingly and Bracer backs away in fright. Quickly you prepare to use your Magnakai skill of Animal Control to calm this beast before its hunger or its fear make it attack.</p>
2428 <choice idref="sect89">If you possess Animal Mastery and have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian or higher, <link-text>turn to 89</link-text>.</choice>
2429 <choice idref="sect151">If you do not possess this skill or have yet to reach this rank, <link-text>turn instead to 151</link-text>.</choice>
2433 <section class="numbered" id="sect129">
2434 <meta><title>129</title></meta>
2437 <p>Your <spell>Mind Charm</spell> proves stronger than his will to resist it. With a sigh, he bows his head and becomes completely subservient. Mentally you command him to go and attend to the wounded at the bow of the boat and he obeys at once without question. Those seated around you have now become uncomfortably curious. To avoid their attentions, you get up and move to the stern where a score of acolytes are kneeling in prayer.</p>
2438 <choice idref="sect124"><link-text>Turn to 124</link-text>.</choice>
2442 <section class="numbered" id="sect130">
2443 <meta><title>130</title></meta>
2446 <p>You pass through the arch and feel no harmful effects. But as you descend the steps on the far side, you suddenly notice that a large number of acolytes and Elders are staring at you with hatred and anger in their eyes. You look over your shoulder to see that the invisible curtain of power, through which you passed, is no longer invisible. It is glowing an accusing shade of red.</p>
2447 <p><quote>Intruder!</quote> screams one of the Elders. <quote>Unbeliever!</quote> screams another. Then, with a sudden rush, a wave of acolytes comes running at you, many clasping knives and short swords in their fists.</p>
2448 <combat><enemy>Acolytes of Vashna</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">45</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">40</enemy-attribute></combat>
2449 <choice idref="sect311">If you win this combat, <link-text>turn to 311</link-text>.</choice>
2453 <section class="numbered" id="sect131">
2454 <meta><title>131</title></meta>
2457 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a> (0=10). The number you have picked is equal to the number of <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points lost as a result of the lightning impact and the fall.</p>
2458 <p>You are left stunned and smouldering by the explosion. Drunkenly, you stagger to your feet and use your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus to extinguish those parts of your cloak and tunic ignited by the blast. Your Weapon disintegrated when it was hit (erase it from your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>), yet it served to conduct some of the energy of the lightning ball away from your body.</p>
2459 <p>Your terrified horse has halted at the river<ch.apos/>s edge and you call to him, using your natural Kai skills to calm and control his fear. He responds at once and returns to collect you. Swiftly you climb back into the saddle and gallop away along the river trail, anxious to put distance between you and this deadly storm.</p>
2460 <choice idref="sect80"><link-text>Turn to 80</link-text>.</choice>
2464 <section class="numbered" id="sect132">
2465 <meta><title>132</title></meta>
2468 <p>At Shamath<ch.apos/>s command, her attendants draw wicked-looking slivers of steel from scabbards hidden inside their robes and, with a cry of vengeance, they come rushing forwards to hack you down.</p>
2469 <combat><enemy>Cheghath</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">37</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">40</enemy-attribute></combat>
2470 <p>These beings are gifted with strong psychic defences. Halve all bonuses you would normally receive if you choose to use a psychic attack (including Kai-blast) during this combat.</p>
2471 <choice idref="sect303">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 303</link-text>.</choice>
2475 <section class="numbered" id="sect133">
2476 <meta><title>133</title></meta>
2479 <p>You accept the package and carefully unfold its silken wrapper to reveal an amulet, oblong in shape, strung upon a length of crude twine. It has been carved from coal-black stone, flecked with grains of metal, which sparkle in the firelight.</p>
2481 <illustration class="inline">
2483 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
2485 <instance class="html" src="small1.png" width="386" height="150" mime-type="image/png"/>
2486 <instance class="html-compatible" src="small1.gif" width="386" height="150" mime-type="image/gif"/>
2487 <instance class="pdf" src="small1.pdf" width="386" height="150" />
2490 <p><quote>Where was this found?</quote> you ask.</p>
2491 <p><quote>In the ruins of Vorn,</quote> replies Kadharian, ominously.</p>
2492 <choice idref="sect262">If you possess the Discipline of Telegnosis and have reached the Kai rank of Sun Knight or higher, <link-text>turn to 262</link-text>.</choice>
2493 <choice idref="sect49">If you do not possess this Discipline or have yet to reach this level of Kai Mastery, <link-text>turn to 49</link-text>.</choice>
2497 <section class="numbered" id="sect134">
2498 <meta><title>134</title></meta>
2501 <p>Your punch knocks the Elder off his feet and leaves him slumped unconscious against the gunwale. A deathly silence descends on the deck and all eyes turn to stare in disbelief at what you have done.</p>
2502 <p><quote>Seize him!</quote> bellows another Elder, and a score of acolytes spring from the benches to obey the command. You draw your weapon and fight them with breathtaking skill and valour, but eventually you are overcome by the sheer weight of numbers. By the time they have disarmed you and pinned you to the deck, more than thirty of them lie slain or seriously injured in a heaped circle around where you lie.</p>
2503 <p>You stare back defiantly at the ring of grim faces that loom over you. Then the face of an Elder comes into view and he sneers with disdain when he sees that you are a Sommlending. He places the tip of his glowing wand to your forehead and suddenly there is an explosion of white light. Sadly, it is the last sensation you will ever experience.</p>
2504 <p>Your life and your quest end here.</p>
2508 <section class="numbered" id="sect135">
2509 <meta><title>135</title></meta>
2512 <p>You draw the Sommerswerd from its scabbard and point it accusingly at the Arch Druid, expecting him to wither in the face of its goodly light. But the blade does not glow as radiantly as before: it is as if its powers are being subdued by Cadak<ch.apos/>s spectral prison.</p>
2513 <p>With loathing in your heart, you advance upon your despised enemy. He weaves his hands before his face and his image fades. He is using a spell of invisibility but it does not keep him entirely hidden: you can still see the outline of his staff and his body flickering as he moves against the background wall of light.</p>
2514 <combat><enemy>Arch Druid Cadak</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">50</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">35</enemy-attribute></combat>
2515 <p>Arch Druid Cadak is immune to Mindblast and Psi-surge, but he is vulnerable to Kai-surge.</p>
2516 <choice idref="sect298">If you win this combat, <link-text>turn to 298</link-text>.</choice>
2520 <section class="numbered" id="sect136">
2521 <meta><title>136</title></meta>
2524 <p>You retreat into the copse, using your Magnakai skills of Invisibility to keep you hidden from the advancing brigands. In their clumsy eagerness to enter the trees, they fail to notice you slip through their lines and circle around behind them. You have outwitted them but you are still anxious that they may find your horse. You move to higher ground in order to get a better view of the copse and, from a vantage point among the boulders, you observe their leader and three of his henchmen hiding nearby, crouched behind the bough of a fallen tree.</p>
2525 <choice idref="sect304">If you possess a Bow and wish to fire an Arrow at the brigand leader, <link-text>turn to 304</link-text>.</choice>
2526 <choice idref="sect212">If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use the spell of <spell>Mind Charm</spell>, <link-text>turn to 212</link-text>.</choice>
2527 <choice idref="sect98">If you decide to wait and observe the brigands a little longer, <link-text>turn to 98</link-text>.</choice>
2531 <section class="numbered" id="sect137">
2532 <meta><title>137</title></meta>
2535 <p>As you approach the hall, you notice that it has only one means of entry<ch.emdash/>a large pair of double doors facing the lake. A long procession of acolytes are filing into the hall through these open doors and you stop to observe them. It occurs to you that if you are to discover what is going on inside, you will have to enter by the same way.</p>
2537 <illustration class="inline">
2539 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
2541 <instance class="html" src="small4.png" width="386" height="150" mime-type="image/png"/>
2542 <instance class="html-compatible" src="small4.gif" width="386" height="150" mime-type="image/gif"/>
2543 <instance class="pdf" src="small4.pdf" width="386" height="150" />
2546 <p>A portly perimeter guard passes by and you duck into a darkened doorway to avoid being seen. He goes into a hut opposite and suddenly an idea springs to mind, an idea that could get you into the grand hall. You hurry across to the hut and rush in, catching the acolyte by surprise. A blow to the back of the head renders him unconscious, and quickly you put on his voluminous red robes which completely cover your clothing and equipment (you need not record these robes on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a>).</p>
2547 <p>Dressed as an acolyte, and aided by your Kai camouflage skills, you should now have no difficulty getting into the hall.</p>
2548 <choice idref="sect289">If before leaving the hut, you wish to search it for useful items, <link-text>turn to 289</link-text>.</choice>
2549 <choice idref="sect143">If you do not, <link-text>turn to 143</link-text>.</choice>
2553 <section class="numbered" id="sect138">
2554 <meta><title>138</title></meta>
2557 <p>You wield the Deathstaff with strength and confidence. The whirling cyclone ruins the Vortexi attack and bleeds them of their psychic powers, rendering them harmless.</p>
2558 <p>However, by using the Deathstaff to accomplish this, you have left yourself vulnerable to its insidious power: lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
2559 <choice idref="sect46">Make the necessary adjustments to your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> and <link-text>turn to 46</link-text>.</choice>
2563 <section class="numbered" id="sect139">
2564 <meta><title>139</title></meta>
2567 <p>You let fly your Arrow but it is poorly aimed. It arcs harmlessly into the night sky as the archer lands on the roof of the building opposite. Determined not to let him get away, you dash along the street, your eyes fixed on the shadowy figure as he makes his escape across the rooftops of the north quarter. You are twenty yards ahead of him when the street makes a turn and you find yourself faced by a solid brick wall; you have come to a dead end. You are about to retrace your steps when suddenly you notice a rusty iron staircase away to your right. It is a crude fire-escape ladder and it leads all the way to the roof of a linen warehouse. Quickly you climb the ladder, your weapon drawn in readiness to intercept the assassin the moment he appears.</p>
2568 <choice idref="sect95"><link-text>Turn to 95</link-text>.</choice>
2572 <section class="numbered" id="sect140">
2573 <meta><title>140</title></meta>
2576 <p>You unsheathe your weapon and brace yourself to receive their maniacal attack.</p>
2577 <combat><enemy>Acolytes of Vashna (in battle-frenzy)</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">34</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">40</enemy-attribute></combat>
2578 <choice idref="sect325">If you win this combat, <link-text>turn to 325</link-text>.</choice>
2582 <section class="numbered" id="sect141">
2583 <meta><title>141</title></meta>
2586 <p>Suddenly, a sparkling sheet of energy shimmers beneath the great arch, and you catch sight of a huge, booted foot stepping through it. You tremble at the thought of what will happen next, for you recognize only too well to whom the foot belongs. With mounting horror you watch as the Demoness Shamath emerges from the Shadow Gate in her entirety. Here on Magnamund she is five times greater in size and power than in her own domain, and she is hungry to exercise that terrible power.</p>
2587 <p>She stoops down and plucks the Deathstaff from you as if she was removing a tiny splinter of wood from a lowly insect. Then she points a tree-sized finger at the ground before the dais and a huge hole appears.</p>
2588 <p>A raging whirlwind arises from this abyss, a whirling vortex which quickly builds in power until it is sucking everything into its spinning black core. Screaming acolytes tumble past and disappear into its maw as you desperately hang on to the dais to stop yourself from being sucked to your death. But your resistance is futile. With a callous flick of her wrist, the Demoness Shamath consigns you to your doom.</p>
2589 <p>Tragically, your life and your quest end here.</p>
2593 <section class="numbered" id="sect142">
2594 <meta><title>142</title></meta>
2597 <p>You draw your weapon and brace yourself as the phantoms swoop down upon you like hungry vultures descending on a corpse.</p>
2598 <combat><enemy>Vortexi</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">46</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">40</enemy-attribute></combat>
2599 <p>For every level of Kai rank you have attained above that of Kai Grand Guardian, you may add 2 to your <typ class="attribute">COMBAT SKILL</typ> for the duration of this fight. If you possess the Sommerswerd, restore 5 points to your <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> score.</p>
2600 <choice idref="sect159">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 159</link-text>.</choice>
2604 <section class="numbered" id="sect143">
2605 <meta><title>143</title></meta>
2608 <p>You raise the hood of your robe and join the procession of acolytes who are filing into the hall. The interior is a dark and forbidding place, decorated with the ritualistic trappings of the Acolytes of Vashna. Spluttering candles dimly illuminate a central altar and a sickly-smelling incense saturates the air. The acolytes encircle the altar several ranks deep and listen intently as two of their Elders conduct a liturgy in praise of Darklord Vashna, and the victory he has seen fit to grant them. They conclude their sinister ceremony by crying out the words, <quote>We celebrate this eve of the <quote>Great Welcoming</quote>. May Lord Vashna, our master, vanquish his enemies and rule unchallenged ever more!</quote></p>
2609 <p>The acolytes respond spontaneously by repeatedly chanting their master<ch.apos/>s name. <quote>Vashna! Vashna! Vashna!</quote> they cry, as they slowly shuffle out of the hall in single file. At the door, each acolyte is handed a burning torch and made to parade past the Elders who give them their unholy blessing. You take care to keep your face concealed within the raised hood of your robe as your turn comes to pass before them.</p>
2610 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. If you possess Kai-alchemy, Kai-screen, or Assimilance, add 2 to the number you have picked (these bonuses are cumulative).</p>
2611 <p>Also, if you possess a Runic Disc, add 1; if you possess the Sommerswerd, deduct 3; and for every rank you have attained above that of Kai Grand Guardian, add 1.</p>
2612 <choice idref="sect322">If your total score is now 4 or less, <link-text>turn to 322</link-text>.</choice>
2613 <choice idref="sect192">If it is 5 or more, <link-text>turn to 192</link-text>.</choice>
2617 <section class="numbered" id="sect144">
2618 <meta><title>144</title></meta>
2621 <p>As the screaming Vortexi horde swoops down, you pray to Kai and Ishir to give you strength enough to defeat them.</p>
2622 <choice idref="sect118">If you possess the Sommerswerd, <link-text>turn to 118</link-text>.</choice>
2623 <choice idref="sect284">If you do not possess this Special Item, <link-text>turn to 284</link-text>.</choice>
2627 <section class="numbered" id="sect145">
2628 <meta><title>145</title></meta>
2631 <p>As the first of the brigand captain<ch.apos/>s men emerge from the surrounding pines, you break off the fight and take to your heels, pausing only to snatch up his satchel as you leave. Thinking that his swordsmanship has terrified you into running away, the captain gives chase, but he soon loses you among the dense pines and gives up his pursuit.</p>
2632 <choice idref="sect247"><link-text>Turn to 247</link-text>.</choice>
2636 <section class="numbered" id="sect146">
2637 <meta><title>146</title></meta>
2640 <p>Suddenly, a grey-haired man dressed in furs springs up from behind the boulder with a loaded crossbow clutched in his hands.</p>
2641 <p><quote>Don<ch.apos/>t move!</quote> he growls, and levels the weapon at your heart.</p>
2642 <choice idref="sect201">If you possess the Discipline of Telegnosis and wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 201</link-text>.</choice>
2643 <choice idref="sect280">If you do not possess this skill or choose not to use it, <link-text>turn to 280</link-text>.</choice>
2647 <section class="numbered" id="sect147">
2648 <meta><title>147</title></meta>
2651 <p>The street ends at a stagnant fountain where a rowdy crowd has gathered to watch a bare-knuckled contest between two tough street-fighters. You stop to ask one of the spectators the way to the Crooked Sage Inn and, somewhat to your surprise, he seems pleased to offer his help. He gives you clear directions to Tavern Lane, the street where the inn is situated, and less than ten minutes later you find yourself at a signpost which marks the start of this narrow thoroughfare.</p>
2652 <choice idref="sect332"><link-text>Turn to 332</link-text>.</choice>
2656 <section class="numbered" id="sect148">
2657 <meta><title>148</title></meta>
2660 <p>Shamath recoils in horror before your deadly blows. She begins to whimper. Then, quite suddenly, a geyser of flame shoots from the ground and engulfs her worm-like body. You watch with disbelief as the tendrilled flesh blackens and flakes away in a matter of seconds, to leave nothing but a coiled heap of glowing cinders on the mirrored floor.</p>
2661 <choice idref="sect261"><link-text>Turn to 261</link-text>.</choice>
2665 <section class="numbered" id="sect149">
2666 <meta><title>149</title></meta>
2669 <p>The bolt streaks towards you and, for one terrible moment, you are frozen rigid with fear. Then your natural Kai instincts take command, and suddenly it is as if everything is happening in slow motion. You are in mortal danger and must act swiftly if you are to survive.</p>
2670 <choice idref="sect71">If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 71</link-text>.</choice>
2671 <choice idref="sect7">If you do not, you can attempt to avoid the bolt by diving out of the building. <link-text>Turn to 7</link-text>.</choice>
2675 <section class="numbered" id="sect150">
2676 <meta><title>150</title></meta>
2679 <p>The longboat glides to a halt beside the jetty and attendant acolytes make it secure with ropes and hawsers. An Elder oversees the disembarkation, allowing the wounded off first, followed by the rest in descending order of rank and superiority. You join in the queue with the lowly initiates and follow the line as it files off the jetty and up a torchlit hill track to a hall of stone. It is a grand building which shows signs of having only recently been constructed.</p>
2680 <p>The interior of the hall is a dark and forbidding place, decorated with the ritualistic trappings of the Acolytes of Vashna. Spluttering candles dimly illuminate a central altar and a sickly-smelling incense saturates the air. The acolytes encircle the altar several ranks deep and listen intently as two of their Elders conduct a liturgy in praise of Darklord Vashna, and the victory he has seen fit to grant them. They conclude their sinister ceremony by crying out the words, <quote>We celebrate this eve of the <quote>Great Welcoming</quote>. May Lord Vashna, our master, vanquish his enemies and rule unchallenged ever more!</quote></p>
2681 <p>The acolytes respond spontaneously by repeatedly chanting their master<ch.apos/>s name. <quote>Vashna! Vashna! Vashna!</quote> they cry, as they slowly shuffle out of the hall in single file. At the door, each acolyte is handed a burning torch and made to parade past the Elders who give them their unholy blessing. You take care to keep your face concealed within the raised hood of your robe as your turn comes to pass before them.</p>
2682 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>. If you possess Kai-alchemy, Kai-screen, or Assimilance, add 2 to the number you have picked (these bonuses are cumulative).</p>
2683 <p>Also, if you possess a Runic Disc, add 1; if you possess the Sommerswerd, deduct 3; and for every rank you have attained above that of Kai Grand Guardian, add 1.</p>
2684 <choice idref="sect322">If your total score is now 4 or less, <link-text>turn to 322</link-text>.</choice>
2685 <choice idref="sect192">If it is 5 or more, <link-text>turn to 192</link-text>.</choice>
2689 <section class="numbered" id="sect151">
2690 <meta><title>151</title></meta>
2693 <p>Your basic Kai skills are sufficient to calm the wolf, but he is clearly agitated by the scent and presence of your horse. Confused and frustrated by its conflicting instincts, the wolf retreats into the depths of the mine shaft where it howls throughout the remainder of the night.</p>
2694 <p>Unable to sleep because of the wolf<ch.apos/>s incessant cries, you spend the next five hours in quiet discomfort waiting for the storm to subside: lose 2 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
2695 <choice idref="sect279"><link-text>Turn to 279</link-text>.</choice>
2699 <section class="numbered" id="sect152">
2700 <meta><title>152</title></meta>
2703 <p>You unsheathe your weapon and wait with bated breath as you listen to the beast approaching. It sounds as if it is more than thirty yards away when suddenly, with a deafening roar, it drops through the fog and lands upon you. Desperately you fight to defend yourself as it tries to rake you unmercifully with fang and claw.</p>
2705 <illustration class="float">
2707 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
2708 <description>You unsheathe your weapon and wait with bated breath as you listen to the beast approaching.</description>
2710 <instance class="html" src="ill8.png" width="386" height="633" mime-type="image/png"/>
2711 <instance class="html-compatible" src="ill8.gif" width="386" height="633" mime-type="image/gif"/>
2712 <instance class="pdf" src="ill8.pdf" width="386" height="633" />
2715 <combat><enemy>Zarthyn</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">45</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">50</enemy-attribute></combat>
2716 <choice idref="sect90">If you win this combat, <link-text>turn to 90</link-text>.</choice>
2720 <section class="numbered" id="sect153">
2721 <meta><title>153</title></meta>
2724 <p>You back away from the advancing line of automatons and try to use your speed and agility to get around their flank. But you have taken less than a dozen steps when you feel the floor becoming soft and spongy beneath your feet.</p>
2725 <choice idref="sect193">If you possess Telegnosis and have reached the Kai rank of Sun Lord, <link-text>turn to 193</link-text>.</choice>
2726 <choice idref="sect127">If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 127</link-text>.</choice>
2727 <choice idref="sect232">Otherwise, <link-text>turn to 232</link-text>.</choice>
2731 <section class="numbered" id="sect154">
2732 <meta><title>154</title></meta>
2735 <p>You fly through the air towards the opposite roof, yet in your haste to pursue the assassin, you misjudge the jump and land short. Desperately, you scrabble to get a grip on the rusty gutter at the edge of the tiled roof, but it is weak and cannot support your weight. It collapses and, with a cry of fear, you plummet backwards into the street below.</p>
2736 <choice idref="sect38"><link-text>Turn to 38</link-text>.</choice>
2740 <section class="numbered" id="sect155">
2741 <meta><title>155</title></meta>
2744 <p>The trail meanders away from the lapping waters of the lake and winds slowly upwards to a chalky plateau covered with dense scrub. Clumps of dull yellow blossoms, blighted by the severe weather, cling to the boughs of this foliage. They give off a pleasant odour which your horse finds irresistible. You sense that they are nutritious and so you stop and both of you eat your fill: restore 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points. (There is a sufficient surplus of blossoms for 2 Meals. These nutritious blossoms have no healing properties.)</p>
2745 <choice idref="sect338"><link-text>Turn to 338</link-text>.</choice>
2749 <section class="numbered" id="sect156">
2750 <meta><title>156</title></meta>
2753 <p>Throughout the afternoon, the rocky trail descends through an unlovely landscape of shale hills and crags topped with thorny brambles. It is difficult terrain but your ride passes without incident. Shortly before dusk, you come to the top of a ridge and catch your first glimpse of the River Storn and the snow-capped peaks of the southern Durncrags beyond. The elation of having come this far is sobered when you see that the distant sky is changing rapidly, and only a slender streak of light fringes the horizon. A storm is closing in.</p>
2754 <p>As you make the long, gradual descent towards the river, the air becomes humid and dark clouds appear overhead. The turmoil of moisture quickly charges the atmosphere. Lightning flashes without warning from the clouds to the earth and arcs skyward again, its energy echoing in a slow roll of thunder. Then the heavens open and a deluge of rain saturates the land. You calm your startled horse and urge him through the pouring rain, praying all the while that you will be able to find shelter before night closes in.</p>
2755 <p>You are within a mile of the river when the darkness is almost complete. Yet, aided by your keen vision, you are able to make out two places that can offer some degree of shelter from the storm. The first is a cone-shaped stone hut, perched near the river<ch.apos/>s edge; the second is a rocky hollow close to the trail.</p>
2756 <choice idref="sect207">If you wish to shelter in the hut, <link-text>turn to 207</link-text>.</choice>
2757 <choice idref="sect91">If you wish to take shelter in the rocky hollow, <link-text>turn to 91</link-text>.</choice>
2761 <section class="numbered" id="sect157">
2762 <meta><title>157</title></meta>
2765 <footnote id="sect157-1-foot" idref="sect157-1">
2766 <p>If you already carry the maximum number of Special Items permissible, you must discard one in favour of the Deathstaff. If you possess Helshezag, the sword of Darklord Kraagensk<ch.ucirc/>l, it is now destroyed, obliterated by the power of the Deathstaff, and you must erase it from your <a idref="action">Special Items list</a>. <a idref="sect94">Section 94</a> also implies a loss of 5 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points in this incident.</p>
2771 <p>You scramble to your feet and sprint to the dais where you wrench the Deathstaff from the floor of the lower tier. To your horror it feels abnormally heavy and you sag beneath its weight. The Demoness spins around and emits a terrible scream when she sees what you are holding. The noise of her wrath lifts you bodily and sends you skidding across the floor.<footref id="sect157-1" idref="sect157-1-foot"/></p>
2773 <illustration class="inline">
2775 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
2777 <instance class="html" src="small6.png" width="386" height="128" mime-type="image/png"/>
2778 <instance class="html-compatible" src="small6.gif" width="386" height="128" mime-type="image/gif"/>
2779 <instance class="pdf" src="small6.pdf" width="386" height="128" />
2782 <p>Desperately, you fight to maintain your grip on the Deathstaff as the furious Shamath comes striding towards you. The deafening shriek of her voice rings once more in your ears as you clutch the Deathstaff to your chest and take a running leap into the dark oblivion of the Shadow Gate.</p>
2783 <choice idref="sect270"><link-text>Turn to 270</link-text>.</choice>
2787 <section class="numbered" id="sect158">
2788 <meta><title>158</title></meta>
2791 <p>You scan the brooding sky, using your ability to see in the ultraviolet and infrared light spectrums. Your advanced Kai skills enable you to see and track the flying creatures as they circle slowly around their lair and come swooping down to attack you.</p>
2792 <p>You draw your weapon and, in the ultraviolet spectrum, you detect that an aura of protection is sheathing it from the extreme temperature of this domain. Then a hideous shriek splits the air as the first of the beasts dives upon you.</p>
2793 <combat><enemy>Lavas</enemy><enemy-attribute class="combatskill">44</enemy-attribute><enemy-attribute class="endurance">42</enemy-attribute></combat>
2794 <choice idref="sect276">You may evade this combat after five rounds by <link-text>turning to 276</link-text>.</choice>
2795 <choice idref="sect3">If you win the combat, <link-text>turn to 3</link-text>.</choice>
2799 <section class="numbered" id="sect159">
2800 <meta><title>159</title></meta>
2803 <p>You have destroyed all of the ghostly creatures that were attacking you, but you are mindful that there are still hundreds of these malevolent spirits circling the area. You stand with your horse at the rear of the shallow cave, your weapon ready in hand, and pray to Kai and Ishir to keep you both safely hidden. Gleefully, the Vortexi ride the raging storm for more than an hour until eventually it dies and they slowly disappear.</p>
2804 <p>An uneasy calm descends upon the land. You sense that the danger has passed and try to get some rest, but the recent memory of your ghastly confrontation is still vivid in your mind which makes it impossible for you to sleep: lose 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
2805 <p>Furthermore, unless you possess Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose an additional 3 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points.</p>
2806 <choice idref="sect337"><link-text>Turn to 337</link-text>.</choice>
2810 <section class="numbered" id="sect160">
2811 <meta><title>160</title></meta>
2814 <p>The Elder<ch.apos/>s probe breaks through your defence and he suddenly realizes that you are an intruder. He pulls at your robe and tears it open, revealing your leather tunic and breeches. Recognizing them at once to be Sommlending in origin, he gasps with shock as he guesses at your true identity.</p>
2815 <p><quote>Seize him!</quote> he bellows, and a score of acolytes spring forward to obey the command. You draw your weapon and fight them with breathtaking skill and valour, but eventually you are overcome by the sheer weight of their numbers. By the time they have disarmed you and pinned you to the rocky ground, more than thirty of them lie slain or seriously injured in a heaped circle around where you lie.</p>
2816 <p>You stare back defiantly at the ring of grim torchlit faces that loom over you. Then the face of the Elder comes into view and he sneers with disdain. He places the tip of a glowing wand to your forehead and suddenly there is an explosion of white light. Sadly for you, it is the last sensation you will ever experience.</p>
2817 <p>Your life and your quest end here, on the trail to the Maakengorge.</p>
2821 <section class="numbered" id="sect161">
2822 <meta><title>161</title></meta>
2825 <p>The shops and hovels which sandwich this narrow street show no visible signs of life. Heavy iron bars and stout oaken shutters secure their every portal, understandably a necessary precaution in this villainous city. You are beginning to lose hope of finding the Crooked Sage Inn, when suddenly you notice a pale yellow light streaming from the doorway of a nearby building. As you ride closer, you see a sign hanging above the door. It shows a black bear standing upright on its hind legs, and in its forepaws it grasps a placard which says:</p>
2826 <signpost>GHADLAR <ch.ampersand/> SONS<ch.emdash/>FURRIERS</signpost>
2827 <choice idref="sect226">If you wish to enter the furriers<ch.apos/> shop, <link-text>turn to 226</link-text>.</choice>
2828 <choice idref="sect244">If you choose to ignore it, you may continue along this street by <link-text>turning to 244</link-text>.</choice>
2832 <section class="numbered" id="sect162">
2833 <meta><title>162</title></meta>
2836 <p>The howling phantoms come swirling out of the storm. They encircle the great shimmering arch in a long, unbroken chain, and then, one by one, they peel away to dive at the place where you are standing. Guided by your Kai instincts, you raise the Deathstaff and whirl it around your head<ch.emdash/>once, twice, three times<ch.ellips/></p>
2838 <illustration class="inline">
2840 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
2842 <instance class="html" src="small6.png" width="386" height="128" mime-type="image/png"/>
2843 <instance class="html-compatible" src="small6.gif" width="386" height="128" mime-type="image/gif"/>
2844 <instance class="pdf" src="small6.pdf" width="386" height="128" />
2847 <p>An ominous hum radiates from its haft. There is a crackle of static electricity and the damp air seethes with restrained, undischarged power. A thread of mist issues from the staff<ch.apos/>s tip and builds rapidly into a spinning cyclone that ensnares the Vortexi and prevents them from reaching you. In desperation, you sense them pooling their immense psychic energies in an attempt to break out of this whirling prison and attack you.</p>
2848 <p>Pick a number from the <a idref="random">Random Number Table</a>.</p>
2849 <p>If you possess Kai-surge, add 4 to this number. If you possess Kai-screen, add 2. If you possess Assimilance, add 1.</p>
2850 <p>Also, if your current <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points total is 18 or more, add 1; if your current <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points total is 17 or less, deduct 1.</p>
2851 <choice idref="sect206">If your total score is now 3 or less, <link-text>turn to 206</link-text>.</choice>
2852 <choice idref="sect305">If it is 4<ch.endash/>8, <link-text>turn to 305</link-text>.</choice>
2853 <choice idref="sect138">If it is 9 or more, <link-text>turn to 138</link-text>.</choice>
2857 <section class="numbered" id="sect163">
2858 <meta><title>163</title></meta>
2861 <p>Tied to a stone obelisk in the centre of the quay square are three Acolytes of Vashna. They are guarded by two Vakovarian brigands who keep themselves amused by bullying and tormenting them.</p>
2862 <p>For the past hour the sky overhead has become increasingly grey and thundery, with occasional storm flashes illuminating the northern shore. Now this storm is crossing the lake and the lightning is beginning to strike dangerously close to the quay. The brigands seemingly ignore this danger, so preoccupied are they with their petty cruelties, but then something appears on the surface of the lake which commands their attention.</p>
2864 <illustration class="float">
2866 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
2867 <description>Suddenly, a massive longboat emerges from the wall of fog and comes speeding towards the quay.</description>
2869 <instance class="html" src="ill9.png" width="386" height="634" mime-type="image/png"/>
2870 <instance class="html-compatible" src="ill9.gif" width="386" height="634" mime-type="image/gif"/>
2871 <instance class="pdf" src="ill9.pdf" width="386" height="634" />
2874 <p>A massive bank of grey-white fog is rolling across the water towards the quay at an unnatural pace. When it is just a few hundred yards from the shore, a volley of lightning bolts comes hurtling from its core to explode against the quayside wall with devastating effect. Several brigands are incinerated where they stand, leaving nothing but glowing piles of ash to mark their passing. Then, suddenly, a massive longboat emerges from the wall of fog and comes speeding towards the quay. Glowing bolts of energy dart from its prow to explode upon the deck of the Vakovarian ship. One of these bolts passes high between the masts and arcs through the air towards the quay. You watch with mounting horror as it comes speeding directly towards you.</p>
2875 <choice idref="sect176">If you possess the Sommerswerd, <link-text>turn to 176</link-text>.</choice>
2876 <choice idref="sect149">If you do not possess this Special Item, <link-text>turn to 149</link-text>.</choice>
2880 <section class="numbered" id="sect164">
2881 <meta><title>164</title></meta>
2884 <footnote id="sect164-1-foot" idref="sect164-1">
2885 <p>The section corresponding to the correct answer will have a footnote confirming that it is indeed correct. You have only one chance to guess at the correct answer. If you guess incorrectly, <a idref="sect235">turn immediately to 235</a>.</p>
2890 <p>Galvanized into action by the fear of what will happen should the Demoness be allowed entry to this world, you cast your eyes and Kai senses across the symbols which are engraved upon the crystal surface of the uppermost tier. Then, in a sudden flash of inspiration, you realize that the symbols themselves are the key to the activation of the Shadow Gate.</p>
2891 <p>You study the symbols and determine that a sequence must be completed in order for you to be able to close the Shadow Gate.</p>
2892 <p>Study the following grid of numbers carefully. When you think you know the missing number, <choose test="has-numbered-section-list"><when value="true"><a idref="numbered">turn to the entry</a></when><otherwise>turn to the entry</otherwise></choose> which bears the same number as your answer.<footref id="sect164-1" idref="sect164-1-foot"/></p>
2894 <illustration class="inline">
2896 <creator>Brian Williams</creator>
2898 <instance class="html" src="small13.png" width="386" height="195" mime-type="image/png"/>
2899 <instance class="html-compatible" src="small13.gif" width="386" height="195" mime-type="image/gif"/>
2900 <instance class="pdf" src="small13.pdf" width="386" height="195" />
2901 <instance class="text">
2904 <th colspan="5" scope="colgroup">Number grid</th>
2931 <choice idref="sect235">If you cannot solve the problem, <link-text>turn to 235</link-text>.</choice>
2935 <section class="numbered" id="sect165">
2936 <meta><title>165</title></meta>
2939 <p>You throw yourself flat against Bracer<ch.apos/>s neck and the bolt parts your hair as it whistles past your head. Unharmed, you reach the cover of a dense pine copse where you quickly dismount. Having secured Bracer<ch.apos/>s reins to a tree, you move back to the edge of the copse to try to catch a glimpse of your attackers. You have no difficulty seeing them: a dozen brigands, armed with crossbows and swords, are rushing through the undergrowth directly towards your hiding place.</p>
2940 <choice idref="sect330">If you possess a Bow and wish to use it, <link-text>turn to 330</link-text>.</choice>
2941 <choice idref="sect136">If you do not, <link-text>turn to 136</link-text>.</choice>
2945 <section class="numbered" id="sect166">
2946 <meta><title>166</title></meta>
2949 <p>The moment you step through the archway you feel an electrifying jolt run through your body, and snake-like tendrils of blue-white energy arc from the rim of the arch to the hilt of the Sommerswerd. A gasp of astonishment arises from the acolytes, audible even above the howling wind.</p>
2950 <p><quote>We have an intruder in our midst!</quote> screams Cadak, levelling his wizard<ch.apos/>s staff at you accusingly. You fight the paralysing effect of the current and tug the sun-sword free of its scabbard. For a moment the current weakens as it is absorbed and neutralized by the Sommerswerd<ch.apos/>s divine energy, but then the tip of Cadak<ch.apos/>s staff ignites with a crimson flame and the current intensifies anew, numbing your limbs with its insidious effect.</p>
2951 <p><quote>Ha! I know you, intruder,</quote> yells Cadak maniacally. <quote>You are Lone Wolf, the doomed hero of a doomed realm. You are a fool to come here, Kai Lord. Your powers are no match for those of Naar, the King of the Darkness.</quote></p>
2952 <p>With this he turns to the acolytes and throws up his hands triumphantly.</p>
2953 <p><quote>This night we shall celebrate a double victory, my brethren. The resurrection of Lord Vashna and the destruction of Grand Master Lone Wolf!</quote></p>
2954 <p>The acolytes scream their approval, but their cheer is drowned by the ever-increasing noise of the storm. Then you see that the storm itself is changing. A huge vortex of whirling cloud is descending from the heavens, a tornado whose deadly funnel is reaching down towards you. Then the tip of the roaring plume touches the ground at your feet and, with a terrifying suddenness, you are torn from the energy curtain and sent hurtling through the air towards the dark centre of the towering arch.</p>
2955 <choice idref="sect60"><link-text>Turn to 60</link-text>.</choice>
2959 <section class="numbered" id="sect167">
2960 <meta><title>167</title></meta>
2963 <p>You cease firing, having decided to conserve your remaining Arrows for later. After a few minutes the brigands suspect that one of their bolts has found its mark and they come creeping forwards.</p>
2964 <p>You retreat into the copse, using your Magnakai skills of Invisibility to keep you hidden from the advancing brigands. They pass you, enabling you to circle around behind them. You have outwitted them but you are still anxious that they may find Bracer. You move to higher ground in order to get a better view of the copse and, from a vantage point among the boulders, you observe their leader and three of his henchmen hiding nearby, crouched behind the bough of a fallen tree.</p>
2965 <choice idref="sect304">If you wish to fire an Arrow at the brigand leader, <link-text>turn to 304</link-text>.</choice>
2966 <choice idref="sect212">If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use the spell of <spell>Mind Charm</spell>, <link-text>turn to 212</link-text>.</choice>
2967 <choice idref="sect98">If you decide to wait and observe the brigands a little longer, <link-text>turn to 98</link-text>.</choice>
2971 <section class="numbered" id="sect168">
2972 <meta><title>168</title></meta>
2975 <p>You hurry down towards the circle of boulders, dragging your frozen horse behind you, eager to get him out of this icy gale. You are twenty yards from your goal when you are brought skidding to a halt by your hunting senses<ch.emdash/>something is wrong here. You listen and, to your horror, you detect the clacking of fangs and the scent of blood and greasy fur. Suddenly the clacking ceases and a terrifying howl arises from the far side of the boulders.</p>
2976 <choice idref="sect309">If you wish to mount your horse and gallop away from here, <link-text>turn to 309</link-text>.</choice>
2977 <choice idref="sect208">If you choose to draw your weapon and investigate what lurks on the other side of these boulders, <link-text>turn to 208</link-text>.</choice>
2981 <section class="numbered" id="sect169">
2982 <meta><title>169</title></meta>
2985 <p><quote>Easy, Smudd,</quote> you say, letting your hands drift away from your weapons, <quote>I mean you no harm. I just want to talk with you awhile, that<ch.apos/>s all.</quote></p>
2986 <p>The scrawny-faced knave looks at you with deep suspicion, his hand tightening around the hilt of his rapier.</p>
2987 <p><quote>Look,</quote> you say, reaching for your money pouch, <quote>I<ch.apos/>m even prepared to pay for the privilege.</quote></p>
2988 <p>Slowly you remove five Gold Crowns and place them on the table (if you currently have less than five Gold Crowns, you give Smudd what you have <em>plus</em> one item from your Backpack).</p>
2989 <choice idref="sect323">Adjust your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> accordingly, and then <link-text>turn to 323</link-text>.</choice>
2993 <section class="numbered" id="sect170">
2994 <meta><title>170</title></meta>
2997 <p>You barely manage to utter the words of the spell before the deadly bolt slams into the magical shield. For a moment you are blinded by a splash of sparks which blister your face (lose 2 <typ class="attribute">ENDURANCE</typ> points), but you quickly recover and urge your horse onwards with renewed vigour.</p>
2998 <choice idref="sect5"><link-text>Turn to 5</link-text>.</choice>
3002 <section class="numbered" id="sect171">
3003 <meta><title>171</title></meta>
Project Aon Git Repositories / project-aon.git / blob